Chapter Twenty Four - Driven to Distraction

Ron had been rummaging in every cupboard he could find at the Meadows and was currently on his knees, head deep in the bottom of one in the day room.

"What are you looking for?" Dee's voice asked from behind him somewhere.

"Something." he muttered without looking up.

Dee snorted,

"Oh come on, you can be vaguer than that can't you?"

Ron let himself smile as he sighed and withdrew from the cupboard,

"Sorry I'm looking for a chess set and all I've found so far is three Monopoly games and a two thousand piece jigsaw puzzle with only five hundred or so pieces in it."

Dee and Jo chuckled at that.

"All that stuff's donated by the generous people of Eastbourne who want rid of all their own crap that clutters up random cupboards. Monopoly can't be that popular in this town. We did get an operation game but the staff withdrew that pretty damn sharpish when they saw the looks on certain patient's faces."

Ron hadn't known what that last part was about but shook his head disapprovingly anyway; he found that saved time,

"But three Monopoly boards, is it really that popular a game around here? I've never seen anybody playing it."

"So you play chess then?" Dee said, returning to the subject in hand.

Ron got up off the floor with a small groan, he'd been on his knees for ages and they were aching now,

"I think so, that's why I want to try, I'm pretty sure I can do it. Do you play?"

Ron knew immediately that asking Dee was stupid as they were both in the exact same boat these days and looked to Jo for a response.

She shook her head,

"Nah; too complicated for me."

Ron kicked the cupboard door closed with his foot and slumped down into one of the armchairs,

"Well I may as well not bother trying to find a board then eh? I wouldn't have an opponent if I found one."

"We're not the only people in this place y'know?" Jo pointed out.

Ron sat upright and adopted a falsely optimistic attitude, much to Jo and Dee's amusement.

"No, you're right there Jo, I'll ask someone else...now who to pick, who to pick..."

His friends laughed at his little performance.

"I know!" Ron's eyes widened with hyped-up enthusiasm, "How about Geoffrey, the man who eats random toxins? Or maybe that man who shouts obscenities when he's tired. No, I know, I'll challenge Brian the bloke who punches people if he doesn't think they're blinking enough to be human, he's always good for a laugh isn't he?"

Ron felt strangely satisfied with himself at the sight of his friends doubling up with laughter and allowed himself to join them. Well he didn't have much but at least he was funny.

ooo

Harry had joined the Weasleys for breakfast, he had already spent an hour being entertained by Jimmy in the communal kitchen at the YMCA and they had experimented with the infamous peanut butter and jelly that American television shows and movies always talked about. Of course jelly wasn't available in England, not the kind that the Americans were talking about anyway, for the British jelly was a fruity gelatine dessert that wobbled when you shook it so Jimmy had suggested that they make do with the closest thing they had. This explained why, after not being able to find any jam in the shared cupboards, they found themselves eating peanut butter with thick cut silver shred marmalade. They had both subsequently been violently sick. Something about Lemon rind and peanut butter didn't sit well on the stomach.

They had written an IOU to the marmalade's owner apologising for the 'borrowing' of some of their property and assured them that they would buy a jar to make amends.

"A jar of blackcurrant jam I'll say, something nice and sweet and normal for the palate." Jimmy grumbled as he scribbled the note on the back of a take away pizza menu.

Harry had been amused at Jimmy's declaration that all marmalades were evil and sent to us from Satan himself to destroy our taste buds.

"Marmalade isn't that bad when you have it on its own Jimmy, the orange one can be quite nice y'know?"

He had spun around on hearing that and proceeded with one of his long speeches about nothing that made Harry laugh until he forgot that he had just been puking.

"It's not right I tell ya. If I were to give you an orange right now what would you do with it?"

"Juggle?"

"You'd peel the bastard thing and eat the sweet juiciness within. You wouldn't peel it, throw away the sweet juiciness within and start gnawing on the rind would yer? What's next in the name of breakfast condiments I ask you, crumpets sprinkled with banana skin? Or how about my peanut butter, how about we start sticking in some shell as well as the nuts...oh to hell with the nuts, just put in all shell! Shell butter!"

As amusing as Harry had found the rant that eventually ended with Jimmy declaring the creator of the carrot cake 'a warped and unstable fascist' he was still very hungry and hoped that the Weasley's would be ok with him showing up there for something to eat late that morning.

"Of course it is you prat, it's your bloody house!" Fred and blurted right in front of his mother who gave him a cuff around the ear for his language.

Charlie had forced himself to crawl off his sofa to join them, he explained that he was sick of missing Harry's visits because he was sleeping off his night duty, something he was now doing alone since Percy had been forced back to work apparently, and Ginny also joined them. He hadn't seen that much of her really. He assumed that it must be quite painful for her to spend time with somebody you knew so well who looks at you as if you are a stranger. He gave her the odd smile or two whenever he could but she just looked even more unhappy so he stopped and concentrated on his eggs.

Tonks was out with the aurors and the twins had left soon after Harry had arrived, the search for the missing Weasley had picked up pace and Lupin assured him it was because of the hope finding Harry had given them all that instigated this, and Fleur had hugged him until his insides felt all warm inside and his head seemed foggy before she apparated from the kitchen to join Bill at the hospital where he had been banned for harassing the staff. She was to go inside instead and use 'her charms' to see if she fared any better with gaining information about Ron's treatment and where he could have gone afterwards.

Percy stumbled out of the fireplace in a flash of green flames as Mrs Weasley cleared away Harry's empty plate a little later on and, brushing the soot from his hair, mumbled something about having left his notes behind for a meeting at the ministry.

"Oh hello Harry, I didn't expect to see you here." he had smiled while his mother rummaged around for Percy's notes.

"Your mum's won me over with her cooking." he grinned and Percy seemed happy to hear that.

Then Harry remember there was something he wanted to ask Percy, he hoped he was remembering the words correctly,

"Hey Percy?"

"Yes." he enquired, not expecting this change of tone from him it seemed.

"Your dad said that you might be able to tell me what a couple of words mean, I...read them somewhere in the magical world and I'm just curious 'cause your dad had never heard of them."

Percy sat down opposite Harry at the table; Ginny seemed to be paying attention to this conversation too and leaned forwards to listen.

"Fire away."

"Well its deco malori. Does that ring any bells? Is it a spell or something?"

Percy eyes looked upwards as he began to think, then they looked down at the wooden table top before shaking his head,

"It's not a spell that I know of and it doesn't really ring true as an incantation does it?"

Harry looked back at him blankly and Percy shook his head rapidly to remind himself that Harry wasn't the person to help him work this out. He turned to Ginny who was also thinking hard.

"Where did you say you had seen this Harry?" she asked, "Is this a memory from the battle or the memory erasing?"

"Oh no, I only saw it very recently, I just...forget it, I'm just trying to understand a bit more about this world that's all."

Ginny seemed alarmed that she had stifled his enthusiasm to ingratiate himself into the wizarding world a little further,

"No that's great Harry, sorry, I was just trying to understand where you would have seen this written down if none of us have seen or heard of it."

Harry bit his lip, so this was something Ron knew about and not a family secret or something between siblings that was hidden from their parents then.

"Cedo malori..." Percy repeated aloud as he thought some more, "…It's definitely not a potion."

"Doesn't sound like a hex either." Ginny added.

Percy shrugged apologetically to Harry as his mother's voice carried through from the other room where she had found Percy's notes.

"Sorry Harry, I'll think on it though, where did you say you saw it? It might help me to narrow it down."

He hadn't wanted to tell them he had stolen it from their brother's private possessions, he thought fast,

"Um...I noticed it written somewhere the first time I used a portkey with Lupin. I think it was something about portkeys."

Well that was a good story; he congratulated himself and remembered Natasha's nickname for him, Harry Houdini; he even managed to get them to look into the association with the portkey as well. Percy kissed his mother goodbye as he took his notes and headed back to the fireplace.

"I'll let you know if I work it out Harry, I'm quite intrigued myself now." he smiled and flooed off to work again.

Ginny had finally smiled back at Harry this time, he felt good about putting her at ease with him, maybe all she wanted from him was to see him making a bit of an effort and meeting the magical world half way. She looked over to Charlie who was slumped over the table, fast asleep, she shook her head and sniggered.

"So much for him not missing your visit this time eh?" she said.

Harry shrugged,

"It was the thought that counted."

ooo

Ron was slumped in front of the TV looking utterly bored. Jo stepped in front of him, blocking his view, and he blinked up at her without changing his expression. She was grinning at him.

"What's so great?" he asked her.

"Finding a bargain is pretty fantastic I think." she was bobbing from foot to foot with excitement.

"So you've been shopping then?" he sighed.

She nodded, still looking irritatingly delighted with herself. The two of them looked at each other in their opposing behavioural states before Dee finally grew impatient and snapped at them.

"Oh will you just bloody give it to him?"

Ron's face was interested now as Jo revealed a plastic bag from behind her back, it had the words 'Pound Land' printed on it, she held it out to him.

"What's this?" he asked.

"It's a present."

Ron let himself smile,

"What for?"

She rolled her eyes,

"You!"

He leaned forward in his seat,

"But why?"

Dee lost his patience again,

"For crying out loud Ron just take it!"

"All right," Ron hissed as he took the bag from Jo, "who lit a fire under you this afternoon?"

Jo shrugged and eagerly waited for him to look at his gift. Ron didn't want to keep her waiting any longer than he had already so he plunged his hand inside the bag and pulled out a box. He looked at the writing on the packaging and blinked. It was a mini chess set. He looked up at Jo who was looking enormously pleased with herself.

"You went out shopping for a chess set for me?"

She nodded, a little bashful now,

"Uh-huh, d'you like it?"

He grinned at her,

"It's brilliant! Thanks Jo, you shouldn't have."

She shrugged and waved her arm dismissively,

"It was only a quid, it's no big deal, and it's pretty crappy actually."

Ron began to open the box,

"No it's not, it's great, thank you so much."

Dee was smiling now,

"You should've seen her when she found it, she made such a scene I was almost embarrassed to be seen with her."

Ron laughed,

"Come on Jo, I'll teach you how to play."

She waved both her hands in front of her face and shook her head,

"No don't waste your time, I'll be useless at it, I can never learn games properly."

Ron rolled his eyes,

"Well who am I supposed to play?"

Dee shrugged,

"I'll have a go if you like."

"Cool." Ron smiled.

As he and Dee set up the tiny board Jo began to rummage in a second bag and pulled out something that resembled a reddy-orange onion.

"What's that supposed to be?" Ron asked.

"Apparently," Dee replied before Jo had the chance to, "it's a pomegranate. They've just come into season and she insisted I have to try it."

"You too!" she nodded to Ron.

"What's it taste like?"

She frowned,

"Well not all that much actually but that's not the point."

They both laughed at her.

"Then what is the point?" Dee chuckled.

"The ritual, you buy one and cut it into quarters and then you spend ages picking all the juicy seeds away from the yucky yellowy pithy bit into a bowl and then you eat it. It's a tradition."

Dee scoffed at this statement,

"A tradition amongst whom?"

"A tradition amongst whomever I happen to be around at the time." she said with nonchalance.

Ron and Dee shook their heads and laughed at her again as they finished setting up the board for their game while Jo set about trying to persuade one of the kitchen staff at the Meadows to lend her a knife that wasn't made out of plastic.

"She's got no chance." Dee mumbled as Ron made his first move.

ooo