Okay! I'm back y'all. Sorry about the delay, but I'm still grounded…. I'm working on it though. So here's the next chapter of MD. Hope y'all like it. R&R please :D
Harry slept fitfully that night and wasn't really paying attention throughout the day. His mind kept wandering back to the golden amulet that was in his pocket and the power that it held. He wondered if he should summon Anubis again and start showing Anubis just how meaningful mortals can be.
"Harry, pay attention. I just asked you a question three times," Hermione snapped her fingers in front of his face.
He blinked in surprise and shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Sorry Hermione. I kind of zoned out. What'd you ask?"
"Forget it. Why are you being so spacey today?"
"I didn't sleep well last night. I'm just tired."
"You're sure? You're not thinking about that…thing you found are you?"
"No Hermione, I'm fine. Go back to your shopping."
She turned back to the merchant's table and began shifting through small trinkets while the merchant was talking in rapid Arabic to Bill.
"Harry, dear, how are you feeling? You seem a bit off today," Mrs Weasley asked as she came up beside Harry.
"Yeah, I'm just tired. I didn't sleep well last night. Just a few nightmares."
"Is it your scar?"
"No, that's fine. It hasn't hurt in a few weeks actually. I guess Voldemort's gone on a temporary hiatus."
"Harry, please don't say that name."
"Sorry, force of habit I guess."
"It's alright. Why don't you come over here and join us?"
He sighed and nodded his head. It might get his mind off of you-know-who (not capital You-Know-Who).
While they were getting dinner at a local restaurant Harry thought he saw Anubis hanging out in the back of the building. He excused himself to the restroom and once inside he summoned Anubis.
The teenager showed up within seconds, a sneer placed firmly on his lips. "What a lovely place to summon me Potter. What do you want now?"
"Were you following me?"
"Why do you think that? Why would I follow a scrawny English boy whose hair doesn't know how to be tamed?"
"Because I hold your life in my pocket."
A pleased, slightly amused, smile took place of the sneer on Anubis's face. "Ah, so I'm not dealing with a total idiot. Yes, I've been following you to make sure that you don't barter my life away to some street scum."
"They're just trying to make a living."
"You don't know them so don't defend them. I've seen them all. They're mostly all the same. They just want to scam you out of your money."
Harry was getting irritated with the god. "If you're going to follow me I'd appreciate if you'd at least make yourself known to not just me. It'd cause some issues if I was suddenly getting stalked by a skinny Egyptian."
Anubis raised an eyebrow. "You want me to introduce myself to your friends? Why?"
"Because you're going to be with us for quite some time."
Instant fury was Anubis's response. "When hell freezes over, I will!"
"I order you to."
Anubis's body jerked and he took a step toward Harry. "Fine. I'll follow you like your pet…sir."
"You don't need to call me sir or anything like that. Harry or Potter's just fine."
"Whatever, let's just get this over with." He crossed his arms over his chest.
Harry walked back to the table that the Weasleys were all sitting at. He acted as if everything were okay between Anubis and him when he got there.
"Hey guys, this is Anapa, he's from around here."
Anubis stared at Harry and then turned to look at the family of red-heads. "Yeah, I'm from somewhere near here," he said, putting more emphasis into his Egyptian accent.
"Well it's nice to meet you, Anapa, was it?" Mr Weasley said without skipping a beat.
Anubis nodded.
"How do you know Harry here?"
"Oh, who hasn't heard of the famous Harry Potter?" He smiled charmingly to Mr Weasley.
Harry laughed. "I'm even famous here in Egypt. I can't get away from it."
Hermione looked as if she were studying Anubis like a problem she couldn't solve. "So I was wondering if he could maybe have lunch with us."
"Of course dear, what's another mouth?" Mrs Weasley responded. She pulled up another chair between Harry and Hermione.
"Harry, may I speak with you?" Mr Weasley asked before Harry sat down.
"Sure."
He followed Mr Weasley to a secluded part of the restaurant. "Harry are you sure about this kid? Is he a wizard like us?"
"Yes, he's…special. I know he won't harm me."
"What do you mean by special?"
Harry hesitated. "He's very powerful."
Arthur nodded and motioned for Harry to return to the table.
Lunch wasn't ask awkward as Harry imagined it'd be. People asked Anubis about himself and Harry did his best to answer most of them before Anubis could put his proverbial foot in his mouth. Hermione never stopped peering at Anubis throughout the meal. Everyone else loved having him there.
After lunch they were given free rein to travel the marketplace just so long as they were back at the tents by five that evening.
Harry grabbed Anubis's arm and dragged him away before anyone else could tag along. They had some matters to discuss away from everyone else.
"Well you were quite the gentleman during the meal, Harry. I barely got three words out." Anubis once again appeared to be amused.
"Shut up. I didn't want you to screw us over with your words."
"Ah, so you made it up as you went? You know we're going to get caught eventually. They will find out who I am and who I am to you soon enough. Especially that frizzy-haired girl. What'd you say her name was again?"
"Hermione."
"What about me?" Hermione's voice cut into their conversation. Harry jumped and let go of Anubis's arm. He whirled around to stare at his best friend.
"Hermione…. What're you doing here? Did you follow us?"
"Yes." She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "What did Anapa mean by 'who I am and who I am to you'?"
"Uh…um, er, you see…" Harry stammered, trying to find the words to say to his friend without giving away Anubis's secret.
"I'm his boyfriend," Anubis blurted out before Harry could form words.
Hermione's jaw dropped. "What? Harry you're gay? Why didn't you tell me?"
"What?" Harry looked at Anubis who was shamelessly smiling at Hermione.
"No sense in lying to her Harry. It was bound to come out some time."
"Hermione, I'm not gay. He's not my boyfriend. I swear." Harry couldn't believe that the situation had turned to this so quickly.
"It's okay Harry. I don't care if you're attracted to men. Just tell me." Hermione's words were soft and comforting.
"Hermione, I'm not gay," Harry repeated.
"He's as gay as the fourth of July."
"Anubis! Shut up!" Harry snapped at the god.
"You did it now lover boy," Anubis muttered.
"Anubis? Harry is he a god?"
"You better believe I'm a god." Anubis flashed a flirtatious smile toward the confused girl.
"He's a god."
"I can't believe this." Hermione turned around and put her hands in her hair. Turning around she snapped, "Harry, that's the second one in two days. Is it because of the amulet? I told you I don't like it. You should've gotten rid of it."
"Yes, please listen to your friend. She's smart. Give me back my amulet and I'll leave you alone." Anubis held out his hand for the amulet.
"No. I told you, I'm teaching you a lesson before you get it back. You have to earn it back Anubis."
"Harry that's crazy talk. Give him back the amulet. You don't even know what that thing does."
"Yes I do, Hermione. It allows me to control him. You didn't hear what he said last night when I summoned him."
"This isn't the first time you've met him?" She stared at him incredulously. "Harry you need to stop flirting with dangerous things."
Anubis chuckled. "I like her all the more now. She speaks sense. I can guarantee you a long life Hermione. I can't guarantee that it'll be super happy, but it'll be long."
"Thank you?" Hermione said to Anubis.
"Getting a god's personal blessing is indeed something that you need to be grateful for. Even if it may not seem it at the time it is something to be cherished."
"Now he acts all humble and like he loves humanity," Harry muttered.
"I'd rather kiss your ass now and get my amulet back than be your puppet for years until I've 'earned' it."
"You're impossible." Harry shook his head and tried to fight off the oncoming headache.
"Hey, I never said that I'd cooperate and make things easy for you while I'm your personal play thing."
Hermione cracked a smile. "Harry you've probably bitten off more than you can chew with this one. Good luck." She turned to walk off but then turned back around. "By the way, you should probably tell Ron about this. He wouldn't be happy if you kept such an important secret from him."
"Yeah, I was planning on it."
Anubis waved happily as Hermione left them. "I really like her. Why aren't you dating her?"
"Because I don't like her that way. She's just a friend."
"So you are gay."
Harry turned to look at the god who was still watching Hermione's retreating figure. "No! I'm not gay. Now stop saying that."
"The more you deny it the more I believe it to be true." Anubis turned and began walking in the opposite direction that Hermione had taken.
"Oh god, what have I gotten myself into?" Harry muttered skyward. He took a deep breath and followed the god that was the bane of his existence at the moment.
I am so pleased with this chapter :3 You guys have no idea how much fun it was to write this. By the way, if y'all couldn't already tell this is gonna be a lighthearted fic. Nothing too heavy's gonna go on. Well, maybe near the end if I wanna torture y'all. We'll see. R&R (again, because I'm curious about what y'all think).
-JAFB