Ginny stared out the window of her room absently. She knew that it
was a beautiful day and that she should be out in the sunshine enjoying it,
but there was too much weighting her done for her to find much enjoyment in
anything right now.
Percy was still being a git. He had refused to apologize to her parents or even talk to mum and the others weren't making the situation any better. Ginny figured that even if Percy did ever try and make amends, their brothers would never forgive him for what he'd put mum and dad through. What happened to Percy, Ginny asked herself. She could remember when she was little how he used to read her storybooks to her and Ron. How he taught them to tie their shoes and helped them learn to read. How he'd protected them from the twins teasing whenever he could. Even in her first year at Hogwarts, Percy had tried to make time to watch out for her, despite preparing for the NEWTs and his duties as Head Boy. What had happened?
Hermione had called it Middle Child Syndrome. She said some muggle doctors studied large families and noticed that the middle child tended to be attention-starved, so they'd react in on of two ways; they'd either become the bad boy, or they'd be the really good boy. All in an effort to gain the attention of the parents. When this failed to be enough, they would seek their validation elsewhere. Percy had found his validation at the Ministry, toadying up to Minister Fudge.
But it wasn't Percy's pigheadedness that was the cause of the cloud that hovered over this summer. No this problem stared her back in the face with a pair of emerald green eyes. Eyes that could swallow her soul and never be full. The eyes of Harry Potter.
Ginny remembered the first time she'd seen Harry. It was September the 1st five years ago, when they were at King's Cross seeing Ron off to his first year at Hogwarts. A young boy had come up and asked her mum how to get to Platform 9 and ¾. Neither Ginny nor her mum had known that young boy was Harry Potter at the time, but something inside Ginny had awoken that day.
Ginny had always been slightly obsessed with Harry Potter. Okay, maybe more than slightly. Anyway, what do you expect when he was the hero of the wizarding world and he was the favorite bedtime story of choice? Ginny had started out with a massive dose of hero worship, but under that was something different, something deeper. She hadn't understood it and she'd made a fool out of herself chasing after Harry. That singing valentine had been easy enough to pawn off as a Fred and George prank, so no one would ever know that she really sent it. But the blushing, the stammering and the disconcerting habit she had of sticking her elbow in the butter dish anytime Harry spoke to her gave her away.
Ginny finally got a clue after her first year, when Harry had saved her life. She didn't like to talk about the Chamber of Secrets, it brought up too many bad memories, but there was one memory that Ginny never wanted to forget; waking up to a pair of troubled green eyes hovering over her. That had been the pivotal moment in the life of Ginny Weasley. She'd read concern and affection in those eyes, but not love. That was the moment when she realized she'd found another brother, not the man of her dreams.
She'd tried to get over the crush, she really had. She thought she'd put it behind her this past year. She'd been able to look at Harry without blushing, talk to him without stammering and her elbow had never even approached a butter dish. She'd had her first boyfriend, even if he hadn't lasted, and she hadn't gotten jealous at Harry's attempt to date Cho Chang. So she was over him, right?
Wrong. Down in the Department of Mysteries, as she and Ron and Luna had run for their lives all she could think of was Harry. Not Hermione or Neville, just Harry. It struck her afterward that she wasn't over him. The crush had grown into something deeper, more substantial, lasting. She, Virginia Weasley was now officially in love with Harry Potter. And there was nothing to do about it except live with it.
Ginny knew that Harry didn't love her, he couldn't love her. Not when he was attracted to women like Cho Chang, even though he wasn't going out with her anymore. Cho was exotically beautiful, while Ginny was plain at best. Her hair was too bright, she had too many freckle and her skin was pale. It never tanned, it just got burned if she stayed out in the sun too long. She had a decent figure, but she couldn't afford the nice robes the other girls had to show it off. In the end, she knew that Harry Potter would love her back in return when Malfoy and Snape danced the tango in the Great Hall at dinner while dressed in pink tutus. Hmm, maybe I should ask Fred and George about that, Ginny thought mischievously. They're always up for a challenge.
Speaking of challenges, Ginny's eyes were drawn to the stack of books on her desk. Hermione had loaded her down with the books she'd used to study for the OWLs before they had left school for the summer. After hearing how rough the fifth year had been, Ginny wanted to get ahead on her OWL studying. At least she was ahead in her Defense studies. The work they had done for the DA had really paid off in the OWLs according to Hermione and Ron. Harry hadn't said much about them, or about anything else that had happened at the end of term.
That was what worried Ginny the most. Harry was always the quiet one of the group, what with Hermione and Ron's constant bickering how could he not be. But there was something about his silence that bothered her. He was holding something in and Ginny wasn't sure what it was. All she knew was that it was something big, something that could change his life and the lives of those around him forever. But being Harry, he would pile it on himself and not let anyone else help him. His worst nightmare was to have someone else die for him, that was why Cedric's death had affected him so profoundly.
And if Cedric's death had affected Harry so profoundly, what had Sirius' death done to him? Ginny had been worried all year that Harry was starting to become . unstable. Umbridge and the restrictions and punishments she had levied had chipped away at Harry. Ginny had seen him come back after a detention with her one night clutching his hand. She'd seen Hermione confront him and provide him with a balm for the cuts there. At that point, Ginny had gathered her books to head to the dorm, carefully making her way past Harry in order to catch a glimpse of his hand. She'd nearly gasped in horror as she saw the bloody mess on the back of his hand, but had restrained herself. What had that evil woman done to Harry? On the train home, when Harry had joined the DA members briefly in their compartment on the train, Ginny had managed another glimpse at the back of his hand. It had looked like words had been carved into it. When Harry left the compartment, Ginny had shivered in horror. What could have caused that?
Ginny stood up from her seat by the window and stretched slowly, popping as many of her joints as she could to relieve some of her tension. All this worrying was stressing her out. She'd begun having nightmares again, but this time they weren't of Tom and the Chamber. Now they were of Harry and Voldemort, or Harry as he'd watched Sirius fall through the Veil. Mum had held off commenting about the bags under her eyes, but Ginny knew that something had to change or she'd be headed for a breakdown sooner or later.
Maybe they'll put me in the padded room next to Harry, Ginny mused as she cracked open one of the books Hermione had given her. After all, he's bound to have a nervous breakdown before I do. Maybe I can make a move on him there. Ginny smiled bitterly before flinging herself onto her bed and starting to read. She had a lot of studying to do.
* * * *
Ron Weasley heaved the last gnome over the garden wall and collapsed on a nearby stump with a sigh. Normally the gnome's frantic squeal of right as it flew through the air would have given him some amusement, but this summer it had begun to pall. In fact, Ron was finding it difficult to take pleasure in most things, after the battle in the Department of Mysteries. He still had to go into St. Mungo's for weekly checkups to ensure that no permanent harm had been caused to him by the flying brain.
Flying brain or not, Ron knew that the real problem was what to do about Harry. Mum and Dad had been arguing about it since he and Ginny had come home for the summer. Mum wanted to move him someplace safer than the Dursley's, as she still didn't trust them to treat Harry right. And with the Dursley's track record, who could blame her? Dad had countered that with the threats that he, Mad Eye Mooney and Tonks had made to Vernon Dursley at King's Cross, even the Dursley's would think twice about doing anything to Harry. Mum had returned fire with a statement that not treating him badly did not mean that they were treating him right. The argument had gone back and forth until Dad had let it slip that Professor Lupin would be moving Harry from the Dursley's soon anyway. Mum had been ecstatic and wanted to know where, but Dad had professed ignorance. He said only Lupin and Dumbledore knew ahead of time.
Ron was of mixed emotions about the Order moving Harry. He knew that if they tried to take him back to Grimmauld Place, there'd be hell to pay. Ron didn't think Harry would be able to stay cooped up there like Sirius had. Especially since Sirius had. That place would bring a multitude of bad memories to the forefront of Harry's mind and that was the last thing he needed right now.
Many people over the years had called Ron unobservant and thick. While this was partially true, it was mainly because he didn't think most of the things he noticed were worth his attention Then there were things that were worth his attention, like Harry. Harry had been his best friend since that first day on the train when he'd told Malfoy off for making fun of Ron's family. And Ron knew Harry better than anyone, even Hermione. Okay, so Ron had acted like a complete and utter prat from time to time. Big deal. He knew what Harry must be doing to himself shut up in that house with those horrid muggles and he knew it would only get worse if he had to live in the cloud of memories that hung over Grimmauld Place.
What Harry needed now was a way to loosen up. Harry hadn't been able to do much for fun during the last school year, mainly due to Umbridge kicking him off the Quidditch team, and his joke of a relationship with Cho Chang hadn't helped any either. Yes, let those who might call Ron Weasley an unobservant git beware, because he had known from the time he first saw them together at Hogwarts last year talking that they were completely wrong for each other.
Cho was still trying to bury Cedric's memory and thought that by using Harry, she could lay her grief to rest. That hadn't worked, though, because she hadn't realized that she was the first girl Harry had ever even considered going out with. He had no more clue than Ron did about how to treat a girl on a date. Hell, a least Ron had the benefit of four older brothers to turn to for advice, if he could trust Fred and George that is. But Cho had expected Harry to be a pro at dating. After all, he was the Boy Who Lived, wasn't he? Surely he must have had numerous girlfriends before, right?
No, Cho wasn't the right girl for Harry. He needed someone who knew the real him. Someone who could comfort him when he had the nightmares, talk to him about common hobbies and argue with him to pull him out of his funks. There were only two people who knew Harry well enough to fit the bill: Hermione and Ginny. Better make that just Ginny, Ron amended silently. For some reason the thought of Harry dating Hermione made his stomach twist. The thought of them snogging in a broom closet or unused classroom made him want to lose his lunch. No, better go with Ginny then. Maybe Hermione had some ideas how to make them see it.
Ron heaved himself off the stump and headed into the Burrow and up to his room. He had to figure out a good way of asking Hermione for her help. After all, he couldn't just come out and say "Let's get Harry and Ginny together for a good snog," now could he?
* * * *
Hermione frowned at the note in her hand, while Pigwidgeon hooted shrilly from atop one of her bookshelves. Honestly, she thought, sometimes Ron could be such a prat. "Harry and Ginny both need a good snog, how about helping me get them together," indeed. Hermione was sure Ron had more tact than to come out and write something like that where anyone could have found it. Even if it was true.
After all, Hermione was also worried about Harry. Ginny too, to a lesser extent. Ginny was a girl and better able to take care of herself, after all. Though, to be honest, Hermione had worried about Ginny for a long time. Ginny was one of the few close female friends she'd ever had and her behavior over the last year had worried Hermione. Ginny had been almost desperate to prove that she was over Harry. Going out with Michael Corner, why even Hermione knew that he was no good and she wasn't exactly attuned to the Hogwarts gossip tree. She'd learned that from listen to Parvati and Lavender while they'd been doing each other's hair one night. Even Ron had known there was something not quite right about the boy, and he was thicker than a cauldron bottom. Of course, it could have been his brotherly instinct that no boy was good enough for his little sister, but Hermione doubted it. Ron could be a very good judge of character as long as he didn't let his emotions get in the way. Now if he could only notice what was right in front of his face.
Hermione shook herself before she headed down that trail of thought. She wouldn't be able to get anything done if she started fantasizing again. She'd been wondering when Ron would broach the subject of Harry and Ginny to her. The furtive looks he'd given the two of them on the train home had been a clue. Especially after Ginny had let him know that she'd broken up with Michael Corner. She'd made some noises about asking Dean Thomas out, but Hermione knew that was just a smokescreen to deflect Ron. Ginny knew as well as Hermione that Dean Thomas was head over heels for Parvati, though she was letting him suffer a bit before agreeing to go out with him. A girl has to have her fun after all.
Hermione knew that Ginny still had strong feelings for Harry, despite her protests that she was over him. She wasn't about to tell Ron that, but he seemed to have figured that out on his own. Maybe he wasn't as dense as Hermione thought he was. The big question was whether or not Harry would cooperate with any plan to get him together with Ginny. Hermione agreed with Ron's logic about the two of them. They really did need to have a good relationship and they both needed someone they could relax around. Hermione had been astonished with how comfortable Ginny had been around Harry last year. She'd even yelled at him when he'd disregarded her experience with Voldemort without a thought. Yes, she had definitely come out of her shell and she was the kind of person that Harry needed. She could definitely keep that boy on his toes.
The only big question to be answered was the how. Ron had told her that Harry was leaving the Dursley's for some undisclosed location soon. Maybe they'd let him get owl post there. After all, neither Ron nor Hermione had heard from him since they'd last seen him at King's Cross. Hermione hoped she would be able to send him a letter soon . and maybe that was the best way to get things started. Get Ginny and Harry corresponding to each other. Ginny knew a great deal about Harry, but Harry knew almost nothing about Ginny and letters would be a good way to get them to know each other better.
Unfortunately, the next stage would require them being in the same place together for some time, Hermione thought as she began to sketch out an outline. We need to get them together in some kind of setting where they can actually talk. Social setting would be bad since Harry would constantly be approached by well wishers. No, a more private setting would be required. But all this hinged on where Harry was going to stay until school started and whether or not he was allowed visitors.
Hermione busily drafted out possible ideas and scratched out the more preposterous ones. Pigwidgeon watched from the bookshelf with amusement. Wizards are strange, he thought to himself before settling down to wait for a return message as his master had told him to.
* * * *
Morning had rolled around on Privet Drive and Harry sat in the living room with his trunk packed in solitude. When he'd told his Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia that someone was coming to pick him up the next morning at seven, they'd quickly packed their bags and declared they were going to take Dudley on a trip to see Aunt Marge. Harry hadn't said a word, but let the amusement show on his face as they scurried away like rats from the coming cat.
Slightly before seven, a knock sounded at the door and Harry got up to answer it. He wasn't surprised to see Remus Lupin standing there, but seeing Tonks with him was a bit of a surprise. He stepped aside to allow them to move inside before the neighbors became too curious. After all, if he still had to call this home for the next few years, there was no point in antagonizing his aunt and uncle more than necessary.
Lupin looked older than Harry remembered him being. The gray in his hair was more pronounced and there were deep lines radiating out from his eyes. He looked like he'd gone through hell recently. Guiltily, Harry realized that losing Sirius must have hurt him as much as it had hurt Harry. It surprised everyone, even Harry that while Tonks closed the door behind her, Harry had engulfed Lupin in a tight hug. Lupin was startled, but returned the hug after a moment. Hesitantly at first, but it became stronger as he realized he was the only family Harry had left.
Tonks moved around them carefully, trying not to disturb them. She'd been very worried about Remus lately. Sirius' death had hit him harder than he let on, but Tonks and Sirius had been close enough to hear a lot of stories about the werewolf and the life he'd led. She knew that Sirius was one of the few friends Remus had in his life and she was determined to change that. In fact, she intended to be more than friend to him.
Harry hadn't planned on grabbing Remus like this, but he hadn't counted on how glad he would be to see him. Remus was the last link he had to his parents, the last of the Marauders since Peter had betrayed everyone. From his first look at Remus' face, Harry had known that he was not alone in his pain. That had broken the barrier of grief Harry had formed to keep everyone at arm's length. He wasn't crying, but he knew that would happen soon if he didn't let go. So he relaxed his grip on Remus, feeling the older man ease his grip as well.
"It's good to see you again, Professor Lupin," Harry managed in a slightly choked voice.
"It's good to see you as well, Harry," Remus replied, "but how many times do I have to remind you that I am not your professor and to call me Remus?"
"At least one more time," Harry replied with a weak grin. They shared a laugh at the joke and moved out into the living room. Harry sat down on the couch as his two visitors shifted nervously on their feet. His body tightened and he asked, "So where were you planning on taking me?"
Remus noted the hard edge on his voice and was suddenly glad he'd talked Dumbledore out of housing him back at the headquarters. "We've been prepping a place for the last month or so, Harry," Remus replied. "It's my family's old summer house. It's in the middle of nowhere and no one has used it in about fifteen years, so it required a bit of reconditioning. We've also covered the house and grounds with as many wards as Hogwarts has. They're not quite as powerful, of course, but they should keep you safe from Voldemort."
Harry let out a sigh of relief as all the tension flowed out of his body. "That's great," Harry admitted. 'I was afraid you'd try and make me go back to Grimmauld Place."
"Would that have been so bad, Harry," Tonks asked softly. Harry turned to look at her and was surprised to see her hair was a plain mousy brown and her features were vaguely reminiscent of Sirius'.
"Yes," Harry said softly. "I don't know if I'll be okay with going back there for a long time, Tonks. Every time I think about it, all that comes to mind is Sirius and how much he hated it there." Harry's voice choked off into silence as he had to hold back the torrent of emotion that threatened to surface.
Tonks flashed a worried look over to Remus and he cleared his throat. "Are you packed and ready, Harry," Remus asked gently. "We've got a long trip ahead of us and we should really get started early."
"Oh, yes," Harry said, shaking loose of the funk he was beginning to slip into. "My trunk is up in my room, packed and ready to go. I was wondering how we were going to go, I mean last year we flew and whenever the Weasley's picked me up we went by floo. Except for the summer before second year when Fred, George and Ron picked me up in Mr. Weasley's flying car."
"Yes, well," Remus said with a smile. "I think we'll be taking a less conspicuous mode of travel this year. I'll be driving us most of the way to the house. And not in a flying car, although Arthur did offer to put a few enhancements on the car. Unfortunately for him, Molly happened to hear and started in on him. She was building up a full head of steam when I managed to slip away. I must say I felt sorry for Arthur, I certainly wouldn't want to face Molly when she's upset."
This elicited a short laugh from Harry and Remus was glad to hear it. It was a pure laugh, something Remus hadn't heard from Harry for a long time now. It lifted his spirit to know that Harry was still capable of laughing like that after the crushing events of the last two years. Remus nodded to Tonks and she headed up the stairs to retrieve Harry's things from his room.
"So Harry," Remus continued, "have you been having any problems with the Dursley's this summer that you haven't told us about?"
"No," Harry replied, some of the tension flowing out of his body. "They've pretty much left me alone this summer. Barely acknowledged my existence except to call to meals, to be honest. Not that I've minded, really. It's much better than it has been in the past."
"I'm glad to hear tha." Remus started, but was interrupted by a crash from upstairs. He sighed and said, "we'd better go upstairs and help Tonks with your trunk before she manages to wreck anything else."
Harry smiled at Remus as they stood and climbed the stairs to the second floor. They turned the corner and saw the door to Harry's tiny room was the only one standing ajar. When they crowded the doorway, Harry almost fell over laughing at the sight of Tonks buried under a small mountain of the broken toys that had been precariously piled around Harry's room. Remus just shook his head and offered Tonks his hand. Sheepishly, Tonks accepted his help and laughed at herself.
Once Harry managed to choke the laughter back and Remus had managed to fully extract Tonks from the pile of toys, it was easy enough to collect Harry's trunk and Hedwig in her cage. They actually managed to get everything out of the house with a minimum of trouble (Tonks only fell twice and everything she broke was easily repaired with a quick spell by Remus). Harry was a little surprised when he saw the car. He'd expected a mini of some sort, given Remus' usual financial situation, but was extremely surprised to see a rather smart Aston-Martin parked in the drive.
Remus popped the boot and slid Harry's trunk into it easily, which made Harry suspicious that some enlarging charms had been performed on the car. The suspicion was furthered when Harry climbed into the backseat of the two door car and not only found that he fit, but that there was room for Hedwig's cage on the seat beside him.
As Remus and Tonks climbed into the front and Remus started up the engine, Harry asked, "So where is this summer house of yours, Pro. Remus?"
"It's in the mountains of Wales," Remus replied absently as he shifted the car into gear and backed out of the drive. Harry noticed Tonks furiously trying to get her seatbelt on and wondered why when Remus continued, "Hang on, Harry, we've got a long drive ahead of us," as the car leapt forward in a squeal of burning rubber.
To Be Continued
Author's Notes:
Well, another chapter done. Sorry about the delay on this one. I actually intended on getting this one finished last week, but I had to rewrite the last section and that took a while. I also wanted to take a moment to address a concern or two that has popped up in reviews. As to the timeline I'm building with my story, I think it actually works with Rowling's timeline. Or rather, her lack of one. The only real date Rowling ever used in any of the books was October 31, 1981. Everything else is extrapolated from that. We have no details on how long after their graduation from Hogwarts it was before Lily and James married, or how long they were married before Harry was born. Also, I seriously doubt Voldemort attended Hogwarts during the 1940's. Reason number one is that Hagrid was at the school at the same time and is only two or three years younger. Also, World War II is the setting for Dumbledore's defeat of Grindenwald, so he wouldn't have been teaching at Hogwarts while the war took place. So it is possible for Remus' parents to have known Tom Riddle as a student.
Another point is some inaccuracies about Harry's recollection of the vision he got from Riddle's diary and of the conversation in Dumbledore's office. Those were intentional and are symptoms both of Harry's memory and Harry's anger. When a teenaged boy is as angry as Harry, he shades his memories so that they validate his anger. So when you spot those little inaccuracies, please think of how I'm characterizing Harry and whether or not they fit in with that.
On the whole, though, I'm glad people seem to like this story and I have every intention of trying to update as often as possible, I just don't want to get people's hopes up as to how often that will be.
hitobashira
Percy was still being a git. He had refused to apologize to her parents or even talk to mum and the others weren't making the situation any better. Ginny figured that even if Percy did ever try and make amends, their brothers would never forgive him for what he'd put mum and dad through. What happened to Percy, Ginny asked herself. She could remember when she was little how he used to read her storybooks to her and Ron. How he taught them to tie their shoes and helped them learn to read. How he'd protected them from the twins teasing whenever he could. Even in her first year at Hogwarts, Percy had tried to make time to watch out for her, despite preparing for the NEWTs and his duties as Head Boy. What had happened?
Hermione had called it Middle Child Syndrome. She said some muggle doctors studied large families and noticed that the middle child tended to be attention-starved, so they'd react in on of two ways; they'd either become the bad boy, or they'd be the really good boy. All in an effort to gain the attention of the parents. When this failed to be enough, they would seek their validation elsewhere. Percy had found his validation at the Ministry, toadying up to Minister Fudge.
But it wasn't Percy's pigheadedness that was the cause of the cloud that hovered over this summer. No this problem stared her back in the face with a pair of emerald green eyes. Eyes that could swallow her soul and never be full. The eyes of Harry Potter.
Ginny remembered the first time she'd seen Harry. It was September the 1st five years ago, when they were at King's Cross seeing Ron off to his first year at Hogwarts. A young boy had come up and asked her mum how to get to Platform 9 and ¾. Neither Ginny nor her mum had known that young boy was Harry Potter at the time, but something inside Ginny had awoken that day.
Ginny had always been slightly obsessed with Harry Potter. Okay, maybe more than slightly. Anyway, what do you expect when he was the hero of the wizarding world and he was the favorite bedtime story of choice? Ginny had started out with a massive dose of hero worship, but under that was something different, something deeper. She hadn't understood it and she'd made a fool out of herself chasing after Harry. That singing valentine had been easy enough to pawn off as a Fred and George prank, so no one would ever know that she really sent it. But the blushing, the stammering and the disconcerting habit she had of sticking her elbow in the butter dish anytime Harry spoke to her gave her away.
Ginny finally got a clue after her first year, when Harry had saved her life. She didn't like to talk about the Chamber of Secrets, it brought up too many bad memories, but there was one memory that Ginny never wanted to forget; waking up to a pair of troubled green eyes hovering over her. That had been the pivotal moment in the life of Ginny Weasley. She'd read concern and affection in those eyes, but not love. That was the moment when she realized she'd found another brother, not the man of her dreams.
She'd tried to get over the crush, she really had. She thought she'd put it behind her this past year. She'd been able to look at Harry without blushing, talk to him without stammering and her elbow had never even approached a butter dish. She'd had her first boyfriend, even if he hadn't lasted, and she hadn't gotten jealous at Harry's attempt to date Cho Chang. So she was over him, right?
Wrong. Down in the Department of Mysteries, as she and Ron and Luna had run for their lives all she could think of was Harry. Not Hermione or Neville, just Harry. It struck her afterward that she wasn't over him. The crush had grown into something deeper, more substantial, lasting. She, Virginia Weasley was now officially in love with Harry Potter. And there was nothing to do about it except live with it.
Ginny knew that Harry didn't love her, he couldn't love her. Not when he was attracted to women like Cho Chang, even though he wasn't going out with her anymore. Cho was exotically beautiful, while Ginny was plain at best. Her hair was too bright, she had too many freckle and her skin was pale. It never tanned, it just got burned if she stayed out in the sun too long. She had a decent figure, but she couldn't afford the nice robes the other girls had to show it off. In the end, she knew that Harry Potter would love her back in return when Malfoy and Snape danced the tango in the Great Hall at dinner while dressed in pink tutus. Hmm, maybe I should ask Fred and George about that, Ginny thought mischievously. They're always up for a challenge.
Speaking of challenges, Ginny's eyes were drawn to the stack of books on her desk. Hermione had loaded her down with the books she'd used to study for the OWLs before they had left school for the summer. After hearing how rough the fifth year had been, Ginny wanted to get ahead on her OWL studying. At least she was ahead in her Defense studies. The work they had done for the DA had really paid off in the OWLs according to Hermione and Ron. Harry hadn't said much about them, or about anything else that had happened at the end of term.
That was what worried Ginny the most. Harry was always the quiet one of the group, what with Hermione and Ron's constant bickering how could he not be. But there was something about his silence that bothered her. He was holding something in and Ginny wasn't sure what it was. All she knew was that it was something big, something that could change his life and the lives of those around him forever. But being Harry, he would pile it on himself and not let anyone else help him. His worst nightmare was to have someone else die for him, that was why Cedric's death had affected him so profoundly.
And if Cedric's death had affected Harry so profoundly, what had Sirius' death done to him? Ginny had been worried all year that Harry was starting to become . unstable. Umbridge and the restrictions and punishments she had levied had chipped away at Harry. Ginny had seen him come back after a detention with her one night clutching his hand. She'd seen Hermione confront him and provide him with a balm for the cuts there. At that point, Ginny had gathered her books to head to the dorm, carefully making her way past Harry in order to catch a glimpse of his hand. She'd nearly gasped in horror as she saw the bloody mess on the back of his hand, but had restrained herself. What had that evil woman done to Harry? On the train home, when Harry had joined the DA members briefly in their compartment on the train, Ginny had managed another glimpse at the back of his hand. It had looked like words had been carved into it. When Harry left the compartment, Ginny had shivered in horror. What could have caused that?
Ginny stood up from her seat by the window and stretched slowly, popping as many of her joints as she could to relieve some of her tension. All this worrying was stressing her out. She'd begun having nightmares again, but this time they weren't of Tom and the Chamber. Now they were of Harry and Voldemort, or Harry as he'd watched Sirius fall through the Veil. Mum had held off commenting about the bags under her eyes, but Ginny knew that something had to change or she'd be headed for a breakdown sooner or later.
Maybe they'll put me in the padded room next to Harry, Ginny mused as she cracked open one of the books Hermione had given her. After all, he's bound to have a nervous breakdown before I do. Maybe I can make a move on him there. Ginny smiled bitterly before flinging herself onto her bed and starting to read. She had a lot of studying to do.
* * * *
Ron Weasley heaved the last gnome over the garden wall and collapsed on a nearby stump with a sigh. Normally the gnome's frantic squeal of right as it flew through the air would have given him some amusement, but this summer it had begun to pall. In fact, Ron was finding it difficult to take pleasure in most things, after the battle in the Department of Mysteries. He still had to go into St. Mungo's for weekly checkups to ensure that no permanent harm had been caused to him by the flying brain.
Flying brain or not, Ron knew that the real problem was what to do about Harry. Mum and Dad had been arguing about it since he and Ginny had come home for the summer. Mum wanted to move him someplace safer than the Dursley's, as she still didn't trust them to treat Harry right. And with the Dursley's track record, who could blame her? Dad had countered that with the threats that he, Mad Eye Mooney and Tonks had made to Vernon Dursley at King's Cross, even the Dursley's would think twice about doing anything to Harry. Mum had returned fire with a statement that not treating him badly did not mean that they were treating him right. The argument had gone back and forth until Dad had let it slip that Professor Lupin would be moving Harry from the Dursley's soon anyway. Mum had been ecstatic and wanted to know where, but Dad had professed ignorance. He said only Lupin and Dumbledore knew ahead of time.
Ron was of mixed emotions about the Order moving Harry. He knew that if they tried to take him back to Grimmauld Place, there'd be hell to pay. Ron didn't think Harry would be able to stay cooped up there like Sirius had. Especially since Sirius had. That place would bring a multitude of bad memories to the forefront of Harry's mind and that was the last thing he needed right now.
Many people over the years had called Ron unobservant and thick. While this was partially true, it was mainly because he didn't think most of the things he noticed were worth his attention Then there were things that were worth his attention, like Harry. Harry had been his best friend since that first day on the train when he'd told Malfoy off for making fun of Ron's family. And Ron knew Harry better than anyone, even Hermione. Okay, so Ron had acted like a complete and utter prat from time to time. Big deal. He knew what Harry must be doing to himself shut up in that house with those horrid muggles and he knew it would only get worse if he had to live in the cloud of memories that hung over Grimmauld Place.
What Harry needed now was a way to loosen up. Harry hadn't been able to do much for fun during the last school year, mainly due to Umbridge kicking him off the Quidditch team, and his joke of a relationship with Cho Chang hadn't helped any either. Yes, let those who might call Ron Weasley an unobservant git beware, because he had known from the time he first saw them together at Hogwarts last year talking that they were completely wrong for each other.
Cho was still trying to bury Cedric's memory and thought that by using Harry, she could lay her grief to rest. That hadn't worked, though, because she hadn't realized that she was the first girl Harry had ever even considered going out with. He had no more clue than Ron did about how to treat a girl on a date. Hell, a least Ron had the benefit of four older brothers to turn to for advice, if he could trust Fred and George that is. But Cho had expected Harry to be a pro at dating. After all, he was the Boy Who Lived, wasn't he? Surely he must have had numerous girlfriends before, right?
No, Cho wasn't the right girl for Harry. He needed someone who knew the real him. Someone who could comfort him when he had the nightmares, talk to him about common hobbies and argue with him to pull him out of his funks. There were only two people who knew Harry well enough to fit the bill: Hermione and Ginny. Better make that just Ginny, Ron amended silently. For some reason the thought of Harry dating Hermione made his stomach twist. The thought of them snogging in a broom closet or unused classroom made him want to lose his lunch. No, better go with Ginny then. Maybe Hermione had some ideas how to make them see it.
Ron heaved himself off the stump and headed into the Burrow and up to his room. He had to figure out a good way of asking Hermione for her help. After all, he couldn't just come out and say "Let's get Harry and Ginny together for a good snog," now could he?
* * * *
Hermione frowned at the note in her hand, while Pigwidgeon hooted shrilly from atop one of her bookshelves. Honestly, she thought, sometimes Ron could be such a prat. "Harry and Ginny both need a good snog, how about helping me get them together," indeed. Hermione was sure Ron had more tact than to come out and write something like that where anyone could have found it. Even if it was true.
After all, Hermione was also worried about Harry. Ginny too, to a lesser extent. Ginny was a girl and better able to take care of herself, after all. Though, to be honest, Hermione had worried about Ginny for a long time. Ginny was one of the few close female friends she'd ever had and her behavior over the last year had worried Hermione. Ginny had been almost desperate to prove that she was over Harry. Going out with Michael Corner, why even Hermione knew that he was no good and she wasn't exactly attuned to the Hogwarts gossip tree. She'd learned that from listen to Parvati and Lavender while they'd been doing each other's hair one night. Even Ron had known there was something not quite right about the boy, and he was thicker than a cauldron bottom. Of course, it could have been his brotherly instinct that no boy was good enough for his little sister, but Hermione doubted it. Ron could be a very good judge of character as long as he didn't let his emotions get in the way. Now if he could only notice what was right in front of his face.
Hermione shook herself before she headed down that trail of thought. She wouldn't be able to get anything done if she started fantasizing again. She'd been wondering when Ron would broach the subject of Harry and Ginny to her. The furtive looks he'd given the two of them on the train home had been a clue. Especially after Ginny had let him know that she'd broken up with Michael Corner. She'd made some noises about asking Dean Thomas out, but Hermione knew that was just a smokescreen to deflect Ron. Ginny knew as well as Hermione that Dean Thomas was head over heels for Parvati, though she was letting him suffer a bit before agreeing to go out with him. A girl has to have her fun after all.
Hermione knew that Ginny still had strong feelings for Harry, despite her protests that she was over him. She wasn't about to tell Ron that, but he seemed to have figured that out on his own. Maybe he wasn't as dense as Hermione thought he was. The big question was whether or not Harry would cooperate with any plan to get him together with Ginny. Hermione agreed with Ron's logic about the two of them. They really did need to have a good relationship and they both needed someone they could relax around. Hermione had been astonished with how comfortable Ginny had been around Harry last year. She'd even yelled at him when he'd disregarded her experience with Voldemort without a thought. Yes, she had definitely come out of her shell and she was the kind of person that Harry needed. She could definitely keep that boy on his toes.
The only big question to be answered was the how. Ron had told her that Harry was leaving the Dursley's for some undisclosed location soon. Maybe they'd let him get owl post there. After all, neither Ron nor Hermione had heard from him since they'd last seen him at King's Cross. Hermione hoped she would be able to send him a letter soon . and maybe that was the best way to get things started. Get Ginny and Harry corresponding to each other. Ginny knew a great deal about Harry, but Harry knew almost nothing about Ginny and letters would be a good way to get them to know each other better.
Unfortunately, the next stage would require them being in the same place together for some time, Hermione thought as she began to sketch out an outline. We need to get them together in some kind of setting where they can actually talk. Social setting would be bad since Harry would constantly be approached by well wishers. No, a more private setting would be required. But all this hinged on where Harry was going to stay until school started and whether or not he was allowed visitors.
Hermione busily drafted out possible ideas and scratched out the more preposterous ones. Pigwidgeon watched from the bookshelf with amusement. Wizards are strange, he thought to himself before settling down to wait for a return message as his master had told him to.
* * * *
Morning had rolled around on Privet Drive and Harry sat in the living room with his trunk packed in solitude. When he'd told his Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia that someone was coming to pick him up the next morning at seven, they'd quickly packed their bags and declared they were going to take Dudley on a trip to see Aunt Marge. Harry hadn't said a word, but let the amusement show on his face as they scurried away like rats from the coming cat.
Slightly before seven, a knock sounded at the door and Harry got up to answer it. He wasn't surprised to see Remus Lupin standing there, but seeing Tonks with him was a bit of a surprise. He stepped aside to allow them to move inside before the neighbors became too curious. After all, if he still had to call this home for the next few years, there was no point in antagonizing his aunt and uncle more than necessary.
Lupin looked older than Harry remembered him being. The gray in his hair was more pronounced and there were deep lines radiating out from his eyes. He looked like he'd gone through hell recently. Guiltily, Harry realized that losing Sirius must have hurt him as much as it had hurt Harry. It surprised everyone, even Harry that while Tonks closed the door behind her, Harry had engulfed Lupin in a tight hug. Lupin was startled, but returned the hug after a moment. Hesitantly at first, but it became stronger as he realized he was the only family Harry had left.
Tonks moved around them carefully, trying not to disturb them. She'd been very worried about Remus lately. Sirius' death had hit him harder than he let on, but Tonks and Sirius had been close enough to hear a lot of stories about the werewolf and the life he'd led. She knew that Sirius was one of the few friends Remus had in his life and she was determined to change that. In fact, she intended to be more than friend to him.
Harry hadn't planned on grabbing Remus like this, but he hadn't counted on how glad he would be to see him. Remus was the last link he had to his parents, the last of the Marauders since Peter had betrayed everyone. From his first look at Remus' face, Harry had known that he was not alone in his pain. That had broken the barrier of grief Harry had formed to keep everyone at arm's length. He wasn't crying, but he knew that would happen soon if he didn't let go. So he relaxed his grip on Remus, feeling the older man ease his grip as well.
"It's good to see you again, Professor Lupin," Harry managed in a slightly choked voice.
"It's good to see you as well, Harry," Remus replied, "but how many times do I have to remind you that I am not your professor and to call me Remus?"
"At least one more time," Harry replied with a weak grin. They shared a laugh at the joke and moved out into the living room. Harry sat down on the couch as his two visitors shifted nervously on their feet. His body tightened and he asked, "So where were you planning on taking me?"
Remus noted the hard edge on his voice and was suddenly glad he'd talked Dumbledore out of housing him back at the headquarters. "We've been prepping a place for the last month or so, Harry," Remus replied. "It's my family's old summer house. It's in the middle of nowhere and no one has used it in about fifteen years, so it required a bit of reconditioning. We've also covered the house and grounds with as many wards as Hogwarts has. They're not quite as powerful, of course, but they should keep you safe from Voldemort."
Harry let out a sigh of relief as all the tension flowed out of his body. "That's great," Harry admitted. 'I was afraid you'd try and make me go back to Grimmauld Place."
"Would that have been so bad, Harry," Tonks asked softly. Harry turned to look at her and was surprised to see her hair was a plain mousy brown and her features were vaguely reminiscent of Sirius'.
"Yes," Harry said softly. "I don't know if I'll be okay with going back there for a long time, Tonks. Every time I think about it, all that comes to mind is Sirius and how much he hated it there." Harry's voice choked off into silence as he had to hold back the torrent of emotion that threatened to surface.
Tonks flashed a worried look over to Remus and he cleared his throat. "Are you packed and ready, Harry," Remus asked gently. "We've got a long trip ahead of us and we should really get started early."
"Oh, yes," Harry said, shaking loose of the funk he was beginning to slip into. "My trunk is up in my room, packed and ready to go. I was wondering how we were going to go, I mean last year we flew and whenever the Weasley's picked me up we went by floo. Except for the summer before second year when Fred, George and Ron picked me up in Mr. Weasley's flying car."
"Yes, well," Remus said with a smile. "I think we'll be taking a less conspicuous mode of travel this year. I'll be driving us most of the way to the house. And not in a flying car, although Arthur did offer to put a few enhancements on the car. Unfortunately for him, Molly happened to hear and started in on him. She was building up a full head of steam when I managed to slip away. I must say I felt sorry for Arthur, I certainly wouldn't want to face Molly when she's upset."
This elicited a short laugh from Harry and Remus was glad to hear it. It was a pure laugh, something Remus hadn't heard from Harry for a long time now. It lifted his spirit to know that Harry was still capable of laughing like that after the crushing events of the last two years. Remus nodded to Tonks and she headed up the stairs to retrieve Harry's things from his room.
"So Harry," Remus continued, "have you been having any problems with the Dursley's this summer that you haven't told us about?"
"No," Harry replied, some of the tension flowing out of his body. "They've pretty much left me alone this summer. Barely acknowledged my existence except to call to meals, to be honest. Not that I've minded, really. It's much better than it has been in the past."
"I'm glad to hear tha." Remus started, but was interrupted by a crash from upstairs. He sighed and said, "we'd better go upstairs and help Tonks with your trunk before she manages to wreck anything else."
Harry smiled at Remus as they stood and climbed the stairs to the second floor. They turned the corner and saw the door to Harry's tiny room was the only one standing ajar. When they crowded the doorway, Harry almost fell over laughing at the sight of Tonks buried under a small mountain of the broken toys that had been precariously piled around Harry's room. Remus just shook his head and offered Tonks his hand. Sheepishly, Tonks accepted his help and laughed at herself.
Once Harry managed to choke the laughter back and Remus had managed to fully extract Tonks from the pile of toys, it was easy enough to collect Harry's trunk and Hedwig in her cage. They actually managed to get everything out of the house with a minimum of trouble (Tonks only fell twice and everything she broke was easily repaired with a quick spell by Remus). Harry was a little surprised when he saw the car. He'd expected a mini of some sort, given Remus' usual financial situation, but was extremely surprised to see a rather smart Aston-Martin parked in the drive.
Remus popped the boot and slid Harry's trunk into it easily, which made Harry suspicious that some enlarging charms had been performed on the car. The suspicion was furthered when Harry climbed into the backseat of the two door car and not only found that he fit, but that there was room for Hedwig's cage on the seat beside him.
As Remus and Tonks climbed into the front and Remus started up the engine, Harry asked, "So where is this summer house of yours, Pro. Remus?"
"It's in the mountains of Wales," Remus replied absently as he shifted the car into gear and backed out of the drive. Harry noticed Tonks furiously trying to get her seatbelt on and wondered why when Remus continued, "Hang on, Harry, we've got a long drive ahead of us," as the car leapt forward in a squeal of burning rubber.
To Be Continued
Author's Notes:
Well, another chapter done. Sorry about the delay on this one. I actually intended on getting this one finished last week, but I had to rewrite the last section and that took a while. I also wanted to take a moment to address a concern or two that has popped up in reviews. As to the timeline I'm building with my story, I think it actually works with Rowling's timeline. Or rather, her lack of one. The only real date Rowling ever used in any of the books was October 31, 1981. Everything else is extrapolated from that. We have no details on how long after their graduation from Hogwarts it was before Lily and James married, or how long they were married before Harry was born. Also, I seriously doubt Voldemort attended Hogwarts during the 1940's. Reason number one is that Hagrid was at the school at the same time and is only two or three years younger. Also, World War II is the setting for Dumbledore's defeat of Grindenwald, so he wouldn't have been teaching at Hogwarts while the war took place. So it is possible for Remus' parents to have known Tom Riddle as a student.
Another point is some inaccuracies about Harry's recollection of the vision he got from Riddle's diary and of the conversation in Dumbledore's office. Those were intentional and are symptoms both of Harry's memory and Harry's anger. When a teenaged boy is as angry as Harry, he shades his memories so that they validate his anger. So when you spot those little inaccuracies, please think of how I'm characterizing Harry and whether or not they fit in with that.
On the whole, though, I'm glad people seem to like this story and I have every intention of trying to update as often as possible, I just don't want to get people's hopes up as to how often that will be.
hitobashira