Family Ties
Chapter 5
Harry wandered about anywhere and everywhere. He always flew around in his animagus form when he needed to think. Before then, he'd fly around in his broom. He was ecstatic to be able to change into a hawk. It was one of the things that freed him when he felt weighed down with the problems of the world. It helped him think clearly being able to just float around in the air as if one with the sky.
He'd stopped off at Hogwarts to get Arty's things. MacGonagall raised an eyebrow at his sudden appearance at such an early hour. She'd brushed it off as part of dealing with Ron's death and even gave him a hug for comfort. Then he wandered around a bit again. He'd finally stopped and found himself standing in front of Ron's gravesite.
"I had no where else to go. I just had to tell someone and right now you're my only option." He paced back and forth as he talked. "I had the most amazing time with a the most beautiful woman last night. I don't think I'd ever felt so alive with anyone else I'd been with. There was a connection that goes beyond words to explain. It was like kismet. I would never have believed it after all this time of thinking about what it would be like. I would normally talk to Hermione about some things like this, but the problem is, the woman was Hermione." He waited a bit as if expecting Ron to actually answer him. "The thing is I don't know what to do? I don't really know how she feels about me. The way she told me that what happened between us was just two people seeking comfort really hurt to tell you the truth. I don't know what I was expecting. I was going to apologize if I was a bit rough on her, but she stopped me and when she said that, I was numb. I couldn't move let alone breathe. Doesn't that beat all, the great Harry Potter can't even have the only girl he actually ever wanted. I wish you were here to hit me over the head or something for wasting so much time. I just think I've waited too long. I just don't know what to do." Just then a tawny owl perched on his shoulder and offered him his leg for Harry to remove the attached letter.
Dear Mr. Harry James Potter,
Your presence is required at the reading of the will of one Ronald Bilius Weasley. It is to take place on the first of December 2016, at precisely 10 O'Clock in the morning.
Sincerely,
Amelia Bones
Minister of Magic
He stared at the letter. It seemed to make it more official his being in charge of Arty. It also made it official that Ron was gone even though he was standing in front of his grave. He'd never felt so alone. He couldn't really talk to any of the Weasleys about it, they had their own problems to deal with in addition to the grief they were experiencing. He couldn't talk to Hermione, because it was about her.
Hermione stared at the wall clock. She couldn't sleep even after the bout of crying. She heard Harry leave. She'd even heard him take a shower and stick a note on the door. But she was too afraid to look at the note. She feared they'd probably reached the end of their friendship after last night. She wanted to cry again.
She just lay there looking at the clock with hers, Harry's and Ron's pictures on different hands. It was similar to the clock on the Weasley's kitchen. Ron's hand was on deceased. Hers was on Home. She watched Harry's picture go from home to traveling, then Hogwarts to traveling, then the burrow, and then traveling again. She knew all the traveling was his flying as his animagus form. She knew him well enough to know that he always flew to clear his mind or think. She also knew that if it weren't about her, he'd be talking to her at that moment instead of flying around.
She'd been staring at the clock so long that she didn't notice it was already daytime until she heard a knock on the door. She knew it wasn't Harry because his picture was still on traveling. It was Arty.
"Aunt Hermione?"
"Come in, Arty." She wiped her eyes of the rogue tears that wanted to keep dropping and propped herself up on the headboard. Arty opened the door slowly. When he stepped in, she opened the blanket inviting him to sit with her for a while. He happily jumped in the bed with Hermione. The action reminded him so much of what his mum used to do when he'd get up in the morning and go to his parents room when his father was away on a mission.
"Good morning." He grinned up at her. She held him close because she just needed someone to hold at that moment. She also knew that he needed people to show him how much he was loved and cherished. In essence they needed each other.
"Well, you're up bright and early. Had a good night's sleep, did you?"
"The best. Where's Uncle Harry?"
"If you look at the clock it looks like he's traveling." Arty looked up at the clock he'd been accustomed to staring at since he was a child, especially when Ron was away. He looked at it now and Ron's picture was stuck on deceased. He felt the loss of his father once more.
He thought about the clock that was in their own kitchen and another in the library at Grimmauld's place. Harry and Hermione decided to split out the individual families when the Weasleys began to multiply. Each married Weasley had their own clock with their own families. Harry and Hermione were the only ones who were still in the main clock with Molly.
An owl knocking on Hermione's window interrupted their clock watching. She opened the window and let the owl in. She gave the owl a tip and let it go on its way. She found two letters, one addressed to her and the other to Arty. They were the same letter Harry received at the gravesite. Arty looked forlorn. Everywhere he turned, there was something that confirmed his father's death and reminded him over and over of his lost.
Hermione looked at him and gave him a hug. She looked up at the clock and wondered if Harry also received a letter since he didn't have one included with theirs.
Harry's picture was moving towards home and Hermione's heart leapt for joy and sank down to the pit of her stomach dreading the initial encounter after she'd left his bed the night before. She noticed Arty staring at the clock once more.
"Looks like Harry's home." Hermione said more to herself than to Arty. "If we wait a bit, I bet he'll have breakfast ready for all of us in no time at all."
"Isn't that what Dobby is supposed to do?"
"Well, yes. But he and Harry have an agreement. Harry can cook when he fancies, Dobby can help but Harry does most of the work. He likes to cook when he can."
"Do you cook, Aunt Hermione?"
"No, I'm not allowed in the kitchen." She remembered the time she tried to cook Harry a meal when he'd been dumped. She'd nearly burned down the house. After all the trouble of sweet talking Dobby into letting her cook, she burnt the roast. But she managed to make Harry laugh, so at least she'd done what she was supposed to do with the meal, which was to cheer him up. After that event, Dobby never let her cook again.
"Why not?"
"Well, let's just say that Harry and Dobby want to keep the house in tact and stay alive." She chuckled.
"That bad?"
"'Fraid so. You know what, I think we need to change the clocks a bit. If you want, I'll add you to our clock." She saw his eyes dropped to the floor. "We can have you on both the clocks Arty. I don't mean to remove you from your mum and dad's clock, just to add you to mine and Harry's that way we know where you are."
"Truly?" Arty was hopeful. He'd wondered where his picture was going and whose clock he was going to end up in.
"Of course, remember we're your guardians now. Tell you what, we'll do it now?"
"Do what?" Harry asked while he leaned on the doorjamb with his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face.
"Add Arty to the clock," Hermione was quick to mask her surprise.
"Good idea. Let's do that first before we have breakfast." They both took their wands out and murmured a spell. Within seconds a clock hand containing Arty's picture was on Hermione's clock.
"Wicked!" Arty exclaimed when they were done. "Can you do the clock in my room too?"
"Already, done. Once a change has been made to one clock, the others change automatically," Harry assured him. "Why don't you two get up and have breakfast with me?"
"Why don't you two go on ahead, I need to get ready for work," Hermione told them.
"Arty, you go wash up and we'll meet you downstairs. I need to have a word with Hermione." Hermione's heart thudded loudly in her ears. She'd never felt such anxiety since, well she can't even remember.
After Arty left, Harry walked in and closed the door behind him. Hermione was starting to panic a bit. "Harry.." she started.
"Hermione," he said gently as he moved towards her. "About last night."
"Harry, can we talk later? I'm running a bit behind schedule." She was trying to scurry to the bathroom when Harry went in front of her and blocked her way. "Harry, please. We'll talk later."
"Okay." He was having a hard time trying to hold himself back from taking Hermione back to bed with him. "Hermione, look at me." He waited until Hermione looked up at him and looked him straight in the eyes, brown to green. He saw the weariness and the puffiness. He wasn't sure at that moment whether she cried about what happened last night or if it was from Ron's death. He placed his hands on her face and fought the urge to devour her mouth. "Hermione, I just want you to know that I have no regrets about last night." He kissed her forehead and walked out of her room. It was the hardest thing he had to do, but he knew that he wouldn't force the issue. He respected her too much not to grant he wish to have a conversation at a different time.
Hermione stood where she was stunned and speechless but at the same time hopeful. She wasn't sure about what he meant from what he said, but not having any regrets about what happened to them was a great start. That made her want to talk to him immediately rather than later.
The later turned to days. Hermione was needed at work constantly due to constant attacks on wizards. She was working at least 10 hours per day practically everyday. When she got home she would just have a bath and go to sleep after correcting a bit of Arty's lessons in transfiguration and potions. Harry did the rest since he had more time, but the nights took him away from Arty and Hermione. The Order business took him away for the most part of the night. He'd arrive only a few hours before sunrise and get some sleep before Arty woke up to start his lessons.
However, each time they'd locked eyes even for a second, their passions were ignited immediately. It was only by sheer will power that they'd managed not to go at each other. It also helped that Arty was around when they happen to see each other.
Arty felt something going on, but he couldn't quite figure it out. He was aware that they loved each other and often wondered why they hadn't yet married, but he was engulfed in his grief to give it a second thought. As the reading of his father's will became closer, he became more withdrawn. He was going through the motions of getting his lessons done, which gave him a bit of escape from thinking of his parents, but he was quiet. He was like a robot in a sense that he'd mechanically eat, sleep, do his lessons and do what was asked of him.
Harry and Hermione let him be for the most part. They were giving him time to mourn and they were busy with other things. The morning of the reading of the will arrived. Harry helped Arty get ready while Hermione got ready.
"All right, Arty?"
"Yeah."
"You've been quiet for the past week. Anything bothering you?" Arty shrugged his shoulders. "I never did finish the story I was telling you. Want me to finish it?"
"If you want."
"All right, then. Do you remember where I left off?"
"I think when he entered Hogwarts."
"Okay, so he started Hogwarts and met his two best friends. They were inseparable the lot of them. They followed each other through loads of adventure. They stuck up for each other when one was in trouble. They helped each other when the other needed help. The little boy knew then what it meant to have a friend and to have family. His friends became his family and for once in his life he felt as if he was loved. The little boy grew more confident and although he'd had to go back to his mean family during the holidays, it mattered less and less to him because he knew he had Hogwarts to look forward to at the end of the holidays. He was happy and the people that mattered to him the most were happy for him as well. He grew up to be a respectable man surrounded by people who love him."
"But, did he ever get over the loss of his parents?"
"There is a part of him that still wonders what it would have been like to have his parents around, but in a way he has accepted his life such as it was because if things were different he probably would have never found his friends or he might have grown up differently."
"Yeah, well. I guess stories should always have a happy ending."
Harry was about to answer him to tell him that he hadn't found his happy ending yet, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"You two about ready?" Hermione asked from the doorway.
"Yes, come on Arty. We mustn't keep a beautiful woman waiting." Hermione blushed at Harry's comment and hoped he hadn't noticed.
Harry ushered Arty towards the fireplace. He placed his hand at the small of Hermione's back the same time. Hermione felt the tingling sensation up her spine and the warmth of Harry's hand. Harry saw her shiver and he smiled knowing that he was the cause of it.
"Hello everyone," Amelia Bones greeted them when they were all settled in their chairs. Her office was enlarged to accommodate all the Weasleys. She hadn't been looking forward to that time. It was another reminder that a great man had been lost to the war. Although she'd only done the actions for a few members of the Ministry, she had a close relationship with the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione. She couldn't let someone else handle the proceedings without having the risk of exploiting Harry and his fame.
Everyone returned her greeting though solemnly. They were still grieving over Ron and they will probably do so for a long time. They still grieved for Arthur and Percy and it had been years since they were killed. Their close knit family remained devoted to their lost family but not to a point where they forgot to live their lives.
"Okay, let's get started shall we?" Everyone nodded. "We're here today to listen to the last will and testament of Ronald Bilius Weasley. Ron had left specific instructions in a piece of parchment. Instead of having a piece of written will, he decided to charm his portrait to express his own wishes. As soon as I break the seal on the cover of his portrait the spell he'd set on it should be activated." Everyone waited anxiously. They all had mixed feelings about seeing Ron speak to them in a form of a portrait.
"Hello All," Ron greeted from his portrait. He had on his Green Weasly jumper. His hair was longer in the portrait, but it was the same red hair and blue eyes that stared back at them. Molly started to sob. "I guess I didn't make it if you're all here listening to this. First of all, I want to say I love you all. I don't think I'd be who I am without each and everyone of you. You have made my life full. Now, on to the business at hand, for mum, Molly Weasley, I leave you 10,000 galleons." Molly was shaking her head. She couldn't believe the amount first of all, and second, she never expected Ron to leave her any money at all. She would rather have him back alive.
"To my brothers and sister, I leave you 5,000 galleons each. To Hogwarts I leave 5,000 galleons. To Harry and Hermione I leave you the most precious gift of all, my son. I know that you both will take great care of him. Also, I leave you each a letter to be read on your own." Two letters appeared on the desk. "Arty, first I want to say I'm sorry for not being able to be with you physically. But know that I will always watch over you wherever I am. Everything your mum and I had is yours. I love you son and not even death will change that." Arty, who was sitting in between Harry and Hermione was sobbing loudly.
"Again, I love you all. I wish you all a life filled with love and peace. Please do not mourn my passing for too long. Get on with your lives and in time we will see each other again. I am always with you, here." He pointed to his heart. "So, I will not say good-bye, but until we meet again." With that, the portrait became silent. Everyone had tears in their eyes, some crying louder than others. Hermione and Harry held on to Arty tightly as he let out a week of unshed tears. Then he let his grief and anger lose.
"YOU'RE ALL HYPOCRITES! YOU ALL JUST CAME HERE TO LISTEN TO HOW MUCH MONEY YOU'D GET! YOU NEVER CARED FOR HIM. YOU ALWAYS MADE FUN OF HIM! AND YOU," he pointed at Ginny. "YOU WENT AND GOT HIM KILLED!"
"ARTY! That's enough!" Harry yelled.
"NO! It's not. BESIDES, YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO. YOU'RE NOT MY FATHER!" With that he ran out of the room. Everyone got up to try to fetch him. Harry stopped all of them.
"No, I'll go. We need to have a talk and I think I am the most qualified since I can relate more to him." They all nodded in response. Hermione looked at him and felt the pains of the little boy he used to be once again. She wanted to take him in her arms and comfort him, but she knew that he'd grown beyond the little boy into a caring, generous and brave man. She couldn't help but love him more.
He left the room and started out in the general direction towards the exit. He'd stop to ask people he'd passed if they'd seen Arty. The people would nod and point to the direction where they saw Arty running last.
A/N: Thanks for your reviews. I hope Arty is now a bit ANGSTY for your taste. I still have to bring Harry and Hermione together to meet the challenge. Sorry this took a bit longer than expected. Blame it on the Memorial Day weekend and the BBQ galore. Hope you had a blast, for those of you who celebrate it anyway.