DISCLAIMER: -hides from lawyers- I don't own Harry Potter...even though I wish I did with every fiber of my being...

A/N: Sorry for the lack of update. I've been quite busy with my show, ANYTHING GOES, lately. It is now officially over, which is really depressing, but not for you guys, cause now I can update and stuff. I haven't had time for anything other than drama, which is really bad, cause it means my school work has been slipping. Therefore, I have also had zero time for writing. The first time I actually wrote something for the fun of it in about a month or so was at this writing seminar I went to on Thursday. I'm hoping to update most of my stories tonight though. I think my readers deserve it.

Okay, some background information, seeing as it might not make much sense. When they were young, Harry would visit Maddy in the Muggle world. IT (by Stephen King) was a movie she forced Harry to watch several million times. (Eventually you will see this in I Dated The Chosen One...I just haven't gotten that far yet.) The quote that Harry says here in the beginning is taken from IT and is spoken by Eddie Kasperak when Beverly faints after seeing her old friends for the first time in 20 years.

And yes, as a matter of fact, Stephen King is my favorite author. He's brilliantly insane and yet I love him so much. If you don't know who he is...you're psychotic. Some of his movies are the best ever. Stand By Me, IT, The Shining, Carrie...-stares off dreamily-

Chapter 8: A Pleasure to Catch You

Maddy's eyes fluttered open. She thought she was seeing things. Above her, she could see dazzling green eyes, and what she could have sworn looked like a lightning bolt scar.

"'It would be a pleasure to catch you any day' Madeleine Black…" a gentle voice said.

She smiled weakly, "IT…you remembered…"

Harry laughed, "You never passed up a chance to watch it, and always dragged me with you. All four hours of it."

Maddy struggled to sit up, "Oh come on, it wasn't that long!"

"Pretty darn close…" Harry smiled at his dearest friend. "'Your hair is winter fire, January embers…'"

"'My heart burns there too…'" Maddy finished, holding a hand to her head, "Stephen King, my God. He was a genius-"

"Insane…" Harry said quickly.

"But a genius." Maddy looked around the room, and suddenly realized who was sitting in front of her. She stood up quickly and grabbed her bathrobe; still feeling a little unbalanced.

"Harry! What are you doing here?"

"I came by to visit…" Harry said innocently. "When no one answered the door, I noticed it was unlocked and thought something might have happened. That's when I found you in the hallway…"

Maddy sat down, no longer able to hold herself up. Harry had turned into a fuzzy mass. Her vision was completely unfocused.

"So, where's lover boy?" Harry asked, with a slight sarcastic tone.

"He's in Romania…" Maddy replied groggily. "And watch it…he is a Duke after all…"

"Yes, and you were a crowned princess, before you gave that up, now weren't you?" Harry kindly reminded her, "Romania, eh? Isn't that where you were bor-"

"Shut up, Harry…" Maddy interrupted. "I don't want to be a princess. I just want to be alone…my head hurts…"

Maddy's stomach made an unsightly sound, and Harry moved forward.

"Maybe it's best you lay down." He helped her lay back into the pillows.

Maddy sighed deeply. Harry smiled and chuckled softly.

"What are you laughing at?" Maddy asked, her eyes still closed tight.

Harry sighed, "Nothing, really…I just thought of something…"

"What is it? Please share." Maddy insisted, "I could do with a good laugh…"

"Well…" he started, "This just reminded me of old times, when you'd pass out and I would wait with you in the Hospital Wing until Madame Pomfrey said you were fine to leave."

"Yes…and all the times I spent in the Hospital Wing watching over your unconscious body, not even aware that I was there. Knocked out by some bludger or whatever the hell else you came across," Maddy laughed harshly, "Yes, wonderful times."

Harry frowned. He had never noticed that she was always there when something had happened to him. Ron and Hermione were too, but it was Maddy who had sat by his bedside in his fourth year, after the third task, while he slept dreamlessly. It was she who read Peter Pan to him aloud, despite Madame Pomfrey's chiding, and warnings that he could not hear her. She had been just as stubborn as he had.

Slowly, he stood up and moved toward the door.

"Wait…" Maddy said shortly, turning to look at him, "Please, don't leave yet…talk to me…"

Harry sat back down on the bed and gazed at her. His eyes wandered over her short matted hair.

"What happened to your hair, Mad?"

"I fainted, Harry…what do you expect?"

"No…" he said, "It's short. Did Charlie-boy make you cut it?"

Maddy shook her head, "No, it was my idea…and don't call him Charlie-boy…it reminds me of high school…"

Harry chuckled. Maddy was so much fun to pick on. That is, until she got mad. Then, she was out for revenge and could be very dangerous to face. It was only Harry, and an old friend of Maddy's, Amanda, who could tease her until she'd get angry and be free of any bodily damage. (I say damage, not harm, because she had a habit of smacking Harry once in a while for some stupid comments he made.)

"So…" Harry said, slowly. "Do you mind him leaving you alone here all the time?"

Maddy shook her head, "No…no…I'm a big girl. I can stay here by myself and be perfectly fine."

Harry smiled at her and glanced at his watch, "I'd better get going then…"

Maddy didn't want him to leave, "I see you got your watch fixed. You walked around for three years with that old broken one…"

"Actually, Ginny bought this for me…" he said, "It was a birthday present…"

"Ah…" Maddy said, feeling uncomfortable, "I'm surprised the ol' girl let you come and see me…"

Harry rubbed the back of his neck, nervously. Maddy knew this was a sign that Harry was guilty of something. She had seen it too many times.

"Well…she-er-doesn't know I'm here…she probably wouldn't have let me if I had said something…"

"She thinks we're having an affair?" Maddy said offhandedly.

Harry looked up, "There you go again. That reading people thing…I have no idea how you do it…"

Maddy smirked, "It's a gift…"

"Well…" Harry said, opening the door, "Someone with a gift like that, would make an excellent Auror." And he disappeared into the hallway, without another word.

-----

One morning, about a week and a half later, Maddy woke up to see Emma standing in the doorway. She was holding a little slip of paper, and looked rather nervous.

"Emma, what's wrong?"

She stepped forward and curtsied, "Ma'am…Master Penly stopped by last night…he left this note…"

Maddy's eyes grew wide. "Charles was here? Did he come up?"

Emma shook her head, "I do not believe so, Ma'am…he said he had to leave again…it was rather urgent…"

Maddy took the note from the shaking girl. "I'm not going to yell at you…" she said simply.

Emma shook her head, "I didn't think you were going to, Ma'am…" but she certainly seemed more relaxed.

Maddy looked down at the note her husband had left her:

Dearest Maddy,

I am very sorry that I was not able to come and see you during my short visit home. I have been called away to Greece for another business trip. I know you long for me to be home with you, but it is very important business, and I do hope you'll understand. This trip will take about a week, and then I assure you, I will be home again. I promise, and you can hold me to that. Until then-

Yours,

Charles

Maddy nodded and folded up the letter. She couldn't say she had expected anything else, but she did admit she was upset that the letter did not consist of one single 'I love you'.

Dismissing Emma, she got dressed rather hurriedly. She decided that she was going into town, and she was going to have lunch with Hermione. It would be something they hadn't been able to do in a while, and she thought she would enjoy it.

The walk into town was uneventful, but when she stepped into town, something happened. People started staring at her, some would bow or curtsey. It took her a moment to realize she was a Duchess. How could she have forgotten?

The bookshop was not too far from Ms. Slughorn's shop. She passed the windows and shuddered involuntarily. She could see the plump Ms. Slughorn sitting behind the counter, waiting anxiously for a customer.

The bell over the door jingled as Maddy entered the small bookshop. Despite its size, it was crammed with books, and always seemed busy.

Hermione was standing by the counter, wrapping a book up for a little boy. She smiled kindly and handed it to him. He nearly ran into Maddy as he bounded out the front door.

"Maddy!"

Maddy smiled as she hugged Hermione over the counter.

"How are you?" Hermione asked cheerily, "I haven't seen you since the wedding…"

Maddy nodded, "I'm fine…How are you?" She was curious to know what had been going on with Ron.

"The same, I s'pose…" Hermione replied with a small sigh, "Maddy, it's been almost four months now…where can he be?"

Maddy ventured into uncharted waters, "Have you talked to Harry about it?"

"Oh, Harry says that he doesn't know anything. He's not on that case with him, and everything is completely confidential, so even if he knew, it's not like he could tell me." She fell silent for a moment.

"To hell with that!" Maddy said loudly, "You're his wife! They should be able to tell you everything! Screw confidentiality!"

Hermione smiled faintly, "I know…but rules are rules…"

"If it were me, I would march up to the Ministry and demand that they told me everything they knew, and if they didn't, they would see a rather remarkable show of hexes done on each and every one of them."

"Even Harry?" Hermione asked, with one of her eyebrows raised.

"Especially Harry! He's our best friend! He should tell us everything no matter what! I think you should keep asking him about it, 'Mione. I think you should keep bugging him until he cracks…"

Hermione frowned, "But he said he didn't know anything…"

"Bull…" Maddy said angrily. Hermione shushed her.

"Maddy…this is a public place…there are children here. Watch your language…"

Maddy seethed, "I'm sorry….It just bothers me…"

Hermione nodded, "I know…it bothers me too…" She looked around, "So…what are you here for?"

Maddy snapped back to her normal self, "Oh…I was just wondering if you wanted to have lunch with me today…Charles is out, so I figured, I'd go out and do something fun…"

Hermione glanced at the clock on the wall, "It is almost my lunch break…Can you give me ten minutes while I finish up here?"

Maddy smiled and looked around. She was reading through Charm Your Own Cheese (a book her Aunt Molly had owned, but never let her look through) when Hermione tapped her on the shoulder.

"Ready to go?"

Maddy snapped the book shut and returned it to the shelf. The two of them stepped out into the early December weather. They both clutched their cloaks closer to them and headed off in the direction of a little café.

The ordered their meals and sat down at a small round table. The talked of many things that they had missed over the years.

"I think it's so wonderful that you're selling both Muggle books and magic books…" Maddy said, taking a sip of her tea.

"I know…" Hermione smiled, "I think it's wonderful that Muggles and Magic Folk are now living together without fear. Now we don't have to be all secretive about everything…"

Maddy nodded, "I agree, but I don't believe we're living without fear. I mean, there are more of them than there are of us. Who's to say they won't turn on us? What if they start burning us again? Or…I dunno…hanging us?"

Hermione shook her head, "Maddy, did you ever pay attention in History of Magic?"

"No." Maddy said simply. "I lived most of it, why should I?"

"If you've lived all these years without knowing that witch burning was completely pointless, you're a pretty sorry witch yourself…"

Maddy looked offended, "A sorry witch? I am not! I knew witch burning was pointless! I was just using it as an example! What if they turn on us and try to be rid of us again?"

"I don't think that's going to happen, Mad…"

"I've been there! Witches were completely frowned upon. They were cast away even by the lowest of low beggars in towns. It's horrible…"

"Maddy…that was ages ago…"

"Well now they have more tools to use against us…more weapons…"

Hermione couldn't believe that they were even having this conversation, "We still have magic which is more powerful than their weapons. We can threaten to cause an apocalypse or an Armageddon or something, and they'll leave us alone…"

"Or just destroy us all…"

Hermione shook her head, "No…no, Maddy that is not going to happen. Look, Muggles and Witches and Wizards are already making up. I mean, you married a Muggle…"

This was true. Charles was a Muggle, and he knew she was a witch, and he loved her anyway.

Maddy smiled, "Yeah, I suppose so…"

"See?"

Maddy nodded. She understood, but still believed that there was that chance that Muggles could one day turn against them. But, of course, Maddy always was the pessimist.

Hermione glimpsed at the clock in the café. "Oh shit! It's almost one! I have to get back to work!"

Maddy offered to stay behind and pick up the check. Hermione promised to pay her back, but Maddy insisted she didn't have to.

"Bye, Mad! I love you! I'll see you soon! Don't be afraid to stop by the shop anytime!" Hermione called behind her as she hurried out the door.

Maddy sighed and stared across the table at her empty seat. She was alone again.

A/N: Okay, so that's the end of the chapter there. As you can see, some strange stuff is starting to happen between Harry and Maddy. I felt this was fitting to post right now, because I happen to be going through a very similar situation (Minus the whole being married to different people thing...lol. That would be weird.). There are just a lot of very confusing emotions running around and ya know...all that lovely teenage hormone crap. Lol. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this and I will be updating sometime this week, now that I actually have time. OMG! I'll be able to sleep now! -gasp!- Teehee. Bye!