Chapter 1 – Moonlight and Gardens
Ducking through the shelter of leaves, Harry sat down at the base of the trees, knowing that sooner or later someone would seek him out. He pushed back the annoyance he felt rising. Despite his best efforts, his friends persisted in keeping him company. Oh, he knew that they cared for him and were worried about him, but not once since he'd arrived at the Burrow had he had a moment alone to himself.
Leaning against the tree, Harry closed his eyes and tried not to think. The weather obviously didn't know that there was a war – the war to end all wars – going on. It was a beautiful summer day; the sun was hot on his skin with just enough of a breeze to cool him off. He caught the scent of flowers from Mrs Weasley's garden in the air. The scent reminded him of the Burrow itself and made him feel at home. Harry yawned. Wanting to enjoy his bit of privacy while he could, he tried not to think about the horrible Dursleys or Dumbledore or school. The thoughts about Voldemort and the prophecy and Sirius's death in May were harder to avoid. Yawning again, Harry stretched out on the soft green grass and quickly fell asleep.
"Harry," Ron said, nudging Harry's side with his foot. "Hey mate, wake up. Mum says it's time for dinner."
"Huh? What?" Harry blinked sleepily.
"Dinner. You know, the most important meal of the day."
"Ron, every meal is the most important to you."
Ron laughed as he helped Harry to his feet. He started to ask Harry if he was okay, but decided against it. If Harry didn't want to talk about what was going on, he wasn't going to push him. Ron knew that Harry would talk when he was ready.
"Mum, is it seven or eight of us tonight?"
"Seven, dear," Harry heard Mrs Weasley say as he came into the kitchen. "Your father owled to say he'd be late again. There you boys are," Mrs Weasley said as she saw them. "Harry, go wash up then help Ginny set the table. Ron and Hermione will get the food."
Harry finished up in the loo and met Ginny at the table. She had already begun to set out the plates for everyone. Harry looked over at her with a puzzled look on his face. He had only ever set the table for the Dursley's while staying at Privet drive. Four, although they certainly would have preferred having only the three of them, was much less then the Weasley's alone. Ginny just smiled a shy grin and nodded her head towards the silverware, "Just start with those."
Harry grabbed the silverware and started setting it out along the table. He noticed that Ginny had left the table and had grabbed the napkins. I should have remembered to grab those first. Now she has extra work to do. As Harry thought about it, he couldn't help but glance at her out of the corner of his eye. When he saw Ginny look his way, he dropped a fork and quickly focused far too hard on putting it in the proper place. She couldn't help but smirk at his behaviour. What's with Harry? He's certainly not this shy or clumsy when it's just us hanging out. Usually it's Ron who is clumsy. With that thought, she noticed Ron and Hermione starting to bring the many bowls of food to the table.
Ginny had come around the side of the table and slightly brushed up against Harry's forearm as she placed the napkin down before he could lay the silverware. She looked up at him, but when he looked at her she smiled shyly and then looked back down at the plate. Butterflies, go away; for crying out loud we are just setting the table. Harry and I have touched more then that before. Honestly, will you guys just knock it off down there? If you keep it up I won't be able to eat anything. Ginny smiled again, with her hair half hiding her face, at her thoughts.
Meanwhile, Harry had picked up the pace when he started smelling more and more of Mrs Weasley's wonderful cooking. Shite. Ginny just touched me again. Why do I keep acting like a daft fool and keep jerking away? She's going to think something is wrong with me. Harry thoughts had pulled him away from the smells of the food with Ginny's soft, accidental touch. He smiled again when he noticed Ginny quickly look down, yet again.
Ron walked into the dining room carrying a huge plate of food. He saw the smiles from his sister and his best friend while they set the table. What is going on with these two? What little secret are they sharing over there? I wish they would just hurry up already. I'm starving. If they aren't done by the time I get back them I'm just going to have to do it myself. Ron, Hermione and Mrs Weasley had brought the rest of the food out. Mrs Weasley called out, "Come on everyone. Tuck in, tuck in. The food is ready."
Sitting down next to Ron, Harry helped himself to ham and potatoes.
"Harry, you have to eat more than that," Hermione admonished him as she pushed the green beans and bread towards him.
With his plate full, Harry listened to the conversations around him as he ate. Ginny was telling Hermione about the new Weird Sisters song she'd heard on the WWN, but Hermione hadn't heard it. She only listened to Muggle-radio at home, but was excitedly telling Ginny about this new station that played music that was popular from before they were born. At the other end of the table, Bill and Fleur were debating the merits of this flower over that one, with Mrs Weasley offering her opinion every few minutes.
"Ginny, this year is going to be hard for you. Do you want me to help you study for your O.W.L.s? Of course, I still haven't quite decided on my N.E.W.T. classes. I just can't decide whether I should stay in Astronomy or not. Ron, what classes are you taking this year?"
Ron, who was on his third helping by then, merely shrugged. He wouldn't tell Hermione of course, but he figured he'd just take whatever classes Harry was planning on taking.
As Hermione turned to Harry, he cut off her question before it could be asked. "I don't know and I don't care and I really don't want to talk about it, Hermione."
"Really, Harry. Everyone knows that your N.E.W.T.s will determine your career options. This is much too important of a decision to leave for the last minute." When Harry refused to answer, Hermione began pestering him about his class options.
"Enough!" Harry yelled as he stood up. "I said I didn't want to discuss it."
Watching Harry storm back outside, Hermione looked stricken. "What did I say?" she asked. Ron looked torn between following his best mate and staying to comfort Hermione.
Ginny patted Hermione's shoulder. "He'll be okay, just let him alone about his classes, okay? He only got an 'E' in Potions and you know Snape won't accept anyone into N.E.W.T. level without an 'O'."
Hermione continued to look perplexed.
"He can't be an Auror without Potions," Ginny stated as she walked out the door.
"I heard what you said in there. Thank you."
"You're welcome." Ginny sat down on a large rock near Harry. "She can be awful bossy at times; insisting that I'll need her help studying for my O.W.L.s, as if I haven't done quite well in school for the past four years without her help."
Harry laughed. "She means well though."
"Yeah, I know she does."
How long they sat there in silence, Ginny didn't know. There were so many things she wanted to say to Harry, to ask him about, but she didn't know how or even if she should.
"Knut for your thoughts," she heard Harry say.
Without realizing it, Ginny heard herself asking Harry about Sirius. "Not about that," she stammered, "I mean, what was he like? Even though we stayed at Grimmauld Place, I never really had a chance to get to know him."
Harry was quiet for so long that Ginny wondered if she'd upset him more. "Well, he was…cool, I guess. He was funny and smart. He liked to prank people like the twins, but he could be mean too. Even though he was my godfather, he was always more of a friend than a parent. Somehow though, I think he's probably a lot like how my dad was."
Ginny noticed how Harry referred to Sirius as if he was still here, but didn't correct him. "Do – do you miss him awfully much?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yeah," Harry answered softly, "Yeah I do." He wondered what it was about Ginny that made it so easy to talk to her. "I've never lost anyone I cared about before. I mean – I was just a baby when my mum and dad died so I can't really miss what I don't remember. And Cedric, well, he was sort of a friend but I didn't know him all that well either. Sirius was different. He loved me and I loved him. I was even going to live with him after –" Harry was too choked up to finish. He looked at Ginny with tears in his eyes, hoping she wouldn't ask any more questions.
She didn't. Moving closer, she wrapped her arms around him to let him know that she understood. Overwhelmed by the unexpected gesture, Harry felt the tears as they dripped softly onto his shirt. Hugging Ginny back, they stayed like that until his tears stopped and he felt numb.
Breakfast the next morning was a sombre affair. While Harry was in the shower, Ginny quickly told Hermione and Ron what Harry had said the night before. Ron was shocked that Harry would talk to Ginny about Sirius but not him. Hermione was ashamed of how she had acted, and promised Ginny not to bother Harry about school when he was still mourning Sirius.
Hearing Harry moving around upstairs, Ginny fixed two plates of scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast and set them on the table for Harry and her. She added butter and marmalade to the table, and had turned back to pour them both pumpkin juice when Harry came into the kitchen. Harry thanked her, but avoided looking into her eyes since he felt slightly embarrassed about crying in front of her the night before. As she passed him the marmalade, Ginny smiled and lightly touched his arm to let him know that everything was okay.
Finished with breakfast, the four teenagers looked over the list of chores Mrs Weasley had written out for them. In agreement that the sooner they finished, the sooner they could have fun, the list was split in half. Ron and Harry agreed to de-gnome the garden and dust the downstairs of the house while the girls weeded the flower beds and dusted upstairs. They figured that by the time they were finished with all that, Mrs Weasley would have laundry ready to fold and put away.
Kneeling beside Ginny in a bed of chrysanthemums, Hermione asked, "So what did you really talk to Harry about last night?"
"What do you mean what did we really talk about? I told you over breakfast this morning."
"I know that, I just figured there might be more that you didn't want to say in front of Ron."
Rolling her eyes at how transparent Hermione could be, Ginny sighed. "No, Hermione, I didn't hold anything back. I told you everything there was to tell at breakfast. Mostly we just sat there and didn't talk." Well, Ginny thought, that wasn't entirely a lie. They did just sit there and not talk, even if it was because Harry was crying on her shoulder. She didn't figure Hermione needed to know about that though. If she did, she'd only pick it all apart to try to figure out what it meant.
Settling into their task, Ginny was only halfway listening as Hermione chattered on about her summer at home. It was with some amusement that Ginny noted Hermione's new found love of music, or at least Muggle music, as Hermione had taken it upon herself to describe what seemed like every single song this new radio station she had found had played.
"It's really an American thing, you know, listening to these older songs, but some of them are really good. The station mostly plays stuff from the 1970s and the 1980s, so they're not super old songs, but they're still old. The 'disco' songs are really weird compared to what we listen to now, but it was very popular when our parents were young. Now, the 'newer' music – for lack of a better term – is more varied but still somewhat strange. Some of it is very laid back and some of it is very fast paced, like what you would hear at a party. Most of the songs are by groups I've never heard of, which is what makes it all so fascinating of course."
"Uh huh," Ginny responded automatically, thinking that a response was needed.
"Ginny, are you even listening to me?"
"Erm, no. I'm sorry, Hermione. I guess I got lost in my thoughts, wondering how Harry was doing."
Hermione smiled knowingly. "We're almost done with this last flower bed. Let's find the boys and go inside. If we hurry we can get the dusting and laundry done before lunch. Then we can make some sandwiches and have a picnic by the pond. It'll be fun."
Ginny agreed. She didn't know if Harry would agree, but hopefully it would serve as a distraction from his thoughts for a little while.
After finishing their chores and changing into bathing suits, they headed towards the pond. Each carried something Hermione deemed necessary for a successful picnic: a blanket to sit on, the Weasley's wireless so they could listen to the WWN, a wicker basket filled with food, and towels for swimming.
After Hermione had dictated where everything should be placed, they settled down to eat. Passing out the thick ham and cheese sandwiches Ginny had made, along with crisps and the butterbeer, she smacked Ron's hand away from the picnic basket.
"Aww, Hermione, what'd you do that for?" he asked. "I just wanted to see what was for afters."
"You'll see it after we eat and not until then."
Pouting, Ron threw himself down on the blanket next to Harry as he unwrapped a sandwich. "Bossy, that one is. What harm is there in knowing what it is? It's not like she'd let me eat it first anyway."
Harry laughed. As much as Ron and Hermione threatened to drive him mental with their arguments, they were his best friends and he couldn't imagine a life without their arguments.
Hearing Harry laugh, Ginny smiled. This just might be a fun afternoon after all, she thought as she bit into her sandwich.
Several hours later, Ginny opened her eyes when she felt Harry kneel beside her. Ron had fallen asleep and Hermione was reading a book she'd tucked into her towel.
"Hey, Ginny." He handed her a couple chocolate biscuits. "I found these in the bottom of the basket. Ron must have missed them before his nap."
Ginny smiled as she thanked him. "I'd wanted to bring the cake but Mum said it was for dinner and the biscuits would have to do."
"Mmm, I love your mum's cake. Gives me something to look forward to tonight."
Checking to make sure Hermione was suitably distracted, Harry stretched out beside Ginny with his arms crossed behind his head. "I wanted to thank you again for last night, and for today as well. It's been a really good day."
"No thanks needed, Harry. We're friends and that's what friends do."
"Yeah, friends." Harry was quiet for a few minutes. "You know, that's one of the things I've been thinking about lately. How different friends can be."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Hermione is bossy and controlling and quite like what I imagine a sister would be like, if I had one. She's the one to lecture me about homework assignments and how dangerous this-or-that is, whereas Ron is more relaxed and easy-going. He's the one that's always there with a funny story or ready to skive off our assignments for a game of Quidditch or wizard's chess. As different as they are, I know that both of them would do anything to help me out if I needed it."
"But that's a good thing Harry," Ginny said. "Everyone should be lucky enough to have friends like that. If you asked them, they'd say the same thing about you."
"I know and I think that's what bothers me the most. No matter how often I ask them to leave me alone, they won't. Why won't they when that's what I want?"
"Harry." Ginny stopped. How could she tell him what he needed to hear in a way that he'd be sure to understand? "Harry, you have to see it from their perspective. You're their best friend too. After five years, they know that you get broody and depressed and take the weight of the world on your shoulders. They just want to be there to share the weight and the only way they know how to do that is to stick near you."
Harry thought about what Ginny had said. He hadn't ever really looked at it that way before and said as much. "What you said about us being friends. Did you mean it?"
"Of course I meant it!" Ginny looked surprised. "Why would you think I didn't mean it?"
"I – I had never really thought of us as being friends before. Not like I'm friends with Ron and Hermione anyway. You've always had your own group of friends at Hogwarts and don't really hang out with us."
"Oh, Harry," Ginny laughed. "The reason I didn't hang out with you is because I didn't think you'd want me to. I was just Ron's ickle sister and I had such a crush on you when I started at Hogwarts, I couldn't even speak to you. Don't you remember?"
Harry smiled as he thought back to his first visit at the Burrow. Entering the kitchen one morning and seeing Harry at the table had left Ginny so speechless that she'd dropped the butter dish and run out of the room. "Yeah, I remember. I'm glad you're not speechless around me anymore. It'd be hard to be friends with someone that couldn't bear to be in the same room with me."
Turning on her stomach and resting her head on her arms, Ginny just smiled. Being friends with Harry Potter was at least a good start. Maybe, if she was lucky, it might someday turn into something more. "So tell me, did Ron bother you a lot about yesterday?"
Harry turned over so he was looking at Ginny as he proceeded to tell her about his morning.