Death Threat
A/N. I'm going to be on holiday for the next two weeks so I probably won't be able to post any more chapters (they are all written out). Ends on a cliffe…..you have been warned!!!!:}
Chapter Nine: Engulfed
Harry lay on his bed, fuming as badly as he had done the night of the Halloween Ball. As much as he liked Jenny he didn't want to be 'babysat' for the rest of his life. No one believed he could take care of himself, no one! They all thought he needed people to guard him day and night. Hadn't he shown them all already that he was capable of taking care of himself? He had evaded the wrath of Lord Voldemort more times than he'd even care to count and still they thought him in need of a bodyguard.
He heard feet coming up the stairs and it didn't take him ten guesses to work out who it was. A few moments later the curtains were pulled back and Jenny was staring down at him.
Great, thought Harry, she's come to apologise. The only problem was he didn't know whether to accept it or not.
'Can I sit down?' she asked, pointing to the bed.
'Sure, go ahead,' he said coldly.
She sat down and turned to him. Harry could see how tired she was and almost felt guilty about giving her the hassle. He put his hands behind his head and stared expectantly into her eyes and didn't lower his gaze.
'Are you going to say something or are we going to sit here all night like this?' he asked her irritably, after a few seconds of silence.
'I just wanted to say I'm sorry,' she said humbly.
'Oh yeah, what for?'
'Oh, I don't know! For annoying you all the time and following you around like a lovesick puppy! It's not my fault, you know, it is my job!' I'm the only Auror who can follow you around and not look conspicuous!' She sounded annoyed now which Harry thought was decidedly unfair seeing as she was making him look like the bad guy.
'Well, you don't have to phrase it in such a way that it sounds like you're babysitting me!' he retorted, sitting up.
'I don't mean it to sound that way!' she snapped back. 'So are you going to break up with me then?' she finished sadly.
Harry stared at her in disbelief. Is that what she really thought? That he didn't like her anymore over a silly argument and wanted to dump her? That had been the furthest thing on his mind and he hadn't even contemplated it.
'N…no,' he stammered. 'What makes you think that?'
'I just…' she tried to reply, looking stunned, but before she had finished, Harry moved over to her and hugged her.
'I'm really really sorry, Harry!' she mumbled into his shoulder. 'I know this arrangement must make you feel like no one thinks you can take care of yourself but that's not it. Everyone's worried sick about you, seeing as you're on the top of Voldemort's most wanted list!'
He pulled away so he could answer her properly.
'I know and I'm sorry too. I know I'm no match for Voldemort. I'm so selfish!' he added to himself. 'I complain because people are trying to take care of me in a way my aunt and uncle have never done! It's me who should be saying sorry to you, not the other way round!'
'You're not being selfish, Harry!' she said determinedly. 'I'd feel exactly the same way if I were in your shoes. I'd want to be independent too!'
'Thanks Jen…and by the way, you don't annoy me.'
'Really?'
'Well…'
'Potter!' she snarled playfully as she hit him round the head with his pillow
'Hey!' he growled, as he leapt across to Ron's bed and grabbed his pillow…set for retaliation!
The two engaged in rather a furious fight until Jenny was told to 'get out' by Dean and Seamus who wanted to get undressed.
She left, but not after kissing Harry good night.
The next day was the Hogsmeade visit. The day was warm but not quite as hot as the 'fools summer' a few weeks before.
Jenny was griping that she missed Transfiguration on Friday though she managed to stop herself before she could state the reason why.
Finally Ron and Hermione managed to persuade her to tell them why Transfiguration intrigued her all of a sudden. So Harry and Jenny were forced to tell them about Lupin and McGonagall (they didn't really have much choice when Ron threatened to break Harry's Firebolt in half). Hermione seemed to go into a state of shock and Ron couldn't stop laughing. They both promised not to tell a soul
The first sign that something was wrong was when they heard the people. People, Hogwarts students and ordinary shoppers, were screaming and running in the opposite direction to them.
Fearing the worst, Jenny grabbed Harry, Ron and Hermione and stuck them down a small ally way telling them that if they moved before she got back…well, they could guess.
Harry saw people run past and was itching to know what was going on, trying to make sense of the terrified shrieks of the passer by's.
Jenny was back within five minutes, out of breath, talking fast and panicky.
'There's a fire! But it's a magic fire and nothing can stop it! If it's not put out soon…God knows!
'Which shop is it?' asked Harry, his stomach lurching in dread.
'Honeydukes! Faith's in there and no one can get past the flames to get her out! She's trapped!'
'Oh no!'
'Wait!' said Harry, remembering something. 'The passage way from Hogwarts to the cellar…'
'Harry, that's no good!' said Hermione, her voice strangely shrill. 'She'll be dead by the time we get there!'
'No,' said Harry. 'I saw a door once, behind loads of boxes…near the cellar door!'
'Do you know where it was from out here?' asked Jenny.
'I'm not sure,' he said, getting up but Jenny pushed him back down again.
'I can't let you go, Harry. You know I can't.'
He shook her off impatiently.
'I'll find the door,' he said stubbornly. 'Follow me.'
To his surprise Jenny didn't protest and she, Ron and Hermione followed.
Smoke was pouring from the front entrance of Honeydukes when they arrived, and there were people clustered around, trying different spells, but not really knowing what to do.
Harry dived down a small space between the shops, praying he was right. The space was small and very narrow but Harry spotted a door near the end, hardly distinguishable from the brick wall.
Harry tried turning the handle and pushing the door. It moved slightly, indicating it was not locked just blocked.
'Help me budge this!' he shouted desperately.
The four of them put their shoulders to the door. After three shoves of simultaneously working together, the boxes gave way. As soon as the door was pushed open black smoke billowed out, engulfing them.
'Faith!' cried Jenny, hovering at the entrance. 'Faith!'
No answer.
'We've got to go in,' said Ron, determinedly.
'I think it's safe-ish. The fire seems to be at the main doorway. C'mon!' said Jenny, stepping through the door.
A/N. Dun, dun, dunnnnnnn!!!!!:}
Disclaimer: I just own Jenny, Faith and….no, that's it!!!!:}