The Second War
Chapter 2
I woke with a start. Every night, it was the same thing. First, I would dream about the perfect girl for me. Then, my dream about Voldemort's defeat would come. Was it a dream? Or was it a prophecy? I couldn't know. But, as I had ever morning that summer, I decided to keep it to myself.
I threw on a shirt and walked out the door of my room. Downstairs, Harry and Hermione were both already awake, sitting at a table and talking. I collapsed into a chair next to them.
Harry smiled. "Another disturbing night?" I used what little energy I had to nod. "I heard you all the way in the next room. You were muttering something about Voldemort."
I shrugged. "I think your heard wrong, mate," I said evasively. "Why would I dream about You-Know-Who?"
It was his turn to shrug. "No clue…I must've been dreaming. But why would I dream about you dreaming about –"
"Oh shut it!" Hermione snapped at us. Both of us immediately closed our mouths, and then looked at her concernedly. She returned the look. "What?"
"Hermione…" Harry began, "are you using the Time-Turner again? Because you seem really uptight lately." He added over my roars of laughter.
She smiled. "No, I'm just not properly awake yet. I need some coffee."
I gave her a disgusted look. "Urgh! You actually drink that stuff?" She returned to the table with a cup of coffee given to her by Tom. "It's disgusting!"
She sipped it tenderly, and it seemed to me that her eyes instantly widened and the darkness below her eyes disappeared. She then passed the cup to me, saying, "Try it! You'll be surprised."
I took the cup in my hand and held it up to Harry. "Get help if I pass out." I then took a small sip. The greatest taste I had ever experienced lolled over my tongue, and I suddenly felt awake, energetic. My mind and my senses sharpened, and I was aware of everything. I moved the cup away from my lips, then looked at the liquid carefully. "This isn't Muggle coffee."
Hermione laughed. "Well, yes it is. But it has a tiny amount of finely grounded dragon claw in it. Even though it's dark in here, I can see like it was high noon." She waved to Tom, who smiled between sips of his own cup.
The bell over the door tingled, as it swung open to admit the rest of the Weasley family. There was then an extremely quick bustle of commotion; Fred and George dashed up the stairs to fetch the trunks, while Mrs. Weasley continued to shout at them from behind, Mr. Weasley sat down at the bar and asked for some firewhisky, resulting in Mrs. Weasley beginning to yell at him, and Ginny simply sidled over to the table where Ron, Hermione and I sat and collapsed into a chair next to me. After awhile, Mrs. Weasley calmed down and sat down next to Mr. Weasley at the bar.
I suddenly became aware of Ginny's hand softly touching my leg. Seemingly, at the same time, she realized this, and tugged it away. Or could it have been because I had noticed? I didn't know. I paid no attention to it.
For a few minutes we just sat there, passing the coffee around. Then, finally, the twins emerged from each of the rooms, a trunk hovering in front of each of them. As Fred carefully maneuvered Hermione's trunk down the stairs, he said, "Harry, your trunk is gone."
I knew that. I had moved it out earlier that morning. "Yeah, I know. It should already be out front." Fred put on a look of understanding, muttering something about thinking it was the Quidditch chest.
George then followed him down the stairs, Ron's trunk floating in front of him. He, too, stopped to talk to Harry. "Hey, Harry…before you go, come over to the shop with us! We've got some new products in that we want your approval for." I grinned knowingly. They just wanted to give me some free stuff. Fred, sensing this, grinned back, then leaned forward and whispered, "Best product yet; I guarantee you'll love it." He then walked out the door without another word. Once outside, the twins softly set down the trunks. There were two loud cracks, and they disappeared.
Ron started. "Oh yeah! We have Apparating tests first day of term! I had forgotten!" I swung my head around to look at him. Of course! How could I have forgotten? I had looked forward to it all summer. Once again, my veins were filled with the apprehensive feeling of the approaching test.
My thoughts of the Apparating test were shattered as once again the bell tingled as the door swung open. I twisted around, and began to say "Oh, what now?" but I stopped short upon seeing the person that had just entered.
She was about three inches shorter than I was, with chocolate brown hair. She stood there in a black sweatshirt depicting a Muggle band called Something Corporate, and jeans. But the thing that caught my eye the most was her green eyes…I could have sworn she was the girl I had been dreaming about.
Then something else met my eye…there was a boy standing next to her. He was about an inch taller than I was. He was surprisingly skinny for his height. He was standing next to the girl as if he was a very close friend...my hopes were dropped. I had finally seen the girl of my dreams, but she was taken.
The boy smiling and awkwardly approaching the table did not improve my mood. "'Scuse me," he said in a deep voice. "But…would you be Harry Potter?"
Harry laughed and nodded. "Then you" he turned to me, "…are Ron Weasley…and you're Hermione Granger…I've heard so much about you three."
"'Spect you have." I said. No one noticed the hatred and jealousy in my voice.
Now the girl came over, and pulled a chair up to the table. The boy started, then grabbed a chair from a nearby table and followed suit. I couldn't keep my eyes off of the girl as she sat down. I wrenched my eyes away, not wanting to be caught by the boy.
I looked at him. "So who are you two, anyway?"
He looked around at me, and I suddenly noticed with a shock that his eyes, too, were green. He smiled. "Well, to put it bluntly, we're Muggles. We were discovered to be able to use magic when we accidentally performed some at our schools. So now, we're going to Hogwarts."
I smiled. "First, I was just looking for names. And second, what'd you d at your schools?"
He laughed. "My name's Josh, Josh Haines."
The girl shifted slightly in her seat. She looked directly at me and said "Erin Riley" then looked away.
Josh seemed to notice her timid behavior. "Erin, can I talk to you for a second?" They both walked off into a corner and began to talk quietly.
Harry and I exchanged glances. I grinned. I pulled out my wand and tapped my ear, and instantly, I could hear every word they said.
"Why are you so nervous? It's only one of the most famous wizards alive." Josh said jokingly. "Really, it's not like he's going to kill you or anything."
She smiled. "No, it's not Harry…its Ron…remember those dreams I had about a dark figure with hazel eyes and red hair I told you about?"
He started. "Oh yeah…so you think he's your 'perfect man' or something then?"
She nodded slowly. "Yeah…I think he is. I don't know, it just...fits. I've been dreaming about him for months now…and he is dead sexy." She smiled.
Josh laughed. The two walked over and stood next to the table.
It was Erin who spoke first, her voice soft, and yet firm. "We'd better go. We have to take the Underground to King's cross…" her eyes wandered onto me. "Bye." Josh said his goodbyes, and then they walked towards the door. Erin chose to walk around the table. As she passed behind me, her hand barely perceptibly brushed my arm.
Once the door had closed, I dropped the wall of casualness I had been holding up so that she wouldn't have known I was listening. I immediately put my fist in the air. "Kick…" I slammed it down. "Ass."
Since I had been the only one listening, I ran them through the entire conversation. When I finished, Ginny and Harry were both patting me on the back, and Hermione was sitting across from me, looking hurt.
On an impulse, I waved Harry and Ginny away, then walked over and sat next to her. "Hermione, I know you like me, but it would never work our between us, and I believe I have now found the love of my life." As she looked at me, a tear rolled down her cheek. I wiped it away, and then embraced her in a hug. "I'm sorry." I then got up. "C'mon. Let's get to the train."
Twenty minutes later, after a trip through a fire for each of us via the new fireplace in the hidden corner of the station, we were standing in King's Cross station, hurrying down the platforms. Without a backward glance, I charged forward through the barrier. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny followed closely. We left our luggage to be loaded and piled onto the train. We all raced down the corridor, looking for an empty booth. Finally, near the back, we found one.
Ginny and I launched inside and sat down. Ron started in, but Hermione caught him by the collar and whispered something to him. He then backed out of the door. "Er…gotta go, mate…prefect duty…" He and Hermione then closed the door and went to the front of the train.
But, of course, I had missed nothing. I had seen Ron's tense glance, his brief look of surprise. Something was going on, but I didn't know what.
I sat in silence, staring at the roof, thinking of what they might be doing, considering that Ron didn't like her (otherwise, it would've been easy to guess). Suddenly, I was aware of Ginny moving to sit next to me. Outwardly, I barely even moved my head. Inwardly, I began to panic. Ginny did like me…this was great.
I decided to take a chance at making a fool of myself. Using every ounce of willpower I had, I slid my arm behind her and wrapped it securely around her shoulders. As I did so, she leaned on my chest. I couldn't believe this was going so well…
I decided to throw any and all caution to the wind. I released her, and scooted a little bit away, turning to look at her. "Ginny…I think you should know. For the past summer, I've been thinking of you as much more than a friend…"
As if on cue, Ginny fell forward, embracing me, and sobbing into my chest. "Oh, Harry, I've thought the same thing ever since my first year!"
Her saying this was a dream come true. "I have too…I've always kind of liked you…" Before she could speak, I pulled her next to me and captured her lips in mine.
I had dreamt about this happening a lot, ever since my second year. Finally, it was happening…I broke away from her, looking deeply and searchingly into her eyes. She then slung her legs onto the seat, and sat in my lap.
I circled my arms securely around her waist to keep her from falling as I searched her mouth deeply with my tongue. I was sort of figuring out what to do as I went along; but like a lot of things, I learned quickly. Soon (on her suggestion) I was slowly spelling her name in cursive with my tongue.
About five minutes had gone past when the door slid slowly open. At the first sign of the sound, Ginny leaped off my lap one way, and I scooted the other, so it seemed that they had just sat. But by the time the door was open and Ron had stepped in, the damage was done.
"Tsk tsk tsk," Ron said. "Harry, I thought you were a good liar. You've left all kinds of easy ways to tell. Your hair's ruffled, and you're blushing redder than anyone I've ever seen. Ginny, your hair is ruffled too, and the top button of your shirt is undone." Ginny, realizing this, blushed crimson and buttoned it up. "Well, be glad I'm not Malfoy. I'll keep quiet." It was at that moment that I was gladdest that I had Ron as a friend.
Chapter 2
I woke with a start. Every night, it was the same thing. First, I would dream about the perfect girl for me. Then, my dream about Voldemort's defeat would come. Was it a dream? Or was it a prophecy? I couldn't know. But, as I had ever morning that summer, I decided to keep it to myself.
I threw on a shirt and walked out the door of my room. Downstairs, Harry and Hermione were both already awake, sitting at a table and talking. I collapsed into a chair next to them.
Harry smiled. "Another disturbing night?" I used what little energy I had to nod. "I heard you all the way in the next room. You were muttering something about Voldemort."
I shrugged. "I think your heard wrong, mate," I said evasively. "Why would I dream about You-Know-Who?"
It was his turn to shrug. "No clue…I must've been dreaming. But why would I dream about you dreaming about –"
"Oh shut it!" Hermione snapped at us. Both of us immediately closed our mouths, and then looked at her concernedly. She returned the look. "What?"
"Hermione…" Harry began, "are you using the Time-Turner again? Because you seem really uptight lately." He added over my roars of laughter.
She smiled. "No, I'm just not properly awake yet. I need some coffee."
I gave her a disgusted look. "Urgh! You actually drink that stuff?" She returned to the table with a cup of coffee given to her by Tom. "It's disgusting!"
She sipped it tenderly, and it seemed to me that her eyes instantly widened and the darkness below her eyes disappeared. She then passed the cup to me, saying, "Try it! You'll be surprised."
I took the cup in my hand and held it up to Harry. "Get help if I pass out." I then took a small sip. The greatest taste I had ever experienced lolled over my tongue, and I suddenly felt awake, energetic. My mind and my senses sharpened, and I was aware of everything. I moved the cup away from my lips, then looked at the liquid carefully. "This isn't Muggle coffee."
Hermione laughed. "Well, yes it is. But it has a tiny amount of finely grounded dragon claw in it. Even though it's dark in here, I can see like it was high noon." She waved to Tom, who smiled between sips of his own cup.
The bell over the door tingled, as it swung open to admit the rest of the Weasley family. There was then an extremely quick bustle of commotion; Fred and George dashed up the stairs to fetch the trunks, while Mrs. Weasley continued to shout at them from behind, Mr. Weasley sat down at the bar and asked for some firewhisky, resulting in Mrs. Weasley beginning to yell at him, and Ginny simply sidled over to the table where Ron, Hermione and I sat and collapsed into a chair next to me. After awhile, Mrs. Weasley calmed down and sat down next to Mr. Weasley at the bar.
I suddenly became aware of Ginny's hand softly touching my leg. Seemingly, at the same time, she realized this, and tugged it away. Or could it have been because I had noticed? I didn't know. I paid no attention to it.
For a few minutes we just sat there, passing the coffee around. Then, finally, the twins emerged from each of the rooms, a trunk hovering in front of each of them. As Fred carefully maneuvered Hermione's trunk down the stairs, he said, "Harry, your trunk is gone."
I knew that. I had moved it out earlier that morning. "Yeah, I know. It should already be out front." Fred put on a look of understanding, muttering something about thinking it was the Quidditch chest.
George then followed him down the stairs, Ron's trunk floating in front of him. He, too, stopped to talk to Harry. "Hey, Harry…before you go, come over to the shop with us! We've got some new products in that we want your approval for." I grinned knowingly. They just wanted to give me some free stuff. Fred, sensing this, grinned back, then leaned forward and whispered, "Best product yet; I guarantee you'll love it." He then walked out the door without another word. Once outside, the twins softly set down the trunks. There were two loud cracks, and they disappeared.
Ron started. "Oh yeah! We have Apparating tests first day of term! I had forgotten!" I swung my head around to look at him. Of course! How could I have forgotten? I had looked forward to it all summer. Once again, my veins were filled with the apprehensive feeling of the approaching test.
My thoughts of the Apparating test were shattered as once again the bell tingled as the door swung open. I twisted around, and began to say "Oh, what now?" but I stopped short upon seeing the person that had just entered.
She was about three inches shorter than I was, with chocolate brown hair. She stood there in a black sweatshirt depicting a Muggle band called Something Corporate, and jeans. But the thing that caught my eye the most was her green eyes…I could have sworn she was the girl I had been dreaming about.
Then something else met my eye…there was a boy standing next to her. He was about an inch taller than I was. He was surprisingly skinny for his height. He was standing next to the girl as if he was a very close friend...my hopes were dropped. I had finally seen the girl of my dreams, but she was taken.
The boy smiling and awkwardly approaching the table did not improve my mood. "'Scuse me," he said in a deep voice. "But…would you be Harry Potter?"
Harry laughed and nodded. "Then you" he turned to me, "…are Ron Weasley…and you're Hermione Granger…I've heard so much about you three."
"'Spect you have." I said. No one noticed the hatred and jealousy in my voice.
Now the girl came over, and pulled a chair up to the table. The boy started, then grabbed a chair from a nearby table and followed suit. I couldn't keep my eyes off of the girl as she sat down. I wrenched my eyes away, not wanting to be caught by the boy.
I looked at him. "So who are you two, anyway?"
He looked around at me, and I suddenly noticed with a shock that his eyes, too, were green. He smiled. "Well, to put it bluntly, we're Muggles. We were discovered to be able to use magic when we accidentally performed some at our schools. So now, we're going to Hogwarts."
I smiled. "First, I was just looking for names. And second, what'd you d at your schools?"
He laughed. "My name's Josh, Josh Haines."
The girl shifted slightly in her seat. She looked directly at me and said "Erin Riley" then looked away.
Josh seemed to notice her timid behavior. "Erin, can I talk to you for a second?" They both walked off into a corner and began to talk quietly.
Harry and I exchanged glances. I grinned. I pulled out my wand and tapped my ear, and instantly, I could hear every word they said.
"Why are you so nervous? It's only one of the most famous wizards alive." Josh said jokingly. "Really, it's not like he's going to kill you or anything."
She smiled. "No, it's not Harry…its Ron…remember those dreams I had about a dark figure with hazel eyes and red hair I told you about?"
He started. "Oh yeah…so you think he's your 'perfect man' or something then?"
She nodded slowly. "Yeah…I think he is. I don't know, it just...fits. I've been dreaming about him for months now…and he is dead sexy." She smiled.
Josh laughed. The two walked over and stood next to the table.
It was Erin who spoke first, her voice soft, and yet firm. "We'd better go. We have to take the Underground to King's cross…" her eyes wandered onto me. "Bye." Josh said his goodbyes, and then they walked towards the door. Erin chose to walk around the table. As she passed behind me, her hand barely perceptibly brushed my arm.
Once the door had closed, I dropped the wall of casualness I had been holding up so that she wouldn't have known I was listening. I immediately put my fist in the air. "Kick…" I slammed it down. "Ass."
Since I had been the only one listening, I ran them through the entire conversation. When I finished, Ginny and Harry were both patting me on the back, and Hermione was sitting across from me, looking hurt.
On an impulse, I waved Harry and Ginny away, then walked over and sat next to her. "Hermione, I know you like me, but it would never work our between us, and I believe I have now found the love of my life." As she looked at me, a tear rolled down her cheek. I wiped it away, and then embraced her in a hug. "I'm sorry." I then got up. "C'mon. Let's get to the train."
Twenty minutes later, after a trip through a fire for each of us via the new fireplace in the hidden corner of the station, we were standing in King's Cross station, hurrying down the platforms. Without a backward glance, I charged forward through the barrier. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny followed closely. We left our luggage to be loaded and piled onto the train. We all raced down the corridor, looking for an empty booth. Finally, near the back, we found one.
Ginny and I launched inside and sat down. Ron started in, but Hermione caught him by the collar and whispered something to him. He then backed out of the door. "Er…gotta go, mate…prefect duty…" He and Hermione then closed the door and went to the front of the train.
But, of course, I had missed nothing. I had seen Ron's tense glance, his brief look of surprise. Something was going on, but I didn't know what.
I sat in silence, staring at the roof, thinking of what they might be doing, considering that Ron didn't like her (otherwise, it would've been easy to guess). Suddenly, I was aware of Ginny moving to sit next to me. Outwardly, I barely even moved my head. Inwardly, I began to panic. Ginny did like me…this was great.
I decided to take a chance at making a fool of myself. Using every ounce of willpower I had, I slid my arm behind her and wrapped it securely around her shoulders. As I did so, she leaned on my chest. I couldn't believe this was going so well…
I decided to throw any and all caution to the wind. I released her, and scooted a little bit away, turning to look at her. "Ginny…I think you should know. For the past summer, I've been thinking of you as much more than a friend…"
As if on cue, Ginny fell forward, embracing me, and sobbing into my chest. "Oh, Harry, I've thought the same thing ever since my first year!"
Her saying this was a dream come true. "I have too…I've always kind of liked you…" Before she could speak, I pulled her next to me and captured her lips in mine.
I had dreamt about this happening a lot, ever since my second year. Finally, it was happening…I broke away from her, looking deeply and searchingly into her eyes. She then slung her legs onto the seat, and sat in my lap.
I circled my arms securely around her waist to keep her from falling as I searched her mouth deeply with my tongue. I was sort of figuring out what to do as I went along; but like a lot of things, I learned quickly. Soon (on her suggestion) I was slowly spelling her name in cursive with my tongue.
About five minutes had gone past when the door slid slowly open. At the first sign of the sound, Ginny leaped off my lap one way, and I scooted the other, so it seemed that they had just sat. But by the time the door was open and Ron had stepped in, the damage was done.
"Tsk tsk tsk," Ron said. "Harry, I thought you were a good liar. You've left all kinds of easy ways to tell. Your hair's ruffled, and you're blushing redder than anyone I've ever seen. Ginny, your hair is ruffled too, and the top button of your shirt is undone." Ginny, realizing this, blushed crimson and buttoned it up. "Well, be glad I'm not Malfoy. I'll keep quiet." It was at that moment that I was gladdest that I had Ron as a friend.