The sky was, unsurprisingly, grey. There were no dark thunderclouds churning overhead, just a blank, grey slate. Harry thought that dark thunderclouds might add to the mood, but life rarely went as he wished it would.
The group of people that seemed large in Harry's living room now looked a lot less overwhelming as they all stood apart on the empty street in various stages of anxiety. Ron and Hermione had gotten in a car with Molly Weasley after saying their goodbyes and were driven away.
"What lovely weather for a lovely occasion," Fred - or it could have been George, Harry honestly couldn't tell - said, his head tilted back and his hands on his hips as he stared up at sky.
"Stay with your partner," Moody barked at him. "We will not be losing any numpties because they're sniffing the flowers."
Making a face, Fred slinked towards Remus, murmuring to him, "Does that even make sense?"
Standing next to their father, George shook his head in solidarity.
Letting go of Remus' hand, Sirius rolled back his shoulders and stood next to the short, fiery haired Tonks. "Team Cool Cousins, fuck yeah," he grinned, holding up a hand for a high five which Tonks slapped with enthusiasm.
The rest of the partners standing awkwardly next to each other were Kingsley and Bill then Moody and a short man who looked very uncomfortable.
"Look sharp, Mundungus." Moody grunted, fastening his gnarled hands around his walking stick.
The short man scowled. "I never wanted to be here or do this."
"Glad to have you on the team," Harry said dryly. He wondered where Draco was at this moment."
"Everyone, mount your vehicles," Moody said loudly with an authoritative look at his pocketwatch.
His nerves spiking, Harry awkwardly clambered into the sidecar of Hagrid's motorcycle, his legs becoming very cramped after two seconds of being squeezed into the seat. He looked around the small compartment. "Hagrid, where's the seatb-?"
The engine sputtered and then roared to life, drowning out the rest of Harry's question.
There must have been some kind of countdown that he didn't hear because all of a sudden each vehicle - motorbikes, cars and scooters alike - surged forwards, the quiet street electric with the presence of engines and anxiety.
Turning around, his hands gripped firmly onto the carriage, Harry watched as 4 Privet Drive became smaller and smaller.
---
Everything was hazy. Harry's hands were clamped around a steering wheel, stuck in place. He couldn't move his arms. Looking out of the windscreen, he saw cars on each side of him slowing to a stop. The red lights on the back of each car brightly blur together, making Harry's eyes begged to close but they were frozen open. His car wasn't slowing down. Behind him, a light switched to a bright, glaring green and the cars on the other side of the intersection began to move forwards. No! Harry desperately tried to turn the wheel or stamp on the breaks but he couldn't move.
Frozen, he could only watch in horror as he sped up, as he got closer to an approaching car and a girl with red hair in the passenger seat opened her mouth in fright, hand flying to the forearm of the man driving. His vision began coming into focus, the haze lessening until he could see every tiny detail everywhere he looked.
Harry's car was almost upon them. His speed increased.
In the backseat he saw a tiny baby.
Bolting up, Harry clawed at the chair around him, his heart thumping and his throat feeling raw.
"Blimey, Harry, are you alright?" Hagrid looked startled, standing next to the motorbike. "Y'gave me a fright, sleepin' all peacefully then screamin' like that."
There was a constant roar in Harry's ears that didn't die down as his heartrate calmed. He sniffed the air.
As if hearing the unasked question, Hagrid adjusted his coat. "Welcome to Shell Cottage, Harry."
Getting out of the little carriage with legs that felt seconds away from collapsing, Harry looked around. They were on a beach. "This is where Bill and Fleur live?"
"Was damn inconvenient until we needed somewhere off the grid for you to stay," Hagrid said cheerfully. He untied Harry's suitcase from the back of the bike, and gestured with a large hand for Harry to keep up. "Very kind of them, very kind. I'll be in'n'out aroun' the place, so you'll see enough o'me." His dark eyes twinkled down at Harry who felt grateful to have someone as compassionate as Hagrid. His familiar face in times of such uncertainty really made it a lot less scary.
Hagrid lifted a hand in a fist and knocked on the door in a complicated rhythm. He swore under his breath, making a comment about how he messed it up before restarting.
A ginger man with recent-looking scars on his face opened the door. He looked at both people before solemnly asking, "Password?"
Harry blinked. "Who else could we b-"
"It's protocol, I'm afraid you're going to have to tell me the password."
Harry looked up at Hagrid who winked at him and leant forwards before whispering in a gravelly voice, "Sherbet Lemon."
Bill opened the door and let the two step inside.
"Did you guys travel alright?" he asked, closing and locking the door. "Please, put your stuff down. Your room is the one upstairs to the left, Harry."
"Thanks," Harry said, pressing his lips together but not quite achieving a smile.
A woman walks into the room through a bead curtain. "Ahh, 'Arry! I am so thankful you made it safely!"
"Hi, Fleur," Harry said, finding he was pulled into a hug and a kiss on the cheek. His arms awkwardly stay by his side. "Thanks for having me, I guess."
"Any time, 'Arry, any time." Her face darkens as she looks to Bill. "I just wish it didn't have to be like this."
The room became silent.
Harry scratched his head. "Well, I'll take this up to my room."
"Yes, right on." Bill clapped his hands together. "Will you be needing-"
"No, I'm alright. Thank you." Grabbing his suitcase off Hagrid, Harry made his way up the winding stairs, eager for time alone. Some time to get his head around these new arrangements.
He sat on the small bed, a small cloud of dust becoming airborne. He hoped he wouldn't be here long.