The Draught of Living Death Chapter 9: Here's to Hoping, a harry potter fanfic

The Draught of Living Death

A/N: Sorry, this chapter took longer than usual. It wasn't even because it was particularly hard to write. The actual problem of the matter was I was home alone all week last week and had free reign of the computer and could write and update when I want. Since my family came home, I haven't had much computer time because of my youngest sister. Anyways, here it is… Chapter Nine.

Chapter Nine: Here's to Hoping

"I told you it would work."

"Yeah, but did it have to work so bloody well?"

"Oh come on, you know nothing happened between them."

"Yeah, I hope nothing happened."

"You know Harry better than that. He would never ask that of her."

"I know… but them waking up together… I don't like it."

"You don't have to like it… besides, you can thank yourself. It was your grand idea that started all of this."

"Mine? You put the idea into my head."

"Look, quit arguing before they wake up. He'll have a heart attack if he sees us here."

"Uh, oh… I think he's about it, it looks like he's waking up."

"We better get out of here before he finishes getting out of bed then."

The two figures disappeared from the doorway; ready to pretend they didn't know anything was going on.

* ~ *

Morning came before Harry even realized he had fallen asleep. The dream, however, did not come again. Harry awoke to a shield of red hair covering his face. He could have sworn he heard whispering by the door, but when he looked, there was no one there.

Brushing the yards of hair out of his face, Harry stood from the bed. As comfortably as he had slept, he figured it was time to look for a better position, considering his back ached terribly from the curled up position he had chosen.

As soon as he vacated the bed, Ginny readily took up the empty space, and warmth.

"Sleeps like a cat," he mumbled. Harry realized he had better wake up before Ginny realized he was not a morning person. He slipped away and into the bathroom to brush his teeth and splash some water on his face.

When he returned five minutes later, Ginny was sitting up in bed, sheet pulled up to her neck in full blush.

"Ginny…" Harry started.

"I'm so sorry, Harry."

"What for?"

"Falling asleep on you last night."

"Why are you covering yourself up?"

"I'm embarrassed."

"No need, you're still dressed aren't you?"

Ginny managed an even deeper blush. "Of course, but I have a feeling I'd better get back to my room before Ron comes up here for a change of clothes." Despite her decision, she still refused to stand up.

Harry moved forward, bending down to kiss her lips.

Ginny moved her head at the last minute and covered her mouth. "Harry, I haven't brushed yet."

Harry chuckled but backed away. "Go ahead then, brush your teeth and get dressed."

"Turn around."

"Why, you're dressed?"

"I look horrible," she said. "My clothes are all wrinkled and…"

"And what?"

"Girl's aren't supposed to sleep in their under things."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I don't have a bra on, and I don't know where I put it last night."

Harry blushed and turned his back obligingly. He heard Ginny stand and bolt from the room. Turning around, Harry saw her bra, carefully tucked beneath the rumpled covers. He almost laughed, until her heard footsteps coming up the hallway.

"Harry, you up yet?" he heard Ron's voice ask with a yawn.

"Yes," he said as he grabbed the bra and stuff it in his trunk, shutting it quickly and sitting on it. "I'm up."

"You're decent and everything, right?" the voice asked from outside.

"What do you care?" Harry asked. "We usually sleep in a dorm with a total of five, three of which are not terribly shy."

Ron entered and pulled some clothes out of his drawer. "I'll take it you and Neville are the shy ones as Seamus and Dean aren't too particular about who sees them in their boxers and I've been known to run back from the showers in a towel."

"Woah, back to the first half of that. What did you mean about Seamus and Dean."

"Stuff," Ron said with a blush as he tossed his shoes over his shoulder carelessly. "I overheard Lavender and Parvati talking one night. Apparently they tried to sneak into the girl's dorm early one morning and got caught by Hermione, who cast a stunning spell on them. They stripped them and set them outside the portrait hole. Luckily they woke up before anyone but the girls saw them, but since then, they haven't been terribly shy."

Harry laughed out loud. "Serves them right. And I was just getting to like Seamus and Dean. You know they're trying out for the team right?"

"No, I didn't know that. I know Ginny's trying out."

"I do think she mentioned something about that. Any other clues as to who's coming out for the team yet."

"All I know for sure," Ron said sitting on his trunk to pull on a clean pair of pants, "Is that we have five spots to fill next year and possibly not that many people trying out. The Creevey brothers are supposed to be trying out, but they're obviously out of the question."

"Why are they out of the question?" Harry asked as he considered whether or not he could get away with looking for clothes around the contraband in his trunk.

"Oh come on, Harry. Dennis will be hanging up side down from his broom waiting for a bludger to hit him so that he can run and tell everyone all about it, and Colin will have his bat slung over his shoulder while he takes the picture of you catching the snitch."

"They've grown up a lot, Ron."

"Oh yeah, they've grown up," Ron laughed. "Colin realized that he couldn't very well have a fan club with only three members, Ginny, Dennis and himself, so he stopped that and started working on a pictorial biography for you."

"His pictures are actually quite nice," Harry commented.

"Harry, whose side are you on?" Ron asked, pausing halfway through putting his shirt on.

Harry thought for a second, "The teams," he finally decided.

Ron gave him questioning look.

"If they're good, they're good, if Dennis goes to the hospital wing during tryouts and Colin doesn't drop the camera, they're not so good, but either way, do we really have any other choices?"

Ron shrugged and tugged his shirt on, then began looking for his shoes.

"Aren't those the clothes you wore yesterday?" he asked, half under his bed trying to get a hold of his other shoe.

"Yeah, I guess I need to put clean ones on."

"What are you waiting for?" Ron asked, grunting in success as he snatched the shoe and began to shove it on his foot.

"Nothing," Harry said hesitantly, still not moving from his spot on his trunk.

Ron raised his eyebrows and chuckled. "Not hiding anything, are you mate?"

"Nothing," Harry said, a little too quickly. "I'm just…"

Ron waited patiently.

"Shy," Harry finished.

Ron laughed loudly, "Harry, you're full of it, but I'll leave you to it."

Harry sighed as Ron left the room. He turned and began to open his trunk when Ron suddenly reappeared. Harry quickly slammed his finger under the lid of the trunk, biting back a yelp of pain.

"Need something?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"That's funny," Ron said, giving an exaggerated curse under his breath, "I can't remember." He shrugged ambiguously and waved as he left the room.

"It's ok," Harry muttered under his breath after the door shut, "kill him later."

* ~ *

Ten minutes later found the four of them sitting around the kitchen table. They had slept somewhat late, so most of the family was already gone for the day. Mrs. Weasley set breakfast on the table.

"It's homework day," She said cheerfully.

Ron groaned, Hermione grinned, Harry sighed in relief and Ginny nodded easily.

Hermione turned to Ron. "Need any help?" She asked.

"Please," Ron said.

"Are we free when we finish?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," Molly said, "Day is yours when homework is finished. Ron, I imagine you'll be trapped behind your desk until school starts?"

Ron looked embarrassed but nodded.

"Then I suggest you get to it as soon as you finish eating." Molly stacked pancakes on everyone's plates. Ginny complained, saying she couldn't eat that much, at least that was a normal ritual. "You'll eat, young lady, you're too thin. You too, Harry. Hermione, you could use a few extra pounds yourself." Hermione, Harry and Ginny blushed. Mrs. Weasley looked Ron up and down and sighed. She cut his serving in half. "Ron, you need to go on a diet." Ron looked up, offended, causing Molly to laugh. "I'm joking," she said. "You're just fine, you're the only one around here who eats enough."

"Most likely cause he never stops eating," Ginny muttered.

"Ginny," Molly said, "You could learn something from him."

"It's a miracle…" Harry said, a look of genuine surprise on his face. "I never thought anyone would ever say that about Ron."

Ron was starting to look a little angry, but Hermione poked him, telling him to start eating.

"What do you have left to do?" Harry asked Ginny.

"Just a bit of Ancient Rune translations, they're a pain in the but because they can mean so many different things."

Harry smiled. "Kind of like Divination. Except in Divination you can just make it up when you don't understand."

Ginny grinned. "I don't know about that. Sometimes I get the impression that Professor Hartnett doesn't quite know what the runes really mean either."

Harry thought for a second. "You know, we should test that theory. Go ahead and turn it in like that, and if he catches it, you can just say you were on the wrong page by accident. Nothing like Snape I hope?"

"No, he's actually quite nice. Very understanding. Everyone says he'll be head of Hufflepuff house when Sprout retires."

"Do it," Harry insisted. "You'll never know otherwise."

Ginny thought hard for a second. Mrs. Weasley shook her head disapprovingly and left the room to begin her housework, instructing Ginny to clean up the dishes when they finished. Ginny only nodded, lost in consideration.

"What if he notices that my homework is different from everyone else's?"

Harry shrugged. "From what you've said so far, he'll praise you on your attempt at an original translation and brag about your dedication to the subject."

Ginny's face finally broke into a smile again. "You know, you just might be right. I don't really have anything to lose." Ginny stood and started cleaning up the table, taking Ron's plate before he could snatch the last pancake.

"I wasn't finished," he said.

"Then you clean up," Ginny said carelessly, tossing the plate back in front of him as she went to wash the rest of the dishes.

"Not fair," Ron said, as he surrendered his plate.

"Neither is the fact that you wait until I arrive every summer to start your homework," Hermione told him.

"I need help," Ron shrugged.

"You wouldn't need help if you'd just do the work," Hermione muttered.

"Easy for you to say, you remember just about everything." Ron defended.

"I suggest you get started," Hermione said. "I'll be there to help when I'm sure you've started on your own."

"What are you going to do until then?" Ron asked desperately.

"Study," she said with a smile and left he room, Ron trailing behind her, still begging for help.

Ginny finished the dishes and wiped her hands dry. She walked over to Harry and leaned against the counter behind his chair.

"Teeth all brushed?" he asked.

"Yes," she said.

"Good," he replied and tilted his head back to give her a soft kiss. "Let's finish that homework."

Ginny laughed. "My room or yours?"

"Well, considering Hermione's probably studying in yours, and Ron's no doubt taking his homework up to his room, I suggest we go outside."

Ginny nodded. "Last thing we need is them trying to figure out where we were last night."

Just then an owl flew in the window. Ginny reached out to pet Merlin on the head. "Back so soon?" She asked softly.

The owl rubbed his head against her hand and Ginny scratched the back of his neck.

Harry untied the return post from Merlin's leg and Ginny returned the owl upstairs. When Ginny returned, Harry had his head in his hands and he looked frustrated.

"What does it say?" She asked.

"Snape and Dumbledore have decided that I should return to Hogwarts, immediately."

Ginny frowned in confusion, picking up the letter.

"Snape will be here tonight, I'm to be packed and ready to go."

"Harry… I don't want to be here without you."

"I wish I could change his mind," Harry said, "But when Dumbledore has decided something, it's hard to change his mind. He feel's I'm safest there."

"Do you think," Ginny asked softly, "He would let me come back too? I feel safer when I'm with you."

Harry looked at her and raised a hand to her cheek.

"The worst we can do is ask. Let's ask you're mother how to contact him by floo."

Ten minutes later, Dumbledore's head appeared in the fire. Mrs. Weasley sat in a chair behind Harry and Ginny watching anxiously.

"I don't want to be here if he has to go back," Ginny explained. "I feel safer when he's around."

Dumbledore nodded. "No doubt, Harry's friends are in just as much danger as he is. By removing all four of you from the line of fire, we may be making the smartest decision yet. Plus, it will give Mr. Weasley time to complete his homework," the old wizard finished with a twinkle in his eye.

Molly nodded in agreement.

"I will inform Professor Snape," Dumbledore concluded, "That he will be picking up the four of you. I suggest you all begin packing. Floo is never a fun journey when you're disorganized. He will be there at 8 o'clock, promptly."

Harry and Ginny nodded and ran to get Hermione and Ron. Molly looked into the fire at Dumbledore's, now worried, face.

"Thank you," she told him. "They need all the protection they can get."

"Unfortunately," Dumbledore said as his face began to fade, "Voldemort always finds a way, but we will try to keep them safe." Dumbledore's head disappeared behind the flames and Mrs. Weasley ran up the stairs to help the children pack their trunks.