Just Old Friends
Chapter 19: Feasting at Hogwarts
It was a strange feeling to be standing in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. It had been so long since he had been a student; it felt like a lifetime ago. So much had changed. Flashes of himself sitting at the Gryffindor table kept coming to his eyes, the idea of Luna running over.
Shaking his head he looked around. It was a weird experience. He had spoken in depth with McGonagall when he had entered and then there was Flitwick who rejoiced at the charm work Harry had used in the final battle.
It felt odd sitting with these 'authority' figures. To him, they would always be McGonagall and Flitwick and the idea of him calling them Minerva and Filius was just too much. And then there was Snape; the respect that was shown between them was unreal and those sitting at the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables who remembered him in school couldn't believe that they were almost friendly to one another.
The feast itself was fantastic. Harry had forgotten how much he loved sitting in this hall with his friends just enjoying a good meal. The tables had been arranged as they were at the Yule Ball of fourth year.
There were many round tables that seated six people. Harry had found himself on a table with Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville and April. He had to admit that April was nice; she wasn't stunning, with her dirty blonde hair to the chin and sparkling blue eyes, but she was in love with Neville anybody could see it.
Harry had also found Tonks and had apologised to her no end, it was funny the way she reacted; she just rubbed his head making his hair stand up even more, smiled and went and sat down. Remus had told him that she was trying to keep clam because she had high blood pressure, which wasn't good.
Now that he was sober, he saw how far along she really was. She had to be nearly eight months at least. She was massive; she didn't look like the thin woman she really was. She was wearing normal muggle clothes that made her stand out.
They were surrounded by the students in their robes, the teachers in theirs and actually most of the adults who were there with them also wore robes but Tonks was dressed in simple muggle clothes. She had a plain white T-shirt on and a pair of dungarees with trainers.
Harry thought that the pregnancy suited her and she looked stunning. Remus was being very protective of her, he had his arm wrapped around her and just made sure she was okay.
The meal started and Harry turned his attention back to their table. They were laughing and just enjoying themselves. The meal ended and music started to play. Harry couldn't help but laugh at the face that Ron pulled. He looked so scared as Hermione stood up.
Now Harry couldn't help but wonder what had really happened to Hermione, he remembered their years here and he couldn't help but wonder when she had changed, when she had become this confident woman that stood in front of him.
She was dressed, as always, in muggle clothes; she never wore robes unless she had to. Maybe it was her way of clinging to her past remembering where she came from, that she had muggle heritage and that it had shaped her into what she was.
She was in a flaming red dress that cut just above her knees; it suited her wonderfully, bringing out her beauty. It took him a minute to note that she was standing in front of him, eyes wide as if asking.
So Harry, smiling took her hand and led her to the floor. She laughed as he spun her around before pulling her close allowing his arm to rest on her waist. She was smiling broadly at him.
"I never thought I'd get to dance with you again, Harry."
"Oh now don't talk like that we'll always dance together Hermione; come on, it's not as if Ron's any good to dance with."
Her laughter sounded as he dipped her low watching as her curls sprung out behind her. Then they were again straight.
"You are okay aren't you, Harry?"
"Of course."
He felt her eyes lock with his.
"No you're not, you're putting on a brave face."
It was his turn to laugh, she had always been clever and could read him like any one of her books. He was trying to adjust trying to live his life but so much had changed and it was hard, sometimes late at night he wished that Fred had been the one to awake not him, or that they had never gone to the battle, maybe that he could have stayed on here for longer.
Her eyes were questioning him and he had to answer her then and there.
"I'm adjusting. Look, it's difficult Hermione. Sometimes I wish, I wish that I had woken sooner so I wouldn't have so much to adjust too and other times I wish I were Fred and won't have to adjust."
She frowned and he quickly pulled her even closer and kissed her on the cheek.
"It's not all that bad Hermione, look give me another few months and I'll be fine it's just learning to be me again. I don't know who I am at the moment. You've all grown up and me... I still feel seventeen, not nearly twenty. I'll get it though."
She smiled and nodded as the song ended. It was more upbeat and as they were about to start again Harry felt somebody push him slightly and he grinned seeing Ron jump in his place spinning Hermione around.
Happily Harry went back to the table where Neville had April on his lap while Tonks looked glumly around them. He sat next to Tonks and smiled.
"How's mummy doing?"
"Don't Harry, it's a nightmare, my feet are always aching and I can't see them anymore but Ginny did tell me they're swollen so maybe it's best I can't see them."
"Tonks, they're not that bad. And just think it'll be worth it when you have the baby, think a little one running around like a lunatic."
"We're going to call him Sirius."
She said it so suddenly that Harry was caught by surprise by it. He didn't know what to make of that. But he smiled at her.
"He'd love that Remus named his son after him."
"I know plus mum has convinced me that I have to stick to tradition and name the child after a star or constellation. So we had agreed that if it were a girl she would have been called Cassiopeia Lily Lupin, but if it was a boy Sirius James Lupin."
Harry smiled at the choice of names.
"So Remus convinced you that the names of his friends were the best choice."
"Yes I wanted to call him Sirius Harry, but everybody has called their son Harry, it's the most common name in our world now, so we went with the ordinal, James, the father of Harry. It's funny."
"What do you mean Harry is common!?"
Neville looked up and April was smiling at him. She met Harry's eye as she answered him
"I worked on the baby care unit for a while and when you ask them what they're going to call their son, it normally has Harry in it somewhere along the way. I think the best one I heard was a girl named Heather Grimal she had twins a boy and a girl well she named them get this Harry Ronald Neville Grimal and Hermione Ginevra Luna Grimal. Said she could choose between the six of you."
Ginny who had just sat down with Remus snorted.
"Poor kids have to put up with being called Ronald and Ginevra."
"That's you're name Gin!"
"Don't remind me Nev, I hate it... come on, Ginevra? How old is that?"
"It's better than Nymphadora."
"Only just."
Tonks smiled as she rolled her eyes.
"Mothers... who'd have them?"
"Well at least we know nobody will ever say that about me!"
Everyone fell silent and Harry was sure he'd missed something but he didn't have time to say anything as Remus looked at him.
"What are you doing sitting down, you should be up there dancing away enjoying yourself."
"Ron stole my partner back."
"Well lucky for you that I'm an old man who needs to sit down so you can take my partner."
Harry looked from Remus to Tonks and back to Remus before he carefully chose his words.
"I think Tonks needs to rest."
Remus laughed and the smile on his face reached his eyes easily.
"I was talking about Ginny, now go on."
Ginny smiled as she stood offering her arm to him. He happily took it and they began to dance slowly around the hall, neither said anything for a while and finally Harry had to speak.
"I think you'd make a great mother Gin, maybe one day you'll have kids."
She just shook her head and smiled at him.
"Who needs kids when you have Hermione and Ron, once they're married I bet they'll make mum proud with the number of kids they'll have. They deserve it the amount of time they've waited."
He nodded as Ginny leaned her head gently on his shoulder.
"That reminds me they're having a wedding planner over tomorrow all day. Ron has been trying to find ways of getting out of it but he told me he'll do it because he knows you'll be stuck there too."
"You mean I have to help plan their wedding!"
"No, look I have the day off again tomorrow so come round mine and we'll have a well I was going to say a girly day in but that might offend you."
"Will there be chocolate?"
"Yes and wine and other junk food."
"Okay then a girly day in sounds fine."
They continued to dance away until eleven o'clock sounded. It was then that McGonagall rose and told the students it was time for bed, they quickly began to leave and then the guests two were going. It wasn't long until only a few remained and they sat around a large table to talk about some important business.
Thanks people and look we're back at Hogwarts the place where it all began. I know the story is going slow but I promise you its speeding up because there's only about thirty chapters so yeah.
Brilliant-author16 yeah it is bad that so many people died, basically I kept who I had to and then I thought well there's too many people for me to write through so lets rid myself of some of these. The only ones I wish I had kept are the twins I love those two.
Jessie if you like people being drunk you'll love this story I think from here on in they're drinking in almost every chapter I've sort of turned them into alcoholics especially Snape, but oh well its what older people do we drink!
Maiden-of-hope may I ask what you think is unrealistic about it? If it's the whole Hagrid thing then I totally agree with you because I find him difficult to get into it's the way he speaks its hard which is why you don't find many of my stories with him in.
Potter4prez I think the feast is a little bit of a let down (we don't see the feast) but it was a way for Harry to met April and to introduce another problem which comes up in the next chapter
Annie Ginny's story is coming up although now I've written it I think it's a bit weak, so you'll have to let me know what you think (after the cliff hangers anyway)
Emma-Lizzy-Black don't worry I won't kill you if you only want to say good that's fine with me as long as your enjoying the story I'm happy
Well that's it and now I'm going to write some more (I've nearly finished this story)
Kris