MetaFic

Harry and Ginny's memories of the evacuation from the battlefield that was once the Weasley property were never completely clear. Harry remembered Tonks' frightened face peering at them from under brown bangs that lay flat on her head with sweat. Ginny remembered Bill coming up to her and giving her a hug, tears streaking his soot and dirt covered face. They both had vague recollections of Professor Dumbledore handing them a plastic pocket comb.

Their next memory was of being hustled into separate examination beds in the Hogwarts infirmary. Madam Pomfrey and Mrs. Weasley were grim-faced and tight-lipped, tending the injured members of the Order, as well as several people Harry did not recognize. A few beds had unmoving forms lying on them, covered with sheets.

Madam Pomfrey spent several minutes examining Harry, finally casting a knitting charm on his broken limbs. She forced a potion on him, which he drank without question, and then she hustled off to tend the next wave of arrivals. As the potion took affect, he drifted off to sleep to the sound of Mrs. Weasley fussing over her daughter after Pomfrey repaired Ginny's broken leg and mended her other injuries.

Harry knew he was as safe at Hogwarts as he could possibly be. He closed his eyes and let exhaustion take him.

***

Harry awoke to a low buzzing noise in his ear. He slowly opened one bleary eye and tried to take in his surroundings. He looked around. He recognized both the room and the bed. He was in the boy's dormitory of Gryffindor Tower. He rolled over toward the buzzing.

Ginny, now in her Animagus form, was curled up near his head. She pressed her face closer to him and then nudged him with her nose.

"What?" Harry asked, reaching for his glasses. He sat up and looked around the room. Another bed had been slept in. He guessed it had probably been Ron. Harry rose from the bed after giving Ginny an affectionate rub between the ears. He realized that someone had dressed him in pajamas, though he had no idea where they might have come from. Ginny jumped down lightly from the bed, and started toward the door, mewing at him to follow.

"Um, I need to visit the loo first, okay? You can wait for me out in the hall."

Ginny nodded and stepped out the door.

Once Harry relieved the burden on his bladder and splashed some water on his face, he felt better about the world. He went to the dorm room and retrieved his wand before going downstairs.

"I JUST WANT KNOW WHERE MY SISTER IS," Harry heard Ron shout as he started down the stairs.

"I don't know Ronald." Hermione told him. "When I woke up this morning she was gone. Her bed had been slept in--"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE A CLEFT CHIN?" Ron shouted.

"I said slept in, not cleft chin," Hermione tried to explain.

"I THOUGHT HER THIGH WAS BROKEN, NOT HER LEFT SHIN."

"Honestly Ron, try to read my lips."

"I'D LOVE TO KNEAD YOUR HIPS, BUT NOT HERE."

"AARGH!" Hermione yelled.

Ron stepped back. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU. YOU KEEP MUMBLING."

Harry finally decided to finish walking down the stairs. He took in the scene before him. Ron was wearing pajamas almost identical to the ones Harry wore. Ron kept looking at Hermione expectantly. Hermione was dressed in a simple nightgown that reached just past her knees, allowing Harry a glimpse of her nicely shaped calves. He wondered if Ginny's calves were as pretty. He was sure they had to be. Harry reached down and picked Ginny up off the bottom stair where she was peering at Hermione and Ron. Harry stepped into the room.

"Hey you two," Harry said.

Hermione turned to greet him, and Ron turned to look at whatever Hermione was looking at.

"Oh Harry, there you are," Hermione said. "Ginny's gone missing again and Ron's--"

"WHO'S BEEN KISSING A GRIM?"

"Gone a little deaf," Harry said.

"Yes, well," Hermione looked at Ron as if he were a particularly obnoxious Niffler, "he got hit with some kind of curse that scrambled his hearing. It's supposed to wear off eventually."

"I WISH YOU TWO WOULD STOP MUMBLING AND LET A BLOKE IN ON WHAT'S GOING ON."

Hermione turned to Ron. "I was telling Harry you'd been hit by a curse."

"HARRY GOT BIT BY A PURSE?"

By now, Ginny had jumped from Harry's arms and up onto the large squishy sofa. Harry could tell that even in her cat form she was having a hard time not laughing at her hapless brother.

"A CURSE RON, A CURSE," Hermione yelled at the top of her lungs.

Ron flinched away, "Blimey woman, I'm not deaf you know."

Hermione huffed and started to open her mouth to retort, but Ron turned to Harry.

"Ginny's gone missing again," Ron said "I saw her for an instant in the hospital ward but we didn't get a chance to talk before Pomfrey sent her to the tower. Now Hermione tells me that Ginny's not in her bed this morning."

Harry looked over Ron's shoulder, seeking some guidance from Ginny. She bobbed her head to let Harry know it was okay.

"Um, Ron, I know where Ginny is."

Ron looked at Harry in shock. "Well then, where is she?"

"You two might want to sit down."

"Look Harry, just tell me what you know, okay. I've been out of my mind with worry all summer, and you're the last person I'd expect to keep something like my own sister's whereabouts from me."

Harry gave Ron a sympathetic look. "I know, Ron, but I wasn't sure if I could tell you or not. I just now found out it would be okay. Now please, sit down."

Ron closed his mouth and stepped closer to Hermione. Taking her by the hand, he looked at Harry to see his reaction, but Harry only smiled at them both.

Ron and Hermione settled on the couch. Ginny jumped off and stood on the floor in front of the chair Harry sat down in.

"Okay, spill it Potter."

Harry looked at Ginny. "Well?"

Hermione spoke up, "Harry, what's–" She stopped as Ginny began her transformation.

"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione sat wide-eyed. "Ginny, I didn't know you were training to become an–" She didn't get to finish the sentence as Ginny promptly vomited on the carpet.

Harry stood and eased her into the chair he had been setting in and then retrieved a glass of water from the pitcher on the table near the fireplace. He passed Ginny the water, then took out his wand and cast a quick Scourgify to clean up the mess. He noted with more than passing interest that Ginny was dressed just like Hermione. Harry also noted the lovely curve of her calf, as well as the animagus formula symbols that covered a large part of her pale legs.

Ginny gulped down the water and drew a couple of deep breaths. "Hey guys."

Ron blinked. His mouth worked wordlessly for several seconds, until finally his brain and tongue got in sync. "Hey guys? You've been missing all summer, you turn up at The Burrow in the middle of a fight, you change from a cat into a girl, and all you can say is, hey guys?"

Ginny smiled sweetly. "Did you miss me?"

Ron leapt from his chair and gave his sister a powerful hug. Ginny hugged him back and smiled into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I worried you, Ron," Ginny said, smiling through the tears that were forming.

"Don't ever go away like that again," Ron admonished his little sister, leaning back and holding her by the shoulders with his large hands.

"Ginny," Hermione said, moving to join Ron as he knelt on the floor in front of Ginny's chair. "You never told us you were training to be an animagus."

Ginny have a dry chuckle, "There was no training involved. Well, a three-day crash course, but not what you'd expect."

Hermione frowned. "But learning to become an Animagus takes great amounts of study and practice. I read in The Greatest Shapeshifters that it could take a really powerful wizard hours of intense study before they could even begin the most basic changes."

Ginny sighed and launched into the same explanation she had given Harry. As she spoke, Harry stood slightly to one side and watched her.

Harry Potter knew he was not at all an expert at dealing with feelings. He also knew that Ginny Weasley was causing him to feel sensations he could only guess at. He wanted desperately to talk to someone, anyone, about what was going on inside of him. He hoped that Professor Lupin would be available soon.

Harry smiled as Ron sat dumbstruck by his sister's tale of learning she was an animagus, and then he looked from her to Harry when she reached the part about Dumbledore sending her to live with Harry under the guise of Ginger. What worried Harry was how quiet Hermione had become. Usually the intelligent witch became enthusiastic about any new discovery, and even more so if one of her circle of friends was a part of it. Her silence seemed ominous to Harry.

Finally, Ginny finished the tale. Ron shook his head in disbelief. Hermione looked dangerously thoughtful.

"So, you've been staying with Harry this whole time?" Ron asked.

"Yes Ron, I've actually been living in Harry's bedroom," Ginny said with a teasing voice.

"Well, as long as you're both, you know, ah–"

Ginny arched an eyebrow at him, "No, Ron, I don't know. Would you care to finish that sentence?"

Ron swallowed, "As long as you're both getting along with each other."

Harry stepped back into the conversation. "Oh, I get along with Ginny just fine, Ron. She's been rather pleasant company."

Ron looked from Ginny to Harry and back again. He seemed rather conflicted. "So are you two, then, you know?"

"A couple?" Harry asked.

Ginny snorted, "I think he's more worried about coupling."

Ron turned red. "I didn't mean to say I thought you two were -- you know."

"Know what, Ron?" Ginny asked innocently.

Harry took pity on his best friend. "We haven't really had a chance to sort things out just yet."

"But we plan to soon," Ginny finished.

Harry looked at her and cocked an eyebrow. "We do?"

Ginny smiled up at him, "Of course we do. You know Harry, in the old days we'd already be married, everything considered."

"Well," Harry said, "I guess you have been sleeping in my bed, even if you were a cat. Oh, and you have seen me naked."

"WHAT?!" Ron shouted.

Ginny ignored her brother as she nodded sagely and seriously. "I guess that's it then."

"Yup," said Harry. "We have to get married straight away."

Harry and Ginny broke into laughter at Ron's confused face.

"What you've done is extremely dangerous," Hermione finally spoke.

Ginny looked at her best friend. "Since when is teasing Ron dangerous?"

"Hey!" Ron said.

"I'm talking about the transformations. Do you understand what you're doing?"

Ginny stopped laughing and regarded Hermione squarely. "Of course I understand."

"I'm not so sure," Hermione said.

"Understand what?" Harry asked.

Ginny and Hermione continued to stare at each other.

Ron cleared his throat. "Will someone please tell us poor stupid boys what's going on."

Hermione stood and crossed her arms. "Well Ginny, do you want to tell them or should I?"

Ginny narrowed her eyes at the older girl. "Well, you're such an expert on everything, why don't you go ahead?"

"Fine." Hermione glared at the other three teens. "As I said, I've been reading The Greatest Shapeshifters. I found it in the library at Grimmauld Place over the summer. One of the most important warnings in the book is that if an Animagus spends too much time in their animal form, they can start to lose themselves to the animal. It's even more dangerous for witches or wizards who are a natural Animagus, because their power is already closer to the animal they become."

"Thank you for that fine dissertation, Miss Granger," Ginny said in a low, almost angry voice.

"Ginny, you need to take this seriously," Hermione admonished, her eyes starting to tear up in fear and frustration. "You know good and well what can happen. And you must know that's what was already happening to Sirius.”

"Is that true?" Harry asked in a whisper. "Could you have lost yourself and been stuck as Ginger forever?"

Ginny sighed. "Yes, there is the possibility that it could happen. There's also the possibility that I could bollox up the change and be stuck as a cat forever. I talked all this over with McGonagall before I agreed to go live with Harry."

"Ginny, how could you risk something like that?" Harry asked, his voice still very low.

"I told you why," she said, turning in the chair to face him.

Harry took a deep breath. "I don’t want you risking yourself on my account. I've already lost so much, I couldn't–"

Ginny Weasley sprang from the chair and pounced on Harry. She smashed into him, her small body striking him full force. Caught off balance, Harry fell onto his back. Ginny sat on his chest, snarling at him.

"Don't you dare tell me who I can and can't risk myself for. If I want to do what I can to help your sorry, skinny arse, then I will – do you understand me?"

"Ginny–" Harry said, slightly breathless.

"I know you've lost too many people who you loved. I know you don’t want to lose anyone else."

"Ginny, I can't–" Harry said in a labored voice.

"But you have to let us live our lives, Harry, and if living our lives means risking ourselves for you, then you'd better learn to deal."

"You don’t understand–" Harry exclaimed, trying to suck in some air.

"Oh, I understand perfectly, Potter."

Ginny was starting to get into a temper now. Hermione started forward to intervene, but Ron took her by the arm and pulled her to the couch.

"I understand that you think you have to be all noble and everything." Ginny leaned down, her face mere inches from Harry's. "You think it's okay to risk your life for your friends, but heaven forbid anyone would do the same for you!"

"Ginny, please, I–" Harry said, his face turning red.

"Well, I'm telling you right now Harry; I'm here for the whole thing, live or die, I plan to be there to help you in anyway I can. I know what it is you have to do Harry. You can't do it alone."

"You've got it all wrong–" Harry choked out

"No, Harry, you've got it wrong. We're going to stand by you whether you like it or not. Hermione, Ron, Mum and Dad. All the Weasley's, the D.A., Neville, Luna, me, we are all going to be with you. And do you know why?"

"Ginny, please–"

"I'll tell you why Harry, because we love you. All of us love you and care about you, so get used to it." Her anger softened. "We love you, Harry."

"Love you too, Gin. Can't breathe." Harry gasped out while turning an unattractive shade of blue.

"Oh," Ginny said, shifting her weight off Harry's chest.

"Well, if I'm not interrupting anything too important," came the amused voice of Remus Lupin from the open portrait hole, "I'd suggest you four get dressed. Dumbledore has called an emergency meeting this morning. You are all to attend."