Birthday Surprises Chapter Seventeen
Usual disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. Please. Wish it were mine though. Ah, if only. Lolly, xxx.
Harry and Ginny talked most of the way to the Burrow, talking about the DA amongst other things. Ginny wondered what seemed different about Harry - had he changed his hair? No, that was the same. His glasses? No, they were the same too. They had just pulled up to the Burrow, and Harry was looking out of the window, when she realised what was different - it was his nose! It looked...flatter than it had before the summer, she decided. "Harry, what happened to your nose?" She asked.
"We're here." Remus interrupted. "Harry, I'll take your luggage so that you can take the triplets, ok?"
"Sure." Harry replied. He began to take the triplets from the car and put them into the basket, with the help of Ginny.
***
"Harry!" Hermione was flying towards him, and Harry looked nervously at the basket between him and Hermione.
"Uh, Hermione, whoa. Stop!" He cried, holding out his free hand. Hermione stopped, looking mildly hurt.
"No need to look so upset." Harry laughed, putting his arm around her shoulder. "I was just worried that you'd end up crashing into the triplets." Hermione looked into the basket, her mouth falling open in shock.
"Harry...what...?" She attempted.
"I'll explain later, c'mon, let's go inside, yeah?"
"Uh huh. Oh Harry, they are so cute! How old are they?"
"Six weeks old." Harry said. "They're called Leah, Sam and Andy."
"Aww." Hermione said, Harry groaned inwardly, the same words running around his head at a mile a minute: broody best friend.
"Harry! How are you?" Ron asked. "Whoa - when did this happen? I mean, when did you become a father without telling your best friends?" Ron asked, his eyes narrowed. Harry's eyes widened in shock - they thought...? He was about to reply when Molly came over, her eyes shining.
"Oh, there they are. Aren't they just adorable?" She cooed. Harry noticed that Ron looked ready to explode.
"Mum knows?" He asked dangerously. Harry quickly excused himself from Molly, and beckoned for Ron to follow him. He went up to the room that Molly had said he could use, and began to unpack the babies things.
"Well? You told mum but you didn't tell us?" He asked.
"Ron, I don't know what made you think that, but I'm not their father. Good god, I mean when would I have...and with who?" Harry said. Ron flushed crimson in embarrassment.
"You mean you aren't...they aren't yours?"
"No. They aren't. Believe me, you would've known if I'd gotten anyone pregnant. I would have been on the verge of a nervous breakdown." Harry laughed. "I'm looking after them for Dumbledore for the summer. He put the triplets into the cot, handing Leah a small fluffy owl that he had conjured. He figured that it was better than a real owl, especially as Leah seemed to love it so much.
"You look different." Hermione said, frowning at him.
"It's his nose." Ginny said, walking in. She looked quite annoyed.
"It is! You're right - what have you done to it?" Hermione asked.
"It wasn't exactly me...Vernon decided to remodel it for me."
"What?" Ron asked, looking confused. Hermione and Ginny looked absolutely horrified.
"That was what you and Remus were talking about in the car!" Ginny said.
"Yeah - Vernon punched me and broke my nose. That's why I'm here early. We were at Hogwarts and."
"You were at Hogwarts? Why?" Ron asked.
"Oh, I forgot. A deatheater came to pay us a visit. I had to 'persuade' the Muggles to floo to Hogwarts. We stayed there overnight. Vernon punched me at breakfast - I had been 'reminding' Dudley about the time he met Hagrid, and came out of it with a pig's tail. Anyway, Vernon got a little...angry, and broke my nose. In front of Snape as well."
"What did you do?"
"Cursed him several times." Harry shrugged.
"Harry that is awful! At least you could defend yourself. It's not like when you hear about a little kid getting beaten." Harry cringed, wondering if he needed to tell his friends the whole story.
***
"Harry? Molly would like a word." Remus said, looking into the room. He saw the look of disgust on Ginny's face and knew that Harry had told them something, he just didn't know how much.
"How much did you tell them?" He asked as Harry closed the door.
"Just that he broke my nose. They don't need to know anything else." Harry said.
"Well, it's your choice." Remus said.
"D'you think I should tell them?"
"I don't know, Harry. I've never been through anything like this. All I know is that your friends might find out anyway."
"I suppose..." Harry sighed. He still wasn't sure whether he wanted to tell his friends or not.
"Harry, I should warn you. Molly wants to know why it was so important that you came here tonight. Professor Dumbledore wouldn't tell her."
"Great. Can I get away with just telling her that he broke my nose and nothing else?"
"I don't think so."
"Damn." Harry muttered. He just wanted it all to disappear - was that so wrong?
Usual disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. Please. Wish it were mine though. Ah, if only. Lolly, xxx.
Harry and Ginny talked most of the way to the Burrow, talking about the DA amongst other things. Ginny wondered what seemed different about Harry - had he changed his hair? No, that was the same. His glasses? No, they were the same too. They had just pulled up to the Burrow, and Harry was looking out of the window, when she realised what was different - it was his nose! It looked...flatter than it had before the summer, she decided. "Harry, what happened to your nose?" She asked.
"We're here." Remus interrupted. "Harry, I'll take your luggage so that you can take the triplets, ok?"
"Sure." Harry replied. He began to take the triplets from the car and put them into the basket, with the help of Ginny.
***
"Harry!" Hermione was flying towards him, and Harry looked nervously at the basket between him and Hermione.
"Uh, Hermione, whoa. Stop!" He cried, holding out his free hand. Hermione stopped, looking mildly hurt.
"No need to look so upset." Harry laughed, putting his arm around her shoulder. "I was just worried that you'd end up crashing into the triplets." Hermione looked into the basket, her mouth falling open in shock.
"Harry...what...?" She attempted.
"I'll explain later, c'mon, let's go inside, yeah?"
"Uh huh. Oh Harry, they are so cute! How old are they?"
"Six weeks old." Harry said. "They're called Leah, Sam and Andy."
"Aww." Hermione said, Harry groaned inwardly, the same words running around his head at a mile a minute: broody best friend.
"Harry! How are you?" Ron asked. "Whoa - when did this happen? I mean, when did you become a father without telling your best friends?" Ron asked, his eyes narrowed. Harry's eyes widened in shock - they thought...? He was about to reply when Molly came over, her eyes shining.
"Oh, there they are. Aren't they just adorable?" She cooed. Harry noticed that Ron looked ready to explode.
"Mum knows?" He asked dangerously. Harry quickly excused himself from Molly, and beckoned for Ron to follow him. He went up to the room that Molly had said he could use, and began to unpack the babies things.
"Well? You told mum but you didn't tell us?" He asked.
"Ron, I don't know what made you think that, but I'm not their father. Good god, I mean when would I have...and with who?" Harry said. Ron flushed crimson in embarrassment.
"You mean you aren't...they aren't yours?"
"No. They aren't. Believe me, you would've known if I'd gotten anyone pregnant. I would have been on the verge of a nervous breakdown." Harry laughed. "I'm looking after them for Dumbledore for the summer. He put the triplets into the cot, handing Leah a small fluffy owl that he had conjured. He figured that it was better than a real owl, especially as Leah seemed to love it so much.
"You look different." Hermione said, frowning at him.
"It's his nose." Ginny said, walking in. She looked quite annoyed.
"It is! You're right - what have you done to it?" Hermione asked.
"It wasn't exactly me...Vernon decided to remodel it for me."
"What?" Ron asked, looking confused. Hermione and Ginny looked absolutely horrified.
"That was what you and Remus were talking about in the car!" Ginny said.
"Yeah - Vernon punched me and broke my nose. That's why I'm here early. We were at Hogwarts and."
"You were at Hogwarts? Why?" Ron asked.
"Oh, I forgot. A deatheater came to pay us a visit. I had to 'persuade' the Muggles to floo to Hogwarts. We stayed there overnight. Vernon punched me at breakfast - I had been 'reminding' Dudley about the time he met Hagrid, and came out of it with a pig's tail. Anyway, Vernon got a little...angry, and broke my nose. In front of Snape as well."
"What did you do?"
"Cursed him several times." Harry shrugged.
"Harry that is awful! At least you could defend yourself. It's not like when you hear about a little kid getting beaten." Harry cringed, wondering if he needed to tell his friends the whole story.
***
"Harry? Molly would like a word." Remus said, looking into the room. He saw the look of disgust on Ginny's face and knew that Harry had told them something, he just didn't know how much.
"How much did you tell them?" He asked as Harry closed the door.
"Just that he broke my nose. They don't need to know anything else." Harry said.
"Well, it's your choice." Remus said.
"D'you think I should tell them?"
"I don't know, Harry. I've never been through anything like this. All I know is that your friends might find out anyway."
"I suppose..." Harry sighed. He still wasn't sure whether he wanted to tell his friends or not.
"Harry, I should warn you. Molly wants to know why it was so important that you came here tonight. Professor Dumbledore wouldn't tell her."
"Great. Can I get away with just telling her that he broke my nose and nothing else?"
"I don't think so."
"Damn." Harry muttered. He just wanted it all to disappear - was that so wrong?
