Chapter seven

Hermione and Ron received a letter from Harry, and the whole of the Weasley family had been shocked with the way it had been delivered. Fawkes had appeared in a burst of flames inside their kitchen and a letter floated out of the flames and landed on the table in front of Ron.

Hermione got up and stepped over to the beautiful phoenix, 'Fawkes, we never thought we'd see you again,' she gave the bird and pat down his chest, 'I wonder if that letter is from Professor Dumbledore.'

'It's not,' Ron said still in a lifeless voice, 'It's from Harry.'

Hermione stared from Ron back to Fawkes, 'Why would Fawkes bring a letter from Harry, he's at Hogwarts and Fawkes hasn't been there since Dumbledore died.

'Here Hermione, read this and you'll see,' Ron held out the letter to Hermione.

Hermione took the letter and sat down.

'Dear Ron and Hermione

I'm sure you wondering why Fawkes delivered this letter. Well, Dumbledore left more for me in his will. One is Fawkes, the other is a house in the middle of the woods. It's so beautiful and peaceful here. One thing though, I can't leave or have visitors for at least three months. Dumbledore thinks I need time to heal so I will stop blaming myself for everyone dying, I don't think anything can stop me feeling like that. Just know that I miss both of you very much and I'm going to miss you more before the three months is up. In the last couple of days being here, I realised something. I've been so focused on Voldemort and when he was going to try to kill me again, that I never had time to work out who I am and I'm starting to do that now. One thing I know is I will always be grateful to both of you for everything you did over the years, for your understanding, you're friendship and for your support. I know if it wasn't for the both of you, I would have died years ago. I know I'm feeling guilty because of Fred and everyone else, that will never change, but I also know, deep inside my heart that I will be okay, but I do need time though. Dumbledore understood that and had this place ready for me and I really wish both of you were here because I know it would help you as well. You two might not know everything, because I was not one for always sharing, but you did stick by me, felt my pain, suffered alongside me. So when the three months is up, I'm hoping you will both want to come and stay here for a while, I don't even know where here is actually, but right now, I don't care. When you do both come, hopefully anyway, I will finally tell you everything and there's a lot to tell and a lot to explain, some will break your heart Hermione and I'm sorry for that, one thing will shock both of you, but I think Ron more than most. Ginny asked if we could get back together and I explained why that can't happen, I'm gay and I worked it out when I was thirteen, but I was confused and scared, I had enough to worry about then my sexuality, so I tried to not think about it, then I tried to pretend I wasn't, but I'll explain more about that when I see you. There is something I never told you, something I couldn't tell you before and there is a reason for that. I never thought I was going to survive this war, so I thought it would make you feel sorry for me and I hated that look you gave me Hermione, so I'm sorry for not telling you. When I walked up to Voldemort, at first we just stared at each other for a minute, then I couldn't see him at all. Why I was waiting for him to kill me, all I saw was your faces, all your faces, it kept me strong, kept me standing there, kept me from showing my fear. I wasn't scared to die, I thought I'd be with my family, my loved ones, I was scared for all of you because if he survived, we all know what he would have done, to Hermione and Ron first. I know being in your life, being my friend put you in more danger than you would have, again I'm sorry for that. To all the Weasley's, I want to say thank you for supporting me, and for welcoming me into a loving family, something I never had before. All of you will never know how much that meant to me and still means to me, knowing all of you are still there at the Burrow, a place I love very much and always felt at home in. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, since I never had my parents, I got the best substitutes anyone could. All you Weasley kids, you are very lucky to have Arthur and Molly Weasley as your parents, which I'm sure you all know. This letter is mainly to tell you all how I feel, from now on my letters will be less emotional. Just know every one of you mean the world to me and I miss you, I feel so close to all of you and I always will,

love Harry.'

Hermione wiped a tear that was falling down her cheek as she looked over at Ginny. 'Is that what he told you that day Ginny, he was gay?'

'Yes,' Ginny got up and hurried upstairs away from all the sad and sympathetic looks.

'So Dumbledore left him a house, sounds better than Grimmauld Place at least.' Ron said taking a sip of his tea.

'Yes it does, but do you want to go and stay there for a while Ron, after the three months is up. It might do us both good.'

'Might as well, it's not like we're doing much anyway.'

'Mum, are you okay,' Charlie asked staring at the tears falling down his mother's face.

'Yes Charlie, it was just what Harry wrote. After everything he has gone through, he still has a very loving nature.'

'Yes he does Molly, but what did he mean when he said while he waited for Voldemort to kill him. It sounded like he just stood there and didn't fight. Why would Harry do that?'

'I thought that myself Mr. Weasley. Harry did say he was hoping to give me and Ron time to kill the snake, then for one of us to finish of Voldemort. We spoke for a bit about that, we weren't sure who would be the one to finish him once the horcruxes were gone. I figured it might have been Kingsley, him being an Auror.'

'But didn't you say the prophecy said it was Harry or Voldemort that had to kill the other one?'

'Harry never told us all of the prophecy, just that either must die at the hand of the other, for neither could live why the other survives.'

'Well Harry survived, thank Merlin,' Molly gave her family a small smile, then her face fell a little, 'Ginny has loved Harry for so long, but now she knows nothing will come of it, Harry was born gay and you can't change him,' she nodded then went back to preparing her dinner.

'I wonder why Fawkes hasn't left?' Ron stared at the bird.

'Maybe Harry told him to wait so we could write back,' Hermione smiled then summoned a couple of pieces of parchments, two quills and ink, then handed one to Ron before she started writing. When she was done, she looked at Ron who hadn't written anything and was still just sitting there like he'd been doing for days, she sighed, then got up, and put her letter in Fawkes beak and he instantly burst into flames and disappeared, 'I wonder how the letters don't burn when he does that, must be something to do with the mystery that surrounds the phoenix.' She sat back next to Ron and hoped if he was still like this that visiting Harry would help him, like Dumbledore said it would help Harry.