Harry left his mother in the kitchen and went back upstairs to his room, where he could still hear her voice. He wasn't shocked by what she said; he was clueless to the prophecy. She had raised him to be a fighter, to be strong, in the hopes that somehow he could come out of the final battle alive. But he had no illusions about what he was going to face. Sitting down on his bed he thought back to the day his mother had told him, he had been fourteen and going through the angry teenager faze. He was tired off all the training, tired of all the moving, and tired of never having a life. He had threatened to run away, maybe back to England when in a desperate move his mother told him fully why she did what she did.
He had known from being a small child how his father died, and that his mother wanted him to be the strongest he possibly could be so that the same wouldn't happen to him. When he had found out what was to become of his life though he had changed. He stopped trying to make friends when they moved, stopped trying to be normal, he gave it all over to being a warrior. He had intensified his training; even going passed what Lily knew about. He had spells in his repertoire that he knew she would never approve of but they were necessary.
All his mother had ever wanted was to protect him, he knew this with everything inside of him, but he also knew that he had duty. The scar left behind by his father's death would never heal, the rage would never leave his body, and above that though he knew the prophecy was binding. There was no use trying to run from something that had so totally wrapped its way around him. He also believed you had a part to play in your own destiny; he could easily give in and be killed without a fight after all that was not going to happen.
Looking to his nightstand where a picture of his mother was sat he watched her smiling face as she tried to take a bite out of a very huge sandwich. You could tell she was laughing as she shook her head at someone and then the contents of the sandwich feel into her lap and she looked shocked before she dissolved into laugher again, then it replayed. Harry loved it because it was a care free moment, and there were very few of those.
He looked to his opened door again as his mother started to yell and knew any moment Sirius was going to get himself hexed. With a sigh he rose to his feet again and headed back down to the kitchen.
"Harry what are you doing?" his mother said instantly feeling his approach.
His eyes snapped to her face and she backed down leaning against the counter again crossing her arms and looking extremely annoyed. He knew he was going to get an ear full when they were alone, but for the moment she would keep her tongue.
Harry turned his gaze on to Sirius who was now stood in the kitchen with the door shut behind him, "she will never change her mind," he said simply and Sirius nodded his agreement with a grunt.
"Always was a stubborn..." he trailed off eyeing harry and knew it was better not to say his next thought.
His eyes never leaving Sirius Harry walked forwards and stood next to his mother, who leant against him instantly. Harry could feel the slight tremor in her body and knew she was exhausting herself from all her worrying. He ran his hand over her arm letting his presence calm her; he was always able to calm her when she was riled up, if she would only let him.
"That doesn't mean I'm not coming though," he said and she instantly tensed next to him.
"Harry please, think about this," she pleaded turning so he had no choice but to look down at her smaller frame.
He smiled warmly at her and a shot of hope raced through Sirius. Watching him looking at his mother he saw the love he held for the woman, saw it like a raw wound, but when Harry looked up at Sirius again his eyes were blank once more.
"I'm sorry mum; this is what I'm here for. We both knew this day was going to come, why not now?"
Lily let out a soft cry and diving forwards buried her face in his chest. Harry instantly wrapped her up in a hug, turning her so he was between Sirius and his mother, an act that Sirius didn't fail to notice.
The pair were talking in hushed tones that Sirius couldn't pick out but he knew Lily was getting upset; her voice would peek every now and then and then calm down. With a small smirk Sirius settled into his chair. He knew he had accomplished what he had set out to do, Harry would be coming back with him, and hopefully if she wasn't too angry Lily would be as well. He didn't like what was about to happen any more than Lily did, but she knew as well as anyone, that Harry was their only hope. He just hoped Harry was up to what was coming.
Ginny sat at the table trying very hard to keep her calm, "look mum I really don't see how this is any of your business," she said through gritted teeth.
Molly slammed the pot she had been putting away down and turned to look at her daughter, her pinks bright red with anger.
"None of my business hay, just because you're seventeen and of age does not mean I'm not your mother anymore. You are and always will be my child, and I will always worry about you," she said the anger dying from her voice at the last words.
With a sigh Ginny got to her feet and crossed the room to pull her mother into a hug. Molly wrapped her arms around her youngest child and wished she could never let her go.
"I know your worried mum, but what right do I have to sit at home when other people are out their fighting to save all our lives," she pulled back a little to look down at her mother who was now wiping tears from her eyes, "how you can ask me to do any less than you."
Molly looked up sharply then and Ginny knew she had won the fight. Her mother had been a member of the Order since she was seventeen. Nodding slightly Molly's breath hitched and with a small laugh Ginny pulled her back into another hug.
Soon enough Molly calmed down and started flustering about getting tea ready for everyone who would be home soon. After getting her mother's assurance that she didn't need any help Ginny disappeared up the stairs meaning to head for her room, she was most of the way there when she was ambushed by the twins.
Thankfully she didn't yelp in fear, she managed to keep a cool head as they flanked her and she gave them her best haunty expression.
"Well the shouting stopped," Fred said with a smirk.
"So we figured it was safe to come check..." George added looking over at his brother with a wink.
"Whether you were joining us this evening," Fred finished his smirk becoming a full blown grin.
Sighing Ginny pushed her brothers away trying to get some space in the small hallway but it just made them laugh.
"Yes I will be coming this evening, you knew even if mum had tried to keep away I'm going," throwing her hands up in annoyance she stalked off to her room and the twins wisely decided it was best to leave her to it.
Ginny slammed the door behind her and flopped down on her bed trying hard to stop the rushing sound of her blood. She wanted to strangle her mother, she loved the woman with her whole heart, but sometimes she just wanted her to butt out. It had taken everything she had to find out where the Order meeting was being held tonight and there was no way she wasn't going. She'd decided to formally put forwards her request to become a member, since her parents had decided against opting her in. They thought just because she was a girl she couldn't handle herself, well they were wrong and she was going to prove it. Frustration getting the better of her she whipped the pillow out from under her head and with an angry grunt threw it across the room. It crashed into the door and flopped down, giving her absolutely no satisfaction or release.
Just then there was a tentative knock at the door and she knew there was only one person in this house hold quiet enough to knock like that.
"Come in Mione," she called she rolled over and pulled herself to sit at the edge of the bed.
"Are you alright," the tall girl asked as she slipped into the room closing and charming the door behind her.
Ginny smiled at her soon to be sister in law and indicated for her to come and sit down with her. With a smile Hermione crossed the room and plopped down on the bed next to Ginny, laughing when the old bed gave way slightly and they slid into each other.
"I keep meaning to fix that," Ginny mumbled rubbing the heal of her palms over her eyes.
They sat silently for a moment until Ginny lowered her hands and looked at her friend. Hermione was smiling patently waiting for Ginny to swallow down her annoyance enough to get whatever she needed to say out.
Ginny couldn't help the laugh the bubbled up in her throat and soon both girls were laughing happily.
"Where's my git of a brother?" she asked and Hermione smiled brightly.
"He won't tell me what he's doing so I'm sure he's planning some kind of surprise," Ginny didn't fail to note the pink tinge that spread across Hermione's cheeks.
Shaking her head at the mental image she couldn't help the small smile that slipped across her lips at the thought of Hermione and Ron. Yes at first it had freaked her out a little, but now that she was used to the idea she saw the wonder in it. If the even with everything that was going on, they could find each other and make it work, mores the power to them. Ron had never been happier, and every time Hermione thought of him she got a dreamy look of wonder on her face.
Ginny leant her head against Hermione's shoulder and pulled a face.
"I'm annoyed Mione, I mean how am I ever supposed to do anything with six brothers standing in the way, not to mention an overprotective mother," she thought of her father and smiled at least he was on her side.
"They know very well they could never stand in your way Gin, you've just got to put up with the face that they love you too much not to worry about you," Hermione replied wrapping an arm around her friends shoulders.
"I know it just annoys me you know, when the hell am I ever going to be more than the baby of the family!"
Hermione couldn't help the laughed that spilled from her lips at that statement that only died with a glare from Ginny. The other girl understood the laugh though, being painfully aware that she would always be the baby.
"On a lighter note I heard an awesome rumour," Hermione said trying hard to change the subject.
Ginny lifted her head from her friends shoulder lifting one eyebrow in curiosity.
"Knew that'd catch you," she laughed and turned so they were sat face to face, "well there's been a buzz that Sirius has been gone for a while on some secret mission."
Ginny nodded having heard this rumour herself. She hadn't put too much stock into it since Sirius was always wandering off by himself doing this and that, he never was a stickler for the rules.
"Well the latest is that he's looking for Harry Potter," Hermione said excitement plain on her face.
Ginny took that in and tried to process it, everyone knew about the baby that had been killed, the would be saviour of them all killed in his crib before he could become a true threat the Voldermort. In the last few years though it had arisen in the underground that the Order always kept and ear to, that there was a powerful young wizard with no ties to anyone in particular. It was only in the last six months that the unknown wizard had seemed to morph into Harry Potter. At first Ginny had put it down as stupid, just witches and wizards wanting to make a hero out of nothing because they were so desperate for hope. But now it seemed Sirius was taking these rumours seriously Ginny would definitely consider the thought that they were true.
"Want to hear something even better," Hermione said her voice dropping a little as she leant forwards and Ginny found herself mirroring her movements.
"Sirius is supposed to be at the meeting tonight. I heard a few of the older members discussing the fact he had been back in contact saying he would be home for the next meeting."
A thrill shot through Ginny then, excitement chasing through her skin. Maybe Sirius had found what he was searing for; maybe he had found this Harry. Either that or he had found out all the rumours were a bunch of hocus pocus crap. She was strongly hoping for the first because it would truly be amazing to have a little hope back.