Sorry for only the one chapter this week, guys. I had to write a research paper on the CMG2 protein. It completely destroyed my mind. Reading biochem articles are the WORST, nevermind writing one.
(Word Count: 1,307)
"Home, sweet home!" Harry exclaimed, walking through the doors to Grimmauld Place.
Honestly, the train ride was a nightmare to get through. So many of the students had wrackspurts buzzing around their heads. He did his best to avoid the crowd and make his way into his own cabin to get away from them all.
"Welcome home, Harry!" Sirius slapped him on the back as he entered the house behind him. "Though don't get comfy, the Grangers invited us to a barbeque! We'll be heading over here in a few minutes."
"Really? Why didn't they say anything while we were at King's Cross?" Harry asked, recalling the scene he had seen earlier today of Dan Granger firing up the grill. So it wasn't just for a personal family dinner. It was a house party for them as well.
"We wanted it to be a surprise for the two of you. Besides, I had to swing by to grab Tripsy's scalloped potatoes! Don't want to show up with nothing, eh?" Sirius grinned and went downstairs to the kitchen.
"No, we wouldn't want that," Harry said, grinning as well. He would be caught dead before he turned down an invitation to a barbeque. He followed after Sirius. "Who else is showing up?"
"Andy and Ted are coming!" Sirius then turned to waggle his eyebrows at him. "Nymphadora's coming as well."
Harry scoffed at the teasing, but his smile widened despite himself. "Good to know she got some time off," he said nonchalantly.
Sirius rolled his eyes, "Alright, lover boy, come on. Remus won't be making it tonight. He's handling some business out with some botanists. I finally convinced him to take the lead on our wolfsbane project!"
Harry looked at him, surprised. "Really? What got him to change his mind?" Remus didn't like taking any more charity than what was absolutely necessary. So he didn't like the idea of Sirius using his wealth to buy out several greenhouses and magizoologists to cultivate all the necessary ingredients for the wolfsbane potion full time. To Remus, it seemed overly excessive and unnecessary.
Obviously there were already some potioneers making the wolfsbane, but they were extortionary. There weren't many werewolves that had stable enough jobs, or ones that paid well enough, to actually afford the potion.
"I got it through his thick skull that this endeavor isn't just to help him. It could also help hundreds of others inflicted by the same curse. Not only that, but it's a source of jobs for them. Remus as well. He's taking the lead so he can talk to some other werewolves that aren't aligned with Greyback," Sirius explained. "Now come on! We've got a barbeque to get to!"
Scalloped potatoes on hand, they both apparated directly to the Granger's backyard.
They popped in with a loud crack, and were greeted with the sight of everyone. Ted and Dan, the dads, were standing by the grill each holding a beer in one hand. Andromeda and Emma, the moms, were in lawn chairs, with Hermione and Dora at the table. Dora was lounging in her chair with her feet up, eating a hotdog with one hand, and holding a paper plate held in place over her chest to catch any drippings. She looked like she was utterly enjoying slacking off.
Thankfully, it seemed that none of them had any wrackspurts hanging around them.
"I brought the potatoes!" Sirius cheered, raising the dish above his head.
"If you drop those, Sirius, I'll wring your neck!" Andromeda threatened.
"Yes, yes. It's good to see you too, Andy," Sirius muttered.
Hermione ran over and gave Harry a hug, even though it had been barely 30 minutes since they'd parted. "Harry! Did you know about this?"
"No, not at all. I learned about this only a few minutes ago," Harry said.
"Well, come on! Dad makes the best pulled pork sandwiches, and we've got ribs and corn on the cob," Hermione said, pulling him along to the table.
Off to the side, he caught sight of Sirius waggling his eyebrows at him again. Harry pointedly ignored him.
As they approached the group, Dan, who was wearing an apron saying "I solemnly swear I'm cooking something good," clacked his tongs at him. "What can I get you, Harry? I've got sausages, hotdogs, burgers, even some chicken if that's more your thing, but I recommend my pulled pork! It's the best."
Harry laughed. "When'd you get an apron like that? I want one!"
"Sirius got it for me, for my birthday! Neat, eh?" Dan grinned. "Now, your food?"
"I love it. I'll have your pulled pork, and a sausage."
Dan quickly plated him up with the meat, and sent him off. Sirius stayed with the dads, and Harry joined Hermione and Dora at the table.
"Wotcha, Dora! It's been a while!" Harry greeted, sitting down across from the girls.
"Wotcha, Harry!" Dora raised her hotdog in greeting.
"How's things at the Auror academy? Still alive?" Harry asked, digging into his pulled pork sandwich. "Merlin, this is good," He could help but mutter around his first bite.
"Nah, I'm dead. Moody's the worst!" Dora grouched, biting into her hotdog. "But hey! First year is DONE! Only two more left to go."
It was a bit of a shock to Harry when he had first learned just how long an Auror's training was before they could actually enter the field. Three whole years at an Auror "academy." Back in his previous life, policemen in the USA were only required to train for 21 weeks before they were qualified to start patrols. Granted, they were still juniors and shadowed a more senior officer, but it was the same with these Aurors.
Moving his mind away from the topic before his thoughts turned political, he focused back on Dora. "At least the year's over, right? When does second year start?"
"Next week!" Dora shouted with her mouth full, too angry over the matter to care about manners. She swallowed hastily to continue. "I only get one bloody week. You listen here, Harry, you enjoy your time at Hogwarts, because this sucks!"
"You should have become a potioneer like I suggested, Nymphadora!" Andromeda called from the lawn.
"Don't call me Nymphadora!" Dora stood up and shook her fist at her mother.
"It's a beautiful name, darling!" Andromeda called lazily.
"It really is," Emma commented quietly to her.
Dora gave them another glare, before walking around the table. "Come on, stand up! I didn't get my hug!"
Harry stood up and they hugged. As they separated, she tussled his hair. "You're getting bigger by the year. Soon you'll be taller than I am!"
Harry smacked her hand away with a grin. "Let's see you try messing with my hair then!"
Hermione looked between the two of them with a frown.
"Hey, Harry," she interjected. "What are your plans for the summer? I just learned from Mum and Dad that we're heading over to France mid-July. We're going to stay for two weeks!"
"I've registered for the U-15 dueling tournament. Flitwick's going to come over to coach me over July. If I remember correctly, the tournament's going to take place in France as well. From the sounds of it, I'll be arriving there just as you're leaving. Perhaps I can go a day or two early so we can see each other there," Harry said.
Hermione gasped, "That'd be brilliant!"
From there, they continued chatting and eating for the rest of the evening, with Harry going back for seconds and thirds on that pulled pork. Eventually though, they called it a night and popped back home.
There was still a week left of June, so he had some free days before Flitwick came. So tomorrow, he intended to head over to the Lovegoods to get himself a cork necklace.