AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Thanks everyone for all the encouraging reviews! It really mean a lot to me that you are enjoying this story! Here's the next installment and I hope that it's to your liking.

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In light of the recent events that had transpired, it had been decided that for everyone's safety, everyone had to relocate back to the Order's headquarters, Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Harry was not too keen about the idea as it would be harder to let go of Sirius' memory if he had to live back in that dismal place that his grandfather despised. Harry relented to it as the dream he had the other night replayed in his head.

The thought of anybody, especially Voldemort, using Ginny as bait to get to him, made his blood boil. All the adults encouraged the young wizards and witches to continue with their practicing defense spells. Harry was more determined to learn more now that he knew that Ginny's life would more likely  be in danger more than the others would. All because she fell in love with him.

Once again, the children were excluded from the meetings that the Order had. Although Fred and George had left them Extendable Ears to use, the older wizards had put a Silencing Charm on the kitchen. In addition, since Kreacher, the old despicable Black house-elf, disappeared, the children were put to work to clean the once noble house.

They still had to be careful walking through the main hall because of the screaming portraits. No one still had been able to figure out how to get rid of the old portrait of Sirius' mom. And to be quite frank, Harry had suggested in setting the old hag on fire.

On one of their breaks from cleaning the attic, Harry had walked over to the window and thought about the cursed letter. How was Voldemort able to conjure that up? Was he the only one who received that letter? If not, how many others had suffered through it? That thought had set him off again and he punched the window, breaking the glass and cutting his hand up when it went through.

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed as she ran up to him. "What possessed you to do that!?"

Harry just looked at her with teary eyes. He could not stand knowing that there were people suffering Voldemort's wrath all because he failed to kill him again. He wanted all these pain and suffering to end and live a normal life for once.

"Ginny, I-…" he could not find the words. He just pulled her close to him and hugged her tight, crying on her shoulder. Ginny's heart went out to him as she too cried with him. She knew the pain he was going through, but he still would not open up to her. He would not talk about it. He still kept everything inside as he always did. She wished that she could help him more. But how could she if he would not let her?

"Harry, please," she pleaded. "Please talk to me!"

Harry hugged her tighter. How could he tell her that her life was in danger because of him? How could he put her through that? He would not be able to live with himself if anything happened to her.

"Ginny promise me one thing," Harry said pulling away from the hug but not letting go completely.

"Anything Harry," Ginny said looking up to his eyes putting a hand on his face and wiping a tear off with her thumb.

"Promise me that you'll never go anywhere without me."

Ginny looked at him dumbstruck. Harry's face was solemn, his eyes full of worries. She wondered what it was that made him say this.

"Harry what is it?" she asked concerned. She would do anything for him but that request was worrying her. "What is going on?"

"Just promise me Ginny. It's very important to me. I don't want anything to happen to you."

His voice was pleading, his grip on her waist tightening. Ginny was confused but she nodded her head.

"I promise Harry."

Harry hugged her again, tighter this time, as if his very life would end if he ever let go. Ginny held onto him, her love growing deeper every moment they're together. She could not see herself being with anybody or anywhere else without him.

"I won't let anything happen to you Ginny," he said in her ear. "I'll die first before I see you get hurt."

Those words made her heart swell. She knew he meant it but was also worried that there was something more than just his love for her that made him say that.

"Harry, please talk to me," she pleaded again. Harry just held her tighter. He wanted to tell her but he did not want to scare her. He'd lost his parents and his godfather, and an innocent person, Cedric Diggory, all because of Voldemort. And he would be damned if he lost Ginny too.

"Ginny, I don't want to lose you too," he said to her sincerely but his voice was quivering because of the tears that he was trying hard to not let flow. Ginny pulled away from him and looked in his eyes, understanding dawning on her face.

"Harry, I will always be here for you," she said softly. Then putting her hand on his chest she said, "I'll always be here."

With one hand on the small of her back, he pulled her close to him again. Then his other hand cupped her face. He leaned his face closer.

"I love you, Ginny," he whispered. "Always."

Then he kissed her gently, his hand slowly making its way through her hair as he kissed her with all the love he could muster.

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The next few days were used to finish cleaning up the once noble house of Black. They were almost done, just a couple more rooms and the house would be almost restored. Now, if they could just get rid of the screaming portraits in the main hall.

It was the night before they had to go to Diagon Alley to get their school stuff, and the children were excited. They had been cooped up in the house that they were in the brink of going stir-crazy. A change in scenery would do all of them good.

"I can't wait for tomorrow!" Ron exclaimed rather thickly as his mouth was full…again. Hermione gave him a disproving look and rolled her eyes.

"Honestly Ron! Why must you do that?" she asked exasperatedly. When he gave her a questioning look, she couldn't help but chuckle. Ron's eyes were wide and his cheeks were puffy as he tried to chew his food.

"Ron, I love you because you're my brother," Ginny said, trying to stifle a laugh. "But you need to learn some manners!"

"Me?" Ron said, swallowing. "What do you mean manners?"

Ginny and Hermione looked at each other and groaned. It was obvious that Ron had no clue about his etiquette, or lack thereof. Harry chuckled and Ginny looked at him reproachfully. He looked down on his plate and continued eating without saying a word. Fred and George looked at each other and raised their eyebrows. Ginny looked at them suspiciously.

"If you two have got another hair brained idea for whatever it is you're thinking of, I suggest you forget about it. NOW."

Fred and George both blushed as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Remus, Tonks, Mundungus Fletcher and Mad-eye Moody laughed. The littlest Weasley always did seem to have a good influence on her brothers. They're scared of her. Of which, Ginny was very proud of.

"Does anyone know who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is going to be this year?" Harry asked looking at the adults, who in turn all looked at each other and smiled.

"Yes we do, Harry," Remus said trying to keep a straight face. "But you'll find out who it is when you get to Hogwarts."

The children just looked at each other and shrugged. Harry sighed and went back to eating. He knew that everytime they answer him like that was best to be left alone. He tried to keep his temper under control. He hated it when they kept things from him and even though this was something trivial, he could not help but get mad.

Ginny must have sensed it for she reached for his hand under the table and gave it a squeeze. Harry looked at her and smiled guiltily. He was sure that she knew what he was thinking and felt bad. He told himself that he would try harder to not let things get to him too much.

"So uh, who's going to take us to Diagon Alley tomorrow?" Hermione asked looking at Remus. His face had grown very weary, and he'd paled. "Remus, are you alright?"

Everyone looked at the former professor quickly.

"Had Snape given you any of that potion, Remus?" Harry asked worriedly. It was almost the full moon, and Remus always gets sickly during that time.

"He's working on it Harry," he said smiling weakly. "I have to leave for a bit you know?"

Harry nodded. He knew that Remus would be going to the Shrieking Shack before the full moon. Even with the wolfsbane potion, his transformations were painful and the Shack was the only place where he could go without hurting anybody, or himself, too much.

No one else had said anything else for the remainder of the meal. Everyone worried about Remus whenever he had to leave for the Shrieking Shack. He had no one to be with him when he transformed. Not like he did when James and Sirius were alive.

"I want to be an Animagus."

Everyone turned to look at Harry with wide-eyes.

"Harry you're still too young," Hermione said with her usual 'do not break the rules' tone.

"So what Hermione?" Harry said a bit curtly. "My father and godfather were young when they became Animagi."

Nobody could argue that statement.

"But Harry, it is a lot of work," Remus told him matter-of-factly. "It's actually a lot harder than it looks."

"I know it'll be hard Remus," Harry sighed. "But I want to do it. For a lot of reasons."

Remus looked at Mad-Eye Moody for some help. Mad-Eye looked at him and shrugged.

"Either we let him or he does it illegally, Moony," he said. Remus sighed and looked at Harry again.

"I will talk to Dumbledore and McGonagall about this Harry," he told him. Harry smiled broadly at him. Remus smiled back and chuckled. "And I'm going to ask permission for all you lot. Because I know that Harry wouldn't be doing this alone."

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There you go. Hope that was a satisfactory chapter. I will update again soon. PLEASE REVIEW!!