A/N: Finally! After months of projects, research papers and final exams… it's vacation time! Woohoo! And now, I present to you, the twelfth chapter of The Prediction. I apologize profusely to all the reviewers for making you wait soooo long. By the way, thanks to all the people who greeted me on my birthday! J
Of course, to my reviewers…
DisorientedBallerina Thanks for offering your help! You also wrote that you can't sleep until I complete the story, therefore I must apologize for all the sleepless nights. Thanks for reviewing!
HarmonyRonita: They're going to go back, if they can… J But when they do, then yeah, it'll be the end of the story.
KcluvsMl: Nah, I'll think of something else…
quizgirl: Yes gasp three days! J You'll soon find out.
VictoriaM2006: I don't mind. Go ahead and write your story, but you have to promise to tell me what the title is so I can read it!
1happyreviewer: I'd never abandon this story, a lot of people would kill me! J Yes, they will remember everything.
Princess-Meg1415: You're favorites list? Wow, thanks!
InfinityEstel: You're the only one who noticed I haven't been putting in a lot about Hermy's pregnancy. I was actually planning on adding it in later chapters to add a bit of humor, but after reading your review, I added some stuff in this chapter. Kudos to you for being so perceptive! J
PadfootsLuvr: Nice "meeting" you! J I hope you don't mind but I added some stuff about Ron's date. It's just a little subplot.
Baseball Fanatic: I didn't mention you! Gasp! Bad me, bad me! (whacks self)
cricket: Aww… shucks! Thanks!
blue3ski: Ha! But you didn't, did you? Here's the new chapter (chucks it at your head)
TooSweet4Words: Yes, unfortunately they're still awkward about the whole 'married' thing.
Muse: It's all right if you didn't catch it when it first came out. Thanks for all the compliments! J
brattyprincess: Really! (gets choked up) Thanks!
Starlight-Heart: Haha! Yeah, they should just get it out. But, you know them…
ellimere Malaysia? Cool! I want to go there someday. Yep, I'm from the Philippines, but I'm also Chinese.
Long-tall-texan: Please tell your grandmother that I'd like to greet her a very, very Belated Happy Birthday. Thanks for the review!
jEnA-gHeRL: Yup, it's a word. Sorry it took TWO months…
ceren I'm so touched! Of course I'll finish with a happy ending! J
Soldier: Sorry, I'll probably stop the story once they get back to Hogwarts… I'm starting to run out of plot ideas.
JaeSuper Belated Happy Birthday!
pink fluff: I love your story (My Best Friend's Wedding)! I'm sorry if I didn't get to review when I read it months ago, my Internet was and still is on the fritz. I'm actually uploading this chapter on my friend's computer.
jill2282: Um, what's the hp sleuth's guild?
Granger-gurl-rox: You'll see… J
amieken: There'll be some more kisses, don't worry.
Aleskris: Don't worry, they won't stay old. Lily is actually three, but she's really really smart… About Ron and Luna, yeah, it is kind of weird… but I couldn't think of anyone else!
puccastar: How did you know I'd update in March? Are you psychic? J Happy Birthday!
Sapphire-Explorer: Hi, Emily! I can't e-mail you yet as you didn't give me your full e-mail address. They'll meet Vablatsky in three days, by the way.
Thanks also to Arestoktra, HPgirl7, Taurus 07, silver gaze, bookxluver, honeyduked, FutureGoddess, Hermione Graner Potter, the-power-of-love, alexian-goddess, pinkhelga, Lil Jean, hopeforthefuture, sporty12gd4u, Hermzee14, Este, AJ the Ass Slayer, pottersweetie, Silver-Magick131, wockygal, sever-case-of-insanity, nancydrew01, SilverHawk 27, hopeforthefuture, FairyWings101, Monkeystarz, duckie, Sneto, year1989rocks, emmulattor, Mina-chan, Ashes, xrazystoritellre, trapped-in-a-dream, Alenor, chantal-j.t, Jenn, IrishCharms, and Serenity-Hermione Angel.
On to the story!
Chapter 12
It was cold and quiet as Harry, Hermione and Lily stepped out of the house. Harry looked around; no one was outside. No children building snowmen, no neighbors getting mail. It was a lazy day; people were probably inside their homes sipping hot chocolate by a fire.
Good.
Hermione held Lily's hand as Harry raised his wand. There was a loud bang and a giant triple-decker bus screeched to a halt in front of them.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus, my name is Stan… Oy! Ernie, look! It's 'Arry Potter!"
A gangly, pockmarked man stepped down from the bus and looked them over with a big toothy grin.
"How 'ya doin' 'Arry? And… oh, this must be your little girl and your lovely wife! 'Ello, there. I'm Stan." He said, leaning down and peering at Lily.
Lily quickly hid behind Hermione, and stared apprehensively at Stan.
Stan gave her a wink and straightened up again. "Well, no time to waste. Come on, into the bus!" He looked around. "It would be best to hurry up, we don't want any Muggles spotting us.
Lily squeezed herself between Harry and the door and stepped in first. "I wanna choose the seats!" she declared.
Smiling, Harry stepped into the bus as well, followed by Hermione.
"How you been, Mr. Potter?" Ernie the driver asked.
"Er… fine. Never better." Harry muttered, giving Ernie a slight smile.
"Where to?" Stan asked Harry. Harry told Stan the Weasleys' address and set off to look for Lily. It wasn't difficult as the bus was practically empty.
Stan noticed Harry's gaze. "Slow day for business today," he said, nodding his head at the empty seats. "But hopefully it'll fill-up by mid-afternoon."
There was another loud bang as the Knight Bus started moving again, sending everyone who didn't have a firm grip on the rails flying backwards. In this case, it was Hermione.
"Aaaah!" Hermione screamed, as she tumbled backwards.
Fortunately, Harry caught her with one hand, his other gripping a rail.
"Best hold on, ma'am." Stan told Hermione.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked Hermione softly, his arm still around her.
Hermione looked at Harry and their eyes met. His emerald-green eyes were absolutely mesmerizing. Hermione gulped, trying to swallow the lump that seemed to have lodged itself in her throat. Say something! Her brain commanded. "Erm, yes. I'm fine." Hermione managed, as a nervous giggle escaped from her lips. What was she doing! She was acting like a lovesick schoolgirl!
"That's good." Harry murmured, his voice slightly hoarse. He guided her to the seats Lily had chosen and the two of them sat down, just as the Knight Bus gave another bang and started moving down a narrow alleyway.
Harry stamped his feet on the mat outside the front door to get the snow of his shoes. Beside him, Hermione stretched out a finger and rang the doorbell. Lily was jumping around behind them trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue.
It was now snowing lightly, the sky completely white. It would be Christmas in a few days.
Harry pulled his coat closer around himself as he waited for someone to answer the door.
They had just arrived at the Burrow, and the journey had left Hermione feeling a bit queasy. She never liked being on roller coasters, and the Knight Bus was ten times scarier.
Hermione glanced at Harry from the corner of her eye. He saw her looking and gave her a lopsided smile. Hermione's heart flipped. Encouraged by Harry's smile, she laced her fingers through his.
With Hermione's warm hand in his, Harry felt like melting into a puddle on the ground.
Lily skipped back to them and placed herself in front of the door just as it opened. A small red-headed boy with big blue eyes stood on the other side, and upon catching sight of them, yelled at the top of his lungs, "They're HEEERE!"
"Hi, Jacques!" Lily said, and quick as a flash, planted a kiss on the boy's cheek.
"EWWWWW!" the boy yelled, wiping his cheek furiously. "Why'd you do that!"
"There's mistletoe, silly!" Lily giggled, pointing.
All of them looked up; Harry and Hermione blushed. Mistletoe.
" 'Ow many times 'ave I told you, Jacques, no shouting een ze 'ouse!" a voice said. Harry and Hermione's jaws dropped. Stepping up to the door, smiling at them, was Fleur Delacour.
"But, Mum, she kissed me!" Jack whined, tugging at Fleur's robes.
"Zat ees what meestletoe ees zer for!" Fleur told him. She then turned to Harry and Hermione, who were still goggling at her. "Pleese, come een. Everyone 'as been waiting."
All of them stepped into the Burrow, and Fleur took their coats. Jacques ran off, closely pursued by Lily.
"Aren't zey sweet?" Fleur commented happily as she placed their coats inside a closet by the door.
"There you are!" said Ron, as he came to greet them, wearing one of his innumerable maroon jumpers. He was closely followed by Bill, who put an arm around Fleur's waist. Ron gave Harry and Hermione another one of his sly looks, then said, "Well?"
"Well, what?" Hermione asked, finally regaining the use of her mouth after the shock of seeing Fleur in the Burrow. Putting two and two together, she would say that Bill and Fleur were married, and apparently, had a kid.
"Aren't the two of you going to grab this chance to snog each other senseless?" Ron asked them innocently, eyes wide. Bill and Fleur laughed.
"What!" Harry croaked. He looked up, and sure enough, another sprig of mistletoe hung over their heads.
"Uh…" Hermione said.
The two of them looked at each other.
"Oh, alright." Harry assented. He put an arm around Hermione's waist and pulled her closer.
Hermione closed her eyes in anticipation.
Harry leaned down… and gave her a peck on the cheek.
Hermione's eyes flew open. That was it!
"Aww… come on. That was weak, Harry!" Ron protested.
Hermione's shoulders sagged slightly in disappointment. THAT WAS IT!
"Maybe next time. Come on, let's eat." Harry told Ron, changing the subject. It had taken all his willpower not to kiss Hermione on the lips. She might think he was some kind of pig who took advantage of situations like these.
"Oh, alright." Ron said resignedly. "We're eating in the backyard."
They followed Ron past the kitchen, then into the Weasley's backyard. There was a giant tent erected in the middle to keep out the snow, and within were three tables that had been set end on end. There was apparently some sort of charm at work on the tent because it was comfortably warm, as though a fire were burning merrily inside. The whole Weasley family was there, along with, to Harry's surprise, Angelina Johnson, who was sitting beside one of the twins. He couldn't really be sure, but it looked like it was Fred.
Everyone greeted them cheerfully as they moved towards the tables.
"About time, Harry! We were just about to start without you!" George called out.
"Harry, Hermione!" said a voice behind them.
They turned around and saw Mrs. Weasley bustling towards them with her arms outstretched. She gave them both a big hug and looked Hermione up and down.
"How are you feeling, dear? Ginny told us all the news… a new baby on the way! Why, it seems just yesterday that you were pregnant with Lily and…" Mrs. Weasley trailed off, misty eyed.
"Mum, you were asking how Hermione was feeling." Ginny said, coming up with a bowl of pudding, and interrupting her mother's trip down memory lane.
"Oh, yes. Sorry dear. How do you feel?" Mrs. Weasley said apologetically.
"Er… just a little queasy from the Knight Bus." Hermione told her truthfully.
"Well that's perfectly natural. Come with me, I have some potion that might help." Mrs. Weasley told Hermione, beckoning her to follow as she made her way back into the house.
As Hermione was going into the house with Mrs. Weasley, Harry sat himself beside Lily, who had seated herself beside Jacques.
"Hey, Ron. Why don't you tell us about your date yesterday…" Fred nudged Ron, who sat across the table from Harry, with his elbow.
"Yes, Ron. Do tell." Ginny joined in, as she placed the pudding on the table.
Ron started blushing furiously. "Well…"
"…so then, she pointed out that we were standing under mistletoe." Ron said, talking even more animatedly as he went on. "I mean, what could I do? I couldn't very well snog her! I mean, please! So I pulled her away from the mistletoe and do you know what she did! She hugged me, bloody hugged me, and said I saved her life from the nargles in the mistletoe, and I don't even know what the bloody hell nargles are!"
Harry burst out laughing, as did Fred, George, Ginny, Angelina and Hermione, who had returned to the table in time to hear about most of the story. All of them were by now deeply absorbed in Ron's narrative.
"So what did you do next?" Ginny asked, wiping a tear of mirth from her eye.
"I took her home and she… well… Look, I don't want to kiss and tell." Ron said, putting his hands up as though signaling the end of his story.
"She kissed you!" the others yelled.
"Keep it down!" Ron said in an anguished whisper. He looked around; his mother was throwing them a very curious look. He then turned back to the group. "I don't want the whole family to find out!"
"Alright, alright!" George said, "We get the point."
Angelina leaned closer. "I still can't believe that you and Loony Lovegood are now an item!" she whispered, a big smile plastered on her face.
"We're not! I mean, we haven't even made plans to see each other again…" Ron said defensively.
"Give it time, little bro. Us Weasleys are irresistible, right Angelina?" Fred said, giving Angelina a wink.
"Oh please, Fred." Angelina said exasperatedly. "You're lucky I stuck with you after what happened at our first date."
Fred grinned. "Hey, it was only an accident."
Angelina sighed, then turned to the others. "He told a waiter to give a Balding Breath Mint to a really snotty diner."
Fred shrugged his shoulders. "You have to admit, he was a real git."
"Well, upon realizing that he was bald, the guy jumped up yelling and starting throwing hexes around." Angelina continued. "I," she pointed at herself, "got hit with a Furnunculus Curse. Fred on the other hand, got himself turned into a gerbil."
"It was a very odd experience." Fred said reminiscently, as the other roared with laughter.
A few hours later, as everyone was helping themselves to dessert, Ron leaned forward.
"Harry, don't forget about your photo shoot tomorrow. You have to go to the Ministry to get the Portkey that'll take you to the stadium." He reminded.
Harry choked on his second slice of pie. Hermione, who was sitting beside him, slapped him hard on the back.
The photo shoot! Hadn't Boris Wickly told everyone about it at the party! Harry mentally gave himself a kick. He had completely forgotten! It was all stupid Draco Malfoy's fault. If he hadn't distracted Harry so much then maybe he might have remembered.
"You do remember, right?" Ron asked.
Harry coughed. "Of course." He choked out.
Oh no.
A/N: Hey people, don't know when the next chapter will be up, I still haven't written it yet. The next chapter, by the way, will be about Harry's photo shoot.