Hello again! This chapter is cheesy and fluffy, but a few important things happen, so I hope you will read and enjoy. I want to thank everyone who has read and commented so far, as your comments are always much appreciated. I'd also like to thank everyone who nominated this story for a Silver Trinket!
As always, many thanks to Arnel, Brennus, and seekers_destiny, my amazing betas!!
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Aphrodite's Destiny: Love Changes Everything | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Harry/Ginny, Luna Lovegood, Severus Snape Genres: Drama, Fluff, General, Romance Warnings: Death, Intimate Sexual Situations, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 106 Summary: When nearly ten-year old Ginny Weasley brews a love potion with her best friend, Luna Lovegood, the results are nothing like what she expects them to be. She soon finds that not only has her life been irrevocably changed, but that of the boy she has always dreamed of, Harry Potter. They have unknowingly entered into the strongest and rarest of all bonds, the Spiritual Bond, and unlike other bonds, it is unbreakable. Follow both Ginny and Harry on their journey as they navigate the road of friendship and true love. Hitcount: Story Total: 43715; Chapter Total: 3758 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: |
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After visiting Harry's vault and with the signing of the marriage certificate, making Ginny and Harry's bonding official, Arthur and Molly had decided it would be necessary to sit down with the entire family and have a discussion regarding the issue. The twins had spent the better part of the meal teasing Ginny and Harry incessantly in regard to the bonding. Harry had looked as if he wished he could crawl under the table, until Ginny had finally resorted to throwing a spoonful of peas across the table to splatter on Fred’s and George’s faces. “Ginny! Do not throw food at your brothers!” Molly reprimanded before turning on the twins who were snickering. “Fred, George, stop teasing your sister and Harry. We need to speak to you all about returning to school.” "We promise to be good," Fred began. "Well, as good as we can manage," George amended. "This isn't about you boys and your silly shenanigans," Molly sighed. "However, if I receive another letter from Professor Snape regarding your behaviour in Potions class, you will receive something far worse from me than a Howler." "What's worse than a Howler?" Fred queried. "My physical presence!" Molly warned, to which both twins nodded their agreement that that was a worse punishment indeed. "Now, seriously, boys," Arthur continued. "We need to speak with you regarding Harry and Ginny." Harry and Ginny looked up at Arthur from their places at the table. "The love doves?" Fred asked. "Sitting in a tree," George smirked, making kissing motions while Ron gagged and Percy glared over at his younger brothers. Both Ginny's and Harry's faces flamed red. "Enough!" Molly spat angrily. "Boys," Arthur said quietly, which quickly garnered everyone's attention. "Professor Dumbledore has made it clear that we need to keep Ginny’s and Harry’s bonding a secret, and your mother and I agree. This is a serious matter and your sister's and Harry's lives depend upon you keeping this amongst yourselves. That means you will not be able to joke about this at school or mention it to anyone." "There have been loads of articles about Harry in the Prophet," Ron said. “What are we supposed to say?” "There is no reason for anyone to suspect Harry is living with us at this time, so you will say nothing about it," Arthur stated. "I am sure some students will speculate as to why he is not attending this year. Your mother and I are asking you to keep the truth hidden.” “What about when Ginny and Harry attend next year?” Percy asked. “We will work out a suitable explanation before then,” Arthur assured them. “Professor Dumbledore hopes that in a year’s time Ginny and Harry will be able to function normally and no one will be the wiser to the bond they share.” “What of the Ministry?” Percy asked. “It seems this would be the sort of thing they would already know about.” “We have been assured by Adoyrak, the Head Goblin at Gringotts, that the Ministry is currently unaware of the bonding,” Arthur answered. “Why is that?” Percy pressed. “There are certain aspects the Ministry requires before it will acknowledge that Ginny and Harry are, for all intents and purposes, married.” “What?” Ron exclaimed. “What do you mean they are married?” Nearly identical gobsmacked expressions appeared on the four Weasley boys' faces as they turned to goggle over at Ginny and Harry. The two young children's cheeks burned red under the scrutiny and both ducked their heads, shoving any uneaten food still on their plates aimlessly around with their forks. "You're joking, right, Dad?" Fred asked, looking as serious as he had ever looked in his life. "I thought the bonding thing only meant they shared a magical connection or something." "I am not joking," Arthur sighed. "Ginny and Harry are married." "That's impossible," Percy scoffed. "They aren't anywhere near of age." "From what I have gathered, Soul Bonding is an extremely rare and archaic form of marriage," Arthur explained. "According to Adoyrak, there hasn't been a recorded bonding in over 1700 years. That is probably the main reason why the Ministry does not recognize the union and hopefully, will not for some time to come; since as you have already pointed out, Percy, Ginny and Harry are not of age to act as normal married couples do and will not be for several years yet." He looked pointedly over at Molly, who nodded her head in agreement. "You mean like actual kissing?" Ron asked, looking as if he was about to expel the three helpings of Sheppard's pie he had just eaten. "We were only joking about the kissing, you two," George admonished. "Kissing is strictly forbidden," Fred warned, "until you are at least thirty; forty would be better." "It was that potion!" Percy exclaimed, eyeing his sister, who had turned a deep shade of maroon from the emotions of mortification and anger warring on her face. "It was not!" Ginny shrieked, roughly shoving her chair back and causing her glass of milk to spill across the table. She took a step to run out of the room, when Harry reached up and grabbed her hand, tugging her back to her chair. She paused a moment before plopping back down in her seat, the hurt her brothers' teasing had caused still evident in her eyes, but the upset was easing from her face and demeanour. This was the second time Arthur had seen evidence of Harry's ability to placate his daughter with a mere word or touch and he wondered how the boy was able to do so. He would puzzle it out later, but for the time being, he needed to focus on having his four sons acknowledge the seriousness of the situation. He cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention. "This is what your mother and I are talking about, boys. You cannot joke about this at school or send letters home teasing Ginny and Harry because you think it is funny. Think of the ridicule they would face if the other students at Hogwarts learn of their bonding and subsequent marriage. Promise us you will keep their secret." "We'll keep it a secret, Mum and Dad," Percy announced for himself and his brothers, sternly looking at each of them in turn. Ron nodded, still wide-eyed and looking over at Harry and Ginny in shock. Fred and George still had amused grins on their faces, but they nodded their agreement, as well. "We'll just have to save all of our teasing for the holidays, George," Fred announced. "Oh, that will make the upcoming Christmas holiday merry!" George gleefully commented. "We are allowed in Hogsmeade this year!" Fred proclaimed. "Perhaps we can find them a pleasurable treasure," George cackled, but catching the hard look Molly was sending him, quickly amended. "From Honeydukes, Mum! I bet Harry has never had Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans." "Or Chocolate Frogs!" Ron offered, his shock over the news of Ginny's marriage momentarily forgotten in light of a conversation regarding sweets. "They have wizard cards in them, Harry, and you can collect them. I could show you my collection after dinner." The discussion had gone better than Arthur thought and he was happy to have managed to avoid having to inform the children of Albus' suspicions regarding You-Know-Who's possible return. He thought it was best to keep that particular worry from them for as long as possible and there was always the chance that Albus was wrong. As the children fell into a discussion about sweets and trading cards, he glanced over at Molly to find her chewing her bottom lip worriedly as she observed Ginny and Harry, and he sighed. She was still having a harder time accepting the situation than he was, and he feared she would for some time to come. The following morning dawned grey and rainy, with no sign that it would let up any time soon, forcing everyone, aside from Arthur, to remain indoors for the day. Molly stood at the kitchen window absentmindedly watching the rain spatter against the glass as she mused about her children. The only one of the children who hadn’t minded the weather was Percy, and after breakfast he had headed directly to his room to study for his upcoming O.W.L.s, even though they were nearly a year away. Molly admired her son’s dedication to his schoolwork and certainly was not going to admonish him for wanting to do well. She sighed, wishing some of Percy’s ambition would rub off on the twins, who seemed content to barely scrape by, preferring to be the centre of attention because of the pranks they pulled. No amount of punishment seemed to get through to them, and if anything fuelled their fire to cause mayhem. As if on cue, a loud bang carried down the stairs from their room two floors up. She faintly heard Percy’s door crash open and his feet stomping over the landing to shout at them through the door. Silence reigned for a few moments before faint apologetic murmuring could be heard from Fred, no doubt. He was the ring-leader of the two. Perhaps if she could separate George from Fred somehow she could at least have one of them excel. She had no doubt both Fred and George were intelligent... if only she could figure out a way to make them apply themselves. As it was, unless the noise from the second floor became considerably louder, she would leave the confrontation between the three older boys. Ron, Ginny, and Harry had traipsed off to the sitting room to play Exploding Snap and whatever else they could find to entertain themselves. It was quiet for now, and she assumed they had decided to play a round of Wizard chess, or perhaps were reading. She would check on them after she had started preparing lunch. She was still somewhat disturbed by yesterday’s events at Gringotts. It was frustrating that Albus could not provide her with definitive answers as to the cause of the Soul Bond, especially since he was adamant that the potion, Aphrodite’s Destiny, had not caused it. Ginny and Harry were too young to have to deal with the responsibility the bonding was bringing upon them already. Visiting the vault and seeing the contents within had been overwhelming. Molly had to give Harry credit for admitting he didn’t have the slightest clue what to do with the vast amount of wealth that had suddenly been handed to him. Most other boys his age would have crammed as much of the money into their pockets to buy whatever their little hearts desired if given the same opportunity. Harry was proving to be extremely sincere and Molly had to admit that if her daughter had to be bonded to someone, she could have fared much worse. However, his arrival had upset Molly's plans for the remainder of the summer and year. She had been hoping to savour these last few moments with Ron before September 1st arrived, and then enjoy a quiet year bonding with Ginny before her departure next year. Now Ginny was spending all of her time with Harry, and Molly found herself fighting a constant internal struggle between her two selves; the one half that wanted to take Harry under her wing and mother him as he so obviously and desperately needed and the other that wanted to curse him for taking her daughter away too soon. She found herself teetering hopelessly in the middle. Turning from the window, Molly began pulling bread and ham from the chiller and set them on the counter to slice, still mulling over her conflicting emotions and how to overcome them. She waved her wand at a knife and it began cutting the bread into thick chunks. She walked into the pantry to gather other items she would need for lunch when she heard Ron calling for her. “Mum?” “Yes, dear?” Molly asked, walking out of the pantry to see him standing in the kitchen doorway. “Will you play a game of chess with me?” he asked. Molly brushed her hands on her apron and smiled over at him. “Of course, dear. I’m preparing lunch at the moment, so why don’t you play a game with Ginny or Harry and I’ll play with you after lunch?” “Ginny and Harry went upstairs to build a fort,” Ron replied. “What do you mean they went upstairs?” Molly asked. Ron shrugged. “To Ginny’s room, I suppose. She always had better furniture for it.” “Didn’t they ask you to come along?” Molly inquired, trying to keep herself from overreacting. “Yeah,” Ron admitted. “But I’m too big for that kind of stuff. Last time Ginny and I played we didn't have any room to do anything under her quilt and were practically sitting on each other’s laps.” Molly’s eyes bulged in alarm and she hastily moved past Ron and strode up the stairs to the first floor where Ginny’s room was located. As she approached the door, which was ajar, Molly could hear their giggling and then Ginny’s shriek of laughter. Shoving the door open, she spied Ginny’s quilt and top sheet pulled off the bed and draped from the foot board of her bed and across the desk shoved under the window. The room was darker than usual because of the overcast skies and a flickering, golden light filtered out from beneath the ends of the sheet and quilt that puddled on the floor. Striding across the room, Molly yanked the quilt and sheet down to reveal Ginny curled on her side still giggling madly as Harry knelt next to her tickling her shoulders and ribs. A small jar filled with fairy lights sat near them, the tiny creatures fluttering merrily within and casting their warm glow. Both children looked up and the smiles on their faces froze when they saw Molly’s angry countenance. “What are you doing?” she ground out. Harry withdrew his hands immediately as Ginny rolled to her knees and looked up at her mother, her smile faltering. “Playing fort, Mum,” she replied. “We were making shadow puppets.” “What kind of shadow puppets involve touching each other and tickling?” Molly asked, surprised at how calm she sounded when what she really wanted to do was throttle the two of them, Harry especially. As if sensing her thoughts, Harry quickly stood. “We were having a contest, who could make the best. I started tickling Ginny to mess her up.” “He had to cheat, Mum,” Ginny said, scrambling to her feet next to Harry. “Your shadow puppets are terrible, Harry.” “Go downstairs to the kitchen, immediately,” Molly spat, pointing her finger to the door. While his face showed evident confusion, Harry started for the door without question, but Ginny gaped up at her mother for a moment, her own brown eyes darkening in anger. “We were just playing, Mum,” she defiantly explained. “Downstairs now, Ginevra!” Molly commanded, taking her daughter by the arm and leading her out the door and down the stairs after Harry. “Ron, go to your room until I call you to lunch,” Molly ordered as they marched through the sitting room past a shocked looking Ron. He opened his mouth to protest, but seeing the blazing look in his mother’s eyes quickly obeyed and ran up the stairs. Harry slumped into a chair, his shoulders curving in on themselves as he attempted to make himself as small as possible. Molly half expected him to draw his knees up to his chest, but he didn't and instead fisted his hands in his lap and stared at the scrubbed wood table top, avoiding her piercing gaze. Ginny quickly slid into the seat next to him, and her hand slipped over to rest lightly on top of Harry’s hand. “Let go of Harry’s hand this instant, Ginny,” Molly said, reaching down and removing her daughter’s hand herself and placing it on top of the table. “Mum, you don’t understand,” Ginny began, but Molly cut her off. “No, you don’t understand!” Molly exclaimed. “Your father and I should have spoken to the both of you the day this all started. I am laying out some rules here and now. The first of which is that you are absolutely forbidden to be alone in any bedroom. Do you understand?” “Why?” Ginny asked. “Look at me, the both of you,” Molly demanded, and waited until Ginny’s furious brown eyes and Harry’s puzzled green ones were looking directly at her. “I repeat, do you understand?” “Yes, Mrs Weasley,” Harry said through gritted teeth, and the faintest trace of exasperation. “We didn't meant to upset you. Like Ginny said, we were just playing.” Ginny’s eyes hardened into a fierce glare she directed towards Molly as Harry spoke and she insolently pulled her hand from the table and laid it upon Harry’s clenched fist once again. “We weren't doing anything wrong!” Ginny protested. “Ginevra,” Molly warned, “do not take that tone of voice with me, and do not make me ask you again to remove your hand from Harry’s.” “No, you don’t understand anything!” Ginny shouted, bright spots of red darkening her cheeks. “Harry, would you please allow me a moment with Ginny alone?” Molly managed, her rising anger with her daughter’s belligerence causing a red haze to film over her eyes. Nodding, Harry began to rise, but Ginny’s firm grip upon his hand kept him from retreating. Ginny turned pleading eyes up towards him before releasing his hand and allowing him to go. With a clenched jaw, Harry moved past Molly, keeping his eyes averted from hers. Ginny paled as he left, and clutched her hands to her chest. Ignoring her daughter’s dramatic behaviour, Molly began berating her. “You will never speak to me that way again, young lady, do you understand me?” Molly seethed. “You have no idea what you have gotten yourself into, and I will not allow you to spend another moment alone with that boy unsupervised.” “You've upset Harry,” Ginny gasped, shivering in her chair. “I don’t care!” Molly bellowed. “He is the least of my worries at the moment! Look at you! You can’t even sit here with me alone because of him.” “You have no right!” Ginny breathlessly cried. “Harry has never had a decent time of it, Mum. He was never allowed to play and we were only having a bit of fun and you ruined it.” Tears sprang to Ginny’s eyes, and she turned her head away from Molly to glare out the window, blinking rapidly. "You ruined it," she wept. Molly was stunned at the strength of Ginny’s emotion. Despite her best efforts, tears began trickling down Ginny’s face and her body trembled uncontrollably. Molly was beside herself. How could her daughter have turned the tables on her so completely and make her feel as if it was she who was in the wrong? Kneeling next to Ginny, she wiped at the tears on her cheeks with her apron. “I am not telling you that you can’t play with Harry,” Molly amended softly, her anger abating as quickly as it had risen at the sight of her daughter crying. “I am merely setting some rules I expect the both of you to follow. It is for your’s and Harry’s own good. To keep you from a situation in the future you are not ready to deal with.” “Explain it to us, Mum,” Ginny pleaded, turning her tear-filled brown eyes back towards Molly. “Help us understand. We will be good, we promise.” Molly nodded. “I will,” she promised. “Your father and I will sit down with you tonight and try to explain it to you. In the meantime, can you please tell me why you and Harry have to hold hands? Isn't being in the same room enough?” Ginny’s brow furrowed in thought, and she wiped at the tears still leaking from her eyes. “We feel better.” “What does that mean, sweetheart?” Molly asked, not understanding. “I can feel what Harry is feeling,” Ginny explained. “And he me. He was upset just now. He thought you were going to try to find a way to send him away. When I hold his hand, I can make him feel better. He can do the same with me whenever I’m sad or angry.” “You share each other’s emotions and thoughts?” Molly asked incredulously. Ginny nodded, taking a shallow breath, as her trembling turned to shuddering, causing her chair to rattle on the floor. “Can Harry come back now?” Molly realized Ginny’s face had turned ashen during their brief discussion and quickly jumped to her feet, dashing out of the kitchen to retrieve Harry. She found him slumped by the stairs just past the sitting room, clearly having tried to retreat as far as he possibly could. Molly slipped her arm about his waist, trying to ignore the pang of guilt that coursed through her upon feeling the sharp bones of his hips against her plump arm as she hefted him to his feet. "I'm sorry, Mrs Weasley," he whispered. "As am I, Harry," she sighed, guiding him back to the kitchen to sit in the chair next to Ginny, who weakly reached over to clasp his hand. "I would like the two of you to remain here in the kitchen with me," Molly said, waving her wand towards the cupboards. Two glasses and a bottle of pumpkin juice floated out to land on the table in front of the children. Molly poured them each a generous helping before sliding the glasses closer to them. "Drink this, you two," she ordered. "It will help you feel better." Molly turned away from them to finish preparing the lunch, knowing there was no way she could comprehend what was happening between Ginny and Harry and wondering if she ever would. While she very much wanted to finish laying out the rules she expected them to follow, it was clear that would have to wait until later. After lunch she tasked Ginny and Harry with helping her tidy up and then sent them to the sitting room with specific instructions that they were not to leave the room unless they asked her permission first. Harry had appeared relieved to be able to be out from underneath her watchful glare and he and Ginny spent the afternoon once again quietly paging through the photo album they had retrieved from the vault and playing with Hedwig. The owl apparently took some delight in entertaining the children by nipping them on their fingers, ears and necks and eliciting small giggles that quickly abated if they felt they were becoming too loud. Molly sighed, hating that, as Ginny had told her, she had put a damper on their spirits, and wishing Arthur were home. Arthur was her rock, and invariably put her at ease. Molly reflected on what Ginny had told her about how holding Harry’s hand made her feel better. Ginny’s livid face at dinner the previous evening sprang to Molly’s mind, and Harry grabbing Ginny’s hand before she could bolt. At the time, Molly had felt nothing but annoyance at his brazenness, but with Ginny’s recent explanation, she could suddenly view it in an entirely different light. After he had taken her hand, Ginny had settled almost immediately, something that rarely happened once her brothers had goaded her. Peeking in the sitting room, which had grown silent, Molly saw that Harry was sitting on the settee with his back to the kitchen door reading a book, while Ginny sat on the floor near him playing solitaire with the Exploding Snap deck. She looked up and met her mother’s eyes, the question in them obvious. Molly nodded, Yes, you are being good - for now. Molly dreaded the upcoming conversation she and Arthur would have with them tonight. She would much rather have kept them in the dark for as long as possible regarding the physical mechanics of marriage. However, her overreaction this morning had caused them to have to face the inevitable earlier than she had anticipated, and she had no one to blame but herself. Hopefully, Ginny and Harry would be so repulsed by the idea, they would want to abstain until they were much older. Ginny gazed at her a moment longer before lowering her eyes back to her cards, just as Harry softly mentioned to Ginny that he had just read about a witch named Hedwig, wondering if it was the same witch that had authored the book that inspired his owl’s name. Ginny murmured a reply Molly couldn't hear, but whatever it was, must have been humorous, because she could just make out the curve of a smile on the side of Harry’s face. Molly stepped back as he turned to show Ginny the book, so he would not see her observing them and returned to the kitchen. She busied herself with preparing dinner, deciding roasted chicken with potatoes sounded appealing on a rainy day such as this. Setting the potatoes to peel themselves, Molly went to the pantry to see what she could make for dessert. Looking over the shelves she pulled down the flour, butter, breadcrumbs, golden syrup, treacle, a lemon, and eggs, deciding a warm treacle tart would go well with the menu. She was just preparing the dough for the crust, mixing the flour and butter with salt and water when the Floo signalled Arthur’s arrival. She heard him greet Ginny and Harry warmly, pausing, she was sure for his customary hug from his daughter before entering the kitchen. "It smells good in here, Molly," he announced, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, kissing her lightly on the cheek. "Hmmm, are you making treacle tart?" The eagerness in his voice made Molly smile. "Yes, dear," Molly replied. "Does that sound good to you?" "Very," Arthur said, stepping away to sit at the table and watch her. "How was your day? Kids behave for you?" "For the most part," Molly admitted, quickly rolling out the crust for the tart. "I did have a bit of a run-in with Ginny and Harry." "Oh? How so?" Arthur asked. Placing the crust in a shallow tart pan, Molly pressed it against the bottom and sides with her fingers before brushing her hands on her apron and turning to face Arthur. He was looking at her with a concerned expression. "You're working by hand, Molly," he observed. "That's never a good sign." Molly sighed. "I found them alone in her room, tickling each other." "All right," he said slowly. "And?" "And what?" Molly asked. "They were alone, in her room!" Arthur studied her for a moment, "Don't you think you are overreacting, love?" "No...Yes!" She shook her head in confusion. "I don't know, Arthur. I feel as if I have been blindsided. I didn't think we would need to worry about Ginny bringing boys home for years and now... I suppose I overreacted, but we have to set some rules. I've already told them they can't be alone in a bedroom, and now we have to explain to them why." Sighing, Arthur removed his glasses, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers and thumb. "This isn't how I had planned on spending my evening. When would you like us to have this discussion with them?" "At bedtime," Molly suggested. "We won't have to worry about interruptions." Arthur nodded. Compared to the previous evening, dinner was a relatively quiet affair. When they retired to the sitting room after dinner, Ron and Percy took up a game of Wizard chess and Fred and George contented themselves with flipping through the most recent Zonko’s catalogue, critiquing the wares for sale within. Ginny and Harry had settled on the floor near Ron and Percy to observe their game when Molly glanced over at Arthur. Silently deciding now would be a good time to talk with them while the boys were engaged, Molly approached them and quietly asked them to go upstairs with her and Arthur to prepare for bed. Without protest, the two children silently followed them upstairs and took turns in the bathroom to brush their teeth and change into their pyjamas. Molly and Arthur sat them on the end of their bed and conjured two chairs to sit in facing them. Ginny sat in her calf length white nightdress covered with tiny pink flowers twisting her hands nervously in her lap. Harry sat clad in plaid pyjama bottoms in Chudley Cannons orange with a matching orange t-shirt. His hands were pressed tightly between his knees and he kept his eyes downcast to avoid looking at either of the two adults. “Your mother tells me she has forbidden you from playing alone in bedrooms, and you would like to know why,” Arthur began, looking between his daughter and Harry. They both nodded silently. “We've spent a lot of time talking about your bonding and subsequent marriage in front of you, but we have never bothered to explain to you what that means,” he continued. “There have been a lot of words and phrases thrown about that you probably don’t understand. The first of which is consummation. That’s usually a very important thing in a marriage, as it is a way for a witch and wizard to physically express their love for each other after they are united.” “How do you consummate a marriage?” Ginny asked. “Well," Arthur began and paused as he tried to think of an appropriate way to put into words what consummation meant. He had already had this talk with Bill, Charlie, and Percy, but they had been older and had already expressed an interest in the opposite sex. Talking to pre-teen children was entirely new territory for him. Fortunately, Molly, having deduced his issue, intervened. "Put simply, a witch and a wizard have different personal parts that are made to allow them to be as physically close as possible. Between two people who are married, it starts with hugs and kisses and leads to sexual intercourse.” “Do you know what that is?” her husband asked, sending her a look of gratitude before taking control of the conversation again. "We don't want to do that!" Both Ginny and Harry exclaimed, flushing bright red and accompanied by identical looks of utter disgust at Molly's mention of their 'personal parts'. “Of course you don’t,” he agreed. “You both are far too young and are not ready mentally or physically. However, as you get older, tickling and hugging may cause you to feel things you don’t understand and your bodies to react in ways that make you feel embarrassed and uncomfortable. If you are alone together, you may decide to act on those feelings without thinking things through, and that could cause strife between the two of you.” “We were only having fun today!” Ginny protested. “I didn’t want to do anything else, did you, Harry?” “No!” he gasped in a horrified voice, his green eyes as wide as saucers behind his glasses. “We just like spending time together,” she explained. “Harry’s my best friend.” “And Ginny’s mine,” Harry softly admitted, keeping his head down, and clearly embarrassed. “That’s good,” Arthur expressed and Molly nodded, “It would be a terrible thing if you were bonded for life and didn’t like each other. Your mother and I started out as friends, just like you. As you grow older, you may find your feelings changing towards each other into something more. That’s when it will be important for you to think before you act, and why we are setting the rule that you cannot be alone in a bedroom. It is for your benefit, and is not meant to hinder you playing, enjoying each other’s company, and getting to know one another better. Do you understand?” Both children nodded. “You have been given a great responsibility without asking for it,” he finished. “Your mother and I are here to help you make the right decisions and guide you the best we can. If you ever encounter a situation you need advice on, please don’t be afraid to come to us and ask us for help. Right, Molly?” “Right,” Molly agreed. “Now,” Arthur said. “Do you have any questions?” Ginny and Harry shook their heads, shifting uncomfortably on the bed. "Well then," Molly announced, "it has been a busy day, and I am sure you are tired. Why don't you crawl into your beds and we'll tuck you in?" Without a word, Ginny and Harry slipped off the bed and crawled into their camp beds, Ginny's on Molly's side of the bed and Harry's on Arthur's. Molly pulled Ginny's covers up over her as she nestled her head on the pillow, while Arthur did the same to Harry. She heard her husband whisper 'good-night' to the boy before moving to Molly's side to gently press a kiss atop Ginny's head. Leaving the door open, they retreated to Bill’s room situated across the landing from their own. Molly settled into the chair by the desk and set the basket full of yarn sitting on the floor beside it to knitting and looked over at Arthur. He had pulled a book from the shelf next to the bed and had settled on the bed, leaning against the headboard to read. They sat in companionable silence and it was therefore the reason they were able to hear their daughter softly begin to speak from their room. "Harry?" Ginny whispered. There was a long pause and Molly assumed the boy had gone to sleep when he finally responded with a muffled, "Yeah?" "That was, erm, really embarrassing," Ginny admitted. "Yeah," Harry agreed, falling silent. "Do you think maybe we could just forget about it?" Ginny asked. "Just be friends and whatnot, like we've been doing?" "Yes," Harry said, immense relief colouring his voice. "All right, good," Ginny replied. "Good-night, Harry." "Good-night, Ginny," Harry said softly. A few weeks later Severus stood in the lane staring at one of the most ramshackle buildings he had ever seen in his entire life. He wasn't quite certain how it was standing upright and strongly suspected that magic was involved in some shape or form. “That is the Weasley home?” he asked with some derision, turning his head to look over at his companion. “Always so quick to judge, Severus,” Albus blithely commented before opening the gate and walking down the garden path. Severus followed the Headmaster, gathering his satchel closer to him and dreading the meeting ahead. He had spent the past week studying several thick and dusty tomes he had found in the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts library, attempting to gain a better understanding of soul bonds. He had finally managed to find a volume that described the four possible stages of bonding, which had been somewhat enlightening. Apparently, soul bonds were the most tenuous, at least in the beginning, but strengthened over time. Of course, in most of the recorded cases, the witch and wizard involved were already of age, so it stood to reason that the strongest of bonds, the physical bond soon followed. Severus logically deduced that forging the physical bond helped to fortify the weaker soul bond. Obviously, Harry and Ginny were far too young to understand or engage in the physical nature of their bond, aside from holding hands and hugging each other. While Severus had no doubt it was quite fun to skip down the lane holding the hand of your best friend, it was not conducive for everyday life. Therefore, Albus had tasked him with the challenge of discovering a way to enable the two children to function normally without the need to be in such close proximity. Severus had been mulling the situation over in his office when Poppy stopped by with her yearly potion inventory. Having given the list a cursory glance, the Blood-Replenishing Potion near the top of the list had caught his attention as a possible, if albeit, temporary solution to the problem. He had then set out to brew a substantial batch of the potion as well as a Strengthening Potion. When both elixirs were completed, he had infused them together; effectively creating a Blood Strengthening concoction he hoped would do the trick. He had separated the brew into two large flagons and only needed one more ingredient to add to each solution before he could administer a sample to the children and observe the effects. Hence, why he and Albus were visiting The Burrow only a few days before the start of term. The Weasley matriarch opened the door not long after Albus knocked and received them cordially, stepping aside to allow them to enter her cramped but clean and inviting kitchen. "Albus, Severus," Molly warmly greeted. "Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by so close to the start of the new term." "You appear to be faring better, Molly," Albus observed. "We've settled in, Albus," she concurred. "I can't say I have completely come to terms with the fact that Ginny is now irrevocably attached to a boy, but I have to admit that Harry is a humble spirit." "That is good to hear," Albus expressed, turning to partner and giving him a knowing look. Severus kept his expression neutral, as he would try to take the Headmaster’s advice and reserve judgement on whether the boy was more like his mother or father until after their meeting. "As you know, Molly,” the Headmaster continued, returning his attention to the plump matriarch, “I asked Severus to aid us in helping Ginny and Harry further adjust. He thinks he may have discovered a provisional solution that will allow them a bit more freedom while they work on physically strengthening the bond." "How do you suggest we do that, Albus?" Molly warily asked. "I believe it will be like exercising a muscle," he explained. "They must practice moving away from one another and build immunity to the adverse effects they currently experience." She nodded. "We can add that to their daily lessons." "Wonderful," Albus enthused. He looked about the room. "So, where are the children?" "They are in the sitting room with Arthur," Molly answered, indicating a door to her right. “Shall we?” he politely asked and with a nod of her head Molly led the two professors into the sitting room. Severus had steeled himself for this visit, but all the same, he couldn’t help the feeling of nausea that roiled in his stomach when he caught first sight of the young boy with tousled black hair sitting on the floor next to a tiny red-headed girl. His first encounter with James Potter outside the Great Hall came flooding back to him... James Potter, lovingly doted upon by his elderly parents, was a spoiled rotten, self-entitled little toffee-nosed git who had already gathered a small entourage around him before they had barely set foot inside the school. Regulus Black’s older brother, Sirius had instantly glommed onto Potter, finding fraternity with his fellow pure-blood. Lily had stuck close to Severus’ side all through the train ride and subsequent boat ride across the lake. He had known her excitement was warring with her insecurity, making her a fiery bundle of nervous energy. At one point while they were standing, waiting to be ushered into the Great Hall and Sorted, she had clutched his hand, squeezing it tightly. James, who had been horsing around with Sirius had spotted the gesture immediately, and his hazel eyes had glinted mischievously, his mouth quirking up in what Severus would soon come to realize was his patented smirk. “What’s this?” he asked, approaching them, with Sirius in tow. He looked questioningly between Severus and Lily, before his eyes finally rested upon the pretty girl. “Do you fancy this git?” “He’s my best friend!” Lily declared, continuing to hold Severus’ hand as she glared at the arrogant boy. “Did you forget to wash your hair or is that grease unnatural?” James asked, looking Severus over as he scratched the back of his head, causing his thick black hair to stick out even more. Sirius snickered behind him. Lily sent James a withering glare. “It looks like you forgot something yourself.” “Oh?” James asked, his eyes narrowing. “And what’s that?” “How to use a comb,” she spat before walking away, dragging Severus behind her and leaving a sputtering James beside a guffawing Sirius. He shoved the painful memory aside and followed Albus as he approached the children, who had scrambled to their feet at the appearance of the Headmaster. “Hello Albus, Severus,” Arthur said warmly, laying aside a book he had been reading and rising from his chair. “Arthur, a pleasure, as always,” Albus greeted and Severus nodded his head in agreement, a smile that felt more like a grimace plastered to his face. “Harry, Ginny,” Albus said kindly, turning to the boy and girl standing in front of him. “I’d like you to meet a friend and colleague of mine, Professor Severus Snape. He is the Potions Master at Hogwarts.” “Hello, Professor,” both children said politely. “Good afternoon,” Severus glanced down at the two children who were gazing expectantly up at him and nearly lost his calm composure. The girl, thankfully, looked nothing like Lily. She had dark brown eyes and flaming red hair, as opposed to Lily’s green eyes and auburn hair. However, seeing Lily’s beautiful green eyes staring at him out of James’ face was nearly more than he could bear and bitterness welled up inside of him. James had stolen Lily away from him, wormed his way between them, creating a chasm that had broadened beyond repair after Severus’ thoughtless, hurtful words of derision to the one and only friend he had ever possessed. “Are you going to help us, professor?” Harry asked. Severus forced himself to look the boy in the eyes. Conflicting emotions roiled within him: irrational hatred, loathing as well as compassion and the urge to protect. Albus had admonished him for holding on to his grudges against his long dead adversary. This was James Potter’s flesh and blood, but the boy was also Lily’s, and Albus claimed there was more Lily than James in Harry. Severus knew his kind-hearted Lily would help anyone in need, whether they were good or bad. Severus could not allow her legacy to die. “Yes,” he replied, “I am going to help you.” He removed the two large flagons as well as a small knife from within his robes and set all three items upon a spindly table by the window. “What have you there, Severus?” Arthur inquired, approaching to take a closer look and followed by his wife. “This is a modified Blood-Replenishing Potion,” Severus commented. “How is that going to help Ginny and Harry?” Molly questioned, looking up at Severus sceptically. “I am not certain that it will,” he answered truthfully. “I have garnered a rudimentary understanding of soul bonding and their situation is unique.” He glanced over his shoulder at the children, who were still tightly clasping hands. “Clearly, they are compatible or perhaps we would not even be here today.” “Severus,” Molly gasped, her hand clutching at her chest. “Thankfully, that is not the case,” Albus intervened, sending him a warning look. “I apologize for my tactlessness,” he murmured before picking up the knife and turning to face the room again. “In my research I discovered that the physical bonding helps to spur the spiritual bond along.” “That’s why we feel better when we hold hands?” Ginny shyly asked. “Yes,” Severus replied. “However, you cannot always do so. I am hoping by taking this potion on a regular basis, you will be able to function better and have more freedom.” “So, if it works,” Molly expounded. “They’d be able to be in separate rooms?” “If it works, they should be able to wander about the house fairly freely of one another,” he concurred. “At least, until they build up a natural link. I only need to add one more ingredient and then we can administer the first dose. I will need a few drops of both Ginny’s and Harry’s blood.” Both children blanched at this statement and their eyes grew wide as they stared at the knife in his hand. “You have to cut us?” Harry gulped. “Will it hurt?” Ginny asked, biting her lip. “Of course,” Severus replied, “but only a little.” “I’ll go first,” Harry bravely said, stepping forward, even as Ginny gripped his hand tighter. “What do you need?” “Only your free hand,” Severus smirked, holding out his empty left hand. Harry hesitantly placed his own left hand upon the potions professor’s, who grasped it firmly. “I will merely cut your index finger just a bit and allow the drops to fall into this flagon here.” He indicated a flagon that had Ginny’s name written in a neat script across the front. Tugging gently on Harry’s hand, he pulled the lad over to the table. “I will be quick,” Severus said. Harry nodded, clenching his jaw and staring intently at his imprisoned hand. He gripped the boy’s hand tighter and quickly sliced the knife across the pad of his index finger. Harry gasped involuntarily and Ginny squeaked in sympathy beside him. Holding the dripping finger over the mouth of the flagon, Severus allowed several drops to fall within it before pulling out his wand and healing the shallow cut on the finger. Harry rubbed his thumb over the spot the cut had just been. “I can’t even feel the pain anymore.” “I told you it would be quick and relatively painless,” Severus remarked before turning to Ginny. “Ginny?” Nodding mutely, Ginny offered him her right hand. Severus expeditiously performed the same actions on her, dripping her blood in the flagon with Harry’s name. After healing her finger, he released her hand to remove two small vials from another pocket within his robes. Taking Ginny’s flagon, he stoppered it and swirled the contents, mixing Harry’s blood with the contents. He then poured a small amount into a vial and handed it to Ginny. He then swirled Harry’s flagon and handed him a small vial of the potion, as well. “Drink,” he commanded, watching them closely. Wearing nearly identical looks of apprehension, both children lifted the vials to their lips and took tiny sips. “All of it,” Severus ordered, impatience filtering into his voice. “The quicker you swallow it, the better,” Molly offered encouragingly. They quickly swallowed the remaining contents of the vials, both grimacing, Severus assumed, from the strong iron taste he thought the potion may have. Nodding approvingly, he took the vials from them and placed them on the table next to the flagons. “Now, how far were they able to be separated before?” he asked. “No more than a room, if that,” Arthur supplied. “All right,” Severus said. “Molly, please escort Ginny outside The Burrow.” Molly hesitated. “Their reaction to separation is awful, Severus. They lose their breath, shudder...” “As soon as Ginny complains of such affects, stop,” Albus suggested. “We will observe from this window.” “All right,” Molly agreed. “Come along, Ginny.” Reluctantly releasing Harry’s hand, Ginny followed slowly after her mother, disappearing into the kitchen. Severus gauged Harry’s reaction while Albus moved to the window to monitor Molly and Ginny’s departure. Arthur stood next to Harry, clearly at the ready in case he would have a similar reaction to the one he had exhibited in Adoyrak’s office. They heard the back door open and shut behind Molly and Ginny and silence fell. Not long after, Harry’s breathing became a bit laboured, and Arthur stepped towards him, placing his arm about the boy’s shoulders. “Molly and Ginny have stopped a few feet from the back steps,” Albus supplied. “That is further than they have been able to go before today,” Arthur said, glancing over at Severus. Severus nodded. “Then the potion is working for them. I believe the more it builds up in the system the easier it will become and the further apart they can be. I suggest giving them a dose every morning at breakfast and at night before bed.” “Thank you, Severus,” Arthur gratefully said, still supporting Harry as Molly and Ginny re-entered the room. Ginny and Harry smiled happily to each other from across the room. The boy had James’ smile, Severus observed, but he had crossed one hurtle today. He had aided the boy and managed to treat him civilly which he hadn’t thought would be possible. There was hope yet. The day after Percy, Fred, George, and Ron had left for school, Harry woke up in his camp bed in the Weasleys’ master bedroom feeling a tightness tugging in his chest and sat up, wondering what was causing it. Pulling his battered glasses from beneath the pillow where he tucked them at night, he put them on and glanced around the silent room. Neither the Weasleys were present, nor to his surprise, Ginny, and her absence was the cause of the tight feeling in his chest. Slipping out of bed, Harry padded towards the door and felt the grip on his heart lessen the closer he came to the hallway outside. Stepping out on the landing, he looked down the stairs, but still could not see any sign of life. “Hello?” he called, suddenly worried that the Weasleys had left him all alone in the still strange house. He knew instantly that it was an irrational fear as it would be impossible for Ginny to go far, even if the Weasleys wanted to leave, but he had to admit he was still waiting for the inevitable day that they treated him just as everyone else always had. “Harry!” Ginny’s happy voice drifted from a doorway down on the first landing that he thought led into her second eldest brother’s room. Ginny had showed it to him once, wanting to point out all the Quidditch posters Charlie had collected and Spellotaped to the walls. She had tried to again explain the sport to him and showed him a small golden ball with limp, silver wings. Ginny had told him this was the Snitch that had been used during Charlie’s final match played at Hogwarts. His house, Gryffindor had won the match, the season, and therefore the Quidditch Cup, and his team had given him the Snitch he had caught during the final match as a parting gift. Harry had never been very good at any of the sports played in primary school, and had always been picked last. He was certain Quidditch would be no different, and hadn’t paid much attention when Ginny was telling him the rules of the game. Presently, he headed down the stairs to the stand in the doorway of Charlie’s room and was surprised to see his friend and her mother airing it out while sheets magically spread themselves over the bed. Harry watched in amazement as Ginny’s mum casually waved her wand and the pillows stuffed themselves into shams. She fluffed the pillows herself before setting them against the wooden headboard. “Mum says you can stay in here now, Harry!” Ginny grinned excitedly when she saw him. “It’s right across from my room. Professor Snape's potion is working, and I followed Mum down here today without much trouble. It was bearable, wasn’t it, Harry? It’ll be nice to sleep in my own bed again.” Harry felt a pang of guilt flood through him at how happy that thought made Ginny and how it was his fault she hadn’t been able to sleep in her own bed. Her mother frowned between the two of them, but refrained from commenting, but he knew she was thinking the same thing, too. Harry stood silent in the doorway and simply nodded at Ginny. Ginny’s smile faltered and Harry faintly felt her dismay at his demeanour, and he supposed she had sensed his guilt as well. She stepped towards him he knew to more than likely take his hand to better assess what he was feeling, but her mother’s displeasure was evident and she paused uncertainly before speaking once again. “I didn’t mean it like that, Harry,” Ginny started as her mother harrumphed loudly. “I don’t want to cause you trouble,” Harry said, staring at Mrs Weasley’s feet as she moved around the bed. “It’s no trouble, Harry,” Mrs Weasley commented, flicking her wand towards his school trunk, which had been placed at the foot of the bed, and a patchwork quilt unfurled from the top of it to settle neatly over the tucked in sheets. She smoothed it out and stood back to assess her handiwork. Ginny closed the distance between them to firmly clasp Harry’s hand in hers. “Stop it, Harry. You have no reason to feel guilty. Mum will never admit it, but I know she’s secretly happy you’re here. Aren’t you, Mum?” “Ginny,” her mother warned eyeing them warily, but blessedly refraining from saying anything more. Even though it seemed Mrs Weasley was warming to him, he still only felt more at ease when Ginny held his hand. Ginny leaned in closer and whispered loudly, “She’s really a big softy, Harry. She will break eventually, you’ll see.” “Ginevra!” Mrs Weasley barked, causing Harry to jump and Ginny to smirk over at her mother. “Go to your room and change. After breakfast, I intend on beginning your studies. Harry, we already brought your things down here and they are in the wardrobe. Sort them however you like, dress as well, and I expect to see the two of you in the kitchen in fifteen minutes.” Harry stared in shock at Mrs Weasley and Ginny’s silent joy trickled through him. He wasn’t quite sure exactly why Ginny was so happy, but he allowed it to soothe his worry and he was able to speak again. “Thank you, Mrs Weasley.” “Ginny, let go of Harry’s hand and go to your room,” her mother commanded and stood there with her arms crossed waiting for them to comply. Harry quickly loosened his fingers, but Ginny gripped his hand a moment longer, defiantly staring back at her mother. Another thing Harry was beginning to detest was being in the middle of these silent matches between mother and daughter. He felt he had no place in them. He hoped that his greatest fear, that the Weasleys would reject him and somehow find a way to break the bond in order to be rid of him, would fade and become a distant memory. “That’s never going to happen, Harry,” Ginny whispered quietly so only he could hear. “Please believe me.” She squeezed his hand reassuringly before letting it go and stepping out of the room. Ginny smiled at her mother and then Harry a moment longer before heading across the hall, leaving him purposefully alone with her mother. Gulping silently, Harry forced his eyes up to meet Mrs Weasley’s and was somewhat surprised to see her observing him thoughtfully. “Thank you again, Mrs Weasley,” Harry sincerely said. She couldn’t begin to know how extremely grateful he was, but his feeble appreciation was a start. “You’re welcome, Harry,” she replied, stepping past him to head down the stairs. Harry remained standing in the doorway looking about the room. It wasn’t a large room, by any means, but compared to his cupboard it was palatial. The single bed was set in the middle of the wall opposite the doorway and there was a wardrobe to his right. Hedwig’s empty cage sat on a bedside table to the left of the bed and there was even a small desk next to the window. Walking over to the window, Harry looked out and could see the front garden of the Burrow and the grassy fields beyond. Until arriving at the Burrow, he had never seen so much open space devoid of any type of structure. It was a very pleasant view and Harry imagined it would be very nice waking up to the sun streaming across his face for once, instead of his cousin’s feet stomping down the stairs above him. Or worse, his aunt or uncle wrenching the cupboard door open and flicking on the light, yelling at him because he had overslept. Opening the wardrobe, Harry saw that Mrs Weasley had already hung up his shirts and trousers. Pulling open a drawer, he found two piles of neatly folded t-shirts and jumpers. Selecting a jumper, he closed the drawer and tugged a pair of trousers off a hanger, before opening the drawer below the t-shirt/jumper drawer and finding his pants and socks. Selecting a pair of socks, he laid the entire ensemble on top of his trunk and quickly dressed. Afterwards, he lifted the lid of his trunk, finding his school books still neatly stacked in the corner where he had placed them the day he purchased them, and he wondered if he should bring some of them with him. Mrs Weasley had not specified what she intended to instruct him and Ginny on after breakfast. Lifting the stack of books out, he perused the titles, attempting to decipher what they meant: The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk seemed self-explanatory, A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot, easy as well, Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling and A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch, he had no idea. One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore, Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander, and The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble all were easy enough to figure out as well. Laying them out on his bed, Harry looked at all the covers and decided he would take The Standard Book of Spells and A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration, hoping that Mrs Weasley would explain exactly what transfiguration was. He gathered up the two books, leaving the others strewn on his bed, and headed across the landing to Ginny’s room and knocked softly on the door. Before he had pulled his hand away, Ginny had already flung the door open as if she had been waiting on the other side. She saw the books tucked under his arm and a smile broke out over her face. “Good idea, Harry,” she praised as she joined him on the landing. “Mum always uses Bill’s old books, but I bet yours are loads better.” Harry glanced back down at the books. “Ginny, what’s transfiguration?” “Oh, that’s when you change an object into something else,” Ginny explained. “Really?” he asked, and Ginny nodded. “Mum uses it all the time if she runs out of dishes and whatnot,” she expounded. “Once, she was so desperate at Christmas, she turned Errol into a serving platter, but none of us wanted to eat anything off him.” Ginny made a face of disgust and Harry laughed. “That sounds useful,” Harry commented as they headed down the stairs. “Oh, it usually is,” Ginny agreed. “I wish we could do magic.” “Why can’t we?” Harry questioned. “We’re not allowed to practice magic outside of school until we are seventeen and considered adults,” Ginny replied. Harry thought this over for a moment. “Wouldn’t it make better sense to begin training earlier? I started primary when I was five.” Ginny shrugged. “I don’t know, Harry. That’s just how it’s done in the wizarding world. Mum’s been teaching me grammar, maths, and history just like you’ve learned, I suppose. The practical stuff.” “You haven’t learned any spells?” Harry pressed. “Not really, no,” Ginny answered. “I’ve watched Mum and I’ve nicked my brothers’ wands a time or two to try out some spells.” "If you can't do magic until you are seventeen," Harry began. "How can you practice spells?" "Luna says it's because we live in magical homes, and the Ministry can't tell who's performing the magic," Ginny said with a shrug. "I've only done it a few times, but Mum and Dad don't like it. They caught George once and punished him for a week with de-gnoming the garden. He definitely learned his lesson." "What's de-gnoming the garden?" he asked. "You don't want to know," she answered, "It's Mum's favourite punishment and it's one of the worst chores. I'd rather peel potatoes." Harry thought about all the times his Aunt Petunia had set him to peeling a mountain of potatoes and he silently disagreed. Whatever de-gnoming the garden was could not be as bad as peeling potatoes. When they entered the kitchen for breakfast, Ginny’s mother was just setting two plates heaped high with eggs, rashers, and toast on the table. Harry had never eaten so much food as he had in the past month he had been living with the Weasleys. On the bureau sat the Daily Prophet, left there by Mr Weasley when he left for work that morning. Harry glanced at it as he passed to sit at his place and the headline caught his eye. He paused to read it fully: Gringotts Break-in Latest! Picking up the paper, he took it to the table with him and began reading the article as he ate his breakfast. “What are you reading about, Harry?” Ginny asked, leaning over to look at the paper. “Gringotts was robbed on my birthday,” Harry said. “The day we were there. The paper says the vault in question had been emptied earlier in the day.” He glanced over to where Mrs Weasley puttered about the sink as the dishes and pots from breakfast washed themselves and lowered his voice before continuing. “Do you think it’s a coincidence that Hagrid emptied a vault for Professor Dumbledore that day?” “I don’t know, Harry,” Ginny said. “You saw for yourself, Gringotts has thousands of vaults. Any one of them could have been the one that was robbed.” Harry nodded. “I suppose you’re right. Just seems kind of odd, I think.” Ginny nodded, but Mrs Weasley turning away from the sink ended any further discussion they may have had on the subject. “Come on, you two,” she announced. “Finish up your breakfast. I’d like to start your studies before lunchtime.” Harry and Ginny quickly ate the rest of their food in silence and spent the first part of the morning reviewing the first introduction of Harry’s Transfiguration book. While they couldn’t perform any of the spells themselves, Mrs Weasley had been happy to demonstrate a few of the simpler ones described in the book. After that, she set them to work on writing short essays summarizing what they had just read. After lunch, she sent them outside to play while she cleaned up the kitchen and they were sitting under the tree discussing what they had learned that morning when a girl’s voice called from the lane. "Hello, Harry Potter.” Looking up, Harry saw a small, barefooted, pixy-like girl perching precariously upon the stone wall that ran along the lane. Her heart-shaped face was framed by long blonde hair and her wide blue eyes stared unblinkingly at him from behind rose-tinted glasses. "Luna!" Ginny exclaimed, leaping up to greet her friend. Harry followed slowly after her, drawn by the thread of happiness bubbling within her. Luna turned her eyes to Ginny and finally blinked. "Hello, Ginny." Ginny smiled broadly. "Harry, this is my best friend, Luna Lovegood." Recognition finally dawned on Harry. Luna was the girl who had helped Ginny make the potion that had brought them together. He smiled over at Luna, who was again gazing down at him thoughtfully. "Pleased to meet you," he said, holding out his hand. Luna jumped down from the wall and approached Harry. Harry dropped his hand quickly and backed up as she stepped into his personal space. "I saw your picture in the paper, Harry. You were with a giant." Harry shook his head. "Oh no, that was just Hagrid." "My father says he's a giant," Luna explained. "He looked friendly enough though." "He is," he concurred. "He bought me my owl, Hedwig." “The one who delivered Ginny’s note saying it was all right for me to visit again?” Luna asked and Harry nodded. “She is very pretty, like Ginny.” "Luna," Ginny intervened, her cheeks colouring pink at her friend’s off-hand compliment. "Harry will be staying with us for a while." The blonde girl nodded knowingly, looking between the two of them speculatively. "I had no idea our potion would work out so well, Ginny." "What?" Ginny asked, startled. "No, Luna, Harry's been living with his horrible Muggle relatives and had no idea he was a wizard until Hagrid came and collected him back in July. Professor Dumbledore thought it would be best if Harry stayed with us until he became better acquainted with our world." "Really?" Luna asked vaguely. "That doesn't explain your auras." "Our what?" Harry asked, gaping over at the strange girl. "I can see your auras, you know," she continued. "They are connected." "Stop being silly, Luna" Ginny nervously said. "You can't possibly see our auras." Luna removed her glasses and blinked in the bright sunlight several times before looking back at them. "Now I can't." "Let me see those!" Ginny exclaimed, taking the glasses from her friend and putting them on. She looked her up and down before turning to gaze at Harry. "Complete rubbish! All these do is make everything appear rosy, Luna." Luna shrugged noncommittally and turned to watch a small yellow butterfly flutter by while singing softly to herself, having seemed to lost interest in the conversation. Harry stared at her in shock and Ginny stamped her foot. "Luna!" "Sorry," she apologized, averting her gaze from the butterfly that had disappeared and back to them. "Perhaps my aura-reading glasses only work for me." Ginny narrowed her eyes, and Harry felt her frustration with her friend building. "Stop playing games with us, Luna." "I'm not," Luna insisted. "I saw your auras. They are a beautiful golden glow and are twined together. Yours used to be pink, Ginny. I imagine yours may have been green, or perhaps a lovely turquoise, Harry. It's hard to tell. "What shall we do now?" she asked. "Well, Harry and I were doing lessons with Mum," Ginny explained. "She let us come outside for a bit of fresh air." She glanced over her shoulder and saw her mother standing at the window observing them. Luna followed her gaze and waved merrily, flapping her arm over her head wildly. Mrs Weasley smiled thinly. "Oh dear," she remarked. "Your mother is still quite cross with me." "No, she isn't," Ginny insisted, turning away from her mother. "She's cross at everything these days." "Has she been nice to you, Harry?" Luna asked, turning her attention back to him. "Yes," he simply replied. "You seem very nice," Luna observed. "Do you miss your parents?" "Luna!" Ginny hissed. "Er, I don't remember them," Harry quietly said. "Oh," Luna responded. "It's all right. I'm sure they remember you." "Luna!" Ginny said, louder, staring pointedly over at her friend. "Ginny! Harry!" Mrs Weasley called from the back door. She stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips. "Luna, I'm afraid you will have to come back some other time." "All right, Mrs Weasley," Luna called, nonplussed by the look Ginny's mother was sending her. Ginny handed her glasses back and she promptly put them back on. "Yes, they must only work for me. You two are positively glowing!" she crowed happily. "I'm glad the potion worked! This is a much better outcome than the idea that I may have poisoned you, don't you think, Ginny?" Before they could answer, she turned and skipped up the lane. Stopping at the top of the hill, she turned to wave at them one final time before disappearing down the other side. "So, that's Luna?" Harry asked as he and Ginny walked back towards The Burrow. “She’s...” "Rude,” Ginny supplied. "She wasn't rude, just very - direct," Harry assured her. "Rude," Ginny repeated, before smiling. "But you'll get used to her. I could tell she liked you, Harry." "Really?" Harry asked. "Really." |
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