Chapter 4

            Ginny sat at her desk working on her homework she suddenly felt the chill across her back of someone watching her. Slowly she slid her hand under her robes and grasped the handle of her wand firmly in her hand, and she focused on listening, and feeling. Slowly, she felt the presence, and got a general idea of it's location, and with what felt like agonizing slowness withdrew her wand, and slipped it up her sleeve, and faked a yawn, then stood stretching, out of the corner of her eye she caught the mirror over her dresser, and saw a figure in a dark cloak almost directly behind her. Setting her facial features, she placed both hands on the small of her back and gave one more stretch with her eyes seemingly closed, she quickly assessed the rest of her room finding it deserted.

            She flicked out her wand and turned on her would-be attacker and stunned him. She slid off the man's hood to see Harry Potter unconscious on her floor. Quickly she revived him blushing and apologizing.

            Harry laughed, "No, I shouldn't have snuck up on you. Though we are meeting like this far too often."

            Ginny glared at him and blushed harder. "Stop it, this is not funny Harry."

            "Oh, I beg to differ love. It is very funny." He chuckled a bit more as she stomped off to her desk and proceeded to ignore him. Harry had other plans, and walked up behind her making as much noise as possible; gaining a look that should have left nothing but a smoldering cloak behind. He just smiled and pulled her hair away from the side of her neck and kissed the exposed skin.

            Ginny moaned and dropped her quill. She turned to face him, and smiling kissed him soundly on the lips. "I've missed you so."

            He held her for a few more minutes and then softly said. "I'm sorry Ginny, but we do need to see Dumbledore first."

            She looked at him, and realized it was as hard for him as it was for her. He smiled and drank a potion, his hair smoothed out and he grew several inches. With a slight shock, she realized he drank a Polyjuice potion, and had selected Ron as the person he was going to imitate. She remarked at how unfair this was with a look of hurt.

            "We can still hold hands though, and you can still give me a hug." Harry said.

            "Perhaps, but it really isn't the same you know." She hugged him, and stepped away.

            "Well, it feels the same from here."

            Ginny pulled a face, "Well it sure doesn't from here."

            They made their way out into the halls and eventually to Dumbledore's office. By the time they made it there, Ginny noticed she could see the faint outline of a scar on the forehead of her companion that Ron never had. She looked at him questioningly. "I thought Polyjuice was good for an hour?"

            He nodded, "It is, however prolonged use tends to build a resistance. I need to keep the doses up quite a bit more often now; closer to a half hour or so. According to the text in the library, in a few more months it won't be useful at all anymore." He looked a bit pensive at this, and the two gave the password, and ascended the stairs.

            "Enter." They heard the voice of Albus Dumbledore from the other side of the door.

            The pair entered just as the last of the red faded from Harry's hair, and he looked himself again. "You asked to seem me?" Harry stated as he took a seat.

            Ginny followed suit, and faced the Headmaster.

            "Yes Harry, I did. Though I am honestly shocked to see you again, all things being at face value."

            "I am sure you are. Now why am I here? This is jeopardizing my mission Albus." Ginny caught a hint of the anger in his voice, the same silky quality as he had shown just after their return from the Ministry.

            "Well Harry, it seems you are not quite as dead as you would have liked us all to believe. In fact, had you not visited Ms. Weasley, I would have ignored the rather odd sightings on the map for quite some time still."

            "Yes, well –" Harry paused to collect his thoughts. "My meetings with Ms. Weasley are none of your concern Albus."

            "I'm sorry Harry; I must insist I know why you are meeting with her."

            Harry's anger was rising again, his eyes flashed the anger, and he ground out his words between clenched teeth. "My business with Ms. Weasley are her business and mine. Not yours."

            "Do not presume what is and is not my business. She is Head Girl, and anything occupying her thoughts that might interfere with her duties and N.E.W.T.s, Harry, are my business."

            Harry stood and flexed his hands. "I am not above taking you up on your offer Albus. Don't do this. I asked for so very little from anyone, and you are bloody well going to grant me this one thing. You will keep your damned mouth shut about me, and leave Ginny the hell alone."

            Albus sat in his chair sizing up the young man before him. Filled with fire and power, and ready to risk it all for a woman. Yes, Harry, you will do fine. He thought and then lowered his head slightly to look at the parchment in front of him. "Alright Harry. I won't utter another word on the subject to anyone until you opt to change your mind and are back with the living."

            He picked up the parchment and slid it under a stack on his desk carefully. He looked up to see Harry holding out his hand. "Shake on it Albus."

            The elderly wizard stood and grasped his hand to Harry's and said "Agreed." The pact was sealed.

            Harry relaxed a trifle and sat back down. "Is there anything else?" He knew there was as soon as he said it.

            "Well, I was assuming Harry what you were doing, and I believe I can assist you in completing the mission you have set for yourself."

            "This isn't my mission, it's the one the world wants me to do, and when I am done, I want to be left alone."

            "Noble sentiments Harry, but I thoroughly doubt you'll accomplish that." The older wizard looked oddly wistful for a moment, and then returned to the present. "Now about this mission…" He dug out an envelope and handed it to Harry. "In that is all the information the Order has on Voldemort. I dearly hope it comes to some value for you."

            Harry stood, and Ginny followed him to the door. Warily Harry grasped it and opened the door walking out. As they descended, Harry took another sip of Polyjuice and to everyone they met, Ron Weasley was walking his sister to the Gryffindor Tower. Once inside they entered the Head Girl suite, and Harry allowed the Polyjuice to wear off. They talked until dinner time and Dobby brought them both food.

            That night Ginny Weasley fell asleep in the arms of the man she loved. She awoke the next morning to find Harry in her bath soaking in the water. His head back, eyes closed and a smile on his face.

            "What's that smile for?" she asked allowing her dressing gown to pool at her feet.

            Harry lazily opened his eyes, "I am reliving last night."

            "Oh come now Harry, it was nice, but far too rushed for my tastes." She slid in beside him and offered her back to him. "Soap me please." She moaned softly as his hands glided slick with soap over her back.

            Harry finished washing her, and held her close as they kissed in the tub, enjoying the still warm water. All too soon they were getting out and drying each other off, just as they were heading for the bed, Ginny heard her door begin to open. Harry's eyes went wide, and she reached into her cupboard and produced the invisibility cloak for him, he slipped it on, and vanished from sight.

            Ginny, unlocked and opened her door. Much to her disappointment Colin was there, and here she was in nothing save two towels. She felt trapped suddenly. He looked at her, and she saw hunger flash in his eyes. "Can I come in?"

            "NO!" She recovered herself quickly, "I – I've just come from the bath."

            Colin pushed the door open and walked in. "I don't mind. I wanted to talk to you about my offer to help you."

            From the bath came a voice. "Ginny, are you alright?"

            Ginny had to suppress a laugh. "Yes Hermione, I – I think I am, unless you want to talk to Colin."

            Colin blanched and made to leave the room rapidly. It was no secret he still held Hermione in fear from some act or another from last year. Harry walked out of Ginny's bathroom, glowering at Colin in an almost exact replication of Hermione's 'I-Know-You-Are-Up-To-No-Good' look. But then again Harry would know that look, having been on the receiving end almost as much as Ron. Colin backpedaled and exited the room.

            Ginny grinned at Harry, and gave him a big hug. Harry gave a startled look and said "I – m that is, I'd rather…" Hs face was getting brilliant red.

            Ginny frowned, and then suddenly began to understand. "So you've never transfigured into any other sex before?"

            "NO!" Harry said looking repulsed. "That would be just – just weird."

            "But you made the Polyjuice…"

            Harry looked guilty for a minute. "It was dark; they must share the brush…"

            "Harry Potter! You stole hair from my brother and his girlfriend…"

            "Wife."

            Ginny's eyes popped. "What?!?!"

            Harry cringed. "I said wife, Hermione and Ron got married last month."

            "How in the bloody hell do you know this while I don't?" Ginny was beginning to show a remarkable resemblance to Molly.

            Harry's voice got very small. "They told me."

            Ginny's mouth opened and closed several times, with no noise exiting her at all. She sat for a moment, and then her eyes narrowed. "You lied to me."

            Harry suddenly regained his composure. "I bloody well haven't. I have not uttered one damn lie to you, ever!"

            Ginny glared at him, her look turning from anger to baleful. "Yes you did, you swore no living sole but me and Dobby knew…"

            Harry held up his hands. "You can't count Dumbledore!"

            "I'm not." Her voice was icy cold and just as hard.

            "No one else knows." Harry said simply holding his hands out.

            "You just said…" She started pointing her finger at him.

            Harry interrupted by laughing. "Oh that! Ha! Yes, they tell me everything now. Every Sunday at five spot on they arrive at my gravestone. I was visiting Sirius looking like the caretaker when they showed up and bemoaned their existence to my gravestone. Ever since, I have made sure to be there to hear the latest news. If it helps they haven't even told mum and dad, er, your mum and dad that is…" He blushed at his trip up.

            Ginny suddenly had her arms around his shoulders. "It's ok Harry. Really, mum would be beside herself with joy if she knew you called her that, and well dad goodness knows he thinks you are his son the way he acts about you." She looked sad for a moment.

            "What?"

            "It – it's nothing Harry. Really."

            "No, it's not nothing, it's something, I saw it."

            Ginny looked around the room as if trying to get support, she took in a deep breath and said "Mum and dad got you a hand for the clock. It was your Christmas present this year. Dad was going to put it on Christmas Eve."

            "Bloody hell!" Harry backed away and looked around the room. "Damn it all." He spotted his trunk and he walked to it, pulling out some parchment and a quill, he jotted a note, and folded the parchment into an envelope and sealed it. "Ginny, make sure your parents get this. Send Dobby, he's trustworthy. Your parents must not put that hand on the clock!"

            Ginny's eyes got wide. "Oh god or they'd know. Everyone would know!"

            Harry had begun the transformation back to himself. His hair was now bushy, messy, and black, and Hermione's figure was lengthening and turning into the man she knew. Harry was busying himself with putting clean clothes into a rucksack.

            Dobby arrived to Ginny's summons and agreed to bring Harry several days worth of food that he could take with him, and the letter to Arthur Weasley. They had talked a bit, and decided he would be the most likely candidate to keep Harry's secret.

            Harry lifted the rucksack and sighed wearily; he turned to Ginny and held her close. "I don't want to go."

            "I won't beg you to stay Harry, but I'm not kicking you out either." She searched his eyes, and found what she was looking for; regret at having to leave was plain on his face.

            "Thank you." He reached in his pocket and held up the mirror. "I'm only a call away." He grinned sadly, kissed her swiftly, and taking three steps back vanished as she heard the fourth footfall land. She stood frozen on the spot, and felt the lightest of touches brush over her cheek; then her door eased open and closed, and she knew he was gone.