17

Remus sat as peacefully as he could at the kitchen table in the Burrow, Molly was shooting him conspicuous looks as she busied herself with lunch, Ron and Hermione were up the other end of the table with their heads together, whispering in low voices – the only person missing was Ginny. She however, took that moment to enter, looking darkly at the werewolf sitting at the table, despite the latest accusations made to him by her; he stood from his chair and greeted her with a smile.

'Ginny,' he said, indicating a chair opposite him. 'If you could, please.'

A moment's hesitation later, Ginny took her seat.

'I suppose, you realise why I am here?' Remus asked her.

She nodded.

'Well good,' he looked around at Ron and Hermione, 'I shall get to the point – this includes you too, as well, and Molly of course-'

'We know, Remus,' Molly said, sitting beside her daughter.

Remus nodded. 'Well then, err- I suppose I should, start by saying that it was never my intentions for Harry to seclude himself for so long, I fear, as I too come to find along the way, that he is not himself.'

'You seem fine,' Hermione said. 'Why didn't you tell anyone?'

'Well you see,' Remus said, 'Harry made me swear an oath.'

There was silence following this statement, Remus feared it could be the calmness before the storm – so he continued.

'Harry made me swear not to tell any of you – in particularly you Ginny,' Remus said, 'it was no Unbreakable Vow, of course, but I like to think I keep to my promises, and that's what I did. It is something, however, for the duration after which he made me promise, I began to regret- for I was seeing Ginny more and more often as she came to borrow my precious books in her correspondence work – it became harder for me to hide the tr-'

'Wait!' Ginny said suddenly, everyone turned to her. 'All those times I made a suspicion of a guest, of perhaps someone else being in the house – two plates out, unlocked doors, breakfast trays – I've only just realised it makes sense now: that was all Harry!'

'That's quite right,' Remus nodded at her. 'But I felt, alone, perhaps as much as he was, if that's at all possible. I knew I could not tell any of you about Harry, but there was one person, however, whom I felt I was safe to confine in telling, so as not to go insane myself and yet still holding that promise.'

'Who?' They all asked in unison.

As if on que, there was suddenly a tiny "pop" that echoed from outside. They all looked around instinctively to see Nymphadora Tonks march in and sit herself on Remus' left (kissing him rather swiftly) and grabbing a piece of fruit. They all watched as she bit into an apple and began to chew, obviously hungry as she had skipped breakfast.

'Well?' Remus asked Tonks, looking around hopefully to see if someone had come with her.

'No luck,' Tonks said angrily, 'he's as stuck up as a mule.'

'Who?' Molly asked.

'Well,' Remus looked eerily at Tonks before turning back to the others. 'You see I hadn't planned on telling you, unless it worked but - I sort of, sent Tonks back to my lodge and well – tried to get her to use her persuasive skills into luring Harry back here to you.'

'He yelled at me, Remus,' Tonks added hotly, 'he yelled at me!'

'What?' Remus snapped.

'Told me it wasn't my life,' Tonks said matter-of-factly, 'that I shouldn't intervene-'

'Well…' Remus breathed, turning to stare at Ginny. 'We should go to plan "B" then.'

'What do you mean?' Ginny snapped.

'I mean,' Remus went on, 'that there is only one person who can fix this-'

'ME?' Ginny asked as Remus was staring at her.

'Yes,' Remus nodded, and explained. 'You see, and try to go with me here – I may be completely right and have absolute confidence in my intelligence from here on. But also, I might be wrong in which case I must say that there are no more obvious roads in which I could travel down, at least none that would help Harry anyway.

'So then,' Remus continued as they all stared at him, 'living with Harry for the period that I have, I can't help but feel that he has possibly suffered some sort of whip lash from the war seven months ago, as if he had been cursed in some way – but he has, evidently, become less like himself-'

'You mean like, perhaps a memory loss?' Molly asked, 'the "Oblivious" charm?'

'Unlikely,' Remus replied, speaking calmly. 'No, I don't believe Harry has lost his memory at all. Rather, I feel that he has been changed with something, perhaps a curse or a spell, but perhaps something psychological as well, and this has dramatically changed the way in which he acts to umm... certain issues.'

There was a gasp and everyone looked around at Hermione.

'Remus no,' she whispered barely. 'You don't mean to say, that, perhaps- no surely-'

'Spit it out, Hermione.' Ron said hotly.

'The Imperius Curse!' Hermione said. 'You think he's under the Imperius Curse?!'

'NO.' Remus said quickly, shaking his head. 'No, of course not – seven months is a long time for a curse like that to be still working. And even still, Harry was the only one in your year that could stand up against the curse- so no, certainly not. He seems to me... more confused-'

'You mean like, he's been Confunded?' Ginny asked.

'Well I'm still uncertain, Ginny, that's why I need your help.' Remus told her. 'It may be that he's Confunded, yes, but it might not be a curse at all. It could be, and I feel that this is most likely, it could simply be his own undoing for his love for you- yes, he does love you, Ginny,' he added with the look of uncertainty Ginny gave him, 'he could be so immensely trapped with the thought of loving you, that it is keeping him from doing anything about it.'

'You're making no sense,' Ron snapped from the end of the table, 'ouch!'

Hermione had stamped hard on his foot, Remus ignored them.

'Let me put it to you this way,' Remus said, his eyes narrow, 'so you can understand, giving the example of yourself, seven years ago, when you first met Harry- I hear, that you were unable to be around him? Was it true that you could not be in the same room as him, and that when you were, you would drop what ever it is you were carrying and turn red?'

Ginny went a slight pink. 'That's right.'

'I gather it was because you were slightly nervous,' Remus went on, without the thought that Ginny already knew all this. 'But really, you fancied him enough and you became paranoid whenever he was around – you feared, that he would never be able to love you- could never ever love you in return for the way you loved him-'

'I still don't see where this is going.' Ron interrupted loudly.

'It is because,' Remus went on calmly, a sweet smile appearing on his face, 'Harry has become Ginny. He has something bottled inside him, unable to surface, something that hurts him enough to become what he is. And I feel...' he looked at Ginny sweetly, 'that Ginny is not telling us something that happened the night before the war, of when Harry took her aside... before going into battle...'

And then Ginny realised what he meant.

'He asked me too...' she said in a whisper, stopping before she could get ahead of herself, 'but- how on earth can- how can you be certain, that that's what's affecting him, Remus-?'

'Would you like to fill us in?' Molly said, looking between the werewolf and her daughter.

'I think, and correct me if I am wrong Ginny, that Harry Potter asked your daughter to marry him,' Remus said calmly, still looking at Ginny, 'the night before Lord Voldemort's defeat.'

There were several different reactions around the table to this. Hermione put her hand over her mouth, as if suddenly realising what everything meant. Molly gasped, did a double-take and looked around at Ginny. Ron, looking as confused as ever and Tonks dropped her apple in surprise, and it rolled along the table.

'Ginny?' Molly stammered. 'Is it-'

'Yes.' Ginny replied, looking at Remus.

Molly shrieked happily.

'I still don't-' Ron started.

'Oh don't you see, Ronald!' Hermione exclaimed, grabbing his shoulder, 'Harry's been hiding because, he's been upset about- oh Ginny why didn't you tell us!'

'I never thought-' Ginny was looking from Remus to Hermione, 'I mean I never answered, I didn't think-'

'Exactly.' Remus nodded. 'He never got an answer from you, and ever since then it's been quite obvious that he has not been himself. He thinks you hate him for asking.'

'But I don't!'

When Ginny realised what she had just said, she rose quickly from the table, apparently leaving.

'You understand right, Ginny?' Remus asked her, smiling sufficiently.

'Yes.' Ginny said.

'Understand what?' Molly asked, still shedding tears from the news of her daughter being proposed too.

'I need to answer, of course,' Ginny said, as though it was rather obvious. 'Or at least go to him- the offer may no longer be on the table but... I think the question is still pending-'

'Seven months!' Molly stated.

'It is nothing,' Ginny said simply. 'Seven months without Harry was hard, a lifetime without him seems, honestly, harder – I am not going to sit here and let that happen. It is time; I took responsibility into my own hands.'

She moved to the door.

'Ginny wait!' Her mother pleaded. 'Think this through.'

'I have for seven months, mother' Ginny said, smiling, 'I will not wait any longer, my decision is made – Merry Christmas, everyone.'

And she promptly left.

-

She felt the lines on her face almost engraved there permanently, grinning as she made her way through the fields of Ottery St. Catchpole at a run, passing through and over anything in her way. Her mind was racing, her heart pounding in anticipation as she drew nearer and nearer to Harry. It had been foolish of her, indeed, to leave it all for so long – to not understand why he had been so seclusive, if she had just said something to him that night, when he had pulled her aside. A hint of a suggestion that she wanted to, because she did – oh lord she did; but there had been such little time, and anyway it now, did not matter.

Lupin Lodge came slowly into view as she moved under a couple of low-growing branches of overhanging oaks, the large old house sat dilapidating with a white panelled finished, and cracked roof tiles where it sat in an oval shaped clearing amongst the trees. Daylight was fading, a brisk wind whipped cautiously at the hem of her cloak as though a large invisible hand was pushing her forwards along the path in encouragement. The strong smell of flowered shrubs hit her at full force as she approached the doorway, such a familiar doorway that she had passed through so many times – and it wasn't until she over the threshold did she realised that it had opened willingly for her, without her touch.

She heard the unmistakable noise of the door behind her clicking back into place as she moved forward, down the corridor and into the small circular kitchen to which before now, she had never really admired. It was rather empty, not dirty as such but it gave the look of having not been used in several days; here and there were scraps of food wrapper, as if someone had just been picking at food rather than bothering to arrange something.

Completely ignorant to this, she marched her way up the vertical flight of stairs, giving herself the impression that she knew where she was going. She had never been upstairs before, yet as she reached the landing and peered wearily across the hallway, the door to her left almost immediately stood out to her. So she could guess that this was the door in which beyond it, she would succumb to the end of her pain that has lasted seven months. And yet, the very same person that lingered beyond this door was in fact the inflictor of her pain to begin with.

After a heavy sigh and a benign thought that told her she could not wait any look, she clenched her right hand into a fist and made forceful contact with the door, knocking cleanly three times and hearing movement within instantly.

'Tonks!' A voice said from within, eerie and cold and yet oddly powerful. 'I thought I told you to-'

Harry stopped on the threshold. Looking back at him was not the broadly build Auror Tonks, but instead was little Ginny Weasley smiling flamboyantly back up at him with her dazzling ginger red hair.

'Hi.' Ginny said sweetly.

Time seemed to slow for Harry, his heart began beating irregularly and his mouth slid ajar and became dry as he stared back at her with amazement. A small bug flew past his ear in slow motion, the indecent buzzing of its wings echoing loudly as it soared, still in slow motion, in the other direction.

'Ginny?' Harry said finally after a rather long pause. 'What are-?'

'Tell me,' Ginny hissed, her eyes were narrowed and serious.

Harry blinked.

'What?'

'Tell me,' Ginny repeated simply, she did not elaborate.

'Tell you what?' Harry asked.

'What you told me seven months ago.'

Ginny found herself whispering now, and although she hadn't meant to do – she felt it had a stunning effect.

'But- I don't- can't-' Harry stammered, completely lost.

'You don't?' Ginny asked bitterly. 'You can't?'

'What did- me-?' Harry was fumbling with words, and Ginny was secretly smiling.

'Seven months.' Ginny started. 'You know how long that is? To try and last- to try and compensate with, well let's just say it isn't the same- I'm sure you know, Harry-'

'Know what?' Harry stammered. 'Compensate, what? Ginny what're you talking about?'

'Harry you proposed to me,' Ginny said, 'and I never answered you.'

Harry blinked but said nothing.

'This is why you secluded yourself,' Ginny continued. 'Is it not?'

'I-' Harry looked blank. 'Perhaps.'

'That doesn't matter now,' said Ginny, 'I just need to know... that you're sorry-'

'I am sorry, Ginny,' he said, keeping eye contact. 'Of course I am sorry, and I never meant to-'

'I know.' Ginny replied warmly.

'I didn't think,' Harry blabbered on, trying not to undo anything, 'because I never got a- I thought you didn't- never again!'

'I know.' Ginny nodded; it seemed like it was what she wanted to hear.

Almost without thinking, and certainly without warning, Ginny moved forwards swiftly, and for a fleeting moment Harry thought perhaps she was going to hit him, but instead she simply met his lips. Frozen in confusion, Harry did not kiss back; but Ginny held his face in her hands encouragingly and seemed to ease him into kissing her back, her soft lips were pleasingly fuller than last time he had felt them.

He strained every sort of muscle imaginable on his face, trying to hide the utter disappointment he had as she pulled back to look at him. But the look of pure happiness on her face brought upon his own, something that had not occurred to either of them for over seven months.

'Oh- Ginny,' Harry said finally, licking his lips, 'I've missed that.'

'That's what I thought.'

And as they leaned in to kiss each other again Ginny closed the door, both of them were in the warmth of each others company and in the knowing that the other was alive. From now on there were to be no more secrets, no more pain and no more seven month gap holes in the relationship; if Ginny were to have her way - and you can most certainly think that she would – Harry Potter would be hers for ever.