Disclaimer: They aren’t mine and they never will be. There I said it....happy now???
Harry felt far more cheerier after his morning talk with Ginny. She would always love him, no matter what; he knew that now. That fact was no longer a hope lingering inside of him. It was real and now he was at peace.
The rest of the day was all fun and games. Beating up Dolores Umbridge’s head with a bludger bat was the highlight of the celebration in Harry’s opinion, (next to the “Pin the Abnormally Large Nose onto Snape’s Face” game, anyways). Harry couldn’t have been happier. When it came time to unwrap presents Harry was excited to see the mound of gifts waiting for him. He opened them quickly but not too eagerly. Apart from Ginny’s gift (invisible ink) and Ron’s (He Flew Like a Madman by: Kennilworthy Whisp), Harry’s favorite present was from Hermione. The gift was wrapped in gold paper with a scarlet ribbon tied around it. As Harry ripped the paper away he found a soft, black leather book in his hands. On the front, etched in gold writing were the words:
Dwells within the heart
And you don’t know how it happens
Or where it gets its start
But the happiness it brings you
Always gives a special lift
And you realize that friendship
Is life’s most perfect gift.
Harry opened the cover and found a photograph of Ron, Hermione, and himself sitting on the front steps of Hogwarts in their first year of school. This was only the first of many, many smiling faces on the numerous pages of the book. The photo album had pictures of the trio and other friends from over the last five years. It was, needless to say, a perfect present.
Now there was only one gift left. It was a small parcel about the size of Harry’s balled up fist. The box was wrapped hastily in thin brown paper. Harry took great care with this gift even though he didn’t know what was inside, or who it was from. It just felt special in his hands.
Inside the box Harry found a note with Sirius’s handwriting on it. It read:
Harry,
If you are reading this then I must be dead. I only hope that I died a hero.... someone you’ll remember. Someone you loved. I know that we never got to spend a lot of time together. For that I apologize. Please Harry, cherish the time that we spent together, as I cherished it. I believe that there is life after death and there, I do think, we will see each other again. Take your time getting there though. I don’t want to see you here for at least seventy, no, no, eighty long years. Live your life to its fullest every day. You only get one chance at doing so. I love you Harry.
I’m always with you,
Sirius
Harry read and reread the letter. He looked up to see everyone staring at his freely falling tears. Wiping them away, slightly embarrassed, Harry looked into the box. Another note was inside with Sirius’s handwriting upon it. He read through it once then read aloud, tear free. Joyful even. Sirius always knew how to lift the mood. Even if he wasn’t there to do it himself, he’d find a way.
Dear Anyone Reading,
My will is as follows:
Moony (a.k.a. Remus Lupin): I give you fifteen percent of the Black Family fortune and the deed to my house (a.k.a. #12 Grimmauld Place). Shut up, Lupin and take it!
Here Lupin was about to say that it was too much for him, but Sirius always knew what people were going to say next, so he wrote that ahead of time.
You heard me. (Or read me?) Who else is going to take it? (Well, anyone would, but you’re the only one I trust.) And you need a house...get over it. I also grant you legal guardianship over Harry. As I said (Or wrote?), shut up and take it. I know the Weasley’s would be happy to take Harry in, but you also need someone to look after besides yourself......and they already have enough children. (No offense, Molly). So take Harry out of that sinkhole he goes to every summer, and have him live with you.
Harry (a.k.a. Harry Potter): I leave you thirty-five percent of my fortune. (Yes, I know, I know, you have your parents’ savings too, but what’s wrong with a little extra cash in your pockets?) Since Lupin has your legal guardianship you will always have a room at Number Twelve. Remember that no one is forcing you to be anywhere you don’t want to be (though I think Lupin might need you at some point or other), you will never have to stay there. I also want you to take care of Buckbeak. He deserves some fresh air, so don’t keep him locked up all the time. Just take him for a ride every once in a while. He’ll like that. Other than that, anything else that belonged to your parents’, is yours. Just as it should be.
Molly and Arthur (a.k.a. Mr. And Mrs. Weasley) I leave you fifteen percent of my fortune also. (And Molly, stop muttering to yourself about how much it is. You and I both know you can put it to good use.)
Sure enough, Mrs. Weasley was muttering something to herself along the lines of “too much.” She blushed and asked Harry to continue reading.
It should be enough to send at least twenty more Weasley children through all seven years at Hogwarts, so I daresay you will live a fair life from this point forward. You of all people deserve the best. Molly you may also have any Kitchen/House-hold supplies from my house...(Lupin’s House?)...God knows that you’ll get better use from them than Remus would. (He doesn’t cook too well, and because of that “furry little problem” of his, he prefers his food raw anyways).
Weasley Children (a.k.a. Ginny, Ron, Fred, George, Charlie, and Bill), I leave you each five percent of the Black Family Fortune. Spend it wisely. (That means you, Fred and George). Don’t try to spend it all in one shot.....(too much stuff to carry).
The Brightest Witch of Her Age (a.k.a. Hermione Granger) I leave you the last five percent of my fortune and all of the books in my library. I know that they will go to good use with you.
Tonks (a.k.a. Nymphadora) If there are any of your mother’s belongings in my house they are yours to keep....Make sure you take anything that I wouldn’t want to look at either. Liven it up for me a little. Be happy!
I think that’s everything.
Oh wait!
Dumbledore (a.k.a. ...Dumbledore?) Anything that seems important enough to take out of the house for (you know what business) please feel free. Be sure to ask Remus if he wouldn’t mind having the “You Know What” meetings there still...his decision now.
Now I’m sure that’s everything: thirty-five to Harry, fifteen to Moony, fifteen to Weasley adults, five to Hermione, five to Ginny, five to Ron, five to Fred, five to George, five to Charlie, and five to Bill. Sounds right to me. Don’t grieve for me but live it out. Be happy that I can finally run free (on two legs or four)...fleas and all!
I’m always here,
~Padfoot (a.k.a. Snuffles {a.k.a. Sirius Black})
As Harry finished, everyone was stuck inside their own thoughts. The best thing Sirius gave away was his life of fun and games. He laughed at life. Harry thought. And so will I.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As Harry’s party continued, the mood lightened up a little. Everyone was having a good time by the end. At about five to ten Harry noticed something missing, or someone. Finally realizing what it was, he nearly smacked himself on the forehead. Neither Ron nor Hermione were in the living room with the rest of the guests. Ginny found Harry with the same thing in mind as she did.
“I saw them run out to the broom shed about five minutes ago,” she told him. A short pause, then a wry smile. “Why don’t we go upstairs and I’ll give you a real birthday kiss?”
“I don’t think so!” Harry said happily. Ginny looked disheveled.
“Oh...alright. I just thought you might want to...”
“Oh! No Ginny, that’s not what I meant at all. I was just going to say that I would rather do that right here.” With those words Harry took Ginny in his arms locked her lips onto his and tilted her back until her head was about a foot from the ground. Standing up straight again, Harry and Ginny could hear the applause going on around them.
“History is repeating itself!” Harry heard Lupin say from behind him. “And it’s about time too! Happy Birthday Harry!”
Harry looked at Ginny. There was happiness and beauty swirling around in her big brown eyes. It really is a Happy Birthday, he thought. Even if Sirius isn’t here to celebrate it with me.
As the guests, that weren’t staying at the Burrow, began to leave, Ginny edged Harry towards the stairs to her bedroom.
“I haven’t given you your birthday present yet Harry,” she reminded him before pushing him along.
“Sure you did....I got invisible ink and a revealer from you.” He was very confused until she stopped him.
“Not that present,” she urged him.
“Oh. Oh! That present! Well I suppose we should go and get it then.” Mr. Weasley looked suspiciously at them as they ran up the stairs. Harry might have said the last part a little too loud to be normal.
Once upstairs, Ginny shut the door and kissed Harry on the lips right where they stood. Their legs gave out and they collapsed onto the furry lime green rug in the middle of the floor; kissing as if they would never see each other again. Minutes maybe even hours went by unaccounted for. Still, they were kissing.
Since they were still kissing, they didn’t hear the door click and creak open. The person opening the door, however, saw them on the floor, wrapped in each other’s arms.
“Um...Harry? We need to talk.”
I’m always here,
~Padfoot (a.k.a. Snuffles {a.k.a. Sirius Black})
Hermione couldn’t get it out of her mind. He’s gone.....He’s really gone. She let silent tears fall from her face. She felt Ron’s arm around her and she curled up into him.
“It’s okay,” he told her. “I miss him too. We all do.” They stood like that for God knows how long. Hermione sniffling into Ron’s chest; Ron holding her and rubbing her back to comfort her. I will always be here to comfort her. Ron thought to himself. Always, no matter where we are.
By the time they rejoined the party, the atmosphere had picked up again. Everyone was talking to one another in happy conversation. The music had started up again and there were people dancing. Deciding that dancing wasn’t the best thing to do (especially to this music), Ron took Hermione over to the armchair and sat there with her on his lap.
“Ron? Will we always be like this?” she asked from the shoulder she was leaning against a few minutes later. He looked down at her confused. “Will we always be together?” she clarified.
“Why wouldn’t we?” Ron asked still confused. “Hermione I told you I love you and nothing will change that. I mean it.”
“That’s not what I meant Ron,” Hermione told him impatiently.
“What are you trying to say then?”
“Will we always have the time just to sit and be together? What if we never have another moment like this?” Hermione’ eyes began to water again when she said these next words. “Ron, what if we die?”
He held her closer and told her, “If we die....I will still love you. I believe in life after death. We’ll be together where ever we end up. And you know what?” Hermione took her face out of his shoulder to look at him. “I never want to miss another chance to be with you. I screwed up in the past and I want to fix it right now.” He leaned in and kissed her gently on the forehead. Ron heard the music subside to a slower beat and he looked at Hermione. “Would you like to dance?” he asked her.
She smiled a wonderful, beautiful smile. “I’d love to.”
As they danced, all they could think about was each other. They kept their mellow pace even when the music sped up once more. Neither Ron nor Hermione noticed when everyone else left the dance floor for cake and ice-cream. They just kept dancing wrapped in the other’s arms.
After a long while, Ron looked around and noticed that he and Hermione were the only ones in the room. He put his chin on the top of her head and whispered, “We’re all alone. No one’s watching. Would you like to go outside for some...uh...fresh air?” Hermione looked up at him and found a devilish grin on Ron’s face.
“Alright...I suppose, but what are we supposed to do in this fresh air?” she asked with the same fiendish look on her face.
“I don’t know...breathing? I guess you’ll have to trust me on this one won’t you?”
“I suppose I will.”
Ron led her by the hand out the back door. Neither of them noticed, but as they walked out, Ginny strode into the living room and saw them run towards the broom shed. Ginny thought she distinctly saw Ron fix a permanent locking charm on the door before entering. “What on earth are they doing in there?” she wondered aloud.
“Probably something they aren’t supposed to be doing,” said Tonks from behind Ginny. She was watching Ron and Hermione out the window too. She looks happy and disappointed at the same time. Is it possible to look that way? Ginny thought to herself this time. Apparently. Oh well. I better find Harry.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Hermione take a break, you need to breathe. Slow it down...there you go. And pull....Three. Two. One. She broke away from Ron’s warm face. That was harder than I thought it would be. Well maybe one more time.
Ron you’re overdoing it! Slow it down. But I don’t want to. Shouldn’t you make sure Hermione wants to? Well I suppose.....pull Ron pull. Yeah really, time to let go...Ron LET GO! Fine! He looked at Hermione as he pulled away gently. She was pulling away too. I told you, that you overdid it! Wait she’s leaning back in....yes!
They kissed for a long time before they came back to the reality that they were in a broom shed. “Ron?” Hermione asked playfully. “Why did you bring me in here instead of say...your bedroom?”
“Well I actually have a few reasons for that.....One: No one comes out here after nine and I don’t share it with anyone so we have our privacy. Two: It’s quieter. We won’t be disturbed as easily. Three: It’s smaller which puts me closer to you. Four: Well to put it simply...It’s just more fun this way.” his answer was so factual that Hermione had to love him even more.
“You just think you’re so clever, huh?” she asked him even more playfully than the last question. “What makes you think I like private, quiet, close places like this anyways?”
“Because I know more about you than you think.”
“Name three things I wouldn’t expect you to know then,” she commanded.
He sat and thought. Then answered, “You love yellow roses, because red roses are just too sentimental and they make you cry.”
Hermione was astonished. She managed two words with difficultly. “Go on.”
“Let’s see....oh yes. You hate it when people shorten your name to ‘Mione. Or when only the first initial of your last name is used.”
Hermione nodded her head, still in awe. “Yeah. And?”
“I have one more....hmm. Oh! This is the best one.” He pause for a moment before speaking, laughing slightly. “In the third drawer down of your desk, you keep a diary underneath a purple folder. The folder has the words “Hogwarts: a History” written across it so no one else would think to look underneath it.”
“You’ve read my diary?!” Hermione exclaimed.
“No. I was only told about it....Do you really think I’m that thick? God Hermione, that would be completely deceitful. Never in a million years would I read your diary,” Ron said seriously. “Unless you told me I could of course,” he added.
“Who told you?” Hermione asked distractedly.
“Harry.”
“Why would Harry know where I keep my diary?”
“Simple...Ginny.”
Hermione fell silent for a while. “Ginny and Harry talk a lot don’t they?” she said after a moment of silence. More silence, then,“What was wrong with Harry this morning? Why was he so distraught about Ginny?”
Ron worried that this would come up. “Umm...I’m not supposed to say,” Ron replied a little embarrassed.
“What aren’t you supposed to tell me Ron?” Hermione asked a little more sternly this time.
“I PROMISED Harry that I wouldn’t tell you....He wants to be the one to tell you.”
“Well maybe I want you to tell me.”
“Hermione I can’t...”
“Tell me or I won’t kiss you again.” She sealed her lips tightly together. Hermione thought that she had him on that one but he held his ground.
“Hermione I would tell you if it didn’t mean crossing my barriers in Harry’s friendship. You know that.”
“Ron...I just want to know what’s going on,” she said concern.
Suddenly Ron went stock still. A shiver went down his body and Hermione could feel the chill coming off of him. He looked as if he had just watched someone get into a deadly accident. “You don’t, Hermione,” he told her. “You don’t want to know what’s going on.”
“Ron!” Hermione uttered urgently. “Why not? Please tell me. I need to understand what’s happened.” She hugged Ron close to her and he stammered off words that didn’t make much sense.
“I...Ginny ......and Harry....V-Vold-Voldemort,” His tongue-tied-ness was nothing but confusion to Hermione.
She took his face in both her hands and said, “Ron, calm down and breathe. What is going on?”
“Ginny is going to die because she loves Harry...V-Voldemort is going to kill her. Just because she can’t help who she loves. I’m scared for her.” He rattled off the words too fast and Hermione wasn’t quite sure if she had caught them all.
“Ron I still don’t understand.....how do you know that Ginny’s going to...what?”
“Let’s talk to Harry...he can explain it better than I can.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Hey Hermione, would it be alright if you talked to Harry alone tonight? I’m beat and I don’t really want to think about it right now.”
“Okay, Ron. I’ll see you in the morning alright?” she asked, kissing him on the cheek, and turning the handle on her bedroom door.
“Yeah, sounds good. Sweet Dreams,” he told her.
“You too.” She watched to make sure that he made it all the way to his bedroom before entering her room. When she opened the door, she was quite startled to find Harry and Ginny, kissing wildly, on the fury lime-green rug that led from the couch to the door. Ginny was completely on top of Harry, her legs straddled over him; Harry hands up the back of Ginny’s shirt.
The first thought that came to Hermione’s mind wasn’t even close to: What do they think they are doing in the middle of my bedroom. It was more along the lines of: How long is it going to take for Ron and me to be like that? Hermione then suddenly remembered that she needed to break up the couple for other reasons than going to bed peacefully.
“Um...Harry? We need to talk,” she said softly at first. Too softly. They didn’t hear her. “Harry?” she said it much louder that time. Loud enough to pull him and Ginny apart to look around and see who was talking to him.
“Uh.....hi, Hermione!” he said from below Ginny. He rolled out from underneath her, got up, and started walking towards the door. “I was just leaving. You probably need to talk with Ginny, huh? I’ll just close the door on my way out.”
“No. Actually, I need to talk to you, Harry,” she explained.
“Okay? Yeah....how about we go down to the kitchen?”
“Sure, that’s fine.”
“I’ll be back to say goodnight later. Okay, Gin?”
“Sure,” was all she managed before her ears started going red. She’s embarrassed. Ginny Weasley is embarrassed because I walked in on her. Me! Her best-friend! And she is embarrassed...she must really like him.
Harry led Hermione out the door by the elbow. Once down in the kitchen Hermione began speaking immediately.
“What was wrong this morning? How do you know Ginny is going to die? Why is Voldemort going to kill her? Do you really....”
“Hermione stop! I will tell you if you give me room to put a word in,” Harry interrupted. “I need you to calm down take a deep breath and keep an open mind.”
Hermione had to take many deep breaths during Harry’s lecture. This being the third time Harry told his story, he did it fluidly. The quicker he did it, the less his mind had to think about Ginny’s screams of agony. They had been ranting through his head all day and they wouldn’t leave him alone.
When he was done speaking, Hermione let out a little sigh. “Ron was right. Why does Ron always have to be right?” Hermione asked.
“What is he right about now?” Harry asked back, not sounding surprised.
“He told me I didn’t want to know. Harry, now I don’t want to know.” She suppressed her tears; she would not cry again tonight. Harry comforted her in a friendly hug.
“Ginny won’t leave me....”
“That was kind of obvious on your part,” Hermione said reminding Harry of how she found him upstairs. They laughed slightly, lightening the tension.
“I told her that it would be safer if we weren’t together, but she just wouldn’t hear of it. Ron was right about that too.” Harry thought for a moment. “How did you get Ron to tell you anyways?”
“I told him I wouldn’t kiss him again until he told me. Then he said that he promised you that he’d keep it a secret. Then he got the shakes and told me that I wouldn’t want to know. He didn’t really let on much. All I got out of it was that Ginny’s going to be killed by Voldemort because she loves you and...well...he’s scared for her.”
“Yeah, I know,” Harry admitted dully. “But there’s nothing I can do. I just need to kill Voldemort before he gets a chance at us.”
“Harry? I’m scared,” Hermione whispered. “What if we die?” she asked the question for the second time today hoping for an answer that involved living.
“I won’t let that happen,” Harry told her. “I will kill before anyone comes close to hurting you, Ginny, or Ron. Anyone at all!”
Hermione hugged him. “I hope you’ll never have to do that,” she whispered again.
“I’m going to say goodnight to Ginny and go to bed. Are you coming?”
“Not right now. I think I’ll help myself to some leftover birthday cake...I’m craving it.”
“Ok, then....night.”
“Good night. Happy Birthday, Harry.”
On his way upstairs he could have sworn he heard Hermione let out a few muffled sobs, but maybe he was just imagining it. When he reached Ginny’s door he knocked softly as he opened it. Ginny was fast asleep on the couch. He walked over to the couch and picked her up. He placed Ginny on her bed and covered her in the blankets at the end of it. He kissed her softly on the head, crossed the room and left.
Harry climbed into his bed and was almost afraid to fall asleep. All Harry could think about were Ginny’s screams of terror. He forced himself into thinking sweet thoughts of Ginny, sleeping soundly in her bed a few flights of stairs away. He closed his eyes and drifted into a peaceful sleep. Ginny and Harry were flying over the countryside on Harry’s Firebolt, just enjoying the sunset.
When he awoke the next morning the first thing Harry thought of was how beautiful Ginny looked in the twilight of the evening in his dream. The second was how radiant she looked sitting at the edge of his bed in her green pajama pants and blue tank-top.
“How long have you been watching me sleep?” Harry asked suspiciously.
“Only a few minutes,” Ginny lied with a grin. More like an hour but whatever, he gets the picture. “Fancy some breakfast?”
“Sure,” Harry mumbled looking at her lovingly.
“Pancakes or waffles?” She asked the same question that she asked the previous morning.
“You pick,” Harry told her the same answer in return.
“Pancakes...I feel a change in the wind.”
“I’ll be down in a minute.”
“Alright.” Harry watched Ginny’s small figure walk out the door and down the stairs. “I love you!” Ginny called out after she had descended about ten steps.
“I love you too!” Harry hollered after her. Then he whispered to himself this time, “I love you too.”
~AN: Lots of fluff I know...but I need to get all the important info in before Hogwarts....anyways here’s a quote from the next chappie: “...Harry you haven’t told him yet have you?” Hermione clued in halfway through her statement. “Harry! Sometimes I wonder about where your brain goes.....” Get’s you antsy doesn’t it? Read and Review, I’ll respond to everyone! And thanks goes to my awesomely awesome big sis, Natalie for her great “critisizm”, and for helping me overcome my apostrophe-phobia! ;o)