"It doesn't sound like we missed out on much, then," Ron said.
"That's not the point," Hermione grumbled, scowling; of the three of them, she had been the most offended by their exclusion from the Order meeting. Probably, Ron thought, because she'd thought she'd be able to go, whereas he and Ginny had been under no illusions from the beginning.
"I don't think I remember Rowle or Gibbon," Ginny said, sinking down further into the couch.
"I do, sort of," Hermione sighed. "Rowle gave Draco a hard time in the first few months of our first year."
"I don't remember that," Ron said, glancing at Harry, who shook his head as well.
"Well you wouldn't, would you; Draco wasn't spending much time with us at that point." Hermione tucked her legs up beneath her. "And I'm pretty sure it was him that was always really rude about Lockhart in the common room."
"Well, I s'pose even Death Eaters have got to have at least one redeeming quality," Harry said. Ron sniggered and watched as Hermione threw a cushion in Harry's direction. He caught it and sat on it, grinning, and Hermione rolled her eyes at him but her expression had softened and she gave Ron a small, almost shy - because things were still a bit weird between them - smile when she noticed him looking; between the second task being over, Snape's news that Voldemort had watched the task through a memory and not been messing around in Harry's head, and whatever Dumbledore had spoken to him about - which Harry had alluded to but not gone into any detail about - Harry was more relaxed and cheerful tonight than he had been in some time.
"News about the werewolves is a bit worrying, isn't it," Ginny said. "Having them on Riddle's side would be-"
"Yeah," Harry said. "Matt, and Moony were in the library with Dumbledore when I left, trying to work out what they can do-"
"I told you," Percy said from behind them, sounding both smug and exasperated. He was standing in the doorway with Bill, dusting Floo powder off his jumper; Harry had come over as soon as the meeting ended, but Charlie was probably having a last catch up with Dora, and Dad and Sirius were probably talking about motorcycles while Mum played with Stella.
"I'm sure it's not what it looks like," Bill said, coming to sit on the arm of the couch Ginny was occupying. "Harry wouldn't be telling them what was discussed at the meeting because he knows better than to go about sharing highly sensitive information with people that are both underage, and haven't been invited to hear it." Bill folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Right?"
Harry's guilty silence was probably answer enough, but Ginny and Hermione both looked back at Bill, defiant. Bill's unimpressed look morphed into a worried one.
"You realise there are reasons you weren't invited, don't you?" he asked. Percy took one look at the four of them and bid them goodnight, likely recognising a lost cause when he saw one.
"Yeah," Harry said, with a grin that - for all everyone said he looked like his dad - was all Sirius. "It's because the kitchen at home wasn't big enough to fit another three people and it would have been really inconvenient to try to find another place to host at such short notice." Ron chortled.
"That's the best reason I've heard so far, honestly," Ginny muttered.
"That's not the reason," Bill said, doing an admirable job of keeping a straight face; Ron had seen his mouth twitch. "There are others and - much as I'm sure you don't want to hear it - they're good ones." He gave them - even Harry and Hermione - his disapproving big brother face. Ron hadn't actually ever had it directed at him before, but he'd seen it used on the twins to immediate effect; Bill - like Dad - was so level-headed and open that disapproval from him meant you'd overstepped. Only Ron didn't think they had this time.
"Of course there are," Ginny said, as if Bill were silly for thinking otherwise. "Obviously we're all too young to have to have anything to do with Voldemort-" Bill twitched. "-or his Death Eaters, and we're all so innocent we'd get nightmares hearing about all the things they're getting up to."
"Obviously," Hermione agreed; she was usually the first to succumb to authority, but either she'd been emboldened by Ginny's response or she had enough of a doxy in her hat over not being allowed to go tonight that she wasn't about to cave now. "And really, we've got no idea what's being done to try to stop them, so we'd be utterly lost in the meetings anyway and not have anything at all to contribute."
"Utterly," Ron said, straight-faced. "And, of course, it'd be too risky for us to know who's a part of the meetings in case we somehow gave them away to the Death Eaters, and it's irrelevant anyway; when are any of us ever going to be in a situation where we might need to know what adults to go to for help?"
"Never," Harry said, apparently unable to help himself, "because the adults will always manage to intervene before any of us can get into any danger at all."
There was silence for a few pointed moments, and then Bill - clearly feeling very ganged up on - shook his head and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. He looked a little shell-shocked.
Ginny laughed at him - not unkindly - and said, "This isn't the first time we've had this conversation, you know."
"Obviously," Bill said, shaking his head again. "Merlin. A bloke tries to have a chat with his siblings-"
"It wasn't just a chat - you were trying to make us feel guilty," Ginny said, scowling.
"A bit," Bill said after a pause, and grinned. "You know why, though-"
"'Course we do," Ron said. "We're not thick." Bill eyed him warily, perhaps expecting they might gang up on him again, then seemed to realise Ron was being serious. "There are loads of good reasons why we shouldn't be involved, it's just that the ones for why we should are better."
"Better?" Harry asked.
"S'pose they're pretty bleak, really," Ron said, grimacing at him. He turned back to Bill: "They're stronger then."
"More persuasive," Hermione suggested. Bill shook his head again, but he wasn't disagreeing this time, and Ron knew he wasn't upset with them, or even genuinely disapproving. He was just worried.
There was a boom upstairs that made the house rattle; Hermione started, but neither Ginny or Harry seemed any more surprised than Ron. Bill's only reaction was to make a sound that was half-chuckle, half-sigh, and stand.
"Better make sure they haven't blown themselves up," he said. "Don't stay up too late." He leaned over to kiss Ginny on the top of the head, ruffled Ron's hair, then Harry's, and smiled at Hermione.
"It's the holidays!" Ginny said.
"Yeah, but you've got a big night tomorrow," he said, grinning. Ron's good mood faded somewhat. Harry glanced his way, but Ron didn't return the look.
"Have a safe trip back to Egypt," Hermione said.
"Will we see you in the morning?" Ron asked, gesturing between him and Ginny.
"If you're up before my portkey goes," Bill said. "Which is another reason to turn in soon."
"We will," Ginny said. "As soon as we catch Harry up - won't take long."
"Let's hear it then," Harry said, leaning back to rest on his elbows as Bill left to see what the twins were up to.
"Well," Hermione said, "'merfolk' can be broken down into three subspecies; sirens, which are-"
"Basically veela with fish tails," Ginny said, and Harry looked interested.
"There are photos in one of these," Ron muttered to Harry, nudging the pile of books on the coffee table. "I'll show you later." Harry's mouth twitched up, and Hermione had either heard Ron or guessed what he'd said because she rolled her eyes.
"They're supposed to be very beautiful, and are best known for luring sailors to their deaths." She said that last part a little pointedly, and Ron grinned.
"There are worse ways to go, I reckon," he said. Harry sniggered.
"Then," Hermione said, "there are selkies and merrows, which are from Scotland and Ireland, respectively. Obviously they're more suited to cooler waters, and while a siren can pass for a human from the waist up, selkies and merrows definitely can't."
"They're kind of scary looking," Ron said.
"But they're not as likely to eat humans," Ginny said. "Although they have still been known to attack and drown them."
"Great," Harry said. "And do they all speak Mermish?"
"Yes," Hermione said. "Although the books seem to suggest each sub-species speaks a slightly different version of it."
"Any chance you know which version's the horrible, screechy one? Or are they all like that?"
"Selkies and merrows are," Ginny said. "But sirens are meant to sound really nice, so we can probably rule them out. And of the two, we reckon it's more likely to be selkies."
"Did you know the Lake has a selkie colony in it?" Ron asked.
"Huh," Harry said.
"Hermione read about it in Hogwarts: A History."
"Of course she did. Great book, that," Harry said sagely, mouth twitching. Hermione looked like she was trying to decide whether to laugh or hit them both over the head with said book.
"Yeah, a real page turner," Ron agreed. Ginny coughed to hide a laugh.
"It is!" Hermione said, exasperated. "And you two really ought to stop disparaging it, because it's helped us out more times than I can count!" They both looked at her for a moment then turned back to each other.
"So, given Hogwarts has selkies," Ron said, and Hermione made an annoyed sound and threw her hands up, "it'd sort of make sense it'd be to do with them, right - both the other tasks have been on the grounds."
"Yeah," Harry said, straight-faced, though his eyes were bright with amusement. "So then we just have to work out what they're saying in the egg-"
"Good thing we know how to translate Mermish, then," Ginny said smugly. Harry stared at her, then at Ron and Hermione. "Water."
"Water?" Harry blinked. "That's it?"
"Well," Hermione said, "there's a fascinating and rather complicated explanation for how the acoustics of the Mermish language are affected by the properties of air compared with water-"
"Put the egg in the bath," Ron advised, before Hermione could get too carried away. She rolled her eyes at him, then smiled at the disbelieving look on Harry's face.
"That's it?" Harry repeated.
"That's it," Ginny said, smiling.
Eager as Harry was to know what the egg's clue was, he and the others had agreed they'd wait until they were back at Hogwarts so that Draco wasn't left out, and because they'd need a pool rather than a bathtub if they were all to be able to listen at the same time ("The Room can do that, easy," Ron said).
"It's also probably best that we wait so you can actually enjoy tomorrow," Hermione said later that night, sliding down the headboard of Harry's bed a little more, yawning. "Otherwise poor Luna's not going to get a word out of you about anything but merfolk."
"Being Luna, I don't reckon she'd mind," Harry said, yawning himself, and Hermione laughed.
"Maybe not," she conceded. She slid a little further, then gave in completely, lying down and tucking one of Harry's spare pillows under her head. "I think it should be fun, tomorrow."
"Yeah, I s'pose," Harry said, and Hermione laughed again, shaking her head.
"You're hopeless," she said.
"Sorry. I- er…" Harry racked his brains for safe, Ball-related conversation topics, since it seemed like that was what Hermione wanted to talk about. "Have you worked out what you're going to wear?"
"Weeks ago," Hermione said, sounding amused.
"That's good," Harry said.
"It is, given the Ball's tomorrow," Hermione said. There was a pause, then, as if she were dreading the answer, she added, "Dare I ask if you're organised?"
"Dress robes were on the school list at the start of term," Harry assured her.
"That's right," she said, sounding like she might laugh again. "Are yours better than Ron's?"
"Dunno, haven't seen his," Harry said, wondering what might be wrong with them. "Mine are red-"
"You and everyone else," Hermione said. "Ron's are maroon." She hesitated, and then said, "And Viktor's going in burgundy." She studied him for a moment. "Red, really?"
"A dark red," Harry said. "We- Padfoot and I picked black when we got the list but we changed them - figured I'd worn enough black this year." Hermione made a soft, sad sound, and Harry smiled slightly. "Padfoot even talked me into a bit of gold trim."
"Very Gryffindor of you," Hermione said, smiling too.
"That was that idea," Harry admitted. "So… how's Viktor?"
Hermione turned to him, eyes narrowed, but the effect was ruined by her flustered scent and pink cheeks.
"He's good," Hermione said. Harry grinned.
"No hard feelings after the second task?" he asked, though he knew there hadn't been; Hermione and Dora had been whispering and giggling in Hagrid's hut afterward, and he doubted that would have been the case if she's been worried.
"No," Hermione said, not meeting his eye; she stared resolutely at the ceiling. "He was very... understanding."
"Understanding," Harry repeated, amused.
"Oh, shut up," Hermione said, kicking him, her face flaming.
"I didn't say anything - just one word! Your word, actually- Ow!" He rolled out of the way laughing and Hermione relented. He gave it a moment to be sure he was safe, then flopped back down beside her.
"You're such a boy," she said.
"Would it help if I squealed a bit, or offered to plait your hair, or whatever it is Lavender and Parvati do?"
Hermione rolled her eyes but it was fond.
"I suppose I ought to just be grateful that it's you I'm having this conversation with and not Ron," Hermione said, and then paused, perhaps realising that there'd be a bit more to Ron's reaction here than just general boyishness. "He's- he's all right, isn't he?"
Harry groaned and folded the pillow over his face. The bed shifted as Hermione sat up, waiting, and Harry realised that she was probably not just going to let the matter drop, and that not talking about things was what had got them into this mess in the first place.
He let the pillow drop.
"This is really not a conversation I want to have," he said. Hermione managed to look both pleading and exasperated. Harry sighed. "He's- I don't want to say anything he wouldn't want, because it's not my place, so-" Harry ran a hand through his hair, and took a deep breath. "Look, Ron- he did actually want to go with you, it wasn't just that he was desperate or- yeah. So he- when you- I think he was a bit-"
"I didn't know," Hermione said, a little defensively.
"Neither," Harry admitted. "Not until he told me."
"Well that's not especially surprising," Hermione said, with a half-hearted smile. "You're still a bit hopeless at this sort of thing." Harry shrugged, conceding that. "Do you think it'll go back to normal?" He could tell from the change in her tone that they were back to talking about Ron. "The old normal, I mean, not our current normal, even if it has been much better since the task."
"Tonight was sort of like the old normal," Harry offered. And it had been, except for when Bill had mentioned tomorrow and Ron had gone momentarily quiet and uncomfortable.
"It was once you got there," Hermione said. "Ginny went and had a shower at one point and I don't think we spoke at all while she was gone."
"Dunno, then," Harry said.
"That's not helpful," Hermione grumbled.
"You're the one that said I was hopeless, remember?"
"Yes, but we're not- Ron and I aren't- We're friends. It's different so maybe you're less hopeless." Harry glanced over and gave her a dubious look. "What would you do if it was you Ron was fighting with?"
Honestly, Harry couldn't really imagine fighting with Ron. He'd fought with Hermione over wanting to use the time turner last year, with Ginny in the Shack after he received his Walpurgis uniform, with Padfoot several times, and with Moony when he found out Dora was pregnant with Stella, but never with Ron, not seriously.
"Dunno," he said, stymied. "I- er- I s'pose it'd depend whose fault it was."
"Let's say it's yours," Hermione said, in a small voice.
"Do I know that?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded jerkily. "All right, then, I'd probably just tell him I'm sorry?"
"Easier said than done," Hermione muttered. "It's not really an easy thing to bring up."
"Ron managed to bring up the Ball with you," Harry said, giving her a sideways look, and Hermione gave him a withering look in return, then let out a sigh, scent miserable.
"You're right. I'll-once the Ball's over, I'll pull him aside." Harry could almost hear her mind ticking over how she'd do that, what she'd say. "And speaking of the Ball, we really should get to bed." She gave Harry's hand a squeeze, sat up and slipped off Harry's bed, padding over to the door. "Good night, Harry. Thanks for..." She made a vague gesture and Harry smiled.
"Night, Hermione."
"Sirius Black's office," Hermione said, and disappeared in a whoosh of green.
"Hang on - where are you off to?" Sirius asked, as Harry made to step into the fire after her.
"Er… the Burrow," Harry said. "We were going to throw a Quaffle around for a bit before we head back to school."
"Not yet," Sirius said, draining the last of his tea and standing. He gestured for Harry to follow him and Harry did, curious and a little apprehensive. Apprehensive won out when Sirius opened the door to their makeshift training room. Harry stepped past him and looked around.
"Champions are leading the first dance tonight," Sirius said, leaning against the doorway. "I know McGonagall gave you the heads up, and I know she wasn't particularly confident that that had done any good because she mentioned it to me before she left last night."
"I was listening when she told me," Harry said, frowning.
"Yes, but you can't dance particularly well," Sirius said, amused. "And certainly not formally." He pushed off the doorway.
"Oh, no," Harry said, baulking as he caught on. His eyes flicked to the door, and then to the windows.
"Oh, yes," Sirius said, stepping a little further into the room (but not so far that he unblocked the doorway). "Here." He held his arms up, like he was positioning them on an imaginary partner, and waited. Harry stayed where he was. After several long moments, he said, "I hope you're not planning to ignore Luna like this."
"I'm not going to ignore Luna," Harry grumbled.
"But you will ignore your poor, old godfather?" Harry made a rude hand gesture at him and Sirius snorted a laugh. "Come on, kiddo, the longer you put it off, the worse this is going to be."
"I doubt it," Harry said.
"I have to be back at the school to help prepare in another couple of hours. If we're not done by then, I'm calling Andromeda in to take over."
He stayed where he was, arms poised, and Harry shuffled forward the way Sirius imagined he would if he were approaching a particularly dangerous and unpredictable creature in one of Hagrid's lessons. "One hand on my waist, one hand on mine," he said. Harry didn't move, so Sirius cleared his throat, batted his eyelashes, and waited.
Harry lifted his hands- and then gave Sirius a push and ducked under his raised arm, bolting into the hallway. Sirius caught himself on the doorframe, rolled his eyes, and called:
"Kreacher!"
Kreacher popped into being between Harry and the kitchen stairs and Harry skidded to a stop, giving Sirius a betrayed look. Kreacher's big, pale eyes flicked between them, suspicious.
Sirius beckoned Harry back with a finger and Harry shuffled over, shoulders slumped, expression resigned.
"Nice try," he said, slinging an arm around Harry's shoulders and guiding him back into the training room.
