Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and maybe a few extra characters.
' means thoughts
// means dreams
Dark Devotion
Chapter 3
Ast the morning sun shined though the window, Harry stirred, the remanents of a dream running though his mind.
// " I love you Harry," Draco said firmly. "I will love you always, no matter what happens."//
'But now Draco?' Harry thought. 'Could you still love me now, after what I did?' Determined to face the world and move on, Harry pulled himself out of the queen-size four poster bed. He stumbled, half-blind, to the dresser. Feeling around for his misplaced glasses, Harry accidentally knocked them to the floor. 'Shit. This is not going to be a good day,' Harry thought. On his hands and knees now, Harry felt them under the dresser. 'About time,' he muttered to himself.
Finally dressed and showered, Harry made his way to the bar, hoping to see Hermione. Instead he saw a pretty brunette wiping down the counter. "Have you seen Hermione Granger around, Miss-?" Harry inquired, wondering if this was the girl 'Mione was talking about the night before. She was a pretty thing. Great big blue eyes and a pixie face accompanied by a well toned body. When she spoke she had a slight nasal quality to it.
"Meggie. Just Meggie. I am ol' Tom's niece." Meggie threw the towel down and started digging in her apron. "Hermione left early this morning. She left a note for you. Here. You must be Harry. Hermione was telling me about you this morning." She looked like she was going to say more, but a moan from the back room interrupted her. "Tom still can't believe that you really came back, and because of it, he is milking if for all it is worth. Well, I had better go. It was nice meeting you though!" Meggie turned around and bounced to the other room. Remembering Hermione's note, Harry sat down at a nearby table and opened it.
"Dear Harry, Sorry I had to leave without saying goodbye, but Ron owled me telling me they needed me at work." 'Where does she work anyway?' Harry thought. Shaking his head, Harry returned to the note. "Why don't you meet Ron and me for lunch, say around 1:00? We will expect you out front of the Three Broomsticks. Apparate there. It will make life so much easier. I hope to see you there. Love you, Hermione"
'Apparate! Now why didn't I think of that?' Harry thought sarcastically. If he was going to make it by one he would need to hurry. It was already 11:45. Harry ran upstairs to finish getting ready.
~*~*~
At 12:55, Harry apparated out of his room to the street corner outside of the Three Broomsticks. When he arrived, Harry looked around at the hustle and bustle of all the witches and wizards of Hogsmede. Looking around, he saw things he never thought he would see again. There were Hogwarts students hanging out everywhere before returning back to school, witches complaining over the price of Dragon's Teeth, and Professor Snape walking down the street.
'Snape! Good God! What am I going to do? What is he going to say? What am I going to say to him?' Harry's thoughts were spinning. It didn't help matters that Hermione and Ron were late and he was scared of Ron's red- headed temper. Harry new exactly when Snape spotted him. He grew paler, if such a thing were possible, and his eyes held an unmistakable look of shock.
"Well, would you look at that! Harry Potter back from hiding!"
"Hello to you too, Prof- Severus. Nice to see you again." 'I can't believe that I could possibly, after all this time, call him professor.' There was a long moment of awkwardness until they were saved by Hermione's shout of,
"Harry! I am so sorry I am late!" Seeing Snape standing by Harry for the first time in five years, she almost grinned. "Well hello Severus. I see you've seen Harry again. Would you like to join me, Harry, and Ron for a drink?" Hermione must have known that he would decline, because she grinned when Snape hurridly told them that he couldn't, because he had to find some "extremely rare potion ingredients" and that he couldn't be distracted from his task to join a few "snot-nosed former students." With a typical Snape exit, Hermione and Harry cracked up.
"He hasn't changed a bit!" Harry got out between spurts of laughter. "If anything, he got worse!" They continued to laugh until they realized that they were geting some pretty funny looks from people passing by.
"Well, lets go inside. ron is meeting up with us in a little while. He had to dorp the giril child off at Molly's." Hermione took Harry's arom and pulled him inside. Harry was unnerved by all the looks he was getting from people sitting down. They had all obviously recognized him or had heard Sanpe say his name. "Let's sit here, " Hermione said, pointing to a vacant table near the back of the pub. 'I wonder if Rosmerta still works here,' Harry mused while litstening to Hermione talk about her life with Ron. The click of heels coming up behind him told him that she porbably does.
"Hello, what can I get you?" She asked. Hermione ordered a butterbeer and Harry figured he would get one too. When he turned around to order, Madame Rosmerta's look was on of pleasant surprise. "Goodness me! You're back! How are you, and what will you have?" A blank stare answered her. Harry was looking behind her and not paying any attention to her. A little impatiant, Rosmerta turned around to see what had him so transfixed. Ron Weasley was standing in the doorway looking like he was going to run away. They stared at each other. Ron was about 6'1 and he had filled out since the last time Harry had seen him. His hair had gotten darker, and he was wearing Hogwarts robes. 'Hogwarts robes? is he a professor now?' Harry thought. Realizing that he needed to say something, Harry opened his mouth to speak. Nothing came out. With a heavy sight Ron walked over to Harry and pulled him into a tight hug.
"I missed you so much," he whispered into Harry's ear. "Why did you leave without saying anything?" Knowing that Harry couldn't say anything yet, Ron pulled Harry back over to the talble. Hermione was smiling and Rosmerta had tears in her eyes.
"Well, now that we are all aquainted again, What will you have?" Harry finally ordered his butterbeer and Ron had the same. The reunited trio sat there quietly absorbing each other and happy to be together again. Finally, Ron broke the silence.
"So, what did you do for five years away from us?" He asked. To everyone's delight Harry told story after story of his life in America. During one story about a date gone terribly, terribly wrong, Ron interrupted. "Who the hell is McDonald's? Is he a friend of yours?" Cross-eyed with laughter, Harry could barely explain that McDonald's was a muggle resturaunt that makes food very quickly, and that is absolutely horrible for you.
"But every once in a while, I get a vraving for a McChicked..."
"A McChicken? Do I even want to know?" Ron asked, with an eyebrow arched.
"No you don't. You really don't," Hermione stated. Being muggle-born, she knew exactly what Harry was talking about. "And Harry? It is okay. I get cravings for BigMacs." With that, Hermione changed the subject. "Speaking of food, Ron, we really need to get Muireann back from your mother's. Do you think that we have time before our umm.... lunch date with... umm.. well... you know..." Hermione was blushing and having issues with talking. Shaking herself, she started again. "Do you think we have time to bring Harry with us to see Molly before we have to go?" Hermione was clearly happy she got the question out without spilling anything important.
"Uh.. I think so... Yes, we do. Let's go!" Ron stood up and walked to the door. The three apparated to the porch outside the Weasley home. "Mom?" Ron called as he walked through the door. "Mom!? Hermione and I are here! And we have someone for you to see!" Molly Weasley slowly came down the stairs with a sleeping Muireann in her arms.
"About time you got here Ron! Hello Hermione, Harry. Now, who do you-" Molly did a double take. "HARRY!? Oh my!"
' means thoughts
// means dreams
Dark Devotion
Chapter 3
Ast the morning sun shined though the window, Harry stirred, the remanents of a dream running though his mind.
// " I love you Harry," Draco said firmly. "I will love you always, no matter what happens."//
'But now Draco?' Harry thought. 'Could you still love me now, after what I did?' Determined to face the world and move on, Harry pulled himself out of the queen-size four poster bed. He stumbled, half-blind, to the dresser. Feeling around for his misplaced glasses, Harry accidentally knocked them to the floor. 'Shit. This is not going to be a good day,' Harry thought. On his hands and knees now, Harry felt them under the dresser. 'About time,' he muttered to himself.
Finally dressed and showered, Harry made his way to the bar, hoping to see Hermione. Instead he saw a pretty brunette wiping down the counter. "Have you seen Hermione Granger around, Miss-?" Harry inquired, wondering if this was the girl 'Mione was talking about the night before. She was a pretty thing. Great big blue eyes and a pixie face accompanied by a well toned body. When she spoke she had a slight nasal quality to it.
"Meggie. Just Meggie. I am ol' Tom's niece." Meggie threw the towel down and started digging in her apron. "Hermione left early this morning. She left a note for you. Here. You must be Harry. Hermione was telling me about you this morning." She looked like she was going to say more, but a moan from the back room interrupted her. "Tom still can't believe that you really came back, and because of it, he is milking if for all it is worth. Well, I had better go. It was nice meeting you though!" Meggie turned around and bounced to the other room. Remembering Hermione's note, Harry sat down at a nearby table and opened it.
"Dear Harry, Sorry I had to leave without saying goodbye, but Ron owled me telling me they needed me at work." 'Where does she work anyway?' Harry thought. Shaking his head, Harry returned to the note. "Why don't you meet Ron and me for lunch, say around 1:00? We will expect you out front of the Three Broomsticks. Apparate there. It will make life so much easier. I hope to see you there. Love you, Hermione"
'Apparate! Now why didn't I think of that?' Harry thought sarcastically. If he was going to make it by one he would need to hurry. It was already 11:45. Harry ran upstairs to finish getting ready.
~*~*~
At 12:55, Harry apparated out of his room to the street corner outside of the Three Broomsticks. When he arrived, Harry looked around at the hustle and bustle of all the witches and wizards of Hogsmede. Looking around, he saw things he never thought he would see again. There were Hogwarts students hanging out everywhere before returning back to school, witches complaining over the price of Dragon's Teeth, and Professor Snape walking down the street.
'Snape! Good God! What am I going to do? What is he going to say? What am I going to say to him?' Harry's thoughts were spinning. It didn't help matters that Hermione and Ron were late and he was scared of Ron's red- headed temper. Harry new exactly when Snape spotted him. He grew paler, if such a thing were possible, and his eyes held an unmistakable look of shock.
"Well, would you look at that! Harry Potter back from hiding!"
"Hello to you too, Prof- Severus. Nice to see you again." 'I can't believe that I could possibly, after all this time, call him professor.' There was a long moment of awkwardness until they were saved by Hermione's shout of,
"Harry! I am so sorry I am late!" Seeing Snape standing by Harry for the first time in five years, she almost grinned. "Well hello Severus. I see you've seen Harry again. Would you like to join me, Harry, and Ron for a drink?" Hermione must have known that he would decline, because she grinned when Snape hurridly told them that he couldn't, because he had to find some "extremely rare potion ingredients" and that he couldn't be distracted from his task to join a few "snot-nosed former students." With a typical Snape exit, Hermione and Harry cracked up.
"He hasn't changed a bit!" Harry got out between spurts of laughter. "If anything, he got worse!" They continued to laugh until they realized that they were geting some pretty funny looks from people passing by.
"Well, lets go inside. ron is meeting up with us in a little while. He had to dorp the giril child off at Molly's." Hermione took Harry's arom and pulled him inside. Harry was unnerved by all the looks he was getting from people sitting down. They had all obviously recognized him or had heard Sanpe say his name. "Let's sit here, " Hermione said, pointing to a vacant table near the back of the pub. 'I wonder if Rosmerta still works here,' Harry mused while litstening to Hermione talk about her life with Ron. The click of heels coming up behind him told him that she porbably does.
"Hello, what can I get you?" She asked. Hermione ordered a butterbeer and Harry figured he would get one too. When he turned around to order, Madame Rosmerta's look was on of pleasant surprise. "Goodness me! You're back! How are you, and what will you have?" A blank stare answered her. Harry was looking behind her and not paying any attention to her. A little impatiant, Rosmerta turned around to see what had him so transfixed. Ron Weasley was standing in the doorway looking like he was going to run away. They stared at each other. Ron was about 6'1 and he had filled out since the last time Harry had seen him. His hair had gotten darker, and he was wearing Hogwarts robes. 'Hogwarts robes? is he a professor now?' Harry thought. Realizing that he needed to say something, Harry opened his mouth to speak. Nothing came out. With a heavy sight Ron walked over to Harry and pulled him into a tight hug.
"I missed you so much," he whispered into Harry's ear. "Why did you leave without saying anything?" Knowing that Harry couldn't say anything yet, Ron pulled Harry back over to the talble. Hermione was smiling and Rosmerta had tears in her eyes.
"Well, now that we are all aquainted again, What will you have?" Harry finally ordered his butterbeer and Ron had the same. The reunited trio sat there quietly absorbing each other and happy to be together again. Finally, Ron broke the silence.
"So, what did you do for five years away from us?" He asked. To everyone's delight Harry told story after story of his life in America. During one story about a date gone terribly, terribly wrong, Ron interrupted. "Who the hell is McDonald's? Is he a friend of yours?" Cross-eyed with laughter, Harry could barely explain that McDonald's was a muggle resturaunt that makes food very quickly, and that is absolutely horrible for you.
"But every once in a while, I get a vraving for a McChicked..."
"A McChicken? Do I even want to know?" Ron asked, with an eyebrow arched.
"No you don't. You really don't," Hermione stated. Being muggle-born, she knew exactly what Harry was talking about. "And Harry? It is okay. I get cravings for BigMacs." With that, Hermione changed the subject. "Speaking of food, Ron, we really need to get Muireann back from your mother's. Do you think that we have time before our umm.... lunch date with... umm.. well... you know..." Hermione was blushing and having issues with talking. Shaking herself, she started again. "Do you think we have time to bring Harry with us to see Molly before we have to go?" Hermione was clearly happy she got the question out without spilling anything important.
"Uh.. I think so... Yes, we do. Let's go!" Ron stood up and walked to the door. The three apparated to the porch outside the Weasley home. "Mom?" Ron called as he walked through the door. "Mom!? Hermione and I are here! And we have someone for you to see!" Molly Weasley slowly came down the stairs with a sleeping Muireann in her arms.
"About time you got here Ron! Hello Hermione, Harry. Now, who do you-" Molly did a double take. "HARRY!? Oh my!"