Chapter 2 – A Talk among Friends

Discussing the best place to start, Ron and Harry headed towards the garden on the far side of the yard. Trying to fill the awkward silence that had lingered since breakfast, Ron told Harry funny stories from the other three times he'd already de-gnomed the yard that summer. "I don't know why, but for some reason there seems to be more gnomes this summer. You think they know something we don't?"

Harry snorted. "I doubt it. They're stupid little creatures aren't they? Look how many times you've thrown them over the fence, but they still keep coming back."

Reaching the farthest-most fence, the boys started stomping hard on the ground. The noise and vibrations would draw the gnomes above ground out of curiosity, where they would be caught and flung far into the neighbouring field. Reminding Harry to watch out for gnome-bites, Ron stomped his way across the yard. He was always the strategist and had decided that it would be best if they worked their way from opposite corners of the yard and met back up in the middle. It also gave him time to think about the best way to confront Harry about what was going on, both with himself and with Ginny.

Left to himself, Harry grabbed another gnome, spun around a few times to make it dizzy, and threw it as far as he could over the fence. The effort it took to catch and throw the gnomes was intense and not conducive to talking, and he was glad Ron was on the other side of the yard. I could get used to this, he thought. Too bad the garden didn't need de-gnoming every day. Harry settled into a routine and quickly became lost in his thoughts of the night before.

Harry hadn't really been upset with Hermione, but he was upset that he hadn't worked harder in Potions. He'd known all year that Snape wouldn't accept anyone with less than an "Outstanding" in his N.E.W.T. class. Maybe if he'd practiced more or studied harder he'd have gotten a higher score on his tests. Maybe it wouldn't have mattered though. Snape hated him, especially after the ill-fated Occlumency lessons and Harry's little 'visit' in Snape's Pensieve. Harry sighed to himself as he chased a gnome that tried to get away. Ever since the fake Moody had told him that he'd make a good Auror, Harry had wanted to become one. That wasn't an option now and he had nobody to blame but himself. Worse still, Harry didn't have any idea what else he might want to do after he got out of school…except get rid of Voldemort, but that was part of his destiny and wasn't optional if he even wanted to have a future.

Sighing again, Harry reflected on Ginny's behaviour last night. He'd been caught off guard when Ginny had followed him into the garden. Momentarily thinking that it wasn't like her to do such a thing, he was glad it was her and not one of the others. He hadn't been in the mood to deal with Ron or Hermione, and would likely have said something he'd have to apologize for later. Harry remembered wondering just what it was about Ginny that made it so easy to talk to her. He'd never been able to talk to Ron or Hermione, or any of his other friends the way he could talk to her, even though he didn't think he had ever really and truly talked to her since they were alone in the Chamber of Secrets. He couldn't even remember talking to her about that. I should have, he thought. I know better than anyone what she had gone through, but I didn't even bother with her once we got out of there alive.

"Ginny." He realised he was talking out loud and glanced around to make sure no one had heard. Ron was far away, busy fighting a gnome that was trying hard to hang onto a tree root. Harry watched as Ron pulled with all his effort and successfully detached the gnome and threw it out of the yard. Looking towards the house, he saw the girls were still busy pulling weeds from among the flowers. During a previous visit he'd once asked Mrs Weasley why she didn't charm the beds so the weeds wouldn't grow. She had patiently explained to him that there was just something therapeutic about the smell and feel of dirt on your hands and the accomplishment of a job well done. Harry smiled, now fully understanding what she had meant. Turning back to his own section of the yard, Harry stomped around, looking for more gnomes. As he did, his thoughts wandered back to Ginny.

Seeing him sitting by himself on a cluster of large rocks, she had looked both worried and upset. Harry had noticed a glimmer in her eyes as he thanked her for defending him to Hermione and wondered what it meant. It was nice just sitting there in the quiet of the evening. Although he couldn't help feel that she was waiting for him to say something first, he'd been surprised when she asked him about Sirius. He could tell that she didn't mean to ask it, and felt that he owed her a truthful response. He certainly didn't expect to be in tears moments later. Last night, Harry hadn't felt self-conscious about crying in front of Ginny. It had felt right, like it was the most natural thing in the world, to turn to her for comfort. When he felt her arms close around him, he had instinctively reached for her as he sobbed, remembering all the things he and Sirius had planned, things that would never happen now. After the tears had stopped, they had continued to sit there holding each other. Harry had noticed the feel of her hands, soft but strong, as she rubbed his back the way a mother would a crying child. Ginny's behaviour certainly hadn't felt motherly though, although Harry wasn't certain he could have said what her behaviour had felt like. He remembered the way the moonlight had glinted on her hair, brightening the silky soft strands until they almost glowed. She had smelled faintly of flowers – like home, Harry thought now, knowing he'd never be able to forget the scent of her.

It had been late when they'd finally gone inside, almost midnight. Harry had thanked Ginny and said goodnight on the stairs as she headed for her room. Heading upstairs to the room he was sharing with Ron, he hoped Ron wasn't waiting up for him. If he was, well, Harry wasn't sure he was ready to answer any questions Ron might have. When he saw Ron's blankets pulled over his head and heard snoring, Harry had grinned at his lucky escape. After changing and crawling into bed, he felt exhausted from his emotional outburst earlier and quickly fell asleep. It was only when he woke up this morning that he had felt embarrassed about the night before. Harry had feigned sleep, waiting until everyone else had gone downstairs for breakfast before getting up and taking his time in getting ready. He wasn't sure what to say to Ginny today or if she'd act differently around him now. If by chance she'd decided to tell Ron or Hermione about last night, he'd surely never heard the end of it.

"Hey Potter. I think that's all of them. Come on, I'm thirsty. Let's go find some pumpkin juice." Harry started as Ron clapped him on the shoulder, not having realised they were done. "What were you thinking about anyway? You had this funny look on your face."

"A little of everything I suppose," Harry replied truthfully.

Making their way into the kitchen, Ron took the pitcher from the cooling cabinet while Harry got out two glasses and set them on the table. Grabbing some biscuits from the jar on the counter, Ron joined Harry at the table and poured them both juice. "So, um, this morning Ginny said…" Ron's voice wavered as his words died off.

"Ginny said what?" Harry was nervous. He really, really hoped this conversation wasn't going to go where he thought it was. He knew from experience that Ron wasn't the type of person that dealt well with emotions or emotional people.

"Well, she told us that you two just sat and talked last night. I know you, Harry, and you haven't ever spent that long talking with someone, not even Dumbledore." Ron cleared his throat and gave Harry his best 'big brother' glare, mentally preparing himself for the next question. "So tell me. What exactly were you doing in the garden with my ickle sister until midnight?"

Harry stared at Ron while his brain tried to work out the implication of what Ron had just asked. "What do you mean what was I doing? I was talking to her just like she said. Have you gone mental? Do you think Ginny would lie to you? What else would we have been doing? Besides, how would you know what time we came in?" Harry glared back at Ron, having just realised that Ron hadn't been asleep after all.

Ron looked sheepish. "Sorry mate, but you've got to admit that it was kind of weird for you to be out there with her by yourself. She does have a boyfriend you know, and in case you've forgotten, we have to share a dorm with him when we get back to school. I saw the smiles and looks you two were giving each other at dinner last night. What was that all about anyway? Huh?"

Harry grinned, letting Ron know that everything was okay between them. "Honestly Ron, all we did was sit there and talk nothing else. She asked me what Sirius was like and I told her. I promise nothing else happened." Harry breathed a small sigh of relief. If Ginny hadn't already told him about Harry crying, she wasn't going to and he didn't feel any need to inform Ron of it either. "Now come on. Let's get our dusting done so we can tell the girls we finished first."

Imagining the look on Hermione's face when she realised she'd been beaten in something, Ron smiled as they went in search of dust cloths to get started. The two boys were lost in thought as they worked their way through each room. Finally Ron broke the silence and said, "You still haven't told me what those smiles and sneaky looks were all about. Are you sure there wasn't anything more going on out in the garden last night?"

Harry's shoulders slumped just a little. He should have known Ron wouldn't let it go. He was a Weasley after all, and probably the most stubborn of the lot. Harry took a deep breathe and finally said, "I have no idea what you're talking about. Looks? Smiles?"

Ron let out a loud laugh that sounded like "HA" and said "Don't tell me you have no idea. You're not that dense. I saw you guys touching each others' arms. Smiling and looking down so none of us would see you. I saw you looking at each other secretly the entire time and then again throughout dinner. Then you don't come back in the house until midnight with MY SISTER after that? What am I supposed to think?"

Now it was Harry that was laughing this time. He started coughing because his laugh had kicked up some dust on the mantle. "Ron, I swear I don't know what you're talking about. I guess I was just trying not to bust out laughing. We were setting the table and kept getting in each others' way. That's all it was. Now I actually know how you feel when you get all clumsy."

Ron's mouth fell open in shock and upset. "What do you mean when I get all clumsy? I do NOT." Then he saw Harry look at the mantle and watched his shoulders shake as he tried to hold in the laugh. Ron finally gave in and said "Ok. Fine. I do tend to get clumsy sometimes. So what? Guess you're not so perfect after all Mr Boy-Who-Lived." And with that they both finished up their dusting and were very excited about the possibility of beating the girls.

Finishing up Harry started to wonder. Did I really make those stupid smiles last night? Had I really avoided eye contact with her? Why was I so clumsy? Seekers can't be clumsy. Hmpf. I don't think that is it at all. Ha ha. But then again, Ron had said that Ginny was doing the same thing. SHE certainly isn't clumsy. She is sleek and agile and reformed. She holds herself with so much grace, even when she isn't trying. Ron's probably just imagining something is going on when it isn't. Or is he?

~ * ~ ~ * ~

The following morning was spent playing Quidditch in the orchard; Harry and Hermione against Ron and Ginny. Since Hermione hated flying and was dreadful at the game while Ginny was almost as good as Harry, the teams were reasonably well matched. The game ended with Ginny catching the snitch just as Mrs Weasley called them to lunch. Hungry after their game, they preoccupied themselves with eating the cold fried chicken and potato salad Mrs Weasley had left for them on the picnic table in the garden. As she served herself a slice of chocolate cake, Hermione didn't even have the energy to chastise Ron for taking a sixth piece of chicken.

It was another bright summer day and Harry decided that the weather was definitely at odds with what was going on in the wizarding world around them, but in a way it was good. Here, in the confines of the Burrow, it was easy to pretend that everything was okay and they were just four normal teenagers enjoying their last few weeks of freedom before school started.

Too tired to do much, Ron and Harry headed into the house for a couple games of chess. Hermione curled up on the porch swing with her book and Ginny stretched out on the grass with her eyes closed. Ginny debated on whether to ask for Hermione's opinion about her still-new friendship with Harry. She knew the types of questions Hermione would be bound to ask and she wasn't certain she had any answers. Besides, Hermione wouldn't hesitate to remind Ginny of Dean, as if she'd forgotten that she was supposed to have a boyfriend. Ginny frowned. Dean hadn't owled her in over a week and hadn't responded to the owl she'd sent him just a few days earlier. She didn't know if she even still had a boyfriend, but those kinds of thoughts weren't worth ruining her day.

Inside, Harry had grown bored of chess and left Ron reading his Chudley Cannons book. Wandering outside and finding Ginny dozing in the sun, he sat down near Hermione on the swing.

"Hi Harry. What's going on?" she asked.

"Nothing. Just bored. How's the book?"

"It's fine. Just doing a little summer reading for Ancient Runes." Hermione looked rueful. "Oh Harry, I'm sorry. Ginny told us how upset you were about not being able to take Potions and made me promise not to talk about school around you."

Harry looked shocked. "You, the smartest witch in our year, not talk about school? That's impossible and you know it. I'll be fine. I'll talk to Dumbledore and McGonagall when we get back; I'm sure they'll have other career suggestions that would suit me." Harry shrugged. "Besides, by the time I get done fighting Voldemort and his Death Eaters, I don't even know if I'd still want to be an Auror."

Hermione looked uncertain. Harry had told her and Ron about the prophecy the first day he arrived at the Burrow. It seemed like an awfully big task for just one person and she'd vowed to help him any way she could. She'd been waiting for a good time to bring it up with him; now seemed as good as any. "About that…I was thinking about what you said the other day. You know, about the prophecy."

"Yeah? What about it?"

"Well, I just wanted you to know that I'll do whatever you need me to do Harry. I mean it. Just tell me and I'll do it. The prophecy might say that you have to be the one to kill Voldemort, but that doesn't mean you have to fight the entire battle alone."

Harry stared at Hermione in silence. All he could think about was his conversation with Ginny the day before when he'd said that Hermione or Ron would have done anything for him.

"Harry, say something." Hermione stammered nervously. He'd been quiet far longer than normal and it bothered her. Maybe Ginny was right, she thought. Maybe I shouldn't have been asking him all those questions about school. Bothered by the fact that she could have been wrong, she tried again. "Harry."

"Huh?" Even though Ginny had been in agreement about Hermione and Ron sticking by him, it was hard for Harry to believe that they'd be there when it really mattered. But now, if Hermione was saying that she would be, perhaps it would be okay just like Ginny said it would. "I'm sorry Hermione, what were you asking just now?"

"I was just asking if everything was okay. You got real quiet all of a sudden."

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something Ginny said the other day. Thank you though, for saying that you'd be there. I know I'm not good at talking about stuff, but I really want you to know how much I appreciate your friendship and everything you do to help. You're a really special person, you know." Leaning over, Harry quickly hugged her before getting up from the swing. "I think I'm going flying for a bit. Tell Ron and Ginny to join me if they want when they wake up."

Hermione watched Harry walk away towards the broom shed, perplexed by his sudden change in behaviour. She started to wonder if something more had happened between him and Ginny than either one of them were saying.

~ * ~

Harry awoke gasping for breath, sweat drenching his body. He'd had that dream again – nightmare, really – where he was back in Department of Mysteries. Sometimes the dream was so vivid, it was as if he was really there. Most of the time though, like tonight, it was just glimpses of what had happened. Ginny, Hermione, and Luna were in the other room unconscious. Ron gasping for air as he was slowly being crushed by the brain tentacles. Neville standing strong by Harry's side, doing his best to fight with a broken and bloody nose. Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Moody, and Kingsley had arrived in time to stop the Death Eaters from getting the prophecy. Harry heard Bellatrix's gleeful cry of triumph as Tonks tumbled down the stone steps. The prophecy was smashed just as Dumbledore arrived, but nobody could hear it in the melee. And Sirius… No matter what else happened, Harry knew he'd always have nightmares about that last moment when Sirius was hit by a curse and pushed backwards through the veiled archway. Glancing at the desk, Harry saw it was almost three o'clock. Reaching for his dressing gown, he slipped out of the bedroom and headed downstairs in search of a glass of warm milk and the Chudley Cannon's book Ron was looking at earlier.

Harry entered the living room and set his milk and the handful of biscuits he'd grabbed on a small table next to the large overstuffed chair in the corner. Crossing the room, he found the book on the floor by the fireplace. Harry shook his head and smiled. Only Ron would leave one his most favourite possessions lying around. Then he remembered why Ron had discarded it so quickly. Dessert. I don't know if this will help me sleep, but at least I won't be bored, he thought. Curling up in the chair, he started to read. Midway through the second chapter, Harry heard a rustling sound and looked up to see Ginny standing in front of him.

"Didn't expect to see you down here," she said, curling up beside him. "So what are you doing awake?"

"Nightmare. What about you?"

"Couldn't sleep and decided I was tired of tossing and turning. Did you want to talk about it?" she asked as she reached for his glass of milk. Watching her, he decided that it would be nice to have someone to talk to about the nightmares. Maybe it would even help them go away. Harry still didn't understand why it was so easy to talk to Ginny, but he was glad that he could. "It was about that night in the Ministry. You know, the night Sirius died..."

As he finished, Harry looked away. He didn't know how Ginny would react and couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes. Ginny watched him for a few moments before looking at their entwined hands. She didn't think Harry realised that he'd reached out for her while he was talking but she wasn't going to point it out. His hands were large than hers, the skin rough from working outside at the Dursley's. His nails were ragged and torn from picking at them, one of the few bad habits he had. Her own hands were small and soft, thanks to the scented cream she used every night. Usually her nails would have been as bad as his, but tonight they had been shaped into smooth ovals and painted a pale pink frost. It was nice, very nice, she thought, to hold hands with Harry Potter.

"It'll all be okay, Harry," she told him. Somehow she knew that that was enough. "Read me some of this fascinating book you've found." Grabbing a blanket from the back of the chair, Harry settled his arm around Ginny and wrapped the blanket around them as he started to read.

As Mrs Weasley came downstairs to start breakfast, she caught a glimpse of red and black in the early dawn light. Looking closer, she saw her youngest daughter snuggled safe and warm in the arms of the boy she considered one of her own. She knew where her daughter's heart lay, and clearly those feelings were reciprocated, even if the owner wasn't aware of them. Mrs Weasley knew she should wake them, they were still very young after all, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Harry had known so little happiness in his life and she couldn't begrudge him any small bit that he could find. Leaving them to sleep, she headed into the kitchen to put on the tea. Mrs Weasley made sure to make a little more noise then normal as she took out the breakfast things. The last thing either one of them needed was for Ron to find them like that. She smiled and continued cooking.