Also, anyone who wishes to discuss any aspect of HBP with me now that I've read it is perfectly welcome to at my AIM name Prettykitty368 or MSN Messenger at TinkerBellPrincess165. I'm eager to talk out some points with fellow HP lovers :smile:
Chapter 12: The Reply
"Hey Harry…" said Hermione mischievously on Wednesday afternoon.
"Oh no…what are you asking for?" asked Harry playfully.
"What do you say we go shopping?" asked Hermione in her most innocent voice.
"Shopping for what?"
"Clothes, of course!" said Hermione.
"Why?" asked Harry. Hermione sighed.
"Because clothing is a necessity of the human race," said Hermione.
"We have clothes, Hermione," said Harry matter-of-factly.
"Oh gracious, Harry, you sound like my father! Come on, just for fun? How about we just window shop?" pleaded Hermione.
"Oh don't give me that… 'window shopping' always ends up with at least one purchase," said Harry with a laugh.
"We won't take any money with us, I promise. I just want to check out the shopping center! It's practically right next door, just a block down the street," said Hermione.
"Well… all right, but just because I'd like a chance to get out of this room," said Harry reluctantly.
"Yes! Okay, let's go!" said Hermione, moving toward the door.
"Hang on! I don't even have shoes on, yet!" said Harry, looking around for his sneakers.
"Harry, they're by the dresser," said Hermione. "I saw them there earlier."
"Oh, thanks," he said, and took them off of the floor and put them on his feet.
"Okay, now can we go?" asked Hermione, who was bouncing by the door.
"Yes, yes, we can go now," said Harry, and he followed Hermione out of the motel room.
Harry regretted conceding to Hermione's wishes two hours later as he trailed behind her while she admired dresses and pants and shirts and every other article of clothing known to womankind.
"Oh, Harry, isn't this shirt adorable?" she said, holding up a bright red shirt that said "Always Fashionably Late" on it with a baby turtle next to the words.
"Sure, better than the other hundred or so you've already shown me," said Harry cynically.
"You're tired of being here, I can tell," said Hermione. "Is there a store you want to go to?"
"Not really, I'd just like to go back to the motel room," he said. He only realized after he said it that it contradicted what he had said before they'd left about wanting to get out of the motel room. Hermione groaned.
"Okay, we can walk back," she said, and she and Harry walked out of the store.
"Aren't you proud of me, though? I didn't buy anything!" said Hermione with dignity as they stepped into the warm summer air.
"Even if you had wanted to, you didn't have money anyway," said Harry.
"This is true," said Hermione. They were silent for a few minutes.
"Hermione, what's that?" asked Harry, stopping and looking upwards. Hermione stopped and looked up, too.
"I don't see anything unusual," she said, gazing across the clear blue sky.
"There, look, said Harry, pointing to a spot in the sky to their left. Hermione squinted and then she saw it—a brownish object, moving toward them.
"Harry, that's an owl!" said Hermione.
"Malfoy's reply!" they said together.
"Come on, over here, so we aren't in plain sight," said Harry, walking over between two buildings. They watched the owl come closer and closer until it finally landed on Hermione's outstretched arm.
"Yes, that's definitely the same owl," said Hermione. "Can you get the letter, Harry?" asked Hermione.
"Sure," said Harry, and he proceeded to untie the letter from the owl's leg. After it had been relieved of its small burden, it took flight again and flew off into the sky once more.
"I guess we aren't supposed to reply to this one," said Hermione as Harry opened the letter. He then read it aloud.
"Potter and Granger,
Thank you for sending your location. Someone will be coming in the next several days to retrieve you from Dufftown. Don't bother replying to this letter, as we have all the information we need to find you. I apologize, as I have not the time to update you on everyone's medical condition, but we're all alive. We will see you soon.
Draco Malfoy."
"Well, that's real informative," said Hermione sarcastically.
"At least we know he got our reply. That's good enough," said Harry.
"Yeah, you're right," said Hermione. "Come on, let's keep walking."
"Hermione?" asked Harry suddenly.
"Yes?"
"It seems my suspicions about Malfoy were wrong," said Harry.
"What, that he hasn't changed?" asked Hermione.
"No, of course not," said Harry. "Malfoy's still a git and he always will be. I'm talking about the fact that I thought the original letter was a fake."
"Oh, right," said Hermione. "Well, we'll know for sure once we're rescued, won't we?"
"Yeah, we will. If we're rescued."
"Harry, don't start that again," said Hermione. "We've been over this."
"I know, I just can't shake the feeling that it might all be a fluke," said Harry worriedly.
"Don't worry, Harry. It'll work out fine," said Hermione.
"If you think so, Hermione, if you think so…"
Harry and Hermione were in their motel room later that evening when Harry again brought up the subject of their rescue.
"Hermione… when we do get rescued, what are we going to do?"
"We'll go wherever the rescuer takes us," said Hermione blandly. She was rather tired from all the window-shopping earlier.
"No, really?" said Harry sarcastically. "I mean what specifically will we do?"
Hermione was silent for a moment.
"Well, I suppose we'll go to St. Mungo's to visit the survivors, and then from there we can arrange for transport to my parent's house."
"I guess that sounds about right," said Harry. "But… what about Hogwarts? What are we going to do about it?"
"That, Harry, I do not know," said Hermione. "We'll find out when it comes to us."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. It just really bugs me, you know?"
"It bugs me, too, Harry. But for now, let's just concentrate on our way of getting back to the magical world: the rescuer that will come in a few days."
"Right," said Harry. They were both silent for a moment.
"Who do you think it'll be?" asked Harry.
"Oh, probably some Auror we've never heard of or something…" Harry laughed.
"Or maybe the Minister of Magic himself!" he joked. This time Hermione laughed.
"We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?" she said optimistically.
AN: I really am sorry that it was so short… really, truly, I am… and I'm sorry that the rest of the chapters will be a bit shorter than normal… but this is just the way it's gotta be… I promise an update on Thursday before I leave for the beach for the weekend :big smile: Remember to talk to me about HBP! I'm eager for discussion!
-xXx SpicySugar xXx-