Don't get excited. This isn't a new chapter, we merely found a few things that needed ironing out and then decided to combine the two chapters into one. Thanks always for all the excellent reviews!
And we're totally, completely, utterly unable to write anything short! Hold on to your Sugar Quills! This is another long one! This one is, however, designated to be romance driven, where as "the Heir of Merlin" is plot driven. There is a plot, (Surprised? Yeah, us too) but it's pretty basic.
Oh, in case you haven't noticed this is a dual-authored fic. The original plot bunny came from Kayla, Kat wrote the first chapter, and we'll collaborate from here on out. We will think up a suitable name for ourselves . . . eventually . . . but for now just enjoy the story!
Kat and Kayla
Rating: PG-13. This means if you're not older than 13 years old . . . skedaddle! Shoo! Go on, out wit' ye! :)
~*~*~*~
The moon was making its stately journey across the sky before Harry finally made his way back to the castle. Truthfully he didn't feel much better, but also knew that if he didn't return soon Sirius would hunt him down.
Harry opened the door silently and quickly stowed his broom in the closet before creeping up the stairs, careful not to make any noise.
"Nice of you to finally come home," Sirius' voice remarked from behind him. Harry started guiltily and spun to face his godfather. Sirius leaned casually against banister at the base of the marble stair, watching Harry intently.
"Sorry I took longer than I thought. I didn't want to worry anyone."
Sirius climbed the stairs towards where Harry stood and watched him carefully. "You not coming in until after midnight worries us plenty, Harry. What's wrong?"
"I just needed some time to myself." Harry shrugged off Sirius' concern and made his way up to his bedroom, knowing full well Sirius didn't believe him.
~*~
The night didn't pass peacefully for Harry. He tossed and turned relentlessly. Truly he felt slightly betrayed. He'd admired Ginny Weasley for almost four and a half years and Neville knew it! On the other hand, between defeating Voldemort and mopping up the last of the Death Eaters Harry hadn't allowed himself the luxury of settling down or even a steady girlfriend yet. He'd always told himself, and everyone else, his life was too unstable and dangerous.
Even after nearly nine years in the wizarding world, love was still a somewhat foreign emotion to Harry Potter. He'd avoided romantic entanglements even after the War because he'd decided to continue the fight as an Auror and, he realized, even the best Aurors don't always come home. Rather than abandoning a girlfriend or wife, Harry simply toasted his friends' happiness and kept himself carefully apart.
Harry wanted a normal life. He could admit that much to himself. But he didn't resent Neville! He didn't! Well, maybe a little.
He groaned into his pillow and wished for oblivion.
~*~
Oblivion ended at dawn as sunlight filtered through his drawn curtains and Harry dragged himself back into consciousness. Realizing there was nothing for it but to greet the insufferably cheerful morning, Harry grabbed his glasses and pulled on his robe over his boxers. He pointedly ignored his dressing mirror's well-meant advice and headed for the kitchen.
Harry arrived in the kitchen, greeted Morgaine distractedly, and waved off two of the castle house elves. He pulled down a box from the cabinet, poured the contents into a bowl and proceeded to drench his breakfast in milk.
Morgaine watched Harry for a moment as he rummaged for a spoon and finally spoke just before he dug into the bowl. "Are you all right, Harry?"
Harry looked up at her. "I'm fine. Why?"
"Well, I don't fancy puppy biscuits as a tasty breakfast, but if that's what you really want . . ."
Harry looked down at his bowl in surprise and sure enough, small brown pellets of dog biscuits floated in the milk. He looked up at his box of 'cereal' in surprise. On the front there was the picture of a black dog. The dog food had been a gift from Remus to Sirius, more a joke than anything. Sirius had cheerfully responded by giving Remus a squeaky rat chew toy.
"I had a long night." Harry rubbed his eyes slowly then he stood and went to the sink. "And it looks like it's going to be a long day." He dumped the mess down the drain and rinsed his bowl out.
"Are you going to eat anything?" Morgaine asked in concern. Harry usually had the appetite of, well, a nineteen-year-old boy! She sensed something was off.
Harry shook his head. "I'm really not that hungry," he answered before slipping out the kitchen door and into the morning sunlight.
~*~
Ginny unlocked the door with her wand and opened it, leading Neville inside.
"Mum and Dad are on the Continent visiting Percy," she apologized, lighting several candles with her wand and revelling slightly in the calm quiet of her home.
"I think I can manage to cook us something without burning it. It won't be as good as Mum's, but we'll make do."
Neville smiled as he pulled her close and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Whatever you feel like making. Just don't ask me to cook anything."
It seemed that Neville's failure at Potions extended to cooking as well. Anything that required the mixing of ingredients and an open flame terrified him.
"Why don't you sit down while I make lunch?" Ginny pushed him towards the couch.
Neville pulled her down on the couch with him. He sat her in his lap and faced her towards him. "I can think of something better to do."
Ginny giggled. "Neville I need to get to the kitchen. I don't want anything spoiling." She thought of the special foods that she ordered, sort of as a celebration for their engagement. If she didn't start preparing them soon they'd spoil. Not that she minded Neville kissing her. It was just that the food had cost quite a bit of money and she was a little light on Galleons at the moment.
Neville gave her one more kiss then released her. Ginny stood up, brushing a speck of imaginary dust off her robes, and smiled at him. She moved to return to the kitchen, stopping as a loud popping noise sounded outside.
The air seemed full of the faint swishing of cloaks. Hooded figures appeared, their faces shrouded by all-too-familiar black masks.
"Death Eaters? Here?" Ginny whispered, horrified, backing towards Neville. Even at the height of the War with Voldemort, Death Eaters had never attacked the Burrow.
Neville grimly drew his wand and moved in front of Ginny. He pushed her toward the fireplace. "Go! We need to get out of here!"
"Where?" Ginny shouted, listening with horror as the doors and windows rattled under a sudden onslaught of curses.
"We need an Auror!" Neville called back, pulling the pot of floo powder off the mantelpiece and shoving it into Ginny's hands. "Or a fortress!"
"CaerMyrddin!" Ginny concluded.
~*~
Ginny and Neville stumbled out of the fireplace in the small boathouse on the shore of the lake surrounding CaerMyrddin. The protective wards prevented arriving any closer, but just visible across the misty waters stood the dense forests of the island and hid the slender spires of the castle. The emerald flames flared, heralding another arrival through the floo network, and Neville pulled Ginny out of the boathouse. Neville shoved Ginny into a nearby skiff. He pulled out his wand and used it to sever the rope tying the skiff to the dock.
"Stay down," Neville instructed as he jumped in and tapped the side of the boat twice with his wand. The boat sailed away from the dock. Neville plastered himself against the bottom of the boat, making sure that he covered Ginny, giving her as much protection as possible. They were silent as the skiff sped across the lake until Neville finally poked his head up cautiously and looked back at the far shore. The black‑cloaked figures paced restlessly.
"We made it Ginny." He straightened up and looked at the shores of CaerMyrddin, only a few hundred feet away. Neville leaned down slightly to help Ginny sit up. He never saw the middle Death Eater raise its wand and take aim at the now clear target.
"Avada Kedavra!" The cold voice shouted from the far shoreline. Green light covered Neville's body. Ginny screamed as he slumped lifelessly towards her and flattened herself against the bottom of the skiff even as the Death Eaters hurled more curses through the air. She didn't even dare move enough to slide Neville's cooling body off her own. Finally the voices died away again and the skiff bumped against the pebbled shore of the island
Ginny pushed Neville's body away a bit, still too terrified to climb out of the skiff. Tears poured down Ginny's face relentlessly until she finally allowed black oblivion to claim her mind.
~*~
Harry walked along the shoreline, stopping every few feet to pick up a rock and skip it across the surface of the lake. Cotton candy clouds partially covered the setting sun, causing golden shadows to move over the water, ground and trees. Harry watched the western sky and sighed. He should probably be getting back. It wouldn't do to have Sirius catch him coming home after midnight again.
He looked back to the beach once more.
A skiff?
What was one of the skiffs doing away from the dock? They weren't expecting any visitors that he knew of. He walked towards it cautiously, wand in hand. Harry looked into the boat and turned away just as quickly, his cheeks flushing hotly. Ginny and Neville were sleeping, peacefully unaware of their surroundings; a bit too peacefully for Harry's mind. Especially given their entangled limbs. It would be such a pity to wake them up . . . Who was he kidding? No it wouldn't. "I hate to disturb you two. But we have plenty of beds to sleep in up at the castle. I can promise they'll be more comfortable than the skiff." Plus, he added silently, there would be the added benefit of Ginny and Neville being in separate rooms. At least they would if he had any say in it. He'd stick them both at different ends of the castle and lock them in their rooms if necessary. "Harry?" Ginny called weakly, trying to sit up.
Harry turned at the sound of panic in Ginny's voice. Her eyes blinked up at him, echoing fear and terror. "Time to get up Neville," Harry said as he reached down to shake Neville awake.
Harry pulled his hand back in shock. He didn't need Ginny's crying and whispered words to let him know that Neville was dead. Anyone who'd survived a war would recognize the cold clamminess of a corpse. "What happened?"
"Death Eaters. They f . . . f . . . foll . . . lowed us from the B . . . B . . . Burrow."
Harry swore quietly. He reached down and pulled Neville's body from the skiff and then letting it drop onto the shore. At any other time he would've taken more care with the body, but right now the only thing he could think of was Ginny. He recognized the symptoms; she was in mental and physical shock and dangerously close to a breakdown. Blast it, where was Rowan when he needed her?
Harry lifted Ginny gently from the boat and cradled her in his arms. She hid her head in his robes, muffling the sobs that racked her small frame. "How long has it been?" Harry didn't want to think about the Death Eaters still being around. Ginny was in so much shock, that he wasn't sure he'd be able to defend them and keep Ginny from collapsing. "Since lunch." Seven or eight hours, Harry calculated. She'd been in that boat for seven or eight hours with a dead body on top of her. She needed a mediwizard, immediately! And, perhaps even more, she needed comfort.
"You're safe now Ginny," Harry whispered, rocking her slowly and moving carefully to settle her more securely in his arms. He doubted she could walk and he wasn't sure she'd let him conjure a stretcher for her.
Ginny looked up at him, glassy‑eyed and grateful for his understanding and nodded before her eyes rolled back in her head and she fainted for the second time that day.
~*~
Sirius watched the play of evening sunlight over the lake waters from the balcony of the master bedroom. Sirius heard whisper of silk over marble flooring behind him as Rowan joined him. "You never came down to dinner," she noted, handing him a cup of warm tea, well doctored with milk and honey. Sirius smiled in thanks and kissed her good morning. Rowan pulled away after a moment and slipped behind him, reaching up to knead his shoulders. "What's worrying you? "Sirius moaned in pleasure and carefully set the teacup aside on the marble balcony before reaching up to still and capture his wife's hands. "Rowan, love, stop."
Rowan laughed softly, loosely wrapping her arms around his neck. "Are you sure?" she asked teasingly. "You seem to be enjoying it."
"I am, Rowan, a bit too much. I'd like to keep my mind for the next hour, if you don't mind."
"Rain check then," she agreed, stretching up to lightly kiss his neck. Sirius growled softly and resisted the urge to simply sweep his beloved back into their bedroom and fulfil her offer.
"Minx," he accused. Rowan laughed and twisted him so they faced each other and Sirius leaned against the balcony. "So, what's wrong?"
Sirius sighed and pulled her closer. Rowan just held him, lightly stroking his back, as he gathered his thoughts. "Harry didn't come home until after midnight last night."
"Yes, I noticed," she nodded. "And you're worried about him?"
Sirius sighed. He hated seeing his godson in any kind of distress.
"There's nothing physically wrong with him," Rowan assured Sirius, snuggling closer into his chest. "He let me check him over this morning. I think he's just got a lot on him mind right now. He'll work it out, Sirius. And if he needs help, he'll ask."
Sirius kissed her hair. "I know. I just . . ."
"You love him," she smiled. "And he knows that. Try not to worry so much!"
"Stars, Rowan, you're wonderful," Sirius breathed, kissing her hair again, as most of his tension and worry drained away. Even after five years of marriage and over twenty years of friendship, she still amazed him. And occasionally shocked and scandalized him.
"Make it up to me later," she grinned up at him impishly before she stretched up slightly and drew him into a slow kiss. Only Harry's shout pulled them out of their private world.
~*~
Rowan and Sirius raced out of their room to find Remus, Morgaine, and several house elves clustered around the tall form of Harry Potter, who still clutched a red‑haired Ginny Weasley in his arms. Harry spotted his godparents and gave a shout of relief, almost lost in the cacophony of the house elves and the Lupin's attempting to find out what had happened.
"What in heaven's name is going on down there?" an authoritative voice thundered from the upper landing. The pandemonium in the entrance hall stilled immediately as Merlin stalked down the sweeping staircase toward them, his pale blue eyes dissecting the scene before him. "Much better," he nodded as he reached the bottom level. "Now, Harry, what is wrong with Miss Weasley?"
"I'm not sure, Grandfather!" Harry exclaimed. "Ginny said she and Neville were attacked by Death Eaters at the Burrow this afternoon!"
"Did she say why, Harry?" Remus asked calmly, wrapping a protective arm around his mate. "Where's Neville?"
"Back at the skiff." Harry choked, tears starting to prick at his brilliant green eyes. "He's dead. I couldn't carry them both."
"All right, I'll handle things from here." Rowan stepped forward and drew her wand to conjure a pair of stretchers. Harry clutched Ginny closer, protectively, and Rowan raised an eyebrow at him. "Put her on the stretcher, Harry. I can't examine her if I can't see her." Harry's lips thinned, and his chin developed a tilt Rowan remembered all too well. Rowan sighed. He was going to be one of those patients. "Harry, I'm really sorry about this. Petrificus Totalus!"
Harry stiffened, a shocked look on his face, and the conjured stretcher scuttled forward to catch his tree‑like fall. Rowan caught Ginny up with a Levitation charm and settled the unconscious girl on the other stretcher. The Mediwitch ignored Harry's baleful glares and waved her wand to catch the attention of the others in the room.
"Remus, Sirius? Go back and get Neville, please. We'll contact his family later. In fact . . . Morgaine?" Rowan turned to her sister. "Ron and Hermione. They'll want to know what happened, and from the looks of Harry we'll need them both." Morgaine nodded silently, still looking a bit shocked. Rowan smiled at her reassuringly before turning and scanning the room again. "Where is Perry?"
"I is here, Miss." A small voice squeaked from below them. Rowan looked down at her house elf.
"Perry, would you fix up a guest room for Ginny? I'll put her in with Harry for the moment. Just come get me when it's ready."
"Yes, Miss!" Perry squeaked before scampering off on her errand.
"Yes, Grandfather?" Rowan asked, turning icy eyes on her amused looking ancestor as the others summoned cloaks and scattered out the front doors.
"I find it amusing you still insist that you're not ready to lead this Clan, Granddaughter," Merlin commented. "I'll contact the other Weasleys, shall I? Or would you like help with your patients?"
"I'll manage," Rowan told him, then suddenly sagged slightly and looked at her Grandfather with slightly desperate, scared eyes. "What's happening, Grandfather? I thought this was finally over." Merlin wrapped his arms around her briefly and placed a paternal kiss on the younger witch's forehead.
"I don't know, Rowan, but we'll weather it," he assured her. "Go tend for the children. I'll send Sirius to you when he returns." Rowan hugged him back, thanking him silently for simply being there.
~*~*~*~