Chapter 8 Harry Awakens

When Harry opened his eyes, he was no longer at his favorite spot in…his mind he guessed. No, he found himself sitting rather stiffly on a bed in a room that looked rather familiar to him. It took him a few moments to realize that he was in the room that was generally considered his at Grimauld Place, aka Sirius'. What was he doing here? Wasn't he in jail? Then again, he had been hearing everyone's voices, so maybe they had found the real killer? He hoped they had. Ron and Hermione deserved to be avenged, even if it wasn't by him. Before he could think about it any further, he heard voices making their way toward him. He tried to get up, but found himself to weak to manage.

"Ginny, please, it's been a year. Your family misses you. Can't you just say hi to them once? Haven't they been through enough?" Harry heard Remus say. A year? Why hadn't Ginny spoken to her family in a year? He didn't have more time to think about it because she was replying.

"No, Mr. Lupin, they haven't. None of you have. You turned on someone who would have given up anything to help any of you, to help Ron and Hermione. Maybe if he was awake, and forgave you all, I would. However, he can't tell me what he wants so…" Ginny answered as she came through the door before letting her voice trail off in shock at the sight of him. Harry thought she looked happy and sad at the same time, somehow, and definitely near tears.

Harry attempted to speak to her but all he could manage was "Gi…" before he broke off coughing from the effort. He guessed it made sense. He hadn't used it in a long time, at least a year if he went by their conversation.

Ginny's eyes filled with the tears that had been threatening ever since she saw him when he attempted to talk to her. She immediately rushed to his side. "Oh, Merlin, Harry!" She hugged him so tightly; it was almost difficult to breathe. Harry didn't say anything against it, though; partially because he couldn't talk, but mostly because he was just as happy to see his sister.

He looked up from the hug when he noticed some movement. In the doorway stood someone he wasn't sure he wanted to see. He knew he had been out of it at the trial, but he could still remember who had been on his side and who hadn't. Remus definitely hadn't been. He wasn't mad about that so much as hurt. This man was supposed to be like an uncle to him, yet he had turned on him as quickly as the others.

Remus seemed to be coming out of his shock because he shouted for Sirius before making his way to Harry. He didn't seem to think anything wrong with his coming over. Ginny, however, seemed to pick up on his agitation with the older man and moved in between them. Looking at her fuming countenance, Harry amended his previous statement. Maybe it wasn't his agitation that caused her to be protective, but her own.

Sirius ran in while the two in front of him were in a staring contest. He seemed to have aged twenty years in the…well how ever long it has been since Harry had seen him last. Harry was unsure whether or not he wanted to see this man. He hadn't been to the trial, being on the run and all would prevent that, so Harry didn't know if he had betrayed him as well. He didn't know if he could handle it if he had. "Remus, why'd you shout? What's going on here?"

"I shouted because Harry is awake, but Mrs. Malfoy here won't let me anywhere near him." Remus all but growled in response to Sirius' questions. It annoyed Harry really. Did anyone bother to ask if he wanted to see them? No, they only thought of themselves. He was so grateful Ginny was here. He didn't know how he would cope with the others if she wasn't.

Sirius moved toward him eagerly before he too was blocked by the force of nature that was known as Ginny. "Neither of you will be coming close to Harry if I have anything to do about it." Well, that answered his question about Sirius' loyalty. How could he? Sirius had been wrongly imprisoned when caught supposedly red handed. Why didn't think that his Godson had as well? That really hurt.

"He's my Godson. You can't just keep me from him," Sirius replied, somehow managing to look indignant and like a kicked puppy at the same time. Again with the no one asking what Harry wanted and only thinking of themselves.

"I can and I will, unless he himself says otherwise, which I doubt he'll ever forgive you enough to ever talk to you again."

Again, Harry was thanking every deity in existence for Ginny. He just wished that he could talk. He was getting tired of everyone speaking like he was there. He tried again, with only slightly better results of saying her nickname before breaking down in coughs. That sure got their attention. Of course, he hadn't been expecting the hope that appeared in Remus and Sirius' eyes, or the shock that appeared in Ginny's.

"What? Harry please don't tell me you forgive these idiots? They don't deserve it?" Harry was touched by her indignation on his behalf.

He just shook his head no to her question, though, causing the two of them to visibly deflate. He didn't really care. Well, not too much. It was their own faults. He was the one with the right to feel hurt. He motioned to his throat, hoping Ginny would get the idea to give him something to help with his talking. She did because she conjured and glass of water which he gladly accepted and sipped. It felt so good going down his throat. Once he had enough to talk, he asked with a little difficulty, "How long have I been…out of it?"

"Since Ron and Hermione died," she replied sadly. At the question in his eyes, she continued, "Seven years."

"Seven years?" he whispered, tears forming in his eyes. "They've been gone for seven years." Ginny held him as the truth finally hit him, and he finally began to mourn the loss of the two most important people to him. At some point he noticed that Remus and Sirius had left. Good. He didn't want him in here for this. His mourning was private. When he calmed down, he asked what he had wanted to know ever since he had remembered what happened and came out of his head. "Who?"

Ginny got a look on her face as if she didn't want to answer his question. That didn't bode very well. "Well, Harry, you have to understand. It wasn't his fault." Wasn't his fault? Wasn't his fault? Whoever this he is had killed his beloveds. How could it not be his fault? Ginny must have noticed his anger because she hurried on in her explanation. "He was imperioused. Bellatrix hit him with it. You know not many people can throw off the imperious like you can. Poor Neville has been living with the guilt ever since he was given the memory back. Please, you can't blame him. It wasn't his fault."

Neville? He had killed Ron and Hermione? Harry couldn't wrap his mind around it. Of course, he had been under the imperious curse. Harry just nodded to the anxious Ginny as he took a sip of water. Yes, he couldn't blame Neville. It wasn't his fault. Besides, nothing Harry could throw at the guy would be anywhere as near as bad as what Neville was and will keep doing to himself. However, he could easily blame and hate Lestrange. "Bellatrix?"

Ginny got an evil satisfied smile on her face. "She's rotting in a jail cell, soulless. Not even, her precious Dark Lord could help her now."

"Good." Harry was glad she got what was coming to her. It couldn't have happened to a more insane person. Then he thought of a question he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to, "How long was I…imprisoned?"

"Six years. Oh, Harry, I tried so hard to get you out of there, but no one would listen to me."

Harry looked her straight in the eye. He didn't blame her and he didn't want her to blame herself. "Not your fault." He looked around a moment after he said that. He didn't really want to stay with Sirius, not after what he had done. However, considering how weak he was, he didn't know if he had any options. "Do I have to…?"

"Stay here?" Ginny seemed to anticipate his question. "Not if you don't want to. You can come stay with me. It is just as protected, if not more so, as here. Since you're too weak at the moment, let me levitate you downstairs and we can take the floo out."

Harry nodded his consent. "Okay." He closed his eyes as he felt the sensation of being weightless. He was thankful to Ginny for this. He didn't know what he would do if he had to stay here. His eyes shot open as he realized something he heard earlier. "Wait! Mrs. Malfoy?"

Ginny laughed. "I had wondered when you would catch on to that. A lot of things have changed. Draco is good, and one of the only people who sided with me on your innocence.

Harry just shook his head as he was carried down the stairs. Draco was good. Ginny was married to him. Draco had believed in his innocence. He was going to stay with his old school rival. May Merlin help him survive that. At least, until he had finished his mission. Once he had trained up and took out Voldemort, Harry didn't much care what happened. In fact, the most favorable outcome, in his opinion, was the both of them dying at the same time. He wouldn't have to worry about that evil still being in the world and he would be able to be with Ron and Hermione again. Yeah, that would be best, but first he would have to train, a lot.