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Category: Alternate Universe, Post-HBP Characters:None Genres: Tragedy Warnings: Dark Fiction, Death, Sexual Situations, Violence Rating: R Reviews: 1119 Summary: Harry gets one night that gives him a glimpse into what life could be like with the Dursley's. But events turn for the worse and both Harry and the wizarding world are left wondering what it's consquences mean for the future of the world. Hitcount: Story Total: 172543; Chapter Total: 5818 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: I don't own anything. JK Rowling owns the entire Potter Universe. She's the great creator and inventor behind it all. No copyright infringement is intended. I write fan fics for fun and to take up time. |
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Chapter 14: Lulled "Mum is going spare and we're not even back at the Burrow yet," said Ginny in a highly annoyed voice as she stood alongside Harry on the stone steps that led to the basement kitchen. The very exasperated sounding voice of Mrs. Weasley could be heard coming from the kitchen. It sounded like she was going on about floral arrangements. Fleur's insistent tone could be heard also, but her thick French accent made her retorts indiscernible from their position. "Yeah, imagine how it's going to be when we actually get back home and have to set it all up. I swear all you women are crazy...going on worrying about seating arrangements and the color of the dishes. The wedding's in three weeks and they're still changing things. If we get the chairs set up and Fleur wants them all facing east instead of west because the sun will be in her eyes...I'll..."complained Ron as he walked backward down the steps in front of Harry. "Goggle at her and do it anyway," grinned Hermione as she followed behind them, acting as a spotter in case Harry toppled backwards. "You know you guys don't have to do this anymore," Harry interrupted, not really hearing their conversation. He was more annoyed that the other three had taken it upon themselves to encircle him in a protective ring as he made his way down to the kitchen. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny looked around at each other wearily. "Sorry mate," Ron apologized. "I don't think we realized we were even doing it." "Yeah Harry...it's just that we didn't want you to--" Hermione started. "Fall...hurt myself. I know," Harry finished for her. His tone was full of annoyance and frustration. "But I'm getting loads better and I don't need people following me around, expecting to catch me if I stumble a bit. I'm not going to break. Quit treating me like I am." It was true. The past few days, Harry had regained strength that he had lost in his legs and other muscles. He'd been making his way down to the kitchen every lunch and dinner time to sit with the Weasley's and the members of the Order that happened to be there to eat meals. Though his meals were never the same that everyone else was eating. He still couldn't eat some of his favorites and was still on strict orders to only eat liquids and soft foods that were laced with his daily dose of pain potions. Though yesterday Mrs. Weasley let him eat a piece of treacle tart that he was sure wasn't potioned at all. The only thing that seemed to hinder his progress was the pain and stiffness he was still experiencing in his side and abdomen where he had had surgery performed. And although he still found himself short of breath after walking longer distances, it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been and he didn't need the mask to get it under control. His lungs were healing and so was his body. But his frustration with the situation seemed to be growing. He was sick of everyone checking in on him every ten minutes to see if he needed anything or if he was in pain. He hated his lack of privacy and dignity that seemed to be taken away with everyone keeping an eagle-eye on him at all times. He wished they'd just leave him be for an hour or two. He hadn't even had time to look at any of the memories that Remus had given him for his birthday because people seemed to think they needed to knock on his door and interrupt whatever he was doing. Hermione looked sadly at Harry and then nodded. "Sorry," she whispered as she squeezed past Ginny and made her way to Ron who was looking ashamed and a bit taken aback by Harry's comments. "Why don't you two go ahead to lunch," Ginny said quietly, gesturing down the steps to the kitchen. Ron nodded, eyeing Harry carefully, who was looking dejectedly at the floor. He then took Hermione's hand, leading her down the steps and through the big heavy wooden door. When they had disappeared from view and the door and swung shut on its hinges, Ginny turned back to Harry who was still standing on the steps beside her. "Harry what's wrong?" she asked putting her hand underneath his chin and forcing him to look up at her. Harry shook his head, frowning as if he didn't know what she was talking about. "Nothing. I'm fine," He said automatically. Ginny rolled her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. "Ok Mr. 'I'm couldn't lie my way out of a cardboard box'....if you're fine then why did you just snap at Ron, Hermione, and myself?" she asked. "I didn't snap at you," Harry replied heatedly. Ginny cocked an eyebrow at his response and Harry's shoulders slumped in defeat as he realized what a righteous prick he had just been to his best friends and girlfriend. "I'm sorry Gin," he added, feeling sorry that he had snapped at her just now. "You're lucky that I love you and those two are your best friends. You're lucky we understand and put up with you when you're such a grouchy git," Ginny said as she moved her hand to his cheek, causing him to bring his up and place it on hers, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. Harry let out a long sigh and lay his head back against the wall. "I'm just...I just hate this. I'm so sick of having everyone think they have to do everything for me. I didn't mean to be rude just before...but it's frustrating to not be able to do anything or go anywhere without someone right behind me or holding onto me," Harry said. "We're all just trying to help," Ginny replied quietly, playing with the ends of the bandanna that were covering his growing hair. "I know," Harry whispered, pushing a strand of her fiery red hair out of her face and tracing her cheek with his thumb. "I know I was in pretty bad shape when I got here and I almost...well...I did die several times actually," Harry shuddered at a bit the fact that his heart had stopped beating on more than one occasion and he had even been pronounced dead. He didn't like to think about it that much...he was glad he couldn't remember most of it. "But I'm getting better now. Sometimes I feel almost back to my old self and I wish everyone could see that and see that I'm trying to be as normal as I can. I've got enough change to challenge myself with and get used to that I really don't need everyone treating me like I'm going to keel over at a moment's notice." Ginny's mouth curled at the edges in a smirk as she put her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her so that their foreheads touched. "I think you just don't like anyone helping you at all Mr. Potter. It's in your nature to be stubborn," Ginny whispered, winking at him. Harry let out a breath of laughter and nodded his head. "Yeah...I guess there's that," he conceded as he studied her beautiful brown eyes that were inches from his own, "And the fact that we haven't had five minutes alone together. Someone always seems to pop in to check on me or someone else is always with us." "It'll get better when we go back to The Burrow. We'll be there for my birthday and the week before the wedding. Everyone will be so caught up in getting ready for the wedding that they won't be able to hound you all the time," Ginny smiled. "And what would you do if you had five minutes alone with me?" she added in a very insinuating voice. "I could think of...things," Harry said without thinking, a sly grin spreading across his face. "You could?" Ginny asked, a bit confused and caught off guard by Harry's comment. "Ye--only if...you...want me...to," Harry stuttered, trying to gage Ginny's reaction. He hadn't meant to imply anything dirty or inappropriate with his comment. He just wanted to relay the fact that he wanted five minutes alone with his stunningly beautiful girlfriend so he could snog her senseless. They hadn't really ever talked about sex or anything like that. He thought it was understood that neither of them were ready for the next step. They'd never gone beyond kissing or letting their hands wander and explore each other. Harry chalked it up to the fact that she was only about to turn sixteen and he had just reached seventeen and the fact that she had six older brothers that wouldn't hesitate to cause him physical harm the moment they found out he had taken advantage of their little sister. Not that his hormones hadn't tried to take over from time to time. But they had always stopped when things got too heated. He hoped that she hadn't been given the impression that he was some desperately horny git who wanted to take her to bed the minute they had time alone. It was true that she drove him mad, but he wasn't like that and he hoped he hadn't offended her. Ginny smiled at his apparent discomfort. She knew his words had come out before his mind had gotten a hold on what he was saying. She had always felt safe around Harry and knew he would never force her to do anything she wasn't ready for. She knew it was Harry's inner "stupid boy" that had caused him to blurt out something that was laced with innuendo. As brave and as powerful as he may be, Harry was as dumb and as dim-witted as any other boy his age. Plus it was cute when he had the semi-horrified look he had on his face now. The one that clearly relayed that he had no clue what he had said or done and that he thought he was in big trouble. Ginny smiled again and looked towards the door and back to the top of the stairs. "We're alone now," she whispered bringing her hand to his cheek again. "And I'm pretty sure we've got five minutes." Harry audibly gulped and he looked towards the door as if trying to decide whether stealing a quick kiss when Ginny's brothers and parents were just beyond the door was worth the risk. "I thought you were going to think of something?" Ginny asked highly amused. Harry turned back to her, taking in her brown eyes and contemplating her lips. He wanted so bad to grab her right here in the hallway and snog her, regardless of the fact that her entire family was in the next room. She was so beautiful and fiery. And the way she was playing and toying with him right now made her downright irresistible. 'How does she do this to me?' he thought to himself as his brain began to fog over and he couldn't seem to take his eyes off her face. He knew his staring and gawping at her, but the way her hair was falling across her face...her hair...it was so soft...he wanted to run his fingers through it to remind himself how soft it was... 'Say something, stupid,' the part of his brain that wasn't paralyzed at the moment shouted through the haze. "Err..." he croaked. His voice was raspy and heavy as he continued to stare at her dazedly. 'I said say something, stupid. Meaning you...stupid. Not say something...that was stupid. Idiot.' the little voice chimed in again. "I have an idea," Ginny whispered as she brought her lips to his softly, inviting him to deepen the kiss. Harry's senses exploded. Kissing Ginny had always been amazing. He never seemed to be able to get enough of her. Her taste, the soft touch of her lips on his, the fire in her eyes. Every time they kissed it was like the first one they shared in the Gryffindor Common Room. Time always seemed to stand still. Everyone and everything outside of their little world seemed to melt away and not matter at all. He felt as though he was going to collapse or explode and at the same time he felt like he was weightless, floating on clouds. Breathing wasn't important. In fact, sometimes it felt like if he let go of her or stopped, he would surely loose his life. He had to admit that suffocating to death from lack of air while kissing Ginny wouldn't be a bad way to go. He'd be proud to put that on his headstone. 'This is so much better than kissing Cho,' something inside of him blurted mentally. 'Cho who?' Harry's rational brain thought as Ginny opened her lips, inviting him into her mouth with his tongue, which he happily obliged. Ginny felt Harry's hand snake into the back of her hair and then down her back, pressing her up against him as he began to explore her mouth. Harry probably wasn't the best kisser in the world, she had to admit. He was timid and unsure of himself at times, which had led to some awkward and embarrassing moments when they had first started dating. But he'd gotten better. And it wasn't like she could blame him. He didn't have a very extensive or successful past relationship record. He wasn't exactly the most experienced and his technique wasn't exactly refined. But she couldn't seem to get enough of him. His kisses were soft and slow, but at the same time, intense and invigorating. It was the calming clarity of his brilliant emerald green eyes, the softness of his lips and the carefulness of his touches and caresses that made her want to drink him all in. It was the fact that she knew he was doing the same thing with her. His kisses were passionate, yet not rushed or over-eager. Her past boyfriends sometimes seemed to think that kissing was a race and that sucking on as much of her face as they could was what she liked. But Harry took his time as if he were studying every part of her lips and mouth. It was like he was savoring every last kiss, touch, taste of her and taking her all in. It wasn't kissing just for kissing's sake with him...it never was. Plus he tasted good too. Michael had tasted minty, like he had swallowed a box of breath mints to cover up what he ate for lunch before snogging her. Dean...well...Dean had tasted like he had swished half a bottle of mouthwash before they met in one of the secret passages they spent time together in. But Harry tasted...sweet, like all of her favorite desserts rolled into one. Sometimes she swore she could taste traces treacle tart or chocolate on his lips even when she knew he hadn't eaten any. And unlike her other boyfriends who smelled like cologne or aftershave, Harry smelled like a freshly washed t-shirt that had been hung out to dry on a sunny spring day, or like he had spent the entire day riding his broom in a fresh breeze. Ginny, who normally would have had her hands running through his usually soft and unruly hair or up and down his arms, instead moved her hands down his back and onto his bum. 'Man he's got a nice ass,' she thought wickedly to herself as they continued to snog heavily. 'Thank God for Quidditch.' Ginny squeezed him and pulled her even tighter against her than they had been, causing her hips to grind into him. Harry let a groan escape into her mouth as they continued to kiss heavily. He staggered a bit, so that his back was pressed up against the wall, but kept a tight hold on Ginny and she on him, both continuing to kiss passionately and letting their hands explore the other. Being so close, Ginny could feel that their current snogging session was clearly having the same effect on him as it was her, though definitely more noticeable. Normally this would be where they would stop and let things cool down. Either Harry would pull away, embarrassed or afraid that he wouldn't be able to control himself. Or she would stop them; knowing that her own resolve might not stand and they could end up doing something they might regret. But here in the hallway, despite the fact that her family and half of the Order were now having lunch just down the stairs, it didn't seem necessary and didn't occur to him or her to stop. Maybe it was the fact that she had just gotten him back after the break-up. Maybe it was the fact that both of them had been afraid they might never see each other again. Harry had almost died...She'd almost lost him forever. And he'd suffered tremendously and had devastating injuries he now had to deal with. They hadn't been alone at all since he had begun to get better. There seemed to be a million reasons to keep holding onto one another...to keep kissing...to... "Hmmmhh." Someone from the top of the stairs had cleared their throat, causing both Harry and Ginny to pull away from each other and stop kissing, though still standing close to each other, backed against the wall. Ginny looked up to see Tonks standing at the top of the stairs, her eyes averted downward, but a smirk threatening to overtake her entire face. "Hi Tonks," Ginny greeted her in a throaty tone, her voice still heavy from her recent activities. "Wotcher Gin, Harry," Tonks replied as she inclined her head to each of them, still trying to hide her amused grin. Ginny looked up at Harry when he didn't respond to Tonk's greeting. He was standing above her with his eyes closed, biting his lip nervously. "Harry?" she whispered. He opened his eyes slightly and squinted down at her through his glasses. "Don't...move," he whispered out of the corner of his mouth, giving her a pleading look. "O...k?" she said as she held back a laugh at his current predicament. Apparently he had yet to "cool down" from their heated kissing. "Am I supposed to stay here all day then?" she asked, casting a side grin at Tonks, who had by now caught on to what was going on. "If you have to," Harry replied in a much deeper tone than usual. "As happy as I am for you two lovebirds," Tonks interrupted with a smile and a wink, "I don't think the next person to walk down the stairs is going to be so understanding. I think we should head down to lunch." Tonks started down the steps and past the two of them, giving Harry a wink, which he responded to with a nervous gulp. "Right," Ginny replied, making to move down the stairs, but Harry's arm caught her and prevented her from following Tonks. He shook his head slowly at her, still pleading with her not to leave him "exposed." "For God's sake Potter," Tonks laughed, "Ginny and I'll go to lunch without you. Go take a cold shower or something." Harry shot a horrified glance at Tonks and then to Ginny, who were both grinning wickedly at him, and turned away from them. As quick as his recovering body could go, he made his way up the stairs, hoping he wouldn't meet anyone else on the way to the bathroom. When Harry had reached the top step and turned down the hall. Ginny and Tonks both burst out laughing. "You know he's going to be embarrassed about that for the next ten years," Ginny laughed. "Probably won't be able to look either of us in the eye for a week," Tonks added. "Doesn't it feel good to have that kind of power over a man?" Ginny snorted in response as the two made their way slowly down the rest of the stairs. "I guess it does. Though I'm not sure embarrassment is the kind of power I want over him," Ginny breathed when her laughs had subsided. "You know you two are lucky someone didn't come out of the kitchen," Tonks said as she turned to Ginny, her smiling fading a bit and her tone becoming a bit more serious. "Harry'd probably be back in that hospital bed right about now if any one of your brothers or father walked out. "I wasn't exactly planning on that impromptu snog," Ginny replied. "I actually had him out here to yell at him for being short with Ron and Hermione." "So a scolding turned into a snogging?" Tonks asked, the amusement back in her voice. "Yeah," responded Ginny. "Remind me to yell at Remus the next time I feel like a good make-out session," Tonks laughed as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Ginny just looked at Tonks in amazement as the older witch opened the door and the two made their way into the kitchen to join the rest of the family for lunch. ------------------------------ ---------------------------------------- ---------- Harry sat down on his bed, running a towel through his short hair to get any excess water out after his second shower of the day. His hair was nearly to the length now where he might consider going without a wool beanie or a bandanna on his head. But where he hoped his hair might lay a bit flatter after being shaved off, it instead stuck up rather comically in the back where it was growing in. He'd have to keep covering his head up for at least another week or so before he decided to brave it. Either that or he'd have to wait till Madam Pomfrey said it was alright for him to try a Hair-Restoring potion. He had decided on going back to his bedroom, knowing he wouldn't be able to stand the smirks and knowing smiles that both Ginny and Tonks were sure to give him if he dared show up at lunch. It wasn't like it was the first time he'd had a reaction to Ginny or any other pretty girl at Hogwarts for that matter. Being Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived and The Chosen one didn't make him immune to the alluring attraction of the female form. He was just learning to appreciate the fact that Hogwarts school robes were bulky and very concealing as opposed to a pair of track pants and a t-shirt. As Harry sat back on his bed in the silence, trying to ignore his rumbling stomach, he couldn't help but realize that he was alone for the first time in a while. Everyone else was either downstairs at lunch or at work. A sudden thought crossed his mind and he sprang up from his bed and slid onto the floor. He lay awkwardly on his side, reaching underneath the bed, pulling out a box and the stone Pensieve that Lupin had given him for his birthday. If everybody else was occupied, this was the perfect opportunity to look at some of the memories of his parents that Remus had given him. He had wanted to take a look at them for the past few days, but Ron or someone else had always been close by and he really wanted to do this himself. These memories were of his parents, his past, and he didn't know how he'd react or what he'd see. Harry hefted the box and the Pensieve carefully onto the bed and took a seat cross-legged on the squishy mattress. He really didn't know where to start. There were so many memories that he had to choose from and none of them were labeled. The only thing that was different between the tiny bottles was the amount of silvery liquid in them and the consistency differed a bit. Harry thought maybe it was the age of the memory or how vivid it had been for the person to recall it that caused these visible differences. Harry picked up a bottle and rolled it around in his fingers, watching the memory climb the sides. He raised the bottle to his mouth, putting the cork holding the contents in between his teeth... Knock...knock....knock.... Harry put the bottle down and made to put away the box and Pensieve when the door opened. Ginny walked into the room holding a plate and a goblet in her hand. As she entered, she gave Harry a questioning look as he was still sitting on the bed amongst the bottles and Pensieve and was giving her his own look of slight annoyance. "I thought you'd be hungry since you didn't come back down to lunch," she said cautiously as she came over to the bed and set down the plate and goblet on the nightstand. "Mum made you a ham and cheese sandwich and there's some Jell-O and a bit of pumpkin juice too," Ginny added while motioning to the food. Harry continued to watch Ginny with an unreadable expression. He had just been about to delve into those memories and he really was hoping that she'd leave him now she'd brought him his food so he could go into the Pensieve. "What're those?" Ginny asked, sitting down on the bed next to him and pointing to the bottles. Harry hesitated for a second. A part of him still wanted to keep these memories to himself. "Memories," Harry answered. "Memories?" Ginny repeated in confusion. "For the Pensieve," Harry said as he gestured to the stone basin on the bed between them. Ginny's eyes widened as she set sight on the stone container in front of her. "We're did you get a Pensieve from Harry? Those are really rare...I don't think I know anyone who has one except for--" Ginny poured excitedly. "Dumbledore," Harry said tonelessly as he gave Ginny a sad smile. "He left it for me and Remus gave it to me the day after my birthday. These memories are ones that Remus gave me as a gift." Harry picked up one of the bottles that held memories of his parents and tossed to her. She eyed the tiny vial, tipping it from side to side, watching the contents flow smoothly over the glass. "What're they of?" Ginny asked, handing the vial back to Harry. Harry took in a heavy breath. "My parents," he sighed, playing with the bottle in his hand. "Oh," Ginny blurted. She could see now why he had not come back down to lunch and had looked annoyed at her coming into the room to bring him food. He had been trying to view these memories and she had interrupted him. He obviously wanted to be alone. "I just came to bring you lunch," she said apologetically as she got up from the bed. "I can tell them you're sleeping so no one bothers you," she added, backing out of the room. "Ginny?" Harry called after her. As much as he had wanted to go into the Pensieve alone, he really didn't want her to leave, thinking he was trying to push her away again. Ginny stopped and turned to face him. "Would you like to go into the Pensieve with me?" Harry asked after a few moments of abated silence. Ginny furrowed her brow and stepped towards him again. "Are you sure?" she asked seriously. "Harry, these are personal. If you'd rather--" "Ginny I want you to come with me," he interrupted, the intensity of his gaze causing her breath to catch. She nodded and made to sit opposite him on the bed. "Come here," he said, holding out his arm and motioning for her to come and sit on his lap so they could view the Pensieve together. She took his hand and let him guide her into his lap so that she was sitting on his legs, her back pressed up against his chest. "Is this alright?" Ginny asked as she shifted to get a bit more comfortable, but unsure if she was causing him any pain. "Perfect," he whispered in her ear, causing the hair on her neck to stand up. When they were both settled, there was a moment of silence. Harry seemed to be hesitating, waiting for something. "So how does this work?" Ginny asked to interrupt the silence. "We put a memory in the basin and then touch the surface. It'll take us into the memory. We can move anywhere the memory giver remembers, but they can't see us and we can't do anything but watch," Harry answered. "All of these are of your parents?" she asked as she scanned the twenty or so memories on the bed. "Yeah," Harry replied quietly. "Where do we start? There's so many," She responded in a hushed tone of awe. "I guess we pick one. They're not labeled in any way, so I've got no way of knowing what is what," Harry explained. "You pick first," he added, wrapping his arm around Ginny and nodding towards the pile. Ginny turned back and gave him a hesitant look. Did he really want her to make the first choice? It almost didn't feel right for her to do it. These memories of his parents and held things that he had wanted to see and know about for so long. Harry gave her encouraging nod and smile and she turned back to the pile, picking up one of the bottles near the top. "Uncork it and pour it in," Harry told her. She fiddled with the tiny cork and carefully poured the silver substance into the basin, where it expanded and filled the entire space within. "We just need to dip our faces into it," He told her with a smirk on his face. "It'll feel kind of weird. Sort of like you're having a really wild and crazy Floo trip. But it'll be alright once we get in," he tried assuring her by giving her a squeeze. "Ready?" he asked. She looked back up at him and nodded, taking a deep and shaky breath. She was very nervous about using the Pensieve and what they were going to see when they got in. It calmed her a bit though to know that Harry was as nervous as she was. Sitting up against him, she could feel his breaths start to get deeper and his heart rate picked up, causing it to beat against his chest and her back. "Ok, here we go," he whispered as he leaned forward, pushing both of their faces towards the silver substance until both of their noses touched and he felt the room spin out of control and sight. ------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------- ------------- Harry landed hard on his feet. His still unsteady legs buckled under the pressure and he toppled through a table, which he would have smacked his head on had he been solid and really there. He rolled onto his back and out from underneath the table to see Ginny standing over him, her hand extended to help him up. Smiling, she pulled him to his feet, and helped him brush the grass off of his t-shirt. "Where are we?" Ginny asked, looking around. Harry looked around for the first time since his spectacular crash landing. He wasn't sure where they were. There were dozens of tables all around them and lots of people everywhere. They were outside somewhere, but he had never been here before...it wasn't anywhere he ever remembered being or seeing. He looked around at the people conversing and laughing all around them. Some of them were sitting at tables, eating and drinking. Others were standing around with drinks in their hands, their conversations punctuated with roars of laughter and guffaws. Everyone seemed to be in either dress robes or suits and dresses. There was music playing softly in the background. They were most definitely at some sort of party, but for what, he had no idea. "I don’t know," Harry said shrugging and looking around to see if he could find someone he recognized. This was, after all, a memory of someone he knew...the giver had to be somewhere near. "I guess we have to find someone we recognize, they've got to be somewhere around he--" "Look...there's Remus," Ginny said, tugging on Harry's shirt and pointing towards a table not far away. Sure enough, a very young looking and smiling Remus Lupin was sitting at a table next to...Sirius. Harry's heart skipped a beat as he laid eyes on his handsome and carefree looking godfather. This was the pre-Azkaban Sirius and he looked happy and healthy here. But where were they? Lupin leaned in closer to Sirius and pulled away with a wide grin on his face, Sirius burst into fit of laughter and downed half of the pint in his hand between laughs. Obviously whatever they were talking about was very funny because neither of them seemed to be able to contain themselves. Either that or they both were incredibly drunk, which seemed very possible given the number of glasses in front of them and the glazed look in Sirius's eyes. "You do it," Sirius whispered loudly, shoving a glass towards Remus and giving him a nudge. "No," Remus replied quietly, pushing the glass back towards Sirius. "I did the last time." "No I did," Sirius argued, his words a bit slurred. "No...The last time they were dancing and you made me do it," Remus told him. "That was before they were talking to Dumbledore...It was me that time," Sirius chided. "Do you realize what we're arguing about?" Remus said suddenly. "It's your turn," Sirius said firmly, thumping the glass down on the table. Harry turned to look at Ginny who was watching the two with the same look of interest and confusion that Harry knew must also be on his face. Ginny looked up at Harry and raised an eyebrow towards the two arguing men. "Fine," Lupin gave in, picking up a fork on the table and hitting the glass in front of him lightly so that it made a soft 'clink....clink....clink.' Soon the noise of more glasses being tapped and people clapping could be heard as more people joined in. Sirius sat beside Lupin, fit to burst with laughter and searching the room excitedly. "If you want to see him get kissed that bad, why don't you just do it yourself?" came a young woman's voice from just behind Harry and Ginny. Harry whirled around at the sound of the voice. He'd heard that voice before... There standing behind them, apparently fresh from a conversation with a group of people and a look of annoyance on her face, was a stunningly-beautiful young woman with long cascading locks of auburn hair, dressed in an elegant white gown. Ginny couldn't tear her eyes away from the gorgeous woman in front of her, who was shaking her head at Remus and Sirius, a smile threatening to spread across her lips. There was something familiar about the woman. It wasn't the red hair...she wasn't a Weasley...she was sure of that. What was it? She looked up at Harry to find him staring unblinkingly at the red-haired women. He seemed frozen in time, unable to tear his eyes away from her. Ginny could feel Harry shaking as she stood next to him, he didn't seem to be breathing. Ginny looked through his wire-rimmed glasses to see his beautiful green orbs filled with tears and...longing. She looked from the woman back to Harry. There was something in his eyes that said he knew her...his eyes...those brilliant emerald eyes...his mother's eyes...her eyes... "Harry is that your--?" Ginny started, but another person pushed by them and took the young woman by the waist, twirling her around. "Evans...that's our cue," the tall, dark haired man, dressed in a tuxedo, said as he wrapped his arms around the woman and brought her close to him. "You know...you can't call me that anymore," the woman teased, straightening the man's glasses on his nose. "Oh yeah...would you like to remind me why? Mrs. Potter," the man said as he kissed her soundly on the lips before pulling away smiling broadly. As the man turned to face the table where Remus and Sirius were standing, clapping and hollering, Ginny could see that the man in front of her was clearly James Potter. There was no doubt that this man was Harry's father, in fact they very well could have passed as twins, only with slight differences. James had a longer nose and face and his eyes were a deep hazel, but he had the same fly-way, messy black hair and glasses as his son. He and Harry were also built along the same lines. Both were tall and athletic looking, but aired on the side of skinny. And as James smiled towards his two best friends and made his way over, Ginny saw he had that same toothy grin that Harry had, one that lit up his entire face and eyes. "Enjoying yourselves?" asked James as a pulled a still grinning Lily behind him towards Remus and Sirius. "Not as much as you mate," grinned Sirius into his pint. "As much as I love this big dumb brute," Lily laughed, giving James a squeeze when he pretended to look offended at her comment, "I think we'd like a span of ten minutes at our wedding where we could actually talk to our guests instead of having to run off every five seconds to snog because of you two." "Awwww....you can't tell me you're not enjoying this Lil," Sirius said. Lily gave Sirius a knowing grin and then looked up suddenly over towards another part of the party, her laughter suddenly fading. "I'll be back," she said quickly, turning to James, who giving her the same confused look that Harry liked to give Ginny. "My sister's here," she whispered to him. James looked over towards where she was looking a frown on his face. "I can go with you," he told her, taking her arm. "No...It'll be fine. I'll be back," she said as she made her way through the crowd and over to where a younger looking Petunia Dursley and a slightly, but not much, thinner Vernon Dursley were sitting at an isolated table, talking to another older red-headed woman and a grey haired man. "Prudish, Muggle bastard," Sirius breathed into his drink. "Yeah," James sighed, "Lils didn't think they'd show. But her mum and dad must've got Petunia and that git to come after all." "Let's go hex him Prongs," Sirius said suddenly, brandishing his wand and twirling it between his fingers. "Nah...not worth it," James said shrugging and looking over towards Lily who was embracing a very stiff looking Petunia who didn't look like she wanted to be there at all. "I'll be back," James said, looking over towards his wife and family. He stopped suddenly and turned back to Sirius and Remus. "Wait at least fifteen minutes before you do the glass thing again," he said with a wink and then headed off towards the crowd. Ginny took the opportunity to look back up at Harry who was following his father's path as he made his way over to his mother. "Do you want to follow?" Ginny asked, causing Harry to start and then smile down at her. "We can't," he said quietly. "Remus wasn't over there to hear the conversation." Ginny nodded and then stood watching the rest of the wedding party. She could see various members of the Order, like Moody, McGonagall, and Dumbledore sitting at different tables talking animatedly to people she didn't know. "Ready to go back?" Harry asked suddenly. "I guess...if you want," Ginny replied. Harry nodded. "Hang on to me," he told her, waiting for her to take his arm and wrap another hand around his waist. In a spinning rush of color the scene before them disappeared. ------------------------ ---------------------------------------- ---------------- Next, Ginny found herself sprawled out on Harry's chest on the bed back at Grimmauld Place in an upstairs bedroom. Both of them awkwardly propped themselves up and sat up again. "I'm assuming that was my parent's wedding," Harry said with a smile as he replaced the memory in its vial. "Really?" Ginny said sarcastically. "I never would've guessed." Harry smiled back and then looked down thoughtfully; taking in the scene he had just seen. He had been at his parent's wedding. Had seen them up close and heard their voices and conversations. He was excited, and thrilled, and saddened at the same time. They had seemed so happy. (Except for the whole Petunia and Vernon thing). They were so oblivious to what was going to happen in their near future. They were so carefree...so young. Not much older than him, in fact. "You never told me your mum had red hair," Ginny said suddenly. Harry let out a snort of laughter. "Yeah...Sirius told me that Potter's have a thing for red-heads," he said, throwing her a sly grin, which she returned with a soft punch in the arm. "She was beautiful Harry," Ginny whispered, leaning into him. Harry closed his eyes and swallowed, nodding slightly in response. "And your dad...well...when they say you look just like him...they're not kidding. I guess I have both of your parents to thank for the handsome young man you've become." Harry smiled at her and brought her in close to him so that her head was lying against his chest. Sitting here like this, she could feel his breathing and she could tell he was thinking deeply and he was troubled by what he had saw. "Are you ok?" she asked quietly into his chest. "Yeah...I guess," he breathed heavily. "Every time I see them in pictures or something...it just brings things to the surface and makes me think about how things could have been...how they should have been." He paused to compose himself. "They just seemed so happy. They had no idea of what was to come...that they were going to die. I mean...I was born a little over a year later and then they were gone a little over a year after that. Did it ever occur to them that this was the way their lives were going to turn out?" he said tonelessly, in a dead and very sad sort of way. "But they were happy Harry, you said it yourself. And they loved each other so much. I could tell just by being in that memory," she said her voice shaking, unsure of what to say. "I don't think anyone knows how their life is going to turn out Harry. Things happen...things we have no control over. They probably didn't know...weren't aware of what was going to happen within the next few years. Maybe not even until Voldemort came for them..." 'They did know,' Harry thought to himself. 'They knew for over a year that Voldemort was going to hunt them down...that they were most likely going to die.' Suddenly Harry wanted to tell her about the Prophecy, about his destiny. He wanted to shout out that some people did have control over what happened in their lives. That he was one of those people who knew exactly what he was going to have to do. Things didn't always happen for no reason. Some people had their futures mapped out for them and stuck in little glass balls. But he couldn't find the words to tell her that he was a marked man. A murderer or a victim in the end. He didn't want to scare her or to see the look of pity or sympathy in her face. This was Ginny, the woman he was pretty sure he loved and wanted to spend the rest of his life with. What if this drove her away? What if this changed things? 'It won't,' said a voice in his head. 'She loves you and it won't change a thing.' Harry wanted to listen to that voice, to spill everything to her, but when he opened his mouth something else came out. "Want to look at another one?" he asked, trying to mask the emotion in his voice. Ginny studied him closely and then nodded her head. "Your turn to pick," she said, pointing to the rest of the bottles still on the bed. Harry reached into the pile and pulled out another glass vial, this one not as full as the last and then poured it into the Pensieve. "After you," he whispered, holding his hand above the Pensieve as though he was gesturing for her to go through a door he was holding open for her. Ginny slowly brought her nose close to the surface of the memory and waited for Harry to join her before plunging headfirst into the liquid, that sickening spinning sensation taking over again. ---------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ---------- They both landed crouched in the middle of what looked like a living or sitting room, the floor carpeted white and the walls a soft shade of green. Harry clung to Ginny, trying to balance himself and trying to avoid repeating his previous performance in the Pensieve. They straightened out and looked around. There were three figures in the room. One was sprawled out on the couch, arms and legs spilled over the edge, a blanket covering up most of their head and body. Another figure was laid out on the floor, a pillow of their head. And the third was sitting upright in a chair, sleeping with a blanket covering their legs. On closer inspection, the person in the chair was none other than Remus Lupin. It looked as though he was still dressed in whatever he had worn the previous day and his hair was sticking up, looking as though it could rival even Harry's messy mop. As he looked around, Harry ventured to guess that the other two people were probably Sirius and his dad. And it looked as though they were recovering from a long and eventful night. 'No wonder Lupin got me Firewhisky,' Harry smiled to himself, waiting whatever must have happened when this scene took place to happen. As he and Ginny stood there, he noticed the low rumbling snores emitting from each man, each snoring alternately. "Rough night I take it," Ginny said smiling, as the man on the floor rolled over and groaned. It was Sirius who had his head hidden under the pillow, so that meant James was the person sprawled on the couch. Just when Harry began to wonder if this was all the memory entailed, his mother walked into the room wearing a robe, pajama bottoms, and slippers. Her long auburn hair was tied back in a pony-tail, much like he had seen Ginny do during a Quidditch match. Harry then noticed that on her hip, holding onto with both her arms, was a baby with curly, black hair and blue footie-pajamas on. It was Harry. "Awww..." he heard Ginny whisper from his side. He looked down to see her smiling up at him. "What a cute little guy." Harry laughed at her comment and watched the toddler version of himself, pull on his mother's robe and play with a strand of hair that was falling from her pony-tail. Lily poked baby Harry playfully on the nose and then looked around at the three grown men occupying the living room with a smile of satisfied disbelief on her face. "Looks like we might have to teach these boys a lesson Harry," she sighed to the baby, who was paying no attention to anything but the strand of hair that was dangling near his face. "Lesson?" asked a voice from across the room. Remus Lupin yawned and then stretched out his muscles that had been cramped from sleeping all night in a chair. "Had fun last night?" asked Lily. "They did," yawned Lupin, shaking the sleep out of his eyes. "I had to stay sober to make sure these two yahoos’ didn't do anything stupid. We didn't wake you two did we last night?" "No," Lily replied. "This one sleeps like his father," she said gesturing to Harry on her hip. "I just thought since it's nearly ten, you all might want to think about waking up." "I'm awake...but those two...I'm pretty you'll need a whole battalion of Aurors to achieve that," Remus smiled and sat back in his chair, rubbing his eyes again. "How old do you think I am?" Harry asked, looking down at Ginny. He knew it had to be under a year or so, but he'd never really been around little kids growing up, he was curious to know how long they would have until that fateful night. "Maybe six months...a little more," Ginny guessed, shrugging a bit. Harry nodded and then turned back to watch his mother set down baby Harry and go around the room gathering shoes, cloaks, and other items of clothing from the floor and other pieces of furniture. He could hear her muttering things under breath that sounded a lot like "ever grow up" and "I swear one of these days." Harry turned back to the baby on the floor who was trying to crawl his way over to the couch to wear his father was sleeping off last nights consumption of alcohol. Without really thinking or knowing why, Harry knelt down beside the baby version of himself. He had never really even seen a picture of himself this young. As he studied the toddler in front of him he could see that even at this age he had the same bright green eyes and messy mop of black hair. Though, there was a lot less of it than he had now that he was older. He was also slender and small, even as a little kid. As he looked closer, he also couldn't help but notice that his forehead was clear and unblemished. There was no lightening bolt shaped scar on it yet. This version of himself was oblivious to the fact that in maybe a few short months he would have his mother and father taken away from him. That he'd get that scar and become one of the most famous names in the wizarding world. He knew nothing about Prophecies or Horcruxes. He had no idea that he'd be growing up in a house full of Muggles that could care less about him and his existence. The only thing baby Harry was worried about now was the blanket he was now attempting to pull off his snoring father's head. Watching this younger version of himself play without a worry in the world made him happy to know that life had once been like that for him. But it also brought home that familiar feeling of loss and longing. "Do you want to help me wake Daddy up?" Lily asked, kneeling on the other side of the baby who was pulling on the blanket. Ginny watched from her position in the middle of the room as Harry knelt beside the memory version of himself, a small smile crossing his face as he watched himself play. She couldn't imagine what he must be feeling. She knew he was happy that he had the chance to witness this part of his life. But she also knew it was killing him to know that this was just a memory...it was as real is this would get for him. Ginny watched Lily Potter kneel on the other side of the baby, asking him if he wanted to help wake up James. Ginny couldn't help but smile when Lily handed baby Harry a rattle and mimicked hitting the sleeping James over the head with it. Little Harry waved around the rattle, nearly missing James's face a few times. Ginny looked over at Remus, who was watching Harry and Lily with what looked like amusement and admiration. This scene seemed so innocent, so perfect and it hurt to think that this was maybe the last one of these moments Harry got to share with his parents. Ginny was about to turn to Harry, still kneeling by the couch, when the room around her seemed to shimmer and flicker for a moment. She looked around to see if Harry had noticed anything, but he was still kneeling beside the baby. "Harry?" she asked quietly when the room danced in and out of focus again. But Harry didn't turn or acknowledge that he had heard her at all. "Harry?" she called again a little more forcefully and she stepped towards him, reaching a hand out to place on his shoulder. But just before she reached him, the figures in front of her flickered in and out, like a television set with bad reception. Lily, Little Harry, sleeping James, and big Harry all shimmered in and out as the room began to swim and spin. 'Wait a minute,' she thought to herself, 'Harry's not a memory. He shouldn't have...what the hell's going--' But as she reached that thought, a piercing scream, a woman's scream filled the room and bright flashes of green lit up the room and blocked out the scene she had been witnessing. There were more screams and shouts, as well as the sound of breaking glass and loud explosions. The room seemed to change before her eyes. What had been a warm and inviting room, flickered into the same room, but with the walls blown apart and the furniture thrown all around. There were flashes of a young James Potter, the same one who had just been sleeping on the couch, brandishing his wand and throwing out spells, the fear evident in his eyes. Lily....take...Harry...run... Please...not...take...me...not Harry...have...mercy... The words were garbled and confused, like she was listening to a scratched record. Above the words and shouts, she could hear another scream, one that didn't fit in the scene. The voices she had been hearing, she was sure were Lily and James Potter, but this scream didn't belong here, wherever and whenever she was. The way the room was spinning and flickering was making Ginny sick. She didn't know how to stop it, to get out of the Pensieve. Harry had been the one to get them out last time. But just as she was worried she would be trapped in the nightmarish scene, she felt something pull at the back of her head roughly, as though she was being dragged backwards and swung by her hair. Everything seemed to be spinning at a dizzying rate; her body was spinning out of control. Just as soon as the spinning commenced, Ginny slammed hard onto the floor, sharp, stabbing pains erupting in her hands and the side of her face. All her senses seemed stunned as she tried to get a grip on her surroundings. But everything still seemed to spinning, and as she tried to push herself up, she was met by more shooting pains in her hands. And that voice was still screaming, still yelling. Something was telling her she needed to find out who was screaming. She pushed herself up against the stabbing pains, propping herself up against a bed. 'A bed...Grimmauld Place...' her dazed brain thought. She looked down at her hands to see them covered in blood, bits of glass embedded in between her fingers and her palm. She was on the floor, broken glass and smashed bottles littered the floor, their silvery liquid coloring the wooden floorboards. The Pensieve lay empty on the floor beside her. "Harry," she breathed, lifting herself off the floor, despite the pain, forcing herself to go to the source of the pained yelling. There on the bed, Harry was convulsing madly. His whole body was arching and spasming in pain as loud screams of pain and terror escaped his mouth. His eyes were rolled back in his head, the whites of his eyes the only thing showing. His hand was clutched to his scar; blood was seeping thickly between his fingers and running down his face, staining the white sheets an eerie crimson color. Ginny instinctively reached for him, trying to stop him from thrashing around, to wake him up and comfort him. But as she touched his arm, her hand seared as though she had touched a hot pan and she staggered backwards onto Ron's bed. She looked at her hand, which was red and raw looking underneath the fresh cuts from the broken glass. What had just happened? What was happening to Harry? Footsteps could be heard running frantically up the stairs, voicing yelling and shouting in the hall as the door burst open and Tonks, Remus, Arthur, Bill, Ron, and the twins piled into the room, looking on in horror at the scene before them. "Oh my God," Remus exclaimed as he crossed the room and reached for the convulsing and screaming Harry who was still on the bed. "Don't!" Ginny shouted. "Don't touch him!" Remus stopped and looked at Ginny like she was crazy. Ginny held up her hand revealing the cuts and the deep red burn across her palm. "Ginny what happened?" Arthur yelled over the noise coming from Harry as everyone stood frozen, unsure of what to do. He reached out to take a look at her hand and then put a hand to her face, pulling away to reveal the crimson blood on his own fingers. "I don't know," Ginny sobbed, not taking her eyes off Harry. "We were looking in the Pensieve and things just started to go crazy and he started doing that. I touched him...and...he...burned me." "Dad what's going on?" asked Bill. "Should we get Madam--?" But Bill stopped as the room went silent and Harry's body tensed up, his eyes rolling back to reveal his pupils. But they were oddly dilated and large, the green of his eyes were vibrant and more clear than usual. It didn't look like he was there...like he was awake or aware anyone else was in the room. Remus and Arthur moved cautiously over to the bed, but stopped when Harry spoke. "Leave...me...alone," he said in a very ethereal and cold voice. His face was contorted in rage and concentration, his eyes still unseeing to the reality around him, but clear and unnaturally powerful looking. Harry's eyes rolled back again in his head, the whites once again the only thing visible. He began to shake a bit, as if he was going to lapse into the same fit, but he seemed to be struggling to keep control. It was almost if he was fighting a war against someone or something in his own mind to gain control of his body. His irises slid back into view and he began to shake his head as if trying to rid himself of what has happening to him. "No..." he shouted in that same dangerous and powerful voice. "Get..." items on the bedside table began to shake and shudder. "Out..." the air began to dance with power and electricity. Everyone in the room stopped moving, and stood mesmerized at the amount of power and magic that seemed to be coming from Harry. "NOW!" With the last, almost deafening word, a shockwave sent all of the occupants of the room to the floor and made the walls and the floors of Grimmauld Place shake. Paintings and pictures fell off the wall and smashed and similar crashes could be heard throughout the house. When the dust had settled and everyone had lifted themselves off of the floor and righted themselves once again, they turned to the bed. Harry lay silently still, sprawled out in the middle of the bed. His arm and legs hung limply and lifelessly off the sides and his eyes were closed as though he were sleeping. The old scar on his forehead was split open and looked as though it was bigger than before; blood was still slowly seeping from it, covering his pale face in a thin sheet of red. Remus walked hesitantly toward the bed, reaching out a shaking hand towards the boy’s neck. He paused inches from him, afraid that he might get burned as Ginny had or that when he went to search for a pulse, there wouldn't be one. Taking an unsteady breath, Remus put two fingers to Harry's neck, not jumping back in pain. Everyone held their breath for what seemed like forever, waiting for Remus's findings. "He's alive," Remus told them, taking his fingers off of Harry's neck. There was a collective sigh of relief as everyone let go of the breath they had been holding. A feeling of confusion and worry began to replace the suspense and everyone was left thinking 'What the hell just went on?' Nobody but Ron had an inkling of what may have just happened. He had seen Harry have his "visions" and glimpses into Voldemort's mind and knew that that's what this may have very well been. But it hadn't happened since fifth year and never had it happened like this. This last episode had been downright scary. Harry had been scary. The way he spoke and the power that had seemed to be pouring from him was something Ron had never seen before. Ron didn't even want to think about what Harry had seen, what Voldemort had been doing in Harry's mind to make him react like that. They would just have to wait until Harry woke up to find out. And Ron knew that when he did...he was going to have question to answer from the Order. A/N: Sorry about the long wait. The hand held me up again and I just didn't get a lot of time to write. I'm getting ready to move up to school, so I've been pretty busy with that. But here is a super-long chapter that I hope you enjoyed. It had lots of Harry/Ginny action that you all requested. I also had some time (though not to write) but to figure out how far I want to go and what I want to do. And I've decided to make this a seventh book type fic. It will go to "the end". Though I might spit it into two stories to make it not so long. I already have an ending, which I am set on...but just need to get there in between. Don't worry...this "episode" will be explained and Harry will tell what happened. And we will go back to the Burrow for Ginny's birthday and the wedding. |
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