Disclaimer : Harry Potter - not mine.
Chapter 23 - About Dean
Harry could not believe that Ginny and Dean were breaking up. Was it not just a few days ago when Ginny said she was happy with her life? Even Mrs. Weasley did not see it coming, wondering if Ginny was just overreacting, not thinking straight because of she was angry. Hermione speculated that whatever it was they fought about last night had to be so horrible, that Ginny had absolutely no choice but to break it off with Dean. An affair maybe? Hermione's name did come up and so did his. And between the two of them they knew that wasn't true for either. If only Ritchie heard a little bit more about it.
So, unless something seriously threatened the lives of the twins, it was unlikely they could talk to Ginny until her return tomorrow. Harry hoped that some news about Dean's arrest would reach her but admittedly, knowledge of Dean's arrest may actually make her want to stay away even more. Hermione told Mrs. Weasley most of what was going on and suggested that they stay with Harry for the time being.
With Mrs. Weasley and the twins now settled in Dobby's care, they were finally set to continue the busy day that was ahead of them. Well, almost.
"Harry, we have to go," Hermione was trying to get the words through Harry's incessant kisses, trying to be the voice of reason. They were in one of the guest rooms; the closest Harry could get them into, on the bed.
Harry was on top of her and was also trying his best, trying his best to convince her otherwise, "Must we? Two years is a lot of catching up to do."
He kissed her mouth, driven mad by her soft and slow response, not relenting until they absolutely had to come up for air.
"We have a murderer to catch," she said breathless, magically re-dressing what he had been undressing but continuing to kiss him too.
"You're sending mixed messages," he teased, whispered as he nibbled her left ear, "Just a few minutes, to finish what we started last night."
She moaned and replied, "After two years, I certainly hope it takes longer than just a few minutes."
He saw a smile, "What's so amusing?"
"You have to get off me," she said.
"Why?" he asked just before Hermione gave him a deep lingering kiss.
"Because Mrs. Weasley is just about to walk in on us," she directed Harry's attention to the guest room door. The knob was indeed starting to turn, slowly. She said quietly, "I'll see you later."
Harry kissed Hermione one more time and they parted reluctantly. She was off to Hogwarts and he to the Auror office to join the murder investigations. She smiled when he reminded her to be careful, and Disapparated with a faint pop. All of a sudden, everything had a different meaning. For the first time in years Harry was happy; blissfully and heavenly happy. He could look past the fact that Hermione was a fugitive and imagine spending the rest of his life with her.
But maybe he was thinking too fast. There were still things he had to talk to her about. He had questions that needed answers. Now that he was by himself with his head out of the clouds, he realized that she wasn't really clear about how she felt about him. She said '…words are not going to be nearly enough to describe how I feel about you.' What exactly did she mean by that? There were hundreds of words she could have used to describe how she felt about him, but she chose to tell him that way.
But in the context of her initiating the kiss that followed, maybe he was safe to assume she meant it the way he wanted it to mean. Then again, she said she wouldn't kiss in public. Did she mean that or did she really mean she did not want anybody knowing they were kissing. What about the Muggle life she was leading? Was that going to continue? And he assumed that all this meant she was no longer going to see Ritchie. He heard her say, 'You really should stop jumping to conclusions.'
Potter, stop it. This is Hermione you're talking about. You know her. You're just ruining the moment!
"Harry, I thought you had left but Dobby said I'd find you here. There was a Mr. Aimes in your fireplace looking for you, said you're needed at the Ministry," Mrs. Weasley said, with a puzzled look on her face.
He made up some excuse to explain why he was in the guest room, too lame to even remember, and said goodbye to her himself. Making a mental note to get back at Aimes for his second rude interruption in less than twenty-four hours, he Apparated to the Ministry and before he could reach his desk he came face to face with Aimes' ugly visage. Such a reality check for what he hoped was going to be a wonderful day.
"Where were you last night, Potter?" Aimes asked.
Harry answered, "I shouldn't have to answer that if you were doing your job."
"Harboring a fugitive, a murderer at that, is a serious offence. Don't make me catch you with her!"
"You know I'll do my best," Harry replied.
Aimes sure had a chip on his shoulder.
"She's going to kill you, you know. And you're the only one stupid enough not to believe it," Aimes said as he left the room.
Harry thought she was indeed going to be the death of him, but not the way Aimes thought she would.
He saw Tonks come into the Auror Office with Melissa and she ushered him to come with them. She looked worn out.
"I just talked with Remus and knowing we're meeting tonight makes me feel a lot better. It was hard seeing Severus like that," Tonks said as they walked to the lifts and pushed the level to get to the Atrium.
She proceeded to describe to Harry how Snape looked and the missing piece of flesh that bore the dark mark. As Hermione had, they speculated on who the Cardinal meant when he said family. Melissa suggested, rightfully so, that Ron should get some protection just in case the Cardinal thought of finishing off what he started. Tonks said she would arrange it with Kingsley.
"Where are we going," Harry finally asked.
"To see Dean. The Muggles have been interrogating him so the Minister is sending us to make sure everything goes well, " Tonks explained then gave Harry a cautionary look. "We're there just observing, unless absolutely necessary."
Melissa added, "If somebody asks we're from Manchester investigating similar crimes."
Harry thought the three of them did look Muggle enough to prevent questions. Today, seemed to be the kind of day he would be having had he taken liquid luck potion. A chance to see and possibly talk with Dean was a good sign.
Earlier that day, he had wondered why Dean would allow himself to be arrested by Muggles. If it were him, he would have fought his way out and let the Ministry Clean Up team deal with the mess. Hermione thought of a few possibilities. Dean was a painter; he was not as wand ready as anybody working at the Ministry would be. He probably wasn't expecting it. There was also an interesting footnote on Ritchie's file about the importance of securing a 'piece of wood' immediately upon arrest. And Dean and Ginny lived as Muggles too. He had to abide with their laws. He likely did not imagine the crime for which he was being falsely arrested for was something as horrifying as murder.
They Apparated close to the local Muggle police station where Ritchie's men had taken Dean. They were led to an observation area beside the interrogation room where Dean was being questioned by Ritchie and another Muggle. The observation area was packed. Dean was the first suspect taken in for questioning for the serial stabbing case so Harry could understand why it would be a circus.
From the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of a stylish thin short man who had front row seats to the proceedings. It was very interesting that Gomez would choose to be here. He doubted Gomez came as a wizard, much less as a Ministry official. As he pondered what Gomez' cover might be, he nudged Tonks and Melissa and pointed Gomez out. As if Gomez sensed their eyes on him, he turned and acknowledged them.
Through the glass window Harry saw that Dean was seated at a wooden rectangular table with his head down. His hands were on his lap and there was a glass of water in front of him.
"Mr. Thomas," it was Ritchie, "The labs don't lie. Your fingerprints, the ones we took off you this morning, were found in all the crime scenes. You have no alibi whatsoever. We know for sure you knew eight of the victims and witnesses have identified you as having brief contact with the other seven. It would be best to cooperate."
Dean replied, with lost and panic-stricken eyes, "I really don't know what you're talking about. I'm not a murderer. Please, can someone contact my wife? You," Dean said referring to the other Muggle, "You're supposed to be my solicitor. Please get my wife."
The other man answered, "We tried earlier and there is no one at your house. Is there a phone number where we can reach her?"
In frustration and almost in tears, Dean slammed his handcuffed fists on the table, "She doesn't have a phone! How many times do I have to say that?"
Then Harry and the rest could hear him mumbling something about how the Ministry should be there soon and they would take care of everything. Dean was cracking under the pressure, and his perception about the Ministry coming to 'take care of everything' was totally off the mark. He remembered what Tonks said, they were only observing unless absolutely necessary. Harry had to do something.
"Let me talk to him," he blurted out. The roomful of people turned towards him, and stared. Gomez's mouth was agape. Even Melissa was surprised. Only Tonks anticipated he would do something brainless like this.
Think fast, Potter. Why would they allow you to go in there and interrogate their prisoner? You could tell them you knew him from school, and risk getting a thorough background check as well. Or, you could tell them the other truth, that you are his wife's ex-boyfriend. Decide.
"And who might you be?" asked a burly man dressed in a cop's uniform with the biggest and shiniest badge in the room. He must be the guy in charge.
"Inspector Potter. Manchester," Harry shook his hand, "I've had great success dealing with delusional types like Thomas. No offence to the Inspector running the interrogation but he has gotten nowhere with him."
The man was still unconvinced.
"Five minutes, with Thomas. Then you can pull me out. Five minutes can't hurt."
"Fine, five minutes," the burly cop replied and called out to one of his minions to get Ritchie out of the room. As he was doing that, Harry whispered in Tonks ear and she nodded. "Tilly doesn't have to stay but the counsel does, unless Thomas specifically waves his right to have him present."
Harry figured that for appearances, it might be better for Ritchie and the solicitor to stay. Then depending on how crazy their conversation was going to be for a Muggle, he would decide if he needed someone to Obliviate Dean's counsel.
Ritchie came into the room, immediately saw Harry, and it was too late to warn him not to be surprised.
"Well, this is unexpected," Ritchie greeted him with the same acerbic tone he had last night.
"You two know each other?" the man in charge did not miss a beat.
Harry answered quickly, remembering the trophies in his study, "Football rivals in our younger days."
"Bitter rivals," Ritchie realized that he almost blew Harry's cover, "Just so you know, I still haven't forgiven you for taking that trophy that we both know you don't deserve."
"Nice and civil, remember?" Harry said back, thinking he must be talking about Hermione, implying heavily that she had broken up with him and maybe was told Harry was the reason why. Or was that all just wishful thinking on his part? He shifted his attention to the task at hand, "Seeing that you haven't had much success with Thomas, I'd like to try."
"Be my guest."
"Actually, I wouldn't mind having you in there with me. You might learn something."
Harry smiled. He did have to get back at him for playing him like a yoyo last night.
Ritchie smiled back, "I doubt I will but I'll come anyway, to make sure you don't screw things up."
In the hallway, just before Harry and Ritchie went into the other room, Harry saw that Tonks was back. She had slipped out unnoticed earlier and gave him a slight almost imperceptible nod that they were set.
Ritchie did not miss it, "Video and audio feed?"
"We should be okay, at least until they figure out what happened. Tonks will let me know," Harry thought that was the only way he could talk to Dean in private. That would not have been an issue if Hermione were around to talk to him in his head.
"And the public counsel?"
"We're going to talk crazy, anyway. I doubt that he'll follow."
"It might be prudent to Obliviate him. This is a very important case. They will want to know every word that comes out of Thomas' mouth, the crazier the better. Don't count on them following the rules of client-solicitor confidentiality," Harry thought Ritchie had a good point. He would ask Tonks to make sure the counsel would have a more mundane story to tell.
"He is innocent," Harry told him just outside the door.
"Jane said the same thing. The evidence is overwhelming," Ritchie said objectively, "I'm assuming, and Jane agrees, that the Cardinal orchestrated my getting Thomas's file and this arrest. But if his intention is to blame these murders all on Jane, why is there a need for this arrest? I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop; tying Jane into all this. And unless the Cardinal implicates Jane through Thomas, with Thomas having a lesser role in the murders, only divine intervention will save your friend from the gallows."
Dean had this expectant expression as he saw Harry come in.
"Dean," Harry extended his hand, "Shake my hand and pretend it's the first time you've ever seen me. Inspector Tilly knows about our world and they can't hear us from the other room right now so feel free to talk."
Ritchie gave the confused solicitor a reassuring look that this was part of strategy.
"Did the Ministry send you?"
"Yes," but Harry had to tell him the truth, "The Ministry is not here to make things right."
"The horrible murders they are accusing me of, I'm innocent," Dean pleading for someone to believe him.
"I know, but we need your help," Harry said.
"I don't know how to help you. I don't know anything except that I did know eight of the victims from my childhood."
Harry briefly summarized the events about the Cardinal, the curses and how the Muggle murders were connected to the murders Hermione was being accused of.
At the mention of Hermione's name, Dean buried his face in his hands.
"What is it Dean?"
"Ginny. Ginny and I had a fight last night about Hermione."
Ritchie asked, "What was it about?"
"I found her outside my studio last night, crying. She said it was because she had found that my backroom was filled with portraits of Hermione, describing it as a place of worship. I had to see it for myself if it was true," Dean continued, "And there was nothing in it. She thinks I got rid of it to make her feel she was going crazy."
"Do the portraits exist?" Ritchie asked.
"Ginny saw them for sure," Dean said quietly, "I think they do exist because I suspect I painted a whole lot of them."
"Suspect?" Harry required clarification.
"I've been losing patches of memory for the past three months. When I go back to my appointment book to try and recall what I did, I have sittings booked and I do get paid for them but I don't remember doing them. I've been forgetting to pick the kids up, missing meetings. And I have been having dreams about painting her."
"Did you tell anyone about it? Ginny? Seamus?" For Harry, it made sense to at least do that.
Dean shook his head and had a look on his face like he was guilty about something.
"And did you not wonder why you would have recurring dreams about painting Hermione?" Harry could sense there was more to this than Dean was willing to tell them, "Dean, we can't help unless you tell us everything."
Dean hesitated before deciding to tell the truth, "If I told Ginny about the dreams she would ask the same question you just asked. I'll lose her for sure if she finds out."
"What are you talking about?"
"I last saw Hermione five months ago. Ginny and I had this big fight, something about the kids and her work. I spent the night getting drunk with Seamus at the Screeching Moon. I didn't notice Hermione come in but later that evening I saw her talking with the bartender. Seamus had left so I sat with her for a bit and we talked, mostly about Ginny, work, about being married and being single. Everything was fine until stupid me made a move on her."
"You what?" Harry was caught off guard. His emotions were rioting inside him as he thought of Ginny. And Hermione?!
Ritchie recognized the infamous temper flaring up like a bad rash, "Harry, if you can't control yourself, it might be best to step out now."
The reminder did calm Harry down, "I'll be fine. What happened exactly?"
"Nothing," Dean said vehemently, "I almost kissed her but she saw it coming and shot it down quickly, gracefully at that if I may add."
"Why would you do something like that?" Harry was just baffled, "Don't you care about Ginny?"
"I love Ginny. I made a mistake, Harry. I'm glad nothing happened."
Harry asked Ritchie, "Did she say anything to you about this?"
Ritchie shook his head, knowing Hermione should have, "At least we have an inkling what the other shoe that's about to drop may be about. Maybe she didn't bother telling us because she thought it to be too trivial to be her connection with Dean."
Dean interrupted, "Hermione definitely wouldn't have said anything about it."
Harry, Ritchie and the counsel looked at him. Ritchie asked, "Why is that?"
Dean answered, "We had the embarrassing conversation, the one with me saying I'm sorry, her saying she understood and trying to make me feel better by saying it was the firewhiskey. Immediately after that, she asked the barkeep to make us two amnesiac specials. She thought it best, for Ginny. I even remember what she said before we drank the spiked potion."
Harry regrettably knew and offered, "She said 'some memories are better off forgotten'."
Dean replied, puzzled that Harry would know, "Yeah. That's exactly how she said, too."
Harry did not know what to think except that he kept on seeing her hurt expression during one of his diatribes at Ritchie's house last night, the one about Harry wondering how many other blokes took the potion. If Dean had, anyone else conceivably could have and if she drank it once, she conceivably could have taken it many other times. The worst part about this was she wouldn't even remember. He wondered how many more skeletons he was going to find in her closet.
Ritchie continued, "If you both took the amnesiac, how come you remember?"
Dean said, "That's just it. The memory started coming back to me about two months ago, around the same time I began to have recurrent dreams about painting her. That's why I think those paintings that Ginny saw do exist. I just don't know what happened to them each time I finished, why they were in that backroom just that night and what happened to the lot after Ginny saw them. And most of all, why would I do that and not remember?"
"If you were not doing it consciously, then someone is influencing you to do them. But why show the portraits to Ginny, hide them, and then, if we are guessing right, show them again to make people believe you and Hermione are more than just friends?" Harry paused for bit. It did not make sense. "Aside from the time lapses and the incident last night, has there been anything peculiar that you can think of about the last three months?" Harry asked, thinking about the time when Ginny's clock started showing Dean as in constant mortal peril, "Any unusual or regular clients, people who might be in a position to continuously influence you one way or the other?"
Dean shook his head; "It's not uncommon that I would have same client sittings span over a couple of months, until the paintings are finished."
Ritchie had an idea, "We have your appointment book. Do you think you can tell which ones you remember doing and which ones you don't?"
"I can try," Dean answered.
"Do you know Miguel Gomez?"
"The name sounds familiar, but not really."
"What about T.M.Didler?"
Dean shook his head, "Harry, I'm losing my family and my life!"
"Just hang in there, Dean. We'll get to the bottom of this," Harry assured him.
Dean added, "Please find Ginny. I understand why she wouldn't want to be with me right now but can you tell her I'm sorry and tell her I love her."
"I will," Harry said, consciously choosing not to tell him that they could not find her either. Dean didn't need to deal with that right now, not that he could do anything about it.
"So what's our other story," Harry said, looking over to the solicitor, who was also eyeing them with keen interest now. There was a definite need for obliviation and memory implantation.
Ritchie started, "There's always insanity, which half the people in the other room think you really have. But that will still get you permanent lifetime lodging in some facility. Your second option is to break out and join Jane in hiding. Or you can deny it, fight it all the way, and hopefully the trial and sentencing will last long enough that we find the Cardinal before then."
Harry suggested, "The last option might be better, unless…," he paused and looked at Ritchie, "…the Cardinal lets the other shoe drop and our Minister tells your Minister Dean should be tried as a wizard. Wizard justice is much swifter than its Muggle counterpart."
Dean's counsel spoke for the first time, "Why is that?"
"They're smart. They know solicitors and barristers are useless," Ritchie answered, poker-faced, then turned to Dean, "So, deny it and we'll work on getting you out, soon. I have to talk to the Chief. I'm curious why he made sure I didn't know about the impending arrest until you were already in custody."
The glass of water on the table suddenly exploded against the one-way mirror, a surprise to everyone. It was Tonks' warning. He'd have to compliment her on her subtlety.
"What do you mean you were not involved?" Harry suddenly spat at Dean.
Dean answered, understanding that this was about giving the Muggles the alternate story they just talked about; "I deny everything. The evidence you have is rubbish. Cops planted it. And I'm going to fight it all the way!"
In the other room across the glass window, Gomez sat calmly and watched as the Muggles finally solved their interrogation room audio problems. He had come down to make sure everything would go on as planned and Potter had the nerve to do what he did. He wondered what Potter told Thomas to make him this fiery and passionate about denying everything. But what he was most concerned about was what Thomas said to Potter. Granted that he knew Thomas' current memory was porous, Potter might be able to put the bits and pieces together. Gomez knew someone in the public counsel's office. He could arrange a meeting to find out what the conversation was about and be prepared to deal with any complications.
Gomez was confident. No matter what Potter did, there was no stopping the cascade of events that was about to happen following Thomas' Muggle arrest. With it, the Ministry would become involved and they already were. A simple background check would reveal Thomas and Granger were classmates at Hogwarts, Granger portraits would suggest an illicit affair, the similarities of the murders would be established and Granger would be linked to the Muggle murders.
However, he was a bit concerned about the Cardinal, who he knew was now aware that he made this happen. This Thomas arrest was not part of their plan and the Cardinal had a soft spot for the painter. The original purpose for Thomas was only to forge the Granger confession that the Cardinal was to plant on the 7th Muggle murder.
The Cardinal knew Thomas from Hogwarts and his being an orphan too was symbolic. But having him paint portraits under the Imperius curse was another digression into a pathologic admiration for Granger. Gomez had an idea where some of the portraits were and a well-timed anonymous phone call later today would be sufficient. First, they had to be moved to a less compromising location. Its discovery would surely alienate Thomas from his friends and family and give the impression of a stronger link between him and Granger.
For Gomez, Thomas was a loose end, and he did not like loose ends. It was easy enough to add eyewitness accounts and his fingerprints to the evidence gathered from the crime scenes to make it appear he knew all the victims and that he was there, leaving the Muggles no choice but to book him thus triggering the surge of events now happening. From what he knew of Thomas, cutting him off from his family would break him completely such that he would not last long living with Dementors.
As he saw Potter and Tilly about to leave the interrogation room, Gomez got up, shook hands with the burly man-in-charge, and quickly left, not wanting either to see him.
Just outside the interrogation room, Ritchie and Harry were each silently thinking about what they just found out.
"I'll make copies of his appointment book for him, you and Jane to look at," Ritchie finally said.
"Thanks," Harry replied, "Who invited Gomez?"
"He was here?" Ritchie explained there were no Muggle records for Gomez.
"In the observation room. Front row seat, thin, short man, impeccably dressed," Harry described him.
Ritchie thought, "The room was quite crowded today. There were a lot of people I don't know. Get me a picture and I'll try to make a match. By the way, our suspects and their connections to Dorner, Lowes, Franks, and Snape."
Harry took the piece of paper Ritchie handed him and quickly browsed over it.
Dorner - Gomez
Lowes - Gomez
Franks - T.M.Didler, Gray
Snape - Gray?T.M. Didler in Hogwarts
"Interesting, Didler knew Franks."
Ritchie answered, "Didler was a student when Franks just started teaching at the Muggle primary school."
Then Harry thought out loud, "I can't believe Dean would be stupid enough to make a pass at his wife's best friend."
"He's really not half as stupid as you were when you had sex with your best friend's girlfriend," Ritchie countered.
It wasn't just sex and she was not his girlfriend anymore, not really. Ritchie was right, of course, though Harry wondered how he found out. It must have been Hermione, "I admit that was ill-advised. But then you don't know Dean's wife," Harry answered.
His temper paled in comparison to Ginny's. Dean was very stupid, very stupid indeed.
"Jane does make some days interesting. She's full of surprises, isn't she?" Ritchie said about Hermione.
Harry nodded. She didn't use to. She used to be predictable. A bothered look formed on his face.
"Some good, and some not so good."
Ritchie saw his expression and presented him with a challenge, "If you can't stand the heat, you can always get out of the kitchen."
Before Harry could respond, Tonks and Melissa were beside them. Harry introduced them to Ritchie.
"We need to wipe and plant a memory on the counsel," Harry told them.
"Muggle mind…barrister…want to have some fun?" Tonks asked Melissa, turfing the task over to her junior.
"It will be a pleasure. I hate barristers. We'll get him into an empty room," Melissa replied and said to Tonks, "Just cover for me."
With instructions on which memory to plant, the ladies followed the man as he walked out of the interrogation room and down the hallway. They would meet each other at the Ministry.
Ritchie took Harry to an empty meeting room. He shut the door and windows, and dialled Hermione's number.
"Hi. I'm with Harry. Let me put you on speakerphone."
"What did Dean say?"
Ritchie started, telling her about the memory lapses and what Ginny and Dean fought about the night before. He also told her about the Gomez sighting. Harry noted that Ritchie omitted the part about Dean almost kissing Hermione.
"So I'm the Cardinal," Hermione pretended, "I ask Dean to create some Granger paintings, then I show them to Ginny, but hide them right after. I have Dean arrested for the Muggle murders but I really want Granger to be responsible. So, I'll show the paintings again to link Dean and Granger."
"It doesn't make sense," Ritchie said, "It seems like the Cardinal can't make up his mind."
"Why even bother hiding them after Ginny sees them, if you know you have to show them again?" Harry asked, "Maybe Ginny wasn't supposed to see them. It was unintentional."
Hermione said slowly, trying to think it through carefully, "What if there's two of me? One doesn't want the portraits seen, so hides them again after they are accidentally discovered by Ginny. The other wants them revealed so Granger can be linked to the Muggle murders through Dean."
"So one wants to end this by getting Dean arrested and the other wants to continue until all seven are done," Ritchie added, "That would also explain why not one suspect has links to all the murders on our end."
"Didler and Gomez," Harry stated who the obvious suspects were, "Didler is the enabled, the Cardinal who murders, and Gomez, is the Ministry contact who gave him Lumos. And we have motives."
"Gomez, Mr. No-nonsense Head Unspeakable obviously got his already, that's why he wants it to end," Hermione said, "And Didler wants to continue, to kill seven and send me to Azkaban."
"Who do you think has the upper hand?" Harry asked.
"We'll know if and when the portraits show up again," Ritchie answered, "What I'm wondering about is whether or not they are still a team."
"I have a really bad feeling about this," Hermione said seriously, "Harry, when you meet with Gomez this afternoon, ask him pointedly if Didler considers him family."
"You think he's next," Harry knew Hermione was referring to the note on Snape, "And if he denies knowing Didler?"
"Then tell him he doesn't have to worry about being murdered. Because if he was family and he's been annoying the Cardinal by messing with his project, he should be very concerned, maybe even concerned enough to turn the Cardinal in."
"I'll suggest it," Harry said.
Hermione had one more question, "What I can't understand about Dean's behaviour is why didn't he tell anyone at all about the lapses in memory and about the dreams?"
Ritchie and Harry looked at each, neither wanting to answer her question. Ritchie beat him to it.
"Good question, Jane. Harry?"
Yellow. Harry had to reply, "Dean says five months ago he almost kissed you at the bar in the Screeching Moon. He was afraid Ginny would find out about that if he told her he was having dreams about painting you."
There was silence on the other line. Then Hermione said calmly, "If Dean says this happened, then in his mind it must have but I don't recall anything like that ever happening."
Ritchie clarified, "He tried but nothing actually happened because you refused."
"It's a relief that I did refuse but I still don't remember it ever happening."
Harry spoke, "Dean says you took one of Tom's amnesiac potions."
Ritchie added, hoping to keep the conversation in context, "He took one too but his memory resurfaced two months ago."
Hermione sounded irritated, "If Dean says I did, I probably did because he remembers and I don't, but that does explain why I wouldn't remember, don't you think?"
"Of course you wouldn't remember," was all Harry could say, sensing her distress and wanting to be supportive.
"Why don't you just go ahead and say it again?" She was really upset now.
Harry knew what she was referring to. His rant, about how many others took the potion. He thought it prudent to diffuse the situation, not wanting to ruin what was supposed to be a special day, "I didn't mean what I said last night."
"Stop lying because you were never good at it," she said, "Ritchie, do you want to know what he said?"
Ritchie replied, "Just keep me out of this. If you guys are going to have a row about this, do it on your own time and your own phones. I really don't want to hear it."
"We're not going to have a row. I was angry and I really didn't mean what I said," Harry explained.
It was as if she didn't hear him, "You said, you could only imagine how many others took the potion. Well, I guess you don't have to imagine anymore! There are others and now, you can think I take the stupid potion all the time, too!"
"Too late, Harry. Sounds to me like you two are having a row," Ritchie had to put a word in.
So Ritchie knew the details of that night, too?
"The possibility that you used it more than that one time with Dean did cross my mind. But I don't know that, and yes, I want to know …" Harry was interrupted.
"You want to know what other memories I got rid of and how many other times I've taken it! Well, I can't answer that because I wouldn't remember if I did!" Hermione was very upset, "And if you expect me to explain and make excuses for what I did when you weren't around, don't hold your breath!"
Ritchie finally snatched the phone from the table and took the speakerphone off.
"Jane, stop yelling. It's me."
Harry could hear her voice but could not make out the words.
"He's still here. You shouldn't say anymore words you'll probably want to take back later."
Harry could still hear the last thing she said, wondering if he did expect an explanation or an excuse for seemingly bad behaviour. Maybe he did, not to judge her, but to understand and hopefully accept and move on. However, he was indeed at a loss about how he felt regarding possible events in her past that may or may not have happened. He was afraid he would come across something so horrible he could not live with.
"No, he's not accusing you of anything. He's just…curious," Ritchie was looking at him, angry. "You two should talk."
And she hung up.
Ritchie said under his breath before exiting the room, "If you're just going to break her heart again, do it now and do it swiftly."
Harry was left in the room thinking it was certainly getting to be incredibly hot in this kitchen.