He everyone! Thanks for all the reviews! I would like to thank you individually, but I'm posting this in a hurry before we go to a wedding! Next chapter I will thank you more personally! Keep the reviews coming! Enjoy.

Odilyn

Chapter 10- Revelations and Romance

Dinner that night was interesting. Arthur had told Molly what he had seen and both were bestowing lovingly hopeful looks on Harry and Liz. Ginny had a perpetual smirk on her face that she tried hard to hide, but to no avail. After their initial meeting, Harry and Liz were rather uncomfortable and tried to relax by talking to everybody but each other and avoiding each others gaze. All the while sneaking peaks at each other and blushing violently when the other caught them. The twins found this very entertaining and had to muffle their laughter all throughout the meal.

I hope he wasn't disappointed in me or something. But he did give me a hug. If only Mr. Weasley hadn't come in quite so soon. But then I suppose he might have walked in at an even worse time. Liz blushed again at the thought.

What if she didn't like me? Maybe I shouldn't have hugged her. She might not really want to be friends anymore. I wonder what she's doing here. Ron told me that they were the guardians of someone, but why her? What happened to her? Harry was busy with these thoughts and other like it throughout the rest of the meal.

When the meal was finished, they all headed toward the living room, all except Ginny and the twins who lingered behind in the hallway.

"Time for Plan Two," whispered Ginny. "This is even more important than Plan One. They have to have time to talk to each other. Alone."

"Just leave it to us. We will take care of the parents if you can handle Ron and Percy. Percy shouldn't be too difficult. Ron will be the tough one," said Fred.

"I can handle him," Ginny said confidently.

Fifteen minutes later, were we to look in on the scene in the living room, we would see Liz and Harry alone, sitting on either end of the sofa looking awkwardly anywhere but at each other. The twins had played a rather large prank on the third floor and were being thoroughly chewed out by their parents. Percy had rushed off to finish his report on Floo Powder at a subtle hint from Ginny. Ron had been a bit more difficult, but when Ginny fixed him with her Mrs. Weasley-like glare and told him that she needed to speak with him now, he couldn't very well refuse. And so, they were alone.

Harry cleared his throat. Liz looked at him, finally, with her big brown eyes. They softened when they met his and she smiled. A true, genuine smile that made her look so beautiful, Harry almost had to look away. But he didn't. He smiled back and scooted closer on the couch. It was time to talk.

"I missed you," Harry said simply.

"I missed you, too," she replied. "I wanted so badly to say goodbye, but everything happened too quickly..." she took a deep breath and looked at Harry with tears in her eyes. "You don't know, do you? They didn't tell you?"

Harry shook his head silently. The pain in her eyes made him want to hold her again, but he knew that she needed to tell him about it first. He needed to know.

"Harry, the last day that I was in England, my father was killed by Death Eaters. My mother was a witch and an auror. They were after her. She knew that they were coming and we managed to get out before they got there, but my father was a muggle and he stayed behind to fend them off. They killed him." She took another breath to steady her voice. Harry was shocked- this sounded too familiar to him. He reached out subconsciously and took her hand. It was small and soft and felt nice in his. He blushed slightly but she had continued speaking.

"We went to France to stay with my grandmother. I was accepted to Beauxbatons when I turned eleven. I only found out about the magical world when my father was killed and I was worried that I wouldn't be magical. But I was. And then, last fall, my mother and grandmother were both killed by supposed Death Eaters. The Weasleys were selected by the Minister to be my guardians, though I think Dumbledore had a hand in it as well. I will be going to Hogwarts come fall." The tears came then. She had been so strong for so long and Harry was so sympathetic, holding her hand the whole time, that she couldn't help it.

Harry was shocked. Here was someone who he had bonded with when he was young and had been separated from for years. When they meet again, he finds out that she has gone through almost even more than he had. She lost her parents just like he had. But she had known hers. She had loved them personally and they had been taken from her. He hadn't known his. In some ways, it was better that way. He didn't know what he had lost. But she...she had loved and lost and it would take a long time for her to heal.

He reached over and brought her into another hug. It was felt just as right as their first one had. It felt like home to Harry, even more so than Hogwarts did. Even as he felt sorry for Elizabeth, he felt a surge of happiness that she was there and that she would be going to Hogwarts with him. He felt almost guilty for it, but that was the truth.

Her sobs slowed and she relaxed into his arms. She felt at home there as if that was where she belonged, being held and comforted by Harry. She almost felt a spark of happiness amidst her sadness that she would be going to Hogwarts with him. She blushed slightly and sat up, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Elizabeth," he said softly. She felt a little thrill again when he said her name. She liked it. "You have heard about what happened to me. If anyone knows what you feel like, I do. You'll heal. They would want you to. From what you've said, your father died in order that you could escape. He would want you to be happy." Harry paused and looked at her. Her breathing had slowed and her tears were gone. She looked almost happy.

"Thank you, Harry," she said, looking shyly up at him. He felt a strange desire to kiss her, but he held himself back. They had just met again after eight years after all.

Harry stood up and offered her his hand.

"My lady, would you care to accompany me and view the damage from the latest Weasley Twin Terrors?" He smiled playfully and bowed.

She took his hand and smiled back.

"Most certainly, kind sir," she joked back and stood.

As they exited the room, hand in hand, they were both laughing, and both hoping, though neither knew it, that it was the first of many shared laughs to come.

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