Chapter 2 "I heard you crying"
Well I heard you crying
Somebody stole my soul…
A full 10 minutes had passed with Ron standing in the door way with his jaw
practically touching the floor. Harry had taken a seat beside Draco on the
couch and was waiting for Ron to make another action.
"Oh bloody hell Weasel I'm not a monkey in a zoo, close your yap and get
your arse over here," Draco finally said taking his feet off the table. Ron
still just stood here, looking more like a deer in the headlights than anything
else, "Go help your friend Potter," Draco nodded towards Harry.
Harry got up, walked over to Ron, grabbed his arm and began to drag him over
to the couch.
"Come on Ron, get over it," Harry said pushing him down and onto the couch.
"What… the… BLOODY HELL... is... YOU!" Ron finally managed to speak...
well sort of speak. Both Draco and Harry rolled their eyes.
"Yes Weasley, I'm glad you are able to grasp the major concepts. I don't
like you and thankfully you don't like me, so let's just sit here and wait
till Mione returns so you two can leave as soon as possible," Draco said
crossing his arms, "I hope you both know that I'm missing my soaps because of you,"
he grumbled.
"What... are you doing HERE? This is Hermione's house! You can't be in
Hermione's house!" Ron said quickly.
"Actually this is my house, mine and Hermione's." Draco replied holding
back the grin that was starting to tug at his face. He suddenly felt as though
he'd been waiting his whole life for this moment.
"She lives with YOU?!?" Ron's voice raised.
"Tha'ts what married people do Weasley."
That was it, the line that sent Ron over the edge. Quite suddenly, Ron's leg
gave way and he landed in a thud on top of the hardwood floor, looking as if
Draco just proclaimed his love for himself, and not Hermione.
"Now you've done it Draco," Harry mumbled walking over to his friend,
"Ron get up, it's not that bad,"
"Actually Potter, it is," Draco added, "I married your old sweetheart,
how's that for irony eh Weasel?" If in his life Draco Malfoy had ever
looked smug, it was that moment.
"I need a drink," Ron said suddenly standing up, "Anything, anything
strong/" he said very quickly.
"For once I think I agree with you," Draco stood up, "Come lads to my
liquor cabinet," Draco walked into the kitchen and pulled open the cabinet over
the oven. "I've got pretty much anything," he said as Ron and Harry walked
into the room.
"Scotch on the rocks." Ron said sitting down.
"Bourbon… and just give me the damn bottle." Harry replied sitting across from Ron.
"Good choices," Draco reached into the liquor cabinet and pulled out their
drinks and glasses along for some brandy for himself. He poured the drinks and slid them
across the table, "Bottoms up," he added before gulping down his drink.
Three drinks later, the trio hadn't said a word, but the look Ron was sending
Draco said it all. After his fourth drink, Ron finally spoke up.
"Why... how... no, WHY?" he said looking at Draco.
Draco grinned, put his hands behind his head and leaned back into his chair.
"You really want to know Weasley?" he asked, Ron nodded his head, "Well
after you two gits left her, which was pretty stupid might I add, that's when she
and I began spending time together. Percy had given me a job at the Ministry,
working on the same floor as her, and well since we both really didn't have
anyone around, we bonded. And boy did we ever bond, if you know what
I mean." Draco chuckled to himself causing Ron to grip the armrest of his
chair so tightly his knuckles turned white. "We dated for a few months and
then said 'What the hell' and decided to get married. We moved in here,
and well spent the next 8 years pretty darn happy. Does that answer your
questions? Or do you want to know how good she is in bed? I'd be happy
to oblige."
"Actually," Ron started.
"I was joking Weasley," Draco added rolling his eyes.
Three hours had passed and the three successfully emptied Draco's liquor
cabinet. Draco and Harry were in the middle of reenacting their famous 2nd
year duel, using two spatulas as wands, when Hermione walked into the house.
"My word, what happened in here?" she said walking into the kitchen,
finding empty liquor bottles on the floor and Draco smacking Harry on the
head with his spatula, muttering something under his breath, which caused
both to laugh. "At least they aren't really hurting each other," Hermione
said out loud and then turned to the front room to spot Ron sitting on the
couch alone with a bottle in his hand.
Seeing him sitting there, sent a jolt through Hermione's heart. There was
something about the way he sat there, twiddling the bottle between his hands,
staring into the wall of the front room. She took a deep breath and walked
over and sat beside her best friend for the first time in 10 years. There
was a heavy silence between them, before Ron took a deep breath.
"Why him Mione?" he said softy, his breath smelling of Scotch. Hermione
sighed and put her hand on Ron's.
"Because Ron, he was there for me when no one else was. I needed him
and he needed me. It just fit… No one could of predicted or planned it. It
kind of just… happened." she said smiling at him, he turned and looked at her.
His blue eyes held a bit of sadness in them, an old hurt. One that had been given
a lot of time to take root in his heart.
"I've always cared about you, that's never stopped."
"I know you have, you will always be my first love, but that was then and this is
now."
"You know that day we all stopped talking? I was going to ask you to marry
me," he replied his voice so soft and low.
"You were?" Hermione said, the feeling of tears starting in her eyes.
"Yeah I was, but I guess fate had it down another way right?" Ron sort of
grinned but the effort was clearly forced and the smile never reached his eyes
and then he looked away from her face, "I guess someone else beat me to
you. He better be good to you Hermione,"
"He is Ron, he really is,"
"He better be," Ron replied sighing heavily and bringing his arm around
Hermione's shoulder.
--
Ron and Hermione sat on the old brown couch for over two hours. Neither
speaking after Ron's last words hit the air. Ron had his arm around
Hermione's shoulder and she willingly placed her head on his. Neither of them
realized they both dozed off into a sound sleep, until Hermione moved her
body into a new position and found something solid in the way of her moving.
She crept one eye open to see Ron sitting next to her. Remembering what
had happened she sat up and shook Ron's shoulder.
"Ron get up we fell asleep," she said to him, he moaned a bit and opened
one eye.
"I've got the worst headache…" he said turned to her and yawning.
"That's because you, Harry and Draco drank enough alcohol to power a nuclear
reactor!" She rolled her eyed.
"Oh yeah," Ron grinned, "Good times," he stood up and stretched, "Where
are Harry and Malfoy?" he asked.
"Last time I saw them, they were dueling it out with spatulas in the
kitchen," Hermione said also standing, "I don't hear any noise, so I'm
guessing they are either passed out, drunk, or dead," she said suddenly, "Let's go
look," they started out for the kitchen. The sight that met them placed larger
than life grins on both their faces.
Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were curled up next to each other, legs and
arms tangled within the same space, both still clutching their spatulas
tightly in their hands.
"I need a camera," Ron said grinning, "This is excellent blackmail material."
"If you think this is bad," Hermione started, "Then wait till you hear
what Draco calls his… Uh, little Draco." Hermione most unlike herself gave a short giggle.
Ron suddenly shivered.
"I don't want to know, I really don't Hermione. Thank you so much for
that lovely thought," Ron cringed again.
"Let's get these two in bed together,"
"That didn't help this situation at all,"
"Oh get off it Ron," Hermione said playfully reaching for her wand, "I'll
take Draco, you can bring Harry over. We'll put um in my bed, I'm sure they
won't mind,"
The two grabbed their wands and levitated the sleeping Harry and Draco into
Hermione's bed. The second the two hit the sheets, they once again curled up
close to each other.
"They are acting way too gay for a married straight man and his worst
enemy," Ron said standing at the door with Hermione.
"Yeah," she said smiling, "That's my muffin for you,"
"Ew," Ron said, shivering once more.
Hermione and Ron set off into the kitchen to clean up the bottles from the
ground, and then started to make dinner for the four, while waiting for Draco
and Harry to wake up.
Draco was comfortable snuggling under the covers, with his arms wrapped tightly around
who he figured was his wife. Draco moaned softly in contentment as his hand moved
up to Hermione's short hair... wait, Draco's brain started to flash a warning sign, since when did
Hermione have short hair? Draco's hand traveled to Hermione's face… since
when did Hermione wear glasses? Draco quickly assessed that this wasn't Hermione
and was onto the process of trying to figure out who was in bed with him. Wait,
didn't Potter have glasses?...
Draco Malfoy's eyes shot open.
"WHAT THE FUCKIN BLOODY HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY FUCKIN BED POTTER???!!!"
Draco jumped up from the bed in such a hurry his feet missed the ground and
he landed on his arse in a heap of covers. Harry's face soon appeared from
over the edge of the bed.
"Good morning sunshine," he grinned. Harry was just as confused as Malfoy
at the moment but he wasn't going to let Draco get the upper hand.
"Gods! This has to be the worst week of my life! Weasel on my couch,
Potty on my bed," he raised his fist at the ceiling, "If you think this is
funny," he threatened.
"Hey, I just woke up next to a ferret," Harry said getting off of the
bed, "Think of my pain," he grinned at Draco, just then Hermione walked into
the bedroom.
"Oh good you two are awake. Dinner's ready, you guys better come eat
before Ron eats it all,"
Draco suddenly jumped up from the covers.
"Hey! WEASEL! Did I say you can eat my food?" he stormed off into the
kitchen.
--
The four sat down at the dining room table and begin to dig into the food
Hermione and Ron had prepared. Draco sat scowling, his lower lip poked
out in a definite pout as he moved his food around aimlessly on his plate.
Hermione sighed, "Draco eat something. Please?" She pleaded with her eyes
as well as her voice. When she got only a grunt back in response she sighed, trying
once more to initiate small talk around the dinner table.
Finally Draco had had enough. "Look Potter," he began, "You wanted to stay
and look, you're still here. You wanted to go get Wonder-boy Weasel and surprise
surprise he's here too so why don't you go ahead and tell all of us just what in
the world is going on." He demanded firmly.
Harry sat down his fork, a piece of meat still speared on the tines, and sighed.
He sat back in his chair and looked around at the three faces staring back at him,
holding their breaths for his response.
"As you all know I've been doing a fair share of freelance auror work-" Harry
began, only to be cut short by Hermione.
"By that you mean unsanctioned, unauthorized auror work." She volunteered
quickly.
Harry shot her a glance. "Uh yeah… Thanks for clearing that up Mione.
As I was saying I have been going from place to place, city to city, tracking
down the bad guys and doing what must be done with them." He said flatly.
It was clear to them all what Harry meant by 'what must be done.'
Harry took a deep breath in and went on, "Most recently I've been on the
trail of a group of rouge wizards who seem to be after a journal that they think
contains a list of all but forgotten mind control curses. And this isn't any book,"
he said looking around at them once more, "It's Dumbledore's private journal.
The collection of all the knowledge he gained in his lifetime. I knew if they found
it that the situation could become very dangerous. So I followed them, for weeks
actually, I thought I knew their ways but I was wrong. I went in for the attack
and found not three wizards but five. It was too much and they overtook me,
I just barely managed to get away." By this point Harry's voice had dropped
to a very low and serious tone. "If these men get that book before I do who
knows what will happen. That's why I need your help. Ron and I will go and
keep an eye on these guys, but from a safe distance for the time being and
Hermione, I'll need you to find out whatever info on the book that you can. Where
Dumbledore might of hidden it, anything else it might contain, anything useful at all.
I really need your help with this you two, like I said, there's no one else."
Harry finished looking into the eyes of two childhood friends and one…
Draco.
Hermione looked from Harry to Ron and back again and then she folded
her hands on the table top. "What other choice do we have? All right Harry,
you can count me in." She said quietly.
Ron sat looking at Harry intently for several minutes before speaking up. "I guess,"
he began, "The whole side-kick thing dies hard. I'm in too."
Harry sighed, it appeared a huge weight had been lifted from his face but still
a clear heavy burden remained.
Draco, who'd sat quietly through out all of this took his turn to speak then.
"So where do I fit in in all of this?" He asked curiously.
"Well," Harry thought for a moment. "I think I'll be needing a few things. Clothes
and such. Think you could go into London and do a little shopping in the morning?"
Harry asked Draco, then taking a sip of his lemonade.
Draco looked greatly offended. "Shopping? My job will be shopping? Now look here
Potter-" He began before Hermione stood quickly stopping him short.
"We'll all have a lot to do tomorrow. I suggest we all get some rest. I for one am exhausted."
She claimed, beginning to clear the dishes from the table. Draco stopped her with a
genuine look of concern.
"No go rest, I'll take care of everything here." He told her seeing the tiredness in her eyes.
Hermione nodded and said her goodnights to Harry and Ron before kissing Draco's
cheek and whispering "Don't be too long." A tiny smile twitched up and down at
the corners of her mouth as she left toward her bedroom.
Draco looked at Ron. "Hey Weasley, take care of the dishes. You've got to do
something to work off all that food you just ate." Draco looked pleased with himself
for coming up with that little stroke of genius.
Ron, however, was still staring at the doorway that Hermione had walked out of
moments before. "You two sleep in the same room? Together? In the same bed?"
Draco smirked. "Yes Weasley we do. A bit slow on the pick up aren't you?
But hey, just think, you get to share a bed with Potter. Doesn't that make you
feel so much better?" He asked with a grin.
Ron's ears took on the tell-tale pink coloring, "Oh bloody hell, I'll sleep on the
couch ya stupid git," he said.
--
When morning came Hermione went off to work and Draco was in London before either Ron or Harry had awaken. When the two did wake, they silently took turns in shower, and inhaled their morning coffee before both were ready to go. It was then Ron who spoke up.
"What exactly are we going to do Harry?" he asked, as the two started out the door.
"I know of one of the dark wizards, he's mostly found hanging out at a tavern, "Ruby's Roadhouse", just a few blocks from here. My plan was to go there and keep an eye on him. See if we can get any information from him," Harry said as the two started to walk down the block.
"Why don't we just Apperiate there?" Ron asked.
"Oh... well I was thinking we'd walk. Give us a chance to talk a little, catch up. Plus it's good exercise." Harry answered.
"Ok then, what do you want to talk about?" Ron asked walking a bit quicker, it was cold outside and his jacket wasn't doing that much to keep him warm.
"I've told you guys what I've been up to, what about you Ron? How's life? The family?" Harry asked quickening his walk to keep up with Ron's. Ron's legs were longer then Harry's and he wasn't used to walking at a fast pace.
"Well you saw where I live, it's not to far from the joke shop were I work with Fred and George. That's just about it for myself. As you've probably heard Ginny's a star reporter for the Daily Prophet." Ron started.
"Yeah I've picked up the paper a few times, she's quite the Rita Skeeter," Harry added in.
"Yeah she is isn't she?" Ron laughed, "Percy's still the number uno at the Ministry. That hasn't changed much, in fact nothing's pretty much changed at all Harry," Ron said turning to his friend.
"How about your love life, got a girlfriend?" Harry asked.
"Nah," Ron answered quickly, "You?" he added.
"Nothing steady, not in a while at least. It's hard when you move around a lot,"
"I bet it is," Ron said shaking his head.
The two remained silent again, walking along the streets.
"Why haven't we talked in 10 years Harry?" Ron asked suddenly.
"Last time we talked I was under the impression you hated me and never wanted to speak to me again," Harry answered, the question had caught him off his guard.
"Haven't you learned anything from 4th year?" Ron asked, and then suddenly regretting even mentioning it.
"Yeah," Harry seemed to ignore his comment, "I really don't know Ron. Things were happening, changing, we were all changing too." he admitted.
They were silent again as they walked along the street. Both with their hands shoved into their jeans and robes wrapped firmly around their shoulders. Anyone looking past them on the street would hardly believe the two men were once best friends.
"Here it is," Harry said walking up to a tavern nestled in between two other run down looking shops. Ron looked up and read the sign as it flapped in the breeze, "Let's go in and take a seat. I don't want us to attract any attention."
Ron nodded and Harry pushed open the door. The second they entered, they each became warm, as the smell of alcohol and sound of voices talking pulled them in further. They walked briskly over to a table in the back and took a seat.
Harry's eyes skimmed the room, "There," he said to Ron and nodded his head toward two wizards sitting at another table across the room, "The one in the black is the one who attacked me, I don't know who the other is."
"What are we going to do, watch them talk?" Ron asked.
"No, you are going to perform an eavesdropping charm, it's simple actually, so we can hear what they are saying,"
"A charm? Me? Who do I look like, Hermione?" Ron asked, "Besides, why can't you do it?"
"Well you said you wanted to be more then a sidekick right? Well here is your chance, just get out your wand, point and say, audio expando and it should work," Harry encouraged. Ron shrugged and did what Harry asked him. Very quickly the voices of two men became far louder and clearer to Ron and Harry's ears.
"Have another round of butterbeer my friend," the wizard Harry didn't know said.
"I can't stay long, I just wanted to see if you knew any more information," the other wizard said quickly, looking around the room, "I have a feeling that Potter might still be following us," he added in. Ron gave Harry a worried look.
"Don't worry Ron," Harry said, "I've been doing this forever, and this guy isn't the sharpest wand out there, he won't see us," he reassured.
Ron sort of shrugged and nodded, he'd been with Harry before when he was sure of things, and they always turned out backwards in the end. He wasn't sure if experience had helped with that in any way.
"After the hexing you guys gave him I don't think he'll dare follow us again, or even be able to for that matter." the other wizard said with a laugh. Harry's face started to go red and he coughed nervously.
"I don't know, I've heard he isn't one to give up easily," the other replied, with that remark Harry grinned proudly, "He'll learn his lesson though, if he tries again," and with that remark Harry's grin slipped away once more.
"What if they don't say anything important?" Ron asked.
"Then we just hope Hermione's doing better then we are," he answered.
-
Hermione wasn't having any better luck than Ron and Harry. She had come to work with a plan in her head, but that was quickly derailed when Percy walked into her office throwing a file on her desk.
"I know you are busy already Herms, but there's been some dark wizard action a little too close to home for my liking. I need you to go downstairs and try and get our poor excuses for aurors to get their lumps in action," Percy said sitting in the chair across from Hermione's desk.
"I'm not a motivational speaker Percy, my job is verification, organization and research, and you've given me enough of that to last three lifetimes as it is," she answered.
"I know Herms, but can't you just go down for a second. I would do it but I have a meeting in about 10 minutes, and I wouldn't trust anyone else with this job," he said smiling at her.
"Okay Perce, but just this once," she sighed.
"Thanks Herms, you really are a life saver," he smiled at her and walked out of the room. Hermione took a deep breath "He so owes me a raise…" She followed him out the door, and made her way to the 3rd floor and walked into the room where she knew the aurors would be. After Harry was fired, that left three full time aurors still working for the Ministry. They didn't need many, after the fall of Voldemort, there wasn't much dark wizard action going around. That was a good thing too, because the three remaining aurors couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag.
"Clarke, Kreyditch, Wheeler," Hermione said as she opened the door. The three wizards were sitting in chairs with tea cups in their hands.
"Yes Ms. Granger?" Wheeler, a tall brown haired man, said to her.
"Mr. Weasley has just came by my office to tell me there has been some dark wizard activity going around London, I'm wondering why you three aren't there doing something about it?" she asked.
"We would be," Kreyditch, a blonde haired man, started, "But according to our sources those are Potter's find."
"In case your memory fails you, he isn't an auror anymore. We don't leave dark wizards alone just because they are being taken care of by someone who doesn't work here," she said firmly.
"We know," Kreyditch continued, "But he gets cranky if we show up while he's on the job,"
"Actually," Clarke, another blonde, spoke up, "From what I've heard he won't be back on his feet for a while. He got into a nasty duel with five of the wizards. They really gave him a run for his money,"
"Really?" Hermione asked suddenly interested, "What happened?"
"Well apparently he didn't reckon there'd be more then three, and when he went to attack, the two he didn't see hexed him up. From what I've heard he was hit by more hexs than possible. But he is The Boy Who Lived isn't he?" Clarke finished.
The other two laughed, while Hermione stood silently. Was there something wrong with Harry? She thought about it for a second, he did look horrible last night… but this morning he looked better. Why did he want Ron with him suddenly? He handled things alone for 10 years, what could have caused the sudden change. Hermione decided she'd ask him when she got home straight away.
"Never-the-less we aren't paying you guys to sit around and do nothing all day. I would advise you if you'd like to continue getting paid you'd suddenly get the inspiration to go looking for these dark wizards before things get out of hand," Hermione smiled at them and headed out of the door. She sighed heavily and hurried back upstairs to her office, when she arrived her eyes glanced over at the clock. It was already 5:00 and she figured the boys were all back home by now.
"Leigh," she called out to her secretary. A second later a tall, brown haired woman holding a notepad entered the room.
"Yes Hermione?" she said.
"When Percy gets out of his meeting inform him I finished the task he asked for and then deiced to go home early. Remind him not to bother me if he needs anything else," she smiled, Leigh did too.
"Of course, have a good night Hermione," she said and left the office. Hermione smiled, she was going to do just that.
-
When Hermione did get home, she found Harry and Ron sitting on the couch watching TV. She walked over to the two, and sat down on the other side of Harry.
"Where's Draco?" she asked.
"Eaten by a mad Hippogriff. So sorry for your loss." Ron said absently from the couch not tearing his eyes from the TV.
"Yep, sorry Herms did everything we could" Harry added.
"Oh you two! Draco isn't that bad! He's been nice to you hasn't he?" she said rolling her eyes, just then Draco burst into the house, and threw a bag into Harry's lap.
"Hand delivered and everything, so Potter let's see it." he said cheerily. That tone in his voice let Hermione know he was up to something. He stood in the middle of the room holding another bag in his hand.
"What's in that one Draco?" Hermione asked.
"Do you think I just shopped for Potter there? I picked us up a little something too," he said reaching into the bag and pulling out a lacey black teddy. Hermione and Ron's ears both went pink.
"Draco!" Hermione shirked walking over to her husband and grabbing it from him, "You are unbelievable," she held it in her hands and turned to Ron and Harry, "You guys did NOT see that," she exclaimed rushing out of the room with the teddy.
"What? It's just lingerie, nothing they haven't seen before… Oh wait, you probably haven't, have you Weasley? My mistake." Draco's grin could not possibly of been any cheekier.
"Uhhh… right, we saw nothing," Harry said, then looking into his bag, "Hey Malfoy, I'm guessing this is for Mione also?" he said pulling out a black thong.
"Oh," Draco said walking over to it and taking it from Harry's hands, "Actually, that's for me."
Both boys made a confused and frightened face.
"Ew." Ron said quickly.
"What? Hermione's never complained." Draco grinned. "Well Potter go, on see what else you've got,"
Harry grimaced and reached back into the bag and pulled out a lavender colored shirt, with a pair of dark red velvet pants.
"Malfoy they are horrible!" Ron said holding back a grin, glad they didn't belong to him.
"Glad you feel that way Weasel, I picked up you a matching pair also," Draco grinned walking into his room.
Harry was looking at the clothing as if just viewing them was going to make him throw up.
"I'm sure they aren't that bad Harry, go on try them on," Hermione, having just come back into the room now teddy-less, encouraged her friend with a smile. Harry looked at her but got up and headed into the bathroom.
"Who are you kidding Mione? Draco couldn't have picked out a gayer outfit if he tried!" Ron said looking into the bag to see if anything else was half as bad as the first outfit.
"I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose," Hermione said, not even believing her own statement, "I can always transfigure it around if it's bad."
"Then that's what you are doing." Harry said walking from the bathroom, looking uncomfortable and highly embarrassed. Ron couldn't help but to start laughing while Hermione tried to hold hers back.
The velvet trousers clung to Harry tightly and he pulled on them as he walked.
"I'll... just go get my transfiguration book," she said nodding and walked out of the room laughing.