A/n – sorry this ones been so long, but here it is.

Chapter 8 – Apologies and Surprises

He had meant the kiss to be chased, just enough to stop Ginny's tirade, but at the first touch of her lips he couldn't help but continue. He felt her initial surprise ease away as she allowed herself to ease into the sensations and deepen the kiss. Eventually the primal need for air forced the pair apart, their initial arguments forgotten in the face of this new source of unease. 'Ginny... I don't…I'm so sorr..,' started Harry as he began to apologise for the cause of the heat that was now welling in his face, however he never got past stammering as Ginny once again pressed their lips together.

'Harry Potter. If you ever apologise for that or in any way act as if that was unintentional then I'll hex you into next week,' she said as they broke apart. Harry visibly quailed at her words. Firstly because he knew they were true and secondly because he was unsure what he was supposed to do now. With Cho he had been supposed to ask her into Hogsmeade according to what Hermione had said, but Cho hadn't had several older brothers that would hex anyone within a two meter radius of the 'Baby' sister. One thing was certain, he thought once again felling the blush creep into his cheeks, she was certainly no baby. 'Erm... Ginny. About what just happened? I really don't know how to proceed from here. I mean, don't get me wrong I really like you but with everything that happened last year and this summer I am not sure whether I'm ready. Though in hindsight I doubt I'll ever know if I'm ready. I didn't exactly grow up in the kind of environment that swam in this kind of feeling.' He stopped knowing he was rambling, knowing that if he continued then he would mess up even their friendship. Ginny for her part just stood there patiently waiting for Harry to finish waffling and allow her to speak.

'Look Harry. From what you just said I can see that you hadn't planned to snog my brains out but you did admirably. I know about the Dursleys and I promise I'll take slow. But if you kiss me like that again then I doubt I'll be held responsible for my actions. Stop feeling so nervous and just let thinks happen. Things usually happen for a reason even if we don't realise them.' With that she skipped of upstairs with a large grin plastered on her face. Harry though just stood in the middle of the room with a confused look and that was how Mrs Weasley found him when she returned with the tea. 'Is something wrong dear,' she asked as she set the cups and teapot down on the small table causing Harry to snap out of the reverie he was in. 'Actually I'm not to sure but I don't think I can talk about it.'

'Well if your sure,' she said raising and eyebrow slightly with the thought that she may have recognised the source of his problem as she had bounded up the stairs, 'Well drink this and then you can tell me why you thought it such a great idea to go waltzing of across the countryside.' Harry cringed at her tone before asking if she could round up everyone and alert Dumbledore of his whereabouts.

After Mrs Weasley had placed several floo calls the room soon filled it a multitude of red haired Weasleys and Harry found himself pressed embarrassingly close to Ginny before he started he explanation. 'Firstly I think I owe everyone and apology for my actions a few days ago. They were irresponsible and thoughtless,' he started with his eye down cast, staring at his shuffling shoes.

'That's all very well Harry,' spoke up Dumbledore from where he sat in a dilapidated old wingback chair in the corner, 'However I would like to know where you have been in the past few days.

'Well sir. I started with the idea of flying to Diagon Alley with the thought of getting a room in the leaky cauldron. However I really had no idea where I was so I thought about stopping at a garage to get a map. But as I was coming down towards a sat of lights a saw a sign for Godrics Hollow and knew that's where my parents had lived before Voldemort had attacked,' began Harry pleased to note that all of the teenagers in the room didn't flinch at the name after a year in the DA, 'when I got there I stayed at this pub called The House Elf Head over night before searching out the house. Needless to say there wasn't much there but there was this sign that was actually a portkey to the Potters graveyard…' He went on to explain seeing his parents graveyard and how it had affected him, he was pleasantly surprised to feel Ginny's hand slip inconspicuously into his and give it a gently squeeze as he continued. He told everyone of his night in the summer house and how he had met Merlin and the four founders. He even got a message from Godrics to tell Dumbledore he was doing a cracking job. He explained how he now held all the knowledge he would ever need in his life (causing Hermione to huff). He continued for almost an hour before he finished with receiving Ginny's 'Howler' that morning reminding him of the fact that he owed everyone an explanation. 'I really am sorry for all the trouble I've caused, but I couldn't bare the fact that something might happen to all of you and it would be my fault for being here,' he finished hanging his head in embarrassment. Again he was surprised when he felt two slim arms snake around him and wraps him in a deft hug before the owner of the arms gave him a swift peck on the cheek. He stared at Ginny briefly before giving her a small nod of gratitude.

'Well I am just glad that your home Harry,' responded Mrs Weasley before wrapping him in a deft hug.

'Well actually I wanted to speak to you about that. Almost every summer you have taken me in to your home without question and I would like to repay you. One of my biggest worries is that Voldemort will attack the Burrow because I'm here. So I would like to invite all of you to come to stay at Potter Manor,' Said Harry in a pleading tone, then turning to Dumbledore he said,' Sir it is better protected than Grimmauld place is so I know that well be safe and I have made a couple of two way Portkeys for you and the Order so that you can get there.'

'Thank you Harry. I will see that they are passed on. I believe that Mrs Tonks and Mr Lupin will want to have one,' he added with a slight nod.

'Harry, that's very kind of you but I would hate to impo...' but Mrs Weasley never finished her sentence as Harry cut in saying, 'Nonsense. You are family and as such my home is your home. I have connected the floo only to this building. At least I think I have, the only member on the council that had ever used the Floo were the Flammels and they hated it as much as I did. The other members had all died before it was invented.'

'Well Harry if you're sure then I think I speak for everyone when I say that we'd be honoured.'

The rest of the afternoon was spent in a made rush as everyone hurriedly packed all of the items that they thought they might need until the new term started in September. Dumbledore had asked Harry if it would be possible to start the training he had planned at Potter Manor, and Harry, after a moments hesitation agreed. He had had several long hours training to think about the offer that had caused him to leave the Burrow in the first place and he now felt that with the change in his position that he had the power know to protect his friends if he needed to and so it wouldn't do them much harm to learn to defend themselves in a similar way to the DA.

The only problem Harry faced at the current moment in time was Ginny. In the space of a day she had surprised him twice. First she had had the guts to send him a Howler, then when he had kissed her she had actually kissed him back and it was the kiss that was causing him such a headache as he sat on the couch in the living room listening to the sounds of the Weasleys packing. It had been completely different to the only other kiss he had experienced with Cho. That had been wet and though not entirely unpleasant had not been the most enjoyable experience of his life as he thought a first kiss was supposed to be. The one he had initiated with Ginny however had been entirely different, for lack of a better description it had been as if they were the only two people in the would and that there were fireworks going of all around them. He had often thought of Ginny as attractive but had never dreamed that one day he might actually snog her. He was slightly unsure of where he wanted this to go but some primal instinct told him that he definitely wanted it to go somewhere. The problem was that he had no one to discuss it with no that Sirius was gone.

This thought caused him to stop briefly as he closed his eyes in a futile attempt top stop the tears form flowing, he was so caught up in a memory of the fatefully night in the Ministry that his thoughts had stirred up that he jumped violently when he felt the weight of someone sit on the sofa next him and a pair of slim arms pull him into a hug.

'What's wrong Harry,' asked Ginny when he finally looked up.

'Nothing,' he said in a noncommittal way.

'I don't want to press you on this but I can see something's bothering you and I just wanted to let you know that I am here for you.'

'I'm sorry Ginny. I was thinking about us and how I couldn't ask for advice from anyone now that Siri...' he couldn't finish the sentence as the memory was still to painful.

'Just let it out Harry. No one will; think any less of you, you know. As to asking advice well you can always talk to me even if it's a little weird and what about Professor Lupin, I'm sure he would be glad to help you out. You know he had been felling really down lately, I mean he is now the last of the Marauders after all.'

'You're right as usual Ginny. I can't believe I forgot about Moony like that, he had lost the last of his best friends. But I really need to speak to someone about us before I can make a choice about it, as I said I'm not exactly an expert about this.'

'Harry I have been waiting five years just for you to realise I existed so I think I can wait a bit longer, especially if what you did earlier is anything to go by,' she finished with a sly smile causing him to blush, 'Now I do believe that you have a house to show us.'

With that Harry left for the kitchen and found it packed full of trunks, animal cages and a couple of broomsticks. 'Right all you have to do is say Potter Manor and you'll find your self in the living area of Potter Manor. When you get there go through the door on you left and up the stairs. Choose any room you want except the master one and leave your trunks there. By then dinner should be ready so we can discuss everything at dinner. The dining room is through the other door in the living room. Oh and Hermione, the library is of limits till after dinner,' he added smiling at the look of consternation on her face. Having said his piece he disappeared from sight with a slight pop only to reappear in his living room just as the fireplace flared green.

'How the hell did you get here,' asked a dishevelled Ron as he stepped out of the large brick fireplace that dominated the wall of the living area, then as he noticed the furnishings of the room he had so unceremoniously arrived in he added, 'Cool place Harry.'

'Thanks and as to your first question I just apparated. Don't tell Hermione but you can apparate at Hogwarts if you know how.'

'Serious. Cool that would bug Hermione so much, she's always going on about that damn book. Any way I'm going to dump my trunk,' Ron finished as the fire place once again roared to life, see you in a bit.'

Hermione was the next out of the fireplace and she took and appreciative glance around before lifting her trunk and disappearing after Ron. The rest of the Weasleys soon followed and all disappeared to grab a room before arriving at the large formal dinning room where Harry conjured up a large roast lamb so as to continue to test his new knowledge. He hadn't had much time to practice mush but he found that the use of it had become second nature. Even apparation, which was supposed to be so dangerous you needed a licence to do it, seem easy.

'Well everyone tuck in.'

Several weeks latter and the summer was already well on its way towards an end. Harry had awoken some mornings ago only to have been thrust into his first birthday party. It was late but Harry couldn't have cared less. The experience was totally alien to him and yet it was probably the most enjoyable experience of his life. HE had had cake and ice cream and balloons. But the best part of the whole thing had been the gifts he had received. To Harry they were a symbol of their friendship and he had been touched to have received so much. He had been had been shown the Weasley clock and had seen that he had a hand labelled Harry on it. According to Mr Weasley new hands only appeared when someone thought of the Burrow of home and he had said that the addition of a new hand for Harry had affected the Weasleys more than they would admit.

Harry had also received several books on new books on defensive magic which, as most people had heard about his new found knowledge, only contained spells and information discovered after the death of Nicolas Flammel. Harry had been most pleased with the new books as he knew he needed every piece of help he could get if he was to stand a chance in hell against Voldemort.

Ron had given him what appeared to be the entire stock of Honeydukes. Whilst the twins had sent him a Twin Trickster box from their own store.

It had been Ginny's present that surprised him the most, He had unwrapped the neatly bound package only to spot a leather bound photo album that when opened contained pictures of Sirius, along with several of the Marauders and he had been extremely grateful that she had treated him like a person and not some piece of fragile china.

However the summer was slowly drawing to a close and he still hadn't had a chance to talk to Remus about some advice, but he vowed that he would do so even if he had to owl it to him. So Harry decided that it was probably time to head down for breakfast before Mrs Weasley decided to come and get him. They had spent most of the intermittent weeks training hard form what they all knew was to come. Dumbledore had called Neville and Luna but both of them had declined to join the training program saying that they would do their part but that they didn't what a more prominent part. Personally Harry couldn't blame them. Harry's training was mostly physical, running and weight lifting, along with a lot of work on the Training Dummy's to improve his reflexes and accuracy. The other three were doing a mixture of physical training as well as the studying that the Order and Dumbledore had set for them.

Harry really enjoyed the workouts as it kept his mind off of the darkness that was slowly encroaching on the world and allowed him to think of more pleasant things, like Ginny. The problem of Ginny was really starting to bug him. He was sure what he wanted but he wasn't sure what to do about it, as such he was plesently surprised when he entered the kitchen to find it empty except for the one man that he had needed to see.

'Remus'

A/n – Well I hope you liked it, but I know it wasn't one of my best chapters. I apologise for all the cliffies in my story but they make a great place to end a chapter. Thanks to everyone who posted a review, they really keep me motivated, and thanks to all those who have just read the story and liked it.

The next chapter will have a big fight scene – And Harry getting very red