I've waited for this chapter for a while now. I'm actually so happy about it. And now the story just keeps get better. I hope.
Chapter Ten: Birthday
Grace sat in the chair beside Harry's bed, only minutes after he had been laid down there. The rain was still pouring down outside but the Quidditch match had stopped moments after Harry had fallen when Cedric had caught the Snitch. Grace had turned back quick enough to see it happen.
The doors behind her opened with a bang as Ron, Hermione and most of the Gryffindor Quidditch team entered the hospital wing. Grace could feel Madam Pompfrey's flare of disapproval from here. The large group hurried down the room towards her, leaving puddles of water and footprints of mud with every step.
"How is he?" Hermione asked the moment she was within earshot.
"Still out," Grace informed them. "He's got a couple of bruises and a concussion."
"Lucky the ground was so soft," Ron said.
"I thought he was dead for sure," Fred said. "And he didn't even break his glasses."
"Fred!" Ciara scolded. "Don't say something like that."
"How are you doing?" Hannah inquired of Grace, moving to perch on the arm of her chair.
"Why should it matter?" Grace frowned up at her friend. "Harry's the one who fell off his broom from fifty feet up."
"I meant like with the Dementors," Hannah corrected.
"Oh . . . yeah . . . I dunno. It wasn't as bad as usual I guess. I already thought Harry was going to die so how much worse could it get?"
"I've heard they're serving chocolate pudding and cake and pie for dessert tonight just to make sure everyone feels better."
A grin broke across Grace's face, dreaming of gooey, rich chocolate pudding. Hmm . . . she might have to leave the hospital wing for dessert after all.
"Harry!" Fred exclaimed, bringing Grace out of her daze to find that her brother's eyes were open.
"What happened?" Harry said, sitting up so rapidly that Grace had to place a hand on his shoulder and steady him.
"You fell off," said Fred. "Must've been-what-fifty feet?"
"We thought you'd died," said Katie. Grace noticed for the first time that the Chaser was shaking.
"But the match," said Harry. "What happened? Are we doing a replay?" Grace scoffed. She shook her head at the boys' obsession with Quidditch. "We didn't . . . lose?"
"Cedric got the Snitch," said Hannah. "Just after you fell. He didn't realize what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. He wanted to have a rematch because he's that nice. But they won fair and square... Even Oliver admits it."
"Where is Wood?" Harry asked. He searched around like he was expecting to see the captain suddenly spring out from behind Fred and George.
"Still in the showers," Fred answered. "We reckon he's trying to drown himself."
"Either that or Trina's joined him," George smirked.
Harry leaned forward and put his head between his knees, gripping his hair tightly. Grace thought that he was in pain until Fred grabbed his shoulder, shook it roughly and said, "C'mon Harry you've never missed the Snitch before."
"There had to one time you didn't get it," George added.
"It's not over yet," Fred said before launching into a discussion on their chances of still winning the cup from how many points they currently had. Grace seemed to be the only one there, apart from Hermione, who wasn't intently focused on the conversation. She settled back in her chair, playing gently with Hannah's hair. Another ten minutes passed before Madam Pompfrey came over, shooing the team away.
"I'm gonna grab some pudding but I'll come back," Grace told Harry, getting up from her seat. "Is that alright, Madam Pompfrey?"
"You know you're always welcome," the matron smiled.
Maybe that was because Grace didn't bombard the patients with Quidditch talk like other people, although Grace just guessed that Madam Pompfrey liked her more than most other rowdy students. Either way, she left the hospital wing with clear intentions of coming back.
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Grace returned before bed that night to find Harry alone staring up the ceiling gloomily. Grace approached quietly, making soft footsteps on the ground before greeting him at the end of the bed.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Did you hear about my broom?" Harry questioned, gesturing to a bag that contained the broken pieces sticking up from under his bed.
"Yeah, I only just got told," Grace grimaced. She moved to sit at the end of his bed. "I'm sorry. I knew how much it meant to you." Harry nodded, trying to hide the pain in his expression. "Have you had any chocolate since the game?"
"Madam Pompfrey made me have some. I just don't get it Grace. Everyone always says how horrible the Dementors are but I'm the only one who fell off their broom or fainted on the train."
"Not true," Grace denied. "I fainted on the train too. Guess it must be a family thing, huh?" Grace took a shaky breath, feeling sick just at the thought of the creatures. "It really is horrible though. I mean I try not to remember Tom Riddle but every time I got near one of those things I can hear him threatening to kill me again."
"You hear things too?" Harry asked. His face was a mixture of shock and relief. "I thought I was the only one. . ."
"Harry," Grace started slowly. "What exactly do you hear?"
Harry's hands were playing with a loose thread in the blanket fold in front of him. It took him a few more moments before he lifted his head up and looked at Grace.
"At first I thought it was just a woman screaming but then today before I fell I heard someone talking as well. It was mum's voice on the night Voldemort found them. I just keep hearing her pleading with Voldemort over and over again." His voice cracked as he spoke. Behind his glasses, Harry's eyes were glassy and watery.
Grace's breath hitched in her throat. Out of everything that Harry had gone through that was the worst thing he could possibly relive. She had repressed the memory herself yet there was still the nightmare filled with green light, a crying baby boy and a cloaked figure standing over her mother's body. Every dream always ended with a giant figure carrying Harry and Grace away from the only happy home she could remember from her childhood. Except, her nightmares rarely came anymore; Harry was still living his.
Harry didn't even see the hug coming before Grace had launched herself at him. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and his arms clutched around her like his life depended on it. It was almost awkward the way she was falling on top of her brother until she let go and moved up the bed to sit next to him properly.
"I've always had nightmares about that night," Grace revealed. "Usually pretty detailed too. There was mum, and you and Voldemort. I could even hear dad's voice. It was worst when we were at the Dursleys but somehow the second we leave, I can sleep again."
"No surprise there. Do you think it'll ever get better?"
"Course not. Not when they're not here. But it's not like all we've really got is each other. I mean, I'm pretty sure the Weasleys would adopt us in a second. And have you ever heard some of the stories Remus tells about dad?"
"No," Harry said, shaking his head.
"Oh man, there was this one time where some Slytherins were being assholes to mum and some of her friends so they snuck down . . ."
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Grace had ended up falling asleep on Harry's shoulder after countless more stories, including the first ever detention she had received and a few more of Fred and George's memorable pranks that Harry hadn't been there to witness. Their laughter had echoed towards Madam Pompfrey's office but she never came out to scold them. Harry was allowed to leave the hospital wing late Sunday afternoon, only once Grace beat him at Exploding Snap about twenty times and Oliver came to claim that it wasn't Harry's fault they lost the match.
It was with immense relief that Grace entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom early on Tuesday and saw Remus bearing the complaints of the whole class about Snape's awful teaching. He looked up and caught her eye with a weary smile. Once Grace was closer she saw just how tired their teacher looked. Even so, he managed to control their crazy class, teach them something and hand back all of their marked essays.
Everything seemed to be improving for Grace. Sirius Black hadn't been sighted since Halloween. Harry had recovered from the fall quickly and was about to start taking lessons from Remus to keep the Dementors away. Ciara and Lee were finally talking again, even back to their usual teasing banter. To make things even better, Christmas was coming up. Before that though, Grace was turning fifteen.
She woke up on the twenty fourth of November to all of her room-mates jumping up and down on top of her bed until she groaned and rolled away. They all shoved a wrapped up present at her, making her collapse back onto the bed. Grace tore the paper away to find a pile of her favourite Muggle fiction books. As soon as they had left the dormitory, Fred, George, Lee and Jesse jumped on her and gave her many boxes of Honeydukes chocolate and fudge.
The rest of the morning was as normal as it could get with Fred and George around. Those two definitely made sure nobody forgot it was her birthday. They took it so far as to piggyback her around the castle for most of the day. George was holding onto her legs and running as fast as he could towards Defense, ignoring the stares that were going their way. The whole class turned around, half of them cheering, when they burst through the door.
"Happy birthday, Gracie," Remus said with a twinkle in his eyes after the class had calmed down somewhat and Grace had found her seat. "Maybe you won't have to do quite so much work today."
Two hours later, at the end of class, Remus called Grace back for a second.
"I know your friends are probably waiting for you in the corridor as we speak but I wanted to invite you and them to dinner tonight. Ask Harry, Ron and Hermione if they'll join us too."
"Remus, you don't have to do that," Grace told him. "We'll probably just go down to the kitchens anyway."
"This way might not break as many school rules, seeing as I can provide Butterbeer without Fred and George sneaking out of the castle. And it gives me a chance to give you your present and show it to you properly. How about it?"
"It would be quite amazing," Grace agreed. "You should prepare yourself for Fred and George setting off fireworks though."
"That was always a possibility," Remus grinned. "I'll see you here at seven-thirty then."
Grace gave him a quick hug and raced out of the classroom. Remus was right in saying that her friends would be waiting for her. They all accepted the invitation to dinner, interested to see what Remus was like out of class.
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Grace, the twins, Miranda, Lee, Lara and Hannah strolled up the hill from Care of Magical Creatures laughing loudly at each other. Crowds of students were heading towards the Great Hall for dinner but the small group of friends pushed through them all and climbed up the stairs. Ciara, Trina, Ron, Hermione and Harry were already waiting outside the classroom for them when they arrived. Grace greeted everyone in turn, hugging them all before turning and leading the way through the door.
Inside the classroom Remus had moved the desks together so that they formed a large table in the centre of the room. A simple blue tablecloth had been thrown over it to hide all the crude drawings that covered the wood. On top of the table were candles, enough platters of food for twenty and a large rectangle parcel in front of a chair covered with balloons.
"Ah, good evening everyone," Remus welcomed. "Please take a seat."
The group struggled around each other for a second as they fought over getting seats. Fred made his way straight to Grace's spot, stealing the chair before she could reach it.
"Oh, look, a present for me."
"Shove, love," Grace said; pushing him out of her chair and taking it back for herself. "Didn't you know I was the birthday girl?"
"I could never forget, Gracie," Fred said solemnly.
Eventually everyone had settled down enough and sat silently, looking to Remus where he sat next to Grace.
"You can start eating you know," the professor pointed out, reaching for the roast beef himself. "I didn't put food there for you to stare at."
"Did you cook this yourself, sir?" Miranda asked from the other side of Grace.
"Me? The only thing I can cook is a steak," Remus said.
"It's a pretty damn good steak though," Grace said, making Remus grin. She had moved the present aside for now, deciding to wait until after she had tried some of the chicken pie that sat in front of her. They ate in silence for a few minutes until the food had disappeared enough for them to talk.
"Well this has turned out better than studying all night," Ciara commented.
"Everything's better than studying," Lee said. "There's not much that's worse."
"Have you not had detention with Snape before?" Miranda argued. "That is the worst way to spend your night."
"And you would all know so much about that?" Remus enquired. All of the fifth years exchanged somewhat guilty glances, Fred and George even looking slightly proud of themselves. "It sounds like Severus hasn't changed much since school then."
"Imagine having to go to school with Snape," Trina groaned. "I'm so glad there's no one life him in our year."
"Did you forget about the Callidus and Helena?" Lara opposed. "John too."
"We have Draco Malfoy," Harry said dryly. "You can't get much worse."
"I think the problem is just Slytherins in general," Ron shrugged.
"Alright, alright, open your present before I say something I regret," Remus advised to the sound of laughter. "Your present was combined effort from Harry and I with a little help from your friends too."
Grace reached under her chair to retrieve the parcel that she had stuffed there when she first started eating. Under the expectant gaze of all of her friends and family, she carefully unwrapped the brown paper covering a leather- bound book inscribed with golden lettering that spelt out Grace Lily Potter. Throwing a puzzled glance at Remus, she opened the front cover and saw an old family portrait of Grace and her parents the year she was born.
"Your mother started a scrapbook when you were a year old," Remus explained. "She included some of our school photos and their wedding photos then started filling it up with pictures of you and eventually Harry. The plan was to make one for Harry once he turned one but I don't know if she ever started that one. Yours has been in my possession all this time."
Grace flicked through the pages, smiling at the younger photos of her parents. Maybe people were right when they said Harry and her looked like their mother and father. There was a double page dedicated to their wedding, making Grace realise how beautiful her mother had been.
"Huh, I see where you get your good looks from, Grace," George observed, leaning over Fred and Miranda to stare at the photos for himself.
"James would agree with you on that one. He could have any girl in the school but all he ever wanted was your mother," Remus described, capturing everyone's attention, especially Grace and Harry's. "Lily was reluctant at first, of course, because your father was such a troublemaker. In the end though, she couldn't resist the Potter charm."
"You'll be pulling all the girls one day, Harry," Grace joked to her brother's disbelief.
Chuckling, she turned back to the scrapbook. The next page over was the first photo of her as a tiny newborn baby. It showed her development over her first three years, including when Harry was first born but stopped after that until there was a picture of her and Harry at his Sorting Ceremony. It was the same photo that she kept under her pillow at the Dursleys. After that the photos increased, with some of Grace and her friends in the Gryffindor common room and even more of Harry and Grace.
"Well, there's a pair of good-looking boys," Fred joked at the photo of Grace with the twins. The Fred from the photo winked back at him.
"Aw, that's so cute," Hannah cooed, looking to the photo of the Quidditch team from their third year, Grace standing in the centre.
The scrapbook still had many blank pages to come, obviously for Grace to fill on for herself. On the final page was a photo Grace didn't even remember smiling for of her and Remus.
"That's the best present anyone has ever given me," Grace confessed. "Thank you so much. I don't think I can thank you enough."
She gave Remus a long-awaited hug to a chorus of 'aw's from around the table. She laughed to stop the tears of joy from falling and moved out of the hug, with one of Remus' arms still around her shoulder, only so she could grab Harry's arm and pull him in too.
Hours later, after Fred and George had set off dozens of fireworks, chocolate cake was filling their tummies and the butterbeer was still warm in their veins, Grace tucked the scrapbook into her bedside draw. There was no way her life could get any better and right now, she doubted it would ever go bad.
Well you know it's always calm before the storm. Please review with any comments, questions or advice!