Familial Bonds: Sequel To The Purloined Prince

One

Harry

The black haired, contact lens wearing wizard dropped the last red rose on top of Cedric Diggory's walnut coffin. It was raining on the grounds of Hogwarts as he rejoined Hermione, Sebastian, and Professor Snape close to the immediate Diggory family. Ginny Weasley kept stealing glances over at him, and Snape finally said, "Why don't you just go over and talk to her, Harry?"

Harry still couldn't used to Snape being his legal guardian until he turned seventeen, at least. Nor was it normal in any way for Snape to call him by name in private, it still felt weird as hell, in his opinion.

"Oh, I...I can't do that, we're at a funeral...sir," Harry stammered.

Snape scowled, "For Gods sake, boy, if you could only hear your mind right now: 'should I ask her out?' 'Will she think I'm weird?' Fortune and love favors the bold, Harry. If you won't ask Miss. Weasley out, some other wizard will."

Sebastian chuckled, "Oh, ease up on him, dad, Harry's just nervous."

"Yeah, and why are you trying to set me up on a date anyway?" Harry asked.

"Because I cannot stand to see you mope about the castle bemoaning your nonexistent love life, Harry, but it is nothing to me," Snape said frankly. "Go, and do not come back without a yay or nay. House points may be docked for non compliance."

Harry quickly got up. Gryffindor couldn't afford to lose any more points at this late stage, even though he knew his stepdad was joking...right? Ginny looked at him, and Ron and Fred and George looked shocked as well.

"Um," Harry pushed up glasses that were no longer on his face, "Could I like borrow Ginny for a bit, guys?"

Ginny looked confused, and probably rightfully so, ever since the tournament last year, he barely said ten words to her.

He led her away towards Hagrid's hut under his umbrella, and said, "Well, I might as well spit it out: if you're free for a weekend, I was wondering if you want to...like go out...but like as friends, cause' of Fleur and all of that."

Ginny looked a bit surprised. Her green eyes widened and she said, "Um, I think we can arrange something. But as friends, because me and Dean are trying to work things out."

Harry felt a lightening in his heart. He smiled, and hugged her, "Thanks, Ginny. You won't regret it."

She pushed her red hair out of her face. "I better not. Now, go. Dean's kind of weird about other guys talking to his girl."

No sooner had she said something, but Dean Thomas came marching to her side, and glared at him, "Hey Potter, you mind not talking to my girl? I don't think you have that right."

Harry put up his hands in surrender, and backed up. "Fine, man. But I think Ginny can talk to whoever she likes."

"Uh huh, whatever Potter," Dean bowed up to him, shielding Ginny from view, "Just know that I'll be watching you, you got that?"

He backed up, and said, "Yeah, sure. I'll just...um, go."

Dean relaxed slightly, "Yeah, make that an extra long trip. You've got no business talking to what's mine."

Harry hurried back to his family, and Draco looked at him curiously. "What's up, Potter?"

"Dean's being a possessive git as usual," Harry shrugged, "But I think Ginny's coming around to at least talking with me."

Draco glanced at the black Gryffindor arguing in hushed whispers with the beautiful red haired Gryffindor witch. "Yeah, well, don't give your hopes up too much, Potter," Draco said, "There's always more fishes in the sea than Weaslette over there."

Harry knew that Draco was right, but he felt a little bit sore that Ginny of all witches would let herself be talked down to by a wizard.

"I'm sure you're right, but I want to at least try with her," He finally said.

Draco popped in a piece of gum and chewed, "Suit yourself. I'm going to go talk with Blaise and the other Slytherins. You're welcome to come if you want."

Harry grinned, "Um, I'll think about it."

Draco clapped him on the back. "Sure, coz, you bet. I'll see you around."

Mrs. Malfoy looked a bit ashen faced, not because of the funeral per say, but because her husband landed in some heap of trouble after defending Snape and him, and made it possible for them to escape with Cedric Diggory's body last year. She nodded to him stiffly, and he nodded back.

The pastor then asked if anyone wanted to say some final words about Cedric Diggory. Cho Chang got up first, and she looked like a pretty grieving widow; one would think she just lost her husband instead of her boyfriend.

"Cedric was a true friend, and..." Cho sniffed, dabbing delicately at her eyes with a tissue, "And he was the best boyfriend a girl could have. We came from different school Houses, but when he asked me out, it was the happiest I think we both ever were. He was so sweet, and nice, and...I'm so sorry that he is gone."

Cho left the stage, and Harry made his way over to the podium. Immediately, he felt everyone's eyes on him, but he didn't care, what he had to say would be very brief, indeed.

"What I have to say will be very brief," Harry explained, and took a few calming breaths, "I knew Cedric only as a fellow comrade in arms. Even though I should not have been chosen for the Tri-Wizard tournament, he never begrudged my spot in the tournament, nor gave credence to any of the rumors circulating from the tabloids in The Daily Prophet. I found him to be the perfect Hufflepuff: kind, but also fair minded and loyal to all who knew him. I wish I had known him better, honestly. But in the last task when I tragically lost Fleur," His voice cracked on mentioning Fleur Delacour, "He got me to pull it together, and keep going. When Peter Pettigrew killed him, I promised myself that I would return his body to his family, and so I have. Bye Cedric, I hope you've found peace. Thank you, for listening, folks."

The crowd clapped politely. Hermione reached over Sebastian's lap and squeezed his hands gently, "That was a lovely speech, Harry. I didn't know him, but he sounded like a nice guy."

Harry nodded, "Yeah, he was. Thanks, Mione.' "

She nodded back, and leaned her head on Sebastian's shoulder. In many ways, Harry envied his older brother. He had a love most people would never find. He knew that it probably wouldn't have worked between him and Fleur, but at least they could have dated a bit, maybe shagged a few times. But no, it was yet another opportunity that Lord Voldemort stole from him.

Other students and teachers got up to speak about the deceased, and even Snape said a few polite words about Cedric that surprised everyone, since he kept so much of his emotions private.

The reception afterwards was quiet, and thoughtful, unlike a usual wake party where there was more spirited talking going on, and reporters from The Daily Prophet or Quibbler interviewing everyone of importance. Without Rita Skeeter around, the wake party was mercifully quiet and subdued. 

The train ride back to King's Cross station was even more so, especially since only Ron joined him. Hermione and Sebastian elected to apparate to the Prince mansion to finalize the preparations for their wedding, which would take place the day after Sebastian's graduation party, and to which Ron was invited to.

When he arrived back at the Dursley's, Harry was glad to be left alone, and ignored for once. He decided to do his mourning in peace, no matter how eager everyone else was to just get on with their lives and carry on. But little did he know just how much the Ministry would put a strain on everyone who attended Hogwarts this coming year...