Sometimes It Takes a Dream to Wake You Up

12. Court?

Harry woke up with a sore jaw. Whether it was from using the muscles involve in kissing for the first time or from the huge grin he wore during six hours of sleep afterwards was unclear. He remembered from somewhere that the best thing for aching muscles was to use them and work the soreness out.

'So I have to snog Ginny some more? Pity that. Hah!' He smiled even wider but flinched slightly from the stinging in his muscles.

There was noise coming from the other side of the room. Harry looked over to see Ron at the desk by the window writing fervently on a piece of parchment. The desk also held a number of books and pieces of used parchment some of which appeared to be letters.

"Morning, Ron. Schoolwork?"

Ron started slightly from Harry's voice and then turned slowly to face him. He looked at Harry like he'd grown a second head.

Harry grimaced at the stupidity of his own question, "Ah, sorry. So what are you doing then?"

"It's personal. Top secret for the moment.But I might need your help with it a little later. That alright?"

Harry had an idea what it might be about, he smiled, "Anything you need, Ron."

Harry got up and dressed quickly so he could go for some breakfast. He smiled to himself, for some reason he'd missed his midnight snack and was very hungry.

Harry was a little surprised to find the kitchen so full. Ginny, Hermione, and Mrs. Figg were all sitting around a table of various breakfast foods. His eyes fell on Ginny first of course. He tried biting into his lower lip to keep from smiling too much at her but she looked up to him with her jubilant face and made it pretty much impossible not to beam back at her. It occurred to him, now with an audience, that the two of them had not discussed how to handle last night's developments in public but it was too late now. Hermione had not noticed him enter yet and was lazily stirring her tea while reading her O.W.L.'s workbook. Mrs. Figg however had noticed and looked quickly from Harry's face looking at Ginny and then at Ginny's face looking at Harry. Mrs. Figg's eyes flashed with triumph and delight.

"Good morning, Harry," the older witch greeted him with a look that promised a tail twisting was forthcoming.

"Good morning, Mrs. Figg," Harry returned warily. "Good morning, Ginny, Hermione."

The two younger witches greeted him back in unison. Harry slid into his chair and began to fill his plate between glances at Ginny. They would catch each other's eyes every so often and smile.

Mrs. Figg'svoice interrupted one of these loving glances, "So Harry, bit of a late morning, yes? Not sleeping well?"

Harry shrugged, "Well enough."

"Ah, then keeping late hours?"

"Uhm, not especially.Just a lie in. Supposed to be on holiday you know."

"Of course."

Mrs. Figgthen turned her attention, "So Hermione, you've seen RemusLupin recently?"

"Professor Lupin? He stopped by my house to explain the security for this visit but he wasn't there more than 15 minutes."

"Yes, he's been rather busy with the arrangements for this house as well as other projects. Lovely man. Quite handsome too. I say, if I were ninety-three years younger, he'd have more to worry about than a full moon."

Hermione and Ginny giggled a little and Harry, not sure how to react to the latter revelation, decided to find deeper meaning in the butter on his toast.

Mrs. Figgcontinued, "Clever too. Very clever. He had a brilliant idea for the security situation here to help me keep a watchful eye on you all. It seems he and his schoolmates created a very detailed map of Hogwarts when they were in attendance there. No ordinary map this. It was I suppose what muggles would call "live action" in that it indicated where everyone was within the school grounds as well as secret passages and associated passwords. Do you know of it, Harry?"

"Er, I think Professor Lupin may have mentioned it."

"Yes, well, he suggested we do the same for the Dursleys and the surrounding streets. Much easier to do as the overall area is much, much smaller and not nearly so many levels and floors to deal with, not to mention a lack of secret passages."

"You have a Marauder's Map of the Dursleys?" Harry wondered how he might get a hold of it later on, as it might be very handy in subsequent summer holidays.

"Marauder's Map? What a quaint name. The wards around this house are quite strong, the strongest I've ever seen anywhere save Hogwarts. It is unlikely in the extreme that anyone or anything can breach them. However, wards do no good when those within leave the protected area. Your little band has a wonderfully serpentine reputation for sneaking off. So we thought this would be a wise precaution."

Mrs. Figgsmiled benignly at them all before adding, "We also had an idea of adding some alarms about the perimeter and inside the house as well."

Hermione gave a curious look, "Alarms?"

"Mmm, the map will notify me by sounding a rather annoying bell if any of a number of events occurs. You know, strangers within a certain radius of the house, people out of bed at odd hours, people in close contact as if one were attacking the other, that sort of thing." She shot Harry and Ginny a quick accusatory glare.

Mrs. Figgcontinued, "Of course with the close contact alarm, it is difficult to judge intentions from dots on a map so it might not be that one person is necessarily attacking the other, that is to say, attacking with harmful intent. There may be any number of reasons one dot is on top of another but I am notified regardless and may check on things at my discretion."

Both Ginny and Harry were wide eyed and blushing. Mrs. Figg was doing well at sounding and appearing casual about the whole matter but the amusement in her eyes was very evident.

Hermione nodded her approval, "Sounds like we are well looked after then."

"Some of you more than others," Mrs. Figg smirked.

Hermione looked puzzled but Harry and Ginny looked very frightened. Was Mrs. Figg going to expose their little adventure from earlier this morning? Were they ready for it to be public? Was Harry prepared to die or at least suffer grievous bodily injury at the hands of his redheaded best friend?

Hermione got up slowly looking at the dizzying array of expressions cycling on the faces of her breakfast companions, "I think I'll go to the great room and read there. You'll excuse me."

After she was gone, the three remaining diners were silent. Harry and Ginny tried to eat but their stomachs were not allowing much of that to happen. Mrs. Figgcontinued to sip her morning tea between smirks.

Mrs. Figgfinally spoke, startling the other two, "You two have some decisions to make."

"You're not going to tell?" Ginny asked in a pleading manner.

"Not that I would but I won't have to. You both did such a marvelous job telling me. I'm sure the others cannot remain oblivious forever."

"You had that map so you saw us together. Ron and Hermione won't see that," objected Harry.

"No, I didn't. There is no map. It was a brilliant idea that Remus had but it takes six months just to brew the ink. We didn't have the time to do it for this party. It is, as they say, in the works though."

"Then how did you know?"

"Your faces. Your actions. It's all very sweet but all very obvious. If you are trying to keep things to yourselves, you're very lucky Miss. Granger was preoccupied with that book of hers and what ever else has been on her mind of late. Was the prospect of my exposing you very pleasant? I made the map up so that you could feel the guilt without actually causing the pain. Well, that and I do like my little games. Do you think her feelings would have been hurt? And what of your brother, Ginny?"

Both Ginny and Harry winced at the mention of Ron. Harry burst out defensively, "It only just happened last night!"

"That too is obvious from what I picked up shopping with Ginny yesterday but do you think it will matter? And really, it makes it all the more likely your friends will figure things out sooner. One minute you're too embarrassed to be in the same room with each other, the next you can't stop staring. It will still hurt that you didn't tell them straightaway. The best way to go about this is to sit anyone down who might care and have a chat. Be up front about it," she took a sip of tea and smiled. "Oh my, I think they may just kick me out of the SlytherinAlumni Association for that."

Ginny had a demure grin on her face. She reached over and took Harry's hand, "I don't want to yet. I want to keep him to myself for just a little."

Harry smiled and waggled his eyebrows at her. She laughed.

Mrs. Figgmade a dismissive gesture and put down her empty cup, "As you like dear but you're buying yourself trouble you don't need and shouldn't want."

Ginny had Harry all to herself for the rest of the glorious summer day. Ron was shut away in the boy's room working on whatever he was working on. He made brief appearances during lunch and dinner but then disappeared quickly after inhaling his meals. Hermione seemed determined to read her O.W.L. book twice more that very day alone in the great room. Harry and Ginny spent the time in the backyard and kitchen and stole kisses from each other when they were sure they were unobserved. They even managed a kiss goodnight before retiring to their separate rooms. Despite Mrs. Figgs playfulness at breakfast, it had been a wonderful day.

*

"Wake Up!"

Harry heard Ron's voice a half second before the pillow hit his head with some force.

"I said, Wake - Up!"

Harry raised himself up from the bed halfway to find his roommate drawing back to hit him again with his pillow. There were actually three white feathers floating lazily in the air speaking to how hard Ron had hit him the first time.

"Ron! What the Hell are you doing?!"

"What am I doing?! What am I doing?! What the bloody Hell are you doing?!"

"I was sleeping."

"And moaning my sister's name!"

"I was?" Harry briefly flashed on an image of Ginny and he, finishing the jasmine scented bubble bath. He gulped, hard. 'Oh bugger, I'm dead.'

"Do you know any other Ginny's?"

Harry said nothing but moved to a sitting position, offering a clear follow up shot for his assailant. Ron grimaced, "I didn't think so."

Ron took a deep breath and relaxed his stance with the pillow. He was obviously struggling very hard in his mind with something.

He seemed to deflate further before beginning, "Look Harry, we've both admitted to having dreams about girls that we don't really fancy all that much, just hormones and all that. But, and this is a huge damn "but", I am not going to lay there and listen to you molest my sister in your dreams, especially when you've just told her to sod off."

"I didn't tell her to sod off."

"However you worded it then. I know you can't really control what you dream about, believe me, I've tried myself, but honestly, Harry, I don't want her hurt by this crush business anymore. If she were to find out about this, say when we get back to school, Seamus or Dean or Neville could hear you and... She can't start to think that you like her."

Harry spoke in a whisper, "I do like her."

"Excuse me?"

Harry cleared his throat and met his friend's eyes. His voice was strong this time, "I do like her."

"But you told her to move on last night, to forget about being with you. Didn't you?"

"Not exactly."

"Not exactly? Not exactly?! What the bloody Hell does that mean?!"

"I told you she took what we talked about well and the crush business was over. I told her I like her too and I do, she took that well. A crush is a one way street, it isn't one way anymore. We're ... together now."

Ron looked up to beyond the ceiling, "If my two best bloody friends don't stop being so bloody dodgy with the bloody truth I am going to bloody run off and be a bloody Hufflepuff! Bunch of duffers but at least they are loyal enough not to treat their friends like this!"

Harry fleetingly wondered what Hermione had to do with all this but then keeping all of his teeth in his head and his nose unbroken seemed to have priority at the moment.

Ron addressed Harry again, "Ginny's the one you wouldn't tell me about yesterday morning?"

Had it only been yesterday since their chat about dreams? Harry answered quietly waiting for the ax to fall, "Yes."

"Hmph." Ron threw the pillow and Harry made to duck but it wasn't aimed at him. The pillow sailed back to the head of Ron's bed. Ron sat down at the edge of his bed much the same way he had yesterday. Harry waited nervously. Ron let him wait.

Harry couldn't take the silence for long, "I'm sorry, Ron. I-"

Ron held up a hand for Harry to be quiet. "I've been worried about Ginny ever since the Yule Ball. Worried that she would never, not be lonely. Neville's alright but other than a convenient date for the both of them, I very much doubt there was interest from either of them beyond the dance. She's a wonderful sister and a wonderful person. Even as her brother I suppose I must admit that she's very pretty too. I doubt anyone could really get to know her and not like her, a lot.

"But anyone who decides he does like her and wants to pursue it is going to have to be foolishly brave or completely mental and probably both. She's got six brothers for God's sake. And not just any six brothers either. Bill makes and breaks curses for goblins and anyone who knows anything about goblins knows that those curses will be very nasty, so he is not someone you want cross with you. Charlie plays with dragons for fun and profit and has a world renowned reputation for training them to do whatever he wants, so he is not someone you want cross with you. Fred and George are possibly the worst pranksters that Hogwarts has ever seen and they are going to be making that mayhem into a profession, so you don't want them cross with you either. And even if you keep them on your good side you will still have to endure merciless teasing while you attempt to date their ickle sister. Percy is likely to bore you death with reports on cauldron thickness but is more likely to suffocate himself from a terminal case of brownnose so he's not really bringing anything to the intimidation factor but the last brother, me, has an impulse control problem and the worst temper of the lot with the possible the exception of Ginny herself.

"Then you have to consider our mum. As bad as the six brothers might be, I'd rather face a legion of Death Eaters than Molly Weasley where her only daughter is concerned.

"And not only do you have to consider Ginny's family. You have to consider her past. The stuff that happened our second year, her first, it was supposed to be kept a secret but Hogwarts is a lousy place for secrets. She doesn't have a lot of friends at school because of that. She scares some people. It's not fair but there you are."

"You have thought about this."

Ron shrugged, "She's my sister. I want her to be happy. I don't particularly like the idea of her with boys, but it's going to happen. The Ball was a knock up call for me. She's got a lot of things going for her but then it seemed she has more working against her. So then who was it going to be?"

Harry gave Ron a blank look.

"Who might be brave enough or mental enough to court Ginny?"

"Court?" Harry stifled a snicker.

"Sounds better than snog, this is my sister after all. Who was it going to be? Who is crazy enough to actually look forward to and enjoy visits to the Burrow? Who actually thinks the twins are amusing and doesn't mind an occasional prank on himself? Who does my mum adore so much as to already consider him yet another son? Who has had the courage to face the most powerful dark wizard of the age four times, live to tell the tale, and not end up in St. Mungos nutter's house?"

Harry discovered his throat was too tight to respond.

"No answer? Too obvious is it? You're the only one it could have ever been, Harry. But you never showed any interest in her. From our chat yesterday and your noisiness tonight, I can probably guess what changed your heart but I really, really don't want to think about that."

"So it's OK with you? Ginny and me?"

"I'm still not happy that you weren't straight with me."

"It only just happened last night!"

Ron looked very dubious, "You only decided you liked her last night?"

Harry's sheepish smile answered the question before he started speaking, "Well, no. Most of the summer, but I didn't know if she still felt anything for me."

"I could have helped with that."

Harry gave Ron a doubtful look.

"She's my sister and no doubt this is all going to be very weird but I would have helped. She'd be happy. You'd be happy. I don't see the downside."

"I'm sorry. I know I should have been more ... truthful. But there was so much to lose, you and her and the rest of your family. I had to take it slow."

"I suppose I can understand. You couldn't know which way I'd jump, to your side or on your head. You and I are fine."

Harry exhaled loudly in relief, "Thank you."

Ron grinned, "Another good thing about it being you with Ginny is that you sleep right next to me, here, at home, and at school. It'll be easier to keep an eye on you than anyone else."

Harry smiled to himself, 'Didn't help you keep an eye on me last night.' Then again he had been caught returning to bed, 'Uh oh, he's got a point.'

Ron lay down, fluffing his pillow up, "But do try to keep the moaning in your sleep business down, especially when we get back to school. I don't think my pillow can take much more. Big day tomorrow. Let's get some sleep."

"What happens tomorrow?"

"I present my case."

"Hunh?"

"G'night, Harry." Ron smiled genuinely at his puzzled friend, "If you hurt Ginny, I will jump on your head."