CHAPTER ONE
Harry opened his eyes to find Kreacher staring at him. He lurched. "Kreacher, you frightened me."
"Kreacher is sorry, Master Harry, but Kreacher has the food his master requested."
Harry sat up. "Thank you, Kreacher. Just sit it down somewhere."
Kreacher sat the tray of food down on Harry's bedside table. "Master Harry's friends requested that Kreacher inform Master that they are in the Great Hall and that Master should send Kreacher to get them if and when Master wishes to see them."
"Thank you for telling me, Kreacher. I'm glad you did what they asked you to." Harry wanted to make sure that the elf knew that it was acceptable to do what Ron and Hermione told him to. "Do you know if they've gotten any sleep yet, Kreacher?"
"Kreacher does not know for sure, Master Harry, but Kreacher thinks not. When Master's friends spoke to Kreacher, they seemed un-rested to the effect that neither could hardly stand nor talk."
Harry smiled. And they call me a noble git. "Kreacher, please ask Ron and Hermione to come up here. Ask if they've eaten, and if they haven't, bring some food up here for them."
"Yes, Master Harry. Right away." And Kreacher disapparated.
Several minutes later, Ron and Hermione stumbled into the boys' dorm and promptly yawned just as Kreacher apparated in with another tray of food.
"Kreacher has done as Master Harry ordered. He told Master's friends of Master's request and brought them food."
"Thank you, Kreacher." While waiting for Ron and Hermione, Harry had been thinking about something that was bothering him. "Kreacher, please go and tell Professor McGonagall that Professor Snape's body is in the Shrieking Shack. Ask her to send someone to retrieve it, but not to place it with the deatheaters. He deserves to be with the other Order members, but I understand the impracticality of that. Just tell her to trust me about him for now, and I'll personally explain everything to her later." Harry paused. "And Kreacher, please make sure that she doesn't put him with the deatheaters, but be subtle."
"Of course, Master Harry," Kreacher responded before he disapparated.
"I still can't believe that that's Kreacher," Ron commented.
"And I can't believe that you two haven't passed out from exhaustion already," Harry scolded them.
"I am awfully tired," Hermione said nonchalantly.
"You two should sleep. I'm going to go find Ginny and talk to her."
Ron looked ready to protest, but Hermione silenced him with a kiss. "Leave them be, Ronald." She smiled gently at him. Harry walked toward the door. Turning around to bid his friends goodbye, he saw that they were already asleep in each other's arms lying in Ron's bed.
Harry walked down the stairs to the Gryffindor Common Room. He was prepared to search the entire castle for Ginny, but he didn't need to. She was sitting in front of the fireplace staring into a roaring fire. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but no tears were falling now.
"Ginny," Harry whispered, sorrow coloring his voice.
She heard him and turned. He could see that her eyes were filled with pain. It killed him to see her in this state, and his heart clenched with guilt as he realized that at least some of it was his fault. He kneeled down next to her, never taking his eyes off of hers. "Oh, Ginny."
The pained tone of his voice pushed her over the edge, and she collapsed onto him and began to sob.
"Fred, Remus, Tonks, Connor; all of them dead, why?" she sobbed.
Harry joined in her grief. "I don't know, Ginny. I don't know," he cried.
They stayed like that for hours, crying in their mutual grief. Finally, they both fell asleep on the floor in front of the fireplace, Harry holding Ginny securely in his arms.