Chapter 9:“Would you like to…” Harry started tentatively, “…come see the house?” Harry hadn’t told Ginny details of where they had been living, only that they had protected it with the Fidelius Charm. He was more concerned with other, less pressing, matters that morning.
“Oh, Harry!” Ginny shouted, jumping off the windowsill and flinging herself into his arms. “Of course!”
“Good,” he answered over Ron’s embarrassed coughing, “because I have something important I need to ask you to do…”
Hermione fell unto the couch, closed her eyes, and murmured, “Finally,” as Ron collapsed into the armchair. Harry was surprised to find that he was homesick for their little cottage in Godric’s Hollow and was just as surprised to find that Ron and Hermione obviously felt the same way.
Ginny stood nervously in the front door until Hermione opened her eyes, smiled, and patted the seat next to her. She immediately crossed the room to sit by her friend.
“I didn’t realize how much I miss this shack,” Ron muttered, his eyes still closed.
“Neither did I,” Hermione returned, “and don’t call it a shack!”
Harry grinned as he took Ginny by the hand and led her around a tour of the cottage, after which he was determined to tell her everything he was always afraid of her knowing.
Ginny simultaneously looked stunned, scared, exhausted, and excited as she sank lower into the couch that Hermione had spent three hours of transfiguration on to get it to look “just right” for their living room.
“Ginny?” Harry attempted hopefully. He, with continual interruptions from Ron and Hermione, had just explained, in full context, their plan for the coming months.
“We know this is a lot,” Hermione continued gently, covering the younger girls hand with her own as she moved closer to her on the couch.
Harry was starting to think it would have been better to space the contents of this conversation out. Perhaps learning of the Prophecy, Voldemort’s childhood, the Horcruxes, Harry’s last fateful night with Dumbledore, and the disastrous first attempt at destroying a Horcrux all in one evening was a bit much. He also felt all their future plans hinged on the question he had just asked her, and wasn’t sure what he would do if she refused…
“Gin!” Ron tried more forcefully than either Harry or Hermione, as he launched a rolled up piece of parchment at his sister’s forehead. This resulted in Hermione shooting a nasty look in Ron’s direction.
“Harry,” Ginny stirred as Ron’s well-aimed missile hit her, shaking her head slightly as she came out of her reverie, “I can’t.”
“Wait, what?” Harry asked, confused. Ron’s jaw dropped and he muttered, “Ginny!” Hermione beamed.
“I was hoping you’d refuse!” Hermione said to Ginny, smiling broadly. “I agree with Ginny,” she finished empathically, challenging the boys with a look.
“You…you do?” Harry asked, stunned. “But, who else could it be? Who else could we trust? I know it’s dangerous to ask, but…”
“It’s not that it’s too dangerous, Harry,” Ginny interrupted quickly. “It’s not a question of danger at all.” Ron sat staring at his sister as a look of dawning comprehension flashed across his face. “But, I’d be more useful if I were with you, right by your side.”
“Ginny, no,” Harry began, “confiding in you is one thing, having you…”
“Having me what?” Ginny asked, firing up. “I can fight just as well as any of you! Now that I know everything, I might as well go along!”
“And, if we get injured, she knows more healing spells than any of us,” Hermione added. Ginny fervently nodded.
“I’m getting very good at it…”
Harry was trying to think of an excuse, trying to find a way in which he could ensure Ginny would remain free from danger. He thought asking her to be the Ni Sannfaid (or as Ron insisted, the Secret-Keeper) would have solved his problems. According to their agreement with Professor McGonagall, the Secret-Keeper would stay away from the battles and be in constant contact with the Order. Ginny seemed to fit the description perfectly, or at least, Harry wished she would. He was about to insist that his suggestion was the best, that it was the only way he’d allow her to participate, when a voice he wasn’t expecting spoke up.
“Hermione and Ginny are right, Harry,” Ron offered quietly. Both girls shot their heads in Ron’s direction. “Ginny is more than capable and you can’t say she wouldn’t be useful.”
Harry opened and shut his mouth uselessly. If Ron had given his approval, there was no way Harry could argue the matter further.
“Where are you off to?” Ron asked as Ginny un-expectantly jumped up from the couch.
“I think we should start with me seeing those memories,” Ginny responded, disappearing into the cottage’s makeshift study.
“I think she took it all rather well,” Ron said, rising from his chair and making his way to the kitchen. “Hermione, did you pick up any butterbeer?” he asked, his head already shoved into the refrigerator.
Hermione followed Ron, rolling her eyes in his wake.
“So how does this work, exactly?” Harry caught up with Ginny in the study and found her holding up a small bottle of swirling memory, her hand shaking slightly.
“Are you alright?” he asked tentatively.
“Of course.”
“Ginny.”
Putting down the bottle she turned to face him. “I had no idea…” she began, her eyes shifting to the floor.
“I know, Ginny,” Harry began desperately, he thought telling her everything was what they needed. The last thing he wanted was to change Ginny’s opinion of him. “I didn’t want to scare anyone. I didn’t even tell Ron and Hermione about the prophecy until Dumbledore told me to.”
Ginny, sensing Harry’s fear, locked eyes with him. “Let’s get one thing straight,” she started, crossing the room and grasping his hands, “nothing you will ever tell me will change how I feel about you. I’m just sorry I couldn’t be there for you. Now that I know, we’ll do this together.” Ginny flung her arms about Harry and he released a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding.
“I mean, alright,” Ginny continued teasingly, her voice stifled in Harry’s chest, “who didn’t know about the whole ‘Chosen One’ thing, it was all over the Daily Prophet!”
Harry was so delighted that she didn’t hate him, or fear him, and still wanted to be with him, even after all he had just explained to her, that he kissed her.
“Oi! If I can’t snog Hermione in this house than you shouldn’t be doing that either!” came Ron’s slightly muffled voice from the doorway. He was shoving a sandwich that Hermione had just made for him into his mouth while holding a butterbeer tucked under one arm. Hermione’s eyes darted confusingly to Ron.
“Who said you can’t snog Hermione?” Ginny returned defiantly, though her eyes were smiling.
“Harry,” Ron replied plainly, a smirk crossing his features. A look of comprehension fleetingly crossed Hermione’s face.
“I didn’t mean that…I just meant…you know…” Harry began feebly to the amused looks of both the Weasley siblings and the confused look of Hermione. “It may be a bit…strange…to walk in on…”
“Harry!” Hermione admonished, a look of incomprehension plastered on her face. “We are all supposed to be adults here! Honestly, if Ron and I being together is that much of a concern for you…”
“It’s not that, Hermione!” Harry hastened to say.
Hermione stared back, confused.
“It’s just that, you’re sort of…” Harry eyes dropped to the floor, wishing there was another way to appease her, “like a…like a sister to me, and…”
He didn’t need to finish because Hermione’s face quickly broke into a smile as she interrupted. “Oh, Harry!” she said, her eyes misting. “I understand.” Harry could feel the heat rising from his face.
“Wait,” Ron started, with the look of someone who had just realized that their master plan had backfired, “does this mean we get to start snogging more, or not?”
For an answer, Hermione crossed the room and kissed him soundly.
“Well, I guess this answers your question from last night, Hermione,” Ginny sniggered.
“What question?” Ron asked, slightly dazed, as Hermione’s face redden brilliantly.
“Never you mind,” Hermione answered as she dragged him from the room. “We’ve dishes to do while Ginny has a go at those memories.” Ron groaned audibly and Hermione gave Ginny an exasperated sort of look that clearly indicated it was not at all the dishes that Hermione was looking forward to doing.
Harry looked down at Ginny questioningly as she burst into laughter.
“The other night, under the influence of that Veritaserum, which by the way we definitely have to brew, I’ve never had so much fun…” Ginny paused to giggle. “Anyway, Hermione was wondering why Ron didn’t attempt to snog more often, I mean after his displays with Lavender, one would have thought…” Harry laughed heartily as he and his girlfriend readied themselves for a plunge into forgotten memories.
“Well, that was the last one,” Harry said loudly as he and Ginny stepped out of the Pensieve several hours later. At the sound of his voice, Ginny and Harry heard a distant scrambling. Ginny nodded wisely to Harry, she was right that they may have to give an extra loud warning of their return.
“Back so soon?” asked a particularly disheveled and breathless Hermione as she hastened to the study’s doorway.
“Yes,” replied Ginny, smirking as she glanced out a nearby window at the darkening sky. “It took us no time at all!” she continued sarcastically. Harry heard the sound of water running start and plates begin to bang together.
Ron had busied himself at the sink.
“Sorry to leave you with those dishes, mate,” Harry said, smiling as he and Ginny collapsed at the dinner table. “Looks like they’ve taken you all day.”
“Yeah,” Ron returned smiling broadly, his hair sticking out all over the place, “it’s been hard work, but someone had to do it!” Hermione had followed them into the kitchen, her face rapidly coloring.
“Well,” Hermione broke in, clearing her throat, “right. So, you’ve seen the memories then?”
“Yes,” Ginny returned, “but I don’t have any ideas…”
“There’s not much more to go on from those,” Hermione agreed, accepting the clean dishes from Ron and air-drying them with the tip of her wand.
“No,” Harry admitted, “there’s not.” He strode to the refrigerator and opened a bottle of butterbeer for himself and Ginny. “I was thinking of checking out the orphanage a little more closely.”
“Really?” Hermione asked, surprised. “I didn’t get the impression that anything would be hidden there.”
“Well, he did feel powerful there, didn’t he?” Ron countered. “Better than all the other orphans and whatever…”
“I suppose,” Hermione conceded grudgingly, “but…”
“Well, before we do that, we have something else to do first,” Harry interrupted, feeling disgruntled that his one idea of who could filled the requirements for the Secret-Keeper had faded so rapidly.
“Harry,” Ginny spoke up, her eyes widening considerably, “I know the perfect person to ask!”
After another hour or so of chatting and teasing each other by a conjured fire in the living room, Ginny left the trio, and Godric’s Hollow, promising to see Harry that weekend, “No matter what McGonagall has to say about it!” Harry was unsure of her suggestion of who might become the Secret-Keeper, but he couldn’t deny they were in desperate need for one. Now that they had decided on the next place to search for a Horcrux, and after their last disastrous attempt, Harry refused to go without first securing the information he promised for the Order. Resolving to leave that decision for the weekend, he focused instead on another thought that had been plaguing him.
“Learn Occulmency, you truly are terrible at it.” The words of his former Potions Master were echoing in his head. “He had so easily been able to invade my mind,” Harry thought miserably. Harry knew he would never stand the chance of sealing his mind against Voldemort, and he had now known for some time that there would come a moment in which he’d have to…
“Harry,” Hermione interrupted Harry’s thought process. He dragged his eyes from the fire he had been staring into. “Are you alright?”
Harry refocused his eyes on his friends face. Ron was snoring lightly in the armchair, having nodded off to sleep minutes before. Hermione was gathering her things, getting ready for the night.
“Fine,” Harry lied. Hermione stopped gathering her books to appraise her friend. “Except,” Harry conceded, focusing once more on the dancing flames, “what Snape said…”
“Occulmency?” Hermione guessed. Harry nodded. “I may have a solution,” Hermione whispered, glancing quickly in Ron’s direction. He gave a soft snort before resuming his steady snores. “Viktor is an accomplished Occlumens. He would give you lessons, I’m sure of it.”
“Really?” Harry sat up with intrigue. “I never knew that.”
“Well, you know how Ron gets when I talk about him,” Hermione huffed, shifting the heavy books in her hands. “I’ll ask him this weekend…just as soon as I break it to Ron…” Hermione sighed and gave her boyfriend one last fleeting glance before kissing Harry on the cheek and whispering, “Goodnight.”
Harry kicked at Ron’s feet as soon as Hermione left. He woke with a start, grunted heavily, and followed Harry to their shared bedroom.
“Good morning,” Harry yawned, stumbling into the kitchen. It was Friday, which meant only one more day until he could see Ginny. Their correspondence had been non-existent; it was too much of a risk to be owling each other every day. Tomorrow was also the day they approached the possible Secret-Keeper and, if Hermione kept her word, the day he began Occulmency lessons. Harry acknowledged that he should be more apprehensive, but the possibility of seeing Ginny again calmed his nerves considerably.
“Good morning to you, Harry,” Ron said in an incredibly stiff voice as he stuffed a very blackened piece of toast into his mouth with a grimace.
“What happened to your breakfast?” Harry asked with a grin.
“Ronald decided to make his own breakfast today,” Hermione answered sweetly from the other side of the table, her own plate full of eggs, sausages, buttered toast, and jam.
“Oh, right. I don’t have to do that as well, do I?”
“Oh, no,” Hermione answered, her voice dripping in honeyed tones, “I’d be more than happy to whip something up for you.”
“Right, thanks,” Harry responded uneasily, glancing towards Ron.
“I spoke to Viktor last night, Harry,” Hermione began in a small voice as she turned towards the stove. “I flooed him to ask about the lessons.” Harry immediately understood why Ron had refused a breakfast prepared by Hermione.
Ron snorted. Hermione stiffened but continued in a stronger voice.
“He said he’d be happy to help, but that you’d need to bring a friend along for training.”
Ron coughed loudly.
“I told him we would be at the manor tomorrow,” Hermione continued, summoning a plate to put Harry’s newly cooked breakfast unto.
Ron grunted.
“What?” Hermione returned viciously, whipping around.
“Just can’t wait to see him, can you?” Ron shot back, pushing the scraps of what one could hardly call food away from him.
Hermione took a deep breath and turned away from both Harry and Ron, instead focusing her attention on arranging the newly cooked food on Harry’s plate.
“Mate,” Harry attempted with caution, “I asked Hermione to help me with this. I think we could all use some lessons…”
“You want me to take lessons from that…that…”
“That what, Ron?” Hermione demanded, unable to contain herself.
“Do you know what that would be like for me?” Ron countered, rising from his chair. “Taking lessons from your old-”
“Would it be as bad as sharing a dorm with the girl that snogged the life out of your…your…” But Hermione couldn’t seem to put a name to what Ron was to her then. Instead, she growled in frustration. “How do you think it was for me? Living with Lavender when you were tangled in her every night…do you think she didn’t talk about it…I had to listen…stupid cow…” But tears were welling in Hermione’s eyes and she couldn’t continue. Throwing Harry’s breakfast unto the table, she stormed into her room and, very loudly reciting the incantation, locked her door.
Ron stood in the kitchen white-faced and stunned. He cleared his throat uncertainly.
“You know we need help with this, Ron,” Harry began, picking at his food as he spoke. “We don’t know anyone else we can trust…”
“How do you know we can trust Krum?” Ron demanded.
“Hermione trusts him.”
Ron shot daggers as he sat across from Harry and stabbed at Harry’s eggs with his fork. “I know she does,” he muttered.
“She’s a smart girl, you know,” Harry continued, “which doesn’t explain how she fell for you, but…”
Ron sniffed and reached for Harry’s sausage.
“Ron…”
“I know,” Ron began, keeping his eyes focused on the table in front of him, “I have a lot of apologizing to do, don’t I?”
“I’d say so,” Harry grinned. “It may take a while…”
Ron sighed, but exited the kitchen just the same. Harry heard a knock and then a whispered, “Alohomora.”
The next morning dawned bright and clear, though cold for the late October season. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had just Apparated to the front of Professor McGonagall’s temporary manor. Harry hadn’t the chance to notice its’ beauty the last time he was outside it, as he had been hurrying to the battle at the Burrow. Now that he stood in front of it, he was in awe at how magnificent it truly was.
“Wow,” Harry said admiringly as he gazed at the enormous structure before him. Two large wings lined the center courtyard, ivy dripping from their eaves. The heart of the building swelled above it’s complements, casting a long shadow in its’ path. The long windows adorning the stone-faced sides were shining in the early morning sun. Students had gathered in the square to enjoy a morning free from their studies.
“It’s a nice location, too,” Ron agreed, nodding his head towards the left. “There’s a secluded stream over there. S’not bad.” For some reason, Hermione flushed brilliantly.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione strode across the grounds and to the front entrance. Ron was looking progressively nervous, at one point snatching Hermione’s hand in his own and letting her lead him forward. Harry knew the reason for Ron’s slow change in attitude and at one point felt vaguely guilty that he had to ask Ron to endure lessons with Hermione’s ex-boyfriend. But, Harry knew there were no other alternatives and resolved to help Ron in any way that he could.
As they crossed the front entrance’s threshold, Harry was immediately tackled as his vision was obscured by waves of ginger hair.
“I’m glad to see you, too,” he grinned into her embrace.
Ginny sighed contentedly. “It was like the weekend would never come! I’m so glad you’re here early!”
Ron coughed.
“Where can we perform the charm?” Hermione asked in a whisper as Ginny disentangled herself from Harry.
“He’s waiting in the common room, my bedroom should be deserted by now,” Ginny responded, taking Harry by the hand and leading him towards the center staircase that ascended magnificently in the middle of the entranceway.
When Harry, Ron, and Hermione had last been to the manor, Professor McGonagall had housed them in quarters separate from the student population. So, this would be his first glimpse at the housing arrangements for the students. The manor’s common room strongly reminded him of the comfortable Gryffindor surroundings he was so used to. A fireplace was central in the room, surrounded by squashy chairs decorated to represent the various colors of the abandoned Hogwarts Houses. On each of the four walls hung a tapestry depicting the old House Crests. Professor McGonagall seemed determined to keep alive the tradition of Hogwarts; this room was draped in remembrance. Harry was glad for it.
“Harry! Ron, Hermione!” a familiar round face came bounding towards them as they entered the partially deserted common room. “Last time you ran out so fast, we didn’t have a chance to catch up!”
Harry smiled warmly at his old friend. He could be rubbish in the classroom and as clumsy as Grawp, but he was brave and loyal and there when you needed him. And, Harry needed his help now more than ever.
“It’s good to see you,” Harry returned. “Actually, we have something important we need to ask you…”
“Alright,” Neville replied hesitantly, “what’s up?”
A/N And so…it’s been a long while and for those still reading…I lovingly appreciate your vigilance! While I had many problems initiating this chapter, I had many more finding the time to post it. I am sorry! Among those problems was the loss of a truly fantastic beta: Asphyxiated. This is the first of my un-betaed chapters since the second. So, if there is awkwardness and inconsistencies…I’ll use that as my excuse! In that vein, if any of you fans are experienced betas and want to devote the time, drop me a line in your reviews! I can’t guarantee my life will slow down, but I have a couple upcoming chapters still left in me…and that’s all I can promise for now! For all the support, reviews, and attentiveness…I truly thank you! ~Ozma333