Harry was fairly certain Number Twelve Grimmauld Place was not what Fleur Delacour had in mind for her wedding reception. Then again, the French girl's personality had changed somewhat since Fenrir Greyback's attack on her husband. She had stuck by Bill's side, earning herself a permanent place in Mrs. Weasley's heart. Although Bill's face was still severely scarred, you could never tell that by the way Fleur looked at him.
Since it was supposed to be a happy day for the Weasley family, Harry had plastered a smile to his face and done his best to participate in the reception after the ceremony. He had been able to keep it up for most of the day, but it was late now and he was finding it hard to pretend anymore. It didn't help matters that he was thinking this would probably be the last time they would all be together like this – carefree and genuinely happy – at least until the war was over.
He stopped himself for dwelling too long on the thought of how many of them would still be alive after the end. But the only way to stop such morbid thinking was to focus on the one person he had no right to think about at all. He had been caught off guard when she came downstairs that morning wearing her bridesmaid dress. He didn't have the word to describe how incredible she looked – gorgeous and beautiful came to mind – but they didn't seem to be enough. He knew the image of her in that low cut pale blue dress was going to haunt him for many nights to come.
He was grateful for the distraction of Remus Lupin tapping him on the shoulder then. He didn't need Ginny of all people to catch him staring at her from across the room.
"I think we could both do with some air," Remus said to him. "And by air I mean the parlor or the drawing room," he finished with a smile.
"What about Tonks?" As pathetic as it was, it gave him another chance to look unnoticed at Ginny who was talking with the Auror and the twins, who were presumably explaining some new invention of theirs.
"Yes, well, I believe Tonks can handle things on her own for awhile," said Lupin, his face flushing ever so slightly.
So Harry followed Lupin down the hall to the confines of the drawing room. He didn't realize how relieved he was to be away from everyone until Lupin closed the door and cast a silencing charm around the room. His relief soon turned into curiosity because Lupin would not have cast the charm if they were simply 'getting some air'.
"This may not be the most appropriate time to bring this up, but I have a feeling we probably won't get another opportunity like this to talk," Lupin began.
So Lupin felt it too – that it would be a long time coming before they experienced another day like today.
Lupin wasted no time in getting straight to the point. "I know that you're planning something, and I'm fairly certain Ron and Hermione are in on it as well."
He, Ron, and Hermione had kept the secret of the Horcruxes to themselves for several weeks now, that it wasn't difficult for Harry to hide his shock at Lupin's statement. Though he did start to wonder if they hadn't been as secretive about the whole thing as they should have if Lupin was having suspicions.
"Harry, I may be getting old and suffer from lycanthropy, but the three of you have been spending an enormous amount of time together – more so than usual. If that's not enough, for the first time since you found out the Order existed, you haven't fought to be included in any meetings or missions."
If it was that obvious to Lupin, Harry wondered if it was as noticeable to the rest of the Order. But even if it was, it didn't matter. They would be leaving the day after tomorrow and no one outside the three of them had the faintest idea where they were going and what they would be doing.
"I'll take your silence as confirmation that I'm right. I'll also go out on a limb here and guess you can't tell me anything about it."
Harry swallowed. He didn't mind so much keeping the Horcruxes from most of The Order, but he did hate having to lie – even if it was by omission – to the Weasley's and Lupin. Outside of Ron and Hermione they were the closest thing he had to a family, but he still couldn't confide in them.
"Remus – " Harry stopped himself, it still felt strange calling his former professor by name. "Remus, you have to trust me. I'm doing the right thing."
"I know you're doing the right thing and that's what has me worried. Whatever this is, it's going to involve you, Ron, and Hermione putting your lives in danger. And if I was any kind of responsible adult I would make certain the three of you couldn't leave this house." Remus sighed, running a hand through his thinning hair. "Let's go back before Molly comes looking for us and wants to know why we're in here."
Their discussion ended there and Harry felt compelled to thank Lupin, but the older man didn't look like he wanted to be thanked for not stopping them. If he actually knew what their search for the Horcruxes involved, Harry was positive Lupin would have done everything he could to stop them from going.
Harry awoke early the following morning. For once, his insomnia had nothing to do with nightmares. He had been extremely impatient to start searching for the Horcruxes, but Hermione had insisted they not leave until they had a plan. Now that they had a plan, he was starting to second-guess allowing Ron and Hermione to come with him. What bothered him even more than that was he knew he couldn't do this alone and he only trusted Ron and Hermione to help him. But after seeing how awkward, yet happy they had been at the wedding, he knew they were going to lose that when they went with him. They would still be together, though, which was more than could be said about him and Ginny.
When he came downstairs, he wasn't at all surprised to see that Hermione was already up. She was helping Mrs. Weasley and Ginny clean the mess left from the wedding.
While Mrs. Weasley took a break to make him breakfast, he joined the cleaning efforts in the other room even though Mrs. Weasley said it was unnecessary.
Harry ignored the look Hermione sent him as he went over to where Ginny was picking up empty butterbeer bottles off a table. He knew it was a bad idea even before he went over to her, but he had this compulsion to fix things between them before he left. It was silly actually, because there really was nothing he could do, but he really cared about Ginny – even more than he was ready to admit to – and that's why he had to try.
"I can help," he offered, holding out his hands to take some of the bottles from her.
She brushed passed him, saying, "I have two fully functional hands, Harry."
"I just thought – "
"Thought what?" She said icily. "That after ignoring me for the last five weeks, I'd be grateful for your help?"
Harry flinched inwardly at her tone. "I didn't mean to do that. I just…"
"You've just been trying to protect me or some rubbish like that," she muttered under her breath.
"You looked nice yesterday," he stated, and instantly wished he had used any other word but nice.
"Don't," she said in a pained voice. "Don't compliment me. You don't get to do that. You broke up with me, remember?"
"I'm sorry," was all he could think of to say after several long moments of silence.
"Don't be sorry. Just stay away from me." She stalked past him without another word.
Hermione came into view then, blocking his path to go after Ginny.
"Hermione, stay out of this," he snapped even though he should have been directing his anger at himself.
"There's nothing you can say to Ginny that will make her understand. She won't understand because you won't tell her anything. Even if you were somehow able to get her to forgive you, when she wakes up tomorrow and finds out you're gone – "
"I know," he cut her off, knowing the point she was trying to make without needing to hear her say it.
"You want to make things right because you think you're not coming back. That's not fair to her because she has no idea what's going on. If you told her – "
"You know I can't do that," he said in a strained tone.
It was only their years of friendship that allowed Hermione to speak next knowing Harry would bear no grudge against her. "Then the best thing you can do for Ginny – and for yourself – is to do as she asked and stay away from her."
Harry would spend the next year doing just that.
Fin.