Chapter 15: Amber

"So you think Lily's eyes changed because of a necklace?" Ron asked Ginny, his dubious expression obvious.

"Not just any necklace," Ginny said impatiently. "We have to figure out the whole thing with that amber necklace she always wore!"

"Wait, amber necklace?" Hermione said, suddenly looking like a flashlight had been flashed in her eyes. "Amber is a really interesting gemstone. It's especially helpful to individuals with magical blood. I read about it in A Sorcerer's Source for Sources of Strength. Oh, Merlin, if I only had that book!"

Harry raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"So you think my mum's eyes changed from blue to green because of an amber necklace?" Hermione groaned.

"I don't know, Harry! Ugh, I need that book!"

"Wait, Hermione, what color is amber?" Ron asked, sounding excited.

"It depends," she replied, sounding irritated. "Amber can range from a light, almost clear yellow to a darker brown color. Not that that has anything to do with this."

"Actually, I think my thick-skulled brother may be onto something," Ginny said, looking at her brother, intrigue written all over her face. "Go on, Ronnie."

"I'm not Ronnie," he snarled. "Anyway, remember in elementary school how we'd mix paint together?" Hermione nodded, looking thoroughly confused now. "Well, mix red and blue, and what do you get?"

"Purple," Hermione said slowly, looking at Ron as if he was mad.

"Exactly. And red and white makes…"

"Pink," Hermione said, glancing at Harry and Ginny to see their reactions to this madness. To her horror, she saw that Harry looked excited, and Ginny was grinning and nodding at Ron, urging him to continue.

"So, 'Mione, what happens when blue and yellow are mixed? Wait, what happens when light blue and, say, amber are mixed, supposing it's a dark yellow-ish amber?"

"I suppose it would make green," Hermione said, narrowing her eyes. "But it wouldn't make an bright, emerald green, Ron. It would be more like lime green."

"You don't know that for sure," Ginny said, grinning at Ron and thumping him on the back.

"Let's try it," Harry said cheerfully. "Come on."

Now everyone felt bewildered as they followed Harry down one flight of creeky old stairs and into the bathroom.

"So, here's our light, baby blue," Harry announced, holding up a tube of Merlin's Miraculously Minty Paste for Magnificent Teeth. "And here," he continued, reaching for the cabinet door above the sink, "is the amber-ish colored pigment from the necklace." He extracted a tall flask of sick looking yellow-brown liquid.

"Ugh! What's that?" Hermione demanded.

"No clue," Harry said.

"I think Fred and George left it when they moved out," Ron said. "Gin and I think it was one of their nutters experiments that never worked out."

"Then it's probably not safe," Hermione said, backing away from the scene. "You know Fred and George…"

"Oh come on, Hermione. It's fine," Harry said heartily. "And besides, we need to try it. I saw this stuff a few weeks ago, and I think it looks a lot like the gem on my mum's necklace."

"But-" Hermione looked very worried.

"It'll be fine, Hermione," Ginny said firmly. "Come on, let's see how this works out."

Harry pulled the silver plug up on the sink, and then squished toothpaste into the large white bowl.

"Doesn't it need to be more liquid-y?" Ginny wondered. She then pulled out a bottle of dark blue mouthwash, and poured nearly half its contents into the sink.

"And some water, 'cuz that was dark," Ron said.

"This is insane" Hermione exasperatedly gasped. "It's like muggle Chemistry!"

"Or like Potions"

"No, it's not nearly professional enough to be like Potions," Hermione said, irritated.

"'Course not," Harry said with a grin.

"No, it wouldn't be, because the Potion-masters today are me and Harry," Ron chortled.

"And me," Ginny added, pretending to be terribly offended.

Hermione scoffed.

"This is ridiculous!" she said coldly.

"Why do you say that?" Harry asked, surprised that she was behaving so angrily.

"For starters, that's not even the color of your mother's eyes," she said icily. And pushing Harry and Ron aside, Hermione preceded to take over the Potion-making, humming what sounded like the Beetles as she set to work.


"Nice work, Hermione," Ginny said, impressed. The four teenagers were now gathered around a pool of emerald green, extremely malodorous, liquid. Hermione grinned.

"Thanks, Ginny," she said, trying not to look too pleased with herself.

"Well, maybe you're onto something Ron," Hermione said with a grin. "It certainly looks like blue and amber can make an emerald green color like the color of Lily and Harry's eyes, doesn't it?"

Ron looked incredibly pleased with himself.

"Yeah, I suppose it does," he said.

"So now we research," Hermione said wisely.

"Great. I think I'll go get my sandwich now," Ginny said, quickly looking up from the emerald pool in the sink.

"Hey, I think I'll come," Harry said.

"Me too," Ron added. "You'll do great researching on your own, 'Mione." Hermione sighed heavily.

"Right," she said. "But I don't really feel up to it right now. I think I'll come get more food with you guys."

As the four sat around the dining room table, Harry exhaled heavily.

"School starts back in four days," he said.

"Ugh, Harry, please shut up. I don't want to think about school," Ron said mournfully.

"Sorry," Harry muttered.

"Personally, I'm quite anxious to get back," Hermione said, sipping her milk thoughtfully.

"You're mad," Ron mused. "Absolutely mad."

"Where's Mum?" Ginny wondered.

"I think she's in bed. Dad, too. It's late," Hermione said, checking her wristwatch. "Past ten."

"Really?" Harry said, stunned. "But McGonagall was just here!"

Everyone shrugged.

"I'm exhausted," Ginny sighed. "I think we should have Harry and Hermione over every summer. It's loads funner than when it's just us."

"It's been a weird summer," Ron admitted. Hermione, Harry and Ginny nodded in agreement.

Harry leaned back in his chair and thought about the last month. So much had happened. He found his aunt's scrapbooks. He came to the Weasleys. Voldemort attacked the Lovegoods. Sirius's voice filled a conference room as he read his will. Harry had inherited literally boxes and boxes of his godfather's possessions, many of which reminded him of his parents. Harry actually suspected that James had never returned Lily's diary, and Sirius had kept it after that night when it was nicked from her dormitory. He had read his mother's diary, wandered his father's Pensieve. Ginny and Dean broke-up after Dean learned about his father's death. Voldemort actually planned an attack on the Burrow, where Wormtail led dozens of Death Eaters in the destruction of much of the Weasley's property. And that had just happened yesterday. Harry shook his head, the month's events suddenly hitting him like an overpowering perfume shop's olfactory enticing.

"It would be nice if everything happened more chronologically," Ginny said, an offhand comment. Harry nodded.

"So we could focus on one thing, figure it out, and move on to another, you mean?" he said.

She nodded.

"But that's not life," Hermione reasoned. "That's what makes life so exciting, and so worth living, is the jumble of events and the confusion of everything clogging up you mind."

"But it makes it a hell of a lot harder to concentrate," Harry said.

He had been trying to concentrate on finding out about his mother's eyes for weeks now, but things had interfered. Sirius's will reading… weird, foreign thoughts about Ginny crossing his mind… attacks from Voldemort and his followers…But of course, some interferences helped him with what his primary focus had been, like Ginny, for example. She had been a great help so far in trying to deduce why Lily Evans's eyes went from blue to green in just a matter of months.

"But how boring would it be if life revolved around one mystery, one goal, one desired conquest at a time?" Hermione said.

Ginny nodded.

"I think you're right, Hermione. But I agree with you, Harry, that it's a hell of a lot harder to concentrate on life with everything happening at once."

"Okay, enough of this," Ron said suddenly. "Too much deep talk for this time of day! I'm going to bed."

"Good call," Harry said, standing up.

"Well, we can research this amber necklace stuff more tomorrow," Hermione suggested. "But I'm not doing it alone."

"But school starts up again so bloody soon! I don't want to research, Hemione!" Ron groaned.

"But we're so close!" Hermione breathed excitedly. "Can't you feel it? Ginny, you're right-the necklace is important. And Ron, I think your idea about amber and blue is an amazing one. I think you're right. We just need to find a few more pieces of the puzzle!" Harry looked down at Hermione, whose eyes were locked with Ron's. She was looking at him pleadingly. "Ron, you proved today that you have some good ideas. You're a smart guy. Tomorrow, after helping your mom clean up some more, we can do some research, try to wrap this thing up. But I want you to help. I...I need you to help."

Harry and Ginny exchanged furtive grins as Ron blushed.

"Whatever. Sure I'll help," he said. "But I'm not reading massive old books."

And he reached forward and squeezed Hermione's hand for a moment. "Thanks, Hermione. I needed that." And Ron pushed back his chair and headed up the stairs.

"I'm going too," Harry said. "See you two tomorrow."

"Night, Harry," Hermione and Ginny chorused, smiling at him.


A/N:

So last week was finals week here. I hate school, may I just say that? Ah well. My Physics final was a blast-we made sailboats, and had a big competition. Anyway, so sorry this took a fair while to post, and that it's a wee bit short. I was originally going to combine this chapter and the next, but I figured I'd better post soon.

Alright, so first, my NEWS:

I'm planning on starting a Lily/James fic after this one. I know some people hate 'em, some love 'em, but doing the diary and the Pensieve really made me want to do just an entire fic about them, and use the characters and situations I created in this story to kick off. So if anyone has comments or pointers or questions about that, let me know. :)

And reviewers: THANKS! I feel so loved! 201 reviews! (:blushes:) You shouldn't have! But I'll take it! Thanks again!

Priscilla Ryu: Thank you! )

Legit: Hey, homework is no fun. Glad you liked last chapter. Thanks!

KMK: Thanks! )

HecateDeMort: Hey, you said more than great! Cool! The necklace…ah, yes, you may be right…maybe. Not like I'm gonna tell yet. ;) Thank you!

fire-icecat: Hmmm….maybe. I'll tell you this much-you're close. Thanks for the review!

Me: Wow, thanks!

WolfMoon: Thank you much! I know I've been a slacker with updates, and I'm sorry! Thanks for being patient. )

Nightwing 509: Thanks for the review! )

Ronhermione13: Hey, thanks a bunch for reviewing, like, every chapter! I appreciate your comments!


NEXT CHAPTER:

-Harry finds something interesting among his inheritances from Sirius

-We find out how Margaret ties in to the story

-And maybe some H/G? (finally)


So go ahead and review, and I'll be sure to update as soon as I can!

Also, I'm going to go through and clean this whole thing up a bit, so if anyone wants to point out errors in past chapters, that'd be great, as I'm not the greatest copy editor:)

Thanks for reading!