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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Drama, Romance Warnings: Intimate Sexual Situations, Violence Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 410 Summary: The summer after the Chamber of Secrets was hard on everyone. How come no one can remember what happened? Prior to starting his seventh year at Hogwarts, Harry realizes he is missing some memories from his second year. Together with Remus Lupin, Harry sets out to discover what happened. He hopes to find out about that pretty red head he has been dreaming about as well. Hitcount: Story Total: 353539; Chapter Total: 9229 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: Thanks to my wonderful beta Jennyelf! |
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Harry leaned back against his favorite tree next to the black lake. He had accompanied Ginny to Hogwarts so she could take her O.W.L.s. Based on the reaction they’d had the last time they were separated, Harry decided it would be easier to just go with her. Sighing, he returned to reading the book on soul bonds. The book was handwritten and difficult to read at times. He reread the same passage again. It still didn’t make that much sense to him. I found that my marital duty was not the chore that I was led to believe it would be and this concerned me. My mother as well as my teachers had engrained in me since childhood that the marital duty was an unpleasant, but necessary task. I discreetly inquired of my sister about her experiences and she confirmed it was an unpleasant duty. While I was concerned about my morality, for experiencing enjoyment that obviously no moral woman would, I have to admit I did not find it an unpleasant experience. My dear Decimus has been so patient and so wonderful with me. He makes me feel cherished. He encouraged me to speak to my dear friend Hortensia, who also has a soul bond. She and her dear Titus also found joy in their matrimony experience and have noticed a need for closeness and even an increase in their joy prior to welcoming their darling, Flavius. Harry set the book down as he considered what he’d just read. He had a hard time understanding exactly what Aracelli meant a lot of the time. He knew that Hermione could explain to him within minutes exactly what Aracelli meant, but he didn’t really feel comfortable talking to her about this. Standing, Harry started walking back toward the castle. It was times like this that he really wished he had a mum to talk to. While first Sirius and then Remus had filled the role of father, he’d never really had a mother figure. Mrs. Weasley had always been kind and made him Christmas jumpers, but he had always felt a kind of barrier between them. Professor McGonagall was more of a maternal figure than Mrs. Weasley, but he didn’t think he would feel comfortable talking to her about this. “Harry!” Looking up, he saw Fleur heading towards him. Smiling, he waited for her to catch up to him. “Hi, Fleur,” Harry greeted as she hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. “Harry, I was upset to hear you were injured again. I hope you are better,” Fleur scolded. He shook his head as she took his arm. “I’m good. I was more worried about Ginny. She was throwing up for a few days, but she is much better now.” “Good. How is she finding her O.W.L.s?” Fleur asked as the two of them walked across the grounds. “She’s taken her Charms and Potions O.W.L.s so far,” Harry said as they entered the courtyard. “She feels pretty good. I just need to keep Hermione away from her.” Fleur looked up in confusion as they sat down on one of the benches in the courtyard. “Why? I thought she and Ginny were good friends.” “They are,” Harry said easily. “Hermione just has this tendency to want to review every part of the test. Ron and I are used to it after six years of school with her, but Ginny gets a bit aggravated with her.” Fleur laughed. “I had a friend like that at Beauxbatons. She would want to go over the test question by question.” Changing the subject, Fleur said, “So tell me about Albania. I hear you went to the beach.” Harry told her about their trip, this time focusing on the happier parts of their trip. The night they had returned to England, Harry had shared with a select group what had happened in Albania. Shaking her hair back over her shoulders, Fleur said, “Thank you for the earrings. They are truly beautiful.” Harry leaned forward a bit to admire them. Laughingly, Fleur teased, “Did you know you got me earrings?” He made a face at her. “Yes, I knew we got you earrings. I just didn’t remember which ones Gin picked out for you.” Looking over at his sister-in-law, Harry took a deep breath. “Fleur, I was wondering if you could help me.” “Of course,” Fleur replied. “What do you need?” Blushing slightly, Harry recounted what he’d read in the soul bond book. Fleur listened intently as he read. When he finished reading, he fell silent for a moment. Fleur prompted him gently. “So what is your question, mon frère?” “I have a hard time understanding what she means. Is she talking about…sex?” Harry asked, blushing again. Fleur nodded and Harry sighed. “It would be so much easier, if she would just say that. So…” he paused and looked over at Fleur. “What does that mean? I…Gin isn’t being…I don’t know…compelled to…want to have sex with me?” Smiling at the younger wizard, Fleur shook her head. “Harry, mon frère, your bond with Ginny was created by your love for each other. It was the strength of your love that created your bond. I think that it is the strength of that love that creates this need between the two of you. When Ginny spoke with me, she said that it was not just the sexual need, but also the need for closeness. Is that right?” Harry nodded and Fleur fell silent as she watched Harry process what she just said. He looked over at her. “Is our bond the reason why I’m not affected by you?” “I think that may be part of the reason, but during the Tri-Wizard Tournament, you did not seem as…enthralled with me as some of the boys were,” she replied. Thinking it over, Harry agreed. “Yeah, I mean I thought you were pretty, but not the way some of the boys did.” “While most men and boys are susceptible to Veela charm, not everyone is susceptible to the same degree. Those who are strong willed can often break through our charms,” Fleur replied. The sound of footsteps behind them caused them to look up. “Hi, Charlie,” Harry greeted his brother-in-law. “Harry, Fleur,” Charlie greeted them slowly. “What are you two up to? Taken slightly aback at the suspicion he heard in Charlie’s voice, Harry responded a bit defensively. “We were talking.” He regarded them briefly before saying, “Ginny’s almost done with her exam. We were all going to have lunch together in the Great Hall.” Nodding, Harry and Fleur rose and followed Charlie into the castle. _____________________________ _______________________________________ “Hello, love.” Harry smiled as he felt Ginny drop into the seat next to him. Leaning over, he kissed her briefly. “So how was Herbology?” Ginny made a face as she reached for the plate of sandwiches. “It was okay, but honestly…I think we should hire a gardener.” A wave of laughter greeted her proclamation. “If that’s what you want, love, that’s fine,” Harry answered with a laugh. “I’ve never really enjoyed Herbology, although I always wanted to sneak some Fanged Geraniums into my aunt’s flower bed.” “Bloody hell.” Ginny sat straight up. “Fanged Geraniums…that’s what the answer was.” Another round of laughter swept the table as Ginny bemoaned her test. Harry laughed and kissed her on the cheek. “Don’t worry about it, love. You weren’t planning on continuing in Herbology anyway, were you?” Ginny brightened at that thought. “No, I wasn’t.” Harry shot a warning look at Hermione who looked like she was going to make a comment. “So what exams do you have left, Firefly?” Bill asked. “You do realize that if you call me that in class, I will have to kill you?” Ginny rejoined sweetly. Bill laughed. “I know. I will try to curb my efforts.” “I have my History of Magic exam this afternoon and I’m taking Transfiguration and Ancient Runes on Monday and then Defense Against the Dark Arts and Arithmancy on Tuesday,” Ginny replied with a groan. “I will be very glad when this week is over.” “I don’t blame you,” Charlie said with feeling. “I always hated end of year exams. The O.W.L.s and the N.E.W.T.s were horrible.” Bill laughed. “At least the twins set the bar low. What did they get? Three O.W.L.s a piece?” Hermione shook her head. “I never understood that. They really are very magically gifted. I don’t know why they didn’t get more O.W.L.s.” “They didn’t think they needed them,” Harry said with a laugh. “They split them up so Fred got three and George got three.” Hermione looked scandalized that someone would treat the O.W.L.s so lightly, but the rest of the table laughed. Professor McGonagall approached the loud and rather boisterous table with a slight smile on her face. Having the two Weasleys on staff was certainly going to make for an interesting year. “Bon jour, Professor,” Fleur greeted the Professor. “Mrs. Weasley.” Minerva glanced around the table and exchanged greetings with the rest of the party. “Would you like to join us, Professor?” Harry asked as he gestured towards an empty seat next to Hermione. Considering the matter, Minerva gave a rare smile. “Thank you, Mr. Potter. I think I will.” After she served herself from the selection on the table, Minerva turned to Ginny. “How are your O.W.L.s going so far, Mrs. Potter? I hope the arrangements have been satisfactory.” “Yes, ma’am,” Ginny responded. “I’ve been taking my tests in the small room next to the Charms classroom.” Minerva nodded. “Yes, that is one of the older classrooms. It is not used much these days. I thought it would be a good room to use.” “Madam Marchbanks told me that she took Advanced Charms in that room,” Ginny replied. “I like that it’s not just me in a huge classroom. I think that would be a bit intimidating.” Glancing up at the clock, Ginny made a face. “I have to head back now.” “Will we see you at the party for Remus and Tonks tonight?” Fleur asked. “Of course, we wouldn’t miss it,” Ginny replied as she stood up. Tapping her husband on the shoulder, she said, “Walk me to the classroom?” The two of them left the Great Hall hand-in-hand. When they arrived at the testing room, Harry peered in. “There’s no one there, yet,” he commented. Ginny sighed as she sat at the desk she’d been using for the past few days. Harry sat sideways at the desk next to hers. “Are you holding up okay, love?” “Yeah, I’m just tired,” Ginny said as she leaned over and kissed him softly. Harry ran his hand through her hair. “We don’t have to go to this party tonight if you don’t want to, love. If you’re too tired, we can just stay home.” Ginny shook her head. “No, I want to go. I’m hoping that I’ll be done with this exam fairly quickly and we can go home and rest before the party. Remus doesn’t really have any family except for you and I think it’s important that we are there.” Before Harry could respond, Madam Marchbanks entered the room. “Mr. Potter.” “Yes, ma’am. I was just keeping Ginny company until you got here,” Harry stood hastily. As Madam Marchbanks prepared for the exam, Harry quickly leaned over and kissed Ginny. “Good luck, love. I’ll see you when you are done.” ______________________________ ________________________________________ Harry wandered back out onto the grounds. He was bored. He tried reading more of the soul bond book, but his heart wasn’t in it causing him to give up after realizing that he had read the same passage several times without really processing it. Deciding he might as well be productive, Harry went for a jog around the lake. As he jogged, he could feel some of his stress melting away. He knew that a lot of his stress was related to Ginny taking her History of Magic O.W.L.s this afternoon. He knew that it was unlikely that something would happen during her exam. His own disastrous O.W.L. hadn’t bothered him in a while, but last night for the first time in over six months, he’d had a nightmare about Sirius’s death. He felt much of his stress bleed away as he completed his first circuit around the lake. He had not known Sirius for long, but he was the first father figure Harry had ever known. He thought back to the last time he spent with Sirius, Christmas of his fifth year. As he jogged, he lost himself in that memory. Harry was wandering restlessly around the snow covered grounds. He had always considered Hogwarts his first real home, but this year for the first time, he felt trapped here. He wished he had someplace to go for the holidays like his friends all had, but Professor Dumbledore had been insistent. Harry needed to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas. “Harry!” Turning from the spot at which he’d been contemplating the Forbidden Forest, Harry saw Remus Lupin headed his way accompanied by a large black dog. “Professor Lupin.” Harry was overjoyed to see his father’s two best friends. He was the only Gryffindor staying at Hogwarts over Christmas. “Is there any news about Mr. Weasley? Is he okay?” “Yes, Harry. Thanks to you, he will be fine. They were able to get to him in time,” Remus said as he gave Harry a one armed hug. “How many times do I need to tell you to call me Remus?” Harry gave him a shy smile. “Sorry, Remus.” Dropping to his knees, he wrapped his arms around the dog sitting at his feet. He buried his face in Padfoot’s neck and to his horror, he felt tears stinging his eyes. The feelings of horror and confusion he had felt since watching the attack on Mr. Weasley came bubbling to the surface. He felt Remus place a gentle hand on his back as he sobbed out his story into Padfoot’s neck. “Harry, come with me. We’re going to the Shrieking Shack.” Remus pulled him to his feet and propelled him towards his old hideout. Harry did not have a very clear memory of trip to the Shrieking Shack. He only knew that once they were safely inside the old shack, Padfoot transformed into Sirius, who immediately pulled him into a rough embrace. “Hey, kiddo,” Sirius said soothingly. “It will be okay.” Harry pulled out of his godfather’s arms. “What happened? Why did I see that and why did I feel like I was the snake?” Sirius hastily conjured up a bench and pulled his godson down on the bench with him. “Harry, I’ve spoken to Professor Dumbledore. We think that when…Voldemort tried to kill you as a baby…a connection of sorts was made between the two of you.” “A connection?” Harry asked frantically. He didn’t want a connection with the evil being that killed his parents. Sirius nodded and ran his hand down Harry’s arm soothingly. “We’re not sure if Voldemort is aware of this connection or not, but we think that this connection is why you can see what Voldemort is seeing at times. Voldemort was somehow possessing the snake at the time the snake attacked Arthur Weasley. That is why it seemed as though you were seeing it through the snake’s eyes.” Harry could feel himself calming as he relaxed with his godfather. “So…I didn’t do anything?” Sirius shook his head. “No, Harry. Ron told us that you were struggling in your sleep for several minutes before they were able to wake you up.” “I thought maybe…that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were angry with me and that’s why I couldn’t go with them,” Harry said. “No, no. Harry, you saved Arthur Weasley’s life. They wanted to thank you, actually. Professor Dumbledore thought it would be safer if you stayed here at Hogwarts for the holidays,” Sirius explained. Harry looked into the sincere grey eyes of his godfather and felt much of the horror of that night fade away. Relaxing fully for the first time since he’d seen the snake attack Mr. Weasley, Harry spent the afternoon with his godfather and Remus. A luncheon he later found out had been prepared by Mrs. Weasley was eaten by the trio as Harry told them about his first semester. Remus and Sirius were horrified by the power wielded by Professor Umbridge. On Christmas morning, Harry was woken by a large black dog jumping on his bed. Christmas Day was the happiest Harry had been all year. He and Sirius spent the whole day together, roaming the castle, spending time in the Room of Requirement, and just being together. With Sirius’s death, Harry treasured his memories of that Christmas. He’d never told Ron or Hermione about that Christmas for some reason. Ginny was the only one who knew about that day. As Harry finished his circuit around the black lake, he completed a series of crunches and pushups. The physical exertion help Harry get his emotions under control. Glancing at his watch, Harry headed back up to the castle with the intention of showering and changing before meeting Ginny after her exam. One the steps of the castle, Harry was surprised to see Headmaster Fedorov. He approached the headmaster cautiously. “Sir,” he greeted the new Headmaster. “Mr. Potter,” Fedorov responded holding out his hand. “I am glad to finally meet you.” Wiping his hand on his track pants, Harry reached out and shook the older man’s hand. “Thank you, sir.” “I understand that your wife is taking her O.W.L.s,” Fedorov said as he gestured for Harry to accompany him. “Yes, sir. She should be done by early next week,” Harry replied. “Good, good. I have spoken to Madam Marchbanks and she is pleased with the testing facilities. She said Mrs. Potter’s test results should be available within two weeks.” He smiled at Harry’s look of surprise. “I believe that as your wife is the only student being tested, the results will be available much faster.” “That will be good,” Harry replied. “She’ll be able to start the school year knowing her test results.” The pair came to a stop outside the familiar stone gargoyle. Fedorov spoke a word in what Harry assumed was his native language and the gargoyle sprang aside, revealing the moving stone staircase. They entered the office in silence and Harry looked around curiously. The bookshelves were emptied of the familiar books that had populated Dumbledore’s shelves and were replaced with books in a mixture of languages. There were several decorative vases and knickknacks as well as photos scattered around the office. “Please, have a seat, Mr. Potter,” Fedorov said as he sat behind his big mahogany desk. Harry took a seat and focused his attention on the new Headmaster. Fedorov studied the young wizard across from him for a moment. “I have heard a lot about you, Mr. Potter. Listening to those who wish to advise me, you are either the Chosen One here to save us from You-Know-Who or an attention-seeking murderer.” Pausing to give Harry a chance to respond, Fedorov seemed pleased when Harry did not say anything. “I would rather form my own opinions, Mr. Potter. Can you tell me about yourself?” Harry looked up, surprised. He was so used to the Wizarding world just assuming they knew about him. He took a deep breath as he considered what to share with the new headmaster. “I don’t think that I’m either the Chosen One or a murderer. I’m just Harry. I’m an okay student. I’m not very good in Potions, but I am good in Defense Against the Dark Arts. I love Quidditch. I’ve been on the Gryffindor house team since my first year. This will be my second year as captain. I love my wife and I absolutely hate the Dark Arts.” Fedorov watched Harry assessingly while he was talking. “What do you think of Slytherins?” Harry fidgeted slightly. “Well, to be honest, I haven’t had the best of luck with Slytherins. Draco Malfoy was the first wizard my age I ever met…he was very arrogant and…not very nice. Draco and I…” Harry paused. Talking about Draco was very hard for him. “Draco and I never got along. From our first year, he and I were at odds with each other. That rather coloured my view of Slytherins. Snape…let’s just say he hated me from the moment I set foot in Hogwarts and as head of Slytherin House, he encouraged his house to…I don’t know how to explain it, but they were never very nice.” “Do you know Daphne Greengrass?” Fedorov asked. Staring into the fireplace, Harry tried to place the name. “She’s my year, right? Blond girl, kind of quiet.” “That sounds like an accurate description,” Fedorov answered. “She will be Head Girl this year. I would like the two of you to meet, perhaps next week while your wife is taking her O.W.L.s would be a good time.” “Okay,” Harry agreed. Fedorov made a note on the parchment in front of him. “The last subject I wished to discuss with you is a rather delicate subject.” He looked up at the young wizard. “I have to tell you I was rather uneasy to hear that a married couple was to be attending the school.” He held up his hand to stave off Harry’s comments. “Please let me finish.” Harry nodded, a bit unwillingly and Fedorov continued. “I realize that a soul bond is a bit different than a normal marriage. I have spoken to Professor McGonagall at length about this issue. She assures me that the two of you will comport yourselves appropriately. I have inspected the room set aside for you and your wife and I believe it will be adequate. I expect you to abide by the rules of the school. No excessive public displays of affection will be tolerated and you will not ‘lend’ your room to any other students. Am I understood?” Blushing, Harry nodded. “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” _______________________________ _______________________________________ Ginny laughed up at Oliver Wood as he waltzed her around the dance floor. When the music ended, he bowed to her with a great flourish as Harry joined them. “Thank you so much for the dance, Mrs. Potter,” he said playfully. Laughing up at her companion, Ginny commented, “You’re quite welcome.” As Harry slid his arm around Ginny, he commented to Oliver. “I’m glad that you and Alicia could make it.” “We wouldn’t miss it,” Oliver replied. “I don’t know Tonks very well, but Alicia really admires Mrs. Tonks. Plus Professor Lupin was the best Defense professor we ever had.” Glancing around at the crowd, Oliver lowered his voice. “Alicia and I have been recruited for working with the group as well. Angelina and Katie have also been helping out running errands and gathering information.” Harry smiled proudly as he looked back at his former Quidditch captain. “That’s great, Oliver. We can certainly use all the help we can get.” Looking over the crowd, Harry said, “Is Alicia here yet?” A look of concern briefly crossed Oliver’s face. “No, not yet. She had to work this evening. She should be here in a bit.” Before Harry could respond, Andromeda called out, “Can I have everyone’s attention?” The party quieted and focused their attention on Andromeda where she stood surrounded by her husband, daughter, and son-in-law. Smiling, Andromeda said, “I want to thank everyone for joining us here to celebrate the marriage of my beautiful daughter, Nymphadora, to her love, Remus.” A cheer went up around the courtyard as Dora blushed at the attention. Andromeda continued, “My Dora was always a little different. She chose the difficult path of becoming an Auror and later in joining the fight against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I must say I despaired that she was not going to find the love and companionship that her father and I found at Hogwarts. That all changed in the last year and a half when Dora started talking about this nice bloke she’d met.” Soft laughter met this statement as Remus kissed Dora on the cheek. Andromeda laughed. “I have to admit, I was a bit concerned to find he was best mates with my cousin, Sirius. For those of you who don’t know, Sirius Black, my cousin, was innocent of all charges against him. My concern was simply that Sirius was one of the biggest pranksters in Hogwarts history and a bit of a ladies’ man, so I was worried that Remus was cut from the same cloth.” “When I first met Remus, I had a hard time believing that this quiet, unassuming man was not only Sirius’s best friend, but that he had caught my daughter’s attention. Once I got to know him, I was delighted with her choice. Remus is a gentle and thoughtful soul and he is a perfect match for my spirited and strong-willed daughter.” Andromeda raised her glass. “To Dora and Remus, may they have a long and happy marriage.” Toasts of Dora and Remus echoed around the courtyard. Harry smiled as he toasted his godfather and his new bride. Ginny moved more securely into his arms as she too toasted the happy couple. Looking down at his wife, Harry kissed her on top of the head. “What’s wrong, love?” Ginny looked up at him and he could see the emotion shining in her eyes. “I just wish my parents had been as welcoming to you.” Understanding flowed through him and he felt the familiar spark of anger and disappointment that now coloured his thoughts of the Weasleys. He could see Molly and Arthur at the edge of the crowd, toasting Remus and Dora. Leaning down, he kissed her softly. “I love you, Ginny Potter. I wish that your parents had thrown a huge party for to celebrate our wedding. You deserve that and I wish I had been able to give that to you.” Ginny buried her head in his neck and reveled in his embrace. “You’ve given me so much. I don’t want you to feel bad over my parents’ decisions.” Lifting her head, Ginny smiled as she heard the music start again. “Come dance with me, my love.” ______________________________ _______________________________________ Arthur watched his daughter and son-in-law dance. He thought she had never looked more beautiful. Her bright red and copper curls tumbled down her back and she looked tan and happy. She wore a silver dress with a scoop neck and fitted bodice. Arthur smiled to see the beautiful bracelet on her wrist and the necklace around her neck. When she was a child, he had always wanted to shower her with the best things in life. However, with seven children, there was never enough money for such things. He was glad that Harry was able to provide for Ginny the things that Arthur had always thought she deserved. “Your daughter looks very happy.” Turning, Arthur saw Ted Tonks standing next to him, watching the couples on the dance floor as well. “She does,” Arthur replied. Ted gestured to his daughter and son-in-law who had just stepped out on the floor. “I was worried when Dora told us about Remus. I have to admit the idea of my daughter being in love with a werewolf spooked me at first. All I could envision was a monster tearing my baby to pieces.” He chuckled softly to himself. “I may have been a bit hostile to the match at first. My daughter deserved better than an older, poor werewolf. But as I got to know Remus and let go of my prejudices, I realized that he is the perfect person for my daughter. That is why it was so important to my wife and me that we have this party to show that we are in support of this marriage.” Arthur nodded and sighed. “I know what you are saying. I have always liked and admired Harry. He’s been through so much in his young life. He saved my daughter’s life, he saved my life, and he saved my son’s life. When we agreed to have Ginny Obliviated…I didn’t realize at first that was forcing Harry to be Obliviated as well. He risked his life to save my daughter and I repaid him by having him Obliviated. This summer when we realized that they must have broken through the Memory Charms, I figured that was it. We were done with the lies and cover stories. We would deal with the fallout. Molly wasn’t quite so accepting. She thinks they are too young and that Ginny will miss out on…I don’t even know what she thinks Ginny will be missing. Molly and I eloped when we were eighteen years old, but we started dating when we were sixteen, the same age Ginny is now.” He took of sip of his firewhiskey before continuing. “I don’t know how to make peace between my wife and daughter. Molly is a passionate woman who does not believe in hiding her feelings. She and Ginny have always clashed, but never this badly.” Looking around at the party, he said, “I wish I could have done this for Ginny and Harry. I am very happy for her, but…Molly isn’t ready for this yet.” Ted watched the other man with compassion. He couldn’t say what he would have done in his place or what his reaction would have been to the news that his fifteen-year-old daughter was married. “What are you going to do?” Arthur looked at him thoughtfully. “I don’t know yet.” _______________________________ _______________________________________ Charlie smiled as he approached Hermione. She was laughing and talking with her parents and Professor McGonagall. He watched her appreciatively for a moment. She looked so lovely. She was tanned and fit and Charlie thought she looked amazing in the dark blue blouse and black pants she was wearing. She looked happy and flushed from all of the dancing she’d been doing. “May I have this dance?” Hermione looked up into Charlie’s smiling face. Her face lit with pleasure. She loved to dance. “Of course.” They joined the small number of couples already dancing around the brightly lit courtyard. Hermione smiled as she saw Bill and Ginny dancing while Harry and Angelina had paired up. Fleur was smiling up at her father-in-law, as Arthur led her around the dance floor. “It’s nice to be able to relax with family,” Hermione said with a smile. “Something is going to happen,” Charlie said quietly. “Watch the twins and Harry. They keep sending each other these little signals.” Hermione watched them curiously and she saw Harry nod slightly as he and Angelina made their way closer to where Remus and Tonks were dancing. A whistle sounded, drowning out the music. Harry cast a quick Sonorus charm so he could be heard over the music. As everyone turned to look at him, he jumped up on a chair so he could be seen more easily. “Thank you. I just wanted to propose a toast to the happy couple,” Harry said. “Remus has been a great friend and godfather to me over the past few years. I know he hasn’t let many people get close to him, but luckily Tonks is a little more stubborn than him.” A wave of laughter ran through the party and Harry continued, “I asked my business partners and brothers-in-law to help me come up with a tribute to Remus and Tonks. Don’t worry, they have been charmed so Muggles not at the party can’t see them.” With that explanation, fireworks shot up into the night sky. There were wolves chasing large shaggy dogs and stags and does. Harry jumped down from the chair and hugged his godfather. ____________________________ ________________________________________ __ Ginny laughed as she watched the shaggy dog chasing the wolf. The wolf stopped in his tracks and looking up at the moon that just appeared, started howling at it. The dog, stag, and doe joined the wolf and the four of them started dancing in the moonlight. “Isn’t this great?” Tonks asked with evident amusement. “Did you know they were going to do this?” Ginny shook her head. “No, but I’ve been rather busy taking my O.W.L.s.” “These fireworks are amazing,” Sarah commented as she and Mark joined the growing group watching the fireworks. Looking over at Ginny, she said, “Your brothers did this?” “Yes, they’ve been making fireworks for several years,” Ginny replied as the fireworks started forming the words ‘Remus loves Tonks’ and ‘Just Married.’ “Their fireworks are amazing,” Oliver put in as he and Alicia joined them. “We get them for the team after our games. They are great.” As the fireworks ended, the group started socializing again. Sarah looked over at Ginny. “Are you feeling better, dear?” Alicia looked over with concern. “Were you sick, Ginny?” Making a face, Ginny replied, “Actually Tonks and I both had a bad reaction to some kind of potion we were taking. I felt a bit sick yesterday morning, but I didn’t throw up.” “What potion were you taking?” Alicia asked. Ginny and Tonks exchanged a look and Tonks was the one who answered. “I’m not sure. It was a light blue potion.” Alicia looked thoughtful. “There are several light blue potions, but I’m not sure which one it may have been. That’s strange, though. I was sick last week as well.” Sarah looked at the young ladies. “Are you sure you aren’t pregnant? You all sound like me when I was pregnant with Hermione.” She turned to Ginny. “You’ve been more tired lately.” “But I’ve been on the potion,” Ginny said. She looked over at Alicia for back up, but to her dismay, Alicia was looking rather horrified. “What is it, Alicia?” “We keep hearing rumors about potions made with substandard ingredients. Do you think it is possible?” Alicia said, looking around at the other ladies. As she watched the faces of the others, Alicia realized they were all thinking the same thing. Sarah watched them sympathetically. “Are there such things as pregnancy tests in the Magical world?” “There is a potion,” Alicia explained. “But it takes a while to prepare. I could make up a batch and we would know in the morning.” ___________________________ ________________________________________ ___ Ginny was quiet the next morning as she watched Harry fix waffles, bacon, and scrambled eggs for breakfast. She had told him about the conversation with Alicia and while he didn’t come out and say it, she knew he was rather excited about the possibility that she might be pregnant. “Harry, this is amazing. I missed this while you were gone,” Charlie said. “What are you talking about?” Fred exclaimed. “At least you got to eat at Hogwarts. Poor George, Angelina and I were stuck with takeout from the Leaky Cauldron.” Charlie laughed. “I think Harry’s breakfast would give the house-elves a run for their money.” Everyone looked up as the Floo flared to life. George stepped out, clutching a copy of the Daily Prophet. “You will not believe the utter crap they are spewing these days,” George exclaimed as he threw the paper down on the table. Harry turned around when he heard Ginny make an angry sound. “What is it, love?” When Ginny didn’t answer, Harry walked over to the table and looked over her shoulder. To his absolute shock, there was a picture of Fleur giving him a kiss on the front page of the Prophet, under the headline that read — ‘Potter Marriage in Trouble?’ Harry Potter, 17, was seen spending time with his beautiful sister-in-law, Fleur Delacour-Weasley, 20, at Hogwarts while his young bride, Ginevra, 16, was taking her O.W.L.s. Potter and his wife were reportedly married by virtue of an alleged soul bond over the summer. The marriage was a surprise for the Boy-Who-Lived. While he has been seen with many members of the Weasley family, prior to this summer he was never seen with Ginevra. In fact Ginevra was seen as recently as August in the company of former boyfriend, Luc Fournier. Is the young couple regretting their rash marriage? Potter has previously been linked to several young ladies, including his frequent companion, Hermione Granger, fellow Gryffindor Pavarti Patel, recent Hogwarts graduate, Cho Chang, Susan Bones, niece of Amelia Bones, and Luna Lovegood, daughter of Quibbler editor. Saturday, he reportedly spent several hours alone with his enticing sister-in-law. Not only were they seen embracing, but Potter reportedly presented Fleur with an expensive pair of earrings. Harry growled as Ginny opened the paper to see several more pictures of Fleur and himself. “What the hell?” He felt Ginny becoming upset and he wrapped his arms around her. “Baby? You know that…I mean you are…I love you. You are the only woman for me.” Ginny turned into his arms and buried her head in his neck. “I know, love. I just…Why are they doing this?” Hermione pulled the paper over and looked it over. “Where did they get the pictures?” Harry looked up in surprise. “What do you mean?” Gesturing to the paper, Hermione said, “The pictures are real, right? They were taken at Hogwarts.” Ginny lifted her head and looked at the pictures again. Grabbing a napkin to wipe her eyes, she said, “She’s right. These were taken yesterday.” Reading over the article again, George said, “All of their facts are actually correct. They’ve just twisted everything and made it seem questionable.” “We need to find out who took the pictures.” Harry said. Standing, Ginny said, “I need to get ready to go to Andromeda’s house.” Harry followed her to their bedroom. “Are you okay?” he asked as he wrapped his arms around her. Smiling faintly, Ginny leaned up and kissed him. “I’m okay, I…I know that what we have is real and true. That’s not what has me upset.” Running his hand through her hair, he asked, “What has you upset, love?” “I just don’t understand why they have to…I mean, why can’t they leave us alone?” Ginny said. Harry sighed. “I’m sorry. The Prophet has always had it in for me. I should have known that they would eventually include you. I wish they would leave you out of it.” She smacked his arm. “It’s not your fault.” He pulled her back into his arms. “Are we okay?” Ginny nodded and gave him a long lingering kiss. “We are, but if you still feel bad when I get back, I can think of some ways you can make it up to me.” ________________________________ ______________________________________ Ginny stepped out of the Floo into a crowded kitchen at the Tonks house. “Ginny,” Alicia said. “Good, I think you were the last one.” Looking around, Ginny was surprised to see everyone who was there. Alicia and Tonks were there as well as Fleur, Angelina, and Katie. Andromeda walked into the kitchen and smiled at the nervous girls in the kitchen. “It’s okay, ladies. Alicia and I have brewed a Pregnancy Test Potion. Once you drink a vial of potion, I will perform the detection charm. If you are pregnant, your belly will light up. If you are not pregnant, it will not.” Handing out the six vials of potion, Andromeda motioned for them to drink it. |
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