Fic: Going Home: Part Fourteen
Title: Going Home: Part Fourteen
Author:![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
alisanne
Word count: 900
Rating: PG
Characters/pairings: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger.
Challenge: Written for![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
slythindor100/![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
slythindor100's 25 days of Christmas, Day 14 (traditional): Fruit Christmas tree.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Beta(s):sevfan and emynn.
Authors Notes: Part 14 of Going Home (LJ/IJ/DW).
~
Going Home: Part Fourteen
~
Carrying big books while travelling was no easy task. Especially since Hermione insisted Harry couldn’t shrink them, nor could they be exposed to open flame, which ruled out Floo travel. Finally, she reluctantly agreed to let him have her undetectably extended book bag, with the caveat that he swear on his life to keep it safe. “You still can’t Floo with it, though,” she warned. “Some of those books are old and fragile.”
Harry nodded. “I’ll Apparate. Hopefully Malfoy Manor’s wards will let me in.”
“Maybe you should Floo call first to let them know you’re coming,” Hermione suggested.
“Good idea.” Harry hesitated. “Would you like me to wait with you for news of Ron?”
She shook her head. “No. It’s probably for the best if you’re not here when I get his answer to my Patronus. If he answers at all.”
“I think he will,” said Harry, patting her shoulder. “And when he does, let him know he and I will be having a chat about why he thought he could drug you, yeah?”
Eyes wide, Hermione stared up at him. Then, jumping to her feet, she kissed his cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I thought…I wasn’t sure whose side you’d take.”
“Yours, of course! He should never have given you a potion against your will!” Harry hugged her. “Now, give me a minute to Floo call the Manor.”
The Floo was outside the meeting room at the end of the hallway. Bippy answered, and it took some convincing on Harry’s part to get him to ask Draco to come to the Floo and not Narcissa. When Draco arrived, Harry was yawning.
“Why aren’t you back here yet?” Draco asked as soon as his face appeared in the fire. His eyes narrowed. “And you look exhausted.”
Harry sighed. “There’s a…complication and Hermione can’t come, but she’s sending me with books.”
“Complication?” Draco raised an eyebrow. “Is Weasley being an idiot again?”
Harry frowned. “What do you mean again?”
Draco shook his head. “Not over open Floo. Come through and we can talk.”
“I can’t,” said Harry. “Hermione made me promise I wouldn’t expose the books to anything even resembling fire.”
Draco nodded. “I suppose that’s fair. Are you planning to Apparate?”
“Yes. Will the wards allow me inside, or do I have to Apparate to a field a half-mile away?”
Draco snorted. “The field a half-mile away is for friends. Your field is probably three miles away.”
“Charming,” said Harry, rolling his eyes. “Since I’m supposed to be part of the family, maybe you can ask your mother to add me?”
Draco pursed his lips. “I think I can do better than that. Where are you right now?”
Harry looked back over his shoulder. “I’m using the library hall Floo, but I’m heading back into meeting room three, across from the Ministry Library. Why?”
“Stay there.” The Floo closed, and, puzzled, Harry sat back on his haunches. He stood up and walked towards the room. As he entered, there was a pop, and Bippy was blinking at both him and Hermione, who had jumped out of her chair.
Ignoring Hermione, the elf said, “Master Harry Potter. Master Draco sends Bippy to escorts you to Malfoy Manor.”
“Ah, all right,” said Harry, reaching for the book bag. He turned to Hermione once more. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me? You can wait for Ron’s reply there just as well as here. Plus, I technically shouldn’t leave you here unsupervised.”
Hermione blinked. “Oh! That’s true.” She glanced at Bippy. “Am I allowed to come to Malfoy Manor, you think?”
“Since you were supposed to anyway, I don’t see why not,” said Harry. Reaching out, he clasped her hand. “Plus, I’d feel better if you did. I don’t like the idea of you being alone right now.”
Slowly, Hermione nodded. “All right. I’ll come.”
“Good.” Harry looked at Bippy. “Please take us both to Malfoy Manor.”
Bippy raised hand, and a finger snap later they were standing in Narcissa’s sitting room. On the table by the window were sandwiches, assorted biscuits, and a clever arrangement of fruit made to look like a Christmas tree.
Draco and Narcissa were sitting, and the moment he saw them, Draco got to his feet. “There you are!” Hurrying over to Harry, he hugged him. Then, glancing at Hermione, he said, “And I thought you weren’t coming, Hermione?”
“I wasn’t going to,” said Hermione, “but Harry persuaded me.”
Draco smiled, taking her hand. “Harry said you’re having problems with Weasley again. What’s he done this time?”
Hermione smiled wanly. “I’d rather not talk about it, if you don’t mind. I’ve sent him a message, so the Snitch is in his court.”
Draco frowned. “That’s not how Quidditch—” He paused as Harry nudged him. “Right, okay. Well, in the meantime, Mother’s had a light lunch prepared for us. Are either of you hungry?”
“I could eat,” said Harry.
Narcissa, who had risen to her feet and was hovering behind them, stepped forward. “Healer Granger-Weasley, I appreciate you talking the time to help my husband. I know we don’t deserve your consideration.”
“Mrs Malfoy.” Hermione square her shoulders. “I’m doing this because Harry and Draco are my friends and they asked. No other reason.”
“Understood.” Narcissa gestured toward the table. “Shall we?”
~
Continued in Going Home: Part Fifteen (LJ/IJ/DW).
Author:
alisanneWord count: 900
Rating: PG
Characters/pairings: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger.
Challenge: Written for
slythindor100/slythindor100's 25 days of Christmas, Day 14 (traditional): Fruit Christmas tree.Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Beta(s):
sevfan and emynn.Authors Notes: Part 14 of Going Home (LJ/IJ/DW).
~
Going Home: Part Fourteen
~
Carrying big books while travelling was no easy task. Especially since Hermione insisted Harry couldn’t shrink them, nor could they be exposed to open flame, which ruled out Floo travel. Finally, she reluctantly agreed to let him have her undetectably extended book bag, with the caveat that he swear on his life to keep it safe. “You still can’t Floo with it, though,” she warned. “Some of those books are old and fragile.”
Harry nodded. “I’ll Apparate. Hopefully Malfoy Manor’s wards will let me in.”
“Maybe you should Floo call first to let them know you’re coming,” Hermione suggested.
“Good idea.” Harry hesitated. “Would you like me to wait with you for news of Ron?”
She shook her head. “No. It’s probably for the best if you’re not here when I get his answer to my Patronus. If he answers at all.”
“I think he will,” said Harry, patting her shoulder. “And when he does, let him know he and I will be having a chat about why he thought he could drug you, yeah?”
Eyes wide, Hermione stared up at him. Then, jumping to her feet, she kissed his cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I thought…I wasn’t sure whose side you’d take.”
“Yours, of course! He should never have given you a potion against your will!” Harry hugged her. “Now, give me a minute to Floo call the Manor.”
The Floo was outside the meeting room at the end of the hallway. Bippy answered, and it took some convincing on Harry’s part to get him to ask Draco to come to the Floo and not Narcissa. When Draco arrived, Harry was yawning.
“Why aren’t you back here yet?” Draco asked as soon as his face appeared in the fire. His eyes narrowed. “And you look exhausted.”
Harry sighed. “There’s a…complication and Hermione can’t come, but she’s sending me with books.”
“Complication?” Draco raised an eyebrow. “Is Weasley being an idiot again?”
Harry frowned. “What do you mean again?”
Draco shook his head. “Not over open Floo. Come through and we can talk.”
“I can’t,” said Harry. “Hermione made me promise I wouldn’t expose the books to anything even resembling fire.”
Draco nodded. “I suppose that’s fair. Are you planning to Apparate?”
“Yes. Will the wards allow me inside, or do I have to Apparate to a field a half-mile away?”
Draco snorted. “The field a half-mile away is for friends. Your field is probably three miles away.”
“Charming,” said Harry, rolling his eyes. “Since I’m supposed to be part of the family, maybe you can ask your mother to add me?”
Draco pursed his lips. “I think I can do better than that. Where are you right now?”
Harry looked back over his shoulder. “I’m using the library hall Floo, but I’m heading back into meeting room three, across from the Ministry Library. Why?”
“Stay there.” The Floo closed, and, puzzled, Harry sat back on his haunches. He stood up and walked towards the room. As he entered, there was a pop, and Bippy was blinking at both him and Hermione, who had jumped out of her chair.
Ignoring Hermione, the elf said, “Master Harry Potter. Master Draco sends Bippy to escorts you to Malfoy Manor.”
“Ah, all right,” said Harry, reaching for the book bag. He turned to Hermione once more. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me? You can wait for Ron’s reply there just as well as here. Plus, I technically shouldn’t leave you here unsupervised.”
Hermione blinked. “Oh! That’s true.” She glanced at Bippy. “Am I allowed to come to Malfoy Manor, you think?”
“Since you were supposed to anyway, I don’t see why not,” said Harry. Reaching out, he clasped her hand. “Plus, I’d feel better if you did. I don’t like the idea of you being alone right now.”
Slowly, Hermione nodded. “All right. I’ll come.”
“Good.” Harry looked at Bippy. “Please take us both to Malfoy Manor.”
Bippy raised hand, and a finger snap later they were standing in Narcissa’s sitting room. On the table by the window were sandwiches, assorted biscuits, and a clever arrangement of fruit made to look like a Christmas tree.
Draco and Narcissa were sitting, and the moment he saw them, Draco got to his feet. “There you are!” Hurrying over to Harry, he hugged him. Then, glancing at Hermione, he said, “And I thought you weren’t coming, Hermione?”
“I wasn’t going to,” said Hermione, “but Harry persuaded me.”
Draco smiled, taking her hand. “Harry said you’re having problems with Weasley again. What’s he done this time?”
Hermione smiled wanly. “I’d rather not talk about it, if you don’t mind. I’ve sent him a message, so the Snitch is in his court.”
Draco frowned. “That’s not how Quidditch—” He paused as Harry nudged him. “Right, okay. Well, in the meantime, Mother’s had a light lunch prepared for us. Are either of you hungry?”
“I could eat,” said Harry.
Narcissa, who had risen to her feet and was hovering behind them, stepped forward. “Healer Granger-Weasley, I appreciate you talking the time to help my husband. I know we don’t deserve your consideration.”
“Mrs Malfoy.” Hermione square her shoulders. “I’m doing this because Harry and Draco are my friends and they asked. No other reason.”
“Understood.” Narcissa gestured toward the table. “Shall we?”
~
Continued in Going Home: Part Fifteen (LJ/IJ/DW).