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Author: Sherylyn Story: Hearts Afire Rating: Teens Setting: Pre-DH Status: Completed Reviews: 14 Words: 48,067
It had begun raining the morning after those horrible pictures of him and Ginny had been published and it hadn't stopped yet. Harry found himself hoping that the rain would stop well before the wedding. As much planning as Ginny and Molly had done for the garden wedding, he didn't even want to imagine what would happen if they had to suddenly change all those plans in case of bad weather. The rain seemed to be affecting everything, even his time with Ginny. Every evening, he and Ron would Apparate to The Burrow, have dinner with Molly, Arthur and Ginny, and then he and Ron would play chess until Ron left or it grew late enough that they both had to leave in order to get up for their training the next day. He and Ginny had hardly had a moment's privacy all week, and he was getting tired of losing to Ron just to pass the time. He missed being alone with Ginny, spending time where they could talk freely, and share opinions just between the two of them. Not to mention that he missed their snogging sessions. But that was beside the point, for now. Now… he had plans to make, too, and the rain was dampening a lot more than the garden. Ginny had been quieter the last couple of evenings, and he was hoping they'd have some quality time together before he had to leave for the Azores. Most of his own planning was going well enough, but… he needed to talk to Molly and Arthur. Alone. Which meant trying to find a way to get Molly away from The Burrow without arousing Ginny's suspicions. Which also meant that he had to get away from Ron… again. Aside from working out how he could best accomplish meeting his future in-laws, however, there was the plain fact that, since those bloody pictures and articles had started to appear, he was exceptionally nervous about being alone with them at all; he wasn't quite as sure of their attitudes towards him as he'd been before. Molly and Arthur hadn't yet said anything about it to him directly, but he couldn't help feeling that they were biding their time for the proper moment to confront him about how he should have known better — both about doing those things with Ginny and about not protecting her enough. In regard to getting away from Ron, however, he decided that honesty was the best policy. So when Ron walked into the kitchen one morning to find Harry attaching a note to Hedwig's leg and raised an eyebrow curiously, Harry shrugged. "It's a note for your dad. I need to talk to him and your mum about a surprise for Ginny. It's wedding stuff — sort of," Harry answered the unspoken question. Ron rolled his eyes, but nodded as he helped himself to breakfast. "Erm… d'you think you can cover for me with Dow this morning? I need to leave early before lunch," Harry asked hopefully. Ron shrugged. "No problem. He probably won't even notice." "All right. Thanks, mate." Harry then left the kitchen to finish getting ready for the day, leaving Ron to eat breakfast alone. An intra-Ministry memo from Arthur fluttered up to him during the morning break, agreeing that he and Molly would meet Harry for lunch. Harry managed not to think too much about the whole matter while Kingsley was lecturing the recruits, but it hovered just beyond his consciousness the whole time. Shortly before noon, he slipped out of his seat next to Ron and made it out of the conference room without anyone else noticing. He hurried to the Apparition point in the Ministry entrance hall, then Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron to meet Molly and Arthur. * Tom showed Harry to a private parlour as Harry had requested, and Harry felt a jolt of recognition when he realised it was the same room into which Cornelius Fudge had steered him the night he'd blown up Aunt Marge. This time, Arthur and Molly were already seated at the table, waiting for him. As he made his way to his chair, Harry tried to convince himself that this meeting wouldn't be nearly as nerve-wracking as that first one had been. At least this time he knew that their privacy was guaranteed; he'd made specific arrangements for security spells to be placed on the room when he'd made the reservations. That photographer at the river had taught him a lesson he'd never again forget when it came to privacy. Molly and Arthur looked up from studying their menus, smiling warmly as they greeted him. Harry sat opposite Molly, feeling that same flickering of guilty fear in his stomach that he'd had earlier. They didn't seem to be upset with him, but he still felt the need to apologize. He could hardly manage to think about the other reason why he needed to talk to them; those bloody photos seemed to be hanging about his neck like an albatross. After they'd ordered, and Tom had disappeared again, Molly said, "So, Harry… Arthur told me about the note you sent this morning. I was quite surprised to hear that you wanted to talk to us like this. After all," she added with a slight chuckle, "it's not as if we don't see you almost every evening at home." Arthur chuckled and looked at Harry as he said, "Or that you could possibly have any deep dark secrets that we — or the rest of Britain — don't know about?" His eyes twinkled behind his glasses, and Molly laughed at Arthur's teasing. Harry hoped that what he was about to say wouldn't ruin the good mood. Whether Arthur was aware of it or not, he'd just provided the perfect segue into the topic that Harry had been dreading. He'd intended to broach the subject, but he hadn't wanted it to happen this way. Not yet. He wasn't ready for this yet. "Um… well, I — there's something I wanted to talk to you about, and I… well, I didn't want Ginny to know about it. Not yet, anyway," Harry began, mentally suppressing a groan as his brain scrambled to work out exactly how he should go about apologizing. "Oh?" Molly prompted as she picked up her tea cup and took a sip, looking at Harry inquisitively over the rim. "Yes," Harry muttered, fidgeting with his cutlery, and wishing that he could manage to do this without stumbling over his words quite as badly as he felt like he was doing. "Listen, I… well, this isn't the main reason I wanted to talk to you but…" He sighed and tugged at the collar of his robes absent-mindedly as he tried to gather his courage. "I just wanted you to know that — I'm really sorry about those pictures of Ginny and me, and the articles and everything. I'd understand if you're angry with me about it all, but… I'm very sorry Ginny's had to go through all of that." He looked up to meet their eyes, hoping they could tell how sincere he was. Molly sighed and pursed her lips, her brows coming together as she frowned thoughtfully. "You think we're blaming you for those photographs?" she asked, studying Harry intently. He fought the urge to squirm in his chair the way his insides were squirming because of the way she was looking at him. "I just — I shouldn't have let down my guard. I should've protected her somehow," he answered honestly, hoping that Molly's infamous temper wasn't about to be let loose at him. Molly and Arthur exchanged looks, and after a moment, Arthur learned forwards, clasping his hands on top of the table. "Harry, do you think that you and Ginny were doing anything wrong when those pictures were taken?" he asked levelly. "Um… no, not really. We — we weren't—I mean, we weren't doing what it looked like…." He trailed off as he felt himself redden. The idea of discussing kissing Ginny, touching Ginny — with her parents…! He didn't think he could possibly be any more embarrassed at that moment, and he couldn't quite look at his almost-in-laws. "Let me reassure you, Harry," Arthur answered. "I don't think you were doing anything wrong, either. You are both loving people, and I'd be far more worried if the two of you weren't taking advantage of the times you're alone together." Harry breathed a sigh of relief that he didn't even realize he'd been holding and Arthur chuckled. "So you asked to see us, even though you half-expected us to tear strips off you the moment we had you alone?" he asked, his eyes twinkling behind his glasses once more. "Erm… yeah," Harry mumbled, dropping his gaze to where his hands were twisting his napkin in his lap. Molly reached over and placed a hand on his arm. "Harry. Don't you remember what I told you when Ginny was in hospital?" she asked quietly. Harry looked up at her, confused for a moment, before he remembered what she'd told him then: "…there is no part of this that is your fault. Not one single bit. Ginny is 'involved' with you because she loves you, just as you love her…It's just that you love her, and you don't want to see her hurt. That doesn't sound to me like any sort of reason to be blaming yourself… it's worse when something's hurting someone we love…" "Oh," he said softly, his eyes wide. Arthur chuckled quietly and Molly smiled warmly as she squeezed his arm. "I haven't changed my opinion, Harry. About the press, or about you. It's not your fault, so don't blame yourself for something someone else did to the two of you, all right?" Harry nodded, his throat tight at the implication of her words. Arthur also nodded, agreeing with Molly. "Harry, when I talked to Ginny about all this — the day the photos first appeared in the papers — I told her how Molly and I knew a little bit of what you two have been dealing with." He paused and smiled at Molly, who blushed faintly, but laughed softly and nodded. Harry wasn't quite sure what those looks meant, but he knew they were thinking of the same thing. "When Molly and I were in our seventh year at Hogwarts, not too long before we were to be married, we were caught after curfew, and in rather… well, a rather compromising situation, I'll say." Molly coughed nervously, but Harry could see that she was also trying not to laugh. His eyes widened as the meaning of Arthur's words sank in. Harry looked at Molly in surprise as a memory from fourth year suddenly leapt into his consciousness. "That was when the caretaker caught you?" he gasped. Molly looked puzzled for a moment. "Pringle? How did you —?" she began, then suddenly laughed. "The Tournament! Yes, I remember — I mentioned it to you and Bill when we were at Hogwarts to see you that day." She laughed again. "I can't believe you remembered that!" Harry shook his head. "It just came to me." He grinned, then said, "Sorry, Arthur, I didn't mean to interrupt. You were saying?" Arthur was still looking amused as well. "Well, it's just that — I was angry at myself for letting Molly be embarrassed like that, and I was more than happy to take the punishment so that her reputation wasn't ruined. I'd have gladly gone to battle for her, if it'd been required." He paused and gave Harry that same fatherly smile he'd done for years now. "Does any of that sound familiar to you?" Harry ducked his head as he felt his cheeks heat again with embarrassment, but he nodded. "Yeah," he murmured. "Very familiar." "So you see, Harry… aside from the fact that we don't blame you at all — or Ginny, either — we also know a bit of how you feel. Our situation wasn't the same as yours — pictures of us weren't splashed across all the papers, obviously — but I think the emotions are probably very similar. We don't blame you, Harry. And we hope that you won't blame yourself, either. Understand?" he asked, and Harry nodded again as he took what felt like the first deep breath he'd had in quite some time. He could scarcely believe their response. "Yeah. Thank you. Both of you," he said quietly. Along with the relief he felt, though, something else washed over him: realization. Arthur and Molly never had been, never would be, the type of people that Vernon and Petunia Dursley were, and they would never, ever treat anyone the way the Dursleys had always treated Harry when he was growing up. Harry had known that, intellectually, for years, but this was the first time he'd experienced interacting with Arthur and Molly when they could have easily lashed out at him, regardless of whether or not Harry truly deserved it. They had not only refrained, but apparently hadn't even considered the possibility. Years before, he'd blamed himself for Nagini's attack on Arthur, and had been very uncomfortable with the family's gratitude towards him at the time. But this was different. He really was involved in this situation, even if it wasn't entirely his fault. Ginny had told him that her parents had been comforting and supportive, but now — Harry realized suddenly that their support extended to him, too. Molly squeezed his arm again. "You don't have to thank us, Harry. You're already family. You and Ginny are just making it official." Harry felt as if his heart were bursting with affection for them. They'd given him a family, and a home, when he'd needed it. Now they were giving him their acceptance and their unconditional love, just as they did for the rest of their family. Harry had felt included in the family for quite some time, but now — somehow, the concept had shifted. He wasn't just "included" and "welcomed", he was family, and they were his family. Harry met her eyes, and hoped she could read something of his emotions in his gaze, because he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to put things into words to adequately express his feelings. "I think I understand that a bit better now," he murmured, and Molly beamed at him. "Good," she said briskly. "So, no more worrying about all this, all right?" Harry nodded again, but before he could say anything else, Tom arrived with their food, and the next few minutes were spent tucking in to their meals. "So… how is Auror training going, Harry? Still certain you want to give it up?" Arthur asked a short while later. Harry nodded vigorously, his mouth full, and after he'd swallowed, he answered, "Oh, yes. Every time I have to fill out any of that bloody — erm —" he glanced at Molly furtively and saw her frown slightly, "Sorry. I mean, that stupid paperwork, I'm more certain all the time. And the more I find out about the course in New Zealand, the more I want to do it. I really think it's what I've been looking for." Arthur nodded around his own mouthful of food, and Harry took a moment to dig into the pocket of his robes. "Actually, New Zealand is what I wanted to talk to you about," he began, nervously smoothing out the travel brochures he'd brought with him. "I've been making all the arrangements for our travel, and… well, I want to make some other arrangements, too. I mean, I want to finalize them, if it's okay with you." Arthur and Molly traded glances again as Molly asked, "What do you mean, dear?" "I want you to visit Ginny and me at Christmas. In New Zealand. I've already been talking to the travel agency about it, and I've made preliminary arrangements for you to come by International Portkey Passage. But you need to choose — there are some different combinations of stops that you can make, and you have to decide the places you'd most like to see on the way." Molly's eyes were wide as he handed her the brochures. "Harry. That's got to be… that's very sweet of you, dear, but we couldn't possibly let you…" She began, then looked at Arthur rather helplessly. Harry felt his stomach drop. He wanted this. He wanted them to come for Ginny's sake, and he wanted to surprise her with their coming, but he also realized now that he wanted it for himself, too. He looked down at his plate, hoping his disappointment wasn't too visible. "I'm afraid Molly's right, Harry. That has to be unbelievably expensive. You're already paying for the two of you to take this course, and the living expenses while you're there. We can't possibly allow you to pay for this, too." Arthur's voice was gentle as he continued, obviously hoping to lessen the blow. "I know it won't be easy on any of us, with you two so far away, but it'll only be for a year, and then you'll be home again." "I know," Harry answered, idly pushing his fork around his plate, his interest in the food completely gone. "I just…" He sighed and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his hands over his face, thinking hard. Realizing abruptly that his best hope was to confide in Molly and Arthur, he gulped, trying to find the right words for what he needed to say. "Listen, I hate to say this," he began, his voice abnormally quiet as he stared unseeingly at the table, "but… like you just said, we're about to be family even more than we already are, and you should probably know this anyway. I've got — well, I've got a ridiculous amount of money, to be honest. My parents, Sirius — a lot of people — willed money to me after… well, after everything happened. If it's only the money that's stopping you, it shouldn't. If I can't spend it on things that are important to the people who mean the most to me, then what good is it? If it's just that you don't want to come, then… well, I don't know what else to say." The Weasleys were silent for a moment, and then Molly leaned closer to put her hand on his. "Harry, dear, is this the surprise for Ginny that you mentioned?" she asked gently. Harry nodded, still not quite able to make himself look at her. He hadn't realized just how much he'd wanted this — for Ginny and for her parents and for himself, too — until it seemed that it wasn't possible. Now he just wanted to forget he'd ever had the idea. "I just — I thought… I wanted to do something special for her for our first Christmas together. I mean… I know it'll be your first grandchild's first Christmas, too, so I understand if you just want to be here instead or something, but…" He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I'm making a royal mess of this. You don't have to do anything. But you've always done so much for me and...." He sighed again. "I'm sorry. Just—just forget it." Molly tsked at him and noisily unfolded one of the brochures. "The baby won't remember whether he's with us or not this Christmas, whereas you and Ginny will certainly remember whether or not you spent your first Christmas with family or all by yourselves on the other side of the world. Isn't that right, Arthur?" she said briskly. Arthur chuckled. "Sounds quite right to me, Molly," he answered. Harry glanced at the other man just as Arthur leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. When Arthur realized that Harry was looking at him, he gave Harry a very deliberate wink. "Harry, let me give you a bit of husbandly advice: when your wife decides on a course of action, don't argue." Molly pursed her lips and looked at Arthur over the top of the brochure. "And Harry, when your wife is right in front of you, don't talk about her as if she's not there." Arthur laughed and reached over to squeeze Molly's hand. "Yes, dear," he chuckled, and she smiled at him fondly, her eyes glinting mischievously. "You—you really want to do it?" Harry asked, not quite believing that things had turned around so suddenly. "Harry. It was never a matter of not wanting to visit you and Ginny. We just didn't think it was the wisest decision, partially because of the money, I'll admit. But as you've pointed out the futility of that argument, and if this is really what you want…?" She paused and looked at him questioningly. He nodded fervently. "Then I suppose we can work out something. We'll look these over — when Ginny's not around, of course — and let you know soon, all right?" "That would be brilliant. And if you need more time — even after I leave for the Azores — you can just contact the witch at the travel agency. All her information's on the back — see?" He pointed out the spot on the brochures that contained all the pertinent details. "I've already told her I want to do this, so all you have to do is choose the combinations of Portkey stops that you want." "It sounds lovely, dear," Molly said almost absent-mindedly, as she studied the brochures. Harry suddenly found himself grinning broadly. "Ginny's going to be so excited when you turn up at our door!" Molly looked up then and beamed at him. "You're very sweet to think of doing this, Harry. For Ginny, and for us, too." He grinned again. "I'm glad to do it. I'm glad you want to do it. I'm glad you're letting me do it!" he said, laughing. The rest of Harry's lunch break passed quickly as they chatted. Now that Molly and Arthur had agreed, Harry's appetite returned enough for him to enjoy the pudding as well. When Molly hugged him good-bye, he murmured again, "Thank you for agreeing to come. It means a lot." She smiled at him as she released him from the hug and reached up to gently cup his cheek. "Thank you, Harry, for thinking of such a gift for all of us." ~*~ It was still raining when he and Ron Apparated to The Burrow for dinner. Their afternoon lectures had been shortened to allow them time to prepare for the upcoming training mission to the Azores, and Harry's mind was still a whirlwind of thoughts from trying to make sure he'd thought through every contingency. Ginny was sitting at the kitchen table, a stack of bridal magazines in front of her, and a distant expression of concentration on her face. She didn't even blink when Harry and Ron arrived right in front of her. She was pale, and her frown deepened as he watched her. What on earth was bothering her? Even Ron noticed, and gave Harry a questioning glance. Harry shrugged. "Ginny?" he asked after a moment's silence. Ginny started slightly. "Oh! You're here!" "We're not that stealthy, Ginny," Ron said, giving her an odd look. "Although the new trainer did say we were the best at Apparating." "Did he?" Molly turned around from her cooking to look at them both, and beamed at Ron. "That's wonderful. I just know you're going to be a top-notch Auror, Ron." Ron ducked his head and didn't say anything. Harry was still studying Ginny, who seemed terribly preoccupied. "Is everything all right?" Ginny asked in what Harry recognized as a would-be casual tone. "Yes," he answered, still watching her and trying to sort out if she was upset with him or something else. It was obvious she wasn't going to talk to him before dinner, so he'd have to wait. He was tired of this rain — they hadn't had any private time together all week, and he was leaving the day after tomorrow. All his packing and planning had left him feeling a bit unsettled all week, too — and he wondered if perhaps he'd been less attentive to Ginny than he'd thought. Maybe some of that was influencing her mood? Dinner was a quiet affair, and Harry noticed that Ginny didn't seem to eat much of anything. He tried to get her attention several times, wondering if her mood had changed at all, but she scarcely looked at him the whole meal. After they ate, she seemed to hide away in the kitchen with Molly, leaving him to play chess again with Ron. He wished he could think of some way to get her alone so they could talk, but he couldn't think of how to manage it without seeming rude to everyone else. When Ginny appeared in the doorway a short time later, Harry looked up hopefully. "I'm going for a walk," Ginny announced, not looking at anyone in particular. Arthur lowered his paper and looked at her in surprise. "It's raining," he said reasonably. "I'll take an umbrella," Ginny answered rather shortly. "Do you want me to come along?" Harry asked, not quite sure enough of her mood to presume that she'd like his company. "No," she answered, even more curtly. She paused a split-second, then added, "Just finish your game with Ron." He heard her at the back doorway for a few moments, then the door opened and closed and she was gone. He sighed and leaned back against the sofa cushions and stared blankly at the chess board in front of him. Ron had already captured quite a few of Harry's pieces. Harry studied the board for a moment, attempting to think through two things at once: how to lose quickly to Ron and how to try to talk to Ginny. Apparently his distraction was sufficient for the first task because it seemed to take no time before Ron was saying, "Checkmate." Harry's king looked up at him and huffed in disgust before walking off the board and jumping back into the box. Ron grinned good-naturedly. "Care for another game?" he asked. Harry shook his head. "Not now. I think I'll go and find Ginny." He stood and stretched for a moment, looking out the front window into the gloom of the rain. He could just make out a blur of colour towards the front edge of The Burrow's gardens. He closed his eyes for a moment in concentration and then Apparated to the front lane. "I thought you were playing chess with Ron," Ginny said by way of greeting. "I let him win," Harry answered, frowning slightly at the rain dripping over his glasses. "Do you want to be alone?" he asked, still trying to gauge her mood. "Yes — no — I don't know." She stared at him, her expression rather blank, and not helping him in the slightest. He raked a hand through his wet hair and sighed. "And what am I supposed to do with that?" he responded wearily. "You figure it out!" she said shortly as she turned to walk away, but he grabbed her arm, purely by instinct. "Ginny, what's wrong with you?" he asked, exasperated. "Me?" she snapped. "There's nothing wrong with me! You're the one in a bad mood! And I don't need your bad mood right now." "I'm not in a bad mood," he said in surprise, letting go of her arm. "You are." Their conversation continued in a similar vein for several moments, with Harry growing more confused and worried the longer it went on. He didn't know if he could help with whatever might be bothering her, but he certainly knew he had no chance until he actually knew what was going on. He'd tried a bit of humour, and had only seemed to make her more agitated, so that certainly wasn't the way to go. Ginny turned away from him again, but stopped when he called her name. He hesitated for just a moment before finally, hoping that he was right in this at least, simply opening his arms to her. "Ginny, come here." She resisted. "My umbrella is in the way," she mumbled, not looking at him. "Put it over both of us," he coaxed. She used her wand to nudge the handle, so that it floated above their heads. "Now will you come here? Please?" he asked again. He wasn't quite sure, just yet, if it was what Ginny needed, but he knew he needed to hold her, after all their time apart this week. And he would have to leave her so soon. He hated the idea of them being separated, and he was hoping never to leave her again. He'd had to do it before, but he didn't want to do it ever again if he had any say in the matter. Very uncertainly, Ginny stepped into his arms, but didn't lean against him. He wrapped his arms around her anyway, and buried his face in her damp hair, enjoying being close to her again. It seemed like such a long time since he'd held her. "Did something happen today?" he asked softly, gently rubbing his hand over her shoulders and back. "No," she mumbled, leaning her forehead against his shoulder, but still not relaxing into his embrace. He hesitated. He knew she wasn't likely to be too happy with him for bringing it up, but he had to ask. He'd heard so much about her health when she was in St Mungo's, yet he still wasn't sure how to phrase something like this. "Are you…" he paused, trying to think of the best word he could use for his question, "…hormonal or something?" "Hormonal!" she exploded, jerking away from him. Her umbrella pulled away as well, following her. "What makes you think I'm hormonal?" she demanded, her expression fiery and Harry felt his own temper rising at her response. "Honestly, you blokes think that's always the problem so you don't have to take the blame for anything — I would think by now —" she broke off suddenly and looked away. His anger disappeared instantly as his worries about her health came rushing back to him, and he tried desperately to remember if there was anything said at the hospital about the effects of her injury on something like this. "What? Think what by now?" he asked, even more concerned. She looked at him then, meeting his eyes as if searching for answers there. "Um." She broke eye contact and stared at his chest. "The last time I was — er — hormonal. It hurt. A lot. Like, more than usual." She glanced up at him tentatively, as if afraid he wasn't going to let her explain. It wasn't as if this was his favourite subject, but they were to be married in a couple of weeks, so he thought he'd better get used to the concept. At least he had become more accustomed to discussing her medical status when she had been in hospital. He stepped closer again and reached up to stroke her hair. "What did Madam Pomfrey say?" he asked. "I didn't tell her," she answered quietly. "Why?" he asked, in what he hoped was a reasonable tone of voice. "Because I can't go whinging to Madam Pomfrey with every ache and pain, Harry. Some girls have it a lot worse than me every month." She sounded exasperated with him again. "But if this was unusual for you," he began carefully, "then don't you think you should tell someone? You were seriously injured, you know." He wasn't fond of talking to Madam Pomfrey — or any other medical people — either, so he could certainly understand her hesitation, but he'd learned the hard way that some things had to be dealt with, regardless. "I know," she snapped. "Don't you think I know?" "If you're worried —" he began again, but she cut him off. "I'm not worried!" She looked at him quite defiantly then. "I'm not like Mum. I don't worry." He stared at her a moment. He knew quite well that she worried. She just didn't do it the same way her mum did. "You don't worry out loud, you mean," he clarified. She looked at him then, as if trying to work out how to reply to him. Before she could answer though, her conjured umbrella disappeared with a pop. Harry had his wand in his hand and had conjured another, larger umbrella before Ginny even drew her wand. He stepped closer, and realized that Ginny was less tense than before. He gently wrapped his arms around her again, and this time, she relaxed against his shoulder and he tightened his hold as — finally! — she melted into his arms. "Go see the Healer at St Mungo's tomorrow after our appointment at Gringotts," he pleaded quietly. Ginny sighed. He knew she was dreading all that paperwork as much as he was. "I know," he responded, patting her back gently, as the rain continued to patter against the umbrella above them. Ginny might not worry aloud like Molly, but that didn't mean her worries were any less important. And his own worries were just as plentiful. He hated leaving her, hated not being able to help, but he knew he needed to go with Ron on this mission. Too bad even magic couldn't take away those sorts of concerns. ~*~ The better part of the next day was spent at Gringotts. Harry didn't think he'd ever get accustomed to the swooping, speeding carts that the goblins used. Performing death-defying moves on a broom was one thing — at least he was in control of the broom! — but things like the Floo system and these carts he could quite nicely do without. Ginny didn't look like she cared for them any more than he did, but at least her appointment at St Mungo's had gone well. By the time they'd signed all the forms and dealt with all the Gringotts paperwork, Harry was certain he'd prefer never to see another piece of parchment that needed his signature again, and he was developing a headache of Hagrid-sized proportions. Once he and Ginny left Gringotts through a more secluded exit (thanks to Bill, once again), he Apparated them both to a nearby Muggle café he knew of so that they could get away from the nosy reporters who still lurked outside Gringotts and were roaming Diagon Alley. Once they'd found a table and placed their orders, Harry glanced at his watch and realized abruptly why he had such a headache. "No wonder…" he muttered, half to himself. Between signing all those forms, the dizzying cart ride, and the lack of lunch, it was no wonder his head was hurting yet again. Ginny looked at him quizzically over the rim of her teacup, and he shook his head slightly. "Sorry, I just realized what time it is. I didn't think it'd take nearly so long at the bank." He rubbed the back of his neck absent-mindedly. Ginny put down her teacup and gave him a knowing look. "Headache?" He nodded. "It's half-two. We were there for hours. I didn't know paperwork could take that long," he muttered, scowling. Ginny chuckled. "And I thought I was the one who didn't like signing all those forms," she teased. "You nevra have to sign them like that again, I hope," he answered, a smile tugging at his lips in spite of himself. "At least we get to spend the day together. And we've managed to dodge the press, so it hasn't been altogether hopeless," Ginny answered, picking up her tea for another drink. Harry nodded and wrapped his fingers around her other hand where it lay on the table. "I just wish that hadn't taken up so much of our time together," he said quietly, looking at her intently. "We haven't had much lately as it is." Ginny squeezed his hand. "No, we haven't, and tomorrow…" She stopped and blinked rapidly. He squeezed her hand then. "I know," he murmured huskily, as their fingers intertwined without conscious thought, and they exchanged a look that spoke volumes for them both. They were interrupted by the arrival of their food, and the aromas reminded Harry of how hungry he really was. They ate companionably, trading bites and comments, and their conversation gradually moved away from the emotional minefield of "tomorrow" towards more ordinary subjects. By the time they'd finished dessert, they'd managed to put "tomorrow" from their minds enough to just enjoy the time together, even though "tomorrow" was just out of sight, hovering, waiting to pounce into his consciousness at any time. He steadfastly ignored it, concentrating on the moment instead. They laughed and teased and talked about plans for their trip to New Zealand and what sorts of things they might experience in the year ahead. They found themselves wandering through nearby Muggle shops, browsing without any real thought of wanting to buy anything, simply enjoying discovering things together. Time flew by, and all too soon, Ginny checked her watch and proclaimed, "I think we should head home. Mum probably has dinner ready by now." "All right, um…" Harry looked around. There was a deserted alleyway across the street. He gestured toward it, quirking an eyebrow at Ginny for confirmation. She nodded, and they hurried across to the alley. Once there, though, Harry caught her hand before she could Apparate. "Just a mo'…" he said, angling away from the street as he drew his wand. A flick of his wand, and a slightly shimmering shield appeared at the entrance to the alley. "Harry… what are…?" Ginny began, but Harry turned back to her, grinning. "Just a privacy barrier for a bit," he answered. "I need to do something before we go," he added, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer. She grinned up at him, her hands sliding across the front of his abdomen as she moved closer. "Yes? Is there something you need to discuss with me?" she asked, her eyes glinting with humour. He shook his head and then lowered his mouth towards hers. "Just something I've wanted to do all day," he murmured, capturing her lips with his. Ginny melted into his embrace, her mouth warm and welcoming against his. Her hands moved upwards to encircle his neck, one hand idly toying with the hair at his nape, sending shivers of sensation down his spine. His hands roamed at will, skimming over curves and softness as he lost himself in their kisses, while her hands moved with easy familiarity over his body. He wasn't sure how long they kissed, locked together, touching and touched, sharing themselves with each other. When they finally parted, they stood silently, catching their breath, their foreheads pressed together, holding each other loosely. "Um… I think we just managed to have dessert before our main course," Ginny said softly, her breath ghosting over his skin. They laughed together quietly. "I suppose we'd better go. We wouldn't want Ron to start eating without us," Harry answered. Ginny nodded and released him reluctantly. He flicked his wand again, ending the spell at the entryway, and then, with a nod of confirmation, they both Apparated to The Burrow. Dinner that evening was a rather boisterous affair. Since Harry and Ron were leaving early the next morning for their training mission in the Azores, Molly had made certain that the whole family was in attendance, and the tables were spread in the back garden to accommodate everyone comfortably. Conversation was punctuated by frequent loud noises and exclamations of surprise, since the twins had seen fit to bring an assortment of new products along for "testing." After about the fourth (or eighth?) such outburst, Molly stood up, wand pointed directly at the twins. "Fred and George Weasley, so help me…! If one more incident happens before we finish this dinner, you will both be sorrier than you believe possible!" George and Fred adopted appropriately sorrowful expressions, and vowed to behave themselves… but Harry could hear their muttered addendums about just how long those promises would be upheld. When Molly and Ginny went into the kitchen to bring out the pudding, Harry thought he saw a flicker of movement from George towards Ron's plate. Before he could react, Ron had already taken another bite… and immediately turned into a large, pink flamingo. While the twins laughed uproariously, Bill, Percy and Arthur looked rather pained as they tried to hold in their mirth. Ron squawked loudly and flapped his wings, and Harry could no longer contain his own laughter. Penny and Fleur were both giggling behind their hands when Molly and Ginny reappeared with a large cake floating along behind them. A light-weight, shimmery cloth was draped over the cake, hiding it from view, and Harry absently wondered what was going on. Molly took one look at the table, saw Ron, and almost dropped the cake in mid-flight. Ginny squealed wordlessly, and Molly managed to save the cake, levitating it to the centre of the table, and then immediately rounded on the twins. "I told you two…" she began, brandishing her wand threateningly. "But, Mum—" began George. "—you said during dinner," chimed in Fred. "And since cake's here, it's obvious—" "—that dinner's over," finished Fred. "You know quite well what I meant, you two! Turn your brother back immediately, and no more foolishness tonight!" Molly scolded. "Yes, Mum," they answered in stereo, attempting to look suitably chastised. George pulled a small bottle from the pocket of his robes. "Drink this, Ron," he ordered, unstopping the bottle and holding it out toward Ron. Harry had never thought a bird's face could convey such an expression as the one that Ron gave George, but he did open his beak and allow George to pour the contents of the bottle into his mouth. A moment later, Ron popped back into existence, dragging a hand across his mouth as he did so. "Bleurgh!" he gasped, grabbing his glass and quaffing his drink in one go. "That is the most disgusting thing, ever!" he managed, his eyes watering, as he grabbed the pitcher of juice and poured himself another glass-full. Once Ron had drained a second glass of juice, Molly cleared her throat meaningfully, still glaring at the twins. Everyone else quieted, looking at her expectantly. "As you all know, Ron and Harry are leaving in the morning for their training course, and won't be back until just before the wedding. And, of course, tomorrow's Harry's birthday, as well. So we thought it would be appropriate to wish both our boys all our best this evening." Completely surprised, Harry looked at Ginny, only to find a cat-in-the-cream expression on her face. Before he could say anything, Molly flicked her wand, and the cloth covering the cake disappeared, revealing a chocolate cake with red and gold decorations depicting the Gryffindor emblem. The gold lettering spelled out "Best Wishes, Harry and Ron" and tiny Quidditch figures and balls were scattered across the top and sides of the cake. There were nineteen candles in one corner of the cake, surrounded by Golden Snitches, and Molly lit them with her wand. After everyone had sung "Happy Birthday", Molly began serving the cake, and Harry turned to Ginny. "You never said a word," he said accusingly. She grinned unrepentantly. "What would be the fun in that?" she answered, helping herself to a bite of his cake, since she hadn't been served yet. He shook his head. "I won't get to be here for your birthday," he said quietly, while everyone else resumed chatting as the cake was distributed. "It's okay," Ginny answered, "At least we're together now." She reached up to give him a quick kiss. "Besides," she then whispered, for his ears alone, "right after my birthday, we'll get to celebrate even better… together." Harry felt a thrill of anticipation flutter through him, and he leaned in for a quick kiss in reply before answering, "Best idea for a celebration I ever heard." Ginny laughed quietly and squeezed his hand just as a piece of cake landed on the table in front of her. A moment later, a small pile of wrapped packages appeared before Harry. "Some of your presents will be delivered to you tomorrow, dear," Molly informed him, smiling mysteriously. Harry looked up, confused. "I thought we weren't allowed any post while we were on this trip?" he responded, looking to Ron for confirmation. "Don't look at me," Ron grinned, in between enormous bites of cake. "I didn't make the rules." Harry unwrapped his gifts, taking time to appreciate each one and thank each person. There was a rather predictable package of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products from the twins, but the card inside told him in no uncertain terms not to open them where Molly could see them. Especially in light of the twins' recent antics, he knew better than to dismiss that warning, and hastily charmed the box closed and set it aside. Percy and Penny had given him books on search-and-rescue techniques and first-aid charms that Percy assured him would be compatible with the course they'd be doing in New Zealand. Bill and Fleur's present was a charmed money bag that would ensure that his money stayed where he put it at all times, in addition to keeping unsavoury characters from gaining access to his money. Bill remarked that it would come in especially handy as they travelled, as well as when he was actually on search-and-rescue missions. "I'll show you how to set the charms later," Bill promised. Then, with a wink, he added, "You can even set them to keep your darling wife-to-be out of your money if you want." As both Ginny and Fleur scowled at him meaningfully, he hastily added, "Or set them so that only you and Ginny can access it — whichever you prefer." Harry laughed and held up his hands in surrender. "Just show me the ones for the two of us, Bill. I think that'll be safest for all of us." Fleur sniffed disdainfully as Bill moved to slide his arm around her shoulders, and Ginny chimed in, "Brother dear, if you're not careful, you're going to need your curse-breaking skills much sooner than your charms knowledge." Everyone laughed, and Ginny squeezed Harry's arm as he began replacing the gifts in their boxes. "You'll get the others tomorrow," she reiterated. She then smiled and reached up to wipe a bit of icing from his mouth before leaning in to whisper, "I'll be happy to help you with your dessert later." He grinned happily. "I'll hold you to that," he murmured, and they shared a look of private promise. Or at least, they thought it was private. "Oi! Enough with those looks! You're going to melt the cake!" Ron protested, moving the cake closer towards his side of the table as if to protect it. "You're just jealous because Hermione's not here, you prat," Ginny retorted. "I can't help it if my husband-to-be is leaving me all alone and going off to tromp through the wilds with the likes of you instead!" Ron snorted. "Harry's leaving has nothing to do with you two looking at each other like that. You've done it for years now," he grumbled. "It's enough to put a bloke off his food," he added as he helped himself to a third piece of cake. "Yes, I can see that," Harry commented dryly. "It's a good thing you're off your food, or the rest of the family might go hungry." "You mean the rest of Britain," Ginny corrected with feigned sweetness. Ron scowled as the rest of the family laughed at his expense. "What? I'm about to be living with all those other trainees for two weeks. I need to stock up!" Ron protested. "Sure, sure, Ronniekins, we know…" Fred joined in. "That explains the huge sucking sound we hear from the kitchen twenty-four hours a day…." Ron growled and waved his fork in Fred's direction threateningly. "Don't start, you. You turned me in to a bloody bird — I already owe you plenty for that!" George laughed derisively. "Oh please, Ron. Do you honestly want to start something you can't possibly finish?" "I'll show you—" Ron began, but Arthur cut him off. "Not now, Ron. This isn't the time, boys," Arthur said firmly, his expression clearly indicating the twins as well. Disgruntled, Ron nodded, and the twins gave half-hearted nods as well. "Just as well," Harry murmured to Ginny, so that no one else could hear him. "I don't fancy sleeping in the same flat with any of them if they get into a prank war tonight." Ginny agreed. "I think you and Ron have enough to do tonight. I bet neither of you have packed a thing, have you?" Harry did his best to appear wounded. "Are you accusing me of neglecting my duties?" he mock-demanded. Ginny laughed. "No, I'm saying I know you and my brother quite well, so I bet the two of you haven't even done your laundry, much less anything else." Ron leaned in to join the conversation. "I'll have you know, dear sister," he put in, "Harry and I packed our gear yesterday, thank you very much. It's already been delivered to the Portkey office." "You're joking! Since when have you two ever done anything before the last possible moment?" Ginny asked in astonishment. "Since Dow told the recruits that their gear had to be there by noon today and any stragglers would be responsible for all the gear for the whole mission," Percy suddenly chimed in. Ron flushed as everyone laughed, and Harry felt his own face heat as well. "Thanks a lot," he muttered to Ron. Ginny leaned against Harry's shoulder as she giggled. "Well, miracles never cease, I suppose… perhaps this means there's hope for you being ready for the wedding after all," she teased. Harry's gaze met Molly and Arthur's laughing eyes, and he grinned quite smugly. "Oh, you'd be surprised, my dear," he countered. "Quite surprised, in fact." * Later that evening, Harry and Ginny strolled hand-in-hand to their favourite bench in the orchard. Harry did the honours this time, Transfiguring the bench into a comfy settee. They settled in comfortably as the crickets chirped and the fireflies twinkled lazily around them. "I wish I didn't have to go," Harry murmured after several moments of silence during which they simply held each other close. "I know," Ginny answered quietly. "I'm going to miss you every second." "Me, too," Harry whispered. He hated the idea of not being with her, when he knew she'd likely be going spare with trying to sort out last-minute wedding details and dealing with relatives and all those other things that he could scarcely even begin to keep track of. Not that he was especially keen to deal with all those things himself, but he hated leaving it all to Ginny, too. He knew Ginny had been close to tears several times already at the idea of their separation, and he suspected she was fighting them back even now — and he knew she was doing it for him, to make it easier on him to leave. He wrapped his arms more snugly around her, simply holding her close, and she turned towards him, her hands gliding over his chest and shoulders and upwards to gently cup his face as she leaned closer. Their lips met, their kisses full of emotion and promise and desire and longing and their impending separation, all at once. Harry had no idea how long they stayed there, kissing and touching and telling each other without words how they felt. Eventually, he forced himself to look at his watch. After 11:00. He sighed. "I should go. I'll be back in the morning to say goodbye." "Don't go yet," Ginny coaxed, her fingers sliding through his hair. "I want to be with you when it turns your birthday this time. I want to be kissing you when your birthday arrives." He met her eyes, knowing that she was thinking of how he used to mark his birthdays by waiting for midnight, always alone. He smiled at her as he felt the warmth of their love swell within him. "That sounds like a brilliant way to celebrate a birthday," he murmured, before claiming her lips yet again as they lay entwined on the sofa. * It was shortly after midnight when he finally Apparated back to the twins' flat. He would have to be at The Burrow before dawn if he was to say goodbye to Ginny before he left. Ron was already snoring when Harry crawled into bed in the darkened room. As tired as he was, and as much as he knew he needed to sleep, he couldn't quite keep himself from pondering the fact that this was almost the last night he'd sleep here. He'd be back for one more night before the wedding, but otherwise this was it. He hadn't gone into detail at dinner, but all his belongings were completely packed. His gear for the trip was at the Ministry, but the rest of his belongings were packed in readiness to be taken to the ship for their honeymoon journey to New Zealand. He'd left a separate bag of belongings with Molly and Arthur that would go with him and Ginny to the hotel for their wedding night (he wasn't about to trust those things to any of Ginny's brothers!), and Hedwig had already been instructed about staying at The Burrow. For all intents and purposes, when he left in the morning for the mission, he'd be leaving for good. At some point in his musings, he drifted into sleep. Ron's alarm blasted them both awake only a few hours later, and Harry dressed quickly and Apparated back to The Burrow. Ginny met him in the kitchen in her dressing gown and slippers, and they stood in the cold grey of the early morning to say goodbye. Harry scarcely remembered what they said as they held each other close, murmuring what seemed like a million things, yet which could be summed up so succinctly: I love you, I miss you, I can't wait… Eventually, he had to pull away from the warmth and comfort that was Ginny and Apparate away, his eyes stinging and his throat aching. "Nevra," he silently promised them both. "Nevra again." ~*~ Well, mostly what I need to say is that, through it all, St.Margaret's has been the "bestest" cheerleader and friend anyone could ever ask for. She's such a wonderful, nurturing person, and I'm so fortunate that she not only lets me play in the world she created (well, within JKR's world, of course ;-)), but she actively encourages me to do so. Repeatedly. And then some ;-) Also, I have to say a big THANK YOU to my newest beta, Ladybug, who so graciously helped with a lot of this and really helped polish it up. I tend to be one of those people who gets stuck in the forest and can't see the trees when I write at times, and she helped me find some of the right paths again. And thanks to all of you who have read and reviewed and reminded me not to forget Harry's POV on all this. Thankfully, the majority of chapter 7 is already written — just a couple more scenes to tie some things together, and then we'll complete the main portion of Hearts Afire. (I'd thought before that this would be the last one, but I ended up with too much birthday for only one chapter.) I may do a few one-shot versions of some of the other chapters in New Zealand Chronicles, but I won't try to match every one of those chapters… or I wouldn't get finished before the next decade gets here ;-)
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