A/N: Oh, I am so sorry!! I know you all must completely hate me now, but, honestly this is only the third time I've been able to access the internet in almost over 2 months. My computer permanently died this time, and we just now got a new one…so…anyways, due to this, this chapter is not as edited as I would have liked but I hope you will be patient and deal with any possible plot mishaps that might arise. Thank you, and I hope you will review and continue to read!
Chapter 5
That Feeling
Harry never mentioned Ron again after talking with Andrea that night. She had finally gotten her point across, and although he still felt guilty, he didn't mention it for Hermione's sake, who because of this, seemed to be sleeping better and was much, much happier. Part of this could be due to the fact that Andrea was still staying with Harry, claiming that he `needed her emotional support still'. Hermione and Andrea were such good friends that Harry sometimes felt just the tiniest twinges of jealousy when the two talked "girl talk" as he called it…what he would give for a best friend again…
"Harry! Snap out of it…I want to get to Diagon Alley before there's a really big crowd."
Harry was sitting at the kitchen counter staring absentmindedly at his empty breakfast plate. He looked up at Hermione as she continued to rant about being early. Andrea was standing next to her, and peering closely at Harry's face.
"Are you alright? You look freaked out or something." Andrea said, cutting off Hermione's stream of talk.
"I'm fine." Harry said hastily, "I just…I've got the weirdest feeling that something bad is going to happen today."
Hermione looked faintly worried but Andrea laughed.
"Way to be pessimistic, Potter. Now, come on! I want to go inside this Wheezes store that Oliver tells me so much about! Oh, and that Quidditch place! He raves about that one!"
Harry smiled at Andrea's enthusiasm as the three of them Disapparated to Diagon Alley.
Andrea left Hermione and Harry almost immediately to meet up with Oliver.
Harry was not altogether too upset about this, because that meant he could spend the whole day with Hermione.
Hermione seemed to be pretty happy about this arrangement as well, because she slipped her hand into his as they started to walk down Diagon Alley.
Harry realized something was different after only a few minutes but couldn't figure out what it was.
"Harry…people are staring at us…" Hermione said worriedly. She'd obviously noticed it as well.
Harry pulled her a little closer to him.
"I know…" He said confusedly, "But I don't know why…just ignore them, sweetheart."
Hermione nodded, but her brow remained slightly furrowed as they walked, a bit faster this time.
Finally, the whispers and stares got to them both.
"Harry, please, I don't like this at all…let's go into a shop, quick." Hermione begged.
"Alright…here…Fred and George's is right up here."
They quickened their pace even more and practically ran to the door of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.
That was when they realized why everyone was staring.
There, on the door of Fred and George's lavishly decorated shop, was a large neon sign with bold black letters reading:
THIS SHOP IS BANNED TO HARRY POTTER AND HERMIONE GRANGER.
Harry felt like he'd been slapped in the face. He looked at Hermione, whose face was showing confusion.
"I…you don't think…..did they…." She spluttered, looking at Harry for direction.
"I'm sure it's a joke…you know…Fred and George….they're such pranksters." Harry said in a would-be-casual voice.
"Right." Hermione said, nodding doubtfully, "I'm sure that's it…erm…d'you want to go somewhere else?'
Harry shook his head.
"No, no, I…let's just go in."
Hermione took a deep breath and opened the door, half expecting something to explode in her face. When nothing did, she stepped inside, and Harry followed, still holding her hand.
They walked around tentatively, trying their best to ignore the stares people were giving them.
They were over by the Wonder Witch products when someone stared speaking in a cold voice behind them.
"Look can't you two read?"
Harry and Hermione jumped slightly and turned around.
It was Fred.
"H-Hi Fred! How've you been, mate?" Harry asked.
Fred glared at him, and George joined them.
"Look, I knew you two were traitors but I thought that after seven years of magical education you'd be able to read." George said.
Hermione's face crumpled a bit.
"That's out of line, George." Harry said calmly.
"No, I don't think it is."
"That sign…you can't do that…" Harry said.
"Yes, we can. It's our shop you see. That means we're a little thing called owners, and the owners own the shop, you see, hence the name, and the owners are allowed to do anything to the shop that they OWN that they feel like doing." George said.
Harry seemed to struggle with himself for a minute before sighing.
"Fred, George, I know I've never called you out on this before, but I'm forbidding you to put that sign up. I've got an equal ownership in this shop. I gave you your start-up loan."
George smiled slightly and held out his hand. Fred slapped a large envelope in it.
"This," George said, shoving the envelope into Harry's hand, "is your loan, plus four years interest. Now get out."
Harry shook his head, and tried to give back the envelope, to no avail.
"I don't want this." He said.
"Well you've got it, so now, leave. You two," Fred said looking at Hermione with distaste, "are banned from this shop."
Harry looked at the two of them in disbelief, and started pulling Hermione to the door. He threw the envelope down on the counter as he passed it, and slammed the door on his way out.
He kept going, blindly walking around, still holding Hermione's hand, and stopped suddenly.
They were at Florean's, and there, right in front of them, was Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.
Mrs. Weasley was glaring at Harry and Hermione. Mr. Weasley was looking uncomfortable.
Hermione let out a slight sob when she saw why they had stopped.
Harry looked at her, feeling his heart break at how upset she was.
"Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, please…can we talk?" He asked quietly.
"We don't associate ourselves with people like you." Mrs. Weasley said coldly.
"P-people like us?" Harry stammered, "What are we, exactly?"
"Harry…just leave it, please, let's just go…" Hermione whispered.
"No, `Mione. I want to know exactly what it is that's wrong with us, that all of a sudden these people that I thought of as family, refuse to speak to us."
"You are a traitor…and YOU," Mrs. Weasley turned to Hermione, "you little scarlet woman…do you know what you've done? My Ronald is probably dead because of you."
"Hey," Harry said sharply, "I don't appreciate you talking to her like that."
"I'll talk to the both of you however I feel is appropriate. You should be the one missing for what you did…not my Ron…I hope you realize just what you've done to my family."
"That's enough, Molly, let's go now." Mr. Weasley said gently, but firmly, as Mrs. Weasley stopped for breath, and he guided her away from a stunned Harry and Hermione.
Harry finally shook himself out of his shock, and turned to look at Hermione.
She looked pitiful, and once again, Harry felt his heart break when he looked at her face.
"'Mione…don't…" He said plaintively, as she broke down into tears.
"Oh…Oh…" She gasped, covering her face with her hands and pressing the palms of her hands into her eyes.
"Come on," Harry said gently, taking her arm, "Let's go."
He Apparated them both out of Diagon Alley, sparing but a moment's thought as to the whereabouts of Andrea.
o-----------------------------------o
She was still sobbing when they arrived in Harry's living room, so he sat her down on the sofa and conjured up some tea for her.
She drank it slowly, and while her sobs ceased, her body was still shaking.
"It's horrible." She said softly.
"Sorry…I've never been able to make good tea." Harry said apologetically, moving closer to her.
Hermione smiled faintly.
"The tea's quite good. Today…today was horrible."
Harry nodded, and put his arm around her.
"It was. I shouldn't have made you go in Fred and George's shop."
"No, I'm glad you did. I know what they all think of me now, so…so…I suppose I can-can make them all happy by being miserable…that's what they want."
"That's not what I want," Harry said, "I want you to be happy…what do I need to do to make you happy, `Mione? Do we need to move or…or…completely cut off magic…?"
"No," Hermione shook her head fervently, "I don't want you to do those things at all. I am happy…that's the thing. I don't understand why I have to be miserable over being happy for the first time in a while."
"I don't understand." Harry said.
"Everybody makes me feel miserable for being happy. I have you, and that makes me the happiest I've ever been, but at the same time, because you make me happy, I'm supposed to feel guilty and miserable because of what I did to…not only Ron, but the Weasleys. It isn't fair."
"It's not." Harry said, "and I wish I could make everyone see just what it is that they're doing to us…to you…but that's impossible…and…"
Harry stopped speaking when he saw that Hermione had fallen asleep. She seemed to be doing that a lot when he talked.
He picked her up and carried her to his bedroom and laid her down.
"Harry…?" She mumbled, and opened her eyes a bit.
"Yes?" He asked, leaning down.
"I love you…" She whispered, closing her eyes again.
"I love you, too, `Mione." He whispered and sat there looking at her for a moment…taking in how beautiful she was…her hair, no longer bushy was long and curled slightly at the ends, and she was truly perfect to him, "and I'm going to make it all better now."
He took out his wand, pointed it at her, and mumbled a spell. A soft glow encircled her head, and he waited anxiously hoping that she wouldn't wake up. When she didn't, he put his wand back, and kissed her again.
"It'll all be better now." He said again, and walked out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.
"Harry, are you and Hermione okay?" Andrea asked as he walked back into the kitchen. "Oliver just got me here, said something about you two running into the Weasleys, he heard it from Fred, and he---wait…what's the matter?" She asked suspiciously.
"Nothing." He said quickly.
"It is something, Harry, I've known you for a year now, and I can tell when something is wrong. What happened? What did you do?"
"I…I did something good, actually. Mione's in so much pain over the way everyone's acting to her, so…so I just…I made her forget it a bit."
"Forget what?" Andrea asked.
"Today, mainly….I…well…not all of today….just running into the Weasleys. She won't remember how they acted, and it'll all be better for her."
"You messed with her memory?! Isn't that dangerous? You told me about that! I-you---" Andrea spluttered.
"Andy, she'll be fine! This will be good for her! I'll just have to make sure she doesn't see the Weasleys, which won't be hard, since she does know that they don't want to see us, but…please don't make me hate myself over this, and please don't say anything to her."
"I won't," Andrea said at once, "But, oh, Harry…I am so sorry about everything. You know, I was going to leave at the end of the week, but I'll stay if you want, you still need me, I can tell."
"No, Andy, really, I don't want to make you stay. I'm fine, really. You've helped me loads, I never would have been able to be okay moving back here if you hadn't come to help me settle in. Go home, really, it's fine."
Andrea fidgeted a bit.
"Well…actually…if you're quite sure that you're alright…I was…going to stay a bit for…for Oliver…" she muttered.
Harry grinned.
"You'll be staying here, then, won't you?"
"I don't want to impose."
"No! Please, Andy, stay. It really isn't safe for you to be in this world by yourself…I'd feel better knowing you were protected by staying here."
Andy nodded.
"I really do feel at home here. Everyone is so nice."
"Yeah, they're great." Harry said, managing a half smile.
" I'm sorry about making you feel bad about what you did to Hermione. I still think it was a stupid idea, but if you're sure that it'll be better for her, then I support you."
"I'll have to tell her eventually what I did, but hopefully when that time comes, Ron will be back, and this whole mess will be solved."
"Have you gotten any word on Ron yet?" Andy asked.
"No. No one is going to tell me anything since I'm not part of the investigation. I'll be surprised if they even let me in the office."
"It'll all work out, I promise."
Harry smiled.
"Well, all this talking has worn me out…I'm going to go to bed…I'll see you in the morning, Andy, and remember, not a word about the Weasleys to Hermione."
Andrea nodded.
"Good night, Harry."
o---------------------------------------------------o
Harry fell asleep quickly, but slept fitfully because he dreamed of a cellar where a red headed man was being tortured by a hooded figure….
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