1 CHAPTER ELEVEN BETTER DAYS
Summary: Nat's home for the holidays, but nothing's ever that simple at Stoat's End Lane.
Genre for this chapter: General, with a touch of humour.
On the first day of the summer holidays, Nat slept late. There had been a lot of noise from the living room and she had merely buried her head under the pillow and tried to ignore it.
When she finally got out of bed she found Ron and Harry still in their dressing gowns with the Sunday Prophet sections spread all over the floor.
" Morning. " she said, stifling a yawn.
" Tea's in the pot. " said Harry, smiling.
They both looked pale and drawn and Nat guessed her Pa had had another bad night. He still walked with a stick from time to time and the painkillers the Healer had given him didn't always work. He hadn't taken to idleness well either but had had to concur, just grateful to be alive.
Nat poured herself a mug of tea and made straight for the Fashions and Lifestyles section of the paper, turning immediately to Lavender Brown's witty and acerbic column. Within seconds she was giggling.
" What's so funny? " asked Harry.
" This bit about the lengths thirtysomething witches will go to to get themselves a man. "
" Ha! " exclaimed Ron. " They're not looking very hard then. Who writes that rubbish? "
" Lavender Brown. " said Nat. " Don't you ever //read// the paper? "
" Cheek. " said Ron, " Look, if it's not about Quidditch or current affairs your Dad and I aren't interested. And why should I want to read Lavender's drivel? She was a complete airhead at school. "
Nat groaned. Was there //anyone// her parents didn't know?
" I like her stuff. " said Harry mildly. " She's about the only fair journalist in the country. And finding a suitable wizard shouldn't be a problem for you, eh Nat? "
" Exactly. " said Ron with a frown. " I can't believe my own daughter didn't tell me she had a //boyfriend//. I had to find out from her aunt. What's wrong with him, has he got two heads? "
" There's nothing wrong with him!" protested Nat hotly. " He's very nice. "
" He can't be if he's a Slytherin. " growled Ron. " That's a wossname, oxymoron. What's wrong with Oscar? I liked him."
" Oscar's my friend. " said Nat, trying not to blush. " And he's //got// a girlfriend. That's where he is now. With her in Bolivia. "
" So what does this Rainer look like? " asked Harry curiously.
Ignoring Ron who was muttering about Malfoy clones, she said,
" Well, he's tall. Black hair and blue eyes. He's a great Quidditch player. In fact, I'd like you both to meet him."
" Oh, I can't //wait// for that. " said Ron, his voice dripping with sarcasm. " Well, I'm going to get dressed. "
He winced as he stood up and gripped the back of the chair so hard his knuckles turned white. Harry was at his side in an instant.
" Do you need more of your pills? " he asked, concern in his green eyes.
Ron shook his head. " Better not. Maybe you could give me a back rub? "
" Go and lie down then. I'll not be a minute. "
Harry took one look at the stricken expression on his daughter's face and sat down again.
" C'mere. " he said. She perched on the arm of his chair and he took her hand.
" He's a million times better than he was. He's only like this on //really// bad days, okay? He's expected to make a full recovery. "
" I know. " she said, biting her lip. " I just hate to see him in pain like that. "
" We all do. If there was the slightest thing to worry about, I'd tell you. I promise. Now I'd better go and see if I can ease his back a little. "
And Harry got up and walked towards the bedroom.
Reassured, Nat returned to her paper.
****'
Two weeks later Nat was busy in her bedroom.
" Hey, " said a voice loaded with cheer. " You can practically see the floor!"
" Very funny, Pa. " said Nat, grinning at Ron as he stood in the doorway.
" What's the occasion? "
" Deborah's coming over tonight. She goes on holiday tomorrow."
" Ah. A night of girl talk, eh? "
" Be afraid. " she replied, grinning.
" Too right I am. " replied Ron with a mock shudder.
* * * *
That night he sat with his arms around Harry. Every so often a burst of giggles would emerge from Nat's room.
" What do they //do// in there? " asked Ron.
" I dunno. " replied Harry, nestling closer. Ron was gently stroking the back of his neck and it was having the desired effect. It had been a long time since they had been so intimate.
" They talk about boys, I imagine. Clothes, make-up, sex..."
" Sex! " exclaimed Ron. " What the hell does Nat know about sex? "
" A lot more than her Pa gives her credit for. If I'd left it to you she'd still be thinking babies get delivered personally by the Minister for Magic. She's growing up, Ron. "
" I know. " Ron sighed. " It's just the thought of that Slytherin creep pawing her...It's disgusting. And she's only sixteen. She's far too young. "
" Like we were, you mean? "
" That was entirely different. " said Ron firmly.
" How so? "
" Because I knew you were the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. And making love to you was the best way I knew to express how I felt about you. "
" Ron Weasley! You romantic old thing! " exclaimed Harry, his eyes dancing with mischief. Ron's ears went pink.
" I think that bang on the head I took has made me go soft. "
Harry's hand slid into Ron's lap, making him gasp.
" On the contrary. " said Harry wickedly, pulling Ron down for a kiss.
* * * * *
In Nat's bedroom the girls were halfway down a purloined bottle of home- made wine and were more giggly than usual.
" I'll never survive without him for a fortnight!" proclaimed Deborah dramatically. Nat rolled her eyes.
" Why? Aren't there any owls in Spain? " Deborah hit her with a pillow.
" I //love// him. We can't bear to be apart! "
" Tough. " said Nat with a grin.
" Have you heard from Rainer since you came home? "
" Oh, yeah. He writes nearly every day. It's nice. What? " Deborah was frowning.
" I don't think you're being very fair on him. " said Deborah. " He's told you he loves you. I mean you're just so lucky. But you'll never be happy with him as long as you're carrying a torch for Oscar. "
" I am //not//!" exclaimed Nat, genuinely shocked. Deborah nodded.
" You are. You're green with jealousy. "
" Look. Oscar is my – our friend. He's a great guy and I like him. But he's got Elisabeth and he seems happy enough. And I've got Rainer, whom I happen to adore. He's clever, he's funny, he's great at Quidditch, he's a wonderful kisser...What now? "
Nat stopped ticking Rainer's virtues off on her fingers at the look on Deborah'' face.
" Who are you trying to convince, Nat? Me or yourself? "
" I think you'd better go. " said Nat.
" Okay. But just so you know, I had an owl from Oscar this morning. He's back in England. He's broken up with Elisabeth because neither of them could cope with a long-distance relationship. He's really hurting and he needs a friend. Just be careful you don't hurt him either. "
" Just go. " said Nat coldly.
When Deborah had gone she lay on her bed, her mind awhirl with what had just been said.
" I don't know what to do. " she whispered into the uncaring dark. " I just don't know. "
TBC
Summary: Nat's home for the holidays, but nothing's ever that simple at Stoat's End Lane.
Genre for this chapter: General, with a touch of humour.
On the first day of the summer holidays, Nat slept late. There had been a lot of noise from the living room and she had merely buried her head under the pillow and tried to ignore it.
When she finally got out of bed she found Ron and Harry still in their dressing gowns with the Sunday Prophet sections spread all over the floor.
" Morning. " she said, stifling a yawn.
" Tea's in the pot. " said Harry, smiling.
They both looked pale and drawn and Nat guessed her Pa had had another bad night. He still walked with a stick from time to time and the painkillers the Healer had given him didn't always work. He hadn't taken to idleness well either but had had to concur, just grateful to be alive.
Nat poured herself a mug of tea and made straight for the Fashions and Lifestyles section of the paper, turning immediately to Lavender Brown's witty and acerbic column. Within seconds she was giggling.
" What's so funny? " asked Harry.
" This bit about the lengths thirtysomething witches will go to to get themselves a man. "
" Ha! " exclaimed Ron. " They're not looking very hard then. Who writes that rubbish? "
" Lavender Brown. " said Nat. " Don't you ever //read// the paper? "
" Cheek. " said Ron, " Look, if it's not about Quidditch or current affairs your Dad and I aren't interested. And why should I want to read Lavender's drivel? She was a complete airhead at school. "
Nat groaned. Was there //anyone// her parents didn't know?
" I like her stuff. " said Harry mildly. " She's about the only fair journalist in the country. And finding a suitable wizard shouldn't be a problem for you, eh Nat? "
" Exactly. " said Ron with a frown. " I can't believe my own daughter didn't tell me she had a //boyfriend//. I had to find out from her aunt. What's wrong with him, has he got two heads? "
" There's nothing wrong with him!" protested Nat hotly. " He's very nice. "
" He can't be if he's a Slytherin. " growled Ron. " That's a wossname, oxymoron. What's wrong with Oscar? I liked him."
" Oscar's my friend. " said Nat, trying not to blush. " And he's //got// a girlfriend. That's where he is now. With her in Bolivia. "
" So what does this Rainer look like? " asked Harry curiously.
Ignoring Ron who was muttering about Malfoy clones, she said,
" Well, he's tall. Black hair and blue eyes. He's a great Quidditch player. In fact, I'd like you both to meet him."
" Oh, I can't //wait// for that. " said Ron, his voice dripping with sarcasm. " Well, I'm going to get dressed. "
He winced as he stood up and gripped the back of the chair so hard his knuckles turned white. Harry was at his side in an instant.
" Do you need more of your pills? " he asked, concern in his green eyes.
Ron shook his head. " Better not. Maybe you could give me a back rub? "
" Go and lie down then. I'll not be a minute. "
Harry took one look at the stricken expression on his daughter's face and sat down again.
" C'mere. " he said. She perched on the arm of his chair and he took her hand.
" He's a million times better than he was. He's only like this on //really// bad days, okay? He's expected to make a full recovery. "
" I know. " she said, biting her lip. " I just hate to see him in pain like that. "
" We all do. If there was the slightest thing to worry about, I'd tell you. I promise. Now I'd better go and see if I can ease his back a little. "
And Harry got up and walked towards the bedroom.
Reassured, Nat returned to her paper.
****'
Two weeks later Nat was busy in her bedroom.
" Hey, " said a voice loaded with cheer. " You can practically see the floor!"
" Very funny, Pa. " said Nat, grinning at Ron as he stood in the doorway.
" What's the occasion? "
" Deborah's coming over tonight. She goes on holiday tomorrow."
" Ah. A night of girl talk, eh? "
" Be afraid. " she replied, grinning.
" Too right I am. " replied Ron with a mock shudder.
* * * *
That night he sat with his arms around Harry. Every so often a burst of giggles would emerge from Nat's room.
" What do they //do// in there? " asked Ron.
" I dunno. " replied Harry, nestling closer. Ron was gently stroking the back of his neck and it was having the desired effect. It had been a long time since they had been so intimate.
" They talk about boys, I imagine. Clothes, make-up, sex..."
" Sex! " exclaimed Ron. " What the hell does Nat know about sex? "
" A lot more than her Pa gives her credit for. If I'd left it to you she'd still be thinking babies get delivered personally by the Minister for Magic. She's growing up, Ron. "
" I know. " Ron sighed. " It's just the thought of that Slytherin creep pawing her...It's disgusting. And she's only sixteen. She's far too young. "
" Like we were, you mean? "
" That was entirely different. " said Ron firmly.
" How so? "
" Because I knew you were the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. And making love to you was the best way I knew to express how I felt about you. "
" Ron Weasley! You romantic old thing! " exclaimed Harry, his eyes dancing with mischief. Ron's ears went pink.
" I think that bang on the head I took has made me go soft. "
Harry's hand slid into Ron's lap, making him gasp.
" On the contrary. " said Harry wickedly, pulling Ron down for a kiss.
* * * * *
In Nat's bedroom the girls were halfway down a purloined bottle of home- made wine and were more giggly than usual.
" I'll never survive without him for a fortnight!" proclaimed Deborah dramatically. Nat rolled her eyes.
" Why? Aren't there any owls in Spain? " Deborah hit her with a pillow.
" I //love// him. We can't bear to be apart! "
" Tough. " said Nat with a grin.
" Have you heard from Rainer since you came home? "
" Oh, yeah. He writes nearly every day. It's nice. What? " Deborah was frowning.
" I don't think you're being very fair on him. " said Deborah. " He's told you he loves you. I mean you're just so lucky. But you'll never be happy with him as long as you're carrying a torch for Oscar. "
" I am //not//!" exclaimed Nat, genuinely shocked. Deborah nodded.
" You are. You're green with jealousy. "
" Look. Oscar is my – our friend. He's a great guy and I like him. But he's got Elisabeth and he seems happy enough. And I've got Rainer, whom I happen to adore. He's clever, he's funny, he's great at Quidditch, he's a wonderful kisser...What now? "
Nat stopped ticking Rainer's virtues off on her fingers at the look on Deborah'' face.
" Who are you trying to convince, Nat? Me or yourself? "
" I think you'd better go. " said Nat.
" Okay. But just so you know, I had an owl from Oscar this morning. He's back in England. He's broken up with Elisabeth because neither of them could cope with a long-distance relationship. He's really hurting and he needs a friend. Just be careful you don't hurt him either. "
" Just go. " said Nat coldly.
When Deborah had gone she lay on her bed, her mind awhirl with what had just been said.
" I don't know what to do. " she whispered into the uncaring dark. " I just don't know. "
TBC