OH MY GOSH! I'm sorry about this late in coming addition to the story. I really hope you guys are still with me. I love you all. Now here's the next installment. Again, I apologize for it's lateness.
Chapter 2
Coming Home
After Remus had told him that he was going to be joining his friends at Grimauld Place he could barely think straight. He was going to be with his friends much sooner then he had thought and it was going to be happening tonight. The day wore on in an incredibly long way before he headed back the same way he had gone the year before.
He entered late, greeted only by Mrs. Weasley who told him to head up the stairs to Ron's room where his bed waited for him. He climbed the stairs quietly and into the room that he shared with Ron last year. He silently made his way through the dark room and into the bottom bunk where he fell instantly into sleep.
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Harry woke up early the next morning, refreshed for the first time in a long time. He had not dreamt of Sirius or the events that surrounded his death. The only thing that had filled his mind was being home, truly home, for once that summer. He climbed out of bed to see that Ron was still deep in blistful sleep. He smiled, changed, and left the room. He walked down the stairs, tripping over a large orange puff that he knew instantly as Crookshanks. He tumbled down the stairs and into a suit of armor, making a noise he was sure the painting of Sirius' mother would scream out. He cringed and waited.
He looked around when the sound didn't come. Mrs. Weasley came out of the kitchen and chuckled.
"Did you have an accident, Harry dear?" She asked as she helped him up off the floor. Harry nodded and looked at her in confusion.
"Why isn't the painting yelling and why aren't we whispering?" He asked her. She pulled him in a giant hug and then held him out at arms length.
"When we told the painting she stopped screaming. She hasn't said anything at all since that day," she told him gently. He nodded and allowed her to take his numb and bruised body into the kitchen.
"Would you like something to eat, Harry dear?" She asked him as she bustled herself around the kitchen. He nodded, unsure of what to say. He had not thought that the mere fact of a painting being quiet would touch him the way it had. That nawing pit in his stomach returned, eating with it the happiness that had made a home within his chest.
He barely had enough time to brood on it when two arms wrapped around the back of him, red hair tumbled over his shoulder. He turned around and his heart stopped. Standing before him was none other then Ginny Weasley, but some how she had changed in the week and a half he had been gone from her.
She was wearing make up, something that he had never really seen on her before. Her usual ringlet curly hair was now in soft curls all around her face and down her back. She was wearing muggle clothes, a soft yellow t-shirt with ribbon that laced up and bowed at the top and jeans that hugged her curves in all the right places. Never before had he seen her so beautiful.
"Hey Ginny," he breathed softly as he hugged her tightly to him.
"Hey Harry! It's so great that you are here!"
"You must be pretty persuasive for me to have come so soon," he teased. She pulled back, an easy blush rested upon her cheeks.
"Well you never mess with a Weasley," she retorted.
"So I noticed," he answered. She sat down next to him and smiled up at her mother.
"Morning, Mum!" She said brightly. Mrs. Weasley looked at her and laughed.
"Morning, Ginny dear. Would you like some breakfast?" Ginny nodded greatly.
"Harry!" Hermione's voice exclaimed behind him. He turned around and stood up, preparing for the hug that she would give him. She all but crushed him before sitting down across from him.
"Morning, Mrs. Weasley!" Hermione greeted.
"Good morning dear. Would you like some breakfast?"
"Oh yes please. Thank you," Hermione replied. Ginny sniggered loudly.
"What?" Hermione asked her.
"You're being all polite and stuff."
"So?" Hermione asked her, looking bewildered about the fact that Ginny was laughing at her.
"Pay her no mind. She is just a prat after all," Harry teased, causing Ginny to hit him on the shoulder.
"I am not a prat!"
"Well where did you learn it from? Certainly not Ron."
"Harry James Potter! I can't believe you!"
Hermione sat in her seat laughing, tears poured down her face as the mock arguement raged in front of her. Half of the tears were from the laughter, but the other half were from seeing Harry finally out of the mood that had possesed him in the last year. They laughed together until breakfast where they decided that eating and laughing wasn't the best mixture.
"Where is Ron?" Hermione asked as she ate some of the pancakes that had been made for them.
"Sleeping, drooling. What else?" Harry teased, a familiar but long since resided twinkle rose in his emerald eyes. Hermione laughed.
"You are in rare form this morning, Harry," she pointed out.
"I got a new lease on life, but I'm not totally back to what I use to be. I don't know if I ever will," Harry said solemly, all happiness draining from his face.
"You know what you need, Harry," Ginny piped up. He looked at her and gave her a look that clearly stated: What is it that I need Ginny?
"You need a girl in your life," Ginny finished. He snorted.
"And who do you suggest, dear Ginny."
"Oh I don't know... A girl preferably, but then again if you swing that way..." Ginny trailed off, allowing Harry's mind to finish the rest.
"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed. Ginny looked at her, trying to be as innocent as possible.
"What?" She said simply, setting Harry's laughter off once more.
"Maybe, does that appease you?" He said to Ginny, dipping his head so his face was close to hers. Her cheeks flamed gently.
"Why, yes it does Mr. Potter. Now please remove your face before I put food on it." He laughed and sat back, digging into his pancakes.
Breakfast ended without a sign from Ron so they decided to take breakfast upstairs for him. When they walked in he was still asleep in the top bunk, mumbling something incoherent.
"No. No spiders. No. No. No. No spiders," he kept saying over and over again.
"Ron, don't move. There's a spider on your face," Harry said loudly. Ron rocketed forward, his head smashing on the ceiling. He flung his arms around, successfully uprooting him from his position in his bed and onto the floor below. All the while he was screaming at the top of his lungs while his companions and sister laughed hysterically on the floor.
"I can't believe you did that, Harry!" Ginny exclaimed as she held her stomach. Ron got up off the floor and glowered at them all, until he saw that Harry was there and laughing. The sight was one that he hadn't seen in weeks, months even! He smiled to see it.
"You are a bloody git, Harry," Ron said as he rubbed his forehead gingerly. Harry looked at him, his eyes twinkled with merriment.
"I just couldn't resist, mate!"
A knock came at the door, breaking up the lovely scene. Harry chuckled as he opened the door to reveal Remus Lupin.
"I am sorry to interrupt your reunion, but there is something that I need to speak to you four about. Would you please follow me?" They nodded and filed out of the room, Ron still in his pajamas. They walked up the stairs to the room that was the living room. Inside they found a large oak box.
"Sirius made me promise to open this box when all four of you were back here. I decided that it would be best to do so this morning."
They sat around it in this order: Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Harry. They sat together, a solemn gloom fell over them. Remus opened the box and instantly Sirius' recognizable voice floated from it.
"Hey you munchkins! Alright, I know I have never called you that before, but I've always wanted to say it! Anyways if this box is opened and you are listening to me then I'm dead. Sorry, that sounds so cold and cruel and everything else. I'll let Remus, who I'm sure is there at this moment, bring out his big book of words to make it even more wordyness whatever. Yeah. I know, Remus you're probably rolling your eyes thinking that I'm dumb, BUT STOP! I'm dead so you can't think I'm dumb anymore. Okay, so maybe you can. STOP MESSING WITH MY DEAD BRAIN MOONY! ARRRRRRRRRRG!"
They laughed at Sirius' hyperness at the prospect of his own death. Remus just shook his head and laughed, tears sparkled in his eyes.
"Okay okay okay, I'll get all SERIOUS because that is what I am. It's in my name! I know you, Moony. You're probably rolling your eyes now, BUT I DON'T CARE. HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHHAHA... Okay I'll stop. I probably should get down to the sucky part of dying, giving away all my awesome crap! First and foremost, everything goes to you Harry. The house, my fortune everything. You were ment to live here anyway. Stupid Dumbledore. I know I know you don't want it or the money, but you are my Godson and that is what you get. So stop trying to be all modest and everything. I am giving it to you because I love you."
"Now I made Remus PROMISE that he would bring Hermione, Ron, and Ginny here because I got to know you over the summer and I thought that there had to be something in this house that you may want. So here it is. I'll start with Hermione. I noticed that you are such a book worm, so even though Harry gets the house you get that library room and all the contents inside. I hope you like it. I filled it while you guys were away with better books then what my wreched mother had in there. She had all kinds of dark dark books. I left them in case you needed them in the battle against that monster Voldemort, but I added a whole bunch of others. Thank Remus for the books, he helped me because I'm stupid when it comes to books. I wanted to give you that room because you have always been there for Harry when I couldn't and I deeply appreciate it and the only way that I could think of thanking you properly would be to give you that room. Enjoy it!"
"Next to Ron, or as Hermione so LOVINGLY calls you Ronald. HEHHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEEHHEEHHEHEHEHEHEHE... Okay I'm over that bit of silliness. I also wanted to thank you for being there for Harry and everything and I just didn't know what to give you. I know you love Quidditch so Remus will show you where the Quidditch room is. It is filled with the best brooms, the top of the top. As before all the contents of that room is yours. Don't do anything that I wouldn't do. HUH HUH HUH HUH HUH HUH HUH! Okay I'll stop."
"Last, but certainly not least Ginny. You don't know how much your hair reminds me of Lily. That's where the similiarities end. You are so much more of a prankster and everything else and not nearly as much of a book worm as she was, so don't worry about being compared with Lily. Anyway I, oh Moony what the hell was that bloody word you told me last week where you were acting all snotty and high learningly... OH digress. hehehehehehhehehe. See Moony I can remember stuff! Anyway, I DIGRESS. I want to give you what Lily deemed the BEST room in the house. I am NOT gonna tell you what is in it. Remus can just show it to you and then watch as you spin around like a little girl and squeal. OH take Hermione with you. I'm sure you two will be squealing when you see it."
"Now, I'm going to be real here. You four are the best group of friends that I have seen since our own group friendship. Stay strong. Keep together. Hermione and Ron for everything that is holy stop your fighting soon. The days ahead of you are not going to be easy for you guys. No matter what stay together and live life. I know this time in your lives are going to be hard. Comfort each other. Don't act like one or the other doesn't understand your pain. You are all experiencing it. Hang on to the friendship that you have and enjoy it. The friendships you make in Hogwarts are the ones that last forever. Believe me."
"I love you all. I know that that must be weird for you all to hear from me at this point, but I do. I regret not telling you that in life. And Harry, I want you to know that there was never a moment when I sat in that prison that I did not dream of coming and rescueing you from those horrible Muggles. I regret that I didn't get to give you the life that your parents had wanted you to have. I hope that I gave you enough during my short time with you."
The voice of Sirius stopped, leaving them feeling completed yet at the same time totally and completely empty. Ron just stared at the ground in front of him, playing with a strand of the carpet. Hermione rung her hands and kept breathing heavily, as if trying to hold back the sobs that wanted to come. Ginny sat staring off, until she felt something tugging on her heart. She looked up and saw that Harry was sitting there just staring at the box as tears of pain slid down his cheeks. She turned to him and pulled him into her arms, allowing Harry the privacy he needed. His strong arms pulled her to him tighter as he hid his face in her neck. Feeling completely safe and free he sobbed silently.
Ginny rubbed his back slowly and gently trying to take the pain away from him in anyway she knew possible. She had never before seen Harry cry like this. Her mother had told her that he had cried in her arms after his first year, but that was it. He was the strong one. Yet, Ginny knew that even Harry should be allowed to grieve. Everyone that he had loved as family so far had been taken away by the creep. He had never been allowed to know his parents and the one person that became his family within the past couple of years had been Sirius and now he was gone as well. What did anyone expect? Ginny had expected him to crack long before this day, but she was glad that he had broken with his friends around and not his enemies. What Harry needed now, Ginny thought, was for them to have a nice, soothing day of happiness. If they could only get him to laugh once more. His laughter had been the key to their own freedom. If only they could hear it once more.
They stayed that way for several minutes before he pulled away, wiping his face hastily.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled softly, his cheeks flaming in shame. Ginny took his face in her hands and directed his eyes to hers. She looked at him, plain and simply as if her soul was trying to connect with his.
"Never be sorry for loving some one so purely, so deeply, so truly and then grieving for the loss of that loved ones life, Harry. You are human, you are allowed to feel things that others feel. I only feel honored to know such a great man and that you chose me to come to this time instead of hiding within yourself." He gave her a half hearted smile.
"Thank you," he whispered. She smiled and blinked slowly.
"Any time."
"There are things inside the box that he said that he wanted us to go through. Important things, he said," Remus interupted. They knelt around the box, the silence from before settled over them as they looked in.
"Harry, I think that you should be the one to take the things out of the box since he was your god father," Hermione said softly. He looked at her and nodded then reached into the box.
The first thing he pulled out was a picture of Sirius, Lily, James, Remus, Molly, and Arthur at the Burrow. Lily bounced a giggling Harry upon her knee. The six people smiled and waved. Lily took hold of Harry's arm and made it wave to them. Harry laughed and handed it to his friends.
"Oh Harry you're so cute!" The girls squealed together at the same time. Harry took another picture out of the box. It was just of him and James. They were sitting on the floor reading a book. The next picture was of Lily and him, playing in a vibrant garden.
"Why didn't Sirius tell me about these?" Remus asked himself. Harry looked up at him in surprise.
"You didn't know about these pictures?" Harry asked. Remus shook his head.
"If I had I would have given them to you." Harry went through picture after picture of himself with his parents, of him with other people, with people that looked like family, and of course with the Mauraders. After they got through what seemed like a mountain of individiual pictures Harry found a small child's broom, a few pieces of paper with drawings on them, a beautiful emerald and diamond ring, and a sheet of paper telling how to make more then one Maurader's map.
After they were done they sat together, looking at Remus.
"I guess Sirius would want me to show you the rooms he was talking about. He did tell me about that, not about what was in the box. He said that that was to be a surprise," Remus said. They got up off the floor and followed him down the hallway.
First stop was the expansive library that looked to have every book inside it. Hermione smiled sadly and sighed. They then moved on to the room next to it which was the Quidditch Room. Ron gasped as he saw that there were brand new Firebolt 6000 were waiting to be used. He counted them and saw that there was one for any person on a Quidditch team.
"Thank you, Sirius," Ron breathed as his eyes darted around the room. They left to see Ginny's room last.
The door was oak, like the others, but inside was a room entirely different. Decorations of pinks were every where. It was clear that this was a room devoted to girls. Of course, as Sirius had predicted, the girls had squealed before heading in. Remus had laughed and looked at them, saying something about Order business that he had to do before he disappeared. Ron looked over at Harry who shrugged and followed them inside.
"It's set up for a girl in here! This is so neat!" Ginny exclaimed, clapping her hands together.
"Sirius really spent a lot of time thinking about us," Hermione said softly, looking over at Harry.
"His heart was always bigger then his brain," Harry said, causing his friends to laugh.
"Oh I have an idea! Let's have a slumber party in here! We could owl Fred and George to come home tonight!" Ginny started. Hermione groaned.
"Whenever we have a sleep over with Fred and George they usually bring alcholic beverages and try to get us all starking mad drunk," Hermione started.
"What's wrong with that?" Ron interrupted her. She flashed him a look.
"Because being drunk never did anyone any good, Ron!" She protested.
"It could!" He said. She gave him that look, the one that clearly said: Now Ronald Weasley if you truly believe that then me, you, and your mother are going to have a very long in depth discussion about it.
"I think you better back down while you're still alive," Harry instructed from his side. Hermione laughed, purely and softly sending a large red blush across Ron's cheeks.
"Well, I have my opinion, but for Harry's sake I'll back down," he said, as if he was being much bigger then her. She rolled her eyes at him.
"Come on. Let's get ready for the party!" Ginny exclaimed excitedly.