Broken Fate

Chapter Twenty-One ~ Christmas Gifts

Harry was awake before any of his dormmates on Friday morning, and the first thing he did was go down to the infirmary to see how Jamie was doing. She had looked terrible when she had been brought in the previous evening. He hadn't actually realized until last night just how much he was worried for her welfare. Granted, she was still a mystery to him in a lot of ways--he didn't really know her that well, except through the letters Ginny shared with him.

When Harry stepped into the hospital wing, the first thing he heard was Jamie's voice. "I'm fine. Really. I don't need any more medicine."

"That is for me to decide," Madam Pomfrey said curtly.

Harry stepped forward. Jamie's back was to him, but Madam Pomfrey was glaring at her with her 'you will do what I tell you to' look. Ginny was sitting in a chair beside Jamie's bed, and she looked over when Harry came in. A grin lit up her face, and she waved him over.

"I don't like medicine," Jamie said warily.

"Now, this is ridiculous! You are just as stubborn as your father! And you are going to take this potion," Madam Pomfrey said crossly.

Well, Dumbledore at least told Madam Pomfrey some of it.

Jamie sighed, but took the cup from Madam Pomfrey. "There's not any sleeping draft in here, is there?" she asked suspiciously.

"Oh, for heaven's sake! No! Although if you weren't leaving very shortly, I would have given it to you. Heaven knows you need it!"

"All right." Jamie quickly swallowed the potion and handed the glass back to Madam Pomfrey. Muttering under her breath, Madam Pomfrey strode into her office.

"Nice to see you up and about," Harry said as he reached Jamie's hospital bed.

Jamie's head swiveled toward him, a look of surprise on her face. "Harry! I didn't hear you come in."

It gave Harry quite a jolt to see her. He had seen her briefly last night, of course, but she had still been in disguise--and unconscious--at the time. Now he was again faced with her black hair and bright green eyes. He was relieved that he didn't feel nearly as awkward as he had thought he might.

"I think you were too busy questioning Madam Pomfrey's motives," Ginny said wryly. "Taking medicine isn't that bad, you know."

"It is when your aunt and uncle drill into you a fear of swallowing anything when you aren't sure what it's composed of," Jamie said, half a smile on her face.

Ginny winced. "I guess so."

"Where are Will and Shay?" Harry asked. "I expected them to be here."

"Will spent most of the night talking with Dumbledore, and Shay was up with me most of the night," Jamie said. "They went to get breakfast a little bit ago. They should be back soon."

Harry sat down in a chair beside Ginny's. "I heard you broke your wand."

Jamie winced. "Yes. As far as I can tell, I was almost hit with a curse when I was Displaced. The curse disrupted the Displacement spell, and of course, I ended up in the Forbidden Forest. I think I appeared mid-air, and when I landed, I broke my ankle and my wand. I might have landed on it. Professor Dumbledore said he was going to bring me a new one." She sighed. "I wish I still had mine...I'm grateful Professor Dumbledore is getting a new one for me, don't get me wrong," she put in hurriedly. "I just...I've had the same wand since my Aunt Hermione gave it to me when I was five. It'll be weird using a new one."

Harry stayed and talked with Jamie and Ginny for a while. The conversation stayed light, which was needed between all three of them. It was the first time they had ever been alone together, and Harry had the sense that all of them were feeling the situation out. When Will and Shay returned from breafkast, Ginny patted Jamie on the arm. "I'm going to go; I need to get breafkast before classes start, but I'll see you tomorrow at headquarters, all right?"

Jamie nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Ginny."

"I'm going to head out, too," Harry said.

"All right. Bye, Harry."

"Bye."

Ginny waited for Harry, and they walked out of the hospital wing together. They passed Ron, Hermione, and Neville in the hallway. "Oh, good morning! Is Jamie awake?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, and I'm sure she'll be glad to see you," Ginny replied. She and Harry continued down the hall. Ginny had an odd frown on her face, a look that Harry had come to recognize.

"What's bothering you, Gin?" Harry asked as they ran into other students making their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Hmm? Oh..." Ginny sighed and glanced around the hallway.

Understanding that she didn't want to talk around all these people, Harry suggested, "Do you want to grab some breakfast and take it outside to talk?"

Ginny nodded. "That sounds good. How about I run up to the Tower and grab our cloaks, and you can get some breakfast for us?"

"Toast all right?"

"Toast is fine. With extra butter, please."

Harry headed into the Great Hall while Ginny turned and sprinted for Gryffindor Tower. They met in the entrance hall, donned their winter cloaks, and Harry passed Ginny several slices of thickly buttered toast. Finally, they headed out onto the snow-covered grounds.

In the past couple of months, it had become commonplace to see the two of them walking the path around the lake and just talking. Harry still spent a lot of his time with Ron and Hermione, but he found himself spending more time with Ginny--and on occasion, Neville--than he ever had in the past. Sometimes he just felt like he was intruding on Ron and Hermione's 'date time,' and sometimes it was just because Ginny invited him to go with her. Rumors had spread through Gryffindor that he and Ginny were an item, but both ignored what other people said. What other people thought seemed so unimportant in the light of everything that had happened to him in the past year.

Harry wondered, on occasion, if he would have been as good friends with Ginny if Jamie and the others hadn't traveled back to this time. After all, in the original timeline, Ron and Hermione hadn't been a couple until the end of the year, so would he and Ginny have spent less time together? Probably. He had to admit that he was happy things had turned out this way; Ginny was a great person.

Harry was quiet as they walked around the frozen lake, waiting for Ginny to tell him what was bothering her. She munched on her toast, and when she had finished eating it, she said, "Dumbledore told us he thinks Bill was followed yesterday morning."

Harry nodded. "After he got off duty with the Order."

"And that's just it. Why would the Death Eaters have had reason to follow Bill?" Ginny's gaze was distant. "Jamie told me that she heard the Death Eaters say that they were supposed to capture Bill, but when he got away, they were going to take Jamie in for questioning because they thought she might be 'part of it.' It sounds like the Death Eaters meant part of the Order--or at least the active fight against Voldemort." Ginny stopped and turned away from Harry to face the frozen lake. "Did you know that there are protections against anyone finding out about the Order? Someone can only find out about it if they're told by someone who already knows about it. And the identities of Order members are safeguarded, too. No one--not You-Know-Who, or Death Eaters, or anyone else--could have known that Bill was part of anything that related to the Order, unless someone who knew he was 'part of it' told the Death Eaters."

Harry sucked in his breath. "Ginny--you don't think..."

Ginny turned to face him. "If Bill was on duty yesterday, and he was followed home...how would any of the Death Eaters have known where to find him? I talked to Bill, and he told me it wasn't my problem to worry about." Ginny sighed and shook her head. "Overprotective older brothers. I pointed out that my daughter had been in danger, and I deserved to know how that had happened. He tried arguing the technicalities of that, but I won, and he finally said that Kingsley Shacklebolt was the only person who knew where he was going to be. They were at Grimmauld Place yesterday morning when they were discussing where they needed to be, and Kingsley relieved Bill of duty."

"I have a hard time believing that Kingsley did anything to bring Bill to harm," Harry said.

"He didn't. He was almost attacked by Death Eaters, too, Harry. Late last night. Fortunately, he had been warned about what happened to Bill, and he was ready in case the Death Eaters attacked him. He set up a counter-trap for them. They all got away, but at least Kingsley wasn't hurt. The problem is that wherever Bill and Kingsley were, whatever they were doing for the Order, the Death Eaters knew where they were going to be, and they tried to go after both of them. Remember what Lupin and Tonks were talking about a couple of months ago?"

"Of course. We overheard them talking about someone getting information on the Order...but they said Dumbledore wasn't sure if it was a member of the Order that was leaking information, or if an outside person found a way to spy on them."

Ginny nodded. "I asked Will about it last night; I can't believe we didn't think of asking him before. Harry, he said that a spy was never uncovered; his parents told him that information was leaked on the Order for a while, but it stopped at the beginning of your seventh year, at the same time that Britain was attacked by giants and dementors. Cities were rampaged and flattened, and they weren't sure if that caused the information to stop coming somehow--but it did stop coming. The problem is the here and the now. Whatever's going on, I think it ties into this...spy, or whatever. And there's no guarantee it will stop in this timeline."

Harry rubbed the scar on his forehead absent-mindedly. "If we don't know how information is getting leaked, we don't know who or what is safe."

"Exactly. And Jamie, Will, and Shay are going to be staying at Grimmauld Place over the holidays, and Jamie will probably be staying longer. The Order's going to know about them. What if word gets back to You-Know-Who?"

"Grimmauld Place is safe," Harry said, frowning. "Dumbledore's Secret-Keeper. No one will be able to get them there."

"Yes, but what about once they leave? There's something else, Harry. Will's never been to Grimmauld Place. He said that it burned to the ground during your seventh year, which is why the Order operated for a while out of Hogwarts during my seventh year. We can't guarantee that it has nothing to do with the leaked information." Ginny looked very frustrated. "This is really, really bothering me. My family's been put in danger because of whatever's going on. And there's even more. Jamie also told me that in the original timeline, Bill and Fleur were captured, just like it almost happened last night. They were outside the building they live in, and they were ambushed by Death Eaters. It didn't happen until January, though. And Jamie wasn't there, obviously, and Gabrielle was still in France."

"What happened to Bill and Fleur after they were captured, in the original timeline?" Harry asked.

"Jamie said they managed to escape." Ginny sighed. "There are just too many pieces to this puzzle, and we need anything might help us figure out how to put it together." She was quiet for a moment, and then sighed again. "We should head back to the school. I have to be in Transfiguration shortly, and in all the excitement last night, I didn't finish my homework. I should try to get it done before class."

Harry nodded, and they headed back up to the school. Harry was lost in thought over the things Ginny had told him. What was happening to the Order? Tonks had been attacked while on duty in June, Bill had been ambushed on his way home last night, and Death Eaters had attempted to ambush Kingsley. The Order was in danger from somewhere unseen; what more damage would be done? And what about Jamie, Will, and Shay? Would word of who they were eventually get back to Voldemort? That was a very unpleasant thought. What would Voldemort do if he learned that Harry had a daughter from the future?

It was something Harry hoped he would never have to find out.

~*~

Later that morning, Bill opened the door to number twelve, Grimmauld Place and motioned Jamie, Fleur, and Gabrielle inside. Dumbledore had told them where headquarters could be found, so that they would be able to see it and enter. "Come on." Bill headed down the hallway.

Jamie jumped when curtains on the wall flung open to reveal a huge picture of an old woman. She looked furious, and appeared to be trying to scream something, but no sounds emerged.

"Oh, don't mind her," Bill said. "That was Sirius Black's mum. She used to scream profanities and insults until Remus figured out a way to keep her quiet."

"Hello!" Remus emerged at the top of the stairs and began walking down them. "Sorry, I was dealing with Kreacher. Bill, your parents had to go out this morning, but they said to tell you they should be back about noon."

"All right."

"Meanwhile, there are two bedrooms on the second floor that you three ladies can use. Fleur, Gabrielle, the one on the right is yours. Molly is still asleep in the one on the left right now, and you'll be sharing with her, and with Ginny and Hermione once they arrive, Jamie," Remus told Jamie, smiling at her. "I believe your grandparents brought your stuff over last night and put it in there."

"All right. Thanks." Jamie smiled shakily, fighting down the ever-present emotions his presence brought up in her.

"Zank you. I am going to get it situated, if zat is all right," Fleur said.

"Of course," Remus nodded.

Fleur headed upstairs, and Bill and Gabrielle followed. Jamie hesitated, looking at Remus, who smiled again at her. "Would you like some tea? I have a pot ready in the kitchen."

"I...I'd love some." Jamie followed Remus down into the kitchen, where he motioned for her to sit at one of the benches at the table. He poured two cups of tea. "Milk or sugar?"

"Both, please."

Remus added milk and sugar, and then passed her the teacup. Jamie held it gratefully, letting it warm her cold hands. She took a sip and released a deep breath, soothed a bit by the hot liquid. The Daily Prophet was lying on the table, and she caught a glimpse of the headline on the front page. Death Eater Attack in London! She pulled the paper over closer to her and read the first part of the story. It was the attack near Bill and Fleur's flats; apparently the Magical Law Enforcement had arrived not long after the Muggle police. After questioning Muggles who had been witnesses to the attack, they had been forced to perform numerous Memory Charms on them.

She stopped reading when Remus sat down across from her. "I apologize for not coming to the Burrow to see you, as I said I would. I've been rather busy. I didn't forget, though, and I wanted some time to sit down and talk with you." He studied her for a moment, then held out a wand. "Dumbledore delivered this to me this morning, and asked me to give it to you."

Jamie set her cup on the table so she could take it. "Thank you." Then she stopped and stared at it. "It's..."

"It's willow, thirteen inches, with a unicorn hair."

"It's...my old wand! How did...?"

"Dumbledore has his ways," Remus said.

Jamie grinned and tucked the wand carefully into her pocket. She would definitely have to thank Dumbledore later.

"Dumbledore also shared with me some of your future," Remus continued.

How many people did Dumbledore tell? Probably the whole Order, since we're staying at their headquarters. Did Will tell Dumbledore about Remus? How much would Will have said? Jamie wondered, feeling a bit panicky. She could barely meet Remus's eyes. Does he know? Does he hate me?

"You had a very dismal future. Your childhood was worse, I fear, than even your father's--and I didn't think that was possible."

Jamie felt her eyes welling with tears, and she looked down at her tea so that Remus wouldn't see her cry. "Did--" her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat. "Did Dumbledore tell you what happened to the Remus Lupin of the future?"

"No, only that I had died helping you find the Time-Turner that brought you back here," Remus said. Jamie heard him take a sip of his tea, and the click of a cup being set on the table.

Jamie's teacup shook in her hand, and she quickly put it on the table. "I--" I can't do this. I can't face him. I can't.

"Are you all right?" Remus asked in concern.

"I--" You can't just walk out of this, she told herself fiercely. You're the one who's been telling Shay to face his past; you can't ignore your own advice. She swallowed hard and looked up at him. "I was there when you died," she managed to whisper.

Sympathy and understanding flashed across Remus' face, and studied her for a moment. "I'm very sorry."

Jamie's throat closed up. He's apologizing? she thought in disbelief. She shook her head. "No..." To her horror, she felt tears sliding down her cheeks. It was the second time she had cried upon seeing him. She wiped her face with the back of her hand. "Some impression I'm making, huh? I just cry whenever I see you."

Remus dug into his robes and offered her a handkerchief. "It's quite all right. I can't say I completely understand your situation, but I certainly sympathize. I'm very sorry that you had to witness my death. I imagine it must be hard seeing me again, especially since I don't remember you."

"No!" Jamie burst out. "I mean, yes, but...you don't understand..." Words that she had been desperate to say for five months burst out of her. "It was my fault." The words physically hurt her, and she flinched, clutching her teacup so hard she was afraid it might break.

"What was your fault?" Remus asked quietly.

"Your death!" The words poured from Jamie as if a dam had broken. "It was all my fault. We were looking for the Time-Turner...back in July...and I had a lead on it, and you followed it... Will and Shay were off following a different lead, and I was going to go alone, but you wouldn't let me...and there were Death Eaters...and you saved me...you saved me, and you died for it." She covered her face with her hands. "You died for me, and if I hadn't been there, you would have stayed alive."

Remus was quiet for a long moment, and Jamie couldn't bear to look at him. She was afraid of what she might see on his face, but when she finally dared a look up, all she saw through her tear-blurred eyes was compassion.

"Jamie," he said carefully. "I realize that I don't really know you, nor do I know the circumstances that my future self was in when he died, but let me say this: if my future self chose to save you, then he would have done it without any hesitation. And if he was helping you track down the Time-Turner, I'm sure he would have been glad to know that you found it, and that you made it back to this time."

"But it was still my fault."

"No, it wasn't. It was the Death Eaters' fault. And most importantly, it hasn't happened yet." Remus laid his hand on hers. "You've been given a second chance, Jamie. I'm still quite alive, and you needn't feel guilty. You have nothing to be sorry for, and I can assure you that the future Remus Lupin would say the same thing."

"I never even had the chance to tell him how sorry I was, and ask him to forgive me," Jamie cried into the handkerchief.

Remus squeezed her hand gently, and then let it go. "Then accept my word on this. There's nothing to be forgiven for."

His words eased something in Jamie, and the horrible knot of guilt in her stomach loosened. Sniffling, she looked up at Remus, embarrassed. "You must think I'm quite ridiculous."

"On the contrary. I'm glad that you told me about this, and I hope it helped you."

"It did," Jamie said, wiping her eyes and nose on the damp handkerchief.

"Good." Remus stood up from the table. "Why don't you finish your tea? I'm going to see about making some breakfast."

Jamie obediently picked up the tea and sipped at it. It was lukewarm now, but it was still soothing. She watched Remus move around the kitchen, thinking about what he'd said about second chances.

Gabrielle chose that moment to come into the kitchen. "Zere is an 'orrible 'ouse-elf upstairs," she said, sitting down beside Jamie.

"Kreacher," Remus replied. He stood up and moved to the cupboards. He dug out a pan and set it on the stove. "He is horrible. He was bound to serve Sirius's family, and Sirius bound him to the service of the new owner of Grimmauld Place, should anything happen to him. He can't be set free. He knows too much about the Order."

"'e was talking about blood traitors and brats," Gabrielle said with some confusion.

"Just ignore him," Remus said firmly. "Don't pay any attention to what he says."

"Zere is also an 'ippogriff in ze attic," Gabrielle said.

Remus laughed. "You went exploring, eh?"

"Yes. What is an 'ippogriff doing in ze attic?"

"His name is Buckbeak. He lives here. Don't go near him unless an adult is with you, all right?"

"Don't worry, I won't," Gabrielle said. "'e was eyeing me as if 'e wanted to eat me. Zis 'ouse is very strange."

Remus chuckled. "That it is. It used to be full of all sorts of dark magic. You should have seen it when we first got here. Just be glad the house-elf heads got taken off the wall."

"'ouse-elf 'eads?" Gabrielle repeated in horror.

Remus nodded. "Mounted on planks on the wall. I don't think Kreacher has ever forgiven us for taking them down."

~*~

On Saturday morning, Harry sat in the Knight Bus with Tonks, Charlie, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Will, and Shay, on their way to Grimmauld Place. They were the only ones on the third floor, and the jolting didn't help his already queasy stomach. He was feeling a good deal of trepidation about facing Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. He hadn't seen them since the summer, and he had no idea what they would say to him, as they had been living with--technically--his and Ginny's daughter for the past three months. Hermione looked equally nervous, and at one point, she leaned over to whisper, "They're going to be meeting Will for the first time."

Ginny overheard the comment, and looked between Harry and Hermione. "It's all right," she said, offering a reassuring smile. "Mum and Dad will be fine. They've had Jamie and Molly staying with them for quite a while. They've had plenty of time to adjust."

Harry and Hermione exchanged glances, and Harry leaned back in his seat with a sigh. He had talked with Jamie again, just before she was released from the hospital wing the day before. It hadn't been nearly as awkward as the first time he had met her. It still gave him a shock to see her face, but he figured by the time the Christmas holidays were over, he would be completely used to it. Well, mostly used to it.

The Knight Bus popped out on a hill in the countryside, and Harry nearly fell out of his seat. Moments later, it was in motion again. It made several more stops, and somewhere in the middle of that, Hermione got into a discussion with Will and Shay about what they wanted to do with their lives when they were out of school.

Frowning, Will said, "I never really expected to have a future where I might be able to do something other than hide and fight Death Eaters."

"Well, now you have the chance," Hermione said firmly. "So what do you want to do with it?"

Will looked thoughtful. "I...I think I would become a Healer."

The Knight Bus jerked to a halt, and everyone clung to their seats. "What about--" Hermione was cut off by a scream from a level below them. Everyone had their wands out in an instant, Tonks and Charlie immediately jumped to their feet.

"Stay here," Charlie ordered. He hurried toward the stairway to the second floor, while Tonks stood in front of the students. Moments later, Charlie came back upstairs, tucking his wand into his robes. "False alarm," he told Tonks. "Some witch got mad at her husband and hit him over the head with her collapsible cauldron." He rolled his eyes.

It just went to show, Harry thought, how on edge everyone was.

When they did finally get to Grimmauld Place, Harry found Ginny was quite right about her parents. Mrs. Weasley was waiting at the front door, and she immediately tried to hug everyone at once. "Charlie! Ginny! Ron! Oh, Harry!" He found himself crushed in a tight hug, and then Mrs. Weasley squeezed Hermione so hard she squeaked. She paused only briefly when she saw Will and Shay, and then proceeded to wrap her arms around both of them. An extremely startled expression crossed Shay's face, but before he could react at all, Mrs. Weasley had moved onto hug Ron and Ginny again. She only stopped when Ron pulled away and said, "Mum! We should really get our trunks upstairs."

"Oh, of course, dear, of course." Mrs. Weasley stepped back, beaming at them. "Jamie and Molly are in the kitchen." She leaned forward and said, "They've been such a delight to have, you know. Jamie's just so vibrant--just like you, Ginny dear. And Molly's just the sweetest thing. You had beautiful daughters."

Harry choked, and Ron flushed. "Mum!"

"Mum," Ginny said patiently.

"I'm going to the kitchen," Hermione said hurriedly, and disappeared toward the back.

~*~

Grimmauld Place was very crowded, but it didn't take long before Harry became more relaxed than he had been in a long time. Sometimes it was difficult being in Grimmauld Place, because it held so many memories of Sirius, but it was full of so much laughter that it was hard to be melancholy all the time. Anytime he started feeling low, one of his friends quickly dragged him into the festivities.

Living in the same house as all four of the future children was a very interesting experience. He was accustomed to living with Will, of course, as they had been sharing a dormitory for months. Harry actually started to get to know Jamie, and he found that he really liked her. He hadn't been sure what to expect--someone just like Ginny? just like him?--but she was entirely her own person. Sometimes he saw things in her that reminded him of Ginny, or of himself, but he supposed that was to be expected.

And then there was little Molly Weasley. She clung to Will at first, but slowly got used to all the new people in the house. Hermione did her best to spend a lot of time with Molly, and could often be found sitting on the floor and drawing with her. It was moments like that when it didn't take much for Harry to imagine Hermione as a mother sometime in the future.

More than anyone else, though, Molly especially took to Ron, much to his bewilderment. She trailed him through the house (usually with a piece of paper and a crayon in hand), stopping whenever Ron stopped, and staring at him with big brown eyes.

Ron had no idea what to do. "I've never dealt with little kids!" he hissed at Harry once. "What am I supposed to do with her? Why does she like me so much?"

Overhearing, Ginny said in great amusement, "Because you're her daddy."

Ron sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Maybe in her time! But...I'm sixteen! I'm not old enough to be her dad! Besides, she can't know I'm her father, can she? She was just a baby when the...er...future me died."

"Just color with her, Ron," Harry suggested. "Talk to her. She just wants to spend time with you."

Ron ran a hand through his red hair. "I suppose," he said doubtfully. However, he did make an effort to do things with her (encouraged a great deal by Hermione) and became more at ease with her as the days passed.

Molly reacted very strangely to Kreacher. The house-elf made a nuisance of himself, walking through the house and muttering things like, "Nasty mutants and blood-traitors and Mudbloods messing up my poor Mistress's house, oh what would my poor Mistress say if she knew, she would be so shamed by poor Kreacher, who served her so faithfully. Defilers and filth, that's what they are, and they've no right to be here." At first, whenever he entered a room where Molly was, she ran into the arms of the person nearest to her.

Hermione tried to tell her that Kreacher wouldn't hurt her. "Molly, sweetheart, he's a house-elf; house-elves aren't bad," Hermione said one day when they were all stringing popcorn. Molly had knocked over a huge bowl of kernals in her effort to dive into Jamie's lap when Kreacher entered the room.

"This one is," Ron said sourly.

"House-elves are what wizards make them," Jamie put in. "They deserve to be treated much better than they are."

Harry and Ron stared at her for a moment, and then Ron groaned. "Hermione! You corrupted her!"

"I did what?" Hermione asked indignantly.

"Well, you probably spouted all that spew stuff to her while she was growing up!" Ron exclaimed.

"It's not spew, Ron, it's the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."

"Whatever. You corrupted her."

After several days had passed, Molly stopped running away when Kreacher was around, and she began drawing pictures of him. At least, she drew pictures of what everyone supposed was him, and she always put a huge scowl on the picture-Kreacher's face. She progressed from coloring pictures of Kreacher to hunting him around the house, much to everyone's bafflement. It was Shay who finally said (as Molly was tracking Kreacher down the hallway and into the kitchen), "It's as if she wants to be sure of where he is all the time so that she can feel safe."

Even Harry had to admit that's what it looked like.

"Has she ever had bad experiences with house-elves?" Hermione asked over her shoulder as she followed Molly toward the kitchen.

"As far as I know, she's never seen a house-elf in her life," Shay said, shrugging.

"Maybe she's just nervous because he's a new being to her, then," Hermione suggested.

Harry dealt with Kreacher by simply telling him to shut up and leave the room (being careful not to tell him 'leave,' lest he take Harry seriously and leave Grimmauld Place, as he had done the year before). The house-elf always shot him nasty looks, muttering evermore, but he always obeyed. Harry absolutely hated Kreacher, especially after what he had done in participating in Sirius' death. He fervantly wished that Kreacher could be freed and just leave, but he knew the dangers in that. One day he muttered to Shay, "Please tell me Kreacher wasn't still around in your time."

Shay shook his head. "Nope. As far as anyone knows, he died when Grimmauld Place burned down."

Harry wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad one. Why had Grimmauld Place burned down, and could he prevent it from happening again?

And while adjustments were being made for everyone, Harry guessed that the whole thing was hardest on Shay; he wouldn't even go into the same room as Gabrielle if he could avoid it. Everyone knew that Gabrielle was his mother except Gabrielle herself. Harry sometimes noticed her frowning at Shay with a puzzled expression on her face, as if trying to figure something out. She knew that Jamie was related to Harry, but as since she was oblivious to the fact that Harry didn't have any family besides the Dursleys, she didn't find anything unusual in it.

One afternoon, Mr. Weasley, Charlie, Fred, and George went out and came back with a huge Christmas tree, which they set up in the huge sitting room downstairs. Everyone chipped in on decorating the tree, and the rest of the house. Jamie, who was very enthusiastic about Christmastime, worked with Tonks to make one of the rooms downstairs start pouring snow (which disappeared before it touched the ground) whenever someone walked into it. Christmas cookies were baked (Mrs. Weasley had a fit when she walked into the kitchen to find Tonks, Ginny, Hermione, and Gabrielle throwing dough at each other, and Gabrielle covered head-to-toe in flour). Someone--Harry wasn't sure who--had created a bunch of Father Christmas hats that had balls that flashed red, green, and gold on the end, and someone could always be seen wearing one.

Then, of course, there were Fred and George. Much to Mrs. Weasley's exasperation, they set up a spell to make the portrait of Mrs. Black appear to sing carols everytime the curtains in front of it flew open. Mrs. Black's mouth moved, but the carols in no way matched the words she was mouthing. They also had great fun teasing Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny to no end. Harry had learned by now to ignore it. Of course, it didn't help that Fred and George set up mistletoe on the doorways (which whistled rudely only when Harry, Ginny, Ron, or Hermione walked under it). Harry made a point of ignoring the mistletoe, too.

There were numerous times when different members of the Order stopped by. Anyone who came through the house made a point to stop and introduce themselves to Jamie, Will, and Shay. When Snape came to Grimmauld Place and met Jamie, all he did was sneer at her. Harry wasn't surprised by his attitude; why should his animosity for the Potter line stop with Harry?

Over all, though, the holidays progressed smoothly.

When it was nearing midnight on the day before Christmas Eve, Harry trudged downstairs for a glass of water. He stopped when he heard giggling coming from the front room. Frowning, he tiptoed over and peered into the room. He blinked. The girls had taken over the room. Molly was asleep on Hermione's lap, and Hermione was combing her fingers through the little girl's hair. Tonks and Fleur were sitting on the floor in front of a big box of something that Harry couldn't see. Ginny was seated on the couch next to Hermione, and Jamie was on the floor in front of her, holding her wand. Gabrielle was stretched out in front of the fire, her white-blond hair fanned out on the floor and her eyes closed as she slept.

"What do you think of this one?" Tonks held something up, but Fleur's body blocked it from Harry's sight.

"It is very beautiful, but perhaps less...flowery?" Fleur suggested.

"Less flowery...right." Tonks dug back into the box.

Harry stepped inside, interrupting their conversation. "What's going on? Do you have any idea how late it is?" He blinked again when he saw Jamie's hair. "Your..." He waved at it.

Jamie giggled. "Ginny taught me a Hair-Lengthening Charm." She tugged on a strand of black hair--which now fell down just past her waist--and grinned. "What do you think?"

"It...er...looks nice," Harry said, shrugging helplessly.

"It looks beautiful," Ginny corrected with a grin. "She might have your hair color, but she definitely got my hair manageability. It doesn't stick out every which way like yours does."

"Jamie Potter," Tonks said, shaking her head. "Harry, I've decided I will no longer be amazed by anything that happens in your life. And Harry, Ginny, my compliments. You had a wonderful daughter. In the future, anyway," she said, winking.

Harry flushed, but Ginny just grinned. "You're not supposed to be here," she told Harry cheerfully.

"Yeah. We're plotting. Go back to bed," Hermione said.

"Plotting what?" Harry asked.

"Girl stuff." Tonks grinned.

Hermione nodded and made shooing motions with her hands.

"Oh. Um, all right." Giving the girls a very wary look, Harry slowly backed out of the room. He collected his glass of water and headed back upstairs, shaking his head as he heard another burst of laughter come from the front room. I wonder what they're up to...

~*~

Christmas Eve brought a flurry of members of the Order--apparently they were holding some kind of meeting. The doorbell rang all morning. Harry spent the time in the sitting room, teaching Ginny, Jamie, and Shay to play the Muggle card games. Will and Ron were engaged in a fierce chess game (at least, it sounded fierce from all of the shouting coming from the chess pieces). Harry wasn't sure where Hermione was, though she had said something about helping Gabrielle wrap presents.

The doorbell rang, and Mrs. Weasley hurried to answer it. Harry was shocked to see Luna Lovegood enter the house behind a strange man. Harry guessed the man to be Luna's father; he had thinning hair the same color as Luna's, and while he didn't have her popping eyes, he shared similar facial features. The man disappeared toward the kitchen with Mrs. Weasley, and Luna drifted into the sitting room. "Hello," she said, smiling dreamily.

"Luna?" Ginny said in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

Luna settled herself on the couch. "Oh, Dad's part of the Order of the Phoenix, didn't you know?"

"No," Ron spoke up.

"Oh, well he is." Luna pulled out a copy of The Quibbler.

"So...what's new, Luna?" Ginny asked.

"Well, there's some interesting things going on at the Ministry. Did you know there's a Muggle working directly with the Minister of Magic? It's all part of the Minister's undercover house-elf brainwashing."

Harry exchanged glances with Ginny, who shrugged. They were both used to Luna's odd comments, and didn't bother to ask Luna how a Muggle working with the Minister tied into house-elf brainwashing. Shay and Jamie, however, turned to look at Luna, who was gazing at her magazine. Shay raised his eyebrows, and Ginny shook her head slightly. "Luna, have you met Jamie? I know you've met Will and Shay at the Hogwarts Coalition meetings."

Luna looked up and smiled at Jamie. "Hello. You're one of the time-travelers, aren't you?"

"Um..."

"Professor Dumbledore told my father we might see you here," Luna put in. "And then, of course, it all made sense. I knew there was something different about you two." She motioned at Will and Shay. "And last month we had a whole article in The Quibbler about time-traveling. Isn't that funny? I'll have to show it to you sometime." She looked back down at her magazine.

The Order's meeting lasted into the early afternoon. At one point, Kreacher came walking into the room, muttering nonstop under his breath. Harry got him to leave about the same time that Luna's father came to collect her. "Good-bye," Luna said, standing to her feet and tucking The Quibbler into her robes. "I'm sure I'll see you soon."

"Happy Christmas, Luna." Ginny waved at her.

Luna smiled serenely. "Happy Christmas. And keep an eye on the house-elves. The brainwashing does strange things to their heads."

"Kreacher doesn't need brainwashing to make him strange in the head," Harry muttered to Ginny after Luna was gone.

~*~

Midnight on Christmas Eve found Will, Shay, and Jamie sitting in front of the Christmas tree. There were certain traditions that they had developed growing up, and there were some things that they would continue to do no matter where--or when--they were.

"It's been an interesting year," Will said quietly, leaning his head back against the couch.

"I don't think 'interesting' is quite the right word," Jamie said drily. She wrapped her arms around her knees and sighed. "I've learned a lot."

"Hair-Lengthening Charms, for one," Shay said, pulling Jamie's hair.

Jamie rolled her eyes. "Not that kind of learning, Seamus. You know what I meant. And let go. That hurts."

Will smiled at both of them. "Shall I start?"

"Go ahead, Will," Jamie said, with a quick glare at Shay.

Will closed his eyes for a moment, recalling everything that had happened this year. "I'm thankful that we found the Time-Turner."

Jamie laid her head on Will's shoulder and sighed. "I'm thankful that we've found so many people willing to help us in this time."

Shay sighed, folding his hands behind his head. "I'm thankful that we're still alive."

"I'm thankful for the Weasleys taking me in, and for all of the letters Ginny sent me. They've helped a lot," Jamie admitted.

"I'm thankful I got the chance to see my parents again," Will said.

"I'm thankful Jamie was there when Bill and Fleur were attacked," Shay stated.

"I'm thankful for Remus. Without him we wouldn't have the Time-Turner," Jamie said.

Will smiled. He was glad Jamie had talked to Remus; it was nice to hear her sound happy when she mentioned him, instead of guilty and agitated. He squeezed her shoulder. "I'm thankful that Molly seems to be opening up a little bit."

"I'm thankful for second chances," Jamie said quietly.

They continued sharing everything they were thankful for, and then fell silent for several minutes, resting in each other's company. Finally, Jamie lifted her head off of Will's shoulder. "I'm thankful for you two." She kissed them each on the cheek and stood up. "I love you. Happy Christmas." She turned and walked out of the room, missing the expression that crossed Shay's face. Will saw it, and he glanced over at his cousin's retreating back, then again at Shay, whose forehead was puckered into a slight frown.

A slight smile crossed Will's face, and he pushed himself to his feet. "I'm off to bed, too. You coming?"

"In a minute."

"Happy Christmas, Shay."

"Happy Christmas."

~*~

The Christmas celebration was the biggest one Harry had ever had. The house was full of laughter and joyful calls of, "Happy Christmas!" Kingsley and Mad-Eye Moody had come for the festivities, and even Dumbledore showed up. Mrs. Weasley recruited help to make breakfast, and after they had eaten, they all went into the front room where the Christmas tree stood. Piles of presents surrounded the tree, and Harry quickly found his pile.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had given him the usual--fudge and a green sweater. Ron gave him a huge bag of chocolate frogs, and Hermione gave him a knitted scarf that had on it the design of a big black dog and a stag. He stared at it for a long minute, and glanced up to find her smiling slightly. "I thought it might help you think of the good memories."

"Thanks, Hermione," he said in a low voice.

Fred and George gave him one of their Skiving Snackboxes. Ginny's gift was a Dark Arts Defense Kit, which was full of little things to help in defense against the dark arts. Attached was a note that read: For a fellow future Auror, in hopes that someday it will be an occupation needed much less than it is now. Jamie also had a present for him, which surprised him. She had given him a book entitled, The Quidditch Captain's Guide to Success. Underneath the title, it said: read about the tips and tricks of today's most renowned Quidditch captains! When he opened her present, he looked over to find her watching him anxiously. "Ginny and Hermione thought you'd like it," she said nervously.

"I do, Jamie. Thank you. It will come in handy in planning upcoming Quidditch matches."

Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny had pooled their money to buy Jamie, Shay, Will, and Molly presents, and had sent Charlie out to buy them. They had chosen their gifts based on the occupations the three future children had discussed wanting to eventually do, if they had the chance. For Jamie--who, Harry had discovered, wanted to learn more about photography--they had bought a camera and a large photo album. Will had received a book entitled A Guide to Healing: Learning the Basics and More. Shay had been harder to shop for, but in the end, they got him a huge assortment of sweets, because as Ginny said, "Everyone needs chocolate, and he looks like he could use it." Molly's gift had been easy; a thick pad of colored paper and a set of markers (bought from a Muggle shop).

Jamie was the first to open her gift, and she looked around at Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Will has a photo album with pictures from your childhood," Ginny said quietly. "Now you can fill one of your life now."

Jamie's smile was a bit watery.

Harry had several more presents from members of the Order, but he froze when he went to open his final wrapped package. There was a note attached in Dumbledore's handwriting. Sirius asked me to give this to you as a Christmas gift if anything ever happened to him.

Harry swallowed hard. What had Sirius left him? He wasn't sure he wanted to open the package, but he did. Inside a plain brown box, he found several pieces of paper and a key. The first paper was a copy of Sirius's will, and as Harry read it, his eyes grew wide. He flipped to the next paper, and found a deed for number twelve, Grimmauld Place. The last piece of paper was a bank statement for Gringotts. The key went to Sirius's vault at the wizard bank.

Harry looked around for Dumbledore, and saw him watching from the side of the room. Clutching the papers and key in his hand, he squeezed through the crowd of people until he was standing in front of the headmaster. "Professor..." He held up the papers helplessly. "Sirius left me Grimmauld Place." He looked back down at the will. "Which includes Kreacher." So that's why Kreacher hasn't run off to one of Sirius's cousins! "And he left me his bank account."

"Yes, he did," Dumbledore said quietly.

"But..." Harry was quiet for a moment, and then he said, "Professor, I'd still like the Order to use this house as headquarters. And Kreacher...well, he'll have to stay. I know he knows too much to leave."

A smile crossed Dumbledore's face, and he laid a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Thank you, Harry."

Harry pulled out the bank statement from Gringotts. "Sirius had quite a bit of money left in his account," he said in a low voice. He sighed. "I don't need this money, Professor. My parents left me more than enough."

"It is your money, Harry. You must do with it what you see fit." Still smiling at him, Dumbledore said, "If you'll excuse me, I must have a word with Remus."

Harry crossed back over to his pile of presents, still feeling a bit stunned.

"Harry? You all right?" Hermione asked, as he sat down on the floor in front of his stack of gifts. "You look a little...strange."

"I'm...fine." Harry tucked the key and papers back into the box and closed it.

After everyone opened their gifts, Bill stood to his feet and cleared his throat. "Fleur and I would like to make an announcement." He looked over at Fleur, who stood up beside him. "We're...well, we're engaged."

Everyone broke out in a clamor, but it was Mrs. Weasley's voice that carried the loudest. "What? Bill...how...when..."

"They got engaged the day after they were attacked in London," Ginny spoke up.

Mrs. Weasley fixed her gaze on Ginny. "You knew about this? Bill, you told your sister, but you didn't think to tell your mother?"

"I knew about it, too!" Gabrielle piped up. "Zey are going to marry in ze summer, when 'ogwarts term 'as ended."

"That's what we were helping Fleur plan the other night," Ginny whispered to Harry. To her mother, who seemed rather flustered, she said, "Aw, Mum, aren't you happy for Bill? You've been after him and Charlie for ages to settle down and start a family, haven't you?"

"Well...yes, of course...and I think you're a very sweet girl, Fleur," Mrs. Weasley assured. "I was just a bit...surprised."

Harry congratulated Bill and Fleur, and then began moving his gifts upstairs to his room. He spent a long time that day thinking, and at the end of the day, when everyone had retreated to their rooms for bed, he tiptoed into the hallway to one of the girls' rooms. He listened at the door and heard whispering inside, so he knocked.

The whispers fell silent, and a moment later, the door opened, revealing Hermione in a bathrobe. "Harry? Are you all right?"

"Yes. I...er...just wondered if I could have a word with Jamie."

Forehead creased in puzzlement, Hermione turned. "Jamie? Harry wants to talk to you."

There were footsteps, and then Jamie appeared behind Hermione, a confused look on her face. Harry shifted on his feet nervously. "Can I talk to you downstairs for a minute?"

Jamie nodded, and followed Harry down the stairs into the front room, lit only by the fairy lights on the Christmas tree. Jamie sat on the edge of the couch, and Harry handed her a piece of paper. Giving him another questioning look, Jamie unrolled the parchment, then frowned. "Harry...this is a bank statement?" It was more of a question than an assertion.

Harry nodded, and held out the key. Jamie stared at it for a moment, then met Harry's eyes. "It's yours," Harry said.

"What?"

"It's yours," Harry repeated. He handed Jamie the key.

"But...but...you can't give me your money!"

Harry smiled. "I already have plenty of money, Jamie. You don't have any at all, and how else are you going to pay for schoolbooks and robes and film for your camera?"

"But...it's so much money," Jamie whispered. She shook her head. "You have no reason to do this."

"Yes, I do. You're..." Harry hesitated, then pressed on. "You're family, Jamie. In a really weird way that gives me a headache thinking about it sometimes, but I want you to have it. No arguments, all right? Just take it. I don't need it, and I don't want it."

Jamie stared at him silently for a moment, and then stood up and threw her arms around his neck. Harry patted her back awkwardly, hoping she wouldn't sob all over him, because then he really wouldn't know what to do. To his relief, she pulled away after a moment, wiping tears off her face.

She offered him a shaky smile. "Thank you."

Harry smiled in return. "You're welcome."

~*~

Harry was glad that Christmas had been a peaceful day, because the day after Christmas, his life was thrown for a twist--several of them, in fact. He was awakened from a pleasant sleep by Mrs. Weasley. "Harry, dear, Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in the kitchen." She looked very distressed, and fear crept over him.

"What happened?"

"Professor Dumbledore would like to explain, dear."

Ron was still asleep, but Shay and Will weren't in their beds. That surprised Harry, because when he looked at the clock, he saw that it was half past four in the morning. He hurried down to the kitchen, and was startled to find Ginny sitting at the kitchen table across from Professor Dumbledore. She looked tired, but alert. "What's going on?" Harry asked.

"Please sit down, Harry." Professor Dumbledore's expression was very serious. Harry quickly sat beside Ginny, and Dumbledore said, "First, I have some grave news for you, Harry."

Harry drew in a deep breath and waited for Dumbledore to explain.

"Your aunt, uncle, and cousin were holidaying out-of-town for Christmas," Dumbledore said. "While they are at home on Privet Drive, they have been afforded some protection. Away from home..." He folded his hands on the table. "Harry, the Dursleys are dead."

Harry heard Ginny's sharp intake of breath, but he stared at Dumbledore for several heartbeats. "Dead?" he asked numbly.

"Their bodies were taken to St. Mungo's, and it has been determined that they were murdered with the Killing Curse."

Harry wasn't sure what to think. He had never felt any love for the Dursleys, and so the thought of them being dead didn't hurt, but... "When?"

"They were killed last night," Dumbledore said.

Harry rubbed the scar on his forehead, feeling exhausted. "They..." He stopped and shook his head. "They spent their whole lives being terrified of magic, and in the end...magic's what killed them." Then another thought occurred to him, and he said, "Professor, you said that as long...as long as I stayed with the Dursleys at least once a year...as long as I could call their house 'home,' I was protected...because of my mother's sacrifice...does that mean...?"

"What it means, Harry, is that Voldemort is doing everything he can to remove anything that could be safe for you," Dumbledore told him.

"He saw the Dursleys as an obstacle...so he removed them," Harry said quietly.

"Yes." Dumbledore sighed. "And there's something else; Jamie, William, and Seamus have already been told, but you two need to know."

"Know what?" Ginny asked apprehensively.

"Voldemort has learned that Jamie Potter exists in this time. He has learned that, consequently, she is your daughter."

Harry and Ginny stared at Dumbledore for a long moment, and then Ginny said, "How? How did he find out?"

"We have yet to ascertain that."

"It has to do with the...the spy or whatever, doesn't it?" Ginny asked.

Dumbledore didn't look surprised she knew about it. "I believe it may."

Harry rested his head on his hands, staring at the table. "Are you sure Voldemort knows?"

"Yes. I'm afraid that Voldemort has issued orders to his Death Eaters to find her and bring her in alive. He knows right now that she is under my protection, but--"

"She's not safe," Harry said flatly.

"What about Will and Shay?" Ginny asked.

"As far as we know, he doesn't know who they are," Dumbledore said. "This also means, Ginny, that you must be very, very careful."

"Me? Why?"

Harry realized, and his heart sank. "Because Voldemort is intent on ruining my life," he said angrily. He looked at Ginny. "Don't you see? Voldemort just killed the Dursleys because they were my family. He's after Jamie, because she's my daughter, and probably because he wants to find out what she knows from the future. And now, he'll be after you, because he'll see you as my future wife."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "Despite whether you actually become Harry's wife, Ginny, Voldemort will see that as a threat. He now knows that in Jamie's future, at least, Harry lived long enough to marry and have a daughter, and that is all he knows."

"You mean that Voldemort might try to use me to get to Harry." Ginny stated.

Dumbledore looked at her a bit sadly. "It is a possibility." He stood to his feet. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some things I must attend to. I'll speak with you about this more a bit later."

He left them alone in the kitchen. Ginny stared at the wall, her arms wrapped around herself. Harry sat stone-still, so many things running through his mind that he wasn't sure what to say. Finally, he burst out, "See?"

Ginny turned her eyes on him. "What?"

"Everyone in my life suffers because Voldemort is out to get me," Harry said angrily. "You and Jamie are both in danger; the Dursleys were killed! I...I didn't love them...and I won't miss them...but even they didn't deserve to die because of me." He stood to his feet and strode toward the door.

"Harry, where are you going?"

"I don't know! I'd leave if I thought it would help, but it doesn't matter where I go! Voldemort still knows." Harry turned his course to pace around the edge of the kitchen. "He's giong to be after you and Jamie now, too! I don't want that." It was bad enough that Voldemort was after him; he didn't want to bring that on anyone else.

Ginny's eyes followed him around the room, and she said, "I don't like it anymore than you do, Harry! Do you think I like the idea of You-Know...V...Voldemort--" she said through gritted teeth "--using me? He did it once already, Harry! He used me to get to you, and I don't want that to happen again!"

"Well, neither do I! I don't want Voldemort after you because of me! But it's a little late for that, isn't it?" Harry snapped.

"I'm more worried about him being after you because of me."

"Sometimes I can't believe how stupid my future self was. Didn't he know that getting married would only make you a target--that it did make you a target? He should have stayed as far away from the future you as possible! And now look what's happened!"

"Do you really think he was stupid?" Ginny asked, a strange look on her face.

"Yes! He put the future you in danger, and now the present you is in danger because of his choice!"

"Harry, in the future, you loved me," Ginny said quietly. The word loved sounded strange in Harry's ears. "There's nothing wrong with that. Remember the conversation we had about choices? I chose to love you and be with you. I'm sure that the Ginny Weasley of that time knew the risks of that."

"Then your future self should have known better, too!" Harry burst out, glaring at her.

Ginny pressed her lips together and stood to her feet. "Stop it, Harry. Love doesn't always make sense. You can't judge the relationship that we had in the future! You can't know all of the circumstances, or why we chose the way we did. You're talking like it was all horrible! Well, I don't believe that it could have been all bad! And look what came of it--Jamie. Is she a mistake? I don't think so! She's sweet and beautiful and smart, and she deserves every bit if life she can have. And yes, I might have died because I married you, but haven't you listened to what the future was like? I probably would have died anyway, and I would sooner die with you than anyone else!"

Something squeezed Harry's heart, making it difficult for him to get a decent breath. "Don't say that."

"My choice, Harry. Mine."

"I don't want you to choose me!" Harry yelled. How could she be so...so...

Ginny strode over to where he was standing and glared up at him. "Why not?"

The words burst out of Harry's mouth before he realized what he was saying. "Because I love you and I don't want you to get hurt!" Harry froze, and so did Ginny. They stared at each other for a long minute. I love you? Where did that come from? I don't...I... But as he continued to stare at the dumbstruck Ginny, he realized that what he had said was true. Somewhere in the becoming Ginny's friend, he had fallen in love with her.

Ginny finally found her voice. "Harry...you..." She drew a deep breath. "If I get hurt, it won't be because of you. Besides, I'm already in danger, so that's no excuse. I--" She stopped and looked up at him rather plaintively. "You love me?"

Harry swallowed. Part of his mind was screaming to walk away now. He didn't want to lose Ginny, and so many people had already died because of him...but Ginny was right; Voldemort would already be after her because of her relationship to Harry in the future; even if he stayed as far away from Ginny as possible, Voldemort would still see the possibility of a relationship.

Harry gazed into Ginny's searching eyes for a long moment, and before he realized it was happening, his lips were on hers. At first she seemed stunned, but then her arms were around him and she was kissing him back. The only other person he had ever kissed was Cho, and this was completely different. For one thing, Ginny wasn't crying all over him. For another, there was a connection with Ginny that had never been there with Cho. He could almost feel her emotions pulling at him, strengthening as their kiss deepened. It was as if she was trying to pour all of her love, acceptance, reassurance, into this one physical gesture.

When they finally broke apart, breathing hard, Harry leaned his forehead against Ginny's, staring into her clear, bright eyes. All he saw was love, and he couldn't believe he had never seen it there before. It was so obvious. "Ginny." His voice was a whisper. "I...you deserve better."

"Oh, Harry. There is no one better for me than you. I love you. I love you now, and I will always love you no matter what future comes our way." She wrapped her arms around him, and they simply held each other.

"But Voldemort--"

"This is my fight, too."

Harry gazed at her for a long moment, and finally nodded. A smile blossomed on Ginny's face, and she said, "So what next?"

"Good question." Harry sighed. "I have no idea. Except that if we don't find out how Voldemort is getting information about the Order, things are going to get a lot worse."

"We should go see how Jamie's doing," Ginny said. "And Will and Shay." She reluctantly pulled away from Harry. He took her hand, and she smiled a bit sadly. "I'm sorry about what happened to the Dursleys, Harry."

"Me, too," Harry sighed. "But I'm even more sorry that about you and Jamie."

Ginny squeezed his hand as they headed for the kitchen door. "We'll deal with it--together."