Quick A/N: You know, I've been at school for only a week, and I'm on my 3rd keyboard? My one from last year ended up being broken, and the one I got to replace it had a non-functioning comma. It is impossible to write *anything* without a comma-I tried :-p
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That evening Harry realized that his memory wasn't quite up to speed when it came to the chaos of a Weasley dinner. Even with two people gone-Harry swallowed and pushed that thought away-the table was still all noise and activity.
'Of course,' Harry mused ducking a roll, 'the presence of the twins *could* have a lot to do with that.' Another roll that he hadn't seen smacked him in the side of the head. Harry turned a mock-glare at the offending redhead. "So, *that's* how you treat guests, Fred?"
Fred snickered. "But you're not a guest, Harry-you're like our brother. And you don't see us sparing Ron, do you?"
Harry had to admit that Fred had a point. Ron was currently sulking, sporting magenta instead of red hair, courtesy of one of George's little tricks. 'I missed this,' Harry suddenly realized.
Mrs. Weasley looked at him, concerned. "You haven't eaten nearly enough, dear," she fussed, looking at Harry's plate, still half-full.
Harry shrugged. Eating was still something that he had to force himself to do more often than not. "It's delicious, ma'am, it really is, but I'm really not that hungry."
"Are you sure you're all right?" Mrs. Weasley's eyes narrowed a little as she studied him. "Remus has been taking care of you, hasn't he?"
"Oh, yes!" Harry exclaimed, a little shocked. 'Then again...maybe I *didn't* miss this....'
"Mum! Leave the poor kid alone." George slung an arm about Harry's shoulder.
Fred came up on his other side. "Don't scare the guy off so early in his visit." He winked at Harry reassuringly.
Mrs. Weasley sat back a little. "You're right, boys, I know." She smiled at Harry. "I worry, though."
"And I'm sure he appreciates it," Ron put in, standing hastily. "Now, if you'll excuse us, I think we'll head outside, get some fresh air and all." The three Weasley boys herded Harry out of the kitchen and out the back door."
Bill, who had watched the whole scene with amusement, smiled at his mother over his coffee. "They have a point, Mum," he commented mildly. "You shouldn't worry so-Remus watches over him like a father, so Ron tells me."
"But he's lost so much." Sensing that dinner was over, the woman rose and began clearing the table. "I'm terrified of something happening like that again."
"Somehow," Bill mused, looking out the window to see his brother arrayed around Harry protectively, "I don't think that will ever happen."
"Still," he mother persisted, "Harry shouldn't be alone. I've noticed Ginny watching him with a rather...intense interest. Maybe I should encourage her?"
Bill choked on his coffee. "I really don't think that will help," was all he could say. He had overheard Harry's conversation with Ron earlier, and it was *quite* clear to him that Harry had no interest whatsoever in Ginny as anything but a friend.
"I suppose...."
To Bill, his mother sounded reluctant. "Mum, please. If you ignore everything else I say, please don't ignore this. Ginny is not what Harry needs. I think that would be one of the worst things you could do."
Mrs. Weasley sighed. "All right, Bill, I'll accept your judgement for now."
He smiled. "That's all I can ask."
**********
Ginny stood outside the kitchen door and frowned.
'Why doesn't Bill think I'd be good for Harry?' she wondered, wandering over to a window where she could watch him. 'He's my brother-shouldn't he be supporting me?'
She watched the way Harry interacted with her brothers. She hadn't seen him since before his...attempt, and she had been shocked at the changes the events had wrought in him. He was thinner, quieter...older. He seemed so fragile-even the twins seemed to treat him with some care.
'Maybe that's it,' she thought. 'Maybe Bill's just afraid I'll come on too strong and scare Harry off. But I won't-I can be patient. He'll be here a week-there's no need to rush.'
Mind made up, Ginny returned her full attention to the window.
**********
Harry chuckled as the twins demonstrated yet another experimental joke on an unsuspecting gnome. The gnome, now with straw for hair and covered with puce polka dots, ran for the hills of it's own free will.
"Hmmm...," Fred mused, watching the gnome run. "The spots should've been lime green-where do you suppose we went wrong?"
"Not sure." George thought about it, then shrugged. "We'll figure it out soon enough."
Harry shook his head, smiling. "You guys are priceless."
"But of course!" George glanced at his brothers, then leaned in towards Harry. "You want to hear a secret?" he asked in a stage whisper.
Harry wondered briefly how he was being set up before deciding to go with it. "Sure," he replied, hoping that he wouldn't regret it.
"We've only told Ron so far," Fred put in, "and he is not treating the issue with the seriousness it merits."
Harry turned a questioning look on Ron, who rolled his eyes. "Just go with it," Ron advised.
"All right." Harry turned back to George. "The secret?"
"We," George announced solemnly, "have penguins in our closet."
Harry blinked. "Penguins?" he questioned, mildly taken aback.
Fred nodded in confirmation. "We found the first one last week. He has a pink stomach, so we named him Pinky."
"We found him in my underwear drawer," George put in. "The perverted penguin!"
"The second one turned up yesterday in my sock drawer," Fred continued. "We named him Blue, because he has baby blue stripes all over him."
"Pinky...and Blue. Penguins." Harry couldn't decide whether to laugh or run. He went with option one, falling to the ground from lack of breath.
Ron looked up to the sky, seeking divine intervention. "I'm surrounded by insanity!" he moaned. "In reality, though, he was just glad to see Harry laugh again, just like old times.
Harry wiped tears from his eyes, catching his breath. 'I'm back,' he thought happily. 'I really am back.'
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Yes, another Author's Note: The penguins are property of my friend Lanette. She came up to me on Monday and told me about perverted Pinky, and Thursday she told me about Blue. I haven't seen her since-we've both been busy-but she could have more by now :-p I was talking to another friend today, and she informed me that Lanette is planning on taking the penguins clubbing with her tonight...well, the penguins or the freshmen she's mentoring, I couldn't tell which :) These are the people I willingly spend my free time with, folks-it should tell you something about me :-p
And before you ask, no Lanette does not need to be on meds, nor do I. We're both perfectly sane-we just have an odd sense of humor :-p
And...as I have an assignment to write tomorrow-my personal philosophy of education-here's my updates for the week. I hope you enjoy them, and have a good weekend! I'll have more next weekend if I survive next week-the students arrive!
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**********
That evening Harry realized that his memory wasn't quite up to speed when it came to the chaos of a Weasley dinner. Even with two people gone-Harry swallowed and pushed that thought away-the table was still all noise and activity.
'Of course,' Harry mused ducking a roll, 'the presence of the twins *could* have a lot to do with that.' Another roll that he hadn't seen smacked him in the side of the head. Harry turned a mock-glare at the offending redhead. "So, *that's* how you treat guests, Fred?"
Fred snickered. "But you're not a guest, Harry-you're like our brother. And you don't see us sparing Ron, do you?"
Harry had to admit that Fred had a point. Ron was currently sulking, sporting magenta instead of red hair, courtesy of one of George's little tricks. 'I missed this,' Harry suddenly realized.
Mrs. Weasley looked at him, concerned. "You haven't eaten nearly enough, dear," she fussed, looking at Harry's plate, still half-full.
Harry shrugged. Eating was still something that he had to force himself to do more often than not. "It's delicious, ma'am, it really is, but I'm really not that hungry."
"Are you sure you're all right?" Mrs. Weasley's eyes narrowed a little as she studied him. "Remus has been taking care of you, hasn't he?"
"Oh, yes!" Harry exclaimed, a little shocked. 'Then again...maybe I *didn't* miss this....'
"Mum! Leave the poor kid alone." George slung an arm about Harry's shoulder.
Fred came up on his other side. "Don't scare the guy off so early in his visit." He winked at Harry reassuringly.
Mrs. Weasley sat back a little. "You're right, boys, I know." She smiled at Harry. "I worry, though."
"And I'm sure he appreciates it," Ron put in, standing hastily. "Now, if you'll excuse us, I think we'll head outside, get some fresh air and all." The three Weasley boys herded Harry out of the kitchen and out the back door."
Bill, who had watched the whole scene with amusement, smiled at his mother over his coffee. "They have a point, Mum," he commented mildly. "You shouldn't worry so-Remus watches over him like a father, so Ron tells me."
"But he's lost so much." Sensing that dinner was over, the woman rose and began clearing the table. "I'm terrified of something happening like that again."
"Somehow," Bill mused, looking out the window to see his brother arrayed around Harry protectively, "I don't think that will ever happen."
"Still," he mother persisted, "Harry shouldn't be alone. I've noticed Ginny watching him with a rather...intense interest. Maybe I should encourage her?"
Bill choked on his coffee. "I really don't think that will help," was all he could say. He had overheard Harry's conversation with Ron earlier, and it was *quite* clear to him that Harry had no interest whatsoever in Ginny as anything but a friend.
"I suppose...."
To Bill, his mother sounded reluctant. "Mum, please. If you ignore everything else I say, please don't ignore this. Ginny is not what Harry needs. I think that would be one of the worst things you could do."
Mrs. Weasley sighed. "All right, Bill, I'll accept your judgement for now."
He smiled. "That's all I can ask."
**********
Ginny stood outside the kitchen door and frowned.
'Why doesn't Bill think I'd be good for Harry?' she wondered, wandering over to a window where she could watch him. 'He's my brother-shouldn't he be supporting me?'
She watched the way Harry interacted with her brothers. She hadn't seen him since before his...attempt, and she had been shocked at the changes the events had wrought in him. He was thinner, quieter...older. He seemed so fragile-even the twins seemed to treat him with some care.
'Maybe that's it,' she thought. 'Maybe Bill's just afraid I'll come on too strong and scare Harry off. But I won't-I can be patient. He'll be here a week-there's no need to rush.'
Mind made up, Ginny returned her full attention to the window.
**********
Harry chuckled as the twins demonstrated yet another experimental joke on an unsuspecting gnome. The gnome, now with straw for hair and covered with puce polka dots, ran for the hills of it's own free will.
"Hmmm...," Fred mused, watching the gnome run. "The spots should've been lime green-where do you suppose we went wrong?"
"Not sure." George thought about it, then shrugged. "We'll figure it out soon enough."
Harry shook his head, smiling. "You guys are priceless."
"But of course!" George glanced at his brothers, then leaned in towards Harry. "You want to hear a secret?" he asked in a stage whisper.
Harry wondered briefly how he was being set up before deciding to go with it. "Sure," he replied, hoping that he wouldn't regret it.
"We've only told Ron so far," Fred put in, "and he is not treating the issue with the seriousness it merits."
Harry turned a questioning look on Ron, who rolled his eyes. "Just go with it," Ron advised.
"All right." Harry turned back to George. "The secret?"
"We," George announced solemnly, "have penguins in our closet."
Harry blinked. "Penguins?" he questioned, mildly taken aback.
Fred nodded in confirmation. "We found the first one last week. He has a pink stomach, so we named him Pinky."
"We found him in my underwear drawer," George put in. "The perverted penguin!"
"The second one turned up yesterday in my sock drawer," Fred continued. "We named him Blue, because he has baby blue stripes all over him."
"Pinky...and Blue. Penguins." Harry couldn't decide whether to laugh or run. He went with option one, falling to the ground from lack of breath.
Ron looked up to the sky, seeking divine intervention. "I'm surrounded by insanity!" he moaned. "In reality, though, he was just glad to see Harry laugh again, just like old times.
Harry wiped tears from his eyes, catching his breath. 'I'm back,' he thought happily. 'I really am back.'
**********
Yes, another Author's Note: The penguins are property of my friend Lanette. She came up to me on Monday and told me about perverted Pinky, and Thursday she told me about Blue. I haven't seen her since-we've both been busy-but she could have more by now :-p I was talking to another friend today, and she informed me that Lanette is planning on taking the penguins clubbing with her tonight...well, the penguins or the freshmen she's mentoring, I couldn't tell which :) These are the people I willingly spend my free time with, folks-it should tell you something about me :-p
And before you ask, no Lanette does not need to be on meds, nor do I. We're both perfectly sane-we just have an odd sense of humor :-p
And...as I have an assignment to write tomorrow-my personal philosophy of education-here's my updates for the week. I hope you enjoy them, and have a good weekend! I'll have more next weekend if I survive next week-the students arrive!
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