The Last Kefsen by Jardyn39
Chapter 15: The Fourth Compartment
Harry dragged his trunk into the shop. Lupin followed and closed the door behind him.
The shopkeeper welcomed them with a wide smile and said, "Welcome back, Mr Potter! May we be of further assistance?"
"I have a couple of queries regarding my trunk."
"Really? Is there anything wrong?" he asked with concern.
"I asked for a trunk that was standard. I know you said you'd fit it out but I really wasn't expecting this lot."
"Let me check with the workshop foreman."
The shopkeeper stepped to one side and bent down. He lifted a trap door and shouted, "Mr Bandle? There is a query with Mr Potter's trunk. I'm sorry to interrupt your break, but would you be kind enough to come up and bring the specification sheets with you?"
A moment later a tiny, rather elderly wizard appeared and bowed before Harry. He looked rather concerned that his work might not be to Harry's satisfaction.
"I'm sorry if I disturbed your break," began Harry.
"Not at all, Sir," he replied in a rasping voice. "Would you like to show me the problem?"
"Well, it's not exactly a problem with the workmanship. Quite the reverse, actually. Could you tell me first, is the wardrobe a standard feature."
"Oh yes, Sir! All of our standard trunks include wardrobe facilities. We can expand it if you wish?"
"No, no," said Harry. "What about the bedroom and bathroom?"
"Indeed. They are the main selling points."
"That's fine then," said Harry. "I'm very happy with that compartment, and the first plain one too."
"Thank you, Sir," said the foreman bowing again.
"Is the third compartment standard?"
The foreman checked his notes and said, "No, not entirely, Sir. I do apologise if I installed anything not to your liking."
"I'm afraid I'm responsible for that compartment," admitted Mr Serrure. "I told you we would fit it out, and I rather got the impression you would like a plain and functional storage area."
"Well, I do," agreed Harry. "The central store room is great."
"Well, originally we just put the four large storage rooms in," continued the shopkeeper. "The problem was it really didn't seem to justify the amount we were charging for the entire commission, especially as you were so generous with the bespoke trunk.
"Then we had the idea to fit out three of the store rooms properly. We knew you were still at Hogwarts, so we included a study area and a practical area. The practical area may be customised for any NEWT level area of study as needed. You probably found the control dial next to the door. We defaulted to Potions because we assumed you'd be taking that. Then we had a brainwave! We were certain you'd want an area to train, so we included a Defence Against the Dark Arts arena too."
"But why is the library stocked with the books I selected for Hermione's trunk?"
"We weren't sure what books you would want, so we just assumed you would wish to start with the same. We can remove or revise anything not entirely to your satisfaction."
Harry frowned a little. He looked at Lupin who gave him a small smile and a nod.
"Very well. The only problem I have is that I think you undercharged me for this trunk. The extras are entirely to my satisfaction, and to be honest I would have specified them had I known you could provide them. Please work out the proper price for this trunk so I can pay you the correct price."
To Harry's surprise the two men looked uneasily at each other.
"Did Sir investigate the fourth compartment?"
"No, actually. I forgot about that. The key wouldn't turn."
"That's because we had a problem with the last compartment. We will refund your money entirely if you wish."
"Tell me about the problem," said Harry gently.
"Well, it isn't always there. We borrowed some of the expanded space for use in the other trunk's compartment due to the short time available."
"So is the other trunk safe?"
"Perfectly, Sir, as is yours. Once we figure out what went wrong, we'll replace your defective compartment free of charge."
"No, I don't really need a fourth compartment anyway," said Harry, feeling happier knowing Hermione's trunk was probably okay. "I just need you to work out the proper price for my trunk."
*
Harry waited alone in the Gryffindor common room. Everyone else had gone to bed and he was feeling a little anxious.
He'd even managed to persuade Jen to give them some time alone, although she had purposely misunderstood his innocent explanation why.
"Someone's just hoping for another kiss," she had teased him. "I'll tell her to wear plenty of that perfume you liked so much, shall I?"
The door to the girl's dormitories opened and Hermione came down the steps, easily carrying her trunk.
"Hi," she said putting the trunk down at his feet.
"Hermione," began Harry gently, "I'm really sorry."
"What for?"
"Come on, it was written all over your face when I asked you to meet me. I should have realised. I know you gave away your old trunk already. You were bound to have some private things in your new trunk. I just didn't think."
"Harry, what do you imagine I've got in here?" she asked laughing.
"We don't have to do this now. I can order a plain trunk for you to have while this one goes away to get fixed."
"Are you even sure it needs fixing?"
"To be honest, I don't know. My last compartment won't open, although the other three are great. I just wanted yours to be perfect, that's all."
"What about the other trunks?"
"I've checked and they're fine. Yours is a bit different though."
Harry handed Hermione her keys. This was, finally, the moment he'd been dreading and at the same time looking forward to. He knew she would scold him for such an extravagance, but he needed to do this.
"I wanted to be with you when you saw it for the first time anyway," he said smiling sheepishly.
Hermione blushed slightly and opened the third compartment. They descended the stairs into a small lobby with a single pair of doors ahead of them.
Harry took hold of Hermione's hand and led her into the next room, saying, "Happy Birthday, Hermione."
*
Hermione gasped.
"Well, I'm glad they didn't get carried away like they did with Ron's," said Harry with a grin.
They were standing in an enormous room. It was a perfect reproduction of the Hogwart's library. Most of the shelves were empty, though and under the rows of reading tables stood matching filing cabinets.
Harry led Hermione towards her favourite corner, revealing a slight change from the Hogwarts original.
Hermione's favoured reading table stood in front of a large pair of french doors which had sunlight streaming through them.
Hermione went over and peered through the glass.
"Where is this a view of, Harry?"
Harry reached down and turned the handle. He then threw both doors open and led Hermione outside.
"I know you like to read outside sometimes," said Harry as they stepped to the edge of the stone patio and looked down towards the lake.
Hermione looked around in wonder.
"How much of this is an illusion?" she asked as a light breeze blew her hair.
"Most of what we can see. I think the limits that we can actually occupy are the bushes of each side and a few feet beyond the waterline. The weather changes every so often, but it won't ever rain if you're out here."
"How did they manage to get anything this big inside the compartment?" asked Hermione as she stepped back inside the library.
"With difficulty, I suspect," said Harry. "I just wanted you to have enough space to add some books if you wanted."
"This is wonderful, Harry. Thank you," said Hermione and she kissed him lightly on his cheek before walking back inside.
Harry blushed and followed her, deciding to leave her to discover the last compartment on her own. Mr Serrure had assured him that Hermione's final compartment was fine, even if his wasn't.
Hermione stroked her hand over one of the highly polished surfaces.
"I know these trunks were expensive, Harry," she said. "I expect you've been waiting for me to tell you off."
Harry looked down.
"Well, to be honest, I hardly know what I should say. On the one hand, it was a wonderful gesture, especially getting one for each of us. We certainly needed the space. I also know you don't value things just by how much they cost."
Harry looked up to see Hermione looking at him intently.
"No, Harry, I'm not going to tell you off just now. I'd like you to know why, though. Ever since you've got back to school you've been distant. I've felt that Harry and it hurts. I put it down to what happened over the holiday, but I'm more and more convinced it's something else."
Harry looked down again, feeling his throat tighten.
He had hurt her. He had hurt her by not telling her and he was afraid of hurting her if he did tell her.
"So," she continued gently, "until you are prepared to talk to me properly about, well, whatever is really the matter, I'll put up with what you are trying to say with all this."
She walked over and looped an arm around his.
"Let's take a proper look around outside, shall we?" she asked.
Harry nodded and allowed himself to be guided outside.
"I was so angry with you, Harry," she barely whispered. "I needed you. I kept writing, hoping you'd help me. You never failed me before, but this time it seemed you had just abandoned me. The loss of Sirius only hit me when I got home, but I still felt his loss."
Harry stopped, totally mortified at what Hermione had just said.
"Shh," she said gently. "We'll be fine."
As they went out into the sunshine, Hermione said casually, "Jen's just as mad with you as I am, isn't she?"
Thankfully, Hermione didn't appear to need and answer.
*
The next Saturday was a Chudley Cannons home match and Ron had invited everyone to join him in his trunk.
Harry stayed for a short while but soon became restless.
He left and climbed out of the trunk into the deserted common room. It was unusual for him to have any time on his hands. He had planned on Dumbledore being available to teach him Occlumency, but the Headmaster had cancelled that morning.
Harry would have liked to spend some time with Hermione, but she had insisted she had to do all her homework first and had retreated up into the girl's dormitories. Harry suspected she wanted to take advantage of the peace and quiet since everyone else appeared to be cheering the Cannons on.
He trudged upstairs. He supposed he should do some homework.
As he opened the door to the dormitory, he suddenly remembered the training compartment within his own trunk.
He quickly entered and fumbled for his key.
Harry absently stuffed his key in the lock and turned it. He was about to open the trunk lid when he realised he had mistakenly put the key in the last lock and not the third. It had never turned before.
He cautiously lifted the lid and lanterns revealed another set of steps leading down into a large room inside the trunk.
Harry grabbed his wand and climbed down the steep ladder.
The room was plain and ahead of him was a single door. He reached out and pulled at the handle. A gush of warm steamy air wafted towards him.
He stepped onto the marble covered floor of the next room.
Harry took a few steps into the room and sighed deeply.
"Just great," he said aloud, realising the trunk makers had made a mistake. The luxury bathroom that Mr Serrure had admitted installing as Hermione's fourth compartment had been installed as his trunk instead.
"Harry?"
Harry spun around. Hermione was staring at him looking quite shocked.
"Harry, what are you doing here?" she asked.
Harry just stared back at her and she lowered herself a little lower into the swimming pool sized bath, although the dense foam bubbles quite covered her modesty.
"Hermione, I'm sorry," said Harry. "The trunk makers made a mistake. This bathroom was supposed to be installed in your fourth compartment, not mine. How did you get in anyway? I suppose your key worked in my last lock?"
"Harry, this is my trunk. We are in my fourth compartment."
"Oh," said Harry turning away, having failed to stop his eyes wandering down to the bubbles covering Hermione. "I'd better leave. Sorry. Happy Bubb- Birthday."
*
Harry reached the sanctuary of his trunk workshop wondering if it was actually possible to die of embarrassment. After several anguished minutes, he decided to go and practice duelling for a while.
The practice duelling didn't really help much. His mind kept wandering back to the bubbles and he paid dearly for his lack of concentration.
Much later he would endure Jen's teasing as well.
"Harry, you should have just jumped in!"