Thank you for the feedback. Thanks to those who have just caught up to this fic as well. It's nice to know people take the time to read.
I don't own the characters. (If I was that clever I imagine I would be charging you all money to buy this in a book form instead of entertaining you all for free.).
Everyone down stairs must have been talking about Harry's gift to the Ministry or were giving Hermione a lot of time to calm Harry as they weren't disturbed until Ginny entered the room she shared with Hermione 40 minutes later.
"Oh, sorry I didn't realise you were in here. I thought you would be in Harry's room." She half questioned a little nervously. "I just came up to get ready. We're flooing to McGonagall's office in an hour."
"It's fine we've just finished what Harry's going to say at the service this afternoon." Hermione stood up waving the Parchment she had written on to dry it. "I'll go and see what Ron's focusing on more shall I, weather he's poor or why he ever tried to pay you back from anything?"
Harry felt himself smile at Hermione's light attitude. Her reaction had certainly made him feel a lot better. But he as he turned to Ginny he could see she wasn't her normal light self.
"Kingsley wouldn't tell us anything in fact Percy's in trouble for saying how much the donation was." Ginny started. "Were you ever going to tell me you paid for Fred's funeral?"
"Do you think your parents would have let me if they had known? They've even tried to give me money to help the costs while you all stay here." Harry felt himself getting defensive then regretted it straight away. He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I was going to tell you. It just hasn't been the time."
"What in the last almost 7 years you've known Ron and our family?" Ginny asked.
"There wasn't anything to tell. Heck, Ron knew the day I meet him I had some money. I practically brought out the food cart on the Hogwarts Express. But this, this Trust fund, all the other money and houses my parents left me. I only found out about that after the battle. It was a little hard for Gringotts to contact me when I turned of age, you know with the hiding and all that." Harry tried to explain but could feel himself getting frustrated again. "I certainly don't need a trust fund people have been putting money into since my parents were murdered. So I gave it back to bury those who laid their lives down for me."
Ginny still stood there looking at him like she was thinking very hard about what to say next. Harry couldn't help but think it wasn't going so well and if Ginny reacted like this, just what was today going to be like with having to see everyone, knowing that he was paying for the memorial service.
"Two Million Galleons?" Ginny questioned again. "Just how rich are you? If that was only a trust fund and not money from your parents?" She leaned on the wall looking at him. Harry wasn't sure if she was leaning because she was still a bit in shook, or because it kept her further away from him.
"Apparently very, I'm still getting my head around it. My Great Grandparents must have been muggle supporters. They gave their stately home over to be a respite care Hospital for those wounded in World War one, then lived a much less extravagant lifestyle. It was thought by the Wizarding community they had lost all their money. But no it was growing nicely due to Gringotts investments on their behalf." He tried to explain, still trying to piece all the information he had been given the other day together. "I suppose now Hermione knows I should give her all the stuff to read, I'm sure she's better at Figures and Legal documents than I am."
Ginny nodded clearly still thinking about it all herself. "So, my boyfriend isn't only the Boy that Lived, Savoir of the Wizarding World (According to the radio), but also filthy rich….. I suppose I should let you buy me a decent broom then. You know for making me think you were dead and giving me nightmares." She tried to joke at the end, but Harry could tell it was a little forced.
"You can have whatever you want." Harry shrugged his shoulders at her. "But I still can't see myself living in a large home with people serving me. It's just, well weird really, it was weird knowing I already owned this place, and the Black vault."
Ginny finally pulled herself off the wall and came to sit next to Harry. "I'm sorry its, well it's a lot to take in."
"Yeah, I sort of know the feeling." He answered back. "Now I don't even know how to face your family let alone everyone else today."
"Don't worry about us. We're just a little surprised. Mum's singing your praises again. Percy I think might be a little jealous, and Ron, well he's always had a hang up about being poor, more than the rest of us anyway." Ginny placed a hand on his knee. "I need to get changed and you need to get into your dress robes as well. Kingsley will have our heads if we're not all ready by the time the Auror arrives to adjust the floo network for a direct link from here to McGonagalls. Apparently it's safer." She shook her head as she finished showing she didn't quite understand the workings of the floo system herself. Harry had to admit he didn't have any idea either. But imagined Kingsley was being very careful today.
Harry still feeling a little moody about being found out just gave Ginny's hand a squeeze before standing up to leave, it was as he reached the door Ginny added. "Oh, and Ron gave Kingsley your Map and showed him how to use it. I hope you don't mind."
Harry shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "That's why I had it downstairs with me this morning. I knew Kingsley was coming to get it."
Making his way down a flight of stairs to his and Ron's room he still felt a little like hiding away and being moody for the day but knew that he couldn't. It was a day he needed to talk to people he had never met before. Smile at them, and even comfort some people he had never met, but who had lost people in the war. He was pleased the house seemed to all be busy and he hadn't meet anyone on the way down the stairs.
But on reaching his door he heard Hermione exclaim. "Don't be silly Ron. Nothing has changed he's still just Harry, our best friend whom we love."
Harry suppressed a groan, and knocked on the door. "It's just me." He called out.
Hermione opened the door. "I better go and get ready anyway." She said shooting Ron a look that Harry could tell had an entire Hermione Lecture in it.
Harry stepped in after she left and shut the door. "Sorry I haven't said anything. I'm still trying to get my head around the fact myself along with everything else going on. Well….." Harry paused and looked at Ron. "How do you tell someone you're suddenly rich?"
"You've always been rich." Ron looked at him, well glared really. But it wasn't as harsh one like when Ron had been convinced Harry had put his own name in the Goblet of Fire. More of an 'I'm supposed to be your best friend' confusion glare.
"Yeah well you know I would give it all away if I could bring back Fred and all the others who died don't you." Harry sat down on his bed across from Ron.
Ron looked at Harry and held his eye for a moment before nodding. "Yeah I do." He muttered. "That's probably that pisses me off the most. You find it hard to accept that you deserve anything in life. Even now, after losing your parents, Sirius, Remus, Dumbledore." Ron stopped and looked at Harry. "After even giving your own life you still don't think you deserve to be happy. While I'm just some sucker who couldn't even handle the whole mission with you and Hermione. I took off and left you both. Mum's right you deserve everything you've got."
Harry snorted. "Yeah because your family doesn't deserve to be rich as well after all they've been through?" Harry questioned. "And you came back remember. We couldn't have done it without you."
Ron nodded. "Well Hermione reckons I'll be rich soon." He commented like it was nothing. "Just so girls can look at me on their walls and buy things with my picture on. It's a little bit of a creepy way to finally have money don't you think?"
Harry couldn't help but smile at that. "Well at least I know you'll finally understand it's not really that fun having everyone know who you are or wanting to know you. It's even worse when they think you're crazy." He added with a shiver thinking about his fifth year.
Ron nodded. "Yeah I'll admit I was quite glad I wasn't you that year. I suppose we should get ready." Ron stood up and opened the wardrobe to pull out his robes. "I hate dress robes you know." He mumbled. Harry didn't blame him after what Ron had had to wear over the years. Luckily Ron had out grown the frilly ones from their fourth year and now had a set of the twins old ones after they had replaced theirs with emerald green velvet ones after the success of the shop.
"Yeah well, I will be glad to put mine away after wearing them 3 days in a row as well." Harry stood up and pulled his out of the wardrobe after Ron. "I suppose at least we got to wear Muggle clothes to Colins."
Forty minutes later everyone was back in the Kitchen. Harry still felt a little nervous, well actually he was getting more nervous as time went on. Arthur had pulled him aside and told him that Molly and he were very grateful for all Harry had done for them. Harry had just raised his eyebrows and reminded Arthur of how much they had done for him over the years.
Harry then held back a bit from the conversations going on. Standing in the corner watching his adopted family bustle about each other, Ginny made her way over to him. "You'll be fine you know. We'll all be there for you." She said before turning to look at her family.
Harry couldn't help but pull her back against him, his arms circling around to her front. Thinking to himself she smelt amazing. "Yeah I know." He whispered in her ear. "Are you going to be alright? Going back to Hogwarts?"
Harry felt Ginny look down at his hands. Then lean her head back against him. "It won't be easy. But I know you'll be with me, and most people know the truth about me now, well the ones that matter anyway." She answered her voice a little shaky at the end.
Harry felt bad he hadn't even thought about the fact that most of the Hogwarts students thought Ginny had been a traitor. He tightened his grip on her. "You'll be fine. I promise." He whispered, kissing her neck as his finished.
The fireplace roared to life and out stepped an Auror Harry remembered meeting at the ministry. The man looked around him while dusting himself off. "Arthur. There you are. Are we all ready to go?" He asked.
"Robards." Arthur nodded his hand eagerly. "I wasn't expecting the new head of the department. I imagine you have been very busy this last week."
The man called Robards answered. "Yes, I couldn't make it to Tonk's funeral. But we are still trying to round up Death Eaters and what not." He shrugged his shoulders looking around the room once more. "But we're all on duty today. Especially after yesterday. Sorry about that. We didn't have any Intel on that one at all."
Arthur nodded. "Well you can't catch everything, over worked as you are."
Robard's gaze settled on Harry when he found him, flicking to Ginny and back to Harry's face again. "Kingsley told you did he that as you don't like being in paper it might be wise to keep your hands off your girlfriend today. We know she was working for the underground but we've already had to make stories from a Pansy Parkinson and few other Slytherins disappear."
Harry felt Ginny go stiff in his arms. "I told you I would tell everyone how I felt about you after that magazine." He told her and the rest of the room.
Robard's nodded. "Good, you've still got some back bone about you young man. But what I meant to say was that we know you don't like being in the papers and well we feel your private life is just that. I'm just asking that you tone it down. Unless you want pictures of her everywhere?" He finished with a question and Harry had to admit he could see the Auror's point. "After all it seems your every young witches dream at the moment. We want to keep Miss Weasley out of the lime light don't we? Jealous girls….well let's just say I would prefer to meet with a Death Eater any day."
Ginny turned in Harry's arms. "He's right. We don't need that crap on top of everything else." She stated bravely, but Harry couldn't help but feel she was more insecure than he had ever seen her. But she kissed his cheek and moved away from him to stand next to Hermione. "Right, you'll have to keep your hands off Ron as well. He'll want the girls to believe he's available so they'll buy more posters."
Hermione actually giggled at Ginny's joke before pulling herself together. "Righty you are then. I can't come between Ron and money now can I?" She finished by blowing a kiss to Ron and adding. "It does of course give me room to meet some of my own admirers as well." She linked arms with Ginny ignoring Ron's face which was growing redder by the second at the thought of Hermione wanting to meet her admirers.
Robards looked at Ginny like he was impressed before turning back to Harry. "Right, there will be an Auror near you all times. There will be others watching all of the Weasley's as well so don't worry about them and the two you had trouble with yesterday get to spend today guarding the Whomping Willows entrance to the grounds." Robards finished looking pleased with himself. "You can thank your map for that one we didn't even know it was there."
George smirked at this and Hermione stomped her high heel on his foot to remind him not to look too happy about it all.
"So are you taking me? Anyone?" Fred's portrait asked from where it had been sitting at the head of the table since Breakfast this morning.
"You're already there. Just go to your other portrait." Charlie shook his head. Harry couldn't help but wondering if Fred's portrait form and asking to be taken everywhere was grating on his nerves.
"But I can't see so much from there. I'm just in a hall way near the entrance." The Portrait grumbled as Fred sat in his chair and folded his arms. "I'll have to crowd into Sir Groffric's Portrait. Everyone will be there, it's only one that looks across to the window overlooking where the service is." He then huffed looking around the room for someone to pick him up.
"No, it's just not done Fred. You had your way yesterday. But not today, this is a formal occasion." Molly replied sternly, and everyone knew that was the last word to be said on the subject.
Robard's just directed Bill and Fleur through the floo and the room emptied one by one. Harry leaving just before Molly, and Arthur heard Fred groan and looking back saw him storming out the edge of the picture un-impressed that he wasn't being taken with them.
Stepping out into McGonagall's Office Harry looked around, and smiled at Dumbledore's portrait who looked down at him fondly. "Welcome Harry. Good to see you my boy, feeling better?" Dumbledore asked him. "You certainly look like you've had some more sleep."
Harry just nodded at him while dusting himself off. "Yes, much better thank you Sir." He answered the Portrait, but found his eye moving to the right. He didn't know why he was surprised. After all every past Headmaster or Mistresses Portrait hung on the wall of the office. But having Snape look back at him with almost a look of pride in his eyes was quite unnerving to say the least. "Professor Snape." He acknowledged him.
Snape gave one nod of his head. "Potter." Harry couldn't help but feel there was something different in the Snape he was looking at like he was finally at peace.
The doors opened and in walked Kingsley and McGonagall. "Oh, good you're all here." McGonagall, acknowledged everyone.
"Yes, Harry, you, Miss Granger and Mr Ron Weasley will come with me. You have official seating on the stage. Everyone else is seated in the VIP area at the front. We will have an Auror show you to your seats." Kingsley informed them. "We are confident we have everything under control. That map of yours Harry has already led to the arrests of 6 people at the gate. Handy little thing."
"I've always found it to be." Harry answered back.
"Yes, well you might have kept out of so much trouble if you didn't have it." McGonagall looked at him then flicked her gaze to Hermione and Ron. "If I had ever known about it over the years, well let's just say it would no longer be in existence. So I suppose it is good I didn't."
"So caught anyone important?" Bill asked interested.
"Not really. More just some that are related to Death Eaters. They clearly didn't want to be reckonised. But past that we can't find any reason for the use of the Polly Juice Potion." Robard's answered them. "Oh and two we believe to be part of a muggleborn slave trade that was starting. You're life for your hard work and service." He finished shaking his head.
"That's criminal." Hermione protested.
"Yes, Miss Granger it is. But we really must be on our way." Kingsley interrupted what Harry was sure to be a long lecture from Hermione.
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Hopefulled.