DISCLAIMER: Nope. Don't own it.
A/N: Okay, so I've been really crazy busy lately and it's been taking me forever to actually sit down and write. (Even though I want to like all the time now.) I'm still trying to get past year 1 and 2, but it's becoming really hard. Especially when I'm getting bored. If you get bored with your own story, it's really saying something. Lol. I still appreciate those of you who have kept interest in this story. If you'd like me to keep going, I might just skip through some stuff so we can move on to more interesting things. Please let me know if you still want to hear more.
Chapter 9: Reunited
Maddy stood in front of her mirror, thankful to be looking at her normal reflection again. She had started to get used to the brown-haired, freckled, pudgy girl, but had certainly missed her old self. When she split, she felt a painful twinge in her back. Her reflection cringed.
Those, I could do without...
It was the first week of August. She had sent Harry a birthday card less than a week ago, but she hadn't received anything back. She wondered if he'd forgotten about her.
Her birthday, which was the day after Harry's, had been a small quiet one. The Muggles had celebrated a bit, but it was nothing spectacular. She couldn't wait to celebrate with the others.
Glancing at the clock, she wondered if it would be rude to arrive unannounced. She knew that Harry was at the Weasley's, but she didn't want to be a burden on Molly. She would have enough children to deal with already.
But I'm small and I don't eat much...Maddy thought to herself. I could be helpful around the house too...
Suddenly, she remembered. Molly had loved her when she was little. That was why Maddy looked forward to visiting Ronald. Molly always made the best cakes and made sure that dinner was always warm and filling. Certainly she wouldn't throw her out if she dropped by.
Maddy nodded shortly, making up her mind. She was going to visit them. She couldn't stand being secluded for such a long time.
Apparition, which was illegal to students under the age of 17, was something she excelled at. Dumbledore had to sign many papers in order for her to be allowed to use it. He had feared they would have to set up a permanent Portkey, which could have been potentially dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands.
Maddy did not enjoy Apparating, however. She found it a silly form of transportation and would have preferred to fly, if given the choice.
She landed hard on the ground, bringing herself back to her feet. Brushing off the dirt from her robes, she looked up at the house in front of her. A large grin spread across her face as she recognized it as the one from her dreams.
Chickens ran around playfully in the front yard and several large pigs were held in a small pen. She nearly tripped over what looked like a walking potato as she headed toward the door. As it ran away, she recognized it as a gnome. A very dizzy, confused gnome.
The flying Ford Anglia sat in the middle of the driveway. It was rather beat up and several long scratches lined the sides of it. Maddy chuckled to herself as she thought of what it had been through over the summer. She was certain that the night the boys went to rescue Harry wasn't the first time it had been taken out.
Hesitantly, she held her hand in front of the door, preparing to knock. She prayed that Molly would recognize her and welcome her graciously into her home, but when the door opened, the women in front of her stared at her, confused.
"Can I help you, dear?" she asked, obviously not making the connection.
"M-Mrs. Weasley?" Maddy started, nervously. The house looked familiar, but it was still possible she was in the wrong place. She doubted it though, for the hair on the woman's head was redder than anyone's she'd ever seen.
"Yes," she said cheerfully. "That's me."
"Hi," Maddy said awkwardly. "I got to school with your son, Ronald and I-"
"Oh! Hermione! Hello dear!" she said, opening the door wider. "Ronald's mentioned you many times. I didn't know you'd be stopping over..."
"Oh no," Maddy tried to say as Mrs. Weasley swept her inside. "You see, I'm not-"
"He said that you wouldn't be able to come and visit this summer," Mrs. Weasley continued. "But I'm sure he and Harry will be delighted to see you of course."
"But, Mrs. Weasley, my name-" Maddy rose her voice.
"Come sit down dear. My, are you skinny. I've just finished lunch. Let me call in the boys and we can all get reacquainted." Mrs. Weasley wouldn't let Maddy get a word in edgewise.
Dumbstruck, Maddy sank down into the chair that Mrs. Weasley offered her. She would know soon enough that she wasn't the Hermione that Ron had told her about. Hermione wasn't going to be visiting that summer.
"BOYS! LUNCH!" she called out the window.
"Lunch?" Another male voice can from the edge of the room.
With a loud "thump", two boys came leaping down the stairs. They landed beside each other, grinning.
"Did you say lunch?" The first asked.
"Lunch is good..." the second said, nodding.
"Yes, dears," Mrs. Weasley said, not bothering to turn to them. "Lunch is ready. Please sit down, and what have I said about jumping down those stairs?"
The boys looked at each other and rolled their eyes. They didn't seem to notice the girl sitting at the table as the took their seats, chatting loudly about something they were inventing. Maddy watched them with keen interest.
"And then, if we use an engorgement charm to..." the one closest to Maddy stopped short as he spotted Maddy staring at him. "Who are you?"
"This is Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said, before Maddy could speak up. "You know, Ronald's friend from school."
The boys stared at Maddy. They had seen her before, but they knew she wasn't Hermione. They knew Hermione personally.
"You're not Hermione," the other said accusingly.
"What?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"Maddy!" Harry's voice came from the doorway. "What are you doing here?"
Maddy looked up and smiled at seeing Harry. He was all sweaty and dirty, but he was still the same old Harry. Something was different about him though. Perhaps he had gotten taller. Ron certainly had. He seemed to tower over his best friend.
"Maddy?" Mrs. Weasley squawked, a look of astonishment dawning over her face. "Can someone tell me what's going on here?" Her expression was suddenly angry.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley," Maddy said, rising out of her chair. "I'm not Hermione Granger. Hermione's still on vacation with her family. My name is Madeleine Black. I-I hope you don't my me dropping by..."
"Madeleine Black?" Mrs. Weasley's eyes opened in shock. "Did you say-"
"Yes, Ma'am..." Maddy said, bowing her head.
The twins looked at each other and back at Maddy. Ron's expression hadn't changed, but little did Maddy know, he'd recognized her as well.
"Oh my dear child!" Mrs. Weasley cried, reaching her hands out for Maddy and pulling her into a tight hug. "It's been ages. I thought you were gone for good."
Maddy hugged her back weakly, feeling a little embarrassed. Harry looked back and forth from each of the Weasley's to Maddy, still unsure of what was going on.
"Maddy?" Fred, the twin who had been sitting closest to Maddy, asked. "No way. It can't be..."
When Mrs. Weasley let go of her, each of the twins took turns giving her a fond 'welcome home'. George clapped her on the shoulder, asking her where she'd been for the past million years. Fred grabbed her around the neck and mussed her hair.
"Hey kiddo," he said. "Remember me?"
Maddy choked. "Yes, Fred! I remember you!" Fred used to do that to her whenever he got the chance when they were little. He used to do it to Ron as well, and seemed to have forgotten until then. "Hey, Ronniekins!" Releasing Maddy, he hurried over to Ron and did the same to him.
Harry laughed, though he was still confused. How did Maddy know the Weasleys? And more so, how did they know her? Maddy turned to see Harry looking at her. Slowly, she walked toward him and wrapped her arms around him.
"Don't worry," she said, finally feeling welcome. "I didn't forget you, either."
He hugged her back lightly. "Good."
They pulled away when Ginny entered the kitchen, looking around at everyone curiously. Maddy stared at her. She'd grown so much and would be starting her first year at Hogwarts in September. Maddy could remember when she'd run around the house half-naked, screaming on the top of her lungs.
Ginny didn't say anything as she moved over to the table and sat down. Her eyes continuously darted in the direction of Harry and Maddy couldn't help but feel a little jealous. She was certain, however, that Harry had no returning feelings for the young girl.
"Let's sit down and eat," Mrs. Weasley said, gesturing toward the table. "We can all get reacquainted and catch up on lost years over a good meal..."
XXXXX
Maddy slipped through the front door of the house, feeling as if she couldn't sleep. She was sharing a room with Ginny and things were already awkward between them. Ginny didn't remember Maddy at all and thought it strange to share her room with a complete stranger. Maddy almost felt sorry for her.
Walking through the house, Maddy's mind was flooded with so many memories. How was it that she could forget all of these things over the years? Was it because she had lived in the Muggle world? Was it because she had become another human being? One with a different past?
Or perhaps she had always remembered and just merely ignored them. She was always remembering random things that no one else could explain. For instance, she was certain that she had once been eating cookies with a young woman under a piano once, but she couldn't place who the woman was. Part of her believed it was her Muggle "mother", but when asked about it, she said she didn't recall ever doing that.
Sighing, Maddy sat on the edge of the fence surrounding the garden. She wished that things were easier. She wished that she could really remember what had happened to her those first six years of her life. All of it. Not just the little bits and pieces here and there.
The back door opened and Maddy nearly fell off the fence. She had thought she was the only one awake. Clearly, she had been wrong.
Harry peered out the doorway and spotted her. She stared back at him, slightly embarrassed at being caught. Slowly, he started toward her, feeling as embarrassed as she was.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked in a whispered voice.
"Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing?" she whispered back.
He fell silent and continued to stare at her, waiting for her to give in and explain first. Not receiving an answer, he sighed and leaned against the fence next to her. "I couldn't sleep. When I heard a door open somewhere, I went to see who it was."
"Curious, are we?" Maddy asked with a small smile.
"Very," he said, nodding. "Now, what's your excuse?"
Maddy shrugged. "I couldn't sleep either. Not that I sleep much anyway." she added the last bit with a short glance at him. He smiled and shook his head slowly.
"Not a good habit..." he told her.
"Are you scolding me?" she asked, sounding surprised.
"No!" he said hastily. "I'm just saying..."
Maddy laughed, a bit louder than she should of. If they weren't careful, they were going to wake someone up and then they'd be in a whole heap of trouble. Maddy didn't want to give her Aunt a bad impression her first day staying with them. Thinking about this, she thought it may have been a better idea to stay inside.
"So, how has your summer been?" Harry asked conversationally.
Maddy tipped her head side to side. " Eh, all right, I guess. Yours?"
"Strange..." he answered honestly. "I had a house elf come and tell me not to come back to Hogwarts this year."
"A...wait, what?" Maddy asked, suddenly very confused.
"A house elf," he said. "You know, like a-"
"I know what it is," Maddy said quickly, remembering what Harry was talking about. For a moment, she had forgotten she already knew all this. "He told you not to come back to school?" she played it as if she didn't know.
"Yeah," Harry said, jumping up onto the fence. It began to bend a little from their weight. It was a bit old and worn. "I don't really understand it, but I'm not going to listen to him. He seemed off his rocker anyway..."
"Hmm," Maddy said, not sure what else he expected her to say. "Probably was."
Silence fell between them again. Maddy absolutely hated it when that happened, because she never knew if he was waiting for her to say something or if he really just didn't have anything to say. She was grateful when he finally spoke.
"Have you talked to Terry at all?" he asked.
Odd...why did he bring up Terry?
"Yes," Maddy told him. "We've written each other a couple times. He's on vacation with his family. He wanted me to go with them, but I told him I wouldn't be able to..."
"Lying to him again?" Harry said, almost accusingly.
"No..." Maddy said, the color rising in her cheeks. "I really couldn't. With everything going on and..."
In the moonlight, Harry could see her blushing and he knew she was trying to get herself out of something. He laughed and she glared at him.
"It's not funny," she said. "You try being his girlfriend. He never gives me any space. He's always checking up on me, making sure I'm okay, making sure I'm feeling all right, making sure I'm not hanging out with any other guys..." she shook her head slowly. "As if I'm going to cheat on him. I'd have no reason to."
This wasn't entirely true. She would cheat on him with Harry in a heartbeat, but-
No! Don't think like that! That's bad!
It wasn't right. She knew it wasn't. She and Harry were merely friends and she knew that. Harry would never see her as anything more than the 'girl next door', so to speak. And why would she give up a perfectly loving, caring boyfriend for a dream?
I'm only 12...she thought to herself, frowning. Why do I sound like I'm getting married or something?
Sometimes Maddy hated being as mature as she was. Even in the Muggle world she was considered mature for her age. Often times, she was mistook for someone much older than herself. Certainly, being older had it's benefits, but if it meant talking about forever with someone, she wasn't sure she was ready for something like that.
"Are you sure you really like him?" Harry asked, staring at her again.
Maddy hadn't noticed and now felt quite embarrassed. The look in his eye gave her the feeling that he could read her mind. A terrifying thought.
"Yes, Harry..." she said, sounding annoyed. "We've been over this..."
"I know," he said, sounding just as annoyed as she did. "But it doesn't change anything. You're always lying to him, making up excuses so you don't have to go somewhere with him, complaining that he never lets you-"
"Okay!" Maddy interjected. "I get it. I get a little irritated with him now and then, but come on, gimme a break. I mean, Harry, we're only twelve years old. It's not like we're going to get married or anything. I'm not about to go and pick out my wedding dress tomorrow or start thinking about baby names..."
Harry's head dropped and he looked at the grass below him. It was clear he was thinking about something, however what he was thinking about was not. It was at times like this, Maddy wished she could climb into his mind and see what he was thinking.
"I can't believe we're going to be second years," he said quietly. "Already."
Maddy was glad he'd changed the subject. "Yes. Time's gone by so fast."
"Heh," was all Harry said.
Conversation had died once more. Maddy cursed under her breath, wishing there was something a bit more interesting for them to talk about. As her eyes wandered back toward the house, she began to wonder what time it was. She hadn't bothered to look when she'd left. It had to be well past midnight.
"Are you staying here for the rest of the summer?" Harry asked, not looking at her.
"Yes," Maddy answered. "I've talked to Aunt Molly. She says that I'm welcome to stay anytime I want."
Harry shuddered. "That's so weird. You're Ron's cousin."
"Third cousin..." Maddy corrected him. "Twice removed or some other complicated thing like that. I don't really understand it all."
"You're related, that's the point..." Harry said.
Maddy nodded. She didn't seem to find it as weird as Harry did, nor did she really care. It wasn't going to change anything. It wasn't as if she had ever been attracted to Ron. Now, that would have raised the weird-meter a few bars.
There was a loud noise from inside the house and the two of them jumped. They saw a shadow move in the kitchen window and Harry grabbed Maddy's arm, pulling her off of the fence and down into the tall grass. They crouched there, watching the person move through the kitchen. When they disappeared, Harry turned back to her.
"Maybe we should go back inside..." he muttered.
"Yeah..." Maddy agreed. "Before Aunt Molly kills us."
Tiptoeing through the grass, the Harry pulled Maddy toward the house. He led her through a back door that Ron had shown him and they hurried up the stairs, praying that whoever had been up had returned to bed and was well on their way to dreamland.
Maddy slipped into Ginny's bedroom, waving to Harry as he quickly headed up the next couple flights of stairs to Ron's room. She flopped down onto the spare bed that Uncle Arthur had set up and stared at the ceiling.
She really wished Hermione was there. She would be completely useless when it came to boy troubles, but it would be nice to have some sort of voice of reason.
Even if that voice drove her crazy half the time.
A/N: Anyways, that's the end of this chapter. Please review! And tell me if you'd like me to continue! If not...then I'll probably stop and then post a different story. I dunno...you guys tell me what you think. I do have some ideas that will speed this story up...but only if people are still interested. Thanks a lot!