"An unexpected discovery…"
"Harry? Harry!"
Harry looked up. He was completely lost in his own thoughts. He was twirling his newly reformed phoenix feather wand between his fingers and mindlessly expelling multi-coloured stars into the room.
"I've been calling from downstairs for ages." Ginny entered the room carrying two cups of steaming tea with a biscuit nestled in the saucer.
Harry nodded and took the tea gratefully, though didn't drink.
"Are you alright? You look pale." She asked, taking a seat next to him on the bed, and brushing his untidy black hair off his face.
Of course he looked pale. It had only been 3 weeks since the battle of Hogwarts. Voldemort was dead and the whole wizarding community had rallied, celebrating with great gusto. But that was over now, and everyone was trying to adjust to normality again. A normality without some of his closest friends who only appeared in his nightmares. Remus, Tonks, Bill, Harry even saw the ashen face of Colin Creevy at night. His stomach churned horribly.
"Mum's worried about you. So she's cooking up a steak and kidney pie for tea in the hopes you'll feel better."
Harry managed a small wry smile. Mrs Weasley's kindness and attention to detail for his favourite meal really was truly remarkable.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Ginny said hesitantly, trying to catch his green eyes.
"It's just…" Harry mumbled, staring blankly into the tea. "There's just been so much death," he finished bluntly.
He looked up into her eyes apologetically.
"I'm sorry, I don't want to get you down." He mumbled bleakly, trying to change the topic.
Ginny laughed unexpectedly and rested her cool hand on top of his.
"Don't be daft, we look after each other, right?"
Harry took a sip of the tea. The liquid burned his mouth as he gulped, but the taste made him feel better, stronger even.
"Over the past few weeks we've all lost so much, friends, family…"Harry broke off as Ginny looked away. His stomach plummeted horribly. Of course. He couldn't imagine how hard it was for her having always been so close to her older brothers, especially Fred. He squeezed her hand and she looked at him, her eyes glistening slightly.
"I just don't want to forget them." He said simply.
"We never will," Ginny reassured.
"I know. But it's only been a few weeks and I can't remember Remus's reassuring tone or the brightness of some of Tonks' hairstyles. I can only now vaguely remember Sirius laugh, and as for my parents, well… I've never been able to remember my parents…"
Ginny looked at him, then leant over and rested her head against his shoulder, so her soft red hair tickled his chin.
"What is it Dumbledore used to say? Something about death just being a door to something else. They are still out there, just waiting for us on the other side." Ginny whispered.
"Like King's Cross Station's waiting room…"
"Like what?"
"Nevermind," Harry said, smiling into his tea.
Ginny suddenly stood, making the springs in the bed creak.
"I've an idea! Follow me!" She said, and without a further comment raced from the room.
Utterly perplexed, Harry got up slowly and followed her, bringing his tea with him.
Ginny was at the bottom of the stairs before he left the room and was hurrying to a kitchen draw where she pulled out a long rusty key.
Greeting Harry at the bottom of the stairs, she pulled him to a door under the Burrow's rickety stairs.
"Are you going to remind me of some of my happiest moments living under the stairs at the Dursley's?" He said sarcastically.
"It's not a cupboard, Harry, it's a basement." Ginny said. Lighting her wand, she turned the key in its lock and tapped it twice with her wand, the door made a click and swung open. Inside revealed a set of rough, narrow stone stairs leading down into darkness.
"Wait here," She said, and she stepped down into the darkness. A minute or so later she remerged with a hovering trunk in tow.
"Hey! That's my trunk!" Harry exclaimed.
"I know, dung-brain! We were the ones who hid it here. Obviously we didn't want Death Eaters knowing we were hiding you, but also didn't want your personals getting nicked."
Harry opened the trunk. There was not much of value in it having taken most things while camping the past year. There was a jumble of odd socks, a few books from first year and an old gown that no longer fit.
'Why are we dong this?" Harry asked curiously.
"Look underneath the socks."
Harry did, praying that Ginny was choosing to ignore the fact that there were several very old and worn pairs of underwear in here. Harry's hand touched something soft, but didn't feel as heavy as a book. He pulled it out and blew it, removing the dust that coated it.
It was Hagrid's photo album he had put together when he was in first year. He hadn't looked at this in years.
He looked at Ginny and smiled. There was nothing else to say.
Ginny left him alone for a few hours. He was back in Ron's bedroom with a fresh cup of tea. He munched on the biscuit and sat staring at the cover. Leatherbound and aged, the pages had begun to peel and yellow from over-use.
He almost didn't dare open it. Inside were all those precious moments he was never there for or couldn't remember. It was almost strange to think that they had really happened, that there were once four marauders and a woman named Lily Evans who had all lived so happily for so many years.
He picked up the book and opened it to the first picture…
I'm planning little one shots of the pictures in the next few chapters, but suggestions are more than welcome!
Reviewing reminds me to update new chapters! Please review if you can, or I tend to forget that I am writing!