CP 7

Harry closed the door to Ginny's room, locked it and cast "muffliato" then turned to his friends. He found Hermione, Ron and Ginny staring at him like he had gone crazy.

"I need to talk to you," he started and sat down, taking Ginny's hand again.

"What's going on, Harry," Hermione asked.

"I need help going through the ideas I have about who started the fire, and I always think better when the four of us bring our heads together."

"Okay, mate, where should we start?" Ron asked, sitting down next to Hermione.

Harry looked uncomfortable and he fidgeted in his chair. They weren't going to like this bit of news. "I think the person who started the fire is someone we know…"

"Harry! How can you say that? No one we know would ever…!" Hermione started.

Harry held up his hand to stop her. "Think about it, Hermione. The Burrow is unplottable and protected by all kinds of charms, which means that only a witch or wizard that had been there before could know where to find it, someone that had been told it's location by a Weasley, someone who knows them fairly well. They must have apparated outside the boundary and then were able to walk right in."

Hermione scowled, but it made sense to her.

"Still," Ron said. "That could be a whole lot of people, Harry. People from the Ministry are in and out all the time…and with seven kids, there were always friends coming and going…and there were over a hundred people at the Burrow last year alone for Bill's wedding."

Harry hadn't thought of that – it sounded like an impossible task. "Okay, let's say for argument's sake that it was one of the wedding guests. Do you think your Mum still has a list of people that were there?" he asked Ron.

"Dunno, but I could look around for it." Harry nodded his head, then he looked at Ginny who hadn't said a word yet.

"What do you think, Gin?"

"I dunno, Harry," she said dully. She still hadn't snapped back to her normal self since she looked in the mirror. Nothing Harry said to her could convince her that he still found her to be beautiful.

"I don't understand the timing," Harry continued, turning back to Hermione and Ron. "Why attack now? We were alone at the Burrow all summer long. Is there any significance to the timing? The date?"

"Not that I can think of," Hermione said after a moment.

"No idea," added Ron. "August…end of summer…Ginny's birthday…nearing a new year at Hogwarts…?"

"Ginny's birthday maybe, but I don't think the rest has anything to do with it. If it was a deliberate attack on Ginny, then her birthday may have been significant. But, even that was two weeks before the attack. I know there's something we're missing here…it just doesn't make sense that it was quiet all summer and now this," Harry finished, looking at the three of them. He ran his hands through his hair and sat back in his chair. The minutes passed as the foursome thought about possible answers. Then,

"There was something else," Ginny said softly, and everyone snapped their heads to look at her.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Harry and I had just filed for a marriage license at the Ministry the day before the attack. That could be important."

She looked at Harry then and her eyes filled with tears. He tightened his grip on her hand and looked down at their entwined fingers.

Harry looked up at his friends and explained. "Ginny and I were going to be married three days ago."

"Oh, Ginny," Hermione said, rising from her chair and giving her best friend a hug. "I'm so sorry."

Ginny returned her hug half-heartedly. "Well, I guess we don't have to worry about that now…" she said with a sad chuckle.

"What do you mean by that?!" Harry snapped.

"Nothing, Harry," Ginny replied solemnly. Harry shook his head at her, but tried to focus on the problem at hand.

"Well, let's end this for now. Ron, could you look around for that guest list from the wedding? At least that will be a starting point," Harry said.

Ron nodded and rose from his chair. He and Hermione left a few minutes later and Harry returned to Ginny's side.

"Do you want to talk about what just happened?" Harry asked, still annoyed.

"You think it's someone we know…" Ginny began, not meeting Harry's eyes.

"That's not what I meant, Gin. What did you mean by 'I guess I don't have to worry about that now.'"

Ginny looked down at her hands, the skin there had begun to return to her normal color and texture, thankfully. Finally, after a minute, she looked at Harry with excruciatingly sad eyes.

"Harry, come on, let's be honest, okay? Look at me, look at my face…" she started.

Harry looked pained. "Are you actually suggesting that because you have a scar on your face that I'm not going to love you anymore? Please tell me that's not it, Gin…" he said, shaking his head.

She didn't answer, but continued to stare down at her hands.

Harry, infuriated, rose from his chair and crossed to the window. "Did this scar stop you from loving me?" he asked loudly, pulling his hair from his forehead so that she could see the lightning bolt.

"Harry, it's hardly the same thing…"

"No, it's exactly the same thing, Gin. Neither one of us asked for these. But, unfortunately, your scar will always remind you of what having me in your life did to you. You have that scar because I love you."

Ginny scoffed at him. "How do you work that one out?" she asked heatedly, fire burning in her eyes for the first time.

"Think about it. If we had never met, if I had never approached your Mum in King's Cross that first day, you wouldn't be here. You would be safe and happy and in love with someone who isn't dangerous for you to be with."

"Wow, you really are the king of self-loathing aren't you? You're assuming that the Burrow was attacked because of you. You do realize how completely ridiculous that sounds, don't you?"

"It's true," Harry said sadly, shaking his head again. "Anyway, if you still want to be with me knowing that you will be in danger, probably for the rest of your life, then I'm here as long as you want me."

Harry crossed the room and sat on the edge of Ginny's bed, taking her hand. "Ginny, nothing and no one could ever change the way I feel about you. I love you, all of you, everything about you – the same way that you take all of the baggage that comes with loving me."

She turned her face away. "Harry, I don't want you to feel obligated to stay with me now. I'll understand, truly, if you don't. I won't think any less of you or anything – I swear. I love you enough to let you go, if that's what you want."

Harry took a minute to calm himself down, letting his anger dissipate, before responding. He took a couple of deep breaths and raised his hand to Ginny's face, turning it so that she looked at him. "Please stop trying to be all self-sacrificing. Now you're sounding like me at Dumbledore's funeral. You didn't let me get away with it then, and I'm not letting you get away with it now."

Ginny couldn't help it – she smiled a little. She leaned forward, rested her forehead on Harry's chest and exhaled deeply. He drew her to him gently, holding her properly for the first time in over two weeks. He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head over and over again. He pulled her away from him a little so that he could look in her eyes.

"Ginny Weasley, I love you with all of my heart. It's always been you and it will always be you." He stroked his finger along her scar and she cringed, but he wouldn't let her turn away. "You're amazing and stubborn and wonderful and so incredibly beautiful." Harry leaned in and peppered kisses along her scar, right down to her jaw. "I can't be without you, Gin. Please say that you'll still marry me when all of this is over?"

Ginny's face contorted and tears fell in steady droplets from her eyes. She nodded.

"Please say it," Harry requested softly.

"Yes, Harry, I'll marry you. I'd marry you today if you'd let me." She looked up into the eyes that she adored.

He smiled, the first genuine smile that graced his face in quite some time. "Don't tempt me, love. I may ask Kingsley visit us tomorrow and do the honors."

"I wouldn't mind…" she said, resting against him once again, exhausted. "Please stay with me, Harry."

"I'm not going anywhere…" Harry laid Ginny back down against her pillows, and he lay next to her, keeping her in his arms throughout the night.