Chapter 58: Secrets Revealed
“Katie, it’s lovely to see you again, dear.”
“You too, Mrs. Weasley “ are you doing well?”
“Oh, I’m doing fine, thank you…”
It was the day after Harry and Ron’s visit to the Bell home, and Katie, her father and sister, as well as Hermione and her parents were returning the visit. Hermione had still not told her parents about her and Ron, and didn’t seem to be working up the nerve to do so anytime soon. Whenever Mr. and Mrs. Granger were in the room she acted as though Ron was no different from any other person, except for the fact that she kept at least three feet away from him at all times.
Ron seemed a little upset by this behavior, but he bore with it for Hermione’s sake. Harry thought that Hermione’s act was going off without a hitch, until Fleur arrived back from the bridal store “ with Charlotte.
“Bonjour ‘Ermione!” Fleur greeted her warmly. “You are well, I ‘ope?”
“Yes, I’m alright,” Hermione replied, throwing a glance over Fleur’s shoulder at Charlotte.
“I ‘eard about Viktor’s death, so terrible. It upset you I’m sure?”
“Yes, I was upset,” Hermione said. “But I’m doing fine…”
Charlotte cleared her throat behind Fleur, who realizing she had forgotten to introduce her cousin, stepped to the side for her to move forward.
“Where are my manners? ‘Ermione, this eez my cousin, Charlotte,” Fleur said. “Charlotte, this eez 'Ermione “ she eez Ron’s “”
“Friend,” Hermione said quickly, as her parents were standing near. She shook Charlotte’s hand coldly, casting her with a surveying look. “It’s nice to meet you, Charlotte.”
“Eet eez a pleasure, ‘Ermoney, I’m sure…” Charlotte replied, her eyebrow raised as she took in Hermione’s appearance, obviously measuring her up.
“It’s Hermione,” Hermione replied, still gripping Charlotte’s hand, and clearly squeezing it quite hard.
“Yes, whatever…” Charlotte said, pulling her hand away from Hermione’s grasp, rubbing it as though it hurt. Beside him, Harry heard Ron swallow very loudly. “So, you’re Ron’s friend? I was given ze impression “”
“Really, that’s interesting,” Hermione said in a dull voice, and she turned her back to Charlotte. “Well, I think Mrs. Weasley wanted us in the kitchen for dinner…” she said the others in the room. There were some nods and murmurs and one by one, the people in the room filed into the kitchen.
“Do you mind eef I sit with you, Ronald?” Charlotte asked him.
“Uh…” Ron said, shooting a desperate glance to Hermione, who shot a look of pure venom at Charlotte. Before she could say anything, however, her father turned to her.
“Hermione, you coming?” he said. “Unless you want to sit with your friends?”
“No, I’ll sit with you and Mum,” she replied, and followed him in.
“Your little girlfriend does not 'av much interest in you, Ronald…” Charlotte said.
“Course she does!” Ron said. “It’s just her mum and dad don’t know…”
Harry immediately knew that Ron had said the wrong thing.
“Why not?” Charlotte asked, feigning innocence.
“Because she hasn’t told them, yet “ alright?” Ron said.
“Maybe we should go to the kitchen…” said Harry.
“What, eez she ashamed of you?” Charlotte asked.
“No.” Ron said, sounding unsure of his own answer.
“Well, what uzzer reason eez there?” Charlotte asked.
“She… she just hasn’t!” Ron said and he turned and went into the kitchen. Charlotte followed him swiftly, and took an empty seat next to Ron. She cast Hermione a look of superiority; Hermione scowled. Harry, who followed Charlotte, took an empty seat next to Katie; everyone had already begun to eat.
“What’s going on?” Katie whispered to Harry.
“Charlotte causing trouble,” he replied quietly.
Mrs. Weasley was seated next to Mr. Bell, next to them were Charlie and Libby, Hermione and her parents, Bill and Fleur, Charlotte, Ron, Katie and Harry. Ginny was visiting the Lovegoods for dinner, Neville had gone to St. Mungo’s to visit his gran, and Fred, George and Percy were all busy with work; Harry was a bit glad that the latter three of them weren’t there, because he felt that somehow they would all manage to make the situation worse.
“So “ ‘Armony, ‘ave you ever ‘ad a boyfriend before?” Charlotte asked.
“It’s Hermione,” Ron corrected her, not looking up at either girl.
“Yes, whatever “ well, ‘ave you?” Charlotte said.
“Why does it matter?” Hermione asked.
“Just wondering…” Charlotte replied.
Hermione ignored her; Charlotte gave a satisfied smile and turned her attention to Ron. She began chatting with him, and Ron seemed to have decided it would be easier to just talk to her than provoke her against Hermione any more. Hermione kept looking at the two of them. Harry and Katie found themselves unable to either eat or talk, because they were so caught up in the tension before them. Then, as though out of nowhere, Libby turned to Hermione.
“Hermione, that’s a beautiful necklace you have “ would you mind if I had a closer look?”
“Well, actually I’d prefer if…”
“Oh, that is lovely. But where did you get it, Hermione?” Mrs. Granger asked, spotting Hermione’s necklace for the first time.
Harry knew know that the game was up. He couldn’t see how she would possibly get out of this without revealing to her parents that she and Ron were together; he also didn’t see why there was any point in keeping the charade up any longer.
Hermione glanced quickly at Ron, who flushed slightly. She looked quite terrified, but then her gaze rested on Charlotte, and she drew herself up straight and looked Charlotte straight in the eye.
“Ron gave it to me,” Hermione said determinedly. “For Valentine’s Day.”
Charlotte looked as though she’d been slapped in the face.
“Why did Ron…?” Mrs. Granger said, looking from her daughter to Ron.
“Ron and I are more than friends…” Hermione said slowly.
“The two of you are together?” Mrs. Granger asked. “Since when?”
“September…” Hermione said timidly. Her satisfaction of having beat Charlotte seemed to have evaporated rather quickly.
“Well, it’s about time!” Mrs. Granger said.
“I’m really sorr “ excuse me, what?” Hermione asked as though she had heard wrong.
“I said it’s about time. It’s obvious you’re crazy about the boy, you never shut up about him!” Mrs. Granger said. “You should have said something sooner!”
“I was scared of how you would react…” Hermione said. “Obviously it was an irrational fear…”
“Ron,” said Mr. Granger. He had not said a word up until this point. Ron, who had been looking rather relieved, turned pale very quickly.
“Yes, sir?” he asked.
“Mind if I have a word with you “ in private?” Mr. Granger asked him.
“Oh… sure,” Ron replied “ his face now green.
The two of them got up and left the kitchen.
“Mum, what’s Dad doing?” Hermione asked, scared.
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry, Hermione…” she said.
Hermione looked unconvinced. Everyone was rather quiet for a moment.
“I’m sorry about that Hermione, I had no idea…” Libby said.
“Don’t worry about it “ my own fault, really,” Hermione told her; she took another quick glance at Charlotte, who was merely pouting now.
“Harry “ Bill and Charlie have Order business tomorrow…” Mrs. Weasley began.
“And you want me to go with them, I suppose?” Harry asked, his mood quickly becoming sour.
“Harry dear “ it’s for your own good. You really need to go…” Mrs. Weasley pleaded.
“What for?” Harry spat.
“The house belongs to you, Harry dear,” Mrs. Weasley said softly. “Besides, if you don’t go “ you’ll never have closure.”
“I think that watching Sirius die was closure enough, thank you very much…” he said coldly, and he stood up and left the table, knocking over a couple of goblets as he did. He went upstairs to Ron’s room and went inside, slamming the door behind him.
Why won’t Mrs. Weasley just drop it, he thought angrily. Obviously I’m not going…
Harry heard footsteps outside the door, and a soft knock.
“Come in,” he said, a little more viciously than he intended.
The door opened slowly, and to his surprise, it was Katie’s father who entered.
“You alright, Harry?” he asked.
“Not really, no…” he answered.
“Harry, I understand how you feel… I mean, I wasn’t forced to see my wife die, but the pain is still there…”
Harry suddenly felt awful. Mr. Bell’s loss must have been much worse than his own; not only that, but Mrs. Weasley had witnessed her own husband die on New Year’s Day, and here he was stomping around like a misunderstood child.
“So I know how you feel. You don’t want to have to face the pain anymore, and going to a place your godfather hated all his life, a place that was a prison for him in his final days “ it’s not something you want to do…”
“How do you know so much…?”
“Katie,” Mr. Bell replied. “She really cares about you Harry, and it’s hard for me to see my daughter so in love with a boy,” he added, with a soft laugh. “But it’s just as hard to see the one she cares about hurt so much, because I know it’s hurting her, too…”
Harry didn’t know quite what to say to this, so he just remained quiet waiting for Mr. Bell to continue.
“Molly seems to think it’s really important that you go to Grimmauld Place, and I think you should go Harry “ you’re not going to heal properly if you still have so much anger inside.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Harry said slowly.
“And, just so you know “ I’m going tomorrow, also…”
“But, you’re not a member of the Order…”
“I’m joining; tomorrow will be my first visit to the headquarters. After my wife’s death “ well let’s just say I need my own closure, and helping put a stop to this war is the best way to do it, I think.”
“I’ll go.” Harry said finally. “You’re right “ I’ll go…”
“Thanks, Harry,” Mr. Bell said. “It’ll mean a lot to Mrs. Weasley.”
He stood up and left, and Harry sighed and lay down on his bed. He lifted his wrist up to see his watch.
“Sirius,” he said. The dog on his dial transformed into Sirius, who winked at him and began his usual routine of watching the second-hand bemusedly.
“Well, looks like we’ll be going home tomorrow, Sirius,” Harry said to his watch. “As much as I don’t want to, I suppose I’ll have to face your death sooner or later…”