Harry Potter and the Residence of Death
Chapter 2- Like a Vixen Almost
Everything belongs to Goddess JK (except some future characters and the story... but you know what I mean).
To my reviewers: Thanks for liking the first chapter to my first fic... I really appreciate the positive feedback. I'm working really hard to write this story chapter by chapter... and you make me want to write it even faster.
"Yes," he responded in a small voice. His head sunk lower, and he truly looked intimidated.
"YOU KNEW? AND YOU DIDN'T STOP THEM?" Mrs. Weasley's arms were flailing about, and her loud voice caused many of her magical trinkets to hide in a nearby cupboard.
"Well, the poster is harmless... and I just thought that it would be nice if Dudley learned some modesty... and well..." While Mr. Weasley was searching for the right words, Harry spoke up.
"Mrs. Weasley, I can take down the poster if you'd like me to... I can go back right now," Harry said. Although he did not want to take the poster down and thought that Dudley got exactly what he deserved, he was more than willing to listen to Mrs. Weasley. She had been like a second mother to him for the past five years.
"No, dear, that's quite alright. I think that this will teach Dudley a very important lesson." She then turned to Mr. Weasley. "HOWEVER! It was INCREDIBLY irresponsible to ENCOURAGE them. I think that I'm going to have to send a HOWLER today! Where's Errol?"
"Um... let's go up to my room," Ron whispered to Harry and Hermione. The trio snuck through the kitchen and down a small hallway to the Weasleys' unique staircase. This staircase zigzagged through the house, causing the house to seem lopsided. They ran up the stair to the fifth landing, where they stopped in front of Ron's door. The familiar peeling and faded plaque that read "Ronald's Room" made Harry feel at home.
Once inside, Harry was blinded by the mass amounts of bright orange, symbolizing the Chudley Cannons, Ron's favorite Quidditch team. It was almost exactly as Harry remembered, with the same flaking wallpaper and the same orange bedspread and ceiling. The only difference in this room was that there were a few new posters on the wall. Ron flopped down on his bed, and Harry and Hermione each took a folded chair out of the corner and sat down. Ron then took a humongous box from under his bed filled with Pumpkin Pasties, Bertie Bott's Beans, Cockroach Clusters, and other treats.
"Fred and George sent them. They really have been a lot nicer to me since they don't seem me as often anymore... at least that's the reason I think," said Ron, stuffing a Pasty into his mouth.
"They do say that absence makes the heart grow fonder," replied Hermione, in a dreamy voice. She narrowed her eyes, and Harry could have sworn that she had winked at Ron. Ron's ears turned pink, and his face began to blush. He then quickly turned to Harry.
"Harry, how have you been?" he asked. A look of concern was expressed on his face.
"I've been okay. Nothing much has happened... then again, does anything interesting every happen at 4, Privet Drive?" Harry tried to laugh amusingly, but he knew that Ron was asking about Sirius.
"I think he means about Sirius," Hermione said, right on cue.
"Oh..." Harry's voice trailed off, and he remembered his dream.
"Listen... if it's too hard for you to talk about it, then we won't," Ron said uneasily.
"No, it's okay. You two are really the only people I can talk about Sirius with," Harry said. "I really miss him... I really thought that I could live with him after all of this was over, but then it happened. It's slowly becoming reality for me... sometimes, I see a shadow of Snuffles on the street, or I hear his voice... but it's all in my head."
"It's good that you're talking about it, Harry," replied a sympathetic Hermione.
"Yeah..." Harry looked down at the floor, and the three of them were silent for a few minutes.
"If you don't mind... I'd prefer not to talk about it anymore," Harry said, holding back a tear.
"Alright, Harry," said Ron. He reached for Cockroach Cluster in the box. At the same time, Hermione reached for the very same Cluster, and their hands touched. Ron quickly retracted his hand from the box.
"Harry! Can I speak to you privately?" He jumped from his bed and hastily opened the door.
"Oh, come on, Ron... We've all been best friends for five years... I'm sure whatever you have to say to Harry can be said to me," said Hermione in a slightly annoyed voice.
"No, this is private... guy stuff. Man to man." Ron puffed out his chest. "Come on Harry, this will only take two seconds." He exited the room, followed by Harry.
"You know, I'm probably not interested in what you've got to say anyway. Unless it's about me..." she suggested. The back of Ron's neck turned red, but luckily, Hermione had not seen him. They raced down two flights of steps to the third landing. Harry knew that they were standing just outside of Ginny's room.
"Aren't you worried that Ginny will hear? She is very good friends with Hermione," Harry stated.
"No, she's not home. She's at Loony Lovegood's house for the weekend," Ron assumed.
"Okay... so what have you got to tell me about Hermione?" Harry asked.
"Who said anything about Hermione?" Ron asked defensively.
"Come on, Ron... I know you. And besides, your ears and neck turned scarlet when she asked if you were going to talk about her."
"So? My ears turn pink all the time! That doesn't mean anything... it doesn't mean that I'm going to talk about Hermione." Ron almost shouted.
"Shhh! You don't want her to hear, do you? And don't deny it... tell me what you wanted to tell me," Harry said, patiently.
"Okay fine! Hermione's been acting weird around me. Ever since she got here yesterday... she's been speaking in a strange voice... and she's always touching my arm..."
"Speaking to you how?" Harry asked, now amused.
"You know... seductive and like a vixen almost..." Ron whispered uncomfortably. Suddenly, a stifled giggle came from inside Ginny's room.
"Oh no," said a mortified Ron. Much to Harry and Ron's expectations, Ginny emerged from her room, laughing hysterically.
"Harry, hi! Happy birthday!" she said. Her face was red and she was almost tearing.
"Hi Ginny," Harry answered. He glanced at Ron, seeing that his face was now completely crimson, and he looked very embarrassed.
"Ginny... I. Thought. You. Were. At. Luna's. House." Ron gritted his teeth.
"I was... but I came home early... and just on time, it seems to me." She snorted. She was now doubled over, sniggering uncontrollably. She then grabbed Harry's forearm. "Hi, Harry. How are you?" she asked in a tempting voice. At that point, she let go, and both she and Harry began to laugh.
"THIS ISN'T FUNNY," shouted a desperate Ron. "AND YOU'D BETTER NOT SAY ANYTHING!" he yelled, pointing at his sister and his best friend.
"I won't... as long as you're nice to me," Ginny said in an annoying younger sister way.
"And I won't," said Harry.
"Good... fine... just GREAT!" Ron began to mutter to himself. He clenched his fists, and his whole body was now flushed. Suddenly, Hermione descended the stairs and walked over to Ron. She placed her hand on his arm, looked in his eyes, waved her eyebrows, and mumbled something in her "like a vixen" voice. She then continued down the stairs.
"What'd she say, Ron?" asked Harry.
"She said that dinner's ready," Ron said, turning red again.