|
Summer of Recovery | ||||||
|
Category: Post-DH/AB Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Teddy Lupin Genres: General, Romance Warnings: Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations, Negative Alcohol Use Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 145 Summary: What comes after Voldemort’s defeat? A very, very difficult summer. The world moves on, and it’s much different than it was when Harry and Ginny first got together. The summer will be one of grief, but they’re ready to recover together after so long apart. The only question is: will the world finally let them? Part 1 of Happier Every Day Hitcount: Story Total: 39221; Chapter Total: 1046 Awards: View Trophy Room |
Previous Next |
|
||||
|
"Ginny… Ginny…" Ginny's eyes shot open, hearing Harry moaning her name. His arms were wrapped around her, so she could feel him sweating and shaking. She turned and immediately recognised another telltale sign of a nightmare- his eyes were rapidly moving behind his eyelids, obviously keeping Harry trapped in some sort of horrible dream. She sat up, leaning over Harry. "It's alright, babe. I've got you," she whispered, caressing his face before kissing his forehead gently. He groaned at the contact but continued thrashing around. "I'm right here, Harry," she said, trying her best to urge him to wake up. He inhaled sharply, just before she bent down to kiss him, and his eyes fluttered open. He was the bravest person she'd ever known, but he still looked scared, reaching up to touch her face as if afraid she was just a dream. She didn't know that she'd ever say anything because she had to be strong for him, but it scared her too, seeing him in so much pain. "I'm here, Harry. I'm always here," she promised, and he nodded, still staring up at her with those gorgeous green eyes that were currently several shades darker than normal from his sleep and fears. "Love you," he whispered, and she finally kissed him. She looked up and saw that dawn was just approaching outside. "You wanna go for a run?" she asked. He nodded again before rolling out of bed. She watched as he quickly changed out of his sweaty clothes into another set of clothes that would soon be equally sweaty. The burn that had once wrapped around his back and side was almost completely faded, as were the other scars and marks he'd received throughout the course of the previous year. Well, all the marks except the two curse scars that he wore on his chest. Occasionally, she'd remember that there was a brief period of time, almost three months ago, when Harry wouldn't let her see those scars. Thankfully, things had changed a lot since then. "I can keep the clothes off if you'd prefer," Harry joked, and Ginny laughed, standing up and walking over to him. She snuck her hands under his shirt, feeling the lean muscles of his stomach. He inhaled sharply, looking down at her as if he really wasn't expecting her to do something like that. "Oh, I'd always prefer that. But it wouldn't be very good for running around the village. Maybe that can be my birthday present though," she suggested in what she hoped was a seductive manner. The hungry look in Harry's eyes didn't diminish at all. "I think I can manage that. You definitely deserve an extra present after yesterday." "An extra? So you already have a gift for me?" she asked, and he kissed her quickly. "I've got one, and I'll be getting the rest soon. And even though they won't be half as good as everything you did for me, I hope you'll like them." Ginny blushed but smiled up at her boyfriend. He had no idea how romantic he really could be, and it was absolutely adorable. "I'm positive that I'll love anything that you give me. I'm just glad that you liked your birthday so much." Harry looked at her incredulously. "How could I not? Honestly, what happened after we got back here last night was already the best present ever, but everything else- the Quidditch match, both parties… you got me an owl! But my favourite gift was that photo album. It was absolutely perfect." "Yeah?" she asked, grinning up at him. "It was so bloody perfect that I thought my heart was gonna pound out of my chest when you gave it to me. Yesterday was the perfect birthday. And actually, the next thing on my list is that you care so much about me that you spent all that time to give me the best birthday you could. I just- I can't even say how much I love you for it." "I think you just did," Ginny whispered, kissing him soundly. After several minutes of kissing and a lot of running, they were walking back to the Burrow when Harry suddenly looked at her with great alarm. "We forgot to go to Hogwarts yesterday!" he exclaimed. Ginny laughed and shook her head. "No, you forgot about Hogwarts because it was your birthday. I went there and took care of adding the ingredients to the potion before I went to Chudley." He exhaled gratefully. "You're brilliant, honestly." "And don't forget it," she responded, causing him to smile at her. "I don't think I could if I tried," he answered, lacing his fingers through hers. When they arrived back at the house, they were still the only ones awake, so Harry decided to take some time to familiarise himself with his new owl. They were sitting on the porch swing, and the owl was perched on the balustrade of the porch, looking curiously at both of them. "She's beautiful," Ginny commented, and Harry nodded. "It's so weird. She looks so much like Hedwig, but… different. She's smaller and has a rounder head. You're right though, she's definitely beautiful," Harry agreed. Ginny glanced over at him and saw that he was staring at the owl happily. She'd been more than a little worried that getting him a snowy owl wouldn't be a good decision, which is why she hadn't actually told anybody other than her Mum, and all she'd told her was that she was getting Harry an owl. But she thought she knew him well enough to know he'd love this owl, and she was glad she was right. "What are you gonna name her?" Ginny asked. Harry frowned, apparently in thought about the question. "I dunno. Maybe I need to break out A History of Magic. That's where I found Hedwig's name. What do you think?" Ginny cracked a grin. "Are you sure you want me to suggest names for your owl? I have a couple ideas, but I was the one who came up with the name for Pigwidgeon, and even though that's a fantastic name, everyone seems to think it isn't." Harry laughed and looked over at her. "It is a fantastic name. Go on, take your best shot," he encouraged. "Okay… I've got Ashwynn, Iseult, Fluffernutter, Mnemosyne, Starwing, Thalia, Twinkletoes, Astraia, Eirwen… and Sadie," Ginny quickly rattled off without needing a second to think. Harry stared at her. "Is that all?" he asked, and she shrugged. "I could probably think of some more, but those were the first ones that came to mind." He shook his head, chuckling at her. "You're really something else, Gin." "I hope that's a compliment," she responded, bumping him with her shoulder. He laughed and pulled her close. "It's always a compliment." He continued, "So let me think… I actually liked several of those names. I thought Mnemosyne was interesting, and so was Astraia. Eirwen is a cool name too. But… I think my favourite one might be Fluffernutter." Ginny glanced up to see if he was serious, but she was relieved to see he was grinning impishly. "Fluffernutter was definitely a joke," she said, laughing with him. "I know… I don't think she'd like that name very much. Maybe she'll respond to one of the other names?" he wondered aloud, and Ginny nodded. That was how Pigwidgeon's name had stuck, and Ron hadn't had a say in the matter after that. "Mnemosyne!" Harry called. The owl blinked once at him as if to ask if he was serious. "Okay, not that one apparently." "Astraia!" Harry said, and the owl blinked yet again, not moving at all. "I might have to try Fluffernutter if this one doesn't work. Eirwen!" Harry tried, and the owl surprised them both by hopping off the balustrade and flying to perch above Harry's head on the bench. "Eirwen it is, then," Ginny commented. "I think your great-great-great like thirty more times great grandmother would like that." Harry grinned and nodded. "I like it. It's cool to keep that name in the family." Eirwen hooted her agreement. Around that time, the rest of the family began stirring from within the house. Ginny and Harry spent almost the entire day with her parents, Ron, and Hermione. Her other brothers all had business they were attending to outside the house. Charlie was checking out some potential locations for the dragon reserve he was planning on opening. George had surprised everyone by saying that he was going back to the shop to start taking inventory for whenever he did decide to eventually reopen. And Percy also claimed to have to go to Diagon Alley- Ginny suspected it was a combination of him having an interest in working with George and also that his girlfriend worked just a few doors down from the shop. All in all though, it was a fairly quiet day. Ginny and Harry did briefly go to Hogwarts to stay on top of the potion brewing, but other than that, they enjoyed a rest between the celebration of Harry's birthday the previous day and the awards gala that would be happening the next day. The day of the gala was a completely different story- Ginny and Harry had gone earlier than usual to Hogwarts so they'd have plenty of time to get ready. When they returned home though, everyone was scrambling to get ready because Bill had owled and suggested they stop in Diagon Alley to have the family portrait they were giving to Harry made before the gala, which meant they had much less time than they'd originally planned for. Harry had followed her into her room since that's where his clothes were, but they were both surprised to find Hermione there, brushing her hair in the mirror. "Er- Hermione, why aren't you doing that upstairs?" Harry asked. "Ron doesn't understand why I take a while to get ready, so I just decided to prevent a row from starting and get ready in here," she answered. Ginny raised her eyebrows slightly, exchanging a look with Harry. The Hermione from before she started dating Ron wouldn't have ever made a conscious attempt to avoid an argument, especially when she hadn't done anything wrong. It was interesting seeing a subtle change in her behaviour like that, and Ginny wondered if she'd had similar behavioural changes since she started dating Harry. "Alright then. Guess I'll change upstairs," Harry sighed, casting a longing look at Ginny before leaving the room with his dress robes in hand. "He seemed disappointed to not be dressing in the same room as you," Hermione commented in an innocent voice, even though she was giving Ginny a glance that was far less innocent. Ginny grinned unabashedly. "I'm disappointed too. Good thing we'll be undressing in the same room tonight I guess." Hermione rolled her eyes and groaned, making Ginny laugh. "He really seemed to like his birthday, didn't he?" Ginny asked after a moment, taking another brush and beginning to fix her own hair. Hermione nodded. "He did. I was impressed- you did a good job with it." Ginny did her best not to feel too proud at that compliment because she was mainly just happy that Harry had liked it so much. "He really liked the gift you two gave him. It was incredible," Ginny responded, still impressed with the hand-drawn family tree that had helped inspire the name of Harry's owl. Hermione grinned happily. "I knew he'd love it. Ron and I had to keep going to the Ministry- Percy helped us with getting access to historical records- and we just drew the people as best as we could. Hopefully he'll be able to learn more about his family with it at least." Ginny nodded, knowing how important that was to Harry. "And you left space on the bottom too." Hermione smirked. "Plenty of space for your kids, grandkids, and great grandkids." "You mean Harry's," Ginny responded, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks. Hermione just shrugged, as if there wasn't a difference. That idea would take some getting used to. Ginny definitely didn't mind thinking about it, but it was odd hearing her friends and family talking about it so casually. There wasn't much time to dwell on that or to talk at all though- they both had to rush to finish getting ready in time to get the portrait made. Finally, they were both ready- Ginny was wearing emerald green dress robes that were really just a transfigured version of the dress she'd worn on hers and Harry's anniversary. Hermione was wearing a periwinkle blue set of robes that looked almost identical to the ones she'd worn at the Yule Ball almost four years earlier. They walked down the stairs together to meet the family in the living room. Harry had been in conversation with George and Ron, standing by the back door, and he hadn't immediately noticed that she'd entered the room. Interestingly enough, his dress robes looked to be, like hers, a transfigured version of what he'd worn on their anniversary- charcoal grey with emerald green accents and tie. He looked so carefree, laughing at something George had said. His shoulder-length black hair was, as usual, incredibly messy, which only made him more attractive. She loved seeing him like this- easily smiling and relaxed, so unlike the man who'd entered Hogwarts at the beginning of May with the weight of the world on his shoulders. At that moment, mid-laugh, he turned his piercing green eyes towards her, and the laughter faded from his face as he stared, transfixed, at her. She blushed and walked up to him, expecting him to say something, but he seemed to have briefly lost the ability to speak. He was so adorable sometimes that it made him completely irresistible. Ginny ignored her brothers, placing her hands on his chest and standing on her toes to whisper in his ear. "You look very handsome," she said before nipping slightly at his earlobe. The dumbfounded look on his face turned into a massive grin- all because of her, which made her feel quite proud. "I know I keep saying it, but… Gin, you really are the most beautiful witch in the world," he responded, leaning down to kiss her. "Merlin's balls, get a room," George groaned, and Ginny had to laugh when Harry took her hand and began leading her back to her room, apparently very happy to take George's suggestion literally. "Ugh, no, that's worse," George said, cringing as Ginny and Harry both laughed at his reaction. Thankfully, her parents hadn't witnessed that scene, as cute as it was by Harry, but they did walk in now, meaning it was time for all of them to apparate into Diagon Alley. They all filed out of the house and through the wards. Ginny held tightly to Harry, and a moment later, they were standing at the entrance to Diagon Alley, where Bill and Fleur were waiting for them. Fleur looked radiant as ever, wearing light grey dress robes that seemed to shine, and Ginny couldn't help but remember how often people would stare at her. Ron had been like that for a while, but he didn't seem too bothered today- he was more focussed on Hermione, which made her very happy for both of them. Just out of curiosity, she looked up at Harry and was very surprised to find him looking right back at her. Ginny grinned brightly and kissed him quickly, without even explaining why. He didn't seem upset about it. They held hands as they walked down the street, surrounded by the rest of her family, who weren't taking any chances of Harry getting mobbed today. Finally, they reached Magical Memories, a small shop tucked down a side alley that Ginny hadn't ever noticed before. An older man greeted them when they walked in, apparently a little surprised to have such a large group in his establishment, but he made haste to accommodate them. He led them to a room in the back of the store with four walls painted four different colours- white, grey, black, and blue. Seeing the variety of colours they were wearing, he chose to position them in front of the black wall. He began organising the order in which they stood, and that was when he very obviously noticed Harry for the first time, staring for several seconds at him before Ron awkwardly cleared his throat and the man got back to work. Her dad stood in the middle of the back row, with Harry, George, and Bill on his right and Charlie, Percy, and Ron on his left. Ginny was positioned in the gap in front of Harry and George, Fleur was in a similar position between Bill and Ginny's dad, her mum was between her dad and Charlie, and Hermione was between Percy and Ron. Without any subtlety, Harry slid an arm around Ginny's waist, clearly in view of the camera. Ginny just smiled even wider and slightly backed closer to him. The photographer took several photographs before deciding he had enough. He told Bill that the samples would be ready in two days. When they were leaving the store, Harry asked Bill, "Could you get me a smaller copy of the portrait too?" "Like a normal photograph size?" Bill asked, and Harry nodded. "Yep, I need it to fit into my photo album." Ginny squeezed his hand, still very proud of the gift she'd given both of them with that album. They disapparated from Diagon Alley, arriving outside of a public toilet somewhere in London. Ginny frowned, a little confused. "Aren't we supposed to be going to the Ministry?" she asked. "This is the regular entrance," Harry answered, and she raised an eyebrow at him curiously, wondering how he knew that. "This was how we got in… last year," he clarified, and Ginny nodded her understanding, not needing him to explain any further. They all walked toward the structure together before she turned right, following Hermione, Fleur, and her mum down the stairs to the mostly empty toilet. "You have to stand in the toilet and flush yourself in. It won't make you wet, though," Hermione instructed, and, surprisingly, nobody asked her how she knew that. It felt more than a little awkward, but Ginny climbed into the toilet, exhaling a small sigh of relief when her feet didn't feel wet. She reached up and pulled on the chain, and immediately, she was gliding rapidly down a chute of some sort, emerging in a fireplace within the Atrium of the Ministry for Magic. As everyone filed out behind her, Ginny noticed that the Atrium might have actually been more crowded than she'd seen it when they'd visited the Ministry for the hearings earlier in the summer. Instead of a statue in the centre of the Atrium, there was an elevated platform, like the one that had been used at the memorial. Surrounding the platform were rows and rows of seats in all directions- and they were almost all already filled. "That's… a lot of people," Harry commented quietly, standing next to her again. "At least you don't have to give a speech this time," Ginny offered, and he nodded slightly, still seeming uncomfortable with the arrangement. She couldn't blame him; there were easily as many people here as there had been at the memorial and maybe more. He may not have had to give a speech, but he would definitely be the centre of attention. "And I don't have to be separated from you," he added suddenly, clearly remembering the discomfort he'd felt at walking down the aisle at the memorial with just McGonagall and Kingsley. Ginny took his hand and squeezed it tightly, feeling Harry returning the pressure. "I go where you go," she said, reminding them both of a very important promise they'd made to each other. "Forever," Harry finished, already looking much more reassured than he had before. The rest of the family wandered forward, seemingly in awe of the crowd. They clearly had no problem with how many people were there- granted, they all had at least some possibility of maintaining anonymity. Even Ron and Hermione, who were receiving the same award as Harry, weren't so recognisable that they couldn't walk into the crowd without being noticed. On the other hand, Harry, who'd kept his head down as he followed the Weasleys, was immediately spotted by somebody in the first row he'd passed, and a large crowd of people began swarming him. Ginny and Harry lost sight of her family and began to lose their grip on each other's hands as the mob drove them apart, all wanting to talk to Harry. Ginny remembered a scene almost like this the first time they'd visited the Ministry this summer. She held on as tightly to the ends of Harry's fingers as she could, quickly drawing her wand. "Protego!" she shouted, driving people away from them. Somehow, she'd managed to keep Harry in her grasp, and he looked at her gratefully as a group of Aurors now surrounded them and escorted them to the area for the honorees. Everyone in the family was looking at them apologetically. They'd apparently gotten so caught up in the exciting feeling of the festivities that they'd forgotten how Harry drew crowds to him. Ginny nodded her understanding. It had been inconvenient, to say the least, but no harm had been done. Thankfully, nobody else approached them once they'd taken their seats, but that was almost certainly because there were Aurors standing at either end of their row, which was at the very front of a group of several rows, holding all the members of Dumbledore's Army, the Order of the Phoenix, and the Hogsmeade villagers who had fought at the battle. The only person they let approach was none other than the Minister, who made his way in front of them, greeting them all with handshakes or hugs. Ginny and Harry stood to greet him, and he warmly embraced them both. "Harry, I was meaning to ask you- would you mind saying a few words tonight?" Kingsley asked. Ginny was more than a little surprised, and Harry clearly was as well. "Er- I mean-" he began, but he was cut off by Kingsley chuckling. "I'm just kidding, Harry. Merlin knows you've given more than your fair share of speeches already, and I wouldn't ask you to make another one like this." Harry exhaled gratefully, and Ginny giggled at the Minister's sense of humour. "I'll see the two of you up there," Kingsley said, smiling at them as he made his way onto the stage, along with Tiberius Ogden, who magnified his voice as he stepped up to the podium on the platform. "Welcome to the Ministry for Magic's Order of Merlin Ceremony and Gala. We are honoured to be joined by so many distinguished members of the wizarding community, but more than anything, we are honoured to be joined by the heroes who helped end the terrible war that plagued our world for far too long. This is intended to be an evening of celebration and looking forward to better times; however, we cannot and will not ever ignore the sacrifices made by all those who fought to end the war and are no longer with us to receive their honours. Please join me in a moment of silence, as we honour the deceased heroes of the war." Ginny held Harry's hand tightly, staring at the floor in front of her. She missed Fred. He should've been on the Quidditch pitch with them in Chudley the other night. She missed Tonks. She should've been the person Ginny went to for advice on her relationship with Harry. She missed Remus. He should've been there the first time she and Harry met Teddy. It wasn't fair. "Thank you. All of the awards and honours that are about to be given were approved by the Wizengamot. However, I feel it is appropriate to have someone much more qualified than I to speak on the war present the awards. Since he cannot give himself an award without looking completely foolish, I have the great privilege of giving the first award of the night to Kingsley Shacklebolt." Kingsley rose and stood next to Ogden, towering over the much shorter man. "Minister Shacklebolt, for your service as a member of the Order of the Phoenix and the work you did to bring about the end of the war, I present you with the Order of Merlin, Second Class." Kingsley bowed his head, and Ogden slipped the medal over Kingsley's head before shaking his hand and leaving the stage while the crowd's applause echoed through the vast Atrium. Kingsley amplified his voice and began speaking. "Thank you, Chief Warlock Ogden, and thank you all for being here. Today is an incredibly special day for all of us, where we honour all the heroes of the terrible war that has been fought in our world for decades. This was a war that ravaged our communities, tore apart families, and prematurely ended so many lives. It was a war for the very idea of goodness. It was a war for the idea of freedom. "I believe every witch and wizard had moments throughout the past year, especially, where it seemed like all was lost. I had a very active and informed position in all facets of the war, and even I felt hopeless for much of this year. But against all odds, goodness, justice, and freedom prevailed through the heroic actions of selfless men, women, and even children, who believed the lives of the members of our world outweighed their own. "Every single person who fought for us at the Battle of Hogwarts is a selfless hero, and we owe the present safety and security of our world to all of them. With this in mind, I am very pleased to present the Order of Merlin- Third Class to over one hundred of these heroes." Ginny watched in amazement as Kingsley read off every name and placed a medal on the necks of all of them. Over one hundred people, and every one of them was applauded tremendously. She involuntarily winced at the gasps when Emily's name was read and she made her way onto the platform in her chair. Emily was smiling so brightly though that raucous applause broke out through the Atrium. Once all the honorees, including Percy and most of Dumbledore's Army, had received their medals, Kingsley cleared his throat once again. "As I said, every person who fought for us is a hero. However, there are certain people whose war efforts extended far beyond the Battle of Hogwarts. In my role within the Order of the Phoenix, I saw firsthand the bravery and heroism of all the other members who worked tirelessly to end this war. To each of them, I present the Order of Merlin- Second Class." Applause rang out as several more people, including Hagrid, McGonagall, and her parents, Bill, and Charlie stepped onto the stage to receive their awards. "George Weasley," Kingsley read. George stood and met Kingsley on the platform. But instead of giving George his award, Kingsley spoke again. "George was a valuable member of the Order of the Phoenix alongside his twin brother, Fred, who sacrificed his life at the Battle of Hogwarts. I'm giving George his Second Class medal, and even though Fred's medal belongs to the entire Weasley family, I'm presenting it to George as well. I believe there's no better way to honour Fred's memory." Ginny watched as Kingsley hung two medals around George's neck. George had tears running down his face, as did several members of their family. Kingsley gently patted him on the back before George walked down the stairs and sat down between their mum and Charlie. "The next two awards are being posthumously given to two incredible people who were close friends of mine. They lived heroic lives, and they sacrificed those lives to make the world a happier and safer place. To Teddy Lupin, the son of the late Remus and Nymphadora Lupin, and Andromeda Tonks, mother of Nymphadora, I present their Order of Merlins- Second Class." Ginny couldn't hold back tears anymore, leaning against Harry as she watched Andromeda walk onto the stage holding Teddy. Kingsley smiled gently at them both before placing the medals around Andromeda's neck. Andromeda was crying, and the entire crowd sat in shock for a moment before Harry surprised them all, standing and applauding. This motivated the entire crowd to follow suit, and one of the loudest rounds of applause of the night filled the Atrium. She looked up at Harry and saw the tears glistening on his own cheeks. They both knew none of this was fair. Kingsley took a moment to compose himself after the applause ceased, obviously still affected by the loss of his friends. Finally, he spoke again. "Many of us may not realise that war efforts were also taking place within Hogwarts during the past year. Several Death Eaters had power within the school, and they made it their mission to teach the Dark Arts and force everyone into compliance with the regime they were trying to enact. Those who didn't comply were tortured horrifically. "Within the school, a brave group of students formed a vigilante defence organisation that defied the Death Eaters, saved countless students from torture or worse, healed those they couldn't save, and trained many of the students who fought at the Battle of Hogwarts. This group was led primarily by three exceptionally brave students, and I am proud to present the three of them with the Order of Merlin- Second Class. First, Neville Longbottom." Ginny wiped the tears from her eyes and began applauding as Neville stepped onto the stage and received his medal. He definitely deserved it- not just for what he had done with the D.A. but also for killing Nagini, something almost nobody would ever know the true significance of. She knew he'd be telling his parents about his award, which made her smile and feel like crying at the same time. She knew a lot of brave people, but Neville was easily one of the bravest. "Luna Lovegood." Luna walked onto the stage wearing a sky blue set of dress robes that made her look even more beautiful than usual, although they did look curious with the orange, radish-like earrings she was wearing. Luna dreamily looked around the Atrium, smiling at everyone who was applauding before waving at Ginny and Harry when she saw them. Ginny giggled and they both waved back. Kingsley cleared his throat and Luna looked at him, allowing him to put the medal on her before she exited the stage. "Ginny Weasley," Kingsley said. Ginny felt her mouth go dry even though she wasn't speaking. Harry squeezed her hand one last time before she stood up, walking towards the stage. When she reached the top, she smiled as best as she could at Kingsley, who was smiling back at her. She tilted her head forward, and he placed the medal around her neck. Then he did something he hadn't done for anyone else- he hugged her briefly. He couldn't say anything while his voice was amplified, but he knew the full story, more than even her parents did, about what had happened in the past year at Hogwarts, and he was obviously proud of her. She looked back down at the crowd as she walked off the stage and saw everyone standing as they applauded, no doubt led by Harry, who was beaming at her. They sat down together, and Harry leaned over, kissing her on the cheek. "I'm so proud of you, Gin," he whispered. She closed her eyes and smiled. That felt better than all the applause and medals in the world. "Finally, there are three more people who deserve as much recognition as we can possibly bestow upon them. It isn't often that Order of Merlin- First Class awards are given. It's even less often when the recipient actually deserves it. We are all lucky enough to be in the presence of three incredible young people who played the most critical roles in bringing about the end of the war and the defeat of Tom Riddle. "They each made tremendous personal sacrifices, displayed exceptional bravery, and saved countless lives through the actions they took throughout the past year. I know each of these three people well, and I can truthfully say they are three of the best people I've ever met of their age and any age. It gives me immense pleasure to give awards to each of them tonight. First, Ron Weasley." Ron stood to booming applause from all corners of the Atrium. Once he'd stepped onto the stage, Kingsley spoke again. "Ron comes from a family of heroes- you've seen a lot of red hair on the stage tonight, after all. He exemplifies the traits that all good people should aspire to- loyalty to friends, a desire to do what's right, and a compulsion to protect the weak and defenceless. Without Ron, we would not have won the war, which is why I present him with the Order of Merlin- First Class." A standing ovation broke out as Kingsley placed the medal over his head and clapped him on the back. "Hermione Granger," Kingsley said after Ron had stepped off the stage. Once again, applause rang throughout the Atrium, and Ginny smiled, seeing Hermione and Ron smiling at each other as they passed the other in front of the stage. She glanced at Harry, who was smiling proudly at both of his friends too. "Hermione is the most intelligent witch of her age that I've ever met. She uses that intelligence to do things that matter- protecting the rights of those who have none, devising ways to protect her friends and family, and bringing about the end of a horrible war. Without Hermione, we would not have won the war, which is why I present her with the Order of Merlin- First Class." Hermione was crying when Kingsley put the medal around her neck, and he hugged her proudly like he'd hugged Ginny. It was almost comforting in an odd way to see a Minister who showed some positive emotion and very obviously cared about them. Ginny stood with Harry and everyone else, ferociously clapping for the newest member of the Order of Merlin. Once Hermione had rejoined them, Kingsley read the last name on his list. "Harry Potter." Ginny squeezed his hand and let him go. People were applauding from the moment his name was read until several moments after he'd taken the stage. He looked uncomfortable, but he smiled slightly, looking down at her. She tapped her chest, just above her heart, which made him smile a little bit more. Finally, the applause subsided enough for Kingsley to begin talking again. "Before I present Harry with his award, there are a few other awards that belong to him as well. The first is the Order of Merlin- Second Class, posthumously awarded to Sirius Black, a member of the Order of the Phoenix and Harry's godfather." The applause wasn't quite as loud as it had been for the past several occasions, and Ginny suspected that was because there were still some people who didn't ever fully understand the story behind Sirius' innocence, despite a statement the Ministry made after the Department of Mysteries. "The second and third awards being presented to Harry are two more Order of Merlins- Second Class. These are posthumously awarded to James and Lily Potter, members of the Order of the Phoenix and Harry's parents." The applause was noticeably louder now, and after Harry had taken all three medals, placing them in a pocket of his robe, Ginny saw him quickly wipe his eyes. "Finally, there is Harry's award. I will gladly put it on the record that no award, even this one, can truly honour the heroism that Harry has displayed. For the past seven years, his life has constantly been in danger, and he has fought valiantly to protect himself, the people he loves, and everyone in our world. I don't need to tell Harry's life story- his testimony before the Wizengamot a couple weeks ago more than qualifies him for this. Our world owes Harry a great debt, but Harry is far too good a person to ever expect that. This award acts as a small token of our acknowledgment of that debt because we know we'll never be able to actually repay it. "Harry is the bravest and most selfless man I've ever met. He did more than anyone to bring about the end of Tom Riddle's reign. I am incredibly proud to call him my friend, and I'm even more proud to be his. Without Harry, the war would've been lost before it even began. It isn't enough, but it is my great honour to present Harry Potter with the Order of Merlin- First Class." Ginny blinked back tears as she stood, joining the crowd in the loudest applause of the evening as Kingsley placed the medal around Harry's neck and hugged him. Harry then began walking off the stage. Despite all the noise, he was looking at her only, and his eyes never left her as he approached. "I'm so-" Ginny began, and she was cut off by Harry pulling her into a deep kiss that shocked her to her core. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard applause, and she was certain that was for them and this brilliant kiss. It wasn't until she was nudged by Hermione did she remember that they probably had hundreds, if not thousands, of eyes on them. "Everyone else can go to blazes," Harry whispered, kissing her again. She'd felt that way ever since they started dating, and she was just so damn happy that he agreed. They'd probably be on the front page of the Prophet tomorrow, but who cared? That would just be one more photo for their album. "Thank you for joining us tonight. Now, let's celebrate!" Kingsley spoke loudly over the still echoing applause. He waved his wand and all the chairs disappeared- thankfully it had been a complete standing ovation. Snacks and drinks appeared against a wall, and music began playing, which gradually became louder as the applause died down. "I'm so-" Ginny began to say again, but they were interrupted by a gravelly voice. "Could I speak with you for a moment, Mister Potter?" They still had their arms around each other as they turned to look at the source of the voice- a tall, grey-haired man that Ginny recognized as Eamon Fairchild. He appeared unapologetic for interrupting the moment between them, apparently thinking that whatever he had to say to Harry was far more important at the moment. Harry sighed. "What can I do for you?" he asked exasperatedly, like he was used to always being asked to do something else. "I would like to speak with you," Fairchild responded, pressing his lips together as he unsubtly glanced at Ginny. "Okay," Harry answered, making no effort to let Ginny go. "Alone," Fairchild added pointedly. Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ginny stepped back. "It's fine, Harry," she promised, seeing his annoyed expression. She was incredibly annoyed as well, not just at Fairchild though. It seemed like there was always somebody else who wanted to interrupt them or ask something of Harry. All she wanted was some peace and quiet for both of them. She stared after them as Fairchild led Harry away. She didn't even notice somebody had walked up and was standing next to her until she heard a voice. "That was an impressive Shield Charm you cast earlier." She shrugged, looking up at her dad, who was smiling down at her. "They weren't giving us any space. There wasn't another way to get them off of him." He nodded and smiled a little mischievously. "I always thought that if any of my kids were going to figure out the Trace, it would've been you." Ginny blushed, realising that she'd performed underage magic earlier, and her dad knew about it. "Harry and I figured out that nobody was monitoring the Trace back in June. I'd mainly been trying to not use magic in front of everyone else to keep from getting in trouble." Her dad chuckled. "After everything we've been through, you certainly don't have to worry about me being upset with you using magic. You're about to turn seventeen anyways, and you've already proven that you more than know what you're doing. I will say though that you and Harry were only partially right about the Trace. Nobody really needs to monitor it; it's an automatic process for the most part. I- well, maybe I shouldn't tell you." Ginny stared up at her father with wide eyes, trying to convince him to tell her whatever it was. "Dad," she said, drawing it out dramatically. He laughed and put an arm around her. "You know I can't resist that look. I suppose it doesn't matter if I tell you- you're about to turn seventeen and already using magic. The Trace is useful, but it has significant limitations. If magic is used in a place where the Ministry knows there are of-age witches or wizards, they can't tell if the magic was done by someone underage. So at home, the Trace hasn't ever worked because your mother and I live there. Just now, the Trace wouldn't be able to tell that the Shield Charm you cast was done by someone underage because there's hundreds of legal wizards and witches here." "Wait… so this whole time…" Ginny began, and her dad nodded, looking rather like Fred and George in the way he was smiling now. "There wasn't anything actually keeping any of you from doing magic. Like I said, I'm not surprised that you were the one to find that out." Ginny shook her head in disbelief. She wasn't sure which was more surprising- that any of them could've done magic at home at any time or that none of her brothers managed to figure that out. "So Harry's talking to Eamon?" her dad asked, still smiling a little at the revelation he'd just provided for her. Ginny nodded, remembering why Harry wasn't with her right now. "Yeah, he wanted to talk to Harry alone." "I can tell how much you liked that," he commented. She shrugged. "It's fine. We can't be together every second. But I know he doesn't care about any of this stuff, and he wanted to stay with me…" she trailed off. "He's a very special man," he said simply, and she nodded her agreement. He continued, "You know… it's not easy for a dad to let his daughter grow up. It's even harder knowing how much you've had to deal with in your young life that I couldn't protect you from. I know you did great things at Hogwarts this year, but I suspect that there's a lot I don't know about what you went through…" He looked down at her again, but Ginny didn't confirm his suspicions. It was probably better for both of them that her parents didn't know the worst of what had happened at Hogwarts. "Anyways, I know it's been a hard year for you both. And even though it's hard for me to see you growing up, I couldn't have picked a better person for you to do it with. He's good for you, and you're good for him too. I love him like a son, and I'm so proud and happy for both of you." Ginny nodded, holding back tears as her dad affirmed his approval of their relationship. "I love him too," she said quietly, and he smiled at her. "I know. And it's obvious he loves you. That's all a father can hope for for his baby girl." Ginny hugged her dad now, letting whatever tears fell soak into his robes. She knew he loved Harry- the entire family did. But it felt special that he was telling her that she was grown up enough to choose who to love and how to live for herself. She really did have the best dad. Her dad guided her away from where they'd been standing, and she noticed then that there were a lot of people dancing in the middle of the atrium. It was a gala after all, she supposed. They met most of the family up against a wall. Bill and Fleur were already dancing, and her dad kissed the top of her head before taking her mum out to dance. "Where's Harry?" Ron asked. "Eamon Fairchild wanted to talk to him," Ginny answered, unable to keep a touch of bitterness out of her voice. "Why?" Hermione asked, reflexively defensive of Harry. Ginny shrugged, and Percy interjected. "He's probably trying to convince Harry to work for MLE. There's been quite a lot of discussion here over the past couple months about that." "But Harry already told Kingsley no," Ron argued. "Maybe, but Mister Fairchild is a very determined man. He was very impressed with Harry's hearing, and I'm sure he wants a chance to try for himself to convince Harry to work for him." Ginny looked down at the ground, hoping Percy was wrong. She'd initially pushed Harry to take Kingsley's offer, but after everything that had happened since then, he'd made it clear that he didn't want to do anything without her. She'd become very attached to the idea of returning to Hogwarts with Harry, and, even though she was pretty confident he'd turn Fairchild down, she still didn't like the idea of someone else trying to separate them. Ginny felt Hermione put an arm around her. "You know he's not going to do that," she assured Ginny, who nodded. Now she mainly felt bad for Harry, especially if Fairchild was as insistent and determined as Percy made him out to be. They all stood there silently for a couple moments before Ginny said, "Ron, you should ask Hermione to dance." Ron and Hermione both reddened as Ginny grinned wickedly. Ron cleared his throat. "Um, Hermione- do you wanna- maybe…" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Of course I would. Thank you for asking so eloquently." Ginny laughed as they walked stiffly toward the middle of the atrium. Ron especially looked uncomfortable, but Hermione guided him through starting to dance, as awkward as it looked from the outside. She watched them for a moment or two before walking over to George, who was standing a little further away from her and Percy. "How are you doing, Georgie?" she asked, rubbing his shoulder as she spoke. He shrugged. "Been better. I was thinking we could put Fred's medal in his- the- at home." Ginny nodded, knowing that he meant Fred's gravestone. "I think that's a great idea." A minute or two later, George changed the topic of conversation entirely. "So Perce told me yesterday that he wants to help me open the store back up." Ginny looked at him curiously for an indication of what he was feeling. "Yeah?" she asked, and he nodded. "He seemed pretty convinced that it was a good idea actually." "You don't sound so sure," Ginny commented. "I- he's not very funny," George said, like that wasn't already obvious. That was definitely true, although Ginny suspected the bigger issue was that Percy just wasn't Fred. "He's not. But he could be a lot of help running the business," Ginny offered. "Maybe. But without Fred, I don't- I'm worried I won't be able to handle the creative stuff… by myself." She nodded, sort of understanding where he was coming from. "Maybe you need a third partner. Percy can help with the business side, but if you could find somebody else who could help with coming up with new ideas and making everything, I think you could do it." George was staring off into space, thinking about what she said. "Maybe you're right," he responded after a moment or two. "Thanks, sis," he said, smiling briefly at her before walking over to Percy to talk to him. Ginny smiled at her brothers. They weren't very similar at all, but she thought they could be really good partners. And it would help them both quite a bit, in her opinion. She looked back at all the people dancing in the atrium. Bill and Fleur were twirling around like experts, which she suspected was largely due to Fleur's veela magic. Ron and Hermione were still dancing awkwardly, but they both looked very happy. She saw her parents dancing rather energetically near the middle of the whole crowd, which was a little embarrassing but also kind of cute. Ginny was just looking at Charlie, who was dancing with a buxom blonde girl she'd never seen before, when she felt a hand on her lower back, sending a shock through her. "Dance with me?" Harry whispered in her ear. She nodded, letting him lead her, but he didn't take her where everyone else was dancing. Instead, they kept their heads down as they walked down a vacant corridor off the atrium. She could still hear the music, but there wasn't anybody around watching them- this was much better than what she'd been expecting. "What did Fairchild want?" Ginny asked, probably a little aggressively, after they'd entered the corridor. Harry smiled at her like it was cute that she was this curious. "He was trying to get me to change my mind about coming to work for the Ministry. He said he was impressed by everything that I'd said at the hearing, and he thought I'd be a great Auror." Ginny crossed her arms and frowned, unable to help showing her displeasure. "Of course you would be," she responded, not doubting for a second that Harry would be the best Auror on the force if he chose that path. He smiled at her again. "I told him I wasn't interested," he said, and she felt a faint wave of relief wash over her. She'd known that she wanted Harry to go to Hogwarts with her, but it wasn't until now that she realised just how badly she was relying on it. If he wasn't planning on going with her, she'd probably already be a nervous wreck, imagining being separated from him in just a few short weeks. Thankfully, they didn't have to worry about that. "If you did want to though-" Ginny began, knowing what his answer would be. He fervently shook his head, and she saw fire in his gorgeous green eyes. "Not a chance. You're not getting rid of me that easily." She beamed as she hugged him tightly. He nuzzled his head against hers, holding her just as tightly. "I believe you said something about dancing," she said a few moments later, leaning back and looking up at him eagerly. He grinned bashfully. "I don't really know much about dancing, honestly. Definitely nothing like Bill and Fleur. But I thought…" he trailed off, looking at her hopefully. She chuckled. "Bill and Fleur are so over the top. All I want is this," she said earnestly, putting her hands together behind his neck, swaying while Harry pulled her closer, keeping his hands on her lower back. "I like your medal," she commented, and Harry snorted. "Thanks. I like yours too," he responded, taking a hand off her back to hold her medal up, looking at it closer. "Kind of crazy- after everything, we're here with medals around our necks," she said, still finding it somewhat difficult to process. "No place I'd rather be," he responded sweetly, and she gave him a soft kiss for that response. "Everything's really over now, isn't it?" she asked. He nodded, but she saw a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes, as if he was reluctant to confirm it if it wasn't true. "I think so. I'm ready for it to be over." "Me too," she agreed. "I think- I hope people will start letting it go now. We've had the funerals, the memorial, trials and hearings, and now the awards. I think once we get to Hogwarts, it'll finally feel like this is all over, and we can move on." "I'm ready to move on. It's time for us to live our life without any more of this." "Our life?" Harry asked, smiling at her, and Ginny nodded emphatically. "Our life. You and me," she responded, loving the way every part of Harry's face showed his happiness. "I like that," he said, resting his head on hers as they swayed back and forth to the music. "I was going to tell you after you got your medal, but then we got interrupted…" Ginny started, and Harry lifted his head to look at her. "I just wanted you to know how proud I am of you." "I- I know," he said, eyes darkening with emotion before he hugged her tightly. "I love you, Gin," he whispered, and she smiled against his shoulder. "I love you more," she responded, kissing him passionately before pulling back. She still held on to him though. They danced together for what could've been hours. After everything, she was ready to move on from it all. But she wasn't ever going to let him go. /*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/* A/N: And it really is time to move on! This sort of award ceremony was the way I wanted to sort of end this period of looking back on the war because it's actually happy, for the most part. I did consider ending it with the memorial, but that felt like it would've been an incredibly depressing conclusion to this chapter of their lives. At this point, our characters are exactly three months removed from the battle, and there isn't any sort of formal event like a memorial, hearing, or awards ceremony that's going to keep them from moving on after the war. I had a lot of fun coming up with some possible names for Harry's owl, especially the ridiculous names Ginny suggested. There was a brief second where I did consider Fluffernutter as a real option, but I thought that might be the most out of character thing Harry had done to this point if I went with it! Instead, I gave her the name Eirwen, which, appropriately enough, means white snow in Welsh. It is also the name of Ignotus Peverell's wife, which I established at Harry's birthday party. I originally named the wife Elowen, but I was rereading these chapters recently and decided to change it to Eirwen and give Harry's owl a family name. Just a tiny insight into the way things come together for me- often it's not until multiple passes later that things really click. I wanted to mention that when Kingsley says that it's rare for people who receive the Order of Merlin- First Class, it's a very intentional jab at Cornelius Fudge, who, among other things, is known for giving himself one of those awards. I just couldn't resist it, and I'm very glad that everyone who received awards in this chapter very much deserved them! The Trace is one of the strangest pieces of magic in the series. I really don't think there's a way to fully explain it because there are clear inconsistencies, notably with Harry receiving a letter about triggering the Trace when Dobby performs magic at the Dursleys' but not when the Order shows up to take him out of the Dursleys' in OotP. The only explanation I have for that is that it's possible Mad-Eye or Kingsley was skilled enough to be able to conceal their magic from the Trace. That's a pretty convenient solution that doesn't exactly have precedent, but it's the best I've got. As for how Arthur explains the Trace, it is clear that the Trace isn't linked to underage wands or anything. I also think it's possible that Fred and George were performing magic at the Burrow when they were developing their WWW products, and they just never told anyone. It's a bit of a loose explanation, but that's the only way I've ever been able to make sense of it, and I haven't ever found anything that really contradicts it either. The last note I have is I completely forgot until I was rereading this chapter that it's entirely from Ginny's perspective, but it feels like a fair tradeoff, considering how much we've had from Harry's perspective in the past couple with his birthday. It's generally pretty rare to only have one of their perspectives, but a shift didn't really make sense to me with how the chapter flowed, so the result is a Ginny chapter! Surprisingly, that's about all I have for this chapter. I'm so used to having a lot more to say, but I'm all out now. Thanks as always for all of your support! It's been almost exactly 3 months since I started posting, and it's pretty crazy every time I see just how many people are reading SoR. I know there's soooo many HP fics out there for you to read, and it'll never get old knowing that people are enjoying what I'm writing. We are almost at the end of this Summer of Recovery, but there is still a lot of fun to be had before that and even more after! Coming Tuesday: Romance Required- "I love magic." |
| Reviews 145 |
Previous Next
|
