7. Ginny's Other and Harry's Excuse

They were interrupted by a loud crash followed by a shrill screeching coming from above. They pulled out their wands and ran across the room, edging quietly up the stairs.

'… POND SCUM! INTRUDERS IN MY NOBLE HOUSE! TRAITORS TO YOUR BLOOD! …'

Something had obviously disturbed the portrait of Mrs. Black. She was screaming at the top of her lungs. 'MUDBLOODS AND TRAITORS! GET OUT! WHERE IS KREACHER AND THAT UNGRATEFUL BRAT CHILD OF MINE? GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! ARGGGGH! STAY AWAY FROM ME! … GET AWAY!' Mrs. Black's screams suddenly became more hysterical as Harry peered out from the stairwell.

'Shut-up-or-I-will-curse-you-until-you-are-nothing-but-a-blob-of-paint' Ginny said threateningly 'And don't think I don't know how' Harry and the others emerged from the doorway to find Tonks battling her way out from under a heap of bags, apologizing profusely, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looking on dumbfounded as Ginny stood in duelling stance, wand pointing at Mrs. Blacks portrait. Mrs. Black was hunched in the corner of her painting with her elbow in front of her face. 'Nooo…' she wailed pitifully.

Harry and Ron rushed over and to their surprise the curtains pulled shut with no resistance. They turned to look at Ginny; her eyes were glittering dangerously.

'Where did that come from?' Ron was looking at his sister with a mixture of shock and awe.
'She's a horrible old bat who deserves a bit of her own back.' Ginny said angrily, pulling herself up straight again.

'Yes … well' Mrs. Weasley was eyeing Ginny uncertainly 'I think it best if we get this stuff upstairs before she starts up again.'
'Somehow I don't think that will be a problem.' Harry said eyeing Ginny appreciatively. Ginny gave him a piercing look as she picked up the small cage containing Albert, her pink pigmy puff.

'I'll put some tea on then, shall I?' Tonks appeared unabashed by Ginny's display as she turned and started down the stairs towards the kitchen, Hermione and Ginny in tow. Harry felt a stab of pain in the pit of his stomach as he watched her go. She had never looked so … cold.

'What are you doing here?' Ron took Mr. Weasleys bags and Harry picked up the ones Tonks had dropped, then they made their way upstairs.
'Induction day, remember?' he said as they piled into an empty room on the first floor.
'Take those into Hermiones room will you dear?' Mrs. Weasley nodded at the bags Harry was carrying 'Ginny can bunk in with her again.'

Harry turned and headed to Hermiones room. He plonked the bags down at the foot of the spare bed and one of them, a shopping bag stuffed with clothes, toppled over spilling some of its contents onto the faded rug. Harry bent down and grabbed a handful of clothes, stuffing them back into the overly full bag.

As he reached for the last piece of clothing; a soft pink fleecy jumper of Ginny's he was particularly fond of, he noticed a white card lying just under the bed. He picked it up and turned it over and what he saw made his stomach drop. Staring back out at him, smiling lazily was Ginny. She looked content and happy as she leaned against Dean Thomas's chest. He was grinning at Ginny with his arm comfortably around her. It had been taken the day they had played Quidditch at The Burrow.

Seeing her so intimate with another man clawed at his heart. So this is why she had seemed so cold. He brought his hand up under his glasses, and rubbed his eyes, the ache in him swelling painfully. He hadn't noticed them together that day. How long had she been in contact with him again? He chided himself for being stupid. It was what he wanted, wasn't it? He'd told her they could not be together so of course she would move on. And yet he felt ... betrayed.

The hurt in him made him angry and his fists clenched. Just two nights ago on the same day the photo had been taken she had come to his bed. Is this why she had gone to leave him when he had denied her? Had she come to him because she could not go to Dean? The thought made him sick. He had been struggling to let her go but now he had been jolted back to reality. He couldn't bring himself to look at the photo again; instead he stuffed it into the bag, covering it with the pink jumper.

He went back down to the kitchen where Hermione and Ginny were huddled in conversation. Tonks handed him a cup of tea. When Hermione finally looked up she gave Harry a questioning frown. Harry was staring at Ginny, watching her stroke Crookshanks who was curled in her lap purring loudly. Albert was nuzzling into her neck on her shoulder. Barely controlled anger rippled through him, daring her to look at him. But Ginny did not look up. She went on petting Crookshanks, smiling at him and talking softly in his ear. Hermione glanced at Ginny then back at Harry again. 'Is everything alright, Harry?'

'Everything's just fine' he said, irritated at his own pain. He turned his back on them and added a spoon a sugar to his cup.

'Well … that's all done!' said Mr. Weasley briskly as he entered the room. 'Fred and George will be here later this afternoon. Lupin not back yet?'

'No' Harry said leaning back against the bench stirring his tea, he was glad he would have a distraction when the twins arrived.
'If he's not back I think we should postpone it. He will want to be here I'm sure.'
'Is that really necessary?' Harry said impatiently.

Mr. Weasley was looking at him with the same inquiring frown as Hermione. 'Yes, actually. I think it is.' He said seriously 'He is the head of The Order now and should be present at the induction of three new members.'

Harry looked up 'Three?' he said abruptly, looking around at Ron, who had just come in and sat down at the table 'You don't mean…' but he couldn't finish what he was about to say, he knew how it would have sounded to Ron and Hermione who were already eyeing him challengingly.

'No.' Mr. Weasley answered, following Harry's thoughts. 'Fred and George are becoming official members too.'
'Oh … right' Harry exhaled with relief.
'You don't have to sound so relieved … it wasn't from lack of trying, believe me!' said Ron, shooting a glance at Mr. Weasley.

'The Order does not accept people who are still at school, Ron.' Mr. Weasley said sternly 'Harry will be our youngest member ever and I doubt there will ever be one as young as him again. His case is unique, as I've explained to you before.' Ron rolled his eyes.

'We haven't got our letters yet' Hermione chimed in 'maybe we wont be going to school this year either.'
'In that event, you still wont be joining The Order. I am sure there are other things for which you could be put to use'
'Like what?' Ron said defensively

'We'll cross that bridge when we come to it!' Mrs. Weasley had been standing in the doorway listening. 'Ginny, has that cat of yours turned up yet?'

'What cat?' Ron asked what Harry had been thinking.
'No, not yet' Ginny said without looking up, her attention on Albert.

'What cat?'

'There's been a cat hanging around at The Burrow the past few days,' Mrs. Weasley reached into the cupboard and pulled out some potatoes 'We've seen it on occasion before but it's been around a lot lately,' She fussed about getting knives out of the draws 'comes and goes as it pleases, seems to spend most of it's time looking for Ginny, at least it's always in her room. Why she'd want with another pet, I don't know.'

'Why don't you just boot it out?' Ron asked
'Because I've adopted it!' Ginny said angrily 'and if you harm it in any way I'll-'
'Steady on … I wouldn't do anything to it … I just thought if you wanted rid of it-'
'Well I don't! And if it turns up you leave it alone!' Ginny said, her eyes blazing.
'Fair enough.' Ron shrugged 'What does it look like so I know not to kick it out the door.' Ginny scowled at him

'It's got rusty coloured long fur' said Mr. Weasley who had been following the conversation behind his copy of the Daily Prophet 'with white patches on it's face and feet. Quite a young cat I think, rather smart too.' He smiled appreciatively 'It frightened a gnome out of my boot that would have given me a nasty bite had I of managed to put my foot in it.'

'Hermione and Ginny, you can give me a hand with lunch.' Mrs. Weasley had knives chopping speedily as she poured a sauce into a pan on the stove.
'I'll be outside then.' Tonks appeared to have given up offering her help in the kitchen and she left to relieve for guard duty.

Harry gulped down his tea and went up to his room, the last thing he wanted to do was eat. He stood by the window and looked out at the overgrown grass in the front yard. He felt petty and selfish at his own jealousy. He should've been glad for Ginny, she was moving on and doing exactly as he had asked. But the ache within him would not abate. He was embarrassed to think part of him had held some hope that she would wait for him ... even pine longingly for him.

He walked over to Hedwig and wincing, reached an arm up for her to sit on. She fluttered down and blinked at him expectantly. 'Looks like it'll always be you and me girl' he said softly, stroking the feathers above her beak. He opened the drawer and pushed aside his bloodied t-shirt to get at the owl treats. Grabbing a handful he sat on the bed and let Hedwig perch on his knee. As he sat feeding them to her, he heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

Expecting Ron or Hermione coming to get him for lunch he said 'It's okay, I'm not hungry!' The shadowy figure did not speak as it came to a stop in the doorway. 'I'll eat later…' His voice trailed off as he saw Ginny standing there watching him. His face immediately changed and he turned back to Hedwig. 'I'll be down later.' He said gravely, his heart was pounding in his chest as she stepped into the room.

'You didn't even say goodbye' Her voice was little more than a whisper. 'At The Burrow … I thought at least you would say goodbye-'
'What was the point' Harry said callously, concentrating on Hedwig 'you're here now aren't you?' he wanted to hurt her. He wanted Ginny to know how he felt.

She hesitated for a moment then slowly and uncertainly walked further into the room, running her hand along the dressing table. As she spoke she sounded reluctant to talk, and Harry found he did not feel for her.

'Harry, I need to tell you something…' She said slowly. He watched her as she paused, her expression darkening as she looked down at the dresser. With a sudden intake of breath Harry realized why she had stopped talking. He jumped up, sending Hedwig screeching in a flurry of feathers back to the top of the wardrobe. Before he could reach the drawer he had sloppily left open, Ginny had yanked out his t-shirt, her eyes scanning the torn and bloodied marks in horror.

'What is this?' she breathed, her brow frowning deeply.
He snatched the top and threw it in the cupboard, slamming it closed angrily. 'Nothing … it's nothing!'
'Harry, what happened?' she tried to catch his eye, her voice full of concern. Harry was furious with himself for being so careless, and he directed his anger onto Ginny.

'Nothing that concerns you Ginny, so just butt out! This is none of your business!' his anger had finally reached boiling point. 'You've got no right to come in here and start asking questions! And you'd better not repeat what you just saw!' He flung his arms up and clasped them behind his head in frustration, ignoring the burning pain from his wounds.

'Arrrrgh! Why isn't anything ever easy!' He closed his eyes for a moment before looking at Ginny, who was staring wide-eyed at him. He knew this was the perfect moment so he seized it. 'I've already told you to stay away from me but you keep coming back! Listen to me! Stay out of my business and out of my life!' As he said it his body shuddered. Not from rage; he felt like he was being torn in two.

He breathed heavily, his eyes on the floor waiting to hear her footsteps running from the room. He had said what he had not been able to bring himself to say until now. He despised himself for his outburst, so much so that he was not able to look at her. There was a long silence in which she stood motionless, and then she walked up to him and touched her hand to his face. In spite of himself he pressed his cheek to her palm, his eyes heavy with the tenderness of her touch.

'I know what you're doing' her green eyes swelled with tears 'and it only makes me want to be with you even more.' and she closed her eyes and kissed him as bittersweet tears spilled onto her cheeks. He felt sure she had been ready to tell him about Dean, but he did not want to hear it from her mouth. A mouth that was both so sweet and yet so cruel at the same time. He kissed her fiercely, punishing her for her betrayal of him. When they pulled apart her lips were red and swollen.

'You can't drive me away, Harry,' her face was full of sadness, her voice unsteady 'no matter what you say. The way I feel ... no one can take that away … not even you.'
Harry scooped her to him again 'You make me nuts, you know that?' he breathed and this time he kissed her with all the tenderness of her words. A sad smile crept across her lips as she pulled away from him.

'Harry! Ginny! Lunch is on the table!' Mrs. Weasley yelled up the stairwell to them.

'We'll be down in a few minutes!' Ginny yelled out of the doorway and then went to the draws and pulled out a fresh t-shirt. Harry frowned, still breathing heavily with passion. He followed her gaze down at his chest and for the first time he realized his wounds had been bleeding again, the dark patches of blood had seeped through his bandages and were creeping across his maroon t-shirt.

'Here' she said quietly 'let me help you' She lifted his t-shirt over his head and redressed his wounds with bandages she summoned, far better than those Harry had managed to call upon. He was surprised she knew such magic but she waved it off, attributing it to watching her mother. She did not ask him any more questions and Harry did not offer her any answers. There was an understanding between them, one that he could not have trusted to anyone else.

Fred and George arrived in the late afternoon carrying a box of test items eventually due for their store. They settled in for the evening, sharing Ron's room after a sumptuous roast served up by Mrs. Weasley.

That night as Harry laid waiting for sleep to take him with his door slightly ajar, he felt something leap onto the covers by his feet. Crookshanks! He thought, but when he lifted his head to greet him as it padded up alongside his body, he realized in the moonlight that this cat was much smaller than Crookshanks, it was also darker in colour though it had delicate white paws that gave the impression it was wearing socks, and it's face was also patched with white fur that gave it a definite feminine appearance.

It looked like Ginny's cat had turned up after all and as he reached out to pet it, he noticed how soft and silky it's fur was. It nuzzled affectionately into his hand making it's way up to his face, and purring loudly it settled, laying its head on his pillow with it's body stretched out below it. Harry laughed softly.

'Shouldn't you be with your mistress? Or has she sent you to keep an eye on me?' he mused. He continued playing with its fur and stroking its head as he laid his head back down and before long he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

The next morning Lupin turned up, and by lunchtime a crowd of Order members had gathered around the large kitchen table. Mrs. Black had been set off three times as they had arrived banging on the door or ringing the bell. She had launched into her usual rant, though the moment Ginny had appeared with her wand drawn she had retreated back into the corner of her painting wailing at the injustice of it all. Everyone appeared most impressed by her ability to quell Mrs. Black and it was mentioned in passing jest more than once that she should be added to the list inductees to The Order.

Once everyone had arrived, Lupin asked all non-members to leave the table and then he called on Fred, George and Harry to stand.

'Before we get down to the latest Order business' Lupin said as he looked around 'we will swear in our three new members.' Lupin looked down to the opposite end of the table where Harry and the twins stood. He spoke ominously.

'You should not undertake membership into The Order of The Phoenix lightly.' He said, looking from one to the other. 'If it is adventure and glory you seek then you will not find it here. Being an Order member is an extremely dangerous and rather thankless job,' he said seriously 'if you have any doubts about joining, you should speak now before we go any further. There is no shame in admitting that The Order is not for you.' Harry and the twins stood silently firm.

Lupin sighed gravely 'Right then, there is a short swearing in first and then we will get on with business.' Lupin shuffled through some papers on the table in front of him. Harry looked down at his feet as he felt something nudge his leg. Ginny's cat had curled itself around his legs; it's tail high in the air. He watched as it sat down partially on his foot and looked up at him with its green eyes. He smiled at it faintly amused. It had gone by the time he woke in the morning and yet he'd had the feeling that it had stayed with him all night. He turned his attention back to Lupin.

He was holding a piece of parchment in his hand from which he started reading aloud in the monotonous tone of someone going through the motions.

'You will now be asked to swear an oath of allegiance to The Order of The Phoenix. In doing so you will become privy to all knowledge The Order has already accumulated and you will also be able to partake in any sharing of new information as it comes to hand. As a member of the secret society you will be expected as individuals to uphold to the same truths and ideals as The Order itself.'

Harry swallowed; he had a rather uneasy feeling of where this was going.

'The Order of The Phoenix relies heavily on all of us acting as one,' Lupin read on, unaware of Harry's increasing discomfort 'and as such, no member is to act alone in matters directly relating to the business of The Order. As a member you will be required to share any or all information that may be relevant to our cause of which you either presently or in the future have knowledge of.'

Lupin had said it, exactly that which Harry had feared. Lupin looked over the top of the parchment at the three of them. 'Do you understand the terms thus far before we continue?'

'Yes' Fred and George said in unison.

Harry stood with a frown on his face; an internal struggle raging within him. He had wanted to join The Order ever since he knew of its existence, but how could he under the circumstances? As the long silence stretched out The Order members who had been staring at the table or looking out the small, high window disinterestedly started to turn their heads to look at him. Harry was eyeing them all uncomfortably; aware he was backing himself into a corner with his silence.

'Harry?' Lupin's tone was one of doubt as he leant his hands on the table in front of him. 'Do you have something to say?' Harry's mind was racing. Why hadn't he thought of this? He was unwittingly full of secrets that he had absolutely no intention of revealing to any of them. Dumbledore had told him to tell no one other than Ron and Hermione about Voldemort's means of immortality, and to get to Bellatrix he knew he was going to have to keep Snapes little visit to himself as well. Harry could not, in good conscience, join them on a lie.

'I-I've changed my mind.' Harry could think of no other way out of it. 'I don't think I'm ready to join yet.' He could feel the colour rising in his cheeks. 'I'd like to think about it, maybe join later like you said.' Harry thought the guilt he was feeling was written all over his face. 'I-I'm sorry … I don't mean to waste your time.' And without looking at them he moved quickly out of the room and climbed the stairs, leaving a stunned silence behind him.

He went straight on up to his room, not wanting to face anyone. He knew Ron and Hermione would understand once he explained the situation, after all they too shared the Horcrux secret. But Ginny, she would think he was a coward and he would not be able to explain.

As he went to close the door behind him, the small red and white cat darted into the closing gap and ran passed him, jumping onto his bed. Hedwig watched the cat from her perch with interest as Harry walked over to it, picked it up, and holding it aloft in front of him, sat down.

'Back again … what's your name anyway?' He pulled the cat to his chest and rubbed it affectionately on the neck. 'I guess I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do when the meeting is over. I'd better come up with something good too.' he said under his breath.

'What do you think Socks?' the cat clawed gently up his chest and rubbed it's head under Harry's chin. 'Lupins never going to understand … and neither is Ginny.' He said thoughtfully, but then he was distracted by the fervent purring of Socks as she rubbed herself around Harry's neck. He lay back on his arm with her curled into his chest and he spent a long while just stroking her. She rolled on her back playfully and batted Harry's hand softly with her front paws as he smiled affectionately at her. Then there was a knock at the door.

'Come in.' Harry sat up and Socks jumped off the bed. Lupin swung the door open and entered, a grave look on his face, and as he closed the door Socks darted through it and down the stairs.

'Harry,' he sounded very serious though Harry could detect no anger in his voice. 'I want to talk to you about what happened down stairs.' Harry waited for it, wondering how he was going to get out of this convincingly. Lupin sat on the bed next to him 'I'm sorry we put you in such an awkward position.' Harry was thrown by this statement and could think of nothing to say.

'Arthur and I should have realized that you were too young still. We were carried away with your past performance and assumed too much.' Harry sat bewildered 'Of course you're not ready to join The Order, you've had enough to deal with without taking on the added responsibility that comes with belonging to such a society,' Lupin put his hand on Harry's shoulder 'and there was no need to be embarrassed. Not a single person present in that room thinks any less of you, they are all very much aware of what you have done in the past.'

Harry finally understood what he was talking about. Lupin and the others had thought his red-faced silence had been from embarrassment. They actually thought he feared becoming a member of The Order. Relief wash over him. He wouldn't have to come up with some half-baked excuse and they remained clueless as to the real reason why he had backed out.

He gave Lupin the most sheepish look he could muster 'Yeah … I just didn't feel ready after all.'
'That's quite understandable, Harry.' Lupin said sincerely.
'Suppose Fred and George are in?' he must have overplayed his disappointment because Lupin put his arm around the back of Harry's shoulders and joggled him reassuringly.

'You'll make it one day Harry, when you're ready. And I'm willing to bet you'll be the most outstanding member The Order has ever seen,' then Lupin added with a smile 'besides Dumbledore.' Then Lupin lifted himself from the bed and headed for the door. 'Would you like me to send Ron and Hermione up?' Lupin was being rather tactful about Harry's supposed embarrassment and although Harry had been glad it had worked out this way, he couldn't help but feel miffed that Lupin had believed Harry afraid of joining The Order. But he swallowed his pride.

'Yeah. Thanks.'

When Ron and Hermione entered the room Harry could see by the look on their faces that Lupin had told them his version of events. Hermione approached him as she would a sick pigmy puff and Ron looked just plain uncomfortable. It irritated Harry even more to think his own two best friends would believe it of him.

'Are you okay, Harry?' Hermione sat down next to him and touched his arm reassuringly. Harry tilted his head at her and gave her a sarcastic look.

'Before you both start' he sighed 'the reason I didn't join The Order is because you are bound to reveal all information pertaining to Voldemort that you know, which means that I would have had to tell them about the Horcruxes, alright? Lupin and the others just assumed I was scared and I didn't correct them because it would have led to all sorts of questions that I couldn't answer!'

'Oh' Hermione removed her hand as her cheeks went pink.
'I knew it had to be something like that!' Ron sat down on Harry's other side and grinned at him 'didn't believe a word of what Lupin said.'
'Oh really?' said Hermione as she raised an eyebrow 'That's why you wanted me to come up here on my own to talk to him first, was it?'

It was Rons turn to turn pink.

'Look, it doesn't matter now.' Harry said 'We've bought some time, so lets spend it going over what we've learned so far about the locket.'
'Good idea!' said Hermione shooting Ron a disapproving look 'Well we're all in agreement that it could have been Kreacher who helped Regulus obtain the locket right?' Ron nodded as Harry picked up Socks who had wandered into the room again tailing Ron and Hermione. He stood up and carried her over to the door, pushing it closed, then sat down on the rug and placed Socks in the crook of his crossed legs.

'It's the best theory we've got to go on' he said 'so I guess the next step is to question Kreacher'
'That'll be a delightful treat.' Said Ron flatly.

'If he was with Regulus when he obtained the Horcrux he may be able to tell us what happened to it.' Hermione was looking curiously at Socks. 'Is that Ginny's cat?'
'Yeah' said Harry 'so … I suppose I'd better call him then.' He said reluctantly.
'What's its name?'
'What? Oh … I don't know, I've been calling her Socks, she seems to like it.' She was purring loudly and had her eyes squished together enjoying Harry's attention.

'Do you think he'll come?' Ron asked obviously hopeful the answer would be no.
Harry shrugged 'He's come when I've called before.'
'He has to come. Give him a call!' Hermione said.

All three of them were silent for a moment, Ron had raised his eyebrow in anticipation while Hermione grimaced and Harry was looking at them both with a wry smile. He rose off the floor and looked up at the air in front of him and called 'Kreacher!'

CRACK!

At first Harry couldn't quite work out what he was looking at, it appeared to be a house elf but it had too many arms and legs.

'He calls me!' it croaked 'the mudblood lover calls me to him, in my Mistresses home no less. Kreacher will go and speak with his Mistress, yes-'
'Harry Potter is your master and Dobby is loyal, even if nasty Kreacher is not!' another voice squeaked.

'Dobby? … What's going on? What are you doing here?' Harry was standing with Socks perched on his foot looking down in puzzlement.
It appeared that Kreacher and Dobby were stuck together, though how Harry couldn't tell.