A Godfather's Love (aka The Other Side of the Coin)

6 -- Further Discussions

Part of Harry had been hoping that Ron would go off somewhere with Hermione and either snog or shag, but no such luck. Almost immediately after breakfast, he made it his business to approach Harry and said he wanted to talk privately with him ... alone, looking pointedly at Sirius as he did so. Harry gave the latter an apologetic smile; Sirius returned an understanding one as his godson moved off with his heretofore closest friend.

They went back to Ron's room. Once they were inside, the latter put both a Locking and Silencing Charm on the door. Harry couldn't say he was really surprised, but at least some of what Ron had to say was likely to be upsetting to him, which was probably why he'd done it. As far as that went, it wouldn't surprise Harry if Ron and Hermione were in on this together. He could understand curiosity and concern, but anything else was butting into his private life. Harry wasn't about to allow even his closest friends to dictate who he could and couldn't see romantically. They sat down on Harry's bed (or rather, what would have been his bed had he actually been staying there), and then Ron gave his friend a hard look.

"Just what the bloody hell did you think you were doing, not even coming back last night?"

"I'd planned to, mate, honestly. It's just that Sirius had a nightmare. I had to help him through it."

Ron gave him a skeptical look but didn't argue with him. "Strange. It's usually you having the nightmares. May I ask what the nightmare was about?"

"He dreamed my mum and dad were after him for beginning an affair with me. He said they were all ready to hex him. I assured him it was simply a result of unresolved guilt." This time Harry gave Ron a hard look. "You've got to keep this to yourself. Remember what Moony said was likely to happen if it got out."

"Don't worry, I'll keep it to myself. You know I don't spread your secrets around. Just the same, how do you think this is going to make Gin feel if you do it too often? When are you supposed to see Sirius again anyway?"

"Day after tomorrow. And don't worry. I don't intend to shortchange her in any way. For that matter,I'm supposed to see her tonight."

"I hope so," Ron returned, his voice ominously quiet. "I don't mean to butt into your private life, mate, but I've got to think of my sister's happiness. She loves you, and I don't want to see her hurt. Do whatever you like with Sirius, but make sure that Gin gets equal time."

"I will, I assure you. As for hurting her, that's the last thing I want to do, mate, you should know that." It was at this point that Harry started sounding indignant.

"You better not, mate. Otherwise, you'll have the entire Weasley family on your arse, not just me ... and you know how Mum can get when she's angry, not to mention Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George."

"Bloody hell," Harry shot back, starting to sound angry. "What do I have to do to convince you I'm sincere? I've waited too long to have someone like Gin in my life to knowingly, willingly muck it up now. Whatever my feelings for Sirius, I do love her, and don't intend to ever let anything--or anyone--change that." Harry sighed deeply in an attempt to calm himself. "Tell you what ... if either you or 'Mione happen to catch me neglecting her, I give you leave to ask for an explanation. Ask for, mind you," he warned. "Demanding is likely to get you both hexed, so I suggest you keep that in mind before either of you shoot off your mouths."

"We'll try--but I make no guarantees. And remember, even if we don't say anything, it's all but inevitable that Gin will ... and she's both likely to demand an explanation and hex you before you can hex her. That's something I suggest you keep in mind, mate."

"Touché," Harry conceded. "You've made your point--and I trust I've made mine." Harry's gaze hardened as his eyes became a pair of living emeralds.

"I think we can safely say that we understand each other ... at least for now." With that, Ron removed the aforementioned charms from the door, leaving Harry free to leave if he chose. "Will you be here in the morning?"

"Unless Gin has a nightmare," Harry teased with a cheeky smile. "Yeah, I should be here in the morning. Now, may I leave, Warden Weasley?"

Ron laughed in spite of himself. "You're free to go, mate--as long as you remember what I said."

"Same goes for you," came the retort. "See you later, mate."

With that, Harry strode to the door and disappeared through it. In spite of himself, Ron couldn't help but be certain that Harry was likely to confide to both Sirius and Ginny the content of their talk. This time around, he didn't mind that--but only because there were extenuating circumstances. And despite his promise, Ron could make no guarantees that he wouldn't be extremely tempted to hex Harry--best mate or not--if he hurt Ginny in any way, whether he had a satisfactory explanation or not. And if the latter felt herself neglected, Ron was dead certain that Harry would get a Bat-Bogey Hex right between the eyes, at the very least. No one, not even Harry Potter, made a fool of Ginny Weasley (or any of them, for that matter) and got away with it!

* * * * *

Again, Ron's hunch turned out to be right--at least as far as his sister was concerned. He couldn't be sure just what went on between Harry and Sirius, because his friend was rarely inclined to discuss it at any length--especially his times with his godfather/lover. He knew that Harry had always been a very private person despite what rumours seemed to indicate, particularly when it came to his private life. What little he confided to his friends ... and Ron was honoured to be one ... he deserved to have kept that way. He also knew that Ginny and Hermione were close. They sometimes confided details about private times with him and Harry to each other, and sometimes they passed on details to him and Harry directly. So Ron was a little surprised when Ginny initiated a conversation about Harry with both him and Hermione.

They were sharing a snack of ham and cheese sandwiches and chips, made by Molly and accompanied by mugs of pumpkin juice, when Ginny made what she tried to pass off as a casual remark. But both Ron and Hermione knew that it was difficult for her, even under the best of conditions, to be casual about anything involving Harry in any way.

"You know what Harry mentioned to me last night after we ... you-know-what?"

Ron rolled his eyes in pain at the mere mention of his sister's tryst with his best friend. He loved Harry like another brother, but it was still difficult to think of him and Gin being intimately involved--much less the idea of her and Harry actually being naked in bed together (or anywhere else), shagging their proverbial brains out. (It was difficult enough for him to think of himself and Hermione together like that!) All the same, what mattered was his sister's happiness, and if shagging her brother's best friend several times a week made Ginny happy, then more power to her. He didn't even mind her talking about it ... but only once in a great while, like maybe once a month or so--or in a pinch, once a week.

"What did he say?" Hermione asked, always eager to learn new things, whatever they happened to be.

"He mentioned how Ron confronted him about not coming to the room they were ostensibly sharing until the following morning. He said he told him that he'd planned to, but that Sirius had had a nightmare and he had to help him through it."

"What kind of nightmare?" Hermione put in.

"He dreamed that Harry's parents were getting ready to hex him for having started an affair with him, that it was so frightening that he sat bolt upright in bed and startled Harry awake."

Hermione nodded in acknowledgment and simply said, "Go on."

Ginny did so, still not too comfortable with the arrangement between Sirius and Harry. But so far, she saw no reason for complaint because Harry was still as attentive to her as ever. If that ever changed, though, she would definitely have something to say about it--and she couldn't guarantee the words would be nice. Nor could she promise that she wouldn't be extremely tempted to hex him, although she hadn't told him those last bits. (As it turned out, though, she didn't need to, because Ron told her privately later that he had already done so.)

After Ron put in his two Knuts' worth, Ginny said, "Which reminds me, big brother, Harry wanted me to tell you that he doesn't want to hex his best friends, but he is not about to allow even you to dictate what he should and shouldn't do in his private life, especially considering how long it took you two to get together." Ginny looked pointedly at her brother and Hermione and smiled knowingly.

"I think I also mentioned what he called me," Ron remarked. "Warden Weasley."

Everyone had a good laugh at that, but not too loud, so as not to disturb the tryst currently transpiring.

"Was he actually in his bed this morning as he promised?" Hermione wondered.

"Oh yes, he was, come to think of it." Luckily for him, Ron thought privately even as Ginny began to think of ways to get Harry to stay a full night (and morning) with her as he had with Sirius. "All the same, I can just imagine what his thoughts were when I put both a Silencing and Locking Charm on the door so he couldn't just leave if he didn't like what I said."

Again, the girls laughed, because they recalled the times Harry had done the same thing to keep Ron in the same room with him when he didn't want to be. Now maybe Harry had some idea how his friend must have felt, being magically trapped in a room against his will.

"As long as he behaves himself, there shouldn't be any trouble," Ron again remarked as he finished his snack and drink.

"I wouldn't do that too often, though," Hermione advised. "Remember Harry's temper. I'm convinced that he gets it from his mum, especially after what both Sirius and Remus said about her. She was just as much a redhead as Ginny, you know. If only for that reason, he could still hex you and feel justified doing it."

"By the way, do you think he'll discuss it with Sirius while they're together?" Ginny wondered, unbidden, tormenting pictures of her beloved in someone else's arms running through her mind ... and not just any someone else's arms, either! This was going to be every bit as difficult to endure as having had to watch Harry duel it out with Voldemort some months back.

"Probably. It wouldn't surprise me one bit," Hermione returned. "What's more, they're probably laughing just as much about it as we did."

Hermione was not to know how right she was until the following day when the four friends were having breakfast together