Disclaimer: Pffft. Yeah. I'm JK Rowling, and I'm backing H/Hr, even after I called all the H/Hr shippers "militant". Ha! Jeez, if I was Jo, I'd totally re-write the last 3 books, anyway! So no, not her, not making money of this… nothing, zilch, zero. Happy? Kthnx.
Chapter 2: Just A Dreamer
Harry sighed heavily, opening the door to his bedroom carefully. He peaked out of it, to see if the coast was clear. He didn't want to bump into Hermione just yet.
He slipped from between the door and the doorframe and ventured out of his room, beginning to tip-toe carefully down the hall. He made his way slowly, but surely, to the kitchen. He continued to tip-toe until he heard a floorboard creek softly under the weight of his foot.
CURSE YOU, FLOORBOARD!
"I know you're there, Harry." Hermione called from the sitting room.
How does she do that?! Even over the TV she STILL heard me!
"You're point is?" Harry called into the sitting room, wanting to by-pass it completely and find something to do, so he could use it as an excuse if she asked him to have a talk with her.
"No point, I was just letting you know." She continued politely as Harry took a few more steps and halted by the doorframe. He looked inside and there sat Hermione, comfortably, in the clothes she was wearing yesterday. She had the remote clutched in her hand lazily, as she pushed the button every so often, changing channels.
"Right, then." Harry nodded carefully, turning his back to her and heading off in the direction of his initial destination.
"Harry?" Hermione called from the sitting room as he only managed to take a few paces toward the kitchen.
Harry's shoulders slumped, he knew it was coming, he knew and he was ready for it. He turned around gingerly and peaked his head back into the sitting room. "Yes, Hermione?" He asked politely.
"Can I talk to you later on tonight? Not right now, because in a few minutes I have to start getting ready for work. But, some time later? It's important." She looked at him carefully, unflinchingly, it seemed. She stared him right in the eye and she wouldn't give up until she got her answer.
Harry took in a huge breath and let it back out discreetly, "Yes, you can." He said simply.
"Thank you." Hermione turned back to the TV, leaving Harry to feel rather foolish standing there, in front of the sitting room.
He gave a swift nod of recognition and headed for the kitchen again, scratching the back of his neck nervously. He went into it and immediately went for the kettle, flicking the switch on after checking there was water in it.
"Morning." Ron croaked from behind him, sitting at the island counter on one of the four high stools placed there on the other side.
"Morning." Harry said, without seeming surprised, even if he hadn't seen Ron when he first came in. This was an everyday occurrence. You just got used to it, when living with two other people. Even if you didn't see them at first, there was always bound to be someone else in the room.
"I didn't make too much of a fool out of myself, did I?" Ron asked gingerly, looking up from his mug of coffee, as Harry turned to him upon retrieving the milk out of the fridge.
"No more than usual." He replied through a sigh, turning around and reaching up into the top cupboard for a mug.
Ron winced, "Thought so, how much damage did I do?" He asked, "Do I owe anybody anything for destroying property?"
"Nah, not this time, thank God." Harry spoke, his voice carrying a note of relief. "Ron, you seriously have to stop drinking like this." He added, turning around to face him again, fixing him with a stern stare. His voice instantly adopted a tone to match the look painted across his face.
"I know. It's just.. I can't help it." Ron looked at him, "I drink because it's my-"
"Way of dealing with your problems... I know." Harry finished his sentence for him.
"Well, it's true!" Ron said, shrugging slightly, as he took another sip of his coffee. "What's up with Hermione?" He asked Harry's back as he turned around one again, this time to get himself the sugar. There was a pause where the kettle was the only sound in the room as it boiled harder, steam rising from it as a sign that it was almost ready.
"We got into a bit of a row last night, after I put you to bed." Harry said cautiously, careful not to give away too much.
"Oh, do tell!" Ron asked, taking yet another sip of his coffee. He readily pounced on the opportunity to talk about something other than himself and his problems.
"It was nothing big, just petty. Not even really important." He said carefully, trying hard to evade further discussion on the topic. He scratched the back of his neck nervously, once more. He didn't meet Ron's eager gaze.
He just couldn't tell him what happened last night, it was just impossible! The words would slur and stutter themselves as they left his lips, causing Ron to think he was highly insane, or developing a severe speech impediment.
Ron shrugged, finishing the last sip of his coffee, putting the mug down and getting off of the stool, "If you say so, mate. Hey, I'm going to go and get a shower, okay, so don't do what you did last time and unlock the door with your wand, you pervert!" He added playfully, smirking as he retreated to the bathroom.
"Oh, you WISH!" Harry shot back, chuckling slightly as he watched Ron walk towards the closed bathroom door. Just as he got ready to put his hand on the doorknob, Hermione could be heard leaping up from the couch, sprinting out of the sitting room and across the hall and throwing herself at the bathroom door.
"NO! I need it first! I'll be late for my meeting if you go first! And besides, you always use up the hot water!" Hermione explained frantically, as Ron stepped back. He stood there, thoroughly shocked with his hand reached out in the same position, as if he was now grasping an imaginary doorknob.
Ron watched her carefully as she continued to babble at top speed about all of the reasons why she needed to take a shower first. Then, with a sudden end to her list, she shut the bathroom door leaving him to stand outside of it like an idiot.
Harry poured the water into his mug, causing the coffee to blend with it. He put in sugar, then milk and stirred it with his spoon until it turned a creamy caramel colour. He took the spoon out, tossed it in the sink and brought the mug to his lips, taking a cautious sip as he walked out of the kitchen. He went over to Ron and pat him on the back sympathetically, chuckling softly.
"How DOES she do that?!" Ron asked with a bewildered glance at Harry's back, as he made his way down the hall to his room. "She didn't even need to hear the creak of the door this time!" He continued.
"It's a woman thing, I guess..." Harry answered, halting in front of his door and opening it with his free hand, disappearing within his room at last.
He lied. It wasn't a woman thing... it was just a Hermione thing.
-------
Harry took in all of his surroundings. He was engulfed by people walking along the sidewalks, trollies and cars zooming past him, their owners in a hurry to get somewhere. But most of all, he was surrounded by rain. Drops and drops of rain. Unmerciful rain, that seemed to pelt down on him when he least expected it.
He looked around at all of the people in wonder. How could they possibly be so keen on getting to their next destination? He, himself, was nowhere bound. He couldn't understand how everybody was rushing! It didn't make any sense, the place would still be there when they got to it.
It made Harry wonder about life, as well. Why do people rush things? Why can't they simply take their time? But then again, maybe the amount of time was a problem. No one really knows how much time they have until it's too late.
A warning sign, I missed the good part,
Then I realised.
I started looking and the bubble burst,
I started looking for excuses.
Harry applied this to his own life. Was he running out of time? Maybe not running out of his life time, but, running out of time to make confessions. Hermione wasn't going to be there beside him for the rest of his life and he had to find a way to make her see just how much he needed her.
Oh yes, he needed her. He needed her greatly. Like the beach needed the ocean, like a plant needed the sun. He needed her more than words could express. But unfortunately, telling her this was the problem.
Come on in,
I've got to tell you what a state I'm in.
I've got to tell you in my loudest tones,
That I started looking for a warning sign.
Harry began to walk down the streets in the heart of London, looking around at all of the shops that lined the street, where as everyone else seemed to rush past, not even looking up. He knew in his heart, he would hate to become like that. Someone who just doesn't look around at what they've got, what they could have. Someone who walks by, without even noticing something they've wanted all along, right in front of their nose.
He also knew, Hermione was becoming like that and he would have to save her.
Harry sighed. So, he now had to rescue himself and her. But, how to do it? How would he make her see the error of her ways?
When the truth is,
I miss you.
Yeah, the truth is,
That I miss you, so.
Harry continued to walk down the street, the rain dropping down in buckets as the wind picked up speed. People were holding onto their umbrellas for dear life, others were clinging to their coats, or hats. Harry just continued walking, not worried about how much the rain drenched him. Maybe, just maybe, if he was lucky the rain would drench his very soul.
They were a perfect match, Harry and the weather. It was completely miserable, just as he was. The cloudy sky was his troubled mind and the rain was the raging storm going on in the pit of his stomach.
This was all becoming much too hard to cope with. It seemed as if things were coming at him from all sides. He needed to find an answer, one easy solution to all of his problems, but answers never came easy.
A warning sign, you came back to haunt me,
And I realized.
You were an island, and I passed you by,
You were an island, to discover.
Harry stopped, in the middle of the sidewalk and looked up at the sky. People were moving all around him, but no one plowed into him like they were moments ago. The rain, if possible, was getting worse. It seemed as if it just would not let up, it was just too stubborn.
He looked closer and there it was, the first fork of lightning, followed by the first clap of thunder. Harry felt like he was the only living thing on the sidewalk, in the city, maybe even in the whole world at that moment. He felt alone and restless.
Come on in,
I've got to tell you what a state I'm in.
I've got to tell you in my loudest tones,
That I started looking for a warning sign.
He knew the real reason why, too. It was because of Hermione.
It wasn't necessarily her fault, it was just the way she had changed. He knew why, he just didn't know how to get her to go back to the way she was. She was protecting herself, he guessed. She was building boundaries, closing off her heart and emotions, so she would never be hurt by love again.
He can still remember the day after the final battle with Voldemort. He could remember her dropping to her knees, her tears flowing down her cheeks as if they were rain. Tear drops of bad luck and misfortune.
He remembered the way he kneeled down to comfort her and she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him close to her as she sobbed into his chest. He looked up as Ron entered the room, shaking his head in dismay. Ron answered the question that formed in Harry's eyes.
When the truth is,
I miss you.
Yeah, the truth is,
That I miss you, so.
Hermione's dad had died that day. Some of the surviving death eaters were seeking revenge and took it out on him. Hermione's mom died shortly after of a broken heart.
Ever since then, Hermione would never show love, or compassion to anyone. She would hide behind her good deeds and honest nature, making sure she never got too attached with anyone again.
She also began to withdraw herself from the trio. Harry and Ron never spoke about this to her anymore, because they knew she would go into one of her long rants and not listen to a word either of them said. She thought they were delusional when it came to matter such as those. She kept insisting that she hadn't changed, until they gave up on the subject completely.
And I'm tired,
I should not have let you go,
Ooooh.
Harry's mind came crashing back to earth when someone bumped into him.
"Sorry." The person mumbled, continuing to hurry along the street.
Harry shrugged and began to walk again. By this point, he was drenched. But, he didn't care. His hands plunged into his pockets as he walked down the crowded street, deciding in his head, that he would go and check on Ron. He didn't know whether he should check the pub, or the house.
Things these days were a lot worse. Even if they no longer had to worry about Voldemort, they now had to worry about tiny problems that all seemed to build up. Attacking them while they were weak.
So, I crawl back into your open arms...
Nothing ever seemed to make sense anymore. Problems dealt more with the heart than anything else. Harry honestly didn't know how much more his heart could take. He would never admit it, but everything that was going on was making him extremely depressed.
He was stuck in a rut and he didn't know how to get out of it.
Yes, I crawl back into your open arms...
He was starting to wish that things would go back to the way they were. Even with the over-looming darkness, people still managed to find happiness; to find hope. Everyone was going on about their normal lives, despite the thoughts of what Voldemort and his followers could do.
But now, the aftermath had hit and hard. People were broken from what had happened during the war with Voldemort. People were no longer in the mind-set of shutting off their emotions and moving on. It was now their chance to grieve and they definitely were capable of doing that.
And, I crawl back into your open arms...
His mind was racing as he was walking quickly down what seemed like a never-ending road. He finally made a turn into an alley way; a short cut back to the flat. He figured he would have faith in Ron and check if he was there first.
As he walked, the rain continued to pelt down on him. He reminisced of times before, thinking about how life would have been if Voldemort had never existed.
But with having that said, the past was the past. It couldn't be altered, or changed without consequences, he knew. There wasn't a moment that passed by, that Harry didn't regret a lot of choices he made.
He just had to keep in mind, that in the end, he was only human. He just wished he could come to terms with that.
Yes, I crawl back into your open arms...
(Warning Sign - Coldplay)
-------
"I'm home!" Harry called into the flat as he opened the door. "Is anyone here?" He asked, this time seeming unsure as he closed the door behind him. He walked over to the side table near the door and threw his keys onto it, stepping out of his shoes, kicking them near Ron and Hermione's.
"Hello?" He said again, walking into the kitchen and opening the fridge carefully, in search of a cold beverage.
Suddenly, Hermione's head peaked into the other opening of the kitchen. "Hey, stranger." She smiled at him. She began to walk into the kitchen, standing a few feet away from him, facing the counter further down as she reached for a mug. "What did you do today?" Her voice seemed to be trapped with a sense of curiosity.
"Well, considering today was my last day off, I decided to just walk around London. I had nothing better to do, really." He shrugged, pulling the milk out of the fridge and placing it down on the counter, closing the fridge with a nudge of his foot.
"When are you going on tour?" She continued, seeming more inquisitive than usual. Harry would have figured that she was doing another one of her 'observations', only, she usually asked questions about herself, or her life when she conducted such conversations. He thought about it, and realised that maybe she just genuinely wanted to know.
"Not for another week. We leave next Monday. We're playing Canada in the world cup." He said brightly, reaching up and opening the cupboard over-head, pulling out a glass.
"So, England are in the finals, then? I thought you were just going to Canada to train and play a few small games. I didn't know you had gotten into the world cup this year." Hermione said in slight surprise.
Since when does she pay attention to Quidditch? She hasn't watched one of my matches since we played Switzerland two years ago, just before she 'shut down' completely...
"Yes, we're in the finals." He answered simply, opening the milk swiftly and pouring some into the glass.
Hermione smiled, "You've always had quick hands. I love when you do that. Remember when I had a bet with you that you couldn't open every bottle in the house in under two minutes?" Hermione's smile turned into a grin, as if she was waiting for him to catch onto the joke so she could laugh.
Harry smirked at her in spite of himself. "Yes! You had me open damn near fifty bottles in that two minutes, missy. And a few jars too!"
"But you still won the bet, didn't you?" She smirked, sticking her tongue out.
"Yes, by about two seconds." Harry added, sticking his tongue back out at her. He brought the glass to his lips and took a small sip, giving Hermione a look of slight curiosity.
There was a sort of awkward silence between them for a moment. Harry's last words hung in mid-air as both of them scrambled for something to say. Hermione opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. Opened it, then closed it. She opened it one last time and Harry gave her a look as if to urge her on, the first word of her sentence was thus formed.
"Harry..." She paused, looking at him carefully.
Harry looked back at her, never breaking their gaze as he wondered what she could possibly want that was making her this uncomfortable to just ask. He sighed in the back of his throat and spoke up, "Go on, spit it out."
Hermione chuckled nervously and placed her hand on the back of her neck, scratching at it carefully. Harry looked at her with slight amusement. She was picking up on his quirky habits. Hermione's eyes met Harry's for a second and she realised what she was doing. Her hand immediately fell back to her side as she tried to pluck up the courage to speak again.
"I was wondering..."
"You were wondering... what?" Harry continued to press the subject lightly.
"If I could..."
"If you could...?"
"If I could come with you to Canada." Hermione blurted out finally, sighing in slight relief when Harry didn't say 'no' immediately.
"Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?" He asked, looking slightly bewildered.
"Yes!" Hermione grinned, becoming very jittery as if she had ants in her pants.
"Why do you want to come with me to Canada, anyway?" Harry looked taken aback, but he didn't look like he was completely rejecting the idea, which relieved Hermione greatly.
"Because, I've never been there before and I've always wanted to go!" She replied enthusiastically as Harry turned around and opened the fridge, milk in hand. "Besides, you've already been there! You could show me around!"
"Yes, but... I don't think you'd have any fun." He said over his shoulder as he bent over, placed the milk inside the fridge, straightened up and closed the door again.
"Why do you say that?" She looked at him curiously, moving to a spot right in front of him as she leaned some of her body weight on the counter.
"I just don't think you would. I'll be training for the most part and I won't have much time to take you sight-seeing."
"I don't mind!" Hermione smiled. "Please!?" She danced around on the balls of her feet gracefully, as if she was an excited little child.
"Alright, alright. I'll bring you. But only because Ron went last time." Harry said, rolling his eyes as she grinned, jumped up and down and wrapped her arms around him tightly.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She cheered.
"I have to ask, though. How are you going to get the time off of work?" He gave her a sideways glance as she let go of him and jumped up, sitting on the counter. He thought perhaps he had found a hole in her plan and waited with baited breath for her reply.
"You've forgotten, Harry. I haven't taken a holiday in two years. I should get the week off, easy!" She grinned at him, her legs swinging side to side as they dangled from the edge of the high counter.
"Why do you want to do this, anyway? I mean, Hermione... first of all, you don't even like Quidditch. Second of all, you don't like travelling. And third of all, I thought you found me annoying over long periods of time?" Harry continued to watch her carefully, turning around to face her completely now.
Hermione frowned slightly. "I never said you were annoying, I don't like travelling by floo powder and I don't love Quidditch, but I love watching you fly!" She looked at him carefully, sincerity plastering itself over her facial features.
"Besides, I was brooding over what you said last night. About how I'm afraid of things out of the ordinary, how I don't like being spontaneous. I think this sudden, hardly planned trip away will be the first step to getting my spontaneous nature back!" She smiled warmly down at him. "Don't you think?"
"Have you seen Ron anywhere?" He asked suddenly, getting slightly distracted from the topic at hand as he looked at a picture of Ron being held on the fridge by a magnet and remembered why he had come home in the first place.
"Yes, he's asleep in his bed." She answered, still giving him the enthusiastic look, as if waiting for him to steer back on course.
Harry rolled his eyes at her. "Hermione, you can't fix things this way."
"I know, but it's worth a try, right? I think this trip will do me good! And anyway, a little awhile back, you were always complaining about how I missed your games. Well, I'll be here for this one! It will be a start on making up for all those missed games!" She smirked down at him, knowing by the look on his face that she had won.
She knew this, just like he knew she had all of these pros thought out in her head before she even asked him and there was no use in arguing with her.
"Hermione. That was a year and a half ago." Harry said flatly, sighing heavily. She had been so wrapped up in her work, that she didn't realise how much time had passed.
"Right. But either way, I'll be starting to make up for it!" She grinned. "Oh, this is going to be so great, Harry!" She squealed cheerfully.
Harry sighed again, knowing that he didn't have to worry about Ron wanting to come. He'd probably be too pissed to care. "Yeah... great." He said, no trace of enthusiasm in his voice whatsoever.
Yes... great! Yet another thing for me to worry about while I'm there!
-------
Ron walked down a cold and packed Diagon Alley the next day. He was supposed to be meeting Fred and George at their shop. Harry and Hermione were supposed to come too, to help him persuade them to come to Mrs. Weasley's birthday get-together next week.
But here he was, walking down the crowded street by himself. Just last night, Harry had let Ron know that he and Hermione would be going to Canada next week and they were getting stuff for their trip. Which also meant he would have to keep an eye on the flat while they were gone. He sighed heavily, halting in front of the doors of 'Weasley Wizard Weezes'.
As he entered he saw little children running passed him out of the shop, all excited and chattering about what they had just purchased. "Little snots." He muttered to himself as he made his way to the counter in the middle of the shop.
The place was empty, as Ron took a look around him, seeing all of the bright potions and gadgets lining the walls. He walked over aimlessly, picking up what looked like a mini version of a seers crystal ball.
"You break it, you buy it!" A gruff voice said from behind him.
Ron grinned, he could almost hear the cheeky smirk plastered across his brother's face. He turned around, coming face to face with Fred Weasley. He stood before him, tall and slightly muscular - not as lanky and bony as before. He held out his hand to give Ron a good strong handshake.
"Oh, what the hell." He muttered, pulling Ron in to give him a tight, brotherly hug. Once they pulled apart Ron looked up at him carefully.
"Nice place! I see you've expanded, and have done some renovations!" He smiled slyly, fully taking in his surroundings. "Where'd you get the money for it!?"
"Oh, our business has been doing very well, bro! We're opening two new braches in New York in a couple of weeks time." Fred said with a smug sort of grin.
Come to think of it, he did look rather lavish in his velvety black robes, black dress pants, white shirt and black leather shoes. He looked really good. Very posh, Ron thought.
"Where else do you have branches?" Ron looked at him in awe.
"Toronto, Paris, Rome, Madrid..." Fred was naming the places off on his fingers while Ron took cautious steps around the shop, browsing all of the multi-coloured displays. He weaved in and out of hyper, nameless children, his hands lightly touching the merchandise. Sure enough, they had expanded. Their shop was three times the size it had been when they first started. He also had a feeling that they no longer rented the place, but instead owned it.
"Don't forget that new one we opened not too long ago in Belfast!" George said broke in, obliterating his brother's train of thought, as he made his way down the stairs. He walked over and embraced Ron, letting him go and stepping back to have a look at him. "Wow bro, haven't changed a bit!" He added with a cheeky grin.
"Yeah, unfortunately." Ron muttered carefully. "Anyway, you guys never mentioned any of this to me when I spoke to you on the phone!" He looked slightly put out. This was the first time he had properly seen them in about a year. Every other time he stopped by their original branch, they were never there. "Didn't you get any of my messages that I left with Sandra?" Ron looked bewildered, his gaze shifting from one twin to the other.
"Oh, no. Sandra was fired a week ago. She was really lazy! We're in the process of getting another secretary." George said matter-of-factly.
"Ah." Ron answered simply. "Anyway, the reason I'm here..."
"Yes, we were wondering why you sounded so hell-bent on the phone!" Fred watched him carefully, curiosity stretching across his features.
"Well, I was wondering if you two were going to come to Mum's..."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stop right there..." George interrupted.
"We're not going to Mum's anything!" Fred finished.
"What do you mean?! It's her birthday, you guys! She's expecting you to be there! Everyone's coming! Bill and Charlie have even taken time off of work!" Ron said carefully, giving them a pleading look.
"Tell her we can't make it." George said dismissively, his note suddenly cold and business-like.
Ron shook his head. He was pretty sure that was the same tone he used with his business associates. He felt sick. Since when did brothers who grew up together, talk to each other as if they were strangers? It was a very high offence on his list.
"I'm not lying for you two! Not again! You already missed their anniversary dinner! How much longer is this feud going to last?" His voice had an edge of pleading in it, which was lightly underlined with fury. He sounded sick and tired of the entire situation.
"Until they admit they were wrong!" Fred replied stubbornly.
"They practically disowned us when we told them we were selling products to the ministry!" George finished this time.
"It's not like we're becoming 'buddy, buddy' with them or anything! They just wanted a few new gadgets, so we cut a deal with them!" Fred added before Ron could get another word in.
"Okay, look! I get it, alright? It's just that, it would really mean a lot to her! I'm sure they're both willing to apologise! But you haven't exactly given them the chance, have you?" Ron snapped, looking up at them with reason in his eyes.
"Bro, don't drag yourself into the middle of this. We rather like you. We don't want to have to ignore you, too!" Fred looked at him carefully, his threat sounding more and more like a promise as it swirled around in Ron's head.
"Alright, fine! All I'm saying is this is just very petty!" Ron piped up, angrily.
"You weren't there, Ron. You wouldn't understand." George looked at him with meaning in his eyes. Something that was very rarely seen there.
"Anyway, if you guys aren't going to come, I'm not going to lie for you okay?" Ron looked at the both of them, a vow etched in his eyes.
"Fine." They said in perfect unison.
"Right, well, I have to get going." Ron muttered, squaring his shoulders as he began to trudge toward the wooden front door.
"Bye bro." Fred said softly, not quite sure of what else to say.
"Take care." George added, unsurprisingly in the same state of mind.
"Ya-huh." Ron said to the both of them, waving off their departing words with the swipe of his hand as he took the last few steps toward the exit.
Just as put his hands on the door, George spoke, causing him to turn around to stare at him.
"Don't look so glum..." He said, smiling in his direction. Every word seemed to be saturated with sincerity. He really felt bad for his brother.
Ron didn't seem to catch the meaning, as he gave him a forced smile and pushed the doors open, walking back out into the cold morning air. He sighed heavily. He felt like he was in the middle of his family's separation. He felt like he was the only one who saw sense and it was driving him insane!
He continued to retrace his steps and walk back up Diagon Alley, George's last words to him, ringing in his ears.
"Don't look so glum..."
Ron's face turned bitter and cold as he grunted to himself in slight anger and frustration as his hands plunged deep into the pockets of his jacket.
"Ha! Easy for him to say!"
-------
A few days later, Harry, Ron and Hermione were at the Burrow setting up for Mrs. Weasley's surprise party.
They had come early, putting up decorations with Mr. Weasley, while Mrs. Weasley was shopping in Diagon Alley.
Before speaking, Hermione threw a glance around the room to make sure Mr. Weasley was busy preparing something. He was nowhere in sight, so she took this opportunity to have a private conversation with Harry and Ron.
"And so, they just... didn't want to come?" Hermione still couldn't believe the twins could be so cold toward their mother, after all this time.
"For the thousandth time: yes, Hermione. They didn't want to come." Ron said through slightly clenched teeth. He didn't mean to be so aggressive and irritated, he just hated family get-togethers. His loathing for them started about two years ago, when the Weasley clan began to go their separate ways.
"I wonder if Ginny will show up." Harry said curiously, also looking for any sign of Mr. Weasley. He then, licked his lips in concentration as he did a tricky little charm that carefully placed the banner, which read 'Happy Birthday Mrs. Weasley', above the mantle.
Hermione's head turned around sharply to look at Harry carefully, "Why do you wonder that?" Her voice was slightly cold as she gave him somewhat of a withering look, involuntarily.
"I mean, come on. It's been what, two years? She's never come round, or made contact with any of us. I just think it would be good to see how she's getting on, you know?" Harry said back, grinning inwardly as he stood back to admire his wand-work.
Hermione sighed heavily and continued filling balloons up with a bursts of air from the end of her wand. "I suppose you're right." She murmured softly, defeated. She didn't know what made her snap like that, but quickly brushed it off. "I doubt she'll show up. Like you said, it's been two years. What would make her want to come back, tonight of all nights? She knows that the whole family would be here. I'm sure she wants to avoid a crowd."
Harry silently agreed, taking a quick glance at the Weasley clock. Bill and Charlie's hands were set to 'Travelling', Mr. Weasley's and Ron's were set to 'Home', Mrs. Weasley's was still set to 'Shopping', Percy's, Fred's and George's was set to 'Work', and for some strange reason, Ginny's was set to 'Mortal Peril'.
His curiosity grew and he had to consciously push worried thoughts out of his head as he hurried off to look for something else to do.
Suddenly, there was a loud chime and Harry looked back up at the clock. Mrs. Weasley's hand was turning and halting at 'Travelling'.
"Quick!" Mr. Weasley called to everyone, bustling into the room. "We don't have much time!"
Just seconds before Mr. Weasley extinguished the lights, Bill and Charlie apparated into the room, a loud popping following their arrival.
"Get down!" Mr. Weasley whispered frantically to the two of them. They both jumped behind the couch to hide.
"Ouch!" Ron yelped in a whisper. "You stood on my foot!" He croaked.
Harry sniggered, but stayed crouched behind the big armchair. Just then, the front door was thrown back and the soft silhouette of Mrs. Weasley could be seen in the doorway. She must have apparated, instead of travelling by floo like Mr. Weasley was expecting.
"Dammit, Aurther. What are you doing with all the lights off?" She muttered, not meaning for Mr. Weasley to hear at all. She set her bags down on the ground, closed the front door and flicked the lights on.
As soon as she did, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Mr. Weasley, Bill and Charlie jumped up from their hiding places, cheering "Surprise!" In unison.
"Oh!" Mrs. Weasley clutched her heart in shock as the whole lot of them grinned at her, frozen in their positions. Mrs. Weasley began to walk toward them, a smile placing itself on her face. "Oh this is wonderful!" She said, looking around the room at all the decorations.
Harry, Hermione, Ron, Bill, Charlie and Mr. Weasley all received hugs from Mrs. Weasley. Hermione and Mr. Weasley rushed into the kitchen to check that the food was ready and Harry, Bill, Charlie and Ron stayed in the sitting room with Mrs. Weasley.
"Boys, this is wonderful." She smiled. She kept up quite a good front, but Ron could see the cracks in her ploy shining through. She glanced subtly around the room, searching for the members of her family that weren't there. She finally put words to her thoughts, "I wonder where Fred and George are... Ron, dear, are they coming?" She looked over at her youngest son, a desperate question forming in her eyes.
Ron froze. "Uh." He began, lost for words. He was going to do it. He was going to rat them out and tell her that they were too stubborn to show up, but he couldn't do it. Her face was so full of meaning, he just couldn't burst her bubble like that. He knew it was already hard enough for her to cope with the fact that her children didn't live with her anymore and he didn't want to completely ruin her birthday.
"No. They send you their best wishes, though. They're terribly sorry they couldn't be here, they had a meeting in New York and couldn't find the time to stop by." Ron looked at his mother carefully, hoping she didn't use her motherly intuition to see right through the lie.
"Oh. Well, that's too bad. I hope they're doing alright, perhaps I'll see them another time." She said, her voice sounding slightly off-hand. He wasn't sure she completely believed him, but he was glad she was no longer giving him that probing, disarming stare.
Hermione showed up at the doorway from the kitchen, to the sitting room. "Food's done." She smiled brightly. She looked around at the completely uncomfortable scene before her, as all the Weasley boys and Harry fidgeted slightly under the gaze of Mrs. Weasley and she frowned.
As they all made their way to the kitchen, Harry caught Ron by the elbow and pulled him back so they could talk quickly before entering the kitchen. "Why didn't you tell her? She's going to find out sooner or later, Ron." Harry whispered. He sounded almost as heartbroken as Ron felt.
"I know, I know. But right now, later would be better than sooner..." He answered, as he fought back a wave of grief. His family was being torn apart before his very eyes and he didn't even have the heart to tell his parents about it.
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After they all finished eating, they went to the sitting room to give Mrs. Weasley her gifts. Lupin, Tonks and the Weasley's next door neighbours stopped by, all bearing gifts as well.
"Thank you so much!" Mrs. Weasley smiled after being handed gifts from everyone. She began to un-wrap them, when there was a soft knock at the door.
"I'll get it, mum. You continue. Oh! That one's from me." Ron pointed to the brightly-wrapped package in her hands, smiling at her as he got up to open the door.
Another knock was heard as he was walking towards the door and Ron muttered in annoyance. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." He halted and placed his hand on the doorknob, opening it.
He nearly dropped the box of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans he was holding. "You!" He said in no more than a whisper. "What are you doing here?!" His eyes narrowed at the person on the other end of the door as instant rage began to bubble in his stomach.
Ron couldn't understand why he was so shocked. He should've trusted Harry's instincts when he pointed out that his hand on the clock went from 'Travelling' to 'Home'. He didn't believe it, he figured the clock was broken or something. How could Percy be home? How could Ginny be in 'Mortal Peril'? He hadn't alerted his parents to the change on the clock, but Bill and Charlie noticed it, too.
This is the last thing mum needs!
"I...I'm sorry. I didn't think everyone would be here! I just wanted to talk to mum and dad alone." A poor and withered looking Percy muttered nervously.
"Yeah, well what gives you the right to show up in the first place, Percy?!" Ron muttered, his anger already beginning to reach the surface. His ears turned a tinge of red as he watched his brother with an angry glint in his eyes. There was something very 'Prodigal Son' about this moment; only he wasn't ready to welcome him back with open arms.
"I just wanted to talk to my parents, Ron." Percy said, his tone already seemingly annoyed.
"Yeah, well, you should've thought about that before you left them! They still haven't been able to get over that, you know!" Ron shot at him, hoping it ate him up inside.
"Which is exactly what I've come to talk about." Percy shot back.
"Oh what, you've come to give them false hope again?" Ron's voice was edging toward fury. He was just teetering between emotions.
"No! I've come to tell them the truth. To let them know I'm sorr-" Percy managed to blurt out before Ron cut him off.
"Oh that's RICH!" Ron's voice went up another pitch, his breathing becoming slightly heavy and his fist clenching angrily around the box of Bertie's Beans in his hand.
"Ron! I've already beat myself up enough over it, okay? Could you get off my back!" Percy yelled at Ron, seeming very distressed.
"Ron, dear, who's at the door?" Ron could hear his mother's faint voice from somewhere behind him.
"Oh, nobody..." Ron called back, putting extra emphases on the word 'nobody'.
"That was harsh. But I guess I deserved it." Percy said solemnly, bowing his head in shame.
"You're damn right you did! As far as I'm concerned, I don't have a brother named Percy. Because when you walked out of this door, you walked out of this family!" He spoke, surprisingly calm. But even though his voice was calm, a note of bitterness and anger could be heard loud and clear. "You betrayed us... you SHOULD be ashamed!"
And with that, he closed the door on Percy with a crisp snap.
"Who was that at the door?" Hermione whispered to Ron inconspicuously, as he reached the sitting room once more, taking his place on the couch in between Harry and Hermione.
"Percy." He muttered back as Mrs. Weasley was opening her last gift. Harry, on the other side of Ron, listened in on the conversation.
"Seriously?" He asked in a whisper, looking thoroughly shocked.
"Yup." Ron nodded slightly, sighing heavily.
"I take it he left then, right?" Hermione asked him, giving him a stern look.
"Yes, he's gone." He replied, fidgeting under her gaze.
Hermione rolled her eyes, knowing the exact reason why he left before even making it into the house. "You were harsh on him, Ron. I know you were."
"Hey! Cut me some slack! It had to be said! He's got to realise he can't just do something like that, upset my parents deeply, and get away with it!" Ron shot back, his voice still no higher than a whisper.
Even if he knew he was right, the look Hermione gave him made him feel guilty. As much as he hated the way Percy acted, he had to realise that he was a part of the Weasley family and that his mother loved him, just as much as she loved the rest of them.
He bit his lip, watching the joyous look on his mother's face as she closely examined the present his father had given her. She wrapped her arms around him and smiled warmly into the side of his neck, whispering her thanks.
He knew reality would hit sometime. He knew he would have to let them in on the fact that Percy 'Prodigal Son' was back, their daughter Ginny wasn't anywhere in sight and Fred and George weren't on speaking terms with them. But, he'd do that later. A more opportune time, perhaps. He just wanted them to be happy, for as long as humanly possible.
Was that too much to ask? Was this just wishful thinking? Was he simply just a dreamer?
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*A/N: Mmmmkay, so wow, I have been gone for a long time. And I do apologise profusely. A lot of things have happened in my absence! I have started school again (I'm in my last year, which isn't exactly going to be fun for me!!) Erm, I had a bitchin' summer in Canada (Therefore I wasn't around a computer to actually edit anything) and chea… I think that's about it! So, I seriously apologise and I hope to have more updates shortly. It shouldn't be too hard… I already have these chapters written and now that I'm settled back in school I have the whole time management thing down!
Anyway, yeah, hope you enjoyed the chapter! =D
R&R!