Bearings
Disclaimer/Author's Notes: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter. After completing a rough sketch of some of the rest of the story, I've come to one conclusion: it's going to be long. At this point, I'd guess somewhere over 200,000 words, but that's probably a gross underestimate. Hope that doesn't bother anyone. Also, I'm glad to be writing once again! Feel free to leave some comments.
They made up their minds
And they started packing
They left before the sun came up that day
An exit to eternal summer slacking
But where were they going
Without ever knowing the way?
Fastball
The Way
Interlude: Morning Sickness
May 17th, 2002
Jane Granger had to vomit.
She threw the comforter back and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She leaned forward and dropped her head for a moment, hoping to quell the wave of nausea building within her, but she knew it was hopeless. She stood up quickly, though quietly as to not wake her husband, and rushed over to the adjoining loo. She knelt in front of the toilet and waited for it to come.
A few dry heaves later, the nauseous feeling passed, and she flushed even though nothing had come up. She watched the clean water swirl down the bowl for a moment, and then moved to the sink to wash her hands. She stared at herself in the mirror as she did so, and after she dried her hands, she lifted up the shirt she wore to look at her tummy. At eight weeks, she thought she might have just begun to show, but she couldn't tell for sure; she dropped her shirt and headed out of the loo and her bedroom.
The carpet felt good under her bare feet as she made her way through the hall and down the stairs, and finally into the kitchen. She glanced at the clock on the wall-it read 7:55. Morning sunlight shone brilliantly through the windows on the east side of the kitchen. She filled a pot with water and put it on the stove, and sat down at the table to wait for it to boil. Her eyes were attracted to the dust motes floating lazily in the brightness, but her thoughts were not nearly as settled.
She was thinking of her daughter and where she was at that moment; she was thinking of the life growing within her, and what it would really mean when she and Dan had another child to raise; she was thinking of how their successful dental practice had carried them so comfortably through their lives; and she was thinking how nice it would be to have that tea…
The whistle of the kettle drew her attention and she stood to pour a cup, but a noise distracted her for a moment. She turned her head toward the back of the house, curious as to what the light popping noise could have been. She moved the rest of the way to the stove, took the kettle, and poured, but another faint noise caused her to set the kettle back down. She thought she heard voices, but who would be behind her house at eight o'clock in the morning? Placing a teabag in the cup, she walked around the counter so she could look out the plate glass door that led into the backyard. She raised her eyebrows at what she saw.
There, in the middle of her backyard, were her daughter and the raven-haired friend she had gone on a quest after. She was pointing and laughing at him, and he was scowling at her. He seemed to be missing half a shirt, and she watched as he waved a hand over his body, regrowing the shirt…or something…so that it covered all of him once again. Jane didn't fail to notice the young man's well-formed chest, or the nicely tanned tone of his skin. Hermione was somewhat paler than Harry was.
And she knew it was Harry, because even though he had changed in significant ways since the last time Jane had seen him-just after the war, at the Burrow-the scowl had changed into the attractive lop-sided grin. The green eyes and the faint scar on his forehead were unmistakable, as well as the pure color of his rather messy hair. Sure, the boy had grown into a man, and had grown very well, but some things about him would apparently never change.
Hermione and Harry then turned toward the house, and her daughter immediately saw her standing there. Jane waved and Hermione grinned, and walked toward the house. Jane smiled when she saw that her daughter was dragging Harry by the hand toward the door, but it wasn't quite reluctance she sensed in Harry's pose. It was more like bemusement. He was smiling at the back of Hermione's head.
Jane opened the door and chuckled as Hermione let go of her extra weight and ran the rest of the distance to her.
"Mum!"
She slowed just before she reached Jane, probably conscious of her pregnancy, and embraced her mother. Jane hugged her back and looked over Hermione's shoulder, watching as Harry stopped a few paces back. He watched them with a neutral face.
"Hermione, I'm glad you made it home safely," Jane said, and stood back a little. She looked her daughter in the eyes, and she knew the twinkle there was reflected in her own. "And I'm glad to see that your journey yielded some positive results…"
Hermione hit her lightly on the arm and smiled back. "Mum…" She turned slightly and motioned for Harry to come closer. He did so after a moment.
"I'm sure you know each other, but Harry, this is my mum, Jane Granger. And mum, this Harry Potter-"
"Who of course needs absolutely no introduction," Jane said. Hermione just shook her head. Harry stuck out his hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Granger-"
"Forget about the handshake, Harry," she said, overriding the second person in a row, and drawing Harry into an embrace. The look on Hermione's face told her that Harry was surprised, but she felt a hug was warranted. He awkwardly patted her on the back and they separated; Jane saw a bit of an awkward look on his face.
"First thing's first, Harry. You can call me Jane. We're all adults here, and Hermione here has told enough over the years for me to feel like I know you quite well."
He ran a hand through his hair. "Uh…ok…Jane." He looked toward Hermione, and a small smile spread across his lips. "I hope everything she's said has been good…"
"Have you always been good?" Hermione asked, putting a hand on her hip.
Jane knew what she was seeing, but she could hardly believe it. She hadn't expected much from Hermione's visit to America, except for her returning with Harry at some point, but now they were openly flirting with each other.
"Yes," he answered, looking at Jane instead of Hermione.
"Well," Jane said, smiling a little broader now, "why don't we move into the house, and then we can discuss your merits." She winked at Harry and then turned away, letting Hermione and Harry into the kitchen and dining area.
Hermione was the first through the door, and by the time Harry crossed the threshold, Jane had turned back. She was momentarily puzzled by the look in his eyes as he took in the inside of her house, but a flicker of some memory came to her. Hermione had once told her that Harry's home life growing up was horrible, and the look in his eyes was in some part due to the extremely nice but lived in quality of the house.
He had only paused for a moment, and followed Hermione to the dining room table. They both sat down, next to each other, Jane noticed, and a short silence settled across the three of them. In that span Jane looked at her daughter, and noticed a few subtle changes there.
Hermione's face was more open than she'd seen it in a long time. There was a smile there that hadn't left since she'd first seen her daughter in the backyard. Her eyes had lost the dullness they'd gained during the past six months or so, and even the way she had moved into the house indicated something different about her mentality.
"Tea?" Jane asked, shifting her eyes from Hermione toward the stove.
"Yes, please," Harry said.
"Sure," Hermione answered.
"Such nice manners you have, Harry," Jane commented. "Hermione could learn a thing or two, maybe?"
"Mum, honestly," Hermione huffed. She didn't say anything more, and Jane turned back with two full cups to see why. Harry had laid a hand on her arm.
"I know Hermione could teach me much more than I could ever teach her," he said, smiling at Hermione. Hermione smiled and nodded.
Jane set the cups on the table and sat down across from them. "Be that as it may-" She cut herself off as Dan shuffled into the kitchen. It took her husband a moment to notice that it was not just he and his wife. He almost jumped out of his skin when he saw Hermione and Harry at the table.
"Well, you two scared me!" he said, chuckling a little.
"Daddy," Hermione said, and got up from the table. She went over and hugged her father, to which Jane raised her eyebrow at. Relations between Hermione and her father had been rather cool since they'd confronted her that night at the dinner table, but her trip seemed to have settled the animosity.
"When did you and, er…Harry get home?" he asked, glancing over at the man sitting at their table. He made eye contact with Jane for a second and Jane narrowed her eyes at her husband, shaking her head almost imperceptibly. She hoped it was warning enough for him not to start anything.
"Just now," Hermione answered, and beckoned Harry over, who had just gotten up from the table. Harry walked over and stuck out his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Granger," he said.
Dan shook his hand and replied, "Likewise." Jane frowned when Dan didn't offer Harry the same as she had. Apparently Dan still had some issues with Harry, even though Jane was realizing more and more every second that they didn't really know who Harry Potter was. Whatever they had assumed had been based off what Hermione had told them, and then also off her attitude during the last year or so. Jane firmly set aside her reservations and determined to get to know Harry from an objective point of view, and she resolved to inform Dan that he would be doing the same thing.
An awkward silence settled over the room for a moment, in which Dan and Harry just stood and looked at each other, before Dan cleared his throat and turned away slightly. Jane saw Hermione frowning slightly at her father.
"Right, well, I'm just going to nip some toast and be off to work," her husband said, and grabbed some. He smiled at Hermione and exited the room. Jane could tell that Harry was trying to work out exactly what had transpired in that little interaction. She took pity on the young man and directed both Harry and Hermione back to the table. They continued sipping their tea when they were seated.
"Are you going into work late, mum?" Hermione asked.
Jane nodded. "I don't have any patients until the afternoon, so I figured I'd get a little work done around the house." She looked oddly at the two for a moment. Not only was Harry being extraordinarily quiet, but also there was something else that struck her. "How did you two get here?"
"Oh, I side-alonged Harry, because he's never been here before," Hermione answered. That just confused Jane even more. Harry must have seen it, though, because he clarified for the elder Granger woman.
"What Hermione means," Harry started, cutting his eyes toward Hermione with amusement in them, "is she Apparated both herself and I from the airport to your backyard."
Jane watched her daughter roll her eyes. "Thank you, Harry, for stating the obvious."
Jane snorted. "No, thank you, Harry, for explaining that to this poor old woman."
"You could pass as Hermione's older sister, you know," Harry stated, and then she watched as his cheeks went red. Hermione turned her eyes toward him and arched an eyebrow, obviously waiting for a further illumination. Jane was quite curious herself as to what he had meant.
"Er, that is…what I meant is that you look very good, Jane," Harry said. Jane gave him a winning smile.
"Aw, he's so sweet Hermione, I think I'm starting to understand what you see in him," she said, watching as her daughter's eyes widened.
"Mum!" she said, and then glanced at Harry. There was merely laughter dancing in his eyes. He shrugged. "Flattery will get you anywhere, Potter," Hermione grumbled.
By this time, they had finished their tea, so Jane collected the cups and deposited them in the sink. She turned back and started to say something, but watched as the most curious thing happened. A silent conversation seemed to pass between Hermione and Harry, much like the ones she and Dan had occasionally. Hermione was indicating something with her eyes, and Harry looked at his watch and nodded. Hermione sighed and patted Harry's arm for a moment, and then both pairs of eyes settled on Jane.
"Think we should give Harry here a tour of our house, Hermione?"
Hermione turned toward Harry. "You have at least a little time, right?"
Harry nodded. "Gringotts doesn't open until nine, although I'd like to get there as close to then as possible."
"Ok, sure mum. Why don't we start in here?"
For the next fifteen minutes, Hermione and Jane gave Harry a tour of their fairly large and comfy house. The room they had their tea in was a combination dining and kitchen area, and although it was clearly meant for informal family settings, it still had state-of-the-art appliances, nicely finished oak furniture, tables, and countertops, and a great view into their backyard through an expensive-looking French plate glass door. Jane hoped she wasn't being too ostentatious by showing Harry the house, but he seemed to be taking it all in stride. Given what Hermione had told her and Dan of his home life, she was glad.
The tour continued through the rest of the first floor; through the living area complete with a large flat screen plasma television, comfortable carpeting, and plush furniture; through the formal dining area meant for entertaining guests, which even Jane had to admit was a little showy for her tastes; through the entryway and then finally up the stairs.
The second floor held the master bedroom, Hermione's bedroom, two guest bedrooms, a master bath with a hot tub, and a normal bathroom. There was also a den and a small library, which was literally overflowing with books. Jane saw the smile that spread across Harry's features when they showed him the library.
"Something funny, Harry?" she asked, lightly.
Harry chuckled for a moment. "I'm just imagining an eight year old Hermione resisting her parents' demands that she leave this room and go to bed." Hermione blushed, and Jane laughed.
"You have no idea how right you are," she said. Hermione hit Harry on the arm lightly, and he just shrugged. The smile didn't leave his face.
"Well, this is quite a nice place to live," Harry commented, and she knew it was a genuine statement. He didn't seem overly impressed, just appreciative that Hermione would show him her house.
"Tour's not over yet," Hermione said, and took Harry by the hand and led him down the stairs. Jane followed, unable to take her eyes off their linked hands. She was dying to ask Hermione how her adventure in America had gone, but she supposed that would be best left for when Harry was not around.
Jane followed them out of the plate glass door and into the backyard, and then finally into a section hidden by a tall hedge. A cozy in ground pool and a rather large spa were revealed. Jane looked at Hermione and saw that her daughter was looking at her with a slightly mischievous light in her eyes.
"You're probably wondering about the hedgerow?" Hermione asked, directing the question at Harry. He nodded. "Well…let's just say mum and I do our fair share of sun tanning."
He nodded again, but then looked quickly to Hermione, as he understood the significance of her words. It was very true that Jane and Hermione used the privacy of the hedges to their advantage, and had very little problem with tan lines over the years. Dan had never been one to partake in that activity too regularly, but even he indulged from time to time.
"I always wondered why you were so dark when school started up every year," Harry said. That same mischievous light was in his eyes, too. Oh, Jane had so many things to ask Hermione…that look alone was enough to indicate that something had happened between them.
"Well…now you at least have an idea," Hermione answered, smirking at him. The three of them headed back inside. Jane sat at the table and Hermione and Harry stayed standing.
"Thank you for the tour, Jane. Hermione," he said. "You certainly seem to do well for yourselves."
"Two dentists do provide nicely," Jane commented.
"Harry, are you sure you don't want to stay here for a few days at least…?" Hermione asked. For a brief second, Jane thought that might have been a bit presumptuous on Hermione's part, but then she realized that it did not matter if Harry stayed with them or not. She would be happy to get to know the young man better. He shook his head, however.
"Sorry, Hermione, but not right now. I need to get some things in order; this agent business can't wait and neither can my response to Mr. Cashman." Hermione's face seemed to fall slightly, but Harry put a hand on her arm.
"I'll let you know what's up, ok?" There was tenderness in his voice that Jane loved to hear.
Hermione nodded, and looked up toward Harry's face. They stared at each other for a moment-a moment in which Jane felt like an intruder-and then Harry bent slightly and pecked her on the cheek. He turned to Jane.
"Thanks again, Jane. It was a pleasure to meet you," he said. She nodded, and he abruptly Disapparated with a faint pop.
"Where'd he go?" Jane asked.
"He has some business to attend to in Diagon Alley," Hermione replied, with a flat inflection. Jane knew how to turn that around.
"So, Hermione Jane," she started, in her scolding voice. She even put a hand to her hip. Hermione looked up, confused as to her mother's tone. Jane smirked. "Tell me what happened in America." Sure enough, Hermione's eyes lit up.
"Well, at first he seemed to think I was someone else…"
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