Chapter Nine: Explanations and Preparations
"Werewolf?" Dr Granger said faintly.
"Tonks?" Molly came through from the kitchen. "What in Merlin's name is going on?"
"That bloody Remus... where is he?" Tonks was furious.
"He's off on business for Dumbledore, love, said he'd be back by tomorrow... now what is going on?"
Molly seemed quite concerned, but the group that had followed her from the kitchen were all looking at Tonks with varying degrees of alarm. No one had seen her hair do that before, and having Tonks stand there, the human equivalent of a flashing neon sign, her hair cycling through all the colors of the rainbow and dressed in a very... brief... nightie...
Well, it wasn't something one could easily dismiss.
"He made that bloody bed dance and sing!"
Ron and Harry began to smirk... the others looked at each other, obviously concerned for Tonks' sanity.
"He what?" Neville asked.
"You heard me! The minute I fell asleep, the bloody thing up and started doing Fred bloody Astaire around the room, and singing Singing in the bloody Rain!" She suddenly realized where she was, with whom, and how she was dressed, and turned bright red.
Harry doubted it had anything to do with being a Metamorphmagus. Tonks looked ready to spit bullets.
"I'll kill him, I will. Took ten years off my life! And I had to curse the bloody bed into firewood to get it to stop!"
By now, Harry and Ron were trying desperately to not roll on the floor, hooting with laughter. Molly cast them both nasty looks and stepped forward, mounting the stairs. "Come on, love, you can lie down in our room. Everyone, lunch is on the table. I'll be in as soon as I have Nymphadora settled."
Apparently being called by her given name was the last straw, and Tonks turned and stomped up the stairs. This, of course, only caused Harry and Ron to laugh harder.
"The Marauders ride again," giggled Ginny as they made their way down the hallway and back out to the kitchen. "Fred and George have to hear about this. I'm absolutely certain they've never thought of charming a bed to sing show tunes."
"Werewolf?" Dr Granger repeated, looking rather worriedly after the crowd of people leaving him in the front hall of a home that housed a werewolf, and a house elf, and an apparently possessed painting.
Molly bustled into the room ten minutes later to find everyone tucked into her homemade steak pie and largely silent.
"That Remus..."
"Am I to understand," Mr Granger put his fork down, wiping his mouth with his napkin. "that there is a werewolf living here?"
"Yes," Molly met his eyes with her own, sparking. "And he's a wonderful man. We take the proper precautions around the full moon and..."
"A werewolf?" Laura Granger laughed. "You are joking?"
"No, Mum, we're not." Hermione said softly. "Remus Lupin suffers from lycanthropy. He was bitten as a child, and there is nothing he can do about it. He does his best to manage his condition, and would never harm any of us."
"A real werewolf?" her mother swallowed. "Dear Lord..."
"Lupin?" Mr Granger's brow furrowed. "As in Professor Lupin?"
"Yes, Mr Granger. Remus was a professor at our school during our third year. He was also one of my father's best friends," Harry said, putting down his own fork. "He takes his medication, and he's really quite harmless. However, during the full moon, he has a room down in the basements that he is shut into. I assure you, there is no danger."
The Grangers exchanged glances.
"Oh, honestly, Mum, Dad! You'd think that we'd just told you that we had a serial killer living here!"
"Well, not anymore," Neville said. "Oh, sorry, Harry. You know what I mean..."
"I know, Nev," Harry agreed. "My godfather, Sirius Black, was an accused murderer. He was innocent, framed by the man who betrayed my parents' location to Voldemort."
"Oh," Laura Granger said faintly. "I see."
"Mum, Sirius was a sweetheart, and never hurt a fly."
"Well, except Snape," Ron snickered.
"But that only made him more charming," Ginny assured Hermione's parents with a smile.
"Oh, look!" Molly called out with false brightness to cover the uncomfortable silence. "Here come the owls, I expect they have your Hogwarts letters!"
And that is exactly what they carried. Hedwig flew to the sill, holding out her leg daintily for Molly to untie the letter attached there, and looking annoyed at the rambunctious Pig who flitted excitedly around her head, waiting for his own turn. A dapper brown owl came to roost patiently beside them, and Harry assumed it was a Hogwarts owl.
"Ginny, Ron... here you go, Harry. Oh, Hermione, yours has come with this lovely owl, isn't he handsome? Oh, and he has Luna and Neville's as well."
The owl in question ruffled his feathers and waited, looking expectantly at Molly as she got bowls of water and owl treats for each of them.
The six of them looked at each other, waiting to see who would be first.
"Well, mine will have my OWL results," said Ginny, "I'm not going first."
"Oh, yes..." Luna smiled vaguely. "We did our OWL's this year, didn't we?"
"You go first, Hermione," Harry said. "You know you've got Head Girl..."
"I know nothing of the kind, Harry!"
"Oh, come on, Hermione. You're the only one here who is guaranteed to have some good news in her letter. Go ahead!" Ron said.
"Oh, for heaven's sake, Ron!" Hermione said.
"I'll go," Neville said.
"Nev?" Harry turned to the other boy.
"Well, I know I probably didn't get wonderful grades, and I'm absolutely certain I didn't get Head Boy... so how bad a shock can it be?" Neville smiled, opening his letter. After a moment, he grinned self-consciously, then shrugged. "Just my letter and list."
Ginny and Luna ripped open their letters. There was total silence for moments, then Ginny squealed.
"Mum! I got ten OWLs!"
"Oh, Ginny! That's wonderful, dear!"
"How did you do, Luna?" Harry asked, watching the Ravenclaw girl closely.
"Oh..." Luna looked up from her supply list and absently pulled out the sheet behind it, glancing at it. "I got nine."
Harry shook his head as she went back to browsing her supply list.
"Hermione?" her mother said. "Go ahead, love."
Glancing at Harry and Ron, she silently slit open the envelope and pulled out a bulky packet.
As expected, the shiny Head Girl badge fell out onto the table.
"Oh, Hermione..." her mother said softly. "Oh, love, we're so proud of you!"
Hermione looked stunned. "I thought they'd give it to someone in Ravenclaw..."
"Why?" Ron snorted.
"Because they're... well, they value knowledge, and..."
"That's not always the most important thing, Mione," Harry said softly.
She turned her eyes to him, and he noticed they were rather misty.
"Okay, Ron?"
Ron looked across the table at Harry and hesitated. After a moment, he nodded once, and together, they opened their letters.
As Harry opened his, he felt something inside... and he seriously hoped it wasn't the Head Boy badge. Merlin, all he needed right now was that.
"Mum?" Harry heard Ron's voice, hesitant, as he pulled out his own wad of papers.
"Ron?"
"Mum... I think..." Ron handed Molly something. Harry looked up.
"Oh, Ron..." Molly said looking down at her youngest son, her eyes tearing up. "Oh, Ron... you got Head Boy!"
Harry grinned. Hermione threw her arms around Ron, and the entire room erupted.
"I don't believe it. I don't bloody believe it," Ginny said, shocked. "Fred and George are going to die of shame."
Harry tried not to laugh. Fred and George would definitely be disappointed in Ron over this.
"Harry..." Ron turned to him, still looking rather stunned. "I really thought you..."
"Me?" Harry shook his head. "I spend far too much time in the Hospital Wing to set a good example for anyone."
"So you're..."
"I'm great," Harry confirmed, grinning and holding up the badge that had been in his packet. "I got Quidditch Captain."
"Bloody hell, Harry!" Ron yelled, snatching the Quidditch badge from Harry's hand. "Really? Bloody hell, you did!"
"Ronald Weasley! Head Boys do not curse!" Molly said firmly.
"Unless it's Malfoy at the end of their wand..." Ginny muttered.
"Or a Death Eater..." Harry smiled, whispering back to her.
"Same difference, right?" Ginny's eyes danced as they met Harry's. Harry grinned.
"Well, I suppose this calls for a celebration," Molly said, hugging Ron yet again. "Two Heads and a Quidditch captain in the family... yes, it certainly does!"
Ginny was looking at her shopping list, and sighed. "What it calls for is a shopping trip, Mum. And this stuff is going to cost the earth."
Harry took her list from her, and read it over. "I have most of this stuff, Mrs. Weasley, as Ginny is taking pretty much the same classes I did last year. Except for the Divination stuff, of course. Ginny is welcome to what I have."
"Thank you, Harry..." Ginny nodded, her cheeks turned pink.
"No reason to waste money on stuff that's just sitting in my trunk," Harry shrugged.
"Well, thanks, anyhow..." Ginny muttered.
"That's very nice, Harry, dear. Thank you," Mrs Weasley smiled. "But we'll still need to make a trip to Diagon Alley... You and Ron and Hermione... and Neville, of course, will need all of your books."
"And me," Luna said. "My dad won't let me use used stuff, even though I suppose it would make more sense. He's rather funny that way... he's terrified I'll get a sproggert infection."
"Sproggert?" Ron asked. "What in hell is..."
"Ron!" Mrs Weasley bit out. "Please!"
"Sorry, mum," Ron looked suitably chastised, and turned to Luna with an angelic expression. "Luna, pray tell, what on earth is a sproggert?"
"You've never heard of a sproggert?" Luna looked surprised.
"Apparently not," Hermione said dryly.
"They infest books. They're very small, and they can cause all sorts of illnesses..."
"You mean germs," Hermione's father said.
"... but you should be fine, Ginny," Luna continued without a pause. "Because Harry's practically your brother, and they don't seem to bother within families."
"Luna, dear," Laura Granger said softly. "In our... the muggle world, the things you're talking about are called 'germs' or 'viruses'. And you're right... most families can pass them about without much effect, because they work up immunities to each other's germs... because they live closely together. Particularly nasty ones do surface, though. However, they're not just in books."
"Yes, Mrs. Granger..." Luna nodded. "But these are magical books, remember."
"Yes," Hermione's mother smiled. "Of course, Luna."
"Well, the fact remains that we have to do some shopping, and Diagon Alley is the best place to get what we need," Molly said. "Perhaps we ought to go this afternoon and get it out of the way."
"Umm... Mrs. Weasley?" Harry said. "I need to go to muggle London, as well, and get some jeans and shirts and things..."
"Oh..." Molly looked concerned. "Harry, I don't know..."
"I'm sure that Remus would take me, I'd ask Tonks, but... well."
"Yes. Remus and Tonks together in muggle London may not be the best of plans right now," Molly agreed with a smile. "I wouldn't want to be poor Remus tomorrow."
"Oh... he's on business for Dumbledore until tomorrow, isn't he?" Harry was concerned. "I really rather wanted to get it done with today."
"Well, perhaps you should talk to Dum... well," Molly nodded. "Call Arthur at the Ministry, then, love. Perhaps Kingsley or one of the others could go along."
"I'd rather like to go, as well," said Hermione. "I need a few things that Diagon Alley... well, doesn't supply."
"Oh, Hermione," her mother said. "I really don't think that that is such a good idea..."
"Mum!"
"I'm sure that Hermione will be fine with Harry," Ron said quietly. "Harry wouldn't let anything happen to her, Mrs. Granger."
Harry looked up at the odd tone in Ron's voice, and saw Ginny blush and turn away. Something very strange was happening here. He just didn't know what the hell it was.
"Of course I wouldn't," Harry said softly. "However, if Hermione comes, I'm going to want more than one Auror with us."
"Talk to Arthur, then, dear. He'll be able to..." Molly paused, looking at Harry. He had changed over the past few days. "...advise you."
Harry stood, and looking at his friends, who all seemed to be avoiding his gaze, turned to Molly. "I'll call him from the floo in the den, Mrs. Weasley, thanks."
So it came to be decided, after a short conversation with a rather surprised Arthur via the floo, that the group would go shopping for their school things in Diagon Alley that afternoon, in the company of two aurors, and afterwards, Harry and Hermione would be accompanied into muggle London by those same aurors.
The trip to Diagon Alley was, by necessity, quick. Molly led them through their paces, getting books at Flourish and Botts, and new school uniforms and robes at Madame Malkins.
Harry and Ron were waylaid by the new display in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies, which featured a large picture of the newest broom on the market, a Nimbus 3500. Both of them stared at it in awe. It was said that it could reach speeds more than double that of the Nimbus 2000.
Finally, after waiting in the street for several minutes, Hermione huffed short-temperedly, and strode into the shop to retrieve the boys. Taking Harry by one hand and Ron by the other, she literally pulled them out, and towards the waiting, and terribly amused, group.
"Hermione, I was thinking of buying..." Harry began.
"Your current broom is still perfectly acceptable, Harry. You don't have to waste a hundred galleons on something just for the look of it."
"Four hundred," Ron commented, pulling his hand out of hers and stepping away.
"What?" Hermione cried. "Four hundred galleons? Harry James Potter, are you out of your mind?"
"Glad it's you who has to deal with her right now, Harry," Ron nodded, and turned away towards the group. Harry might have thought Ron's comment odd, had he not been completely occupied trying to calm down Hermione, who appeared to be on a rant about how many books four hundred galleons could buy.
Shortly after, having visited Gringotts to withdraw and change some galleons into muggle money, Harry and Hermione headed out with Kingsley and a second Auror through the Leaky Cauldron and into Muggle London.
"I still can't believe you were going to spend four hundred galleons on a broom..." Hermione was saying.
"Hermione," Harry turned to her, speaking in an undertone. "There are probably better times for this conversation than now, standing on a street corner, completely surrounded by muggles."
Hermione blushed, then shook her head. "Fine. But I still can't believe it."
Harry shook his head and headed for the first shop he saw.
"Harry, you really don't want to go in there," Hermione said.
"Why not?" Harry looked at the trousers and shirts hanging in the window, indicating a men's shop.
"That's a professional men's store, Harry. They won't have anything that you're looking for. Come on."
By the end of the day, Harry was glad that they'd had Hermione with them, someone with some idea of the types of shops they needed to go to. Harry had certainly never shopped in muggle stores, and the two aurors spent most of the afternoon looking oddly at the passersby.
The few things he'd needed had been quickly purchased, and then he had been forced to follow Hermione about, commenting on her choices only when asked, and having her completely ignore his opinion, in any case. He was reaching his capacity of boredom when Hermione took an armful of clothing into a changeroom for the umpteenth time, and he sighed, looking around.
In the far corner of the store they were currently in there was a display of ladies accessories. Harry wandered over, eyeing the boots and bags, scarves and jewellery. Some of it, he admitted, was quite pretty.
Especially the tiny hair clip, made of some bright green enamel, of a butterfly. For some reason, the moment he saw it, he thought of Ginny.
Impulsively, he picked it up, and took it to the sales girl.
"I'll take this, please."
"Oh, are you sure?" She smiled. "This doesn't really seem to be your girlfriend's style... I could show you..."
"My girlfriend?" Harry was confused, then flushed when he realized that she had assumed what his relationship with Hermione was. "Oh.... no... she's not... this is for someone else."
"Oh, I see," the girl smiled. Harry assumed she wasn't much older than him, if that. "So... she's not your girlfriend?"
"No, she's... more like a sister," he said, handing the girl a twenty pound note.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" She asked quietly, her cheeks flushing as she handed him back his change.
"I... ummm... No, I... um..."
"Oh," she smiled. "Me neither. I get off work at six, if you...?"
"Oh... I.. I'm sorry, I don't live here..."
"Oh," she said quietly. "I..."
"Ready, Harry?" Hermione came up behind him.
"Ah... yes, yes, I am," he nodded at the sales girl. "It was... thank you."
Hermione practically had to run to keep up with him as he bolted out of the store.
"What was that all about?" She asked as she caught up with him and the aurors in the street.
"She... ummm..."
"She what?"
"She... told me that she didn't have a boyfriend... and... well..."
Kingsley began to laugh. "Tried to pick you up, lad?"
"I..." Harry flushed an even deeper shade of magenta.
"Oh, Harry..." Hermione giggled. "Oh, wait until I tell Ron..."
"Don't you dare!" Harry cried as they made their way into the Leaky Cauldron. "Honestly, Hermione, I'll skin you!"
"Oh, no, Harry... this is far, far too good!" she teased.
"You're as bad as the twins," he said in a rather disgruntled way, walking towards the floo. Right now, as embarrassed as he was, he simply wanted to be back at Grimmauld Place. "Thanks, Kingsley. I appreciate your coming with us today."
"Not a problem, Harry. I'll be by tomorrow night for the... well. I'll see you then."
"Yes," Harry nodded. "And the others."
Harry glanced once more at Hermione, who was still giggling, then threw down his floo powder and disappeared.
Harry flooed into the kitchen, and Hermione came through a split second later, landing hard against him as he steadied himself.
"You're not really going to say anything, are you?" he asked.
"Of course I am..." she giggled. "I'm just not sure I'm going to tell you when!"
"Hermione Granger!" Harry followed her into the hallway. "Are you threatening me with blackmail?"
"Blackmail is such a nasty word, Harry! Consider it... well, behavior modification motivation!" He followed her to the foot of the stairs, where she turned and looked back at him. "You're so easy to tease."
He was shaking his head resignedly when she leaned forward from where she stood on the second step and kissed him on the cheek, her arms full of bags, her eyes twinkling.
"Thank you for taking me shopping, and putting up with me while I tried on a few things..."
"A few things?" Harry said. "A few things? You tried on the entire contents of three bloody stores!"
Giggling, she turned, to find Ron and Ginny coming down the stairs.
"Oh, hello, you two. You're back then?" Ron said.
"Apparently," Hermione said. Indicating her bags, she asked. "Want to see? Harry bought a bunch of stuff, too."
"Uh, no, thanks... I was just on my way down for a drink..." Ron passed them and turned toward the kitchen. Harry noticed that he hadn't made eye contact with him as he passed. What on earth was going on?
"Ron?"
"In a minute, Harry," Ron continued on and through the door to the kitchen, Ginny close on his heels. Harry turned to see Hermione's backside disappear around the bend in the stairs.
"Ummm... Ginny?"
She stopped as Ron continued on through the doorway and turned to him. He couldn't place the look on her face, but...
"Ginny, is something wrong?"
"No, of course not, Harry. Why would you ask that?"
"Because..." Harry looked at her closely, then turned back to where he'd dumped his bags at the bottom of the stairs. "Never mind. I just... Ron seemed... well... upset."
"I don't think..." Ginny looked terribly uncomfortable for a moment. "I think you should probably ask Ron about it, then, don't you?"
"I suppose. I just..." he found what he was looking for, and straightened. "I... um... I just wanted to..."
"What, Harry?" Ginny moved back towards him.
"I... well, when Hermione and I were shopping today, I... well, I saw this, and I thought it would suit you... I hope it's okay, I haven't... I just thought it suited you." He shrugged, and pulled out the hair clip, holding it out on his palm.
Ginny stopped dead, looking at it, then up at him, then down at the clip in his hand again. She didn't move.
"I'm sorry, you don't like it. I just... like I said, when I saw it, I thought of you. You were always playing with the butterflies at the Burrow when you were... younger... and the green, with your hair..." Harry was flushed now. "Sorry."
He closed his hand around the delicate clip and was about to grab his bags and dash up the stairs when he felt Ginny's hand on his.
"No, Harry... it's not that I don't like it. I do. It's just..."
"What?"
"It's not often that I get presents just... for no reason. I was a little surprised. I didn't mean to offend you. It's lovely... I..."
Harry lifted his hand again, opening it so she could take the gift.
"It's not much... nothing special... I just... I thought you might like it."
"Thank you," Ginny turned bright eyes up to his. When she made eye contact, her smile faded and she broke the connection quickly, looking away. "I... I'm sorry..."
"What are you sorry for?" Harry said, not understanding.
"I just..." she looked up at him, and he was shocked to see her eyes full of tears.
"Gin, it's just a little hair thing... I didn't mean to upset you!"
"No! Oh, no, Harry! You haven't upset me..."
"Slut! Filthy whore! Get out of my house, blood traitor! Taking gifts from the likes of him, a filthy half-blood! Tramp! Tramp!" Harry spun around, his eyes fiery as he took in the huge painting of Mrs. Black, Sirius' mother.
"I warned you!" he said in a low voice. "I gave you fair warning of what would happen! You will not speak to her that way!"
After that, it all seemed to happen too quickly. Ron ran through from the kitchen at the screaming of the painting, and Hermione appeared at the head of the stairs, staring down on the scene below.
Harry had his wand out, pointed at the wall where the portrait hung, and it was obvious that he was furious. Then he seemed to hesitate, and there was a moment when they all thought that he would turn away. It was the same moment that the portrait of Mrs Black seemed to come to some realization. But Harry didn't turn away, and there was s econd of surprise shown on her painted face, just before the wall, and everything on it, disappeared entirely.
A/N -- There has been note made of the fact that I am inconsistent in my spelling form, as I use some American spelling and some British... my apologies. Blame it on the fact that I am Canadian, and grew up being taught in the British manner. However, I have spent the majority of my adult life working for American-owned companies and Canadian print media, and here, because of the readership, it is an accepted form to use the American spellings/usages of most words. My education is warring with my experience. Again, apologies, as I realize the problem is my inconsistency, it is something I've taken note of and will continue to attempt to fix!
Shotgunn: Snow, snow, go away.... I abhor snow. Not exactly convenient when you live in Canada, huh?
Ima Quidditch Fan: Oh, ABSOLUTELY Ron heard!
Kordolin: Thanks!
Treck: Hmmm, interesting thought. One might think he would, but you never know!
Reality Introvert: Tonks has to understand that she's living with a Marauder...
Merlindamage: Much better, thank you! Don't worry about Ron and Harry – they're best friends, and best friends can have conflict without losing each other.
Larna Mandrea: I think Tonks would have made a good marauder, actually. I can't see her with anyone BUT Remus... they're just good together, regardless of the age thing. I enjoy doing the reviewer responses – you guys are the reason I keep writing and posting here... I can't imagine not "talking" to you! Hope you have a great weekend (wish I were going away!)
Lesa: Ah, but the time will come for fluff, at which time, the misunderstandings must be cleared up. But you're right – it's all about trust, right?
GiGifanfic: Yes, serious is one word for it! It's all about trust... and misunderstanding are so often caused by a lack of trust coupled with a lack of confidence. Relax, though. Have you ever known me to write an unhappy ending? And you KNOW I'm a H/G shipper at heart...
Sunflowerchild: Thanks! Ginny and Ron are Weasleys... they'll cope!
Bferbear: No cliches here, I promise!
Azn-anime-freak11: Soon enough for you?? Updating isn't normally a problem around here. I tend to have these huge spurts of creativity, so if anything, I might become annoying with too many updates.MrsSakuraPotter: Lots of fluff upcoming, I promise! Sorry you think it's happening too fast! CQ