Harry's Search For Love

Chapter 3

They landed with a slight thud in the garden of the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley opened the kitchen door as they approached. "Oh, thank goodness you two are home. I have so much to do, and I could use your help."

Harry laughed and looked at Charlie, "Maybe I should've let Dobby come with me after all."

Mrs. Weasley looked puzzled for a second, "Who's Dobby? Oh, that house elf friend of yours? I don't need a house elf for what I can do myself. Having one is too pompous for someone like me. Have you eaten? I can fix you something if you haven't. Where are your bags? I'll need to get the laundry done today," she asked, as they entered the house.

Charlie laughed and pulled his mother in for a hug, "Breathe, Mum. Yes, we've eaten and our bags are coming by owl. Now," he moved his mum back to look her in the eye, "What do you need me to do?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with laughter.

Mrs. Weasley reached up to touch Charlie's cheek, and thought for a second, "Oh, let's see what's left. The living room furniture needs to be taken outside, and the dust removed. Could you also take the rugs out?"

Harry rolled his eyes, "I'll start rolling up the rugs, Charlie. You get the furniture."

Charlie pulled his mum in for another quick hug, "Let me change clothes and I'll be right down."

They both left the room together. Mrs. Weasley noticed Charlie's robe was shorter than normal, but quickly forgot as she started polishing the silver.

Ron and Ginny came out of the study covered head to toe with dust. "Hey, Harry. We thought we heard you come in. Heard you had some excitement, but Mum wouldn't say what, other than you were okay. What happened?"

"Come help me roll up these rugs, and I'll fill you in." Harry said, as he moved a chair off the rug.

Ron and Ginny helped Harry gather all the rugs and carried them outside.

Harry filled them in on the quick flight to Hogwarts, and on Remus' reaction to the chant. "The excitement was someone found out where I was, so we went to Hogwarts. Remus is now fully recovered from his injuries and feeling better than ever. Oh, Remus is coming back as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor this fall."

Ron's face lit up with delight, "Excellent news. Remus is okay then?"

"Even better than okay. Hey, where's Thomas? I need to fill him in on Remus' reaction."

Mrs. Weasley stuck her head out the window, "Ron. Ginny. Are you two finished in the study?" She asked, her eyes flashing.

"Shoot." murmured Ron, "We're going back in now to finish up, Mum. Talk to you later, Harry."

Harry watched as Ron and Ginny went back into the house.

Charlie walked around the corner of the house the living room furniture shrunk and floating behind him. Charlie engorged the furniture back and summoned brooms to beat the dust out of both the furniture and the rugs.

Thomas came walking up from the pond. "Hello, Harry. Charlie, I see you two have arrived in plenty of time to be put to work. I tried to help, but Molly refused. Tell me, how is Remus?"

"I'll let Harry tell you while I go get us something to drink." Charlie said, as he headed back inside the house.

Thomas looked down at Harry, who was still trying to control his reaction to seeing the man again. "How did it go?" he asked, sitting down beside Harry on the ground, completely heedless of Harry's inner turmoil.

"You can see for yourself this weekend, but, he's really doing great. Did you know that the chant would also heal and give him energy? From the way he talked he hasn't felt this good since before he was bitten. Yesterday, he was even ready to challenge Severus in a duel."

Thomas laughed, "Great, I knew that it would restore his energy but actually speed up his healing, no. I'm pleased that it worked so well. How did Voldemort's followers find out you were staying there? From the conversation I had with Dumbledore, he created that Portkey himself so there would be no record of it at the Ministry."

"My scar flared up while I was gone. Since Severus didn't get summoned, he was curious why I had a flare up, so he tested your Invisibility Spell. That's how we found out ahead of time about the attack. But, I don't know if he can use the spell anymore. I think Voldemort is trying to get the werewolves on his side. But, if things go according to plan, Voldemort is going to have some pissed off werewolves."

Thomas frowned, as he thought about what Harry had said, "Voldemort is trying to get the werewolves to take his side. That could be a serious complication for us. Severus' risk will be greater if they join him. I need to do some research. There may be a way to remove any unwanted smells off a person." Thomas magiced paper and quill, and quickly wrote a letter. "Harry, do you mind if I borrow your owl to get this to the International Wizard mail? I wrote my grandfather for help. If there's a way to remove smell without magic, he'll know. Sometimes Muggle ways are better than Wizards."

Harry looked at the rugs and furniture that were still being beaten to remove the dust, "I don't know about that. I'm glad I'm not whaling on those rugs right now."

Harry whistled for his owl. She came out of the Owlery, which had been built onto the back of twin's shop. As their business grew, the twins quickly realized that they needed a place for visiting owls to rest in between orders. So, using some of their profits they built the Owlery and purchased two owls to be used in transporting their orders.

Hedwig nipped Harry's ear with affection as he gave her the note, "Take this to the International post, please, and when you return I'll give you a huge treat." She nipped at Harry one more time and flew off towards the village in the distance.

Charlie came back out of the house carrying cold drinks, "Where's Hedwig off to?" he asked, watching her fly off.

Thomas answered, reaching for a drink, "I sent her to take a letter to International post. Harry brought me up to date on Remus and the situation with the werewolves. I'm concerned that if the werewolves join with Voldemort, Severus being around us could put him at risk. I have a few questions for my grandfather. I'm sure there is a way to remove unwanted smells from a person, so Severus won't be exposed if the werewolves join with Voldemort. However, I'm not sure how to perform it."

"Good thinking," said Charlie, "Let me know what you find out and I'll pass it along to Sev." Charlie looked over at the rugs and noticed that the brooms weren't producing any more dust, so he sent them back to the shed.

Ron came back out and collapsed beside Harry. "Mum is mad, I tell you, Charlie. I've been working on the study for two days, taking out each book and dusting it. No one is even going to be looking at the books. And I had to do it the Muggle way. Fred and George have been hiding in their shop working, so Mum won't drag them into her madness. Please tell me, you're not going to leave on Order business, are you?" Ron whined.

About the same time Ron finished his tirade a boom sounded in the building behind them. Green and pink smoke billowed out of the windows. Fred and George came out coughing.

Mrs. Weasley stuck her head out a window, "Fred. George, are you all right?"

Fred croaked, trying to catch his breath, "Yes, Mum."

Mrs. Weasley pointed her finger at the twins, "Well stop making thinks explode. I have enough work to do for the party without you two creating more!" she yelled, and shut the window.

"See, she's mad I tell you. Remind me to elope." Ron said, lying down on the grass.

Charlie ruffled his youngest brother's hair, earning him a punch in the side. "Relax, Ron. Percy is the first Weasley to get even this close to marriage. And considering the recent events, she wants this to be special for him. By the time you and Hermione decide to get married she'll have gotten a better grip."

Ron muttered, "Sod off, Charlie."

Charlie looked up at the twins, who were standing above him, "What exploded?"

George sank down beside his brother, disgusted that their experiment had blown up yet again. "Oh, we're trying to modify the exploding snaps. We should have it in a couple of days." George noticed that the brooms were still beating on the furniture and no dust was rising, so he flicked his wand and returned the brooms to the shed.

Thomas chuckled as he remembered what happened during yesterday's explosion, "At least the roof stayed on this time. You two should have been here yesterday. Shingles were flying everywhere. When Molly realized they were okay, she started chasing them with a broom all the way to the pond."

"Oh, sure you can laugh. You weren't the one being chased by a deranged mum holding a broom." Fred said, with a snort.

Charlie stood up, realizing that their mum was going to come back to the window any minute, "Okay, guys, let's allow the furniture air for a little while, and go in and help Mum."

The Weasleys, Harry, and Thomas, even despite Mrs. Weasley's protest, spend the remainder of the day polishing floors and dusting.

When the family was gathered around for dinner, Mrs. Weasley beamed at them, "I'm so pleased with all the hard work everyone has done today. Since all the cleaning was done today, I can spend tomorrow baking. I'm warning you now, I don't want anyone slamming doors, or making something explode. Either on purpose or by accident," she glared at the twins as she made the last statement. "Or doing anything else that will make my cakes fall."

There was a chorus of, "Yes, Mum," heard around the table.

Fred piped up, knowing that this news would make her happy. "We'll be gone most of the day tomorrow anyway, Mum. George and I have a meeting at Diagon Alley."

"Hey Harry, do you want to practice Quidditch in the morning? That way we won't be in Mum's line of fire." Ron asked, as he reached for the platter of sausages.

At the look of anticipation on Ginny's face Mrs. Weasley touched her daughter's hand. "Ginny, I know you want to go flying, but I could really use your help tomorrow."

Ginny sighed her disappointment, but smiled at her, "Sure, Mum. I'll get in some practice later."

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

After dinner Harry headed upstairs and saw his bag sitting on his bed. He quickly unpacked, putting his dirty clothes in the hamper, his schoolbooks back in his trunk. The Potion books that Severus had given him to read he lay on his bedside table. Gathering his pajamas, he headed to the bathroom. He took a quick shower and was brushing his teeth with only a towel wrapped around him, when the door opened. Thomas came walking in, his shirt off, a towel draped across his tan shoulder.

Harry was startled to realize he had forgotten to lock the door. And seeing Thomas when he was undressed was a little exciting, if unnerving. Harry turned, so his back was to Thomas, and he spoke through the toothpaste, "Give me a minute, and I'll be out of your way."

Thomas quickly closed the door, and leaned against it for a second. He was cursing himself for not thinking to knock before opening the door. He hoped Harry wasn't too embarrassed. Then his mind drifted to Ginny and he couldn't suppress a moan at the thought of catching her in nothing but a towel. He stood there until he saw Charlie coming up the stairs.

Harry rinsed his mouth out. He took a few calming breaths and slowly dressed. When he opened the door he saw Charlie and Thomas talking in the hall. He smiled at the two men and called out casually, "All yours, Thomas."

Harry headed upstairs to his room. When he entered, he saw Ron lying on his bed reading a letter, "Is that from Hermione?"

Ron replied distractedly, "Yes, she's coming Saturday for the party. But, she has to go back home on Sunday. Her parents are taking her to Greece on holiday."

Harry was about to pick up a book, when he saw a flutter of white at the window. Harry opened the window and his owl flew in. Harry stroked her head and talked softly to her, "Hello, beauty. Did you get Thomas' letter sent off?"

Hedwig hooted.

"Good girl, fly on down to the Owlery and I'll bring you a treat."

Ron, who had stopped reading his letter to watch Harry, asked, "Why did Thomas need to borrow your owl?"

Harry busied himself getting the owl back out the window, "He just wanted to give his grandfather an update is all. I'll be back in a few minutes. I promised Hedwig a treat."

Harry went downstairs, grabbed a treat, and walked outside toward the attachment. Suddenly he heard a sound coming from the direction of the building. He quickly pulled out his wand and murmured the Invisibility Spell. From the corner of his eye he saw movement to his left. He watched quietly as the person, who was masked, crept toward the house.

The door of the building silently opened and Severus' voice rang out, "Petrificus Totalus!"

The masked person fell down where he stood, and Harry quickly threw a charm to put him into a deep sleep.

"Harry?" Severus called out, as he walked from the shop.

Harry pulled Severus back into the shadows as he spotted someone else standing in the field, on the far side of the house, "Bloody hell! Hide, Severus, someone else just appeared and is watching in the field."

Charlie and Thomas came rushing out of the house, their wands drawn.

Harry heart jumped into his throat when he saw them coming out the door, "Get down!" he yelled, as the person standing in the field issued a curse towards them.

Severus, furious at the unknown assailant attacking Charlie, issued a Stunner Hex towards him.

Thomas shoved Charlie to the ground as the curse came whizzing toward them. The man in the field Disapparated. When they were certain no one else was around Thomas and Charlie stood back up.

Severus, now invisible, walked to Charlie's side. "Are you all right?" Severus asked, touching Charlie's cheek with the palm of his hand. He was fuming that someone had tried to orchestrate an attack on the Burrow.

"Sev?" Charlie asked, still shaken from the attack.

"Yes, it's me, Red. I'm invisible. Are you all right?"

Mr. Weasley came running out of the house, pulling his robe on, his wand drawn, "What happened? Is everyone all right? Where's Harry? I saw him come outside a minute ago."

Harry called out, "I'm okay, Mr. Weasley. I'm in the Owlery, checking on the birds."

Severus removed his hand from Charlie's cheek, and reversed the Invisibility Spell. "Harry's fine. I need to go and find out which pillock tried this tonight. Summon an Auror to take this person away. I'll return as soon as I can." Severus squeezed Charlie's hand and Disapparated.

Still uncertain if anyone else was watching, Harry made himself invisible and walked out of the Owlery. Thomas was starring in Harry's direction as Harry walked towards them. Harry gave a low chuckled, "Muggle shoes again, huh?"

Thomas smiled slightly at Harry's joke.

Mr. Weasley, who didn't realized Harry was invisible, looked around, "Harry, do you have your cloak on?"

Thomas, seeing the twins at the doorway, interrupted, "Something like that. Harry, go inside and we'll take care of this person." He knew Harry hadn't told anyone about the new spell, so until it was mentioned in the meeting he was covering for him.

Fred and George came outside to help restrain the man until the Auror arrived.

Harry, his temper rising, slipped behind them into the house. Seeing the rest of the Weasley family coming into the kitchen, Harry walked along the edge of the room until he reached the door. After the last person had entered, he walked out and reversed the spell. Standing at the kitchen door, he scowled for being sent away from a situation that he helped resolve.

A few minutes later Tonks, an Auror that Harry had known for a couple of years, came in the room and greeting Mrs. Weasley. She saw Harry leaning against the doorframe, still scowling. She walked over and hugged him, not the least bit intimidated by the look on his face, "Sleeping charm, huh? Clever work. Fredrick Malfoy doesn't have a clue on who or what hit him."

Harry looked at Tonks, his temper rising even more just hearing the name, "Malfoy? Is he related to Lucius?"

"Yes, his younger brother. It seems he has been taking care of Lucius' family since Lucius was sent to Azkaban. However, from the information we have on him, he's just like his brother. But, he's joining his brother now in prison. Now, I have to run. I just wanted to say hello and that I'll see you soon."

Tonks stopped beside Mrs. Weasley, who was talking quietly with Ginny. Ginny left them and walked over to Harry. She recognized the look on his face as barely suppressed rage. "Harry, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I just wish anyone with the name of Malfoy, would drop off the face of the earth. I'm going to bed." Harry replied with a snarl, turned and headed upstairs.

Ron followed up a few minutes later, "Harry, what happened?"

"I went outside to feed Hedwig, and I heard a noise out by the shop. I was standing in the shadows, when someone in a mask walked around heading toward the house. Sev...Snape appeared, threw a curse on him, and I hit him with the Sleeping Charm so he wouldn't be sure he heard Snape's voice. Charlie and Thomas came out of the house. Someone was standing in the field and threw a curse at them, then Apparated. Snape went to find out who ordered the attack, and you know the rest. The man we caught was another Malfoy. So, what happened after I left?"

"Nothing much. Tonks took the guy away. Mum and Dad are still talking to Charlie and Thomas." Spying the book Harry was holding, he asked, "What are you reading?"

"Oh, it's a book Snape gave me about potions. We were talking while I was at Remus' and he gave me this book to answer some questions I had. Along with another book that he said he wanted me to talk to him about after I finish reading it."

Ron sat down on his bed and picking back up the letter he was reading, "Bloody hell, does that man ever take a break? He always gives enough work during the summer to keep anyone busy. Now, he's assigning extra reading."

Harry laughed at his friend's indignation, "Relax, Ron. Even though this book is school related, there are a few things that I didn't know that I would have, if my parents had raised me. Knowing Hermione, she read this book before her first day at Hogwarts. Speaking of potions, I bet you didn't know I learned the Wolfsbane Potion?"

"No way! That's a way advanced potion. And hard as pants to learn. Did Snape show you?"

Harry nodded relieved he had distracted Ron, "Yes, he walked me through the first time. When I went to Hogwarts, we had to remake the potion. I did it myself that time, while Snape worked on something else. Snape actually complimented me when I finished it." Harry said, smiling at the memory.

"He must be going mental."

"No, not mental. It's weird, he's actually an okay guy when he's away from Hogwarts students and can relax. Oh, and just to let you know, Hagrid has a new animal coming for us to learn about."

Ron groaned.

"He said it wasn't dangerous."

"But you know Hagrid. He still thinks Fluffy was a nice puppy."

They heard a knock on the closed door and Charlie popped his head in, "Harry, are you awake? Fudge is here and wants to talk to you."

Harry stood up and reached for his robes, "What does he want?"

Charlie shook his head, "He's not saying."

Ron stood up to follow Charlie and Harry downstairs, but Charlie held out his hand for him to stay, "Wait here, Ron. Harry or I, will fill you in later."

As they were going downstairs, they passed the twins. George stopped and asked, "What does Fudge want Harry for?"

Charlie shrugged his shoulders. He had his suspicions, but at this point wasn't sure, "Don't know."

When they came downstairs they saw Mrs. Weasley standing on the bottom stair, effectively blocking anyone else from coming up. Standing in front of her was Fudge, fuming. Harry stopped beside Mrs. Weasley when she slid over to give him room to stand. Charlie stood behind him, for moral support. Mr. Weasley and Thomas were standing to the side of the stairway.

Fudge glared from Mrs. Weasley to Harry. He cleared his throat, "Harry, I need your wand."

Mrs. Weasley interrupted, "Harry has done nothing wrong."

Fudge turned back to Mrs. Weasley, "Use of magic by an underage wizard is not nothing, Molly."

His voice tight with anger, Charlie growled, "We had a Death Eater on the property. And considering the threats against Harry, he did nothing wrong."

Fudge scoffed and waved his hand, "Those threats are alleged. And we haven't confirmed that the person here tonight is a Death Eater. Harry, I need your wand."

From the front door a voice quietly spoke, "Those threats are very real, as you have been informed on numerous occasions. As for the other, I have it on good authority that Fredrick Malfoy is a Death Eater. He has taken his brother's position in Voldemort's inner circle. You have given, in writing I may add, an exception to that law for Harry and anyone around him. So, why are you asking for his wand?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes flashing fire at Fudge.

"I was informed that Harry had performed an Unforgivable Curse," replied Fudge, flustered to have Dumbledore asking him questions. "That exception doesn't apply to the Unforgivable Curses."

Harry, who was listening to the conversation, slightly confused, literally jumped when he heard Fudge accuse him of using a curse that he knew he didn't have the mental capacity to perform. Since actually performing the curse required him to intentionally mean to hurt someone. He found that out after fighting Bellatrix after Sirius had died.

Charlie gave Harry's shoulder a squeeze to let him know he fully understood his shock.

Dumbledore looked Fudge straight in the eye, "If Harry has to defend himself, I expect him to use what ever means required to do so. Including using an Unforgivable Curse, if necessary." Dumbledore looked at Harry, "I know you haven't performed an Unforgivable Curse tonight. But, to satisfy all, may I have your wand?"

Harry reached into his pocket and withdrew his wand. He walked by Fudge, who was holding his hand out, and handed the wand to Dumbledore. Fudge huffed and put his hand in his pocket as Dumbledore spoke. "Prior Incantato!" Harry's wand flashed blue smoke as the sleeping charm was revealed. Dumbledore handed Harry his wand back and winked. He turned to face Fudge, who shifted his stance, uncomfortable with the look that had now formed on Dumbledore's face, "Are you satisfied that Harry hasn't performed an Unforgivable Curse?"

Fudge straightened his robes, "Yes, I am. You may give the boy too much freedom, but we have our laws for a reason Albus."

"Harry hasn't had freedom since his parents' deaths. He won't be safe until Voldemort has been captured and neutralized. If Harry is using magic outside of school to protect himself or anyone around him uses magic to protect or assist Harry, then it is a law that the Ministry has given permission to violate." Dumbledore stated, his eyes flashing.

Harry interrupted, "If you're done with me, sir, I'll go back upstairs."

Mrs. Weasley moved off the stairs, "As far as I'm concerned, this issue is resolved."

Harry went past Charlie, who was still standing on the stairs. Charlie grabbed his hand for a quick squeeze. As he moved past Charlie he felt a hand on his shoulder. He hesitated for a second, and Severus whispered quietly in his ear, "Go up to Thomas' room."

Harry proceeded upstairs. He walked into Thomas' room and sat down on the desk. Thomas came in a few minutes later and sat down in the desk chair. He was surprised to find Harry was sitting in his room. "That Fudge guy is a dumbass, huh?"

Harry snorted with disgust, he was still angry over being accused of using an Unforgivable Curse. "Yeah, our fearless leader. Why do you think Dumbledore reactivated the Order? We tried to tell him Voldemort was trying to return to power. He just thought I was a little addled, or glory seeking. Even after what happened with the Triwizard Tournament, he wouldn't believe me. It wasn't until Voldemort showed up at the Ministry, the night my godfather died, that he believed. And as you can tell, he's still giving me a hard time."

Severus, who had walked in unnoticed, sneered, "Well, if you didn't have such a good habit of finding trouble, he would leave you alone"

Harry glared at Severus. He didn't like having Severus attack him when he hadn't done anything wrong. "I don't find, or look for trouble. It finds me. I just don't run when I'm found."

Thomas laughed, "Ah, a death wish." Thomas stood and held out his hand to Severus, "Thomas Roaringbear. You must be Severus Snape."

Severus took Thomas' hand and shook, "My pleasure. Charlie and Harry have told me about you. Welcome to the Order."

Charlie entered the room, "Okay, I updated Ron and the twins," he said, while closing the door and placing a Silencing Charm. "Whoever was out in the field must have been the one who told Fudge that lie about Harry. Severus, were you able to find out anything?" he asked, sitting down on the bed.

Severus leaned against the wall. He was so tempted to sit beside Charlie on the bed, but with both Harry and Thomas around, he suppressed the urge. "Yes, it was another Malfoy. It seems Fredrick was trying to impress Voldemort to get his cousin into the inner circle, but it backfired. Fredrick is heading to Azkaban to join his brother, while his cousin is trying to recover from the Crucio Curse Voldemort gave him for trying to attack the house without notifying him of their plans."

He frowned as he recalled how Narcissa and Draco had both looked when he arrived. He knew Draco wasn't pleased when Lucius had put his Uncle in charge of the family. But he could tell there was more to Draco's distance than that. "However, I'm sure I missed something before I got there. Draco and his mother were there. She was crying, and Draco looked brassed off. I tried to talk to him, but he shut me out. Voldemort called a meeting as I arrived and unless he orders, Harry is to be left alone. He's working on something, but I don't know what. Yet. I will find out. But it's going to take some time."

He turned to Harry, "For now, you can relax and enjoy your summer. As soon as I know something, you will be notified. By the way, Potter, your reactions tonight were a little slow. When you go back to Hogwarts during the next full moon we'll work on your hexes."

Harry scowled at the comment. He really didn't think that considering everything that had happened tonight, that his reactions were that slow.

Thomas chuckled at the look on the Harry's face, "Severus, if you don't mind, I have a few things to show Harry that come from my people. We can work on it while Harry's here. I'll include Ron and Ginny also, Charlie, if that is okay with you and your parents. Ron is quite clever and Ginny is very observant."

"Sure, go ahead and include them. If you don't show them, they'll just learn it from Harry. It'll just save time. Hermione will be here Saturday and part of Sunday. She also has a very quick mind. But she won't be back until the end of July."

Charlie stood up, and walked toward Severus, "Okay, Harry, you had better head upstairs. You have a busy day tomorrow. Good night, Thomas. Severus, can I walk you out?"

Harry rolled his eyes, and started muttering under his breath as he passed them, "Charlie, why don't you just say, Severus, come on, lets shag. You're not fooling anybody."

Severus reached over to thump Harry in the head, but Harry ducked. Turning to him, his green eyes twinkling, he asked, "Whose reactions are slow?" Harry removed the Silencing Charm and left the room.

Thomas, still seated in the chair, chuckled. He had picked up most of what Harry had been muttering under his breath, "Harry seems to have accepted you two as a couple. After his conversation with me I was worried he would pull away from you, thinking that being around you two would mix him up more. But, I think you two are actually going to be a stable influence on him. Help him see it's okay if he's gay."

Severus frowned, still uncertain that Harry had truly accepted him in Charlie's life, "After all these years of Harry hating and distrusting me, I do have to say this is refreshing, if a little unsettling. Thomas, thank you for helping with Harry's training. He needs someone around to guide him right now. Due to my history with his father and godfather I don't think that person can ever be me. I'll see you again soon."

Severus walked out of the room, and Charlie started to follow. Charlie turned to smile slightly at Thomas, "See. I told you your presence is needed here even more than you realize. I'll talk to you in the morning." Charlie left the room and closed the door behind him.

Thomas turned off the light and lay down on the bed, deep in thought. It was several hours later before he actually went to sleep.

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

Harry filled Ron in on the conversation he had last night with Thomas, while they were getting dressed. Ron had a look of anticipation as he asked, "I wonder what he is going to show us?"

"Probably some charms, hexes, that sort of thing. Ginny will have to play catch up and so will Hermione. Let's grab some breakfast and go outside and fly, until Thomas is ready."

They ate their breakfast and grabbed their brooms. They flew for about thirty minutes before spotting Thomas walking toward them from the house. They quickly landed close to Thomas. "Well, I can see you two are ready to get started. However, we won't be needing the brooms." Thomas commented.

He sent the brooms to lie beside the porch. Turning back to them he smiled, and turned them back around so he put his arms across their shoulders as they walked, "So, what are do you know about tracking?"

Ron shook his head and Harry looked up at him, swallowing to calm himself down from his reaction to Thomas' arm on his shoulder. "Not much, except I saw an old American Western when I was living at the Dursleys. Is that the same thing?"

"Exactly. We can use the earth to see who or what came through and which way they went. Come on, let's go down to the pond. A water source is a good place to learn. Oh, wait a second. I left some books upstairs that we'll need."

He turned to the house, pulled out his wand, "Accio books." The books flew out the window into his arms. He turned and handed the books them to Ron and Harry.

Ron read the title out loud, "Animals of the United Kingdom. Is this a Muggle book?"

"Well, yes. Tracking by the ground is a traditional Indian way but very effective. Most wizards don't realize they can leave a physical trail that can be followed, even when they use magic to conceal it. If you know how to look." They walked around to the other side of the pond and spent the next several hours comparing the prints found around the pond to those in the book.

Around noon, they went to the house and Mrs. Weasley handed them a couple of sandwiches and shooed them back outside.

Fred and George came out a few minutes later, with sandwiches and papers in hand.

Ron looked up as his brothers approached, "How did your meeting go?"

George nodded and swallowed his mouthful, "Really well. We got an increase in our orders, and they want anything new we create. We are going to start production after lunch."

"Make sure whatever you do doesn't explode, or Mum will kill you."

Harry, who had finished eating, stood up and stretched. "I'm going to work on that Potions paper Snape wants done this afternoon. I'll see you guys later."

Harry walked into the house, quickly through the kitchen under the watchful eye of Mrs. Weasley, and upstairs to his room. He pulled his Potions books out and carried them down to the living room to spread out. He was working for about thirty minutes when Charlie walked in.

Harry looked up at him distractedly then stared, "Charlie, you, um, need to fix your neck," he said, his green eyes twinkling with mirth. For a man who didn't want anyone knowing that he was seeing Charlie, Severus did appear to get a little possessive in making sure that Charlie at least had the appearance of being attached romantically in a relationship. It was so out of normal character for his professor that Harry found it quite amusing.

Charlie looked at him puzzled and walked over to the mirror. "Oh!" he said, turning pink, "no, wonder Mum was looking at me strangely."

Harry snorted, unable to hide his amusement, "No, she was giving you the eye because she gave us direct orders to stay out of the kitchen today and no banging around the house. However, she could have seen your neck. Does your mum know about you and Severus?"

Charlie, who was doing a Healing Spell in the mirror, shook his head, "No, nor does Dad. They haven't asked, so I haven't said anything." He turned around the mark gone. "What are you doing?"

Harry indicated his mess of books and papers, with a look of disgust, "I'm trying to finish my Potions assignment so I won't have it hanging over my head. Do you want to help?"

Charlie shook his head and picked a book off a shelf, "No, thanks. I finished school a long time ago. Sev is tough, but you learn if you listen. Besides, potions was never my strongest subject." Charlie sat down in a chair across from Harry.

Harry reluctantly went back to work on his assignment.

A little while later, Ginny came in, covered head to toe with flour. Charlie smiled at the unusual sight of his sister looking so frazzled. "Are you done?"

"Yes, finally. The last cake just went in. So, Harry, what did I miss today with Thomas?"

Harry who was straightening his now completed Potions assignment looked up and saw Ginny. "Um.... We were learning how to track and read the ground. We'll be going back over it again on Sunday so you can catch up. Hermione will want to learn this too, so you aren't behind. Do you know when she is coming?"

"She should be here sometime after dinner. I'm glad I didn't miss much." she sighed, "I'm exhausted. I think I'll head up to take a long hot bath."

Harry, who was following Ginny to the stairs and trying not to laugh as she attempted to remove the flour from her clothes, asked. "Thomas gave us a book to go through. Would you like to borrow it?"

"Sure. I'll go up with you and get it," she replied, heading up the stairs with Harry. Ginny followed Harry into his room. As Harry was retrieving the book Ginny blurted out, "Harry, about what happened last night, why would Fudge think you would have done an Unforgivable Curse?"

Harry placed his books in his trunk to stall for time. He sat down on the bed and look up at Ginny. "I think he doesn't trust Dumbledore's judgment of the situation. He knows that some of Voldemort's powers transferred to me, when he tried to kill me. I believe he thinks that I'm going to go mad and start craving power and can't be stopped, just like Voldemort. So, he's afraid of me. He's trying to use his position at the Ministry to control me, believing that by doing so it will secure his position. What the arsehole doesn't realize is that I made a decision when I learned exactly who I was to be a good wizard, just like my parents. And not go into the dark arts, even when I was given a chance to."

Ginny listened intently and thought through what Harry had said. She was puzzled by the last comment, but didn't question him on it. "Harry, he can't control you. Not as long as Dumbledore and the rest of us are around. I'm going to take my bath. See you later, Harry, and thanks for the book." Ginny said, leaving the room.

Harry went back downstairs and looked for Ron. Not finding him in the house, he went outside. He saw the door of the shop open so he headed there. Inside, George was packing boxes near the door. "Hey, George, have you seen Ron?"

"No, not my day to keep up with him. Try Fred."

Fred turned around, annoyed at the interruption, "Since when did we start taking turns? I haven't seen him for hours. He did say something about cleaning up before Hermione got here. Did you look in the house?"

"Yes," he said, smiling sheepishly, "but I didn't check the bathroom Do you need any help?"

George shook his head, as he closed up a box, "No, we're almost done for the day ourselves. Thanks for offering. We'll put you to work the next time, promise."

"I'm sure you will. I'll go get Ron out of the bathroom before he turns into a prune."

Harry went back into the house and saw Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen. Spying Harry coming in the door, she motioned him over to her, while blowing on a spoon, "Taste this, Harry. I think I it's missing something."

Harry tasted the spoonful of food, "It tastes okay to me. But you never make anything bad."

"No. It is missing ......oh, the cumin. I knew I had forgotten something. Thank you, Harry," she beamed.

Harry shook his head and headed for the door, "No problem, Mrs. Weasley. I'll be your taster any time."

Harry walked back upstairs and found Ron in his room, smelling strongly of sandalwood soap. "Ron, I thought you fell in or had gotten sucked down the drain. Fred said you came up to take a bath hours ago."

Ron, who was looking through his clothes for something to wear, turned to look at him. "I had a little difficulty shaving," he said, smiling slightly. He had bits of paper all over his face.

Harry, biting back a smile, motioned him over. "Come here. You don't want Hermione to see you like that. She'll think you're daft." He quickly performed the Healing Charm that he had seen Charlie doing earlier before.

Ron glanced back into the mirror. He sighed with relief when he saw that his face has now clear of cuts, "Thanks, Harry. I wish someone could create a magical way to shave. Did you finish your Potions assignment?"

"It's in my trunk. What did you do all afternoon?"

"I helped George and Fred for a while, then I came up here to clean up." he replied, rummaging through his clothes again. Finally picking something to wear, he started getting dressed. "Was Fudge mad last night because he was sent out here on a false lead?"

"He is mad over the whole Voldemort situation. He knows that his position is on the line until Voldemort is captured. Dumbledore got us permission to do magic and is ignoring Ministry laws. He's in charge and answers to no one."

Ron lay down on his bed to think, "Why didn't they tell us we could do magic this summer? Why the secrecy?"

"The less we do, the less people will notice. Hermione can't do magic at home, even though her parents know she's a witch. We have to be careful, because if anyone other than family sees us, word can get out. Ginny, I believe, is also included because she spends so much time with us. Your family is a big target because I'm living here. It's a risk they're willingly taking, I know. Still, if Fudge tied our hands by not letting us do magic the risk could be greater. I think that is also why Charlie and Thomas moved in."

Ron stared up at the ceiling, thinking over what Harry had said, "I had been wondering why Charlie and Thomas have been hanging around. It makes sense now. Ginny was asking me the other day if Charlie and Thomas were dating, because they're here together."

Ron rolled over on his side to face Harry, as he recalled how Ginny had asked her question, "I know Charlie likes guys. But, I just don't think they're dating. Do you?"

Harry shook his head and turned to open his trunk so Ron couldn't see his face. "No, Thomas is straight. However, Charlie didn't say he was seeing anyone when we were gone to take care of Remus." He frowned because he had just lied to Ron about Charlie. But he knew Ron wasn't ready to hear whom he was seeing.

Harry pulled more schoolbooks out and looked Ron in the eye, "If he was seeing someone, and it turned out it was a guy, you would be okay with it. Right?"

"Yeah, I think I'll be okay with it. I just want Charlie to be happy, and if being with a guy makes Charlie happy, then it's his life." Ron started smiling, "Ginny seems to really like Thomas. Do you think we could get Ginny and Thomas together?"

"I think he's a little older than Charlie, but I don't think that much older, so it's worth a shot." Harry said as he realized what Ron was implying. He wasn't exactly thrilled, since he still had some feelings for the guy, but knew in his head that nothing was going to happen between the two of them.

There was a knock on the door and Percy came in, undoing his tie. "Mum said dinner would be ready in just a few minutes." He walked in and moved Ron's legs and sat down. "What trouble are you two into now?"

Ron sat up, "We're not into any kind of trouble. Just discussing Ginny's crush on Thomas."

Percy looked from Ron to Harry, "Have you two noticed he also seems to have a crush on her too?"

They shook their heads.

"Okay, guys, let's head downstairs. We'll talk about this later. We have to be careful doing anything or face the wrath of Ginny, if we mess up and are wrong. She'll kill us if we embarrass her."

The trio went downstairs and caught Ginny coming out of her room. Ron smiled, as he took in her appearance, "What are you dressed up for, Ginny?"

Her eyes flashed at Ron, "I'm not dressed up!"

Harry, who had stepped aside so she could pass, sniffed, "You smell good too. Is that perfume you're wearing?"

She turned to look at Harry, her eyes shooting daggers, "Yes, but I always wear perfume. You've just never noticed."

Percy draped an arm over her shoulders, unable to suppress a smile at their teasing, "Come on guys, leave her alone."

Ginny took a deep breath to calm herself, and smiled up at Percy, "Thank you, Percy. It is so nice to have a brother who is mature." she said, glaring back at Ron and Harry.

Percy looked back at Ron and Harry and winked, causing them to look at each other, confused with his behaviour, "No problem, Ginny. So, tell me, do you have a date for tomorrow night?"

She shook her head and blushed, "No, I'm not seeing anyone right now."

"What! Do you mean to tell me those blokes at school don't think you are good enough for them?" Percy asked, his face rapidly turning furious.

"No no, that's not it. It's just the boys at school just haven't caught my eye recently." Ginny responded quickly.

Ron and Harry, who were walking behind her, looked at each other and smiled.

"If you'll excuse me. I'm going to go help Mum." Ginny said, removing Percy's arm from her shoulders.

After Ginny had walked into the kitchen, Percy turned with a raised eyebrow and looked at Harry and Ron, "Okay, now we have to be subtle. But we start tonight."

Ron looked at Percy puzzled, "What has gotten into you? You've never cared before whom she was seeing."

Percy smiled, with a glimmer of uncharacteristic mischief in his eyes, "I'm in love, and I want everyone around me to be, too."

Harry rolled his eyes, suddenly concerned that he was going to be in Percy's line of fire. "Keep away from me. The last thing I need right now is a girlfriend."

Percy looked at Harry puzzled. He was still trying to get to know him better, and was uncertain as to why he would make such an odd comment. "Why?"

"With everything going on, I don't want to put someone at risk just because they like me."

Percy nodded, comprehending his meaning, "Okay, I understand. You, I'll leave alone. For now," he said, smiling slyly.

When they sat down for dinner, Charlie, not knowing what was going on, was bumped by Harry away from the open chair beside Thomas, to an empty chair by Fred. When Ginny went to sit down, she stopped when she realized that the only chair left open was between Thomas and Harry. She sat down between them, her back straight.

Harry watched Ginny picking at her food, taking small bites. He was amused that she was so nervous sitting beside Thomas. He decided to see if Thomas would jump into his conversation with Ginny. "Ginny, how far did you get on that book you borrowed?"

Ginny smiled slightly at Harry, relieved that he was distracting her from the man beside her. "I reviewed the ones you had marked, so it was easier. I just never realized there was so many different animals around here."

Thomas, who had been listening to her conversation, placed his hand on hers to get her attention. "Ginny, I have a copy of that same book for you in my room. I was planning on giving it to you later. I'll get it for you after we finish dinner."

Ginny, who was starring at the tanned hand on hers, nodded, "Thank you, Thomas," her voice shaking as she tried not to react to the innocent contact between them.

Thomas gently squeezed her hand before removing his hand from hers. He sat beside Ginny, puzzled as to why she was so nervous.

After dinner, he left the dining room and returned with the book. Holding it in his hand he walked into the kitchen. "Molly, do you mind if I steal Ginny away before it gets dark?"

Mrs. Weasley smiled at Thomas, "Sure. I can finish up in here." Turning to her daughter, who was standing at the sink, trying to look extremely busy, "Go on, love, and get some air. You've helped me enough today."

Ginny took a deep breath as she realized that her mum hadn't a clue about her growing feelings towards Thomas. She turned and for a brief second saw Thomas' eyes flicker, but shook her head, as she was sure she was mistaken in thinking that he was attracted to her. "Okay, Thomas. Let's take a walk."

They walked down around the pond to the side that was farthest from the house. Thomas spoke quietly and pointed at different patterns on the ground and comparing them to the book. When they had reached the other side of the pond, Thomas squatted and pulled Ginny down beside him. He held onto her hand as he pointed out a trail. He could sense Ginny's breathing picking up. He turned his head to look at Ginny and saw a longing in her eyes he couldn't ignore. He leaned over and gentle kissed her on the lips. He pulled back, mortified at what he had done.

"Ginny, I'm sorry. I had no right to do that." Thomas said, releasing her hand while he stood up to put some distance between them.

Ginny touched her hand to her lips and stood up, shaking her head. She reached up and placed her hands on each side of Thomas face making him look at her. She smiled into his troubled eyes, "Thomas, you did nothing wrong. I wanted you to kiss me."

Thomas took Ginny's hands into his own, and shook his head. He was still upset that he allowed himself to slip in his growing attraction to her. "I'm older than you, and I took advantage of the situation. For that I'm sorry. I had no right to kiss you. Where I come from, a man my age kissing a girl your age, is not appropriate."

Ginny shook her head and stepped closer to him, pulling her hands away gently. "You aren't home. Girls here are given a little more freedom to decide whom they can be attracted to. Even if that person is older than them."

Ginny stood on the tips of her toes and pulled Thomas' head down until their lips met again. Their kiss started slow and quickly turned passionate. Thomas, with considerable will power, slowed the kiss again, and pulled Ginny tightly to him. He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent. Ginny rested her head under Thomas' chin and brought herself under control.

Thomas finally, after a few minutes, found his voice, "Ginny, this is wrong. You should be kissing guys your own age."

Ginny pulled away slightly, to look him in the eye, "This isn't wrong. When we kissed, it felt as though our souls bonded."

Thomas placed a finger under Ginny's chin so he could see her face in the fading light. Seeing the invitation in her eyes, he leaned forward for another light kiss. "Your parents trust me. I like your parents too much to violate their trust. We're attracted to each other because of the circumstances that brought us together. You're such a bright, loving girl. Once you think about the entire situation, you'll see that I'm right."

Ginny's eyes flashed, unable to believe he didn't feel the same way she did, "And if you're wrong?"

Thomas looked into her eyes tenderly. He knew he was falling hard for the young witch, but he wouldn't allow himself the luxury of giving into his desire for her. "Then I'll be yours for the remainder of this life and beyond." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "The light is fading fast. Let's get you inside."

Ginny shook her head and pulled away. She was disappointed that he was fighting what she realized at their first kiss could possibly be their fate. "You go ahead. I want some time to think." Ginny walked away from Thomas and made her way to the swing along the side of the house.

Charlie passed Thomas on the stairs. "Thomas, are you okay?" he asked, when he noticed how distracted Thomas looked.

Thomas smiled slightly, as he acknowledged his question, "Yes, just something on my mind. I'll see you in the morning."

Charlie frowned and looked into the living room. Not seeing Ginny in there, he walked through the kitchen and out the back door. He stood looking for his sister and heard a slight squeaking sound. Following the sound he saw Ginny, loss in thought, tears streaming down her face. Concerned about why she was crying he called her name, "Ginny, are you still out here?" He watched as Ginny wiped the tears away before answering.

"I'm over here on the swing, Charlie."

Charlie walked over to the swing and sat down. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm not."

"Did something happen between you and Thomas?"

Ginny shook her head, relieved that it was dark enough to hide her blush. "No, he was helping me catch up with what he showed Ron and Harry this morning."

Charlie's eyes narrowed, he knew by her behaviour that she was intentionally holding something back. "Then why did Thomas come into the house looking like he had the world on his shoulders, and you're sitting out here in the dark crying? And you were crying."

Ginny sighed, she had never been able to hide anything from Charlie. "We kissed. Okay. But, he said he wouldn't take advantage of Mum and Dad's trust in him. So, nothing is going to happen. He basically patted me on the head, and told me to find someone my own age."

Charlie pulled Ginny into his arms, realizing much to his regret that he couldn't protect his little sister from heartbreak. "Gin, I'm not mad. If Bill's death has taught me anything, it has shown me we are never promised tomorrow. Now, that doesn't mean you need to shag Thomas under Mum's roof. But if you truly like the guy, then you need to fight for him. If you do, then he doesn't stand a chance."

Ginny sniffed, trying to bring herself under control. "But, he's older than me. This could just be a school girl crush."

"Ginny, he's Bills' age, so he isn't that much older than you. Is what you feel for Thomas different than what you have felt in the past?"

Ginny nodded into his shoulder.

"Look, Ginny. Loving someone older does have its challenges. But if you two are meant to be together then the people that matter the most to you will accept you as a couple."

Ginny sat up to look at her brother, puzzled at the way he had just worded his comment. "Charlie, are you involved with someone older?"

Charlie sighed, and ran a hand through his hair to stall for a second. He wondered if he could tell her, but decided not to, for now. "Yes, but it's really complicated. We love each other, but we can't be together just yet."

Ginny looked at her brother, concerned he was setting himself to get hurt. "Is this person married?"

"No he isn't married, just not openly available, due to his position, right now. And that is all that I'm going to say about him. Let's get inside and get some rest. We have a long day tomorrow. Just give Thomas some time to come around."

They went inside and Ginny went upstairs. Charlie saw Harry watching Ginny. He walked over and Harry looked at him. "She okay?" Harry asked, looking back towards Ginny. He could tell she had been crying.

"Yes, she will be. My baby sister is growing up. So, what are you up to?"

"Nothing really. Ron and Percy are playing Wizard chess."

"Come on up with me and we'll listen to music."

Harry followed Charlie up to his room and they listened to music, until both fell asleep on the bed.

When Ron came up looking for Harry, he stood at the door in shock, at Charlie and Harry sleeping together. Charlie's arm was draped possessively over Harry. Harry, he noticed, seemed to be sleeping more peacefully than he had been for quite a while. He hesitated then knocked loudly on the door and called Harry's name. Harry jumped and Charlie moved to sit up.

"Hi, Ron." Harry said, sleepily, "Who won?"

"We won one a game each. Were you asleep?"

"Yeah," said Harry, through a yawn. He got up off the bed and stretched. "I'm exhausted." Harry walked towards the door. "Night, Charlie, I'm heading to bed." he added, as he headed towards the bathroom.

Ron came back into Charlie's room and looked at him, frowning. He wasn't sure exactly how to ask, so he blurted out his question, "Is there anything I need to know about?"

Charlie looked at his brother confused for a second, and then glared at him. "Nothing is going on. We fell asleep listening to music. That's all. I think of Harry as a brother. I thought you were all right with me being gay. Has something changed?"

Ron came in, he was ashamed that he had jumped to an obvious wrong conclusion. He sat down on the bed beside Charlie. "I'm sorry, Charlie. I jumped to conclusions when I saw you two together sleeping. I just figured if Harry liked guys, he'd tell me. I'm sorry."

Charlie reached over and put Ron in a headlock. "Look," said Charlie, sitting back, "Harry is your best friend. He has a lot going through his head. Part of being a best friend is supporting what ever decision he makes, and watching his back. I have a feeling the big Battle will be soon. He doesn't need the distraction of your disapproval, over something he may do or say. Especially when he is trying to figure things out himself. And as much as you may want to interfere, you can't he has to work this through by himself. We can only support Harry now. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Ron nodded, looking down at the floor. "Yeah, I guess I'm just being beastly. I'm glad you're here this summer, Charlie. I think I needed you here more than I even realized. I'm going to head up and talk to Harry. Good night."

Charlie stood up and gave him a quick hug. Ron responded in kind. "I'm glad I'm here too, prat. Go on up and get some sleep. Mum will work us like a house elves tomorrow."

Ron went up to his room and found Harry already in bed, reading. Harry looked up over the book, curious to where Ron had disappeared to, "Where did you go?"

"Just talking with Charlie. So, how do you think Ginny and Thomas went tonight?"

Harry closed the book, realizing he wasn't going to be able to read with Ron in the room. "Ginny looked like she'd been crying when she came in tonight with Charlie. We need to let Hermione in on what we think is going on. Maybe she can talk to her."

"Actually, Hermione should have been here by now. Dad was going to meet her at the Leaky Cauldron after dinner. Let's go down and ask Mum if she's heard anything."

They headed down and heard Ron's parents talking in the kitchen. They walked in and saw Mrs. Weasley dusting Hermione off by the fireplace.

Ron beamed when he saw her, "Hi, 'Mione. I was getting worried. Let me get your bag."

Hermione smiled at Ron and Harry, "Sorry about being late. We had car trouble. Where's Ginny?"

"She's upstairs. I'll go up and let her know you are finally here." Harry said, as he turned back around and headed up to Ginny's room.

Harry ran up the stairs and knocked on Ginny's door. She opened her door, frowning at the interruption. "Oh, hi, Harry, I guess you want your book back?"

"No, Hermione is here."

"Oh!" Ginny said, smacking her head, "I forgot she was coming," she reached for her robe on the back of her door. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's go downstairs."

Ginny and Harry started to walk downstairs and met Ron and Hermione coming up. Ginny smiled and hugged her friend. "I'm so glad you're here. Come on up to my room so we can talk."

Ron and Harry followed the girls back to Ginny's room. Ron leaned over and gave Hermione a quick kiss, "I'll let you two talk and I'll see you in the morning."

Ginny picked up a book and handed it to Harry, "Here's your book back, Harry. Thanks for letting me borrow it."

Ron pulled the door close behind them. He then looked at Harry, puzzled at Ginny's behaviour, "Did Ginny seem a little distracted to you?"

"Yeah, but maybe Hermione can get her to talk. Girls tell each other stuff that they won't tell us. Come on, let's go to bed. I'm absolutely knackered."

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

The next morning Harry and Ron were awaken by Fred and George. They all headed downstairs and were met by a stressed Mrs. Weasley. She was holding a piece of parchment over three feet long and a quill that was checking items off as she walked from room to room. They walked into the kitchen and were greeted by Hermione and Ginny.

They served themselves and were just finishing when Charlie came into the kitchen following his mother. "Honestly, Mum, let me show you what I'm talking about. If you don't like it, we have plenty of time to change it."

"Okay, Charlie, go ahead. How long will it take?"

Charlie smiled looking at the teenagers sitting at the table, who were listening to their conversation with interest. "With help, an hour."

"Okay, you have an hour." Mrs. Weasley said firmly, glancing back at her list.

Charlie looked at the group, "Okay, you heard Mum. I only have an hour. Are you finished eating?" When everyone nodded, Charlie smiled, "All right, everyone outside with their wands."

Ginny stopped and turned back to her mother, "Mum, is it all right if I invite a boy from school?"

Mrs. Weasley nodded, distractedly, "Yes, dear."

When everyone had retrieved their wands they met Charlie outside in the garden. He was floating a miniature version of the garden area and was zapping decorations onto it. They all gathered around. "I know it looks complicated, but we can do it. Fred and George you can help me create this awning. Ron you do the tables. Harry the lighting. Hermione and Ginny you are in charge of decorations. Okay, everyone, do you understand your assignments? Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads no.

"Let's get busy."

They worked for a solid hour on the transfigurations.

They were just finishing when Mrs. Weasley walked outside. When she saw the garden, she started crying, "Oh, it's beautiful, Charlie. Absolutely perfect. Okay, you have all earned a break. I don't think I'll need any help until late this afternoon."

Mrs. Weasley went to each one and hugged them, "Go have fun."

Ron looked at Harry, "Do you want to go fly?"

"Sure."

Ginny spoke up before they walked away, "I need to borrow your owl, Harry. Is that all right?"

"Go ahead. I'm sure she would love the exercise." Harry replied.

Hermione walked over to Ron, smiling slyly. "So, who is Thomas? And where is he?"

Ron smiled leaning in for a kiss, his eyebrow raised. He knew that look on her face. "He is the newest member of the Order and I don't know."

Ron turned to Harry, who was talking quietly with Charlie. "Come on, let's get our brooms."

He called out to the twins who were heading to their shop, "Do you want to go flying with us?"

Fred shook his head, "We can't. We have an order to finish."

They all headed inside the house and Hermione stopped dead in her tracks. Sitting at the table talking to Mrs. Weasley was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. He looked like a man on the cover of a romance novel her mother was fond of reading. From his blue-black hair to his dark tan.

Thomas looked over at them when they walked in, "Great work out there!" Spying Hermione, he smiled, "You must be Hermione. I've heard a lot about you. I'm Thomas."

Hermione cleared her throat and shot Ginny a smile. "Hello, it's nice to meet you, and I wish I could say the same."

Thomas looked at Hermione, puzzled by her response, and then at the teenagers. "What are your plans this morning?"

Ron spoke up, shooting Hermione an annoyed look, "We're going flying. Do you want to come?"

Thomas, glancing at Ginny, shook his head, "Maybe next time."

Ginny walked past Thomas, ignoring him. "Hermione, come on and help me get that message ready."

"Sure I need to discuss something with you as well." Ginny and Hermione walked upstairs. After some thought they wrote the invitation. Hermione grabbed a book and they headed back downstairs.

Thomas, who was still sitting at the table drinking coffee, looked at them when they walked through the kitchen. Seeing the book in Hermione's hand, he asked her. "Aren't you flying?"

Hermione shook her head, "I'm not that good at flying, so I'll just read."

Thomas stood up, "If you'd like, I can show you what I've been teaching the others about tracking. Unless, you would rather read."

"No, I've read this book before. Learning something new would be lovely."

Thomas looked at Ginny cautiously. "Would you like to go with us?"

Ginny replied, a little frostily, "No, you go ahead and help Hermione catch up. I want to go flying."

Thomas gave her a hard look at her coolness and turned back to Hermione. "Okay, let me go get your book, Hermione, and we'll start."

Hermione and Ginny walked to the Owlery and attached the note to Hedwig's leg. The bird flew off just as Thomas walked outside. Ginny flashed Thomas a smile, "Have fun." She retrieved a broom from the shed, and headed toward the open field.

Thomas watched her walk away frowning. He knew he had upset her last night, but was concerned that he had pushed her away too hard.

Hermione watched him, biting back a smile, "Thomas, are you ready to begin?"

He looked back at Hermione for a second, then back towards the direction in which Ginny was heading. He looked like a man in a major dilemma.

Hermione stood watching him watch Ginny with an amused look on her face.

When he finally looked back at Hermione, he smiled slightly at the look on her face, "Sure. Let's head down to the pond."

They spent the next hour reading tracks. Hermione had to continuously hold back laughter, when Thomas would look up and locate Ginny every few minutes. When he saw them heading back to the house, he looked back at Hermione, "Okay, I'll let you go for now. Take this book and study it while you are on vacation. I'll bring you up-to-date when you come back."

Hermione walked beside Thomas back to the house. "Thomas, do you like Ginny?"

Thomas startled with the question, asked, "Why?"

She stopped to gather her thoughts and looked up at him. "Just so you know, even though we may all seem young, we have experienced more since we've met, than most people do in a lifetime. We've matured fast these past couple of years. If you're concerned that Ginny may be too young for you, think again. It's obvious that you both like each other. Don't run from something that can be magical for you both."

Hermione saw Ron standing on the porch waiting for her, "Ron's waiting for me. I'll talk to you later. Please think about what I've said. Besides the guys, Ginny's my best friend. She has never felt for someone like she does for you."

Ron took the book from Hermione and asked, "How did your lesson go?"

Hermione leaned over and kissed Ron's cheek, "Good. It's nice to learn something completely different and Muggle related. Did Ginny go upstairs?"

"Yeah, she did." Thomas came walking up behind Hermione. "Oh Thomas, Charlie said come find him. He needs to run an errand and wants you to go with him."

"Thank you, I'll go clean up."

Ron reached for Hermione and pulled her close, "Is Ginny okay? Harry said it looked like she had been crying last night before you got here."

"She's fine now. Come on lets go upstairs and study. Have you finished any of your assignments?"

Ron smiled opening the door, "Part of them. I was waiting for you."

"Honestly Ron. I can't hold you hand all the time with your school assignments."

Ron draped his arm over her shoulders. "But I like you holding my hand. And I like studying with you. I can't kiss Harry or snuggle with him like I can you. Even though Harry is having a few issues right now." He kissed her firmly on the mouth as he made his last comment.

Hermione pulled away and looked at Ron puzzled, "Issues? Is something wrong with Harry?"

"He hasn't told me anything, yet. I think he's still trying to figure things out himself. I came across Harry and Charlie in bed together asleep. I talked to Charlie a little while later and he hinted that Harry was going through some stuff."

"You mean, Charlie and Harry are?"

"No, love, they aren't. Charlie's just being supportive. He thinks of Harry as his brother, just like I do. Charlie just has experience in that particular male area that I don't."

"Oh!" She bit down on her bottom lip as she thought about what Ron had said. Carefully she asked, "Are you okay with Harry maybe being gay?"

"Sure, as long as he doesn't hit on me. I like girls." Ron said bending down and kissing Hermione hard again until she moaned.

They went upstairs and found Harry working on his history assignment. The trio sat upstairs working on their assignments for the remainder of the morning.

When they went down to lunch, Harry saw Ginny removing a message from Hedwig. Her eyes dance with mischief as Hermione read the message over her shoulder.

"We will go up after lunch and talk," said Hermione, "You need to find the perfect outfit for tonight."

They quickly fixed sandwiches and ate. Hermione and Ginny walked upstairs laughing and whispering.

Ron and Harry shook their heads and headed to the living room. They found Charlie and Thomas playing Wizard chess. Ron called out, "I play the winner."

Charlie pushed back from the table with a sigh, "I'll concede defeat. Good luck, Ron. He's good."

Harry sat down on the couch and picked up a magazine. Charlie sat down beside him. Ron sat down in Charlie's vacated chair and reset the board. Charlie sat and watched them for a few minutes then poked Harry with his elbow. Harry raised his eyebrow to Charlie and Charlie stood up and headed for the front door. Harry stood up and followed after a minute.

When they were clear of the house, Charlie stopped. "How was Ginny today?"

"Good question. She's been acting a little secretive today, to be honest. Her and Hermione are talking girl code. Why?"

"Just worried about her is all. She was upset last night. Do you think the girls are up to something?" Charlie asked trying not to smile.

"I don't know for sure, but Hermione has been acting sneaky. If what they are plotting has anything at all to do with Thomas, their behaviour isn't a good sign."

"You know, this could be an interesting evening. Let's go around back to see if Mum could use some help."

Charlie and Harry spent the next couple of hours helping Mrs. Weasley and headed upstairs to shower and change.

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

On the night Voldemort appeared at the Ministry over a year ago, Percy finally realized that he was wrong all along. He made peace with his family, however he wouldn't move back into the Burrow. He felt that with everyone, besides him, being involved in the Order, they resented him still working by Fudge's side. When Bill died, he swallowed his pride and moved back into the Burrow so he could be nearer to his family. Even though it had been several months since his death, he still missed the weekly owls that he would get from Bill, just checking in on him. He still slept away from the house, more than he did actually in it, but the Weasley family was finally returning to a bit of normalcy for them.

Before the party, Percy brought Bridget to the Burrow for the first time. Percy explained to his Mum that they had met at work. She was currently working for the Ministry in the Protection of Magical Creatures Department. Molly smiled when she realized that it wasn't actually work that kept Percy away so much at night.

Bridget's face shone when she saw the awning and garden set up when they walked outside. Percy started introducing her to his entire family. She couldn't help starring when she saw all the red-headed Weasley's standing or sitting around the garden.

When she came up to Harry, who was sitting beside Ron, he was startled when he felt his scar tingle. Harry stood up to shake her hand. As soon as he touched her hand, the tingle intensified. However, it wasn't the same feeling that he had when he was connected to Voldemort. Harry covered his discomfort, and smiled.

After they had moved away to the other side of the garden, Harry turned to look at Thomas, "Something about her is off. Where's Charlie?"

They located Charlie in the house. He was helping his mother carry out trays of food. When Charlie placed the trays on the table he turned to look at Harry. Harry noticed Bridget was watching him, so he smiled. "We have a problem."

Charlie looked at Harry, his eyes narrowing, "What's wrong?"

Harry widen his eyes, and laughed. He was trying his best to appear casual, "Not here. Let's separate and meet at the swing on the side of the house. We may have a problem and someone is watching."

Harry walked behind the Owlery and performed the Invisibility Spell. When he stepped out, he noticed Bridget was looking in the direction of the shop. Harry walked the long way around the building, as far from the party as was possible.

Spying Remus, who had just arrived, Harry walked up behind him. Remus hearing footsteps and smelling Harry's scent behind him turned and narrowed his eyes when he didn't see anyone.

Harry spoke softly, "Remus, it's Harry. I'm invisible. Turn back around so no one will notice you talking to yourself. Something's wrong. My scar started tingling when I met Percy fiancé. Can you tell if Severus is here?"

Remus sniffed the air and put his cup to his mouth, "No. But I did smell something strange. A familiar scent. Do the Weasley's have any other werewolf friends that you know of? "

"No, not that I'm aware of. Keep close to the house. If he appears, get him inside. I'm meeting Charlie and Thomas on the other side of the house." Harry looked over Remus' shoulder and saw Percy fiancé pointing to Remus, "Bloody hell, I think they're coming over."

Remus put his cup back up to his lips, "Go, Harry."

Harry went around the front of the house. He was walking down the other side of the house still invisible when something grabbed his arm. "Harry, it's me, Thomas."

Harry sighed his relief.

Charlie appeared in the shadows. "Harry are you here?"

Harry reappeared and looked at Charlie. "Is Severus here yet?" he asked, concerned for Severus safety since his conversation with Remus.

"No. He won't be here until later. What's wrong?"

"There is something about Percy's fiancé that's off. When she walked up to me, my scar started tingling. When I touched her hand, it got worse. Remus is here, and I let him know something is wrong. But Percy and Bridget were walking toward him and I had to get away. He said he smelled a werewolf."

Thomas, who was still invisible, walked over to the edge of the house and located the couple. He walked back over, "They have moved away from the person that I assume is Remus and are walking around. But if you are watching her, you can tell she is scanning the crowd and sniffing the air. Could she be the werewolf?"

"I don't know. But I don't like what I'm hearing. I'll go to Sev and let him know what's going on. Thomas, you stick close to Harry until I get back. If someone looks for me, stall. I'll be back soon."

Thomas reappeared and they walked back to the party. Harry made his way to the food table talking casually as he could to Thomas.

Remus, realizing where Harry was heading, made his way there also. Harry introduced the two men. Remus looked at Harry, frowning, "Harry, Percy's fiancé is the werewolf, I'm afraid."

Thomas nodded, and spoke softly, "I was guessing she was by the way she's acting. Does she know you're one?"

"From her reaction when she met me, she does now. It seems that Voldemort didn't tell her about me. I must be of little threat to him. Pity."

Harry, who was standing on the other side of the table watching the couple saw them approaching. "Thomas, I think you need to vanish for a minute. I'll be okay with Remus. The less she knows about you the better." Thomas nodded and went inside the house.

Percy smiled at Harry, "Harry, where have you been? We saw you walk over to the owlery, and then didn't see you come back."

"Well, you obviously haven't had your eyes open or off you fiancé tonight, because I've been around."

Percy laughed and kissed Bridget's forehead, "True. True. Where did Thomas go? Bridget wanted to talk to him about his background."

"I think he went inside for something. If you'll excuse us, Hermione wanted to run something pass Professor Lupin."

Harry and Remus walked over the where Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and a boy Harry recognize from Hogwarts, were sitting.

Hermione jumped up when she saw Remus, "Professor Lupin, you look great!" she said giving the man a hug. "Ron just told me you were coming back to Hogwarts to be our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor again. That's terrific."

She looked at Harry, and noted he was standing rigidly to the side, scowling as he watched the people walking around the party. "Harry, is something wrong?"

"Maybe. I'm not sure yet. Just stay alert." he said, briskly.

Remus spoke softly, "Don't react, but Bridget is a werewolf."

Ron jumped up to Hermione's side, "Bloody hell, Remus. You've got to be wrong!" he said, watching Bridget with new interest.

Placing a hand on Ron's arm to restrain him, Remus continued, "And the Order is fairly certain that the majority of the Werewolves are siding with Voldemort. That is the reason the Ministry has pushed for all Werewolves to register. Charlie and Thomas are coming over. Maybe they have an update."

Charlie and Thomas walked toward the teenagers. Thomas' stride faltered just a bit, when he saw the boy's arm around Ginny's shoulders.

Looking back toward the house, Harry asked, "Did you find your friend?"

Charlie nodded shaking Remus' hand, "Yes. He's upstairs. He wants to see you."

"Okay. I'll go find him."

Harry made his way towards the house and went inside. He walked upstairs and noticed Charlie's bedroom door was open. He poked his head in. "Severus?"

"I'm over here by the window. Come in and close the door."

Harry walked in and closed the door. He threw up a Locking and Silencing Charm and sat down on the bed. "Is that woman familiar to you?"

"Yes, I have seen her at meetings." he replied, reversing the Invisibility Spell.

"Bloody hell, I thought they were going to be leaving me alone. So, is she an unregistered werewolf?"

"Perhaps. Harry, if you recall I told you I thought Voldemort was up to something. I have notified Dumbledore. He should be here soon. Do you have your wand?"

"Yes." Harry's anger was rising with each second as he looked out the window below.

"Good. If this gets ugly do you think you can handle it? Percy is going to be furious."

"For the protection of the Order, and your personal safety, of course I can. What do you want me to do?"

Severus sighed, sitting on the bed, "Keep your distance from her and stay close to as many of the member's of the Order as you can. Molly and Arthur especially. The protection wards on you are stronger when you're close to them."

Harry nodded getting up from the bed, "Okay, I'll get back down there."

Severus touched his arm, "Be careful, Harry. If she's made an Oath of Loyalty to Voldemort, she's a dangerous woman. She's more of a threat than a Death Eater, since the Werewolf's blood can make her vicious when cornered."

Harry nodded, "I understand. I won't take any chances. But, I won't allow her to hurt this family either."

Harry went back downstairs and went into the kitchen. He saw Mrs. Weasley working in the kitchen and went outside. Seeing Mr. Weasley talking to Remus and Thomas and he walked over toward them.

A minute later Harry saw Dumbledore come out of the house, his hand on Mrs. Weasley's elbow. Her face was red with suppressed anger.

Harry stepped to the side of Mr. Weasley. Remus stepped to Harry's left, blocking Harry from being in sight of Bridget.

Mr. Weasley looked confused, until he saw Dumbledore standing at the edge of the party. "Oh, there's Dumbledore. I'm so glad he made it."

Before he could ask what was going on, Dumbledore's voice rose above the crowd.

Dumbledore's powerful voice shook with rage, "It appears that we have an unregistered Werewolf in our midst. That person has tried to penetrate this family, but you, my dear, have failed."

Tonks and another Auror Harry had never seen before appeared in front of Percy and Bridget. The man reached out to grasp Bridget's hand and she snarled.

Percy looked at his brother, who was trying to pull him away, then at Bridget completely confused. When he looked back towards Dumbledore, he was walking towards him.

Percy, shaking his head, spoke to Dumbledore, "Professor Dumbledore you must be mistaken. Bridget works at the Ministry with me." he said, looking back at Bridget.

Looking at Percy, her features contoured to a more wolf-like appearance, Bridget laughed harshly, "You're such a fool. All of you are. There is no stopping the Dark Lord. He'll destroy you all." She twisted away from the Auror and pulled out her wand. She looked in Harry's direction and aimed. Before she could issue out a curse, Tonks hexed her and sent her sailing across the yard.

Percy went to his knees in shock. Charlie gathered the trembling man to him. "Percy are you okay? Come on get up. Let me get you inside." Charlie pulled his shaking brother up and walked him quickly into the house.

Harry turned to Remus and Mr. Weasley, who were still holding onto Harry in shock. "You can let go now. She won't be causing any more trouble." He smiled slightly, still a little shaken himself from the confrontation.

Harry jerked his head toward the house, as Percy was being lead inside. "Go check on Percy, Mr. Weasley. And take Mrs. Weasley in with you. He needs you both right now."

Harry walked over to Dumbledore, who was talking quietly with Thomas. "Professor Dumbledore?"

Dumbledore turned and smiled, "Ah, Harry. You've saved the day again. I was told your scar bothered you when you met her, is that right?"

"Yes, sir, it tingled," he replied, still puzzled by his scar tingling.

"She was probably under Voldemort's Imperious Curse. He mustn't realize you can sense his influence on other people." Dumbledore said looking around. "It appears that the party is breaking up. Let's go inside and check on young Percy."

Harry followed behind Dumbledore as he entered the house. He stopped at the door of the living room, his heart breaking seeing Percy crying on the couch.

Dumbledore walked over and sat down beside the sobbing man. "Percy, look at me." Dumbledore spoke softly. Percy wiped his eyes and look at his former Headmaster. "This is by no means your fault. As you can see Harry is fine, and so is the rest of your family. Voldemort is an evil person and used Bridget to bring your guard down. You only saw what they wanted you to see. She explained her weakness as an illness. Correct?"

Percy nodded in response. He cleared his throat. "Now that I think back, she was always away around the full moon on Ministry business. When she would come back into work, I thought she was just tired from traveling. I never made the connection."

Dumbledore continued, "You had no way of knowing she was lying. She worked, and had been checked out by the Ministry. She hid her alliance well. Only Voldemort's taint on her triggered Harry's scar. This, I believe, is our new secret weapon for defeating him. We can catch his spies one by one. Join the Order, Percy, and take your brother, Bill's, place. You are needed in the final Battle."

Percy took a deep breath and nodded slightly. He realized that he was finally forgiven by everyone for not believing them when they said Voldemort had returned. "Okay, Professor Dumbledore. I'll be honored to take Bill's place, if you want me."

Harry quietly turned and walked upstairs to Charlie's room. He knocked on the door. "It's Harry." The door opened and Harry walked inside.

Severus looked at Harry, "Is everyone all right?"

Harry nodded, "Dumbledore is talking to Percy. Tonks and the other Auror have taken Bridget away."

Harry looked up at Severus, his eyes filling with unshed tears. He was slightly ashamed that he was crying in front of the one man who, until recently, he had never seen show any signs of emotion himself. "I can't stand watching the Weasley's hurt like this because of me. I need to get away and regroup. Is there anywhere I can go where I can be alone and safe?"

Severus looked down on the young man and knew he was finally at a mental breaking point. He had spoken to Albus at length about Harry's mental status. He knew from personal experience that the way Harry had been holding everything in since Sirius death, and the loss of the Dursleys' and Bill, that he was going to erupt in one of two ways. He was either going to have a complete break-down, which is thankfully what he appeared to be doing, or he was going to go on a rampage and possibly confront Voldemort before he was ready. "There is only one place you'll be safe. It has been sitting waiting on your return for years. Go up and pack a light bag. I'll take you after our meeting."

After Harry had left to pack his bag, Severus went down to speak quietly to Albus.

Albus nodded his head and looked at Arthur who was standing quietly at the window. "Arthur, I think you know what needs to be done."

"Of course, Albus. We've all been concerned when or if it would come. At least having him breakdown now will enable him to recover and be able to participate whenever it's time for the Battle. Severus, take him away, just don't say you're taking him until the end of the meeting. I'll deal with the family afterwards."

Severus nodded, "Wise move. Molly won't be happy with me taking him away. Especially, if she knows just how upset he is right now."

Harry packed his bag quickly and took it downstairs. All the guests had left and the member's of the Order were gathering in the living room.

Severus walked to Harry's side, and gently squeezed Harry's arm.

Charlie, who had been secretly watching Severus from across the room, realized that something was going on between them.

Before he could get across the room, Dumbledore, seeing that Charlie was heading towards Harry and Severus, quickly called the meeting to order, forcing Charlie to stay where he was. He introduced the newest members, Percy and Thomas.

Remus gave a quick update on his response to the chant and his revived health.

Thomas informed the group on the new charms and spells he wanted to teach the Order.

Dumbledore eyes rested on Harry. "I've been curious to see if something would come about, and it has. Voldemort is leaving his evil touch on his associates and Harry is now able to sense it. Due to the blood that was removed from Harry when Voldemort's power was restored. Not only can Harry sense his thoughts, but anyone who has pledged loyalty to him or is under his influence can also be sensed by Harry. Harry's powers and knowledge are growing and the final Battle I feel isn't far away. The younger members need to be aware of what could happen. They have read the history and have heard the stories. Until school starts we need to take turns testing and challenging each of them. I don't want them in harms way if they are not ready."

Severus spoke up, "Harry needs to get away for a couple of days. I'm going to take him to an undisclosed location to rest. I'm telling you all this, so you will not object and give Harry the time he needs. Good night."

Severus walked out of the room with Harry following. "Severus, where are we going?" he asked, when they walked outside.

Severus turned and looked at him. His eyes were unnaturally soft when his met Harry's. "It is time you finally went home."

Severus looked back towards the house and saw Charlie coming out the door. He knew that he was also concerned about Harry, as Severus had shared his concerns about how Harry had appeared to be holding more back during his sixth year at school. And when the Dursleys' were killed instead of being mad, yelling, or crying he just got quiet. He wouldn't talk to anyone about his feelings regarding their deaths, and when directly asked, he would quickly either change the subject or walk away if he could. He pulled both mentally and physically away from Hermione, Ron, and Ginny. He switched beds with another roommate so that his bed would be as far from Ron's as possible. He wouldn't sit with any of them during classes or during meals. The only time Harry would even appear to come back to life was when he was on the pitch. Even when it meant that Slytherin had lost their match to Gryffindor, Severus couldn't be upset, not when Harry's face temporally shone.

He only started to show signs of coming back to his normal resilience after the Weasley's had offered their home for him to come live. At first Harry had yelled and raged to Albus when he was approached. He was certain that they were only asking him to come live with them, because as the family of his closest friend, it was expected. He finally confessed that he was afraid that they blamed him for Bill's death. It was only after Harry had met with the Weasley's in a locked room that they were finally able to convince him that they knew all the risks and the family as a whole wanted him with them. It had taken Mrs. Weasley tearful confession, that she not only didn't blame Harry for Bill's death, but that she couldn't stand to lose another member of her family if he refused their request, that finally had Harry relenting and moving in.

He tried to smile reassuringly at Charlie, "I'm taking Harry to Potter Manor. We've prepared the house for just this very thing when we reactivated the Order. We have made sure the outside still looks the same as it did after the attack. Remember, no contact until he's ready to come home. The Manor also has the same protection wards in place as Hogwarts. So, he'll be safe."

Charlie nodded, "Take care, Harry."

Severus walked behind Harry, wrapped his arm tightly around