A/N: Hi everyone, this is a bit of a surprise update. Sadly, it will be the
last before my break ends and I go back to school. I must say I've seen
people get flamed for NOT updating, but I've never been flamed FOR updating
before, heh. If you're angry with the long time between updates, then my
best piece of advice would be to simply wait until the fic is completed.
With school, it's impossible for me to write, so I unfortunately can't
promise anything. I've also been getting many frustrated emails about
Dumbledore, asking what he said. For the sake of everyone's sanity, I WILL
reveal that you'll start to discover that in Chapter 15. Until next time,
everyone! Thank you to my betas Marian and Anne. Much love to Faelaern and
Delylah-this one is for them.
Chapter 14: What should have been
By the end of the week, Ginny had all but forgotten about Harry's offer to show her something. At the time, she had sincerely hoped he was taking her up on her original offer to talk about Sirius, but he had been so vague and noncommittal that she'd simply assumed he would change his mind.
Every time she tried to imagine having a heartfelt conversation with Harry about the death of his godfather, she pulled a complete blank. Barring a sweeping emotional breakdown on his part, she simply couldn't picture Harry conversing with anyone about Sirius. He had grown so guarded over time that it seemed entirely against his nature-and something about that broke her heart.
So it was with an enormous amount of surprise, when, Saturday afternoon, while she was lying on her stomach in the library with Luna and Susan pouring over the latest Quibbler, she looked up and saw him standing over them.
"Hi Harry," Ginny said, scrambling to a seated position. The other two girls merely looked up at him.
"Erm.hello," he nodded at the group before focusing his attention on Ginny. "Are you, busy now, Gin?"
She got to her feet quickly and tried to ignore the look Susan shot Luna. "Not at all. We're just having a study break."
"Did you hear about Lucious Malfoy and his nasty cake habit?" Luna piped up.
"Cake habit?" Harry asked, looking down at her.
"Cake habit. Tarts and pastries, and the like," Susan supplied helpfully. "It's tragic, really, but according to this, the man couldn't control himself." She pointed at a picture in the paper, a smile playing on her lips. "From the looks of it, he's nearly 400 pounds."
Harry leaned forward a bit for a better look and made a choking noise.
"He had to put on many glamours before coming out in public," Luna said in a quiet, serious, voice. "It's very sad. He never learned to love himself the way he is. I imagine it must have been hard for him because he's such a terrible, awful man."
"Oh." Harry responded after a few moments. "Well, I hadn't heard."
"Quibbler exclusive, five part series," Susan said, tapping the paper. "'Lucious Malfoy-Before Azkaban.'"
"You really ought to read the news more often, Harry," Luna said. "It's the only way to stay informed."
"Thank you, Luna," Harry said and she nodded graciously before going back to read.
"So." Ginny said, sending him an expectant look.
"Oh, sorry," he seemed as though he'd momentarily lost his train of thought, "Gin, could you." He gestured vaguely.
Luckily, she was becoming increasingly fluent in Harry and swiftly nodded, "Of course."
Saying goodbye to her friends, she followed him out of the library.
"Remember when I said that I wanted to show you something at some point?" he asked once they were out in the hall.
She nodded.
"I was hoping to do that now."
"All right," she said, trying to cover her enthusiasm by being as calm and causal as possible. "Where to?"
"Well.would the Astronomy Tower be acceptable?"
"Lead the way."
They set off together, Ginny all but brimming excitement, and when they reached the top of the stairs to the Tower, she was relieved to find the space empty.
Stepping inside, she allowed him to shut the door behind them and before following him to one of the windows. He settled cross-legged on the floor and she did the same, facing him.
"It's not really that interesting," he began, reaching into his rucksack and Ginny had to restrain herself from shouting that it most certainly was and for Merlin's sake to hurry up. "It's.well, I just have a few pictures."
She had been expecting something like this, but when he finally drew out the photos, she was a bit surprised to see how small the stack was.
Looking increasingly less certain of the situation, he stared at her awkwardly. "They're of my.my mum and dad..and I don't know.I just thought that maybe you'd like to see them." He paused, looking at her. She was about to agree but he suddenly started talking again. "On the other hand, if you're busy now."
Her eyes widened in horror as he looked about to put them away again and it was all she could do to stop herself from lunging at him, knocking him over and tearing the pictures out of his hands.
"Don't be ridiculous, Harry, of course I'd love to see them." She tried to keep her voice as light as possible. Nevertheless, she felt a twinge of irritation to see he his continued uncertainty and, exasperated, she reached forward and pulled the top one out of the stack.
He sent her a startled look before obediently leaning forward to see which one she'd chosen. "This is.well, this is my dad, and this here is my mum," Harry said in a rushed voice, pointing to two of the five figures seated around the Gryffindor Common Room.
Ginny nodded, despite the fact she had seen enough pictures of James and Lily Potter to be able to identify them on sight without his help. She recognized the others in the room as Sirius, Professor Lupin and a man she refused to think of as anything but a rat. Ron's former rat, to be exact: Scabbers.
"The picture was taken their last year at Hogwarts," he continued and she nodded, watching James and Lily huddle together by the fire while Professor Lupin read next to them and Sirius kept looking at his watch and nudging James with his foot as though bored out of his mind. Scabbers was seated on the other side of Professor Lupin and Ginny didn't care to see what he was doing.
There was a painful silence before Harry abruptly reached down and plucked the next picture from the pile.
"I think this was fifth year," he said, handing it to her. She watched as a group of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw girls were huddled outside talking to one another when there was a sudden flash of light. When it faded, everyone's hair had turned bright green.
Ginny smiled a bit as the girls alternately started pointing at each other in horror. "Looks like something Fred and George would do," she said.
Harry lifted an eyebrow. "Or my father."
"Your father?"
As the girls started running away, shrieking, the circle thinned and Ginny realized that one person had remained untouched by the blast. Lily Potter's red locks were only matched by her increasingly red face.
Harry pointed to the background and sure enough, Ginny spotted the familiar dark hair and glasses. The self satisfied look on James Potter's face was enough to make her grin.
"Professor Lupin said he loved playing pranks, but he almost never did anything to her," Harry said quietly, watching his mother look around the picture in fury, gripping her wand in her hand.
"Sort of his way of saying he fancied her?" Ginny said with a smile and Harry simply shrugged. For a moment, it made Ginny think of how her own father and mother. "You know, Harry, I think our parents would have been good friends," she said without thinking.
There was a pause and she saw him swallow hard. For a moment, she thought he was about to say something, but instead he shrugged again before taking the picture away from her and reaching for the next.
It was in that moment of sadness and with an overwhelming sense of exhaustion that Ginny's mind lingered on the prospect of their parents getting to know one another and something very strange happened.
She started to laugh.
At first, mildly horrified by the inappropriateness of her behavior, she tried to put a hand over her mouth to smother her giggles. Unfortunately, by the time he'd got halfway through the explanation of the next photo, she was shaking so hard, he noticed. Stopping, he simply stared at her.
"I-I'm sorry, Harry.it's not.it's just that I've got this scenario in my head that you wouldn't believe.."
The stony expression on his face softened somewhat, but he still didn't respond.
"I'm just thinking," she managed through gasps for breath, "of how much trouble our fathers would have got themselves into. Can you imagine?" And with that, she dissolved into peals of laughter.
At length, Harry started to chuckle a bit as well but she reckoned it was simply in response to her inability to control herself.
With much difficulty, she recomposed her features. "What-what with my father, and his tendency to enchant Muggle objects." Unable to stave off the inevitable, she started giggling again. ".and your father's tendency to play pranks."
Comprehension dawned.
"Mayhem," Harry whispered, his eyes widening slightly. "Sheer mayhem."
"Our mothers would have been beside themselves." Another thought occurred to her, "Imagine having the Dursleys over for tea!"
At this point, Harry started laughing with abandon. "Yes! Flying toasters, talking toilets-even the twins couldn't compete!"
"Oh, the twins would HATE it," Ginny burst out, before lowering her voice as though she were about to share something truly scandalous.
"Why?"
"Because they'd have to worry about both our mums catching them in the act. They'd have no hope!"
"What makes you think my mum would do anything to stop them?"
"Oh, she looks prim and proper, Harry, but I can tell-she had some steel to her."
"And how do you know so much about my mother?"
Ginny felt a pang in her heart at the question, and almost dropped the subject entirely, but something about the kind look on his face encouraged her.
"See this?" she asked, pointing at her red locks. "Only a fool meddles with this. Never forget that." She picked up the photograph they had been looking at before from where it lay between them and beckoned Harry closer. "Don't believe me? Just watch."
They sat in silence for a few moments watching Harry's parents sitting outside with Sirius and Professor Lupin in relative tranquility.
"Wait for it, wait for it." Ginny muttered. Sure enough, Sirius suddenly sprayed Lily with water and James started laughing. Lily leapt up. "Stupefy!" Ginny exclaimed in a high pitched voice almost a perfect replicate of her mother's just as Lily drew out her wand and started shouting at Sirius and James. "Fred and George Weasley, you come back here!"
Harry burst out laughing again and leaned forward, one hand braced against the floor.
Ginny paused to watch Lily chase the two boys around the picture. When she turned about face again, her tiny mouth moving in silent indignation, Ginny again supplied the words. "I mean it! That's the last prank you two will ever pull! The two of you will rue the day you ever picked up a wand!"
"That's brilliant, Ginny." His eyes sparkled behind is glasses, making her heart leap. "You sound exactly like your mum."
"Yes, well, the brilliance is accentuated by the many hours I've endured listening to that speech while my father rushes about trying to put out a fire, or change one of my brothers back to human form." She waved her hand dismissively. "Comes with being a Weasley, you know." She looked at the next picture in his hand and couldn't help letting out an absurdly feminine squeal. "Oh, Harry, let me see that! That's you, isn't it?"
He grimaced but handed her the picture anyway. "Erm, yes. With.with my mum."
Ginny watched as Lily Potter whispered into baby Harry's ear and waved his hand for him while bouncing him around slightly. Baby Harry seemed overjoyed.
"You look adorably rotund," she said finally, glancing up at him.
Harry rolled his eyes slightly. "Well, if that's your cup of tea, then perhaps I should introduce you to my cousin Dudley."
"I said adorably rotund, Harry, not morbidly obese, but thank you." She paused. "You know, you look so much like your mother."
"Really?" he asked.
She nodded, still staring at the picture.
"Most people tell me I look like my father."
Her brows knit in contemplation, "Well, with the hair and the build, naturally yes, I'd agree. But your nose and your eyes, and even a bit around your mouth-that's your mother, Harry."
He took hold of the corner of the picture and tilted it slightly towards him for a better look. "I suppose you're right," he said at length. He glanced at her. "You have a good eye for that."
"I notice these sorts of things," she shrugged. "I like children." He smirked and she made a face. "Not to have as my own, but to play with. For now, at least."
"Why?"
"Well, they tend to have interesting things to say."
"Really?"
"Yes." She paused, "I've already decided I'm going to corrupt Neville's children." Her eyes gleamed with maniac pleasure. "Listen here, children, next time you see Daddy, offer him a piece of chocolate from Auntie Ginny and if he won't let you play outside before you've finished your homework, offer him the one with the green wrapper from Uncle Fred and Uncle George."
Harry grinned. "And what has Neville ever done to you?"
"Oh, please. Secretly, he'd love it."
"Really?"
"Of course. Neville adores intrigue in small doses."
"I'll be sure to tell him you said that."
Ginny sniffed. "As if you don't plan on spoiling Ron's children."
Harry grimaced. "I can't think of Ron having children."
She started to giggle. "Whenever I think of Ron with children, all I see is this huge, garish sea of orange and red."
He sent her a quizzical look.
"I just picture this long row of little people dressed in Chudley Cannon's jerseys."
At this, Harry started chuckling. "Priceless!" He pulled a serious face. "Come, come now, Chudley junior, let Chudley the second have his toy back."
"There can't be a Chudley junior," Ginny said laughing, "unless Ron changes his name to Chudley."
"Oh, he'd manage it somehow," Harry said gravely.
"I think he'd name his children Bludger, Quaffle, and Snitch."
"No, that would be my children," Harry said with a grin and Ginny's heart thudded slightly. As though realizing what he'd just said, he reddened and looked away.
The jocular mood had hit an obvious bump.
As fortune would have it, in her search for a change of subject, Ginny glanced down at the next picture in the stack and let out a shriek. "Merlin have mercy, is that Professor Lupin?!"
The grin returned and he nodded. "Yes, it is."
Ginny picked up the picture and stared at it, one hand partially covering her mouth in a gesture of awe. "I think those trousers speak for themselves, but WHAT in Merlin's name is that THING on his face?"
"It appears to be a moustache."
"What were you thinking?!" Ginny exclaimed to picture Lupin. Sadly, he was too busy self-consciously stroking and grooming the shock of hair on his upper lip to pay any attention to her. "And he won't stop fussing with it!" She dissolved into giggles. "Harry, when was this taken?"
Smiling, he seized her wrist and caused her turn the picture over. On the back 'fifth year' was written in dark blue ink.
"So he was my age," she said in wonder. "And clearly blind." Harry started snickering again and she looked at him. "You know, you should send this to Tonks. But you ought to warn her first, because honestly, I think she'd take one look at this and pop something."
"I can't." Harry shook his head. "Professor Lupin would never speak to me again."
"True," Ginny said thoughtfully, "but if you did, you would be my hero." The comment was meant as a joke, but something about the way his eyes darkened and flickered to her lips made her blush at the implications of it.
She shifted uncomfortably during the period of silence that followed. It couldn't have lasted more than a few seconds, but the stillness was almost excruciating.
Finally, his eyes met her own again, and he nodded. "In that case, I'll consider it."
Smiling a bit awkwardly, she reached for the next picture in the stack, but his hand closed around hers, stopping it. She looked up at him, but he continued staring at the floor. So, with little other choice, she waited. At length, the weight of his hand trapping her own was beginning to cause an almost uncomfortable heat to radiate through her body.
"I thought this would be more difficult than it is," he said slowly before looking up at her. "Thank you."
As usual, she felt exceedingly out of sorts under that green gaze, but managed to shrug lightly and send him what she hoped was an encouraging look. "It's nothing, Harry."
"No." He said a bit more forcefully. "I'm terrible at this. I know I am."
"Terrible at what?" she asked gently.
He sighed and removed his hand from hers before reaching up and taking off his glasses. Rubbing his face vigorously, he ran his hands through his dark hair until it stuck up in odd angled peaks, after which he leaned back against the wall and looked at her. "Finding the words," he said finally.
"You were doing quite a job of it a few minutes ago."
"Yes, but not when it matters."
There was a long period of silence, then. Ginny ached for him but couldn't bring herself to say anything.
"You never asked me," he said all of a sudden. "You know.when-when I told you.during Christmas, you never asked me why-"
There was such raw pain in his voice when he spoke that she placed her hand on his chest, silencing him. "I know. I know I never asked." She paused to collect her thoughts. "It wasn't that I didn't care or that I didn't want to know, but.at the time.it just didn't seem like the right question." She wanted to let him know that even now, it didn't seem like the right question, but then realized that perhaps, when it came to Harry, she had trouble finding the proper words as well.
He sighed before leaning back against the wall again. "There's a lot going on."
She nodded and, noting the miserable look on his face, repositioned herself to sit next to him. "There always is, Harry. There always is."
They sat there in companionable silence for several minutes until, without any preamble and without otherwise moving, he reached over and slid his fingers through her own. For some reason, the gesture caused her eyes to prickle with tears. Turning her head away, she brushed angrily at them with the sleeve of her robes.
"You're a good friend, Ginny," he said finally, still gazing at the opposite wall and therefore was unable to see her face momentarily crumble.
"So are you," she whispered and her voice sounded harsher than it needed to be in the pale milky light of the winter dusk. He turned to her then, and she squeezed his hand affably before sending him a brave smile. "So, are you up for the next picture?"
He nodded.
Disentangling herself from his grasp, she reached for it.
Harry cleared his throat. "So, this one is out near Hagrid's hut, I think. Looks like some sort of picnic because I reckon half the school is out there, but there's my mum and dad, and Professor Lupin and if you wait a bit, Professor McGonagall comes in and- Ginny, what's wrong?"
Her lips parted slightly in shock, Ginny shook her head when she felt him touch her.
"Have you seen something?"
"Harry," she said, her voice quivering with an emotion she couldn't define, "under the tree on the left.it's...Harry, I think those are Neville's parents."
"Lumos," he said, and light burst from the tip of his wand. He took the picture from her and held it up. "Merlin, you're right. Crikey, I-I..I never even realized it before."
Pulling her knees up to her chest she watched him squinting at the photo and searched her mind for how to best phrase what she wanted to say. Harry had shown her these pictures in confidence and she knew it was terrible to ask him to share them with others, but she also knew that Neville didn't have that many keepsakes of his parents and this would mean the world to him.
She was just about to make her request when he suddenly stood up and started to gather the rest of the photos off of the ground. "Do you know where he is? Neville, I mean."
She blinked at him, momentarily thrown, before nodding. "Last I saw him, he was in the Common Room doing some reading with Dean."
"Good. I think I should show this to him and maybe.uhm.maybe find Colin and see if he'd make us a copy."
Ginny felt a wave of gratitude crash through her as she quickly scrambled to her feet. "Oh, Harry, thank you so much. Neville will be so pleased because he.well, he doesn't have anything like this." Harry nodded and started out of the room. Ginny quickly followed him, trying to keep up with his suddenly long, rapid strides towards Gryffindor Tower. "A-after his parents were attacked, they lost almost everything. His gran mostly has pictures of his parents after they left Hogwarts, but not actually during." Realizing she was needlessly babbling and he had stopped responding, she lapsed into silence for the remainder of their journey.
When they entered the Common Room and Harry approached Neville with the photo, she hung back. The moment felt too personal to intrude on, but when she saw Neville's face change from curiosity to shock to something that mingled painfully close to grief, she felt herself take a step towards him.
She had barely started over when he abruptly stood, exchanged a few words with Harry and strode out the portrait hole, still clutching the picture.
Ginny stared after him, contemplating whether or not she should follow, when she felt Harry come to stand beside her. Something about the pensive look in his eyes cautioned her against asking what had transpired so she simply forced a smile.
"Care for some dinner?" he asked.
She averted her gaze out the window for a few seconds before shaking her head, "Normally yes, but I think I should go upstairs and spend some time with Maeven." Growing more accustomed to Hogwarts, her Familiar had been disappearing every now and then to explore the castle. In the beginning, Ginny had been able to close her eyes and temporarily merge with Maeven to see the various passageways and rooms from the bird's perspective. Dizzying at first, Ginny gradually grew accustomed to that swooping, ever-changing view of the world. However, it had been a while since she'd spent much time with her phoenix and Ginny was starting to feel oddly disconnected. In addition, she felt strangely melancholy and was suddenly not in the mood for any human companionship.
He nodded at her, slipping his hands into his pockets and taking a step back.
"See you later, Harry," she murmured as she walked past him and wasn't surprised when he didn't respond.
**
Neville never mentioned the photo to Ginny and she never asked him about it.
Harry hadn't invited her to look at the rest of the pictures with him, either. In fact, he hadn't mentioned them at all since that afternoon nearly a week ago. In retrospect, she wasn't surprised, as she'd spent most of her time laughing over his dead parents-something she still felt mildly embarrassed about.
She was practicing a bit of wandless magic in her room under Maeven's watchful eye when she suddenly felt someone tugging at the bottom of her robes. Looking down, she was a bit startled to find Winky staring balefully up at her.
"Excusing your pardon, miss, but you's presence is been requested in the Room of Requirement."
Ginny frowned slightly. "By who?"
"Professor Lupin, miss."
This concerned her even more but she simply nodded at the house elf. "Very well. Thank you."
Winky blinked at her and shuffled away.
Maeven alighted on her perch and cocked her head at Ginny, indicating she planned on staying in the room unless Ginny wanted otherwise.
"No, that's fine, I'll go alone." Ginny responded aloud. The spoken words were not what the phoenix understood, but Ginny had learned from Professor Dumbledore that pronouncing things was often the quickest and easiest way to communicate with Familiars because she naturally formed the words in her mind before saying them.
Bidding her phoenix farewell, she started out of her dormitory room, pausing only to retrieve her wand. In the time it took Ginny to get from Gryffindor Tower to the Room of Requirement, her curiosity and imagination was working overtime. There was something vaguely ominous about being summoned via House-Elf to the DA Room and Ginny hoped something terrible hadn't happened. She reckoned that if it had been truly awful, she would have been summoned by Professor McGonagall, as she had been that night her father was bitten by one of Voldemort's snakes.
Pausing in front of the room and not knowing what else to do, she knocked tentatively on the door.
Much to her shock, it instantaneously swung open and she found herself staring into the eyes of what appeared to be a younger version of Professor Lupin.
"Hello." He stuck out his hand and Ginny shook it in disbelief. "My name is Remus Lupin and I'm in DESPERATE need of a comb."
Looking over his shoulder, Ginny saw the real Remus Lupin standing beside a terribly amused looking Harry Potter.
"Tonks?" Ginny choked with laughter.
Ushering Ginny inside, young Lupin shut the door behind her.
"I understand I have you to thank for this," Lupin said, gesturing at the younger version of himself who was now all but prancing around the Room of Requirement.
"Come, come now, Remus." Young Lupin stopped moving. "Let us give credit where credit is due. I think it's safe to say we have YOU to thank for this."
"I'm sorry, Professor," Ginny said automatically.
"Nothing to apologize for, Gin," young Lupin interjected. "I don't know what he's on about. There's no reason to be embarrassed because moustaches are very useful things."
Lupin groaned softly but was dutifully ignored.
"Not only do they keep one's lip snug and warm in winter, but nothing quite marks manhood like the ability to grow hair on one's face." He struck an overly debonair pose. "Quite spiffing, actually."
"Tonks, you have no idea how disturbing that is," Lupin said, gazing at her mournfully from across the room.
"Yes, well you might have thought of that before you grew it."
Ginny made the mistake of looking at Harry at that point and had to bite down hard on her lip to prevent the laughter that bubbled dangerously to the surface.
"A comb! A comb, my kingdom for a comb!" young Lupin shouted loudly, twirling in a circle with his arms spread wide. "It's called the Room of bloody Requirement and I've required a comb for the past half hour. WHERE is it?"
"You know, Harry," Lupin said dryly, "the next time you're feeling nostalgic perhaps you can do so in private. At least when it comes to the photos taken during my fifth year." He paused. "And sixth, come to think of it."
Ginny silently picked up the silver comb that had appeared on a desk next to her and handed it to Tonks.
"FINALLY." With a great show of relief, young Lupin started vigorously combing his moustache and smoothing it. "Tell me something, Remus," he said, looking down his nose and wiggling his upper lip as though trying to get a good look at it.
Lupin sighed. "Yes?"
"Did you name it?"
Giving up the last vestiges of their dignity, Harry burst out laughing and Ginny clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles.
"Tonks-" Lupin began in an exasperated voice.
"No, really, I'm entirely serious. I mean, look at the picture." He picked up a photo from where it had been lying on a desk in front of Harry and thrust it under Lupin's nose. "It's clear that you took care of it. Treated it well. Most likely spoke to it at night to encourage its growth. One only needs to witness the fullness and pride in that moustache. Look at that saucy little devil, glistening in the sun."
"Are you quite done?" Lupin said, raising an eyebrow.
"Ah, such an optimist. But tell me, what made you finally decide to get rid of it?"
There was a pause.
"Harry's mother threatened to hex me with a dehairing charm if I didn't. I would've gone entirely bald for six months if she had."
"Yet another reason why Lily Potter was a brilliant woman," young Lupin said, patting Harry on the shoulder.
"Just wait, Potter, until marks come out," Lupin muttered under his breath.
"Oh, don't mind him, Harry," young Lupin cut in. "He's just upset about our friend here because, secretly, he misses it." He pointed to the moustache. "Fear not, Remus, for though it may be gone, it is not forgotten. In fact, I have it on excellent authority that it will be remembered again on Tuesday at the next Order meeting."
"You know," Lupin said, "It isn't as though there aren't rather absurd pictures of you floating around, Nymphadora."
"Entirely true," Tonks replied, transforming back into her own form, "but as you so astutely love to point out, I look absurd on purpose. You have no such excuse."
Lupin sighed and Tonks grinned. "Ginny, thank you for what has been the most fun I've had since-" the Auror paused as though searching her mind, "- well, come to think of it, ever since that pumpkin incident with Moody, which sadly I am forbidden to speak of, but suffice it to say, it was a joy."
Lupin looked wistful for a moment. "Ah, the pumpkin," he said. "I remember the pumpkin." The teenagers exchanged quizzical looks, causing him to snap back to attention, "Right. In any event, as joyful as this experience has been, I'm going to have to ask you all to leave now, as I am expecting a student."
"You sure she wouldn't rather have help from the OTHER Remus Lupin?" Tonks asked.
"No," he responded firmly.
"Spoilsport," she muttered, but started for the door anyway. Still somewhat confused, Ginny followed suit.
"Come by at seven tonight, Harry," Lupin called. "Nice to see you, Ginny."
"Erm, thank you.sorry again, Professor."
"Don't apologize," Tonks hissed, as they exited the room. Once the door was shut behind the trio, Tonks let out a loud laugh. "Oh, he pretends to hate it, but I know him-he secretly loves the attention-finds it terribly amusing. Speaking of which, got any more pictures, Harry?" Tonks fluttered her lashes at him and he laughed.
"None quite so good, but I'll take a look."
"There's a dear," she said breezily. "Well, kids, I'm off. Meeting with Moody. See you around."
Waving goodbye, Harry and Ginny started back to the Tower together.
"Oh, that was cruel," she said with a smile. "I hope Tonks doesn't tease him too harshly."
Harry grinned, "Well, it WAS your idea to show the picture to her."
"Yes, but I thought you said you weren't going to."
There was a pause and when he spoken again, she thought his voice sounded slightly rougher than it had before, "Well, you made me an offer and I decided to take you up on it."
She smiled to herself but didn't respond.
"So, I imagine that means now I'm your hero."
"I imagine you are," she said softly.
"So, does this mean you treat me differently now?"
"Are you implying I should be doing your wash and shining your shoes and the like?"
He grinned, "Something like that."
"Well," she said thoughtfully, "if you want, I could always revive the fanclub. I believe Moaning Myrtle really misses the weekly newsletter." Catching the clearly horrified look on his face, Ginny chuckled. "Oh sweet Merlin, Harry, I'm joking."
He heaved a sigh of relief. "You really shouldn't say things like that, Gin. It scares me."
"Hm," she said seriously, "that's very heroic of you."
"Patience, Miss Weasley," he responded with a smile, "This hero thing takes some getting used to, although, at this rate I reckon I won't be able to hold the position for very long, eh?"
And in the end, she simply laughed and shook her head, because despite it all, Ginny didn't have the heart to tell him that he was wrong.
Chapter 14: What should have been
By the end of the week, Ginny had all but forgotten about Harry's offer to show her something. At the time, she had sincerely hoped he was taking her up on her original offer to talk about Sirius, but he had been so vague and noncommittal that she'd simply assumed he would change his mind.
Every time she tried to imagine having a heartfelt conversation with Harry about the death of his godfather, she pulled a complete blank. Barring a sweeping emotional breakdown on his part, she simply couldn't picture Harry conversing with anyone about Sirius. He had grown so guarded over time that it seemed entirely against his nature-and something about that broke her heart.
So it was with an enormous amount of surprise, when, Saturday afternoon, while she was lying on her stomach in the library with Luna and Susan pouring over the latest Quibbler, she looked up and saw him standing over them.
"Hi Harry," Ginny said, scrambling to a seated position. The other two girls merely looked up at him.
"Erm.hello," he nodded at the group before focusing his attention on Ginny. "Are you, busy now, Gin?"
She got to her feet quickly and tried to ignore the look Susan shot Luna. "Not at all. We're just having a study break."
"Did you hear about Lucious Malfoy and his nasty cake habit?" Luna piped up.
"Cake habit?" Harry asked, looking down at her.
"Cake habit. Tarts and pastries, and the like," Susan supplied helpfully. "It's tragic, really, but according to this, the man couldn't control himself." She pointed at a picture in the paper, a smile playing on her lips. "From the looks of it, he's nearly 400 pounds."
Harry leaned forward a bit for a better look and made a choking noise.
"He had to put on many glamours before coming out in public," Luna said in a quiet, serious, voice. "It's very sad. He never learned to love himself the way he is. I imagine it must have been hard for him because he's such a terrible, awful man."
"Oh." Harry responded after a few moments. "Well, I hadn't heard."
"Quibbler exclusive, five part series," Susan said, tapping the paper. "'Lucious Malfoy-Before Azkaban.'"
"You really ought to read the news more often, Harry," Luna said. "It's the only way to stay informed."
"Thank you, Luna," Harry said and she nodded graciously before going back to read.
"So." Ginny said, sending him an expectant look.
"Oh, sorry," he seemed as though he'd momentarily lost his train of thought, "Gin, could you." He gestured vaguely.
Luckily, she was becoming increasingly fluent in Harry and swiftly nodded, "Of course."
Saying goodbye to her friends, she followed him out of the library.
"Remember when I said that I wanted to show you something at some point?" he asked once they were out in the hall.
She nodded.
"I was hoping to do that now."
"All right," she said, trying to cover her enthusiasm by being as calm and causal as possible. "Where to?"
"Well.would the Astronomy Tower be acceptable?"
"Lead the way."
They set off together, Ginny all but brimming excitement, and when they reached the top of the stairs to the Tower, she was relieved to find the space empty.
Stepping inside, she allowed him to shut the door behind them and before following him to one of the windows. He settled cross-legged on the floor and she did the same, facing him.
"It's not really that interesting," he began, reaching into his rucksack and Ginny had to restrain herself from shouting that it most certainly was and for Merlin's sake to hurry up. "It's.well, I just have a few pictures."
She had been expecting something like this, but when he finally drew out the photos, she was a bit surprised to see how small the stack was.
Looking increasingly less certain of the situation, he stared at her awkwardly. "They're of my.my mum and dad..and I don't know.I just thought that maybe you'd like to see them." He paused, looking at her. She was about to agree but he suddenly started talking again. "On the other hand, if you're busy now."
Her eyes widened in horror as he looked about to put them away again and it was all she could do to stop herself from lunging at him, knocking him over and tearing the pictures out of his hands.
"Don't be ridiculous, Harry, of course I'd love to see them." She tried to keep her voice as light as possible. Nevertheless, she felt a twinge of irritation to see he his continued uncertainty and, exasperated, she reached forward and pulled the top one out of the stack.
He sent her a startled look before obediently leaning forward to see which one she'd chosen. "This is.well, this is my dad, and this here is my mum," Harry said in a rushed voice, pointing to two of the five figures seated around the Gryffindor Common Room.
Ginny nodded, despite the fact she had seen enough pictures of James and Lily Potter to be able to identify them on sight without his help. She recognized the others in the room as Sirius, Professor Lupin and a man she refused to think of as anything but a rat. Ron's former rat, to be exact: Scabbers.
"The picture was taken their last year at Hogwarts," he continued and she nodded, watching James and Lily huddle together by the fire while Professor Lupin read next to them and Sirius kept looking at his watch and nudging James with his foot as though bored out of his mind. Scabbers was seated on the other side of Professor Lupin and Ginny didn't care to see what he was doing.
There was a painful silence before Harry abruptly reached down and plucked the next picture from the pile.
"I think this was fifth year," he said, handing it to her. She watched as a group of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw girls were huddled outside talking to one another when there was a sudden flash of light. When it faded, everyone's hair had turned bright green.
Ginny smiled a bit as the girls alternately started pointing at each other in horror. "Looks like something Fred and George would do," she said.
Harry lifted an eyebrow. "Or my father."
"Your father?"
As the girls started running away, shrieking, the circle thinned and Ginny realized that one person had remained untouched by the blast. Lily Potter's red locks were only matched by her increasingly red face.
Harry pointed to the background and sure enough, Ginny spotted the familiar dark hair and glasses. The self satisfied look on James Potter's face was enough to make her grin.
"Professor Lupin said he loved playing pranks, but he almost never did anything to her," Harry said quietly, watching his mother look around the picture in fury, gripping her wand in her hand.
"Sort of his way of saying he fancied her?" Ginny said with a smile and Harry simply shrugged. For a moment, it made Ginny think of how her own father and mother. "You know, Harry, I think our parents would have been good friends," she said without thinking.
There was a pause and she saw him swallow hard. For a moment, she thought he was about to say something, but instead he shrugged again before taking the picture away from her and reaching for the next.
It was in that moment of sadness and with an overwhelming sense of exhaustion that Ginny's mind lingered on the prospect of their parents getting to know one another and something very strange happened.
She started to laugh.
At first, mildly horrified by the inappropriateness of her behavior, she tried to put a hand over her mouth to smother her giggles. Unfortunately, by the time he'd got halfway through the explanation of the next photo, she was shaking so hard, he noticed. Stopping, he simply stared at her.
"I-I'm sorry, Harry.it's not.it's just that I've got this scenario in my head that you wouldn't believe.."
The stony expression on his face softened somewhat, but he still didn't respond.
"I'm just thinking," she managed through gasps for breath, "of how much trouble our fathers would have got themselves into. Can you imagine?" And with that, she dissolved into peals of laughter.
At length, Harry started to chuckle a bit as well but she reckoned it was simply in response to her inability to control herself.
With much difficulty, she recomposed her features. "What-what with my father, and his tendency to enchant Muggle objects." Unable to stave off the inevitable, she started giggling again. ".and your father's tendency to play pranks."
Comprehension dawned.
"Mayhem," Harry whispered, his eyes widening slightly. "Sheer mayhem."
"Our mothers would have been beside themselves." Another thought occurred to her, "Imagine having the Dursleys over for tea!"
At this point, Harry started laughing with abandon. "Yes! Flying toasters, talking toilets-even the twins couldn't compete!"
"Oh, the twins would HATE it," Ginny burst out, before lowering her voice as though she were about to share something truly scandalous.
"Why?"
"Because they'd have to worry about both our mums catching them in the act. They'd have no hope!"
"What makes you think my mum would do anything to stop them?"
"Oh, she looks prim and proper, Harry, but I can tell-she had some steel to her."
"And how do you know so much about my mother?"
Ginny felt a pang in her heart at the question, and almost dropped the subject entirely, but something about the kind look on his face encouraged her.
"See this?" she asked, pointing at her red locks. "Only a fool meddles with this. Never forget that." She picked up the photograph they had been looking at before from where it lay between them and beckoned Harry closer. "Don't believe me? Just watch."
They sat in silence for a few moments watching Harry's parents sitting outside with Sirius and Professor Lupin in relative tranquility.
"Wait for it, wait for it." Ginny muttered. Sure enough, Sirius suddenly sprayed Lily with water and James started laughing. Lily leapt up. "Stupefy!" Ginny exclaimed in a high pitched voice almost a perfect replicate of her mother's just as Lily drew out her wand and started shouting at Sirius and James. "Fred and George Weasley, you come back here!"
Harry burst out laughing again and leaned forward, one hand braced against the floor.
Ginny paused to watch Lily chase the two boys around the picture. When she turned about face again, her tiny mouth moving in silent indignation, Ginny again supplied the words. "I mean it! That's the last prank you two will ever pull! The two of you will rue the day you ever picked up a wand!"
"That's brilliant, Ginny." His eyes sparkled behind is glasses, making her heart leap. "You sound exactly like your mum."
"Yes, well, the brilliance is accentuated by the many hours I've endured listening to that speech while my father rushes about trying to put out a fire, or change one of my brothers back to human form." She waved her hand dismissively. "Comes with being a Weasley, you know." She looked at the next picture in his hand and couldn't help letting out an absurdly feminine squeal. "Oh, Harry, let me see that! That's you, isn't it?"
He grimaced but handed her the picture anyway. "Erm, yes. With.with my mum."
Ginny watched as Lily Potter whispered into baby Harry's ear and waved his hand for him while bouncing him around slightly. Baby Harry seemed overjoyed.
"You look adorably rotund," she said finally, glancing up at him.
Harry rolled his eyes slightly. "Well, if that's your cup of tea, then perhaps I should introduce you to my cousin Dudley."
"I said adorably rotund, Harry, not morbidly obese, but thank you." She paused. "You know, you look so much like your mother."
"Really?" he asked.
She nodded, still staring at the picture.
"Most people tell me I look like my father."
Her brows knit in contemplation, "Well, with the hair and the build, naturally yes, I'd agree. But your nose and your eyes, and even a bit around your mouth-that's your mother, Harry."
He took hold of the corner of the picture and tilted it slightly towards him for a better look. "I suppose you're right," he said at length. He glanced at her. "You have a good eye for that."
"I notice these sorts of things," she shrugged. "I like children." He smirked and she made a face. "Not to have as my own, but to play with. For now, at least."
"Why?"
"Well, they tend to have interesting things to say."
"Really?"
"Yes." She paused, "I've already decided I'm going to corrupt Neville's children." Her eyes gleamed with maniac pleasure. "Listen here, children, next time you see Daddy, offer him a piece of chocolate from Auntie Ginny and if he won't let you play outside before you've finished your homework, offer him the one with the green wrapper from Uncle Fred and Uncle George."
Harry grinned. "And what has Neville ever done to you?"
"Oh, please. Secretly, he'd love it."
"Really?"
"Of course. Neville adores intrigue in small doses."
"I'll be sure to tell him you said that."
Ginny sniffed. "As if you don't plan on spoiling Ron's children."
Harry grimaced. "I can't think of Ron having children."
She started to giggle. "Whenever I think of Ron with children, all I see is this huge, garish sea of orange and red."
He sent her a quizzical look.
"I just picture this long row of little people dressed in Chudley Cannon's jerseys."
At this, Harry started chuckling. "Priceless!" He pulled a serious face. "Come, come now, Chudley junior, let Chudley the second have his toy back."
"There can't be a Chudley junior," Ginny said laughing, "unless Ron changes his name to Chudley."
"Oh, he'd manage it somehow," Harry said gravely.
"I think he'd name his children Bludger, Quaffle, and Snitch."
"No, that would be my children," Harry said with a grin and Ginny's heart thudded slightly. As though realizing what he'd just said, he reddened and looked away.
The jocular mood had hit an obvious bump.
As fortune would have it, in her search for a change of subject, Ginny glanced down at the next picture in the stack and let out a shriek. "Merlin have mercy, is that Professor Lupin?!"
The grin returned and he nodded. "Yes, it is."
Ginny picked up the picture and stared at it, one hand partially covering her mouth in a gesture of awe. "I think those trousers speak for themselves, but WHAT in Merlin's name is that THING on his face?"
"It appears to be a moustache."
"What were you thinking?!" Ginny exclaimed to picture Lupin. Sadly, he was too busy self-consciously stroking and grooming the shock of hair on his upper lip to pay any attention to her. "And he won't stop fussing with it!" She dissolved into giggles. "Harry, when was this taken?"
Smiling, he seized her wrist and caused her turn the picture over. On the back 'fifth year' was written in dark blue ink.
"So he was my age," she said in wonder. "And clearly blind." Harry started snickering again and she looked at him. "You know, you should send this to Tonks. But you ought to warn her first, because honestly, I think she'd take one look at this and pop something."
"I can't." Harry shook his head. "Professor Lupin would never speak to me again."
"True," Ginny said thoughtfully, "but if you did, you would be my hero." The comment was meant as a joke, but something about the way his eyes darkened and flickered to her lips made her blush at the implications of it.
She shifted uncomfortably during the period of silence that followed. It couldn't have lasted more than a few seconds, but the stillness was almost excruciating.
Finally, his eyes met her own again, and he nodded. "In that case, I'll consider it."
Smiling a bit awkwardly, she reached for the next picture in the stack, but his hand closed around hers, stopping it. She looked up at him, but he continued staring at the floor. So, with little other choice, she waited. At length, the weight of his hand trapping her own was beginning to cause an almost uncomfortable heat to radiate through her body.
"I thought this would be more difficult than it is," he said slowly before looking up at her. "Thank you."
As usual, she felt exceedingly out of sorts under that green gaze, but managed to shrug lightly and send him what she hoped was an encouraging look. "It's nothing, Harry."
"No." He said a bit more forcefully. "I'm terrible at this. I know I am."
"Terrible at what?" she asked gently.
He sighed and removed his hand from hers before reaching up and taking off his glasses. Rubbing his face vigorously, he ran his hands through his dark hair until it stuck up in odd angled peaks, after which he leaned back against the wall and looked at her. "Finding the words," he said finally.
"You were doing quite a job of it a few minutes ago."
"Yes, but not when it matters."
There was a long period of silence, then. Ginny ached for him but couldn't bring herself to say anything.
"You never asked me," he said all of a sudden. "You know.when-when I told you.during Christmas, you never asked me why-"
There was such raw pain in his voice when he spoke that she placed her hand on his chest, silencing him. "I know. I know I never asked." She paused to collect her thoughts. "It wasn't that I didn't care or that I didn't want to know, but.at the time.it just didn't seem like the right question." She wanted to let him know that even now, it didn't seem like the right question, but then realized that perhaps, when it came to Harry, she had trouble finding the proper words as well.
He sighed before leaning back against the wall again. "There's a lot going on."
She nodded and, noting the miserable look on his face, repositioned herself to sit next to him. "There always is, Harry. There always is."
They sat there in companionable silence for several minutes until, without any preamble and without otherwise moving, he reached over and slid his fingers through her own. For some reason, the gesture caused her eyes to prickle with tears. Turning her head away, she brushed angrily at them with the sleeve of her robes.
"You're a good friend, Ginny," he said finally, still gazing at the opposite wall and therefore was unable to see her face momentarily crumble.
"So are you," she whispered and her voice sounded harsher than it needed to be in the pale milky light of the winter dusk. He turned to her then, and she squeezed his hand affably before sending him a brave smile. "So, are you up for the next picture?"
He nodded.
Disentangling herself from his grasp, she reached for it.
Harry cleared his throat. "So, this one is out near Hagrid's hut, I think. Looks like some sort of picnic because I reckon half the school is out there, but there's my mum and dad, and Professor Lupin and if you wait a bit, Professor McGonagall comes in and- Ginny, what's wrong?"
Her lips parted slightly in shock, Ginny shook her head when she felt him touch her.
"Have you seen something?"
"Harry," she said, her voice quivering with an emotion she couldn't define, "under the tree on the left.it's...Harry, I think those are Neville's parents."
"Lumos," he said, and light burst from the tip of his wand. He took the picture from her and held it up. "Merlin, you're right. Crikey, I-I..I never even realized it before."
Pulling her knees up to her chest she watched him squinting at the photo and searched her mind for how to best phrase what she wanted to say. Harry had shown her these pictures in confidence and she knew it was terrible to ask him to share them with others, but she also knew that Neville didn't have that many keepsakes of his parents and this would mean the world to him.
She was just about to make her request when he suddenly stood up and started to gather the rest of the photos off of the ground. "Do you know where he is? Neville, I mean."
She blinked at him, momentarily thrown, before nodding. "Last I saw him, he was in the Common Room doing some reading with Dean."
"Good. I think I should show this to him and maybe.uhm.maybe find Colin and see if he'd make us a copy."
Ginny felt a wave of gratitude crash through her as she quickly scrambled to her feet. "Oh, Harry, thank you so much. Neville will be so pleased because he.well, he doesn't have anything like this." Harry nodded and started out of the room. Ginny quickly followed him, trying to keep up with his suddenly long, rapid strides towards Gryffindor Tower. "A-after his parents were attacked, they lost almost everything. His gran mostly has pictures of his parents after they left Hogwarts, but not actually during." Realizing she was needlessly babbling and he had stopped responding, she lapsed into silence for the remainder of their journey.
When they entered the Common Room and Harry approached Neville with the photo, she hung back. The moment felt too personal to intrude on, but when she saw Neville's face change from curiosity to shock to something that mingled painfully close to grief, she felt herself take a step towards him.
She had barely started over when he abruptly stood, exchanged a few words with Harry and strode out the portrait hole, still clutching the picture.
Ginny stared after him, contemplating whether or not she should follow, when she felt Harry come to stand beside her. Something about the pensive look in his eyes cautioned her against asking what had transpired so she simply forced a smile.
"Care for some dinner?" he asked.
She averted her gaze out the window for a few seconds before shaking her head, "Normally yes, but I think I should go upstairs and spend some time with Maeven." Growing more accustomed to Hogwarts, her Familiar had been disappearing every now and then to explore the castle. In the beginning, Ginny had been able to close her eyes and temporarily merge with Maeven to see the various passageways and rooms from the bird's perspective. Dizzying at first, Ginny gradually grew accustomed to that swooping, ever-changing view of the world. However, it had been a while since she'd spent much time with her phoenix and Ginny was starting to feel oddly disconnected. In addition, she felt strangely melancholy and was suddenly not in the mood for any human companionship.
He nodded at her, slipping his hands into his pockets and taking a step back.
"See you later, Harry," she murmured as she walked past him and wasn't surprised when he didn't respond.
**
Neville never mentioned the photo to Ginny and she never asked him about it.
Harry hadn't invited her to look at the rest of the pictures with him, either. In fact, he hadn't mentioned them at all since that afternoon nearly a week ago. In retrospect, she wasn't surprised, as she'd spent most of her time laughing over his dead parents-something she still felt mildly embarrassed about.
She was practicing a bit of wandless magic in her room under Maeven's watchful eye when she suddenly felt someone tugging at the bottom of her robes. Looking down, she was a bit startled to find Winky staring balefully up at her.
"Excusing your pardon, miss, but you's presence is been requested in the Room of Requirement."
Ginny frowned slightly. "By who?"
"Professor Lupin, miss."
This concerned her even more but she simply nodded at the house elf. "Very well. Thank you."
Winky blinked at her and shuffled away.
Maeven alighted on her perch and cocked her head at Ginny, indicating she planned on staying in the room unless Ginny wanted otherwise.
"No, that's fine, I'll go alone." Ginny responded aloud. The spoken words were not what the phoenix understood, but Ginny had learned from Professor Dumbledore that pronouncing things was often the quickest and easiest way to communicate with Familiars because she naturally formed the words in her mind before saying them.
Bidding her phoenix farewell, she started out of her dormitory room, pausing only to retrieve her wand. In the time it took Ginny to get from Gryffindor Tower to the Room of Requirement, her curiosity and imagination was working overtime. There was something vaguely ominous about being summoned via House-Elf to the DA Room and Ginny hoped something terrible hadn't happened. She reckoned that if it had been truly awful, she would have been summoned by Professor McGonagall, as she had been that night her father was bitten by one of Voldemort's snakes.
Pausing in front of the room and not knowing what else to do, she knocked tentatively on the door.
Much to her shock, it instantaneously swung open and she found herself staring into the eyes of what appeared to be a younger version of Professor Lupin.
"Hello." He stuck out his hand and Ginny shook it in disbelief. "My name is Remus Lupin and I'm in DESPERATE need of a comb."
Looking over his shoulder, Ginny saw the real Remus Lupin standing beside a terribly amused looking Harry Potter.
"Tonks?" Ginny choked with laughter.
Ushering Ginny inside, young Lupin shut the door behind her.
"I understand I have you to thank for this," Lupin said, gesturing at the younger version of himself who was now all but prancing around the Room of Requirement.
"Come, come now, Remus." Young Lupin stopped moving. "Let us give credit where credit is due. I think it's safe to say we have YOU to thank for this."
"I'm sorry, Professor," Ginny said automatically.
"Nothing to apologize for, Gin," young Lupin interjected. "I don't know what he's on about. There's no reason to be embarrassed because moustaches are very useful things."
Lupin groaned softly but was dutifully ignored.
"Not only do they keep one's lip snug and warm in winter, but nothing quite marks manhood like the ability to grow hair on one's face." He struck an overly debonair pose. "Quite spiffing, actually."
"Tonks, you have no idea how disturbing that is," Lupin said, gazing at her mournfully from across the room.
"Yes, well you might have thought of that before you grew it."
Ginny made the mistake of looking at Harry at that point and had to bite down hard on her lip to prevent the laughter that bubbled dangerously to the surface.
"A comb! A comb, my kingdom for a comb!" young Lupin shouted loudly, twirling in a circle with his arms spread wide. "It's called the Room of bloody Requirement and I've required a comb for the past half hour. WHERE is it?"
"You know, Harry," Lupin said dryly, "the next time you're feeling nostalgic perhaps you can do so in private. At least when it comes to the photos taken during my fifth year." He paused. "And sixth, come to think of it."
Ginny silently picked up the silver comb that had appeared on a desk next to her and handed it to Tonks.
"FINALLY." With a great show of relief, young Lupin started vigorously combing his moustache and smoothing it. "Tell me something, Remus," he said, looking down his nose and wiggling his upper lip as though trying to get a good look at it.
Lupin sighed. "Yes?"
"Did you name it?"
Giving up the last vestiges of their dignity, Harry burst out laughing and Ginny clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles.
"Tonks-" Lupin began in an exasperated voice.
"No, really, I'm entirely serious. I mean, look at the picture." He picked up a photo from where it had been lying on a desk in front of Harry and thrust it under Lupin's nose. "It's clear that you took care of it. Treated it well. Most likely spoke to it at night to encourage its growth. One only needs to witness the fullness and pride in that moustache. Look at that saucy little devil, glistening in the sun."
"Are you quite done?" Lupin said, raising an eyebrow.
"Ah, such an optimist. But tell me, what made you finally decide to get rid of it?"
There was a pause.
"Harry's mother threatened to hex me with a dehairing charm if I didn't. I would've gone entirely bald for six months if she had."
"Yet another reason why Lily Potter was a brilliant woman," young Lupin said, patting Harry on the shoulder.
"Just wait, Potter, until marks come out," Lupin muttered under his breath.
"Oh, don't mind him, Harry," young Lupin cut in. "He's just upset about our friend here because, secretly, he misses it." He pointed to the moustache. "Fear not, Remus, for though it may be gone, it is not forgotten. In fact, I have it on excellent authority that it will be remembered again on Tuesday at the next Order meeting."
"You know," Lupin said, "It isn't as though there aren't rather absurd pictures of you floating around, Nymphadora."
"Entirely true," Tonks replied, transforming back into her own form, "but as you so astutely love to point out, I look absurd on purpose. You have no such excuse."
Lupin sighed and Tonks grinned. "Ginny, thank you for what has been the most fun I've had since-" the Auror paused as though searching her mind, "- well, come to think of it, ever since that pumpkin incident with Moody, which sadly I am forbidden to speak of, but suffice it to say, it was a joy."
Lupin looked wistful for a moment. "Ah, the pumpkin," he said. "I remember the pumpkin." The teenagers exchanged quizzical looks, causing him to snap back to attention, "Right. In any event, as joyful as this experience has been, I'm going to have to ask you all to leave now, as I am expecting a student."
"You sure she wouldn't rather have help from the OTHER Remus Lupin?" Tonks asked.
"No," he responded firmly.
"Spoilsport," she muttered, but started for the door anyway. Still somewhat confused, Ginny followed suit.
"Come by at seven tonight, Harry," Lupin called. "Nice to see you, Ginny."
"Erm, thank you.sorry again, Professor."
"Don't apologize," Tonks hissed, as they exited the room. Once the door was shut behind the trio, Tonks let out a loud laugh. "Oh, he pretends to hate it, but I know him-he secretly loves the attention-finds it terribly amusing. Speaking of which, got any more pictures, Harry?" Tonks fluttered her lashes at him and he laughed.
"None quite so good, but I'll take a look."
"There's a dear," she said breezily. "Well, kids, I'm off. Meeting with Moody. See you around."
Waving goodbye, Harry and Ginny started back to the Tower together.
"Oh, that was cruel," she said with a smile. "I hope Tonks doesn't tease him too harshly."
Harry grinned, "Well, it WAS your idea to show the picture to her."
"Yes, but I thought you said you weren't going to."
There was a pause and when he spoken again, she thought his voice sounded slightly rougher than it had before, "Well, you made me an offer and I decided to take you up on it."
She smiled to herself but didn't respond.
"So, I imagine that means now I'm your hero."
"I imagine you are," she said softly.
"So, does this mean you treat me differently now?"
"Are you implying I should be doing your wash and shining your shoes and the like?"
He grinned, "Something like that."
"Well," she said thoughtfully, "if you want, I could always revive the fanclub. I believe Moaning Myrtle really misses the weekly newsletter." Catching the clearly horrified look on his face, Ginny chuckled. "Oh sweet Merlin, Harry, I'm joking."
He heaved a sigh of relief. "You really shouldn't say things like that, Gin. It scares me."
"Hm," she said seriously, "that's very heroic of you."
"Patience, Miss Weasley," he responded with a smile, "This hero thing takes some getting used to, although, at this rate I reckon I won't be able to hold the position for very long, eh?"
And in the end, she simply laughed and shook her head, because despite it all, Ginny didn't have the heart to tell him that he was wrong.