A/N: Thanks for the review. Anyways, here's the next chap. It'll be
mostly the phone call. Right.. On with the show!
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WHAT IT IS TO BURN
Chapter 3: The very unexpected call
Harry paused. Who was this he thought? Obviously it was a feminine voice on the line, but how many girls new his number? How many people, for that matter, ever called for him?
"Yeah, this is he." He said slowly, feeling stupid for saying that.
"Oh good! For a minute I wasn't sure. So how are you?" The mystery girl asked.
"Good, I suppose." He sat down on a old chair next to the phone. " I'm sorry, but who is this?" Harry asked interestedly.
"It's me Hermione. Really Harry, I thought you'd recognize my voice." She said laughing lightly.
"Oh, Hi. Hermione!" Harry felt his face heat up slightly. "Sorry about that, I just never get any phone calls, and I've never heard you on the phone before."
"So I sound different then?" She asked.
"Well, a little, but I can really tell its you now. Enough about that, why did you call, is something wrong?" Harry worried.
"No, nothings wrong. I just thought that you might like to talk. I mean, back in our second year you gave Ron and me your number, and I found it in my desk, so I thought why not call."
"Oh, right. Now I remember. So, nothing is wrong then?"
"Harry." She said sounding a bit annoyed.
"Sorry. You called just to talk. Hmmmm." He almost smiled, "What about?"
"You, I guess. Ron and I haven't heard from you since school and I started to miss.. -er, think you weren't talking to us on purpose. We, haven't received any letters and all the ones we've sent have been returned."
"Yeah, that would be this extra-protection charm Dumbledore set up. It's supposed to stop all magical things, except magical people I suppose, from entering this area around the house. I can't send Hedwig out because she'll never get back in. it's very weird."
"Poor Hedwig." Hermione sympathized.
"Exactly what I was thinking. She's getting depressed. Usually she's able to fly around, but not now." Harry said glumly.
"Well, I'm sure there is some way to get around this charm. Doesn't Dumbledore send you things?"
"Yeah, but he has it sent by deliverers. One day, when I was working in the garden, all of the sudden this man appeared from across the street. He walked over and handed me this letter explaining about the field." He didn't think it was right to tell Hermione that he was scared of the Deliverer. For a moment, he was sure the man was a Death Eater. Ever since then Harry had been sure to keep his wand by his side every time he left the house. He really didn't want to Hermione to think he was acting crazy and paranoid. Not to mention he was ashamed.
"Oh." She sounded discouraged. "Well give me some time to think about it, I'm sure I can find someway for you."
"If you couldn't, then I'd know no one could." Harry said matter-of-factly. He could hear her laugh and he smiled, his first real smile since he'd been back. It felt good. His body seemed to lighten as though some heavy weight was lifted from his back. It was right then when he realized how much he missed his friends. Just hearing his best friend's laugh was enough to make his day. It was the best experience ever.
"So, have you gone anywhere lately?" she asked curiously.
"Hermione, like I ever get to go anywhere. I'm lucky to visit the garden." He said sarcastically, but truthfully.
"Well, I thought I should ask, you never know." She said huffily.
"Its alright. Hey, did you visit Victor in Bulgaria?" Harry asked brightly. He wanted to know what Hermione's summer had been like so far.
"Oh. Umm, yeah. It was really fascinating, Bulgaria. Beautiful county and quite a history there. Not that I'm surprised though." She said quickly. Harry could tell she wasn't telling him everything that happened. This bothered him. So he pressed on a bit.
"How's Krum?" Harry asked casually.
"Oh, he- he's fine." She stammered.
"Hermione, what's wrong? I'd think you'd have a little more to say about the trip, it's not like you to not want to answer a question to it's fullest potential." He asked. This was a little unnerving.
"I don't have to tell every little detail, Harry." She sounded cross. "What does it matter if the big jerk's alright or not?"
"Ok. I'm sorry." He didn't want their pleasant conversation to turn into an argument.
"No, I'm sorry. It just wasn't what I expected it to be, I had to leave a little early." She sounded embarrassed.
"That bad, huh." There was no response. Harry thought for a few seconds, trying to find something to say. "Well think of it like this, at least Ron will be acting normally for a change."
"Is that supposed to be a relief?" She laughed.
"Yeah." He laughed too.
"He's going to be so relieved when I write and tell him that I talked to you. Probably a little jealous too." She chuckled.
"Well, he wouldn't be Ron if he didn't get a little upset." He said thoughtfully.
"A little, be reasonable Harry, Ron doesn't get a little of anything. Its either all or none with him." She said confidently.
Harry didn't know how to respond, he was starting to feel bad for Ron's sake. Hermione seemed to feel the same because she then said
"So have you heard anything from Sirius?"
"No, not really. Dumbledore told me that he and Professor Lupin were working together and that they were fine. But that's about it." He said numbly. He missed Sirius dearly and worried about him even more now than before.
"Well Dumbledore would let you know if anything happened." She paused, as if interrupted, and Harry could hear her talking to someone else. "Sorry to do this Harry, but I have to go now. Will it be all right if I call back some other time? The Dursleys won't mind, will they?"
"Actually the Dursleys are gone this entire week, they went to Spain." He said plainly.
"They left you?" Hermione said incredulously.
"And I'm glad they have, or else we wouldn't have had this lovely conversation." He could feel her smiling at the other end of the phone.
"So in other words it's o.k. to call some other time this week?" She laughed.
"Yes, in fact I'll be waiting for it." He smiled again, feeling refreshed.
"Well then I won't disappoint you. Talk to you later."
"Well I hope not, bye." He said brightly.
"Goodbye."
Harry listened for the click of the receiver, and slowly set the phone down. He couldn't stop smiling. Talking to Hermione made him forget all everything he'd felt since he returned from Hogwarts. He actually made a plan, just a small one, but it was something to look forward to. He headed back to the kitchen.
Mrs. Figg was sitting at the clean table, sipping her tea. Harry suddenly remembered what they were talking about before the call. He suddenly felt very foolish.
"Sorry to make you wait, Mrs. Figg." He apologized.
"Never you mind it, so who was it?" She asked politely as Harry sat down.
"Oh, just a friend from school." He said.
"Well, she certainly made your day." She smiled.
"In a way- hey, how did you know that I was talking to a girl?" Would she ever stop surprising him, he thought.
He watched her carefully, but Mrs. Figg only smiled again. She drained her teacup and looked at the small round clock above the stove.
"I think it's about time I head back home. If you need anything honey, just call me. I wrote my number here." She handed him a small piece of paper. Harry suddenly felt like he was being abandoned.
"You don't have to leave, do you?" He said before he could stop himself.
"Well, my kitties are probably wondering where I've gotten too. I hate to worry them, you know?" She stood up slowly and headed toward the parlor.
"Not really." Harry followed. He helped her gather her things, and led her to the front door. The entryway didn't seem quite as small like before. Harry opened the door, and she stepped out.
"I'll see you tomorrow deary." She said merrily, and then Mrs. Figg started the journey across the yard and back to her home.
"See you." Harry replied.
Slowly he closed the door. Today had been the strangest day this summer, and it wasn't even noon.
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A/n: this seems like a good enough place to stop. the next chapter will be fun, but I'd really like to know what you think of the ones right now.. Until next time!
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WHAT IT IS TO BURN
Chapter 3: The very unexpected call
Harry paused. Who was this he thought? Obviously it was a feminine voice on the line, but how many girls new his number? How many people, for that matter, ever called for him?
"Yeah, this is he." He said slowly, feeling stupid for saying that.
"Oh good! For a minute I wasn't sure. So how are you?" The mystery girl asked.
"Good, I suppose." He sat down on a old chair next to the phone. " I'm sorry, but who is this?" Harry asked interestedly.
"It's me Hermione. Really Harry, I thought you'd recognize my voice." She said laughing lightly.
"Oh, Hi. Hermione!" Harry felt his face heat up slightly. "Sorry about that, I just never get any phone calls, and I've never heard you on the phone before."
"So I sound different then?" She asked.
"Well, a little, but I can really tell its you now. Enough about that, why did you call, is something wrong?" Harry worried.
"No, nothings wrong. I just thought that you might like to talk. I mean, back in our second year you gave Ron and me your number, and I found it in my desk, so I thought why not call."
"Oh, right. Now I remember. So, nothing is wrong then?"
"Harry." She said sounding a bit annoyed.
"Sorry. You called just to talk. Hmmmm." He almost smiled, "What about?"
"You, I guess. Ron and I haven't heard from you since school and I started to miss.. -er, think you weren't talking to us on purpose. We, haven't received any letters and all the ones we've sent have been returned."
"Yeah, that would be this extra-protection charm Dumbledore set up. It's supposed to stop all magical things, except magical people I suppose, from entering this area around the house. I can't send Hedwig out because she'll never get back in. it's very weird."
"Poor Hedwig." Hermione sympathized.
"Exactly what I was thinking. She's getting depressed. Usually she's able to fly around, but not now." Harry said glumly.
"Well, I'm sure there is some way to get around this charm. Doesn't Dumbledore send you things?"
"Yeah, but he has it sent by deliverers. One day, when I was working in the garden, all of the sudden this man appeared from across the street. He walked over and handed me this letter explaining about the field." He didn't think it was right to tell Hermione that he was scared of the Deliverer. For a moment, he was sure the man was a Death Eater. Ever since then Harry had been sure to keep his wand by his side every time he left the house. He really didn't want to Hermione to think he was acting crazy and paranoid. Not to mention he was ashamed.
"Oh." She sounded discouraged. "Well give me some time to think about it, I'm sure I can find someway for you."
"If you couldn't, then I'd know no one could." Harry said matter-of-factly. He could hear her laugh and he smiled, his first real smile since he'd been back. It felt good. His body seemed to lighten as though some heavy weight was lifted from his back. It was right then when he realized how much he missed his friends. Just hearing his best friend's laugh was enough to make his day. It was the best experience ever.
"So, have you gone anywhere lately?" she asked curiously.
"Hermione, like I ever get to go anywhere. I'm lucky to visit the garden." He said sarcastically, but truthfully.
"Well, I thought I should ask, you never know." She said huffily.
"Its alright. Hey, did you visit Victor in Bulgaria?" Harry asked brightly. He wanted to know what Hermione's summer had been like so far.
"Oh. Umm, yeah. It was really fascinating, Bulgaria. Beautiful county and quite a history there. Not that I'm surprised though." She said quickly. Harry could tell she wasn't telling him everything that happened. This bothered him. So he pressed on a bit.
"How's Krum?" Harry asked casually.
"Oh, he- he's fine." She stammered.
"Hermione, what's wrong? I'd think you'd have a little more to say about the trip, it's not like you to not want to answer a question to it's fullest potential." He asked. This was a little unnerving.
"I don't have to tell every little detail, Harry." She sounded cross. "What does it matter if the big jerk's alright or not?"
"Ok. I'm sorry." He didn't want their pleasant conversation to turn into an argument.
"No, I'm sorry. It just wasn't what I expected it to be, I had to leave a little early." She sounded embarrassed.
"That bad, huh." There was no response. Harry thought for a few seconds, trying to find something to say. "Well think of it like this, at least Ron will be acting normally for a change."
"Is that supposed to be a relief?" She laughed.
"Yeah." He laughed too.
"He's going to be so relieved when I write and tell him that I talked to you. Probably a little jealous too." She chuckled.
"Well, he wouldn't be Ron if he didn't get a little upset." He said thoughtfully.
"A little, be reasonable Harry, Ron doesn't get a little of anything. Its either all or none with him." She said confidently.
Harry didn't know how to respond, he was starting to feel bad for Ron's sake. Hermione seemed to feel the same because she then said
"So have you heard anything from Sirius?"
"No, not really. Dumbledore told me that he and Professor Lupin were working together and that they were fine. But that's about it." He said numbly. He missed Sirius dearly and worried about him even more now than before.
"Well Dumbledore would let you know if anything happened." She paused, as if interrupted, and Harry could hear her talking to someone else. "Sorry to do this Harry, but I have to go now. Will it be all right if I call back some other time? The Dursleys won't mind, will they?"
"Actually the Dursleys are gone this entire week, they went to Spain." He said plainly.
"They left you?" Hermione said incredulously.
"And I'm glad they have, or else we wouldn't have had this lovely conversation." He could feel her smiling at the other end of the phone.
"So in other words it's o.k. to call some other time this week?" She laughed.
"Yes, in fact I'll be waiting for it." He smiled again, feeling refreshed.
"Well then I won't disappoint you. Talk to you later."
"Well I hope not, bye." He said brightly.
"Goodbye."
Harry listened for the click of the receiver, and slowly set the phone down. He couldn't stop smiling. Talking to Hermione made him forget all everything he'd felt since he returned from Hogwarts. He actually made a plan, just a small one, but it was something to look forward to. He headed back to the kitchen.
Mrs. Figg was sitting at the clean table, sipping her tea. Harry suddenly remembered what they were talking about before the call. He suddenly felt very foolish.
"Sorry to make you wait, Mrs. Figg." He apologized.
"Never you mind it, so who was it?" She asked politely as Harry sat down.
"Oh, just a friend from school." He said.
"Well, she certainly made your day." She smiled.
"In a way- hey, how did you know that I was talking to a girl?" Would she ever stop surprising him, he thought.
He watched her carefully, but Mrs. Figg only smiled again. She drained her teacup and looked at the small round clock above the stove.
"I think it's about time I head back home. If you need anything honey, just call me. I wrote my number here." She handed him a small piece of paper. Harry suddenly felt like he was being abandoned.
"You don't have to leave, do you?" He said before he could stop himself.
"Well, my kitties are probably wondering where I've gotten too. I hate to worry them, you know?" She stood up slowly and headed toward the parlor.
"Not really." Harry followed. He helped her gather her things, and led her to the front door. The entryway didn't seem quite as small like before. Harry opened the door, and she stepped out.
"I'll see you tomorrow deary." She said merrily, and then Mrs. Figg started the journey across the yard and back to her home.
"See you." Harry replied.
Slowly he closed the door. Today had been the strangest day this summer, and it wasn't even noon.
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A/n: this seems like a good enough place to stop. the next chapter will be fun, but I'd really like to know what you think of the ones right now.. Until next time!