A/N: Well, not much to say really... except... ENJOY!

Chapter 14 : Answers

The Great Hall was completely quiet and the curious students craned their necks to see the unconscious man. Harry had just gotten up from his seat when the man entered the Great Hall and so Harry had a better view than most.

However, he did not recognize the man. – though there was something familiar about him. Harry tried hard to remember where he had seen him before but he had no luck.

Dumbledore quickly conjured a stretcher and levitated the man out of the Great Hall – presumably to the Hospital Wing.

As soon as the doors closed behind the Headmaster, the Great Hall erupted into eager chatter.

"Who was that?" Harry said as he sat down with one leg on either side of the bench.

"Couldn't see his face…" Ron said and reached for an extra piece of treacle tart.

"I could… I didn't recognize him though… I think I've seen him before but I can't remember where…." Harry frowned.

Harry could not sleep. He had finally worked up the courage to talk to Ginny and something had to get in the way. Now that he had been so close, he had a hard time waiting for another chance. AND since he wanted it to be a surprise, he had not told anyone else about the ball either. And he really could not wait much longer. And who was that man? Harry mentally cursed him for choosing that specific time to stumble into the Great Hall.

The thoughts kept spinning in his head and he checked the clock on his bedside table.

"Too early." It said.

Harry sighed and finally gave up all hope of sleep. Sliding quietly out of bed, he threw on the nearest set of robes and grabbed his invisibility cloak. Perhaps going for a walk would help cure his insomnia.

Disguised by the cloak he crawled out of the portrait hole and made his way towards the castle doors. Suddenly, he thought he heard something and he froze. Harry mentally kicked himself for not bringing the map – and then he tiptoed closed to the sounds. He saw something move in the shadows and squinted to see what it was.

Then he could vaguely make out a figure that seemed to move from statue to statue, from niche to niche. Harry's heart pounded as he flattened himself against the opposite wall and the figure came closer. Then, the figure was close enough for Harry to identify who it was – and the realization did nothing to calm his racing heart.

Currently hiding in the shadows behind a suit of armour was Ginny. Harry guessed that she had been to the kitchens as she cradled a large handful of chocolate frogs to her chest. Harry observed her for a moment. I wouldn't mind switching spots with those chocolate frogs…

He shook his head as if he hoped the thought would somehow fly out of his ears. She looked rather adorable in her teddy bear patterned nightgown as she looked stealthily around.

She made towards the next hiding place – a doorway – and lost in his admiration Harry panicked a bit when the object of his attention threatened to disappear.

"Psst! Ginny!" he whispered before he knew it.

Ginny froze mid-step and turned around and stared at the seemingly empty corridor.

Remembering that he was wearing the cloak, Harry quickly pulled it off.

"Harry!" Ginny gasped and flung a hand to her chest as he materialized a yard ahead of her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Harry apologized.

"It's alright… what are you doing up?" she whispered back.

"Couldn't sleep."

"Yeah? Me neither," she shrugged. "so I went for a snack. Want one?"

Harry suddenly had an idea. "Actually, I was going to go for a walk. Want to come?"

"Sure…" she smiled. "how about we go to the lake and then we can eat these there? I have some cauldron cakes too..."

"Sounds great!" Harry grinned at her.

Ginny lifted an eyebrow. "So, is there room for me under there?"

Bloody hell! "Oh, er… yeah, of course..:"

As they walked through the castle Harry was happy that Ginny was leading the way as he was beginning to feel slightly dazed again.

He was caught off guard when Ginny suddenly stopped and he walked straight into her.

"Oof!"

"Oh… sorry Ginny…" he blinked as Ginny pulled the cloak off them and Harry realized that they had reached their destination.

They sat down quietly and Harry cast a warming charm on them against the cold December air. Ginny conjured a handkerchief and put the sweets on it.

"So…" Ginny said as she unwrapped a chocolate frog. "Why couldn't you sleep?"

She caught the frog as it jumped, stuffed it in her mouth and looked at Harry.

"I just… sometimes there are so many things on my mind that it feels like there isn't room for them all…" Harry explained.

"I can imagine…" Ginny smiled. "Everything is so different now that Voldemort is gone. And my life hasn't even changed that much. It must be very overwhelming for you."

Harry nodded and smiled as he had a cauldron cake. "Yeah, but in a good way – so I don't mind. At least now I don't have Voldemort to worry about. Now I can have good worries. Normal worries, if you will."

"I had a nightmare…" Ginny said and when Harry looked at her, she was staring out over the lake. "I sometimes still get them…. About Tom..."

She looked a bit lost as she stared into the darkness and he wanted to hold her so badly.

Why don't you then? It might give you a pointer to what she'll say when you ask her out.

Harry comfortingly put an arm around Ginny's shoulder and rubbed her arm. "Ginny, it's over… Voldemort is gone…"

"I know," Ginny replied. "I guess I'll have nightmares for a long time…"

Despite the rather dark subject, Harry could not help but feel a bit giddy that she had not pushed him away.

"Yeah, me too…" he agreed. "I can feel that he's gone though… that the connection isn't there anymore."

"What does it feel like?" Ginny asked.

Harry smiled. "It feels great. Like the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders. I can finally have a somewhat normal life."

Ginny turned her head and looked at him. "And you deserve it. You're a great bloke, Harry."

Harry could not help but grin at that. And she looked so beautiful with a uncombed hair and a chocolate smear at the corner of her mouth. Kiss her… go on…

"What did you want to talk to me about earlier+" Ginny broke off his thoughts. The question was welcome though.

Harry felt that he started to sweat and lifted his hand halfway to his hair before he caught himself and let the hand drop. He took a deep breath and concentrated on speaking at an understandable speed.

"Well, er… you see, apparently there's this tradition for the Potters to host a big New Years Party. And… you're all invited of course, but… well, I was wondering if you'd like to go with me?"

He couldn't look at Ginny as he awaited her answer so he stared into the darkness instead.

"You mean, like a date?" she asked quietly.

Harry gulped. Oh no! she doesn't want to! You should have known! IDIOT!

"Er… well, it doesn't have to be… if…"

He was cut short when Ginny took his hand which still rested on her arm.

"I'd like to… it's fine." She smiled at him and leaned a bit against him.

Harry blinked and stared at her in amazement. Then the answer sunk in and he grinned widely.

He was caught totally off guard when Ginny leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

"We should be getting back…" she said as he recovered from the pleasant surprise.

As they walked back to Gryffindor Tower under the cloak, they suddenly heard a voice.

"…talk to you…" a familiar voice was heard and footsteps drew closer.

Harry and Ginny squeezed into a niche in the wall as the person came closer. Not that Harry minded…

Then Harry saw his father walking down the hall followed by a black dog, which growled a bit.

"Dumbledore says it's safe." Replied James to the growl as he passed the niche where Harry and Ginny hid.

Harry looked at Ginny and raised an eyebrow. Ginny smirked and jerked her head in the direction James had just gone.

Then, as if they were one, they moved out of the niche and followed the two Marauders.

After a while they ended up outside the Hospital Wing where they just about managed to slip through the door before James closed it. Inside, Sirius had transformed and stood in front of another man, who Harry recognized as the man who had stumbled into the Great Hall at dinner.

Harry and Ginny leaned against the wall between two hospital beds.

"You died." Sirius growled rather coldly.

"I… I don't know what happened… I woke up… please… you must believe me… The Dark Lord…"

"VOLDEMORT IS GONE, YOU IDIOT!" Sirius bellowed.

"I KNOW!" the man suddenly roared back. "DO YOU THINK IM SORRY??? HE BLOODY WELL KILLED ME FOR A REASON!"

"Yeah, you probably didn't kiss his shoes correctly." Sirius growled

Ginny moved and Harry felt her breath tickle his neck.

The other man turned his back to Sirius and walked to over to a window which he stared out of. "I'm trying to help." He said quietly. "I know I don't have the best record, but I'm really trying to help. You know me… I'm not like that… I woke up in the old Death Eater's quarters. There were three men there. They didn't see me – but – I overheard… they're planning to kill the boy…"

"WHAT?" Sirius exclaimed and Harry felt Ginny stiffed beside him.

"What are you talking about?" Harry heard the worried tone in his father's voice.

"They seemed very bent on revenge… something about setting an example…"

"Who were they?" Sirius glared.

"I… I couldn't hear…" the man cowered under Sirius' glare.

"And what about the plan?" James asked quietly.

The man looked at the floor. "They didn't say…"

Sirius grumbled. "Apparently, you're as lousy a spy as you were a death eater!"

The man looked hurt. "I'm sorry, Sirius – and Potter."

Harry frowned. Why did the man call Sirius by first name and his father by last name? James and Sirius had the same friends. Ginny's eyes widened as she looked up at him. Harry sent her a questioning look. She mouthed back a name and Harry gaped at the man as everything clicked. That would explain why he thought he looked familiar.

Seconds later, Ginny's guess was confirmed.

"Do you trust me Sirius?" the man asked.

"Not for a second." Sirius shook his head.

"Dumbledore trusts me. I told him everything. Sirius, do you know why he killed me?"

Sirius sighed. "No, Regulus, I don't know why he killed you. I assumed you had been a bad servant."

Regulus narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps you remember what happened the day I was killed? Or weren't you informed until later? There was an attack on that little town outside Ipswich. You should remember – you were both there… Just graduated from Auror training, I believe."

Both James and Sirius nodded.

"Well, I was there too." Regulus continued. "Just out of Hogwarts – it was my first attack and for that reason I was being watched by a senior death eater. We attacked a Wizarding family – blood traitors, I think – we had our orders. We tortured them. Then a band of Aurors arrived outside and my partner went to fight them while I was left to finish the job.

I was torturing the father when suddenly the door blasted open and there you were Sirius. I'm sure you remember it?"

Sirius nodded and frowned. "So that was you?"

"Yes… and since you were there, I'm sure you know why the Dark Lord killed me." Regulus said quietly.

"I don't get it though…" Sirius said. "Why the sudden change of heart? Why switch sides openly in the middle of a fight? Not that I'm not grateful – you saved my life – but… why?"

Regulus shook his head and sighed. "I couldn't do it… I couldn't kill my own brother. And then I realized that that was indeed expected of me. And I could not do that. I couldn't do any of it – I never really wanted to. But everyone I knew did – and I didn't see any other way. Until that moment. I realized who I was and what I believed in – and so I switched sides to save my brother. For even if it would bring me my death – as I knew it would – you deserved to live more than I did.

"Riiight… but if you had that in you, then why were you sorted into Slytherin? Why not any of the other houses? I'll tell you why. Because you're like the rest of the family!" Sirius spat.

"Because I begged it!" Regulus roared back. "I saw what happened to you when you were sorted into Gryffindor! I didn't want that! The hat debated Gryffindor and I begged and pleaded for Slytherin! Not all Slytherins are evil, you know? And not all Gryffindors are brave and loyal as I heard you've realized!"

Harry's throat suddenly felt dry as he remembered his own sorting. Don't even think that! You're Gryffindor's heir for Merlin's sake! You don't belong in any other house!

Sirius opened his mouth to retort, but they would never find out what he was going to say, for suddenly Ginny's messy hair made contact with Harry's nose and he could not hold back a sneeze.

The three men turned quickly and stared in Harry and Ginny's direction.

Harry saw his father and Sirius exchange a look.

"Harry?" James asked.

Harry looked at Ginny who nodded. He sighed and pulled the cloak off them.

James wore a strange expression that Harry guessed was because he was torn between whether he should look angry or proud.

"Well well well…" James raised an eyebrow as Ginny appeared next to Harry. "Sneaking around in places you shouldn't be… out of the tower during curfew… and with a girl no less?"

Harry just shrugged and sent his father a large grin. "What can I say? I can't help my genes."

At that Sirius snorted and James couldn't help grinning back. Then his face fell.

"You heard everything then?"

"Yeah, I heard. Don't worry though… Three guys wanting revenge… that's not too bad – that's quite a step up from my other years, actually." Harry assured them.

"Harry, just be careful. Don't take any chances." James looked serious.

"Don't worry Dad, I'll be fine." Harry promised.

"Right, I'll walk you back to the tower then." James said.

"Er, James… think I can have a word with Harry?" Sirius prompted.

"Of course – I'll wait outside." James said and waved Ginny out of the door with him.

Sirius led Harry to the other end of the Hospital Wing, away from Regulus.

Harry looked at Sirius expectantly.

"Nothing specific! I just wanted to know how you're doing. We haven't really had a change to talk. Even though James and Lily are back, I'm still your godfather, you know…"

"I'm fine…" Harry shrugged. "There's nothing new really… everything is just… nice."

"Nothing new, eh? What's with sneaking around the castle with a girl under the cloak then? That doesn't fit the category of 'nothing new'." Sirius bumped his shoulder against Harry's teasingly.

Harry grinned and decided to tease back. "It does fall into the category of 'things you don't tell your parents and godfather about', though. – And from what I've heard, you know exactly what that's about…"

Sirius frowned. "You're WAY too young to even know the meaning of that statement."

"I'm 16!" Harry objected. "Did you forget what you were like at 16?"

Sirius mock frowned and wagged a finger at Harry. "Young man, there is a very big difference between you at 16 and me at 16!"

"Which is?" Harry lifted an eyebrow.

"Well… you're my godson and I'm… well… not!"

Harry laughed. "Riight… So what about you? How are you doing?"

Sirius grinned. "It's bloody great having James and Lily back. It's so much better than staying at Grimmauld Place. I turned your father green the other day – head to toe. He's plotting revenge though…"

Harry smiled. "I asked Ginny to the New Years Ball – she said yes. "

Sirius grinned. "That's great! Those balls are amazing! I wish I could go…"

"I'm sorry, Padfoot…" Harry said.

"Nah, don't worry about it. Next year we'll catch the rat and I'll be free" Sirius assured him.

"I hope so…"

"Well, you should go… your father is waiting…"

"Right… I'll see you at Christmas then." Harry quickly hugged Sirius goodbye and walked through the door.