Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, brilliantly created by J.K.
Rowling. Most situations are based on those created by J.K. Rowling.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Ron Finds Out
Even with Harry and Ginny's new declaration, they still didn't tell Ron. When Harry got out of the hospital wing, Ginny's O.W.L.'s were in full swing and then there never seemed to be a good time. When Harry suggested the train ride home, Ginny negated the idea. "You need to have a place to hide," she said. So it was that another summer began and Ron still had no knowledge of his best friend and his sister.
At King's Cross Station, Harry gave Ginny a simple hug then went to say good-bye to Ron and Hermione, who appeared glued together.
"I'm going to miss you," Ron said to her.
"I'll miss you too," said Hermione.
"You have to come see us this summer," he said, and he kissed her. "Soon."
"Of course," said Hermione, and she kissed him again.
Harry, though not crazy about witnessing his best friends' public displays of affection, approached them. "All right, break it up!" he said. "Come on, your parents are waiting."
Hermione and Ron reluctantly parted and walked to their families. Harry met Mad Eye Moody, who was still instructed to escort Harry to his locations. "You ready?" he asked. Harry nodded, and with a wave to his friends and a small wink to Ginny, he set off for the Dursleys.
* * *
By August Harry had had enough. Out of his slump from the summer before, Harry quickly bored of life without Ron, Hermione and especially Ginny. He wrote her everyday, and she wrote him everyday. He kept the letters well hidden, so as to avoid interception (and subsequent teasing) from Dudley. Harry chose not to mention that Dudley now had a very unpleasant girlfriend, though Harry thought she was only dating Dudley because she was scared of getting beat up if she broke up with him.
However, all was going well, for that evening, Mad Eye Moody, Tonks, Remus Lupin, and Kingsley Shacklebolt were coming to take Harry to the Burrow. They still occupied 12 Grimmauld Place. Harry had named Lupin in charge of the house until he was old enough to deal with it, and he reminded himself that in just a little under a year he would be 18 years old, and that he never had to spend another summer with the Dursley family.
That night, as he was getting ready to go, he heard a knock on the door. "Come in," he said, expecting Dudley. Instead, the skinny figure of his Aunt Petunia came through the door.
"Hello Harry," she said awkwardly. The two of them rarely shared a word without interception from Uncle Vernon. "Can you sit down for a moment?"
"Okay," Harry said, not sure what he should expect.
"I've been meaning to tell you something, Harry," Petunia started. "And it's not easy for me to say, especially not in front of Vernon."
"What?" Harry asked, now very intrigued.
"I just wanted to say to you that you're very much like your mother and father, and that's a compliment," said Petunia, "even coming from me. I may not have been very fond of your father, but the truth was that he was always fairly nice to me, and when he felt like playing a trick on me, your mother always stuck up for me first. She didn't defend him. She always told me that was because I was her sister, and that always came first."
"Okay," Harry said slowly. "How come you never said anything to me before?"
"As you know quite well, I am not fond of your world, Harry. I probably never will be. You see, I was always rather jealous, I suppose, when my sister got her admissions letter. Of course, we had never heard of Hogwarts before, but we had always both been very interested in magic. We always had magicians at our birthday parties. But when I didn't get accepted into Hogwarts like your mother did, I rejected all of it."
Harry nodded. "Go on," he said. He was starting to see his Aunt Petunia in a new light.
"And then your mother and father got killed," said Petunia. "And that only made me angrier. That's why I haven't been the best caregiver for you. And that's why I kept it from you until you got your letter. You see, Harry, I didn't want you to meet the same fate as your mother. And I was almost afraid to like you, so I let myself turn away from you, and despise you."
"Why are you telling me all this now?"
"You're leaving tonight," said Petunia, "and you won't be back, I assume?"
"That was the plan," said Harry.
"Well, I thought you should know," said Petunia. "That I don't hate you. And I realize that you probably hate me, and Vernon and Dudley, and that's to be expected. You don't have to stop hating us, if that's what you want. But I am apologizing for my own behavior, and I do hope you'll forgive me."
Harry looked at Petunia, who looked at Harry expectantly. "I don't know," he said. "I have to think about it."
"I understand," said Petunia, but she looked disappointed. "Please keep in touch though Harry. At least with me."
"Okay," said Harry, but he wasn't sure he would.
When Petunia reached the door, she turned and said one last thing, "Good- bye Harry."
"Good-bye."
* * *
Harry arrived at the Burrow the next morning after a long and exhausting detour on broomstick. "Security is up, Harry," said Mad Eye as they flew. "Got to be on guard, you know." When they finally touched down in the Burrow, all Harry wanted was to see Ginny, and then take a long shower and a nap.
When he entered the house, he saw Mrs. Weasley sitting on the couch with Hermione. A large photo album was spread across their laps, and Hermione was laughing as Mrs. Weasley pointed out old pictures of Ron. "Oh, and here's where he took his first steps!" Mrs. Weasley gushed. "I remember it so well. It was right after Ginny was born. The poor dear was probably looking for attention!" Hermione laughed with her and they turned the page.
"Hello," said Harry, startling them.
"Harry! It's good to see you!" Hermione exclaimed, and she stood to hug her friend. Mrs. Weasley hugged him as well.
"Yes, dear, it IS good to see you. You look famished. Are you tired?" she asked.
"A bit," Harry admitted.
"Let me just call Ginny down here, and then we'll see about putting you in Ron's room to rest," Mrs. Weasley said, and she called for Ginny.
"Harry!" Ginny squealed when she saw him, and she ran into his arms and hugged him, almost knocking him over. He squeezed her back and smiled, thrilled to see her after their long absence. "I've missed you so much!"
"Missed you more," Harry said, and he went to kiss her, but stopped.
"It's okay, mum knows," said Ginny. "She's the only one."
"And me," said Hermione.
"Okay then," said Harry, and he kissed her.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" came a sudden yell. Harry and Ginny pulled apart and everyone in the room turned to see Ron standing on the steps.
"Ron!" Harry exclaimed. "I can explain."
"I don't think you have to explain," said Harry. "It's clear you were kissing my sister. And it's clear this was not the first time."
"No," said Ginny. "It's not the first time."
"How long has this been going on?" Ron asked.
"Since the day after Valentine's," Hermione threw in.
"Six months?! You mean to tell me this has been going on for-" Ron stopped when he realized who had spoken. He turned on Hermione. "Wait a minute! YOU knew?! You knew and you didn't tell me?!"
"Ron, I promised them I wouldn't!" Hermione exclaimed. She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the outraged expression on Ron's face.
"Well, this is just great!" he cried. "My best friend is snogging my sister, and my girlfriend is keeping secrets from me!"
"Ron, listen," said Harry. "I have no bad intentions towards Ginny. Come on, you know me."
"Yes, Ron," Mrs. Weasley put in. "Don't you think you know Harry well enough to know his intentions are honorable? They ARE, aren't they?" Harry nodded.
"You're always on HIS side!" Ron exclaimed. "I'm your son!"
"Oh, Ron, stop being such a loon!" Hermione exclaimed. "Why can't you be happy for them? I should think you wouldn't be so hypocritical."
"What does that mean?" Ron asked.
"It means that you know what it's like to be in love," said Hermione. "Can't you use your own feelings to imagine what Harry and Ginny feel like?" To prove her point she walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek, which still managed to make him blush.
He smiled, "So you two are in love, huh?" he asked. Harry and Ginny nodded. "Well, then I guess I should congratulate you."
Harry and Ginny relaxed as Ron came over to them. He first hugged his sister, and then shook Harry's hand. "And if it has to be someone, then I suppose you're the best man."
"Thanks, Ron," said Harry.
"See, that wasn't so bad was it?" Hermione asked. Her question was directed mostly at Harry and Ginny, whom she had pleaded with for months to tell Ron. The guilty couple shook their heads.
They heard a small sob from the other side of the room. They looked and saw Mrs. Weasley wipe a tear from her face. "Oh, mum, why are you crying?" Ginny asked.
"It's just that, all my children are so grown up!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "And so happy!"
"That's nothing to cry about!" Ron exclaimed, and then he noticed the photo album sitting on the table. "Mum? What's this doing out?"
"What?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking up. "Oh, I was just showing Hermione the family album."
"MUM!" Ron bellowed, turning red. "There are naked pictures of me in there!"
"When you were two years old, Ron," said Mrs. Weasley.
"STILL! It's embarrassing!"
"Oh, Ron, don't be such a baby," said Mrs. Weasley, and then she seemed to get an idea. "Where's the camera?"
"Right here mum," Ginny said, producing it from a shelf. "Here you go."
Mrs. Weasley took the camera. "Okay, now, I want to add some new pictures to the album," she said. "So I want all four of you to sit right here." Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron all squeezed in on the couch.
"Now, smile!" said Mrs. Weasley and she snapped the picture. When it was added to the Weasley family album the next day, it showed four very happy people (and it was clear who was in love with who from the looks they gave each other) hopeful and anticipating their future.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Ron Finds Out
Even with Harry and Ginny's new declaration, they still didn't tell Ron. When Harry got out of the hospital wing, Ginny's O.W.L.'s were in full swing and then there never seemed to be a good time. When Harry suggested the train ride home, Ginny negated the idea. "You need to have a place to hide," she said. So it was that another summer began and Ron still had no knowledge of his best friend and his sister.
At King's Cross Station, Harry gave Ginny a simple hug then went to say good-bye to Ron and Hermione, who appeared glued together.
"I'm going to miss you," Ron said to her.
"I'll miss you too," said Hermione.
"You have to come see us this summer," he said, and he kissed her. "Soon."
"Of course," said Hermione, and she kissed him again.
Harry, though not crazy about witnessing his best friends' public displays of affection, approached them. "All right, break it up!" he said. "Come on, your parents are waiting."
Hermione and Ron reluctantly parted and walked to their families. Harry met Mad Eye Moody, who was still instructed to escort Harry to his locations. "You ready?" he asked. Harry nodded, and with a wave to his friends and a small wink to Ginny, he set off for the Dursleys.
* * *
By August Harry had had enough. Out of his slump from the summer before, Harry quickly bored of life without Ron, Hermione and especially Ginny. He wrote her everyday, and she wrote him everyday. He kept the letters well hidden, so as to avoid interception (and subsequent teasing) from Dudley. Harry chose not to mention that Dudley now had a very unpleasant girlfriend, though Harry thought she was only dating Dudley because she was scared of getting beat up if she broke up with him.
However, all was going well, for that evening, Mad Eye Moody, Tonks, Remus Lupin, and Kingsley Shacklebolt were coming to take Harry to the Burrow. They still occupied 12 Grimmauld Place. Harry had named Lupin in charge of the house until he was old enough to deal with it, and he reminded himself that in just a little under a year he would be 18 years old, and that he never had to spend another summer with the Dursley family.
That night, as he was getting ready to go, he heard a knock on the door. "Come in," he said, expecting Dudley. Instead, the skinny figure of his Aunt Petunia came through the door.
"Hello Harry," she said awkwardly. The two of them rarely shared a word without interception from Uncle Vernon. "Can you sit down for a moment?"
"Okay," Harry said, not sure what he should expect.
"I've been meaning to tell you something, Harry," Petunia started. "And it's not easy for me to say, especially not in front of Vernon."
"What?" Harry asked, now very intrigued.
"I just wanted to say to you that you're very much like your mother and father, and that's a compliment," said Petunia, "even coming from me. I may not have been very fond of your father, but the truth was that he was always fairly nice to me, and when he felt like playing a trick on me, your mother always stuck up for me first. She didn't defend him. She always told me that was because I was her sister, and that always came first."
"Okay," Harry said slowly. "How come you never said anything to me before?"
"As you know quite well, I am not fond of your world, Harry. I probably never will be. You see, I was always rather jealous, I suppose, when my sister got her admissions letter. Of course, we had never heard of Hogwarts before, but we had always both been very interested in magic. We always had magicians at our birthday parties. But when I didn't get accepted into Hogwarts like your mother did, I rejected all of it."
Harry nodded. "Go on," he said. He was starting to see his Aunt Petunia in a new light.
"And then your mother and father got killed," said Petunia. "And that only made me angrier. That's why I haven't been the best caregiver for you. And that's why I kept it from you until you got your letter. You see, Harry, I didn't want you to meet the same fate as your mother. And I was almost afraid to like you, so I let myself turn away from you, and despise you."
"Why are you telling me all this now?"
"You're leaving tonight," said Petunia, "and you won't be back, I assume?"
"That was the plan," said Harry.
"Well, I thought you should know," said Petunia. "That I don't hate you. And I realize that you probably hate me, and Vernon and Dudley, and that's to be expected. You don't have to stop hating us, if that's what you want. But I am apologizing for my own behavior, and I do hope you'll forgive me."
Harry looked at Petunia, who looked at Harry expectantly. "I don't know," he said. "I have to think about it."
"I understand," said Petunia, but she looked disappointed. "Please keep in touch though Harry. At least with me."
"Okay," said Harry, but he wasn't sure he would.
When Petunia reached the door, she turned and said one last thing, "Good- bye Harry."
"Good-bye."
* * *
Harry arrived at the Burrow the next morning after a long and exhausting detour on broomstick. "Security is up, Harry," said Mad Eye as they flew. "Got to be on guard, you know." When they finally touched down in the Burrow, all Harry wanted was to see Ginny, and then take a long shower and a nap.
When he entered the house, he saw Mrs. Weasley sitting on the couch with Hermione. A large photo album was spread across their laps, and Hermione was laughing as Mrs. Weasley pointed out old pictures of Ron. "Oh, and here's where he took his first steps!" Mrs. Weasley gushed. "I remember it so well. It was right after Ginny was born. The poor dear was probably looking for attention!" Hermione laughed with her and they turned the page.
"Hello," said Harry, startling them.
"Harry! It's good to see you!" Hermione exclaimed, and she stood to hug her friend. Mrs. Weasley hugged him as well.
"Yes, dear, it IS good to see you. You look famished. Are you tired?" she asked.
"A bit," Harry admitted.
"Let me just call Ginny down here, and then we'll see about putting you in Ron's room to rest," Mrs. Weasley said, and she called for Ginny.
"Harry!" Ginny squealed when she saw him, and she ran into his arms and hugged him, almost knocking him over. He squeezed her back and smiled, thrilled to see her after their long absence. "I've missed you so much!"
"Missed you more," Harry said, and he went to kiss her, but stopped.
"It's okay, mum knows," said Ginny. "She's the only one."
"And me," said Hermione.
"Okay then," said Harry, and he kissed her.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" came a sudden yell. Harry and Ginny pulled apart and everyone in the room turned to see Ron standing on the steps.
"Ron!" Harry exclaimed. "I can explain."
"I don't think you have to explain," said Harry. "It's clear you were kissing my sister. And it's clear this was not the first time."
"No," said Ginny. "It's not the first time."
"How long has this been going on?" Ron asked.
"Since the day after Valentine's," Hermione threw in.
"Six months?! You mean to tell me this has been going on for-" Ron stopped when he realized who had spoken. He turned on Hermione. "Wait a minute! YOU knew?! You knew and you didn't tell me?!"
"Ron, I promised them I wouldn't!" Hermione exclaimed. She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the outraged expression on Ron's face.
"Well, this is just great!" he cried. "My best friend is snogging my sister, and my girlfriend is keeping secrets from me!"
"Ron, listen," said Harry. "I have no bad intentions towards Ginny. Come on, you know me."
"Yes, Ron," Mrs. Weasley put in. "Don't you think you know Harry well enough to know his intentions are honorable? They ARE, aren't they?" Harry nodded.
"You're always on HIS side!" Ron exclaimed. "I'm your son!"
"Oh, Ron, stop being such a loon!" Hermione exclaimed. "Why can't you be happy for them? I should think you wouldn't be so hypocritical."
"What does that mean?" Ron asked.
"It means that you know what it's like to be in love," said Hermione. "Can't you use your own feelings to imagine what Harry and Ginny feel like?" To prove her point she walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek, which still managed to make him blush.
He smiled, "So you two are in love, huh?" he asked. Harry and Ginny nodded. "Well, then I guess I should congratulate you."
Harry and Ginny relaxed as Ron came over to them. He first hugged his sister, and then shook Harry's hand. "And if it has to be someone, then I suppose you're the best man."
"Thanks, Ron," said Harry.
"See, that wasn't so bad was it?" Hermione asked. Her question was directed mostly at Harry and Ginny, whom she had pleaded with for months to tell Ron. The guilty couple shook their heads.
They heard a small sob from the other side of the room. They looked and saw Mrs. Weasley wipe a tear from her face. "Oh, mum, why are you crying?" Ginny asked.
"It's just that, all my children are so grown up!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "And so happy!"
"That's nothing to cry about!" Ron exclaimed, and then he noticed the photo album sitting on the table. "Mum? What's this doing out?"
"What?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking up. "Oh, I was just showing Hermione the family album."
"MUM!" Ron bellowed, turning red. "There are naked pictures of me in there!"
"When you were two years old, Ron," said Mrs. Weasley.
"STILL! It's embarrassing!"
"Oh, Ron, don't be such a baby," said Mrs. Weasley, and then she seemed to get an idea. "Where's the camera?"
"Right here mum," Ginny said, producing it from a shelf. "Here you go."
Mrs. Weasley took the camera. "Okay, now, I want to add some new pictures to the album," she said. "So I want all four of you to sit right here." Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron all squeezed in on the couch.
"Now, smile!" said Mrs. Weasley and she snapped the picture. When it was added to the Weasley family album the next day, it showed four very happy people (and it was clear who was in love with who from the looks they gave each other) hopeful and anticipating their future.