Chapter Three: A Week to Remember
*10:55 AM, Thursday July 28th; Number Twelve Grimmauld Place*
"Harry. Harry. HARRY!" Ron was shaking Harry as hard as he could to get him to wake up, but so far all he had accomplished was getting him to grunt a few times and roll over. "HARRY! Get your bloody arse out of bed!" he decided to yell this directly into Harry's ear. Almost immediately, Harry rolled over and kicked Ron in the shin.
"Ouch! What was that for? Mum made breakfast, so come downstairs." before he left the room he jabbed Harry in the shoulder as hard as he could manage. "Prat." he said under his breath as he lifted his body off of the bed, and left for the kitchen. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the twins were already eating their food when Harry finally arrived.
"Have a seat, dear. There's a choice of porridge, or bacon and eggs for breakfast. What will it be?" Mrs. Weasley asked him sweetly. "I'll have the eggs, thanks." She placed a plate with a heap of eggs and about 5 strips of bacon on it. Harry dug in, knowing he wasn't going finish the whole plate.
After they all shoveled as much as they could manage down their throats, Fred and George Apparated yet again to their rooms and stayed up there for a good part of the after noon. Every once in a while you could hear loud laughter, or gasping from their room. Harry believed they were probably testing new merchandise for the shop.
Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all lingered for a little while longer. They waited for Molly to leave before any of them started talking to each other. They talked for hours, then his dreams came into it.....
*2:45 PM, Thursday July 28th; Number Twelve Grimmauld Place*
"Harry, are you okay?" she asked curiously. "Yah, why do you ask?" Hermione turned to him to speak. "I, uh, told her about, urm, your dreams." she said slowly. "Oh, okay." Hermione was half expecting him to yell at her for telling Ginny before Ron, but he didn't seem to care very much. "What are you lot talking about?" Ron asked, feeling totally left out.
Harry spent about 15 minutes explaining to him what Hermione, and Ginny already knew. After he was finished, Ron looked a bit frightened. "Harry! You've should really tell Dumbledore. Maybe he can help you." "Yes, I've already determined this," he said, "I'll tell him tomorrow when he comes." They all nodded in agreement.
After Harry, and the others were done with their discussion Ron pulled out a chessboard. He and Harry were now wrapped up in a game, while Hermione, and Ginny decided to read. "Rook to E4." Ron commanded. "No! Are you blind boy? His Pawn will take me if I go there!" his piece yelled in protest. "I said, Rook to E4!" The piece moved reluctantly, and was instantly knocked out by Harry's Pawn.
Ginny laughed. She had given up on reading and decided to watch them play chess instead. Hermione seemed to be deeply into the book she had propped on her knees. From as far as Harry could tell it was about complicated hexes and spells. "Are you alive over there, Hermione?" Ron asked her curiously. All she did was wave her hand and continue to read her book.
"She really needs a hobby or something." he said as he watched one of his Knights get destroyed by one of Harry's bishops. "That is her hobby, Ron." Ginny said, her attention still transfixed on the game. She hadn't even looked up at him when he stuck his tongue out at her. Though, somehow she still managed to see it, and punched him in the arm.
Ron lost horribly to Harry in the game, and now he and Ginny were playing. Harry got up from his seat to let Ginny sit down in front of the board so she could play properly. He decided to sit next to Hermione on the couch. As he sat down, he could smell the scent of cinnamon come off of her. He loved that smell.
"Whatcha reading?" he asked. "A book on the history of dark hexes and spells and their counters." she said without even looking up at him. "Oh, okay." he said trying to sound interested. She closed the book and looked at him. I love her eyes. Their so mesmerizing, he thought to himself. Her brown eyes locked onto his emerald ones.
She looked away, and started to watch Ron and Ginny play chess. Ron was still losing. "Bloody hell!" he yelled angrily as his queen was taken by Ginny's well placed rook. "Wow, Ron. I used to think you were good at this game, but now I see that you suck." she said with a smirk. "Ha ha." he said sarcastically.
About an hour or so later Hermione, and Ginny decided to head off to bed. "Goodnight you two." Hermione said as she left the room leaving Ron and Harry alone to talk. "Alright Harry, I see what's going on here," Ron said with a large grin on his face. "What do you mean?" he asked, confused. "You have a crush on Hermione, don't you?" Am I that easy to read? he asked himself.
Harry nodded in response to his question. "Ha! I knew it." he yelled triumphantly. "Yah, so what. She doesn't feel the same, so there's no point in doing anything." he said this sadly, realizing it was the truth as far as he knew. "You know, the extendable ears my brothers made work quite well for situations such as this." Ron said this with a matter-of-factly tone. "What are you talking about?" he asked, still confused. "Well, when me, Fred, and George got bored we used the ears to spy on the girls." he said proudly. "It just so happens that she does care for you as more than a friend. She's just afraid that you don't feel the same." he explained.
"Really?" he asked, as if he was expecting it all to be a lame joke on Ron's part. "Yah, Harry. You two should really talk to each other." "I will after my birthday on Sunday. Listen, I'm going to bed. G'night." Harry got up and headed for the door. "Just promise you'll talk to her before school starts, okay?" Ron stated. "Yah, now goodnight Ron." he left and went to bed.
*9:32 PM, Thursday July 28th; Number Twelve Grimmauld Place*
Harry was wide awake, staring at the ceiling when he heard the doorknob turn. He quickly closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep. Ron walked over to his bed with great difficulty considering it was pitch-black in their room. "Ow!" he yelled this as his knee collided with the corner of his bed frame. Harry listened as Ron hopped over to the side of his bed hitting his hip on the nightstand twice before he got onto the bed itself.
Ron was snoring quite loudly about 15 minutes after he hobbled around the room. Harry couldn't sleep tonight because he couldn't get Hermione off of his mind. I'm not sure if I should really say anything, I mean what if it ruins our friendship? I wouldn't be able to handle her hating me if something ever happened. He thought this for the rest of the night until he finally fell asleep.
*6:02 AM, Friday July 29th; Number Twelve Grimmauld Place*
It was a very loud crash, and a yell that awoke Harry from his dreamless sleep. He looked over to see everything was blurry. I don't have my glasses on, he remembered. He reached over to the nightstand and put on his glasses to see a very amusing sight.
Ron, had rolled over too far and fell off of his bed. He was screaming something along the lines of "No! I don't bend that way!" His eyes snapped open and he stared at Harry for a few seconds before realizing he was on the floor. "Urm……I'm okay." he said, as if he was trying to assure Harry that there was a bit of sanity left in his head.
He was snoring again about ten minutes later. Harry laughed quietly at the scene he had just witnessed. Ron needs help…he thought as he rolled over still laughing. He tried to go back to sleep, but his eyes wouldn't stay shut. So he lay there staring at the wall, as he was so good at doing.
*8:00 AM, Friday July 29th; Number Twelve Grimmauld Place*
Harry had been thinking about random things since Ron's little incident. He got up slowly, trying not to make too much noise to wake up Ron. He looked hilarious. One leg was hanging off of the side of his bed, as was his left arm. His right hand covered his face, and his right leg was bent in an odd direction.
Harry laughed a bit, than left the room. As he walked down the stairs he heard the unmistakable voice of his mentor. "Good morning Arthur, Molly." he said. Harry entered the Dining room to see Albus Dumbledore standing in front of him. "Ah, Harry. A good morning to you too." he said happily.
"Good morning, sir." he replied. "He turned back to Molly and Arthur. "How is everyone holding up here?" he asked, seeming very interested to know the answer. "We're all fine Albus. How have you been lately?" Mrs. Weasley asked politely. "I am fair, Molly. Thank you for asking Molly. Arthur, how is work at the ministry?" "It's hectic. After the whole scene last year the Minister has tightened security precautions. It takes about a good half an hour just to get to my office." he stated.
"Ah, well he has good reason to now that he knows you've been telling him nothing but the truth for the past year and a half." he said. "Yes, well I best be heading off there now. Goodbye Albus," he said as he shook the headmaster's hand, "Goodbye dear." he kissed Mrs. Weasley on the cheek and went out he front door.
"Albus, I need to prepare breakfast, so shall we speak later?" she questioned him. "Yes, we shall along with Arthur." He turned to Harry with a smile on his face. "So, Harry how've you been?" "Much better, since coming here." he replied. "Urm…Professor, I was wondering if I could have a word?" "Of course Harry, but in the drawing room so we don't disturb breakfast making." he said as he pushed Harry towards the Drawing room door.
He opened it and held it for Dumbledore to walk through before shutting it. "Now, what is it my boy?" he asked from behind his half-moon spectacles. "Well sir………" He explained for the third time in three days about his recollections. When he had finished explaining, Dumbledore began to speak.
"Well, Harry I do believe you are still not used to him not being around to see you anymore. I see that we have to try harder this year at your Occlumency lessons. For now, just bear with the dreams, until we can continue your lessons." He explained. Easier said than done. Harry thought bitterly. "Breakfast!" "Well, Harry I have to go now. We will talk again when the school year starts." He lifted himself off of the couch. "Remember Harry, just try to bear with them as best as possible. Good luck." He left the room. A couple minutes later he heard the front door close.
Harry left the drawing room and went back to the kitchen. He was the first down there for once. "Here you go dear." she set an enormous plate of eggs, and toast in front of him. He had just started tucking in when everyone else came down the stairs, except of course, the twins.
With a loud CRACK the twins were now sitting across from Harry. Everyone else trudged into the kitchen still quite groggy. "Here's your food." Mrs. Weasley said as she laid plates in front of everyone. Hermione was sitting next to Harry, and Ron was sitting next to her. He looked over his shoulder to see Ron smirking at him.
They all ate as much as their stomachs would hold and proceeded to go into the drawing room. "I wish we could go out back and fly." Ron said. "Yah, me too." Harry agreed. Hermione was sitting in the armchair in the corner, and Ron and Ginny were on the couch. Harry was next to the window.
*9:31 PM, Friday July 29th; Number Twelve Grimmauld Place*
He couldn't help but to stare at her. She was wearing a blue top and the same low-cut jeans as before. Ron noticed that Harry was staring and walked over to him. "Harry, your going to burn holes through her if you keep staring like that." when he realized what Ron had said, he quickly switched his attention to the window. "You need to tell her before your birthday mate, or your going to die from holding it in. Even Ginny knows how much you like her, and I didn't even say anything."
"I'll try, but I can't make any promises." he continued to stare out at the trees. "Alright, but if you don't before your birthday, then I'll have to step in and do it myself." he as smiling at Harry. He turned around and sat back down next to Ginny.
I don't want her to find out from him, I'll tell her myself when we go to Diagon Alley tomorrow. Yah, that's it. He smiled and turned to Ron. "Exploding Snap?" Ron got up and went over to the table across from the couch, and beckoned Harry to join him. Soon enough they were both enthralled in the game.
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