The Dreaded Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction. All rights to all recognizable characters and the HP universe remain the procession of the current copyright holders. No claims of originality are made. No material gain is sought.
The Misplaced Potter 2
Chapter 3
In which our hero faces the first task
Cedric Diggory took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. The tension he felt was nothing like the excited anticipation that came before a quidditch match. This was the Triwizards Tournament, not some game between student houses. Victory here meant glory, money and not a small heave up in the job market when he graduated from Hogwarts in a couple of years. Defeat…defeat could well mean his life.
He stole a glance at his competition. Victor Krum looked even more surly then usual. The Bulgarian's sharp nose sliced through the air as he paced along the far side of the large tent. His narrowed eyes gazed upward at some indeterminate point.
"Oh yeah," Cedric thought. "You're on edge also, aren't you me lad? World Cup matches are one thing, facing a dragon alone is another matter entirely."
His eyes darted covertly to Fleur Delacour sitting on a low stool. She was wane. Her eyes stared unfocused at her feet as she idly rubbed two fingers across the back of one hand. She remained, however, the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. "A kiss for luck?" he thought. "Better not ask that. If I survive and word got back to Cho…the dragon would probably be easier to face."
He continued the inspection of his rivals, casting his glance at his fellow Hufflepuff, Henry Porter. The boy sat on the ground. He rested with his back against one of the support poles, his legs stretched before him. Despite being the youngest of the champions, he looked the calmest. Cedric attributed that to Henry's artificial eyes which betrayed nothing of his emotions but Cedric did noticed the hard set of the younger boy's jaw and his contracted eyelids.
"You're scared and still angry at being forced into the tournament," Cedric mused in the quiet of his mind.
Henry had been in his house for over three years now but Cedric admitted to himself that he really did not know the boy well. There was the age difference, of course, and the fact that Henry was a muggleborn, not that he had anything against them. Usually muggleborns made some effort to fit in with their wizardborn classmates by adopting some of their hobbies but Henry did not. He did not trade Chocolate Frog cards or play gobstones. Most heretically of all as far as Cedric was concerned, Henry had no interest in quidditch. Cedric had asked Henry to go out for the Hufflepuff side after Ernie Macmillan swore to him that Henry flew a broom better then anyone not on the Irish National Squad.
"Thank you," he replied when Cedric extended the offer the beginning of Henry's third year. "But I don't think that I could keep up with my studies and play on the Hufflepuff quidditch team at the same time."
"You manage well enough even with all of the after class clubs you belong to," Cedric countered. "You could drop a few of those and still have the same amount of time you have now for studying."
"No, thank you, Cedric," Henry replied with polite finality.
"The boy is always polite," Cedric thought. "Well, almost." He added thinking back to Halloween night. Henry's civility evaporated that night not that Cedric could blame him. He lost his composure only after all the adults kept hammering him with questions as to how his name came from the Goblet of Fire.
"I did NOT enter," he all but shouted when Professor Snape demanded to know how Henry got around the age line for the fourth time.
"Do you know what veriserum is, Mr. Porter," the potions master asked nastily.
"Yes, professor, I do," he replied with a blandness that teetered on insolence. "If you got some give it to me."
"That won't be necessary," Professor Dumbledore quickly injected. "I believe Henry. He is an honest boy."
" 'Onest boy or no, I must protest, Dumbly-dore," Madame Maxine angrily said. "'Ogwarts cannot have two champions when we have but one. It iz not fair."
"And he is under our agreed upon age limit," Professor Karkaroff hissed. "I would have brought more students if I had known that you would ignore the rules, Dumbledore."
"It doesn't matter," Henry said. "I simply won't compete."
"You can't mean that, boyo," Ludo Bagman exclaimed aghast at the very notion. "This is the Triwizard Tournament."
Henry shrugged. "So?"
"It's the simplest solution," Professor McGonagall said with relief.
"It is no solution," Bartemuis Crouch replied. "His name came forth from the goblet. It is a binding magical contract. He must compete."
"How can it be a contract when I didn't consent to the freaking thing?" Henry snapped.
Dolores Umbridge, who in her new governmental capacity, had been at Hogwarts several times during the term chuckled maliciously. "Muggleborns never do fully appreciate or understand the nuances of the magical community."
"Well, lad, rules are rules," Bagman said lightly. "And Barty here knows the rulebook cover to cover."
"Fine, I'm in the tournament," Henry said throwing up his arms. "I hereby forfeit."
"If you forfeit, then Hogwarts forfeits," Crouch growled in anger.
"Wait!" Cedric shouted pushing his way through the knot of adults around Henry. "I'm ready to compete. I want to compete."
"If Porter forfeits then Hogwarts forfeits," Crouch firmly reiterated.
Cedric turned to his fellow Hufflepuff. "C'mon, Henry," he pleaded. "You have to do it."
"No, I don't."
Professor Dumbledore sighed deeply, placing a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "Henry," he began sadly. "I'm sorry but you must."
Henry locked eyes with the headmaster for several moments before throwing questioning looks to Professors McGonagall and Moody. With great reluctance, both nodded once.
"Alright, I'm in." he said shrugging off the headmaster's hand before storming for the door.
"Wait, lad," Bagman called out. "You haven't received your instructions yet."
"What kind of instructions do you need to get killed," Henry retorted exiting the room.
Get killed. The phrase silently reverberated in Cedric's mind as he brought his attention back to the present. All of the professors assured him that they had taken every possible precaution but the danger still existed. Maybe not so much for him but Henry did not have anywhere near the training that he and the other champions had. He remembered that a baby dragon mauled Henry a couple of years ago and Cedric doubted that they would be facing any hatchlings today. Even the small model he drew from the bag earlier looked formidable.
He squatted beside the younger boy.
"Nervous?" Cedric asked in a brotherly manner.
Henry gave him a blank look.
Cedric laughed. "Yeah, that was a stupid question," he admitted. "Do you have a plan?"
"That depends on if they left anything out there for me to hide behind," Henry answered.
Nearby, Fleur giggled. Victor shook his head.
"If they haven't," Henry continued with a straight face. "I'll run around in circles until sundown then slink away under the cover of darkness."
Cedric chuckled uncertain if Henry was being serious or not. A loud whistle suddenly blew. Cedric stood. Henry followed suit.
"That's the signal," Cedric said. "Wish me luck."
"Good hunting," Henry replied extending his hand.
"Thanks," Cedric said shaking Henry's hand. "When I'm done, I'll see if I can summon a boulder for you to hide behind."
Henry laughed. "I'd be grateful."
With a jaunty salute, that Henry was certain was mostly bravado, Cedric exited the tent.
The minutes ticked by. Henry largely ignored Bagman's running commentary. Henry did not care what stratagem Cedric was employing but as long as Bagman was still talking, then Cedric was still alive. Henry hoped that he could say the same for himself when the day was done.
Henry rubbed a hand over his close-cropped black hair. He had to survive. They needed time to unmask the culprit who placed his name in the goblet. That someone was an agent of Voldemort. No one else would have bothered with such a ploy. No one else beyond his own tight circle knew who he was. That someone planned to commit murder by proxy. Having him killed in the tournament was diabolical. It would be murder without suspicion.
A happy roar split the air. Cedric had succeeded in capturing the golden egg from the short-snout. Ludo Bagman babbled merrily for a few minutes before the whistle blew again.
"Miss Delacour, if you please," Bagman's amplified voice cried out.
Fleur took a hesitant step toward the exit then stopped. She stood concentrating her will on mastering her trembling body.
"Bonne chance," Henry said supportively.
Fleur rubbed her clammy palms on her robe and exhaled loudly.
"Merci," she replied evenly before purposefully striding out of the tent. A loud cheer erupted as she made her appearance.
Henry sat down on the stool. Victor stopped pacing. He stood in a corner resolutely staring into space. Henry watched him while keeping half an ear cocked to the sounds of the contest.
"What's Bulgaria like?" he finally asked.
"What?"
"What is Bulgaria like?" Henry repeated.
A smile softened Victor's hawkish features. "Is the most beautiful place on Earth," he replied proudly. "As soon as I finished at Durmstrang, I return there."
"Durmstrang isn't like Bulgaria?" Henry asked.
Victor snorted. "Durmstrang is near glaciers. My home in Bulgaria is warm and bright. Is little kilometres south of Varna on the Black Sea. People come from many countries for holidays there."
"It sounds nice."
"Nice?" Victor parroted with a frown. "Pleasant, yes?"
"Yes, it means pleasant," Henry confirmed.
"English is difficult language," Victor said. "Russian, Serbian, Greek I learn easily."
"All I speak is English," replied Henry. "But my girlfriend is teaching me Gaelic."
Victor laughed heartily. "Is nice way to learn but you said French to girl."
"I know some words but that's not speaking a language," Henry explained.
Victor nodded sagely. "Is the same with my comrades on the national team. They do not speak languages but they can order beer and steak in any country in Europe."
A loud roar went up as Bagman shouted, "she's got it!"
Victor slowly stretched his arms above his head. "Soon my match begins."
"Good luck," Henry said.
"Thank you," Victor replied. "But is only big snake. Not difficult."
"What?"
Victor smiled, tapping the side of his head with a forefinger. "In brain do not think dragon, think snake. Snake is not difficult, is not fright."
Henry gave him thumbs up as the whistle blew shrilly. The Bulgarian nodded at Henry and exited.
Henry paced about the tent. A smile slowly grew wider and wider across his face as he gazed at the model of the Hungarian Horntail in his hand.
"You're a reptile, nothing but a freaking reptile," he said gleefully. "Up yours, Lord V. You're not getting me today."
High in the stands, Maggie felt Henry's sudden rush of elation. Keeping her movements unobtrusive, she slid a hand inside her robe until her fingers touched the small marble obelisk that rested against her breast.
"What is it, Henry?" she cast.
"Enlightenment, most precious," was his gleeful reply. "Dragons are reptiles."
"Very strong and fast reptiles that fly, breathe fire, and have teeth that put sabres to shame. Not to mention that they outweigh you by several tonnes."
Maggie sensed his amusement. "I don't think they weight all that much but it doesn't matter, that horntail is going down."
"Yes, Henry, I believe that it will," she replied encouragingly. "Just be careful."
"I won't do anything foolish."
"Don't make a promise you cannot keep."
"Tha gaol agam ort, Maggie."
"I love you too, Henry," she replied
She broke the contact. She pondered what significance was it to Henry that dragons were reptilian until Victor Krum succeeded in snatching the golden egg.
"Henry's next," Chris said as he stood cheering with the rest of the crowd.
"I say, Holmes, brilliant deduction," Hermione teased at his side.
Chris grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess that could have gone without saying. I'm just nervous."
"Henry will be okay," Ginny confidently declared wiggling under Chris' arm.
"She's right, Chris," Maggie said striving for calm. "Henry will triumph."
Hermione looked at her.
"That smacks of Luna's nefarious optimism," she said.
From the other side of Maggie, Luna grinned at her friend. "There is not much point in being anything but optimistic, is there?"
"Probably not but I don't seem to have the knack for it. Right now, I'd give almost anything to have your faith," Hermione confessed. "I couldn't even sleep last night for worry."
"I had to take a sleeping draught," Maggie admitted. "But I believe that Henry will be fine."
"Who are you trying to convince?" asked Hermione taking her tiny friend's hand as they sat back down onto the bleachers.
"You know the answer to that," replied Maggie squeezing her hand in return.
Luna slipped an arm around Maggie's waist as she and Hermione budged closer to her. Bess and Bridget, who were sitting with George and Fred Weasley on the row before Maggie, turned around.
"Buck up, lass," Bridget said. "If that lot can get past the beasties, then surely your man can."
"Aye, he's a game lad, your Henry is," Bess agreed.
The lad himself emerged from the tent to the thunderous approval of his schoolmates. The first few days after his surprise selection saw the birth of many malicious rumours but Cedric Diggory doggedly rose to Henry's defence. He told anyone who would listen to him that he believed Henry when the younger boy said that he did not enter his name into the Goblet of Fire and how Henry did his utmost to withdraw from the tournament. Slowly, due mainly to his campaign, most of the Hogwarts students came around to supporting Henry although the tall, handsome Cedric remained their favourite.
Henry stared the black dragon at the far end of the enclosure. She was a big brute. She crouched low, her wings spread protectively around her eggs. Her spiked tail swung menacing back and forth, gouging huge chucks of earth. Her yellow eyes locked onto Henry.
Wand in hand, Henry cautiously moved forward. For his plan to work, he would have to get uncomfortably close. He scanned the ground about the horntail as he crept nearer. He needed four points to work with. Three were easy to spot, two small bushes and an old stump. The fourth was proving elusive.
The dragon abruptly arched her neck and spat fire at Henry. Many of the spectators screamed but the movement gave Henry all the warning he needed. A freeze-flame spell was in place before the first tendrils hit him. He stood steady as the fire shot harmlessly by him.
A collective sigh of relief rose from hundreds of throats as the flames subsided and Henry stood before them unscathed. Those in the lower seats caught the small grin that sprouted on Henry's face. He smiled at the sight of a rock behind the dragon. He had his final point. The dragon growled ominously as Henry took one last step.
Few of the students recognized Henry's wand gestures for what they were. The teachers and those of his classmates that did were puzzled.
Ron verbalized what they all were asking themselves. "Why is he erecting a ward?"
No one had an answer for him.
Henry was perspiring. He had never before attempted to create this variety of ward. Barbara Thane had walked him through the basics of it when she visited the Porter farm over the summer. It was a spell that healers used but the prohibition against minors using magic away from Hogwarts did not allow him the luxury of practicing it.
The four points began to glow. After a moment, strands of light looking like frayed glow sticks snaked between them connecting with one another. The dragon stopped snarling, her attention captured by the sparkling pale-blue square that formed around her and Henry.
Henry slowly raised his wand. The strands stretched in conjunction becoming walls of light. The dragon's head darted to and fro in fear and confusion. She drew her wings in tighter around her clutch. Once the wall was several metres high, Henry drew his hands together. A ceiling of light formed over their heads. The ward was complete.
Henry paused collecting himself and marshalling is strength. He ran a quick arm across his forehead trying to keep the sweat out of his eyes. He was almost certain how to proceed. "In theory, this should work," Henry thought. "It damn well better," he added savagely as he continued the spell.
Frost formed on the blades of grass as Henry leached the heat from inside the ward. His breath fogged before him but he held the spell. Henry watched the dragon expectantly. The minutes crept by. As he thought would happen, the cold-blooded dragon's movements grew more and more sluggish.
"It won't be long now before you won't have the ability to move," Henry thought as his teeth chattered. "It can't come soon enough."
The dragon drew her wings in. She arched her neck down to her clutch trying to breathe on it.
Henry's jaw dropped as she moaned, "The cold…my eggssss."
He stepped forward. "Can you understand me?" he asked in wonder.
The dragon slowly turned her massive head toward him. "Yesss." She replied, surprise in her own voice.
With a sweeping motion, Henry collapsed the ward. Warm air swirled around them but Henry cast a hot air charm at the dragon nonetheless. As heat buffeted her body, the large reptile felt some of her vim return. She manoeuvred her head to her eggs. Once she was satisfied that her clutch was unharmed, she directed an evil look at Henry who hastily took a step back.
"You made the cold?"
"And I can bring it back," he replied assertively secretly praying that his voice wouldn't break. "If you choose to fight instead of talking to me."
Her large pointed ears twitched as she arched her long neck, stretching it to its full height. Henry prepared to dodge a strike but the dragon spoke instead. "I will talk. You intrigue me. I have never met a human who could speak Dragon."
"You are speaking English," Henry replied.
A puff of smoke belched from her snout. Henry hoped that it was the dragon equivalent of laughter or something as benign. "So, human, tell me why you after my eggs?"
Henry shook his head before it occurred to him that it was probably a meaningless gesture to the dragon. "I do not want you eggs. No one here does. The humans who brought you here are dedicated to the preservation of your kind. They want all your eggs to hatch and all of the offspring to thrive."
"Is that why they bring me carcasses?" she asked fascinated. "I have not had to leave my nest to hunt. It has been convenient but why did they bring me here?"
Henry rubbed a hand over his head. "You were brought her as part of a human competition but what is truly desired by an enemy of mine is for you to kill me."
Several more puffs of smoke came from her snort. They drifted lazily away on the slight breeze. "And yet you face me?"
"I do not know who my enemy is," Henry replied. "The only way to discover him is to carry through with the competition."
"So you must try to kill me?"
"No," Henry answered vehemently. "Killing you is not the objective. Hidden amongst your eggs is an object I must retrieve."
"There is nothing in my nest but my eggs," the dragon growled dangerously. "I would have felt anything else."
"It is there," Henry assured the great beast. "Allow me to show you."
"Do you think that I am simple enough to allow you near my eggs?" she snarled.
"I will be under your teeth," Henry pointed out.
"I will not take that chance, cold-bringer," the dragon answered.
Henry thought quickly. He held his wand before him. "Do you see this?" he asked.
"It is a branch," she replied.
"It is the cold bringer," Henry said. "Watch."
Henry pointed it a one of the small bushes he used for a corner of the ward. He aimed a freezing charm at the plant. Before the dragon's astonished eyes, it turned to solid ice.
The dragon paused then lowered her head to the frozen bush. It vanished in a burst of flame. She raised her head back up. "If that was meant to frighten me," she said. "You failed."
"It was not to frighten you but to gain your trust," Henry replied.
"How?" she asked.
Dozens of jaws dropped as Henry tossed his wand at the dragon's feet. "That's how," he said.
The dragon stared at him for several long seconds before smoke once again bellowed from her. "Come forward, human," she said stepping carefully to one side of her nest.
The spectators who had grown silent as Henry talked to the dragon, communally gasped as Henry moved forward with more far confidence then he felt.
The golden egg was easy to spy in the midst of the beige-coloured real eggs. Henry delicately eased the counterfeit from the nest and held it up for the dragon to inspect. She lowered her head and flicked her tongue over it several times. Her hot, foul breath whirled around Henry.
"That is no egg," she said. "You can take it, human."
"Thank you," Henry said.
"Thank you? I do not understand."
Henry thought for a moment. "When the humans bring you meat so that you do not have to leave your eggs to hunt, do you feel less inclined to kill them?"
"Somewhat."
"Thank you expresses that thought," Henry said, watching as Charlie Weasley and the other dragon-keepers eased closer. Henry gestured toward them "They'll take you home now unless you decide to kill me."
"I'll let you live," the dragon replied. "I will not do the bidding of a human and there is not enough of you to make a meal."
"Thank you," Henry again said bowing deeply to the great animal.
"Take the branch with you," she commanded. "I don't want it near my eggs."
Henry retrieved his wand very much aware that he was giving the dragon an easy target if she changed her mind. She did not. On shaky legs, he walked to the middle of the enclosure, pocketing his wand as he went.
He stopped before the judges and held the golden egg aloft for all to see. To his amazement, only weak applause greeted the finish of his task. Hundreds of eyes stared at him in hostile suspicion. Murmurs ran through the bleachers like electric currents. Henry sought out Maggie. She was clapping, as were all of his friends but concern clung to her face. Under the guise of a bow, Henry slipped his hand inside his robe.
"What's wrong?"
"Henry, get back to the Hufflepuff dorm… no, the room of requirement immediately," she replied.
"Why?"
"Just do it, dear heart. I'll explain when I get there."
"I have to return to the tent for instructions to the second task."
"Then meet us there as soon as you can. We'll be waiting."
Baffled, Henry tucked the egg into the crook of his arm and marched rapidly to the tent.
One-half an hour later, Henry entered the room of requirement. He barely had time to notice that it had arranged itself to resemble an old-fashioned parlour when Maggie leaped on him like a leopard. Henry nearly dropped the golden egg as she planted an ardent kiss upon his lips. Chris, Ginny, Hermione, Luna, and Ron rose from the comfortable, plush sofas and chairs to gather around him.
"You said that you wouldn't do anything foolish," Maggie accused when she broke the embrace.
"I didn't," Henry replied accepting hugs from Ginny, Hermione, and Luna in turn.
"You're right, cuz," Chris sharply agreed. "Walking unarmed up to a dragon wasn't foolish. It was psychotic and suicidal. I nearly fainted."
"Faint," Ron snorted. "I thought I was gonna have to change my trousers."
"It turned out okay," Henry replied. "But why was everyone staring at me like I just tossed a baby into the fire?"
"Why didn't you tell us that you were a parselmouth?" Luna asked.
"A parselmouth?" Henry asked in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"A parselmouth is someone who can talk to snakes," Hermione explained. "And apparently dragons although there are no records of anyone trying that stunt."
"The dragon spoke English," Henry said.
"No, it did not, love," sighed Maggie leading her boyfriend to a settee. "All we heard were hisses. You were speaking to the dragon in its own language."
Henry frowned as he sat down. "I don't understand. To my ear, we were speaking English."
Everyone exchanged puzzled glances as they too returned to their seats. Henry knew that his friends believed him but he could not work out why they all seemed so worried.
"It's pretty obvious that I am once again missing the key point here," Henry said patiently. "So what is the problem? I'm sure that there loads of witches and wizards that can speak with animals."
"No." Luna said. "It's a very, very, very rare talent."
"Charlie would trade every coin in Gringott's to be able to communicate with dragons," Ginny said. "Do you realize how much more he could learn about them if he could do that?"
"But you would think that I would have known about it long before today," Henry said.
"Not really," Maggie replied. "It was a latent talent that emerged only under the proper circumstances. I mean, who tries to talk to a reptile, really?"
"I talk to horses," Henry said. "They never talked back though but I still don't see where the problem is."
"To answer your question, Henry," Hermione began. "The reason everyone was edgy is that in the past parselmouths have been exclusively the darkest of dark wizards. Voldemort is one. The only known one alive until today."
"So I'm suddenly Voldemort junior?" Henry asked incredulously.
"Yeah," Ron said. "To some people anyway. At the very least, a lot of people are asking just who Henry Porter is, right now."
"Great," Henry muttered.
"It'll blow over," Chris said.
"No, it won't," Ron disagreed. "Not for a while anyway. That Skeeter woman was in the stands. I guarantee that this'll be on the front page of The Daily Prophet tomorrow. Moreover, Undersecretary Umbridge is still here. She'll likely stick her big nose in it."
"That seems much ado about nothing," Chris argued.
Ron shook his head. "Please don't take this the wrong way but being muggleborn, I don't think you truly understand the impact of a parselmouth in the magic community. No one, nowhere, no how can convince me that Henry is a dark wizard but the idea of a parselmouth makes my skin crawl. I'm sorry, Henry but that's the way it is."
"If you are convinced that I am not a dark wizard why would it bother you?" Henry asked.
Ron shrugged. "I suppose because in our culture parseltongue and dark wizardry are inseparable. If you grow up believing one thing, it's hard for even the undeniable truth to alter that belief. Believe me, Henry, I'll work on it."
"I should have just kept on freezing the damn thing," Henry groaned.
"Why didn't you?" Maggie asked.
"Once I heard the concern for her eggs in her voice, I just couldn't," Henry explained. "She wasn't a malevolent beast at that point. She was a mother."
"Some dark wizard you are," Hermione quipped.
"Yeah," Henry sighed. "Is there anyway to mitigate this or is it something I just have to ride out?"
"You can't put the genie back in the bottle, Henry," Luna said.
"It's out there, Henry," Maggie agreed. "All you can do is to remain the good, decent guy you are. Like Ron said, people have their beliefs about parselmouths but I can't image that anyone here at Hogwarts will be able to bring themselves to believe that you are a dark wizard."
"And what total strangers think isn't worth bothering with,' Hermione added.
"This is too weird," Henry said. "When I woke up this morning all I wanted was to survive the task. Well, I survived it and my reward is more headaches."
"Well cuz, you faced a dragon and didn't get killed or get a return trip to St. Mungo's," Chris said. "All things considered, I would say that you came out ahead."
"Yeah, looking at it that way, it's definitely a half-full glass," Henry conceded. "More then half-full."
"And you're tied with Krum for first place," Ron pointed out.
"Where did you learn that spell, Henry?" Hermione asked. "I'm speaking of the ward, of course."
"Barbara," Henry told her as he rubbed his face. "She said that sometimes healers need to quickly cool or warm several patients at once so they create a ward that allows them to either draw in or expel heat."
"It could be applied to outdoor survival, too," Ron mused.
"Yeah, it could, couldn't it," Henry agreed. "But it takes a lot of energy."
"Now that you got the egg, what's next?" Ginny asked.
"I don't know," Henry declared. "We were told that the eggs are the key to the next task which is in February."
"Which is?" asked Chris.
"Which is the month after January," Henry joked in a weary voice.
"What is the next task, smarty," Chris chuckled.
"I haven't the foggiest and, not to be rude, but right now I don't care," Henry replied. "All I really want is a hot shower and supper."
Maggie stood. With a laugh, she pulled Henry to his feet. "That's what I like about guys," she said. "They are such uncomplicated creatures."