26: Darkness and Light
Author's Note:This chapter skips ahead in time, a bit. But we were all getting tired of the tediousness of the going back and forth between the abbey and the school, weren't we? Well, Harry was, at any rate. ;) And Also, how many people are reading this story? I seem to hear from the same four or five people, which is great - and I love you for always taking the time to review. But I have to admit it is getting disheartening to update. I'm not threatening to stop or anything dramatic like that, but I would like to know people actually care when I update.
"Michina Eruptum!"
"Impedimenta!"
"Insecto!"
The voices of the DA rang out across the wide open space of the Room of Requirement as Harry walked in between the dueling pairs, careful not to accidentally get hit by a wayward spell. Brogan was working the other side of the room for him, also careful not to be hit, although Harry reckoned the other man had more reason to be cautious - Neville had accidentally hit him with a Blasting Curse earlier and had singed his hair a fair bit. Harry watched as the group practiced in the rare December burst of sunlight (strangely enough, the Room of Requirement had appeared to them with wide open windows facing the quad as though knowing this was probably going to be the last chance at sunlight they'd have for awhile), and he felt a sense of faint pride swim through him; they'd all come a long way.
He blew his whistle and everyone finished up, with Seamus and Dean being the last to hear the call to stop, and each sending strong Stinging Hexes towards the other and hooting with pain. Hermione clucked her tongue and did a quick Soothing Charm to placate them both.
"Right then," Harry said, moving towards the middle of the room, indicating everyone should sit down around him. "This will probably be one of our last meetings before the end of term. I don't know how many of you are going home for the break, but remember to keep practicing. With Voldemort and his supporters out there seemingly ready to attack at the drop of a hat, we all need to be prepared."
The group started murmuring about the latest batch of attacks near Devonshire just reported in the Daily Prophetthat morning. Harry had unfortunately known all about them beforehand; for the first time in what felt like ages he had awoken yelling and holding his head in pain. But only Brogan, Hermione, Ron and the other boys in the dormitory knew anything about that.
Brogan cleared his throat and everyone turned to look at him. "Harry's right, we do need to stay on our toes, but I also want everyone to enjoy their time with their family and loved ones. This time of year is especially good for that. For those of you staying at school for the Ball, I hope you all are able to have a good time. If you have someone special to spend it with, be certain to make the most of it."
Harry wasn't certain but he could have sworn Brogan's gaze rested on him for a moment. He figured he was just imagining it as the group broke apart, heading back towards their common rooms. Ron and Hermione stuck around to help him and Brogan straighten up the room.
"I wish Ginny was coming back for the Ball," Hermione mused as she helped Harry clean away a few of the burn marks someone's Relashio Spell had caused along the wall.
"Well, I told her about Dumbledore's offer, but she really wants to see Lough Gur," Harry said.
"I know, and I don't blame her for wanting to go. How terribly exciting! You, Ginny and Brogan are getting to see something actually created by Aine. Still, Ron and I will miss you two. Although I suspect we're going to have our hands full keeping the sixth and seventh year students from getting caught doing inappropriate things during the Ball. I've already confiscated two maps detailing the 'best places to get off' with your dance partner. Honestly, you would think we're not at war the way some people carry on with their hormones."
Harry didn't say anything, not wanting to point out that Hermione herself had just spent a rather long weekend indulging her own hormonal needs. In a move that still surprised Harry, she had allowed Ron to convince her to borrow his cloak and sneak into Hogsmeade to spend time in their room. While he had been tempted to ask Hermione if she were feeling well, it was something Harry had to admit he was glad for as it meant the bickering would be kept at a minimum for the next week and a half before the holidays.
"Dumbledore's happy we're going," he finally said, watching her float the pillows they'd used earlier over to the cupboard by the wall.
Hermione nodded. "I would imagine so; he more than likely thinks the idea of you being safe and tucked away in Ireland is a very nice plan."
Harry shrugged and they waited for Brogan and Ron to finish what they were doing. "Here or Ireland, I think I'm still fairly safe," Harry said calmly. He actually knew he was still secure; something inside him was telling him that Voldemort was just teasing everyone with his latest appearances. He couldn't explain how he knew it but he did.
"Yes, but...your headaches coming back, that's a bit of a worry, isn't it? And you look extremely pale, Harry. Are you certain you're getting enough rest?" Hermione gave him a worried look.
Harry shrugged again, and Hermione finally sighed, not saying anything else, probably realizing he wasn't going to talk to her about it. It was true, Harry knew, he looked like utter shite (to put a fine point on it), and he was extremely tired. Between doing loads of extra class work for Snape (the Potions Master had been forced to let Harry continue on in his class, after all), he'd just been pushing himself extremely hard in all areas and enough people had remarked on his scraggly appearance for him to recognize the truth of it. Even Professor McGonagall had insisted he visit Madam Pomfrey for some Pepper-Up Potion. He couldn't help it; the same voice that told him Voldemort was merely biding his time, told him he needed to be prepared for anything. He'd even spent two of his weekends with Ginny practicing spells with her - needing to ease any doubts in his mind that they were both on top of their game.
"Next time tell people not to cast the Slug-Expelling Charm, okay? Zacharias got hit with it and he didn't bother to clean up after himself, the prat," Ron said disagreeably, wiping his hands on his robe. Hermione pursed her lips at him.
"As someone who once had his own slug issues, I'd think you'd be a bit more understanding."
"I cleaned up after myself though," Ron said, making a face at her.
"You did not, Ron. You spit them up into a bucket."
"Yeah, well, I was defending your honour, you know."
Hermione gave Ron a stern look and then smiled widely at him, taking his hand. "Yes, yes, you were." She turned to Brogan and Harry. "Are you two ready?"
"Er, actually, I'd like to talk with Harry a moment," Brogan said, glancing over at him. Harry shrugged, and Hermione and Ron left, leaving them alone.
"Is everything all right, Harry?" Brogan asked as two comfortable chairs and a table with goblets and a pitcher of pumpkin juice suddenly appeared. Harry sighed and poured himself a drink before answering.
"Yeah. I mean, I don't know." He shrugged and realised that was all he seemed to be doing lately - shrugging his shoulders and telling people he didn't have a clue.
"You seem a bit distracted and tired. Classes getting to be a bit much for you?"
"That's part of it, but...really...it's mostly that I just find myself wondering if I'm doing enough to be prepared for everything. I..." Harry paused, taking another drink. He met Brogan's eyes and looked away. "I can't help shake the feeling that time is moving forward too quickly."
"What do you mean?" Brogan asked carefully.
"Just...Voldemort. He's planning something...I can sense it. He hasn't been in my head, not exactly, but...like the other night when I woke up...he was just...there. Like an echo or whatever. He wasn't just pleased about the attacks, but about something coming together. And then there's school and classes and...I can't believe it's Christmas practically. I think going to the abbey every other weekend has messed with my inner timetable. I'll be glad when I can just stay in one place for a few weeks and not have to worry about school."
"You mean you'll enjoy being with Ginny for two weeks uninterrupted, right?" Brogan asked, giving him a brief smile.
Harry nodded. "Yeah, exactly. But it's more than that. I just...I feel like I'm not prepared enough for what's coming. And I'm just...exhausted. In every way."
Brogan didn't say anything and they sat, finishing off their pumpkin juice. The other man looked at him and then shook his head. "Harry, I think you need to just...relax. You're prepared, you really are. You were excellent at Defence before, but now...this last month, I've seen you literally throw yourself into learning every hex, jinx and counter-curse there is. You've surpassed me, and I've had a few more years of learning than you. The DA is well prepared with everything you've taught them and you should really be proud of them. I practically don't even need to teach my classes anymore, you've prepared them so well. And the only Professor I've heard say anything bad about your performance in class is Professor Snape, and as far as I can tell, he never has anything good to say about anyone.
"I know this business with Voldemort is troubling, but...don't let him ruin your holiday. You and Ginny are going to have a fine time visiting Lough Gur. I've been before, and it's a beautiful spot. I can't wait for you and Ginny to see it, actually. And we'll track down this castle she wants to visit and see if we can figure out why the Peabody Grange diary was left to your godfather's family. You need to come back to school feeling refreshed or you're just going to be even worse off than you are now."
"That was quite a mouthful," Harry said, grinning despite his mood. Brogan looked embarrassed for a moment and then warmly smiled back.
"Yeah, well, it's something I feel strongly about. I meant what I said earlier; everyone needs to enjoy themselves at this time of year. We cannot allow the outside war to ruin our time with those we love. We need the light to get us through the dark."
Harry smirked. "You've been listening to Dumbledore talk, haven't you?"
"No, but if he says the same thing then I know I'm on the right track. I think Dumbledore knows better than anyone what's at stake here, and above all, I think he wants you to experience some joy. Bloody hell, we all need to experience some joy of some sort, come to think of it."
"Going to see Tonks before you join us at the abbey?" Harry asked nonchalantly.
Brogan gave him a perplexed look. "Maybe." He paused. "I see Ginny's been talking to you about my supposed love-life."
"She wrote to me, actually, and told me. Apparently Tonks mentioned something about you two spending a little time in London before Christmas?" Harry couldn't keep the amusement out of his voice.
Brogan gave him an exasperated sigh. "Well, I do have a few things to get in London before we go to Lough Gur, so yes, I figured that since I would be staying at Order Headquarters for Christmas, I would indeed be spending some time with Tonks. Hopefully, she won't be out on assignment. She wrote and said the Ministry is making most of the Aurors double their shifts."
"Tonks is really nice," Harry said evenly. "It's er...rather interesting how she can er...turn into people at different times, you know, privately."
Brogan eyed him suspiciously. "Yes, she is a nice person. But so are a lot of other people. And I've only ever seen her as herself more or less. In public places. Not to mention as I said before, I think Tonks might be interested in someone else."
Harry chuckled. "I'm sorry, but Ginny wanted to know how it was going. In fact, she insisted I find out what was going on. I told her you wouldn't fancy me prying into your business, but..." Harry shrugged, and gave the other man a hopeless look. "She's a girl, Brogan; she likes to know everything about everyone's love life, apparently."
Brogan raised his eyebrow. "Aye. But I don't think she'd take too nicely to that tone in your voice though, Harry."
Harry laughed. "No, you're probably right. She'd hex me for insinuating her nosiness is because she's female."
They had a good laugh about that, and even though Harry felt (slightly) bad for talking about Ginny that way, it still cheered him. He made it back to the common room ready to tackle his Transfiguration homework and maybe even do some of his Herbology reading. Just seven more days, and he would be able to put the books away and just be with Ginny and not have to leave her after the weekend. Keeping what Brogan had said about relaxing at the back of his mind, he turned his thoughts back to his schoolwork, wishing he had a time turner to send him forward, instead of back.
o-o-o-o-o
"My Lord, our spy indicates that the boy is leaving the school for the holiday break. He will not be there when we attack."
Voldemort nodded his head and absentmindedly let his hand travel down the length of Nagini's supple skin as she curled around his chair.
"Excellent, Wormtail. Dumbledore is no doubt sending him away to be with his little girl, thinking it is best to keep him out of England. It doesn't matter. Harry is not my concern at this point in time. Lucius has had his son gathering those loyal to me to his side, has he not?"
Wormtail nodded. "Yes, it is a smaller number than we anticipated but it will still work in our favor."
"And Weasley is prepared to do his part?"
"That is what he says, My Lord."
Voldemort narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Then that is what he will do, Wormtail. Really, this dislike you have for my newest follower grows tedious. It was you that brought him to me, to begin with. Why have you now grown to regret that decision?"
Wormtail didn't say anything and Voldemort uttered a short laugh. "You had no idea I would take so immediately to him. Ah, Wormtail, your jealousy is an amusing thing. But have no fear; I still enjoy your company. As long as you carry out my orders in the way I see fit I'll have no reason to get rid of you."
Wormtail lowered his head, nodding. Nagini hissed at him, winding her away around the chair even closer. Voldemort closed his eyes for a moment, imagining the look on his old nemesis's face when he saw him again. "Albus, you old fool. I have you this time," he said aloud. He started laughing, his voice echoing in the small room, growing louder.
"I wonder how Harry Potter will feel after I take yet another precious thing from him."
o-o-o-o-o
Ginny was having a hard time concentrating; it was her last few parchments of homework before the break and as she watched the snow begin to fall from the library window, she wondered why she was even bothering. A sadness seemed to have crept in under her skin, and she couldn't shake the blue feeling. Not even the thought that Harry was arriving later could make her snap out of it. She'd been sleeping off and on and having strange dreams - dreams that seemed to fade as soon as she opened her eyes - their sad feeling still persisting long after she could even remember what they had been about. If she thought too hard about it, she could trace the start of the dreams to after the weekend she'd heard Aine's voice and the prophecy. Some part of her didn't want to think about what that meant.
She also wondered if the feeling of being out of sorts was just because she missed her brothers and her parents. She had been excited about seeing Lough Gur, but now, since the abbey did very little in the way of decorations, she felt an honest attack of being homesick, and it wasn't just for Hogwarts but for her actual home, the Burrow.
She wanted to taste her mum's treacle tart and mince pies. She wanted to laugh with George and Fred, and catch them trying to booby-trap someone's Christmas day cracker, demanding they let her in on the gag so as not to be a victim herself. She wanted to wake up on Christmas morning, and kiss Harry under a sprig of mistletoe and watch him open her present by the tree, the fairy lights her father always managed to charm twinkling beside him. She wanted to remember Charlie and talk about him with people who had really known him and had their own memories to share. She realised she had not spent any time with her family since his funeral, thanks to being sent to the abbey, and it made her very sad to think that perhaps she had been glad in some ways as it had allowed her to not deal with the hole that was now in the middle of their family - not just by the loss of Charlie, but with Percy as well.
Ginny finally sighed, knowing she shouldn't be feeling completely bad - Harry was going to be with her, at least, and hopefully they could make their own sort of Christmas memory, since technically this was the first one they'd spend together as a couple. She let herself wonder if sex on Christmas morning was better than regular sex and then smiled to herself. At least at the abbey she'd be able to find out...
She gathered up her papers, telling herself that Madam Sprout would just have to understand she didn't have it in her to write another page on Dropwort. She couldn't believe the month of November had flown by the way it had, and that the school year was almost half-over. She wondered how Harry was doing with his schoolwork; he'd looked so distracted the last time he had visited and they'd both spent a good chunk of their time together just reading and helping each other with their essays, specifically the extra ones he had to do for Potions.
Ginny was still rather angry at what Snape had tried to do to Harry, and while she knew he claimed it didn't bother him, she knew some part of Harry did still want to be able to say he had the right marks to be an Auror. But she reckoned in one way it was good - with both of them so busy with revision there wasn't time for either of them to have emotional flares or fallouts. Fighting with Harry always felt like she was fighting with herself, and it was a lousy, useless feeling.
She made her way to Mr Cosgrove's office to turn in her work; he would often collect her parchments from her at the end of the week to forward onto Hogwarts for her. They often shared a tea as well, chatting. Lately, he'd been filling her in on what it had felt like to grow up in Limerick. He had arranged for Brogan, Harry and herself to stay in the city with a close friend of his family when they visited Lough Gur. Though she and Harry weren't going till Boxing Day, she was already packed.
"Ah, Ginny," he said as she knocked on his door before sticking her head in. "Finished early, I take it?"
She shrugged and handed him her parchments. "For the most part. I admit my mind isn't exactly on revision right now."
"I would hazard a guess that this blasted weather has something to do with that," he said, indicating the frozen looking landscape outside his window. "I find it hard to get anything done myself."
"Actually, I don't mind the snow," Ginny said, walking over to the window. "Hogwarts is beautiful in the snow; at this time of year the castle is amazing." She turned and gave him a small smile. "Not that the abbey isn't nice as well."
"I understand. We don't even compare to Hogwarts castle at Yule time! Perhaps it's because most students leave early; no one ever wants to decorate for the holiday. Although we do still light the traditional candles in the front part of the abbey on Christmas Eve and hang our wreaths of holly. But if you want, I can arrange for a tree in you room."
Ginny blinked at him. "Really? I mean, it would be...that would be lovely, actually. I've been feeling a bit..."
"Homesick?" he asked astutely, and she nodded. He used his wand to conjure up some tea and biscuits for them and she sat down, pouring them each a cup.
"Is it that noticeable?" she asked, curiously.
Mr Cosgrove laughed. "Christmas is a hard time to be away from those you love. And since you and Harry will both be away from your friends and family, I suppose a tree isn't that hard a request to manage."
Ginny smiled, warming to the idea. "I think...it'd be quite nice in the room. Do you think we could get one before Harry arrives later? I think I'd like to surprise him."
Mr Cosgrove's eyes twinkled. "I'll see what I can do. After all, what's the use of being a wizard if I can't manage to get a Yule tree for someone on short notice?"
Ginny smiled to herself, suddenly feeling as though some weight had been lifted from her. It was silly, she knew, but she wanted to have just a small touch of Christmas with her and the tree would do that. They could even try their hand at transfiguring things into ornaments, or do their own version of Professor Flitwick's floating bubbles.
She finished her tea and went back to her room, with promises from Mr Cosgrove that he would see her soon with a tree in tow. She started a fire in the fireplace and sat down on the sofa, reaching for the Grange diary to flip through. Her eye fell on an interesting section.
"If the stones aren't interconnected, then why has our Ministry deemed this subject taboo to study? I wonder sometimes if anyone can pull their head out of their own arse long enough to think on these things I've submitted. 'Oh, no, don't mind old dottering Peabody, he's just cracked'. I fear my work will be forgotten and crammed under a rather large pile of dragon dung, so as not to disturb the order of things. Oh well, when did the wizarding world ever do what was good for them? The fools."
Ginny smirked; reading the real diary definitely gave you insight into the mind of Grange - that was for certain. He definitely had no love of the Ministry, and judging by what she'd read so far of his frustrations, she couldn't blame him.
She wondered what it was that Peabody had figured out that no one wanted to talk about. Unfortunately, the diary itself never went into the details, not fully, and it was more than frustrating. Ginny often had the feeling the meaning was right there in front of her but she couldn't see it. The books she had read on time-portals were interesting, but most of them drew no real conclusions, and she'd been more concerned with her schoolwork lately and had let her research slide a bit.
For some reason, she had the feeling that some of her questions would be answered once she and Harry reached Lough Gur. She didn't know why, but a certainty she didn't question told her she'd get to the bottom of things regarding Aine and it was both thrilling and a bit nerve-wracking. It was almost as though Aine herself was guiding her along, telling her to bide her time until it was right. Her mind wandered to Brogan briefly and the conversation they'd had, but she pushed the thought away. She wouldn't worry about anything else for now - it was Christmas, and Harry was coming and they'd have a tree and even though she still wanted to go to the Yule Ball, she supposed she would just have to make do with what she had - which she knew was actually quite a lot.
o-o-o-o-o
"Bloody hell, mate, are you certain you're coming back after break?" Ron asked him as he helped Harry carry his bags to Dumbledore's office. "This thing weighs a bloody ton," he said for what Harry thought had to be the twentieth time. It was growing late; later than Harry had wanted to leave by, actually, and his mood was wearing decidedly thin. Ron's complaining wasn't helping.
As though sensing Harry's short temper, Hermione shushed Ron and changed the subject.
"Oh, I do hope the dress robes fit Ginny, Harry. You will let me know if she likes them, yes? I peeked into the box and you were completely right, the robes are gorgeous. Ginny will look lovely in that shade of green and purple."
"Why you spent all that money on a dress robe no one's going to see is beyond me," Ron muttered, and Harry turned to him, taking one of the bags out of his hand.
"Listen, for the tenth time, it's her Christmaspresent, okay? I felt bad that she was missing the Ball and I wanted to do something nice. That's what boyfriends do, Ron." He paused and turned to Hermione. "I pity you," he said simply.
"Hey!" Ron said, indignant. "I know how to do nice things for people."
"Yes, Ron, of course you do," Hermione said, her voice placating. She narrowed her eyes at Harry. "You're in a bit of a mood, Harry. I hope you don't take it out on Ginny, she's not quite as understanding as some of us."
He sighed and turned back around, knowing his friend was right, but unable to apologize for being rude. He was exhausted, tired of packing, arranging things for Ginny's present, and, to add insult to injury, Snape had, of course, forced him to redo his practical three times before letting him leave. It was one of the reasons he was later than usual, and the only reason Harry had even managed to get out of the dungeons at all was because Professor McGonagall had showed up, interested in watching Harry 'at work'. Since the big meeting between her, Snape and Dumbledore, Harry had noticed her stopping by more and more, as though to make certain Snape wasn't being purposefully vindictive; he wondered why she hadn't bothered to do that for the first six years of his Potions life, thinking it could have saved them all a lot of later trouble.
They reached the second floor hallway just as Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were coming from the other direction. Malfoy had a sneer on his face that immediately had Harry's hand itching to wipe it off.
"Well, well, if it isn't traveling Potter and his band of servants. What's the matter, Potter? That bloody house-elf you stole from my family too busy to help you?"
"Dobby has better things to do than to carry things around for students!" Hermione said shrilly, and Ron and Harry exchanged a look.
Not wanting to get into a debate about elf rights with Malfoy, Harry stepped forward, frowning. "What the hell do you want, Draco?"
"Ooh," Draco said, his eyes glinting. "Just wanted to wish you a very...happy Christmas, Potter. Things are certain to be tedious around here without you; I just don't know what we'll do to entertain ourselves." Malfoy paused, a smug look on his face. His eyes settled on Ron and Hermione briefly before he looked back at Harry. "Enjoy your time with your...female weasel. Send the little slapper my best, of course. Hope she still doesn't feel cross about that little broom incident...although it's still probably the best thing she's had happen between her legs since you took her under your wing..."
Ron moved first, before Harry could, and suddenly there was a confusion of arms and legs as he tackled Malfoy, apparently forgetting he had his wand in hand as well as Harry's bags on his arm. Hermione shrieked and yelled at Ron to stop, and Harry just moved out of the way, flicking his hand towards Crabbe and Goyle as they prepared to pounce on Ron. They paused, suddenly unable to figure out why they both had huge bogies growing out of their noses. Harry reached down and pulled Ron away from Malfoy, pushing him out of the way. Before Malfoy could say anything, Harry again moved his hand, silencing him. A pained look crossed Draco's face, and he stood up, shakily, holding his stomach. His mouth made little circles at Harry and Ron, but nothing came out and he looked as though he was about to be very sick. Grabbing his stomach again, he lurched down the hallway, towards the boy's bathroom. Crabbe and Goyle followed him, trying to glare at Harry underneath the humongous bat-sized bogies that were now taking over their faces.
Ron laughed next to him. "Brilliant, mate. I'm glad Ginny taught that one to you." He put his hands in his pockets and looked sheepishly at Harry. "Sorry I was being a bit of a grump back there."
"You two are the most irresponsible, immature bunch of...fighting! In the halls! Ron! I am ashamed of you. You're Head Boy! You should know better than to just jump Malfoy, no matter how foul he was being!" Hermione practically screamed at them as she whirled in front of them.
Harry started to pick up his belongings, swearing when he saw that the bag Ron had been carrying had split its seam. He looked at Hermione, who appeared as though she was just getting started in chastising them, and felt his anger still seething. His frustration seemed to well up inside him and a headache was starting behind his right eye. He spoke without thinking and his voice was harsh.
"Hermione! Shut the bloody hell up for once, okay?"
Hermione, who had just been taking a deep breath before continuing her tirade, stopped, apparently shocked. Her face went from bright pink to a deep red colour, and she closed her mouth twice, as though gasping for air, reminding Harry of a fish.
Ron glanced uneasily at Harry, frowning deeply.
"Er, mate, perhaps -"
"No, she needs to understand this for once." He paused and turned to his other friend.
"Hermione, I know we just broken one of your ten rules to live by, but Malfoy had it coming. Ron and I never got after him for the broom trick he pulled and we sure as hell didn't get him back for being behind Ginny's kidnapping. He was being rude and more than foul, and I just can't take it anymore. And I don't need you to tell me off."
At that moment, Professor Dumbledore appeared, as though out of nowhere, and Harry wondered if he'd been watching the whole thing in his office. He looked at Harry, a curious look on his face.
"Ah, Miss Granger, Mr Weasley, helping Harry get his belongings to my office. I am sure he appreciates your efforts," Dumbledore said, giving Harry a pointed look.
Harry sighed, releasing the breath he'd been holding, suddenly feeling even more tired than before as his anger seemed to leave him. He turned to Hermione.
"I'm really sorry I told you to shut up," he said evenly. "And I'm really sorry I lost my temper, but you have to understand that sometimes we just can't act the way you think we're supposed to."
Hermione frowned at him and folded her arms. Harry could tell he had hurt her feelings and felt like a prat, but he couldn't help it.
Dumbledore cleared his throat and used his wand to shrink Harry's bags. Ron gave Harry a look that said 'why didn't any of us think of that?' and then anxiously looked at his girlfriend.
"Ah, I shall take these bags to my office, Harry. Please feel free to say your goodbyes. Oh, and Miss Granger? You may want to contact Madam Pomfrey to check on Mr Malfoy. Although I am not quite certain why I just told you that as I saw nothing out of the ordinary occur." Dumbledore caught Harry's eyes, and he knew then the headmaster had witnessed everything. He wondered briefly why Dumbledore hadn't tried to stop it.
Harry turned back to Hermione, taking a deep breath. He reached out and touched her arm. "I'm really sorry."
Hermione looked at him and then finally he saw her relax. "Apology accepted, Harry. I just wish...you need to watch what you do, that's all. You have a lot of responsibility, you know; you're better than Malfoy. You shouldn't sink to his level. And you too, Ron!"
"But Harry was right, Hermione; the git had it coming. Really," Ron said, biting his lip.
Hermione looked between the two of them and then threw up her hands. "All right. You're right. He did. But..." She paused as Harry and Ron shared a glance. "That doesn't mean I'm not going to reprimand you. I'm going to suggest that Professor McGonagall take points away from both Gryffindor and Slytherin."
"Reckon that's fair," Harry said, non-committal. Ron nodded, although he looked a bit peeved.
They said goodbye, with Harry promising to give Ginny their letters and Christmas presents (she'd already sent hers along with Harry the last time he'd come back from the abbey). He sighed, finally relieved to be on his way, leaving schoolwork, annoying gits, and Hogwarts behind him.
o-o-o-o-o
Ginny smiled at the Christmas tree and then frowned as she looked down at the odd assortment of items she had been trying to change into something festive and colorful. The only thing that seemed to work was turning some of her older earrings into ornaments; unfortunately, she was almost out of earrings to transfigure. Mr Cosgrove had said he would see what else the abbey had for decorations and get back to her.
"Well, don't you look a sight..." Harry's voice startled her, and she looked up to see him standing in the doorway, grinning at her.
"Harry!" she said, smiling. She stood up and went to him, hugging him. "I was getting worried about you, you're later than usual."
"Sorry," Harry said, a tired expression on his face. She brushed his cheek with her fingers. It was more than tired; he looked absolutely worn out.
"Is anything wrong, love?" She was worried Snape had given him a hard time again.
He half-smiled and rested his head lightly against hers. "No, not anymore, now that I'm here."
She pulled him in for a kiss and felt his hands snake around her waist. Ginny felt some of her earlier feelings of sadness dissipate; just knowing she had him for the next two weeks all to herself was reason enough to be happy.
"What's all this then?" he asked as they broke apart, staring at the tree and the decorating she'd done.
"Well, I was feeling a bit homesick really, and Mr Cosgrove, he's really quite nice, you know, and he offered to get us a tree. I was just trying to transfigure a few things I thought might make nice ornaments."
"Hmm," Harry said, nodding. She tugged on his hand.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
He blinked at her. "I'm just...I'm utterly knackered, Gin. I feel like I've been killing myself just to get here, and now...all I want to do is sleep." His voice sounded sad and lost.
She took his hand and turned, pulling him into the bedroom with her, pausing at the foot of the bed. He put his arms around her shoulders and moved closer to her.
"I mean really sleep," he said softly. "Sorry."
Ginny chuckled and turned around, cupping his face with her hands. "I know, silly. We'll just take a nap, okay?" She removed his glasses and they stumbled backwards onto the bed, falling on it together.
Harry sighed as they arranged themselves in their favourite position and she waited as he darkened the light of the room. Harry's breath felt warm and pleasant on the back of her neck as he settled behind her.
"Gods, I've missed you," he whispered, sounding exhausted.
"You say that every weekend, Harry," she giggled, pulling his arms tighter around her.
"Hmm," he murmured.
"At least now you don't have to say it for another two weeks," she said softly to herself, already feeling him relax and start to breathe deeper. "Happy Christmas, my love," she whispered, closing her eyes and willing herself to dream good things for once.
o-o-o-o-o
"Harry, why did you bring so many bags?" Ginny asked as she came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her head and her dressing gown tied loosely around her.
Harry followed her, holding his towel up with one hand and looking around. "Oh, well, I er...needed some extra room for things. Actually, one of those is just filled with presents for you from your family."
"Hmm, that doesn't explain what this fourth one is for; it's rather bulky, isn't it?"
"Never you mind about that one," he said, pulling his boxers on and slipping his dressing gown around him. He glanced at her. "That one is private and not to be opened until...er...tomorrow evening."
"Oh?" Ginny asked, arching an eyebrow at him.
"Yes, 'oh'. Hands off, Gin."
"Hmm, just for the bag, though, right?" She smiled as she walked over to him, putting her hands around his waist.
He smirked at her and kissed her forehead. "Didn't you just have your hands all over me in the tub?"
"Hmm, true. You weren't complaining though," she said, smiling widely at him.
"No, I reckon I wasn't," he said, returning her smile, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"Well, why do I get what's in the fourth bag tomorrow night and not on Christmas Day?" she asked, pulling away from him and going back over to the bag. She felt him come up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, leading her away.
"Because, that's why."
Ginny frowned as he propelled her towards the sitting room. "Brilliant answer, Harry. You should know I've never been one to be patient about presents."
"Oh, really?" Harry asked, laughing. "Well, you should know I've never been one to ruin the surprise either, so you'll just have to wait. Now let's decorate this sad, sad tree."
"It's not sad!" Ginny said, feeling put out.
Harry smirked at her and went back into the bedroom for a moment. He came back out with his wand and sat down, looking like he was concentrating extremely hard. Ginny bit back a snigger.
"Don't think too hard, love," she said loftily.
He rolled his eyes at her and then proceeded to make tiny bubble type shapes appear out the end of his wand. He smiled. "Well, they're not Flitwick size, but they're acceptable."
"Hmm, they're lovely," Ginny agreed as she watched him float them over to the tree. Soon, with Harry's help, the tree started to look like a proper one, and she felt happy inside. Harry sat down again when they were finished and she joined him, settling in between his legs as he put his arms around her. They stared at the tree for a little while, with nothing but the light of the fire reflecting off the golden bubbles and ornaments.
"It's not that depressing for our first tree, is it?" she asked aloud.
Harry rested his head on her shoulder, his voice close to her ear. "No, it's lovely. I'm sorry I said it was sad."
He kissed her neck and she sighed, leaning back. "You know, this almost makes up for missing the Yule Ball and seeing the decorations at Hogwarts. Almost."
Harry stopped trying to undo her dressing gown and turned her head to face his. "I'm sorry I made you miss it," he said sincerely. She smiled, shaking his head.
"This separation has been maddening, Harry. But...is it weird to say I sort of like the way we can just be together?"
"No, I know what you mean. It's like...worse but better." He frowned as he considered his words. "That doesn't make any sense though, I guess."
"You've been working so hard," she said as she touched his face. "I can see it in your eyes."
He nodded. "Non-stop practically. I was just trying to get through December to get to here - this moment, us being together."
"How is your head?" she asked, and he frowned, sitting back from her a little bit.
"I get twinges. Nothing too strong, but...I wrote you about waking up last week? The way I felt him. But other than that...I don't know. I just get...feelings about him. Like he's planning something and it's maddening if I think about it too long, because I want to know what it is he thinks he has over all of us."
"I felt him too that night," Ginny said nodding. "And I knew you had as well. I wasn't even surprised when Mr Cosgrove told me there'd been more attacks."
"I've had this feeling like..." Harry paused, his expression looking grim. Ginny touched his arm and he met her eyes. "Like he's just...waiting. For what, I don't know...but..."
"Well, perhaps it's just because we don't know what he's doing. It has been a relatively quiet two months since he tried to hurt me. Well, quiet for us, at any rate," Ginny said frowning, thinking about it.
"I...I have something to tell you," Harry said and his voice sounded strange. She looked at him, suddenly nervous. He saw her expression and looked away. "There's something Dumbledore told me that I didn't mention to you because...well, I had just told you about Percy and I didn't want to upset you."
"What is it, Harry?"
"One of the reasons Dumbledore thinks Percy has...started being what he was pretending to be is...there was this book that was stolen and he thinks Percy's the one that pinched it to give to Voldemort."
"What sort of book?" Ginny asked, not understanding.
"One with old magic in it. Spells that Voldemort thinks he can use to defeat me or harm me. Dumbledore seems to think that Voldemort now believes he can hurt me, because he has this book."
"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Ginny asked, feeling cross.
Harry bit his lip and gave a weary sigh. "I didn't want to worry you."
"Hmm, thanks for the few weeks reprieve then," she heard herself say sarcastically.
Harry reached out and touched her hand. "Look, Gin, before we have a row, just...just know that I really didn't want to worry you and...I honestly didn't give it much thought until recently. These feelings I have about Voldemort just waiting for something...they've made me think about the book again. Dumbledore swears there are things Voldemort can't get while he's alive, so I think we're pretty safe."
"I just don't like the idea of him thinking he has something now to help him, that's all," Ginny said, staring at the tree, wondering why it now no longer looked as lovely to her as it had before.
A knock on the door startled them both and Harry stood up, pulling his dressing gown closed, answering it. It was a tray for dinner and Harry put it on the table in front of the sofa.
"Do you want to eat now?" he asked, still standing.
Ginny nodded and got up off the floor, joining him on the sofa. They ate in silence for a little while and Ginny sighed, suddenly, putting her plate down.
"Harry, let's not talk about Voldemort or school or Dumbledore or prophecies or anything bad. Not if we can help it. Let's just say 'sod all' and pretend they don't exist. At least until after Christmas."
Harry smiled at her over his plate, putting down the spoon he had half-raised to his mouth. He reached over and clasped her hand in his. "Deal. But...if you get bored to death with talking about Quidditch and shagging, don't blame me."
"You really want to talkabout shagging?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at him. He laughed.
"Er, well, truth is, I'd rather be doing it than talking about it."
Ginny nodded. "Good point. Although talking about shagging during it might be fun."
Harry raised his eyebrow at her. "Well, I already know you have a dirty mouth, thanks to that letter you wrote me."
"I believe that would be considered having a dirty mind, not a mouth," Ginny pointed out, picking up her plate again. "And besides, I could never compete with you in either regards."
"Oh, well, well," Harry said, chuckling. "Ginny, I am an innocent, prudish young man, you know that."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Right."
"Well, I am. I just er...you know, forget that fact when I'm..." Harry paused, and then said something quite dirty indeed. Ginny stared at him.
"I can't believe I let you kiss me with that mouth, actually," she said coolly. Harry smirked at her.
"You let me do more than kiss, and you know it. And -," He paused, grinning at her, "you absolutely love it."
"Well, that is neither here nor there, Harry," Ginny said, biting back a smile.
"Hmm, we should each come up with some really bizarre ways to do it to prove who the worst of all is. We'll put them in a bowl or something and then pick a new one each night."
"Harry!" Ginny said, laughing. She stopped trying to eat and looked at him. He had a wicked look on his face.
"What?" he asked, feigning innocence.
She shook her head at him. "Are we that boring now? We need to spice up our love life?"
"Us? Boring? Never. However, I do like to think we're er...um...adventuresome?" he asked hopefully.
Ginny laughed, shaking her head. "Oh, dear."
The finished eating and then they moved into the bedroom, where Harry gave her all the letters and parcels from home. Ginny put the presents under the tree, deciding that she was happy with it again. She stood in the doorway, watching Harry clean his glasses on his dressing gown and suddenly wondered what it would be like, years from now, after she and Harry had lived their lives together - having children, growing old together. She suddenly felt a fierce determination inside her to make that vision come true. He looked at up at her as he slipped his glasses back on.
"Why are you just standing there watching me?" he asked, sounding bemused.
"Because you're so damn gorgeous, I was overcome with passion," Ginny said saucily, undoing her robe and taking it off, walking slowly over to the bed. Harry looked at her, moving his head up and down as though taking her in.
"You're as loony as Luna, do you know that?" he finally said. Ginny climbed onto the bed, bending forward, smiling as Harry's eyes travelled downwards.
"Hmm," Ginny purred, staying just out of his reach. "Luna's not loony, she's just different." She let her hands travel downwards, enjoying the flush of colour on Harry's face. He licked his lips and brought his eyes up to hers.
"Different is brilliant."
Ginny laughed and fell forward, moving into his arms. He smirked as they rolled over and she reached up to take off his glasses.
"Hey, I just cleaned those off, be careful," he admonished as he removed his dressing gown.
"Yes, my love," Ginny said as she felt him rub against her. Her hand reached out and she took hold of him. She heard his breath catch and met his eyes, seeing a playful look on his face.
"You know, I think I might like watching you do that to yourself instead," he said impishly, squinting down at her hand.
"Really?" she asked, curious.
He nodded. "Oh, yeah, definitely."
Ginny pulled her hand away from him and they switched once more, so that she was on top. She handed him his glasses again and he smiled at her as he slipped them on.
"But you got so embarrassed when I walked in on you that one time," she said, perplexed. "I thought you considered it too private to share?"
"This is different. This is you doing and me watching. Totally non-embarrassing for me," he said cheekily, moving his hands to cup her backside.
"Oh, I see. That's how it is then?" Ginny said, sticking her tongue out at him. She frowned as she considered it. "I...well, I've never thought of having an audience for that, I must admit."
"Pretend you're thinking of me in your bed, at school," Harry said, bringing her hand to his mouth. "The way you used to before we were together," he added, his voice low.
"Why would I need to do that when I can just pretend it's me in this bed waiting for you to return to me?" Ginny said softly, meeting his eyes.
Harry released her hand and she sat back, moving off of him. He turned on his side to watch her as she lay back against the pillows. She gave him a shake of her head and then closed her eyes, trying to do what he wanted. She slowly moved her hand over herself, and tried to ignore the fact that he was right next to her. It was difficult at first, because she could hear him breathing and she felt a bit foolish, but as long as she kept her eyes closed, she realised she could almost pretend she was just indulging herself. The warm flush of her body and what she was doing soon took her away, and she was lost to her own thoughts and sensations. When she was finished, she opened her eyes and turned to look at Harry, feeling very exposed for some reason.
He rolled forward, kissing her, and fitted himself in between her legs. She could tell he had enjoyed what she'd done. He removed his glasses, flashing a wicked look at her.
"That was brilliant," he said, his voice sounding gruff. "Now whenever I'm at school and thinking about you in this bed, I'm going to have a very hard time falling asleep."
Ginny smiled, feeling less embarrassed, and Harry started kissing his way down her chest. She watched his dark head move lower and lower; he seemed to have only one thing on his mind. He paused when he reached her middle and looked up at her.
"Prop your head up on the pillow behind you," he whispered. Ginny gave him a questioning look but did as he asked. Sitting in a more upwards position, she realised she had a very clear view of Harry and what he was doing. She felt his breath on her skin and he moved her legs apart with his hand, cupping her and then sliding his fingers between the outer folds of her sex.
"You made yourself quite wet, didn't you?" he asked, his voice a sort of low growl.
She nodded, biting her lip as their eyes met. "I don't think I could get much wetter," she said in an innocent voice. Harry's eyes widened and he arched an eyebrow.
"Is that a challenge?"
"Maybe."
"You know I like it when you challenge me, Gin."
"I know you do, Harry."
They grinned at each other, and Harry looked down at her body. He moved his hand so that it was covering her and she shifted, moving her legs further apart. He tutted and smirked up at her.
"Anxious?"
"For you to get on with it, yeah."
Harry laughed - a short, sharp masculine sound - and Ginny felt her skin flush. He moved forward gently and kissed the skin around her bellybutton, still touching her with his fingers. He moved his head lower until his face was even with her sex and she felt his breath warm against her. When he refused to take the next logical step, she felt herself trying to push her body upwards to meet his mouth. He looked up at her, his eyes very bright and intense and she felt herself stop moving. He removed his fingers and then she felt him spread her body open, the coolness of the room dancing over her body's warmth. Keeping his eyes trained on hers, she watched as he lowered his mouth to her body, his lips closing over her centre immediately. Ginny couldn't help but moan as his mouth made contact.
"Hmm, Harry," she mumbled, feeling as though she was already undone. She arched her back as he pushed her legs further apart. Ginny loved the feel of his mouth on her, she couldn't deny it. A rush of feelings raced through her as his tongue swirled over her again and again.
She felt his hands caressing her legs; feathery light touches she was sure would drive her absolutely insane if he kept them up for much longer. He buried his head in between her legs and she moaned, feeling her body hurrying towards that place that was all pleasure. Harry suddenly shifted, taking a stronger hold of her legs and pushed them back, folding them at the knee towards her head. She could feel the difference immediately and her body reacted - a loud cry escaped her throat as she bucked against the bed. Flashes of colour exploded behind her eyelids as she closed her eyes and her body shuddered in release. She knew she had been quite wrong; evidently Harry could make her as wet as the ocean and as vast as it as well - she felt wide open - her body a never-ending wave of sensation and pleasure.
She heard herself whimper and felt him pull away from her, his breath haggard against her thigh. She opened her eyes and found him watching her, smiling. She couldn't resist shaking her head at him. He moved until he was level with her, lying on his side. His hand moved around her waist and she turned to him.
"Well, did I pass the challenge?" he asked, a small, playful smile on his face.
Ginny laughed. "What do you think?"
He grinned and took her hand into his, bringing it up to his mouth and kissing the fingertips. Ginny watched him, and the glow of her orgasm finally started to fade so that she could think clearer.
"You know, I used to wonder why you like it so much," she said softly. His eyes focused on hers.
"You mean what I just did?"
She nodded. "I mean, I was embarrassed, you know...the first time you did it. I couldn't imagine it was something that actually...did anything for you."
Harry pursed his lips as though deep in thought. "I like the way you respond to it, more than anything. But...it's more than that. I like the way you taste and the way you feel."
"Really?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I mean...okay, when you...do it to me, do you just do it because you know I like it or do you do it because you happen to enjoy it as well?"
Ginny thought about it. "I do it because I really like it for itself. And you're right; the way I know I can make you feel...I love that. But I also like the way you feel in my mouth." Ginny paused and grinned widely at him. "I'm not sure I'd quite like it with anyone else, mind you. I just like it because it's you."
Harry chuckled. "That's good to know."
She touched his face. "I like it because it's all about showing the other person how much you love them, isn't it? When we make love we're both getting something out of it, but when we do this...it's all about just making someone feel incredible. I can always feel how much you love me, Harry. Every time you put your mouth on me."
"Good," he said softly. He rolled closer to her and she giggled as they both looked down at his body.
"I reckon I have a few more obvious ways as well, don't I?" he said, meeting her eyes.
She nodded and moved her hand in between them. "Ready for some payback?"
Harry grinned, a rather unusually cocky look on his face and moved onto his back, putting his hands behind his head. Ginny rolled her eyes at him but kissed him deeply, before starting her way down his chest. She had a feeling that Christmas was going to be very good to them this year, despite all the things they had to worry about.
o-o-o-o-o