***Nursie Note: First of all Hello everyone! I'd like to also say I am happy to have become a Portkey author! There is so many good stories here that I am thrilled to be part of such a wonderful family of HP fans.
Okie... now for the boring stuff... I promise I will keep the Nursie Notes down... cause Merlin knows I find them distracting and space consuming. However they do have their place so here goes.
1. I do feel I must warn you… This is a more mature fic and should only be read by people that are of age and are not offended by adult material. With that said, I am giving this fic an overall rating of NC-17 for language, adult situations and sexual situations... it will become dark... Believe me when I say that sorta snuck up on me... thanks to my betas SuperRuss21 & Trixieweasal218... If this offends you... please do not read this fic. I will not answer any hate mail that comes from that... although any other comments and reviews are welcome... THE NC-17 rating will not show up in the first few parts but it will gradually get there. So consider yourselves warned please. I do have through part 9 done and will post a new part daily depending on how fast I can write... I am so far a head of myself and that's a good thing. *lol*
2. I am American... I do not claim to know how people speak in Europe... my knowledge consists of movies and books really. I did look up quite a few things (thank you Fenris) and I just want to let you all know that I did try to make an effort to at least be in the neighborhood of their accents as well as believablitiy. (did I just create a new word??? *shrugs*) So please be kind... helpful suggestions are always welcome when it comes to that sort of thing. Enough said… let's get on with it then!
3. And last but certainly not least... the disclaimer...
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter... (Lordie what I would do with him if I did =P) Harry Potter is the trademark and © owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros... Only original characters and storyline ideas are mine. Nursie's don't get paid what they're worth... especially Nursie's that are currently not working for one reason or another. So puhleeze don't sue... this is all in "clean" naughty fun.
4. With that said... I hope you like the fic... let's get on with it then shall we!
Prelude: Familiar-
Nothing… There was no sound in the small hot room. No clock ticking, no breeze, no light… nothing… except for the moon shining and casting a beam of light across the carpet and a slight shadow over the boy that occupied it. He lay there motionless, his emerald green eyes closed and breathing very shallow. For him, this was what he did at the late hour. Especially when he couldn't sleep and it was just way to hot and muggy to move. Finally, he reluctantly sat up rubbing his eyes and grabbing for his glasses on the nightstand next to him. His hand brushed a small scar on his forehead instinctively moving his sweaty dark hair away from his sticky face as he slowly managed to swing one leg at a time over the side of his bed. He paused a moment before he stood then walked over to a large trunk he had placed in the corner of his room. He bent down and ran his fingers over the Gryffindor emblem on the trunk as he smiled. Turning to look behind him with a glance at the clock he sighed.
"Ever year." He whispered his voice breathless and perhaps almost sad, but definitely lonely. He shook his head. He turned back to his task of unlocking his trunk bracing himself for anything… He had grown to expect something… always in his last six years of being what he was, something not of this world made sure he remembered what time of year it was… July 31st. It was something, and could be anything, but tonight… Harry Potter just accepted being seventeen. He threw open the trunk and dug his hand in searching around looking for something. When he found it, he pulled out a box of letters he'd kept since it began. The first one, addressed to him was the first letter he'd ever received… He glanced at the envelope.
Mr. H. Potter
The Cupboard under the Stairs
4 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey
So much had happened since that day… Magic it was. And Harry was full of it. He fell back to a sitting position and sorted through the rest of the letters.
~Where will I be this year when the last letter comes? ~
He wondered placing the box to his side and standing up. His brain filled full of memories that made his head hurt… More specifically the lightening bolt shaped scar just above his right eyebrow. He moved towards the mirror at his dresser. The Boy Who Lived… Well if you could call his summer holidays with his Aunt and Uncle living… He longed to be with his friends. However he'd promised… Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of the time he'd stay put and not run off to Number 12 Grimmauld Place with the Order… Harry Potter always kept his word if he could. Which was always more often than not pointless. He rolled his eyes at his reflection. What he wouldn't give to get his dad's invisibility cloak out, jump on his Firebolt and just fly into the night sky. It sure as hell would be a lot cooler than it was in his room. He smirked at the thought. The Dursley's were definitely going out of their way to make him uncomfortable… His or rather Dudley's three sizes too big white t-shirt clung to his tight stomach and the oversized boxer shorts were almost to his knees. He could afford some clothing of his own if they'd just let him purchase them. But that was unthinkable. If the Dursley's knew about his vault, they'd surely have it squandered on nothings and trinkets.
He stripped off his shirt noticing yet another hole in the neck line. Throwing it across the room somewhere towards the closet, He placed a hand on the dresser leaning in towards the mirror inspecting his messy black hair. He ran a hand through it, trying to tame it and cool off his face but grumbled in defeated. It was just too hot in that room. He thought about opening the window. Hoping that maybe there'd be some sort of summer breeze, and then he decided against it. If Uncle Vernon found his window open, he'd accuse Harry of using magic. No matter how he argued.
His eyes wandered from his forehead over to the corner of the mirror to a single picture that he absolutely refused to put away. It was a wizard picture, taken in his first year at Hogwarts. It was he, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger his two best friends. They were smiling standing together with Harry in the middle. Hermione and Ron on each side of him as always wearing their school uniforms and robes. Only they weren't eleven years old anymore. The picture seemed to age with them. He looked at Ron first. Taller than him, with his flaming red hair and his freckles, he looked every part of the wonderful Quidditch player he'd become. Harry had also grown taller a few inches short of Ron and like Ron into his awkward body. He looked very much the hero he was… although you couldn't see it behind the huge robes he wore. His shoulders were broader and his jaw line more defined, but he was still Harry… Just Harry.
Hermione Granger on the other hand had grown up as well. He felt a knot growing in his stomach just looking at the picture. He tried to push his emotions out of his head but his mind started spinning and the feelings he tried to hide so many times the past year ran to the forefront of his brain screaming to get to out. His throat went tight and the knot just traveled lower and lowers until it found its way downward causing the blood in his brain to empty into his groin and he groaned in disgust at himself.
~Not now… please not now. Why does she do this to me? Merlin this is uncomfortable… ~
Harry thought just being trapped in a box with no ventilation was bad… but he found there were worse things. Being hot, sweaty and bothered was a rather nasty combination and he felt himself growing even harder against his boxers.
~Definitely going to have to do something about that… Imagine if she notices during the school year…~
Harry flashed himself a dirty look in the mirror and hunched over so that the bulge in his boxers was less noticeable even though he was almost sure he was alone in his room. That would be all he needed… Uncle Vernon barging in… or Dobby suddenly appearing…
~How embarrassing would that be? ~
Harry shook himself free of his thoughts, grabbing the picture from the mirror. He took a deep breath. He wasn't ready for such loaded questions or loaded anything for that matter.
~Don't look at the picture… ~ He squeezed his eyes shut determinedly. ~You know this happens ever time you think about her…~
He grimaced at himself. His heart was heavy as lead. Just being his friend… had consequences. Let alone being his best friend. Then there was something else that complicated matters even more. Imagine love thrown in there somewhere. He figured if he didn't say it… didn't allow himself to think about it… then maybe just maybe he could spare his loved ones the inevitable. However, it was growing harder than ever quite literally to hide his true feelings towards the fairest of his friends. She had already suffered so much. Her parents weren't magical and yet her father died at the hand of him. Ron had also seen his share of suffering. Percy Weasley, Ron's older brother was also a casualty of the ongoing wizarding war. He released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding as a lonesome tear escaped his eye. He miserably contemplated how many more would have to die before this would all be over.
~One… Just one… Him. Voldemort. ~
Harry thought angrily as his mind raced with the painful memories that had been his life for the last six years. The murder of his parents, Sirus, Hermione's dad, several witches and wizards from the Order, Cedric and loads of other innocent people be it magic or muggle. Their faces began to run together as the list went on and on in his head until he felt he was indeed losing his sanity.
He would hate to guess what Voldemort would do with the information he held in his heart. His defenses were definitely breaking around it. Pretty soon, he would be as transparent as air. He had no one to talk to about any of this… Voldemort, him he could handle. Fighting the war was a breeze… and he would stand up to that monster alone if it meant his loved ones would be safe. Harry would happily trade his own life for any one of his friends. However, such things happening to his body… well that was something he wasn't quite ready to deal with.
He tried to resist but found himself staring at the picture again. Hermione was definitely not eleven anymore. Her brown hair wasn't bushy in fact Harry found it quite pretty as it fell past her shoulders, in curls. Her bangs swept past her eyes and she pushed them back behind her ears. She was smiling. Her teeth were long since fixed having been oversized for the first few years he had known her. She had a look behind her eyes that showed she was just as mischievous as Harry or Ron. Only neither of them could match her cleverness or her grades. And even though you wouldn't hear him admit it to himself, he thought she was beautiful just because she was Hermione.
Harry knew he wouldn't be half the wizard he was without Hermione… or Ron for that matter. He finally strided over to his bed and placed the picture under his pillow.
~Out of sight… out of mind… yah right Harry… she will never be far from your mind. ~
He scolded himself. Placing it under his pillow did seem to help cool his hormones down even if it didn't help with the inner havoc his feelings were going through. That was a war in itself. Harry would much rather do the whole Tri-Wizard Tournament over again than actually allow himself a moment of thought in the direction his mind kept wanting to go which was straight down into the gutter.
Sitting down on his bed again, he almost hoped to Merlin that something, anything would happen and as he lost himself in that particular thought, he barely heard the soft rapping at his window. Thinking it was just his imagination, he ignored it for some time before he finally jumped up and hurried over to the window so that the noise would not wake the Dursley's. His heart dropped just a little when he realized it was only his pet owl Hedwig.
"Hi girl…" He greeted Hedwig opening the window. "Where've you been?"
Hedwig hooted and nipped at his fingers lovingly.
"Yes girl… I'll get you some water." He said as she flew into his room. His disappointment clearly showed on his sweaty red face. The owl leaned her head to the side as owls do and looked at Harry questioningly. "Sorry… I guess I was sorta hoping for something a bit more exciting."
Hedwig looked at Harry sternly and Harry gave her a thorough scratching on the top of her head. "Yes I know… pretty pathetic huh Hedwig."
With that, Hedwig graciously stuck out her talon and Harry smiled weakly. "What's this?" He said smoothing her feathers then taking the envelope from Hedwig's leg. "A Letter?" Harry hastily opened it. Tearing at the seal, he opened it to find his first letter of the summer.
Harry,
How's it going? All's been quite quiet around the Burrow. We haven't heard from you in ages and thought maybe that Muggle family of yours had finally driven you bonkers. Please send word soon. Maybe Dumbledore will let you come for the rest of the summer. Mum say's it's all right. You know she has a soft spot for you anyhow. Owl us straight away, once you've got this letter. We need to make plans. Do you think Hermione would like to come? I can owl her as well if you like.
Ron
Oh yah Harry Happy Birthday.
Harry smiled still holding the letter. Ron always did have a way of making his birthday a bit special. Every year since second year Ron had rescued him somehow whether it was physically coming to get him… or just being where ever he ended up.
~I wonder if Ron would like it if I came to him for once. ~
Suddenly he didn't care whether or not he'd promised to stay there at Privet Drive. If he stayed there any longer he would most certainly go mad. He longed to be in the wizarding world... He started to feel the familiar feeling of claustrophobia crawl up his back and he paced around his stuffy room like a caged lion trying to make his decision final. With that, he grabbed his letter and his picture from under his pillow and rushed to his trunk throwing his belongings into it. He searched for his t-shirt and a pair of pants. Sliding his legs into a pair of rather oversized pair of blue jeans he zipped them and buttoned them lacing the belt and letting them hang on his hips. His shoes were next as he forced his foot into the tied sneaker.
Hedwig hooted again in protest and he just flashed her a stern look.
"Do you want to be trapped here for the rest of the summer?"
Hedwig cocked her head.
"I didn't think so."
He looked around at his trunk, then at Hedwig's cage. He packed in silence furiously throwing anything and everything that would fit inside his trunk. Smirking somewhat at how disheveled the mess was… He sincerely wished Tonks were there to pack it for him. He sighed heavily when he had everything, with a last glance at the trunk he turned towards his bed.
"All dress up but nowhere to go right Hedwig." Harry said finally sitting on his bed placing his head in his hands. "I don't know what I was thinking… I can't use magic to get out of here and it's not like Uncle Vernon will let me just walk out the front door."
He thought long and hard on how he could escape his personal Azkaban. After a while, he thought he heard a small pop. Figuring he had talked himself into hearing things, he ignored it until the distinct smell of something burning flared through his nostrils and his face screwed up at the disintegrating smell.
Looking up he jumped to his feet. Startled and surprised, Harry backed away from what stood before him.
"Who… who are you?" He stammered suspiciously as he backed away from the woman standing before him.
The woman looked at Harry almost intrigued. She didn't bat an eyelash; she just straightened her robes and the clothing she wore under them.
"So you're him huh?" She said brashly. "The boy who lived?"
"You didn't answer my question." Harry bantered back finding his voice while the steel of the bed frame hit just behind his knees. Knowing he couldn't go any further, he straightened himself up and tried to look like he could disarm her with a single word if he had to.
"Oh don't look at me like that… I'm not here to hurt you." The woman rolled her eyes. "My name is Willow." She said then lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'm a witch too."
"What… are you doing here?" Harry asked confused. He looked at Willow with a curious eye.
Willow the witch had to be in her twenties, dark brown hair and green eyes. She looked awfully familiar but he couldn't place her, although there was a strong pull in his gut telling him something he couldn't quite understand. He tried to blow it off however, she definitely reminded him of someone.
Willow sighed. "Look, I'm here to help." She told him.
"What do you mean?" He inquired lowering his own voice to a whisper. "Dumbledore said I couldn't leave. That I needed to stay here… there's a protection spell…"
She crossed her arms arching an eyebrow. "Do you do everything you are told?" She eyed him knowingly making Harry uncomfortable.
"Well, no… not really." Harry answered unsure.
"That's what I thought." She gave him a cocky grin. "I'll tell you all about it once we are some place else."
"How do I know to trust you?" Harry grabbed for his wand.
Willow drew in a breath of exasperation. "You don't… Accio Wand." She said and Harry's wand flew from his hand as Willow closed her fingers around the base of it. "I guess you'll just have to trust me."
"How…" Harry questioned looking threatened.
"I told you. Take my hand and I'll explain what I can." She reached for his hand. "Honestly Harry… how do you stand it in here?" She fanned herself with the collar of her robe. He took her hand and his room disappeared.
******
Harry had hoped she would take him to Grimmauld Place, however when they finally got to where they were going, Harry fell to his knees and clenched his stomach. He really had gone with her too easily.
"You ok kid? It's sorta like taking a Portkey the first time you apparate." Willow said.
"I am fine thank you. Where are we?" Harry decided against asking her how the hell they got there when he knew he an under age wizard was not allowed to apparate.
Willow sat down in an oversized chair and rubbed her temples. "We are in a room at the Leaky Cauldron."
Harry sighed in relief. If it were a trap he was sure he'd be somewhere a lot less comfortable. "The Leaky Cauldron? Why here?"
"I figured you would feel more at ease here… besides I just follow orders kid. I don't give them."
Harry sat down. "A lot of help that is. So who are you then… and why did you come for me."
"Harry, you need to realize that there is too much going on here than I can explain in the time I have. As for who I am… My name is Willow Warren. I'm from a bit of everywhere I suppose… Hiding out can get you a lot of frequent Portkey miles. I am the first generation of pureblood witches on my mother's side."
"I'm aware of the history people like Malfoy have with the whole magic born versus muggle born issue." Harry said exasperated.
Willow rolled her eyes. "Don't get your boxers in a bunch kid. I'm not here to give you a history lesson. My father was a wizard. My mother was a witch and a healer. That is what I am. A combination of healer and witch like my mother. That is what Madame Pomfrey is. We aren't common. There are only a handful of us.
"That is just weird." Harry responded. "You mean like the crack pots at St. Mungos?"
"Weird? Hey… You should try reading about you growing up the way I did. I mean come on kid, if we lose the battle here, then the future is grim. He wants to rid the world of Muggles doesn't he? And we have some very powerful witches and wizards that don't even know what is going on…" Willow took a deep breath.
"Again… you haven't answered my question… what exactly is a heal…" Harry tried again to ask her what she was.
"We are getting off the subject Harry… I've told you enough about me. Um… I don't know where to begin to explain any of this to you. I guess I should just start by saying I'm here to help. I was sent to protect you and your frien…" Willow stopped talking suddenly cleared her throat and began again. "I got my orders some time ago… but I had to wait until you turned seventeen to come."
"Why?"
"You have to be seventeen to apparate silly. How are you doing with your Occulemacy lessons with Professor Snape?"
"So far so go…?" Harry said with a hint of a question in his statement. He sat back in his chair.
"Yah… right." She grimaced. "As I said Harry… I'm here to help. I was sent here to watch over you but that is not all I am here to do."
Harry thought for a second. "You're not really here to just watch over me are you… not right now anyhow."
"What makes you say that?" Willow inquired with a nervous nuance as a mug of butterbeer appeared in her hand. "Do you want a drink?" She offered.
"Sure…" Harry answered as the same materialized into his own hand. "You're here for Hermione… Aren't you?" Harry eyed her suspiciously.
"You certainly have a one track mind kid." She smiled catlike eyeing him through her lashes. "Who says you're not the smart one anyway." Willow drank slowly from her mug. "You are right. I am here to assist her."
"Would you stop calling me kid… you said yourself I'm of age. I'm seventeen for Merlin's sake."
Willow smirked. "I'm sorry Harry… It's a habit. Don't take it personally."
"What do you want with Hermione?" Harry asked. "And what do you need me for."
"Look…" Willow searched her words carefully. "Hermione's very special. There's definitely something in this war having to do with Miss Granger."
"What do you mean?" Harry looked worried.
"Miss Granger is a very powerful witch… She's smart, clever, resourceful…"
Harry nodded his head in agreement. "Beautiful…" He added under his breath.
Willow grinned. "You really care about her don't you? You are the closest to her, with your feelings for her."
~ The Closest to her…~ Harry had never thought of it that way.
"Feelings?" Harry cried snapping back to life. "What feelings. She's my best friend. I couldn't have any feelings for her."
"Keep telling yourself that kid and the prophecy at the ministry won't go in your favor."
"You know about the prophecy?" Harry questioned.
"Let's just say I am aware of a lot of things." Willow finished her butterbeer. "You still need to work through a few things don't you. There is much anger in you yet. You need to realize what's in your heart and be able to use that against the dark lord before you can fathom how important she is to your fight. Almost as important to it as you are." Willow added standing up and stretching.
"What is it that you think I can do?"
"You ask too many questions. When the time is right you'll know the details. For now, you just need to know all this is important otherwise I would not be here."
"Important?" Harry choked on his butterbeer. He hadn't thought about it that way.
"Relax Harry. All good things to wizards who wait." She winked at him wrinkling her nose again reminding Harry of something he had seen before. "You'll be safe now. I need to go and tie up a few loose ends." Willow turned to leave. "Oh yes… I almost forgot… here." She pulled a letter out of thin air addressed to Harry. It was his seventh year Hogwarts letter. "You'll need to read it carefully Harry… there are a few new classes you will be taking in your last year and you need to have time to get your books and such in order."
Harry tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter. "There's a class here on writing spells… Standard Book of Spell Composition Year 7 by Selma Springer." He said then looked up at Willow. He paused reading the list. "Wizard Occupations…" He arched an eyebrow at the last one. "Muggle Health?" Harry questioned. "What kind of class is that?
Willow smiled and simply replied. "The last class, well even Muggle students have to take a similar class." She turned to go. "Now… if there is nothing else.
Harry glanced back down at the letter and then up at Willow.
"I'll be around when you need me Harry. You're safe." Willow repeated again trying to reassure him and with that she disappeared in cloud of sparkles and smoke.
"I'll never get used to that." He said out loud closing his eyes.
The air went stale around him, his head started to spin and Harry thought he might lose the contents of his stomach for the second time that night. His skin going pale, Harry felt himself falling into a lying position. Knowing he was about to fall off of the chair, he curled his legs up towards him. He felt the world go black and the last thing he remembered was the rustling of feathers against a cage.
To be continued…
Part One: Back on the Hogwarts Express