Harry looked over at the forgotten presents that covered his and Hermione's bed. He grabbed the present Hermione threw at him, it was from Tonks. The note attached read:
'Harry,
Happy Birthday! This present isn't actually from me, it's from Sirus. It was his favorite book growing up and he told me he wanted to give it to you on your sixteenth birthday.
Enjoy!
Tonks'
Harry opened the wrapping to find a book that was the equivalent of 'The Joy of Sex,' but being a wizarding book all the pictures moved. Harry was now very happy Hermione threw the present before he opened it, opening this in front of her would not be a pleasant experience. He quickly shoved it between the mattress and the box spring.
The present from Dumbledore was a formal looking letter for he and Hermione. It was asking them if they would like to join the Order of the Phoenix. Harry's heart raced, he was finally going to know everything that went on, he would be able to see the inner workings. Ron was going to be so jealous. That thought made a grin form across Harry's face.
Hermione gave him a new watch with a broomstick as the minute hand and a snitch as the hour hand. The other gift was a game that resembled 'Clue' but the object of the game was to find out who killed Voldemort, and once someone guessed correctly a tiny tickertape parade was held for the little figurine on the board. The characters were everyone that went to the Ministry, even Neville, and all of the professors.
That night Hermione was the first to go to bed, but was soon followed by Harry who sat there for a moment in the same position he had grown accustomed to over the past week, then turned to Hermione's back and put his arm around her.
He got the response he was hoping for, she didn't move sans her own breathing. They both soon fell asleep, not caring if this was normal for friends to do or not.
* * *
"Oh my goodness Harry!" Mrs. Weasley became teary-eyed, "You're so grown up. Come here and give me a hug!"
She 'tisk'-ed in his ear. "You're far too skinny. Just like Hermione, it's a wonder you two are still alive on all that muggle food you've been eating! The house looks lovely dear, I can't believe it's the same house! Although I have to say that colour in the living room I could do without."
"I didn't like it either, but Hermione wanted it," he said.
"This is your house, why didn't you just paint it any colour?"
"Well I wanted a little of my friends in the place. You should see the game room, Cannon orange. I don't like it all that much but I know Ron will-"
"Wow this place looks bloody brilliant!!" they heard Ron yelling from what must have been the game room.
"Love it," Harry finished with a chuckle.
Mrs. Weasley hugged him again, "You are too good Harry."
He just smiled and hugged her back.
"Mum, you just have to see your room!!" Ginny yelled from up the stairs.
Mrs. Weasley looked quizzically at Harry, but he just shrugged.
She gasped when she entered. On the right wall pictures of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were scattered about. On the left side, baby pictures of the entire Weasley clan. On the nightstand was a picture of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's wedding day.
"I'm sorry they're all muggle pictures, we had to take pictures of the pictures you already had without you noticing. Also it was kinda weird to think of the walls moving at night. Bill and Charlie helped us find what we wanted, don't be mad at them for not saying anything."
With tears of what Harry hoped was joy streaming down her face Mrs. Weasley asked one question, "Why?"
"I know this isn't the Burrow, I know it could never be. We just thought... I was hoping anytime you feel like visiting you could feel at home."
It was then that a flush-cheeked Hermione burst through the door, "Has she seen it?" Seeing Mrs. Weasley she asked, "Do you like it?"
While still crying, Mrs. Weasley spoke, "I love it so much. It just isn't finished yet. Now go on Harry, get a picture of yourself and put it up here."
Harry flushed, but then looked down at the floor depressed.
"What's the matter dear, go on."
"He can't." Hermione said for him.
"He doesn't have any pictures."
"Of course you do, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said, not believing Hermione.
"His family.... The people he lives with, they never took a picture of him.... Wait a minute."
Hermione ran out of the room and came back out of breath.
"This is a picture from our first year. I took it with my muggle camera so you can just cut me out."
She handed the picture to Mrs. Weasley.
"I couldn't do that, you're just as much family as Harry." She wiped the tears from her eyes and spellotaped the last picture to the wall.
"Now it's perfect."
* * *
"What I can tell so far from this is that it's almost a meditation. It's supposed to put a...er... well like a permanent protection spell. You have to do it with at least one other person, someone you trust, and it's really difficult. It says it will cause side effects during the casting, but isn't specific. The only bad thing is it can't protect against the Avada Kedava curse, and is pretty iffy with the Cruciatus curse."
Hermione looked up from her book. She was setting up some things to do the spell in Harry's room.
"Okay, but why are we doing it in my room, at eleven at night?"
Hermione sat down as a blush crept over her face, "You don't exactly use your room anymore and like I said we don't know the side effects. We're doing this at night because we don't want Mrs. Weasley to know and start worrying even more than usual. Plus, we don't know how long this is going to take us so we have the perfect excuse for us sleeping in, I made you study too hard."
Hermione took out a kitchen knife.
"What's that for," Harry said.
"This is for our hands, we have to cut them in the same places and hold each other's hands. It's a more primal magic, but that seems to work for you."
They both cut their hands and Hermione told him the incantation to say. Before Harry knew it, he saw images of him helping Hermione and Hermione helping him over the years they had known each other. The flashes suddenly stopped and a booming voice said, "Idoneus." Harry opened his eyes and realized that he was panting and covered in sweat. He looked across from him and saw Hermione was doing the same.
"That was weird," Harry said between breaths.
"A lot quicker than I imagined." Hermione unwrapped her fingers from Harry's and looked down at her hands.
"No blood, the cuts look healed. What time is it?"
Harry looked down at his watch, "One, did that take two hours? It seemed like two seconds."
"Harry?"
"What?"
"Why does your alarm clock say one p.m.?"
Harry checked and indeed Hermione was right.
There was a knock at the door and Ron saying, "Hey mate, you up yet? Mum said to wake you if you weren't. Lunch is ready."
"I'm up, I'll be down in a minute."
Harry quickly showered and got dressed; it was a lucky thing that his and Hermione's rooms were next to each other. All she had to do was create a door, which, apparently for her, was easy.
He got down to breakfast utterly tired. It hit him like a title wave as he was coming down the stairs.
"I was just tellin' mum you must have had some nightmare, I could hear you huffin' and puffin' all night. You okay? You look horrible...."
"I'm just tired," Harry said as he sat down at the table and promptly fell asleep.