Where Others Fear to Tread

Chapter 34

“..and Sirius was just like grabbing his wand and the guy just whacked him straight in the face and then Sirius said….”

“…nice hit now it’s my turn and shoves his wand right in this guys face and kills him.”

“Oh and Lupin was cool too, he and the headmaster were felling them like trolls.”

“It’s so good you’re back Harry, now you’ll get to see what fighting’s all about. Ron’s really become quite good, and Neville nearly took out two deatheaters last week, if he hadn’t dropped his wand.”

The Weasley twins banter hadn’t stopped since Harry had sat down in the backseat of the car sandwiched between them. While he’d got some sleep on the train journey his dreams had been filled with pain, suffering and the irrepressible fear he had of losing people he loved. From the way everyone was talking it was as if the war was only a game, scores of kills being kept like points in a game of skill. Mr Weasley was driving the new ford anglea he’d picked up at bargain basement prices from a guy up town. Unlike the blue ford Harry and Ron had crashed into the whomping willow in second year, this little car had no added wizarding features.

There had been only a relatively small party waiting for them at the station. Almost immediately Harry had been separated from Severus, some Auror’s Harry couldn’t name dragging him off in a hurry, leaving the twins, and Mr Weasley to escort Harry back to the house, which had become the new base for the order of the phoenix. Beneath the relative safety of the invisibility cloak Harry tuned out of the twins conversation instead listening to the radio and watching the awakening streets of the early morning town of Surrey flow past the window.

“So what have you been up to Harry?” It was only when Harry felt Fred nudge him in the side that the boy realised he was being directly asked a question. Despite being invisible Harry blushed a little guiltily and cleared his throat.

“Um, just training mostly. Learning new spells, hexes and charms just basic stuff.” Harry lied weakly, not wanting to give away anything. Before they’d left the train carriage Severus had given him a stern warning to keep his mouth shut about what had gone on during the past months with Jasper, and Harry had no intention of breaking that silence.

“Cool, you can teach us what you’ve learnt. We’re not really supposed to go on missions, but sometimes when the missions come to us we’ve got no choice but to fight back.” George smiled across at his brother before both twins smiled at the reflection of their father in the rear view mirror.

“I’m sure Harry, doesn’t need to be teaching you two anymore than you already know.” Mr Weasley smiled at the space between the two twins where Harry undoubtedly was sitting. “And remember when we get to the house, no messing with the neighbours.” Harry looked suspiciously at the twins who winked secretly to one another before giggling like silly schoolgirls. It amazed Harry how people could just act so normal despite the face they were at war with their enemy, and every day someone they knew didn’t come back from the battlefield. With a silent sigh Harry sat the rest of the way in quiet contemplation until finally Mr Weasley pulled the car up into drive of the unassuming little bungalow in an ordinary muggle street. Harry hadn’t actually seen the house in daylight and it was clear why Albus had chosen it as the orders base. If it hadn’t been for the welcome mat that had the shape of a phoenix burnt into it, Harry would have never have guessed wizards were living inside of it at all. Mr Weasley led the threesome up the garden path to the front door and knocked on it twice. Still beneath his cloak Harry watched as the door swung open to reveal a strange looking old lady, with glasses, a walking stick and strange lavender coloured hair.

“Hello, Hello my dears come in.” Harry was sure he’d heard the woman’s voice before but thought nothing of it as the woman let them inside, barely allowing Harry in before slamming the door closed. Harry watched stunned as the old woman transformed into a purple haired tonks, her walking stick transfigured back into her wand as she warded the doors closed again. “Sorry, the woman from next door came round yesterday evening looking for a cup of sugar, we can’t be to careful.” By way of explanation she pointed to the 1kg bag of sugar that sat on standby on the hallstand. “Hello, Harry, hope I didn’t catch you there with the door.” Knowing he was now safe Harry dropped his cloak and smiled at Tonks who’s lavender hair had turned back into her more familiar electric purple colour.

“No, I’m too quick.” Harry whispered still clutching the invisibility cloak loosely around his shoulders. Nyphandora Tonk’s chuckled brightly and gestured to the stairs.

“Ron and the others are upstairs go on up and get settled we’ll call you when breakfast’s ready.” Harry nodded and disappeared up the stairs to the second story of the house, leaving the twins with their father and Tonks in the hall. Harry didn’t get far along the landing when he was crash tackled by Ron, who over the past few months had grown quite considerably taller than Harry and bulked out quite a bit.

“Harry! I knew I heard someone come in.” Brightly Ron hugged his best friend before helping him up from the landing floor and dragging him into a bedroom. Ron was stronger than before too and he pushed Harry with some force onto the bed where Hermione, Neville and Seamus sat with a board game of some sort spread out in front of them.

“Harry! You’re back!” Hermione hugged Harry tightly, Neville and Seamus doing the same. Seeing Neville and Seamus here was unexpected but Harry supposed that as the war escalated everyone loyal to the cause was needed.

“Yeah, how are things going?” Harry put his small bag down at the end of the bed and sat up next to Hermione who waved her wand over the board that came alive with different coloured dots, and map coordinates. Harry was amazed at the detail and stared in aw of the map.

“Alright we think. It’s getting harder to tell what with all the confrontations happening but the map helps keep track of everyone.” Harry nodded as Hermione pointed out several dots on the map, indicating who they were and what or whom they were fighting, as indicated by the complicated key down the side of the map.

“Hermione created the map because we’re not allowed to go on missions.” Neville whispered as he pointed out his gran who was fighting one of the many ominously dark dots on the map. Harry was strangely silent as he surveyed the map trying to see if Severus was on it somewhere. Seamus must have picked up on Harry’s concern and pointed to the only two-coloured dot on the entire map, a green mixed with black.

“He’s easily picked out.” Seamus whispered as Harry smiled as he saw Severus, Albus, Sirius and Lupin were not surrounded by other black dots.

“I couldn’t get his dot just one colour, the spell refused to work I don’t know why.” Hermione shrugged her shoulders apologetically at Harry, but the boy merely smiled mildly and flopped down exhausted on the bed.

“So what have you been up to Harry, it has been like months since we’ve heard from you. You were supposed to write.” Ron looked a little put out that Harry hadn’t written to them like he’d promised and Harry guiltily lowered his gaze to where he was still fiddling with the corners of his invisibility cloak.

“I know and I’m sorry guys Severus has been training me non stop for the past few months. I feel like my heads going to explode with all this stuff I’ve learnt.” All four of his friends look sympathetically at Harry who sighed heavily and closed his eyes.

“Yeah, we’ve been having Auror lessons in the back shed while you’ve been away. Who ever has been not on mission has been training us, it’s really cool some of the spells we can do now.” Knowing he wasn’t the only one to be trained Harry opened his eyes at length and nodded at his friends. After so long with just Jasper and Severus as company Harry desperately wanted to dump his thoughts on his friends, but he knew he couldn’t with so much depending on the secrets he knew.

“BREAKFAST’S READY!” From downstairs a familiar voice called to them and Hermione hastily cast a spell over the map, turning back to an unassuming muggle board game which she shoved under the bed. Harry looked at his friends strangely all of whom had the good grace to look guilty.

“They don’t know we’ve made it, so don’t tell them.” Hermione looked at Harry who nodded understandingly. Neville led the group downstairs Harry trailing behind. Harry wasn’t really hungry but he knew he’d had nothing to eat since yesterday afternoon and he really did need to feed himself, as well as…. Harry touched his stomach involuntarily before snapping his hand away as he walked into the mayhem of the kitchen at breakfast time. Harry was almost relieved when he walked into the kitchen to find Severus sitting at the bench behind a newspaper, a cup of tea and toast sitting at his side.

“Mr Potter, nice to have you back.” Albus rustled the boy’s hair as he passed the table and made his way over to his lover.

“Harry.” Harry paused briefly to hug his godfather before stepping up to Severus side, and pressing a chaste kiss to the man’s cheek. Severus looked suspiciously over the top of his newspaper at Harry’s unexpected show of affection but didn’t mention it, knowing they had a rather large audience.

“Drink, then eat.” Was the command as Severus pulled a small vial of potion and pushed it along with a large plate, of bacon, scrambled eggs and toast across to him.

“I’m not really hungry…” Harry fell instantly silent and sat down at the bench as Severus glared at him over the top of the newspaper.

“All of it.” Severus replied quickly as he went back to his wizarding newspaper. Harry sighed and having grimaced down the potion set to eating his large breakfast.

The conversation around the table was varied, everything from cake baking to plans for defeating Voldemort were being discussed in between calls for more bacon, where Mrs Weasley was gladly slaving away. When it was clear to Harry, Severus wasn’t in the mood for conversation Harry turned to his godfather whom was sat at the table in front of him.

“Severus said Grimmauld Place was attacked is it alright?” Sirius burped loudly and shovelled another round of bacon into his mouth, as he nodded.

“Yeah, scorched around the edges but still in tact. Gramp’s built the place to last, it’s just a pity he told the Malfoy’s about his achievements.” Harry picked at the eggs on his plate his appetite really not there despite Severus’ insistence.

“So if Voldemort knew about the place why didn’t he attack it earlier.” Harry inquired as he shoved a small flake of bacon into his mouth as Severus glared at him from around the corner of his paper.

“We think he just didn’t realise it’s value, didn’t think we’d use an old dark wizarding house, as our base. Once this is all over though we’ll get back there and sort it out proper.” Harry watched Sirius eat another strip of bacon just as Mrs Weasley dropped a large place of grilled cheese on toast down in front of him. The smell of the cheese made Harry’s stomach churn violently and the boy barely swallowed his own mouthful of bacon. “Oooh you’re a charmer Molly, just what I need.” With a wide grin Sirius picked up the melting cheese toast and took a large greasy bite.

“Well can’t have you lot going out there without an empty stomach.” Mrs Weasley paused and turned to glance at Harry, who had paled to an almost translucent complexion, as he tried to force his rebelling stomach into submission. “Harry love, you alright you don’t look very….” It was as Harry watched Sirius take another bite of the cheese that Harry couldn’t hold it. Springing to his feet Harry pushed past Mrs Weasley and Sirius, all but knocking Severus off his stool and completely bowling Neville over as he ran out the back door into the garden, falling to his knees in the rose garden as the meagre contents of his stomach reared its ugly head.

“Harry!” Behind him Harry heard Ron, Sirius and Mrs Weasley get up to come after him, but Severus’ voice made them all fall silent.

“He’s fine, if you’ll excuse me.” Harry heard the distant chink of glass before footsteps crunched behind him on the pebble garden path.

“A waste of a perfect potion.” Severus sighed and knelt down beside Harry as the boy retched up again before falling limply against his lover’s knees. “Here, sip it this time.” Harry accepted the small glass of pumpkin juice its slightly purple colouring suggesting Severus had added some more of the potion, Harry had just thrown violently back up into the rose garden. Severus gently soothed his fingertips back and forth across Harry’s forehead, the boy’s eyes closed as he sipped the juice slowly. In the kitchen Harry could hear the morning continuing on without disturbance, Albus making announcements and then sending everyone off to their duties. “I do believe I saw that coming before you did Potter. My own mysterious, and sudden dislike of regular cheddar cheese now completely explainable.” Harry opened his eyes and glanced up at Severus in question. “The bond Harry, like I feel your cravings for crisps I have also felt your ‘conditions’ dislike of cheese in the last week.”

“Just watching him eat it, I couldn’t stop….” Harry gagged physically just on the mental picture of his godfather eating his breakfast.

“Yes, I too find your godfathers eating habits quite disgusting, but I believe this is entirely another matter. No cheese for the next few months, understood.” Harry nodded quickly at Severus’ soft instructions, before allowing his lover to help him up from the grass and brush himself off. “Now go on upstairs, take a shower and change. I’m leaving with Albus today, so you’ll be spending the day with your friends in the shed.” Severus pointed down the small-grassed garden to a rickety old iron shed in the far corner, a rusty old lawn roller and a spade leaning against its side. The shed looked no bigger than to hold one person but Harry knew better. Nodding Harry turned back to Severus who was straightening out his robes.

“Be careful.” Harry whispered in concern up at his lover. Severus rolled his eyes contemptibly and shook his head.

“Do not lecture me about care Mr Potter.” Harry blushed a little awkwardly, and leant up to kiss Severus on the lips but at the last moment Severus turned his head away and Harry’s lips only met the man’s freshly shaved cheek. Harry pulled away and looked strangely at Severus who had screwed up his nose a little in disgust. “Remember to clean your teeth potter, that breath is as rancid as Lupin’s after the full moon.” With a short glance over his lover Severus turned and disappeared back into the house. Harry sighed and kicked a pebble across the grass from the side of the path. Glancing up Harry caught Sirius staring at him from out of the kitchen window, the man obviously having watched the entire scene play out. Not realising how bad the scene had appeared to Sirius, Harry sighed and headed indoors, to do as Severus had said.

TBC>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>