Disclaimer: Any characters you recognize from the first 6 books in the Harry Potter series by J K Rowling belong to the aforementioned J K Rowling. I am simply playing with them for my amusement, and to see what kind of reaction I can get.
(12) Dear or Deer (Caught in the headlights)
Harry got up from the table saying, "I saw a couple of chairs in the back yard; I'm going to grab a book or two and practice. I'm sure we've left your parents with enough to keep them talking for a long time."
Harry went upstairs, rummaged through their still packed bags and grabbed the books they'd been reading and her wand before he went outside. On his way out he passed the kitchen and said, "I have your wand too."
He had been practicing for about ten minutes, conjuring larger items, tables and chairs, birdbaths and muggle garden gnomes and was about to banish them and start again when she joined him. Her parents were watching them through the window. He started banishing some of the objects when Hermione said, "Leave the bird bath."
Harry smiled while returning her wand. She slid her wand up her sleeve then filled the bird bath and conjured her flock of singing canaries. Most perched around it while he finished banishing his chairs.
Her parents watched the canaries for a few minutes before Emma came outside. The teens weren't expecting this and stopped what they were doing. Some of the canaries were flying around Hermione's head.
Harry had an idea and said, "Do your Patronus and send it inside to your Dad." He wanted to see if her Patronus had changed as Tonks' had changed.
She looked at him as though to ask why, then smiled, pulled out her wand, and for the first time in days used it while casting her Patronus. The result was not the silver Otter she was used to, but what she thought was a very cute Doe to match Harry's Stag that was now, as she just saw, standing in front of it nose to nose. Hermione was as though petrified, standing there open mouthed, in complete surprise, while Harry was smiling at the expression on her face. He approached Hermione and wrapped an arm around her waist, needless to say, her Patronus never made it into the house.
Emma was in complete shock as she saw the Stag approach and nuzzle the Doe, she stood watching until Dan came out and by then the Patroni faded.
"I had an idea that one or the other might change," Harry said with a huge smile. He moved enough to wrap his arms around a still surprised Hermione, then bent down and rubbed noses with her. He looked up … Dan and Emma were laughing, then Harry said quietly to Hermione, "I was thinking of calling you Angel," he whispered, "but I'll stick with Deer."
"Oh very funny Mr. Potter," and they both laughed.
The teens ended up explaining a Patronus to the Adults, concentrating more on their ability to send messages than their usefulness against Dementors.
The evening dwindled away with explanations and demonstrations of several charms and transfigurations winding up with a discussion of Animagus and Metamorphmagus transfigurations.
The adults went to bed just as confused as they were enlightened. They had to go to work in the morning, the teens decided to go to go to sleep early and in the morning they would start reading about Occlumency.
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The Grangers, as promised were leaving early, but Harry managed to be showered and dressed in time to see them off. Harry started on breakfast when he heard Hermione shut off the shower. Harry, by now, had mostly figured out her morning ritual and the food was ready as she was coming down the stairs. "Have a good sleep?" he asked.
"Would have been better if I could have found my warm lumpy pillow again," she teased. "What about you? Any nightmares?"
"No nightmares unless you count the one about not being able to find the pretty brunette that was in my bed yesterday morning."
"I know that brunette and she may find her way there again one night."
They finished breakfast with a little more teasing, then she opened the Occlumency book while Harry cleaned up. She started to read the introduction.
By eleven they had read several chapters, but had made no progress blocking each others attempts at legilimency. They put the book aside and went out in the back to snog. Harry went to the bench and sat straddling it.
Hermione, following him, sat in front of but with her back to him and wiggled in between his legs. "Trouble maker." He kidded as she pulled his hands around her waist, then leaned back into him. Harry found he met resistance when he tried to move one of his hands down, but she allowed them both to move upwards. Once those limits were established she moved her hands to his thighs.
While his chin was gently resting on her shoulder, he was trying to nuzzle her ear with his nose. Hermione smiled as she turned her head and allowed his hands to roam over her stomach and waist. Her hands were roaming his stomach and waist, down his thighs and to his knees. Because of their closeness and mind link, each was able to improve the others enjoyment without exceeding their comfort boundaries.
They lost themselves in the enjoyment of the moment and several minutes later Harry heard a rustling sound he couldn't identify, when he cracked open his only eye that wasn't buried in her hair, he could see the grass moving as if blown by an ever changing wind and the rose bushes on his left were making the rustling sound, but he couldn't feel any wind, it seemed dead calm. The trees and hedge further away weren't moving at all. He wondered if Hermione could see this too. He whispered, "dear", tentatively.
"Mmmm", was her response.
"Slowly open your left eye and tell me what you see", he asked.
"There must be a breeze, the grass and bushes are rustling in it", she responded before it occurred to her that she couldn't feel any wind. She closed her left eye and opened the right one, there was nothing moving by the fence, only the grass below them. "Are we causing this?"
"I hate to suggest it, but lets break apart and see what happens", he slowly unwrapped his arms and she moved forward, not quite out of reach. The bushes stopped moving, the grass was still and there was … no breeze. "We're going to be a standing joke you know, 'Here come the Heads, hang on to your parchment and books'." Quipped Harry.
"Oh Merlin no", she said.
"Unless the only time we're together is in our own common room or out on the grounds when it's already windy."
"Potter … what am I going to do with you … you make even the best things in life so difficult."
"Somewhere I heard 'It takes two to Tango', so it's not all my fault … we should both practice some wandless sticking charms before going inside", said Harry. They conjured several items and stuck them to the bench, and then they removed each others stuck objects and banished them.
They managed to rustle some leaves and make the grass move under their feet a few times before coming back in and preparing to leave for the Burrow. Harry was so happy to just be able to hold her close like that and breathe in her scent. This is going to be the best summer ever he thought. Meanwhile Hermione was thinking, she was the happiest knowing now that Harry really did love her and wanted to be with her. She couldn't believe how lucky she was. Really she thought, Harry could have his pick of almost any girl at Hogwarts, though none of them really knew him, all they wanted was 'The Boy Who Lived', not 'just Harry'. Even Ginny didn't really know 'just Harry'."
Hermione sidealong apparated Harry into the Weasley's back yard. Ron and Ginny were de-gnoming the garden so they walked over and Harry helped while Hermione watched. Ginny soon stopped and stood aside to allow the boys some room, occasionally giving Hermione a traitorous scowl. Hermione tried to ignore her, knowing that Ginny was upset about loosing Harry. Ginny apparently believed Hermione stole Harry from her.
Molly soon called them in for lunch; Harry sat beside Hermione who was across the table from Ginny. As the meal progressed, Ginny ate relatively little while maintaining a constant glare at Hermione. Harry was well aware of Ginny's glare and Hermione's agitation. When she put her hand on his thigh and gave it a squeeze Harry knew it was time to act. Harry caught Ginny's eyes for a moment and legilimized her to find out what she was thinking. He got a very clear image of two rabbits, with their faces, trying to make little bunnies. He looked at Ginny in shock and nearly yelled, "WE are NOT doing THAT!"
Everyone looked at Harry in surprise while Ginny was in flabbergasted shock. Molly recovered first and asked Harry, "What's going on?"
"You don't want me to tell your Mother what you were thinking?" Harry said very quietly to Ginny.
"You were in my mind!" Ginny shrieked.
Molly and Ron were looking at Harry in shock and surprise, neither uttered a word.
"Only for a moment, and you surpassed my suspicions," Harry said. "I expect you to apologize to Hermione. The past is the past … get over it … it's not going to change."
"But … but … I love you Harry ... and you love me … I know you do!" Ginny screamed with tears in her eyes.
"Ginny", Harry said in an exasperated tone, "You fell in love with 'The Boy Who Lived' years before you ever saw me … before you even knew me. I thought I could return the love and make you happy … while it made you happy, it didn't work for me."
They all saw Ginny reach for her sleeve where she kept her wand.
Molly yelled, "NO!"
Hermione waved her hand and put up a wandless shield charm while Harry acquired Ginny's wand from her sleeve with a wandless summoning charm, pulling it around the hand that was reaching for it. Harry caught the wand as he intended, at the tip end, passing it to Molly who was sitting there open mouthed at the entire proceedings.
Ginny's hand reached her sleeve as she saw her wand flying across the table and into Harry's waiting hand … but how … she wondered; could Harry now do wandless magic?
"Ginny, the last thing I wanted to do was create a scene in front of everyone, what will it take to convince you?"
"Prove your love for HER!" Ginny demanded in a near angry tone.
"Prove …?" Questioned Harry.
Hermione caught Harry's attention and when he looked at her she raised her eyebrows and opened her eyes very wide trying to hint to Harry to use legilimency to read her thoughts.
Harry caught the hint, looked her straight in the eyes while entering Hermione's thoughts where he found the image of the two Patronus Deer nuzzling.
"Ah, that should work," responded Harry.
"Ginny, you remember that Tonks Patronus changed when she and Remus … got together?" said Hermione.
"Okay … and …" Said Ginny.
"You know what my Patronus is?" said Hermione.
"Yes … an Otter."
"And mine", said Harry.
"Is a Stag", said Ginny.
"Alright dear, wand ready … you cast right, I'll go left." Harry used his left hand and pointed his finger for show. They both cast their Patroni that cantered around the kitchen table and met up behind Ginny. Molly gasped, she didn't realize these kids could do magic that advanced, she had trouble with her Patronus on a good day. The Doe and the Stag nuzzled each other for several seconds before fading.
Ginny watched in shock, she was surprised enough that Harry still didn't need a wand, but when she saw Hermione's new Patronus, she gave up hope. "Is that proof enough Ginny?" asked Harry.
Molly said, "You've got me convinced, and congratulations for finally sorting yourselves out. Ginny, we need to talk … upstairs now!"
At that moment there was a knock on the door. Molly recognized Wilkie Twycross and let him in before escorting Ginny upstairs.
"Apparition testing … Ron you first if you're ready," said Wilkie.
"Good, where to?"
"Let's start outside."
Wilkie conjured two white blankets on the ground about ten feet apart and placed a hoop on the furthest one. "Start from the middle of this white space and apparate to the middle of that hoop." He requested. "Take your time and do it right."
Ron took his time, mentally went through the three D's, and apparated into the hoop. He was off to one side of the hoop and hoped that it wouldn't matter. As Wilkie examined the starting square in detail to verify that nothing was left behind, Harry and Hermione went over to Ron and checked him over, then congratulated him.
Wilkie had him go back and forth between the two white squares several times before trying longer distances. Finally he side-along apparated Ron to the Ministry to fill out his licence, then followed Ron back home before giving the licence to him.
"Now Harry, you did well with the lessons at school so I don't expect any problems, do you have any questions?"
"How do I go about leaving this scar behind," Harry asked pointing to his forehead.
"I'm sorry Harry, that's not an option if you want to pass the licence exam."
"Oh well … let's get on with it then," said Harry, he stepped on to the first white square and immediately apparated over to the middle of the hoop on the next square, where he waited.
"Very good Harry," said Wilkie after examining both blankets and Harry for missing parts. "Now go back and forth three times, then up to the orchard and back. Stay within sight in case you have a problem. Harry popped back and forth as requested, then up to the orchard and back again. Wilkie checked him over and pronounced him good.
"Harry, do you think you can you apparate us back to my office in the Ministry?"
"I can get us to the Atrium apparition point easily enough … if you picture the location of your office in your mind I can take us directly there."
"You've mastered legilimency?"
"I don't know about 'Mastered', but I've got the basics down."
Wilkie stepped in front of Harry and looked him in the eyes before saying, "the information is in my mind now, whenever you're ready."
Wilkie was waiting for Harry to draw his wand and say the spell, but that never happened, instead he heard Harry say, "Ready in 3 … 2 … 1." And they were in his office a moment later.
Wilkie checked them both over carefully before doing or saying anything else. "We look to be complete Harry, and you're very good at apparition already. When you went from place to place you were almost as silent as me. You must have gone into my mind to get this location, but I didn't feel you enter, what did you do, you didn't use your wand?"
"I legilimized you and the information was right there when I entered your mind, it hardly took a moment to do. Now as for the wand, I slipped up and forgot to use it, please don't tell anyone, Professor McGonagall wants this to remain a secret, I don't need one for most things anymore."
"Harry, there's not many witches or wizards that can do what you're capable of doing, even older ones. I have no problem keeping your secrets. Here is your copy of the licence. I can't process the paperwork on this end until the thirty-first. Do you want me to take you back to The Burrow?"
"I shouldn't apparate there myself should I?"
"No … not until after noon on your birthday, allow some time for the paperwork to get processed."
"If you wouldn't mind returning with me that would be great." Said Harry.
"I'll apparate us back," said Wilkie, and in a moment they were gone.
When they returned, Wilkie talked to Molly for a few minutes before congratulating the boys and leaving.
When Molly approached the trio, Harry attempted to apologize for upsetting Ginny, but Molly shushed him and said, "Ginny had herself convinced that she was in love with you when she was six or seven years old. Arthur and I have been trying for years to convince her that what she thought was love was in fact, simply, Hero Worship. I think it finally got through to her today that she wasn't going to get what she thought she wanted. Now it's time for reality to settle in. I hope she'll be ready to go to Luna's in a few hours."
"Someone will have to apparate her to Luna's and I don't think that Harry or I will be too popular with her for a while. I'll still have to take Harry …", said Hermione.
"We can all use Fawkes", interrupted Harry, "That'll simplify things and we'll get there at once … except Neville … how is he getting there?"
"Fawkes?" questioned Molly, "That's Albus' phoenix, why would he help."
"Fawkes has taken a liking to Harry", said Hermione, "and will do what he asks."
"Brilliant", said Ron.
"Oh", said Molly, "does that have any significance to The Order of the Phoenix?"
"Apparently not", replied Hermione, "according to Albus' letter a white phoenix will appear to select the next leader of The Order. Fawkes did send Harry an image, and McGonagall translated it. Part of that image indicated Harry to be the Headmaster of Hogwarts in the future."
"Another Phoenix!" Ron said.
"Dear, do you want to go and get Neville or shall I?" asked Harry.
"We should find out if he has transportation arranged first. I'll write a note if someone will find me a quill and parchment. Ron and Molly rummaged through a few drawers and found quill, ink and parchment. Hermione wrote the note:
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Neville,
If you need transportation to Luna's tea, we can collect you any time your ready. We are at The Burrow now and we'd like a chance to talk to you before we meet Luna. When you're ready send Fawkes back and make sure there is space in front of you for us to apparate.
Harry, Ron & Hermione
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Harry had already called Fawkes before the note was finished. He held the note in front of Fawkes and the bird picked it out of Harry's hand. Harry imagined Fawkes giving the note to Neville and the bird was gone in a red flash.
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Neville was sitting at the kitchen table, an open Herbology text in front of him and his Gran was sitting at the head of the table nursing a cup of tea. A flash of red flame overhead caught them both by surprise. Augusta's tea cup dropped and broke, fortunately it was almost empty, Neville on the other hand, forgetting he was seated, tried to back up, causing the chair to tip over backwards landing him on his back with a bump on the back of his head where the floor came up and hit him.
Fawkes landed beside Neville and dropped the note on his chest. They both starred at the bird for the better part of a minute before his Grandmother asked him, "What's in the letter dear?"
Neville's mind hadn't even registered the fact that there was a letter on his chest, so it took him a bit to decipher what his Gran was talking about. Once he saw the corner of a piece of parchment he reached for it. Still lying on his back, on the floor, he brought the note up to his eyes and started reading, then squealed, "Oh no! … I forgot."
Fawkes flew off and perched on one of the kitchen chairs as Augusta repaired her favourite cup and cleaned up the spilled tea. "What did you forget dear, and what is Albus' Phoenix doing here?"
Neville had rolled over and regained his feet, as he ran out of the room he dropped the note in front of his Gran and said, "I've got to get cleaned up and changed, I forgot that was today."
"Oh Neville," she said in complete exasperation. She read the note and wondered if there was anything going on between either of the two girls named in the note and her grandson. Fawkes flexed his wings and fluffed his feathers reminding Augusta that there was a Phoenix perched on one of her kitchen chairs.
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The trio were discussing who was going to go and get Neville as Ginny came into the kitchen of The Burrow. They stopped talking instantly and looked at Ginny. Harry was twirling Ginny's wand between his fingers absentmindedly. Molly had left it on the table.
"I'm sorry guys," Ginny said, "I was off in my own fantasy and I didn't want it to end. Mom finally convinced me I'd been trying to live a dream. Harry, it was wonderful while it lasted and I guess I'll always love you or the idea of you and I. Hermione, I'm sorry I tried to hex you, and Harry, how did you get my wand?"
"It was on the table." He said.
"No!" she said in frustration, "I mean out of my sleeve before I could even reach it."
"Oh that," Harry replied, "I accio'd your wand, I know where you keep it."
"But … you didn't have a wand in your hand and …"
Ginny was interrupted by Harry opening his palm to free her wand, then, he appeared to be using the index finger of his other hand to guide Ginny's wand over to her and place it a hairs thickness above her open palm.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Ron.
Ginny was still staring at her wand, she hadn't even closed her hand around it. She looked up to Harry, then over to Hermione and down to Ron. No one had a wand out except hers. Harry had put both his hands down and was staring at her wand. Ginny finally closed her hand around her wand, but the wand wouldn't move until Harry broke eye contact with it and looked at her.
"That is exceptional mate!" exclaimed Ron. "When did you start doing wandless magic?"
"Right after our meeting with McGonagall. She wanted to make sure I wouldn't use my wand at all until after my birthday … or try to apparate. She said that the Ministry can trace wand magic by the signature applied to the magic through the wand and they didn't bother to trace Phoenix apparition because Phoenixes are so rare."
"That gave me a big incentive to learn wandless magic. Not just because of the next month, though that was the immediate reason. McGonagall wants our use of wandless magic to be kept a secret …"
"Our", Ron interrupted, "use of wandless magic."
"Hermione can do it too." Said Harry. "So we'll have to at least pretend to use a wand if we go back to Hogwarts."
"If!" Ginny said loudly, "I thought you were going to hunt V … v … him."
"We are Ginny." Said Harry. "McGonagall is willing to work with us and allow us some freedom to come and go and skip classes from time to time. The castle provides a relatively secure base of operations and of course research material. The teachers have even agreed to help us though they don't yet know what we're doing."
Hermione carried on, "And that brings us to why Luna wanted to talk to all of us." At that instant Fawkes reappeared indicating it was time to collect Neville.
"Ginny, we know that Neville likes you … do you want to get him and bring him back here?"
"I can't apparate." Said Ginny.
"Harry will send you with Fawkes,, he can even tell Fawkes not to bring you back until Neville kisses you." Said Hermione with a giggle. Ron and Harry put their hands over their mouths to stifle their laughter.
"You guys are crazy, Neville will never do it."
"Ginny, I'll tell you why later, when we're all together, but 'The Boy Who Lived' could just as easily have been Neville."
"This had better be a good explanation if I've got to wait for it. If he won't kiss me, how do I get back?"
"Grab hold of Neville, look Fawkes in the eye and picture both of you being here in your mind." Said Harry.
"Sounds too easy."
"If Neville gets difficult, tell him it was my idea and he should get mad at me, not you."
"It was Hermione's idea." Said Ginny.
"She voiced it, but it came from my thoughts."
Ginny looked back and forth between the two of them for a few seconds before Hermione said, "It's true, I stole the idea from Harry's mind." Harry nodded his agreement.
"You two are getting right scary, you know that." Said Ron.
"Are you willing to go, Ginny." Said Harry.
"Alright, but he'd better kiss me without a lot of threats, otherwise it won't be any fun."
Harry looked Fawkes in the eye and tried to explain in his mind what he wanted Fawkes to do. Fawkes nodded his head and trilled, then flew over to Ginny's shoulder. They were gone in a flash.
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"G … G … Ginny." Said Neville, "I thought Harry or Hermione was coming?"
"No, they sent me at the last minute, is that a problem?"
"No, just unexpected, your name wasn't even on the note they sent."
"I didn't know they'd sent a note." She said as she closed the distance between them.
"When do we go back?" asked Neville.
"That's the tricky part." Said Ginny, "You have to kiss me to get us to The Burrow. That was Harry's bright idea, I told him you'd never do it and he said we'd have to stay here for an hour before he'd come and rescue us." Ginny was now standing so close to him a wand would have been trapped between them.
"What about you and Harry, won't he kill me for kissing you?"
"Harry has taken up with Hermione, Ron is seeing Luna and I'm all alone." She pouted.
"You don't have to be alone." Neville said as he took her hands, bent his head down and kissed her gently on the lips. They disappeared in a flash of red flame only to reappear in the kitchen of The Burrow, still kissing, to an audience of four, Molly had returned.
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The kissing couple had their eyes closed, so they didn't realize they had changed locations or that they now had an audience until they broke apart and opened their eyes. They both turned the bright red colour of Fawkes upon realizing their new surroundings.
"Ginny Weasley!" shouted Molly, "what do you think you're doing."
Harry spoke up quickly, "It's my fault Mrs. Weasley," he spoke loud enough to be heard over the laughter of the other two teens. Neville and Ginny wanted to crawl under The Burrow and hide. Molly looked at Harry as if to say 'this had better be good … explain'.
"I asked Ginny if she would be willing to go and bring Neville back. I only told her, just before Fawkes took her that she had to get Neville to kiss her to bring them back."
"Harry." Exasperated Molly, as if to say 'how could you do that after what Ginny's been through today'. "You should be ashamed of yourself."
"Mrs. Weasley, I promise to be completely ashamed of my actions if either one of them can say they hated having to kiss."
Molly must have glared at Ginny and Neville for a full five minutes, but neither would say a word. Molly finally gave up and left the kitchen.
Ron started laughing then all the teens were laughing. Ginny pulled Neville around to face her and with her other hand tilted his head down and they kissed again, hard and long.