IWSC Summer Camp Round 1

Cabin: Weasley

WC:1373

Task: Horse Riding

"Please, Remus," Harry begged. "You have to help me."

Remus Lupin stared at Harry Potter as he sat on a picnic bench in the park not far from 4 Privet Drive. Remus had decided to keep an extra close eye on Harry in the two and a half months he still had to live with the Dursleys before his seventeenth birthday. The son of two of his best friends was pleading with him unabashedly. Remus exchanged a look with his new wife, Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin as Harry stared at the table.

"I'm begging you, Remus," Harry choked out. "I've made a terrible mistake and I need to fix it."

"Harry, I…" Remus tried.

"Tonks, please," Harry turned to her. "Please, make him see reason. I have to fix this, or everything is going to suffer for it. Including the mission Dumbledore left me."

"What mistake did you make Harry?" Tonks sighed, seeing he wasn't going to give up.

"I broke up with Ginny," answered Harry quite miserably.

"You did what?" Tonks shouted. Remus gestured for her to quiet down as he turned to Harry.

"Why in Merlin's name did you do that?" Remus asked.

"To protect her," Harry answered, hanging his head. Harry felt two smacks to the back of his head.

"Of all the prattish…twisted noble…" Tonks fumed. "Harry, I can't believe you did that."

"I understand your motives, Harry, but…" Remus shook his head disappointedly. "Your mother would have gone Morgana's rage on you for this. Wanting to protect Ginny is one thing, but this isn't the way, Harry."

"I realize that now," Harry slumped further onto the table. "I have to make this right before I can do what the old man left me to do."

"Alright, Harry," Remus nodded. "How can we help?"

"What does she like?" Tonks asked with a smile.

"Horses. Riding horses is one of her favorite things," Harry answered looking up at Tonks as a plan started to form.

Ginny Weasley was the perfect picture of someone silently suffering from something that was so painful that she was almost a hollow shell. Most of the time, since returning home early from Hogwarts because of Headmaster Dumbledore's death, Ginny had rarely been seen. She had barely eaten. She had spoken very few words and refused to look at anyone. Her mother, Molly Weasley, had tried several times in the last two weeks to get Ginny to open up to her about what was bothering her, but nothing thus far had worked.

Molly watched as Ginny picked at her breakfast miserably. She was almost at her wit's end with worry for her daughter. Molly was about to speak when the wards chimed the arrival of someone. Molly turned, seeing Tonks, decked out in Muggle clothes and sporting bubblegum pink hair. Molly walked over to the door curiously as Tonks approached. After their security question was answered, Molly waved the younger woman in.

"What can I do for you, Tonks?" Molly asked.

"Actually, Molly, I'm here to see Ginny," Tonks answered with a small smile. "I know you have a lot to do with Bill's wedding coming, but I was wondering if I might spend some time with Ginny."

"Oh?" Molly asked, confused.

"I know she was friends with Sirius, and with him being my cousin, well…" Tonks trailed off as she looked at Ginny. The younger girl hadn't even looked up at the mention of her name. "I just thought since I have some vacation time, that I might treat Ginny with a little… 'big sister' adventure."

"Well…" Molly sighed hesitantly.

Tonks leaned over to Molly, lowering her voice. "I know what's going with her. And I think I can help."

"Oh! Well, alright," Molly nodded. "Ginny, go get changed."

A few minutes later, Tonks and Ginny were walking to the ward line of the Burrow. Tonks kept flashing Ginny a grin. Ginny's lethargic misery had been replaced by a growing annoyance as she glared at Tonks as they crossed the boundary. Tonks turned back to the house for a few seconds before pulling a small scroll from her pocket.

"Read this," she told Ginny simply. Ginny snatched the scroll with a frown. She froze as she looked at the handwriting.

Gin,

Please, go with Tonks. I really need to speak with you. But before we do, enjoy a little surprise from me to you.

The note wasn't signed but Ginny would know that handwriting scrawl anywhere. It was from Harry. Ginny swallowed as she nodded at Tonks. The older woman held out her arm for Ginny to take. The next thing Ginny knew, they were on the other side of town, near the horse stables. Tonks grinned as she motioned Ginny to follow her.

After Tonks had a short conversation with the owner of the stables, Ginny was handed the reins of a gorgeous chestnut brown Quarter horse with a white stripe down its nose. Ginny breathed calmly as she stroked the horse gently. It nuzzled her shoulder, turning a kind, gentle eye to her. The horse seemed to peer into her mind, sensing her heartache, and nuzzled her even more. Ginny swallowed back a sob before mounting the horse. She turned to see Tonks on another horse waiting for her by a gate that led into the woods.

Maybe a nice ride on a beautiful spring day is just what I need, Ginny thought as she joined Tonks.

They set out down the trail in silence. Ginny noticed that Tonks' grin grew more as they went deeper into the budding trees. As Ginny's nerves calmed with the ride, she turned with a frown to Tonks as they came to a fork in the trail. Tonks pointed to the left before trotting her horse forward. Ginny was surprised by Tonks' sudden quick pace. With a questioning look, Ginny followed. Soon she came to a wide meadow full of spring flowers and green grass. Ginny slowed her horse as she looked around for Tonks. As she turned, she saw him. Harry stood just off the trail, leaning against a tree with his head down.

"Harry?" Ginny asked with a heavy breath as she dismounted the horse.

"Hi, Gin," Harry smiled weakly at her as he looked up. Ginny scowled at him as she tied the horse to a tree.

"What are you doing here, Potter?" spat Ginny as she walked over to him.

Harry took a deep breath as he looked at the blazing look Ginny was giving him. It was that look that he had always loved to see on her face, in her eyes.

"I was wrong," Harry shook his head. "I've been miserable without you, Gin. I thought I could handle being apart from you but…"

"I've been miserable, too," Ginny choked out. "I thought I was fine with this, but…"

"I know," Harry nodded as he pulled Ginny into a hug. She didn't resist, she folded into him like she always did at Hogwarts. Ginny laid her head on his shoulder.

"You're a prat, you know that?" Ginny swallowed.

"World's biggest. Bigger than even Ron," Harry nodded as he smelled her hair. "But we have to keep this secret."

"I know," Ginny nodded as she looked up into his emerald eyes. "Harry, I…"

"I know," Harry nodded. "I love you, Gin. You and only you."

"I love you, too, Harry," she smiled up at him. Before she knew what was happening, his lips were on hers. When they pulled away, Ginny gave Harry a scowl.

"Don't you do that to me again, or Merlin help me, you'll regret it," Ginny warned.

"I won't," Harry promised. "You hungry? I brought a picnic…"

"I'm a Weasley, Harry," Ginny grinned, "what do you think?"

Harry chuckled as he led her over to a blanket, he had laid out for them. Ginny looked around, wondering where Tonks had gotten off to. She looked across the meadow to see Tonks and Remus smiling at her from their own picnic. Ginny smiled as she nodded to Tonks before joining Harry on the blanket.