Disclaimer: JKR owns.
Safe Harbour
Chapter 2: Off
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"I can't believe there are only a few weeks left until he or she's born," Hermione said grinning as she and Harry walked down the street hand in hand. They had just had a visit to Dr. Hammond's office and she was delighted to inform them that their baby was healthy and growing as scheduled.
Harry smiled and squeezed her hand, "Pretty amazing, huh?"
"More like shocking," Hermione answered.
Harry frowned, not understanding her meaning, "What do you mean?"
"Just…" Hermione started before sighing, "Would you have ever guessed that we would be parents before we were even twenty?"
Harry groaned, "Are we having this conversation again?"
"What are you on about? When did we have this conversation before?"
"Oh, I don't know," Harry said sarcastically, pretending to give it thought, "How about the time when we first found out you were pregnant? Or the time we moved into the flat? And then there was that time at Christmas where you broke down because I bought the baby a few outfits," Harry went on as Hermione turned crimson, "Oh yes! And also the routine we go through where we're five minutes out of the doctor's office and you start talking about it."
"Oh," Hermione muttered sheepishly.
"Yeah."
"I'm not terribly annoying, am I?" she asked as if she was dreading the answer.
Harry looked over at her and smiled, "My terribly annoying, brainy, beautiful," he continued. He pulled her closer and was about to steal a quick kiss when the irritating ring sounded from inside his trouser pocket.
"What-" Hermione asked looking around for the source of the noise.
"Sorry," Harry muttered, shoving a hand in his pocket to retrieve the still ringing device. He took out the phone and clicked a few buttons, reading the text message he had just been sent.
"What is it?" Hermione asked as she watched Harry purse his lips.
"The restaurant needs me to come by and sign some papers before it closes."
"Oh, alright," Hermione said, slightly downcast.
"Will you be okay or do you want to come with me to the restaurant?" Harry asked, referring to the rest of the walk home.
"No, I'll be fine," she assured him.
"Alright, do you want me to bring you back some lobster bisque?" Harry asked with a grin as he put his phone back in his pocket and handed Hermione the folder that Dr. Hammond gave them of the baby's progress.
Hermione, however, scowled and curled her upper lip, "Ew Harry…"
"What? I thought you liked lobster bisque?"
"I think I'll be sick if you even say it again," Hermione muttered shaking her head.
Harry chuckled, "Okay then, ring me when you get home."
"Okay, Dad," she said sarcastically.
Harry smirked at her and took off in the opposite direction. The restaurant was a few blocks away from their flat and it took about ten minutes on foot to get there. About ten minutes later, Harry arrived at the restaurant. Bypassing the hostess, he walked through the trendy, but elegant restaurant, and back to the kitchens where the office was.
"Hey Chris, is Kevin around?" Harry asked the head chef, Chris Mintzecolli.
"No Harry, he doesn't come in on Saturday's, remember?" Chris answered in his Boston accent.
Harry's forehead creased as he frowned deeply, "Yeah but I thought…" he trailed off, pulling his phone out and flipping back to the text message that told him to come.
"You alright, pal?" Chris asked with a concerned look.
"Yeah, yeah it's just weird because I got a message from him telling me to come in and sign some papers…"
Chris shrugged, "I never heard anything about that."
"That's strange," Harry muttered.
"Yeah, why don't you try giving him a call or something," Chris suggested as he flipped a large steak on the fire top stove.
"Yeah, I will," Harry said, moving through the kitchen and out into the alley so he could get some quiet. Dialling Kevin's number and lifting it up to his ear, he waited for his partner's voice to come over the line. Strangely, he didn't answer.
"What the hell," Harry mumbled to himself as he put the phone back into his pocket, wondering what was going on. He stepped back into the kitchen and called out to Chris.
"Chris, if Kev does show up tell him he can fax the papers over to my flat," Harry told him.
"Will do pal. How's your girl?" he asked Harry with a knowing grin.
Harry smiled back, "Fantastic. The baby's due date is March 6th."
"Got another month and a half, eh?"
"Yeah- a suspenseful month and a half, at that."
"Trust me, the only thing that'll be suspenseful after he or she's born is trying to get a few minutes o' decent sleep," chuckled Chris at Harry's enthusiasm. Chris would know though; he had six children of his own at home, all between the ages of one and ten.
Harry grinned at him, "Don't care. Nothing can rain on my parade."
Chris laughed as Harry said his goodbyes to him and the rest of the kitchen staff.
He started back down the alley where he had tried to call Kevin since it was a short cut back to the flat. Harry had been walking for a good few minutes when he heard a crack behind him. A strangely familiar sounding crack.
He spun around but saw nothing in the abandoned alley except some garbage and a few rubbish bins. Harry's eyes studied the dark alley for a few more moments before he turned back around and started walking again, blaming the noise on his imagination.
He had just made a left into another alley and was walking in silence, thinking about Hermione and if Jessica would keep her mouth shut about the ring.
'Merlin, why is it so cold all the sudden?' he wondered with a frown as the temperature just seemed to drop a few degrees. He was pulling his coat tighter around his body when he heard another peculiar noise.
Snapping his head back and searching his surroundings, he again saw nothing out of the ordinary. His eyebrows furrowed, usually these alleys were quiet when he travelled through them. Why all of the sudden was he hearing strange noises in them?
'I wonder why Hermione hasn't called yet to say she was home,' Harry thought suddenly to himself.
He shook his head, clearing his rampant thoughts and told himself that he was just reading too far into things. All he should be focusing on was getting back to their flat and back to Hermione…
Harry turned back around to continue on his way and gasped in shock.
"Hello Potter," drawled a cold voice.
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