Chapter 6: Friends Reunited
Ginny and Fred blinked into existence inside a musty, gloomy room inside Grimmauld Place. The two beds, one against either wall, marked the room clearly as a bedroom, though not a particularly inviting one. It took a moment for Ginny to realise it must be the bedroom that Ron and Harry shared when they stayed at Grimmauld Place. She hadn’t ever spent much time in the room and subsequently didn’t immediately recognise it. After a further scan, the room’s occupants became more obvious, as Ginny noticed the battered trunk at the end of one bed that was unmistakably her brother Ron’s. Oddly enough the other bed seemed to have a trunk that looked strikingly similar to Harry’s at the end of it. But how could that be possible? Ginny had been resting against that very trunk only a few short minutes before with Harry. It couldn’t have got here before she did. Either it wasn’t Harry’s trunk, or something very strange was going on. Ginny turned towards her brother to ask about this, but he spoke before she had a chance to open her mouth.
‘It worked then?’ said Fred. ‘Actually don’t bother to answer that, it was kind of obvious, what with you two being busy when we got there.’
‘Oh sod off!’ snapped Ginny back, but without much menace. Fred seemed almost as happy about it as her.
‘You know,’ mused Fred, ‘that look on his face when you kissed him in front of us was priceless. I think it’ll be fun to try and get him like that more often.’
‘You bloody won’t!’ flashed Ginny, reaching for her wand threateningly, ‘or I’ll hex you into next week!’
‘Whoa, ok ok… Blimey Ginny if you wuuuuuurrrvvv him that much…’ teased Fred.
Ginny chose that moment to lunge forward at her brother in an attempt to shut him up, but unfortunately Harry and George chose that same moment to Apparate right between the pair. Because of this, instead of grabbing her brother, Ginny collided with her boyfriend, knocking him to the floor and landing on top of him.
‘Oooff!... Oh! Harry!’ wheezed Ginny, catching her breath as she raised herself up on her elbows, ‘What are you doing there?’
‘Hi Gin. Nice to see you too,’ groaned Harry from under her.
‘Honestly look at those two, its disgraceful…’
‘…Yeah, I mean they’ve been apart, what, two or three minutes…’
‘…And they’re already on top of each other…’
‘…They don’t even care where they are…’
‘…Or who sees them. It’s disgusting, is what it is!’
‘Oh sod off you two!’ snarled Ginny.
‘Aww, how sweet…’
‘…Sniff! They grow up so fast. It seems like only yesterday we were helping them get back together…’
‘… No dear brother, that was twenty minutes ago…’
‘…Wow, they really do grow up quick then.’
‘If you two have quite finished,’ snapped Ginny, picking herself up. ‘Harry and I have to have a talk.’
‘And in private please, if you don’t mind,’ she added when the twins didn’t move.
‘Oh right, we get it, a talk,’ said George, winking pointedly at Ginny.
‘I guess we’d better be off then, Fred…’
‘…Yeah George, we know when we’re imposing. Enjoy your talk, Harry…’
‘…Be nice, Ginny, he looked scared enough last time, too much of that could kill the poor lad…’
With that, the two Disapparated before Ginny could whip out her wand.
‘Damn those two, they’re so childish!’ said Ginny, exasperated.
‘What did you want to talk to me about?’ asked Harry with a glint in his eye, moving towards her.
‘Sorry to spoil your fun,’ replied Ginny, pecking him on the lips, ‘but I actually want to talk.’
‘Oh,’ said Harry, trying not to sound disappointed. ‘What about?’
‘I was just thinking it might be easier for you if I went and brought my brother and Hermione up here so you can talk to them more privately,’ replied Ginny. ‘I thought you might have things to say to them before you faced everyone.’
‘That’d probably be best, I guess,’ admitted Harry. He hadn’t even thought about seeing everyone, but now that he had, he was feeling very apprehensive. Maybe seeing Ron and Hermione first would make it easier.
‘I’ll just go and see if I can find them then,’ said Ginny, giving his hand a squeeze and slipping quietly out the door.
****
Ginny hurried through the corridor and down the stairs, carefully sneaking past the portrait in the hallway. She stopped at the kitchen door and caught her breath, listening to see if anyone was in there. She could hear the hustle and bustle of dinner being prepared, meaning her mother was in the kitchen. Unfortunately this drowned out all other sounds, meaning she had no way of finding out who was in the kitchen except for walking in. Ginny steeled herself, grasped the door handle and opened the kitchen door.
Ginny looked around the room, and saw that luckily it wasn’t very busy. Her mother was busying herself at the small stove, whilst her father was reading a copy of the Daily Prophet at the table. That was odd. Why was her father back from work so early? Recently he hadn’t been getting home until very late. Perhaps the ministry wasn’t very busy today or something? No, Ginny knew that couldn’t be it at all.
All this was driven from Ginny’s mind, however, at the sight of Hermione and Ron sitting at the table with her father. Ron was sitting with a look of extreme boredom on his face, presumably at whatever Hermione was lecturing him about this time, probably S.P.E.W or something.
As Ginny strode towards the table, Mrs Weasley looked up from her cooking and spotted her daughter.
‘Hello, Ginny,’ said Mrs Weasley. ‘ have you only just got up? It’s nearly dinner time, for Merlin’s sake!’
‘No Mum, I’ve been up for hours,’ replied Ginny sweetly, trying to avoid a telling off from her mother. ‘Actually, I’ve been doing some homework. I smelt you cooking and it made me hungry. I came down to ask what time dinner is and I also wanted to see if Hermione was around. I’m a bit stuck on a Charms essay and I could do with some help.’
‘Oh, hi Ginny!’ said Hermione, looking up at the sound of her name. ‘What are you stuck on?’
‘It’s a bit hard to explain just here, I need you to come up and have a look at it with me, if you could?’ returned Ginny hopefully.
‘Erm… ok,’ said Hermione quizzically, before turning to Ron. ‘Are you ok down here if I go up with Ginny for a minute?’
‘No, it’s ok, Ron can come too, I had an idea for a few new Quidditch plays that he can go over with me too!’ Ginny prompted, thinking quickly.
‘Really? Great! Let’s go!’ said Ron, jumping from his seat and virtually running to the door by Ginny, obviously keen to escape whatever Hermione had been lecturing him about.
‘… Err… ok then,’ agreed Hermione slowly, flashing Ginny a questioning look and getting up to move to the door.
‘Don’t be too long,’ called Mrs Weasley. ‘Dinner will be ready in half an hour and I want you all cleaned up and ready!’
‘Yes Mum,’ replied Ginny as she closed the door to the kitchen.
****
‘What’s really up Ginny?’ Hermione whispered to Ginny as they climbed the stairs.
‘Don’t worry, you’ll see when we get up there,’ she replied.
The pair almost ran into Ginny as she stopped outside the boys room halfway up the corridor and opened the door.
‘Hey, why are we going into my ro... oooff!’ said Ron, but he was cut off by Hermione as she squealed and bumped into him as she hurried through the open door and into the bedroom.
****
Harry was no sooner aware of the door opening than Hermione was rushing headlong into the room and was enveloping him in a crushing hug.
‘Harry!’ cried Hermione, still hugging him. ‘It’s so good to see you!’
‘What the…. Harry mate!’ said Ron, surprised, as he entered the room, looking to see what had sparked Hermione’s theatrics. He hurried over to Harry, who had by now pried himself away from Hermione, and clapped him on the back. ‘How you doing? You look like hell.’
‘Ronald!’ admonished Hermione, glaring at Ron. ‘Honestly! Why can’t you just be supportive for once?’
‘Well, he does…’ muttered Ron, staring at his feet. ‘What are you doing here anyway? I mean we’re glad you are see you obviously,’ he added quickly as Hermione started to open her mouth to give him another ticking off. ‘But I mean how are you here? How’d you get here?’
‘It doesn’t matter at the moment,’ said Ginny moving from the back of the room to sit on one of the beds. ‘What matters is he’s here and we all need to have a talk.’
Harry looked at Ginny pleadingly, suddenly feeling like he’d rather be someone else. He’d done his best to put his two friends out of his life and mind, so why weren’t they angry at him? Admittedly Ginny had been angry at him and it had worked out ok, but that was different. Surely Ron and Hermione had every right to be angry. Why weren’t they angry? And speaking of angry, why wasn’t Ron trying to kill him for what he’d put Ginny through? Had Ginny even told anyone what had happened at Dumbledore’s funeral? Probably not, but by the sound of it she’d been miserable since returning home, so surely even Ron would have worked out what happened?
Overwhelmed with confusion and worry, Harry sat down on the bed with Ginny, leaving a sizable gap between them. If Ron had worked out what he’d put Ginny through, he didn’t want to let him know they were back together. Even if he hadn’t worked it out, now was hardly the best time to have Ron grimacing and protesting over them being close.
Ginny, however didn’t give him a choice. No sooner had Harry sat down than she shuffled up the bed to sit next to him, putting her hand in his and squeezing it.
‘It’ll be ok Harry,’ she said softly, ‘Just tell them everything about what you were going to do.’
Harry sighed and squeezed her hand back, while lifting his head to look at the pair. He opened his mouth to begin, but found he didn’t know how. Another squeeze from Ginny gave him the courage he needed though, and he proceeded to recount what had happened at Privet Drive over the last few weeks. He explained that he’d been planning to go after the Horcruxes on his own, how he’d pushed Ginny away for her own good and why he’d not corresponded with them. He then explained, with Ginny’s help, what had happened that day, with the twins, Ginny and his arrival at Grimmauld Place.
‘So,’ said Hermione eventually, after her and Ron had taken all this in, ‘what now? Have you changed your mind? You’re coming back to school now, aren’t you?’
‘I don’t know Hermione,’ answered Harry. ‘I haven’t really had the chance to think about what I’m going to do. I don’t really see how I can, though… I mean, I have the Horcruxes to find, and…’
‘But its NEWT year!’ interrupted Hermione. ‘You can’t just quit! They’re vital for your future career!’
‘The Horcruxes are more important Hermione!’ Harry shot back. ‘At the moment exams aren’t at the top of my list of priorities,’ he continued, not voicing his fear that he may not have a future to use his NEWTs in anyway.
‘But…’ stuttered Hermione, clearly struggling to come to terms with the idea that someone could find something else more important than exams.
‘Look, it doesn’t matter,’ said Ron, cutting in. ‘Harry said he hasn’t decided. He’s got time to make up his mind. You’re going to stay for a while, right Harry?’
‘Erm… Yeah, of course,’ replied Harry, momentarily stunned by Ron’s uncharacteristic sensitivity. ‘Like I said, I have no idea what I’m going to do, so I guess it’d do me good to stay here, at least until I work out what I’m going to do.’
‘You could certainly do with some good food. I know I could,’ said Ron, patting his stomach. ‘What time’s dinner?’
‘Anytime now, I think,’ replied Hermione, giggling at Ron. ‘Are you coming down Harry?’
‘Me and Harry will follow you down, we’ve still got a couple of things to sort out,’ answered Ginny. ‘Don’t worry Ron, it’s nothing like that,’ she said, catching Ron’s disgusted look. ‘Just give us a little while. Oh, and please don’t tell Mum that Harry’s here yet. If you do, she’ll just rush up here and drag him down to eat.’
‘Ok,’ replied Hermione, pulling Ron out the door, ‘I’ll tell her you’re just finishing off your homework and then you’ll be down.’
‘Thanks, Hermione,’ said Ginny as the pair left and shut the door behind them.
‘So,’ inquired Harry, raising an eyebrow at Ginny, ‘what do we need to sort out?’
‘There’s someone else who wants to talk to you,’ answered Ginny, ‘if that’s ok?’
‘Erm… yeah, I guess,’ answered Harry hesitantly. ‘Who is it?’
‘You’ll see when they get here,’ answered Ginny. ‘Looks like Professor Phineas has already gone to say you’re ready,’ she continued, looking past Harry and at the empty picture frame on the wall.
‘But who…’ started Harry, but he was interrupted by a smart knocking at the door, making him jump.
Ginny got up and walked over to the door. She opened the door, but from where he was sitting, the door blocked Harry’s view of who was on the other side.
Ginny glanced back at Harry and flashed him a reassuring smile.
‘I’ll leave you to talk alone,’ she said to the person on the other side of the doorway and, with another smile at Harry, left the room.
The door closed as the visitor entered and closed the door behind them.
‘Hello Potter.’
****
Fading Lights by Shamino
Chapter Notes: Sorry to everyone for the delay on this one and for the shortness of the previous chapters. This one is longer.
I've had alot of university work on and still do, so it may be a little while before I write the next few chapters. Mebby a week or two, but I'll see what i can do. Please bear with me!