Easy Mistake ; Harry Potter

N I N E T Y S I X | Introductions

Eleanor stared at Harry blankly. She knew Harry had had many nightmares before and none of them were ordinary nightmares but she didn't quite want to believe she was in danger.

She could feel the panic in her rise and she fought to keep it down. Right now she needed to stay calm.

"But that might not mean anything. People have nightmares all the time." Eleanor knew she was grasping at thin possibilities but she didn't care. She didn't want to believe it.

Harry looked at her with a raised eyebrow. He looked at her as if to say 'really!' But there was pity mixed in their too. Eleanor could've sworn she heard a scoff from one of the people lining the staircase.

The silence dragged on. Eleanor continued to stare at Harry and Harry stared back.

Finally Eleanor sighed, letting go of any hope that she might just be having a very weird and bad dream. "So what does this mean? What did you see in your nightmare?"

"Well-"

Harry barely got the word out before a plump woman came bustling into the hall, a stained apron wrapped around her hips and a kind but anxious smile on her face. Eleanor took note of her bright red hair.

"Before we do that, Harry dear, maybe some introductions are needed?" The woman turned to Eleanor and embraced her in a hug. "I'm Molly dear, and you must be Eleanor?"

Eleanor didn't get the chance to hug Molly back before she pulled away. "Yes, I am. It's lovely to meet you."

Molly beamed. "Aren't you sweet. Well come on, let's all go into the dining room and introduce ourselves. There's a lot to meet."

Eleanor followed Molly through the hall, and the stampede of footsteps that followed could only mean everyone else was behind her.

Suddenly Eleanor felt a whole new type of nervous. This was the equivalent to meeting Harry's family and she was scared she was going to ruin it all.

She turned her head and searched for Harry. She didn't have to look far as he was walking in between two people; a tall red head and a smaller girl with bushy hair. That must be Ron and Hermione, Eleanor thought.

Harry met her eyes and must have saw how nervous she was for he walked forward and grabbed her hand.

"I'll tell you everything once this is over. I'm sorry to make you wait but at least you get to meet everyone." Harry muttered into her ear.

"Yeah, but what if I fuck it all up?" Eleanor whispered, voicing her concerns.

Harry laughed. "Relax, everyone already loves you."

"Really?"

"Really," Harry said with a sincere smile. "But one word of advice, try not to swear too much around Mrs. Weasley. Everyone else is fine."

"Noted."

They reached the dining room. It was a dimly lit room with a low hanging chandelier. The room had slightly peeling wallpaper and dark wood cabinets lining the walls. The dining table matched the cabinets in the same dark wood.

The dining room lead straight into the kitchen which Eleanor was glad to see looked a lot more hygienic than the rest of the house.

"Take a seat, dear." Molly smiled.

Eleanor took a seat and everyone followed suit and took a seat around the table.

Eleanor tried to look confident but she was absolutely crumbling on the inside. She tried to remind herself that she had kind of met some of the people around her so she shouldn't be so nervous.

She had spoken to Ron and Hermione through letters herself. She had already met Remus and Sirius had seemed to like her when Harry showed him the letters she had wrote about him. She knew of Fred and George and she knew of Ginny who had been attacked. She wasn't sure if they were all here as she didn't know what anyone looked like but she guessed they would be.

Molly sat down at the head of the table. "Why don't you introduce yourself to everyone, dear?"

"Mom, we all know this is Eleanor. Ron hasn't stopped going on about how Harry has a girlfriend."

"Be quiet, Fred."

Eleanor let out a snort of laughter. "Is the fact that Harry has a girlfriend really that unbelievable?"

Nearly everyone nodded apart from the adults.

Eleanor couldn't help but laugh. She turned to Harry. "Wow. Maybe I should re-evaluate who I'm dating?"

"Oi!" Harry proclaimed. "They can't talk, most of them don't even have partners."

Eleanor 'ooh'ed. "Now it's time for the opponents turn. Will they out smarten Harry or will they be left speechless with that rather witty comeback if I do say so myself?" Eleanor said in a rather good impression of a show host.

Eleanor scanned their faces and waited expectantly. "Really, you've got nothing?" Eleanor sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Rubbish."

Suddenly a girl with ginger hair reached her hand across the table. "I like you. I'm Ginny by the way."

Eleanor beamed. "Good to meet you, Ginny."

Everyone seemed to race to introduce themselves after that. She was finally introduced to Ron and Hermione. Then Fred, George, a pink haired women called Tonks, and the middle aged man who shouted at the oil painting earlier.

"Sirius. The mass murderer." The man held out a hand for Eleanor to take. Eleanor took it gladly, already liking Sirius' personality.

"Don't flatter yourself, Black," Eleanor said. "I know it was your double crossing rat who did it."

"Wow, how much did you tell her, Harry?" That voice came from one of the red headed twins. Eleanor wagered a guess that this time it was George who spoke.

"I'm glad that topic has been brought up actually," Eleanor said, turning to her boyfriend. "Care to explain this nightmare now?"

"Wel-"

The sound of the door bursting open cut Harry's words short once again.

"Stop struggling-"

"Get off my husband, you low life!"

"Now please, if you could just take your hands off me and explain why we're here-"

"Look dad, there's heads hanging on the wall-"

"Quiet please Josh, I'm trying to sort this out- WAIT WHAT?! WHY ARE YOU HOLDING US HOSTAGE IN A HOUSE FULL OF HEADS!"

"You're not being held hostage."

"NOT BEING HELD HOSTAGE, HUH? YOU DIDN'T GIVE US MUCH CHOICE TO COME WITH YOU. I'D CALL THAT BEING HELD HOSTAGE!"

Eleanor jumped to her feet. "Dad! Josh!"

"ELEANOR!" she heard the three voices of her family call back. "WHAT ON EARTH ARE WE DOING IN THIS DUMP!"

"Bit rude, your dad, isn't he?" Sirius said while taking a sip of his coffee.

"Calm down, it's okay. I'll explain everything!" Eleanor called back.

"YOU BETTER START NOW YOUNG LADY OR- AHHH!"

Eleanor ran into the hall when she heard her father scream. A small creature with big eyes and a long nose and a pillow case wrapped around its body had decided to make an appearance. Eleanor didn't even have time to be surprised by the strange creature as she watched her father pass out.

"I'm in so much trouble." She groaned as she watched her other father fret over his fallen husband.

Harry came rushing up next to her side. "Would it help if I said I'm sorry?"

"No, it would not help," Eleanor grumbled. "Not at all."

"Okay...sorry..."

(Promise things are going to be explained soon.)