Apologize

While the others peered around curiously, Ginny kept herself steeled. It was the most chilling sense of déjà vu, returning to the Chamber after all those years. It had been the backdrop for most of her nightmares, but the years had worn down the details in her mind. She hadn't remembered the wet, stuffy, stench, or the chill of the cavern. The entire experience was putting her off balance, rubbing at old scars. The presence of that damned thing, the diadem that was currently in an old canvas bag that Hermione was holding in front of her like it was a snake trying to bite her, just put her even more on edge.

Harry hadn't immediately gone to comfort her, knowing that she didn't like to be fussed over. That changed when they entered the main chamber. The basilisk was exactly as big as she remembered. The thought, and now memory, of Harry facing that thing, half certain he would die, wrenched at her gut. This is where Tom had taken her. This is where both she and Harry had nearly died. Harry slipped an arm around her waist, and Ginny sighed, leaning into his body and soaking up the comfort he was giving her. Wordless gratitude and understand flowed between the two of them.

"Merlin, that's huge." Susan breathed. "You killed this thing, with a sword?"

"I had help." Harry corrected, provoking a snort from Ginny.

"From a bird. And a hat." Hermione rebutted.

"Nice to see that even shagging six witches won't cure you of your modesty." Katie snarked. There were some wry chuckles at her teasing. Harry rolled his eyes and nodded to Hermione, who unceremoniously dumped the diadem onto the ground.

Now that they were close to the carcass, Ginny could pick out the stench of decay. The Basilisk' magic seemed to have slowed, but not stopped it from rotting. Harry reluctantly parted from her, and with one firm yank, pulled the fang from its mouth. His eyes returned to her "Gin, would you like to do the honors?"

Harry's eyes held hers, holding no judgement over her decision as a combination of emotions bubbled up within her all at once. Could she really do it? Could she handle confronting a horcrux, here? At the same time, could she pass up the opportunity to try, to- in a way- to finally defeat Tom? Could she walk away with her head held high if she didn't even make the attempt?

No.

He wordlessly held the fang out to her, and when she reached out for it, he clasped his hand around hers as he handed it over, his touch lingering. Ginny felt a rush of confidence and gripped the fang tightly. The diadem was just sitting there innocuously- like it really was just an inanimate object, but she knew better. She could feel it pricking at her psyche. She might not have noticed if it weren't for her experience with the diary, but now, she couldn't not.

"It just seems too easy." Hermione whispered. Ginny silently agreed.

"Lets just get this over with." She muttered, and held the fang aloft. Just as she was about to plunge it downward, the horcrux struck. Ginny felt her mental defenses peel back as it attempted to infiltrate her mind, tendrils reaching like roots. The violation unleashed a surge of revulsion, it was so much, too much like the Diary.

Harry didn't hesitate, rushing forward and taking her in his arms. His presence surged forward protectively in her mind, and it was almost like a patronus, how it repelled the horcrux's magic. Luna followed Harry, hugging Ginny's side and offering her silent support. And then Hermione. And then Demelza, Susan and Katie all huddled around Ginny.

She came back to herself, and plunged the fang like a dagger into the diadem. It sizzled and popped, and then let out a long, haunting whine as it crumpled in on itself.

"Fuck you." Ginny hissed

It was done.

-----

Ron's life had been better, to say the least. He remembered how it had been during their fourth year, in that time between Harry's name coming out of the goblet of fire and the first task, but even that situation hadn't been as miserable as this one.

For one, he knew then, that all it would take for Harry to forgive him was a simple apology. Not to mention, he'd still been friends with Hermione. He'd figured out rather quickly that he'd been in the wrong- that there was no way Harry had entered his name into the goblet- even if his pride wouldn't let him admit that aloud. That didn't hold a candle to the guilt he felt now.

For the first time, Ron felt like he really deserved what was happening to him. He didn't blame Harry, Hermione, or Ginny for disowning him. It'd be so much easier if he could. If he could be angry at them and pin all of his problems on them. But he couldn't. He had no one to blame but himself.

That isolation had become total after the Death Eater attack. He'd been trying to help, to maybe atone for his mistakes- he was a prefect after all. He'd been leading a troop of the lower years up to the dorms when Greyback ambushed him. He hadn't even had the opportunity to get a spell off before he'd been tackled to the ground. His stomach squirmed as he tried to push aside the memory of what came next… the mauling, Greyback's putrid breath and harsh panting. He'd been lucky that the Order showed up when they did. Tonks had probably saved his life.

He wasn't sure if it was his appearance, or the association with a werewolf that caused everyone to avoid him. The scars on his face weren't pretty. He could hardly look himself in the mirror without shuddering. He couldn't help but realize how much better off he'd be if Harry, Hermione, and Ginny had still been there. They wouldn't have cared. Harry would even understand how it'd feel, at least a little bit, to have people be weird over his scars, or to be treated like a leper by the school.

Having a compartment on the Hogwarts Express seemed nice at first glance, but quickly grew depressing. He was relieved when it was his turn to patrol the train, it saved him from having to stress over the letter that was burning a hole in his pocket… and what to do about it.

It was while he was on patrol, almost serendipitously, that he ran into Ginny. He could pinpoint the exact moment that she noticed him by how her expression turned from relaxed to guarded. She deliberately turned away from him. "Wait!" Ron called out.

"What is it, Ron?" Ginny said in a cool, measured voice. For a moment, Ron thought of apologizing… but he was rubbish with words. Instead, he fished out Bill's letter to him and shoved it at Ginny.

Ginny's eyes flickered from the letter to Ron. "Just read it." Ron said.

Her expression was unreadable as her eyes scanned the parchment. It was a short letter- Ron nearly had the thing memorized.

Ron,

I've heard that you've had a falling out with Harry. I just want you to know that I understand why it happened. I can't divulge much in this letter, but Dumbledore has talked to me about the situation. After you get back from school, we can talk more, and figure out how to help our sister.

-Bill

The only sign of emotion that Ron could see from her was how her hand was gripping the parchment with much more force than necessary. She looked up from the letter, and let out a breath. He wondered if she was talking it over with Harry at that very moment. He really didn't know how far their bond went.

"Alright, we need to talk about this." She said, and motioned for him to follow her. Ron gratefully nodded and fell into step behind her.

Hermione was the only one of Harry's… group, that was absent from the compartment. She too was doing rounds as Prefect. "So Dumbledore's gotten to Bill." Ginny announced bitterly. "I don't know what he's been feeding him, but…" She held out the letter for the room at large. Susan took it first, scanning over it before letting Demelza and Katie look it over

Harry was looking at Ron curiously, and he did his best to meet his eyes. He seemed to be sizing him up, or judging him, more likely. "Well, we have a few options." Susan concluded.

"I can convince Bill that he's being a buggering idiot." Ginny bit out.

"Or Ron could do it, if he's up to it." Luna suggested.

"Are you?" Harry asked.

"Er, yeah." Ron nodded, and though he had no clue if it was the right time for it or not, he went ahead "I… was a huge prat. I'm really sorry. About everything."

Ginny and Harry blinked and glanced wordlessly at each other. Ron wished he knew what they were thinking. "I, er, appreciate that." Harry said agreeably "But, things can't just go back to how they were."

"I know."

"Is this really the best play, though?" Susan wondered.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Well, what if Ginny tries to convince her brother, and Ron acts as, well, a spy on the Order?"

"If I can convince Bill, he can be the spy." Ginny argued.

"We can't put all our eggs in one basket, Ginny." Susan returned "Besides, how close are Ron and Bill anyway? Aren't you and Bill much closer?"

"They're brothers, of course they're close." Ginny answered for him, but Ron had to shake his head.

"Actually, we aren't, really." Ron shrugged "Ginny always had Bill wrapped around her finger, but with so many brothers, and the age gap… y'know. It just wasn't a thing."

"So the best move is to have Ginny make our case to Bill. If it works, great. We have two spies. If it doesn't, Ron can still spy for us. Well, if he's willing to do that." Susan glanced meaningfully at Ron.

"Yeah. I could do that." Ron agreed. He had no idea if he could do that.

The discussion continued for several minutes, ironing out the details of how this would work. Ron received a blank piece of paper, which Hermione had apparently enchanted to allow them to write each other without using owls. At a certain point, the conversation trailed off, and Ron realized that while the sentiment in the room wasn't nearly as hostile as it had been, he very much felt like an outsider. "Right, well, er." He fumbled. "I've got rounds."

"Sure." Ginny nodded "Thanks, Ron."

-----

Harry and the girls reluctantly separated from each other on the platform. Hermione went with her parents, Demelza with her's, and Luna with her father. Both Katie and Susan were living on their own now. Susan in particular seemed to wilt as they parted. She had been legally emancipated with the death of her Aunt, was still living in the house she grew up in. Harry gave in to the urge to comfort her, taking her by the arm and hugging her one last time before she left. She favored him a watery smile that spoke volumes.

In addition to Ginny's parents, Bill and Fleur were awaiting them. While Mrs. Weasley alternated fussing over Ron, Harry, and Ginny, Bill was levelling a harsh, judgmental glare at Harry. Ron's forewarning had prepared Harry for this, and he met Bill's eyes unflinchingly.

When Bill turned to Ginny, he softened, and when Mrs. Weasley released her, Bill hugged her. "Hey firebug." He said affectionately. Ginny visibly bristled at the name- it'd been his nickname for her when she was a little girl. She had just destroyed a bloody horcrux, she wasn't a little girl.

"Hey Bill." She replied, trying to brush aside her annoyance. Susan had coached her on how to convince him. Don't lose your temper. Be genuine and earnest, be firm without giving in to him. But whatever you do, don't loose your temper.

At first, Fleur's eyes flickered between the three of them, trying to piece together the byplay. But she seemed to quickly let it go and greeted Harry with a hug that lingered a touch longer than might be appropriate. "Hello, Harry." She said brightly "We're your official escort today."

"Oh, are you?" Harry asked glancing at Bill. "I guess the Dursleys couldn't be bothered this year."

"This isn't about whatever issues you have with your family, it's about your safety." Bill said curtly, even dismissively. This instantly set both Harry and Ginny on edge. "You're too much of a target for us to let you be driven, so we're just going to side-along you." He nodded to Fleur "Babe, do you think you could handle him, I'd like to talk with Ron and Ginny a bit."

Harry was a little surprised that Bill could square that 180 degree turn from 'concerned for his safety' to 'half of his escort buggering off', but he wasn't about to complain. Fleur seemed even more surprised than he, but to ward off her protest Harry just smiled at her and shrugged. "Shall we?"

She huffed out a sigh, a shot a glance a Bill that informed Harry that there would be words about this later. Personally, Harry didn't envy him, though Bill was certainly bringing it down on himself. "Aren't you going to say goodbye to your girlfriend, Harry?" Fleur prompted, a teasing lilt in her voice "You're going to miss each other so very much."

Ginny wasn't about to pass up the invitation to snog her boyfriend or to show Bill that she definitely wasn't a little girl. She threw herself at Harry, who caught her with practiced ability, and devoured his mouth with an aggressive, teeth-clinking kiss that went on far longer than either of them originally intended.

"Alright, knock it off you two." Bill's sharp voice cut through the moment, and the two of them reluctantly separated. Bill was predictably fuming, and Ron just looked vaguely uncomfortable. Harry glanced nervously at Ginny's parents, but neither of them seemed to be bothered. In fact, Mrs. Weasley was smiling.

She's planning the wedding already. Ginny informed him. Simultaneously, she inclined her head in Fleur's direction in acknowledgment, wondering just how much she knew about the situation and if she might be more on their side than she realized. She definitely didn't seem happy with Bill's behavior.

Maybe instead of Bill convincing Fleur, we can get Fleur to convince Bill. Harry speculated. I'm sure she can be very convincing.

Ginny rolled her eyes. Yeah, I'm not surprised you think that, Potter. But the jibe was without any bite.

"I love you, Gin." Harry said aloud.

"Right back at you, luv."

Bill looked furious. Fleur seemed smugly satisfied. Mrs. Weasley was beaming.

Harry didn't recall side-alonging with Dumbledore feeling so… intimate. Maybe it was his imagination, or how she linked his arm with his, or perhaps it was how he could now feel her magic flare up and sweep him away. When they appeared into the Dursley's backyard, Harry nearly lost his balance, as he did with nearly any form of magical travel not involving a broom. Fleur was the to steady him, and once again how her arm looped around his shoulders felt almost flirtatious.

God, he was losing it. There was no way she was into him, and she was getting married in a few months! Why was he over-interpreting every little touch she gave him? Maybe he was being affected by her allure… perhaps only subtly. He didn't feel affected, though. When she was just talking to him normally, he felt normal… it was only when she was touching him like this. "You alright there, Harry?"

"Yeah, this is normal for me." He joked wryly, provoking a giggle from her.

"Good. I'd hate it to be a reflection on my apparition skills." She said with mock arrogance.

"Well, as long as your ego is intact." Harry smirked, and Fleur giggled again.

There was a moment of silence, before they simultaneously realize that they were still pressed inappropriately close to each other. As one, they jerked apart from each other. Harry felt the heat rise in his cheeks, but was floored when he saw Fleur blush as well.

Damn, she could have been number seven if she wasn't getting married. Luna contemplated wistfully.

"Right, well, thank you for taking me. Here." Harry said awkwardly "I appreciate it."

"Nonsense. I owe you much more than a simple side along apparition." Fleur disagreed "Allow me." With a swish of her wand, she levitated his trunk. Harry obliged her, opening the back door to let her through into the house.

Harry was greeted by the unpleasant sight of Vernon and Petunia Dursley. "Back, are you, boy." He sneered.

"Yep." Harry answered dully. "Don't mind them, Fleur."

"Don't tell me you brought another one of your k-" Vernon choked on his words as Fleur stepped through the door. He was clearly struck dumb by her allure, his mouth hanging open stupidly.

Petunia, seeing this, hissed at Fleur "What have you done to him you witch!"

"Petunia… just don't." Harry said simply. "Its not Fleur's fault Vernon has no self control." He was done humoring these people. They'd given him nothing but hatred and a life-time's worth of emotional issues.

Harry really did expect her to go on, but something in his tone stopped her in her tracks. He wasn't the insecure, angst-ridden teenager he'd been when he'd left them last. He was far more confident, much more secure in himself and now more than ever he felt beyond these petty people.

He wasn't even separated from the people he loved, not all of them. Ginny, Luna, and Hermione were all with him in his mind, closely following this key encounter and offering their support.

Harry motioned for Fleur to follow him up to his room. "Sorry about them." He offered.

She shook her head "No, I'm sorry for bringing out the worst in them."

"That wasn't you, Fleur. They've always been like that. They were even worse when I was little and couldn't stand up for myself." He opened the door to his room, the door which had many locks on it and a cat flap that had in the past been used to pass food through, to reveal his cramped, broken down bedroom.

"I see." Fleur said, revealing no emotion as she looked around the room "I'm sorry."

"Its okay." Harry told her, not quite able to look at her "I hate it here, but I can deal with them now. I know I have people that love me waiting for me out there. I only have a couple months of this left and then I'll never have to see them again."

"You shouldn't have to deal with them, though." Fleur frowned "This room. Did they ever only give you broken old toys?" At first, Harry didn't even understand what she meant, until he realized that the shelves were still cluttered with the remains of Dudley's old toys.

"No. Those are all Dudley's. This used to be his second room, actually."

"Then where did you sleep?" Fleur asked.

It was odd, he spent years hiding every scrap of information about his time with the Dursleys, but now… he felt much less guarded about it. He felt free. It wasn't anything to do with Fleur. No, it was Ginny, and Hermione, and Luna, Katie, Susan and Demelza. They'd helped him.

So with it was with only some hesitation that he revealed one of his most closely guarded secrets. "Before I got my Hogwarts letter, they kept me in that cupboard under the stairs."

"I see." Fleur said, again revealing not a scrap of emotion in her voice. Harry finally looked back up at her, and realized his mistake. While her voice had betrayed nothing, her eyes were radiating with pure fury. It'd been building the entire conversation. Harry was reminded suddenly of how the Veela transformed at the World Cup and wondered if the Dursleys should be fearing for their safety.

You know, Fleur's actually alright. Ginny admitted.

"Uh, Fleur?" Harry piped.

"Yes, Harry?" Fleur replied, her sweet tone towards him clashing with every element of her body language.

"Just don't kill them."

Fleur just smiled, and it didn't reassure him one bit.