Games Are Afoot Chapter 14
Departures
Disclaimer:If you recognize it, it belongs to JKR, if not it belongs to me.
Author's Note: I want to thank Enthralled for being such a fabulous sounding board and for truly converting into a Charlie fan!!!!
The day of Charlie's departure was a flurry of activity. Mrs. Weasley was bustling about finishing laundry and trying to get him to let her cut his hair. She was in no mood for the others to be underfoot, so she had assigned them the tedious chore of cleaning their rooms the muggle way. She insisted that the clothes be sorted, the walls and floors be scrubbed, the bedding laundered, and the wardrobes organized. Through all of this, Hermione would catch an occasional glimpse of Charlie as he ran up and down the stairs gathering his belongings that had spread around the house.
In the middle of all the chaos, Fred and George had decided to spy on Sirius and Remus talking in the kitchen in a continuing effort to determine what was going on with the order. The result was that Mrs. Weasley discovered the Extendable Ears and threatened to destroy all of them. Quick thinking by George, led to a successful preservation of their stock, but since then Mrs. Weasley added imperturbable and extra silencing charms on the doors during meetings. She also cautioned all the members of the Order to be judicious when discussing anything because the "walls now had ears."
Hermione carried the parchment in her pocket with her wand. She would put her hand in to touch it frequently. She was dying to know what it said, but she loved the anticipation of waiting too.
Dinner was a joyful and lively affair. Ginny talked to Tonks who explained how to detect imperturbable charms. Mrs. Weasley was fortunately too occupied too hear that particular conversation and Tonks was still young enough to understand the curiosity of the younger members of the household. She didn't advocate listening, but she admired their ingenuity. She didn't give away how to break the charm, just how to detect if it existed.
All throughout dinner, Charlie would glance down the table. He took in each member of his family as though memorizing how they were at that moment. He knew it would be a while before he would see them again and these memories would have to carry him through until then. He had seriously considered moving back to England, but Dumbledore had insisted he remain in Romania to recruit internationally for the order. For the first time in five years, he did not want to go back. He loved his dragons. He just loved his family more and now that you-know-who had returned, he was more worried than he let on.
The last few weeks had been blissful. He had reconnected with his siblings. He had joined the Order. He had gotten to know Hermione. He still could not believe the witch she had become. He wished she were older. He wondered what she would think of his letter that he left her with. He chuckled to himself.
"Char?" Bill brought him back from his thoughts to the dinner table.
"Yeah?"
"Portkey is due to take off in twenty minutes."
"Right."
The mood at the table sobered. Mrs. Weasley began to sniffle. Sirius and Remus gave Charlie hearty handshakes and wished him luck and then left the family to their goodbyes. Hermione shuffled over to Charlie to do the same.
"Charlie, I hope you have a safe trip. I-I-I hope that your dragons didn't miss you too much." She finally said. It wasn't what she really wanted to say, but with the entire family there, it would have to do.
Charlie pulled her in to a fierce hug. "You take care of yourself Hermione. Don't let my prat of a brother drive you around the bend."
The whole room laughed while Ron said sarcastically, "Ha. Ha."
She moved aside to allow other farewells. Out of the corner of his eye, Charlie saw her slip out of the room.
Hermione raced up to the portrait on the top floor and slipped behind it looking for a place to read the parchment Charlie had given her. She thought it would be appropriate to read it in the place where he had given it to her. To her horror, she discovered after her hasty entrance, that she was not alone. There sat Sirius and Professor Lupin, drinks in hand and smiles on their faces.
"To what do we owe this unexpected, but extremely pleasant surprise?" Sirius asked, his eyes twinkling merrily.
"We have been discovered!" Chortled Remus.
"I think I know where you were hiding yesterday." Sirius teased.
"I am so sorry for intruding. I will just be going now." Hermione blurted out, turning to leave.
"Nonsense, come join us." Invited Sirius.
Remus stood and offered her his chair. He moved another over for himself.
"You know Hermione, this is the one room in this house that doesn't feel dark to me. When I was younger, before I understood the politics of the world, I would come in here and be with my mum. She wasn't so angry and offensive back then mind you."
Hermione felt awkward. She could tell how difficult it was for him to be here in this house. Along with Ginny, Ron, Fred, and George, she had heard a conversation about what had happened between Sirius and his family. They had all agreed they would never tell a soul that they knew. Hermione wanted to go read her letter. She wanted to be alone. She stood.
"I think I will go find Ginny. She'll need a bit of a shoulder once Charlie's gone."
Her abrupt departure startled the two men, but they merely shrugged as she disappeared out the door.
Hermione didn't want to share her letter. She didn't want a lot of unanswerable questions from Ron or Ginny. She didn't want the twins to tease her. She wanted some privacy.
Charlie must have left because she met Ginny on the stairs.
"I was just looking for you!" Ginny exclaimed.
"Charlie gone then?" Hermione asked rhetorically. Ginny nodded.
"Come on then, let's go find the others." Ginny said as she grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her back down the stairs toward the kitchen. "Mum always makes something yummy to help comfort us after he leaves." The girls returned to the kitchen and Hermione fondly touched the parchment knowing she would just have to wait a little longer.
Suddenly, an owl popped loudly out of the fireplace. It held two letters. One addressed to Molly and one addressed to Sirius. Molly opened hers and her eyes grew into huge orbs of shock.
"Where is Sirius?" She asked as she looked up. She was obviously upset.
"I'll get him," Hermione said already running out of the room. She had a very bad feeling that something was terribly wrong. She ran full out all the way up the stairs and burst back into the room behind the portrait. After she gasped a few times trying to catch her breath she turned to the men.
"Something has happened and Molly needs you in the kitchen." She blurted out. They disapparated on the spot and she found herself flying back down the stairs on foot. She returned to the kitchen clutching her side and sat unceremoniously next to Ginny.
Ginny leaned over to her and whispered in her ear, "Something has happened to Harry."
Hermione's heart clenched. She looked desperately around the room. Ron moved to the chair on her other side and reached for her hand. She clasped it and clung to it. He squeezed back just as fiercely. No words were needed to express the panic and horror they felt for their friend.
Molly turned from her nearly silent discussion with Bill, Remus and Sirius. "Dumbledore is on his way to the ministry. There has been a dementor attack in Little Whinging. Harry had to use magic in front of his cousin and now they are trying to expel him."
Sirius wrote a short note and attached to the leg of the ministry owl and sent it on its way.
"He must not leave that house!" He roared. "Worthless, stupid, no good wanker! He will have to answer to me!"
Ron leapt to his feet knocking the chair over. "Don't you DARE talk about Harry that way!" He yelled at Sirius. Sirius looked momentarily stunned.
"Harry? I was talking about Mundungus, the oaf. He left his post! He left him unprotected! When I get my hands---"
"ENOUGH!" Molly shouted. "You are revealing too much, Sirius. Control yourself and cease speaking." She turned to her children and Hermione. "You will go to your rooms. There is to be an emergency meeting. I am sure that if at all possible, Harry will be joining us soon, but for now you are to go to your rooms. DO NOT try to listen in on this meeting or you won't know what hit you. Do I make myself clear?" Molly's eyes were on fire as she looked at each of them in turn and then looked back to Fred and George a second time.
They all nodded and Ron and the girls made their way up the stairs to Ginny and Hermione's room. CRACK! CRACK! Fred and George apparated into the room.
"Would you stop doing that!" Hermione screamed. "You scare the life out me everytime!"
"You look pretty good for a ghost, Granger." Fred started.
"Oh not now!" Ginny hissed looking extremely perplexed.
"Okay, okay. Relax." He answered her with his hands in the air.
"Dementors." Said Ron looking at Hermione.
"Dementors." She replied.
No one said anything as the full impact of what happened and could have happened to Harry filled their minds.
How could dementors show up?" Ginny asked with a crack in her voice. Her eyes were shiny with tears of worry. George moved to her and put his arm around her shoulder. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, most of her family and Hermione were well aware that she had never gotten over Harry. Her feelings ran deep and she was worried.
"I am sure the entire ministry is asking itself that very question right now." He said quietly.
"It couldn't be a coincidence could it?" Ron asked. The tightness in his chest was growing as he remembered how the dementors felt.
"Dumbledore will have to let him come here now, won't he?" Hermione asked glancing at the group.
"I don't know Granger, when has Dumbledore done what you expected him to?" Fred answered more seriously than she had ever seen him. She just nodded.
Not too long after, Molly came into the room. "Harry has not been expelled—yet. Dumbledore made it to the ministry. They are going to hold a hearing August 12th. He is suspended until then. He will be here tomorrow. Now off to bed—all of you." Her tone would brook no arguments and the boys scurried to their rooms.
Ginny let out a huge sigh. "At least he's safe." She whispered. Hermione moved to sit by her friend.
"Yes, at least he's safe." She murmured and pulled Ginny in for a hug as both girls gave in to their tears.
Once Ginny had finally drifted off, Hermione quietly made her way to Ron's room. "Ron, are you asleep?" She whispered through the door.
"No," he whispered back and opened the door. "I've been waiting for you." She moved into the dark room and he closed the door. She stood still so as not to bump into anything until she felt Ron steer her towards one of the beds. They sat side by side for a long time in silence.
"He's going to be really upset." Ron finally said.
"Yes, he is. It is so unfair. They just can't expel him for defending himself. They were dementors for Merlin's sake!"
"I know." Was all Ron could say. He was more choked up than he wanted to be and he didn't want to break down in front of her.
After another long silence, Ron asked, "The ministry will have to believe he's back now, won't they?"
"I don't know Ron. You've seen the papers. They've been trying to discredit Dumbledore and Harry all summer. Even Percy…."
"Don't." Ron hissed. "Just don't even mention his name." He clenched his jaw and his fists. "That prat. That no good bloody git."
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought him up. I just think that given that they don't even believe you-know-who had anything to do with Cedric…well, I just think they are going to try and make this go away too." She said quietly. She stood up. "I'll see you in the morning Ron."
"Good night Hermione." Ron said into the darkness.
Hermione didn't want to go to bed yet. Her mind was swirling over everything that had been said tonight. She was trying to wrap her brain around it and have it make sense. Her hand slipped into her wand pocket and she remembered the parchment. She went to the loo figuring she would at least have some measure of privacy there. She sat on the edge of the green, claw-footed tub and gently unrolled the parchment. She smiled. It said:
Hermione,
I figured you would want me to write first, so this is
my first official letter to you. I enjoyed getting to know
you the last few weeks. Not much can impress me, but
you certainly have. Not only are you smart, but you have
a keen sense about how knowledge fits into the world
around you. You think on your feet. I haven't laughed
so much in ages. I left something under my pillow for you.
Write soon.
Your friend, Charlie
Hermione read through the letter several times. 'I wonder what he left me?' She thought to herself. It was very late. She decided that now was as good a time as any and slipped out the door and crept up to the level Charlie's room was on. She slowly and hesitantly opened his door, praying that it wouldn't squeak and give her away. She closed it just as quietly and paused to let her eyes adjust to the darkness. A solitary dim candle in a sconce by the door was her only source of light. It cast her shadow towards the far side of the room. She almost felt foolish tiptoeing across the room to the bed, but she liked the feeling of being sneaky. It was so unher, but so fun. She loved the new sense of adventure she felt. Charlie inspired it in her. She sat down carefully and leaned towards the pillow. The scent of Charlie wafted up toward her.
She was overcome for a moment at how close he felt. Almost like he was still there. But she couldn't let herself feel that way. It was Charlie. He was her friend. But, oh boy, did he smell good. She tenderly lifted the pillow and moved it to her other side. She saw a box sitting on the bed. She picked it up and looked at it wanting to savor the moment. She loved presents. The box was a cube about the size of a brick.
The box itself was red with a gold ribbon. Naturally. She smiled. She slowly untied the ribbon and then lifted the lid on the box. She saw two vials and another parchment underneath. She lifted the first one out and looked at it. It was very difficult to see in the dark so she moved towards the dim candle. It looked like a potion of some sort. She replaced it and picked up the second vial. There was a single strand hovering in the center of the vial. It was too dim for her to recognize it. She decided to slip back to the loo where she could have better light.
She glanced back at the bed and returned to replace the pillow and smooth out the blankets. She picked the box and ribbon up and left as quietly as she could to really check out her gift.
Once she was again perched on the edge of the tub, she reopened the box. The potion was a mustard yellow color and very thick. It was somewhat shimmery as well. The second vial held the string that was blood red with a single strand of gold down the center. It was beautiful and mesmerizing but she wasn't quite sure what it was.
She pulled out the parchment.
Hermione,
You now owe me two letters! I am sure your curiosity
is killing you so allow me to put you out of your misery.
The string is a dragon heartstring. I thought you would
like to know what they look like. It's okay to take it out
of the vial. I want you to write to me when you do. It
should be an interesting experience. This one came from
a Chinese Fireball. The second vial has some essence of
murtlelap in it. If I remember correctly, O.W.L. year
means that you learn to break down potions, so instead of
giving you the recipe, I thought you might enjoy figuring it
out. Again, if you have questions, owl me. Hope you
enjoyed your little surprise.
Charlie.
Hermione smiled. What a perfect present. She tucked everything back in the box and retied the ribbon. Then, she carefully made her way back to her room. She slipped the box in her trunk and put the first letter from Charlie under her pillow. As she changed for bed, her mind was flying. How was it that he could know her, understand her in just a few short weeks? They had been some of the best of her life. But, he was older than she was. Did that matter between friends? She liked how he treated her like a grown-up. She didn't have to mother him. He was interesting and always seemed eager to listen to what she had to say. It was just different than any other relationship she had. She fell asleep thinking happy thoughts.