Token of appreciation

Harry took Ginny's hand and led her off to one side. The battle of Hogwarts seemed an age ago and yet here there were still burying their fallen comrade, family & friends. Yesterday had been Fred's funeral. Harry could barely look any of the Weasley's in the eye. His eyes wept silent tears for his beloved friend but the poor Weasley's were beyond consolidation, comfort or succour. George spoke to no one, his head hung low, wearing a bright orange crocodile suit in respect to his twin. His suit did not reflect his mood however and his eyes were heavy, tired and his face pale and drawn. Hermione said that losing a twin, as far as she had read of such matters, was like losing half of yourself. George was definitely incomplete without Fred. He tried and failed to laugh with others, he could see the funny side to nothing. Harry's heart went out to him, and when the whole family insisted that he join them in a round of hugging and remembering the best of Fred he felt his face burn with shame. He would always carry the guilt of Fred's death with him. He knew, logically that it had not been his fault, but he still felt a painful guilt. He knew that George's face that day would haunt his dreams forever.

Today however, the family including Harry & Hermione were all at the Burrow. Everyone trying their hardest to get on with the day without thinking about Fred. Everyone failing miserably come nightfall when the jobs were done, the sun vanished below the horizon and they were left with a warm evening, each other and their thoughts. Harry led Ginny outside to give them some privacy but also for the evening breeze. He held her face in his hands and kissed away her tears. He held her tightly as he'd been wanting to do all day. He looked her in the eye, his vivid green ones relecting the pain in hers, "Ginny, i hate to ask this of you, but i need you to cover for me. Theres something really important i must do, and i just feel like tonight is the right night."

She stared into his eyes, exploring the depths finding what she needed, "Do you promise me it is not dangerous in anyway?"

"I promise you."

"And there is no, possible way you could get hurt?"

He hesitated, his plan did involve going to somewhere dangerous, but he'd faced worse.. heck, last week he'd defeated Voldemort..

"Harry?" his hesitation to answer told her. "Where are you going and why? Tell me, or i'll tell everyone inside and just you see what they'll do to you!" Ah the famed red-headed temper, he was almost ashamed to say he found it quite sexy.

"Okay, okay Ginny. I left something in the forbided forest i need to get it back & then lose it again. I know this makes no sense to you but please trust me, i only want to return a favour... you can even come with me. Well, so far anyway. We'll just tell your parents that i'm... that .. er.. i'm taking you out! Yes, on a .. a.. er... oh, a proper muggle-style date into London to.. you know, cheer you up a bit.

"Harry, can't you at least give me something to go on? I trust you. You would never take me anywhere you thought i could get hurt but still, what going on? You look so... so, troubled. I worry about you." She implored desperate to be let into his heart, to share his burdens.

"Just cover for us, i'll tell you in time, okay?" He hated not telling her, but it was all too new, too raw, too fresh. What he planed was not going to be easy on him. But he owed a debt of gratitude he never thought he would.

Again she looked deeply into his eyes until she saw what she needed, "Okay. Give me 2 mins. Wait here."

He silently thanked whoever was listening for sending him such a beautiful angel as Ginny to love him. His heart swelled with love and joy and he knew, just knew that one day he would take her in his arms as his wife. On that day he promised himself no more secrets. She returned, took his hand and together they left the boundary of the Burrow and apprated to Hogsmead.

They walked hand in hand silently up to the school. It was still battle worn; the witches and wizards repairing Hogwarts had all gone home to bed. An eerie silence enveloped the grounds. They walked up past the Whomping willow and Hagrid's old hut, and onto the forest boundary.

"Stay here; I'll only be an hour. I promise." He kissed her lightly on the lips, tasting her, relishing her as her fingers curled in his dark hair. They broke apart and he looked longingly into her eyes until he vanished under the blanket of trees and the cover of darkness within the forest. He knew where he was going. He wasn't sure exactly where he had dropped it but he had a vague idea within a few metres; a relatively small search area even using just his hands. Finding the site he quickly got on hands and knees clawing around in the undergrowth.

After many scratches, cuts and bruised from branches, thorns and general forest floor-ness to his knuckles, fingers and knees he finally wrapped his fingers around a small metal object. He pulled it from the dirt and wiped it clean with his shirt. The ring gleamed in the moonlight. He hesitated with the ring in the palm of his hand. Dumbledore's warnings were clear. I'm not using it for personal gain, he reasoned. This was an act of compassion. He steeled his nerves, thought about having Ginny in his arms afterwards and took the plunge. He closed his eyes, turned the stone over in his hand three times and once again knew it had happened, because he heard the swish of a ghostly cloak coming towards him. He opened his eyes and was not at all surprised to see the less substantial body of Severus Snape before him. "Evening professor," said harry calmly with respect.

"Why?" all Snape was able to say, as he stared incredulously at the ring in Harry's hand, "Why bring me here?"

"A thank you... you did so much for me that i never appreciated it. I owe you this," Stated Harry plainly.

"I did nothing for you, Potter. I did it for her and because i made a promise." He spoke even in death with hatred and honestly.

Harry looked upon him kindly, he knew it was a mask that even when dead Snape could not release. "I know. But even so, as her son i am grateful, Would you, i mean...er... do you ...erm... would you like to see her?"

Snape's eyes went wide, at first with shock and anger, which soon morphed into understanding and then... gratitude. Harry didn't need words. He turned the stone in his hand three times until she appeared.

"Lilly!" Snape gasped and ran to her, held her close as a friend then looked into her eyes with such love it almost broke Harry's heart to see. Harry stands to one side and lets the two chat. He overhears snatches of their conversation. Snape telling her he asked Voldemort to protect her, he hears his potions master weep as his mother comforts him and tells him that she understood and forgave him long ago. "How?" wails Snape and Harry found it hard to remember what he'd been deciding was Ginny's best feature.

"Because without my sacrifice Harry would never have been able to defeat Voldemort, Things have a way of working out; it just takes a bit of faith sometimes." She spoke softly yet Harry heard her. He felt his eyes well up.

Harry let Snape have his conversation with Lilly, he hope it would give him comfort and peace at last. Eventually his mother came to him and touched his arm, "Harry my love, you have shown yourself to be the best of all of us. I am so very, very proud of you my son. Now we must go and so must you. Do not return us again. Lose the stone. Never again use it. Heed Dumbledore's warnings. I love you." She kissed his on the cheek, the forehead and on the nose before walking away into the shadows.

Snape turned to Harry his eyes betraying his feelings, "Thank you." And then he too departed into the mist leaving Harry alone sitting on the forest floor, his silent tears his only companions.

Eventually Harry rose, closed his eyes, spun on the spot with his arms outstretched and threw the ring as far as he could with no idea of it location. He began his long slow, lonely walk back to his Ginny.

"An hour YOU SAID... ONE HOUR... oh my God, Harry are you alright?" he emerged from the forest to be accosted by Ginny and the entire Weasley family. Ginny promptly threw her arms around him seripticously looking for injuries,

"I'm alright, promise," he whispered in her ear. He address the rest of the family, "Huh? I've only been.." he looked at his watch.. "Oh.. bit longer than an hour then?" he smiled sheepishly.

"TRY FOUR! WORRIED SICK! That's all! Just worried sick.. after all we've been through you decide to go on a crazy adventure into the forbidden forest! GOOD GOD! HARRY! Look at the state of you.. right, ARTHUR!"

"yes Molly"

"GET THIS BOY HOME THIS INSTANT!"

"Yes Molly, my love," replied her dutiful husband.

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A the funeral of Fred Harry decided to go back and use the ring to thank Snape. Tells ginny that he'll be safe and they aperatates to hogsmeade, finds the ring with some struggle (he gets a bit lost lol) then brings Snape back. They talk, and Harry thanks him for saving his live, again. Serverus says that he didn't do it for him, but for 'her', Harry knows but it grateful all the same, he asks if he would like to see his lily one more time. Harry brings her back and watches the conversation between the two, she is grateful to snape and he regrets her dead. He says that if she haden't tried to save Harry Voldemort was going to let her live, because Snape had asked. She thanks him for that, because with out him she would not have been given to opportunity to save Harry, and then all would have been lost. She kisses him on the cheek and tell harry that he'd better go. Harry is sourly tempted to make her stay with him, but remembers Dumbledore's failed attempt to bring his sister and parents back. He lets her go, and with a final bow to Snape, which is returned, harry is left alone in the forest.