Search:

SIYE Time:4:59 on 29th March 2024
SIYE Login: no


After the Horcrux
By Manwe Valarian

- Text Size +

Category: Post-DH/AB
Characters:All
Genres: Action/Adventure
Warnings: Death, Mild Language, Rape, Sexual Situations, Violence
Rating: R
Reviews: 138
Summary: Harry and Ginny were meant to be together, but that doesn't mean things will be easy. They must deal with a rebuilding British magical community, fame, and even overprotective family members.
Hitcount: Story Total: 76454; Chapter Total: 1626
Awards: View Trophy Room






ChapterPrinter
StoryPrinter


Ginny shivered in the pouring rain. It was almost eight o’clock on Friday morning, and she was standing by the main gate waiting for Harry. Even though it was the second week of October, it felt like late November. If it got any colder, the rain would turn to sleet or snow. She had cast an Impervious charm on her robe and cloak, so the rain didn’t soak through, but the bitter damp wind had cut through her clothes and chilled her to the bone.

She could have waited in the school’s entrance hall, but this meant they could have a few minutes alone on the walk back to the room. Ever since Tuesday night, she has been nervous around Harry. They had come close to shagging under the Invisibility Cloak by the main staircase. She has been trying to avoid getting that carried away again. She has noticed that Harry also seemed to be cautious. This was good, because she’s unsure if she could tell him no.

A crack on the other side of the gate indicated someone just Apparated to that spot. She looked through the pouring rain and noticed Harry standing there. He was only a few metres away, but she could barely see him. She walked towards him and noticed he was holding his one arm up as though he had an umbrella. When he stepped up to her, the rain stopped falling on her. She looked up and saw that Harry was casting a Shielding Charm formed in the shape of an umbrella.

“Nice Charm!’ complimented Ginny. She walked to him and wrapped her arms around his neck to kiss him.

“You’re all wet,” said Harry as he backed away from her. He leaned forward and kissed her without contacting her rain-covered clothes.
Ginny pulled out her wand and cast a charm that made steam blast from it warming and drying her clothes. “Who taught you that, Harry?”

“No one. I have been developing my Shield Charms. I have found that I can cast all types of unusual Shields now,” he said nonchalantly. “It seems that my abilities have increased quite a bit, since Tom Riddle died.” He tapped his forehead at the end of the statement.

They started to walk towards the school when they heard two more Apparition cracks. Hermione and Ron appeared for Herbology class today, and they took off at a dead run for the castle. Harry tried to catch their attention as they ran past, but Hermione turned her head and glared angrily at them.

Ginny wondered why they were acting that way, and the realization had just occurred to her. She had Owled them Monday night, after Harry had told her that he was going into London with Carmen. They also knew about Madam Zabini’s threat to get Harry into her private quarters. With everything going on at the school, she completely forgot to write them and tell them that everything was fine.

By the time, Harry and Ginny made it to the entrance hall; Ron and Hermione were already seated at the Gryffindor table. Ron was filling his plate while Hermione sipped on tea and glanced through the Daily Prophet. They sat down across from them and started picking things for breakfast.

“Lousy weather isn’t Hermione,” stated Harry.

“Yes, it is,” she replied without even looking up from the paper. “If it is this bad tomorrow it would make shopping in London rather miserable.” With the last statement, she glared over the top of the paper at Harry.

“Yes, I suppose it shall,” he calmly said. Ginny went to say something, but Harry placed a hand on her arm. She looked into his eyes and understood to let him speak. “If it is too miserable, we could always get a room at the Leaky Cauldron and spend the afternoon in there.”

Hermione dropped the paper and glared at him while Ron choked on his porridge. Ginny started giggling at their reactions. She couldn’t believe that they would even think that Harry would do this, let alone announce it.

Hermione noticed her giggling and cast an icy glare at her. “Very funny, Harry. I suppose you never were going shopping with Carmen, then.”

“Yes, I am,” he stated. “We must now. I have already scheduled it with Gawain.” Hermione stared at him with blank expression on her face. Ginny smiled as she thought that Ron had finally started to rub off on her.
“Auror training, tracking and concealment; we must blend in with three different segments of Muggle London.”

“So the entire class is going?”

“No Hermione, just Carmen and I,” he wearily responded.

“You are fine with this?” Hermione pointedly asked Ginny. Ron also stared at her waiting for her response.

“Yes, I trust Harry,” she confidently said. “After what he did to Slagbini, I have learned to trust him.” Ginny leaned over and kissed Harry on the cheek. When she did, her hand slipped down and accidently landed on his thigh. The feel of his leg while kissing him made her breath catch a little. When she pulled away, he was looking at her with glazed eyes.

“What did you do?” asked Ron.

Harry leaned over to tell him, when Ginny saw Madam Zabini walk into the great hall. It was the first time since Tuesday that Ginny had seen her. She was now wearing a basic black robe and her hair was pulled back into a plain plait. Ginny elbowed Harry and heard him groan. “Look, there she is,” whispered Ginny.

Ron and Hermione had their backs to the doorway, so they turned around and the four of them stared at the Professor. She saw them and glared back, if it was possible to cast a wandless nonverbal Cruciatus Curse, then all four of them would be writhing on the floor. They locked eyes for several seconds, before she strutted by the Slytherin table and sat at the head table.

Ginny watched her the entire time and then glanced over at the Headmistress. Ginny wasn’t sure, but it looked like the Headmistress had smiled, ever so briefly. She could hear Harry telling Ron and Hermione about his visit to Slagbini’s private quarters. Her brother and best friend were laughing until they started to tear up.

While Harry was entertaining Ron and Hermione, Ginny looked back at Madam Zabini. With her plain robe and her hair pulled back, she looks like Carmen. Except Carmen’s skin and eyes aren’t as dark, but they are remarkably built the same and have the same facial features.

Without caring if someone was watching, she glanced down at her chest. Her breasts have been getting larger the past several months. Her mother had told her to wait until her seventh year before complaining too much. However, they are nowhere near the size of Madam Zabini or Carmen’s. With a sigh, she reached over and grabbed Harry’s hand. She was pleased to feel him intertwine his fingers with hers. As long as he is happy with her looks, she shouldn’t worry.

[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]

Saturday morning’s training was brutal. The witch running the session was from the Magical Law Enforcement Department, but not the Aurors section. She was one of the magical solicitors who prosecuted people the Aurors arrested. She found errors in everyone’s assessment of their case studies. She berated some trainees so badly that Harry thought they would start crying. When she picked up Harry and Carmen’s cases, she looked at them. After what seemed like ten minutes, she dropped them down in front of the two of them and said that there were only about fifteen mistakes. She might be able to prosecute someone with those files.

At eleven, she left and two Aurors took over the training session. They were here to oversee dueling training. All the teams would place their names in a bowl, and they would pick two teams to start dueling. The victor would then duel the next team chosen from the bowl. This would continue until noon, when the session would be over.

Eldred Rostis, the senior Auror, pulled the first teams from the bowl. He handed one slip to his apprentice, Gavin Blythe. As Blythe took the slip of paper, Rostis whispered something to him.

Blythe looked down at the slip of paper and called “Orla Quirke and Dane Hornsby”. The two trainees stood up and walked to the front of the room. Without taking another slip of paper, he called out “Harry Potter and Carmen Del La Rosa”.

Harry watched Rostis place a slip of paper back into the bowl as he and Carmen walked forward. When he reached the front of the room, he noticed Carmen was fidgeting. Leaning over to her, he whispered. “I’ll block and defend. You attack.” Carmen turned and looked at him nervously. “You can do it. Relax and let the spells fly,” he reassured her.

“All right, the rules are simple no Unforgivables or Dark magic, and that is about it. So, attack,” shouted Rostis.

Harry raised his shield immediately. Carmen was taken back by the suddenness of the start and hesitated, when the other team attacked. Their spells bounced harmlessly off Harry’s shields.

Carmen suddenly snapped into action. With a look of determination, she started to fire curses back at Quirke and Hornsby. Harry was dropping his shield whenever he saw she was about to cast a spell. Within five minutes, the other team was disarmed and bound head to toe. They had been so determined to attack all the time that they didn’t deflect any of Carmen’s spells.

After a five-minute critique by Rostis, he picked another team to oppose Harry and Carmen. This team used some defensive techniques and the duel lasted almost ten minutes, with Harry strictly defending and Carmen attacking. He had been working with Carmen long enough to know when she was ready to cast a spell, without looking. He looked over and saw something in her eyes that made him smile, confidence.

Rostis spoke again about the different aspects of both teams’ methods. He seemed not to mention Harry not taking the offensive. The next team was called up. They had learned from the other two. They split up and tried to attack them from two different directions. Harry was still only blocking and shielding while Carmen attacked. Her technique was improving in front of Harry’s eyes. She moved quickly and decisively; firing spells at the opponents at such a pace that Harry never needed to defend against both assailants since she was keeping the other preoccupied. Even with the opponents improved techniques, Harry and Carmen dispatched them within fifteen minutes.

Rostis pulled another team from the bowl Edward Macmillan and Heathcote Bobbin. Harry’s eyes lit up with the chance for revenge. He has been waiting for an opportune time to embarrass that wanker, after what he said about Ginny at the Ministry.

“You take Bobbin, and I’ll take Macmillan,” he whispered to her.
Macmillan and Bobbin were also whispering to each other, as Rostis yelled, “Begin!” Harry hit Macmillan with a tripping jinx sending him down hard on his back. Carmen had started her attack on Bobbin. Harry walked to the left away from Carmen, this seemed to confuse the other team. All the other duels, Harry and Carmen had stood side by side.

Harry had hit Macmillan with a Jelly-Legs hex while he was trying to figure out this new attack plan. Macmillan was wobbling around not even returning fire or breaking the Jelly-Legs spell, when Harry had a brilliant and evil idea. He fired one of his unique Shields at Macmillan. The shield appeared between his legs and spread them out wide as it expanded like a large balloon. Harry’s plan was working. Macmillan’s rubbery legs spread out unnaturally wide, and he was sitting on the expanding shield. Harry pointed his wand at him and whispered Finite Incantatem. The effect was painful. The Shield Charm holding Macmillan up, as it spread his legs to the side, disappeared and his legs were no longer rubbery. Edward Macmillan landed hard on the ground with his legs pointing out to his sides with a scream of pain. He dropped his wand and grabbed at his crotch while writhing in agony.

Macmillan’s scream of agony drew Bobbins attention from Carmen, who quickly disarmed him and bound him.

Harry looked around and saw most men twitching while watching Macmillan whimpering on the ground. He felt Rostis and Blythe looking at him also. Rostis had a stern look, while Blythe seemed to be trying not to laugh.

“Well that was within the rules, Harry, but you might want to be a little more careful. You don’t want to cause any permanent damage to your fellow Aurors,” stated Rostis. He turned to the rest of the class. “I think that should be all for today.” He stopped talking and looked at Edward Macmillan on the ground. “Being physically fit and flexible is also important in dueling. Bobbin you might want to take your partner up to Madam Pomfrey.”

Harry and Carmen turned to leave, but Rostis stopped them.

“Hey, you two, I have places for you to be today.”

“What do you mean?” questioned Harry. “I thought that this was preliminary work today?”

“No! Today you will be graded,” stated Rostis. He had walked up to Harry and was staring him in the eyes. He was an older gentleman with short salt and pepper hair. He was taller than Harry, thin, but broad shouldered. He had a lantern jaw with a large hooked nose separating his blue eyes. “We are running short of Aurors to watch you trainees. Besides, Potter, I am to tell you, unofficially, keep a low profile. There have been a couple of kidnappings and the Minister doesn’t want you to be one of them. You got that?”

“Yeah, I got it,” answered Harry. He felt a little disgusted with being told to be careful and don’t get into any trouble. He had thought those days were over.

“Here, there are locations and times on that piece of parchment. We will be watching for you.”

By this time, the apprentice Gavin Blythe had joined them. He was the type of person who always had a smile on his face, with teeth too large for his face. He was on the short side and a little chunky. He looked like Charlie Weasley with chestnut brown hair but instead of freckles a permanently tanned complexion. “That is right Mr. Potter, we will see you, but you won’t see us,” he laughed.

Harry walked into the great hall with Carmen. He walked towards Ginny, but she stood up and practically ran to him. She grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the entrance hall.

He let her lead him outside to the main gate with Carmen on their heels. It was raining, but not as hard as yesterday. Ginny stopped at the main gate, turned to Harry, grabbed his hair, and pulled him into a passionate kiss right in front of Carmen. When she released it, she kept a hold of Harry’s head and leaned her forehead into his. “Have fun, but not too much now,” she whispered to him. “I’ll see you tonight around six?”

“Yeah,” Harry breathlessly replied. He tried to kiss her again, but she held her hand up to stop him.

“Tonight, love,” she told him, before stepping back and letting go of him. Before he walked very far Ginny called to him. “Don’t forget to transfigure yourself before you go to Diagon Alley.”

Harry mindlessly touched his hair and changed it to a light brown and darkened his glasses. A dazed Harry and a smiling Carmen walked through the main gate and Apparated to Diagon Alley.

They went to Madam Malkin’s first to get Carmen robes that she needs for the training and teaching. While Carmen was being fitted for robes, Harry was browsing and remembered that he had forgotten Hermione’s birthday again. He saw a necklace that she might like. It was an open book with a wand across it. It wasn’t terribly expensive, but she should like its symbolism. He picked it up when he paid for Carmen’s robes.

They next set off for the Apothecary. After buying all the ingredients for all the potions that, they will be required to brew this year. They went to Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes looking for Ron or George. They left after one of the workers told them that the Weasley’s would be back later in the afternoon.

They exited Diagon Alley through the Leaky Cauldron and walked down the street towards the underground station. He wanted to use it to do their shopping. Carmen had sent her purchases to her place while Harry had transfigured his features back to normal before leaving the Leaky Cauldron. They had to be at Covent Garden Market in Kingly Court by three o’clock. That gave them two hours to make it there.

The ride to the Market was relatively uneventful, except Harry kept seeing familiar people in the distance. They had quickly shopped for clothes for Carmen. Harry had noticed that she seemed to prefer loose fitting jumpers and denim jeans to the tight form fitting clothes that the salespeople kept trying to get her to try on.

They had decided to get something to eat; since they missed lunch and still had twenty minutes until their observers were to show up. They had found a little bistro type cafe and ordered two sandwiches and chips. Harry had purchased tea, while Carmen bought a triple espresso and bottled water. They sat at a table and Harry laughed at her as she poured three heaping spoonfuls of sugar into her small cup of coffee.

She took a sip and relaxed back into her chair with an audible sigh. “I missed my espresso,” she murmured.

“Are you sure you have enough sugar in it. I think you might be able to dissolve one more teaspoon in it.”

Carmen laughed at his snide comment. “I love my coffee like my men, strong and sweet. It is a weakness of mine.”

They started eating their sandwiches and looked around at the people passing by the restaurant. After a few minutes, Harry nudged Carmen. “I need to carry your bags.”

“I can take them. Harry, it is enough that you are paying...”

“No! To blend in with the other people,” he forcefully whispered. He pointed outside and Carmen looked around. Most of the time they saw a couple together, the man was carrying the bags for the woman.

Carmen looked back at him with a look of astonishment on her face. “Very perceptive, Harry. You are smarter and more perceptive than most people give you credit. I have heard that you were not good in Potions, but you actually are. The Headmistress has even commented about how good you are at Transfiguration this year. Is there something different about you this year?”

Harry nearly choked when she asked this. Ginny and Hermione are convinced that it is because he no longer has a Horcux in his head, but he can’t tell her that. He believes them, but it seems as if so many things have changed for him in the last year. “Two reasons,” he said. “Ginny is the main one. She is the first person ever to tell me that they loved me. The second reason is just a guess, really, I no longer must worry about some psychopathic murderer and his minions chasing after my friends and me and killing us all. I seem to have such a clear mind now.”

Carmen smiled at him. “I can’t see how that situation would make you distracted at all,” she said with a laugh. Harry looked at her and realized that he had rarely heard her laugh.

They continued to eat their sandwiches and finish their drinks. Harry checked his watch and noticed that it was five minutes after two. They were supposed to be here at two o’clock; what if Rostis and Blythe couldn’t find them. Would they fail their test?

“Maybe we should walk around a bit?” offered Harry. “Give our friends; we are waiting for, a better chance to see us.”

Carmen finished eating and took one final drink before Harry grabbed the bags and they left the little diner. They walked outside by the street. The morning rain had given way to heavy leaden skies, but the air still had a noticeable chill to it.

Carmen shivered. “Does it get colder than this in the winter?”

“At times. Why?”

“I am not used to this cold. It is different here. The air is always damp and cold even when the sun shines.”

“Isn’t there snow where you are from?”

“Yes, but it is different there. It is high up on the mountains...”

Before Carmen could finish Harry felt someone bump into him. He looked and saw no one. However, he heard the voice of Blythe whisper. “You passed, now on to the next place.”

Harry waited for more contact with the Aurors, but none came. Carmen had also heard the whisper and was watching him intently.

“I guess we go to the next place,” he said while staring at the piece of parchment that Rostis had given him this morning. “It is the Burlington Arcade, by the Piccadilly Circus, and we need to be there by four o’clock.” He folded the parchment up and stuffed it in his pocket and announced. “Let’s go by underground. If you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. Harry.”

They started walking to the nearest entrance to the underground. Harry thought he had seen two people following them He was upset when he recognized that it was Ron and Hermione.

As they were walking down the steps leading to the underground, Carmen leaned to him and whispered. “Did you see the two that have been following us?

“Yeah, I’ve noticed. Let’s see if we can give them the slip at the next stop.”

They bought two tickets and stood in line for the train. The next train wasn’t due for ten minutes.

“You need to finish telling me about your home,” urged Harry.

“Alright I’ll tell you. I am from the southwest corner of France near Bayonne. I live with my family and relatives on a section of the Pyrenees Mountains. Those mountains are so high that they look like they hold the sky up. It is always beautiful there, but mainly in the spring when the heavy mountain snows start to melt, and the entire natural world come back to life in all of its magnificence...”

Carmen stopped talking because Harry started to snort. “I am sorry! You sounded like an advertisement for this place. I don’t understand why would want to come here to sodden and cold England.”

Carmen’s facial expression changed and became dark. Harry noticed this and didn’t press the matter anymore. The train came and Harry and Carmen waited until it was ready to close its doors to step through them. They heard a commotion at the other end of the loading area. It sounded like two people had to fight their way onto the train as it was leaving.

As they sped through the underground tunnels, Harry decided to press Carmen for more information. “I could never understand why you came here to England to train as an Auror, when you are most definitely qualified to train anywhere.” Like the last question, that Harry asked she seemed to get nervous and her mood darkened.

“It is not an easy question to answer, Harry. I never was accepted in France. I have always felt like an outcast. The French Ministry would have nothing to do with me.” She stopped talking and stared at the concrete walls passing by the train’s windows.

When the train came to their stop, they stayed on the train until about the last second then jumped off. He noticed that Carmen also smiled when they heard the sounds of two people fighting with the porters to get off the train.

They walked up to street level and followed the map; they had picked up at the first underground station, to Burlington Arcade, an enormous building that housed many different shoppes. It was a Diagon Alley under roof. They wandered through the concourse observing the people as they passed. The both felt a little underdressed, so they bought new clothes to match their new location.

“I am starting to think the French a little mental as a population,” stated Harry as though he was beginning a formal debate.

Carmen chuckled at his comment. “Oh, please tell me. Oh very wise one,” she sardonically replied.

“You are one of the nicest people I have known and also so one of the smartest. Why wouldn’t they want you in their Ministry?”

“I am...” she stopped talking. It seemed she wasn’t sure about saying something. “I was never accepted into the elite of the magical community. I am the only magical person in my family and community, and my family is very poor.”

“What does that have to do with how talented you are?” snapped Harry. His words came out harsh and had a bitter edge to them. He regretted saying them when he noticed Carmen cringing. “I am sorry, Carmen.”

“You don’t need to apologize to me, because of the prejudices of my country.”

“No, but I need to apologize for talking to you in that manner. It isn’t your fault there are so many bloody wankers in your country.”

“Apology accepted. Oh, I forgot to tell you. You look very good in that suit.”

Harry blushed at her comment. The shopping area they were in now was more upscale, so they bought business suites for themselves.

“I must say you look very fit yourself. I can’t believe you are wearing a dress that short...” Carmen had left the last shop with a pinstriped miniskirt suit wearing black high heels. Harry had kept from laughing at her, because she was having a difficult time walking.

“Harry, the dress is bad. However, these damn high heels are murder, but the style consultants said that they are what fashionable women are wearing. What I wouldn’t give for my old leather sandals right now,” she moaned.

Harry checked the time on his watch. They still had ten minutes to go until the Aurors were supposed to find them. He walked to a large plate glass window and stared at the display trying to see crowd movements behind him in its reflection. Carmen followed him. “Are you checking to see if we are still being followed?”

“Yes, and they are still there.”

“Do you think Ginny knows about this?”

He didn’t reply at first as he thought about the question. Ginny seemed to be more trusting, and her main mistrust was with Madam Zabini. “I don’t think so, but it is possible.”

Carmen started to laugh. “They are going to get really suspicious, Harry.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You see the type of store we are staring into?”

He tore his attention away from the reflection in the window and looked through the glass. The display was full of baby clothes and accessories. He had to stifle a loud guffaw, as he thought about Ron and Hermione watching them staring into this store. His mood suddenly became serious again as he felt the presence of someone behind him. He looked in the reflection and didn’t see anyone. “Carmen. I think Rostis or Blythe is behind us.”

“How do you…” She was cut off by a disembodied voice.

“Very good Harry, I just walked up to you,” whispered the voice of Rostis. “I have been observing the two of you from a distance. You both look good together and are barely distinguishable from the other Muggles. However, if you were pretending to be a couple looking at baby clothes, then I would advise you two to at least hold hands and act like you are in love. Come on, during surveillance this may be necessary.”

Harry reached his hand over and took Carmen’s. He hesitantly gripped her hand and stepped closer, dreading the reaction that Ron and Hermione were having. Her hand was surprisingly strong, but her grip was gentle.

She leaned her face towards his ear and whispered. “You have rough hands.”

“Sorry, Herbology and all the Potion ingredients…”

“Now that looks sweet,” chuckled Rostis. “Do you know you have had someone following you?”

“Yes,” they said in unison.

“Good, is that why you are at the window?”

“Yes,” responded Harry nervously. “I think it is my best friends. They are also my girlfriend’s brother and best friend.”

Rostis almost laughed aloud. “They are probably having a bloody fit right now. What do you want to do about this situation? We could ignore them, or we could try a trap?”

An evil grin formed on Harry’s face as he thought about trapping those two supposed friends of his.

“I see from the smile of your face that you want to trap them. At the next location, use technique number seven. I will see how much you have studied. We will wait for your signal. Oh yes, you two look good together.”

Harry felt his face get warm as he suddenly realized that Carmen practically had her head on his shoulder. The realization of her being this close to him and holding hands made him nervous.

“Are you all right, you seem nervous,” she questioned him.

“Yeah I am fine. Just nervous that’s all. Let’s go to the next location.” As they started to walk, he realized that he was still holding her hand. He relaxed his grip and she let go of his hand.

“You have nice hands, Harry.”

He shot her a puzzled look. “I thought you said they were rough?”

“They are and strong. My father was a farmer. His hands were rough and calloused from working in the fields and with the animals all day, but they were so gentle when he used to hold me,” she said with a hint of sadness.

Harry was about to ask her why she referred to her father in the past tense, when a little girl interrupted them.

“Look Mummy, its Harry Potter. Here in this store.” She was maybe six or seven years old and was standing pulling on a women’s dress, while pointing at Harry. The woman was talking to another woman who looked to be the girl’s grandmother.

“Sweety, Harry Potter wouldn’t be in place like this,” stated the girl’s mother.

“Who is this Harry Potter?” asked the eldest woman.

“It’s him. Look! He has the scar,” shouted the little girl while tugging on her mother even harder.

Harry and Carmen quickly turned around and hurried to the most crowded area. They kept walking fast without looking back for fear that the little girl would be dragging her mother along with her. The entire time Harry was cursing himself for being so gormless to not cover his scar somehow. Once outside of the Arcade they slowed their pace. As they walked to the underground station, Harry pulled out a schedule and the parchment with the next location. He studied the schedule and cursed to himself.

“What’s wrong?” asked Carmen.

“We will need to change trains and hop on a bus to get to this place. It is One Canada Square at the Canary Warf. Or is it Canary Warf at One Canada Square. It doesn’t matter. We are going to be tight on time to get there.”

“Do you want to Apparate there?”

No, I want to spring the trap on my friends.”

“Do you remember what method he was talking about?”

“Yes, and also the hand signals. I remember them because I thought it was interesting that the Aurors have techniques like that,” said Harry.
As they walked into the underground station, Carmen quickly glanced over her shoulder. “I don’t see them.”

“If we have lost them, because of that little witch, we can just Apparate to the next place, instead of taking a bus.” Harry’s voice was bitter, and he used the term witch with a nasty edge. He wanted to trap his friends so he could confront them. Even though it may appear that he was cheating on Ginny, he was working. When they bought tickets and got in line to board the train. He saw a familiar redhead above the crowd off in the far corner. He quickly disappeared. Harry turned to Carmen, winked, and said. “They’re here.”

The train and bus rides were uneventful. The sky was clearing up, although it was become increasingly chilly. The Canary Wharf was a converted wharf. It had various shoppes and restaurants filling the sides of the waterways now. They walked slowly through the area looking for a secluded spot to spring the trap. The cold wind whipped between the buildings and chilled Harry, even with his suit jacket on. He noticed that Carmen was shivering. “Do you want my jacket? I can get along without it?”

“The jacket won’t help. My legs are freezing. This skirt is not made to keep you warm.”

“Yes, but it is keeping other people warm,” he teased her. As they walked, men passing by were staring at Carmen. Her jacket and shirt were form fitting along with her tight skirt and high heels. She was looking very fit and wiggled in all the right places.

“Ha Ha, very funny,” retorted Carmen. “You try and wear an outfit like this.”

“I don’t have the legs for it and besides they don’t call me Harry for nothing.”

Carmen groaned at his bad pun. “Isn’t it time for us to finish this day?”
Checking his watch, he saw it was five-thirty. The exact time that they were to be here, it is also the time that Ginny should be finishing with Quidditch practice. He felt a slight bump to his left.

“We are ready,” stated the disembodied voice of Rostis.

Harry looked at Carmen, and she gave him a knowing look that she also heard. They walked little farther away from the crowds and saw exactly what he wanted. An alley that looked deserted. Harry put his arm around Carmen’s shoulders. His other hand was holding onto their purchases. She mimed grabbing something with her one hand and then pointed towards the alley. Just before they reached the alley, he turned to whisper in her ear. He knew this would make Ron mental and careless. “Are you ready?” he asked softly.

“Yeah, let’s get done with this and go some place warm where I can get out of this stupid dress.”

They turned into the alley. It was perfect. A few dustbins lined the walls, and it was completely deserted. Harry let go of Carmen who took a few steps and backed up against the wall, where she Disillusioned herself. Harry ran a little farther down the alley where he did the same. As he stood with his back against the wall, he noticed the trash scattered on the ground shift slightly as though someone had dragged a cloak over it.

Ron and Hermione came running into the alley. They stopped when they couldn’t see anyone.

“Damn it! They either Apparated or are under his Invisibility Cloak” Ron spat this out in disgust. “He has known we’ve been following them all day.”

“Hold on Ron,” gasped a winded Hermione. She walked further into the alley and pulled her wand out. They were now far enough in the alley to pull the trap on them. “Homenum Re…”
“Expelliarmus!”
shouted Carmen, and Hermione’s wand jumped out of her hand.

Ron pulled his wand and Harry disarmed him, before they could react, two Impedimenta spells hit them one from the front and one from the back, effectively trapping them in between.

“Harry,” shouted Hermione, as she struggled against the spells. ‘This isn’t funny.”

“Let go of us you bloody wanker,” shouted Ron. His ears and entire face were scarlet with anger. “Why you are playing my sister like this. Sleazing around with some slag…”

Harry lifted his Disillusionment charm after casting a Silencio on Ron and Hermione. He walked up to face them while trying to stay out of the Impedimenta spell’s path. “Don’t you call her that,” he said calmly, as he stared at them. “She is my Auror partner. We have been on a training exercise all day. We were posing to blend in with our surroundings, which I must say you two failed at miserably.” He didn’t need to hear to tell that Ron was swearing at him now.

“You do realize that both of you have violated one of the new Ministry Laws.” He stopped talking and enjoyed the puzzled looks on their faces. “Law 417 section b. states that any person found following an MLE or other high-ranking Ministry Official can be arrested and retained for twenty-four hours until their intentions are determined to be nonviolent.” At this point Ron was staring at Hermione, who was glaring at Harry. “How do I know that you aren’t a couple of Death Eaters using Poly-Juice Potion. It can happen,” he added sarcastically. “Now if you promise to behave yourself. I shall lift the silencing charm and ask you a couple of questions.”

They both nodded and with a wave of his wand, they could speak again. “Harry this isn’t necessary…”

“Quiet,” he ordered them. “If you are Hermione, you will know where we all were last Christmas Eve?”

“Harry, do you mean all of us?”

“Yes!”

She looked at Ron worried and he seemed embarrassed. “You and I were at Godric’s Hollow, and Ron was at Shell Cottage. Now will you release us?”
“No! Ron how did you find us?”

He looked at Harry with a sad look on his face. “Are you trying to embarrass me? I had to use Dumbledore’s Deluminator.”

“It is them you can release them,” said Harry. He watched as Ron and Hermione almost fell when the spells were released at different times. Ron and Hermione picked up their wands off the ground.

“This is some way to treat your best mates, Harry,” grumbled Ron.

“Mates? Best Mates?” he shouted at them. “I hardly see the two of you all summer. You go get engaged and move in together in some flat when I offer you my own house. I barely see you at school and now you are out here following me around like this. I had asked if you wanted to tag along, but you both said no. If you were too busy, then why are you here now?”

“We are here to make sure you don’t play around on my sister…”

“No! You are not. If that were your only concern, you would have come with us. By following me, you wanted to catch me cheating on her, didn’t you? Well? Friends and best mates don’t act that way. They trust each other.”

Harry stared at both Hermione and Ron. They stood there as his words said sank in.

“I’m sorry Harry. I never really thought how this would appear to you. Will you forgive us?” Hermione was almost in tears.

Ron just looked sheepishly. “Yeah mate, sorry.”

Harry walked over and hugged each of them. “Why don’t we go some place to eat, and get Carmen out of the cold? She is freezing over there.” the three friends looked over at Carmen who was shivering. “Oh, besides, Hermione, I have something for your birthday. I am sorry that I keep forgetting it,” said Harry sheepishly. He handed her the necklace that he had bought for her earlier.

“Oh Harry, thank you, it’s so sweet of you,” she gushed then hugged him.
A disembodied voice shouted out. “Crank Rockers!”

“Not Crank Rockers, again, Blythe,” said the invisible Rostis.

“Don’t be such an old man, Rostis.”

“Crank Rockers? I’ve heard of that place. Isn’t that going to be too crowded for you to get through under your cloak?” asked Harry.

“It doesn’t matter. Everyone is either so drunk or stoned that they don’t notice. Besides, you can walk in dressed as a wizard and no one will say anything. If they do just yell “Rock n Roll” and they will leave you alone.”

“Crank Rockers it is.”

As they were walking out of the alley, Harry stopped and pointed his wand into the air, and a small silver streak shot out of it.

[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]

Ginny had just finished getting changed out of her Quidditch clothes and was walking up to the castle when a silver stag appeared in front of her.

“Ginny,” Harry’s voice came from its mouth. “I am going to the Crank Rockers Café with Ron, Hermione, and Carmen. I’ll see you in the morning. Love you.”

As soon as the message stopped, the Patronus dissipated into a silvery mist.

Reviews 138
ChapterPrinter
StoryPrinter




../back
‘! Go To Top ‘!

Sink Into Your Eyes is hosted by Grey Media Internet Services. HARRY POTTER, characters, names and related characters are trademarks of Warner Bros. TM & © 2001-2006. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions on this site are those made by the owners. All stories(fanfiction) are owned by the author and are subject to copyright law under transformative use. Authors on this site take no compensation for their works. This site © 2003-2006 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Special thanks to: Aredhel, Kaz, Michelle, and Jeco for all the hard work on SIYE 1.0 and to Marta for the wonderful artwork.
Featured Artwork © 2003-2006 by Yethro.
Design and code © 2006 by SteveD3(AdminQ)
Additional coding © 2008 by melkior and Bear