13

'Harry?' Ginny breathed after a minute or so of silence.

There is absolutely no one on this slightly yellowing earth that could possibly decrypt the ways in which Ginny Weasley felt right now. For as she stared deeply into those familiar emerald green eyes with a mixture of emotions, she let her wand drop to the floor in complete horror shock that plunged the two of them into absolute darkness. But Harry's cold, white and heartless face stood out through the blackness, and all Ginny could do was stare at him in disbelief as no words came to her that could possibly begin to describe how she felt.

Harry was speechless also, his legs felt numb and his mind was blank – more so than usual and he had to wonder how he was going to get himself out of this predicament. Perhaps if he slipped out the door and disapparated quickly, she might have thought of him being only a ghost or an imagination brought on by the remembrance this house had for him: but he doubted she would be that foolish. However, seems as he could not think of any other easy way out of this without getting what he deserved, he took dramatic caution and moved his foot one pace to his left: it was enough to bring Ginny from her trance, and within an instant her instincts had bent her over, scooped up her wand and pointed it directly at his heart, light again surrounded the two of them and her pupils were so narrowed that if looks could kill, Harry would have dropped- oh but wait of course, he was already dead.

To her anyway.

'Harry…' Ginny breathed again, this time it was more a statement of recognition, rather than a question. 'This isn't a dream? I mean, I'm not hallucinating am I?'

Harry didn't answer at first.

He watched as she looked around momentarily: perhaps she was searching for something that would give her a reason to believe she was seeing things. Instead she blinked, and upon finding him still standing there took a step closer, her wand out in front of her as if she wanted to reach out and poke him with it to make sure he was in fact, real. And with this movement it suddenly became clear to Harry that it was the closest the two of them had been to each other since they had kissed back in March, before Harry had gone into battle.

He could smell a scent, flaring in his nostrils, or flowers and musk which always reminded him of the Burrow, or rather – of Ginny. It was her trademark scent, more than likely her natural smell, rather than a specific perfume she would purchase, and right now all Harry's brain was doing was breathing in the aroma that made him close his eyes and it was only her presence that stopped him from smiling.

Harry contemplated his answer for a moment, opening his eyes to see she had stopped in her tracks a mere metre and a half from him, yet he could smell her as if she stood in his embrace. After a momentary lapse in concentration which Harry imagined what she would feel like in his arms, he regathered himself in time to look into her eyes and finally, after such a prolonged and unnecessary absence: he would tell her the truth.

'No.' Harry said finally, he felt his Adams apple lodged in the middle of his throat somewhere.

There was a moment's silence where they had a stand off, the only noise was of the slight creaking of door that lead down into the kitchen and the distant rumbling of cars on the nearby freeway. Harry didn't like it at all, especially when dealing with Ginny. He knew she was an open person that preferred to tell people what she thought of them straight away, rather than to bottle it all away. So you can understand why Harry shifted nervously in the silence, while Ginny stared him down: possibly on the verge of tears.

'But… you're dead.' Ginny whispered faintly.

'Yeah well about that…' Harry started, but he did not manage to finish his sentence.

Before he had realised it, before he had anytime to react, Ginny was brandishing her wand and mouthing an incantation, her fiery red hair swung all around her as Harry was lifted off his feet and thrown backwards, hitting the door behind him and crumbling to the floor. He was immediately nursing a blood nose from the force behind the curse, but also the middle of his back was aching from the impact made by crashing into the door.

'Sorry.' Ginny said surprisingly, putting away her wand and hiding a wry smile. 'Let me help-'

'I'm fine.' Harry snapped, finally managing to get to his feet while holding his back.

'I had to make sure it was really you.' Ginny explained flatly. 'Are you sure you're OK?'

'Yes.' Harry assured her.

'Definitely?' Ginny persisted.

'YES.' Harry reassured her.

'Good!'

WHAM.

For the second time in a minute, Harry was toppling backwards into the door and falling into a heap on the floor. Ginny had struck him in the face with her fist, alarmingly the same sort of way Dudley Dursley would have – and Harry, despite the amount of pain he was in, was impressed she was able to produce about as much power with her fist as she did with a wand.

'Wha-?!' Harry babbled.

'The curse was to assure me you were real.' Ginny explained slowly, holding her right hand. 'THAT was for not telling me you were still alive.'

WHAM.

Harry took another blow to the head, this time as the door to the house was forced open and Remus Lupin stepped, cautiously pointing his wand towards Ginny, who had withdrawn hers simultaneously and they stared at each other before Remus observed the situation.

'Remus.' Ginny breathed, lowering her wand.

'Ginny.' Remus nodded, lowering his wand also. 'I thought you might be here, you know you've placed the entire Ministry into overdrive, as well as your family who are worried sick and- oh.'

Remus had not seen Harry until he had looked down, raising an eyebrow at the bloody nose.

'You talked to her then?' Remus said.

'I fear there's more to come.' Harry replied with a grimace.

Remus helped Harry to his feet in silence, all the while Ginny stood staring at them with her mouth open, looking from one straight face to the other. If she had not been so shocked, she may have had the decency of mind to raise her wand and point it at the two who now stood at the door: neither were shocked to see the other.

'You knew.' Ginny said faintly, realising this and pointing a shaking finger at Remus.

'Yes.'

'You knew, Remus.' Ginny repeated, moving forwards. 'You knew all this time and you never told me?'

'Harry didn't tell you.' Remus corrected.

'And you didn't tell me either,' Ginny went on, she seemed to be letting everything out, all the frustration, all the emotion from which she had uncharacteristically kept bottled up since hearing of Harry's missing body and the likeliness that he was dead, all of it was flowing out of her in one swift motion and she did not think she could stop.

'Ginny you must understand,' Remus said, backing backwards against the door, 'I told him too, so many times.'

'Every time I was at your lodge,' Ginny snapped, as if she had no respect for her former Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, 'all those times I was there, thinking you were lonely or going insane – you were hiding him away.'

'Ginny I wasn't hiding anyone.' Remus told her. 'You never asked about Harry, I never had to answer-'

'But I felt sorry for you, Remus,' Ginny persisted, 'I really thought you were depressed, especially with that note you wrote- "I am glad I don't have to believe it. I'm sorry that others do."'

Ginny was of course referring to the note he, Remus, had written about the article in the paper about Harry's death; they both knew this.

'I knew she was suspicious of that.' Harry spat sideways at Remus.

'Not now, Harry,' Remus muttered, returning his gaze to Ginny. 'Listen, Ginny, I can understand this looks bad. But you have to realise, I told Harry to go and talk to you so many times I was going insane anyway; I would not be able to cope seeing either of you if Christmas had come along, and you were still in the dark about him-'

'But that still doesn't correct the fact that you lied.'

Ginny seemed to be very persistent in reminding Remus of this, but in actual fact she was talking to both of them as one and as her hand moved very close to her wands holster, she made absolute sure they knew how she felt.

'Both of you did.'

Harry and Remus would not like to have felt Ginny Weasley's wrath that evening whilst she was in such a mood. For a minute though, as words failed both of them, it had looked as though they were indeed about to be on the receiving end of something horrible: or in Harry's care, more so. But just as it looked like happening, the door in which Harry and Remus had their backs against was suddenly being forced open.

'Dad?' Ginny said in surprise, as Arthur Weasley appeared beside Remus.

But soon, they had to make room as no less than five- no six- wait, seven Ministry aurors who slid in with their wands out and pointed.

'Ginny!' Arthur croaked once he surveyed the situation, 'Lower your- wait…'

Of course, once he had surveyed everything, his eyes landed on Harry and his knees felt week. He promptly re-raised his wand and pointed it in Harry's direction, blinking and holding himself up against the ugly umbrella stand that looked as though it had been made from severed troll's leg. For a moment words failed him.

'What is this?' Arthur asked eventually, looking from Harry, to Remus and then Ginny.

'A question,' Ginny said, folding her arms, 'in which I would very much like to know the answer of myself.'

'You'll be answering several questions of your own when your mother gets a hold of you,' Arthur said threateningly, but then he snapped and returned his focus on Harry. 'Who is this impostor, Remus?'

'Impostor?' Harry snorted.

'It's very clear to me that you are some sort of sick psychopath,' Arthur started, 'who has managed, somehow, to come into possession of Harry Potter's DNA and brewed up some Polyjuice potion in order to fool my daughter into running away with you.'

'I did not run away with him,' Ginny snapped.

'Forcibly taken, then,' Arthur corrected himself.

'I AM Harry Potter.' Harry replied, 'and I did not trick Ginny into running away with me, Arthur, nor did I forcibly take her from anywhere.'

Harry could understand that Arthur was confused, as any parent would be if their child ran away, but he could see that things were only going to become more difficult with the more people who find out.

'Arthur-' Remus snapped as Arthur had opened his mouth to retort. 'This isn't an impostor, it's him – Harry's still alive.'

At these words there were murmurs from the Ministry aurors who were present, nodding their heads and pointing to the very familiar scar sitting upon Harry's forehead. Arthur opened and closed his mouth several times, clearly searching for words whilst looking at Harry's scar utterly puzzled. He did however, eventually, lower his wand.

'Well I-' Arthur looked at Ginny who said nothing. 'How do we know for sure?'

'Harry,' Remus said, not looking around. 'Please, reassure Arthur by telling everyone what form your Potronus takes?'

'It takes the form of a stag,' Harry said to Arthur, and Remus nodded, 'oh and Arthur, Mollywobbles would like to know her daughter is safe.'

Arthur went red and rounded his wand on Harry again.

'Mollywobbles?' Ginny wasn't sure if she wanted to ask.

'What is that suppose to mean?' Remus asked, now turning to face Harry.

Harry smiled. 'Arthur knows.'

Everyone looked around at Arthur who, despite the deepness of grey that had inevitably occurred from stress throughout the war, was somehow managing turned into a shade of red. After a minute or so, he lowered his wand and admitted defeat.

'OK it's him.' Arthur nodded and the Ministry aurors lowered their wands, 'and you lot,' Arthur continued, pointing more noticeably at the aurors, 'if I hear any hint that this gets around at work, it will be your heads.'

They may have shrugged, but when Arthur turned away they all made a face and began grinning at each other without a single word: as if reading each others thoughts.

'So then.' Remus said, rubbing his hands together. 'Is everything good and back to normal?'

'No.' Ginny said.

'No.' Arthur agreed.

'No?' Remus asked.

'No.' Arthur repeated as he turned his head to his daughter. 'Ginny you will come home with me, and explain to your mother and me why you felt the need to run off.'

Ginny made a face.

'Harry,' Arthur continued, 'I can't believe it's really you but, you will have to go to the Ministry and sort out things with them-'

'But Arthur I-'

'Look, there will be no need to explain to them why you have been in hiding,' Arthur interrupted, his eyes narrow, 'in fact, I daresay you're more than likely to receive your "Order of Merlin, First Class" for your efforts in defeating V-Voldemort.'

Harry raised his eyebrows and looked impressed.

'Having said that,' Arthur went on, 'it will be a different when your friends get a hold of you: you can assure they, along with me, will be demanding a thorough explanation.'

Harry frowned.

'Well he doesn't have to explain himself to me,' Ginny said, moving forwards and eyeing Harry as she passed him, 'because as far as I'm concerned, Harry Potter is dead to me.'

And with one last fleeting look at Harry, Ginny left with the impression that she never wanted to see or talk to Harry, ever again.