Ginny and Hermione stopped talking as they heard the boys bounding down the stairs. They looked at each other and knew that they had to tell them that they knew about each other's relationships.
"Harry, Hermione knows about us."
"Hermione, Harry knows about us."
"Ron, Ginny knows about us."
"Gin, Ron knows about us."
They all stopped for a minute, then burst into laughter. Ron was fairly quick to envelop Hermione into his arms. Harry and Ginny stood back, watching them being so in love with each other. Harry reached for Ginny's hand and pulled her close.
"Aww, isn't this the cutest picture?"
"Just the sweetest, brother dear!"
Everyone looked towards the doorway to see Fred and George lurking in the hallway, pretending to wipe tears from their eyes, leaning on each other with what can only be described as evil grins on their faces. Ginny was the first to say something, and her response shocked them all.
"Well, get used to it boys, I don't plan on letting anyone change this very moment," she said, with a strong look of determination on her face. Harry squeezed her hand.
"Nor do I," he whispered in her ear.
"Me either," Ron and Hermione said, looking into each other's eyes.
The room seemed to shake a bit and it started to glow. Everyone looked to the twins, as if to blame them for what was happening, but they had ran down the stairs, no doubt to tell everyone they could find.
It stopped as suddenly as it started, only lasting a few seconds, but long enough for them all to know that something important had just happened. Suddenly something Dumbledore said months ago registered in Harry's head.
"Love," he said under his breath.
"Excuse me?" Ginny asked, unsure of what she had just heard.
"Love," Harry said again, strong this time. Now everyone was looking at him with questioning looks.
"Dumbledore said there was an ancient magic that Voldemort could never understand," he said, ignoring the shudders at the name. "Its love. All of us in this room know love. Love of friends, love of family, and love for each other." Ginny squeezed his hand as she registered what he said.
"Sorry mate, but I'm still a bit lost," said Ron, hoping Harry would elaborate the reasoning for the room shaking because he loved Hermione. 'Wait, I just said I loved Hermione,' he thought. He liked that thought. Harry rushed on to explain as everything became clearer and clearer.
"When Dumbledore explained everything to me last spring, he reminded me that my mother died for me because she loved me and that was what protected me from Voldemort when he tried to kill me as a baby." He pressed on, again ignoring shudders. "With what happened in the graveyard, he has that protection now, too. Now, we ALL have a new protection within each other."
"That kinda makes sense," Hermione said slowly. "I remember reading in a book somewhere, and Ron, don't roll your eyes at the woman who loves you, that love can bind people."
"I wasn't rolling my eyes, my love, I was simply..." Ron tried to think of something quick, but was saved the trouble as Hermione kissed him.
"Ugh, no offense, I love you both, but THAT is going to take some getting used to," Ginny said with a teasing smile.
"Yeah, and seeing my best friend snog my little sister is something I want to look at every day!" Ron shot back, but he was grinning as well.
"Well I have an idea," Harry said, with a sly grin on his face. "If we're ALL busy snogging, no one will be able to see anyone else."
"Sounds like a plan to me!" Ginny said, leaning her head back and letting Harry kiss her again, the amazing feeling of it taking her breath away.
**
The last few weeks before the next term went by far too quickly for everyone at the Burrow. Everyone's relationships were out in the open, and there were many stolen kisses around the corners. However, Mrs. Weasley had saved one surprise for one week before they left for school.
"I'll need everyone's help tidying up today, we're having some people over for a bit of a dinner party," she said, with a mischevious glint in her eye that rivaled that of the twins when they were inventing.
"What's the party for, Mum?" asked Ginny. She knew her mother liked entertaining guests, but she wasn't the type to do so without occasion.
"You'll see, its a surprise for all of you," Mrs. Weasley replied. She was determined not to ruin the wondrous occasion for her family. "Just be sure to dress nicely and be in the kitchen around five."
Harry and the other exchanged glances. No one enjoyed it much when they were forewarned to dress nicely.
**
At promptly five that evening, Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione filed down the stairs. It was a warm late summer night, so both girls were wearing pretty sleeveless sundresses; the boys, nice shirts and khaki shorts. They reached the kitchen and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
At about five thirty, they were beginning to get impatient. Ron and Harry were having a heated quidditch conversation, wondering who would be made captain of the Gryffindor team for the coming year. Ginny and Hermione were discussing potions, of all things. Hermione was raving about how wonderful N.E.W.T level potions would be, while terrifying Ginny of what would be coming on her OWL year course.
"Alright, its all ready!" Mrs Weasley said as she burst into the kitchen from outside. After they had helped tidy up, she had banished them to upstairs and put charms on all the windows so they couldn't see out.
"What are you wait for? Get out there!" she said, waving at her children to get them out the door. What they saw was incredible. There was a huge banner, which said simply "Congratulations!" Everyone from the Order, with the exception of Professors Snape and Dumbledore, was there, and Bill, Fleur, Charlie and his girlfriend Allison, and the twins had all apparated in for what was apparently a big occasion.
"Mum, who's done something good now?" Ron asked, half hoping it was for him.
"You ALL have!" she replied quickly. "O.W.L scores are addressed to parents as students who don't do well tend to hide them. Harry, Hermione, your scores were also addressed to Arthur and I. You've all done exceptionally well, with the one exception of the boys and their History of Magic, but we'll let that one slide," she said with a smile on her face. Everyone at the event applauded loudly and
"You said all of us, Molly, what about Ginny?" asked Hermione, always quick to notice if someone was being left out.
"Ah yes, Ginny," she said, with a glint in her eye. "As you all know, Ginny will be entering her fifth year at Hogwarts in one week. As all these letters came together, I also had the priviledge of opening her letter from the school as well. Ginny, along with Colin Creevy, has been appointed new Gryffindor prefect!" Applause rang out again as Ginny turned a deep shade of scarlet. Harry kissed her head and squeezed her.
"Alright everyone, enjoy yourselves and fill up, Molly's made way too much food and I'm not keepin leftovers!" Mr. Weasley spoke up, and with that, everyone made their way to the food table. Hermione had quickly made her way over to Mrs. Weasley to find out exactly what her OWL scores were. Harry and Ron were curious, but they were more eager to dig into Molly's wonderful cooking. Ginny hung back a moment.
"Gin, what's wrong?" Harry asked, bringing her some fruit punch.
"I'm prefect," she said in a small voice.
"So? That's a good thing, isn't it?" Harry asked.
"Well, yes, I guess so, but I don't really think I've done anything to deserve it," she said hesitantly.
"Gin, think back a bit," Harry said, with a knowing smile on his face. He knew exactly why Dumbledore would choose Ginny as a prefect. "Think of all you did in the Ministry last spring. He knows how brave you are, how loyal you are, and he knows what you would do to protect your friends. Of course Dumbledore would pick you. I know I would," he added in a whisper.
Ginny smiled. She knew that Harry would encourage Dumbledore's choice, but that was just about the best thing he could have said. She told him so by kissing him.
"Alright you two, that's enough of that!" Mrs. Weasley called with a smile on her face. "Its a party for you, so at least circulate a bit before you start that!" She knew her daughter loved Harry, but it was, after all, a party.
Ron was talking to Kingsley Shacklebolt about Quidditch, and Hermione was comparing O.W.L scores with Tonks. As is tured out, Hermione had scored better, not that anyone was really surprised.
The night passed quickly and as the stars came out, Fred and George put on a spectacular fireworks show. Ron and Hermione were laying together on a blanket, and Harry and Ginny had climbed a tree and were sitting on the same branch, her leaning on his shoulder. Arthur and Molly looked at their children and felt happy that they had all found someone, but at the same time, they were unnerved. Not only was one of their sons absent from the party because he was still angry at them, but the impending fear of what was to come burned in the back of their minds.