Harry Potter and all of its amazingness belongs to JKR.

Chapter 12: Romance and Apprentices

Ron pulled Hermione into his arms while she cried into his chest. He wanted to be mad at Harry for making her cry, but couldn't. He understood perfectly what he meant, and even if it hurt her, he was glad Hermione understood. "Are you alright?" he asked her. She sniffed and nodded.

"I just hate the thought of it. Why is this happening? Why do we have to fight?" she asked.

"Because that is the only thing we can do to make sure we have a future, and a safe and peaceful one at that," said Neville, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Someone cleared their throat.

"Potter said that he would work on the Centaurs, but who should go to the goblins and the Acromantulas?" asked Moody. Luna surprised them again.

"I will go to the Acromantulas with Hagrid. They will not harm him, and I will be able to speak directly with their minds, as only Aragog is able to speak English," she said, as one would say the sky is blue while pointing to it. Albus agreed.

"I will visit the Goblins," said Neville. "Being the direct descendent and magical Heir of Gryffindor will give me some leverage. They will at least hear me out and think over it. They may not like humans much, but even they couldn't deny a Founder's Heir."

"Good idea Neville. They trust Fleur and me enough, so we will come with you," Bill said, grabbing Fleur's hand. She smiled prettily at him. Before Fred and George could wolf-whistle Albus spoke up.

"Very well. We will speak with Harry about this when he calms down. If we are all in agreement, this meeting is over," he said, smiling at them all. Hermione got up quickly and pulled Ron to his feet.

"Come on Ron, I want to apologize to Harry. Does anyone know where he went?" she asked. Ron just rolled his eyes.

"Hermione, where does he always go to burn some frustration?" he asked. Her eyes lit up.

"Quidditch Pitch," she said, as she pulled on Ron's hand and left the office.

ooOooOoo

Ginny walked outside the castle to see someone flying over the Quidditch pitch. Knowing who it was, she walked over and took a seat in the Gryffindor stands. She knew Harry would be here. He loved flying and whenever he was extremely stressed he would come here to work off some steam by pushing a broom to its limit in spectacular dives and aerial acrobatics. It was twenty minutes later when Harry realized he had a spectator.

He looked down at the stands and saw the familiar long auburn hair. He smiled. He slowly flew down to the stands and landed. Dropping his broom, he sat down next to her.

"Fancy seeing you here," he said. She just gave him a wide smile.

"What did you expect? I don't want you brooding all by yourself. If that happens, you get all anti-social and grouchy," she teased. He gave a small laugh.

"What would I do without you Ginny?" he asked, throwing an arm around her shoulders and giving a little squeeze. She just gave him a smirk.

"Ogle another witch I suppose," she said. His face went from taken aback, to extreme surprise, then embarrassment all in a second. She laughed. "I knew it! Don't be so surprised Harry. You never were very subtle when it came to anything. I noticed you sparing me glances before I left and ever since I got back." Harry was blushing a deep crimson now. There was no way he could deny it. Ginny just giggled and leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder.

"How long?" she asked after a minute. He knew exactly what she meant.

"When you told me off at Grimmauld place before fifth year, I finally started seeing you as Ginny, not Ron's little sister. I noticed how much fun you were to be around. At first, I thought of you as a good friend, as I was still hung up on Cho," he said with a smile. "After that fiasco we called a date in Hogsmede, I really started to notice how beautiful you had become, both inside and out." She sent him a smile at that.

"The thing that clinched it was at the Department of Mysteries. I saw how bravely you fought, with fierce determination and power. When I saw you on the ground, holding your ankle in pain, all I wanted to do was soothe the pain away and carry you to safety. It took all I had to leave you there," he said. "So how long have you been pinning after me?" he asked with a chuckle. She rolled her eyes.

"About since I could talk," she said with a smile. "I never did give up on you. When I was little, I always told Mum that Harry Potter would fall in love with me and we would get married. When I went to Hogwarts, I met Harry Potter, and he wasn't like the legends and stories. He was this shy little kid. Remember how I couldn't even speak in the same room as you?" she said with a small laugh. "I finally got past the hero worship and saw Harry, just Harry. He was even better," she said, looking up at him. They slowly closed the gap between them with a soft but meaningful kiss.

They pulled away after a minute and leaned their foreheads together. They just looked into each other's eyes, seeing both love and trust.

"Oi! Harry, Ginny, what are you two up to?" yelled Ron from across the stands. They're heads jumped apart and they blushed at being caught in such a compromising position. They turned to see Hermione smack Ron in the back of the head.

"Ow, Hermione, what was that for?" he said, rubbing the back of his head.

"That was for being a prat." She turned and walked up to Harry. He could see the apology in her eyes. Before she could say anything else he spoke.

"Don't apologize Hermione. There is nothing to apologize for. I know what you mean. It is disgusting, but that is the way it goes. I don't like it any more than you do. Let's just forget about that and enjoy life while it's peaceful," he said, gesturing to the bright blue sky. She nodded but when she noticed that Harry still had his arms around Ginny, she smirked.

"So, how long have you been snogging behind our backs?" she asked, laughing when they blushed a little.

"WHAT? Why are you snogging my sister?" Ron exclaimed. Ginny bristled but calmed when Harry squeezed her before he commented.

"She is rather good at it," he said deadpanned, which made Ron gape like a fish. Hermione and Ginny laughed at his face. Then he gave him a mischievous smirk. "I could ask you that same question," he said, laughing as Ron's face and ears went scarlet. The implied message wasn't lost on Hermione however, who gasped, and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you Harry. I feel the same way," she whispered. When she finally released him, she grabbed Ron's hand. "Come on Ron, let's give the new couple some time alone. Besides, I want to snog you senseless right now," she said pulling him away with a playful smile. Needless to say, Ron did not resist.

ooOooOoo

Harry and Ginny walked back into the Headmaster's office hand in hand an hour later. They walked in to see the Weasleys were all still there with Hermione, Fleur, Snape, and Hagrid. Mrs. Weasley was the first to see their hands together and gasped. The others, wondering what made her surprised, turned to see the ginning faces of Harry and Ginny. The twins were the first to comment.

"Oh dear sister, Gin-Gin," said one of them.

"We noticed when you walked in," said the other.

"Due to our amazing observational skills,"

"Very true, oh brother of mine,"

"You happen to be connected to a young wizard,"

"By the name of Harry Potter," they finished together with twin smirks. Harry just laughed as Ginny returned the smirk.

"And the problem is?" she asked. When the family gave them a questioning look, she rolled her eyes, turned to Harry, grabbed the back of his head and smashed her lips on his. When she pulled away, she turned away from a dazed Harry and with an impish smile breathlessly said, "Does that answer your questions?" The twins started making vomiting noises while Bill, Charlie, and Fleur laughed. Mr. Weasley had a soft smile on his face and his eyes were twinkling while Mrs. Weasley crushed them both with her trademark hugs.

"Congratulations Harry and Ginny, however, we do need to ask something of you," Albus said. When he had their attentions, he continued. "After your exit, we decided that you will attempt to sway the Centaurs to help our cause." Harry nodded. "Luna and Hagrid will go to Aragog and Neville, Bill, and Fleur will go to the goblins. Ginny, we were wondering if you would assist Professor Snape in making all of the useful potions we will need for the war, as I hear that you are a very capable Potions Mistress," he said with a smile. Ginny blushed under the praise. Snape's eyes snapped over to her.

"You are a Potion's Mistress?" he asked with what seemed like awe. She turned to him and smirked.

"Well, not in title. Rest assured, if I wanted the title, I could easily have it. To be honest Professor, I saw that you are capable, albeit some struggling, to make the Life Elixir, and am impressed." He sneered, about to make a nasty retort. She got an evil grin on her face and continued before he could say anything. "Let's just say, if I had the ingredients, I could make it without a reference guide," she said. His mouth fell and after he composed himself, grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the office, much to the humor of everyone else in the room.

"I have never seen him so excited," Albus said in between laughs. Just then another visitor walked up the stairs. Ron was the first to notice, and his happy face went to anger.

"Malfoy! Stupefy," he shouted, jabbing his hand out. The red bolt of energy left his hand and went flying across the room before anyone could react. Much to everyone's surprise, except for Harry and Albus, Draco merely lifted his hand and swatted the spell away. Ron turned red, and others started pulling out their wands.

"Enough!" Harry roared, stepping into the middle of the room. Everyone except Neville, Luna, and Albus recoiled at the authority infused in his voice. He turned to Ron. "Draco is here because I want him to be here. Now drop your racist antics. If you were to merely ask why he was here he would have told you." Harry looked to Draco.

"Thank you Harry," he said civilly, causing most of the people in the room to gape like a fish. "I have come to tell you that I am now the head of the Malfoy family. My mother contacted me by owl earlier to tell me. I have full control of all funds, property, vaults, and am now emancipated. I thank you," he said with a formal bow. Harry gave one himself.

"Alright, what the bloody hell is going on?" Hermione blurted out, before turning crimson when she realized what she just said. "Sorry professors." Albus just chuckled.

"Hagrid and I have gone temporarily deaf," he said. Harry turned to them.

"Not too long ago, I caught someone following me in the hall. It seems Draco here is sick of being a boot-licker to the Dark Tosser. He has been my spy for a couple months now, passing on the information his father sent him or trying to get it out of either his father or classmates. He is the reason we knew about Godric's Hollow," he said. Most of the people in the room looked like they had just been told that they were turned into muggles. "Now that his father was killed, he has become the head of the family. He will also continue trying to get information." He turned back to Draco.

"Thank you Draco. I will see you tonight in the Room of Requirement." Draco nodded, and walked out of the room. Ron looked at him like he had three heads.

"You are training him personally?" accused Ron. Harry nodded. "Why is he getting personal treatment and we don't?" he asked heatedly. Harry's eyes grew cold.

"He earned his apprenticeship." Hermione's eyes lit up at that. "He has recently proved he deserves it, and is a powerful and good student. You also had a two and a half month head start. When he got to your level, I was going to offer you the same thing, but it seems you are too immature to handle that." He kept his harsh glare on Ron, who quailed quickly under it.

"Alright mate, sorry. I guess it was just a shock to see Malfoy of all people." Harry nodded.

"I know it is a shock Ron but that doesn't change the fact that you need to look before you leap. He walked in here seemingly unarmed and you attacked anyways. Next time, get the facts before hand. Also, I expect you to be in the Room of Requirement Mondays and Thursdays at four. Hermione, same time on Tuesdays and Fridays." They nodded at him, and he strode out of the office.

ooOooOoo

Since it was so close to the next match, the Heirs decided to put off their attempts at new friendships and alliances until after the next Gryffindor match. They were playing Hufflepuff, and after their last match, Hufflepuff needed to win by one hundred and ninety to be ahead of the Gryffindors in ranking. Slytherin had defeated Ravenclaw due to the abysmal work of the Ravenclaw chasers. Cho had managed to grab the snitch just barely ahead of Draco hoping to tie but one of the Slytherin chasers just managed to score before she grabbed it, causing them to lose by the final score of 240-230.

"No Harry, you are going to play. You played the first game, and you have been practicing with the team. You know how to work with them better," Ginny said, her hands on her hips. Harry sighed. She looked so beautiful when she was angry.

"But Gin," he said but she cut him off.

"No buts. Win today and we will have plenty of time for me to practice with the team and then I will play that game," she said with an air of finality. Harry just shook his head and grinned.

"Fine you win," he said. She gave him a smirk.

"Ah, you do learn quickly. I think I'll keep you," she said, gave him a quick kiss, and with an impish grin, walked out of the locker room and up to the stands to join the rest of the Gryffindors for the game. Ron walked up behind him.

"She has you wrapped around her finger already mate," he said, giving him a sympathetic look. Harry laughed.

"Hermione has had you for years," he said, walking to his locker to change. Ron's ears' turned red as he walked back to the captain's office.

The team stepped onto the pitch where they found the Hufflepuffs waiting. Ron shook hands with Zacharias Smith, who looked like his hand was being broken. Ron just had a smirk on his face. All the workouts from the HA had really come through for him. Madam Hooch threw up the quaffle and the game began.

"Potter grabs the quaffle first, and with a quick pass to Robbins, back to Potter, who dodges a bludger, over to Bell, to Robbins, who shoots, scores! 10-0 Gryffindor!" Dean said over the magical microphone. The Hufflepuffs were trying to make a valiant attack to rack up the score but Harry's speed and strength and Katie's veteran status held them back. The score was quickly becoming lopsided when both seekers went into a dive. Natalie was leading the Hufflepuff seeker towards the ground at top speed, and Harry just had to grin. He could tell she didn't see the snitch. She was going to try the Wronski Feint. He had been teaching it to her for weeks.

Sure enough, Natalie pulled out of the dive at the last second, and shot across the pitch, her toes just barely off the ground. The Hufflepuff seeker wasn't so lucky. His broom handle caught the ground, sending him flipping through the air. With a loud thump, the game was called to a halt, while Madam Pomfrey ran over to check on the seeker. Meanwhile, Natalie was flying in circles trying to find the snitch.

"Oh, and a perfectly executed Wronski Feint by McDonald! Summerby is being looked over by Madam Pomfrey. He seems to be alright. Yes! He is back on his broom. Let the game continue," came Dean's voice. Before he was able to finish his last statement, Natalie went into a dive again, and this time, after pulling up had the snitch in her hand.

"Never mind everyone, McDonald has the snitch! The game is over with Gryffindor winning by a score of 320-70!" After an aerial hug, they all flew back to the ground, where they were quickly surrounded by Gryffindors.

ooOooOoo

"Ah good, you are here," said Harry as Ron walked into the Room of Requirement. The room was large, with a dueling arena on one side and a small but useful library on the other. There was a small table and comfy chairs around it in the library. Two of those chairs were occupied by Harry and Neville. "Before we start, I need to ask you what you would like to learn," Harry stated. Ron looked a little surprised at the freedom. "So, what will it be? Dueling, weapons fighting, healing, mind magic, dark magic, or whatever other topic you can think of," he listed. Ron blanched at dark magic but didn't say anything about it.

"Actually, could you help me in weapons fighting and dueling?" Ron asked. Harry nodded, knowing this is what he would have wanted. Harry motioned to Neville, who nodded and stood up. He walked over to the dueling arena, followed by Ron. He quickly turned and stunned Ron. Shaking his head, he revived him.

"Rule number one, never let your guard down, even around your most trusted and loyal friends," Neville said. Harry just grinned. Ron stood up again, and as Neville walked over to him, he tensed. Neville could feel his magic getting ready. "I almost forgot, if you are going to be my apprentice, you are going to need my mark." With that, he gripped Ron's shoulder.

Ron felt a tingling sensation run over his shoulder and part of his arm. "What did you do?" he asked. Neville smirked. He waved his hand and made the top half of Ron's robes transparent. He then pointed to a mirror that the room supplied. Ron turned and looking over his shoulder, gasped. He had perfect lifelike tattoo of a griffin covering most of his right shoulder. Its feathers in front were crimson and the fur on the back half of the creature was a rich gold.

ooOooOoo

"Welcome Hermione. Come on in then." Hermione walked in to the same room Ron did. The only change was that Luna was sitting in there with Harry. Hermione smiled.

"Hi Harry, hi Luna." She looked very concerned. "Harry, were you serious with that apprenticeship remark?" When he nodded, she continued. "It's just that, well I have read about them. Because of the schools, they started to die out around the time of the Founders. If I do this, it means you are practically my bodyguard until you stop my tutoring. If someone has a problem with me, they must first come to you," she said.

"I know the risks Hermione, as I was an apprentice myself, as were the other Heirs. You are your master's responsibility and all charges against you are against your master." She nodded and then smiled.

"Alright, well then what will you be teaching me?" she asked.

"Depends on what you want to learn." At her questioning look, he continued. "I will give you the choice of a couple disciplines. Mind magic, dark magic, weapon training, you name it." Her eyes lit up with anticipation.

"Can you help me with mind magic and dueling?" she asked. Harry smirked. He was really good at picking out what they would want to be taught. He motioned for Luna to talk and left the room. Hermione looked at Luna expectantly. Luna just smiled.

"I can help you dramatically increase your mind's powers, and put them to use in dueling if that is what you truly want," Hermione heard in her mind. She gasped. Luna's mouth didn't move at all. Hermione just nodded her head, and for the first time, was speechless. Luna rose from her chair, and placed her hand on Hermione's lower back. Hermione felt the tingle of magic fly through her body.

"What was that?" she asked. Luna sent an image to her mind, showing a tattoo of a beautiful and shining unicorn covering the middle of her lower back.

ooOooOoo

"Hi Harry. You wanted to see me?" Daphne asked as she walked into the Room of Requirement. Harry looked up and smiled at the pretty dark haired girl.

"Yes I did. I noticed you are ahead of most of the HE. I wanted to offer you personal instruction in a couple disciplines," he said. Her face remained a neutral look.

"Have anyone else earned this privilege?" she asked.

"Only five, including you, will be getting personal training from either me or another Heir," he replied. She seemed to consider it for a moment.

"What will I be taught?" she asked.

"Your choice," he responded.

"Dark magic and reconnaissance and scouting," she said quickly. Harry grinned and stood up.

"Then let's get to it," he said. He held out his hand, which she took. When she did, she felt a small wave of magic pass through her.

"What was that?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. He smiled.

"Lift up your sleeve," he said, releasing her right hand. She rolled up the sleeve of that arm only to gasp. There covering most of her arm from her wrist up to her elbow was a tattoo of a white and gold phoenix, which looked remarkably like Purity.

"It's beautiful," she said. He smiled.

"Time to begin. I think it is time to introduce you to shadow and illusionist magic," he said with a sly grin.

ooOooOoo

Cho stepped into the Room of Requirement with curiosity. She wasn't told why Harry wanted to see her but figured it was related to the HE. She smiled when she saw Harry and Ginny curled up together on a chair in the half of the room that looked like a library. She walked over to them and sat down opposite of them. They weren't doing anything, just holding each other. She smiled when she realized they were so content they didn't even notice her arrive. She gave a quick cough, and laughed as the sprung apart as if burnt. Harry grinned before grabbing Ginny and plopping her back into his lap, not that she resisted.

"Sorry Cho, I was a little lost there," he said with a chuckle. "You are probably wondering why I called you here." With her nod, he continued. "I am offering you a chance at a magical apprenticeship." She gasped at that. He smiled. "From that response I guess you have heard of them. Depending on your chosen studies, you will be tutored by one of the Heirs."

"This is incredible. You said I get to choose my area of expertise?" she asked. Harry nodded and she responded after a quick minute. "Could you tutor me in healing and dueling? I love to be able to help people with my healing, but I would prefer to be able to prevent it," she said. Ginny got up and motioned for her to follow. They walked onto the dueling area.

A table appeared in front of them. "Before we begin," Ginny said, and reached over and placed her hand on Cho's upper right arm. A small rush of magic flew through her. Cho's eyes lit up.

"Did you… I mean… it's an honor…" she stammered. Ginny just laughed and nodded encouragingly. Cho lifted her sleeve to see the area from her elbow to her shoulder was covered in a tattoo of a stunning Chinese Fireball Dragon, which had flames erupting from its mouth. Ginny smiled.

"Now it is time," she said, in which to her response a person appeared on the table, with multiple injuries. She turned to Cho and said, "Begin."