Harry Potter and No Trace Of You

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The two days passed very quickly, leaving him feeling no less prepared.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Ginny asked, giving him one last chance to escape.

He nodded. "Who knows?" he said. "Maybe something there will trigger a memory. Maybe one of the people will feel familiar."

Only he didn't actually believe that. Mostly because if Ginny didn't feel familiar, he doubted anyone else ever could.

He smiled at her. "Let's go see your family."

She side-along Apparated him, and that was almost worse than traveling by Floo. He was anxious enough without the added tumult of an unsettled stomach. Blowing out a breath, he straightened, getting his first look at Ginny's family home.

It was easily the strangest house he'd ever seen, or so he thought. It was crooked and ramshackle and even from outside the fence, he could already hear the hum of noise.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said. Now or never, he supposed.

They walked up the path, Ginny tugging him off to the side through a small overgrown garden with a back porch. She led him up into the house this way, into a worn, homey kitchen that was absolutely packed with people.

A dozen voices called out their names in greeting, and Harry couldn't help but take a step back in response. Ginny shot him a wary glance and he forced himself to suck it up. He could handle this.

He hefted a smile onto his face.

It actually ended up being fine. No one seemed to expect too much of him. They all came up and were careful to introduce themselves, saying it was nice to see him again, explaining their connection to him. More often than not it was through Ginny, and he was beginning to realize that a lot of his people were actually her family.

"Don't worry," one of Ginny's brothers told him, "if your memories never come back, I will personally detail every humiliating experience you've ever had."

"Er, thanks," Harry said.

"No problem," he said, slapping him on the shoulder and retreating.

He eventually retreated to the quietest part of the room he could find, leaning back against a wall. People gave him space for the most part, leaving him content to just watch. His eyes constantly sought out Ginny. At first mostly to have something familiar to anchor himself too, but later because she seemed to be acting a lot different than she did around him. He watched the way she touched people, constantly getting hugged and kissed by her various brothers and sisters-in-law and nieces. Noticed the way she was so much more open with everyone here. Joking, touching.

"Hey, mate," Ron said, handing him an ale and leaning back against the wall next to him. "Surviving?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "So far."

"Good."

Harry glanced at him. "Is she usually like this?" he asked, gesturing his glass at Ginny.

"Gin?" he asked. "What do you mean?"

"You know..." He struggled to find a word and realized he wanted to say happy.

It was only then he understood that the reserved, quiet woman he'd been living with was not actually at all characteristic of her.

"I make her sad," he said.

"Harry, no," Ron said. "You don't make her sad. You make her annoyingly happy. Honestly. It's gross. This is all just...hard for her. To be around you and not push you or make you feel uncomfortable."