Chapter 6: Constant Vigilance!
July 5 - 6:53pm - Grimmauld Place
The kitchen fireplace at Grimmauld flared to life as Minerva McGonagall, Tonks, and Bill Weasley stepped through in turn. The three stopped and stared when they caught sight of Harry and Hermione wrapped in each others arms with the occasional muffled sob. The three looked at one another, but neither Harry nor Hermione acknowledged their presence. Finally Bill pulled his eyes away and spoke to Minerva, "Professor, we should let Poppy take a look at that bump on your head."
"I'm fine," Minerva objected also choosing to look away from her students, "I'm sure Poppy is busy."
"It'll only take a moment, and she can give you something to make the pain go away," Bill pointed out refusing to be deterred. He maneuvered his former Professor out of the kitchen and in the direction he'd seen Madam Pomfrey disappear earlier.
Ignoring the couple, Tonks moved towards the freezer to grab a butter beer. She sat down at the table before taking a drink. What a horrendous day. She knew it would be awhile before she could close her eyes without seeing the Grangers mangled forms.
She'd seen a lot over the last couple of years as an Auror, but that had been one of the worst scenes she'd seen so far. She didn't begrudge Hermione's finding whatever comfort she could. She could hear an occasional sob coming from the girl near the other end of the table. Most of her crying was muffled against Harry's chest.
Flames erupted again in the fireplace again as Mad Eye Moody stepped forward from them dragging a trunk. A moment later, another young man appeared. Moody noticed the oblivious couple, "Expelliarmus," he called immediately.
Harry's hand moved before Moody had finished speaking and neither Harry nor Hermione's wands flew into the air.
Instead, both teens now faced Moody their wands drawn. Dudley cowered behind the grizzled ex-auror. Tonks still sat at the table nursing her drink. She was used to Moody's antics. Her wand, however, was also trained on him only under the table. It wouldn't do to be wrong, just in case.
"Excellent," Moody exclaimed, "Constant vigilance! Finally, someone's listening to me." Moody turned to the boy behind him, "Sit down boy, until we figure out what to do with you."
The large boy did as he was told and sat down at the table. Moody put down the trunk. "I got all your stuff. Your cousin came by the house just as I was finishing. He grabbed some things for himself as well and I suppose he'll just have to stay here until we figure out what to do with him."
"Thanks, Professor," Harry spoke for the first time since he'd arrived at Grimmauld Place. Moody grunted.
"I was never your professor, it's Moody." He pulled the flask from his hip holster and took a long drink. He looked over both Harry and Hermione carefully, noting the red eyes from recent crying and the way the two remained in physical contact even with their wands drawn. "Now, which one of you is going to fill me in on what else has happened?"
Hermione and Harry looked at each other for a moment then sat down at the table opposite Dudley Dursley. Both put their wands away as Hermione took Harry's hand under the table their fingers curling together. She took a deep breath squeezing Harry's hand tightly before answering Moody's question.
"Death Eater's attacked my parents, the Burrow, and Neville's. Mr. Weasley and Charlie have gone to check on the Lovegoods. Bill and Tonks just brought back Professor McGonagall. Bill insisted on taking McGonagall in to see Madam Pomfrey about a bump on her head. Remus, Ginny, Neville, and Gretchen left the kitchen earlier, to give Harry and I some privacy," Hermione explained before looking down at the table.
"Losses or injuries so far?" Moody decided to push this point wondering if the young woman before him had it in her to answer the question. Nobody spoke for what seemed like forever then finally, after squeezing Harry's hand again, Hermione answered in a strained voice.
"So far we've lost Neville's grandmother and my parents, and Ron and Professor Snape were both injured."
"And we lost the Dursley's and Diggle in Surrey," Moody finished. "You did well. I'm recommending that both you and Harry join the Order. Albus has got to learn that you two have seen too much to be kids anymore." Once again the kitchen was silent. Nobody knew how to respond to Moody's remarks. Tonks decided to try to lighten the mood.
"There's soup on the stove and the fixings for sandwiches in the ice box if anyone's hungry," Tonks informed them. Moody must think very highly of both Harry and Hermione if he were willing to push the Order to accept the two.
They hadn't even accepted Fred and George Weasley completely. Then again that was mostly due to Molly Weasley's refusal to budge on the issue. Molly was going to be livid that it even be suggested that Harry and Hermione join, although, to be honest she was not their guardian. Even though she certainly treated Harry and Hermione as if they were her own.
"Well, eat up then I'd suggest you all find yourselves some rooms and settle down for the night. It's best to rest while you can." Nobody moved except for Dudley who stood slowly and served himself a large bowl of soup. He didn't speak as he sat down to eat.
When Bill, Minerva, and Remus returned to the kitchen Dudley was on his second helping of soup, Tonks had just started her second butter beer, and Harry and Hermione appeared lost in thought. Moody continued to drink from his hip flask and watch the other occupants.
Soon Ginny, Neville, and Gretchen wandered back into the kitchen as well, just as Luna, her father, and Charlie Weasley arrived. More bowls were fetched as Charlie told them about what they had found at the Lovegoods. Moody and Jeremiah were soon deep in conversation about the protections at Stoats Head Hall, and Harry and Hermione each found themselves with a bowl of soup and a butter beer in front of them.
Harry looked down at the soup in surprise, and started to push it away. Remus who had taken a seat next to him calmly pushed it closer. Harry sighed and picked up his spoon. After a few bites he caught Hermione's eye. She had not touched her soup even with prodding from both Remus and McGonagall. He knew there was nothing he could say to her to make things any easier for her and he blamed himself for the attacks on his friends. His throat seemed to close off and he nearly choked. He put his spoon down and stood up slowly. Hermione followed him as he took his still mostly full bowl of soup to the sink.
Ever since Hermione had informed them that Ron was hurt, he had wanted to check on him. Hermione slipped her hand in his as they reached the doorway leading into the hall.
"May I go with you to see Ronald," a voice questioned from behind them. The two turned to see Luna standing in the doorway. Her long blonde hair was twisted into a knot on top of her head with her wand securing it. For a moment they wondered how she knew where they were going when neither had even expressed that desire to the other. Harry shrugged off his curiosity before nodding his assent, and the three set off to check on their friend.
Madam Pomfrey wasn't hard to find. She'd set up her make shift hospital in the first bedroom on the first floor of the house not far from the kitchen. The three teens approached their fallen friend's bed slowly.
Ron was very pale making his freckles stand out even more than normal. His mother sat by his side crying and holding his hand. She looked up as Harry, Hermione, and another girl she didn't recognize approached.
"Poppy says he's stable for now. He…he lost a lot of blood," Molly Weasley managed. Her nightmares were coming true. 'Damn this horrid war,' she added though not aloud. In the last war with Voldemort she had lost most of her family on the Prewitt side. She hated living with the knowledge that one of her children or Arthur could be next.
Her youngest son lay deathly still barely clinging to life and she knew she might still lose him. Oh, if only she hadn't gone to that stupid meeting, she'd have been at the Burrow and Ron probably wouldn't be in the hospital now.
The three teens just stood there. There wasn't anything they could say, and somehow seeing Ron like this just made the fact that he was hurt all the more real. Hermione buried her face against Harry's chest, her tears returning at the sight of her friend. Harry pulled her in against him feeling tears burning in his eyes as well. Voldemort would pay for this. For the first time since Dumbledore had revealed the prophecy to him, Harry faced what he had to do. He never wanted to see another one of his friends lying in a hospital bed near death because of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. The only way to insure that wouldn't happen would be to defeat Voldemort getting rid of him once and for all.
Luna moved even closer to Ron's side and kneeling took his other hand in hers. Molly Weasley watched this unknown girl surprised at her obvious display of feelings for Ron. Her son had never mentioned any girls other than Hermione, and she wondered for a moment if he knew of this girl's interest.
After several moments, Luna looked up and caught Molly Weasley's stare.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley, my name is Luna Lovegood. I'm a classmate of Ginny's. I wish we could have met under better circumstances."
"Me, too, Miss Lovegood."
"You three should get some sleep," Poppy Pomfrey said quietly coming over to the end of Ron's bed. "We'll wake you if anything changes."
"I'd like to stay, Madam Pomfrey, if that's alright, and I'm willing to help. I hope to become a healer one day." Luna answered looking up at the wizened healer.
"Alright, Miss Lovegood, I could use some help with some of the potions Mr. Weasley will require as unfortunately, my usual potions master is still recovering and will likely not wake until the morning." Poppy Pomfrey accepted, before adding, "But I must request that the rest of you please leave so that Miss Lovegood and I may attend to our patients, that includes you Molly, go get something to eat and talk to Arthur for a little while."
Molly Weasley looked ready to protest, but gave in without speaking at Madam Pomfrey's look. She left the room quietly promising Ron that she would return with his father in a little while.
Harry only nodded at Madam Pomfrey before leading Hermione from the room. He didn't want to go to sleep because he knew the nightmares would come. He also didn't want to leave Hermione's side just yet. When Cho had cried all he had wanted was to get away from her as quickly as possible. With Hermione he found himself wanting to pull her close and whisper reassuring words while he stroked her hair.
Instead of going upstairs he pulled Hermione into the front parlor room where a large fire was crackling in the grate. The two sat down on a sofa near the fireplace. For the longest time they just sat there watching the fire.
"Hermione, I am so sorry." Harry murmured finally still watching the flames. Hermione looked at him realizing at his words that he was blaming himself for what had happened. She had been so caught up in her own pain that she hadn't considered that possibility yet. She felt so numb that she struggled for a moment to put her thoughts into words.
"Harry, you have nothing to apologize for," Hermione stated softly but with conviction evident in her voice as if it were very important to her that he really understand that she did not blame him and neither should he.
"Of course I do, for getting you hurt. For continuing to put you in danger," Harry barely got the words out. He had wanted to add for the loss of her parents, but he found he couldn't say it. She touched his face with one small hand causing him to look at her in surprise and confusion.
"Listen to me Harry, you have nothing to be sorry about. Voldemort is the one hurting people. And he'd be after me regardless of my connection to you. I'm a muggle born remember. I've been a target from the beginning regardless of my friendship with you," Hermione insisted her voice stronger.
She brushed his hair back from his eyes and leaned in closer to him. "You have to stop blaming yourself." Harry's eyes were damp with unshed tears.
"I don't know if I can. If I hadn't dashed off to the Department of Mysteries to play the hero then you wouldn't have gotten hurt and Sirius…Sirius," he couldn't finish. The tears that he had barely managed to keep in check began to fall. "And now he's attacking all of you because you went with me that night, because you're my friends."
"Harry, you did everything you could to check on Sirius. Even I was convinced that something was wrong. You cannot continue to blame yourself like this. Sirius wouldn't want you to. As for us, you didn't want us to go. We chose to go with you that night. We knew the danger. Not one of us would have let you go without us." Hermione thought back to that night, to the part she had played in it all. The truth was she would follow Harry again if she thought he needed her help. There was no way she would have let him go alone that night or in the future.
Harry thought about what she had said. It all made sense, but it was so hard.
The scenes from that night played over and over again in his mind. He had been awakened by them ever since that night.
And it wasn't over. Now that he knew the prophecy, he knew why Voldemort had wanted him dead so badly. And then he
realized that even if she didn't blame him for what had happened at the Ministry or the attacks, she still
didn't know the prophecy. How could he expect her to still want to be friends with him once she knew about that? He
wanted to share his burden with her because he knew that if anyone could help him it would be Hermione. But he also
didn't want to risk losing her. He looked away in frustration. He didn't see any way to win. If he told her,
she'd either insist on helping him and risk getting hurt or killed or never speak to him again. And if he
didn't tell her, he'd never be able to really look into those beautiful cinnamon eyes of hers knowing that each
day he was lying to her by keeping the truth from her. Suddenly, something seemed to click inside him and he realized
that what he felt for her went beyond that of a best friend. He wanted to hold her again and forget about everything
bad that had happened even if it was just for a few moments. He'd made his decision. He'd never been more
scared in his life, but he had to tell her. She had a right to know what continuing to be friends with him could mean.
He didn't dare even to hope that she might return his feelings. He turned back to her meeting her eyes with his as
he said,
"Hermione, there's something I should tell you."
* * * * * * * *