For disclaimer please see prologue
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5. Being watched !
Harry Potter was being watched. Dark brown eyes were gazing at him unblinkingly. 'Who are you?' Harry wanted to shout but he wasn't able to utter a sound. His own eyes widened and frenzied thoughts shot through his confused brain: 'Was this the big attack? The one he had unconsciously been anticipating ever since his first year? What if Voldemort attacked and he wasn't able to speak? To cast spells?'
For a short moment Harry felt the blood drain from his head as he imagined what might happen to the Weasleys if he wasn't able to defeat Voldemort. Of course, a small rational voice in the back of his head that sounded remarkably like Hermione insisted that the Weasleys were quite able to take care of themselves and didn't need any protection, but Harry's concern and sympathy for the family drowned out every rational thought. With a tremendous effort Harry gathered all of his strength and threw himself forward at the unknown watcher. His momentums lead him straight ahead but something had captured his feet! Unable to stop himself Harry hit the floor wit a dull 'Thud!' and woke up.
o0o -
"Ooooh," Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived-To-Be-Defeated-By-His-Own-Bedclothes, groaned as he disentangled his legs from the blanket. He was sitting on a rather unfamiliar floor, next to a thoroughly messed up bed and surveyed the room with near-sighted eyes. Groggily reaching for the bedside table Harry found his glasses and the world swam back into focus as he put them on. A glimpse at his watch told him that it was far too early to be awake (especially on a free day) but that odd dream of his (had it really only been a dream? It seemed so real) had left him bereft of any desire for sleep.
Stretching and yawning languidly a sudden thought occurred to Harry. He was on holiday. For the first time in his life.
A wide smile spread over his face as he rushed to the window and looked out determined to soak in the feeling of being on holiday to the absolute maximum. He opened the window, closed his eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling the salty scent of the ocean and the faint flowery essences that drifted up from the purple blossoms of the Astelia, the small white flowers of the Eugenia and countless other colourful flowers (that Hermione would surely know the name of) that grew around the bungalow. He could hear a mild wind rustling through the palm trees and the rhythmic crashing of the waves against the sandy shore. In a word, this was paradise and as Harry finally opened his eyes again he wasn't all that surprised to notice that the tranquil beauty of the island had moistened his eyes a bit. However, a more down-to-earth-concern interrupted his peaceful musings and hurriedly Harry started looking for the bathroom.
o0o -
The quiet that was unique to early mornings had always been treasured by Ginny Weasley. Growing up in a house where noise was a constant companion she had soon learned that those solitary hours in the morning were the only way to get a bit of time for herself.
Ginny padded sleepily over the smooth tile floor leading to the small kitchen, savouring the cool feeling beneath her bare feet. She was looking for tea. Preferably green tea. Looking around for the object of her desire Ginny was suddenly faced with another problem. This was a Muggle bungalow. With a Muggle kitchen. Straightening her back in resolve she decided that a true Gryffindor would not let that stand between her and her tea and with a determined expression on her face Ginny carefully approached the strange and unfamiliar kitchen utensils.
o0o -
The sound of clattering and a muffled curse caught Harry's attention as he quietly made his way back to his room. Having always suffered from too much curiosity than was good for him he decided to investigate and was soon confronted with a peculiar sight.
"Is there any particular reason you're mishandling the water digester, Ginny?" Harry asked as he watched a soaking wet Ginny attack the kitchen utensil with a potato peeler while muttering curses under her breath. Ginny's head flew up at his words which had obviously startled her.
"I'm making tea," she stated in a manner that indicated that this was a perfectly normal way to make tea. Harry's eyebrow rose in a mixture between confusion and amusement.
"So this is what you're calling it?"
"Harry," Ginny purred in a low, dangerous voice, "I have six older brothers. I could seriously hurt you if you think of making fun of me."
Harry's hands immediately flew up in a pacifying gesture and he retreated a few steps as Ginny did indeed look quite dangerous with that enraged glimmer in her eyes and those dark red strands of hair hanging limply into her face. He tried an apologetic grin. "I'd never even dream of making fun of you. That would be…"
"…preposterous while courting my sweet innocent little sister," a voice that sounded far too awake for the early hour interrupted. "Not to mention, contra productive."
"I…I'm not courting anyone," Harry replied in a small voice that made Ginny think, even if only for a small moment, that he had indeed planned to do so. Not wishing to fall back into her ill-fated infatuation with dark-haired Parselmouths Ginny quickly decided that a change of topic was needed. "Fred, I see that you've recovered quite well from yesterday after you blew up the felly…tello…phenotone!"
"Telephone," Harry cut in quietly as he heated up water for some tea.
"Right," Ginny nodded expertly, "Harry, do you might putting on a bit more water? Mum would surely like to have some tea, too, after screaming herself hoarse at Fred and George." She threw a pointed look at her brother. "Where's George anyway?"
"We're not joined at the hip, you know. He was still asleep when I left our room." Fred gave them a lopsided grin. "He was snoring like an angry Hippogriff."
Ginny made a noncommittal noise and gratefully accepted a cup of steaming tea from Harry. Blissfully the small redhead inhaled its slightly tart scent before reaching for the sugar cup and adding a few spoons full. Smiling contently that she finally had her beloved green tea, Ginny drank deeply…and promptly spit it out again. "Fred!"
"I didn't do anything!"
"Of course you did! Who else would do something as immature a putting salt into the sugar cup?"
Fred scrunched up his nose in disgust. "George and I wouldn't do such a thing. It lacks style."
Ginny shot him a dark look. "As if you two ever cared about style."
Harry merely shook his head in amusement. He really liked the Weasleys and their peculiar morning habits, Harry mused and being absorbed in their bickering none of them noticed the small creature that peered at them with bright eyes and a malevolent grin.
o0o -
Morning melted lazily into noon and the refreshing and cool breeze made way for a bright sunny day. One after the other the occupants of the solitary bungalow woke up, had breakfast and (careful to keep the families separated) found their way onto the beach.
There they made a rather comical picture. Not having been out in the sun before, none of them sported much of a tan (with the rather impressive exception of Charlie who was not only tanned but downright burned in places when he'd gotten too close to moody dragons). So where the Weasley family presented a picture of alabaster white skin with countless freckles, the Dursleys tended to the colour pink. Dudley, wearing most fashionable dark blue boxer-shorts and a straw hat that his mother insisted on, looked pretty much like a large, pink, stranded whale. Petunia, wearing a bikini with a pattern that looked like it belonged on a wallpaper rather than on swimming clothes, kept following Dudley around and demanded that he should put on more sun blocker, while Vernon had hidden himself behind the annual report of Grunnings, the drill company he worked for.
o0o -
Hermione smiled to herself as she enjoyed feeling the warm sun on her skin. This was just what they all had needed, she decided as she picked up her sunglasses. Peace. Tranquillity. Absolute quiet.
"George! Fred! Don't you dare..!" screeched a voice not too far away from her and Hermione shook her head in amusement. 'Not quiet,' she mentally corrected herself, 'not with those two around.' She was just about to pick up her sunglasses as three pairs of wet, pale, freckled legs ran over her towel and splattered cold droplets of water all over her and knocked her book right into her maracuja-juice that immediately smudged the writing and made the book sticky. Hermione's brows drew together into a stern line. Damaging her book meant war! With an enraged cry the bushy-haired girl jumped up and gave chase. "Ron! Stop right there!"
The redhead in question abandoned his hunt of the twins and turned around. Seeing a fuming Hermione turned his legs to jelly and immediately he sped up, not only catching up with the twins but overtaking them. "Run!" he warned his siblings, voice cracking in panic, "Run! Run! Run! Run!"
The twins exchanged a quizzical look. "Ron? You all right in there, baby brother?" George asked, decreasing his speed.
Ron nodded frantically. "You've disturbed Hermione while reading! Run!"
Fred raised an eyebrow. "So what's the big deal? It's not as if we -"
The rest of his words were drowned out as Hermione slammed into him and slapped at his head with a wet towel. "George Weasley!" she screeched, "that was a deluxe edition of 'Robinson Crusoe'!"
"Fred," came a strangled cry from beneath the towel.
"Screaming for your brother won't help you!"
"No, I'm Fred! I'm -"
Splat! The wet towel hit him again as Hermione proceeded in avenging her beloved book.
o0o -
"You can't be serious." Karihi gave his companion a sceptic look. "You honestly believe that these creatures might be helpful? Look at them! They don't even seem to know what they're doing while left to their own devices!"
"Don't let that deceive you," the other small creature replied from its hiding spot. "They're pranksters. You heard the explosion yesterday."
Karihi remained sceptical. "Perhaps it wasn't meant as a prank, Rangi. Perhaps they're just so clumsy that they played a prank without meaning to?"
His companion gave him a long, hard stare. "We are not in a position to be very particular. We need pranksters and we need them urgently!"
Karihi winced beneath his long beard. Of course Rangi was right. Settling into the inevitable Karihi gave another heartfelt sigh and closed his eyes. "I still think we should learn a bit more about them before deciding what we'll do with them. They're obviously insane."
o00o -
I hope you enjoyed it and leave a comment if you feel like it :)
Next chapter up in maximal two weeks!
