A/N: I apologize for the delay in the posting. Things seemed to have gotten out of my control. I would like to once again thank those who have read and reviewed. If it weren't for you I would have discontinued this story long ago. Thanks again. Jade.
Chapter 22
Always Watching Over You
The Burrow
Current Day
"Love him Ron," Ginny remembers as she smiles and looks over at her husband, "love him with all our hearts," she says as a tear falls from her eyes at the memory of that day. "I know I do," she adds on as she finishes this part of the tail.
"He didn't," David asks laughing so hard he is crying.
"Oh but he did Mr. Granger," Dumbledore says with a smile on his face as he too remembers the scene. "I was there through the whole orientation, he was about to let them out when he heard Ron yelling, but he knew what he was doing was for the better. He made sure to engage in conversation on the way back to the castle so he wouldn't let them out," he tells them for the first time.
"Why," Alexandra asks finally able to somewhat control her giggles.
"You were there," Ginny asks knowing how hard it must have been for Harry to put them through it even though it was for the best.
"Yes," Dumbledore says in an agreeing tone, "Harry had it all set up, he came to me with the plan two months before executing it," he tells her. "How long he thought on it, I can't tell you," he admits knowing what she is thinking. "In fact he had the help of Minerva, Severus and myself," he tells them.
"I must admit at how comical the four of you were as you were avoiding each other," Severus snarls at them. "I too was there for his little speech and I have to admit even I found it funny, however not as much as your reactions, I had first watch," he tells them as he smiles at the memory of the four Gryffindor students display their stubbornness. "I am grateful however to have been spared the time of your release," he says with a shake of his head.
"Why were you there," Lavender asks intrigued.
"Harry was concerned for your welfare," Minerva tells her honestly. "He had one of us or himself always watching over you," she says with a smile. "He knew what he was doing was for the best, he could see," she stops here not willing to tell them this secret. "He didn't like seeing you slowly dying because of some misunderstandings and he knows the only way to fix it was to lock the four of you up so you would have to deal with it," she tells them ignoring her almost slip.
"So someone was always watching over us," Ginny asks realizing just how much their little get together cost Harry. Realizing how much Harry cares for them.
"Yes," Dumbledore tells them.
"Most of the time it was Harry himself," Severus tells them.
"Harry," Ron says disbelievingly.
"Yep," Dumbledore says to them. "He came back after being done in the field for his time," he informs the shocked group. "He told me he found it relaxing in its own way," he continues. "He knows the world around him is full of pain, the world around us all is full of pain," he corrects. "He knew and knows you needed each other and he wished for all of you to be happy, if that meant torturing you to realize it, then so be it," he says and chuckles. "After the first three days," he pauses as the rest in the room snicker at this comment.
"Three days," Fred snorts out. "So that is the important mission Harry sent you on," he rushes out before bursting into peals of laughter.
"Stubborn group us Weasley's," George says puffing his chest out in fake pride.
"Harry commented on that trait often over the time he kept you there," Minerva agrees. "He once asked me if it had something to due with the red hair," she shakes her head at this as the smile crosses her lips again. "He then asked me something I thought he would have asked years ago, yet it surprised me when he did," she says as the smile leaves her face. "He asked me how his mother was like," she whispers. "It was the first time he had ever asked me about his parents, it was the first time," she says in a sad voice. "What gets me the most is the sadness I could hear in his voice," she tells them. "He has this awe to him when he learns even the smallest of things about his parents, something most people don't ever have when learning about their parents past," she says still amazed with his child like awe.
"He has that every time he is learning something new and it catches his eye," Severus says to the surprised mass.
"What do you mean," Ron asks.
"I was there to see his training and he was so attentive and intrigued it was an amazing sight to see, especially since I had stopped disliking him. I missed this look when he was first in my classes so when I was able to see it and to know the person behind the look, it was amazing," Severus explains to them.
"How long were you in there," Fred asks as his eagerness to hear the story gets the best of him.
"Three weeks," Lavender snorts out.
"Three weeks," Hermione laughs out repeating their words.
"Yep," Ginny agrees looking lovingly over at her husband. "Though at the time they felt like torture I am very grateful for what he did for us," she answers.
"We spent most of those three weeks on opposite sides of the field," Ron says with an agreeing nod of his head.
"It wasn't until the last four days that we decided to actually try to get out of there," Neville continues.
"Yeah, I guess we wanted to see if he was in fact just as or more stubborn than we are," Ron says with a smile.
"He wiped us out brother," Ginny laughs out. "I have never met someone that stubborn in my life," she says with an air of truth.
"Right," Fred, George, Bill and Charles snorts out at her words knowing she is pulling their legs for she is the most stubborn witch they have ever met and the fact she is their sister only proves they should know this.
"Hey," Ginny shouts out trying to sound offended but failing miserably as she bursts into laughter.
"So when you four finally started to work things out what happened," David asks them intrigued beyond belief at the man he considers his son. His willingness to help others and yet to leave the breach between him and Hermione, it is as though he could see something in the future telling him not to do anything yet.
"It was on the last day when we basically had stopped screaming at each other, I mean my voice was raw," Ginny continues.
"Raw," Ron says disbelievingly. "I had to go to the hospital wing to get my eardrums repaired," he teases his little sister.
"RONALD LAMAR WEASLEY, be nice to me," Ginny shouts out playfully.
"When have I ever been," he asks in return.
"Anyway," Ginny says ignoring her brother's smirk and teasing. "It was then when we realized we were pushing each other apart to keep the other safe from heartache and how we each were offended that the other didn't trust us enough to tell us about these feelings and at the same time relieved to learn that we really did love each other," Ginny tells them.
"That was the day we proposed," Ron says with a nod from Neville.
"You are kidding me," Molly almost shouts out in shock and laughter, "you never told me that," she says after a moment unable to hide her smile.
"We're not kidding," Lavender say to them with a smile of her own.
"It was quiet the surprise really," Ginny agrees with her sister-in-law.
"Did you know Harry was there for the whole thing," Dumbledore tells them wit a smile on his face that never reached his eyes.
"He was," Ginny asks with a smile glad he was there with them at one of the most important events in their lives.
"Yep," Minerva says with a smile of her own.
"If he was there at the moment why did he wait another hour to let us out of his 'Torture Chamber'," Ron asks confused.
"To let us have our time," Neville says softly yet knowingly.
"Yes," Dumbledore agrees with Neville's words. "However he had lowered the shields after he stopped trying not to laugh," he tells them. "He then came back to the castle and informed us we no longer had to worry about our watches for as soon as he went back down to the Pitch four of Hogwarts reluctant visitors will no longer be required to stay," he says with a shake of his head at the memory.