Meet The Press

Chapter 2: Procrastination and Planning and a Perk

Disclaimer: JKRowling owns everything here. No infringement intended. I just want MORE! LOL

A/N: This chapter contains a rotating narrative/p.o.v. (my term). It goes from third person, into conversations, into flashbacks in people's thoughts, especially Ginny's as she listens Harry and Hermion plan his speech.

As Harry neared the bottom landing, he could hear newspaper pages turning. It sounded like the reader was a bit frustrated. He rounded the corner and found Hermione sitting at the kitchen table, reading The Times, a cup of tea sat as yet untouched beside her. She looked up at his entrance and smiled.

"Morning," she said quietly, trying not to wake anyone in earshot.

"Morning. Anything interesting?"

"Not compared to the goings on in our world, but that's not why I bought one," she said. "I'm trying to find a deal on a flight to Sydney." Sometimes she lamented the lack of electricity in wizarding households. It meant lack of computers and internet access. "Is Ron awake?"

"You're kidding, right?"

"I know. He can sleep through anything when he's in his own bed, can't he?" she said enviously, yet somewhat annoyed at the same time.

"Anything but Mrs. Weasley's muffins. If those were coming out of the oven, you can bet he'd be down here before they were even out of the pan."

"True," she smiled. "You're up early. Can't sleep?" Hermione looked at the clock. It wasn't even 7am.

"No. I can't get this press conference out of my head. I don't know what to say."

"It's hard to go wrong with the truth, you know."

"Hmmm." His eyebrows climbed skeptically towards his hairline. "People won't like the truth. I've been down this road before, remember? Plus, how much do I actually tell for all to hear? What if some nutter was to try and copy that creep and I gave them the ammunition to do it with? Then how much of that am I responsible for?"

Hermione digested his comments for a brief moment before she spoke. "Good point, in a sense, but, Harry you would be no more responsible with what people do with the information than a knife manufacturer. If a person is going to stab someone it is not the responsibility of the factory, just the person who committed a dangerous act. But seriously, Harry, haven't you tried writing a speech yet?" He looked at her guiltily. "Harry!"

"Hermione, you figure out what to tell people! I haven't got it all straightened out in my head yet and I'm supposed to tell my story?" he said angry at the situation. Readjusting his opinion of Snape weighed heavily on his mind. "I've already told Kingsley everything. Why don't they just ask him? I just want to sleep. Sleep and to tell you the truth, forget." He washed his hands over his face. "I just want to live. I just want to be normal."

"Harry, I hate to break it to you, after all these years with that scar on your forehead, multiple near death experiences, special lessons from the most brilliant wizard our age has ever seen, and finishing off the greatest dark wizard of all time, that for you…that was normal. What you want…is abnormal!" She looked at him as if he were nuts for a moment. "Aren't you used to all this attention by now?" she joked.

Harry gave her an annoyed look, and then broke unwillingly into a smile. He reached over and grabbed her hand and gave it a quick squeeze and a grateful look. "There is no way I'd be sitting here at this table if it weren't for you. You stuck by me through everything over the years, saved my life…I don't know how many times. Talked me out of being an arse, made me see reason when I just wanted to give in or hit something. You even took care of me when I was sick." He shifted uncomfortable thinking of the night during which she nursed him after Nagini had attacked him in Godric's Hollow. "You are the most incredible friend."

Hermione smiled and blushed. "Thank you, Harry. But if I needed you I know you'd be there for me too, and actually you were," she said as her voice trailed lower in volume as she though of the torture and her recovery at Shell Cottage. Then she eyed him shrewdly. "You want me to write your speech for you, don't you?" He smiled sheepishly and pulled back his hand quickly. "Harry Potter!" She rolled her eyes. "Honestly! After Ron, you are the biggest procrastinator I have ever met! The press conference is in," she looked at the clock again, "six hours!"

"What are you on about now, Hermione?" Ginny's voice boomed as she rounded the corner. Harry's face immediately brightened as he stood up to go and meet her half way and give her a good morning kiss and hug.

Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but Harry cut in. "Nothing I don't deserve. She's right; I was trying to get her to write my speech for me." He looked at her apologetically. "Would youuu… consider having some strong input?" he said as he reached for her tea to take a sip. He received a slight scowl in return. Unimpressed, Hermione turned around in her chair and flicked her wand at the kettle on the stove which began to whistle almost immediately since the water it contained was already hot from making her own cup not five minutes earlier.

Hermione shook her head and let out an exasperated sigh, "Alright! Besides, it could help to put down any rumors swirling around about us being on the run together." Harry understood she was trying to put aside any concerns the Weasley women might have had. The fact that Ron and she were now a couple and Harry and Ginny were back together didn't stop people from wondering and the speculation about them in the Daily Prophet was annoying, despite the fact that Hermione was always pictured beside Ron. The gossip column was worse than Rita Skeeter at times.

Once Harry settled down with his own cup, and one for Ginny, they set to work with Hermione dictating and Harry writing. Ginny sat and listened closely wanting to know every detail too. Harry had told her some things, but they were always interrupted with either family or ministry people coming by. Harry was back, safe and sound. His feelings had not changed. She sensed they were stronger for her than ever. Ginny relaxed as she considered how much stronger her feelings for Harry had become. Seeing him dead in Hagrid's arms was almost more than she could bear.

Harry felt Ginny beside him take a deep shuddering breath. She was trying to hide her feelings about something. Their eyes met. She grimaced slightly and shook her head. His hand plunged under the table searching for hers. Finding it, he squeezed hers firmly. She took solace in the comfort he gave her. She smiled slightly as her eyes then wandered, landing on the kitchen window above the sink. From it she could see the light on in the garage. She knew what that meant. She had been sticking close to her parents who were so grief stricken over the death of Fred , as were they all. She knew how her parents were handling it. She instantly thought of her conversation with her mother the day before.

"You know mom, I never truly understood how you felt when your brothers were killed. They were names to me since I never knew them."

She lowered her eyes in shame at her own incomprhension of the feelings her mum had gone through. After all, hew own twin brothers were named in honour of her uncles Fabian and Gideon Prewett. Did that in itself not show how much her mother had been devastated by the loss of her brothers? Why had she not considered this before? Had she been that self-centered to never truly think about it? Well…she was thinking about it now, and she understood. She did not feel the loss of a child, no matter how old. She hoped she never would.

"I felt sad for your loss, but now. Now we've lost Fred…" Ginny stopped and took in a deep breath to continue as her eyes watered. "I wanted to say how sorry I am for your loss of them. I know how you felt now. Merlin's beard! I wish I didn't."

Molly Weasley began crying anew, and pulled her only daughter to her. They held on to one another, heavy sobs escaping them. Someday remembrance will bring smiles, but that day seemed a long way off. Molly closed her eyes and visions of her son lying still before her swam in front of her. Nothing made one so vulnerable as to have a child. When she had married, Molly had thought that sharing your dreams, fears, memories, and yourself with someone was the ultimate in emotional exposure. How wrong she was. Having children did that more than anything. Children meant a piece of your heart was now outside your body. Pain caused to her children wounded her severely. Her heart felt it, even the pain of their scraped knees scraped at her heart. She could hug them, clean them up, and Mummy could kiss everything better. Nothing made her feel better right now with Fred gone. Her mind was haunted that she had pushed him aside to hug Percy in the Room of Requirement. She would have to live with that action.

Sleep was of no comfort. Arthur's arms held that comfort only, as he too was so devastated and shared the loss of a parent with her. He tried to be strong in front of everyone; a sniffle escaped him now and then. He did not cry in front of the children since Hogwarts when he fell apart, but she watched him disappear often these last two days into his garage and emerge a little redder in the face than usual about half an hour later. Yesterday afternoon, Ron had gone in after his father. He emerged with him puffy eyed later. Hermione had watched from the window of Ginny's bedroom and gone to meet him. After a brief hug with his father, Ron and Hermione walked hand in hand toward the orchard. The family was turning to each other in their grief. That was comforting Molly thought. She too found herself crying in the garage, or the orchard so she wouldn't upset the remaining children in her home. She remembered seeing her mother cry after her brothers' deaths. It was the worst feeling she had thought. Her naivety surprised even her. Suffering the loss of her son was exponentially worse.

Ginny was interested in the entire goings on while the trio was away. They, to her surprise grilled her for everything that happened to her at Hogwarts too. Their disconnection with the world was so isolating and depressing for them. She decided that neither situation was to be envied. Everyone had a cross to bear in this war. Everyone suffered in one way or another. She brought her mind back to the conversation at hand with Harry and Hermione.

Heavy footsteps could be heard coming from the stairs. Hermione smiled to herself, knowing all too well whose they belonged to. She looked up to see Ron entering the kitchen, yawning. His hair was slightly messy and his face still wore the look of sleepiness until his eyes landed on her and they brightened considerably as he winked at her. She blushed, still not used to these much more open displays of affection from him.

He noticed the three at the table, "Good morning. Why are we all up this early? Haven't we earned the right to sleep in?" he said as he walked over to Hermione, put a hand on her back and bent down to kiss her quickly as he slid into the chair next to her. His arm remained draped over her shoulder, his hand dangling slightly in front of her right shoulder. She dropped her cheek against the back of his hand and nuzzled it briefly responding to his gesture. Her heart was soaring. Could anyone tell, she thought.

"Yes, I'd say you three certainly have," Ginny said. "So why are you up?"

Ron shrugged, "I woke up when Harry shut the door, started thinking and then couldn't get back to sleep." His thoughts had turned immediately to Hermione, but he wasn't going to say that in front of Ginny. He was sure she would be up. He motioned to the open Muggle newspaper. "Any luck?"

She gazed at him affectionately. "No. Maybe I should try a Muggle library. They have public access to the internet, uh, the inter-connected computer network throughout the world, and many airlines are putting schedules and fares up there now. Their sites were not very user friendly last year, so I don't encourage you to learn a computer on their sites specifically Ron. But they seemed to be headed in the right direction last year. Soon, I'll bet you'll be able to choose your seat even."

"Are you going this morning?" he said as he stared at her tea and sniffed the air appreciatively.

"Not anymore. Harry here has been putting off writing his speech for this afternoon. So now I am going to help him. Your two cents would be welcome too," said Hermione with warm glance.

Ron took in the sincerity of her features and decided he could definitely get used to this Hermione. The contrast between these brief affectionate little looks directed only at him compared with the long, icy cold stares for anyone to see after Christmas was unnerving, but certainly welcome.

"Absolutely," chimed in Harry. He noticed the looks flowing between his best friends who seemed to be descending into their own little world, oblivious to the presence of others at times. Suddenly, he was glad everything was over on a new level. He would have felt like a third wheel in the tent very quickly, he thought.

Ron grunted. "After tea, OK?" Harry nodded understandingly and wrapped his hands around is own mug, before Ron got any ideas of taking a sip from it.

Molly Weasley opened the back door and entered the kitchen, her eyes puffy, her nose a little red. Ron's eyes squinted slightly. She had been in the garage already this morning. Not a good start to the day, he thought. She smiled at the assembly at her kitchen table. "Oh, my. Good morning. You're all up earlier than I expected. I'll just put some muffins together."

"I'll help, Mom," said Ginny as she got to her feet, giving Harry's hand a parting squeeze under the table before doing so.

"Yeah, me too," Ron chimed in. "Uh, I always wondered how you made these. Believe me; we missed your cooking while we were away. If we ever go away again Hermione, make sure you pack a cook book, and a bunch of spices!"

Molly beamed. It had the effect Ron intended. Hermione scowled. He had not intended that one, but quickly tilted his head in his mother's direction and motioned to her perked up mood. Hermione understood what he did and chose to hold back a biting remark about his own cooking.

"Oh, for heaven's sake! Cooking was the last thing we thought of when leaving if you'll think back a bit. But it was certainly something we thought of constantly while we were gone. We all missed your cooking, that's for sure, Mrs. Weasley."

"Thank you, dear. You know, you really should start calling me Molly. It's a bit of work to get your head wrapped around it, I suppose, but I don't mind."

Hermione beamed, unsure what to say at this gesture. "Oh, uh, thank you. Yes, that will take some getting used to."

Molly smiled and continued to shuffle about getting ingredients. Ron stood stone still with his mouth slightly open, as did Ginny. "That goes for you too, Harry. It's a lot less of a mouthful than Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. I'll inform Arthur so he won't be surprised and think you becoming forward in your heroic week," she teased him. Harry looked mortified. Molly laughed. "I'm kidding Harry! Well, not about the name part."

Ron jumped in. "Can we call you Molly and Arthur too?"

"Not if you want a response, young man," as she snapped a t-towel in his direction.

"Ouch! Just kidding, Mum!"

Ginny's eyes brightened for a moment as he grabbed another t-towel and snapped it at Ron.

"Hey!"

Hermione and Harry jumped up immediately and got more towels and suddenly the war was on between the two couples. Ron's eyebrows went up as he rummaged quickly in the drawer for a light weight towel that he knew worked well in such a situation. While looking, Harry snapped at his butt.

"Ow! What the bloody hell? Is it PickOn Ron Day?"

"Well, if you're going to put it out there, mate, don't expect us not to go for it!" said Harry.

The foursome continued their battle for a few minutes, Molly looked on amused and actually laughed, though she felt a little guilty for not defending her children from their friends.

Heavy footsteps came down the stairs quickly and George got into the mix, first by stealing the best towel from Ron as he came up behind him. Ron swore lightly, earning a look from his mother, and then grabbed Hermione's towel from her since her style left much to be desired in his opinion.

"Hey!" she complained.

"All's fair in love and war, love."

Her eyes narrowed at him. She avoided the main battle area and found another towel and wet is just the right amount to make it perfectly pliable. Then she whipped Ron. At his surprised response, she responded, "Friendly fire."

George looked impressed with his brother's girlfriend. "I think you've been hanging around this bloke too much, Granger! Love it!" He praised her, and Hermione beamed at his approval and a genuine smile that reached into his eyes for the first time in days.

"I can be taught!" she quipped.

The group dissovled into laughter and then had to call a truce as they examined their whip marks on exposed skin. Then they got back to the business at hand after the brief emotional respite.

"Well, a little breakfast should give us some energy and focus to put this thing together. I'll set the table. How many are we?" Harry offered. He did a count in his head and realized he included Fred in it out of habit. He shook his head and quietly went about getting cutlery for the number of Weasleys and guests that morning at The Burrow. Charley had arrived the day before, and Percy had stayed and not gone back to his flat in London. The kitchen became a hive of activity, a welcome distraction from loss and responsibility.

After the meal, Hermione got down to business. "Harry, I think you should have a speech prepared. But, also have reporters submit their questions in advance so that you can choose which ones to answer if your speech doesn't do that. Alternatively, you could also announce, if you like, that you will be speaking only, and not taking further questions. You know how reporters can be, so that might make it a little easier to take. What do you think?"

Harry nodded. He liked the way Hermione thought. She was rereading what they had done earlier and correcting. He looked at her there at the table with quill in hand and all seemed to be going back to normal for a moment. He smiled, thinking and hoping that some things would never change. Her voice cracked his appreciation of the moment.

"Harry, what about the Horcruxes? Do you want to mention them be name? You did so during the duel, you know."

"Hmmm. I think we'll leave that to the Ministry to truly identify what Riddle did. Those in the hall will know, that's fine, but I don't want to give any more ideas to wack-jobs out there. Can we find another term that hints but does not explicitly state what he did?"

"Security measures?" Ron supplied.

"That would work, wouldn't it?" Ginny encouraged, glad she was being included.

Troubled, Harry backed away from the table and started walking about the kitchen. "How far back to I go to explain this? I mean, my birth? The night my parents died?" Harry stopped pacing a moment, and then spun on his heel. "Sirius. No one knows he's innocent of those murders."

"What about why you survived in the forest? People will wonder why Voldemort thought you were...dead." Ron commented uncomfortably.

"Well, that one is easy. Narcissa lied to him. She was ordered to check and see if I was dead, and she just wanted to know if Draco was alive. I told her, and she told Riddle I was dead. Not a problem there actually. That's one of the easier questions to answer. But, my mom's spell. How do I tell anyone that Dumbledore explained everything else to me while I was hanging between life and death." Harry saw Ginny cringe. "Sorry." She smiled uncomfortably. "Seriously, people will think I'm a nutter if I tell them how much information I got from nearly crossing over. I could have stayed there. There was no pain at that moment. I felt better than I had in ages."

"You could have stayed, mate?" Ron was looking at him incredulously. Hermione's jaw dropped open. Ginny's eyes filled with water as she turned white.

"Yes. Dumbledore said I could choose to "go on", or come back and fight and possibly end everything."

"You never told us that. The spell had actually killed you? Is that what you're saying, Harry?" Hermione demanded to know. Ginny remained quiet, staring blankly at Harry. Her mouth was suddenly dry.

"Well, the spell killed the Horcrux in me, for sure. But it brought me to a state where I could choose which way I wanted to go." He looked at Ginny for the first time. She averted her eyes and excused herself to the washroom.

"Harry! How on earth did you choose to come back? When you were pain free and…"Hermione's voice trailed off as he put his hand in the air to stop her.

"Excuse me a minute." Harry left the room to follow Ginny to the bath. He tried the doorknob to find it locked. "Ginny. Ginny?" he called softly through the door. She didn't answer, but he heard a grab for facial tissue. Damn. He pulled out his wand from his jeans. "Alohomora." The door unlocked and he entered, shutting the door behind him.

"I, I'm sorry Harry, I just.."

"Stop," he said gently. He stepped towards her and pulled her to him and hugged her. She leaned into him and the dam burst open in waves of sobs, her body shaking against his as she clung to him –for life. Harry just held her as long as she needed, burrying his face into her hair around her neck. She smelled so good. He had missed the smell of her hair while away. During tent duty he would try to remember the scent that gave him so much comfort as well as filling him with all that he associated with Ginny. He thought of her hair flowing behind her while they played quidditch, like flames that followed. He shifted his position lest the wrong emotion enter this room at this time. He could tell she sensed a change in him but chose to disregard it.

Ginny pulled back slightly, but never left his arms. "Seeing you, dead…I just…I felt like I died in that moment. Everything I dreamed of in a future was gone, lifeless. I felt myself shrinking in some way. I'm not saying that I knew where this between us was going to go…I just…the possibility of that future being with you was ripped away from me, from us. I felt sick to my stomach when I saw you like that. I still feel it so strong when I think of it. I felt utterly empty." Her eyes had left him as she tried to explain, staring at the button of his collar until her last statement when her eyes met his, pleading with him to understand how much his demise would and did affect her.

His left hand remained on her waist as his right came up to caress her cheek, his thumb gently wiping away the tears falling there. "Ginny, don't you know?" He looked at her so softly that she felt she would fall deep into the well of green eyes enveloping her and never come out. Her pulse sped up as the heat between them rose slightly. Her breaths were suddenly short as he leaned in slightly making sure she was completely his focus. "I love you. I want that life together more than anything. That's why I left. There was no way I would be able to hold you and not be afraid that you would be hurt because of me. I went after him as much for my own selfish reasons as the fact that I was the one chosen to do it."

She stared at him. She did hear what he said, but her mind kept coming back to the first three words.

"I love you. Did you hear what I said?" he inquired nervously.

"Yes. I love you too."

With that admission, their lips found each other as arms encircled and pulled each other in. He drank in the moan that escaped from her as their tongues sought each other out and battled for dominance. This kiss was like nothing he had experienced with her before, nothing like the one on his birthday. This kiss held promise instead of the impending denial of departure. It held passion, friendship, strength and support. It held love and a future.

When they broke apart, they were both breathless and eyes shining at each other as they both grinned like fools. Then Harry laughed.

"What?"

He looked at his surroundings. "Well, I never thought the first time I said I love you would be in the loo. Not very romantic."

"Romance does not have to be planned, Harry."

"Well, in that case, I'm your man. I suck at actually planning anything. Just ask those two out there!"

She laughed. "In a minute. I'm not done using the loo!" she grinned mischievously, a twinkle in her eye as she advanced on her man.