Chapter 1
“So, all this time?” Bill said, his voice weak enough to jar Harry. He managed to push himself up the bed with a groan. Harry smiled a bit sheepishly at his friend. He couldn’t gauge his reaction, particularly as he grumbled at his fiancée about the way she was fluffing the pillows. Bill looked between Harry and Ginny and tutted. “Don’t know why you didn’t just tell me.”
Harry shrugged a bit awkwardly, looking down at Ginny who smiled. “We didn’t tell anyone. Remus guessed.”
“At least I wouldn’t have been trying to guess who you were shagging. Now, I can just live with the fact that you’re going to be a virgin for the rest of your life.”
Ginny rolled her eyes and slumped down onto the end of her brother’s bed. “Shut up, Bill.”
“Yes, shut up, Bill,” Fleur said, imitating Ginny in a way that made Harry grin. Ginny scowled back at him. “It is natural that they want to-”
“Nope,” Bill cut off. “I’m ill. I don’t need to be hearing about anything, natural or otherwise.” Bill smiled and Harry could see how tired he was. “Anyway, I don’t mind really. I just thought we were close enough to tell me.”
“We are,” Harry said, feeling cross at himself. Ginny poked his side and he looked at her.
“He’s taking the piss out of you,” she said. Harry flushed slightly, looking over at Bill who was grinning too. These bloody Weasleys.
“What have I got myself into,” Harry grumbled. Ginny’s smile up at him was radiant.
“What’s happening then?” Bill asked eagerly. “Nobody’s told me anything.”
“Harry’s leading the Order,” Ginny offered. Harry nearly groaned at the thought of it. He did not want the job. If it was up to him, it would have gone to Kingsley, or Remus, or Bill. Or Mr Weasley. Not Harry. But supposedly Harry was ‘the only one who could unite the realm as well as Dumbledore’. He was a 16-year-old boy. What they thought he could do, he didn’t know.
“I know that,” Bill said dismissively. “What happened with Malfoy?”
Harry and Ginny shared a look. That name still made things tense, even two days after his departure. Harry was still struggling to speak to Hermione. Ron was flat out refusing to look at her. And Malfoy had left with the one piece of news that could get him back in with Voldemort. “He’s gone back to Voldemort,” Ginny said, “and he’s telling him about me and Harry.”
Harry hated it. But it was the only thing that guaranteed them a spy on the inside, now that Snape was gone. Harry did not trust Malfoy, one bit. Except for the one bit that thought that he could trust Hermione. Cursing his own self, Harry wished he hadn’t seen the obvious care that Malfoy had for Hermione. And the obvious care she had back for him.
“Your relationship?” Bill confirmed.
“Yeah, and our wandless abilities,” Ginny said.
Bill blinked. “What? Why? That’s giving up so much!”
Harry sighed. “It’s worth it if Malfoy can get us information.” Bill looked between the two of them again and leaned his head back against the wall, sighing.
“Thank you, Harry,” he said hoarsely. His energy was clearly fading. Fleur began to look at them with urgency. “For training Ginny, for getting Tonks to train her.”
Shrugging, Harry said, “I love her. You should know that. I love her.”
Bill smiled. “I can see that.” Ginny stood up, reaching to squeeze her brother’s hand.
“We should let you rest,” Harry said. Ginny kissed her brother’s cheek and then returned to Harry.
“Look after each other,” Bill said, before they left.
XXX
The article featuring them came out the next day, the day before Dumbledore’s funeral. There they were, front page news, Ginny straddling Harry, her face pressed into his neck, his against hers, and his hands up the back of her shirt.
“It actually looks even more damning on the photograph,” George commented idly as he observed it, as Ginny and her parents overlooked. Ginny glared at her brother who only grinned.
“I can’t believe they’ve put this in alongside Dumbledore’s funeral information,” Ginny’s mum said, her voice high-pitched. Ginny didn’t have to look at her to know that she was embarrassed. Ginny didn’t really mind. She was only comforting Harry and it didn’t really matter that the whole country knew, because Voldemort knew now.
“What are you looking at?” Charlie asked as he walked in, Harry behind him, both sweating profusely. Ginny looked up at her boyfriend momentarily, meeting his eyes and then looking down with a flush. She looked back up and saw that his jaw was tense, his shoulders hunched. Charlie glanced at the paper and wolf-whistled. “First of many papers, I imagine, Gin. You two will have to be more careful.”
Ginny rolled her eyes. “I promise not to take my clothes off in public.”
“Ginevra,” her mum said sharply. Harry was frowning at the paper, his cheeks red. If Ginny didn’t know her boyfriend so well, she’d assume he was embarrassed of her. Because she did know him, she knew he was embarrassed of himself. “Where have you two been?” her mum asked Harry and Charlie in a way that made clear to Ginny at least that she was still annoyed.
“I trained with Harry, since his usual Weasley brother is currently out of action.” Charlie clapped Harry on the shoulder and Ginny smiled. She stood up from the table and pushed away the paper, looking away from her father’s frown. She knew that he didn’t like her being splashed over the paper like this but she didn’t need him to tell her with his words as well as his eyes.
She strode over to Harry, aware that, in looking at him, she was making the candles flicker. “Magic’s still a mess, Ginny?” Charlie teased, nodding at the fluttering paper on the table. Ginny rolled her eyes and pressed her head against Harry’s shoulder, which made everything worse. She felt Harry encircle her with his arms, then press a kiss to her head.
“Aw,” she heard from further away.
“Aren’t they cute, Fred?”
“They really are, George.” Ginny looked up from under Harry’s arm to glare at her smirking brothers. “Now, what are our young lovers going to do today, now that the Chosen One has finished his exercise?”
Harry scowled at Fred. Ginny swallowed. It took a lot for Harry to scowl at one of her brothers. “I have duelling with Kingsley and Remus this evening.”
“And we’re going to go for a run now,” Ginny said, before her brother could make any further comments.
“We are?” Harry said, his tone emotionless. Ginny looked up at him, straining her neck and grinning. His look down at her was soft and loving and Ginny felt her magic escaping from her. Harry laughed softly and she grinned. “Okay.”
With hardly a look at her parents and brothers, Ginny swept Harry away outside, only snorting as she heard Fred comment, “What sort of psychopaths are they, going for a run?”
XXX
“Clearly that sort of psychopath,” Hermione heard Charlie say as three Weasley brothers joined her outside. She was sitting against a tree, reading a book of magic theory to distract her from her currently disastrous relationships with everyone at Hogwarts.
“I always knew there was something wrong with those two.” Hermione tried to hide her smile as she also observed Harry and Ginny racing each other around the lake. They’d not seen her when they’d arrived outside, had a brief conversation and then begun their run around the lake. She’d seen their picture in the paper that morning and hoped that Malfoy had managed to report to Voldemort beforehand, so he had a strong position.
Hermione swallowed the surge of fear in her stomach, wishing she’d forced Malfoy to run away in January. She could’ve gone with him. Harry and Ron hated her now anyway.
Harry was almost halfway around the lake now and Ginny, despite her shorter legs, was not far behind him. Hermione wondered what it would be like to be in a relationship like theirs. As someone who had been on the outside of all their interactions over the past few days, she thought their relationship seemed lovely. And she’d spent the two days wondering how on earth she had missed all the signs.
She’d known they’d liked each other but she had thought so little of them, that they would be cowardly with their feelings, like her with Ron. She’d liked Ron for years. This year, she hadn’t been so obsessed, but only because she’d been so busy.
“Weasley is coming close to Potter now,” she heard George commentating from behind her. “Will he let her pass or will he risk ending their relationship by beating her into the ground?”
Ginny was coming close to Harry but Hermione saw as Harry began to make his strides longer, moving faster. She heard Ginny’s shout of disgust from there and smiled. Hermione couldn’t think of anyone better for Harry than Ginny.
And they had been good to her. Ginny had saved Malfoy’s life on the night of the Battle of Hogwarts, and then again when she agreed for Malfoy to give over their relationship and power as information.
Harry and Ginny were coming closer now. Hermione wondered how often they trained like this. She was incredibly sure she wouldn’t have been able to run around the lake at all, never mind at the speed and stamina Harry and Ginny showed. Perhaps it wouldn’t harm to train herself like them. Maybe book knowledge wasn’t enough.
When they finally arrived back at their starting point, they were half laughing, half heaving. Ginny arrived a minute after Harry, scowling. She punched him on the shoulder and Hermione saw Harry stiffen before he relaxed and wrapped his arm around his girlfriend, kissing her head.
“You’re a pair of freaks,” Charlie said as Ginny grabbed his flask of water from him. Hermione only observed. She knew she wasn’t welcome in their conversation.
“Why are you watching us?” Ginny said, crumpling her nose. Charlie shrugged.
“Nothing better to do. Ron’s in a mood and I don’t need to watch Fleur wiping Bill’s forehead.”
“And it seems silly to leave and come back for the funeral, especially with the wards that are up at the moment,” Fred added. George nodded beside him. Hermione looked away, out at the lake. She wondered whether the death eaters would come for Dumbledore’s funeral. Surely the auror presence would be too complete for them to risk it.
Hermione wondered more viscerally what she would do if Malfoy was in front of her.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden presence of something blocking the sun from her skin. She looked up and gave Harry half a smile, ignoring the complaining whispers that she heard the twins making to Ginny, who hushed them. It hurt Hermione to hear the twins speaking against her.
“How you doing?” Harry asked, sitting beside her. Hermione had no idea what to say. Her throat was full of tears. She shrugged. “I’m sorry that I’ve been MIA.”
“It’s okay, I get it.”
Harry shook his head. “It’s not. You’ve put up with my stupid mistakes. I should be okay with yours, particularly as it’s given us a spy in Voldemort’s ranks.”
“You hate Malfoy, though, so I understand.”
“What are your plans after tomorrow?” Harry asked after an awkward moment of silence, during which Hermione was aware of Ginny and her brothers staring at them.
Hermione swallowed. “I’m going to go and see my parents.”
“I’ll send an Order member,” he promised, “and you can come to the Burrow, or Grimmauld Place, whenever you want.”
“Are you going to the Burrow?”
Harry nodded. “As long as Mr and Mrs Weasley decide not to kill me for dishonouring their daughter,” he said, a laugh in his voice.
“I think you’ll find that I dishonoured you,” Ginny’s teasing voice arrived, joining them on the floor. Hermione smiled at her. Ginny leaned her head against Harry’s shoulder. “And, if Mum and Dad don’t let you come, I’ll just come to Grimmauld Place with you.”
Harry grinned. “Maybe that’s a better plan.” Hermione flushed at hearing Harry speak in that low tone to his girlfriend, who smirked at him. “You’re staying for the funeral though, aren’t you, Hermione?”
“Of course,” Hermione said. Harry smiled and stood up, pulling Ginny up after him.
“We’re going to go and shower.”
Hermione smiled. “I didn’t want to say anything…”
Harry snorted and sniffed Ginny dramatically. “I know, she stinks.” She shoved him and Hermione laughed riotously. “Come on, smell,” he said to his girlfriend.
“Say it again, Potter,” she dared him as they walked away, Hermione watching them fondly.
“Better be separate showers, Potter,” she heard Charlie grumble before they were all too far away to hear.
XXX
Dumbledore’s funeral was sombre but a suitable celebration of his life. His brother spoke, as did Professor McGonagall and Remus. Afterwards, as Harry tried to escape with Ginny, Rufus Scrimgeour, the Minister of Magic, pulled him to one side.
“So, he wants you to be the ministry’s banner man?” Ginny repeated as they sat down with a cup of tea in the Room of Requirement, in the room that Ginny considered to be theirs.
“Yes,” Harry said with a groan. “Although, realistically, if he’d ever had more than two conversations with me, he’d see that I’m not exactly a perfect banner man.”
Ginny looked at him, amused. “In what way?”
Harry shrugged uncomfortably. “I don’t know. I don’t think I’m particularly smooth or camera-ready.” Ginny grinned and reached across to brush his hair away from his face.
“I don’t know, love. I think you’ve really become very camera-ready this year. You get lots of admiring looks.” Ginny stroked his arm and he rolled his eyes at her. “I’m a very lucky girl.”
“If you say so,” he said skeptically.
“The correct response is ‘I’m the lucky one’.”
“Well, that’s obvious to anyone with eyes.”
“What did you say to Scrimgeour?” Ginny asked more pressingly. Harry gulped down a bit more tea.
Harry sighed. “I just said I didn’t know. I don’t want to burn bridges if I’m going to head the Order.”
“If?” Ginny questioned. “You’ve already agreed.”
“I know,” he groused. “Why did you let me do that?”
Ginny grinned, finishing off her tea. She looked around the room where they had spent a lot of the year. “One last shag for the road?” she asked, meeting his eyes.
“Ginevra,” a sharp voice came from the door. Ginny swore and got another sharp look from her mother, who had rudely interrupted them, along with Ginny’s father, who looked rather reluctant to be there interrupting them. Harry wondered if, in twenty years, he would be looking like that at being bossed around by his wife.
“How can we help you, Mum?” Ginny asked. Harry scooped up their mugs and went to wash them up by hand.
“We wanted to talk to you two before we go home.” Harry stiffened and turned, leaving the mugs to drain. He leaned against the kitchen counter, trying to look casual but respectful. “We appreciate that this year you have shared a bed” – Harry’s cheeks flamed – “but we need to be realistic.”
Harry looked at Ginny, hoping she would keep her head. “What do you mean?” she said tightly.
Mrs Weasley looked up at Harry. “It’s not appropriate for the two of you to be sharing a bed,” she said firmly, “and, while you are under our roof, you will not be.”
“Bill and Fleur do,” Ginny responded hotly.
“Bill and Fleur are 27 and 21. You are 16 and 15,” Mr Weasley said wearily. “Ginny, you’re over a year away from being of age. You are still our daughter and our responsibility.”
Ginny looked at Harry with fury on her face but Harry didn’t know what to do. “As long as you’re still happy for me to come to the Burrow, then I don’t mind about anything else,” he said, smiling at Mrs Weasley.
“Of course, you are, Harry,” Mrs Weasley cried, coming close to wrap her arms around him. Harry smiled and hugged her back tentatively. “You are always welcome at our home, Harry, even more so now you and Ginny are together.”
Ginny tutted. “You really are blowing hot and cold about this,” she muttered. “When are we going, anyway?” Mrs Weasley stepped away from Harry and smiled at them.
“In about an hour. Fleur and I are going to talk to Madam Pomfrey about Bill.” Mrs Weasley nodded at the two of them, as though she had decided on something. “Are you coming back to Gryffindor to pack?”
Ginny hesitated, looking around. “I’d best get my things from here first. Harry’s already packed, though.” Mrs Weasley agreed and she left with a few more words, Mr Weasley trailing behind them. Harry turned to smile at his girlfriend, only for her to turn at him furiously.
“You don’t mind about anything else?” she said loudly. Harry took a step back. “You don’t mind! Bloody hell, Harry, why didn’t you tell them you’ll just end our relationship as long as Mum will give you a few hugs?”
Harry frowned. “Ginny, I just wanted-”
“Them to like you,” she finished for him, looking away. Harry just stared at her. She eventually looked at him again. “Don’t look at me like that,” she said. “I can’t believe you didn’t even try.”
“Gin, your mum and dad were never going to let us stay in the same bed.”
“What are we going to do then?” she demanded. “You remember when we tried it before? It didn’t work.”
Harry had to agree with her on that. He had not been able to sleep, not been able to cope without Ginny in his bed. And her parents wrongly assumed that was about sex and not nightmares. He sighed and sat down beside her.
“I’m sorry for upsetting you,” he said softly. “I only wanted-” She sighed and cut him off by pushing her face into his chest. He wrapped his arms round her.
“I’m sorry for shouting at you.”
“We can try and-”
“No,” she cut him off. “For the summer, we’ll have to cope with naps and cuddles in the day.”
“Cuddles,” he teased, pinching her side. She squirmed in his arms and smiled up at him. He cleared his throat, guilt threatening his stomach. “Gin, I have to talk to you about something.” She looked up at him warily. “The horcruxes,” he said with a sigh. “I have to go and find them.”
Ginny pulled away from him and he felt the lack in his arms. “You’re just going to leave? What about me?”
Harry hesitated. “You could come. Your wandless magic is coming on a lot.” Harry tried not to laugh as Ginny looked at him without amusement. Her magic was still entirely out of control, despite them practising regularly.
“And Ron and Hermione?” she said with some humour. Harry snorted. His relationship with both was not exactly fantastic at that moment. “Great plan, this, Harry.”
Harry groaned. “Okay, Gin, you’re right. For now, I’ll stay and come up with a better plan.” She looked at him gratefully and then he grinned. “Now, about that shag?” Ginny smirked and leaned across to kiss him.
XXX
The Burrow was a sight that Ginny had never stopped appreciating since she’d been to Hogwarts. There was nothing like being home, especially with Harry’s hand in hers. Even if they weren’t going to be sharing a bed.
“So, going to sneak off for another cheeky shag?” Fred asked, far more upfront than his jokes usually were. Ginny looked at him, eyes wide and pressing him to shut up.
“Oh!” George cried loudly. “Was that what that massive wave of energy was before, Forge?”
“I can only assume that young Harry is a good shag if he makes Ginny’s magic shake the earth, Gred.”
Ginny looked at Harry, to see that his face was bright red. “That’s enough,” Ginny hissed at her brothers. They were in enough trouble with her parents, who had their eyes on them at all times. At this rate, they’d never be able to sneak off anywhere.
“Ginny, come and help me make dinner,” her mother said tersely from the front door. Ginny glared at her brothers as she started to walk.
“Well done, dick-faces,” Ginny hissed at her brothers, taking her hand from Harry’s. She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Take my bag to my room?” she asked him. He smiled fondly and agreed. “Love you.” She strode away, ignoring her brothers’ comments about Harry being whipped.
Her mother was bustling around the kitchen, waving her wand and starting to chop the vegetables. Ginny tutted. “You don’t need me at all. I can’t even use magic at the moment!” she said, gesturing at the flapping curtains as an example. “I’d be best going with Harry to practise magic.”
“Is that what you call it?” her mother said archly. Ginny flushed. “Ginny, I want to talk to you about this.” Ginny groaned dramatically.
“Do we have to?”
“Yes,” her mother pressed. “I need to know that you are being careful. A baby with Harry is the last thing you need.”
“I know that, Mum!” Ginny said angrily. She felt slightly self-chastened, however, as she remembered the palaver with the sedative solution. That had been before they’d had sex, though.
Ginny’s mum sighed. “Are you taking the potion?”
Ginny clenched her teeth together. “Yes, Harry makes it for me.” Her mother looked at her with some surprise and Ginny was sure she was trying to hide a smile.
“Well, that’s good.” She sighed again. “Ginny, I know that right now you feel like you’re in a rush of love and joy, but it can fade and I don’t want you and Harry to make any mistakes, rush into anything.”
“Mum,” Ginny said, feeling some understanding come into her heart. “I know that I was a fangirl once and I know you might think that this is just some continuation of that, but I really do love Harry. And he loves me.”
Her mum smiled nostalgically at her. “I know that, Ginny, I think. I can see the way you need each other.”
“We’re good for each other,” Ginny said honestly. She thought about silly conversations she’d shared with Harry, and more serious ones. Her mum smiled. “He’s good at cooking and he’s very tidy.”
“Then, it’s a wonder he puts up with you, my girl!” Ginny laughed at her mum and watched the way she cooked.
XXX
Harry left Ginny’s trunk in her room. A spare bed was made up in Ginny’s room and Harry wished he’d spoken to Hermione more before she’d gone to her parents’ as he looked at it. He left the room, closing the door with a click, and moved his into the twins’ old room.
“Did you get Ginny’s things put away nice and neatly, Potter?” Fred teased, lying on Harry’s bed. Harry furrowed his brow.
“Didn’t you move out?”
George’s head popped out from under the bed. Harry watched incredulously as he clambered out. “Oh, I see how it is, Harry. You start sleeping with Ginny and our friendship is just thrown out of the window,” George said faux-dramatically. Harry put his stuff down at the end of the bed.
Harry rolled his eyes. “Maybe I started sleeping with her so that I could ensure we were friends forever.”
Fred guffawed and wrapped an arm around Harry’s shoulders, leading him back out of the room. “Well, all I care about is who you’re going to let join the Order.”
“Angelina and Alicia are desperate to do something to help the cause, Harry,” George added with a smirk. Harry grinned.
“Why haven’t they already joined?” he asked.
“Dumbledore was keeping things smaller. Katie Bell hasn’t been invited yet either, or Oliver.”
Harry smiled and nodded. “Well, I’m thinking of creating some sort of thing like we had for the DA, for people to swear to, so that we know things are safe and secret.”
“Good plan,” Fred said, looking at him appreciatively.
“I want you two to figure it out. You’re the smartest people I know.”
“Oh, Fred, did you hear that?”
“I did, George! No wonder Ginny keeps him around.”
Harry chuckled as they reached the bottom of the stairs. “If you could tell your brother that, I’d be grateful,” he said with a sigh. Ron had gone right up to his room when they arrived. Thankfully, they didn’t have to share a room anymore. He felt like a true Weasley with his own room.
“Charlie?” Fred said, confused.
“Why would Charlie want to know that Ginny keeps you around for your flattery?” George added. Harry groaned. “Just kidding, Harry! We’ll make sure Bill knows.”
“Dicks,” Harry said fondly. Fred winked at him.
They strolled into the kitchen and George turned to him, saying, “Yeah, so the best way to sneak into Ginny’s room is by creating a hole in the wall and-”
“No,” Harry protested as Mrs Weasley’s head snapped up. “Not what we were discussing!”
“Bet you were thinking it,” Fred muttered under his breath as he took a glass from the cupboard and poured out some pumpkin juice. Harry joined Ginny at the sink and helped her with the washing up, which she was attempting with wandless magic.
“Tea should be ten minutes,” Mrs Weasley interrupted. Harry smiled and thanked her. She squeezed his cheek.
“Honestly, Harry, you can get away with anything,” George said, as he took a seat at the table. “You’ve literally taken our sister’s virginity and you’re still Mum’s favourite child.” Harry flushed furiously and Fred snorted, pinching his cheek in mockery of his mother. Ginny winked at him and he tried to give her a quelling look.
“Harry brews Ginny’s contraceptive potion,” Mrs Weasley said pointedly as she headed towards the door. “I’m going to get your father for dinner.”
“Fuck off,” Fred said loudly.
“Frederick!” Mrs Weasley said shrilly from the staircase.
“What’s going on?” asked Bill weakly as he entered, limping, from the dining room. Fleur was fussing over him and he was watching her fondly. She pulled out a chair for him and he sat beside George.
“Harry brews Ginny’s potion,” George scoffed. “Merlin, Harry, were you born to make an average man feel inadequate?”
Harry looked between George, Fred and Bill, his face flushed. “What the hell have you been talking about?” he asked Ginny incredulously as she sat down. She grinned.
“Talking you up!” She nodded at the dishes. “Also, look, I did it!”
“Without smashing any plates?” he asked, his brows raised.
She frowned. “Four.” Harry burst out laughing. “But I fixed them!”
“You two are so cute,” Fleur said fondly. Fred smirked.
“Oh, you’re so cute, Harrikins,” he said, reaching across the table to pinch his red cheeks. Harry batted his hands away. “So cute and emasculating.” Harry continued to laugh.
“I’m so sorry that I’m a good boyfriend.”
“Just don’t tell us that you’re some sort of Greek Adonis in the bedroom,” George said. “That’s the last thing I need for my ego.” Ginny smirked.
“Well,” she started but Bill cut her off, “This is making me ill again.” Ginny laughed and leaned on Harry’s shoulder. Harry pressed a kiss to her head. “When is the Order meeting, Harry? And are we still meeting at Grimmauld Place?”
“Erm,” he said, drawing it out while he thought. “I think we need to redo the wards at Grimmauld Place, with a new secret keeper.”
“Good,” Bill said with a proud smile. Harry grinned. He’d learned a lot under Bill this year.
“So, for now, maybe Hogwarts. The wards there are the strongest.”
“Agreed.”
“Tomorrow, I think, we should meet. We need to talk about new members.” Fred and George put their thumbs up at Harry.
“Me?” Ginny said, her eyes bright as she grinned at him. Harry panicked briefly. He looked at Bill, who frowned. Ginny cleared her throat. “Harry Potter, how have you not answered yet?”
“Of course, I want you to join, love,” he said, squeezing her knee, “but your parents might have other ideas.”
“My parents would have had me wear a chastity belt until I was 35. Do you think I should do that too?” she said snarkily. Ginny’s brothers made “ooh” noises but Harry only rolled his eyes.
“Don’t be stupid, Gin. We’ll figure it out, don’t worry. You’re more powerful than most other Order members.”
“What did I tell you, Potter?” George said, drawing attention to him again. “Ginny is a firecracker, even if she is the size of a mouse.” Harry grinned and nuzzled his face against her hair.
XXX
Harry swallowed, setting his hands on the table as he stood. He had Bill and Remus on one side of him, Kingsley and Mad-Eye on the other. Mr Weasley, who had had an encouraging chat with Harry pre-meeting, sat opposite with Mrs Weasley and Professor McGonagall. He nodded to himself.
“Okay, good evening.” Chatter continued. He cleared his throat and spoke again, “Good evening!” They stopped and turned to him. Ginny grinned at him. “As you’re aware, I’ve been made leader of the Order. Don’t worry, I’m sharing the responsibility with some of the more experienced members of the Order, though I’m sure you’ll agree that I do have a lot of experience in facing Voldemort.” Hermione smiled at him from across the table.
“I won’t keep you long,” Harry continued. “Meetings will be at the usual location after this meeting, though the wards will be redone. Following discussion with some other members, I have put serious thought into creating some sort of charter that we will sign to ensure secrecy, similar to a fidelius charm, but for the Order’s existence and activities. Fred and George Weasley have created this and will be sending it around the table with a quill and some ink for everyone to sign. If you have an issue with keeping this secret, then, erm, well, you probably shouldn’t be here in the first place.” That earned Harry a laugh, which boosted his confidence.
“Anyway, Fred will send that on now, after he’s signed. This is to keep us all safe. The last thing we want is another Snape situation,” he said and saw the determination of people on the table. “Every member of the Order will now sign this as they join. The parameters for joining will be the ability to use magic freely, away from the Trace, and a commitment to defeating Voldemort.”
Harry cleared his throat and really wished that Mr and Mrs Weasley weren’t sitting opposite him. “In that vein, I would like to suggest Ginny Weasley as a new member of the Order.” There was some clamouring, particularly from Mrs Weasley, but Harry banged on the table authoritatively. He swallowed nervously. “I am aware that Ginny is 15.”
“He’s aware because he’s shagging her,” George added in a conspiratorial tone.
Harry flushed but continued on, “Ginny may be underage but she is able to use wandless magic. She is immensely powerful. She’s been training with Tonks this year.”
Tonks chirped in, “She is very powerful, more than me or Kingsley.” Kingsley inclined his head.
“And she is my girlfriend,” Harry added sheepishly, “so she does have a good commitment to trying to defeat Voldemort.” Bill snorted to his side and Harry grinned. The vote went ahead and it was mixed, but did fall in Ginny’s favour. They went through the same voting process for a whole list of other people, including Fleur.
“If there is anyone you believe would like to join the Order, suggest their name to me at any time and we’ll take a vote at the next meeting.” Harry looked around the room. “We’re not going to talk about too much more today. I’m going to – erm – talk with some of the others and sort out some priorities. For now, if you are completing a mission from Dumbledore, please continue to do so.”
Harry wrapped it up then, feeling like the most awkward, nervous, obvious teenager ever. He smiled at people as they congratulated him, grunted at him or said goodbye. He called out to Mr and Mrs Weasley that he would meet them at home as Remus approached him to talk, looking rather tired.
Harry narrowed his eyes at his friend and they sat back down, waiting for the last stragglers to leave. “What’s up, Remus?”
“Tonks and I are getting married,” he said in a rush. Harry’s eyes widened and he was crying out in joy without even really thinking about it.
“Oh, Remus, congratulations,” he said, his heart feeling warm in his chest. Remus smiled and he looked younger than he had any other time Harry had seen him. Harry wondered if he was tired for wolfy reasons or more enjoyable reasons. He smirked at his mentor.
“Yes, well,” he said, clearing his throat, “Dora and I would like you to be our witnesses.”
“I am only one person.”
“You and Ginny, you berk,” Remus said, fond in his impatience. Harry grinned.
“Of course, we will! When?”
“Two days from now.”
“Moving fast,” Harry said with amusement. Remus sighed.
“Do you think I am an old fool?” Harry scoffed. “No, Harry, be honest. I am thirteen years older than her. Am I kidding myself? Dear Merlin, I am a werewolf, Harry! She can do much better than me.”
Harry shook his head. “No, she can’t. You’re the best man I know. Merlin, imagine what Sirius would say right now!”
Remus smiled. “If only he were here.”
Harry swallowed a lump in his throat. “If only.” The door creaked open and Harry looked up. He saw Ron there and his chest felt cold. Remus clapped his hand on Harry’s shoulder, standing up.
“I’ll let you go, but I’ll see you in two days?”
“Yes, of course, and congratulations, again, Remus.” Remus gave him a last smile and nod, before leaving him sitting at one side of the table while Ron stood at the other. “Hi.”
“Hi,” Ron said quietly. “I wanted to talk to you.”
“Okay,” Harry said.
“Good meeting,” he said, wandering along the side of the table slowly.
Harry snorted. “Are you kidding? They must have been thinking why on earth are we letting this child lead us.” Ron laughed.
“Well, maybe, but only because you’re such a specky short-arse.” Harry laughed.
“Of course.”
There was an amicable silence for a moment. “Look, Harry,” Ron started and Harry met his eyes hurriedly. “I’m sorry for the way I was about Ginny.”
Harry shrugged. “It’s okay.” Ron sat down then, on a seat beside Harry.
“I just – it was a lot, with Hermione and everything.”
“I know,” Harry agreed.
“And I felt like I was losing you both all at once.”
“You’ve not lost me, Ron.”
Ron shook his head. “I know. But it’s not the same now, is it? I don’t mean that we’re not best mates, because we are, but Ginny’s gonna be your priority now, isn’t she?”
“Yeah,” Harry admitted. Ron nodded a bit grimly. “I- Ron, I really do love her.”
Ron snorted. “I know.”
“And I – I’d never hurt her.”
Ron laughed more loudly. “Merlin, Harry, I know that. She’s more likely to hurt you.” Harry laughed and agreed. “I just – it’s just gonna be weird for me for a bit.”
“I know. That’s okay.”
“And I really don’t want to see you kissing.”
“I will do my best,” Harry said solemnly, his eyes on Ron’s. They stayed silent for a minute, staying in the moment, before they both burst out laughing. Harry stood, putting his hand on Ron’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s go home. Gin’ll be going out of her mind.”