Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series was not written by me, and I make no profit from writing this.

The Brotherhood

A/N - Oh look, another chapter!

Chapter Eleven

Ginny stood nervously outside the front gate of the Burrow, staring up at the house she had grown up in. She missed it dearly, but hadn't been able to visit it, or her brothers, for one reason. Her mother.

Ever since Ginny had run off with Harry and Sirius, so long before, Molly Weasley had been very harsh with Ginny, hence why Ginny was currently living at Grimmauld Place, where Sirius had graciously provided a room for her. She suspected he blamed himself for getting her in trouble in the first place.

Hermione's comment the other day, however, had made Ginny think. Sirius had pointedly told her thathe was taking a break from searching for a day to go visit with Remus and Dora and had candidly suggested that she should go visit with her family as well.

Ginny suspected Hermione had informed Sirius of their conversation and prompted him to do something about it.

So, here Ginny was, outside the Burrow. It was a Sunday, so she thought some of her brothers might be there, as they typically had a family dinner on Sundays. Them being there would hopefully help keep her mum's temper under control, for a while anyway.

Moving to the front door, Ginny knocked tentatively. It felt awkward to have to knock at her own front door, as she had always just gone right in. At the sound of her knocking, the rumbling voices from inside stopped and the front door opened. Ginny caught sight of her father standing there, looking astonished. He looked somehow older than the last time she had seen him. Or just more ragged, perhaps.

"Ginny!" he cried out.

"Hello, Daddy," she greeted shyly, though she had always been very close to him. She glanced past him to see Charlie, Fred, and George all gathered in the kitchen. They, too, looked surprised, but joyful, to see her standing there. Her mum was surprisingly absent.

"Well get in here then," Charlie finally said, grinning.

Ginny did so, stepping past Arthur as she came in.

"Where have you been, little sis? I haven't seen you in ages," Fred proclaimed as Ginny neared him.

"I've been busy," she replied, perhaps a little harsher than she usually spoke to him.

Fred frowned. "You shouldn't even be out of Hogwarts yet, if I recall," he commented, his tone hardening as well. She could sense the resentment he probably felt at her ditching her family.

"Yeah, well I am, and I have a life now," Ginny retorted, but Fred'sstatement was a correct one. She had never actually passed her OWLs or NEWTs. What happened after Harry was found and back with them? She didn't really have a career set out, and she was living off of the Black fortune, at the moment. She couldn't very well do that forever, even though Sirius would probably allow it.

Just then, the mum of the bunch swept into the room and froze in place. For a long moment, she just stared at her daughter in shock.

"Now Molly," Arthur warned softly, but his wife put up an arm to stop him from saying anything.

Ginny tensed, expecting the worst. Fred and George looked ready to scatter, in case an argument broke out.

Then, Molly stepped forward and pulled her daughter into a hug. Ginny was shocked, but accepted it. How long had it been since the last time she had received one of her mother's hugs?

She couldn't even remember, and the thought scared her. It was just more proof that she was really drifting away from her family.

"Oh, I've been so worried. You should've at least written occasionally," Molly gently admonished her daughter.

Ginny nodded. "I've been busy," she informed her, then hesitantly added, "You aren't angry?"

Molly smiled faintly. "Of course I am, but my relief is greater. For now,"

Ginny smiled lightly in return. Oh yes, she was going to get it, later.

"We're just starting supper. You can join in, then we can all catch up. Charlie's here to visit for a week, you know," she said, ushering Ginny over to the table.

Ginny took a seat in between Charlie and George. Charlie nudged her in the ribs with his elbow, then grinned before striking up a conversation with her.

"Now, you two be good and make sure you're home before dark, missy," Henry told Sarah. She gave him an indignant look, but nodded in reply and Henry walked off, leaving Sarah and Harry alone.

As soon as he was out of sight, Harry and Sarah went off in their own direction, Sarah leading the way.

Harry, wearing his brand new eyeglasses looked around, taking in the sight of the small village.

"So, we have a couple of hours before sundown," Sarah started, "What do you want to do?"

Harry shrugged. "You know this village better than I do. What is there to do?"

Sarah looked around thoughtfully. "Not much, really. Oh, but there is this restaurant at the edge of town that I really like. I'll pay for the both of us,"

Harry, though slightly embarrassed that her family was now paying for everything of his, accepted. A nice warm meal would do him good.

"It's this way then," Sarah said and guided Harry through the village.

As they walked through a residential section of the village, Harry paused outside a small church.

"What?" Sarah murmured, seeing him gazing toward the cemetery.

"Can we go in there for a few minutes?" Harry asked.

Sarah gave him a strange look. "You don't happen to have a morbid fascination for dead people, do you?"

Harry half smiled. "Not at all,"

Sarah let out an overly dramatic breath of relief.

"Thank goodness. I don't think I could handle another freak as a friend. My last friend…well, she ran away to join the circus," Sarah sighed reminiscently. "My life's been so boring, since she left."

"Well, I can't promise you anything, except, perhaps, I won't run away to join a circus,"

Sarah grinned. "Great! Let's go check out the cemetery then," she said, then headed over to the gate, Harry following behind bemusedly.

Once inside, Harry left Sarah wandering about looking at various random graves, and went in search of two in particular.

After a long search, he found them.

Lily and James Potter.

Harry stood over their graves, silently mourning. He made a mental note to come back later, when he was alone, and do the thing properly.

"Do you know them?" Sarah asked.

Harry jumped, not having heard her come up behind him.

Harry glanced sideways at her. "No,"

Sarah frowned down at the names. "They died when I was just a baby. Nobody knows exactly what happened, but apparently a bomb went off in their house. Both the parents, Lily and James Potter, were killed. Their little son, Harry, was taken away, probably to an orphanage or to distant relatives. It was big news here. Horrible," Sarah murmured.

"And this boy, you never saw him again?" Harry asked softly.

"Oh no, he's gone. As far as I know, he's never even visited their graves. Sad really. He'd be about my age. I wonder where he is, you know, what kind of life he's living now, without parents," Sarah stated.

Harry stared down at his mother's name. "Oh, I'm sure it's perfectly...regular,"

Sarah and Harry made their way out of the restaurant after Sarah had paid the bill and they walked back toward Sarah's home.

As they passed the cemetery, Sarah caught Harry looking toward it again.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're looking for someone there? I mean, you said that you didn't have a morbid fascination with it, so what is going on?" she asked.

Harry looked over at her. "What do you mean?"

"You seem oddly attached to that cemetery. You insisted we go in there, then just look around aimlessly, without finding any particular grave, and now you're looking back there. Do you know someone who died?"

Harry shoved his fists in his pockets as the chilly evening air made them numb with cold.

"I know a lot of people who have died. Doesn't mean I'm looking for them,"

Sarah studied his sombre expression for a long moment.

"Your history is a lot deeper than even my brother suspects, I think," she commented.

Harry didn't reply and Sarah didn't force him to. Instead, they just walked back to the Jones Grocery Store in silence. Harry walked Sarah to the door where she departed, entering the building.

Harry just stood there for a long moment. He was still wearing his borrowed clothing, and his newly purchased glasses were perched on his face.

How could a family he had met only the day before be so kind to someone like him?

With this troubled thought in his mind, Harry transformed into his bird self and flew back to his nest to spend the night.

"I'm glad you visited. Really. Make sure to write," Molly repeated one more time.

"I will," promised Ginny.

Fred and George, on either side of Ginny, bid farewell as well and the three walked down the path to the apparation point.

"I'm really surprised that didn't end in a fight," George commented idly.

"Me too," Ginny confided.

"I had money on you winning. Too bad it was a draw," Fred lamented. "Though I might still be able to get some money out of Charlie for it…"

Ginny, far too used to this kind of behaviour, didn't bother to comment.

"So, where you headed now, little sis?" Fred asked, after they had walked a little further up the road.

Ginny shrugged. "Back to Sirius' house, I suppose,"

"Is that where you're staying, then?" George questioned.

Ginny nodded silently. "We're searching for Harry," she informed them, feeling she could trust him.

There was a silence before Fred replied in a confused voice, "Isn't he in Azkaban?"

Ginny frowned, not having remembered that the general public had no idea Harry had broken out of Azkaban. The Ministry still hadn't informed them, which was good for Harry, she supposed, but meant that they weren't being informed on sightings that they may otherwise be able to obtain information on.

"He broke out. The Ministry is hiding it," Ginny told the twins.

Fred and George exchanged a look. "I suppose you had something to do with that, then?"

Ginny didn't answer, but Fred and George seemed to know anyhow.

"Well, it seems our little sister is just a regular criminal now, isn't she,"

Ginny smiled tightly. "Oh yes. A big criminal. I'm surprised the Ministry isn't after me yet,"

Fred and George exchanged another glance, and seemed to be silently debating something.

Ginny let them do so. She was used to that as well.

"So you're part of some sort of group, then?"

Ginny nodded absently.

Fred stepped forward and in front of Ginny, making her stop. She looked up at him.

"How do we join?"

Ginny stared at him. "You want to join us?"

Fred nodded seriously.

"Rebellion against the Ministry is on our list of top ten things to do before we die, after all," George quipped.

Ginny rolled her eyes, but then she looked into each of their eyes. They both seemed sincere in their request.

"Okay. Come with me to Grimmauld Place. There's a meeting tonight. I'll talk to Sirius and Dumbledore and see if they say yes," she stated.

Fred and George smiled. "Excellent," Fred stated.

Reaching the apparation point, Ginny grasped both of her brother's hands and apparated away, leading them in the direction they should go.

With a pop, they landed in front of Grimmauld Place. Fred and George stared up at it but Ginny moved forward and opened the front door.

"Okay, get in here," Ginny requested, ushering them in.

"Nice place you have here," Fred commented, looking around at the building.

Ginny was again reminded how dark the house seemed. Living in it had made her far too used to it.

"Stay here and just don't touch anything. I'll be right back," Ginny told them.

Ginny went up the stairs seeking out Sirius, and Fred and George waited patiently, exchanging nervous glances every so often.

A few minutes later, Ginny returned with Sirius following behind. He looked surprised to see Fred and George standing in his entry room.

Coming to the bottom of the stairs, he studied them critically before gesturing for them to follow him and going down the stairs the kitchen.

A/N - Review?