Chapter Two; Dinner Guests

Later on that evening Harry helped his father start getting ready for dinner. "Hey Harry, there's something I wanted to tell you before Ginny and Jessie show up." He began.

"Yeah sure, what is it?" he questioned him.

"I realize that we're both excited about our day together on Saturday, but please whatever you do, don't tell Ron and Hermione about it." He pleaded with a shake of his head.

"Why not?" Harry wondered.

"Because every time that we want to spend some time alone together Ron and Hermione think that means they can come along to and I can never get another word in edgewise." He explained before he took a deep breath and sighed heavily. "Look, Ron and Hermione are great and you know how appreciative I am of them being here, but when there's six hands reaching into my popcorn bag that's where I draw the line!" he exclaimed.

"But there's only four of us." Harry told him.

"Yes but two of those hands belong to Weasley." He pointed out when all of a sudden the doorbell rang and Harry went to go answer it and Ginny and Jessie were on the other side of it.

"Ah hullo ladies, I didn't realize that you would show up together." He said.

"Yeah I picked up Jessie after work." Ginny told him.

"I just got my license so I don't have a car yet. I usually just apparate." Jessie explained.

"Well come on in, supper's almost ready. Tobey's in his room listening to music. I'll go ahead and let him know that you're here." Harry told them as he held the door open for them before turning to walk down the hallway. Ginny quickly shut the door behind them while Harry called for Tobey and Snape told Eve to turn off the television set. After everyone was seated down at the table they bowed their heads for prayer.

Ginny reached out for Jessie's hand but she just simply shook her head. "Harry, do you want to say grace tonight?" his father inquired as Harry quickly nodded.

"Heavenly Father bless this meal that we are about to receive and the hands that prepared it. Thank you for all of the blessings in our life and all of us being together being able to enjoy it. Amen." He said as everyone else raised their heads and opened their eyes.

"See that's what I love about you most Harry, you just get to the point and get done with it. If the pastor was here he'd still be praying and our food would be cold by now." Ginny told him while she cut up her spaghetti and twirled it around her spoon. Harry stifled a laugh while she scooped it inside her mouth.

"All I've got to say is that Thank God tomorrow is Friday. My boyfriend and I are going out tomorrow night." Jessie said.

"Really? I didn't know you had a boyfriend." Harry said before spooning himself a bit of spaghetti.

"That's because I just met him a few days ago. He's a muggle and does construction work for a living." Jessie explained.

"Wait a minute," Ron began. "you're going out with some bloke that you just met." He said questioningly with uncertainty. "Didn't your parents ever warn you about strangers?"

"Well yes, but Alan's not a stranger, he's very nice." She told him.

"Does he know that you're a witch?" Ron asked him.

"Well no, but I didn't even know I was a witch until I turned eleven." She told him. "Anyway, I'm sure that once I tell him that won't matter to him." She said.

"How old is he?" Harry asked her while he continued eating his dinner along with everyone else.

"Twenty six." She replied as Ginny placed her hand on top of her chest and started to cough. Then she quickly took a drink of wine to ease her throat.

"Twenty six!? He's almost ten years older than you!" she exclaimed but Jessie just simply shrugged again.

"So? My parents are five years apart." She said.

"That's a pretty big difference." Tobey said. "But as long as he treats you right that's all that really matters." He told her as his father gave him the bread.

"Here son this is the bread, take a slice and pass it along. Eve is sitting right next to you. Do you think you can handle it?" he questioned him as Tobey let out a chuckle.

"I think I can manage it. Just because I can't see any more doesn't mean that I can't do things for myself." He told him as he took the slice of bread and feeling around for the butter knife started buttering it up.

"So Harry, what are you doing this weekend? I already know that you're going to church, but do you have any other plans?" Jessie asked him.

"Uh…" he began.

"He's going to the movies with Dad." Eve blurted out as Harry widened his eyes at stared at her out of complete horror and astonishment.

"What!?" Ron exclaimed. "You didn't tell us that, what movie are you guys going to see?" he asked them.

"The new Austin Powers movie." Harry muttered quietly under his breath glancing down at his placemat.

"Oh I love Austin Powers!" Ginny exclaimed excitedly before she did a mock imitation of him. "Yeah baby!" she cried as Hermione and Jessie started giggling.

"Oh c'mon Ron we should totally go and see that!" Hermione told him as he shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess that looks pretty good. Besides, you can't beat the concession stand." He said as Harry wiped off his mouth and then slammed his napkin back onto the table.

"May I be excused?" he questioned angrily but before his father could answer him he quickly leapt up from the table and hurried back to his bedroom while his father watched him with concern.

"I'll be right back. Talk amongst yourselves." He told them while slowly rising to his feet and started following him.

…

Harry rolled over onto his side while glancing up at the picture that hung up on the wall. It was of him, his mother, and his father right after he had just turned six years old and he was blowing out the candles on his birthday cake. Harry heaved a heavy sigh before there came a knock at the door. "Harry it's Dad, can I come in for a second?" he wondered.

"Sure." Harry responded quietly while propping himself up with his elbow and resting his head inside the palm of his hand as his father entered the room and sat down beside him.

"Are you alright?" he asked him softly.

"No." Harry told him glancing back down at the carpet.

"Well, do you want to talk about it?"

"It just isn't fair! I was really looking forward to spending time with you this weekend. I mean since Mum died I've never really had much time with you or to myself, and it just isn't fair." Harry told him.

"I know. I think part of the problem is that you're putting way too much pressure on yourself. And your mother wouldn't want you to do that. But you've also got to remember that Ron and Hermione are our best friends. And believe me I know it's hard, but I think they need you to be a little patient with them. They've made some big changes these past few weeks too, and I think it's just going to take some time for all of us to get used to it." His father said.

"I know, but it's just that no matter what I do I can't get used to the fact that Mum's gone. I know that she's in Heaven but I just miss her so much." Harry said with a sniff before wiping away a tear.

"I know, and I miss her too son. I think about her every day and every second of my life. However I also know that whenever I do that, I can usually find her close by." Snape told him as another tear rolled down his cheek before he quickly sat up and threw his arms around him. Snape hugged him back and kissed his cheek.

"I love you." Harry told him with another sniff.

"I love you too." His father told him. "And I promise that one of these days we will be setting aside some time together for just the two of us." He reassured him softly before they broke apart a few moments later and went back to join the others at the dinner table.