*NOTES* Okay it has been a million and a half years, and I know this is a very short chapter. But it is needed. Happy Holiday Season Everyone!
Being surrounded by boxes was not how Ron wanted to spend the first full day in the new house. Of course he wasn't the only one unpacking so that made him feel slightly better. All the boxes were unmarked, and they had unceremoniously piled them in the ball room yesterday.
Yesterday, they had arrived at the Black Lake House with Remus and Tonks. All five of them were carrying backpacks that contained around ten shrunken boxes each. Hermione had unlocked the gate to allow Remus and Tonks entrance. Ron watched as she set up the wards to recognise Remus, Tonks, the whole Weasley family, Neville and his gang, and finally the entire Order of the Phoenix. It was at moments like this that Ron was glad Hermione read so much.
After Hermione set the wards to her preference the group made their way to the house, and the first order of business (which made Ron very happy) was having lunch. Martha greeted them, warmly, at the door, and then ushered them inside the informal dinning area to have a buffet style lunch.
Now, as Ron looked through his fifth box of the morning he began to wistfully think of lunch which was three hours away. He wished fervently that time would hurry up so he could be doing anything but shifting through stuff. Looking down he scowled.
"Another box for Harry," Ron shouted and the box zoomed across the room to his messy haired friend. "Why don't these have labels, Remus?"
"This one is Hermione's, Ron." Harry spoke up suddenly.
"I could have sworn they had labels on them," Remus and Tonks were also knee deep in boxes. "They also seemed to have multiplied."
"This is unreal," Hermione said as she stuffed her hand in a box and pulled out some brightly coloured objects. "Whoops," she hastily stuck the objects back in the box before Ron could get a good look at them. He did see Harry's face turn a nice shade of red at the sight of whatever it was Hermione wanted to keep hidden. `I found my bathroom stuff," at this off-handed comment Ron could feel himself turning red too.
At this they all turned to see Martha enter the room from servant's entrance. Ron found it slightly unnerving how easily Hermione and Harry accepted Martha, but he could find no obvious reason not to trust Martha. Plus she could cook really well. So until Ron was given a reason he would trust her.
"I was wondering if you needed some help," Martha looked slightly nervous as she stood on the edge of all the boxes.
"Of course," Hermione said. "All the help will get this done quicker. And then Ron could start planning the party." At this Hermione stuck her tongue out at Ron who stuck his tongue out right back at her.
Ron watched as Martha started to help Hermione sort through the boxes she was poking through. About two hours later Martha left to go start lunch, and Ron, Hermione, and Harry actually began to move the boxes up to their rooms. Just as they had levitated the last boxes up all of them heard a crack come from the empty ballroom.
Remus and Tonks had their wands out and pointing at the source of the noise, but they were the only ones. Harry, Ron and Hermione just sort of stared at Dobby for a second before Hermione rushed forward to give him one big hug. Once Hermione put Dobby down Ron came over to give him a pat on the back and finally Harry approached.
Harry sunk onto his knees and green eyes met green. Dobby eyes were slightly filled with tears and he started to wail as Harry gave him a bone crushing hug. "You is okay?" Dobby kept repeating even when Harry let him go.
"Dobby we're fine," Hermione said as she slipped her hand into Harry's who was now standing.
Martha's voice rang out that lunch was ready, and Ron felt his stomach grumble in anticipation. "Come Dobby lets go eat all the food," Ron said jauntily moving towards the dinning area.
All seven of them sat down to a hearty meal of steak and kidney pie. There was a little conversation going around the small table, but mostly their thoughts were kept to themselves. As the meal came to a close, Ron noticed that Remus started to fidget.
"Well," their old professor said. "We will leave you to finish getting settled." Ron glanced at Harry and Hermione, who were sitting opposite of him. Their faces were a passive calm that they took on whenever they didn't want people to know what their thoughts held, but Ron could see the anxiety in their eyes.
He felt some anxiety too. It was great to be back among the people they missed so much, and Tonks and Remus were constant during the war. The couple had taught them so much and become so much to all three of them.
The five of them walked to the front doorway. Remus shook Ron's hand, hugged Hermione, and finally arrived at Harry. Ron and Hermione turned to see Remus hand Harry six envelopes.
"Molly wanted you three to have these," and with a friendly clasp to Harry's shoulder he exited the manor. Tonks waited a few seconds and then followed once she got the promise for an invite to the party.
"What are they?" Ron asked as they made their way back to the dinning room.
"They are the letters we wrote to each other."
All three of them looked at the pile of papers that lay in Harry's hands. The envelopes were full and each was made of the same thick parchment that their own Hogwarts letters arrived in so many years ago.
"We promised we would never go there again," Hermione said in a small voice.
"We said that during the war, but now that it is over…" Ron could tell that Harry was thinking that even though everything seemed okay they would eventually need to talk about what happened.
"So…should we open them?" He said as Martha and Dobby joined them at the table with a plate of biscuits.
"I thought you all would need a treat after all the hard work you accomplished here," she put the plate of cookies right in front of Ron and joined them at the table. They all ate their cookies in silence.
Night had dawned on the manor and Martha had gone home after lunch time. She informed Hermione that she would be coming once a week to do the cleaning and general up-keep of the house, but if Hermione had any questions or concerns she was only an owl away. Ron had bid his two best friends goodnight an hour before, and he was quickly finding that sleep would not come.
He walked down the stairs and into the informal dinning room to find Harry and Hermione waiting for him. They didn't look as he entered. Ron knew that they knew he was coming as hot tea was already waiting for him at his place around the table. In the middle of the oak table were the six letters neatly stacked and waiting to be opened.
"The question is…" Hermione spoke as Ron slid into the seat across from her and Harry. "Do we open them?"
Ron was slightly scared by Hermione's question. She wasn't the one to ask the questions…she was suppose to answer them. And the fact that she didn't know the answer gave Ron the shivers.
"Why don't we worry about it later?" Ron asked his two best friends in a pleading voice.
"We need to deal with this sometime…soon." Harry finally spoke up. His voice while soft was amazingly forceful. "But Ron is right. Not tonight."
At this statement, Ron could feel his body relaxing. He took a seat beside Hermione around the table. It was just another night with his two best friends.
-->