Chapter 29
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I do not own Ron Weasley or Remus Lupin either. I do not want Harry. However, I would like Ron and/or Remus, with and being preferable. So JKR, if you read this…
A/N: Sorry for the long wait. The first day of classes was today, and needless to say, I am back. Without further ado, here is the first taste of just what the artifact is…
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Hermione had forgotten all about the artifact. She was boxing up the last of her things when Sadat walked into her office.
"Hermione, we got a report back on that artifact."
"Huh?" Hermione's brilliance obviously had deserted her.
"The Egyptian artifact. They dated it."
"Oh. Of course. Can I see the report?"
Sadat handed it to her. "You may want to sit down first."
Hermione looked at him and frowned. She'd been wrong. She sat down and thumbed through the report.
The engraving she had spotted was dated May 6 of three years ago. Exactly. Just a month short of the attack on the Burrow.
They weren't just after Ron.
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Remus and Tonks put the children to bed after a usual dinner of Spagettios. As they tidied up the kitchen, Tonks sighed.
"Oh, that sounds bad. What is it?"
Tonks looked around. "You ever wish everything could just stay the way it is?"
"Sometimes," Remus admitted. After a while, he grinned. "But then Sirius would be here demanding sweets and Spagettios until kingdom come."
Tonks laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Why do you ask?"
"Oh, no reason," Tonks said a bit too quickly.
"Come on, Nymphadora, cough it up? Are you thinking of going back to work?"
"Let's talk. I've got something to tell you."
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Harry Potter felt guilty. That was an all too familiar feeling for him. After Christmas, he saw just how happy Ginny could be. If it wasn't for him, she would be normal.
Then he stood up and pushed the report he had been eying away from him. He would go visit her. Even if it was just for a spot of tea.
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Ron walked into the joke shop only to catch Fred and George in the midst of a heated argument.
"Stay out of my personal life, Fred!" George bellowed. "It's none of your damn business why I don't want to see Alicia anymore!"
"Well, I lost my girl, George. I don't want that to happen to you."
"Stop living vicariously through me."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"Stop trying to live your life through me."
Ron coughed loudly. "Oy! Why don't you yell louder? I don't think China heard you two."
George glowered at his younger brother. "What do you want?"
"Well, now having heard every word you two said, I'd say owl Alicia, mate."
"Oh, that's rich. You giving me relationship advice. I didn't knock a girl up and send her off to Egypt for three years, Ron Weasley!"
"Hey, she never told me! Besides, I didn't send her to Egypt, she…"
"Stop it!" Fred cried. "You two are bickering like girls."
Ron looked at Fred. "Why haven't you gone to see Angelina yet?"
"What?"
"You heard me. Instead of lecturing George, you should set an example."
"I don't know where she lives," Fred quickly added.
"I'm sure Alicia knows," George stated immediately. "You could owl her."
"Fine! I will!" Fred cried, heading for the back room.
Fred smiled, realizing George had just let him go write a letter to his girlfriend. Or ex-girlfriend of whatever she was. He wrote a letter telling her he wanted to talk to Angelina face to face.
At the very end he wrote P.S. George will be at the joke shop alone at eight o'clock.
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Ginny and her father sat all alone at the Weasley flat. Ginny kept eying the clock, so reminiscent yet so different from the one at the Burrow. Fred and George's hands pointed to work, while Ron's pointed to traveling. "Where is he traveling?" she wondered aloud.
Mr. Weasley frowned. "Who?" He then followed Ginny's gaze to the clock. "Oh, Ron. Either with the twins or Hermione."
"Oh. I see." She sighed. "I'm bored."
"I know."
"And lonely."
"I really know. I wish I could work."
"Me too."
"I want my wand back."
"Oh definitely," Ginny sighed.
And then a loud pop made them smile.
"Ron!" Ginny cried, spinning around to see. And screamed.
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A/N: About the author's note—yeah, I lied. Sorry. I decided to be evil and make johncardy87 wait. I was going to have Tonks and Lupin talk about their issue, but jwoods, my wonderful beta whom I have missed sorely over the holidays, convinced me to just be flat-out evil. So I was. She also helped me figure out where Ron would be and what he would be doing. I PROMISE, next chapter, one of these will be resolved. And not necessarily in order. (laughs evilly).