Echo in My Mind

Chapter 12: The Christmas Attack

"All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages-"

William Shakespeare

~*~

Harry strode confidently up the front walk of a quaint and cozy home. With a swish of his wand the front door blasted into pieces. After bursting through into the lounge, he was met with the shocked faces of a family.

Two adults, presumably the mother and father, sat on the couch with a young boy, roughly twelve or thirteen. Another boy, this one fifteen, stood behind a camera. The shocked looks turned fearful as the Creevey family faced the Dark Lord Voldemort.

With a triumphant laugh, Voldemort sent twin jets of green light at the adults. The Killing Curse hit them before they even realized what was coming at them. Unable to defend themselves, they died instantaneously. Dennis screamed, scrambling away from his parents and their killer. Colin drew his wand, holding it unsteadily at the Dark Lord.

"You think you can beat me, you brat? This should teach you. No one dares cross Lord Voldemort."

He threw the Cruciatus Curse at Colin, which easily broke through the boy's weak attempt at a shield charm. The teenager fell to the ground, writhing in pain, biting his lips to keep from screaming.

Defiance.

The defiantness so often seen in himself made Harry stop watching the horror and actual do something. He tried to scream Colin's name, making his presence known inside Voldemort. The anger he felt from the dark wizard was so intense it drove him out. He tried to hang on, desperate to save the boy who had once been much like a stalker, but failed. He felt himself being shaken awake.

Groaning and blinking his eyes rapidly he awoke. His back was screaming in pain and he saw, much to his surprise, that he was lying on the hard wooden floor. Later he would learn that in the course of the night he had begun to shift about, effectively throwing Ginny away from him. His thrashing had gotten so bad that it not only woke Ginny up but had sent him flopping off the bed and onto the floor.

"Creevey," he moaned.

"No, Harry," said a male voice. "It's Ron."

Harry groaned again. "Voldemort... attacked... Creeveys... parents..." he couldn't go on.

"The parents are dead?" Hermione supplied in a worried tone.

"Yeah," Harry croaked.

Ginny looked horrified. "Colin, is he okay? Dennis?"

All Harry could do was shrug. He didn't know what fate had befallen his fellow housemates though he could guess they were facing their deaths.

"Someone needs to alert the Order," Hermione said in a brisk tone to cover up her shock.

"I'll go," said Ron, already standing.

Ron took off, his feet pounding down the stairs to the fireplace. They could hear his frantic shout for Dumbledore and then another for Tonks and Remus. Hermione began to soothe Harry, telling him to roll over so she could attempt to ease some of the pain in his back.

Ginny sat back on her heels, completely shocked and horrified. Colin, who had been one of her friends since first year, was most likely dead. The last time she had spoken with him, they had been at odds as well. Silent tears began to course down her pale face.

Ron's pounding footsteps came closer as he bounded back upstairs.

"The Order's been dispatched already. Remus and Tonks have been gone for half an hour so it's only my mum who's home. Dumbledore said they're starting to get the situation under control. Colin's in St. Mungo's in a critical condition, there's a possibility he won't survive. A weak version of the Killing Curse got him in the side through his shield so he's in a comatose state right now. Dennis is fine, Colin protected him," Ron filled them in.

Ginny burst into hysterical sobs, leaning into Hermione as the older girl patted her back in a soothing manner. Ron knelt down next to them, knowing Ginny was close to Colin, and giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"Hey, Harry, you still with us? Mate?"

Harry blinked blearily. The sight of the Creevey house being burned flashed across his eyes. He felt nauseated. Giving a small almost whine of discomfort, Harry passed out.

He awoke just a little later to the smell of something burning. He was slumped over a couch and wondered how he had gotten there. Ginny was sitting on Ron's lap in a chair opposite him, crying softly into his shoulder. Harry rubbed his scar and sat up.

"What's burning?" he asked.

Ron looked up from his sister and met his friend's eyes. "Hermione is trying to cook us some breakfast. I'm rubbish at it and the only other one who can cook is Ginny but she's a little - er - distraught right now."

Harry pushed himself up. "I'll go make it, I've done it before."

"No, Harry," Ginny said in a stuffy voice. "You don't have to."

Harry, though he wanted to help, was grateful for Ginny sticking up for his childhood. She didn't want him to dredge up the depressing memories.

"It's okay though. I'm fine with it. It's not like we'll eat anything Hermione's cooking anyway."

Ginny giggled and Ron snorted. Harry stood up and left to go into the kitchen. There was another loud clang of a pot as he opened the door. With a wave of his hand, he suspended any action in the kitchen. Hermione turned to him, a grateful look on her face.

"I suppose this means I can't cook," she noted.

Harry laughed. "I'll clean up the mess and make you guys some food. Go out and sit."

"Oh no, I should help. I made this mess after all."

"Hermione, leave," Harry said with such a strict finality that it made her look at him.

Utterly confused, she stared at him, searching his face. Something was wrong, she could tell. No way I'm leaving now, she thought grimly. Harry gave an exasperated sigh.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, but I need to do this."

"Harry, what?"

Stupefy, Harry thought.

Hermione dropped to the ground with a look of surprise on her face. Having little time to spare, Harry didn't look back at her. He turned to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder.

"Hogwarts - Headmaster's Office," he yelled and stepped into the flames.

Needless to say, Minerva McGonagall was shocked when Harry Potter tumbled out of the fireplace next to her feet. Her pupil coughed, brushing soot from his Muggle dark green shirt and jeans. He stood and faced her.

"Mr. Potter, what are you doing here?"

Harry ignored her. "Where's Professor Dumbledore?"

"I'm over here, Harry."

Harry spun around to the source of the noise. As he made his way over to the headmaster, he couldn't help but notice how frail the wizard looked. In fact, Harry didn't think he'd ever seen the Headmaster look so worn and tired in his life. It scared him to think the image of his strong mentor had been broken.

"Frankly," the Headmaster started with an almost grave smile, "I was wondering how long it would take you to get here. I assume you'd like a full account of what we know."

Harry stood stunned for a moment. Previously Dumbledore had never let him know what was going on until after the event had fully passed. It was as if he was a member of the Order himself.

"Yes, sir."

"Voldemort had three bands of Death Eaters sent on raids. His top followers, such as the Lestranges, were sent to the Creevey and Granger-" the color drained out of Harry's face, "households and those were the only two houses Lord Voldemort himself made an appearance at. A few Death Eaters outside the inner circle were sent along to the other houses. They were ruthless, torturing some while giving others a quick and painful death."

"How many dead?" Harry asked, stricken.

"The families of two Ravenclaw fifth years, as well as the girls themselves. Two boys from Hufflepuff, a first and fourth year; their families slaughtered with them. The Creevey parents were murdered, the two sons at St. Mungo's. Miss Granger's parents are there as well, being kept in a now stable condition."

"The father and brother of the third Ravenclaw girl's family just died in the hospital. They tried, Albus, but they couldn't save them," Remus said as he came up to the desk. "We just received the word on it."

Harry dropped into a conveniently placed chair as his legs gave out. He refused to believe that the Grangers had gotten hurt in any way. Voldemort went after the Grangers and the Creeveys... because he knew they had connections with me...

Remus dropped down into a newly conjured chair next to him. The werewolf let out a long, weary sigh. Harry buried his face in his hands, scrubbing at his scar. Oh, you'll pay for this, Voldemort. He swore he could hear the Dark Lord chuckle. Remus placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"There's nothing you could have done to stop it, Harry. We're at war, the stakes are high."

Harry shook his head. "Didn't you figure it out why Voldemort only made personal appearances at Hermione's parent's home and the Creeveys? They've associated with me and he knows it. It's all a game that he's playing at. All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players- Shakespeare -I bet you that's how the bastard sees it."

Remus couldn't argue with that fact. No matter how much he tried to think otherwise and tried to convince himself, the truth stuck. Those who knew Harry personally were going to get struck the hardest in this war and there was no avoiding it.

"Headmaster, is there anything else I need to know?"

Dumbledore leveled his gaze with Harry's. "I'll inform you as the information comes in. Would you rather tell Miss Granger or should someone else?"

"I'll tell her," Harry replied. "Thank you for keeping me informed, sir."

"Goodbye, Harry."

~*~

Telling Hermione about what had happened to her parents wasn't easy at all, Harry mused later that night. She'd broken down into tears after he had delivered the news. For all Harry knew she'd never come near him again.

He had alerted Blaise and Draco to the situation as well. Neither of them had seemed overly surprised. They both figured it was a sort of retaliation for Blaise turning traitor. Blaise hadn't been able to exactly pinpoint the location of Harry's dream either.

Various Order members had been in and out of Grimmauld Place all day but Harry hadn't paid them any mind. He'd locked himself in his room after contacting Blaise and Draco. No one had come for him all day.

He wanted to scream. His voice was hoarse from screaming into his pillow earlier but there was still some of the intense frustration left to get out. He'd been restless all day but couldn't bring himself to leave his bed.

"Harry! Dinner!" Mrs. Weasley called from downstairs.

Harry rolled over and ignored her. He didn't want to eat; he didn't care about food. Five minutes later he heard a knock at his door.

"Mrs. Weasley, I'm not hungry. Please, could you leave me alone?"

"Harry?" a tentative voice said in reply. "It's me, Ginny. I brought up some food. Can I come in?"

Harry sighed. "It's unlocked."

Ginny twisted the handle and kicked the door open with her foot, balancing a large tray in her hands. She set it on her unoccupied bed and crawled in the other next to Harry.

"I'm sorry that today was so horrible. I would have come up for you sooner but I've been a crying wreck. I'm sorry."

"No," Harry said quietly. "No, don't think that. You have nothing to be sorry for. I've been stupid. I should have stayed downstairs with you all. This whole mess is my fault."

Ginny tilted Harry's face so his eyes met hers.

"Do not start down that road, love. It's not your fault at all. I love you and I refuse to let you think that way."

Ginny let her fingers slide from his face. Harry blinked and a single tear escaped his eye.

"I'm sorry."

Ginny wrapped her arms around him, snuggling into his side. She threw her leg over his and planted a kiss on his neck.

"How have you been holding up?"

Ginny stopped moving, her face buried in the crook of his neck and shoulder. Sniffling, she effectively hid her red-rimmed eyes.

"Colin's going to be okay," she said with another large sniff. "I don't want to talk about it."

Harry's free hand came up to tangle in her hair, his fingers running through the silkiness, calming her. She pulled him even closer, seeking his comfort and warmth. He kissed the top of her head.

"Dinner's cold by now," Ginny said softly a few minutes later.

"Are you hungry?"

Ginny nodded slightly. They disentangled themselves and she retrieved the tray. Harry cast a quick heating spell on the food. Ginny slid onto his lap and picked up a fork with a piece of steak on it.

"Eat," she commanded.

Harry looked at her skeptically as she dangled the fork in front of his mouth.

"Open up."

Harry rolled his eyes but complied. He chewed the meat slowly, licking his lips when he was done. Ginny watched him, her eyes staring at his lips. The fork slid easily out of her hands when Harry took it from her to scoop up some mashed potatoes. She allowed the bite in her mouth, swallowing it, still looking into his eyes. The fork fell uselessly to the ground as Harry gazed back in her eyes.

The next second he was kissing her so passionately she forgot how to breathe. She lost herself to the incredible ache of wanting more. They didn't pull apart for quite some time...

"Happy Christmas, Ginny," Harry whispered finally.

"Christmas..." Ginny said faintly as Harry traced small circles on her back. "Oh, Harry, we never did presents! Our presents are all still down by the tree. Come on, let's go down."

She jumped up and began to scour for her clothes in the mess on the floor. Sleepily, Harry settled back onto the mattress. He missed Ginny's warmth already and didn't want to get up. Closing his eyes, he let blackness envelope him.

After a few minutes he felt something hit his face. He opened his eyes to find his face covered by a fresh pair of boxers.

"Get dressed," Ginny said in the voice of a small child. She was practically bouncing on her feet with excitement. Ginny had always loved Christmas.

Harry slipped on his various articles of clothing, still tired, and already planning on sleeping after gifts were exchanged. Grasping his hand, Ginny led him downstairs.

"Present time everyone!" she yelled at the bottom of the stairs.

Hearing no response, they continued in to the living room, only to find everyone sitting there on couches and chairs. Ron raised his eyebrows.

"No need to tell us," he said. "We've only been sitting here waiting for you for a while now."

Harry shrugged and Ginny blushed a deep red. She glanced over at him, wondering why he seemed so cool. No one else seemed to notice except for Hermione, whom Ginny noted was silently communicating with Harry. Harry coughed, jerking his head towards the door and the brunette nodded. They left quickly, promising to be back in a few minutes and to start passing out gifts without them.

With a huff Ginny plopped down next to her brother. "We're always left out, aren't we? If it's anything that isn't deemed important enough for me, I'm not told."

"Believe me, I know," Ron said as he watched Remus and his mother start on gifts. "Between you, Hermione, and Malfoy I don't get told anything. I was the last one to know the prophecy, remember?"

Ginny bit her lip. "I don't like how close Harry and Hermione are getting. They have a whole damn secret code, I'll bet. I know I'm over accusing Harry of having an affair with her behind our backs but still, they're too close for comfort."

"They're like brother and sister."

"Yes, but we're actual family and you don't see us that close! Oh! Thank you, mum," Ginny said as a gift plopped down in her lap. She kissed her mum on the cheek. "I'll get yours, just a second," she added, rising.

Ron grabbed her wrist as she turned to get the gift. "In the wizarding world, all Harry and Hermione have is each other. They're each other's lifelines and only connection to the world they left behind."

Ginny, astonished by Ron's sudden insight to the situation, sat back down. She waited until their mum had given Ron his present as well until speaking.

"They have us."

Ron shook his head. "True family, Ginny. Face it, Harry may have relatives but he's basically an orphan. He only stays there because he has to, you know that." Ginny nodded. "None of Hermione's family knows she's a witch, only her parents. She's rarely seen them in six years, because she tends to spend her holidays with us. She had wanted to go home this Christmas but it wasn't safe enough for her to do so. They may have us in this world, Gin, but in reality, they grew up in the Muggle world and the only ties they have left to it are each other. We've been fortunate to have our family, and such a large one at that. Harry's jealous of me because we have a family. Hermione has a sibling that she hasn't even gotten to see grow up. All they have is each other. Don't be so hard on them."

Ginny didn't respond, taking her time in processing the information. It hadn't really occurred to her that Hermione hadn't been seeing her family all this time and that Harry and Hermione were each other's link to their past. She glanced at Ron, thinking where this sudden intuitiveness had come from, and couldn't come up with anything. Ron had always been perceptive when he had wanted to be, key words being wanted to be.

"Ron," she said with a grin. "Did you know we have presents in front of us?"

~*~

"How are you holding up?" Harry asked as he shut the door behind him.

Hermione's rosy red-rimmed eyes basically answered his question for him. She rubbed them furiously, trying to cover up her discomfort. Then she sighed in defeat.

"Not so well. They're still alive but already I feel like they're gone. Everyone keeps telling me they're fine, but they'll be targets again, won't they? It's only a matter of time before either I get killed or they do."

Harry turned away from Hermione. An overwhelming sense of guilt built up inside him and he felt magic bubbling up inside his veins. There was a good chance Hermione's parents would have never been attacked if she wasn't so close to him. He just keeps striking closer to home, Harry thought sadly. It's not going to stop until I put an end to it.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Harry started shakily. "It's not too late to put them in hiding, get them a secret keeper. I'd suggest distancing yourself from me as much as possible as well. It's been Voldemort's plot for a while now to hit closer to home with each strike, so it's only a matter of time until he kills the Dursleys, the rest of the Weasleys, your parents, and then us."

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said, coming over to him. "I should have known you'd say that. I don't care what you say, I'll always stick by you, no matter how much you try to push me away, I'll always be here with you. We'll all be here."

Harry, having heard relatively the same thing only moments before from Ginny, was oddly moved by Hermione's declarations. The unwavering support his friends had for him touched him in a very emotional way. His magic bubbled happily inside his veins, making the ones closest to his skin throb visibly. The emotion shrouded them like a thick curtain, corralling the two teenagers in the center.

Hermione blinked and brushed a tear from her eye. Without warning she wrapped her arms around his neck and let out a small sob. Harry put his arms around her back and rested his chin on her head.

"It'll be all right," he said quietly. "Your parents will pull through, and so will we."

Hermione hugged him tighter. "I know. Do you want to go back in?"

"Yeah, Ron's probably dying to give you your gift."

Hermione giggled as she let go of him and moved towards the door, drying her eyes. She looked back at him with a smile.

"Let's just hope it's not that perfume he got me last year!"

Harry let out a laugh and followed her into the other room. Ron and Ginny looked up from opening their presents from Mrs. Weasley. They'd both gotten customary Weasley sweaters, as always, as well as a little something extra for each. Harry and Hermione were swarmed by Mrs. Weasley, handed their gifts, and told to sit on the couch. They too, received the Weasley sweater. Ron was still grumbling about the choice of maroon.

"Harry, Ron and I decided to get you a two-part gift from both of us this year. Ron, why don't you get it?" Hermione said.

Ron dumped his sweater on the couch and retrieved two box-shaped gifts from under the tree. He handed them to Harry and remained standing beside him. Hermione stood as well, watching Harry as he unwrapped the first gift, which was an assortment of chocolates from Honeydukes. He smiled, setting them down.

"There was a lot of thought put into the second one, mate, so you'd better like it," Ron noted.

Curiosity pulled at him as he took off the wrapping of the second gift. A book was what remained in his hands. The title read, Harry James Potter: The True Story Behind the Mask of Fame.

"You two got me a book about me?"

"Open it," Hermione whispered.

Written in neat script with emerald ink on the first page were the words We love you, Harry. He flipped the page and saw a collage of pictures of himself with Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the rest of the Weasleys. Looking on the next page he found more writing.

Harry, mate, you know how much I suck at writing anything, so excuse my inability to put thoughts into words. You've been my truest friend since I was eleven, and one of the first people to look past the stereotypical 'Weasleys are poor and scum' title of our family. You saw me for me, liked me for me, and that was enough for you to be my friend. You were the first one to stick up for me against Malfoy. You have no clue how much that meant to me...

Harry flipped the page, promising to read the rest of the entry later, seeing a large picture of him and Ron, brooms in hand. Then, following that came Hermione's, which he read the first paragraph of.

As a beginning note, please disregard any teardrop marks you might see later on, and then don't blame yourself for them either. Harry, I don't think you realize or understand how much you mean to everyone around you. You were one of the first people to accept me, and one of the few who actually bothered to befriend me. I know you didn't have a clue how lonely I was my first few weeks at Hogwarts, friendless. All you thought was that I was a stuck up bookworm, which I hate to admit that I was. You were my first real friend at Hogwarts...

Harry fought back tears as he went on to the next entry. It was Ginny's; he recognized the handwriting instantly.

Harry,

Why am I so drawn to you? Why do I never want to leave your side, or your bed for that matter? There's so much I can say to answer that...

I love you so much you have no idea. I love you so much it makes the world spin around me, leaving me breathless. I can't begin to describe to you what it feels like to be so completely in love with you. All I can understand about it is that it leaves me with such an unwavering happiness when I'm around you, a sense of security; one that I've never had before. You make me a better person, Harry, and I love you for that...

Harry closed the book and set it down on the couch. Tears were brimming over his eyes and as he looked up, he saw Ron's lip beginning to quiver. They looked at each other for a second, then embraced as heartily as brothers, their grasps on each other firm and tight. It wasn't until a minute later that they were pried apart by Hermione, whom they allowed into the middle of their group hug.

"Do you like it, Harry?" asked an emotional Hermione.

"I love it," he said quietly. "Thank you two so much."

Ron nodded. "Don't mention it, mate. We'd do anything for you."

Slowly they disbanded from the hug. It was obvious that everyone in the room had been watching. Even Ginny had stopped ripping open a gift from Remus to see them. She leaned over and picked up the book.

"So this is what you wanted me to write that piece for?" she said, idly flipping through the pages, stopping to read bits from them. "Hermione, Ron, this is amazing. Now, come get your presents!"

Ron let out a childish sound of glee as he dove into his pile of presents. Hermione set to hers with much more of a reserved manner, opening Ron's first, and a silver bracelet with a book charm on it. Harry sat down next to Ginny on the couch.

"Harry, go open your presents," she said.

"I have...oh! Yeah, yeah, sorry."

Ginny frowned at his moment of confusion. She couldn't believe how easily he could forget that he actually got presents on Christmas. It saddened her.

"Open mine first," she whispered in his ear.

She produced another box-like gift and handed it to him. The wrapping was plain, a shimmering red. Harry opened it carefully. As the paper fell away, a drawing within a gold-engraved wooden frame was left. Harry saw his face, his eyes staring at Ginny, who was on his lap, curled into his chest. Dean Thomas's neat script was in the corner. Harry traced the outline of Ginny's face.

He set the picture aside and pulled Ginny onto his lap instead. She hugged him, her arms draping loosely around his neck. She kissed it quickly.

"Thanks, Ginny," he said. "I love it, here's yours."

He summoned it and caught the present out of the air without even looking up. Ginny marveled, not for the first time, how amazing Harry was at Seeking and how his skills had paid off in everyday life. She'd be disappointed if he didn't pursue professional Quidditch someday. He handed the gift to her.

She tore into the wrapping like an eager child, revealing a small jewelry box. As she reached inside her fingers touched the cool gold chain of a necklace. Ginny pulled it out, placing the necklace in her hand, the chain threaded through her fingers. A beautiful emerald lay in her palm. She traced the outline of the gem with her index finger.

"Put it on, Harry?" she asked quietly.

Harry took the necklace from her and draped it around her neck. He fumbled with the clasp for a few seconds before getting it to close the chain. Ginny looked down at the gleaming emerald on her chest. She'd fallen in love with this necklace in Muggle London over the summer and was surprised that Harry had realized how much she adored it.

"Thank you, Harry. This must have cost you a fortune!"

Harry looked serious. "I wasn't concerned with price when I bought it. I love you, Gin."

Even though the words were simple and short, Ginny understood what Harry was trying to say. She smiled, which seemed to brighten Harry's mood as well. Merlin, I love him.

By the time they had finished opening all their presents, Harry had quite the pile to enjoy. Remus and Tonks had written him a book entitled How to Woo a Girl When You're Stuck in the Confines of Your School Walls and Can't Take Her on a Date. He'd gotten an Auror's guide from them as well. Fred and George had sent him a kit of their latest pranks to, 'see these joyous treats be put to use by our first and greatest financer'. Mrs. Weasley had given him a customary sweater. Surprisingly, Dumbledore had sent him a gift. More exactly, a book of interesting, serious, and funny quotes and a package of his favorite lemon drops. Harry had laughed as he opened it.

The most shocking gift of all had been from his Aunt, whom he hadn't spoken to in months. She'd sent him a walkman, complete with cassettes and a headset. The short note that had been attached to it read, Your mother and I shared this when we were children. I know how much you like to be alone, but now you'll at least have something to listen to. Use it well. Harry had been touched that his aunt had even thought to do something like this.

As he fell in bed next to Ginny, he realized that despite all that had occurred today, it had been one of the best Christmases he'd ever had.

~*~

The next few days passed in a blur. Ginny spent all of her time locked in her room, pouring over textbooks and Harry and Hermione's old notes. Ron, perceivably, had lost his. Ron and Hermione had been locking themselves up for hours 'talking' but Harry could only speculate on the amount of time their mouths were free enough to form words. He'd spent his time with Remus, fixing up Sirius's old motorcycle.

Harry stepped off the bike, taking off Sirius's old helmet and shaking his hair out like a dog. Remus stepped off slightly shakily, feeling as if he was getting way too old to be riding a motorcycle. When he saw the childish glee on Harry's face, he quickly forgot about it.

"That was bloody brilliant!" Harry nearly yelled. "Will you teach me how to fly it?"

"Keep your voice down, Harry," Remus said in a normal tone. "Yes, I'll teach you how to fly it. I'm going in now. If you want to keep riding you have to find someone else to go with, an adult, not Ginny."

"Ginny's busy," Harry said flatly. "Just tell Tonks to come out."

Confused at Harry's abrupt shift in demeanor, Remus turned and went inside. As he came out of the front hallway, he saw Ginny running up the stairs in a swirl of red hair. Tonks was sitting at the kitchen table.

"Harry wants you."

Tonks didn't look surprised and didn't even ask where he was before Accioing her jacket and heading outside. Remus dropped his helmet on the table and started up the stairs. He knocked on the door to Ginny and Harry's room, where Ginny was studying, and was met with a sharp response of, "go away, can't you see I'm busy?"

"Just wondering if you wanted help studying," Remus said lightly.

"NO!"

Sighing, Remus turned away from the door. He heard a slight moan and prayed that Ron and Hermione would start using silencing charms on their door if they were going to have heated snogging sessions. The rest of the house did not need to hear what went on behind closed doors.

After brewing himself a cup of weak tea, the werewolf headed back outside to see what Harry and Tonks were up to. The motorcycle was parked off to the side and Harry was standing next to it. Tonks was lazing against it, her legs stretched out in front of her.

As they talked, Remus strained to hear part of their conversation. He couldn't pick up much, only a few stray words. Harry looked decidedly upset over something. After a while longer the werewolf realized that he could no longer hear anything. The teenager was staring at him, his face a mix of anger and sadness. It was not until he continued his talk with Tonks that Remus realized a silencing charm had been put up.

"I started reading the book you two wrote last night. It's very funny," Harry said.

"Glad you like it."

"I hate being on restriction. It's turning into a death sentence. No Hogsmeade at all for me and I'm afraid that Dumbledore'll start taking it away from Ginny, Hermione, and Ron soon too."

"Even with an Auror escort Albus wouldn't let you go?" Tonks asked.

"Nope. I think he's determined to squash the life out of me until all that's left is the weapon he needs to destroy Voldemort."

"Harry, don't say that! I know-"

"Tonks, you know what the prophecy says. It's as simple as that. Come the new term I'll be in training up to my ears. I won't have a free moment left, especially after the Christmas attack. Voldemort's coming for me, and he'll keep striking closer to home until he gets what he wants, which is me. Dead."

For once Tonks didn't have a clue what to say back.

~*~

"Well I'm off then," Ginny said the following morning.

A chorus of, "Good luck!" and, "You'll do great!" followed her. None of them came from the one person she wanted to be there.

Just before she put her hand on the Portkey to take her to Hogwarts, Harry came tripping down the stairs. He looked as if he wanted to be anything but awake. He was a mess with his hair all tousled in every direction and his eyes sunken and hollow. His gaze held Ginny's for a moment.

"Good luck," he said, his voice scratchy.

Without warning Ginny threw her arms around him. Slightly dazed from his dream, Harry reacted slowly. He kissed her on the lips and whispered some extra words of encouragement against them.

"Come with me," she said. "I'll need moral support."

Harry pulled away and shook his head. "No. Go now."

"Harry-"

He'd already started up the stairs and out of her sight. Ginny was honestly confused by his actions. She stared after him until Tonks pulled her back to the Portkey. Three seconds later she was gone.

A loud thud echoed from the kitchen a few hours later. An excited squeal sounded and then Remus's name was called. Ginny came bounding towards him from the other room with Hermione and Tonks trailing her.

"I did it!" she cried, waving her formal result sheet above her head. "I got an O on my Defense O.W.L.!"

Remus cracked a smile and took the proffered parchment from the excited girl. As he quickly scanned the document he paused to look up with pride into Ginny's face. He became excited for her.

"Very good, Ginny. I'm proud of you."

Ginny's face beamed at this point. She took her parchment back and hugged Remus tightly.

"Thank you for teaching me most of this. I'm going to go put it upstairs in a safe place."

Before Remus could utter a word of caution about Harry, Ginny had run off. As she reached the door of her bedroom she thought she was alone because no light was on. She pushed the door open and was startled to find Harry slumped over his bed.

Her O.W.L. scores were placed on the desk and she went over to Harry. He lay spread-eagled and face down on the mattress.

"Harry, are you awake?"

A muffled noise was the response she received. Using much of his energy, Harry rolled over. She saw that he couldn't even bring himself to sit up.

"How did you-" he broke off with a cough, "do on your O.W.L.?"

Sitting next to him on the bed she answered. "I got on O."

"Great. I knew you'd ace it."

"Harry, are you feeling okay?" Ginny asked. "Did I miss something while I was gone?"

"No, I just had a rough night. I've been up here all day thinking about things."

Ginny lay down. "What things?"

"I don't want to go back to school," he said quietly. "The rumors are going to be insane, I bet they already were the day after I left. I just don't want to deal with it anymore. I hate the spotlight."

Ginny kissed him soundly on the lips. "You'll have me there to dispel any nasty rumors. The talk wasn't so bad after Dumbledore addressed the school about what happened."

Harry closed his eyes. "My head hurts. Isn't that odd that it hurts so much I've grown used to it? I mean it's not a good day in the life of Harry Potter if he doesn't have a headache. That's what it seems like, at least."

Ginny giggled. "It wouldn't be a day in the life of Harry Potter if he didn't look like shit. Get some rest Harry; you really do look horrible. I'll bring some food up for you later."

Harry let out a small laugh before adjusting himself on the bed and closing his eyes once more.

~~**~~