Within two days Harry and Ron found themselves in front of the floo of the old dingy inn they'd been staying.
Hermione, being the only one to have passed the apparition test, had already left minutes earlier.
"Half an eyebrow." Harry heard Ron mutter as they stared into the small and sooty floo.
Harry surpressed a grin as he remembered the day Ron had stalked into the Gryffindor common room in despair after failing the apparition test simply by leaving half his eye-brow behind him.
"You want to go first?" Ron asked snapping Harry out of his thoughts.
"No that's fine. . .you go."
Ron shrugged and stepped into the dark floo, "12 Grimmauld Place, London." he stated clearly as the emerald flames engulfed him.
Harry followed suit, dragging his small traveling trunk in with him.
Soon he was whirling in a tunnel of flame and brick, quickly growing very dizzy, this was his least favorite way to travel.
In a moment Harry felt his body lurch forward, he quickly reached his hands out to brace himself for the fall.
He needn't have bothered, for as soon as his head was out of the grate harry felt two pairs of arms grabbing him from each side. Harry looked up and his eyes met two identical grinning faces.
"Alright there, Harry?" Fred Weasley asked.
Harry smiled back as he straightened up, "Yeah, thanks," Harry turned to find a roomful of people staring at him, "Er. . .Hello." He said awkwardly, embarrassed by all the eyes.
Mrs. Weasley imediately bustled forward and grabbed Harry in a tight hug, "Hello hello Harry dear! We were all just jumping up and down when Ron owled us saying you were all coming! And just in time for the wedding too!"
"Nice to see you too Mrs. Weasley!" Harry gasped out beneath her tight grip.
She released him and smiled warmly, pinching his cheek. She was soon joined by a large group of random people hugging him or patting him on the back or simply shaking his hand. They were all familiar faces but most just passed him by as blurred nameless shapes. He really didn't feel up to all this right now but felt he should bare it manly.
As soon as he escaped the crowd murmuring what he hoped was something cordial and appropriate, because he didn't have the least idea what he said. Harry didn't know what it was but there was something about this house that brought out a cold incoherence in him. Perhaps it was the memory of the restless pain it brought Sirius.
He joined Ron, who had clearly gone through a tamer version of the "friends-and-family" attack, he gave Harry a sympathetic roll of the eyes and turned to talk to Hermione who had just joined them.
As the evening rolled on, Harry was visited by people individually. Evidently their arrival had been turned into a sort of Order Family Reunion and everyone had turned up.
When the clock struck 10:00 Harry made a polite exit saying he was very tired. Not entirely untrue. . .he was always tired, these days.
Clearly disappointed the crowd let out a chorus of "good nights" and "good seeing you's" before Ginny came to show them their rooms.
Harry looked at her nervously. This was the first time he had seen Ginny since they broke up. She greeted him cordially and struck up a casual conversation with the three of them, telling them the news. Fleur was still driving her berserk and her little sister Gabrielle was going to visit soon so she was dreading that as well. They walked the long corridors lined with horrid portraits and mounted heads of past house-elves.
Ron and Hermione's rooms were the first they passed so by the time they reached Harry's room it was just Harry and Ginny left. they paused at the door awkwardly, feeling the undiscussed topic standing between them like the Hippogriff in the room that no one wants to talk about but are fully aware of. Ginny was the first to speak.
"I'm glad you're here Harry, I missed you. . .We all have." She added quickly.
Harry smiled faintly, "I-I've missed everyone too. . .I'm glad to be back."
Ginny smiled back but there was something wrong with her smile. . .like she was agitated about something but was holding it back. She must have chosen to ignore it because her next words were merely a quick good night before she turned back down the hall.
Harry murmured after her and turned to go into his room rather confused at Ginny's strange behavior but too fatigued to ponder on it much further he began to unpack his pajamas and change. He was curious who had taken his bags up but shrugged thinking back too his disoriented evening and figured the Minister of Magic himself could have offered to carry his bags and he wouldn't have noticed.
When he got beneath the covers he finally took a good look around the room. In the dim lamp light he saw it was a small cosy room simply furnished, out the window he caught a glimpse of muggle London glowing in the distance. Harry sighed and lay back on his soft downy pillow setting his glasses on the small table near his bed before closing his eyes and drifting slowly into a deep sleep filled with dreams of Sirius. . .
Author's Note: I know this plot is taking awhile to get started but I swear that it will start rolling next chapter when i introduce my OC and. . .perhaps a love triangle. : ) Stay tuned and please be kind in your reviews! Thank-ya-kindly!
