Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, the characters, the settings, or anything else that has come from JK Rowling's imagination.
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Chapter 2: Rows and Home
It was pitch black outside; only the crickets disturbed the silence alongside the country road. A lopsided house stood a little bit off, with faint golden light coming from behind the curtains in most of the windows. A loud noise broke the silence along the road and suddenly three men were standing a little off in the underbrush. Picking their way through the tangles of vines and bushes, the trio made it to the main road, the night masking their movements.
Charlie heaved Harry's trunk along with him, motioning Harry to follow him towards the Burrow. Lupin stayed a bit behind, his wand ready. When Harry gave Lupin a concerned glance, Lupin only returned a slight nod (which wasn't nearly as reassuring as Harry would have liked).
A few trees rustling in the breeze, barely moving any of the mist lurking in the air, was the end of unexpected movement in the surrounding area as the trio made their way up the road. At the boundary of the Weasley yard, Charlie kicked open the creaking, timeworn gate and made his way up to the kitchen door. Harry felt a lump in his throat as they passed the Weasley's outhouse – the last time he had come here, Dumbledore had chosen the spot to have a private conversation with him.
Lupin nudged Harry in the back, knocking him out of his reverie and egging him towards the now open door of the kitchen. As Harry entered, he was greeted with the sight of a kitchen full of people…there was Tonks, sitting at the cluttered kitchen table, along with Fred (or was it George?) who seemed to be working on a new invention. Deep in conversation at the other end of the table was the black Auror, Kingsley Shacklebot, with the much older Elphias Doge.
"And I mean, honestly, I think Molly's just being a bit prudish…"
Harry gave a little jump of surprise at the unknown voice. In the kitchen filled with his friends and acquaintances, there was one person he did not recognize. By the sink stood a young woman, not much older than Tonks, with her thick brown hair tied up in a ponytail. As she carried on with her conversation, unaware of the new guests (or extremely adept at ignoring them), she placed previously made crème brulees onto platters.
"I know it's a time of war, and blah-and-blah, but everyone should be allowed – oh bloody hell! There goes another one…" She stooped to the floor, picked up one of the desserts and made it disappear. "Anyways, you should be allowed a few minutes of peace…" Picking up the platter, the girl deposited it on the table. "Or ten minutes…or fifteen, honestly, I would hope for at least twenty. It all really depends on the man, I suppose…"
It became evident who the girl had been talking to as Tonks chuckled and shook her head in response.
The door shut behind him and Lupin quickly made it out of the kitchen without anybody paying much mind. Harry just barely caught sight of the color creeping up into the older man's face as he raced out of the kitchen.
Plopping the platter of desserts down on the table, the girl took a seat across from Tonks. She grinned mischievously as she lowered her voice slightly. "Just go for it – you both have way too much on your minds. I'll keep Molly busy for a while and you don't have to worry about anyone else…"
There was barely a moment to breath before the kitchen door burst open, an angry looking Mrs. Weasley storming into the kitchen. She was glaring pointedly at the girl that had been carrying the conversation with Tonks.
"How…how dare you, Chantielle! This is MY HOUSE, I'll put the rules as I WANT! And speaking of such matters when there are children around…!"
The girl had enough dignity to actually look slightly upset at herself for breaking "the rules" that had been put down. "Look, Molly, it's not that I –"
But she was cut off by the irate Mrs.Weasley catching sight of the new arrivals. "Harry, dear! I knew you would be arriving any minute now!" Turning back to the practically silent room, Mrs. Weasley began fuming again. "Honestly! Didn't any of you notice that they had made it here – in the kitchen – finally? But – no. I suppose Chantielle's plots and stories are much more interesting to listen to!"
The brown-haired girl named Chantielle stood up, infuriated. "Now wait just one moment! I was talking to Tonks, not anybody else…Kingsley was having a completely different conversation! And what about Fred? He was sitting here, working on…who knows what!"
Charlie grinned. "What did I tell ya, Harry? It's becoming hell around here – and it's not all just nerves about that wedding!"
Harry choked down a laugh, getting close enough to the table to grab one of the desserts that had been set down earlier. "And I thought I had seen your mum agitated last summer, with Fleur around!"
"Look, Molly. Chantielle didn't mean any harm – " a calm, deep voice tried to break the intensifying argument – but was quickly brushed off by Mrs. Weasley.
"Don't you dare side with her, Kingsley. She's never shown any respect to me, this house, or even the danger we're currently facing with the war!"
"Molly! Chanti knows as well as all of us –"
"Don't, Tonks," Chantielle quieted the bewildered woman. "Right, Molly? If you don't listen to me, why, by Merlin's beard, would you listen to my friends?"
The two women continued arguing, neither giving into a compromise. The volume steadily rose, slowly filling the whole house, until – finally at the peak of the row – Chantielle stormed towards the kitchen door. "It's always something with you, isn't it, Molly? You have to have someone to argue with – someone that can absolutely do no good in your eyes, eh? And Ginny isn't a child, Molly – and neither is Ron, or Harry, or any of the others that you keep insisting that we coddle!"
Chantielle left the kitchen in a flurry of anger, leaving behind a completely quiet kitchen. Mrs. Weasley, trying to swiftly regain her composure, turned towards the newly arrived Harry and swept him in a warm hug.
"How have you been, dear?" Without waiting for a response, she turned to the counters of the kitchen and with a switch of her wand began creating a sandwich to give to Harry.
Sitting down at the table, Harry grinned at the feeling of being back at the Burrow, and at the argument that had happened before his eyes. For the moment, he forgot about his mission – and the fact that wanted to come to the Burrow to tell everyone he was leaving, not to stay the summer.
"Everything's been fine, I s'pose – I mean, as fine as they can get at the Dursley's - "
As the sandwich landed in front of Harry, Fred looked up from his work, a grin splashed on his face. "Good to see you made it here in one piece, mate! Mum was worried sick – she's been worried ever since Charlie and Lupin left."
"Wotcher, Harry! Been a mite boring 'round here without you – well, perhaps not so much since Fred and George came," the pink-haired Auror greeted Harry.
Harry looked up, about to reply to Fred and Tonks, but quickly realized that he had taken too large a bite out of his sandwich. Instead, he forced a smile around the mouthful of food.
"Have you been able to keep updated with any of the latest news about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Kingsley Shacklebot's deep voice vibrated, though quickly cut off by Mrs. Weasley.
"Kingsley! Harry hasn't been here for even a full evening – I think we should, at the least, let him have a full night's rest before telling him anything."
Knowing better than to argue with Mrs. Weasley – especially after the large row he had just witnessed, Harry merely returned Kingsley's complacent smile, sitting back and enjoying the last few bites of his food. Those in the kitchen slowly returned back to their works and conversations, all welcoming Harry – but not daring to speak any of the Death Eaters or other news that might be banned from Mrs. Weasley. No sooner had Harry begun wondering where Ron and Hermione - and Ginny, though he tried to ignore the curiosity – were, Mrs. Weasley cleared away his plate.
"We've got a full house here – as you can see – not everyone's staying here overnight, though – we've got a bed ready for you upstairs, in Ron's room." Mrs. Weasley gave Harry and apologetic smile. "Sorry that we can't give you your own room, dear – but we've had to bunk everyone up."
" ' Night, Harry!" Tonks, between sips of coffee, waved to Harry as he made his way out of the Burrow's kitchen. He cheerfully waved back to the bright-haired witch, and then began to carefully make his way up the lopsided stairway towards Ron's room.