Chapter Three: Promises

The next week passed fairly quickly, despite the depressed mood of the house. Ron was now working almost all day everyday at the shop with George, and Harry and Ginny frequently found themselves alone in the house. Mr. Weasley was working extra hours at The Ministry, but Harry had a feeling it wasn't because of the demands of his job. Mrs. Weasley, too, seemed to be avoiding the rest of the house, although Harry sometimes walked by a closed door and heard distinct sobbing.

On Sunday evening, however, the mood of the house cheered up slightly with the arrival of Hagrid, Kingsley, and various other members of the Order. Mrs. Weasley sat them all down with a broad smile on her face, and everyone was even more pleased when Hermione arrived through the kitchen door with her parents. Hermione looked expectantly at Ron, but when he only said a quiet 'Hey, Hermione' she gave him an odd look and sat down beside him and her parents.

The table was so squished Harry could hardly move, let alone cut his meat. And Mrs. Weasley was so happy that everyone was there, and so happy that Hermione had returned that she didn't even throw Mundungus one dirty look. Hermione's parents were very polite, and spent most of the evening answer questions from Mr. Weasley, despite his wife's telling offs.

('Arthur, leave the poor people alone. Honestly, how would you like if someone badgered you about Floo Powder all evening!')

Dinner passed in a blur of happiness for Harry, and he, Ginny, Ron and Hermione washed their plates and snuck outside for a walk around the Burrow.

Harry grabbed Ginny's hand and Hermione grabbed Ron's, who looked surprised that she had done so. Together the four of them walked around the Burrow, clutching each other and laughing, and they sat down near the chicken coop.

'So what's next for you, Harry?' Ginny was saying with that laugh he loved. 'Off to kill some other Dark Wizard?'

'Might be,' Harry said, enjoying playing along.

'Unless of course he's got them all already,' Ron said.

Hermione did not participate in the playful banter, but was conjuring birds. The very same birds, it looked, that had attacked Ron in their sixth year. Ron noticed it too.

'Those things aren't going to attack me again are they?' Ron said, eyeing them warily.

Hermione waved her wand and they flew into the air. She watched them fly away.

'Good,' Ron breathed. Hermione smiled at him and Harry thought they might finally hit it off.

'How's George, Ron?' Hermione asked tentatively.

'Awful,' Ron replied shortly. 'Git won't talk to anyone.'

'Don't call him a git, Ron!' Hermione said reproachfully. 'He's really sad, I mean-he was-'

She broke off in suppressed sobs and sniffles.

'Mum's a wreck too,' Ginny said hollowly, after letting Hermione clam down. She wasn't looking at any of the group, but staring off into thin air. 'And Dad's been working late every night. And when he is home him and mum are just kind of locked up in their room.'

Harry didn't know what to say, so he stayed quiet. Hermione was telling the two of them how her parents were feeling about the loss of their son, but Harry was thinking about something else. Hermione, after explaining Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's emotions to the group, cried silently into Ron's shoulder, and Ginny was leaning sadly on Harry.

'When's the funeral?' Hermione said in a hollow voice. 'Does anyone know?'

'I heard mum talking about it with Dad and heard her say something about this weekend. I mean, it's been a whole week they have to realize that he's died sooner or later,' Ron said in a low voice. It sounded as though he was trying to speak past a lump in his throat.

'They know he's dead, Ron! It's just hard to accept!' Hermione said, reproachfully, tears brimming on her eyelids.

'Oh, blimey, Hermione, I didn't mean it like that, c'mere,' Ron said, holding her close as she cried into his shoulder. 'Its okay, Hermione…'

'I-I know, it's just- I mean it's Fred, and George is so down-'

'I'll talk to him,' Ron assured her.

Harry looked sideways at Ginny concernedly, but she was maintaining an impassive expression and staring into the starry sky.

'Ginny?' Harry said tentatively. 'Ginny?'

'Mmm?' she said, turning towards him, snapped out of her stupor.

'Are you okay?'

'Fine,' she said.

'Are-are you sure?'

'Yes, but I'm going to bed. Night,' she said, pecking him on the lips. 'Night Hermione, Ron,' she said as she got up and strode towards The Burrow without another word. She had sounded as though she was perfectly fine, but Harry knew Ginny well enough to know otherwise.

'I'll catch you up,' Harry said, getting up and wiping the grass off of his jeans.

'Harry what-?'

'I'll catch you up.'

Harry jogged to the kitchen door and wrenched it open. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were not to be seen in the kitchen or the living room, and Harry crept up the stairs as quietly as he could.

He approached Ginny's door and put his ear on the surface, listening. For a moment, Harry couldn't hear anything, and then he heard a sob that could only belong to Ginny. Harry knocked on the door.

'Ginny? Ginny, are you in there?'

Harry still had his ear on the door and he heard a small gasp and some scrambling around before the door was wrenched open. Ginny was standing in the doorway, tears drying on her cheeks, and her eyes red and puffy. For a second they stared at each other before Ginny let out another sob and fell into Harry's arms. She was sobbing weakly into his chest and harry did his best to comfort her.

Harry, however, had no experience whatsoever in calming Ginny down while she wept, because he'd never seen her cry before. He thought he did reasonably well, though, patting her on the back and whispering words of comfort. The only experience he'd had with this was Cho, and he hadn't done very well there either, according to Hermione, anyways.

'Oh this is ridiculous,' Ginny muttered, turning away from Harry, obviously not wanting Harry to see her crying.

Harry wanted to tell her that it was okay, that she was allowed to cry, and that it was a perfectly normal reaction, but he thought it was too Hermione-ish and he secretly didn't want her to start crying again.

'Please, Harry leave, I want to- oh just get out,' she said, wiping her eyes, her back still turned to Harry.

'Ginny-'

'Just go, please.'

Harry turned around, opened the door, and turned to face her before heading upstairs to Ron's room. Ginny faced him when she heard him stop.

'You'll see,' Harry said whispered as he opened the door wider and walked out. 'Everything will be fine, I promise.'

Of course you should never make promises like that, it's just asking for trouble.