Hey all! Here's the update, finally. this went through a revision, sort of.
More
like I took out a TON of unimportant fluff (I'm exaggerating a little but
hey
creative license). If anyone's interested in reading the unrevised
chapter,
email me at ISwimUSA2@hotmail.com
Enjoy!
CHAPTER THREE
The ride to the Weasley's home was pleasurable and uneventful. Ron and Harry talked for a while, but soon engaged in the age-old habit of staring out the window. Harry occupied himself by counting street signs that he saw along the rode.
50 minutes and 27 street signs later, Mr. Weasley took a sharp turn and Harry looked up at what he had been waiting and wishing for all summer long. The Burrow. As always, he was delighted to see it and all of its quirks. Ron grumbled something unrecognizable as he got out of the car, but Harry did nothing of the sort. He simply grinned. ((And I deleted fluffy stuff.))
Mrs. Weasley scurried out to greet them, practically attacking Harry with hugs, kisses and all. With one last kiss, she turned to Mr. Weasley.
"Oh, Arthus," she said, relief present in her voice, "I was getting so worried. What took you so long?"
"Molly," began Arthur exasperatedly, "we were five minutes late."
"But still." argued Mrs Weasley.
Arthur's eyes softened and Harry realized Mrs. Weasley was worried about Voldemort. "
"It's okay," said Mr. Weasley soothingly, "we're home now." He kissed her forehead and embraced her. She hugged him back for a moment, then wiped a tear from her eye and collected herself.
"Hermione arrived a couple of hours ago and she and Ginny are in Ginny's room," said Mrs. Weasley.
"I expect they'll be wanting to see you."
Harry and Ron grinned and rushed up the stairs to complete the 'Three Musketeers' reunion.
Breathing heavily, the duo barged into Ginny's room.
Ginny, who sat on the bed, was very absorbed in a scrapbook she was looking at and said, while slowly lifting her head,
"How kind of you to knock, and welcome to our- oh, it's you," said Ginny, trying to sound annoyed but coming off excited. Then, as if just realizing that Ron and Harry were there, Ginny suddenly snapped the book in her hands closed, looking embarrassed. Harry knew he had seen pictures of muggles in boy bands and he teased Ginny with his eyes.
Hermione jumped up and hugged Harry.
"Oh, it's so good to see you! I missed you loads!" Harry grinned at Hermione and shook his head. 'Girls,' he thought to himself.
Turning to look at Ron, she said,
"You've grown so much in a month, Ron! You're getting to be so handsome!"
And she kissed him on the nose (standing on her tippy-toes) and pulled him into a huge hug.
Harry was pretty sure Hermione and Ginny didn't notice, but Ron looked rather pleased with himself.
The next day found the Fab Three in Diagon Alley, along with Mrs. Weasley and Ginny. After a treat at Florean Fortescues', they immediately headed to get their books (much to Hermione's liking and Ron's distaste), for Mrs. Weasley had just checked her watch and exclaimed,
"Oh! It's getting late! Let's get a move on then, I've still got to pack."
"Pack for what?" Harry asked absentmindedly.
"After they drop us off at King's Cross tomorrow, Mum and Dad are going back to Grimmauld Place," Ron said thickly.
Harry's stomach twisted at the mention of Grimmauld Place. He hadn't known they were continuing to use it as Order Headquarters. it made sense, but still.
Seeing the pained expression on Harry's face, Hermione jumped in, kicking Ron, and tried to change the subject.
"I'm really looking forward to this year, aren't you Harry? I expect we'll learn more about our N.E.W.T.s- OH! I'd forgotten, how did you two do on your O.W.L.s? You didn't seem too keen to tell me your scores through owl post."
"Well, I wonder why not, RON," said Mrs. Weasley angrily.
"I got an Outstanding in Defense Against the Dark Arts!" Ron protested.
"Only to due the fact that Harry taught you! Your grade in Astronomy was far below our expectations! You should be very ashamed of yourself, very ashamed!"
"I told you, Mum, we got-"
"Don't even go there, Ronald Weasley," said Mrs. Weasley in a steely voice. But as she turned to Hermione, her eyes were warm and she asked,
"How were your scores, Hermione? All Outstandings, I expect?"
Hermione blushed.
"Yes, they were."
"Oh, wonderful!" Mrs. Weasley smiled brightly.
"And you Harry?"
"Oh, well," Harry mumbled and Ron smirked, "they weren't quite as good as Hermione's."
Mrs. Weasley gave him a kind, sympathetic look and said, "Well, that's alright dear, you had a lot on your mind."
Ron looked at his mother incredulously, and muttered something that sounded quite like 'loves them more than me'.
"Here we are now," said Mrs. Weasley, turning in the street to the bookstore.
"Hurry now, get your books and we'll Floo home from here."
The four friends did as they were told, and returned home 20 minutes later to a very, very worried looking Arthur Weasley.
Enjoy!
CHAPTER THREE
The ride to the Weasley's home was pleasurable and uneventful. Ron and Harry talked for a while, but soon engaged in the age-old habit of staring out the window. Harry occupied himself by counting street signs that he saw along the rode.
50 minutes and 27 street signs later, Mr. Weasley took a sharp turn and Harry looked up at what he had been waiting and wishing for all summer long. The Burrow. As always, he was delighted to see it and all of its quirks. Ron grumbled something unrecognizable as he got out of the car, but Harry did nothing of the sort. He simply grinned. ((And I deleted fluffy stuff.))
Mrs. Weasley scurried out to greet them, practically attacking Harry with hugs, kisses and all. With one last kiss, she turned to Mr. Weasley.
"Oh, Arthus," she said, relief present in her voice, "I was getting so worried. What took you so long?"
"Molly," began Arthur exasperatedly, "we were five minutes late."
"But still." argued Mrs Weasley.
Arthur's eyes softened and Harry realized Mrs. Weasley was worried about Voldemort. "
"It's okay," said Mr. Weasley soothingly, "we're home now." He kissed her forehead and embraced her. She hugged him back for a moment, then wiped a tear from her eye and collected herself.
"Hermione arrived a couple of hours ago and she and Ginny are in Ginny's room," said Mrs. Weasley.
"I expect they'll be wanting to see you."
Harry and Ron grinned and rushed up the stairs to complete the 'Three Musketeers' reunion.
Breathing heavily, the duo barged into Ginny's room.
Ginny, who sat on the bed, was very absorbed in a scrapbook she was looking at and said, while slowly lifting her head,
"How kind of you to knock, and welcome to our- oh, it's you," said Ginny, trying to sound annoyed but coming off excited. Then, as if just realizing that Ron and Harry were there, Ginny suddenly snapped the book in her hands closed, looking embarrassed. Harry knew he had seen pictures of muggles in boy bands and he teased Ginny with his eyes.
Hermione jumped up and hugged Harry.
"Oh, it's so good to see you! I missed you loads!" Harry grinned at Hermione and shook his head. 'Girls,' he thought to himself.
Turning to look at Ron, she said,
"You've grown so much in a month, Ron! You're getting to be so handsome!"
And she kissed him on the nose (standing on her tippy-toes) and pulled him into a huge hug.
Harry was pretty sure Hermione and Ginny didn't notice, but Ron looked rather pleased with himself.
The next day found the Fab Three in Diagon Alley, along with Mrs. Weasley and Ginny. After a treat at Florean Fortescues', they immediately headed to get their books (much to Hermione's liking and Ron's distaste), for Mrs. Weasley had just checked her watch and exclaimed,
"Oh! It's getting late! Let's get a move on then, I've still got to pack."
"Pack for what?" Harry asked absentmindedly.
"After they drop us off at King's Cross tomorrow, Mum and Dad are going back to Grimmauld Place," Ron said thickly.
Harry's stomach twisted at the mention of Grimmauld Place. He hadn't known they were continuing to use it as Order Headquarters. it made sense, but still.
Seeing the pained expression on Harry's face, Hermione jumped in, kicking Ron, and tried to change the subject.
"I'm really looking forward to this year, aren't you Harry? I expect we'll learn more about our N.E.W.T.s- OH! I'd forgotten, how did you two do on your O.W.L.s? You didn't seem too keen to tell me your scores through owl post."
"Well, I wonder why not, RON," said Mrs. Weasley angrily.
"I got an Outstanding in Defense Against the Dark Arts!" Ron protested.
"Only to due the fact that Harry taught you! Your grade in Astronomy was far below our expectations! You should be very ashamed of yourself, very ashamed!"
"I told you, Mum, we got-"
"Don't even go there, Ronald Weasley," said Mrs. Weasley in a steely voice. But as she turned to Hermione, her eyes were warm and she asked,
"How were your scores, Hermione? All Outstandings, I expect?"
Hermione blushed.
"Yes, they were."
"Oh, wonderful!" Mrs. Weasley smiled brightly.
"And you Harry?"
"Oh, well," Harry mumbled and Ron smirked, "they weren't quite as good as Hermione's."
Mrs. Weasley gave him a kind, sympathetic look and said, "Well, that's alright dear, you had a lot on your mind."
Ron looked at his mother incredulously, and muttered something that sounded quite like 'loves them more than me'.
"Here we are now," said Mrs. Weasley, turning in the street to the bookstore.
"Hurry now, get your books and we'll Floo home from here."
The four friends did as they were told, and returned home 20 minutes later to a very, very worried looking Arthur Weasley.