DISCLAIMER! I OWN NOTHING! DISCLAIMER!
That evening had been a quiet one. No big raucous dinner. No larger than life antis from Fred or George. And, as it seemed, Harry's story had spread throughout the house like wildfire. Not even Harry's introduction to Ron's two elder brothers, Bill and Charlie, helped the matter. They took one look at Harry and he could feel the pity rolling off of them in waves. It was evident in the kindly smile Bill gave and the friendly hand shake from Charlie.
Harry felt like he wanted to be sick, he could survive with the abuse, but not this. Never this. Like he was weak. His past surely proved that wrong. Through all his silent brooding it never once occurred to the-boy-who-lived that just surviving was not enough.
That evening Harry, Ron, Fred, George and Neville sat up talking in Ron's room; at the top of the house. Fred and George had been kicked out of their room because of Bill and Charlie. But they didn't mind, not with the excitement of the Quidditch World Cup looming. Ron's room looked much the same as it had done the last time Harry had come to stay. The same posters of Ron's favourite quidditch team, the Chudley Cannons, were whirling and waving on the walls and ceiling.
Except now the room held two fold out camper beds and three mattresses laid out across the floor; taken up by Fred, George and Neville.
"I can't believe it Harry, we should have tested some of out products on him" George began, outraged.
"Yeah, the ton-tongue-toffee would have gone down a treat" Fred elbowed his twin conspiratorially.
"Hey I think Harry's had a couple victories" Ron announced, sensing his best friends discomfort. All night the Weasley family had been on the subject of Harry's abuse and Ron could see how miserable it have been making Harry. "He set a Boa Constrictor on the muggles at the Zoo once and didn't you blow your uncle's sister up like a balloon, last year?" Ron grinned madly.
All eyes reverted to Harry, but it wasn't like before. It was admiration. It was awe. He secretly reveled in the attention.
"You didn't, did you Harry?" Neville said, staring up at Harry in amazement.
"She didn't die or anything, but I can still see her face bouncing off of the ceiling" he laughed, it shocked him to do so; an almost alien thing escaping from his mouth. But it felt good, it felt so good. The dream roamed freely from his mind. Neville was so enchanted by Harry's story that he wondered whether they could do something like that to Snape. The twins and Ron eagerly agreed. But Harry wasn't so sure, he felt they should come up with something a bit more original for their favourite potions master.
Harry felt as though he had barely slept when he was being shaken awake by Mrs Weasley. "Time to go, Harry dear" she said smiling kindly and even stroked back Harry's hair from his face; as he imagined a mother would do. She moved on quickly to wake up a snoring Ron and the three lumps curled on the floor.
Mrs Weasley must still have been worrying about the night before and the incident with his Aunt and Uncle. Harry guessed he couldn't expect her to forget as quickly as he hoped. Mr Weasley had been seething so badly he hadn't been seen at dinner. Harry felt around for his glasses, put them on and sat up.
The room was pitch black except for the small glow of a candle Mrs Weasley had lit to find her way around the crowded room. The boys got ready in silence, except for Neville who was desperately looking for his other shoe.
"Come on boys!" Mrs Weasley screeched up the stairs. "The girls are already eating breakfast!"
Harry felt his gut clench. The girls. Hermione and Ginny...Hermione. It suddenly really dawned on him what was about to happen. He and the girl who hated him, were about to be forced into close contact for the foreseeable future.
"Merlin Harry! Don't just stop like that!" Ron shouted, grasping the back of Neville's clothes so he wouldn't fall head first down four flights of stairs.
"Sorry" he mumbled and began walking again. But slower, much slower. Not quite ready to see her face. The one that had made him feel so ashamed. Just like in the forest, except that night, it had been laced with betrayal and rage. Harry physically gulped at the memory. If he hadn't already have stolen her wand, he didn't know what she could have been capable of.
It was all Pettegrew's fault! If he hadn't seen them! If he'd just not been there! Everything would be okay and Harry wouldn't of had to...
He shook himself from the memory and descended the last few steps, like he was walking into hell. He spotted her straight away. She had her back to him and was talking amicably with Ginny Weasley; Ron's little sister. Her bushy brown curls were swept up into a delicate pony tail and she was wearing a green bomber jacket with the word 'Ireland' written on the back, in big bold silver letters. Obviously showing her support. Ginny was wearing a green scarf with the same design; Harry noticed absently.
"Help yourself boys, its all on the table" Mrs Weasley called over her shoulder from trifling through a kitchen cabinet...in search of something Harry assumed.
"Where's everyone else?" Ron yawned and yanked Harry into a seat next to him. Neville basically tripped into his seat, his eyes not fully open yet.
"Your father should be down in a minute and your brothers don't have to be up yet. They can apparate, so they get a lie in" Mrs Weasley said halfheartedly, to engrossed in her search.
Harry tried desperately to keep conversation going. Trying to prove to Hermione that he was having a great time, despite her infectious presence.
"So Neville, I hear your Grandmother was pleased about you coming?" Harry asked cheekily, smirking at Ron. He noticed Neville's ears go slightly pink before he answered.
Harry watched Neville gulp, take a sidelong look at Ginny and respond "Well its not everyday, I get invited somewhere by the Golden boy" Harry grinned broadly, that had taken a lot of guts.
"Your right Neville, I'm just so damn famous" Harry posed like a model for a moment and winked confidently at the twins. Who were too busy staring shocked at the playful banter. A side of the two Gryffindor's they had never seen before.
*Cough* "Prat" *Cough* came from Ron, who was smirking into his bowl of cereal.
Harry slapped Ron on the back so hard Fred and George winced. He continued slapping as if trying to stop his best friend from chocking "Its okay Ronnette, jealously isn't a good colour on you" he started rubbing his hand on the place he had been slapping; as if to sooth.
Ron shook him off and thwacked his friend on the back of the head. "Prat" he repeated grinning broadly.
"That's enough boys!" Mrs Weasley shouted, her head still stuck in the kitchen cabinet. Harry wondered absently why she didn't just use magic to find whatever she was looking for.
"Come on kids, time to go, grab your bags and I'll meet you in the garden. The Quidditch Wold Cup awaits!" Mr Weasley was in much better spirits then last night and it had an effect on the group of lifting the tension that had been resting there. Fred and George were the first to leave the house, they rushed out a little too quickly for Harry's liking. It was as if they were trying to hide something. Ginny soon followed, with Neville close on her tail. Ron with all his excitement bounded out of the kitchen and bumped into an off steady Hermione making her drop her rucksack clumsily on the floor.
Harry heard her sigh grumpily, quite clearly not happy about the early wake up call. Harry didn't know what possessed him to walk over to Hermione, to stop dead next to her and pick up her rucksack. He would later argue it wasn't him. He was just being polite. That simple gesture, if seen by the wrong people, would ruin everything.
Hermione stood stumped, two perfect green eyes smoldered into her soul. They burned through her heart, wreaking havoc, an internal injury she had thought healed. She could feel the tears beginning to sting behind her dirty brown eyes. She snatched the rucksack from his grasp and marched out across the dark front yard. With not a word to him. He didn't deserve her thanks, her voice.
All she could hear inside her head was the resounding sound of one Harry James Potter and the words that had broken her heart "She's nothing to me"