AN: Well, since everyone seemed to enjoy the first chapter I'll just have to give you guys more. I'm sorry that it's confusing in the beginning, but if there is one thing you learn about my writing please let it be this: Every single one of my first chapters are annoyingly confusing. It's just the way I am. I think it's a result of my necessity to make sure you all read into the story for at least two chapters.
Disclaimer: None of it is mine. :: Cries uncontrollably:: It all belongs to the bestest woman in the whole wide world J.K.R. Please J.K. can I just have Ron and Harry for a while, I'll even baby-sit Draco if he stops being such a whinny little pain in the… um… rear!
Harry watched as Marie fell backward. He would have moved to catch her, but knew that this was Ron's job.
"Well, at least she knows who we are," said Ron trying to sound cheerful as he lifted Marie into his arms cradling her as if she were the most precious thing in the universe. Unfortunately, Harry knew that Ron was just trying to make things seem better than they really were. It hurt Harry to see his best friend like this, but there was nothing he could do.
"Ron you do realize that she doesn't really know us? She's just read our story." Harry said motioning to the book that still laid out in the front yard.
"Yeah I guess Joanne did a good job at quietly keeping the memory altered informed about the wizarding world." Ron replied as Marie's head leaned against his chest. Harry noticed the loving look that he gave the girl and sighed.
"We'd better take her inside and explain everything to John and Taffy." Harry said with a sigh as he walked out to get Marie's book from the lawn. He opened the door for Ron, and followed him in as quickly as possible.
The family room that they entered was small. It was decorated to look like any other normal muggle living room with a coffee table, a long couch, and a few comfortable looking chairs scattered through out the room.
Harry watched as Ron lowered Marie onto the couch, and moved so that her head was in his lap. Harry leaned down to put Marie's book on the table. He stood up just in time to catch Ron kissing her lightly on the forehead.
"Ron!" Harry said with a warning look in his eyes.
"I know. I know. Dumbledore told us not to do anything that might force her to face any old memories that she hasn't already had yet. Really Harry it was only a kiss on the forehead!" said Ron with an exasperated look on his face.
"Are you willing to risk losing her all for a little kiss on the forehead?"
"No, I guess not." Ron replied once again looking down at the girl who was now beginning to stir in her sleep.
"I'll go find John and Taffy. You two stay here, and Ron don't do anything stupid!" Harry said as he walked into the kitchen.
It didn't take Harry very long to find them. They were sitting in the study, which was only two rooms away from the one he had left Ron in. John was sitting there casually reading the muggle newspaper, and Taffy was sitting behind her large oak desk typing something, which Harry assumed was another novel. He stood there for a moment waiting for them to notice them.
"Taffy," John started neither of them had become aware of Harry's presence in the room, "Do you want to go- Harry!"
"Harry!" Taffy said looking at her husband strangely. "Who said anything about Harry?" She turned and looked over at where her husband was staring. For a moment, a look of terror froze her every feature. She stood up, and walked over to Harry. She put her hands on his shoulders, and looked fearfully into his green eyes.
"Harry, what's happened? Where is Marie? Is she all right? Is Ron with her?" Harry was worried that she would collapse if he didn't tell her what was happening right that second.
"She's all right, Taffy. She just fainted, and yes Ron is with her." Harry replied watching Taffy's body relax. She released a slow steady sigh. At this point John was standing right behind his wife looking at Harry fearfully.
"She was attacked wasn't she?" He asked.
"Yes." Harry replied.
"We're going to have to send her back to Dumbledore aren't we?"
"Yes."
"Can we at least talk to her first?" This time it was Taffy who spoke.
"Of course." Said Harry trying to force a smile to cross his features. With that they all exited the room and went looking for Ron and Marie.
Ron was starting to get nervous. Where was Harry? Marie was really starting to stir now and he wasn't sure what he would do if she awoke to find herself alone with her head in his lap. For all the fear he was feeling now he couldn't help, but remember how beautiful she had always been. How much more alive he had felt when she was near, and how sad he had been when she had been forced to forget him. Everyone involved in the spell had been given explicit instructions to never tell Marie about any relationship they may have had with her before the Amniious spell was preformed. They were only supposed to tell her the facts, the information that they all knew like why she had been sent to live with John and Taffy and why her memories had been erased.
Ron hated this spell. He always thought it was unfair to take someone's life away from them, even thought they were always given new memories to replace the old. Marie shifted in his arms again. She was one of the few things that mattered to him, and she had been taken from him. She didn't know it, but he had also been taken from her. Ron had been so scared the day that they had told him that he would never she her again that he thought his heart would burst, but she had told him that she would always love him, and that he could always find her.
As Marie once again shifted her weight, Harry returned with John and Taffy. They wee just as Ron had remembered them. Taffy was still the thin blond-haired, blue-eyed philosopher that he remembered. John's brown hair now had flecks of gray in it, but he still had a very muscular body, which reminded Ron a bit of Charlie, and smart-looking Dark brown eyes. Ron watch as they all sat down in chairs facing him. It was very strange that Marie had been placed with this family. They were all of different coloring and her auburn hair and green eyes surely stood out. She was almost 19 Ron realized with a sudden shock.
"Ron," said Taffy breaking into his thoughts, "Are you all right?" As she said this she motioned her head to indicate Marie.
"Um-yeah-I'm-uh-very well, thank you." Ron stuttered not knowing quite what to say. He watched blankly as Taffy when off to the bathroom to get a washcloth for Marie's head.
"Who's going to tell her?" Harry asked with a look towards John.
"I guess it should be Taffy and I we are the ones who have been looking after her for the past two years." John answered with a heavy sigh. Taffy returned with a cool washcloth, and handed it to Ron as she kneeled down next to Marie.
"Pat this on her face. She'll be coming about soon, and she's going to have a monster headache." Ron began to gently put the cloth on Marie face. He was never very good with sick people that had always been Ginny's job at home, but for some reason it had never seemed very hard for him to take care of Marie when she was sick.
"Mum-m." Marie called out suddenly. Ron had to use every bit of his self-control to keep from jumping. Taffy however just touched Marie's face in a motherly sort of way.
"I'm here Marie. You are among friends." Taffy replied.
Marie's head was spinning, but as the dizziness subsided she began to her voices. Then she very clearly heard her mother speaking to her. She felt tired and confused. She had had strange dreams all her life, but this one didn't seem like a dream.
"Oh, mum, I had the strangest dream! There I was just reading my book when suddenly, out of the sky Harry Potter, and Ron-" as she said this she looked up and for the first time saw Ron's face looking down at her. He seemed to have been worried, but she wasn't really thinking straight. "RON!" she screamed as she jumped up out of his lap. She felt dizzy for a second, and then suddenly the pain filled her mind. She had had migraines before, they had never been this bad. Not knowing what else to do, she slowly lowered her head back into Ron's lap. This movement seemed to shock him even as it shocked her. He tensed for a minute, but then started once again to pat the washcloth on her face.
"Mum," she said in the strongest voice she could muster, "what's happening to me?"
"You're starting to remember." Her mother replied giving her a weak smile.
"Remember what?"
"The past."
"I don't understand."
"We'll explain." John broke in suddenly. Slowly Taffy walked back over to sit in one of the chairs across the room. Marie still felt Ron stroking her hair and face, but all she could concentrate on were the sad looks in her parents' eyes.
"You see, dear," her father started, "You're not really our daughter."
"But-but- but that's impossible. Of course I'm your daughter who else's could I be?"
"We can't tell you that, dearest." This time it was Taffy who spoke. "Part of the conditions of the spell you were put under is that you must discover all of the aspects of your personal life for yourself. Otherwise there is a chance that you will reject the information, and never know the truth again."
"Marie you've only been living with us for two years now." John broke in.
"But, father, that can't be right. I have memories of growing up here."
"Another part of the spell my dear. It was meant to make you feel like this was your home so that you wouldn't go looking for trouble, and so that trouble couldn't find you. Your real name is Marie, and we both love you very much, but it's time for you to leave us now."
"So you're telling me that it's all true. Everything J.K. Rowling ever wrote was true." Marie said she was starting to cry, and could feel her tears soaking Ron's pants leg.
"Well," her mother began, "it's not all 100 percent true. The spells are all true, and most of the information in there about Harry is true, but, Marie, you have to understand. That book was published so that witches and wizards like you're self who have had their memories modified will know at least some basic magic if ever the need occurs for them to return to the world that they once knew." Marie was now crying nearly hysterically. She had dug her nails into the knee of Ron's pant leg, and in the back of her mind she registered a certain amount of shock that he didn't do anything to make her let go.
"So," she tried to speak through the tears that were falling down her face, "why was I put under this spell, and sent here to live with you?"
"To protect you from Voldemort." Her father answered. "We can't tell you much about it because in truth we don't know that much. All we know is that you were a very powerful witch. You had a power that Voldemort feared, and wanted to kill you for. They used this spell as a last resort. All the others had failed except for the Fidelius Charm. That one worked, but Voldemort murdered your first secret keeper and after that you refused to put anyone else's life at risk. So you volunteered to go under the Amniious Charm. You wouldn't be able to remember anything, but that was the point. You see if Voldemort didn't know who you were then you would be safe from him at least for a while, and now he has found you. You'll have to go back to Dumbledore and Hogwarts right away." Marie barely heard the last few words over her own crying. Everything she had known was gone. It had all been a lie. She could feel Ron still smoothing her hair on the top of her head trying to calm her down, but she still couldn't manage to regain control. After a few minutes she felt Taffy touch her check. It was the same touch she had used to soothing Marie when she was a little baby. No! Marie thought. I was never even her child.
"Marie, come along dear. I'll help you pack your things so that you can leave soon. Don't worry you're safe. Non of us will let anything happen to you." Taffy helped Marie stand up and walk out of the living room and down the hall to her room. The room that just hours ago she had wished she could escape.
AN: So what did you think? I hoped you liked it, but be warned I tend to get horrible writer's block when it comes to this story, but I swear to you I'll try and keep it moving. Oh and please Hermione/ Ron readers don't kill me. I didn't do it because I think that they won't end up together at some point in the series, but I was just getting so damn tired of the Harry/ Hermione stories where Ron ends up either alone or with some airhead like Lavender Brown. Yuck! Also if you get a chance read Wolf Child. It's a little bit different, but definitely just as good.
All right, I promised to respond to your reviews, so here it goes:
Italiana_Principessa: I'm glad you like it! I wish I was Marie some days too, but even she'll find out that the HP world is not nearly as perfect as it should be. Oh, by the way I just love your name. Have you seen Life Is Beautiful well it reminds me of that.
Virgo Ruben: Glad you like it! Many thanks!
Holly: Maybe you and Marie will have all your dreams come true! Glad you like it!
Traeh
Nettogrof:
Thanks for your review. I wish I could
tell you that this chapter will clear up all your confusion for you, but there
are a few things that are just going to have to stay confusing until the end of
the story. Sorry.
Amber
Lee: I'm
glad you like it. In truth I thought up
the idea during one of my biology classes because I was bored. I always try to pull inspiration from real
life. You asked why I like Ron so much;
well I'm going to tell you a secret. First,
it's like I said above, I just kind of feel bad that everyone seems convinced
that the only girl he could ever be with is Hermione, not that Hermione isn't a
great catch. Second, he reminds me of
my first crush. Physically both boys
were very similar and a lot of people have compared him to Ron and me to
Hermione, though I'm not nearly as smart as her.
Kiara
Ananda, Stardust
Firebolt, and Hermione Malfoy: I promise to keep writing! Glad
you enjoyed it!
Singer: Thanks for being my
first review. It's amazing that after
less than twenty-four hours I got more reviews for this story than I did over an
entire week with Wolf Child.
Luinthoron: Thanks for the
encouragement! I'm going to read some
of your stories as soon as I post this chapter.
