Disclaimer: I own nothing in or related to Harry Potter or this story. Or anything else really. I do have a nice pillow though. It's full of FLUFF!
Warnings: HBP SPOILERS! And, well, Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione semi-fluff. Yup, not quite fluff, but nonetheless, it's fluff. Even more, it's unexpected (at least it was when I started writing this chapter) fluff!
Previously:
He froze when the whole face came into view. There, right in front of him, stood his long-dead mother, seemingly in perfect health.
“Hello, Harry,” Lily said. “I have been waiting for you.”
Distant Memories
Laughs, Tears, and Promises
(((***)))
“And then I woke up,” he stated miserably.
Remus gazed at Harry. His dream was so … unusual.
Harry sighed. “You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”
“Of course not! I just think it was a bit of a strange dream.” Remus saw uncertainty in the features of the man before him. “Even if I did think you were crazy, I wouldn’t have any right to say anything. I mean, look at me!”
Harry raised an eyebrow as he laid back into his pillows. “Um…Moony? You’re the sanest of all the Marauders. You really think you can pull the crazy act?”
Remus looked indignant. “Oh, I can and I will! You just watch! When you’re out of this … room,” he shivered, thinking of all the nights he had spent in the hospital wing when he was younger, “you had better watch out for a certain Mr. Moony.”
“Oh, I’m shaking with fear,” Harry said with an extremely sarcastic air. “But then, you”” He was cut off by a yawn. “You”” Another yawn.
Remus smiled. “Oh, stop stuttering. I’m not that amazing.”
Harry mock glared, but it was obvious he was in better spirits. He seemed to like the fact that the conversation had strayed away from his dreams. Lost in thought, he started to yawn again. Remus was still talking, but now it was about past pranks. “Moony, you’re rambling.”
“I do not ramble!”
“You do,” Harry said before the graying man had the chance to protest. “But, um, can we continue this conversation tomorrow? I’m really getting tired.”
Remus opened his mouth to speak again, or, as Harry presumed, to ramble.
“Just go,” Harry said, albeit gently. “I think that you, like me, are very tired. Or, at least your mouth should be from all that rambling.” He then ducked as a pillow soared straight at his head. Unfortunately for Remus, Madam Pomfrey came in at that very moment.
“Mr. Lupin, please! Is it too much to ask for my patients not to be beaten with bed accessories?” She then looked pointedly at the door as she stood with her hands on her hips.
Remus sighed. “Alright, alright... I’m going now. Bye, Harry.”
Harry smiled slightly. “See you tomorrow, Moony.”
Remus was just about to leave but stopped at the door. “You know,” he said, looking at Harry, “I think it really is time for you to get a Marauder nickname.”
Madam Pomfrey’s eyes widened. “Oh no… Not another one! I must warn Minerva.” She then shuffled into her office, probably to Floo McGonagall.
Remus looked over to Harry in amusement only to find him already asleep. He smiled and walked the rest of the way out of the infirmary before shutting the door with a soft click.
That night, a tall redheaded man could be seen pacing in the kitchen of the Burrow. Two women, both around the same age, were sitting at the table and occasionally throwing worried glances over to him. Those looks just made him pace even more.
“Ron, sit down!” one woman said.
To his credit, the man’s pacing slowed a bit. “Hermione, we’ve been through this! I don’t see why you want to wait,” Ron said exhaustedly.
She stood. “Exactly! We’ve been through this, so you should know that he’ll tell us when he can. I, and I’m sure Ginny as well,” Hermione said after indicating Ron’s sister at the table, “don’t want to wait either. But please, Ron, understand the state Harry must be in. Understand that after all this war put him through, he’s going to need some time alone.”
Ron stopped pacing and glared. “Don’t you think he’s had enough ‘time alone?’” he asked harshly, making the girls wince. “Remus owled me this morning saying that he woke up yesterday from the coma. He said that Harry just about exploded when Remus tried to coax him into talking, but””
“”which is why we must stay away for a bit! He’s only going””
“”to get worse! If we””
“ENOUGH!” Ginny was now standing between the two. They stared at her in shock. “What? Did you think I’d let you two go on forever? You’d never shut up.”
Hermione was still staring at her. Ron, however, simply lost control of his jaw and let it drop rather close to the floor.
“Oh stop being so ridiculous. Yes, both of you,” Ginny added after seeing Ron start to regain power of his mouth to protest. “You’re both acting as if you’re spoiled children. Now sit down. I said sit, Ron!”
He sat, wanting to point out that she sounded like their mother, Merlin bless her.
Ginny continued, “Alright. Let me get this straight. Hermione, you want to stay here until Harry owls us?”
The older girl nodded.
She then turned to her brother. “You want to go because you think Harry needs to talk it out?”
Ron nodded.
Shaking her head, she mumbled, “Merlin, you sound like Remus.” Louder she said, “I have a compromise. It’s simple really. Ron, we head out tomorrow. It’s kind of late now.”
Hermione’s eyes narrowed. She made to stand up, but the small hand on her arm stopped her.
“I wasn’t done yet. Yes, he needs his time alone, but don’t you think he’s had enough? He’s been awake for two days now, and when we go tomorrow, it’ll be three. We don’t have to stay for long. We’ll leave as soon as he wants us to, okay?”
Hermione sighed, “Yes, yes, it’s fine.” She looked a bit teary. “I just don’t want him to be upset with us. Harry’s been through so much.”
Ginny made to hug her, but Ron got there first. He whispered in his girlfriend’s ear something that Ginny couldn’t make out even though she was standing right beside them. She thought she heard a “sorry” or two but couldn’t be sure. Shaking her head in utter disbelief at the rapid emotional changes, she left the kitchen and headed upstairs towards her room.
Climbing up the stairs, a random thought clouded her mind. They get into the stupidest fights. If Harry and I were like that when we were together, I swear I would’ve forced someone to curse us so bad that we wouldn’t even remember what had happened!” She stopped abruptly. Harry…
That’s when the tears came. Harry… They were tears of loss, of confusion, and strangely enough, of joy. She ran the rest of the way to her room and slammed the door shut, silently thanking her eldest brother for having the rest of the family over for dinner.
Ginny threw herself onto her half-made bed and sobbed into her pillow, thinking of the things that happened to her and Harry in the past year.
First she thought about how they broke up at the end of her fifth year. He had to be noble and think that he was really protecting her. It might have worked for awhile with Voldemort, but as evil as he was, the madman wasn’t a fool. He knew that Ginny was special to Harry, and he took her. Of course, this only enraged Harry enough to get her back and search even faster for the Horcruxes.
As he continued his searching, Ginny was spending her days at the Burrow dwelling in her own thoughts. She should’ve been attending Hogwarts for her sixth year, but the school was still closed. The ministry was slowly crumbling away, and her whole family was still working in the Order, however disorganized it was now. Ron, Hermione, and Harry showed up even now and then, but they were gone more often than not. When they did show their faces though, it was something to remember….
Molly Weasley was in her kitchen washing the dishes. It was around two in the afternoon when she looked up and through the window over the sink. The plate she was holding slipped from her hands and onto the floor, where it lay in forgotten pieces.
“Arthur! They’re here! They’re back!”
Her husband came rushing in with his wand raised. “Who?”
Molly pointed out the window before she went over to the door. She started to turn the handle, but Arthur stopped her. “The precautions,” he whispered.
She rolled her eyes. However, when a knock was heard, she asked, “Who is it?”
“Mum, it’s us. Let us in!”
She looked over to Arthur with pleading eyes. He said hurriedly, “Who is to blame for your development of arachnophobia when you were young?”
A confused reply came through the door. “A rack… what?”
“Spiders, Ron. Fear of Spiders,” came Hermione’s voice.
Molly could imagine the sudden look of comprehension on her sons face. She smiled.
“Well,” Ron said. “It was Fred and George. Stupid gits had to turn my toy into a spider while I was sleeping. That’d cause any kid to have a healthy fear of spiders!”
Molly looked over to Arthur. “Enough, dear?” He nodded. She grinned and opened the door, nearly bouncing in excitement. “Welcome back!”
Hugs were exchanged all around and the five sat at the table with drinks. The smashed plate was now back in one piece and washing itself in the sink as they all talked about recent news. Some Horcruxes were still out there, but the three teens had already found and destroyed one, and they had a lead on another. Nothing was new on the elder Weasleys’ end except for a few attacks. Eventually there was a lapse in the conversation.
Harry, who hadn’t been talking much, looked up to Molly. “Is Ginny home?” he asked her quietly.
Molly put a hand over Harry’s. “She’s upstairs in her room, dear.”
He nodded and stood. With a quick “thanks,” he quickly jogged the well-known path through the Weasley household, only slowing when he reached her door. He paused before knocking.
“Come in!” he heard through the door. Harry slowly pushed it open and saw that his former girlfriend was lying on her bed reading a magazine. “Mum, I found a good recipe in here.” She looked up and froze.
He shuffled his feet. She continued staring at him. With a small shake of his head, he walked through the doorway and over to the side of her bed, where he knelt down. “Hey,” he said softly.
This broke her gaze. “Hey,” she mumbled to her magazine.
He smiled a bit hesitantly. Still looking straight at her, he seemed to get over his nervousness and blurted out, “We’re here for a couple days. It’s … Thursday now, so probably until Monday morning. We “ I’ve missed you.”
This made her look up. Unfortunately for Harry, it was accompanied by a pair of narrowed eyes. “Obviously not enough to let me come along!” She still hadn’t gotten over the fact that he was keeping her to “safe” by leaving her behind. It made her feel like a little girl who couldn’t do anything.
“Ginny,” Harry started. “You know why I couldn’t.”
“Yes, I know perfectly well you’re ‘reasons,’ but it doesn’t mean that they’re good ones!” She was now standing face to face with him.
“You’re saying that keeping you safe isn’t a good reason?” he asked incredulously.
“I’m saying that it’s a bit stupid. Ron and Hermione””
“Are of age!”
She looked ready to slap him. He just stood there searching her eyes until she calmed down a little and said, “Harry, you know that doesn’t matter anymore. I want to help. I feel so worthless here all day. It’s not like I’m any help to the Order when I’m stuck in my room. I””
But she was cut off by something totally unexpected. Her eyes widened in shock as Harry closed the distance between them and kissed her softly. He pulled away a minute later.
Under her gaze, he quietly said, “Gin, please don’t say that. I know you hate this. I do too. I really just want you to be safe. I guess it puts my mind at ease if I know that you’re here at the Burrow.”
“Living a quiet existence?”
He leaned his forehead against hers. “Yeah…”
She backed away and rubbed her temples. “Harry…”
He sighed, “I know, Gin, I know.”
She walked over to her window and looked upon the meadow beneath. Her back was to Harry. He let her think in silence for awhile. When she turned around, he was still standing in the same spot. She walked over to him and leaned her face into his chest. His arms went around her waist, hugging her to him. He looked down and saw that she was crying. He wiped a tear from her cheek, and she looked up.
“Harry, I’ll stay here. I’ll stay and wait, but promise me something.”
He looked at her, his eyes starting to tear up as well. “Anything, Ginny, anything.”
“Promise me you’ll do all that you can to come back. Beat him, and come back. That’s all I ask.”
His reply was a swift kiss. She lost herself in the sweetness, the needing, and the love all wrapped up in one.
They only broke apart when they heard hurried footsteps coming up the stairs. Ron burst into his sister’s room without even a knock. He saw the tears but turned to Harry. “We’ve just heard that there was an attack on the Muggle orphanage that V-Voldemort grew up in. We have to leave.” He looked at his sister sadly. “Now.”
Harry looked into the eyes of the girl standing next to him. He gave her one last kiss and told her to stay safe. He then turned and ran out of the room with Ron.
Running to the top of the stairs, she saw no one. She heard the front door close, and all she could do was whisper, “come back,” before she ran back into her room and slammed her door shut. Throwing herself onto her bed, she dissolved into tears once more.
That day was one of the last times she had seen Harry before the final battle. They had never officially gotten back together before or after that. Eventually, she had resolved herself to being stuck at home, only leaving to go with her parents occasionally to Headquarters.
She hated staying there all of the time, but she told Harry that she would. That promise was what kept her going throughout the many days of worrying. One more thing did too. It was simple really, but it meant the world to her.
As present-day Ginny lay on her bed, no longer in tears, she promised herself something. When she saw Harry tomorrow, she would tell him. She would tell him she loved him.
A/N: Oh, I'm nervous about posting this chapter. This is basically the first thing that I’ve written that even deals with romance. Anyways, please remember to REVIEW! I really want to know what you think. Actually, I need to know if it was sickening or not...