Unity in Diversity by hgromance
Summary: Sequel to The Beast Within. Highly reccommend you read that first. Harry and Ginny make new friends, find a few rivals, and generally enjoy themselves until danger is thrust upon Harry once again.
Rating: PG-13
Categories: Alternate Universe
Characters: None
Genres: None
Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: None
Published: 2015.08.20
Updated: 2017.05.08
Unity in Diversity by hgromance
Chapter 1: The Beginning of Something Different
Author's Notes: ,i>
― Jane Kirkpatrick, A Sweetness to the Soul
“Ginny! Time to get up and have some breakfast!”
Ginny's eyes popped open. As she looked around the room, she smiled. She was home, in her own room, in her own bed, even though there was still a week of school remaining. While she was sad to leave her family and the few friends she had, she couldn't deny the excitement that coursed through her at the thought of the adventure that awaited her in just over two months' time. She and Harry weren't returning to Hogwarts next year. In fact, they weren't even going to be anywhere in the United Kingdom. They were leaving for America the day after her birthday, but Ginny still didn't know exactly where. Sirius wouldn't say.
“Are you up?! I'm not hearing anything! I'd really like to go before it gets too hot!”
That's right! She and her mum were walking down to the village this morning! Her mum needed more knitting supplies for this year's jumpers. Ginny hoped she'd be able to talk her mum into letting her wander some of the shops. Harry's birthday was next month, and she had no idea what to get him. Jumping out of bed, Ginny threw on her dressing gown and dashed downstairs. It seemed a bit odd to be home from school and to have the house be so quiet.
“Oh, there you are. I was about to come up there and haul you out of bed.”
Ginny sat at the table, pulling the full plate of eggs, toast, and bacon towards her. “Mum, Harry's birthday is next month, and I need to find something for him. May I please wander some of the shops while you're getting your supplies?”
“Oh, I don't know, Ginny,” Molly said, obviously not comfortable with the idea. “Something could happen.”
“Mum, it's a Muggle village. Nothing's going to happen. I have to find something for Harry. Please?”
“You don't have to get him anything. You could make him something. I'm sure he'd like that just as much.”
Ginny stifled the urge to roll her eyes. That would be a surefire way to not get what she wanted. “Mum, I made him something for Valentine's Day. This time I'd like to actually buy him something. Please, Mum? You know he's going to get me something for my birthday.”
“Ginevra! I did not raise you to expect things from others!”
“It's not like that. I don't expect anything, but I know Harry. He gave me a Christmas present simply for being his friend, and gave you and Dad presents for letting him stay here. Doesn't that tell you he's the type of person to get gifts for birthdays?” Seeing her mum was almost convinced, Ginny threw out another example of Harry's propensity towards generosity. “The first Hogsmeade weekend, I practically had to shove Harry out of the castle. He didn't want to go because I couldn't go. I gave him some of my pocket change and asked him to get me a couple of sweets. He came back with what I asked for and a few others, just for me.”
Ginny's mum sighed in resignation, then smiled. “Alright, Ginny, you can look around the shops. I'm not going to have much money for you, though.”
“That's okay, Mum. I've been saving all my Muggle money. I don't have much, but I should be able to find something. Thanks, Mum.”
“Well, it's like you pointed out, Harry is very generous–almost to a fault. I suppose it wouldn't be right for him to get you things and not return the favor.” Molly looked sternly at her daughter. “As long as you're not asking for things, or hinting for them.”
“Of course not, Mum.”
“Alright, then. Finish your breakfast and get changed. The longer we wait, the hotter it's going to be.”
“Yes, Mum.”
The village of Ottery St. Catchpole wasn't big by any stretch of the imagination. In Ginny's estimation, it was comparable to Hogsmeade, perhaps a little bigger, definitely with more shops. After getting the little bit of money her mum could spare, Ginny wandered the shop windows, hoping something would catch her eye. Ginny quickly bypassed a book shop and a stationery shop. Harry didn't mind reading, he just wasn't an avid reader like Hermione, and he'd have no real use for stationery. The next shop she came to was a music store. Not knowing what kind of music he'd actually like, Ginny decided to pass on that, as well.
The shop after that looked promising. There were little statuettes in the window, along with displays of leather crafts and jewelry. Figuring a once-over wouldn't hurt, Ginny wandered inside.
“Maidin mhaith! Good morning!” called a lilting, heavily Irish-accented voice.
Ginny looked around and found the greeting coming from behind the counter. The woman was petite with medium length, caramel-brown hair. She had light-colored eyes, though Ginny couldn't see what color they were from where she stood. She wore a deep chocolate brown sleeveless top and flowing skirt colored with multiple shades of brown. Her sandaled feet were quiet on the hard floor. The woman had a friendly smile.
“Can I help you with somethin'?”
“Well, I'm hoping to find something for my boyfriend's birthday, but I don't have a clue what to get him.” Embarrassed, she looked away from the shopkeeper. “I only have a few pounds.”
“Well, that's my favorite kind of customer. I'm willin' to negotiate prices. My name is Aisling.” She pronounced it as Ashling. “Let's see what we can find for this lucky young fella of yours. Tell me about him. What does he like? What does he not like?”
Ginny paused, choosing her words carefully. “He's athletic. He's smart. He's generous.” Ginny grinned. “He likes dogs. He has money, but you'd never know it just by looking at him or listening to him.”
“Hmm. Sounds like a fine young fella.” The shopkeeper led Ginny over to an array of leather crafts. “I have some fine items here. Would anything here be suitable?”
Ginny tried not to wince for fear of insulting the woman. “They are all really nice, but I made him a leather bracelet for Valentine's Day and–”
Aisling held up a hand. “Say no more. Leather twice in a row is not a good idea. Let's see...” She looked around a moment, then walked over to a display of realistically carved stone statuettes. “I don't have any dogs, but I do have some wolves.”
The shopkeeper picked up a standing statuette made of shiny black obsidian. Again, Ginny had to fight the urge to cringe. The little wolf looked remarkably like Harry's wolf form, and for that reason, Ginny rejected the idea. She just wasn't sure how to explain it to the woman.
“I can see it in your eyes that it's not what you're lookin' for.”
“It's nice and all, but my boyfriend had been, well...attacked...by a wolf when he was very little. It was also the day he lost his parents.”
Aisling immediately replaced the carving. “Well, it wouldn't do to be remindin' him of such a tragic moment, would it?”
“I'm so sorry to be such a bother. Your things are really very nice.”
Aisling waved away Ginny's concern. “You're no bother, young wan. I want you walkin' away with the right gift. I assume he isn't opposed to jewelry since you made him a bracelet. Let's look in that section.”
As Ginny entered the jewelry section of the shop, her eyes skimmed an arrangement of silver rings on a shelf just below eye level. Her steps faltering, she locked onto one design in particular. She loved it immediately. It couldn't have been more perfect! She sighed in disappointment. It was just her luck that the most perfect gift was made of silver. Harry would never be able to wear it.
“Find somethin' you like, did you?”
“Yes, but I can't get it. My boyfriend, er,” Ginny quickly remembered Hermione's explanation to her parents on Christmas day, “has a rare allergy to silver. He wouldn't be able to wear it. It doesn't matter. I wouldn't be able to afford it even if he could wear it.”
“Oh, now, let's see which one has caught your eye.”
Ginny pointed out the one she liked once Aisling joined her. Really, she didn't see the point. There was no way her few pounds would cover something as nice as that ring.
“Oh, aye, that's a nice one, for sure. A silver allergy, you say? Well, you're in luck. Nothin' on that shelf contains any silver. Those are made of stainless steel. Lots of pieces are bein' made of stainless steel due to its ability to imitate silver, but at a much cheaper price. Tis a sturdy material, and won't tarnish or stain. Here.”
Aisling plucked the ring Ginny had indicated off the shelf and handed it to her. “What do you think? Is it perfect for your young fella?”
Ginny stared longingly at the ring in her hand. “Yes, it is, but like I said before, I don't have enough money for it.” Ginny replaced it on the shelf. “Best to look for something else.”
Aisling picked it up again. “Nonsense. If this is perfect, then you shall have it. We'll work somethin' out. How much money do you have right now?”
Ginny bowed her head. She'd saved every little bit of Muggle money she'd gotten over the years, and it still didn't amount to much. “I only have five pounds.”
“Oh, that's not so bad. You're not that far off the price. Perhaps a few extra chores at home could make up for the rest.”
Ginny shook her head. “We really don't have much money. Let me just look for something else.”
“No, young wan, I believe this ring was meant to be bought by you.” Aisling smiled knowingly. “Trust me. I know these things.” She eyed Ginny a moment. “How are your organizational skills?”
Puzzled at the sudden jump in topics, Ginny stumbled over her response. “Er, fine, I suppose.”
“Good. I'm needin' some help, truth be told. I have inventory that needs sortin', and my displays need rearrangin'. Think you could handle that?”
“Er, most likely,” Ginny said, still not sure why the woman was asking her that.
“Fanstastic! You help me with those things, and I'll be considerin' it payment for the ring.”
Ginny stared at the woman before her, unable to believe what she'd just heard. “You'd actually do that? But why? Surely, you can't make much money that way.”
“For me, tis not about making money. Tis about making my customers happy and going home with the right pieces. I'm not needin' much money to live.”
“I'll need to ask my mum. She's here in town. Let me go find her.”
“Bring her here. She and I can discuss things.”
“Alright. Thanks.”
Excitement rushed through Ginny as she darted outside. There was a real chance she could get that ring! It really was perfect. All she had to do now was convince her mum. That would be a monumental task, she knew, but if she couldn't do it, then surely Aisling could. The woman had been so friendly and wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Ginny couldn't wait to see her mum worn down by someone so cheerful.
Ginny spent ten minutes searching, finally found her mum at a produce stand, and explained the situation. As she had expected, her mum had immediately refused the offer, and advised Ginny to look elsewhere for her gift for Harry. After a bit of begging, she convinced her mum to at least go by the shop and speak to Aisling, and it was everything Ginny had hoped it would be. Every point her mum made against Ginny working in the shop, Aisling countered easily. In the end, her mum, having no arguments left, agreed on a trial basis.
As Ginny and her mum left Aisling's shop, Ginny glanced back over her shoulder and mouthed 'thank you.' She received a wink in response. Filled with excitement, she couldn't simply walk home. No, Ginny hop-walked, trotted, jogged, and otherwise begged her mum to hurry up because she wanted to tell Harry the good news. Naturally, she wasn't going to tell him why she was working.
Eventually, they made it home, and Ginny dashed upstairs to her mirror, falling onto her bed as she called Harry's name. It took a minute or two before Harry appeared in her mirror, his hair damp, face flushed with sweat running down his cheeks, and breathing heavily. It made for a surprisingly nice view. Then, she realized why Harry looked the way he did.
“Oh, no! I interrupted your workout! I'm sorry, Harry, I didn't even think.”
“It's alright, Ginny.” Harry swiped at his brow and accepted a bottle of water that appeared from his right side. “Is something wrong?” he asked before take a drink.
“No. Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to tell you about what happened for me earlier. It can wait, though, until after you're done.” Ginny studied the area behind him. “Where are you? Are you at home?”
“No, I'm at a play park. You'll see. Ginny, I want to hear your news. Besides, Sirius is being awful this morning. I could use a little break.”
Ginny could hear Sirius' muted voice in the background, but she couldn't make out what he said. She chuckled when Harry groaned. Whatever Sirius had said, it must not have been pleasant. Harry faced her again and pressed the bottle against his cheek. Condensation covered the clear plastic.
“You think it's funny?” Harry groused half-heartedly. “You just wait. You'll be over here in a couple of days, and then we'll see how funny you think it is.” He swallowed another mouthful of water. “So, what happened this morning?”
“Mum and I went into the village near here, and I was offered a bit of work in the afternoons! Better yet, the shopkeeper wouldn't take 'no' for an answer and easily met each of Mum's protests with reasons why I should be able to. It was brilliant!”
“That's fantastic! What will you be doing?”
“Simple stuff, like rearranging displays and checking inventory.” Ginny shrugged. “I don't much care. I'll be making my own money!”
“That's really great, Ginny. That actually sounds like it could be fun.” Harry's expression turned wistful. “I wish I could join you. I miss being with you.”
“I miss you, too, Harry, but like you said, I'll be there in a couple of days. Maybe we can convince Sirius to let us have a little time together before I have come back home.”
“I hope so.”
“Well, I should let you go. Tell Sirius I'm sorry for interrupting.” The view in the mirror tilted, then Sirius appeared, smiling. “No harm done, Ginny. I really was pushing Harry a bit harder today, so he did need the break.” He chuckled. “And yes, I think I might be able to make it so that you and Harry can spend some time together. Be warned, I'll make you earn it, and it may only be half an hour.”
Ginny blushed at having been overheard stating her hope. “Okay. Sounds fair, I suppose, and half an hour is better than nothing.” The view shifted again, and Harry reappeared. “I love you, Harry,” she said softly, and watched as his eyes lit up, mouth stretching wide with his smile.
“I love you, too, Ginny. Bye, for now.”
“Bye.”
The mirror went dark, and Ginny remained on her bed, thinking. Harry had looked, well, gorgeous all hot and sweaty, and it surprised her to think so. Her stomach fluttered as her brain conjured up the image of Harry in her mirror. Ginny had the sudden urge to run her fingers through his hair, regardless of its dampness, and wipe the sweat from his face, but what she really wanted was to kiss him. The flutter in her stomach grew as she pictured herself kissing Harry.
Her eyes widened when she realized what it was she felt. Her mum had warned her that particular feeling could lead her down a path she wasn't ready to go down. Ginny didn't believe there was anything to worry about. Harry wouldn't push her to do things she didn't want to do. For all she knew, this feeling inside was only one-sided. Her mind recalled a few instances where Harry had suddenly pulled away from her or had ended a kiss abruptly. Each time, he'd stuttered out some excuse, barely meeting her eyes. He'd done the same thing yesterday when they'd argued. Well, there hadn't been an excuse, but he'd scrambled away from her pretty quickly, and he wouldn't look at her, either.
Ginny gasped as she put it together. While her mum had skimmed over any information about boys during their “talk”, Ginny had figured enough out, having caught her brothers in various states or activities–she quickly shut down that thought before any visuals popped up–to realize that Harry probably was having similar feelings, and was just horribly embarrassed about it. Relieved she wasn't alone, she smiled. She was going to have to find some way to let Harry know that how he responded to her didn't bother her, that in fact, it made her happy. She couldn't very well just walk up to him and say it. She didn't want to embarrass him further. This was going to take some heavy thought. Ginny rolled onto her back, her hands tucked under her head. She didn't move again until it was time for lunch.
Early Monday morning found Ginny at Harry's house, stretching her leg muscles in preparation for their run. They'd started the day with sit-ups. Well, Ginny had just finished. Harry had completed his while Sirius had gone to the Burrow. Ginny wore a dark blue top with matching blue shorts, and Harry had a hard time keeping his eyes off her. She looked really good, but he wasn't sure why she looked better now than she had at school. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen her in shorts or a tee shirt before. He forced his eyes away from her as she looked up. The last thing he wanted was to be caught staring.
During their run, as they rounded the corner, Harry glanced at Ginny from the corner of his eye. She was keeping up, barely. Her flushed face glistened with sweat, her breaths shallow and rushed. He slowed to a stop. Sirius, who had been following them at a short distance, produced a couple of cold water bottles for them, and took one for himself.
“You alright, Ginny?” Harry asked after taking a few gulps of his water.
“Fine,” Ginny panted, swiping beads of sweat from her forehead.
“It helps to find a rhythm, trust me. I know it's easy to forget, but try concentrating on it. Inhale for a certain number of steps, then exhale for the same number of steps. I learned that the hard way, even after Sirius tried to tell me.”
“Because you're stubborn,” Sirius put in.
Harry shrugged. What could he say? It was true. “I use the three-step pattern. Try it and see if it works for you. It may or may not. If you don't breathe enough, you'll get this awful pain in your side. Believe me, I know from personal experience.”
Ginny nodded, indicating she'd try it. They handed Sirius the water bottles and, while he put them into the messenger bag slung across his body, Harry and Ginny resumed jogging. Several minutes later, the three of them reached the play park. Ginny collapsed against a tree, gasping, but not as badly as she had been. Sirius made sure they stretched their muscles again to avoid cramps or stiffness.
“Okay, Harry, you know what to do. I want three sets of ten.” While Harry began to climb to the cross bar of the swing set, Sirius turned to Ginny. “Chin-ups. Can you do any?”
“I don't know,” she said, watching in fascination as Harry climbed with practiced ease. “I've never done any before.”
“Well, let's find out. Climb up to the top the way Harry did.”
By that time, Harry reached the bar and dangled himself from it. Trying his hardest to concentrate on what he was doing instead of on his girlfriend watching him, Harry drew his lower legs up to nearly horizontal with the ground, and began his first set of ten chin-ups. After having done them every day for the past three weeks–Sirius had even forced him to do them last week before going to Hogwarts–it had become a little easier. He still struggled with the last set, however.
Harry barely raised his chin above the bar before his strength gave out and he dropped to the ground, arms trembling. He looked up to find Ginny watching him, apparently having already finished, with something in her eyes. Appreciation, maybe? Whatever it was, it caused a funny, swooping sensation in his stomach. He closed his eyes on the pretense of wiping the sweat from them. Oh, please, not now. There'd be no hiding anything.
“Not bad, Harry. You're getting better every day. It won't be long before you'll be able to finish that last set.”
Sirius walked off toward another piece of equipment, motioning for them to follow. Harry followed without glancing at Ginny. Sirius stopped beside a pair of seesaws.
“Harry, you first. I want you up on the first one. Try to get it evenly balanced.”
Harry exchanged a confused glance with Ginny–he felt normal again. Sirius' request didn't seem all that difficult. Shrugging, Harry stepped onto the long wooden plank. Keeping his own balance turned out to be more difficult than he imagined. Having to put one foot directly in front of the other caused him to be terribly wobbly. Before he could do anything to stop it, the other end of the seesaw banged onto the ground, so he had to retrace his steps. But then, the first end hit the ground, and Harry let out a frustrated growl. Several tries later, he finally had the thing balanced.
The sound of sniffles caught his attention and Harry's head jerked up, his eyes searching for the source.
“What's wrong, Harry?” Sirius asked, suddenly wary.
“Someone's crying.”
The three of them paused, listening. “I don't hear anything,” Sirius said.
“I must have let my guard down,” Harry said, still scanning the area. “I usually keep it up or I'd be hearing all kinds of stuff. It's enough to give me a headache sometimes.”
Concentrating more on sound than sight, Harry slowly turned around on his perch in the center of the seesaw, unaware he managed to keep either end from hitting the ground. He turned back the other way slowly.
“There,” he announced, pointing towards a stand of trees off to their right.
“Alright. You two stay here. I'll go check it out.”
“Why should we stay here?” Harry asked, annoyed at Sirius' coddling.
Sirius grinned and quipped, “Because you have that thing so perfectly balanced right now.”
Harry looked down in surprise. Sure enough, neither end was higher than the other. Huh. Guess it wasn't so hard after all. Feeling a bit smug, Harry grinned at the two of them.
“Well, guess your challenge wasn't much of a challenge. What else do you have for me?”
The expression that stole over his godfather's face melted Harry's cheeky grin. Uh-oh. He was in for it now. He should have known better than to prod a Marauder.
“Since you seem to need more of a challenge, try this. Balance it with Ginny on one end.”
“What?” Ginny asked, surprise and worry evident on her face and in her voice.
“It'll be good for you. You'll have to work together to do it. I'll be right back.”
Harry watched Sirius cautiously move off in the general direction of the crying. He turned to Ginny. She was eyeing the seesaw as if she expected it to suddenly toss him off. As slowly as he could, he lowered the end closest to her until it touched the ground.
“You don't have to, Ginny, if you don't want to.”
“No, he's right. We do need to learn how to work together. If this will help, then I say we do it.”
With that, Ginny stepped onto her end. Once she looked ready, Harry slowly began backing away, lifting her end inch by inch. Ginny lost her balance several times and had to step off. Harry wanted to grin at her frustration because he knew it only made her that much more determined to get it right. Then, on the seventh try, she managed to hold her balance while he lifted her. Keeping the seesaw balanced was trickier than it had been with just himself. One end insisted on hitting the ground with a thud.
Now, it was Harry's turn to get frustrated. No matter what he did, he couldn't get the thing to balance. Too far on his side and the end went down. Too far on Ginny's side and her end hit the earth.
“There has to be a way to do this,” he grumbled. He looked over at Ginny, an idea occurring to him. “Ginny, move a little closer to the middle.” She took a few steps, then stopped. “Okay, now let me see if that helped.”
Eventually, it took the both of them moving back and forth before they found the 'sweet spot' and balanced the seesaw almost perfectly.
Ginny beamed at him. “We did it, Harry!” She all but jumped in her excitement, sending both of them scrambling to find their balance again. “Sorry.”
Harry laughed. “It's alright, Ginny. You're right, though. We did it!”
Ginny's expression turned mischievous and she stepped backward along her side of the seesaw, causing her end to dip towards the ground. Not wanting to ruin the streak they had going, Harry deftly moved toward his end to counterbalance. Just as he got them fairly balanced, Ginny moved again, snickering, sending him scrambling, again, to balance them. She did it a few times, until he mentioned how tired his legs were feeling.
“Nice work, you two,” Sirius said as he approached, a hand on the shoulder of a scraped-up, bruised and mildly bleeding boy who looked to be about ten years old. “This is Mark. He lives a few houses down. I'm going to walk him home. Will you two be alright? It shouldn't take me long.”
“Yeah, sure,” Harry affirmed. “Go ahead. One thing. Can I be done now? My legs are killing me.”
“Sure. Switch places with Ginny.”
Harry grinned wolfishly at Ginny. “My turn.” He had every intention of getting her back for all that moving around she did, making him work extra hard to keep either end of the seesaw from hitting the ground.
As Sirius walked away, Harry lowered Ginny's end and walked far enough to step down to the dirt. He rubbed his thighs and flexed his calf muscles as much as he could while Ginny practiced balancing on her own. Oh, he was going to be sore tomorrow. He watched her, amused slightly at her difficulty.
“This is unfair,” Ginny complained. “My legs aren't as long as yours.”
Maybe not, but they were certainly nice to look at. Harry shook that thought out of his head and kept his mouth shut.
“What are you doing here? This is my play park.”
Harry turned around and faced a very large blond boy and a few scrawnier boys behind him, all looking mean. Behind him, the seesaw hit the ground with a loud thump. He held up a hand to her, hoping she would stay put for the moment. He hoped he could buy them some time to give Sirius a chance to return before anything happened. He wasn't intimidated by any of them, Harry just didn't want to pull his wand, for obvious reasons. The big one looked to be more fat than muscle, and the others seemed wiry, but Harry would take them on if he had to.
“Oh? I must have missed your name on it, then. Funny how my godfather and I have been coming here for the past three weeks, and yet, you've not been here.”
“That doesn't mean anything. Everyone around here knows this place is mine. That's why I wrapped the swings around the top.”
“Oh, that was your handiwork, was it? My godfather had a bit of a time unraveling those.”
“You don't have my permission to be here. Since you're new around here, I'll let you go with a warning, but if I catch you here again, you'll regret it.” The other boys clenched their fists or crossed their arms over their chests.
Harry had to work to keep the irritation out of his voice. “This is a public place. You have no say in where I go or what I do.”
“Hey, Piers,” the blond called to the rat-faced boy on his right, “you want to have a little fun?”
“Always, Big D. Maybe I'll get a kiss from the girl when I'm done.”
A sudden cold rage filled Harry. Ginny was his, and no one was ever going to touch her. He stepped toward the one who'd spoken, fists clenched and fire burning in his eyes. “Don't you dare touch her,” he warned in a low, soft voice.
The one called Piers laughed. “Or you'll do what?” He raked his gaze over Harry's slighter stature. “One punch would knock you out.”
“Leave him alone!” Ginny warned in a soft, steely voice, coming to stand beside Harry.
All the bullies laughed. The lead one snorted derisively. “Letting a girl fight your battles for you?”
“No,” Harry said calmly, “but she'll fight them with me.”
The big blond gestured with his head, and Harry found himself and Ginny more or less surrounded. Piers moved to stand beside Harry, looking eager to get physical. Harry kept his gaze locked on him, instincts screaming that this one wouldn't waste time with minor blows. Suddenly, the boy took a swing. Faster than he looked, he managed to land a glancing blow to Harry's ear as Harry ducked.
“Stop it! Right now!”
All the boys fled except for the large one who had been grabbed by Sirius. Harry held a hand against his ear and checked it–just a little blood. It throbbed mercilessly with each beat of his heart. Ginny wrapped her trembling arms around him, whether to comfort him or herself, he wasn't sure.
“You alright, Harry?” Sirius inspected Harry's ear, while keeping a firm grip on the bully, who tried to dislodge Sirius' grip. “It's cut a little and you'll be sore for a bit, but I don't think there's any lasting damage. Come on, let's take this kid home. He and his little gang have been terrorizing the neighborhood, or so I hear.”
“Let go of me!”
“Not until you're home. Now, let's go.”
Harry wondered if that kid, Mark, had told Sirius about the bullies. When Sirius stopped in front of a house and led the blond to the door, Harry figured Mark must have said something. Sirius wouldn't have known where to go, otherwise. Why didn't the parents of the other kids do something? Surely, they could.
The door opened and Harry wanted to groan. There stood his aunt–which meant the giant blond bully was his cousin. The woman opened her mouth in outrage at the way Sirius gripped her son, but Sirius spoke angrily before she could say a word.
“Your son,” he spat, contempt heavy in his voice, “is a bully. He's beaten up at least one child today, and stood by while one of his friends attacked my godson.” Sirius reached over, gently took Harry's chin in his free hand and turned Harry's injured ear toward Harry's aunt. “Get control of your son or I will. I don't want him near me, Harry, or Ginny again.”
“How dare you come here and threaten me!”
Sirius shoved Harry's cousin toward the door. “I mean it, Petunia. I won't hesitate to do something the next time. Come on, Harry, Ginny, let's go home.”
As they walked away, Harry could hear his aunt shrieking, though Harry figured it had nothing to do with her son's bullying. He couldn't make out her words, they were all garbled and ran together, but he really didn't care to know what she was saying. His ear gave a painful throb and he winced, bringing his hand up to cover his ear. He could feel Ginny's eyes on him periodically, no doubt putting together exactly how Sirius knew the woman's name.
Back at home, Sirius immediately pulled his wand. “Here, Harry, let's take care of your ear. You two can have the rest of the morning off. Ginny,” Sirius nodded up the stairs, “there's a loo at the end of the corridor if you'd like to take a quick shower.”
“Alright.” Ginny picked up the bag that contained her change of clothes and headed up the stairs.
Harry cleaned up once Ginny was done. Then, the two spent the remaining hour and twenty minutes either in the sitting room chatting about the job Ginny started that afternoon or outside on the back porch, quiet and comfortable, sitting on a swing Sirius had conjured, getting in the occasional kisses. Ginny didn't bring up the subject of Harry's aunt and cousin, and he was relieved. He'd just as soon forget they even existed.
Thirty minutes before noon, Harry and Ginny said their goodbyes, with a little demonstration from Ginny of her appreciation of Harry stating she'd fight with him during that confrontation at the play park. Sirius took Ginny back to the Burrow and Harry pulled out sandwich fixings for lunch. After he ate, Harry went up to his room to read another chapter in the book Sirius had bought for him about defensive magic.
Ginny ate a quick lunch, then ran upstairs, hoping to catch Hermione before the girl went to lunch. It had been agreed upon that Hermione, Ron, and Neville would always carry their mirrors with them, just in case. When Hermione answered, Ginny nearly squealed in excitement.
“Hi, Ginny. Is there anything wrong?”
“No, I just needed to talk to you for a minute. Are you completely alone, Ron and Neville gone?”
“Yes, I'm alone. I'm in my dorm room.”
There was a slight edge to Hermione's voice that Ginny picked up on instantly. “Is something wrong, Hermione? You sound upset.”
“It's nothing. Just your brother being a stupid prat again.”
“What did he do this time?”
Hermione shook her head and smiled, though Ginny could tell it was forced. “Nothing. Don't worry about it. You called me, sounding excited about something. What is it?”
Ginny hesitated, not sure if she should say anything, now. She didn't want to gush about something when her friend was clearly not happy. Hermione assured Ginny that everything was fine and that she wanted to hear what her friend had been going to tell her, so Ginny talked about her morning, leaving out the part about Harry's relatives–she was certain that had been Harry's aunt and cousin.
“Oh, Hermione,” Ginny sighed dreamily, “Harry wore shorts and a tee shirt, and let me just say, he looked really good. The exercise is doing him a lot of good. He doesn't have a lot of muscle definition yet, but it's getting there.”
“Ginny!” Hermione exclaimed, blushing and looking scandalized. “You shouldn't be talking like that. You're only twelve.”
“Almost thirteen,” Ginny pointed out, a little annoyed. Then, she shrugged. “I can't help it. He hadn't worn shorts at school. Watching Harry do his chin-ups... I couldn't help but appreciate how he's starting to look. I got all...tingly...sort of. I had to talk to someone, and I certainly couldn't talk to Mum. She'd have a litter of kneazles and forbid me to ever see Harry again.”
Apparently, that statement softened Hermione's attitude, for she grinned. “I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. You and Harry have otherwise defied all 'normalities'. Just be careful, okay? Don't get ahead of yourselves.”
Ginny wanted to roll her eyes, so she did so mentally. “Don't worry. We won't.” Deciding it was time to divert Hermione's attention from that particular subject, Ginny told her about her job. “It's not much, but at least I'll be able to afford Harry's birthday gift. You should see it, Hermione. It's perfect. Will you be able to come by for Harry's birthday? I know Mum is planning a dinner for him. I'm not sure if Sirius has something else planned, although, I'd bet he does.”
“I don't know if I can. My parents want to travel a bit after the end of term. I'll try to be there.”
“Alright. I'll let you know more later. I should go so you can get to lunch. I'll be leaving soon anyway. Thanks for talking with me.”
“Sure, Ginny. You can talk to me anytime, about anything.” Hermione grinned knowingly. “Even if it's about how much you fancy Harry, or like looking at him.”
Ginny blushed. “Thanks. You're a great friend, Hermione. I'm so glad my brother stopped being a git and became friends with you.”
The two friends said their goodbyes. Ginny's mum called her back downstairs to prepare for their walk into the village, as there really wasn't a good place for Apparating. A short time later, Ginny was on her way to her first job, her mum switching between lecturing and worrying.
“Now, Ginny, you be on your best behavior. You do whatever you're supposed to do. This is a real job, so you need to take it seriously.”
Ginny wanted badly to roll her eyes. Did her mother really think she had to lecture about how to behave? Especially since she'd already given the lecture to Ginny that morning, though granted, it was about a different type of behavior. Still, her mother ought to know her own daughter by now.
“Oh, I'm just not sure this is a good idea,” Mrs. Weasley fretted. “What if something happens? You're going to be unprotected.”
“Mum, nothing is going to happen, and even if it did, I have my wand and the mirror Harry gave me.”
“You do?” Molly asked, looking over Ginny's outfit of tee shirt, shorts, and trainers. “Where? You probably shouldn't be carrying your wand.”
“Don't worry, Mum, both are hidden well. It's going to be fine. I'll work hard and listen to Aisling, okay?”
Ginny sighed in relief when her mum smiled. For a moment, Ginny feared her mum would change her mind and take back her permission. On the other hand, her mum wouldn't likely do that. Ginny knew her mum concerned herself, to a certain extent, with what others thought of her, and reneging on an agreement would definitely not paint her in a good light.
“Alright, dear. You're growing up so quickly. I suppose I'm just not ready to think of you as being old enough to be doing any kind of work.”
“I know, Mum, but I am old enough. I'll prove it. Aisling has a really nice shop. There's little stone figurines, and jewelry, and leather crafts, and everything is well-made.”
Ginny filled the rest of their walk with more detailed descriptions of some of the items she had seen in the shop. By the time they arrived, Ginny had her mum interested enough to want to browse through Aisling's wares. Ginny opened the shop door, and was instantly greeted by Aisling, herself.
“Dia dhuit! Hello! Ginny, you're here. Excellent.” Aisling walked over, clipboard in hand, and briefly hugged Ginny. Then, she addressed Mrs. Weasley. “Thank you, again, for lettin' her work for me. She really will be doin' me a favor.”
“Oh, of course,” Mrs. Weasley said, waving away the thanks as if she hadn't earlier worried about Ginny doing a good job. “Do you mind if I look around while you start Ginny on whatever it is she'll be doing?”
Aisling waved her hand, encompassing the store. “Please do.” She turned and motioned for Ginny to follow her to a back room filled with open boxes. She showed Ginny the papers on the clipboard. “Everythin' back here is listed on one of these pages. I need you to mark down how much I have of each item. Simple tally marks will do. Then, total each item's marks.”
“Alright. I can do that.”
Ginny set right to work. Thankfully, it wasn't going to be overly physically demanding. She still felt a little sore from her morning workout. A silly grin spread across her heated face as she remembered how appealing Harry had looked, and how much fun they'd had balancing that seesaw together. No doubt, the exercise was doing some good. Ginny hoped she'd catch up to his level quickly. She felt as if she was holding him back at the moment. Shoving those thoughts away, she concentrated on her task.
Harry's pocket buzzed, and he quickly dropped his book on the bedside table to pull out his mirror. He'd had it in his pocket while downstairs, and had neglected to remove it once he'd come up to his room. Seeing Ginny waiting for him to respond, he smiled. The Weasleys had gone earlier to pick up the rest of her brothers at King's Cross.
“Hey, Ginny. Everyone get home alright, then?”
“Everyone's fine, but you won't believe it! Ron said all of the girls involved in the attack on us were expelled and arrested! Aurors came to the school and led them out. Percy said they were being charged with assault and reckless endangerment. He also said that Draco was also charged with the same crimes. It looks like some families are suing them.”
“Wow. I have to say, I'm a little surprised. I never would have thought Dumbledore would actually call the Aurors. I'm glad he did, though. I'm also glad Parkinson and Malfoy are getting sued, though I'm not sure it's going to change either of their opinions. At least they'll have to part with some gold. Why did it take so long for the arrest on Malfoy? That attack happened at Easter.”
“Percy thinks Malfoy had been arrested soon after his expulsion, but it had been hushed up. As for Pansy and friends' attack on you, well, to hear Percy tell it, Dumbledore didn't call the Aurors. Professor McGonagall did, and Madam Pomfrey supported her, telling them about the state you were in after Parkinson and those girls attacked, and of course, she restated what happened when Draco attacked you.”
Harry's heart warmed at their support. Professor McGonagall had easily become his favorite staff member, second only to Madam Pomfrey. His Head of House had always treated him fairly and had never made his lycanthropy a big issue. He'd found it surprisingly easy to talk to the outwardly stern professor about many things. In fact, he almost thought of her in a grandmotherly role, though he'd never actually tell her that.
With a little jolt, Harry realized Ginny had moved on to another topic, something about having kissed a bloke in the village. All the warmth he felt a moment ago drained away as if being sucked out by a Dementor, leaving him cold and trembling, unable to move or speak. His brain furiously worked to put together what she was really saying. Ginny wouldn't say she loved him, then take up with another bloke. He refused to believe it. His heart rate skyrocketed until he heard the word in relation to him that he'd been looking for. She was still calling him her boyfriend. Harry slowly let out a huge sigh of relief. He hoped Ginny hadn't noticed. After all, he'd promised her he wouldn't jump to conclusions again. Of course, he should have known he couldn't hide anything from her.
“Harry? Are you okay? You looked peaky a moment ago.”
“I'm fine, Ginny.” Ginny simply looked at him, brows raised, as if she knew he hadn't been fine a moment ago. Harry sighed in resignation, ducking his head. He didn't want to see her expression when he told her. “The way you were talking about that bloke, I suddenly thought you didn't want me anymore.” He cringed when she gasped. “I didn't mean to. I know I promised I wouldn't jump to conclusions like that, but it's so automatic. I'm trying really hard not to do that. I did realize that you hadn't meant that at all, though, if that counts for anything. Please don't be mad at me.”
“Oh, Harry, I'm not mad at you. I didn't realize you weren't paying any attention to me when I changed the subject. I'll start over. Remember, up on the Astronomy tower, when I told you about my first kiss?” Harry nodded. Now, it all made sense. “I saw him today. He came into the shop looking for a gift for his girlfriend. His family had moved not long after our shared kiss, and just recently returned.” Ginny's voice turned tender, and she asked him to look at her. When he did, she continued. “It was nice to chat with him, but you have nothing to worry about. You're the only one I want to be with.”
A ghost of a smile graced Harry's lips. “Thanks, Ginny, for not being mad at me.”
“It takes time to change automatic reactions, I know. Now, if we'd been together for several years and you were still doing it, then, I would be upset. At first, anyway. After I calmed down, I'd probably wonder what I was doing wrong, or not doing enough of, to make you feel that way.”
“No,” Harry rushed to reassure her, “it's not like that. You've been incredible, Ginny, telling me every day that you love me, and proving it by listening to me when I need to talk, or by giving me time to think things through before talking about them. I see it when you look at me, and I feel it when you take my hand. You'll never know how much that means to me.”
Ginny gave him a tearful smile. “I try, Harry. I tell you that every day because I need to say it nearly as much as you need to hear it.”
“I love hearing you say it. I wish you were here with me so I could hold you.”
“I wish I was, too, but we'll be together in the morning. Maybe we can convince Sirius to take it easy. The full moon is only a few days away. I know you haven't been feeling all that well.”
“No, I haven't, but the exercise helps. What about you? How are you feeling?”
Ginny shrugged. “A little achy, but that's all.”
“That's good, I guess.” Harry couldn't help the guilty feeling that arose in his chest. “I really wish you didn't have to feel any of it.”
“No guilt, Harry. There's no point in it. I've learned to believe that things happen for a reason. Who knows? Maybe I'm in a position now where I can help someone at the new school, perhaps to understand better what werewolves go through. We just don't know, yet.”
Harry nodded, reluctantly accepting her point. He heard Mrs. Weasley call Ginny down for a late dinner. “You should go. I'll see you in the morning.”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow. I love you, Harry.”
Harry smiled softly. “I love you, too. Good night.”
On Wednesday and Thursday, Sirius let them take it easy, making them simply fast walk around the block after their sit-ups and warm-ups. The rest of the morning was theirs to spend it however they wanted, which was usually on the swing on the back porch, relaxing and enjoying being in the other's company. The day after the full moon, Sirius had mercy on the teens again and, after a few sit-ups and stretches, took them to a forest to practice their spellwork. Harry was thankful. Even though the exercise helped to loosen him up, it still hurt, and he wasn't sure he would have lasted for an entire morning. Since he'd started reading the book Sirius had given him on defensive magic, he'd been anxious to try out some of the spells. It appeared he was going to get to do so now, though how they were going to remain undetected, Harry hadn't a clue.
“Where are we?”
“Not far from London. Burnham Beeches, to be exact.”
“It's certainly pretty,” Ginny commented.
Harry looked around. They were in a forested area with tall skinny deciduous trees making up most of the woods. Maybe ten meters away in all directions, the woods became denser with more deciduous trees with thick trunks whose roots resembled splayed bony fingers half-buried in the ground. As he studied the thicker trees, he realized that many of the trunks looked to be made up of several thinner ones twisted around each other. Some trees leaned. Others grew in a curvy manner. One or two even reminded Harry of the Whomping Willow.
“Are you sure we won't get in trouble with the Ministry for underage magic use?” Ginny asked.
“I'm certain, Ginny. I've filed the appropriate paperwork directly with Mafalda Hopkirk, who is the Head of that department.” Sirius grinned mischievously. “You see, what no one wants to tell you kids is that a parent or guardian can file for a temporary release of the Trace–and pay a fee, of course. So, rest assured, Ginny, that you are free to do magic this morning. Harry's case is a little different.” Sirius turned to address Harry. “Harry, I've paid a sizable fee to break the Trace on you completely.”
“Wicked!” the teens exclaimed simultaneously, sharing excited glances and smiles.
“I'm sorry I didn't get that done sooner, Harry.
“That's okay, Sirius. Things have just begun to settle. What about the Muggles, though? Do we have to worry about them coming along?”
“They're only allowed in certain sections of the forest, and only at certain times of the year. This part of the forest is not one of the areas they're allowed in. If, by some chance, Muggles do come wandering by, I've put up some repelling charms so they'll wander away again, none the wiser.”
Harry was impressed. It seemed as if Sirius had done some real planning on this.
“First, we'll start on some simple spells for you, Ginny. I want to see exactly where your talents lie, and just how powerful you are.”
Ginny ducked her head, one foot shuffling in the dirt at her feet. “I'm not very powerful.”
“Yes, you are!” Harry asserted. “That Bat-Bogey Hex you hit me with that day was strong.”
“Only because I was angry with you.”
Harry shook his head. “I don't believe that for a second. You fought off Voldemort for an entire year. That took strength and power.” Harry shrugged. “But then, what do I know? I learned a lot of spells fairly quickly. You probably won't beat my record.”
Harry nearly smiled when Ginny's eyes narrowed dangerously. “You think I can't?” Harry simply shrugged, pasting an unconcerned expression on his face. “I'll show you just how powerful I can be.” She whirled to face Sirius. “What are we starting with? Give me something hard.”
Sirius conjured a boulder the size of a small car, placing it several feet from them, and set Ginny to work on the Blasting Curse, which she enthusiastically fired time and again, chipping away at the huge rock. Once he saw that she was set, Sirius joined Harry and grinned.
“Well played, kiddo,” he said softly.
Harry shrugged, sheepishly smiling. “It worked before. I figured it would again. Ginny loves to prove people wrong about her.”
Sirius barked out a laugh and mussed Harry's hair. “Alright, as for you, I think you need to work on your Shield Charm some more. Let's see if we can get it stronger. It's not going to do you much good if it won't stand up to some strong hexes.”
Harry worked on Protego for two straight hours, Sirius throwing increasingly stronger hexes. After those two hours, Sirius halted Ginny's work and conjured a humanoid clay statue with a raised fist. Looking around, he spotted a stick the length of a wand, and stuck one end into the fist so that it pointed in Ginny's general direction.
“Try to Disarm the figure. The incantation is Expelliarmus.”
While she technically performed the spell, the stick only fell at the clay figure's feet. Ginny huffed in frustration. Sirius picked up the stick and replaced it in the clay fist.
“Keep at it. You'll get it. You want your opponent's wand to end up as far away as possible.”
Sirius watched her attempts, gave her a few tips, then had her continue. Turning to Harry, he said, “Now, for you. If you're feeling up to it, I have another spell for you to practice.”
Yes, he hurt, and yes, he was fairly tired–okay, extremely tired–but Harry was interested in finding out what other spell Sirius had in mind. Running a hand down his face and stifling a yawn, Harry nodded.
Sirius eyed him closely. “Maybe it can wait.”
“Oh, come on, Sirius. I'm okay. What's this other–” There was no fighting the yawn this time. “–this other spell you have in mind?”
“Well, it's the Patronus Charm. It helps to repel Dementors. I don't think you're up to trying it today. It takes a lot of concentration, a lot of willpower, and a lot of energy to get it to work, and even then, there's no guarantee. A vast majority of adults have trouble with it, some unable to conjure any sort of protection at all.”
Harry, reluctantly, agreed with Sirius. Now that his adrenaline high was gone, he felt ready to drop. It was too bad, too, because he had looked forward to trying out that one. According to the book, the Patronus was fueled by a powerful, emotional memory, and Harry had a few in mind he wanted to experiment with. Which would conjure the strongest Patronus? When Ginny learned of his lycanthropy and accepted him anyway? When she agreed to be his girlfriend? If he had to guess, he'd say his strongest Patronus would be fueled by the memory of Ginny first telling him she loved him, even though she'd said it unintentionally. Still, it would be interesting to see if he was right. He supposed he'd have to wait a little longer.
Sirius transfigured a log into a bench. “Have a seat, Harry.” He pulled out his pocket watch. “We'll be going back soon.”
Yawning again, Harry nodded and dropped onto the seat. After activating the charm to hide his wand, he settled in to watch Ginny. From what he could see, she was definitely improving.
“Expelliarmus!”
Harry watched in awe as the stick went flying into the air, tracing a perfect arc over all their heads to land several meters away. Stunned silence echoed among them as the three of them exchanged glances. Then, all at once, Sirius laughed, Ginny squealed in delight, and Harry stood to give her a hug and congratulate her.
“I told you,” he whispered in her ear. “You're one powerful witch.”
“At this moment, I feel like I am.”
“Good.”
“And on that note,” Sirius said, walking up to the two, “it's time to go back. Harry, here, could use some rest.”
Ginny nodded, looking up at him. She gave him a sympathetic smile. “I'm surprised you're still standing, to be honest.”
Reaching up to rub at his eyes, Harry stifled another yawn. “I may not be for much longer.”
“Let's get back to the house. Harry, you can sleep while I take Ginny home.”
Ginny clutched Sirius' left elbow, Harry grabbed Sirius' right. Sirius gripped Harry's wrist. “In case you lose your grip,” he explained.
Sirius Vanished the boulder and clay figure before Apparating the three of them to Little Whinging. Once there, Sirius helped Harry to lie down on the sofa. Ginny gave him a quick kiss.
“I won't be gone long, Harry. If you need me, call me on your mirror. I made one for myself and connected it to yours.”
Too tired to even be surprised at that, Harry nodded, rolled to his side and fell asleep.
Between the workouts in the mornings and learning new spells in the afternoons–with the occasional fun activity thrown in–the days flew by for Harry. Except the weekends. Those seemed to drag simply because Ginny wasn't with him. She spent that time with her family, not that he begrudged her that time with them. It was already July and, in a few short weeks, she would be saying goodbye to them, leaving with himself and Sirius to go to a new school in America. Sirius still wouldn't say where exactly.
Ginny had said she was excited to go, but Harry had to believe she was also sad to leave. He felt responsible for her leaving. After all, if it wasn't for him, she'd still be attending Hogwarts next year. If he hadn't shown up there, Ginny could have gone about her life, staying close to her family. No matter how guilty he felt about it, however, he couldn't deny that he was glad he had gone. Thanks to Ginny, his life had metamorphosed into a life not only worth living, but also worth enjoying.
“Well, we've put this off long enough.”
Ginny's stomach clenched. She didn't have to look up at her father to know what was coming. Truthfully, she'd wondered when her parents were going to say something. Apparently, now was the time. She exchanged a brief glance with Ron. He, too, looked as if he dreaded what was coming.
“What do you mean, Dad?” Charlie asked, having showed up just yesterday.
“There's something you boys need to know. It concerns Ginny.”
Ginny stared at her plate, but she could feel eight sets of eyes focus on her. She almost wished she wasn't present for this discussion. Right now, she would love to be at Harry's house. He would hold her and worry with her. He wouldn't tell her not to worry. He wouldn't even tell her that things would turn out okay. No, he'd simply wrap his arms around her and apologize for her pain.
Ginny's dad sighed. “Ginny won't be going to Hogwarts next year.”
“What?!” four voices yelled. “Why?”
“Because Harry won't be there, either.”
Silence met that declaration. Ginny chanced a look at her brothers. Charlie wore an expression of confusion mixed with wariness. Percy, not surprisingly, was eyeing her as if she'd done something shameful. Fred and George gaped at her, but she could see mirth dancing in their eyes. Bill, she noticed, didn't appear surprised at all, so she assumed Sirius had told him already. Ginny knew her oldest brother had been helping Sirius, therefore, it made sense Bill would have been told. She needed to remember to thank Bill for aiding Sirius and Harry, and also for his silent support of her impending trip.
“Bill, you don't seem surprised,” Mr. Weasley noted.
“That's because I'm not, Dad. I helped Sirius ward his house with lots of protections. He told me before the end of the school year. With everything that's happened, I can't say that I blame Harry for not wanting to go back.”
“But, Ginny?” Charlie questioned. “And where will they be going?”
“Remember the prophecy we heard over Christmas, the one that involved Harry and Ginny?”
“Yes, but Dad–”
“Do you really want to experience the dire consequences that prophecy outlined if they were separated?”
“So, where are they going, then?” Charlie asked.
“Sirius hasn't told us specifically where yet,” Ginny admitted. “I think he's wanting to keep it as much of a secret as possible. He did tell us he was taking us to America, though.”
“America?!” Charlie said, disbelievingly.
“Wicked!” the twins breathed.
“And you're okay with this?” Charlie asked of his mother.
Mrs. Weasley looked sad. “Of course I don't like Ginny running off to another country with a boy, but I don't want her taking off on her own, either.”
“It's not as if she'd get far,” Charlie argued.
Ginny sent an annoyed glare at her second oldest brother. Before she could say a word, her father spoke.
“Something tells me she'd find a way. Regardless, paperwork has been filed naming Sirius as her temporary guardian. Ginny will be with us until after her birthday.”
“Gin-Gin, come talk to us later,” Fred stage-whispered.
“Oh, no you don't,” Mrs. Weasley warned unequivocally. “There's to be none of that.”
Ginny caught George's wink and grinned. Charlie shook his head, still looking as if he didn't agree with the decision that had been made.
“Ron, you didn't look surprised, either,” Mr. Weasley said.
Ron's ears flushed at the sudden attention. He squirmed a little in his chair. “That's because I already knew, Dad. Harry and Ginny told me, Hermione, and Neville weeks ago, back when you first gave Ginny permission to go with Harry.”
“And what do you think about it?”
Ron exchanged a glance with Ginny before answering with a shrug. “I was upset at first, but I can't really blame Harry for wanting to leave, either. Hogwarts hasn't exactly been the safest of places lately. Harry needs to be able to focus on learning as much as he can, so that when he faces You-Know-Who, he'll be ready. He can't do that if he's worrying about where the next attack is coming from. As for Ginny, she's meant to help him somehow, so she has to be ready, too.”
Ginny thanked her youngest brother for his support. Four out of her six brothers supported her, and really, that was better than she had expected.
“Percy, do you have anything to say?”
“Well, Father, it seems inappropriate to me. People will think the worst when they learn Ginny has taken off somewhere with Harry. Her reputation will be ruined.”
“Who cares?” blurted Ginny. “There's always going to be people who want to believe the worst about you. The only ones who count are the ones who won't believe every little thing they read or hear.
“Well said, Ginny,” Mr. Weasley praised.
“Thanks, Dad. May I be excused, now?”
“Yes, sweetheart, you may.”
Ginny pushed away from the table and disappeared into her room. Pulling out her magical mirror, she called Harry's name. Once he answered, she told him how the family meeting had gone, and how they had the support of four of her brothers. She even mentioned the twins' request to visit them later in their room and what she suspected they would ask. Harry laughed at that. They chatted a bit longer before saying good night. Ginny put on her pajamas, brushed her hair, and slipped into bed, awaiting Fred and George to come upstairs.
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