A/N: Kia Ora! Apologies,
apologies, apologies! I'm so sorry it took me so long to update. You know
how life is, I've been fully busy with work and classes (& some jerk I
should never have wasted my time on.) Anyways here it is and thanks for reading!
THE JOURNEY HOME
Chapter Seven - The Arrival
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His feet pounded on the hard stone fall. His head ached
and his whole body throbbed with agony. He could hear her, she was calling
him, but he couldn't find her. He'd run down every corridor, every staircase,
every hidden passageway, but still she was no where to be found. Suddenly
his legs collapsed from under him, his ankle twisted and he began falling.
His body crumbled as he hit the first step and bounced off, his momentum carried
him to the next. He toppled like a rag doll down the stairs and lay motionless
in a heap at the bottom. At first there was no sign of life, then a choked
sob emerged from the mass on the floor, followed by manic laughter.
Ron's head sprung upwards off his desk, sweat was running down his pale
face and his breathing was deep and erratic. He swallowed and leapt up off
his seat. He sprinted out the only door of his one room shack and doubled
over, retching into the bushes outside. He stood upright and took a step
backwards trying to regain control of his breathing. He swore loudly and
wiped his face with the back of his sleeve.
"Watch your language, Weasley," a female voice from behind him warned.
Ron spun around. "Merlin's beard, don't sneak up on a person like that."
"Who's sneaking? I've been sitting here all morning, you're the one that
nearly gave me a heart attack bursting out the door like that." The elderly
woman was sitting on the grass with her back to the wall of Ron's shack, a
quill behind her ear and an assortment of parchments in front of her. "I'm
almost done, in case you cared."
"I do care, thank you Marion. I appreciate all the work you're doing for
me and I promise as soon as we're done you WILL get paid," Ron assured her.
"Hmm, you've been saying that for going on two years now I believe."
"And I mean every word of it." Ron glanced distractedly up at the sky. "It's
light out. What time is it?"
"Just about four in the afternoon." Marion continued to scribble notes and
equations on the open pieces of parchment in front of her. "How was your sleep?"
"Quite awful thank you," Ron replied, "when did Tonks say these recruits
of hers would be arriving?"
"Soon. Next hour or so I'd wager."
"Good, I want to get started as soon as possible."
"Whatever you say boss."
Ron stared at the sky for a few more minutes. His thoughts swayed threateningly
towards the dream he had woken from, but as usual he quickly shook it from
his head.
"I'm going to get some work done," he informed Marion. She nodded unconcernedly
and he disappeared round the back of his shack.
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Harry scooped a stone from the ground and threw it carelessly into the distance.
He glanced over his shoulder.
"Ginny? Are you coming or what?" he bellowed.
"Alright, alright, keep your hair on." Ginny appeared from behind a tree
and strolled over to him. "I don't remember you being this impatient," she
mumbled flinging her bag over her shoulder.
"I just want to get there sometime before Christmas if that's alright with
you." Harry replied.
"Yikes, you're grumpy when you don't get enough sleep." Ginny commented.
"Yeah, you would be too if you were bunking with Sir Snores-a-lot!"
Ginny laughed. Harry loved her laugh.
"Which one was that?" she asked.
"Joshua, I think, or it might've been..."
"RON!" Ginny dropped her bag and sprinted in the clearing ahead of them.
Harry saw a tall red-headed man stand up and turn around as Ginny ran towards
him. She threw her arms around the man and he swung her round in a circle.
Harry picked up Ginny's bag for her and stepped through the low brush into
the clearing. Despite an obvious change in physique, there was no mistaking
the man for Harry's best friend Ron Weasley.
"I didn't know you were coming," Ron was saying, "I might've showered or
something if I had."
"And maybe shaved," Ginny added with a grin, "what do you call this style
anyway?"
Ron flicked a strand of hair off his forehead. "This is the ruggedly handsome
outdoorsman look," he replied with a laugh.
"Oh yeah, I think smelly drunken vagrant fits better," Ginny countered.
Ron threw his arms around Ginny again and gave her an even bigger hug. "I've
missed you Gin."
"Yeah, it's good to see you Ron." Ginny hugged him back.
Harry had just decided to leave the two siblings to catch up when Ron suddenly
caught sight of him.
"Harry?" Ron broke away from Ginny and took several steps towards Harry.
"Godrics ghost." He seemed to stand completely still for a few minutes staring
at Harry in an elated kind of shock.
"Ron, you look..." Harry wasn't sure what to say, "different."
"Yeah, so do you," Ron didn't seem to be suffering from the same loss for
words Harry was, "you finally managed to get your hair under control, it looks
good. How'd you get that gash on your arm? Battling the forces of evil at
work I suppose."
"No, actually, I walked into a door scraped it on the handle," Harry chuckled.
Ron burst with laughter. "Nice one, bet it's not what you tell all those
admirers of yours though, huh?"
"Nah, of course not. I tell them I was attacked by thestrals or something,
I can never keep track of all my war wounds."
"No, I don't imagine you can." Ron's whole demeanour seemed to have changed.
His grin looked more of a sneer and his hand was balled into a fist. If this
had been anyone else Harry would have known to duck, but Ron was his best
friend and Harry didn't expect what came next. Ron's fist made a sickening
thud when it made contact with Harry's nose.
"Ron!" Ginny yelled, running forward and grabbing Ron's arm.
Blood flowed from Harry's nose soaking his shirt.
"You know you deserved that, right?" Ron asked angrily.
"Yeah," Harry muttered, stumbling over to a tall upright rock and sliding
down it, his head tilted backwards. "I know."
"Good. As long as we're clear."
Now she was sure he wouldn't strike again Ginny released Ron and approached
Harry. "Let me look at it." She pulled his hands away from his nose and examined
it. "Ron, pass me my bag." Ron obeyed and Ginny dug threw it for a towel.
She mopped up the bloody mess all over Harry's front and took her wand from
her pocket. "This is probably going to hurt." She pointed her wand at Harry's
nose and mumbled a few words. Harry cringed as he felt the stinging pain his
nose increase, then the pain faded.
"Wow," Harry tentatively prodded his nose, "thanks Ginny. It doesn't even
hurt."
Ginny shrugged. "It's what I do."
"Come on." Ron offered Harry his hand.
"You're not going to hit me again, are you?" Harry asked, cautiously.
"No," Ron replied, pulling Harry to his feet. "I reckon once is enough.
You guys hungry?"
Ginny nodded.
"Great, I'll get started on dinner." Ron headed towards the wooden shack.
"He's not going to poison me, is he?" Harry asked Ginny.
"I hope not." Ginny replied, with a look of uncertainty.
Harry sighed. "Me too."
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