Chapter 15

Three Ginny's

As predicted Ginny quickly fell into a hug around Harry's neck. Also as predicted and hated she did have tears. "Thank you. Thank you."

"Worried?" Harry asked with his grin.

"You bastard, of course I was worried. I'm nowhere near done with you."

"But I'm your kind of bastard."

She laughed, helping to stay the tears. "How do you do that? You suffer some attack or injury and wide up making me laugh."

"Practice."

She smiled, kissing him deeply. "I love you." Then sitting back up, yelled. "He's awake, He's okay."

Ron and Hermione came down the stairs immediately. Harry sat up and turned to sit on the couch normally. Ginny slid next to him and gently rubbed his back. Hermione quickly hugged him. Harry and Ron just slapped hands. The girls both looked at their respective boyfriends. "What, we're guys, that's what we do." Ron replied as sat beside Hermione.

They kept looking. "Well, I'm sure as hell not bloody kissing him." Harry explained.

"Language. "Hermione corrected but with a smile, clearly happy Harry was awake.

Laughs finally ended the discussion. "How long was I out?"

Gin looked up to the grandfather clock. "About seven hours."

"Wow." Harry looked around. "Bill?" he asked.

"Barn, taking a look at that damn locket. Speaking of. Anyone do a recent check?" Hermione said.

"Fleur just went out." Ginny replied.

Harry turned and looked at Ginny in surprise.

"Between the battle, and her comments about your family crest… I'm trying to be more open."

"Mate, what happened, from your point of view?" Ron asked.

Harry sat back. "We flamed over. Bill brought out his equipment and started checking the wards. Not my best day. Not sure if this is a dream or real, We flamed that screaming painting?"

"Real, "Hermione confirmed. "It called me mudblood, and you ruled-"

"That insult will not be said in my house." Harry repeated remembering.

"Exactly, and thank you again. Very kind."

"Hello Master Potter," Ginny grinned.

"Bill said the same." Hermione smiled.

"And like I said, I am slowly coming to terms with things. Anyway, we went down to the kitchen. Bill found something. I remember I got the briefest glimpse of it and then everything went white."

"White?"

"Ya, like gloriously white. But no, not like any kind of after life or anything. This was more dreamscape-like. There were a lot of random images going over and over. A book, a ring, a locket, a cup, a crown, a snake, and crying lightning."

"Crying lightning?" Hermione asked.

"Looked like lightning and sounded like a baby cry. I don't know."

"Harry, honey," Gin asked with backrub. "We've all been around long enough that yes, sure this probably means something, but we're NOT going to figure this out tonight. Is there anyway we could wait a day before we try to sus this out? At least give you a recovery night?"

Hermione nodded, "I'm usually the main researcher, and I agree, largely because we don't have Hogwarts library here."

"Okay, night off."

"Thank you."

"That being the case," Ginny said, getting up. "I'll get us some drinks. 'Mione, lend a hand?"

One they rounded the corner Ginny, grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her into the furthest corner. Her eyes were fired as she whisper yelled.

"That's the SECOND damn time! Don't you EVER do that again!"

Hermione, in a mixture of surprise and then guilt, stuttered, "Y-y-your right… sorry, Getting used to the new dynamic."

"Why? What do you think I'm saying?"

"Don't hug your boyfriend."

"Wrong!"

Hermione stopped and just looked confused.

"Stop hesitating or being weird about it." Ginny took a breath to try to soften. "Not only do I not care you two are friends, I'm happy you two are. You and I have had enough time and talk, I would like to think we are close friends too. Harry's had shit for family. I will be damned if I start cutting his friends away. What kind of girlfriend would do that?"

"Actually, Gin, you would be surprised how many do expect ties cut. Eliminate and prevent competition."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I guess I'm more confident than that. I guess my point of view is … I am delightfully happy I'm finally getting into Harry's life more. The last thing I want to do is pull him out of anyone. Just… be normal, like you guys were before. You want to hug 'em, hug'em. Permission granted, whatever you need to hear."

"Understood, thank you," a far more relaxed Hermione nodded.

"Last question, are WE okay now? Because I want us to be okay, too."

Hermione smiled and even chuckled, "Ya Gin, we're fine. Even better."

Fleur walked up to the barn and noticed for the first time she had ever seen it, the door was closed. She knocked. "Bill, ez me."

"Feel free to step inside, love. But stay by the door. I'll come to you."

Fleur slid the door open as Bill was walking from the workbench on the far side. He had left the locket there, with the containment jar upside down over it. He dismissed the bubble head charm he had used as precaution. "Thank you for the check in. This thing seems to not be aggressive to me." he greeted with a kiss. "Please forgive the geographic precautions but- "

"No, ez zenzible. 'ow are you?"

"Again, I feel fine, but I will trust you to let me know if I am off. Harry?"

"Still sleeps. Ginny keeps watch. Devotion dere ez."

"Not unwarranted."

"Agreed." Fleur nodded. " 'ave you learned anything?" she asked, pointing to the thing.

"Little but some." Bill replied he nodded as leaned up against the wall and slipped an arm over Fleur's shoulders. "That locket is one of the most potent pieces of dark magic I have ever seen. I've not determined a purpose or use for it. I certainly don't know its core spell or even specific accompaniments, but it is definitely necromantic in its origin. If I were to hazard a guess from the lattice work of its exterior spell field, I believe it has something to do with … resurrection."

Fleur's eyes went wide. "Az in from ze dead? Are you zafe?"

"I am taking precautions." he nodded. "Distance, not free breathing around it. I am only handling it with tools, no direct contact. When not handed I am keeping it in one of my containment jars with full wards and guards on it."

"Bill, are we zafe?" Fleur asked again with eyes looking straight through him.

"Tests show that the arcane signatures are all blocked by the containment jar. And it has been completely non reactive to me. Yes, I believe the rest of us are safe, while it is contained."

"Ze rest of us?"

Bill crossed his arms. "Keep this confidence?"

"Oui."

"Isn't Harry always the exception? Why did that seek Harry? I can only postulate 1 idea. While at Grimmauld Place we found this by doing a peak scry. I've explained those before?

"Oui."

"So I was looking for anything out of the normal, well that wasn't the first thing I found. Harry was."

Fleur looked puzzled. "You have your allure." She nodded. "Wizards have an analogous energy to their soul, that's what separates mage from muggle. Different schools of study call it different things; weave, ki, chi. My arithmancy background we called it an arcane core. Regardless, and I feel the need to say I wasn't looking for it, I was doing the peak scan, I picked up a spike, and it was Harry. I immediately threw an illusion over my crystal ball then re-set it to ignore Harry and continued. But I believe that was the trigger."

Bill paused for a moment. "The muggles have a useful example in their study of electricity: Fields of energy seek to balance each other, creates lightning. I believe it was the same thing here. Harry's arcane core and that locket were the two peak fields, encountered each other, and … boom."

"Harry knows he ez a wizard. Why ez dis a secret?"

"Harry thinks he is an average normal wizard. I have met grand masters who have not developed their cores to half as much as what Harry has naturally."

"And you feel he ought not know."

"This is almost certainly literal proof that he is the Chosen One, the weight of that has been something he has bore his whole life. Now you tell me love, think back to the Harry of the Tournament and the one with us now. What do you think?"

Fleur thought back, and nodded. "Oui, now he ez happier, stronger, more confident, much more man zan boy."

"Exactly, These last few weeks, here under my parents' care, and I won't deny, Ginny's love, he has finally started to be, as Dad calls it, the Man Becoming."

"You feel 'e will not, if 'e knows 'e is naturally powerful?" she asked confused.

"I fear in his naturally self sacrificing nature he will return to blind obedience to Dumbledore."

"You no longer believe in Dumbledore?"

"Let us clarify our specifics here, love. Do I believe Albus is a good man? Yes. Do I believe he is fit and should be where he is in the Order and school? Yes. Do I feel we are on the right side of this war? Yes. Do I have blind faith that Albus Dumbledore can do no wrong. No. and for evidence I cite his care or lack thereof to Harry."

Bill took a breath and looked at his fiancee. "I think that Dumbledore has been playing the long game for the greater good for so long; he occasionally forgets that people are not chess pieces. He's smart enough he certainly can play us as such. When it comes to Harry, I feel where my parents see a son, and Ginny sees a lover, all Dumbledore sees is a tool… or weapon. And I will not let that fate befall my brother."

Fleur nodded. "Oui, WE will not. 'Arry 'as my loyalty too. For zeveral reasons now."

Supper was a return to normalcy, or at least as much as it could be. Bill kept Harry's information private but shared what he learned about the locket.

"Where is it now?" Arthur asked.

"In a warded jar, in a warded case, in your newly warded barn. I'm confident we will be fine for the night, but Harry, if I may, that is something on the level I would suggest we move to your formerly Black vault."

"Alright son, I'll take your word for it.

"Sure thing Bill, need a paper sealed?"

"Unfortunately, Vaults will need you there in person."

"Gotcha. Gin?"

"Working, but points for quickly thinking of me." she teased.

"Trio?"

"Working mate." Ron said. "You really should have told me your plan to move out like a week earlier."

"Wish I'd known."

Hermione clearly had nerves. "And I do appreciate the offer Harry, I was going to ask for time with Mrs. Weasley tomorrow."

Molly looked surprised. "Well you are certainly welcome, Hermione, but may I ask why?"

"Well, and apologies for this Harry, but considering who my friends are, and our past tendencies, I was wondering if you would be able to teach me any basic healing techniques? I don't expect anywhere near your level of proficiency and I realize that there would be likely extended stu-"

"'Mione." Ron cut in with a gentle grab of her hand and a smile. "Let Mum answer."

"Hermione, I'd be happy to." she said with a smile.

"If it ha-"

"When," both Harry and Ginny corrected in unison, then smiled.

"When it happens again, I'd like to be… useful." Hermione summarized.

"Frankly It would be something good for all three of you to learn. Ginny is the only one of you I'd feel comfortable working solo right now."

Harry leaned over and whispered "Favorite," which did elicit the hopeful smile.

Bill finished, "I'll bring it to my office, with me. Just come down sometime, before lunch. My afternoon is booked with a little catch up. You pop in, we'll go to your vault, deposit, and you're a free man again."

"Not necessarily free…" Ginny teased.

The evening was normal and everyone eventually retired to their bed. But sleep did not come to Ginny. Everytime she closed her eyes, she started to have images of Harry laying unconscious on the couch again, which then slipped back to how he looked at the end of the Battle, then even how he showed up after the Dursleys. Though that was graphically easier than his Battle injuries, knowing where they came from, the Durlseys' damage was the worst and made her sick to her soul. She tossed and turned.

Finally it was Hermione who cast luminos, and her wand lit the room.

"Sorry," Ginny apologized.

"It's okay." she nodded. "Nightmares?

"That would require me to sleep.

"Harry?"

"Yep, today's like the 3rd time in as many weeks I've seen him like that, and I think it just adds up and-"

Hermione's face turned grave. "You're not seriously thinking of break-"

"NO!," Gin leapt to a fighting stance."Don't you even finish that sentence."

Hermione was actually glad Ginny was that vehement. "Apologies for the thought. How about I let you finish your sentence."

Calming down, "Thank you. No, three times in a row he's been like that, and I just have this nagging feeling like maybe he's not going to be there in the morning. And I'm being a stupid girl about it."

"Well, I don't think you're being stupid, and I think Harry rather likes you being a girl."

"You know what I mean."

Hermione got up and sat next to Ginny on her bed. "I do, it's love, and there is not a single thing wrong with it." She let that sentence hang in the air.

"You and Ron?"

Hermione smiled. "We haven't said the words yet, but I'm pretty sure the feelings are there. There was a moment earlier today where I thought he was about to say it, but the timing was horrible.

"Harry?"

"Yep."

Another silence held in the air.

"If Ron had said it… would you?"

Hermione sat and looked from the window down to the floor. Even Ginny could see it was another head versus heart moment. She couldn't say it, but Hermione did manage to nod her head… yes.

"Wow." Ginny said, "Ron?"

Hermione just smiled and nodded.

"Really, Ronald?" clearly teasing.

"Shut up." Hermione said with a smile.

"Okay… cool…I do NOT want to rush or push a damn thing. I KNOW what that area is like. But, just for encouragement, I want to tell you, saying the words is worth it. I'm glad I insisted on it."

"Thank you Ginny, that's actually quite nice to know. You may be a year under me but you are miles braver than me."

"Maybe, but I've got a summer to teach you."

They both laughed quietly.

"Oh to hell with it, just go to him, Gin."

"Oh hell no, that would be mum disowning me and keeping Harry, levels of trouble."

"And I'm telling you, I'll cover you."

Ginny's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Ron and I talked earlier. We're not a trio any more. We're a quartet. Your boyfriend is my best friend. It's obvious this isn't looking for a shag, so just go. Keep 'em company. Get some actual sleep and try not to get caught. If you can manage that… then you were here all night according to me."

"'Mione…I - I don't know what to say."

Hermione smiled. "Then don't say anything. Just grab your exercise clothes. You two are the first to wake up in the morning anyway for your morning run. So you have pretty good odds of getting away with this." Ginny had been sleeping in a t-shirt and shorts. She quickly grabbed her exercise clothes and threw them in the smallest and quietest bag she had. She turned to Hermione. "Why are you…"

Still smiling. "Because we're all friends. Because you two love each other, truly. And because I'm a bit anxious about the same thing and I would like my best friend to be here in the morning too."

Ginny squeezed Hermione as she just said 'Thank you." Hermione just smiled wide.

Then Ginny pulled back and asked, "Wait are you going … to go down … to R-"

"Noooo," Hermione emphatically shook her head. "Like I said, you two are a bit ahead of us, and I'm nowhere near as brave as you."

Ginny grabbed her wand and threw a silence charm on herself and out the door she went. In theory, the mission was a simple one she had done dozens of times before. Get to the ground floor without being noticed. So many times she had the squeaky boards along the way memorized. But the simple change of end goal heighted both her senses and her paranoia. Gin froze in what felt like a moment of panic and an almost split personality.

The nervous Little Ginny girl from first year whispered to her mind. "Was the house always this loud at 1:00 am?"

Then there was the fearless Crimson Witch. "Get it together! This is just like Christmas, except better."

Ginevra, the entire person, didn't run but did swiftly and silently make her way down stairs through the cover of darkness. Once on the ground floor she deftly dashed across the floor to the halfstack trunk. She did a final look for prying eyes. Then quickly open, in, close. Then for the first time she knew of, locked the rush from this simple dash downstairs was better than breaking 160.

Sitting on the stairs of the trunk on this side of the silence charm she could already hear Harry's breathing strong and steady. That alone was a comfort and worth it. Now, she just moved normally and threw her sack under the bed. Harry was already up near the wall side anyway, even had his right arm stretch open, so her place was waiting for her. As quietly as she could, she lifted the blankets and slipped under, which brought the First Challenge.

Little Ginny warned, "Harry sleeps shirtless!"

Crimson Witch cheered "Of course he does, he's a bloke. Your brothers do it all the time."

"Your brothers don't look that good!"

"Exactly, this is an added bonus!

"You are going to get so grounded for this." Little Ginny warned.

"First," Crimson Witch corrected, "We stick to Hermione's plan! She thought it up and she's covering us, so we have good odds of success. Second, just look at him. It'd be worth it!"

"Don't say I didn't warn you!"

"Noted, now go away!" as Crimson Witch clearly won the inner argument.

Ginevra slid close, laid her head on his arm and wrapped around his chest. She went from anxiety to bliss in just a few inches. As she settled in some level on instinct mush switched for Harry who rolled his left arm over and pulled her in close. Then came the Second Challenge. Face to face with him so close and quite and warm and comfortable. She could already feel his breath on her cheek.

"Just kiss him! " Crimson Witch cried. "You already snog 'em every chance you get."

But Little Ginny wasn't quite gone yet. :"Seriously! Hermione is covering for us to make sure he's okay. Not for us to snog!"

"Technically, Hermione said she knew we weren't going to shag him. She didn't say anything about snogging." Crimson pointed out… thus presenting the Third Challenge.

Little Ginny whispered into her mind. "But what if HE wants to shag?!"

Ginevra paused, waiting for Crimson.

The Witch finally admitted, "That would be a bit far even for me."

Little Ginny cried out, "Then WHAT are we DOING here?!"

Ginevra herself froze for a moment, finally being where she had dreamt of being for years, having a damn near mental breakdown. Finally, she decided to stand on the firmest fact she knew. She silenced every other voice in her head with it. "Harry Potter is the most noble man we've ever known, or even heard of. If we set the line he won't cross it. Won't even come close."

So before she lost her nerve… or sanity, Gin kissed her boyfriend awake. Their lips together always felt so right, and within just a moment she could feel the movements of his body clearly more conscious than not. So she pulled away.

"Gin?"

"Ya."

"Not just a really good dream?"

"No.

"Everything okay?"

Yep, That's her Harry. Finally gets a girl in bed, he asks if everything's okay.

Crimson piped up. "If this is your play, then just bloody tell him. Everything he's shared with you, this is a cakewalk."

Harry raised his hand to gently brush a few strands of hair out her face, then caress her cheek. "You okay?

"I know this is going to sound dumb, but I was worried about you. So when I couldn't sleep Hermione and I talked and she suggested I check on you."

"Doesn't sound dumb at all. That sounds caring, if anything. Thank you. I'm fine. No relapses. I promise I'll keep you posted."

"That's just it." Gin replied with a nervous hand she reached up to his neck.

It was the nervous shaking that truly triggered Harry. He took the trembling hand and held it. He propped himself up on his elbow. "Gin, I feel like there is something I'm missing. Take a breath, talk to me."

"Hermione's idea. She's willing to cover for me. For the whole night. So I can stay here … with you."

"Wow… um okay.. Well usually we are the first one up anyway for runs so check my alarm-"

"Harry… " Now Ginny took the courage breath. "Yes, I would love to spend the night wrapped up with you, even doing what we have been… but I'm not ready to make love yet."

She looked in those eyes and saw more compassion than she thought possible. "Merlin, Gin, I wasn't even planning that! Come here." he said as he pulled her in, kissed her and rubbed her cheek, and kept looking into her soul with such tender affection. "If I sent an accidental sing-"

"No, no you didn't. It's just in the heat of moments that can happen and I figured it's about time to have that talk."

"Okay, you wanted to set your comfort boundary line. Sure, no problem."

Crimson sounded off: "You don't deserve this bloke."

"Thank you." she said finally relaxing into him.

"Damn to hell, is THAT what had you THIS nervous?"

She nodded Into his chest. "That is usually one of the main reasons blokes try to have a relationship."

"Merlin, of all the times for you to actually consider me an average bloke, you choose this. Ginevra Molly Weasley, I'm with you because I love you. And I love you because you have been insanely supportive to me when I didn't deserve it. And because you are a force of nature. You are passionate. You put your whole heart into everything, and I could go on for quite a while. Now I'm not blind. I fully admit you are a lovely lady. And at some point yes, I look forward to that, but you are completely setting the pace there. No pressure here."

Crimson: "You REALLY don't deserve this bloke."

Ginevra: "SHUT IT!

"Master Potter, you are the last true gentleman."

"Technically, I think a gentleman wouldn't let you stay. But I absolutely will. So let's just say I am a bastard, but your kind of a bastard."

That finally got Ginny up to a laugh. "There we are."

"Thank you, I love you, Harry."

"I love you too. Good night"

"Good night."