As of Chapter 20 this is my 3rd longest fic! YIPPEE... AND THIS IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE!
Chapter Twenty-One... Reunion (Yeah, yeah, I'm using a previous chapter title and the title of the story but it's this or... THE ATTACK OF SEAMUS... kidding)
...On to the chapter...
August faded into September and it was time for another Reunion that had once included The Boy Who Lived.
Hermione only had one rule for Harry, or 'Patrick' at the Reunion, "NO DRINKING."
"Why?"
"Because, you have a loose toungue while drunk, you have to keep your wits, stay on your gaurd and in the right persona, though your two personas aren't all too different. Do Not Mess Up The Accent!"
"Have I yet?"
"No, but be careful."
"What about if we toast anything?"
"Okay, you can toast with wine, but that's all, got it?"
"I've got it, and if I can't drink you better not either."
"Fine. Ready?"
He nodded. "Then let's go," and they apparated away with two slight cracks.
This year, the tables once again sat eight, but are round. Hermione and her guest were at a table which included everyone from the previous year excepct for Harry... and the other two chairs were reserved for... Terry Boot.
When Terry got to the table and saw Ron, Hermione and Neville. He cursed, "Bloody hell!"
"Anyone want to switch spots?" He shouted out to the room.
"Oy Boot, I'll switch with you," Dean Thomas offered.
He sat down in what was previously Terry's spot and went around the table, "Hi Ron, Luna, Neville, Hi I don't know you," he said to the woman next to Neville, before moving on, "Hermione and I don't know you, wait... weren't you the bloke from the papers?"
Harry nodded.
"Dean, Hermione, fellow in the papers, this is Leah," Neville introduced his wife, "Uh, Hermione. So, who is the bloke?"
"This is Patrick."
Harry nodded, that he indeed was Patrick, indeed.
"So that's the mystery fellow's name. How long have you been dating, Hermione?" Lavender inquired from behind Hermione and Patrick, which caused Dean to say, "Damn! And I just got away from you bloody gossip twins!"
"Yes, Granger, please tell us, all of us," Pansy Parkinson urged, as she was one of the members of the crowd behind Hermione.
Harry gulped, "Even as someone else he could attract a crowd... Can Hermione handle all of this? What if I was me... Would she dump me because of the overwhelming attention I got? And she would for being with him...? Who am I kidding myself? There's nil chance I'll ever be me again... everyone thinks I'm dead. Will I have to live the rest of my life like this?' His eyes widened at the thought.
Hermione looked concerned at Harry, 'I hope he's not regretting this... he has to be.. I am... we should have stayed home or I should have came alone... but he so wanted to come...'
"Hermione, Hermione. Are you going to answer the question or not... or shall I ask Patrick, here?" Asked Lavender.
Harry found his tongue first and with the Patrick accent answered, "We've been together for almost seven months... right, love?"
"Yeah, seven months."
"Really! How did you meet?" Inquired Parvati.
"ATTENTION! ATTENTION! EVERYONE TAKE YOUR SEATS. LETS GET THIS SHABANG STARTED!" Called Seamus Finnegan, once again the Reunion was at the Hog's Head, sponsered by Seamus.
"GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE!" He greeted with a Muggle looking microphone (most likely for show). "I'M GLAD YOU'VE ALL MADE IT, PLEASE COME BACK SOME NIGHT AND PAY FOR SOMETHING, HEY, HEY. I'M GLAD WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT TURNOUT! BUT," He said solemnly, "FIRST OFF, I'D LIKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR TWO OF OUR NOW DECEASED CLASSMATES AND ODDLY ENOUGH, THE NEMESIS' DIED NOT THREE DAYS APART. PLEASE LET US TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR MISTER I'M A PUREBLOODED BASTARD, OR DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY AND I MURDERED MY BOSS, YES THE CONVICT SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, HARRY JAMES POTTER."
The room was quiet for a solid minute. "THANK YOU, PLEASE ENJOY YOUR EVENING. I NEED TO HARASS ONE OF MY FORMER HOUSE MATES NOW."
And Seamus did just that, sauntering over to the table full of Gryfindors and slipping into the sear next to his old buddy, Dean. "Hey mate," he adressed Dean and threw his arm around his old friend's shoulder, "Where's your date?"
"Yeah, Thomas, where is my sister?" Ron asked forcefully though in reality, he was doing it all in good fun.
"Her play opened last night, today's the second night."
"So, how do you like my sister with short hair?"
"It's odd... but oh well, it doesn't cange who she is, I'm used to it now, it's been short for six months, now."
"Has it?" asked Ron, "Oh, I guess your right."
Harry was staring at his plate, when Hermione nudged him, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, fine."
"Hungry?"
"No, I'm okay."
"Patrick, your looking a bit under the weather, are you alright?" Inquired Luna bluntly.
"So, that's your name, eh, mystery newspaper man!" Seamus exclaimed.
"Yeah, that's my name, Patrick," Harry replied, in the Irish accent, trying to act as normal as possible.
"So your Irish!"
"I am."
"Excellent! So how did Hermione and yourself meet, Patrick?"
"Seamus, think of Hermione's hobby at Hogwarts and it'll lead you to the answer," Ron directed him.
"Well, study, freet over yours and Harry's grades and his injuries, get into trouble with the two of you, uh read everything.."
"Think on that one ol' chap."
"You met in a bookshop, my guess the most boring section, seeing as it's Hermione and hit it off from there?"
"Very close, there Finnegan, but we met in the Quidditich section, though Patrick's no slouch in the brains department. Top's in his year in Defense."
"So, he's like Harry, eh... Which position did you play in Quidditich... did you play?"
"Seeker," Patrick said quietly.
"So let me get this straight, Hermione, you had a thing for Harry, so you go find a bloke just like him?"
"Seamus, that's preposturous because... because," she sputtered, "Harry was just my best friend..." she finished weakly.
"Just keep telling yourself that, Sweetheart... or maybe you just have a thing for Seekers? Viktor Krum ring any bells?"
Harry visably paled, bringing Ron to the conclusion... Patrick didn't want anyone to know who he was cousins with... but why? Ron wondered.
"Why does everyone always bring that up? Why? Why? Why? I was fourteen for goodness sake!"
"But you were penpals afterwards."
"So. What I wasn't allowed to correspond with my friends? Hmm... I wrote letters to Harry and Ron and Luna and Neville and Ginny and... shall I go on? Are you implying I dated all of them and Krum?"
"Um.. no, no, not at all... I didn't know you swung that way."
"Urgh. Do I need to kick your arse, Finnegan? I bet I'm not the only one lining up to do so."
"No, I was just kidding there, Hermione, Ron, Dean, Neville, Luna... Did you date Krum.. I know Ron would love to know or he would have when he was fifthteen."
"Hey!"
"Ron, we were all wondering fifth year, not just you... well Harry wasn't cause he was off in brooding, angry, depressed land, or so it seemed... what was his problem... anybody know?"
"Seamus, you didn't believe him that year at first, but later on you did, though you like millions of others did not believe him... how would you respond? Huh.. all honky dory? And shut up about it! He's not here to defend himself."
"Sorry, Hermione... so, Patrick, where did you go to school? The Dublin School of Magic?"
"No, Durmstrang."
Seamus and everyone else who had not previously known the answer to the question jaws dropped.
"How did you end up there... and Hermione, why are you dating someone from there, when if you really wanted an evil, coniving bastard, we could find you a nice Slytherin for you."
"Well first off, Patrick is not an evil pureblooded bastard like them, second off I wouldn't date a stuck up pureblooded arsehole."
"Patrick, how did you end up at Durmstrang if your Irish?"
"I'm only half Irish, me Mum went to Durmstrang, she was a muggle born like, Hermione and my father was Bulgarian and went to Durmstrang as well. It's where they met."
"Was your father a pureblood?"
"Yeah, I'm a half blood."
"You know, as much as I'd like to here Patrick's life stroy for the fourth time, I'm much rather indulge in dinner and partying," Ron interupted, stopping the flow of the conversation, "Who's with me?"
Everyone but those who didn't already know Patrick... or about him, agreed wholeheartedly and the rest let it go...
A few hours later, on the dance floor, with a privacy bubble around them, Hermione and Harry danced, "Good job," she whispered to him as his head rested against hers.
"Thanks... I wanted to knock Seamus' block off though."
"And you think I didn't."
"No, I knew you agreed."
"I'm glad not too much about you, Patrick came out."
"Me too."
"Want to get out of here?"
"Oh, definitely."
"Then kiss me back, it'll make us a reason to get out of here."
"Love the idea," he replied as her kissed her passionetly, after a minute or so of swaying and kissing... making a scene, they started toward the exit, grabbing their cloaks along the way. Apparating once out the door.
"You know Miss Granger, I do believe, we just created a scene," Harry remarked.
"I know and it'll be ALL over the papers tomorrow. But it was a very enjoyable scene."
"Was it now?"
"Oh, yes."
"Care to extend it, privately?"
"Most definitely..."
A few hours after the Reunion at the Lovegood Weasley Residence.
"Love, I think your right, I don't think Patrick is really Patrick. He really looked sick and nervous earlier tonight, before they rushed out."
"Have you figured out who I think he is?"
"No, I'm not a Legimen, though I agree he is not who he says he is. Who do you think he is?"
"I'm not telling. You can figure it out for yourself."
"Please Luna?" Ron begged.
"No, you'll go... hmm... what's the right phrase... oh, You would go bananas, if I told you. Plus I'm not for certain who I think he is, who he really is."
"Your confusing me, oh well, Good night Luna."
"Good night, Ronald."
I really enjoyed writing this chapter.. at the time of the writing... sometime in late January, I'm guessing... it just flowed on out.
I hope you the readers enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it... and yes the BOLD Harry meant it was actually Harry speaking in his own voice rather then in the "Patrick" voice.
Please Review.
