Chapter 34 - No Dialogue and Tremble

.

It had been three days, and Hermione was avoiding him splendidly.

Harry had never been the type of bloke to understand what went on in that confusing web people called a female mind, but even he could understand that she didn't want to see him. At first, it worked out perfectly for him. After having his mouth go where his mind had told it not to go, he kept himself busy, always left the room with muttered excuses whenever she entered it, and even resorted to ducking once in a while to save them both the need to be awkward around each other.

This arrangement he had made by himself had worked perfectly fine, until one day when he realized that he wasn't the first to leave the room. Harry had simply stared at the empty spot where she had been standing, as he realized that she was avoiding him. The thought was too upsetting not to dwell on. And dwell on it he did.

Just to see if it was a fluke, he found himself one step behind her constantly, only to notice how her eyes widened like a deer in headlights before she left the room with some ill-used excuse involving books and research. And even though Harry didn't really want to confront her, he found the fact that his best mate was trying to avoid him truly annoying. He became bolder, started speaking to her in the form of greetings or even asking her questions. She always greeted him back and answered him easily before she once again would make an excuse and rush out of the room he was in. At some point, he really started to miss her companionship. However, this all changed when Ron came to visit them.

His mother had, with the whole household behind her, gotten out of bed. With the help of Ginny, George and even Percy, she had even stepped foot into the kitchen and started baking again. This had made Arthur Weasley so ecstatic that he had gone to sleep for two whole days, finally finding himself able to rest when his wife was showing signs of getting better. She still cried whenever she saw something of Fred's and always panicked whenever George left the house. But the important thing was that she was finally cooking, which was more than any of the Weasleys were hoping for. And Molly cooking meant the outcome of a certain predictable offer: dinner at the Weasleys. Harry jumped at the chance to spend time with someone other than Hermione, and tried his best not to balk in insult when she showed the same enthusiasm. It was obvious that they needed to be around others.

It was great being in the Weasley house when it was a bit livelier; Arthur was distracted by the faux attack at Hogwarts as well as the successful break in of Dumbledore's Tomb, spouting out a possible theory that the Ministry was considering; Percy found himself under a mountain load of work - which George rightly said he asked for - and never failed to drop heavy hints that he might be up for a promotion anytime soon; and Ginny helped her mother in the kitchen as Molly whisked the pudding she was making furiously, while the other kitchen appliances were magically put to work.

The mouth-watering scents, the never ending noise and the hustle and bustle of the small living space of the Burrow felt right. Harry couldn't help but feel that he had come home. After five minutes back in the Burrow, he didn't want to leave.

While Hermione went to help Molly in the kitchen, Harry stayed with Arthur, very aware that he couldn't tell the newest development for fear that the older Weasley would then tell his wife. Arthur never hid anything from Molly for fear of getting caught; nothing save his experimentation with certain Muggle artefacts. Percy felt the need to steer the conversation to a more politically inclined discussion, which George - though relatively more subdued - couldn't help but roll his eyes and state how absolutely droll his brother was. When George finally said he had enough and left the room, with Percy's eyes following him, did Harry wonder if the usually self- involved Weasley was annoying his younger brother to distract him. Harry had his answer when Percy followed George a moment later, calling out what he would do when he became Minister for Magic.

Even though Bill, Fleur and Charlie were forced to go back to their other lives with promises to return, the Burrow didn't seem as empty as it could have been without Fred. Harry was finally starting to feel like himself again; not exactly happy, but content. The only damper on his mood came when he saw Hermione step out to the backyard of the Burrow only to have Ron follow her out after a few moments. Harry felt that familiar unsettling feeling that trembled in his stomach but forced himself to concentrate on what Arthur Weasley was telling him.

.

TBC