12. Ceremony

The next morning’s Daily Prophet had Harry as front page news. His appearance at Godric’s Hollow was apparently really big news and they even put a large poster insert of him in the edition. Harry just rolled his eyes but Charlie and George took the insert out and gave it to Ginny as she came blearily downstairs for breakfast. Not realising what it was she sleepily opened it and then smiled dreamily at the moving picture of Harry taken the previous day as he smiled and spoke to people in the little square.

“Need some spellotape, Ginny?” asked George.

“I’ll get some for you!” said Charlie rummaging in a drawer in one of the sideboards that lined the kitchen walls.

“I’ll help you come and put it up on your bedroom wall, come on!” said George, grabbing her arm and pulling her in the direction of the stairs.

“What?” sputtered Ginny, “Hey, hang on!” She blushed fiercely as she pulled away from him, thrusting the poster back into his hands and stomped over to a chair at the kitchen table, reaching for some bacon.

“Why are you lot teasing her so much lately?” demanded Hermione, emerging from the rest of the Daily Prophet. George shrugged.

“She’s our sister, that’s our job,” said Charlie.

“Hey, give it here,” said Harry.

“What, you want to put it up above your bed, Harry?”

“No, thickhead,” Harry rolled his eyes at George. “Got a quill Hermione?” Hermione produced one from a pocket and George fetched a pot of ink from the same drawer as the spellotape. Moving the breakfast dishes, Harry spread the poster out on the table and began scribbling in the corner of it. He finished with a flourish, flapped it a little to dry the ink and then presented it to Ginny with a kiss on the cheek.

“What’s this?” asked Ginny, more than a little suspiciously. Harry shrugged.

“Six years ago Fred told me you’d be wanting my autograph. Sorry it took so long.” Ginny unfolded the sheet of newspaper and read, scrawled in Harry’s writing ’Dearest Ginny, Remember that a piece of me is always yours. All my love, Harry Potter xxx’. Ginny smiled.

“Thanks,” she whispered.

“Anytime,” Harry said softly. The look they shared was cut short abruptly by a head appearing in the fireplace.

“Ah, Harry,” said Kingsley, “just the man I wanted to talk to.”

“When’s the ceremony?” interrupted Harry. Kingsley seemed floored by that question. Harry persisted.

“The Order of Merlin Ceremony, when is it scheduled?”

“In two weeks. The twentieth,” answered Kingsley.

“Alright, I’ll talk to reporters then,” said Harry sounding so final that Kingsley opened and closed his mouth abruptly before nodding and pulling his head from the fireplace. Harry turned around to see the occupants of the kitchen staring at him.

“What?”

“You autographed your own picture?” Hermione was bemused.

“You’re going to an Order of Merlin Ceremony, as the guest of honour?” Ginny was dubious.

“You’re going to talk to reporters?” George was incredulous.

“Willingly?” Charlie was sceptical. Harry shrugged. He paused, looking thoughtful.

“I’m going to need new dress robes aren’t I?”

“Who are you and what have you done with Harry Potter?” asked George. Harry simply grinned at George.

“I think he grew up.”

**********************

In the end it was Mrs Weasley who went to Diagon Alley to get Harry some new dress robes. Ron warned him they would likely match his eyes but Harry didn’t care. He spent the two weeks peacefully, at The Burrow having long sleep ins, playing chess with Ron, degnoming the garden or finding quiet moments alone with Ginny. Every few days he went over to see Andromeda and Teddy. Ginny usually went with him and they spent hours at a time taking care of the infant while Andromeda rested. Harry noticed that Teddy seemed to prefer turquoise hair but he would often change it to red when he saw Ginny. As he came up to three months old Teddy began smiling more and more and recognising both Harry and Ginny. Harry found himself looking forward to the visits more and more as Teddy became more responsive to him.

After a week or so Percy and Mr Weasley returned to work at the Ministry and Bill and Fleur went back to work at Gringotts. Charlie, unwilling to return to Romania just yet remained at The Burrow helping his mother with odd jobs during the day and preventing his father from destroying Muggle appliances in his shed at night. Hermione was trying to locate her parents using Muggle methods in nearby Ottery St Catchpole. The busy pursuits of most of The Burrow’s occupants did nothing to hide the fact that George spent most of his time, alone, in his room.

Harry had thought George would be returning to his shop but he’d made no mention of it. Three days before the Order of Merlin Ceremony, when Harry and Ginny were visiting Teddy, Ron had a long talk with George and they must have come to some sort of understanding or arrangement because the next day George and Ron went to Diagon Alley soon after breakfast and returned just before lunch. They were both animated and Ron was busy drawing up some sort of plan on a large piece of parchment. He later told Harry that the shop had been mostly protected by the wards but there was a little bit of damage to the outside that needed repairing and an inventory had showed stock was severely depleted. The plan was to have the shop open in time for the back to Hogwarts rush in late August. Harry didn’t see a lot of Ron after that. He was either repairing the shop or helping George create the customary explosions from his bedroom.

Life neither went on nor stopped for Harry those two weeks. Despite his foray into the public arena at Godric’s Hollow he was reluctant to go out in public again. Although he had no further panic attacks he couldn’t be sure if that was because everything was so normal and predictable that they wouldn’t have happened anyway or if he was getting over them. He had the odd nightmare but they seemed less intense somehow. Bill and Fleur returned to The Burrow each evening and told stories of Diagon Alley. It seemed Ollivander was about to reopen his shop and that Florean Fortescue had reappeared with no apparent reason for having been away and insisting to anyone that asked that he was simply not going to keep his ice cream parlour closed over summer, when the best trade was to be had.

Mr Weasley and Percy brought news from the Ministry and Harry felt strangely detached, as if he should be doing something about the Ministry but not really knowing how and definitely feeling as if he didn’t want to. He spent the day before the Ceremony with Ginny, down by the pond, talking about Quidditch (the league was starting up again), Teddy (who smiled at Ginny for the first time just the day before) and the possibility of going to Australia with Hermione.

Ginny wasn’t at all sure her mother would be happy if she took off half way around the world and she wasn’t of age yet to do so in any case but neither of them could bear the thought of being apart. Hermione had researched and discovered that Australians were a little particular about who and how they let people into the country and the only magical way in from overseas was a designated portkey station concealed within Sydney International Airport, the country’s largest. She hadn’t yet discovered where her parents had gone due to the annoying privacy laws that protected the information on Muggle aeroplane tickets and other documents. Hermione had, however, organised and submitted the extensive paperwork required for her travel and entrance to the country by Magical means.

Hermione was determined to go alone if necessary even though this made both Harry and Ron very anxious. The three were still in negotiations about who would go and when. Ron was unwilling to leave George and equally unwilling to let Hermione travel alone. Harry was reluctant to leave Ginny but had promised Hermione they’d go and get her parents. After all the things they had shared together over the years and their general inseparability, this inability to figure out the adventure was beginning to wear on all three of them.

“You should just go,” Ginny said softly, her face turned up to catch the sun’s rays. “I’ll be okay, and you won’t be long, will you?” Harry, who was lying next to her on his stomach reached out to stroke her fingers.

“But I’ll miss you,” he said quietly. “I said we could be together now. If I go away again, we can’t be together.” He rolled onto his back, screwing up his eyes against the sun, his fingers plucking at the grass.

“Oh Harry,” cried Ginny, she placed her hand over Harry’s heart. “We’d still be together, in here. When you leave, if I know you’re coming back to me we’re together, even when we are apart. We were together all last year because I knew you were coming back to me.” Harry gazed up at her as she leant over him, her hand resting on his chest and her hair falling out of the hastily constructed ponytail it had been put in that morning, curling around her face in the humidity of the June afternoon.

“It didn’t feel like we were together,” he whispered. “I missed you so much.”

“Me too,” Ginny breathed as she lowered her head and met his lips with her own. The rest of her hair came tumbling down as Harry threaded his hands into her hair, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. He ran his hands down her back and pulled her to him, her hair falling like a curtain around their heads as they kissed. Harry could feel little trails of heat where Ginny’s hands traced the muscles on his chest through the thin cotton of his T shirt and moved to rest on his waist. Their legs and feet entwined and Harry rolled over, pinning Ginny beneath him. It was a slow and sensual kiss not at all rushed and Harry felt like it was getting hotter laying out there in the June sunshine while Ginny’s small hands slid up under his T Shirt and ran up his spine.

“Oi!” They hastily broke apart at the sound of Ron’s voice and looked over to see him glaring at them while George stood at his elbow and smirked. “Can’t you two keep your hands to yourselves?”

“No,” stated Ginny, “and why would we want to?”

“Because I don’t want to see it, that’s why, you know that!”

“No one invited you to look, Ronald!”

“Well if you carry on in public like this I don’t have much choice do I?”

“Oh, so would you rather we ‘carried on’ in strict privacy, you know where you can’t see us, no one to stop us…” Ginny trailed off an evil grin on her face and Harry blushed tomato red.

“I – well … that’s just … the thing is … oh that’s completely beside the point!” Ron, white faced and stammering turned to George. “Tell her!” George shook his head mutely he was clearly enjoying this little show. Harry sighed.

“When you two figure out exactly where the boundaries of our relationship are, and in which areas we can conduct it, you let me know, okay?” he snapped and strode off into the house hearing Ginny screech at Ron as he went back towards the house. He didn’t pay any attention to what she was saying as he stomped up the back steps and into the house closing the door a little more firmly behind him than was strictly necessary.

“Everything alright, dear?” asked Mrs Weasley. Harry just nodded and edged out of the kitchen silently, taking the stairs two at a time until he reached Ron’s room and flopped down on his bed.

He heard Ron, Ginny and George enter the kitchen noisily a short while later, the din carried through the house and up to the little room under the attic. Suddenly all noise ceased and then Harry heard the tread of one set of footsteps on the stairs. There was a knock at the door.

“Harry?” Harry sighed, debating whether or not to let Mrs Weasley in. It wasn’t a long debate and he got up and opened the door.

“May I come in dear?” she asked him and he just nodded as she took a few steps inside before he closed the door behind her and sat heavily on his bed. Mrs Weasley didn’t beat about the bush.

“What’s bothering you Harry?” He shrugged. Mrs Weasley continued. “Ron doesn’t mean to interfere, you know. He was upset when you and Ginny broke up last summer.”

“Yeah, so was I,” muttered Harry as he stared out of the window.

“I know they tease her,” Mrs Weasely sighed. “But really, to them, only you have ever been good enough for Ginny. Ron worries you’ll break up with her again. He covers it up by pretending he doesn’t want to know you two are even going out. For the other boys it’s just teasing, but Ron’s scared.”

“I know he doesn’t want me to hurt Ginny,” said Harry. “But why’s he so scared? It wouldn’t mean anything to him in the long run would it? Ginny and I are the ones who’d have to deal with it.”

“What happened when you broke up with Cho?” Mrs Weasely enquired. “What about Ron and Lavender?”

“Merlin, you heard about Lavender too?” shuddered Harry. He looked up. Mrs Weasley didn’t look at all pleased to have heard about Lavender and Harry couldn’t stop the grin forming on his face before he frowned. “Cho and I couldn’t even look at each other after we broke up. I don’t think Ron can look at Lavender now.”

“Well, that’s what Ron’s afraid of,” said Mrs Weasley. “If you and Ginny end up that you can’t even look at each other he’s worried he’ll get stuck in the middle. He’s not dealing with it very effectively of course. If he keeps going the way he is he’ll ostracise the both of you without you even breaking up. I’ve seen the way he looks at you two before he remembers to be outraged. There’s a look that steals over his face at first when he sees you two whispering to each other or when you hold her hand or she kisses your cheek. He loves watching you two love each other.” Harry started, staring at Mrs Weasley in surprise. She leaned over and patted him on the knee.

“He’s just scared of losing you if you break up badly. Ginny reacts because she doesn’t understand why Ron can’t be happy for her and for you. He wants you to love her the way she’s always loved you, he’s scared of what will happen if you do though,” Mrs Weasley paused while Harry blushed.

“He’s too late. I already love her,” whispered Harry. Mrs Weasley smiled.

“I think deep down, he knows that. He’s still trying to learn how to share you with someone besides Hermione. They’ll sort it out. Now come down and have a spot of tea,” she finished as she rose and headed for the door.

“Thanks,” said Harry softly as she opened the door and Mrs Weasley turned and smiled at him.

“No worries dear, now come on. I made scones,” she said as she hurried back down the crooked staircase. Harry leapt off the bed and bounded down the stairs after her.

As he entered the kitchen Ron and Ginny both looked up from the cups of tea they were stirring endlessly. George was leaning against a sideboard munching on a scone. He looked as though he was waiting to watch a much touted Quidditch match. Harry wordlessly took the cup of tea Mrs Weasley thrust at him and sat down.

“Er, mate…” began Ron before he trailed off. Ginny sighed.

“What he means to say is sorry,” she said quietly. “We’re both sorry, aren’t we Ron?” Perhaps she stepped on his foot or kicked him under the table because Ron suddenly winced and nodded.

“Yeah, I’m sorry I just, well…” Ron stopped and ran a hand haphazardly through his hair.

“ ‘Sokay Ron, doesn’t matter,” interrupted Harry. “I shouldn’t have lost my temper, sorry.”

“No,” started Ron fiercely, “you shouldn’t be apologising! I was the one who acted like a great big ar– “

“Ronald!” warned Mrs Weasley. Ginny giggled and Ron blushed. Harry found it hard to hide a smile.

“Ah, I was a bit unfair, have been for the past couple of weeks. Reckon I could be a bit more mature about things, you know? ‘Sides, ‘snot like Hermione and I – er, well so anyway I’ll keep my opinions, you know, to myself or something,” said Ron. His face softened and he looked at the table. “I like that you two are together. I don’t want you to stop … you know, but, well, seems I can’t help blowing things out of proportion inside my head and imaging the worst.” Ron shrugged helplessly as a blush crept up his neck and onto his cheeks and Ginny threw her arms around him.

“Oh Ron, you’re so sweet!” she sniffed. George threw down his scone and launched himself at them wailing theatrically about sibling love and ickle Ronnikins and how the babies were growing up right before his very eyes.

“Geroffame! Gerroff!” mumbled Ron from his place at the bottom of the pile of Weasleys now on the kitchen floor. “Harry, help!” For his part Harry just grinned until George reached out and pulled Harry off his chair into the pile of tangled limbs on the floor.

“Come and feel the love, Harry!” They were still trying to untangle themselves when the back door creaked open. Charlie shook his head as he stepped over them and snatched a scone off the plate in the middle of the table.

“How old are you lot?” he asked rhetorically as he surveyed the four of them laughing helplessly on the floor. It seemed that was the moment for homecomings as a few minutes later Bill and Fleur burst through the door, Fleur giggling outrageously. Bill shook his head at the tangled bunch on the floor and he and Fleur made for the stairs. They seemed a little breathless and flustered when Mrs Weasley began to ask them about their day. They were clearly trying to exit the room with exceeding haste. Harry stifled a snort with a great deal of difficulty as George murmured that Bill and Fleur clearly had certain activities on their mind and their mother was definitely cooling their ardour.

“The woman gave birth to seven children. How can she not see what they are thinking? I’ve seen the way she looks at dad too,” George whispered with a shudder.

“Well are you going to rescue them then?” muttered Charlie and he stooped down to help George up and hide the smirk now gracing his features.

“No way!” exclaimed George softly. “This way is so much more fun!” Charlie extended a hand to Ron and then Harry while George pulled Ginny to her feet and the five of them sat down in a row at the kitchen table watching Mrs Weasley chat aimlessly to the young married couple as they fidgeted and tried to edge to the hallway and the staircase beyond.

“Maybe it’s time they went home,’ whispered Charlie. “It must be killing them!”

“They forgot the silencing charm last night,” muttered George in an undertone. “Home time indeed.” Harry noticed that Bill was now glaring at his younger siblings. Mrs Weasley had succeeded in dragging Fleur into the small scullery off the kitchen and Bill stood with his arms crossed and a very grumpy look on his face.

“Ginny! Can you come in here a moment? We need to get the vegetables for dinner started.” Ginny pulled a face.

“Because I’m a girl, yay, I get to help cook,” she scowled. Harry smiled at her sympathetically before she flounced off into the scullery. Harry wondered briefly why Mrs Weasley was considering starting the vegetables when he could distinctly smell a delicious stew simmering in the cauldron on the stove. Then Bill advanced on them.

“Thanks a lot!” he hissed. “I know very well that you lot knew perfectly well what was going on there, could you not give a bloke a hand?” Charlie tilted his head to the side, studying Bill carefully.

“Nope!” he said cheerfully. “Why should I assist you in obtaining that sort of goal if I myself have no opportunity for the same?” George nodded sagely.

“Besides that was punishment for your forgetfulness last night,” he said. Bill sat down heavily at the table and groaned.

“We forgot the silencing charm?” George and Charlie nodded.

“Trapped in a room with your brothers it’s the last thing you need to hear coming from the next room, mate,” Charlie informed him with a shudder.

“Did you two hear it as well?” Bill sighed, looking at Ron and Harry who shook their heads mutely. Harry felt his face heating up listening to a casual conversation about intimate matters. Mrs Weasley, Fleur and Ginny emerged from the scullery looking decidedly flushed and not actually carrying any vegetables out of the tiny room. The back door creaked open and Percy entered the kitchen with his father.

‘Beel, I zink zat per’aps we shall be going ‘ome tomorrow, after ze Ceremony, non?” said Fleur.

“Yes, well if you are going to forget silencing charms, that probably is best,” Percy said, hanging up his lightweight cloak by the kitchen door.

“Percy!” his mother hissed.

“Come now, are we not all adults here? We should be able to discuss these things in a frank and open manner,” insisted Percy.

“Ginny is not yet an adult,” Mrs Weasley asserted. “There is a time and a place and, well … certain company, in which to discuss these things!” Ginny rolled her eyes behind her mother’s back.

“Yes, and I wish it wasn’t in mine,” said Harry out the side of his mouth to Ron. “At the Dursleys they were still telling Dudley that babies came from the Cabbage Patch. I think they thought he still believed them! There was never a frank and open discussion about anything other than how much trouble I was.”

To Harry’s relief the conversation went no further as at that moment Hermione flew in her face flushed and eyes sparkling with excitement.

“I found them!” she burst out. “I found them!”

It seemed that Hermione had placed personal ads in each of Australia’s major daily newspapers seeking Wendell and Monica Wilkins and had finally gotten a reply.

“They’re in Yackandandah!” Hermione squealed.

“Yackkawhere?”

“Yackandandah! It’s about twenty minutes from Wodonga, in Victoria’s goldfields but they needed dentists and my parents went there!” said Hermione excitedly.

“Wodowhat? They’ve got Galleons sitting around in the fields down there? Haven’t they ever heard of a bank?”

“Oh Ron, stop being silly,” said Hermione, bestowing a beatific smile on him as she slid into a seat next to Harry at the kitchen table. It seemed nothing could dampen her mood right now. “Yackandandah is an Indigenous word describing the town and Wodonga is the nearest regional centre. It’s on the river that borders Victoria and New South Wales and Wodonga means bulrushes. Goldfields are areas where they mine for gold.”

“Hermione, I have absolutely no idea what any of that means. You know that don’t you?” said Ron and Hermione nodded feverishly. “But you have been reading books again, haven’t you?” Hermione slapped him on the arm.

“Actually Ronald, I’ve been learning all about the internet and emailing on the computer. The librarian showed me all about it and I set up an email and the letters just appear in there and everything but it does research Ron! It’s like having thousands of books in one computer!” Hermione was positively glowing and no one had any idea what she was talking about, although Harry did have a head start as he did know what a computer was at least.

“Muggles,” Mr Weasley said shaking his head as he sat down, “it’s amazing the things they come up with.”

“So you know where they are now dear, that’s wonderful,” said Mrs Weasley from the stove where she was stirring a positively massive cauldron full of delicious smelling stew.

“What did you tell them to get them to respond?” asked Bill.

“I said in the personal ad that it was in relation to an inheritance matter,” Hermione blushed. “It’s sort of true … some people think children are an inheritance … of sorts … I didn’t do anything underhand or wrong and well, they won’t care when they get their memories back will they?”

“So you’ve found them, you’ve submitted your paperwork and you’ve figured out how to reverse the memory charm then?” enquired Bill. Hermione shook her head.

“I’ve found them, I’ve submitted paperwork but I haven’t figured out how I’ll go about the reversal yet. It was next on my list.”

“When are you going?” asked Ron softly.

“I don’t know. The paperwork could take another month or even two, then I have to organise funds and book portkeys and things,” Hermione admitted. “As soon as possible. I want to go as soon as possible, Ron.” Ron turned to Harry, his eyes pleading.

“Can you help me submit the paperwork, Hermione?” Harry asked slowly. “I want mine to be ready when yours is.” Harry almost felt Ron sag in relief and Hermione’s eyes shone with unshed tears as she threw her arms around his neck.

“Hang on,” said George sharply. “Why aren’t you going with her Ron?” Ron shifted uncomfortably and rubbed the back of his neck looking at the floor.

“Is it money?” demanded George. “Because if it’s that I’ll –“

“No, it’s not that,” interrupted Ron.

“Well then why is Harry going? Why is he leaving Ginny again when Hermione’s your bird?”

“I am not a bird!” huffed Hermione.

“Oh, you know what I mean, Hermione!” snapped George. “It’s affectionate and all that guff, you tell me why Harry’s going and not him?”

“Really George,” said Ginny timidly, “it’s okay. We all talked about it.”

“Well not with me you didn’t!”

“And what’s it got to do with you anyway?” demanded Ron.

“Everything if the reason is me!” The four of them shuffled their feet and looked anywhere but at George. George stood up and began shouting.

“They,” he indicated Harry and Ginny, “have been apart for a year and you want him to go running off to look after the woman that you are supposed to love, and be apart again? Why? Is it because of me? Is it because of me?”

“I told you I wouldn’t leave you alone, George, and I’m not going to. Yeah we all talked about it because we’re the ones who are going to have to live with the decision and miss each other like crazy. We’re adults, George. We can make our own decisions. We have been all year,” Ron was trying desperately to keep his voice down and failing miserably.

“Ginny is not an adult,” spat George.

“I do wish people would stop saying that,” the girl in question muttered. “It’s only fifty two days until I am.”

“Counting Gin?” smirked Charlie.

“Not much.”

“I don’t like the idea of either of you running off to Australia dears,” said Mrs Weasley. “Perhaps you could leave it to the Ministry, I am sure they’d be able to take care of it. What sort of things could happen to you in that place? We don’t even know if you’ll be safe!” She started to tremble and Fleur took her wand and sat her down in the nearest chair. Harry and Hermione looked guiltily at each other. They had definitely not meant to cause all of this!

George and Ron started up their argument again, Mrs Weasley continued to wring her hands and Harry and Hermione were at a total loss. It was Bill who managed to restore order.

“Hermione, it strikes me that you may need a little help when you get there. Curse breakers are very useful types of people to have around when reversing spells, jinxes and curses … or memory charms. Fleur and I never did get a honeymoon and Australia sounds like a delightful place. We could spend some time there after packing you and your parents back home,” said Bill thoughtfully. “How about it Fleur?” Harry rather though Fleur agreed given the way she flew at her husband squealing and kissing him full on the mouth – something he was happy to reciprocate.

“Still doesn’t solve the fact that Ron should be with her,” insisted George. Fleur waved her hand airily as she surfaced from the passionate kiss she had bestowed upon her husband.

“Zo, ‘e shall come too, non? Eef money ees not a problem as you zay, zen ‘e can come too.”

“I’m not leaving George,” stated Ron, immovable.

“Zo, breeng ‘im wiz you, I do not care. We shall ‘ave more zan one room, oui mon amour?” Harry swore she began to purr at Bill. “I am zure zat a ‘oliday in zee country weel do ‘im some good. Eet weel do me some good.” She was definitely purring.

“There, that’s settled then,” said Mrs Weasley briskly. “Let’s get this table sorted for dinner.”

“Harry should still go,” Ginny said quietly. He looked at her in surprise and shook his head.

“If Ron and George and Bill and Fleur are all there, they don’t need me to go too!” he exclaimed. “I want to stay with you.”

“Well, like Fleur said, it would be a wonderful holiday and honestly who most needs a holiday in this room?” Ginny was sounding fairly sure but Harry could see her hands trembling and the unshed tears collecting in the corners of her eyes.

“I want to stay with you,” repeated Harry. “If I don’t need to go away from you I’m not going to, ever again. I know I told Hermione I’d help her bring her mum and dad home but Hermione understands.” Hermione nodded emphatically. Harry reached out to hold Ginny’s trembling hands in his. “I don’t need a holiday if I’m with you.” Fleur looked up from where she had been nuzzling Bill’s neck.

“Just breeng ‘er too. Zen you can have your ‘oliday and Ginny at ze same time.” Ginny shook her head ruefully.

“Now someone conveniently forgets I’m not of age,” she muttered.

“Capital idea, splendid!” started Mr Weasley. His wife looked at him in horror.

“You cannot be serious, Arthur! Letting Ginny go halfway around the world? I don’t think so!” Mr Weasley however was not to be swayed.

“She’s nearly of age, Molly. She’d be with Bill and George and Ron and they would never let anything happen to her,” he stood up and looked Molly directly in the eye. “She’d be with Harry, Molly. She couldn’t be any safer. And you’d be doing this for Harry too. He won’t leave her and you tell me he couldn’t use some relaxing days in the sun?” Mrs Weasley turned around to inspect Harry.

“It’s winter in Australia,” said Hermione. “I’m not sure there’d be any sun.”

“Well, you are looking a bit peaky, dear,” Mrs Weasley said as she eyed Harry critically. “Maybe you should go, do you the world of good.” Harry shook his head. The matter was dropped but there was lingering tension and Harry couldn’t quite put his finger on who it was between or what it was over, it simply swirled around the room like mist. As they cleared the table at the end of the meal Mr Weasley pulled Harry aside.

“File your papers, file Ginny’s too. Leave Molly to me,” said Mr Weasley quietly. They were all shooed to bed early by a still unsettled Mrs Weasley who cited the next morning’s ceremony as the reason but somehow they all knew it was so she could have it out with her husband. As they made their way up to the first landing George got out his wand and made a production of showing Bill how to cast a silencing charm. He had the charm cast on his own head for his troubles.

*********************

Harry heard a ruckus as he made his way down the stairs early the next morning. He’d woken up early after a fitful nights’ sleep, feeling a nervousness that a long hot shower had not helped. He had given up trying to do anything with his hair and headed downstairs despite the fact that it was still too early for breakfast to be on. It was shaping up to be a day too warm to be wearing stiff and formal dress robes and he was feeling generally disgruntled. His previous positivity towards the Order of Merlin Ceremony had been replaced by a ball of nervous energy and a pit of anxiety in his stomach. As he entered the kitchen he discovered Ginny at the centre of the maelstrom of activity.

Why George and Charlie deemed this morning to be the one to find her Harry Potter storybook and use it to take the mickey out of her was a complete and utter mystery. Neither saw Harry as he entered the kitchen, too intent were they on teasing Ginny who was trying desperately to grab the book that was being levitated just out of her reach.

“Just you wait until mum and dad get in here,” raged Ginny at Charlie. “You’re only doing this because I can’t use magic back at you! I am so going to get you for this!”

“It’s my prerogative to tease you, squirt,” said Charlie. “I’m trying to get my fill in before I go back to Romania. I know it seems like I’m picking on you a lot, but really it will all even out.” Charlie waved his wand back and forth and made the book soar through the air, skimming Ginny’s fingertips.

“Oooooh, I just wish you’d go away already!” fumed Ginny. “I have had enough of you, I can’t wait until I am of age!” Charlie laughed. Harry took out his wand, still unseen by the other three.

“Expelliarmus!” he cried and Charlie’s wand flew out of his hand and Harry reached out to catch it as it spun across the kitchen towards him. The book fell earthward with sudden speed, landing on Charlie’s head, knocking him off balance and to the floor and Ginny ran to snatch it up. Charlie looked up at Harry a bizarre mixture of fear and sheepishness on his face.

“And that’s why they are giving me an Order of Merlin,” quipped Harry as he helped Charlie to his feet.

“You always take her side,” muttered George. Harry smiled and shrugged.

“She’s got more to offer me than you lot,” he said as he reached out to stop Ginny leaving. She was trying to edge backwards to the kitchen door her hands behind her back, shaking her head as Harry walked towards her. George snickered. Ginny was bright red.

‘C’mon, lemme see it,” wheedled Harry. Ginny shook her head violently. Harry tried his best puppy dog look, the one that always worked with Mrs Weasley.

It did not work with Ginny.

Unluckily for her Ron came barreling through the door at that moment, saw what was behind her back and swiped it from her without her even noticing he was there.

“Oh ho!” he cried in triumph. “Little Gin-Gin’s book!” Ginny looked to be on the verge of tears.

“Give it back to her, Ron,” growled Harry, his protective instincts going into overdrive at the sight of Ginny’s distraught face. Ron handed it back to her solemnly, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like ‘whipped’. Ginny snatched the book and ran back up the stairs. Harry shook his head at the three Weasleys in the kitchen before going after her.

He ran into Hermione and Mr and Mrs Weasley on the stairs as he took them three at a time. They must have seen Ginny race up just before him because they did not stop to question him and moved aside to let him pass. He caught sight of the bottom of her robes as she reached the landing and disappeared into her room, the door slipping quietly closed behind her. Racing up the last few steps he knocked softly on her door to no avail.

“Please, Ginny, let me in,” he pleaded with the smooth wooden door. Percy came past at that moment and asked Harry rather pointedly if it was appropriate to be going into Ginny’s room. Harry was unsure whether Percy’s commonsense made him drop the subject and hurry down the stairs or if it was the look on his face and raised wand.

“I don’t care about the book. I won’t look at it. I just want to make sure you’re okay. Please, let me in,” Harry tried again. He leaned his forehead on the door. “Don’t shut me out.” Harry could hear the faint sounds of Hermione and Mrs Weasley remonstrating with Charlie, George and Ron downstairs. Slowly Ginny’s bedroom door creaked open, her brown eyes peering out at him like they had that first morning he’d come to The Burrow. Her eyes were red rimmed and Harry reached out a hand to stroke her cheek.

“Can I come in?” he whispered. Ginny moved away from the door and Harry pushed it open and slipped inside. Ginny had her back to him and Harry closed the door quietly before putting his arms around her. As he noticed the book tossed haphazardly on her bed she turned around in his embrace and began quietly crying into his shirt. This was not the Ginny he was used to. The Ginny he was used to rarely cried and definitely didn’t cry over teasing of the familial variety. He patted her back awkwardly and had absolutely no idea what to do or say.

Suddenly Ginny pulled away and turned to fiddle with her hairbrush. Harry kept silent, hands in his pockets as he waited for her to speak.

“It should have been Fred,” she suddenly whispered, staring out of the window. “I don’t care if they tease me, not really. It’s a little embarrassing – “ and she waved vaguely at the book on her bed which Harry could see had a heart drawn around his name – “but the thing that hurts the most is that it was Charlie. It’s so stupid. Here they are threatening to expose my silly childhood fantasies, to you and I’m crying because it was Charlie teasing me and not Fred! I just miss him, you know. If things were right, if it was normal it would have been Fred and George, not Charlie and George.” She finished in a whisper, turning around as a lone tear rolled down her cheek. Harry just held her in his arms and let her cry.

A short time later they both descended the stairs, the book in hand for Hermione who had wanted to see it. George and Charlie were sitting at the table, subdued and Ron was trying to get Hermione to talk to him. Harry handed Hermione the Harry Potter storybook. She squealed in delight and immediately opened the book and buried her head in it.

“Hang on!” exclaimed Charlie. “It didn’t look like that before!”

“Oh, I fixed it,” replied Harry airily. He had embellished the heart a nine year old Ginny Weasley had drawn around his name on the cover, adding HP 4 GW inside it and giving the drawing of a very young Harry on the front a thought bubble that said Ginny Weasley is my Chosen One, I just don’t know it yet.

Ron shook his head and Hermione, taking a look at the cover gave Harry a long winded lecture about the care of books and how one does not write on them, thank you very much! Harry just smiled and reached for Ginny’s hand under the table, eating one handed as he entwined his fingers with hers.

*********************

Harry felt a certain sense of trepidation as he Flooed into the Ministry Atrium. Kingsley had reopened the Apparition points at the Ministry so that people could attend the Ceremony but had connected The Burrow up to the fireplaces in the Atrium. He assured Harry that it was to offer him a measure of security because they could control that area but Harry wondered rather privately if it was because he hadn’t actually got an Apparition licence. Everyone had seemed willing to let him Apparate in until Hermione helpfully pointed out that he didn’t have a licence. The Burrow had been connected to the Ministry within the hour.

As he tumbled out of the fireplace Harry noticed that the dreary darkness which had overtaken the Atrium during the past year had lifted. It was deserted which he found unusual but certainly not bothersome and the dark floors once again shone, the peacock blue ceiling with its roving gilt shapes seemed to be more vibrant than ever and the dreadful statue that had dominated the Atrium last time he had been there was gone. In its place was a raised dais. Harry contemplated what it might be for, trying to ignore the rotund security wizard who was standing three feet away staring at him. Mr Weasley had Flooed in behind him. The rest of the family were exiting the fireplace one by one.

“That’s temporary, for the Ceremony today. They are going to put a fountain there again, when someone gets around to designing one,” Mr Weasley explained. Harry nodded and, having had enough of being stared at, strode over to the security wizard and stuck his hand out.

“Hello! Harry Potter. Nice to meet you,” he said. “And you are?” The wizard offered a pudgy hand rather mechanically.

“Er, S-s-salisbury S-stoke,” the little round man stammered. Harry shook the man’s hand with apparent enthusiasm and then lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

“I don’t suppose you could tell me who’s supposed to be meeting me and taking me to see the Minister, could you?” Clearly it was Salisbury’s job because he abruptly came to his senses and rather officiously nodded.

“Of course, of course, this way Mr Potter,” and Salisbury Stoke led Harry into a lift, the Weasleys and Hermione crowding in after him. They soon found themselves in Kingsley’s office and Mr Stoke had scurried away, looking back over his shoulder a couple of times as if he still couldn’t quite believe he had seen Harry Potter, in the flesh. George stopped ribbing Harry about not giving the poor man an autograph when Harry promised to autograph George’s forehead with everlasting ink.

Kingsley greeted them and began to explain the Ceremony that would take place that morning. It was going to be short and sweet; just an hour, broadcast on the WWN, with a press reception afterwards; the questions had already been submitted and approved by Kingsley, followed by lunch. Then he could simply go home.

“Kingsley, you are the best Minister of Magic in the History of, well, magic,” said Harry. “Not too long, not too fussy, brilliant!”

“Mr Potter, you forget I have come to know you fairly well and pomp and ceremony are definitely not your thing,” returned Kingsley.

“Understatement,” coughed Ron behind his hand. Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.

“Say, Kingsley, you don’t think there’s anyone about who can do my Apparition test?” Harry asked.

It turned out there was someone who could, and in the short time they had before the Ceremony was to start, a rather starstruck witch tested Harry on his Apparition and issued his licence. Then the Weasleys returned to the Atrium while Harry went with Kingsley to stand on the dais in the now crowded Atrium, the assembled witches and wizards falling absolutely silent as they joined several witches and wizards on the dais.

There was a sudden cacophony of sound as the crowd in the Atrium began cheering when they saw Harry, delaying the start of the Ceremony for a good ten minutes. A few official looking people began to give speeches about the new direction of the Ministry, the future and the incomparable sacrifice that those who had lost their lives had made. Harry watched as the sea of brightly robed witches and wizards cheered and clapped each brief speaker but he wasn’t yet eighteen and, quite frankly, stuffy middle aged men and women delivering speeches about an event in which they had not taken part was not only boring for an active young mind but Harry found it just a little hypocritical. He found his mind wandering and he began to search the crowd for faces that he knew to pass the time.

There was a knot of Weasleys close to the edge of the dais. Mr and Mrs Weasley looking up at him, wearing expressions that made them look for all the world like they were his proud parents. Harry reflected that for all intents and purposes they were and he had never felt so blessed to have had them in his life. Harry gave them a little wave and Mrs Weasley beamed wider. Charlie was conjuring what looked like a sign and trying to pin it surreptitiously to Percy’s back as the latter stood stiffly, his back ramrod straight, attention riveted on the speakers. Harry was not surprised to see Penelope Clearwater had joined them, her arm hooked through Percy’s. Bill was standing behind Fleur, his arms around her. Harry was not at all certain they were listening as they seemed to be swaying slightly and wearing dreamy expressions. Not seeing George, Ginny, Ron or Hermione he began to search the crowd for them.

Mrs Figg was there, still in her carpet slippers but clearly wearing her best housecoat. Harry idly wondered where the Dursleys were right now and decided that although he did not care he should at least find out. Dudley had been decent enough the last time they saw each other after all. His eyes still roving, Harry spotted Xenophilious Lovegood in burnt orange robes waving his arms in the air in a complex pattern that Harry was sure he once seen Luna do when waffling about Wrackspurts. He couldn’t see Luna, however. He kept looking, spotting various members of the Order of the Phoenix and a few people he rather thought worked at the Ministry. Hagrid was waving to him from the furthest corner and harry waved back. Auntie Muriel and her enormous pink feathered hat were next to Neville’s grandmother, Mrs Longbottom’s vulture hat looking as though it could eat Muriel’s feather concoction for dinner. Still Harry failed to find any of his friends; Neville was nowhere near his grandmother.

Frowning slightly and wondering why those who were closest to him had decided to either not come or wander off and not pay attention Harry spotted Andromeda with little Teddy and standing slightly behind her, Viktor Krum. Maybe it was a good thing Ron had apparently vanished. Forcing his attention back to the speakers, and vowing to have words with his friends for abandoning him, Harry caught the tail end of Kingsley’s speech.

“ –and so it is not only one man who effected the future we all now look forward to, welcome the members of Dumbledore’s Army without whom we would not be celebrating this victory today!” Harry spun around to see Ron and Hermione, grinning broadly and leading a group of young witches and wizards whom Harry knew intimately onto the dais. His jaw fell open.

“Brilliant!” he breathed at Kingsley who just smiled and handed him a medal that Harry saw was an Order of Merlin, Second Class, with Ron’s name on it. He looked at Kingsley questioningly.

“Haven’t been listening, have you Potter?” muttered Kingsley out the side of his mouth. Harry blushed. Kingsley turned to address the assembled crowd who were cheering and clapping as the members of Dumbledore’s Army filed onto the stage. “Mr Potter will now address us before he presents these fine young people with their medals.”

Harry gulped. He caught Ron’s eye and noticed he was trying not to laugh at the look on Harry’s face, which, if the way Harry was feeling was anything to go by, was probably a look of sheer panic. Hermione was trying to look encouraging and nodding at him. Behind them stood Neville who looked pleased and proud, Luna who looked just a little bit vague and Ginny who was smiling that same radiant smile she had bestowed on him in the Room of Requirement as she climbed through the portrait hole followed by Fred and George and Lee. As his eyes roamed over the group assembled behind them he remembered that these were the people who had first trusted him, first believed him. These were the people who had first shown faith in him as he taught them how to defend themselves in a room at the top of Hogwarts. His eyes came to rest on George and Harry heard Fred in the Room of Requirement that night, defending Dumbledore’s Army to his mother and Harry knew just what to say.

“There were some people who didn’t think we were serious. Some people thought we were just a group of children, a teenager’s gang, playing about,” he said to the assembled crowd who had fallen silent when he began to speak. “But these are the bravest people I know. They were the people who first believed in me. Without Ron and Hermione I wouldn’t even be here, they’ve been my best friends, my lifeline. Without Neville and Ginny and Luna this past year we’d never have held it together long enough to defeat Voldemort –“ Harry rolled his eyes at the audible gasp that went up.

“We couldn’t have done it without you. It’s taken me a while to figure this out but I don’t have to do everything alone,” said Harry as he turned to address his friends. Hermione sniffed but smiled at him as a tear rolled down her cheek. Harry turned back to the audience. “We may have been a teenager’s gang but we dared, we dared to take on Voldemort and we won. This group of teenagers, this gang, was the first to turn up, to dare.” A cheer went up as Harry finished and turned to hand the medal in his hand to Ron.

Kingsley Shacklebolt read out the names of Dumbldore’s Army starting with Ron and Hermione then reading out Neville and Luna and Ginny. Harry handed each one of them a medal and gave them a hug. He was sure that the kiss he gave Ginny on the cheek was noticed by at least one person as he heard George wolf whistle as he did so. Harry realised he didn’t have to pretend anymore and before she left his embrace he lowered his head and gave her a lingering kiss on the lips. Seamus and Dean joined in the wolf whistling and more than one camera flash went off but Harry didn’t care. At that moment, standing with those friends and family most dear to him he felt like the happiness had finally come.

He released Ginny, who was blushing to the roots of her hair, and as Kingsley went alphabetically through the members of Dumbledore’s Army he handed each one a medal. He hugged Hannah Abbott, Lavender Brown, Katie Bell and Susan Bones before shaking the hands of Terry Boot, Cho Chang and Michael Corner. Cho looked a little disappointed but Harry was too busy looking at Dennis’s sad face as Kingsley read out Colin’s posthumous award. Harry took the medal gingerly and looked at the name engraved on it, tracing it with his finger.

“Make him proud,” he whispered as he hugged Dennis, handing him Colin’s Order of Merlin and then his own. Dennis managed a watery smile as he moved to stand with the others where Neville waited to comfort him. Justin Finch-Fletchley, Seamus Finnigan and Anthony Goldstein might have only got handshakes but after Angelina got a hug Lee Jordan moved in for one as well and laughing, Harry complied. Pompous Ernie Macmillan and the Patil twins were followed by Zacharias Smith, Alicia Spinnet and Dean Thomas. And then only George was left and two medals were still in the little box Kingsley held.

His eyes swimming with tears Harry took them both and as Kingsley read out Fred Weasley and then George Weasley he handed them to George who stared at them for a long moment before Harry reached out and embraced him. George hugged him back and as he pulled away, wiping his cheeks he grinned at Harry and said,

“Don’t you even think of snogging me Potter!” The assembled group of young witches and wizards burst out laughing as they all gathered around Harry for one enormous group hug and it was with some difficulty that Kingsley managed to extricate Harry in order to receive his own medal, an Order of Merlin First Class.

“Thank you, Harry,” said Kingsley, his voice low and rumbly. “We are in your debt.” Harry shook his head.

“Then your repayment is to live, to rebuild your lives and keep going,” he said and the crowd cheered as he posed with Dumbledore’s Army for several cameras.

The press conference was over quickly with straightforward questions about what he was going to do now, if he supported the current Minister of Magic becoming permanent and if he was going to try out for Professional Quidditch. Lunch was a rowdy, enjoyable affair with the Weasleys, most of the Order including Hagrid and Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore’s Army. Before they were seated Mrs Weasley scolded him for his extremely public display of affection but Harry could tell she didn’t really mean it. Behind her back Charlie gave him two thumbs up and Mr Weasley winked at him making Harry blush as heavily as Ginny had earlier.

No one wanted to leave the Banquet Room that they had repaired to for lunch after the meal itself was over. Hestia Jones and Dedalus Diggle informed him, when he asked, that Vernon, Petunia and Dudley had returned home after Number Four Privet Drive had been rebuilt by magical means and were as well as could be expected which meant that Vernon was still ungrateful, Petunia was still thin lipped and nervous and Dudley was asking if Harry was really alright. After consoling an emotional Hagrid and being swept up by several Order members for pats on the back and handshakes Harry snuck away from the crowd and pulling Ginny with him, found a secluded spot that was largely obscured by a massive potted fern.

“Hey there, Ginny,” he asked as he pulled her close. “How come you guys didn’t tell me about the medals?” Ginny grinned up at him, her red hair framed her face like fire and her eyes sparkled.

“We wanted to surprise you. Kingsley asked us what we thought and we told him you’d hate to be singled out so he spoke to Neville and Luna and he figured you’d want the DA to be recognised,” she said. “That day you asked him about the Ceremony, the day that newspaper article came out, he was going to tell you but you were so confident when you spoke about it that we decided to keep it a secret and surprise you.”

“It was a lovely surprise,” whispered Harry and he dropped his lips to hers, their bodies melding together seamlessly as they stood behind the massive fern.

That was where Bill found them twenty minutes later, their lips still caressing each other’s, Ginny’s hands in his hair and his hands stroking her back. A discreet cough broke them apart.

“Mum’s looking for you two,” he said, grinning. “Be glad I found you. Dad’ll have no chance of convincing her to let Ginny go anywhere with you, much less Australia, if she ever catches a look at that!” Blushing, Ginny and Harry straightened themselves out and tamed their hair before stepping out from behind the fern. Privately Harry doubted anything they had done to fix themselves up was going to fool Mrs Weasley because Ginny’s lips were still swollen and she had a languid wanton air about her that he was sure no one could miss. He found himself unable to keep his hands off her and they wandered the room searching for her mother with arms around each other, Ginny stealing glances at Harry when he periodically kissed her cheek or hair.

They found Mrs Weasley and she did look at them with eyebrows raised. Harry looked suitably sheepish but Ginny just looked back at her imperiously and finally Mrs Weasley smiled.

“We’re heading off now, your father and I,” she said. “Can’t keep up with you young ones.” She smiled wistfully as she watched Neville and George, ably assisted by Lee and Dean, balancing several glasses in a pyramid on a nearby table. Seamus was waiting with a bottle of butterbeer to create a frothy fountain that filled all the glasses when the pyramid was finished.

“We’ll see you at home, then,” she suddenly sniffed and launched herself at Harry, enfolding him in a rib cracking hug. “We’re so proud of you, dear. Look after my baby.” And before Harry could hug her back she was gone, threading her way through the crowd to where Mr Weasley was waiting at the door.

It was quite some time later, after treating Ginny to his newly licensed skill of Apparition by taking her Side-Along, that Harry and Ginny stumbled through the back door of The Burrow with Ron and Hermione at their heels laughing and having had just a little too much butterbeer.

They stumbled into chaos.