Escape ↣ Harmione

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter 41 - What Remus did

The crack of apparition brought the heads of the four remaining people at the table whipping around, staring across the field. There were only two figures stood there. Harry and Hermione started to jog back to the table. Remus was not with them

"Where's Remus?" Helen asked when they reached the bench.

"Gone," Harry replied.

"Gone where?" Helen asked. "And why?"

Harry rubbed the back of his neck and dropped onto the bench pulling Hermione down next to him, wrapping his arm around her waist. "We wouldn't take the rings off. Well you know, just because here's safe, doesn't mean over there is. He got a bit insistent, and we might have had an exchange of views. Did you know Tonks is pregnant? He's using it as his excuse to be here if anyone asks. They're pretending that he's freaking out because the baby might have lycanthropy. Who does that?" he said indignantly. "I can't imagine what Tonks thought she was playing at agreeing to that unless of course, it's not actually an excuse. I don't know what's wrong with him! Why can't he just accept that this isn't temporary?" Harry threw his free hand up in frustration.

"Hermione?" Helen asked, "Do you have anything to add?"

"No," she replied. "He wanted Harry to be Harry, whatever that means. Thinks it's great we're having a lovely holiday, but we need to face up to our responsibilities." She tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, focusing on the table in front of her.

"And?" Helen said with an air of a parent who knows they aren't getting the full story.

Harry and Hermione exchanged a look which caused Helen to let out a breath in annoyance. "Who threw the first hex?" she asked. The guilty look on both faces did nothing to calm her growing irritation. "Talk," she ordered. "And make it good. This is not the time to be mucking about."

"He might have said that we weren't a real family," Harry said. "That you weren't my family."

"He didn't exactly agree with our counter argument," Hermione added.

"Is he bleeding?"

"No," Hermione said.

"In need of hospital attention?"

"Probably not, although I wouldn't swear to it, he was on fire when he left," Harry said, not looking remotely sorry.

"On fire." Helen's voice was flat, and her gaze swung to Hermione. "How much on fire? New clothes and burn paste on fire, or we won't find the body on fire?"

"Enough to stop him thinking of apparating Harry away," Hermione replied meeting her mother's gaze, her jaw set in defiance. Helen closed her eyes and mentally counted to five. Ten was beyond her.

"I didn't think he'd try that. I'm sorry for sending you to speak to him. For putting you both in that position," she said sincerely, looking at both of them.

"I don't think he thought it through," Harry offered. "It was more a reaction to our refusal. The no touching in case of sneaky apparition rule seemed to be bugging him. Not that that was the only stick up his arse," he added as an afterthought.

"No touching...?" Helen trailed off, her gaze switching from Harry to John. He smiled gently at her.

"You were busy sorting everything else and packing for the trip love. It never hurts to be prepared, they both understood the reasons behind it."

"What else?" she asked.

"Hmm? Oh well, the ward circle might have been my idea," John said modestly.

"Ward circle?" Minerva broke in. "They are complex magic."