The Never-ending Road by laventadorn

Author:laventadorn [laventadorn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fanworks, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter/Severus Snape, girl!Harry, Harry Potter, Severus Snape, Albus Dumbledore, Hermione Granger, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter, Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Female Friendship, Pre-Relationship, romance pending, Snape smokes, it's a magical war so some characters have to die, Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Mature, Background Remus/Sirius, background Tracey Davis/Daphne Greengrass, Astoria Greengrass, this is pretty much genfic, F/M
Publisher: Archive of Our Own
Published: 2016-05-23T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Clutching their souvenirs, Harriet, Ron, Hermione and Padfoot fought through the crowd back to the Weasleys' tents as a ground-shaking gong echoed beyond the dark heads of the trees. Before the sound had faded, a hundred green and red lanterns flared in the wood.

"It's time!" Mr Weasley said, looking as excited as any of them. "Come on, let's go!"

Harriet kissed Padfoot good-bye, and he lay down in front of the tents as if guarding them. She looked around for Remus but didn't see him. She hoped they ran into him on the way to the stadium, then. There would be no point in giving him the present after the game.

She spotted his friend first. He stood out—maybe it was the glare. He had these dark, glaring eyes that seemed to be trying to burn a hole through everything. It reminded her of Snape on the warpath. But he didn't move like Snape or even talk like him; he had a thick Northern accent, and he hunched a bit when he walked instead of swooping.

She knew he wasn't Snape, he just. . . Well, why was she thinking of Snape anyway? She ought to be thinking of the Cup.

"Hi!" she said as she caught up to Remus, who'd stopped with his friend to waiting for them.

"I needn't ask if you're excited yet," Remus said, smiling.

"No way! Here, I got these for you." She pushed a pair of Omnioculars into his hand.

Remus stared at the Omnioculars. Maybe he didn't know what they were? But the expression on his face seemed to be about something else. She didn't know what, but it made her feel uncomfortable, like she'd committed some sort of gaffe.

"They're Omnioculars," she explained. "You can replay action and slow everything down. Well, that's what the saleswizard said—"

"You really shouldn't have," Remus said slowly. It didn't sound like something you said to be polite; it sounded like he really meant it. What was so bad about Omnioculars?

"I—we all got some. I thought maybe. . ." She glanced at Hermione for help, but she looked equally confused.

"I'll take them if you don't want them," said Remus' friend, and grabbed them out of his hand. "Bloody useful at these matches, where everything happens so fast you can't see a damned thing."

Remus didn't look amused, but his friend ignored him. Harriet had forgotten his name—Ebenezer-not-Scrooge. He didn't look like much of an Ebenezer, but a lot of wizards had strange names. He was about Remus' age and height but stocky, whereas Remus could have hidden behind a broomstick.

Ebenezer-not-Scrooge was twisting the dial on the Omnioculars. Remus gave up glaring at him and turned to Harriet with a smile that looked forced. Or maybe she was just being paranoid.

"Thank you, Harriet. It was quite thoughtful. I'm sure they'll come in handy."

Harriet smiled back, wondering if hers looked forced, too.

They walked through the wood for at least fifteen minutes, following the lantern trail. The woods were packed with excited noises—laughter, even snatches of songs—and

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