I know this chapter took awhile, but here it is at last and the moment you've all been waiting for! At last we come across two very familiar faces. I realize I'm a little rusty with the canon characters but I promise I will get better.
Please let me know what you think of my work!
Chloe curled tighter against Dom's body, taking advantage of what little warmth the two had amongst each other, but even that wasn't much. She shivered violently, her teeth chattering and her breath ragged against his chest. He held her tightly with one arm while he steered the broom with the other, the two couldn't fly below cloud cover very often and as a result they were both soaked to the bone with the air around them no higher than twenty degrees. "H-h-how much longer-r-r" Chloe managed to get out.
"We're almost there, we just need to be over a wizards village before we can descend" he promised her ducking down below the cloud cover for a moment to check on their location, he took a moment to study the ground below before at long last he spotted what he was looking for "Chloe look, right there" he said as Chloe shifted against him to see where he was pointing. There were bare trees a great distance before them, and there didn't appear to be any cities near enough to see them accept for a small town a couple miles West of their location. Chloe stared at it, her eyes glistening with interest "Dom where is that?" she asked, not daring to take her eyes off of it.
"That… is Godric's Hollow" he told her and she turned to look at him, eyes wide in slight disbelief "it… it can't… Godric's Hollow?" she turned her gaze back to it as Dom changed his direction straight towards it.
The air was beginning to grow slightly warmer as they descended onto the quiet little town, perhaps it was the briskness of the Firebolt, but it seemed like no time before the village was directly below them. "Hold on tight" Dom said feeling Chloe curl against him as he angled the broom downwards and they began to fall towards the ground at what would have been an alarming rate had he not pulled himself out of the dive a foot from the ground, slowing down until at last his feet were planted firmly in one spot "okay" he told her, helping to pry her fingers loose a little "can you walk?" he asked, concern etched in his voice. She was shivering still, but she nodded as she slid off of the broom. She lost her balance the second her feet touched the ground and almost fell over but Dom caught her in his arms, pulling her to her feet, but not letting go "we need to find you someplace to rest…" he told her.
He began to look around, hoping that maybe there was a pub or some sort of inn they could stay in, but Chloe wasn't paying attention, her eyes had landed on something else and her mouth had fallen open in awe. "Chloe, why don't we try over here, maybe… er… Chloe?" Dom paused, seeing the look on Chloe's face before following her gaze to the ruins of a house before them. He could feel his heart thumping in his chest as he took in the damaged property.
Chloe's eyes roamed the lot until they landed upon an engraved memorial stone placed in the front yard, she moved forward so that she could make out the words a little better, Dom moving with her, he too focusing on the stone before Chloe started reading out loud "In living memory of James and Lily Potter, who sacrificed their lives in order to protect their only son, Harry Potter. The house remains as is to remind us of their cause and purpose in the great war against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, for it was their sacrifice that brought us the Chosen One and the defeat against the Dark Lord."
There was a moment of silence that followed her words before "I always did think that memorial was a little heavy hearted" came a voice from directly behind them, causing them both to jump. Dominic was quick to pull his wand automatically taking a protective stance before Chloe. "Put that thing away, I'm not gonna hurt either of you" he said, his eyes roaming to the broom "you're lucky you happened on a wizard's village, else you'd be in big trouble" he said with a grin of what could have been envy.
The man had unruly red hair that hung down in his face and a little bit of scruff around his chin, but otherwise looked perfectly clean. He was tall and had a slightly stocky build about him and a crooked grin that suggested he may have at one point enjoyed the bit of mischief these two might present. "You two look half frozen, well come on then, my wife is waiting for me and I can't leave you out here. I'm Ron, by the way." he added, turning and leading the way down the street.
Dom was studying the man carefully, as if memorizing the details, something was obviously going through his head, but it was hard to tell what. It was Chloe who replied with a polite smile "thank you, but we'd hate to be an imposition" she said, Dom reaching back and taking her hand. Ron glanced back over his shoulder "I can't just leave you two out here looking like that, you'll get sick. Follow me" his eyes lingered on Chloe for a moment before turning and once again leading the way down the road. Keeping Chloe's hand in his, Dominic spoke "I'm Dominic, this is Chloe…" he offered as they followed Ron down the cobbled street.
"Prepare to be coddled, the second Hermione see's you like this… well she's got a bit of a bleeding heart" he said, a loving smile on his face as they made their way up a yard that looked as if it needed a little extra attention before opening the wooden door. Chloe glanced up towards Dom, there seemed something odd about him, she could feel his hand around hers and it was shivering "are you cold?" she asked, looking concerned, only just realizing that he was beginning to turn pale. "Dom?" she asked in a soft voice, sounding concerned, but he seemed distracted as he ran his free hand into his pocket and pulled out what looked like an extremely battered piece of parchment that had been folded and unfolded so many times that the creases in it were beginning to fray.
They stepped into the house, warmth washing over both of them. The sitting room was a cozy, inviting space with a small couch and coffee table. There was a fire dancing merrily in the fireplace and the room had a very mellow scent. "Hermione" Ron called out and a voice came from the doorway direction across from them "Ron? Where have you been? You said you'd be home a half hour ago" there was something of a strictness to her voice, and yet there was a deep care mixed with it as well, somebody that obviously hated the very concept of being late for anything. Footsteps could be heard and Dom's breathing was getting more and more shallow, beads of sweat were beginning to form on his palms and forehead. At last a woman with a pretty face and bushy brown hair came around the corner, stopping in her tracks at the sight of them "oh… er, Ron?" she asked, looking towards him questioningly. "I found them down by Potter's place and-"
"Oh you poor thing, you look chilled to the core" she interrupted having taken a second look at Chloe, whose clothes were still damp from the clouds. She had dark bags under her eyes and extremely pale, forgetting the fact that she was still wearing a hospital gown. Hermione had her wand out and a towel appeared in an instant, which she used to wrap around the girls shoulders. Chloe realized that she probably really did look like she had just come back from the dead, which, she had. Hermione turned her attention on Dom, noticing the sweat on his forehead and clicking her tongue with disapproval "and you look like you're catching a fever, here sit" she lead them to the couch, although Dom's eyes never did leave her. "Ron could you get me the bottle of Pepperup Potion from the kitchen, it's in the purple vial" she said in a way that wasn't so much a question, but an expectations of sorts. The red haired man stepped from the room while Hermione placed a hand against Dom's forehead. He stayed very still during this interaction, his eyes still holding something that could have been disbelief, he looked as if he might be in shock.
Chloe squeezed his hand a little "Dom?" she asked and he finally turned his eyes to hers, what she saw nearly made her panic, he looked almost frightened "Dom, what's wrong?" she asked. By this time Ron had returned with the vial and Hermione was spooning a little out, holding it up to Chloe first "here, this will help" she told her. Chloe glanced towards the spoon with distaste, she had never liked the taste of that stuff, she could remember fighting her mother and father when she was a child about taking it, but she opened her mouth acceptingly and forced herself to swallow. The difference was immediate, warmth washed through her body. "The steam should go away in about an hour or so" Hermione promised with a smile before turning to Dom, but he shook his head reaching out to stop her from pouring the potion "Hermione… Granger" he stated as if it were a fact he had just learned.
Hermione blinked a few times, the smile fading just a little but not vanishing entirely "well yes, Granger is my surname" she told him, glanced back towards Ron. "Potter's Place huh? Do you know who we are?" she asked. Most knew who they were through association with Harry, but they were rarely actively sought out anymore. "Did er… did you want something from us?" Hermione asked, thinking that perhaps these two had some sort of misconception about what Ron and her did.
Chloe, looking somewhat confused had only just realized who these two were, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger were about as famous as Harry Potter himself, but they hadn't intentionally sought them out. She had just opened her mouth to tell them this before Dom spoke "read this" his words simple and to the point while he held out the folded piece of parchment. "What is it?" she asked, starting to sound somewhat suspicious now, worried almost that perhaps this was some sort of trap. Ron moved closer so that he could see over her shoulder. "Read it… please" Dominic said again, a look of urgency in his eyes now. It was hard to say what compelled Hermione to do as she was told, curiosity perhaps, maybe the look of intensity from Dom's eyes, but she did open the parchment and begin reading the words that were written across it.
The room was silent for a moment while she took in the information, she stopped reading, looking thoughtful about something before she read the parchment once more. At last she pulled away, glancing towards Dom with something between heartbreak and disbelief. Ron reached around his wife, taking the parchment from her hands so that he could read it himself. After a moment he frowned, shaking his head "that's not possible, Hermione you don't have a… Hermione?" he asked for Hermione was looking at Dominic with that same meaningful look. "How did you find this out?" she asked, disbelief in her voice "mom and dad… do they…?" but Dom was already shaking his head "of course not, I found an old picture in my room last summer… a picture of a girl. When I asked they said they had never seen it before, said that the family who lived in the house before us must have left it there by accident. We've lived in the same house my entire life… so I found somebody who could tell me who the girl was. I got that letter in return, I know who you are, I just don't understand why…" he finished, his eyes gleaming in a way that Chloe had never seen. "Dom? I-I'm confused… You lead us to-to Ron Weasley's house? Why?" she asked. "Because I'm his sister" Hermione replied, her eyes landing on Chloe for a moment and then back to Dom.
So, I figured a little bit of a cliff hanger would be fun this time. I promise to get the next chapter up soon. We're gonna have more fun with these familiar faces and find out more about this sudden realization. Please comment!