Azkaban - 4

"Quit being noble, Harry. No one ever gets used to Dementors. Just stay with Ron and no heroics," Ginny said, holding his face between her hands.

Harry made a face. "I'll be okay, Ginny. If we find it, I'll bring it back so we can figure out how to destroy it safely."

"You won't be able to bring your wand inside, so a Patronus isn't possible," Ginny said, worry evident in her eyes.

"I know. But Tonks will have her wand, and we'll stay with her the whole time. Don't worry, Ginny," he said, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face. It cheered his heart to see the concern shining in her warm brown eyes – concern for him. It was still such a novel concept to realize how much she cared about him. He enjoyed the way it made him feel inside and hoped he made her feel a bit like that, too.

Ginny leaned in and kissed him soundly on the lips, making Harry forget all about Dementors and prisons and everything else. In fact, he wasn't thinking of anything but the slip of a girl in his arms and how soft her skin felt beneath his hands.

Although they'd promised each other not to get carried away, they were still teenagers and prone to all the raging hormones that went along with their ages. Their hands would roam curiously, and several articles of clothing had inexplicably gone missing on several occasions. Still, despite their minor slips, they'd managed to keep themselves in a reasonable semblance of control. The idea had crossed his mind however, that he didn't know if those checks would remain in place the next time they were out on their own and away from the prying eyes of Ginny's family.

"Good luck," Ginny whispered when she finally pulled away. Her hair was disheveled, and she wore a slightly dazed expression.

Harry just wanted to get back to the kissing. He nodded fervently and pulled her back into his arms, feeling as if there was no way even a Dementor could dampen his spirits.

*~*~*

Halloween morning dawned stormy and gray. There was a distinct chill in the air that Harry knew would only worsen on the open ocean. It was exactly the kind if dismal day that seemed appropriate for a trip to Azkaban. He'd dressed warmly but still felt goose bumps rise on his skin as he boarded the boat that would take him to Azkaban.

He, Ron, and Malfoy had met Tonks and Mad-Eye in the entrance hall. Harry reckoned Moody was only going along to keep an eye on Malfoy; he still suspected that Malfoy was up to something. Of course, Moody generally suspected that everyone was up to something.

They'd Apparated to the Ministry and taken a controlled Portkey to a small island not far from Azkaban where the Ministry ran a checkpoint. No one was allowed in or out of the prison without going through the island's security. The wards at the prison prevented both Apparation and Portkeys, much like the wards at Hogwarts.

Malfoy had remained concealed beneath Harry's Invisibility Cloak until they'd arrived at the checkpoint. There he'd had to register his wand and state his intent to visit his father. Harry was incredibly apprehensive about leaving his wand at the checkpoint. Tonks assured him it would be safe; there were precautions in place so that only he could remove it. Besides, only the Aurors were permitted to bring wands inside the prison. If he wanted to go, he'd have to leave it.