When the Word Seems Over
Authors Note- I know that Hermione kissed Harry at the end of their fourth year, but, since in this story he wasn't there, it was the end of their third year instead.
Chapter Eight- Fletcher in the Night
A sudden and yet mysterious startle is what awoke Harry late into the night. He found himself sitting in a dark room, pitch black, there was no moonlight. Ginny's arm had slid from his shoulders to his waist, which was the only reminder that he was in the Burrow.
After carefully slipping out of her hold, he quietly snuck out of the room and headed towards the staircase at the end of the landing. Had Harry known that Hermione was sitting at the kitchen table, he would have put on a shirt.
" What are you doing up?" he grumbled, eyes half open.
She rested her mug on the table top, " I'm always up at this hour, thinking".
Harry sat down across from her, " that's not much of a surprise".
With a simple wave of her wand, a mug with steaming liquid appeared in front of him. He gave a smile of appreciation and took a sip. " If only you saw the look on Ginny's face when Arthur said you were dead".
" If only I saw the look on Malfoy's".
" Oh, he had tears in his eyes, and like the white ferret incident he's not going to live it down" the announcement stunned him, " but of course, you being alive and well brought back old ways" as it did for all of them. " But Ginny's expression was unbearable. It took her three days just to cry, and three years to accept your death, somewhat. But, she was the only one who had hope that you were still out there".
" Literally" he took another sip.
Hermione softly smiled, " about a month after the incident, she tried to convince herself that she was going to have a baby".
At that precise word, Harry began to choke for a moment that made her giggle, " that's defiantly not possible".
" Oh come on, she's a quiet girl, but some secrets she just can't keep, especially when someone like me is pestering her".
He coughed a few more times as his bright eyes grew very wide, " there's something to make one an insomniac".
" She only wanted part of you to be alive" she then laughed, " now that she's got the whole thing, you two can get married".
" Aha, shut up".
She smirked, " but you never saw her in second year, our second year, it's like you were blind to her obvious signs".
" I'm not a girl, I don't know what they are" he rested the mug, " kiss however, now that's obvious".
" I was thirteen!" she hissed, " and I was just relieved that no escaped lunatic had killed you".
" I didn't say anything" he looked away,
Suddenly, both their sets of eyes were locked on the door after a loud thud erupted from the other side.
" What was that?" Hermione gasped.
" Damn you lawn troll things!" the muffled, raspy voice snapped.
Harry stood up, " what does that sound so familiar?".
In the blink of an eye, a figure had burst through the doorway and bolted across the floor. Hermione screamed as the intruder tackled Harry off balance, and did not stop until Molly and Arthur came running from the staircase.
" Fletcher get off him!" Molly violently tugged at the figures torn clothing.
Arthur magically lit the kitchen, and Mundungus Fletcher rolled off Harry. The twins, Ron, and Ginny watched wide-eyed between the landings.
Hermione was gasping from screaming, Harry panting from his attack. Yet, both went unnoticed in the astonishment of the newest arrival.
" What in the name of Albus Dumbledore do you think you're doing?" Molly wailed, her husband attempting to calm her, " you scared the wits out of them! The boy can't be spooked you bloody moron!".
" Oiy! Maybe yous didn't notice the dead 'ero in your 'ouse!".
" How did you find out?" Hermione asked.
He slightly stumbled backwards, " a little thing called the Daily Prophet love" he attempted to properly clear his that have told Snuffles that he was alive, ran into my room, beating me the rolled up paper, screaming and dancing like that damn house elf'.
Arthur arched an eyebrow, " Snuffles? How much have you been drinking?".
" It was, well, is, our code name for Sirius, when Harry would write to him or we would talk about him" Ron piped, strolling towards them from the staircase.
" And only a little bit" Fletcher said.
George stuck his heard through the wooden bars of the railing, " how could you not tell Sirius dad? That's Harry's godfather".
" In the excitement of Harry's return, I didn't need an accidental blab to anyone that the Azkaban escapee was within recapture. He'd appreciate that".
Ginny got up, stepping past Fred who was pulling at George's hair, trying to release his head from the bars. " Shouldn't Harry get to see Snuffles, I mean Sirius, now?".
" I'm afraid its too risky dear" Molly said as her daughter stood next to Harry, " everyone will be watching every move Harry makes, we can't take him to the house yet".
Ron's face suddenly perked, " does Dumbledore know he's back?".
" Duh" George commented through his struggles to get free. Fletcher removed his wand, muttered under his breath, and the twins went tumbling.
" Can't Sirius come here?" Ginny asked.
Arthur shook his head, " not since he was spotted as the dog has he left that house".
" But he can be any animal he wants!" she cried with everyone watching her, " what if he became- a mouse or what not, and Fletcher just put him in his pocket and came over here?".
No one responded right away, but instead exchanged glances among each other, the ones only adults can perfectly read. " Not a problem, I'll bring him by tomorrow" Fletcher beamed.
" Uh, perhaps we should come along, just in case" Arthur said, kindly not wanting to admit that he had no trust, but received a grateful grin from his daughter, " you can spend the rest of the night here and we'll leave in the morning".
Fletcher swatted his arm at them, " whatever makes you happy Weasley".
" I'll get a blanket for the cough" Molly stepped past the crowd.
" Kids, why don't you all go back to bed, it's late, and looks like we're going to have a busy day tomorrow".
Harry followed Hermione, Ron, and Ginny to the twins on the staircase. They walked up to the first landing and went their separate ways.
" I didn't mean to make such a deal" Ginny said once they were secluded in her room, " I just thought you'd really want to see him".
" Oh I do, in all the excitement I can't believe I forgot him".
She smiled briefly, " what were you and Hermione talking about before he showed up?".
He shrugged, " just random things I suppose" he didn't want to mention the third year kiss or the imaginary pregnancy. All he could concentrate on was seeing Sirius in person later that morning.
But if only he knew that before that chance was to come, Harry was going to face another downfall of being The Boy Who Lived.
Authors Note- I know that Hermione kissed Harry at the end of their fourth year, but, since in this story he wasn't there, it was the end of their third year instead.
Chapter Eight- Fletcher in the Night
A sudden and yet mysterious startle is what awoke Harry late into the night. He found himself sitting in a dark room, pitch black, there was no moonlight. Ginny's arm had slid from his shoulders to his waist, which was the only reminder that he was in the Burrow.
After carefully slipping out of her hold, he quietly snuck out of the room and headed towards the staircase at the end of the landing. Had Harry known that Hermione was sitting at the kitchen table, he would have put on a shirt.
" What are you doing up?" he grumbled, eyes half open.
She rested her mug on the table top, " I'm always up at this hour, thinking".
Harry sat down across from her, " that's not much of a surprise".
With a simple wave of her wand, a mug with steaming liquid appeared in front of him. He gave a smile of appreciation and took a sip. " If only you saw the look on Ginny's face when Arthur said you were dead".
" If only I saw the look on Malfoy's".
" Oh, he had tears in his eyes, and like the white ferret incident he's not going to live it down" the announcement stunned him, " but of course, you being alive and well brought back old ways" as it did for all of them. " But Ginny's expression was unbearable. It took her three days just to cry, and three years to accept your death, somewhat. But, she was the only one who had hope that you were still out there".
" Literally" he took another sip.
Hermione softly smiled, " about a month after the incident, she tried to convince herself that she was going to have a baby".
At that precise word, Harry began to choke for a moment that made her giggle, " that's defiantly not possible".
" Oh come on, she's a quiet girl, but some secrets she just can't keep, especially when someone like me is pestering her".
He coughed a few more times as his bright eyes grew very wide, " there's something to make one an insomniac".
" She only wanted part of you to be alive" she then laughed, " now that she's got the whole thing, you two can get married".
" Aha, shut up".
She smirked, " but you never saw her in second year, our second year, it's like you were blind to her obvious signs".
" I'm not a girl, I don't know what they are" he rested the mug, " kiss however, now that's obvious".
" I was thirteen!" she hissed, " and I was just relieved that no escaped lunatic had killed you".
" I didn't say anything" he looked away,
Suddenly, both their sets of eyes were locked on the door after a loud thud erupted from the other side.
" What was that?" Hermione gasped.
" Damn you lawn troll things!" the muffled, raspy voice snapped.
Harry stood up, " what does that sound so familiar?".
In the blink of an eye, a figure had burst through the doorway and bolted across the floor. Hermione screamed as the intruder tackled Harry off balance, and did not stop until Molly and Arthur came running from the staircase.
" Fletcher get off him!" Molly violently tugged at the figures torn clothing.
Arthur magically lit the kitchen, and Mundungus Fletcher rolled off Harry. The twins, Ron, and Ginny watched wide-eyed between the landings.
Hermione was gasping from screaming, Harry panting from his attack. Yet, both went unnoticed in the astonishment of the newest arrival.
" What in the name of Albus Dumbledore do you think you're doing?" Molly wailed, her husband attempting to calm her, " you scared the wits out of them! The boy can't be spooked you bloody moron!".
" Oiy! Maybe yous didn't notice the dead 'ero in your 'ouse!".
" How did you find out?" Hermione asked.
He slightly stumbled backwards, " a little thing called the Daily Prophet love" he attempted to properly clear his that have told Snuffles that he was alive, ran into my room, beating me the rolled up paper, screaming and dancing like that damn house elf'.
Arthur arched an eyebrow, " Snuffles? How much have you been drinking?".
" It was, well, is, our code name for Sirius, when Harry would write to him or we would talk about him" Ron piped, strolling towards them from the staircase.
" And only a little bit" Fletcher said.
George stuck his heard through the wooden bars of the railing, " how could you not tell Sirius dad? That's Harry's godfather".
" In the excitement of Harry's return, I didn't need an accidental blab to anyone that the Azkaban escapee was within recapture. He'd appreciate that".
Ginny got up, stepping past Fred who was pulling at George's hair, trying to release his head from the bars. " Shouldn't Harry get to see Snuffles, I mean Sirius, now?".
" I'm afraid its too risky dear" Molly said as her daughter stood next to Harry, " everyone will be watching every move Harry makes, we can't take him to the house yet".
Ron's face suddenly perked, " does Dumbledore know he's back?".
" Duh" George commented through his struggles to get free. Fletcher removed his wand, muttered under his breath, and the twins went tumbling.
" Can't Sirius come here?" Ginny asked.
Arthur shook his head, " not since he was spotted as the dog has he left that house".
" But he can be any animal he wants!" she cried with everyone watching her, " what if he became- a mouse or what not, and Fletcher just put him in his pocket and came over here?".
No one responded right away, but instead exchanged glances among each other, the ones only adults can perfectly read. " Not a problem, I'll bring him by tomorrow" Fletcher beamed.
" Uh, perhaps we should come along, just in case" Arthur said, kindly not wanting to admit that he had no trust, but received a grateful grin from his daughter, " you can spend the rest of the night here and we'll leave in the morning".
Fletcher swatted his arm at them, " whatever makes you happy Weasley".
" I'll get a blanket for the cough" Molly stepped past the crowd.
" Kids, why don't you all go back to bed, it's late, and looks like we're going to have a busy day tomorrow".
Harry followed Hermione, Ron, and Ginny to the twins on the staircase. They walked up to the first landing and went their separate ways.
" I didn't mean to make such a deal" Ginny said once they were secluded in her room, " I just thought you'd really want to see him".
" Oh I do, in all the excitement I can't believe I forgot him".
She smiled briefly, " what were you and Hermione talking about before he showed up?".
He shrugged, " just random things I suppose" he didn't want to mention the third year kiss or the imaginary pregnancy. All he could concentrate on was seeing Sirius in person later that morning.
But if only he knew that before that chance was to come, Harry was going to face another downfall of being The Boy Who Lived.