Muggle Bound Chapter 19 Privet Drive Personal
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat.
" Now we haven't much time," she spoke urgently," so listen carefully. I ran into an old friend and colleague earlier, Herodotus Henckel. We haven't spoken for years and that has been mostly my fault. It was just too vivid a reminder of a very difficult time in my life." She paused and swallowed.
Hermione and Ginny sent sympathetic gazes towards their professor while Ron stared uncomfortably at the floor.
" Herodotus told me about visiting you. It's important you know the story because I am convinced there is a connection from the past to what is happening now," Professor McGonagall continued.
"But what makes you think that Professor?" Hermione inquired earnestly.
"Several things including the set-up at your house, my dear. I am also veryskilled at detecting an animagus from an ordinary animal or kneazel. In my animagus form, I was tracking a very suspicious bird – a nightingale- throughout the attack at your home." Professor McGonagall frowned at the memory.
Something clicked in Ron's brain and had obviously connected in Hermione's as well. They exchanged significant looks as they remembered all too well what had preceded the nightingale's song.
" That bird had intention and appeared to be orchestrating the attack. Not to mention there was something familiar about it. There are also too many coincidences to ignore, " Professor McGonagall spoke grimly echoing Herodotus Henckel's earlier comments.
"Ron, we need to go now!" Charlie's voice sounded from the corridor.
"I want all of you to be exceedingly cautious. Notify me at once if that bird reappears. And there is still something amiss at the Ministry, if you ask me, so be on your guard," she concluded. She followed her last statement by giving each of her students an uncharacteristic hard hug. Professor McGonagall then swept from the room with Ginny in her wake.
For a moment, Ron and Hermione stood staring longingly at each other. Then Ron pulled Hermione in for a full body hug.
He spoke in short jerks with intense emotion. " I hate this. McGonagall is right-we should both be going to Harry's. If it wasn't for Dad and Charlie, I'd scrap the whole project and stay with you."
"I know, Ron but it does make sense to separate us as targets. I hate it, too. I just want to stay right here." She hugged him tighter.
Ron sighed and planted a last lingering kiss on her lips. " Be more than careful-don't take anything on trust. Please…" he begged softly stroking her hair and looking deeply into her eyes.
"I promise I will and you, too, Ron," Hermione whispered back. "Promise me you'll do the same. And Harry, give him my love and tell him that I will hex the both of you if you get into any trouble without me there to help." She finished by giving him a shaky smile.
He followed through on her efforts to lighten the mood. "Us trouble? Harry and I? You must be thinking of Fred and George." Ron smiled cheekily, picked up his things and led Hermione through the door.
Now she grinned back and replied," You remember what I said, Ron Weasley or you'll have more trouble than you can handle and so will Harry. I've been practicing Gin's bat-bogey hex. "
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Ron lay on the lumpy improvised bed in Harry's cramped room at Privet Drive. Although he'd visited Harry briefly before, both times to pick him up and rescue him from the Dursleys, he'd never actually taken stock of the house.
Certainly Harry had got the short end of the stick. The rest of the house was neat as a pin and filled with modern furniture that appeared more fashionable than comfortable. Harry's room was both unfashionable and uncomfortable. The space was hardly large enough to hold the two beds, a small wardrobe, a battered desk and chair. Harry's trunk and Ron's few belongings gave them barely enough room to turn around.
Ron's recent growth spurt left his long legs dangling off the end of his bed. He shifted his weight again in order to find some measure of flexibility and give his still stiff arm somewhere to rest.
Harry was lying on the other bed staring at the ceiling.
"It will be better tomorrow, mate," he said with a marked lack of conviction." At least, Uncle Vernon and the Dudders will be on their yearly father-son expedition."
Ron heard the bitterness in Harry's voice but also the pain. Harry had never know his real father and the loss of Sirius, the only father he'd ever known, still plagued him dreadfully at times.
Ron had filled Harry in on all the details of the Ministry project as well as the history of his Uncle Bilius. Harry had recited his activities for the last week, which consisted of a short repetitive list. He was obviously not doing much and liking what he was doing even less. But Harry had been interested in everything Ron related and asked some pointed questions. He'd even asked if he could help with the Muggle technology.
"I know a little bit. I've snuck into Dudder's room and used his PlayStation2 when everyone's been out." Harry confessed in a satisfied way.
Ron grinned back companionably," Wicked," he replied.
Finally, Harry coughed and asked the one question they'd both been avoiding.
"So how's Hermione?"
Ron gulped. He didn't know why he was so nervous about discussing his new relationship with Hermione. Maybe because it was so new and they'd had so little time together. And even though Harry had urged Ron to make his feelings clear to Hermione, Ron worried how Harry would really feel now that Ron and Hermione were truly together.
"Ron,"Harry asked again, "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, mate. Hermione is well-she's wonderful. She and I are…" Ron searched for the right words.
Harry grinned, " Finally together-yeah- I heard."
"How'd you hear?" Ron asked suspiciously, his ears reddening slightly.
"Well, Fred and George thought I might need a little cheering up so they came visiting one night with some ginger beer, chocolate frogs and best of all, some very interesting stories about my two best friends." Harry was enjoying himself for the first time in days as he watched Ron's face turn the same crimson as his ears.
" Those gits, what exactly did they tell you?" Ron scowled.
"Hey, don't get all worked up! It's the best distraction I've had in this sodding place. Yeah, loved the description of your face at the station when you discovered everyone had a ringside seat to your first – almost-snog," Harry teased.
"Bloody Twins!" Ron muttered angrily.
"Oh, and trying on those different outfits. Wish I'd been Rita Skeeter's animagus to see that!" Harry was on a roll. He punched Ron's arm playfully. Ron returned the punch and then threw his pillow at him. Before they knew it they were pummeling each other with pillows and laughing uproariously.
A stick pounded on the ceiling. Both Ron and Harry broke up again.
"Hey, mate. Good to see you." Ron wiped his eyes.
"You, too." There was a short silence and then Harry spoke seriously. "Now about Hermione, what's really going on?"
"Look, Harry. This is all so new to me and I'm a bit uncomfortable talking about it. It's almost like I'll jinx it if I do. I mean, are you really alright with this? You know, she's still our best friend even if she and I are together." Ron looked down at his hands.
"Right, mate. I understand. Look, Ron, it's been obvious to me and several other people that you two are made for each other, even if it took long enough for the both of you to act on it. So you have my blessing if you need it, which you don't. I don't need or want details but I have three questions I'd like to ask just so I know the lay of the land and don't put my foot in it." Harry was now speaking anxiously, hoping he hadn't crossed an invisible boundary in their friendship.
Ron observed his friend's nervous gaze and sighed. He owed Harry that much.
"Ask away," Ron said with resignation.
" So Hermione is your publicly acknowledged girlfriend?" Harry questioned earnestly.
"Yes, and everyone including our families, the Ministry and the Order know that. Why?" asked Ron defensively.
"Well, I just hope that it won't be used against you," Harry replied worriedly."After all that's why I broke up with Ginny so she wouldn't be a target."
Ron knew Harry was still suffering over his break up but the obvious had eluded him.
" Harry, we're targets whether we're together or not. That's why I'm here and she's not." His voice broke a bit on the last part.
Harry blinked and had the grace to look abashed but he cleared his throat and spoke again.
" Second question. What are your intentions towards my other best friend?" Harry inquired, this time with a twinkle in his eye.
"You're not serious, I hope. How could you possibly think my intentions are anything but honorable? I'm in love with her, for Merlin's sake!" Ron replied indignantly.
"Just checking, mate. My job as her honorary brother. Third question. Have you told her?"
Ron looked confused. He was still recovering from the last question. "Told her what?"
"Told her you love her, you prat," Harry said with exasperation.
Ron thought carefully about this.
" Indirectly, I guess but not with the words." Ron felt a little guilty about not saying the words that he most definitely felt. Somehow he wanted the moment he spoke them to be perfect in every way. Not just one of those snatched moments they'd had so many of so far.
"Well, don't wait too long," Harry warned," These things don't keep in perilous times." Ron could see a vision of his sister between them.
"Oh, and one more thing." Harry remembered.
"Hey, you said three questions, mate. I reckon you're one over. But since I'm so glad to see you, I'll indulge you." Ron relaxed now he sensed the worst was over,
"So do you two still row all the time?" Harry grinned and ducked to avoid a well-aimed pillow.
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
The next morning Harry and Ron awoke to a loud crash in the kitchen. They grabbed their wands and crept down the stairs, senses alert and ready to attack.
"Bloody Hell!" Tonks swore as they heard another crash.
Ron and Harry exchanged grins and entered the kitchen.
"Wotcher, you two!" Tonks greeted them a little shakily. "Your Uncle and cousin left early this morning and your Aunt Petunia had to attend her Garden Club meeting so I decided to whip up a little breakfast for you. Only problem here is this Muggle contraption attacked me!"
"Umm, Tonks this is a blender," Harry explained.
"Oh, I thought it was the coffee grinder-we had something like it at home but I didn't really get much practice in the kitchen. Dad always did the cooking and he didn't like magic in his kitchen." Tonks seemed distracted.
" I wonder why," Ron muttered and then thinking Hermione would have probably glared at him or worse for that comment, he pointed his wand and spoke. "Evanesco!" Immediately the mess on the floor vanished. Meanwhile Harry got the coffee machine gurgling.
"Toast and coffee is fine, Tonks," Harry said politely, " But thanks, anyway."
"Yeah, and we can get it ourselves. You don't have to wait on us," Ron added.
Tonks looked relieved and poured herself some coffee. " Well, if you're sure then," she said uncertainly. " Death Eaters I can handle, but these Muggle machines are not my cup of tea at all."
Harry nudged Ron. This seemed like a perfect opportunity to glean some information.
" As long as you're here, Tonks, maybe you could tell us a little about your Mum. We heard that she was an Unspeakable in the last War," Harry opened.
"Yeah, she was on the same Ministry team as my Uncle Bilius," Ron spoke a little sadly.
Tonks sighed and sat down, narrowly avoiding knocking over a vase of dahlias which Harry caught before any damage could be done.
" Mum's told me most of the story of her Ministry team-at least what she's allowed to talk about. Tell me what you know and I'll se if I can fill in the blanks."
In between bites of toast and sips of coffee, Ron related what he knew. Tonks listened carefully and when Ron finished, she looked seriously at them both.
"Now I'm taking you into confidence because I agree with Minerva McGonagall that something's very strange is happening and I think it's connected to the Ministry. As far as my Mum is concerned, there is one key piece of information that you don't yet have. My Mum, Andromeda Tonks, once Black, was not there on the fateful night because she had been summoned to the Ministry. But on her arrival she discovered the urgent owl had been a hoax. The message had been faked. Mum immediately attempted to return via the secret portkey but the portkey was no longer functioning so she was delayed by several hours." Tonks paused for breath.
"Why didn't she just apparate?" Harry asked curiously.
"Too dangerous and remember the others were often using animagus forms. Also they were within spitting distance of Voldemort's den," Tonks replied. " The team always used the secure portkey which was hidden near their cave."
"And that night something happened to the portkey," Ron asked suspiciously. " So it makes sense that same person who betrayed Uncle Bilius also didn't want your mother around."
Harry and Ron looked at each other, both coming to the same conclusion.
"So," Harry summed up, " that person must have been on the team which doesn't give a very wide choice, does it?"