A.N: - Okay, this is basically a chapter where important stuff happens, that's mainly really boring. Small pieces of H/Hr interaction are also present.
Chapter 6: Walk In The Night
A gratefully received dinner surprisingly cooked by Fred and George had followed the game of football out on the yard.
Thankfully, Harry wasn't the only one looking at his soup suspiciously, but he had no reason too.
Fred and George related to Harry about their Chudley Cannons offer and they couldn't refuse it. The pay was enormous and they'd be away in East Europe battling it out on the sandy Quidditch pitches.
They were sad to be leaving, leaving everyone behind for months at a time but it was no different to Ron and Harry's professions. The only one who seemed to be staying behind was Hermione.
~)*(~
During the night, Harry had broken off from the Weasley family jokes and laughs to take a stroll outside on the large fields surrounding The Burrow.
Ottery St Catchpole was a pleasant place at nice. There were no nutcases like you'd find walking the streets of London at night, guys demanding your wallet or anything.
Harry hadn't really seen anyone at all, just a few commuters from the big cities returning home to their quiet cottages.
After a few minutes of walking around the long lanes, he found a park bench to sit on.
Leaning his head back he looked up at the night's sky, so comfortingly black and dark blue. The moon and stars were shinning brightly tonight.
Harry thought of Remus…poor Remus would be stuck in the Marauder Manor with Sirius, chained to a wall probably, or maybe he'd finally twigged the counter potion to treat his werewolf condition.
Unconsciously, Harry twirled his father's ring around his fingers. Still attached to the gold chain, it looked out of place against his dark green robes. The lion's head looked like it was almost calling out to him, roaring at him.
"Harry?"
A voice from behind him jolted him from his thoughts.
Harry craned his neck to the side to see his visitor. It was Hermione with her brown hair blowing in the slight breeze and her dark red robes hugged closely around her.
It was surprisingly chilly for a summer's evening.
Harry smiled widely and gestured to the seat next to him. She took it, sitting herself down on the wooden bench and letting her hands fall into her lap.
"It was great today," Hermione stated noticing the Lion's head on Harry's chain. "All of us being together again."
"We'll all be together soon again," Harry smiled happily, leaning back against the wooden bench and
draping and arm over the back of it. "We're eighteen now. Let's go for a drink sometime."
Hermione laughed. "Oh Merlin, I'll have two drunkards for best friends."
"I've got all the studying to do still, remember?" Harry chuckled. "I'll probably die of stress."
Hermione patted his shoulder. "You'll do great. As I've said before, you're a great wizard Harry. Don't doubt that."
The two friends smiled at each other knowingly. Hermione took Harry's hand in her own.
"So, when are you going to show me your new flat anyway?" She asked watching him smile.
"It's a dorm room," Harry corrected. "Draco will probably be bothering me to have you all over for dinner or something."
"Ginny told me about her and Draco," She stated leaning back into the bench, realising she was also leaning on Harry's arm, but he didn't shift it.
Harry grinned wider. "I was wondering when she would. It was only a matter of time."
"You kept something that big from me throughout our seventh year. Arranging all those secret meetings for them and so forth."
Harry shrugged. "It wasn't difficult and I made another good friend from it. Who would have thought that me and Draco would become close friends?"
"Draco and I," Hermione corrected pulling her robes tighter around her. "So, when are you having us over for dinner?"
"Maybe soon," Harry chuckled moving his arm around her shoulders, hugging her close to him. "You're cold."
He sat up and removed his robe, draping it over her shoulders elegantly. "That's better."
She smiled. She found it amazing how they both knew each other so well that they could tell what the other was thinking or wanting at a moment's notice.
Hermione looked up into the night's sky for a moment. "How's…" She began shuffling a little closer to him.
"Remus is fine," Harry grinned looking up into the night's sky, noticing the moon again. "He sends his greetings and says he'll see you back at school."
Hermione looked confused. "See me back at school? Is he taking another job there?"
"You'll see," Harry smirked.
The two just sat in silence for a while, listening to the familiar humming of Ottery St Catchpole by night.
It was those moments that really got to Hermione. The moments between them where nothing was said because nothing needed to be said. Everything was plain and open.
It was in those moments that it was apparent that Harry, once the vulnerable young boy, was now Harry the strong and loving young man.
"We better be heading back," Harry smiled, standing up. He reached out a hand to her.
She took his hand and stood up with him. He wrapped an arm around her waist. She followed suit and they walked pleasantly back to the Burrow knowing that everything was right with the world.
And that nothing could stop them from being together in the end…
Nothing and no one.
When Harry and Hermione arrived back at the Burrow, Sirius was there with Remus, although their expressions weren't happy.
Harry hung up his and Hermione's robes at the door and walked inside to find his two guardians sat on the Weasley's living room sofa surrounded by the Weasley family.
"Got word from the Ministry, Harry," Arthur Weasley said. He was standing by the fire. "Fudge just called. They've…seen You-Know…"
"Voldemort's been spotted, Harry," Sirius interrupted. Ron flinched at the mention of his name. "By Aurors all around Yorkshire."
Hermione sat down next to Ron on the armchair, sitting on one of its arms. "Yorkshire?"
Remus nodded. "Minister Fudge says that the Aurors have not only spotted his Death Eaters but him as well. They were all called back before further confirmation could be obtained but…
"But the fact is that he's been spotted," Arthur stated. "And it's caused havoc down at the
Ministry. Luckily, nothing has gone public yet. The sightings were this morning and later in the
afternoon."
Harry felt awe-struck. Just when he thought he'd been left alone to finish his education, Voldemort pops up again.
"Death Eaters have been seen in London too," Sirius exclaimed. "Seems like they're going for the whole load this time."
A hand took Harry's. He looked down to his hand to see Hermione's hand in his.
"Everything will be all right, Harry," she smiled.
"Yeah," Ron grinned. "It's not like he's been seen around here or anywhere near you."
An awkward silence enveloped the room and all eyes fell upon Harry.
"I'll make some tea," Mrs Weasley bustled into the kitchen.
"We need to return to the Ministry in an hour," Arthur looked back into the fire. "Fudge needs us to make a report."
Remus and Sirius nodded simultaneously.
"Could Harry stay here a while longer?" Sirius asked as Mrs Weasley came back into the living room carrying a tray of cups and a large teapot.
"Of course," Arthur poked the fore with one of the pokers. The embers lit up again from the smouldering
ashes. "Anything to keep him safe."
Hermione's hand on Harry's squeezed a little. "I'll stay too."
"I live here, but me too!" Ron chuckled.
Sirius, Arthur and Remus had left for the Ministry of Magic during the evening after a good cup of tea.
Harry thought there was something magical about Mrs Weasley's tea. It always made him feel happier and tired.
At around two in the morning, the trio had finally relented and trudged up to bed taking their overnight bags with them.
Ron drifted to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Hermione kissed him on the forehead.
"Do you want me to come to your house with you tomorrow?" Harry asked as he walked Hermione back to her bedroom.
Hermione smiled and nodded. "That'd be nice. Do you want me to come to the manor with you?"
"Yeah," Harry chuckled. "We can play hide-and-seek."
The two reached Hermione's door and she pushed it open, revealing a sleeping Ginny tucked up in her bed.
Hermione went to walk inside but felt Harry's hand clutching onto hers.
"Don't be afraid, Hermione," He smiled, his unsure smile. "Nothing will happen."
She looked at him, looked into his green eyes. His eyes always told the truth about him, he could never mask the emotion his eyes held.
"I'm not afraid," She replied. "I'm scared. I don't want to lose you, Ron or anybody else
for that matter. I know everything will be fine."
She pecked Harry on the cheek before walking into her room. Biding him a goodnight she shut the door.