Relations, Revelations

I\'m baaaaack! Chapter\'s written, the next one is in the works, and hopefully you haven\'t forgotten that I exist. *grin* Please review so I know you still give half a shit! It\'s my own fault I was gone, but I fully intend to finish this thing whether you like it or not!

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Chapter 30 – Return

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Three ministry-issue cars pulled up in front of Kings Cross Station, deposited four Weasleys, one Potter, one Granger, and one Snape, and departed. The group entered the station, passed through the barrier, and found themselves on platform nine and three quarters. Two Weasleys, one Potter, and one Granger, along with a Longbottom, found their seats, dragged their suitcases onboard, settled in, then returned to the platform to bid one teary-eyed mother, two teary-eyed girlfriends, a somber boyfriend, and a well-dressed gran goodbye.

Ron and Sephera found themselves in a rather passionate embrace, which they promptly ended when Mrs. Weasley gently tutted. But she was kind enough to distract Gran Longbottom long enough for Neville to give Tonks a proper goodbye. Hermione was smart enough to sneak George off to a quiet corner, while Ginny and Harry giggled and rolled their eyes nearby. At least they had been smart enough to date locally. Mrs. Weasley managed to pry her children, her own and her adopted, away from their significant others and into a maternal embrace. George squirmed out and reminded his mum that he wasn\'t going anywhere. She blushed. Sephera pulled Mrs. Weasley aside for a moment.

\"Mrs. Weasley, d\'you think dad would mind if I rode over to Hogwarts with the others?\"

\"But how will you get home, dear?\"

\"Dad\'s floo in his office is connected to the Estates. I\'ll be back in time to go back to San Francisco tomorrow.\"

\"Well I suppose he won\'t mind then. I\'ll take the blame if he does.\" Molly gave the girl a hug and sent her back to the group to share her news with Ron.

Ron, Sephera, Ginny, Hermione, Harry, and Neville piled onto the train, leaving Mrs. Weasley, George, Gran Longbottom, and Tonks on the platform to wave goodbye. The Hogwarts Express slowly pulled out of Platform 9 3/4 and disappeared around the bend. The silence in the compartment couldn\'t be cut with a hex. Phera broke it.

\"So.\"

\"So...\" Ron followed, looking around awkwardly.

“Today’s Sunday, right?” Harry asked rhetorically.

“Yep.” Hermione gazed out the window.

“It’s been a week and a half since I walked out of potions.”

“That long?”

“Yup. Out of the blue, over the course of a week, I’ve pissed off Snape, gained an uncle and cousin, killed Voldemort, lost my best friend’s brother, and gotten shagged.”

Ginny slapped Harry and grinned. Ron glared and Sephera pulled his hand into hers.

“We’ve been having fun all week and now you’re acting all weird around each other?” Hermione tried to sooth the tense beasts. “Any volunteers to break the tension?”

The group stared out the window, at the ceiling, into magazines, at their fingernails, at the floor… anywhere but at Hermione.

“Okay, tension breaker. Hey, Phera. I used to think your dad was totally hot. Fancied him madly before I got together with George.”

“Um, that’s… kinda gross, Hermione. Something I could have died without knowing.” Neville finally spoke.

Sephera cringed. “Yeah, Hermione, when I finally meet your dad, remind me to tell you how sexy he is. See how you like that.” The group sunk back into silence.

The urban jungle of London slowly faded from view and the Hogwarts Express slunk into the lush countryside of Scotland. Several magazine articles, a silent game of exploding snap, and a manicure later, Harry spoke.

“I taught Ginny how to do a Patronus yesterday. She did surprisingly well.”

A murmur of approval filled the compartment.

“What form does it take, Gin?” Hermione inquired.

“It’s a parrot. A really cool tropical one with a long tail and a massive wingspan. It’s not very clearly defined or anything. Just a big bird-like blur with a beak. Took me hours to get it that far.”

“Let’s hope you don’t have to use it.” Neville sunk back into his seat.

Ron furrowed his brow and asked the inevitable. “Where’d you get the dementor?”

“I told your mum I wanted to help Ginny out with a project for Defense and she asked her knitting group to search their attics for boggarts. Marjorie MacBrunson found one cowering in her grandmother’s old teapot.”

The old witch with the trolley came by and delivered her sweets. Ron treated everyone to a round of chocolate frogs with the promise that he’d get the cards in the end. Harry purchased a six-pack of pumpkin juice, Hermione got some tooth-flossing string mints, and Neville two cartons of ice mice. Between the six Gryffindors, they gathered a lovely sugary feast that could power the Hogwarts Express with a herd of five-year-olds on a sugar high.

“MERLIN’S MONKEYS!!!”

Ron’s bellow got everyone’s attention. Neville almost dove under his seat while Ginny unconsciously curled closer into Harry’s side. Sephera drew away from Ron and cowered with Hermione.

“Ronald, bleedin’ hell, keep your voice down or Dumbledore’s gonna apparate in to check if Voldemort’s come back.” Ginny leaned over and thunked her brother upside the head. He was too shocked to take notice. He just handed over what was in his hand to Sephera.

“Gawddamn, cuz. Nice going. Kill Voldie-poo and get yourself a spot on a chocolate frog card already. Excellent.”

Harry snatched the card from her and gawked at it. “Bah, it’s only been a week and I’m drowning in my own spotlight already.” The card swiftly made its way around the compartment until Ron finally pocketed it.

Suddenly, a thin pink face framed by a bouncing blonde mop of hair was pressed against the compartment door.

“Harry! Harry! Did you see it, Harry? You’re on a frog card! Would you sign mine for me?”

Colin Creevy bounded into the compartment as soon as the door’s opening allowed, and a sigh of resignation sounded throughout. He pressed his chocolate frog card into Harry’s hand along with a felt tip pen and waited patiently for his autograph, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Harry turned the card over and only then noticed the biography on the back.

“Harry Potter, known for defeating the Dark Lord in 1981, repeated his performance along with his friends Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley in 1996. Despite losing his parents at the age of one and being raised by muggles, Harry has proven himself to be an essential force in the fight against the Dark.”

“Not one freakin’ mention of dad.” Sephera grumped, falling back into her seat.

Ron kicked his feet up into Hermione’s lap and put his head on Sephera’s knee. “Yeah, and I was passed out on the sidelines somewhere. What a load of rot.”

“It’s propaganda is what it is. Sorry Ron, but Snape had a lot more to do with it than you did. He should have gotten top mentions. It WAS his wand, after all,” Harry added.

“I think all of us deserve a bit of credit. I mean, Snape, Ginny, Hermione, the twins, and me an’ Tonks stuck by you to the end, Harry.”

Ginny grinned. “So you’re Me-An-Tonks now. Not Neville and Nymphadora? Longbottom and Tonks? It’s Meantonks?” Neville blushed to his toes.

“Well, I mean… not to steal your thunder, Harry…”

“By all means, take it all! I don’t want it!”

Neville grinned. “Fair enough. But I think we all deserve cards. I’m gonna write to the company, send photos, biographies, whatever it takes to get everyone equal billing on this one. Hell, I’ll put together an Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore’s Army commemorative pack if that’s what they want.”

“Neville, that’s a damn good idea.” Harry slapped his knee. “I wouldn’t be offended in the least. I’ll endorse the bloody thing if that’s what it’ll take for it to sell.”

“Oop, right kids, robes on. We’re rounding the final bend into Hogsmeade Station.” Ginny jumped from her seat and pulled her robes out of her bag. The rest of the group quickly followed suit, putting on their uniforms and tucking their wands into their pockets. Sephera gazed out the window, amazed by the sight of the magnificent castle ahead of them.