Forbidden Love
Chapter 33
Hermione threw an annoyed look to her boyfriend as he shifted anxiously next to her once more.
"Relax will you," she hissed, looking around at the other students.
Everyone was standing in the front of the school waiting for the carriages carrying the families to pull in. They were supposed to be arriving sometime within the next couple of minutes.
"How am I suppose to relax?" he questioned in a disgruntled tone. "In the next two minutes your mum and dad are going to be here." Harry looked at his girlfriend, "So not only am I going to come face to face with your parents for the first time since we started dating, but I also have to deal with the fact that you hadn't even bothered to tell them about us."
Hermione blushed and winced, "Right… well, I just didn't want to have to put up with my mum."
"What does your mum have to do with you hiding our relationship?"
"I wasn't hiding it -I was… keeping it private. And as for my mum, she has everything to do with it," when Harry arched a brow as a silent signal for her to continue, Hermione groaned. "Well, you see my mum has been saying that we fancied each other since before we were ready to admit it ourselves, in fact she was completely sure that we were going to be together. So when she finds out that we're dating then I'm certain she's going to gloat so much that it'll be virtually impossible to deal with."
Harry scoffed, "Let me get this straight -you keep us a secret from your mum, because you didn't want to admit you were wrong?"
The brunette turned a bright red, "We-well not really…"
"Then what, really?"
"Uh… I kept us a secret because…" she winced, "because I didn't want to let her know she was right?"
He rolled his eyes, "Same bleedin' thing Hermione and you know it," he responded with a light shake of the head and a quick scan for the carriages once more. "Brilliant, just bloody brilliant, so now not only do I have to deal with your parents reactions to us, I also have to deal with the Weasley's reactions as well-" he gave her a peeved look, "thanks."
"Er… you're welcome?" Hermione joked, giving a small grimace when he glowered at her. "I'm sorry Harry, I really am, but I'll be there with you for both and hopefully we'll make it out with most of our body parts intact."
"Gee, I feel so much better," he muttered with a chuckle.
Hermione got on her toes and gave him a light kiss on the lips and a wide smile, "It'll work out, you'll see."
Harry sighed, "Yeah… I just, I don't know, I really hope the Weasley's are still speaking to me."
"I'm positive they are."
"Well I suppose one of should be positive, since I'm defiantly not. I mean, sure Ron took it well -but that was before Ginny started dating Malfoy. What if the whole family bloody well hates me? After all I couldn't blame them if they did, now could I?" he inquired anxiously.
Hermione turned him to face her and rested a cool hand on his warm check, offering a smile. "It'll be okay, you're like family to the Weasleys-"
"That's just it, I'm like family… Ginny is family," he sighed.
Hermione gave a surprised look to Ron as he placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, "Don't worry mate, I know my mum and dad -it'll work out."
"Yeah, if anything they'll probably just be mad at me," his girlfriend offered with a smile.
"I don't want that either," Harry replied frowning, "I wouldn't be able to stand it if they got mad at you, but were fine with me. After all I was the one that was supposed to be dating Ginny, not you, and the last thing I need is you getting blamed like Ron did. This is my fault, not anyone else's."
"Actually Harry," Luna chimed in her normal musical tone, "it's no one's fault."
"Really, so what magical creature caused this then?" the dark haired boy asked with a harassed look.
She gave a small frown, "Well… I wouldn't exactly call love a magical creature -though when you do find it, it is like the most wonderfully magical feeling ever, isn't it?" Luna finished with a tranquil smile and a thoughtful look.
Hermione and Ron gave her surprised looks; that had not been the answer they were expecting.
"Yes Luna," Harry replied after a moment of stunned silence, offering her a small smile, "yes it is."
She grinned back, then leaning against her amused looking boyfriend looked reflectively up at the sky. "It's also quite powerful. Face it, you two didn't have anymore of a chance than Ronald and I did." She glanced back at him one more, "It'll work out Harry… you'll see."
Harry opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by loud exclamations of excitement. The families were coming. Hermione gave her boyfriend's hand a light squeeze as she searched the incoming carriages anxiously for the familiar faces of her mum and dad.
"There they are," Harry said after a moment.
Following the direction that he was pointing she saw her mum and dad sitting in a carriage with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Hermione's eyes widened and she could feel herself beginning to panic -what if they told them already?!
"Harry…" she said nervously, he didn't comment but gave her hand a light squeeze.
"Ok, so… I guess it's now or never," Ron commented giving them a look.
"Can we take the never option?" Hermione responded with a tense laugh.
The redhead rolled his eyes in reply and pushed his mates towards the carriage, which had just come to a halt a few feet away. Harry and Hermione shared nervous looks as they neared the coach.
"Hermione!" Ella Granger exclaimed with a wide grin when she spotted her daughter.
"Mum!" Hermione yelled returning the smile and rushing the rest of the way forward.
She and Harry reached them just in time for him to help Ella out of the coach.
"Thank you Harry," Mrs. Granger said with a smile, just before pulling the boy into a tight hug. "You still look smashing," she teased merrily.
Harry blushed. "Thank you…"
"Hey there Harry old chap, how are you?" Mr. Granger asked hopping down from the carriage as his wife hugged his daughter.
"I'm fine sir," Harry responded shaking the older man's outstretched hand.
Dan nodded and then gave a curious look back to their transportation as he pulled his daughter into a loose hug, "Do these things always pull themselves?"
Harry grinned, "Actually they don't pull themselves," at the two parent's surprised looks he elaborated, "you see, they're pulled by a couple of -well, I guess you could call them, magical horses. They're called Thestrals."
"Really?" Ella asked in a surprised tone before looking once more at the seemingly empty space in front of the coach.
"Yes, really," Harry responded with a jovial smile before going forward and petting the nose of one of the creatures.
"You're touching it?" Mrs. Granger inquired examining the space where the dark haired boy's hand seemed to be touching something.
"Yep, you know you can too," he replied with a wink.
"Really?" she asked, at his nod she held up her hand. Harry took her wrist and guided it to the creature's neck, moving it in slow stroking motions.
"See?"
"Oh my gosh! Dan, Dan -there's something there!" she exclaimed turning and looking at her husband with an excited look. "I can't believe this," she finished in an awestruck tone as she continued to rub the creature's neck.
"Be careful honey, you don't know how that things reacting to you," Dan warned with a frown.
Harry and Hermione shared a look. "Don't worry sir," he said with a small smile' "he's perfectly calm. Aren't you?" He asked, scratching the Thestral under its chin.
"Wait?" Dan commented coming forward, "You can see it?"
Harry blushed, "Yes."
"How?"
"Dad, lets not get into that, okay?" Hermione asked, shooting her boyfriend a look.
Harry smiled at her and gave a shrug. "That's alright Hermione," he looked back at Mr. Granger. "Well… you see they're not invisible. It's just that only certain people can see them."
"What kind of people?" Ella inquired with a frown.
Harry blushed once more and looked at the ground, "Only people who have seen death."
Ella and Dan Granger stood in stunned silence.
"So Dad," Hermione commented after a minute, "did you hear?"
"Uh, hear what Pumpkin?" Mr. Granger asked looking back at his daughter.
"That they're going to be having a real Quidditch game while you guys are here. Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw," she answered smiling.
"Oh yes, I heard. Arthur Weasley mentioned it to me on the ride up, can't wait to see you in action Harry" he commented giving the dark haired boy a grin and wink. "Hey… speaking of the Weasley's, where did they go?" he looked around for the other couple.
"They're over there dear," his wife answered, pointing to his far right.
In the distance the Weasley family, minus Ginny, was gathered around talking and joking with one another. The twins seemed to be teasing Ron and Luna to no end, if their beet red faces were any indication, while Mr. and Mrs. Weasley just stood back and watched the scene with contented smiles.
"Lets head over then," Dan said turning, when he made a step in that direction his daughter grabbed his hand.
"Daddy I don't think we should…" she stated nervously.
"Why Pumpkin? Is everything alright?"
"Well… kind of…"
"Did you and Ron have a row?" her mum asked with a frown.
"Well… you see… Ron and I kind of broke up a while ago."
"So let me guess, you two weren't able to go back to being friends?" Ella inquired with a sympathetic look.
"Well, er… it's not exactly that," she continued when they gave her confused looks. "You see Ron and I are still friends -best mates really. Actually, his new girlfriend Luna and I -you remember Luna don't you? …From Christmas? Well, we get along great too. We often all just hang out and study together…"
"I'm sorry Pumpkin but I don't understand," her dad said with a frown, "what's the problem then?"
Hermione and Harry shared a look.
"Uh, the problem isn't my relationship with Ron… it's my relationship with Ginny," she replied biting her lip.
Her mum's eyes flicked between the two teens before setting on her daughter. "What's wrong with you and Ginny?"
"You see…." Hermione took a deep breath and fidgeted with her hands, "Well, it… the problem with Ginny and I… is…."
"Me," Harry stated stepping forward. Looking at the older couple he took a deep breath before reaching out and clasping Hermione's hand in his own. "I broke up with Ginny to be with Hermione and she wasn't too happy about it," he finished with a worried look.
"You mean… You two?" Dan said looking between the two teens.
Harry and Hermione looked at each other once more before blushing and nodding.
Ella Granger shook her head and scoffed, "Well it's about bloody time!"
Harry threw her a surprised look while Hermione's blush deepened.
"How long?" she asked looking between the two.
"Uh… almost five months," Harry answered, wincing when the older woman frowned.
Ella directed her displeased gaze at her daughter, "And you didn't tell me? How could you not tell me Hermione?"
"I'm sorry mum, I just… well I just didn't know how."
Her mum snorted, "Please, the only thing you don't know how to do is admit when you're wrong."
"I wonder where she gets it," Mr. Granger grumbled.
"What was that Dan?" Ella asked rounding on her husband.
He gave her a grin, "What was what, dear?"
"What you said."
"Sorry, I don't remember what I said. But then again, like you said I am getting a bit senile in my old age," he responded with a smug look.
She poked him in the shoulder, "I'm going to remember that lippy comment later you know."
"Good dear, one of us has to."
The two teens chuckled at the conversation before sobering somewhat as the Weasley's began to head in their direction on their way to the school.
"I'm sure it'll be alright Harry," Hermione whispered.
"Arthur, Molly," Ella said with a smile, "there you are. We were wondering where you had gone off to."
"We were right over there talking to the kids," Mrs. Weasley responded returning the smile.
"Hey there Ron," Mr. Granger said, "I look forward to seeing you play later." He gave the blond next to the other boy a kind smile, "Luna, very nice to see you again too, of course."
"Thank you," she replied with an uncharacteristic blush.
"I can't wait either," Ron answered, "though the person you should really be watching is Harry, he's awesome on the field."
"Hear, Hear," said Fred, "best Seeker we ever had, Harry was."
"You could always count on him to find the snitch," added George.
"Yeah, it was staying on his broom he had problems with," Fred commented with a wide grin.
"But you have to give they guy credit, I've never seen anyone fall with so much style," George finished with an appreciative nod and a wink.
"Ha -ha," the dark haired boy commented dryly.
"Well I do look forward to seeing you in action Harry," said Mr. Weasley, "I've been hearing about how great you are for the past several years. It'll be nice to finally get to see for myself."
Harry blushed, "W-well, thanks sir. I just hope I can live up to what you've heard."
"I'm sure you will, I-"
"Ron, have you seen Ginny?" Mrs. Weasley interrupted; and uncomfortable silence descended upon the group.
"Uh, not since breakfast," Ron answered after a minute.
"I could help you find her," Harry offered, thinking of the Marauders Map.
The other woman was quiet for a moment before looking up at the sky "I believe that you've done enough Harry."
"Mrs. Weasley," Hermione started but was cut off as her mum put a hand on her shoulder.
"Well we'll let you guys do what you have to," Ella Granger said with a smile. "We'll just see you guys at lunch before the game."
"I don't think so," Molly Weasley replied looking at the other woman. "I think that this afternoon we should really have a private lunch, you know… just," she looked at Harry "-family," she turned and walked away.
The dark haired boy snapped his eyes shut as pain coursed through him.
"Molly!" Arthur Weasley exclaimed giving his wife a frown and Harry a strained smile before turning to follow her.
"She didn't mean it Harry," Fred said.
"Yeah, she's just in a mood," offered George.
"She'll get over it," chimed Ron.
Harry gave a mirthless smile and shrugged his shoulders. "What does it matter anyway? -It's not like she was my mum or anything," he commented tonelessly before turning and walking towards the lake.
Hermione turned to rush after him but was forestalled as her mum took her arm.
"I'll handle this," she said but before she could do so her husband placed a hand on her shoulder.
"No dear, I will."
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Harry tossed another leaf onto the sparkling lake water, staring lifelessly at the shining surface.
"Hello Harry," Dan Granger said taking a seat next to him. "Wow, this place is beautiful, is that due to magic or does nature get the credit?"
Harry didn't respond but instead sat quietly, picking at random blades of grass.
"Then again, some people may say that nature is magic," Dan continued after the silence had stretched for a minute. The older man gave a sigh "Look Harry, we both know I'm not here to talk about the joys and wonders of nature… I'm not going to say that I know what you're going through; I don't think anyone can. But I will say that whatever it may be you don't have to go through it alone." The dark haired boy gave him a sidelong look, "You have Hermione, Ron, his girlfriend Luna… not to mention any of your other friends." He sighed, "Look I don't really know you well Harry so I don't know everyone you have in your life but I do know you have people there. Not just the ones I mentioned either… you have Ella and I too."
Harry scoffed, "For how long?" he looked at the older man, "Until Hermione and I break up, or have our first big fight? I'm not an idiot Mr. Granger, I know that any affiliation that I have with any family is only temporary. I'm not really a member; I'm just a guest." Harry gave him a sad look, "My parent's are dead- gone. They can't be here for me and neither can my Godfather, he's dead too. The only people in my life that share my blood would collectively give their right arms for the possibility to shed it and have me out of their lives for good. For the past seven years the Weasleys have treated me like family, like their eighth son and now… now they don't even want to have lunch at the same table as me."
"First of all Harry, Molly was the only one who expressed that sentiment. Second she was just upset, I'm sure it'll blow over."
The dark haired boy shook his head, "No it's not "only Molly" it's Mrs. Weasley, the glue that holds the family together… and the closest thing I've had to a mum my whole life," he finished in a hurt whisper.
"She'll get over it-"
"And what if she doesn't?! What if she never wants to see me again?! Do you really think I'll get any more invitations for the holidays then? Or any more birthday presents or anyone who gives a damn about my health or my life short of saving the Wizarding world?!"
"So you put that little importance on what my daughter feels for you?" Dan asked with a frown, "Does how much she cares about you come into account? Do you think that your life doesn't matter to her? Because it does -look Harry I may not know a lot about you, but I know my Pumpkin. The way she talks about you, the way she looks at you… the way she is with you. This last break, I had never seen her act so alive, so happy. You mean a lot to her, a whole lot and I hate to think her feelings are one sided."
"N-no sir, they're not, I-" he licked his lips and looked the older man in the eyes. "I love your daughter, more than anything…"
Dan arched a brow, "More than Molly Weasley?"
Harry chuckled and looked down, "Yes."
"Good, then pull yourself together man. Whether you are or are not still included in the esteemed Weasley family lunches, you have now joined the ranks of the Grangers. A slightly less boisterous but still, if you count my wife, quite mischievous lot. With a penchant for problem solving, getting our way and stubbornness; also with a history of loyalty to those we care about." Mr. Granger grinned and gave a wink. "Welcome to the ranks my boy, laundry is every Thursday but we don't do underwear," he arched a brow, "-or windows."
Harry laughed, "Good to know."
"Besides Harry if I were you I wouldn't worry," Dan commented standing and extending a hand to the younger boy, helping him up. "I think my wife likes you better than Hermione anyway, so if things don't work out we might just keep you and throw her back."
Harry laughed harder, "I don't think I could let you do that sir."
Mr. Granger gave him a grin and a hearty clap on the back, "Good answer my boy, good answer."
A.N. Well that's it for this chapter, as for the next one… Quidditch anyone? Stay tuned and PLEASE REVIEW!!! Ja ne!
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