Authors Note: Thanks for all the great reviews guys. Sorry about the delay in the next chapter, I've been really really busy. Had to get loads of work into the people above. Hope that's a good enough excuse anyway. Hope the wait that hasn't put you off reading the next chapter though. Well, here goes….
CHAPTER 2: TO LONDON & ELSEWHERE.
Once Harry had finally finished packing all his belongings in silence, pondering still about his problems, he put everything together and looked up. Tonks was looking less than pleased with herself. Kept in her own thoughts and gazing into space, not really knowing what to do with herself.
Harry decided he thought he had better break the silence. After all it was his supposed house and he'd better not be rude to guests, not that he really had any so he never usually cared. In any cases, when guests were around, disastrous things normally happened around Harry, without further inspection he probably was perceived to be rude. However, no one had yet inspected closely and noticed the magic he was doing. 'Unfortunately', he thought, and convenient for the Dursley's 'I'd like to see them squirm out of the trouble, especially now as I know some good spells'. But on further thought, he decided against the idea as he didn't want to be expelled from school now, and he didn't have a clean record whatsoever.
"Shall we make a move then, or are you wanting to stay here all day, cos I don't?" said Harry, hoping afterwards that he wasn't being too forceful. The sooner I can get out of here the better, thought Harry. "I should stop thinking so much, it does me no good" said Harry aloud, more to himself than anything.
Looking at Tonks to see what she'd done this time with the noise made howl with laughter. "Sorry you startled me" said Tonks getting up off the floor a bit too quickly. She seemingly didn't like being disturbed from her reveries, or with anything for that matter. "I've got the perfect new name for you, 'calamity Jane'" Harry laughed out, almost crying with tears.
"Ooh, I would curse you if we weren't in a muggle area Mr Harry Potter."
"That's why I said it not, whilst I'm still safe" choked Harry between laughs.
"Your punishment comes later" stated Tonks, wagging her long and sleek polished finger under his nose.
As all seemed forgotten, and both Harry and Tonks were comfortable with each other once again, they continued to pack the things onto the broomstick and Tonks did some nifty invisibility and weightlessness charms on his belongings attached to the brooms. Tonks had summoned hers with great perfection using the 'Accio' charm. "Ah, those were the days, I used to love being at Hogwarts. Best days of my life, cherish them is all I can say Harry, as you'll know what I mean once you've left".
"Well, I wish I could say the same but at least you didn't have to meet Voldemort in your first, second, fourth and fifth years. Plus even the third year wasn't quiet as I had to the pleasure to meet the darling godfather of mine Sirius Black for the first time, as a convicted mass murderer on the run. Maybe I'll banish dear Voldie for good and have a quiet life from then on. I may even get bored, you never know, won't know what to do with myself then".
"Oh yeah, I forgot" mentioned Tonks.
"Easy for you to say, but its not that easy when you're me you know" sighed Harry.
"You make it sound so interesting, that life story of yours. Maybe you should write a book".
"What, and do a Lockhart? Never in a Merlin's lifetime" stomped Harry.
"Eh, eh now" said Tonks mischievously, grinning at having got one back up on Harry, who was cursing himself for falling for her daft ideas. He told her what he thought of her idea, which made her grin even harder.
"Anyway" said Harry, as if he'd just realised and the dawn of day was just cracking across his face "if you can't do magic her in the muggle house…"
"Your relatives don't forget Harry" interrupted Tonks, again and Harry was slightly irritated for a moment at the interruption, but not for long when he saw her face. It seemed to make him feel calm somewhat now. After their daft antics this morning which seemed to have broken the ice, they seemed to get on like a house on fire. Harry, quickly wished it was this one he was standing in, then it would have burned to the ground, and he would never have had to see it again. 'Oh well, can't have everything in life, s'pose' he thought to himself.
"Yeah, whatever, anyway as I was saying…" continued Harry
"Ooh, woken up from your daydreaming at last have we?" interrupted Tonks for the second time in as many minutes.
"Will you be not so rude as to let me finish talking before you start talking, it's called bad mannered when one is interrupted".
"Ooh, some one's got their robes in a twist" stuttered Tonks with a daft face.
"I'm not wearing any robes, so I can't be me now can it" stated Harry boldly.
"Oh yeah" muttered Tonks, going quiet all of a sudden.
"HA" stated Harry, louder than before and trying hard to keep himself from laughing once again. "Now if I can just finish what I was saying back then, how come you could apparate here and just do this magic with my belongings and not curse me?"
"Do you want me to curse you?" quizzed Tonks, with a hesitant look on her face.
"Nope, but I was just wondering as you mentioned it earlier, having brought the subject up yourself".
"Well" admitted Tonks "I did my silencing charm during apparition, so technically that was not done whilst I was physically here, so that was ok. Then Moody pulled a few strings this morning, and put a spell on my wand so that no traces of magic would be detected here by the ministry".
"So, you could have cursed me and no one would have been any the wiser?" said Harry, "so why didn't you, hmm?"
"Well" blushed Tonks, for what seemed the hundredth time already. "Moody gave me a warning down, and said the spell wouldn't work on unnecessary spells, so I couldn't do it anyway, cos then I'd have to explain to everyone what I was doing here. And I'd have a lot to explain if something undoubtedly happened to you, and I'd get all the blame obviously".
The smug look on Harry's face must have told it all, as the look on Tonk's face was a picture, especially a wizarding picture as they moved and would show more expression of her embarrassment, making her even more embarrassed.
"Well, let's go then, get out of this dingy place for another year".
And off they flew, above the clouds, Harry with a look of content and glee on his face. Tonks must have noticed as she said "Penny for your thoughts Harry".
"Well, I was just thinking of how I'll never have to see this place again for a whole year. Then I'll be seventeen and going back into the final year, and I will be able to use magic legally at the house the, I cant be pulled up in front of the school board as I wont be illegal. I'll never have to suffer again at the mercy of those blubbering muggles, as I can take it into my own hands at last. Dumbledore won't even be able to say I'm a child anymore. He he he".
They both chuckled together and carried on flying high above the clouds. For the remainder of the journey, Harry having the best time of his life after his earlier thought, and whenever he needed cheering up, Tonks had suggested a little Dudley punishment must be devised. A whole lifetime's torture and misery of Harry's to be thought up as revenge in just twelve months. Tonks said that certainly wasn't enough time for everything as Harry had prolonged suffering for sixteen years. However, Harry had mischievously pointed out that he still had the rest of his life to make up for his sorrows, provided Voldemort doesn't decide to kill him unawares before then, otherwise Harry would become seriously hacked off at his attempts. Tonk's said he wouldn't stand a chance in the world against a narked Harry. So that would become Harry's new mission of the year. Instead of Voldemort battling, Dudley punishment.
Harry was glad of his thermal togs he was wearing. His many layers were needed when flying for such a long time. This hadn't occurred at school as a seeker, with his talent for spotting the necessary snitch. The game normally ended swiftly with Harry.
As nothing of any interest happened on the remainder of the journey to Grimmauld place, they soon arrived at their destination, stomachs rumbling, and in desperate need of some sustenance. Harry felt as though he had done a days work already. Once indoors, all the belongings were unloaded from the broomsticks and charms were banished from then, revealing the quantity of goods he actually had.
Then, the unlikely pair made their way down to the kitchen where the smell of good cooking food met their noses. Harry thought it ok to tidy his things away later.
"Morning" said Molly Weasley loudly over the cooker, turning abruptly and running over to give him a traditional Weasley hug, nearly breaking his bones in the process and cutting off his oxygen supply that Tonks had to separate them both. Goodness only knows how she managed it. "How are you dear, bet you're starving, take a seat and I'll have this out in a jiffy". Harry just remembered the Weasley's resided at Grimmauld place now, and Ron would be there too. He decided he would go and surprise his friend after he had eaten, as food took precedence at the moment, when a touloused red haired, gangly figure walked through the door.
"Hello there mate" said Ron, "wondered what all the noise was and why mother here was up so early, putting on a good show of cooking, we'll have to have you round more often, with good living like this".
There was a tut tut tutting from Mrs Weasley behind Ron and a crack where she had hit him with a spatula round the head. "Watch you manners in company" was all she said, putting piles of sausages, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes and stacks of toast in pots in front of them. As they were tucking in, with orange juice and coffee more people had joined the table, and when Harry couldn't eat another single thing, he sat back and felt he was now truly on holiday and at peace with the world with his real family around him, his wizarding family. All the Weasley's and auror's in the order were chatting merrily and catching up on the summer so far. The discussion went by for what seemed like ages with a million topics being discussed, such as OWL results, when Hermione would be arriving, the start of term, shopping in Diagon Alley, Hogwarts and the new NEWT lessons which may have been taken up by Harry and Ron, and they tried to guess what Hermione would be taking up. They naturally dwindled that down to everything, as that was what Hermione was like.
Mrs Weasley set jobs for everyone to do, with lots of moans and groans being heard. All except Harry and Tonks got morning work to do, so Harry decided to make himself useful and take his belongings from the hallway and into his room where he would be staying, which was the same as last year with Ron, thankfully with Ron this year as well, as he loved the company of his best friend. They could talk just about anything amongst themselves.
Tonks decided to help him shift his things, and Harry wondered whether this was a good idea since nothing drastic had happened since her arrival at Privet Drive. Nevertheless, it would be quicker with two and then he could seek out the company of Ron sooner and help him with disgusting job of scrubbing the floors.
As they reached his trunk in the hallway Harry knew it was too good to last. He heard Tonks behind him tripping over the jutting out bottom stair and went flying into him. There was an unearthly crash and the last thing he remembered before another almighty bang was the wailing and screeching of old hagged Mrs Black. Harry felt a tug, noticed he was still firmly attached to Tonks shouted "Where are we what's going on? It feels like we're being transported somewhere". A second later, before there was any time for a reply, they came to a sudden stop and crashed into the ground, with Tonks lying on top of Harry, perfectly positioned with her arms wrapped tightly around him.
Harry begrudged opening his eyes, seeing a grinning Tonk's and looking around the unfamiliar surroundings they were at. "Er where are we" Harry asked looking back at Tonks, who was desperately trying to look sombre, "Er, you don't know either then, well that makes two of us".
"Tonks" shouted Harry, "this is the second thing you've done all day, it's only ten in the morning and already you've nearly killed me twice, and got me lost. At this rate, I won't need dear friend Voldie to sort me out, when I've got you for company" said Harry scathingly, obviously furious with Tonks that she didn't know what to say and remained firmly quiet and deathly still so as not to upset him further.
To be continued……..