Disclaimer: not mine, see www. jkrowling. net (without the spaces) for details.
Huge thank you to Tansy for her endless encouragement and cross-hemispheric hugs!
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Chapter 7Harry was the last one up the next morning; late morning. It was almost noon by the time he was finished showering.
"Morning, Harry. Have a nice lie in?" asked Hermione.
Harry stretched again and nodded with a smile. "I feel great! I wish I could do that more often." He wasn't only thinking of sleeping in late. The thought made him blush, and he turned to go into the kitchen.
Ron and Ginny were there eating cereal. He opened a cupboard to block his red face and he tried to calm down. It's only Ron and Ginny, your best friend and your girlfriend, who happens to be your best friend's sister. No need to be embarrassed, he told himself.
He forced himself to relax and was thankful for the forced Occlumency lessons, which trained him to keep his emotions in check. He sat down with some toast and a grapefruit.
It wasn't as hard as he thought it was going to be to make conversation with his friends that day. Ginny gave him encouraging smiles, which Ron and Hermione didn't take as anything out of the ordinary. He was glad things were going so well; it gave him hope for that night.
"So, everyone's going to be at dinner tonight, right?" Harry asked Ron.
"Yeah, that's what mum said. It's going to be like a Hogwarts feast again," he joked. "Are you sure you can't come Hermione?"
"Sorry, my parents want me home, because we're leaving tomorrow morning for a short holiday in Norway. I can't wait to learn more about Scandinavian mythology," she said with bright eyes.
Harry smiled at her. He wondered when she would write a book of her own and what it would be about. He figured she must be an expert on a dozen subjects by now. She could probably supply the entirety of the Hogwarts book list. He snickered at the thought, which earned him some strange looks.
"Er, sorry, just thought of something… It doesn't matter. Anyway, we'll miss you tonight Hermione, but we'll see you when you get back. Maybe you guys could come over again and we could go camping in that clearing by the pond?" Harry suggested while trying to keep the overwhelming hope in his voice to a minimum. He felt desperate to know they would come back, but didn't want to look like it. He wasn't sure why he still felt so insecure when his friends left. He knew in his head that they would come back, but some part of him still doubted that anyone could care enough to visit him when he seemed to cause so many problems.
"That sounds like fun. We can plan it after Hermione gets back," said Ginny. Ron agreed that it would be a good idea and asked if they should invite anyone else. Harry didn't really care if anyone else was there. These three were the most important, but he told Ron to ask whomever he wanted.
.
Harry, Ron, and Ginny arrived at the Burrow by Floo at five in the afternoon. Hermione had apparated a half hour earlier to her parents' house.
It was good to see the Burrow again. Harry hadn't been there since the summer before his fourth year. It had been too dangerous to go to during the war, and both he and the Weasleys had been very busy since the last school term finished. He found himself looking around in wonder at all the little homey touches that his bare house lacked. He tried to squash the tinge of jealousy he felt at observing this happy family. It wasn't their fault he was an orphan three times over (his parents; then Sirius; now Remus was probably gone too). What's more, they always treated him as one of their own. He sincerely appreciated the sentiment and hoped his news about he and Ginny wouldn't lose his place in the family.
"Harry, dear, it's so good to see you," Mrs. Weasley said with a big hug. Ron and Ginny cleared their throats loudly, and she chuckled. "Yes, yes, it's good to see you two, too." She hugged and kissed both of her children and sent them off to the living room. "How are you, Harry? Is your house alright? I didn't have a chance to check yesterday. You are welcome to come over if ever you need anything."
"I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley. The house is nice, and Dobby said he would be stopping over a couple times a week to help out, so I shouldn't need anything. Thanks for offering. And thanks for bringing the food over yesterday; I really appreciated it."
"The offer still stands. If you ever need a good meal or some company, just Floo over. You know you're welcome anytime, dear."
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," he said quietly without meeting her eyes. He wondered if she understood how much the mere offer meant to him. Even if he never took advantage of it, just knowing the Weasleys were there and would welcome him was a reassuring thought.
"Can I help you with supper, Mrs. Weasley?" he asked.
"Oh, no, you go ahead and visit with the kids. I've got everything under control in here."
"I, er, kind of wanted to talk to you alone, but if another time would be better…" he trailed off awkwardly.
"Alright, then. Why don't you scrub up those potatoes and carrots and put them in that pot over there," she directed with the ease of someone who has cooked many large meals.
Harry set about his task in silence. Now that he was here he didn't know what exactly to say. Mrs. Weasley waited patiently for him to start. He decided to start out with a few questions.
"Hypothetically, if your daughter was to date someone, what kind of man would you want her to date?" He congratulated himself on asking what he thought was a good, general question. He missed the quirk of a smile on Mrs. Weasley's face as he dunked two more potatoes in the pot.
"Well, he would have to be kind and generous and willing to protect her from harm. The most important thing would be that he made her happy. Being polite and well liked by the rest of the family would just be an added bonus. Hypothetically speaking, of course."
"Yeah, of course…" Do I fit those qualifications, he wondered. He didn't really know. He knew for a fact that he wasn't good enough for Ginny, but he honestly couldn't think of anyone who was. He'd come this far, time to come out with it.
He paused to gather his courage again. "Mrs. Weasley, if-if I wanted to, erm, date her… w-would you have a problem with that?" he asked anxiously. He couldn't stop the fear in his voice as he asked. This was what it came down to. If she didn't want them to date, he'd have to give up either the only family he'd ever known or the girl he'd come to care about so much it scared him. He didn't want to make that choice. He didn't know if he was able to. He might just disintegrate on the spot if he had to.
With embarrassment, he realized Mrs. Weasley was right in front of him and trying to get his attention. She must have noticed his frightened face, because she smiled a kind, motherly smile at him.
"Harry, if I could pick anyone responsible enough to date my little Ginny, it would be you. I have no problem with it whatsoever. If she ever gives you any trouble, you just come to me, understand?" she said in mock seriousness.
"Y-yes, Mrs. Weasley. Thank you so much." His mind was whirling; she approved! He only had one more hurdle to cross before he felt like he and Ginny could be together comfortably. The only problem was that the hurdle was seven people tall, six without Percy. "I'd like to speak to Mr. Weasley and the boys after dinner. Do you think that would be ok?"
She grinned and patted him on the head. "Don't you worry about a thing. I'll have Ginny help me clean up and you can have all the time you want with the rest of those pests."
Harry smiled in relief. That wasn't so bad. He didn't have to chose, at least not yet. He wondered which of the brothers would attack him first and whether it would be physical or magical. He speculated if he was allowed to use a shield or if big brothers were expected to get free shots at potential boyfriends of their little sister.
Supper was held outdoors where there was ample room for the nine of them. Everyone but Percy was present. Harry sat next to Ron on the end with Ginny across from him. They kept sharing looks, and Harry was sure she was trying to get him into trouble. She kept touching his feet under the table, causing him to blush. It was twilight, so he didn't think anyone could see, but it still made him feel uneasy. He gave one word answers to everyone, and Ron kept shooting him worried looks. The twins could tell something was off, too, but they just tried to make him laugh. They were fairly successful, and he found himself hoping they would be feeling that generous in an hour or so.
Before he knew it, dinner was over and they were finishing their chocolate cake. He noticed that the time seemed to be playing tricks on him again, like it had during the Triwizard Tournament in fourth year. That was as far as he allowed that train of thought. He couldn't let himself become depressed now. There was an important conversation to be had.
He hadn't even noticed when Mrs. Weasley banished the dishes to the kitchen. He looked up in time to see her and Ginny entering the house to clean up.
"Well, Harry, Molly tells me you have something you'd like to discuss with the rest of us," Mr. Weasley said inviting him to speak.
"Er, yeah, I do." He stood up and started pacing. He couldn't do this. They were going to kill him for kissing their little sister. Although, to be fair, she had kissed him each time. He hadn't initiated anything as of yet. He needed to get this over with. If nothing else, he was used to gangs of large boys beating him up from growing up with Dudley and his friends.
"I just wanted to ask you – no tell you that… erm…" Harry heard something behind him, just beyond the circle of light in the yard.
He heard the curse just before it sliced all the way up his left arm. He pointed his wand where he thought he heard it and yelled, "Stupify!" Lighting his wand, he walked to where he could see the figure lying on the ground. He summoned the dark clad wizard's wand and bound him with magical restraints.
All of the Weasley men were searching the shadows now. Why did things like this happen to him? He was just about to tell the family of girl he liked that he was planning on dating her. He figured the remaining Death Eaters must have been keeping tabs on his social life for the sole purpose of ruining this moment. The thought of revenge for destroying their leader didn't even enter his mind.
Not for the first time, he wished he had someone to talk to – not someone, a parent. He didn't know how he was supposed to approach Ginny's family. Was that something his dad would have taught him? How did James get on with Lily's parents? Clearly his mother's sister hated him, but that was to be expected no matter who the wizard was that dated her.
Harry pushed thoughts of his parents aside, ignored the inquiries to his condition, and strode up close to the Death Eater, kneeling next to his head. "Ennervate," he said calmly. The Death Eater blinked a few times, then struggled against his bonds. It was Macnair. In the too calm voice that sent chills down the spines of his adversaries, Harry asked, "Where is Remus Lupin?"
Macnair laughed. Harry punched him. Macnair looked shocked before he laughed again. "The Dark Lord seems to have succeeded in at least one of his goals." He continued laughing.
"And what was that? Getting himself killed or attracting foolish slaves?" Harry growled.
"He was able to awaken the darkness in you, Potter. You will be begging the Death Eaters to follow you someday. You crave the feeling of power only obtained through the pain of others." His words made Harry ill.
"SHUT UP! Do you know where Remus Lupin is?" Harry asked more forcefully.
"Harry, come on, son," someone tried to coax him away, but Harry barely noticed.
"What do you want with the body of a dead werewolf, Potter? I know of a few dark rituals that require their blood," goaded Macnair with a sickening smirk.
"Where is he?" Harry demanded. Someone had a hold of his right arm, his wand arm. He shook it off.
"The werewolf is quite safe. However, I doubt you would appreciate the art of securing the beast with silver cords." A great booming laugh issued from his throat. It was choked off as he started to cough. The magical bonds were tightening around his throat.
"Harry, stop. We'll never find Remus this way." Harry didn't know who's voice that was, but it was true. He had to calm down.
He forced himself to concentrate on clearing his mind. He knew the Death Eater would never tell him where Remus was, and he didn't know if he should believe that he was dead or not, but he had to know. He made a quick decision, unsure if it was a good one. Not caring even if it was not.
"Legilimens!" Harry entered the mind of this Death Eater and immediately found that he had no experience with Occlumency. Harry hadn't done this very many times, but he continued to filter through the various memories, becoming even more sick at the visions of torture this man had performed.
Finally, he found what he was looking for. It was a small cottage on the coast. It looked familiar, and he remembered that he'd seen the same coastline from inside that cottage in his dreams. He could see enough of the landscape to picture himself there, and he disapparated from the Weasley's back yard without a second thought, not sparing a second to tell them what he was doing.
Harry ran heedless in to the cottage and stunned two men he found inside. They seemed to be the only guards. There were only a handful of Death Eaters left, so it made sense that the place wouldn't be well protected. After searching the cottage for a few minutes, he found the room in which Remus was held. Harry forced himself to act, not think. Remus looked dead already. There wasn't a piece of skin that wasn't bruised or bleeding. The silver cords made grotesque burns into his flesh.
Harry released the bonds and picked up his second godfather. His one piece of the past he had left. Without checking for life signs, he made a portkey out of a broken bottle destined for St. Mungo's emergency ward.
He landed on his feet, and raced over to the admittance counter.
"I need a healer," he said breathlessly. The woman looked at his bloody bundle and nodded. She tapped a series of colored blocks with her wand and two nurses appeared with a stretcher. Harry placed Remus down carefully and filled them in on what he knew. Amazingly, he kept control as he spoke. "This is Remus Lupin. He is a werewolf and has been bound by silver cords for an unknown amount of time. He's been held captive by Death Eaters, so I don't know what else they've done, but you know of what they're capable. Please help him. H-he's very important." Harry's voice finally broke towards the end.
One of the nurses looked at him with sympathetic eyes, "We have the best healers in the world here. He'll get the best care possible. You need to help us by staying out here and staying calm, alright? I'll be back in a few minutes to fill you in on his condition. My name is Beth." She rushed off after the stretcher which had disappeared through a set of swinging doors.
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Harry sat heavily on a chair and stared straight ahead. He'd seen one of the nurses checking for a pulse and she nodded to Beth. Remus was alive. It was better than he thought for several weeks, but he didn't look like he would survive much longer. No one told him he would be fine. They always do that. Why didn't they do that? Was his case that hopeless?
"Excuse me, Mr. Potter," he looked up at the admitting receptionist without questioning how she knew his name. "Do you want me to contact anyone?"
"Y-yes, the Weasleys, Arthur and Molly, please. I'd like it if they could come," he said dully.
In what seemed like no time, the room was full of red-heads. He shook himself out of his current state and tried to give them a smile.
"I found Remus," he said unnecessarily.
Mrs. Weasley nodded and hugged him close to her with tears in her eyes. "Don't you go rushing off like that. You had us worried sick. Are you hurt?"
"What? Oh, I don't know," he said dazedly. He looked down and noticed he was covered in quite a bit of blood from carrying Remus.
"Harry, your arm was hit with a cutting curse in the yard. Did you get it healed yet?" Mr. Weasley asked like he was speaking to a small child.
"Erm, I'm not sure." He touched his left arm with his right, which was still holding his wand. A stinging pain cut through some of the haze in his head enough for him to reply, "Ouch. Guess not."
Someone must have called a nurse over, because a few minutes later the cut was healed, and he was given a potion for the blood loss. He felt much better after that, and his awareness came back more clearly. He stared at the doors they took Remus through.
Obviously looking for a lighter topic, Fred asked, "So, what did you want to say to us earlier? You looked more nervous that before the Quidditch Cup."
Harry smiled a little and looked at Mrs. Weasley. She nodded that it would be ok to talk about it here, probably wanting him to focus on less morbid thoughts than Remus's current condition.
"Ginny, let's go upstairs and get some tea for everyone," she requested. Ginny left with a glance back at Harry.
The waiting room was comprised entirely of Weasley men and Harry.
"Who's watching the Burrow?" he asked.
"Tonks and a few other aurors are there. It'll be fine," assured Mr. Weasley.
"Good. Er, I guess I should just say it now, unless anymore Death Eaters wanted to disrupt my life," he said bitterly. "Sorry. Well, if you're going to curse me, I expect this is the best place to do this," Harry said more to himself that the others.
They all gave him curious looks. He decided to plow onward. The remaining haze in his head was probably why his normal reservations didn't kick in completely. "Before I say it, I just want you to know that your family has been like my family since I met you, and I wouldn't risk that for the world… but I guess I would risk it for Ginny."
He looked only at Mr. Weasley as he spoke. He figured he would be the most reasonable one of the lot. "I-I really like her, and I just wanted you to hear it from me rather find out some other way. After what Macnair said, I'll understand if you don't want me to go near her, though, or your family at all. I just… you… I don't know how to do this," Harry said with a frustrated sigh.
Mumbling to himself, he asked, "Who was supposed to teach me how to talk to my girlfriend's family? My father? Sirius? Remus?" He looked back up at Mr. Weasley after staring at his shoes. "I'm sorry. I should have waited to do this. I can't think right now. Maybe if Remus – after I can talk to him, maybe I can do this better, and we can forget I said anything tonight. Would that be ok?" He rubbed both tired hands through his hair, making it messier than usual.
Silence.
It was the quietest he'd seen the twins unless someone had died. Of course, Remus could be dying in a room down the hall at this very moment and Harry wouldn't know. And what was he doing? Talking to his girlfriend's father and brothers about dating? What the hell kind of person was he? It wasn't the time or place for that kind of thing. Although, all the nervousness about being with Ginny helped to cover the panic he felt when he thought about Remus.
"I gotta go," he said and stood up. He didn't know where he was going, but he couldn't just sit there with them all staring at him. Where was the nurse with news about Remus?
Someone was holding his arms. He hadn't realized that he was at the doorway leading to the hall Remus was taken down earlier. He looked up and found Mr. Weasley. He didn't know what to expect from him: anger, disappointment, disgust, rejection. What he got was a hug. He didn't know how to respond. Slowly, he put his arms around the taller man as well and held on, not caring for a fraction of a second that this man could be throwing him out of his family in minutes.
"Come and sit down, Harry," he requested softly. Harry wondered if the soft voice was a kind fatherly tone, or a deceptively calm father-of-the-girl-you-like tone.
Before he knew it, Harry was sitting again. This time he couldn't look at any of them. "I'm sorry I rambled before. I guess I'm a little nervous. Merlin, I'd rather face Voldemort again than choose."
"Choose what, Harry?" Mr. Weasley asked. The brothers were all still abnormally quiet.
"Between a place in your family and Ginny… or am I already out?" he asked painfully. He glanced at the doorway leading to Remus again. If Remus didn't make it, these were the only people left who cared about him. He knew that sounded selfish, but it didn't matter at the moment. He'd lost too much. He wasn't sure how much more he could take. Everyone told him how strong he was, but they didn't hear him cry out at night or scream from the nightmares. They didn't, couldn't, understand that he sometimes just wanted to be with those he'd lost. If he had just thrown himself out of the Weasley's lives, he would be alone. Completely alone. He chided himself for giving so little hope to Remus. He'd learned the hard way that hope was a necessary but painful thing. Could he risk it here? Could he risk enough to hope that Remus was ok and that the Weasleys would accept him and Ginny?
"Harry?" Mr. Weasley asked. By the sound of it, it hadn't been the first time he called his name.
"Yes?" Harry answered just above a whisper.
"You will always have a place with our family. You never need worry about that. Molly and I already consider you as a seventh son of sorts. The choices in your life are yours to make, and we won't stop you, nor will we abandon you for them. As far as my only daughter and youngest child goes," he paused dramatically, and Harry held his breath. With a smile Mr. Weasley continued. "I cannot imagine Ginny with anyone as noble and selfless as you, Harry. There are a scant few men I would consider worthy of my little girl, but you are a cut above the rest. If you and Ginny want to date, I would be delighted. You're a great wizard and a good man, Harry. Never doubt that. I don't care what Macnair said. I know you, and I know you would protect her with your life if need be."
Harry just stared at him in shock. He was approving of Harry and Ginny being together? Was he hearing that right?
"So, you don't want to kill me?" he asked incredulously to the group as a whole.
Mr. Weasley smiled, as did Ron and the twins. Charlie and Bill were trying to keep stern expressions on their faces, but they soon smiled as well.
"Ron, you're ok with this? What about wanting to beat up Michael, Dean, Colin, and Justin?"
"You're not them. You're Harry. You're my best friend. I know you'll be good to her. When did this happen anyway?" he asked curiously.
Harry blushed. "Er, last night around three in the morning. I had a ni– I couldn't sleep, and she found me in the living room… Is it just me, or is it the scariest thing in the world to tell a girl you like her?"
That got some chuckles out of the group and lightened the mood.
"The guy faces down Voldemort six," started Fred.
"Seven times," continued George.
"And he's scared of our ickle baby sister," finished Fred.
"Completely nutters," commented Ron.
Harry glanced at the closed doors a few more times and started to drift out of the conversation. Now that he knew their immediate reaction wasn't one of rejection, his thoughts returned to the possibility of losing Remus.
Obviously trying to get his attention off Remus's current distress, Charlie asked, "So, did you kiss her?"
He knew he was blushing as red as their hair, but he shook his head and said honestly, "No, I didn't."
Fred and George grinned and said at the same time, "Did she kiss you?"
Harry buried his face in his hands, because he knew he was redder than a tomato at that point. The thought of her kisses did bring a smile to his face, though.
"You'll want to be careful with that one. I've heard she's got a pretty nasty bat-bogie hex," advised Bill.
Harry nodded, "I know. I'm glad I haven't been on her bad side before. But seriously, do you think I'll screw this up? I don't know anything about girls and I've never really been allowed – I mean encouraged – to share my feelings and all that."
"I'm sure you'll do fine," said Mr. Weasley. "Can I assume Molly already knows about this, since she took Ginny off a long time ago?"
Harry smiled shyly, "Yeah. I kind of wanted to talk to her first. She-she said she didn't mind either."
"Mum mind? Bloody hell, Harry, she loves you more than the rest of us combined! She'd be ecstatic if you were an official part of the family," Ron explained enthusiastically.
"No pressure though, Harry," said George.
"Yeah, you can wait at least two, three days before you get engaged," Fred quipped.
Harry was trying to think of a decent response when the doors opened and the nurse from before walked through and sat next to Harry. He couldn't read anything from her face and presumed she probably did this kind of thing a lot. He suddenly didn't want to know what was happening with Remus. As long as he didn't know, there was a chance he was still alive. He didn't want her to tell him that he wasn't going to make it, or that he had already died. He just didn't want to hear anything she had to say.
There was a strong hand on his shoulder, offering silent support. It was Mr. Weasley. Harry was glad he was there, although he somewhat wished the other Weasley men would leave. If this nurse told him the worst, he wasn't sure he would hold it together. He'd either rant and rave, shouting at anything that moved, or he'd completely break down and cry until he had no more tears left.
"Mr. Potter, we have Mr. Lupin stabilized." Those words jolted him back to reality and he fixed his attention on her. "He has suffered from a high dose of silver poisoning, but not as much as we feared. Much of the area where the cords had been was over clothing. Also, the cords must have been nearly pure silver, which is actually a good thing in this case. They burned Mr. Lupin, but the burns were severe enough that blood wasn't getting through, so not as much silver could get into his system. Are you following?" she paused for him to take in this information.
When he nodded she continued. "He has also suffered from multiple curses and hexes. We have treated him as much as we are able to at the moment. He needs to build his strength before more work can be done. Can you tell me how long he has been in captivity?" she asked gently.
Harry was trying to figure it out in his head, but he couldn't keep track of the days, and had to recount.
Mr. Weasley answered for him. "Nearly eight weeks."
The nurse, Beth, he remembered, gave Harry a quiet nod, showing she understood. He didn't know how she could but accepted the show of support anyway.
"Can I see him?" he asked quietly.
"Yes, I can take you back for a few minutes. I'm sorry, but I can't allow more than two or three visitors back at this time," she told the rest of them.
Mr. Weasley and Ron stood up with him without comment. They followed the witch into a special care wing. She opened a door and Harry saw Remus lying on a bed, looking better, but still close to death.
"He won't wake for a day or two, yet. Go ahead, I'll come and get you when the time is up."
Harry had hardly been listening to the nurse. He walked in and sat on a chair next to the bed and grabbed Remus's hand.
"Hey Moony," he whispered. "Guess what, I met a girl. Well, I knew her before, but I finally got up the courage to tell her that I liked her. It turned out that she likes me too. I already talked to her family and they're all ok with it. They don't want to kill me or anything, which is good, because there's a long enough line for that already. Ok, I know that's not funny. I can't wait for you to see who it is. I'll give you a hint – she's the most beautiful girl you'll ever see." Harry blushed as he remembered that Mr. Weasley and Ron were in the room. He thought he heard a couple of snickers behind him, but brushed it off.
"I'm sorry it took me so long to find you. I should have been out there looking," he said with a crack in his voice. "Dumbledore and the Ministry told me they were searching for you, but you know how Ministry paperwork is. They probably had to request a quill to file the proper documents to begin the search!" he joked feebly.
He could feel tears burning at the corners of his eyes. "I heard you call to me, Moony. I'm so sorry I wasn't faster. I'll take care of you when the healers let you leave. I promise. Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. There is a young boy, eight I think, who moved in near us and he's a werewolf too. He seems like a sweet kid, but I've only met him once. I'm afraid I was a little rude to the lade from the WSS when she came to the house." He heard Ron snort behind him.
"I'll let you get some rest, now, Remus. Honestly, I need some too. I'll come back tomorrow and see how you're doing." Harry stood and held Remus's hand a little longer. On a spur of the moment he leaned down and kissed Remus on the forehead and whispered, "Love you, Moony."
Harry turned around, saw the nurse was back, and indicated that they could go. They waved to the nurse on their way out. When they walked through the doors back into the waiting room, Harry saw that Ginny and Mrs. Weasley were back from 'getting tea.'
Mrs. Weasley rushed over and hugged him tightly. He let her. He was so tired and this felt so good that he didn't want to move, ever. He just wanted her and Mr. Weasley to take care of everything for tonight. He didn't think he could make any decisions after this.
"Mr. Potter, can I see you a moment?" asked the receptionist at the admittance counter.
He walked over alone. "Yes?"
"I just have a few questions about Mr. Lupin's medical bills."
"Er, alright." So much for no more decision making, he thought wryly.
"Does he have any current employment?"
"No."
"Does he have a sponsor?"
"A what?"
"A person who can take care of the medical expenses for him."
"Doesn't the Ministry provide emergency medical coverage for everyone?" Harry asked confused.
"To witches and wizards, yes, but not to registered dark creatures."
Harry could feel the anger building in him, but he tried to contain it. It wouldn't do to take it out on a desk clerk. She had no say in who received what kind of coverage. She just had to fill out the forms correctly.
"Fine," Harry said shortly. It was the kindest he could manage at the moment. "I'll be his sponsor. Do I have to sign something?"
"Yes, the bottom of that form, and initial here. Thank you."
"Is there anything else you need? Will he be alright until morning?"
"He'll be just fine here, Mr. Potter."
"Is there a guard posted?" he inquired.
She looked taken aback at that. "No, not usually. Would you like me to request one?"
Harry sighed. Maybe he should just stay there for the night. The chairs in the waiting room weren't all that bad. Then he could keep an eye on things.
"Harry, I contacted Professor Dumbledore. He'll be sending someone over. It'll be alright," Mrs. Weasley informed him. "Come on home with us. If they need anything else they can contact Dumbledore," she said to both Harry and the witch.
He was more than a little reluctant to leave Remus, but he was exhausted. He considered that if he pushed himself any further that night, he probably would have had one of his annoying episodes again. With a nod, he followed the train of Weasleys to an open fireplace, and Flooed himself to the Burrow.
His normal landings from Floo travel were getting better, but he was too tired to land on his feet. He found a sickle on the floor under the stove when he was lying on the ground, though, so he tried to look at it as a positive experience.
Arms pulled him up and set him on a chair at the kitchen table. People were seated all around the table or standing in various parts of the kitchen.
"Wotcher, Harry," said Tonks beside him.
Harry smiled tiredly, "Hi, Tonks. He's going to be ok." She smiled and hugged the breath out of him. When he was released he finally remembered an important piece of information. "The Death Eaters, there were two of them guarding Remus. I just stunned them and left. Do you think they'll be awake by now? Will they get away? Maybe they already did because I was too stupid to remember," he reprimanded himself.
"They're in custody, Harry. You did a good job, even though you shouldn't have gone off like that. Are you going to be alright?" she asked with a big sister like concern.
"I'll be fine, Tonks. Are you going to go see Remus?" he asked.
"I think I'll stop in tomorrow. I've still got paperwork to fill out at the office, then I'm getting some sleep. You look like you could use a good rest yourself."
"Yeah," he said accompanied by a yawn. "You're right. I think I'll go now. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley for, well, everything."
"And where do you think you're going?" asked Mrs. Weasley in an accusatory voice.
"Er, back to my house?" he said a little uncertainly.
"Not after all that's happened tonight, you're not. You can stay with us. I'm not sending you back alone. You're so tired you'd probably sleep on the floor in front of the fireplace where you fell out. No, I'll just get Ron's extra bed set up for you, dear."
Harry blushed for the millionth time, it seemed, that day. "Thanks again."
"Don't mention it," she replied as she bustled up the stairs. Harry wondered where she found her energy. Maybe it was a side effect of being a mother. She had to be prepared for anything, and that involved long nights.
Harry was slipping into that tired, fuzzy feeling again and found it hard to focus on anything in particular, so he just kept his eyes roaming around the room. He was aware of Tonks leaving, but wasn't sure if he had said goodbye or not.
Someone else sat next to him and held his hand. He looked over and saw long red hair. "Ginny?" he asked.
She squeezed his hand and said, "Of course it's me, silly. Who else?"
"Long red hair. It was either you or Bill, but he's never held my hand, so I guess you." He smiled, and fought a losing battle with his eyelids to stay open. He wasn't sure if he was just tired from the day or if he was overly-exhausted again. He guess the latter, as no one else seemed to be so tired. He searched his pockets and found the small vial of potion he needed.
He popped the top off and drank down the contents. He replaced the cover and the vial filled itself again. He returned it to his pocket. After a few minutes his senses returned to almost normal. He smiled at Ginny sitting next to him. He was glad he had talked to the rest of the family so she could sit with him like this.
"If it's not too intrusive, Harry, what was that potion for that you just took?" Charlie asked from across the table. Harry had forgotten that he'd missed much of what had gone on after the battle. He had to get back to Romania with the dragons they had used in some of the fights. He'd been traveling back and forth since then.
"There were some more lasting effects from defeating Voldemort than I would have liked," he said dryly. "I am more easily exhausted now. Sometimes from extended physical or magical activity, and sometimes for what seems like no reason at all. The potion gives me energy and clears my head for anywhere from a half hour to an hour so I can get someplace to sleep. I can get fairly, er, incoherent during the really bad incidences." He glanced at Ron with an apologetic smile, but his best friend just waved off the incident in the woods.
"Madam Pomfrey thinks it'll go away in time, but I'm supposed to rest and not take on any 'undue stresses.' I haven't figured out what those include yet, but I'm guessing fighting Death Eaters wasn't in her recovery plan for me." He shrugged at that.
Mr. Weasley asked, "Do you have any idea how far you apparated tonight?"
"Er, no, I guess not." He winced at the thought of telling the nurse he'd apparated at all. It was one of the 'undue stresses' she'd actually specified for him. He knew he would be in for a lecture next time he saw her.
"It was over eight hundred kilometers from here. You created a portkey to St. Mungo's from there, correct?"
"Yes, sir."
Mr. Weasley smiled. "I believe the Minister is trying to find a way to charge you with improper procedure, because you did not file the correct permits for making a portkey. Although, you were not in this country at the time, and Albus is having a word with our dear Fudge in the morning."
"Oh." What could Harry say about that? Fudge didn't frighten him, but he would much rather not have to deal with his idiocy anytime soon.
"When did you learn to make a portkey?" asked Bill curiously.
"Oh, I saw Professor Dumbledore do it a couple of times."
The room was home to slack jaws, which told Harry he had done yet another thing he wasn't supposed to.
"Harry, there is a portkey office in the Ministry where people specialize in making portkeys. It's very difficult and there are all kinds of requirements, due to all the things that could go wrong. You're one amazing kid, Harry Potter. And I don't just mean that whole 'Boy-Who-Lived' stuff either," finished Bill with a grin. Harry didn't know what to say when people said that. It had been happening more and more since he finished Hogwarts.
"I, well, I didn't know what else to do. It just seemed like a good idea. I had no other way of getting out of there with Remus. I'll tell Dumbledore to tell Fudge that I won't do it again unless it's an emergency, I guess."
Mrs. Weasley announced that the bed was made up and that it was time for everyone to get some rest. One by one, everyone left the room until only Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were left. The adults and Ron pretended to busy themselves with something across the kitchen while Ginny and Harry said goodnight. She gave him a quick peck on the lips and a gentle hug. Harry wondered again how he had gotten so lucky. Even though she didn't say much about the whole thing, her silent support was invaluable.
Once she was upstairs, Harry addressed the Weasley parents. "I'm sorry for ruining your night. And thank you again for letting me stay. I'd like to invite you over for dinner sometime, but I don't think this would be a good time to plan it. I'm not sure what's going to happen with Remus, so I guess I should find that out first."
"That's fine, dear. We'll come over when you're ready. We're excited to see your place – I didn't get a very good look at it yesterday, but we can wait for a better time for you. And you didn't ruin dinner, young man," she said sternly. She held the gaze for a few seconds, then smiled. "Now, off to bed with you two."
Harry stood and steadied himself on the table for a few moments. He didn't look up to see the worried looks he knew he was getting. He just waited for the momentary dizziness to pass and left the room. Ron was right behind him, ready to help if needed, but not pushing his support on Harry.
Even though he hated his need for assistance, Harry was glad Ron was there on the long flight up to his room. There were a few times his face would have met stair if not for his ever-vigilant best friend.
When they entered Ron's room, the red-head pulled out a pair of spare pajamas kept for Harry. After they'd changed and were cozy in bed, Ron spoke quietly into the darkness.
"So, you really like my sister, huh?" Harry couldn't read his tone. He wasn't sure if he was just that tired or if Ron had gotten remarkably good at masking emotions.
"Yeah, I do." Harry hoped his answer didn't upset his best friend. Was he going to yell at Harry now that the family wasn't around? Harry shook his head at himself. If Ron didn't like it, he would have said so in front of everyone. Even so, Harry was a little nervous when Ron didn't answer for a long time.
Just as Harry was feeling sleep pull him under, he heard Ron chuckle softly and say, "Took you long enough." Harry fell asleep with a small smile on his face, happy that things didn't go badly with his favorite family.
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A/N: If you thought the chapter was disjointed and sporadic, good! That's how it was supposed to be. Harry's in too much shock from everything, that he's not taking much in around him. His plans were screwed up by the Death Eaters, again, but he got through it. And they don't hate him (like they ever would – silly Harry). I also hope some of your questions were answered, like the apparation issue. If you have more, just ask. I'll respond on my livejournal.
This chapter was what the entire story was written for. The original idea was for Harry to have to tell the Weasley men about his relationship with Ginny (the one-shot I talked about in the first chapter). It was actually supposed to be funny and very light-hearted. Well, as you can see, the story evolved beyond that a bit. : ) Review replies will be on my livejournal, which you can get to from my profile. Feel free to respond to the replies too (Thank you Nathan!). You don't have to have a livejournal account to do it. Ah, yeah, can you tell I'm kind of begging people to go start discussions on there? Oh well.
I have this overwhelming feeling that there was something important I was going to post with this chapter, but I can't think of it, and after sitting here for several minutes trying, I decided to just post.