Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the other characters from HP belong to the honorable and fantastic JK Rowling(J K Rowling biography ), while Shirley Holmes and Bo Sawchuk belong to the creators of "The Adventures of Shirley Holmes " and if I'm not mistaken they are Ellis Iddon, Phil Meagher, Susin Nielsen and also to the actor who played them; Meredith Henderson and John White. I am making no profit of this what so ever. And if, by any chance you decide I'm copying this fanfic from someone else's, well I'm not, but write me at Mishmeshim@hotmail.co.il if you think so.
Dedication: To my seven and a half reviewers. You really made writing a pleasure for me. I believe feedback is everything, and after believing I'd get none (because there are so many HP fanfics out there and because I didn't know there was a SH community) your reviews were a very, very pleasant surprise. To Ola, who might gawk at me and say she can't understand the Shirley/Bo relationship since she didn't see the 3rd and 4th seasons, but she knows she believes in it as well... And to Sparklz, who beta-readed for me THANK YOU!
A/N: The second chapter is up, as you've noticed… And it contains the riddle, which is needed to be solved in order to find Harry. I'd be delighted to hear ideas of where he is or of who abducted him, since it's someone which anybody should know if he reads this fanfic. The answer will appear in the next chapter.
Chapter two- Talks, talks
A few hours later Shirley was sitting on the double bed in Bo's guestroom, wearing nothing but her nightgown and rereading the parchment that Hermione gave her. She studied it again.
In death lies life and Victory.
The Boy who Lived may and shall be
The man who forced the Darkness fade
But wait, the Price is still not paid.
A mother's spell, A curse, A love, A fight, A light, A scar
Tears and ruins and Trust long Lost.
True love and friendship will find what has cost the most.
Shirley sighed. She couldn't understand even half of it. But maybe it was because she didn't know Harry Potter. She decided she would talk to Hermione tomorrow and try to uncover the note's secret together with Bo's fiancée.
She sighed again. Bo was engaged. Her best friend Bo was engaged, and she didn't feel happy for him. Hermione looked like a nice woman, and it was obvious she and Bo were very close and intimate with each other, but something in it bothered Shirley. She couldn't put her finger on it, and she couldn't find anything in Hermione's behavior that would make her unworthy of Bo, but still, Bo's engagement bothered her.
Someone knocked on her door and Shirley looked up. She found Bo, still fully dressed, standing at her door and smiling at her. She smiled back.
"Comfortable?" He asked.
"Yeah, it's great." She moved a little to make some room for him to sit. "Come in."
He came in and sat by her side. "Any progress?"
She shook her head. "I just can't figure out the meaning." She showed him the note. "You see the words that start with a capital letter, I'm sure they are the ones, which point the identity of the sender. While the 'Boy who Lived' and 'man who forced' are probably come to explain what actions that Harry Potter did caused his disappear. But I can't figure why the first phrase has capital letters and the second doesn't."
"The words 'The Boy who Lived'." Bo said silently. "Came to describe Harry in his childhood, and it was always written in capital letters."
"What phrase came to describe him when he became an adult?" Shirley asked.
"I can't say." Bo sighed deeply. "Let it be for the night, Shirley. I'll talk to Hermione and I hope this would be easier to solve in the morning."
"Bo." She said strictly. "You're not telling me something."
He sighed again. "I know, I'm sorry, but I have no right to reveal it. You'll know in the morning." He kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Thanks for coming, Shirley."
"I'll do anything for an old friend." She smiled.
He smiled back, though sadly. "I knew you would." And left the room.
"Time to weak up, sunshine." Hermione heard Bo whispering in her ear. She opened her eyes slowly and found Bo staring at her in an odd way.
"What's wrong?" She asked smiling.
He sighed. "Nothing… Everything…" He sat on the bed next to her. "I don't know."
She stood up and started dressing. "You know what?"
"Hmmm?" He sounded as though he was thinking of something else.
"I feel really hopeful about this friend of yours. I can't say why, I was never really good at Divination or any of that 'Unfogging the Future' rubbish, but I know she would help us find Harry."
Bo sighed again. "I've wanted to talk to you about it. Shirley… Well, she already started working and she… Um, having problems."
Hermione turned to face him, bewildered. "What kind of problems?" She asked slowly.
"Well," Bo looked up at her. "She needs to know more about Harry, I figured out she'd have to talk to you and Sirius and all that, but… Herm, love…" He stood up and took her in his arms. "She needs to know about magic."
Hermione frowned at him and then put her head on his chest. "I guess you're right. I just hope she won't freak out like some people did."
"Please," Bo laughed. "Let's not get into that now."
Hermione smiled. "Why not? I can remember it perfectly, something about me going mad and hoping you won't be turned into a book in our next fight, wasn't it?"
Bo laughed. "Please, give me a break, how a guy supposed to react when his girlfriend tells him she's a witch?"
"Say how wonderful it is?" Hermione broke the embrace and headed to the kitchen.
Bo followed her. "I'll remember that next time."
"What next time?" Hermione asked dangerously.
"The next time you decide to tell me something as big as that." Bo smirked.
"Actually, I did want to tell you something…" She took eggs out of the fridge and started making breakfast.
"What?" Bo asked offhandedly as he took out three mugs from the cupboard.
"Ron's is coming this afternoon." She said quietly.
Bo turned to face her quickly. "What?!" He just starred at her back. "You're kidding."
"No." Hermione didn't even turn to face him. "You know he's just as good a friend of Harry's as I am, maybe even more, all this male bonding crap, you know. And he does have a right to be here, and make an effort to find Harry. Anyway, Ginny is his sister, I think him coming here to be with her is the right thing to do."
"Oh, how wonderful!" Bo exclaimed sarcastically. "But are you sure he comes to be with Ginny, or is he coming to comfort you?"
"What did you mean by that?" Hermione snapped.
"You know damn well what I mean." Bo matched her anger. "Sex, Hermione, and stop being such a saint!"
"I know you meant sex, Bo!" She was almost shouting. "What I can't understand is why you think I'd let him."
Bo shook his head and turned away from her. "Because you have history, Hermione, you know each other in every possible way, and I… I can't match that kind of bonding." He sighed deeply. "You haven't seen him in three years, what makes you think you won't be eager to meet him, who said you won't have all those long forgotten emotions coming back to the surface?"
"You're insecure." She sounded both surprised and amused.
"So what?" He snapped. "That's natural. I have all the right to be nervous because your ex-boyfriend decided to pay us a visit."
"That's cruel." Hermione turned back to the oven. "He's here to help find Harry."
Bo grimaced, but she didn't see it.
"Anyway, you've got your ex-girlfriend, I have every right to bring my ex-boyfriend."
"Yes, except I never dated Shirley."
"Oh, Bo, honestly!" Hermione laughed. "You want to tell me you've never had a crush on her, spending so much time with each other?"
"No, we were just friends!" Bo smiled tr.
"Not even a kiss?" Hermione intrigued.
Bo growled. "!"
"Oh, Bo." She hugged him on her way to the table, in intention to put eggs in the plates. "You make me feel so much better. I knew there was a reason I kept you."
"You're awful today." Bo pointed out.
"Aren't I always awful?" Hermione stopped the embrace and, putting the eggs where they should be long ago, started making coffee.
"Good point." Bo answered grinning, but Hermione didn't answer.
"Morning." A muffled, yet amused voice sounded from the opening.
"Good morning, Shirley!" Bo said soundly, making Hermione acknowledge Shirley as well.
"Oh, good morning." She said smiling apologetically. "I was somewhere else."
Shirley smiled and sat by the table. "Bo, you promised explanations." She said.
"Well, eat first." Bo answered uneasily.
"No, tell me!" Shirley kept being persistent.
"Eat!" Bo commanded.
"You promised."
"Later."
"You said I'll know in the morning, now is the morning."
"And you said you'd write, so eat!"
"That hurt." Shirley said silently.
"Well, now you see once again that being annoying makes other people be nasty towards you."
"I am not, and never was, annoying."
"And in denial as well." Bo answered.
"Tell me or I'll tell Hermione your real name!"
Hermione looked at Bo. "'Bo' isn't your real name?"
Bo sat also, glaring at Shirley. "Cheater." He sighed and looked up at Hermione. "Tell her."
Hermione sat too. "No. I want to know your real name."
"Hermione!" Bo exclaimed, stared at her. "Be reasonable! I promise to reveal my full name to you later, please tell her."
"And if you lie about your name? You've obviously already done it once, what will stop you from doing it twice?" Hermione inquired.
"You'll check with Shirley, okay?" Bo answered, annoyed.
"Fine." Hermione looked straight at Shirley. "Ready?"
"Readier than I'll ever be." Shirley answered, both excited and a little in awe.
"Fine." Hermione sighed deeply and giving Bo one less glance started talking. "The thing is, Shirley, Harry can do magic." Shirley raised an eyebrow. "Not the kind of magic that involves getting a bunny out of a hat or something as trivial as that. Harry is a real wizard, a powerful one as that, and so am I. I will prove it, wait a second."
And Hermione left the kitchen in the direction of her and Bo's bedroom leaving a very startled Shirley glaring at Bo.
"Where did she go?" She asked.
"To get her wand." Bo answered matter-of-factly.
"Are you sure your mental health wasn't damaged by Mr. Potter's disappear?" Shirley asked silently.
"Shirley!" Bo said harshly.
"What?"
But before he had the chance to answer Hermione was back holding her wand in her left hand.
"Look here." She said and moved her wand a few inches up. She only opened her mouth to say the words when the phone rang.
"Wow!" Shirley tried to show some mock enthusiasm. "She made the phone ring!"
"No, the phone is really ringing." Bo answered grimly as another ring sounded from the bedroom. "I'll go answer it." He looked at Hermione. "Continue- time is something we can't afford right now."
Bo put the receiver to his ear. "Hello?"
"Bo." A rough male voice sounded. "It's Daniel."
"Danny?" Bo was more surprised than angry. "I'm off duty…what's wrong?"
"I'm so sorry I have to do this, mate, it's just…"
"Say it, Danny, it won't kill me…" His voice changed to edgy suddenly "It won't kill me, right? Because if you're planning to…"
"No, nothing like that! It's that girl McCleary uses as a secretary. You know her, she's quite hard to forget; short, tight skirts, very low necklines-"
"Yes, I remember, what about her?"
"Remember your last column? Instead of giving it to McCleary, she threw it away."
"She did what?" Bo shouted. "I can't write…"
"No one expects you to. Not until tomorrow anyway." Danny answered uneasily. "We'll just have to move our no-columns-for one-week agreement from next week to this one."
"This means I'll have to write a column for next week." Bo pointed out.
"Yes, I know, I'm really sorry, mate." Danny indeed sounded genuine, which made Bo feel slightly better.
"I'll manage, I'll come over tomorrow, okay?"
"Yes, that would be great. My best to Hermione, and Bo…" Danny sighed. "I am truly sorry."
"It's okay, bye Danny." And with those words Bo put the receiver back in place.
Bo store back to the kitchen, but stopped at the door, staring at Shirley and Hermione. The two women were calmly sitting by the table, eating, and Hermione was explaining magical ways to found a suspect.
"Well, from what I've read it's easy, since when a wand is being used some magical, invisible dust appears- I'm not sure exactly how, it's physics- and every dust belongs to it's own wand. As there are no two wands alike you can found out who owns the wand checking the wand ingredients, performing a simple spell on the dust and checking the lists in the Ministry of Magic files, or in the shops, if you want to keep it private." Hermione was saying thoughtfully. "The problem is, there was no dust in the whole house when Harry disappeared."
"Is there any other way to disappear, magically?" Shirley asked, transfixed.
"Yes, two. One is apperating, it's wand less magic and any wizard who passed the test at the age of 17 or older can do it. The thing is you can't force someone to apperate, and since it's strong magic it can be tracked and the ministry indeed keeps tracks of apperating. Sirius checked the list there and there was no apperating from anywhere near our flat that day, except for the one I apperated to the Ministry in order to get hold of Sirius and Ginny."
"And the second?"
"Floo network and powder, it's traveling with the use of fire. And it isn't possible it happened that way either, since there was no floo powder discovered in the room and our fireplace isn't connected to the floo network. Bo finds it disturbing." Hermione looked up to meet Bo's gaze. "Who was that?"
"Danny, problems at work. I'll stop by there tomorrow." He answered silently.
Hermione stood up and took Bo by the hand. "We'll be just back." And she pulled Bo to the opposite side of the living room. Bo looked down at her, smiling comfortingly.
"She knows what she's doing." He said reassuringly.
Hermione sighed stepping closer to Bo and put her hands around his neck, making them stand as close to each other as they could. "I know. I'm going to go to Sirius and Remus, ask them to come here, help you two, especially Sirius- he feels helpless. And Remus is the logical one, after all."
"Where then?" Bo asked almost whispering, reaching lower, positioning their faces only and inch or two apart.
"The Borrow, to talk to Ginny." She answered in the same hushed tones.
"And Ron." He acknowledged, reaching down to capture her lips in his.
"Bo…" She moaned in protest before their lips met in a sensational kiss.
Shirley, who stood in the doorway, between the kitchen and the living room turned away swiftly as a pang on jealousy she knew she shouldn't be feeling was thrown brutally in her heart.