Chapter 15: Caught in the Act

Harry woke with an echoing yelp and felt a dizzy numbness spread through his head. He really should move his sleeping bag – every time he woke up like that he would smack his head on the foot of Ron's bed. The dark room slowly swam into focus and the pain drained away. Harry's eyes moved over to Ron's bed and he watched him. Ron was still for a few seconds and then his hand twitched and his mouth fell open a little. Harry breathed out. Once, when he had woken yelling, Ron had woken too. He didn't want to have to deal with that again. His nightmares, as far as he was concerned, was something he wanted to keep to himself. It was almost as if he was ashamed of them.

He felt particularly vulnerable in the dark. It had never used to scare Harry but now the very blackness seemed to move and creep towards him. He turned over squeezing his eyes shut. Although it made no visible difference, knowing that the darkness was the inside of his eyelids was slightly more comforting that staring blankly into nothing.

Upstairs Mrs Weasley was sitting up in bed listening. Harry's moans had woken her up as they did almost every night. Arthur slept through them – so did most of the house. But Molly's motherly instincts had improved her bed-time hearing.  She reached to her bedside cabinet and added 4 more sentences to a letter she was writing.

P.S. Harry's having nightmares. He wakes up shouting almost every night. I'm so worried about him, Albus. I don't know what to do. Errol was asleep on the wardrobe, so she rolled up the parchment, climbed out of bed and poked his fluffy belly. He awoke with a long, low hoot and looked bleary eyes at Molly. "Take this to Dumbledore," she whispered, tying it to his foot. Errol hooted again and gave her a disgruntled look before taking off.

She waited a while and when there were no more sounds from below she lay back down and slowly fell into slumber.

*

Harry pulled a T-shirt over his head as Ron wriggled into his Jeans. Harry looked up as he heard a bang, a crash and a few thuds coming from upstairs and getting louder. It sounded like something had been sent down the stairs. Harry stepped out on the landing, buckling his belt and saw George in a heap on the floor. For a second he was shocked but when George started laughing, Harry did too.

Ron appeared next to him and pointed at the heap that was his brother. "Haha! Fell down the stairs!" he laughed "Idiot!"

George was laughing too much to reply or attempt to get up. Ginny's head appeared from her room and she grinned at the sight. "You are so clumsy you know!" she giggled.

Harry leant back against the doorframe to watch the scene, still laughing at the extremely un-coordinated George Weasley.

"Not – not – my-" George panted in attempts to speak over his own howling laughter.

"It wasn't his fault," Fred said for him, as he took the last step down the stairs and over his brother. "I wanted to go down first and we were wrestling. I won the fight but he still got down first."

Everyone laughed again.

George grinned, "Lost - again bro!" he teased.

Harry shook his head and returned to Ron's room smiling to himself. 18 years old and them two were still the most hilarious set of pranksters he'd ever met.

Molly was soon calling out that breakfast was ready. Harry often expected the stairs to give way under the stress of all 6 teenagers trampling down them, but they never did. "Don't trip George!" Ginny shouted from the front of the line.

"I won't!" he called back. Then there was a scuffle and an "Oof." Harry turned around to see Fred clinging onto his brother.

"Quick reflexes, mate," George said grinning.

"Any time," Fred beamed.

Harry chuckled and bound down the last few stairs.

*

Ginny brought her head back into the bedroom and closed the door behind her. "Coast clear," she smiled.

Harry smiled too, "So does Ginny want to – um – 'talk'?"

Ginny laughed and sat on his lap, "How did you know?" she whispered, their noses almost touching.

"Because I want to, too," Harry replied just before brushing his lips against Ginny's and pulling her shapely waist towards him.

It was 2 o'clock in the afternoon and they were alone in Ginny's room. The door wasn't locked – it would look to suspicious – they were just hoping everyone would stay busy downstairs for the next 10 minutes or so. Harry and Ginny's meetings could never be as long as they wanted them to be – it was far too risky. Although… there had been one occasion when they had crept downstairs whilst everyone else slept.

Ginny let her weight rest in Harry's arms as she massaged his unruly hair with her fingers. Harry's arms tightened around her waist and he let out a mumble of pleasure as she responded passionately to his kissing. Suddenly the door knob twisted and next second the room was in full few of the two people standing in the hallway. Ginny scrambled off Harry and looked fearfully at the intruders.

George nudged his twin and they both grinned identical grins.

Oh no, was all Harry could think. He was suddenly acutely aware of his lopsided collar and the position of his legs.

"We – we were just-" Ginny stuttered.

"Oh we know exactly what you were doing," Fred said delightedly as he raised his eyebrows and walked in.

"Ginny and Harry getting it on!" George said soundly highly amused and entering also.

Fred looked at their shocked faces and laughed. "What, you think we haven't guessed by now?"

Harry glanced at Ginny feeling sickened. Judging by her expression she was feeling just as horrified as he was.

"They think we're idiots, Fred," George said gloomily.

Fred put on a false sad face and put his hand on his brother's shoulder, "So young and naïve," he sighed shaking his head.

"We can change that though," George said his eyes glinting evilly.

"Oh indeed my second-half, we can! First we must go and be telling mother of their behaviour," Fred said turning towards the door.

George beamed and turned around too.

"Don't!" Ginny pleaded.

Fred and George turned slowly around, their eyes wide, eye brows raised and hands over their mouths in mock surprise.

"Ginny Weasley!" Fred said wagging his finger at her. "I'd expect more from you!"

George put on a serious face too, "You too Harry Potter. You want to make-out with my sister you have to face the consequences."

" 'Face the consequences' that was a good one bro," Fred muttered.

"I know," George replied out of the corner of his mouth.

Harry and Ginny looked at each-other.

"Oh! Oh would you look at that!" Fred exclaimed pointing. "Bored of us already aren't they? Rather get back to their kissing and their touchy-feely wouldn't they?!"

George's jaw fell open, "Would you believe it? Youngsters today," he sighed shaking his head.

Fred shook his head, dismay clouding his eyes. "Our own baby, sister," he sniffed.

"Growing up so fast!" George squeaked, covering his face with his hands.

"It's so sad!" bawled Fred leaning on George's shoulder. They both stood there, their shoulders shaking for a few seconds until they started laughing. They were laughing so hard they had to cling onto each other for support. Harry couldn't help it – he started laughing too, but stopped when he saw Ginny's face.

Taking a deep breath George said "Have no fear my young apprentices! Activities practised within closed doors of this house will remain so."

Fred nodded, drawing his shoulders up and adding in deep voice, "We take your secret to our graves!"

"Does Ronnikins know?" George asked suddenly.

Ginny and Harry both shook their heads. The twins eyes glittered. "Naughty, Naughty."

"Don't tell him!" Ginny begged.

"Oh we won't," Fred beamed. And with that the pair of them bent into identical majestic bows and walked out. Harry could hear them laughing all the way down the hallway.

Ginny looked at him, her lips scrunched together nervously.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Harry asked giving her a leg a comforting rub. "They won't tell."

Ginny nodded, "Yea. It's just – kinda embarrassing ... my big brothers coming in and – er," she hunched her shoulders and lowered her neck so a sheet of red hair covered her face.

Not knowing quite what to do placed his hand on top of her head and said softly, "Don't worry about it – those two have seen far worse in their times I bet you."

Ginny smiled weakly, although Harry couldn't see her face. "Yea I suppose. But still ... Fred and George walking in on me ... er ... and seeing their little sister-"
"Oh they don't care about that! You're 15 they know what you get up to!"

Ginny giggled a bit and then rested her head on Harry's shoulder.

"FRED!" came a yell from down two flights of stairs, "GEORGE! RON! HARRY! EVERYBODY... DOWNSTAIRS!" Mrs Weasley shouted. Ginny looked up at Harry and he shrugged. "Maybe lunch's ready or something," he said.

Ginny shrugged too and they walked out together. Ginny went down the stairs first and after waiting until she was walking down the corridor on the floor below and Harry followed, fixing the angle of his shirt as he did.

Everybody was gathered in the kitchen, wads of ham squashed between thick slices of bread were on plates in front of each person. Harry sat down between Ron and Hermione. Charlie Weasley was also at the table. He had flown in from Romania a few hours ago and Harry noticed he'd gained a few more burn marks since the last time he'd seen him.

"Ok, now everybody's here," Molly said brightly, "I've got lunch ready but what I really wanted you all for was this," she picked up a two page letter from the counter behind her and continued. "Dumbledore's just written to me and he says it's not safe for us to continue staying here. Don't ask questions," she added seeing Ginny's mouth open, "We just have to leave tonight alright? You can pack up your stuff today, we'll be going to stay at the Headquarters."

Harry's stomach dipped. "We can't travel by floo power and not everyone can Apparate, Porkey's are out of the question too so Arthur's going to rent a car or two from a muggle place, Harry do you think you could go with him and help?"

Harry nodded and Arthur flashed him a smile before Molly carried on speaking, "You don't have to worry, children. Nothing's wrong yet, we're just being careful. Now eat up I gave you all extra helpings today."

Harry glanced around at his friends who all looked equally confused. He didn't risk looking at Ginny, especially with the twins at the table, so with a quick shrug in reply to Ron's raised eyebrows he started eating his sandwich.