A/N: You guys rock! Let's up the number of reviews, though, shall we? I love having motivation, especially since this is a re-write story, and it's giving me some issues. * grin *.
-kat
Chapter 4
Detachment
Harry was very, very uncomfortable indeed. This was the last place he wanted to be, but he didn't really have a choice. Thankfully, Mrs. Weasley had listened to him for once, and rather than scrambling around to find food, she'd gotten the rest of the family downstairs and in the living room.
"You said you had something to tell us, dear?" Mrs. Weasley said, as she and Ginny sat down.
Harry cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Yes, I do. Ron and I were working on a case today and something unfortunate happened." Harry hesitated, noticing the looks of concern now etched onto everyone's faces, "Ron has gone missing."
"What?" Ginny gasped, staring at Harry.
"He's gone missing? I don't understand! When did this happen? How did this happen?" Mr. Weasley looked highly distraught.
"It was a very high profile case," Harry said, trying to stay emotionless and straightforward, as his Auror training had taught him, "We received information on the whereabouts of Draco Malfoy, who was holding a family of Muggles captive, and Ron was assigned to cover me. We had just advanced upon the situation, and I had given Ron his orders to cover me and I was getting ready to advance. Ron let his emotions take control and rashly advanced unprotected and was taken during a smoke cover."
Stunned silence overcame the room.
"He…he just ran out there?" Bill asked.
Harry nodded.
"Why would Ron do that though?" George asked, "Ron's usually pretty good at keeping his emotions in check."
"I…it's just that…Ron was having some emotional difficulty with the position he was in, and let those emotions control him, rather than proceed with caution." Harry said somewhat stiffly.
"I don't really understand." Mr. Weasley said sadly, "What difficulty was Ron having with his emotions?"
Ginny was staring at Harry, waiting for him to answer.
He hesitated a moment too long, and she stepped forward.
"Ron was upset, wasn't he Harry?" Ginny asked, comprehension dawning on her.
"Yes." Harry said.
"He'd gone through something….traumatic, perhaps?"
"Yes." Harry said, through gritted teeth, knowing exactly where this was going.
"What exactly made him so upset, Harry?" Ginny asked, closing in.
Harry's eyes darted from Ginny's face to Mrs. Weasley.
"I'd…rather…" He started, but Ginny cut across his feeble excuse.
"Ron found out a rather interesting little thing didn't he, Harry?"
Harry didn't even bother to respond.
"Answer me Harry." Ginny's voice was harsh, her eyes cold, "Ron…found…out. Didn't he?"
Harry looked away, and saw that everyone else was entirely confused.
"Ginny, what are you on about?" Fred asked.
"Harry, why don't you tell Fred?"
Harry shook his head.
"It's not the time to discuss it." Harry said stiffly.
Ginny laughed coldly.
"Not the time…hmm…well when was the time Harry? Before I found out? Or, perhaps before Ron found out? Wouldn't that have been the time?"
"Yes." Harry said shortly. "Yes, that would have been the time, Ginny, but now, it is not."
"What in the name of Merlin is going on here?" Mr. Weasley demanded.
"It's your fault that Ron's gone missing isn't it Harry?" Ginny said shrewdly.
A collective gasp went around the room.
"Awful big thing to accuse someone of, there, Gin!" Charlie said.
"But it's the truth. Tell them, Harry, tell them!"
Harry could not speak. His eyes were fastened on Ginny; he was horrified at how pleased she seemed to be.
"Fine. I'll tell. Ron's emotions were so out of control, because he'd just found out that his girlfriend, Hermione Granger, had been cheating on him."
`Bad, bad, this is very bad.' Harry thought.
Mrs. Weasley looked hurt.
"Hermione?" She said, sounding astounded, "Ginny, surely not."
Ginny cackled.
"Oh, but she did mum, she did! With Harry!" Ginny had seemed to finally have lost it. She was pointing at Harry, panting with rage.
Harry closed his eyes, inwardly cursing, as the Weasleys turned, horrorstruck, to look at him.
"Harry, is…is this the truth?" Mr. Weasley asked.
Harry nodded.
Mr. Weasley sank into a chair.
"Oh." Mrs. Weasley said, bursting into tears, "My poor little boy…OH, Harry, what have you done?" She sobbed.
Harry sighed deeply and took a step forward to try to comfort her, but Charlie stepped in front of him.
"You need to leave." He said grimly. "Now."
Harry opened his mouth to protest, and found his eyes searching for Ginny amid the chaos.
He found her, staring expressionlessly back at him, and was shocked to see a slight gleam of triumph in her eyes.
He looked back at Charlie as he started to get closer and Apparated.
o-------------------------------------------------------o
Hermione was waiting for him.
"How was it?" She asked breathlessly, as Harry popped into the living room.
Harry shook his head, breathing deeply.
"Harry? Harry, answer me, how…what happened?"
"No, I don't want to, right now, thanks." Harry said bitingly.
"Harry! How was it? Please, Harry, don't shut me out."
"Fantastic." Harry said angrily, "It was fantastic. It was like being in a bloody interrogation with the Weasleys as the interrogators. Ginny completely…she…just went and tore me to bits….and ended up telling them about everything. Mrs. Weasley was near hysterical, and Charlie came very close to killing me. It went fantastically, Hermione."
Hermione looked hurt at Harry's tone of voice, and he seemed to relent a little.
"I'm sorry, `Mione. I don't mean to snap at you, but this whole situation has just has me annoyed. I feel useless, sitting around not being able to try and find him, or do anything. Having to admit to his family what happened was horrid, but knowing I can't bring him back to make it right, is even worse."
Hermione watched him pace silently for a moment or so.
"Wearing a hole in your floor won't solve much," She said and sat down on the sofa, "Sit down."
Harry sat down grudgingly.
"What's really, truly, bothering you?" Hermione asked softly.
"There's nothing."
"Don't give me that rubbish, I can tell. Harry, please…"
Harry sighed and ran his hands through his hair.
"I feel like the world's biggest prat…just like Ron wanted me to. I kissed you, right in front of him…that's like going out and getting a big sign and putting it right in his face. He's my-was my…best mate and I did the unthinkable to him."
"We both did, Harry." Hermione protested, "We both did. I don't regret it…I mean…I regret how he found out…but I don't regret being with you, and…and I really hope you don't either."
Harry sighed and took Hermione's hand.
"Of course not. I told you, I love you, Hermione. I-it's like Andy said…and" Harry paused, "Wait. Where is Andy?"
"Oh." Hermione looked uncomfortable. "She went out."
Harry looked panicked.
"Where? Andrea doesn't know anyone around here."
"Well…actually…Oliver stopped by a bit ago, and seemed to take a fancy to her and sort of…asked her out."
Harry looked vaguely surprised for a moment.
"Oliver Wood?"
"The one and the same. He had some kind of papers to drop off to you, he said, but he told me he would come back later, and I certainly suppose he will."
"Oh-ho. Poor Oliver…Andrea's a pistol…" Harry smiled genuinely for the first time that night.
Hermione laughed.
"I think he can handle her."
"Nah. He'll say one little thing wrong, and Andy will go off. It's rather entertaining to watch, actually."
Hermione looked disapproving.
"She seems very nice." She said.
"You two talked a lot, then, I take it?" Harry asked, playing with Hermione's hair.
"Just a bit. She-I asked her to tell me about America."
"Oh?" Harry asked.
"Yes…mainly about…well, she told me a lot about you."
Harry tensed a little, but kept his face otherwise impassive.
"What did she say?"
"She…she said you had trouble controlling your…your magic…" Hermione trailed off.
Harry nodded.
"I did. I don't think it's ever been that hard. Letters from you lot seemed to set it off particularly. I stopped opening them, and I was fine."
Hermione looked apprehensive.
"Yes, that's what she said…I always did wonder why they came back unopened all of a sudden. And-and she mentioned that…well she said she was a Squash Muffin actually." Hermione said frowning a bit.
Harry laughed.
"Yeah…Andy's got a bit of trouble with the terms. She's a Squib, by the way, but I suppose you know this. Go, on, I'm interested, what else did you learn?"
"Well, she seemed surprised to learn …about you and Voldemort."
Harry closed his eyes briefly.
"Ah…she knows, then, I take it?"
Hermione nodded nervously.
"It just slipped out, Harry, I promise."
"It's alright." Harry said, "I didn't bother telling her because it was one era of my life I was trying to forget while I was in America. It wasn't particularly something I wanted to talk about."
"She…said that I was something you were trying to forget as well."
Harry nodded wryly.
"You were. I wanted to move on, to forget, to stop feeling and caring. I tried so hard to forget you. It was only natural that Andrea would have noticed that there was one thing in particular that seemed to set of my magic. Once I made the…I think it was the stove…blow up in my sleep, she made me tell her what was wrong. She's quite persuasive when the time calls for it."
Hermione smiled.
"That's all she told me." She said.
"There's nothing more to know." Harry said.
"I-you're sure?" Hermione asked.
"Positive. There's nothing else." He said firmly.
Hermione nodded, noting clearly that Harry wanted to move to a different subject.
"So…d'you…d'you think that we're most definitely banned from the Weasley house?" Hermione asked.
Harry snorted.
"Oh, most definitely. We'd better guard ourselves against some of the brothers' untamed anger, as well…"
Hermione looked nervous.
"It'll be worth it, you know? Finally being able to be with you, without the secrets, will all be worth it. I'd do anything for that." Harry said softly.
Hermione nodded.
"So I've been told."
o-------------------------------------------------------o
When Andrea made her way into Harry's apartment later that night, she was not altogether surprised to find that Hermione had stayed.
She was, however, surprised to find Harry sitting alone, awake, in the kitchen.
"What're you doing up?" She asked.
Harry jumped a little, and his hand flew to his pocket, but he relaxed when he saw who it was.
"I can't sleep too great." He said.
Andrea nodded, and sat down on a stool.
"So how was the date?" Harry asked, grinning.
Andrea groaned.
"Oh, awful. I made a fool of myself, Harry!"
Harry looked interested.
"How?"
"Well…we were getting along great, right, and we're walking around that Dragon Alley place, and he asks me if I wanted to learn how to ride his broomstick."
Harry nodded.
Andrea looked uncomfortable.
"I…I freaked out a bit…I thought he meant…you know…"
Harry burst out laughing.
"What-what did you do?" He gasped.
"Well…I sort of punched him a bit." Andrea said ruefully.
Harry snorted.
"Go on."
"He got really upset, once he figured out what I thought he'd meant."
Harry grinned.
"He said, `Jeez Andy, get your mind out of the gutter!' I felt terrible!"
Harry roared with laughter.
"You're priceless, Andy, really you are."
Andrea smiled.
"Yes, well, all in all, the date was a complete catastrophe, but we get the chance to make it up this Saturday."
Harry looked impressed.
"You're actually going to see him again?"
"Yes. He's nice." Andrea said.
"Oliver's a good bloke."
Harry grinned.
"I'm impressed, however. Andrea Hale is going out with a bloke twice. It must be a record."
"Oh shut up, Harry. I'm not the only one with relationship problems."
Harry's face darkened a bit.
"Yes, well, let's hope you don't make quite as big of a mess of yours."
Andrea grinned.
"Hmm…that'll be tricky…I might start to fancy you and then poor Oliver will feel so betrayed that he won't hit you at all." Andrea said sarcastically.
"You understand what he did, right?" Harry asked bitterly, "He made it so that I won't be able to forgive myself…and I can't. What I did to him was absolutely despicable. It was cowardly and underhanded…I should have just gone to him and told him how we felt."
"Yes, well, I think you're being a bit too harsh on yourself on this one." Andrea said her tone steady.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked warily.
"Well…Harry…you say `I won't be able to forgive myself…what I did was despicable…I should have just gone to him.' I think that you don't fully realize that this really isn't your fault. It's no one's fault at all, in my way of thinking. You and Hermione constantly had to dance around situations that were never appropriate to tell Ron and Ginny what was going on, even if you had wanted to. Really and truly, the problem was timing. Time hates you."
Harry stared at Andrea, completely gob smacked.
"And furthermore, and I know that everyone, including Hermione has told you this, if anyone did have to be blamed, it would be you and Hermione who took the fall. You don't want her to, which is why you're pulling the whole it was on me thing, but it's the truth. You both did what you did, and you both are going through the consequences. D'you think Hermione's sleeping peacefully right now? No." Andrea answered herself before Harry could speak, "No, she's not. She's not going to sleep peacefully until Ron and Ginny forgive you both, and neither are you, which means that the two of you are in for lots of sleepless nights."
"Great." Harry said.
Andrea sighed.
"Harry, come on, really, you don't need to let this whole thing with Ron bother you this much. Any other guy wouldn't have a problem with him not getting a good punch in, but you do!"
Harry sighed.
"I know, I know, it's the stupid "hero complex" crap."
"That's what I love about you, you know that, right?"
Andrea and Harry turned to look at Hermione, who had been standing in the doorway.
"'Mione…what're you doing awake?" Harry asked.
"I saw you leave, but I thought maybe you wanted to be alone." She said timidly.
"Right, well, I'm tired, so…thanks for the pep talk, Harry. I'll see you in the morning…oh…on second thought…a few hours."
Andrea headed off sleepily to her room.
Harry patted the stool next to him and Hermione came and sat down.
"D'you think he's okay?" she asked.
"Ron?" Harry asked.
She nodded.
He sighed, and put his arms around her until her head was on his shoulder.
"I think he will be. He's got some of the best Aurors looking for him, and the captain doesn't mess around when its one of his guys out there."
Hermione nodded.
"I'd just feel a lot better if he was here. Even if he doesn't want to see us when he…if he…gets back…I just want him to be back."
Harry rubbed her back slowly.
"I know, sweetheart, and he will be. I promise."
They sat in silence for a few moments.
"I wish I could go and see Mrs. Weasley…I feel terrible. She's got to be hurting so badly, and I can't give her any comfort at all…not that she'd take it right now."
"That's worrying you as well, isn't it?" Harry asked.
Hermione nodded.
"Listen, it's going to take some time, but we'll all be fine again, sometime soon. The worst by far, is over with, at any rate…and we aren't hiding anymore."
Hermione smiled sleepily.
"You always take such good care of me…you know that? I…love…you…."
She was asleep.
Harry took her back to his bedroom.
He laid her down on the bed and kissed her forehead softly, watching her sleep.
"I love you, too." He whispered.
He didn't know it, but that was their first time saying those three words without feeling guilty, and she'd heard every one.
o-------------------------------------------------------o
-->