Harry Potter and the Mysteries of Love

Chapter 2- Action Reaction

'Cornelius Fudge Has Been Kissed By A Dementor!' read the front page of the daily prophet. 'In the late hours of the night before the night before last the Minister of Magic was captured in his home and taken to a nearby field...'

"They just now got the news?" Mrs. Weasly quietly asked her husband at the breakfast table as if not to let the children hear.

"I believe that they've been waiting until it was safe to let the news out," Mr. Weasley replied. "I think now that it's public news, we should inform the kids."

"Oh, I'm not sure," Molly wondered worriedly.

"They'll find out soon enough," Charlie Weasley announced, as he came into the kitchen.

"What will we find out?" questioned Ginny Weasly, returning from the living room.

"Nothing we don't already know," Ron spoke, as he, too, entered the room. Harry and Hermione followed.

"Oh dear," said Molly trying to cover up her confusion. "What do you think it might be?" She asked the children.

"Just the news about Fudge," Harry put in.

"How did you know?" Mrs. Weasley asked, flabbergasted.

"Don't underestimate them, Molly," Arthur answered, with a sly smile and pointed to the extendable ear that was barely peaking out of Ron's pocket.

Molly, her confusion under control, exclaimed, "Extendable Ears! I'm sure I expelled those from this house!"

"Oh Molly, don't get so uptight," Arthur demanded.

Her anger immediately shifted to her husband. "Don't get so uptight?" she coolly asked. "Arthur Weasley shame on you!"

These random accusations went on for few minutes and, noticing there was no end in site, Harry and Ron slipped out. "So, what do you want to do today?" Harry asked Ron.

"What do you want to do?"

"What do you think I want to do?"

"Why don't you tell me?"

"Why don't you answer the original question?

"What on Earth are you boys doing?" Hermione asked as she walked in the room.

"What do you think we're doing?" Ron replied.

"Go on just play your silly question game."

"That wasn't a question!" Ron exclaimed in delight. "You lose."

"That wasn't a question either," Hermione answered.

"I guess I win," Harry decided.

"You guys are pathetic!" Ginny chimed in as she marched past them to the hallway.

"Where are you off to?" Harry asked. "Am I invited?"

Ginny gave him an odd look. "No Harry, I'm going to the bathroom."

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Later that afternoon, when the four children (who weren't children anymore) were all engrossed in a book, there was a knock on the door. Mrs. Weasley, who had been quietly reading as well, was startled and wondered what time it was. As she walked toward the door she checked the clock, but it wasn't the time clock it was the family clock (she had been spending so much time at Number Twelve that she decided to move it there). To her surprise and delight to hands were pointing to the newly added "Number Twelve" that weren't there before. She hurriedly rushed to the door and opened it.

"Hello mum," Fred and George greeted their mother in unison.

"My babies!" She reached out to hug them and they returned the enthusiasm. They slowly came in drawing attention from all those reading. The four children who weren't children anymore ran to the two boys that were now men.

"What have you been up to?" Ron eagerly questioned.

"We've been busying ourselves with our new store," cam Fred's reply. The crowd pushed Fred and George into the Kitchen where they all took seats and began a long talk. They spoke about where Fred and George had been all this time, what was happening in the world now, and what was going to happen in the future.

After all this talk the group split up again and continued reading while Fred and George made themselves some food. Harry was happy to return to The Lord of the Rings. He started right where he left off.

After a couple of hours of reading, Harry got up to go upstairs. As he left the room, he was followed by Ginny. "Harry, I need to talk to you."

"What about?"

"Stuff."

"Let's go upstairs"

"Alright" Ginny agreed and they both went upstairs, leaving Hermione and Ron alone. Once they reached Harry's bedroom, Ginny began, "Something's the matter with Hermione."

"Is it serious?" Harry asked in a concerned voice.

"See, that's just it. I don't know"

"Well, what's happening?"

"All last night she was crying." Harry looked away from Ginny and turned towards Hedwig. She was happily consuming a rat.

"Harry?" Ginny tried to get his attention. "Harry, are you listening?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry."

"Well, I was wondering, did you say anything to her?"

"Like what?"

"Well, something that might upset her."

"Well we kind of had a fight yesterday."

"Where?"

"In Flourish and Blots."

"About what?" Ginny persisted.

"About her liking Ron."

"Oh" Ginny stopped at that.

Harry then took up the reins and started questioning Ginny. "Last night you said that she told you differently. What did she say?"

"She just told me something different from what you told Ron last night."

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Downstairs Ron and Hermione continued reading. Hermione finally broke the silence by complaining, "This is the stupidest book I have ever read."

"What is it?" Ron asked.

"Larry Botter and the Goblet for Hire."

"That does sound stupid."

"It's written by A. J. Bowling."

"No wonder," Ron said dismissively.

"Ron?" called Hermione.

"Yes?"

"Does Harry like me?"

"What?" Ron asked, embarrassed to be having this conversation.

"You heard me."

"So what if he does?"

"I just wanted to clarify it with you."

"Oh."

"Ron?" called Hermione.

"Yes," said Ron getting annoyed.

"Never mind."

"No, really, Hermione, what is it?"

"You obviously don't want to hear it."

"Fine"

"Ron?" called Hermione.

"What is it Hermione?!"

"Do you like me?"

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"So what did she say?" Harry persisted.

"It's not for me to tell."

"Fine." Harry got up to go downstairs.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you-" She was cut off. Harry and Ginny had both thought they heard something.

"Did you hear that?" Harry asked.

"Yes. What did it say?"

"I think it said 'Harry'" The two of them ran down the stairs to tell Ron and Hermione.

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Ron was spared the trouble of answering Hermione's question by the clambering of feet coming down the stairs. "Did you hear that?" Harry asked urgently as he approached his two friends.

"Hear what?" Ron asked skeptically.

"It was like a whisper, but it sounded so loud," Ginny piped in.

"We didn't here anything," Hermione said.

"What did it say?" Ron question, becoming more interested.

"It said 'Harry'," answered Ginny seriously.

The four talked, in the living room, for what seemed like hours, about the possible origins of the whisper and what it could mean. "I think it was one of the paintings," Hermione put in.

"I was thinking the same thing," Harry added. "But I heard the same voice at my house, before I came to Diagon Alley." This last statement brought even more confusion to the conversation.

Moments later, there conversation was interrupted by Mrs. Weasley passing by on her way to the Kitchen. "What are you four up to?" she asked, as she looked at them suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing Mum," Ron explained.

"Really," she gave the four a sly smile. "I'll be off then."

With that she left for the kitchen. Barely a minute later, they heard an angry scream coming from the Kitchen. The four looked curiously down the stairs for a clue to this mayhem. Soon enough, Mrs. Weasley came running up the stairs, her hair frozen in midair. Then, all of a sudden, it burst into flames, much like a Phoenix. She yelled, "You two!" Her hair then froze again.

"Wash it out with vinegar," called Fred's voice from down the stairs. Soon after, the twins came up the stairs in a fit of giggles.

"One of our better ones," George claimed. "One tiny spray will have her hair freezing for the rest of the day."

"We haven't come up with a name for it yet," Fred put in.

"So, what's been going on up here?" George wondered. George and Fred came over to the couch and listened to the Harry and Ginny's story.

"Don't know what it could've been," Fred explained, but their conversation was cut short by the loud crack that signified Mr. Weasley had come home from work.

"Hello everyone!" he exclaimed as he approached the couch. "Fred, George, when did you get here?"

"This afternoon." George explained.

"Where's Charlie?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"He's been up in his room all day," Ginny promptly responded. "Don't know what he's been doing."

"Just wondering," Mr. Weasly said. "I'm going to the kitchen. Tell me if he comes down."

Charlie was taking a break from working with dragons to spend more time with his family. "Feels like I haven't seen you all in ages," he said shortly after he had arrived. Mrs. Weasly was simply delighted to see him.

Fred, George, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and Harry continued talking, but now they were discussing school. "I'm so glad I don't have to go back," George said gleefully.

"We're about ready to open the shop," Fred claimed excitedly. "We'll be sure to give you all Christmas treats." Fred and George began to laugh heartily, but Ginny gave a look of horror as she thought of what might turn up at the foot of her bed.

"I really don't need a Christmas present from you," she explained. The six continued to talk for a while, but soon they were called for supper.

By the time everyone made it two the dinner table, it was nearly eight o'clock. Mrs. Weasley had made vegetable soup, and they all served themselves plenty. When everyone was finished slurping up his or her last morsels of soup, Mr. Weasley cornered Charlie.

"So, what have you been doing all day?" Arthur questioned Charlie.

"Oh, you know me, just studying up on dragons," he responded a little too smoothly.

"Were you?" Mrs. Weasley inquired. "Share with us what you learned."

"Oh, well, the usual," Charlie explained.

"I thought the reason you came back from Romania was because you were lonely." Mr. Weasley was getting his accusation ready.

"Well he wasn't alone," Fred interrupted. He and George exploded into a laughing fit.

"Well, you see, I had a..." Charlie tried to think, "a study partner."

"What kind of a study partner," Molly pressed on.

"A female one," Ginny put in. "With quite the chest."

"CHARLIE WEASLEY!" he cowered at his mother's voice. "Such an inappropriate display and in front of the children."

"We were just kissing," Charlie explained in a guilty tone.

"We'll see about that- "Mrs. Weasley was cut off.

"Really, Molly, he is an adult." Mr. Weasley tried to defend his son.

"Yeah, I am!" As they had done this morning, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny slipped out of the room during all the commotion.

"Really, they always seem to be fighting about something," Ron complained as they made their way up to the living room.

"Oh, just ignore it, Ron," Hermione comforted him. "I wonder who the girl was." She and Ginny suddenly burst into a fit of giggles.

"I don't know," Harry thought. "I suppose that's really why he came back." Ginny, Harry, Hermione, and Ron headed up to the boy's room.

Hold on a second, guys," Hermione requested and she ran over to her room and brought out a rather small package. "Happy belated birthday, Harry." Harry opened the package, and to his surprise, it wasn't a textbook or a homework kit, it was a calendar.

"On each day, I've written something I like about you," Hermione pointed to the writing.

"Wow!" Harry said excitedly. "Thanks." He looked at today's square. It said 'you are a great quidditch player'. The four of the walked into the boys bedroom and began to speculate.

"I'll go straight to the library Monday morning," Hermione insisted.

"It's not like that's anything new," Ron muttered. Mrs. Weasley suddenly burst into the room.

"It's time for bed. Everyone, come on." They all went to there separate bedrooms and began to change into their pajamas.

Fifteen minutes later, Harry and Ron lay in their beds. Both knew the other was lying awake, but neither spoke. Ron really wanted to talk but he thought he and Harry might argue so he remained silent. Harry was almost ready to start a conversation several times, but his words always seemed to melt like butter in the room's tension. After many tries, Harry finally spoke.

"Ron?"

"Yes?" Ron responded eagerly.

"Did you and Hermione talk about anything while I was away?"

"Nothing interesting," Ron replied flatly.

"Oh, okay." Harry rolled over as if to go to sleep. Ron, wanting to keep the conversation going, decided to answer truthfully.

"Well, we talked about you," he said.

Harry rolled over like worm in hot ashes. "Go on," he insisted.

"Well she just wondered if you liked her."

"And what did you say?" Harry persisted.

"Well I-" Ron paused, "to be truthful I just said 'so what if he does'."

"Well that was really good of you, Ron," Harry accused.

"What was I supposed to say?" Ron asked in frustration. "You know Hermione. She has those big blue eyes that just stare through you."

"Hermione has brown eyes, Ron."

"Oh," said Ron a little embarrassed. "Well, she has those big brown eyes that just stare through you. It's like there saying 'Ron, tell me the truth'. I didn't want to disappoint her."

"Anything else?" Harry asked, unconvinced that Ron was compelled to tell Hermione about his feelings.

"Well," Ron hesitated, "she asked me if I liked her."

"So, I guess that you told her that you did."

"Well er-"

"Ron, I can't believe you! First you tell her that I like her but you can't even say that you do too!"

"Hold on a minute!" Ron demanded. "You came downstairs just as she asked. There was no time to answer!"

"You wouldn't have told her anyway!" Harry and Ron turned their backs to each other and silence cam over them. After what seemed like hours of endless thinking, Harry finally got to sleep.

He was standing on a hill. He was wearing the finest dress robes ever made. He was looking into someone's big brown eyes. It was Hermione. She was dressed all in white with a veil on her head. He looked down the hill. James and Lily Potter were looking up at him. Lily had tears in her eyes. Harry looked all around. Ron was nowhere to be found. Harry's best man, to his enormous surprise, was Neville! Where was Ron? All of a sudden at the very bottom of the hill Ron appeared. He was looking furious. At his side was none other than Voldemort. Ron raised his wand, as if to curse Harry, but Sirius emerged from the crowd of people and stood it his way.

"Crucio!" Ron yelled. But instead of Ron's voice he heard the voice of Peter Petigrew. It was the voice of a traitor. Harry looked toward the ground where Sirius lay squirming.

All of a sudden, Harry raised his wand, pointed it at Ron and called out, "Avada Kedavra!" Ron, still with a look of utter hatred on his face, fell to the ground. He was dead. Hermione screamed and ran to Ron's side. She looked back. Her piercing glare wasn't at all like her. She looked at him with a loathing Harry had never seen before. To his astonishment, a rat crawled out of Ron's pocket. Harry raised his wand to kill Wormtail, but before the words came of his mouth, he awoke.

Harry's face was drenched with cold sweat. He looked out the window. The sun was rising. He looked around. Ron was staring at him.

"Blimey, Harry," Ron said. "What were you dreaming?" Harry hesitated, but then told Ron about his dream. Ron was speechless.

"Ron, it was just a dream," Harry said reassuringly.

"It's not just your dream," Ron began, "It's just that I had that same dream, only it was from my point of view."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked. "Were you marrying Hermione or were you killed by me?"

"I was killed by you."

"Oh," Harry said." Do you think we should tell Hermione?"

"I don't know," Ron answered. "It'd be kind of embarrassing."

"Yeah, I guess," Harry responded, but his thoughts weren't on Hermione. They were on Sirius. It was the first time he'd thought of Sirius since he'd gotten to Number Twelve. His stomach plummeted twenty feet. Once again he recalled the first time he'd met his godfather. Flashing before his eyes were all the secret letters and conversations in the common room fire. He yearned to hear his voice again... He turned to his bedside table and looked at the calendar Hermione had given him. 'You are strong,' it read. Harry looked at the muscle on his arms and decided that it didn't mean physically.

Twenty minutes later, Harry found himself sitting at the breakfast table. Hermione was arguing with George about the dangers of using a Dicet Charm on Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans.

"What if their head is split in two forever?" Hermione questioned just as ridiculing as concerned.

"Well St. Mungo's is just down the street," George joked.

"Seriously, George," Hermione attacked, "You could be sent to Azkaban for up to a year if they sue you."

"We'll figure it out, Hermione." George winked at Fred.

"All right, Harry?" Charlie asked Harry.

"Oh, yeah," Harry lied. He really was as far from 'all right' as he thought possible. He was having dreams about murdering his best friend, mourning over his godfather, and hung over with feelings for Hermione.

"Please pass the jam," Hermione request awkwardly of Harry. He reached for the jam and handed to her. About the only good thing happening now was that he was leaving for Hogwarts, today.