Chapter Two
Good News and Stormy Weather.
The weather had changed dramatically by the time Harry had emerged form the tube station. Thick, almost black thunderclouds had taken over the sky and lightening continuously flashed across the sky, illuminating everything in a blue-white light.
"Harry!" Hermione screamed in glee as she jumped on him, supporting herself by wrapping her legs around his waist. She hugged him tightly and tenderly kissed him.
They pulled apart and Harry gently lowered Hermione to her feet.
"Hello everyone" Harry smiled.
Mrs Weasly came up to Harry and hugged him "How are you dear?" she asked smiling brightly.
"I'm fine Mrs. Weasly, just a bit hungry"
Mrs. Weasly looked him up and down "Of course you are, look at you. You're skin and bones!"
Harry took Hermione's hand and the two of them followed Mrs. Weasly to a shiny black town car.
Lupin stepped out of the backseat and "Hello Harry, he smiled and shook his hand "Pleasant journey I trust?" Lupin asked.
Harry nodded "It was thank you"
They all filed in to the black town car and speed off towards number twelve Grimmauld Place. Harry watched the scenery speed past him before he spoke up again "Where's Ron?" Harry asked, a little let down that his friend wasn't at the station to meet him.
"He is helping Alistor clean his protection equipment" Mrs. Weasly answered for the seat opposite Harry.
The journey to Grimmauld Place was a short drive, although this could have been because the car was going faster than what a normal muggle car would go. By the time they arrived at the familiar house it had began to rain, so heavy that it was quiet an effort to see three meters in front of you.
They all quickly rushed from the car into the dry and crisp foyer, soaking wet. Ron and Moody came out of the lounge room to greet the practically drowned Harry.
"Hey mate" Ron said, slapping his friend on the back "How are you. Those Durslys treat you right?"
"I'm fine thanks, and no they didn't treat me at all actually. They just ignored me for most of the summer".
Moody's eyes narrowed, "No trouble I assume" he growled.
Harry shook his head "Nope, no trouble"
They all went into the kitchen where the aroma of roasting meat and baking vegetables filled the air. Harry stood in front of the kitchen hearth and tried to warm himself.
He couldn't believe that he was finally back with all of his friends but he couldn't help but feel a little sad. Harry still found it hard to believe that Sirius was gone, pushed through the vale in the Ministry of Magic and never heard from again. Harry looked down at the flagged stone floor of the kitchen and tried to push away the gloomy feelings that had made themselves present to him.
"Are you alright, Harry?" Hermione asked as she walked over to him with a towel.
"Yeah" He said glumly "Just thinking".
Hermione handed him the towel "About Sirius?" she asked concerned.
He nodded the dried his hair on the thick, white towel "Its just hard to be here and know that Sirius isn't here anymore". He handed the towel back to Hermione "I still expect to see him walk into the room, smiling and without a care in the world"
Hermione put the towel down on the kitchen table and wrapped her arms tightly around Harry.
"I know it's hard," she whispered "But "I'm here for you if you need to talk and so is everyone else under this roof"
Harry smiled "Even Kreacher?"
Hermione laughed "No, probably not him, but if you want someone to put you down then he's the one to call".
Dinner was fabulous and consisted of roasted lamb, baked vegetables and Shepard's pie. During dinner Harry's mind wandered to the letter that he had received from Mrs. Weasly. What was the new information that she had mentioned?
"Harry" Lupin said behind him "Can I see you, Hermione and Ron in the lounge please"
The trio silently left the table and followed Lupin in to the lounge.
"I have some very good news," he said, shutting the door behind them.
San Francisco
Piper and Phoebe stood inside Phoebe's walk-in closet, surveying Phoebe's fashions for the trip to England. After a long family meeting The Charmed Ones and their whitelighter had decided to go to England and help whom these people were. "My god Phoebe!" Piper said, surveying the clothes on her sister racks "You have all of these clothes and only two items are long-winter clothes" Phoebe rifled through her clothes and sighed "Piper, we live in San Francisco, the temperature here barely gets below 57 degrees"
Piper rolled her eyes at her younger sister "Phoebs, 57 degrees is freezing, what are you? Some kind of weird lizard thing?"
Phoebe let out a sigh of frustration "No, Piper. I am not some kind of wierd lizard thing,I just don't feel the cold" she bent down and retrieved a pair of white joggers "England wouldn't be that cold, would it?" she frowned "I mean, London and San Francisco are practically in line with each other"
Piper shook her head and crossed her arms "Phoebe, the majority of our stay will be in Scotland. In other words in three or four months time the temperature will drop to as far as minus four Fahrenheit"
Phoebe's face fell and she shuddered "Oooo, that's cold, maybe I should go out and buy some really, really warm winter clothes"
Piper smiled "Yes, you should"
Phoebe grabbed the keys to her car from her bedside table and raced past Piper "See you soon" she yelled.
Piper quickly followed her down the formal staircase and into the foyer "Drive carefully, its storming out"
"I always drive carefully Piper, you know that" and then she was gone, out the front door and into the downpour.
Piper shook her head and sigh as she walked into the kitchen and started looking through the fridge for something to eat.
"Watchya doing?" Paige asked walking through the door and flopping down into a chair.
"I am trying to find food," Piper said, producing a packet of Tim-Tams
Paige nodded "I see, when are we leaving?" she asked and grabbed one of the chocolate covered biscuits.
Piper took a bite of her biscuit "Well, we were going to go later this evening but Phoebe's gone shopping" she thought for a moment "So I suppose we will go early tomorrow morning"
Paige frowned "Why has Phoebe gone shopping?"
Piper smiled "Because that sister of ours doesn't own a single piece of winter clothing"
Paige sucked on the end of her biscuit "Mmmhmm" she noised through a mouth full of chocolate "And how early is early in the morning?"
"Two in the morning"
Paige's eyes widened in shock "What! Why?"
Piper laughed, "Blame the time zones"
Her sister groaned in annoyance "What are we gonna do with Wyatt?"
"We are going to take him with us" Piper said wiping her hands on a paper towel.
"But isn't this going to be dangerous?" Paige asked concerned.
"These people should be able to keep Wyatt safe and if things become to dangerous we can always send him Up There" Piper said.
Paige frowned again "Will the Elders mind?"
Piper snorted a laugh "If they want the Charmed Ones to continue fighting evil than they will accept Wyatt with open arms"
Paige nodded, took an apple from the fruit bowl on the island counter and left her sister to finish off the rest of the Tim-Tams.
Hello, how are you all. I am finding time to write chapters in class so updates won't be to spaced apart. R&R please. P.S, sporry if there are spelling errors.
