An Invitation for Tea ~ Chapter Three
Title: An Invitation for Tea
Author: goingbacktosquareone
Ship: Harry/Ginny
Rating: R
Warnings: Adult Situations, Explicit Language
A/N: If I had a witty summary for this story, I would give it to you. The most I can say is it's about healing, redemption and Dudley.
Author’s Note:
Once again, I have to give my thanks to the fantastic five: Kezzabear, Wolfie, Lonely Riddle, Melindaleo and the beta with the mostest, LadyChi! Extra special hugs to Kezza and Melinda, who at one time or another have literally kept me from binning the story all together. Your words of encouragement have gone a long way in a couple of times when I was ready to pitch my laptop - Harry and Dudley along with it - right across the room. I never knew I could be so petulant and temperamental about a story! I guess that just means I’m very invested in making sure it’s done right…so all of you who are reading this note and then find canon errors, you can make me eat my words later! Hee!
TTFN,
Jen, gbtso
Chapter Three
Bombshells and Aftershocks
Harry stood looking at Dudley, thunderstruck. He blinked several times behind his glasses and then remained staring, waiting for Dudley to rescind his announcement. When nothing came from Dudley’s mouth, a chill blew through Harry in a way he’d never experienced.
“No. You’re not just waltzing in here and telling me you’re having a magical kid and expecting me to care,” said Harry slowly and deliberately. Scowling at Dudley, he pitched his glass into the fireplace, shattering it into pieces. The atmosphere in the room was soon charged, ionized.
“A handshake when you walked out the door was not enough. And now you want me to give you tips on how to raise a freak? I must be losing my fucking mind…” he muttered under his breath, massaging the bridge of his nose under his glasses as if rubbing his forehead would help him make some sense of the situation.
Dudley still had not moved from his spot in front of the fireplace. He stood uncharacteristically rigid and stone-faced, worry emanating from his eyes. “Harry, I don’t know what to say,” he said, angling his face toward the floor. Harry had no sympathy for the shame he knew Dudley was feeling.
“Maybe you can leave me a cup of tea and make it better,” mumbled Harry.
Dudley tried to continue. “Things are different now - ”
“Different?” Harry sneered. He was pacing back and forth in front of his desk now, his arms fixed and rigid at his sides, his eyebrows drawn together in fierce indignation. “How in the hell is this different? You’re acting like the simpering brat you’ve always been, expecting me to jump in and fix things for you. Tell me, Dudders, ” he goaded, “Mummy and Daddy not up for another embarrassment in the family, eh? I’m surprised they haven’t begged you to leave your wife to manage on her own - ”
“Stop it, that’s ENOUGH!” demanded Ginny. Dudley was still standing with his eyes glued to the floor and Harry, oblivious from his rant, hadn’t noticed her opening the door. Elizabeth hurried immediately to Dudley’s side, taking his hand and whispering into his ear.
“What is going on in here, Harry? Everything in the entire house is flickering! We could hear you out in the garden! Honestly, if you’re upset it’s one thing; but a Sonorus!” Ginny went to Elizabeth, who was now pale, and led her to the loveseat. Conjuring a glass, Ginny cast an Aguamenti Charm and filled it, urging Elizabeth to drink. Returning her attention to her husband, she pointed her finger at him ominously and motioned him to the chair. “Well?”
Harry sat down and met his wife’s gaze with an icy glare. “Apparently our guests are having a magical child,” he said scornfully. “I suppose it’s a bit of a shocker.”
“Really.” Ginny’s nostrils flared in indignation. She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes, pursing her lips. “Yes, I’ve established as much myself, speaking with Elizabeth in the kitchen,” she acknowledged curtly. “This may come as a bit of a shock to you, but I simply can’t believe you’re acting like this. We have an obligation - ”
“An obligation?” thundered Harry, as he stood and began making his way toward the door. “I have no obligation to any of this!”
“Dear Merlin! What would Colin say, Harry? He gave his life for you!” said Ginny, aghast.
Her words stopped Harry in his tracks. His hand on the doorknob, he slowly released it, took a deep breath and turned round, looking guardedly at Ginny. “What did you just say?”
“I said, Colin gave his life for you, Harry,” she replied as a tear made its way down her cheek. “Colin was one of my best friends. How’re you repaying him? How’re you repaying Dennis? Why are you acting this way?”
Harry’s jaw dropped as he shook his head back and forth. No, this couldn’t be happening. Uncomfortable had gone to bad, then to terrible and finally to worst. “How in the bloody fuck has this got anything to do with Colin and Dennis? Why is this suddenly my fault? He’s the one who spent sixteen years of my life treating me like bubotuber pus,” said Harry, pointing indignantly to Dudley. “Now I’m not supposed to be bothered about it?”
Dudley, still holding Elizabeth’s hand, coughed from the loveseat. With an aggrieved expression, he dropped his forehead into his other hand. “I hadn’t gotten to that part yet… I was trying to take it slowly,” he said, cringing. “I’m really sorry. This is a disaster. I didn’t want it to come out this way.”
Elizabeth gasped. “You haven’t told him? Dudley! You should have told him first - before you even mentioned anything about the baby!” With eyes full of apology, she rose from the loveseat and made her way slowly to Harry. “I’m so sorry. We should’ve told you together. I just thought it might be easier for Dudley to do it…” Shooting a glare over her shoulder to her husband, she turned back to Harry. “Now I see this wasn’t the best decision.”
Harry regarded Elizabeth with disdain. “Look, I don’t know you. I’m sure you’re a great person - ”
“I’m Colin’s cousin. I’ve known about you since the summer after his first year,” blurted Elizabeth.
Harry’s jaw dropped. He searched Ginny’s eyes, looking for reinforcement. When she nodded, his heart sank and shoulders sagged with shock. “This… I’m.... Excuse me.” As he turned his back on the group and escaped into the hall he heard Elizabeth say under her breath, ‘Well that went better than I expected it would.’
Harry leaned against the wall to clear his head and took a deep breath. Of all the things he’d expected to hear from Dudley, learning he’d married Colin and Dennis Creeveys’ cousin rocked him to his core. The guilt he felt over Colin’s death - the dull ache he lived with every day - was what drove him to ensure Colin didn’t die in vain…and now that guilt took on a whole new dimension, carried new weight.
Turning his back on Dudley and Elizabeth would be like turning his back on every single witch or wizard who died in the war. Harry realized, begrudgingly, Dudley’s treatment of him as a child was no more than the injustice he’d nearly given his life to erase from the wizarding world. If he was prejudiced and short-sighted now he was no better than a Malfoy. Harry shuddered.
Letting his head fall back with a thump against the wall, he closed his eyes tightly to quell the tightening in his chest. Something had obviously changed about Dudley: Harry doubted even Piers Polkiss would recognize the person sitting in the library. That man was cheerful and polite, mannered and considerate…ready to make amends and restitution. The old Dudley would never have been this way - no, the old Dudley would never have looked twice at a girl who was the cousin of a wizard, much less one who adored and worshipped Harry Potter.
Harry took another deep breath and opened his eyes, willing himself to accept what logically appeared to be true: this Dudley was a different person. He was estranged from his parents. He was married to Colin’s cousin. He was going to have a magical baby. Elizabeth seemed nice enough and Ginny appeared to like her. Harry decided his faith in his wife needed to be enough. Ginny had asked him to trust her judgment and he had agreed. Now he should follow through with his promise.
Harry pushed off the wall and walked back toward the library, stopping just short of the door. Through the opening he saw Ginny turn and apologize to Dudley and Elizabeth for his quick retreat. “He’s just had a bad week. This has been a bit overwhelming for him…”
“I would imagine,” said Elizabeth quietly, rolling the water glass between her hands. “Knowing what I know about their childhood, I expected him to be a bit more vocal.”
“That’s not Harry’s style,” stated Dudley simply. “He doesn’t fly off the handle.” Ginny cocked her head and gave Dudley and appraising stare. Dudley explained. “I tortured him whenever I could and he never said a word to anyone about it,” shrugged Dudley. “The worst thing that ever happened to me was being attacked by a snake at the zoo on my eleventh birthday.”
“Attacked by a snake?” repeated Elizabeth with surprise. “Dudley, you’ve never told me about that.”
“Wasn’t one of my better days…”
“What happened?” asked Ginny curiously.
“I accidentally Vanished the glass of a Boa Constrictor’s tank after Dudley punched me in the ribs,” answered Harry from the doorway. “Besides, that snake didn’t attack anyone. It just slithered out into the reptile house, thanking me in Spanish. Then suddenly the glass was back and Dudley and Piers were both screaming like girls. I always wondered what happened to that snake and whether he made it back to Brazil.”
“That’s really what happened? How’d you know?” asked Dudley.
“It told me,” shrugged Harry.
“You can talk to snakes?”
“Well, not anymore, I can’t. It’s a dead useful skill, though,” admitted Harry. “Technically the snake wasn’t speaking Spanish, it was Parseltongue, but I didn’t know that until nearly half-way into my second year at Hogwarts…”
“So you were actually talking to that snake! I think I wet my pants a little,” laughed Dudley quietly. “Mum was really off her nut that day at the zoo.”
“I think she was, too,” admitted Harry dryly as he returned to the sitting area, stopping next to the wing chair where Ginny was sitting. “That happened just a few weeks before I found out I was a wizard.”
“When that bloke Haggers gave me a pig tail…” laughed Dudley to himself as he remembered.
“For eating my birthday cake!” retorted Harry, who smiled at the mention of his friend’s name. “It’s Hagrid. His name is Hagrid, Rubeus Hagrid.”
“He carries a pink umbrella! Shot me with that thing and Mum and Dad had to take me to a specialist to have the tail removed!”
Soon both men were laughing to themselves. When they finally met each other’s gaze again, Harry coughed and cleared his throat uncomfortably. “So maybe we do have a few things to talk about after all.”
Elizabeth brightened as Dudley appeared to consider Harry’s abrupt change of heart. “Maybe we do,” answered Dudley tentatively.
* * *
Ginny shut the front door on their guests and collapsed against the cool wood with a sigh of relief. She shut her eyes and formed the mental picture of Dudley helping Elizabeth into their car. When she heard the engine fire, she returned to the parlour. Harry was sprawled across the sofa with one leg still bent and dangling over the rug. His glasses were on his chest, the heels of his hands pressed firmly to his eyes.
“Bloody hell,” muttered Ginny, casting a pensive glance at the floor. “If I had any idea, I’d have never pressed you to into this,” she apologised.
Harry dropped his arms lankly at his sides and blinked at the ceiling. “S’okay. There’s nothing to apologise for, love. It’s not exactly like you knew Dudley was going to come in here and drop that sort of news…”
“I guess I thought we’d all sit around and have tea… I’m such a clot!” exclaimed Ginny as she slumped into the chair. “I thought we’d have a nice chat and wave them good-bye,” she chuckled, “not extend an invitation for dinner. Harry, are you sure you really meant that?”
“I did.”
“I said we only had to meet them once and I meant it. I’ll send Elizabeth an Owl and tell her you’ve found a conflict in your schedule - ”
“You won’t,” replied Harry firmly, “because there is no conflict. Besides, I didn’t even say a date! Am I booked forever? You said it yourself - very plainly, actually. We have an obligation to Colin and Dennis to see this through. I’m also very keen to hear some of these stories.”
“Just the bit before your voice started reverberating into the garden was enough to send Parvati and Lavender into a tailspin,” laughed Ginny. “I was riveted. I’m not sure whether I was more annoyed at you for interrupting her juicy gossip about the Dursleys or for assaulting your cousin.”
Harry snarled. “I didn’t assault Dudley…” Ginny gave him a reproving glance. “Although it would have been bloody brilliant,” he said righteously, sitting up and smoothing out his shirt. “But thanks for saving me. I nearly threw a wobbly this afternoon.”
Ginny waved him off. “I’m used to your fragile mental states,” she joked as she waggled her eyebrows at him suggestively. “I also like your wobblies.”
Harry rolled his eyes. “Was that a come-on? If so, it was really awful.” He stood up and yanked Ginny from the chair, pulling her as close as her belly would allow. “You promised me pudding. After that… er, spectacle I just endured, I think I deserve a double-helping.”
“Pudding?” blinked Ginny innocently. “I guess I did, didn’t I?” She pushed away and turned for the kitchen, throwing a tantalizing glance back over her shoulder. “I’ll just go dish some up, yes?”
Harry pursued her into the kitchen, leaning against the door jamb with his hands in his pockets and grinning mischievously. “I’m more in the mood for a strawberry tart,” he deadpanned.
“But we don’t have any strawberries - ”
“I’ll make do,” he growled huskily, narrowing the gap between them.
“Oh,” quipped Ginny, flipping round as she nibbled her bottom lip. “In that case, will we be eating it with or without cream?”
“Good Merlin,” said Harry as he caught his wife in his arms, “end my suffering now before I die of randiness.”
“Then take me to bed, you great prat,” she answered serenely.
* * *
A while later, Harry lay motionless, contemplating the unchanging ceiling once again. He desperately wanted to roll over claim his right to seconds, but he was having a hard time finding the energy necessary to actually move his body. Silently thanking the gods once more for the blessing of Ginny, he was still grinning stupidly when she smacked him in the head with a pillow.
“I have no idea why you’re grinning like Kreacher on Regulus’s birthday, but stop it. You’re giving me the willies.”
“Arg… You didn’t just say what I think - ”
“You mean Kreacher?” teased Ginny, “the weird, little house-elf who simpers around smiling at you in objectionable ways?” She shuddered. “The one who answers your every beck and call until you’ve gone round the bend? That one? The one who hated everyone and now is Dobby reborn?”
Harry groaned. “We left him at Grimmauld…please don’t remind me. This isn’t the time to remind me of Kreacher…”
“Just checking,” laughed Ginny. “Just wanted to be sure we were thinking of the same person,” she winked. “It’s nice to see you’re still able to smile, anyway.”
Harry snorted. “If you keep doing stuff like that, I’ll always be smiling.”
“Harry, really,” said Ginny, smacking him again with the pillow. “If you don’t mind, I told Elizabeth I’d meet her for lunch on Tuesday in Avebury. She said she had some things she’d like to show me.”
“Avebury? Why there? The Muggles there are mental.” Harry reached for his glasses and propped himself up on his elbows. “You’re Flooing, right?”
“Elizabeth grew up in Salisbury and Colin was from Marlborough,” offered Ginny. “I thought I’d take her into Grover’s Corner.”
“The Pewter Tankard?”
“That’s the place. I hope it’s nice enough… I’ve only really Flooed through Grover’s Corner for matches. I’ve never really stopped there long enough to shop.”
“It’ll be fine. I’ve had lunch once or twice in the Tankard. It’s not the Leaky; but then, Avebury’s not exactly London, either.”
“Could you imagine?” asked Ginny, flopping back into the pillows as her fingers began a slow dance over her belly. “Waking up one day and finding out the quirky, little town you’ve lived near all your life is a hotbed of magical activity?”
Harry smirked. “Yeah, I think I can.”
* * *
“Bloody hell, mate - ”
“Ronald, please don’t swear.”
“But Hermione, I can’t help it,” whined Ron like a three-year-old boy. “What else am I supposed to say?” He straightened in his chair, took up the water goblet from in front of him and cleared his throat haughtily. “Damn shame about that news, mate.”
“Ronald…” said Hermione with a deadly glare, dropping her fork with a clink against her plate. Harry and Ginny chuckled into their own lunches.
“What? What did I say? What was wrong with that?” peppered Ron.
Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed. “Just forget I said anything. You’re fine, dear.” Reclaiming her fork and poking a chip with gusto, she returned her attention to Harry. “I just can’t believe this has happened without you knowing about it! All this time he’s been married to Colin’s cousin and you’ve been unaware… it’s just amazing! I would’ve thought you would’ve heard something from Dennis. Incredible.” She finally bit the chip in half and chewed it; her head still shaking while her gaze fixed somewhere over Harry’s right shoulder.
“I almost fainted right into my pudding,” laughed Ginny. “Here I was worried how things would go between Harry and Dudley then Elizabeth tells me she’s known about Harry since my second year. I still don’t know what to make of it. She sure was happy to meet Harry… now I know why!”
“You?” choked Harry, coughing up part of his roast-beef sandwich. “She practically attacked me at the door - first I thought it was Hermione but she was too short and her hair was all wrong.” The friends erupted in laughter at Harry’s comment. “Really, though…” he said, looking surreptitiously around the Leaky Cauldron. “I expect that kind of thing here in Diagon Alley, but not from some Muggle I’ve never met!”
“What else?” asked Hermione, still pushing chips around her platter. “She didn’t say anything else?”
“She didn’t have much of a chance,” replied Ginny, who rolled her eyes at Harry. “Someone inadvertently cast a wandless Sonorus Charm and I had to intervene in the library.”
“Djafinlybusischops?” asked Ron, grinning through a huge bite of ham sandwich.
Hermione and Ginny both winced, looking away in disgust but Harry laughed out loud. “Nah… for a moment I wished I had, but I didn’t bust his chops. He thought I was going to, though,” he said, puffing out his chest.
“Beddewess - ”
“Ronald!”
Ron pantomimed an apology to the table, swallowed and took a long drink. “Bet he was shakin’ in his pants, the bloody tosser,” he said with a hearty laugh, grabbing up the rest of his sandwich.
“Y’know, I sort of felt sorry for him,” admitted Harry, who cringed as he made the statement, knowing Ron would use it against him. “I mean, he had to know I was going to be angry. And I was. I nearly pulled my wand on him.”
“He deserves it,” said Ron with a grunt.
“So much for acting like grown adults…” said Hermione sarcastically to no one in particular. “We didn’t fight a war to end prejudice. Honestly.”
Harry made eye contact with Ginny, who rolled hers expertly. “Well, this has been nice but I’ve got a story deadline before I meet with Elizabeth tomorrow for lunch,” she announced.
“You’re meeting Dudley’s wife for tea tomorrow?” queried Ron obnoxiously. “That baby is making you barmy,” he huffed and then jabbed a chip into his mouth, sneering. “If it were up to me I’d let the git manage alone.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not you,” said Ginny, rolling her eyes again.
“It’s a good thing, too,” offered Hermione lightly. “I’d be bored senseless if I only had you around…” A deafening silence fell over the table before Hermione realized her faux pas. “Er, that’s not what I meant!” she exclaimed, coloring with embarrassment.
“Of course,” grinned Ginny, who pushed her chair back and stood with a stretch. She bent over and pecked Ron on the cheek before kissing Harry good-bye. “Harry will get the bill,” she winked. “It’s repayment for all the trouble he’s caused this past week.”
“Yeah, besides, he still hasn’t restocked my Firewhisky stash,” muttered Ron as Hermione then jabbed him in the arm with her elbow. “Ouch!”
Ginny leaned in and gave Harry another quick kiss cheek before leaving. Patting Ron once on the head, she smiled and turned for the door. “Hermione, I’ll Floo you tomorrow and fill you in since your prat of a husband will want to know what happened.” She curtseyed and then left, leaving the rest of the table bubbling with laughter.
* * *
The next morning after Harry left for work, Ginny finalized her story on the upcoming match between Puddlemere United and the Montrose Magpies and sent it along via the Floo to her editor at the Daily Prophet. She secretly hoped Puddlemere would trounce the worthless dunderheads, but she’d been unable to say as much in her article. Ginny had simply given a brief overview of the history between the teams and some general color commentary of the squads’ players, hoping it would be enough to satisfy her impatient boss. She had another more detailed article due about the actual square-up amongst the players in less than two days.
Ginny set the rest of her work aside, gathered her bag and gave Sparks the cat a quick stroke and then stepped into the Floo, calling out “Pewter Tankard!” When she was spit out of the flames at the other end, she was pleased to find herself in a quaint, little pub much like the Three Broomsticks. Brushing herself off, she stepped from the grate and greeted the barkeep with a wave, calling out that she’d be back in a bit with a friend. When he nodded in understanding, she left the pub and stepped out into the street of Grover’s Corner.
Grover’s Corner was a small, magical shopping district nestled in Avebury, a village in Wiltshire known world-wide for its stone ring. The Avebury Henge was known second to Stonehenge as one of Britain’s most magical places. Thousands of Muggle tourists flocked to Avebury each year to take in the sight of what was left of the magical stones set in a conspicuous ring around the village as well as the enigmatic Silbury Hill, located not far from the site of the main ring. What the Muggles didn’t realize, though, was the remainder of the stones was still there - they had simply been charmed to protect the sanctity of the site.
Ginny smiled at the thought of Colin and Dennis growing up so close to such a unique place… and wondered about how their opinion of their birthplace had changed after learning of their magical abilities. The topic was something she’d never thought to ask them, something that now made her sad for Colin’s sake. There were so many things she’d never thought to ask Colin, like what his mother was like or what he did with all his spare pictures…
Shaking off the melancholy that was fast taking over her good mood, Ginny made a mental note to stop in the Apothecary before leaving. The Grover’s Corner Apothecary was known for having some of the best potion ingredients for basic healing draughts - with the baby coming stocking up couldn’t be a bad thing. Even an extra bezoar or two could come in handy, she mused.
As Ginny stepped through the entry of the magical district and into the Muggle village, she immediately noticed Elizabeth waiting by a bench, just where she said she’d be. Hurrying over to her new friend, Ginny smiled widely and offered her a hug of greeting. “Elizabeth! It’s so nice to see you again!”
“Yes! You, too! I’m just thrilled to finally be getting a chance to, er…”
“Go into Grover’s Corner?” asked Ginny with a laugh, as she looked around her surreptitiously.
“I wasn’t sure if I should say it out loud,” murmured Elizabeth with a shy grin, blushing. “I’ve never done this before!” she exclaimed. She turned to the side and picked up a substantial box, struggling with it as the strap of her handbag fell down over her shoulder.
“Oh! Can I help you?” offered Ginny, who hadn’t originally noticed the parcel.
“No, no… It’s just some things I brought to show you. I’ve had them for years, waiting for an opportunity and now today I’m finally able to pass them along. It’s just that the box is a bit cumbersome.”
Ginny looked round and saw no one was about. She put her hand inside her robes and with a quick swish, lightened the box. “That should help things,” she smiled.
Elizabeth’s eyes grew wide. “Wow. That’s just… just, amazing. Cool! It’s like magic!” she snickered.
Ginny chuckled. “I thought we’d go into Grover’s Corner for lunch at the Pewter Tankard. Is that okay?”
“Of course!”
Ginny led the way, pulling Elizabeth into what looked to be an old abandoned storefront. Once inside they made their way through a small entryway and onto the street, where Elizabeth stopped, her jaw dropping in amazement.
“I’ve heard so much…” Elizabeth rattled, slowly looking around her and taking in everything as if she’d never seen anything so wonderful. “I just can’t believe after all this time I’m finally getting to do this,” she said in awe, tears forming in her eyes. “Colin spoke of his world so often, especially Diagon Alley and Hogwarts - and how wonderful these places were. And now I’m finally getting a chance to see it.”
Ginny gulped and looked at the cobblestones beneath her feet, lost for what to say.
“Oh no!” Elizabeth grabbed Ginny’s arm and gave her a beseeching look. “I didn’t mean it like that! I didn’t want today to be sad!”
“I’m sorry,” said Ginny, wiping her eyes. “Colin was one of my best friends. I still just can’t believe all this is happening and that you’ve actually been married to Harry’s cousin all this time. I miss him…” Ginny sighed wistfully. “Colin, I mean,” she laughed softly.
“I know,” offered Elizabeth with another warm squeeze. I miss him, too. Dreadfully, sometimes. We were so close growing up. Dennis and I? Not so much. But Colin and I were close. I was so jealous when he left for Hogwarts!”
Ginny smiled and realized how much she was starting to like Elizabeth Dursley. “So are you ready for lunch?”
Elizabeth nodded and they made their way back into the Pewter Tankard, where they seated themselves at a remote table toward the back. Ginny signaled the barkeep for two Butterbeers and opened the menu. “So what’s in the box?” she asked.
“Pictures. Lots and lots of pictures,” answered Elizabeth. “Colin’s pictures.”
Ginny was flabbergasted. “Colin’s pictures?”
Elizabeth opened the box and out spilled hundreds of photos: of Harry and Ginny.
Author: goingbacktosquareone
Ship: Harry/Ginny
Rating: R
Warnings: Adult Situations, Explicit Language
A/N: If I had a witty summary for this story, I would give it to you. The most I can say is it's about healing, redemption and Dudley.
Author’s Note:
Once again, I have to give my thanks to the fantastic five: Kezzabear, Wolfie, Lonely Riddle, Melindaleo and the beta with the mostest, LadyChi! Extra special hugs to Kezza and Melinda, who at one time or another have literally kept me from binning the story all together. Your words of encouragement have gone a long way in a couple of times when I was ready to pitch my laptop - Harry and Dudley along with it - right across the room. I never knew I could be so petulant and temperamental about a story! I guess that just means I’m very invested in making sure it’s done right…so all of you who are reading this note and then find canon errors, you can make me eat my words later! Hee!
TTFN,
Jen, gbtso
Chapter Three
Bombshells and Aftershocks
Harry stood looking at Dudley, thunderstruck. He blinked several times behind his glasses and then remained staring, waiting for Dudley to rescind his announcement. When nothing came from Dudley’s mouth, a chill blew through Harry in a way he’d never experienced.
“No. You’re not just waltzing in here and telling me you’re having a magical kid and expecting me to care,” said Harry slowly and deliberately. Scowling at Dudley, he pitched his glass into the fireplace, shattering it into pieces. The atmosphere in the room was soon charged, ionized.
“A handshake when you walked out the door was not enough. And now you want me to give you tips on how to raise a freak? I must be losing my fucking mind…” he muttered under his breath, massaging the bridge of his nose under his glasses as if rubbing his forehead would help him make some sense of the situation.
Dudley still had not moved from his spot in front of the fireplace. He stood uncharacteristically rigid and stone-faced, worry emanating from his eyes. “Harry, I don’t know what to say,” he said, angling his face toward the floor. Harry had no sympathy for the shame he knew Dudley was feeling.
“Maybe you can leave me a cup of tea and make it better,” mumbled Harry.
Dudley tried to continue. “Things are different now - ”
“Different?” Harry sneered. He was pacing back and forth in front of his desk now, his arms fixed and rigid at his sides, his eyebrows drawn together in fierce indignation. “How in the hell is this different? You’re acting like the simpering brat you’ve always been, expecting me to jump in and fix things for you. Tell me, Dudders, ” he goaded, “Mummy and Daddy not up for another embarrassment in the family, eh? I’m surprised they haven’t begged you to leave your wife to manage on her own - ”
“Stop it, that’s ENOUGH!” demanded Ginny. Dudley was still standing with his eyes glued to the floor and Harry, oblivious from his rant, hadn’t noticed her opening the door. Elizabeth hurried immediately to Dudley’s side, taking his hand and whispering into his ear.
“What is going on in here, Harry? Everything in the entire house is flickering! We could hear you out in the garden! Honestly, if you’re upset it’s one thing; but a Sonorus!” Ginny went to Elizabeth, who was now pale, and led her to the loveseat. Conjuring a glass, Ginny cast an Aguamenti Charm and filled it, urging Elizabeth to drink. Returning her attention to her husband, she pointed her finger at him ominously and motioned him to the chair. “Well?”
Harry sat down and met his wife’s gaze with an icy glare. “Apparently our guests are having a magical child,” he said scornfully. “I suppose it’s a bit of a shocker.”
“Really.” Ginny’s nostrils flared in indignation. She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes, pursing her lips. “Yes, I’ve established as much myself, speaking with Elizabeth in the kitchen,” she acknowledged curtly. “This may come as a bit of a shock to you, but I simply can’t believe you’re acting like this. We have an obligation - ”
“An obligation?” thundered Harry, as he stood and began making his way toward the door. “I have no obligation to any of this!”
“Dear Merlin! What would Colin say, Harry? He gave his life for you!” said Ginny, aghast.
Her words stopped Harry in his tracks. His hand on the doorknob, he slowly released it, took a deep breath and turned round, looking guardedly at Ginny. “What did you just say?”
“I said, Colin gave his life for you, Harry,” she replied as a tear made its way down her cheek. “Colin was one of my best friends. How’re you repaying him? How’re you repaying Dennis? Why are you acting this way?”
Harry’s jaw dropped as he shook his head back and forth. No, this couldn’t be happening. Uncomfortable had gone to bad, then to terrible and finally to worst. “How in the bloody fuck has this got anything to do with Colin and Dennis? Why is this suddenly my fault? He’s the one who spent sixteen years of my life treating me like bubotuber pus,” said Harry, pointing indignantly to Dudley. “Now I’m not supposed to be bothered about it?”
Dudley, still holding Elizabeth’s hand, coughed from the loveseat. With an aggrieved expression, he dropped his forehead into his other hand. “I hadn’t gotten to that part yet… I was trying to take it slowly,” he said, cringing. “I’m really sorry. This is a disaster. I didn’t want it to come out this way.”
Elizabeth gasped. “You haven’t told him? Dudley! You should have told him first - before you even mentioned anything about the baby!” With eyes full of apology, she rose from the loveseat and made her way slowly to Harry. “I’m so sorry. We should’ve told you together. I just thought it might be easier for Dudley to do it…” Shooting a glare over her shoulder to her husband, she turned back to Harry. “Now I see this wasn’t the best decision.”
Harry regarded Elizabeth with disdain. “Look, I don’t know you. I’m sure you’re a great person - ”
“I’m Colin’s cousin. I’ve known about you since the summer after his first year,” blurted Elizabeth.
Harry’s jaw dropped. He searched Ginny’s eyes, looking for reinforcement. When she nodded, his heart sank and shoulders sagged with shock. “This… I’m.... Excuse me.” As he turned his back on the group and escaped into the hall he heard Elizabeth say under her breath, ‘Well that went better than I expected it would.’
Harry leaned against the wall to clear his head and took a deep breath. Of all the things he’d expected to hear from Dudley, learning he’d married Colin and Dennis Creeveys’ cousin rocked him to his core. The guilt he felt over Colin’s death - the dull ache he lived with every day - was what drove him to ensure Colin didn’t die in vain…and now that guilt took on a whole new dimension, carried new weight.
Turning his back on Dudley and Elizabeth would be like turning his back on every single witch or wizard who died in the war. Harry realized, begrudgingly, Dudley’s treatment of him as a child was no more than the injustice he’d nearly given his life to erase from the wizarding world. If he was prejudiced and short-sighted now he was no better than a Malfoy. Harry shuddered.
Letting his head fall back with a thump against the wall, he closed his eyes tightly to quell the tightening in his chest. Something had obviously changed about Dudley: Harry doubted even Piers Polkiss would recognize the person sitting in the library. That man was cheerful and polite, mannered and considerate…ready to make amends and restitution. The old Dudley would never have been this way - no, the old Dudley would never have looked twice at a girl who was the cousin of a wizard, much less one who adored and worshipped Harry Potter.
Harry took another deep breath and opened his eyes, willing himself to accept what logically appeared to be true: this Dudley was a different person. He was estranged from his parents. He was married to Colin’s cousin. He was going to have a magical baby. Elizabeth seemed nice enough and Ginny appeared to like her. Harry decided his faith in his wife needed to be enough. Ginny had asked him to trust her judgment and he had agreed. Now he should follow through with his promise.
Harry pushed off the wall and walked back toward the library, stopping just short of the door. Through the opening he saw Ginny turn and apologize to Dudley and Elizabeth for his quick retreat. “He’s just had a bad week. This has been a bit overwhelming for him…”
“I would imagine,” said Elizabeth quietly, rolling the water glass between her hands. “Knowing what I know about their childhood, I expected him to be a bit more vocal.”
“That’s not Harry’s style,” stated Dudley simply. “He doesn’t fly off the handle.” Ginny cocked her head and gave Dudley and appraising stare. Dudley explained. “I tortured him whenever I could and he never said a word to anyone about it,” shrugged Dudley. “The worst thing that ever happened to me was being attacked by a snake at the zoo on my eleventh birthday.”
“Attacked by a snake?” repeated Elizabeth with surprise. “Dudley, you’ve never told me about that.”
“Wasn’t one of my better days…”
“What happened?” asked Ginny curiously.
“I accidentally Vanished the glass of a Boa Constrictor’s tank after Dudley punched me in the ribs,” answered Harry from the doorway. “Besides, that snake didn’t attack anyone. It just slithered out into the reptile house, thanking me in Spanish. Then suddenly the glass was back and Dudley and Piers were both screaming like girls. I always wondered what happened to that snake and whether he made it back to Brazil.”
“That’s really what happened? How’d you know?” asked Dudley.
“It told me,” shrugged Harry.
“You can talk to snakes?”
“Well, not anymore, I can’t. It’s a dead useful skill, though,” admitted Harry. “Technically the snake wasn’t speaking Spanish, it was Parseltongue, but I didn’t know that until nearly half-way into my second year at Hogwarts…”
“So you were actually talking to that snake! I think I wet my pants a little,” laughed Dudley quietly. “Mum was really off her nut that day at the zoo.”
“I think she was, too,” admitted Harry dryly as he returned to the sitting area, stopping next to the wing chair where Ginny was sitting. “That happened just a few weeks before I found out I was a wizard.”
“When that bloke Haggers gave me a pig tail…” laughed Dudley to himself as he remembered.
“For eating my birthday cake!” retorted Harry, who smiled at the mention of his friend’s name. “It’s Hagrid. His name is Hagrid, Rubeus Hagrid.”
“He carries a pink umbrella! Shot me with that thing and Mum and Dad had to take me to a specialist to have the tail removed!”
Soon both men were laughing to themselves. When they finally met each other’s gaze again, Harry coughed and cleared his throat uncomfortably. “So maybe we do have a few things to talk about after all.”
Elizabeth brightened as Dudley appeared to consider Harry’s abrupt change of heart. “Maybe we do,” answered Dudley tentatively.
* * *
Ginny shut the front door on their guests and collapsed against the cool wood with a sigh of relief. She shut her eyes and formed the mental picture of Dudley helping Elizabeth into their car. When she heard the engine fire, she returned to the parlour. Harry was sprawled across the sofa with one leg still bent and dangling over the rug. His glasses were on his chest, the heels of his hands pressed firmly to his eyes.
“Bloody hell,” muttered Ginny, casting a pensive glance at the floor. “If I had any idea, I’d have never pressed you to into this,” she apologised.
Harry dropped his arms lankly at his sides and blinked at the ceiling. “S’okay. There’s nothing to apologise for, love. It’s not exactly like you knew Dudley was going to come in here and drop that sort of news…”
“I guess I thought we’d all sit around and have tea… I’m such a clot!” exclaimed Ginny as she slumped into the chair. “I thought we’d have a nice chat and wave them good-bye,” she chuckled, “not extend an invitation for dinner. Harry, are you sure you really meant that?”
“I did.”
“I said we only had to meet them once and I meant it. I’ll send Elizabeth an Owl and tell her you’ve found a conflict in your schedule - ”
“You won’t,” replied Harry firmly, “because there is no conflict. Besides, I didn’t even say a date! Am I booked forever? You said it yourself - very plainly, actually. We have an obligation to Colin and Dennis to see this through. I’m also very keen to hear some of these stories.”
“Just the bit before your voice started reverberating into the garden was enough to send Parvati and Lavender into a tailspin,” laughed Ginny. “I was riveted. I’m not sure whether I was more annoyed at you for interrupting her juicy gossip about the Dursleys or for assaulting your cousin.”
Harry snarled. “I didn’t assault Dudley…” Ginny gave him a reproving glance. “Although it would have been bloody brilliant,” he said righteously, sitting up and smoothing out his shirt. “But thanks for saving me. I nearly threw a wobbly this afternoon.”
Ginny waved him off. “I’m used to your fragile mental states,” she joked as she waggled her eyebrows at him suggestively. “I also like your wobblies.”
Harry rolled his eyes. “Was that a come-on? If so, it was really awful.” He stood up and yanked Ginny from the chair, pulling her as close as her belly would allow. “You promised me pudding. After that… er, spectacle I just endured, I think I deserve a double-helping.”
“Pudding?” blinked Ginny innocently. “I guess I did, didn’t I?” She pushed away and turned for the kitchen, throwing a tantalizing glance back over her shoulder. “I’ll just go dish some up, yes?”
Harry pursued her into the kitchen, leaning against the door jamb with his hands in his pockets and grinning mischievously. “I’m more in the mood for a strawberry tart,” he deadpanned.
“But we don’t have any strawberries - ”
“I’ll make do,” he growled huskily, narrowing the gap between them.
“Oh,” quipped Ginny, flipping round as she nibbled her bottom lip. “In that case, will we be eating it with or without cream?”
“Good Merlin,” said Harry as he caught his wife in his arms, “end my suffering now before I die of randiness.”
“Then take me to bed, you great prat,” she answered serenely.
* * *
A while later, Harry lay motionless, contemplating the unchanging ceiling once again. He desperately wanted to roll over claim his right to seconds, but he was having a hard time finding the energy necessary to actually move his body. Silently thanking the gods once more for the blessing of Ginny, he was still grinning stupidly when she smacked him in the head with a pillow.
“I have no idea why you’re grinning like Kreacher on Regulus’s birthday, but stop it. You’re giving me the willies.”
“Arg… You didn’t just say what I think - ”
“You mean Kreacher?” teased Ginny, “the weird, little house-elf who simpers around smiling at you in objectionable ways?” She shuddered. “The one who answers your every beck and call until you’ve gone round the bend? That one? The one who hated everyone and now is Dobby reborn?”
Harry groaned. “We left him at Grimmauld…please don’t remind me. This isn’t the time to remind me of Kreacher…”
“Just checking,” laughed Ginny. “Just wanted to be sure we were thinking of the same person,” she winked. “It’s nice to see you’re still able to smile, anyway.”
Harry snorted. “If you keep doing stuff like that, I’ll always be smiling.”
“Harry, really,” said Ginny, smacking him again with the pillow. “If you don’t mind, I told Elizabeth I’d meet her for lunch on Tuesday in Avebury. She said she had some things she’d like to show me.”
“Avebury? Why there? The Muggles there are mental.” Harry reached for his glasses and propped himself up on his elbows. “You’re Flooing, right?”
“Elizabeth grew up in Salisbury and Colin was from Marlborough,” offered Ginny. “I thought I’d take her into Grover’s Corner.”
“The Pewter Tankard?”
“That’s the place. I hope it’s nice enough… I’ve only really Flooed through Grover’s Corner for matches. I’ve never really stopped there long enough to shop.”
“It’ll be fine. I’ve had lunch once or twice in the Tankard. It’s not the Leaky; but then, Avebury’s not exactly London, either.”
“Could you imagine?” asked Ginny, flopping back into the pillows as her fingers began a slow dance over her belly. “Waking up one day and finding out the quirky, little town you’ve lived near all your life is a hotbed of magical activity?”
Harry smirked. “Yeah, I think I can.”
* * *
“Bloody hell, mate - ”
“Ronald, please don’t swear.”
“But Hermione, I can’t help it,” whined Ron like a three-year-old boy. “What else am I supposed to say?” He straightened in his chair, took up the water goblet from in front of him and cleared his throat haughtily. “Damn shame about that news, mate.”
“Ronald…” said Hermione with a deadly glare, dropping her fork with a clink against her plate. Harry and Ginny chuckled into their own lunches.
“What? What did I say? What was wrong with that?” peppered Ron.
Hermione rolled her eyes and sighed. “Just forget I said anything. You’re fine, dear.” Reclaiming her fork and poking a chip with gusto, she returned her attention to Harry. “I just can’t believe this has happened without you knowing about it! All this time he’s been married to Colin’s cousin and you’ve been unaware… it’s just amazing! I would’ve thought you would’ve heard something from Dennis. Incredible.” She finally bit the chip in half and chewed it; her head still shaking while her gaze fixed somewhere over Harry’s right shoulder.
“I almost fainted right into my pudding,” laughed Ginny. “Here I was worried how things would go between Harry and Dudley then Elizabeth tells me she’s known about Harry since my second year. I still don’t know what to make of it. She sure was happy to meet Harry… now I know why!”
“You?” choked Harry, coughing up part of his roast-beef sandwich. “She practically attacked me at the door - first I thought it was Hermione but she was too short and her hair was all wrong.” The friends erupted in laughter at Harry’s comment. “Really, though…” he said, looking surreptitiously around the Leaky Cauldron. “I expect that kind of thing here in Diagon Alley, but not from some Muggle I’ve never met!”
“What else?” asked Hermione, still pushing chips around her platter. “She didn’t say anything else?”
“She didn’t have much of a chance,” replied Ginny, who rolled her eyes at Harry. “Someone inadvertently cast a wandless Sonorus Charm and I had to intervene in the library.”
“Djafinlybusischops?” asked Ron, grinning through a huge bite of ham sandwich.
Hermione and Ginny both winced, looking away in disgust but Harry laughed out loud. “Nah… for a moment I wished I had, but I didn’t bust his chops. He thought I was going to, though,” he said, puffing out his chest.
“Beddewess - ”
“Ronald!”
Ron pantomimed an apology to the table, swallowed and took a long drink. “Bet he was shakin’ in his pants, the bloody tosser,” he said with a hearty laugh, grabbing up the rest of his sandwich.
“Y’know, I sort of felt sorry for him,” admitted Harry, who cringed as he made the statement, knowing Ron would use it against him. “I mean, he had to know I was going to be angry. And I was. I nearly pulled my wand on him.”
“He deserves it,” said Ron with a grunt.
“So much for acting like grown adults…” said Hermione sarcastically to no one in particular. “We didn’t fight a war to end prejudice. Honestly.”
Harry made eye contact with Ginny, who rolled hers expertly. “Well, this has been nice but I’ve got a story deadline before I meet with Elizabeth tomorrow for lunch,” she announced.
“You’re meeting Dudley’s wife for tea tomorrow?” queried Ron obnoxiously. “That baby is making you barmy,” he huffed and then jabbed a chip into his mouth, sneering. “If it were up to me I’d let the git manage alone.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not you,” said Ginny, rolling her eyes again.
“It’s a good thing, too,” offered Hermione lightly. “I’d be bored senseless if I only had you around…” A deafening silence fell over the table before Hermione realized her faux pas. “Er, that’s not what I meant!” she exclaimed, coloring with embarrassment.
“Of course,” grinned Ginny, who pushed her chair back and stood with a stretch. She bent over and pecked Ron on the cheek before kissing Harry good-bye. “Harry will get the bill,” she winked. “It’s repayment for all the trouble he’s caused this past week.”
“Yeah, besides, he still hasn’t restocked my Firewhisky stash,” muttered Ron as Hermione then jabbed him in the arm with her elbow. “Ouch!”
Ginny leaned in and gave Harry another quick kiss cheek before leaving. Patting Ron once on the head, she smiled and turned for the door. “Hermione, I’ll Floo you tomorrow and fill you in since your prat of a husband will want to know what happened.” She curtseyed and then left, leaving the rest of the table bubbling with laughter.
* * *
The next morning after Harry left for work, Ginny finalized her story on the upcoming match between Puddlemere United and the Montrose Magpies and sent it along via the Floo to her editor at the Daily Prophet. She secretly hoped Puddlemere would trounce the worthless dunderheads, but she’d been unable to say as much in her article. Ginny had simply given a brief overview of the history between the teams and some general color commentary of the squads’ players, hoping it would be enough to satisfy her impatient boss. She had another more detailed article due about the actual square-up amongst the players in less than two days.
Ginny set the rest of her work aside, gathered her bag and gave Sparks the cat a quick stroke and then stepped into the Floo, calling out “Pewter Tankard!” When she was spit out of the flames at the other end, she was pleased to find herself in a quaint, little pub much like the Three Broomsticks. Brushing herself off, she stepped from the grate and greeted the barkeep with a wave, calling out that she’d be back in a bit with a friend. When he nodded in understanding, she left the pub and stepped out into the street of Grover’s Corner.
Grover’s Corner was a small, magical shopping district nestled in Avebury, a village in Wiltshire known world-wide for its stone ring. The Avebury Henge was known second to Stonehenge as one of Britain’s most magical places. Thousands of Muggle tourists flocked to Avebury each year to take in the sight of what was left of the magical stones set in a conspicuous ring around the village as well as the enigmatic Silbury Hill, located not far from the site of the main ring. What the Muggles didn’t realize, though, was the remainder of the stones was still there - they had simply been charmed to protect the sanctity of the site.
Ginny smiled at the thought of Colin and Dennis growing up so close to such a unique place… and wondered about how their opinion of their birthplace had changed after learning of their magical abilities. The topic was something she’d never thought to ask them, something that now made her sad for Colin’s sake. There were so many things she’d never thought to ask Colin, like what his mother was like or what he did with all his spare pictures…
Shaking off the melancholy that was fast taking over her good mood, Ginny made a mental note to stop in the Apothecary before leaving. The Grover’s Corner Apothecary was known for having some of the best potion ingredients for basic healing draughts - with the baby coming stocking up couldn’t be a bad thing. Even an extra bezoar or two could come in handy, she mused.
As Ginny stepped through the entry of the magical district and into the Muggle village, she immediately noticed Elizabeth waiting by a bench, just where she said she’d be. Hurrying over to her new friend, Ginny smiled widely and offered her a hug of greeting. “Elizabeth! It’s so nice to see you again!”
“Yes! You, too! I’m just thrilled to finally be getting a chance to, er…”
“Go into Grover’s Corner?” asked Ginny with a laugh, as she looked around her surreptitiously.
“I wasn’t sure if I should say it out loud,” murmured Elizabeth with a shy grin, blushing. “I’ve never done this before!” she exclaimed. She turned to the side and picked up a substantial box, struggling with it as the strap of her handbag fell down over her shoulder.
“Oh! Can I help you?” offered Ginny, who hadn’t originally noticed the parcel.
“No, no… It’s just some things I brought to show you. I’ve had them for years, waiting for an opportunity and now today I’m finally able to pass them along. It’s just that the box is a bit cumbersome.”
Ginny looked round and saw no one was about. She put her hand inside her robes and with a quick swish, lightened the box. “That should help things,” she smiled.
Elizabeth’s eyes grew wide. “Wow. That’s just… just, amazing. Cool! It’s like magic!” she snickered.
Ginny chuckled. “I thought we’d go into Grover’s Corner for lunch at the Pewter Tankard. Is that okay?”
“Of course!”
Ginny led the way, pulling Elizabeth into what looked to be an old abandoned storefront. Once inside they made their way through a small entryway and onto the street, where Elizabeth stopped, her jaw dropping in amazement.
“I’ve heard so much…” Elizabeth rattled, slowly looking around her and taking in everything as if she’d never seen anything so wonderful. “I just can’t believe after all this time I’m finally getting to do this,” she said in awe, tears forming in her eyes. “Colin spoke of his world so often, especially Diagon Alley and Hogwarts - and how wonderful these places were. And now I’m finally getting a chance to see it.”
Ginny gulped and looked at the cobblestones beneath her feet, lost for what to say.
“Oh no!” Elizabeth grabbed Ginny’s arm and gave her a beseeching look. “I didn’t mean it like that! I didn’t want today to be sad!”
“I’m sorry,” said Ginny, wiping her eyes. “Colin was one of my best friends. I still just can’t believe all this is happening and that you’ve actually been married to Harry’s cousin all this time. I miss him…” Ginny sighed wistfully. “Colin, I mean,” she laughed softly.
“I know,” offered Elizabeth with another warm squeeze. I miss him, too. Dreadfully, sometimes. We were so close growing up. Dennis and I? Not so much. But Colin and I were close. I was so jealous when he left for Hogwarts!”
Ginny smiled and realized how much she was starting to like Elizabeth Dursley. “So are you ready for lunch?”
Elizabeth nodded and they made their way back into the Pewter Tankard, where they seated themselves at a remote table toward the back. Ginny signaled the barkeep for two Butterbeers and opened the menu. “So what’s in the box?” she asked.
“Pictures. Lots and lots of pictures,” answered Elizabeth. “Colin’s pictures.”
Ginny was flabbergasted. “Colin’s pictures?”
Elizabeth opened the box and out spilled hundreds of photos: of Harry and Ginny.