As always, I do not own Harry Potter or anything related to his world.
Puzzled Pieces
Chapter 2
Mrs. Weasley, however busy she was with the Order, didn’t seem to miss a beat when it came to dinner. Hermione and Ginny were setting the long wooden table in the kitchen and Harry and Ron were tasked to gather up the chairs from the parlor where a previous Order meeting was held. Whenever Harry had entered the room, arms woven through the backs of the heavy wooden chairs he was carrying, chanced a look at Ginny. He wanted to talk with her but she had been avoiding him over the last few days since his arrival.
While positioning the chairs around the table, Harry saw that Ginny was laying utensils at each place setting and was moving towards him apparently unaware that she was getting closer to where he stood. Trying to muster up enough nerve, he slid in the chair in front of him just as she reached the next setting.
“Hi Ginny” he whispered, afraid that if he said it any louder she might burst into tears. Harry noticed that he seemed to have that effect on her lately.
“Hi Harry, I “er...” Ginny trailed off as if debating on whether or not she should say anything more as she continued to move to the next setting, sidestepping around Harry.
Not wanting to push her but at the same time longing to be in her presence, he said the first thing that came to him hoping that he didn’t sound too stupid.
"Want to play again of Exploding Snap after dinner?”
“Oh, alright. I’d like to.” She said softly and made her way around the rest of the table.
Harry looked towards Ron and Hermione at the far end of the kitchen, both looked encouragingly at him. They both knew how important it was for Harry to talk with Ginny.
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In the parlor, Ron and Hermione sat at a small table near the front door. They looked like they were involved in a deep discussion as they studied the contents of Hermione’s large books. Harry thought that they were doing this for his benefit, to give him a little more privacy with Ginny who was still in the kitchen with her mother.
Tonks came in from the front door and struck up a conversation with Hermione and Ron about the books they were reading. When Tonks had finished hanging up her cloak and kicked the troll-leg umbrella stand just for good measure, she said good-bye and left for the kitchen.
Harry was lying belly-down on the floor, propped up on his left side facing the hearth where a warm fire crackled. He was lazily stacking the cards while waiting for Ginny.
Finally the door swung open and there stood Ginny. She looked around the room then turned to Ron and Hermione and asked, “Where’s Harry?” Apparently he was blocked from her view, a squashy purple couch between them.
Popping up off the floor in one smooth motion, he smiled slightly and said, “I’m over here by the fire.” trying not to sound too eager.
Ginny walked over and lay down across from Harry, elbows on the floor and cradling her head in her hands. She didn’t look at him but he was definitely looking at her. Ginny’s hair caught the firelight and lit into a hundred different shades of deep red as it flowed over her back and shoulders.
Catching himself, he said “So... what have you been up to?” Harry was now hap-hazardly adding another card to his stack. He was much more interested in her answer than whether or not his flimsy card structure would survive.
“Nothing really...” She said as she finally looked up at him, “I’ve been helping mum out whenever I can.”
“Yeah, everyone seems to be running in and out of this place, I suppose things have gotten...erm…busier.” ‘What a dumb thing to say, Harry’ he thought.
Trudging on, he added tentatively while looking directly in her eyes, “So how are you feeling? You seem a bit tired?”
Unable to stop himself before the words just fell out, “I’ve been worried about you, Gin?”
Surprised by his own daring, he remained silent to let her make the next move then quickly looked away while adding yet another card to the dangerously leaning stack.
“I..., I’ve been tired...yes.” She answered softly.
Ginny was now nervously twirling a lock of hair near her temple. She rolled over on to her side and looked into the fire. Harry could tell that she was battling with herself. It occurred to him that maybe she was unaware of what happened, at least on his side of things. In fact, he didn’t even know if she was aware that there even was a dream.
In an almost inaudible whisper Harry asked, “Is there anything I can do?”
“No, I don’t think so.” Ginny was shaking her head slightly.
After a long pause, Ginny was now getting up off the floor. In an effort to keep her with him, he offered her a seat on the squashy couch. Reluctantly she agreed. Ginny sat on the far end and curled inside the crook where the arm and back fused together. Her head lay softly on the arm. It reminded him of last winter when they were all waiting for news of Mr. Weasley.
Wanting to make her feel as comfortable as possible, he went over to the halltree, opened the lid and pulled out a soft wool blanket. Harry then wrapped it around Ginny’s shoulders, making sure it covered her completely except for her head. He smiled gently when he heard a faint ‘thank-you Harry’ before sliding a worn out wing-backed chair to face the couch, angled slightly against the fireplace.
Hermione glanced at Harry who was studying the position of the chair he’d just moved, then back to Ron, and then her watch.
“Ron, I’m going to turn in, it’s getting late.”
“Hermione, it’s not like we have anything to get up early for- Ow!” Ron glared at Hermione until the clogs inside his head caught up with the situation and the expression on her face.
“Oh, yeah, you’re right. Uh, I’ll walk you to your room.” Then looking up at Harry, “See you in a bit.”
Ron took the books out of Hermione’s hands, helped her out of her chair, and with his arm around hers, they climbed the staircase.
“Yeah, I’ll be up later... Goodnight.” Harry said as he slipped into repositioned chair as they walked out of sight.
He continued to watch Ginny intently. She was staring at the dancing flames. Harry saw the reflections in her eyes, daring to know what was behind them. It only intensified the unexplained longing he had for her. Remembering the way she was screaming for him, the sheer magnitude of all these feelings he couldn’t explain, a willing, life-sacrificing desire to get to her. The need to bring her back.
“Harry?”
Harry didn’t know what time it was, the fire had been reduced to a small pile of glowing embers. He could still hear voices in the kitchen and other things going on inside the house. He decided that Grimmauld Place never slept. People passed the parlor coming and going through out the small hours of the morning, nobody seemed to notice that he and Ginny were there. Occasionally, Harry looked away from the now sleeping Ginny to see who it was crossing the hall, but never gazed at them long before returning his sight and mind to her.
Mrs. Weasley exited the kitchen with a sigh of pure exhaustion. She walked to the staircase but before taking that first step, she turned with a puzzled look on her face and then silently made her way towards Harry.
In a quiet whisper she spoke, “Harry dear, it’s late. What are you …” But before she could finish her sentence, Mrs. Weasley saw what Harry had been watching so intently.
“Have you been awake all this time?”
He nodded, afraid of what to say. Was she upset with him, would she be displeased that he had been with her daughter “alone, all this time?
“How long has she been asleep?” Mrs. Weasley asked now gazing at her daughter.
“Hours I suppose, I’ve lost track of time.”
“She’ll be fine dear, why don’t you go up to bed?”
Harry found himself suddenly glaring at Mrs. Weasley. “I just wanted to make sure she slept well. I didn’t want her to...” He stopped before he revealed too much.
“But you need your sleep too, Harry. Ginny will be all right. We’ll leave her here and not disturb her.” Mrs. Weasley said, trying to coax Harry into much needed rest.
Weighing the consequences of what he was about to say, he straightened himself up and looked directly into Mrs. Weasleys eyes.
“I want to stay with her- I need to stay with her. Please, I won’t leave her.”
Feeling like he just slapped the woman he felt so much motherly regard for, ashamed that he was so adamant when there was nothing accusatory about her presence, he looked back down at Ginny and tried to contain the flush in his face and the swelling of tears.
Mrs. Weasley stood there for a moment. He could hear her sigh. Without looking up, Harry heard her cross the room. She quietly walked back to Harry, put a hand on his shoulder, bending slightly towards him as she handed him the blanket.
Catching his eyes now full of tears she said, “I understand Harry, I’m not mad.”
Then she returned to the staircase and disappeared into the darkness.
Harry was left with his silent tears, his heart filled with emotion. Somewhere between trying to identify, understand, and accept exactly what his feelings were, Harry too, fell asleep.
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“Harry - Harry? Are you okay?” It was Ron.
Harry opened his eyes, pushed his glasses back on his face and looked at Ron. “What time is it?” Seeing a small amount of daylight bleed through the curtains.
“It’s 6:30... I woke up early and saw that you never came to bed. So I thought I’d check up on you. You’ve been with her all night, haven’t you?” He said with a light nod in the direction where Ginny was still curled up on the couch.
“Yeah, your mum tried to get me to leave, but decided to let me stay.”
At this Harry felt a twang of disappointment in himself, remembering how kind she was and how he stood his ground when he need not defend it.
“Come on, Hermione will be down soon, we’ll look after Ginny. Besides, you can’t stay awake all day too.”
Considering his offer and the fact that Ginny was starting to get restless- along with the rest of the house. Harry finally agreed with Ron’s logic, stood up and took a final look at Ginny, then slowly walked up to bed.
“Just a few hours though, Ron. Don’t let me sleep too long.”
“I will, just get some sleep.” Ron was now sitting in the chair that Harry had just occupied. Knowing that it was the only way he got his best mate to leave his little sisters side.
An hour later, Grimmauld Place was a buzzing hive of activity. Ginny woke to find Ron sitting next to her.
“Have I been here all night?” She said while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
“You sure have. Harry just left.” He studied her face, looking to see how she would react at the knowledge.
“Where is he now?” A sudden look of concern flashed across her face.
“I just sent him up to bed. Don’t worry, he’s okay.” His brotherly instincts kicking in, he was making sure she stayed calm. He knew Harry had made some headway into breaking her out of her current disposition.
“Hey you two, good morning.” It was Hermione. “Sleep well?” She said looking from Ginny to Ron.
“Good thanks, and you?” Ron said with a slight smile.
“Never better.” Hermione then turned her attention to Ginny who was growing suspicious of their morning banter. “So, what’s on schedule for today?”
“Hermione, we don’t have a schedule,” smirked Ron.
“Well, I just thought maybe we’d do something together, whatever Ginny wanted to do.” Hermione was trying to get Ginny involved.
“Um, well. I thought I’d give Mum a break today and try to cook.” She said while struggling to pull herself out of the couch. She had nestled in a nice size hallow in-between the cushions.
“Well I can’t cook!” Ron started, he knew what he was about to say would get Hermione’s heckles up. “That’s woman’s work!”
“Ronald Weasley!”
He grimaced in a slightly playful- almost pleasurable way at the thought of what Hermione was going to say next.
“Just for that, you get all the dishes. Honestly, woman’s work! I suppose you could throw house elves in there too! Don’t think I’ll slave away for you without any pay or respect!”
“Oh...” turning to see if Ginny was out of earshot, then rounding back on Hermione, with a mischievous smile spread across his face. “I’ll pay you alright, but will you still respect me!”
Ginny turned to look at both of them as she was halfway up the steps, “I’m going to freshen up a bit...you two can start on breakfast...”
Then with a smirk that had been missing since the ride home on the Hogwarts Express added,
“And I don’t want you to pay me either, Ronald!” shooting him a look that said ‘I know what you two have been up to’.
Feeling his face go Weasley red, Ron turned to Hermione and the two broke out in smiles.
“I guess she feels a little better. Maybe whatever Harry did last night is working.” Then Ron leaned over and pinched a kiss from Hermione’s cheek.
“Come on, lets get started before the night watch comes in. Meanwhile you can think of how you’re going to pay me.” Hermione said as she pushed him through the kitchen door.
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Contemplating the knowledge that Harry had been by her side throughout the night, Ginny found herself standing outside of his room. She stood there for a moment, unaware that she was holding her breath. Before she could think the better of it, she turned the knob and let herself in.
In an effort stop any noise of alerting Harry of an intruder, Ginny lifted the sagging door by handle and closed it silently behind her. On the bed to the left, she saw Harry’s crumpled figure on top of the made bed. His glasses were still on his face and the clothes he wore yesterday on his back.
Ginny crossed the room in a wisp and rested herself with a steady shift of her weight onto his bed, centered in the gap that his slightly arched body had made. Without thinking about the consequences of what she was doing, Ginny took her hand and swept it so gently across over his forehead that it could have been but a breeze. Still deep in slumber, Harry didn’t move.
“Thank-you Harry” she breathed as she rested her lips on his cheek.
Ginny sat watching him while he slept. Her gaze was just as strong, just as powerful as Harry’s had been on her the night before.
Suddenly, Harry’s eyes flashed open, they instantly connected and focused with hers. Ginny gasped as she slid off his bed landing with a soft thud on the floor.
“Ginny, wait,” Harry exhaled as he sat up.
Embarrassed at what she had just been caught doing, Ginny continued to look at the floor as she stood up, turned around and darted from the room before Harry could utter another word.
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Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were gathered around the kitchen table while Mrs. Weasley served a late lunch. It had been a couple of days since the incident between Harry and Ginny and both were pretending that nothing had happened. Ginny seemed to be better. She was acting more like herself and was willing to casually chat with Harry.
“Where’s Ron?” Harry asked Mrs. Weasley between swallows of pudding. Rarely did Ron miss a meal, especially if it contained puddings.
“He’ll be here in a minute dear.” She said as she started clearing the table.
Ginny rose from her seat and began to help her mother. Hermione on the other hand glanced Harry’s way. He got the feeling that there was something she wanted to tell, but changed her mind and decided not to.
A few moments later, Ron walked through the door.
“Hey...” he said to Harry as he put his hand on Harry’s shoulders, “Dumbledore wants a word with you. He’s in the library.”
Harry pushed out from the table and got up.
“Yeah, thanks... I’ve wanted a word with him, too.”
He shot a look Ron and Hermione, telling them that they knew what was on his mind.
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Not sure if he should just walk in, Harry knocked and asked, “Um... Professor, can I come in?”
“Of course.” Dumbledore replied as Harry opened the door.
“Have a seat Harry, we have much to discuss.” Dumbledore motioned to the pair of chairs by the fireplace.
As Harry walked into the room, he noticed that it looked somewhat like his office at Hogwarts. Walls lined with books, reading tables smattered with low burning candles and maps pinned down here and there. On the secretary, Harry noticed a few of the silvery instruments he recognized from Dumbledore’s office. One of which was a pensive.
Not sure of what his Headmaster had to say, Harry sat and concentrated on his fingernails as his hands rested in his lap.
Dumbledore, dressed in gray robes, took a seat next to Harry.
“Harry, I want you to know that I am concerned about you.” His voice was reminiscent of the night he told Harry of the prophecy, the night Sirius had died.
Now looking up into his Headmasters eyes, Harry nodded as he continued on.
“Thank you for alerting me to Miss Weasleys condition. If I had not been notified as quickly as I was, the results might have been unfavorable to both you and Miss. Weasley.”
Harry noticed that the toll of the new war against Voldemort had carved furrowed lines across his face. His eyes seemed to have all but lost their sparkle.
“Harry...” Dumbledore now spoke while gazing at his own hands. His fingers were locked together and palms open towards his chest.
“What exactly happened that night? I have my guesses, but I want to hear it from you.” As he finished his sentence, his gazed rested upon Harry.
“Well, I’ve been doing my Occlumency exercises like you said.” Harrys’ first thought was to not get blamed for letting Voldemort invade his mind again.
“I’ve been having dreams though, just replaying what happened in the Department of Mysteries, Voldemort possessing me, Sirius’ death and ... the night my parents died.” Harry took a deep breath, waiting for Dumbledore to say something, but he kept silent and looked directly into Harry’s eyes.
“I just thought I could figure things out better, maybe there’s something I missed before. I was looking for answers. I don’t know how I am to defeat Voldemort.” Harry swallowed hard while shaking his head slightly, the weight of the prophecy settling on his shoulders once again. Not wanting to dwell on the point, Harry continued on.
“Anyway, I thought I was reliving the moment when my mother died. But it was different... For one thing, I could see that I was in my body... the one I have now, I wasn’t a baby. I wanted so badly get the woman with long red hair. She was screaming my name. At first I thought it was my mum, but as she turned toward me, I saw that it was Ginny. Voldemort was torturing her... for the fun of it, he was taunting me.” Harry shuddered at the thought.
“Something was holding me back. I fought. I had to get to her but I was helpless, the harder I fought the tighter the hold it had over me.” Harry had to force out every word. Tears were now streaking his face. Every emotion he had felt that night was coming back. He had remembered feeling the same way as he watched his godfather fall silently through the veil. It was helplessness, it was fear, it was loss, and it was...
Dumbledore sat in silence, still looking at Harry. Oddly enough, this had a calming effect much like Fawkes had on him that night.
“The next thing I know, I was lying on the floor in heap, twisted up in the bedclothes and blood running down my face. I realized that I was still at the Dursleys. The only thing I could think of was Ginny, so I managed to write you before I blacked out. Then Fawkes woke me up and gave me your reply.”
Dumbledore nodded slightly as Harry finished his story. Before he could reply, Harry started in again.
“Ron told me what happened. How Ginny was screaming... How you came and spelled her to sleep... or something like that.” There was an eagerness for answers in Harry’s voice.
“I’ve had Fawkes keep an eye on you, Harry. I was alerted to your actions almost immediately. When Hedwig left, it was Fawkes who intercepted her and brought her instantly to me. Luckily I was on my way to Grimmauld Place, so when I read your note, I understood.”
Harry tried not to look surprised at the fact that his Headmaster had yet another pair of eyes to keep watch on him while he spent his time at Privet Drive.
“I have a few questions to ask of you, if you don’t mind Harry.”
Dumbledore now had a bit of the twinkle back in his eyes. Harry knew the answers he had been looking for were only a few questions away.
“What did Miss Weasley look like?”
“Well, she looked like Ginny.” He thought a bit harder, realizing the stupidity of what he just said.
Harry screwed up his face in concentration.
“She was wearing a black cloak and a...” The sound of Dumbledore chuckling slightly took him off guard.
“I’m not interested in what she was wearing, Harry,” glancing at him over his half-moon spectacles.
“Maybe she was a little older, I don’t know. I was more concerned with what was happening to her than what she looked like.” Harry said with a slightly irritated tone.
“And how did you feel when you saw her?” Dumbledore’s stare seemed to pass the bounds of ‘just looking’ and into penetrating.
Flabbergasted again by what he thought was an obvious answer he replied, “I needed to help her. I would have done anything to get to her.... I would have died to save her, to stop him... I “ I loved her.”
Shocked at what he had heard coming out of his own mouth, Harry leaned back into his chair, the words sinking further into his mind connecting with all the emotions that he struggled to identify.
A small smiled shone on Dumbledore’s face as he returned to contemplate his own hands, aware that the lingering silence meant that Harry was still sifting through his feelings.
Finally, Harry spoke again.
“So, what does it all mean? Is Voldemort making me see things again? Does he possess Ginny?”
Dumbledore got up and started to pace the room. Harry took that as a good sign. He was on the verge of getting answers. That is until he was hit with another round of questioning.
“What made you believe that Miss Weasley was in danger? Why did you alert me?”
“I told you, I saw it...” There was a hint of annoyance in his voice at the repeated questions.
“So you truly believed that she was being tortured by Voldemort, as you were dreaming it.” Dumbledore was still pacing the room.
“Well wasn’t she, I mean, when you found her she was upset, right?”
“Yes, indeed she was Harry. But there was no sign of Voldemort.”
A small wave of relief washed over Harry only to be ebbed away with another question.
“So why was she, who was making her...making her... have those nightmares?” Somehow after Harry asked, he wished he didn’t have to hear the answer.
“I believe that it was you.”
“Me? I would never want to hurt Ginny! That’s the last thing I would ever do.”
“I know that you would never intend to hurt anyone you love, Harry.” He had stopped in his place and looked directly at Harry as he said the last few words.
“But…but I....” Harry found himself at a loss for words.
“I think that it’s time I do most of the talking.” Dumbledore took his seat next to Harry before he continued on.
“Harry, you remember when you had the vision of Mr. Weasleys attack? The dreams of the Department of Mysteries, the visions of Sirius?”
Harry remained silent. Of course he remembered. He remembered all too well.
“That was Voldemort invading your mind. Think specifically at what you saw and how you saw it.”
Harry closed his eyes, concentrating on what his Headmaster had said.
“Now, remember how you saw Voldemort, how you saw yourself and more importantly how you saw Miss Weasley.”
“Do you see the difference?” Dumbledore was now studying Harry, waiting for him to put the puzzle pieces together.
“It...” Harry was speaking, but it was if another person was doing it for him. Another Harry who had his wits about him, who was in tune with the situation at hand.
“It wasn’t real, but it was. Is it the future?”
“Only time will tell, Harry. But what we must address now is the fact that Miss Weasley has been, willingly or not, invaded by you.”
“I didn’t invade her!” Harry flushed suddenly and felt like he was being accused of something- something very inappropriate.
“Whether you meant to or not Harry, you are the reason she was acting so violently. She was in your dreams. Your dreams were hers. She was, for all intensive purposes, being tortured by Voldemort and screaming for you. It was real to her and I imagine that it was real to you as well.”
Harry was quickly going over the dream yet again in his mind. This time his feelings made since. All but one.
“Miss Weasley is a very special witch, as I am sure that you have noticed.” Harry thought he saw a small wink as his Headmaster said this.
“I’ve...” gaining up his courage, “I’ve never had those thoughts about her before.” He knew that he wasn’t being completely honest with himself or Dumbledore. Harry’s mind jumped to a particular windswept witch.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, catching Harry in his momentary flashback.
“Miss Weasley is unaware that it was you who has been giving her the nightmares. It took a while to convince her that it was not Voldemort or the remnants of Tom Riddles diary. I believe that she is still unsure whether or not to believe me, thus her withdrawn behavior as of late. She does not know that you have suffered the same visions. Miss Weasley does, however, know that somehow you’re involved. She needs time, Harry. She needs your understanding, she needs your trust, and she needs to know that you’re there.”
Harry nodded in acceptance. He could give her what she needs... he had already started.
“As I have said before, Harry, your ability to feel the deepest emotions is what sets you apart. Use your strengths and use them wisely. Remember Harry, it is our choices that make us who we really are.” Dumbledore looked upon Harry with the most serious expression.
“So how do I not let myself in her mind? I don’t even know how I did it in the first place.” Harry broke his gaze with Dumbledore and returned to picking at his cuticles.
A smile flickered across Dumbledore’s face.
“Whether you meant to or not, you have already told me how you feel about Miss. Weasley. I think you need to understand it, accept or deny it, before you can control it. In the meantime, by helping her you will be helping yourself.”
Harry now had one question left. One he didn’t really want to ask but knew the consequence of not knowing would surely bring is dream, his vision, to fruition.
“How do I hide this from Voldemort?”
“We will continue with your Occlumency and strengthen your mind. Currently we believe that he has not sensed your connection to Miss Weasley. We know that he would use it to his advantage, the proof of which was in your love for Sirius. The Order is working hard to keep you protected Harry but as you now know, that protection cannot last. If we hear that you or your friends are in immediate danger, you will be alerted. As always, I have only your best interest at heart.”
Feeling that the conversation was now over, Harry smiled briefly at Dumbledore, got up and walked to the door. He reached for the handle when he had a favor to ask of his Headmaster, his protector.
“Can I take Ginny to the Burrow? Just for a week. I think it would help”
“I have kept Molly and Arthur informed of what has been happening to their daughter. I’m sure you can imagine their concern, as I’m sure you have noticed Mrs. Weasleys willingness to let you stay by her daughters’ side. Let me speak with them. We will need to make certain arrangements though, but it can be done if you wish.”
“Thank you, Professor.”
A/N: Thanks to my Beta/Mod Bogus and Beta Whizzbee, patience is a virture- thanks for displaying so much with me! Sorry about the delay everyone.