~ Standing His ground ~

Somehow everything had gone wrong this morning.

He awoke and Ginny was gone, but that would be understandable. Probably that wasn't a good idea to be discovered by her parents or siblings. So, reasonable as she was these days, the girl had gotten up and left at some point during the night.

Yes, that had happened. Harry Potter had lost his virginity. Not that he cared much about the fact. It didn't change anything. Not in him and not overall. Obviously he wasn't the best person to console somebody especially if that somebody turned out to be a girl. He kissed Cho when that one had cried over Cedric and now when Ginny Weasley had cried over him practically being a goner he took and fucked her to shut her up. Harry laid in bed and smirked at himself. This possibly made him the worst boyfriend in history, but what could he do. They might not have another chance. Ever.

But he wasn't left to dwell on these thoughts for long. Mr. Weasley came to inform that Ministries officials have come to see him, so he better get up. And so he did. Boy found his crumpled up jeans and not bothering with underpants put them on. Then deciding on being sort of polite he looked for a fresh t-shirt and finally putting on his good old black and white sneakers Harry went to meet the people he wanted to see approximately as much as Voldemort himself.

The meeting was annoying of course. Ministrants couldn't agree on what to do with young wizard themselves, so they argued with each other and with Harry on the course of action for a while, but finally the boy managed to plead that for a while it might be the best policy to hide away at Dursleys. They offered him to stay in the Ministry but as the young wizard pointed out the corruption in their own lines they were forced to admit that staying there might not be as safe as they would like it to be. Even Mr. Weasley sadly agreed that Ministry wasn't what it used to be. And so it was concluded that the very next morning with a horde of Aurors Harry would leave for the Privet drive Nr. 4. And that was that.

With grownups it went rather smooth but when he and Ginny finally had THE conversation everything went to hell. Right now redhead was accusing him of having a girl somewhere else and that being the reason he wished to leave so hurriedly.

- This is ridiculous Ginny!

Harry murmured and waived her off like a persistent bug.

- Don't you wave at me like I'm some kind of pest! – She snarled gritting her teeth.

The boy didn't even turn to face her. He was too tired for this. The weight of the world was pressing on his shoulders.

- I think I asked you a question! – She wouldn't let it go.

He hung his head and pressed his palms against a windowpane, then pulled the last bits of strength in him left together and turned around.

- No, Ginny, I do not have anybody else and I don't have time for this bullshit.

- Oh, so now imma shit? Great! I have to say your abilities to make a girl feel flattered are terrible. And I was thinking about helping you…

There was a moment of silence where Harry allowed the girl to enjoy her new-gained upper hand in another one of those useless arguments they've been having pretty much always.

- Please, don't make this any harder than it should be.

- Because it shouldn't be! – She snapped back. – We are having something here and you are about to ruin it.

Harry felt like laughing but understood that probably it would not help the matters. Instead he pulled a face and spat out what was on his mind for a while now.

- Listen Gin, I don't want to fight, because there is nothing to gain or fight for. It's not like I don't give a damn and you know that. That's what I like about you. You get things. Things I can't explain. Things I'm silent about. Things I can't express. You get them without talking. And I'm really grateful for your understanding and support, but… – he lowered and shook his head – no, I'm no good at this – Harry finally said with a sigh.

- Yea, you're not – and after a brief silence she added – it's really hard to be angry with you when you're like this.

- Maybe it's my one true talent – Harry speculated – to be so miserable others simply can't bring themselves to say no or harm me?

Both of them chuckled.

- How do you think, maybe Voldemort will succumb to my patheticness as well?

Redhead laughed out loud but there was a tinge of pain under there somewhere.

- Probably shouldn't have mentioned him – Harry mumbled with visible regret.

- Nah, don't bother. I'm kind of used to your connection to him by now.

- You see! – Harry happily pointed out. – That's what I'm talking about. You don't squirm when I mention his name. You're OK with that and it makes everything so much easier.

- Yea, I don't even know is it because of you or was I that way ever since.

- What do you mean, because of me?

Harry couldn't help his eagerness to hear something about his own impact on people even if it wasn't true.

- You just talk about him so much… – she fell silent.

Then went and peeked out of the kitchen, came back and grabbed two bottles of Butterbeer from the cupboard. With obviously practiced ease she opened the bottles against much endured kitchen counter and lastly handed one to Harry while sipping on the other.

All this while the boy who lived watched her almost amazed. This just might be it, he thought, imagining how he returns from his uneventful day at work and his supposedly wife hands him a drink and tells about her day in the garden and fighting the gnomes. They drink and laugh. It would be so…

- I bet you're thinking about him right now – she sneered leaning against the table on the opposite side.

- Umm, no, not this time – Harry admitted but kept quiet about just imagining Ginny as his wife.

- Really? I mean you talk about him constantly and if you don't talk about him you think or dream about him.

This was kind of embarrassing. Not only Ginny but like half the school knew about his and Voldemorts connection. But the worst were the rumors that he's a liar and created this so called connection himself. This made his blood boil.

- Well, sorry – he spat – for inconvenience.

- Oh, for fucks sake – girl rolled her eyes. – Calm down, OK? What I wanted to say is that if someone chooses to be around you they better toughen up when it comes to Voldie and when I was little I remember myself to be scared of that name and in our family just like in any other people avoided saying the name out loud. But then you came about throwing the V word around like confetti. And we all me including got used to that. You were the one inspiring us not to be afraid anymore. And so it became a norm for us to hear and say his name.

- I… – Harry as at a loss of words.

- Yes, yes, I know you hate all those boy who lived speeches and I'm not about to give you one. I'm just saying that there are ways you have left your imprints in my life as well as in other's lives and it would be a shame to throw it all out the window you know.

- Here we go again! – Harry felt anger rearing its ugly head. – For your information it is you and the others for whose sake I'm leaving. Why can't you just go along with it?

- Because you're wrong! Once again you're trying to sacrifice yourself for everyone else is not going to solve anything.

There it was. The most dreaded possibility spoken out loud. Deep silence fell onto them offering no salvation.

- So what do you propose? – Harry asked at last.

Now was young redhead's turn to be looking for words.

- I don't know but giving up is not an option.

- Oh, wow, nice one! – Harry mockingly praised her.

He brought the bottle up like saluting and finished its contents in one go. With a loud thud he set the bottle on a counter.

- Well, as you don't know what to do as doesn't anyone else I am going to leave this place for Dursley's where for some kind of fucked up reason I'm more safe than anywhere else till my 18th birthday AND the big plus is that while somebody figures out what exactly should we do if they will be coming after me the only ones encountering the losses will be them and not the people I care about.

There was nothing to take or add. For now it sounded like the most reasonable plan of action. Ginny felt defeated.

- So… – she tried to come up with something to say.

- So this is it. For now.

- For now – girl repeated the words like they were foreign to her.

Then she sucked up to the bottle and her gaze trailed somewhere off. Harry felt too tired for another goodbye talk so he simply left.

He slowly went upstairs. Haven't he gone all the way up when Ron stormed past him almost knocking off the feet.

- Hey, mate, where…

But the ginger was gone already.

- What is wrong with this family tonight? – Harry mused aloud while entering his and said boy's room in the attic.

There he was met with some quiet sobbing. It was Hermione obviously and judging from before they had done their quarreling again with Ron.

- What did he do this time? – With a lack of surprise in his voice Harry asked.

- Oh! – Hermione only now noticed him and jumped.

She dried her eyes with a back of her hand and smiled pulling her gaze up from the floor.

- No, this time it was actually me.

- How come? – Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing.

- Oh, you know, with the whole situation I started the "maybe we shouldn't" conversation and somehow it escalated into… I don't now but all of a sudden we were exchanging opinions on each other's intellectual capacities.

- Ha, I can guess who lost in that battle – Harry laughed – but what exactly is "maybe we shouldn't" conversation?

He then went and sat down on his bed still looking at the girl.

- Well, you know, that maybe we should keep a distance for a while till there is some certainty about tomorrow.

Harry was looking at the friend with no hint of understanding. Hermione sighed and plopped down beside him on the mattress.

- I don't know – she paused – I just don't think that's such a good idea to engage into seriously committed relationship when you don't know will you be alive the day after tomorrow.

- Well, Lupin and Tonks got married exactly because of that.

- Yea, you're right – Hermione quieted down.

For a while they watched the soothing darkness behind the glass separating them from the outside world.

- I had a pretty terrible conversation of this kind a while back – Harry admitted.

- With Ginny?

- Yea.

- What did she say?

- That I'm wrong and I shouldn't leave.

- And you?

- Well, I don't have a choice. I have to leave.

- To keep the distance, right?

- Right! – Harry realized what Hermione was trying to do with Ron.

- The real question is though – curly girl turned to face Harry – would you be doing the same thing if given a choice?

- What'd you mean?

- Well, imagine that there are no obstacles. Do you still feel compelled to leave?

Raven haired boy grew quiet. Actually it felt kind of liberating to leave all by himself. Would he bring Ginny with him if there were no Dursleys and no Death Eaters? Probably not. He lifted the gaze to face the friend.

- I think I know why Lupin and Tonks got married.

- But you don't feel that way about Ginny?

- Neither do you about Ron.

- I guess not.

Hermione sadly smiled. Harry agreed.

Harry awoke. Gaze roamed the room. There was a slightly shitty taste in his mouth and a bit of a stingy pain in the head. That obviously was his first hangover.

After he and Hermione realized both of their relationships had ended while not actually started they somehow managed to get drunk and laugh it off. Turned out Hermione had some strange tasting liquor with her hidden in the depths of her bag so they finished that one and later on snaked downstairs and cleaned one of the cupboards containing a decent amount of Butterbeer.

Ginny and Ron had gone somewhere none of them two knew and maybe that was for the better. Nobody troubled them with pointless conversations or useless tempest. Harry revealed the story about his and Ginny's goodbye sex as well as Hermione shared her opinion that both of them had made a huge mistake by engaging into sexual relations because that might be one of the main reasons the other two were so unreasonable when it came to separation.

Turned out Hermione and Ron weren't exactly match made in heaven. Not that Harry ever believed otherwise. He honestly told his friend that in his mind the romantic relationship between the two of them felt kind of wrong but not because of jealousy or anything but because it was plain awkward. Hermione on her side admitted that the foundation of it might have been the fact that all three of them were hanging out all the time and that they were so closely connected to each other. It was kind of logical that she would end up with one of them and as she simply couldn't look at Harry that way all what was left was Ron and well the ginger obviously welcomed it, but already at the beginning she knew perfectly well that this will not end "and they lived happily ever after" way. Black haired teenager found it unforgivably funny that as Hermione said in bed Ron was as good as in Arythmancy. That somehow made it easier to admit his own musings regarding the inability to be a decent boyfriend or a lover himself. Hermione calmed him down saying that at the beginning nobody seemed to be very professional.

- Yea, I guess I'm not going to even have a chance to become – raven haired boy shared his doubts.

- Don't say that!

The girl obviously didn't want to think about the reality, so, he tried to avoid seriousness as well.

- Isn't it ridiculous?

- What?

- That I'm about to die but all I can think about is that I might not have another chance of doing the deed – he laughed.

Luckily this made Hermione laugh as well. So they laughed about themselves and what a strange thing life was.

Young wizard felt like he had had a decent leaving party. It had been nice but now was the time to go. Getting up he discovered Ron sleeping and drooling in his bed. When did he show up? Harry stood there in the middle of the room fighting a need to wake Ron up and hug him one last time but then he decided against it. What was the point? It would just turn into another teary sadness but he didn't want more of that. Harry had had enough of that so he let his best mate sleep and quickly throwing his stuff in the chest left.

Downstairs he was met by Weasley couple and Hermione. Oh, yes and quietly raging in the corner of the room stood Ginny. She looked pale and dark reddish circles around her eyes suggested she had spent the best part of her time crying. Boy though had troubles differentiating was he more sad or irritated by that. It wasn't like he was going on an amazing adventure himself.

- Are they here yet? – He asked regarding his convoy.

- Any minute now – Arthur replied. – You know you can…

- No, no, I've decided. There's no need for anymore casualties. I'm really grateful for everything. You've been like a family to me and I will never forget that.

Maybe he would have said something else, but Molly started to wail and hugged Hurry like he would be on his way to gallows and who knows most likely he was so the boy didn't fight it. Just as he was saying his last goodbyes to Hermione Aurors arrived. Mr. Weasley let them in quietly greeting them.

All together there were seven of them including Tonks, Moody and Shacklebolt whom Harry was incredibly happy to see.

- I'm so glad to see you – he smilingly addressed them.

- We are too – cheerful as always replied Tonks going for a hug.

Harry hugged her back and then exchanged some handshakes with the rest.

- We have a bit of a cunning plan here – Moody revealed – we would need a strand of your hair, Harry.

Boy raised one eyebrow but compelled nonetheless.

- And now we would need to use your kitchen, Molly – he addressed Mrs. Weasley.

- Yes, yes, of course – the lady still a bit teary eyed led them to kitchen with her husband in tow.

Harry was left alone with Hermione and Ginny who hadn't said a word still. Boy threw a glance at his friend but she simply pulled an unhappy face suggesting that he will be forced to have this conversation anyhow. Finally patting Harry on the shoulder she left for the kitchen. And now there were just two of them. Boy who lived felt like a true moron because he had no idea what to say. What do you say in a situation like this?

- Yea, well, I guess this is it – he mumbled.

Girl didn't say anything simply nodding in agreement. Then she approached him and lightly hugged.

- I will wait no matter what – she whispered kissing him on the cheek.

He smiled and stepped back. This made him feel way better. And then came some gurgling and popping sounds from the kitchen. Wide-eyed Harry watched the entrance and in a minute or so he was more surprised than ever before.

The company entering the room consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley Hermione and seven more Harry Potters dressed inadequately.

- Was that really necessary? – He asked though couldn't keep back the laughter.

- Wasn't it? – replied one of his doppelgangers. – By the way wouldn't you be so kind and lend us some of your clothing?

- Ah, yea, of course.

And original Harry went for his chest to look for something appropriate. While handing out the clothes something came to his mind.

- But aren't you gonna be in more danger this way?

- Harry, it's our job. You are our only hope and we have to make sure you're safe and sound.

- This again – mumbled the original.

Aurors quickly changed into jeans t-shirts and hoodies

- Yea, I'm sorry but I have only one pair of sneakers – he admitted feeling a bit embarrassed.

- Dear god, boy – one of them mumbled taking out a wand.

With a few flicks all seven stood there looking like him as much as that was possible.

- So, I assume it's time.

- Yea, I guess – replied the original and looked at the ones staying. – OK than… Goodbye and… See you… hopefully still on this side.

Then he averted his eyes and left for whatever awaited him on the outside.

For a while nothing major happened. They peacefully flew their brooms engaging in casual conversations but then most likely Moody who hadn't lost his one strange eye due to transformation quietly whistled and everybody tensed. Shortly after the group split in two and Harry lost the other group from vision as they continued on.

- Are they all right? – Harry couldn't keep the worries down.

- Will find out at the destination but don't worry they're good at what they do.

There was nothing else to say and Harry kept quiet though the ominous feeling wouldn't leave him alone.

Reasonably fast and with no more troubles they arrived at the Private drive and got off their brooms. Getting inside the house they were met with Shacklebolt and the rest. They seemed fine.

- False alarm – he stated. – Actually it's rather strange. I'm sure they were keeping surveillance on us, so why didn't they attack?

- Isn't that good that they didn't? – Harry was at a loss.

- On a one hand of course, but on the other, this means they've changed their approach, their tactic and now we don't know what to expect and that worries me.

- Oh.

Now the Boy who lived wished Death Eaters would've openly attacked as well. If their priorities had switched what did it mean? What was going on? He was even more certain than the Auror that under the command of Voldemort they were planning something entirely different than before, but what could it be?

Unpleasantly familiar voices brought him back to reality. It sounded like aurors were doing something not according to Petunias wishes because she shrieked and then came uncle's displeased grumbling. Harry turned towards an arc connecting living room with the hall. And there they were. His last living relatives apart from Bellatrix Lestrange and comparing her to Vernon and Petunia the last seemed like an extremely nice couple. Vernon Dursley rolled past Harry paying him a nasty stare and mumbling something about "disgusting creatures" and "if the Queen would hear about this". Boy rolled his eyes and turned towards the Aurors standing in his living room. Tonks eyed Harry's uncle with the most peculiar face expression.

- I don't get it – she finally said – is he afraid of us or he can't bear our presence?

- Both – Harry replied straight away. – They are scared of everything they don't understand and at the end it makes them angry.

- I guess they weren't the best guardians – conceded Shacklebolt.

- No, not even close. Many times I wished to rather be dead.

- To Merlin's beard! – Shacklebolt seemed infuriated. – Are you sure you're fine with them just leaving? Maybe we should…

- No, no – Harry interrupted him – it's ok. As long as I don't have to look at their mugs I'm gonna be all right. By the way, where are they going?

- Have no clue – Shacklebolt shrugged. – Moody told them that it would be in their best interest to leave, so, that's what they're doing.

Harry looked at the car outside the house where uncle was busy stuffing their bags in the trunk but his scrawny aunt stood by wiping tears from her face with a very elaborately made handkerchief. Another couple of people whose life he had ruined. And even if they were not the best people… Did they deserve that? Not that he would be capable of feeling guilt in their case, but still.

Boy slowly approached the threshold. Doors were left ajar and for a moment he paused standing on the doorstep, but then he made up his mind and went outside.

- So where are you going? – As casually as he could Harry asked.

- To Marjorie's – still wiping her eyes replied Petunia.

- Where's Dudley?

- With friends. Later on he's coming over as well.

Awkward silence fallowed interrupted only by Vernons huffing and puffing.

- I just wanted to say that this wasn't my intention – boy spat looking at his sneakers.

- I know Harry.

For some inexplicable reason it seemed like there was a certain softness even tenderness in her voice. He lifted the gaze up at the woman and she was looking at him in a way he had never noticed before.

- Come, let's have a walk – Petunia offered pointing in the direction of the dead end of this street.

Surprised beyond words Harry fallowed.

- When I found out Lily your mother was dead I hadn't seen her for a long time. I knew she had you and that she was married to James. I met him once even.

Harry looked at Petunia as wide-eyed as an owl.

- I didn't know that. What was he like?

- Seemed like a nice man. Well, definitely nicer than that Severus boy.

- Who?

He knew only one person with that name but could it really be?

- There was this boy your mother got acquainted with back then when she just found out she's a…

- Witch.

- Yes, that's right. Well, and he was the same. What was his family name, I can't remember.

- Snape? – Harry offered.

- Yes! That's right – Petunia reassured Harry's worst doubts. – Snape. He was gloomy and creepy and I said to Lily to stay away from him and when she started to attend that school... What was it called?

- Hogwarts.

- Yes, yes, Hogwarts, silly name in my opinion. Who names an educational institution like that!

- I know one man who would disagree – Harry smiled remembering Dumbledore and his sense of humor.

- Well, maybe. Anyhow, when she started to attend that school hers and that boy's relationship obviously fell apart. And I don't think he was OK with that.

- What do you mean?

- He wasn't a type to let it go. He adored your mother because I think she was the only person in the whole white world to treat him decently. In her letters she wrote that his father was a violent drunk so he really needed a friend I guess.

- So you're saying my mom and Severus Snape were friends – Harry concluded.

- Well, I think only she regarded they relationship as friendship. I bet that creep was counting on something more.

- You're probably right – lost in thoughts Harry replied.

This explained so much! That was why Snape loathed his father and partially him as well. Disgusting creep was in love with his mother.

- Wait, but what did you mean by "not a type to let it go"? – He looked at Petunia again.

- Well, now you know that your parents didn't die in a car crush. Even though I don't know what exactly happened but I wouldn't be surprised if that terrible man had something to do with it.

Harry thought about it for a while. On the outside of course everybody knew that it was Voldemort who killed his parents to get to him, but Snape was a Death Eater after all. And who was the one tossing him the idea about prophecy? And who might be the one helping him to decide who this boy destined to kill him was? What if Snape was the one orchestrating this misery Harry's life was out of sheer jealousy and vengeance?

- You know, you might be right – Harry murmured. – But wait, you said she wrote you letters.

- Yes, yes, she did. Almost till the very end. At least once a month she would write.

- May I read them? – Harry carefully voiced his plea.

- I guess so – without much negotiation Petunia agreed. – Even though that is the last thing I have left of her, but I presume I owe you that much.

Harry watched his aunt chewing on his bottom lip. For the first time in his life he agreed with the woman. She did owe him and a lot. Like a normal childhood and stuff but he tried not to dwell on that.

They turned around and started pacing back.

- I know that probably you hate me and Vernon – unexpectedly said Petunia. – And most likely you have the rights to do that. I understand that sometimes Vernon went overboard.

- Sometimes? – Harry snickered.

- Well, maybe more than that, but you have to understand that he was just being protective of me and Dudley. You see, I told him about Lily not long before we got married and when she and your father died Vernon convinced me that if we're not going to keep you under control the same faith awaits us as well. And he was a head of the house so even if I sometimes didn't agree on his chosen approach to you it wasn't my place to interfere.

Harry mumbled something incoherent under his breath probably meant for the uncle and then they had already reached the house.

- Petunia! Where the hell have you been! – Vernon shouted. – We have to go.

- Yes, yes, honey, I'll be with you in a sec.

Vernon went and got behind the wheel while Petunia reached for her purse on the seat next to him. She opened the purse and took out a rather big bundle of papers tied around with a black seemingly satin ribbon. She handed Harry the bundle and after a moment said:

- Farewell, Harry. Take care. I wish you all the best.

Harry stared at the lady he most likely saw for the last time and all of a sudden she didn't seem so bad.

- Yea, you too. Thanks for the letters and… yea, have a safe journey.

With this the conversation was over. Petunia got into the car and they drove off. Harry smiled lightly and turning around on his heels went back to the house left to his disposal obviously.