Welcome to the Jungle
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or Glee. All recognisable characters, content, or locations belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Part One: Fifteen
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Back Home
It's a late start on New Year's Day, and what dregs of the morning that remain are spent preparing for their departure from Breckenridge. Bedding is stripped, washed, and folded again, and what little food they can't take with them is reluctantly disposed of. Kate blasts her music while she sweets, vacuums, and mops the floors and carpets, respectively, Harry cleans the kitchen, living room, dining area, and all the windows, and the adults nurse hangovers while they power through all of the other necessary chores that have built up over the last ten days.
Eventually, all they can do is done, and they pile into the Escalade to head into town for one last lunch. The Blacks and Lupins meet them at the same cafe they'd met up at on their first day in town, and while the adults talk soberly at a table separate from that of their collective offspring, the teens pretend not to notice.
Instead, Kate and Ursa try valiantly to ensure Teddy doesn't break something, or spill something, or otherwise experience one of his notorious spells of clumsy. Teddy doesn't notice, instead rapt up in he and Cassie's animated conversation, and Harry and Leo make idle, distracted chatter about the school term ahead, and anything else that comes to mind, as well.
"So, this was fun," Ursa says. She takes a pull of her cola through her straw, and then scrunches up her face when she gets a brain freeze for the trouble.
Leo laughs at his sister's plight, and Harry offers her a cheeky grin. "Same time next year?"
"You bet," Ursa plays along. "You'll bring the wheels, right?"
"I'll bring the license," Harry answers, "I doubt whatever car I get will last the drive over."
"Good enough," Ursa shrugs, "I'll bring the Cadbury."
"I'll bring Mum," Kate contributes glibly, and her reason is self-explanatory. They've each had Lily Potter's food, after all.
"And I'll bring myself," Leo concludes. He winks exaggeratedly, and as Harry and Kate laugh, Ursa splutters indignantly, and throws a scrunched up serviette at his head.
Unfortunately, it's not long before the adults split to pay the bill, and afterwards, they gather by the cars to exchange farewells. The Blacks and Lupins are headed to the city of Denver, to a flight that leaves for London, via New York, that night. Meanwhile, Harry and his family are headed back to Lima, and although they're overnighting in the first town they reach when night falls, none of them are particularly enthused by the prospect of yet another road trip.
"Best of luck with the resolution, man," Harry claps Leo on the shoulder, and then tugs his friend into a hug, "Though I doubt you have anything to worry about."
"Fingers crossed," Leo answers, "Good luck with the license thing."
Ursa's next, and she has no qualms about hugging him ferociously. Harry returns it with a laugh and a tug on her ponytail, and next time he sees her, he's sure she's going to be almost as tall as Leo.
"About the boyfriend thing…" Harry hesitates, and Ursa waits expectantly. Her expression is guarded, and it seems as though she expects him to warn her off the prospect. She is surprised, then, when he shrugs, sheepish, and tugs his beanie lower on his head. "I don't know, just… don't settle, all right?"
Ursa pulls his beanie over his eyes, squeezes his cheeks, and then hugs him again. "You're adorable, and I love you. Thanks, Harry, and maybe you should take your own advice, all right?"
He frowns, perplexed, but before he can ask, Ursa and Kate are training beanies (as they always do), and hugging and crying, and somehow communicating between all the blubbering.
Harry figures his question can wait a while.
His parting with Teddy and Cassie isn't so loaded, and neither are his exchanges with Marlene and Dora.
Remus and Sirius, on the other hand…
Remus hugs Harry close, and there's something utterly final about the way he holds him, as though he doesn't expect he'll ever get the chance again. He smells familiar, of pine and old books, and something indefinably Wales, and Harry hugs him too, fierce and a little desperate, because whatever trouble is going on in the UK, Harry doesn't want his family involved.
"Take care of yourself, all right?"
"I will," Harry answers, "You will too, won't you?"
Remus smiles, though he looks inexplicably weary. "Of course. Who do you take me for - Sirius?"
"God forbid," Harry glibly replies.
Remus gives him one last squeeze, and then releases him to hug Lily, instead. He's replaced by Sirius, who clasps Harry's shoulders in each hand, and spares a moment simply to study his godson.
"Eat, drink, and be merry, kiddo," Sirius advises him, "And remember, always practice safe sex."
Unsurprised by his godfather's advice wrapped up in good humour, but mortified all the same, Harry's responding eye roll is accompanied by a red face. He flounders for something to say, but Sirius hugs him before he can come up with something, and Harry returns it with a choked laugh.
"You suck, Sirius."
His godfather smirks, pleased. "I do try."
"I'll see you next year, won't I?"
Sirius gives a rattling sigh. "I hope so, kid. I really do."
Upon unspoken agreement, they say no more on the issue. Instead, Sirius teases him briefly about Quinn, but they're already cutting it close, and the Blacks and Lupins have to split before they miss their check-in at Denver. As such, it's soon only the Potters that remain, and even then, none of them care to linger.
-!- -#-
They return to Lima late on the 2nd, which falls on a Friday. He hasn't been rostered on to work over the weekend, so he sleeps in on Saturday, and enjoys a late breakfast of eggs and bacon he begrudgingly makes himself. His mum wants him to accompany she and Kate to the mall in order to stock up on school supplies, so he makes plans with Quinn for that evening, and Harry can't say he's surprised to encounter many of his classmates at the only shopping centre in town.
Mostly, Harry just needs new pens, pencils, and more post-it notes, but he purchases himself a couple of new journals (for sketching), and his mother buys him a set of multi-coloured charcoals he'd been eyeing wistfully.
In contrast, Kate goes to town in the stationery aisle, and it's not until their mother gets truly irritated that the 13 year old subsides.
"Can we go home now?" Harry entreats.
Lily scrutinises them both, head to toe, and answers, "Kate and I need to stop in at Macy's for a little while. Can you entertain yourself for an hour?"
"I'll be in the foodcourt," Harry answers.
Kate scoffs. "Typical."
Harry pulls a face at his sister, Kate returns it, and their mother separates them before their interaction can devolve into something a little more unpleasant.
"All right, Harry, I'll call you when we're done."
Harry makes for the foodcourt, buys himself some KFC, and seeks out a table that'll fit four. He receives some unimpressed glares for the trouble, but he'll be joined by his mum and sister soon enough, and he's not about to go through the trouble of moving later to satisfy other people, none of whom he actually knows, nor cares about.
That said, it's something of a relief to be joined by Santana and Brittany. THey've each purchased lunches for themselves, and over their respective meals, Harry catches up with them both. Mostly, it's Santana and Brittany updating him on the events of winter break, and particularly, all of the drunken hijinks that took place on New Year's Eve.
As far as Harry's friends are concerned, it's all fairly tame. They're all still rather put off by the events from earlier that school year, and consequently, none of them are particularly eager to lose control to the alcohol. It's no less entertaining, however.
"When are you seeing Quinn?" Santana asks.
"Later," Harry answers, "We have dinner plans. Why?"
The Latina shrugs. "No reason."
Harry nods slowly, nonplused, but he doesn't get much of a chance to press her. Instead, he gets a call from Kate, with word that she and their mum are on the way to the food court, with plans to stay for lunch, and would he please make sure that they'd have somewhere to sit?
When Harry hangs up, Santana and Brittany prepare to leave, and with a hug from the latter, and with the guarantee that he'll be seeing them both on Monday, they do so in short order. Kate and Lily take their place shortly thereafter, and Harry settles in for a little while longer.