A/N- Hey all! Mel and I have been working ahead on the story!!!! And we have the general idea where the story is heading!! But, we're not gonna tell you because we're mean like that!!! MUAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Never tell them our secrets!! But, I promise this is going to take off!!
And thank you to "Band Camp" for giving us a review for an author's note.
……………… Ouch!! (as I nudge her in the ribs) Fine fine….. thanks for the encouragement…..
There we go…. Not so hard, now was it??
… … Nooooo… …
Yeah…enough delay so on to Chapter 6!!!!
And make sure to leave some reviews!!
Yeah…make sure to do that too!!!
NOTE: STORY TITLE WILL BE CHANGING SOON DUE TO THE TITLE NO LONGER FITTING THE PLOT OF THE STORY.
DEDICATION: This chapter is dedicated to the one man that has given Harry the looks we have come to love these past 6 years. HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY TO THE NEW MAN,
MR. DANIEL JACOB RADCLIFFE!!!!!!!!!
He is soooooooo amazing, thats why my name is Radcliffe'sgirl4ever, cuz I luv him sooooo much. Happy 18th to the new man, may the $40 million you now possess never drive you to be like our stereotypical celebrities.
Note: I added a revamped quote from "Hannah Montana". Anybody guess what it is??
The Beautiful Liar & The Mysterious Man
Ron POV
"Honey? What should we label this box as?" Luna called. I looked across the room to the kitchen where Luna was packing up our china dishes.
"Uh… china…" I said. Luna being pregnant is driving me crazy.
"Ok!" She said brightly, labeling it.
CHINA-FRAGILE- DO NOT BREAK!!
I got back to taking apart the mantle displays.
The door bell rang.
"I'll get it!" I called. I opened the door to find an extremely tan Ginny standing on the welcome mat. She was wearing a Gucci designer outfit- Radcliffe Denim W1 Dark Blue Straight Legs Jeans, a white cami, and an expensive-looking tanish silk open sweater. She had on tortoiseshell sunglasses and a Fendi Brown Genuine Alligator Croissant Handbag was hanging from the crook of her arm. She looked like she had been modeling rather than teaching in Egypt.
"You like it?" She said, sounding all girly "I did some modeling for Gucci and Louis Vuitton."
I looked down at my clothes. I was wearing some old, faded jeans that had their knees ripped and an open flannel shirt over a stained white t-shirt.
"Something happen?" She asked pompously, strolling into the apartment. It was dusty and there were boxes, crates, and plastic coverings everywhere.
"Uh…we're all moving out." I said, wondering how she didn't know this.
"Harry too?" She asked, upset.
"Yeah…he's moving into La Tour Royal. Luna and I are moving into an apartment complex across the street."
"La Tour Royal? Harry's never bought something quite expensive. Not even for me, his fiancée. You know what (deep breath), that isn't important. Where is my fiancée? He hasn't called me in ages."
"He's in Hermione's room, helping her pack to move with us." I said with a shrug. From the gleeful look in her eyes, she thought that Hermione was moving in with Luna and I.
She pushed us out of the way with her "Miss Priss" attitude.
When she was out of sight- "I'm no fashionista expert, but I'd say your sister has been sucked up into the world of supermodels." Luna whispered
"I HEARD THAT!!" Ginny screamed as she walked down the hall.
I saw a ring glimmering on her left hand. "This isn't good." I said.
Ginny POV
Ugh! They aren't even dressed in designer work clothing! At least put some cleaner clothes on! It's not like my visit was a surprise. It's not like me being a model is a big surprise.
"I'm no fashionista expert, but I'd say your sister has been sucked up into the world of supermodels." Luna's whispers came from the living room.
"I HEARD THAT!!" Honestly, does anyone have a sense of kindness anymore?? My whole family is turning against me!
I had reached Hermione's door. What I saw when I opened the door shocked me.
My fiancée was standing in the middle of the room madly kissing Hermione.
"Excuse me, Harry darling." I said softly. No reaction.
I screamed as loudly and dramatically as I could. They immediately broke apart and looked at me in wide-eyed shock.
"Ginny! How nice to see you." Hermione said shiftily.
"Nice to see you Hermione." I said suspiciously "Hello Harry."
"Hey Gin." He said, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. NOT A GOOD SIGN!!!
"Harry. Can I talk to you for a minute?"
He nodded and looked at Hermione. She nodded.
"Can I get you a drink Ginny?"
"Oh, no thank you." I said with false cheeriness "I was just in the neighborhood and had to talk to Harry for a minute."
"Ok." She said, returning the smile genuinely. She walked out of the room and closed the door.
Harry POV
"What was that about?" She fired at once.
"Uh…I…lost a bet with Ron, so I had to kiss her."
She glared at me.
"Charity?" I tried in a hopeless attempt to save my dignity. Frankly, I don't know why I got back with her and even went as far to propose. I looked at the ring. It would look nicer on Hermione.
"HARRY JAMES POTTER YOU ARE A LIAR!!!!!" She screamed.
"I know." I said, getting angry.
"After all we've been through! After all I've done for you, you still make me second best to…to... her?!?!"
"First of all." I said matter-of-factly, putting one finger up "We haven't really been through anything. No shagging, no nothing. Just a simple kiss. Two." Another finger up "You've done nothing for me. I've been waiting on you hand and foot since you asked me out. All you have done is wear outrageous dresses that annoyed the crap out of me. And Three." Last finger up "I never loved you. I only went out with you because I thought Hermione had moved on. I only went to Egypt to afford the ring I wanted for Hermione when we got married. And there the first part of my desires sits on your finger. What was I thinking when I proposed? Oh right…YOU SLIPPED ME A LOVE POTION! I've always regretted it and I always will!" I roared
That was the last straw for her. And me.
"FINE!!" She screamed "I'VE HAD IT! I CAN'T BELIEVE I EVER WASTED MYSELF ON YOU! I EVEN BOUGHT THIS OUTFIT JUST TO WEAR FOR YOU! AND THEN I FIND YOU SNOGGING YOUR BRAINS OUT WITH SOME OTHER WOMAN!!!! THE WEDDING IS OFF! WE ARE SOOO OVER!!" She yelled to my face, taking the ring off and throwing it down. I caught it before it hit the wood planks on the floor.
"So…you never loved me?" She choked through her tears.
I shook my head innocently.
Tears started to stream down her face "You used me! You used me…I don't know why you used me…and I don't want to know either. How could you do that to me? All those times you said you loved me…you didn't mean it?"
I said nothing.
"Well." She said sadly "I guess this is goodbye. You're nothing but a Beautiful Liar, but I'll always love you."
"Sorry about everything Ginny." I said awkwardly, rubbing the back of my head.
"I'm sorry to have bothered you. It was a big mistake on my part." She said looking down.
"You are a good person, Ginny. You'll find your perfect man." I said, in an attempt to make her feel better.
"Maybe I will……. Well, I just came to tell you I'm taking the job for good at the school and I'm going to move to Egypt permanently."
"Thanks for telling me. I'm just going to move back here…and stay….permanently." Ginny laughed, seeing my joke in the words.
"Good bye Harry." She said, holding her hand out. I took her into a brotherly hug. She kissed me on the cheek and turned away.
"Be safe." I said as she walked out the door, wondering when I would see her again.
"What was that about?" Hermione said from the door. I slipped the ring into my pocket quickly before she noticed. She walked over and put her hands around my waist.
"Ginny just wanted to tell me she's keeping the job and staying in Egypt." I said, putting my arms around her.
"I meant about the change in attitude." She said, looking up at me "Ron said she came in and acted all snobbish and rude. When she came out, she looked all sad and depressed. Did something go wrong?"
BLOODY HELL!!!! She's not supposed to know about our engagement!!!!!
"Uh... she was just sad because I'm going to stay here and she'll be lonely...without a friend...like me." I finished lamely, desperately hoping she would buy it.
"But I thought Dean and Parvati were staying." Hermione said, confused.
"I talked to Dean last week and he said he wasn't sure." I lied quickly.
"Oh...Ok!" She said brightly "Let's start packing my bed set!! Then we just have to pack away my closet and we're ready to go!!"
"Uhhh..." I stammered, backing away. No Clothes!!!! I've never done very well with clothing….
"HARRY!" Luna yelled.
"Yeah??" YES!! Saved by the yell!!
"We need help with the couch mate! The moving van's here!" Ron yelled.
"Coming!" SWEET ESCAPE!!!! Maybe movers aren't sooo bad after all!
"Darn." Hermione said "I'll have to magically pack the rest." She swept her wand across the room and everything flew neatly into the boxes. They all sealed and labeled themselves. The bed shrank and she slipped it into her pocket.
"LUNA!! Don't do that! You'll hurt the baby!!" came Ron's voice from the living room. We both rolled our eyes and went out to see what was wrong.
We found Luna trying to lift the sofa. She set it down and started to scream at Ron. "Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can't do anything!"
"I'm just thinking about the best interests of our child!" Ron fired back. Luna opened her mouth, red faced, but Hermione beat him to the punch.
"Hey Luna. Could you help me carry my boxes out to the truck?"
"Sure!" She said, brightening considerably. They left us.
"Bloody Hell!! What is that woman's problem?!?! I'm just trying to keep our children's best interests ay heart."
"Ron! Ron! No offence mate, but you have the emotional range of a teaspoon."
"What's that for??" He said, clearly offended.
"She just doesn't want to feel useless. Women hate it when men make them feel useless. Why do you think they went through the suffrage?"
"Why can't it be in the good old days when women just stayed home, cooked and cleaned, and did what their husbands told them to do without complaint??"
"Our lives would be sooooo much easier, believe me. But, reality check mate, we're in the 21st Century. Not the 19th."
"Oh that's very nice of you." Hermione commented as she walked past us, carrying a box labeled Hogwarts Paperwork.
'We didn't mean it like that." I whined "I was just giving Ron some…mental support."
WHACK!!! Ron hit me on the back of the head hard. I ran into the china cabinet and hit the corner. The bridge of my glasses broke clean in half. The glass shattered and showered all over the floor. The frame was bent. I got right back up.
"No foul, no bruise." I said, holding my arms wide open to prove the point. No need for them to see the blood coming from my nose. THANK YOU WANDLESS MAGIC!!!! I picked up my glasses and repaired them.
"I really should invest in contacts." I joked. We all laughed.
"Anything need to be loaded, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter?" One of the movers stuck their head in the door.
"Everything in the room down the hall. Second on the left." Harry said "And please kindly take the boxes from these ladies' hands." Hermione and Luna shot me furtive looks as they took the boxes and loaded them on the cart. "Why don't we go for a quick last tour of the place?" I suggested.
We looked around while the movers took out the last of the stuff. We took at least 150 pictures, an assortment of pictures of the rooms and us in goofy poses. By the time we were done, the movers were becoming rather impatient.
We all piled into our cars (Ron and Luna in their Audi Coupe I got them as an engagement gift, Hermione in my Lamborghini, and I was in a rented Ford F150 with a trailer. My Porsche was already in the Tower garage). We all took one last look at the place and drove away. It's about 11:30am now and we should be in downtown London in about 20 minutes!!
An hour later
UGH!!! We didn't make it into London till 12:30. WHY?? Well, let's see. The two cars in front of us got into a car accident and we had to wait for the cleanup and to get cleared by the policemen. Luckily it was a minor accident or we would have been stuck there for hours. Also its very lucky they forced us to take Muggle 101 in our 7th year. (Or Ron probably would have been arrested. They like to take loonies into the station and he would have been considered one if we hadn't taken the class.)
We arrived at the Tower. Hermione and I parked in the drive and waited for the luggage carts to take our stuff upstairs. When we had the last box unloaded, a valet drove the Lamborghini down to the underground garage.
I drove the Ford back to the dealership, walked over to a local Chinese takeout, got some lunch, apparated to the Apparition Spot a block from the Tower and walked to the elevator. I hit the button for floor 23.
Hermione POV
I was unpacking the last of the silverware when Harry arrived.
"I brought Chinese!" He said, holding up the bag.
"Good! I've been hungry for AGES now!" I said, rubbing my stomach to prove the point.
We sat down at our new dining room table. It was a dark cherry wood. The walls were a rich burgundy color. The floors were a dark shade of mahogany with mahogany baseboards that were carved with intricate designs. Five randomly placed floor-to-ceiling Monticello windows gave a spectacular view of the city. The ceiling has beautiful patterns and there were silver candelabra on the walls.
"The penthouse is beautiful." I said, looking around the room.
"Trust me, you'll love it even more as you see the rest of it!" Harry said enthusiastically as he ladled some Won-Ton soup into a bowl. "I'll give you a tour later!"
"Nice." I said appreciatively, momentarily forgetting my disapproval of his buying such an expensive place. We ate in silence for a few minutes.
A speaker beeped in the corner by the door.
"Yes?" Harry said, pushing a button and speaking into the mesh over the speaker.
"Hello Mr. Potter. This is Monty, your doorman."
"Oh hi Mr. Monty. What can I do for you?" I glared at Harry. Your doorman????? Just how much comes with this package???
"I have a guest down here at the front desk. He claims he is a personal friend of yours, Matt Leidue." I gasped. What is Matt doing here??
"Ah yes, Mr. Leidue is a personal friend of Ms. Granger and I. Can you show me the security feed please?"
A small digital screen appeared next to the speaker. The security feed from the lobby showed Matt standing in front of the desk, patiently standing with what looked like a picture with some writing on it and a messenger bag slung over his shoulder. Harry studied it for a second.
"That is definitely Mr. Leidue. Standard security procedure and please escort him up here."
"Ten-four Mr. Potter. Also Mr. Ronald Weasley called and left a message for you. I will bring it up."
"Thank you Monty. We will see you soon." Harry released the button.
"Your doorman??" I seethed "And what other secrets are you hiding from me?"
"More…I'll tell you later. The issue is that Matt is on his way up."
"Oh for the love of Merlin! We're not unpacked…and I haven't seen the whole house…and I'm a mess…and…"
"Chill girl." Harry said. He threw some clothes at me. A blue and white-striped blouse and tan pants with leather boots. He waved his fingers and a few lazy golden sparks came into existence.
"Bloody wandless magic." I muttered, snapping my fingers. My clothes changed places and my hair was neatly combed.
"See? It's not that bad." He said, observing my low-rise pants with a glazed look.
I looked away in embarrassment. I looked at the table and saw some extra Chinese food has appeared and our cartons has been refilled and replaced by plates and chopsticks. Little Chinese teacups sat in front of each plate and a china teapot engraved with golden Chinese words sat in the middle of the table, steaming with fresh hot tea. The doorbell rang.
I answered it. "Hi Matt!"
"Hey Mione." He said, walking into the foyer. He hugged me and kissed me on the cheek in a brotherly way. "My! You have a lovely apartment! What with all these celebrities in residence here, you may as well be on your way to Hollywood! I met Lily Allen in the lobby and she came up in the elevator with us. She is really a charming lady."
"Why yes she is." They shook hands as Harry walked out of the dining room.
Monty walked into the room. "Here is the message Mr. Potter." He handed Harry a manila-colored piece of paper, neatly folded.
"Thank you Monty." Harry said, shaking his hand. I distinctly saw 10 pounds change hands in the process. Monty was grinning as he bowed and backed out of the room, closing the door softly.
"So how're you doing Matt?" Harry asked as I took his bag and hung it on one of the coat hooks on the wall.
"I'm alright. Just wanted to stop by and see how the new place is. And it sure looks like you guys really got the hookup! So you really got this place for only 600,000??"
"Yep." Harry said simply.
"You guys must really be on the payroll to have so much dough to pay for this place! That's like…almost the price to 2 Lamborghinis."
"He has a Lamborghini too." I said, looking down in shame. Why does Harry have to be filthy rich?? Why can't he just make a regular life for us?? And not the best-money-can-buy type?? Harry saw my ashamed face and put his arm around my back and squeezed my shoulder affectionately. I looked up and smiled at him.
"Whoa! Almost a million there! That's amazing!"
"With a little cheating." Harry said. Well, at least he admitted to doing it…
"For this kind of life-style?? You bet!! I suppose you plan to spoil our little witch-princess?"
"You know how I roll, man." Harry said, smacking fists with Matt.
"Ok….. "gangsta" is a "no-sta" in my house." I said putting my hands on my hips, trying to take control of the situation.
"Awww…alright…" Harry whined. "You want a tour Matt?"
Harry gave him a tour while I looked through the main rooms of the house. The kitchen was like for a professional-gourmet kind of chef. It was equipped with all the latest in cooking technology. There was a study for me that had early 20th-Century décor that I absolutely fell in love with. The sitting room was very fancy, and then there was our personal living room that was a kind of ancient and modern Japanese mix of furnishings. There were ancient paintings and vases on antique stands. The walls were a black and white shoji screen around the whole room. There was a really exotic couch that had interior lighting that sat in front of a black flat-screen plasma television mounted on the wall. They also took the burden of holding calligraphy prints, ancient paintings, and Malacca wall lamps. Modern shelving against a wall held a large collection of books and small figurines.
As they went off into the private portion of the penthouse, I sat down at the marble-topped island in the middle of the kitchen, lounging on a stool as I looked though some houseware catalogs to find some new daily and special-occasion dining ware (plates, glasses, the whole shebang). I found this one casual dining set that had these really fun blue-and-green designs and this really formal set that was crystal with really fancy white-edging designs that gave it an elegant touch. I smiled at accomplishing such a difficult task in such a short time.
"You've really cashed in on this place." Matt said outside the door to the room. I looked up from the magazine, my curiosity piqued.
"I just wanted to get her the best of everything." Harry said "After I left her… you can't imagine how being away from her hurt me. I would call her and she would be friendly enough. Spoke like she just wanted to be friends."
"Trust me, man. She's crazy for you." Matt said "you should hear the way she talks about you. It's like a young girl's first crush-turned-boyfriend."
"Good to hear that." Harry said brightly "I just wanted to make it up to her. That's why I got this place. I know she always fantasized about living in a place like this when we were in school." Oh god, I totally forgot about that!!
Harry and Matt walked in. I was horrified. I was still looking up wide-eyed at the door they had just come through. I had been eves-dropping and they knew. Matt and Harry looked at each other and began to laugh. Soon, I was laughing too.
"Why don't we go have some food?" I suggested after the laughter had subsided. Matt eagerly nodded and Harry shrugged his shoulders.
"Uh…sure. Now that you mention it, I have been craving Chinese for a while…"He said, eyeing the food hungrily.
We sat down to the delicious meal that had started out for two people. Matt was shoveling food onto his plate. Harry and I sat down to eat with him.
"Hermione, you will really like the rest of the house. It is really nice." Matt said sincerely.
"Great…" I said sarcastically.
"No really. The guest rooms are well furbished, the rec room has incredible things to do, and the wet bar is stocked with the best drinks anyone can ask for. Harry's and your rooms reflect your personality and interests. It's quite a nice place Harry chose. Man, if I could afford a place like this…" Matt trailed off.
"You're welcome to stay over any time you like." Harry said.
"Really?? Wow!! That's fantastic!" Matt exclaimed, shaking Harry's hand.
"No problem. Here are some keys." Harry said, handing him a set of small golden keys on a chrome ring. "It's better than trying to get past the keypad, eye scanner, and voice recognition. The keyhole is hidden under the wall 5 inches to the right of the door. Just put your hand on the spot, wall will sense your hand and spring open. Just put in the key, turn it, and all the alarms will be shut off."
"Cool." Matt said "Well, I have to be off to work.
"Tell Dan and Karina I said hi!" I said.
"Will do. I'll see you all later!" He said, grinning as he walked out of the room.
"He is a very nice person. And a respectable businessman." Harry said, pulling me into a hug. (A/N- Hope Harry isn't let down –wink wink-)
"Yes. He is a good man." I said, looking up at Harry and smiling.
"If you didn't love me, I would have made sure that you married him." Harry said. I looked at him in surprise. "But I'm glad that's not the way things are. Otherwise, I would be a very lonely man." He set a lite and very passionate kiss on my lips. I eagerly pushed it. We broke apart after a while in the urgency to breath.
"Why don't I help you get settled in your new room?" Harry suggested after a small, but embarrassed pause. He took my hand and lead me to our personal living room, then through a door set into the wall into a room that was the bar and rec room. There was a pool table, ping pong, some simulator games, and a flat screen TV sat against the wall to the left with a variety of game systems (Playstation 3, a Wii, An Xbox 360, and a Game Cube) all sat on a table next to it, with a couple of floor rocking chairs set in front of the screen. Harry led my past all of this, through another door, into a short hallway that had two doors, both at the entrance to the hall. Harry took me to the door on the right. Engraved into the mahogany doors was my name in a beautiful, scrawling design (Hermione on one, Granger on other).
"You're room." He said, opening the double doors. About a foot into the space, a wall surrounded the hall, directing you to turn left. The wall in front of the doors was covered in all my school pictures from day care all the way to the end of Hogwarts. I walked past all this and stepped into the perfect room. It was so beautiful. It was just… WOW. It's hard to put into words!! The walls were a rich red and covered in photos, paintings, and maps. There was a large, king-sized canopy bed sitting in front of the entry. The comforter was a deep, velvety red that was stitched with beautiful swirls and twirls in golden thread. Irish linen sheets sat light and fluffy under the beautiful blanket of Gryffindor pride. The canopy was brocade filled with more intricate, swirling, hand stitched designs. They were absolutely gorgeous!!! As I leaned over the end of the wall, you saw how outrageous the room really was. There were shelves upon shelves lining the far wall with books. When you really looked around the edge of the wall, you saw that the wall was one gigantic window. There was a desk of dark, solid cherry wood set against the wall next to it. There was a CompaqSR5152NX (A/N- I've been assured that the numbers and letters are very important) computer sitting on top with an LCD flat screen complete with a custom-made sound system attached and a camera for live chats erected on top of the screen. I stepped down onto the lush, cream colored shag carpet and walked over to the desk. I ran my hand along the smooth and slick surface. In front of an antique lamp sitting next to the computer, a PalmTreo 700wx Smartphone sat with a red ribbon on it.
"Oh Harry! I've always wanted one of these!" I exclaimed, picking it up and examining it.
"I know." He said softly from the opening.
I looked along the tarnished bookshelves. There were all of my favorite muggle books I had ever read. There were even Wizarding classics (romances, mysteries, etc.) and some instructional books ranging from transfiguration to home magic and healing. There were even some notebooks and blank bound books.
"So you can write your own books, or notes, or diaries…"
I ran my feet through the lush carpet again. It was everything I ever wanted. I ran my fingers along the velvety smoothness of the comforter. It was too perfect. It felt too dream-like to be real. I saw a small lense set into the wall with a panel of some controls and dials set into the wall next to it.
"I had those put in for your own personal entertainment. TV, videos, DVDs, or laser disks. Just pull down the screen that's hidden in the canopy in the back, think of what you want to watch, and it will play. Sometimes it may ask for confirmation on something, but just think 'yes' or 'no' and it will do as you wish." Harry explained.
"How…How…" I stuttered.
"I enchanted the room to be whatever you wanted, just like the Room of Requirement." He said, brightening considerably by my look of shock and praise "Here, I want to show you something." He dragged me to the second section of books, marked 'Romance Novels'.
"Harry, I know what this genre is." I said. Confused!!
He pulled the section forward by a crevice on the top most shelf. We walked into bright sunshine. It was my very own deck!! There were potted plants everywhere. Elaborately decorated lounging chairs sat in the middle, right in the line of bright sunshine for sun bathing. A wet bar sat against the wall we had just stepped out of. It has a gorgeous view of the city.
"I built and decorated this myself." Harry said proudly "And nobody except the people on the deck can see this. We and the deck are currently invisible."
"Oh Harry!" I cried. This was too much!
"Two more surprises, Mione. You'll love them both!"
Oh great!! What else??? He grabbed my hand and led me back into the rooms and closed the section. He ran into the back of the room, where a lone door stood sitting, a framed picture of me and her parents sat on one side of the wall and one of me, him, and Ron after the final battle sat on the other side. I didn't think I had that much clothing for a walk-in closet. He covered my eyes and I heard the door open. He gently led me through the door.
"Harry! What…oh my god…" We had walked into another dream! I never imagined this, though. It was like Mia's closet from The Princess Diaries 2. There were drawers all over the place! Closets filled with clothing that looked brand new, fashionable, and EXPENSIVE. But, I couldn't be that mad. It's clothes, I'm a girl, do the math.
"Sorry I don't have a remote like Mia did in the movie." Harry joked as I looked through the drawers. There were sunglasses for every occasion, belts, hats, everything! There was a panel of wall devoted to shoes and another to purses! Closets filled with dresses, suits, jeans, dress shirts, t-shirts, and everything else people need in their closet!! It was too much to bear!
"Oh Harry!" I started to tear up "Why…Why…"
"I thought you needed new clothes. I left a closet open for your old clothes, but you've got plenty of new clothing as well." Harry sighed "It's all designer…didn't cost too much. Just a week and a half of my salary (A/N-and for those you who don't know a week's salary for him is $20,000. So he spent $30,000 on clothes alone. Hermione is one lucky girl!!)."
I turned to Harry, completely astonished. That is a lot of money. And only on clothes! "Normally, I would be very mad, well beyond angry." Harry cringed "But, you've been too generous for me to be mad."
"Good!" He grinned "Here's the last surprise!" He knelt down on one knee. My breath stopped. He pulled a small velvet box out of his jeans pocket.
"Hermione Jean Granger (A/N- That was her full name in Deathly Hallows, so I know it's her full name.). I love you. I always have and I always will. Will you promise to love me always? Like you did before? Will you take back the ring that broke my heart so many years ago?" He opened the lid to the promise ring he had given to me on the night of the last battle and I had rejected a month and a half later. It looks even more beautiful than before!!
"I accept Harry!" He grinned and slipped the ring back into it's place, on my left hand on my ring finger. It still fit perfectly!
"Now everything is set right." Harry said with a sigh of relief. He hugged me.
"Everything…" I breathed. Harry was leaning down.
"GUYS?? Where are you guys?? Harry?? Hermione??" We froze.
"He always has to ruin the moment, doesn't he? I said, laughing.
"Yeah…"Harry said, distracted "Where were we? Ahh…" He leaned down again, but I backed up. "What... Hermione…why??"
"Knowing Ron: A) He'll come in at the best part ("True."), B) He's probably here to scrounge up some food, C) I don't want him eating every crumb of food in this place."
"Alright…Let's go…"Harry whined, dragging me out the door.
"Where are you…ahhh. Hope we didn't interrupt." Luna said as we walked into the rec room.
"Course not." Harry said sarcastically, with a slightly sour tone.
"Sorry mate. We're just…"
"Hungry." I finished. "And why can't you cook or charm?"
"Well…"Ron began "Luna needs to preserve her energy…and I'm not good with household magic."
"Ronald Ronald Ronald." I said "You never were one to ask for help. But I'll be generous and give up a whole day of alone-with-Harry time to teach you how to use household magic."
"Awww…how cute." He cooed. Harry and I glared daggers at him. He acted oblivious to the glares. "But while I'm learning, I'm coming over here for a hot meal."
"I'll whip you guys up something." Harry said. He led them into the kitchen, where our emptied Chinese cartons had been magically refilled for the 2nd time today. They sat down and began to eat while I got them some water. I went to go clean while Harry and Ron sat around the kitchen island, comparing prices of something.
Harry POV
'You did?!?!"
"Yeah."
"Congratulations!"
"It's just like when I gave her the ring at the final battle."
"I know, but…Whoa!! That means she still loves you!" Ron said stupidly "OUCH!!" Luna had smacked him the back of the head.
"Thank.You.Captain.Obvious." I said slowly, like talking to a dumb person.
"I was just thinking…no need to be mean." Ron whined, massaging the back of his head. Luna and I rolled our eyes.
"Sooo… when are you going to pop the question?" Ron asked excitedly.
"I don't know. I'm just waiting for the right moment."
"Was it expensive?"
"Hell yeah! It cost me nearly $10,000 just for her ring." I said, a little aggravated.
""And that's what…one week of your salary?" Ron said lazily.
"Not even. A little over 3 days, to be exact. And it cost me half a year of my salary to pay for this place plus another week and a half to pay for Hermione's wardrobe. Not to mention all the muggle appliances I bought to add to the rooms. That cost me almost another day of pay. This is coming out to be very expensive. But it's all worth it because I love Hermione too much not to pay that much so she can be happy." I ranted.
"She would love you if you guys lived in a one roomed shack with only cold running water and candles to light the place. She's crazy about you and nothing will ever change that, man."
"I know…but still. After all that, I have to pay for electricity, heating, sewer…"
"Dude. Chill." Ron said. "You've got a great place. You're a multi-millionaire. You've got the girlfriend of your dreams. You're practically engaged. Don't jinx all of your hard work."
"You're right." I said dejectedly.
"Aren't I always?"
We laughed.
"So…where'd Hermione go?"
"Probably cleaning something."
"You need me?"
Hermione POV
I walked into the room. Harry and Ron were slightly shocked because they thought I had been eavesdropping.
"I promise I wasn't." I said. They relaxed. It's good to have friends who trust you.
"So…um…when do you have a free day?"
"Hmmm…since Harry won't let me work anymore…I only have tomorrow and the day after that and then I'm free." I consulted my calendar. "My parents are flying in from a dentist's convention at 9… so how about Wednesday at…say 1?"
"Wednesday…Wednesday…Sorry. As Vice-President of the Irish International Quidditch Team, I have to be at a press conference at 12:30 and then we have a game against Puddlemere United at 2." Ron said, checking his PDA calendar. "How about Thursday at 1? Luna has to be at a healer's appointment at 11 and I get the day off."
"1 on Thursday would be great. I have to go to a party in the evening for my resignation with some other healers. So we will be working from one till about four."
"Alrighty. That fits perfectly. I have a meeting at 4:30 with the President and the council." Ron said, putting the information down in his PDA. Hermione wrote it on our digital calendar.
"Well…now that we are all well-fed, why don't we go over and finish unpacking?" Luna suggested. Harry and I grabbed our jackets out of the foyer closet and walked across the street to Ron and Luna's new apartment.
While All This Is Going On- Your POV
Cairo, Egypt
A flame of red hair swirled as she looked at her surroundings. She was supposed to see a man at a local bar called The Swaggering Pharaoh. She was lost. She had no clue on life where the bar was and she was swallowed by the dank dirtiness of the outskirts of Cairo.
She turned another corner onto another dark alley.
"God damn it." She cursed. She saw a street at the end, so she began to walk towards it. Upon passing another dark alley, this one leading to the old wall of the city, a gloved hand reached out and wrapped around her mouth, pressed something to her heart, and was dragged to a door at the end of the alley. The man, who was masked, shoved her through the door and quickly followed, slamming the door behind him. A fire burst to life in a fireplace against the wall to their right. He sat her down on one of the old, moth-eaten couches in front of the fire and walked to the other end of the room. He reached into a cabinet and took out two bottle and two glasses.
"A drink Ms. Weasley?" He inquired in a low voice, offering her the bottle "Finest firewhiskey in Egypt." She nodded and he set down the bottle and a glass on an old coffee table in front of her. She sat down on the couch opposite her.
??? POV
As I sat down, she took of the tan trench coat she was wearing. She draped it over the back. She was wearing a red camisol that glittered in the firelight and old, tastefully frayed jeans.
"How do you know my name? Who are you?"
"I was contacted by a Miss Ginerva Weasley last night and you certainly are her. My name, for the time being, will be John Smith."
"Alright…Mr. Smith. I have been told that you could help me dispose of a certain lady because she is becoming a problem in my relationships."
"A Miss Hermione Granger is disturbing your relationship with the renowned Harry Potter. Your fiancée…"
"Ex-fiancée." Ginny said flatly. "He's been cheating with her."
"Now, that is why you have come to me. I am the problem solver when it comes to relationship problems. I happen to know a lot more about Hermione Granger than she is aware. I have legit access to her current residence and specialize in operations of repairing broken unions."
"And how did you get the access?" She asked, slightly.
"I will not say. However, I have several operations against said woman ready to go at a moment's notice. Worry about nothing, except for trying to woo Harry Potter back into your grasp. This may take some time; there will be resistance for sure. I know what I am doing, but as not to jeopardize the operations, you will not be informed of their plans, but their results. I will owl you when I have finished strike number one against Hermione. I should be done within a day or two. I have last minute details I must attend to, so I would appreciate it if you would leave."
"Of course. Thank you Mr. Smith for all of your help." She got up and draped the coat she had around her arm.
"It's been all of my pleasure. Good evening." She disapparated.
Ginny's POV
I appeared in the middle of my apartment in the upscale district of Cairo.
"Why does that voice sound so familiar?" She asked herself. It frightened her. All she could do is hope that Harry wasn't physically harmed.
A/N- Again, sorry about the long update…I was having some issues with writing time and writer's block. So, sorry!!! Please forgive me!
YAY!!! This chapter's finally up!! Well, I'm not actually home yet, I'm still out of town. I called Katie and asked her to give you guys this message. Give a big Congrats to Katie for finishing the chapter without me!! That's one of the problems. We've both been out of town so much, it's hard to reconnect and talk about the chapter. However, she did a great job and the best way to thank her is to hit that little button that says "Review" and give her plenty of Kudos, suggestions, and criticism. I'll talk to you guys soon!!
Thanks to everyone for your support and patience!! I don't know when I'll have time to update because I have band camp and then school is back in session. I'll try my hardest to work on chapter 7, but for now, you'll have to do with this.
Hope you like the descriptions!! I know I suck at them, but make sure to check out the pictures for the chapter I posted on my profile and criticize me as much as you like about my cruddy word choice.
I'll talk to you all later!!
-Katie (and Mel)
PS- Here's a breakdown of Harry's salary as a well-sought after DADA teacher in Egypt:
Annual Salary (1 year of pay): $1,012,000
Half-Year Salary: $600,000 (what it cost for the penthouse)
1 Month Salary: $100,000
1Week: $20,000
1 Day: $2,857