They waited with bated breath to see if anything was going to happen. When, after several moments, nothing did, they all breathed a sigh of relief and continued inside.

Harry lit his wand as he entered, and the scene he saw made him glad Ginny still had her hand in his. Bellatrix and her band of merry Death Eaters had utterly destroyed the place. Ransacked it. They'd blasted holes in the stairs and walls, slashed through the portraits, and broken all the furniture. It's not that Harry was particularly attached to any of these things, but they were a part of Sirius's past, and they were iconic, in a way. He knew they were likely going to throw everything out, anyway, but he wanted to do it on his own terms, not because some Death Eaters decided to destroy it just because it belonged to Harry Potter.

The only positive thing about the Death Eaters' attack was that they'd somehow managed to rip down the painting of Sirius's Mum. Her hateful screeching was something they'd never miss.

Pinpricks of light moved around the house in pairs, as they searched out the rooms together. They didn't trust the floors upstairs, as they appeared to have several large holes. They couldn't really get up there, anyway, as the holes in the stairs were impassable. Most of the lamps had been broken, but they lit whatever lights they could find on their way around. Hermione and Ron cleaned a thick layer of grime off the front windows, and they let in considerably more light. After several minutes of exploring the ground floor, they met back in the entrance hall.

All eyes were on Harry, again, as they waited for him to tell them what to do. Honestly, Harry didn't quite know what to do, himself. The destruction was even worse than he'd imagined, and he didn't have much experience with handy-magic. He could fix some of the small things by hand, thanks to the Dursley's, but much of this was far beyond his abilities. He just didn't know how they were going to make this work for Hermione.

"Hermione, I'm sorry. I don't think we can fix it. The house is…well it's complete rubbish. I mean, you can see it. I don't know what to do. This is way beyond me. I can't fix it." He stood there, looking around his disaster of a house until Ron clapped him on the shoulder.

"Mate, sometimes you can be as thick as me. D'you think we expected you to do all the fixing? None of us are daft enough to think you actually know anything about handy-magic. Lucky for you, you've got the two experts right here. Who d'you think built the Burrow? Dad did most of it, but when Bill got older he helped Dad expand it so there'd be room for all of us. Yeah, there's a lot to do, but that doesn't mean you should give up on it."

"As much as it kills me to say this, Harry, my idiot brother is actually right," Ginny said from beside him. "Did you really think you were going to have to do this alone?"

"Well it is my house. I just thought that, you know, since Mr. Weasley and Bill have work, and everyone else is busy with other things, there wouldn't be anyone left to help me."

"Harry, let me tell you something," Bill began, "this family has been through a lot lately. That's not news to you. What you may not be aware of, however, is exactly how we all feel about you and Hermione. Both of you are our family. You're like an extra brother and sister that we just didn't meet until later. Hermione's family is missing, and since Hermione is our family, her family is a part of that, too. Do you follow?"

Harry gave a shaky nod.

"Good. Now, when something happens in our family, we don't rest until we've sorted it out. I think you know this. Dad and I have taken time off work for this project. Kingsley gave him special permission to be absent for as long as it takes. Gringotts was less accommodating, but it turns out they need me as much as I need them, and they grudgingly let me have my time off.

We're here to help. As far as I'm concerned, this house is the only thing we really have going for us, right now. We're at a stalemate with the retrieval plans until we hear from Kingsley, so right now we just need to start working on this home. This place is our best bet. Yes, it needs work, but we need something to work on, too. This project…it's helping us deal with our losses. We all miss him, F-Fred. But having something to work towards makes us feel more alive. You need this as much as the rest of us. We're not giving this up, no matter how much work it is."

Bill's speech had left him with tear tracks on his face. As Harry looked around at the rest of the Weasley's, he saw they all had watery eyes and shaky smiles. Harry was surprised to find his eyes tearing up, as well. Bill was right; he did need this. He needed it for the same reasons the rest of them did. Doing something productive and helpful made him feel like a person, again. He didn't have to think about all those horrible things that happened last year or the pain of losing nearly everyone he loved. When he was focused on something, rather than left alone with his thoughts, things seemed a little less bleak.

He still didn't know how to even begin repairing the house, but he knew it needed to be done. For Sirius. This was his house, and he wouldn't want Harry to just leave it behind. Nothing would have made him happier than to know that there was a happy family living in it and enjoying it. Remus, too, would just be proud to see him finish this project. He started it, now he had to finish it. He could only imagine what Moony would say if he started it and then just left it to rot. He would do it. He had to. And somehow, he knew that if he did, he'd feel so much better.

Ginny gave his hand another squeeze, and Harry came back to reality. The Weasley's were waiting on an answer.

"Let's get some of these things cleared out. It's nearly dinnertime and I want to say we accomplished something when we go back home."

The Weasley's and Hermione all smiled at him. Arthur Weasley smiled and said, "Sure thing, Harry. Let's get started."

They spent the next three hours clearing debris from the house, and finding creative ways to let in more light. When it finally got too dark for them to be able to work, they called it quits and went back to the Burrow to eat a wonderful supper and go to bed.

They woke bright and early the next morning, ready to get started on the house. They hadn't connected the floo, yet, so they each had to apparate over on their own. Despite getting to bed earlier than everyone else, he was the last to wake up, again, and so was the last to leave. He was just about to apparate out when he heard his name.

"Harry! Harry! Wait! I'm coming with you!"

"Gin? I thought you'd be going to the shop today. I told you yesterday, your projects are just as important as mine."

"And I agree with you, but there's no reason I can't divide my time. Besides, Angelina's at the shop today, and she doesn't need me to tell her what to do. I, however, do need you to take me to the house, because there's no floo there, yet. Once you get it connected, I can just floo over from the shop or from here, and go back and forth as I choose."

"Well, that's a fair point, I suppose. Though, I should really get started teaching you how to apparate as soon as possible. I know you aren't 17 yet, but the Ministry is hardly concerned with underage magic right now, anyway."

"No, I don't expect it matters now. They'd have a pretty hard time tracking me down, anyway. Dad says they're really short on Aurors. They didn't have a great leader after Kingsley went into hiding, so most of them got picked off one by one during the war. They're trying to rebuild the department, but Dad says it's slow. Nobody really wants to be an auror right now."

"What about you? Do you want to be an auror? I'm sure Kingsley would hire you on the spot if you wanted to. You're brilliant at defensive magic, and your jinxes and hexes are better than any I've ever seen. Even if he made you take an entrance test or something, I'm sure you could pass. You'd make a scary auror, Gin. I wouldn't want to cross you."

"I thought about it, especially after Dad told me they needed so many, you know? But I just don't think it's for me. Not after all the battles I've already faced. Besides, I'd rather do something fun, like flying. I'm thinking of trying out for Quidditch when the leagues start back up, again."

"That's brilliant! You'd be fantastic. You're right, that's a great job for you. I can see it now, 'Ginny Weasley, star Chaser'. It suits you. What about school, though? Are you going back?"

"I don't think I could go back to Hogwarts. It's not the same place, anymore. There was too much pain, there, even from the beginning. I couldn't do it. I couldn't go through the routine, knowing how much sorrow still lingered there. I couldn't walk past the place where F-Fr-Fred died on my way to class everyday. I couldn't go into the Great Hall without seeing all their bodies. F-Fred, Tonks, Lupin, C-Colin. It's just too much, Harry. I couldn't…"

Ginny collapsed into tears and buried her face in her hands. Harry stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her for the second time in two days. This time was different, though. She burrowed her face into his shoulder and sobbed while Harry shed silent tears into her hair. When it seemed she had cried all she could, she pulled back and wiped her face with her hands.

"Oh, look what I've done. You're shirt's all wet. I'm sorry, Harry. I'll go fetch you another one, if you want."

Harry placed his finger under her chin and lifted her eyes to his. Ginny could see the tear tracks still wet on his face and feel his sadness in the pit of her stomach.

"It's okay, Gin. Really." He offered her a small smile and waved his wand at the wet spot on his shoulder.

She giggled. "Oh. Right. Magic. I forgot. Silly me."

Harry laughed, the first laugh he'd had in ages. It feels good to laugh, he thought. With a smile on his face he pulled Ginny into his arms again. He smelled the familiar scent of her perfume and felt the soft skin of her arms. Something stirred deep within his chest. The monster was awakening, again.

"Come on, Gin. Let's go to the house," he said, "but you've got to hold on tighter this time. I don't want to risk losing you."

"Sure thing, Harry," said Ginny, a little unsteadily as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Harry was practically electrocuting her and that place in the pit of her stomach was nearly on fire. She didn't think the time was quite right to worry about their relationship just yet, but if Harry kept these feelings up, she might not have much choice but to jump him where he stood. All these raw emotions combined with such close physical contact were really doing a number on her patience.

The sharp squeeze of apparation drove all other thoughts from her mind, as Ginny focused solely on her connection with Harry and arriving at Grimmauld Place in one piece. The pressure subsided, and she felt her feet on solid ground, again. She and Harry untangled themselves, took each others' hands and strode purposefully into the house.

"Hey, mate! 'Bout time you got here. 'Mione's had me cleaning for hours already. And she's working up some sort of duty chart on the table in the kitchen. You know Hermione. I don't recommend going in there just yet, though. She's a little touchy right now."

"What did you do to her, Ron?"

"Ginny! That's unfair! How do you know I did something? What if it was her, huh? What would you have said, then?"

"Here's a tip, Ron. It's always your fault. Whether it is or isn't, it is. Do you understand? I'd better go sort this out. I'll see you later, Harry."

She headed towards the kitchen, leaving Ron and Harry alone.

"Mental, that one," Ron said. "I really don't know what you see in her. 'Whether it is or it isn't, it is'? What in the bloody hell is that supposed to mean? Makes no ruddy sense, does it?"

"I honestly don't know, Ron. Forget about it for now. Come on, lets get to work. What have you been working on this morning?"

"The Tapestry Room, mostly. Er, sorry, I'm supposed to be calling it the 'sitting room' now. Anyway, the tapestry is about the only thing they didn't tear apart, it's bloody impossible to pull down. Hermione and I only managed to get corner of one wall down before she left to make her charts and stuff. I didn't get much done after that. It'll go faster with both of us working on it, though."

They walked into the Tapestry Room, as they called it, and turned to the cloth-covered walls. Ron was right. Bellatrix and her crew had left it virtually untouched. There were a few new-looking burn marks over some names he barely recognized, but for the most part, it was just as abominable as it had been when Sirius lived here. He wanted to put Sirius's name back on and burn the rest off. They were the ones who didn't deserve to be called "pure" blooded.

"Burn it." Harry whispered.

"Sorry, what? Didn't catch that."

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking. I wish we could burn it. I wish we could find a way to burn all their names out and leave nothing but a pile of ash. But I don't see how we could burn the tapestry without destroying the walls, too. I don't fancy burning the whole house down."

Hermione and Ginny came around the corner from the other room.

"You can just use a modified Incendio One of the books I took with us to read while we were on the hunt had all kinds of modifications for common spells, especially Incendio. Incendio Partis will only burn a part of what you're targeting. If you want to be really specific, just say whatever it is you want to burn. So, for this, you'd say Incendion Partis Tapestry. The tapestry would burn but the fire wouldn't spread to anything else."

"You're bloody brilliant, Hermione, do you know that?"

Hermione laughed a little girly giggle as her cheeks began to turn pink, "Yes, Ron. So I've heard."

"Not that I want to interrupt this flirt-fest or anything, but I do actually have a question."

Hermione sighed and turned to Ginny, inviting her to ask her oh-so-important question.

"What about the smoke?"

"Well that's easy! Just have somebody use their wand to blow it up the chimney."

"Oh. Right then. I guess it sounds like a good plan."

They divided themselves into two pairs, Ron with Hermione and Harry with Ginny. They worked steadily and slowly, checking often to make sure the wall wasn't catching fire. Much to their surprise, the Tapestry burned off clean, leaving very old and faded, but perfectly undamaged wallpaper behind it. They did have one mishap, which drew the attention of Mr. Weasley and Bill. After they explained that it was simply Ron's lack of focus causing the smoky haze (he'd gotten rather distracted looking at Hermione and hadn't paid attention to where he was sending the smoke), the two men had a good laugh at Ron's expense, and then stuck around to help finish up the last of the tapestry removal.

Harry felt a deep sense of satisfaction knowing that those evil muggle-haters got what they deserved. They swept up the ashes and threw them unceremoniously in the trashcan. That's what the Black family meant to Harry. They were all a load of rubbish. Except for Sirius, he thought, and Tonks, and Andromeda, too, I suppose. He couldn't have cared less about the rest of them, though.

Then there was Teddy. Technically Teddy's last name was Lupin, but he had the Black blood through Tonks's line, so he belonged on the tapestry, too. Harry hadn't thought about Teddy in ages. In fact, it wasn't until just now that he even remembered he had a godson.

"Fat lot of good I'm doing him if I can't even remember he exists."

"'Fat lot of good' you're doing who, Harry?"

"Oh, sorry. I guess I've gotten used to thinking out loud. I didn't actually mean to say that. It's Teddy, though. I'd completely forgotten about him until today. He's a Black, too, you know. His name should have been on that tapestry. That's what made me think of him. I just can't believe I forgot him, Gin. He's…he hasn't got anyone except me and Andromeda. He'll never know his mum or his dad. He won't have anyone to tell him about them. They'll lock him up. They won't like his magic. They'll make him wear Dudley's old clothes. They'll—"

"Harry, stop! Stop! He's not with the Dursley's, Harry. He's with his grandmum, and she loves him. She's magic, too. She's not going to hate his magic. She won't even hate his Metamorphmagus abilities. Tonks was her child, too, remember? It's okay. Calm down. Shhhhhh. It's okay."

Ginny had come over to stand in front of Harry, drawing his eyes to hers. She ran her hands down his arms and over his shoulders as she spoke, calming him with her touch. As she calmed him down, he layed his head on her shoulder, and she felt warm tears soak into her shirt.

She knew that Harry saw a lot of his own situation in Teddy's life. They were both orphans. They both lost everything because of Voldemort. He just wanted to give Teddy what he never had, himself. He wanted to give him a godfather, someone to look up to who wasn't also in charge of punishing you. In the short time that Harry had known Sirius, his life had changed dramatically. He suddenly had someone to confide in, someone to bounce ideas off of, someone who always had Harry's best interests at heart. Teddy needed that, too. He had a loving grandmum, but he needed a man, too. Someone who would treat him like a boy and not coddle him, as grandmum's tend to do.

Harry pulled away slowly, wiping his eyes with the heel of his hands.

"Now it's you who needs a dry shirt," Harry said.

"Don't worry about it. I know this wizard, see. He's not all that bright, but this morning he showed me a bit of clever magic that'll dry this right up."

Ginny waved her wand at her shoulder, and smiled at Harry, teasing out a small smile in return.

"It's been a teary day, today, I guess. I mean, this morning you cried on my shoulder. This afternoon I cried on yours. Hardly seems like a fun way to spend your day."

"It isn't always about fun, Harry. Crying is important. Mum says it helps your body release tension, which is something we all need right now. I don't think this will be the last of the tears, unfortunately."

"You women. Always thinking crying helps everything. I swear, by the time you're done with me I'll be a blubbering arse, crying over everything. I'd rather release tension some other way. Like…flying! Gin! We should go flying later!"

"I don't know if you've noticed or not, Harry, but we're all kind of busy around here. I don't know that there will be much time for flying."

"Pardon me, miss. I thought I was talking to Ginny Weasley, aspiring Quidditch player extraordinaire. My mistake. I guess I'll just have to go find someone better to fly with."

"Oh, ha, ha, Harry. Laugh while you can. As soon as I finish up with George's shop I'll wipe that cheeky smile off your face. There is no one better than me, Potter, and you bloody well know it!"

"Trust me, Gin. I know there's no one that could even compare to you."

The burning in her stomach and that look in his eyes told her they weren't just talking about Quidditch, anymore.

"Well, there, then. I'm the best. You admit it. I'll still be the best when I'm finished with George's shop. You can wait. Besides, you have things to do, too, Mr., 'Let's completely remodel my house before Hermione's parent's get back'. You've got your work cut out for you."

Harry took a step forward, closing the gap between them and taking a firm hold on her arm. He'd gotten taller over his absence, as well as stronger, and Ginny found she had to crane her neck to look into his eyes.

"I didn't say I wasn't going to wait for you, Gin. I just think we all have different ways of healing."

With that, he bent down and placed a burning kiss on her cheek, before turning and walking swiftly out of the room.