The days after their move fell into a rhythm. During the day, while the teachers taught regular classes, they slept in, studied, and socialized. Late in the afternoon, before dinner, they had their first class. On Monday's, it was Transfiguration, Tuesday's Charms, and Thursday's Neville and the girls took Herbology while Harry and Ron took an extra DADA lesson with Tonks. At midnight on Tuesdays, they flooed through Dumbledore's office and made their way quietly through to Snape's floo, where they learned Potions for three hours.
If Potions was the most difficult to get to, DADA was, by far, the most intense. Monday and Wednesday evenings and all day Friday and Saturday, they trained in a large room off the library that Remus had magically cleared of everything but the window coverings. They learned theory in the library. Every day, Tonks or Remus put them through their paces at some point. Kingsley and Mad Eye flooed in for the Friday and Saturday classes.
The first week went well. Each of them knew their schedule, and they had all discovered the joys of the library. Even Ron had discovered that he enjoyed the muggle books that Hermione had pointed out to him. He was currently reading a copy of War and Peace, and was surprisingly enthralled.
After the first night, they were pleased to find that their meals arrived at mealtime from the kitchens. Remus and Tonks had taken to eating in the Great Hall so that their absence wouldn't be noticed, and Luna, for one, seemed quite relieved that they no longer had to do their own cooking. She was having difficulty getting over Hermione's idea of nutrition.
They'd been in their new quarters a week when Harry had his first nightmare. Maybe it was the fact that he hadn't had one recently, or maybe it was something he had eaten, or perhaps he just hadn't concentrated enough on his Occulmency exercises before falling asleep, but Voldemort invaded his dreams that night with horrible scenes from an attack on what appeared to be a muggle family. Death Eaters were not merciful, and the pain and suffering caused to the parents of that family was in no small part due to what they were forced to witness as their children were "dealt with".
His shouts woke Ginny, who hurried through their shared bath and climbed in next to him. Wrapping her arms around him, she held him close as he calmed.
"Harry?" a voice came from the doorway. Ginny hadn't even noticed it open.
"It's okay, Ron," she whispered. "He's okay. I'm here with him now."
"Oh... okay," Ron hesitated, peering through the dimness to see his sister holding Harry close. The moonlight from the window reflected off her bare shoulders. "Call me if you need me?"
"I will," she said softly. "Thank you, Ron."
"No problem, Gin," he replied, softly closing the door behind him.
Ginny sighed. Perhaps Ron would be okay with this.
Harry clung to her, finally waking after she'd held him for half an hour, stroking his back.
"Ginny?"
"It's okay, love. I'm here."
"I had a dream..."
"I know. I heard you."
"You always hear me. I'm sorry."
"What for?"
"For disturbing your sleep."
"Don't be silly, Harry," she said softly. "I'm glad I can help."
"Gin?"
"Hmm...?"
"Let me hold you," he shifted, rolling onto his back and pulling her close to his side. "I just need to hold you."
"Go to sleep, Harry," she said softly, placing a hand over his heart. "I'm not leaving you."
"Ever?"
"Ever."
The following morning, Harry awoke with Ginny in his arms. He smiled softly before realizing exactly why she was there. He'd had another nightmare... only this one was real. This had happened. He'd been in Voldemort's head again.
He had to talk to Dumbledore. He'd done his Occlumency before bed, the nightmare shouldn't have happened.
"Mmmm..." Ginny rolled over, her eyes opening to look up at him. "Good morning."
"Good morning," he said softly back.
"I could get used to this," she said.
"What?"
"Your bed is much nicer than mine... much warmer," she snuggled against him under the duvet and smiled happily.
"Oi!" a knock sounded on the door. "Harry! Time to be up!"
"I'm awake, Ron," Harry called, as he pulled Ginny to rest against his side, her head settling on his shoulder.
Ron apparently took this to mean that Harry was out of bed, and alone, because the door opened, and he stepped inside.
When his eyes settled on the bed, he flushed. "Sorry..."
"Ron?" Ginny sat up as he made to turn and leave. "Ron, it's okay... we just woke up."
Ron didn't turn as he spoke, "Uh.. well... I... I'm just going down for breakfast... I suppose you'll be along, then?"
"Ron?" Harry said, sitting up and throwing his legs over the side of the bed. "Come in, please?"
"Uh...Harry, I don't think that that is a good idea."
"Ron, we're both fully clothed... well, Ginny is. We need to..."
Ron hesitantly turned, seeing his sister standing beside the bed, Harry sitting on the edge, his lap covered with the duvet. Ginny wore pajama bottoms and a tank top. Ron flushed.
"Ron, you've seen me in less at the beach," she smiled as she pulled the duvet up over her side of the bed and smiled again. "Besides, you know why I'm in here."
"Yeah, I know... it's just..."
"I know," she said as she walked over to him and reached up to hug him. "And I love you for it, but understand that this is part of what I'm meant to do."
"I know," he nodded, glancing uncomfortably at Harry.
"Now, I'm going to go and shower. You boys behave," she turned and walked through the ensuite.
"Ron?"
"It's okay, Harry," Ron said, leaning back against the door. "I just didn't expect..."
"She came to me in the night. I had another nightmare."
"I know... I came in, but she was already here, so I left."
Harry began to understand a bit more. "It's not just about Ginny, is it?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you've always been there for me, Ron, and I appreciate that. I don't want you to think that I don't."
"Well, it would hardly look right, my cuddling you in the night, now would it?" Ron grinned.
"Not sure I'd want you to, mate," Harry grinned back.
Ron's smile faded as he heard the shower going in the bath. He glanced at Harry to find his friend staring at the bathroom door.
"You really love her, don't you?"
Harry turned back to him. He looked at him for a moment before nodding.
"More than you could possibly understand."
Ron stood from the door and opened it before turning back, a grin on his face. "You might be surprised what I understand now, Harry."
"Maybe I would," Harry agreed.
"Well, I'm off to get some breakfast..."
"Be down in a minute," Harry said.
"I don't think she locked the door, mate," Ron said with a wink before he pulled the door closed behind him, leaving a stunned and speechless Harry sitting on the edge of his bed, with all sorts of thoughts in his head of a wet and naked Ginny in the shower less than fifteen feet away.
"Harry, I'd like to talk to you after breakfast, if you have a few minutes?" Remus asked as he sipped his morning coffee and read the copy of the Daily Prophet that had arrived that morning.
"Sure, Remus. Is everything okay?"
"I just need to discuss something with you."
"Well, I'm free now?" Harry said.
"Upstairs, then?" Remus stood, and Harry followed suit, casting a curious glance at Ginny, who shrugged and returned to her bowl of fruit salad.
Remus led Harry upstairs and into Harry's room, where he closed the door and cast a privacy charm before looking at Harry, who moved over to the window ledge and sat down. Remus took the armchair in front of the fire.
"Harry..." Remus began, hesitating, and avoiding Harry's eyes by looking down at his hands.
"What's going on?" Harry said. "Remus, what is it?"
"Harry, I know that Sirius was far closer to you than I..."
"Sirius was my godfather, Remus. You're my friend."
Remus smiled up at him. "I'm glad you consider me your friend, Harry. That is part of the reason..."
"Moony?"
"Harry, your father, and Sirius, were my best friends. I... I've met your aunt and uncle and, well... I would imagine that parenting isn't one of their natural skills, but..."
"Remus, spit it out."
"Your father was my friend, Harry. When he died, certain... duties... should have fallen to Sirius. Unfortunately, Sirius wasn't able to do that for you. I... I feel as though it now falls to me..."
Harry began to understand. "I think I know where you're going with this."
"You do?"
"Umm... yeah. Ginny?"
"Rather," Remus nodded, obviously uncomfortable himself.
"I'm... not stupid, Remus."
"Oh, I know that, Harry," the werewolf smiled. "But... I just wanted to make sure that you didn't have any... concerns or... questions."
"I'm okay," Harry said, relieved that an apparent way out of this conversation had presented itself.
"I'm here if you... do?" Remus said.
"Despite what it looks like," Harry said softly. "My relationship with Ginny is very... innocent."
"Innocent?"
Harry flushed. "She's... we haven't..."
"Oh!" Remus said, finally understanding. "Well, I just thought..."
"I know. Everyone does, apparently," Harry sighed. "And trust me, it's not for lack of... well, it just doesn't feel right to take more from her than..."
"Than she's willing to give?"
"Ummm...no," Harry flushed again, thinking of the way Ginny was when he resisted her. "It's not Ginny..."
Remus looked confused.
"It doesn't feel right... I mean, she's already giving me so much, and she would like more... at least that's what she says, but..."
"Harry, you shouldn't do anything that you're not comfortable with."
"I know... it's not that I don't want to..." Harry paused. "This is really weird."
"How so?"
"Having this conversation with you."
"I don't want you to think you have to have this conversation with me, Harry... if there is someone you'd feel more comfortable..."
"No!" Harry said quickly. "It's not that. It's... it's not you. It's just... I've never been able to talk about Ginny with anyone... Ron would have flipped, and I'm really not close enough to anyone else."
Remus smiled. "Ginny is a wonderful girl, Harry."
"I know that. I just feel guilty sometimes..."
"Why?"
"Her life would be so much simpler without me in it, but I just can't give her up."
"Did you ask her if she wants to be given up?"
"No," Harry thought about that. "She'd skin me if I even suggested it."
"Exactly. Miss Weasley is a young lady who knows her own mind."
"I just don't want her hurt."
"Then don't hurt her," Remus shrugged. "There are things we can control, and things we can't, Harry. Trying to control the things we aren't meant to doesn't make life any easier. And if it's something that you can't control that hurts her, you can't hold yourself responsible for it."
"I love her," Harry said simply.
"That much is obvious. Thus, my feeling that we needed to have this talk."
"I just don't... I don't want it to end with Voldemort winning, and her..."
"Wouldn't it be much worse if Voldemort won and the two of you hadn't taken advantage of the time you'd been given?"
Harry thought about that for a moment.
"She's only sixteen."
"Your mother was only seventeen... barely... when she married your father."
Harry was surprised at this. For some reason, he'd thought she'd been older. "Really?"
"Really. Lily trained and worked as an auror before you were born, but she married James a week after we graduated from Hogwarts. Her birthday had only been in January."
Harry was silent.
"Harry, I'm not telling you to take any steps you're not ready for, or that Ginny isn't ready for. But don't hold back living because of Voldemort. Don't let him take that from you, as well."
"Thanks, Remus."
"And don't be stupid about it, either. Take precautions, okay?"
"I..." Harry flushed.
"Harry, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. You've learned the contraception charm?"
"Yes."
"Good. Use it. I don't think I need to say this, but remember that it is something special, a gift, and it's not something that should be taken lightly with just anyone who happens by. It's like giving part of your soul, Harry. Spend your soul wisely."
"I'm not..." Harry swallowed. "It's not like that for me, Remus. Ginny's the only..."
"I know. But life has a way of knocking us sideways and taking things from us when we least expect it, Harry. "
"Doesn't it just?' Harry murmured, thinking of the prophecy. Someone was destined to be gone after the battle. What if it was Ginny?
SumersGirl: But that's life... no one is the same all of the time.
XiaoXiao: "Mock the Ferret?" Now THAT is a new one... and one I may have to incorporate into a story, with your permission?
Mehgan: I'm actually considering making the duelling competition a one shot or a mini-fic as my next project...
MedievalWoman: I could send the muse to you for a week or two. She's driving me nuts.
Pinkieswear7315: I don't know if maybe it was just a one-off problem... I can access them fine. Anyone else?
Pcb: Glad you're enjoying my scratchings. I'm thinking I'll start off the new year with a one shot or a mini-fic. We'll see. I'm going to let it stew over the holidays.
Shotgunn: You never know... that collaboration might happen!
NotYourAverage: Humiliating Malfoy should happen at least once each fic, IMHO.
To each and every one of my other reviewers, you are all appreciated: Theblondeone07, Kittiesrule878, hpgirl7777, Kordolin, Twilight66, IndiaInk, Nebulia, siriusblack08, rdprice29, Ami M Mercury, Larna Mandrea, MysticRuby, Merlindamage, Emily, Morianie, life is good,