Chapter 7
Discoveries and Accusations
After closing the door there was a long, awkward pause between the trio. Hermione looked as if she regretted coming in to the old house. It was a complete mess; there were in way more than they had thought. They had purposively had entered the kitchen. It was neat - or if you wish, organized- but not in the least clean. The hardwood floor was covered in an inch of dust with cobwebs in the corner. It seemed that if it wasn't covered in dust, some kind of animal had once inhabited the house.
"With any luck the whole house will be hard wood floors. It's much easier to clean." Hermione spoke very positively, though she looked hesitant, she also seemed egger to start at once.
"Easier to clean . . . Isn't it all the same if you have a wand?" Ron stared at her puzzled.
"Well we're not allowed to use magic outside of school, you know that. Hopefully there are some cleaners in the cupboard; otherwise it might take us all night for just the kitchen." Hermione explained. She walked over to the cupboards and started looking in them. Harry knew what he was looking for (Aunt Petunia spends ten hours a day cleaning), so he started looking too. Ron stood back, it was rare that they - er he that is - ever had to do muggle cleaning. Fred and George had to constantly because one wrong explosion could leave an awful mess, and they certainly couldn't ask Mrs. Weasley to clean it up.
Harry was triumphant, "Here we go. There is half a bottle of 'Mr. Clean.' Aunt Petunia just loves his products. He must be good right?" Ron shrugged his shoulders and looked around the room bored.
Hermione smiled, but replied, "A Swiffer Wet Jet would be better, much easier. But it'll be fine." Hermione stopped for a moment, "Wait! The neighbors still have lights on, Harry go ask them if they have a Swiffer you could borrow."
Harry looked at Ron for help, but was given nothing. "Fine," Harry grumbled as he turned towards the door. He slumped through the grass until he stood in front of a red door with a welcome sign hanging in the middle. He knocked on the door and chewed his lip waiting for someone to answer. The door suddenly opened and a girl (in her early twenties) in boxers and a 'Hello Kitty' shirt stood in front of him. "Er ... Hi," Harry said uncertainly.
The girl was older than he was and had an innocent face with short blonde hair flicked out. "Your a Potter!" She jumped ahead and grabbed him by the shoulders, smiling brightly. "You must be! You have James's hair. Oh, and you have Lilley's eyes," the girl awed. "What's your name?"
He blinked once amazed. "'Oi . . . I - I mean, Harry. My name is Harry." He shook his head and looked again at the girl.
"Harry? Galloping gargoyles I thought you were, but I had to make sure." She pulled him into a great big hug, saying, "I can't believe your back! It's so great to see you! Are you back with your parents? It would be great to seem them again, I wonder if they remember me."
Harry pulled back and laughed, "It would be great if I remembered you."
She smacked herself in the forehead with her palm and started laughing too. "How silly of me, last time I saw you you were just one. I was six, but I remember you so vividly. My name is Ambrose by the way.
"Ambrose," Harry tried it out. "It suits you. Did you say you knew my parents?"
Ambrose's face fell sadly. "Knew?" she squeaked. "Are they . . . Are they not around anymore?" Tears seemed to fill her eyes instantaneously.
Harry winced slightly, "Yeah, I'm sorry. They died in a . . . er . . . in a car accident."
She covered he mouth in shock, "Oh that must have been 'orrible. How old were yeh?"
Harry couldn't stand the pity. "About two, just after we . . . er . . . After we moved I guess. I don't really remember."
A single tear went down her cheek. "Sorry Harry," Ambrose quickly wiped away a tear. "You didn't come for pity, and here I am giving it to you. What was it you came for?"
"I was wondering if you had a Swiffer Wet Jet. Me and my friends are cleaning up the house all night. But we came unprepared and all we have is a half empty bottle of Mr. Clean," Harry explained. "We were wonderin' if yeh had one we could borrow for the night."
"Yes, of course. If you want help, I'd be glad to. I have no plans for the night." When she made the offer it seemed so natural, so sincere and genuine, it was impossible to refuse.
"Yeah, that would be great. Thanks."
"Okay, jolly good," Ambrose replied with a wink. "Hold on, I'll grab some cleaning supplies." She doubled back into the house and in a couple comments later cam back with not only a Swiffer Wet Jet, but what could easily have been an entire cleaning store. "My brother is a neat freak," she explained with a shrug.
"Need some help?" Harry offered, reaching for some of her buckets full of cleaners.
"Thank-you. Let's go," Ambrose slipped on flip-flops and followed Harry over to the old dusty, cobweb infested house.
A voice carried out of the kitchen through the open door, "I don't care Hermione! There is no way I'm touching a cobweb!" Ambrose turned her head curiously at Harry, who just smiled.
"Ron is deathly scared of spiders."
Ambrose sighed, "That's too bad, and they really are wonderful creatures. Harry laughed; this was going to be a very enjoyable night.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*
They started cleaning almost immediately and Ron and Hermione were trilled to have extra help. Hermione assigned everyone jobs, though had great trouble talking Ron into moving anywhere near the spider webs with Ambrose saying how great they are and Harry continuously laughing at Ron's more scared, angry and frightened expressions. Finally Ambrose was swiffering all the floors, Ron was cleaning the windows, Hermione was washing all the surfaces (tables, cupboards, walls, chairs, even the ceiling) and Harry was to go throughout the house and go through all this parents old belongings.
Hermione and Ron were alone in the kitchen; Ambrose had finished swiffering the room and had carried on straight away and Harry had started upstairs. Ron was starting on a front window over a counter when Hermione asked, "So how was your trip here? What did you and Harry talk about?" Hermione was making record time cleaning. She was apparently determined to make full use of every cleaner now in the house.
Eyes never leaving the window, which now was starting to let the soft moon light in, answered, "It was fine, I was kind of out of it I 'pose. Harry talked about . . . er . . . I uh . . . He went through all of our Care of Magical Creatures classes in full detail with Marphie." Ron wrinkled his eyebrows, "I think." He paused only for a moment before scrubbing more vigorously.
Hermione didn't pause at all, but gave a small laugh to show recognition that she was listening. The kitchen was starting to look decent. The floor was shining in the moon light that was coming through two newly cleaned large windows, and Hermione had already cleaned all counters, the table and chairs. With only three windows left, cupboards to dust, and dishes to scrub, they were moving fast. "Well an uneventful day is better news more often than not," Hermione sighed.
"I made a revolution or two on the way here," Ron replied, voiced lined in what seemed poisoned honey.
"Oh? How so?" Hermione didn't understand in the least of what this could be.
"Well more like putting two and two together." Ron threw a wet rag in a pile of dirty laundry. He shuffled off the counter and moved towards one of the windows that didn't let a ray of light shine through. Finally he continued, "I was thinking about the second stunt, than afterwards about how Krum had asked you to Bulgaria." From the corner of his eye he saw Hermione stop scrubbing as hard and her ear was perked in his direction. "I do believe you accepted the invitation?" Ron's voice carried anger, resentment, and a touch of fake sweetness.
"Yeah, I er . . . I did plan on meeting him over the summer," Hermione admitted quietly.
"Oh, well that confirms it then," Ron pronounced each word with many emphases on the syllables. "The reason you showed up early is because your vacation with Vicky was cut short abruptly." Ron had raised his voice, but didn't stop working. He hadn't so much as glanced in her direction and the window was sparkling very delicately.
"Something like that," Hermione grumbled. She had stopped cleaning while Ron had voiced his revolution, if that what it was called, and continued to scrub.
"No we're 'posed to be here for Harry, so I'm going to drop it. I just brought it up cause I don't understand why you couldn't tell me any of this." Ron's voice hadn't settled, it even sounded more hateful if it was possible.
Hermione's back bone had not disappeared, "Well it's not like you ever tell my anything important now is it? Merlin's beard, you contradict yourself so much it's insufferable," Hermione snapped.
At that exact moment Ambrose came into the room. "I'm done the bottom floor. Harry is upstairs, I didn't want to bother him at all," she paused as she saw the situation in front of her. Neither one had quit cleaning throughout the whole argument, but it was painfully obvious they had been fighting only a moment earlier. "Er . . . Is there anything I can do in here?" she asked, deciding to ignore the tension.
Hermione nodded. "You can quickly wipe all of the dishes with Wet Ones. Together we'll have most of downstairs done for Harry by tonight. It'll be easier to go through stuff if it's all clean.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~
'Harry since there are more of us, why don't you just explore the house. You know, look at your parent's belongings, or your old room. We'll handle all the cleaning,' Hermione had told him. He was grateful; he hated cleaning, but he didn't want to start looking through the entire house alone. He had nodded and carried on into the living room, but decided to start upstairs. It turned out to be all hardwood. "Hermione will be happy," he muttered softly. The house owned the colours of blue and cream. Whether it was the drapes over the windows, the walls, or the cushions everything was decorated beautifully, much to a muggle standing it seemed. The stairs led to a hallway. Harry stood at the top holding a container of wet ones and a flashlight counting; two doors to his left, two to his right and one straight ahead.
He took a deep breath and took a step forward. Then another. And another. He had to focus on walking, not on the task that would soon result. He reached the end of the hall faster than he had estimated. Harry swallowed hard, stretched out his arm and slowly took hold of the knob. A quick twist of the wrist and the door creaked open easily. It was more the will of his parents than curiosity or bravery that made him enter the room. This room was decorated differently than the rest of the house. It was deep red with gold border; Gryffindor's colours. Harry dimly recognized some objects that he saw last year in his teacher's office. Also many awards hung from the wall, even a small Gryffindor flag. The one wall was lined in books, the opposite wall held a shelf containing an old broom, a Quidditch uniform, a still golden snitch and many trophies from winning games. There was a comfortable looking couch facing a fire place on another wall, across from a wall with built in cabinets and shelves. In the front of that wall was a working desk, covered in parchments, ink wells, and quills. Two chairs were facing the desk; this was a place to work and have meetings.
His father's study.
AN: Wow, I thought this chapter was longer .. Hmmm. Well I should be updating pretty fast now. I'm so sorry for the huge delay. I was just over my head in school work, then after I wanted to relax with no dead lines and all that. But now I have figured out exactly what is going to happen in this story to almost every detail. Thank you to all my reviewers, I love you all! Oh, and I've read the fifth book, but the character who dies (I won't say who for those of you who haven't read it) was in the top 5 of my favorite characters [even if he was a little crazy in OoP] so he is not dead in this fic. I have a part of a chapter coming up that's right out of the book, and I may take some ideas out of the fifth book here and there so it's a little more like the way it's 'intended' to be. Write to me anytime, if you have any ideas tell me. I've already received an email with an idea that I will be adding in the story. (Thank you Isabelle, I can't go exactly with what you suggested, but I'm going to take your idea and make it my own) I'll try to fit in most of your ideas, I love input because I am the worst decision maker in the world, and I couldn't choose between something if my life depended on it. Thank you again, your all wonderful:)
Discoveries and Accusations
After closing the door there was a long, awkward pause between the trio. Hermione looked as if she regretted coming in to the old house. It was a complete mess; there were in way more than they had thought. They had purposively had entered the kitchen. It was neat - or if you wish, organized- but not in the least clean. The hardwood floor was covered in an inch of dust with cobwebs in the corner. It seemed that if it wasn't covered in dust, some kind of animal had once inhabited the house.
"With any luck the whole house will be hard wood floors. It's much easier to clean." Hermione spoke very positively, though she looked hesitant, she also seemed egger to start at once.
"Easier to clean . . . Isn't it all the same if you have a wand?" Ron stared at her puzzled.
"Well we're not allowed to use magic outside of school, you know that. Hopefully there are some cleaners in the cupboard; otherwise it might take us all night for just the kitchen." Hermione explained. She walked over to the cupboards and started looking in them. Harry knew what he was looking for (Aunt Petunia spends ten hours a day cleaning), so he started looking too. Ron stood back, it was rare that they - er he that is - ever had to do muggle cleaning. Fred and George had to constantly because one wrong explosion could leave an awful mess, and they certainly couldn't ask Mrs. Weasley to clean it up.
Harry was triumphant, "Here we go. There is half a bottle of 'Mr. Clean.' Aunt Petunia just loves his products. He must be good right?" Ron shrugged his shoulders and looked around the room bored.
Hermione smiled, but replied, "A Swiffer Wet Jet would be better, much easier. But it'll be fine." Hermione stopped for a moment, "Wait! The neighbors still have lights on, Harry go ask them if they have a Swiffer you could borrow."
Harry looked at Ron for help, but was given nothing. "Fine," Harry grumbled as he turned towards the door. He slumped through the grass until he stood in front of a red door with a welcome sign hanging in the middle. He knocked on the door and chewed his lip waiting for someone to answer. The door suddenly opened and a girl (in her early twenties) in boxers and a 'Hello Kitty' shirt stood in front of him. "Er ... Hi," Harry said uncertainly.
The girl was older than he was and had an innocent face with short blonde hair flicked out. "Your a Potter!" She jumped ahead and grabbed him by the shoulders, smiling brightly. "You must be! You have James's hair. Oh, and you have Lilley's eyes," the girl awed. "What's your name?"
He blinked once amazed. "'Oi . . . I - I mean, Harry. My name is Harry." He shook his head and looked again at the girl.
"Harry? Galloping gargoyles I thought you were, but I had to make sure." She pulled him into a great big hug, saying, "I can't believe your back! It's so great to see you! Are you back with your parents? It would be great to seem them again, I wonder if they remember me."
Harry pulled back and laughed, "It would be great if I remembered you."
She smacked herself in the forehead with her palm and started laughing too. "How silly of me, last time I saw you you were just one. I was six, but I remember you so vividly. My name is Ambrose by the way.
"Ambrose," Harry tried it out. "It suits you. Did you say you knew my parents?"
Ambrose's face fell sadly. "Knew?" she squeaked. "Are they . . . Are they not around anymore?" Tears seemed to fill her eyes instantaneously.
Harry winced slightly, "Yeah, I'm sorry. They died in a . . . er . . . in a car accident."
She covered he mouth in shock, "Oh that must have been 'orrible. How old were yeh?"
Harry couldn't stand the pity. "About two, just after we . . . er . . . After we moved I guess. I don't really remember."
A single tear went down her cheek. "Sorry Harry," Ambrose quickly wiped away a tear. "You didn't come for pity, and here I am giving it to you. What was it you came for?"
"I was wondering if you had a Swiffer Wet Jet. Me and my friends are cleaning up the house all night. But we came unprepared and all we have is a half empty bottle of Mr. Clean," Harry explained. "We were wonderin' if yeh had one we could borrow for the night."
"Yes, of course. If you want help, I'd be glad to. I have no plans for the night." When she made the offer it seemed so natural, so sincere and genuine, it was impossible to refuse.
"Yeah, that would be great. Thanks."
"Okay, jolly good," Ambrose replied with a wink. "Hold on, I'll grab some cleaning supplies." She doubled back into the house and in a couple comments later cam back with not only a Swiffer Wet Jet, but what could easily have been an entire cleaning store. "My brother is a neat freak," she explained with a shrug.
"Need some help?" Harry offered, reaching for some of her buckets full of cleaners.
"Thank-you. Let's go," Ambrose slipped on flip-flops and followed Harry over to the old dusty, cobweb infested house.
A voice carried out of the kitchen through the open door, "I don't care Hermione! There is no way I'm touching a cobweb!" Ambrose turned her head curiously at Harry, who just smiled.
"Ron is deathly scared of spiders."
Ambrose sighed, "That's too bad, and they really are wonderful creatures. Harry laughed; this was going to be a very enjoyable night.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*
They started cleaning almost immediately and Ron and Hermione were trilled to have extra help. Hermione assigned everyone jobs, though had great trouble talking Ron into moving anywhere near the spider webs with Ambrose saying how great they are and Harry continuously laughing at Ron's more scared, angry and frightened expressions. Finally Ambrose was swiffering all the floors, Ron was cleaning the windows, Hermione was washing all the surfaces (tables, cupboards, walls, chairs, even the ceiling) and Harry was to go throughout the house and go through all this parents old belongings.
Hermione and Ron were alone in the kitchen; Ambrose had finished swiffering the room and had carried on straight away and Harry had started upstairs. Ron was starting on a front window over a counter when Hermione asked, "So how was your trip here? What did you and Harry talk about?" Hermione was making record time cleaning. She was apparently determined to make full use of every cleaner now in the house.
Eyes never leaving the window, which now was starting to let the soft moon light in, answered, "It was fine, I was kind of out of it I 'pose. Harry talked about . . . er . . . I uh . . . He went through all of our Care of Magical Creatures classes in full detail with Marphie." Ron wrinkled his eyebrows, "I think." He paused only for a moment before scrubbing more vigorously.
Hermione didn't pause at all, but gave a small laugh to show recognition that she was listening. The kitchen was starting to look decent. The floor was shining in the moon light that was coming through two newly cleaned large windows, and Hermione had already cleaned all counters, the table and chairs. With only three windows left, cupboards to dust, and dishes to scrub, they were moving fast. "Well an uneventful day is better news more often than not," Hermione sighed.
"I made a revolution or two on the way here," Ron replied, voiced lined in what seemed poisoned honey.
"Oh? How so?" Hermione didn't understand in the least of what this could be.
"Well more like putting two and two together." Ron threw a wet rag in a pile of dirty laundry. He shuffled off the counter and moved towards one of the windows that didn't let a ray of light shine through. Finally he continued, "I was thinking about the second stunt, than afterwards about how Krum had asked you to Bulgaria." From the corner of his eye he saw Hermione stop scrubbing as hard and her ear was perked in his direction. "I do believe you accepted the invitation?" Ron's voice carried anger, resentment, and a touch of fake sweetness.
"Yeah, I er . . . I did plan on meeting him over the summer," Hermione admitted quietly.
"Oh, well that confirms it then," Ron pronounced each word with many emphases on the syllables. "The reason you showed up early is because your vacation with Vicky was cut short abruptly." Ron had raised his voice, but didn't stop working. He hadn't so much as glanced in her direction and the window was sparkling very delicately.
"Something like that," Hermione grumbled. She had stopped cleaning while Ron had voiced his revolution, if that what it was called, and continued to scrub.
"No we're 'posed to be here for Harry, so I'm going to drop it. I just brought it up cause I don't understand why you couldn't tell me any of this." Ron's voice hadn't settled, it even sounded more hateful if it was possible.
Hermione's back bone had not disappeared, "Well it's not like you ever tell my anything important now is it? Merlin's beard, you contradict yourself so much it's insufferable," Hermione snapped.
At that exact moment Ambrose came into the room. "I'm done the bottom floor. Harry is upstairs, I didn't want to bother him at all," she paused as she saw the situation in front of her. Neither one had quit cleaning throughout the whole argument, but it was painfully obvious they had been fighting only a moment earlier. "Er . . . Is there anything I can do in here?" she asked, deciding to ignore the tension.
Hermione nodded. "You can quickly wipe all of the dishes with Wet Ones. Together we'll have most of downstairs done for Harry by tonight. It'll be easier to go through stuff if it's all clean.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~
'Harry since there are more of us, why don't you just explore the house. You know, look at your parent's belongings, or your old room. We'll handle all the cleaning,' Hermione had told him. He was grateful; he hated cleaning, but he didn't want to start looking through the entire house alone. He had nodded and carried on into the living room, but decided to start upstairs. It turned out to be all hardwood. "Hermione will be happy," he muttered softly. The house owned the colours of blue and cream. Whether it was the drapes over the windows, the walls, or the cushions everything was decorated beautifully, much to a muggle standing it seemed. The stairs led to a hallway. Harry stood at the top holding a container of wet ones and a flashlight counting; two doors to his left, two to his right and one straight ahead.
He took a deep breath and took a step forward. Then another. And another. He had to focus on walking, not on the task that would soon result. He reached the end of the hall faster than he had estimated. Harry swallowed hard, stretched out his arm and slowly took hold of the knob. A quick twist of the wrist and the door creaked open easily. It was more the will of his parents than curiosity or bravery that made him enter the room. This room was decorated differently than the rest of the house. It was deep red with gold border; Gryffindor's colours. Harry dimly recognized some objects that he saw last year in his teacher's office. Also many awards hung from the wall, even a small Gryffindor flag. The one wall was lined in books, the opposite wall held a shelf containing an old broom, a Quidditch uniform, a still golden snitch and many trophies from winning games. There was a comfortable looking couch facing a fire place on another wall, across from a wall with built in cabinets and shelves. In the front of that wall was a working desk, covered in parchments, ink wells, and quills. Two chairs were facing the desk; this was a place to work and have meetings.
His father's study.
AN: Wow, I thought this chapter was longer .. Hmmm. Well I should be updating pretty fast now. I'm so sorry for the huge delay. I was just over my head in school work, then after I wanted to relax with no dead lines and all that. But now I have figured out exactly what is going to happen in this story to almost every detail. Thank you to all my reviewers, I love you all! Oh, and I've read the fifth book, but the character who dies (I won't say who for those of you who haven't read it) was in the top 5 of my favorite characters [even if he was a little crazy in OoP] so he is not dead in this fic. I have a part of a chapter coming up that's right out of the book, and I may take some ideas out of the fifth book here and there so it's a little more like the way it's 'intended' to be. Write to me anytime, if you have any ideas tell me. I've already received an email with an idea that I will be adding in the story. (Thank you Isabelle, I can't go exactly with what you suggested, but I'm going to take your idea and make it my own) I'll try to fit in most of your ideas, I love input because I am the worst decision maker in the world, and I couldn't choose between something if my life depended on it. Thank you again, your all wonderful:)