Foolish
No you don't know the one
Who dreams of you at night;
And longs to kiss your lips
And longs to hold you tight
Oh I'm just a friend.
That's all I've ever been.
Cause you don't know me.
(You Don't Know Me-Ray Charles)
~*~
JULY 30
Harry, Hermione and Ron all stared at the calendar. The Dursley's were busy downstairs packing for a vacation that they had won, conveniently beginning today. Petunia kept quiet but she kept glancing furtively at Harry all day. If Uncle Vernon and Dudley thought it odd that Petunia should pack all her fine crystal and china for this vacation, they didn't question her.
As the sun set, the Dursley's began to load the car and Dudley climbed into the backseat. Aunt Petunia paused at the front door, Harry stood in front of her. The car horn beeped and Uncle Vernon waved at his wife to hurry up. She looked from the car back to Harry. Harry looked up at his caretaker for the past sixteen years. "I'll be okay," he said to her.
Aunt Petunia's lips tightened and she began to blink rapidly before nodding curtly and racing back to the car.
Harry stood on the doorstep and watched the only blood family he had left drive away. A warm hand slipped into his as Hermione joined him and Ron put a hand on his shoulder.
"It'll be okay, mate," he said confidently. Harry wished he had his friend's confidence but now that his family was gone, what was about to happen to him began to settle on him.
"You don't want to stand there all day, boy," a voice growled in the darkness and Mad-Eye Moody appeared. Tonks, Lupin and Shacklebolt shortly followed, giving the trio their greetings.
"Hello, Harry," Lupin said. "We're here just to make sure you make it to the Burrow safely." The trio exchange uneasy looks. "I take it you are not planning on staying with the Weasley's the rest of the summer," Lupin looked at each of them.
"We, uh, we were heading to…"
"This conversation would be best inside where probing ears cannot hear," Moody interrupted and everyone headed inside.
The kitchen seemed that much smaller with everyone crowded inside it. Tonks rolled her eyes when she saw that the kitchen was as spotless as she remembered it. Hermione made herself busy putting on a pot of tea. It made her uneasy that it was dark outside and she couldn't see out of the window.
"You alright?" Harry's soft voice next to her made her jump.
"Yes. No. I don't know," she replied.
Harry frowned slightly and turned back to the group. His hands rested against the edge of the counter behind him.
"We're going back to Grimmauld Place," he announced.
"Headquarters," Shacklebolt nodded sagely. "That's a very wise choice. The place is still unplottable and you'll be around members of the Order."
"Is there still an Order, then?" Ron asked quietly. He was sitting at the table. It was an odd question that Harry didn't even bother to think about asking.
Lupin looked down at him. "Of course there is," he replied kindly. "There's always been a plan in place in case…such an event should happen."
"Who's the new leader?" Harry asked.
"We'll all find out soon," Lupin replied. "But it is a good idea that you are returning to Headquarters but, Harry, as a concerned party for you. Are you sure about this?" Lupin looked at him.
Harry knew what he meant. The loss of Sirius had been a blow not only to Harry but to his oldest and dearest friend, Remus Lupin. With a sudden sadness, Harry realized that Lupin was all alone, the last of the Marauders. Sure, he had Tonks at his side, but there's always something different about your best friends. No one could take away that bond.
"Yeah, we're sure," Harry answered, sharing a small smile with his two friends.
The teapot whistled and Harry took out seven mugs for Hermione to pour water into. Tonks walked up to them and offered her help, taking Harry's place so he could be ambushed by Lupin.
"Are you sure about this?" Lupin asked quietly.
"I'm not saying it's going to be easy but we do what we have to do," Harry replied.
"Does this have to do with what you three have been up to this summer?"
Harry sighed. "I don't want to lie to you so…yes."
"Something tells me that what you are up to is quite dangerous," Lupin narrowed his eyes.
"Everything we do from here on out is dangerous," Harry frowned. Lupin gave a long look at him then put a hand on his shoulder.
"You are such your father's son," he had the faint trace of a smile when he said this but Harry could see the sadness in his eyes.
The sound of glass breaking caught their attention and they turned to see Hermione and Tonks picking up the shards of a broken teacup.
"I'm sorry. I'm just so…" Hermione was flustered.
"Hermione, it's okay. Believe me," Tonks was reassuring her but Hermione quickly stood and ran out of the room. Ron stood up to go after her and Harry moved forward but Tonks held up a hand.
"I'll go to her. It's okay," she said before she left the room to follow Hermione.
She found her upstairs in the bathroom, the sound of water running preceded it. Carefully opening the door she found Hermione bent over the sink, running her hand under the water. She could see faint traces of pink splashes in the basin.
"Hermione, did you hurt yourself?" she asked.
"It's nothing, just a small cut," Hermione replied.
Tonks leaned over her and turned off the faucet, opening the medicine cabinet and bringing out a bandage.
"Healing charms were never my thing," she joked but Hermione didn't laugh. "There you go. It's not to tight is it?"
"This is it, isn't it? This is really it. Will he be okay? He will, won't he?"
Tonks put the box of bandages away, closed the cabinet door and looked at her. "Well, you see, Hermione, I'm not sure whom you're speaking about."
Hermione put the lid down on the toilet and sat on it. She let out a heavy breath. "Lately, I'm not sure either."
Tonks looked at her sympathetically and closed the door behind her. She walked forward and knelt in front of Hermione.
"If you need to talk, I'll be here for you."
"Thank you, Tonks."
~*~
11:50 pm
Lupin stayed with the teens while the others took their belongings to Grimmauld Place, the loud ticking of the clock filled the silence in the kitchen as they all sat around the table.
"Okay, let's go over this one more time," Lupin announced, trying to fill the silence. "We cannot apparate from inside this house so we will step out into Mrs. Figg's yard. Ron, you'll be with Hermione. Harry you stay with me. Are we all agreed on the apparation point?"
"The street lamp in front of Grimmauld Place," Hermione confirmed.
"Correct."
The loud cracking of apparation could be heard, announcing the Order's return.
"Right then," Lupin stood. "Here we go."
But suddenly, shouts filled the air followed shortly by wand blasts. The four of them raced to the windows. There were shadows darting about, lots of shouting and the bright flashes of spells cast. Lupin drew his wand and looked at the three of them.
"Stay inside, Harry. The three of you, stay inside. You know how important that is."
He left them to join the melee outside.
"We can't just stay here," Harry turned to them. "It's almost midnight."
"I think we should move away from the windows," Hermione said and they ran into the hallway.
"We should go out there and help them," Ron offered, drawing out his wand.
"Are you crazy?" Hermione hissed.
"We can't sit here, Hermione. We have to go!" Harry said as he got to his feet.
"Harry! Wait," Hermione said as she and Ron followed him.
They stood, pressed against the wall by the door, wands drawn and hearts beating rapidly.
"Our only chance is to make a run for it. As soon as we set foot on Mrs. Figg's lawn we apparate," Harry instructed.
Suddenly the grandfather clock in the living room chimed out midnight and someone burst through the back door. Hermione screamed.
"NOW!" Harry shouted as he opened the door and reached for Hermione's hand.
Adrenaline fueled them as they sprinted across the lawn. Someone shouted out Harry's name but he didn't slow down, holding Hermione's hand in a vice grip. Hermione yanked the two of them to the ground just as a wand blast sailed above their heads.
"Are you okay?" Hermione breathed.
"Yes," Harry breathed.
"LOOKOUT!!" Ron shouted from somewhere behind them and the two of the rolled away from each other as a curse landed in between them, where they had been.
Harry felt hands wrap around him and he looked over to see Tonks yank Hermione to her feet.
"I told you to stay inside the house!" Lupin said angrily in his ear as he brought him to his feet and ran with him.
Up ahead, Harry could see Mad-Eye with Ron, waving at them madly and shouting words that Mrs. Weasley wouldn't be to fond of hearing. The nicer words were: stupid, foolish, half-brained, asses, half-witted.
"READY!!" Lupin shouted out and Moody apparated with Ron in his clutches.
Harry put a frantic hand to his chest then around his neck.
"Nymphadora, you're next!" Lupin ordered.
"Harry! Harry what is it?" Hermione shouted out to him.
The locket.
The locket that Harry and Dumbledore had retrieved the day he died. The locket that was a fake horcrux. The locket that Harry kept to remind him of what he had lost that day, how much was at stake in this war.
"Harry!" Lupin shouted as Harry shrugged himself free and ran back toward his aunt's house. "Nymphadora, go!"
"NO! HARRY!" Hermione shouted as she wriggled out of Tonks' grasp.
"There he is! There he is!" Harry heard the Death Eaters shout as he made his way back to the house, dodging spells along the way.
"Stupefy!" Hermione called out as she cleared the way for him, catching up with him.
The two of the burst through the front door, knocking a Death Eater in the face in the process. He howled in pain as he stumbled backward, knocking into another Death Eater, both of them crashing to the floor. Harry and Hermione quickly took them out and in the glint of the streetlamp from outside, Harry saw the gold locket on the floor in the kitchen.
"Harry! Stay down!" Hermione screamed at him as he scrambled into the kitchen. He ducked just in time as the windows in the kitchen were all blown out by the blast of a wand. Glass showered down around him.
"Hermione, wait!" Harry called out to her as she ran into the kitchen after him.
But Hermione halted too late and her footing was lost on broken shards and she fell forward. Hooded figures approached the back door.
"Hermione," he whispered. "Don't move."
"Harry," Hermione whispered back fearfully. He could hear the tremble in her voice.
He scrambled over to her and carefully brought her to her feet as the door opened.
"They were just here," one of them said.
"Still are," said another. "Look, one of them is bleeding."
Harry and Hermione tore out of the front door again, the Death Eaters hot on their heels, spells whizzed past their ears. They vaulted over the hedges that divided the lawns. Harry turned and reached for Hermione as she tumbled into his arms before he apparated them both away.
The momentum of her fall caused Harry to lose his footing when they arrived at Grimmauld Place and the two of them tumbled to the ground. Harry hit the ground first, falling on the dead grass of number 12 with Hermione on top of him.
"Oh, are you alright?" she asked.
"Yeah, are you?" he asked.
"Did we make it?"
Harry realized that she hadn't opened her eyes. He laughed softly and tangled his hands in her hair, bringing her head to rest on his chest. He kissed the top of her head.
"We made it, Hermione," he said as he stroked her hair.
Hermione lifted her head and looked at him. She suddenly felt her breath leave her lungs. Harry's hands were still cradling her head. She was vaguely away of a pain in her left hand but as she sat up, Harry grabbed her wrist.
"You're bleeding," he said.
Hermione looked down and saw that she had stained Harry's t-shirt.
"Harry! Hermione!" Tonks cried out as she and Lupin apparated near them.
"Harry, what were you thinking?" Lupin scolded but Harry brought Hermione to her feet.
"She's cut real bad," he said lamely.
"Oh, Hermione, again?" Tonks sighed.
~*~
Ron ambushed the group as soon as they set foot inside. "What happened?"
"Not now, Ron," Harry said moving his friend to the side to make way for Hermione and Tonks.
"What were you thinking going back to the house?" Ron scolded then rounded on Hermione. "And you! Why did you follow him?"
"I wanted to make sure he was safe," Hermione explained.
"What happened to your hand?" he took it in his.
"Ron, it's fine, really," Hermione said soothingly.
"It was an accident," Harry spoke up.
Ron whirled on him. "An accident?!"
"It's just glass Ron," Hermione shook her head.
Harry watched as Tonks led Hermione to the kitchen with Ron fussing over her. He moved to join them but Lupin held him back.
"What the hell was so important that you risked your life to retrieve it?"
"It was something Dumbledore gave me," Harry answered quietly. Tonks was bandaging Hermione's hand.
"Oh, Harry," Lupin sighed behind him. Tonks stepped out of the room and joined them.
"She's okay, it was a long cut but it was shallow." Harry looked over her shoulder at Ron who was now holding Hermione in an embrace. The feeling of loneliness descended upon him, it felt as if the whole house was caving in upon him.
"Harry. Harry!"
Tonks' voice cracked through his thoughts. "Huh? What?"
"I said why don't you go and join your friends, I'll talk to Remus," she repeated.
Harry looked back into the room. Hermione and Ron were no longer hugging but they were talking. She looked up at him and caught his gaze.
"No," he said slowly, taking his eyes off of her. "I think I'll just go upstairs. It's been a long night."
He went to the room that he and Ron usually shared but found that he really wasn't as tired as he thought he was. He just wanted to be alone. He gathered his bags and moved up to the next floor. Automatically, he led himself to his godfather's room. It was going to be the longest stay of his life in this house. The faster they found the locket the better.
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