DISCLAIMER: Same as the last three chapters…not mine, blah, blah, blah, blah, BLAH! LOL. I'M SO SORRY FOR THE
DELAY! SO MUCH HAS BEEN GOING ON AND I WAS LIKE 'AAHHHHH! Anyways…
Secret Promise
Chapter 3: The First Strike
oOoOoOo
Ring around the rosies, a pocket full of spears.
—Wicked Witch of the West, the Wizard of Oz—
oOoOoOo
Hermione Granger woke up to the sound of her softly blaring alarm clock and quickly leaned over to turn it off. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, kicking off her blanket and setting her feet on the warm carpet beneath her. She stood up, stretching to the sky, yawning loudly. At first she was alarmed by her surroundings, the warm lavender walls, the framed posters and pictures and attendance awards, the shelves stacked with books, the large window that displayed the buildings across the street and a strip of muggy gray sky. She was used to the slate stone walls adorned with tapestries and the painting of a lady with the plaque 'Gloria Tangentry, Gryffindor 1407-1414' above her head and cold stone floors and the giggling of two annoying other girls.
Instead, she stood in her room. It was quiet and peaceful and warm. The only sounds she could hear was the sounds of the urbanites below and the soft hum of a radio playing beneath her. It was tuned to the eclectic station, so her father was making breakfast that morning, which meant that her mother was either sleeping in, or she was downstairs, reading in the study. She felt warmth at the thought of being home…finally; then excitement at the thought that her parents had agreed to allow her to go to Harry's, albeit reluctantly. They had hoped she could spend more time with them this summer, but when she had explained all the horrible things that were happening (this time in much detail) they had agreed with much pain in their voice, before pulling her into a very tight, very desperate three-person hug.
She would be arriving at Harry's by car, so she at least had the ride to Surrey with her parents. Tonks, however, would be riding along with them in the car, on Hermione's request, and Order members would also tail them from their house, to the Dursleys'. It was all just a safety precaution, and it made Hermione feel much safer.
She went through her daily routine of making her bed, opening her window to the sounds below, gathering up the clothes she would wear that day, crossing from her room to the bathroom, taking a quick, conservative shower, brushing and flossing her teeth, combing her hair (which took much longer than the shower, unfortunately), changing her clothes, putting the old ones and her towel into the laundry basket, finishing up by pulling her hair into a tight, but messy ponytail, and then exiting the bath, closing the door behind her. She rushed barefoot down the stairs, as she remembered doing as a child, entered the kitchen with a smile, "Good morning, Daddy!"
Walt Granger wasn't a tall man, but he wasn't short either. He was as he so loved to tell his wife, 'of average boring height and average boring weight' to which she replied that 'average is perfectly fine when you're intelligent and unique on the inside.' He had bushy brown hair that he had learned to crop short at a young age, and scholarly features, such as a long nose, a thin mouth and high brows. His eyes were brown, like his daughter's, and his skin tanned very easily. He smiled at his daughter, who had grown up so fast. Already she was eighteen. She could be off to college right now, if she wasn't a witch. And now that the school might be closing…It worried him, all this stuff his Hermione had confessed yesterday. It gave him a cold, worried feeling that didn't sit well in his stomach.
"Good morning, Hermione!" He smiled at her. She would always be his little girl, no matter how old she was, or if she was dating and ready to get married…he hoped to God she wasn't ready to get married.
"What's for breakfast?" She asked, picking up the paper he had sat on the kitchen table.
"Same as usual, princess," He told her, grinning, "Brown eggs, scorched pancakes, burnt bacon, and some fruit and sugar free OJ."
Hermione laughed, "I don't know why Mum and I let you near the kitchen anymore."
Walt lifted a finger to his mouth, putting on a thinking expression, "Hm, I don't know! You're the ones who ask me to cook on weekends."
"Are you insulting us, Walter?" Jane Granger entered the kitchen, wearing a warm, fuzzy expression. She looked very tired, as she did most mornings, but the bags beneath her eyes were thick and her eyes were slightly bloodshot. It made Hermione feel really bad, knowing that she was the cause of her mother's bout of insomnia this time.
Her mother wasn't a beautiful woman, but she wasn't ugly either. She was pleasant as pleasant could be, in her opinion. Her bland brownish blonde hair was usually tied back with a rubber band, out of her eyes, and her eyes were a brilliant golden color. She had rather rosy cheeks and a bright smile. That was all that mattered to both Hermione and Walter, who thought she was beautiful inside and out.
"Hello, sweetie." She kissed her daughter's forehead, gave her an unusually tight hug, and smiled at her husband tiredly. "I hope you didn't burn breakfast too badly this morning, love?"
He gave her a look.
Hermione looked at the way her parents watched each other, love brightening their eyes. She was lucky her parents loved each other so much. Most of the children in her primary school had had divorced parents, something that even the overly intelligent Hermione couldn't understand fully. Even now. She had decided that if she was going to marry, then she had to be sure she wanted to spend the rest of her life with that one person.
He could be infuriating, but every moment was exhilarating and she loved it. Every second of every fight, every look, every battle. She had loved him forever it seemed.
Harry and Ginny seemed to have fire and passion, the ability to dominate and submit equally, it wasn't easy to tell who was in control because they were equal in almost everything, while she and Ron had fire and friction. Both of them had to dominate, and both had to be right, both had to lead. And that caused adrenaline, which in turn…
"You've gone away, sweet pea." Walter commented. She snapped to attention to stare into her father's eyes, which had lowered to stare into hers.
"Hmm?" She asked, blinking.
Walter lifted his brows, "You're not one to daydream, princess. Is something bothering you?"
"Bothering? No, no, not bothering." She smiled at him, "Just a thought. About relationships."
Walt and Jane shared a look, then gave Hermione pained expressions that made her laugh, "Oh, I have a boyfriend, you two; it's not the end of the world! I'm—"
"Yes, you're eighteen, freedom to live your life, you're an adult, we know. Just…think with your head and not with your loins."
Hermione moaned, "MUM!"
"What! It's true!"
"It's…odd." She told her, shuddering.
Jane laughed at her daughter's discomfort, even more at her husband's pale, sickly look.
"You torture us, Janie, really, you do." Walter patted his wife's shoulder absently, turned away to gather the food.
"Yum!" Hermione said dryly, lifting a fork of blackened bacon.
"Oh, hush!"
"Geroff!" Harry swatted at a weight on his head, pushing.
"Ow!"
"What?" He opened blurry eyes, unable to see without his glasses. He grabbed them from where they sat on the nearest trunk, looked around. His vision cleared and he saw a flash of fire red hair and bright brown eyes. Ginny had pushed away from his hand, looking at him with grogginess, leaning on her hands for balance.
"Oh, did I hit you?" He asked, worriedly, pulling her close to examine her head.
She laughed, blearily, shaking her head. She was obviously still half-asleep. She mumbled, "No…missed."
"Then what…"
"MEOWWW!" He blinked at the strange creature that had just jumped on his head.
"What the…?" It took a few moments to process, "Galahad!"
"Five more minutes, mummy!" Ron groaned from the bed. Ginny was laughing hysterically, watching Harry try to look up at the kneazling that had curled itself about his head. He looked like he had just had a heart attack by the expression on his face and Galahad was curled tightly about his black locks, messier now because he had fallen asleep with wet hair. He was purring and a paw was leaning down to swipe at Harry's neck.
"Please tell me there isn't a cat on my head?" Harry asked her, looking as if his pride had been severely wounded.
"There isn't a cat on your head, Harry." Ginny told him, sleep sliding away as she barely contained her glee, "There is a kneazle on your head, though."
Harry paused, looking at her with pursed lips and cut eyes. His brows were lowered in a glower and the green of his eyes gleamed. Ginny looked at him, cocking her head as if to dare him to do what he was thinking of doing.
Slowly, he lifted his hands, pulling the reluctant kneazling off his head, setting it on the sleeping bag beside him. Galahad pounced on his hand, gnawing at his knuckle and Harry glared at him, snatching his hand away. The kitten purred and pranced out of reach, his tail waving behind him mockingly. Harry turned to Ginny, glaring. She saw the gleam in his eyes and jumped back but he pounced just as quickly as the cat.
"Oh, Harry! NOOOOOO!" She gave a snort of high-pitched laughter as his hands tickled her sides and stomach, "Stop….no….ahahhahahaa…nooo! HAHAHA!" She gave a string of giggles, curses, and snorts and tried to slip away, but he had her pinned to the floor.
"I'm…ohmigod….I'm sorry….stoooop….that…tickles! HAHAHA….uncle…uncle…" She gasped for breath, wriggling beneath him, trying not to laugh trying to ignore the sensations of tickling. Resist…resist…resist.
He was grinning widely down at her until Ron jolted up with a shout and an angry look on his face, "GET OFF MY SISTER!"
Harry, with a strange bout of courage, instead grabbed her by the waist and rolled over so she sat on top of him. "There, I'm off of her."
He was smiling and laughing. There wasn't a worry or a care in his eyes, which were strangely bright with humor and love and emotion. Ginny smiled down at him, her heart beating, her stomach filling with hot love…he looked so happy. She couldn't resist bending down and pressing her mouth firmly to his, kissing him sensually as she straddled him, running her hands up his bare chest.
"Oh…EW, that's….you two…ugh!"
"Back…off…Ron." Ginny murmured in between kisses. Harry was cradling her head, bringing her mouth to his demandingly. Ginny, with any other guy, would have immediately tried to gain control, but with Harry…this made her feel all….Mmm.
"I'm taking a bloody shower." He slammed the door, after gathering up some clothes and a towel. There was a pausing moment, although the two snogging didn't notice it for they were—literally—wrapped up in one another, then Ron stomped back in, took his wand and stomped back out, gagging when he saw his sister lean cozily into Harry, deepening the kiss by opening her mouth. "OH MY GOD, YOU—TWO—ARE—DISGUSTING!" He fled.
"That got rid of him." And the two continued.
Galahad purred in content agreement, jumping onto the bed from Ron's trunk, slinking into the now vacant pillow and curling up on it to fall asleep.
"Woo-hoo, road-trip!" Nymphadora Tonks slipped into the backseat of the Granger's practical but sleek sedan, following Hermione. She sported long brown hair today, and brown eyes, and looked to only be about a year or two older than Hermione. Actually, she looked like an older sister. ("Have to play the part, don't I?") Her attire, too, was practical…well, for her. Jeans and a midnight blue blouse looked actually very nice on her, in an odd, strange way. There was a gold bracelet with dangling charms sitting on her wrist that glinted in the sun and Hermione leaned over in the seat examined it closely.
She saw seven charms—A wolf, a moon, a lizard-like creature that could have been a chameleon, which would be fitting seeing as Tonks was a metamorphmagus, a rose, a heart, a musical half-note, and what she imagined was a wand.
"Oh, it's brilliant, isn't it?" Tonks asked excitedly, her eyes bright with love and feeling, "Remus gave it to me, for my birthday, when we weren't even dating. It's so flashy that I normally don't wear it, auror duties and all. And he spent so much money on it, the goof, when I don't even wear it all the time."
"It's beautiful." Hermione smiled at her. Jane looked back at the two girls, saw the moment they were in and smiled, saying quietly, "Well, dears, we're off to see the wizards!"
Hermione and Tonks looked at each other, gaping then they both burst into gales of laughter.
Walter shook his head, chuckling as he started up the car. He glanced into the rear view mirror, watching the two-cab truck behind him start up. He recognized the man at the wheel as the shabbily dressed and sickly looking middle-aged fellow from last year, who had been part of the group that had traveled over to Hermione's friend's relatives to threaten them, according to his daughter.
Tonks turned around and gave them a big thumbs-up, smiling widely and winking. The bald black man whose ear was adorned with a hoop earring waved his hand at her and the fellow at the wheel made a 'rolling of the eyes' expression.
"Aw, you know he wants me." Tonks giggled to Hermione, and then looked to Jane and Walter, "Sorry if you heard that, Mr. and Mrs. Granger.
Jane just laughed, "That makes me feel old, call me Jane."
"Walter or Walt." Mr. Granger said, smiling, pulling out of the drive and into the street, "Well, you have the map, honey."
"That's right and it's going to stay that way, Walter." Jane patted her husband's arm, "You're just as bad with directions as you are with cooking."
"Is the only thing I'm good at dentistry?" He mumbled grumpily.
"No. There are…other things." Jane winked at the girls through the review mirror.
"MOTHER!"
"Wonderful." Harry pulled on his shirt, smiling at Ginny who still stood in her pajamas, looking cranky, but satisfied. She stretched up high, grinning at him through half closed eyes as he slowly lowered his gaze to her slightly revealed midriff. She laughed at him, pulling him into a tight hug, pecking him on the cheek then grabbing her clothes and Harry's towel, left for the shower that Ron had vacated moments after they entered the hallway. Harry asked for his wand.
"Why?" Ron asked, confused. He gave up his wand anyhow. Harry set it firmly in Ginny's hand.
"Just in case, Gin." He told her, very firmly.
Ginny rolled her eyes, took the wand, "You're so paranoid." And stepped away, pushing the door behind her. She popped her head out at the last minute, "Wanna join me?"
Ron looked like he might blow, and Harry shook his head, laughing. She shrugged, "You sure?"
"Ginny." Harry told her, his mirth glowing in his eyes. She laughed, slipped the door closed and there was a click and a temporary locking and sticking charm so no one could get past.
"Harry, I'm going to kill you!" Ron told him, grabbing him by the arm. Harry just looked at him, eyebrows raised, "If the situation had been switched and Hermione had just asked you that question, tell me, would you have said no?"
Ron blew, "YOU'RE A BLODDY GIT!"
Harry grinned cheekily, feeling suddenly different than his old self, "Possibly."
Ron huffed, let him go and stomped to the room, saying he had to write a letter to Hermione. Harry nodded, crossing his arms, leaning up against the wall beside the bathroom. He felt like a pervert, but he didn't want to leave Ginny alone, even with the magic locking precautions, especially when he knew his uncle was downstairs (it was a Saturday), and by the loud movements in the room across from the bathroom, Dudley was still here, or maybe he had just gotten in after sneaking out like he did every night. Harry wouldn't know.
Ron opened the door and peeked his head out, "Hermione—through the Order I guess—sent an owl. She'll be here around two or three."
Harry smiled, "Great! Now, you can spend time with her and work out…things, and you won't have to watch Ginny and me so much!"
"What's gotten into you two?" Ron growled, looking sour.
"Ron…." Harry looked at him, and Ron, for the very first time, saw the emotion stir into his eyes when he thought about Ginny, saw the softness in his expression when they spoke about her, "She makes me happy. She makes me…feel happy and alive and…"
"Whole," Ron offered, shrugging, "Ginny's always been able to do that. Everyone says so. Bill and Charlie said she was able to light up a room even when she was a baby."
Harry grinned at that, "Was she a pretty baby?"
Ron shrugged, "I have no idea. Mum's the one with the—no! No, no, no!"
"What?" Harry asked, interested. He pondered Ron's horrified face and a light lit in his head, "Are there pictures of you, Ron?"
"No!" His voice was strained and his snapped the door shut.
Harry burst out in laughter. The thought of a baby Ron was disturbing and yet hilarious. He himself had a few pictures of him as a baby in the photo album of his parents…but who was he to judge his own baby cuteness? Ginny's baby pictures…he wondered if her hair had been redder or duller then, or if her eyes had been brighter or darker, her cheeks rosy or just like they were now? It was odd, wanting to see her pictures…He wanted to see every picture that had ever been taken of her, hear every story of her life. He wanted to know everything about her.
He had never wanted that before, at least not to this degree. Shaking his head, wondering if he had gone insane, he heard a faint voice from the bathroom, singing softly. He leaned in closer, a smile tilting his lips when he realized it was Ginny, singing just little syllables, as if she was dancing around in the shower, bobbing her head to a tune that played in her mind. Then the image came to his head and he straightened, blushing and frowning at himself. He needed to stop that, lest he lose control before he had planned it all out.
The door opened across from him and he tensed. Dudley stood there, staring at him with beady and bloodshot eyes, frowning. He stared at him, frowning, before standing up straighter and giving him a sneer, "What the hell are you waiting out here for?"
Harry kept his face emotionless, "What does it look like?"
Dudley looked at the bathroom, heard the sound of the shower running. He looked confused then shook his head, "You're letting one of those freaks take a shower?"
"I'm one of them, Big D, and I've been using it for years." Harry said, shrugging indifferently.
"Is the girl there?" Dudley asked, looking at him with gleaming eyes.
Harry felt fury settle in his belly uneasily and the monster in his chest roared with possessiveness at the look on his cousin's face. He knew the pig was a pervert, you could see it in his piggy-little eyes. "Back off."
"Why?" Dudley flexed his large arm, "She's staying in my house, she's free game."
Harry saw red and he would have tackled Dudley if he didn't know he would get trampled by the size of him. He might have gotten taller—even more so know that he stood several inches above his cousin—but Dudley had the physical advantage, and he understood that. His hands curled into fists had his sides and his fingernails dug into his palms.
"You touch her, Dudley, and I will kill you." He growled, it wasn't entirely true, but he would make him suffer if he even tried.
Dudley sneered, "I'd like to see you try, Potter!"
Harry whipped out his wand, and Dudley stared at it, whimpered, but said, "Y-you c-can't. They'll—"
"For her, Dudley, I would do anything." He spat, training it on Dudley's heart, "Try me."
Dudley looked at him, beads of sweat slithering down his forehead; he skittered with difficulty through the doorway and tried to slide past him, rushing down the stairs as fast as he could with the weight he carried.
Harry growled at his back, restraining the urge to rush after him and pummel him while shouting off very painful curses concerning a region below the belt.
Ginny stepped out a few minutes later, smelling of Harry's soap and wearing shorts that made his eyes pop and an old Weird Sisters t-shirt. She had dried her hair with Ron's wand and pulled it up into a bun. Her face was clear and glowing and she grinned at him, leaning forward and giving him a sloppy kiss. He couldn't speak.
"Harry," She whispered, socking him one hard in his arm, "I can defend myself."
"Gin." He told her, looking fiercely into her eyes, "I know you can, but Dudley is bigger, Dudley is stronger, Dudley is perverted. And I have a right to stand up for you."
"You have no such right!" She said, her voice angry, "I don't need you to protect—"
He tugged her to him, framing her face and bringing her mouth to his, silencing her with a quick and fiery kiss. She didn't respond for a moment then her arms came around him. He pulled away.
"You don't." He told her, looking at her. Her brown eyes were narrowed. "But I want to."
She huffed, "Fine."
"See? Is it so hard to let me help you?"
"You're an arse."
"But I'm your arse."
There was a stiff pause then they both laughed.
"You're sick, too." Ginny told him, lifting a finger and trailing it along his bottom lip, making him stiffen.
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?" He asked breathlessly.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." She pulled him closer, sliding her hands lower down his back, leaning up against him with a smile.
"You made those shorts smaller." He noted.
"You noticed!"
"You're evil."
"You're too bloody noble."
"It's a good thing, Gin." He told her, bending down kissing her, pulling her into his arms, deepening the kiss, putting everything he had into it, showing her a taste of what would happen eventually. She melted, something that made his heart race, feeling her sink into his arms like putty, her hands fisting on his shirt. She opened her mouth a bit, and he slid his tongue over her plush bottom lip, making her make a sound in the back of her throat.
Ginny felt her heart race and her pulse skyrocket when Harry's arms wrapped around her, trapping her against him when she sunk against his chest, the kiss sliding like liquid fire sliding through her blood. It seemed to last an eternity, before he tugged away from her, even as she made a sound of dissatisfaction and disappointment.
"Now who's teasing?" She moaned when he pulled away.
"We have to wait, Gin."
"I know!" She hit him just to make herself feel better. Her mind was drunk with the kiss he had given her.
"I love you." He blushed when he said it but grinned when she smiled at him.
"I know." She said, softening like butter. "I love you, too."
"So, Tonks how is it that you got involved in the…group?" Walter began after what seemed to be a very long and awkward silence as they headed towards Surrey.
Tonks looked up from where she was trying to read over Hermione's shoulder at the book she had sneaked into the backseat. She smiled at Mr. Granger and said, "Well, I'm an auror, a dark wizard catcher for the ministry, and, to be honest, Death Eaters aren't to keen on my mother and father and me."
"Why not?" Jane Granger inquired, looking up from her novel.
"Well, for one, my dad is a muggleborn and my mother comes from a long line of very pure, wealthy and dark wizards and witches, which makes me a half-blood." Tonks shrugged, "They disowned Mum when she married Dad, but it's no big. She didn't care about all that. So Great Auntie Walburga removed her from the great Black Tapestry."
"She was a Black? As in Sirius Black? Hermione's friend's murdered godfather?" Walter asked, looking at his daughter through the rearview mirror. His daughter winced and Tonks looked sad for a moment.
"Mum was Sirius's favorite cousin." Tonks said then smiled, "Not once did she think he could ever have killed the Potters."
"KILLED THE POTTERS!"
"Oh, Tonks, they don't know that part!" Hermione said, jerking when her father nearly ran them off the road.
"Oops. My bad."
"Good morning, Uncle Vernon." Harry commented as he came down the stairs with Ron and Ginny at his heel, and Galahad trailing at her feet, entering the kitchen swiftly.
"Boy!" Vernon snapped, lifting a pudgy finger and jabbing it in Harry's direction, standing up from where he sat at the kitchen table. As usual, his face was purple, "What did you say to my son?"
"He made a pass at my girlfriend; I threatened to kill him if he even tried." Ron lifted his eyebrows at Harry and Ginny. The smaller female redhead grumbled something about 'I'd rather kick his ass myself', and crossed her arms.
"HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE DUDLEY OF SUCH CRUDENESS! YOU UNGRATEFUL, WORTHLESS—"
"Excuse me, sir, but I don't think you should finish that sentence." Ginny gave a falsely pleasant smile and stepped forward, Harry tensing as she did so. She pulled out both her and Ron's wand and smiled, waving them at him. Vernon paled, "Yes, two wands. I happen to recall something that happened a while ago, when Harry was, let's say, thirteen? You did something that the ministry had to clear up, hmm?" She directed it towards Harry.
"I blew up my aunt." Harry said, lifting his brows at her. Ron snickered, punching Harry in the arm as if to tell him 'ATTA BOY!'
"Ah, yes, he blew up his aunt, without a wand." Ginny grinned at Vernon, "Are you following me? If you think Harry's good at magic without a wand, think of what I can do with two of them."
"You can't—you wouldn't—"
"I don't really care if I go back to school or not, Mr. Dursley. It might be closing anyways. If I do a wee bit of magic, I don't think the ministry should care anyways, they're busy enough fighting off the death eaters trying to kill everyone."
Vernon looked speechless, but Harry knew the signs of when he was going to blow up and scream at them.
He stepped in front of Ginny, who had a glint in her eyes that Harry didn't exactly want to see at the moment, "Uncle, I'll tell you what. We avoid you, all day long, and only come back for dinner and sleeping. We won't step foot in this house until dinnertime."
Vernon didn't have enough to time to argue or disagree, Harry just nodded, "Deal. Come on, you two." He took Ginny, who he knew was thinking of whether or not she should spit on his uncle, by the hand and led her to the doorway, Ron closely in front of him. Galahad meowed indignantly and he rolled his eyes when Ginny scooped him up and stroked his ears.
"I've got to set out his food upstairs." She put her wand back in her pocket and gathered up Ron's wand, conjuring two bowls. Harry was impressed at her magical skills, especially when she used the aguamenti spell and filled the bowl with water after they quickly rushed upstairs for a few moments.
"Hey, wait a minute." Harry stopped Ginny, a puzzled look on his face, "When Dobby did magic here, and I got blamed for it. How do they know that it's Ron who's doing the magic?"
Ginny stopped, looked at him, thought for a long moment, "I have no idea. But I bet you house elves know more about magic than we ever will. You'll have to ask Dobby."
"Master called?"
Harry nearly jumped out of his shoes when he heard Dobby's familiar high-pitched and squeaky voice. He spun around to face the little elf that stood at his knee, looking as crazy as ever, wearing about a dozen hats, several pairs of socks, and Ron's old Weasley sweater.
"Wicked!" Ron said, grinning, looking at Harry then back at Dobby.
"Hello! Did Noble Harry Potter called Dobby?"
" 'Noble Harry Potter'?" Ginny put her hands on her hips and tried to stifle a giggle when Harry's cheeks pinked.
"Never have you mind Ginny." He turned to Dobby, "Dobby, I am not your master."
"But sir, Master Dumblydoo made sure that if anything happened to Master Dumblydoo that Dobby would make sure to take care of Master Harry Potter, he made Dobby promise! But Dobby would have promised anyways, for Dobby will always serve Master Harry Potter, even when Harry Potter is not his master!"
"Dumblydoo…you mean Dumbledore?" Harry asked a little hoarsely. Dobby bobbed his head, his ears drooping sadly.
"You miss him, too, huh?" Ginny asked, bending down to Dobby's height.
"Dumblydoo was good to Dobby. He let Dobby work as a free elf, with pay and a day off! Dobby doesn't want Hogwarts to close. Hogwarts is now Dobby's home!" He looked at Ginny, "You are Master Harry Potter's mistress?"
"MISTRESS?"
"Not like that, Ron!" Ginny smacked her brother in the thigh, glaring at him, before turning back to Dobby with kind, bright brown eyes. "I'm his girlfriend, yes." She smiled at Harry, she held out her hand, "I'm Ginny."
Dobby burst into tears. Ginny looked confused, turning to Harry with wide eyes. "No one has ever asked to shake Dobby's hand before, as an equal!"
"It's nothing, Dobby. You're Harry's friend, and any of Harry's friends are my friends." Ginny instead patted Dobby on the head, gently, "Please don't cry."
Dobby wiped his tears with the long sleeve of his jumper, "Dobby is sorry, Mistress Ginny."
"It's just Ginny, Dobby." Harry said, a little uncomfortable, "Her mother would kill me if you called her my mistress."
Dobby nodded, "Miss Ginny?"
"Perfect." Ginny said, bending down, kissing him on the forehead. Harry smiled at her. She was doing this all on her own, not even thinking. There were softer sides of her, carefully hidden by strength and independence and a need to feel in control, but when he got to witness all that warmth and compassion it made him smile.
Dobby sobbed, "Oh, Miss Ginny is a wonderful companion for Master Harry Potter! Miss Ginny is kind and funny and pretty and lovely and brave and—"
Ginny laughed, "Thanks, Dobby, I can do with all those."
"But Dobby has so many!" Then he realized he had talked back and winced, "Dobby is sorry, Miss Ginny! He did not mean to speak out of turn!"
Ginny cocked her head, "It's alright, Dobby." Galahad came up to greet the elf, sniffing him, before sauntering off.
"Anyways, Dobby, do you remember when you, er, used magic here?"
Dobby nodded, although Harry could see his cheeks had flamed pink.
"Ah, well, if you did it then why did the ministry blame it on me?"
Dobby paused, "House-elves can read and sometimes duplicate magical signatures, Master Harry Potter. We can see magic." He took Ginny's hand traced the lines in her palm, "Dobby sees bright red and bright silver threads but they are cloudy. Miss Ginny was possessed?"
Ginny tensed, then nodded, "Dobby is sorry, Miss Ginny. It was Dobby's fault!"
"No it wasn't, you tried to help Harry and that I thank you for!" Ginny pushed it away, "Can you read Harry's colors?"
He nodded, "Master Harry Potter has bright, bright gold and bright, bright green. But there is one more color, black…" Dobby shuddered, looked away, "Dobby is very sorry, Master Harry Potter, but it is hard to look at."
Harry absently scratched his hand, looking a little humiliated, "What is the black Dobby?"
Dobby couldn't say, he nearly started hurting himself.
"It's your connection, Harry." Ginny said, sighing, "I wish I could see…Dobby can you describe it for us?"
"It's like a vine, Miss Ginny. And it's threaded through all the other threads, intertwining them and twisting them and…infecting them."
"Infecting?" Ginny blurted, alarmed, at the same time as Ron and Harry.
Dobby nodded, moved towards Harry, took his hand to look closer, "It is very dark and cloudy, hard to see, but if I had help, I could cut the thread."
"Cut it? What do you mean? Cut off the magic? You can do that?" Harry looked like heaven had descended upon him. If
Dobby was implying what he though he was implying, then he could destroy the bond between him and Voldemort.
"Dobby should not even be telling Master Harry Potter this! It is House elf Secret!"
"Dobby, please!" Harry dropped down in front of Dobby, "If you could take this away from me, I would be forever grateful!"
"Dobby would need house elf help…" Dobby wringed his hands, ducking his head.
"Dobby, thank you so much!"
"Dobby knows that it will take much, much time, Master Harry Potter. And House-elves can only do this once."
"Is that why you never did it to the Malfoys?"
Dobby bobbed his head, "It is very difficult, cutting a magic thread. And even if Dobby did cut one of his former master's threads, they would still have one thread, enough magic to hurt Dobby."
"Thank you, Dobby."
"Master Harry Potter, Dobby would do anything for Master Harry Potter and Master Harry Potter's friends." He bowed low.
Ginny looked at Harry, saw how happy he was, how hopeful that this one little house-elf had the knowledge on how to destroy the bond he had with Voldemort. Her thoughts were flying this way and that and she couldn't jumble them all together. She shook her head, "Let's forget about this for a little bit. We need to let ourselves go have little bit of fun."
Harry nodded, taking a deep breath. His greatest wish, one of them at least, was coming true. He needed to take a breather, before he exploded in happiness. He didn't care if it took ten billion years, just the thought that he at least had a way to destroy the bond was good enough to him.
Ron had Dobby read his colors, mud brown and brilliant orange, which excited Ron to no end, due to the Chudley Cannons Quidditch team, and then Dobby left with a pop. Harry turned to Ginny, extending his hand.
"Shall we?"
"You're so happy." Ginny said, looking at him, "I've never seen you this happy."
"It's been a happy day and some." He told her, sighing, "Come on, let's get out of the house before Vernon has kittens."
Galahad meowed, and curled up on the bed. Ron grinned as he headed out of the door, "Bright orange, it's always been my favorite color!"
"What do you suppose Red and Silver mean?"
"I don't know." Harry said, "Gold and Green…hmm…"
"Hey, Red and Gold, Green and Silver! Gryffindor and Slytherin!" Ginny giggled, "We're two halves of two houses!"
Harry stared at her, "You've gone bonkers."
"Shut up!"
"So…Sirius Black was innocent?"
"Yes, mum. I don't think I would save a guilty man."
"Are you sassing me, Hermione?" Jane grinned, knowing that her daughter had just been stating a fact.
"No, I was just…stating a fact!" Hermione said, huffing, sticking her nose back in her book. Jane grinned.
"Sooo…" Tonks began. Walter flipped on the radio, turned it to an easy listening station. Tonks tried very hard not to look as if she might hurl. She looked out the window, glancing around surreptitiously, as she did every three minutes, just in case. The truck followed closely behind them, but what really caught her eye was the black sedan behind it. She had seen it somewhere before, but she couldn't place it. She tensed, looked closer.
"Tonks?"
"Shh!" She swatted at Hermione, shushing her, looking harder out the window, then her eyes widened.
"We need to speed—"
Tonks didn't have time to finish. Before she could, there was a flash of a large spell that collided with the car and it spun out of control. Walter, with quick reflexes, managed to slam hard onto the brakes, nearly causing the car to flip over. Her head slammed into the glass window and the last thing she remembered was Hermione's scream as the truck slammed into them.
A single man stepped out of the black sedan, a smile curving his thin lips. He brushed back his dark brown hair, grinning at the two collided vehicles. The truck was smoking, the smell rancid and thick with oil, and he could hear the shouts of the men inside. The crash would not ensure any deaths, possible injuries, maybe a few major concussions, but fatality wasn't certain. And it wasn't what he had been aiming for…yet.
He straightened his business suit, watched a frantic woman jump out of her convertible, screaming into her cell phone about a car crash. He laughed, and just for the fun of it, lifted his own phone to call the police, putting on a face of concern. A man on a motorbike stopped and rushed to the truck, yanking the door open, helped by two other citizens. It was amazing at the kindness of these people. Most would have just driven by without a worry or a care. Remus Lupin and Kingsley Shacklebolt were pulled out, seemingly unharmed. Mad-Eye Moody was in rather bad condition and the other man, Elias Vaenti was unconscious. Others had rushed to the sedan, and pulled out a limp woman he did not recognize, a man who was gasping and another woman who was nearly in shock. A teenage girl, seemingly unharmed, shoved out of the car, shouting something.
He grinned, so this was little Hermione Granger. Not so quick on her feet after all, he thought, watching her hyperventilate for a minute before dropping down to Tonks to give her CPR. Kingsley was obviously alerting the Ministry by the way he was hunching over, turned away, holding his wand out of sight.
The man settled back into his car, satisfied for the moment. He would toy with them before he finally captured them. And oh would it be fun!
Once again, I AM SO SORRY! Let's hope I did okay on this chapter: ) Next chapter will be posted on Wednesday or Thursday (hopefully).
