Dance With Me Harry

DANCE WITH ME HARRY

By Aerie22

CHAPTER 5

The Vicarage

Mae Strowbridge came running out of the house shortly after Cyrus turned the corner around the house. "Harry! What a pleasure to welcome you to our home," she gushed wrapping him in a huge hug.

Now that he was meeting her standing up, he realized she was almost his height, which was now about five-foot seven, and beginning to show a slight plumpness. She was now wearing jeans and a madras plaid blouse, and her hair was still tied back into a loose ponytail.

"Harry, Tony has told me so much about you. How sweet and brave you are. But I didn't notice how thin you are," she said, grabbing his arm in an appraising grip. "Well, we'll do something about that this summer, won't we," she said, turning to Tony with a twinkle in her eye, meeting his grin.

The church and the vicarage were in the old section of Little Whinging. The vicarage was a large, three-story stone affair. Mae led Harry in through the front door. Once through the entryway, he turned and beheld a very large drawing room, dominated by a large stone fireplace. Harry chuckled to himself. 'This would put the one in the Leaky Cauldron to shame,' he thought.

"A little overwhelming, isn't it," Mae chuckled. "It was designed for parish gatherings and meetings. It will easily seat 24 if we bring out the folding chairs. And the formal dining room serves 20 if we put all the leaves in the table. Fortunately, there's a nice intimate little table in the kitchen that seats four, and that's where we usually take our meals. And Tony keeps all his gadgets in a sitting room off the drawing room. That's where we keep the real tele. We have another one in the study, if there's something special you want to watch. But don't let Tony catch you looking any of those risqué shows. He doesn't approve," she said with a laugh. "He can be such a stick at times," she said smiling i a conspiratorial whisper.

Harry nodded, a little goggle eyed. "This is as nice as the Geddes' house. But it seems more...like a home."

Mae beamed.

Suddenly, Harry started. "Oh, my luggage. And Hedwig!"

Mae's eyes widened. "Who's Hedwig?"

Harry looked down. "She's my owl. But don't worry. She's very clean. My aunt wouldn't have her if she wasn't."

Mae was a little nonplussed. "You have an owl?" she said with a puzzled smile.

Harry nodded shyly. "I told the Reverend...ahhh...Tony. She's kind of magical. Well, she's very magical. She's probably the only magical thing you'll notice. I don't do anything different from anyone else. Really. Except that I send messages to my friends by owl. And they use their owls to send me messages. But they're all well behaved. They never bother anyone. Well, except maybe my friend Ron's owl, Pig..."

Suddenly, Harry's face fell. He remembered that Ron didn't respond to his last message confessing his feelings for Hermione. Maybe Ron wouldn't be sending any owls this summer. Or ever again.

"Harry?" Mae asked quietly. "What's the matter?"

Harry looked down at his feet. "Nothing," he muttered.

"Don't tell me nothing, Harry," she said firmly. "I can tell you're upset about something. Who is Ron? And what's the problem with him?"

Harry wasn't used to people asking him a lot of questions. He had been raised to keep his mouth shut and it had carried over to Hogwarts, where he figured it was always best to keep a close counsel.

"He's a friend of mine. But he didn't answer my last letter. Maybe he was busy."

Mae looked at the boy. This was more than just an unanswered letter. "Harry? That's not the whole story, is it?" she asked gently.

Harry pursed his lips. He had told Sara Geddes about Hermione and Cedric, and she was a total stranger. But Mae and Tony had invited him into their home. They volunteered to take care of him when he thought he couldn't count on anyone else in his life. It would be wrong to lie. Even worse. It would be rude, he thought.

He took a deep breath. "Ron is my best friend. And we both have another best friend. Her name is Hermione. And I kind of like her, you know, like a girl. But I think Ron likes her, too. I told Ron I liked her but that if he liked her, too, it would be okay. But I think he's mad at me. Sometimes he gets upset or mad at stuff like that. And I really don't want him to be mad at me." He took another deep breath, but said no more.

Mae looked at him closely. "Hermione was the name you called our when Tony found you at the Dursleys...Before you passed out."

Harry looked up, startled. "What...?"

Mae closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "He didn't mention that to you," she said, looking at him closely. "You don't remember?"

Harry shook his head. "I remember waking up in the cupboard. I was sore and my head hurt and I felt like throwing up. And it was dark. I called out a couple times, but my uncle said he would kill me if I tried to get out. So I slept. And after a while, I just thought about my parents and Hermione. They let me out a couple times to go to the bathroom. But only after I told them...well, they didn't want me have an accident and ruin the rug outside the cupboard."

Mae looked at him appalled. "But...couldn't you do something magical? You know, disappear or blow the door off or something?"

Harry hung his head. "I don't know how to apparate...at least not yet. I did it a couple times when I was a kid by accident when I was scared. But I'm not supposed to do magic outside of school. I don't know. I guess I was so afraid of getting into trouble that I didn't do anything and...well, by the time I probably realized how serious everything was getting, I was probably too weak to do anything."

Mae blinked in amazement. "You can do things like that? Or wizards...they can just appear and disappear? Or blow up things?"

Harry shrugged. "Mostly, you need your wand to do magic. The wand focuses your magical energy. It's really hard to do wandless magic. I can do a little, but there's still a lot I have to learn. That's why I need to study. The Dursleys tried to keep me from studying. They didn't approve."

Mae closed her eyes and nodded. "But you can do all that with your wand?"

Harry lowered his head and thought. "Is not like I can use my power like a real weapon. There are some curses that can harm people. Like a stunning curse. It can knock you out like a severe blow to the body. But mostly, it just renders you immobile for a while, depending on how strong your magic is."

"Do you have strong powers?" Mae asked.

Harry shrugged and nodded. "I think I've got pretty good power. In our Defense Against the Dark Arts class, I got to practice against a wall and my curse chipped the paint. And when I used against the ground, it kicked up an awful lot of dirt. My friend Ron's power is pretty strong. My girlfriend--uh, I mean Hermione is pretty strong, along with a couple others in my class. There's this one guy, Neville, who always messes things up, but his power was pretty strong when he concentrated, along with this other girl, Parvati, who I took to the Yule Ball last year. And we have classes with these jerks from another house, called Slytherin. There's this guy we all really hate, Draco Malfoy, who has pretty strong powers, along with this fat girl, Millicent, and this real stuck up one, Blaise."

Mae gave him an inquiring look. "What's wrong with these other kids from Slyth...?"

"Slytherin. Well, they're real ambitious and they cheat a lot. And Draco is the worst. He's real rich and stuck up and always saying nasty things to us. Like he calls Hermione mudblood because her parents are Muggles...nonmagical folks. I wasn't familiar with the term, but the way my friends reacted, it was like calling someone a nigger or kike or something. Like some of the nasty names my aunt and uncle used about people they didn't like."

Mae raised her eyebrows. "Do all wizards hate nonmagical people?"

Harry's eyes arched in surprise. "Oh, no!" he said forcefully. "My mum's parents were nonmagical, but nobody ever said anything against me like that. Some felt sorry that I had to be raised by Muggles, but mostly because they knew how nasty they were. It's just some of the Slytherins who are like that."

Harry paused in thought. "Actually, Millicent isn't too bad. She's not that fat either. She just...tall and kind of heavy and not very pretty. But I guess she's nice enough, for a Slytherin."

Mae nodded. "So you can hurt people with magic if you use it wrongly? Or if you have strong powers?"

Harry sighed. "There is a death curse. But we don't learn it, although I saw it used against a friend of mine," he said, his face clouding. "It's an unforgivable curse. If you use it, you go to jail or are given...well, like the death penalty."

Mae gasped again. "You can kill people with magic?"

Harry nodded darkly. "Yeah. But you can also stab someone to death with your wand, too. It's just one more way to die," he said, hanging his head in sorrow.

A chill went up Mae's spine. "You've seen one of your friends die? Is your world so violent?"

Harry looked up, blinking his sad eyes. "No. It's just Voldemort."

Mae looked at him with concern. "The wizarding Hitler."

Harry chuckled without humor. "Yeah. That's what the reverend called him. He killed Cedric and tried to kill me. Somehow, I stopped him and got away with Cedric's body," he said in a voice welling up with emotion. "But he wouldn't be there except for me. When he...well, the thing that brought me to Voldemort swept him up, too. And Voldemort killed him lie stepping on a bug."

Mae gasped, and heard a sharp intake of breath from the hallway. Harry turned and saw Tony, staring at him, wide-eyed in shock. "You mean they killed your friend in front of you. And tried to kill you?" Tony said.

Harry jumped up and grabbed his trunk out of Tony's hands. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," he said in a panic. "I don't like to talk about it. Or think about it. I'm really sorry." He looked around anxiously. "I don't know where to go. I..."

Tony stepped up to Harry. "Put your trunk down, Harry," he said softly. Harry looked back at Mae, who nodded and stood up. Harry obeyed.

Tony suddenly wrapped his arms around Harry. "It's all right. You're safe here. And don't worry about us. We've want to share your pain, your burdens."

Harry leaned against Tony. "I...I don't want to be a burden. I'm...okay."

Tony pushed Harry out to arms length. "Look at me, Harry. Look at me."

Harry blinked a couple times, fighting tears, and looked up at Tony.

Tony saw the pain and vulnerability in Harry's eyes. "Listen to me. Mae and I have heard terrible things through the years. Being a priest isn't just preaching sermons and presiding at services. It's holding someone's hand as he or she prepares to meet their maker. It's listening to people who have gone through horrible experiences beyond imagining. It's being there when no one else is. And it's sharing the burden of those who have no longer have the strength to bear it alone."

Mae had come up behind Harry to hold him as well. Harry suddenly let go. The tears flowed silently. He hated having to depend on others. But he did feel the Strowbridges' warmth. Their love. He slowly relaxed. "I...I...just don't know...I..."

"Shhhh," Mae hushed him.

Harry breathed heavily. "I'm okay, I think," he said, blinking away his tears.

The couple slowly released him. He simply sat down. "I'm...just not used to talking."

Mae looked at him with concern. "Not even to your friends?" she asked.

Harry gave an uncertain shrug. "I...well, I'm the 'Boy Who Lived.' I'm supposed to be strong. They've gotten into all sorts of danger and trouble with me. Because of me. So I have to be strong for them."

Tony lowered his head. "If they are really friends, they'll understand."

Harry's head sank. "Ron would only get mad. And Hermione would get all upset and...I don't know."

Tony reached out and grabbed Harry's shoulder. "You've got to learn to trust your friends, the people who love you."

Harry nodded absently. "I'll try."

* * *

Harry looked wide-eyed around at his bedroom. The vicarage had six bedrooms. Tony and Mae used the master bedroom up on the first floor and Harry was given one of the two other spare bedrooms on the floor. Tony had converted the third spare bedroom into a second library, prompting Harry to smile at how Hermione would love a house with a sitting room full of books and a spare library next to her bedroom. But then, he thought, she probably already had that if he knew her.

Harry's bedroom was large and bright, with a full-sized bed with a heavy wood headboard and toeboard. The dresser and night stands were of oak as was the trim on the white plaster walls. And the room itself was large, with a blue and gold oriental rug on the floor.

"Pretty rich stuff, isn't it?" Mae said with a chuckle. "One of our predecessors was a pretty effective fund raiser. I'm glad someone will finally get to enjoy it on a regular basis," she said with a warm smile. "I think I'll let you get used to it now. We'll be having lunch in about an hour. I'll just call up to you," she said, leaving him alone.

Harry flopped down in the bed, reveling in its luxury. This was even nicer than his bed in Hogwarts, even if it didn't have a canopy. He turned to Hedwig, who was still preening after Mae had gushed over her. "Well, girl. Pretty nice, huh?"

Hedwig fluffed her feathers and gave Harry a haughty look, as if this was the least she deserved. Harry chuckled. Suddenly, his face clouded. 'I've got to write Ron.'

* * *

Dear Ron,

How are things going. I hope you're not mad at me over my last letter. I like Hermione, but if she wants to be your girlfriend, that's okay. You're a great friend and I hope you still like me.

Things are a little different now. Dumbledore thought I'd be safer in a different place this summer. I'm not with the Dursleys anymore. I can't tell you where I am. But it's really nice and the people I am with are really wonderful. I think I'm going to like it here a lot.

That's all for now. Write me soon. Please.

Your friend,

Harry

* * *

Harry's weekend passed in a blur. Mae had to keep shooing him outside whenever he started cleaning or doing some other chore he thought needed doing. She did let him help in the kitchen, as much to see how good a cook he was as anything else. She shook her head that, while he had good basic skills, he had a lot to learn. She even took him to the markets to show him how to shop and what to shop for.

Mae was surprised how enthusiastic he was to learn about everyday things she took for granted. He had little sense of money or budgeting. And he seemed uncomfortable in spending money or, in this case, the Strowbridge's money, on himself. She had to urge him to buy clothes that fit him when they went out on Saturday morning. He squirmed a little at using the fitting rooms of the local department store, despite Mae's promising him that no one would peek in at him. And she gushed at introducing him to members of the parish who she encountered.

But Harry's most awkward moment was when he encountered Sara and her parents on the street with Mae. Sara gave a yelp and ran up to him and hugged him.

"Oh, Harry. we all heard what happened. Are you all right?" she asked him urgently.

Harry blushed furiously. "I'm okay. Thanks," he managed to choke out.

"We missed you at the dance last night," she said sympathetically. "We were all so worried about you."

He continued to shuffle shyly as Sara put her arm around his waist and led him to her parents for introductions.

Mae chuckled as they left the Geddes family to their shopping. "That Sara is a pretty one, isn't she," she said with a glint in her eye.

Harry nodded solemnly, still flushed from Sara's friendly manner. "She's a lot older than me, though," he managed.

Mae chuckled again. "I don't know, Harry. You seem to have a way with women."

Harry really began to blush and was grateful to get back to the vicarage

Tony was more than pleased when Harry volunteered to help around the church after lunch on Saturday. There were a million little tasks that needed doing but there never seemed to be enough time, money or volunteers to get them done. But even Tony was a little taken aback when Harry kept returning for more after accomplishing his previous assignment.

"Are you sure you feel up to it?" he kept asking.

Harry finally gave out at around 4:00 in the afternoon. Tony noticed Harry moving listlessly as he checked the pews for hidden gum or other foreign substances. "Harry. Enough. Time to go wash up for supper," Tony said with a concerned smile."

Harry looked up from his knees, his eyes showing fatigue. "I still have all these rows to do," he said with more resolution in his voice than showed on his face.

Tony smiled and shook his head. "I'm sure the gum and whatever will wait until some other day for you. Out with you."

At services the next day, Harry was stunned by the reception he received from the neighbors he had worked for over the past few weeks. Several of the women gave him hugs and old Mrs. Beaupres gave his a wet and teary kiss. And several of the men, including Mr. Downey and Mr. Nichol, shook his hand or patted him on the back, promising him more work when he felt up to it.

Harry was relieved on Tuesday when, after one final check by the doctor, he got the go-ahead to resume his work around the neighborhood.

* * *

Dear Hermione,

How are you doing? I hope you are having fun this summer? Are you going to Bulgaria to visit Viktor? I hope you are enjoying yourself. And not reading too many books. Ha ha ha.

Professor Dumbledore decided that it would be safer if I moved out of the Dursley's and stayed at another place for the summer. I'm sorry that I can't tell you where. But don't worry. It is wonderful here. I am living with a married couple and they are very nice. And I'm working around the neighborhood and meeting all sorts of nice people. And I'm having lots of fun.

I hope you and our parents are well.

Harry paused over the letter for a long time. Finally, he took a deep breath and signed it.

Love,

Harry

He quickly attached it to Hedwig's leg and sent her on her way before he had the chance to scratch out the 'Love,' part of the letter. He sighed and hoped that Ron would send him a letter soon. He hoped Ron wasn't mad and hoped they were still friends. He closed his eyes and sank his head on his crossed arm on the desk in his room.

* * *

Harry sat in his room. He looked around, still marveling at his good fortune. Tony and Mae Strowbridge had done so much to make him feel at home. Mae scolded him fondly and shooed him outside when he tried to do all the chores that the Dursleys took for granted. "Harry," she said in exasperation. "Camilla comes in twice a week to help clean. What would she do with herself if you did it all?"

But somehow, Harry felt that it all was an illusion. That somehow, reality would jump up and bite him and he would be back in the Dursleys' cupboard next time he woke up.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Harry called, surprised at the ease he had become accustomed to the notion of privacy in someone else's home.

Tony stepped in and sat down on the bed next to the desk where Harry was seated. "How are you adjusting, son?" Tony asked softly.

Harry shifted uncomfortably. He didn't know how to answer. He was doing wonderfully well. He was well fed and sheltered comfortably. And Tony and Mae had been so loving and caring, without attempting to smother him. He felt like he was in a Muggle version of paradise. And he didn't trust it to last.

Harry looked up at Tony. "I'm doing really good. You and Mae are very nice," he said with a tentative smile.

Tony nodded and smiled. "And we love having you here. I was just wondering, though. You do seem a little quiet. You seemed so excited and animated that first night you came here. Now you seem to be quiet, spending a lot of time in your room up here when you're not out working in the neighborhood."

Harry lowered his head. "Well, I've been doing a lot of thinking, and writing to my friends, and..." Suddenly, Harry looked up at Tony, blushing furiously and then quickly looked away. "No...I'm not...I mean...I'm running, instead...and taking showers...and..."

Tony gave Harry a puzzled look. A sudden recognition passed over his face and he choked trying to keep from laughing. "Harry," he said through barely concealed chuckles. "That's not what I'm talking about," he said, his shoulders now heaving. He paused to recompose himself and took a deep breath. "Don't worry about it. You're not going to hell for a few innocent fantasies. If you were, there wouldn't be enough room to sit down for all the sweaty teenaged boys crowding the place," he said with a smile. "Just as long as you understand that girls...woman, are more than just...well, objects. They are people, too," he said with a now indulgent smile.

Harry squirmed in his chair. "I...would never think of Hermione like that...well, I like her a lot and wonder what it would be like...you know, to be married and all that."

Tony reached out and squeezed Harry's shoulder. "You're really crushing on this girl, aren't you?"

Harry looked away. "I guess."

Tony sighed. "Well, you said she kissed you when you left her at the train, right?"

Harry nodded and sighed.

"Well, I'm sure she likes you, too. Maybe she's sitting at her desk right now thinking of you."

Harry looked up, his eyes wide. "I don't know. Maybe."

Tony continued to smile. "Actually, that's not why I came up to talk. Like I said, you were so excited when you came here. But you seem to have gotten very quiet. I was wondering whether anything was bothering you."

Harry looked down, his face a mask of concentration. "Well...I really like it here. But it seems that when I like something, something else happens. And the grownups seem always to think it's for my own good."

Tony blinked in puzzlement. "Well, I don't know. I'm just a kid. So grownups like the Dursleys and Professor Dumbledore always made these decisions. And the Goblet of Fire. And the Ministry of Magic and stuff. They kept making these decisions about me and I followed their decisions and I keep getting into trouble and almost getting killed and stuff. So I don't trust much what they say and what's going on. I'm just a kid, but I think sometimes the adults make these decisions that don't make sense. But they keep telling me it's for my own good or that it's all part of a larger plan and stuff. I just don't get it, sometimes. And I'm afraid of what's coming up next. That every time something seems to be going my way, somebody else has a plan or something that will cause me to get hurt or killed or something."

Tony gave Harry a shocked look. "What do you mean?"

Harry sighed. "Well, my parents were killed when I was little, so Professor Dumbledore decided I should live with my aunt and uncle. He told me that he did it because I had to learn to live as a normal child without everybody paying attention to me because I survived a death curse and defeated the Dark Lord. But when I got to Hogwarts, I found out that I didn't grown up learning to be a normal child. No one else had to live in a cupboard or get beaten for things they had nothing to do with or had no control over," he said with a wracking sigh.

Tony looked at Harry with an intense stare. "Dumbledore is a fool. I've talked to him. He's an idealist who does things with good intentions and thinks that good intentions are enough. But maybe he doesn't see the tragic results of good intentions coupled with neglect. I've seen them up close. Like keeping a family together is a good idea, but not when the lives and safety of a spouse or child is at risk. Or the feeling that an individual should make his own decisions about his fate, regardless of whether that person is capable of making a rational decision. Harry, good intentions are never 'just enough.' you have to follow up on those good intentions."

Harry took a deep breath. "It's not just that. Hogwarts was the best thing that ever happened to me. I got to meet nice people and make friends for the first time. But I also became a target. I found out that Voldemort was after me. And that my friends were at risk just for being my friends."

"And my name got drawn from the Goblet of Fire. It wasn't supposed to he in the goblet, but my name got drawn anyway. And I did well. I won. But that's because it was all part of a plot to get me. I couldn't even enjoy winning the TriWizard Tournament, or share the victory with my friend, Cedric. Instead, he got killed and Voldemort was able to rise again and everyone looks at me like it was my fault."

Tony stared at the boy. "It's not your fault..."

Harry jerked his head up. "Isn't it? The grownups set me up and because I chose to share my victory with Cedric, who helped me during the tournament, he died. And even if it's not my fault, does it matter if everyone thinks it's my fault?"

Tony blinked and tried to find something to say. But Harry cut him off.

"And what about here in Little Whinging? I started to meet some really nice people. And I started to earn money helping these nice people. It was wonderful. Then my uncle took all the money I earned and then almost killed me. Just when I started to enjoying a summer for the first time in my life, it was taken away and I was almost killed."

Harry took a deep breath. "So now I'm here. You and Mae are so nice. And living in the vicarage here is like a dream come true. But I feel like I've got to be on my guard all the time because something might happen. It always does."

Tony's head was hanging. He cautiously cleared his throat. "Harry. You can't explain why all this has happened to you. And I can't guarantee that bad things won't happen to you again. But you aren't going to resolve your concerns by dwelling on them. You are a teenager. You should be out there enjoying yourself like every other teenager. Not that you shouldn't be on guard against whatever fate may throw your way. But don't let it rule your life."

Harry looked up at Tony with hope in his eyes.

Tony gave a wintry smile. "And as for grownups, you'll find that we don't always have all the answers. We learn things from experience, from the mistakes we make along the line. But that doesn't mean we've made all the mistakes and learned all the lessons. I've met middle-aged people, even elderly people, who have less experience, less maturity than you've shown. So my advice is to listen to adults. But when their advice or instructions seem not to make any sense, seek out others to talk about it. Come to me. Or to Mae. I don't guarantee that I'll have all the answers. Or that all my answers will be correct. But I will be here to listen. I will be here to help if I can."

Harry gave Tony a quiet smile. "Okay."

"Anything else on your mind?"

Harry blushed and shifted uncomfortably. "Well...I...uhhhh..."

Tony smiled indulgently again and waited.

Harry hung his head. "Well...I really want to go to the parish dance next week..."

Tony's eyebrows raised. "And...?"

Harry shifted again. "Well...does Mae know how to dance? I don't know how to dance and I need to learn before next Friday. I don't want to feel stupid."

Tony burst into laughter. "Yes, Mae is a good dancer. A lot better than I am. Maybe we can convince her to give you a few lessons. Although most of the dances they do are kind of free-form. You know, just moving to the rhythm of the music. But I think you've got a great idea, there. Most of the girls love to dance and would really like a boy who really knows how."

Harry was blushing furiously, his head still down. "I don't know anything about dancing...or music. But I'd like to meet some people who I could be friends with. And I'd like to be able to dance...with Hermione."