The final chapter! Can I just say how pleased I am how well received this story has been and to thank everyone who left a review. Cheers all.
I suspect there will be much debate around my take of why Snape has been allowed to act in such an unprofessional manner at Hogwarts. I’m sure everyone will have their own ideas but this explanation does neatly fit in with my portrayal in this story of Dumbledore as being a well-meaning but ultimately deeply flawed character. Still, I will be interested to hear everyone’s views on the matter.
Currently, I envisage this will be the first part of a trilogy, although I reserve the right to change that idea. As I type this, two chapters of the sequel have been completed and I have a rough plot outline worked out, so hopefully it won’t take me too long to complete.
As usual, can I express my deepest appreciation to Arnel for all her hard work throughout the story. Hey, I got through a whole chapter without capitalizing ‘common room’ once! Who-hoo! Shame about all my other cock-ups, mind…
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The Thorny Rose | ||||||
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Category: Pre-OotP Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Action/Adventure, Romance Warnings: Mild Language Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 185 Summary: Harry has been entered into the Triwizard Tournament against his will, and his friends don’t believe him when he insists he didn’t enter his name. Will Ginny Weasley sit by and watch him suffer alone, or will she risk exposing the dark secret she has been hiding. GoF re-write from Ginny’s POV. Smart & slightly manipulative Ginny! Extreme Ron-bashing! Hitcount: Story Total: 69198; Chapter Total: 7310 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: |
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Harry and Ginny hurried back to the Headmaster’s office, conscious of how long they had been gone. Fortunately, the entrance was still open so they could make their way back upstairs unhindered. They burst into the office without knocking. Little had changed since they left, other than Professor McGonagall had joined the meeting and was sitting in a high backed chair glaring at the still bound form of Peter Pettigrew. Both Wormtail and Crouch were slumped in their chairs apparently unconscious. “Ah, Harry and Ginevra, I was starting to get worried about the pair of you,” Dumbledore said as soon as he noticed them. “We saw the Minister out of the school,” Harry explained. “What happened to those two?” “Merely Stunned, Harry,” Dumbledore assured him. “We felt it would be unwise to let them partake of our discussion. May I ask what happened with Cornelius?” “We managed to persuade him to put these two on trial,” Harry said in an excited voice. “Aurors will be here shortly to take them into custody.” “Really? That is most surprising news,” Dumbledore exclaimed. “I thought that Cornelius was adamant that Voldemort was gone for good.” “Yes, I think he probably still thinks that,” Harry said carefully. “Then why did he agree to put these two on trial?” Dumbledore demanded. “I think he kind of got the idea that he’ll look good in the eyes of the public if he’s seen to be righting the wrongs of the previous Minister,” Ginny interrupted. “He thinks it will generate a lot of good publicity.” “Does he now?” Dumbledore said disapprovingly. “And I suppose the two of you did something to encourage this attitude? I’m very disappointed in you both, especially you, Harry. You of all people should know the importance of warning the Wizarding community of Voldemort’s imminent return.” Harry looked angry. “Imminent return? Things are no different than they were before. You didn’t feel the need to warn everyone after Voldemort possessed Quirrell, so why now? It would be different if he actually managed to get his body back, but he didn’t. Besides, by letting Fudge have his moment of glory we allow Sirius to have a fair trial. What’s more important than that?” “Fair trial?” sneered Snape. “What makes you think Black deserves a fair trial? The man is a dangerous reprobate. From what little I saw of him, he’s become even more unhinged of late.” “Sirius is innocent!” Harry yelled in outrage. “You heard it with your own ears! Hell, the fact that Pettigrew is here at all is proof he didn’t betray my parents. Do you seriously want an innocent man to rot in Azkaban?” “Innocent? There’s nothing innocent about Black,” Snape growled. “And as for Azkaban; no, I don’t think he should rot there. It’s too good for him! A worthless piece of excrement like him should be given a Dementors’ Kiss. It’s exactly what he deserves!” Harry gasped and his hand flew towards his wand, which was tucked inside his robes. Fortunately, Ginny realised what he was going to do in the nick of time and grabbed his arm. “No, Harry!” she begged. “Don’t do it, he was deliberately trying to antagonise you. He wants you to attack him so he will have an excuse to get you expelled. It’s just the sort of petty, vindictive thing that he’d do.” “How dare you, Weasley!” Snape snapped. “A month’s worth of detentions for insulting a Professor!” “What, for telling the truth?” Harry demanded. “And she’s right; trying to goad me into attacking you just so you’d have the opportunity to punish me is exactly the sort of thing you’d do! You just can’t see past my face, can you? Just because I look like my dad you hate me. From the very second I stepped into Hogwarts you’ve been on my case. You never once stopped to find out if I’m anything like my dad, did you? You just assumed I was some spoilt, pampered brat who got everything he wished for. Did you ever stop to ask yourself why I was so skinny, or why I arrived wearing clothes that were like oversized rags? Did you? Have you ever seen me throwing my weight around or ordering people about like your pet Draco does? Tell me, Professor, just what have I done to annoy you so much?” “You exist, Potter,” Snape said in a voice dripping with malice, “that’s enough to annoy me!” For a second Harry looked stunned, before he turned to the Headmaster. “Why do you let him act this way, sir?” Harry demanded. “No other teachers would be allowed to do this, why him? I mean, it’s not like it’s just me he abuses, either. He shows blatantly favouritism towards his own House, is totally horrid to all the other Houses, Gryffindor especially, and punishes people for no good reason.” “And it’s not like he’s even a good teacher,” Ginny added, keen to back Harry up. “All he ever does is write the instructions on the blackboard and tells everyone to get on with it. He doesn’t explain anything or provide any help. He just ridicules anyone who doesn’t understand or makes a mistake. That’s not teaching: that’s bullying!” Snape looked like he was going to explode at this point, but Dumbledore held up a calming hand to him. With a sad smile, he turned back to Harry and Ginny. “I’m afraid it’s necessary for Professor Snape to act in the manner he does, regrettable though it is,” he explained. “You see, once Voldemort returns it will be vital for us to have a spy in his inner circle. To do that Severus must convince Voldemort that he remains loyal to him and his ideas. By acting in such a discriminative manner Professor Snape is demonstrating his support to the goals that the Dark Lord holds dear, and thus will ease his entry back into Voldemort’s trust. While it is unpleasant for those not in Slytherin, the benefits as a whole far outweigh the negatives.” Ginny frowned. Something didn’t seem right about that argument. “Err, Headmaster, surely the fact that Professor Snape works for you means that Voldemort would never trust him again, doesn’t it?” she asked. “No, not at all,” Dumbledore replied with a kind smile. “You see, we have carefully planted the idea that Severus approached me only to gain the opportunity to spy on me. Voldemort and his followers will believe that Severus has successfully pulled the wool over my eyes and that he secretly remains loyal to the Dark side. They have no idea that he is really a double agent.” “Okay,” Ginny said carefully, thinking the whole thing through logically. “So, Voldemort’s gang think that Snape has convinced you that he has gone over to the side of Light, while all the while remaining loyal to the Dark Lord, right?” “Yes, so you see why it is important for him to remain in character, yes?” Dumbledore asked. “Err, no, actually. In fact, I think that’s the last thing he should be doing,” Ginny protested. “What do you mean?” the Headmaster asked, frowning. “Professor Snape has ‘apparently’ convinced you that he is now on the side of Light, right? Well, if he’s done that, why would he still be acting like a Death Eater?” Ginny demanded. “If he’s supposed to be playing the role of a spy here at Hogwarts, surely he should be doing everything he could to fit in and convince you that he’d rejected his old ways. Voldemort would know that you’d never tolerate prejudice and bigotry, or just plain meanness. Surely he’s going to wonder why you’re letting him get away with acting like that.” “The Dark Lord would wish me to act in that manner, you stupid girl,” Snape spat. “One does not ignore his wishes lightly.” “He might wish you to act like that, certainly,” Ginny disagreed, “but expect it? Hell, no. He would expect you to be doing everything in your power to maintain your cover and not arouse Professor Dumbledore’s suspicion that you haven’t really changed.” “And Voldemort’s suspicious of everyone,” Harry chipped in. “Tell me, Professor Snape, if Voldemort was here now and he asked you why Dumbledore allowed you to act the way you have been doing, what would you say to him?” “I would say that the Headmaster is a very forgiving person and has allowed me a certain latitude,” Snape replied, although he sounded far from convincing. “Really?” Ginny snorted in disbelief. “You really think that he’d believe that the great Albus Dumbledore, leader of the Light and beacon of all that is good, would allow you to berate and punish all those you don’t like because you apparently turned your back on the Death Eaters? Pull the other one, sir, it’s got bells on it!” “Voldemort’s bound to ask questions,” Harry pressed. “I mean, he’s going to be suspicious of you anyway, but he’s bound to want to know why you’re allowed to act differently from every other teacher in the school. That kind of behaviour is going to stick out like a sore thumb.” Ginny noticed that Dumbledore was strangely silent, but that his normally twinkling eyes seemed a little dulled than usual. “Albus?” Professor McGonagall stood and approached the Headmaster’s desk. “You have assured me for years that there was a good and justifiable reason why Severus was permitted to ride roughshod over three quarters of the population of this school. Are you telling me that this misguided and misbegotten excuse is the reason for permitting his appalling attitude and derisory teaching methods?” “Minerva,” Dumbledore began, “I assure you…” “You assure me of nothing!” McGonagall snapped. “For years I have respected and trusted you, but it seems that ever since Harry Potter came into your life your thinking has become more and more suspect. First, you dump him with those appalling Muggles and when he turns up at this school looking like a street urchin, you justify it by assuring me his safety was the most important thing. You then assured me that it was necessary to hide the Philosophers Stone here, in a school, and we all saw how well that worked out! You assured me that Hogwarts didn’t need to close when the Chamber of Secrets was opened, and that all the pupils were safe. Both Mr Potter and Miss Weasley nearly died down there, not to mention the poor pupils who had to suffer being Petrified. You assured me that the Dementors that Minister Fudge placed around the school were under control, yet on at least two occasions they entered the school grounds without permission and attacked pupils here! And finally, you assured me that holding the Triwizard Tournament here would be safe, and that no one would be at risk.” McGonagall paused to gather her breath before she continued her tirade against the Headmaster. “Let me tell you something, Albus. Before the second task, Mr Potter confronted me about Miss Weasley’s safety and the security of the whole competition. Against my better judgement I assured him that there was no risk. I do not appreciate being turned into a liar! A convicted Death Eater was here under our noses all the time. If he so wanted, he could have struck at any time and we would have been totally unprepared. And you let him into this school, Albus! You gave him the means and opportunity. You will forgive me if I take your assurances with a pinch of salt from now on!” The Headmaster sat stone-faced throughout the tongue-lashing, and he made no effort to defend himself. “This is ridiculous,” Snape interrupted rudely. “If you think for one moment I’m going to lower myself to grovelling to a bunch of moronic children you are sadly mistaken!” “I think the young lass has the right idea,” Moody said suddenly. He’d been leaning against a wall largely unnoticed. “Voldemort hates Dumbledore because of his ‘Muggle-loving ways’. He would totally expect Albus to protect half-bloods and Muggleborns in his school. By letting Snape here act like he was still in the ranks of the Death Eaters you’re just going to raise Voldemort’s suspicions.” “Thank you, Alastor,” McGonagall said triumphantly. “And since your previous behaviour seems to have put you at risk, Severus, we had better do something to correct that. As deputy head, staff discipline is my responsibility and I have ignored it for far too long. From this moment you can consider yourself on probation. If I find any evidence of continued bias against other houses or abuse of pupils you will be sacked. Is that clear?” “WHAT?” Snape raged. “How dare you!” “Come on, Severus, it’s perfect!” Moody cackled. “When you next see your buddy Lucius Malfoy you can moan about how badly treated you are just because you tell the Mudbloods what you think of them. Old Lucy will lap it up!” “Headmaster, I demand that you end this farce,” Snape yelled, spinning towards Dumbledore. Albus continued to sit behind his desk with a sorrowful expression on his face. He appeared to be thinking the matter through and looked troubled. “Severus,” he said eventually, “I believe there is merit to what Miss Weasley says. Previously, I was so keen for you to appear loyal to your former master that I did not completely think through what his reaction to your behaviour would be. No matter what else he is, Voldemort is not a fool and he would certainly become suspicious if you continued to act like you are above the rules of the school. No, I think it best for everyone if you moderate your behaviour from now on.” Snape didn’t say anything in response. Instead, he stormed out of the room with his robes billowing behind him. “Oh, I miss him already,” sniggered Moody. Harry and Ginny both ginned openly at the scarred Auror. “A wise decision, Albus,” McGonagall said sternly, “and frankly one you should have taken a long time ago. I hope this has reminded you of a valuable lesson; you are not infallible and you need to share information more. For years you’ve been telling me it was necessary for Severus to act in that manner while refusing to say why. In future, if I disagree with any decision you take regarding the running of the school, I will expect a full justification from you as to why you have made the choice you have. I will no longer just roll over for you, Albus.” Dumbledore said nothing, but slowly nodded his agreement. McGonagall then turned to Harry. “Mr Potter, I once again owe you an apology,” she said firmly. “You were entirely correct in doubting the safety of the Tournament and, once again, I ignored you. I should have learnt my lesson in your first year, but I’m afraid I’m an old witch who is stuck in her ways. I’m sorry, Harry, and I will endeavour not to make the same mistake again in the future.” “Thank you, Professor,” Harry said warmly. “I know you were only doing your job and following orders. If you at least promise to give me a fair hearing should anything happen like this again in future, then all is forgiven.” “Thank you, Harry,” McGonagall said with a rare smile. “I promise I will do so.” “Aurors on the way up the stairs,” Moody suddenly reported, his newly restored magical eye spinning like crazy. “Ah, one of them is Shacklebolt; good.” A few seconds later there was a knock on the door and four men in Auror’s robes entered. “Good day, Aurors Shacklebolt and Dawlish,” Dumbledore greeted the two senior Aurors. “No doubt you are here to collect our two visitors here.” “Sweet Merlin! The Minister was right; that is Barty Crouch Junior,” exclaimed Dawlish in surprise. “And the other one is Peter Pettigrew,” continued Shacklebolt. “Two dead men who have apparently made a full recovery. Incredible.” “Please be aware that Pettigrew is a rat Animagus and take the appropriate security measures,” Dumbledore warned them. “Err, right,” Dawlish muttered, even more surprised. “Right, you two! Restrain the prisoners and transport them out to the front gate.” “Yes, sir!” echoed the two junior Aurors who immediately set to work. “Ah, Mr Potter, I’m glad you’re here,” Shacklebolt said as he noticed Harry. “I’m to request your presence at the Ministry tomorrow so you can give a full statement. You’ll also be required to give evidence at the trial of these two, which we are hoping should be arranged in the next couple of days.” “Just tell me when you want me,” Harry confirmed, “I’ll be there.” “Good lad,” Shacklebolt said with a smile. “We’ll need you to report to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement by nine o’clock tomorrow morning. Is that okay?” “I will escort Harry there personally,” Dumbledore piped up. “Excellent. Well, we’ve got what we came for, so I’ll wish you all a good evening,” Shacklebolt said warmly and with a casual wave of his hand he was gone. “Headmaster, since I’ll need to be up fairly early and I haven’t had anything to eat since lunch, do you mind if Ginny and I go?” Harry asked. “Oh, I’d quite lost track of the time,” Dumbledore exclaimed. “Of course you two can go. Harry, if you can report here by eight tomorrow we’ll make our way to the Ministry then.” “Thanks, sir,” Harry responded. “I’ll be here.” After saying their farewells, Harry and Ginny descended the spiral staircase and entered the corridor. They had no sooner done so, then Ginny found herself pulled into an enthusiastic hug. “You were brilliant, Gin!” Harry exclaimed. “Not only is there a really good chance Sirius will be cleared, but you actually got the Headmaster to reign in Snape! You’re a bloody genius.” “It was no big deal, Harry,” Ginny muttered, enjoying the hug. “Bollocks was it,” Harry disagreed. He pulled away from her slightly and looked her in the eyes. “You’ve been unbelievable today. You’ve saved my life, and probably Sirius’s, as well. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.” “Well, you saved my life,” Ginny argued. “I’m just returning the… mmm!” Ginny didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence as Harry had leaned in and planted a kiss firmly on her lips. It wasn’t a long kiss, or particularly passionate, but Ginny felt herself melting in Harry’s arms. Then, all too soon, it was over. “I don’t know about you,” Harry said with a huge smile on his face, “but I’m starving. Fancy a trip to the kitchen to see what the elves can rustle up for us?” Ginny sighed. She’d been hoping Harry would continue to show his gratitude as she definitely approved of his manner of doing so. “Okay, I guess I’m hungry, too. But don’t forget, buster, that you and I are going to have a little chat about our relationship soon!” “Oh, I haven’t forgotten,” Harry assured her with a grin. “Let’s get the trials of Pettigrew and Crouch out the way, and I promise we will sit down and talk.” And with that, Harry slid his arm around her shoulders and they made their way towards the school kitchens. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP Several days later, Ginny was sitting alone in the Gryffindor common room. It was late and everyone else had gone to bed. Ginny, however, was determined to wait for Harry to return. The last few days had been hectic, and Ginny had hardly seen anything of Harry. He’d spent most of his time answering questions at the Ministry and today had been attending the trials of Peter Pettigrew and Barty Crouch. Ginny was keeping her fingers crossed that Fudge would keep his word and the two Death Eaters would receive a proper trial. If that happened surely Sirius would be cleared, wouldn’t he? It was past midnight when Ginny woke to the sound of the portrait hole opening. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and cursing herself for falling asleep in the first place, she looked eagerly over at the entrance way to see who had come in. Sure enough, a second later a weary-looking Harry Potter strode in. He smiled as soon as he caught sight of her. “Ginny!” he exclaimed. “You didn’t have to wait up for me. You must be knackered.” “So must you,” she retorted. “But I just couldn’t wait until morning to find out what happened. How did it go?” “Pretty bloody great, actually,” Harry grinned. “Both Crouch and Pettigrew were found guilty: Crouch was sentenced to the Dementors Kiss because he was an Azkaban escapee and Pettigrew got life. I hope he rots there, personally.” “What about Sirius?” Ginny demanded. “Well, they’ll still have to be a Court Hearing after he turns himself in, but he’s provisionally been cleared of the charges against him!” Harry said happily. “He’s free, Ginny, free!” “Brilliant!” she cried and leapt up to hug him. She was only slightly surprised when he wrapped his arms around her tightly and pulled her close. “We did have a bit of a close call, though,” Harry whispered in her ear. “What? What do you mean?” she demanded. “Well, the Prosecutor was questioning Crouch under Veritaserum and he asked him about his activities at Hogwarts. It turns out Crouch recruited several Slytherin pupils to act as spies for him round the castle. One of the boys he recruited was Theodore Nott,” Harry explained grimly. Ginny felt her insides go cold. “What did Barty Crouch have to say about Nott’s disappearance?” “We got lucky,” Harry told her. “I don’t think Crouch actually told Nott to follow us; he must have done it off his own back. Anyway, I got the impression that there was bad blood between Nott’s father and Barty Crouch because when Theo vanished Crouch assumed he’d chickened out of helping him and run away. He made some comment about the boy being just like his useless father, and that he should have never picked him to help. We were never mentioned at all.” “Thank Merlin!” Ginny gasped. “It does make me feel a bit better about what happened, too,” he continued. “I mean, Nott was helping a Death Eater to spy on us. I’d put money on the idea that Nott didn’t know exactly what Crouch was planning and assumed he was just going to try to kill me at some point. I bet dear Theo thought he’d grab the glory by trying to finish us off himself.” “Yeah, you could be right,” Ginny acknowledged. “He was trying to follow in his father’s footsteps, I guess.” “Damn right,” Harry agreed. “I never did like the bloke, even if he wasn’t exactly part of Malfoy’s gang. Actually, the other two kids that Crouch recruited, a pair of seventh years I’d never heard of, had no connection to Malfoy, either. I don’t think Crouch wanted the Malfoy family to get any of the credit for bringing Voldemort back.” “A bit of division in the enemies’ ranks is always a good thing,” Ginny noted. “So, what happens about Sirius now?” “I’ve already sent Hedwig with a message for him, and he’s bound to see the headlines in the newspapers tomorrow,” Harry grimaced slightly. “I really had to suck up to Fudge in the press interviews after the trial, but I guess it was worth it. Anyway, once he turns himself in the hearing should just be a formality. I mentioned in the note that I sent that I expect Sirius to keep his promise that he made to me about coming and living with him. He’s my legal guardian and I want to stay with him, and I don’t give a fig what Dumbledore thinks.” “Fantastic,” Ginny exclaimed, practically bouncing on the spot with excitement. “I was so worried about what would happen to you this summer. I have to admit that with Ron still being a git I didn’t think you’d be able to come to the Burrow. But if Sirius is free you won’t have to worry about those crappy Muggles ever again.” “Well, that depends,” Harry said hesitantly. “We’ve only got a couple of days until school breaks up and I doubt everything will be sorted by then. I might have to go back to the Dursleys for a week or so, but hopefully no more than that.” “Even that’s too long,” Ginny said passionately. “Tell me about it,” Harry agreed. “Anyway, it’s really late and I’m about to fall asleep on my feet here. Let’s go to bed.” “Harry,” Ginny began, “when are we going to have out little chat?” “Tomorrow,” Harry said firmly. “The Durmstrang and Beauxbaton pupils are leaving tomorrow morning. As soon as they’re gone we’ll find a nice quiet spot and talk, okay?” “Okay,” Ginny agreed, before giving him one final hug and heading up to her dormitory. She couldn’t decide if she was excited or terrified about what the morning might bring. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP Ginny watched as the twelve mighty Abraxans leapt into the air, dragging the huge Beauxbaton carriage behind them. They’d already said their goodbyes to Fleur, who had earlier in the day managed to corner Ginny and quiz her about her brother Bill for a good half an hour. Judging by the number of questions Bill had asked about the French girl earlier in the week, she assumed there was definitely a bit of mutual attraction going on, although she wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about that. Fleur seemed a bit stuck-up and flighty for Bill. Besides, Fleur’s younger sister kept making eyes at Harry, and there was no way in hell she was going to stand for that. “Look, Durmstrang’s ship is leaving!” someone cried, causing everyone to turn their attention to the lake. Sure enough, the strange, ghostly ship that the Durmstrang contingent had arrived in was slowly submerging into the water of the lake, leaving a long trail of bubbles in its wake. Victor’s farewell had been necessarily brief, as he’d been hidden away with Hermione most of the morning. Hermione had refused to say where they had been or clarify what her relationship was with the famous Bulgarian Quidditch star. She did, however, look rather happy and had a rosy glow in her cheeks. As the Durmstrang ship finally disappeared and the assembled crowd began to disperse, Ginny turned to Harry. “So…” she said meaningfully. “Come on,” Harry said nervously. “Let’s go to our training room. We can talk in private there.” Ginny followed him as they headed back into the school. He was completely silent during the trip and seemed to radiate anxiety. She tried not to guess what his behaviour meant; she’d long since realised that he had the unfailing ability to completely surprise her and had given up trying to second-guess him ages ago. Soon, they reached the third floor classroom and Harry unlocked the door. They silently entered and stood looking at each other for a moment. “I know this…” Ginny began but Harry cut her off. “Ginny, please, can you let me speak first? I’ve been giving this moment a lot of thought and there are a lot of things I want to say to you,” he said. His eyes were almost pleading with her for agreement. “Okay, I guess,” she responded, desperately trying to control the butterflies in her stomach. “Firstly, I want to thank you for everything,” he began, “This term you’ve been utterly wonderful, Gin. You stood by me when no one else would, you’ve spent hours helping me train and supporting me and you even managed to save my life in the graveyard. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.” Ginny smiled. “Harry, it really wasn’t…” she started to say but Harry raised a hand to silence her. “Now, I know we’ve talked about becoming more than friends, and I suspect that most of the school think we are anyway, but I do have some issues,” he continued. Ginny bit her bottom lip and tried not to show any emotion. “I guess my main concern was your safety,” he explained. “Becoming close to me instantly means you become a target for Voldemort’s supporters. Yeah, I know that you’re already a target and that you’re family are well known blood traitors, but this is different. It would mean that you suddenly become target number two, right after me; maybe even target number one so they could use you to get to me. But lately I’ve realised that there’s no point worrying about that too much. For a start, the damage is already done; even if I decided never to speak to you again the all of Slytherin House have seen us together and know I would never stand back and let you get hurt. You’ve already been marked by being close to me. The graveyard changed my mind, too. Let’s face it, Ginny, you are one formidable witch. If anyone can look after themselves, it’s you.” A warm glow filled Ginny’s heart at Harry’s words. She’d always wanted to be treated as an equal and Harry was acknowledging her capabilities. He was also starting to realise that pushing her away would be pointless. “Another more selfish reason for us not getting together was the fact that I wouldn’t get to go to the Burrow in the summer, although after spending the day with your mum before the third task I’m not so sure that would have been an issue. She sort of hinted that she liked the idea of us being together and that she trusted me. But even so, that’s just not an issue anymore. Once Sirius has managed to get a place to live sorted, I won’t have to face the Dursleys anymore, and you played a massive part in arranging that. Again, thank you.” Ginny began to feel excited; all of the reasons she suspected Harry would use to keep them apart had been dismissed. She knew he liked her; what other reason could he have for them not to be together? “When I was planning what to say to you today, I did a lot of thinking,” Harry continued, his face a stony mask. “I don’t often get the chance to choose what I want, you know. All my life things have just happened, with me having no control over them. Dumbledore has certainly had a big hand in that, but the biggest factor has always been Voldemort. It’s funny… he and I do seem to share a lot in common: we’re both orphans who grew up unloved and we’ve both had Dumbledore messing with our lives. Not that I think I’m in any way like him, thank Merlin, but we share the same sort of upbringing. Riddle has been such a huge part of my life that he’s left a mark on me. Oh, I don’t just mean the stupid scar, but he’s been responsible for how I’ve grown up. He’s actually part of me in many ways, what with the visions and my Parselmouth abilities. He’s left a lot of himself in me.” Suddenly, Harry turned and looked her straight in the eyes. “So, tell me, Ginny. What exactly did Tom Riddle leave in you?” Ginny gasped. How the hell had he figured it out? For a second she thought about denying everything, but quickly realised that would be pointless. Now she thought about it, it was no surprise that Harry had realised that Tom had left some of his abilities inside her. She’d been virtually tutoring him since the start of term and, if nothing else, her actions in the graveyard at Little Hangleton would have clued him in. Suddenly being able to Apparate on her first attempt? Possessing detailed knowledge of Resurrection Rituals? Being able to take down an experienced Death Eater without drawing breath? She might as well of just hung a sign around her neck. Tears began to fall down her cheeks before she could stop them. Harry knew about the darkness inside her and now he’d want nothing to do with her. He hated Voldemort with good reason and he was bound to feel the same about someone who shared the bastard’s memories and abilities. “I’m sorry…” she spluttered, but couldn’t force any other words out. Her life had just come crashing down around her ears. “Was it because of what happened in the Chamber of Secrets?” Harry asked calmly. Ginny could only nod. “So, is he still inside your head or is it just inherited his abilities?” Harry pressed. “Just… the memories,” she managed to gasp between sobs. “I can… remember… everything he could up to… making the… diary.” Ginny suddenly felt a soft touch on her cheek and she looked up. Harry was standing right in front of her and was gently wiping away her tears with his finger. She looked up at him in confusion. “Harry, what do you…” she began, but was stopped by Harry pressing his lips to hers. She froze; her brain desperately trying to work out what this meant exactly. A second later, he slowly pulled away from her and favoured her with a warm smile. “I guess we have something else in common, then,” he told her softly. “We’ve both been left something by Riddle. I can speak to snakes and you can remember everything he did up to making the diary. I suppose that mean we share something that nobody else in the world does. If that’s not a sign we should be together, I don’t know what is.” “You mean… you still want to be with me?” Ginny gasped. “Yeah, more than ever,” Harry said. “I don’t care whose memories you have locked up in that pretty head of yours. I may have been touched by evil, but I like to think that I don’t act anything like Riddle, and neither do you. You act like Ginny Weasley, and as far as I’m concerned that’s a pretty wonderful thing.” Ginny’s heart soared with joy for a second, before a sobering thought occurred to her. “Harry,” she began tentatively, “I’ve been keeping secrets from you. I know things about you. That scar of yours; there’s more to it than meets the eye.” “Ginny, let’s not do this right now,” Harry said. “This information; do you have a good reason for not telling me about it before?” “Yes, I guess I do,” she admitted. “It’s just…” “Then let’s not worry about it at the moment,” Harry interrupted. “I think I understand why you’ve kept things from me and I don’t think this makes you like Dumbledore. Everything you’ve done seems to be for my benefit and I think that’s the major difference. Hopefully, we’ll be able to spend a lot of time together over the holidays and you can explain everything to me then. Right now we have something more important to take care of.” “What?” Ginny asked in confusion. “This,” Harry said, and pressed his lips to hers again. This time, Ginny didn’t hold back and threw her arms around his neck. It was a very long time before they came up for air. “Wow, that was bloody brilliant!” Harry exclaimed. “I’ve been waiting months to do that.” “Was it worth the wait?” Ginny teased. “Absolutely, although for a snog it was a bit short, don’t you think?” he said grinning seductively. “Damn right,” she snapped. “I’ve been waiting a lot longer than you to do that, and I want my money’s worth!” “Oh, I didn’t realised I got paid to do this as well,” he sniggered. “Shut up and kiss me, Potter,” Ginny growled and he complied with her wishes. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP It was a good two hours later that a dishevelled pair of Gryffindors made their way back to the common room. Before they arrived, however, they ran into a familiar pair of faces. “Ho-ho, brother-mine, what do I see here?” George said gleefully. “Is this our darling sister holding hands with the hero of the hour?” “I believe it is, my handsome sibling,” Fred agreed. “And I note that they both look a bit flushed. Not to mention their clothing seems a bit awry. What do you think the two of them could possibly have been up to?” “I’m not sure,” George said peering at the pair of them mischievously, “but I think we may have to have a little chat to Mr Potter here. I wouldn’t want him to think he could take advantage of our beauteous sister just because she fancies the pants off him.” “No, indeed,” Fred agreed. “We might need to set a few boundaries for the conquering champion here.” “Shut it, you pair of morons!” Ginny spat, but she was surprised when Harry placed a calming hand on her arm. “I’m glad that I ran into you two,” Harry said steadily. “I’ve been looking for you.” “Oh, really?” Fred said with an amused smirk. “It looks like you’ve been occupied doing other things rather than hunting for us. Or did you think that you’d find us inside Ginny’s blouse?” “Fred…” Ginny began again, but Harry cut her off. “No, I’ve been trying to speak with you all morning. The thing is, when I was at the Ministry yesterday, Fudge held a surprise victory ceremony for me and handed me the prize money for winning the Triwizard Tournament.” Harry paused and drew a moneybag from out of his robes. “There’s one thousand Gallons in here.” “Bloody hell, Harry,” George gasped. “You shouldn’t be carrying around such a large amount of money like that! Anything could happen to it.” “Well, I have to carry it around if I’m going to hand it to you two, don’t I?” Harry smirked. “WHAT!” the twins shouted in harmony. “I don’t want this money,” Harry informed them. “I shouldn’t have been in the Tournament in the first place, and I have no need of this money, anyway. You two, on the other hand, have been ripped off by Ludo Bagman and urgently need the cash. You do still want to open that joke shop, don’t you?” “Of course we do!” Fred exclaimed. “But we can’t just take your money. A thousand Gallons; I’ve never even seen that much cash in one place!” “We can’t accept that much off you, Harry,” George agreed. “I mean, thanks for thinking of us, but it’s just too much.” “Well, don’t think of it as a gift,” Ginny leapt in. She hadn’t known Harry had planned this but she wasn’t surprised. “Think of it as an investment. Make Harry a partner in your future business and you can start paying him back when you begin to make a profit.” “Ginny, I don’t want anything back for this,” Harry protested. “Hush, Harry,” she scolded him. “We Weasleys are a proud family and we don’t take charity from anyone, not even you. However, I do think that it’s a wonderful thing that you want to invest in Fred and George’s future enterprise. That will be a massive help to them.” Fred and George exchanged a hungry look between them. “So, what do you think is fair, Fred?” George asked his brother eventually. “Three-way split in ownership?” Fred suggested. “That sounds fair to me,” George agreed. “What do you think, Mr Potter?” “What? No! It was meant to be a gift,” Harry protested. “And besides, a third would be way too much!” “Give Harry a thirty per cent holding as a silent partner,” Ginny suggested. “That way you two maintain day to day control.” “It’s a deal!” Fred cried in joy, snatching the moneybag out of Harry’s hands. “You won’t regret this, Harry,” George said, grabbing his hand and shaking it vigorously. “We’re going to make you a wealthy man!” And with that, the twins turned and hurried away from Harry and Ginny. Clearly, her brothers had plans they needed to take care of urgently. “I’m already wealthy,” Harry protested lamely as he watched them vanish. “Oh, cheer up, Harry,” Ginny told him. “Not only have you just made the twins’ dreams come true, you’ve also neatly avoided the whole ‘behave yourself with our sister or else’ speech.” “Yeah, I wasn’t looking forward to that,” Harry admitted. “And just think, Harry, as they haven’t had that little talk with you, you haven’t had any boundaries been set, as they put it,” Ginny whispered in his ear. “And I’m feeling VERY grateful for you helping my family out.” “Oh, that’s… great!” Harry squeaked, turning bright red. Ginny giggled. “But that will have to wait until later. Come on, Harry, let’s get back to the common room.” They continued their interrupted journey and soon arrived back at the portrait of the Fat Lady. The first person they encountered as they entered was of course Hermione. “Where have you two been?” she asked. “Have you been training again?” “Nah, were taking a break from that,” Ginny answered with a smirk. “We’ve been snogging, actually.” “What?” Hermione exclaimed in surprise. She looked at them appraisingly as if she was trying to decide if they were serious or not. “Come on, Hermione,” Harry protested. “It’s not like it’s much of a surprise that we’re together, is it? Most of the school have assumed we’ve been off in a broom cupboard somewhere, anyway.” “Yes, but I knew differently, didn’t I?” Hermione pointed out. “So, you two are actually a couple now, are you?” “Yes,” Ginny confirmed, “and don’t start lecturing us about what we’ve been doing all this time or we might start asking about what you and Victor were up to all morning.” “We were not snogging!” Hermione protested. “Well, not for much of the time, anyway.” “Hermione Granger!” Harry exclaimed in mock outrage. “Have you been leading that poor international Quidditch star astray with your wicked ways?” “Oh, ha, ha,” Hermione retorted. “If you must know, we were saying good-bye to each other. We both agree that it would be impossible to maintain a relationship with us so far apart. The age difference doesn’t help, either. It’s his last year at school and next year he’ll probably be playing Quidditch professionally. It would look a bit odd if he had a schoolgirl girlfriend, wouldn’t it?” “Oh, I’m sorry, Hermione,” Ginny sympathised. “That’s really rotten.” “Perhaps it’s for the best,” Hermione noted. “I mean, Victor’s very handsome and sweet, but he’s not what I would call intellectual. I don’t think we have that much in common.” “Yeah, but Victor was certainly better than some boys you could have ended up with,” Ginny said pointedly. Hermione grimaced. “If you are referring to your brother, then don’t worry; I’m completely over him. It there’s one thing my time with Victor has done it’s opened my eyes a little. While I’ve shared a lot of adventures with Ron, I don’t think I have anything in common with him either, really. I’ve realised that there has to be more than just basic attraction; for a relationship to really work there has to be a shared bond, something that binds the two people together. I really don’t think I had anything like that with him.” Harry and Ginny glanced at each other at hearing Hermione’s words. “Don’t worry, Hermione,” Harry reassured her. “We’re only fourteen years old. There’s plenty of time for you to find the love of your life.” “And when you do, hopefully he won’t eat with his mouth open,” Ginny added. Hermione giggled softly before becoming serious. “I know. It’s just with the two of you becoming so close I feel a bit left out. Don’t get me wrong, I think you’re perfect for each other, but I can’t help but feel a bit jealous. I don’t want to be a spare wheel, but I don’t want to be on my own, either.” Harry sat down next to Hermione on the couch she was sitting on and slipped an arm round her shoulders. “Hermione, no matter what, you’ll always be my best friend, you know that? I’m sorry I haven’t spent much time with you this year, but with the Tournament and everything things have been a bit crazy. I promise I’ll spend more time with you next term,” Harry assured her before adding, “apart from when I’m snogging Ginny, of course.” “Thanks, I have no real desire to watch you two tickling each other’s tonsils, you know,” she muttered. Ginny smiled. Hermione’s abandonment of Harry at the start of term had apparently been forgiven and she was pleased. Despite the girl’s rather bossy attitude at times, she’d seen how Hermione’s estrangement from Harry had hurt her boyfriend. She was glad the two of them had patched things up. “Well, I’ve still got some packing to do before tomorrow, so I’m going to take care of that,” Ginny announced. “Meet you back down here for dinner at five?” “Err, yes,” Harry agreed. “Actually, I’ve still got a bit of packing to finish off. I’d better crack on with it. I’ll see both of you later.” And with that Harry vanished up the stairs to his dorm. “Which in Harry-speak means he hasn’t started packing yet, doesn’t it?” Hermione sighed. “Yeah, it’s just as well he has the two of us to look after him, right?” Ginny said with a big grin on her face. “Absolutely,” Hermione agreed. “I’m glad we’re friends again, Ginny.” “Me, too,” Ginny said. She gave Hermione a quick hug and made her way upstairs to finish her own packing. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP HP The final day of school was the usual anarchic scramble it always was. Harry, Ginny and Hermione all noted that breakfast was sparsely attended as many pupils had apparently put off packing until the morning. Ginny noted that this apparently included all of her brothers. The three of them were able to arrive in plenty of time to catch the carriages to the station and were joined by Luna in time to ride down together. She and Hermione immediately got into an argument about the existence of the Blibbering Humdinger, but Ginny felt that the bushy-haired witch’s heart wasn’t really in it. Before long, they had arrived at Hogsmeade’s railway station and had secured a compartment on the express train. About half an hour into the journey, the compartment door was yanked open causing everyone to jump. Ginny’s wand was instantly in her hand as she had expected the customary visit from Draco and his gang, only the visitor wasn’t Malfoy at all; it was Ron. Ron stood in the doorway looking around the carriage with cool expression on his face. Eventually, he turned to look at Harry. “Alright, Harry?” Ron said in greeting, although he sounded rather distant. “Ron,” Harry said simply, his arm still draped over Ginny’s shoulders. “Look, I’ve given things a lot of thought, and I’ve realised that you probably didn’t put your name in the goblet,” Ron said. “That doesn’t mean I approve of you dating my sister, though. Look, here’s what I suggest: I’m prepared to apologise to you if you’ll stop seeing Ginny, okay? You’re just putting her at risk by being her boyfriend. Besides, she’s too young to be dating, anyway. You do that and things can just go back to normal. What do you say?” There was a stunned silence for a moment before Harry leapt to his feet. Ginny couldn’t remember seeing him quite so angry before. “That’s what you suggest, is it?” Harry yelled, standing nose-to-nose with his former best mate. “Well, here’s what I suggest: stick it up your backside! You’ve treated me like shit this past term! Merlin, you even attacked me when I was asleep. How could you possibly think that I’d want to be friends with you anymore?” “Fine, screw you, you stuck-up git!” Ron snarled back. “But you’d better stay away from Ginny or else!” “Or else what? You’ll try and attack me when I’m asleep? You’ll punch me when I’m not looking? I’ll say this only once, so listen good: Ginny is my girlfriend and nothing you can say or do will change that. You keep pushing this and if you’re lucky I’ll kick your head in. If you’re unlucky, Ginny will deal with you herself. If you’re really unlucky the rest of your family, including the twins, Bill and your mum, who all approve of us being together, will deal with you. Now piss off!” Ron sneered at Harry in a manner Draco would have been proud of. “This isn’t over, Potter,” he growled. “Hermione, are you coming?” “What?” Hermione said in surprise. “You really think I want anything to do with you after the horrid things you said? You must be out of your tiny mind. Oh, and add me to the list of people who will be coming after you if you try to get between Harry and Ginny.” “Sorry, I should have realised you’d consider yourself too important to hang around with me now you’ve shagged a famous Quidditch player,” Ron taunted her. “Are you proud now you’ve become another notch on Krum’s bedpost?” “Get out! GET OUT!” Hermione screamed and Ron suddenly found himself facing Harry, Ginny and Luna’s drawn wands. Without another word he turned and stormed out of the compartment. Harry slammed the door closed behind him. “That BASTARD!” Hermione raged, tears falling thick and fast from her eyes. “Victor would never treat me like that. Besides, we never did more than kiss!” “It’s okay, Hermione,” Harry said kneeling in front of her. “Just ignore Ron. He just said the most hurtful thing he could think of. It’s all rubbish, we know that.” “I wouldn’t be surprised if it was my dear brother that gave all those stupid quotes to the Daily Prophet earlier in the year,” Ginny mused. “Don’t worry, Hermione. I’m not letting the git get away with talking to you like that!” “I can’t believe I ever liked him!” Hermione sobbed. “He’s horrid!” “You’re not alone, Hermione, I liked him, too,” Luna admitted, “although, come to think of it, he was always a bit mean to me when I used to visit the Burrow when I was little. I guess Ron still hasn’t grown up yet.” “Do you think a grown up Ron would be any better?” Harry asked. “He’d still be an idiot, I’d bet.” Ginny just shook her head. She’d put money on their being a confrontation between her and Ron this summer and she wasn’t going to hold back. The sooner her brother realised he couldn’t get away with acting in that manner, the better. She grinned evilly; she was almost looking forward to it. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP Ron stomped down the passageway in a rage. Bloody Harry Potter! Now he’d won the Triwizard Tournament he probably thought he was too good to hang around with the likes of him! What a git. And he’d managed to turn Hermione against him, as well. Yeah, he’d said some nasty things to the girl during their last fight, but that was normal, wasn’t it? That was what the two of them did; they fought like tigers and then they made up. Of course, now she was slobbering all over Victor Krum, damn it. In his rage, Ron kicked at the wall. “Careful, Weasley, you’ll damage something,” came a hated voice from behind him. Ron spun and was confronted by the sight of Draco Malfoy standing there with a small grin on his face. “What do you want, Malfoy?” Ron spat. “Easy, I wasn’t having a go at you,” Draco replied, spreading his hands wide to show he meant no harm. “I was just advising you not to waste your time kicking lumps out of the carriage walls. You’d be better off kicking that oaf Potter, instead.” “I don’t need your advice,” Ron growled. “No, I suppose you don’t,” Draco agreed in a sympathetic voice. “After all, you finally saw through wonder boy Potter’s bullshit, didn’t you? After being brainwashed by hearing all the other Gryffindors banging on about how fantastic he is, that took some intelligence.” “Just because I’ve seen that git in his true light doesn’t mean I want anything to do with you!” Ron snapped. “Nah, and trust me, I don’t want anything to do with you, either,” Draco replied mildly. “But I do sympathise with your plight. Once again, Potter snaps his fingers and he gets everything he wants, just because he has that stupid scar on his head.” Ron said nothing, not quite able to bring himself to agree with anything Malfoy said. “But it must really be sickening to see your sister draped all over him,” Draco continued. “You Weasleys might be poorer than dirt, but you are a proper pure-blood family, I’ll give you that. To see a respectable pure-blood witch fawning over a filthy half-blood turns my stomach, personally.” “Shut up, Malfoy,” Ron said, defiance building in him again. “Blood has nothing to do with it. Look at Hermione; she’s the smartest witch ever and she’s Muggleborn. What have you got to say about that?” “Yes, she is very smart, isn’t she?” Draco acknowledged with a smile. “I mean, she must be very smart if she first manages to get a celebrity like Potter to befriend her within five minutes of entering the Wizarding world. And now look at her; she’s got a wealthy and famous Quidditch player at her beck and call. I wonder how she did that, bearing in mind how plain looking she is. She’s smart enough to brew a love potion, isn’t she? At least, that’s what you told The Daily Prophet, didn’t you?” “Shut up,” Ron repeated, but his voice lacked conviction. “Maybe it’s just a matter that she’s really easy,” Draco speculated, “after all, breeding will always tell in the end, Weasley. Trust me, you’re much better off without that filthy Mudblood; she’d just seduce you and take you for whatever she could get. In your case it would be a respectable family name and in Krum’s it’s probably wealth and fame. That girl doesn’t miss a trick, does she?” “Hermione wouldn’t be that manipulative,” Ron protested weakly. “You think?” snorted Draco. “For a worthless first-generation witch she seems to be making quite a name for herself. She’s had her name in the papers and she’s got a famous Quidditch star on her arm. Notice how quickly she dropped you when she found something better, eh? You may scoff at me for believing blood and breeding is important, Weasley, but I’ll tell you something; Granger is a perfect example of those that have neither. For all her intelligence she’s just a dirty, manipulative little whore who’ll spread her legs for anyone if she thinks it will get her ahead. She’s got no class, whatsoever.” Ron stood with his jaw clenched. Draco was right! Granger had been happy to be his friend until Krum appeared and then she’d ditched him faster than he could blink. “There’s a reason your family have kept their blood pure, Weasley,” Draco said smiling. “Anyway, I’d better be off. If you want my advice I’d really do something about that dirty, lying half-blood dating your sister; she’s bound to get sucked into all sorts of degrading behaviour if you don’t. See you around, Weasley.” And with that Malfoy strode off, heading for the compartments at the front of the train, leaving a very confused young wizard behind him. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP Th e train pulled into Kings Cross right on time and there was the usual rush to disembark. Ginny and her friends remained seated for a few minutes to let the crush die down before they left their compartment. The platform was a sea of mingling bodies and none of them could spot their families initially. “Come on, let’s head down the platform a bit,” Harry suggested. They had only gone a few yards when Luna spotted her father. “Oh, there’s Daddy now,” she declared excitedly. “I’ll see you three next term.” And with that the tiny blond witch vanished into the crowd dragging her trunk behind her. “Will you see Luna over the holidays?” Harry asked Ginny curiously. “Nah, Luna and her dad always spend the entire break overseas searching for mythical beasts,” Ginny explained. “Personally, I think it’s all a ploy by her father so he can spend all the holiday with her. They both seem to enjoy themselves, anyway.” “Oh, that’s actually rather sweet,” Hermione commented. “Yeah, I get the impression that after Luna’s mum died she and her father became really close,” Ginny explained. “They just want to spend as much time together as possible without interruptions, I guess.” By now the platform had begun to clear and they decided to pass through the barrier so Hermione could look for her family. Sure enough, the Grangers were waiting patiently on the Muggle side of the station. Hermione waved at them furiously and dragged Harry and Ginny over to meet them. “Mum, Dad, you remember Harry, don’t you?” she said after she’d hugged both her parents. “Yes, I do,” Mr Granger cautiously. He seemed to be looking at Harry and Ginny’s joined hands. “How are you?” “Really good, thank you, Mr Granger,” Harry said politely. “I’m not sure if you remember my girlfriend here, Ginny Weasley? You met her in Diagon Alley a couple of years ago?” “Oh, yes, we remember the Weasleys, certainly,” Mrs Granger confirmed. Ginny couldn’t happen to notice the raised eyebrows being shared by Hermione’s parents. She strongly suspected that they had thought that Harry and their daughter would be getting together, if they hadn’t already. Sorry, Grangers, he’s mine, she thought. “Ginny! Harry! There you are, we’ve been looking all over,” cried a voice. Ginny turned around to see her mother bearing down on her rapidly. The twins were following her with big grins on their faces, and trailing behind, scowling, was Ron. But what really caught her attention was the tall, dark-haired man accompanying the group. “Sirius!” Harry cried and darted forward to catch the man in a powerful embrace. “Whoa! Careful there, Harry!” Sirius said laughing. “You’ve really grown in these last few months. You’ve put on a few muscles, too, if that bone-crushing hug is anything to judge by.” “I wasn’t expecting you here,” Harry exclaimed happily. “I was waiting for my usual ice-cold Dursley welcome.” “Ah, the Dursleys won’t be coming, I’m afraid. I visited them a couple of day ago to voice my displeasure at their behaviour,” Sirius grinned. “I might have forgotten to mention that I’m no longer a wanted man responsible for multiple murders. They certainly seem a bit upset by my presence.” “Brilliant!” Harry laughed. “Maybe that will make my last week or so with them a bit easier.” “It will make it incredible easy,” Sirius announced with a smile. “You’re not going back.” “What!” Harry gasped. “Yes, I’ve managed to get the old family residence back, so I figured that you might as well come home with me rather than suffer with the Dursleys anymore,” Sirius told him. “The house is in pretty bad shape and it’s not exactly what I would call cheerful, but I expect we can smarten it up a bit, if you don’t mind getting your hands dirty.” “Are you kidding? I’d rather live on a rubbish tip than with the Dursleys,” Harry snorted. “Besides, I’m pretty handy at housework; we’ll get the place sorted in a jiffy.” “I’ll come over and help, too,” Ginny added. “That would be okay, wouldn’t it, Mum?” “Oh, any excuse to get dirty with your boyfriend, eh, Ginny?” Fred commented. “Yeah, I bet they find some nice, dark, secluded places that they have to clean together,” George agreed. “That’s enough you two!” Molly scolded them. “I’m sure we can all go over and give Sirius and Harry a hand.” “Why, thank you, Molly,” Sirius said graciously. “That would be wonderfully kind of you.” “Not at all,” Molly replied. “Besides, I think we need to keep an eye on these two lovebirds.” “Mum!” Ginny protested, to everyone’s amusement. The only exception was Ron who stood apart from the group staring at Harry with an expression of hatred. Ginny decided she would deal with him later. After some more friendly chat, the three groups headed off in different directions. The Grangers had a car parked in the station car-park, the Weasleys were going to catch the Knight Bus and Sirius and Harry had decided to walk the short distance to the house at Grimmauld Place. Before they parted company, Harry and Ginny managed to discretely distance themselves from the others. “I can’t believe I don’t have to go back to the Dursleys. This is going to be the best summer ever,” Harry enthused. “I’m really happy for you, Harry,” Ginny told him. “And I’ll be even happier if I get to come over to your place loads.” “I’m sure Sirius won’t mind; he really likes you,” he said. “You’ll have to work on your mum a bit. Try and convince her that she does need to accompany you.” “Yeah, after all, we will be under adult supervision,” she noted. “I’m not sure your mum considers Sirius an adult, but you never know,” Harry joked. “I miss you already,” Ginny told him seriously. “Yeah,” he said with a lump in his throat. “I can’t wait until you come over. We’ve been together so much in this last year I can’t imagine not having you around.” “Luckily, you shouldn’t have to,” she replied. Their goodbye kiss was unfortunately brief and slightly marred by the twins yelling suggestive comments at them. All the same, Ginny felt her heart beating faster at the end of it. Sadly, she watched Harry and Sirius disappear into the crowd with one final wave. “Come on, Ginny,” said her mother, putting a comforting hand around her shoulder. “You’ll see him again soon enough.” And with that the Weasleys started to make their way out of the station. As she walked, Ginny speculated on what an incredible year it had been. They had faced danger and hardship, but she was finally with her Harry and that was all that mattered. They still had massive challenges ahead of them, and Ginny had some difficult things to tell Harry, but she was confident that together they would overcome any problems. Voldemort wasn’t going to know what hit him. |
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