Harry woke up to sunshine streaming through the sitting room windows.
He realized quickly that he and Ginny were still in the living room. he sat up rubbing his face.
Ginny slept soundly next to him, beneath a blanket.
At that moment he heard someone was in the kitchen. He realized suddenly he wasn't sure if this was something they should have done. Perhaps Mrs and Mr Weasley wouldn't approve of them sleeping down in the living room.
Harry got up and found Mrs Weasley in the kitchen making breakfast.
"Oh, morning dear." She greeted him.
Harry blinked.
"Good morning. Sorry ah - I guess we fell asleep down here." Harry apologized.
"Mmm. I did notice." She said, slightly indifferently.
She seemed distracted though. Harry could tell.
"Well, breakfast will be done soon. Could you let Ron and Hermione know?" Mrs Weasley asked him.
"Ah - yeah, yeah. I'll do that." He agreed, retreating upstairs quickly.
He found Ron looking disgruntled, sitting on his bed.
Ron rounded on him instantlyat him.
"I just got in a ton a trouble because of you." He glared at him.
Harry closed the door behind him.
"W-what do you mean? What happened?" Harry asked.
"Mom came bursting in here this morning and Hermione was with me and you weren't here so she overreacted and freaked out." Ron glared.
"Why were you downstairs anyway, it's wicked early?" Ron asked.
Harry was on the spot now.
"Ah, Gin and I accidentally fell asleep down there last night." Harry coughed.
Ron raised his brows, frowning.
"Oh, so you got to grope my baby sister all night downstairs, that's fine though. Yet, only I'm in trouble!" Ron glared at him.
"I-I don't grope her." Harry shot back, frustrated, and bewildered.
"You want to." Ron immediately retorted.
it was the truth. He certainly did want to, but he had always tried his best to respect Ginny and believed in allowing her to set the pace of their relationship.
Harry glared back at him.
"And, dont talk about her like that." He added, sharply.
"Don't talk about her like what?" Ron looked at him confused and annoyed.
"Like, like she's loose, or -or something." Harry whispered, angrily.
Neither heard a floor board creek out on the landing.
Ron scoffed at him.
"She's had enough boyfriends to spread that rumor herself I think." Ron sneered.
Harry gave him a hard look. His mouth in a thin line.
"That's out of line!" He growled, trying to stay quiet, not wanting the rest of the house to hear.
"I see the way you look at her, you'd love to grope her. Don't act like your superior or wouldn't take the opportunity if you could." Ron sneered.
Harry sighed loudly. He wasn't exactly wrong but he'd never admit it to him.
Some things were surly better left unsaid.
"I am sorry you feel like I got you in trouble, Ron." Harry blurted out, not willing to continue this discussion.
Ron narrowed his eyes at him.
Suddenly, a noise in the doorway startled them.
"Ron. Go downstairs." Said Ginny, angrily, standing in the doorway.
Ron glared at them both and stalked off.
He mumbled something that Harry couldn't quite make out, but it sounded a lot like 'bossing me around, now.'
Ginny turned, shooting daggers at Ron with one glance.
Ginny hugged Harry once Ron had descended the stairs.
He hugged her back.
"I heard you stand up for me with Ron. Thank you." She whispered to him.
Harry rubbed her back softly enjoying the sensation of her soft shirt.
"Of course. He-he was kind of being a jerk. He's just upset, he'll get over it." Harry mumbled before they retreated back downstairs together.
They found an even more disgruntled looking Ron and a pink cheeked Hermione eating at the kitchen table with Mrs Weasley.
Harry who was still often feeling famished ate second helpings of eggs and potatoes and bacon.
Ron and Hermione were both quiet as they ate that morning. They noticeable ate less than they normally would have.
Mrs Weasley was the one who ended up breaking the silence.
"So, loves? Do you have everything ready to go for the trip?" She asked.
"Hmm. Yeah. We're just about ready to leave later on. Just a few last minute things to pack. It's hard to know what to bring."Hermione said.
Their portkey was set to take them to Germany later that day, from there they would take another portkey to Australia.
"Good. Good. Glad to hear it." She smiled just slightly.
Mr Weasley came downstairs that moment, in his weekend clothes. He clearly wasn't going to work that day. He'd been going to work daily since the battle a week earlier.
"Morning." He greeted them all.
"Well, now that Arthur has joined us I wanted to mention something. We were hoping to have a quick family meeting today before you two head off to Australia." Mrs Weasley told them all.
Mr Weasley nodded, in agreement.
Ron laughed a little nervously, but nodded.
"Ag, why? We rarely have family meetings?" Ron asked.
"We can discuss after breakfast"
Harry hoped this wasn't a bad thing, he made eye contact with Ginny for a second but wasn't sure what she meant to tell him.
Too bad he hadn't learn how to read minds.
After breakfast, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny sat in the living room..
"We haven't had a family meeting since our uncle Billius died." Ron whispered to Harry.
"Do you think somethings wrong?" Harry asked.
Ron shrugged. "We're about to find out." Eyeing the doorway
Mr and Mrs Weasley were shuffling into the room at that moment.
They sat down on the sofa opposite of them.
"So." Mrs Weasley began, looking over at her husband.
"We just wanted to touch on a few things before you left for Australia." Mr Weasley explained.
"We know a lot has changed recently and things are a bit different now." Mrs Weasley continued.
She wrung her hands together briefly.
"And, we're not sure what you three were used to while away this past year. But, we do need to cover some ground rules, especially since you are in relationships with each other now." Mrs Weasley looked to her husband for assistance.
Mr Weasley continued on. "Obviously, Ron Hermione, we can't tell you what to do when you're in Australia, you're of age and won't be in our home. But, there are rules here, and we need you four to follow them, at least when you are here." Mr Weasley told them.
"When you are here, we do need to come to an agreement about what the expectations are and such. Like, sharing rooms or beds, and things along those lines." Mr Weasley clearly attempted to skate around the topic he wished to avoid.
Ron shifted a little.
"Well, that's not really fair." Ron blurted out.
He looked kinda shocked himself at his outburst.
"Oh?" His mother glared at him.
Ron looked like he was about to backtrack.
Hermione elbowed him slightly but no one noticed.
"It's just, Hermione is used to sleeping in the same room as Harry and I. It's just what we are all used to now. It's comforting for her." Ron explained cautiously. Sensing his mother's wrath bubbling beneath the surface.
Hermione kindly patted him on the hand. She looked like she might say something.
But Mrs Weasley spoke first.
"Well, that's all good and dandy. However, while we don't exactly care if Hermione stays in your room with you and Harry. Harry actually needs to be in the room with you while this occurs. Mrs Weasley scolded Ron.
"Yeah, no being alone together with the doors closed. That's not allowed. No more sleeping in each other's beds alone. No matter what. Not unless other people are in the room." Mr Weasley explained.
"We understand, Mr and Mrs Weasley." Hermione nodded.
Mr and Mrs Weasley nodded as well.
"And just for the record this goes for everyone. Harry and Ginny too. You also can't be alone together in Ginny's room with the door closed." Mr Weasley explained, surveying his daughter and Harry.
"Look, we don't mind Harry if you go visit Ginny in her room in the morning or whenever, that's fine, we would just rather you two not sleep together in her bed, at least not unless Hermione is also there." Mrs Weasley clarified and Mr Weasley nodded.
Ron did a small double take at this.
"And, we don't necessarily mind if you end up in the living room together, that's fine. But again, that can't mean Ron and Hermione are all alone upstairs." Mrs Weasley explained, that was the least of her worries at the moment.
Harry nodded. He wanted to make sure they understood he'd follow their rules.
"I'm s-sorry. But, when the hell were you in bed with my baby sister.?" Ron asked angrily. Looking like he could hit Harry.
Hermione grabbed his arm suddenly.
Ginny glared at him and Harry sighed.
But it was Mr Weasley who spoke.
"Ron, that's not for you to be concerned about. If there's issues we will address them with Harry and Ginny." His father told him sternly.
Harry could see anger rising in Ginny though.
"Yeah, you filthy hypocrite!"Ginny yelled, her face tinged pink with embarrassment or anger, it was impossible to know.
"Be careful Ron. People might think you're promiscuous or something, this is becoming a pattern of yours." Ginny yelled..echoing his previous complaints about her.
"Enough. Now!" Mrs Weasley shouted. She looked aghast.
"That is eno-" Mr Weasley looked livid.
But, Ron didn't stop.
"It's not the same thing at all. And, You're one to talk, you've had boyfriend after boyfriend. Hermione and I are in love with each other."
This shocked nearly everyone in the room into immediate silence. Except Ron and Hermione, who didn't look surprised at all. They had clearly spoken about this privately.
Mrs Weasley broke the silence eventually.
"Respectfully." She began. "Ron, we don't care if you and Hermione are in love with each other. Did you get married in some vagabond wedding while you were off saving the world together this year, that we don't know about?"
"N-no." Ron answered quietly, and Hermione blushed.
"Well, then you have the same exact rules as Ginny and Harry do. No argument. If we have concerns about anything that happens in our home you can be sure it will be addressed, it's not up to you to tell your sister what to do, nor Harry for that matter." She told him sternly.
Ron looked like he swallowed a lemon, but nodded.
"And, we certainly could have had this discussion privately but we didn't want to make anyone feel singled out or embarrassed. But, quite frankly Ron this meeting happened because of what I found you and Hermione doing in your room yesterday. Not because of anything Harry and Ginny did." Mrs Weasley shot a look at her son.
He stayed quiet and nodded. So did hermione.
"I've told you. It's not your business who I date, or what I do with them." Ginny snapped at Ron, clearly wanting the last word.
"Ginevra." Her father yelled. "I said enough."
"Yeah, it is our business!" Ron yelled back.
"No, it's not your business Ron. Like your mother said. It's not your place." Mr Weasley corrected him again.
Harry saw Ginny mouth something silently to Ron that looked a lot like "hypocrisy"
Ron looked even more mad than he did a few minutes ago.
"Do you know what people say about her?" Ron shouted, clearly not willing to let it go.
"Let it go, Ron." Harry tried to help him. Sensing Ginny was going to explode on him.
"That is enough!" Mr Weasley said. "I don't want to hear another word"
"The meeting is over. No one is in trouble. You should go enjoy yourselves." Molly warned. She clearly meant it.
It was obvious that they were being dismissed.
"Oh, before you go one more thing." Mrs Weasley explained, kindly.
"Harry, Hermione. We think it would probably be okay if the two of you called us Molly and Arthur. We've known you long enough we can ditch that formality I think."
Harry and Hermione rapidly agreed, not wanting to remain in the living room.
Harry saw Ginny storm out of the house into the backyard.
"Thanks, ah Molly." Harry smiled, feeling a little odd at addressing her in that manner.
She smiled reassuringly though.
"Well, run along you three." Arthur instructed.
All of them retreated from the living room.
Harry found Ginny seething in anger out in the backyard, kicking at a tree stump.
"Hey. You okay?"
Ginny shrugged.
"well, you held your own if that helps." Harry mused.
"I'm used to defending myself, I have 6 brothers." She added plainly.
Her face instantly fell. Her lips pressed together and she breathed deeply.
She looked away from Harry off into the distance.
She put her hands on her waist, doubling over slightly, and took a huge breath, her mouth falling open just slightly.
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Gin" Harry said, moving to comfort her.
He held her and she began to cry.
"Five." She cried. "I only have five brothers now." Tears falling now.
Harry held her. He knew if Fred could see her this upset he'd be devastated.
"No. You have six. Fred is just not here with us." Harry said sadly.
Ginny nodded sadly, sobbing into his chest.
She wiped her face a little.
But in that moment the anger from a few minutes before came back in a whirlwind.
Ginny pulled away from him and kicked the nearby tree stump. She sobbed slightly as her foot made contact.
In someways, he hated Ron for upsetting her. She put on a brave face, but Harry could tell that she was hurting and that she was more vulnerable than normal right now.
"And, stupid Ron." She cried.
Harry didn't say anything. He wanted to bear witness to her feelings instead of interrupting.
"He acts like I'm such a slag. And he's such a despicable hypocrite. He shagged Lavender Brown. I should have said so at the meeting." Ginny exclaimed.
"Oh." A voice from behind them said.
It was Molly. She had clearly come to check on Ginny and had obviously overheard.
More horrible. Hermione was standing just in the doorway and had also clearly heard the outburst.
Molly looked livid but it was nothing compared to Hermione.
"Are you okay?" Molly asked suddenly very stern.
Ginny nodded.
"Yeah I'll be okay. I was just kinda venting, you weren't meant to hear." Ginny explained coyly.
"Uhhuh. I'll leave you." Molly sputtered quickly before retreating into the house.
"Well, i think you just told everyone." Harry said glumly.
Ginny shot him an anxious look.
Then they heard Mollys screams emanating from the house.
"Well, I better steer clear of Ron for a bit." Ginny joked.
Harry hugged her chuckling.
"I'll handle Ron. Something tells me he may have to smooth a few things over with Hermione too" Harry joked.
"I'll handle Hermione." Ginny mused.
Harry nodded, as they walked back into the house.
A few minutes later Harry found an extremely disgruntled and put out looking Ron in his bedroom, he was throwing last-minute items into a traveling case.
Ron glared at him when he walked in.
"How could you tell Ginny about Lavender?" Ron spat.
"I didn't tell her..she already knew." Harry defended himself.
Ron sighed.
"She should have kept her big mouth shut." Ron sneered.
"She was talking to me and your mom and Hermione overheard. She didn't intentionally tell them. She feels bad." Harry continued.
"Sure she does." Ron said sarcastically.
"Hey, it's true. She does feel bad. She trying to help smooth things over with Hermione now."
"That's the least she could do. You should've seen what happened, Harry. It was crazy. Hermione and mom ran in and started yelling at me." Ron plopped down on his bed in frustration.
Ron flicked his deluminator angrily, making the lights go on and off.
"Well I'm sorry you got in trouble."
"It was a full frontal assault." Ron grumbled.
He flicked the deluminator again.
But, this time, a small ball of light appeared, it warbled just slightly. Ron gasped.
Suddenly voices soft started emanating from it.
Ron sat upright.
"Is-is this what it does?" Harry gasped, realizing this was similar to the event Ron had described to them several months before.
Ron shushed him.
The deluminator hissed and the voices became more clear. It was Ginny and Hermione.
"We shouldn't eavesdrop." Harry whispered.
"Alls fair in love and war. You don't have to listen but I'm going to." Ron asserted.
Well that settled it, if Ron was going to listen he was too.
"And, what he said downstairs, you really are in love with each other?." Ginny was asking.
"Yes." Hermione answered coyly, giggling a little.
Ron smiled more genuine and wide than Harry had ever seen him. He was clearly a fool in love.
"Well, then you can't stay mad at him forever." Ginny mused.
"No. I won't. I-I dont even know if what I'm feeling is anger. Well, it's a little anger, but it kinda hurts more" Hermione said sadly.
Ron looked sad at this.
"I guess since we had never talked about it, I was able to assume it hadn't happened." Hermione explained.
"You and Lavender shared a dormitory, her and the other girls never talked about stuff like that?" Asked Ginny.
"No they did. Sometimes she did make it seem like they'd done more just kiss. But, i was still able to pretend it wasn't like that. The confirmation was just hard to hear I guess"
Ginny nodded.
"Well, maybe you could talk about it with him? Perhaps what happened isn't as bad as your imagination is making it out to be?" Ginny asked.
"Maybe." Hermione trailed off.
"I mean not that I really want to know or anything, but have you guys, you know?" Ginny asked.
"No." Hermione answered.
"Mhmm. Okay. So that wasn't what my mom caught you two doing yesterday?" Ginny joked.
Hermione snorted a little.
"No it wasn't."
"But, I think that might be why I'm so upset. I guess it bothers me to think he was with her before or in a way he hasn't been with me." Hermione added, sadly.
"Well you are going away for a month all alone together. I suppose you could remedy that if you really wanted. " Ginny quipped.
Hermione laughed a little at this.
Ron blushed slightly as they listened.
"That is true. Maybe I should apologize for yelling at him?"
"Unless you want to spend the next five weeks in awkward silence, it could be beneficial." Ginny joked.
"I definitely don't want that." Hermione laughed.
"Well, do you think you could help me bring this stuff downstairs, it's all ready to go." Hermione asked.
"Oh sure. Let's do it." Ginny agreed and then their voices slowly faded away.
Harry looked at Ron as he clicked his deluminator.
"I think you should tell her." Harry asserted.
"Tell her what?" Ron questioned.
"That when you and Lavender were together it was really weird and awkward." Harry explained.
This was true. He remembered telling Harry about it after it happened.
"It was really awkward. We were not comfortable together at all. Even Lavender knew that I think." Ron whispered.
"Look, I'm going to go talk to her." Ron explained.
"You also owe your sister an apology too."
Harry shot back at him, as he left.
Ron waved him off with a dismissive hand.
A little over an hour later, it was time for Ron and Hermione to depart.
They appeared to be in good spirits and seem to have gotten over there earlier fight.
"and you promise you'll write and call?" Hermione was asking tearfully as they got ready to take their portkey.
"Of course, all the time." Harry promised, patting her kindly. "I'll call tomorrow first thing."
There was a pay phone in town that they'd promised to call from. They'd have to strategically call them, as Melbourne was about nine hours ahead of Britain.
"Don't worry, we'll only be gone a few weeks." Ron assured everyone.
"We hope it will be quick." Hermione added.
Molly sobbed as they gathered around the portkey. She clearly had also forgiven Ron.
They all hugged and said their goodbyes once more, before the old rusting hanger glowed brightly, and swallowed Ron and Hermione up.
The next morning, Harry got ready for the day alone. It was kind of weird and he kept looking over to Ron's bed and it felt strange to not see Ron or Hermione there. They had spent so much time with each other over the last year. He had grown accustomed to their presence. He felt kind of lonely suddenly.
Harry brushed his teeth on the way down to the kitchen and realized the house was eerily quiet with two less people in it. Molly and Arthur's bedroom door was still closed. It made him wonder if perhaps he was the only person awake.
But when he passed Ginny's room, the door was open, but she wasn't in there.
Harry made his way down to the kitchen and when he got down there, the only person down there was Ginny. She was standing by the stove and appeared to be making breakfast.
She turned around smiling when she realized he was there.
"Hey." Harry smiled broadly.
"Good morning." She replied back sweetly.
Harry went over and hugged her, wrapping his arms around her waist as she continued cooking.
"This is elaborate." Harry mused. Realizing she was baking what appeared to be some type of quiche or pie.
Ginny smiled. " Well, I was up kind of early and didn't have much else to do."
"Have you been sleeping alright?" Harry asked, knowing she hadn't.
Ginny shrugged though. "I don't know, good and bad I guess. I can fall asleep I just can't stay asleep" she explained.
Harry nodded. He understood. He had also been having the same problem.
Soon breakfast was ready and they were eating together.
"This is really good, thank you." Harry smiled at her.
He couldn't believe they'd get to spend the next 5 weeks together, without Ron or Hermione alone.
"You're welcome." Ginny winked at him.
He smiled. "Im surprised no one else is awake yet?" He mused
"I'm pretty sure dad already left, and mom is still sleeping. I think George might be at the shop." Ginny explained
Harry nodded..
"Would you like to come to town with me? I have to call Ron and Hermione?" Harry asked
Ginny nodded.
"Can we still go to Diagon Alley today too?" Ginny asked hopefully.
"Yes of course." He agreed. He had promised.
After breakfast Ginny went to check on Molly and let her know they were going.
"Mom?" Ginny touched Molly on her shoulder.
Molly startled a little but turned around.
Her eyes were red.
" it's nine, mom. Don't you want to get up? I made breakfast, it's downstairs." Ginny mused.
"Maybe in a bit, thank you sweetie."
Ginny nodded, sitting down on the bed next to her mom.
"Harry and I were going to go to town to call Ron and Hermione, and then we were going to go to Diagon Alley. Harry needs a new owl. That's ok right?" Ginny asked.
Mollys brow furrowed just slightly.
"Diagon Alley? But, it's still closed?" Molly questioned.
"No it opened back up today." Ginny explained.
"I thought it opened back up on Sunday?" Molly asked.
"Today is Sunday, mom." Ginny explained kindly.
Molly nodded sadly. "Oh." She said.
"You'll be extra careful, right?" She reached out to her daughter, looking tearful.
"Of course mom. If anything even seems a little odd I promise we will come right back home." Ginny promised, sensing her mother's anxiety.
Molly nodded.
"Nothing can happen to you." Molly cried and Ginny hugged her.
The previous night a list of names of Death Eaters were listed in the Prophet and this had done nothing but cause Molly more grief and anxiety.
"I'm safe with Harry, it's okay. We'll be back this afternoon. Eat something." Ginny told her sadly.
Molly agreed as she watched Ginny retreat from the bedroom.
(AN: Hope you like the story! The next chapter begins right where this one cuts off. Reviews and follows are always welcome!)