Thanks for reviewing!
Chapter 2: The Cat woman
Harry followed Arabella into her house with his trunk, and Hedwig swinging on his arm. Once he was inside, Arabella drew the blinds, and locked the front door with her wand.
Harry got a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach. How well did he know this woman? He gripped his wand inside of his jacket just in case.
She turned to him, smiling. "Relax, Harry, the cats are out in the yard."
But Harry continued to stare at her. "The cats are just cats?
Arabella laughed, "Yes Harry, there's no witches or wizards in the yard."
But Harry stared again.
"I'm not going to bite you." She set down his cake. "Eat, and I'll slip into something more comfortable." She pointed her wand at herself, said some words and morphed into a beautiful woman with gray eyes, a warm smile, and shoulder length brown hair.
Harry's mouth dropped open. "You're a Metamorphagus!"
Arabella shook her head with a smile, "Oh, how I wish. No, just a simple shape-shifting charm, very advanced magic."
"So… so that's the real you, Mrs. Figg?" Harry asked.
Arabella nodded. "And Mrs. Figg sounds so old… call me Arabella."
"But… but… you were old." Harry said.
"Dumbledore's orders. He seems to think, and I agree that the Muggles wouldn't ask too many questions if just an old woman lived alone with her cats."
"But… but why didn't you tell me before?"
She gave a small grimace, "Again, Dumbledore's orders. Oh, and I'm sorry about you not being able to go to the Burrow this summer, but that's just not an approved meeting place by the Order. Dumbledore told us."
"So I'm going to be here the rest of the summer?" Harry asked.
"Afraid so. But, I'll tell you a secret. Well, it's not really that big of a deal, but I'm filling the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year."
Harry gave a grin. "That's great."
"So," Arabella said, "dinner. There's this Muggle pizza place that I love. How about it?"
"Yeah," Harry said, "I love pizza."
"And, if you want, once I get the okay from Dumbledore, how about I throw you a birthday party? If it's not too… you know…lame."
Harry found a big goofy grin on his face. "I never had one before."
"Then it's settled," Arabella cried. "Let me show you to your room."
Harry found it hard to brood when everyone was trying their best to cheer him up at his party. Ron had cornered Arabella in the kitchen, and was talking her ear off. Hermione came into the livingroom and sat down beside Harry. "I think Ron wants to move in here."
He did his best to give her a smile.
"So how are you doing?" She asked softly.
He wanted to shout, "how do you think?!" But came out with a "Okay I guess."
"I know that's not true," Hermione said. "You have to try better with me."
"I really don't feel like talking about it, Hermione."
Anyone else would have taken the hint and left him alone. But Hermione, defiant as always simply crossed her legs and asked, "So what should we talk about?"
Arabella followed by Ron walked in with another large cake. They all sang him Happy Birthday, Ron singing the loudest and most off-key. But as he sat there, talking, laughing and eating with them, he felt like an ordinary seventeen year old who was just hanging out with his friends. It was a good feeling, if not a great one. At least for one day he didn't have to think about Voldemort, or what he'd have to do, which he still didn't let Hermione and Ron in on. Ginny kept wishing him a happy birthday, which kept making Ron laugh, and causing Hermione to keep slapping him on the arm.
There was a small popping noise from the kitchen, and Arabella jumped up. "That's Lupin. Excuse me, Order business…" and she bustled off.
Once she was in the kitchen, Hermione's brows knitted. "Has she been treating you alright, Harry?"
Harry nodded, "Yeah, more than alright."
"What's stuck in your hair?" Ron asked.
"Well, I'm not entirely sure we can trust her."
"You're off your nut," Ron replied, "She's in the Order."
"Yes, but why would she just now coming and getting Harry when she's only been living a few doors away all this time?"
"Strict Order business if you must know," Arabella said behind them, searching in a drawer. "Has anyone seen a Quill lying around? Nevermind, I got it." She ran back into the kitchen.
"Well, there you have it." Ron said.
Hermione just bit her bottom lip.
Arabella returned, and took her seat on the sofa. "Harry, there's something I wanted to ask you."
Harry turned to her.
"Did Sirius ever mention me?"
Harry almost fell off the sofa from shock. "No," He said, knitting his own brows.
"Well, we were an item…" Arabella said, "and, this year, we were planning on adopting you. Sirius said it would be what your parents would have wanted."
Harry's mouth literally flopped open. "Sirius talked about us living together someday…" his voice trailed off. It was still too painful to think about him.
"Well, I'm sure he would have wanted me to go along with the plan… and if… if you want to, I can be your mother. You can move in here." Arabella looked nervously at him, awaiting an answer.
Harry had never had a mother before. Well, he had, but he couldn't even remember her. "Yes," Harry said, "Yes, I would like that."
Arabella beamed. "I'm so glad!"
There was another popping noise from the kitchen. "Excuse me," She said again and vanished.
"Hmm," Hermione said.
Harry and Ron looked at her.
"You do know you said that aloud?" Ron asked.
"Why would she just mention Sirius now?" Hermione asked. "Harry's been staying here awhile."
"Maybe it was too difficult," Harry said.
Hermione shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know…"
"Don't listen to her," Ron said, "Harry, your mom's hot."
Harry didn't know quite how to take that.
Hermione gave Ron a reproachful look.
"Uh," He stuttered, "but no one's as pretty or as smart as Hermione."
Harry arched a brow. "You two?"
They both blushed.
Ginny piped up, "I walked in on them, tongues down each others throats, limbs everywhere…"
Hermione blushed and said, "Ron was… was…"
"Yes, Hermione?" Ginny asked politely, and folded her hands.
"Oh, shut up," Hermione mumbled, and Harry and Ginny laughed.
The sound of someone coming down the stairs was heard, and they turned to see a stunningly pretty girl about seventeen reach the landing, and stood awkwardly behind them.
"Bloody hell," Ron whispered to Harry, so that Hermione couldn't hear, "Beautiful women are walking out of the walls here!"
"Ah, Cosette!" Arabella walked in, and wrapped the girl in a hug. "Did you just arrive?"
"Yes," Cosette replied. "Ze weather changed sometime during my travel, and I was delayed." Her French accent slurred some words.
"Well, no problems, I trust?"
"None."
"Great, come and meet everyone. Harry, this is Cosette DuPris from France. She's going to be spending her last year at Hogwarts along with you, and I'm sure you'll find you have much in common." Arabella introduced.
Cosette walked over, and Harry and Hermione made a space for her on the couch.
"Did you arrive on the Knight Bus?" Hermione asked politely.
Cosette turned her big, dramatic blue eyes to Hermione. "No, I arrived by broom."
"Oh?" Ron asked, "What kind of broom do you have?"
"It is… not a very good one," She replied, turning her glistening blonde head to talk to Ron. "A Shooting Star, which won't compete very well at Quidditch."
Ron's pupils dilated. "Which position do you play? I'm team captain this year."
"'Aser," She purred.
"Ron, there's no open spots…" Ginny began to say, but Ron stamped on her foot.
"Chaser, eh? We'll work something out," He assured her.
Cosette glowed, "Oh, 'ow sweet you are!" She paused, "Wut iz your name?"
Ron blushed, "Ron Weasley."
Harry made quick introductions, but Cosette couldn't seem to get Hermione's name right, which was very funny for everyone else but Hermione.
"'Ermz… 'Ermzine?" Cosette tried again. She had tried others such as: Homlione, Homony, and Harmony.
"It's not that hard," Hermione said through clenched teeth, "Her… my… oh… knee."
"Hermione," Ron said quickly.
"'Olon… 'Olonder?"
Ron nearly fell off of the couch laughing.
"Just forget it!" Hermione said, annoyed, and everyone laughed.
"Are you excited about coming to Hogwarts?" Ginny asked.
"Oh, yes," Cosette nodded, "I 'ave read 'Ogwarts: A Hiztory many, many times, and 'ave only dreamed of going to such a beautiful castle."
Harry noticed Hermione's eye twitch.
"Oh have you?" Hermione challenged, "Tell me, can you Apparate and Disapparate inside Hogwarts?"
"No," Cosette said firmly, "One cannot Apparate within one-'undred miles of 'Ogwarts."
Hermione looked like she was about to scream, so Harry decided to change the subject, "So what brings you to England?"
"Ah, zhat." Cosette shook her head sadly, "My mother wuz killed by Death Eaters. I am to return next year to France to live zith my aunt."
Everyone but Hermione offered their condolences.
"Well, it haz been a very tiring day. Would you pleez tell Arabella that I 'ave went to bed?" She said, and stood up.
"Sure thing," Ron grinned, "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," She replied, "Nice meeting you all." And she vanished up the stairs.
"Harry, can I sleep over?" Ron asked quickly.
"Ron!" Hermione shouted.
Ron blushed, "I was just kidding…"
Hermione ignored him, "I'm surprised that she is staying here. I mean, with all the Order business?"
"Well, I'm staying here too, remember." Harry said.
"But you're different, Harry."
Ron leaned over and kissed Hermione's cheek. Hermione blushed, and cuddled closer to him on the couch.
"Ron, we don't have any open Chaser spots on the team." Ginny said pointedly.
"Well, you're good as gone then," Ron said with a wave of his hand.
Ginny's brows knitted.
"I'm just kidding, Ginny." Ron said, and Harry laughed, much to the annoyance of the two girls.
"The things they'll do for a pretty face," Ginny mumbled to Hermione.
"Tell me about it," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes. "If she's in Gryffindor, I'm taking the first train home."
They sat around talking for another hour, and only when Ginny's head drifted down onto the arm of her chair and she began snoring was it time to go home.
Ron and Ginny said goodbye, (Ginny reaching on her tip-toes to give him a kiss on the cheek) and walked to the fireplace. Hermione stood in front of Harry, and gave him a hug. "Happy Birthday, Harry." She bit her bottom lip.
"Hermione, if you have something to say, say it." Harry told her.
"Just be careful," She told him.
"I will," Harry promised.
Ginny disappeared in the fire, and Ron threw floo powder in so he and Hermione could go on through, when Hermione punched him in the arm.
"Oww! What did I do?" He asked.
"How could you look at her like that?" Hermione demanded as they stepped into the fireplace.
"I didn't… The Burrow!" Ron yelled as they vanished along with their bickering. Harry just shook his head with a smile. He ventured up the stairs to his room, thinking vaguely that he'd knock on Cosette's door and see if she wanted to hear a bed time story, and could imagine Ron's face if he told him he had completed the task. But a funny thing happened. He found Cosette to be quite beautiful, but truth be told, he couldn't imagine walking around Hogwarts with her on his arm.
"Your room's down the hall, Harry," Arabella reminded him, and he jogged into it, and closed the door with a snap.