Chapter Ten

Stupid

"Harry?" she said as they made their way back to Privet Drive, him making a squishing noise with every step. She giggled at him. "Thanks."

"For what?" he asked curiously as they turned onto the street.

"Having a war with me, of course." He glanced at her and they both knew that wasn't what she was thanking him for but he laughed anyway.

"Of course." He pulled the spare key from under the mat and unlocked the door. "I'll be upstairs, you just…make yourself comfortable…anywhere but on the couch. Aunt Petunia will kill me if water ruins her furniture."

She laughed and watched Harry retreat upstairs. She shook her head and flipped on the TV. There wasn't much on and she didn't really care. She couldn't believe that she had almost broken her cover just because of her attempt to get him to talk about Sirius. She glanced at her watch. Harry had been upstairs for almost fifteen minutes. Taking a chance, she took a glance at the mirror in her pocket. A smile tugged on her lips. He was writing quick letters to his friends, apologies. She was glad he was doing that. He would need friends to get over the pain.

She walked through the house aimlessly after shutting off the TV. She had already gotten the meat platter and was waiting on Harry. He hurried down the stairs a few mutes later. "Come on, River. Lets go back before Dudley pounds me because he thinks I'm trying to steal you." She laughed as though it was funny when she knew it wasn't. She knew what he meant and she had to be extra careful. Dudley was getting suspicious, as were his parents. They began to walk back in silence. She thought about asking the Order when they were going to take Harry out of the hellhole but she knew that they weren't planning on it. That was what she was there for. "River?" She looked at him. "Why so quiet?"

"Lost in thought," she said truthfully.

He laughed. "About what?"

"You, honestly." He looked at her surprised. "Well, I worry about you sometimes. I mean, your family seems to hate you." Harry looked away uncomfortably. "Ever think of asking social services to look into moving you to another home or something? Someplace where you'd actually be wanted?" What are you doing? Her thoughts screamed.

Harry got a distant look in his eye. "I can't."

"Why?" Keep your mouth shut idiot! Her thoughts scolded her.

"It's hard to explain."

She opened the door of her house and allowed him in first. "Is everything in your life hard to explain?"

He looked back at her. "Yes."

She rolled her eyes, she had to get away from him before she blew her cover or got him mad at her. "The trunks are in the bathroom at the end of the hall. I'll be outside."

She and Harry spent most of the say away from each other and by eight the last of the guests had left. When the Dursleys left Harry hadn't even looked at her. She wanted to kick herself; she had to get Harry's trust back. How could she have been so stupid?

She glanced at one of the reflecting mirrors. "Going for a walk Harry? Not the smartest thing you can do," she muttered watching Harry sneak out from the house.

She heard sudden alarms going off upstairs. She raced up the stairs and burst into her room. "Shit," she cursed hurrying into the bathroom and yanking the boiling caldron off the open flame. She waved her hand and the flame went out. She pulled the hot cauldron towards her. "Just what I needed," she muttered as her Dreamless-Sleep Potion started to simmer down, turning a ghastly yellow color.

She debated about asking Severus Snape's help, she was too busy to be brewing potions, but decided against it, no way would she stoop to asking for help. Potions was one of her favorite subject when she was being taught. She couldn't believe that she had been so lost in the day's actives that she forgot that she was brewing the damned potion. Shaking her head, she cleaned the caldron and started making the potion again.

She had been having too many dreams about The Job. She sighed and set the caldron over a flame again. She glanced at the time and shrugged, she had enough time to take a quick shower. She quickly shed her clothes and washed her hair, washing the curls from it.

Absentmindedly she let her thoughts drift from the job she had given it. She remembered when Dumbledore tracked her down in the U.S. She had been buried in her work and finishing up a job. She hated when he convinced her to come to England. England was the ideal place that He had wanted to work in, said all the real dark magic problems were there. But once He died she didn't want to.

Then again, once He died, she refused to let her opinion decide what jobs she took. She just took whatever job came along whether good, like this job, or bad. She shuttered thinking of some of the jobs she had taken. Unfortunately, she had taken the jobs for the dark side more than once.

She was surprised to no end when Dumbledore asked her to watch England's Wonder Boy. Harry Potter was the most important person in England and for an insane reason wanted her to guard him. She hated celebrities and hated taking the job but knew it had to be done. Especially with the money she was being offered for it. With the sort of money she was being offered she could retire, not that she would but the option was open to her after this.

She spent a full two weeks (minus the week of gathering the information) learning everything about Harry Potter including information about anyone he came in contact with. Even for a celebrity, he definitely had a lot of people who cared about him. The list just went on and on, disgusting her to no end but this boy was needed to 'save the wizarding world' so she would do her best, just like he was any other job.

Her thoughts drifted to the people that had disobeyed Dumbledore's order of staying away. She was sort of surprised when Snape had come. She never really talked with any of the members. In fact, most of the members of the Order didn't trust her. But Severus Snape was different. She sighed and rinsed her hair. He hated Potter but only cared because he knew of the Prophecy and he knew that the only way he'd be free of the 'Dark Lord' would be England's Wonder Boy.

She shook her head climbing out and changing into her black sweats, red shirt, and baggy sweater. Automatically she slid the ring He had given her on as well as a black lace with His ring on it. She hardly ever took it off and wanted to feel close to him right now.

She braided her hair into two braids before walking down the stairs. She started to wash the bowl again when she glanced at the mirror. She gasped, dropping the bowl. "Ah, shit!" she cursed. It broke as she realized what she was seeing. She grabbed her wand and yanked on her boots. "Damn it. Stupid, stupid, stupid me! Why did I ever take my eyes off him!" she shouted to herself . She didn't even bother shutting off the lights before racing out the door.