Unofficial Portkey Archive

Chapter 9: A Lit Fuse

Harry remained at the Burrow for multiple weeks, and attended several funerals during that time. Nevertheless, he enjoyed his time with the Weasleys immensely; Mrs. Weasley's delicious cooking, the company of Ron and Hermione - all the moments in general spent with the family he considered his own. Not to mention his frequent rendezvous with Ginny. But as the end of May crept nearer, Harry felt that his time at the Burrow was drawing to an end. That's not to say the Weasleys wouldn't let him stay as long as necessary, but he began to feel the need to strike out on his own. That combined with the fact that it was slightly awkward to be living with your girlfriend and her family. He could practically hear the wedding bells trilling through Mrs. Weasley's mind as she watched him and Ginny together. Needless to say this made him very uncomfortable.

All of this was running through Harry's mind as he walked with Ron and Hermione down a trail off the edge of Ottery St. Catchpole on a lazy Monday afternoon. Tired of the relentless lack of privacy, they had decided to escape for a while. Ginny had reluctantly stayed behind at the request of her mother.

Hermione interrupted his train of thought.

"So what do you think, Harry?"

Harry glanced up guiltily, running a hand through his recently cut hair. "Er…about what?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly, the two of you have the attention span of a tablespoon."

"Not a teaspoon?" Ron asked, almost hopefully.

"I was referring to your cumulative attention span. Anyway, I was asking what you thought about having the opportunity to go back to school." Hermione said.

Harry stumbled slightly at the realization that he and Ron were about to be required to reveal their intentions about school. Hermione didn't seem to notice their stricken expressions as she continued at a brisk pace, not waiting for Harry's answer as she jabbered on.

"I'm personally extremely happy that we get to go back to school. I was worried that we wouldn't get to have our seventh year, for obvious reasons, and now that we can-"

Harry looked pleadingly at Ron from the other side of Hermione, trying to communicate without speaking. What do we do?! Harry mouthed.

I have no idea! Ron mouthed back, shrugging helplessly.

"-might be sort of sad without our other classmates, but Ginny and Luna and plenty of others will still be there and-"

Harry was wringing his hands desperately. We have to do something!

Then come up with something! Ron mouthed, jabbing a finger towards Harry.

"-should be pleased we're going back to school after all of that. I'm not sure how it'll work going back beyond your class, but certainly it'll not be much different than-"

She's going to KILL us! Harry threw his hands up in a gesture of defeat.

Ron mimicked he motion with a succumbing shake of his head.

"-thinking about taking Advanced Ancient Runes, considering how much I enjoyed it, and I'm seriously reconsidering being a Auror, so I have no idea-"

"Hermione, we're not going back to Hogwarts," Harry and Ron said simultaneously.

Hermione stopped in her path so abruptly that her friends had to backtrack a few steps after realizing it. She was smiling and laughed lightly.

"I'm sorry, I think I heard wrong. It sounded like the two of you just said you weren't going back to Hogwarts."

Harry saw Ron gulp as he responded in a small voice. "We're not?" He made it sound like a question, as if Hermione was going to answer it for him. Harry suddenly had the imagery of a fuse being lit.

It took longer than he would have suspected for Hermione to detonate. She glared at the ground for several moments, flexing her fingers, her movements twitchy as she attempted to subdue her anger. However, her attempts were futile, as an instant later Hermione exploded in a frenzy of rage. "WHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOTS!! YOU HAVE TO FINISH SCHOOL!! Oh my GOD, what's going to happen if you morons quit school?!?!"

"Well -" Ron began.

"I'LL TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IF YOU QUIT SCHOOL!! YOU TWO MORONS WILL BECOME-BECOME LAZY, GOOD-FOR-NOTHING SAPS THAT BED A DIFFERENT GIRL EVERY OTHER NIGHT!!! THEN YOU'LL TURN INTO CRIMINALS AND GET CAUGHT AND YOUR ARSES WILL BE SENT TO AZKABAN AND YOU BETTER NOT COME WHINING TO ME TO BAIL YOU OUT!!! THE ONLY HANDOUTS I'LL BE GIVING WILL BE BIG DOSES OF `I TOLD YOU SO!!'

Hermione drew in a deep breath and Harry and Ron cringed, wondering if she was renewing herself for another tirade. But thankfully she only sighed in defeat.

"So, what are you going to do?"

"Well, I was thinking about-" Ron said.

"I planned to-" Harry said.

"SHUT UP!" Hermione rubbed her temples in frustration at their simultaneous outbursts. She nodded in Ron's direction. "You first."

Ron gulped. "Well, I was sort of planning to stay at home a bit longer and help George at the shop…you know… when he decides to open again."

Hermione nodded. "And then?"

"Er…I hadn't really thought that far ahead."

"I'd guessed as much," Hermione muttered, a bit harshly. "Nothing more to add?"

Ron shook his head, his face downcast in shame.

"Harry?" Hermione said.

"Well, I'm probably going to…er…go to the Ministry in about a month to see about training."

"Training?" Hermione said. "Training for what?"

Harry shrugged. "To become an Auror, I suppose."

"I suppose you do realize that in normal cases that would require N.E.W.T.s?"

Harry gave her a half-smile. "I'm not exactly a normal case, am I?"

Hermione grunted in acknowledgement and then continued down the path at a brisk walk. Harry and Ron jogged to catch up. Once they had fallen into pace beside her, the two wizards remained silent. They knew better than to interrupt their friend's train of thought.

After about ten minutes of this, Hermione finally spoke.

"I still think you two are idiots for doing this."

"Noted and accepted," Ron said.

Hermione sniffled slightly. "I'm going to miss you both terribly."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"What do you think? I'm still going to get my N.E.W.T.s. I'm still going to Hogwarts. And both of you aren't." She wiped at her eyes, which had welled up with tears.

"Well, think of the bright side," Ron said. "At least you won't have to nag us to do our homework."

This was apparently the wrong thing to say, as Hermione then burst into sobs.

Ron looked at Harry with an expression that clearly stated, `What'd I say?'

Rolling his eyes, Harry slipped his arm over Hermione's shoulders, rubbing them soothingly. "It's okay, Hermione. It's not like we're not going to see you at all this year. We'll still see you at holidays, Hogsmeade weekends…anytime you want to see us."

"That's not true," Hermione whispered, shaking her head. "If I could see you anytime I wanted to I'd see you everyday. But I can't see you everyday."

Harry didn't respond. He didn't know how to.

Hermione pulled herself away from Harry, laughing slightly. "You're right, though. It's not the end of the world. We'll get through this. We always do."

"You got that right," Ron said.

They continued walking and were in sight of the Burrow within minutes.

Harry gazed at it with a twinge of sadness.

"I don't think I'll be staying here much longer."

Ron and Hermione gazed in confusion at Harry.

"Where will you go?" Ron asked.

Harry shrugged nonchalantly. "Grimmauld Place, I suppose."

Hermione furrowed her brow. "Do you know if you'll be able to go back there after, well, the little incident that occurred last year?"

"I'm sure I'll be able to. If not now, pretty soon. Since Kingsley became Minister, I'm sure he could pull a few strings to get the proper wards and papers asserted to make it safe again."

"When do you think you'll leave?"

"Probably within the next few days," Harry admitted.

Ron and Hermione nodded. As the trio made their way through the Burrow's gates, each of them felt a knot in their throats. They were fully aware of the imminent changes awaiting them in the near future and felt a strange exhilaration at how normal these changes were; they were not on the brink of impending peril, at any rate, and they were willing to meet these changes head on.

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