When we last left our heroes, they had stopped for a quick lunch in a field
in southern England. Ron went to answer a call of nature and Harry's scar
roared in pain and he passed out. Another hour and change passed and the
two of them reached the outskirts of Newhaven. They landed in a field near
the road leading into town.
"Now we walk, eh Harry?" Ron said, getting off the broom.
"Yes we do. If I remember correctly, Colin doesn't live that far off the main road, so this shouldn't be more than a twenty minute walk."
Ron and Harry began the trek to Colin's when a thought appeared like a grail-shaped beacon. "Hey Harry, don't you think it might look a bit odd if two boys are walking down the street carrying brooms? I mean, it just wouldn't look right."
"Blimey, you're right. I'm certainly not leaving my Firebolt in a field, so I guess that we'll have to Transfigure them. Ron gulped audibly at this.
"Um, what if I mess it up? Will it still fly?"
"Don't mess it up and we won't have to find out," Harry said as he pulled his wand from under his shirt. His Firebolt became an ordinary walking stick at the utterance of a word and a wave a wand. Ron looked quite hesitant and then attempted to do the same. By a stroke of luck, it worked.
"I'll have to definitely thank Professor McGonagall for that when we get back to school," Ron said. The pair hopped over the fence, or at least Ron tried to.
"Bloody hell! He yelled as he slipped in a meadow muffin and extremely ungracefully dove over the fence. Harry had no problems however, and was busy laughing his head off as Ron examined the bottom of his right shoe. "Those cows, they're so…oh, how it stinks!" Harry continued laughing until Ron threatened to kick him in the arse with his stinky cow shoe. "come on, Harry. Let's walk."
They headed down the road, Harry still sniggering a bit. "Let's see.. What street was it? Ah, Chessory, there it is. Not much further, Ron."
"Good. At least the walk got the flop off my shoes." they walked for another couple of minutes and came upon a two story ranch that looked exactly like what Harry pictured it to look like from Colin's microscopic details. They turned left at the mailbox labeled 'Creevey' and headed up the front walk to the door.
Inside the house, Colin was busy showing Hermione how to work his camera. He had finished showing her a few of his albums of pictures, most of which were actually quite good. She had seen work by professionals that couldn't hold a candle to these. Dennis was still doting by her side, doing everything he could for her, all the time looking at her with googley eyes.
"This is the lens. If you push that button, it will take a picture (that is about the extent of my own camera knowledge). This advances the film. And-" The doorbell rang, interrupting his explanation. Colin's eyes got big and Hermione said "I bet that's Harry and Ron now."
It seemed as though for Colin time had decided to stand still. Behind that door was his idol. He looked at the door and it seemed like it was a million miles away. He heard his heart beating in his ears. He was here. At *his* house. He was being tapped on the arm. Now he was being punched on the arm.
"I said are you going to get the door or are you going to stand there all day?" Dennis said. "Nevermind, I'll get it. You just hold that carpet down."
"O-okay," was all he could respond. Hermione hid her mouth with her hand, pretending to cover a yawn and walked over to the door with Dennis.
Dennis opened the door and saw that it was indeed the duo and let them in. they immediately surrounded Hermione and gave her big hugs and flooded her with questions.
"Yes. No. Yes. I'm fine. Whoa, whoa. One at a time guys," she responded. Dennis shut the door behind the two and walked back into the conversation.
"Did you two make it here okay? Was it dangerous? Were you seen?" Dennis asked his questions as rapidly as the other two boys did.
"I think we were only seen by a few cows and a bird or three," Ron said. "All in all, it was a fairly boring journey." He was purposely not mentioning the whole scar incident now, he'd let Harry tell her that later.
A few questions and answers later, the initial barrage was over. The four of them all noticed Colin still standing in the center of the room about simultaneously. He hadn't moved since the doorbell rang. Hermione tugged on Harry's arm and gave him a slight nod in Colin's direction. After a second, and a little harder tug, he got the picture.
Harry walked forward and said to the seemingly petrified boy, "Hey Colin, how are you?"
You would have thought that Merlin himself had talked to the boy just then. His eyes lit up and he stepped back into sync with the rest of the world. "I'm fine, thanks. Can I take your, uh, sticks?"
"Sure, but be careful, these aren't any ordinary sticks." Harry pulled his wand back out and waved it over the stick in Colin's hand. When it regained its form as a Firebolt, you would have thought that Colin was holding the most sacred object in the universe (well, maybe he was, considering his near-worship of Harry ;) ) He walked into the other room and set it down, next to his own and Dennis' . Ron was left holding his broom in his outstretched hand. Dennis took it.
"Thanks, Dennis," Ron said, joining the other three for a quick giggle at Colin.
Dennis walked into the other room and set Ron's broom down. He pulled Colin back out; the older boy's eyes were agape. "Come on, it's just a broom, you know."
The brothers rejoined the others and then were joined by Mrs. Creevey. Harry and Ron stood with their mouths wide open when she stepped into the room. To say that she was the most beautiful woman that either of them had ever seen might be a bit of an exaggeration, but she was definitely in the top 10. Long red hair, dark red, not orange-red like Ron's, was the first they saw. An apron was the next thing they saw, splattered in grease. Even that looked good on her.
"Easy boys," Hermione said quickly and quietly. They shut their mouths like rat traps.
"Well, hello, Harry. It's nice to finally see you in the flesh, instead of on paper. And you must be Ron, it's a pleasure to meet you as well," she said to the redhead. "Dinner will be ready in about five minutes, I hope you all like hamburgers (I still want to type 'handburger'). Now go wash up. The washroom is just around the corner. Oh, and Colin, go see if your father is going to grace us with his presence for dinner. If he isn't, tell him he gets gruel again."
"Sure mum." Colin headed up the steps while the other four go and wash.
"Does your mum make good handburgers, Dennis?" Ron asked while he lathered up.
"Oh yes. The best."
"Righteous." they dried their hands and headed back into the kitchen.
Colin came down the stairs. "He said he'll be down in a bit."
"Oh, he is not that sick. That man…"
Dinner was great. Ron was again in hog heaven. To Harry and Hermione's surprise, Ron ate with the grace and dignity that a boy can only have when he is obviously in awe of beauty before him. They finished and had ice cream for dessert. Ron cleared the table of every dish except Hermione's (only because Dennis got it first) and took them to the sink. He was about to wash them when Mrs. Creevey walked over. "I'll get those, dear."
"Oh, sure." Ron was red like a fire engine. It was Harry that saved him further embarrassment.
"Hermione, can me and Ron see you outside for a few minutes?"
"Sure. Coming Ron?"
"Yeah, outside. It sure is warm in here. Let's go outside and cool off."
Harry shut the door behind them. "Did Colin ever tell you that his mum looked like that?" Ron asked, a bit out of breath.
"Actually, no."
"Do you think she's part Veela?"
"Probably not, Ron." Hermione said.
"Anyway, are you okay, Hermione? Really okay?" Harry asked.
"I guess that I am as okay as someone who just lost her parents to a Death Eater attack could be. Why do you ask?"
"Well, you just seem to be fine, but I was just wondering if it was a put on, you know, covering how you're really feeling."
"Exactly how am I supposed to feel anyway? Of course I feel sad, but it's not like they're gone forever. The wizards at St. Mungo's will do everything they can for them. They're not dead, you know," she said to them. "I've already cried a bunch over this. I guess that I've moved on to anger now."
"Anger?" Ron asked.
"Yes, anger. I'm bloody pissed that Voldemort decided to do whatever it was he did to *my* parents. It might sound callous, but crying over it won't bring them back any sooner, will it?" with that, she went back into the house.
"Well, that just went swell, didn't it, Ron?"
"It is a little callous isn't it, a little?"
"Maybe a little. Actually, it's practical. Practical Hermione." The two boys followed back into the house. Harry was pulling Ron past the kitchen into the living room when they heard a round of coughing coming down the steps.
"Ah, Anthony, finally crawling out of bed today? Not bad, it's only 7 pm," Mrs. Creevey called from the kitchen.
"Hush, woman. I am sick and you know it." he had a very thick accent, sort of gruff. It matched his appearance. As pretty as Mrs. Creevey was, her husband wasn't. He wasn't coyote ugly or anything, but average. He looked like a metal worker, not a milkman. He came into the living room wrapped in a blanket and his hair looked like something out of a tornado. "Oh, hello," he said to the three people who weren't there the day before. "Oy, so you're Harry Potter. I've heard all about you." He gave a look to Colin and the boy tried to sink into the couch.
Ron and Hermione introduced themselves and Mr. Creevey said, "A pleasure. And I'm sure that you've all met my wife, Jodee, our resident physician." He said the last part particularly loud so that his wife was sure to hear.
"You never get sick unless I ask you to do something. Last time you got the flu, I had asked you to build a new roost for Thierry. The time before that, I asked-"
"Whatever woman. Where's my dinner?"
"It's in here." Mr. Creevey stumbled into the kitchen.
The five kids were chatting in the living room when Jodee walked back in. "Another owl just arrived. It is about the three of you. Dumbledore says that cars from the Ministry of Magic will come in the morning and take the three of you back to the Weasley's. Um…blah blah…Unless you desire otherwise, Hermione, you can stay with the Weasleys until the start of term in 10 days. That is really it, aside from a gentle chiding for flying on broom all the way here. I would have done the same for my friends as well, though." She winked at Ron and Harry and headed back into the kitchen to argue with her husband some more. It was a good thing that Ron was sitting, or else he might have fallen through the floor.
The children resumed chatting, and googley eyes were passed around the room. Twenty minutes later, Mr. Creevey came out of the kitchen with the Daily Prophet in his hand and headed for the corner bathroom. (does everyone's father do that? YUK) All five knew exactly what was going to happen next.
"We have an extra bathroom upstairs, don't worry." Dennis said. Shortly thereafter, Harry asked about the previously mentioned bathroom.
"Up the stairs and at the end of the hall," Dennis replied.
Harry went up the steps and down the hall. There were two doors both slightly open. Harry chose the one on the left and had pushed it to when he noticed the placard stating that this was Colin's room and he was to keep out. He was about to step back when he noticed a picture of himself on the wall. He stepped in and saw a few more. All the way in the room now, he turned and saw himself everywhere. "Whoa." was all he could say. On a desk was a piece of parchment. He picked it up and saw that he had signed this for Colin two years ago. "Oh, boy." he said to the parchment. He set it back where he found it and looked at himself everywhere.
Many gears started spinning inside Harry's head as he left the room and found the bathroom across the hall. Once he had started talking to Colin, he became a normal person, not a hyperactive obsessive boy. Once Colin calmed down, that was.
Harry came back downstairs and found the others watching television. He sat down on the couch, coincidentally next to Colin, and joined them. Four sitcoms later, Mrs. Creevey came in and announced that it was about bedtime, since the Ministry cars would be there early in the morning. She brought with her three sleeping bags and set them on the floor in front of the group.
"Colin, we'll let Hermione take your room tonight. The rest of you can bunk in Dennis' room. Dennis took a deep breath and was grateful that it wasn't his room that Hermione was sleeping in. "Off you go. I'm sure that you all could use the rest."
They headed up the stairs and the four boys stopped at Dennis' door while Hermione continued a bit further down the hall. "Goodnight, Hermione," all of them said, nearly at the same time, but not quite. "Night, boys," she replied.
Once they had entered Dennis' room, it was quite apparent to Harry and Ron why Dennis was glad Hermione was in his brother's room. There was a large picture of Hermione blown up to poster size on one wall, with a few smaller ones around it.
"Nice decorations. Did your brother take it?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, he did." Dennis replied.
"Dennis has a little crush on her," Colin said. He was going to say more, but a withering gaze from Dennis shut his mouth in a hurry. He knew exactly what Dennis would say if he didn't.
"Not a bad pic." Harry said. "You are really good with your camera."
"Thanks, Harry." Colin was beaming. Colin, Harry, and Ron spread the sleeping bags around the room, two on one side of the bed and one on the other, Ron on the
one-bag side. They chatted in the dark for a few minutes before sleep took them away.
"Now we walk, eh Harry?" Ron said, getting off the broom.
"Yes we do. If I remember correctly, Colin doesn't live that far off the main road, so this shouldn't be more than a twenty minute walk."
Ron and Harry began the trek to Colin's when a thought appeared like a grail-shaped beacon. "Hey Harry, don't you think it might look a bit odd if two boys are walking down the street carrying brooms? I mean, it just wouldn't look right."
"Blimey, you're right. I'm certainly not leaving my Firebolt in a field, so I guess that we'll have to Transfigure them. Ron gulped audibly at this.
"Um, what if I mess it up? Will it still fly?"
"Don't mess it up and we won't have to find out," Harry said as he pulled his wand from under his shirt. His Firebolt became an ordinary walking stick at the utterance of a word and a wave a wand. Ron looked quite hesitant and then attempted to do the same. By a stroke of luck, it worked.
"I'll have to definitely thank Professor McGonagall for that when we get back to school," Ron said. The pair hopped over the fence, or at least Ron tried to.
"Bloody hell! He yelled as he slipped in a meadow muffin and extremely ungracefully dove over the fence. Harry had no problems however, and was busy laughing his head off as Ron examined the bottom of his right shoe. "Those cows, they're so…oh, how it stinks!" Harry continued laughing until Ron threatened to kick him in the arse with his stinky cow shoe. "come on, Harry. Let's walk."
They headed down the road, Harry still sniggering a bit. "Let's see.. What street was it? Ah, Chessory, there it is. Not much further, Ron."
"Good. At least the walk got the flop off my shoes." they walked for another couple of minutes and came upon a two story ranch that looked exactly like what Harry pictured it to look like from Colin's microscopic details. They turned left at the mailbox labeled 'Creevey' and headed up the front walk to the door.
Inside the house, Colin was busy showing Hermione how to work his camera. He had finished showing her a few of his albums of pictures, most of which were actually quite good. She had seen work by professionals that couldn't hold a candle to these. Dennis was still doting by her side, doing everything he could for her, all the time looking at her with googley eyes.
"This is the lens. If you push that button, it will take a picture (that is about the extent of my own camera knowledge). This advances the film. And-" The doorbell rang, interrupting his explanation. Colin's eyes got big and Hermione said "I bet that's Harry and Ron now."
It seemed as though for Colin time had decided to stand still. Behind that door was his idol. He looked at the door and it seemed like it was a million miles away. He heard his heart beating in his ears. He was here. At *his* house. He was being tapped on the arm. Now he was being punched on the arm.
"I said are you going to get the door or are you going to stand there all day?" Dennis said. "Nevermind, I'll get it. You just hold that carpet down."
"O-okay," was all he could respond. Hermione hid her mouth with her hand, pretending to cover a yawn and walked over to the door with Dennis.
Dennis opened the door and saw that it was indeed the duo and let them in. they immediately surrounded Hermione and gave her big hugs and flooded her with questions.
"Yes. No. Yes. I'm fine. Whoa, whoa. One at a time guys," she responded. Dennis shut the door behind the two and walked back into the conversation.
"Did you two make it here okay? Was it dangerous? Were you seen?" Dennis asked his questions as rapidly as the other two boys did.
"I think we were only seen by a few cows and a bird or three," Ron said. "All in all, it was a fairly boring journey." He was purposely not mentioning the whole scar incident now, he'd let Harry tell her that later.
A few questions and answers later, the initial barrage was over. The four of them all noticed Colin still standing in the center of the room about simultaneously. He hadn't moved since the doorbell rang. Hermione tugged on Harry's arm and gave him a slight nod in Colin's direction. After a second, and a little harder tug, he got the picture.
Harry walked forward and said to the seemingly petrified boy, "Hey Colin, how are you?"
You would have thought that Merlin himself had talked to the boy just then. His eyes lit up and he stepped back into sync with the rest of the world. "I'm fine, thanks. Can I take your, uh, sticks?"
"Sure, but be careful, these aren't any ordinary sticks." Harry pulled his wand back out and waved it over the stick in Colin's hand. When it regained its form as a Firebolt, you would have thought that Colin was holding the most sacred object in the universe (well, maybe he was, considering his near-worship of Harry ;) ) He walked into the other room and set it down, next to his own and Dennis' . Ron was left holding his broom in his outstretched hand. Dennis took it.
"Thanks, Dennis," Ron said, joining the other three for a quick giggle at Colin.
Dennis walked into the other room and set Ron's broom down. He pulled Colin back out; the older boy's eyes were agape. "Come on, it's just a broom, you know."
The brothers rejoined the others and then were joined by Mrs. Creevey. Harry and Ron stood with their mouths wide open when she stepped into the room. To say that she was the most beautiful woman that either of them had ever seen might be a bit of an exaggeration, but she was definitely in the top 10. Long red hair, dark red, not orange-red like Ron's, was the first they saw. An apron was the next thing they saw, splattered in grease. Even that looked good on her.
"Easy boys," Hermione said quickly and quietly. They shut their mouths like rat traps.
"Well, hello, Harry. It's nice to finally see you in the flesh, instead of on paper. And you must be Ron, it's a pleasure to meet you as well," she said to the redhead. "Dinner will be ready in about five minutes, I hope you all like hamburgers (I still want to type 'handburger'). Now go wash up. The washroom is just around the corner. Oh, and Colin, go see if your father is going to grace us with his presence for dinner. If he isn't, tell him he gets gruel again."
"Sure mum." Colin headed up the steps while the other four go and wash.
"Does your mum make good handburgers, Dennis?" Ron asked while he lathered up.
"Oh yes. The best."
"Righteous." they dried their hands and headed back into the kitchen.
Colin came down the stairs. "He said he'll be down in a bit."
"Oh, he is not that sick. That man…"
Dinner was great. Ron was again in hog heaven. To Harry and Hermione's surprise, Ron ate with the grace and dignity that a boy can only have when he is obviously in awe of beauty before him. They finished and had ice cream for dessert. Ron cleared the table of every dish except Hermione's (only because Dennis got it first) and took them to the sink. He was about to wash them when Mrs. Creevey walked over. "I'll get those, dear."
"Oh, sure." Ron was red like a fire engine. It was Harry that saved him further embarrassment.
"Hermione, can me and Ron see you outside for a few minutes?"
"Sure. Coming Ron?"
"Yeah, outside. It sure is warm in here. Let's go outside and cool off."
Harry shut the door behind them. "Did Colin ever tell you that his mum looked like that?" Ron asked, a bit out of breath.
"Actually, no."
"Do you think she's part Veela?"
"Probably not, Ron." Hermione said.
"Anyway, are you okay, Hermione? Really okay?" Harry asked.
"I guess that I am as okay as someone who just lost her parents to a Death Eater attack could be. Why do you ask?"
"Well, you just seem to be fine, but I was just wondering if it was a put on, you know, covering how you're really feeling."
"Exactly how am I supposed to feel anyway? Of course I feel sad, but it's not like they're gone forever. The wizards at St. Mungo's will do everything they can for them. They're not dead, you know," she said to them. "I've already cried a bunch over this. I guess that I've moved on to anger now."
"Anger?" Ron asked.
"Yes, anger. I'm bloody pissed that Voldemort decided to do whatever it was he did to *my* parents. It might sound callous, but crying over it won't bring them back any sooner, will it?" with that, she went back into the house.
"Well, that just went swell, didn't it, Ron?"
"It is a little callous isn't it, a little?"
"Maybe a little. Actually, it's practical. Practical Hermione." The two boys followed back into the house. Harry was pulling Ron past the kitchen into the living room when they heard a round of coughing coming down the steps.
"Ah, Anthony, finally crawling out of bed today? Not bad, it's only 7 pm," Mrs. Creevey called from the kitchen.
"Hush, woman. I am sick and you know it." he had a very thick accent, sort of gruff. It matched his appearance. As pretty as Mrs. Creevey was, her husband wasn't. He wasn't coyote ugly or anything, but average. He looked like a metal worker, not a milkman. He came into the living room wrapped in a blanket and his hair looked like something out of a tornado. "Oh, hello," he said to the three people who weren't there the day before. "Oy, so you're Harry Potter. I've heard all about you." He gave a look to Colin and the boy tried to sink into the couch.
Ron and Hermione introduced themselves and Mr. Creevey said, "A pleasure. And I'm sure that you've all met my wife, Jodee, our resident physician." He said the last part particularly loud so that his wife was sure to hear.
"You never get sick unless I ask you to do something. Last time you got the flu, I had asked you to build a new roost for Thierry. The time before that, I asked-"
"Whatever woman. Where's my dinner?"
"It's in here." Mr. Creevey stumbled into the kitchen.
The five kids were chatting in the living room when Jodee walked back in. "Another owl just arrived. It is about the three of you. Dumbledore says that cars from the Ministry of Magic will come in the morning and take the three of you back to the Weasley's. Um…blah blah…Unless you desire otherwise, Hermione, you can stay with the Weasleys until the start of term in 10 days. That is really it, aside from a gentle chiding for flying on broom all the way here. I would have done the same for my friends as well, though." She winked at Ron and Harry and headed back into the kitchen to argue with her husband some more. It was a good thing that Ron was sitting, or else he might have fallen through the floor.
The children resumed chatting, and googley eyes were passed around the room. Twenty minutes later, Mr. Creevey came out of the kitchen with the Daily Prophet in his hand and headed for the corner bathroom. (does everyone's father do that? YUK) All five knew exactly what was going to happen next.
"We have an extra bathroom upstairs, don't worry." Dennis said. Shortly thereafter, Harry asked about the previously mentioned bathroom.
"Up the stairs and at the end of the hall," Dennis replied.
Harry went up the steps and down the hall. There were two doors both slightly open. Harry chose the one on the left and had pushed it to when he noticed the placard stating that this was Colin's room and he was to keep out. He was about to step back when he noticed a picture of himself on the wall. He stepped in and saw a few more. All the way in the room now, he turned and saw himself everywhere. "Whoa." was all he could say. On a desk was a piece of parchment. He picked it up and saw that he had signed this for Colin two years ago. "Oh, boy." he said to the parchment. He set it back where he found it and looked at himself everywhere.
Many gears started spinning inside Harry's head as he left the room and found the bathroom across the hall. Once he had started talking to Colin, he became a normal person, not a hyperactive obsessive boy. Once Colin calmed down, that was.
Harry came back downstairs and found the others watching television. He sat down on the couch, coincidentally next to Colin, and joined them. Four sitcoms later, Mrs. Creevey came in and announced that it was about bedtime, since the Ministry cars would be there early in the morning. She brought with her three sleeping bags and set them on the floor in front of the group.
"Colin, we'll let Hermione take your room tonight. The rest of you can bunk in Dennis' room. Dennis took a deep breath and was grateful that it wasn't his room that Hermione was sleeping in. "Off you go. I'm sure that you all could use the rest."
They headed up the stairs and the four boys stopped at Dennis' door while Hermione continued a bit further down the hall. "Goodnight, Hermione," all of them said, nearly at the same time, but not quite. "Night, boys," she replied.
Once they had entered Dennis' room, it was quite apparent to Harry and Ron why Dennis was glad Hermione was in his brother's room. There was a large picture of Hermione blown up to poster size on one wall, with a few smaller ones around it.
"Nice decorations. Did your brother take it?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, he did." Dennis replied.
"Dennis has a little crush on her," Colin said. He was going to say more, but a withering gaze from Dennis shut his mouth in a hurry. He knew exactly what Dennis would say if he didn't.
"Not a bad pic." Harry said. "You are really good with your camera."
"Thanks, Harry." Colin was beaming. Colin, Harry, and Ron spread the sleeping bags around the room, two on one side of the bed and one on the other, Ron on the
one-bag side. They chatted in the dark for a few minutes before sleep took them away.