Harry's Search For Love

Chapter 5

Fading back to Harry's departure from the Burrow after the meeting of the Order...

Severus and Harry arrived at what could only be described as a massive pile of rocks, wood, and clay shingles.

Severus tugged opened the battered door and indicated for Harry to go in. "Welcome home, Harry."

Harry turned to Severus. "Where are we?" He was reluctant to enter such an obviously dangerous building.

Severus smiled slightly, knowing his next words would possibly make Harry explode with anger. "The last place any one will look for you, Potter Manor."

Harry took one look at his surroundings and glared at Severus. "Are you mad? This place is destroyed. How in the bloody hell can I stay here?"

Severus sighed. "Go inside and see for yourself. Appearances are deceptive."

Harry gave him his darkest scowl and stepped inside the door. The scowl quickly disappeared as he gasped in shock. Where the outside of the house was in shambles, the inside showed absolutely no signs of damage.

He turned to look back at Severus. "How?"

"Enchantments. The same enchantments we use on Muggles. Except these are stronger so they can even confuse wizards. Anyone coming near this house will see the same thing you did on the outside. The wards were lifted before we came so we could get in. When I leave, the outside wards will be put back into place so no one will come into the house."

"Isn't Voldemort watching this place?"

"No. Everyone knows this place was destroyed. He has asked if you ever came here, and I've informed him that Professor Dumbledore absolutely refuses to allow you near this house. And that you've never given any indication that you've even wanted to come here."

Before Harry could ask any other questions, Dobby appeared. "Welcome home, sir. The master bedroom is ready for your use."

Surprised, Harry looked down at Dobby. "What are you doing here, Dobby?"

"Professor Snape requested I come stay with you," he replied, with a bow.

Harry shook his head. "Professor Dumbledore will miss you at school. You should go back. I'll be okay by myself."

Dumbledore spoke from the front door. "Harry, it's his greatest desire to work for you. He'll take care of you, while giving you the space you need. You do have a few other house-elves that are working at Hogwarts. When you were sent to live with the Dursleys, I took them to the school until you could take over your family home. Take as much time as you need. This house is as protected as Hogwarts. We'll leave you alone. Hedwig is up in your room. You can use her to let me know when you're ready to leave. Just don't leave the house."

Harry looked at Dumbledore. "Why did you think this is what I needed?"

Dumbledore squeezed Harry's shoulder, his normally twinkling eyes, dim. "My boy, you should have broken down years ago. But you proved over and over how strong you really are. The fact that Voldemort was able to attack the only family that you've ever known since your parents, had to shake you. But understand this, he was able to send someone into the Ministry and get close to Percy. But, I believe he's unaware you can detect when a person has a bond with him. He can't get past your scar.

"Harry, now you can protect your loved ones. The risk will always be there, but you'll at least have a warning about someone's true intentions."

Seeing the obvious strain showing on Harry's face, he pushed him towards the steps. "Go, get some rest. I'll see you in a couple of days." Dumbledore turned and walked back through the front door.

Severus smiled reassuringly at Harry and shut the door. Immediately Harry felt a powerful magical surge as the wards came up and he knew they were gone.

Harry turned to Dobby. "Okay, Dobby, where's my bedroom?"

Dobby led Harry up a flight of stairs and turned right. At the end of the hall they came to a set of double doors. Dobby opened both doors and stepped aside to let Harry enter. As Harry slowly followed him up the stairs and down the hallway, he noticed that cobwebs and dust were trying to take over the house.

Harry walked into the room and was frustrated because he couldn't remember anything about the house. Harry turned back to Dobby, who was still standing by the doors. "What do you know about this house?"

Dobby trembled slightly. "Not much, sir. Just that you lived here with your parents."

"I don't understand; I was told the entire house was destroyed."

Dobby nodded. "It was, sir. Professor Dumbledore has been working for years restoring this house for Harry Potter."

"Where did the furniture come from?"

"It's yours, Harry Potter. The structure of the house was damaged during you know who's attack, however most of the furniture survived. This particular house has been in Harry Potter's family for over two hundred years. There's a portrait gallery downstairs I can show you if you like," Dobby offered, eager to please Harry with any task needed.

Harry shook his head. "Thanks, Dobby, but not tonight. I'm knackered to be honest, and I just want to sleep. I'll explore tomorrow. Thank you for being here. I assume my house-elves don't know I'm back here?"

Dobby shook his head. "No, sir, Professor Dumbledore kept you coming here a secret."

Harry sighed. "Okay, Dobby. I'll see you in the morning."

Dobby bowed. "Good night, sir. Dobby will bring Harry Potter's breakfast to him when he wakes up in the morning," he said, pulling the doors shut behind him as he stepped out of the room.

Harry dropped his bag by the bed. He noticed a picture of an older man watching him as he came closer. "Who are you, and what are you doing in the Potter house?" the man asked gruffly.

"I'm Harry," Harry quietly responded.

The man's eyes opened wide. "James' son?"

Harry nodded unable to speak.

"Praise be, you've finally come home. I'm your great grandfather, Waldo Potter. I haven't seen you since you were a baby. Welcome home, Son."

Unable to respond, Harry nodded and turned away. Just hearing those words felt like a knife in his heart. He had never felt so alone. Slowly he walked toward a wardrobe near the bed, opened the doors and saw a variety of robes still hanging there. A musty smell tickled his nose as he ran his hand through them.

"Blimey, they left the clothes!" he whispered to himself.

He saw a pale green robe and pulled it out and a faint feminine fragrance tickled his nose. Harry's heart twisted tighter with sorrow when he realized that this was his mother's robe. He held the robe in his arms for a few minutes letting the faint smell of his mother's perfume wash over him.

Placing the robe back he noticed a box hiding in the back. He pulled it out, sat down on the bed and slowly removed the lid. Inside were letters, pressed flowers, and pictures of his parents. When he had been through each item in the box, he put everything back. Lying down on the bed, the reality of what he had lost overwhelmed him, and he cried himself to sleep holding the box tightly.

While Harry slept, the pictures filled with the faces of his ancestors watched over the sleeping young man. All quietly concurred that this was actually James and Lily's only child. They all speculated on where he had been all this time and what had finally brought Harry back home in such a broken state.

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Harry woke the next morning, his eyes still slightly swollen from crying the night before. He opened a door that he hadn't investigated and discovered a bathroom. Making use of the facilities, he took a long shower.

He walked back into the bedroom and discovered breakfast sitting on a table by the fire. Unwilling to hurt Dobby's feelings, he picked at his breakfast for a while, eating very little. He opened Hedwig's cage and gave her several choice pieces of sausage and bacon. The entire time he sat at the table, his eyes kept wandering to the wardrobe drawers.

Unable to resist, he stood up and opened the drawers. He discovered more clothes and a box wrapped in a pair of men's socks. After unwrapping the box from the pair of socks, Harry noticed it was wrapped in a delicate paper. There was a faded note attached to the box; written in a masculine hand. To my wife, Lily, my one true love. Happy Anniversary! James. He touched the words with his fingers. He gently unwrapped the box, taking care not to tear the fragile paper. Inside was a beautiful emerald ring. Removing the ring from the box he tried it on. It fit perfectly on his pinky. Going through the remaining drawers quickly, he discovered nothing but clothes.

He turned and saw a make-up table strategically placed to catch the morning light. Smiling slightly, he noticed the obviously feminine products lying on top. Opening one of the drawers, he discovered a jewelry box and pulled it out. He opened it and gasped with surprise at the rainbow of gems.

"Bloody hell," he exclaimed, rifling through the stones. He placed the chest back inside the drawer, wishing he had a better place to hide the jewels. Being raised by Muggles, something this valuable out in the open made him nervous.

After exploring the room entirely, he turned to see his great grandfather watching him. "Oh, hi. Good morning, sir." Harry blushed, embarrassed that he had been caught snooping.

Waldo chuckled softly, "You have nothing to be embarrassed about, Harry. Explore the entire house. If there are any secrets in a room, we'll be happy to reveal them to you. You are, after all, the Master of the Manor now, and as such, are entitled to know all about this house which is your home."

"I do have a question for you, sir. Did my parents have an enchanted painting of themselves?" he asked, hopefully.

Grandfather Waldo looked down on Harry sadly. "No, there wasn't time. I'm sorry, Harry."

"It's okay, I was just wondering."

Harry stepped out of the room back into the hall. He noticed that the cobwebs were now gone off the banisters. Turning to his right, he started opening each door and looking into the rooms.

When he came back into the massive hall, he opened the remaining door beside the master bedroom. He pushed the door wide open and stood in the doorframe. Inside this room was a nursery.

Repressed memories flashed through his mind. He saw vividly the last moments of his mother's life as she tried to protect him.

No, he's a child, Lily said, blocking the men from entering the room.

Out of the way, Mudblood. Voldemort snarled, hitting her with a hex that sent her sailing across the room.

Voldemort sneered down at a distraught baby Harry. So, here's the one that can destroy me. I'm not impressed.

Avada K.....

Screaming, Lily climbed to her feet and before Voldemort finished the curse she stepped between him and the crib, taking the blow of the killing curse. As Lily took her final breath, a pale yellow current escaped from her body and entered Harry's chest.

Voldemort looked down at her. Stupid girl. Not seeing the current, he looked back at the now terrified baby Harry. Well, Harry Potter, you have no one to protect you now. Such a pity.

Avada Kedavra

Harry screamed and collapsed onto the floor holding his head and crying. He sat in the same position for what seemed like an eternity as he relived those final moments in his mind.

"Why in the bloody hell did Dumbledore and Severus think me being here now was what I needed? This place is going to make me insane. I can't handle any more memories."

Finally he stood up and walked out of the room leaving the door open behind him and headed downstairs.

He turned towards the right and opened the double doors. Inside was a library. He walked through the dusty room and stopped at a large mahogany desk. Sitting down, he tried to pull the drawer opened and discovered it was locked. Withdrawing his wand he tapped the drawer. "Alohomora," he muttered.

Hearing a cackle from behind him, he whipped around and saw a painting of an elderly witch sitting by a fountain. "Harry, dear, that won't work. The password for the desk is Prongs. Your father had a thing for deer, I believe."

"Who are you?"

"Me?" asked the witch, surprised. "Well, I'm not a Potter. Your Mum discovered me at an estate sale just after your parents got married, and bought me. She said I added just the touch of elegance to the room. Go ahead and try the correct password. It'll work, I promise."

Harry raised his eyebrow at the painting and turned back to the desk. "Prongs," he said, firmly tapping the wand to the drawer. It popped open immediately. Turning back to the painting, he smiled slightly. "Thank you, Ma'am."

"My pleasure," she replied, nodding her head slightly.

Harry went through all the drawers, slowly fingering through the paperwork he found. Carefully, he pulled out what he thought could be important documents and laid them neatly in a pile. Much to his delight, he came across his certificates of birth. He pulled that file out also and stacked it with the other paperwork.

After he had gone through the entire desk, he stood up and walked along the wall of books, scanning the titles that were within eye level. Lying on the top of other books, he discovered an old leather book and realized with a twinge it was his family linage. He opened the fragile book and started reading all the names listed.

He noticed that James had a great aunt listed, but no spouse. Underneath her name was just one dependant. He sat there for a moment, stunned.

"The bastard. All this time, he's been lying to everyone. I can't believe he let me live with those people." With each word coming out of Harry's mouth, his voice roared louder with rage.

Waldo appeared inside a painting of a country scene. "Harry, what's wrong? I heard you yelling from upstairs."

"Grandfather, this is the Potter Family Linage, correct?"

"Yes, Harry it is."

"You had a sister?"

Harry noticed a flicker of sadness come across his face. "Yes, I did. We were estranged and she passed away before I did."

"And she had a son?"

"Yes, but to my knowledge he never knew about us."

"Are you sure?" Harry's heart skipped a beat as he waited for the answer.

"Yes. But, Harry, please don't try to find him. I'm afraid he's into the Dark Arts, just like his father. Your life would be in danger if he was to find out your connection with him."

"Then he doesn't know," he muttered.

"What Harry?"

"Nothing, Grandfather. Thanks for telling me."

Harry's mind was racing. If he doesn't know, then he's been lied to also. What I don't understand is Dumbledore knows everyone. Why didn't he know of the connection? He said himself ,when the paperwork was filed at the Ministry, that I had no living relatives.

He sat back down with the book and kept reading. Towards the end of the family tree, he noticed a name change. The last name listed was Gryffindor. Touching the name with his fingers, he spoke out loud. "Could I be a descendent of Godric Gryffindor?" Excited at the discovery, he spent several hours looking for other books that had family history listed but was unable to find anything concerning Gryffindor.

When the library door opened with a knock, he jumped. He had completely forgotten he wasn't alone in the house. Dobby stood at the door, nervously waiting for Harry to speak. Harry smiled. "Hello, Dobby. I'd forgotten you were here with me. I noticed you've been cleaning. Thank you."

Dobby bowed low, his nose touching the floor, and sneezed. "I was told to give Harry Potter plenty of space. But, this house has been neglected for a while, so it's Dobby's pleasure to start cleaning it for Harry Potter. Dobby noticed you didn't eat a this morning. Would Harry Potter like some lunch?"

Harry sighed and stood up from the couch. "When Voldemort is destroyed, I can come home. But until then, do what you can while we're here. I'll send the other house-elves home after the final Battle, if I survive. And now that you mention it, I'm famished. Lead me to the kitchen. You probably have it cleaner than the dining room. And I haven't found that yet."

Harry walked down the hall and looked at the paintings of his ancestors who were waving at him as he passed. He stopped at the kitchen door and stared at the amount of food in the room. "Um... Dobby where did all this food come from?"

"Professor Dumbledore instructed me to take food from Hogwarts. Is it not enough?" he asked, starting to shake.

Harry laughed. "Not enough! Dobby, it's too much food. I hope you eat more than I think. Otherwise we're going to waste some food."

Dobby shook his head. "A house-elf will not eat the food that is for his master."

Harry looked at Dobby in disbelief. "Then what do you eat?"

Dobby looked puzzled at Harry's question. "Scraps, sir."

"Off people's plates?" he asked, trying hard not to show his disgust.

"Yes, sir, that's standard eating for house-elves," answered Dobby, confused over Harry's response. "Is something wrong, sir?"

Harry voice rose a little. "Is something wrong?" Harry took a deep breath to calm down. "Hermione would love this," he murmured. He cleared his throat to give himself time to gather his thoughts. "Dobby, if you eat after someone, and they're sick, you could get sick."

Dobby shook his head. "House-elves never incurs a wizard illness."

Harry sighed, realizing this argument wasn't going anywhere. "Okay, Dobby, but from now on you, and any other house-elf working at Potter Manor, are to eat fresh food. Not scraps. Do you understand? I'll get a dog or pigs to eat the scraps. But, house-elves aren't to have scraps from anyone's plates. Understand?"

Dobby bowed, his large eyes filling with tears. "As you wish, sir. You're too kind to someone of my station. No one has ever treated me with such generosity."

Harry smiled. "Well, Dobby, we're friends. And friends take care of each other. Okay, let's eat."

Dobby fixed Harry a massive sandwich and sat the sandwich down on the table in front of Harry.

Harry watched as Dobby reluctantly fixed himself a small sandwich. When Dobby turned to sit on the fireplace hearth, Harry watched, puzzled. "Dobby, you can sit with me and eat."

Dobby looked at him in shock. "No sir, a house-elf is forbidden to eat at the same table as a wizard."

Harry shook his head and started eating, his appetite suddenly gone. He realized he had a lot to learn about running a household of this size and no one to guide him.

After he had finished eating, he headed back upstairs to the nursery. He hesitated at the doorway, but when he was satisfied no flash backs were coming, he walked into the room. Walking to a bureau, he opened every drawer. He left anything that could be used again in the drawers and started throwing out items that were ruined into the hallway. With each item he found that was ruined, his temper rose. Soon he was tearing the clothes before he threw them out. Harry spun around and looked up at the ceiling. He could still see the damage the deflected curse had done. It appeared that Dumbledore had not finished repairing this room.

"Why me, Voldemort? Why did you pick me? What was it about me that drew you? I was a baby, damn it. You had nothing to fear from me." Harry's voice rose as he finally raged his anger. The questions that had been plaguing his mind since he found out the truth about his parents and himself were finally vocalized.

He turned and noticed a blanket covering something in the corner. When he picked it up, he stood still. All his anger dissolved as he stared at a wooden chest about the same size as his school trunk, which had his named burned into it. He knelt down and slowly opened it and inside were obviously heirloom toys. He noticed a velvet pouch and picked it up. Inside was a tarnished infant spoon set and cup of silver with an engraved P.

He sat down on the floor and slowly pulled out each toy. Time passed as he reverently admired the craftsmanship and played with each toy.

Dobby gently touched Harry's shoulder. "Are you okay, sir? Your eyes are leaking."

Harry smiled slightly at Dobby. "I'm okay, Dobby. This is just a little overwhelming. I never thought I would have anything from my childhood, my parents, or my family. Now I have it all, but I still don't have anyone to share it with."

Harry stood up, and mentally shook himself to bring his mood back up. He looked around the destroyed room. "Dobby, I'm sorry about the mess I made. I'll clean it up."

Dobby shook his head at Harry. "No, sir, I'll take care of it. You've been up here for quite a while. Why don't you go downstairs and I'll clean this up. When I'm finished I'll fix you something light for dinner."

"Thank you, Dobby. I think I will."

He walked around through the lower level. He located a formal living room, dining room, sunroom, and a small room off to the side of the dining room that could be used for a study. He saw a book lying on one of the couches and walked over and picked it up. Wizard Laws. How an Idea Becomes Law. He smiled to himself. "Well thanks, Dad, I guess I'll pick up where you left off."

As he sat down, his scar flared. "What the bloody hell is Voldemort's problem now?" he muttered. His mind quickly went to Severus and Charlie. He thought about sending Hedwig to them, but realized that by the time she got to them, it would be too late. He quickly practiced Occlumency and when he was certain his link with Voldemort was closed, he opened the book.

Dobby came in a while later carrying a tray with food. Harry pulled out his wand and moved a table towards the couch he was sitting on. Dobby put the tray down on the table and quietly left the room. Harry continued to read as he ate. When he looked up hours later, it was after one.

Charming the tray to float beside him, he walked back to the kitchen. He saw Dobby asleep on the floor, a tea towel being used for a pillow. Sitting the tray down, he plucked up some choice treats for Hedwig. Noticing Dobby stirring, he spoke softly. "Dobby, go to bed. These dishes can wait until the morning."

Dobby blinked sleepily at Harry. "But house-elves don't use beds, sir."

"You don't use beds? But where do you sleep?"

Dobby stood up and magiced the tray to the sink. "Either we sleep by the fireplace or we use the pantry, if permitted."

Harry shook his head and opened a door beside the fireplace. He saw stairs leading down. "Where does this go?" he asked Dobby, trying to see in the dark.

Dobby shook his head, yawning. "Nowhere, sir, except to a storage room for furniture."

Harry pulled his wand out. "Lumos." He walked down the stairs about half way. In the room he noticed a variety of furniture, some broken and all dust covered. Smiling to himself, he turned and walked back upstairs. "Okay, Dobby, you can sleep downstairs on the available furniture. Just go get a couple of sheets from a linen closet to protect you from the dust."

Dobby, who had just finished the dishes, turned, shaking his head. "But, sir, house-elves sleep on the floor. We've slept on the floor for centuries."

"Dobby, again this is my house and my rules. No sleeping on the floor. When I come home, I'll clean out the broken furniture and have bunk beds installed. I won't allow you to be treated worse than a dog," he said, firmly.

Dobby bowed. "As you wish, sir. But, I can assure you, the house-elves are going be upset when they come back."

Harry laughed harshly as he thought about how little he knew about running a wizard house and headed towards the door. "I'm sure they are, but I have my reasons. Good night, Dobby."

Harry walked out of the kitchen and made his way past the sleeping paintings and up the stairs to his room. He gave Hedwig her treat, talking softly to the sulking bird. Yawning, he stripped off all his clothes and climbed into the bed.

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Harry slept until late the next morning. When he woke up, he realized that mentally, he was feeling better. The depression he had felt yesterday was gone or at least not as bad as it had been before. He thought of the Weasleys and fresh guilt came over him as he thought about what they had lost because of him. Then he remembered what Dumbledore said about being able to protect them now. No matter what, they won't suffer anymore because of me if I can prevent it, he thought to himself. He smiled when he remember what had happened before he left. I stopped her. He felt better when he finally accepted that the scar he despised and tried to hide was now such an important asset to him.

Speaking softly to himself, Harry said, "Well Voldemort, you screwed the pooch again, didn't you mate? I will destroy you. You won't hurt anyone else as long as I can prevent it." He realized he should probably send Hedwig to Dumbledore to let him know he was okay. However, he just couldn't make himself do it. After not knowing for so long about this house, he didn't want to leave just yet. He smiled, figuring Dumbledore would understand, got up, walked into the bathroom and showered. When he walked back into the bedroom he saw that Dobby had delivered breakfast. He released Hedwig from her cage and shared his breakfast with her. After they were both full, Harry returned Hedwig to her cage. She protested with a nip on his finger and turned her back to him to sulk again.

Harry picked up the tray, carried it downstairs to the kitchen, and put the tray down near the sink where Dobby was working. He walked around to the other side and reached for the drying towel.

Dobby squeaked, "Harry Potter, what are you doing? This is house-elves work. Please, sir, put the towel down."

Harry laughed and put the towel back. "Sorry, Dobby, I was only trying to help."

Dobby shook his head. "Sir, I understand, and thank you for even wanting to, but this is house-elves work. The others will not tolerate their Master assisting them in their work. You must not do such things."

Harry held up his hands. "Okay, Dobby, I'll be in the room where I ate last night. Please come and find me when you're finished in here."

Harry walked back into the room and picked up the discarded book from last night. A couple of minutes later Harry heard a knock on the door. Grabbing some parchment he had located in a drawer, he stood up. "Dobby, have you had a chance to look around the kitchen?"

Dobby nodded, a puzzled look on his face. "Yes, sir, why do you ask?"

Harry looked down at Dobby. "Well, you worked for the Malfoys' for years before I got you freed, correct?"

Dobby nodded in answer.

"Well, I need your expertise. I have only been in two wizarding houses, Sirius Black, my godfather, and the Weasleys. Sirius' house-elf was a disgrace to your kind and Mrs. Weasley won't allow one in her house. I need you to tell me if something is needed in the kitchen. From what I've discovered so far, I don't need anything except maybe new curtains and some furniture repaired or replaced."

They spent the remainder of the day going through cabinets. Harry wrote down anything that Dobby noticed was missing, or was broken and couldn't be repaired. They made a pile of the items to be discarded in the corner. Just as the sun was setting, they finished going through the final cabinet.

Harry sighed his disgust, as he reviewed his long list. "Okay, Dobby, that's enough for the day. Let's just have something for dinner and call it a night."

Harry sat at the table and watched while Dobby put together dinner. Dobby turned to look at Harry. "Would you like to eat in the study where you'll be more comfortable, sir?"

Harry shook his head. "I'll break protocol again, and eat in here. When I move in permanently, I'll eat in the proper place. Just set me a place right here for tonight. There's no need for you to do any extra work just for me."

After eating, Harry went upstairs and took Hedwig out of her cage. Even though he knew he could stay longer, the realization that he should be at the Burrow training was strong and quickly overcame his desire to stay. He fed her and let her stretch her wings while he wrote a note to Professor Dumbledore. He gave her the note and walked to a window. "Alohomora."

Harry petted Hedwig. "I'm sorry you've been caged up while we were here. Please take this note to Professor Dumbledore and then go back to the Weasleys. I'll meet you there."

Harry released the bird and watched as she soared above the trees. He closed the window and turned to survey the room. Looking at his bag, he realized that it wasn't big enough to carry all the paperwork he wanted to take for Mr. Weasley to look over. Turning, he opened a door and looked to see if he could find another bag. Not finding anything, he turned to his great grandfather, who was sleeping in his picture. "Grandfather, I'm sorry to wake you, but I have a question."

Harry's great grandfather snorted, and opened his eyes. "What's your question, Harry?"

"You said earlier that if I needed to find anything, just ask. Do you know if there is another bag I can use to take some papers and books with me? I'll need to leave in the morning to finish my training."

"No, son, but I'll ask the others."

Harry's great grandfather stood up, and left the picture. A few minutes later, he came back in with a smiling witch, her hair up in curlers. "Hello, Harry, love. Uncle Waldo said you were looking for a bag. Go to the green bedroom and check under the bed. I believe there's one there."

Harry walked out of the room and opened doors until he located the green bedroom. The witch was removing her curlers when he walked in. "Is this the room?"

She pointed toward the bed. "Yes, love, look towards the wall."

He bent down and looked under the bed. Not able to see, he pulled his wand out. "Lumos." Spotting the bag, he pulled it out. "Thanks," he said, smiling at the painting.

He went downstairs, back into the library and retrieved the papers he had stacked on the desk, sticking them into his bag. He turned and noticed the Family Bible lying on the couch where he had left it the day before. Hesitating for a second, he walked over to the book, opened it up, and stared at the entry.

"He won't believe me without proof," he muttered, closed the book, and placed it inside the bag. He then went and pulled a couple of wizard law books from the shelves and stuffed them inside as well.

He carried the now bulging bag back upstairs and placed it beside the bed. He looked over at the makeup table and remembered the chest of jewels. "Grandfather, one more question."

"Yes, Harry."

Does this house have a safe?"

"Yes, go back downstairs into the sunroom. On the wall with the paneling you'll see a knot. Place your hand on it and say Prongs."

Harry smiled, realizing that the safe was something else his father had changed. He retrieved the chest and headed back downstairs to locate the safe. He quickly located the knot and placed his hand on it and muttered the password. When it opened he stepped back in shock. "Brill! I'm richer than Malfoy!" he exclaimed. The safe was an enormous walk-in. He walked in and stared at stacks of Muggle currency that he realized was foreign. "I'll need Mr. Weasley to look at this, too." He placed the chest on the shelf and stepped back out. The opening automatically closed behind him.

Walking back into the bedroom he spied the box still lying on the bed. Picking it up, he opened it one more time and fingered the contents. Sighing heavily, he placed the box in his clothing bag. He stripped off his clothes and stretched. Reaching for his bag of clothes, he pulled out a set of clean clothes, and shoved all the dirty clothes inside the bag. He carried the clean clothes to the bathroom.

He walked out yawning and climbed in bed and was sound asleep minutes later.

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The next morning, Harry got up early and took a shower. He picked up Hedwig's cage and magically cleaned it, retrieved the bags from beside the bed and headed downstairs. Leaving the bags and cage at the foot of the stairs, he walked into the kitchen, where he saw Dobby loading a tray for breakfast. "Good Morning, Dobby. I'll eat in here this morning, if it's okay? I need to talk to you."

Dobby placed the tray on the table and Harry sat down. "Have you eaten?" Harry asked.

Dobby bowed. "Yes, sir, thank you for asking."

Harry took a drink of juice. "I sent a note to Professor Dumbledore last night letting him know I was ready to go back to the Burrow. I really appreciate your hard work here. I'm going to pay you for your time, so don't argue. You're a free house-elf, and deserve to be paid for your services. When I'm ready to move in, if you want, I'd like you to come work for me here."

Dobby threw his arms around Harry's legs and cried, "Thank you, sir. I'll serve you proudly."

They both jumped when they heard a knock at the front door. "Dobby, I hate to ask you but..." Harry started.

Dobby interrupted, "You don't have to, it's my job. I'd die to protect you, sir."

They both went down the hall and Harry hid in a doorway watching the front door. Dobby spoke loudly to be heard. "Who's calling?"

"Professor Severus Snape," came the sneered reply to the question.

Harry relaxed and came into the hall. "Open the door, Dobby."

Dobby opened the door and Severus walked in. "Professor Dumbledore said you're ready to go back to the Weasleys. Is that true? If you need more time you should take it."

Harry nodded and pointed to the bags. "Yes, I'm ready to go. However, I have one question before we leave. How come no one ever told me about this house being repaired?"

Severus narrowed his eyes. "You're a smart lad, Harry, you tell me?"

Harry smiled slightly. "Because if I knew about this house, I'd want to come here. And it wouldn't have been safe when I really needed to use it."

Severus said nothing, but raised his eyebrow.

"Okay, dumb question, I know. But thanks for holding this house back. I know that until now I wasn't ready, or I didn't need this connection," Harry replied.

"Now that you know the house is here, what are you going to do?" Severus asked.

"That's easy!" laughed Harry. "I'm going to kick Voldemort's arse so that everyone that I care about can be safe. But I'm not going to say a word about this place to anyone. The less anyone knows where I've been, the safer this house will be in the future."

Severus snorted. "Kicking Voldemort's arse is easier said than done. Let's get you out of here."

Harry reached for his bags then stopped. "What about Dobby?"

Severus picked up the birdcage, shrunk it, and opened one of the bags. "Dobby is a magical creature. He'll get back to Hogwarts the same way he got here. Didn't you come here with only one bag?" he asked, placing the cage inside.

Harry smiled, reaching for the other bag. "I found some paperwork that I want Mr. Weasley to take a look at, and a couple of books regarding wizarding law that may be useful for my independent study this year for Auror training."

Severus nodded. "You've been busy while you were here. Good, I knew you would recover quickly. Which way do you want to go home, Portkey or Floo?"

"Oh, can't we Apparate?"

"We'll work on Apparating during the next full moon."

Harry looked at Severus puzzled. "But we can't Apparate at Hogwarts."

Severus smiled wickedly. "Do you believe everything you read?"

Harry opened his mouth to reply then shut it again, deciding he could wait to find out the reason behind that comment. "Okay, Portkey."

Severus pulled out a torn shirt and handed the bag to Harry. Harry shifted the handle of one bag onto his shoulder and grabbed the tail of the shirt with his free hand. Severus pulled out his wand and tapped the shirt.

They felt the familiar pull and were off. They arrived at the Burrow and landed at the front door.

Severus, straightening his robes, asked, "Before we go in, are you ready to see everyone or would you like some time to get your bearings?"

Harry smiled slightly, grateful for Severus' uncharacteristic thoughtfulness. "I'd like some time, please."

"Let's disappear."

They used the Invisibility Spell and slowly opened the front door. Seeing no one around, they quickly went upstairs. Harry held onto Severus' robes, so they wouldn't get separated. Severus walked to Charlie's room and opened the door.

Charlie looked up from his book, when the door opened. "Sev?"

Severus and Harry reversed the spell and Severus closed the door as Harry placed his bags near the door. Severus threw up the Locking and Silencing Charms. Charlie sat up so that Harry could have a seat on the bed. "Welcome back, Harry. Are you okay?"

"Thanks, Charlie. I'm better now. I just really needed to get away and regroup. I hope you're not mad."

"Absolutely not. Would you like to talk or are you ready to get to work?"

"I want to get to work, but I need to put my stuff up." Harry hesitated. "Is Ron in his room?"

"No, I believe he's in the shop helping Fred. We've started intensive training while you've been gone. Fred and George are working in shifts during the day. I'll take over training Ron, and you'll work with Severus. Ginny and Hermione are working with Thomas. They're doing something a little safer than Auror training. You may want to learn that also."

"Okay, let me put my stuff up. And I want to talk to your mum, Charlie. Can I find you when I'm ready, Severus?"

"Of, course. We'll be up here waiting."

"Then I'll be sure to knock," he said, as he left the room.

Severus smiled at Charlie as he sat down on the bed beside him. "What do you think he'll say when he hears I want to marry you?"

Charlie snorted. "He'll probably want to give you away himself. I think he's starting to like the real you."

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

Harry walked up to his room and threw his bags on his bed and started unpacking. He pulled his dirty clothes out and placed them in the hamper, the books and papers in his trunk, until he could show them to Mr. Weasley. He placed the box on his bedside table.

He walked downstairs and knocked on the doorframe of the living room door as he walked in. "Mrs. Weasley, I'm home."

Mrs. Weasley put down her book and jumped up to hug Harry. "I've been so worried. Are you okay? Have you eaten? Let me take a look at you."

Harry laughed as he stepped out of her embrace. "I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley. And I ate breakfast before I left this morning."

Mrs. Weasley stepped back and looked at Harry, her eyes showing her disappointment. "Then why did you feel you had to leave us, love? We've all told you we want you here. You're family."

"I know. I just got overwhelmed. My parents, Ginny, Cedric, Sirius, Bill, the Dursleys, Remus, and now the attack on Percy. It was finally too much. Can we sit down, please?"

"Of course." Mrs. Weasley sat back down on the couch and Harry sat down beside her.

"You're the closest person to a mother that I've ever had, besides my own Mum. I love you. Please know that. It was just that Percy was the final straw for me. I'm so brassed off because of the prophecy of me being attacked or the people around me."

"Harry, love, none of that was your fault."

"Yeah, I know. Voldemort made the final decision. I just want it over. Ever since I found out the truth, I can feel this huge target on me. It's worse now that Voldemort has come back to power."

He took a deep breath. "Did they tell you I went home?"

Mrs. Weasley nodded her head and lightly touched Harry's arm. "Yes, they did. You're not mad because we didn't tell you about the house being repaired, are you?"

"No, I understand. It was weird. I walked through the rooms and most of them I couldn't remember anything about them. The room I remembered the most was the nursery."

"Oh, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said, her eyes filling up with tears.

"It's okay, really. If I had known about the house, something could have slipped, and the house would've been watched. Then, when I really needed to go home, I wouldn't have been able to. Just when I needed it the most. Being there gave me hope and a purpose. I've lost so much, but I have something waiting for me when this is over. It's great. I now have, along with the house, pictures of family members and furniture. I even found my birth documents."

"Harry, I wished you had talked to us."

"I know I should have, but I needed my privacy. I don't know how to handle an audience, and I just wanted to be left alone. I love being here, but sometimes it gets overwhelming. But, I have something big to ask of you. Don't mention where I went, except to Mr. Weasley, of course. I'm sure Charlie knows, but in case I want to go back, I don't want anyone knowing. Is that all right?"

"Of course, love. My lips are sealed."

Harry leaned over and hugged Mrs. Weasley. "Thanks, I'll go find Professor Snape. He said earlier that he wanted to start working with me."

Harry went up to Charlie's room and knocked hard. The door opened, to Harry's surprise, when his hand hit the door. Severus and Charlie were lying on the bed. "Sorry, did I interrupt anything?"

They both sat up. "No, we're just talking. Come in and have a seat. We have something to tell you," Charlie said, smiling up at Harry.

Harry pulled the desk chair out and sat down. "What's up?"

Severus looked at Harry, his face turning a light pink, which caused Harry to look at him, puzzled. "Have you ever heard of a promise ring?"

Harry shook his head no.

"It's given to someone you care about, so they know your intentions in regards to their relationship."

Harry looked puzzled at the two men. "And you are telling me this, why?"

Charlie smiled slowly. "Because I have one."

"You do?" Harry asked, slightly shocked. Then he realized what that meant. "You mean you are...when?"

Puzzled, Charlie looked at him when he saw the various expressions flashing across his face. "Yes, we are. And if you mean when did I get it, Sunday, while you were gone. Not everyone knows. And again for obvious reasons, no one outside the family can know."

Harry nodded. "Have you told Ron?" He knew that Ron was going to explode when he found out, considering his feeling about Severus.

Charlie shook his head. "No, nor have I told the twins."

"Okay, I'll keep quiet until they mention it. Changing the subject, what am I going to be learning?"

Severus shifted on the bed. He also saw Harry's expression at the news. While it wasn't exactly joy, it wasn't rejection either. After being around him for years, he could tell Harry was holding something back. "Dumbledore is going to show you a spell that allows wizards to combine their powers. It's a very difficult and dangerous spell to learn. I've been training Ron, since you're comfortable with him, to be your partner as a back up. But, if things go according to the plan, I'll assist you. We also want you to learn something Thomas is teaching the girls. We're hoping it may be used to control Nagini. Are you ready to start?"

"Sure, let me get my wand. I put it on the bed while I was unpacking."

Harry retrieved his wand, and headed outside. He saw Charlie standing at the door of the shop talking to George.

George looked over Charlie's shoulder and smiled when he saw Harry coming towards them. "It's about time you got back. Maybe Moody can torture you today, instead of me."

Severus chuckled softly as he walked out of the shop towards Harry. "No, you deserve it, for all the pranks you pulled at school."

Ron came out behind Severus, covered in blue dust. Charlie stopped him at the door, and performed the Cleaning Charm. "Hey, Harry!" Ron said. He turned to look at Severus. "Are we going to be working together?"

Severus shook his head. "Not yet. Harry's part is more complicated and different from the part you are learning. I want to take Harry and observe Ginny."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Oh, she's going to love that. Okay then, I'll talk to you later, Harry," he said, and followed Charlie around to the side of the house.

Severus threw his arm over Harry's shoulder and spoke quietly, not wanting Charlie to hear his question. "Did Molly give you a hard time?"

Harry shook his head. "No, she was just being a mum I guess. I'm not really sure, since I've never had one."

Severus gave Harry's shoulder a quick squeeze and removed his arm. "You did have a mother, Harry. And she loved you more than life itself."

"Well, I know that, in my head. It's just that I have very few memories of her. And the ones I do have are painful. Anyway, what's Thomas teaching Ginny?"

Severus raised an eyebrow, realizing Harry was intentionally changing the subject again. "It sounds really interesting. Ginny is going to be our eyes. She is working with Pig, Ron's bird, at the moment. Thomas has some trained birds coming from America. She's already seeing through the bird's eyes, and is able to control the wings. She has found her talent, it seems. Oh, one more thing. I know that you're having issues regarding being attracted to Thomas, so it may make you a little more comfortable to know that Ginny and Thomas are becoming involved."

"I believe it will. Before I left I could tell that they liked each other. I'm afraid I may still react when I see him unexpectedly, but I think I'm getting better at controlling it. At least now when I see him, I don't feel the need to ram my tongue in his mouth. That's progress, I guess."

Severus chucked. "Yes, you're making progress. Now, let's be quiet and watch."

Ginny sat with her eyes closed, across from Thomas, who was holding Pig. Thomas spoke softly. "Okay, Ginny, turn Pig's head to the right, we have company."

Ginny nibbled her bottom lip and slowly Harry and Severus watched the bird's head turn toward them. "Hi, Professor Snape. Harry, welcome back. Isn't this cool, Harry?"

Harry sat down beside Ginny, smiling. "Yes, Ginny, this is cool. But if you wanted to look at yourself more, I could have brought you a mirror."

Thomas snorted, and looked embarrassed by the sound. "Oh, God. I'm becoming a Weasley."

Severus chuckled. "Yes, the snorting is the first sign that you're being corrupted; I have discovered that myself. Run while you can, Thomas. This family gets under your skin quickly."

Thomas looked at Ginny and smiled. "No, I want to stay. Ginny, go ahead and start reversing."

Ginny reversed the charm and opened her eyes. She looked up at Severus, who was still standing, her eyes twinkling. "Yes, but remember you were the one who asked to join this family. You've been aware of how we are for years."

Completely confused over her change of attitude, Harry looked from Ginny to Severus. "Okay, I'm gone for a few days and come back to find you two trading words. Did you hex Ginny, Severus? From the first day that she met you, she's been terrified of you."

Ginny, who had stood up, laughed as she walked over and wrapped her arm around Severus' waist. "Relax, Harry. No hexes. He loves my brother. I know I'll have to fake my terror when we get back to school. But, when he goes back into Professor Snape mode it'll help. Surely you've noticed he's not as creepy as he is in school."

"It will help when I give you detention your first day back." At the look on Ginny's face, he sighed. "Don't give me that look. I don't want to go back to the 'Professor Snape' persona, but how else are you going to practice, without a reason for being out of the tower? Professor McGonagall will communicate with me, and get you the practice time you need. I can say that I'm tutoring you in Potions, if anyone asks why you are spending so much time with me.

"Do you think you could do your merge again? I'd like to see it from the beginning." Severus asked.

Ginny smiled and pulled away. "Sure." She sat back down beside Harry.

Severus sat down on her other side, so he could watch Ginny and Thomas both while they worked. He watched as she quickly focused her power and Pig fluttered a little as she took control.

Ginny turned Pig's head so she could look at Severus. "Oh, Professor Snape. I wish you could see your face. You are back in Professor mode."

He chuckled. "Sorry, bad habit. Now, move your arms, uh, wings, Ginny."

Ginny concentrated and Pig's wings started flapping. Thomas released his hold and Pig slowly lifted from Thomas' hands. "Oh, not good."

Thomas spoke softly, not taking his eyes off her. "Deep breaths, darling."

Harry, who was watching the bird, looked back at Ginny's face. She was turning green. "Think of this as riding a broom, Ginny."

Thomas gathered Pig back into his hands. "Are you ready to reverse?"

Ginny shook her head. "No, let me try again, Thomas."

Harry reached over to hold her hand as she tried again. Pig rose up from Thomas' hands more naturally.

"Oh my, I'm doing it." Pig flew around their heads and they all laughed.

Thomas reached up and grabbed the bird when he fluttered close by.

Ginny pouted. "I was having fun, Thomas."

Thomas laughed. "That's enough for now. Come on, darling, reverse the charm."

Ginny let go of Harry's hand and opened her eyes.

Harry looked at Severus, and grinned from ear to ear. "I've got to learn this!"

Thomas chuckled, trying to restrain the hyper owl. "You will. I have a question for you, Harry. When you were holding Ginny's hand, what were you thinking?"

Harry looked at him puzzled. "Just that I knew she could make Pig fly. Why?"

Thomas nodded. "That's what I thought. Unintentionally, you gave her a magical push. Enabling her to control Pig more easily, when you were holding her hand."

Ginny frowned. "But I didn't feel anything, other than Harry's hand was warm. But, I'm not used to holding Harry's hand," she added quickly.

Thomas smiled at her, realizing she was trying to reassure him that they were never involved. "Okay, try holding Severus' hand and let's experiment."

Ginny nodded and closed her eyes. "Sure," she quickly started the merge, and took control of the owl. She held her right hand out and Severus placed his hand in hers. "Professor, your hand is cold."

"Funny, your brother never complains."

"T.M.I.," said Thomas, with a chuckle at their banter.

"Huh?" Harry asked, not understanding what Thomas had just spelled.

"Sorry, too much information," replied Thomas, smiling, "Okay, Severus, use the same thought as Harry. Ginny, go ahead." Thomas released the bird and he took off again.

Severus let go of Ginny's hand and the bird fell a bit in the air, but she quickly recovered.

"Oh, Thomas. I'm flying!" she squealed.

Pig took off towards the house. They watched as he flew through an open window of the shop, coming back out a few seconds later. George came running out the door yelling for his mum to come out. Mrs. Weasley came out of the house and Pig landed on her shoulder. Mrs. Weasley looked toward the pond and saw the men were all pointing at her daughter. Pig took off again, and George ran underneath the bird. Ginny darted at her brother's head and went around to the side of the house.

"Oh, this is fun!" Ginny exclaimed.

She flew at Ron's head, brushing his hair with her wing. Ron yelled at the bird. "Sod off, Pig."

Charlie laughed as the bird landed on his arm. "Relax, Ron. It's Ginny doing the flying, if I'm not mistaken."

He slid his wand into a pocket and grasped the owl gently. He brushed his fingers through the bird's feathers and kissed the bird lightly on the head. He released his hold and Pig took off again.

"Come on, Ron. Let's go congratulate our sister."

They followed the bird back down to the pond. George and Mrs. Weasley were walking ahead of them. Pig landed in Thomas' hands and Ginny quickly reversed the merge. She threw her arms around Harry, and beamed at her approaching family.

Thomas and Severus stood up when they approached. Trying to restrain the jealously that flared when he saw Ginny wrapping her arms around Harry, Thomas offered her a hand up. She placed her hand in his and he tugged her up. She leapt into his arms with a laugh.

"I DID IT!" she screamed.

She turned and started hugging everyone and when she got to Severus, she threw her arms around his neck, startling him.

"Easy, Ginny." Charlie laughingly said, pulling his sister off Severus. "Sev isn't used to public displays of affection. We have to break him in slow."

Ron looked at his brother and Severus suspiciously.

Fred and Tonks appeared beside the group.

"What is all the yelling about?" Fred asked.

Ginny threw herself into her brother's arms knocking him backwards. "I flew, Fred."

Fred looked down at her, right puzzled. "You flew? You mean, Pig? All right!" He picked his sister up and twirled her around.

Tonks clapped with delight. She turned to Molly who was watching her daughter celebrate. "Molly, I think her achievement calls for a small celebration. Don't you?"

Molly smiled at Tonks. "Absolutely. How about we have a family party during lunch?"

"I'll be back in a jiffy. I have to run to the Ministry to check in. While I'm there I'll tell Arthur and Percy to come home for lunch. When I get back, I'll help you. Is that all right?"

"Perfect. Thank you for going. It wouldn't be safe to Floo him. I'll head back up to the house to get started."

George pulled his twin from Ginny. "Come on, Fred. We got more orders this morning."

Kissing Ginny on the head, Fred let go. "Great job, Sis. Now the pressure is on for us to outdo you."

Ron captured his owl, which was fluttering around everyone's head. "I'll go put Pig up."

Harry, who was still sitting on the ground, called out, "Hang on, Ron, I'll go with you." The two left heading for the Owlery.

Harry noticed that Ron was unusually quiet. "Ron, is something wrong?"

"Not sure, I'll tell you later."

Harry could tell something was bugging him, but didn't push. Ron, on too many occasions gave him his space when he needed it. To not give him the same courtesy when he seemed to need it, wouldn't be right. Ron would tell him soon. It wasn't in Ron's nature to hold back when something was bothering him.

Ginny walked back up to Thomas, her face glowing. She took his hand and turned and saw the amused look on her brother's face. "We talked to Mum and Dad this morning."

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "I assume that was after you left his room this morning?"

Ginny started to blush. "How did you know?"

Severus smirked at her. "You weren't as quiet as you thought."

"Oh, you mean you heard us?" she asked, turning even redder.

Charlie narrowed his eyes. "I only heard you walking in the hall early this morning. How long were you in his room, Gin?"

Ginny straightened her shoulders. "None of your business. Anyway, you can't say anything. You and Professor Snape are sharing a room."

"We're adults, and we're going to be married!" Charlie roared. His temper rising quickly at the implication of her comment.

"So are we!" she snapped back, not the least bit intimidated by his rising temper.

Thomas pulled Ginny back to protect her from her brother's rage. "Relax, Charlie! I respect your parents too much to take advantage of Ginny like that."

Charlie glared. "Just remember, you hurt my sister and you won't like me when I'm done with you," he said, pointing a finger in Thomas' face.

Thomas glared back at Charlie. "I don't hurt women," he growled.

"That's just my point. She's not," Charlie replied, snarling.

Severus firmly grasped Charlie's arm. "Enough, Charlie. Ginny has always been mature for her age. Just back off them. I'm sure that Thomas will not take advantage of Ginny with her brothers around."

Ginny smiled tightly at Severus, her eyes returning to glare at Charlie. "Thank you, Professor. Maybe some of your coolness will rub off on my hotheaded brother. Thomas, let's go for a walk. I need to get some fresh air," she said, pulling away to get some distance from her brother.

When they had reached the other side of the pond, Ginny sighed. "I'm so sorry about all that. I can't believe my brother is being such a blockhead right now."

Thomas, who was facing the direction where Charlie was, saw him staring back at them. "Let's go somewhere a little private, so we can talk."

He held her hand and they walked into the woods. "Ginny, as much as I hate to admit it, your brother's right."

Ginny opened her mouth to argue, but Thomas placed a finger on her lips. "Let me finish. I should have used my head last night. I let things get out of control. I love you, Ginny. But we can't repeat what happened last night. Too much is going on and I really want us to take this slow. If this is right, we have the rest of our lives to be together. Please tell me you understand?"

Ginny looked up at him, her heart melting at the intense look of love on his face. "I understand. We did move too fast. But, I'm not going to stop letting you know how I feel."

Thomas smiled, pulling her to him. "Good, so tell me, how do you feel when I do this?"

He roughly claimed her mouth, and thrust his tongue inside. When he pulled back a minute later, they were both breathing heavily. "Well?"

Ginny moaned, resting her forehead on his chest. "This is going to be hard." She stepped back to look at him, her eyes full of doubt. "Are you sure?"

Thomas kissed her tenderly. "Are you kidding? Darling, I'm going to be so frustrated, but I can wait. Because you are worth every second of the wait."

He kissed her again, and pulled away. "Come on, your presence is expected at the house. And if we keep this up, I'm going to want to take you against that tree."

When Ginny walked into the house she looked into the living room for Charlie. Not seeing him there, she headed for the stairs. Spying Ron heading downstairs, she waited for him on the bottom step. "Where's Charlie?"

Ron shrugged his shoulders. "I saw him and Snape heading upstairs when I first came in. Hey, is something going on with them? They aren't dating, are they?"

Ginny shook her head. "That's a question you should ask Charlie," she said, which caused Ron's eyes to narrow with suspicion.

She turned to smile up at Thomas. "I need to clear the air with Charlie. Will you wait for me, please?"

He frowned, looking up the stairs. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, I had better do this alone."

Ginny walked upstairs and saw his door open. Taking a deep breath, she walked straight to the open door and knocked. She noticed Severus was lying on the bed, thumbing through a book and Charlie was looking out a window, still scowling as he thought about the argument he just had with Ginny.

Severus looked up when he heard the knock. "Ah, my cue to leave." He smiled at Charlie. "See you downstairs. Be nice. She came to you." He swept past Ginny, pushing her inside. "Don't let him bully you," he said, as he shut the door.

They stared at each other for a minute.

"I'm sorry," they both said at the same time, and laughed.

"Come here you," Charlie said, holding out his arms. Ginny walked into them and sighed. Charlie put his finger under her chin to raise her head up, and looked into her eyes. "Gin, I'm sorry I blew up at you earlier. I was wrong to assume you had slept with Thomas."

Ginny pulled away and sat down on the bed. "Charlie, let's talk."

Charlie eyes narrowed as he sat down beside his sister.

"Charlie, I won't lie to you. I did sleep with Thomas. But, it was my choice. I went to his room. I initiated it. He gave me several opportunities to stop. I said no. I wanted him to be my first."

Charlie's temper started to rise again. "Ginny, you're too young. He had to know you were inexperienced and took advantage."

Ginny shook her head. "He didn't have a clue that I was a virgin until it was too late. We both felt it was right."

Charlie growled and stood up to pace. "Damn it, Ginny. What were you thinking? You're only sixteen. Too young to have sex."

"Charlie," Ginny said softly, "How old were you the first time?"

His voice dropped. "That's different. I'm a guy."

"Okay, then how old was she or he?"

Charlie gave a short bark of laughter. "It was different back then, Ginny."

"How can you have such a double standard?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Because you are my sister."

"If Ron and Hermione are shagging, it's okay then? But I have to remain Miss Pure and Innocent. Does that seem fair?"

"Okay, I get your point. I'll back off. Does Mum know?" he asked, as he sat back down on the bed.

"No."

"Do you love him?"

"Yes, I believe I do. Will you be able to get past this and be friends with Thomas again?"

"Yes, for your happiness, I will." He took a deep breath. He wasn't exactly sure how to ask so he blurted, "Um, are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Ginny smiled slightly at the memory. "I was a little sore this morning, but Thomas did some kind of Indian healing thing and it went away like that," she said, snapping her fingers.

Charlie took Ginny's hand and pulled her to him as he lay down on the bed. "I just wished you had come to me before you made your decision. Having sex is something you should really think about before doing."

"Why, so you could talk me out of it?"

Charlie chuckled. "Damn right."

She punched him lightly. "You can't protect me forever."

"Wanna bet?" he said, squeezing her hard.

"Air!" she croaked. She sat up and looked down on Charlie. "Are we okay now?"

Charlie reached up to tweak her nose. "Always." He sat up. "Come on. Mum is throwing some prat a party for being such a clever witch."

They walked downstairs hand in hand

Thomas watched warily as they approached. When Ginny saw him, she winked and sat down on his left. Charlie sat on the arm of the couch and casually placed his arm around Severus' back and tapped Thomas on the shoulder to get his attention.

Thomas looked cautiously at Charlie.

Charlie leaned over Severus and briefly caught Ginny's eye. He smiled and looked at Thomas. "Take good care of my sister, or you'll answer to me."

"Understood." He was relieved that they weren't coming to blows. While Charlie was stocky in build, every ounce on him was solid muscle and he was sure Charlie could hurt him in a physical confrontation.

Severus chuckled. "Okay, Red, either move your neck or I'll bite."

Ginny exclaimed with disgust, "Ugh!" She leaned forward to look at Severus. "Honestly, Professor Snape, if you want me to have a bloody chance of being able to pretend any fear of you, those types of images in my head aren't going to help."

Severus looked at her, his face in his Professor Snape sneer. "Of course, Miss Weasley." His eyes started twinkling. "But he's so hard to resist."

Ginny snorted with disbelief. "Try a little harder, please."

Charlie was laughing at the exchange between Ginny and Severus when the fire flared up and Mr. Weasley and Percy stepped into the room.

Mr. Weasley started to perform the Cleaning Charm, but spotted his daughter sitting on the couch. "Ginny, Tonks said you had done something amazing. But she wouldn't tell me what you did. So what amazing thing have you done?"

Ginny jumped up and performed the Cleaning Charm on her father and Percy. "I flew."

Percy and Arthur both turned around to look at Ginny, who was now smiling from ear to ear. "You flew?" Arthur asked, puzzled.

"Well, actually I made Pig fly. And I controlled him."

They both reached for Ginny at the same time, smothering her in a hug.

"That's great!" Arthur pulled back to look at Ginny. "Tell me the details."

They sat down in the chairs and Ginny returned to her place beside Thomas. Ginny quickly recapped her achievement to her father and Percy.

Percy looked puzzled. "Thomas, I thought it would take her longer than this to learn this merge?"

Thomas nodded his agreement. "Me too. But, Ginny is an exceptionally talented witch."

Mrs. Weasley came to the door. "Oh good, you're here. Did Ginny tell you the news?"

Arthur stood up and brushed his lips over his wife's. "Yes. I'll notify the Order of her progress. So, Tonks said something about a party?"

"Yes, with all the news I thought we could use one. And I thought this would also be a good opportunity to tell the family Charlie's news. If you two are ready?" she asked, looking at Charlie and Severus.

Charlie looked down at Severus.

Severus looked intently into Charlie's eyes and nodded slightly. He could tell that letting his family know the truth was important to him. So, he squashed the old reflexes that were creeping up regarding letting anyone know anything regarding his personal life. He knew when he gave Charlie the ring that he was going to have to admit he was gay. Not that he was ashamed. It was just that being involved with Voldemort, his followers thought of someone being gay as a weakness. So, he had suppressed his desires when he had pledged his Oath.

"Okay, Mum," Charlie said, smiling reassuringly at Severus. He knew Severus was hesitant but knew his family would be supportive once they understood it was his decision.

Percy stood up. "When do we eat, Mum? I have a meeting with Fudge at three. But I don't have anything until then."

Mrs. Weasley looked back into the kitchen where Tonks was working. "Give me thirty minutes. That'll give you time to clean up. Ginny, will you please tell the twins to clean up. I believe Harry and Ron are out there with them."

Arthur held his hand out to Ginny. "Stay put, love. I'd like to see what they've been up to."

Percy headed upstairs to clean up and Arthur escorted Molly to the kitchen.

Ginny leaned forward. "Oh, I forgot to tell you when we were upstairs. I stopped Ron when I came into the house looking for you. He was asking questions about you two."

Charlie frowned. He had caught the look that Ron had given him when he pulled Ginny off of Severus when she was celebrating. "How did he act?"

"Curious, really."

Severus frowned up at Charlie. "Problem?"

Charlie sighed, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "I hope not. But Ron has a tendency to be a hot head."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I wonder where he gets it?"

The twins, Ron, Harry, and Arthur came in a few minutes later and headed upstairs. Charlie stood up and pulled Severus with him. "Come on, Ginny. Let's see if Mum needs any last minute help."

They walked into the kitchen and seeing the back door open, they went outside.

Thomas smiled. "Well, it seems the Weasleys know how to celebrate, huh?"

Severus frowned when he saw the garden set up with balloons. "Red, I'm not sure this is the right setting."

"Relax, Sev. We can't wait until our wedding day. It's just my family, Thomas and Tonks, and she's just like family."

Mrs. Weasley put down a platter and turned to look at the two couples. "Charlie, you take one end with Severus. Ginny, you and Thomas sit across from them."

They went to their assigned seats as the rest of the Weasleys came out of the house.

Arthur was speaking to the twins. "Those Exploding Snaps are great. I can't wait until you start mass marketing them. They will be your biggest seller, I'm positive. Okay, boys, it looks like we are ready to eat, have a seat."

Arthur went and sat at the head of the table. Mrs. Weasley and Tonks finished setting the dishes out, and all were busy passing dishes and eating for a couple of minutes.

Ginny watched as Severus picked at his food. She kicked her brother under the table and when he looked at her she nodded at Severus.

Charlie looked at Severus and placed a hand on his arm. "You nervous?"

Severus smiled slightly. "I know it's childish, but yes."

Arthur, hearing the conversation between the two men, smiled. "Relax, Severus. The boys will follow our lead. They only want Charlie to be happy. And when they understand we approve, so will they." He glanced down the table. Seeing everyone was finishing, he spoke above the noise. "I'd like to make a little speech."

Moans came from the other end of the table.

Molly scolded, "This is important. Listen to your father."

"Thank you, dear. Well I would first like to congratulate Ginny on learning such a difficult merge so quickly."

Everyone cheered and raised their glasses to Ginny, who was turning pink at the attention.

"The second announcement is something that some of you don't know. We'll have an additional member coming into our family."

Ron interrupted, "Dad, Harry's been with us for months."

Molly smacked Ron's hand. "Quit interrupting, and be quiet."

"I wasn't talking about Harry, this time. Your brother, Charlie, and Severus have exchanged promise rings."

Shocked, Ron glared at the two men sitting at the end of the table watching him warily as he stood up, knocking his chair over.

Everyone tensed as they waited for his response.