Earth Plates

By Written Promises

Chapter One - Of Blood Sweat and Tears

"So what I'm saying is ... I love you. As if you didn't know." Harry Potter stumbled his words, like a little boy in front of a tough crowd trying to win their approval. Is this any different? He thought. "Maria, I love you. Truly. Really. Seriously. This is the whole shebang," He grinned. "I want to spend my life with you. Marry me?" Where did that newfound confidence come from? Harry wondered.

Maria stood there, gaping silently. Her long flowing brown hair waved about; like it was frolicking in the London winter wind. Her pouty lips that were painted purple curved into a malicious smile. "Are you proposing to me, Mr. Potter?"

"Trying to, Miss Willis," Harry blushed. "So, will you?" He clutched the pear shaped ring tightly. Maria nodded, and waited for Harry to slip the ring upon her finger. Harry loved this girl with all of his heart, but he wasn't sure if it was actually true love. Because, he mused, in true love, you tell your partner EVERYTHING, and Maria had no idea he was a Wizard.

Harry had told Maria that he had gotten his lightening bolt scar in a car accident, just like his Aunt and Uncle had told him. He also told Maria that he was training to be a firefighter, that's why he had bruises and out all day and sometimes night.

It was only a matter of time, Harry knew. How much longer could he keep it from Maria?

*~*

"Oh, my God," Allison grimaced. "It's fine," Ron held her hand. "It's much less painful in the magic world then in the muggle world," Allison's eye twitched as she saw the needle slide out of her stomach, collecting amniotic fluid from her baby. Allison sat back up, and dabbed her sweaty forehead with a napkin.

Ron grabbed her hand. "You're due in exactly a month, January ninth." He kissed the top of her head. Allison took a look at her very pregnant belly and grinned. "Soon we'll be back to the tight fitting robes,"

Her husband nodded. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

*~*

"Hermione, these need to be sent to Miss K. Lawrence and be all filled out by next Tuesday," Mr. Murdnell buzzed Hermione's desk. "Make sure Miss Lawrence does it correctly this time." Hermione put down her tea and buzzed back. "Yes, Mr. Murdnell. Kathryn should be stopping by around three thirty. She needs to check your claim. Again."

"Yes," A shuffle of papers shoveled across her desk and slick -- Hermione got a long papercut across her finger. "Shit," She murmured, sucking on her finger to stop the bleeding. A drop of crimson blood dripped from her paper and onto a piece of paper, and spread out like minor diffusion.

*~*

In the midst of the winter air/The children speak and the widow's bare/When will the Christmas tree arise? Ron read his favorite winter poem that he had scrawled on a piece of paper in his days at Hogwarts.

"I used to recite this day and night at Hogwarts," He sighed, blissfully. "It used to drive Hermione insane. She hated the line "the widow's bare" because she thought it was degrading." Allison fingered the rim of her coffee cup. "Hermione?"

Ron whisked his head away. "Oh. She was my friend at Hogwarts."

"Any romantic feelings?" Allison wanted to know.

"Maybe in our late teens. But she liked Viktor Krum. You know the old Quidditch player from Bulgaria?"

"The one with the big nose?" Allison sneered. "Doesn't have much taste I see."

Ron grinned. "Herm and I were always a team. Us two and Harry, of course." Allison nearly dropped her cup and scalded herself. "Harry?" Ron nodded. "Harry Potter. We were the best of --"

"You know Harry Potter and you never told me?" Allison demanded.

"Correction, Al. Knew Harry Potter. I wouldn't be surprised if I called him up right now and he'd hang up on me. It's been that long and equally awkward."

Allison blinked her clear blue eyes slowly. "Don't you think it's time for a change?"

"I know it is."

*~*

A/N: I'd like to thank everyone who gave me positive reviews on my prologue. There was this one person (I forgot the name) who said it didn't make any sense that Harry lived with his Muggle girlfriend. I appreciate the feedback, but I believe that if Harry found a Witch girlfriend, she would only court with him for his fame and popularity. In contrast, a muggle would like him for him, being that she does not know about his "real" life.

A/N the Second: The reviewer also stated that she didn't believe that Harry could be that apathetic about his graduation, being the Hogwarts was the one place where he belonged. I argue by saying that Harry only belonged with his friends and Quidditch - Friends drift apart, but he still has Quidditch.

Disclaimer: I still own nothing except Mr. Murndell, Allison, and Maria. Everything else belongs to JK Rowling.