AN: I NEED to dedicate this chap 2 my bf lc who is with me in Jamaica as I write, unfortunately I am Irish and therefore burn quite easily (well that combined with putting no lotion on). So as I cannot see the sun lc is staying w me n buying me aloe vera. (which she should have done hrs ago in my opinion) So LC this is 4 u!
Chapter 3
~~~~~ Eight Minutes Ago~~~~~~~~
Harry shook his head in laughter as he exited the house, wondering idly how long it would be until they got together. It was so obvious that they liked each other that Harry was almost surprised that they weren't engaged already, not to mention even started to date yet.
Reaching the garden Harry removed his shirt; his sweat pooled with the dirt was not a good combination for his white tee shirt. If Harry didn't want to be facing Mrs. Weasley's wrath later, he had better take it off while it was to salvageable. Bending down, Harry spotted the same fat little gnome that had bitten him earlier, trying to sneak back in to Mrs. Weasley's garden. Determined to lose the little guy for over ten minutes this time, Harry spun him around six times instead of the usual four. Then he let the gnome fly.
And fly he did, so far that he went over the Weasley's fence that marked the end of their property. "Aha! Try and get back now you little bugger!" Harry shouted to the gnome who couldn't have possible have heard him.
"Stooped to beating poor helpless little garden gnomes Harry?" Fred asked as he came up from behind him to inspect Harry's handiwork. "Good shot though, surpassed my best by four feet at least." He said gazing at the fence.
"Must be a new record." At Harry's disbelieving look George elaborated. "We get in trouble the most so we're naturally the most experienced at gnome banishing, and if Fred says you've beaten him and I know you've beat my best, not by much mind you so don't get a big head, then it's a record."
"Oh dear, I suppose we must defend our titles now that Harry has so openly challenged our territory." Fred began.
"Excuse me?" Harry asked having no idea what they were blabbering about.
George took over. "We can't have you, after only two summers of de-gnoming, hold the family record when we have been doing it since we could walk."
"But," Fred reassured Harry. "We must first finish our newest experiment. After we've successfully tested it on Ron and gotten in trouble…. be ready for the finest show of gnome tossing you will ever have the pleasure to witness!" He finished grandly.
Harry decided not to comment and went back to his task. Picking up two gnomes this time he swung them before letting go on his fourth spin around. They split apart in the air, one going towards the fence and the other over the stump. Both a considerable distance from Harry.
"Where's Ron?" Fred after mentally noting exactly how far each creature went.
"Hermione's here." He said explaining it all with two simple words. The twins exchanged a conspiratorial glance before heading towards the house, George yelling over his shoulder that he had left Harry's broom in the shed. Harry felt sorry for setting the twins on Ron, but he needed to finish the garden and the twins weren't exactly helping him get there.
He watched them go, suddenly noticing that the sun, or rather lack of, was inching farther and farther away. Determined not to be distracted again, Harry began picking off gnomes with a vengeance. He didn't want to be out there all night. Not that Ron would actually force him to finish a bet, it was simply a matter of pride. That and the fact that the twins would probably never let him forget it either.
After a minuet or two's worth of work Harry heard the familiar 'pop' behind him, indicating that someone had apparated in. Harry assumed it was Percy returning home from work early, so he didn't turn around until he was done with the gnome in his arms. After watching it soar over the fence Harry turned to face Percy with a satisfied smile on his face.
Except, it wasn't Percy.
Standing no more than ten feet away from him were the two people he despised most, possibly even more than Voldemort. Not saying a word he grabbed his shirt and strode purposefully towards the house, pulling it over his head on the way.
James couldn't believe it. This was his son. His child was this tanned, lean teenager with an enough amount of strength that allowed him to toss a little thing such a great distance. Then Harry had turned. Having seen him smile for the first time in fourteen years James was amazed. He really did look like him. But the look that came over Harry's face once he recognized them would stay with James forever; it was hatred, pure undiluted hatred.
Shocked by his son's indifference towards himself and the momentarily forgotten Lily, James could only watch as Harry walked away. James looked to his wife to see if she was seeing the same thing he was. Once James saw her hurt, confused face; James became angry. How dare Harry treat Lily like that! Didn't he know how great she was, she was one of the most powerful witches in Britain, and also the women he loved.
No one, not even Harry treated Lily with such insolence and got away with it. Ready to give Harry a spanking, err… at least a hard talking to which he so richly deserved, James ran after him. Harry must have heard him approaching because just as he reached the door it slammed shut in his face.
Shocked for the second time by his son's behavior, James didn't do anything for a moment. Then Lily placed a hand on his shoulde. "He just shut the door in my face." He said still a bit dazed.
Lily giggled at her husband's baffled expression. "I believe he slammed the door but who noticed?" It was odd how only minutes before she had been upset by Harry's obvious distaste for them, but now James had her giggling like some silly school girl.
"This isn't funny! He's coming with us whether he wants to or not. He's our son, he has no choice!" He said folding his arms across his chest as though it were final.
Lily smiled at her husband. "Dumbledore and Sirius and Remus and Arthur and Molly did warn you that it'd be better to wait more, and that he was ……. averse to uh…meeting us."
James snorted. "You mean acknowledging us? Is it so hard to say to my face that he wants to stay here, or that he at least hates me! Hell even Sirius had the decency to tell me to he hated me!" Lily sobered at this, but it was too late, James was out of control. Raising his wand he blasted the door open.
"Now dear was that really necessary? A simple Alohamora would have gotten us in." She said as her husband flashed her a grin in response, his anger all gone.
Stepping around the ruble he opened his mouth. "HARRY!" Still wearing the same insane grin he surveyed the house. "Nice place this Burrow, no wonder Harry likes it."
Lily sighed knowing where this was going, "but…."
"But not as much as he'll like Godric's Hollow. HARRY!" They had Godric's Hollow restored while they were away on their mission. "Where is that boy? HARRY!" Hearing footfalls they both turned expectantly towards the stairs.
~
"Wonder what Harry did to get dad so riled up, whatever it is I bet the twins helped him do it." Ron said to Hermione and Ginny as they walked towards the kitchen. They had heard the door slam and then the three 'HARRY's that had followed. Being upstairs, the many floors to Ron's room had muffled the voice so that Ron was only able to distinguish that it had been a masculine voice that had yelled 'HARRY.'
Since they had seen the twins in their room, oblivious to everything else as usual, they had been able to conclude that it was not them doing the yelling. Percy was not likely to be home for several more hours and wouldn't likely cause a spectacle over a dispute, especially if it was with Harry. So that left Mr. Weasley.
"I bet he went flying over the paddock and some muggle spotted him again." Ginny said as they reached the final steps.
"Not b-" Ron stopped short when after he took a step into the kitchen. Hermione and Ginny both walked into him, causing all three to stumble.
"O Ron what was that for, I know you're slow but walking Ron? I thought you had finally mastered that last month." Ginny said sarcastically enjoying making her brother squirm in front of Hermione. "I mean really it isn't all tha-" She too was cut short as she took in their kitchen. With all the dust, no door, and pieces of furniture sprawled about it was enough to knock anyone speechless without having the two Potters standing in the middle of it all.
Hermione, after several minutes, recovered first. "Hello Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter, I'm Hermione Granger, Harry's friend." She said stepping forward and shaking their hands. James seemed a bit surprised by her appearance and even more by her gesture of greeting. Lily just smiled warmly back and pulled Hermione into a hug.
"So you're Hermione, I've heard all about you, you know." Hermione seemed a bit surprised by Lily's knowledge of her past with Harry, but most certainly pleased that she had learned a bit about her son. Lily then moved on to the two Weasleys. "You must be Ron and Ginny."
Ginny followed Hermione's lead and gave Lily a hug and then did Hermione one better and hugged James as well. James seemed happy at Ginny's act of friendliness. He turned to Ron expectantly.
When Ron didn't immediately make a move towards the Potters or at least open his mouth and say something, Hermione gave him a look. "Yes I'm Ron." He managed finally to the disappointment of both Hermione and Ginny. Not wanting to be left in the room with the present company he said, "I think I'll go look for Harry." And with that he was gone.
Ron ran up the stairs as fast as he could and stopped only when he reached Bill's old room. Harry had been sleeping in there lately to avoid waking Ron up from his nightmares. Which no longer consisted of Voldemort but, much to Ron's amusement, being forced to live with the Potters.
Not bothering to knock he entered and flopped down on the bed next to Harry. He grabbed the Quidditch magazine Harry was reading and flipped through the pages casually. "See anything in there for Keeper's, you know something to help a certain someone get on a certain team where a certain someone else will be captain?" He asked Harry who had lain back against the pillows once Ron had stolen his magazine.
"I saw a few things for Keepers but nothing in there will help you any." He said as Ron threw the magazine back at him.
"HARRY!" They heard from downstairs. Ron winced and Harry appeared not to have heard anything at all. Ron looked at his friend expectantly.
"Come on Harry you have to do something, if not for you but for my ears!" He whined holding his ears dramatically. Harry ignored his friend as well. "Please, I'll wake up without complaining tomorrow." When that didn't work he became desperate. "I'll swim in the pond with you tomorrow!" He said even though he thought the pond to be thoroughly disgusting with its cold muddy water and reeds.
Harry looked at him and smiled. "Sorry but no. Not even for that will I talk to them." He said decisively, getting up from the bed and opening the window. "I think I'll go for a ride until they go home, will you come and get me when they're gone?" He asked even though he was halfway out the window already.
"If you don't break your necking getting to the ground I'll do anything." Ron replied jokingly. He watched as Harry nimbly slide down a pipe then jumped the final few feet before running to the Quidditch shed. Ron picked up the magazine and dropped back down on the bed deciding to give Harry some time before he told his parents he couldn't find him.
"HARRY!" He heard five minutes later and Ron finally decided to get up. Downstairs everything was back to normal and Ginny, Hermione, and Lily were all sitting at the kitchen table talking as though nothing was amiss. Ron stared incredulously at them for a moment before he spotted James pacing the kitchen like a caged lion.
"Uhh I couldn't find him." He said unable to meet their eyes. Lily sighed and gave her husband a look that clearly said 'I told you so.' James stopped pacing and headed for the stairs, Lily gave the girls an exasperated look, that made them giggle and made Ron wonder what they had been talking about, before following her husband. Ron took Lily's empty seat and finished her lemonade before he even dared to look at the girls.
Oddly enough they were not reproachful even though they knew he had lied. Ron could have accepted this from Ginny for she knew of Harry's indifference toward his parents, but Hermione? Ron would have thought she'd be biting his head off while lecturing him on how Harry should at least be giving them a chance and how dare Ron help him in being difficult.
"Don't you think we should go up and help Harry? I mean Mr. Potter is bound to find him sooner or later." Hermione said to them, Ginny nodded her head in agreement while Ron did the opposite.
"No use, he's gone, I'm going to go get him when they leave."
"That's good, I'm not sure if forcing Harry into living with them is the right thing what with his behavior this summer." Hermione said while muttering to herself and she put away the glasses.
"What do you mean 'with his behavior this summer'? How do you know how's Harry been acting this summer?" Ron caught Ginny's guilty glance at Hermione and stopped short. "It was you wasn't it!" He said pointing at Ginny. "You've been spying on Harry and reporting back to her haven't you!" He accused the now red faced girl.
"Now Ron I really don't think that spying is the appropriate word." Ginny started getting up and putting more distance between herself and her brother.
"Harry's had enough problems lately without you watching his every move to see if how he'll respond to walking over a stick."
Hermione let out a loud breath of frustration. "Ron do you honestly believe that we would observe how Harry reacted to walking over a stick!? When I heard about Harry's parents I owled Ginny out of concern for Harry. I knew you would just swear that he was fine, and he'd do the same."
When he didn't say anything, she continued. "Once you calm down, you'll see that you're over reacting over nothing. Now, what did you want to tell me earlier?" She asked evenly.
"Oh," he said looking at Ginny who was casually leaning closer to him. "I was just going to warn you about Harry and well, how he doesn't exactly appreciate his parents being back." He finished smugly proving to Hermione that he had been willing to tell her about their friend.
Ginny looked disappointed as they heard the Potters coming back down the stairs. James came down first, and wasted no time in finding Ron. "When you do see Harry," he began coolly, "be sure to tell him that we will be back tomorrow." He then got an odd glint to his eyes and with a lazy smile said, "with reinforcements!" Then he raised his wand and apparated away.
Lily gave them a pleading smile as though to excuse her husband's bizarre behavior before she too left.
"Well that went well." Ron said as he rose to go and get Harry. Hermione and Ginny didn't voice it, but their faces clearly showed their agreement with Ron's sentiment. "I suppose I'd better give Harry some more time to cool off. I'm not going to tell him that they'll be back until he's too exhausted to put up much of a fight."
AN: I will be showing Sirius' and Remus' initial reactions to the Potters reappearance in a later chap- It was not…err….welcoming. Please REVIEW I need to know if there should be a ball this year, if no one really cares one way or another way ill probably won't do it.
Thanks to all who reviewed!