Disclaimer - None of this belongs to me or Lauren, except for Lieren/Lo, Gwendolyn/Gwen, all characters that you do NOT recognize and the plot. ::bows slightly and sits down::
A/N: This story has different views, I think you can tell when we are focusing on Lieren, Gwen, Harry, Hermione, or Ron. I bet y'all are smart folks! ::smiles widely:: Thank you and Goodnight!
Just Another Year
While going downstairs to greet their other guests, he ran into Fred and George while they were exploring the house.
"Hey, Harry!" George noticed Harry walking towards them before Fred did.
"Huh? What?" Harry almost ran into them. He was deep in thought.
"I said 'hey!'" George repeated. "How are you doing, Harry?"
"Oh, I'm doing fine. How are you guys?"
"We're okay. We've been working on our own Marauder's Map. We're thinking of calling it 'The Marauder's Map II'. What do you think, eh?" Fred answered for the both of them.
"I like it, but why don't you two come up with your own title? That way it would be more original. Perhaps there are things that you could add to it. You never know! Well...I better be going downstairs to greet the rest of you all."
"Alright, Harry. We'll see you at dinner!"
"Bye, Fred. Bye, George." And with that, Harry continued down the rest of the stairs. When he entered the kitchen he was promptly greeted by Percy, in a very formal way - as usual.
"Hello, Harry! I haven't seen you in a coon's age! How have you been? I trust you have heard about my promotion?"
"Of course I have Percy. Am I right in assuming you've been stopping people on the streets to tell them?" was what Harry was tempted to say. But instead he replied with, "No, Percy. I haven't. Tell me about it."
You could see Percy puff his chest up as he started telling about how Fudge had promoted him to the head of the department after Crouch's death. He became quite mellow when he was talking the death of his boss. It seem he still had a sore spot about that.
"Well....Congratulations, Percy."
"Why thank you, Harry. I must also thank Professor Lupin and you for having us all stay for dinner. I know what a hassle it must be to have all nine of us here." Percy slightly glanced as Ginny entered the room.
"Percy, please - Call me Remus first of all" Remus insisted.
"Oh, no. I could never do that. You are a superior to me."
"Well, then....please call me Mr. Lupin. As I have already explained to Hermione that I am no longer your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. That goes for you too, Ginny. I expect to be called 'Remus' or 'Mr.Lupin' if you must."
"And secondly, it is not a hassle, it is a delight and pleasure. You all are always welcome in our home."
Our home. That's right...this is my house now too. No more living with the Dursleys... Harry was deep in thought again. It was only two months ago that Dumbledore finally had Harry taken out of the Dursley's household. He was now living with Remus. It was almost as good as living with his father, and just about as good as living with Sirius, even though he had never done so. He could only wonder, and he was very good about that. Many nights early in the summer, Remus and Harry would just sit up at the kitchen table talking. Remus would sometimes take Harry out at night. Mind you, he's only 35, that's still very young in the wizarding world. He learned so much about the everyday wizarding world in those two months than he had in his past 4 years at Hogwarts. Harry couldn't be happier to be away from the hell hole he was forced to call 'home' for the past 14 years of his life.
Bill and Charlie were home again because Mrs. Weasley insisted on it, after the rise of Voldemort. She wanted the family to be together whenever they could. Dinner past pretty much uneventfully, and afterwards they all sat in Remus's living room drinking coffee and having their 'adult-talk'. The children (and I use that term loosely) went up to Harry's room. He had moving Quidditch posters of the Chuddly Cannons (Ron had finally corrupted him) along with many pictures of his past years at Hogwarts and his parents on the walls. The twins, Ginny, Hermione, Ron and Harry all just sat up there and talked until about 11 at night when Mrs. Weasley finally came up to collect the boys and Ginny. Hermione and Ginny had been talking all night and Ginny begged her mom to let her spend the week there too, Harry and Ron didn't mind, and Harry didn't think Remus would either, so it was mainly up to Mrs.Weasley.
"Oh, please, Mum? Pretty please? You can't leave Hermione here all alone with them!" She gestured towards the two boys who instantly pretended to look innocent.
"Oh, well, I suppose, if its alright with Remus." And with that Mrs.Weasley left the room to go talk to Remus. She came back a few minutes later and confirmed it, she told Ginny to come home so she could get her stuff and she would be back within the hour. Harry and Ron said 'good-bye' to Fred and George and went downstairs to bid the rest of them farewell.
Their week with Remus passed pretty much uneventfully with the exception of Ron and Harry sneaking down Knockturn Alley. Ron and Harry were creeped out when they got lost and were ambushed by the dark people down the even darker alleyways. Hermione yelled at them for worrying her so much, the two people she cared most about disappeared for two hours, down Knockturn Alley nonetheless! The four were down in Diagon Alley almost everyday, and every night they were with Remus. It was pretty much an uneventful week though, with the exception of the Knockturn Alley incident. Ron finally had something on his brothers!
At 10:30 the 5 left to go to King's Cross Station and boarded the scarlet Hogwarts Express. As the train lurched forward, on the other side of the ocean was a very excited 15-year-old girl....
