PRECIOUS MEMORIES
Chapter One
Author's Note: Enjoy!
Disclaimer: This does not belong to me.
It's going to be a hard summer… thought Harry.
Naturally, Harry had spent the first week of his summer (after Bill and Fleur's wedding, of course) at Privet Drive. After that week was over, he had silently left the house without any of the Durselys saying so much as a goodbye. He then moved quickly to the Burrow, where Hermione and the Weasleys were waiting for him to spend his last true summer there, with them. After that one summer, Harry had made up his mind that he'd go to Godric's Hollow firstly, and then start tracking down all of the Horcruxes.
Dumbledore's name was a taboo at the Burrow; nobody would talk about him, and when somebody would accidentally mention his name, everyone ended up in tears. Harry decided that everyone around him was physically fit, although Mrs. Weasley was beginning to lose a lot of weight, but emotionally, everyone was in critical condition.
On the morning of his seventeenth birthday, Harry was just a little tired.
On the evening of his seventeenth birthday, Harry was wearier than ever. Of course, the Weasleys had thrown him a small birthday party, in which various members of the Order were invited.
It was getting late, and everybody had decided to turn in or go home. All except Harry, who was possibly the most tired of them all. "I'd like to stay up for a while longer…" he told everyone, with a weak smile, "Today's been a big day for me. Thank you for everything."
He hadn't realized that he'd dozed off until he felt someone shake him strongly. "Harry!" said Ginny, "Wake up!"
Ever since Harry and Ginny had broken up, they had remained friends, although somewhat awkwardly.
"Yes?" Harry asked groggily.
"I have a birthday surprise for you, Harry," Ginny said, and pulled Harry off of his seat and lead him from the kitchen and to the Burrow's Attic.
Harry looked around the Burrow's attic, honestly stumped at what 'Birthday Surprise,' Ginny had for him. "I found this at Grimwald Place, before we were all forced out by the curse," she told him, handing him a box labeled Precious Memories. Harry stood there for a moment, stumped. What could the box possibly contain? "Thank you," he managed to say to Ginny.
"Well, aren't you going to open it?" Ginny asked, her brown eyes lighting up. "You see, I only thumbed through it, and I was actually kind of hoping that you'd allow me to look through it with you."
Harry looked directly into Ginny's eyes, which were the most beautiful hazel he'd ever seen before. He saw a sort of fire looking back at him, pleading with him to let her be apart of his life, if not romantically, in a non-awkward-friendship sort of way. He looked away hurriedly, but sat down on the wooden attic floor, motioning for Ginny to sit next to him. "Thank you," Ginny told him, and she sat down beside him.
Harry slowly opened the box. Inside was a sort of picture book – of his father, his mother, and their time at Hogwarts. The first picture was of Lily when she was around fifteen, outside Hogwarts grounds under thickly falling snow. She was waving and smiling to Harry. Harry had allowed a small gasp to escape his throat, and Ginny smiled. Gently, Harry touched the picture of his mother, and all of a sudden, he felt a sharp force, and was pulled into the snow. Moments later, Ginny appeared next to him.
"I figured this out the first day I found it…It's sort of like a Picture-Pensive."
Harry saw his beautiful mother standing under a tree, dancing and laughing under the falling snow.
"Evans," he heard a deep, mature voice coming from the right of Lily. Harry felt a jump in his heart – there was his father, standing next to Sirius.
"Potter," Evans said, rather coolly.
"The History of Magic test is coming up, and I was wondering –"
"No, you arrogant, big-headed – uh – POTTERHEAD, I will NOT help you study."
James looked rather undefeated. Brushing the snow out of his hair (and somehow managing to mess it up he said, "No, Evans, not that." He said, smirking, "I was wondering if you'd ditch studying and go out with me."
Lily's emerald eyes flashed. "No chance in hell, James Potter."
"Stop asking her out, Prongs," muttered Sirius, "you're getting her preeeetttty annoyed, especially after what you did to Snively."
"I'll never give up," James muttered casually. "See you tomorrow, in class then, Evans."
Lily looked deathly angry. "You—You—You—"
All of a sudden, Harry felt the hard attic floor again. Ginny laughed lively. Harry had to join in her laughter.
"I better head up to bed," said Harry, smiling. "Thanks again, Gins."
"No problem, Harry. Meet me back here tomorrow, same time?"
"Certainly."
Maybe it wasn't going to be such a hard summer after all…
