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Author: jedi34 Story: Lost in Transfiguration Rating: Teens Setting: Post-DH Status: Completed Reviews: 16 Words: 39,251
Beta's Note: Jedi34 wanted me to remind his readers that he's still out of contact until the middle of the month and although he can't respond to your reviews right away, he will write back when he returns. Thank you for your continuing patience and willingness to review Lost in Transfiguration.
Molly Weasley sat at her kitchen table shaking with anger and disappointment. Her daughter, her only daughter, shacking up with some man like a scarlet woman! She was sure that great-grandmother Weasley was spinning in her grave. As Molly re-read Ginny's letter, she began to get angry all over again. "Hey, Mum!" George shouted as he barged through the kitchen door. "Oh, there you are. I…." George trailed off as he took in the scene of his clearly enraged mother sitting at the table. "Hey, never mind, I'll find it myself," George managed to wheeze as he backed out of the kitchen slowly, eyeing his mother like a wounded animal that was on the verge of going berserk. As he cleared the threshold into the living room, he turned and bolted for the staircase. George made the turn at the landing and intended to continue up the stairs. He had one small problem, however. Ron was standing on the landing, and George had run smack into him at full speed. "Oww! You prat, watch out!" Ron howled as he clutched his knee. "Why are you charging up the stairs like a crazy Hippogriff anyways?" "Have you seen Mum? She's in a right state. What's gotten up her bonnet anyway?" George asked. He looked down at Ron, and for the fist time noticed that he was holding a laundry basket full of dirty clothes. "Nice basket, Ronnikins. You thinking of becoming a maid now that you're out of school?" George teased. "Bloodly not likely," Ron snorted. "I made the mistake of being downstairs when she got that letter from our prat of a sister. Next thing I know, I've got enough chores to last the next three weeks. You should be glad you got out unscathed." Ron finished. "Unscathed?" George smirked. "Hermione has been rubbing off on you! You can use grown up words now. Little Ron, I'm so proud." "Out of my way, you wanker," Ron growled, clearly not pleased. "Ronald!" Mrs. Weasley shouted from the kitchen. "I will not have that language in my house. When you are done with those chores, go and clean out the chicken coop. Maybe then you'll learn to watch your mouth." Ron shot George a murderous look and continued down the stairs with the wash. Mrs. Weasley looked up as the kitchen door again opened, revealing Mr. Weasley and Hermione. "Arthur," Mrs. Weasley spat, "Come read what our ungrateful, spiteful daughter sent us. It even came by owl! But can I owl her back? No! Because of that slimy Muggle who probably has his paws all over my little girl…." Mrs. Weasley trailed off and put her head on the table with a small sob. Mr. Weasley picked up the letter and scanned it. He summarized it in his head before he formulated a plan of action to comfort his wife. In no uncertain terms, his daughter had told her parents to sod off and stay out of her life. She also forbade them from coming to her apartment and told them she would consult with her roommate about a good time for a visit. Before Mr. Weasley had a chance to speak, Hermione spoke up. "Ginny sent me a letter as well. She said she needed some help and asked me to come by the apartment to visit. She was very explicit about when I should come though," she said softly. "Maybe I should speak with her about all this and try to bring her around before it becomes a major family issue." Mrs. Weasley lifted her head and sniffed. "You have always been such a nice girl. You and Ginny have been friends for awhile. I'll wait and let you talk to her first. It can't hurt, and I know she won't appreciate me barging in. Ron is so lucky to have you." Hermione cocked her head for a moment and smiled. "Speaking of Ron, why is he outside chasing the chickens around with a pair of dirty jeans?" Mrs. Weasley's eyes flashed, and she was out the door in two seconds flat. "Ronald Weasley! What are you doing?" Arthur and Hermione heard her shriek from the front porch. Mr. Weasley shook his head and covered his eyes while Hermione laughed until tears streamed down her cheeks. ~*~ Ginny sat in Beginning Healing Potions on Monday listening to the professor drone on and on about little known potions that can be put to good use. In reality, she really wasn't paying attention. Her mind was occupied by the events of the weekend. Despite telling Harry that they could discuss his plans for going out Saturday night, Ginny had gone to bed early before Harry had come home. She hoped it wasn't too obvious that she was avoiding him, especially given her reaction that morning after he had kissed her. She wasn't exactly sure what good it would to do to avoid him on Friday night, but deep inside a part of her was hoping that he would forget about Saturday. Ginny blew a lock of her hair away from her face as she slumped her head in misery. He hadn't forgotten, and the dinner date on Saturday had been a disaster. Harry had been cautiously cheerful with her during most of the evening. Ginny got the impression that he knew she had avoided him the previous night. He also didn't push her for any embarrassing contact, and most of the conversation had been unimportant and light. Ginny, for her own part, was happy and yet miserable at the same time. She didn't want to start anything with Harry until his memory returned, but the whole night she found herself wishing that he would press her for more intimate interactions. The dinner continued with both Harry and Ginny feeling awkward and unsure how to act. This went on until they got back to the apartment. When they got inside the flat, Ginny tried to make her way to her bedroom. Harry stopped her with his hand on her arm. "Ginny, I'm really sorry about yesterday. I didn't know it would affect you this much. Please don't shut me out. I already consider you a good friend. Please, just tell me I didn't ruin that," he pleaded with her. Ginny hesitated and then turned to face him, her hair falling over her face, making her eyes difficult to see in the dark kitchen. "It's not that, Harry," she started. "I don't know what to say. It's complicated." Harry looked down at his shoes and lightly scuffed the floor. "Don't worry about it, Gin. I thought I saw something that wasn't there. It's not your fault that you don't want to date me. You've only lived here three weeks anyway. You barely know me. It's my fault… I'm sorry." Ginny's heart broke as she listened to Harry take blame for something that wasn't his fault. It seemed to be a habit of his. Furthermore, Ginny's action after Fred's memorial was one of the major causes of Harry running away in the first place. She wasn't sure she could do it again. "Harry, it's not that," she managed to reply. "I do like you. I just don't know what to do." She spun, frustrated, and began walking toward her room again. "Ginny, wait!" Harry yelled. "You do like me?" Oh, it goes so much deeper than like, she thought to herself. However what came out was a weak, "Yes." Harry turned her around and looked into her eyes. "Then there are no excuses, are there?" he asked as he brought his lips to hers. Ginny wanted to tell herself how she had resisted and told him she wasn't ready. She could even picture in her mind how it would go. However, the truth was far from her mental revisions. The reality was that she responded enthusiastically, and she and Harry had a major snog fest that ended up with them both asleep on the couch. Ginny knew that there was no going back for her. She just didn't know how to make it so that Harry wouldn't hate her when he got his memories back. She thought briefly about their last conversation at the Burrow and squeezed her eyes shut as she pushed the memory away. "Miss WEASLEY!" The shout brought her out of her daydreams, and she found the professor was red-faced and standing in front of her chair. "I'm sorry, Professor. I didn't quite hear the question." Ginny's response released a wave of snickers, and she realised that the professor had shouted his question at her only moments before. "Again, I'm sorry, Professor. I wasn't paying attention. Could you please repeat the question?" The professor let an annoyed whistle pass between his clenched lips. "I asked you, Miss Weasley, what are the major differences between the wand and potions versions of the medical charms we have been reviewing?" "Certainly, Professor," Ginny replied calmly. "The wand versions of many spells rely solely on magically concentrated energy directed to the appropriate area. Healing or physical changes are caused by the casters own magical core. All potions of similar effect use a combination of chemical and magical reactions that often bond to the magic of the person taking the potion, using it to reinforce the effects, often for longer than the wand spell could do on its own." The Professor blinked, impressed despite himself. "Very good, Miss Weasley. Very good indeed. Can you think of any more differences that would be important for a Healer to know?" he asked her. Ginny thought silently for a second. "Many of the potions take several applications to be effective. This can cause some difficulty with self-administration as often the changes from the potion can render the subject unable to continue the treatment without help. Also, some potions effects can not be reversed while the wand versions often can be if needed." "VERY, very good! I see you've been reading ahead. Excellent." The Professor seemed giddy, despite his early annoyance with her. "Miss Weasley brought up some very good points. Can anyone think of a potion that is difficult to self-administer but hard to reverse?" he asked the class. The class sat silently for a long time before a blond wizard in the back shyly raised his hand. "We haven't studied it yet, but I imagine an Obliviate potion would fall under that heading. It's a classic example of a catch 22. It is almost impossible to Obliviate yourself safely because you have to hold on to the memories to target them properly. A potion allows you to target the memories yourself, but you have to remember to keep taking the potion for the entire treatment. Also, the effects are much harder, if not impossible, to reverse. This can sometimes leave the patient in a limbo of sorts with his entire memory structure compromised." "Excellent!" the professor shouted. "This may be my best class yet," he said as he winked at Ginny. Ginny, for her part, didn't see or hear the Professor's final words. She was lost in the horror of her own thoughts. Surely he didn't do that, she thought. Oh Merlin, he did. I know he did. That is so Harry, she fumed to herself. Her anger quickly died as the other student's comments rolled over her. Oh God, he said it is impossible to reverse. Ginny left the class in a stupor and hurried back to the flat, skipping the rest of her afternoon classes. Quickly she began tearing through the cupboards looking for anything unusual. In the back cabinet, behind the sink, she found a box that was magically locked. She quickly cast the unlocking spell and opened it with a small gasp. Inside were several empty bottles and potion ingredients. Ginny had checked the needed formula before she left class, and she recognised the ingredients for an Obliviate potion. As her mind began to panic, she noticed that there were three potions that had not been taken. Immediately, hope began to spring in her chest. Harry hadn't completed the treatment. Maybe there was a way to reverse it! Just as she began thinking that, the front door opened, and Harry walked in. "Hey Ginny, what are you doing?" he asked as he made his way to the kitchen. "Harry!" Ginny squawked. "What are you doing here?" "I forgot my lunch so I thought I would come home to eat. Hey, what do you have there?" he asked as he noticed the box. "Um, it's some natural herbs I was thinking about using to make dinner tonight," Ginny said. Harry showed no sign of recognition as he looked at the box, although he was frowning slightly. "Okay. Well, I'm going to make a sandwich if that's okay with you," Harry laughed as he began taking things out of the refrigerator. Ginny packed up the box and took it into her room, where she locked it magically with the rest of her potion supplies. She walked back into the living room and found Harry sitting on the couch eating his lunch in front of the television. "Aren't you going back to work?" she asked haltingly. Harry looked at her again with a slight frown on his face. "Well, since I had to leave anyway I thought about taking the rest of the day off. Is that a problem?" he asked, looking a little hurt. Ginny went into full-blown panic mode. Hermione was coming to visit after Ginny's afternoon classes were supposed to be up. The little that Ginny had read about the Obliviate potion before she came home confirmed her innate suspicions. If anyone confronted Harry about the past before a treatment could be started, the effects could be rendered irreversible. It was already a long shot anyway, and Ginny was not about to lose her chance now. "I have some classmates coming over, and we were going to study a bit and do, um, girl things. I think you need to leave," she said commandingly. Harry laughed at her. "Girl things?" he asked. "Do I even want to know what that means?" "Harry Potter!" Ginny yelled. "You go back to work this instant!" Harry's smile left him as he realised that she was serious. "Are you for real? Bloody hell, you've gone mental. You don't want me here, then fine!" he shouted as he grabbed his coat and stormed out the door. "Harry, wait!" Ginny called. She caught him just outside the door. "I'm sorry. I do need the flat this afternoon. Make it up to you tonight?" she asked coyly. Harry laughed as he began to calm down. "I'm going to hold you to that!" he said as he leaned in and kissed her deeply. He laughed again at the breathless expression on her face and walked away. Ginny put her hand to her forehead in both relief and amazement. She couldn't believe the feeling that he gave her every time he kissed her. Shaking her head, she turned back into the apartment to find Hermione standing there with a heated expression on her face. "Hermione!" Ginny squeaked. "How long have you been there?" "Long enough to see you snog the hell out of your supposed Muggle friend roommate. The one that you assured me that there was nothing going on with. The one that when I suggested that you were seeing him instead of looking for Harry you threatened me with your wand. The one that you lied about and are probably shagging! Have you even been looking for Harry, or was that all a lie too?" Hermione's voice had been going up through her whole rant, and she finished at the top of her lungs. "Er, what?" Ginny asked confused. "Did you see my roommate at all?" she finally asked. "No, Ginny, I did not. You two were far enough out in the hallway that all I could see was your backside, which had his hands all over it by the way. I could tell what you were doing. And to think I stood up for you against your entire family! I'm leaving!" Hermione stood there shaking for a moment and then pulled her wand, preparing to Apparate. "Hermione, wait!" Ginny screamed. The pure desperation in her voice caused Hermione to hesitate. She stood there looking at Ginny before she finally relaxed and put her wand down. "Fine. What do you want?" she managed through gritted teeth. "I didn't betray Harry, no matter what you think," Ginny started. "In fact, Harry is why I need your help." She stopped and steeled herself for what she was about to say. "I found Harry." Hermione dropped her wand and fell back on the couch. "You—you what? Why haven't you told anyone? Where is he? How could he let you carry on with that Muggle?" Hermione said faintly. "Well, he doesn't know who he is. Are you familiar with an Obliviate potion?" Ginny asked. Hermione shook her head yes. "Are you saying… Oh my God, he didn't." Ginny mutely nodded. "It gets worse, Hermione. My Muggle roommate? It's… it's… God… it's Harry. He just doesn't know who he is." Hermione's head shot up from her hands at Ginny's statement. "You mean the person you just snogged the hell out of was Harry? A Harry who has no memory of what happened? Ginny, what were you thinking!" Hermione said with some of her previous fire. "I don't know. All I know is that we need to help him." Hermione nodded and looked around the living room. "Right then, let's get to work. You can start by telling me everything you know about what happened." ~*~ Harry grumbled to himself as he walked back down to the construction site. That woman is mental, he thought to himself. He pictured her standing in the kitchen with her hands on her hips, yelling at him to go back to work. Despite his lingering annoyance, he had to admit that she was pretty damn cute when she was mad like that. Harry continued walking as he focused on the tantalisingly familiar image of Ginny Weasley with her hands on her hips yelling at him to leave. Suddenly he lurched as a vision—a memory? —flashed inside his head. He was standing by a bed in a room he didn't recognise; yet it seemed familiar. Ginny was standing next to the bed as well in long nightclothes with a stick in her hand. She seemed extremely angry. Harry fell to the ground as he heard voices that seemed as real as if he was standing in the room this very moment. "Ginny, I just wanted to talk to you after the memorial and find out what happened…" "What happened!" she screamed. "I'll tell you what happened. You left me! You left me for a year and then again when you bloodly went off to die. You didn't even say good-bye, you incredible bastard. What the hell is wrong with you?" "Ginny, I had to. I had to go. I did it for you," he pleaded. "I never asked you to die! You left me twice! Why did you come back? Just so you could rip out my soul a third time? Go away Harry, GO AND DON'T COME BACK!" Harry jumped as her stick—her wand? —moved. He looked at her and realised that everything she said was right. Without another word, he turned and disappeared. Harry sat up from where he had fallen on the sidewalk. A crowd had gathered around him, and someone had called the emergency services. "Just hold on, mate. It will be alright," a stranger told him. Harry sat confused, trying to piece together what he had just seen. Will it? he asked himself. I'm not so sure. ~*~ Hermione threw her book down in disgust on Ginny's couch. "I don't understand this. The treatment seems pretty straightforward, but I still don't understand all these instructions for brewing the counter-potion." Hermione looked around the living room of Ginny and Harry's flat, which was covered with books and potion ingredients. "Apparently, the Obliviate potion has to be brewed a certain way depending on which memories the patient is trying to forget," she said to Ginny. When Ginny didn't answer, she looked over to see her asleep on the floor. Hermione sighed and threw one of the smaller books at her. "Hey Ginny, wake up!" Ginny stirred on the floor and looked up at her friend. "What time is it?" she asked from the floor. Not waiting for an answer, she rolled over and looked at the clock on the wall herself. In an instant she jumped up. "Hermione, Harry should have been home ages ago. It's past ten, and it's dark out," Ginny said nervously, glancing at Hermione. "I hope he is okay. He has never been out this late since I moved in." Hermione got up and started putting books and ingredients away. "I'm sure he is fine, Ginny, and at least we have a decent start on helping him." Ginny still looked nervous as she hesitantly looked out the window. "Should you be here when he gets back? I'm not sure that is a good idea," Ginny finally said. "Ginny, stop worrying. He won't remember me anyway, and I'm gong to need to be around here if I'm to help you get this right. Again, I'm sure everything will be fine." Ginny still wasn't convinced. Plus, she was still worried by the fact that he wasn't home yet. It was very un-Harry-like behaviour. Suddenly the charm they placed on the entry way went off, alerting them that someone was approaching the front door. Hermione smirked at her friend as Ginny jumped up and ran to meet him. The front door opened just as Ginny reached it and a very pale and tired-looking Harry stumbled in with the help of an emergency worker. "Okay, Mr. Potter, I've got you. Let's get you to the couch," he coached soothingly. "Harry, what's wrong?" Ginny cried as he was gingerly placed on the couch. "I'm fine, Gin. Just got light headed and passed out this afternoon. Actually, I never made it to work and had to head to the emergency room. At least I got to see Taylor..." Harry trailed off as he lay down on the couch. Ginny turned urgently to the paramedic for confirmation. "He's going to be fine, m'am. Just seemed to be exhausted today. He needs a few days rest, and then he will be as good as new," he said as he turned and left the flat. Ginny moved back around to the couch and began gently stroking Harry's hair. "It's okay, love, I'm here," she cooed to him in a gentle voice. Harry turned restlessly. It seemed he was already semi-conscious, drifting towards sleep. As he rolled, he began mumbling. "You can't have her, I'll die to stop you. YOU CAN'T HAVE HER! GINNY!" Harry screamed as he bolted upright. Harry looked at her with wild eyes, then like a tree falling in the forest, collapsed face down into the couch. Harry awoke the next morning in his bed wondering how in the world he had ended up there. The last thing he remembered was talking to Taylor in the ER. He looked around, and his eyes widened as they came to rest on the form of Ginny asleep in the chair next to his bed. "Ginny?" he hesitantly asked. "Are you alright?" Ginny leaped up, momentarily startled, and then rushed over to his side. "That's what I should be asking you. Are you alright, Harry? You gave us quite a scare last night." "Us?" Harry asked. "My friend was over last night when the medics brought you back. Do you know what happened? I was so afraid for you." Ginny leaned over and buried her head into his shoulder. Harry began to lightly stroke her hair as he tried to remember what happened. "I'm not totally sure. I had a, I don't know what to call it, a vision maybe. You were in a room screaming at me, and you told me to leave. Then you tried to hit me with a stick of some sort. It was really strange." Harry stopped as he noticed that Ginny had gone totally still. "It was just a dream or something right? We've never met before, have we?" Harry asked her. Ginny pulled back and looked at his face. "I'm not sure what it was, Harry. But I am so glad that you are safe." She leaned down and kissed him gently. Harry, however, was in a different sort of mood. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a long embrace. He began kissing her hard and fast, and Ginny felt that she was losing herself in his arms. She realised that she was under the covers and that her shirt was sitting on the bed next to her. Harry was gently but firmly kneading her flesh as he moved his way up her body. Ginny knew that the situation was spiralling out of control quickly, but she was powerless to stop it. Harry rolled her over and moved on top of her. Suddenly, Harry's door opened, and Hermione walked in with her nose deep in a book. "Ginny, did you read the…" she stopped short as she took in the scene. "GINNY WEASLEY! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" Hermione screamed at the top of her lungs. "Of all things to find you in here doing…" Ginny jumped up and quickly wrapped the top cover around herself. "We weren't, I mean I wasn't going to… damn it, Hermione…" Ginny ran from the room. Harry sat up and glared at Hermione. "Who the hell do you think you are, coming into my room and yelling at my girlfriend? In fact, I don't think I've ever seen you before. Who are you?" Harry growled. Hermione made to answer but found that her voice wouldn't work. She didn't think that seeing Harry after so long would affect her so much. She lightly cleared her throat and tried again. "Hi, Harry, I'm Hermione Granger. I'm a friend of Ginny's from back home. I'm pleased to meet you, but I would be more pleased if I hadn't found you atop my friend," she said, smiling pleasantly at him. Harry had only heard the first few words. At the sound of his name, he was thrown back into his own mind to a tent where he and this strange girl were huddled together crying. In his mind she was whispering, "I'm sorry, Harry. I'm so sorry. Your wand, it's broken." Harry snapped back to the present when Hermione touched his hand. "Harry, are you alright? You seemed gone for a moment." Harry looked at the strange girl. "Yes, I'm fine. I really don't think it's appropriate for you to be in my room. I don't even know you. What would Ron say?" Harry snapped. Hermione jerked back from his bed as if she were scalded. "What did you say?" she demanded. "I just said it's not right for you to be here, and don't yell at Ginny again, understood?" Hermione nodded jerkily and retreated back to the living room where she found a very red-faced Ginny sitting on the couch.
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