No I am still not JK Rowling and I am not making any money off this story.

Sorry for taking so long to get this chapter out. I am trying to post 2 chapters a week, but I just didn't get a chance to this week.

Chapter Seven

The Burden of Knowledge

Harry stood with his back against the Burrow. He had followed Taylor out of the house a while after she had come out to the garden. He watched her as she was supposed to be picking a cucumber. Her hair was the same shade of mahogany that his Mom's had been, he thought as the sun danced in Taylor's hair, making it appear very deep red at the moment. Of course Taylor's hair was cut short, unlike his Mom's, which had been long, he remembered from the pictures he had of his mother. Taylor's hair had always been cut short, boyishly short actually. Harry frowned. He wondered why a girl who had such pretty hair would keep it cut so short. Ginny's long beautiful hair came to mind. Harry gave himself a mental shake. He hadn't followed Taylor out here to think about her hair. It was what she had almost let slip that had brought him out to talk to her. Harry's frown deepened. Sometimes he almost wished Dumbledore hadn't told him about Taylor being his sister; he didn't feel any differently about her now. He had thought of her as a sister anyway, just like Hermione. "You don't feel any differently about her now that you know; are you sure of that?" a small voice in the back of his mind whispered. He pushed the thought angrily aside. He couldn't afford to let himself feel anything more deeply for Taylor. Besides, how much more could he feel for her; she was one of his best friends. "What about your feelings for Ginny? They are definitely different," that same small voice whispered again.

Harry pushed himself off the wall and walked towards Taylor. She was just bending to pick another cucumber. He could tell her mind was a million miles away, or more precisely almost a year back in time in Dumbledore's office. He stopped beside her and she didn't give any indication that she knew he was even there. Harry was suddenly struck with how dangerous that could be for them and it made his voice sharper than he had intended. "Taylor! We need to have a talk."

Taylor gasped and jerked to her feet, spinning around to face him. The vegetables that she had picked fell to the ground. Her eyes were wide with surprise. Harry was amazed again by how much like their father's eyes they were.

"You scared the living daylights out of me, Harry," Taylor cried, hitting him on the arm with her hand. Her breathing was starting to return to normal. She bent to pick up the vegetables she had dropped and said, "What would you like to talk about anyway, Harry?"

When she straightened up with the vegetables for Mrs. Weasley in her arms, Harry said, "I think we should have a talk about us," and he gave her a meaningful look, "but not out here."

She stared hard at Harry for a moment, trying to decide if he was angry or not, then she said, "I'll just take these vegetables into Mrs. Weasley and I'll be right back out, OK?" As she finished speaking, she was already heading for the house. She gave the vegetables to Mrs. Weasley, smiled at Ron who was peeling potatoes, and gave a wave to Ginny and Hermione who were putting things into a cauldron on the table. They were mixing up an enlargement potion for the flowers for the wedding. Then she slipped back outside, where Harry was waiting for her.

They moved away from the house and under an old tree in the backyard. Taylor sat down on the grass and curled her feet under her. Harry sat with his back against the tree. He pulled out his wand and did the Muffliato charm so they could talk without worrying about being overheard.

Taylor was the first to speak, her voice resigned, "I know what you are going to say. I need to be more careful so I don't let it slip that we are related. I hate this Harry. I know Dumbledore has, ahh… had good reasons, to keep it a secret, but I still don't like it. Well on to happier notes; sorry I missed your birthday yesterday, but Mrs. Briggs wanted help de-gnomeing her garden so I couldn't make it over. I'm sure you got your present anyway. I gave it to Hedwig to take to you," Taylor finished with a big smile.

Harry rolled his eyes. This was one of Taylor's ways of trying to get out of talking about something really serious. "Yeah, I got your card and thanks for the owl treats and the fake wand. I suppose it's one of Fred and Georges from their joke shop?" Harry asked. He knew Taylor had never had a lot of money and the gifts were special to him. He knew what it was like to not have any money. When he continued, his voice turned serious and he looked straight at Taylor. She glanced away and started fiddling with the grass. "Look, Taylor, I know it is hard for you to keep our parents names a secret and not tell anyone, not even Ron and Hermione, but Dumbledore had a reason, to protect you from Voldemort. If Voldemort found out who you were, your life would be in danger! We have to keep it a secret. It's just you and me now, and I'm sure that Mom and Dad would want you to stay safe." Taylor looked up at Harry and nodded. Harry let out a sigh. Maybe he had finally made her see the danger she would be in.

Taylor was quiet for a minute and when she began to speak her voice was controlled as if she were fighting to contain her emotions. "Harry, I know Dumbledore wanted to protect me. I've always known, somehow, that the identity of my parents was something to be kept a secret. Why else would Dumbledore ask me not to ask questions about them in the first week I was ever at Hogwarts? Then wait for six years to tell me who they were? I have tried very hard to keep this information to myself and away from even my best friends. It has not been easy. Especially when I haven't been able to talk to my brother about it either," Taylor held up her hand to stop Harry from interrupting. "I know you had other things last year that took up all your time, like going with Dumbledore to try and find the Horcruxes, and juggling quidditch and school work and everything. I know you have a lot on your mind, now too, and I have tried very hard to keep this all to myself. I don't want to add to the trouble that we are facing,"

Taylor's voice was starting to crack, her knuckles white as she clenched her fists. She had to tell Harry how she felt, and there might not be another chance. "But I know what kind of danger you are in, and Ron and Hermione, and the danger I am in too, just because we are trying to stop Voldemort. So if you think that telling me that I will be in danger of being killed if the secret of who my parents are gets out is going to scare me, then you really do not know who I am. I've been in danger every year at Hogwarts just because I am one of Harry Potter's friends. I didn't walk away then and I'm definitely not about to now. I plan to stand beside you all the way. If I get killed, Harry, who besides you and our best friends will care? Nobody. But if you die, I will be alone again. I fear that more than anything Voldemort could do to me, whether he knows who my mom and dad are or not. I'm proud to call James and Lily Potter my parents, and I only keep the secret because I respect Dumbledore so much," Taylor took a deep breath. She knew that had not come out as she had hoped and that she had rambled on, "I know you do not plan on going back to Hogwarts, and if you don't go back, neither am I. I've made up my mind whether you like it or not."

Harry just looked at Taylor, and then he could feel his blood beginning to boil. He was not going to let her come with him. Ron and Hermione were different; they were of age. He was just about to tell her exactly how he felt when he heard something and looked up. Ron was walking toward them with a weary look on his face. Harry quickly flicked his wand to undo the silencing charm and got to his feet, still intending to tell Taylor what he thought. Ron beat him to the punch.

"What the bloody hell have you two been doing out here for so long? Ginny's looking for you, Harry," Ron said looking from one to the other. Taylor's face was pale but starting to turn red. Harry's face was red, and if Ron had taken a moment longer to look he would have noticed it was from anger not embarrassment. But he didn't. He knew by the way Taylor had been looking at Harry just now that something was going on. Ron was furious. Harry and Ginny had just gotten back together and then Taylor had to arrive at the Burrow this morning and started stirring up trouble. Ron had always thought Taylor had a crush on Harry and ever since last September she had been annoyingly going on about Harry, and she was always watching him. It was sick, Ron thought. Ginny needs to hex Taylor a time or two, so Taylor knew who Harry really belonged to.

Taylor looked at Ron and could almost read the thoughts going through his mind, his face becoming angrier by the second. She knew from experience that Ron would jump to some conclusion. She definitely didn't see what Hermione found so attractive about him. She knew that any idea of talking more to Harry tonight was gone, so she said, just to annoy Ron even more, "Oh, my, it is getting late. I really need to go home now but I'll see you tomorrow," Taylor batted her eyes at Harry and blew him a kiss as she turned and went into the Burrow. A big grin on her face as soon as Harry and Ron couldn't see it, which left Harry scrambling to calm down big brother Ron.

Taylor could see Ginny and Hermione putting a greenish liquid into a bottle from the cauldron where they had brewed the enlargement potion. Ginny wasn't even looking for Harry. "Hey, how'd the potion work out? Have you tried it yet?" Taylor asked as she tried to hide the smile. She didn't quite manage it. "I've got to go home. Mrs. Briggs is expecting me for supper."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. Taylor looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. Something was up, but she said, "Are you going to be able to come over tomorrow? We've told Mrs. Weasley that we would start decorating the back yard."

Ginny was eyeing Taylor too. She knew trouble when she saw it smiling like that. She was related to Fred and George, pranksters extraordinary. "I think Mom was counting on you to stay for supper; you'd better let her know before you go."

Mrs. Weasley bustled into the kitchen at that moment, "Taylor did I just hear you say you aren't staying for supper? We've lots and you are most welcome to stay."

"No, I'm sorry Mrs. Weasley. Mrs. Briggs is expecting me for supper and she will have auror's out looking for me if I'm not there," Taylor replied, going over to the fireplace and pulling out some floo powder from her pocket. "See you all tomorrow, and Ginny you might want to make sure Ron doesn't jinx Harry to death." Grinning again, she winked her eye at them, stepped into the fireplace and said "Briggs Cottage," before either of them had a chance to say another word. She would hear about it tomorrow, she was sure of it, but for now that little bit of mischief felt good.

Taylor had no more than spun away in the fireplace when Ginny, Hermione and Mrs. Weasley heard loud voices coming in through the open window.

"I told you Ron I was not snogging Taylor, we were just talking," the angry voice of Harry shouted.

"I know what I saw. You're lucky Fred and George didn't," they didn't hear what Fred and George didn't, because there was a loud crack and two new voices hurtling jinx's. Ginny, Hermione, and Mrs. Weasley, went running out to the back yard, wands drawn. The sight that met their eyes might have been funny if it hadn't been such a shock. Ron was laying flat on his back. Vines were wrapping themselves around his body, turning him into a green mummy before their eyes. Harry was jumping up and down but every time his feet hit the ground a bolt of lightning would fly out of his feet and hands; his yelps of pain almost a constant yell. Then there was Fred and George standing with their wands out, pointing at Ron and Harry, and calmly discussing what they should do next.

"What do you think Fred? Do we need to teach these two pups a lesson?" George asked.

"Most definitely, George. They were about to do something nasty if we hadn't happened along. Good thing we decided to come for supper early," Fred replied.

"Fred, George, let those two up this instant! This is not acceptable. What do you think you are doing jinxing Harry and Ron like that!" Mrs. Weasley yelled angrily at the twins.

"Oh, Mum, how are you today?" George said as if noticing her for the first time.

"I'm not sure you want us to do that, Mother-dear. These two were fixing to have themselves a little fist-a-cuff when we so luckily happened along. I wouldn't want little Ronnie-pooh hurting our little Harry-kins," said Fred. However with another look from their mother that would have had most people retreating in a hurry, they casually lifted their wands and uttered the counter jinx.

"Ok then, their blood will be on your heads," George said dramatically.

A/N So what did you think? Are the charactors staying canon? If you don't think so please let me know. I want Harry and the others to be as cannon as possible. I'd very much like to hear what you think of this story. If you have read this far then you must have some oppinion, I'd really like to hear it! With over 14 000 words posted I really like to hear a few from you, the reader!

Thank you again to my bata, barbc!

So unitl next time, cytpotter