Chapter 28: The Jar of Onions
The wizarding world was on edge, and it was showing more and more inside the walls of Hogwarts. The school was under more pressure from the public as people grew more concerned as to where the Death Eaters might strike next, worried more than ever that their children would be the next targets; students were missing from classes often, usually to attend funerals for murdered relatives “ Pansy Parkinson had been asked to visit St. Mungo’s and identify her mother’s body. Though Harry had trouble feeling sympathy for Pansy, as he was sure the Death Eater he had witnessed fall in Diagon Alley was none other than her mother, it was still disturbing to see a student asked to do such a thing.
The only good news Harry, Ron, and Hermione received from the time of the Quidditch Massacre “ as it had come to be called - through the endlessly long month before the end of term, was that it seemed Moody was going to be fine. He still wasn’t in good shape, which was saying something given his already mangled appearance, but he had regained consciousness after a week of treatment, and he was no longer in danger of death.
Exhausted from class work and missing their families, students eagerly boarded the Hogwarts Express on the chilly December morning that marked the first day of holidays. Harry’s feelings were mixed “ he was eager to see Katie once again, but was worried what her reaction would be when she inevitably found out about Hermione’s holiday guest, and he certainly hoped that discovery would occur later rather than sooner.
Though, there was another thing that Harry was feeling very anxious about, and it concerned the decision he and Katie had made that week, through journal correspondence, that Christmas would be the best time to finally announce their engagement. It had, after all, been three and a half months since Harry had proposed, and there no longer seemed to be much point in putting it off.
And, of course, Harry would only feel right telling Ron and Hermione his news before announcing it to anyone else concerned, and so as the scarlet train chugged out of Hogsmeade, he sat in apprehensively with his three equally travelling companions: Ron, Hermione, and Siobhan. Ron and Hermione still seemed awkward talking with one another if there wasn’t a third party involved, and as Siobhan usually had to be provoked into conversation and Harry wasn’t sure he could push himself to speak at all that moment, the four of them wound up sitting silently for the first ten minutes of the journey. While Ron and Harry observed Crookshanks and Mian “ Siobhan’s orange tabby cat - the only mildly interesting members of the compartment, Hermione and Siobhan each took out books and began to read.
It wasn’t until Harry was sure he heard a pin drop, that anyone spoke at all, and it was Ron who broke the silence.
“So, what are you reading?” he asked the two girls, seated on the other side of the compartment.
“I’m reading a study on the druids’ influences on early magic,” came Hermione’s response, as she smiled brightly. “It’s fascinating.”
Harry tried his best not to laugh, and Ron just feigned an encouraging smile. The three of them turned to Siobhan. Their eyes rested upon her expectantly for about fifteen seconds before she reacted at all.
“What’s wrong with you lot?” she asked.
“You were asked a question…” Harry informed her.
“What are you reading?” Ron repeated.
“A book.”
“What’s it about, Murphy?” Ron asked.
“It’s about a prince who has to avenge his father’s death, and gets himself and a lot of other people killed in the process…” she explained dryly, before smiling slightly and adding, “It’s fascinating.”
At that point, Harry and Ron could no longer inhibit their amusement, and laughed for a good minute while Hermione begged to be let in on ‘what was so funny. When they eventually calmed down, Siobhan had returned to her book and Hermione was watching them in irritation. Harry let out a deep breath.
“Listen, there’s been something I’ve been meaning to tell you “ and there just hasn’t been a very good opportunity lately,” he started.
“I’m just going to go… roam the corridor…” Siobhan said randomly, before picking up and hastily leaving the compartment, leaving Ron and Hermione slightly taken aback for a moment.
“She’s insane,” Ron said, though he sounded impressed.
“Er… as I was saying,” Harry began again. “There’s something important I want to tell you both.”
“Well “ what is it?” Hermione asked.
“It’s about Katie and me…” he said.
“You haven’t broken up, have you?” Ron asked.
“No, no…” Harry replied, unable to suppress a grin.
“So it’s something good, then?” Hermione deduced. “I knew something was going on. Since September…”
“Do you want me to tell you, or not?” Harry asked, though he half-wished she would just guess so he could simply confirm.
“Yes, please do,” Hermione said quickly.
“I …er…”
Harry’s intended next word seemed to hang on the air, as Ron and Hermione’s heads leaned forward in anticipation. Ron moved his eyebrows upwards encouragingly.
“You…?” Hermione said, gesturing her hands in an onwards movement.
“We’ve…”
“Oh, bloody hell, Harry!” Ron snapped impatiently. “Would you just say it?”
Not wanting to incur anyone’s wrath, Harry decided just to be out with it.
“I proposed to Katie. We’ve been engaged.”
Ron’s jaw dropped open, Hermione leaned forward.
“Engaged? You mean… to be married?” she asked.
“Yes.”
There was a very charged silence, during which Harry wasn’t sure what to expect. Ron seemed too purely astonished to give any kind of response, while Hermione seemed to be rationalising Harry’s actions in her ever busy mind.
“Congratulations,” she said finally, and earnestly.
“Really?” Harry asked.
“Of course, really,” Hermione said, smiling at last and moving forward to give him a hug. “I could of course accuse you of being impulsive, and say it’s too soon…”
“But you’re not going to, right?” Harry said, brow raised.
“But I believe you’ve made this decision for the right reasons,” Hermione said.
Harry let out a sigh of relief; Hermione’s reaction had been the one he was most worried about. They both turned to Ron, who shook himself out of his stunned daze and, eyes still wide, gave Harry the most manly, back-clapping congratulatory hug he could manage.
“I’m the best man, right?” he asked with a grin.
“Well, the wedding won’t be for another good while,” Harry said, gaining a nod of approval from Hermione, “But, yes, of course.”
“So… when did this happen exactly?” Hermione asked, smiling broadly now.
“The night before we left for school…”
“The two of you did seem extremely happy that morning,” Ron recalled. “Though I thought it was “ something else.”
“I wanted to tell you sooner, but things just kept getting in the way,” Harry explained.
“Yeah “ I remember you saying you had something you wanted to talk to us about,” Hermione said. “But then…”
Suddenly the smile vanished from her face, and she looked down sadly. Ron coughed uncomfortably and looked out the window. Fortunately, Siobhan arrived right on time for the first time since Harry had known her, effectively ending the awkward moment.
“Anything interesting happen while I was gone?”
The sky was dark when the steam engine eventually pulled into King’s Cross station, and every student was as eager as the next to get off the train and outside to their families. Ron and Hermione very shamelessly abused their Head privileges to get themselves, Harry and Siobhan to the front of the line, and out onto the platform.
Not to his surprise, but to his great pleasure, Katie was the first to meet him, and when he was finally released from her kiss, he was greeted with a handshake by Charlie.
‘Alrigh’ there?” Harry asked him. “Heard you got scratched up…”
“The dragons have done worse,” Charlie replied with a wink. “Where’s my little brother?”
“Somewhere behind me,” Harry said, tossing his head in a backwards gesture. “I think he stopped to help a first year…”
“A likely alibi,” Charlie said, before walking past Harry and Katie in search of Ron.
“Shall we get off the Platform now before the exit is too crowded?”
“Oh, but I haven’t seen Hermione or Ron…”
“You’re coming to Grimmauld Place tonight, aren’t you? Ron’ll be there…”
“But Hermione is going to my house to meet her parents.”
“You’ll see her in a couple days.”
“Well, I want to see her now “ oh, there she is… Hermione!”
Harry turned to see Hermione walking towards them, her trunk levitating behind her, Crookshanks trotting alongside. She greeted Katie with a hug.
“I heard about… you know,” Hermione said with a grin. “Congratulations.”
“Oh, but you haven’t even seen the ring yet,” Katie told her, holding out her hand for Hermione to admire.
“Wow!” Hermione said, looking dazzled. “That’s beautiful… and how come nobody’s guessed… seeing that on your finger? Unless…”
“It’s charmed to be invisible,” Harry said, approaching the two girls, hoping to end their reunion before Siobhan joined Hermione. “To anyone who doesn’t already know.”
“That’s clever,” Hermione said appreciatively. “Does it do anything else?”
“That’s not for you to know,” Harry replied.
“So it does do something, then?” Hermione asked curiously.
“Can we discuss this another time, Hermione?” he said, with a significant look.
“Why are you in such a hurry?” Katie asked, looking at him in annoyance.
“You know… he’s right,” Hermione said quickly. “It’s dark, it’s not safe… look “ there are Aurors everywhere, I’m sure they want to get everyone out of the station as soon as possible. Perhaps we should all just get home?”
“Yes, you have a point,” Katie sighed. “Sorry, Harry “ look, I’ll see you soon, Hermione. Have a safe trip home…”
“You, too.”
They all turned to leave, Harry mouthing ‘thank you’ to Hermione as he saw Siobhan’s curly red hair making it’s way out of the crowd. Joined by Charlie and Ron, Harry and Katie made it quickly to the line to get off Platform 9 and ¾ and walked around the corner from King’s Cross, looking for a less conspicuous place to Apparate from.
Arriving with a pop on Grimmauld Place, the four of them walked quickly down the deserted street, stopping in front of the gloomy Number Twelve and entering to a very warm welcome. Mrs. Weasley was, unsurprisingly, the first at the door, trapping Ron in a suffocating hug, having not seen him since September. Harry’s embrace left more room to breathe, was not much less enthusiastic. By habit, she led them to the kitchen where hot dinners awaited them, along with the rest of the Weasley clan, including a significantly more rounded Fleur, who Harry spotted stealing a large spoonful of mashed potatoes from her unsuspecting husband’s plate.
Exhausted and very much satiated, Harry bid Katie goodnight, and he and Ron crawled upstairs to their room.
“It’s unreal, you know,” Ron said as they climbed into their beds. “You and Katie…”
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Harry said.
“To be honest,” Ron whispered. “I knew it would happen one day, but I always thought it would be… the four of us. You and Katie… and… Hermione and me.”
“I thought it was going to be Hermione and you long before I even considered Katie and me,” Harry told him.
I still think it will be Hermione and you, he added privately.
“Funny how things work out,” Ron said sadly, and Harry heard his head hit his pillow.
Harry didn’t think it was ‘funny’ at all, but he murmured a false agreement and allowed himself to drift off to sleep.
The morning was not as welcoming to Harry as his return home had been the previous evening. Walking drowsily downstairs, he was met by Tonks and Charlie, who mumbled a ‘Wotcher’ and a ‘Mornin’ to him as they fled the kitchen.
Harry was not confused very long, for the source of what had driven them away became quite clear.
“Beel! Beel “ where eez my jar of onions?!” came a shrill voice.
“Love, I don’t know “ ”
“Why are zey not where I left zem?” the angry woman demanded.
“Maybe you accidentally put them somewhere else and forgot “ ”
“I deed not forget!”
“What’s she need onions for?” Harry asked Bill, who was frantically looking everywhere for the elusive jar of onions.
“She’s got all sorts of mad cravings with this pregnancy “ she refuses to eat porridge unless she has onions with it… and she insists on having porridge, so…”
“Are you complaining about me to ‘Arry?” Fleur accused. “ ‘Ow can you be so cruel? I am carrying your child, and you would razair complain zan seemply get me what I need?”
She burst into tears and stormed from the kitchen.
“Fleur! I found the onions, love!” Bill said, running after her.
“Temperamental, demanding and pregnant,” someone said, seated at the table. “Not a good combination.”
Harry turned drowsily to see who was speaking, and blinked as he saw the person he knew couldn’t possibly be really sitting there.
“Lupin?