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Author: Felix Felicis Story: Unbreakable Bonds Rating: Young Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: Completed Reviews: 6 Words: 139,082
In the afternoon, the older students were allowed to walk into Hogsmeade, and Hermione, enjoying the high life after making a perfect Draught of the Living Death, felt like letting off a little steam. She enlisted Ginny to accompany her – who was by no means unwilling to do a little window shopping – and they set out into the bright afternoon sunshine together. Harry and Ron, having doubted that the girls really wanted them to go in the first place, opted to stay and start enjoying their time off. As Hermione and Ginny made their way into Hogsmeade, they were unusually quiet, except to comment on the weather and a few pretty gardens along the way. Each was caught up in her own thoughts. It wasn't until they reached Zonko's that Hermione started to come up from her reflections. "I wonder what Ron and Harry are doing? I suppose just being lazy boys," she said, half to herself. Ginny gave a knowing smile, as she, too, had been thinking about them. "No, I think they're sitting up in their room crying on each other's shoulders about how there's no more Quidditch practice now they're done with school." "Ha!" Hermione laughed. "I think you're right. Poor things, they won't know what to do with themselves." "Well, at least they'll still have professional Quidditch to talk about. Ugh, can you imagine what they'd be like if there was no Quidditch at all?" Hermione made a sour face. "Ron would be even worse than usual." "You mean, if that's possible?" Both girls laughed but then Hermione looked sad for a moment. "You know, I think I might miss it a little myself. It's fun to watch them play." "You should try it sometime." Hermione looked skeptical but Ginny continued. "Really. Maybe when we go home, I mean to my home, to the Burrow, you could try it. I love playing." Ginny suddenly looked a little misty and downcast herself. "I don't think it's going to be much fun next year." Ginny had, by great majority, been elected the new Gryffindor Quidditch Team Captain for next year. She could hardly contain herself the day it was announced, but now… she wasn't so sure anymore. With Harry and Ron standing by her side, it had been so exciting, thrilling really. She had rarely seen Harry smile at her like that, a smile of great pride, and it made her heart flip-flop. Now, though, she tried to imagine what it would be like without them on the team, without them cheering her on, even without her best friend screaming her head off from the stands. It was depressing, and she didn't want to dwell on it. "Ginny, you'll be fine. Aren't you at least a little excited about being captain?" "Well, yes," she said, "but what's the point if he's… I mean, if no one is going to be there to see me?" She blushed a deep scarlet but Hermione feigned ignorance and carried on as if she hadn't noticed. "Ginny, we're going to come watch you, you know. We'll come and watch you play, if they'll let us in." Ginny looked heartened by this and smiled a little broader. "Really? I mean, how? Oh, I don't want to be too much bother." "It's no trouble really. Besides, I'm certain there's at least one person who wouldn't miss it for the world." Ginny looked away and bit her lip, unable to smile. "I… I don't know what you mean." The thought of him usually drove her mad, especially when other people teased her about it. Try as she might over the years, her feelings had never changed. Her friends had actually tried now and then to get her to date other boys, but it never started well and never ended well. The day she first saw Harry so many years ago, something changed inside her. Eventually her girlish crush had faded away but it had been replaced by something so deep, so inexpressible, that she had never tried to explain it to anyone. They just wouldn't understand, she reasoned. "Oh, Ginny, I'm sorry. I didn't mean – " "It's okay. You're allowed to say it, 'Ginny likes Harry'." Actually, loves might be a better word for it, she thought, then closed her eyes and cursed herself for being weak. It was her greatest struggle to conceal from him what he didn't return to her. It broke her heart, but still, she was determined, and if there was ever anything the Weasleys were known for, it was determination,-that and genes for red hair. They strolled down the High Street and went into the Three Broomsticks for some lunch. With pumpkin juice in hand, they found a table and ate their food. Hermione was still too upset with herself to talk and only gave quick glances at Ginny now and then. Ginny was struggling with herself about why she could never talk to anyone about Harry, when she suddenly surprised herself by saying, "He's never even noticed me, you know." Hermione looked at her as if asking permission to speak her mind. With a sigh from Ginny, she gently did. "Look, I'm certain he has noticed you. There's hardly a girl prettier in the whole school." Ginny blushed. "Really. He's just being a boy. Sometimes it takes a long time for them to work things out." "But six years?" Ginny's voice was small. "Well," said Hermione lightly, as if about to explain a very simple spell, "you can't count all of those years. I mean, he has had to fight off You-Know-Who a few times, and then there were classes, Quidditch, certain not-to-be-named Ravenclaws… I mean, it's hard for them. Sometimes they just don't see you and you have to be a little more forward. Goodness knows it's not like you're in the same year as him and he still hasn't noticed you." Hermione looked far off. Ginny giggled a little. "Are we still talking about Harry?" Hermione blushed a deep scarlet. "Ginny, please don't read too much into that." "Don't worry, I won't." There was a mischievous glint in her eye as she stood up to go pay. On their way past Honeyduke's a little while later, Hermione convinced Ginny to go in and try some Muggle chocolate sweets called Kisses. "But why? Why are they called kisses?" Ginny asked, looking curiously at them. "Well… I don't really know… I was just thinking you could offer one to Harry." Her eyes danced with laughter. "Oh yeah, I can see how that would go - 'Hey, Harry, fancy a kiss?' Then he would disappear faster than you could say 'Disapparate'." She rolled her eyes. Hermione continued to press her though, and when they walked out the door, Ginny held a small bag of them in her hand. By late afternoon, the girls had almost bought more than they could carry. Having lightened their pocketbooks equally, though, they made it back to the castle easily in time for dinner. Although neither one was hungry, they still went down to the Great Hall out of habit and sat with Ron and Harry, talking about their day and asking about what the boys had done. It turned out that they had, in fact, spent much of their afternoon talking about Quidditch and lamenting its loss. They had even arranged to have a few pick-up matches over the summer, while at the Burrow. "At home? You mean, Mum's invited Harry to stay?" Ginny was ecstatic and her head suddenly filled with thoughts of being around Harry every day for a whole summer. She quickly banished them far away, afraid of feeling too much like an eleven-year-old girl again. That giddiness just seemed to come out of nowhere sometimes. "Yeah, she invited Harry and Hermione to stay with us for as long as they want." Ron's ears were slightly pink and he carefully avoided Hermione's eyes. Hermione, for her part, managed to hold back her squeal almost entirely, and it came out as more of a high-pitched laugh instead. Ginny looked knowingly at her, the mischievous sparkle back in her eye, and leaned closer so that only Hermione could hear, "Well, looks like we might get you to play Quidditch after all," she whispered. Hermione turned a deeper shade of red but otherwise ignored her with a silly grin on her face. The evening was spent lounging around the common room. Knowing that Death Eaters don't care about sunny days and warm evenings, the students still had to obey a strict curfew and were not allowed outside at all after dusk. It didn't dampen their spirits tonight, though, as Harry and Ron felt the need to continue their lively conversation from the afternoon and tried to engage the girls' attention. It was not to be so, however, as the girls had their own topics to discuss. Soon, Hermione was back at trying to convince Ginny to give Harry one of her chocolate Kisses. "Come on, he'd like it. They are rather good, we used to have them at home all the time. Anyway, maybe he'd return the favor," she smiled innocently. "No!" Ginny laughed. "I'm not going to give it to him! What are you trying to do to me?" "Oh, come on!" "No!" Unfortunately, this outburst had captured the boys' attention and Harry walked over and sat down on the arm of the sofa. "Who's not going to get what?" Ginny swore her face would catch fire from the heat and she couldn't get a single word out, much less look up at him. Hermione grinned. "Ginny wants to know if you'd like a Kiss." There was a sharp intake of breath from Ginny and the room went still. After a few moments, Harry reached up and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He seemed to be laboring to breathe properly and his eyes were swinging frantically back and forth between Hermione and Ginny. "She what?" he whispered. No answer. The silence was suddenly broken, though, as Ron stormed over to the group. "Whoa!" Ron yelled. "No one is going to be kissing my sister!" "Ron—" Hermione held up her hand. "No! I don't know what you're trying to do but I can assure you, no one is kissing anyone tonight!" He looked ready to pop with anger. "Ron!" This time it was Ginny who hollered. "You're right, no one is kissing anyone. Hermione made me buy these sweets today – Muggle chocolates called Kisses – and she thought Harry might like one." She held Ron's gaze with her own stern look, then chanced a glance at Harry. His look was unreadable and she was dying to know what was going through his mind. Plucking up her last bit of courage, she continued to look up at him, "Would you like a kiss… Harry?" His breath audibly hitched and he reached out his hand slowly. "Er, okay." Ron continued to breathe through his teeth, staring fiercely at all three of them. He looked mutinous but as soon as he had also tasted the sweet, his anger seemed to be forgotten. He went to sit back down, calling Harry to come with him. The girls talked quietly for a while but Ginny never got back the courage to look over at Harry. On the other side of the room, Harry appeared interested in Ron's discourse about his favorite Quidditch team, but the frequency of his glances across the room might have indicated otherwise, had anyone been watching. It wasn't long before the events of the day and the after-effects of the hot sun got to the girls and they went to bed. The boys carried on for a bit longer but with no one else around, they, too, finally gave in to a week of stress and exams and went to bed. *** After breakfast the next morning, they all agreed to go down and visit Hagrid, whom they hadn't talked to since that horrible night in the hospital. Guilt had finally set in regarding their absence and after letting Ginny spend the morning studying and sneaking peeks at Harry, they ate a quick lunch and walked outside the castle. Harry had noticed a small curl of smoke from Hagrid's chimney, so they decided to go directly down to his hut. The growls of Fang greeted them at the door, making Harry smile, and then it opened to reveal the gamekeeper himself, much improved from the last time they had seen him. "You lot ferget 'bout me, did yeh?" Hagrid smiled widely, and stepped outside to grab them asone into a bone-crushing hug. "Knew yeh had exams an' all, so tha's okay." Ginny, not having spent so many years in his company as the others, didn't know what to say when they immediately launched into expressing how happy they were that he had recovered so well, so she just smiled. "You really look great!" said Hermione. "It's so good to see you up and feeling better." "Well, Madam Pomfrey, she's the best in't she? Even for sommat like me…" He sighed deeply. "Come on in, I jus' brewed a fresh pot." "Thanks," they chorused. "So, Hagrid," said Harry, "are you all right now?" "Yeah, IMm fine, 'M fine. And, Ron, I just want yeh t' know I'm sorry," he said gravely. "I should'a been able ter help yeh." A dark look crossed his face. "If I'd been able teh get my hands on more o' them Death Eaters, they'd be sorry now." Ron turned slightly green, so Harry spoke up. "Hagrid, we're all all right now. Anyway, you could've been hurt worse if you'd fought back." "Yeah, well, more o' them Death Eaters would'a got what was comin' to 'em at least." Harry thought for a moment and then decided it would be safest just to turn the subject. "Hagrid, Ron said… well, he said that you were taking him into the forest to see some, er, something new… when it happened." He looked apologetically at Ron. "Well, sorta," Hagrid replied evasively. "Per'aps you lot might like to have a look yerselves?" Harry, knowing full well what sort of things Hagrid liked to get involved with, didn't really want to see whatever it was that he was hiding, so he didn't say anything at all. Ginny, on the other hand, looked excited. "Yes! When can we go?" Sure, Harry thought, leave it to her to be excited about some mad new creature of Hagrid's. Hagrid beamed at them. "We can go ri' now, if yeh like." As much as Harry was excited about the prospect of a ready-made excuse to spend more time with Ginny, rescuing her from some horrible creature deep in the Dark Forest wasn't what he had in mind. Seeing no way out, though, he resigned himself to go along. On the way out the door, he was struck by the thoughts he'd been having about Ginny and wondered why he was letting it get to him. Hadn't he sworn an oath to himself to keep people away from him so they wouldn't get hurt? Then he remembered the incident with the chocolate kisses the previous evening and the way Ginny had hexed Malfoy the week before. It was… unnerving to say the least, and on top of that, she was still Ron's sister, there was no getting around that. What would her family do to him if she were hurt because of him? Harry shuddered to think about it. He shuddered thinking about her getting hurt at all, his fault or not. There was just no way he would ever let that happen. And now they were about to take a walk into the Dark Forest to the place where Ron had been kidnapped and Hagrid nearly killed only a matter of weeks ago. Harry looked over at Ron, worried about how his friend would handle going back into this place. It appeared that Hermione and Ginny were having similar thoughts and Hermione even went so far as to ask. "Ron, are you sure about this? It's only been a couple weeks, after all." Ron looked deadly serious. "I'm sure. I've got to do this. I've got to." Then he faced straight ahead and walked into the dark trees behind Hagrid. The other three looked at each other, shrugged, and followed. Harry made sure to take up the rear, behind Ginny, and pulled out his wand, igniting it with a quick 'Lumos' before stepping into the trees behind them. They walked for several minutes along the trail that Harry recognized from previous trips into the Dark Forest, most notably, the one in fifth year when Hermione took himself and Professor Umbridge to meet the Centaurs. Harry shook himself back to the present just in time to see that they were now leaving the trail in favor of denser woods. The light was very dim now and he made sure to keep a tight grip on his wand and a wary eye on his friends. As they progressed, there was little talking, only enough to warn each other of roots or sharp branches nearby. Harry was reminded of the time when Hagrid had brought he and Hermione into the Forest to meet his brother Grawp. Harry shuddered at the memory and hoped this wouldn't be anything as serious. "Alri' now, we're gettin' close. Nothin' ta worry 'bout, though, he's loads better than 'e was, Grawp." Harry stopped in his tracks, as did the others, nearly toppling each other over. He shook his head to making sure his ears weren't deceiving him. "Er, Hagrid? We're coming here to see Grawp?" "O' course! Where'd ye think I was takin' yeh?" Hagrid smiled broadly, clearly very proud of his giant brother. "See, he's got a girlfriend now and I wanted yeh t' meet 'er." Harry couldn't bring himself to say anything after seeing the look of perfect joy on Hagrid's face, so they exchanged dark looks and forged on. It wasn't long before they reached their destination, which, to Harry, looked like some sort of oversized campground. The smaller brush had been cleared completely away and the forest floor was hard-packed earth. There were a few familiar things to Harry. A crude clothesline hung between two trees, and several other trees had been strung together with some immensely heavy rope, which in turn held up what seemed to be a tent made from skins of animals larger than Harry had ever seen. It all looked fairly normal, save for its enormous size. Hagrid gestured around, "See? They made a home of it. Lemme see if I'can find 'em." Harry and the others barely had time to cover their ears before the deafening bellow Hagrid let out. But soon enough, two Giants appeared and rumbled over to meet them. Harry briefly remembered Hagrid's definition of sixteen feet or so as 'small' and shook his head in amazement. Hagrid gave his brother a knock to the arm that would have killed a normal human, but Grawp merely smiled a toothy grin and engulfed him in a bear hug, then gestured toward the female Giant. Harry looked at her in amazement. Grawp's girlfriend must have been at least fifteen feet tall, with longish hair and what appeared to be two boulders for a chest. He blushed a little at that thought and looked over at the others. Hermione stood slack-jawed, looking on in sheer amazement, while Ron held Ginny close, his face having lost all its color. "Grawpy!" Hagrid exclaimed, "you remember Harry and Hermione! Well, their friends are here too – Ron and Ginny! See, they're my friends, too." Hagrid waved happily at Ron and Ginny, who only stared back in fear. Grawp smiled again and Harry just managed to duck from the hand put out in greeting. Ron shoved both Ginny and Hermione behind him, with the result that he was hit sidelong in the arm and thrown a dozen feet away. Hagrid didn't seem to notice, being instead intent on introducing them all to Grawp's girlfriend. "Arma, these here're my friends – Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny!" They all waved feebly, Ron wincing as he moved his arm while limping back over to the others. Arma smiled at them and then turned back to Hagrid. The three giants stood talking for a few moments, then separated. Hagrid looked on as the other two lumbered back into the forest, then motioned for the four students to follow him. "See, he's happy as can be. An' it don't hurt havin' one more on our side, too. We don' want to stay no longer though, they can' take too much at once, giants." Harry was trying to concentrate on finding his way through the dense underbrush but his curiosity was getting the better of him. "Hagrid, where did she come from?" Hagrid looked at him in surprise. "Why, from the mountains, o' course, like the rest. Madame Maxine an' I made another trip. She was one o' the ones stayin' in the caves, an' we couldn't just leave 'er. Besides, Grawp's happier 'an I've ever seen 'im." Harry decided it was best to leave it at that and didn't pursue the matter further. It was enough work just keeping his robes from snagging constantly on the hateful thorns and prickers, to try and talk at the same time. He did, however, manage to keep a close eye on Ginny. She was easy enough to see, her hair reflecting what little light there was from the moon and from their wands, and Harry once again found himself somewhat overcome by its beauty and the way it shimmered in the darkness. He was amazed that something so pretty could exist in a place as dark and dreary as the forest. The thought gave him some comfort. Shaking his head back to reality, he only just missed a whiplash from a branch they were passing by. The trip out of the forest seemed much shorter, probably because they weren't dreading what would be at the end. As they finally sat down in Hagrid's cottage, Harry found himself observing Ron carefully for signs of stress from the excursion. Thankfully, he saw nothing to make him anxious for his friend. They stayed a little while at Hagrid's and then walked slowly back to Gryffindor tower. Harry and Ron got out the chessboard soon after arriving, and Hermione and Ginny bade them goodnight, waiting until they were safely on the stairs before rolling their eyes at the boys chosen activity. The effort required to play chess against Ron kept Harry at little or no conversation during their first game, which ended with a fairly spectacular and complex maneuver of Ron's to soundly trounce him. The second game was much lighter, and Harry, still concerned for his friend's well-being, finally decided to bring up the subject he'd been avoiding. "Ron… when you were, er, at Hagrid's a few weeks ago, what exactly happened in the Forest?" Ron looked startled but rather than being angry or upset, he seemed to be thinking deeply. Just as he was about to speak, a noise on the girls' staircase caught his attention, and his ears turned slightly pink as Hermione and Ginny stepped out into the room, dressed in their pajamas. Hermione's hair was somewhat fluffier than usual, which Harry thought looked good on her, but then his attention was snatched away by Ginny. She was dressed in the same purple silk pajamas he had glimpsed at the Burrow, her hair tied back in a ponytail with little wisps falling down around her face. He felt his face get a little warm and turned his attention quickly back to Ron. "Thought you two had gone to bed," Ron said, sounding annoyed. "Well, we had," said Hermione, sitting down and pulling her feet up onto the sofa by Ron, "until I got up for a drink." Now her ears seemed to have the same problem as Ron's. She looked at him apologetically. "I heard you talking… about what happened, and I wanted to be here, to hear it. If you don't mind." She smiled carefully at him, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. "No, it's all right, and I guess you found Ginny on your way down?" He looked sidelong at her, sitting quietly next to Harry. "Well, I thought she should probably hear it as well. She is your sister, you know, and she's our friend." Harry seconded the notion rather too emphatically, much to the surprise of the others. When he realized their reaction, he got much quieter, although it may also have been because he noticed just how close Ginny was sitting to him. Her legs were crossed on the sofa like Hermione's and her knee just touched his if he wasn't careful. Ron built up his courage again and began to speak. "Harry was gone, again… to the place where the Teacher is, I suppose?" Harry nodded seriously and Ron continued. "I think Hermione was studying, and Ginny too, I guess. I was tired of reading stupid Potions notes and thought I'd take a break. I was walking down by the lake when Hagrid found me – said he'd got something new and asked if I'd come see it. Well, you know how he is, I couldn't say no. He took me down to the Dark Forest, and we… well, we walked in, just like normal. I mean as normal as it can get, right? Only there was something wrong. I didn't really notice at the time, but Hagrid did. There were no birds, no animal sounds at all. I remember it now, but it didn't seem odd then, you know? "Anyway, Hagrid started to get worried and we turned back. Didn't walk very far when… when they came out of nowhere. I don't know how many." He paused for a moment and Hermione took his hand carefully in her own. "They were so quick. I couldn't… I didn't even have time to get my wand, they were so fast. We wouldn't have had any chance if they'd wanted to… to kill us, even with Hagrid there." His eyes widened. "He was scary though, no wand or anything, just his bare hands, and he took down at least three or four of them. Finally one bastard hit his arm with some curse and things just went downhill from there. Two of them cursed me and dragged me into the Forest. The last thing I remember…" he thought for a moment, "was when they finally put me down, just looking up at them, wondering if I was going to die. There were so many things I still hadn't done yet, so many things I still needed to say." He looked meaningfully at Hermione and for once didn't blush at all. "When I woke up, I was strapped to that… chair. It felt like days. Not a single person came in the room while I was there, not one. I don't know if I could've made it without Harry." He glanced over at Harry, looking torn, as though he didn't want to show too much emotion but also wanting to express his gratitude. For his part, Harry glanced briefly at the floor, then nodded slowly back at Ron. A look of mutual understanding passed between them, while the girls wiped their eyes and mouthed 'boys' at each other. "I guess you know the rest of it," his voice shook, "probably better than I do. I was in pretty bad shape by then, and Dumbledore said… he said… well, you were there. I still can't believe it… that you two would… do that for me." His eyes glistened and he wiped them on his sleeve. Harry, remembering the pain he and Hermione had gone through and imagining Ron's must have been ten times worse, got up and went to the other sofa. He put his hand on Ron's shoulder, gripping it tightly. "I would do it again, Ron, because you're my friend." "And," said Ginny, coming up beside Harry and putting one hand on his shoulder and the other on Ron's, "you would have more help this time." Harry turned and saw pure emotion in her eyes before looking back at Ron. Then it was Hermione's turn. She gripped Ron's hand and laid her other hand on his shoulder. Her eyes shown brightly as she looked at him. "We would do it all over again, because we love you." Then and there they swore to always protect each other, no matter what might come. It was a moment of truth for Ginny, who, having been a part of the DA and always Ron's sister, but never wholly a part of their friendship, was now officially inducted into the circle of friends. The tears she shed that night were proof enough of her loyalty, and her actions of her maturity, that Harry even felt a little guilty for not having truly accepted her for who she was long before. The trio was now a quartet. ***** Sunday passed by Harry in a blur. It was all a jumble of eating, sleeping, playing chess, and subconsciously wishing Ginny didn't have to study. Then, before he knew it, it was Monday, and then Tuesday, and when he woke up Wednesday morning, it took him several minutes to figure out what day it was. It was still technically Wednesday morning, although the clock by his bed read nearly lunchtime. After cleaning up and eating a quick lunch, Harry and Ron decided to get out their brooms and play some bewitched Quidditch that afternoon. Just as they were leaving the Great Hall, a note was passed to Harry by a flustered Professor McGonagall, who handed it to him roughly and hurried off to chase down some rambunctious third-years. "What is it, Harry?" asked Hermione curiously. He opened the note carefully. It only had a few lines of very tidy script. Dear Mr. Potter, If you are not excessively busy this afternoon, which I do not believe you are now that exams are finished, please come by my study around two-o'clock. I would like to speak with you regarding your living situation after you leave Hogwarts. Please note that the password is 'jelly slugs'. Kindest Regards, Albus Dumbledore Harry went wide-eyed and showed the others the note. "I can't believe I forgot. I completely forgot. I don't have to go back to the Dursleys'!" Then a note of panic entered his voice. "At least, I don't think I do. What if there's still no safe place for me besides with them?" Ron looked openly at Harry, giving him a few moments to calm down, then smiled. "Harry, mate, remember? My mum and dad asked you to come stay with us?" "Besides," said Hermione, "you're of age now. You don't have to go back to those… " she gave him a look, "those people again. You can do whatever you want now." Harry smiled at the thought. No more Dursleys', ever again. "Plus," Ron added with a glint in his eye, "Ginny would really miss you if you didn't come to stay with us, so you've really got no choice." Harry had heard all of the remarks her brothers made over the years but this one nearly topped them all. Suddenly glad he wasn't a Weasley, Harry watched Ginny go bright red all the way to the roots of her hair. In a flash she pulled her wand out, aiming it directly at Ron. Hermione grabbed Ginny's arm to hold her back, while Ron, with a look betraying true and well-deserved fear, took off down the corridor at top speed. Just as he was about to round the corner, he slipped on the floor that Filch had just finished mopping and landed spread-eagle on his back. Ginny nodded to herself in satisfaction and hollered down at him, "See what happens when you mess with me!" Then she turned back to Harry, still as red as a beet, without meeting his eyes. "Wow, Ginny," he said, "that was… amazing. Remind me never to cross you. He's lucky you didn't throw in a Bat-Bogey Hex as well." She managed to give him a small, unwilling smile, even though her blush continued. "It's not true, you know. I got over my crush on you years ago." But, she thought, that doesn't mean it didn't grow into something deeper. Her blush didn't go away and noticed she was biting her bottom lip slightly. Harry felt like the air had been let out of him and he didn't know why. Perhaps he had been used to the idea that she still liked him, and it made him feel needed. Even if, he thought guiltily, I never returned her feelings. He cast a cautious glance at her as they walked up the stairs. He could see that she was still scarlet, but whether it was because of Ron, or because she was lying and really did still have feelings for him, he wasn't sure. It was hard to tell from her face, and it was just as hard to determine which he wanted more. He had to admit that it was flattering having her around. He remembered when she used to blush any time he'd even enter a room, and how she'd drop things, or lose her place in her book. It always was kind of fun… Having made his decision about whether he still wanted her to like him, he tucked it away deep down inside his mind in a rusty old filing cabinet. It could destroy him, he knew, if Voldemort were to find out about his real feelings for her. He knew he had to keep his resolution, he couldn't allow anyone else to get that close to him, even if… even if he had some very, very small, tiny little miniscule feelings for her. That's what he told himself anyway. Half-an-hour later, as he eased himself onto his broom, his mind was no less disturbed. He scolded himself silently and squeezed his eyes tightly shut, trying to force Ginny out of his head. Success finally came but only after nearly being knocked off his broom by a bewitched Bludger. His flying after that was superb, or at least Ron said so, and that was enough to make Harry feel good right up until he reached the stone gargoyles guarding the Headmaster's office. "Jelly slugs," Harry said, and waited patiently while the great stone steps were opened to him. His anxiety increased even more as he knocked quietly on the carved wooden door of the office. The headmaster's voice beckoned him in. He stepped over the threshold into the lofty room and the doors closed quietly behind him. Although Harry had found himself in the Headmaster's office many times during his years at Hogwarts, he had never really felt at home there. Even though the man standing in front of him now was both a mentor and a friend, the office still held the heritage and mystique of Headmasters long gone. It was awe inspiring and Harry just couldn't get used to the feeling of power that infused the room. Dumbledore motioned for him to take a seat by the hearth, in front of a crackling fire. Harry did so, recalling many talks by this fire over the last few years. Talks of school, friends, the war; it all came flooding back to him as he realized that this might be the last one he had as a student with Dumbledore. Today, the man whom Harry so often thought of as old looked so much younger it took him by surprise. Dumbledore seemed to notice, smiling as he sat down in the high back chair next to Harry. "I find, Harry, that end-of-the-year exams can be very invigorating, and it makes me feel young again. Yes, perhaps you don't agree now," he looked over his glasses with a knowing smile at Harry's skeptical look, "but someday you will understand." Harry had no idea what he was talking about but smiled politely anyway. Dumbledore seemed unfazed and continued to speak. "I find that one of the best ways to stay young is to be near those who are. One of the easiest decisions I ever made was to become Headmaster of this wonderful school." He looked sentimentally around the room, then focused his eyes back on Harry. "I suppose you were curious about the note that I sent you? As you are now of age, I wished to speak to you about where you will go after you are leave this fine institution. I believe it is safe to say that you wish to join the Order?" Harry nodded seriously. "And I believe it is also safe to say that you do not wish to leave your friends Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, and…" Harry nodded quickly, afraid of what name might come next, though still not sure where this was leading. "And am I also to understand that you have received an invitation from the Weasley family to stay with them indefinitely until you find suitable housing for yourself?" "Yes, sir." "Excellent. Provisions have already been put in place around their home for your arrival. I will leave it up to you to decide whether you would feel more secure with a Fidelius charm in place." Harry looked deep in thought, "I… suppose… but it would depend on who the Secret-Keeper was, and—" "I also have one more option to discuss with you, Harry, which I believe you may wish to exercise above the others. It is a safe location where you will not have to part with your friends. You have been invited to go as soon as you wish; I expect you would like to take your Apparition test before leaving. Thus, staying with the Weasleys until after your Apparition exams and then leaving for this place will most likely be your best choice." Harry knew that Dumbledore was giving his brain one last challenge by not explaining fully. He thought for a few moments, then a slow smile spread across his face. It was almost too good to be true, if he was guessing correctly. "Do you mean… that he's invited all of us? For how long?" "The summer, until the beginning of the next school year." Harry looked awestruck. Of all the possible scenarios his mind had entertained, this had not been one of them. To spend almost the entire summer with the Teacher really was too good to be true. Dumbledore continued, "I received a letter from the Teacher, requesting that I pass along the information to you, since he was concerned, with good reason, about how to contact you. He asks that you send your reply through me." "Of course!" Harry nearly shouted, letting his enthusiasm get the better of him. "I mean, yes, I think that's a great idea. I can stay with Ron until we take the Apparition exams and then we can go stay with the Teacher the rest of the summer." "Yes, I thought you might find this option attractive. You may tell your friends in your own time, of course, and I suggest that they discuss this with their families. Perhaps you would be so good as to be with them in order to explain more completely what, or rather who, the Teacher is and what he does." Harry could only sit and smile at this wonderful turn of events. "And Harry, please be sure to extend the invitation one beyond your friends Ron and Hermione, for I understand your circle of friends has recently increased by one." There was a twinkle in his eye that made Harry a little uneasy but he nodded in understanding anyway. He did wonder sometimes how this man seemed to know everything that happened under the Hogwarts roof. "May I also point out that you do not have to visit your uncle's house ever again, if you do not wish it. There may come a time in your life when you have grown past the differences in your lives, but sadly, they may not. However, I don't want to discourage you from trying to stay in contact with them, as it is something we wizards don't do as well as we should. "Now, Harry, as I have monopolized almost the entire conversation, it is time to ask if you have any questions for me? Do you wish to discuss anything career related?" "No," he answered quickly. "I… I just want to do what I can for the Order right now. With the house, and my money and… Sirius' money, there's no need for me to work yet. I'd prefer to be useful – I mean, useful in other ways than a paying job." Noticing Harry's mixed emotions, Dumbledore turned in his chair to look him more directly in the eye. "Harry, there is nothing wrong with inheriting Number 12 Grimmauld Place, or the money from the account Sirius held. It may very well enable you to do wonderful, useful things that many others could only wish to do. No, I understand that you would give it all back, and more, to have him here for just a day, but he would not wish you to dwell on it. He would wish you to use it to continue his work, and to assist you in your own. You do not have to stay in the house, but the money, in addition to your own, will enable you to find someplace to call your own, and to give your time more effectively to the Order." He sighed. "Now look at me, running off again. The trait of an old man, I'm afraid." "No," Harry said, "it's all right. I don't really have anything to ask anyway. I'm happy with what you've told me so far. I don't know… maybe I'll wait a few days to tell Ron and Hermione, and… the other person." He felt his ears redden, and wanted to curse them back to normal color. "Well," said Dumbledore, wisely not noticing, "if there is nothing more, perhaps you would like to get back to your friends, and that other person?" His eyes twinkled brightly over his glasses, and Harry couldn't help but smile. "One last thing, Harry," Dumbledore said, "at the end-of-the-year feast, I would like to make some brief comments about Voldemort, and your name may come up. Do you have any objections to that?" Harry shook his head, thought about it for a moment, and then shook his head again. "Very well, very well. Enjoy the rest of your week here with your… friends." Dumbledore smiled, and Harry smiled back. His smile remained as he ran down the steps and past the stone gargoyles, it even remained all the way back to Gryffindor tower, where it didn't falter on seeing his friends sitting in a far corner talking comfortably. Hermione spotted him first. "What's going on? You look rather happy." "I am." Then he made a quick decision not to tell them yet. "I just… well, I don't ever have to go back to the Dursleys' again, and I get to go to your house, Ron, at least until after the Apparition exams." "Oh, right," Ron said, "I forgot! We've got Apparition tests to take, er, when are they, Hermione?" "Week after next," she said breathlessly. Apparently she too had forgotten. Harry had to smile, it wasn't often that Hermione forgot something, especially when it involved taking a test. Ginny was smiling, too, but Harry could tell that she was jealous at not being allowed to take the exams yet. He looked down at her for a few seconds, then quickly decided to take a seat by her. To his surprise, a small blush appeared across her face as he sat down, and he couldn't help but notice how pretty she looked that way. He thought it best to turn the subject, for her sake as well as his. "Hey," he said to her, nudging her arm. "How're your exams? Anything we can help you study for?" "Yes!" She gave him a quick but thankful glance and started paging through her notes, piled precariously on the corner of the table beside her. Just as she pulled out what she was looking for, the whole stack tumbled off the side. Harry dove across her and made a miraculous save, letting only a few smaller pieces of parchment slip by. They sat in silence for a moment, watching the missed pieces drift to the floor, and then Harry felt his ears growing red, realizing that he was now fully sprawled across her lap. He got to his feet as gracefully as possible, ignoring the smirks from Ron and Hermione, and handed her back the pile. Why their smirks were so annoying to him, he couldn't quite tell. Suddenly, he thought of the fun it would be to wipe those smirks right off by kissing Ginny senseless in front of them. Of course he couldn't do that, and the thought only served to make his own blush deepen and to increase his annoyance with himself. He handed her the stack of notes and then took his seat again, trying to steady his voice, and pretending nothing at all had happened. "So, what class are you working on?" he asked. She grimaced, "Potions. You sure you want to help?" Harry nodded, while Hermione, having immediately forgotten she was laughing at Harry, went straight into study mode. After nearly an hour of intense questioning from Hermione and Harry, Ginny stopped pacing and collapsed onto the sofa giving a dramatic sigh. Harry chuckled to himself, thinking how similar they were in their hatred of Potions, or rather of the Potions Master, except that Snape didn't absolutely loathe Ginny like he did Harry. They took a little break to eat dinner, after which Hermione insisted that Ginny continue studying until very late into the evening. As distressed as Harry normally was about studying, Ginny was rather the opposite tonight. She was happy enough with the companionship of her three best friends that studying became just another way for them to sit and talk. And while normally they would have done more talking than studying, with Hermione present, Ginny was kept on task. Hermione did most of the questioning, although Harry put in his fair share, while Ron simply served as Ginny's partner for sharing things like eye-rolling and secret chuckles that only siblings can understand. Finally, at nearly half-past eleven, Ginny fell onto the sofa for the last time, groaning in frustration. "Okay, I'm done. Enough." "But you've still got—" "I'm tired," she interrupted, "and sleep would do better for me now than more of this rubbish." She waved her hand at her books, and immediately her frustration turned to shock as the books shut themselves and piled neatly on top of each other. She mouthed 'wow' to herself and then laughed tiredly. "That's the least effort I've ever put into wandless magic. Maybe I should stay up later – being tired tomorrow might have its advantages." She pretended to consider this carefully, then shook her head. "Nope, too tired. Goodnight. Thanks for helping me study." She smiled at Hermione and Ron, and when she faced Harry, he felt his ears redden again. "G'night, Ginny," he managed to scratch out. Then, feeling extremely frustrated with himself, he bade the others goodnight and went upstairs. It was a long time before he fell asleep that night. His mind's eye was filled with images of the day and of Dumbledore explaining that Harry would never have to go back to the Dursleys', but that he should consider never giving up on them. Harry did consider it for a while, finally determining that he would forget about them completely, until, and if, he ever got the chance to visit them without the threat of Voldemort. He rolled around for some time and finally managed to get rid of the lumpiness of his bed, getting his body comfortable. His mind, however, was no better off. His thoughts kept returning to Ginny. Ginny Weasley, the girl he'd known for so many years as Ron's little sister. Lately, her role seemed to be changing in his life. Once, she had simply been an ego booster for him. Her constant embarrassment around him and her rather obvious crush had given Harry a weird sort of keen attachment to her. He suddenly recalled their recent conversation in the corridor and wondered whether she really had got over him, or if that was even the right way to put it. Maybe… given up… instead of got over. Either way, the feeling in his stomach told him he hoped not. He closed his eyes but it was still there. It was an empty feeling as if he were hungry, a tightness in his chest like a dead weight, a confusion in his mind that fogged his concentration. He wanted to do something crazy just so she would realize she still had a chance. He thought of this evening, of the look in her eyes while she answered his questions, of the way the firelight reflected in them. He could see her sitting with her quill held loosely in her hand, absently flicking the feather across the table. A few stray hairs hung down across her cheek, repeatedly pushed behind her ear until allowed to stay in frustration. He remembered the feeling of wanting to touch them himself, tucking them back where they belonged. He thought about the handful of freckles across her nose that crinkled up when she laughed. Eventually, he gave up fighting it and allowed her to fill his mind completely. He was bothered somewhat by the way she had grown up over the past year. Whether it had actually happened so fast, or whether he had only now allowed it to be so, he couldn't deny it had happened. Gone was the skinny little eleven-year-old who squeaked when he entered the room. In her place now stood a confident young woman whose passion for life and mischief shone brightly in her eyes, and who, Harry had to admit, had finally grown into her body. He pulled his hand over his eyes and then smacked his forehead once. If Ron knew, he would kill him, really. Deciding that it wouldn't do at all to think that way about her, he resolved once again to push her out of his mind. When sleep finally came, it was unusually restful and peaceful. When Harry woke in the morning, he could only admit that dreams of her were far better than any other, and he couldn't remember the last time he had slept so well. By the time two days had passed and it was late Friday afternoon, Harry had almost succeeded in his resolve. He had continued to help Ginny study, as had Hermione, but he hadn't let her get under his skin again. He smiled and spoke politely with her, and helped her in any way he could, but he was careful to keep several inches between them when they sat, and not to keep his eyes on her for more than a few seconds at a time. These were little steps, he knew, but all the same, it seemed to be helping. The only difficulty was that he had gone back to his old dreams at night, and therefore wasn't sleeping as well. He thought of it as a small price to pay, for, in the end, he knew she would only become more ammunition for Voldemort if he let anything happen between them. The celebration at dinner that night was fantastic. The house-elves had prepared a wonderful variety of foods to toast the end of the year. The noise in the Great Hall was at a level which made conversation difficult but Harry didn't mind. He was happy. His exams were done, he wouldn't be leaving his friends after school, and he didn't have to go back to the Dursleys'. Once in a while a stray thought crossed his mind of missing classes and teachers, as well as the thought hiding just behind the others that he still had to face his biggest challenge, but tonight it was all about the party. As the desserts were cleared away from their plates and the conversation in the room suddenly decreased, Harry craned his neck to look up at the Headmaster, rising in his chair to address the room at large. "Once again," he began, "we find ourselves at the end of another year. I trust your heads have been filled to the brim with plenty of useful knowledge, and I also trust that you will do your best to empty it all out by the end of summer." He suddenly looked a bit sad. "As all of you are aware, Lord Voldemort has been progressively moving into the open this year. I do not wish to leave you on such an unhappy note but I must make sure you all understand the significance of the situation. During Voldemort's last rise to power, he attempted to remove students from this school by the use of fear – fear for themselves and fear for their families. Please know this: only by our continuing to live life normally can he truly be defeated. I encourage you to tell your parents to write to me if they have concerns about the security of this school, and I will do my best to convince them of its safety." He looked about the room, and his glance fell briefly on Harry and his friends. When he spoke again, his voice was calm but serious. "As some of you already know, there is an organization that is dedicated to the destruction of Voldemort. While it is selective of its members, I encourage all of you to help in its mission by keeping constant vigilance of your surroundings. If you have suspicions about something or someone, please do not hesitate to contact any teacher at this school, or any of the fine Aurors at the Ministry." His eyes ranged over the room again but came right back to Harry. "On a final note, one of the key members in the fight against Voldemort, a student at this school, is now finishing Hogwarts. His bravery in confronting Voldemort face-to-face on multiple occasions has contributed to slowing Voldemort's return to power over the last several years, and I'm certain this student will continue in his fight to end the fear and overshadowing darkness of such evil. "Harry," he lifted his cup slowly, "to your continued success." He drank, while the rest of the student body echoed his toast and drank from their own cups. As Dumbledore dismissed them, the melee that followed was one Harry probably could have done without. Having never liked the fact that he was famous, he was somewhat heartened just by the sheer number of people that stopped to shake his hand and wish him luck. He knew, perhaps, that some were just wanting to speak to the famous Harry Potter, but there were many more who had real, honest reasons to stop. A boy from Hufflepuff told Harry about how his father and younger brother were murdered by Death Eaters for no reason other than that they were Muggles. A sixth-year Ravenclaw girl explained that she was only coming back to school next year because she wanted to do her part, as Dumbledore had said, and live her life as normally as possible. There were many other stories too, some of which were merely 'thanks for fighting the good fight', but most were heartfelt stories of loss and fear. Harry listened attentively to them all, staying for nearly three-quarters of an hour after the meal ended. He wanted to know. He had to know. It would all help him stay focused on his job by understanding the people Voldemort had affected at his school. He also knew how difficult it was for some of them to tell their story, and hoped that he helped in some small way by listening and sharing their pain. When it was over, the four walked slowly up to Gryffindor T ower, not speaking, each lost in his or her thoughts until they stood in front of the portrait hole. Hermione was opening her mouth to say the password when Harry spoke. "Wait," he said quietly, "I'm not sure I can go in there." He glanced around at them all. "Anyone fancy a drink in Hogsmeade? Dumbledore said anyone sixth-year and up could go out for the evening." "Yeah," Ron said slowly, nodding his head. "I think that sounds good." Hermione nodded, realizing she too could use a break from the school, even though they were leaving the next day. Ginny smiled and said, "That sounds like a wonderful idea. You've had enough to think about tonight, Harry." He smiled gratefully at her and they turned back toward the stairs. Half-an-hour later, sitting comfortably at a corner table in the Three Broomsticks with Butterbeers in hand, they laughed easily, the gravity of the evening having evaporated. Ginny sat by Harry, her arms resting on the table and her eyes enjoying watching Harry laugh and be happy. Hermione sat by Ron, and Harry tried not to raise his eyebrows too much when he noticed they were holding hands under the table. "So how's Quidditch going to be next year, Ginny?" he asked, covering up a small cough and a laugh, trying to indicate the situation across the table to her. A dark look crossed her face. "Honestly, I'm not really looking forward to it. I love playing and I think we'll have a decent team, but without y – … all of you there, it won't be the same." Harry just stared at her, all joking aside. He had yet to get used to her candor, and his mind hadn't even reached as far as thinking about next year yet. He tried not to feel too sorry for her, but before he knew it, words were tumbling out of his mouth uncontrolled. "What do you mean? We're going to be there for all the games. I… we wouldn't miss it for the world. It's fun to watch you play." He finally managed to shut his mouth but he couldn't take back what he had said. Maybe he'd had too much Butterbeer. Hermione tried to cover up a small smile, while Ron only nodded. "Harry's right, of course we're going to be there. You don't think I'd let my little sister play in some dangerous Quidditch game without my being nearby." She gave him a dirty look and fingered her wand lovingly, pleading with her eyes for Harry to let her hex Ron just once. Harry held up his hands. "He's your brother, deal with him however you want." She smiled sweetly at Ron. "Oh, Ronald," she sang, pointing her wand at him, "how about a nice Bat-Bogey Hex?" "What?" he said sourly. "Harry feels the same way. Don't you, mate?" Ron looked quite sure of his friend's agreement. Harry felt his insides grow cold. How was he supposed to answer that? If he agreed with Ron, then Ginny would still believe he thought of her as a little girl who needed protecting, but if he didn't agree with Ron, then he'd have to deal with Ron. "I… er… well…" he sputtered. "Yes, Harry," Ginny said dangerously, "please explain." Her eyes flashed menacingly. He knew his face was as red as a tomato but that hardly registered compared to the situation at hand. Both Weasleys were now staring forcefully at him, waiting for his response. He was going to have to make himself get a grip and take control. "Ginny," he turned to her, "yes, I do want to come watch you, and for more reasons than because it's a dangerous game, as Ron puts it." "Ron," he looked at his friend, "of course I want to be at the games in case something happens, but Ginny's not a little girl anymore, as she has proven many times. She's been through as much as we have." "And," he looked around at all of them with fire in his eyes, "I would think that none of us would want to be far from the others, seeing as how Voldemort could be anywhere, and we'll need to be together – all of us." They looked at him, stunned, and even backed away slightly at the ferocity in his eyes. Ginny was red from her collar to the roots of her hair and could only look at the table. Seeing her reaction, something warm quickly rose up inside of him, giving him a sliver of hope that perhaps she wasn't really over him yet. He knew he should try to ignore it. Slivers of hope could lead to slices of hope, which in turn might lead to slabs of hope, and Harry wouldn't allow himself to get to that point. Voldemort was his future; beyond that, there was nothing. He'd learned enough from his life so far that he knew better than to plan too far into his future. "All right," he said, "I'm going for another round of Butterbeers. You lot had better have worked this out by the time I get back." He winked at Hermione as he got up, and the corners of her mouth turned up just slightly as she turned to Ron and started talking. When Harry returned a few minutes later, it wasn't with just one round of Butterbeers, it was with several. Addressing the looks from the others, he simply said, "Hey, it's the end of the year, the end of school, and I think we need to celebrate." "Yes," said Ron, "to us!" He lifted his bottle, and they all met his over the table, chorusing, "To us!" They talked for some time about what they would miss, what they wouldn't miss, and what their friends would be doing after graduation. Harry was just happy that he would get to stay with his friends. He was lively and upbeat the whole evening, continuing to bring them more and more Butterbeer as the night got later. Ginny eventually cut herself off, explaining with a story about getting sick once at home when her brothers had given her an entire bottle of real firewhiskey, and she had nearly burned down the house halfway through when she accidentally burped out flames. Harry had to laugh at that, but then couldn't stop himself from keeping his eyes on her a little longer than normal. Fortunately, she didn't seem to notice. "So what shall we do with ourselves this summer?" Ron asked, a light slur in his words. "I just don't know," answered Harry airily, with the smile of someone holding an important secret. Only Hermione seemed to suspect something, while the others just shook their heads. "Well," she said, "First we need to – " "Study for the Apparition test," Ron interrupted. "Yes, we know, Hermione. I mean after that. We've got a whole summer in front of us, with nothing to do at all. It's amazing!" Ron's eyes were wide as he looked off into the future. Ginny giggled at him. As the evening wore on, Ron and Harry tried to pace themselves somewhat, while Hermione, having never really had much more than one bottle of Butterbeer before, and now having a small legion of empty bottles sitting in front of her, could hardly stand when they finally got up to leave. With the help of Ginny, Hermione made it safely outside, and they started walking slowly back toward the castle. The night was warm and bright with moonlight, and Harry found himself wondering when the full moon would come, and where his old professor, Lupin, would be handling the transformation that night. They continued to laugh and joke, taking turns at supporting Hermione. When it came time for Harry to help, he took her from Ron's shoulder and she laid her head on his, looking unabashedly up at him. They had slowed for a moment to get better situated, when she spoke, unfortunately loud enough for everyone to hear. "Harry, do you remember when we were down by the lake, the first time I heard your thoughts?" He stopped suddenly, concerned about where this train of thought would lead them. "Yes," he said nervously, looking off down the road. She continued to gaze up at him, "Do you remember trying it again, to see if it really worked?" "Yes," he said again, growing more nervous as he remembered his thoughts at the time. He was now aware that Ron and Ginny had stopped and were listening from nearby. "I heard what you thought, Harry, when we tried it again. Do you remember?" He was now only vaguely aware of his surroundings. What she said sent a chill up his spine, and he was screaming inside for Ron and Ginny to go on without them. It was going to be bad, and he knew she was going to say it. She proceeded without an answer from him, "You… you said I was pretty when I was concentrating so hard." He was suddenly aware of her moving closer to him. "I pretended I didn't hear you, but I did," she said. Her eyes were fixed on his face. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead as his anxiety increased ten-fold. She wouldn't… But she did. Before he could even register the looks of shock and anger from the others, Hermione had pressed her lips to his and wrapped her arms around his neck. Harry held his arms at his side, unsure of what to do. Finally he tried to pull away, with the result that they fell over sideways. Harry scrambled frantically back to his feet, looking down at her with wide eyes, while she appeared to have fallen asleep on the ground. What happened after that took Harry a long time to forget. He remembered the look of hurt in Ron's eyes and the anguish in Ginny's. Together they collected Hermione and walked off without Harry. He could do nothing but stare, and when he finally regained his faculties, they were far ahead. He had no desire to catch up. The lecture from Filch about sticking together in a group barely registered in his brain. When he finally crawled through the portrait hole, he only dimly realized that the common room was, fortunately, empty. Pulling his shoes off, he lay down sideways on the sofa and threw his cloak over himself to keep warm. It was the last thing he remembered before falling asleep. The sound of slippers on the floor didn't even wake him as they approached at nearly two o'clock in the morning. He didn't notice the cloak that had slipped off now being pulled back over him by a pair of slim hands. Only the faint sound of muffled tears brought him from his slumber, and he woke to see Ginny sitting on the floor, her back against the sofa and her head in her hands. He stirred and she turned abruptly, swiping at her eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you, Harry." He rubbed his face and slid his glasses back on. Her eyes were red and he could see wet lines down her cheeks. "It's okay, I wasn't that comfortable anyway," he replied, sitting up and stretching. "Harry, I have to tell you something – th-that's why I came down – but you have to listen until I'm finished before you say anything, okay?" It wasn't a question but he nodded anyway, wishing to provide ears for anything she wanted to talk about. "Tonight, when Hermione… kissed you," she sucked in her breath as if trying to steady herself, "I was angry and hurt, and I didn't know why." She raised her hands in front of her in a question and he was concerned by the sadness in her eyes. "Then we came back here and I went to bed. I couldn't fall asleep, though, thinking about why I was so hurt by it, and angry with myself for what I wouldn't allow it to be." She looked up at him and he didn't look away. "Harry, you know how I used to feel about you, and I told you those feelings were gone, right? Well," she shrugged her shoulders and laughed a little to herself, "I guess I was wrong. It's that simple. Seeing her kiss you, and hearing what you said, or thought, or whatever it was, made me realize I'm not over you, not at all. I know that's probably not what you need to hear right now, and I don't plan on doing anything about it, I just… wanted you to know. I promise I won't make any issues with the two of you getting together, really I'm happy for you. She's great, maybe not quite your type, but great." He made to say something but she stopped him. "It's okay, Harry, I won't get in the way at all. And I'm just kidding about her not being your type." She looked down at her hands for a moment, then sighed. "So that's it, that's why I came down. It's really late now, and we've got to get up early to get packed and on our way home. Sleep well, Harry. Maybe you should go upstairs. I think Ron was wondering where you are." They sat in silence for a few moments, before she rose from the sofa and started toward the stairs. "Yeah, he probably wants to kill me," Harry muttered. She turned back with a curious half-smile on her face. "Why?" "Come back and sit down again. You need to hear the other side of the story." She obliged him and curled up at the other end of the sofa. He touched his hand to his head, feeling a bit warm, and attributed it to the alcohol. "I know what you saw tonight looked like Hermione and I getting together, but it's not true." She looked incredulous. "Really, it's not. First – this is so hard to say – you remember what it was like when Ron was… gone. Well, add to that, I'd just come from studying with the Teacher and I was exhausted, as usual. I was really stressed and Hermione needed someone to cry on. Plus, she's one of my best friends." Ginny looked away toward the fire, her eyes glistening. "No, please don't look away," he unconsciously reached out to her, "because you are, too. You… your friendship has been just as meaningful to me as hers…" Then he added quietly to himself, "sometimes even more." "Anyway, she was more upset than I'd ever seen her, and we went for a walk that lasted all afternoon. We grieved together, I guess, and it helped both of us. As for what I thought in my head – what she repeated tonight – I have no explanation for that. I do think she's pretty, especially when she's concentrating, but I think the same thing about you." His head physically jerked when he heard his own words and his eyes widened for a fraction of a second when he realized he'd said it out loud. "As for the kiss," he continued quickly, "I have no idea where that came from. Hermione doesn't drink Butterbeer that often and I think she just had too much. She probably won't even remember it in the morning. "And why would Ron want to kill me? Well, that's simple, didn't you see them holding hands tonight? He likes her, I'm sure of it, and she likes him, too. Honestly, I'm glad to see they're back at it again. For a while I was worried they would marry other people and move away…" He looked sad for a moment but then realized he'd gone off topic. "Yeah," Ginny said with dawning comprehension, "I remember her being embarrassed about something when we went shopping the other day, and… of course! It was Ron she was talking about." He smiled. "All I'm saying is that I'm sorry for what happened tonight. I guess there's a lesson here for a limit on Hermione's Butterbeer drinking. But please, I don't want anything to hurt our friendship, Ginny, most of all another friend. Can we… are we still okay, then?" She nodded, then got up. "See you in the morning?" he asked. "All right. Goodnight," she replied, with a small smile. Harry climbed the stairs to his dorm, realizing only slightly that it would be the last time he slept in this room. He crawled into his bed and fell instantly to sleep. From that distance, he couldn't hear Ginny crying in her own bed, having poured her own heart out and received absolutely no response from Harry. Breakfast the next morning was subdued compared to the going-away feast the previous night. There were a lot of sad faces, many seventh-years not wanting to leave their home, and Harry felt included in that lot. He looked around the hall quietly while they ate, the happenings of the previous night all but forgotten in his current mindset. And yet, he wasn't as upset as many were. He still knew where he belonged, he would be staying with his friends, and they were about to begin two whole months of intimate study with the Teacher. He felt a tightness in his chest, though, when he looked up at the Headmaster. Dumbledore had become a true friend and mentor to him, and while he would still be in contact now and then, it couldn't be what it had been. Dumbledore still had responsibilities to the school and the protection of its students, and Harry had no desire to take him away from that. He simply was going to miss the talks they had had, and the closeness of a man whom he could tell anything. It was going to be difficult to leave this place, but new business and training beckoned to him. He held his head high as he walked out the front doors of the school for the last time. *** B/N: Like some of you who have left reviews, I didn't like the relationship between Harry and Hermione. However, I have not tweaked it at all because I have complete faith and trust in Felix. He's an amazing writer who I've worked with for a long time. Just trust him and his complete love for Harry and Ginny and you'll enjoy the story and laugh over the H/H moments like I do. :-)
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