A/N: Wow! I'm
overwhelmed by the great response I got. Maybe I should leave cliffhangers more
often... Just kidding. Wish I could've seen your
faces. A lot of you think it was either Percy or Wormtail. Nope. I guess it'll
be a surprise for you then. Oh, someone said it was odd for Mrs. Weasley to let
her be there alone and something about their beds next to each other. Remember,
Harry is being watched by members of the order, and their beds are on opposite
sides of the room, and the Weasleys trust Harry like
their own son. How many of you are even reading this?
-
"Ginny?"
"I'm fine. How did he get here?" Ginny asked.
"He escaped Voldemort. That's why Voldemort is mad." Harry explained. "I think
he accidentally used wandless magic. He was being tortured. Since I wasn't
asleep, I didn't really experience it full blast. I'll be fine."
"You're bleeding. Here." Ginny said, wiping the blood from his forehead. "What
should we do with him?"
"Whether he likes it or not, he's now a friend. We should help him, he's still
in danger. We can floo the order at my house, but we need to wake him up."
Ginny walked over and dumped her water bottle on his face. Harry laughed as he
coughed and spluttered.
"What are you doing here Potter?" He asked, then looking around "Where am I?"
"You're still in danger. I'm here because I live down the block." Harry told
him.
"Great. I'm leaving." He tried to stand up, but fell back over.
"You've been tortured. Come with me and I can get help."
"I have an extra potion Harry." Ginny told him. "Here Malfoy, Drink this."
"And why should I trust you?" Draco spat.
"Because, Malfoy, we are only trying to help you. By defying Voldemort you have
become part of the light side, our side. It's not safe here, Death Eaters could
show up any minute."
"And where do you think is safe?" He argued.
"Voldemort cannot get to my Uncles house because of the protection my
relative's blood provides. If you come to my house, you will be safe, and we
can firecall someone to help. Just trust us. The potion will make you better.
It was brewed by Snape and given to me by a close friend. I've already taken
two bottles of it in the past two days. It helps with the effects of the
Cruciatus Curse." Harry explained.
"And why do you think I've been under the Cruciatus Curse? Why would you have
needed to take a potion to counteract it?" Draco asked.
"I can explain everything if you will just cooperate. Please Malfoy, trust me."
Draco paused for a minute, thinking, weighing his options.
"Fine. I'll come with you. But you better explain
everything." He reluctantly downed the potion. Ginny tried to help him up, but
he shook her off. Ginny stuck her nose up and walked over to Harry. He couldn't
help sniggering at her, so she lightly hit him in the arm as they began to walk
home. Soon they reached number four and Harry led them to the living room.
"So are you going to explain why you know what happened to me, and why you need
to take those potions?" Draco asked. Harry was quiet for a moment, pondering
his answer.
"For a while I've been having visions of Voldemort. It started with just
flashes when he was feeling particularly emotional. Then I started entering his
mind while I was asleep. Lately I've been forced to watch him torture his
victims, and feel the spells he uses. That is why I had to take the potions.
Voldemort was extremely mad when you would not become a death eater. I entered
his mind even though I was not asleep, and watched as he tortured you. Somehow
you used wandless magic to apparate. If you will come upstairs we can use my
fireplace." With that Harry led the way upstairs.
"What's behind there?" Draco said, motioning to a door with numerous locks and
bolts. He wanted to know what was so important as to be locked up so securely.
"My room." Harry answered bitterly.
"Before Harry's second year, his Uncle locked him up and my brothers rescued
him." Ginny explained at the stunned look on Draco's face.
"My so-called family never liked me much." Harry said as he threw a handful of
floo powder into the fireplace. "It's been disconnected. There must be a
meeting." Harry explained when he could not get through to Grimmauld Place. "You'll have to spend the night here.
You can have my bed; I'll sleep on the floor. Don't try to argue Ginny; I'm not
in the mood." Harry said, clearing the Pensive's off
his bed.
"Why do you have two Pensive's?" Draco asked.
"Why do you care? If you really must know, one is mine and the other belonged
to my Godfather." Ginny detected the sorrow in his voice at the thought of
Sirius.
"Here Harry, Remus said to take another dreamless sleep potion." Ginny said
handing him another potion. He arranged some extra blankets on the floor, added
some more thoughts to his pensive, and drank the potion Ginny handed to him. He
was asleep almost immediately.
"So, why are you staying here? Finally ran out of room at home?"
"Shut up Malfoy. I'm staying here so Harry isn't lonely. He's going through a
tough time right now. Why don't you stop insulting us and just try to get
along, or do you want us to regret helping you? Is it really so hard?" with
that Ginny rolled over in bed, facing away from Malfoy.
Ginny stayed awake for a while, thinking. Harry had changed a lot. She admired
the way he had handled the situation with ease. She wondered why he had
answered the somewhat personal questions Malfoy had asked. It was almost as if
he was a different person around Malfoy than when it was only him and Ginny.
With a jolt she realized she had earned Harry's trust. She had come at a
vulnerable time for him, and he had opened up for her. For some reason he had
given up hiding from his emotions, letting no one know how he felt. But it
still didn't explain the sudden kindness towards Malfoy.
Her thoughts turned to that morning, right after they had come out of the
pensive. She thought of how Harry had held her so tenderly, had stroked her
hair and comforted her. She remembered the wonderful feeling she had as she sat
there in his arms, the longing for time to stop and for them to be lost in that
moment forever.
And then she thought of the reason why she was crying. How vulnerable Harry had
looked. How he had writhed and screamed on the floor of that strange house,
feeling the pain of the young couple who had done nothing wrong. How weak he
was immediately after the dream. She thought of how she had comforted him as he
lay trembling from the pain.
She lay in bed curled up into a ball, trying to ward off the sorrow that was
growing inside her. She was crying, trying her hardest not to make a sound. The
last thing she needed was Malfoy teasing her during summer too. Her pillow was
soon soaked with tears as she slowly cried herself into a restless sleep.
Ginny was the first to wake in the morning. Remembering that Harry had given
her permission to use his pensive, she quickly got up and brought it to her
bed. As she watched, a scene rose to the surface. As she looked around the
room, she noticed several cloaked figures on one side. She had stumbled upon
another of his dreams. She swirled the contents of the pensive, looking for a
happy memory. She just wanted to find one happy memory.
Soon she found herself looking into a worn and dusty room. She saw Harry and
Hermione by the door and her brother on the bed, clutching his leg. In the
corner was a shell of a man, his face pale and sunken in, and his long black
hair matted and dirty. Harry had his wand trained on the man, and was slowly
advancing on him. Ginny watched as Crookshanks jumped onto his chest to protect
him from Harry. As Remus entered, she realized she had found the memory from
the end of Harry's third year. She laughed slightly when Snape was knocked
unconscious by the three of them, and felt happy for Harry when he believed he
could live with Sirius. She watched amazed as Hermione produced her time
turner, and as Harry saved them all with a perfect patronus.
"Finally found a good memory?" Ginny jumped at the sound of Harry's voice, as
she thought he was still asleep.
"Somewhat. Next time give me some warning before you surprise me like that. Is
Malfoy still asleep?"
"Yeah, he'll be out for a while. What memory are you watching?" Harry asked,
curious.
"The end of your third year; when you first met Sirius."
"Why were you laughing? I didn't find it particularly funny."
"Sorry. I just thought it was funny when you knocked out Snape. He even taught
you that spell, didn't he? How did you get out of detention?"
"Oh, that part. Yeah, he taught us the spell. We didn't get detention because
we were supposedly confunded by Sirius. How about we go downstairs? You can
bring the pensive."
"No, that's fine. I was just waiting for you to wake up." Harry began cooking
breakfast as Ginny tried to stop him. In the end she settled for just helping
him.
"Why were you so nice to Malfoy last night?" She asked. Harry sighed.
"Something I saw in my vision. It's his right if he wants you to know or not.
He's a strong wizard to escape Voldemort and his father." Harry answered.
"How come you've stopped hiding everything from everyone? You've been so nice
to me this summer. Something about you has changed."
"I don't really know. I guess maybe because I know what it's like now to not be
told anything. Last summer I was almost completely cut off from the wizarding
world. And then what Dumbledore kept from me all these years.... And I had a
few weeks to think things through at the beginning of summer." Ginny could tell
Harry wasn't telling something, maybe something about the start of summer.
Ginny continued her questioning.
"Is something wrong? You seem depressed." Harry was saved from answering by the
arrival of Draco in the kitchen. Ginny brought over orange juice for the three
of them and Harry handed her a plate of eggs and bacon.
"Here Malfoy." He said, handing him a plate also.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" He asked suspiciously. Harry sighed again.
"Like it or not, you are now on our side. Would you rather I had left you in
the park?" Draco glared at Harry.
"Why are you bruised?" Draco asked, changing the subject.
"Because of the curse; you are too." He pointed out. "After breakfast I'll try
to get in touch with the order."
"Most likely you'll get Remus. Does he even ever leave headquarters?" Ginny
asked.
"Now that Sirius is...gone, I think Remus might have either bought or inherited
the house. Remus doesn't really have anywhere to go, and they need someone at
headquarters at all times, incase there's an emergency."
"What is the order, and who is Remus?" Draco asked, annoying both Ginny and
Harry.
"The order is an organization headed by Dumbledore. They are one of Voldemort's
main enemies, and were the main force against him during the first war. Remus
is more commonly known to you as Professor Lupin." Harry rattled off.
"The werewolf? Who would ever trust a werewolf?" Draco
sneered.
"Don't ever insult Remus Lupin in front of me. It's not his fault he is a
werewolf. He was one of my Father's best friends, besides my godfather, and is
one of the few people I trust anymore." Harry said, trying his best to keep his
temper.
"Why don't you go contact the order; I can clean up." Ginny said, shooing him
upstairs, not wanting him to loose his infamous temper. Soon Remus and
Dumbledore were coming down the stairs followed by Harry. Ginny joined them in
the living room, followed by a reluctant Malfoy.
"Mr. Malfoy, would you care to explain to us what happened yesterday?"
Dumbledore began. Knowing better than to refuse Dumbledore, he began his tale.
"After supper Father called me down to one of our secret chambers. When I
arrived, the Dark Lord was there also. He said that as a Malfoy, I had the
privilege of joining his ranks at an early age. I said I did not want to, and
he became very mad. He said I would pay for my arrogance, and I ran, but was
hit with crucio by my father. He dragged me back into the chamber, where I was
tortured; somehow I accidentally apparated. I saw Weasley sitting by a tree and
Potter on the ground. He looked like he was bleeding. After that I passed out,
and they woke me up and brought me here." Draco explained. Ginny saw him
clutching his shoulder through the story, wondering what for.
"That is quite a remarkable tale. I believe it would be best for you to lie low
here for a couple days. Lucius will most certainly be looking for you, and he
can easily gain entry to Hogwarts. I am afraid there is no safer place." Draco
stared at Dumbledore as if he had lost his mind. "Please Draco; I have no time
to argue. Remus, if you could supply him with a potion, I must be on my way. I
shall have Severus brew a fresh batch to be sent to you." And with that, he
left.
"How did you like your present Harry?" Remus asked after a moment.
"It's brilliant. Thank you so much. I thought you had to leave for a few days?"
"It was changed. Dumbledore decided it was best if I stay at Grimmauld Place incase of any emergency. What memories
have you seen?"
"The one where you first met Sirius and James on the Hogwarts express, and the
prank you played at the feast."
"The expression on Dumbledore's face was priceless." Ginny added.
"I remember that. It started the tradition of playing a prank at every
beginning of term feast. I believe once we dyed everyone's hair different
colors. I think it was our sixth year. Severus had hot pink hair with yellow
polka dots, and Dumbledore had green and blue stripes. The best part was it
didn't come out for a week." They all laughed at this, even Draco laughed
slightly.
"I never thought you the type to play pranks, professor." Draco drawled.
"Ever heard of the Marauders?" Ginny asked.
"Who hasn't?" He sneered.
"You're looking at the last surviving member, unless you count that traitorous
rat. The other members were my father, James Potter, my Godfather, Sirius
Black, and Peter Pettigrew." Everyone could hear the raw hatred in Harry's
voice at the mention of Wormtail.
"Harry, would you mind showing me your dreams? They could help us find a
pattern or reason for the killings." Remus asked when the laughter had died
down. Harry, suddenly somber, walked upstairs to fetch his pensive. Ginny and
Remus followed him, and they went through his dreams in the privacy of his
room. Harry put an arm around Ginny as she started crying again, though not as
bad as before. They had a long conversation before Remus had to leave, and
Ginny and Harry returned downstairs. It was late afternoon, and they found
Draco asleep on the couch. Harry knew from experience it was because of the
cruciatus curse. It was raining again. Harry and Ginny sat on the loveseat in
the living room, Ginny leaning against Harry, his arm still around her.
"What's that on your arm?" Ginny asked after a while.
"It's just a scar." He answered.
"It runs up your whole arm. What happened?" Harry sighed. He knew Ginny would
not quit until she got an answer or he lost his temper.
"When I was nine, I think, I was cutting up something to cook, and Dudley knocked into me. I fell over and sliced
my arm with the knife. It wasn't too bad, I didn't even need stitches."
"Oh Harry, those muggles can be so mean."
"I've been through worse. Remember when Lockheart removed all my bones? I'm in
the Hospital wing so much I'm surprised they haven't given me my own room.
Trouble just seems to seek me out." Ginny laughed slightly at his words. She
realized with a jolt that this was one of the few times since she was possessed
that she had been really and truly happy. For the second time in two days she
wished time would stop and she would be lost in the moment forever.
-
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