Chapter 4: Hallowe'en Night
"Trick or treat." Harry said as Hermione opened the door.
"Harry! It has been too long! How are you? What brings you so here soon?" Hermione rambled while hugging Harry.
"Let him breathe Hermione, he's only just gotten here! You've got all night to quiz him." Ron spoke up coming into the foyer. "Alright there, Harry?"
"Yea, mate. Thanks for that." Harry said shaking Ron's hand and nodding his head towards Hermione who was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.
"Why don't we have a seat in the lounge for some tea?" Interjected Hermione, beaming and pointing the way.
Harry followed her and Ron into a tidy looking sitting room with a large picture window looking out over the Scottish coastline. He took a seat on an overstuffed sofa, still looking around the room taking in the photos, taken of them all from Hogwarts, lining the mantle above the fireplace and a few scattered across the walls.
"How have you been, Harry?" Ron asked as Hermione left the room.
"OK, I guess, I've given up the bottle."
"Finally saw you were drowning in it?"
"It's still hard, Ron, I try not to drink anything stronger than butterbeer anymore so...err...no slip-ups." Harry replied giving Ron a serious look. "How are you and Ginny?"
"Gin is good, still runs her deli in Torquay. Me, still running the Magical Games and Sports Division at the Minisrty. What can I say, I get to go to all of the Quidditch matches I want for free and with the Cannon's finally leading the League and two wins away from the English Cup, I'm out there quite a bit." Ron answered. "You get out on your broom much?"
"Whenever I get the chance, I do a few laps around Godric's Hollow..."Harry trailed off as Hermione came back in with the tea followed by Ginny.
Ginny stepped into the room and walked straight up to Harry. "Hello, Harry." She said reaching for his hands.
"Ginny...err...I've been...err...wanting to talk...with you." Harry mumbled standing up as Ginny reached for his hands and pulled him into a hug.
"Don't mention the note I sent in front of everyone." She whispered into his ear and continued when she felt him nod slightly. "Are you doing OK?"
'I could get lost in those eyes with him just staring at me like that.' Ginny thought to herself.
"As good as can be expected I guess." He replied still holding on to Ginny and looking her in the eyes. "Tomorrow OK with you?" Harry whispered and when she nodded her reply, he released his hug hesitantly and sat back down with Ginny next to him.
'Is it me or did it just heat up a bit in here?' He thought as she sat down next to him.
Ron and Hermione exchanged glances at each other about the scene they just witnessed between Harry and Ginny. Hermione smiled when Ron nodded and went back to filling cups with tea.
Dinner was mostly a silent affair with Hermione trying to get Harry to talk about some things that happened during their school years, but it was not until after the meal that Hermione posed a wrong question.
"Harry, you're not still feeling guilty about killing Voldemort are you? Because if you are-"
"How dare you presume that I would get over something like that, Hermione, I killed another person regardless of who it was!" Harry nearly yelled.
"But you weren't the only one who did. Remus killed Fenrir Greyback-"
"And where is he? Hiding somewhere in Ireland with Tonks."
"He is there trying to find a cure for Lycanthropy, Harry. Malfoy killed his own father-" Hermione tried before being stopped by Harry again.
"Draco is in hiding, too if you hadn't noticed! Git though he is, he did try to make things easier for us." Harry said still trying to match Hermione.
"Neville got Bellatrix Lestrange and he's not hiding! He's the Professor of Herbology at Hogwarts now!" Hermione said slowly getting angry with Harry.
"There's always one who can cope better than others, Hermione! He has been waiting for the opportunity to get revenge for his parents just as I was, but the difference between Neville and me is a bit different! It should have been me that breathed a sigh of relief once the bastard was gone! But, was I? No! I get stuck with my damnable noble heart and ability to love and with that comes the grief and shame of being a murderer, Hermione!"
"Harry, mate, why don't you just take a time out for a second-" Ron tried to say before Harry turned his wrath over.
"Me? It was your girlfriend who started this mess! I should have stayed home, but my conscience would have driven me mad just like she is!" Harry roared. "If you'd wake up a bit yourself you could see what's right in front of you!"
"Harry...I just wanted you to calm down. Come on let's take a walk outside and let everything settle down, OK?" Ron said trying to calm Harry down enough to get him to stop yelling.
Harry took a deep breath, looked over at Hermione who had her head bowed and Ginny who had tears on her face. "Alright, Ron, lead the way."
"Look, Ron, I should not have said those things about you Hermione. It's just that being alone for so long has made me a bit edgy." Harry told Ron as they walked toward Hermione's flower garden where a bench was sitting.
"No problems, Harry, I just think you need to clear your mind about a few things is all. Like you said being locked away alone for a few years have made you a bit grouchy." Ron said putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. "You know how Hermione always has to know everything. She just made a mistake in asking the wrong thing at the wrong time."
"When did you get so smart?" Harry asked with a smile.
"Living with Ginny these past few years has helped. I have one question for you though, Harry. You told me a few weeks after Mum's funeral that you were there, but no one ever remembers seeing you."
"The Invisibility Cloak. I sat in the back and left right after. I did not want to bother the family grief. I had just gotten myself dry and I thought if I made myself known I would have a set back."
"Harry, we would have helped you over that if you would have just admitted what was wrong. I knew you were having a drinking problem that day we talked when I got my promotion. But water under the bridge, mate." Ron told Harry still with his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Now what you need to do is go back in there and just be Harry, the one Hermione is trying to remember that is apparently gone-"
"I'm not gone just...just under a little stress."
"A little?" Ron asked laughing. "I'd hate to see a lot of stress on you then, mate."
Back inside found Ginny consoling Hermione as best she could.
"He's changed so much, Ginny; I just can't figure him out now." Hermione said still trying to choke back tears.
"You know, Hermione, he actually hasn't changed. He has been alone for a while and his feelings about seeing everyone has him off guard. So, even though you shouldn't have brought up Voldemort, something else would have set him off." Ginny said rubbing Hermione's shoulders. "He probably needed setting off that way to clear his head, so maybe you did him a favor."
"I don't possibly see what you mean by him getting angry can mean clearing his head out, but somehow I understand it."
Ginny was cut off from explaining her point even more by Harry and Ron returning into the house from their extended walk through Hermione's garden.
"Hermione, Ginny, Ron. I just want to say I'm sorry for my outburst and will understand if you want me to go, since I ruined your reunion of sorts tonight." Harry said apologetically when he came back into the dining room with his head hung.
"Oh, Harry!" Hermione said getting up and rushing over to Harry and pulling him into a hug. "Of course I don't want you to leave! And I'm sorry for bringing up Voldemort like that without warning-."
Hermione tried to say more, but Ron and Ginny turned Hermione's hug into a group affair.
"Why don't we all just stay here tonight and try again over breakfast in the morning?" Hermione asked still in the middle of the hug and replaced her head on Ron's shoulder when everyone murmured their agreement.
"Oh, I get to have a bit of fun then." Ginny whispered in Harry ear causing him to smile.
'Just like the twins,' He thought to himself taking in the scent of Ginny's hair. 'Always up for a prank or two.'