Chapter Four: Conversations

They had been staying there with Kaylee for three months. Bandit was better and there was no sign that the wolf was around anymore. Harry, Ron, and Hermione helped around the farm and kept it running well.

It was the middle of December and the ground was covered in a thin layer of snow since the trees were so thick around the cabin. Ron and Hermione were putting up the Christmas tree and decorations in the living room while Harry and Kaylee were decorating the kitchen with streamers and garland.

Harry was putting up garland around the beam in the kitchen when he began his conversation with Kaylee.

"Okay so this has been bothering me for a while." He said as he wrapped the garland around the beam some more.

"And what would that be?" Kaylee asked as she set up a small Christmas on the counter.

"When we first arrived here, and we saw you come in on the horse, I thought I recognized you from somewhere, and I still can't figure out where." He said as he stopped to look at her.

"From school." She said not looking up from the tree. "My sister and I both went to Hogwarts. She was in Ravenclaw and I was in Slytherin. I figured you wouldn't know us much. We stayed within our houses and didn't really make ourselves known." She had just put the stare on the top of the small tree.

"What was your sister's name?" he asked her as he went back to work.

"Gabrielle. She had her friends. I think one of her good friends was Cho." Kaylee said.

"Your sister was one of those giggling girls that was always around Cho?" Harry said not believing it.

"I don't really know. My sister and I stayed away from each other in school since we were in different houses. I was a Slytherin and she didn't want to be around me. She didn't want people to know I was her twin." Kaylee said as she turned to look up at Harry.

"Did you hang out with Draco at all?" he asked.

"I dated him in our sixth year but we were nothing a like and decided it was more fun to pick on each other then like each other, but we were friends. Not good friends but we know of each other." She said.

"So why did you move out here?" Harry said as he put the chair the back since he had finished putting the garland up.

"I built this cabin and barn a while before myparents and sister were killed. I spent a few Christmases with them here. Well oncethey were killedI didn't want to be found. So I put charms on it so no one could find it. It's even better protected from things then the house you came from." She said.

"Oh." Harry said. He didn't know what else to say so he turned away and petted one of the cats that were by him.

"I've lived in this house for long time. I don't plan to leave it." She said.

Ron and Hermione were happily talking in the living room while they were putting things up. The tree was slowly leaning to one side and Hermione had to put a spell on it so it would stand up straight. After they had decorated the whole living room and even upstairs they sat down and just talked.

"So, I never thought staying here would be this great." Ron said looking around at the work they had done.

"I enjoy it here. It's quite and peaceful. I just wonder why she ever decided to live way out here in the middle of nowhere." Hermione said as she pulled her feet up under her.

"Well she did say she didn't like people being around so much. I guess she's a very keep to herself kind of person." Ron said.

"Maybe, but she had to move here after Hogwarts." Hermione said.

"She went to Hogwarts?" Ron asked looking at Hermione like she was insane.

"Now really, Ron. Do you open your eyes at all? She and Draco dated in our sixth year. Of course she went to Hogwarts. She was in Slytherin, and if I remember right her sister was in Ravenclaw and they were twins." Hermione said.

"How do you know all this?" Ron asked looking at Hermione still.

"I open my eyes. Something you still haven't been able to do." She said in a matter of fact tone. She stood up and walked to the stairs.

"And where are you going?" Ron said calling after her.

"Away from you. I don't know how I've been able to put up with your shallowness all these years." She said and walked up the stairs. She left Ron sitting on the couch trying to figure out what she just said.

Kaylee and Harry walking into the room to find only Ron sitting in the living room with a look of complete surprise.

"Where did Hermione go?" Kaylee said looking around. Ron pointed to the stairs. Kaylee went up them after Hermione.

"Are you two fighting again?" Harry asked sitting down next to his best friend. Ron just nodded. "I figured. Well Kaylee and I are going to head into town, do you wanna come?" Harry asked him.

"No, I think I'll just stay here and take a walk in the woods." Ron said turning to look at Harry.

"Okay. We're just going to go get some food for the animals and us. Sure you don't wanna come?" Ron just nodded his head. He stood up and walked into the kitchen. Harry heard the door open and close as Ron stepped outside. Kaylee came back downstairs she saw only Harry, but he answered before she could say anything. "He's going for a walk."

"Ok okay. Hermione said she's just going to stay here. So, shall we go then?" Kaylee said looking at Harry as she grabbed her jacket off a chair and put it on. Harry put on a cloak and headed into the kitchen after her. They walked to the barn and noticed that Autumn was gone.

"I told you he was going for a walk, I just didn't know on horseback." Harry said as he saddled up Firebolt. Kaylee saddled up Argo and placed saddle bags on her so they could carry the food back to house easier. She mounted Argo and turned to walk out of the barn.

"I need to go to the muggle town to get the animal food and I think it might be better if you didn't go into town with me since you have a cloak on." Kaylee said.

"I guess you're right. I'll just wait here until you get back." Harry said.

"Okay. I'll be back in like ten minutes." She said and turned Argo away from him and galloped off toward the muggle town. She bought all the animal food she need for the horses, dogs and cats and then headed back toward the cabin. Harry took the horse feed into the barn while Kaylee took the cats' and dogs' into the house. When she came back out Harry was sitting on Firebolt waiting for her.

"Shall we go then?" he asked looking down at her. She nodded and mounted Argo again and they turned the other way toward the wizard town away from the muggle town.

They talked about a few topics as they slowly walked towards town. The snow was beginning to fall yet again as they made it to the outskirts of the town. Kaylee and Harry slowly walked the street of Meadowlane as they watched, from horseback, all the people come in and out of shops.

"Afternoon Kaylee." A young witch about their age said to her as they pasted. Kaylee stopped walking and talked to her. Harry sat next to her and watched all the people go by.

"Afternoon Faye. How is little Jordan?"

"Oh he's just fine. It's his first Christmas you know. I've never seen my house filled with so much glee before." The women said looking up at Kaylee.

"I would say so. Well I'm just here for food. I have all my other shopping done." Kaylee said looking down at the young lady who was carrying a few parcels herself.

"Well then I will let you go. I need to be getting home anyway. Have a nice Christmas." She said as she walked away.

"You too Faye." Kaylee called back to her. She turned to look at Harry who was still looking wildly around the town. "Ready to go?" she said. He nodded and they continued. They reached the market and tied the horses up on a pole next to the market.

"Would you like to go get the owl food and I'll get the food we need?" Kaylee asked looking at Harry.

"Sure. We'll meet back here when we're done." Harry said and walked off to the Owl shop.

Kaylee made her way through the market and bought everything they would need for the next week. She met a few faces that she knew and talked with some of them. It had been so long since she had seen any of her friends from town. After about a half hour of shopping and talking she walked back over to the horses with a few bags of food. She put the bags into the saddlebag and untied the horses while she waited for Harry.

She mounted Argo and waited for Harry to come back and was trying to figure out what was taking him so long. She hoped that no one had recognized him. He had grown his hair out some so it would constantly cover his scar and he made sure that not to many people could see his eyes, which were a plane give away of who he was. When is town and around people he went by the name of Seamus since he knew the real Seamus was in Ireland somewhere.

Kaylee waited a while more until she saw Harry coming out of the owl shop. She put the food in the saddlebags behind Kaylee and mounted Firebolt. He turned to look at Kaylee who has a concerned look on her face.

"I was talking to some guy who breeds snowy owls and I lost track of time. Don't worry no one recognized me." He said when he saw the look on her face.

They walked back through town and turned onto the path leading into the woods. They sat quite for sometime just taking in the sounds of the forest as they slowly walked home. When they were about halfway home Kaylee finally spoke.

"So what happened between Ron and Hermione." She asked as they rode on.

"They fight all the time. And sometimes things get said that hurts one or the other. Which I don't see why they don't shut up and tell each other that they like them." Harry said as they kept riding.

"How long have they liked each other?" she said turning to look at him

"Since basically we became friends, it wasn't really noticeable until ourthird year. Well you could tell with Ron in ourthird year and Hermione didn't begin to show things until our sixth." Harry said turning to look at Kaylee.

"I see." She replied. The rest of the ride home was quiet. It had begun to snow harder and it was falling through the trees more then normal. When they passed under a tree a huge pile of snow fell and hit them both. They laughed at each other the rest of the way home.

Once they got back they took the food into the house and put it away where it belonged. Hermione was still upstairs and Ron was still out when had returned. Kaylee left Harry to put the rest of the food away while she walked the horses back to the barn. When she entered Ron was in there taking the saddle off Autumn. Kaylee noticed that he looked kind of down about something.

"Hey Ron, are you okay?" she asked him as she removed Firebolt's saddle and bridle. He shrugged and began to brush Autumn down. "Harry told me that you like Hermione." Ron's head shot up and he looked at her. "Don't worry I won't tell."

"I don't even know why I do. We always fight and half the time she ends up hating me." He said looking at her.

"Well people show how they feel in different ways. Talk to her, you might find out that she likes you too." Kaylee said as she put Firebolt away in his stall and began to work on Argo.

"I doubt it. She thinks I'm shallow and that I know nothing." Ron said looking at her.

"I'm sure she doesn't mean it. I bet that she likes you too. I think, that she just thinks that you'll take it the wrong way if she tells you."

"She'll throw one of her 'light reading' books at my head if I told her." He said with a slight smile.

"Oh come on. I don't think so. You've been friends with her for over 12 years. I'm sure you can tell her. Will you promise me you'll try to talk to her?" Kaylee said looking at Ron as he put Autumn back in his stall.

"I'll try, but what about you? I can tell that you like Harry a little." Ron said turning to look at her.

"A little, but it won't go any more then that. After you three leave here, whenever that might be, I won't see you three again and I'll go on living how I have been before you three came." Kaylee said turning to Ron after she put Argo in her stall.

"You don't know that, and you have no idea how long we'll be here."

"It's only a matter of time before you three can stop hiding. You'll get rid of Voldemort," Ron gave a slight shudder, "and go back to living where you all came from."

"Not really. I don't think I'll go home. I think, if I do leave, that I'll go and stay with my older twin brothers. Hermione, I don't know where she'll go or what she'll do, and as for Harry? He'll go back to Grimmauld Place and stay there. That's the only place he has left to go. His parents are dead, his godfather is dead, and his godfather left him Grimmauld Place, that's the only place he has to go. And besides Harry and I talk, and I know he likes you." Ron said.

"Well let's go inside it's getting colder out here." Kaylee said as she turned to leave the barn.

"I don't think so," Ron said grabbing her arm to stop her. "I promised I'll talk to Hermione, so you have to talk to Harry."

"Fine I will. Now lets go inside."

They walked out of the barn and Kaylee closed the doors to keep it warm inside the barn for the horses. They walked into the house to find that there was a fire blazing in the fireplace. Harry and Hermione sat talking while the cats were culled up on the back of the couches and in chairs, the dogs were stretched out by the fireplace staying warm, and the owls sat perched in the Christmas tree. This was the fullest her house had ever been since before her family was killed.

Ron made her way over to the couch and sat next to Hermione who was going through a book that she had brought with her. Kaylee sat on the floor next to Fly petting her. Harry sat in a chair with Gizmo on his lap purring loudly.

Hedwig flew down from the tree and landed gracefully on Harry's shoulder. She thought that he was giving the cat to much attention and she was reminding him that she was his pet. Harry stroked Hedwig while the cat slept. Crookshanks jumped up and curled up in Hermiones lap and slept while Pig hooted quietly in Ron's ears.