A Future Threatened

A Future Threatened

by Winnie Matthews

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Chapter One

Harry Potter watched as he sat next to his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, as Ron's brother Bill and Fleur Delecour said their wedding vows. To some, a wedding might seem like a peaceful start, the beginning of something new. But to Harry, it was only a reminder that some people that were here today might not last much longer against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

"With this ring, I thee wed," Bill said, slipping a ring onto his bride's slender finger. Harry merely watched gloomily as Fleur did the same with Bill and the minister then continued the rest of the ceremony.

Glancing towards the end of the aisle, Harry saw Ron's sister Ginny looking towards him. But once she caught him looking towards her, she looked away, towards her brother and his wife.

Time is a precious thing, Harry thought warily as Hermione glanced at him, understanding in her eyes. If I had known I liked Ginny just a little bit sooner . . . who knows what could have happened?

The wedding soon ended and parties began to break to meet each other up for the reception at the Burrow. After Ron and Hermione took off to dance with the other couples, Harry turned to find Ginny standing behind him.

"Hey," she said, looking up at him.

"Hey," Harry said uncomfortably as he looked at her. She looked really pretty. Her red hair was piled up onto her head in a series of elegant braids and she was wearing light purple dress robes that looked really great next to her hair. "You look nice."

"You don't look too bad yourself," Ginny said with a smile. He smiled back at her as they sat down together at one of the tables. "Great reception. Mum really outdid herself with the cooking. 'Course, Fred and George could show up any minute and start blowing things up or something, so be prepared."

"Actually, I think I just saw them slip something into the juice," Harry replied, nodding towards the twins, who were standing by the punch bowl and looking surprisingly innocent. Ginny followed his gaze and shook her head. "You know, I think those two are still going to be playing practical jokes on people when they're your parents' age."

Ginny laughed, conceding his point. "It's noisy down here, isn't it?" she said abruptly. "Come on, let's go and get some quiet."

Taking his hand, Ginny led him back into the house and upstairs. Into her room. It was strange, Harry thought in amazement. But in all the years that he had known the Weasley, he had never been inside Ginny's room. Had never really had the urge to either. There were just things that were off limits and that was going into your best friend's sister's room.

As Ginny closed the door, the deafening sound of the music faded and Harry could hear himself think again. But there wasn't much thinking going on inside his head, anyway. All he was doing was staring at Ginny, who had sat down on her bed, looking away from him.

"This is a little uncomfortable," she acknowledged with a smile, looking at him. Her brown eyes were twinkling with amusement and Harry managed a smile.

"Yes, it is," he agreed, making sure that he was at least on the other end of the room from her. "Ginny, if we stay up here too long, people are going to think that . . . well, that we're doing something . . ."

Sighing, Ginny looked at him impatiently. "Give it up, Potter," she said. "You and Ron and Hermione are leaving tomorrow, aren't you?" At his nod, she merely looked at him. "Well, maybe I want things tonight to be extra special for the both of us. Don't you want this, Harry?"

"More than anything," Harry said without thinking and turned red at that comment. Ron was going to kill him.

"Then come on," Ginny said, patting the place beside her. "I'm saying that it's okay. I want this just as much as you do, Harry." Harry slowly joined her on the bed and she slipped her hand into his, looking at him tenderly. "Love me, Harry," she whispered into his ear. "I don't care if the entire family hears us, love me now."

Harry wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately. And let's just say that neither one of them left the room after that or got much sleep that night.

* * *

Harry, Ron, and Hermione said their goodbyes to the Weasleys the next morning--despite Mrs. Weasley's efforts to make them stay--and left for Godric's Hallow. Catching Ginny's eye, Harry tried not to turn red when he remembered what had occurred between them the previous night and then Ginny stood on tiptoes to kiss him goodbye.

"Keep safe, Harry," she whispered in his ear before saying goodbye to her brother and Hermione. But her eyes never left his.

"Goodbye, Ginny," Harry said thickly, ignoring the smirks that Ron and Hermione threw each other. "Thanks for everything, Mrs. Weasley."

"Take care of each other, now," Mr. Weasley said quickly as Mrs. Weasley tried to make another effort to make them stay. "And don't forget to keep in contact with us, just to make sure that you're safe, all right?"

"We will, Dad," Ron said reassuringly. "I promise."

Without another word, all three of them hoisted their bags onto the shoulders and Apparated from the Burrow--Ron being helped by Hermione, still not being able to pass his Apparition test while Harry had passed with flying colours--to Godric's Hallow.

Climbing up the steps of the place that had started his journey, Harry pushed open the door, Ron and Hermione right beside him as they walked through the doorway. Harry marvelled that the place was able to hold together for so long, despite the fact that it was near wreckage since Voldemort had attacked it fifteen years ago.

But the biggest wonder of them all was that lying upon the floor among the dust was an unconscious dark haired girl, sixteen, maybe seventeen years old. And Harry couldn't help but think that she was somewhat familiar to him.

Hermione let out a sharp cry as she saw the girl and Harry rushed over to the girl, checking her pulse as Ron shut the door behind them, searching the place for intruders.

"Hey, kid!" Harry said, shaking the girl's shoulder vigorously. The girl let out a moan and turned over, her eyes opening slowly. "Okay, now are you all right? And how did you get in . . . here?"

But the sentence was lost in his throat somewhere, because when the girl had opened her eyes, she revealed almond green eyes. The colour of emeralds, in the exact same shape and colour of his own.