Put Your Curse In Reverse [Part 2]

Chapter 13 - Trial

Harry was exceptionally drowsy that morning. It took him nearly a half hour to force himself out of bed, and even then, he spent the first hour sitting bundled on the couch, his mug of tea growing cold in his hand. Ginny was equally exhausted; her warm, sleepy body leaning into his wasn't doing much to motivate him to rise fully for the day. Considering the fact that they'd been at Azkaban until nearly three in the morning (along with Hermione, the new Head of Magical Law Enforcement, and Ron), Harry really could've used a lie in.

"We should get dressed," Ginny mumbled, her face still pressed into his pajama top. "Kids will start queuing up to leave for Hogsmeade in an hour. I'm sure Lily's been scheming all night."

"Oh, don't remind me," Harry groaned. His heart squeezed with anxiety. The fact that none of the Hogwarts kids would have wands didn't reassure him very much. He was excessively worried that one of the 'Mini Death Eaters' (as Lily had dubbed them) would realize Lily was manipulating them and alert their parents. They had switched the date for the Hogsmeade trip so quickly that the ex-Death Eaters wouldn't have much hope of organizing much in the way of an attack (either in Muggle London, Diagon Alley, or Hogsmeade), but that wouldn't stop a few of them from apparating there if they really wanted to. "She's not going to be happy about it, but I'm going to be in Hogsmeade the entire day."

"As am I," Ginny agreed. Harry wasn't surprised.

"More spying on James?"

"Absolutely," Ginny affirmed. "And Draco is going, too, so he can watch over Albus and Scorpius while we watch over James and Lily. All accounted for."

Harry felt the squeezing pressure on his heart ease up slightly. "Good."

"Did you get a chance to ask Louis and Roxanne about...?"

"I did, sorry, meant to tell you last night," Harry grimaced.

"Well, we were busy last night, weren't we?" Ginny reminded him. He felt her hand brush through his tangled hair. "You especially. And when you want to talk about it...I'm here."

Harry heaved a sigh. "I wish there was something to talk about. I didn't find out anything new, really, and that's the most frustrating part. Four hours I spent in the room with Delphi, and all I got out of her was a story about ducks from her childhood, inquiries about Scorpius Malfoy, and more requests to speak with Albus."

The drafty air sent a chill down Harry's spine as Ginny sat up, pulling her warm body (and their blanket) from Harry. He opened his eyes and examined her tense expression.

"No," she said, as he'd known she would. "Absolutely not. Over my dead body. I won't have her playing mind games with Albus again—I don't want him to even have to see her again."

"I know, I know," Harry reassured her. "I told her as much. It's okay."

"It's one thing, what Lily's doing...she's taken to it like a fish takes to water—it's a bit unsettling, really—but Albus? No. He doesn't want to see her again, he's already been through so much this year, it wouldn't be right and—"

"Gin, I know," Harry repeated gently. He reached up and took her face into his hands. She avoided his eyes. "I told Delphi it wasn't happening. Period."

She relaxed. "And we're not telling Al that she wants to speak with him, right?"

"Definitely not. Unfortunately, all of our kids have a tendency towards...self-sacrifice." Harry paused. Lily wasn't really sacrificing herself so much as flourishing. "Or they at least want to be in the middle of things, anyway, despite how dangerous they are."

He lowered his hands and pulled Ginny back against his side. She settled the blanket back over him.

"So? Louis and Roxanne?" Ginny pressed.