Chapter 2: Procedures and Potatoes
"How long were you watching us?" Harry asked Lupin as he caught up with him.
"Oh--" Lupin checked his watch. "I got here about a half an hour ago. Arthur said you were here already and I went looking for you." He paused. "Are you two dating?"
Harry was taken aback. "What? Ginny and--" he pointed at himself. He vigorously shook his head. "No, nooo! We're just friends!" He eyed Lupin curiously. That sad smile returned to his face as his eyes took on a reminiscent look. "Why?"
Lupin gazed into the distance. "When I looked in the door, I thought for a split second that I was looking at Lily and James." He glanced at Harry and chuckled. "Sorry," he said as he walked off.
Harry stopped and stared at Lupin's retreating figure. Lupin looked even grayer and his shoulders were bowed down as if he was carrying a huge burden on them. Harry suddenly realized how much harder Sirius' death must have been on Lupin. Two of his best friends dead, the third a Death Eater--he must feel very alone right now.
"Hey, Harry!" He turned to see Ginny running toward him. "Everything alright?" He took a deep breath and shrugged. "Yeah; I was just surprised by something Professor Lupin said."
"Oh? What was it?"
Harry paused. Oh, why not? "He said we looked like my parents."
"Really? I look like your mum?" Ginny smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear. "She had red hair?"
Harry nodded as they entered the kitchen. Just then Percy came in through the back door. Harry stiffened at the sight of him, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ron and Ginny turn their backs to him. When the Ministry chose to ignore Voldemort's return last year, Percy chose to follow the Ministry and abandoned his family. Even though Harry knew Percy's parents would be quick to forgive him, he was nevertheless surprised to see him back so soon.
"Percy dear," Mrs. Weasley said with a smile as she handed him the plates. "Would you help set the table?"
"Of course Mum," Percy answered a little too brightly as he looked around the room. "Just a minute?" And he headed straight for Harry.
Harry stood still for a moment, and then turned his back on Percy as well. He thought back to the heartache the Weasleys suffered and the personal betrayal he felt because of Percy and just couldn't bring himself to face him.
"Hello Harry."
"Percy."
"Listen I--" Percy seemed to be really put out by Harry's indifferent attitude to him. "Harry, I'm sorry about last year. I should have known better. It's just--you should know the pressure I was under at work--"
"So you chose your job over your family?" Harry started to feel anger well up in him as he turned around. "Percy, you knew me! Personally! And Dumbledore! How could you--" Harry was gearing up to tear Percy to shreds when he saw Mrs. Weasley humming over her stove out of the corner of his eye. He suddenly remembered the boggart from last year and realized that she would not want Percy alienated from the family, especially in times like this. Harry gave a grunt of frustration and looked away for a moment.
"Harry please--" Percy gave Harry his hand.
Harry glared into Percy's eyes. "Alright. Alright fine. But I'm warning you, Percy, you'd better be careful." He reluctantly shook Percy's hand and then stalked away toward Ron. "The nerve of him," he muttered out of the corner of his mouth as he helped Ron with the silverware.
"Hey, you don't need to tell me; he's talked to all of us that way. I swear, if Mum and Dad weren't so happy to have him back, I wouldn't let him into the house. D'you know Dad made Percy his assistant in the Ministry?"
"Are you serious?"
Ron nodded. "Said he wanted someone with experience in that position and he wanted to unite the family again." He glared in Percy's direction. "It's going to take more than that." Lupin then entered the kitchen and they all sat down to an abnormally quiet dinner.
After everything was cleared away Lupin pulled Harry to the side. "There are some things we need to talk about," he said. They went into the living room and as they sat down, he pulled a roll of parchment out of his pocket and showed it to Harry. "It's Sirius' will," he said as he unrolled it. "Dumbledore's already executed it on your behalf, but you still should be told."
Harry's heart sank a little when he saw Sirius' name at the top of the document. Somehow, seeing his will made his death feel horribly real.
"Sirius left everything to you," Lupin continued, "and he placed you under my legal guardianship." He turned to Harry. "I know I can't replace him Harry, but I hope I can be someone you can turn to when you need anything." Harry's hands started to shake a little as a great wave of sadness enveloped him. Lupin put his hand on his shoulder, but Harry quickly pulled away.
"No it--it's alright I--I'm okay," Harry said gruffly without looking at Lupin's face. He closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath in an effort to compose himself. After a few minutes he opened his eyes again and turned to Lupin, who was looking at him with sadness and sympathy in his eyes. Harry forced himself to smile to show he was okay, but the smile lasted a fraction of a second and was not convincing at all.
Harry cleared his throat and stood up. Lupin stood with him and grabbed his shoulders. "Harry," he said quietly. Harry reluctantly looked up at Lupin's face. The expression he saw there reminded him that they were suffering the same loss, but Harry still couldn't bring himself to surrender to the emotions boiling inside of him.
"I'm okay," Harry said again. He felt more like he was trying to convince himself of this than Lupin. He pulled away and headed upstairs.
The next few days were subdued at the Burrow. Hermione came on Wednesday, and various members of the Order dropped by every day to say hello. Harry greeted each of them politely, knowing they all meant well. Despite everyone's support though, Harry still felt moody and depressed.
Then on Saturday, Fred and George came for a visit. "Hiya Harry! How's it going?" Fred said jovially, slapping Harry on the back.
"We wanted to come earlier, but business at the joke shop has been so strong that we can hardly get away," George said as he pumped Harry's hand. "Lee wanted to come along too; he probably will later."
Since it was such a beautiful evening, Mrs. Weasley decided to serve dinner outside. Since the pork roast wasn't done when the table was set, Mrs. Weasley stayed in the kitchen to tend to it while Ginny served the side dishes.
"I hope you like the mashed potatoes," she said as she set the big bowl in front of Harry and grabbed the serving spoon. "I made them myself." She plunged the spoon into the potatoes and tried to scoop some out. The spoon didn't budge.
Harry grasped the sides of the bowl and peered in cautiously. Well, it looks alright, he thought, but then lots of things can look like mashed potatoes. "I'm not sure if it's supposed to be that consistency," he said as he glanced up at Ginny with an amused grin. Beside him, Ron was trying very hard not to laugh, while Hermione, who was sitting on Harry's other side, was glaring at him behind Harry's back.
"You expect us to eat that?" George asked as he stepped up and prodded the bowl's contents.
"Hey, come off it," Fred scolded as he pulled George away. "Although--say Ginny, if we don't eat it, could we borrow that stuff for our Underwater Stinkers? We'd been trying to find a sinking device that could gradually break up underwater." He looked tentatively into the bowl. "But on second thought..."
By this time Ginny had turned very red. With Harry still holding onto the bowl, she grasped the spoon handle with both hands and tried desperately to pull it free. Then suddenly, the spoon flew out of the bowl, slingshoting a huge glop of potato straight at Harry's face.
Ginny was horrified. "Oh Harry, I'm so sorry..."
Harry sat there for a moment with the potato on his face which, oddly enough, did not slide off. The sides of his mouth slowly curled up into a smile as he chuckled at how ludicrous he must look. He let go of the bowl, wiped most of the potato off his face with his hand, and flicked it to the side.
"Hey!" Harry turned, his eyes wide, and realized he had flicked the potato onto Ron's shirt. He tried not to laugh as he grabbed a napkin. "Sorry Ron," Harry chortled as he wiped his face.
But Ron was having none of that. He scooped the potato of his shirt and flung it at Harry, who ducked. "Hey!" Hermione yelled as the blob hit her hair. She grabbed a roll off the table and threw it at Ron just as Harry pulled his head up. "Ow!" Harry yelled at the roll hit the side of his head. Still trying to hold back a laugh, he snatched up the roll to throw back at Hermione...
"FOOD FIGHT!" Fred and George suddenly yelled, and before anyone knew what was happening, dinner was in the air. Everyone grabbed whatever they could get their hands on and soon potatoes and beans and rolls and salad started flying at everybody's faces.
The whole scene of complete abandon was so hilarious that Harry started to laugh as if he had never laughed before. He fell rolling on the ground, howling as his eyes teared up and he held his aching sides. The flying food paused for a moment as everyone turned to gape at Harry, then they laughed too as they all turned their attacks on Harry. Fred and George were just starting to bewitch balls of Ginny's now-softened potatoes when Mrs. Weasley came out with the pork roast.
"WHAT IN THE WORLD DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" she screamed. Everyone froze. "I LEAVE YOU ALONE FOR FIVE MINUTES--LOOK AT THIS MESS!" As Mrs. Weasley started picking up steam, Harry tried his best to take deep breaths and stop laughing, but it wasn't until they finally finished cleaning up themselves and the front lawn before he completely calmed down. He needed this. Boy, did he ever need this.
Harry Potter and the French Blue: Year 6 by Berylla Chubb
Chapter Notes: Harry and Lupin talk about Sirius after dinner, bringing back all the emotions Harry had been dealing with during that summer. Then later in the week, Fred and George drop by for dinner.