There are no secrets that time does not reveal.

-Jean Racine

A shrill whistle had Harry jerking upright out of a dead sleep. He grabbed his glasses from the bedside table and put them on. Nothing happening in his room. He heard Molly shout at the twins and he groaned. They are going to hate me for telling the twins about that charm. It was still early, not even dawn yet, so Harry lay down, groaning again, this time from the pre-transformation aches coming on. He inhaled slowly and deeply then exhaled just as slowly. He yawned and eventually drifted off.

A couple hours later, a knock on his door woke him up a second time.

"Harry?"

"Ginny?" he called out to her. "Come on in."

As she entered and shut the door, he sat up, wincing only a little. He reached over and grabbed his glasses but rubbed his eyes before he put them on.

"Sorry, Harry. I thought I'd wake you up before Mum came up here. Breakfast is almost ready. She always comes to wake us up when it's ready. I figured you wouldn't want to be interrupted while taking your potion."

Harry nodded. "Good thinking." Tossing his blankets aside, he stood with a little difficulty and retrieved his bag.

"Do you have a goblet or cup or something?" Ginny asked of him.

"Yeah, I do."

Pulling out a goblet and the potion bottle from his bag, he set the goblet on the table and uncorked the bottle. Harry poured out what he needed and quickly stoppered the bottle. The bottle went back in his bag in between some clothes. Picking up his measured dose, he steeled himself for the horrid taste then chugged it down. He coughed a little when he finished and shuddered.

"I really wish that could taste better."

"I'm sorry, Harry."

"Don't worry about it." He cleaned the goblet with a quick flick of his wand, figuring a little magic would go unnoticed considering where he was, and buried it in his bag with the bottle. "Let me get a shower and I'll be down."

"Alright, Harry. See you in a few minutes."

Ginny opened his bedroom door but turned back to him. "You might want to hurry though. I don't know how long it'll be free."

"Right."

Ginny turned back around and started to leave the room but she was intercepted by her mother.

"What are you doing in Harry's room?"

"Just making sure he was awake and telling him breakfast was almost ready."

"That's nice of you but it's not appropriate for you to be in his room."

"Yes, Mum."

Ginny turned back to Harry, rolled her eyes at her mum's attitude, and told him good-bye.

"Mrs. Weasley, I'm sorry about earlier this morning. I probably shouldn't have told them about that charm."

She waved away his apology. "Think nothing of it, Harry, dear. Those two would have gotten it out of you at some point. Stubborn, they certainly are."

She gave him a smile and headed up the stairs to wake the rest of the family.

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"So, Harry. I noticed you have a Firebolt," Charlie commented at breakfast. "And I hear you fly really well. Care to pit your skills against mine?"

Not knowing the man, Harry wasn't sure how to respond to that. He'd heard Charlie had been a fantastic Seeker for Gryffindor.

"Oh, Charlie, really," Molly said, a little annoyed. "It's too cold outside to be out there flying."

In Harry's opinion it rarely was too cold to fly, the game against Slytherin notwithstanding. He normally wouldn't have been flying in that day's kind of weather to begin with. Apparently, Charlie felt the same way.

"It's just a friendly competition, Mum. Some people I work with have cousins at Hogwarts and have been told how well Harry flies. My colleagues have taken to pointing out how good he is every chance they get. I'd like to see for myself. If my legendary status is going down, I want to see for myself who's taking my place. Make sure they're worthy."

Molly grumbled and shook her head. Charlie gave Harry a wink. "So, Harry, you up to it?"

A quick glance out the window showed a bright sunny day. It would be cold but he didn't figure he'd be out too long.

"Sure, why not?"

"That's the spirit. I'll meet you out on the porch after breakfast."

"Alright."

The rest of breakfast was a loud and rowdy affair, a big difference compared to what his and his uncle's breakfasts were like. The thought of his two guardians made him worry about them a little. He hoped they were safe. Giving himself a mental shake, he tried to keep up with all the different conversations but ended up getting lost. He felt an elbow in his side and turned to the source. Ginny was practically laughing at him.

"What?"

"I'm sorry, Harry, it's just that you look so overwhelmed." She looked around the table, seeing her family from his perspective. "I guess we can be a bit much when we're all together. You learn to tune out what you don't want to hear."

They weren't exactly all together. One was missing. He'd refused to come down, Harry supposed. He sighed. He hadn't intended to cause any sort of family rift or anything but it appeared that was exactly what he was doing. Another poke disturbed his thoughts.

"Don't worry about Ron. He's being a stupid git right now."

Harry lowered his voice even though he doubted he'd have been overheard if he'd talked normally. "But he's right, isn't he? I am hiding something. I am dangerous."

"Maybe you could be, but you're careful. And it's your business if you want to hide something. He doesn't have to act the way he is. He needs to grow up and realize that he doesn't have to know everything and that the world doesn't revolve around himself."

"He's just doing what he thinks is right. He's trying to protect you."

"If he cares so much, where was he last year when I really needed him?"

"Maybe that's why he's acting the way he is now."

"Maybe," she allowed. "but he's taken it to the extreme." Ginny studied Harry a moment. "You've really given this a lot of thought. I'll admit that I'm surprised you're taking up for someone who's treated you so badly. On second thought, I shouldn't be since you took up for me and I hadn't really treated you very nicely either."

Harry shrugged. "But then you talked to me. You tried. He hasn't. I don't know. I just was thinking how I'd feel if I had a sister around someone I felt wasn't what he appeared to be."

"But you would have talked to him, not just assumed anything. That's why you'd be doing something noble and why he's acting like a git."

"What are you two whispering about over there?"

Both heads shot up and turned to Charlie, faces red. Snickers came from the twins and Bill elbowed Charlie, chuckling.

"Just planning a strategy, Charlie," Ginny said sweetly. "Telling Harry all your little tricks."

Charlie's smug expression faded much to the delight of everyone else. "Now that's just not fair, Ginny."

Ginny merely shrugged, a bright smile on her face, her eyes dancing with merriment. At that moment, she looked rather pretty. Whoa. Where did that thought come from? His insides felt ticklish, the same way he'd been feeling for a little while now. That's when it clicked into place and it stunned him. I think Ginny's pretty. I actually kind of fancy her. That's what I've been feeling. How could I? She's a friend. She wouldn't like me in that way anyway. Would she? What do I do now? Do I tell her? If I did, she might get mad at me and not want to be friends with me anymore.

A rather rough bump drew his attention. "You were miles away, Harry. Are you okay?"

He looked into Ginny's concerned eyes and felt his face heat. "Yeah, sure, er, just thinking."

She gave him a funny look but then shrugged and went back to her breakfast. Harry finished his breakfast, mind on this latest development, and stole glances at her from the corner of his eye. Finally, the meal was over and Harry rushed back to his room to grab his broom. Just as he was exiting the bedroom, he came face to face with Ron coming down the stairs.

"I don't know what you're playing at but I'm going to figure it out."

Harry sighed. "I'm not playing at anything, Ron. Your sister has been nice to me. I'm being nice back."

"Just know that you haven't got everyone fooled."

Ron headed on down the stairs, bumping Harry out of his way in the process. Harry rubbed his shoulder, waited a few moments and descended the stairs. Rather than going through the kitchen to get to the back porch, he went through the front door and flew around to the back. Charlie was there waiting along with Ginny, Bill and the twins.

"Alright, Harry, here's the course."

Charlie outlined the course. Once done, he mounted his broom, a decent Cleansweep.

Bill gave the 'go' signal and they took off, Harry a little behind since he wasn't as familiar with the terrain as Charlie was. They'd agreed on three laps so Harry was content to follow until he felt comfortable with the route. They zig-zagged through trees and shot across clearings, making a final turn around The Burrow.

On the final lap, Harry rocketed past Charlie as if the man was hovering in place. The Firebolt's superior handling and braking outmaneuvered the Cleansweep making it simple for Harry to get back to the Burrow before Charlie. Ginny ran over, laughing, and gave him a congratulatory hug. To know she'd been cheering for him instead of her own brother made him feel 'over the moon' as the muggles liked to say. He laughed and hugged her back.

"That was fantastic, Harry!" she cried after backing up a little. "I knew you'd win!"

"Thanks."

He was very aware that she hadn't moved completely away from him, that his hand still touched her. The hug had felt really nice; he certainly wouldn't be opposed to another one. He wondered what it would feel like to hold her hand, to be able to do so whenever he wanted. A shout drew their attention.

Charlie flew across the finish line, laughing and shaking his head. He turned to Harry and, still on his broom, bowed in an overly-dramatic fashion.

"I hereby acknowledge," he intoned, "that Harry Potter is by far the better flier and willingly give up my crown and legendary status to him."

Harry blushed scarlet. Bill nudged Charlie. "I know that's a Firebolt but you fly better than what you just did."

"Normally, yes, but watching Harry on that broom was amazing. As soon as he passed me, I knew I'd lost so I just slowed down enough to watch him fly. The kid's a natural."

Fred and George congratulated Harry on his win and headed inside. Bill watched, brows jumping to his hairline, as Harry dismounted and handed the broom to Ginny, who immediately took off, looking for all the world as if she'd done so many times.

"Did you know she could fly?"

"Nope, hadn't heard a thing," Charlie said, watching his little sister put the broom through its paces.

"Hey, Charlie," Bill said, nudging his brother to get his attention then tilting his chin in Harry's direction, "look."

Harry watched Ginny's every move, an ear to ear smile on his face but not just a regular smile, not one he'd displayed the day before. This one they recognized as they'd each had it on their own faces a time or two.

"Looks like Harry has finally noticed Ginny's a girl," Bill said, amusement in his voice.

"Looks that way. Do you think Ginny-?"

"Oh, yes. You didn't see her when Harry crossed the finish line. She'd been cheering him on the entire time and, once he'd stopped, she ran over and hugged him. Did you even notice how close they were when you came up? She hadn't totally backed out of his hug, he still had his hand on her back and neither one seemed to mind."

"So I guess the next question is: What do we do about it?"

Bill shrugged. "Not sure we should do anything about it. Ginny's young but she's matured, too. That whole Chamber business, you know?"

"Yeah," Charlie sighed. "I know."

The two eldest Weasley boys looked on as Ginny returned Harry's broom. Her laughter rang out after he said something to her. She gave him a playful shove and ran into the house, Harry right behind her.

"He's brought back the old playful Ginny. That's good enough for me."

"What do you think about Ron? He's taken such a dislike to Harry. Do you think Ron has a good reason to mistrust Harry?"

"I don't know, Charlie. For now, I'm going with what I see."

0000000000

A couple hours that morning was spent on homework. They'd managed to convince Molly to let Harry work on his Summoning Charm and the Silencing Charm after showing her the journal Harry kept of his progress which had notes from Professor Flitwick written in the margins of the pages. A few times, she offered her own advice which Harry found helpful. It was during this time that Harry flawlessly performed the Silencing Charm on Ginny's feet.

"Oh my goodness, Harry, you did it!" She dashed over on silent feet and hugged him. Backing up a few steps, she looked up at him. "I knew you'd get it."

"Thanks. The question now is: Can I undo it?"

"Not just yet, Harry. Silent feet are useful when looking for blackmail material. Do your feet and let's go."

Unable to stop the grin that spread across his face, he turned his wand to his feet. A few steps told him he'd been unsuccessful. Again, he charmed his feet. Again, it didn't work.

He made a frustrating sound in his throat. "Why isn't it working? I did it perfectly once. I'm not doing anything differently."

"I don't know, Harry. Here, back up." She placed one hand on his chest, clutched his arm with her other hand and walked him back across the room. "Try again."

And so they began a dance of sorts, Harry charming his feet, taking a few steps forward while Ginny walked backward and stopping when it didn't work, starting the process all over again. By the fifth trip across the room without duplicating his original success, Harry was ready to call it quits.

"Alright, Harry, for now. Don't forget to write in your journal for Professor Flitwick."

"Got it right here," he said, holding up the book.

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Late that afternoon, Molly began bringing down Christmas decorations from the attic. Arthur, Bill and Charlie brought in a tree. The twins and Percy came downstairs to help decorate. Even Ron joined the family although unenthusiastically.

Arthur opened one box and pulled out a tray of white clay balls and began passing one to each member of the family. To Harry's amazement, he received one, as well. He looked around. There must have been more than the nine he saw since no one had been left out.

"This is a Weasley tradition, Harry," Arthur began explaining. "Every year we each take one of these magical balls of clay and transfigure them to represent something that symbolizes our past year, something that has meaning to us."

"But wouldn't too much use of underage magic be detected?"

"These are special balls, Harry. You don't need your wand for them. All you have to do is close your eyes and concentrate on what you want the clay to become. It'll respond to your magic and thoughts."

"Oh. Okay."

Harry paid attention as Bill transfigured his clay into three pyramids, the center one taller than the other two, color saturating the little sculpture from the inside out. Charlie's became a black dragon with yellow eyes, bronze horns on its head with the same colored spikes on its tail—a Horntail, Harry thought it was. Percy's became a miniature copy of his Head Boy badge. Both Fred and George changed their clay into some kind of sweet. Ron's became a bright orange Cannons jersey.

As they all started hanging their ornaments on the tree, Harry looked to Ginny. Hers was just beginning to change. At first, he thought it looked like a snake but the bends became sharp angles. His breath caught when he realized what he was seeing was actually a lightning bolt. As he watched, it turned a bright green. The idea that he meant so much to her choked him up. She opened her eyes and met his gaze.

"You helped me a lot, Harry. More than you'll ever know."

She got up to hang her ornament and Harry realized he was the last one. A little embarrassed, feeling everyone was watching him, he set to changing the clay in his hand. It felt weird morphing this way and that. Opening his eyes, he looked at his hand. A miniature Hogwarts rested there.

"I'm not surprised," Ginny whispered beside him, a little smile playing about her lips.

"So much has changed for me since I started there, changed for the better."

Once Harry had hung his ornament, Molly assigned a few other tasks. He and Ginny were set to making paper chains. Fred and George were tasked with making popcorn chains which they enjoyed making a mess in the process, occasionally throwing pieces at Harry and Ginny. Ron was recruited to help Percy untangle some strands of muggle Christmas lights that their father had found. Bill and Charlie created fake snow and decorated the walls up by the ceiling to look like little snowdrifts. Arthur supervised while Molly began supper.

Just before she called them in to eat, Percy and Ron hung the lights on the tree and Arthur turned them on, red, green, yellow and blue colors softly fading one into another. More lights were hung around the windows and under the little "snowdrifts" Bill and Charlie had created. To Harry, the decorations gave the Weasley home a little something extra, more warmth or more love, just more something. He and Remus had always decorated and it had made their home look and feel nice but it hadn't been like this. Thoughts of his guardians had him hoping, again, that they stayed safe.

0000000000

"Harry, dear, breakfast is ready."

Harry slowly awakened to a gentle shaking. Lifting his head off the pillow, he rolled to face the soft voice and couldn't hide the quick intake of breath at the stiffness he felt. The full moon was tomorrow night.

"Are you alright, Harry? You look a little peaky."

He felt the bed dip as she sat down then felt a hand on his forehead. "I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley."

"Well, you don't feel overly warm," she said, though she sounded a bit uncertain.

She withdrew her hand and Harry rubbed his eyes in an effort to wake up. "Really. I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley. Thanks."

She patted his shoulder and Harry had to bite back a moan. "Well, alright then, if you're sure."

Molly left his room and Harry remained horizontal dreading any movement whatsoever. A soft knock on his closed door had him looking in that direction.

"Harry?" a quiet voice called.

"Hey, Ginny. Come on in."

His door opened revealing his closest friend. She shut the door with barely a whisper of sound, crossed the room and sat at the foot of the bed by his feet, looking at him with concern.

"The full moon is tomorrow. I'd ask how you're feeling but I can see it's not all that great."

Harry stifled a yawn. "Yeah, and your mum noticed. I told her I was fine. I hope she believed me."

"She might watch you for a bit to be sure." She looked around the room a moment, giving him the opportunity to struggle into a seated position unobserved. "Do you still have that charm on your bag?"

"Oh. Yeah. Hang on."

After retrieving his glasses and his wand, Harry removed the security charm for Ginny then set his wand aside. Ginny handed the bag over and Harry rummaged through it for what he needed. One dose of Wolfsbane Potion later, Harry gathered his shower necessities and a change of clothes.

Remembering Mrs. Weasley's admonishment about Ginny being in his room, he peeked out his door. The coast was clear so he backed up and let her go first.

"See you downstairs, Harry."

She went one direction and he went another.

0000000000

It took him a little longer to navigate the stairs but he eventually made it to the kitchen. The only one missing was Percy and Harry had passed him as the seventh year headed for the loo. Taking his customary seat beside Ginny, he forced himself not to give away the pain he was in. He thought he'd done fairly well until he noticed Mrs. Weasley eyeing him, looking worried. Harry did the only thing he could do. He ducked his head and concentrated on his plate.

Breakfast done, Ginny dragged Harry outside into the newly fallen snow. Molly looked as if she wanted to protest them going out but she held her tongue. The crunching sound of the snow underfoot was one of Harry's favorites. Snow meant snowmen, snowball fights, sledding and, once, a snow fort. Ginny led him to the closest property border which happened to be a river. It was wide but didn't appear very deep. It was kind of picturesque with the clear water babbling along between white glistening banks.

"This is pretty, Ginny."

"It's one of my favorite places to come to when I need some time alone."

"I can see why. It's so peaceful. I love listening to water in streams and rivers. I've actually gone to sleep before while listening to it. Uncle Remus had to come wake me up."

Ginny laughed at the picture in her head. "I would have loved to have seen that. How old were you?"

Harry grinned. "Which time? I think I was four the first time. We had a stream that ran across our backyard and I loved lying along the bank and watching the little minnows darting around. Any time I was feeling upset or frustrated, that's where I went so, naturally, when he couldn't find me, that's the first place he looked." Ginny smiled but something was off. "What's wrong, Ginny?"

"Nothing. I-I wanted to give this to you in private."

From inside her heavy cloak, she pulled out a long, flat, very thin package wrapped in red Christmas paper.

"What's this? Ginny, you didn't have to give me anything."

"Don't be silly, Harry. You're my friend and I get Christmas presents for my friends. It's just...I didn't exactly buy this. It was given to me but I thought you should have it instead." When he just stood there looking at it, Ginny opened his hand and placed the package into it. "Open it."

"Okay."

Making quick work of the tape holding the wrapping paper together, he found a folded piece of parchment—a somewhat worn folded piece of parchment. He knew exactly what he now held in his hand. It was one of the few precious things left of his dad. He felt tears threaten to fall and he fought them. His gaze flew up to Ginny.

"Thank you," he said, his voice a ragged whisper.

"You're welcome, Harry. The twins recently gave it to me so I decided to give it to you as your Christmas present."

"I don't know what else to say but 'thank you'. That doesn't seem to be enough."

"You don't have to say anything, Harry. It belongs with you."

Harry looked down at the parchment, pulled his wand and activated the map. As the names of the creators seeped into view, he thumbed the name his father had gone by, aware the battle against his tears had been lost. At that moment, he couldn't have cared less. It certainly wasn't the first time he'd cried in front of Ginny. A few seconds later, he swiped away the tears and took a deep breath.

"My present for you isn't nearly as good as this."

"Harry, you didn't have to get me anything, but whatever it is I'm sure I'll like it."

Harry leaned forward and hugged her, surprising them both; it usually was Ginny who initiated hugs. As he pulled away, he did something even more spontaneous. He turned his head just enough to skim her cheek with his lips in the slightest of kisses. It was with trepidation that he looked into her eyes, fearful he'd just ruined the best thing in his life other than his guardians.

Her eyes were wide but then she smiled, stood on her toes and brushed her own feather-light kiss against his cheek and suddenly Harry felt like whooping with joy. Energy surged into his muscles and he felt as if he could do a hundred things at once. He began to laugh and Ginny joined him. She hugged him but this time when she pulled away, he caught her hand. Hand in hand, they walked back to the house, glancing at each other and grinning.

Stepping into the kitchen, Harry dropped her hand, afraid someone might say something if they were seen.

"I have something for you," he said, motioning for her to follow him.

Up in his room, Harry set the map on the bedside table and, opening his bag, pulled out the red and gold wrapped present he had for Ginny. Nervously, he handed over the box. Ginny smiled and tore through the paper, making Harry laugh softly. Opening the flap, she peered inside the box and gasped. Tilting it, the object inside fell into her palm along with a slip of parchment.

"Oh, Harry," she breathed. "It's beautiful."

Ginny ran a thumb over the polished surface of the four inch tall rearing horse statuette. It was made of a sea-green stone, black veins criss-crossing through it. The detail was nothing short of amazing: the flowing mane and tail, the bunched muscular hindquarters, the intelligence in its stone eyes. She nearly cried when she read what was on the parchment.

The horse is a symbol of friendship representing mutual respect, being trustworthy, harmony, and dependability. Turquoise is a friendship stone. If given by a loving friend, that stone will protect the recipient from negative energy and bring good fortune. It also brings peace to the home.

While she read the accompanying card, Harry got really nervous. What if it was too much? What if it wasn't enough? His thumbs tapped out a nervous rhythm against his thighs. Then he fisted one hand and shoved it deep into a pocket while the other ran through his hair. Finally, she looked up, her eyes watery.

"Harry, I love it."

"You do? Really?"

"Yes, really. Not many people know this but next to cats, horses are my favorite animals. They look so graceful and majestic when they're galloping, so free."

Harry sighed in relief, his smile spanning from ear to ear. "I'm glad you like it. I had no idea what I was going to get until I saw that in a catalog. They had a variety of animals and stones to choose from but those seemed the most appropriate."

"It's beautiful and so well done. You almost expect it to start moving any moment. Thank you, Harry."

Wrapping an arm around his neck, she pulled him into an embrace, her other arm winding around his waist. A minute later, she pulled back enough to place a kiss on his cheek, one that lingered a little longer than was absolutely necessary and made his cheek tingle pleasantly. His hands at her waist, all he could do was stand there and grin. He started to lean forward but approaching footsteps had him jerking completely away from her.

Embarrassed, he took to rearranging the clothes in his bag to be sure his bottle and goblet were well hidden.

"There you are, Harry, dear. Do you have any clothes that need washing?"

"Oh. Er, no. I'm good, thanks, Mrs. Weasley."

He could feel the heat in his cheeks and knew the woman could see it. He chanced a glance at Ginny. She, too, looked a little flushed but she was smiling. He looked back to Mrs. Weasley in time to see her gaze flit from Ginny to him and then take in the torn wrapping paper, open box and the horse in Ginny's hand. Her expression was unreadable.

"What do you have there, Ginny?"

"Oh, look." Ginny joined her mum at the door. "Harry gave it to me for Christmas."

Molly's gaze washed over the statuette, her daughter's bright smile, blush and dancing eyes before coming to rest on Harry's reddened cheeks, his anxious, almost guilty expression and body language, his eyes solidly on the floor.

"And read this." Ginny held up the parchment card.

Molly read the card, her brows jumping. Her eyes darted between her daughter and the boy on the other side of the room still looking nervous.

"That was very nice of you, Harry," she finally said. "It wasn't necessary."

Harry shrugged and looked up. "Maybe not, but I wanted to. Usually I only have Uncle—my uncle to give gifts to." He turned to his bag and pulled out two more packages. "These are for you and Mr. Weasley. I wanted to thank you for letting me stay."

"Oh, Harry, you needn't have done that. If we hadn't wanted you here, we wouldn't have invited you."

Harry sheepishly shrugged again and took the gifts to her. "The flat one is yours."

Molly took the presents and walked into the room. "Well, since you won't be here for Christmas, I don't see the hurt in opening these now."

Setting the boxes on the desk in the corner, she sat in the accompanying chair and picked up the one designated as hers. Harry sat on his bed beside his pillow. Ginny sat at the foot of the bed, initially, then scooted closer to him. Her expression told him not to argue so he kept his mouth shut, though he worried what Mrs. Weasley would think when she saw them.

Noticing Ginny's mum had gotten the gift mostly unwrapped, he started to explain what it was. "It's a recipe book but you add your own recipes to it. But that's not all. It's best if I just show you. Come on."

Down in the kitchen, Harry had Molly transfer her treacle tart recipe into the book. "Now, tap the recipe with your wand."

She did so and the words dissolved into a perfect photograph of a finished tart. Each step was visually laid out in moving photographs. Then the rich scent of the tart permeated the air, much to the other two's delight.

"Now tap the picture." Molly did so and the words reappeared, the baked tart smell disappeared. "It'll work with any recipe you put into it so if there's something you wanted to try but wasn't sure how it would turn out, you can put it in here to see and smell it. To erase a recipe, just swipe your wand across it. It holds 1,000 recipes."

"This is wonderful, Harry. Thank you very much. It'll definitely get used."

"I'm glad you like it. Ginny told me you love to cook."

"I do." She raised a gentle hand to rest along the side of his face. "You are a dear, sweet boy. I have something for you."

Molly walked into the sitting room where Bill and Charlie lazed around reading magazines, and removed a gift from under the tree. Harry assumed, by the sounds coming from upstairs, that Fred and George were in their bedroom. Percy, too, seemed to spend a great deal of time in his room. Ron was absent as he had mostly been the entire time Harry had been there.

"Here, Harry. Go ahead and open it."

Harry gingerly took the bulky looking present, surprised at how light it actually was. "You didn't have to get me anything. You didn't even know me."

Molly waved away his protest. "It's just a little something I do for everyone. Go ahead."

Aware he had everyone's attention, Bill and Charlie staring intently, Harry slowly unwrapped the squishy gift, savoring the experience of opening a second gift from someone other than his uncle. The paper fell away and he couldn't believe his eyes. Lying in the paper was a green handmade jumper with a Snitch on the front.

Harry looked up, his vision swimming again. "I—I—Thank you. You went through a lot of trouble."

"It was no trouble at all. Now, try it on. Let's see how it fits."

Harry wasted no time putting it on. The fit was perfect and was very comfortable.

"Oh, good, it fits."

"Thanks, again, Mrs. Weasley."

"You're very welcome, dear. Now, I believe you have some homework to do. Both of you."

Ginny ran upstairs to put her horse in her room and grab her schoolbooks. While he waited, Harry traced the Snitch on his jumper. He still couldn't believe the woman had taken the time to make something for someone she didn't even know. Seconds later, Ginny came back down and the two of them settled on the couch, Ginny with her Transfiguration text and Harry with his wand out, practicing transfiguring Ginny's Charms book into a children's book. Having gotten that, he made the book dance and worked on silencing it.

Some time later, an irate Ron stomped down the stairs, a worn piece of parchment in his hand. He marched over to Harry and waved it at him.

"Explain what Fred and George's gag parchment is doing in your room," he demanded. "Did you steal it? What, you saw it and decided you wanted it?"

"Ron!" Ginny yelled. "Don't be such a git!"

The elder Weasley siblings sat up from their relaxed positions in their chairs. "What are you on about, Ron?"

Ron turned to his oldest brother. "This belongs to Fred and George. They've had it for ages. I found it in Harry's room."

"And what do you think you were doing in Harry's room?" Ginny hotly challenged him.

"I hadn't been. His door was open. I happened to see it sitting on his bedside table." Ron turned to Harry. "You still haven't explained yourself."

"He doesn't have to!" Ginny stood and grabbed the parchment. "Now give that back."

"Yes, he does, Ginny. You just don't want to believe the hero of the wizarding world is nothing but a thief."

Ron yanked the parchment out her grasp, a great tearing sound as it ripped into two filling the silence.

"No!" Harry yelled, his voice filled with anguish.

Ginny looked at the torn map, at Harry's heartbroken expression, and began to cry.

"That's enough!"

Everyone in the room turned at the Weasley matriarch's sharp command. She stalked over and grabbed Ron by his ear and hauled him into the kitchen. When she returned, Harry jumped to his feet and started to say something but Molly stopped him.

"You don't need to explain anything, Harry. I know you didn't take it. Let me see the other piece. Maybe I can fix it."

"I hope you can," Ginny said through her sniffles. "It's really special."

"Oh? How special?"

"I gave it to Harry for Christmas. It used belong to his dad, his uncle and his godfather. Harry doesn't have much of anything of his dad's so when Fred and George gave it to me, I decided to give it to Harry."

All eyes turned to Harry, who nodded morosely. Charlie blew out a breath. Bill rubbed the back of his neck. Molly looked grief-stricken.

"I'm so sorry, Harry," Ginny said, whirling around to face Harry, tears still rushing down her cheeks. "I didn't mean to tear it."

"I know you didn't, Ginny. I should have put it away."

"No!" She said, her amber eyes flashing with her temper. "It's not your fault, either! I hate my brother! Why does he have to be such a git!"

"Ginny," Molly admonished but it came out sounding as if she hadn't meant it.

Molly took the piece Ginny still had and returned to the kitchen. Several minutes passed before she came out again holding the two pieces and looking miserable.

"I'm so sorry, Harry. It just wouldn't go back together."

Harry took the pieces back, carefully held them to his chest and swallowed. His chin quivered but he refused to cry, not in front of everyone at any rate.

"It's okay. I know you did your best."

Molly engulfed Harry in a huge hug, held him tightly. His control slipped and two tears dripped from his lashes, bypassed his glasses and landed on her shoulder. He sniffled in an effort to hold back the others that threatened. While she held him, she turned to Bill.

Quietly, she instructed him. "Take Ron outside and do something with him. I want him thinking twice and then thinking a third time before he pulls this again."

"I'll find something for him to do."

The sound of Bill hauling Ron out of his chair and the accompanying yelp came from the other room just before the back door opened and closed. Charlie got up and left the room to help Bill. Molly continued to hold Harry until they were interrupted by the sound of the Floo activating. Sighing, she stepped back, and frowned, disliking the way Harry quickly brushed away the wetness from his eyes. She turned to her fireplace.

"Oh, hello, Albus. What can I do for you?"

"May I come over, Molly? There's something I need to discuss with Harry. And with you, too, of course."

"Sure, Albus."

Within seconds, the Hogwarts Headmaster stepped into the Weasley sitting room. His blue eyes didn't twinkle, his shoulders seemed to droop.

"What it is, Albus?"

Dumbledore addressed Harry. "I'm afraid Sirius won't be picking you up today. What he's doing is taking a little longer than he planned. He would have sent you a message, Harry, but was afraid to risk it."

"Sirius? As in Sirius Black?"

"Yes, Molly. Sirius is innocent. He wasn't James and Lily's Secret Keeper as everyone believes. Sirius is Harry's godfather."

"So what is he doing that's keeping him away?"

"I'm afraid I can't say but it is quite important."

Her expression told everyone just how she felt about both adults in Harry's life being gone, especially this close to Christmas when families ought to be together.

"Well, then, Harry can stay here another night. It's no problem."

Harry turned in disbelief to the woman. "How can you say that after-"

"Harry, dear, you are staying here." Her tone dared him to argue although it wasn't unfriendly.

Dumbledore's gaze sharpened and danced between Harry and the Weasley matriarch taking in everything, even the half-hidden clasped hands of Harry and Ginny. Without saying a word about that little detail, he turned back to Molly and smiled.

"I'll admit, I was hoping you'd feel that way, Molly."

"Harry is welcome to stay as long as he needs to. We've loved having him here."

"You should be getting picked up tomorrow afternoon." Dumbledore's look at Harry held a lot of meaning, which Harry understood and nodded. Albus turned, again, to Mrs. Weasley. "Thank you, Molly."

Dumbledore said his good-byes and headed back through the Floo. Molly gathered both kids into a quick hug.

"Finish your homework. I need to start lunch."

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Just as those in the house were settling at the table to eat, the back door opened, snow blowing in. Three figures, two taller than the other, stiffly entered the warm room. Molly immediately stood.

"Thank you, boys. I'll take it from here. Sit down and warm up."

Indeed she did take it from there. Ron stood in place, staring at the floor, his face ruddy from the wind while his mother prepared a food tray. That done, she levitated the tray in front of her, took her youngest son by the arm and marched him out of the room, muttering to herself. The farther from the room she got, the louder her voice became until it was obvious she was lecturing her son on manners.

Hearing it, Harry merely picked at his lunch. He couldn't help feeling if he hadn't been there, things would have been less stressful for the family.

"Harry." Bill paused until he had Harry's attention. "I'm sorry you're not seeing the best of this family right now. We're not normally like this. I hope you don't judge us too harshly."

"You don't need to apologize. I do. If I wasn't here-"

"If you weren't here, Ron would have found some other thing to be stupid over. This is a lesson he needs to learn, the sooner the better. It'll be worse if he has to learn it after he's older."

"Bill, your family has been very kind to me, a total stranger. I'm amazed, actually. I never expected that. You'll never know how much that means to me."

"Fred, I think I'm going to cry. Hold me."

George let out a very fake cry and clung dramatically to his brother. Fred also pretended to cry and held on to George. When the others began to laugh, George popped up and swiped away non-existant tears.

"Now that the sappy stuff is done, can we eat?"

The mood at the table turned much lighter. Harry dug into his food, suddenly feeling much hungrier than he had been. Molly returned to the table, smiled reassuringly at Harry and served herself.

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That evening when Arthur returned from work, he greeted Harry warmly, not questioning the fact Harry was still with them. Told of the drama earlier that day, his tired expression changed to one of disappointment then neutralized. Harry heard the man's footsteps all the way to the top floor where he knew Ron's room was located.

Thirty minutes later, he returned with a wrapped box in his hand.

"Harry, I'm told this is from you. Son, you didn't have to do this." An embarrassed Harry shrugged. "Well, let's see what's inside."

Bill stood and let his father take his seat. Harry sat on the couch opposite him, one foot on the floor, his other foot resting precariously on the couch's edge, nibbling his thumbnail nervously. Ginny sat next to him. Arthur carefully removed the red and gold paper. His entire face lit up at what was uncovered. Bill took one look and started laughing. Charlie took a peek and, grinning, gave Harry a thumbs up.

"Good choice, Harry. Dad's always been fascinating with those."

"How does it work, Harry?" Arthur excitedly asked, opening the box.

Harry joined them and removed the batteries and controller. "These are the power source and go in the back of this, the controller."

He demonstrated by removing the battery flap and inserting the batteries. Flipping the plane onto its top, he put more batteries into its belly. The last things he did was flip the 'on' switches on the controller and plane.

"Okay, you're all set. I'd suggest taking it outside though."

The man ignored Harry and hit a switch making the plane shoot up into the air then drop like a stone to the floor. Arthur hit the switch again and then immediately hit another. The plane rocketed forward in a quick burst of speed forcing Molly, who'd come out of the kitchen to announce supper, to either duck or be hit. She ducked. Several more tries and Arthur had picked up a rudimentary skill at controlling the plane.

"Arthur, put it away. It's time to eat."

"In a minute. I've almost got it figured out."

"Arthur, you're as bad as the kids," she said but with much affection.

Eventually, the toy was pried out of Mr. Weasley's hands and he joined them at the table.

0000000000

"Ginny, come with me a second," Molly told her daughter after dinner. "I could use your help with something."

Molly led Ginny upstairs. She motioned for Ginny to enter her parents' bedroom and then Molly closed the door.

"Is something wrong, Mum?"

Molly sat on the bed and patted the spot beside her. "Ginny, is there something you'd like to tell me? Something between you and Harry?"

Ginny immediately looked anxious. "How did you know? Are you upset? I really like him, Mum. Please don't say I'm too young."

Molly took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She smiled. "I saw you on your way back from your walk this morning. You weren't exactly hiding anything. Yes, I do think you're young but I don't see the harm as long as it stays simple and age-appropriate."

Ginny threw her arms around her mother's neck. "Thank you, Mum. You don't have to worry about anything."

"Good." A twinkle lit her brown eyes. "Have you kissed him?"

"Mum!" Ginny ducked her head, face flaming, then nodded.

"And?"

"It was nice. Really nice. It was only on the cheek. I gave him his present and he hugged me and kind of kissed me on my cheek."

"Kind of?" she asked, confused.

"It was really quick. More like a slide across my cheek but he had to intentionally turn his head to do it. I wasn't even sure if he'd actually done it until I noticed how worried he looked. I think he was afraid."

"That makes sense. He was probably afraid you didn't like him in that way."

"Well, I had to do something so I gave him a kiss back. I think he smiled the biggest smile I've ever seen on him."

"Yes, I noticed neither of you could stop smiling, not to mention stealing glances at each other. And if that wasn't enough, your hand in his was the clincher."

"But you never said anything."

"I wanted to observe you together without you knowing. Having done so, I'm more comfortable with letting this continue."

"Thanks, Mum. You're the best."

"Just don't make me regret it. Let's go back down now."

0000000000

Harry woke the next morning, shifted his position and hissed in pain. Why, oh, why did the full moon have to fall between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Moving extremely slowly, he sat up and stared at his bag. It might as well have been in Ginny's room instead of merely at the foot of his bed. Maybe he could just wait for Ginny to come in. Nah. The sooner he started moving around the better.

Slipping his feet onto the floor, he took his time shifting his weight until he stood beside his bed. Taking the two steps needed to reach the bag, he was just leaning over when someone knocked lightly at his door.

"Harry?"

"Yeah, Ginny. Come on in."

Ginny quickly squeezed into his room and rushed over. "Here, Harry. Let me get it."

With a sigh, Harry sat back on his bed. "Thanks."

After pulling out the potion bottle and goblet, Harry took the last dose and shuddered. "I'm so glad to be done with that for a month."

She looked at him sympathetically but didn't comment. "Moony's coming back today. I know you've missed him."

"Yeah. We've never been apart. I've liked being here but I really miss him and Sirius."

Ginny gently squeezed Harry's hand. "It's okay. You'll see them in a short while." After a quiet moment of hand holding, Ginny pulled back. "I should go. I don't think Mum would be too pleased to find me in here again, especially now."

Harry half-laughed. "I still can't believe she's okay with it."

Ginny grinned. "They can be full of surprises sometimes." Leaning forward, she quickly kissed Harry's cheek. "Breakfast will be ready soon. Get a shower and come on down."

"Alright," he said, a silly smile on his face.

Replacing the bottle and goblet, he pulled out clothes while Ginny snuck out of his room. The instant his door closed, he reached up and touched the spot on his cheek. Granted that was only the third time—well fourth if you counted that time on the Astronomy tower, which he didn't—that she'd kissed him but her kisses had a way of reminding him that he wasn't imagining things. She really did like him back. With a Cheshire Cat grin, he headed for the loo.

0000000000

Taking his customary seat beside Ginny, Harry caught sight of the twins' teasing expressions. George gave him a dramatic wink. Harry's stomach knotted. Do they know? A quick glance around the room confirmed his suspicion. They did know how he and Ginny felt. Charlie was smiling, Bill cocked an eyebrow at Harry, and Percy gave a stiff nod of his head. Apparently Ron was being forced to remain in his room. Face aflame, Harry studied his plate.

"Don't worry, Harry," Bill said, amusement in his voice. "It happens to the best of us."

"Bill, now honestly," Molly admonished him. "Leave the boy alone."

He felt a gentle squeeze at his elbow. Ginny, lending her silent support. He gave her a small smile and concentrated on eating.

0000000000

Thinking it was their last day together for awhile, they went outside and flew a bit. Then played in the snow. They were in the middle of building a snowman when Ginny did something he hadn't been expecting. Her hand full of snow, she yanked back the collar of his shirt and cloak and dumped the snow down his back. The cold was so shocking he couldn't breathe for a moment. When he caught his breathe again, he very deliberately turned in her direction. She had been giggling but seeing his expression, she darted off.

"You are so in for it, Ginny Weasley!"

Harry scooped up two handfuls of glistening snow and gave chase. It took several minutes, she was very quick and he was still rather sore, but Harry finally managed to get close enough to return the favor.

"Oh, Merlin, that's cold, Harry!"

"Uh-huh. No kidding!"

Both laughed long and hard. Ginny shivered and sighed. "Come on, it's getting cold. Let's go have some hot chocolate."

As soon as they entered the kitchen, Molly was there with a steaming cup of cocoa in each hand, a smile on her face.

"I was about to call you in. Get those wet things off and have a seat."

The two removed their cloaks, gloves and shoes then sat at the table, cupped their mugs and blew gently across the tops to help cool the drink. As they sat, Harry's muscles began to cramp and ache again. He forgot Molly was still with them until she spoke.

"Are you alright, Harry? You keep wincing. Are you hurt?"

Harry managed to keep from glancing at Ginny but just barely. "I'm alright, Mrs. Weasley."

Molly studied him a minute then reached over and felt his forehead. "You're terribly pale. Perhaps you should take it easy today. You wouldn't want to be sick on Christmas."

"You're right, I don't want that." Unfortunately, I'm not going to have a choice.

"We'll just sit and read, Mum. I'll make sure of it."

Molly nodded. "Finish your chocolate, then."

0000000000

The two of them joined Bill and Charlie in the sitting room after retrieving their books. Harry curled up sideways at one end of the couch, one leg folded under him, the other halfway extended. Ginny mirrored his position at the other end of the couch. As he read, Harry grew sleepy and rested his head against the back of the couch. It wasn't long after that that he fell asleep, his book slipping shut and sliding from his slack fingers.

Bill had been keeping his eyes on them, finding it amusing how they chose to sit on the couch. He looked up and noticed Harry had fallen asleep. It wasn't all he noticed.

"Ginny," he called softly. "is he okay? He's looking kind of peaky."

"Oh." She glanced at Harry, trying to figure out what to say. "Yeah, he'll be okay. Just let him sleep. It'll be good for him."

"You don't sound very concerned."

"I am but I'm not. I can't say more than that. I made a promise."

"Is he sick?" Charlie asked. "Not like a cold or flu, but really sick?"

"You could say that but that's all I can say. Please don't ask for me to explain further. I can't. I promised."

Both brothers nodded. "Fair enough," Bill replied.

Quietly, Bill got up and walked over to Harry. Very carefully the eldest sibling picked up the book and set it on the table in front of the couch. He would have removed Harry's glasses, but that would have required more handling of Harry than Bill really wanted. He didn't want to wake the kid, after all. Catching the blanket Charlie tossed his way, Bill gently covered Harry, concern furrowing his brow when Harry didn't so much as twitch. He went to Ginny and dropped a kiss on her head.

"Thanks, Bill, for being so nice to him."

"Anything for you," he said, giving her a wink.

0000000000

A light touch had Harry jerking awake, his heart pounding. He took stock of his surroundings, noticed his book was gone and that he'd been covered by a blanket.

"It's okay, Harry," Ginny reassured him, knowing how disoriented he sometimes got this close to the full moon. "Feel like eating some lunch?"

Harry rubbed his eyes, trying to wake up. "Yeah, sure. I've been out that long?"

"A little while, yeah."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to be."

"Don't apologize, Harry. I know that sleep helps. Come on."

Ginny held out her hand and stood. Moving slowly, Harry put his hand in hers and let her pull him to his feet.

"I'll be right back." He pointed upstairs and got a nod in return.

Ginny went on into the kitchen where the majority of her family was already gathered. She pinned each of them with a look.

"Not one word about Harry sleeping. Got it? It embarrasses him a little."

"Alright, Mama Bear—"

"—we won't bother your cub."

Ginny glared at her twin brothers a good long minute before nodding in satisfaction. When Harry entered the kitchen, he received a few looks but nothing else. He quickly took his seat and filled his plate.

"I guess you're anxious to be back home with your uncle, right?"

Harry glanced up at Charlie's question. His expression was one of genuine interest. Harry let out a small breath. He'd been worried someone would mention his falling asleep earlier.

"Yeah. My uncle and I haven't been apart, really—until now. I know what he was doing could be dangerous. I just wish he didn't have to do it. As for Sirius, I have no clue what he's doing either. He didn't say."

"Sirius? Black?" Charlie threw an incredulous look toward Molly.

"Sirius is Harry's godfather and is innocent."

"He's trying to find the real traitor but hasn't had any luck. It's the main reason he's lying low. He doesn't want to spook the traitor and send him hiding without even knowing it."

"So he knows who it is, then?"

Harry's lips thinned and he took a breath before answering. "Yes. It was another friend of theirs. Someone they were close to."

"I'm sorry, Harry."

"It's okay, Charlie. I just hope Sirius can find him soon. A lot is riding on that."

"I hope so, too, Harry."

0000000000

Soon after lunch, Arthur returned from work stating he had the rest of the day off along with Christmas Day and the day after. He spent a good portion of that time playing with his airplane, this time taking it out into the backyard. The later it got, the more antsy Harry became. He went up and double checked his bag to make sure he had everything packed.

He nearly jumped out of skin when the Floo activated at six o'clock. He'd been sitting on the couch with Ginny, one knee dancing nervously. Bill, Charlie and the Weasley parents were also in the room, Molly knitting, Arthur and Bill were playing chess and Charlie was reading. Even the twins had come down to see Harry off. The instant he heard the whoosh of the Floo, Harry was up, ready to leap at his uncle or Sirius, whichever had come to get him.

His stomach plummeted to his feet when Dumbledore stepped through looking weary and very sad. Ginny rose to her feet and tightly gripped Harry's hand. Molly and Arthur stood and greeted the respected wizard.

"Albus? What's wrong? What's happened?"

"Nothing good, I'm afraid." The man turned sad blue eyes on Harry. "Harry, I'm sorry. Not once did I believe this would happen."

"What?" Harry asked, voice scratchy and barely audible.

"Remus has disappeared, Harry. He made it to his destination but disappeared on his way back. I've not heard from him."

Harry felt like he'd just been punched in the gut and couldn't breathe. There was a loud buzzing in his ears and he began to tremble. "No. No. Please, no."

"Oh, no, Albus," Molly gasped, immediately crossing to Harry to wrap her arms around him.

"Do you know how it happened? Any details at all?"

Albus shook his head. "I don't. He vanished without a trace."

"And Sirius?" Harry asked, thickly.

"I haven't heard from him either, Harry."

For a minute, Harry leaned into Molly's embrace, shed a few tears. Then his sorrow turned to red-hot anger and he wrenched himself out of her arms.

"It's all your fault! He did it for you—because you asked him to! He didn't want to go! And neither did Sirius! I lost Mum and Dad because they listened to you and now I've lost Uncle Remus and Sirius, too! All because of you!"

Sometime during his rant, Arthur had wrapped an arm around Harry, to restrain him and to offer support.

"Harry, they could be very much alive. I just don't know."

Harry refused to look at the man, or at anyone else. "Everything is always taken from me. Always has been. I shouldn't be too surprised they have been, as well."

"Harry-"

"I don't want to listen to you anymore! Why should I?"

"Harry, it's getting late. You need to come back to the castle."

"Now, hold on right there, Albus."

Molly approached the man, hands on her hips and eyes flashing. Albus had had enough dealings in the past with the Weasley matriarch to want to step back from her. She stopped within a couple feet of him.

"Harry isn't going anywhere now. You come here, tell him his family has disappeared, you have no idea how and expect him to go back to that empty castle? I think not. How can you even suggest such a thing? He needs the support of his friends right now. He won't be getting that at Hogwarts."

"Molly, you don't understand. It is imperative Harry returns to the castle before it's—" Harry suddenly doubled over, hissing in pain. "—too late."