The Lewis House 76 страница

"Hermione's good for him," Bill said. "So's working with Sirius."

"Yes, and I'm glad he's there. With those two heading up the justice department and Moody running Culparrat, I'm well satisfied. Charlie and Mick have Azkaban under control, and Rose Brown does the work of three with the Privy Council - oh, there's work yet to do, but it's coming together." Arthur smiled, and Molly was thrilled to see that it was a real smile, not one of the tired, tight ones he'd been giving for so long. "It's really coming together. I can hardly believe it. I'll be calling for Privy Council elections soon - it really seems time to elect new P.C.s, and once they're installed they can prepare to select the Magical Advisory and the Minister of Magic."

"You're going to open debates on a new Minister right off?" Bill frowned.

"Well, it's time to get the thing sorted out," said Arthur, looking unconcerned. "If the P.C.s select me, I'll be happy to continue on at the Ministry, but I can't remain the default Minister forever, not now that our corner of the wizarding world is nearly healthy again. People deserve -"

"You're not default," Bill said stoutly. "You've done a brilliant job."

"Now, Bill, don't give me more credit than I'm due, when we're all doing our parts. You've been a great help to Gringotts and to me." He smiled. "Perhaps you'd like to run for Privy Council?"

Bill shook his head, but he looked very pleased, and Molly was reminded of all the times he'd helped his father on projects as a child. He'd usually be standing on a stepstool in the garage, holding onto some Muggle contraption while Arthur pulled and tugged at it. Arthur's hair had been thicker then, and Bill's had been… short. She reached out and smoothed his hair, instinctively running a hand over his ponytail. "How long do you plan -" she began, but Bill seemed to know what was coming.

"I'm keeping it forever, Mum. I'm not cutting it off." He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "I'm going to go and see if I can get Max down here for dinner, all right?"

"I'm down here." They all turned to see Max in the door, washed and dressed, his eyes fixed on Bill. "I heard your voice. Where's everyone else?"

"Not here yet."

Max looked satisfied. "Did you bring the mummy dust, like you said?"

"Absolutely."

"Cool." Max followed Bill into the front room, where they sat on the floor on either side of Bill's knapsack. Molly and Arthur moved closer to the kitchen door, in order to overhear the conversation.

"Want to see the dust first, or would you rather read a bit about the mummy, so you know what you're touching?" Bill handed Max an enormous book. "Page nine hundred and twelve - and this is sixth year level Defense reading, so let me know if you need any help."

Max snorted, opened the book, and became immediately absorbed. "Oh wow," he murmured, after a few minutes. "Did they really bury two hundred living people with him?"

"Isn't that amazing?"

"Yeah. And was he really a wizard, or was he what Muggles think a wizard is?"

"Really a wizard - although what Muggles think isn't always so far off the mark."

Max shook his head and put the book aside. "All right, show me the dust."

Bill pulled a very small, silver box from the front pouch of his knapsack and held it between his finger and thumb. "Be careful when you open it - you don't want to inhale this. It's ancient, and it's powerful. You have to respect it, got that?"

Max nodded, obviously enchanted, and took the box. He opened it with extreme care and peered in.

"Great. Now put the box in my palm, and dip each of your index fingers into it. I'm going to teach you how to make a protective amulet, right in your skin. It's called a Dermulet. You'll learn about it in sixth year, but you'll be the only one in your class who really knows what's going on."

Max did as he was told, and held up both his index fingers, covered in gray dust.

"Now rub it into the backs of your hands until it's in your skin - that's it, Adam - and hold your hands out, palms down. I'll tell you what to say."

Adam continued to obey without flinching at the sound of his name, and Bill's eyes flickered to the kitchen door for an instant before returning to Adam's face. Molly took Arthur's hand and gripped it.

"It's him," she said quietly.

"Yes."

"We'll have to tell him." Molly leaned her head on Arthur's shoulder and tried to imagine telling Adam Mercury Hopewell, aged twelve, that his parents were alive and well and stunned in Culparrat, where they would remain for life. She heard him chanting in strange Egyptian with Bill, and wondered how many amulets it would take to ward off the terrible shock he was going to get.

"That's it," Bill said finally. "You're under the protection of Hathor now."

"So I can do whatever I want!"

"No, no. You can't go testing your Dermulet or it'll backfire - nasty business, ancient magic when it backfires. It's just there if you need it. And it'll help you at the oddest times."

"Have you got one too, then?"

Bill held up the backs of his hands. "Saved my life in the pyramids twice, I'm telling you."

Adam looked impressed. He tossed his head and threw back his sandy fringe. "Thanks." He paused. "You know how you said I might be allowed to invite a few of my friends to stay here?"

Bill's eyes flickered to the kitchen door again and his face flushed a little. "Erm. Yes?"

"Oh, he didn't dare," Molly whispered, trying to feel angry at Bill for having promised something so outrageous. But it didn't feel so outrageous. Instead, she felt a flutter of excitement. Hope.

"What do you think?" Adam pressed. "Could you ask about it for me?"

Bill considered him. "If you want to know the answer to that one, then you're going to have to ask about it yourself."

"Ah." Arthur squeezed Molly's waist. "Seems we're in for an interrogation."

"Well we don't have to answer him now," Molly answered slowly, an idea forming in her mind. "And you don't have to answer me now… but what if…" She gave him a pleading look. "What if? Arthur, there are so many of them, and I know we couldn't take them all, but it's a big enough house and I've got time on my hands - and we're still so young."

Arthur looked down at her and his glasses slid partway down his nose. "You want another house full, don't you?" He shook his head. "You really are the maddest woman I've ever known."

"But we'll talk it over later?" Molly said, knowing, from the expression in his eyes, that the talk would end in her favor. And Adam's.

"Yes." Arthur kissed her. "We'll talk it over later. Now, where are the rest of the first batch? Weren't they supposed to be here by seven? It's quarter past, and I'm starving -"

Arthur was interrupted by a raucous noise from the garden. The front door flew open and a blast of happy chatter, carried on a gust of frozen air, filled the Burrow. Molly watched cloaks fly onto hooks and heard Ron's wail of deepest despair that the Cannons had lost their first match of the season to the Falmouth Falcons. She pretended not to see Hermione shut his mouth with a kiss, and watched instead as Ginny, looking very tired, sat on the sofa beside Harry, who looked just as exhausted. Fred went straight to the wireless and turned on music. Charlie and George hunkered down beside Bill and Adam, and Adam began to describe, to his new audience, the amazing magic he'd just performed.

It wasn't long before Ron started moaning about Quidditch again, but Hermione didn't try to help this time. She gave him a pat on the shoulder, left him to Harry, and approached Molly and Arthur.

"Well?" asked Arthur, rubbing his hands together. "How did it go?"

"How did what go?" Molly asked.

"These wonderful girls…" Arthur said, squeezing Hermione's shoulder and looking around the room. "Where's Penny?"

"She's a little tired," Hermione said. "But don't worry, it's a good thing."

"Right," said Arthur, looking pleased. "This wonderful girl, and our daughter-in-law, came to my office last night with the most impressive diagrams I've ever seen. I couldn't make heads or tails of them, of course, but I'm sure they're very good." Arthur grinned. "Did they work?"

"Have you really designed a working spell?" Bill asked, entering the room and looking eager. Adam trailed in behind him, and Molly threw the boy an encouraging smile. He scowled in return. "Has it been tested?" Bill continued. "Can I help with anything?"

"Well," Hermione said. "We've had to hire a professional Charmer to help us with the spell construction. It's too complicated to for us to actually build. We needed someone with experience working with large boundaries – things like Hogwarts, or… well, like Gringotts vaults."

"Oh?" Bill said, looking suddenly very eager. "I can recommend some people who work for Gringotts, if you like."

"The Charmer we've hired seems to be very, very good. Today was only her first day, and she seemed positive that it could be done, with time. Actually, she's recently worked at Gringotts in London – perhaps she was one of the people you were going to recommend?"

Bill somehow managed to knock a water glass over and spill it onto Adam, who shrieked and ran out of the room, only to be caught by Ron and forced to join the Quidditch conversation. "No, I don't think I… I don't know her."

"Bill!" Molly said. "You haven't even heard her name! How can you say you don't know her?"

"It's all right," Hermione said. She didn't seem to mind Bill's behavior. In fact, she was grinning from ear to ear. "Gringotts is a very large place. You will come and help us when it's time to try to break the charm, though, won't you Bill? We could really use a skilled Curse-Breaker. Several, actually. So if you think of anyone else…"

"If it's someone with Gringotts experience, then you won't need to worry too much," Bill answered. He sat down on a kitchen chair. "Sure… I'll help. Just let me know when you need me." He looked pale, and Molly wondered if he'd inhaled any of the mummy dust he'd given to Adam.

"Is there anything I can help with, Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione asked.

"I was just going to ask that!" Angelina said, heading into the kitchen.

"No, no, girls, but thank you. Go and relax!" Her heart lighter than it had been in a year, Molly leaned against her husband and gazed at her children and their closest friends as they commandeered her house and rendered it a home.

~*~

"It's that time again."

Malfoy's voice rang in Harry's ear, though he and Mordor were still out of sight, and Harry gritted his teeth. I hate you, he thought. I hate your bloody guts. You better just fly back to camp, because if you come around the side of that prison right now and show your face, then I'm going to have to break your neck.

A red dragon soared into view, breathing a stream of fire. It would have been a fantastic sight but for the dragon's rider, whose leer was visible from thirty yards away. Harry clenched the handles of his seat and willed Malfoy to fall. I won't help you, this time. You can drown, for all I care.

"Well, well, Potter. Looking peaky, I must say. A little young for the white hair, aren't you? If only your girlfriend had time to take better care of you."

Harry hated the communications charm that they had to use. He hated that Malfoy's voice, dripping with sarcasm, seemed to echo in his head. He would not rise to it. There was no point in rising to it. "Your shift's not over," he said. "You've got five minutes until Lisa gets out here. Get back in your place before something happens."

"Oh, something's going to happen, all right," Malfoy said, his voice quiet and suggestive. "But not until I get to shore."

It was a load of crap, and Harry knew it, but the suggestion was enough to make his insides writhe. "Get back in your place," he repeated. "Before a Dementor -"

"I'm well aware of my place," Malfoy said, "and it isn't here, working with paupers and idiots."

"Then sod off," Harry spat. There. He'd risen to it, and he didn't care. It felt good to shout. He wanted to shout - wanted to let Malfoy have it - wanted to pull his wand and let go of the control he'd been keeping so carefully.

Malfoy smiled. "Not quite yet," he said. "There's no replacement for me, the new riders are still in training. And I wouldn't want to abandon the Ministry's mighty cause. Why, something terrible might happen."

"GET IN YOUR SPOT, MALFOY!" Mick's shout, in both their heads, made both of them jump. Malfoy looked supremely irritated for having been startled. He tossed his head and muttered something under his breath about Irish people, but steered Mordor around. He looked over his shoulder at Harry, before flying out of sight.

"Enjoy the rest of your shift, Potter," he said. "I know I will."

And he was gone, leaving a smoke screen behind him. Harry knew it couldn't have been deliberate - Malfoy couldn't have forced Mordor to blow a wall of black smoke - but the timing was perfect. It surrounded Norbert and blinded Harry. He could not make out Azkaban, and his thoughts turned to Ginny, who would be climbing onto Malfoy's broom again in a few minutes. Ginny, who hadn't said much to him lately, because she said she was tired of defending herself. It had been nearly two weeks since they had all gone over to the Weasleys' house for supper, and since then, he had hardly seen Ginny at all. Malfoy certainly spent more time alone with her than Harry did.

Malfoy touched her more than Harry did.

Harry felt cold and dizzy. He gripped the seat handles again, and shut his eyes, trying to maintain his balance. He felt dangerously close to passing out; he moaned a little and turned his head to escape the imaginary pictures that wouldn't stop plaguing him. He wondered what it meant that his mother's voice had been drowned out lately by this new horror, this vision of Malfoy holding Ginny close against him, putting his mouth on her neck. Ginny never stopped him, in the visions. Harry's stomach clenched.

"You all right there, Harry?"

Lisa. Harry opened his eyes to see her flying around from Malfoy's side of the prison, looking concerned. The air was completely clear now; the smoke screen had vanished and Malfoy had obviously completed his shift. Harry looked around in a panic, and wondered how long he'd had his eyes closed. "I'm fine," he said quickly. "I'm fine - just have a - a headache."

Lisa frowned, but left him alone and resumed her post.

Harry pushed up his glasses and realized that he was sweating. He saw a dark shape out of the corner of his eye and spun to face it - but there was nothing there. Dementors were everywhere, lately. The two hours after Draco went to work with Ginny always seemed, to Harry, to take weeks. He could barely keep his eyes open, and fighting sometimes seemed impossible. Even when he saw Dementors, he found it very difficult to summon his Patronus.

Another dark shape below sent Harry into a dive - at least Norbert was behaving himself again - and this time he wasn't imagining things. It was a Dementor, leaving the prison and moving fast across the water. Harry hadn't seen one move with such determination in a long time. It almost looked as if it were pursuing something.

"Expecto Patronum!" he cried, but Prongs did not appear. Nothing but a silvery wisp issued from Harry's wand. He urged Norbert to dive lower, and tried to come up with a happy memory that would clear his mind. It was harder to do, now that thoughts of Ginny had the opposite effect. Dudley at the cinema, Dudley at the cinema, Dudley at the cinema…

"Expecto Patronum!"

Prongs galloped forth in full force and knocked the Dementor back to where it belonged. Harry rose into the air again, panting as he fished a bit of chocolate out of his front vest pocket. He hoped there would be no more attempted escapes today; he didn't think he was up for another one.

"O'Malley, is everyone all right?"

The voice in Harry's ear was unfamiliar and sharp with worry, and he tensed. One of the dragon keepers at shore was talking to them. That was unusual.

"Yeah?" Mick's voice was unconcerned.

"We've got a situation - a Dementor's on shore. It must've slipped past you -"

"WHAT?" Mick's voice was harsh and loud. Harry winced. "What are you talking about?"

But Harry thought he knew. In the haze of smoke that had surrounded him several minutes before, anything might have slipped by. And, he recalled with a pang of guilt, he had felt unnaturally cold. Dizzy. He'd felt exactly as if a Dementor were beside him, but he had done nothing about it; he'd been unable to see or act. It was on the tip of his tongue to take the blame when Mick's voice cut in again, still too loud for comfort.

"Bloody Malfoy, I swear to God, I told him to stay in his spot -"

"Mick, could you tone it down?" Lisa sounded annoyed. "I've got eardrums, you know - John, do you want me to ride in and guide that Dementor back out here, or what?"

"No, we'll do it on broomstick, you stay where you are. It's taken care of, I just wanted to be sure none of your dragons had thrown you."

"No injuries out here," Lisa said. "Mark it down though, Charlie's going to want to hear about this."

"But everyone on shore is fine?" Harry asked abruptly. "No one was hurt?"

There was a short pause, and when the dragon keeper spoke again he sounded slightly nervous. "No - Mr. Potter - er, that is, everyone on shore is just fine." He paused again. "So that's it then. Phaedra's on her way out there, and she's driving the Dementor, you should see her any minute."

Harry heard an angry exhale, which he assumed was Mick's, and then the Communications Charm went dead in his ear.

Thankfully, there were no further incidents at sea, but Harry couldn't stop thinking about Ginny, onshore with a Dementor - it could have hurt her and he had let it past - the very idea made him sick at heart. He couldn't wait until his shift was over. He needed to see her and be sure that she was really all right.

When he flew to shore two hours later, however, he had to fight down another pang of sickness. He could see them from the air, Ginny and Malfoy, standing just outside Mordor's enclosure, deep in conversation. Harry made a very bad landing and hurried past the equipment tent toward Mordor's pen, stopping when he heard his name.

"Harry has nothing to do with this." Ginny's back was to Harry and her hands were on her hips. "Never mind, I didn't think you'd say yes. I won't have time anyway, what with the dragons."

Realizing they hadn't seen him yet, Harry stepped back and waited. What didn't he have anything to do with? Say yes to what? What in the hell was she talking about?

"I am not some test animal, Weasley," Malfoy hissed. "How dare you presume... that I... that I would be... available for your practice like a subject for hire..." Malfoy's eyes strayed over Ginny's shoulder. His gaze fell on Harry and he trailed off. "But on second thought… yes."

Ginny leaned forward a little. "Yes?"

"Are you deaf, Weasley?"

"No," Ginny snapped. "So… when?"

Malfoy smiled at Harry, and returned his eyes to Ginny's face. "Now."

"Oh - well, good!" Ginny said, and Harry felt as if the world had just been yanked from beneath his feet. "Where should we go?"

Malfoy paused. His eyes flicked back to Harry, but only for an instant, and raised his voice a little. "Somewhere private."

"All right - where then?"

Harry couldn't breathe. Ginny was agreeing to meet Malfoy. In private. She sounded happy about it. And she had sought him out; this had been her idea.

"There's an inn at Stornoway, but -"

"Does it have a pub?" Malfoy demanded.

"Yes."

"Then we'll go there." Malfoy pulled off his riding gloves and began to remove his gear. "Why hello, Potter - how long have you been standing there?"

Ginny whirled. "Harry!" she said. But that was all. She looked a bit shocked.

Harry just stared at her.

"I'm going to change," Malfoy said, after a pause. "I'll meet you at the pub, Weasley." He strode away, leaving Harry and Ginny in their difficult silence.

Harry had a feeling that he was supposed to break the silence and that it was his job, as a proper boyfriend, to say something that would not sound like an accusation. "So you're… going out with Malfoy," he managed.

Ginny's eyes went from shocked to disbelieving. "Going out?" she repeated.

"To the pub." Harry was sure he'd said exactly the wrong thing. The trouble was, he couldn't think of anything else to say, and his head still swam with horrible images. He and Ginny had set aside Sunday for a Valentine's Day outing - she'd said that Harry got to pick the place, this time, since Faeryland hadn't exactly been his style. They were supposed to spend the afternoon at a Cannons match. But he wasn't certain he wanted to spend the day watching Quidditch with Ginny, knowing that she would just as easily go to a pub with Malfoy.

You know that's not the truth, said a voice deep in Harry's mind. You know her better than that. But he ignored it. He was angry and tired, and the Dementors had taken their toll.

"We're not going for friendly drinks, if that's what's worrying you," she said, and she gave a bit of a laugh. "I've asked him to let me do a bit of practice on him."

"Oh." That didn't help at all. "So you… you want to practice on Malfoy."

"No, I don't want to - Harry -" Ginny pushed her hair back; it was very windblown. Harry wondered if Malfoy had ever had to touch it. To get it out of his way. He winced, and wished he could stop being so morbidly curious.

"But you're going to."

"Not really. I mean, yes, I can use the practice, but you don't know what it's like up there with him. I have to get his energy sorted out a bit - he's a mess. It's too hard to hold him off and work on the dragons at the same time." She smiled a little. "But I told him it was for practice because I can't imagine he'd take well to being told that he's a mess. I'm surprised he didn't say no anyway - he probably only said yes because he saw you standing there and he knew it would annoy you." Ginny touched Harry's arm. "Please don't let it upset you. I don't really care why he said yes, I just have to do it and get it out of the way, all right?" She sighed and dropped her hand. "Could you not look at me like that?"

Harry looked away. He didn't know how he was looking at her. He didn't really want to look at her, at the moment. He had a feeling he was being unfair, but he wasn't sure how to stop.

"Do you at least understand what I'm doing? It's business."

He nodded. Of course it was business. Her business, and Malfoy's. Not his. He wanted to get far away from her, and from all of it.

"You know, I can tell when you're lying."

Harry looked at her, startled. Had she been reading his feelings again? "Huh?"

"You're a really bad liar. So if you're going to doubt me, then could you do it at home? Because I'm tired." And she really looked it.

"I don't… doubt you," he attempted. Harry knew he had to salvage this before it got worse. He took a step closer to her. "It's him I don't trust. Even if he's only doing this to get at me, he's still doing it, and it's still… it's still you." Harry wasn't sure what he meant. He grabbed for one of her hands.

Ginny let him hold it. She studied his eyes for a moment. "That's right, it's me," she said. "Are you all right? What happened with that Dementor?"

Harry looked down. "I think it was my fault that it got past."

"Stop that."

"No, it really - there was a smoke cloud, and I felt the Dementor there but I…" Harry shrugged. "I just couldn't fight it."

Ginny looked very concerned. "You couldn't fight at all?"

He was too embarrassed to repeat himself.

"Did you tell anyone?"

He gave her a swift, warning look. "No."

"Harry…" Ginny shifted her weight. She looked uncomfortable. "Look, I know how you feel, but if they've worn you down that much, then you have to take a break. You could get hurt."

He kept hold of her hand and said nothing. He couldn't quit the job. And he didn't want to let her go. He knew that, as soon as he did, she would be in Stornoway with Malfoy.

"Will you at least think about it?"

He nodded once, just barely. It wasn't a lie. He was thinking about it now, even if he didn't plan to think about it after this.

"We're still on for Sunday, aren't we?"

He made himself return her smile. "Yes."

"Good." Ginny looked both ways, kissed him very quickly, and let go of his hand. "See you later." She pulled her wand. "Oh - and if you see Remus and he asks where I've gone, please don't tell him. I don't need another lecture, all right?"

Ginny twisted her wand and was gone.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-04