Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I'm just playing with her world
Chapter 4: A Good Old Party
"What am I going to do?" Severus asked the empty living room. He thought back to the wonderful kiss in the pool that they had shared, she seemed to have enjoyed it, at least he thought she did. But then what was the problem? He sighed as a thought popped into his head, 'She must not have liked it, it probably didn't mean anything to her and she just wanted to let me down easily with hurting my feelings.' To this, the Severus that he would become bubbled up to the surface as the scowl played across his face. "Treat me like this will she? Nobody treats me like this." He growled, getting very livid. He jumped up and was about to run to Hermione's room, when the pang in his heart stopped him and made him fall back down on the couch. "Oh, who am I kidding, I could never be angry with her, she means everything to me, now" Severus sat back down and just sighed deeply as the feelings over took him. 'I have to leave her, I will do nothing but hurt her, and I need to leave her as soon as possible, for her own sake.' The thought left him a bit shaken but determined none the less about what he must do.
Severus got up and walked up the stairs and stopped just outside of her room. "Just do it, just get it over with and then you can leave." He whispered to try and give himself more courage. Eventually, he lifted an arm and rapped on the door, quietly, as he was hoping she wouldn't take notice of him and he could just escape downstairs. "Hermione can I come in and talk to you for a minute?"
"Yeah, hold on one second." 'Oh, No!' Hermione pulled on her t-shirt and checked the mirror to make sure she looked Ok. In a fit, she noticed her frizzy-frizzy hair and grabbed a brush to try and calm it in a few short seconds.
"Hermione, are you OK in there?" She heard Severus through the door and began to panic. But the logical side took over as she put her brush down calmly and collected herself with a few steadying deep breathes.
Hermione walked over to the door and opened it abruptly, notably startling Severus. "Yes?" Hermione asked him. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
"Um...I...uh..." Severus mumbled along trying to get the words out while trying so hard to focus on her red, beautiful lips. Hermione smiled at him as he was at a loss for words for the second time in two days. She thought about how she had never, ever seen him without words in the past six years of being in his potions class. "Um... what I'm trying to say is..."
"Yeah? Come on, you can talk to me about anything." Hermione said trying to get him to spit it out without prodding him too much, as she knew that would eventually make his dangerous temper flare up, like a dragon that was just smacked in the rear by fool hearty dragon tamers.
"I think that tomorrow, I'm going to go and find Dumbledore so I can get back to my own time." Severus said this in a very quick and almost inaudible voice.
"What?!?" Hermione questioned as her face fell. Whatever she was expecting to hear, that without doubt, wasn't it. 'It's for the best' she thought blinking the tears out of her eyes. 'Not here, don't let him see you cry. Come on, Hermione, head high.' "O...OK. Um...I guess that it's probably for the best anyway, you need to get back to your time so nothing bad happens."
"Yeah, so I had better get some sleep, tomorrow is going to be a big day. I'll need to wake up early and leave as soon as possible. So Goodnight, Hermione." Severus walked out of the doorway, trying tremendously hard not to look into Hermione's eyes for fear of turning back around.
"Goodnight, Severus" Hermione whispered to the now closed door. She felt the hot tears falling unreservedly down her cheeks to her neck. 'What am I doing crying over him?' she thought to herself. She had known that this was going to come to pass before long but that didn't make her heart hurt any less. She ran over the memories of the past couple of days and felt a smile crack on to her face when she remembered seeing him for the first time. But when her thoughts got to the first kiss she felt her lips pout and her fingers tingle at just the sheer thought of her hands in his hair and roaming without restraint over his skin. 'Do I love him?' Her more romantic side asked. 'No, Hermione, you've known him for two days,' her logical side said, 'this is all just lust, just lust.' It may have been but just lust but the thought of the skin to skin contact with him made her face flush into a profound red and her heart beat faster and faster.
"But I can't just ask him to stay." She told herself. "He needs to go back to where he belongs." With her mind sort of made up, Hermione pulled the covers of her bed back and fell in, not really tired but mentally and emotionally exhausted. The last thing she thought was, 'he belongs with me, with me forever!'
Sirius was taking his time walking around the park he knew so well. For the past couple of months he had enjoyed being able to walk around in his natural form and in daylight. People still were weary of him, but he didn't care nor did he notice them too much, as he always had his head to the sky, watching the clouds and the sun.
Harry and Remus approached Sirius from behind, he watched as he deftly maneuvered around people and dogs and ducks. Harry ran up to him and punched him hard on the shoulder, primarily to get Sirius's attention.
"Oh, hey Harry, Remus! Harry, I didn't expect to see you out of the house. I would have thought you would be gushing over another love letter to Hermione" Sirius stated flatly knowing this would get a rise out of the younger man.
"Shut up, you old dog. But I am concerned about Hermione."
"Who isn't, with her spending so much time by herself?"
"Well, yeah, but she hasn't written to me at all and even in the letter she seemed distant and not really thinking about me at all. I love her Sirius but I don't really know if she loves me back." Harry sighed with a quiet desperation.
"Well, would you really blame her, Harry?" To this Harry looked up very shocked and hurt that Sirius would say this, let alone even think it. He was about to say something but Sirius stopped him by talking himself. "Now, don't be upset with me. But if you were her what would you do? Your best friend calls you up and says 'I know we've been very good friends for almost seven years but I've been lusting after you for a long time and I think I love you.' Be glad that she didn't scream and run right off the train!" The three of them had to have a laugh at the image of Hermione jumping off the Hogwarts Express screaming like a banshee.
"No, I guess you're right, mate. Wow, I never realized that's what I did to her." Harry laughed as he thought back to that day on the train, and the look of surprise on Hermione's face.
"You've been spending too much time around us old men." Sirius hung an arm around Remus's neck in a kind of fraternal way. "I think it's time for a good old Weasley visit. What do you say?"
"Is it a party?" Remus asked in a much staged question. This had definitely been rehearsed a few times before.
"Of course, any time you add 'good old' to anything it immediately becomes a party. Didn't you know that?"
Harry just shook his head at the man. "You really are odd. You know." Harry said with a look of philosophical thought on his face. "I think my dad was right."
"About what, my boy?"
"You should have made the change to dog permanent." Harry said this with a straight face but a moment later Harry was rolling on the ground laughing, as was Remus when he saw the look on Sirius's face.
"Shut up, you two, or I'll hex you into oblivion!" This just made the two laugh even harder until they were crying.
Remus was the first to speak up. "Oh, don't pout. We're just kidding around with you."
"And besides the party sounds fantastic. I haven't seen Ron all summer." Sirius and Remus looked at Harry with a look that said 'Wow are you stupid, summer has only been a week long.' "And shut up, I know summer just started but I turn off my brain in the summer."
Sirius smiled and said something under his voice that sounded suspiciously like "obviously". But Harry let it go at the prospect of seeing one of his best friends.
"So, Molly, it's alright we come and visit for a while?" Sirius said having his head stuck in the turquoise flames, his face showing in the Weasley fireplace.
"Of course, Sirius, we've had the whole family down here for the past week and would love more company. I know Ron looks a bit trampled from all of his brothers, and even Ginny is picking on him a bit. Come down as soon as you can, we are having the celebration for Fred and George's shop in a couple of hours." Molly Weasley looked a bit sleep deprived but still very happy, she would forever be a mom. No man would want to be at the receiving end of her wrath if he were to ever hurt any of her children or her 'adopted' children, like Harry and Hermione. Sirius and Remus had only seen it happen once before when Charlie was in his 5th year. He still didn't think they had regrew that part of the forest yet. But he shook his head, so he could get back to the present.
"Alright, Molly, we'll be there in a few hours."
"Oh, is Hermione coming? I know she's been stuck at home all by herself since her mum and dad left for Paris." Molly wondered, worry penetrating her voice.
Sirius shook his head. "No, Harry owled her last night and she had said she wants to spend the month alone."
"Oh well, that's too bad. I know Ron was excited to see her. I think he may have a little crush on her." In the background Sirius could hear laughter and 'Oh mum. I can't believe you said that!' coming from Ron. 'Hush wittle Ronniekins, you never told us about a little girlfriend.' 'Well, at least he has good taste! Hermione's grown up to be right hot!' Sirius laughed as Fred and George stated this fact to the whole room, which consisted essentially of boys.
"Well, I leave you to handle those boys of yours, Molly." Sirius said mirth filling his tone of voice.
The floo ended with Sirius pulling his head out of the fireplace still shaking with laughter. "Alright Harry, Remus, lets go get ready. We're going to the Weasley's and it feels like I haven't eaten in a few days!"
"Sirius," Remus looked at him very seriously. "You ate about an hour ago, I'm sure you can survive another 2 hours before you stuff your face like a hippogriff again. Gods, I'm surprised you aren't a Weasley with the way you eat."
"Shut up, Moony! You eat like an old lady and cook like one too." Harry and Sirius burst out laughing. "I know Harry, for his birthday we can get him one of the French Maid outfits."
Harry joined into the friendly teasing. "And an old duster, with the feathers and all."
Remus pulled out his wand. "Oh a feather duster, what a good idea!" he quickly turned Sirius into a French Maid with a feather duster and black high heeled shoes, even the accent was there.
"I am so going to kill you Remus Lupin. Get me out of this OUTFIT!!" Sirius shrieked as loud as he possibly could. But it took another hour and a half to get Remus to change him back, all the while Harry as snapping as many photos as possible; wanting to show the Weasley's what his dear god-father had been doing earlier that day.
Harry, Remus, and Sirius, still with the accent, flooed over to the Weasley's ready to eat and eat. The smell of food infiltrated their scenes as they walked out of the fireplace, dusting the soot off.
Molly ran up to Harry, as he was the last to get their. "Oh, Harry, my dear, how have you been?" She instantly went into mother mode. "Are you hungry dear? I'm glad I made a lot of food; all you boys look so thin." The 'hellos' were made and Sirius and Remus went off to talk with Molly and Arthur as Harry stood there to talk to his friends.
"Harry how have you been, mate?" Ron asked him finally tearing him away from the clan. "Have you talked to Hermione at all this week, is she going to come?"
Harry shook his head. "I talked to her last night but she, again, said that she wanted to spend this month alone. I wish she was coming I feel so distant from her."
Ron ruffled Harry's hair and laughed a bit. "Oh, come on man, did you really expect her to come? She is by herself with her summer homework what did you think she was going to happen. I would be careful; she's probably having an affair with those bloody books of hers." Wrong mental images popped into both of their heads as they laughed and went outside to join everyone else for dinner, as the Burrow would most definitely not hold all of the people invited.
The food, and drink, was overflowing, as people ate more then they could handle. Molly soon brought out cherry tarts and puddings for dessert; this too was eaten quickly with conversation in the air. After dinner a quiddich match was held, but Harry and Ron opted to stay out of it, instead they went around the other side of the field to talk.
"What's up, Harry? You haven't said a whole lot during dinner. Are you still bummed that Hermione didn't show up?" Ron said concerned for his friend.
"Well, yeah I was really hoping she would come, but still it's nice to have a kind of boys-night-out." Harry abruptly cheered as Ginny made a great goal against Bill.
Ron was clapping his hands as well, for his little sister. "Yeah, I know what you mean." Ron stated, as a loud belch escaped from his mouth. "Come on let's go back and get more of that tart." They stood up and walked away lightly beating up on each other.
Arthur Weasley sat down next to Remus. "So, Remus, how have things been over at Grimauld?"
"Oh hi, Arthur, things have been going great. Sirius seems to be adjusting better now that Harry is here. But Harry is a different matter." Remus looked as Harry and Ron slowly made their way over to the table. "He sometimes, gets an isolated look to him, but I'm sure that's just because of Voldemort. He seems to be gaining more power but hopefully Severus can tell us more about all of that. I think the end of this is close."
"I know it does feel different some how, different than before. But enough with the unpleasentries how are things with Harry and our Miss. Granger?"
"Well, things are fine." Remus chuckled a little bit at a memory. "He owled her 2 nights ago at 1:30 in the morning and got a reply back that night. So hopefully things will get better when her parents get back. Harry has been worried that Hermione doesn't return his feelings."
Arthur laughed a bit. "Ah, can you remember it, being 17 and in love." They shared a snort of laughter at this and told stories of their own first loves and first girlfriends, but the discussion stopped once Molly over heard and came up behind her husband and smacked him squarely in the back of the head.
A/N: Thanks people for reading this. I hope it doesn't suck too bad, I wrote it in about 1 day. And I thought I should give some time to Harry, Sirius, Remus, and the Weasleys, I've been neglecting them a bit. And for the 'Good old Party" reference, thanks to the writers of Buffy for that one. Don't worry next chapter will be back to Hermione and Snape. Keeping reading and review. Thanks to my beta reader, bloomgirl247.
And to all those who have been screaming that Dumbledore needs to be contacted, don't worry it will be in the next chapter.