Chapter 12 - The Blessing
Harry watched as Ron and Hermione disappeared into the fireplace. He and Ginny were still standing in Professor Dumbledore's office because he looked hesitant. It had been a long week and Harry seemed anxious to get away for the Christmas holiday but now that the time had come to leave he looked as though he'd changed his mind.
"What is it, Harry?" Ginny asked him seeing the uncertainty on his face.
"I don't know." He couldn't think of a better answer than that. "I guess I just feel weird because I'm… we're going to tell your dad." And even though he was sure Mr. Weasley knew already it still seemed a bit strange. Would he still respect him? Would he still be welcome in the family?
"It's going to be fine," she told him as she squeezed his hand. "Come on or my dad will be suspicious."
Ginny led him closer to the fire and then scooped up a handful of floo powder. She stepped into the fire and shouted, "The Burrow!" and was gone. Harry finally followed not wanting to let her out of his sight for longer than he needed to. When he stepped out of the fire Dobby was the first face he saw. His big green eyes were filled with tears as he looked at his master for the first time in nearly four months.
"Hello Dobby," Harry said immediately. He squatted down to him and gave him a large smile. "How have you been?"
"Dobby is fine, Master," Dobby's squeaky voice answered. "Mr. Wheezy is not being home until dinner, Master. Dobby asked to stay and wait for Harry Potter and his Wheezys today." Dobby usually accompanied Mr. Weasley throughout the day. "Dobby has already unpacked for Master Harry Potter."
"Thank you, Dobby." Harry gave him a quick hug. "I missed you too."
"Dad's not going to be home until dinner?" Ron asked as he looked at a clock. It was only one o'clock. "What's for lunch then?"
"Honestly, Ron," Hermione sighed, "is that all you ever think about?"
"Dobby can make lunch," the house-elf said proudly and scurried out of the family room.
"Ron," Hermione whined some more, "you could have found something yourself. You didn't have to make Dobby think he had to serve you."
"I didn't ask him, Hermione," he argued. "I just said I was hungry."
Harry and Ginny glanced at each other and crept to the stairs as Ron and Hermione continued to bicker. They had no reason to stay and watch yet another fight unfold between those two. They were standing upstairs in the corridor with the door to his room on their right and the door to her room on their left. They looked awkwardly at each other and then started laughing.
"Well this isn't going to be too difficult is it?" Ginny asked.
"No, not really," Harry placed his hand on her shoulder and pulled her into his body, "but I suppose we ought to behave ourselves."
Ginny immediately kissed him. As they were kissing she pushed back on him until he was pressed against her bedroom door. He quickly found the doorknob, turned it and they practically fell onto her bed. Ginny was lying on top of him as they kissed passionately. Harry had removed her robes and her blouse when the door flew open.
"You guys!" Hermione shouted at them. "I have to stay in here too. Could you please go do this in Harry's room?"
Harry turned beet red but Ginny just started laughing. She got off of Harry and grabbed her shirt. "Okay, we're going."
"Another minute and I would have seen way too much!" she said a bit angrily as they walked by her. "Use a locking charm!"
"What?" Ron's voice came from the landing. "Who needs a locking charm and why?"
Ginny rushed to put her shirt back on. "Nothing," she said quickly as she opened Harry's door, "don't worry about it."
Ron watched Ginny slip into Harry's room. "Wait! You can't go in there with him."
"Why not?" asked Ginny poking her head back out. "I've gone in this room tons of times even after it became Harry's."
"Yes, but now things are different," Ron said quickly.
Hermione was now standing in Ginny's door frame. "Oh let them alone, Ron. If they want to make love, let them."
This was why Harry didn't feel completely comfortable at the Burrow now. It was his home too and he wanted to be there but it was hard for him to resist Ginny. He was used to being with her everyday. He knew it was going to be hard to abstain from her for three weeks. He wasn't a sex addict, he just needed to be close to her and he knew everyone would assume they shagged like crazy.
Ron just stood there with his mouth hanging open. Ginny finally gave his jaw a push and he looked at his sister again. "Ginny… I… it's just that…"
"You can't speak?" Her voice was laced with sarcasm. "Ron, Harry and I have made love more times than I could count." She saw Harry waving his arms at her as if to say 'don't tell him that' but it was too late.
"Yes, well its one thing to know and another to know," he told her as he peered in at Harry still flapping his arms. "What are you doing, mate?"
Harry immediately stopped when he saw Ron. "I was trying to get Ginny to stop talking to you about our bedroom habits." He then realized that Ron wasn't jumping down his throat and had just called him mate to boot. "You're okay then?"
"No," answered Ron, "but yes."
"We're not going to have sex right now," Ginny told him honestly. "We aren't in heat you know? We're just going to talk about tonight."
"What's tonight?"
"I'm going to tell your dad," Harry told him. "I know he knows but its different hearing it through the grapevine than hearing it straight from the source. Just think how nervous you'll be when you go meet Hermione's parents. Probably a bit like what I feel like now."
"All right?" Ginny asked her brother and he nodded. She finally closed the door and did what Hermione had suggested she performed an imperturbable charm so that Ron couldn't press his ear against the door and try to hear what was going on. When she finally turned and faced Harry he was almost completely undressed. "Harry!" She giggled at him standing in his boxer shorts. "I just told my brother we weren't going to have sex."
Harry nodded at her as he lay down on his bed. "I know. I just felt like being comfortable. Is that okay with you?"
Ginny's ears flushed a bit in embarrassment. She removed most of her clothing as well and went to him on the bed. He held his arms open for her and she laid her head down on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her completely. She heard him take several deep breaths and knew he was relaxing. In no time they had both dozed off. Luckily, Ginny woke as the sky turned orange from the setting sun. She quietly left Harry sleeping understanding that his schedule had kept him very fatigued and he was in much need of three weeks off. She just hoped the weeks would stay quiet and he wouldn't have to go traipsing off on Order business.
He'd only left the school once in the past two months. He didn't give any of the other five any warning that he was leaving he just didn't show up to combat training three weeks ago. Professor Snape wasn't there either and Professor Flitwick had taken over training for the day. He only told them that Harry and Professor Snape had to leave on urgent business. Harry returned to Hogwarts four days later looking quite ragged but uninjured. He'd later told Ginny that he and Snape had gone after Remus Lupin. He had been undercover in the werewolf camps and no one had heard from him in two months. There was great concern about his whereabouts. Harry and Snape had located him and brought him back to Grimmauld Place. He was injured during the previous full moon and too weak to travel. Snape was still helping in nursing him back to health.
When Ginny arrived in the kitchen Bill and Charlie were sitting with Ron and Hermione. They were chatting casually about trivial things: Quidditch, a funny story about one of Charlie's first Apparations, a goblin named Ronan and, of course, Fleur.
"So what is going on with you and Fleur?" Ginny asked Bill as she took a seat. "You haven't said much about her lately."
"Well, I haven't seen you lately, Ginny," he responded to her with a gentle nudge. "And you certainly don't write."
"Well, you see Harry weekly and he generally tells me everything so I just assumed that you haven't mentioned Fleur to him either." Bill rubbed his chin in thought as he surveyed his little sister. "What?" she asked him.
"It's just… well, you are acting more like Harry's wife than his girlfriend," he told her quickly and saw she looked a bit confused. "There is a big difference you know?"
"Yes, Bill, I'm aware of the difference between being someone's girlfriend and being their wife."
"Well?" he looked even more suspicious.
Ginny started laughing. "You're one of Harry's closest friends; don't you think he would have told you if he was getting married... to me of all people?"
"Yes, I think he would," he told her. "I know you guys haven't gotten married…"
"Yet," Ron added quickly.
"I was just saying—"
"Just wait," Charlie cut his brother off, "there is something else you'll notice about them once Harry comes down too."
"What?" Bill asked looking confused.
Charlie just shook his head. "I want to see if you notice it… I think you will."
Hermione looked back and forth between Bill, Charlie and Ginny. Bill and Ginny looked as confused as Hermione felt. Neither knew what Charlie was talking about.
"Where is Harry anyways?" Ron asked.
"Asleep," Ginny said quickly. "I didn't want to wake him. He won't admit it to anyone but he's really run down. He needs some rest."
"You were in his room with him?" Bill looked shocked as Ginny nodded. "Ginny, you can't just go around tucking in with him whenever you feel like it."
"Why not?" she wondered. "He relaxes better around me. The least I could do was stay with him until he fell asleep."
"It's true," Hermione told Bill. "You should see them together. You've got to come to a combat training. Harry draws strength from her."
Charlie nodded. "He's harder to take down when Ginny's near him. Well, let me clarify that, he's hard to take down anyways, but even harder when Ginny's near him." He looked to Ginny. "You too… when you're next to him you seem untouchable."
"I've noticed that too," Ginny conceded, "but I've never heard him or felt him cast any kind of charm on me. I honestly don't think he gives me preferential treatment over the others."
"No, I don't think he does either," Hermione added, "aside from the Apparation."
"Apparation?" Bill asked. "You're Apparating, Ginny?"
She shook her head. "Harry tandem Apparates me. I'm reading up on it but for now he's still doing it for me. And technically, I'm not allowed to anyways. I don't want to get dad in trouble or anything. He is the Minister after all."
"You really do need to come to a combat training." Charlie pushed back in his chair and balanced it on its back legs. "They use Apparation as an offensive strategy." He raised his arms out at shoulder level to help balance himself. "Look, no magic."
"Mum would be screaming at you right now if she were here," Ron said with a smile on his face until it dawned on all of them what he had said if she were here. She wasn't out at the market or in the garden, she was dead and there was no coming back from that. This would be their first Christmas without their mum.
The room was so quiet that the sound of Charlie bringing the chair back to its normal position seemed like thunder in their ears. No one was looking at each other any longer. They were all staring at the table or their feet and Ron was looking at the family clock. It was so strange to see it without his mum's hand. Percy was missing too, but somehow that did not pain Ron. As Ron watched the clock his dad's hand swung from work to traveling then to home and almost as quickly Mr. Weasley opened the back door.
"Evening all," his voice sounded cheerful but he looked fatigued. When he removed his hat it was obvious he was under a great deal of stress as most of his hair was now gone. When Ron and Ginny had seen him last he was only bald on top but now there was just a ring of red hair left down below his ears.
"Where is Harry?" he asked as he surveyed the group at the table.
"He's asleep," Ginny answered her father hoping he didn't have Ministry or Order business to discuss with him. "Do you need me to get him for you?"
He shook his head. "No, I don't need to speak with him. I was just wondering."
After Mr. Weasley arrived Dobby began preparing dinner. Everyone but Hermione left the kitchen and she helped him. Ron eventually went back to help as well knowing that Hermione would be cross with him if he left their meal to Dobby to prepare. Ginny got into a game of exploding snap with Bill and Charlie. Mr. Weasley sat in front of the fire flooing various different people. He may have come home but he was still working. Harry finally came downstairs not long before dinner was ready. He looked like he'd been rudely awakened from sleep as he sat quietly next to Ginny yawning away.
"If you're still tired why did you get up?" Ginny asked him sweetly.
"It was dark outside," he told her. "I was afraid I'd slept through dinner." Although it was winter so it was hard to gage the exact time of day by the setting sun. For all he knew it could have been four o'clock or nine o'clock.
"So Harry, I hear you've become quite the dueler," Bill said nonchalantly.
Harry nodded. "So I've heard. I'm a bit surprised you haven't come out to try and whip me yourself. You know the Order members have really made a sport of it."
Bill chuckled a bit. "Yes, I hear it's become quite the thing to do, not just on Fridays but anytime you have a spare minute. What do the other students think of the corridors becoming a combat zone?" He was clearly referring to the ambushes between classes.
"At first it scared the crap out of them." Harry almost laughed recalling the first in castle ambush. "Now they stir clear of us…"
"Mostly Harry," Ginny added. "The other students have learned if they're near Harry they're more likely to be taken hostage. He's been making first years throw up with transportation." Harry grimaced recalling the last girl he'd transported. She covered him in sick afterwards.
"Gross."
"It was hilarious," Charlie was laughing as he spoke. "I've never seen Snape laugh in my life, I didn't know the man knew how to laugh, but he had such a good chuckle in the staff room later. He said seeing that had been worth you hexing him."
"Bastard," Harry mumbled under his breath visualizing Snape having a good laugh at his expense. "From now on I'm transporting people straight into his office," He shifted his gaze to Charlie still laughing at him, "or maybe straight into yours."
"Hey now," Charlie held up his hands, "I don't want puking first years in my office."
Harry smiled maliciously at him. "Never can tell what's going to happen."
"Hey," Bill seemed to finally notice the other difference that Charlie mentioned. "You two smell the same."
"I told you there was something else remarkable about them." Charlie looked triumphant. "They have the same scent."
Bill's eyes grew wide in realization. "You're in love?" he asked and they both nodded. "I mean really in love. It's very rare for two people to have a connection that is so deep that it changes their body chemistry."
"So we've been told." Harry smiled at Ginny as he leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips. He didn't worry about her brothers thumping him. It seemed they were perfectly pleased with this union.
When Harry and Ginny looked back at Bill and Charlie they looked giddy. All of them started laughing. For some reason the moment had turned funny. They were all still laughing when Fred and George entered the house. They didn't see them yet but they heard Ron and Hermione shout from the kitchen and then Fred and George's menacing snicker. Within moments the twins were walking into the family room looking quite merry. They had a seat with Harry, Ginny, Bill and Charlie.
"So what's this we hear about you and Ginny?" Fred asked as he put his arm around Harry's shoulders.
"Yes, do tell," George insisted.
Harry rubbed Ginny's thigh and smiled at her warmly before answering them. "We are dating," he told them. They were the only of her brothers that he hadn't told yet.
"About time," they said together. "We've been waiting for this for years."
Just as Harry was going to say something, Hermione walked into the room. "Dinner is ready," she announced.
Everyone but Mr. Weasley got up to go to the kitchen. He just waved at them and mouthed that he'd be there in a minute. It was more than a minute before Mr. Weasley joined his family for dinner. By the time he sat down everyone was nearly finished and enjoying a grand story from Bill about mummies and a cursed dung beetle. All but Harry were roaring with laughter. A slight smile pulled at Harry's mouth. He obviously found the story amusing but it was apparent that is mind was else where. It didn't take much of a venture to guess what Harry was thinking about. The story reminded him of Egypt and Harry's memories of Egypt were not fond.
Later that evening they all sat around the family room talking and drinking hot chocolate. Mr. Weasley motioned his head at Harry to join him in front of the fire. They sat in the armchairs closest to the hearth not very near anyone else in the room. It seemed to be understood that Harry and Mr. Weasley had some things to discuss.
"You didn't seem to enjoy Bill's tale as much as the others," Mr. Weasley said quietly. "Can I ask why?"
"I don't think you need to," Harry told him honestly. "It is very hard for me to think of Egypt in any way."
"Yes, I thought as much."
Regret and pain filled his face knowing this conversation was inevitable. It had been months since Mrs. Weasley died and the only way Harry could pretend he was okay with it was to not think about it. Any time he let the thought of that moment fill his mind his heart began to ache with what he had witnessed and the murder he committed.
"Harry, when are you going to stop blaming yourself?"
"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I don't know that I ever will."
"No one blames you, Harry." He tried to convey this to him. "Her death is painful for all of us but let me ask you this, was she scared?"
He shook his head. "No, she was defiant. She told me to let Voldemort kill her rather than do what he wanted."
"I've already told you but I'm sure she felt better being in Egypt with you regardless of what happened and I feel that even more strongly now. She never treated you differently. A little gentler perhaps but that is because of the start you got." Mr. Weasley casually changed the subject. "How is your training going?"
"Well, I think." He sipped from his large mug thankful for the change in conversation. "I have a very busy schedule now and it is still strange to be training for something that I'm removed from. I know the war is here and everyone is waiting for me and Voldemort to show down but it hasn't happened again. It's just a bit strange."
"Yours is a heavy burden," he nodded as he said this. "Like I said this summer, we are doing everything we can to get you prepared. From what I've heard you are ready."
"Really?" Harry seemed a bit astonished.
He knew that combat training was going well regardless of Snape's snide comments and the others were definitely improving. The random attacks throughout the castle seemed to be sharpening the dueling skills of all of them but Neville and Luna in particular. They'd learned not to walk alone in the castle. It was a sure bet of a brutal ambush. So the sextet always traveled at least two by two and since starting that strategy Harry's tattoo had only been activated three times. He was a bit different though. He didn't mind walking alone but the other students were starting to run from corridors when he was around. He thought quickly of the conversation and laugh Charlie had at his expense earlier.
"Really," Mr. Weasley assured him. "Why else do you think Professor Dumbledore had you and Professor Snape go after Remus? He could have sent a number of other Order members, but he knew it was time for you to go. It is almost time for you to go period."
Harry nodded. He'd sensed this as well and Firenze seemed to be leading him to that conclusion during their weekly Divination lessons. Harry wasn't quite ready to discuss this yet though. He didn't want the first day of holiday to be the day he made that decision. He wanted to try to relax a little bit.
"How are things at the Ministry?"
"Hectic, tense, jumbled," he answered Harry. "Aurors all over England chasing reports of Voldemort, Oblivators modifying memories; some arrests have been made but we still have such a long way to go. We have intelligence suggesting that Voldemort is plotting to try and take over the Ministry. Albus has been trying to gather more information on that for us. It is war, and I'm now a politician. Politics never were my strong suit. Keeping our world safe seems a bigger priority than squabbling with department heads, but you know it comes with the job."
Harry understood why Mr. Weasley's hair was falling out now. He wasn't just trying to protect their world he was also a babysitter from the sounds of it. "Politics doesn't sound appealing at all."
"Well, I don't think you're going to be able to avoid it, Harry."
"Politics?" he asked for clarification and Mr. Weasley nodded. "How do you mean?"
"Harry, you are already a highly sought after public figure. Don't you know it will only get more intense when you come out of Hogwarts?"
"Well, I…" But Harry really couldn't say anything else. He was right.
"Come now, Harry," Mr. Weasley took a sip of his hot chocolate, "why do you think I was appointed Minister for Magic?" He paused but not long enough to give Harry a chance to answer. "You, Harry, are the reason I was appointed."
"What?" Harry almost spit a mouthful of hot chocolate out. "What are you talking about?"
Mr. Weasley peered at him knowingly. "Harry, you're sharper than this. You and I both know an Auror or someone from the International Magical Cooperation Department would have been better suited. I worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department."
"Then why did you take the job if you thought they were using you to get to me?"
"Because one doesn't get appointed Minister for Magic everyday," he said with a smile. "It isn't as if it was my ambition to one day become the minister but I knew I could and should do it. It isn't pride; it's just that if I turned it down who would have taken it?"
"Probably not someone in the Order," he answered.
"Exactly," he pointed at him, "and certainly not someone with a strong connection to you. Look at how you and Professor Dumbledore fought with Fudge, it was all very pointless and such a waste of time. If he'd only listened to you two… well, we don't need to get into that, but suffice it to say that having one united defense against Voldemort is better than two separate groups trying to fight him. Sure, technically that's what we are but we definitely have a coordinated effort."
"Yes, things have been much smoother since you took over from Fudge." That much Harry was certain of.
"Things are much smoother now that you and Professor Dumbledore have reconciled." Mr. Weasley pointed out. "It has lifted quite a weight for both of you."
Harry nodded. "I like being able to talk to him, confide in him, get advice from him and trust him again. It has made life at Hogwarts better."
"It has made life outside of Hogwarts better as well." Mr. Weasley sank back in his chair and gazed at the fire burning. "Of course, your temperament has changed a great deal since Halloween."
Harry set his mug down and turned in his chair so that he could look Mr. Weasley in the eyes. "You know why that is, don't you, Sir?"
His eyes went back to Harry. "Why don't you tell me?"
"It's Ginny," he said with a large smile. "I love her. I'm in love with her."
Mr. Weasley's face softened and he smiled larger than Harry had seen him do in a very long time. "Molly always said you two were meant for each other."
"She did?"
He nodded. "I don't know how she knew or if she was just hoping but after you saved Ginny in the Chamber, she'd always said you two were… well, that she knew."
"Knew what?" Harry wondered.
"She knew you went into the Chamber out of love for Ginny, not just love for Ron and the rest of us, not because you're a hero and not to prove anything. You went for her."
Harry thought back to that night. He remembered how terrified he'd been at the writing on the wall: Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever and how he shook with fear as he approached the Chamber of Secrets alone. At the time he thought that he was terrified knowing there was a basilisk to be slain but he also remembered being driven onward by the thought of Ginny helpless in the Chamber. He didn't turn around and run in fear because he knew Ginny needed him.
Harry just nodded his head at Mr. Weasley. "Maybe I have been in love with her that long. I realized I was in love with her when I was in Egypt the first time." He treaded carefully here. "Voldemort sensed a deep feeling. I never even knew until he almost uncovered it. I'd gotten so good at Occlumency by then that I shut it out. I shut it out for far too long." He wished he let himself realize it and feel it sooner. Being with her brought him great happiness and peace.
"Is this okay?" Harry asked him. "I want to be with Ginny and I want you to be okay with it."
"Yes, Harry, you have my blessing." Mr. Weasley smiled at him. "As I said, I know this would bring Molly great joy." His face turned a bit more serious as he asked his next question. "Has Voldemort sensed this yet?"
"I don't know," Harry answered him honestly. "I don't think so though because he'd have come after her by now."
"Harry," Mr. Weasley scooted to the end of his chair again, "you understand the danger she is in, but does she?"
Harry nodded. "I swear to you that I will do everything in my power to keep her safe. I know there is a good chance Voldemort will come after her, she knows it too, but I won't let him harm her. If he does… well, he'll have no idea what he's getting into."
Mr. Weasley saw the intensity flash in Harry's eyes. He understood how Harry had been able to kill just then. His devotion to his family was fierce and Harry considered the Weasleys his family. He wasn't going to let Voldemort hunt them down and kill them one by one.
"I don't think Voldemort appreciates the enemy he has created in you."
"He will know what he created very soon," Harry told him. "He still thinks of me as that baby he tried to kill but he has underestimated the wizard I've become and I'm going to show him. I'm going to kill him… even if I die in the process."
