To Face the Future Tomorrow
Although the week had passed quickly for Harry and his 2 best friends Harry hadn't really felt at ease the whole time. What he thought was to be a blessing in coming of age had actually set him up with a lot of worries, he had left school, owned and lived in his own house (a house in which his dead godfather had been kept as a practical prisoner), but now he had no one there for safety. His parents had died, Sirius was gone and now Dumbledore was gone too, the idea created more than a little anxiety for Harry. The idea that in essence he was now in the leader role for not only his best friends but also for the whole of the wizarding world was a challenging proposition he was forced to consider daily. What if he wasn't up to the challenge (which he really doubted he was), what would happen to everyone he cared about? Harry forced himself to keep busy at all times in order to starve of these thoughts, of which he knew no good could come of, the future was there to be faced tomorrow, not today, after all.
Their time in Grimmauld was no vacation for them, a fact Ron grumbled about 10 times a day at least, work had to be done and the preparations for the year had to be made. They each had been given a job which they had planned during the summer, work which needed to be done for the basis of their mission against Voldemort, even Ron had accepted that the work just had to be done.
As they sat down for a lighthearted chat before bed after another long days work in their particular field, as they weren't seeing that much of each other they kept rigidly to this nocturnal habit, Harry couldn't help but smile, watching Ron reminiscing a story from their earlier days as they looked through the pictures in Harry's birthday present.
`…yeah, so the trolls got hold of Harry, and he's all screaming like a girl…'Ron was splurging out the story of their first Halloween when Harry interrupted.
`I was not screaming like a girl!' Harry said indignantly, while Hermione scuffed and mumbled what Harry thought was `sexist' under her breath. Ron however just carried on his story over the top of them.
`Well, sorry mate, but you were kind of a girl, don't worry I wont tell Ginny that! But you weren't as bad as Hermione here, wailing at me to save her life' Ron told the 2, Hermione shocked in disbelief `but you two are lucky I was there, kept my head, thought of what magic to use, stunned that Troll, all by myself I add… must have been about 50 foot tall…' Ron ended a thoughtful grin etched across his face as he stared of picturing his heroics. Harry looked at Hermione and realized that she was going to retaliate, he had seen her do that to Ron too many times to not recognize the look in her eyes, indignant anger Harry thought to himself.
`That was not what happened and you full well know that Ronald Weasley, u egregious imp!' she yelled at him `Harry jumped on the Troll to distract it, and I was not begging you for help! You panicked and used the first spell you thought of `wingardium leviosa' and was lucky to not get us all killed!'
`Or worse, expelled' Harry added cheekily, causing both of his friends to pause for a moment to stop their bickering, before bursting into laughter. Harry loved watching his friends like this, carefree and enjoying themselves, at time like this Harry liked to think of what their lives may like after the war. A moment passed as the Three regrouped themselves after their fit of laughter
`Ha-ha Harry…god I was frightful back then, wasn't I?' Hermione said looking slightly amused at how wrong her priorities were in earlier years, wrong but also untroubled.
`Nah Hermione, you were cool, just took a bit of getting to know you first' Ron said to her gently `then we realized just how special you are…'
Harry looked away from the pair, he felt awkward and a little unjust at this flirty behavior from them, he was there after all, and they were in his house! Harry instantly felt horrible for thinking this, it wasn't just his house, not really, it was theirs. He forced himself to look around the living room they were in, Grimmauld place was different now, and a lot of this was owed to Ron.
Ron, they had all accepted, was in charge of day to day living, which largely consisted of making Grimmauld Place hospitable. On the first day Ron was overjoyed to realize that Dobby had been hired for the same job, but not so happy when he found out that although Dobby could take care of quite a good amount of cleaning, there was still a lot to go. On top of that most furnisher, decoratings and simple things like cutlery and utensils were either beyond help or just missing meant that a lot of shopping was on Ron's agenda. If Harry thought that the whining over the work was enough to drive Him mad the whining over this made him feel like he would need a recovery stay in St. Mungo's. Excusing this though Harry was amazed at how good Ron was at this job, the depressing air that floated through the house was definitely lifting, with the personal touches Ron had added for the 4 of them, Hermione had demanded that Dobby counted as a `flat mate', meant that Harry was quickly seeing Grimmauld as his home, well more than Privet Drive anyway.
`Mate, you there?' Ron said as a slight twinge of anxiety found its way into his voice, snapping Harry out of contemplating Ron's handiwork with Grimmauld Place.
`Sorry…just thinking, you know bout this place' Harry said before he saw the look on his friends faces drop and realized how that must of sounded `no, no, good thoughts, I was just thinking that this place is feeling like home, with you guys here' he added hurriedly. This seemed to work as Ron looked relieved while Hermione positively beamed at this.
`Cheers mate, you know some people do have the knack!' Ron said proudly while looking around to admire his handiwork `I was just saying I have to be up at 6 tomorrow, Carpets being delivered, I had to get rid of the carpet here, in the upstairs dining room I think there's spilt blood! And don't forget were going to the Burrow Tomorrow, can't believe Bill's getting married in two days, crazy! Anyway, I got to get to sleep, see you two in the morning' He said cheerfully before giving Hermione a quick hug and bounding of to bed.
A few moments passed as Harry just watched the fire in the hearth burn away, feeling completely relaxed, knowing that his two best friends were with him through thick and thin. Harry soon noticed that Hermione had been watching him the while time, that appraising look in her face that made him realized she had something to ask him, after waiting for a moment to see if she'd drop it before it started he said `Spit it out then Hermione'.
`What?' she said totally bewildered, staring at Harry.
`You want to ask me something? I can see it in your eyes, don't you, and go on and spit it out.' Harry answered, smiling to himself.
`You realized…you really know me well' Hermione said blushingly `Well, I wanted to talk about Ginny actually, oh Harry don't get angry' Hermione said obviously able to see the anger building in Harry's face. He was use to Ron going on about Ginny but Hermione had stayed clear of the issue, a fact he personally commended her for. `It's just we haven't talked about it yet, and I want to know its not hurting you too much, I am your friend aren't I?' Hermione ended.
Horrible trick that, Harry thought to himself, using our friendship so I don't get angry at her. `I'm ok Hermione…' Was Harry's lame reply, he quickly realized he was going to have to say more. `Well it was hard at first, hurt a lot if you must know, but you and Ron have helped me get my mind of her. Actually it's mainly been you to get my mind of her…'at this Hermione blushed puzzling Harry, `…as thanks to Ron I hear more about her than when I was going out with her! I miss her, but its not painful anymore, does that make any sense?' Harry asked.
`Oh, yeah, busy minds and all. I'm going to go up, I've got a book to get through before the burrow, otherwise ill be miles behind my deadline, this wedding has come at just the wrong time!' Hermione sighed.
Predictably enough, Hermione's job in Grimmauld was research based, Harry knew that the library in Grimmauld was huge and very old, thus it was the perfect idea for her job. It made Harry feel a lot better knowing that Hermione was researching Horcruxes as he realized that he didn't really know anything about them, and especially on how to destroy them, he thought of Dumbledore's shriveled hand and didn't believe that he'd fair anywhere near that good without this research. Hermione, naturally, took to the job in high spirits, often Harry was pulled from whatever he was doing to the library to look at information she had found, and even Harry found it to be exciting. Not only was she researching Horcruxes but anything of help, in just a week quite a few spells and curses were added to their ever increasing repertoire. Harry often laughed at the shrills of delight he heard occasionally from the library, listened for the thunderous steps down the stairs he knew would come and prepared to watch as she burst into the room to drag him away.
`One last thing Harry' Hermione said softly `Don't worry what the future holds, tomorrow might be a big day, but I know you'll have many, many more ahead of you'.
Harry watched her as she said this, knowing that she meant it fully, before she ran over gave him a tight hug and ran of up to her bedroom. Harry stared after her for a moment, a slight depression seemed to fill the air, mourning her departure, and if the air isn't Harry thought, then he was. Harry couldn't wait to see Ginny, he missed the feel of her in his arms, feeling her breath on his face. Ginny was special to him, he knew that, but why wasn't he hurting he thought to himself. That question had thrown him when Hermione asked him, he wasn't hurting, Ron was there for the jokes and laughter, and Hermione was there for real talking, the summer had been full of `real talks' with Hermione. They had discussed everything and this had helped to breach the distance that had come between them the previous. Hermione listened when he needed an ear, and told him off for wallowing when he needed to hear that. Harry thought that it didn't mean anything that he wasn't hurting from not seeing Ginny, it had only been about a month, and his best friends were there for him, they filled the spaces he needed, he did miss her though, just pain was luckily not involved.
Harry sat by the fire content for a while to just watch the flames slowly flicker and die out before getting up to go to sleep himself. As he made his way through the dark house, night and darkness still manage to turn his home into the place it was before, he was just walking empty headed when he crashed into someone who let out a yelp as Harry stumbled over them.
`Oh…sorry Hermione' Harry uttered breathlessly as pain scorched though his chest as he tried to catch his breath. He had somehow managed to fall on top of her catching her arm into his chest, winding him painfully.
`Its o.k.' was Hermione's response, Harry noted the stiffness as she said this.
`Damn…my glasses' Harry managed to get out while still feeling the effects of his winding, Hermione meanwhile laid stock still under Harry as he started to rummage for his glasses. As Harry slip his hands around in a fruitless search for his glasses while on top of her his hands passed over her midriff. Harry stopped still in fear as he realized that this was bare and smooth under the touch of his hand, quickly the fear was replaced by embarrassment as he frantically started his search again, unfortunately for Harry's nerves he located the glasses against her smooth naked leg, making him jump up in fear.
As he arranged his glasses on his face, he looked down to see Hermione still lying apparently to shocked to move, Harry thought she looked like a girl from one of Dudley's movies after they had been attacked. His face blushed with such intensity as he offered a hand to help her up with, a hand which she didn't accept, but blushed equally at. Harry wished he had his apparition license already so he could disappear instantly, never to return, a thought Hermione seemed to share.
`Got them' Harry said lamely pointing at his glasses at which all Hermione did was nod, the silence was killing him `I'm…im so sorry, it was an accident, and…you…' Harry paused thinking what to say when laughter suddenly hit him, a laughter Hermione shared instantly.
`We must have looked hysterical!' Hermione gasped between breaths while laughing `I guess that's what I get for living with someone who Tonks would consider clumsy!'
`I'm sorry Hermione' Harry said simply helping her up as his hand was accepted, knowing Hermione understood `I'm going to go to bed, see you in the morning' and they gave each other a hug as Harry departed for his much needed sleep.
In 10 minutes time Harry was already in bed, spent from a productive day. Harry's job was simple, but only he could perform it, he was gathering information. He spent his days and nights tracking people down, finding from them what he could, either by letter, floo, the Knightbus or any method he needed. The easy ones such as Lupin and Tonks, Mcgonagall, Slughorn amongst others he had pursued quickly and efficiently, all gave some information, suspected Death Eaters, Voldemorts suspected whereabouts and other useful information, but none had gave him anything of a lead on the Horcruxes. Now the trickier part was at hand, Shacklebolt, Moody were ministry workers and he didn't want to tip of the ministry, they would only get in the way, and getting in touch with them was proving difficult. Mundungus Fletcher was hard to find, but a meeting had been arranged for a couple days after the wedding, Harry was sure that Mundungus could be counted on to have a clue, even if he didn't know it himself. He had already given a few interesting leads just by the fact of who Harry had met already by trying to track him down. Harry hated doing this job, it meant that he had to lean heavily on who he was, use his name and fame, a fame he had been running from for 6 years, a fame and destiny he had to now accept, the days of the prophecy were coming closer. He tried to shrug away work thoughts, no point at night, he had no chance of a sudden break through, he didn't know enough…yet.
Harry was looking forward to tomorrow and the wedding, to see Ginny would be nice, and all his other friends would undoubtedly be there as well, and he had some time he could spend care free again with Ron and Hermione. The embarrassment had now gone, now was a curious feeling he couldn't quite pin point, he knew it felt nice, bar the fear and embarrassment, it felt nice to be that close to a girl again, he was sure he was missing Ginny a lot now to start clutching at straws with his best friend! It'll do no good to think on this, so he cleared his mind necessary for practicing occlumency and quickly fell to sleep.
He was walking along a dark cool corridor, one he thought he recognized, his walk was picked up, purposefully leading to somewhere. He opened a black door, then through a circular room and out another door, he ran down some steps, and stood still in complete shock at the sight before him.
`What took you so long to come' came a rough voice `James would of got here sooner!' and with this came the bark like laugh Harry knew so well belonged to his godfather, Sirius Black.
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