Chapter 5--Lessons
"I'm sorry you never got to talk to Auror Clogkey."
"Stop saying that because I'll just respond the same way I have every other time: `Maybe it was for the best as I couldn't take the job immediately anyway. So, have you been looking?'"
"Yes, Harry," Hermione laughed. "I'll stop feeling guilty, or at least try."
"Good."
"I went over today with Ben and I actually ran into Clogkey. She knew who I was…did you say anything to her?"
"No, I honestly didn't. Maybe Arthur did."
"Well, she asked after you and I said you had promised your daughter a vacation and that was your priority. We ended up chatting and turns out she wants to talk to me about the position."
"Good, go for it Hermione."
"But, you were asked first--."
"No, none of that teenagery stuff about being asked first. I have something else I need to worry about now. You'll do a wonderful job. Go meet with her and let me know how the interview turns out."
"You know I will. How's Janie doing? I miss her and so does Ben."
"She seems perfectly normal, although she asks me where Ben is a lot."
"Is…is Ron's wand working for her?"
Ron's wand hadn't been broken in two like Ginny's had the night they died. Although Harry kept hers, it wasn't usable. The day Harry and Janie had left, Hermione had presented them with Ron's wand, wanting Janie to use it until she was old enough to get her own. One day, Ben would be using his father's wand, and without any tape holding it together.
"It seems to be. We're working on the Wingardium Leviosa Spell. It's the pronunciation that she's messing up."
"What other ones are you trying?"
"Accio and Alohamora. She seems to have the Accio one down; probably because it's easier to say. How is everyone there?"
"Good. Molly says it feels like two months rather than two weeks since you have been gone."
"It feels that way for me too," Harry admitted. His words were filled with more meaning than all of the English words together. He missed her immensely and had realized upon their second day apart, that they had never gone a day without seeing each other since they had each taken their respective honeymoon. And now here he was in Rome playing tourist and renting a furnished flat month to month; very far away from the ones he called family.
"I'm meeting Charles tonight to go over the notes he had taken on Janie. You don't mind that he is using her in his study do you?"
Harry felt a wave of jealousy wash over him, tinged with envy that Charles, the good looking younger doctor got to see Hermione when he wasn't able to.
He realized she was waiting for a response so he pushed those feeling to the side, concentrating on Janie's treatment regime.
"I don't mind. If it helps them to not diagnose every magical child, who acts like this, with a Muggle illness, then let him at it. By the way, what's his last name again? I can't remember."
"Meyer. I found out he was adopted by a family in Canada when he was born. He was actually born here in London a year before us."
"Wonderful," Harry muttered into the phone his finger tracing an invisible pattern on the kitchen table.
"We aren't dating."
"What? Who isn't dating?" For a brief panicky moment, Harry thought that she was talking about them.
"I know what you are thinking and we aren't dating. This is just a meeting about Janie since I know her second best to you and all your history, along with Ginny's. It just seemed natural for me to talk to him."
"Of course," Harry sighed relieved. He handed Janie a slice of his apple as she asked for a snack. "By the way, thanks for sending me the cell phone. You didn't have too, you know."
"I know, but I wanted to be able to hear you… and my dad insisted on buying a new one. It just seemed natural for me to send it to you."
"Thank your father for me," Harry answered and saw that Janie had come back for another apple. It was time to slice more. "I should go. It's snack time then nap time. I'll talk to you later. Good luck in the interview."
"Thanks, Harry."
They paused for a moment. The time of uncomfortable silence had popped its ugly head; neither one wanted to hang up, but each knew that "Good bye" was a very platonic way to end their phone call.
"Give Janie a kiss for me."
"Do the same for Ben, for me." Harry lifted Janie into her booster seat as his heart waited to hear the words his whole body was feeling at the moment.
"I miss you, Harry." It came out as a whisper as if she didn't want anyone in the background to hear her say it.
He smiled into the mouthpiece, those four words lifting his tired spirits. "Yeah, I miss you too."
-----
"Window vasa."
"Nice try but, no, Jane. Let's try it in sections." Harry held her hand around her Uncle's wand and slowly repeated the correct pronunciation while guiding her hand.
"Win…gard…umvasa!" Janie shook her wand vigorously and Harry couldn't help but to laugh.
"Wow, you are just like your Uncle Ron with that wand movement. Let's take a break from that. Can you Accio something to us?"
Janie scrunched up her nose and looked around the small apartment. Her eyes settled on her bedroom doorway.
"Accio Wendy!"
Her doll floated right into her lap. Janie squealed, threw down the wand and hugged Wendy.
"Done daddy!" and with that pronouncement she stood up and walked into her bedroom, talking to Wendy about the correct way to hold a wand. Harry had already found a twig on one of their walks and made it into a type of doll-sized wand which Janie insisted be stuck to Wendy's hand. He wasn't sure how he'd explain that in public if anyone asked about it but so far no one had, at least in English.
He wandered into the kitchen and munched on the cookies Molly had sent them yesterday. It was mid April and Harry had missed the birthday party for George. He had to admit he wasn't too upset as Molly always ended up crying, Arthur a bit tipsy and George depressed. They all missed Fred, Ron and Ginny. Birthdays and holiday's just reinforced how much.
The one happy piece of news was that Katie was pregnant and due in November, a long seven months away. George already announced if it was a boy, it was going to be Frederick Ronald, a girl: Ginny Kathryn. Katie didn't seem to mind but Harry wasn't sure how he felt having a future niece with the same first name as his wife. He almost hoped that the baby would be a boy.
His thoughts turned to Ben, the little redheaded terror with Hermione's brown eyes. Harry wondered how he was doing and if Uncle George had managed to convince Hermione that her son could start riding a broom. Harry wished he could've brought his with him, but he didn't want to attract unwanted attention. Sighing, he put down the book he was reading, not really remembering anything his eyes had stared at over the last twenty minutes.
Bored was one thing he felt often on this vacation. He had taken to napping when Janie did and now he settled down on the sofa. There was only so much you could do with an almost 19 month old daughter in a foreign city. She didn't really care about the historic landmarks. She wanted to go pet all the cats she saw when the visited ruins, or get a gelati when she saw a store that sold them. Their stilted conversations revolved around animals, family and ice cream. What he wouldn't give to have a sitter and to go out and interact with just adults. Just for a few hours…
Harry drifted off to sleep wondering what flavor gelati he'd get this evening after they went for their walk along the tree lined road that was just outside their flat.
The doorbell rang and he bolted upright, making haste to open the door before it woke Janie. Without bothering to check who was on the other side, he yanked it open and it only registered after he was being hugged that it was Hermione.
"What're you doing here?" he gasped surprised to be pressed up against her.
"I was in the area," she said her voice thick with tears.
"Where's Ben? Is something wrong?"
"No. He's giving Uncle George a hard time at the shop. Katie insisted he start learning how to be a father and Ben seemed the natural test subject."
"Are you sure it's best that you're-," Harry started but was quieted as her mouth found his, startling him for a moment. It had been awhile since he had kissed Hermione, more than month since they had ended up in her bed. Her hands grasped his shirt and tugged, silently telling him she wanted it off. With a wave of his hand, he shut Janie's door and pulled Hermione down on the sofa with him. He could feel her heart thunder against his hands as he pushed her shirt off, enjoying the goose bumps rising up under his finger tips. She was here, with him, seeking him and he knew he wouldn't be able to resist her. Her hands tugged at his jeans; her finger tips brushed against his stomach making him push into her making him clamp down on her mouth so he wouldn't groan aloud.
In one swift movement she slid off of him, her face inches from his as she knelt on the floor next to him. He could see her black pupils obscuring her dark brown eyes. Her lips parted, begging to be kissed again. He reached up to pull her back down but was met with empty air.
He sat up blinking and looked around. Janie's door was still open; Hermione wasn't anywhere to be seen. It was all a dream.
Cursing, he threw himself back down on the sofa, willing himself to think of thoughts that would calm his body down. He had only been asleep for twenty minutes and was amazed at how real this dream was. Sleep wouldn't come back to him now. He could hear the rain against the windows and realized that he hadn't had a shower all day. The rain had been keeping them inside…why shower when you weren't going to see anyone except your own child?
He took a deep breath trying to slow down his pulse.
He needed a shower now; a cold shower.
---
All the next week he worked with Janie. She had Accio down to the point where she ended up punished when she stole a fourth cookie after dinner one night.
She had Alohamora down quite well and frequently used it to wake him up in the morning, enjoying the resounding crash of his door against the wall that she could do with a quick flick of her little wrist from her bedroom.
Janie was a quick and eager learner; he had to give her credit for that. She'd get frustrated, go away crying then come back hours later and beg him to teach her the "Leviosa" spell. She finally had the second word down although she stumbled over the first word time and time again. Harry thought of changing the spell and teaching her something else, but it had taken four weeks for her to perfect the other two spells and the thought of staying for another month to learn a new spell didn't sit well with him. (Though, the rational side of his brain told him that it COULD take weeks for her to get this last one, also.)
April gave way into May and every day Harry talked to Hermione on the phone. She had been offered the job as Manager of the Auror Department and was currently undergoing training…both physical and intellectual. She was happy, though exhausted each evening when he talked to her. Ben had taken to the day care fairly well though he didn't seem to want to play with the other children that were there.
Six weeks with Janie as his only company not counting floo visits and phone calls from Hermione and the Weasley's. A little girl and her family were renting the flat next door for the month. They were from America and played outside in the courtyard every evening. Harry got his work-out running after them, kicking balls around, swinging them up high, racing the little girls around the sandbox. He played like he hadn't when he was a child and while he enjoyed it, he missed adult company. His dreams of Hermione were growing more and more vivid and he was feeling almost like a teenager, wondering what they'd say, what would they do when they saw each other again. Would that one unplanned night happen again? Was she even interested in having a relationship?
He sat down at the kitchen table having put Janie down to bed, promising her that in just a few more days she'd "get" the spell. As if on cue, his cell phone rang and his heart leapt a bit in his chest at the thought of talking to Hermione. Glancing at caller ID, he saw it was a number he didn't recognize. Thinking it was the wrong number he answered it anyway.
It was Charles.
"I wanted to see how Jane was doing?"
"Very well!" Harry gave him a detailed account of how they had been learning the spells, what she had accomplished and how she was half-way to learning a third spell.
"Don't you think two are enough?" Harry's question finished his update on Janie.
"Well, I was going to see if I could come visit her. Just for a bit. If I can see what she does, how she can handle being around two of us with magic, then two may be sufficient for her."
"You're the doctor. Feel free to come over at anytime. She's napping right now…usually does for about two hours in the afternoon."
"Very good. Let's say…four this afternoon? I can have your fireplace connected to the floo network and travel that way."
"Jane will be excited to get a visitor. I think she's getting a little sick of seeing me everyday."
Charles laughed and Harry felt something click in his brain. He had heard that laugh before, or at least he thought he
did. He wasn't sure where or when though.
"Well, I won't stay long, thought I'm sure it'll be nice to see another face," Charles responded and they hung up, Harry racking his brain trying to figure out if he had ever met Charles Meyer.
---
"Janie, this is Healer Meyer. He was with you when you were at the hospital. Do you remember him?" Harry held Janie in his lap as she assessed the stranger before her. She shook her head slightly.
"That's okay," Charles said cheerfully. "You were asleep most of the time. Your daddy here says you can do two new spells."
Janie nodded and shyly held up her wand for him to see.
"That's great. Do you think you can show me? Pick your favorite one first."
Janie turned and looked up at Harry, her hazel eyes searching his making sure it was permissible for her to show this person. Harry had been telling her they could only do these practice spells in private.
"Go ahead. He's a friend so it's okay."
She turned back to Charles who was perched on the edge of the coffee table and proceeded to Accio the book she had been reading from her bed in the next room.
"Wonderful! Do you think you could Accio…oh, I don't know…your toothbrush?"
Janie laughed bringing a grin to Harry's face. She had Ginny's throaty laugh and it never failed to cheer him
up when he heard it.
She pointed her wand down the hall and uttered the command. A pink toothbrush sat in her hands seconds later.
A half hour of her performing spells for Charles passed by quickly. They never touched on Wingardium Leviosa, not wanting to frustrate her. Reaching her limit of her attention span, Janie put down her wand, stuck her thumb in her mouth and curled up next to Harry, eyes never leaving Charles.
"I think I am done here. She looks great, taller and tanner than when I last saw her."
"Yeah, we've been outside a lot since the weather is so nice."
"Good to hear. Janie is doing wonderful, Harry. She can Accio something small, rooms away. That's a huge accomplishment for someone so little. Let's see how she does over the next day after being around me. If she whines more than usual, develops a fever or anything out of the ordinary please let me know." Charles stood up and stowed his wand in a small black case. His brown eyes swept over Janie one more time who gave him a small wave as he waggled his fingers at her.
"Hermione has given me a very good idea on what your daughter is like. I bet she can be quite a handful." Harry nodded as he untangled himself from Janie and walked Charles to the fireplace.
"Yeah. As much as I love her, I'm ready to have her spend the night at her grandparents for a night, or three."
"That may happen soon. We'll see how she does with this visit. My motto is slow and steady because it is the best way to see where she is in her treatment. I know you're going stir crazy, with it being just you and all so, maybe next time, I can bring a visitor for a bit," Charles gave Harry a small smile and right away he knew that meant Hermione. He struggled to keep a smile from breaking out across his face.
"That'd be lovely to see friends again."
All that night Harry kept a close eye on Janie. He didn't alter their schedule at all and he played like he always did with her and Ellen, the little girl next door. He even chatted to Ellen's parents for awhile, elaborating on the fabrication that he was a teacher at a private school and enjoying an extended vacation with his daughter. He could see the questions in their eyes about Janie's mom, but he never answered them. Hermione had asked him over past phone conversations what he told people when they did ask, but no one ever had. Not yet.
Ellen's parent's had offered to watch Janie while he went out but he always politely refused. He didn't know these people and was very uncomfortable with someone watching her since they didn't know she was a witch. He could only imagine what she'd do if she got angry, and what the response would be from Ellen's parents.
So he just watched and waited over the next day to see if Janie seemed upset or overwhelmed from being exposed to more than just Harry's magic. He had called Hermione the day after Charles left, but had received her voice mail, so he left a quick message about the healers visit.
The next day went by quickly since he promised Jane he'd buy her a bike because she had been doing so well in their practice. She zoomed up and down the park playground on her new tricycle and didn't seem any worse for wear at having seen Charles. Harry sent a message via Owl (he had made sure to find the Magical Post Office his first day in Rome) saying she was normal, happy and not the least bit sick.
What was concerning him is that he hadn't heard from Hermione in two days. The latest at night she'd ever call
was nine. She hadn't responded back to his voicemail and the Weasley's were on vacation so he couldn't ask
them. He was pretty sure Neville and Luna wouldn't know so it was with an anxious kind of stress that he waited one
more day to contact George. Surely he'd know; Katie had a knack for knowing everything that went on with
everyone.
The day that marked week eight dawned bright and cheerful. After Janie ate breakfast and was watching the allotted half hour of morning television, Harry wrote a quick letter to George, asking if he had seen Hermione. He was now trying to make it through a third day of no word from her.
Where could she be and why hadn't she at least told him she'd be out of touch for a few days?
George's letter arrived at lunch time and with anxious hands, Harry pried back the "W" seal and began reading.
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