Harry’s first few days were quiet but rather tense. Ginny found that he was coming to her more often, or just sitting with her to talk.
Ginny suspected it was soothing his nerves about being back in Number Twelve, and she was so grateful that she was able to help him.
You could easily tell that he didn’t like to be here at all, and once Ginny found him staring at the door of Sirius’s old bedroom. Just staring. She had made an attempt to help, but he had only quickly changed the subject before Mum called upstairs for dinner.
But she wouldn’t give up. Now that she had gotten him to talk a little at Privet Drive, she was making every possible attempt. She knew Harry was a little nettled by this, but didn’t care. She knew he was going to lose it if didn’t talk about how he felt.
What surprised her was her brother.
“Your - your not mad are you?” she had asked them as they played chess in the front room.
“About what?” asked Ron. “Ha! Checkmate!”
Ginny lowered her voice.
“Harry - Harry coming to me and -”
“Ginny, why in Merlin’s name would I be mad about that!” said Ron, still smiling as his bishop started to beat one of her pawns.
“I - I dunno,” Ginny mumbled. “I just -”
“I’m glad he has somebody to talk to,” said Ron rather seriously. “Merlin knows I’m not good with the mushy stuff - even when I do want to help.”
Ginny smiled, feeling an upsurge of affection for her brother. He can be a great bloke, really.
Remus and Tonks, who had been up in Scotland on a mission, were to return a few days before Harry’s birthday, and that was what Ginny was most anxious about.
What would happen when Remus and Harry finally see each other?
She always pushed this question aside, telling herself that no matter what things would be all
right.
She just hoped there wouldn’t be too many bumps along the way.
The day before Tonks and Remus were to return, Ginny was helping her mother around the house.
She was in the bedroom she shared with Hermione, folding a fairly large basket of laundry when there was a soft knock on the door.
“Come in,” she answered.
She turned about to see Harry poke his head in before stepping inside.
“Hi Harry,” she said, smiling.
“Hi,” he said.
“What’re you up to?” Ginny asked, setting Hermione’s pile of clothes on the other bed.
Harry shrugged his shoulders.
She could tell he had some unease. Well, at least more so than usual today.
Ginny eyed his clothes as he stood in silence.
She was so happy that Tonks and Mum had gone to a Muggle store and gotten clothes for him for his sixteenth birthday. They had decided to take Fred and George along with herself, Ron and Hermione, as they were the closest to Harry’s build.
It was rather . . . entertaining, actually. Especially with the lively Tonks, who succeeded in knocking down four mannequins before they left the store.
“Are you excited for your birthday?” she asked.
He shrugged his shoulders again.
“Well - we should be having a few people come in,” Ginny said, turning away from him, unable to surpress her grin.
Which was a little white lie.
“Ginny, I -”
She turned back to him, praying silently. She recognized that tone of voice so well now. He’d used it almost every time he talked to her. Please.
“I - erm . . . never mind.”
Ginny exhaled lowly, for she hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath.
“Okay, Harry.”
“See you later.”
“’Bye.”
The next day, Remus and Tonks returned on schedule, and Ginny was happy to see a present in Remus’s arms before he stashed it into the pantry. She was even more pleased to see that the circles around his eyes had lightened a bit, and he looked like he had had a decent meal or two.
“How are you,” Ginny asked him, wrapping him a brief hug.
“I’m all right,” Remus had answered her, surprise in his eyes by her affection. But he smiled down at her nonetheless. “Where’s Harry?” his tone had become a little more anxious.
“He’s upstairs,” Ginny answered. He fixed her with a stare, a silent question. “He’s getting there,” she answered him.
Remus let out a breath of relief before lightly squeezing her shoulder.
“You should go and talk to him, Remus,” Tonks whispered, touching his arm.
Remus nodded, glancing a smile at both Ginny and Tonks before turning and disappearing up the kitchen stairs.
“And how is he?” Ginny whispered to Tonks.
“Well . . . I’m not so sure,” Tonks answered, her eyebrows knit.
“Don’t worry,” Ginny reassured her. “They’ll both come around eventually.”
Tonks nodded with a swallow.
Ginny wasn’t sure what Harry and Remus had talked about, but both seemed in even spirits, even if neither were saying anything. It was all right with Ginny, though.
Everything will be okay.
“Ginny!” called Mum as they cleaned the dining room.
Ginny went to her mother, setting plates on the end of the table as she did so.
“Ginny, dear, will you go and check on Harry for me?” Mum asked, smoothing hair behind Ginny’s ears.
Ginny nodded.
She hurried out of the dining room and up the first staircase, careful not to disturb the portrait of Mrs. Black.
As she stepped up to the first landing, she noticed that Harry’s door was open a few inches. She could hear someone shuffling in there, and felt a slight anxiety settle in her stomach.
Swallowing, she crossed the hallway, carefully pushing the door open.
“Harry?” she whispered.
He had settled to sitting on the edge of his bed, and his back was to her, his head bent. He seemed to take no notice of her whatsoever.
Frowning, Ginny went to the bed and stood in front of him, lowering herself to her knees.
His glasses had been set at his side he quickly rubbed at his eyes, not meeting her gaze but focusing on a small box in his hands.
Ginny eyed it warily.
“Harry?”
He didn’t answer.
He frown seemed to deepen as she stood and sat on the bed beside him. His breath was shallow, and his hands shook slightly as he held onto the package.
“Harry,” she said again, smoothing a hand along his shoulders.
His breath quickened, and he squeezed his eyes shut.
“G-Ginny. . .” he said in a strangled voice. He gave a small shudder.
Only knowing what was going to happen next, Ginny pulled him to her, wrapping her arms around him.
“It’s all right, Harry,” she whispered against his ear. “I’m here - just let it go.”
He curled his fingers into her jumper, burying her face in her shoulder, and sobbed.
The small package had dropped to the floor, forgotten, and he was shaking so terribly that the bed was rocking in the slightest.
But Ginny still held onto him silently, stroking his hair and whispering to soothe him, willing his grief fall onto her.
His control had been broken, and while so relieved that he was finally grieving, she knew he would be ashamed of it.
But she wasn’t going to let him withdraw ever again. . .
The storming of his tears finally slowed, yet he still held onto her, trying to gather his composure.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered, finally pulling away.
Ginny shook her head at him, dismissing the apology, smoothing hair away from his forehead.
“What is that?” she asked him, picking up the fallen package from the floor.
“It’s - it’s er - Sirius’s gift for my sixteenth birthday,” Harry sniffed in a shaky voice, wiping his face. “Remus said - said that Sirius found it back in May and thought it’d be a great gift for me.”
He took the package from her, turning it over in her hands.
“Aren’t you going to open it?” she whispered as he went silent.
He stilled for a moment.
Ginny gave a small, reassuring squeeze on his arm, and he nodded, tearing the paper open. Inside was an wrapped package with a card attached.
“Will - will you read it for me?” Ginny nodded, taking the card from him, opening it.
She smiled reminiscently as she spotted Sirius’s familiar scrawl.
“Dear Harry,” she read. “I was rummaging through my bedroom when I found this in my old school trunk. It’s something James nicked in our sixth year and he never quite got around to returning it.” Ginny grinned. “I thought you should have it. Happy birthday, mate.”
Harry smiled slightly, quickly wiping at his eyes again before he turned his gaze down to the package.
“Open it,” said Ginny.
He tore the last of the paper away to reveal a golden, walnut-sized ball.
“A Snitch?” said Harry, picking up the ball. Comprehension dawned his features, and he grinned. “Oh . . . my dad liked to nick these a lot,” he explained to Ginny.
The Snitch flicked out it’s small, golden wings, immediately zooming around the room at top speed.
“I miss him,” Harry whispered, his eyes downcast.
“And there’s nothing wrong with that,” Ginny whispered, taking his hand. He squeezed back.
Thank you, Sirius, Ginny thought as she sighed, laying her head on his shoulder.
One more chapter to go! Please review in the meantime!