Unofficial Portkey Archive

To The Burrow Another Time

The next three days after that experience saw Harry at his most restlessness. He could barely sleep a wink because every time he went to sleep, the key would loom large in his dreams. Whether he was dreaming of Quidditch, or whether he dreamt of the Department of Mysteries, the key was always there, and he could never touch it because Neville would somehow run into him. Waking from this dream yet again, he found it to be the morning, and Hedwig had returned with two letters. Getting up groggily, Harry walked over to the desk where Hedwig's cage was, and patted her feathers softly as she clicked tiredly. Taking the letters from her, he bade her goodnight and as she slept, he read.

Ron's letter told him that the Weasley's would be coming for him that day. Excitement entered his mind as he reread the letter, that meant that he would be leaving, despite having had the house to himself for four days. During the summer, he realized that he did want the company of his two best friends, whereas he hadn't felt that way during the beginning of June.

Hermione's letter told him that she would be going to the Burrow that day and would come with the Weasley's to get Harry. However unlike the two sentences Ron had written him, Hermione wrote a lot more, including the fact that she was so happy he liked her present. She also had written that she wanted to talk to him when they arrived at his house. That was about the last thing she had written, and it had Harry the most worried. Had she found out about his late night trip? Or did this have to do with the weird feeling he always got these days when he thought about her, like the goofy smile he was wearing on his face. Placing there letters in that small hole underneath the loose floorboard, underneath his bed, he went down to have himself some breakfast.

Spending the rest of the morning packing his things, along with taking everything out of that hole, which now only consisted of letters, as he had eaten the cake, Harry couldn't help but think of what Hermione wanted of him. He also couldn't help but be excited by the fact that he had two weeks at the Burrow before heading back to Hogwarts. After finishing his packing, he watched Hedwig who was asleep, then he turned his attention to the large picture still hanging on his wall, he had forgotten about that. Going over to reach it, he jumped several feet back, scared to death by a loud crack right next to him. Another crack could be heard downstairs. Looking over while clutching his chest, he smiled. George Weasley stood there, grinning like a madman at Harry.

"Hey there Harry, nice to see you've grown what, an inch?" George said, still grinning.

"Oy! Harry!" Came the voice of Fred Weasley who was coming up the stairs, opening the door to find George there. "I see... guess I should practice my targeting a bit more."

Harry couldn't help but laugh as the twins looked each other over.

"Well... Harry, what's this?" Fred found the picture of Harry and Hermione still hanging on the wall.

"N...nothing." replied Harry who was trying to get past the two to get it, but George was doing an excellent job of keeping him at bay while Fred grabbed it and looked it over.

"Hmmm, where's ickle little Ronnie? And where in the world did you get this from?"

The pictures of Harry and Hermione were smiling had their arms around each other. Harry felt his face blushing furiously as he tried to act non-chalantly about it. "Just a picture you know, Colin Creevey took it of us in our fourth year, Ron was still mad at me."

"And he had good reason to, look at this George, you'd think Harry and Hermione were me and Angelina, the way their all over each other and all. You know how Ron feels...." Fred stopped seeing the expression on Harry's face. "Uh, I mean, he'd be pretty upset to find out he wasn't in this picture."

"What do you mean how Ron feels?" Seeing the Weasley twins exchange a look, he pressed on. "You mean Ron still has that crush on Hermione?" Harry couldn't help but start laughing when he suddenly heard four distinct sounds come from downstairs.

"Guess the rest are here, well Harry, we'd love to stay, but I'm sure Ron wouldn't want to see this just yet." and with that George Disapparated.

Fred walked over toward Hedwig's cage and grabbed it slightly. "See you soon Harry." Fred Disapparating too with Hedwig.

"H..Harry?" Came the voice of Ron who was headed up stairs.

"I'm up here Ron!" yelled Harry, happiness filling him up again.

Ron came up the stairs, followed by Ginny Weasley, his younger sister who slightly blushed as she saw Harry, but managed a smooth hello. Next came Hermione, and when she came up, Harry couldn't help but stare in surprise, his stomach flipping. He wasn't sure what it meant, but he knew he had never saw Hermione like that before, save the Yule Ball. She smiled at him as Mr. Weasley, Ron and Ginny's dad came up the stairs, still looking amazed at everything.

"Elekticky Harry, I just used it downstairs, the lights come on and off with a switch, how amazing! And what's this?" Mr. Weasley had just ventured back off into Dudley's room where there was a loud gasp, followed by laughter. "The things Muggles do without magic."

Harry laughed along with the rest of the group before tearing his eyes away from Hermione, turning them instead onto Ron. Ron, who was watching Harry oddly, regained his former expression of a smile.

"So Harry... what have you been up to?"

"Not much, but... I should tell you all this when we get to your house Ron." Harry said, his face turning dead serious.

Ron nodded when Hermione stepped up.

"Well, if we want to hear what Harry has to say, we better hurry up and get his stuff to Ron's house." Slapping her hands authoritatively. "Ron, go get your dad, hopefully he hasn't broken anything of Harry's cousin's. I need to talk to Harry."

Ron, raising an eyebrow at the request of Hermione grabbed Ginny and headed off toward Dudley's room. Hermione sat on Harry's bed and watched him as he decided where he was going to sit, smiling as she watched him sit right next to her. Hermione was about to say something when the three returned, grabbing Harry's trunk and taking it down the steps. When they left, Harry turned to Hermione who was looking at him raptly.

"Harry... we've been friends for five years, and I'm sure you've noticed... that Ron"

"Has a crush on you, I know. I'm okay with it seriously." Harry said as he watched Hermione, who looked like she was struggling with saying something.

"That's not just it Harry, it's that... there's another I really like, you know." Hermione got out of her mouth as quick as possible, desiring to look at her shoes rather than Harry who was rather shocked to say the least.

"You mean Krum?" asked Harry who realized quickly that it was the wrong thing to say.

"No! I mean... we're just friends now, pen pals. He would like to come back; he's starting to hate it over in Bulgaria."

"Oh..."

"Harry, Hermione, time to be off!" Came the voice of Mr. Weasley from downstairs, with one last look at each other, they walked downstairs at the same time, reaching Mr. Weasley who was the only one still there. "Ron told me you two were talking, and as much as I would love to let you two continue, I've only got so much time on this fireplace before it's shut off from the magical world again. Ron and Ginny have taken your things, Hermione, you first."

Hermione looked at Harry with a weird smile before turning toward the fireplace that was no longer boarded up. Grabbing some of the Floo-Powder from Mr. Weasley's pouch, she yelled out the name of the Burrow before disappearing in the now green flames. Harry was about to do the same when Mr. Weasley grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Harry, I hate to tell you this, but I lied to Hermione, I've got much more time than needed here, I had wanted to try out so many of the Muggle's things, but now I need to talk to you." Pulling Harry back, he sat him down, sitting across him in one of the Dursley's large lounging chairs. "Harry, about what has happened with You-Know-Who, I'm aware that you have not been getting the news. You need to know some things, such as the fact that his supporters have broken back out of Azkaban."

The news hit Harry like a sack of bricks, but in that instant, a grim smile formed inside of his head.... he would get revenge for the death of Sirius. Surprised by his own wickedness, he just nodded to Mr. Weasley. "So there have been attacks..."

"Many attacks Harry, they've killed and tortured over twenty Muggles, the second war has truly begun. Which is why I am talking to you now... I know what you are thinking Harry, and I must advise against you trying to stop any of the attacks that may happen around you. It is a job that only Aurors and fully trained wizards should atte"

"But they killed Sirius! They've tortured the Longbottoms!" said Harry exasperatedly, he couldn't believe, no he could believe Mr. Weasley was telling him this; he just didn't want to hear it.

"And those are horrible events, none-the-less Harry, I don't want you running off and getting killed, Molly wouldn't want you to run off and get killed."

"Fine." Harry said, his anger boiling.

"Good." Mr. Weasley said with a that's-that sound in his voice, getting up with Harry, he gave the green-eyed wizard a bit of Floo-Powder, Harry yelled out 'The Burrow" a bit more angrily than he meant to, and within a few swirling, vomit-inducing seconds, found himself in the kitchen of the Weasley's, a loud crack next to him told him Mr. Weasley decided to Apparate to his home. "Ah, I see Ron, Hermione, and Ginny must have taken your things upstairs, you should go with them Harry, they've missed you terribly, especially Hermione, and she got her only a few hours ago."

Harry nodded and found himself on the steps of The Burrow, a taller-than-wider, house with more going on inside than most rich people. Going up the steps he heard yelling, followed by laughing, and as he reached the very top of the house, which was the floor on which Ron and Harry would be sleeping, he found out what was going on.

"What do you mean you gave it to him just for remembrance, he has plenty of pictures of the three of us!"

"Yes, but he has none of just me and him, he has plenty of the two of you."

"Ours are at least normal sized; you look like Lockhart, giving Harry this poster."

"It's not a poster, it's a picture."

"And I rather like it." interrupted Harry as he watched Ron and Hermione who were in a shouting match, or at least Ron was shouting. Hermione looked much more contempt to talking normally.

Ron stopped yelling and looked over to Harry, as did Hermione, who smiled widely, Ginny, who looked more shocked by his sudden appearance rather than the fact that Ron and Hermione were yelling, and Fred and George who were both hardly hiding the sniggers they were giving.

"Well, as much as we would love to stay and hear the lover's quarrel, we need to be back to the shop, good Lee Jordan is watching over it, and I'm sure he would love to get back to working with Bagman over at the Games department." said George as he and Fred Disapparated.

"Stupid gits... I can't believe you Hermione." said Ron, who was about as red as his hair.

"What is there to not believe Ron, it's not as if I sent him a picture of me in a swimsuit."

"Waiting for his Christmas present were you?"

"I'm done with you Ronald Weasley." said Hermione, walking out of the room and down the stairs, Ginny looked at the two in the room, then followed Hermione out.

"And you... liking it are you?" Ron had rounded on Harry.

"Yeah, a problem with that?" said Harry, the anger he had from his conversation with Mr. Weasley had not gone away, and if he had to begin yelling at Ron he would.

Ron was about to answer when Mrs. Weasley's voice came from down the stairs, calling them to lunch. Breaking off their beginning argument, the two went downstairs, Ron not looking at Hermione as he walked ahead of the two, Harry trading glances with Hermione. The four of them got downstairs into the kitchen where Mrs. and Mr. Weasley sat. The two were an odd, yet comparable couple. Mr. Weasley was a tall and thin man, much more like Percy, Bill, and Ron, and to some consent, Ginny who was becoming tall as well. Mrs. Weasley was a short and plump woman, much more like Charlie and the twins. Mrs. Weasley had just finished placing sandwiches on the table as Mr. Weasley helped himself to one, his face behind the Daily Prophet, the main wizarding newspaper in England. Ron sat a little distance away from Harry and Hermione, though that was a hard thing to do, considering that the scrubbed table they ate on wasn't that large. Ginny sat next to Ron who thought she was on his side, and had begun talking to her. Harry and Hermione sat next to each other and continued to exchange glances.

"Expecting those letters tomorrow, so I think we'll head off to Diagon Alley at around say 3 on Saturday." Said Mr. Weasley, placing the paper down and finishing another sandwich.

"Tomorrow is Saturday dear." said Mrs. Weasley, pouring him a cup of coffee.

"Oh yes, too right you are Molly, right, so we'll be going once you've gotten your letters, up early everyone."

That night, while Ron was snoring rather loudly, Harry couldn't sleep, he kept replaying all that had happened that day, and was quite surprised at Ron's behavior. Suddenly, he heard a slight tapping on the door, jerking over, he saw Hermione looking at him, dressed in her night gown. She still looked different to Harry, but he couldn't figure out why. Getting up, he followed her outside the door where she had motioned for him.

"What's wrong Hermione?"

"I wanted to talk to you Harry, about today."

"About Ron?"

"Yes... and about you."

Harry looked at Hermione, then looked back toward the snoring Ron. Moving down the steps gently, they made their way past George and Fred's room where they could hear snoring, past Hermione and Ginny's room were they could see Ginny softly sleeping, and into Percy's room where all that was left was the bed, Percy having took everything when he left. Sitting on the bed, Hermione sat amazingly close to Harry, who could smell the shampoo in her hair, strawberry.

"Harry, Ron is very upset with us."

"Tell me about it, you'd think he thought we were together or something."

"Yeah..." said Hermione, a bit leading.

"Want to tell me something Hermione?" Harry said.

"Not yet... I mean no. Can we just watch the sky?"

Harry didn't oblige, and both moved to lie on the bed, sitting up so that they could look out of the window. Harry hadn't noticed that he had wrapped one arm around Hermione's waist, and she had laid her head on his shoulder.

"Harry, I don't think I've ever asked you this question before..."

"What question is that?"

"I've heard you tell me before, but truthfully, do you truly like Cho, I mean, after that date and"

"No... after Sirius" Harry faltered after thinking about his godfather.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't"

"No, it's alright... I... I know Sirius is dead, you know? And it hurts, but I know I need to get over it, in order to do what I need to."

"Kill Voldemort?"

Harry looked over to her.

"You know?"

"Know what?"

"The Prophecy?"

"I don't know any prophecy, but I can just feel it, since the moment I first met you, and knew who you were, I knew you would do it.

Harry smiled and subconsciously pulled Hermione closer, who also didn't seem to notice. "Hermione, I've never told anyone, what I'm about to tell you."

Harry told her all about the prophecy Professor Dumbledore had told him, Hermione paying very close attention. As he finished, Hermione unintentionally grabbed him closer to herself.

"I can't believe you have that much pressure on you Harry."

"It's not mu"

"Yes it is Harry, and you should stop trying to act like it doesn't bother you. I know it does, I know it can eat you alive, having the pressure of the future of the wizarding world on your shoulders like that. You're brave, but don't be stupid, you'll need help."

"But the last tim"

"I know Harry, we let you down in the Department of Mysteries, but we'll practice more, the D.A will be much stronger this year."

Harry didn't say anything, he just watched the moon play against the stars, and the next thing he knew, he had Mrs. Weasley right in his face.

"Wake up the both of you!"

Harry jumped awake, realizing where he still was, Hermione was awake to, and both made to separate themselves as Mrs. Weasley left the room, mutterings of what they were doing in there coming from her. Both looked at each other and suppressed guilty smiles as they left the room and headed downstairs, hoping they would get there before Ron.

They didn't get there in time, as Ron was sitting there, arms crossed over his chest as he watched them come and sit at the table.

"Fancy seeing you two come down at the same time, do something last night?"

"Not at the table Ron." said Mr. Weasley who had come into the room, fully dressed. Gulping down a cup of coffee, he took a bacon sandwich from Mrs. Weasley, pecked her on the cheek, and left. When they finished eating a brilliant breakfast of eggs, bacon, and sausages, four large barn owls came flying down and through the windows, landing on the empty table, each brandishing a letter.

"Ah, the Hogwarts letters." said Mrs. Weasley as Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny took the letters from the barn owls, who left with a sweep of their large wings.

"Can I read this upstairs mum?" said Ron who got up, without thinking of whether or not she would say no. She didn't, and he disappeared up the steps.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other, both still saddened by Ron's attitude toward them, but Hermione opened her letter and smiled. "Our O.W.L's, we've finally gotten them." With that, she buried herself deep into her letter.

Harry raised an eyebrow before opening his; he wasn't sure how well he had done. His eyes widened though as he read the sheet of paper that hosted his O.W.L results. Looking up at Hermione, both smiled.

"19 Harry, I've gotten nineteen O.W.L's! It would've been twenty, but Hagrid did interrupt that Astronomy practical exam didn't he?"

"I've gotten 15... didn't do so well in Potions or History of Magic for that matter."

"I wonder what Ron got?" asked Mrs. Weasley as she took the letters from the two and looked them over, patting both on the shoulder before going off to ask Ron.

Harry and Ron looked over the rest of their letter when they came across the form for what they wanted to study in their sixth year. A long list of subjects flowed from Hermione's letter, Harry's wasn't quite as long, but did have a nice amount of things inside of it.

"Let's see, I think I'm through with Muggle Studies... ooh Arithmancy must stay, should I continue with Ancient Runes?"

"Hermione."

Hermione looked up at Harry who was smiling. "Calm down, you're the brightest person I know; you could probably take every course offered and still pass amazingly."

Hermione smiled, tears leaking out the sides of her eyes. Hugging Harry tightly, she placed her letter on the table when they both heard a loud scream from the top of the house.

Document created with wvWare/wvWare version 1.0.0

-->