A/N: A big thank you to everyone who has been enthusiastic about this story! Also to ginnyweasley777 for providing continuous feedback on developing stories like this one. Enthusiasm matters.
It was with even more reluctance than usual that Harry Potter disembarked the Hogwarts Express at the end of his fifth year. While returning to his relatives for a time each summer always had been unpleasant until he could escape and find refuge elsewhere, it was worse this year with the events of the spring and the loss of his godfather still hanging over him like a dark cloud. The numbness that had settled over him in the retreat of his anger was somewhat of a relief, but he knew the protection is offered him was tenuous at best; that cloud remained, threatening to give way to a torrent of grief so heavy that he worried he may drown in it. The sense of dread only continued to build as he made his way toward the magical barrier that would send him back to the Muggle world. He was pleasantly surprised, however, when he finally stepped through and saw who was waiting on the other side.
The Granger and Weasley parents were both there, waiting anxiously to greet their children as usual, but they were joined this year by Fred and George, as well as Mad-Eye, Remus, and Tonks. Each stood out in their own way: the twins wearing what appeared to be drangon-hide jackets, Moody's scarred face and magical eye, Remus looking far more worn down than any man his age should, and Tonks with her pink hair and Weird Sisters shirt. Each of the two aurors present kept their eyes continuously sweeping across their surroundings, looking for any possible threats, but seemed mostly at ease as they waited for the youngsters to arrive.
It was Lupin who first noticed their arrival and offered Harry a small smile. He didn't have much time for anything else however, before Mrs. Weasley swept forward and grabbed her children in a quick, but apparently suffocating, hug before releasing them and applying the same treatment to Harry. Harry hugged her back briefly, but was distracted by thoughts of why this group appeared to be waiting for him.
Mrs. Weasley thankfully released him before he could suffocated and moved to greet Hermione and her parents, while Mr. Weasley took his turn with his children. Lupin took this moment to approach him. His voice betrayed his exhaustion, but his tone was warm as he said, "Hello Harry."
"Hi," Harry said nervously. He was doing his best to ignore it, because he really didn't want to think about it right now, but a small part of him was whispering to him, wondering how Moony could even look at him knowing it was Harry's fault -. Shutting down that line of thinking, he quickly blurted, "What are you doing here?"
"Well," he began, his eyes taking on a slight hint of mischief, "we thought we might have a little chat with your aunt and uncle before letting them take you home."
Harry appreciated the sentiment, but internally cringed. That wouldn't go over well, and he alone would have to pay the price for it. As evenly as possible, he quickly said, "I don't think that's a good idea."
Moody, his voice sounding like a growl, interjected, "Oh, I think-".
He was cut off by Mr. Weasley however. "Actually, that will no longer be necessary." Harry was surprised to see him looking sheepish when Moody's magical eye swung from the direction the Dursleys were standing to Mr. Weasley instead.
Moody, eyebrow raised, asked suspiciously, "Oh? Then what is necessary, Arthur?"
Mr. Weasley turned to Harry. "If it's agreeable to you, Harry, I'd like for you to leave with us today. There are some things we need to discuss that may take some time."
Harry didn't even need to think about it and nodded vigorously.
Giving him a small smile and a nod, Mr. Weasley turned back to Moody. "I'll inform his relatives, and after that, we'll be needing an escort. It's best this discussion take place in private."
Moody grunted a response and went back to scanning the crowd. Mr. Weasley patted Harry on the shoulder in assurance. Leaning down, he softly said, "You stay here. I'll take care of it."
"What's going on, mate?" Ron spoke up from beside him.
He simply shrugged, quite uncertain himself, and tried to get a grasp on the situation using the scant clues he had. Harry looked away from the scene of Mr. Weasley telling an irate Uncle Vernon that they needn't have made the trip to King's Cross today, while Dudley tried to disappear behind his mother, and found that most of his own party was now aware that something out of the ordinary was occurring. Both Tonks and Lupin looked surprised, but Lupin also appeared conflicted; this clearly had not been part of an approved Order plan. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny looked on with interest and concern. Fred and George seemed completely unaffected, but given their nature, they were rather adept at accepting abrupt changes in plans. Overall, Harry got the impression that whatever was happening, it appeared Mr. Weasley, and perhaps Mrs. Weasley, had kept it secret.
He turned to find Mrs. Weasley, wondering if he could garner any information from her. She was behind him, apparently finishing her conversation with the Grangers. Hermione's parents looked confused, but nodded before following Mrs. Weasley to rejoin their motley group. They pulled their daughter aside, and appeared to be saying goodbye to her. Even more confused than before, Harry turned his attention back to his relatives conversation with Mr. Weasley, only to find his relatives had left while he was distracted and Mr. Weasley had returned to the group.
"Right." Mr. Weasley said, with a clap of his hands as he surveyed the group. He turned to those who had been waiting on the platform with him for the students' arrival. "I allowed you all to join me today under false pretenses. While no one need warn off Harry's relatives, we do, as I told Alastor, need an escort. We'll be walking to… a secure location here in London." He gave all the adults a significant look. Harry's stomach dropped as he realized where Mr. Weasley intended to take them.
"If you're worried about safety, why not share your plans? We could have-" Lupin questioned, before Mad-Eye cut him off.
"Constant vigilance," grunted the scarred auror. "None here could give away the secret if we didn't know it existed. Smart." It seemed to Harry that he added that last bit begrudgingly.
"But we could have portkeyed," Lupin continued. "Dumbledore wou-"
"Aye, Dumbledore." Moody said plainly, as if the man's name was an answer in and of itself. Harry latched onto that train of thought, desperate to avoid thoughts of where they were going. Why was a mystery that was certainly easier to focus on. Unfortunately, he barely had to wonder why they didn't want Dumbledore involved; they weren't taking him to his relatives, which was something he knew Dumbledore would oppose wholeheartedly for safety reasons.
It looked like Lupin was ready to speak again, but Tonks placed a hand on his arm. Mr. Weasley spoke up at the same time, "Now isn't the time for such discussion." He looked around and saw Hermione had finished with her parents. He waved his wand and muttered something quiet that Harry couldn't hear when she had rejoined the group proper. Harry saw Moody do the same and nod in confirmation. "Perfect. Now that we're all ready, let's get a move on."
Mr. Weasley led them to a shadowy corner and the adults formed a sort of wall shielding Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny from view.
"Right. I think it's best we do this is pairs. Harry, do you have your cloak?"
Harry nodded, "In my trunk."
"Get it out, Potter. Who will be going with him?" Moody asked, directing the question at Mr. Weasley. Harry obeyed, grateful that he always kept it within reach and didn't have to dig through his trunk.
Ron spoke up. "I'll-"
Mrs. Weasley cut him off almost immediately, glancing over her shoulder and sharing a look with her husband that Harry couldn't interpret. "No. Ginny will go with Harry."
"Ginny?!" Ron sputtered. "But I'm-"
"Ron," Mr. Weasley cut back in, "Ginny is the smallest of you all. She and Harry will be less likely to be exposed than if Harry were with you or Hermione. Alastor, can you disillusion them to provide some cover?"
It was only minutes later that their large group- organized into an odd configuration that surrounded and protected the disillusioned and invisible students- began their journey. As the distance between their company and Grimmauld Place shrunk, Harry felt his dread increase until he was certain it had contaminated every fiber of his being. It was so encompassing that he wondered briefly if perhaps he had the wrong idea avoiding his relatives; maybe going with them would have been the better option. If he wasn't aware that his uncle would likely be in a towering rage after wasting his entire morning waiting for Harry unnecessarily, he just may have even asked if he could return to Privet Drive instead of facing the cold, depressing home of the Blacks. Harry had no doubt that as bad as it had always been, it would now be worse, filled with the awareness that it was empty of Sirius's presence. The dread continued to spread with each pump of his heart, filling him with a cold that made him want to shiver.
As a result, when they unexpectedly stopped on the steps of the Black family home to allow Moody to practice "constant vigilance", Harry assumed it was him who was responsible when he felt shaking as he stumbled into Ginny. It was only a moment later when a disillusioned someone- either Ron or Hermione- stumbled into him that he realized the trembling was only present against his front, indicating it was Ginny, not himself, at the source of the movement. He hadn't seen her be anything but composed since returning from the Ministry, but she suddenly appeared to be as distraught as him by their return to Grimmauld Place. Somehow it settled Harry to know that he was not the only one.
The slight decrease in his anxiety was enough to bring him back to some awareness of himself. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine somewhere else, somewhere comforting. It was the Burrow that formed in his mind's eye- the quirky, magical home that so often was his refuge away from Hogwarts. As he concentrated on the comfort that image brought, he fancied he could smell it and inhaled deeply through his nose. The flowery scent that greeted him settled him, before he realized it was too concentrated to have been his imagination and his eyes popped open. His nose was only centimeters above Ginny's head. Before he could even process it, she was moving forward out from under the cloak and into the house. Harry followed her and the scent of comfort through the door without thought.
He was unprepared when she stopped dead mid-step in front of him. His momentum tipped them both, his seeking skills the only thing that allowed him to catch her by both arms and right them before they toppled forward completely. To his surprise, Ginny stayed stiff the whole time, not responding at all to the almost fall. Her trembling had yet to calm down. If Harry had to guess, he would have said it had increased.
A croak from in front of her had Harry immediately tensing in understand.
"Oh, poor Kreacher." The ancient elf bemoaned, "His true Mistress will be so disappointed. Kreacher doesn't want to, but he must. He doesn't have a choice, he must listen to the filthy, Mudblood loving, blood traitor M-"
Harry only heard the opening words of Kreacher's speech. Being in Grimmauld Place, seeing Kreacher, hearing his traitorous voice, everything, just brought the memories to the forefront of Harry's mind. He could hear Kreacher cackling as he fed Harry the wrong information about Sirius's whereabouts, information that would endanger all his friends and lead to the death of Sirius himself. Harry wanted to be angry with the foul little creature, but he couldn't muster it. It was suddenly too much. The dread, the guilt, the prison that was this house, the anger… Harry screwed his eyes shut and pushed it all away, searching for that numbness from earlier. He hadn't realized he was still gripping Ginny's arms from catching her, and rather tightly too it seemed, until she yanked them free and stepped toward the elf.
"SHUT UP!" Ginny hissed vehemently. Her movement and words pulled him back to the present. Harry took in her hard expression and the way her hands shook, this time with rage. She maintained a low volume, but her tone was cutting as she said, "He may not have been nice to you, but Sirius was your master. You betrayed him. If there is anyone beside Tom and Bellatrix to blame for that, it's you. So just do not speak and go sit in your den where you can't do any more damage to anyone else."
She brushed past the surprisingly silent Kreacher and toward the kitchen so quickly that she wasn't present to see the elf disappear with a pop. No one seemed to know what to make of it, so they all followed her lead. When they reached the door however, Mr. Weasley stopped the group.
"This is a bit delicate. I believe, for the moment, we should limit who is present. Harry obviously needs to stay. Perhaps the rest of you could keep an eye on things. Prevent any stray Order members from coming through." Harry noticed that Moody nodded in approval, unperturbed that the eldest Weasley was keeping more secrets. The twins looked intrigued, but didn't argue. Probably planning to use the extendable ears, Harry thought. Lupin looked like he may argue, but Tonks pulled him down the hall. Ron and Hermione stayed steadfast at his side.
There was a pause as Ron's parents eyed the two of them.
"Come on, Dad. We've been through this. There's nothing you're going to tell Harry that he won't tell us anyway," Ron pushed.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley exchanged a look. His face was equal parts exasperated and resigned; hers seemed to show the same resignation, but also with a hint of apprehension. His father nodded and led them into the kitchen, where Ginny was already seated to the right of the head seat. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley both sat at the head of the table, while Harry and Ron sat to their left. Hermione balanced out their arrangement by taking the seat beside Ginny across from Ron.
For a moment, Harry wondered, and Ron too judging from the look on his face, if the Weasley parents were going to kick Ginny out of the kitchen, the way they had last summer when Harry had demanded to know what was going on. The moment didn't come, however. Instead, it there was only an awkward moment of silence in which Mr. Weasley stared at the table and gripped his wife's hand. It was Ginny who broke it, by asking, "Dad, what are we doing here? Why is it just us?"
"We're here because Sirius made arrangements in the event of his death that need to be discussed," Arthur said somewhat nervously, lacking his usual joviality. At the mention of his godfather, Harry dropped his eyes and bit the inside of his cheek, trying to stay present and not fall into the pit of despair that he was on the precipice of, that he had just barely managed to push away from after the incident with Kreacher. "Sirius had been worried about what would happen in the event that things took a turn for the worst, especially if he were no longer around to help us all at the time. To that end, he made some contingency plans."
Mr. Weasley took a breath and looked down at his hands before addressing him directly, "Harry, obviously, he was most concerned about you." He looked between his two children, "But he was also concerned about the rest of us as well. His plans reflect that." He looked back to Harry, a slightly pleading look on his face that left Harry confused, before continuing, "Please know, son, that while extreme, and not ideal, this decision was made with only your safety and best interest in mind," the man rambled a bit.
Harry wasn't really sure what to make of that, so, while feeling some trepidation, he stated, "I'm not really following, Mr. Weasley. What exactly did he do?"
"Well… as of his death," Harry and Arthur both cringed at the statement, "you have reached magical majority and essentially become emancipated. The Trace has been removed and the Goblins will recognize you as an adult, allowing you full access of any funds you are entitled to through them. You will also no longer have to stay at Privet Drive, as the blood wards are designed for underage wizards only."
Harry felt his first true smile since the battle at the Department of Mysteries spread across his face. No more Dursleys? No risk of being charged with underage magic? He could actually defend himself now. He didn't have to put up with anyone's abuse, neglect, or attacks. If he recalled correctly, he even had enough money in his vault to support himself if he was careful about it.
"Really?" He couldn't help asking excitedly, because honestly, nothing so brilliant had ever happened to him before.
"Yes," Arthur replied, smiling at him. For a moment, Harry felt himself soaring, but then he noticed the tremulous quality of the smile and felt his guard rising in response. That was all incredible news to Harry, so what could possibly be making the older man look so uncertain.
Mr. Weasley must have noticed the change in his expression, because he dropped the smile and cleared his throat before starting nervously, "That's not the only thing though. You see, there's- in order to achieve that… it was necessary to-"
Harry heard a sudden "oh" from across the table. By the time he looked away from Mr. Weasley to the source, he found Ginny wide-eyed and looking at him, before she looked back at her father.
"He didn't," she said in a horrified tone. Mr. Weasley was just looking back at her blankly as far as Harry could tell, but Ginny must have seen something in her father's expression that he didn't because her eyes widened further.
"How did you…" her mother started to ask, startled.
Ginny suddenly looked angry, "I told him. I told him it was wrong. That he deserved to be loved. That he deserved a choice for once! How could he take that away from him? He deserves to be loved by-" Harry had an impossible time trying to follow her statements. Harry assumed he himself was one of the "he"s she was mentioned and that Sirius was the other. But what choice was she talking about? What did love have to do with it? She couldn't possibly know anything about the prophecy, could she? Could Sirius have? He would have told him if he had, wouldn't he have? While these thoughts swirled, Ginny continued her diatribe, until cutting off after saying, "I know there are all sorts of protections, but-"
The sudden lack of her forceful voice and the audible, sharp intake of breath she made drew his attention.
"The protections," she whispered quietly, almost to herself. His concern spiked immediately when he saw her eyes flick from person to person around the table until her face had paled to an even white and she was staring at her father with huge, glassy eyes. "All of us, here… on the train… not… I thought it was accidental magic," she whispered frantically, looking terrified and suddenly vulnerable. "Dad," she choked out and swallowed thickly, "Dad. Please, please tell me you didn't. Tell me it was just accidental magic, not… not…"
Harry quickly glanced at Mr. Weasley on his left, where he found a look of confusion before he saw comprehension dawn. The man's eyes hardened and his fists clenched where they lay upon the table. "What caused it?" he asked sharply.
Harry was surprised by the tone, having never heard the man speak to his daughter that way, but Ginny hardly noticed, the wide-eyed, terrified look still on her face. "It was on the train, coming home," she relayed without any real emotion, "I was coming back from the loo when Malfoy and his cronies cornered me. Nott had grabbed me around the chest from behind, and suddenly he was blown back." Her voice remained even as she conveyed this, but her eyes never left her father's. It wasn't until she continued that her voice warbled, and she looked years younger and smaller as she asked, "Daddy, tell me it was just accidental magic… please?"
Her plaintive plea caused her father's face to crumble, and Harry could see the guilt in his shimmering eyes as he shook his head at his distraught daughter.
She looked down and her fingers threaded through her hair as she gripped the sides of her head, blocking her face from view. From this close, Harry could see the shine that highlighted the endless shades of red spread coloring the long strands even in the dimness of the dreary kitchen. For a moment, he was completely distracted by it. How had he never noticed that before? His fascination was cast aside quickly, however, when he saw her shoulders start to shake. His gut clenched at the sight. He still didn't know what was going on- what Ginny clearly knew that the rest of the children around the table didn't- but he hadn't seen Ginny so vulnerable since she had woken up in the Chamber of Secrets, and knowing whatever this was had shaken her so deeply made him panic slightly.
When she looked up, however, he was shocked to see that she wasn't crying. Her cheeks were red, her eyes hard and practically alight with fury. Looking closely, Harry could even see the air around her shimmer slightly, like heat waves over blacktop in the summer sun.
"ARE YOU ALL MENTAL? WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" She suddenly shouted as she stood and glared at her parents. Harry dimly noticed that his jaw, along with those of every other person in the room, dropped at the way she was speaking to them.
"Ginny, the protections-" Arthur began weakly at the same time that Molly, her face red with anger as well, started, "Young Lady, don't you dare-"
"Don't," was all Ginny said in a quiet, but vicious voice. Her tone was cold and the word practically hung in the air, dripping with anger and disappointment, causing both her parents to quiet. "Just, just don't. There's nothing you can say. There's nothing you can do. I cannot believe you would do this to him. To me. I can't- excuse me." Suddenly her words seemed to dry up and she straightened her shoulders before leaving the kitchen without a backward glance.
The second Ginny was out of sight, Molly crumbled. Her shoulders hunched, she turned into her husband's chest and sobbed. Mr. Weasley wrapped an arm around her and rubbed circles on her back.
Unable to take it any longer, Ron finally blurted out what was on all their minds, "What the bleeding hell is going on?"
Mrs. Weasley was too beside herself to comment, but there was a thump beneath the table, where Hermione likely kicked Ron's shin, as she hissed at him, "Ronald!"
"Lay off, Hermione. I'm serious. I've seen Ginny lose it a fair few times, but she's never been like that. And they just let her!" He pointed an accusatory finger at his parents. "Clearly they did something and Ginny knows what it is. This isn't just about Harry. I want to know what."
Harry was only slightly surprised by Ron's outburst- following Ginny's complete eruption it would have been difficult for his friend to take him fully by surprise- given how well acquainted he was with Ron's temper. Mr. Weasley's quiet appraisal of his youngest son was more interesting. He didn't look nearly as stricken as his wife, who was clearly beside herself, as he faced both his son and Harry resolutely, despite the guilt that still lined his eyes.
"You're not wrong, Ron. Sirius approached us with a plan to protect both Harry and Ginny the morning after you all returned to school. Your mother and I, after many long discussions with Sirius, agreed that something needed to be done, but… we couldn't find anything exactly... "
Mrs. Weasley sniffled, but spoke. "You have to understand… things could easily become very bad, very quickly. There may not be time to implement alternative plans. The things the Death Eaters could do if they gain enough momentum in the Ministry… and your father…"
Mr. Weasley took back over, sensing his wife was only going to become increasingly incomprehensible. "There are things that you wouldn't know. Things that almost happened before You-Know-Who was defeated last time, that could happen again. And Harry and Ginny are more at risk than anyone. We needed a way to protect them. We were going to keep looking, but after what happened at Christmas... " He audibly gulped and Harry suspected he was remembering the terror of being attacked by Nagini, fearing he was alone guarding the Hall of Prophecy and would bleed out before anyone was the wiser. Harry shuddered himself remembering all that had happened that night. "Well, after that, we decided it was too risky to wait any longer. Your mother gave Sirius the okay before I had even left the hospital. She knew I wanted to do it, but she had her reservations until then."
Harry listened to their conversation patiently, but mostly in confusion, as they rambled. It was good. It kept him distracted. It prevented whatever reality that had been created when Sirius died from pressing on the barrier of numbness he had managed to maintain since he entered the kitchen. Ron however, was not so patient.
"Yes. You were scared and did something to protect Harry and Ginny. But what? And why Ginny? And how is it that she knows whatever you did, but you still haven't told us."
"Ah." Mr. Weasley shot a guilty look at his wife, who looked at him with something akin to betrayal. "I may have gotten the impression from Sirius that she caught him researching it and was less than thrilled with the idea."
"Arthur! How could you not tell me this?" Mrs. Weasley sat up and pulled away from her husband, glaring at him accusingly.
The man sighed. "She was opposed on principle. She didn't know he was going to approach us, and if I'm being honest, I care far more for her safety than anything." He took his wife's hands and leaned closer to her. "Molly, we agreed. You've seen all the notes, heard what could happen… we agreed that this was more important. It could be so much worse. Sometimes, there's no good option."
Tears gathered in Mrs. Weasley's eyes and fell down her cheeks as she nodded and leaned back into him, whispering her agreement. Harry looked away, unable to watch the tenderness, never having seen much of it growing up and, aware that he had to face Voldemort as either killer or corpse, knowing that he may never have the chance to experience it either. He didn't even remember parental love, the force that drove his parents to sacrifice themselves the way they had; the closest he could recall was Sirius, and he too was gone now, as well as any possibility for love in the future. He beat those thoughts back; there was enough to deal with at present without dragging the prophecy into things or entertaining thoughts of love.
It was Hermione, making her first interruption of the conversation, who coughed and drew their attention back to the conversation.
"Right. Sorry, children." Mrs. Weasley said, sitting up straight for the first time since Ginny had stormed out.
Mr. Weasley seemed to take this as his cue, because he straightened up and simply said, "Sirius and I entered Harry and Ginny into a magically binding betrothal, by way of an old blood rite."
He then went on to explain to a stunned Harry, stuttering Ron, and wide-eyed Hermione in more detail what had happened. Harry, finally having been pushed over the edge into shock, dimly registered the words, catching only the main idea here and there. It was only supposed to be a back-up plan in the event that either Mr. Weasley or Sirius died. The three of them had hoped the conditions would never be met, and that they would never need to be told at all. Yet Sirius had died, releasing the magic he had sealed in the ritual and triggering its completion. As such, Harry and Ginny were now emancipated, considered legal adults in the wizarding world and would no longer have to worry about underage magic or the trace. They would receive any inheritances that had required them to be of age in order to receive. This would free them from persecution from the Ministry if they needed to use magic and provide them with monetary resources should they need it. The cost was that they were now not only betrothed, but bound to one another, their magic irreversibly intertwined.
"So what exactly does this mean? Are Harry and Ginny married?" Hermione asked.
"No," Arthur said slowly. "They're not technically married. However, they have been magically bound already, and the binding will soon become public knowledge I'm sure. There's a book that is magically updated at the Ministry of Magic that will have recorded it… with what occurred in the Department of Mysteries, I have no doubt reporters will be looking into all of you."
Hermione's brow furrowed in concentration. After a few false starts, she eventually admitted, "I don't understand."
Looking increasingly tired, Arthur explained, "While they do not have to legally get married- while not necessary- knowing that you have bonded by way of betrothal, people will expect you to marry at some point or there will be talk." He directed his next statement at Harry, "I'm not saying this to pressure you, son- and I'm not certain Ginny would even agree to a marriage- I'm just trying to be as honest as possible with you."
Unsure what to say, Harry nodded in response. What could he really say at this point? There was just so much to process. He certainly hadn't expected this when Mr. Weasley said they had things to discuss.
"But… why? Why would it create a bond that essentially creates a magical marriage, without setting constraints for the legal marriage? It doesn't make sense," Hermione asked quizzically.
Arthur sighed. "These types of rituals are generally only used by the old, pure-blood families that thrive on tradition and ceremony. Because of the nature of the times in which these rituals are used, the binding occurs to solidify the betrothal so that no outside interference can prevent it from proceeding, but the marriage is expected to proceed as customs dictate. In those social circles, a wedding is more of a production. It is understood that because of the nature of the terms, the couple may be separated by whatever conflict is raging or the family may need grieving time before they are ready to host a wedding. It's all very outdated, but…" He gave a helpless shrug. "This particular ritual was designed to ensure the successful transition from the Head of the family to an underage heir, when necessitated by death, in such a manner that would protect the family name and line from outside interference. Even without being married, the way they are bound will prevent them from marrying anyone else or," Harry could see his ears turn red "performing any acts with other partners that would endanger the creation of a legitimate heir."
"You mean Harry and Ginny have to be together or they can't be with anyone?' Ron asked incredulously.
Mr. Weasley replied in the affirmative, but Harry didn't really notice. His sex-life, or lack thereof, was not important. Ginny was what was important right now. How great of a risk was she facing because of this? The magic that tied them together now must have been particularly strong if it could read intentions and threats effectively enough to stop occurences of that nature independently. Hadn't Ginny said Nott was thrown back for touching her? He was suddenly concerned about what would happen to her magic if he didn't survive. Being tied to him like this was dangerous. What had they been thinking? Not only-
His thoughts and the group's discussion cut off as Ginny suddenly reappeared in the kitchen, her shoulders still back and her face wiped clean of any emotion. There were several pieces of parchment gripped tightly in her hand.
"Ginny! I- What are you doing?" Mrs. Weasley had started to address her daughter, but froze when Ginny ignored her and quickly threw some floo powder into the fireplace, muttered something too low for them to hear, and disappeared in a swirl of green flame before any of them could react.
It was a moment before the five people in the room launched themselves out of the chairs and rushed to the now empty fireplace unthinkingly. It was a mass of confusion as they all stood there rather uselessly.
"Where did she go?! Did any of you hear what she said?" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed in worry.
"She wouldn't head to the Burrow, would she?" Ron asked.
Mr. Weasley shook his head. "She knows it's not safe."
"Maybe Luna's?" Harry asked, unsure.
"No. Luna and her father left directly from King's Cross to go on expedition looking for-" Hermione's explanation was interrupted when the floo flared green and Ginny calmly stepped out.
"Ginny!" "Where did you-" "What were you think-" The overlapping questions were all cut off when the floo flared once more and, to the surprise of everyone besides Ginny herself, Neville Longbottom nervously stepped out into the kitchen of Grimmauld Place.
Silence reigned for a moment, until Mrs. Weasley turned to her daughter aghast. "What were you thinking? Did you even consider the security risk you've just created? You cannot just invite someone to Headquarters without-"
Her chin raised in defiance and she replied, "Seeing as this is apparently my house, I think you'll find I can."
The statement was met by gasps and stunned silence by most of the occupants of the room. Mrs. Weasley's face was turning red, however, so Mr. Weasley stepped between the women, recognizing the possibility of an escalating confrontation.
Tiredly, he said, "Perhaps we should all return to our seats, now that we know no one is in danger." They complied with his request, Ginny surprisingly claiming the seat beside Harry with Neville on her other side. Arthur, not wanting to press the issue, simply asked his daughter, "Could you please explain?"
Ginny looked at her father and Harry saw the defiance melt away from her expression, but it remained resolute. She nodded and tossed a thick roll of parchment on the table in front of her father. Even from his spot several seats down, Harry could read the title.
The Last Will and Testament of Sirius Orion Black.
Harry's eyes slammed shut, as if closing them could block the flood of his emotions as well as the sight, and he had to take a deep breath. He knew Sirius was dead- they had just been discussing a magical betrothal that resulted because of his death!- but it had all been just words that Harry had barely been processing. The whole conversation had felt like he was watching a movie, as if they were discussing characters in someone else's life. His attempt to detach himself had worked more effectively than he had realized until that point, but seeing the words written in Sirius's own hand shattered his emotional wall.
His eyes snapped open again when he felt Ginny's warm hand lay on top of his. He met her eyes and was unsurprised to see them filled with compassion. Whatever would come, it seemed she didn't blame him at least. He saw her shoot a quick glance toward the group gathered around the will before she removed her hand and quickly slipped a letter into his lap underneath the table. Harry didn't even glance at it before slipping it into his pocket. Either it was from her and was meant to be opened in private or it was from Sirius and, by covertly giving it to him, she was giving the opportunity for privacy if he chose it. He was grateful for it.
Their silent exchange was broken when Mr. Weasley finished reading. "Sirius named you his heir." Ginny nodded. "So, you are correct that you are the new owner of this house and are essentially an adult. While it is within your rights to invite whomever you wish to your own home, I'm curious as to why you felt the need to do so, given the circumstances," Arthur said in a surprisingly diplomatic way. He almost sounded like Percy, but without the pompous attitude.
Apparently, Mr. Weasley knew what he was doing, because Ginny's face softened enough to reveal some genuine emotion. It wasn't much, but her eyes widened and her jaw pulled back slightly, allowing a hint of the vulnerability Harry had seen in her earlier to leak through once again.
"I wanted someone to talk to. Someone who was more mine than Harry's." Harry jerked at that. She turned to him with an apologetic look on her face. "I'm not trying to- I don't mean to say-" she cut off with a huff when she couldn't articulate her thoughts properly.
Surprisingly, it Neville who stepped in to help her. "I don't know the details, obviously, but I assume it includes you two? And it's a lot to process?" They nodded. "Harry, you, Ron, and Hermione have been best friends for years." He put up his hands placatingly when the trio tried to interject. "It's great that you're all there for each other like that, and it's not a bad thing, but you're all so close that it doesn't leave much room for anyone else, and that can make things a bit awkward for anyone who isn't, well, the three of you."
Harry looked to Ginny for confirmation. Admittedly, Harry didn't know Ginny as well as he should have, but he didn't feel it was like her to allow someone else to speak for her. To his surprise, she nodded, her wide eyes still conveying a vulnerability that tore at his already frayed nerves.
"It is a lot to process," she said nervously, her fingers twining together further putting her nerves on display. "I need to work it out, discuss it with my own friends. I'm sure you want to do the same with Ron and Hermione."
"Ginny," Hermione spoke up, "we're your friends too." Her tone was quiet and even Harry could detect the hurt in it, but he didn't look away from Ginny.
Ginny grimaced. "I know, Hermione, but…" Her eyes darted from Hermione to Ron, then to Harry, as she formulated her response. Eventually she just shook her head. "It's not the same. You know it's not. The three of you are a team, and I'm not a part of it. It is what it is." She shrugged nonchalantly, but there was a defeated air to her. "That's fine- I'm not complaining- but at the end of the day, you hold each other above everyone else, and that's not exactly an environment I feel comfortable sharing my unfiltered thoughts and feelings." She had turned back to Harry for the last part, the look in her eyes pleading for understanding.
Harry didn't want to understand, because it meant admitting how selfish they had been, in particular how selfish he had been, if Ginny felt she couldn't talk to her brother and good friend because she felt they were closer to him than her. He forced himself the swallow that down though and attempted a reassuring look, "Y-yeah. Course."
Her answering smile was tremulous, but he could see the genuine gratitude there.
Mr. Weasley, whose presence he had forgotten until that moment, cleared his throat and drew their attention. "Perhaps Ginny had the right idea. You all were given quite a bit of information unexpectedly and it may be best if we break for a time. Take some time to process, after which I imagine you'll have more questions." He pulled a small, aged black book from his robes and placed it on the table. "This is the journal in which Sirius found the ritual while researching, if you'd like to take a look."
Ginny shook her head and stood, gesturing for Neville to do the same. He followed her lead, though his eyes lingered on the book. "I've seen the book before. We can talk about it later after you lot get a chance to look through it. Neville and I will just…" She trailed off and gestured to the door.
"Go on ahead, Ginny. It's fine," her mother said, her anger having disappeared as quickly as Ginny's. She looked contrite and sad more than anything now.
Her father interjected before she moved away. "Before you go, would the two of you like us to share this with the others now so that you won't have to? It can wait for a bit if you'd rather."
Harry shrugged and looked up to meet Ginny's eyes. She wasn't that much taller than him, even as she stood while he sat. He could see reluctance and wariness in her eyes, a feeling he could identify with, and he could tell she was appraising his feelings as well. He shrugged, trying to keep his expression as even as possible; he could tell that having had this decision made for her was hard enough as it was and he was determined to let her make as many of her own decisions as possible moving forward. When she nodded, he did too.