Title: A Place to Call Home
Author: RuthErin
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, places, names, etc. associated with the Harry Potter series.
Summary: The war is over. Harry leaves the Dursley's to spend one last summer at the Burrow, but things get off to a rocky start, as secrets are revealed and old grudges are brought to light. Time is running out for Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny: they must ultimately decide what to do now that school is finished, where they will spend their futures-and who they will spend them with.
Author's Notes: I'm excited to put this chapter online! Now things can really get going! I hope you enjoy this!
A Place to Call Home, Chapter Eight- Sprouts for Dinner
~*~
Ron sighed contentedly. Hermione smiled at him and he took her hand in his, winding their fingers together wonderfully.
It was nearly six but the two couples were taking their time getting back to the Burrow. It had been a lovely day of shopping, strolling through the streets, and chatting in the cafe, butterbeers in hand. For the first time nobody was a third wheel or a younger sister; the playing field was finally level. Ron slowed his steps even more as they approached the brick wall.
"I don't want to go back to the Burrow. it's been so calm and- well, NICE today. I don't want Fred and George, or even mum, wrecking it with chores or explosions or lectures."
Hermione kissed him on the cheek and leaned against him as they waited for Ginny and Harry to catch up. She put a hand to her throat where, unseen beneath her cloak, hung a sparkling solitary diamond ring.
Ron brushed her hair back from her eyes and whispered solemnly, "I love you."
And then Harry and Ginny arrived, cheeks flushed and eyes bright, just in time to see Hermione blushing deeply.
Harry grinned at the girl he considered as close as a sister, and wiggled his eyebrows at Ron.
"If you blush so well now, I can't imagine what you'll be doing if you two ever get engaged."
Ron felt his cheeks go red, and turned towards the wall. If he was lucky they would attribute the flush in his face to the cold. He tapped the appropriate brick and stepped back, gesturing for Ginny and Harry to proceed first.
"Yes, well; you'll be the first to know, mate."
He smiled broadly at Hermione behind Harry's back, and she concealed a laugh as they linked arms and proceeded through the opening and into the pub.
~*~
It was dark when they reached the Burrow, and by the sounds of things, nobody was home. They had just hung up their cloaks (and the girls had taken off their shoes) when a brisk tap-tapping brought them all to the window, where pigwigeon stood shivering on the seal, a hastily scrawled note in his beak.
Ron took the note and read aloud,
"'I'm going to be late getting home; there are sprouts in the ice-box for dinner (sorry, but I haven't had a chance to go shopping yet), but no eating until you lot degnome the garden. No excuses, Ron! -Mum'"
Ginny groaned and collapsed into a chair.
"We have to degnome the garden? And even then all the get are SPROUTS for dinner?? What's mum trying to DO to us?"
Hermione moved to open the fridge but was thrown back by a blocking charm.
"I was just going to see what else there was! Why'd she block it?"
Hermione glared at Ron.
"Never mind-I suspect she doesn't trust a certain somebody. Well, I guess that's all there is to it. We either degnome the garden or we go hungry AND deal with your mum's temper."
They all stood. Harry and Ron collected the cloaks and brought them back to the girls who were putting their shoes back on. They bundled up and trudged out the door.
It was extremely dark outside-there was no moon, and the sky was cloudy besides-and as they approached the back of the house Hermione pulled out her wand to help light their way ("Lumos!", but its light extinguished almost immediately.
"What's going on? My wand has never done that before. Lumos! Ugh. Never mind: Ron, you give it a go."
Ron obediently pulled his wand and muttered the spell, but his wand barely flickered before it, too, went dark.
"What the-"
But he was cut off by an enormous boom, a bright light, and the sound of 200 or so people cheering from every direction:
"Surprise!!"
"Congratulations, you lot!"
"Aww. look, Fred; Ickle Ronniekins looks surprised!"
"What's that around your neck, Hermione?"
(She blushed and quickly hid the ring beneath her cloak.)
"Your faces! You should ha' seen your faces!"
"Happy birthday, Harry!"
"Never in my life."
"Sonorous. CALM DOWN EVERYBODY! I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE!"
Mr. Weasley grinned at the four, as he made his way to the front of the crowd to greet them.
"WE ARE HERE TONIGHT TO CELEBRATE THE MANY GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THESE FOUR YOUNG PEOPLE: RON WEASLEY, HARRY POTTER, HERMIONE GRANGER, AND GINNY WEASLEY."
He waited for the cheers and cat-calls to quiet down and then proceeded, his affection for them all evident in his face.
"SEVEN YEARS AGO WHEN I SENT RON OFF TO HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCH-CRAFT AND WIZARDRY, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS GETTING MYSELF INTO. I HAVE GAINED TWO MORE CHILDREN,"
He gestured to Harry and Hermione.
"JUST IN CASE WE WEREN'T, ER, *BLESSED* WITH ENOUGH ON OUR OWN."
Everybody laughed and Fred and George whistled at their mum who stood nearby smiling at her husband.
"ONE OF WHOM JUST CAN'T SEEM TO GET ENOUGH OF RULE-BREAKING AND TROUBLE; AND ONE WHO TRIED DESPERATELY TO KEEP THE OTHER TWO IN CHECK. NOW, IMAGINE HOW I FELT SENDING GINNY OFF TO JOIN THIS LOT!"
More laughter from the crowd, and sideways grins between Harry and Ginny.
"BUT SHE SURVIVED. THEY ALL DID. AGAINST ALL ODDS, AND EVEN AGAINST THE MOST VICIOUS WIZARD WHO EVER WAS."
Harry shifted uncomfortably. Ginny put a reassuring hand on his arm.
"TODAY, WE REMEMBER. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE CELEBRATE! WE CELEBRATE THE BOY WHO WAS BORN NINETEEN YEARS AGO, TODAY! WE CELBRATE THE FACT THAT RON, HERMIONE, GINNY, AND HARRY HAVE FINISHED SCHOOL. AND TODAY WE CELBRATE THE BEGINNING OF THE REST OF THEIR LIVES!"
Cheers erupted from the crowd, and the four friends smiled and hugged, their faces red with embarrassment and joy.
Author: RuthErin
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, places, names, etc. associated with the Harry Potter series.
Summary: The war is over. Harry leaves the Dursley's to spend one last summer at the Burrow, but things get off to a rocky start, as secrets are revealed and old grudges are brought to light. Time is running out for Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny: they must ultimately decide what to do now that school is finished, where they will spend their futures-and who they will spend them with.
Author's Notes: I'm excited to put this chapter online! Now things can really get going! I hope you enjoy this!
A Place to Call Home, Chapter Eight- Sprouts for Dinner
~*~
Ron sighed contentedly. Hermione smiled at him and he took her hand in his, winding their fingers together wonderfully.
It was nearly six but the two couples were taking their time getting back to the Burrow. It had been a lovely day of shopping, strolling through the streets, and chatting in the cafe, butterbeers in hand. For the first time nobody was a third wheel or a younger sister; the playing field was finally level. Ron slowed his steps even more as they approached the brick wall.
"I don't want to go back to the Burrow. it's been so calm and- well, NICE today. I don't want Fred and George, or even mum, wrecking it with chores or explosions or lectures."
Hermione kissed him on the cheek and leaned against him as they waited for Ginny and Harry to catch up. She put a hand to her throat where, unseen beneath her cloak, hung a sparkling solitary diamond ring.
Ron brushed her hair back from her eyes and whispered solemnly, "I love you."
And then Harry and Ginny arrived, cheeks flushed and eyes bright, just in time to see Hermione blushing deeply.
Harry grinned at the girl he considered as close as a sister, and wiggled his eyebrows at Ron.
"If you blush so well now, I can't imagine what you'll be doing if you two ever get engaged."
Ron felt his cheeks go red, and turned towards the wall. If he was lucky they would attribute the flush in his face to the cold. He tapped the appropriate brick and stepped back, gesturing for Ginny and Harry to proceed first.
"Yes, well; you'll be the first to know, mate."
He smiled broadly at Hermione behind Harry's back, and she concealed a laugh as they linked arms and proceeded through the opening and into the pub.
~*~
It was dark when they reached the Burrow, and by the sounds of things, nobody was home. They had just hung up their cloaks (and the girls had taken off their shoes) when a brisk tap-tapping brought them all to the window, where pigwigeon stood shivering on the seal, a hastily scrawled note in his beak.
Ron took the note and read aloud,
"'I'm going to be late getting home; there are sprouts in the ice-box for dinner (sorry, but I haven't had a chance to go shopping yet), but no eating until you lot degnome the garden. No excuses, Ron! -Mum'"
Ginny groaned and collapsed into a chair.
"We have to degnome the garden? And even then all the get are SPROUTS for dinner?? What's mum trying to DO to us?"
Hermione moved to open the fridge but was thrown back by a blocking charm.
"I was just going to see what else there was! Why'd she block it?"
Hermione glared at Ron.
"Never mind-I suspect she doesn't trust a certain somebody. Well, I guess that's all there is to it. We either degnome the garden or we go hungry AND deal with your mum's temper."
They all stood. Harry and Ron collected the cloaks and brought them back to the girls who were putting their shoes back on. They bundled up and trudged out the door.
It was extremely dark outside-there was no moon, and the sky was cloudy besides-and as they approached the back of the house Hermione pulled out her wand to help light their way ("Lumos!", but its light extinguished almost immediately.
"What's going on? My wand has never done that before. Lumos! Ugh. Never mind: Ron, you give it a go."
Ron obediently pulled his wand and muttered the spell, but his wand barely flickered before it, too, went dark.
"What the-"
But he was cut off by an enormous boom, a bright light, and the sound of 200 or so people cheering from every direction:
"Surprise!!"
"Congratulations, you lot!"
"Aww. look, Fred; Ickle Ronniekins looks surprised!"
"What's that around your neck, Hermione?"
(She blushed and quickly hid the ring beneath her cloak.)
"Your faces! You should ha' seen your faces!"
"Happy birthday, Harry!"
"Never in my life."
"Sonorous. CALM DOWN EVERYBODY! I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE!"
Mr. Weasley grinned at the four, as he made his way to the front of the crowd to greet them.
"WE ARE HERE TONIGHT TO CELEBRATE THE MANY GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THESE FOUR YOUNG PEOPLE: RON WEASLEY, HARRY POTTER, HERMIONE GRANGER, AND GINNY WEASLEY."
He waited for the cheers and cat-calls to quiet down and then proceeded, his affection for them all evident in his face.
"SEVEN YEARS AGO WHEN I SENT RON OFF TO HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCH-CRAFT AND WIZARDRY, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS GETTING MYSELF INTO. I HAVE GAINED TWO MORE CHILDREN,"
He gestured to Harry and Hermione.
"JUST IN CASE WE WEREN'T, ER, *BLESSED* WITH ENOUGH ON OUR OWN."
Everybody laughed and Fred and George whistled at their mum who stood nearby smiling at her husband.
"ONE OF WHOM JUST CAN'T SEEM TO GET ENOUGH OF RULE-BREAKING AND TROUBLE; AND ONE WHO TRIED DESPERATELY TO KEEP THE OTHER TWO IN CHECK. NOW, IMAGINE HOW I FELT SENDING GINNY OFF TO JOIN THIS LOT!"
More laughter from the crowd, and sideways grins between Harry and Ginny.
"BUT SHE SURVIVED. THEY ALL DID. AGAINST ALL ODDS, AND EVEN AGAINST THE MOST VICIOUS WIZARD WHO EVER WAS."
Harry shifted uncomfortably. Ginny put a reassuring hand on his arm.
"TODAY, WE REMEMBER. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE CELEBRATE! WE CELEBRATE THE BOY WHO WAS BORN NINETEEN YEARS AGO, TODAY! WE CELBRATE THE FACT THAT RON, HERMIONE, GINNY, AND HARRY HAVE FINISHED SCHOOL. AND TODAY WE CELBRATE THE BEGINNING OF THE REST OF THEIR LIVES!"
Cheers erupted from the crowd, and the four friends smiled and hugged, their faces red with embarrassment and joy.