The Meredith Series

Title: Night Before Hogwats.
Author:sa_kun On LJ
Rating: PG-13
Prompt Set: 50.1
Prompt: 003, tomorrow
Word Count: 664
Summary: Night before Hogwarts.
Warnings:
Notes:

Tomorrow | 003

They have been to Diagon Alley — twice! — and they are ready to go. Meredith has all of his books, his potions ingredients, dragon hide gloves, the equipment for astronomy class and, most importantly, a brand new wand. Meredith is very excited, of course. Although…and he swallows gravely, if tomorrow is his first day at Hogwarts it makes it only more obvious that tonight is his last night at home. Until Christmas. Which is roughly four months away.

Meredith has only spent nights away to stay with Grandpa Severus and Uncle Remus. The one time he tried to stay at Uncle Bill's Harry had had to come and pick him up because he couldn't sleep. It's a year ago, now. But the experience has stayed with him and now he's nervous.

What if he doesn't like school? What if he can't sleep? What if he needs Harry or Charlie to come to him and—

“Don't worry, Meredith,” Harry says quietly and crouches on the floor next to him. “You'll be fine. You'll be sorted into a House and you'll share a dormitory with the other new boys in your year – most likely they'll be as nervous as you.”

“…but I couldn't even stay at Uncle Bill's place, Dad,” Meredith whisperers. “How am I supposed to—”

Harry smiles. “Why don't we go see what Charlie has to say about this?”

Meredith frowns. “Harry? Why—”

“Charlie!” he calls over his shoulder, then bites his lip and looks back at Meredith. “My…relatives didn't like me. I had nothing to miss or be sad about leaving.”

“Didn't you grow up with Grandpa?”

Harry shakes his head. “No. He took me in before my Second Year at Hogwarts. Charlie!”

“Oh…” Meredith's frown deepens. Harry never talks about his childhood prior to living with Grandpa Severus he suddenly realises, because he has never known that Harry used to live with someone else. Why has Meredith never heard that before? It’s not entirely true, though, he realises, because there was that one time, when Charlie was gone and he and Harry were alone. It was just that one time, though, and Meredith had been angry and confused. “But—”

“Meredith, my relatives hated me because of my magic – my Aunt hated me because she was jealous of my mother. I would prefer if we didn't talk about it.” Harry glares, but not at Meredith. “Where is that blasted man?”

Meredith giggles slightly. “Perhaps he's in the loo.”

“Doubt it,” Harry mutters. “Cha— there you are.”

His hands are wet, Charlie places them on his hips, soapsuds still clinging to his forearms, and it is obvious that he has been washing the dishes. “What is it, Your Royal Highness,” he snaps.

Harry's eyes narrow. “Why don't you talk to Meredith about how you spent your last night at home, and I'll do the dishes.” With that, Harry stands up, ruffles Meredith's hair and gives Charlie a quick kiss as he passes the man – Eugh! Meredith exclaims — and saunters out of the living room.

-x-

It is roughly three quarters of an hour later that he returns. A chocolate cake floats in behind him. He stops in the doorway; Meredith is curled up next to Charlie, cuddling the man as he listens to a tale about dragons and brave men on broomsticks chasing a poacher who has stolen an egg. Harry shifts and the floorboard creaks.

Charlie halts his tale and looks over his shoulder. “Come here, Harry. There's room for one more, isn't there, Meredith?”

Meredith nods and turns around. “Cake! Harry, come on! Here,” Meredith waves his arms and gestures for Harry to sit down next to him. Harry laughs and crosses the room, obediently sitting down in his designated place. He pulls his wand and conjures three saucers while Charlie uses his own wand to slice the cake and, immediately, Meredith's small, greedy fingers are there, grabbing a piece and the boy giggles. “Thank you, Harry.”

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