Chapter 2: Parties and Shopping???
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters, settings, and situations created and owned by J. K. Rowling as published by, including and not limited, to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. The use of these characters and settings is for entertainment purposes only; no infringement is intended or should be inferred. I also do not own Leonard Nimoy's name as well as the book Teaching with the Brain in Mind by Eric Jensen.
Harry was awoken due to a prodding of his shoulder. "Go away. Need to sleep." The prodding continued and with a grunt Harry reached out for his glasses, finding a hand instead. Opening his eyes he found himself looking into Hermione's beautiful cinnamon eyes. He smiled sleepily and mouthed, 'Morning love. Hermione blushed slightly before placing his glasses on his face. It was then he realized that there were others in the room, and Harry looked up finding a banner above his head saying, Happy Birthday Harry.
Harry's face was tinged slightly pink, but instead of stammering he decided to do something a little bold and pulled Hermione into his lap and the two shared another heated kiss. When they came up for air Hermione was as red as he had ever seen her, and he just pulled her closer as the others in the room either chuckled or went as red as her. Then, the twins plopped the cake, candles lit, in front of him. Harry couldn't help the tears rolling down his face as the group broken into a somewhat out of tuned Birthday song.
When the song ended everyone looked to find Hermione holding an overly emotional Harry. "T-Thank you." Everyone around him was looking at him with such concern that he started to laugh. "Sorry," he said looking up at them, "it's just that I've never had a birthday party before." The expressions ranged from understanding, to shock, and, from Hermione, rage. He pulled her closer to him and whispered, "it's all right 'Mione. Don't think of them," before kissing on the cheek. She shook herself and nodded leaning back into Harry, relaxing.
Harry looked around at those that had gathered. He saw Ron, Luna, Bill, Charley, Fred, George, Percy, Ginny, Draco, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley of course, but there also was Remus, Tonks, Moody, Professor McGonagall, and, his blood temperature dropped a few degrees, Professor Dumbledore. Harry had never quite forgiven Dumbledore for what he went through fifth year and for not telling him of the prophecy. Professor Snape, to the surprise of most of those there, was present and even had a gift. It was then Harry remembered when he had, rather forcefully, changed Snape's attitude toward him.
…
Flashback
Harry got off the ground for, surprisingly, the second time that night. "You'll have to do better than that Potter; especially if you ever hope to face the Dark Lord again." Harry gave him a venomous glare before smirking, an intriguing idea coming into his mind. "Alright on three Potter one…two…three…Liglimens!"
Once again Harry's memories were racing past him, but even as Snape seemed about to release and berate him Harry latched onto the wizard's mind. Harry began force feeding Snape his very worst memories, and to his satisfaction Snape's face was tinged with green. Snape tried to disengage his mind from Harry but to no effect as more images of punching sessions, being locked in the cupboard under the stairs, beatings, Harry's emotion as the kids around him had made fun of his clothing and broken glasses went through his mind, etc. Finally, Harry released Snape's mind, but not before conjuring a bin. The potions master promptly emptied himself into said bin.
Once he had regained his composure he looked over at Harry. For once his look was not hateful of loathsome but empathetic. "It seems that you and I had more in common than I thought Pot-Harry. I'm sorry that I judged you so harshly and for the way that I have treated you. Can you forgive me for acting like an overgrown child rather than a teacher?"
Harry was to shaken by what Snape had just said to say anything and just nodded his head.
(A/N: Just so you know there is implied as well as admitted child abuse in this flashback, but I will not state anything more for my own mental health. I absolutely hate the thought of child abuse. I have a low tolerance for anything remotely like abuse, rape, and the like on how much it takes to piss me off. Please use your imagination to come up with you own thoughts on what else those bastards did to him.)
End Flashback
…
From that day on Snape did his best to be more civil with Harry. Harry in turn made sure that he and his friends treated him with respect. Eventually, the two had formed an uneasy friendship.
As Harry blew out the candles only one wish was on his mind. I wish that I will survive this war to give Hermione the future she deserves.
Then, for once, he was showered with gifts. Ron and Luna had gotten him a book on defensive spells, the twins some of the "safer" merchandise from their store, and Draco and Ginny gave him a book on wandless magic. Both Remus and Professor McGonagall dropped their presents next to him saying to open them later. Professor Snape gave him a book on healing Potions saying that with what's a head they will come in handy. The rest of the Weasleys gave him an assortment of different outfits saying it was about time he stopped wearing what that overgrown oaf outgrew. Professor Dumbledore gave him a book on healing spells. Still the gift Hermione gave him was the one he found most endearing. While the others gave him things to help him with his future, or to play pranks, she gave him something simple and wonderful. It was a simple locket with a wizard picture of the three of them taken in their sixth year on one side and a spot free for another photo.
Immediately, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his picture of Hermione, ignoring the surprised and amused looks of those gathered, he shrank it to fit and placed it in the locket. As he placed the chain about his neck he looked into Hermione's surprised face and said. "What? I told you that I struggling with my feelings for a while and, well, I have the picture because I wanted to always have you near me." To this she leaned against his giving him a grateful look before kissing his cheek. For once Ron kept quiet but felt a thumb cross under his eyes. He looked over at his girlfriend, Luna, and saw that she had been wiping the stray tear from his eyes. His having the 'emotional range of a teaspoon' long since gone, he seemed to have contracted a bad case of foot in mouth disease.
When Mrs. Weasley had asked if they should continue the celebration down stairs everyone readily agreed. Harry asked Hermione to remain with him for a moment. He began rummaging through his trunk for some clothes and found a neatly wrapped package. "Bullocks!"
"You kiss me with that mouth do you Potter?" Hermione asked him in a shocked tone while her eyes laughed at him.
"Sorry love, I just realized that I forgot to send Neville his present." He replied and watched her eyebrow arch in a way that would have made Leonard Nimoy proud. "Today's his birthday too remember?" As the realization struck her she suddenly enveloped him in a hug. "Uff, what was that for, not that I mind or anything."
"It's for just being you."
"Well I guess I'll have to be me more often. Hey," said Harry as she playfully smacked his arm. "Love, will you come with me to send this off?" She nodded and, after he was dressed, followed him to the attic. "Hedwig where are you?" queried Harry toward the rafters, and a beautiful snowy owl swooped down, landed on his shoulder and nipped his ear affectionately. "Hi girl, will you do me a favor?" Hedwig just gave him a look that said what do you think?
Harry just chuckled before asking, "Can you take this to Neville for me?" She hooted, nipped him again and, as soon as he finished tying the package to her, took flight to Neville's home.
Draping an arm about Hermione's waist, Harry and Hermione set off to the kitchens. "What took you two so long?" asked Ron as everyone looked at the couple.
"Sorry everyone, but I just remembered that I forgot to send Neville his gift," then, to their skeptical looks, he said. "Before you go forming your own theories notice that neither of us looks disheveled or heated in any way." Hermione blushed, as most of the others gaped or mimicked Hermione at what he had just said. The twins on the other hand were rolling on the floor laughing their asses off. "Oh bloody hell that came out wrong!" Harry stated simply still not blushing at this. The party continued with further incident and for Harry it was one of the best days of his life. It was just over his first trip to Hogwarts and way below Hermione's response to when he told her how he felt.
…
"Harry, where the heck have you gone off to?" questioned one irate Hermione Granger. "You should be working on your summer homework." She had searched every room she could think of him staying in, but she had, thus far, only found Ginny with Draco and a slightly bemused Ron and Luna. Finally, she opened the door to the Black family's library. To her amazement she found him sitting there with his nose in a book, no less.
As soon as he saw her he closed and hid the book. "Hi 'Mione, what are you doing here?"
She gave him an intense stare before replying, "I was looking for you to see if you needed any help on your summer homework. I really didn't expect to find you here and reading a book no less. Would you mind telling me what that book was?"
The look she gave him took his breath away and he, pulling the book from behind his back, replied, "Sorry love, you'll have to help Ron with his, mine's done." She raised an eyebrow skeptically and Harry chuckled saying, "I'm not lying, you seemed to have just gotten through this thick skull of mine. As for the book, come over here and I'll show you." Hermione settled herself, happily, on his lap and he gently place the book on her's. The book was Teaching with the Brain in Mind by Eric Jensen.
She gave him a disbelieving look and he just shrugged. "I've decided that when this war is over I really don't want to work as an Auror. Ever since fifth year I've wondered if I should teach. I already consider Hogwarts my home," mostly because you're there, he wanted to add but continued by stating, "and I just want to make sure that the students that graduate after us will have better teacher's than Quirrel and Umbitch, sorry 'Mione just my temper flaring. Most importantly though there are two reasons that I want to teach. First off, I enjoyed teaching the D.A. fifth year and was so proud of their accomplishments. Then, there is the fact that my schedule won't be so erratic as to keep me from the woman I love." As he said this he pulled her closer. I wonder if there are any teaching books on DADA in Diagon alley. I guess I'll find out tomorrow.
…
"Hey Hermione, Harry hurry up we're about to leave." called Ron from the living room. Harry and Hermione came bounding, hands clasped, down the stairs. In the living room stood Ron, Luna, Ginny, Draco, Mrs. Weasley, Moody, and Lupin.
When the arrived to find everyone in front of the fireplace Harry let out a groan and placed his glass safely into one of his pockets. Hermione just laughed at his expression, and he gave her a mock glare in return. "Let's get this over with." he said while the other gave him a strange look. "Before you say it I may have passed the appearation test but Hermione can't appearate yet so I won't." he merely took a pinch of the powder threw it into the flames and said "Diagon Alley" before disappearing into the flames.
"Hermione he's got it bad for you!" stated Ron simply.
"Not half as bad as I for him," she replied grinning.
…
When they had all arrived in the Leaky Cauldron Harry led, with Hermione by his side, the procession into Diagon Alley. He could feel the stares that not only he and Hermione but also Draco and Ginny were receiving. He leaned over and whispered, "Do you trust me my love?"
She looked at him curiously before replying, "with my life and my heart, why?"
"Because I want to know if you mind making our relationship a bit public," he answered. Seeing her eyes widen a little in fear, a little in shock, but mostly in surprise he said, "It's your choice but I'm tired of the stories the papers release and more so of the incorrect info. So, if you don't mind, I would like to give these people something to stare at besides my scar." When she nodded telling him she was willing he placed his lips firmly on hers. Without "meaning" to they had caused the shoppers to halt and stare less shiftily at them, more than one mouth dropping in astonishment.
The two easily got lost in the other, ignoring those around them. It took Remus tapping their shoulders and saying "Harry I think you accomplished your goal, whatever it was," to break the trance. Hermione blush a light pink as Harry laughed at the disruption they had caused. The group continued on with their shopping. Ron and Ginny had received brand new text books as well as brand new robes. While not as wealthy as Harry or the Malfoys nobody would be calling them poor, again, anytime soon.
Ron even made the comment that new robes were not all they were cracked up to be. "Honestly guys, they don't have that well worn feeling that my old robes do. Although, they do fit better." The group divided as they set off to buy their new dress robes so that the members of the opposite gender could be surprised at what they were going to wear. Draco's robes were black trimmed in silver; Ron's were a deep fiery red trimmed in, much to Ron's disgust, maroon. Harry's robes were emerald green trimmed in gold.
Harry then said that he had something he needed to do and asked Remus to come with him. Remus bemusedly agreed and the two disappeared into the crowd. "Sorry Remus it's just that I needed to do something and knew that Moody wouldn't have respected my privacy." At the look Remus gave him said, "Well this is a rather private thing that I needed to do and I knew that you of all people would respect that." Remus still looked skeptical but nodded his head just the same. "Remus it's just a private matter that will reveal itself soon. It's not dangerous if that's what you're worried about or at least I hope it isn't." He suddenly looked frightened of something, as if he were going to face a thousand Dementors.
The two stopped in front of what appeared to be a small jewelry store and Harry stepped inside looking around. Remus, so as not to intrude on Harry's privacy, looked at the shop across the street. After what seemed like hours, it had actually only been thirty minutes, Harry emerged with a few bundles in his hands. He gave Harry a question glance to which Harry replied with his own look that said you'll find out later.
They made their way back to the group at which point all the other teens began to pester him about the packages he was carrying. He was not being liberal with this information and they kept bothering him until a voice questioned, "Lost your way have you Potter?"
Harry whirled around and found himself looking at a Death Eater's mask, several of them in fact. "Ah Lucius Malfoy I wondered when you would finally break free of Azkaban. Two years without the Dementors guarding it I'm disappointed." Harry's voice oozed sarcasm as he practically spat the words.
"Now, now Potter you say your disappoint but you're the one with the Mudb-" A sickening crack was heard as the Death Eater's legs shattered, and Lucius Malfoy ended up face down on the ground screaming in agony.
Harry's wand was now in his hand, his eyes burning with indignation and hate, as he cried, "Stupefy, Impedimenta, Reducto," one after the other. The Death Eater's were caught off guard as, unfortunately, those in Harry's group. Then, the curse began to fly back and forth like an extremely violent tennis match. Draco had been taken out of the match after leaping in front of a rather nasty Cruciatus curse aimed for Ginny. Remus took down several of the Death Eater with stunning and body binding curses only to be stunned by the one that he had missed. Mrs. Weasley soon followed by a concerned and distracted Mr. Weasley as they were hit by no less than four stunners. Tonks was handling herself by morphing into various guises and confusing the already brain lacking individuals. Ron and Luna were working in tandem; while on would cast a shielding charm the other would cast a barrage of curses. The Death Eaters were losing and they knew it, and Harry and his group began to press the attack.
Then time seemed to stop as a pained voice yelled "Avada Kedavra," and a jet of green light appeared from one Lucius Malfoy's wand; it was headed straight for Hermione!
"No," screamed Harry as he lunged toward the light and, if not for all the noise, would have heard the cracking sound as Harry appeared in front of Hermione. The only thing that was on his mind was I can't lose. Not like this, I love her to much for this to happen. These thoughts of love filled his very being and, in the distance, a certain Dark Lord began to writhe in agony. Had anyone been looking really been looking they would have seen a faint gold glow emanating from Harry's body just before the curse hit him in the chest. With that strike all Harry saw was darkness.
(A/N): Before I start receiving hate mail or reviews proclaiming that I'm the devil incarnate or something to that effect please listen to what I have to say. First of all remember that the description still says in progress and I have yet to reveal the title's secret. I would never end a promising story on its second chapter. On a happier note I wonder if you have guessed what the packages are. Remember that it's more than two. I also plan, for you skeptics, to write another flashback or two explaining Draco's defection.
I also wanted to say thank you for all the great reviews, and I want to make one thing clear. I am not, as you will see in my profile, Excalibur or Anduril or a collaboration thereof. My user name was derived from linking my two favorite swords, Excalibur and Anduril. Sorry for any confusion this has caused and I hope you have enjoyed my story so far. As for the book it was a real one chosen by myself at random.
Jim