Harry was running down the endless corridors of Hogwarts castle. Damage and destruction was evident on every side. Harry was searching for the Grey Lady, who was the ghost of Ravenclaw, he needed to find the diadem of Ravenclaw and time was running short. As Harry ran he had to leap over the bodies that littered the floor. Most he didn't recognize but as the careened around a corner he stumbled to avoid a redheaded body sprawled across the floor. Pausing he bent down to get a look at the face when an deafening blast sounded behind him…
Harry sat up on his cot up in the attic at the Burrow and shuddered. He hadn't had a battle dream since before they'd left the castle. He'd really hoped that he wouldn't ever have one again. He was grateful though that he'd woken up before discovering the identity of the redheaded body.
"You okay?" Ron asked in a sleepy voice.
"Yeah, it was just a nightmare," Harry replied, "I'm going to go get a drink of water." Harry rose from his bed and pulled on his pajama pants over his boxers before removing his sweaty tee shirt and tossing it onto the floor. As he descended the stairs to the kitchen the cool air woke him and pushed the dream further away. In the kitchen he gulped down a large glass of cold water.
When he felt calmer he started back up the stairs toward the attic. As he passed the landing Ginny's room was off of he noticed light shining from beneath her door. Quietly he opened her door and peered in. Ginny was fast asleep on her bed still propped against her headboard with her knitting grasped in her hands. Gently Harry pried the knitting out of her hands and set it on her bedside table. Her eyed fluttered open and she asked, "Harry, what's going on?"
"You must have fallen asleep knitting last night," Harry explained. "I saw light under your door when I went to get a drink of water and thought I'd make sure you were okay."
"Did you have another nightmare?" Ginny asked studying his face.
"No," Harry lied, "I was just hot and needed some water."
"Why are you lying," Ginny asked, "I can see it in your eyes. They always have that haunted look after you've had another dream."
"I just don't want you to worry," Harry said.
"That's sweet, but you don't have to protect me," Ginny said. "Get in," She said pointing at her bed.
"What?" Harry said, "I have to go back to my own bed."
"Relax," Ginny said, "I'm not going to try anything. You'll sleep better if you're with me."
Harry climbed into Ginny's bed, too tired to argue with her. Ginny switched off the lamp and climbed in beside him. He turned on his side and pulled Ginny's back against his chest and wrapped his arm around her waist, spooning her. "Make sure I wake up early enough to get back up to the attic before anyone notices I'm not in the right place." He kissed the back of her neck before falling into a deep sleep.
"Harry," Ginny whispered urgently, what felt like minutes later. "The sun is starting to rise, my parents will be up soon, time to go back up to the attic."
"Mmmmmm," Harry said stretching, "Thank you." He kissed her cheek and pulled the covers back up to her chin after he'd climbed out. "See you later."
Harry tiptoed back up to the attic and thought he'd made it unnoticed when Ron said, "Where have you been? I remember you waking me up with a nightmare but I'm pretty sure you never came back."
"I went to get some water and fell asleep downstairs," Harry said.
"Like downstairs in my sister's room?" Ron asked, "I know you weren't asleep on the couch in the sitting room that's where Hermione is sleeping."
Harry scrambled around for what to say and decided on the truth, "We just slept, no fooling around. When I went by her room on my way back up here I saw that her light was on. She had fallen asleep while knitting last night and I was just going to turn off her light."
"I believe you," Ron said, "But you'd better not let Mum or Dad catch you in her bed."
"Bill, Charlie, Percy or George either," Harry added.
Sighing Ron said, "I'm sure Ginny convinced you to stay."
"She did," Harry said sheepishly.
"Just go back to sleep," Ron grunted.
"Night," Harry said.
"Yeah, yeah." Ron muttered.
A few hours later when the sun had fully risen Harry got up and after finding some clothes went to wait for the bathroom to open up. Ginny emerged a few minutes later, her long red hair damp from the shower. "Good morning," Ginny said as she flashed him a brilliant smile. Harry grinned back and headed into the bathroom. As he undressed to get into the shower he noticed that Ginny had drawn a heart with the initials G and H on the fogged up bathroom mirror. His stomach gave a little lurch; sometimes he couldn't believe that she was his again. He felt like the luckiest guy on earth.
When Harry arrived at the breakfast table he had two letters waiting by his plate. He munched some toast as he opened the first and chuckled at Ginny's very obvious attempt to read over his shoulder.
Dear Mr. Potter,
As you requested I am contacting you to let you know that everything is in place for the immediate funeral and burial of Mr. Severus Snape. The casket containing the body of Mr. Snape is ready in the church beside the cemetery in Godric's Hollow. If your schedule permits I can perform the funeral and burial this afternoon at one o'clock. Please let me know by return owl if I can expect you.
Sincerely,
Sebastian Ripple
Minister to Wizards
Harry handed the letter to Ginny so she could ready it properly before opening the second.
Dear Harry,
The new head of the Auror Department, Reed Axelrod, and I have a case we'd like your assistance on. I'm hoping that you feel ready to report in the day after Remus and Tonk's funeral. We'd like you at the Ministry at six in the morning and please pack a bag in anticipation of being away for a week. Please let me know if we can expect you or if you need more time.
Thank-you,
Kingsley Shacklebolt
Minister of Magic
Reluctantly Harry handed Ginny this second letter as well and watched as her face fell. He knew that she was dreading being apart as much as he was. Ron and Hermione were quietly watching them from across the table. Finally Ron said, "Clearly you have some news. Let's hear it."
"Everything is ready for Snape's funeral. It is going to take place a one this afternoon in Godric's Hollow. Anyone who'd like to come is welcome," Harry said, "But I will understand completely if no one wants to go. I fully intended to be the only person there to witness his burial."
"I'll come," Ginny said quietly.
"Me too," Hermione said.
"Yeah, I'll be there," Ron added.
"You'll understand if I would rather not come," George said.
"No problem, George," Harry said.
"I'll stay and keep George company," Charlie said.
"I have to report back into work this morning," Arthur said.
"Bill and I are going back home this morning," Fleur said.
"I'm going to go to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to start some book keeping for the shop," Percy said.
"I have to go to the market," Molly said.
"What does the other letter say?" Hermione asked.
"I have to report to the Ministry on Sunday morning for my first Auror case," Harry said, "I'll be gone for a week."
"Wow," Ron said, "Who are you after?"
"I don't know any details, I don't even know where I'm going," Harry said.
"Isn't being an Auror very dangerous, Harry?" Fleur asked.
"Yeah, sometimes," Harry said, "I guess."
At that moment Ginny jumped up from the table and slammed out the back door into the garden.
"Oh dear," Molly said, "She's upset."
"She just got Harry back," Hermione said, "I'm sure she's worried about losing him all over again."
"That isn't going to happen," Harry said.
He got up from the table intending to follow her when Mrs. Weasley pushed him back down and said, "Finish your breakfast before you go after her. She'll need a few minutes to calm down."
Harry ate his breakfast quickly, barely tasting it before jamming his feet into his sneakers by the back door. Sure that Ginny had jumped on a broom and flown off Harry headed to the broom shed. Sure enough his Firebolt 2 was missing. Harry grabbed Ginny's Cleansweep and took off into the sky. Unsure of where to even begin looking for her he started flying in large circles around the Burrow searching both sky and ground for her. Eventually Ginny found him. She whizzed past him on his own broom and he took off after her. If he didn't know that Ginny was upset he would have enjoyed their little game of cat and mouse. Chasing her beautiful backside across the sky was rather exciting.
Harry couldn't keep up with her on his broom but when she finally slowed down enough for him to catch up he pulled up beside her and shouted over the wind whistling around them, "Can we talk?"
Ginny nodded and motioned toward the ground. Harry followed her and found himself landing next to the river. Ginny climbed up onto a large rock by the bank and sat down. Harry climbed up next to her and said, "I understand that you're upset, but you knew that I was going to take some Auror cases this summer."
"I know, I'm being ridiculous," Ginny admitted, "It just feels too soon. I jut got you back. I'm not ready to face the possibility of you getting hurt or killed out on an assignment."
"That isn't going to happen," Harry said.
"But how can you be sure?" Ginny whispered.
"Well, I guess I don't but I will be working with professional, experienced Aurors," Harry said, "Do you really think they'll let anything happen to me on my first case?"
"You're going to be gone for a whole week," Ginny moaned.
"I'm going to miss you too," Harry said, putting his finger beneath her chin and turning her face toward his own, "So much."
"You're going to have to make this up to me," Ginny said slyly.
"Oh yeah, how?" Harry asked, his mouth dipping to kiss her neck while his hands found the hem of her shirt and slid underneath, tracing circles on her lower back.
"Well, this is a good start," Ginny said as she moved her mouth to his ear.
Harry and Ginny enjoyed an uninterrupted half hour of making out until Ron and Hermione appeared on the path down from the house. Ron cleared his throat loudly and said, "You still need to send your response to that minister if you want to do Snape's funeral today."
"I forgot about that," Harry said dazed, as he hunted for his tee shirt.
"Over here Romeo," Ron muttered pointing to Harry's shirt, which had snagged on the branch of a large bush.
"Thanks," Harry said.
"Nice love bite Harry," Hermione snickered.
"I'll walk Harry back to the house," Ron said, "You girls come up soon though, we'll have to get ready for the funeral."
As Ron and Harry disappeared from view Hermione sat down on the rock beside Ginny.
"Poor Harry," Ginny said, "I didn't mean to get him in trouble, again."
"He's not in trouble," Hermione said, "Ron's just being an older brother. He wants to know that your virtue is being protected."
"Does he not see that I'm the aggressor most of the time?" Ginny wondered, "Not that Harry is turning me away, but I'm the one who keeps pushing."
"Why do you think that is?" Hermione asked, "You seemed pretty firm on things moving slowly last time we talked about this."
"I know," Ginny said, "But once we get started it is so hard to slow down, you of all people should understand that." When Hermione nodded Ginny continued, "Partly though I think it has to do with keeping him. I feel like he won't break things off with me so easily this time if our relationship has progressed further."
"Ginny," Hermione said, "Harry didn't have an easy time breaking things off before. He was miserable last year without you. You know perfectly well that his breaking things off with you had nothing to do with your physical relationship."
"I know, it's stupid, but I keep thinking that his honor would keep him from breaking things off with a girl he's been intimate with to go chasing death eaters," Ginny said.
"Harry loves you. I don't think he could break things off with you anymore if he wanted to. He won't do that to either of you ever again, I'm not supposed to tell you this but he told Ron that he was going to marry you someday,' Hermione said.
"I know, he told me that too," Ginny confessed.
"So what are you worried about?" Hermione said.
"I don't know," Ginny said then quickly added, "What if he gets hurt or killed? He's going to be gone for a whole week, I'm going to miss him."
Hermione chuckled a little before hugging Ginny and saying, "Oh you poor, confused, lovesick girl, you're not making any sense."
Ron didn't say anything at first. Harry began to think that maybe Ron wasn't going to say anything then finally he said, "Don't you think you and my sister are moving a little fast."
"Not really, not compared with what you and Hermione get up to," Harry accused.
"You leave Hermione and I out of this. I'm talking about you and Ginny," Ron said.
"I'm not sure how it is any of your business," Harry shot back.
"She is my only sister, I don't want to see her getting in over her head," Ron growled.
"She's not," Harry said, "Back when we were still at the castle we discussed how far we were willing to take things before we got married and trust me when I say that we both know the boundaries. We are moving so slowly and she is the aggressor, not me."
"So you missing your shirt back there?" Ron asked.
"That was all her," Harry said.
"And if Hermione and I had come along five minutes later would she have been missing her shirt as well?" Ron asked.
"Only if she took it off herself," Harry said, "Look Ron, I'm not saying that we're just holding hands but we're not doing things that we don't both want and we're not moving any faster or father than you saw right there. I'm sorry you had to stumble across us like that but it's not everything that you're making it out to be."
Ron sighed and said, "Yeah, maybe I'm just letting my imagination get carried away."
"Perhaps thinking that Ginny and I are doing the same things you and Hermione are?" Harry suggested.
"Maybe," Ron said with a blush.
Back in the house Harry scribbled a note back to the minister and sent Pig on his way. He also replied to Kingsley and sent that note off with Hermes who had been around since Percy was staying at the Burrow. Checking the clock Harry realized that he'd better get changed soon. When Ginny and Hermione arrived back in the kitchen after putting the brooms back in the shed Harry told them and Ron that the funeral was at one, and he wanted to apparate to Godric's Hollow about fifteen minutes before that. The four of them quickly devoured sandwiches from Molly before heading upstairs to change into dress robes.
As Ron and Harry changed Harry remembered something from much earlier. "Why is Hermione sleeping on the couch in the sitting room instead of in Ginny's room?"
"What?" Ron asked, clearly confused by the train of thought.
"You said Hermione slept on the couch in the sitting room last night," Harry said.
"The last two nights actually," Ron said, "Ginny has been keeping her up with her knitting, so Hermione has been sleeping on the couch. Tonight she can move into Bill's room since they went home this morning. By the way, they said to tell you and Ginny good-bye."
"I guess I didn't realize she was knitting so late into the night," Harry said.
"She is using your tactic of making sure she is as exhausted as possible before going to sleep so her mind does have much of a chance to dwell on Fred. I imagine that when you are away being an Auror she will be knitting more than ever."
"I better take her to a yarn shop for more sock yarn like I promised before I leave then," Harry said.
The four of them met back in the kitchen twenty minutes before one. Molly fussed over how nice they all looked and told them that she'd expect them all back in time for dinner.
They apparated in front of the little church in Godric's Hollow at quarter to one. Quietly they filed into the church where the minister was already waiting for them in the alter.
"Are one of you Mr. Potter?" he asked.
"Yes, I am," Harry said as he stretched out his arm to shake the minister's hand, "Thank you for your help with this."
"You're welcome," the minister said, "Do you know if we are waiting for any other witnesses? Or do you think it would be okay to proceed."
"I can't imagine that anyone else would be coming," Harry admitted, "But if we could wait five minutes before starting?"
The minister nodded and said, "Sure." After five minutes in which the four of them sat in the front pew and waited while the minister paced back and forth in the small alter he said, "Let's begin."
The minister began to read details much like the minister had done at Fred's funeral. As the minister began to speak Harry let his mind wander like it had at Fred's funeral. Harry was amazed at how much of what Snape had done over the years could be looked at in a completely different light knowing what he did now. For as much as he and Snape had always loathed each other, underneath it all Snape has always worked to protect him and make sure he learned everything he needed to defeat Voldemort in the end. When the minister had concluded the service he asked, "Would anyone like to say anything or should we just head outside to the grave?"
Harry stood and walked up to the alter and stood beside the casket. "Professor Snape," Harry said, addressing the casket, "Thank you. Thank you for saving my life. I know that it is because of you that I am alive today. I know that you and I never got along or liked each other much but that will not change the fact that you will forever hold an important place in my life. I'm sure if my Mother was here today she would want me to convey her thanks as well, so thank you. Rest in peace."
Rather than levitating the casket Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny acted as pallbearers and carried it to the freshly dug grave near the back edge of the cemetery. The minister read another prayer, said a few words and levitated the coffin into the hole. The four of them each threw some dirt into the hole and finally the minister moved the pile of dirt back into the hole with a flick of his wand. A small gray marble headstone appeared bearing Snape's name and dates of birth and death. With the flick of his wand Harry added, 'Teacher, Protector, Good Guy.' Hermione conjured a wreath of wild flowers and set it upon the grave.
"I want to see your parent's graves," Ginny as she slipped her hand into Harry's.
The four of them picked their way through the rows of headstones finally stopping in front of Lily and James' headstone. After a few minutes Harry asked, "Can Ginny and I have a few minutes?"
"Sure," Hermione said, "I'm going to show Ron the war memorial."
"But I don't want to look at a stupid war memorial," Ron whined.
"Trust me, you do," Hermione said dragging him away.
When Harry and Ginny were alone he turned to her and said, "When I come here sometimes I talk to them like they can really hear me."
"I'm sure they can," Ginny said.
"So, I would like to introduce you to them," Harry said.
"I'd be honored," Ginny whispered.
"Mum, Dad," Harry said, "This is Ginevra Weasley, Ginny, she's my girlfriend and someday I'm going to marry her."
"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Potter," Ginny said, "I love your son…thank you for him."
"I'm here today because we buried Snape here," Harry said, "Mum, he saved my life. He has protected me for years all because he loved you, so thank you."
"Voldemort is gone, all because of Harry," Ginny said, "But it all started with the two of you."
For the next twenty minutes Harry and Ginny continued to talk to Lily and James' headstones until they ran out of things to say.
"So, what is this war memorial that Hermione was talking about?" Ginny asked.
"Oh, I'll show you," Harry said, "Let me just say good-bye." Harry conjured a bouquet of white roses and placed them by the headstones and said, "I'll come visit again soon."
"Good-bye," Ginny whispered.
Together they walked to the center of the town where the war memorial stood. As they approached Ginny said, "I don't get it, it's just a war memorial."
"Just get a little closer," Harry said.
When Ginny got close enough she was able to see the statue of himself as a baby and his parents, "Amazing," She breathed.
After Ginny had spent nearly ten minutes staring at the statue Hermione said, "We should show them the house too."
"Where your parents lived and…you know, died?" Ron asked.
"Yeah," Harry said.
"It's still here?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah," Harry said.
The foursome made their way to the house. Ron and Ginny were as amazed by it as Harry and Hermione has been when they'd found it on Christmas Eve.
"Do you think any of their things are still in there?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know," Harry said, "Probably."
"Maybe we should check it out," Ron suggested.
"Not today," Harry said, "We should go back to the Burrow."
Even though dinner wasn't for hours yet no one argued with Harry. They could tell that the mood had changed and he was ready to be done. Together they apparated back to the Burrow. Harry went up to the attic and pulled the dress robes off, throwing them to the floor. He grabbed the jeans he'd been wearing earlier and pulled them. He flopped onto his cot and heard Ginny call through the door, "Are you okay? Can I come in?"
"Yeah," He called.
She sat on the edge of his cot and asked, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, it just got to be too much," Harry said, "It still makes me mad that I've lived my whole life without them. Someday I would like to go into their house and look around but I'm not ready yet."
"That's fine," Ginny said, "When that day comes if you want company you know I'll be there for you."
"Thanks Gin," Harry said, "I appreciate that."
Ginny slipped out of her heels and lie down on the bed next to Harry. She was still wearing the emerald green dress robes she wore to the funeral. Harry ran his hands over the silky fabric that clung to her hips and allowed himself to be distracted. Ginny's mouth found his and her fingers found the locket-shaped scar on his chest. Eventually the kissing slowed and together they fell asleep on Harry's cot.
When they woke up an hour later Ginny asked, "Better?"
"Yes," Harry said, "Thank you. What are you doing tomorrow?"
"Spending my time with you," Ginny said.
"I'm going to take you to the yarn shop tomorrow then," Harry said, "It sounds like you might need more while I'm gone." When Ginny didn't say anything Harry asked, "Are you going to be okay?"
A tear rolled down Ginny's cheek and she said, "I'm just going to miss you and worry like crazy until you come back to me."
"I know," Harry said, "But I'll be fine."
"I would worry if I knew you were going to a kitten farm for a week to help brush their fur," Ginny said, "I just need to get used to you going an assignments and see that you'll always come back to me."
"I will come back to you. I love you," Harry said, "We need to enjoy the two days we have until I have to report in."
"Okay," Ginny whispered, "I trust you."
Author's Note: This one felt like a bit of a filler chapter to me…I hope it was still worthwhile. If you have ideas, or suggestions or anything leave me a review. I love to hear how I'm doing. Thanks!