Chapter Three
Ginny was delighted with her secret position in the Order. Remus and Tonks inducted her secretly as a member under emergency provisions. She was sworn to secrecy about everything they told her, and they appointed her as the Secret Keeper for the entire spy mission. The only frustrating part about it was that she was dying to tell someone about her newly acquired position, but she was required to remain silent. She wanted to tell Harry and Ron that they didn't have to whisper anymore when they talked about Order business in her presence. She wanted to write to Luna, and tell her what she had gotten herself into. Fortunately, Ginny was able to exercise enough self-control to keep the promise she had made to the Order. Too much depended on her keeping her mouth shut.
Another challenging element was coming up with excuses for her occasionally strange behavior. Since she could not attend Order meetings at headquarters without being seen, Remus had arranged for her to directly receive the minutes through a special notebook he had given her. Molly often gave her daughter puzzled looks as she bent over the notebook with such intent, but never wrote anything down.
"You remember what happened the last time you had a strange notebook like that," Molly reminded her briskly. Ginny sighed.
"This is nothing like that notebook, Mum. I promise."
Harry, Ron and Hermione were not around very often, but when they were, they were constantly asking questions about her meetings with Remus.
"Are you and Professor Lupin having an affair?" Hermione asked cautiously.
"No! Of course not, Hermione! That's disgusting!" Ginny spat.
"Well, you spend an awful lot of time in private with him," Ron pointed out.
"He's helping me practice for advanced Charms," Ginny lied.
"Lupin is a Dark Arts professor, not a Charms professor," Harry replied, calling her bluff. Ginny rolled her eyes.
"That doesn't mean he's not equally qualified to be a Charms professor. He's very good at Charms, and I very much appreciate his help. Now, are you all done with the Spanish Inquisition?" Ginny snapped impatiently. The trio glanced around at each other and nodded noncommittally.
"For now," Ron added under his breath.
"Guys, can I talk to Ginny for a moment? Alone," Harry amended, when Ron started to make himself comfortable on the couch. Ron glanced up at Harry skeptically, but Hermione dragged him away before he could ask any questions. Harry knelt in front of Ginny's armchair and took her hand.
"Ginny, I know you've been frustrated lately because no one is letting you help with the Order. And I know you've been angry with me for the same reason. I hope you can understand that I'm only doing it to protect you, and I don't want you to resent me for it."
"Harry-"
"I love you, Ginny," Harry blurted out. Ginny blinked in shock.
"I'm sorry. What?"
"I love you. You must know that. I've always loved you. That's why I insist on protecting you like I do. Because I don't want you to get hurt."
"Harry, I can understand that, but please don't treat me like a child. I'll be sixteen in August."
"I know that, Ginny. And you're beautiful," he added with a smile. Ginny broke down and smiled back.
"You're sweet, Harry."
"I just wanted you to know that I'll always be on your side. I'll write to you as often as I can while I'm away, and I'll even visit when the opportunity arises."
"Ginny, dear!" Molly called from the kitchen. "Come help Fleur with these invitations!"
"If you keeping speaking to me in private like this, Mum will start to think I'm involved in whatever scheme you're cooking up with Ron and Hermione," Ginny pointed out. Harry touched her cheek.
"I know you want to help the Order. Your patience is overwhelming. I admire that." Ginny sighed.
"I wish I could go with you."
"You have to stay here, love. It's too dangerous."
"I know, I know," Ginny grumbled, getting to her feet. Harry rose to his full height and pulled her into a hug.
"Listen, I promised Ron that we wouldn't pursue anything for your protection."
"That's completely ridiculous!" Ginny exclaimed angrily.
"I intend to honor my promise, Ginny. But I still wanted you to know that I love you."
"Ginny! I veery much need your 'elp!" Fleur's voice floated in from the other room. Ginny rolled her eyes and glanced up at Harry.
"I'm sorry it has to be this way. I wish things were different," she said softly before stepping around him and disappearing into the kitchen.
Ginny helped her future sister-in-law fill out dozens of invitations, and as repayment, she got to listen to Fleur prattle on for hours about the wedding preparations. Which flowers she liked and which ones made her cat sneeze. Ginny was ready to go Avada Kedavra on herself when Molly finally rescued her by requesting Ginny's help in the garden. She encountered Bill on the way out and stopped him.
"Hey, Bill. Lean forward for a second, will you?" Ginny asked. Bill gave her a strange look but leaned down. Ginny took his head in her hands and knocked on it firmly.
"Ouch! What was that for?"
"So…you have a brain. Do you just not use it?"
"What are you talking about, Ginny?" Bill asked, rubbing the top of his head.
"Fleur! She's insufferable!"
"Ginny, I know you don't like her. I know a majority of the family doesn't like her. But frankly, that doesn't very much matter to me. I love her. And that's all there is to it," Bill replied calmly. Ginny scowled and continued on her way to the garden.
"Hey, Hermione," she said, seeing the older girl already plucking garden gnomes from the foliage.
"Your mother really knows how to teach you the meaning of hard labor," Hermione groaned, kicking a gnome that had bit her finger. Ginny chuckled humorlessly.
"Yeah, she's had plenty of time to get it right. I see she's still trying to keep you separated from Harry and Ron," Ginny commented casually. She was trying desperately to get information out of one of the members of the trio. She wanted to know what they were up to, and she really wanted to tell them what she was up to. But she kept her mouth shut about the latter part. As much as it killed her to do so.
"I understand why she's being so protective, but sooner or later, she'll figure out that this is what we were destined to do. It doesn't matter how dangerous it is. We're supposed to go out there and fight."
"That's what I've been saying for months!" Ginny cried. Hermione put her arm around Ginny's shoulders sympathetically.
"I know, Ginny. I feel bad that you're stuck here, I really do. If it was up to me, I'd take you with us. I know you're capable of fighting. But between your brother and Harry, I'd be overruled."
"Stupid boys," Ginny muttered savagely, pitching a garden gnome as far as she could.
--
Ginny blushed when Harry nudged her knee as Bill and Fleur stated their wedding vows. Her mind raced back in time to Harry's birthday, when she had kissed him with all the passion she could muster. Sure, he tended to infuriate her on occasion. But his concern for her safety and his profession of love made it undeniably clear to Ginny that she loved him back. She always had. And even though they decided that it was best to stay away from an official relationship, she found her affection for him burgeoning with every passing day.
The ceremony was lovely, although Ginny found it hard not to giggle when Fleur stumbled slightly in her high heels as she walked down the aisle. Such an outburst had earned her a sharp elbow in the ribs from her father and a pointed glare from Bill. Still, Ginny thought she saw her mother bite her lip to prevent a smile from creeping across her face.
Harry, disguised as her cousin, Barney, was introduced to the rest of the family. Ginny was glad that everyone seemed to like him, except for Auntie Muriel. But she doesn't really like anybody. When Harry wandered off to talk to Elphias Doge, Ginny located Luna and they both began gossiping.
"You are glowing brighter than a luminescent podlywoggle," Luna commented slyly. "Did something happen with Harry?" Ginny blushed deeply and grinned.
"Maybe."
"You kissed him, didn't you?"
"How did you know?" Ginny asked in surprise.
"It's written all over your face, darling. Don't let your brothers see." Ginny opened her mouth to tell Luna all about it when a flash of light caught her eye. A patronus had appeared in the shape of a lynx. She recognized it immediately as Kingsley's.
"The ministry has fallen. Scrimegour is dead. They are coming."
As the horror of what the message meant sunk in, Ginny immediately began searching the crowds for Harry. Cries rang out and people scrambled all over the place, trying to apparate away before whomever "they" were arrived.
"Harry!" Ginny shouted, scouring the throngs of people for his familiar face.
"Ginny! Ginny, grab my hand!" Fred's voice came from behind her.
"Fred, where's Harry?" Ginny asked frantically.
"There's no time, Ginny!" Fred replied, snatching her wrist. Just before Ginny apparated away with Fred, she caught sight of several masked figures materializing as well as three familiar teenagers disappearing into thin air.
Ginny landed roughly on the ground outside the Burrow. It took awhile for her to regain her bearings, but by the time she did, Fred had grabbed her arm and was dragging her inside.
"Get upstairs and stay there," Fred ordered. "I'm going back to make sure they don't need my help."
"Fred! I can help too! Let me help!" Ginny shouted furiously. Fred sighed and put his hands on Ginny's shoulders.
"Ginny, I love you. You're my baby sister, and I feel for you. I really do. But this is not the time to train you for combat. This attack was random, and we had no idea it was coming. What else don't we know about?" Ginny was silent. She found it difficult to be angry with Fred. He and George had always been sympathetic to her.
"All right. I'll wait here."
"Good girl. I'll be right back," Fred promised before disappearing again.
Ginny couldn't help her pacing. It was a habit. She always did it when she was anxious, just like her mother and the cooking. It seemed like hours had passed when it had only been minutes. After an imagined eternity, pops filled the air and the Weasley family returned in drips and drabs.
"Ginny! Thank goodness, you're all right!" Molly exclaimed, throwing her arms around Ginny. Fred rolled his eyes.
"Mum, I told you she was fine."
"Thank you, Fred, for saving my little girl!" Molly turned her attention to her son.
"I'm George!"
"Oh, you can't pull that one anymore, Fred," Molly said triumphantly. "You're not missing an ear."
"Real sensitive, Mum," George commented.
"Is everyone all right?" Arthur asked over the noise. Murmurs and nods followed. "I'm going to send a message to Harry, Ron and Hermione and let them know that we're fine."
"The house is being watched, Arthur," Remus warned. Ginny noticed for the first time that he was present. "Tell them not to respond. Send a patronus, not an owl." Arthur nodded and proceeded to contact the trio. Molly collapsed into a chair, now distraught by the idea of the three children being out in the world and all alone. Fleur was crying softly in the corner, comforted by Bill. Ginny couldn't help feeling a little bit sorry for her new sister. She couldn't imagine having her wedding day ruined as Fleur's had been.
"Ginny," Remus muttered quietly. "Might I have a word?" Ginny nodded and the two of them disappeared upstairs into her room.
"What happened out there?" Ginny asked softly.
"Something we weren't expecting. This is exactly why I wanted to have Draco on our side. We could have been warned of this."
"Is he finished with his Auror training?"
"No, but I'm not sure we can wait any longer."
"Has he gone back to the Death Eaters at all?"
"Yes. He witnessed the murder of Charity Burbage, the muggle studies professor." Ginny gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.
"That's awful."
"His father is still angry with him, so he has yet to receive any valuable information. But he seems confident that he'll be able to get back inside the circle."
"Good," Ginny nodded.
"I also wanted to let you know that the matter we discussed last time has been resolved."
"How?"
"Draco is learning to become an Animagus, in addition to his Auror training. No one will ever have to know about it."
"Especially not my mother," Ginny muttered. Remus chuckled in spite of the grave situation surrounding them.
"I fear her wrath more than Voldemort's."