Ch. 2
Harry turned to see Professor Dumbledore smiling at him. "I'm doing alright, sir," he said.
"Harry, I just want you to know how proud I am of you. Becoming an Auror takes great skill and great bravery. I have no doubt you will excel."
"Thank you Professor, I'll certainly try my best." Then Professor Dumbledore did something that in all of Harry's seven years at Hogwarts he had never seen any professor do; the old man hugged Harry. Harry, slightly surprised, hugged him back and thought he heard him whisper the word "son."
"Well I must move on Harry," he said with a tear in his eye, "have fun tonight."
Harry wandered back to the bar just in time to see a certain blonde drown her fourth shot, judging from the other three empty shot glasses. He shook his head and went over.
"Maybe you should switch to water, Magali," Harry said, concerned.
"Maybe you should just shove off!" she slurred.
Harry tried to take the glass out of her hand, but she slapped him away. He then hit the glass out of her hand with such force, Magali's glare turned quickly to a look of shock. She then signaled the bartender and asked for a cup of coffee. As he made it, she turned to face Harry and opened her mouth to say something, but before she had a chance, her eyes rolled back and she started to pitch backward. Harry lept to his feet and caught her easily in his arms.
"I don't think we're going to need that coffee anymore," he told the bartender as he hoisted Magali's limp legs into the arm not holding her upper body. Then, with Magali in his arms, he walked out the door.
Harry's eyes scanned the parking lot for the Grangers, but he then remembered they were going to the Weasley's place (The Burrow) for an after- party. He sighed as he laid Magali across the backseat of his red Mini Cooper. She looked so peaceful, laying there with her wild blonde hair fanned around her face. He climbed in the front and started driving towards the apartment he had once shared with Ron. He was happy he was not going to be completely alone tonight. True, Magali might as well have been not there, but the steadiness of her breathing was kind of soothing.
The Mini pulled into a gray apartment complex just outside London. Harry got out, collected Magali, and walk up the stairs to 2-C. He placed Magali on the couch in the small living area/kitchenette. She stirred a little, but was soon quiet. He shuffled into his bedroom and flopped down on his bed, and fell asleep.
That night Harry awoke to the sound of the door rattling. He sat bolt upright and ran into the living area.
"Who's there?" he called.
"It's us, Harry, open up!"
"Yeah, you said we could move in, is this your way of backing out of it?! Locking us out?!"
Harry smiled. He unlocked the door and found Fred and George Weasley, Ron's older twin brothers grinning at him. He let them in and tried to usher them to Ron's old room before they noticed...
"A girl!" said Fred.
"Harry, you dog!" George said as he lightly punched Harry in the arm.
"Oh please," said Harry. "She's Hermione's cousin Magali, she had a little too much to drink at the wedding and passed out before I could take her home. So I brought her here."
"Always the little gentleman!" Fred teased.
The twins and Harry laughed and went to their rooms. Magali stirred again, but remained asleep.
Harry turned to see Professor Dumbledore smiling at him. "I'm doing alright, sir," he said.
"Harry, I just want you to know how proud I am of you. Becoming an Auror takes great skill and great bravery. I have no doubt you will excel."
"Thank you Professor, I'll certainly try my best." Then Professor Dumbledore did something that in all of Harry's seven years at Hogwarts he had never seen any professor do; the old man hugged Harry. Harry, slightly surprised, hugged him back and thought he heard him whisper the word "son."
"Well I must move on Harry," he said with a tear in his eye, "have fun tonight."
Harry wandered back to the bar just in time to see a certain blonde drown her fourth shot, judging from the other three empty shot glasses. He shook his head and went over.
"Maybe you should switch to water, Magali," Harry said, concerned.
"Maybe you should just shove off!" she slurred.
Harry tried to take the glass out of her hand, but she slapped him away. He then hit the glass out of her hand with such force, Magali's glare turned quickly to a look of shock. She then signaled the bartender and asked for a cup of coffee. As he made it, she turned to face Harry and opened her mouth to say something, but before she had a chance, her eyes rolled back and she started to pitch backward. Harry lept to his feet and caught her easily in his arms.
"I don't think we're going to need that coffee anymore," he told the bartender as he hoisted Magali's limp legs into the arm not holding her upper body. Then, with Magali in his arms, he walked out the door.
Harry's eyes scanned the parking lot for the Grangers, but he then remembered they were going to the Weasley's place (The Burrow) for an after- party. He sighed as he laid Magali across the backseat of his red Mini Cooper. She looked so peaceful, laying there with her wild blonde hair fanned around her face. He climbed in the front and started driving towards the apartment he had once shared with Ron. He was happy he was not going to be completely alone tonight. True, Magali might as well have been not there, but the steadiness of her breathing was kind of soothing.
The Mini pulled into a gray apartment complex just outside London. Harry got out, collected Magali, and walk up the stairs to 2-C. He placed Magali on the couch in the small living area/kitchenette. She stirred a little, but was soon quiet. He shuffled into his bedroom and flopped down on his bed, and fell asleep.
That night Harry awoke to the sound of the door rattling. He sat bolt upright and ran into the living area.
"Who's there?" he called.
"It's us, Harry, open up!"
"Yeah, you said we could move in, is this your way of backing out of it?! Locking us out?!"
Harry smiled. He unlocked the door and found Fred and George Weasley, Ron's older twin brothers grinning at him. He let them in and tried to usher them to Ron's old room before they noticed...
"A girl!" said Fred.
"Harry, you dog!" George said as he lightly punched Harry in the arm.
"Oh please," said Harry. "She's Hermione's cousin Magali, she had a little too much to drink at the wedding and passed out before I could take her home. So I brought her here."
"Always the little gentleman!" Fred teased.
The twins and Harry laughed and went to their rooms. Magali stirred again, but remained asleep.