Two days past and Harry barely left the confines of Gryffindor Tower. Kreacher brought him new clothes and food and essentials for Ginny too. She insisted on never leaving Harry so she too never left the Tower. Although many saw it so, Harry wasn't keeping her there. He in no way had forced her to stay. Harry suspected that Ginny didn't want him sneaking back off into the Forbidden Forest to sacrifice himself again. However the idea was insane. But then again, so was war.
Today was the funeral of all those who fought valiantly four days ago and unfortunately, lost their lives. Harry was standing in front of the mirror in his dormitory. The tie Kreacher had brought over that morning was proving to be difficult to knot. Ginny's hands moved over his shoulders and Harry spun around in the spot so she could fix his tie. As she worked, Harry played mindlessly with a strand of her red hair.
"Today's going to be hard isn't it?"
"Everyday is hard Ginny," Harry said, rubbing her shoulders reassuringly. "Not a day goes by when I don't miss my Mum and Dad but you have lots of happy memories about Fred. Focus of those and it will help." Ginny pulled the knot up to the collar of his shirt and straightened it, running her fingers down his chest.
She had seen the bruises she had created yesterday morning and felt terrible about them but as always, Harry shook it off and told her he would be punching her if she had done the same. The statement had made Ginny smile which was a very rare thing.
"How are you so positive? You've lost your parents, your godfather, Remus and Tonks. Why are you not crying all night?" Ginny was sobbing, holding tightly onto Harry. The anger in her voice was present but Harry knew she wasn't angry with him. He knew Ginny only wished she could be as strong as Harry and that crying made her feel vulnerable.
"I'm too busy mopping up your tears to produce my own. I've had years of practice. Remember I didn't even know my parents. I don't remember them. All I have are pictures and letters. And my patronus."
Rubbing her wet cheeks with the back of her hand, Ginny pulled away to look up at Harry. "Your patronus is a stag. I don't understand."
"My Dad became an Animagus so he could be there for Remus when he turned into a werewolf. He turned into a stag. The memory I use for my patronus is my Mum and Dad dancing. It's only a picture. But it was the happiest memory I had." Harry stepped back and pulled his wand out of his pocket and held it up in the air. "Expecto Patronum!" A white stag erupted from the tip of his wand and danced around the room, twisting around the bedposts before leaping out of the window and disappearing completely.
"Wow," Ginny said, staring at the window where the ghost like stag once was. She had seen his patronus before but never did she know the history behind its shape. "My patronus is a horse."
Harry looked at the clock in the corner of the room and then back at Ginny. "Shouldn't you be getting dressed? It starts soon." Harry laughed weakly as Ginny hurried off into the bathroom just off the dormitory. Everything remotely happy was strained at the moment and sometimes, Harry wondered if it would ever get better or if the tension would always remain. Would he ever hear Ginny laugh again? Would she brush her long red hair and not start crying because the colour reminded her of Fred? Before now, Harry didn't realise how big a part Fred was in Ginny's life.
Looking into the mirror, Harry straightened his tie and smoothed down his dress robes. The last time he had wore his dress robes was at Bill and Fleur's wedding and that didn't end too fantastically. He had changed his shirt though to a black one to be more appropriate for the occasion.
Just then the door of the bathroom swung open and revealed Ginny wearing a long black dress that just reached the floor. It had a corseted bodice and a lace neck line and sleeves. Her long hair was pinned up at the back in a untidy bun and contrasted against the her dress. She stepped out of the bathroom and walked up to Harry who's mouth was open.
"You … You look beautiful," Harry stuttered, blinking hard uncontrollably. Ginny smiled softly and hugged Harry tight. Harry breathed in deeply and her scent travelled up her nose. She smelt of vanilla and chocolate. He sighed deeply and pulled away, letting his hands fall down her arms until he could lace his fingers were hers. Her face was centimetres from his and their breaths bounced off each others skin. Their bodies were pressed against one another and soon their lips were.
Harry let go of Ginny's hands and placed them on her waist, keeping her fixed in position while Ginny created a vice with her arms around Harry's neck. Their kisses became frantic and wild until Ginny was no longer kissing Harry's lips. Her lips touched his jaw bone, his neck, his collar bone, his shoulder. Harry was dazed at how wild Ginny was. He didn't think he was that irresistible today.
"Ginny are you okay?" He whispered huskily, his lips an inch away from her ear. Suddenly, the kisses were working their way back up to his mouth. Harry could feel his skin tingle where her lips had once touched. His buttons were undone on his shirt and the knot of his tie had slid down to his bellybutton. He could feel his neck wet and wondered why. Then it clicked. Ginny was crying.
Gently, he loosened his grip on her waist but her arms were tight around his neck, her lips forcing themselves upon his, moving them around with her tongue. Harry tried to force her off but she just held on tighter. He wasn't into the kiss so Ginny was forced to push her lips onto his, however how reluctant. Until Ginny no longer had the strength to hold on and just collapsed into Harry's arms.
She just cried in hysterics, her chest heaving deeply, in taking copious amounts of air. Her breathing kept hiccupping. The tears falling from her eyes stained Harry's dress robes. He was the only thing keeping her from falling onto the floor. And Harry didn't know what to do.
After all the death that he had felt, and even witnessed, he'd never had to go to a funeral and with all the recent deaths, he felt like he didn't know how to grieve because he'd never had time to. And there in his arms, was a sobbing girl and Harry didn't know what to do.
He felt like Ron had that first night; overwhelmed. He didn't know what else he could do so he gently fell to the floor and patted Ginny's back. Harry didn't like this. He felt useless. There was nothing he could do but wait for her tears to run their course.
Ginny managed to pull herself together 10 minutes later and she was back in the bathroom, drying her eyes out. When she came back in, Harry was leaning on a post of his bed, clearly exhausted emotionally.
"I'm sorry," she said, hugging him tightly and blinking hard to stop her tears from falling again. "I shouldn't have done that."
"It's fine Ginny. Come on, we don't want to be late." Harry and Ginny grabbed their cloaks that were hanging on the walls. They left the dormitory, holding hands and headed for the grounds.
It wasn't like Dumbledore's funeral. It wasn't as organized. There were chairs in wonky rows and the majority of space was sadly taken up with gravestones, standing a meter high in the ground. Families were scattered around, surrounding those they'd lost. Everyone was dressed in black, some with lace veils, others with black, bellowing capes. Harry smiled feebly. Many looked like they shopped with Severus Snape.
As Harry and Ginny walked towards the chairs, they spotted the family of red heads, the wind gently fluttering through their hair. He noticed George on the floor again and Mrs Weasley doubled over, clenching her stomach; Harry remembered when Mrs Weasley faced a Boggart and it turned into the images of her dead children. She was in the exact same position, most likely crying. Mr Weasley barely move. His expression looked numb with pain. Harry noticed a petite blonde woman, buried into a black shirt and felt extremely sad that even Fleur wasn't coping.
He looked over at Ginny who's eyes were glazed with tears. She longed to be with her family and Harry wasn't sure whether he was the one keeping her back. As a single tear rolled down her cheek, Harry felt his heart drop. He pulled her in for a hug and felt her gulp hard, pushing the sobs down. "Go. Be with your family," he whispered in her ear. She pulled away and kissed his cheek.
"I love you," she said, barely audible. Harry guessed she was scared to crying if she spoke. He watched her walk ahead of him and join her family, bending to the floor next to George. George looked up from the gravestone at Ginny and the pair of them burst into hysterical tears, embracing tightly. Although seeing her cry made Harry sad, he was glad she was with her family.
Feeling uncomfortable on imposing on the Weasleys, he walked down and strolled, lingering only a moment to commemorate those buried below. As he walked past more and more graves, Harry couldn't help but feel guilty. If he had figured out where the horcruxes were, he could have prevented this. If he had sacrificed himself, maybe no one would be here but him.
"You're blaming yourself aren't you?" Harry turned around and saw Hermione, dressed in black, her hair falling loosely and wavy past her shoulders. She had a tissue in her hand and her eyes were red but she had obviously told herself to put on a brave face. "I know you Harry Potter and don't, for one second, believe that this is all down to you. Everyone fought because it was what they believed in. And because of them and because of you, I'm here, Ron's here, Ginny's here. We're all here for you because of you."
Without saying a word, Harry stepped forward and hugged Hermione, squeezing tight so he wouldn't cry. He knew Hermione was right and that more people get to live because these people died but he couldn't stop the feeling guilty hidden in his heart. When he pulled away, Hermione had the same glazed eyes that Ginny had.
She blinked hard and folded her hand into Harry's and together they continued to walk down the aisles of gravestones. They stopped at one that was twice as big, width wise, and the ache in Harry's heart felt like a tonne
"In loving memory of Remus John Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks, who fought valiantly so their son could grow up safe."
Harry's stomach clenched as the thought of baby Teddy growing up without parents just like him. But at least he is in the company of people who want him. The image of a screeching baby echoed throughout his brain. He saw the baby's hair morphing into a fiery red to match his face that looked fit to burst. And then the baby morphed into a black haired boy with the same red face but with a lightning scar blemished on his forehead. The thoughts of Teddy radiated through his mind.
"It's such a terrible thing," an old and weary voice sounded from behind Harry and Hermione and a tired-looking woman Harry recognised with long brown hair and similarities to Bellatrix, apart from the fact that her kind eyes were filled light brown instead of Bellatrix's piercing black. Andromeda Tonks. Nymphadora's mother. In her arms was a heap of cloth hiding a blonde haired baby that was currently sleeping.
"It's such a terrible thing indeed," she said, walking towards the stone and laying a bunch of red carnations at the foot of the headstone. She seemed to let the flowers fall from her hands and the next second began with her sobbing into the blankets of the baby.
Harry crouched down next to Andromeda Tonks, his hand slipping out of Hermione's and peered into the blankets. The baby was still sleeping. "Excuse me? Mrs Tonks. I'm Harry Potter, do you remember me?"
Her red eyes looked up at him and darted to the visible scar on his forehead. "Harry," she whispered feebly and the baby stirred in her arms. She looked down at him and moved a bit of blanket away from him.
"Is this my godson?" Harry asked, trying to help Mrs Tonks see the happiness of the young boy. She nodded weakly and stretched her arms out towards him.
"Would you..?"
"Oh yes please," Harry said, holding out his arms awkwardly and cradling the baby towards his body. "He's beautiful."
Ted Remus Lupin looked exactly like his father. Just like Harry looked like his father. But, like Harry, his mother shone through Teddy. In this case, his hair. As he slept soundly, oblivious to everything surrounding him, his hair changed to match his dreams. First it was blonde, then purple before morphing into green and resting again on blonde.
Gently, Harry balanced Teddy on one arm and the other came up to stroke his soft flushed cheeks. They felt softer then silk. Harry stared at Teddy, just caressing the contours of his face until he felt he knew them by heart.
"Hi Teddy. I'm Harry," he cooed, carefully trying not to wake him up. "I'm your godfather. If you need anything, just ask. If you need lady advice, come to me."
A hand came down on his shoulder and he looked up to see a smiling Ginny. Her eyes were red and she still clutched at a tissue but the smile on her face was genuine. "I wouldn't ask Harry for lady advice Teddy. Come to me instead. Harry isn't good with getting the girl." Ginny had crouched next to Harry and her hand covered his hand that was resting on Teddy's cheek.
"I got you didn't I?" He smiled, practically beamed that Ginny was returning to the self he loved so dearly. "Don't listen to her Teddy. I'm irresistible to the ladies." Harry heard a small giggle from Ginny and the smile on his face grew wider.
Andromeda Tonks was silently crying but Harry was sure they were happy tears. Harry imagined what she saw in him. A surviving family member who would help her whenever. Harry had never had that level of responsibility before but he smiled at the challenge. Anyway, what with Voldemort gone, Harry was going to have to find a new hobby.
"Here you go," Harry said, kissing Teddy's cheek and passing him gently back into the loving hands of his grandmother.
"Visit when you want Harry. You are always welcome," Mrs Tonks said, bouncing the baby up and down slowly and standing up.
Harry leaned his body into Ginny's and pulled out his wand. "Orchideous," he whispered and slowly, a bunch of iris' bloomed from the end and fell next to the carnations. "I'll look after him. I promise," he said, putting his wand away and getting to his feet with Ginny.
A shameful Ron, shadowed and nudged by Hermione, walked up to Harry, his hands buried deep in his pockets. "Harry, I just w..want to say that Iamsorry," Ron mumbled, his voice trailing off at the end so Harry could barely make out the words.
Ginny coughed beside Harry and as Harry saw, she was still smiling. "I don't think he heard you Ronald."
"I'm sorry alright Harry. I'd rather you go out with Ginny then Dean Thomas or Michael Corner. I give you my blessing," Ron said, slightly louder and defiantly. It had obviously taken a lot of rehearsals and courage to stand in front of Harry and say those words. "Best friends again?" Ron asked, stretching out his hand for a friendly handshake.
Smiling, Harry stepped forward and instead of taking hold of Ron's hand, he wrapped his arms around Ron and hugged him. Being men made this awkward but over the past few days, Harry had missed his best friend and it reminded him too much of when Ron lashed out and stormed off when they were all camping with the locket.
"Of course," Harry said, stepping back to stand next to Ginny. "No matter how stupid you are, I'll always be your best friend."
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally boys. You two are so annoying when you don't speak." She folded her hand into Ron's and kissed his cheek the same way Ginny would kiss Harry's cheek. His ears burned brightly and Ginny laughed under her breath.
"Harry, could I talk to you?" Mrs Weasley, who's face had similar traits to Ron's guilty face, tapped Harry on the shoulder. He spun around and faced Mr and Mrs Weasley. They looked solemn and obviously in mourning. "I would just like to thank you for helping Ginny get through these tough times. You are like my son and I haven't treated you as such. I can see how happy you make my Ginevra; your relationship reminds me so much of my own with Arthur. And thank you for keeping the rest of my family alive. Fred died for what he believed in. It's terrible that he died but his intentions will never be forgotten."
"Mrs Weasley, I'm devastated by Fred's passing and I feel terribly guilty that my protection was what he died for. I wouldn't have allowed any of this if I'd known you would lose a son."
All of a sudden, Mrs Weasley embraced Harry tight and at first Harry thought she was trying to kill him. But then Mr Weasley joined the hug and then Ginny and slowly the entire Weasley family was hugging him. Harry couldn't breathe but he was happy not to. He felt as though he was finally accepted into the family.
When they all let go, Harry clutched at his chest, breathing deeply but smiling. "Fred died for what he believed in Harry. You mustn't feel guilty for his death. Fred would want you to smile and make a bad joke. We all risked our lives for you happily. I don't think Ginny would ever talk to us if we'd done nothing." Mr Weasley grabbed his daughter around her shoulder and pulled her close.
"We want you to move in with us," Mrs Weasley said, moving forward to stand next to her husband. "Ginny persuaded us and you two can share her room but you are to keep the door open at all times. No funny business. Hermione is coming home with us to but they will be gone in the middle of summer."
"Thankyou Mrs Weasley," Harry said, hugging his second mother tightly. He felt like he could of started crying at the amount of love she was giving to him unconditionally. He didn't feel like he deserved it but he couldn't help but feel elated by it..
"The service is about to start. We should take our seats," Bill said quietly, signalling everyone towards the chairs.