Memories For The First Time

A/N: Hello all, this is my first fic ever, so I hope you all enjoy it. It takes place during fifth year, when Harry discovers a way for him to meet his parents. It´s R/H and H/G to the max, so bugger off if you don´t like that pairing! Be nice everyone, and review.

Chapter One: Through the Back Door

The finger that Harry had resting on top of his rook twitched uncertainly. He was cornered. No good to it. His emerald green eyes cast around the board yet again, darting from corner to corner, desperately searching for an escape route he may have missed.

Glancing up, he saw Ron's freckled face grinning triumphantly. Beside him, Hermione sat with her books open across her lap, watching the game with interest. She paused only to throw Harry the occasional pitying, yet amused glance.

Harry kneaded his forehead in frustration. 'Think Potter! You can salvage this! There must be something you've missed, otherwise this'll go down in history as the worst played game of chess in the entire history of Hogwarts!'

"Just give up Harry. You're down to a pawn, that poor rook you're squashing, and the king." said Ron, still grinning with ill-concealed smugness.

Ignoring the little cries for help his chessman was emitting, Harry sighed and made a move, knowing full well that it was completely futile.

Ron knocked over Harry's king with his piece and announced "checkmate", then put on a show of stretching his long arms in the air and cracking his knuckles.

"Wow Harry. I reckon that's a record for you. Keep this up and Hermione'll beat you."

Hermione brushed her hair from her eyes and looked up from her Arithmancy textbook, annoyed.

"Oh ha ha, Ron. It's great to know that you don't let your astounding talent on a chessboard inflate your ego," she said, rolling her eyes.

Ron put on his best Trelawney voice and replied mistily, "But of course, my dear. One does not flaunt ones powers of strategy, as to avoid making others uneasy. It attracts negative karma." He tapped the side of his nose, knowingly.

The three of them laughed heartily at this, as Ron and Hermione reset the pieces for their own game. It had taken a lot of wheedling, but in the end she agreed to one game, playing the winner, "but after that, you two really need to get started on your Potions essays! They're due in two weeks!"

Harry switched places with Hermione and settled back into the comfy red armchair, half-watching the two play, half-gazing into the fire.

The common room was rather full, particularly for a Friday night. Fred and George were sitting casually on top of a table, joking with Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell. Colin Creevey and his brother Dennis sat at the foot of the boy's staircase, excitedly looking at Colin's newest photographs, taken at their first professional Quidditch match (Puddlemere United vs. The Chudley Cannons. Needless to say, the Cannons lost spectacularly) during the summer. Harry, Ron and Hermione in the seats closest to the fire, basking in its comforting warmth, for it had been unusually chilly for September and the corridors were most unpleasant to travel through when one forgets to wear his Weasley jumper under his robes.

It was moments like this that made Harry feel not quite so downtrodden and depressed. For a few moments, Harry could forget his troubles and pretend like things were back to the way they were before that fateful night last June. It was almost like the world wasn't crumbling apart outside the sturdy, impenetrable barriers of the castle.

However, despite the comforting environment he was presently in, Harry found his thoughts drifting back yet again to those unpleasant memories. In his mind's eye, familiar visions flashed before him, exactly as they had a thousand times before. Cedric's grey eyes, so cold and lifeless. Voldemort's skeletal body rising from the cauldron that contained a potion that included Harry's own blood in it. The ghostly shapes of his parents...his father's face...his mother's eyes...

Unconsciously, Harry pulled back the sleeve of his robes to inspect the cut on his arm where Wormtail had stabbed him and gathered his blood. The wound had been deep, and even now in September, it was still healing.

Running his fingers lightly over his outstretched arm, he gently felt the tough, scabby, future-scar that ran several inches long. It had healed over enough that it no longer needed to be bandaged, but it was still slightly painful to flex his elbow. Each stab of pain refreshed those memories, forcing his mind to recall exactly how he had acquired the gash.

He knew that it could be healed instantly if he just went to the Hospital Wing and asked Madame Pomfrey to do so, but he had hesitated to make the short trip to visit the matron. In the back of his mind, as irrational it seemed to the rest of his brain, Harry felt as though he deserved it. He deserved to feel at least some physical pain for what had happened to Cedric, and what was happening in the world around him. There were so many things he could have done differently to prevent Cedric's death, yet he had done none of them, and for that, he could stand an aching elbow.

Vaguely wondering if the knife Wormtail had used had been magical, and was the cause of the slow healing process, a familiar voice broke Harry's reverie.

"Harry? Harry, are you alright?"

Harry blinked and shook his head to clear it. Ron and Hermione had stopped playing chess and were now staring at him, concern written all over their faces. Standing behind Hermione's chair stood Ginny Weasley, her eyes wide and staring down at his arm.

He looked down at his wounded arm to see that his fist was clenched tightly, turning his knuckles white. The other hand had stopped stroking the cut and was clutching the armrest tightly, his fingernails digging into the worn fabric.

He relaxed his arms and exhaled the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He shook his head again and forced a smile at the three of them, who were looking extremely apprehensive.

"I'm fine. Just thinking a little bit too hard, that's all," he said, trying to look reassuring.

Ron, Hermione and Ginny wore identical expressions that plainly said that they didn't believe him, but they knew better then to inquire further, at least until Harry broached the subject himself.

Ron and Hermione slowly went back to their chess game, while Ginny took a seat in the chair next to Harry, still peering intently into his face. Harry sighed, trying not too look to exasperated.

"Ginny, it's alright, I just got a bit...caught up with my thoughts. But I'm fine now." Harry said, trying again to appear reassuring, in the hopes that Ginny would stop looking at him like she was at the moment. It was a bit unnerving.

"Alright, if you say so, Harry." she replied, still searching his eyes. She then added, in a slightly shy voice, "You know, if you want to, I dunno, talk about it..." She trailed off, not meeting his eyes anymore. Harry smiled at her again.

"Thanks, but I'm alright. Alright?"

Ginny looked up at him again and they held eye contact for several moments. Harry, suddenly unable to tear his eyes away, felt his stomach flip-flop for a moment.

Suddenly, Ginny smirked and shifted her eyes, leaving Harry feeling slightly disappointed, though he didn't dare try to understand why. He instead followed her gaze toward chessboard where Ron and Hermione were playing, or rather under the table that the chessboard was resting on top of. Harry saw Ron and Hermione playing a rather distracted game, lazily moving their pieces with one hand, while holding hands under the table with the other. Harry's eyebrows raised slightly as he noticed their feet were also touching under the table, and were sliding against one another slowly.

Ginny stifled a giggle and looked at Harry again. He grinned back.

"Mad, isn't it?" she mouthed at him, obviously hoping the happy couple weren't watching. Her eyes sparkled mischievously. That flip-floppy feeling returned.

Harry nodded in reply, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. Eager for a distraction, he recalled back to the few days he had spent at the Burrow during the summer, remembering how Hermione and Ron had ended up the way they were now, and how Harry had gained an unexpected friend in Ginny.

~*~

Harry had been at the Burrow for exactly one and a half hours and though he hadn't actually done anything particularly interesting yet, he was enjoying every single second of it. No Dudley, no chores, and no furious aunts and uncles blaming him every time the wrong post showed up at their door, or when the milk in the refrigerator when sour before its expiration date. And best of all, no time for Harry to dwell on the events of the past school year. Judging by the way Mrs. Weasley had fussed over the state of his health when he had arrived, he suspected that was the real objective of Harry's visit, as his letters to Ron and Hermione had become dead depressing. Not that Harry minded at all, of course. He was looking forward to spending a few days in the house he loved the most, with the people he loved the most.

However, exactly one and a half hours into Harry's visit, a disturbance occurred, shattering the relative peace of the Weasley living room, where Harry had been sitting with Mr. Weasley, discussing the latest news on the Ministry of Magic's bumbling attempts to disguise Voldemort's return. Mr. Weasley briefly recounted to Harry what he and his supporters were doing to gain the favour of the Ministry. Apparently, Mr.. Weasley, though highly respected by most member of the Ministry, was rather unsuccessful in his attempts to gather more followers to assist Dumbledore.

After gaining permission from Dumbledore, it was decided unanimously after recalling the last time Mr. Weasley had come to Privet Drive, that it would be best if Mr. Weasley Apparated to Privet Drive to collect Harry and then Portkey the both of them back to the Burrow. Harry had not yet met up with Ron, and Mr. Weasley had informed him that Hermione had arrived three days earlier and that both of them were currently elsewhere, alone. Harry decided to wait for Ron to return on his own, rather then pursue him.

Mr. Weasley now sat beside Harry on the living room sofa. Harry sat with his elbows on his legs, with his arms dangling over his knees, staring at the floor, and feeling rather hopeless when Mr. Weasley had finished reiterating the news about the Ministry. Seeing Harry's shadowed eyes, evidence of his difficulties sleeping, Mr. Weasley placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Harry looked up at him, worry lines creasing his scarred forehead.

"Mr. Weasley, what'll happen if Fudge and the Ministry of Magic don't see some sense? I mean, who will stop Voldemortthen? We can't help Dumbledore do this with so few us..."

Mr. Weasley sighed, and regarded Harry seriously for a moment. "Harry, I know you've been told this before, time and time again, but you truly are an incredibly brave young man. Ron is lucky to have a friend like you." He smiled down at Harry, who was surprise to feel a lump forming in his throat. He quickly swallowed as Mr. Weasley continued.

"Dumbledore is powerful man, but you know that. We'll just have to trust him and be willing to do what it takes, and in the meantime, let's just try to keep living our lives as best we can." He then added, with forced cheerfulness, "Which means no worrying while you're visiting. Molly's been terribly worried about you, so why don't you do her a favour and eat some lunch. In fact, I think I can smell some-" He was cut off by an angry cry.

"No, I will not shut up about Viktor BUGGERING Krum!"

Alarmed, Harry stood up from his place on the couch to investigate. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mr. Weasley pinch the bridge of his nose, frowning and muttering "Not again..."

This served only to heighten Harry's curiosity. Jogging through the Weasley kitchen, he opened the door to the back garden, where the shout had come from. Glancing around quickly, Harry spotted Ron and Hermione standing at the far end of the garden, near the foot path that twisted around the pond, shouting at each other until they were red in the face. Hermione's hair, which had been tied back into a neat ponytail, was beginning to strain against the elastic holding it in place. Ron's red hair was standing on end, apparently from all the times he had run his hand through it in frustration. They each tried to shout over each other, causing such a commotion that the birds resting in the trees surrounding the garden took flight when Hermione's voice hit a particularly shrill note.

Harry was forcibly reminded of the Yule Ball and the row that had followed.

Suddenly, Harry felt himself being pitched forward, as a solid body came barreling through the kitchen door right behind him.

"Goodness Harry! I'm so sorry! I heard voices shouting and came to see what was up!"

Harry turned around to see Ginny Weasley sprawled across the grass in front of the kitchen door, apparently knocked over by the force of her own impact. Red-faced, she scrambled back to her feet, hastily smoothing down her cotton skirt, which had rode up slightly past her knees from the fall. Harry blushed as he noticed exactly how far up it had gone, while Ron and Hermione were completely oblivious and still arguing.

Eager not to be spotted, Harry and Ginny went back through the kitchen door and shut it behind them. However, they were both far too curious about the row to back down now, so they leaned against the door and peered through the little window in the centre. They didn't bother opening the window to hear what was being said. Harry was sure the shouting could be heard in London.

Embarrassed slightly by how close they were standing but ignoring it, Harry turned to Ginny, who was standing on her tiptoes, eyes glued to the scene before her.

"Have they done this before?" he asked. She tore her eyes away to look at him. Harry felt a slight shiver as their bare arms touch.

"Yes, but they've never been this bad. I wonder what's gotten them so worked up? I mean-"

Ginny stopped speaking abruptly and pressed her ear to the door again. Harry imitated her, but could hear nothing. He quickly motioned for Ginny to grab two drinking glasses from the cupboard. She obeyed, looking confused. Harry, recalling seeing this done on television before, held the glass to the door and placed his ear against it. Ginny followed it suit, and looked surprised when she could hear Ron and Hermione's voices clearly from outside.

"Muggle trick. I've always wanted to try it," whispered Harry, answering the question she hadn't yet asked. She looked delighted, and he knew she would be using his trick to listen in on Fred and George when they were planning new practical jokes in their bedroom.

Outside, Ron and Hermione had stopped shouting, and after a quick peak through the window, Harry saw that they had closed the gap of space between them considerably. They were now standing an arm's length apart, and Harry was shocked to see tears running down Hermione's face. Ron hovered awkwardly, taking a step forward, then back, forward then back, apparently torn on whether or not he should try to comfort her. Next to him, Harry heard Ginny mutter, "I can't believe he made her cry. Mum would ring his ears if she knew."

Silently agreeing, Harry focused his attention back to listening, feeling slightly guilty for eavesdropping, but unable to turn away. Besides, Ginny's doing it too, he reasoned with himself. He stood up higher so he could see, as well and hear, what was going on.

"Hermione, look, don't cry...I hate it when girls cry. I'm sorry!" Ron said, looking rather panic-stricken as Hermione continued to sob. Had she been in the right state of mind, she might have been shocked to hear Ron willingly apologize. But instead she continued to cry.

"Why are you so hateful when it comes to Viktor? Why?!" she shouted, stamping her foot and hiccoughing simultaneously to emphasize her statement. "What has he ever done to you? And don't you dare bring up the Triwizard Tournament because it's over! Harry doesn't care anymore and neither should you!"

She paused for a moment, groping at the pockets of her summer dress, searching unsuccessfully for a handkerchief. Ron, who until then had been standing dumbfounded, reached into the pocket of his jeans and produced a handkerchief which was, oddly enough, embroidered with flowers and the letters "R.W." in maroon. Still sniffling, Hermione looked at the rather girly handkerchief, and to Harry's surprise began to giggle.

"What? It's the only one I have!" said Ron defensively, while his ears turned an alarming shade of red.

Stifling her giggles, but still smiling a water smile, she replied hastily, "No, it's not that. It's just...I never saw you as the type to carry a handkerchief in the first place, that's all."

Ron gave her a withering look. "I don't reckon my Mum'd be too pleased if I went around wiping my nose on my sleeves all the time. Do you want it or not?" But perhaps his tone was too cold, because Hermione's eyes began to water again.

"See? Why do we always to this Ron? Everything we do turns into a fight! I just want to be friends again, like before all this Viktor Krum non-"

She was abruptly cut off when Ron suddenly stepped forward, closing the gap between them completely and began to gently wipe the tears from her face with the handkerchief.

Inside the kitchen, Harry and Ginny turned to each other, both wearing expressions of shock. Eager to see what would unfold next, their eyes snapped back to the window. This should be interesting, Harry thought, while vaguely recalling his Aunt Petunia watching trashy daytime programs on the telly.

Back in the garden, Hermione and Ron were still standing together but Ron had stopped wiping her tears. They now stood almost toe-to-toe, looking at each other straight in the eye, but not touching at all. They seemed almost afraid of what would happen if they made any sort of physical contact.

At this point, it had become glaringly clear what was going on and this gave Harry a strong urge to give one of them a good shove, to seal the deal. No, this definitely had nothing to do with Viktor being Harry's competition. Viktor had always been Ron's rival, and with a rush of pride toward his best friend, Harry realized that Ron had definitely come up the winner, so to speak.

Ron suddenly took Hermione's hand in his own, and Hermione looked down at her shoes, shuffling her feet, though Harry could see the beginning of a smile on her face. After a heavy pause, she looked up into Ron's eyes again to see him looking right back into hers, grinning nervously.

"Ron, were you jealous of Viktor?"

Ron jumped at the question, then hung his head, looking embarrassed. "A little bit. Maybe. Yes." he mumbled, very red indeed.

Hermione took the hand that wasn't holding Ron's, and after a moment's hesitation, reached up gently and touched his face, and began to stroke his jaw line softly. Her face now matched Ron's perfectly. Ron's eyes widened at the touch, as his ears nearly burst into flame.

However, she continued to stare determinedly into his eyes and said in a slightly shaky, but gentle voice, "You're so stupid, Ron. You never had anything to be jealous of in the first place."

Ron's face broke into a wide smile. Hermione looked ready to cry again, but Harry was sure it wasn't because she was angry this time. Apparently gathering his courage, Ron leaned forward slowly, closing his eyes. Hermione did the same, tilting her head slightly. As their lips finally met in a gentle kiss, Harry heard Ginny let out a little cheer next to him.

"Finally! I thought they'd never get around to it. Poor Hermione, she's been going crazy over this for months." She turned to Harry, her eyes suspiciously shiny.

"Can you believe it?" she said softly.

Suddenly, the full weight of the situation hit Harry. Heat rising in his cheeks, he realized he'd been watching his two best friends admit their romantic feelings for each other, with one of the said best friend's little sister. He also realized that, in pressing their ears to the drinking glasses to catch the conversation, Ginny's face was no inches from his. A lock of straight, smooth hair fell across her forehead.

For some reason, perhaps it was the atmosphere around them at the moment, it was all that Harry could do to keep his hand by his side and resist the urge to brush the fiery strands back behind her ear. He could feel her breath on his face and he found himself staring unblinkingly into her bright brown eyes. The events taking place outside were suddenly forgotten.

"What are you lot up to?"

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin as Fred's casual voice broke the silence. He whipped around to see the twins settling themselves down for some lunch. Beside him, he heard Ginny exhale noisily.

"Nothing! We were just, er, admiring the view!" exclaimed Harry, far too loudly. He glanced at Ginny and he knew she was thinking the same thing; they couldn't let Fred and George see what was happening. Harry chanced a glimpse out the window; sure enough, Ron and Hermione were still rooted to the spot, embracing each other and kissing without even stopping to breathe. Uh oh.

They'd be teased mercilessly by the twins. Not that they wouldn't anyway, but Harry wouldn't put it past Fred and George to go out there at that very moment and effectively ruin the moment. Ron and Hermione had been beating around the bush for so long that Harry felt they deserved a moment or two to themselves.

"Hey George, after lunch, let's go into the garden and feed the gnomes some Canary Creams and see what happens!"

"NO! You can't!" cried Ginny suddenly. Seeing the puzzled looks on their faces, she added, "Harry and I just de-gnomed the garden this morning. They were getting really out of hand." She laughed nervously, apparently hoping that Fred and George wouldn't realize that Harry had only been at the Burrow for two hours.

George waved her off. "Oh, you know how they are, Gin. They'll be back by now. He finished off the last of the sandwich Mrs. Weasley had waiting for the boys on the table and stood up, Fred following in suit. They took several steps toward the back door, but Ginny raised her hands and caught them in the chest.

"Ginny, what-"

"George, Harry was helping me de-gnome. You know he's got an amazing arm, you've seen him toss one fifty feet. They won't be back for a while."

Harry, blushing faintly from the compliment, jumped into action when he saw Ginny giving him a meaningful glance, ordering him to help. He quickly added, "Why don't you two go blow something up in the frond yard?"

Ginny nodded in agreement. "Yes, I'm sure Dad won't notice if one of his Muggle toy cars goes missing from his shed. Goodness knows he's got nine-hundred and ninety-nine more."

George looked slightly suspicious, but Fred regarded his twin and shrugged. "What do you say, brother dear? We could tie some Dr. Filibuster's to the car and see if it'll fly."

Without waiting for an answer, Ginny spun them around forcefully and marched them out of the kitchen. Reaching the door, Fred turned around, grinning cheekily.

"Whatever the reason if for you keeping us out of the kitchen, it had better not have anything to do with snogging!" He winked at Harry and Ginny before following his twin, leaving the pair standing dumbstruck.

"How did he know?" said Ginny, sounding surprised.

Harry started. "What?

Ginny gave him an arched look. "It has got to do with...kissing. That's what Ron and Hermione are doing, isn't it?"

Harry felt his face going red. "Oh right. Erm, lucky guess?"

Ginny appeared to be considering him for a moment, but then she shrugged and said "I don't know about you, but I'd rather not watch Ron and Hermione snogging anymore. D'you want to come and see if Gred and Forge can make that car fly?"

Harry grinned at her. "Sure." He followed her out of the kitchen, his heart lighter then it had been in days.

***

In between having to sit through the excruciating experience of Ron and Hermione telling him that they had admitted their feelings for each other, and pretending he had no idea, to the lecture Ron had given him one night about girls ("Harry, working up the stones to tell a girl that you fancy her isn't as hard as it seems. Don't let them scare you, mate!" he went on, as though he were an expert on the subject), Harry was glad to have Ginny around to laugh about it with. She didn't seem to be as uncomfortable and shy around him anymore, much to Harry's relief.

She's quite nice and funny too. Don't know why I never noticed it before, he thought to himself one night, after he and Ginny had finished playing with a rather volatile deck of Exploding Snap cards and ending up laughing hysterically and covered in grey ashes.

Settling himself into the cot that had been set up in Ron's room for him, Harry's final, half-conscious thought before sleep claimed him was she's quite pretty, too...

Conveniently, this last thought was forgotten by morning.

~*~

Harry was brought back to the present by Hermione's voice shouting at Ron.

"-don't know how you're going to pass Potions, honestly. You said one game from me would get you working. You lied, Ron!"

"I did not! I just...changed my mind, that's all. Don't nag me Hermione, I'll get it done!"

They continued to squabble, Hermione occasionally hitting Ron over her shoulder with her cushion in anger. Several people in the common room stared. The two had recently become a source of great amusement to the Gryffindors, especially on Friday nights when all Ron wanted to do was play chess and relax, while Hermione saw all that free time as a perfect opportunity to get some homework done. This scenario had practically become a weekly ritual.

Ginny rolled her eyes at Harry and opened her mouth, perhaps to comment on how amazing it was that Ron and Hermione could go from playing footsie under the table, to arguing and hitting each other with pillows so quickly, but she was cut off before she could say anything.

The portrait hole had suddenly burst open, revealing two female figures, one a familiar Gryffindor, the other a Ravenclaw.