Magic and Misperceptions Chapter 2: The Golden Duo Get Ready for a Party
By AddisonJ
Betas: DeeMichelle and Tears of Mercury
Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter. I just play in his world. And I'm not Jane Austen, either.
A/N: this is a short chapter to introduce our Darcy and Bingley.
Thanks for such a great response to chapter 1!
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"Ron, you know I hate these events."
"Harry, we haven't been back in Britain in over a year! And Puddlemere United has a good chance at the League Cup this year."
"Since when did you root for Puddlemere United?"
"Well, with the Chudley Cannons out of the running, I couldn't possibly root for the Montrose Magpies."
Harry Potter smiled and shook his head. They had only returned to London from Auror duties in Asia the day before. They were jetlagged and exhausted after a particularly draining raid that ended months of surveillance in Hong Kong and Macau, coming months after training recruits in Sydney and Perth. The Men-Who-Defeated-Voldemort toured the world training Aurors on the techniques that defeated the greatest Dark wizard of the century. After their own Auror training (their honorary N.E.W.T.s results were sufficient for admission to the Auror training academy), they became trainers themselves.
Ron took a long, hard look at his friend. Harry had never liked the limelight. He was a humble, solitary bloke who liked nothing better than to be on his broomstick flying through the air. All these ceremonies, events, awards, the notoriety and the press were as appealing to Harry as a date to Madam Puddifoot's for Ron. Or for Harry, for that matter.
Ron relished the spotlight. As the youngest boy in a family of six sons, all quite successful in their own right, Ron enjoyed getting attention, even if was primarily as the best friend of the Chosen One. But he had performed admirably in the war, having Harry focus on the Horcruxes instead of the Deathly Hallows, saving Luna and Dean from Malfoy's, and destroying a Horcrux among other things. Helping keep his best friend alive in seven years earned him the right to bask in the notoriety. And it was a good balance to Harry, to have someone who actually liked to socialize, who liked to flirt and chat and be admired. Harry would rather stay home with some butterbeer and that Muggle television-thingy. Ron wanted to enjoy every perk of being friends with the Chosen One and half of the Golden Duo.
And they were finally back in Britain! The first thing they did was visit his parents at the Burrow, the Weasley's ramshackle home in Ottery St. Catchpole. His mother of course gave them a huge hug and wept tears of joy. Then Harry went to see his godson, Teddy Lupin, who still lived with his grandmother, Andromeda Tonks. Now that Harry was back in Britain, he wanted to spend more time with the boy. He felt that he had been quite negligent in the past few years, with his constant traveling. Orphaned so soon, rather like Harry, Teddy deserved some stability and some family. And Harry felt guilty for putting so much responsibility to an older woman who was still mourning her granddaughter's death.
"Ron, I'd rather just stay home. We've only just arrived back-"
Ron cut short his friend's whining and smiled as he handed him a bottle of Pepperup Potion. "That's why we have magic, Harry," he said, smirking.
Harry laughed. He could always count on Ron seeing the lighter side of life. "Okay, you convinced me. But one too many of those ridiculous fangirls and I'm Apparating back to Grimmauld Place."
"Harry, Harry, Harry! You need to enjoy life more! There will be lots of pretty women there and you need a distraction."
"Quidditch groupies, really, Ron? Is that what we need?"
"Would you prefer Auror groupies?
"Aren't they one in the same? And does it really matter?" replied Ron with a grin. Harry answered with a growing smile, and Ron patted his friend on the back. "Come along. It can't be that bad. We defeated You-Know-Who. Surely facing a room full of beautiful women isn't much worse."
"Why does everyone compare everything to defeating Voldemort?" asked Harry, pulling at his black hair. "Does that become the new bar for whatever I do? Surely if I defeated Lord Voldemort I can do such-and-such? I defeated Voldemort so surely I can give an interview for the Daily Prophet? I defeated the Dark Lord so surely I can handle this raid on those Death Eaters in Canada. I defeated You-Know-Who so surely I can learn to ski. I defeated Voldemort so I can-" Harry started counting on his fingers at this point "-raise the dead, save cats from getting caught in trees, pay for a round of drinks, learn Chinese, and face the wrath of one Molly Weasley." Ron smirked at the last one.
"Don't forget my sister, mate," Ron added. Harry shuddered.
"Hate to face Ginny's wrath as well. Is she coming tonight, too?"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Well, at least I'll have someone to dance with if you insist that I dance."
"Insist? Of course I insist!" Ron clapped Harry on the back. "Why deprive the lovely ladies of the classic rhythm-less styling of one Harry Potter?"
"I faced Lord Voldemort so surely I can dance at a party?"
"Could not say it better myself, Harry." Ron teased. Harry raised an eyebrow.
"With a friend like you, why would I need enemies?"
"We could always pay a visit to the Dursleys…" Ron began.
Harry shuddered at the thought of his Muggle relatives. "No, not that. Anything but that."
"At least you can use magic against them now," Ron reminded Harry.
A crooked smile crept on Harry's face. "About time…" he said, grinning. "All right, how do we dress for this shindig?"
Harry found some well-cut black trousers and a fitted blue shirt. He was tying his black dress shoes when Ron returned, clad in a green and white striped shirt, black jeans and black blazer. Harry appraised his friend's wardrobe choice and nodded.
Ron's sister, Ginny, Apparated to the front of Grimmauld Place shortly thereafter. She was wearing a pale pink dress with a full tulle and feather skirt, tight tube-like top and a white fur wrap. "Harry!" she cried and gave him a big hug and kiss. "It's been too long! Mum said you stopped by the Burrow when I was at work! You should have come by and seen me!"
Harry flashed a smile in return. "I knew we'd see you soon, and don't you look lovely."
Ginny did a little twirl and smiled deeply at her former boyfriend. "Harry," she said as she held onto his arm with a slight caress, "we didn't hear enough from you while you were gone."
Ron cleared his throat at this point. "Uh, hmph. Sister dear. What about me? I'm standing right here?"
Ginny smiled, gave Harry an apologetic glance, and hugged her brother. "My two favorite men! How lucky I am to have such handsome dates to the Puddlemere United event. All the girls will be quite quite jealous."
Harry started to feel a little knot in his gut. As much as he liked Ginny, sometimes she simply made him quite uneasy. He often got the impression that Ginny still harbored romantic feelings for him, which made him decidedly uncomfortable. They had dated sixth year, and tried dating after the war, but it wasn't the same. Without the threat of Voldemort and the possibility of dying at any moment, the passion was gone. Harry had determined that his feelings for Ginny were based on fear of certain death. That threat erased, the feelings evaporated. He had assumed the same happened to her. Maybe he was wrong.
Ron glanced between his best friend and his sister. He, like most of his family, wanted Harry to be an official part of the Weasley clan. The most practical way seemed to be for Harry and Ginny to marry. It seemed like quite the possibility right after the War, but then they broke it off. Ron didn't know the details. Harry didn't share, and Ron was afraid to ask. But, now that they were back in Britain for good, maybe, just maybe there was a chance at rekindling what they had before. One could wish …
"Right. Ready? Let's go! I have a feeling this will be a wonderful evening to change all our lives!"
Harry and Ginny both groaned.
"Harry, let's get him out of here so Ron can embarrass himself publicly, not just at home."
And so their evening began.
***
Next chapter: they meet! You know how well that goes…
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