Keeping with the Company

Keeping With the Company

by coven

Rated PG-13

Hermione offers her best friend Harry a place to stay after a girl discards him. Harry accepts, knowing that the arrangement is indefinite until he finds a suitable place for himself, but things take a strange turn when they both find out that keeping each other company is turning out to be a permanent thing after all.

Disclaimer: This is a Harry Potter fan fiction. Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N

This chapter is supposed to be a lot longer but I have decided to cut it into two (which means another CLIFFY). Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to meet my one-chapter-per-week quota. And yes, Keeping With the Company will soon come to a close. If my estimation is correct, this fic only has two or three chapters left to it. We'll see if they would be as how you expect them to be. I do have a new fic coming up, so watch out for it.

I would like to thank all those who read and reviewed the last chapter. You know who you are. I do really appreciate the reviews.

By the way, I don't really think much of this chapter but I still hope you'll enjoy it. Blessed be!

Chapter 9: Small Talks

Hermione hung up the phone and went to the spare room Harry was occupying. Still grinning from her conversation with Ginny, she knocked.

“Harry?”

She knocked again. No answer.

Hermione frowned and turned the knob. She poked her head in a little.

“Harry, are you dressed?”

Still, there was only silence. Hermione opened the door wider and stepped in.

There was no one inside.

“Funny, I'm sure he wouldn't just go without telling me.”

Hermione searched the entire place but couldn't find him. Still a little puzzled, she went to the bathroom, deciding that Harry must have been in a hurry. She let out a small sigh of relief, realizing that meant she would have to deal with him later. There was work waiting for her at the office, and a possibility of something else later in the evening. All was well.

For now.

XXX

“Are you sure about this?” Ron asked.

“It's a wonder I didn't get splinched apparating here,” Harry answered, his face buried in his hands.

“This can't be true. There must be some explanation…”

“I've heard enough `explanation,' thank you,” Harry retorted sarcastically. “How clear can it be? She was talking to Ginny about how she loved Malfoy `like mad'.”

“Aren't you being a little too hasty, mate?”

Harry glared at his friend.

“Ron," he warned. “Let's not go there.”

Ron held his hands up in front of him.

“Okay, Harry if that's what you want. But hear me out on this. All I'm saying is there must be more to this than… that!”

“I bet,” Harry muttered then groaned. “How can I be so stupid thinking I had a chance with her?”

Ron sighed, laying a hand on the other man's shoulder.

“Let's talk to Ginny.”

“No!”

“It's going to clear a lot of things.”

“It's just going to put your sister on the spot.”

Ron didn't answer.

Harry stood up.

“I'll deal with this myself.”

Ron caught his best friend's arm, and looked him straight in the eye.

“No blood, or Unforgivables.”

“Just a few broken bones.”

“Harry…”

Harry broke free from Ron's grasp.

“Come on, give me enough credit.”

“Just think first,” Ron warned. “Think before you do anything you'd regret later on.”

The two friends regarded each other cautiously before Harry reluctantly nodded and went.

XXX

Artie heard his Uncle Harry disapparate. He waited for a full five minutes, before knocking on the door.

“Dad?”

“Yeah.”

Artie strode in.

“Can I go to Flourish and Botts for a while, I heard they have a new shipment of books. Please?”

Ron glanced at the clock and sighed. It was only nine in the morning.

“Okay,” he said. “Just stay there until I pick you up for lunch.”

“Yes!”

“No talking to strangers. You know the drill.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Alright, scamper. Your Uncle Harry has turned into a lovesick puppy, and I still have a lot of things to do.”

Artie just chuckled.

“Bye Dad!”

Ron shook his head and returned to the paperwork he was trying to accomplish, without any success. He swore to God, he didn't know so much could happen in two days.

“Harry you plonker,” he sighed. He stood up from his desk and walked towards the fireplace.

In a while, Ginny's face appeared on the flames.

“Hey there Weasely King,” Ginny cheerfully greeted him.

“We need back up,” he simply said.

XXX

“So do you have anything to do tonight?”

Draco flashed a grin at the girl on the reception desk of the Ministry. Hermione might not like him enough to go into a more romantic relationship with him, but it didn't mean that he couldn't explore other possibilities. Besides, Wendy Poppy sure looked fit. It was obvious that the girl had tendencies of being a Pansy Parkinson, but that was how he wanted things to be anyway, for the meantime, while he bravely mended his broken heart.

“Are you hitting on me, Mr. Malfoy?” The girl giggled flirtatiously.

“Maybe,” Draco teased with a wink.

“Excuse me, Mr. Draco Malfoy?” one of the security personnel interrupted. “There is someone to see you, sir.”

“Hmm?”

“He's waiting in the lobby.”

Draco thanked the man.

“Well, Ms. Poppy. Catch you later.”

The sound of giggles faded as Draco walked towards the lobby. The personnel motioned to one of the seats. Draco fixed his robes.

“Yes, I'm Draco Malfoy…”

“What's up,” said a very familiar voice. “Uncle Draco!”

XXX

“Your kid Malfoy?”

“I didn't know you had one…”

“Do the girls know about this?”

“So with whom did you have him?”

Draco heaved out a very exasperated sigh and refrained from answering. He had been barraged with inquisitions from the lobby and based on experience; one question answered would mean hundreds more asked. Even Poppy, the receptionist, had given him a look. Unfortunately for him, Weasely's kid didn't contradict the accusations and looked as if he was even enjoying himself. Draco quickly ushered Artie in his office, glad that Hermione wasn't in yet.

“Does your Dad even know you're here?”

Artie grinned.

“Not really.”

“Merlin Artie,” Draco dragged a hand through his hair. “You're going to get me into trouble.”

“Well, I'm supposed to be at Flourish and Botts,” Artie said with a shrug. “But I have two and a half hours to get there yet.”

“Coffee?”

Artie shook his head.

“Are you sure it's me and not Hermione you wanted to see?”

“Yeah.”

“So what brings you here then?”

“You know you look like someone,” the boy said as he eyed the man thoughtfully. “I just don't know who…”

“I'm not going to play games with you Artie. I've been there and I didn't like it.”

Artie merely sighed.

“If I'm going to ask you a question, would you promise to answer as honestly as you can?”

“Sure,” Draco answered, leaning against his desk, coffee mug in hand. “Fire away,”

“Are you and Aunt Hermione together, like boyfriend-girlfriend together?”

Draco almost spat his coffee on the kid. He forced himself to swallow instead.

“What the…”

Artie cleared his throat.

“What kind of question is that?”

“A serious one.”

Draco eyed the kid and decided he was telling the truth.

“Of course not.”

Artie eyed the man and decided he was telling the truth.

“Okay, thanks Uncle Draco.”

Artie popped up from the seat and proceeded to walk out when Draco held out an arm and stopped him.

“Wait a minute… what's that about?”

“Uhh…”

“Don't consider lying kid, or your Dad will soon have your arse.”

Artie scowled.

“You're a meanie!”

Draco smirked.

“Try me.”

Artie's shoulders slumped and trudged back to his seat.

“Uncle Harry heard Aunt Hermione spoke to Aunt Ginny on the telephone. He said that she said that she's in love with you.”

“What? Who's in love with me?”

Draco sat beside Artie.

“Aunt Hermione.”

Draco laughed.

“For a second there, I thought it was Red.”

Artie wrinkled his nose.

“Now why would Aunt Ginny like you? No offence, Uncle Draco but she prefers dark blokes.”

Draco looked at the kid weirdly. Artie ignored this and continued.

“I heard when Uncle Harry had another talk with Dad just an hour ago.”

“I didn't know eavesdropping was hot this season… anyway… that's impossible.”

“Do you know something about it then?”

“I don't even know why I am discussing Hermione's love life with you,” Draco smiled wryly. “But you're a smart one. First things first, this will not go beyond this room.”

Artie nodded.

“Next, you're too precocious for your own good so try not to botch things up for your godparents.”

“Hey! It's not my fault if they are that slow.”

“I know kid…” Draco said with an exasperated sigh. “It's sad… But you have yet to agree to the second rule.”

“Yeah…” Artie rolled his eyes. “Okay, Uncle Draco.”

Draco drank from his mug.

“Your Aunt Hermione went to me last night because she was too distressed in finding out she's in love with your Uncle Harry.”

“That's wicked!” Artie exclaimed excitedly. “So that means Uncle Harry was daft enough to get meaning from just one side of a conversation?”

“Does your Uncle Harry know you call him bad things behind his back?”

Artie grinned.

“No, but he deserves it.”

“A kid after my own heart… wait… What's Harry going to do now?”

Artie shrugged.

“I don't know, but he sure is massively furious.”

“Oh boy…” Draco winced. “This means he's going after me. Sometimes I'd just like to lock those two up in a room set with anti-disapparating charm…”

…

“Uncle Draco…”

“Artie Weasely…”

“Are you thinking what I am thinking?”

“No, are you thinking what I am thinking?”

Draco stood up.

“Come on, let's discuss this brilliant plan somewhere.”

“Somewhere with ice cream, preferably.”

Draco nodded.

“Let's owl your Dad first.”

“Oh, come on Uncle Draco.”

“Lest he charges me with kidnapping.”

Artie shrugged and watched his Aunt's partner scribble something on paper, which Draco attached to the leg of the magnificent owl Artie saw last night.

“So are you ready kid?”

“Yeah!”

“By the way Uncle Draco.”

“What?”

“I now know who you look like.”

“Who?”

Artie whispered to him.

“What?!”

XXX

“Potter!”

“Yeah?”

“You've got a visitor.”

Harry shrugged into a clean sweatshirt as he heard his teammates' whistles echo in the locker room. He had just put his glasses on when the click of ice-pick heels stopped right behind his locker door.

“Hi Harry.”

Harry slammed his locker shot and put on a rather frosty smile.

“What brings you here?”

XXX

“Uncle Draco, this is not good,” Artie said as he stopped in his tracks just as they were about to turn around the corner.

“You can say that again, sport.”

Draco pulled Artie against the wall as they watched Harry and Bianca enter the shop.

“What is Bianca doing here, and with Uncle Harry?”

“Beats me mate…”

“Draco Malfoy… Artie Weasely… What are you two doing here?”

The dynamic duo froze at the sound of the voice. Artie turned slowly.

“Hello,” he gulped. “Aunt Hermione…”

XXX

“Does your Dad know your whereabouts?” Hermione admonished with her arms across her chest. It didn't bother that Artie and Draco looked really uncomfortable with them in the middle of a public sidewalk. It only went to show how formidable Hermione could be.

“Yeah,” Artie squirmed under his Aunt Hermione's gaze. “Uncle Draco owled him.”

“And why would he do that?” Hermione said, turning to Draco.

“Hermione, give the kid a break…”

“Draco,” Hermione said. “Why is Artie here?”

“Because he wanted to ask me something,” Draco said nonchalantly.

“About what?” she demanded.

“About the purple-rimmed-horned dragon,” Artie answered, improvised. He ignored the `What are you doing' look on Draco's face.

“Then why didn't you just owl him?” Hermione asked the kid.

“Dad sent Pig Jr. out and hadn't returned yet so I decided to go ask him myself.”

“Is this true, Draco?”

Draco had to swallow hard.

“Of course.”

“I have a feeling something's up…” Hermione said, sounding unconvinced.

“What do you mean?” Draco placated his partner. To Artie he asked, “Is there anything up?”

“No,” the boy shook his head vigorously. “Nothing… nothing's up.”

“Well,” Hermione said, shoving the issue aside for the moment. “Since we're here, why don't we get some ice cream after which, you young man must go back to your Dad's shop.”

She then started to walk towards the ice cream parlor.

“No!” Both man and boy shouted.

Hermione stopped, and turned. She looked at the horrified look on the two's faces.

“What do you mean `no'?”

“Ahem…” Draco cleared his throat and coughed. “I have a sore throat.”

“Yeah, Aunt Hermione,” Artie added. “I read somewhere about cold stuff and sore throat don't go well together. No… Ice cream? I don't think so.”

“Wait, what's gotten into both of you?”

The sound of a familiar shrill voice interrupted them.

“That is so funny Harry!”

“Hey Hermione,” Draco ran in front of Hermione, trying to block her view. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Wait…” Hermione tried to look over Draco's shoulders. “Isn't that…”

“Aunt Hermione can we just get a butterbeer or something?” Artie said, tugging her away from the direction of the ice cream parlor.

“Shut up the two of you!”

Hermione ordered, and pushed Draco away. Her heart stopped as she saw something that she didn't expect - a few feet away from them, just in front of the ice cream parlor, was Harry with his supposedly ex-fiancée Bianca. And they were kissing.

“Harry?”

XXX

“So I'll see you tonight?” Bianca purred, touching Harry's arm.

“Of course,” Harry said, trying to unlatch the woman's claws from him.

Bianca laughed.

“Bye Harry,” she said, smiling slyly. “For now!”

With that, she kissed him fully on the lips.

“Ta-ta!”

Harry?

Harry turned around upon hearing a familiar voice. His eyes widened with surprise. Not only were Draco Malfoy and Artie Weasely were there, but also…

“Hermione…”

XXX

Draco and Artie stepped back as Hermione went off in a violent `poof.'

“I guess the plan doesn't go into action now, huh?” Artie asked the older man.

Draco sighed and nodded.

“I'll look for Hermione,” he said. “Take Harry.”

Artie saluted and ran towards his godfather who was still a bit dazed.

“Uncle Harry,” Artie tugged at the sleeve of his shirt. “Are you okay?”

Harry looked down and nodded.

“I screwed up again huh?” he asked.

“I'm sorry,” Artie nodded sadly.

Harry slumped down on the sidewalk and buried his head in his arms. Artie followed suit and tapped him on the shoulder.

“What?” he asked the kid.

“If it's any consolation,” Artie said. “I'm on your side.”

Harry rumpled Artie's hair as he laughed hollowly and thought that he needed all the help he could get.