A/N: ok, really really really sorry it took so long to get this chapter
out... between college and then work and then back to college I am only now
finding time to write again so here goes. BTW, I own nothing, JK Rowling
is God and owns it all.. Now, on to the story!
Harry found himself starting at the floor in front of the fireplace. And a very nice floor it was. Two people reached down and grabbed him, pulling him off the floor and onto his feet. Brushing the soot off of his clothes, he glanced around and smiled at everyone. Fred and George were covered in soot and a glance in the mirror that was atop the fireplace mantle showed that trying to get the dirt off his own clothes had done little good. He shrugged, decided it was a lost cause, and turned to where the twins and Ron where standing. He smiled and looked around the entrance way. "Wow, pretty fancy place you got here.." He turned in a circle as he looked around him. He faced Ron who had a giant grin on his face. "Well, I guess I don't have to ask if you are happy here," He said smiling. "Come on Harry, Mom will want to know you are here," Ron said and grabbed his arm, pulling him down the hallway. "She's in the kitchen. We can't persuade her to give up cooking even though we have a cook. She says that if she gives that up she will have nothing to do but sit around and twiddle her thumbs." Harry just smiled as the made their way to the kitchen. As they passed the portraits on the wall, he noticed that the people in the pictures were pointing at his forehead, more specifically, at his scar. Even though he was used to it, it still annoyed him to some extent so he was glad when the finally reached the kitchen. The kitchen in the manor was very different from the one at the burrow. Instead of being small and cluttered, it was huge and had every commodity known to man, including some that were of muggle origin. Yet it still had that same homey feeling to it so perhaps that was what made Harry feel all warm inside when he walked through the door. At an island in the middle of the room a short, plump red headed woman stood with her hands in a giant bowl, mixing something that smelled delicious. At the sound of their entrance she looked up and broke into a smile. "Harry dear! You made it! I wasn't sure what time you were going to get here what with those horrible muggles you lived with." She took her arms out of the bowl and rushed to his side intending on giving him a hug but at the look of terror on his face she realized that she had dough and flower all over her arms. "Oh, dear me, sorry Harry, I would hug you but I suppose you don't want dough all over you." She frowned and looked him over. "Although I don't suppose it would matter what with all that dirt you have all over you." Turning her frown on the twins and Ron, she placed her hands on her hips, forgetting the dough for a moment. "And you three!! I would think you three would know how not to get so dirty traveling with floo powder. Ok, the lot of you! Upstairs, showers, now! And I don't want to see you again until you are sparkling clean!" She nodded her head in a final way and smiled. "Glad to have you back Harry. Now go!" The boys trudged upstairs, giving Harry a tour of the house as they went. "That's the parlor!" "That's the dining room! It's almost as big as the one at Hogwarts! Well, not really, but pretty close!" "That's the library! Can you believe it?! Who would want a library in their house is beyond me.." At last they made it to the bed rooms. Ron stopped and opened one door. "This is your room Harry. It will be yours when you are here, you get a permanent one!" The walls were painted a Dark Green and the bed coverings where velvet, Dark Green as well. On one wall hung a large painting that was currently empty. When he asked who was in it he was told that the famous wizard Merlin lived there. "Oh," he replied. Ron, Fred, and George backed towards the door. "We're gonna go change and get cleaned up. Meet us outside for some quidditch when you are done. Wait until you see the backyard, its huge!" Harry smiled at them as the shut the door and then headed for a door across the room that led to the bathroom. He took a long hot shower and then changed into clean clothes before heading downstairs. The rest of the day passed quickly with quidditch, good food, chess and the traditional trading of stories of what had gone on over the summer. He found out that Ginny was staying at a friend's house for a few days and would be back the next day. Soon it was time for bed and Harry climbed the stairs wearily. He waved to Ron whose room was across the hall and shut his door. He noticed that Hedwig had returned at some point during the day but she was sleeping and he didn't want to wake her up. Quietly he took off all of his clothes but his boxers, climbed into bed, and turned off the light. He smiled into the darkness. This day couldn't have gotten any better. He was with the Weasleys, he was home.
Harry found himself starting at the floor in front of the fireplace. And a very nice floor it was. Two people reached down and grabbed him, pulling him off the floor and onto his feet. Brushing the soot off of his clothes, he glanced around and smiled at everyone. Fred and George were covered in soot and a glance in the mirror that was atop the fireplace mantle showed that trying to get the dirt off his own clothes had done little good. He shrugged, decided it was a lost cause, and turned to where the twins and Ron where standing. He smiled and looked around the entrance way. "Wow, pretty fancy place you got here.." He turned in a circle as he looked around him. He faced Ron who had a giant grin on his face. "Well, I guess I don't have to ask if you are happy here," He said smiling. "Come on Harry, Mom will want to know you are here," Ron said and grabbed his arm, pulling him down the hallway. "She's in the kitchen. We can't persuade her to give up cooking even though we have a cook. She says that if she gives that up she will have nothing to do but sit around and twiddle her thumbs." Harry just smiled as the made their way to the kitchen. As they passed the portraits on the wall, he noticed that the people in the pictures were pointing at his forehead, more specifically, at his scar. Even though he was used to it, it still annoyed him to some extent so he was glad when the finally reached the kitchen. The kitchen in the manor was very different from the one at the burrow. Instead of being small and cluttered, it was huge and had every commodity known to man, including some that were of muggle origin. Yet it still had that same homey feeling to it so perhaps that was what made Harry feel all warm inside when he walked through the door. At an island in the middle of the room a short, plump red headed woman stood with her hands in a giant bowl, mixing something that smelled delicious. At the sound of their entrance she looked up and broke into a smile. "Harry dear! You made it! I wasn't sure what time you were going to get here what with those horrible muggles you lived with." She took her arms out of the bowl and rushed to his side intending on giving him a hug but at the look of terror on his face she realized that she had dough and flower all over her arms. "Oh, dear me, sorry Harry, I would hug you but I suppose you don't want dough all over you." She frowned and looked him over. "Although I don't suppose it would matter what with all that dirt you have all over you." Turning her frown on the twins and Ron, she placed her hands on her hips, forgetting the dough for a moment. "And you three!! I would think you three would know how not to get so dirty traveling with floo powder. Ok, the lot of you! Upstairs, showers, now! And I don't want to see you again until you are sparkling clean!" She nodded her head in a final way and smiled. "Glad to have you back Harry. Now go!" The boys trudged upstairs, giving Harry a tour of the house as they went. "That's the parlor!" "That's the dining room! It's almost as big as the one at Hogwarts! Well, not really, but pretty close!" "That's the library! Can you believe it?! Who would want a library in their house is beyond me.." At last they made it to the bed rooms. Ron stopped and opened one door. "This is your room Harry. It will be yours when you are here, you get a permanent one!" The walls were painted a Dark Green and the bed coverings where velvet, Dark Green as well. On one wall hung a large painting that was currently empty. When he asked who was in it he was told that the famous wizard Merlin lived there. "Oh," he replied. Ron, Fred, and George backed towards the door. "We're gonna go change and get cleaned up. Meet us outside for some quidditch when you are done. Wait until you see the backyard, its huge!" Harry smiled at them as the shut the door and then headed for a door across the room that led to the bathroom. He took a long hot shower and then changed into clean clothes before heading downstairs. The rest of the day passed quickly with quidditch, good food, chess and the traditional trading of stories of what had gone on over the summer. He found out that Ginny was staying at a friend's house for a few days and would be back the next day. Soon it was time for bed and Harry climbed the stairs wearily. He waved to Ron whose room was across the hall and shut his door. He noticed that Hedwig had returned at some point during the day but she was sleeping and he didn't want to wake her up. Quietly he took off all of his clothes but his boxers, climbed into bed, and turned off the light. He smiled into the darkness. This day couldn't have gotten any better. He was with the Weasleys, he was home.