AN: I keep forgetting to add these! Finally did though. I owe endless thanks to iKingBearII for all his help and encouragement. Also thanks and love to everyone on The Ginny Lovers discord.
Ginny woke suddenly, an unfamiliar weight settled across her back having startled her out of slumber. She was warm and comfortable lying on her stomach in bed, but when she reached back to grasp the heavy thing weighing her down, she felt an arm and realized she wasn't alone. She pulled her hand quickly back to her chest where she felt the soft faux-fur of Snuffles, cluing her back into her surroundings.
She relaxed. She was in Sirius's room and it was Harry with her. Just like the night before last, he had come to the room after she had fallen asleep and joined her. Their conversation was only a vague impression in her mind, but she knew enough to know that he had left last night and returned.
His leaving wasn't a problem, but she had to wonder why he bothered. The last two nights he had nightmares in his own bed, and she was certain he had been having them at least as often as she had before then too, but she hadn't woken up to him thrashing at all either time he'd been here with her. She, thankfully, hadn't had any nightmares last night either, for the first time in a while and figured it had to do with being here. I'll have to mention that, she thought.
Still feeling exhausted, she opened her eyes trying to get a sense of the time. With relief, she noted there was no light trying to sneak through the gaps in the worn curtains, so it must still have been very early in the morning. More sleep sounded fantastic at the moment, but Harry's arm weighing down on her wasn't exactly comfortable. Gently, she rolled onto her side facing away from him, hoping to slip out from under him without disturbing his sleep.
The moment she made it to her side however, his hand flattened against her stomach and tightened, pulling her back into his chest. She tried a little harder to subtly escape, but each time she managed to get a bit of space between them, his grip adjusted to become more secure. By the time she gave up, her back was nestled firmly against his chest, his face in her hair. He exhaled a murmur that sounded startlingly like, "Gin."
The way he relaxed into the position and the satisfied, peaceful hum the single word made washed over her in gentle waves until she felt completely submersed in the comfort he clearly felt. It was exactly the kind of moment her girlhood self would have rejoiced in, which is exactly why Ginny was resisting thinking about it. That girl had been weak and foolish, two things Ginny was determined to never be again. She refused to ever become her again, in fact.
Then she remembered her old deal with herself, back when she would still wake from nightmares of the Chamber in tears, unable to pull herself together. She would only allow herself to be weak in the deepest of night under the cover of darkness. Well, she thought, it's not quite the same, but if you're going to succumb, now would be the time.
So she let herself relax into the moment. It was just so… fitting for that little girl she had been. it was exactly what she had always wanted, wasn't it? She and Harry had been inseparable this past day. They had had a few bumps along the way, for sure, like their fight, but it had all worked out.
Their little spat had been resolved rather quickly, given how prone to temper they could both be when under pressure. Even if she had been talking about sacrificing herself, Harry was the absolute last living person who had any right to reproach her for it. His willingness to put himself at risk to save others might as well have been tattooed on his forehead for how well-known he was for it. Harry was just that kind of person, who loved unconditionally and without thought, who believed in the value of life. It truly was what set him apart and made him the perfect antithesis to Voldemort.
Ginny had spent a great deal of time analyzing what Dumbledore had told Harry, evaluating it from as many angles as she could think of it.After careful consideration, she decided that perhaps he had the right of it. Love was what the side of the Light was fighting for. It was wonderful and terrible in equal measure. Love led people to do terrible things without thought, like running headlong into a doomed fight with a megalomaniac to rescue someone they love the way she and Harry had. It could inspire others to risk themselves out of loyalty the way their friends had, and at its height gave people the strength to knowingly sacrifice themselves the way Harry's parents had done. She had no illusions that Harry wouldn't be willing to do the same.
She really couldn't judge him for it, either his actions or assuming that was what she had meant by the song, because she knew without a doubt that the love she had for her family and friends could drive her to do just about anything if the situation called for it. Love, in its endless forms, was something Voldemort lacked that Harry had in spades.Ginny didn't think that last night had been the time to articulate those thoughts to Harry however, and kept them to herself.
Instead of the argument sinking them, like she might have guessed it would, it had helped them clear the air. They had actually acknowledged that neither of them was to blame (though Ginny would always privately blame herself for what happened with that blasted diary) and agreed to work through things together. Surprisingly, they had. It had been a nice relief to experience the comfort they had offered one another and the things they were able to confide that they didn't with the others. It was a particularly good thing considering that by tomorrow evening he was going to be the closest thing she had to family magically, as she would be to him.
The thought snapped her out of the indulgent fantasy. These were all the things Harry was being denied by the betrothal. His right to find those things for himself… love, companionship, family. She fully intended to give him as much of these things as she could, but it would never be the same coming from her as it would from someone he had been given the chance to choose for himself.
He was in a vulnerable state now - she had seen it clearly with her own two eyes - struggling with the death of his godfather, the prophecy, and the upheaval the betrothal had wrought on their lives. It wasn't like he had chosen her for any of this - she was just the person most closely intertwined with all his current issues - and it felt like she was taking advantage of him by indulging like this.
Still, when he tightened his grip once more as she made another attempt to distance herself, she gave up. Just this once, she insisted to herself. It's clearly what he wants at the moment and it's not uncomfortable, so there's no point in waking him. Ginny let these thoughts placate her, avoiding the thought of just how "not uncomfortable" she felt, and let herself fall back to sleep.
When she woke again, light was shining through the gaps in the curtains allowing her to catch a glimpse of an invisible person slipping out the open bedroom door. She lifted her head to watch as Harry quietly closed it behind him without a word of goodbye. Ginny allowed her head to flop back in mild frustration, wondering if that was to be the way of it from now on. Granted, it was based on a small sample set, but two nights in a row now Harry had slipped into bed after she had gone to sleep and slipped out before she had risen. She supposed it was slightly awkward, going from being casual friends to sharing a bed, but weirder things had definitely happened in both their lives. They definitely had bigger problems.
What was going to happen today, for instance.
She had owled Bill last night, filling him in on the warning Percy had sent and letting him know she intended to come today to settle the inheritance. She didn't know if or how the Goblins would receive her on such short notice and she had hoped Bill would reply and give her some insight. He hadn't had much time, but she was still nervous at the lack of response.
She was nervous in general. The deeper her thoughts delved into what was coming today, the worse her anxiety got. At present, she felt like insects were crawling across her scalp, the sensation spreading down to the rest of her body and out to her limbs until she could see her hands vibrating with the nervous energy. Even her hair felt like something was crawling through it.
Launching herself out of bed, she made her way determinedly to the shower. She needed to wash it all away. Even if it was only her imagination. Perhaps more so because it was only in her mind.
Once she had thoroughly scrubbed every inch of her skin and hair - twice - in the scalding water, she decided it was enough. The overly warm water had soothed the worry enough for now. Reluctantly, she stepped out of the tub, not wanting to monopolize the bathroom and aware she had already spent far longer under the comforting spray of water than she should have. Guess that means I'm drying my hair in my room.
As she was drying off, she realized she had a problem. Having been in such a hurry, Ginny had forgotten to bring any fresh clothes to change into, and would now have to traverse the halls in just her thin dressing gown. Fervently hoping she didn't come across anyone, she slipped quietly into the hall. For once, I'm grateful for the darkness here.
She only made it halfway down the hall before someone tripped up the stairs. Distinctly uncomfortable, Ginny stepped back, wondering if a stranger was about to get a decent glimpse of parts of her she'd prefer to keep private. To her immense relief, she recognize the annoyed feminine voice that bit out, "Bloody fucking hell!"
"Morning Tonks! I was hoping to find you." Ginny said, making her way forward now to ask if Tonks would be willing to accompany her to Gringotts today. Her attire was forgotten - Tonks was practically an older sister to her and she really did need to talk to her. "I was wondering-" she cut herself off, now close enough to see the details of Tonks's appearance. The usual bubblegum pink of her hair was now a mousy brown and her shoulders drooped. "Hey, are you alright? You look completely exhausted," she asked in concern.
Tonks looked up, her eyes red and tired regarding Ginny blearily, "I am positively knackered. I had a shift with the Aurors yesterday, followed by an overnight double-shift doing watch on Privet Drive."
"Oh, no wonder you're tired." Ginny frowned. "You really shouldn't wear yourself down over the watches. There isn't much purpose now."
Tonks shrugged. "It's necessary for as long as you want to keep it a secret that Harry's here." Ginny began to interrupt, to tell her that they didn't need to hide it from anyone if it was too much, but Tonks waved her hand dismissively and continued, "Obviously, the Ministry knows the location of his relatives or Umbridge never would have been able to send the Dementors, and you know as well as I do that the Death Eaters know anything the Ministry knows. As loathsome as they are, Harry would probably want someone keeping an eye on things with his relatives anyway." She yawned widely, interrupting herself. Shrugging weakly, she said, "There are worse things I could be doing for the Order. Anyway, you were going to ask me something?"
"It's not important. Why don't you go lie down in my room? Hermione has probably already headed to the library and I'll be busy for at least the next few hours. You shouldn't be disturbed there," Ginny offered, making a mental note to let Hermione know.
Smiling tiredly, Tonks said, "Thanks. With how tired I am, I probably would have splinched myself if I apparated or even missed the damn grate if I tried to Floo."
"Happy to help," Ginny replied. She truly was. Tonks was clearly spreading herself thin trying to help them and anything Ginny could do to repay that kindness, she would. But first, "One last thing, do you know where I can find Lupin? I have a few questions for him."
Even with the exhaustion overshadowing most of her expression, Ginny could still see the scowl on Tonks's face at the mention of Lupin. "No," she said, sounding bitter. "He hasn't been spending much time here since… well, since everything happened. Left as fast as he could the day we picked you lot up from the station. I don't even know where he went." Her hair changed, becoming lined with streaks of gray and black as Ginny watched. Something in her eyes expressed a deep sadness that had Ginny's heart aching sympathetically for the older girl. Her tone was laden with worry when she continued, "He's been taking on more dangerous missions as well, trying to liaise with the other werewolves, but he hasn't had much luck so far. I don't know when he'll be back."
Ginny couldn't help herself and she reached out to hug the older girl in comfort. There had been brief periods of time in which her elder brothers brought around decent girlfriends who paid attention to her and that she had briefly admired, but Ginny had never admired an older girl as a big sister more than she did Tonks. Tonks had been wonderful to her since they had first met; she never failed to offer gentle advice and encouragement, while still being the perfect example of a self-sufficient badass despite constantly being underestimated. She was exactly the type of person Ginny hoped she could be, confident and independent despite how many people doubted that she could be. Tonks returned her embrace, reminding Ginny that their relationship was not one-sided.
"I'm so sorry," Ginny said softly to her. "I'm sorry about Sirius and Remus being difficult. It's hard on everyone."
Tonks pulled back, sniffling but dry-eyed. "Thanks, Ginny. It's… been difficult. I know he's having a hard time and that he's happier when we're together. He just won't let himself… he just keeps making everything harder than it has to be. Things could be so much easier if he'd just allow it."
"I know," Ginny replied with a sigh. She took Tonks's hand and began leading her to the bedroom. "He and Harry could probably really use each other. Lupin is all that's left of his parents' friends now, and there is still so much he doesn't know." She shook her head sadly. "We'll figure that out later, though. Right now you just need to rest," she said as she opened the door and led Tonks to her bed.
Tonks fell onto the old mattress, not from her usual clumsiness but simply out of exhaustion. Satisfied she was safe and likely soon to be asleep, Ginny turned and began searching for something to wear, tossing the useless items behind her in her haste. She wanted something nice, because she knew seeking an impromptu meeting with the Goblins was rude enough without the added insult of her showing up looking like a slob, but she had done a lot of growing the past year and had very little left that fit. Frustrated, she slammed the lid of her trunk in defeat when nothing decent presented itself.
"Uh, Ginny?" She heard Tonks's questioning tone and looked over at her, finding a puzzled and slightly incredulous expression on her face. "Were you really just wearing that in the hall?"
Ginny looked down at herself and realized most of her bottom could be seen now. Flushing, she stood. Pseudo-sister or not, she didn't think Tonks needed to see quite so much of her anatomy.
"Sorry," she said quickly, pulling the hem even further down. Maybe Mum was right about this old thing not being an effective cover-up anymore. "I was in a hurry this morning and forgot to bring myself a change of clothes."
Tonks whistled. "Well, that's brave. Could've run into anyone here at headquarters…"
Ginny shrugged, "It's mostly just my family here right now and it's nothing they haven't seen. Plus, Hermione and I have shared a room for ages. She's seen me change countless times."
"And Harry?" Tonks asked, her tone teasing.
Ginny's stomach swooped, but she pushed it back. The crush, and the girl who had it, are dead now, she reminded herself forcefully. You had your moment last night. Carefully thinking about her wardrobe instead of Harry, she waved a dismissive hand. "He's seen me looking worse."
"That's not what I meant," Tonks said, apparently frustrated that Ginny hadn't risen to her baiting. She was exhausted minutes ago, what the hell happened? Ginny thought, the urge to escape this room suddenly quite forceful. For the moment she was trapped searching her things, however. Tonks sobered and continued. "I suppose there are worse people you could run into… like Snape." Ginny grimaced and Tonks crinkled her nose as she continued, "or worse yet, Dung. The worst Snape would do is sneer at you, but Dung may actually try to get a look in."
Ginny shivered, both in disgust and anger. Tonks was right. As much as she hated Snape, it was nothing compared to how she felt about dodgy Dung. If the man had just done his job keeping watch, Harry never would have had to face those dementors last summer or go to trial. "You're right. He's always lurking about or doing something shifty." A thought occurred to her. "Maybe I should see if Kreacher can make it so that he only has access to the front hall and the kitchen."
"Not even the bathroom?" Tonks asked.
"Nope," Ginny replied with a twisted smile.
Tonks laughed. "The tosser probably deserves it." She turned pensive then, mulling it over. "It really isn't a bad idea. His contacts make him useful to the Order, but at the end of the day the only person Mundungus cares about is himself."
Ginny nodded and added it to her list. Looking at her clothing once again in dismay, she gave up and grabbed the best fitting, least worn pair of slacks she could find along with a never-worn jumper that Luna had gifted to her second-hand, claiming it "attracted Nargles". Keeping her back to Tonks, she slid a soft pair of worn knickers on under her dressing gown before pulling the slacks over them. Despite being the only pair that came close to fitting, they were still tighter than she would have liked over her bum. She had just removed the dressing gown to slip on her bra when she heard Tonks whistle behind her.
She covered her chest and half turned in surprise, finding Tonks staring at her with an eyebrow raised. "Damn Ginny, no wonder you weren't worried. If I looked like that naturally, I wouldn't care who saw me either."
Ginny rolled her eyes, determined not to flush. Turning back around and finishing getting dressed, she replied, "It's not like it matters what I look like. Can't exactly date now, can I?" She did her best to keep the bitterness out of her tone.
As she pulled the soft fabric over her head and down her torso, she was dismayed to find that the forest green sweater was tighter than anticipated. Of course she had known that Luna was slighter than her, but she had hoped that her shorter height would have made a difference. Unfortunately, the V was far too low to be appropriate and she was forced to search the floor for the white undershirt she had cast aside earlier.
When she finally found was she was looking for, Tonks was still staring at her. This time, there was something calculating about her look. "I don't know if you've noticed Ginny-girl, but Harry still belongs to the male-subset of the species and there is no possible way that he could not notice those curves," she finished with a wave at Ginny's chest.
Ginny huffed. She didn't want to even touch the subject of Harry in those terms. Instead she focused on the fact that she wasn't even fifteen yet and her chest was far from fully developed. It was just because the rest of her was so damn small that it seemed like they were larger than they were and some boys had suddenly noticed.
Michael had shown interest in touching her chest on more than one occasion, though she had always swatted his hand away, knowing that was not a direction she wanted to head in with him. She had even caught Dean's eyes dropping down to her chest when he asked if he could write her this summer, which had been mildly amusing and somewhat flattering. Then there had been Nott-. She cut off that line of thinking quickly, wrenching the jumper off and redressing with the undershirt in record speed so that she could escape.
Hastily, she said, "I'm done here. Get some rest, okay?"
She made to slip by Tonks without further conversation, but a hand grasping her wrist forced her to stop.
Tonks met Ginny's eyes seriously, remorse clear there. "I'm sorry, Ginny. I didn't mean to push. It's just easier to focus on trivial things sometimes… it's just been very stressful lately and it felt good to just…" she shook her head, giving up. "I'm sorry for taking it too far. I've always thought we were close and it felt natural to joke around. I know you've got a lot on your plate right now too."
Ginny felt her earlier ire melt away. Tonks really meant no harm. It wasn't like when her brothers teased her about Harry. With a forgiving smile, Ginny leaned down and hugged her. "It's fine, Tonks. Under normal circumstances, I probably would have given it as good as I got, but today is… Never mind. You just need to get some rest, okay?"
Tonks released her, nodding in relief as the exhaustion set back in. "Thanks, Ginny."
"You're welcome," Ginny replied as she made her way out the door. She paused at the threshold, however, and turned back. "One more thing, Tonks. Be sure to tell Lupin I said that Harry needs him around, okay?"
Tonks nodded in affirmation. "I will. I think it would do Remus good as well, having that kind of purpose."
"Good. Now stop thinking about how good I look naked and go to sleep!" Ginny admonished as she quickly shut the door behind her. There was a muffled sound against the closed door that she assumed was a pillow hitting the spot her face had just been. With a light laugh, she made her way up the stairs to Sirius's room. It was as good as any place to finish getting ready for the day and her favorite room besides.
As she made her way up the staircase, she focused on resettling her thoughts. How she looked and how a certain someone may react to her appearance were irrelevant aside from what the Goblins thought. Instead, she began assembling her list for today.
First, she needed to try to get in touch with Bill again. She needed to know what to expect as well as finish their conversation from yesterday. Second, she needed to figure out how she was getting to Gringotts and who would be accompanying her. While she was confident in her ability to get there and back on her own, it was clear from the way Harry was always monitored that she should expect her mother to demand she have an escort who belonged to the Order. Third… well, she wasn't sure what kind of state she would be in once she left Gringotts and decided there was no point in speculating at the moment.
It seemed like there was only one thing she actually had control over at the moment. Quietly, she called, "Kreacher."
The wizened elf appeared before her with a pop. Bowing, he croaked, "Mistress has summoned Kreacher. What can Kreacher do for Mistress Ginevra?"
She was still unsure how she felt about the elf. She wanted to cling to her hatred, but knew it would be unfair; she was also afraid of what kind of damage he could cause if their relationship took a turn for the worst. She did her best to be courteous, however, knowing that his willingness to follow her orders was nothing short of a miracle.
"Thank you for coming, Kreacher," Ginny said politely; he may not have had a choice, but he was demonstrating a new civility between them that she was determined to maintain. He bowed in acknowledgement. "I was wondering if it were possible for you to limit the access visitors have to certain areas of the house?"
Kreacher nodded eagerly. "Yes, Mistress. House elves be doing such things quite frequently with the children, preventing them from going into Master's study and the like."
"These wouldn't be children though. I was actually hoping to bar all visitors except for my family and a select few from the majority of the house. You know, like limiting access to the front hall and the kitchen for most of the Order," she bit her lip, considering how large of a task that would actually be. "Would that be a problem?"
Kreacher shook his head in the negative and Ginny felt relief swell within her. While it would still have been helpful to limit access to the study and Sirius's bedroom, she was much more comfortable with her original plan.
In his croaking voice, he said, "Tis the way old Mistress had it before she died. Not even Miss Cissy could enter then, only the bad Mast-" Ginny was distracted from her distaste for Narcissa being referred to as "Miss Cissy" when Kreacher's words abruptly cut off. He seemed to choke on his words, and she recognized that he had been about to insult Sirius, something she had barred him from doing. He closed his eyes and swallowed before continuing with a look of distaste, "Only Master Sirius could enter. He changed it to allow… anyone in."
Ginny frowned internally, hating the lingering animosity the elf held for Sirius, though she understood it. She also knew that not just anyone could access the house, only those with the secret, but she didn't expect Kreacher to care about such things. She knew what he meant by the way he emphasized "anyone". He hadn't said anything disrespectful, however, and she knew he couldn't be blamed for the way he had been indoctrinated to hate those who did not meet the criteria of being pureblooded bigots.
"Right," she replied neutrally. "Well, I would like you to do that, then. Set the protections so that anyone who isn't a Weasley, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Nymphadora Tonks or Remus Lupin from accessing any area of the house that is not the front hall, stairwell to the kitchen, or the kitchen itself. Please," she added respectfully.
"It shall be done, Mistress Ginevra," he replied obligingly. She briefly wondered if his willingness to help on this particular task was because it was something Walburga Black would have (mostly) approved of. "Is there anything else Kreacher can do for Mistress?"
Thinking for a moment, it occurred to her that there were others that she likely would want to give access to, particularly those who she planned on asking for help training from, like Mad-Eye or Andromeda, but she didn't want to do so until she knew they could be trusted. "Will I be able to give certain individuals access to the rest of the house later? Or will you have to recast the protections all over again? I don't want to make more work for you, but I do think it's important."
"It can be adjusted." The elf nodded, more to himself than her it seemed, as he said lowly. "It is important. Mistress and especially Master's things must be protected now that old Mistress isn't on guard anymore."
Ginny wasn't sure which Mistress or Master to which he referred - from his ancient age it was clear that he had had many - or even what things had been being guarded, but she affirmed the statement anyway. "Thank you for helping me with this Kreacher. That is all for now."
The elf met her eyes, the loathing from yesterday nowhere in sight, and accepted the dismissal with a bow before disappearing with another crack.
Feeling like she had at least accomplished something, Ginny continued onward to her destination to finish getting ready. She wasted no time in sitting at the desk so that she could use the mirror there to see what she was doing as she styled her hair with her wand. Three minutes later she realized her mistake as her back started to hurt. Standing up and stretching, she muttered, "Stupid fucking chair." The kick she aimed at it in retaliation was much harder than intended and it made a loud bang as it fell to the floor.
Naturally, Harry chose that moment to enter the room. He eyes trailed from where the chair was lying on the floor to her half done hair and glinted in recognition at the way she was cradling her lower back. "Forgot about the chair, then? Let's get you something else instead."
Harry grabbed the chest used to hold extra blankets from the foot of the bed and pulled it into position in front of the desk. Ginny smiled gratefully, sitting on the chest happily and resuming her activities. Harry sat on the edge of the bed, watching her intently. Even without looking at him, she could feel the weight of his eyes on her. She had finally reached her limit and was about to ask, but he spoke first.
"Do you always do this?" He asked. She peeked at him in the mirror and saw a look of concentration on his face. "Your hair looks… different. Shinier?"
She laughed a bit. "Merlin, no. This is far too time consuming for me to bother with." She thought about how awkward it was to hold her arms out like this. Some sections of her hair were so long she had to fully extend her elbow to run her wand the full length of it. "Some girls do though," she added. "I wouldn't bother today, but I don't want the Goblins to feel disrespected if I don't make an effort to look nice. Thus the hair and the outfit."
His eyes trailed down, following her hand. She was fairly confident she didn't imagine the slight widening of his eyes or the slight flush of his cheeks. He quickly met her eyes again though and commented, "It's a charm, right? Maybe I could use it to try to control this mess," he said, gesturing to the unruly mass of black hair atop his head.
Ginny eyed him carefully, unthinkingly reaching out and running her fingers through his hair. She should have felt awkward, but she and Harry had been spending so much time together - and honestly had been in much more intimate positions the past few days - that it seemed natural. She dismissed the quick flare of anxiety that she had overstepped, thinking of how tightly he had held onto her in his sleep the night before, and instead focused on the texture of his hair.
It was both soft and firm, resisting all her efforts to tame it but sliding through her fingers easily at the same time. She smiled as he closed his eyes and a pleasantly relaxed expression spread across his face. It was nice to know he enjoyed her playing with his hair as much as she did. She giggled at the absurdity of the situation as his hair continued to resist her attempts to bring it to some order.
He opened his eyes, looking into hers curiously. With mock solemnity, she said, "I'm sorry, Harry, but no amount of magic will tame this." She ruffled it a little while he huffed at her teasing before she turned to resume styling her hair.
Harry kept his eyes glued to her work. After a few minutes he asked, "Maybe I could grow it out like Bill's. Think it would help then?"
Ginny turned to eye his hair with calculation. It wasn't overly thick and it had been smooth to the touch. If it were longer, it would be easier to style or at least pull back. She took a moment to imagine it and was surprised to find it fit him.
Thoughtfully, she admitted, "You know, that just might work. Though you'd still probably need to learn some styling charms to make it all lie in the same direction." Cheekily, she said, "But don't worry, I can teach you."
It was meant to be in jest, but Harry nodded and stepped closer. "Will you show me now?"
She blinked in surprise. "Oh, um, here," she said, turning around the face the mirror once more. Taking his hand and threading it through a section of her damp hair, she had him hold it out away from her head and used her other hand to raise his wand hand. Wrapping his hand around her wand with hers covering it, she dragged the flat of her wand down the length of the extended tresses, whispering "lenis adsiccus". When they pulled away, the section they had just done was had been dried, but was also smooth and shiny. Harry ran his fingers through it.
She smiled at him in encouragement. "See, it's quite easy as long as you don't try to do too much at once. I don't know if you caught it, but the incantation is 'Lenis Adsiccus'. Don't forget to stress the 'lenis' part, or it will dry too quickly and become course."
Harry pulled back a little, "Are you sure it's okay for me to do this? I don't want to ruin your hair. You've done a really good job of making it look really nice -", he quickly stopped talking and looked down. She gave him an odd look, wondering why he suddenly seemed unsure. He mumbled without looking up, "We just, we have to meet with the Goblins today and I don't want to mess up your hair. I can tell you're trying to look nice."
Hoping to put him at ease, she chuckled a bit and teased, "Wow, thanks Harry. Are you trying to say I don't usually look nice?"
He looked up startlingly quick and stuttered, "N-no. Of course not. I didn't mean-".
Her laughter cut him off and he smiled sheepishly before nudging her. "That wasn't very nice. You knew what I meant, didn't you?"
She smiled back unrepentantly. "Of course I did, but you're far too wound up and we haven't even gotten to the rough parts yet. I'm nervous enough as is, so lighten up."
"Right," he replied, shaking out his shoulders and giving her a stupid grin. He rolled back the sleeves of his jumper in mock seriousness and said, "I'm ready then. Operation Don't-Fuck-Up-Gin's-Hair is ready to commence."
The behavior was so out of character for Harry that Ginny let out a full laugh, the kind that had her tossing her head back and actually made her eyes tear up. When she calmed down enough to look at him again, she was smiling widely and saw that he was wearing a pleased but slightly embarrassed smile on his face as well.
"Too much?" he asked.
Ginny could only shake her head. "It was perfect. Thank you." She took his hand and lifted it to the last remaining damp section of her hair and said, "Now finish this up. I know you can do it."
He did it perfectly, if a bit slowly. With the gentlest possible hand and the softest whisper, he trailed both the wand and his fingers through her hair until it the final section was as perfectly smooth and shiny as the rest of it. Through the mirror in front of them, Ginny watched as Harry used his fingers to brush the section into place around her shoulders with the utmost concentration.
As he did so, she thought about how his magic felt different from hers. Though the feeling was tinged with a familiarity that she attributed to him using her wand, it was different in that it made the skin and hair he touched tingle with a radiating warmth. The feeling lingered even after he was no longer touching the area.
"Thank you, Harry," she said softly, causing his eyes to catch hers in the mirror. She hadn't realized how close he was stranding to her back until his quiet, "You're welcome," was nothing but a whisper in her ear.
A knock on the door sounded, causing both of them to pull away quickly. Before she could blink, Harry had thrown his invisibility cloak over himself and disappeared from view. She had absolutely no idea why he would be hiding, but wasn't about to give away his position if there was someone he was avoiding.
"Ginny?" she heard her brother's voice call out. "Can I come in?"
"Bill!" She exclaimed, rushing to open the door. His arrival at least explained why he hadn't answered her owl. Her fleeting excitement evaporated when she opened the door and saw the look on his face. She stopped in her tracks as her hopes plummeted.
"Hey Firefly," he said quietly, but his tone was reluctant. Just like yesterday, his face was tight in an attempt to hide his true feelings. This could in no way be a good sign. Apprehension settled on her heavily and for a moment she couldn't force herself to ask why he was there. The feeling of Harry's invisible hand on her back gave her the strength she needed.
Taking a deep breath, she said steadily, "What's happened now? You wouldn't be here if it weren't important."
He eyed her curiously, but replied, "There are a few things we should talk about, but first, have you seen Harry? Ron said that if I could find you, I would find him as well." He tried to cover up whatever was going on with him with humor, but he mostly looked uncomfortable. If she had to guess, she would say he looked guilty.
Ginny subtly held her hand out behind her back, signaling to Harry to hold off on exposing himself. "Why?" she insisted. "You're not telling me something, Bill. I don't like it."
He scowled at her. "Maybe it's because trying to keep anything from you is like trying to keep a kniffler from gold, and I'd really rather Harry hear about his own business before I tell others."
"That's it?" she asked skeptically.
"Sort of." He sighed. He began to pace and asked a bit more urgently, "Do you know where he is or not? I've already been to Gringotts this morning, seeing if I could buy us some more time. Ragnok was not in a good mood. His owls to Harry had been returned, so he asked me to pass a message to him. The last thing I want to do is piss my boss off even more, so I need to speak with Harry. I have things to talk to you about too, and I have less than an hour before I need to get to work. I'm on thin ice right now as is, so I can't afford to be late."
Sensing from his anxious words that she wouldn't get any further without Harry, she sat at the edge of the bed, leaving the spot beside her open. "Alright then. Harry and I really do still need to continue our discussion from yesterday. Right, Harry?"
On cue, Harry removed the cloak. To his credit, Bill barely reacted apart from a raised brow.
"Morning, Bill," Harry greeted, giving an awkward wave and shuffling his feet nervously. Ginny wasn't quite sure what there was to be embarrassed about and motioned him to sit beside her. Harry looked hesitant, but did so anyway. His sudden discomfort with Bill was nagging at her, but she wrote it off as Harry feeling bad for having hidden from Bill in the first place.
Bill stared at Harry for a moment, a strange look passing between the two that had Harry breaking eye contact first. Ginny didn't have the faintest idea what that was about, but it really didn't matter at present. Bill sat in the chair at the desk and wasted no time in getting to the point.
"'I'll go first." Directing his words to Harry, he explained, "The goblins have requested your presence today. There will be a reading of the will. I haven't had a chance to see it yet - the goblins won't share confidential information with anyone who hasn't been granted permission from the account owner, even their employees - but if I had to guess, I'd bet you're mentioned."
Harry stiffened, but nodded his acceptance. She wasn't sure where exactly his thoughts had taken him, but Ginny wanted to comfort him none-the-less. Uncertain how he would feel about it happening in front of her brother, or anyone really, she hesitated. His discomfort clawed at her though, so she brushed her hand against his where they lay side-by-side between them, just to test the waters. His hand twitched back toward hers and she linked their pinkies.
She nearly sighed in relief. Growing up the youngest in a household of nine, Ginny was very used to physical contact and using it to show affection or provide comfort. As long as it was someone she cared about, it was acceptable. The only person she made a conscious effort not to be carelessly physical with was Harry, because she had seen how he reacted to her mother's and Hermione's similar efforts. For whatever reason though, he seemed to be willing to accept Ginny's, and for that she was grateful.
Her ruminations of her friendship with Harry were cut short however when she saw the shifty look on Bill's face. Damn it. I knew he was hiding something.
"Bill," she said warningly.
He sent her a nasty look, but it almost immediately faded into wariness. "Look, Mum told me about the betrothal last night," Ginny stiffened momentarily, but quickly relaxed. At least that's one thing out of the way. "I can't say for sure, because I'm just a curse breaker, but I was talking to Fleur last night-" Ginny scowled at the mention, before remembering the French girl was now his fiancee and she would have to get used to her "- and she said this type of bonding is viewed by the Goblins as a marriage for all intents and purposes."
Ginny blanched and felt Harry's hold on her slacken.
Bill rushed to reassure them, "You're not legally married, not according to Wizarding law, but the Goblin practices for managing accounts originated far before wizarding society had a Ministry managing and recording 'legal' marriages. Magic is what really matters to the Goblins. The two of you now share a magical connection, one drawn from the Black line, so you will be treated by them as if you were married. Harry will be entitled to everything you inherit Ginny, and vice versa."
Harry's hand found hers again, this time encasing it completely, and tightened. His eyes were wide open beneath his glasses and she watched as he blinked a few times. She was momentarily surprised as well, but she hadn't bothered to read the will at all - Sirius having told her directly in his letter what he had done - so she hadn't known what it actually said. She smiled to herself, a bittersweet feeling settling over her. While she had understood the necessity of naming her heir in preventing the Malfoys or Lestranges from taking on the mantle of the Black family, Sirius still could have named Harry as his beneficiary and she hadn't understood why he hadn't. It made sense now - there was no need. She squeezed Harry's hand, causing him to look at her, and smiled brightly at him. Her smile widened happily when he returned the gesture.
Turning her attention back to Bill, smile still in place, she nodded. Bill eyed her strangely, a faintly amused expression on his face, and she became aware that they were no longer being very subtle when she felt Harry's hand spasm around hers, but she held on. Bill had just admitted that they were bound tightly enough to be considered married by the Goblins- she refused to be ashamed about holding Harry's hand after that.
"Now, brother, is that all?" she prompted.
Bill shook his head. "This… what's going to happen today isn't going to be easy. It's going to hurt."
She kept her composure, but only managed a short nod. She did know, from personal experience. The phantom pain remembered from the Chamber stung in her chest, but she focused her gaze on Bill's bright blue eyes and did her best to ignore the memories. Harry's firm grip kept her grounded.
"Did Sirius happen to leave you the Black family rings? It's not necessary to complete the ceremony, but it will make things…" his face twisted, "smoother." He gave Ginny a weighted look and her heart sank in dismay. "It won't make or break it, but the rings will accelerate the process. You know that losing the family magic will hurt, but the rings will theoretically quicken the speed with which the Black magic replaces it and shorten the amount of time you'll be weakened."
"I have them," Harry blurted the second Bill stopped speaking. "Sirius left them with my things," he explained, his demeanor one of discomfort. "I'm not sure why," he added, looking down and away.
Both she and Bill looked at him in surprise. Ginny believed his last statement to an extent, but his inability to meet her eyes told her there was something he wasn't saying. She let it slide, however, knowing their time with Bill was limited.
Bill didn't seem interested in why Harry had the rings, rather just relieved they were available at all. "Good," he exhaled. "That's good, Harry. They've apparently been in the Black family for over a thousand years, so they will have absorbed a considerable amount of magic over that time and should provide a tangible anchor for the magic to focus on as it takes root in you, Ginny." Turning back to Harry, he asked, "Would you mind getting them now?"
Harry agreed. He squeezed her hand once more before releasing her and leaving the room.
Bill turned to Ginny, hesitance and worry clear in his tone when he asked, "Are you absolutely sure you want to do this, Ginny?"
She blew out a breath. No. Of course she didn't want to do this, but that was irrelevant. She suddenly wished Harry were still here, holding her hand again. She had always felt stronger in his presence. It was one of the reasons she took to avoiding him her second year, because she didn't want to be dependent on him - she wanted to feel sure and confident on her own.
Squaring her shoulders and finding that inner confidence she had worked so hard to cultivate, she replied strongly, "It needs to be done, Bill. It would be disastrous if Narcissa Malfoy was able to gain control of the Wizengamot seat. You know that."
"I've been thinking about that," he said earnestly. "Mum is just as closely related as Narcissa Malfoy is. Even closer to the last Head of House Black, since she was Orion's niece by blood. We could petition-"
"Stop," she said firmly. "It would never work - the Ministry is far too corrupt. Besides, there's no time. We can't risk it." She expelled a breath, trying to maintain her temper, and calmly added, "I'm not weak. Don't let your personal feelings about this cloud your judgment."
Bill seemed to sag as he nodded reluctantly. "You're probably right," he admitted. "This just isn't something you should have to do," he lamented.
She gave him a hard look. "None of should have to be making these sacrifices, but we do it because it's right. Isn't that why you're here risking the ire of your bosses trying to get them to join our cause on Dumbledore's orders?"
"How did you-"
She didn't let him finish, continuing her list of people who were sacrificing for the cause. "Hagrid shouldn't be getting beaten to a pulp by giants, but he knows that he is the only one who has even a hope of reaching them. Lupin shouldn't be risking his life with the werewolves who hold a grudge against wizards, but he's the one at least risk by doing so. There are so many people doing things we don't even know about. We're all making sacrifices. This is mine."
"They're all of age, Ginny, and members of the order besides. It's different. You're still just a kid, or you should be," he said with regret.
"Yes," she replied. "It is different, because I'm not risking my life. Not like Harry did countless times when he actually was a child," she said pointedly. "The war, and Tom Riddle, will not discriminate based on age." She knew that from personal experience. Bill was very familiar with what had happened to her, so she couldn't understand where this turn in behavior had come from. "What the hell is wrong with you today? You've never treated me like this before."
Bill sighed and looked more exhausted than he had all morning. "I know you're strong, Firefly. Probably stronger than any of us, but I… I'm being selfish I guess," he said with a shrug. She raised an eyebrow in question. A shadow crossed his face and there was a deep sadness there when he explained, "Your first year," internally Ginny cringed, but her outward demeanor remained unaffected, "I didn't know what had happened yet, but when I felt your magic drain away, I apparated immediately out of the job site and to the embassy in Egypt, trying to get on the first portkey back to England." Ginny couldn't hide her surprise and Bill smiled a bit at her shocked expression. "They wouldn't let me, of course. The Goblins have security measures in place that prevent anyone from leaving a site and the country like that, to prevent thefts, but I wasn't thinking clearly."
"Obviously," Ginny said, hoping for dry humor, but her voice was too weak for it.
He gave a rueful chuckle anyway. "Yeah, almost lost my job for that one. That's why you all had to come see me instead of the other way around. They wouldn't give me leave after violating so many protocols."
Ginny let that sink in, her mind spinning. She wanted nothing more than to hug her brother fiercely and make sure he knew how much she loved him, but she still didn't understand how all of this was related to the topic at hand. "So, what does that have to do with…" she gestured vaguely.
"I didn't know what was wrong, but I knew I had to get to you. I had that warning." He shook his head. "That was back when you should have been as safe as you could be too. But now you're in danger - we all are - and I'll have no warning if something goes wrong this time."
Ginny's heart squeezed. After her parents had voiced their support, and the twins too, she had settled her worries over her family. She knew it was harder on her and it was acceptable that she had been focused on herself, but she still felt guilty that she hadn't considered it would be hard on her brothers as well.
She gave into her earlier urge, reaching out and hugging Bill strongly, hoping he could feel all the love and gratitude she felt toward him. Pulling back, she assured him, "I'll be fine. I'll still have Harry. He hasn't let a Weasley die yet," she finished with a wink.
Bill let out a weak laugh, but smiled just like she had hoped. "You're right." He sobered a bit. "Harry's a good one, Ginny. I know neither of you were prepared for this, but all things considered..."
"I got lucky," Ginny finished for him in a soft voice. Without realizing it, Ginny had accepted what had happened and knew that was the truth. At the end of the day, she was truly lucky that it was Harry and not some sick Death Eater. The truth was that underneath everything she used to distract herself, she was grateful for the protection offered by the betrothal; that fact only made her feel more guilty that Harry had been trapped in it with her. She felt the heat rising in her cheeks and stood quickly. To cover up her feelings she joked, "He's not very prompt though, is he? I wonder what's taking so long."
The words were hardly out when Harry entered the room, his cheeks tinged pink. She wondered what had happened to make him look so embarrassed. Neither she nor Bill got a chance to ask before her father's weasel patronus appeared before them, speaking in an urgent, hushed tone.
"Percy just stopped by the office. Things have moved faster than anticipated. He's escorting Narcissa Malfoy to Gringotts in two hours. You need to move quickly. Good luck."
Bill swore under his breath while Ginny and Harry shared a wide-eyed look. They weren't exactly ready yet. Ginny was as put together as she could hope to be, but Harry was wearing his most recent Weasley jumper and a pair of slacks that looked like they may have belonged to Ron at one point. Bill looked them both over and shook his head in agitation.
"You both need dress robes if we're going to show up unannounced," he said tersely. Ginny knew neither of them had dress robes that would fit- hell, she hadn't ever had proper dress robes, only the gown she had worn to the Yule Ball and there was no way that would be appropriate even if it had fit. Bill didn't bother waiting for their refusal, "Harry, the twins bought Ron a set last summer that should fit you now. Go find them and get changed. Quickly," he emphasized. Looking at Ginny, he said, "I'll be right back. Fleur got you a set for your birthday already, so I just need to pop back to the flat and get them. Be ready." He left without waiting for a response from either of them.
Harry stood immediately, but he hesitated before pulling a small cloth bag from his pocket and handing it to Ginny. Hesitantly, he said, "The rings are in here. You should probably look at them now." He grimaced. "I doubt you'll like them any more than I did, and I don't want you to be caught off guard."
His apprehension caused her anxiety to spike, but she pushed it aside. She squared her shoulders instead, her tight grip on the bag the only thing betraying her nerves. "Thank you for the warning. I'll do that before Bill gets back, but you really should hurry. You never know how long it could take Ron to find something."
Harry looked reluctant to leave her to it, but nodded and left the room as quickly as her brother had.
When she was finally alone, Ginny released a deep breath. This was real and it was happening. There was nothing she could in good conscience do to stop it. She had the distinct urge to start messing with her hair or cleaning her fingers, but knew that would be the opposite of productive. Instead, she stood and shook out her hands and shoulders, hoping to shake off some of the tension. It worked fractionally, but it was enough to get her to open the bag and peek in.
She immediately closed the bag back up, her muscles tense. For a split second, she had seen a Basilisk eye staring up at her and froze. As Slytherin's heir, Tom had been able to look the Basilisk in the eye free from harm. Ginny had never tested whether or not it applied to her and assumed it wouldn't have worked for Harry either, as they weren't the beasts master the way Tom was, but she had seen it enough in her nightmares as she remembered things that he had left behind in her mind to recognize it. Just as quickly as she had seen it, she recognized that it was impossible and was one of the rings, but it still made her feel like vomiting.
Resolutely swallowing back the bile, she opened the bag again. She recognized the Black family signet, what would become hers soon enough, but that was acceptable to an extent. The Basilisk-esque ring must have been Walburga's, she decided, and she hated it. Worse yet, she hated that she would have to wear it for the ritual. After the ritual, once the family magic had settled within her firmly, she decided, she would never wear the blasted thing again.