Wanting Something More
Chapter Twenty Two: Wanting Him
Dedicated to Alan Rickman. RIP the world lost a great man the day you left but your memory and your characters will live on in our hearts forever.
"I think she's awake!" A high pitched voice cried.
"Shh. Mr. Potter said to take care of her. You're going to wake her up!" A second older and grouchier voice shot back.
"No, I'm awake. What happened, where's Harry?" Brittany woke fully at him name and tried to sit up. When she felt dizzy she groaned. "What did Madam Pomfrey give me?"
"You've been asleep for two days." Dobby explained.
"Two days!" Brittany cried out. "My friends, do they know I'm alright?"
"Harry Potter had Dobby return to gather more of your things." The wrinkly old house elf told her.
"Yes. Dobby saw Miss Scarlett and told her you were safe and alright. She wanted you to know she was sorry." Dobby replied with a smile.
"Ah." Brittany looked over at the other house elf and stared for a few moments. "And you are?"
"Kreacher. I am under Mr. Potter's service as my former owner passed me onto him when he died." Kreacher explained.
"Hmm." Brittany looked at her clothes and winced at the blood on her skin. "Who changed me?"
"Mr. Potter." Kreacher replied.
Brittany felt a blush rising to her cheeks. "Oh." She replied in a small voice trying to sit up once more. She was successful in her attempt. "I really would like to take a bath and get into some clean clothes." She felt as if she had been sweating off a fever. "Her mouth was also a little dry. A cup of camomile tea would be lovely as well. I would get it myself but Healer's orders."
"Dobby will be back right away Miss Brittany." Dobby snapped his fingers and vanished.
Brittany moved the covers off her legs and swung them out of the bed. "I don't suppose Harry is still here?" She asked hopefully.
"No. Mr Potter has left to return to school and continue his training and search for the horcruxes." Kreacher reached his hand out and Brittany took a hold of it.
With a rush and pop they were in the bathroom. Brittany landed on the floor and rubbed her sore bum. "Well that was easy." Kreacher messed with some of the taps and a floral sent filled her nose. She sneezed. "Do you have anything else, maybe a softer sent?"
Kreacher messed with the taps once more with a grunt. "I will wait outside. If you need help for me."
"Thank you Kreacher." Brittany thanked the wrinkly elf and moved to a kneeling position before standing on shaky legs to disrobe.
Kreacher nodded and left the bathroom. He stood outside to hear his future Mistress's call. Brittany stepped into the warm water and hissed as her aching muscles began to unwind. She played with the bubbles a bit and flexed her hand. It was still in a great amount of pain. She let the tears come. She sat in the tube for an hour and refilled it twice. She just let her mind flow over the incident. She had placed herself in danger and probably worried her love half to death. She wanted to feel sorry, and a part of her was. The other half of her raged against being put on the sidelines. Malfoy was a threat but how much help could she be while cooped up?
She came to the conclusion that at least for the next five days she would take it easy and recoperate. She still felt exhausted. Her pain was there, but she knew she was healing normally. Once she was back to enough energy to move around she was going to find something constructive to do while stuck here.
She had tried to get out of the tube but was unable to do so. She was easily becoming more and more tired. Madam Pomfrey must have given her one heck of a sleeping draught. She thought about the reasoning behind it a came to a realization. The trauma she suffered, she was alone in a strange place healing. She had the house elves, but they were hardly therapists or an elder to confide in. The best help she would receive during this time was sleep to deal with her inner demons.
She dressed slowly into clean pajamas after Dobby shower her her clothes. Casting the drying Charm was difficult and she nearly fell onto the bed. She sat in the bed and Dobby handed her the chamomile tea. She sipped it while eyeing the blue draught.
"So what happened once I fell asleep?" Brittany asked wanting to end the silence. They just keep staring at me.
Dobby went into great details. He was not even halfway through explaining before she finished her tea. Kreacher added in what he witnessed as well. She sat there on the bed and listened as best as she was able. Apparently she screamed in her sleep last night and would not wake. She looked to the sleeping draught again and continued listening to what Dobby and Kreacher had been up to.
"Then Dobby began reorganizing the Library and Kreacher said Dobby was not allowed to do so without Harry Potter here." He explained.
"We are not supposed to clean the mess in the Library. Master Regulus ordered me to never clean it." Kreacher shot back.
"We'll when I get better I'll work on the Library then." Brittany explained.
"You are not to be cleaning." Kreacher shot back at her.
"I want to do something useful while I'm here. Besides there might be a few books on spell work and I would like to read them. Dobby can you give me the sleeping draught. I'm not sure how long I will be asleep this time. When I wake up we'll discuss this again."
Dobby handed her the potion with a large smile. "It will be good to see you healthy again Miss Brittany."
She nodded and downed the draught. After she finished she handed the empty bottle to Dobby and laid back in the bed. "Can you make sure the fire doesn't go out. I always sleep better with a fire going."
"Of course Miss Brittany!" Dobby exclaimed.
Brittany rolled onto her good side and closed her eyes. Her mind began to drift and soon she heard the soothing crackle and pop of a roaring fire. She slowly drifted off praying the man she loved was safe. She just hoped he would return to her soon. Come back to me Harry.
After a week Brittany was up and moving around the house. She had decided it was the absolute ugliest house she had ever scene. She, Kreacher and Dobby all poured over books in the Library for some spells to liven up the house. A few Transfiguration spells and the wall paper was no longer old fashioned or bland. The warm earthy tones came the house a homey feel. The furniture had also been changed to match the color scheme.
Kreacher had protected the changes at first. Brittany had assured him that the home lack a woman's touch. Kreacher had admitted there had not been a woman in the home in some time. Brittany had then spent most of her time in the Library reading books on various spells. One book on healing magic in particular interested her. She hoped to be able to learn how to fix herself if she got into another mess. Dobby had screeched at her for an hour when she cut herself to practice the spells in the book. She had listened and after finally getting frustrated her wand movements became quick and precise. The wound healed before their eyes. Brittany smirked and began practicing the wand work of the spells. Kreacher had nearly had a heart attack when she asked them to break her leg.
Brittany transfigured and ugly chair that had refused to be changed into a dummy after three days. Kreacher told her it was Walburga Black's personal chair. She recognized her name and continued her practicing. Three weeks into her stay she woke up to load screeching. Brittany had rushed down the stair praying that it was not Harry and he was not bleeding out screaming int the foyer.
She had come to see Kreacher moving a portrait of a woman who was hollering about the state of her house. Brittany had assumed this was Kreacher's former master and Harry's godfather's mother. He had complained about the portrait but had told her he had her in the basement.
"What have you let that little mud-blood do? He's ruined this house? Dirty half-blood Gryffindor. I hope he gets his rediculus self killed in this war of his!"
"Miss Brittany!" The two house elves jumped at seeing her.
"Who is it? Kreacher turn me around so I can see her!" She demanded.
"Silence!" Brittany hissed out as she stormed around to the painting. "Set this down against the wall and then leave. You're former Mistress and I need to have a nice long chat about how she acts if she ever wants to leave the basement." She barked. She was livid with what this woman had just said about the man she loved. "I'm not mad. I'm just going to take care of this myself. I'm sure you were just cleaning the basement."
"Who do you think you are?" Walburga hissed.
"Brittany Anntonia Sibohann Zabini. Youngest child of Teagan Zabini, and by rights heir of the Zabini name as the only legitimate child." Brittany shot back as she dragged a chair across the foyer and plopped down in front of the portrait.
"Zabini?" Walburga paused. "You are a pure blood then? Oh."
"Yes, and am going to be the future wife of one Mr. Harry Potter." She shot back with a hiss.
Walburga's face scrunched in distaste. "You would marry a dirt half blood like that degenerate Potter? You blood traitor."
"Keep pushing and I'll send you're portrait to an incinerator. A muggle one even." Brittany shot back with a smirk she had learned from watching Malfoy.
"This is my house!"
"No this is Harry's house. You are just allowed to reside in it. Let's get one thing straight right now. I'm in charge here while Harry is gone. If I decide I want you gone, you vanish from this home forever. I would hate to do that to Kreacher, but I will if you give me a reason not to care if I anger him."
"You dirty blood traitor bitch!"
"I am improving the blood status of the family that resides here if anything. You will cease yelling or I'll just throw you in the fireplace." Walburga silenced herself after seeing there was not hesitation or Bluff in the Zabini females eyes. "Good! Now if you ever want to be removed from the basement you will from this point forward hold your tongue towards my future husband and friends. Furthermore you will not complain about any changes I make to our house. Ours, being mine and Harry's. Lastly should you ever create such a ruckus again you will be disposed of immediately. Do I make myself clear?"
Walburga hesitated. Brittany narrowed her eyes and sneered a perfect imitation of Malfoy. Walburga nodded her head.
"Kreacher please put Mrs. Black into Sirius Black's room. If she decides that she can behave I may move her downstairs at a later time. Also make sure it faces the Motorcycles." Brittany gave the order and smiled. "Thank you very much for letting me handle the situation." She gave the House elf an affectionate rub on the top of his head and he smiled back to her.
Yes Miss Brittany." Kreacher agreed and began moving the painting upstairs. Brittany could hear the grumbling and smirked.
"Dobby," Brittany began.
"I have the coffee right here Miss Brittany." Dobby appeared with the cup and she took it carefully and gave the house elf a one armed hug. Dobby liked the affection, Kreacher was still warming to her. "I just wanted to make sure it was dusted and clean. Perhaps even work on that Man Cave idea you suggested.
Brittany smiled broadly. Phoenix's father had one and she thought it might be perfect for Harry to have a place all his own. She cracked her knuckles and continued sipping her coffee. "Lead the way." Brittany offered. "We'll get this done in no time.
A month had gone by since and then. Brittany had spent all oof Valentines Day crying in the Library. She had sent Kreacher and Dobby away as she wanted to be alone. As she continued to sit in the Library and cry she heard a tapping. Brittany froze almost instantly. Kreacher popped in and she fell out of her chair.
"Miss Brittany there is an Owl. It is tapping on Mr. Potter's room."
Brittany wondered if Harry had sent word that he was alright. "Thank you Kreacher." She knelt down and hugged the little elf. Brittany ran to the room she had taken to sleeping in. She felt closer to him in there.
"Of course Miss Brittany." Kreacher nodded and vanished from her hold.
Brittany dashed up the stairs, she prayed she would see the beautiful Hedwig. Instead Artemis was pecking at the window and she squealed. She let her owl in and he flew to her giving her gentle pecks on the cheek. She took the letter from his grasp and sat on her bed. Her fingers trembled as she tore into the letter and pulled it out to read it.
Dearest Love,
I miss you. I wish I was able to be there with you. Hermione, Ron and I will have left Hogwarts this February. I hope Snape is able to deliver this to you. We have a few leads and are going to begin making moves to destroy the horcruxes. I'm not sure when I'll be able to see you again. I want you to know that leaving you that night was the hardest thing I have ever done. Hopefully the next time we see each other we are celebrating the end of the war. I hope you're doing alright in the house. I know it's a mess and have been meaning to change it for a while. I promise to be safe and to come back to you. Please wait for me. Scarlett, Nix, Seth, Serena, Gabe, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron all said to tell you I said hi. They miss you too. Be safe Brittany.
Yours forever,
H. P.
Brittany spent the rest of the day rereading the letter and imagining him writing it while feeling awkward. She prayed that they would be reunited soon. She was beginning to fall stir crazy. The next day she resumed her magical training in hopes she would not fall too far behind in school. She continued to study and practice for another few weeks.
When the snow was finally beginning to melt outside Brittany became stir crazy. It was the third of March and she was about fed up with being cooped up in the house. She had been taking cooking lessons from the house elves when she heard a pop and then a blood curdling scream.
Brittany moved with such speed she could barely hold back. With her wand drawn she sprang from the kitchen and shouted. "Leave now or I will have you removed."
"Brittany it's alright it's us." The voice sent shivers down her spine and she ran into the foyer to see the man she loved standing before her.
She rushed to Harry's side and held onto him as if he'd disapparate any moment. "You're back! Oh Harry I've missed you!"
Ron gave out another scream her tunnel vision cleared. Seeing the blood she snapped into attention. Finally she could help. "Kreacher get him onto the Kitchen table. No fuss we'll clean it later. Dobby go clean up the mess and set up the cauldron."
No sooner had the words left her mouth than she was dashing to the Kitchen. Hermione and Harry followed a little stunned. Brittany waved her wand with precise movements. "He was Splinched." She surmised and moved through the redecorated kitchen and grabbed a vial and began dribbling it over the wound. It healed before their eyes. The wound stitched itself together and then sealed appearing as only a pink irritation. Ron bellowed at the pain the potion caused and Brittany was quick to grab a spare sleeping draught and shove it down his thoat.
In minutes he was sleeping and Brittany moved to the caldron to being a blood replenishing potion. She had not gotten there in her quasi medical training. "What happened?" She wondered. "Where's Snape?"
"We left Hogwarts and had to retrieve something from Umbridge. We were followed. Though they were pushed off before we arrived." Harry explained keeping it vague.
"How did you know to do all that. What was in that Sleeping Draught and that other potion?" Hermione wondered.
"I've been pretty bored so I've been practicing healing magic. There was no one here to duel so it got pretty bored. I have a dummy set up in the library for practicing." Brittany beamed. "I wanted to be helpful."
"You should consider being a healer then." Hermione offered. "You may have a knack for it. Harry would need a personal healer at home anyways."
"So, what brings you here then? You can't be done yet." Brittany reasoned, though she hoped.
"No I'm sorry. Is there somewhere private we can go? Hermione and I need to go and take care of something." Harry asked. He wanted to keep as much distance from himself and Brittany as possible. Leaving her again was not going to be easy.
Brittany's face twisted in pain for a moment before she nodded. Both noticed. "Downstairs. I set something up for you. I guess there would be the best place."
Harry nodded in thanks. "Look after Ron. We'll be back in a few minutes."
Brittany did not respond and began to focus on the potion. "Hm."
Harry dragged Hermione to the basement and had to stop a moment at the room. It was decorated similarly to the rest of the house but it seemed less feminine in some way. He moved around the room and had to fight back a smile. Hermione slapped him on the back of his head.
"What are you doing?" She hissed at her friend.
"Ron's fine. You saw her. He's in good hands." Harry waved off Hermione's paranoia.
"No! What are you doing with you're future wife? You prick, you are going to go up there and talk with her. She's been alone here for almost three months without human contact. Also her boyfriend is off fighting a war. The least you could have done was not act so cold." She scolded him as she began casting wards for the destruction of the horcrux.
Harry deflated. "I don't want her to get her hopes up. We are leaving as soon as Ron is healed."
Hermione glared at her friend. "You've been a miserable grump since she's been gone. Now you can see her and you don't want too. What has gotten into you Harry James Potter?"
"I don't think I'll be able to leave her this time. The only reason we are here is because we needed a safe place to Apparate." Harry attempted to justify while pulling out the horcrux.
"Poppycock. You wanted to see her and you know it. You are going to at least spend sometime with her before you go." Hermione demanded.
Harry relented and he swung the sword onto the locket. The black smoke rose and was contained by the protective wards. Snape had once again proven invaluable. "I don't know if I can. We have to somehow sneak into Malfoy Manor and get some of Bellatrix's hair. We need that Polyjuice potion to pose as Bellatrix. You heard Bill. Even then we still need to find a Goblin to get us in. I doubt we'll be able to do so anytime soon." Harry declared.
He wanted nothing more than to run to Brittany and stay with her, hidden away from the world. He could not abandon his destiny though. If he did not kill Voldemort than no one would be safe. He had missed Brittany so much he had become irritated easily at the mention of her name. All Harry wanted to do was finish the war and keep her safe. Here he could focus on the tasks at hand while not worrying about her safety.
"Malfoy won't even be there. He's still at school. We'll figure something out. I still think we should stay here and plan out next move. You should go see her." Hermione sighed.
"Just give me a few minutes to prepare. It will be so hard to tell her goodbye again. Going to Malfoy Manor may be a trap as well. We might not come back. If not there then at Gringotts, or even when we face off against Voldemort. I promised her I'd come back but I keep breaking the promises I make to her 'Mione."
"I understand." Hermione whispered. She too worried something would happen to her or Ron. At least she had the man she loved beside her. She could not begin to understand the pain these two were going through.
Brittany had started to go down the stairs to tell them the potion had been finished. She wanted to wait until Ron had woken up from his two hour sleep from her Quick Sleep Draught. Fast and effective, but it did not last very long. She overhead their plan and she stopped. She had been cooped up too long. A smirk began to creep along her face.
Brittany had a way into the manor. She knew the whole house inside and out from hiding from Malfoy whenever she was forced to be there. She could get the hair and be back in a few minutes. Yes, Brittany thought, I'm going to do what I can to keep you safe too Harry.
Brittany moves upstairs and goes to Dobby. "Dobby I need you to take me to Malfoy Manor."
"Why would Miss Brittany ever want to go there?"
"Harry needs some of mean old Bellatrix hair to get into her vault without setting off any alarms. I can get in and out quick."
"I can take Harry Potter." Dobby offered.
"No Dobby. Harry can't go there. He does not know the manor like I do. Just you and me and if it gets too dangerous we'll leave. I'll say raspberry's and you'll apparate me out of there. Please Dobby I want to keep him safe too. He also told you to do whatever I wanted to keep me happy. This will make me happy Dobby."
Dobby thought about it for a few moments and nodded his head slowly. "If I see you in danger we will leave."
"Though if I have to get the hair from Bellatrix herself she may slap me or get mad. Just let me handle it. If she pulls out her wand and threatens me then we leave. Alright?"
Dobby nodded once again. "Should we tell Harry Potter?"
"He's destroying a horcrux. We'll tell him when I get back alright." Brittany pressed.
Dobby nodded one last time and took Brittany's hand. Just as they were about the apparate she thought. I'll be back soon Harry. I'm going to earn this love you've given me. I promise.
AN: So I updated the story a bit. There is some more Harry scenes and some of his thoughts. I decided not to changed too much, except I added the budding attraction of the pair from the beginning. It did seem odd out of nowhere agreeing to the idea of falling in love without a little foundation first. I would recommend you go and check it out. Either way. Home stretch now only seven or eight more chapters to go.