Harry Potter has always loved the Burrow, it just screams home to him, not just because of the aesthetic but because of the people. The Weasley were just so full of life and love, it was breathtaking.
Though well Harry missed it, Ronald Weasley ached for it along with his family.
Ron, much to his own embarrassment, had jumped into his father's arms the moment he saw the man. Though the embarrassment didn't stop him from glomping the rest of his siblings.
Much to both boy's relief nobody seemed angry at their escapade, just happy they were healthy. A little bit too healthy, having grown so much, none of their robes fit them without a bit of wand waving which they could no longer do since leaving Hogwarts.
Well they could, neither of them had removed the Unplottable Charm from their person but both boys were deathly afraid of getting caught by Molly Weasley, Matriarch of the household.
"Here you go, dearie!" Molly Weasley sets a place down in front of Harry with a smile stretching across her face and the corner of her warm brown eyes crinkling.
Molly was an older woman and much like her children and husband had ginger red hair though much duller, especially when comparing it to her daughter's. She was short and plump, standing at five feet with a pale ivory complexion.
"Thank you Ms. Weasley." Harry gives a thankful nod.
"Of course." She turns around and walks back into the kitchen.
Ron, who sat right beside him, slowly lifts his hand and reaches over to Harry's plate, his face decidedly not looking at him as he does.
The shorter boy watches as his fingers brush against his bacon only for the top of his hand to be slapped rather harshly.
"Ow!" Ron yanks his hand back and turns around to glare at Harry who snickers at his friend's pain. He points to the side and the taller of the two looks over and sees his baby sister looming beside the darker haired boy like a fierce tiger.
Ginevra Weasley is a petite girl and the youngest of the Weasley family. Her ginger hair sat at the small of her back and seemed fuller than that of her ilk, she shared her mother's warm brown eyes but had her fathers freckles that danced across her skin like a tapestry of stars.
She was a bit darker than Molly but not as tanned as the rest of her brothers or father; a warm ivory.
"Really Ron, you can't wait a few minutes, you have to steal off Harry's plate?" Ginny reprimands.
"Come on Ginny! You know, Harry, he always leaves some leftovers, I'm just… just…"
"Preemptive eating?" Harry suggests and gets a thankful nod.
"Yeah, that!" He points at the other boy.
The girl rolls her eyes, "Ron, wait for your plate." She turns to the dark haired teen. "And you, don't encourage him." She walks away from the two and towards her mother.
Harry's eyes follow her, his eyes drawn to the small bit of exposed skin of her back, her night shirt just a bit shorter than it needed to be, 'Has Ginny always been so–'
An elbow strikes his side.
"OW!"
Ginny and Molly turn with worry filled frowns as the boy holds his sides, he looks at Ron who glares at him heatedly.
The girl rushes over, one of her hands laying on his bicep, "You okay? What happened?"
Harry blinks up at Ginny, he stares at her impossibly pretty eyes and pale lips, at the hair that seems to fall and frame her heart shaped face perfectly, his face burns, "Y..yeah." He stutters. "Wrong pipe." He straightens and turns back to his meal, avoiding her… everything.
"Oh… okay." She mutters in confusion and slightly hurt at his dismissal, "Well be more careful." The girl walks back over to Molly.
He stares at his food with confusion, his eyes looking over to his side where Ron is still glaring at him, "What?" The boy snaps.
"You're not allowed to date my sister."
"Wh…wha… I don't like Ginny that way!" He harshly whispers, "I… I have never seen Ginny in that way?!"
Ron looks unconvinced, "That I guess it won't be a problem."
"Damn right." He completely agrees. Harry turns back to his food and eats.
Eventually the rest of the Weasley family wakes up and takes their places at the table. Ginny and Molly being the last to join.
The youngest of the family sits opposite of Harry, as she sets her plate down the girl looks up and shoots him a smile. Its a small one, her lips only upturn ever so slightly but… Harry can feel his whole body shiver.
He tries to smile back but the boy is pretty sure it came off creepy and off putting, turning to Ron, he leans over, "It might be a problem."
"Ugh!" Ron groans, looking towards the ceiling in dismay.
"Ronald!" Molly shouts, "Mind your manners!"
"You okay, Ron?" Authur Weasley, the father of the family asks with concern.
"Yeah… I just bit my tongue." The boy explains lamely.
"Oh, Harry! This would look so good on you!" Hermione Granger raises a Slytherin green button down dress shirt with steel gray buttons over the torso.
The three friends had decided to meet together, Harry took the opportunity to buy a new wardrobe, since his old one was, well to put it lightly, dragon dung.
Now that he was officially out of the Dursley's care and would no longer be punished for looking like an actually member of society he was taking full advantage.
"Mione! Don't dress him in enemy colors." Ron groans in distress, "I mean really, next you'll be asking him to dress in all black."
The girl hums, "Black is slimming."
Both boy's raise an eyebrow at the girl who shrugs.
"Well it is." Hermione assures them as she puts the shirt in the basket.
Ron rolls his eyes, "Come on Mate, let's hurry this up." He turns towards Harry. "I Want to see this 'mooive' Mione keeps talking about."
Harry snorts, "It's 'movie', Ron, one 'O'."
The other shrugs, uncaring.
The girl scoffs, "Don't worry Ronald, the theater has multiple showings, even if we miss the two O'clock we can always make it for three-forty."
The tallest of the trio blinks, "I can recognize the words but I have no idea what they mean put together."
Harry laughs and Hermione is the one to roll her eyes this time.
"Anyway, why all the fancy clothes, Har?" Ron asks the other boy while he looks through his cart, full of dress shirts, slacks, dress shoes, and coats. While there was a few casual wear like long-sleeved shirts and jeans, they were few and far in-between.
The boy in question hums, "Honestly, the Dursley always made me dress in Dudley's cast-me-offs, I hated it, partly because they never fit but also it made me look like a thug."
"Thug?" His male friend questions, the unfamiliar word sitting awkwardly on his tongue.
"A thug is an aggressive person, someone that looks and acts and most likely is a criminal." Hermione quickly explains.
Harry smiles at the quick by-play, "It hadn't been much of a problem at Hogwarts because I can just cover up my clothes with a robe but, well, I want to look like I actually care you know?" Both his friends nod, "And frankly, I always feel a bit ridiculous in those robes." He adds on.
The tallest of the trio snorts while the werewolf gives a small laugh.
"Completely understandable." Hermione nods her head, "It's a little strange how Wixen fashion has remained the same for the last hundred years, I still can't wrap my head around it."
"I feel like I should be insulted." Ron muses, "Though, I have to be honest, I do like jeans, they're bloody fantastic."
Hermione and Harry give him a chuckle, "Okay, I think I'm done. Let's pay for this and get to the theater." The youngest of the group states and moves to the front of the store, towards the cashiers, his two friends follow.
"That was amazing!" Ron exclaims the minute they left the auditorium, "It was, was…" He struggles to find the words to what he just experienced. "Magical."
Hermione smiles widely, "You think?"
"I have never experienced anything like it before. It was better than any storybook I've ever read!" His voice is full of excitement and wonder.
Harry hums, "I can see why Dudley is so obsessed with sitting in front of the t.v if that's what he watches all day. Never felt so glued to my seat."
The girl seems to skip in happiness, "Yeah? Maybe, you guys can come over and we can have a movie marathon."
"That sounds bloody amazing, Mione!" Ron instantly agrees, "Do you think we can watch the Lion King again?"
The werewolf giggles, "No, sorry. The Lion King is only in theaters at the moment but in a few months, the movie will be sold for personal use, when it does I'll buy it and the three of us can watch it again."
The taller boy pouts but nods.
The three teens walk out of the theater and into the streets of london.
"So…" Ron starts, his previous joy somewhat muted, "How are your parents?"
Hermione gives him a side eye, "They're fine. If you're asking how they took my new affliction, they're not thrilled but that's more about how dangerous Hogwarts seems to be than me."
"I love Hogwarts," Harry says, "But it's ridiculous how much danger we're always in."
"That's just us, mate." He bumps his shoulder against Harry's, "For everyone else, the only real danger they've ever been in is from the Basilisk."
The smaller of the two hums, "Lucky them."
"Fourth year will be different." The girl assures her friends, "It has to be, Headmaster Dumbledore seemed just as tired of all our adventures as we are."
"Please don't call our constantly almost dying; adventures." Ron scowls, "Adventures are supposed to fun, full of wonder not… ugh, not what we've been doing."
The girl pulls an embarrassed face but nods.
"So." Harry moves the conversation along, "What's the game plan for your monthlies."
The tallest of the three snorts and coughs at the same time.
"Harry!" Hermione screeches.
"What?" He innocently says.
She reaches over and smacks his arm, her face burning brightly, "Don't be a pig! That's Ron's job."
"Hey!" Ron exclaims.
Shrugging, the boy asks again, "So, plans?"
Hermione huffs but relents, "Headmaster Dumbledore will collect me the day before the full moon and allow me to stay in Gryffindor Tower until about an hour or so before nightfall, then he will guide me to the Shrinking Shack. Afterwards, I will be allowed to stay at Hogwarts for two or so days to recover before he takes me back home."
"Are they at least going to fix up the Shrinking Shack?" The older boy asks with a disgusted face, remembering the absolute mess that was the shack.
The girl shakes her head, a frown crossing her face, "Its run down state is how I stay safe and hidden Ronald, if it looks decent then people might actually want to see what it's like."
"Why don't you just use the Chamber of Secrets?" Harry asks, "I mean only the three of us, Ginny, and Professor Dumbledore know where it is and I'm the only one that can get in."
She stills, "That… sounds perfect but isn't the Basilisk still in there?"
"I'm sure Dumbledore won't mind getting rid of it and maybe we can make a day of it, you know? Clean it up, make it… it into a secret hideout." Ron suggests, his excitement growing. "Imagine us, three Gryffindors using Salazar Slytherin Chamber for our lion activities? Oh, he would roll over in his grave!"
Hermione shakes her head with a smile, "You guys are the best."
The boys' look at one another before looking at Hermione with matching smirks, " "We know." "
Hermione rolls her eyes but continues to smile.
Days pass, blurring together slightly as Harry, Ron, and Hermione spend as much time together. Sometimes having movie marathons at her house or them lazing around Ron's.
Currently the two boys were playing a game of Wizards Chess, Harry sitting in an armchair, opposite of him is Ron who was stationed on the couch.
Beside Ron was Hermione with a small tome that Dumbledore had given her to learn about the Wolfsbane Potion. She was laying down as she read, her sock clad feet plopped onto Ron's lap.
"Are you an idiot! Move me there! There!" The chess piece screams at Harry, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
"I hate this game." He mutters.
Ron laughs while Hermione barely holds in a giggle.
"Knock! Knock!Knock! Knock!"
"Yeah, well we hate you, too!"
"You suck!"
"Worst master I ever had!"
Harry leans back in his seat as all his chest pieces accost him.
"Boom!"
Ron rolls his eyes as Hermione looks up from her book briefly, "Gred! Forge! You guys okay?!"
.
.
.
" Yeah!"
"We're okay, Ronikins!"
"Those guys are going to kill themselves one day." The youngest son mutters as he refocuses on the chess board.
"Knock!kno–"
"DOOR!" Ron yells at the top of his lungs.
"Ronald!" The girl sits up and hits his arm, "Don't scream so loud!" She rubs her ears.
He gives an apologetic smile, "Sorry."
"Can you get it! I'm getting ready!" Ginny asks from upstairs.
"I'll get it!" Harry scrambles to stand up eager to abandon his impending humiliation.
"COwARD!"
The Animagus ignores the words from the chess pieces, a moment later he reaches the door and opens it.
"Hello." A girl around Ginny's age greets him, much like the ginger she's a petite girl though with dirty blonde hair that reaches the middle of her back, it's not as full as his friends little sister and it's a little messy but it kinda gives it some charm that Harry can't quite place.
She has large silvery-blue eyes that remind him of the Patronus charm, and he can't help but be a little enthralled by them.
"Hey, you must be Ginny's friend, right?"
"Hmhm!" The girl, Luna Lovegood, hums as she walks in, "And you're Harry Potter." She says without a hint of reverence that he usually hears when people first meet him.
"I… am." He confirms with confusion but also relief, "And you are?" The boy asks as he moves to the side, allowing her in.
"Luna Lovegood but most people just call me Loony." She says as she walks in.
"Why?" He closes the door behind her.
Luna hums, "People think I'm strange, crazy."
"You seem perfectly sane to me."
The girl's small smile widens, "Thank you!"
"Ginny is still getting ready, would you like to sit with me and my friends?"
"I would love to."
Harry nods and the two walk into the living room, where Ron and Hermione are still sitting, "Hey guys, this is Luna."
Ron gives a wave, "Hey, I'm Ron."
"I'm Hermione, nice to meet you."
Luna gives a small wave of her own, "Nice to meet you too, both of you." She sits next to Hermione who removes her feet from Ron's lap, Harry takes his place back on the armchair.
"So how do you know my sister?" Ron asks.
"Oh, we were partnered in Potions!"
He waits for her to continue but when she doesn't he shrugs and looks back to the game, "Harry, it's your turn."
Harry huffs and calls to move a chess piece.
"No! You idiot, not there! Ugh!" The one he moves complains and refuses his order as it points to the place he wants to be moved, "There!"
"Alright!" The boy holds his hands up and calls the move the chess piece wanted.
That trend continues on for another five minutes, the insults getting more personal and hurtful.
Luna giggles, "They really don't like you, do they?"
Hanging his head, he mutters, "They really don't."
"We would if you actually knew how to play!"
The shorter boy groans, "Alright, I quit."
Ron fist pumps in the air, "I win again!"
Hermione rolls her eyes while Luna gives another giggle.
"You guys are funny!" The younger girl exclaims, her voice a little too loud.
Harry's friends cringe at the volume but the boy himself just smiles, "Thanks, so where are you and Ginny going?"
Luna smiles brightly, "Well, we're just going over to my house! The two of us are going to search for Umgubular Slashkilters!" Her voice oozes with excitement.
The three teens look at her in confusion.
"Wha… What is that?" Hermione asks, "I never heard of them before."
The smaller girl practically vibrates, "Well it's these creatures that love hiding especially behind curtains or shrubs. They love making people think they're going crazy."
The older girl frowns, "Oh?"
"Have you ever seen something in the corner of your eye but when you turn there's nothing there? It's them!"
Harry thinks back to all the times he was sure he saw something right in the corner of his, staring at him but found nothing when he turned to look, "Freaky."
Ron hums, "What do they look like?"
Luna's excitement dies a little, "Well… I'm not really sure. No one has really seen one before."
Hermione scoffs, "Then how are you, they're real?"
The guest frowns, "My dad said they are! He almost caught one once! And he's talked to people who caught glimpses! And, and–"
"So your dad told you these Umgalblr–"
"Umgubular Slashkilters!" She exclaims angrily.
"Right…" Hermione's voice is filled with doubt.
"Come on Mione, five years ago neither of us thought magic was real, why can't these… um-" Harry looks at Luna who smiles at his encouragement.
"Umgubular Slashkilters."
"-Umgubular Slashkilters be real?"
His friend presses her lips together tightly, "Because Harry, if they were real I'm sure someone would have caught sight of them by now, especially since they apparently like to hide behind curtains." She utters the last word distastefully.
Harry rolls his eyes before they light up, "Why don't we look for them then?"
"What?" Ron asks, "Why?"
"Well, for one I'm bored and I will not play another game of chess with you,"
The taller boy pouts.
"For another it sounds fun. I mean looking for undiscovered magical creatures, it's like solving a mystery!"
" "Ugh!" " Both of his friends groan.
Luna blinks at their reactions.
"You and your mysteries Potter!" Hermione exclaims, "Don't you get enough of them at school?!"
Harry scoffs, "A mystery where if we fail we don't all end up dead."
"So you say." Ron mutters, "I'm out." He raises his hands in surrender. "This is summer vacation and knowing you this is going to turn into some year long quest that will end in some big final showdown for the fate of the world or something equally rubish." He says half seriously.
"Ditto." The werewolf nods in agreement, she opens her tome back up and reads, disengaging from the world around her.
"Well fuck you guys too." Harry crosses his arms, he looks to Luna who looks lost and confused, "Can I come?"
The smaller girl nods almost shyly, "Yeah, I think I would like that."
The boy smiles, "Thanks."
After a while Ginny rushes down the stairs, "Okay, I'm ready! Let's go."
"Hey, Gin?" Harry starts, standing up, "Do you mind if I come along, these Umgubular Slashkilters sound interesting."
The girl blinks, "Um…" She looks to Luna who nods enthusiastically. "Sure, let's go."
"Awesome." He turns to his fingers and gives them both the middle finger, "I hate you both."
" "Love you, too." "
Turning back around and ignoring the concerned looks from his new companions, the three walk to the front door.
"What was that about?" Ginny asks with a frown.
"My friends are dicks sometimes." Harry answers simply, "Let's forget about them, let's go on an adventure!"
The ginger smiles, "Oh, I'm finally going on a Harry Potter adventure? You know I dreamed of this as a little kid."
The boy laughs, "Well I'll make sure it's worth your while, Ginny." He smiles softly at the girl.