Summer Writing Series Challenge (August 6)
Challenge: Non-songfic Songfic
Title: Health to the Company
Word Count: 2,099
The people sitting in the booths and at the tables of the newly relocated Leaky Cauldron looked downtrodden and dispirited. Firewhisky was the drink of choice, but a few were drinking butterbeer instead of the hard liquor that had destroyed so many lives.
Harry Potter was one of those few, along with his best friend and wife, Hermione. The two were struggling to keep their marriage secret, even from their mutual best friend Ron Weasley, who was partaking of his fifth shot of Ogden's best.
Harry looked at his lost friend as he tried to drown his pain in the mind-numbing bliss of alcohol. Ron had lost his wife, Luna, and their only son to a surprise Death Eater attack four months ago. When the war broke out in full, his father had been on guard duty at Grimmauld Place while everyone was resting. Ron lost his father and older brother Charlie that night while everyone else was able to escape.
He sighed at the drunken stupor his best friend had made a habit whenever there was a break in the fighting and he had to fight the tears that were trying to escape. A soft hand landed on his shoulder and Harry looked to the sad face of his secret wife.
Their eyes met and they spoke of their love silently, wishing for the day when the secret could be released to the public. They'd made the mistake of announcing they were dating, but Harry and Hermione had secreted away one night to be married incognito. Neither knew if the other would live beyond the end of the war and both wanted their lives together to start as soon as possible.
"Why doesh life take everythin' away, mate?" Ron asked drunkenly from his chair. His gaze was fixed on a newly filled shot glass and he blinked his bloodshot eyes in an attempt to keep his tears at bay. "How can you keep goin', Harry?"
Harry glanced at Hermione before looking back to his friend. "It's not easy, Ron," he said quietly. "I've never known my parents... I can remember losing Sirius like it was yesterday..."
"Why Luna and little Charlie?" Ron asked with a sob. "My baby boy... THEY KILLED MY BABY BOY!" he yelled drunkenly before burying his face in his arms on the table. Everyone present had become so used to Ron's outbursts that they didn't look up from their own sorrows to regard the grieving man.
Hermione sat next to him and rubbed his back soothingly, wincing how his body shuttered with sobs. "I know it's hard, Ron," she said quietly. "I miss my parents too..."
Harry winced at her words, remembering well the bloodbath they'd arrived at after they'd gotten word that Death Eaters had targeted Hermione's childhood home. It seemed to be a reoccurring pattern for them to arrive just in time to see the Dark Mark floating overhead and the anguish Hermione had gone through those first few weeks ripped Harry's heart to shreds. The attack had been so brutal that the house was nothing more than a pile of matchsticks, her parents shredded by the deluge of splintered wood and concrete from the structure they thought would keep them safe. Hermione nearly took her life shortly afterwards and it took Harry the better part of three weeks to bring her from the brink of suicide.
The sad look in her eyes was replaced quickly with caring when she looked to her husband. Harry knew full well what she was thinking and without another word, he cast a sleeping charm on his redheaded friend. Ron's sobs abated and he slumped fully on the table, sound asleep. Hermione rounded the table and sat in Harry's lap, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his shoulder. He held her tight as her nightly release of pain began and he fought with all his might to keep his tears at bay, to be strong for her.
"I'm here, Love," he cooed quietly, rubbing her back lovingly. Her arms tightened around him but she didn't stop crying.
So it was every night it seemed. The tantrums and the grief continued to escalate and no end to the war could be seen. Dumbledore and the elite of the Order, save Harry, Hermione and Ron, were on various missions at the moment. Each was attempting to ascertain any weakness in Voldemort's forces. Many dark creatures had joined the fight against the light. How the Dark Lord had gotten Lethifolds from South America to join his cause was a mystery. They'd lost Diggle in the first confirmed Lethifold attack in the northern climes. Tonks would have followed in his footsteps had Remus not heard the creature skulking about their camp.
Hagrid and his brother Grawp were instrumental in bringing the giants to a neutral status. The race of humanoids couldn't be convinced to join the side of the light, but when they were reminded that they would be working for wizards on either side, they chose to remain out of the quarrel.
Despite their minor victories, everyone knew that as long as Voldemort was alive, there would be no end to the war and they would eventually lose. An unheard of number of wizards had begun to flock to the Dark Army when they realized to stand against the onslaught meant certain death. Harry remembered the shock and revulsion he felt when some of the classmates he called friends, and Gryffindors at that, were found as casualties during their last battle. When he and Hermione spotted Lavender Brown's blood-soaked, blonde locks splayed under her shattered Death Eater's mask, they'd both fallen into a deep depression.
Hermione was still working through hers, Harry knew. He was able to push it aside, just as he'd done when he was younger. His wife needed him with her, to be strong. Everyone in the resistance needed him and he couldn't let them down.
Harry shuddered violently as he remembered the vacant look in Lavender's eyes and the writing tattoo on her arm. It was more than he could bear but he couldn't show any weakness in front of his fellows.
"It's ok, Harry," Hermione whispered lovingly, "you can let it out..."
As if all he needed was her permission, Harry buried his face in her bushy hair and cried silently, mourning the friends he'd lost, those that were tricked into joining Voldemort, but mainly, he mourned for those who had lost someone dear to them. He knew how it felt to lose someone you loved and he didn't wish that kind of pain on anyone.
Harry felt Hermione's arms tighten around him as he released the pent up sadness that he'd bottled away and he loved her for that simple, yet profound act. Somewhere between his silent sobs, her comforting embrace and words, he found her lips. Everything washed away when he felt her soft, moist kiss in return. They broke apart a few minutes later and buried their faces in the crook of each other's necks. A rising ball of guilt lodged firmly in his throat when he remembered that Ron was sleeping next to them, dreaming of the family that was stolen from him and his tears began anew.
Harry woke the next morning to the dead weight of Hermione in his lap, she'd also cried herself to sleep and the activities of the past few weeks had finally caught up with the group. He looked around the room blearily to see everyone slumped haphazardly over tables or in booths and he began to panic before realizing they were only asleep.
Hermione stirred from his lap and smiled apologetically. "Are your legs ok?" she asked sleepily.
Surprisingly, his legs hadn't fallen asleep and he smiled slightly as he nodded. "You're light as a feather, Love," he whispered before kissing her good morning. She blushed at his compliment and he chuckled softly, amazed that he still had the same effect on her that he did when they'd first started dating.
Ron startled the two when he snapped into a full sitting position and looked dead ahead with unfocused eyes. He opened his mouth to speak and a voice that wasn't his broke the silence of the room.
"One dark ship, one light crew, death awaits the one made from two. By sea and by air the attack shall commence, the war shall end without recompense." His voice trailed off to the sound of escaping air and the redhead slumped back to the table, snoring loudly.
Harry and Hermione looked at each other with wide eyes. This was the second time that Ron had provided a prophecy, the first was when he predicted the death of his wife and son. The only one to hear the first one was Lavender Brown and it turned out that she was the one to kill the newest Weasleys.
Hermione slid from Harry's lap immediately and began rousing the others just as the door the hidden pub swung open. It was a surprise to the person standing in the door when the entire common room spun with their wands drawn.
"I haff come vith good news!" Victor Krum said with his hands raised and forearms visible. "Durmstrang has decided to join us! I bring a ship full of soldiers!"
Hermione raced across the room and enveloped her old friend in a tight hug. "Victor!" she squealed happily as he laughed and wrapped his arms around her. They parted when Harry stepped up to the Bulgarian seeker and Krum's trademark frown settled on his face. There was a tense silence as The-Boy-Who-Lived sized up his once-rival.
"You've lost weight," Harry said with a wide smile and pulled the surprised man into a quick hug. "I didn't think you'd make it..."
"Vell, there vas quite a struggle vith the Death Eaters, but ve vere victorious," Victor said with a cunning smile. "Ve now haff three hundred broom cavalry and sailors!"
Everyone in the room brightened at the news. Harry looked to Hermione and they shared a knowing nod. The war was about to end and they'd be able to find peace for the rest of the world.
"How long will it be until we can begin our offensive?" Harry asked quickly as Tom began to bring out food and drink for everyone. Victor was served first, followed by the rest. Harry waved his hand to indicate he'd wait until everyone else had something.
"Ve can leave tonight," Krum said as he hungrily started at his bread and stew. "There isn't much ve haff to work on and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named cannot vard against the ship's teleportation."
Harry was finally served and he looked around at his companions. He wasn't sure who would come back and who would find their final resting place on the fields before the overrun Hogwarts. He pulled Hermione into his lap and took his goblet of butterbeer.
"Kind friends and companions, come join me in rhyme! Come lift up your voices in chorus with mine," he began to sing. He met each and every eye in the room as he continued the Irish song. "Come lift up your voices all grief to refrain, for we may or might never all meet here again!"
The room of men and women lifted their glasses in turn and belted out, "So here's a health to the company and one to my lass! Let us drink and be merry, all out of one glass! Let us drink and be merry, all grief to refrain, for we may or might never all meet here again!"
Harry looked lovingly to Hermione and raised his glass to hers. "Here's a health to the wee lass that I love so well. Her style and her beauty, there is none can excel! There's a smile on her countenance as she sits upon my knee, and there is no man in this wide world as happy as me!"
The rest of the room laughed at her blush and sang their part once again when Ron stood defiantly. "Our ship lies at harbor she's ready to dock... I wish her safe landing without any shock and if ever I should meet you by land or by sea, I will always remember your kindness to me!"
Having drained their goblets and eaten their fill, the contingent of witches and wizards left for the Durmstrang ship, singing the chorus over and over, clapping friends on the back and hugging family before boarding the magical Galleon. After all, there were two prophecies that needed to be fulfilled.
A/N: I ran across this Irish pub song (or is it a folk song? *ponder*) and images of people getting ready to face a battle came to mind. The story just took its own path and came out as it did. I hope you liked it. The lyrics that The Chieftains used follow (From The World Wide Over)... Wow, I'm surprised nobody pointed out my feaux paux there ;) It's fixed now... heh heh heh
Health to the Company (The Chieftains) (* = chorus)
Kind friends and companions, come join me in rhyme
Come lift up your voices in chorus with mine
Come lift up your voices all grief to refrain
For we may or might never all meet here again
*So Here's a health to the company and one to my lass
*Let us drink and be merry, all out of one glass
*Let us drink and be merry, all grief to refrain
*For we may or might never all meet here again
Here's a health to the wee lass that I love so well
Her style and her beauty, there is none can excel
There's a smile on her countenance as she sits upon my knee
There is no man in this wide world as happy as me
*
Our ship lies at harbor, she's ready to dock
I wish her safe landing without any shock
and If ever I should meet you by land or by sea
I will always remember your kindness to me
*