I have decided that I will do a third installment of the Second Chance series. I want to thank all of my loyal readers and to remind all of you that I don't own Harry Potter or and of the characters, places, or magical item that you don't recognize from canon. Please read and review just as you have been doing.
Chapter One
It's been three and half weeks since Harry James Potter-Black seen his friends. It's been three and half weeks since he left Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It's been three and half weeks since the incident in the Chamber of Secrets. It's been three and half weeks since Harry's life had been turned upside down.
Ok that may be an over kill since it was two years since everything changed, literally. That was when he went back in time to change a future that greatly wronged him. That treated him no better than a weapon.
Today was the day that that Harry's friends got out of school for the summer. He sorely wished that he were with them. But that was up to his dad, Sirius Black.
Right now Harry was in the training room with his surrogate uncle, Remus Lupin. Remus was proficient in the martial arts and was teaching Harry. With all the practice Harry did during the pervious school year, there was little Remus could teach him. That made all the adults very happy.
Today however, Sirius was going to give Harry a well deserved break. Only problem was Harry didn't know.
"Harry, will you go get dress? We have to go pick Hermione up soon." Sirius yelled up the stairs. If he didn't have Harry that wouldn't have been possible because he would still have his mother's portrait hanging in the front hall.
"What? Why do we have to pick up 'Mi? I thought her parents were going to go get her," Harry called back.
"The four of us are going to go out for dinner at some Muggle restaurant. 'The Ivy', I think that's what the Grangers said. Now, go get ready were leaving in half an hour."
Right before they left they got a Fire-call from Tonks saying that she was ill. Remus then decided that it would be a good idea to go to her place to take care of her.
"Padfoot, maybe you should invite Emmeline. You haven't really thanked her for her help with Harry's adoption." Remus looked like he was coming up with a plan. Sirius didn't catch it but Harry sure did. He wasn't sure how he felt about having a girl in Sirius' life.
Since it was still early, they knew that an owl would get there in time for her met at the restaurant. She was a Muggle-born so she did know her way around Muggle London better than most witches did.
All of the students were surprised when they saw Harry when they got off the train. Whispers were heard all through the platform. This caused Harry to groan in frustration but decided to ignore it as best as he could.
He tried to look over the crowd to see any bushy brown hair of Hermione or flaming red hair of a Weasley. He did see red hair. At first, he thought that it was Ginny but soon realized that it was Susan Bones, a Hufflepuff in his year. He was surprised when she approached him. He never really talked to her before.
"Hi Harry, I wouldn't think I would ever see you again. No one did really. Not with you being expelled and all."
"I wasn't expelled. Where did you hear such a ridiculous thing?" Harry was a bit put off with that rumor.
"Well since you left early everyone thought that you opened the Chamber of Secrets. I didn't want to believe it. But you did disappear quite suddenly. So what really happened? No one is saying anything." He knew that he could trust her with some of he details. He just wasn't sure why.
"Ginny was possessed by a diary written by Voldemort. I was able to find its entrance and save her. The diary has been destroyed. My dad just doesn't think Hogwarts is safe enough for me since I get into so much trouble."
"Why didn't anyone say anything about that? The headmaster didn't really say anything about what happened except that everything was taken care of. I have to get going. Owl me later, okay?" Harry nodded before she ran off to meet her aunt.
Soon after Susan left, Harry saw a gaggle of red hair that was most definitely the Weasleys. In the middle of the group was Hermione. He smiled when he saw them. He knew that he would be devastated if he couldn't go back to school. He would miss them all despite their quirkiness. But he really didn't have much time to think about that because he was soon surrounded by bushy hair.
"I can't breathe, Hermione. Will you please let go?"
"Sorry Harry, but I missed you so much. I think the others wanted to skin you alive for leaving like that. I had no idea what to tell them when you didn't say bye to them yourself. That was really selfish Harry. But I am so happy to see you again. Why are you here anyways? Where are my mum and dad?"
"Slow done Hermione and let Harry answer." Ron laughed at Harry's bemusement. "We have the time."
"They owled my dad and asked if we wanted to go out to dinner tonight. Only Tonks is sick so Uncle Remus went over to her place to take care of her. We invited Emmeline Vance instead. I don't know if she can make it though."
They left the Weasleys who were taking their car back to the Burrow and followed Sirius to the motorcycle. Even though it was a large bike, it would be a tight squeeze to fit all three of them on the bike. Fortunately, they could shrink Hermione's trunk and put it in a side pack where it wouldn't un-shrink until an hour after they take it out of the pack. The motorcycle even had a charm on it so they could talk without interference of the noise that it made.
"So, where are we going?" asked Hermione.
"Some Muggle place called 'The Ivy'. Your parents told me that it was a nicer place so we're stopping by Grimmauld so you can change." Sirius replied to her.
"Ohhh! That place is very fancy. All the celebrities go to 'The Ivy'. I always wanted to meet a celebrity." Harry turned his and gave her a look. Both he and Sirius were celebrities. They burst out laughing.
"Hermione, what do you think we are, chopped liver?" Harry asked this between breathes. It took her a minute to realize her mistake. They were so normal (in an abnormal kind of way) that she forgot about who they were. She frowned into Harry's back because she didn't like to be laughed at.
When they arrived at Grimmauld Sirius gave Hermione fifteen minutes to get ready. Her mum owled (she really loved Hedwig) over a dress and some light makeup so she didn't have to worry about that.
A sick Tonks was an evil Tonks. That's what Remus learned that night.
All he wanted to was to take care of her. He got her soup she said that it was too cold. He got her tea and she said that it was too hot. He drew her a bath and she said he put in the wrong brand of vanilla scented bubble bath. Even his keen werewolf senses couldn't tell the difference.
The girl was giving him a headache.
Peace finally came when she fell asleep on the couch after her bath (once Remus put in the right bubble bath). He took out the book that he had been reading at her place and sat down in the chair across from her. He opened the book but he soon found himself concentrating on something else. He took in her natural look and thought that it was perfect for her.
He didn't know how long he had staring at her but it was long enough for her to wake from her nap.
"Remus, why are you staring at me like that?" she asked when she completely opened her eyes. She had been awake for about ten minutes and he never took his eyes off her.
"I wasn't staring at you. I was... just making sure that you looked comfortable." Even he knew that the lie was pathetic."
"Liar. You know that this couch is hard as a bezoar." She noticed that he tinged pink. She went over to the ottoman in front of Remus.
"You know what, I feel much better." She lent over a bit a pulled him into a light kiss. "I'm going to bed. You take that rock the manufactures tried to pass off as a couch. Not even a Cushioning Charm works on that thing. Goodnight, Remus."
"Goodnight, Nymphadora." He went to lie down on the couch.
His last thought was that maybe a sick Tonks wasn't so evil after all.
He was flirting with her, Harry thought grumpily. People his age just shouldn't flirt.
He knew that he was behaving childishly but he couldn't help it. It was supposed to be him and Sirius, not him, Sirius, and some woman. Why did Remus have to suggest that she came with them?
Hermione noticed Harry's sulky mood when no one else did. She also saw how he was glaring at Emmeline. She seemed like a nice woman, so she could see why Harry was hostile toward her.
The dinner went by slowly and soon Sirius found himself inviting Hermione and her parents to stay the night at Grimmauld. Their home in Winchester was just too far away to drive at night. Emmeline, much to Harry's relief, could Apparate home.
As soon as she was certain everyone was in their rooms, Hermione snuck into Harry's room using one of the passages that he showed her. She knocked before she entered.
"Harry, what was your problem tonight? You were acting like a two-year-old," she scolded him.
"I don't know. I just don't like the idea of my dad dating. He isn't ready for something like that."
"Don't you think he might be lonely?"
"Well, he shouldn't. He has Uncle Remus, Tonks, and me. He doesn't need anyone else," Harry snapped at her.
"Don't be so selfish. You aren't always around and Remus and Tonks have lives outside of your dad. You have to stop being so selfish Harry. It will only destroy you in the end. Just think about it Harry. I'll talk to you some more in the morning. Goodnight, Harry."
Harry waved her off as she climbed back into the secret passage.