Disclaimer: Hehe i know Angi puts these but I am today because...well I can. Hehe Don't own anything *tear* Ta-ta, Green

Green thanks for everything

A/N: Ok people. You should know that this chapter is a really confusing- the point of view changes every time there is one of '*' – these. Just so you know, and you don't send ME any howlers!

Please enjoy!

-The Charm Bracelet-

Part 9

*

It was almost the same.

Same snake headed knocker. Same musty smell. Same troll foot umbrella stand. Same stairway. Same portrait at the top of the stairs, yelling for you to remove yourself from this house.

It wasn't the same.

Taking a deep breath, Harry emerged from the fireplace, and looked around. He had only had a few minutes to pack, not that it he wasn't ready. He had expected to leave some time before. Dragging his trunk behind him, he followed Ron up the stairs, nodding at Kingsley as he hurried past.

Their room was the same. Same rock hard beds. Same cold hardwood floor covered partially by a moth-eaten rug. Same usually empty frame was still hanging above the beds (Though it was bearing an uptight looking man in green and silver robes for a second, who bustled away as soon as they entered)

It wasn't the same.

There wasn't the same man who was more concerned about fun than safety. The man who had risked everything that he had for Harry, and had lost.

It was going to be a long month.

Harry didn't look happy. She assumed that it had to do with being back in his godfather's house; though when she started to approach him, Ron gave her a look that suggested otherwise.

Right, better let him deal with it himself. For now.

Hermione made her way up the twisted staircase, dragging her trunk lazily behind her.

"WAKE UP!" It split through the silence sharply, making them all just, confused and scared, "It's safe to leave -the floo network isn't being monitored. You have only a few moments to pack. Hurry!"

She had never heard Tonks sound so stern before. She had packed up the few belongings that weren't already away in seconds, making a quick detour to the bathroom to grab her toothbrush. Ginny shuffled by her, gathering her personal belongings into a bag in no organized fashion. Actually it didn't look like she was even paying attention as she grabbed Ron's hair gel and threw it into the sack.

"It's going to be ok, you know. We are just going to Grimmauld place like last year." Patting the younger girls shoulder. Ginny managed a small smile and surveyed the vanity.

She sighed warily, "Well, that's it for me. You have everything?" She didn't answer, but nodded. Ron ran into the washroom, making similar movements as Ginny had moments before.

"Harry wanted me to get his toothbrush," He mumbles to himself. Sweeping the counter of things like soap, body wash, shampoo, Ginny's hair curlers, he loaded his own bag. He looked horrible, bags under his eyes, and an uncharacteristic look of worry.

"Where is my hair gel?"

  

Her and Ginny's room was cold, but clean. She could handle clean. Ginny was lying on her back, staring with deep concentration at the ceiling. She didn't notice Hermione as she entered the room. It didn't matter; Hermione did not want to talk anyway. It had to be about three in the morning, and she had been sleeping quite comfortably before they had been moved here. She pushed through her trunk is search of pajamas that after a few minutes, realized that she was already wearing.

Oh man. All this stress is getting to me.

*

The morning seemed to come to quickly. After a restless sleep, Ron groggily pulled himself from his bed. Harry's bed was made up haphazardly, indicating that he had already gone down for breakfast.

Well at least he wasn't keeping himself cooped up in here again.

His head throbbed dully. He kept having these flashes of something that he didn't recognize. It was to weird to explain, one moment he would be happily playing a game of chess, and then the next he would feel like something horrible was about to happen. The feeling would go as soon as it came, but it left him with an uneasy twinge in the back of his mind. Like he was missing something. He had been so distracted that he had almost lost the game. Almost.

He found his towel buried under a pile of school robes looking out the window, he could see that the weather had not gotten any better. If it was possible the clouds were denser than they were the day before. Pulling out a pair of baggy muggle jeans and a gray Tee shirt he preceded the shower.

But the bathroom was occupied. Great.

Well, might as well camp out here then. He sat down with his back leaning on the banister, holding his towel close. It was so cold in that house. It was amazing how Sirius grew up here, and didn't freeze to death. He distantly heard the shower turn off, not letting it sink in. he hugged the towel closer, shivering a bit. God he wanted to get into the shower and feel warm again. Thunder rolled in the distance, and a dim flash illuminated the hall. The door squeaked open and a short figure stepped out.

The water had weighed down her hair, so her usually frizzy curls fell in graceful ringlets ending near the center of her back. Surveying the area, it took her a second to realize that Ron was there. She smiled slightly, "What are you doing on the floor?"

Suddenly overcome with a surge of embarrassment for being caught staring, she Grinned crookedly, "Waiting for the bathroom."

She smiled, and leaned over and extended her hand, "Just your luck, I'm done." He grasped her small hand in his large one, and hoisted himself up. She smells good.

"Er, Thanks." He realized that he still hold of had her hand, and dropped it quickly. She looked away, her cheeks a bit pink.

"No problem."

Silence.

"Erm, well I should-" He pointed behind him awkwardly.

"Uh, yea. Yea, right." She nodded vigorously, still not making eye contact.

"Ok, well. See you downstairs." She started to walk away.

"Yea, see you," She looked over her shoulder and smiled.

She had a really pretty smile … STOP THAT WEASLEY! She. Is. Your. Best. Friend

He groaned to himself, pushing through the dark oak door. The bathroom was decorated with dark gray stone and elaborate silver finishes. It had an eerie mood around it, not unlike the rest of the house, dimly lit buy an ancient looking chandelier

He felt the warm blast of water that he had been longing for. That was nice.

*

Ginny awoke with a start. Hermione had just walked into the room, her hair wet.

"Oh, Sorry." She said guiltily. Her cheeks were pink, and she wouldn't make eye contact.

"Hermione, what's up?" she inquired. Hermione was neatly folding her towel determinedly not looking at her.

"Nothing. Why?" She looked like she regretted asking, as Ginny looked up with a mischievous grin on her face.

"You just look … Happy. Any reason in particular, Miss. Granger?" Oh this was too much fun Hermione turned a shade of red that could rival any member of the Weasley families.

"Nope."

"Right. Have you eaten yet?" She decided not to pursue the subject until the perfect opportunity struck. 

"Uh, no. Do you want to go down?" She slowly turned back to her normal pale complexion.

"Yea, ok." Ginny answered, pulling away her covers, what time is it anyways?"

"Eight-ish. Here, you need this," She threw over a hairbrush and grinned.

"Thanks for your brutal honesty." She ran it over her hair a few times, glancing in the mirror on their way to the kitchen. She looked dreadful, like she hadn't slept in days; which was not to far from the truth. Her skin looked especially pale, making her freckles stick out. She had dark circles around her eyes. She sighed; at least my hair isn't a mess.

She could smell coffee as she entered the kitchen, and saw her mother sitting at the long table, looking gloomily at her cup. She looked up at her daughter, and got a small smile on her face. Before Ginny knew it she was being smothered in a bear hug.

"Eep. Mum, it has only been two days. Just two." She said between gasps. She wouldn't voice it, but she was really glad to see her mother again. Safe.

"Oh, Ginny, you look dreadful!" She simmered, holding her at arms length.

"Thanks, mum. Real supportive." She giggled a bit. She knew what her mother meant of course, but she might as well humor her.

"Have you been eating right? Sleeping ok?"

"None of us have been sleeping ok, mum. I will be fine," Her mother loosened her grasp, and after giving Ginny a suggestive look, began to fry bacon on the stove, muttering to herself.

A worn looking Harry walked into the kitchen without saying anything or making eye contact with anyone. He sat at the table and stared at it with deep concentration. Ginny thought that He looked like he was liable to nod off any second.

"Harry, dear, do you feel better?" Mrs. Weasley inquired over her shoulder. Harry didn't look up but nodded slightly. He sighed deeply and rose as if he had overcome a large task. First he looked at Hermione who grinned cheerfully.

"Good morning."

"Mmh." He nodded. He looked worse than Ginny had in her reflection. His usually startling green eyes were dull and muddy, his lips in a frown. Turning to Ginny he nodded a recognition, which she returned by smiling weakly.  

"Who wants breakfast?" Her mother asked apparently unaware of all the awkwardness between the teenagers.

"I smell bacon," Ron had hurried into the kitchen and took a seat next to Harry as if he didn't notice his depressed state. He ran a hand through his shaggy hair, which was still wet and falling into little strands around his face and neck. Hermione was staring intensely.

"Um, Hermione, would you please pass me the butter," Harry said amused. He looked up tiredly from his gloom as she snapped back to life.

"Erm, yea, here." She went a little pink, looking back at her toast.

"What's for breakfast, Mum?" Bill wandered in followed closely by another redhead Ginny immediately recognized as her second oldest brother.

"CHAAR-LIE!!!!" She felt a burst of energy as she jumped from the table and smothered him in a hug.

"Ginny. Whoa." He hugged her quickly, releasing her and grabbing himself a plate. His skin was tanned and his hair was in spikes all over his head.

"Why are you here?"

"Why do you think?" He rolled his eyes as he took the bacon plate out of Ron's hands, "If you didn't know, there has recently been an attack from the dark side. Geez, and I thought that they were keeping you informed."

"But why are you here. There are plenty of people-"

"It doesn't matter, Ginny," Bill said suddenly looking at Charlie who had opened his mouth.

"Erm, Right." Said Charlie. Deciding to drop the subject and pry it out of them later when her mother wasn't around, Ginny nodded. They talked casually for a few minutes when a small gray owl gracefully flew through the door and landed on the kitchen table.

"He was waiting outside the door when I came by, I guess that he wanted in," Tonks was looking about as good as the rest of them. Her hair was short and dark brown, her face was pale and had circles around her eyes. Ginny guessed that she must not have had time to morph herself out of her usual appearance.

"Morning," She mumbled half-heartedly. Bill caught her eye and grinned. Her face brightened a bit but fell back to its wary state when Charlie handed her a plate.

"Haven't seen you for a while." He smiled wide-awake. She glared at him, but laughed when he pretended to look hurt. For some reason Bill shot him a frustrated look.

"I think that the owl is for you," Hermione pointed out to him. Indeed the owl began drinking his pumpkin juice and picking at his toast.

"Oh, right." Bill untied the scroll on its leg. He expression was unreadable as he scanned the letter, though in the end he looked irritated.

"Does someone have a quill?" Tonks pointed at the counter behind her where there were wells of ink, quills and rolls of parchment, but did not look up. "Thanks."

He mumbled to himself as he quickly wrote his response, "Here, Take this back to her," The gray owl stuck out his leg and he tied his letter. It flew out of the kitchen.

"You might want to open the door for it," Tonks said miserably. Charlie looked at her questionably; she smiled weakly, but turned to her breakfast again.

"May I be excused?" Harry asked, looking at Mrs. Weasley. She nodded, sitting at the table herself. "Thanks for breakfast," He mumbled putting his dishes in the sink.

"Umm, I'm done as well. Thanks for breakfast mom," Ginny hurried and tossed her dishes into the sink, following Harry out of the room. He was slowly making his way up the stairs looking down.

"Hey, Harry." She asked from the bottom. He turned a pained looking gaze at her. Oh boy, how do I ask this? What if he flips out on me?

"Mm"

"Uh, are you … Ok?" Please don't yell. Please don't yell.

He looked down, as if contemplating what to say. Slowly he looked up at her, his green eyes not looking right at her, "Yea. Yea I'm fine."

She rolled her eyes, Yea, You look smashing, "You sure?"

"Uh, yea. Umm, I am going to go lie down for a while, we didn't get a lot last night … so, umm, see you later." He turned and started up the stairs once again, leaving Ginny confused and frustrated.

*

Three days later, Harry had only left his room to eat and shower.

It was about 8:00 in the evening. He had excused himself from dinner, barley eating anything. He was sitting on his bed leaning against the wall, thinking about … everything.

There a slight knock at the door. It was probably Ron wanting to get something from his trunk. He had made it a habit of not coming to bed until about 11:00, probably to avoid Harry. He decided to ignore it; Ron would have to take a hint.

The knock was louder this time, followed by a soft voice, "Harry, can I come in?"

No you cannot!

He didn't say anything; maybe she would just go away.

"I know that you are in there. Mom sent up some dinner. You didn't eat any of yours."

Thanks for the information- I wasn't hungry.

"Can I please come in," She pleaded.

Go away.

"Harry! You are not getting off that easy!" She entered the room, closing the door behind her. He was momentarily surprised, but hid it well, trying to look annoyed. Really he just wanted to be alone.

"Gin. I'm tired," Please go away!

"I know, we all are. It does not give you the right to completely disregard our attempts to communicate with you. You are still human, you know. You don't have to go through this all by yourself!" She looked irritated, sad and tired.

He was stunned.

"I do not disregard you! Did you ever get the feeling that maybe I LIKE being ALONE?"

I don't have to explain myself. Don't they get it- I am in my DEAD godfathers house! What I supposed to do, look cheery and act like it is nothing?

A hurt look crossed her face, but she recovered quickly- now looking angry. Very angry. Her cheeks started to colour, as she clenched her fists.

"Harry, have you ever stopped and thought that maybe the world doesn't just revolve around YOU! You know that we care about you right? Mom and Dad. Hermione and Ron … ME! We don't deserve this! WE HAVE TRIED TO TALK TO YOU, WHY WON'T YOU LISTEN!" She had frustrated tears running down her cheeks. She sounded desperate and worried.

"I DON'T WANT TO TALK!" He exploded. This was too much. Why didn't she get it? When he was alone no one got hurt, "Just, go away, Ginny!"

The word came out of his mouth harsh, and bit like a snake. She opened her mouth soundlessly, but closed it abruptly.  He face paled visibly, and she set the platter of mashed potatoes and chops on the table beside the door. She turned and almost sprinted out.

Serves her right. He thought, though there was a burning sensation of guilt inside of him. He didn't want to make her cry.

*

Ron was winning, and rubbing it in shamelessly.

"Oh … Hermione, was that your Queen? Sorry." He grinned his lopsided grin as one of his pawns took her out. A lowly PAWN!

"Shut up, you arse!" He grinned even wider and kicked her lightly under the table.

"Watch your language, young lady. That is no way for a prefect to speak!"

"Be quiet. I quit, I don't have to take this type of abuse from you!"

"You can't quit," said Ron, outraged, "You haven't finished the game yet!"

"YEA!" His remaining knight piped in, in a tiny voice.

"Well … then you win." She knocked over her king ("HEY!")

"But… I always win-" He whined, "-it's only fun when I get to see you get all frustrated and stuff!"

"Oh, poor baby!" She crossed her arms over her chest and plopped into the ancient, lumpy green velvet couch. He sat next to her, still grinning, trying to catch her eye.

"Is Hermione jealous?" 

"NO!"

"Right…"

SLAM Sniff

SLAM!

"What was THAT?" Ron asked, shifting violently in his seat to get a better look up the stairway.

Hermione looked like she had a good idea.

"Umm, Ron, I will be right back, ok?

She didn't wait for an answer but bolted up the stairs.

Great, now I have nothing to do. Hermione ran upstairs and into her room. She was always running off to help the person in need. How could she be so insensitive!

What to do, what to do?

Food!

Ron jumped off the couch, walking towards the kitchen.

"You told her WHAT?"


"I just said that 'I'm sorry, but at this point in time she isn't my first priority, there are more important things to worry about,' what's wrong with that?"

"What's wrong with that? What do you MEAN what's wrong with that?" Bill and Charlie were sitting at the kitchen table while Tonks was sitting at the desk writing a letter. Ron slunk into the shadows, curious about what they were saying, "Dude- SHE IS A VEELA! You don't just blow off a Veela!"

"I don't know why you care so much. Look she wrote this morning saying that she was mad that I had to cancel our date on Harry's birthday, and when I rescheduled for the 1st, there was a bloody attack! What did she expect me to do, just say, 'Well, sorry guy's I've got a date, can't help you fight the Dark Lord tonight.'" From where he was lurking he could see Tonks roll her eyes.

"Oh com'on, you must have said something more offensive that that. I mean she knows that You-Know-Who is back, and she knows that you are working to against him. She couldn't really have gone all ballistic like that for no reason!"

"Oh, but she did. You heard her. I don't even know half of what she said. She was talking so quickly in French that I didn't pick up on it! I don't know how she fit it all into one howler!"

"She said that you were the scum that grows on hippogriff dung, and you deserve to be drowned in a caldron of flobberworms. And if she ever runs into you again she will hit you with a curse so bad that you wont be able to distinguish your backside from your face, though sometimes it isn't so easy to tell the difference in the first place," Tonks recited not looking up from her parchment, but merely dipping her quill into her ink well.

Both the older Weasley's stared at her in awe.

Silence

"Whoa." Said Bill, staring at her wide-eyed.

"I went to a French Emersion school before I came to Hogwarts. My father was a muggle; he thought that it was a good idea. I lived in France for a few months before I went to the Auror Academy."

"Hey, I was friends with you for seven years in school, and you didn't tell me a word of that!" Charlie looked outraged.

"Yea well, it wasn't to enjoyable. School was horrible, it took me three years to figure out what the hell those bloody teachers were saying to me."

"She said that I was scum?" Bill asked.

"Scum, which grows on hippogriff dung, yes." She didn't even look up from her letter. 

"Hmm … I think that I'll use that, Billy!" Charlie ginned, ducking when Bill threw a bagel at him, "It has a nice ring to it."

"I can't say that I am all around disappointed, mind you. She was beginning to get on my nerves, likes to be pampered, that one."

"But she is very good looking!" Charlie piped in.

Tonks muttered something very quietly under her breath that sounded like 'Men.' It reminded Ron so much of Hermione that he almost laughed out loud. She accidentally knocked over her ink, which splattered all over her letter, and onto her torn jeans.

"Aww, crap." She picked up her wand and did a series of charms, trying to get out the stains. It worked on her jeans but erased the entire contents of her letter. Charlie was laughing.

"You know, I thought that you would have grown out of that after school."

"Oh, shut up you! You didn't exactly have the best qualities in Hogwarts Mr. Oh-I'm-a-prefect-who-gets-more-detentions-than-any-other-Gryffindor-fifth-year"

Bill laughed at this, though Ron had no idea what was going on.

"Hey, You were the freaking Head Boy. And you shouldn't be talking missy!" Charlie laughed

"Well, I don't know how either of you made Prefect and I was the junkie that you were throwing into detention at least twice a week! Kind of unfair I thought" Tonks declared.

"Tonks, you broke into the Ravenclaw common room, stole all of your ex-boyfriends undergarments and left them hanging on the quidditch goal posts. What did you expect, a reward?"

"I would have given her one! I hated that prat." Charlie said angrily.

"He beat you on one Care of Magical Creatures test, get over it!"

"It was my best class!" He said defensively.

 "Wotcher, Charlie. I see you turning green with envy."

"Shut up!" He said, and then obviously wanting to change the subject he asked, "So it is definitely over with you and Fleur?" But he didn't take his eyes of Tonks, who was determinately trying not to look at him.

"Yes, I believe it is. Might as well move on, I have been with her for almost a year- that's a long time," He said to nobody but himself.

"Yea, well, there are other fish in the sea," Said Charlie, still looking at Tonks, his eyebrows raised. She was staring once again at her parchment, and ran a hand through her hair, trying to keep it out of her eyes, though it flopped right back.

"I can't stand my natural look," She said annoyed as she concentrated hard, and seconds later had long black hair, falling near the center of her back, "There,"

"I think it looks nice normal," Bill said half heartedly as he buttered another bagel, the one that her threw at Charlie was still on the floor. Tonks went just a tiny bit pink in the cheeks, but turned back to the blank parchment, and began writing again.

Ron was too confused to stay in hiding anymore. All he knew was that it sounded like Fleur wasn't quite as nice as he though he was. Good at making fun of his brother though, which earned her brownie points. He slunk back over to the doorway, and then entered as if he had just got there.

"Can I have a bagel?"

*

Hermione stepped into the room quietly. Ginny was sitting on her bed, her knees curled closely to her chest, her eyes closed but silent tears were rolling down her cheeks. This was strange; Ginny rarely cried.

"Ginny, what's wrong?" She wiped away her tears, and sniffed loudly.

"Nothing important."

"Ginny, what happened? Did you talk to him?" Ginny sniffed and gave a watery giggle.

"Umm, it was more like I yelled at him. I think that I may have gone at it wrong,"

"Why did you yell at him?"

It was a short story, but Hermione could feel her eyes prickling. How could he do that to Ginny, she was just trying to help. Harry had yelled at herself and Ron before, but whenever he tried anything with Ginny, she somehow brought him back down to earth.

"Its just now … I think that he hates me." She sniffed again, and erupted into a fit of sobs.

"No! He doesn't, he's just … angry. Not at you-" She said hastily, "-but at everything. He feels like it is his fault somehow."

"But, I-it isn't," She sniffed, holding her knee's close to her chest.

"I know that, you know that, and I think that deep, deep down, Harry knows that. I think that it is because he wants to blame it on, well, something. Who easier than yourself?"

*

Ta-da. I hope that you liked! Please drop me a review (AND LEAVE YOUR EMAIL)

Happy reading!

~Angi