The rest of the evening at the Burrow passed pleasantly for everyone. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat in two chairs by the fire talking quietly while the twins stood in front of the rest of the group doing what they did best: entertain. For the better part of an hour Fred and George demonstrated some of their newest Weasley products, several of which were very interesting. There was chewing gum that would change your hair a different color every half hour, dress shoes that made the wearer an expert in whatever style of dance they wanted (the only side effect being that they had yet to figure out how to make the shoes stop), and boxes of chocolate that replenished themselves once they were all gone (this one was of particular interest to Ron). The twins were especially proud of a necklace they were still developing that would be released in time for Valentines Day.
"And this beauty," Fred began, "will be this year's best seller!" The twins held up a necklace strung on a delicate chain. The pendant was a perfect circle and about the size of a quarter. The outside edge had a simple design and the center was an iridescent white with just barely visible swirls of different colors.
"Why, what does it do?," Hermione asked with obvious interest.
"Well, my dear Hermione, I'm glad you asked!" George answered. "This is what my clever and handsome associate—"
"Why, thank you George."
"No, problem Fred."
"Get on with it, you two!" Ron said impatiently.
"Right you are, little brother. Anyway, this lovely object is what we have named the Cordis Captavi."
Hermione raised her eyebrows in surprise while Harry, Ron, and Ginny just looked at one another in confusion. "What does that mean?" Ginny asked.
"It's rough translation is 'heart's desire," Hermione answered. "You two didn't make a necklace that would force people to fall in love, did you?," she asked suspiciously.
"Of course not! That would be beneath us!" George said with mock indignation as he wrapped a protective arm around Fred. Hermione rolled her eyes at them.
"Fred, George, if you don't get on with it I'll—," Ginny started.
"Alright, alright. We designed this necklace so that when the wearer is near their true love, it'll glow red. This one is more for women, but we're trying to come up with a design for men as well." The twins glowed with pride.
Hermione and Ginny were looking at the necklace with a mixture of interest and fear, while Harry and Ron were silently praying that the twins wouldn't ask any of them to try it out, but neither boy quite understood why that thought popped into their heads.
"It's beautiful," Hermione said and Ginny nodded in agreement.
The twins told them of their other designs for the shop and they all came up with elaborate product ideas that had them all laughing. It was close to ten-thirty when Mrs. Weasley told them it was time for bed. Everyone said goodnight to each other and slowly made their way up the stairs. Ginny made sure no one was around and grabbed Harry's arm as he was about to go up. She pulled him away from the stairwell and said, "Try to talk to Ron a little before bed and I'll do the same with Hermione. Maybe it'll give them something to think about while they go to sleep."
Harry pulled a serious face and saluted Ginny, who was trying her best not to laugh. She saluted back and they made their way to their rooms, where they nodded at each other once more before going in. Ron had already changed into his pajamas and was about to get into bed. Harry had to hurry, because as soon as Ron's head hit his pillow, he'd be impossible to wake up until morning.
"So," Harry began, "did you and Hermione make up yet?" Harry held in a laugh as he saw Ron's face go pink.
"Yeah, we did. I'm glad, too, cause I hate when we fight."
"You think you'll ever tell her you like her?"
Ron's face blanched and he stuttered, "T-tell w-who what?"
Harry just raised an eyebrow, "When are you going to tell Hermione that you like her?"
Ron's mouth opened and he looked ready to argue the point, but he suddenly clamped his mouth shut and looked down at his feet. "I can't tell her, Harry. What if she laughs at me? Or worse, tells me she's secretly been dating Krum?" Ron practically spit the name.
Harry felt bad for his best friend, he didn't envy the position he was in. "You know, Ron, I think you should tell her. You never know, she might feel the same way." He said, clamping his hand on Ron's shoulder. Ron slowly nodded his head and got into bed. Harry did the same and pulled off his glasses, even though he knew it'd be a while before sleep came.
Meanwhile, in the room across the hall, Ginny was trying to start the same conversation with Hermione. Ginny was pulling on a pair of pajama shorts and Hermione was brushing her hair when Ginny casually said, "So, you and Ron looked like you made up earlier."
Hermione smiled a little, "Yes, we did. He's not so bad, you know." Ginny laughed.
"What?" Hermione questioned as she sent an annoyed look towards Ginny.
"Hermione, why don't you just tell Ron you fancy him?"
Hermione stood up straighter and lifted her head. Seconds later her shoulders slumped and she sat on her bed with her head in her hands. Ginny went and sat next to her and Hermione peeked at her from behind her fingers. "Ginny, what if he doesn't like me back?"
Ginny smiled at her, "Oh, please, Hermione. Anyone with eyes can see that he likes you!" At the uncertainty on her friend's face Ginny added, "Look, you don't have to rush over to his room and declare yourself right now. Just think about talking to him, ok?" She nudged Hermione's shoulder with her own. Hermione smiled in response and gave her a quick hug. "Thanks Ginny."
Ginny nodded and crawled between her sheets. She yawned and smiled to herself: Operation Romione was working splendidly! She yawned once more and fell asleep.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Sirius wait! Let me fight her instead!, Harry pleaded with him. Harry's godfather ignored him and continued to duel with the witch in front of him. Her eyes lit up and she cackled with joy.
She laughed like that before Sirius fell, Harry thought. He turned in circles trying to find someone to help him until he bumped into a rather tall man. Lupin! Lupin, you have to help Sirius, he's only got a few seconds left! Lupin!, Harry cried desperately. Lupin just smiled serenely at the scene before him. A flash of red light out of the corner of Harry's eye told him it was too late. He turned and saw his godfather tip backwards. Suddenly he was gone.
No!, screamed Harry. At the sound of his voice, Lupin's head snapped towards him and he gave Harry a look of hate. "It's all your fault! It's your fault he's dead!"
Harry couldn't breathe. He knew Sirius' death was his fault, but to hear Lupin say it out loud felt like a blow to the gut. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!", he cried.
"Of course you didn't mean to!" mocked a woman's voice behind Harry. He turned and saw Tonks coming towards him. "But it was your fault! You killed my cousin!" She hissed at him.
"Tonks, I'm sorry. I didn't mean—"
"You know, Harry," came Ron's angry voice from behind him, "this wouldn't have happened if you didn't rush to conclusions. If you had just checked with Dumbledore, Sirius would still be here."
"No, Ron, I—"
"He's right, Harry," Hermione's voice was full of loathing. "You always have to play the hero, don't you?"
"Hermione, please—." Harry felt like he was suffocating. The four of them were advancing towards him with looks of hatred and revulsion written on their faces. Harry couldn't look at them anymore. He gripped his head with his hands and suddenly heard a cold, high-pitched laugh.
"No!"
Harry sat up in bed and gasped. He was shaking all over and felt like he was going to be sick. He put on his glasses and looked over to Ron's bed and heard him snore. He needed air. Harry hurriedly left the room and made his way downstairs to the living room.
"Harry?"
Harry jumped and swung his gaze around the room until it landed on a single figure sitting on the couch. "Ginny?" His voice trembled slightly as he spoke.
Ginny heard something odd in Harry's voice and made her way over to him. He was very pale and had a deep sadness buried in his eyes. "Harry, what's wrong? Are you alright?"
"It-It was just a nightmare."
Ginny grabbed his hand, "Come sit with me." She pulled him over to the couch where she'd been sitting and gave him a pillow to lean against. "I'll be right back," she told him as she disappeared into the kitchen.
Don't go, Harry thought. He had started feeling better when she was standing near him.
Ginny reappeared several minutes later with a steaming cup of tea in her hands. "Here, take this."
Harry felt his throat relax as the hot liquid warmed his body. He took another sip and glanced at Ginny, who was waiting patiently. He took another long gulp and handed her the cup. She took it and placed it on the table as she sat down next to him. Harry was struck by the smell of wildflowers again.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Ginny asked.
Harry started to shake his head 'no', but something inside stopped him. For the first time since the nightmares had begun, he wanted to talk about it. Ron and Hermione had tried dozens of times to get him to open up, but he had refused. Now, he felt like he'd burst into a million pieces if he didn't tell Ginny, and only Ginny.
"I dreamed I was at the ministry. Sirius was fighting Bellatrix and she laughed. I remembered that she had laughed right before—," Harry couldn't get the words out and Ginny grabbed his hand. Harry squeezed it and continued. "I remembered that she had laughed right before he fell through the Veil. I tried to find someone to help him and I found Lupin. Lupin just stood there, smiling, like nothing was wrong. Then Sirius fell and Lupin turned to me and told me it was all my fault. Tonks came then and said I'd killed her cousin. Then Ron showed up, telling me I should've gotten Dumbledore and Hermione appeared, telling me that I always had to save everyone. I wanted to tell them I'm sorry, but I couldn't get it out, Ginny, because everything they said was true! It's my fault Sirius is dead!"
Harry didn't realize he'd been crying until he stopped talking and saw his vision was blurry. He wiped his hand across his face and hesitantly looked over at Ginny. He didn't want to see the look in her eyes that told him she agreed with what everyone in his dream said to him. Ginny's eyes, however, were filled with unshed tears. Harry looked away and tried to pull his hand from her grasp, She doesn't want to tell me the dream was right. She's too nice to tell me that Sirius' death was my fault.
Ginny held fast to Harry's hand as he tried to pull away. She swallowed back her own tears: this was about Harry, not her. "Harry, look at me." He refused to turn around so she gently, but firmly, grasped his chin and turned his head towards her. She stared into his eyes and her heart squeezed painfully as she realized Harry truly thought he was to blame.
"Harry, nothing that happened was your fault. You loved Sirius so much that you tried to save him and Sirius loved you so much that he tried to save you. Neither of you could have known that Voldemort had tricked you."
"But, Ginny, I—"
"No. Sirius' death wasn't your fault. If you thought Hermione or Ron was in danger you would go after them. And you'd do it because you love them. And if I thought my mum, my dad, my brothers, or Hermione, or you were in danger, I wouldn't stop until I'd found you. And I know that they'd all do the same for you. So, you see, Harry, you can't blame yourself. No one else does. You do what you have to when you think someone you love is in danger."
Ginny stopped talking and looked at Harry. His eyes were brimming with tears and one by one they started to fall. Ginny wrapped Harry in a hug and just held him. Harry's shoulders shook with unspent grief and heartache. Ginny just kept holding him with one hand on his back and the other smoothing his hair down. They sat like that for an hour until Harry's tears subsided. He slowly sat up and cleaned his glasses, afraid to look at Ginny. He finally mustered up the nerve to glance at her and she smiled at him. "Let me grab a blanket and you can sleep here on the couch for tonight."
Harry nodded, too exhausted and embarrassed to argue. Ginny got up and pulled a thick blanket off a nearby chair. She opened it up and laid it across Harry, who leaned back against the pillow she'd given him earlier. His eyes started to close and Ginny got up quietly, "Goodnight, Harry."
As she started to walk away, Harry reached up and grabbed her hand. "Will you sit with me a while?"
Ginny simply nodded, unable to speak. She perched on the edge of the couch as Harry took up most of it on his own. He gave her a small smile and she soon heard his deep, even breathing. She smiled to herself when she realized that he was still holding her hand.
