The next few days passed slowly. They all started packing their things for school and they visited their dad every two days or so. Eventually, it was the last day of the holiday and Ron and Harry were playing an intense chess game. Ginny was watching with Hermione intensely and that's when her mum poked her head around the door and said softly, "Harry dear, Professor Snape is here to see you." Harry was too busy watching the chess game to respond immediately, but Ginny knew this wouldn't go down well.
When he looked up he smiled and said, "Sorry Mrs Weasley, what was that?" Her mother smiled kindly at him and replied, "Professor Snape is downstairs and would like to see you Harry." His mouth dropped and Ginny could feel the atmosphere in the room tense. Harry gasped, "Snape's here to see me?" Her mother shook her head, "Professor Snape, Harry. He's downstairs in the kitchen." She closed the door and Ron gaped, "You haven't done anything have you?" Harry shook his head in confusion, "Nope…not at all." He got up stiffly and closed the door behind him.
Ginny frowned and whispered, "That's really unusual…I've never known Snape to make a home visit. It must be important." Hermione nodded and groaned, "It's times like these that I wish the twins would appear with extendable ears!" Ron nodded and whispered, "What do you think it's about?" Ginny whispered, "Maybe it's to do with Umbridge?" Hermione shook her head, "Nope. I think Snape hates that old bat as much as the rest of us! I saw his face when she was interrogating him." Ginny sighed and shrugged her shoulders, "As long as Harry doesn't lose it in front of Snape, I'm sure it will be fine." They all nodded in agreement when Ginny heard her mum yell, "ARTHUR! You're home!"
Their faces all lit up as they scurried down the stairs, two at a time. Ginny flung her arms around her dad and grinned, "I can't believe you're home so early!" He grinned at her and squeezed her back, "I'm completely healed! The healers said I should be okay, just need a bit of rest before I start work again and then I'm back up to scratch!" That's when Ginny jumped as she heard Sirius yell, "STAY OUT OF IT HARRY!"
They all looked at each other in shock and they hurtled to the kitchen door. Ginny's eyes widened in shock when she saw Snape on one side of the dining room table and Sirius on the other, Harry lurching across to try and grab Sirius' wand. Snape was on the other side, his wand aimed at Sirius. Her dad announced happily, "I'm all cured!" There was a moment of tense silence when her dad swallowed his throat and continued, "What's going on here?"
Snape put his wand away and told Harry, "Six o clock, on Monday evening." As Snape left, Moody and Mundungus arrived to say congrats and ended up staying for dinner. Ginny sat down next to Harry, with Ron and Hermione on either side of him and he told them quietly, "I'm going to be doing Occlumency with Snape-to prevent Voldemort from entering my mind." Ginny frowned as she ate her chicken pie and Hermione nodded, "I think it's a good idea. You can't afford to have him getting to you like that." Ginny said nothing and she was sure Harry was wary of what she might say in case he offended her again. She couldn't blame him, so instead she said nothing and she listened.
When the evening finished, Ginny was glad to retire to her room. She was exhausted for no apparent reason and she was ready to go to sleep. However just as she was drifting off, Ginny could heard Hermione's voice whispering anxiously, "Harry, you just need to go through with it. It's for your own good." Because Ginny's bed was further away from the door, she had to strain to hear Harry's response, "But… Hermione spending one on one time with her will be horrible. I wouldn't know what to say." Hermione sighed, "Harry…you need to tell her yes. You made that commitment long before all of this happened. She deserves another chance. You can't just throw it all away. How long have you liked her for?" Harry sighed and whispered, "About a year." Ginny could see Hermione nod her head through the crack in the door and the dim light in the passage, "And how long have you liked Ginny?" That's when Ginny realized the other person they must have been talking about was Cho.
Harry replied defensively, "Since I saved her in the chamber." Hermione sighed, "That's what you say, Harry. But why did you decide there and then that you liked her? You never noticed her in our first year." Harry grumbled, "'Cause she would never talk to me or look in my direction." Hermione grimaced and whispered, "I think you liked her because it was after the chamber when she told you she didn't feel that way about you anymore. You wanted something that you couldn't have, and the same applies now." There was silence and Harry whispered, "No, I like her for who she is. She's kind, and funny and caring." Hermione sounded skeptical, "And are you any of those things towards her Harry?" He was silent for a second before he whispered, "I know she's too good for me Hermione. You don't need to rub it in." Hermione sighed and nodded, "I just think you can be a bit nicer to her, that's all. Let her in a little bit more. I know you're trying to protect her by cutting her off, but it's only making things worse-same with the rest of us. You're hurting her, Harry, and confusing her. You make her want to break up with you and then the next thing you're sending her expensive gifts…"
Harry cut Hermione off, "That's just because of all people Ginny deserves it. She has too much patience with me and don't think I don't know it. I also know I don't deserve it. I don't know how else to repay her." Hermione nodded, "Well I think you should date Cho, even if it's just a distraction. Ginny needs to be allowed time to move on, properly. I think you guys could work out one day, but the time isn't now." There was silence from Harry and Ginny could feel her heart hammering in her chest. She wasn't sure what to make of this conversation.
Hermione sighed, "Night, Harry. I'm sorry to lecture you, but you asked for my opinion and that's it. I hope you can figure out what to do." Harry nodded and thanked her as Ginny heard Ron's voice downstairs calling, "Mate! Where are you? We need to be up early tomorrow!" Ginny heard footsteps echo down the stairs and Ginny slammed her eyes shut and faked heavy breathing as Hermione entered. Her friend whispered, "Ginny?" softly. Ginny knew she was checking to see if she was asleep and so she pretended she was.
She hardly slept that night, thinking and over-thinking the conversation between two of her best friends. She didn't know what to think. Had Harry ever really liked her? Had he liked her because he couldn't have her? How much did Ginny really know Harry? Half the time she felt like she was being led to believe that she really knew him, when in reality she had no clue who he was.
These questions plagued her and eventually she heard the sounds of Hermione's shallow breathing, meaning that she was asleep. Ginny closed her eyes and fell into a fitful sleep. Ginny woke with a start. She had just had the strangest dream. Ginny woke up after having the strangest dream. She had dreamt that she had met Lily and James Potter, although Harry hadn't been around. In the dream, she had gone downstairs to the kitchen and stumbled across them. She'd been startled and scared because she had initially thought they were ghosts:
They were sitting across the table from each other, drinking tea and talking in hushed voices. Ginny heard James whispering, "I know…I just wonder what he will think of us." Ginny frowned. Who was he? Lily nodded and sighed, "I hope he will forgive us, for being dead." Ginny felt chills down her spine and she shivered in the cold house. Then her foot creaked on the floorboards, causing James and Lily to look at her. Lily had a kind, soft face and sparkling green eyes as well as hair that was similar in color to Ginny's own. James was the spitting image of Harry-he had the glasses, the jet black messy hair, and even Harry's smile. The only difference was indeed James' eyes. They were brown and Ginny could see why everyone said that Harry had Lily's eyes. They were electrifying green-identical to Harry's.
Lily smiled widely at Ginny and asked, "You must be Ginny Weasley?" Ginny nodded and stammered, "H…how do you know my name?" She shrugged and replied, "You find things out even once you have died. It's like…like we can watch what's going on but not be a part of it," she said sadly. Ginny nodded and James smiled at her, "Come and have a seat, Ginny." She did as she was told and she walked stiffly and sat down next to Lily.
James asked kindly, "So, we've noticed you've taken an interest in Harry?" Ginny shrugged her shoulders and whispered, "Uh…yeah. Well I had a silly crush on him in first year, but that was more for his celebrity than anything else. It's developed into something more now." Lily grinned and she nodded, "I'm so happy about that! He couldn't have chosen better than a Weasley!" Ginny blushed furiously, "Well…thank you. Not everyone would agree with that though." This caused James to frown as he questioned, "And why would that be?" Ginny shrugged again and sighed, "Well…I'm just referring to the Malfoy's and the like, but that's irrelevant. It means a lot coming from you, Mrs Potter."
Ginny smiled shyly at Harry's mum and Mrs Potter grinned at her, "Oh Ginny dear, please call me Lily! Now the main reason we're here is because we're worried that Harry is…unhappy?" It sounded like a question so Ginny nodded morbidly, "He is. I can't do anything though. I've tried so hard." Lily nodded and sighed, "I know, Ginny dear, but you've got to have patience. Potter men tend to be stubborn." Here, she winked at James who laughed and this caused Ginny to laugh too. She nodded and murmured, "He's as stubborn as a bull. He'll do anything to try and cut me off and 'protect me' even when I don't need protection!" Lily glanced at James, who was staring down into his mug of tea and Ginny realized why! James had sacrificed himself to try and protect Harry and Lily all those years ago. Ginny gasped, "I…I hope he won't ever do the same, no matter how noble it was of you, Mr Potter!" She felt her mouth drop to the floor, unable to imagine a life without Harry in it, no matter how annoying he was at the moment.
James sighed and murmured, looking up, "That's what we're afraid of, Ginny. We don't want to end his life earlier than necessary. We want you to help him fight, even if he refuses to let you help. Please promise us that you will help-help him live." Ginny nodded furiously and gulped, "I promise. I will try my best." Lily smiled and relaxed, "Thank you, Ginny. We're so glad he has you. I just wish he would wake up and realize it."
Ginny felt a question boiling in her stomach which she couldn't help but spill, "Do you think he likes me, in that way?" She felt herself blushing Weasley red. What an embarrassing question to ask Harry's parents! But she somehow felt like she could talk to them about anything. Lily laughed and she nodded, "I think he does. I think Hermione's wrong-about wanting you because he can't have you. Although that might have been applicable to James' situation, so maybe it's inherent in Harry's too."
This caused James to blush and Ginny grinned, "What situation?" Lily explained how she refused to go out with James until his seventh year. But she genuinely hadn't been interested in him until then. This caused Ginny to laugh and she smiled, "Playing hard to get? Well that's not exactly our situation either." Lily nodded and said kindly, "I know. But he will come to you when he's ready. Now's just not the time."
Ginny nodded and yawned, "I know. Thank you Lily, and Mr Potter. It's been nice talking to you." James smiled sadly now, "It's been nice talking to you too, Ginny. Send Harry our love, will you?" Ginny nodded and said she will as Lily embraced her in a surprising hug. Lily whispered in her ear, "Look after him for us," before the two adults disappeared.
That's when Ginny woke up with a start. She rubbed her eyes furiously to make sure the images of Lily and James had indeed been only a dream. They'd felt so real. She blinked furiously and sat up in her bed. She looked around her bedroom and almost hoped to see them there. She sighed and fell back onto her pillow as she thought about her dream.
Ginny had always wanted to know what Lily and James had been like, which is why she had asked Sirius not to long ago. She had often bugged her mother with questions about them, particularly when she was younger and infatuated with Harry. Now it felt like she had really and truly met Harry's parents. She had just wanted it be real and true. She felt like they would explain everything about him, and in some ways, the dream had.
That's when her mum poked her head in and called them, "Come on girls! Time to get up! We need to catch the Night Bus!"Ginny groaned. She had gotten very little sleep last night as she had decided how she was going to act oblivious to the conversation she had overhead last night between Harry and Hermione. She couldn't let the two of them know she had heard. So what was she going to do?
Author's Note: Okay, so I found a way for Ginny to "meet" Harry's parents! Yay! Just in case some of you get confused, the italicized print is what's happening in the dream- I think I made that pretty clear though so I don't think anyone will! I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you enjoy it too! Thank you so much to my regular reviewers: Ananya, CastielLunaWinchester and GinnyPotter6891. I thought you guys deserved a shout out because you review so often I always look forward to your reviews! I appreciate everyone else's reviews too, so please keep reading and reviewing! It really makes this worth writing!
P.S: I'm going to say this one last time: To the guest reviewer who told me dementors happen only in third year- you're right! It's third year for Harry, Ron and Hermione, but SECOND year for Ginny. She is a year YOUNGER! I'm seriously not going to repeat this again so please don't give me attitude on something I know I'm right about. –End of rant!-