Disclaimer: No money is being made or received for this work in her playground of characters.
Chapter 8 -- Emergency, Revelations and Results...
Looking at the teenagers who were still glaring at her, Rowan said, "Harry, lets take your scrolls and return to my quarters. We can do nothing else until Fawkes tells us to. No arguments from any of you. They asked for Dumbledore, got Remus in the mix. They did not ask for you and you will NOT be going."
Ginny stood her ground. "Who the hell are you? That's our FAMILY that just called for help."
"I will at some point be your teacher. If Arthur had wanted you to be with them, he would have said so. I know you all have a stake in what is happening, but sometimes adults do things and children need to trust them. If he needs you - or me - or any of us - Fawkes' will not only tell us, but because he is a Phoenix, he will take us." For a split second, she wondered how the hell she knew that, but said nothing, deciding to continue with her conversation with Ginny instead, "No more arguments Ginny. When they get back, I promise that they will explain completely to you - or they will deal with me." She silently thought 'Oh hell, now what have I done?'
It took a moment for the teenagers to comply with her thought processes and do as asked. Begrudgingly, each picked up a couple of the rolls of parchment and walked to the door. They rode the stairs back to the hallway in silence and returned to the quarters.
As they entered, Rowan thought about what she had heard. Having been warned by Molly that Hermione was the bookworm of the group, but the boys helped her on a regular basis, she turned to the younger witch. "We need to write as much of the prophesy as we can all remember. It sounds a bit like research. Can you all help her?" They nodded.
Always knowing that teenagers need privacy, she left the children to talk. Going into her bedroom, she pulled out her favorite dark blue silk pajamas and slippers. Once changed, Rowan pulled her long hair back into a pony tail, took out her contacts, washed her face, and put on her glasses. She had a feeling there would not be much sleep that night. When she returned to her office, she found the four teenagers sitting at a round table deep in discussion. Finally, the quill stopped scratching. They looked up at her. She smiled at them. "You may as well go get comfortable. It's going to be a long night."
When the four left her to change, Rowan picked up the parchment thinking idly that Hermione had great penmanship. As she looked over the words, her dreams came again. Thinking of the movie she had seen each night as she laid down to rest. Hearing the words that they six chanted over and over, trying to remember the exact pronunciation: "abundantia adfero abeo dedoceo cesso adamo."
The teens returned quickly, each now dressed in their own pajamas sat quietly. Turning to Harry, Rowan asked "Can you contact a house elf and ask for coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and snacks?" Harry nodded. Closing his eyes, he silently asked Dobby for the things requested. Several moments later, Dobby entered the room carrying an enormous tray. Fruits, scones, breads, and other treats covered its large surface. Three pots of steams joined it and five mugs.
Once everyone thanked Dobby he left, Rowan turned to the group. "I guess you know that you are stronger together than any one of you apart. If this…Oldy-fart," Ron snorted hot chocolate out his nose at the word "oldy-fart", Rowan gave Harry a sly smile and continued, "figures it out, you are individually in trouble."
Pacing a moment, Rowan began to speak again, "Harry, I assume you are the chosen one." He nodded. "I further assume you are an only child." he nodded again. She turned to Hermione. "You love Hermione as a sister only? No feelings of lust or anything?"
Harry smiled at his best friends, "Not a problem."
Rowan continued, "Hermione, you feel the same way about Harry? Brother only? Nothing hidden - right?"
Hermione stood and looked at Rowan for a moment, before turning to first Harry, then to Ginny and Ron. When her gaze returned to her new teacher, she began to talk. "When my parents were killed last year, I was taken in by the Weasleys. Ron and Harry saw me through the worst times of my life, but Ron has always been a rock for me. I cannot imagine what I would have done if they hadn't taken care of me."
Taking a deep breath, steadying herself for the words she longed to say to him, she looked away from Rowan and back to the perfect blue eyes that watched her. The others fell away into blackness as the light moved between them. "I am in love with you Ronald Bilious Weasley. I cannot imagine ever wanting to look into green eyes the way I look into your blue ones. I have loved you since the first moment I saw you on the train and had a smudge of dirt on your nose. No matter how much we fight, no matter what happens around us, you are my heart. I will follow you or lead you to help Harry, but because I love Harry as my brother, not because I could ever love him like I do you Ron." She finished as Ron stared wide eyed and open mouthed at her.
Closing his mouth and swallowing hard, Ron stood and walked to Hermione. He looked down at her. "I am the luckiest man in the world. I love you too." Then, he kissed her, powerfully, hungrily, completely giving his soul to her.
As they parted, Rowan looked at them, a smirk clearly set on her face. "Okay, a little dramatic, but it works. So sit down you two and no googly-eyes between you while I am talking," Rowan took a second to collect her thoughts, "Ginny, you and Ron are 'pure-blood' correct?" Ginny nodded. "So we have three pieces of this puzzle. We know that Harry is the chosen one. He is the brother to the one who is first to have the gift of magic in her family. Uhm, I assume you have no siblings Hermione?" Hermione nodded. "I also assume you are the first witch in your family too." Hermione nodded again. Everyone agree so far?" They all nodded, "Perhaps the next question is the next set of brother and sister. Who else is a set in the school?"
Harry looked to the others and began to discuss the other brothers and sisters in the school. Honestly, he could think of a couple of brother/brother and sister/sister sets, but not any other brother/sister sets. Rowan sat and looked to the roaring fire, only half-listening to the conversation. She could not help with this part of the research; these were the only kids she knew from the school. After a few moments, Rowan stood again, facing the expectant teenagers, and interrupted, "Let's go forward, shall we?" looking over her parchment, she continued, "Son of the enemy? Who can that be?"
All the teenagers laughed out loud. Apparently something was amusing, but Rowan just didn't get it. Harry finally spoke "You don't realize that it could bloody well be anyone in Slytherin. Or it could be any of my cousin's friends. It could be just about anybody who has ties to… what did you call him? Oldy-fart." he laughed again. "I like that one, ya' know," his green eyes twinkled as he looked over to Ginny, "So, Ginny, when are you going to declare your love to me the way 'Mione did?"
Ginny sat back in her chair and smirked. She looked so much like Molly when she did that. "When ya' earn it hero." The wiggled her eyebrows at him. They all fell into a comfortable silence.
Hermione added thoughtfully, "Only a mother can…. That's Mrs. Weasley. She's got that whole love, mom thing. Who brings them all together….I dunno, we will need to think on that one... the longest day." Hermione thought for a moment, then added, "That's June 21st. It's the summer solstice."
Rowan looked at her like she had fallen out of a large tree and hit her head before speaking again. "Uh, Okay. Didn't really know that." silence filled the room again. Rowan thoughtful finally turned to the group. "Enough prophesy tonight. Let's relax until we know what the emergency is." Rowan collected the scrolls pertaining to the prophesy and put them in a trunk near her desk.
Ron, slowly, turned to Harry. "So didn't Dumbledore say something about you being uhm, royal or something?" Grinning, Harry nodded. Ron continued "Let's see what ya' got then."
The scrolls were opened to reveal many holdings. The first one Harry picked up was a large deed for a home near Ottery St. Catchpole. He gasped at the size of the estate itself. The age of it, and the contents were listed as well. The parchment when unrolled was over three meters long. His name had been added magically to the bottom of it as heritage. He glanced over it before looking up into the eyes of his friends. "Look at this" he said, pointing to the parchment. The next hour was spent with four heads trying to read the words and understand them. Grinning, finally, Harry sat down again. "So shall I be King Harry or Prince Harry?"
Ginny smacked him on the arm, "You could just be Harry Potter, pain in the arse." Hermione and Ron snickered. Ginny grinned at them. "Some might even call you fearsome..."
Harry's face fell when he heard the word 'feared'. Looking into that beautiful face, Harry said it aloud "You're afraid of me?"
Ginny without missing a beat answered "Only with what you will do with my heart when I dramatically declare my love for you." She snorted through the last bit. Her giggle giving way to a laugh that touched his soul. He joined her in the laughter.
Rowan looked around and was shocked to realize that it was almost one in the morning. "Everyone to bed, heart can't take seeing that much young love at this time in the morning. Off you go." Rowan left them alone for a few minutes. Even teenagers need to be without adult eyes sometimes.
At some point in the early morning hours, Rowan woke to a loud knock on the door to her quarters. As she passed the rooms, she heard soft snores, as the children slept completely unaware that anyone was there. She opened the door slowly. There stood five red-headed people, Remus, and Professor Dumbledore. Molly stood supported by two large men clutching a wooden clock. Rowan stepped aside to let them enter silently. Rowan turned and gasped as she saw her common room had enough chairs to seat them all. The office's table which sat five last night now sat twelve comfortably, and the tray of food seemed to be overflowing again.
Shaking her head and deciding she needed more sleep, she asked what she could do. The family didn't seem able to speak. Deciding that she would get the kids up; Rowan left the Weasley's to get the students, shock recognizable on her face when she opened the boys' room and found Hermione wrapped in Harry's arms.
