CHAPTER 2 Home is Where the Heart Is
Harry felt a smile make its way towards his lips. This place felt more like home than number 4 Private Drive ever could. Making his way towards the kitchen, he was greeted with a warm hug from Mrs. Weasley.
"Harry, dear, I'm so glad you're here! You look so thin. Have those muggles been treating you all right?" she asked concernedly.
"They've been fine, mostly they ignored me. I think the Order scared them."
Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips at his reply and seemed to have to hold herself back from speaking badly about Harry's relatives. "Well, Ron's upstairs in his room. You can go join him, if you want." With a wave of her wand, Harry's trunk flew up the stairs and out of sight, he assumed into Ron's room.
Harry opened up the door to the familiar orange room and found Ron sitting and furiously writing on a piece of parchment.
"Hey Ron," he said.
"Harry!" he squeaked. "I was just um… I mean err…you startled me. I thought you were coming tomorrow?"
"Nope today. All though I can understand why you're a bit preoccupied. Confessing your love for Hermione has got to be stressful," Harry said slyly.
"What? Hermione…that's ridiculous. How'd you come up with that idea?" he questioned nervously.
"I mean it's about time. It's painfully obvious that you like each other. I've known this has been coming for ages!" Harry continued.
"Was it that obvious?" Ron blushed the familiar Weasley red. "Wait did you say we like each other?"
"I don't know did I?" he replied innocently.
"I like her so much! I just…I can't…I don't know how to say it. This is my ninth letter to her! They're all rubbish."
"Let me see," Harry said, grabbing the paper before Ron could protest.
Dear Hermione,
Hey. What'd you get for OWLS? All O's I expect. I got E's in Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Care of Magical Creatures, and Defense and A's in Herbology and Astronomy. Well, 'Mione, the real reason I'm writing is because, um… well its because I like you. I've liked you for a while, and I just had to tell you. I know you probably don't feel the same, and I'll try not to make things awkward with us. I know you're with Krum anyway.
See you at the Burrow in a couple of days.
-Ron
Harry took the letter and made a dash for Hedwig. Ron took off after him but by the time he had tackled Harry to the ground, the parchment had already been tied to her leg. Hedwig, seeing her chance flew quickly through the open window. Ron watched her fly away with his mouth open and face pale.
"You, prat! She's going to read it!" he said angrily to the fallen bespeckled boy on the floor.
"Mate," Harry said pulling himself up, "That was the point."
The next couple of days, Ron angrily ignored Harry. So he took to spending time with Ginny, who he found was quite a nice companion. They were out flying on their brooms, when Harry's scar hurt, causing him to jerk off his broom and tumble off onto the ground. With a gasp, Ginny flew down and landed beside him. Getting down on her knees, she checked to see if he was all right.
"Harry? Are you ok?"
She received a groan in reply. After a few seconds, Harry seemed to catch his breath enough to answer, "My scar, it hurt. He's happy, really happy."
Ginny understood the importance of his words and tenuously touched the scar with her hand. "Does it still hurt?"
"No, actually it just stopped." Both became aware of their close proximity. "Why Ginevra Weasley! Whatever would Dean think of this most compromising position?" Harry mock questioned.
Ginny blushed and hit him. "You great prat! You know I was just concerned about you. Besides, Dean's not the jealous type." She answered.
There was an awkward pause as they both really did think of Dean and his relationship with Ginny. "Hermione should be getting here soon. Let's get inside." Harry said.
Once they walked inside, they found Ron nervously pacing in front of the fireplace.
"Hey Ron," Ginny said, but Ron seemed oblivious to her words and continued his pace. Suddenly the fireplace flared up and Ron stopped in his tracks. He resembled a very red deer in the headlights.
Hermione stepped out with her stuff. She dropped her things and looked around the room, seeming to take in who was present. Then, without a word she ran up to Ron who was still frozen and kissed him hard on the lips.
He blushed violently and tried to stutter out a greeting. "Her… he…you…me…kissed."
She rolled her eyes and said, "How blind can you be? I've liked you since 2nd year."
"What… what about Vicky?" he asked weakly.
"Viktor is just a friend, as I have told you many times before. Ron, you're the one I like," she replied, saying the last part a bit shyly.
"Willyougooutwitme?" Ron quickly asked.
"Yes, Ron, I thought you got the point when I kissed you!" Hermione said exasperatedly.
Harry cleared his throat, and Ron and Hermione turned to face him and Ginny. It seemed as though they hadn't realized they were in the room. "Hey Hermione."
"Harry! Ginny!" she squealed and gathered them both into big hugs. Ginny and Hermione quickly left chatting fast and dragging Hermione's things along behind them, leaving Harry and Ron standing there.
"Harry?" Ron said once he shook out of his daze.
"Yah, Ron?"
"Thanks."
It was three weeks later and everyone at the Burrow had grown accustomed to walking in on Ron and Hermione snogging. Ginny and Harry had become even better friends, since their best friends were too busy sticking their tongues down each other's throats to notice them. Both unfortunately had forgotten about Harry's scar hurting previously. Things had gotten extremely busy. Finishing up homework and receiving new books for school (They weren't allowed to leave the wards on the Burrow, and so their stuff was picked up for them. It was quite a letdown not to go, because they had wanted to visit Fred and George's new store at Diagon Alley.). Perhaps if they had remembered about the Harry's pain, things would have turned out differently.
The older Weasley's were all out at work or on missions. It was early evening. Harry and Ginny were inside playing exploding snaps and trying to ignore the snogging couple in the corner of the room when the whole house began to shake.
Hermione and Ron broke apart. "What was that?" Ron asked.
"I don't know," Harry replied looking pale. He ran to the window. His stomach violently squirmed. "Deatheaters." A group of five cloaked figures with white masks was trying to force their way inside. "Grab your wands!" Harry ordered. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione sprang up next to Harry, wands at the ready, just as the door burst open.
"Does Harry want to come out and play?" asked a distinctly feminine voice. Anger surged through Harry and before he knew what he was doing, he cast a stupefy in her direction. Her grin widened. "I believe I owe you for that night at the ministry." A cruciatous curse went rapidly towards Harry, but he ducked. The rest of his friends were busy dueling their own, all be it less advanced opponents. Ginny had successfully stupefied one. Distracted a moment to long, the next crucio hit. The pain was intense. It was finally lifted after what seemed like an eternity. Harry's throat was sore from the screams he surely had made. His torture had distracted his friends and they were badly losing. Bellatrix was having the time of her life with Harry. He wanted to die. Death couldn't be worse than this feeling. Suddenly the fireplace flared up and several Order members rushed out. Remus stopped as he saw Harry on the floor, trying to suppress his shaking, in front of Bellatrix.
She was too caught up in the moment to pay attention to her surroundings and was in the middle of a dark curse Harry had never heard of when Remus stupefied her. Her spell, uncompleted, shot from her wand and hit Harry. His eyes widened, and Remus rushed towards him. Gasping and shaking, he disappeared right as Remus was about to grab him.
The deatheaters were caught and no one was seriously injured. Remus dropped to the ground, eyes unseeing. "Where's Harry?" Ginny asked him fearfully as everyone walked over to him.
"Gone. Bellatrix hit him with something and he disappeared. First Sirius and now Harry. I should have killed her!" Remus replied disbelievingly, eyes not leaving the ground.
Hermione and Ron clung to each other at the news. Mrs. Weasley burst into tears. The rest of the Weasley's looked devastated. Ginny felt like her heart had been torn into pieces. What on earth had happened to Harry?
