Family Types: Year 2

Chapter 9: Blind Leading the Blind

Harry didn't know what had happened or when it had started but suddenly he could feel himself falling apart at the seams. He tried to stand multiple times only to have his knees collapse under him. He felt his chest being swallowed up in the black hole that had replaced his heart. He kept his hands firmly secured around his waist in order to keep himself together.

He felt as if he let go, he would loose himself completely and by the way Ron and Hermione kept his hands on his knees, Harry was sure that the action did more then mentally comfort him. His scar was pulsing, as if trying to suck in air for his lungs. It wasn't the sort of headache that one got from too much time in the sun. This was like someone was drilling from the inside of his head, desperately trying to get out.

The scar that had stayed quiet for so long, just sitting on his forehead attracting unwanted attention seemed to burst into life as snippets of memory came to him in flashes. Ginny was in each one. One were they were sprawled out by a lake her lap a pillow for his head. Another involved him teaching her how to make an omelet.

As soon as he started too moan in pain, it took all of ten minutes for the two wizards to pack up his excuse for a home.

They had him in Hermione's car with his bike and dog already packed away with the other junk that had gotten him through the last couple weeks. He wasn't sure what time it was, but the sun had only just sunk behind the hills and Ron was talking about dinner. Hermione kept sending him furtive glances, biting her lower lip as he held himself together. Bandit could even tell that he was about to collapse. He had wedged himself between Harry and the door, holding him up so he didn't have to.

The memories slowly died down, the throb of the previously dormant scar he only constant reminder of what had just happened. The scenery that flashed by in the window meshed into one giant blur and as soon as they had started, they were pulling into the drive way. Hermione opened his door for him as Ron hurried to the small house in front of which he had parked. He had an arm full of redheads long before he had knocked on the door and he was clearly apologizing.

Hermione smiled, patiently waiting for him to get out of the car. Harry nudged Bandit out before reluctantly stepping out on the lawn. His black leather jacket was zipped up to the collar in a better attempt to hold his chest together but he still found it necessary to wrap his arms around his waist.

Bandit brushed against his legs whining when Harry refused to release himself to reassuringly stroke him. Hermione smiled comfortingly and took hold of Harry's elbow, driving him forward with a firm hand that pressed into his back.

"Don't worry Harry. It's okay if you don't remember. That's why we are here." She smiled and pushed him closer to the cluster of red heads that was now grouped in front of the door. Ron was shouting over the mob of questions, trying to tell his story but was hardly getting a word in with eight of them yelling over top of each other.

Hermione hurried forward, leaving Harry to emerge from the shadows on his own, with only Bandit's nudging to keep him moving.

"MUM!" Ron finally shouted. "We have guests."

He waved for Harry to join them, snaking his arm around Hermione's waist, a proud smile on his face, as if he were the parent of a particularly accomplished child whom he was showing off to his family for the first time.

When Harry crossed into the pool of light that leaked from the doorway over the threshold and onto the grass, a shuddering gasp rippled through their numbers.

Silence over took them, a silence that made Harry break his oath not to look up, to gauge their reactions. He didn't know any of these people, with the exception of the one, small female in the corner. A small smile snuck onto his face and her name breathed across his lips, desperate attempts to grasp at memories driving him to embrace anything remotely familiar.

"Ginny" He whispered, his hard emerald eyes settled on her, his hands cautiously leaving his sides, testing himself to see if he would fall apart now that he had a brace. Suddenly sever screams of surprised delight filled the silence and someone had hurled themselves at him with all their might and was squeezing him to death.

Harry froze as several weeping bodies collided with his knocking him off balance and sending him crashing to the ground so his breath was swept out of him with a painful whoosh. It seemed like everyone in their huddle had descended on him at once, with the exception of the one person he wanted there.

Ginny stood back, holding herself, her face pale, her chocolate brown eyes filling with tears that trickled down her cheek in a sparkle that took his breath away again, harder this time. He was being passed around like a new toy to be shared with many brothers and sisters. Ginny, the initial recipient of the toy, was pushed into the background, her rightful claim pulled out of her reach as he stared at her with glassy eyes.

She shook her head mournfully and then a small hysterical laugh escaped her bring Harry crashing back to reality. He shook off the unknown redheads and pushed through the others, his eyes only for Ginny. He came up to her, suddenly towering over her by a head though she didn't seem afraid of him. He wasn't this tall the last time he had seen her. He knew that much. He sat down on the steps of the staircase that wound up beside them to collect himself.

"Is it really you?" He whispered, reaching long tentative fingers out to take her slender hand.

She gripped his hand tightly reassuring him. "Is it really me?" She laughed the same hysterical laugh. "Is it really you?!"

Suddenly Harry's broad arms were filled with warm love, raw and unhindered by time. It was like nothing had happened and despite every memory he had forgotten, he knew he belonged in her arms. The shear power of her beating heart seemed to jumpstart his own so the two beat loudly in their chests. Harry realized with a hint of shock that his had skipped a beat so it was synced with hers.

"Ginny. I'm so sorry. I can't imagine….it was hard for me…but you knew…how you could live with…" Harry's questions came out half formed and unintelligent. But Ginny simply smiled and shook her head pressing a finger to his lips.

"I told you I'd wait." She smiled and straddled his legs so she sat on his knees bringing her head to rest on his chest, finally feeling like she could breathe again. A sigh that had been caught in her chest for three years obstructing more then just her airways, slipped past her lips and she really slept for the first time in a long time, no longer worried that she would wake to find he was gone. After all, she had fallen asleep on him rather then fallen asleep to find him under her. He wasn't going to slip away this time.

--

"So, you're Bill the Dragon Keeper?" Harry pinched the bridge of his nose with his left hand as his right was busy keeping Ginny on his lap.

They had been sitting in the living room for an hour reintroducing themselves without making a bit of progress in dredging up old memories.

"No, but close. I'm Charlie the Dragon Keeper. Bill is the one with the earring and the thick scull, remember?" Charlie smiled at the boy wonder and klonked his brother on the head to demonstrate.

"All thanks to you, brother. If you hadn't dumped me off my broom so many times I might not have lived through so many rock slides "The small gathering laughed lightly, willing to laugh at anything after three years of hearing nothing but tears.

Harry sighed and shook his head, bouncing his knee a little so Ginny scooted further up his chest. He let his left hand fall idle on her hair before he began to stroke it over and over.

"And you're the one who took the dragon from the Game Keeper…Filch?" Harry tried.

"Close again." Mrs. Weasley…Molly, encouraged. "The Game Keeper is Hagrid, the half-giant."

"Right," Harry muttered feeling his headache coming back. "He's the one who had Buckbeak right?"

"Correct!" Hermione snag smiling at him reassuringly.

Harry gave her a weak smile before returning his attention to Ginny. "What did I do?" He whispered.

"You worked for the Ministry." Ron piped up. "We'd have lunch together ever Tuesday and Friday."

"But what did I do in the ministry. I know that you took over the 'missing persons' section as Hermione called it, but what did I do?" Harry looked back up suddenly curious.

"Well… Umm…you worked as an Auror, a Dark Wizard catcher, kinda like the police. Seems only natural you'd gravitate to them." Hermione tried, suddenly realizing she didn't know the first thing about the details of Harry's work.

"Who did I work with?" Harry asked, not that he wanted more names to remember but they might trigger memories that would tell him what he wanted to know.

"Uh….."Ron let his mouth drop open as he thought back. It looked surprisingly difficult, the way he crunched up his face and creased his brows together to get all his thoughts into one place.

"You really kept your work to your self." Hermione mussed.

Just then Ginny whispered a name that no one could quiet catch.

"What was that love?" Harry whispered leaning in to hear her.

"Jonnie" Ginny complied before snuggling into his jacket.

Harry froze and concentrated. Jonnie. Jonnie.

Harry sat across from Ginny picking at a salad.

"You have to eat Harry. You need to keep up your strength."

"Jonnie said I'd experience changes in diet. I just can't believe I wouldn't be able to eat at all." Harry complained picking up the cup of coffee that rested at his elbow.

Ginny smiled be for getting up and waltzing around the table in her brown pinstriped pants, her black blouse exposing her wonderful curves as she no longer had a jacket with which to hide them.

He slipped her rear into his lap and draped her arms around his neck.

"Does this have something to do with that month long business trip?"

Harry nodded and kissed her check. "I wish I could tell you but this is my secret. I promise once I'm sure it's okay, I will tell you."

"Promise?" She pouted sticking out her bottom lip.

"Promise." Harry smiled stealing it so he could instigate a kiss. She happily complied.

Harry shook his head like a dog clearing its ears of water. He glanced down at Ginny, sorrow filling him.

"I guess neither of us will know huh? If only I wasn't so damn secretive." He smiled sadly. "But I guess I had my reasons. I can only hope I did."

Harry buried his head into Ginny's soft hair breathing in her scent.

"It seems I was too secretive for my own good."