Chapter 20
This is awesome! I'm sitting in the front row of the Puddlemere stands watching them beat the snot out of the Wimbourne Wasps. I've never been to a professional quidditch match before. This is more than I ever imagined. The score is Puddlemere 90 and Wimbourne 60. The snitch has gone by a few times and I hear Harry grumbling about how slow their new seeker is. Well, no one is as good as Harry was.
"Dive, damn you! It's right there, you bloody moron!"
I can't help but laugh at him. There's been a couple of times, I thought he was going to jump out of the stands, kick the seeker off his broom and go after the snitch himself. I remember watching Harry and Uncle Charlie flying after the snitch at Grandmum's house. He really is the best. No offense to Uncle Charlie, he's pretty good too. But Harry Potter is probably the best seeker to ever play the game. I know I will never be a seeker. My eyes aren't good enough and my reflexes aren't fast enough. I think being a beater like Uncle Fred and George is more my style.
I get drawn back to the game as Harry stands up and shouts another string of curses that my mum would hex him for saying in front of me. I see the Puddlemere keeper holding his arm at a strange angle and wonder what happened. The game is too bloody fast for me to keep up with. I pull lightly on Harry's jumper. "What happened?" I ask as he looks down at me.
Harry sits back down. His body is stiff. He looks angry. I chuckle at the way he takes this game so seriously. It's just a game. "You see the Wasps' beater over there? The big one?" He points and I nod. "He was real close to the keeper and slammed a bludger right into him, followed by his bat. It looks like they're taking Moray out. But that's all right, Williams isn't bad. As long as he had some practice this week. If he doesn't keep hi…"
I start to tone Harry out. I smile and nod every so often. I love quidditch, I do. But when you get him, my dad or my uncles going, they won't shut up. I guess I'm still too young to really 'appreciate the sport,' as Mum would say.
I could care less about the game. I just like being here, with Harry. It's still hard sometimes, but I'm handling it all. I'm not really sure what to think about Lavender. She's a nice lady, I guess. And she makes Dad happy, but she tries too hard with Candi and me. She's always talking to us in that high-pitched baby-talk voice. That may be all right for Candace, but I'm nine! I'm not a baby.
Harry treats me like a man. Well, as close to a man as I can be. Harry lets me be me. He doesn't talk down to me, like I'm stupid. He laughs at the same jokes I laugh at. He talks to me like we're the same age. He said he brought me out today to talk to me. If this game keeps going like it is, we won't be able to talk for three days.
I look over the edge of the stands and try to bring myself into the flow of the game. I see the quaffle… Jackson passes to Hunt, who passes it back to Jackson… oh bloody hell, oops! I have to stop talking like Dad. Mum's gonna kill me. Well, there goes any chance of me trying to keep up with the game. I sit back and watch as the seekers dive again toward the flying golden shimmer. They drop below the line of stands and I can't see them anymore.
"Woo Hoo!!"
With that, I guess the seeker finally caught the snitch. The next thing I know, he picks me up and puts me on his shoulders cheering "P-U-D-D-L-E-M-E-R-E PUDDLEMERE! YAY!" I can't help but laugh. I am having so much fun with Harry.
As we climb down the stairs he asks me if I'm ready for some ice cream. Who is he kidding? Like I could ever say no to ice cream. He pulls a spoon out of his pocket. Why does he have a spoon in his pocket? Before I can ask him, he places the spoon in my hand and I feel a tug near my bellybutton. A portkey! Of course, an ice cream spoon.
I finally feel my feet hit solid ground and Harry's arms are around me, steadying me. "You all right, Arthur?"
"Yeah, just don't let me do that after I eat. UGHHH!" I roll my eyes and groan like I'm going to be sick and Harry laughs. He puts his arm around me and guides me into Florian Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.
After ordering our ice cream from a chubby Italian man, Harry and I sit at a table outside. It's a pretty day. The sun is shining and it's not too cold. I look around Diagon Alley at all the shops. I have only been here a few times. I can't wait to come here and buy my Hogwarts supplies, just two more years to go. I'm almost half way through with my pumpkin ice cream when Harry clears his throat, I think to get my attention. He looks weird, like he's constipated or something. "Harry?"
"Oh, sorry Arthur. I - uh…"
"Are you all right?" His face is all red and he's sweating a little. I wonder if he's having an allergic reaction to the ice cream. I know I look like that when a bee stings me.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just - uh - wanted to - uh - talk to you about something." Can the man stutter any worse? Why is he so nervous?
I take a bite of my ice cream and look at him expectantly. "OK, shoot."
Harry closes his eyes for a moment and he looks like he's going to cry. I don't think I have ever seen Harry like this before. It is kind of scaring me. He takes a deep breath and looks at me.
"Arthur, you know I love your Mum, right?"
"Mmm-Hmmm" I nod with a mouthful of ice cream.
"Well, I wanted to ask you… if… um…" Well get on with it man. "Arthur, I want to marry your Mum."
The spoonful of ice cream I just put in my mouth is now on the front of Harry's jacket. I was not expecting him to say that. He could have at least prepared me. Well, I knew this was coming, with the baby and all. I just wasn't expecting it today. Harry waves his wand and the mess is gone. He looks at me again. He looks so hopeful, like Candace does when she wants my last chocolate frog.
"Arthur, will you let me ask your Mum to marry me?"
I don't understand him. Why is he asking me for permission to ask Mum? "Huh?"
The look of confusion on my face must trigger something in Harry's brain. "Well, tradition says that you ask the girl's father for permission before you ask her. And, well, since your Mum's father is gone, I go to the next in line as man of the house. And that would be you."
I try to hide the smile creeping on my face. I want him to marry Mum. I want to be a family. I'm not sure if I want Dad to marry Lavender, but we'll cross that bridge later. I want Harry to squirm a little. I live for this. "What happens if the father says, 'no'?"
Harry's face falls and he starts scratching the back of his neck nervously. He can't look me in the eye. I am so mean. "Um… I guess, you can't ask her, if her dad says 'no.'" He looks up at me and I can tell he's not sure how to take my cold attitude. "If you aren't ready for this Arthur, it's all right." He says that but I know better. I can hear it in his voice. I know he wants this. I know Mum wants this. I stay quiet, pondering what I should say. Harry is getting more nervous. He's starting to fidget in his chair. I chuckle to myself. This is just what I was going for. I take a deep breath, but before I can say anything, Harry has started into full-blown panic mode.
"Arthur, I am in love with your mother. I love you and Candi like you were my own. I want the baby to be close to his brother and sister. You know I would never do anything to hurt your Mum, if that's what you're afraid of. But I will understand if you don't want me to ask her, but I want you to think about what would make your Mum happy and thin…"
I start laughing. I can't hold it in anymore. Harry looks so pathetic. "Harry, it's OK."
"What?"
"I was just playing. I think its great. I know Mum will say yes."
I suddenly find that I can't breathe, probably due to how hard Harry is hugging me. I like being hugged and all, but we're at a table, outside in the middle of Diagon Alley. "Uh, Harry… Harry…"
He finally lets me go. I look frantically around to see if anyone noticed us. I prayed not. Harry apologized for being so emotional. I think I'll let it slide this time. I did torture him a bit, didn't I? The mood is a bit lighter now. Harry seems much more relaxed. We sit and finish our ice cream, as we laugh and talk about the Puddlemere game today.
The sun is starting to go down when we finally head home. We flooed from the Leaky Cauldron to Grimmauld Place. I really hate to floo, even worse than portkeying if you ask me. The queasy feeling I get in my stomach when I spill out of our fireplace makes me head straight for the loo.
I hear Mum laughing and saying something that I remind her of Harry. I will have to ask him about that. I don't mind being compared with Harry. I kind of like it actually. After my stomach calms down I walk out into the common room to see Candace playing exploding snap with herself, and Mum curled up against Harry on the sofa. It seems so perfect. I guess this is what a family does. I don't remember what was like when Dad was home. He was never really home. This is kind of nice.
I step up to where my sister is trying to build a castle of exploding snap cards. I see it start to smoke and pull her away before the whole thing explodes. She obviously thinks its funny, because she starts laughing.
"What is so funny?" I tease her as I start tickling her mercilessly. I don't hear her answer because she is laughing so hard she can't breathe. I let up on her a bit and hug her. She's my little sister and I love her.
"I love you, too Artie." I forgot she could do that. I smile at her and start to pick up the cards and deal them out. As Candi looks at her cards, I look up to see Mum and Harry smiling at us. Yeah, I like this. This is the way it's supposed to be.