Ginny opened the door and stepped inside, followed by Hermione then Harry. They rubbed their feet on the door mat then hung their jackets on the coat rack. And made their way to the kitchen. Ginny stopped and turned and noticed Harry, who seemed to be shell shocked and paralyzed hadn't moved. She walked back to him and linked her arm with his.
"Remember just nod and shake your head until you feel ready." She said giving him a reassuring look. They made their way to the kitchen, where everyone else was.
"HARRY!" Molly said opening her arms. "I'm so happy you could join us!" She continued while giving him one of her infamous bone-crushing hugs. She drew back to look at him. He nodded his head with a half smile planted on his face. "You're a bit peaky, what has Kreacher been feeding you?" Harry shrugged not wanting to answer that question. "Well tonight I'm going to make sure your well fed."
"Hey Harry. Seems like it has been ages, mate." Ron said as he approached Harry. "Where have you been?" Harry just shrugged again a question he didn't want to answer.
"Well look what Merlin brought to us!" said George as he ruffled Harry's hair. He winced, not that he really cared but messing with his hair caught him off guard.
"George stop it!" Molly said sternly, scowling at the action George just performed.
"What? I was just fixing his hair. That's not a crime, mum!"
"Harry Potter," Arthur said smiling at Harry's presence, "Mind if I have a word?" Harry shook his head. He loved like a father and knew that 's intensions were to help him, not hurt him. led Harry into the living room, away from everyone else. "So Harry how have you been?" Harry just shrugged because to be honest, he had no clue. nodded and sighed. He knew Harry was unsure of himself and he didn't expect nothing but. "Well that's okay. I just wanted to give you some news from the new minister." Harry looked at emotionless. He didn't care what the new minister had in store for Harry and quite frankly he didn't feel like being asked to be a poster boy again. "Do you know who the new minister is?" Harry shook his head "Well its none other than our own, Kingsley Shacklebolt!" At this Harry couldn't help but smile. The first real smile he had in a while. Not since Ron returned while on the run. "Yes, I see that finally I'm not the only one excited for a decent minister. Anyway Minister Shacklebolt wants to meet with you about your banking situation." Harry nodded. "Alright lets return to dinner." Harry and returned back to the kitchen. Everyone hadn't eaten yet. That being said Ron seemed pretty enthusiastic with their return, so he could eat.
"Alright, Lets have a toast! For our first real dinner that everyone is here for. Yes, I know Fred isn't here. But to me he is, he is with us right now. So lets enjoy the food that we have and enjoy the time that we finally have together since our little absentee has agreed to show himself" Molly finished smirking at Harry. This made Harry feel warm inside. Maybe they did care about him. Maybe it wasn't his fault. Maybe he can get out of this. Everyone dug into the feast made for them. Ron and Charlie seemed to be having an eating contest while Ginny and Hermione looked at them with disgust. Harry watched as Ron gave Hermione apologetic looks every time he noticed her staring at him. He didn't know what was going on with them since they kissed during the battle, are they a couple now? Soon the suspense was killing Harry way too much. He hadn't spoken all night and he knew they were waiting for him to talk.
"So what's going on with you two?" He finally said in a questioning voice. Everyone went pale; He talked in front of everyone. The only ones who didn't go pale was Hermione and Ron who actually went extremely red.
"What about us?" Hermione asked like it was no big deal.
"Well last time I checked you kissed during the battle and you were holding hands. Now, I haven't even heard one word being said to each other." This time it was Ron's turn to talk. He was already ecstatic that his best mate was talking again but to be honest he didn't know what was happening with him and Hermione.
"Well I don't mate…"
"And I thought you two had finally come to your senses." Everyone laughed; except the two in question.
"WELL WHAT ABOUT YOU TWO!?" Ron said trying to get the topic off him and Hermione.
"Me and who?" Harry asked trying to act oblivious in front of the other Weasley brothers who didn't know about the romance between Ginny and him.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'ME AND WHO' YOU GUYS WERE THE ONES WHO DATED FOR SIX WEEKS LAST YEAR!" Ron seemed to be now enraged with what Harry said.
"Last time I checked you yelled at me saying I wasn't allowed to see your sister again." Harry said back with a little tenderness to his voice. And he made a statement.
"Wait a minute you two dated last year?" Bill asked with a disgusted look.
"Like Boyfriend, Girlfriend?" Charlie asked a little more appalled than Bill.
"Like, Harry likes Ginny back?" George asked completely surprised. Mr. and seemed to just as surprised about Ginny dating as George.
"Wait Ginny's too young to date, right?" Percy asked looking at his mum and dad.
"Perce, she's sixteen. And yes they dated. Why else would I use that sentence?" Ron replied forgetting about how the rest of the family were completely oblivious to that fact.
"WAIT A MINUTE, YOU TOLD HARRY HE COULD NEVER SEE ME AGAIN?" Ginny asked completely taken back and ready to bat-bogey hex the daylights out of Ron.
"Well he broke up with you at our own headmaster's funeral, then kissed you before leaving for six months! He broke your heart!" Ron said trying to sound reasonable but failing.
"YOU COMPLETE PRAT! HARRY BROKE UP WITH ME TO PROTECT ME! HE DID IT SO VOLDEMORT WOULDN'T GO AFTER ME AND USE ME AS A WEAPON! WE WERE PLANNING ON GETTING BACK TOGETHER WHEN HE WAS GONE! YET YOU SEEMED TO FIND A WAY TO SCREW THAT UP NOW HAVEN'T YOU!" Ginny started turning red with anger. Oh Ron's dead is all anyone could think.
"I'm sorry! Actually if Harry told me that maybe I wouldn't of forbade him!"
"Actually I couldn't get a word in with you yelling at me!" Harry said trying to put his two cents in.
"YOU CAN'T JUST DO THAT RON! YOU DON'T OWN ME OR HARRY! WE CAN DO WHATEVER THE HELL WE WANT AND YOU CAN'T BLOODY STOP US!" Ginny yelled before running up to her room.
"RONALD WEASLEY! You made your sister cry!" Molly said with more anger than Ginny had. "And also you don't have the authority to choose who Ginny dates and doesn't date! That is for her to decide not anyone else!"
"Well isn't it up to Harry too? He is the mental one in liking. That's why I asked him! They might not be a couple anymore!" He said turning to Harry for support. But Harry wasn't giving him any.
"Ron I can tell Harry feels other wise. Now go and apologize to your sister this instant!"
"Fine!" Ron got up and left the family to go and clear the air with his sister.
"I still don't understand! Is Harry and Ginny a couple?" Charlie asked completely confused as to what just happened.
"Well they were last year. They were so cute together. Like once we all were sitting by the fire in Gryffindor Common Room and Ginny was reading the Daily Prophet. And she said 'Three dementor attacks in a week, and all Romilda Vane does is ask me if it's true Harry has a hippogriff tattooed across your chest.' And Harry goes, 'What did you tell her?' and Ginny goes, 'I told her it was a Hungarian Horntail, much more macho'" Hermione laughed then looked at Harry. Harry was scowling at her. If looks could kill Hermione would be dead. She stopped laughing as soon as she got the message.
"Wait Ginny has seen Harry's chest?" Bill asked even more disgusted than before
"No, no, no, Ginny was just saying that to gross Ron out!" Harry answered almost immediately to ease the tension.
"We're back!" Ginny came back with Ron following her. Once Ron got into the light properly you could tell Ginny may have punched him in the face a few times but it was hardly noticeable. Maybe just to a few people.
"Well what's the answer?" George asked with a sly grin on his face.
"Answer to what?" Ginny asked
"Well are you two a thing again?" Ginny blushed slightly then looked at Harry.
"Harry and I plan to talk about it later, after dinner. Because I'm being completely truthful, I've heard as much of his voice as you have."Ginny said with amusement in her voice.
"Ok then what about you two?" George asked turning to Hermione.
"We haven't really talked about it either." Hermione said too, looking at Ron with disappointment.
"Oh for god sakes! Ginny and Harry are perfect for each other and haven't stopped looking at each other all night! Of course their a couple! Even if they haven't kissed and made up! And Hermione and Ron maybe completely opposite yet also perfect for each other and even if its complicated, THEY ARE A COUPLE! God am I the only one who can see this?" Percy said looking around. "Worst part is I'm the one who has been gone for three years! And I still see Ginny as the little thirteen year old I left behind! If anyone shouldn't be able to see it, It should be me ….or Charlie, since he has been in Romania." Everyone was astonished with Percy's outbreak yet it made a lot more sense than expected. Maybe Percy was right; maybe all four of them had to pluck up the courage and talk.
The rest of the night couldn't go slower in Harry's mind. After dinner, served Harry's favorite, treacle tart. Harry had one piece and felt his stomach growl. It wasn't a hungry growl, but a growl telling him that if he ate anymore, he would burst. Everyone proceeded into the living room just to sit and catch up.
"So what has been going on in Gringotts?" Arthur asked, breaking the awkward tension that existed throughout the house.
"Yeah, last time I saw it, we were flying on a dragon's back. I hadn't heard anything since." Ron's try of getting to see Harry laugh failed. It actually made Harry feel worse than he already did. It's my fault that Gringotts need to reconstruct and it's my fault that so many people don't trust anymore goblins. It seems I cause pain everywhere I go. Maybe if I live alone for the rest of my life no one else would be bothered. These thought kept stirring through his head and he had no control over them.
"Well, people are demanding that they'd see their vault. Problem is that we can't get to their vault. With the rails torn down it's merely impossible. But they're rebuilding them now." Bill didn't want to look at Harry, Ron or Hermione. They were the ones that caused this reconstruction to be needed. It may have been for a good cause but Gringotts still was destroyed and their names were all over it. "Also um, Harry, Ron and Hermione's vaults all have been frozen."
"What! Why?"Molly and Arthur asked nearly in unison.
"Well, I think it's because of them breaking into Bellatrix Lestrange's Vault. And not to mention ruining the entire lobby, and the railings, and freeing the dragon that's worked for Gringotts for nearly one hundred years." Wow thanks Bill, I didn't think anything could make me want my booze more than I did, but it seems you proved me wrong. Harry thought to himself as he stared at his shoes. He felt as though he needed to get out of that house. After being attacked about him and Ginny, than being told he's the reason Gringotts is at its worst possible, he just needed to go, NOW.
"Well they can't keep our money frozen there forever. I mean we were in there because of Voldemort, so shouldn't he be the one blamed?"
"Well Hermione, your almost completely correct but actually pretty wrong. You guys were the ones who broke into Gringotts. Therefore the goblins blame you." Harry couldn't take this anymore. He didn't want to leave so dramatically but it seemed that would be the only way possible. Harry got up and practically ran to the front door, quickly grabbed his jacket, and apparated back home. When he got there he went into the closet and took two bottles of booze and a pack of cigarettes. He thought he could get out of this when Ginny came and found him but, no, that didn't seem to help. Actually it seemed to do the exact opposite of help.
