hey my little chickens, this chapter is brought to you by a few things, one my family forgeting my birthday ( they remebered harry potter's birthday, the same day! but forgot mine the gits!) it's also influenced by my trip to alnwick castle on thursday, it was the hogwarts set in the first two films so i ran about like a nutter in my slytherin stuff looking for the dungons. fought with the guided tour wife( who looked like umberage eh hem) because she badmouthed neville, snape and malfoy in front of me and to make things worse she couldn't say hermione! the cheek.
it's also brought to you by my mother standing on the plot of land where the whomping willow scene was filmed and in front of a crowed of about seventy people screming that " I can see the thestrals from here!"
so now at least you know where i get it from.
love as ever paula lou
Ron was more than aware that there had been movement in the kitchen since the small hours of the day, the noise had carried through the house like the sound of a Quidditch match on a warm breeze. He had turned his face to look at the dark curls that lay on the bright orange pillow beside him, he was welcomed with the bright brown eyes that looked straight in to his soul.
Hermione held one finger to her lip as she scrambled around in the bedside cabinet, clearly looking for something. When she sat back around a long flesh like string dangled between her finger and her thumb. She slid it towards the gap at the bottom of the door.
Ron watched as she edged herself to the end of the bed where Crookshanks lay by Ron's feet. Both men watched the body as it positioned itself at the foot of the bed. Hermione had taken to sleeping in one of Ron's Cannons t-shirts of late and an old pair of shorts that she had found in the bottom of her discarded school trunk up in Ginny's room, Ron wasn't even going to pretend that he didn't like the combination. As if he knew where Ron was looking Crookshanks jumped on to Hermione's legs and curled up on the back of her thighs. He turned his fat ginger face to Ron as if to say ' this is mine mate and don't you forget it'. Not for the first time Ron felt that Mrs Norris wasn't the only thing to need a good kick.
"It's Harry and Ginny." Said Hermione looking over her shoulder at him, something primeval stirred in his stomach, and did she know what she did to him?
"What they saying?"
"Talking about something getting delivered." She said turning her attention back to the door. "It's probably just stuff for Harry's party." Said Hermione shrugging Crookshanks away from her legs, the disgruntled cat shot off under what had once been the sewing table but was currently buried under a pile of Hermione's books.
"Well they could at least do it bloody quietly." Said Ron pulling Hermione by the ankle up the bed.
"Ronald!"
"You need to come here I'm lonely." Ron said half yawning.
"Do you want me to marry you?" Hermione warned. But Ron knew it was idle threats the smile was playing in her eyes. She pulled herself the right way up and crawled under the blanket next to Ron. The air was thick and heavy and the smell of damp wafted through the open window, somewhere in the nearby roses a small voice could be heard.
"Just as well mum's stopping in Diagon ally she would be going nuts at all the pests in the garden." Ron said as he listened to the high voice as it began to sing a drunken song about lost love.
"You're mother will have a list as long as her arm to complain about soon enough." Hermione said smiling at him and placing her hand with the engagement ring on top of his. "But at least we will face her together."
Harry watched as Ginny directed the building of the dance floor, the sun had only just peeked over the horizon and it was promising to be another glorious day. The grass under foot was still damp as Harry carried the boxes that Fred and George had sent over in to the shelter of the wooden log that lay in the shade of the large apple trees.
"What time is everyone coming over?" Ginny said casting a look over her shoulder at Harry. Harry smiled ever since he got her up first thing the only thing she had done was go over everything in a very Hermione like way.
"Between four and six, everyone knows the plan so stop fretting." Harry shook his head the sooner this was over and done with…
"And the twins know what there doing?" Charlie said coming in to the clearing carrying something hidden by a large blue cloth.
"Keeping you're mum and Mr and Mrs Granger out of the way as long as possible." Harry nodded. It was one of Fred and George's plans and he had only ever seen one of them go bad once.
Ginny walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his shoulder. Harry looked down at the red hair gleaming in the sun that now broke through the trees.
"Bill's having words with Kingsley and Tonks has the Ron and Hermione situation covered." Said Charlie looking at his little sister.
"Tonks' has a lot of stuff covered." Said Ginny looking her brother in the eye.
"She's a mate Gin we went through this before." Said Charlie shaking his head. " I'm just being there for her when she needs me."
"And what about the fact that she just buried the man she loves?" said Ginny.
"That's the reason I'm being there for her." Harry couldn't help but notice that the back of Charlie's neck had gone red. "Whatever I feel for Tonks, it can't happen until she's mourned for Remus."
"And gave birth to this considerable pain in the arse." Said a voice behind Charlie making him jump and turn a shade of red that Harry had never seen a Weasley go yet.
"Yeah… well there is that as well."
Tonks didn't looked shocked by the news that Charlie had feelings for her in fact the smile that twinkled in her eyes was one of hope. She poked Charlie in the side with one long finger and shook her today strawberry blond hair out of her eye's, "Happy Birthday Harry." She said handing Harry a parcel wrapped in red with a shiny blue ribbon, "Technically it's your Christmas present from me and Remus, but seeing as you were busy saving the world as we know it, I'm sure he wouldn't begrudge you having it now."
Harry opened the wrapping, handing it to Ginny as he did so.
"Remus didn't have much but well… it's what he wanted you to have. It's the stuff that your mum and dad left him, stuff that he kept from school, Remus' mum had it hidden in the attic, she's a bit like your aunt though everything was just a bit too clean you know …not normal. "
Harry's eyes scanned the small wooden box that had been concealed inside the wrappings. He was strongly reminded of the book that he had found belonging to Sirius the contents was so similar. Letters between his parents and their friends, memories turned solid.
Harry looked up at Tonks. "Do you not want to keep this stuff?" he asked her.
"Nah, that stuff in there, it's stuff he wanted you to have. All that stuff is before him and me, I didn't know him then, and its like looking in to someone else's past. You should have it, it's your past." Harry handed the box to Ginny and stepped forward to hug Tonks. Between them the baby kicked violently.
"Wish it was here already, can't face being a punch bag much longer." She said as Harry placed his hand on her bump.
"Well he gets it from you, Lupin was never that outrageous."
"We will see won't we." Said Tonks looking over at Ginny who was standing holding the box as if she was scared it was going to blow up, "I need to borrow your other half if you don't mind." Tonks said to Harry.
"Yeah … fine I think we got everything covered." He said looking from one to the other.
"If I'm going to get Hermione out of the way for the rest of the day, I'm going to need backup, Hermione isn't the sort of girl who drops everything to go shopping." Said Tonks. "I'm sure you men can sort it."
With that she dragged Ginny by the hand out of the clearing pausing only so that Ginny could pass Harry back his gift.
Harry watched as the two women walked down towards the house, the sun was now clear of its struggle across the hill and Harry could see Ron feeding the chickens in the yard. Beside him Charlie sighed contentedly to himself.
Harry knew how he felt; the only thing that spoiled his happiness was the fact that Ginny would have to go back to Hogwarts in September. They had talked about it, the ministry had already offered Harry a job, as soon as he felt up to starting the position was there for him, he wouldn't have to go back and finish his exams. Ginny didn't need them either but she felt that her place was at the school helping to rebuild.
Harry knew she was right, life had to go on. It wasn't as if Harry would not see her, he had offered all his spare time to the school, and there was still a long way to go until the building was completely safe. Most of the east of the building was still missing, the divination tower lay in ruins (Professor McGonagall seamed in no great rush to get around to fixing it), Harry knew that the dungeons still held nasty infestations. There was a lot of work still to be done, and Harry didn't mind if it took all year to do it. Hogwarts after all was his home.
"Where did Malfoy go last night?" Charlie said as he finally dragged his eyes away from the burrow.
"Stayed in town, The bloke that runs the pub put him up for a few days." Harry turned to look at the mess in front of him. "It's a full moon, but the guy says that there is a nice big barn out the back and Tonks made him a batch of Wolfsbane, he should be ok." Harry shrugged, "I'll nip down first thing tomorrow and see how he is."
"I don't doubt it."
"Were all he's got Charlie, I can't turn my back on him, that would make me no better than a Death eater."
Charlie said nothing but Harry was more than aware that people were judging him on his choices, but for once Harry was past caring.
"But I don't want a new dress." Hermione protested as Tonks and Ginny flanked her.
"But it's for Harry's party, you need to look nice."
"I have plenty of dresses, I'll look fine, you two go."
Tonks dropped the grip she had on Hermione's left arm and swung to face her, Hermione looked from her would be kidnapper to the red head killing himself laughing behind Tonks.
"Hermione Jane Granger, look at me, I am the size of a small beach whale, this is not a day trip to the park this is a full frontal attack on the best and worse dress shops this fair country has to offer, we take no prisoners!" Tonks said waving her arms like a woman possessed.
"And if that fails you could always just buy a tent." Ron suggested through a mouth of toast.
"Hermione… when we get back hit him." Tonks said gesturing over her shoulder.
"Ron tell them I don't need a new dress will you, you like the one's I have don't you?" she appealed to the man who was her lifeboat. Ron looked at her in her denim skirt and vest top then his eyes caught hers.
"I dunno mind Hermione, you should treat yourself," he gazed at her with a look that could have melted her heart, "You never know when you might need it…" she knew for a fact that he had added 'like tomorrow' in his own head.
Hermione slumped defeated.
"Alright but I am not playing dress up!" she grumbled to herself the entire time that it took her to get a cardigan from the draws in her and Ron's room and join the others.
Ron was gone when she got back to the kitchen.
"Fred wanted him over there ASAP." Said Ginny shaking his head.
"It's nothing to do with your mum is it?" Hermione asked, wondering if someone had tipped molly off about Hermione and Ron's sleeping arrangements.
"Nah, something to do with the shop." said Ginny dragging Hermione towards the door. "Now come on you don't want to upset the angry pregnant lady."
Ron ran around the front room of the shop chasing the little pink and purple balls of fluff, every so often one would bump in to another and they would multiply. Ron swore under his breath as he banged his head off the bench covered with the twins wonder witch potions, several of them crashed to the floor covering the dark grey tiles with pink ooze.
"Nothing like making even more of a mess than ever possible." Said Fred lazily from the bench where he was 'supervising' the capture of the pigmy puffs.
"Do you want me to go home? I was helping organise Harry's party." Ron said as he rubbed at the patch he had bumped with his wand hand.
"No you weren't so don't tell lies." Said Fred lazily as he drank from the large cup of coffee in front of him.
"You could help."
"Can't allergies." Said Fred showing Ron a large red blotchy patch on his arm.
"And how do I know that that's not one of your stupid snack box tricks?" said Ron pausing to watch a pigmy puff try and run up his leg.
"You my dear little brother will have to trust me."
Ron swore.
"Now now what would mum say." Said Fred shaking his head at Ron.
"She would tell you to clean up your own soding mess." Ron pointed his wand at a large fat pigmy puff and it exploded, when the smoke cleared four new smaller ones had replaced it. Ron swore and kicked a group of them standing near by each doubled as it hit a surface.
"Where is George anyway?" said Ron, as the floor became so full of writhing fur balls that he had to climb on the desk to not squish them.
"He took mum and the Grangers out for the day."
Ron looked at Fred. " By himself? Did the two of you have a fight? Did he lose a bet?"
Fred rolled his eyes.
"He's taken Katie bell with him."
"So that makes it alright?" said Ron looking at the growing mass of fuzziness in front of him.
"Someone had to look after the shop, and anyway mum will be planing the wedding as we speak-"Ron made a point of looking away from Fred. "As long as there back in time for Harry's party that's all that matters."
Ron was beginning to wish that the party was over and that it was tomorrow already.
He didn't know if he would survive the gathering tonight, he would be dying to say something to anyone that talked to him and Hermione. He looked at his watch the planets swirled around the dial. It was almost one o'clock, by this time tomorrow…
The smile must have crossed his face because Fred grinned at him.
"Everyone likes a good party." Said Fred, "Now get the puffs!"
