I Saw My Lady Weep

Chapter Eight: I Grieve For You...

In retrospect, Harry realized it could have been much worse. It had taken the Wizengamot nearly three months to decide to give everyone who had been killed during the Battle of Hogwarts the Order of Merlin, along with a select handful of the survivors. Had it been up to Harry, everyone involved would have received one. The interim Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt , had over-ridden that idea, saying that "too many of them diluted the intended honor."

Much to Shacklebolt's amusement, Harry had told him exactly where to shove the honor. But the Minister insisted on it, and thus got his way. Harry hadn't wanted the stupid thing, but there was no way of getting out of it. But at Kingsley's suggestion, Harry had finally put his famous name to use in order to make sure that certain people whom Harry felt did deserve the medal got one.

At first Harry thought it was an ironic coincidence that the Wizengamot decided to hold the medal ceremony on his 18^th birthday. It was only after Shacklebolt told him the full embarrassing truth that he put his foot down. Celebrating Victory Day on May 2^nd was one thing... That was celebrating everyone's actions in the war. There was no way he was going to permit something as ludicrous as Harry Potter Day.

When they had returned from the medal ceremony, George had immediately suggested the Weasley boys go give Fred his medal. Fred's Order of Merlin First Class was now draped across his headstone, alongside the one issued to the late Sirius Black and their gathering had turned into an informal wake most of a bottle of firewhisky ago. The bottle was still making the rounds, and was almost completely gone. The assembled Weasleys, plus Harry, were all getting their dress-robes grass-stained.

"Oh shut it, Potter!" George said. His words slurred together into one long garbled mass. He handed the bottle off to Harry.

Harry laughed in response, the over-exuberant laughter of the slightly drunk. The lights from the house glinted from the medals around all of their necks, and it was beginning to bother his eyes. Or he might be about ready to pass out. He really didn't know.

"I'm perfectly serious... Sirius? Serious... He always hated that pun." Harry raised the bottle of firewhisky. "We forgot to toast Sirius. He got one of these manky medals tonight, so let's toast Sirius. So here's to Sirius." He took a slug from the bottle and passed it to Percy. "What was I shay... saying? Oh yeah... I think you're a bit drunk, George. George."

Percy took his turn on the bottle, and then passed it on to Bill. "Well I don't know about the rest of you, but I admit it. I'm completely arse-over-tit." He held his head for a moment, and then lay straight backward on the grass and started singing to himself.

With one hand, Bill lifted the firewhisky bottle to his lips. With the other he picked up the framed scroll that had accompanied his medal. "That is one fine frame... One fine frame it is." He handed the bottle to Ron. "How much does a fine frame like that cost, do you think?"

Ron chuckled. It made Harry feel good to see his friend happy. "Who gives a..."

Whatever Ron was about to say was cut off as Percy yelled out, "Owl!" at the top of his voice. The brothers all watched as a dusky owl swooped down, barely missing Charlie's head. It landed on the grass in front of Harry and extended its leg. A large, important-looking letter was attached.

Bill laughed, "What now? The Ministry wants to rename Hogwarts the Harry Potter Academy?"

Harry blushed. Rather than respond to Bill, he said to the owl, "I'm sorry, but I don't have any treats on me. All I can offer you is firewhisky..." He reached over and took the bottle from Charlie. There was maybe a mouthful left. Harry held it out to the bird, but it only stared at him. Then, bobbing its head once, it took off into the night sky.

"Guess it didn't want a drink." Harry up-ended the bottle, finishing it. He tossed aside the empty and looked at the letter for the first time. The envelope was stiff grey parchment, with florid, Germanic calligraphy in dark black ink. It read "From the Offices of Forrester, Forrester, Orthrang, Waxcaplet, and Prang, Attorneys."

"It's from a law office," Harry mumbled, tearing the envelope open.

Percy, who was still flat on his back, immediately sniggered, "Dear Mister Potter, this letter is to inform you that we represent the next-of-kin of Lord V-Voldemort." That was the first time in anyone's memory they ever heard Percy use the name. "As such, we will be suing you for your entire liquid worth. The cause of this action is the wrongful death of Lord V-Voldemort, springing from actions taken by you on or about May 2^nd." The other young men all looked at each other, and then looked at Percy. Then they exploded with laughter.

Harry wiped tears from his eyes and cracked the seal on the letter. The same florid, Germanic script greeted him on the inside. His smile slipped then disappeared entirely as he read it. He read it a second time and his expression became darker.

Ron noticed. Still chuckling, he asked, "Harry? Don't tell me Percy was right. What's it say?"

Harry looked at Ron, then nodded. Then he began to read:

To Mister Harry J. Potter:

Greetings on your birthday. It is my glad duty to inform you that with your ascendency to adulthood last year, you have come into the possession of the full worth of the Potter Trust, set up for you when you were very young by your parents, James P. Potter and Lily A. Potter, upon the event of your first birthday. In addition, recent circumstances have caused you to come into an additional inheritance from other sources.

In order to give a full accounting of your total inheritance, and to finalize other certain legal matters, it is required that you appear in my office on August 5^th proximo at 10:30 am. At such time, we can handle the paperwork, along with the passing of keys and such. This letter is enchanted so as to act as a Portkey at the appointed date and time.

I assure you, Mister Potter that the delay in executing the transference of the Potter trust was not intentional. Normally, such matters as these would have been taken care of on your 17^th birthday. I'm sure you will understand that at the time, circumstances prevented us from accomplishing the transference. At no time did my office seek to deprive you of funds or property that was rightfully yours.

Once again, congratulations on your 18^th birthday. It is my fervent wish that you find the rest of your life as big an adventure as you have found so far.

Sincerely,

Lemuel Forrester,

Forrester, Forrester, Orthrang, Waxcaplet, and Prang

"As much adventure?" Harry muttered. "Does this pillock have any idea what sort of 'adventure' my life's been up till now?"

Charlie chuckled, "Now, now, Harry... Don't be bitter. The prat probably thinks he's being supportive. You know, older gent giving a good word to a boy just coming into his own and all that."

Harry's response caused the brothers to break up into laughter again.

"Harry Potter, such language! I'm surprised at you!" The intrusion of the female voice caused Percy to sit up, suddenly, and caused the other young men to make their best attempt to sober themselves up by force of will alone. "Bill, Fleur is looking for you."

Harry looked toward the direction of the house. Hermione stood next to Ginny, and it looked like both were enjoying the scene before them. Hermione went to Ron and helped him stand. "Come on, Ronald... Let's get you to bed. You're going to hate it in the morning." It was as if a switch had been thrown: the party was over. The young men made their way to their feet and slowly filtered toward the house.

Ginny assisted Harry to stand. "You, sir, are drunk."

"I'm not... Wasn't me. It was someone else. Someone who looked like me..." He leaned on her, lazily, and she pushed him just enough to get him back on his own feet.

"Come on inside, Harry. Let's get you to bed too." Ginny tugged on his arm, propelling him toward the house.

Harry leered. "Do you know how long I've dreamed of you telling me to come to bed?"

Ahead of them, Percy abruptly put his hands to his ears. "Gyah! No... Not listening... Not listening..."

XxxxxxX

Harry lay on his side, hoping that the spinning would stop. He opened one of his eyes to see if that would help and immediately decided that the sun was a source of evil that had to be stopped. It streamed through the open window and bathed him in bright, painful, stabbing light. He closed his eye and covered his head with his pillow, silently wishing he was anywhere but...

Under the pillow, he opened both of his eyes suddenly. From deep in his mind, the thought, the light doesn't come in from the window at that angle in Ron's room, came crawling up from the shadowy depths.

It was then that he became conscious of the pressure of another body, snugly fitted against his back. In addition, some strange foreign object was wrapped around his side and against his chest. He peeked out from under the pillow and was surprised to see that the strange foreign object was an arm.

A girl's arm.

An easily recognizable girl's arm.

He gently pushed the pillow off of his head and tried to look over his left shoulder. While he hardly had a perfect view, he could see part of Ginny's face. Despite the headache that his movements caused him, he noted that she looked just like an angel when she was asleep.

So... He was in Ginny's room. And apparently had been all night. Looking around, he spotted his clothing from last night, piled haphazardly on the floor in front of her bureau. Another pile of clothes, hers presumably, was on the floor next to his. His eyes fell on the potion bottle perched on the bureau's edge and locked there. He wasn't sure, having not been drunk all that often, but he thought it was a bottle of Hangover Potion.

For some reason, he was quite certain that it hadn't been there when he fell asleep. He could be wrong, of course, but he didn't think he was. Which meant someone came in the room to bring it, knowing Harry would need it. This meant that someone in Ginny's large, predominantly male and amazingly protective family knew he'd spent the night there.

He let his head fall back onto the pillow. "I am a dead-man."

Beside him, Ginny stirred. Her arm pulled him into a hug. "Morning, Harry. How's your head?"

"Dreadful, thanks." He rolled over to look into her eyes and smiled. "Good morning, sleepy-head." He kissed her on the nose. "So... What do you want to do after your mother murders me and your brothers abuse my corpse?"

Ginny looked confused. "What are you on about?"

"Ginny, I slept the entire night in your bed. With you. In your bed." Harry looked a bit frantic. He pressed his palms into his eyes, trying to stop the pounding in his head. "Someone came in with the Hangover Potion, so by now you're entire family knows where I was... Why are you smiling?"

"It was Mum... She brought it in about two hours ago. Apologized for waking me up, but she thought you might need that when you woke up. Do you?" Ginny looked so amazingly sympathetic. She really is an angel, he thought to himself.

"Wait... Your Mum caught us in bed together and didn't say a word?" Harry was shocked.

"Well... Yes and no. She didn't scream or anything, but she also didn't look as pleased as she could have been. I think she's accepted that you and I share certain feelings for one another, and... Well..." Ginny suddenly went from looking happy to looking furtive. "I made her certain promises."

Harry got out of bed and grabbed the potion. He downed half of it in one large gulp, and almost immediately began to feel better. "What sort of promises?"

Ginny was almost giggling. "You know, I never figured you for Chudley Cannons boxer shorts, Harry." She climbed out of bed and began rummaging through her drawers.

Harry began pulling the pants he wore last night on, but was distracted by the outfit she chose to sleep in. She was wearing one of his old t-shirts -- the one Fred gave him for Christmas one year, with the words "Seekers Do It On Broomsticks" painted across the front. I've been wondering where it had got to, and now, I suppose, I know. It hung to just past her waist, but left her legs exposed. When she bent over to retrieve something out of her bottom drawer, Harry lost his balance completely and landed on the floor, his legs tangled up in his pants.

Ginny straightened up and looked at him with a strange smile on her face. Either she knew precisely what had happened, or she figured it out quickly. He cleared his throat. "So... Red with black lace. Um... er... Very nice," he said in a squeaky voice.

Her strange smile widened. "Why thank you, Harry."

He stood and finished hitching up his trousers. "You never did answer my question, Ginny. What sort of promises did you make to your Mum?"

"Ah... Well... I promised her that... We'd wait," Ginny said, blushing.

"Wait for what?" Harry was confused. When she only glared at him, it became perfectly clear. "Ah... er... okay... wait. Right."