Unlike most kids in school, summer was never Harry's favorite time of year. It was the time of year he dreaded the most. No, hated. It wasn't the break from classes, and the teachers he disliked. It was where he had to go. He wasn't wanted at home, he only ever got anything he wanted by reminding his Aunt and Uncle that his god-father was a convicted killer, and that he is on the lose, and would do anything for him.
This year was particularly bad. It wasn't that his Aunt and Uncle were being worse then normal, it was just what happened the year before. At the end of the Tri-wizards tournament, Voldemort had been revived, using Harry's blood. After that, Voldemort had killed his fellow Tri-wizard's combatant, Cedric. If only Harry hadn't won the match, then Cedric would still be alive. He felt like it was his entire fault. He stayed locked up in his room most of the time, so he had plenty of time to think about it. Alone. He even had the nights to maul it over since if he did get sleep, the nightmares were so bad that he wouldn't stay asleep for more then an hour.
The Dursleys tried to bother him early on, but noticed how he was acting. No human can be mean to a person at a time like that. So he staid up stairs, in his room, and no one bothered him.
Well, except for the owls, which was a good thing. The letters the owls brought was the only good part of his day. He tried to write back to his friends whenever they sent him a letter. He also had a new pen pall. Ginny had started writing him, and he found her letters a grateful reprise from Hermione and Ron. He could tell they were flirting even when they wrote to him instead of each other.
She had been worried about him early on, but she seemed to take the hint that he didn't feel like talking. So she talked about other things. Everything from what the Twins were inventing to her guesses on Ron and Hermione getting together (she thought that they would get together by the end of the summer, Harry though latter.) She also seemed to talk more as they sent letters back and forth.
Early one morning, he opened the door to let in a small hyperactive owl that Ron so affectionately called Pig. Grabbing him out of the air, he took the small note attached to the bird's leg, and it flew out the window without waiting. Must mean Ron isn't expecting a reply. He quickly opened up the note, and tried to read Ron's script.
Dear Harry:
I got good news for ya, mate! It looks like Dumbledore is going to let you
come over in time for your birthday and stay here for the rest of the summer. We
are coming to rescue you today, and expect a big entrance. Don't worry, we won't
be blowing up your house or anything (no matter how much they deserve it for what
they put you through). Oh, and Ginny insists that I tell you that she is sorry.
We'll be there around 5:00, so be ready.
Ron
Harry wasn't sure what Ron meant by Ginny having anything to be sorry about, but he started packing things up so that he could be ready at 5:00. He loved being at the Weasley home. If he had the option, he would stay over there just because he feels loved there, unlike here. After packing, he sat down on his trunk, waiting for the doorbell to ring and his ticket out, to get there.
****
"Not this talk again," Ginny thought to her self. Her mom had invited her to help prepare dinner tonight. It was really just a chance for her mom to talk to her about boys. But it wasn't warning against boys, oh no, nothing that she considered a normal mother daughter conversation. This was worse.
"I know mother, I know he's a nice guy." Oh why did her mom have to pick out a guy for her, much less him?
"Well I don't know why you two aren't going out, he's a nice enough guy. You haven't been tormenting him now, have you?"
"No mother, I haven't been tormenting Harry." "You need to give Harry this talk," Ginny though, "not me."
"Well, I would like to see him at least thinking about it by the end of this semester, okay?" Ginny nodded.
She still couldn't believe she was telling her this. She was in her fourth year at Hogwarts, and most people were worried about the war, and what was going on outside. But not her mom. As her mother saw it, everything would work out, except whom her kids would marry, and she needed to make sure that they married only whom she thought would work out good. Ginny wasn't too mad at her choice, but she didn't have to be so vocal. She was grateful that their conversations no longer took place at the dinner table. Her mother seemed to get the hint after she ran away from dinner, after only eating half the food after the teasing had started.
That gave her an idea. "So mom, you have Harry picked out for me, what about Ron?"
"Oh don't be silly, I haven't picked anyone out for you," her mom said. She would always deny picking out someone after the conversation.
"Oh yes, of course not. But, I'm sure that there is someone you would love to have as a daughter-in-law, that is in Ron's class."
"Well, that Hermione girl has a good head on her shoulders. Why?"
"Oh, just wanted something to tease Ron about after today."
Her mother turned to look at her. "What do you mean 'after today'?"
"Nothing, I'm just going to go help them get Harry. Which reminds me, we need to be getting going if we were to have him back by when Ron said we would be getting him. We'll be back after a bit."
"Okay, just don't tear up their house, who knows what those people would do to him once he has to go back over the summer. I just hope they weren't too bad on him this summer. Well, just so long as he's there, we can smother him with affection for the rest of the summer, right Ginny?" her mom asked with a wink. This brought on a good blush from Ginny, who quickly hid it. She quickly ran out the door, and waited for Ron and the Twins to get down here so they can get this over with.
****
Harry walked down stairs. This hadn't happened a whole lot while he was at the Dursleys. He tried to stay upstairs, away from everyone. "Uncle Dursley, I'm leaving today in a few minutes."
His uncle Vernon looked up from his paper. "Are you already to go?"
"Yes, I'm all ready."
"Good, because I don't want you coming around because you had forg-" he was cut off by the doorbell. He glared at the door, walked over, and opened the door.
"Hello, you must be Mr. Dursley. I'm here to pick up Harry," said a small red head at the door. Harry walked over to see who it was picking him up since it didn't sound like Ron or the Twins. "Harry!" Ginny ran over to him, threw her arms around him, and kissed his cheek.
Harry was startled to say the least. "Hi Ginny, good to see you too," he said with a slight blush.
"Do you have everything packed?" Ginny asked Harry with a blush on her face.
"Um, yes, I do upstairs, but," he trailed off.
"Then lets go get it and get out of here," Ginny replied as she grabbed his hand and hurried up the stairs. Once they were upstairs, Ginny tuned around and said, "I'm sorry about that. I kind of had to do that, but I have something to get back at Ron with," she replied with a grin.
"Oh, okay. Well, lets get out of here, I don't really feel like staying here for any longer then I have to," Harry said as he grabbed one end of his trunk and Ginny got the other and they got it out of his room. "Thanks," he said as they stepped outside. "Um, how are we getting back to your house?"
"With this," she replied as she pulled out a sock from her pocket.
"A sock? Oh, let me guess, a portkey?" Ginny nodded. "Ok." Harry grabbed onto the other side of the portkey.
****
"Harry!" came a cry from Mrs. Weasley as she ran up to him to give him a great hug. "I was so worried about you! I hope they haven't been too mean to you, have they? Oh, come over here and sit down, dinner is just about ready. Ginny helped make it you know; she's quite the cook. Will probably make a good wife someday."
"Mother!" Ginny yelled at her mom.
"Well, it's true, now you go get ready for dinner, Harry, while me and Ginny finish it up."
While Harry was walking to go to the bathroom, Ron caught up to him. "Stay away from the twins, they have had quite a few new projects they are wanting to try out on anyone."
"Really? Anything good?" Harry asked with a smile.
"Only if it's played on someone else, and I've been the main target so far. They are too afraid of Ginny and what she would do to them if they did. Which reminds me, did Ginny do anything weird when she picked you up?"
"You mean weird as in act like she was my girlfriend? Yes, she did, why?"
"It's kind of a 'truth or dare' thing, just without the truth option. I'm kind of supprised she went through with it. It's her turn now, and I'm kind of afraid of what she will have me do."
"You are acting like Ginny is something fearsome, I've never seen anything that hinted at that."
"You've never seen how she can be Harry, trust me. She's always been too embarrassed, or likes you too much to do anything that bad to you. Just trust me, she can get down right scary."
****
Dinner was good, like normal. Soon it was time to get to bed. Harry followed Ron up to his room to sleep, or at least attempt to. The day had gone by quickly, and Harry hoped he would be able to get a good night sleep, which was different than normal. He lay down, and after talking with Ron for awhile about everything from Hermione, to school, to Hermione, to quidditch, to Hermione, to quidditch again, and Hermione, he listened to Ron's slow breathing. Eventually he fell asleep, but it didn't last very long. He slept for longer then he was back at his uncles house, but he still woke up in the middle of the night. He decided that it would be better if he took a walk around the house.
He walked down the stairs, and walked out and sat on a couch in the main room and stared into the small fire still going. He heard a stair creaking behind him. He turned around. It was Ginny. "Isn't it a bit late for you to be up?" he asked her.
"I could say the same thing about you. I couldn't sleep, I don't know why, I just couldn't. Why are you up?"
"I couldn't stay asleep," Harry said turning back to the fireplace.
Ginny walked over to him and sat down next to him. "Nightmares?"
"Yeah, something like that," he said as he turned slightly away from her.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.
"No," Harry said harshly. "I-I'm sorry Ginny, it's just," he trailed off. "Last year, at the Tri-wizards tournament, I helped revive Voldemort. He took some blood from me, and now he's back to full power, and it's all my fault. He killed Cedric, and it's all my fault."
Ginny raised her hand to her mouth, "Harry, I had no idea. Have you been able to have a good night sleep at all this summer?" Harry shook his head no. "I'm so sorry, Harry. Is there anything I can do?"
"I doubt it. I won't be supprised if you didn't want to hang out with me anymore."
"Why would I want to do that?"
"Because I brought Voldemort back to full power. If I can't forgive myself, how can I expect anyone else to?"
Ginny looked at the back of Harry's head. She reached out, found his chin, and turned his face around to look at her. She nearly cried at the look in his face. "Harry, I forgive you." Harry's eyes widened. He wrapped his arms around her and started crying.
"You forgive me? Even after all I've done, you forgive me? I-there is no word to describe how thankful I am."
Ginny started running her hand through his hair, trying to comfort him. "Don't worry about it, Harry. Just know that I'm there for you, and I can't think of anything I can't forgive you for." She rocked him in her arms for awhile until he finally fell asleep. She soon followed after him. The only noise that was left was the dyeing fire in the fireplace.
****
Mrs. Weasley came down the next morning and saw Ginny and Harry sleeping on one another, and decided to wake them up so the twins or Ron wouldn't tease them. "Ginny, Harry," she said as she gently shook them awake. "You should go up to your own beds so no one comes down to find you two and decide to make fun of you for it."
After a few indecipherable mumbles, they finally got up and stumbling up into their own separate rooms. Her mother watched the two of them go upstairs and smiled. "Maybe it won't take another year for him to think about going out with her." She set out to get a big breakfast ready for everyone.
****
Harry woke up in his bed, not really remembering too well how he got there. The last thing he remembered was the night before with Ginny in front of the fire. He got up, and got ready to go take a shower. He walked down stairs, and knocked on the bathroom door. "Okay, I'm out" came the voice from the person inside, and the door opened to Ginny standing in a blue green towel, hurrying to try to get out of the bathroom in a hurry.
"Erm, good morning Ginny," Harry's voice came.
"Harry, about good night, and I guess this morning, don't say a word to anyone. I'll see you at lunch," and she hurried on to her room.
"Wow, what a towel, and I wasn't even going to towel about the towel," Harry mumbled to himself. He shook his head clear, and went in to take a cold shower.
After his shower, he got dressed, and went down to eat breakfast. "Good morning Harry!" Mrs. Weasly said as he came in. "I trust you slept well?" she asked with a wink.
"Better then I was before, thanks."
"Had a nice comfy pillow and everything?"
Harry realized she must have seen them and started to blush, "um, yes, it was a comfortable pillow. Thanks for asking." Ginny blushed as well.
****
The rest of the summer he spent there was much nicer then back at the Dursleys. Harry was able to sleep well most of the nights, and only a few nightmares haunted him. Harry and Ginny grew closer and closer over the summer. Ginny's dare to Ron, would be to ask Hermione out. All Harry knew was that he wouldn't have to be alone from then on.
This year was particularly bad. It wasn't that his Aunt and Uncle were being worse then normal, it was just what happened the year before. At the end of the Tri-wizards tournament, Voldemort had been revived, using Harry's blood. After that, Voldemort had killed his fellow Tri-wizard's combatant, Cedric. If only Harry hadn't won the match, then Cedric would still be alive. He felt like it was his entire fault. He stayed locked up in his room most of the time, so he had plenty of time to think about it. Alone. He even had the nights to maul it over since if he did get sleep, the nightmares were so bad that he wouldn't stay asleep for more then an hour.
The Dursleys tried to bother him early on, but noticed how he was acting. No human can be mean to a person at a time like that. So he staid up stairs, in his room, and no one bothered him.
Well, except for the owls, which was a good thing. The letters the owls brought was the only good part of his day. He tried to write back to his friends whenever they sent him a letter. He also had a new pen pall. Ginny had started writing him, and he found her letters a grateful reprise from Hermione and Ron. He could tell they were flirting even when they wrote to him instead of each other.
She had been worried about him early on, but she seemed to take the hint that he didn't feel like talking. So she talked about other things. Everything from what the Twins were inventing to her guesses on Ron and Hermione getting together (she thought that they would get together by the end of the summer, Harry though latter.) She also seemed to talk more as they sent letters back and forth.
Early one morning, he opened the door to let in a small hyperactive owl that Ron so affectionately called Pig. Grabbing him out of the air, he took the small note attached to the bird's leg, and it flew out the window without waiting. Must mean Ron isn't expecting a reply. He quickly opened up the note, and tried to read Ron's script.
Dear Harry:
I got good news for ya, mate! It looks like Dumbledore is going to let you
come over in time for your birthday and stay here for the rest of the summer. We
are coming to rescue you today, and expect a big entrance. Don't worry, we won't
be blowing up your house or anything (no matter how much they deserve it for what
they put you through). Oh, and Ginny insists that I tell you that she is sorry.
We'll be there around 5:00, so be ready.
Ron
Harry wasn't sure what Ron meant by Ginny having anything to be sorry about, but he started packing things up so that he could be ready at 5:00. He loved being at the Weasley home. If he had the option, he would stay over there just because he feels loved there, unlike here. After packing, he sat down on his trunk, waiting for the doorbell to ring and his ticket out, to get there.
****
"Not this talk again," Ginny thought to her self. Her mom had invited her to help prepare dinner tonight. It was really just a chance for her mom to talk to her about boys. But it wasn't warning against boys, oh no, nothing that she considered a normal mother daughter conversation. This was worse.
"I know mother, I know he's a nice guy." Oh why did her mom have to pick out a guy for her, much less him?
"Well I don't know why you two aren't going out, he's a nice enough guy. You haven't been tormenting him now, have you?"
"No mother, I haven't been tormenting Harry." "You need to give Harry this talk," Ginny though, "not me."
"Well, I would like to see him at least thinking about it by the end of this semester, okay?" Ginny nodded.
She still couldn't believe she was telling her this. She was in her fourth year at Hogwarts, and most people were worried about the war, and what was going on outside. But not her mom. As her mother saw it, everything would work out, except whom her kids would marry, and she needed to make sure that they married only whom she thought would work out good. Ginny wasn't too mad at her choice, but she didn't have to be so vocal. She was grateful that their conversations no longer took place at the dinner table. Her mother seemed to get the hint after she ran away from dinner, after only eating half the food after the teasing had started.
That gave her an idea. "So mom, you have Harry picked out for me, what about Ron?"
"Oh don't be silly, I haven't picked anyone out for you," her mom said. She would always deny picking out someone after the conversation.
"Oh yes, of course not. But, I'm sure that there is someone you would love to have as a daughter-in-law, that is in Ron's class."
"Well, that Hermione girl has a good head on her shoulders. Why?"
"Oh, just wanted something to tease Ron about after today."
Her mother turned to look at her. "What do you mean 'after today'?"
"Nothing, I'm just going to go help them get Harry. Which reminds me, we need to be getting going if we were to have him back by when Ron said we would be getting him. We'll be back after a bit."
"Okay, just don't tear up their house, who knows what those people would do to him once he has to go back over the summer. I just hope they weren't too bad on him this summer. Well, just so long as he's there, we can smother him with affection for the rest of the summer, right Ginny?" her mom asked with a wink. This brought on a good blush from Ginny, who quickly hid it. She quickly ran out the door, and waited for Ron and the Twins to get down here so they can get this over with.
****
Harry walked down stairs. This hadn't happened a whole lot while he was at the Dursleys. He tried to stay upstairs, away from everyone. "Uncle Dursley, I'm leaving today in a few minutes."
His uncle Vernon looked up from his paper. "Are you already to go?"
"Yes, I'm all ready."
"Good, because I don't want you coming around because you had forg-" he was cut off by the doorbell. He glared at the door, walked over, and opened the door.
"Hello, you must be Mr. Dursley. I'm here to pick up Harry," said a small red head at the door. Harry walked over to see who it was picking him up since it didn't sound like Ron or the Twins. "Harry!" Ginny ran over to him, threw her arms around him, and kissed his cheek.
Harry was startled to say the least. "Hi Ginny, good to see you too," he said with a slight blush.
"Do you have everything packed?" Ginny asked Harry with a blush on her face.
"Um, yes, I do upstairs, but," he trailed off.
"Then lets go get it and get out of here," Ginny replied as she grabbed his hand and hurried up the stairs. Once they were upstairs, Ginny tuned around and said, "I'm sorry about that. I kind of had to do that, but I have something to get back at Ron with," she replied with a grin.
"Oh, okay. Well, lets get out of here, I don't really feel like staying here for any longer then I have to," Harry said as he grabbed one end of his trunk and Ginny got the other and they got it out of his room. "Thanks," he said as they stepped outside. "Um, how are we getting back to your house?"
"With this," she replied as she pulled out a sock from her pocket.
"A sock? Oh, let me guess, a portkey?" Ginny nodded. "Ok." Harry grabbed onto the other side of the portkey.
****
"Harry!" came a cry from Mrs. Weasley as she ran up to him to give him a great hug. "I was so worried about you! I hope they haven't been too mean to you, have they? Oh, come over here and sit down, dinner is just about ready. Ginny helped make it you know; she's quite the cook. Will probably make a good wife someday."
"Mother!" Ginny yelled at her mom.
"Well, it's true, now you go get ready for dinner, Harry, while me and Ginny finish it up."
While Harry was walking to go to the bathroom, Ron caught up to him. "Stay away from the twins, they have had quite a few new projects they are wanting to try out on anyone."
"Really? Anything good?" Harry asked with a smile.
"Only if it's played on someone else, and I've been the main target so far. They are too afraid of Ginny and what she would do to them if they did. Which reminds me, did Ginny do anything weird when she picked you up?"
"You mean weird as in act like she was my girlfriend? Yes, she did, why?"
"It's kind of a 'truth or dare' thing, just without the truth option. I'm kind of supprised she went through with it. It's her turn now, and I'm kind of afraid of what she will have me do."
"You are acting like Ginny is something fearsome, I've never seen anything that hinted at that."
"You've never seen how she can be Harry, trust me. She's always been too embarrassed, or likes you too much to do anything that bad to you. Just trust me, she can get down right scary."
****
Dinner was good, like normal. Soon it was time to get to bed. Harry followed Ron up to his room to sleep, or at least attempt to. The day had gone by quickly, and Harry hoped he would be able to get a good night sleep, which was different than normal. He lay down, and after talking with Ron for awhile about everything from Hermione, to school, to Hermione, to quidditch, to Hermione, to quidditch again, and Hermione, he listened to Ron's slow breathing. Eventually he fell asleep, but it didn't last very long. He slept for longer then he was back at his uncles house, but he still woke up in the middle of the night. He decided that it would be better if he took a walk around the house.
He walked down the stairs, and walked out and sat on a couch in the main room and stared into the small fire still going. He heard a stair creaking behind him. He turned around. It was Ginny. "Isn't it a bit late for you to be up?" he asked her.
"I could say the same thing about you. I couldn't sleep, I don't know why, I just couldn't. Why are you up?"
"I couldn't stay asleep," Harry said turning back to the fireplace.
Ginny walked over to him and sat down next to him. "Nightmares?"
"Yeah, something like that," he said as he turned slightly away from her.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.
"No," Harry said harshly. "I-I'm sorry Ginny, it's just," he trailed off. "Last year, at the Tri-wizards tournament, I helped revive Voldemort. He took some blood from me, and now he's back to full power, and it's all my fault. He killed Cedric, and it's all my fault."
Ginny raised her hand to her mouth, "Harry, I had no idea. Have you been able to have a good night sleep at all this summer?" Harry shook his head no. "I'm so sorry, Harry. Is there anything I can do?"
"I doubt it. I won't be supprised if you didn't want to hang out with me anymore."
"Why would I want to do that?"
"Because I brought Voldemort back to full power. If I can't forgive myself, how can I expect anyone else to?"
Ginny looked at the back of Harry's head. She reached out, found his chin, and turned his face around to look at her. She nearly cried at the look in his face. "Harry, I forgive you." Harry's eyes widened. He wrapped his arms around her and started crying.
"You forgive me? Even after all I've done, you forgive me? I-there is no word to describe how thankful I am."
Ginny started running her hand through his hair, trying to comfort him. "Don't worry about it, Harry. Just know that I'm there for you, and I can't think of anything I can't forgive you for." She rocked him in her arms for awhile until he finally fell asleep. She soon followed after him. The only noise that was left was the dyeing fire in the fireplace.
****
Mrs. Weasley came down the next morning and saw Ginny and Harry sleeping on one another, and decided to wake them up so the twins or Ron wouldn't tease them. "Ginny, Harry," she said as she gently shook them awake. "You should go up to your own beds so no one comes down to find you two and decide to make fun of you for it."
After a few indecipherable mumbles, they finally got up and stumbling up into their own separate rooms. Her mother watched the two of them go upstairs and smiled. "Maybe it won't take another year for him to think about going out with her." She set out to get a big breakfast ready for everyone.
****
Harry woke up in his bed, not really remembering too well how he got there. The last thing he remembered was the night before with Ginny in front of the fire. He got up, and got ready to go take a shower. He walked down stairs, and knocked on the bathroom door. "Okay, I'm out" came the voice from the person inside, and the door opened to Ginny standing in a blue green towel, hurrying to try to get out of the bathroom in a hurry.
"Erm, good morning Ginny," Harry's voice came.
"Harry, about good night, and I guess this morning, don't say a word to anyone. I'll see you at lunch," and she hurried on to her room.
"Wow, what a towel, and I wasn't even going to towel about the towel," Harry mumbled to himself. He shook his head clear, and went in to take a cold shower.
After his shower, he got dressed, and went down to eat breakfast. "Good morning Harry!" Mrs. Weasly said as he came in. "I trust you slept well?" she asked with a wink.
"Better then I was before, thanks."
"Had a nice comfy pillow and everything?"
Harry realized she must have seen them and started to blush, "um, yes, it was a comfortable pillow. Thanks for asking." Ginny blushed as well.
****
The rest of the summer he spent there was much nicer then back at the Dursleys. Harry was able to sleep well most of the nights, and only a few nightmares haunted him. Harry and Ginny grew closer and closer over the summer. Ginny's dare to Ron, would be to ask Hermione out. All Harry knew was that he wouldn't have to be alone from then on.