Chapter 14: Weasleys

As Harry had imagined, the next day's sessions on testing and the Junior Guard were tolling. Harry need only listen to the first and he'd resolved to discuss his own tests with Snape that evening.

However, his sessions on the Guard, immediately after lunch on Friday, were a taxing exercise in patience and dealing with masters who simply did not appreciate Ginny's involvement, or that Hogwarts students were given the option of participating. Because it was co-led by Silverwood, Harry was grateful when the man finally lost his cool and told a particularly irritable master that it was not up for debate.

Harry watched as the man left the Hall, his face reddened with indignant rage, muttering to his own apprentice. Harry knew he wouldn't see that boy when the sign-ups came back to him. Apprentices had a week to consider, discuss with their masters, and sign up. Or rather, Harry mused, be told by their masters whether or not they would be participating. This would allow the Hogwarts team time to arrange logistical concerns.

On Saturday, Harry, Ginny, and Terran largely decided to lay low, meeting their masters for morning training on the grounds. While Harry ran with Saldor, Terran and Ginny followed at a slower pace. Though they were in London, they were in less busy parts at day break, so Harry and Saldor ignored the noise of the streets.

"I know it's late," Saldor broke his silence after a few moments, "but could you say a few words tomorrow?"

Harry agreed readily. "Of course. It would be an honor, Sir."

They lapsed into silence again. "He admired you," Saldor finally admitted. "Even before the trials last year. He'd heard Severus and I discussing you, and he knew before meeting you that you'd be a strong person. The testing only confirmed this."

"I just wish I could have made things less contentious the last several weeks," Harry sighed.

"You couldn't have. Ferral is much like Mister Weasley in that regard. When they get jealous, only they can change their own minds. I think that's why they got along so well. Both had a penchant for getting into trouble, and erred on the side of envy instead of grace."

Harry sighed, "So we'll have to deal with Ron's jealousy of Ginny again."

Saldor laughed. "Mister Weasley is a good kid, loyal to a fault, if a little lazy and hard headed. He is a good one to have on your side. But don't worry. He's still got his detentions, and I'll make quite sure that he hasn't the time to be jealous of his sister."

Harry grinned, allowing the two to lapse back into silence. He wasn't sure when it had happened, but he'd begun to get much more comfortable, not only with Master Shadowman, but also Masters Saldor and Silverwood, to the point that he found their company more enjoyable than most of his own peers.

Ginny was grateful that she had already begun training at Hogwarts, because her first morning training as an apprentice was brutal. As the three were dismissed, she looped intertwined an arm with Terran and Harry each as they wandered back to their dorms to get changed. Harry turned and grinned at his friends. "Gin, you look exhausted. How late were you up?"

Ginny shrugged. "I'm not sure. I fell asleep on the damn book about rules sometime after midnight though."

Terran laughed. "If it helps, I still don't think I finished that book?"

Harry glared at them both. "I also fell asleep on the thing on my first night. I received an oral examination on the thing that week. The areas I got wrong, I was forced to write lines on. It took me three days to complete."

Ginny swore loudly. "I only made it through chapter two. I'll have to finish it tonight."

"See that you do," the three jumped as Saldor walked past with Master Sterling. "Or I'll make lines look simple. Watch your language."

Harry was kind enough to wait until the masters passed before outwardly laughing at his friend's disgruntled expression. "And that, Gin, is why we are very, very careful."

An hour later, Harry found himself in the Entrance Hall with Saldor and Ginny, unsure of why he was there. "Aeter, Mrs. Weasley has requested your presence for lunch this afternoon. I do not think she trusts me much," Harry nearly laughed at the indignation on Saldor's face. "I can trust the two of you to travel alone, no?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, Sir. I am not needed here?" He turned to glance at Snape and Silverwood, who both shook their heads. "I am happy to attempt to assuage Mrs. Weasley's fears, though I'm not sure I'm capable."

Ginny laughed outright at that, and Harry found himself wondering at the way her laugh carried through the hall. "Aeter, Mum adores you. If anybody can sway her, it's definitely you. She would spoil you rotten if she could. Are we meeting her at the Burrow or somewhere else?"

"The Burrow. We'll send a return Portkey with you."

When Harry and Ginny landed, Harry unsteadily and Ginny quite gracefully, Mrs. Weasley immediately swept them both into a huge hug. "Oh, my baby, the first female apprentice ever! Are you sure you're up for it?"

"Mum!" Ginny released her mother and glared, making a small step back. "I'm not breakable! I've earned this!"

"Oh, of course," Mrs. Weasley waved her hand, as though pushing away Ginny's protests. "Your father and I are both very proud of you! I just wanted to make sure you were ready for what is coming."

Ginny sighed and backed down, "Yes, Mum, I'm ready. I'm actually very excited to work with Master Saldor."

Mrs. Weasley looked up in surprise, "He's taking you on, so suddenly after his apprentice…" she trailed off, her eyes glancing toward Harry.

Harry suddenly wondered why Mrs. Weasley didn't seem to be fretting over Ginny's near-death experience as the intended target of the curse that killed Terran. His eyes widened slightly as he realized that she simply must not know. Ginny hadn't told her, and apparently, neither had the masters. He blinked, but mentally shrugged. It was not his story to tell.

"He is a fantastic teacher, Mum," Ginny assuaged. "He is grieving Ferral, certainly, but he's also determined that he is capable to continue serving. And, he has his own colleagues looking out for him."

Mrs. Weasley waved her wand and the stew on the stove relocated itself to the kitchen table. "Both of you, sit down. Ron doesn't seem to like him much," she continued as she began ladling out portions. She was hedging, Harry could tell, reluctantly resigned that she had already signed the paperwork.

Harry laughed. "Mrs. Weasley, you know that Ron hates any teacher that expects him to work. Master Saldor is a very capable instructor. I respect him very much, not least because he was my own Master's mentor. He and Ginny have already met and laid the groundwork for a good working relationship at Hogwarts."

Harry was relieved to see the worry lines on Mrs. Weasley's face softened a little bit. She beamed at him. "You're right, Harry dear," Harry decided not to correct her use of his birth name-he wasn't sure that he could ever get her to call him Aeter. "Thank you. How are you doing?"

Harry's voice was stuck in his throat for a moment. "I am well, Mrs. Weasley. Feral was a friend, but my work at Hogwarts and with the Order is helping me work through some of my grief. I know there's a long road ahead of us, but I have a whole community now. I have… well, I feel like I have a family to work through this with." Harry's face warmed at the admission. "I'm not done mourning, of course, but at least I have meaning in working toward a better tomorrow."

"I just think you are both too young to fight," she shook her head. "Atwater pointed out how dearly you need to learn and how many opportunities this opens up, I know, but it's still so frightening…"

"And what does Dad think?" Ginny interrupted her mum, genuinely curious.

Mrs. Weasley smiled fondly. "Oh, he is so proud of his little girl. Says that's what having so many older brothers does to a girl: toughens her up and makes her capable of anything. He is so happy, and would have come home this afternoon, if he wasn't buried in so much paperwork these days."

Ginny smiled proudly, and the rest of lunch passed in a quiet manner, as Harry and Ginny enjoyed being fussed over by a mother. Before they left, Mrs. Weasley swept them into their own hug, her eyes moist. As she hugged Harry, she whispered into his ear, "I'm so happy you have Professor Snape, Harry, I can tell how fondly you've grown of one another."

Harry blushed. "Thanks, Mrs. Weasley. Tell Mr. Weasley I say hello, and I'm sorry we missed him."

The next morning, the sun had not even begun pushing itself above the horizon, and Harry was leaning over his desk, scratching on parchment. His master had ordered him that he was not to be up until at least six, as the day would be emotionally taxing. Harry continued working at his desk, not noticing his roommate watching him.

As Harry dressed for the day at quarter to six, Terran climbed out of bed. "Would you rather be alone, or do you mind if I join you for a run?"

The two left their room, and were joined by Silverwood and Shadowman immediately. "You listened," Snape acknowledged.

"Not unless Hedwig was writing with a quill," Terran muttered under his breath, though the two masters did not hear, before raising his voice to speak to the two older men. "Coming for a run?"

The four made their way out the door and onto the quiet London streets as the sun was just beginning to rise. Nobody spoke, but Harry found himself reflecting on how he was still comforted by their presence, despite the cheerless atmosphere.

As the funeral ended, Harry found himself walking alone through the halls, though they were more crowded than he had ever seen them. The funeral had passed quickly for Harry, who was lost in his thoughts. His mind wandered between grief and guilt: he missed Ferral dearly: In the six months that he had known Ferral, his life had been overcome by the stress of his work, training, and war. Ferral had always been the one to force him-sometimes quite literally- to relax and do something else.

And certainly, Harry's stomach churned with guilt as he thought about his own inability to calm the other boy. He was meant to be a leader, but he hadn't been able to encourage his friend in any meaningful way.

And, of course, when Harry remembered the moment that he saw the curse heading for Ginny, he shuttered, grateful that Ginny was still alive, before his heart sank and he felt remorse sink into him for forgetting that was only possible because of Ferral's sacrifice.

Harry startled himself, as he wandered into the quiet library, thinking about Ginny. He wondered if Ginny felt the same shame as he did.

Harry loved this library, there were many smaller study areas that only allowed space for one or two people, and very few people ever wandered to the back, so Harry made his way to sit by himself, to his favorite space where he could sit in an armchair and look out the window at the people passing below on the London streets.

Most of them were muggles, and had not a care in the world. They didn't know that war was raging silently underneath their noses. He saw a teenager, perhaps no older than himself, strolling toward the shop down the street, holding hands with a boyfriend, and talking excitedly. Harry imagined she was talking about something that happened in class that afternoon, or a vacation she was looking forward to. Suddenly the boy stopped, kissing the girl.

Harry looked away, feeling as though he had invaded their privacy in observing a private moment. But even as he glanced away, Harry felt a deep bitterness overcome him. He had never had the opportunity to ask a girl out, and if he was honest with himself, didn't have the time for dating.

He wondered who he would ask out, if only he had the time. Dating wasn't against the rules of the Mastery, though for many apprentices, they just encounter very many age-appropriate girls. He knew that a few of the apprentices had relationships with other apprentices, though that went largely unmentioned.

Harry glanced down at the sidewalk below him again, and noticed the young couple had gone, though it seemed the sidewalk was filled with couples holding hands, or arms locked together. He sighed. He knew that moping about wasn't going to get him anywhere, but sometimes it was easy to get caught up in a world of what-ifs that were no longer possible for him.

He knew he was reaching that dark place of misery, found only when one spends too much time thinking about sad things, but he wasn't sure he could pull himself out of the sullen mood. He turned his thoughts back to dating. Who would he ask out, if he had the opportunity?

Not Hermione, Harry was loyal to her, to a fault, but she was the sister that he never had. He simply couldn't imagine dating her. Besides, he could tell that she liked Ron. He noticed the way she sometimes stared at him a little too long, and even when she let out her long-suffering sigh at his idiocy, there was often a small smile at the edge of her lips. Harry wasn't sure that Ron didn't reciprocate, as he always seemed a touch envious when another bloke noticed her.

No, definitely not Hermione. Harry found himself thinking about the other girls in his year, but Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones were just finally getting over their awe when they spoke to him, and Parvati and Lavender spent too much time poring over fashion magazines. He realized he didn't know many of the Slytherin girls in his year, other than Pansy, and was ashamed to admit how many Hogwarts students he hadn't gotten to know over the years.

Harry's mind drifted back to Ginny's laugh, thinking about how melodious it sounded last night in the hall. He thought about how often she had supported him, and he pictured her face, slightly upturned at him, shining in the sun as she grinned

"Knut for your thoughts?" Harry jumped at the voice beside him, turning to greet Terran. "Are you okay, Aeter?"

"Terran, I don't know what to do," Harry stopped. Terran didn't speak, as though he sensed that Harry needed to decide what to do with the information he'd just uncovered. And Harry realized, he could admit everything to Terran, or he could… well, stop and pretend he was talking about Ferral. Shame shot through him again- he hadn't forgotten his friend. He shook himself. Spiralling into pity would not help him.

"Terran, I think I love…" he paused again, still trying to decide if he should acknowledge the situation. "I think I have a crush," he tried again, testing the words in his mouth. "I have a crush on Ginny." Now that he said the words, he knew it was unabashedly true.

Terran stared at him. "You-" he seemed like he was trying to string his words together. "You-I- Wait. You didn't know you had a crush on her?"

Harry stared back. "Not until just now." Harry felt his face redden as he tried to ignore Terran's peals of laughter. "What's so funny? Stop laughing. I don't know how to do this! I mean it, Terran! Stop laughing!"

Terran finally pulled himself together. "First, I came to tell you that Ron and Hermione have returned to Hogwarts now that the funeral has ended. They've decided that introducing more Hogwarts students would have to wait until apprentices have made their commitments." Harry nodded, thinking that was probably for the best. "Aeter, I honestly believed you knew how you felt. Sometimes, you continue looking at her after she's broken off eye contact. Your eyes glisten, and your face softens sometimes when you make eye contact with her. You honestly believe anybody but Ginny could have gotten you to go to that party that night? You are head over heels, mate. I just can't believe you didn't know it."

Harry scoffed. "I don't know what you're talking about. You're bonkers. Those are the things Hermione does with Ron. I would notice them if I was doing them."

"Mate, Fred and George have a pool going in the Common Room. When are you going to ask her out?"

Harry glared, but not entirely surprised that Fred and George would be gambling on their own sister's love life. "What day do you have?" Harry asked indulgently.

Terran smiled widely. "Actually, today. Please, Aeter, I could win 50 galleons!"

Harry shook his head. "You know I can't, Terran. You know it's not possible. There's no time for dating right now. She'd be put at great risk by dating me. I hardly think Master Shadowman would appreciate it. We just buried our friend. I have too much responsibility. She reports to me, there may be claims of favoritism. Did I mention time?"

Terran groaned. "Don't think about those things. You are fifteen years old, allow yourself to date." Harry shook his head and ignored that statement. "Fine. I'll counter every one of those. 1) You and Pandora are now both apprentices. She lacks the same time, so if you're on the same page, it's not really a problem. 2) She's a Weasley and a known friend of yours. She's already at risk. She's also being trained by one of the most formidable men in the wizarding world. 3) You know that there are no rules about apprentices dating, it's just that the opportunity is hard to find. 4) I'm one hundred percent sure that Ferral would be honored if you chased a girl in his memory. He was always encouraging you to do so, already. 5) Responsibility is irrelevant. 6) I report to the General, remember? This is completely unprecedented, and thus there are no rules against it. Take advantage of that now. And we already addressed the time issue."

Harry stared. "How did you remember that order?"

"Don't change the subject. Go find Pandora and ask her out."

"What if she says no?"

"That's her prerogative, but you never know until you ask."

"I just realized this! How am I supposed to do it today, Terran?"

Terran snorted again. "I'm sorry. I still just can't believe you didn't even know. What made you realize that?"

"I was thinking about her laugh…" Harry trailed off as he noticed the incredulous look in his friend's eyes.

"You know, Aeter, you are incredible at magic, and pretty much everything else. But… I didn't know you could be so dense. Go find Pandora."

An hour later, as Harry sat awkwardly with Ginny, he realized he and Ginny would have a lot of accounting for the next time they saw Ron.

He had found his friend in her dorm, reading the book. He apologized, saying he'd come back later, but was pushed off by his friend. "Besides," Ginny had said, "I could really use a break. My head is starting to pound. Let's go talk in the courtyard."

Harry nodded, he spent very little time in the courtyard, though the gardens were quite beautiful. So they had wandered down to the courtyard, and found a remote place where people would take no notice of them. And Harry, more awkwardly than he had admitted to Terran, told Ginny that he appreciated her. She'd furrowed her brow, and said thank you, before Harry's words rushed out of him in a rush, and he'd finally just said, "Gin, will you go out on a date with me? I know that we both will have extremely limited time, so I don't really care what it looks like, but-"

Harry stopped, suddenly finding Ginny staring at him. "You do? I mean. I value our friendship, Harry. I would love to explore a date, but you are one of my best friends, and I'd hate to lose that."

"Me too," Harry admitted. "No matter what happens, I will always be your friend, though."

Ginny smiled warmly. "Then I would love to go on a date with you. Do we need to keep it a secret?"

Harry shook his head. "There are no rules against dating as an Apprentice. And the situation in the Junior Guard is unprecedented, so there's no rules there, either. Our many commitments is our biggest issue."

Ginny smiled. "We'll find ways to make it work."