Summer~ Part VII
Hermione and Harry settled into a corner table at the Leaky Cauldron, and Harry put the box on the seat between them. "I don't know what's in this box, but I'm not taking any chances on someone besides us seeing. I wonder if there are any more boxes like this in the vault."
"You said you didn't see this one before now. Do you think this box might have some kind of spell to make it appear or disappear." Hermione was looking doubtfully at the box.
" I don't know about a spell, but I'm sure hoping what's in these papers will help me know my parents a little. Let's check this small box first."
Harry pulled out the little flat crystal box and opened the catch. On a piece of velvet lay a small gold bracelet with a green stone. There was a letter folded beside the bracelet, which Harry unfolded to read. "Hermione, this is from my mom. I… I'm not sure I can do this. Can you read it to me?"
"Are you sure? She wrote this to you."
Harry nodded, not trusting himself to speak. "Well... OK.
'Harry, the stone on this bracelet is almost as bright as your eyes. It was a gift from Albus Dumbledore to me when you were born. If you are opening this box without me, our plan to hide from Voldemort was not successful. You can read these letters I've written since I knew I would soon have a child, and you'll be able to feel a little of the love I will always have for you.'"
Hermione was very careful not to look at Harry, his head was down, and she didn't know whether to go on or not.
"I think maybe I should, um, look to see whether mom and dad are here. I'll be right back."
She slid out of her seat, and disappeared into the crowd. Harry sat for a few minutes, trying to blink away the tears. He felt really strange... sad, but at the same time happier than he'd ever felt. For the first time, he could know some of what was in his mother's mind when she was alive. He felt the same kind of ache he'd felt the night he discovered the Mirror of Erised, half joy and half terrible sadness.
'I'm older now, and this was written for me,' he thought. 'I'm going to finally know my mum, a little.'
He picked up the paper Hermione had dropped in his lap and began to read again
'You may someday want to give this bracelet to someone who's important in your life, someone you feel you can completely trust. You'll know her when you meet her Have fun reading my letters. I will always be with you.'
Harry folded up the letter, and put it back in the crystal box. He knew who the bracelet was for.... Hermione had never let him down and had been there for him, even before he wanted her to be. It was strange that the box had been found today, just as he discovered how important she was to him. He remembered something Hermione had said when they were in the vault, '"maybe you weren't supposed to find it until now."
How did she KNOW these things? Until today he wouldn't have been able to see himself give this bracelet to Hermione or anyone but after holding her protectively in the vault and remembering all the times she'd been looking out for him, he knew his mom would have meant Hermione to have it. Now if he could get brave enough to tell her about it without sounding like an idiot.
"They're here," Hermione hissed in his ear. "Where's the box? Don't you want to of keep it secret for awhile."
"No, I don't care. Your parents are the first people I've met in the Muggle world that I felt I could trust. It's a nice change not to feel I have to hide everything about who I am as soon as I leave Hogwarts"
Harry gave Hermoine a really big smile, and she felt her heart turn over. It was so good to see him happy after all the bad and frightening times he'd been through. She felt she'd go through a lot to see that smile more often.
"Gee, Hermoine, thanks for today, it's was about the best I've had. Sorry you got so shaken up going to the vault. I'd forgotten how some people get in the carts. Hagrid doesn't like riding in them, either."
"If Hagrid had someone to, um, steady him the way I did, he might like them better." Hermoine said, blushing a little. "I don't think I'll be bothered by the speed if I ever go in again."
"Oh that's what I did, steadied you? Well, we'll have to find some more unsteady places soon, won't we?" Harry said very softly, just as the Grangers came to sit down with them.
'Great wizards!', Hermione thought, 'Is this really Harry?'
Fortunately for Hermione and Harry they were so busy after that, ordering dinner, telling Hermione's parents about the afternoon, and just laughing and having fun that Hermione and Harry were able to behave as if nothing unusual had happened, except for an occasional look. Hermione told about running into Draco at the bookstore.
Her mother laughed and said, "Some things never change, do they. Lucious Malfoy apparently has made his son as disgusting as he's always been himself. I suppose he struts around the school as if he owns it?" They nodded and Ivy continued, " Malfoy, senior, was never a modest man, and he never really had much reason to be proud of anything. He was one of the first to go over to the other side. It's a pity they let him come back after....," she lowered her voice slightly, "well, after Voldemort was gone."
Harry and Hermione stared at her, startled," Mom, no one, well, except Harry and Dumbledore uses his name..... it's kind of a forbidden thing for most people."
"I imagine Dumbledore told us something similar about using the name. I had a bad time after your parents were gone, Harry. I had dreams that he would come for me after Lily was.... gone. Chris asked Dumbledore to help me regain my strength. "
"'Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself,' right?" Harry said remembering the conversation. "And, speaking of evil, did Uncle Vernon say I could stay over with you tonight?"
"Oh sure,he said they were busy with Dudley, apparently he's having some of his tantrums since finding he has a dental appointment tomorrow. Better get lots of rest tonight, Ivy. He's going to put you through a time, just as he did last time."
"Maybe not Chris," said Ivy. I think I have a way to keep him calm. and it's really for his own good. The boy needs to be taught a lesson."
This was really a switch, thought Harry. Usually it was Uncle Vernon bellowing that he, Harry, needed to be taught a lesson about something. He had a very strong feeling Hermione had gotten her stubbornness from her mother, and he'd found from experience that when Hermione was determined about something, you could just as well forget changing her mind. If he didn't have all those memories of Dudley using him for a punching bag, he'd ALMOST feel sorry for his cousin.
So, is Harry still recognizable? The bracelet thing is a little weird, I admit, but bear with me here, OK? This bracelet is going to have some significance down the story line. It's not going to be a declaration of undying love thing anyway. That's still far away, so who Harry "ends up" with is not an issue here.
"Revenge" is coming, but still a couple of parts away. Don't look for drama or violence though, just not my style..
TO BE CONTINUED....
Summer~ Part VIII
It was late by the time Harry and the Grangers returned to their house. They'd spent a long time eating and talking, and many of the people who came in were amazed but happy to see Ivy. No one seemed surprised to see Harry there as if he were a part of the family. It was almost unbelievable to him though, just sitting in the Leaky Cauldron with no one trying to kill him, as they had all thought Sirius was trying to do the past . He wished Sirius could see him now, and know that he was with friends, instead of stuck with Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon.
Once everyone settled down for the night, Harry realized that he was still hungry. He sat for a few minutes, wondering if he could go in and find something to eat without waking anyone. Hermione had shown him where everything was kept, in case he wanted anything. At least he wouldn't need the Invisibility Cloak here. He opened the door very carefully and stepped into the hall, going slowly down the stairs to the kitchen. When he stepped into the room, he immediately bumped into a table in the dark room, and jumped in the air when he heard a voice say "I thought you'd come down."
A small lightcame on and with relief he saw Hermione, sitting at the table.
"You know, it's not such a good idea to startle someone with a past like mine, Hermione," Harry shook his head and grinned as he sat down opposite her at the table. " I could have done something really stupid and hurt you. What happened to that famous caution?"
"I just knew you'd be down here before long. You're hungry, aren't you? I figured you would be, and that you'd want some company. It always feels strange to be in a different house the first night." as she spoke, she was getting out some crackers, and cheese and fruit, holding each thing up to see if Harry wanted it. Naturally, he wanted everything she showed him.
After he'd eaten, they both started to feel sleepy, but Harry figured this was the time to talk to Hermione the bracelet. If he carried it around for vey long, he'd lose his nerve.
"Um, Hermione, you know there was a bracelet in that box?" She nodded,
looking a little nervous.
"Well, my mom said in her letter that I should give it to someone who's important to me, and that I know I
can always trust. She told me Dumbledore had given it to her when I was born." he felt his voice shake a little, but made himself keep talking. "She must have known that someday I'd have a friend like you, would you like to have it?"
Harry couldn't remember many times when Hermione hadn't been able to speak, usually she spoke more than he and Ron wanted to hear. Her voice seemed to have left her now, though, all she could do was nod again. He dug into his pocket and brought out the bracelet.
"OK, put out your hand." When he had slipped it around her wrist, and fastened the clasp, Hermione finally seemed to find her voice again.
"It's beautiful, Harry. Look how green the stone is. You know it looks like your eyes. Didn't people always say you have your mother's eyes? You're sure you want me to wear this?"
"Who else? As soon as I looked at what she'd written, I knew who she
meant" Harry looked across at Hermione, grinning with relief."It seems to be right, just like sitting here in the middle of the night with you There have been a lot of times in my life when I didn't feel so lucky, but y'know, suddenly I feel like I have some good luck in something besides Quidditch"
"Well, I don't know what I can say, Harry. Thank you doesn't seem quite adequate. I guess I'll find a way to thank you as the summer goes on though."
'You already have, you and your family have made a big difference in the way I feel. Usually by now in the summer all I have to look forward to is marking another day off the calendar toward going back to school."
TO BE CONTINUED...