Chapter 47
Chapter 46
Snape’s eyes groggily opened. He had slept but he still felt tired, especially given last night’s…. activities. An arm was languidly draped over Severus’s stomach while Harry snuggled against him.
“Five more minutes…” Harry mumbled as Severus shifted slightly.
A quick Tempus with his wand showed Snape that it was nearly nine o’clock. They had slept in as he usually was up around seven. “Harry…” Severus shook Harry awake. “We need to get ready otherwise we will miss our meeting,”
“Hmmm….” Harry muttered, cracking open an eye before yawning and stretching like a cat.
“I’m not a morning person,” Harry mumbled as he shifted closer to Snape, chasing that sweet warmth of another body.
“I can see that,” Severus deadpanned. He was a morning person yes, though he wasn’t going to dissuade Harry’s cuddling nature. He supposed he could stay in bed for a few more minutes.
“I really want to take you out on a date,” Harry mumbled. “I meant what I said last night. I want to wine and dine you properly. We started this relationship in a cave… on the run. Granted it was a nice cave. No scorpions this time,” Snape quirked an eyebrow at Harry’s comment.
“Magical scorpions are a nightmare to get rid of,” Harry mumbled. “Had a colony of them in a cave in Egypt. Smart creatures…. To annoy us they started an orgy,”
“I’m sorry…. What?!” Snape’s eyes widened.
“It is a… very long story….” Harry sighed.
“Much like the… Hopping chair incident as you so adequately put it?”
“Oh Merlin, you remembered that comment?!” Harry groaned.
“It sticks out in a conversation,” Snape commented. “It does make one curious what the bloody hell you got up to,”
“To be fair… it wasn’t all my fault,” Harry grumbled as he sat up on the bed, the sheets pooling around his waist. Severus languidly traced a few circles on his hip causing Harry to shiver.
“It was Ron and Hermoine’s wedding. At the banquet hall, it appeared that the organizers had done a shoddy job and there weren’t enough chairs for the guests. Hermoine was freaking out, and Ron was trying to calm her down…. Which wasn’t really helping.” Harry elaborated. “Then George got the great idea to transfigure some objects into chairs for the guests. He had several Bombtastic Bubble Blasts on hand… don’t ask me why. To this day I don’t want to know but apparently Transfiguration magic messed with the product’s internal magic circuit. So when the guests took a seat the chairs started bucking like mad broncos,”
Severus tried to keep a straight face, he really did but even the normally dour Potions Master had to stifle a laugh at the whole scenario. “Only you Harry… Only you…”
“Hardy Har Har,” Harry deadpanned. “Didn’t you say we were going to be late for our meeting?”
“Wait let me just catch my breath,” That answer earned Snape a swat on his arm.
From there things moved rather quickly. Harry and Severus reluctantly got out of bed and they had notified Tibsby that they would forgo breakfast. Just five minutes shy of their meeting time they arrived at the Bones estate. They were led into the manor by a well-dressed elf who introduced themselves as Mippy. Severus thought nothing could surprise him, however that notion was obliterated when he saw the other guests in attendance. “Madam Bones, Minerva…, Lupin….” Severus greeted stifly.
“Severus!” Minerva said as she stood up and proceeded to envelop the stunned man in a hug.
“Harry,” Lupin's eyes widened as he scented the air.
“Well, there goes my cover,” Harry muttered while he introduced himself to Madam Bones as Hadrian Evans.
“Gentleman please sit. May I offer you a scone and some tea? We are still waiting on some other guests,” Madam Bones remarked.
Harry’s stomach rumbled causing him to look somewhat embarrassed. He carefully placed the warded box he had gotten from the Goblins on the table and helped himself to a scone. Madam Bones looked at the box with a furrowed brow before Mippy popped in to announce their additional guests. Kingsley, Tonks, Moody, Ron, and Hermoine filed into the drawing room, greeting Madam Bones and the rest while quickly taking a seat.
Harry felt somewhat uncomfortable when he suddenly felt eyes on him. He looked to his left to see Hermoine and Ron just staring at him. He supposed they were surprised. This was the first time they’d laid eyes on him as they had been taken away when he met the rest of the Weasleys at the hospital.
“Now Ladies and Gents, thank you for agreeing to this unorthodox meeting.” Madam Bones started. “Please help yourself to some scones and tea and I would appreciate it if you would call me Amelia. We are not here in any official capacity right now,”
“Certain things with grave implications have come to my attention,” Amelia continued. “Aurors and Ministry officials doused with compulsion potions, the Dementor attack in Surrey, and the fact that Harry Potter is missing, the Headmaster is Merlin knows where and Hogwarts is being audited! These are the things that I know of…”
“You’re going to need something a lot stronger than tea,” Harry remarked. “What would you say if I told you that Harry Potter is dead?”
Amelia sucked in a breath. “Do you have anything to substantiate this claim, Mr. Evans? Nothing has been filed with the Ministry.”
“Why not go check with the Goblins? They have it on record that your Harry Potter is deceased.” Harry continued while tilting his head slightly.
“That is….” Amelia mumbled while deep in thought.
“Perhaps before you give Madam Bon-I mean Amelia a coronary, it would be prudent to explain that you are also Mr. Potter but from another time and reality,” Severus deadpanned.
“Perhaps I will ask Mippy for a stronger drink,” Amelia muttered.
“Okay, strap in because we are in for a rollercoaster of a story,” Harry stated.
Meanwhile, Sirius’s unconscious body shot out of a floo in the Ministry arrival hall. Of course, wizards and witches panicked as everyone recognized the face that had been plastered on countless wanted posters. Through the chaos, the Aurors on duty assembled to take the man in. They were prepared for a fight, Sirius Black was after all accused of killing 11 Muggles and Peter Pettigrew in a single night. What they weren’t prepared for was for Sirius to stand up with a wobble and just stare blankly at them for a moment before blurting out loudly “I KILLED HARRY POTTER!”