SIYE Time:21:10 on 17th April 2024 SIYE Login: no | | |
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Unity in Diversity By hgromance
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Category: Alternate Universe
Characters:Dumbledore, Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Minerva McGonagall, Neville Longbottom, Other
Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, Romance
Warnings: Mild Sexual Situations
Rating: PG-13
Reviews: 118
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.
Hitcount: Story Total: 61525; Chapter Total: 3201
Author's Notes: More fluff. In fact, the next little biit will be fluff as they travel to their school. Thanks to Arnel for her beta work. FYI, the language Charlie tells Ginny is Romanian. The other foregin phrases are Irish.
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Man's feelings are always purest and most glowing in the hour of meeting and of farewell.
--Jean Paul Richter
To everyone's surprise, the match lasted two days. After several hours had passed with no winner, Minister Fudge called a halt to the game, explaining it would be easier to keep the Muggles away if they started again in the morning. So, the match began again mid-morning the next day. Even more astounding, Fred and George's bold prediction actually came true. Bulgaria's Seeker, Viktor Krum, caught the Snitch, but Ireland had enough points to still end up winning the game.
As everyone ambled back to their tents, Harry overheard a heated disagreement somewhere to their right between an Ireland supporter and a Bulgarian supporter. He groaned inwardly. He had a nasty headache from the effort of blocking as much ambient noise from the match as he could–and it really hadn't worked all that well. He really just wanted to go lie down. Hyper-aware of the angry words being exchanged, Harry tightened his hold on Ginny's hand, ready to move at a moment's notice.
His preparedness paid off. Without warning, a spell zoomed by them and blasted a tree right in front of himself and Ginny, peppering them with sharp wooden shrapnel. Witches and wizards began screaming and running. Mr. Weasley ordered his kids and Hermione to return to their tent before pushing through the crowd in search of the dueling wizards, followed by Charlie and Bill. Sirius did the same to Harry, and followed Mr. Weasley, ducking as another spell ricocheted off a tree, heading right for him.
Harry pulled Ginny close so they wouldn't be separated, and the two of them ran in a crouch, flinching as spells furiously landed all around them or blasted into trees. Harry clutched his wand in his hand, casting the Shield Charm a few times as they ran. More heated debates broke out on both sides of them, accompanied by spellfire, filling the air with dirt and bits of tree. Harry lost sight of the others and hoped they made it back to the tent in one piece.
Choking on the dust in the air, Harry cupped his free hand over his nose and mouth. “Ginny!” he called over the din. “Cover your mouth and nose! It'll be a bit easier to breathe!”
“Alright!”
This was insanity! Harry pulled Ginny behind a tree. How could it have become like this? Minutes ago, everyone had been happy, enjoying themselves. Now, it was as if they had suddenly gone mental. Whatever happened to the tolerance of others? He looked down at the girl beside him. Her eyes were huge, her complexion unusually pale, but she was holding it together. Pulling her against him, he kissed her forehead, then promptly dodged another spell.
“Are you alright, Ginny?”
“I'm fine, just a few scrapes from that first blast. Your shields have worked. I really need to learn that one.”
“You will.” Harry scanned their surroundings, ducking as another spell hit the tree just above his head.
“Good, because I really hate feeling useless.”
“You're not useless. What about this? I'll keep us shielded while you Disarm anyone you see fighting.”
Ginny briefly kissed him. “Thanks for not trying to keep me out of things. That's a great plan.”
Hunkering down behind their tree, Harry kept an eye on the crisscrossing beams of light, ready to cast a shield if one appeared to be heading their way. Most of the witches and wizards who fled were now gone, allowing Harry and Ginny to get a better view of those who were dueling.
“Expelliarmus! Expelliarmus!” Ginny's spells were direct hits and the wands landed some distance away, blending in with all the branches that had been blasted off the trees.
“Protego!” Harry shielded Ginny just in time to block a yellowish spell from hitting her.
“Petrificus Totalus! Petrificus Totalus! There. That'll keep them from finding their wands and starting another fight.”
“Good thinking! Protego!”
The two of them continued as they were, Ginny taking out duelers with Harry Shielding them, until Charlie and Bill showed up. While Bill finished off what Harry and Ginny had started, Charlie scolded the teens for not following directions, laying much of the blame on Harry.
“You're becoming a bad influence, Potter. Ginny never would have participated in this if it weren't for you.”
“Don't you dare blame Harry for my choices!” Ginny yelled, shoving at her brother. “If you think I would have stood by and watched people get hurt or hurt others when I could have done something to prevent it, then you don't know me at all! What is your problem? I saw the looks you were tossing at me and Harry during dinner.”
Seeing this was going to get very personal, very quickly, Harry surreptitiously cast Muffliato around them, glad Uncle Remus had taken the time to teach him that one. He watched Charlie's expression darken into blatant refusal to say anything else, and knew Ginny wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.
“This isn't exactly the time or place, Ginny,” Charlie angrily retorted.
“There's no better time! I wanted to talk to you anyway before you stupidly said something to Harry. What do you have against Harry and me?”
“Alright, fine, if you really want to discuss this now, in front of everyone, then I'll tell you! Don't think I don't know what you and Potter were doing yesterday afternoon. I know what to look for. This little 'relationship' of yours is moving way too fast. For Merlin's sake, Ginny, you're only twelve! You shouldn't be doing things like that! I don't know why Mum and Dad can't see it, but I'm not going to sit back and let you act inappropriately.”
“What?! We haven't done anything! Why can't you lot get that through your thick heads!”
“That's what he said, but I don't believe it. Especially now that I know others have said the same thing to you. If more than one person has mentioned it, Ginny, that should tell you something.”
“Oh, it tells me something alright. It tells me that none of you believe it when I say that I love Harry, and that Harry loves me. Believe it or not, I'm well aware of how old I am, mainly because none of you will let me forget it. For your information–though you really don't have a right to know–Harry's never tried to push things. He's never touched me inappropriately. He's never even looked at me inappropriately! All we've done is a little snogging. Maybe you should try it. Then, you wouldn't be so fixated on us!” One of her brother's statements clicked in her mind. “And what do you mean 'that's what he said'? Did you verbally attack Harry like you've done to me?”
Harry ducked his head, face heating as shame and guilt flooded him. Ginny was wrong. He had looked at her inappropriately, or at least had wanted to, on more than one occasion. He may not have actually looked, but he'd definitely had some inappropriate thoughts, and he needed to quit that, no matter how much of an automatic response it was.
“Yes, he and I have talked,” Charlie said. “And if he hasn't touched you or looked at you like you say, then why is he looking so guilty right now?”
Harry kept his gaze on the ground, even when Ginny whirled around to face him. She seemed to study him a good long moment before turning back to her brother. What she said next shocked Harry so much, his eyes flew to her to see if she was being honest.
“Okay, well, maybe he's actually looked,” she allowed, “but you can't blame him for that. He's a teen-aged boy. Are you saying you didn't look when you were his age?”
“We're not talking about me, Ginny, we're talking about you and Harry.”
“Nice non-answer.” Ginny crossed her arms over her chest. “So, it's safe to assume, then, that you did indeed look, and probably did more. Is that why you're certain that we're doing other things? Because you did them?”
“Is everything alright?” Bill asked, finally having Stunned the fighters and returned. “I'm sensing some serious anger. What's the matter?”
Harry opened his mouth to reply, but Ginny beat him to it. “Oh, nothing, unless you count the fact that Charlie has accused Harry of forcing me into doing things and tarnishing my reputation.”
“What? Seriously, Charlie? Do you not know either of them at all? Have you not bothered to watch them when they're together?”
“I'm not blind, Bill. Did you even bother to notice how they looked when they came back yesterday afternoon? Does it not bother you at all that they're doing that?”
Bill turned away from his brother. “Harry, take Ginny, and head back to the tents. I'd like to talk to my brother alone for a moment.”
“Thanks, Bill,” Ginny said, rising on tiptoe to kiss her oldest brother's cheek.
Bill smiled with obvious affection. “Anytime, squirt.”
Harry chuckled when Ginny reacted to that by smacking Bill's arm. It was a bit of a relief to let someone else deal with Charlie. Taking Ginny's hand, he led her back in the direction of their campsites. At the edge of the field, Harry stopped. He needed to apologize to Ginny for what he'd done.
“Ginny, I...I'm sorry.” Unable to look at her, he kept his eyes on his feet.
“For what, Harry?” Ginny paused for half a second before saying, “You'd better not be apologizing for my git of a brother.”
“No, not that, although I'm sorry about that, too. No, I, er, feel I should apologize for...for...”
No matter how hard he tried, the words wouldn't come. An awkward silence ensued. Why was it so hard to explain himself? Because you're afraid she'll get angry with you and hex you, that's why, and rightfully so.
“I didn't mean to...to...” Nope. The words still wouldn't come.
“Harry, are you trying to apologize for looking at me?”
Grateful Ginny had been able to somehow figure it out, he nodded. Her deceptively dainty hands cupped his face and brought his gaze up to hers. At least she didn't appear angry. Then again, she could strike pretty quickly when her temper was piqued.
“Harry, answer me this. Do you like how I look?”
Did she just ask what he thought she just asked? She must have because she looked as if she was waiting for his answer. Now, how should he answer that? Should he be completely truthful and say that yes, he very much liked how she was beginning to look, so much so that he tended to have certain responses to her? No, he probably should leave that last part out. On the other hand, he couldn't exactly say no, either. That would hurt her feelings. Plus, it would be an outright lie.
In the end, he went with a simple, “Yes, I do.”
“Well, I'm relieved to hear it.” Harry stared at her in shock. “Harry, I'm thrilled that you like to look at me...like that...because, to be honest, I've looked at you, too, and I'm liking what I'm seeing. You're getting some muscles, and well, it looks good.” She gave him a teasing smile. “As long as you aren't staring at my chest–such as it is–when I'm talking to you, or that you aren't staring at my bum all the time, then I don't mind you looking.”
Heat flooded Harry's cheeks at just the thought of looking in either place. She had a chest, he knew. Of course she did. All girls did. He couldn't help but notice that. He'd just never really looked before. Yes, he'd wanted to, but had so far been successful at keeping his eyes from roaming to that part of her. The same went for that other part of her she mentioned. Yesterday, coming back with the water, had been the closest he'd come to actually looking there. And, now that she'd drawn attention to both of those areas, it was going to be doubly difficult to keep his eyes from wandering.
Suddenly, her comment about looking at him clicked in his brain. “Hang on. You've...looked...at me? Really?” Harry checked himself out, trying to see what it was she saw. He was unsuccessful. All he saw was a scrawny fourteen-year-old boy. “I think you need your eyes examined.”
Ginny wrapped a hand around his right bicep, squeezed gently, then cheekily quipped, “Nope. I can see just fine. Now, let's get back before someone comes looking for us.”
Upon arriving back at their tents, they were set upon by Hermione hugging them and going on and on about how glad she was they were okay. Fred and George set about cleaning Harry's and Ginny's scrapes and scratches.
“Bet you wish you had that book Madam Pomfrey gave you,” Fred said to Harry with a wink.
Harry nodded. “It certainly would have come in handy.” He looked around, but only saw the twins, Ron, and Hermione. “No one else is back yet?”
George shook his head. “I imagine Dad is with the other Ministry officials trying to sort everything out. Sirius is probably with him. I thought I saw Bill and Charlie still in the woods a minute ago–having a heated discussion by the looks of it–but I don't know where they are now.”
Harry exchanged meaningful glances with Ginny, but remained quiet. No one needed to know just what that discussion was likely to be about. Once all of his and Ginny's superficial wounds were cleaned, Ron asked the question Harry had been expecting.
“So, what happened to you two? You were right there with us, and then you were gone.”
“Lost sight of you,” Harry explained. “With all the dirt in the air, it became difficult to see or even breathe, so we stopped behind a tree to get our bearings. Then, more fighting broke out, and we were pinned in place.”
“When no one from the Ministry showed up,” Ginny took up the story, “we decided to act ourselves. Harry protected us with Protego while I began Disarming and using Petrificus Totalus on fighters so they couldn't start up again.”
“Ginny! Harry!” Hermione gasped. “That's illegal! You're both going to get into trouble for using magic!”
Ginny snorted. “I seriously doubt the Ministry is going to take the time right now to worry about a little underage magic, especially when Harry and I helped them out.”
Just then, Charlie returned to the tents, obviously still in a foul mood, and disappeared into the Weasley tent. Harry exchanged another concerned glance with Ginny.
“What's wrong with him?” Ron asked.
“Nothing to be concerned about,” Bill replied, having just arrived. “He's just having a hard time right now.” Bill made a point to look at Harry and Ginny when he spoke next. “Don't worry about him. He'll get over it.”
Shortly after that, Mr. Weasley and Sirius returned to the tents. Mr. Weasley directed his kids and Hermione to begin the process of packing up to go home. Harry squeezed Ginny's hand as a way of saying goodbye, then went into his own tent to pack. The match was over; therefore, there wasn't a reason to stay any longer.
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More aware of Ginny after their talk at the World Cup, Harry found himself sneaking occasional glances during their morning workouts when neither she nor Sirius were paying any attention. He wasn't sure, but he thought maybe Ginny watched him, too. The thought made him more self-conscious than before. Every move he made felt clumsily executed. Then, she smiled at him, and he completely forgot to be self-conscious.
The closer her birthday came, the more Harry could, periodically, see a sadness in her eyes, though she hid it fairly well behind smiles and jokes. Obviously, it was settling in that the two of them and Sirius would be leaving the country in a mere few days. He couldn't even begin to imagine how difficult it was for her to leave her family behind, so he supported her the only way he knew how–by holding her and listening whenever she felt like talking.
On the tenth of August, instead of doing a full workout, Sirius had them do their sit-ups and push-ups, then called a halt. Yesterday, Sirius had told Ginny to bring her money for a day of shopping. Harry knew from his talk with her last night that Mrs. Weasley hadn't been thrilled with the idea but relented when Sirius casually mentioned he didn't mind paying for new clothes appropriate for where they were going, but that he'd let Ginny pay for what she wanted.
Now, here they were, at a huge, multi-storied building. The ground floor, Harry noted, contained men's and teenage boys' clothing, from very formal to very casual. Harry having done his clothes shopping already, the trio moved to the first floor via escalator–which Ginny commented softly on how easy it would be to get around Hogwarts with them.
They stopped on the first floor, heading for the teen section, collecting a shopping trolley as they went. As they approached the shirts, Harry scanned the various offerings of clothing and his gaze landed on some lingerie. Blushing furiously, he tore his eyes away, hoping neither of his companions noticed. To Harry's relief, Sirius was too busy telling Ginny to pick out what she liked, regardless of cost, to notice anything else. Focusing on the shirts in front of him, he was struck by the sheer number of styles available, and those were just the casual ones. He shook his head in wonder.
The good thing was, it seemed to perk Ginny up a bit. She chose several tee shirts in varying colors, some with pictures, and some simply solid colors. After trying on some dressier shirts, Ginny picked out her favorites, then looked torn between two others.
“Get them both, Ginny,” Sirius suggested.
Ginny glanced at the pile of shirts already in the trolley and shook her head. “I don't have that much money, really.”
“Ginny,” Sirius said softly, “I'm paying for this trip, despite what I said to your mother.”
“What? No! Mum will check to be sure I spent my own money. Trust me.”
“Then we'll compromise. I'll buy the clothes, and you can buy something to occupy yourself on the flight over. It's about a seven and a half hour flight. On one of the upper floors here, there's entertainment, books, magazines, music and such. We'll look there when we're done here.” Ginny looked as if she wanted to protest, but Sirius apparently had anticipated her response. “Let me do this, Ginny. Please. You deserve it.”
Ginny sighed in resignation, then smirked. “Fine, but you get to explain everything to Mum.”
“Fair enough. Now, put those blouses in with your other shirts, and see what else you can find. You'll want a few pairs of jeans along with some shorts, a swimming costume, two or three formal outfits, sandals, court shoes to go with those formal outfits, and trainers, too, if you need them.” Ginny stared at Sirius, dumbfounded. “I wasn't joking when I said I was paying for this. Take full advantage.”
“But I still need to get school uniforms, books, and supplies.”
“Don't worry about those. We'll get them when we get there. Harry needs his, too.”
It took a bit more persuasion before Ginny was convinced to shop to her heart's content. After the shirts, she tried on different styles of jeans before deciding on two black pair with glittery pieces on the back pockets, a blue pair with some loopy stitching on the back pockets and around the seam of the front pockets, and a plain khaki pair of trousers.
Shorts came next. She asked Harry's opinion on a few styles and colors. Harry stammered out a response. He didn't even know what he said, really. He didn't know about that kind of thing. For him, if it was comfortable, it was perfect. Besides, did she really expect him to tell her he thought something looked bad? He may not know much about girls, but he was pretty certain that was the quickest way to get hexed. She ended up picking a couple of pairs that would match anything, then found a few pair with bright solid colors.
Harry stared, unable to say a word, when Ginny modeled some formal dresses. She looked so pretty! Each of them proved she was definitely changing. Harry mentally smacked himself for thinking that. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he turned away before he had any other inappropriate thoughts. Unfortunately, he now faced the lingerie section. His face burning, he whirled the other way, certain he could hear Sirius snickering.
His gaze firmly planted on his feet, he startled when someone tapped his shoulder. Turning back around, he found Sirius grinning at him.
“Harry, why don't you go see what's on the next floor? I think you'll be a bit more comfortable doing that.”
“Yeah, er, sure. That's...That's probably a good idea. I'll just, er,” Harry waved a hand in the general direction of the escalators, “I'll just go, then.”
Harry was in such a hurry to disappear, he missed Sirius telling Ginny she could relax and pick out some underclothes if she needed any, not to mention a swimming costume.
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Thirty minutes later, Harry was joined by the other two, having used a special lift for patrons with their trolleys. A pair of sandals, two pairs of flat-soled court shoes, and one pair of trainers topped the pile of clothes. Glad to be done with the embarrassing part of this trip, Harry pointed out the different entertainment areas.
He pointed to their left. “Music is over there. Films are, too. Straight ahead are books and magazines. Over there on the right are some kind of hand held games.”
“I think I'd like to check out the books and magazines,” Ginny declared.
“Okay. Harry? Where do you want to go?”
“Music, I think.”
Sirius nodded. “I think I'm going to look at the book offerings, myself. Stay alert. Not that I think anything will happen, but you never know. As someone I know enjoys shouting, 'Constant vigilance!'”
Harry wandered the aisles of CDs. He had a decent idea of what he liked, but most of the band names he saw, he was unfamiliar with. Against one wall was a machine with a screen and some headphones. Having no idea what the machine did, Harry hung back, hoping someone would come along and use it. Sure enough, someone did. Harry moved close enough to watch without alerting the person that she was being watched. The young girl put on the headphones, waved a CD case under–Harry didn't know what the thing was–tapped some buttons next to the screen, then began nodding her head rhythmically.
The girl pushed a few more buttons, listened, then removed the headphones. Harry quickly turned away, feigning interest in the display before him until she passed by. Making sure no one else was around, Harry stepped up to the machine, putting the headphones over his ears. Finding a volume dial, he turned it to the left, minimizing the sound level. Holding up the CD he'd picked up–the Muggle group Imagine Dragons since he was familiar with their Wizarding counterpart–held it under the red light as the girl had done, and was surprised when a list of the songs appeared on the screen.
Choosing a song at random, he pushed the button marked 'Play.' Only a snippet of the song played, but it was enough for Harry to decide he liked it. After listening to a few more, he determined he wanted the CD. Along one side of the display was a list of suggested bands. After listening to a few of those, Harry found three other CDs he wanted. Remembering that he wanted to get Ginny a CD player of her own, he picked up one of those before wandering to the books.
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The top floor held household items. Both Harry and Ginny picked out a suitcase for their clothes and a shoulder bag to take onto the plane with them. Having finally finished their shopping, the trio went to pay. Ginny's eyes grew wide as the cost of her clothing was being totaled. She began shaking her head.
“Sirius, no. That's way too much. Let me put some things back.”
Sirius motioned for the clerk to keep totaling the items before turning to Ginny. “It's not too much. It's almost not enough. If it makes you feel any better, you can consider this your birthday gift. That's the argument I intend to use on your mother. You can't turn down a birthday gift.”
“I don't know...” Ginny was still not convinced. “I'm embarrassed that everything cost that much. I wasn't really paying attention to the price tags like I should have been.”
“Ginny, I promise,” Sirius patiently said, “it's not an issue. This is one time where you don't have to worry about prices. Enjoy it, okay?”
“Are you absolutely sure?”
“I couldn't be more positive.”
“Well...okay. Thanks, Sirius.”
Ginny watched anxiously as the numbers continued to rise, afraid Sirius would change his mind, despite what he said. Eventually, the sale was completed. She kept her mind off the outrageous amount of money Sirius just spent by focusing on her own transaction, more than happy to use her own money. It truly was an amazing feeling to be able to do so.
Once Harry paid for his items, the three of them returned to the house. Sirius instantly placed an Undetected Extension Charm on the suitcases. Not seeing that she would be needing the jeans or trousers, Ginny silently packed those away along with the court shoes and sandals. In two days' time, she would be leaving with Harry and Sirius. Melancholy settled in again, coupled with a little fear. Never had she been so far from home before. The idea thrilled and scared her, though she knew, with the mirror Sirius made, her mum would be easy to reach.
“Ginny, are you alright?” Harry asked softly, sitting on the floor beside her, concern shining from his eyes.
Ginny, unable to hold his gaze, nodded. Was she, truly? All she knew was that getting the clothes, the books and music, and especially the suitcases made their trip more real. It wasn't just something happening in the near future anymore. She worried she would hate the new school. She felt anger at Dumbledore for not having better control over Hogwarts. She even felt some excitement at the adventure of it all. Basically, Ginny was an emotional mess, but she didn't want to admit it to Harry. Apparently, she didn't have to.
“Upset? If you're having second thoughts about this, it's okay. I wouldn't blame you if you decided to stay.”
Ginny jerked her head up to stare disbelievingly at her boyfriend. “Upset? Yes, alright, a little. I'll admit I'm a bit scared. It's a new school in a new country. What if I don't like it? I can't just leave. I'm also angry at Dumbledore for what he's put you through. How could he sit in his office and do nothing to find out who had been attacking you? Surely, he could have done something. He's supposed to be the greatest wizard in recent history, after all. Second thoughts? No, and no, I'm not letting you go off on your own. We're a team, remember? I'm even a little excited about this, which makes no sense in light of how else I'm feeling.”
“And sad to leave your family?”
“That, too, in a way. It's not like I've never been away from them for a long period of time, obviously. I guess it's more that I'm used to having my brothers at school, and having the option to go home during the holidays.”
“That's understandable. It's familiar. What's familiar is comforting, safe.”
“Except when it isn't safe, which brings us right back to the whole point of all of this,” Ginny said, waving a hand at the suitcase and neatly stacked pile of clothes. Her shoulders straightened resolutely, her chin rising a notch. “I just have to remember that I'll be leaving my mirror with Mum, so I can talk to her and see her whenever I need to, and if I ever need to talk to my brother, he has his mirror. I won't be completely cut off from them. Do you really think Sirius could get my parents an international Portkey for Christmas?”
“I don't see why not, but if he can't, I'll try. My stupid fame has to be good for something.”
Ginny blinked furiously at the sudden wetness in her eyes. Throwing her arms around his neck, she hugged him tightly. Harry despised the notoriety he received due to the circumstances of his parents' deaths, and for him to say he'd use it for her if he needed to, well, it was simply overwhelming, so she hugged him while she regained some control. Ginny squeezed her eyes shut. Just when she thought she couldn't possibly love him more, he says something like that. For a split second, she wished she could share what she felt with her parents to help them understand that she knew what she was talking about when she said she loved Harry. However, she was ultimately glad she couldn't because what she felt was personal, and to share it with someone other than Harry just seemed so...wrong, for lack of a better word.
Leaning back, she rewarded the most wonderful boyfriend in the world with a kiss, ignoring the sounds of Sirius banging around in the kitchen. Several moments later, she ended it.
“Thanks, Harry.”
“For what? You kissed me, remember? All I did was kiss you back.”
Ginny let out a little giggle. “For letting me talk through all that, rather than jumping in with meaningless words like 'It'll be alright' or 'Don't worry'. Not to mention offering to use your fame despite how much you abhor it.”
Harry shrugged. “That's what you do for me, let me talk it out to myself. I figured you'd like for me to do the same. As for the fame, like I said, it has to be good for something.”
“And that's why I love you, Harry.”
“Say it in Irish again. I like how it sounds.”
“Tá grá agam duit.”
“Always,” Harry whispered with a smile. “How do you say that again?”
“I gcónaí.”
“Yeah, that's right. You need to write those down for me so I can practice them. I want to be able to say them whenever I feel like it.”
“I can do that. I kind of like the idea of being able to say something and not have anyone else understand.”
“I do, too. Who knows? Maybe we'll pick up a few other phrases if there's another language spoken where we're going.”
“Maybe. He still hasn't told you?”
“No. He's really keeping it a secret. Sirius likes his mysteries. I guess that's good, though. That way, no one can accidentally discover it.”
Ginny shrugged. “I guess we'll just enjoy the discovery as it comes. Do you have some parchment and a quill? I'll write down those phrases for you.”
“Actually, I have something better. Some Muggle paper and a biro. Sirius bought these once we moved here, saying we were going to be in the presence of Muggles a lot of the time and needed to get used to the way they do things.” Harry fetched a piece of paper and writing utensil. “The ink is already inside it. Just click the top like this.” He demonstrated what he meant, then handed it to her.
Ginny took the biro, studying it closely, curious as to how it worked. She was, after all, her father's daughter. After clicking the top a few times, she put the other end to the paper and moved it across the surface.
“That's brilliant! It writes so much better than a quill and the paper is so smooth. I almost wish we used these instead.” She wrote down the Irish phrases and words that she knew, adding phonetic pronunciations and, of course, definitions. “There. Now, you'll know all the ones I do.”
Harry's brows jumped to his hairline as he looked over the list. “You know more than you said.” He grinned teasingly. “With an emphasis on 'love', apparently.”
Ginny blushed. “That wasn't exactly my doing. Aisling insisted. Who was I to turn down knowledge?””
Harry gave her an inscrutable look. “You sounded like Hermione just then.”
“She's not the only one who likes to read and learn new things,” Ginny retorted, feeling slightly miffed.
“I know, Ginny. I'm just taking the mickey out of you a bit.”
Unable to stay irritated with him, Ginny smiled. Returning to her packing, she folded everything neatly–minus two changes of clothes and the dresses–and added them into the suitcase. The other items she delicately placed into a shopping bag. She caught Harry's puzzled expression and giggled. He was such a boy! Hermione was still at her house, and Ginny wanted to show off her dresses. For the first time, she had something to be envious of, and she was going to take full advantage of it.
“Hermione is still at home,” she said by way of explanation.
Ginny didn't say more, wanting to see how long it would take before he figured it out. He could be thick occasionally, but in this case, it didn't take long.
“And you want to show them to her.”
“I do. They're so pretty. I've never had anything so nice before.”
“You looked really pretty in them,” Harry said, blushing faintly, but smiling.
Her face heating with pleasure, Ginny beamed. “Nice, Harry. Go raibh maith agat.”
“Er, what?”
Snickering, Ginny pointed to his list. She waited patiently while he scanned the list. She enjoyed watching him mouth the unfamiliar words as he hunted for the phrase she used. It wouldn't take him long to memorize them, and she couldn't wait until they could say them to each other whenever they felt like it. Harry lifted his head, grinning.
“Oh! You said 'thank you.'” He looked to the phrase listed below the one for 'thank you' for the proper response. “I know I'm not going to get this right, but–”
“Concentrate on the phonetic spellings instead of the actual words. That helped me. It takes some getting used to. I'm still not perfect on my pronunciations.”
“Alright, er, here goes nothing. Chah file-cha rote. How was that?”
“Not bad, actually. The only thing to work on is to lessen the first 'ch' sound. It's kind of a cross between the 'ch' and the 't', but I didn't know how to write that, so I picked the sound closest to it.”
“Okay, I can kind of see where the ch/t sound comes from with T-á, and it's not so difficult to figure how they get file-cha from f-á-i-l-t-e, but how in Merlin's name does rote come from r-o-m-h-a-t?”
Ginny shrugged. “I don't know. I didn't ask. I didn't exactly have the time for a whole discussion on the language. I would like to learn it eventually, though.”
“It does have a nice sound to it.”
“Oh, you should hear Aisling. It takes on a beautiful rhythm when she speaks it.” Ginny's eyes widened. “Maybe you can. Do you think Sirius would let you go to the village tomorrow after my party? You could talk to her. That is, if you want to.”
“That sounds like fun. I'll ask him.”
“Harry, Ginny, lunch is ready. Ginny, are you all packed?”
Ginny nodded as she and Harry joined Sirius in the kitchen. Once again, Ginny was surprised at how adept he was at cooking. He never really struck her as the type to want to learn. She supposed that was why one must never make assumptions about anyone.
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As it turned out, Ginny took the suitcase home, as well, so she could pack whatever else she wanted to take. She had planned on packing her school trunk, but Sirius had made a good point when he reminded her they would be traveling like Muggles and wouldn't blend in with a trunk. So, now she and Hermione were in Ginny's bedroom, open suitcase on her bed, Ginny pulling clothes from it to show to Hermione.
“That's a lot of clothes! Did you buy all of them yourself?”
“No, I had some help. Sirius insisted it was a birthday gift. I tried to put some things back, but he wouldn't let me, saying I'd need it all this next school year.”
Hermione picked up Ginny's underclothes with a smirk. “And Harry was there when you picked these up, too?”
Ginny blushed nearly as red as her hair, snatching the bras and knickers from her friend. “No, he wasn't, if you must know. Sirius sent Harry up to the next floor to see what was there. He was, however, standing next to me when they came out of the shopping trolley. To be honest, I think he turned redder than I did.”
Hermione laughed at that visual. “Poor Harry.”
“I know,” Ginny said with a giggle. “At least I didn't have to buy anything else personal. That would have been mortifying. Can you imagine having to buy that stuff in front of two blokes? No, thank you.”
Hermione wrinkled her nose in distaste. “Ugh. No. That would be awful. In front of Sirius would be bad enough, but he's an adult, he understands about that stuff. In front of Harry, though? No. Not for all the Galleons in Gringotts.” Her expression morphed into one more positive. “So, show me the dresses! You've stalled long enough.”
Excitedly, Ginny reached into the bag she had placed the dresses in–she kept them in the bag so she could claim they were underclothes and not have her mum look at them–and pulled out the first one. It was a summer dress, and she loved the velvety soft black material. When she'd tried it on, the bodice felt more like a tank top, with its straps for sleeves, though its neckline was square. Ginny really liked the knee-length skirt because it gave the illusion it was a wrap-around skirt by being gathered slightly off-center at the empire waist. She'd always liked that style, but her mum thought it was scandalous. A narrow circle of white crystals near the gathering gave the dress a little flash.
Ginny held it up against herself. “What do you think?”
“Oh, Ginny, that's gorgeous! You'll look really pretty in that.”
“Yeah, that's what Harry said.”
Hermione's brows jumped skyward. “Did he?”
Grinning and trying not to blush, Ginny nodded. “Just before lunch. Well, he said I looked pretty in all four of the dresses, actually.”
“Oh, Ginny, that's so sweet!”
“I know,” Ginny sighed dreamily. “I have the absolute best boyfriend in the world.”
“Yes, you do, and I'm absolutely envious. Now, show me another one.”
Laughing, Ginny reached into the bag again. “I picked this one because it really made me feel older. I was surprised the color didn't look bad on me.”
The second dress was also a summer dress with no sleeves, in the skater style. The bodice hugged her chest with a gently scalloped edge, which was what made Ginny feel older when wearing it. The skirt was gently gathered at the waist, adding fullness to its A-line, so that if she twirled around, it would flare out in the breeze. What kept the dress modest was a delicately embroidered tulle overlay that covered the exposed shoulders and created a jewel neckline. An overskirt of the same tulle completed the look.
Hermione's jaw dropped. “Ginny! That's...That's...actually rather pretty. And you're right, that pale orange does look nice on you.”
“Sirius thought it was pretty, and I already told you what Harry said. It's a little daring, but I really liked it, and mum would never buy something like this for me, so I took the opportunity when it arose.”
“And you said Sirius insisted on you getting some formal dresses?”
Ginny nodded, neatly folding the dress and putting it in the suitcase, as well as the first dress. “He did. He must know something about the school year. Or maybe we're stopping somewhere along the way that requires nicer clothes.” Ginny shrugged. “I don't know. He's being quite tight-lipped about things. He hasn't even told Harry anything.”
“That's understandable. He's doing everything he can to protect you and Harry. Besides, not knowing anything about your trip can be exciting. Mysterious, even.”
“True. Okay, the last two dresses are floor length.”
Ginny pulled out a cobalt blue dress with a darker blue appliqued floral gauzy overlay. Hermione gasped in delight, then said something about thinking all of the dresses would be sleeveless.
“Well, don't worry. As you can see, this one has cap sleeves, even though they're still short. I like that they're off-the-shoulder a bit, and the neckline comes almost straight across, which Mum would like, for sure. It's slightly fitted, though, which Mum wouldn't like, but it's not too much. My favorite things about this dress, besides the color, are the five solid bands that wrap around the bodice starting at the high waist and ending at the hip. And, of course, I love the long flowing skirt.”
“I think that one's my favorite so far.”
“Mine, too,” Ginny said while gently tucking the dress into the suitcase. “Okay, now for the last one.” This dress was a deep purple in color, like a plum or an eggplant. “This one the clerk thought had a bit of Celtic flare, with the thin vertical gatherings–I think she called it ruching–on the front, and the way it looks like it has a sash coming from the back and tying in the front for an empire waist.”
“Yes, it does have a bit of a medieval look to it.” Hermione brushed a hand through the folds of the skirt. “Oh, and look how these layers come away from the rest.” She held out the edges, on each side, of a couple of layers of gauzy material that appeared to flow from under the faux sash. “This dress is really beautiful. And short sleeves, again. I'm so jealous.”
“Maybe you'll have a reason to wear something like this at school,” Ginny said, adding the dress to the rest of her new clothes.
Hermione snorted. “I doubt it. When was the last time Hogwarts had a dance or something where dress robes were required?”
“Well, you should know the answer to that,” Ginny quipped. “How many times have you read Hogwarts, A History?”
“I know, and it's been a long time, in case you were wondering.”
“That just means that Hogwarts is due.”
“I suppose,” Hermione said, obviously not convinced.
“Come on, help me pack some things.”
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Once Ginny was back at the Burrow, Sirius took Harry to Godric's Hollow, to Harry's complete relief. He'd feared not being able to come say goodbye. He hated the idea of not being here on the anniversary of their deaths, but at least he still could say everything to them that he wanted to say. While he would have loved to have had Ginny here with him, he didn't feel as if he'd fall apart without her like he had previously felt. Thanks to Ginny, he was stronger now.
Harry waited patiently while Sirius faced the white marble tombstones marking Harry's parents' final resting place. Harry offered to let Sirius go first, knowing his godfather hadn't really been to see them, therefore, not having spoken to them and said what he needed to say. Harry wasn't sure how long he waited–not that it mattered at all to him–but Sirius finally got to his feet and walked back toward where Harry sat.
“Go ahead, kiddo,” Sirius said in a voice husky with emotion.
Harry hesitated a moment to make sure Sirius was all right before making his own way to the grave markers. Where Sirius had knelt, Harry sat, his gaze jumping between headstones.
“Mum, Dad, I'm back a little early this time. I'm early because I won't be here in October. I don't know how much Sirius told you, but I'm not going back to Hogwarts. Don't get me wrong, I've loved meeting the teachers you had, and walking the corridors you've walked, but it just hasn't been safe there for me. Dumbledore seems to have lost control of the school or lost sight of what he's supposed to be doing, or something. I don't know. I just know that Sirius is taking Ginny and me somewhere else. I'd like to tell you, but I don't want anyone overhearing.”
Harry looked around to see if anyone was close by and perhaps had overheard what he'd said already. The little graveyard behind the small white church was deserted save Sirius, who now waited by the gate, looking down the road toward the square where Harry knew the monument sat in honor of his parents. He turned his attention back to the graves.
“You may have noticed I said Ginny and me. Yes, we're still together, and yes, she's coming with me. I love her. I don't mean that in a general sense, either. I mean, I truly love her. I know I'm only fourteen, but I know what I feel. She loves me, too. She even gave me a Claddagh ring for my birthday, which is hilarious because that's what I'm giving her.”
Harry's gaze drifted to a stand of trees outside the fence, gathering his thoughts. When he spoke again, his voice was soft. “Ginny's birthday is tomorrow. The day after that is when we leave. I can't believe it's nearly here. I have to say, I'm a bit nervous. The people won't know me, though, so that'll be nice. I'll finally just be Harry Potter, no the in front of it. What if they don't like me?” Harry gave a little chuckle. “There was a time when I didn't care whether people liked me or not. Ginny changed that. Well, if they do, great. If they don't, I'll still have Ginny.”
Again, Harry took a moment to gather his thoughts. “I'm a little worried about Ginny, though. She's never been so far away from her family. She's really close with them. I know she's going to miss them terribly. I hope she finds some new friends there. I'll feel really bad if she doesn't. I think it'll do her some good, though, to get away from things, to start fresh. She's still bothered by what happened with Riddle her first year, despite the fact she says she's gotten over it.”
Harry paused as someone walked by on her own way to a loved one. Once the woman was far enough away, Harry continued his one-sided conversation. “Ginny and I will be training hard at our new school. We're going to win this war. I just wish you could be here to enjoy it with us. I'll make you proud of me. Take good care of Uncle Remus, and I'll try to make sure Sirius doesn't join you prematurely.” Harry sighed. “Well, I should probably go. I know our visit was short, but I have to prepare for what's ahead. Goodbye, Mum, Dad. I love you.”
Standing, Harry lingered for only a moment before turning away and returning to Sirius. The pair walked a short distance out of town before disappearing.
0000000000
Ginny's birthday celebration began with lunch. Harry, Sirius, and Neville joined the Weasleys and Hermione at the Burrow. Ginny took the seat of honor next to her father, just as Harry had done on his birthday. Sitting on Ginny's left put him diagonally across from Charlie. Harry could feel Charlie's weighty stares, but honestly didn't know what else could be said to Ginny's brother. Ginny, herself, had harangued him for his actions, but it obviously made no difference. Harry squirmed in his seat a little. Ginny's second oldest brother wasn't the only one watching them. He had caught Mrs. Weasley's gaze on them more than once, looking as if she would burst into tears at any moment.
Mr. Weasley brought out the presents once the meal was finished. Predictably, Hermione gave her a book, this one covering the differences between British English and American English.
“Thanks, Hermione.”
“You're welcome, Ginny. Some of their phrases and words have different meanings than they do here. I thought you might like to know what they are since you're likely to hear a lot of them.”
Neville's gift came second, which was a Holyhead Harpies tee shirt. Ginny thanked him profusely before reverently setting it aside. Harry noticed the present from Fred and George was labeled the same as his own gift had been. Considering his gift had been full of joke sweets the twins concocted and fireworks, Harry thought it wise to pass it up for another one, which was exactly what Ginny did. From Percy, she received a stationery set, complete with ink and quill.
“That reminds me. Harry, what are you going to do about Hedwig? You're not going to be able to carry her around.”
“Oh, er, I guess I never really thought of that.” Looking to Sirius, he asked, “Do you have a plan?”
“Of course I have a plan, Harry. I'll be sending her off with a letter tonight to the Headmistress. Hedwig will be there waiting for us to arrive.” He chuckled at their excited expressions. “Yes, I know I just let some information slip, but it's still not enough to determine where we're going.” He grinned cheekily. “You're simply going to have to wait.”
Both teens slumped in disappointment, but were quickly distracted again by the remaining presents Ginny still had to open. Harry was amazed at Charlie's gift. A one and a half inch translucent green egg with glittering specks of gold hung from a sturdy gold chain. Inside the egg, a nebulous cloud of white shifted aimlessly.
“It's beautiful, Charlie. Thank you.”
“That's only part of the gift. Cup the egg in your hands and say 'Salut,'. Watch what happens.”
Ginny did as instructed, then gasped, her expression one of shock and delight. Harry couldn't tell what was happening, but was content to wait until Ginny was ready to share. Her head suddenly shot up to gape at her brother a moment before breaking out into a huge grin.
“It's so adorable! Look, Harry!”
Looking into Ginny's cupped hands, Harry noticed the egg had become all but transparent. Where the mist once was, a dark green baby dragon with golden horns fumbled around, tripping over its wings, still adjusting to walking around.
“It's cute,” he agreed.
“She's a recent hatchling at the reserve. She's one of the few Romanian Longhorns ever born there. Your egg is connected to her, like a window to the reserve. Whenever you want to see her, just repeat what you just did. She's 'yours' in that you get the honor of naming her.”
“I do?” Ginny jumped up and ran around the table to hug her brother. “Thanks, Charlie. I'll give her a good name.”
“I'm sure you will. I need to know it soon, though, so she can get used to hearing it.”
Ginny regained her seat, deep in thought, occasionally studying the baby dragon. “I think I'll call her Maeve, after Queen Maeve who taught in Ireland before Hogwarts was built. After all, we're still learning from the dragons, right? Seems appropriate.”
“It's a fine name, Ginny,” Charlie said with a nod. “Now, whenever you want to see her, just say 'Salut, Maeve,' and she will appear. To say goodbye, say 'Pe curând, Maeve,' and the egg will return to its normal state.”
Harry watched as Ginny took a final look at 'her' dragon, then she spoke the words that turned the 'window' back to mist and the egg back to its regular translucent state.
“Ginny, how did you know about Queen Maeve?” Hermione asked.
To Harry's amusement, Ginny blushed and said, “You're not the only one to have read Hogwarts, A History.”
Hermione beamed and Ron groaned, saying, “Not you, too.”
Harry, not understanding what the problem was, glanced between Hermione, Ron, and Ginny. Not figuring out the issue, he said, “What? There's nothing wrong with having read it. I've read it. It's really fairly interesting.”
Ron screwed up his face in distaste. “I forgot that you had read it, too.” He turned to Neville. “Don't you dare tell me you've read it.”
“No, I haven't.”
“Good. You and I have to stand strong against the nutters.”
“Git,” Ginny muttered with an eye roll. She reached for the last brightly wrapped package, but stopped when a long one slid down the table. Only one thing could come in a package like that. Excitedly, she ripped the paper off.
“Bill!” Ginny exclaimed, astounded at what was before her.
Harry grinned when he saw what had been uncovered. The Firebolt was nearly identical to his. The twigs were the difference. Harry's were made of birch, which was perfect for the ascending
maneuvers he had to make as a Seeker. The one Ginny had just been gifted had twigs of hazel, presumably to help her make more precise turns, which, incidentally, was exactly what a Chaser needed.
Harry nearly laughed when Ginny squealed and ran to hug her oldest brother.
Bill laughed, accepting the hug. “Well, we couldn't have you using the school brooms, not knowing what quality they would be. For all we know, they could be older than the Hogwarts brooms.”
“Oh, Bill, was it really necessary to get her a Firebolt?” Mrs. Weasley asked, her worry evident in her face. “A Nimbus would have been sufficient if you really felt she needed a broom.”
Harry inferred from her last statement that Mrs. Weasley didn't like the idea of Ginny having a broom of any kind. He couldn't understand why she felt that way. Ginny flew incredibly well. He loved watching her when she was in the air. She enjoyed flying just as much as he did. Why shouldn't she have a broom? Maybe it was one of those things Ginny had told him about in regards to traditional gender roles. She once said her mum was very traditional.
“Mum, why shouldn't she have the best broom possible? She handled Harry's Firebolt just fine.”
“But it's so dangerous, and if something happened, she'll be so far away.”
Mrs. Weasley began to cry. So much so that she jumped up from the table and disappeared into the house. The once happy mood turned somber. Harry, feeling terribly about the family troubles, ducked his head, dropping his gaze to the edge of the table in front of him, very aware of Charlie staring in his direction, therefore, Harry missed Mr. Weasley pointedly stating that things would be fine and that no one was to blame. He also missed the Weasley patriarch going after his wife.
A gentle tug on his chin had him meeting Ginny's gaze. Her light brown eyes were clear, and she held his gaze when she spoke.
“It'll be alright, Harry. Like Dad said, no one is to blame.” Ginny's eyes cut away from his, and Harry glanced in the direction she was looking. She stared at Charlie. “No one is to blame. Now, this is my party, and I say we should be happy. Besides, I have one more gift to open.”
“Absolutely, we should,” Bill agreed. “Open your gift.”
Harry wondered what Ginny's parents gave her. He was slightly worried her parents gave her clothes. Then, she pulled out something that looked handmade and decided it wasn't a bunch of clothes. It took Ginny unfolding it before he realized it was a smallish throw blanket. It looked to be about thirty-six inches long and thirty inches wide. Nine blocks of blue, green, brown, red, and yellow were arranged in three rows. A small border of dark green followed the outline of the blocks.
“It's beautiful, Ginny,” Harry whispered.
Ginny nodded, running a hand gently over it. “It is. I never saw Mum working on it. Of course, I was gone most of the day there for a while. After that, she must have either worked in the mornings while I was with you, or she waited until I went to bed.”
“She wanted you to have a little taste of home while you were away,” Mr. Weasley said upon returning from the house. “Your Mum will be out in a minute.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Ginny whispered, hugging her father.
“I can't top that, but here, Ginny,” Ron said, pulling something from beneath the table. “I didn't get the chance to wrap it. Sorry.”
The box was passed down the table to Ginny, who opened it and grinned. Harry did, as well, when she pulled out two handfuls of Sugar Quills and Chocolate Frogs.
“Thanks, Ron.”
Ron shrugged. “I saw Mum working on the blanket a couple of nights ago. It made me think that you might want something else from here. You know, since their sweets might be different than ours.”
“That was very thoughtful, Ronald,” Hermione said, impressed, to which Ron shrugged and blushed.
“Forget a birthday there, Harry?” Ron asked, snickering.
Harry blushed crimson as many pairs of eyes landed on him. Ginny laced her fingers with his and squeezed.
“Ron!” Hermione hissed. “And here I was thinking maybe you'd grown up, at least a little.”
“You need to think before you speak,” Ginny retorted. “I didn't give his gift to him in public, remember? Apparently, it didn't occur to you that he might feel the same way. And really, he doesn't have to get me anything. That's not why we're together.”
“I do have something for you, Ginny, you know that, but yes, I'd rather give it to you in private.”
“There, see?” Ginny nearly gloated. “Stop being an idiot.”
Thankfully, Mrs. Weasley brought out the cake–this one shaped like the Burrow–and ice cream, cutting short the sibling argument. Ginny thanked her mum for the blanket with a hug. Once the cake and ice cream was consumed, Ginny–to Harry's amusement–dragged him off into the house, up the stairs, and to her room. Once her door was shut, she whirled to face him.
“Alright, so, hand it over,” she said, grinning. “I've been waiting for this since your birthday.”
Laughing, Harry drew the small box from his pocket. “Here. Happy birthday, Ginny.”
Harry waited, still grinning, while Ginny tore away the wrapping paper and opened the box. She gasped, her eyes finding his. Then, to his relief, she began to laugh.
“Now you see why I had laughed when I saw what you'd given me.”
“Yes, I do. It's perfect. Thank you, Harry.” Ginny plucked the Claddagh ring from the box. “I love the design, the way it splits at the shoulders, and the way the Claddagh starts on the bottom left and runs up to the right.”
“Good. I'm glad you like it.”
“I love it. But, hang on. You touched this. You had to have. Is it not silver?”
Harry shrugged, feeling a bit stupid. “Honestly, I never really thought about it. I just saw it and thought it was perfect for you. Maybe it isn't actually silver. Let's find out.”
“No, Harry, don't–”
Harry plucked the ring out of its box before she could physically stop him, and immediately wished he hadn't. His fingers burned intensely. Ginny quickly took the ring from him and set it aside. Harry studied the fat blisters forming on his fingers. Well, at least they knew it was real silver. After calling his wand, he healed his fingers, thankful for the book of healing spells he'd received for his birthday.
“See, I'm fine. No harm done. And now we know it's real silver,” he said after stowing his wand again.
“No harm done?!” Ginny looked positively murderous, her hands on her hips. Harry backed up a few steps. “No harm done?! Oh, there was harm done. One look at your fingers proves it. You shouldn't have done that.”
“We needed to know, Ginny.”
“You didn't need to hurt yourself. Do you think I like seeing you hurt?”
“I wasn't hurt that much,” Harry argued, bringing his hands up to slide into her hair.
Ginny caught his right wrist and stared at the fingers that had blistered. Even now, after his healing, the sores were still noticeable, the skin around them still red. “It was obviously bad enough.” Ginny dropped his hand to cup his face, her expression pleading. “Please promise me not to ever do something so stupid again. I hurt when you hurt.”
“I can't promise that,” Harry said with a self-deprecating grin. “I can do some fairly stupid things sometimes. I don't want to make that promise only to end up breaking it.”
“Then, promise me that you'll think very carefully before you do something stupid.”
“That I can promise. Unless, of course, it's instinctual. Then, I make no guarantees.”
Ginny sighed. “Good enough, I suppose.” With a gentle tug, she pulled his lips down to hers.
The slamming of a door downstairs broke them apart. Harry looked at the ring still resting on Ginny's desk where she'd put. He wanted to put it on her finger the way she'd done for him. He was tempted to just pick it up and slide it into place despite the physical pain of doing so, not to mention the tongue-lashing he'd likely get.
“Don't even think about it, Harry,” Ginny warned. Harry returned his gaze to hers with brows raised. Ginny snorted. “You think I can't read your mind? It's obvious what you're thinking. I'd like for you to put it on me, too, but you're not touching it. Not unless there's something between your skin and the ring.” She searched her room for an idea of what they could use. Her eyes landed on her suitcase. “I think I know just the thing.”
Harry could only watch as Ginny pulled out some clothes in search of whatever it was she was thinking of using. His eyes strayed back to the ring still sitting so innocently where it had been left. He wondered if he moved quickly enough, could he grab the ring, rush to Ginny, and slide it onto her finger before the pain became too intense? Yes, she'd be mad at him, but at least he would have been able to personally put it on her. The other way seemed too, well, impersonal. He mentally berated himself for not checking the ring's metal content with the clerk. Now, he would never be able to touch her hand.
“Aha! Here. Let's use this.”
Ginny brought over a very thin, well-worn shirt, holding it out for him to take. Reluctantly, Harry took the shirt. Even though her shirt was thin, he still fumbled the ring, unable to really hold it properly. Without thinking, Harry slipped his hand inside the shirt. With only one layer of material to contend with, he found he could hold the ring much better. Then, he realized his hand was inside Ginny's shirt, and he blushed crimson.
“It's alright, Harry. It's not like I'm wearing it.”
The visual that popped into his head made his breath catch, his heart pound, and–of course–caused a different sort of physical reaction. No, no, no! Get that thought out of your head, Potter! That's not happening! However, the emotional side of his brain ignored the logical half because he suddenly wanted to snog her senseless. His hands began to tremble.
Licking his lips, Harry inhaled deeply in an effort to gain some control. He fervently hoped Ginny hadn't noticed anything. Clearing his throat, he concentrated on getting a good grip on the ring, then sliding it on her right ring finger, the point of the heart facing her. It was such an intimate gesture, and it made the need to kiss her that much more difficult to control. Her eyes remained locked onto his, and he could see something in them, but he couldn't figure out what it was, though truthfully, he didn't spend a lot of time trying.
Harry started to lean forward to kiss her, but lifted his head at the last moment and kissed her forehead instead. He couldn't kiss her properly now, not while he was feeling so out of control. There was no telling what he'd end up doing or where his hands would wander to. He felt her lean close, and he took a precautionary half-step back, keeping some distance between them.
“Harry?” Ginny asked, looking up at him, confused.
“Sorry, Ginny. I just...” He winced as he tried to think of what to say without giving himself completely away. “I want to kiss you. I do. Just...give me a minute, okay?”
“Sure, Harry,” she said, searching his eyes, likely looking for an answer to what was going on.
A minute or two later, he felt calm enough to wrap his arms around her and pull her into a hug. When he kissed her, it was leisurely like their normal kisses, rather than the supernova it would have been.
“Harry?! Do I really need to come up there? Are you sure you and I don't need to have a chat?”
Sirius sounding so put-upon made Harry laugh, effectively ending their kiss. “No, Sirius, you don't need to come up here!” he called out after opening Ginny's door. “And no, we don't need to talk.”
The two teens left Ginny's room once Ginny returned the shirt they'd used back to her suitcase. Joining Sirius at the bottom of the stairs, Ginny showed off her ring, mentioning the mystery of how Harry had been able to touch it since it was made of silver.
“Maybe I never actually touched the ring, Ginny. Maybe I only ever touched the box it was in. I really don't remember.”
“That's probably it,” Sirius agreed.
“Well, it doesn't change the fact that Harry can't touch it, and if I wear it, then I'd have to be extra careful not to touch him with it.”
Sirius thought a moment. “If there was time, I'd say send it to a Wizarding jeweler to have some kind of spell put on it, like the one done to Sickles. That's not an option, unfortunately. Do you think Bill would know a spell to use? Having to deal with all kinds of curses on treasures, surely he'd know some kind of protective spell.”
“That's a good idea. Come on, Harry, let's go see.”
They found Bill, and after pulling him aside, Ginny told him of their problem, asking if he knew a way around it. Luckily, he did. Holding the ring in his hand, Bill waved his wand over it and spoke an incantation Harry never heard before. Then, he held it out to Harry.
“Try it now.”
Harry reached for the ring with his right hand, but Ginny stopped him. “Use your other hand, Harry. You already have blisters on your right hand.”
Cautiously, Harry picked up the ring. He felt nothing but smooth metal. Grinning, he handed it to Ginny, who simply held her hand out, palm down, effectively telling him to put it on her finger himself. Grin turning into a full-fledged smile, he happily obliged.
“Nice choice in gifts, Harry,” Bill said, drawing their attention. “Let me see your right hand. Maybe I can heal it.”
“Oh, it's fine, Bill. I used Episkey on my fingers.” He held up his hand to show the elder Weasley.
“Well, maybe I can heal them further.” With a quick wave of Bill's wand, the blister remnants disappeared completely, though a slight redness remained. “There. See? Much better. The redness will go away in time, as I'm sure you know.”
“Yeah, thanks, Bill.”
“You're welcome. Glad I could help.”
Not long after that, Neville said his goodbyes, and Harry thanked Neville for being a good friend. Ginny convinced her mum to let her take Harry down to the village with Sirius as chaperon. It surprised Harry that it wasn't that far of a walk into Ottery St. Catchpole. Ginny pointed out a few shops, but it was obvious she had one place on her mind. Once they stood outside the shop where Ginny worked the first part of the summer holidays, Sirius volunteered to wait for them at the door. Ginny led him inside.
“Dia duit, Ginny! Welcome back!”
Looking towards the counter, Harry saw a short woman with light brown hair coming their way. She wore brown trousers, white shirt, brown sandals, and a wooden beaded necklace. He smiled when the woman gave Ginny a quick hug. Then, the woman eyed him.
“So, this be the young fella you told me about. Yes, he's every bit as handsome as you said.” She laughed joyfully when Harry blushed. Her eyes dipped, then returned to his. “You be wearin' the ring, I see. It suits you.”
Ginny held her hand up. “Look what Harry gave me for my birthday.”
The woman, Aisling, laughed again and said with a wink to Ginny, “See, I told you that you were meant to buy that ring. When was your birthday?”
“Today, actually.”
“Well, happy birthday, then. Why don't you go and pick somethin' out, as a present from me. There's more in the back if you don't find anythin' to your likin'.”
“Oh, Aisling, I couldn't do that.”
“Sure you can. I insist. You know where everythin' is.”
Aisling walked away, presumably to let Ginny browse in peace. Ginny stood rooted to her spot a moment before halfheartedly wandering around. Harry followed two steps behind, lost in thought. Did Ginny really talk about him? Did she really say he was handsome? The idea of her talking like that about him to someone equally embarrassed him and delighted him. Cheshire Cat grin stretching his lips, he joined Ginny over in the jewelry section of the shop, the nearly uncontrollable urge to whistle coming over him.
“Find anything?” Harry asked her.
“I think so. I just feel odd taking it. I know she told me to, but I still feel weird doing it.”
Harry indicated the stack of shelves in front of them. “Which one are you looking at?”
“That one.”
Harry followed her finger and saw a silver bracelet with a small, flat heart-shaped charm dangling at the clasp. Bisecting the heart was a lightning bolt. The left side of the heart was red-orange like the best fire opal, while the right side was peridot green. As carefully as he could so as not to touch any of the other pieces, Harry picked up the display stand around which the bracelet was wrapped.
Holding it out for Ginny, he urged, “Try it on. You won't know if you like it otherwise.”
“I'm going to need your help putting it on.” Harry's brows jumped in surprise until she followed her statement with, “Oh, I suppose I forgot to mention that this is Aishling's stainless steel section. Your ring came from this shelf.” Ginny looked him directly in the eyes. “I would never ask you to touch something that I knew would hurt you.”
“I know. Really, I do. I guess it's just automatic. I'm still not used to the idea of other materials being used for jewelry.” Harry snorted. “That was deja vu. You're going to have to keep reminding me.”
“No worries, Harry. I will gladly do so.”
Once he secured the bracelet around her wrist, he read the description card attached to the stand and snorted again. If he'd simply bothered to read the card once he'd taken the bracelet off the shelf, he'd have known what material had been used to create it.
“It says here that the bracelet is seven inches long, made of stainless steel–which we knew–and the chain's design of a repeating pattern of three short links followed by one long one is called the Figaro design.” Watching as the bracelet in question freely slid an inch or two on Ginny's wrist, he declared, “I like it. I think it's pretty. It looks nice on you, too.”
“Listen to your young fella, Ginny. That bracelet was made for you. Take it.”
“Are you certain?”
“Of course. Unless, you don't like it.”
“Oh, I do.”
“Then, take it, young wan.”
Ginny thanked Aisling, they chatted a little longer, then it was time to go. The pair of them walked back to the Burrow with Sirius bringing up the rear, several steps behind. Upon returning, Harry said goodbye to the Weasleys, hugging Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and thanking them for their kindness towards him. He also thanked them for allowing Ginny to go with him, promising to look out for her–much to Ginny's displeasure.
Harry shook Bill's hand and thanked him for the help he'd given to them. A glaring look from Charlie told Harry he shouldn't waste his time, but Harry had to try one last time.
“Charlie, thank you for being nice to me, for accepting me so readily. I'm sorry things have come to this. I realize you believe you have Ginny's best interests at heart, and I thank you for being the type of big brother who wants to look out for his sister. I wish I knew what to say to ease your mind, but I just don't. I hope you can come to see how wrong your assumptions are.”
Knowing he wouldn't get a response from the stony-eyed Weasley, Harry moved to Percy. He thanked the middle Weasley for treating him as if he was any other student. To the twins, Harry said he'd be sure to promote whatever products they had so far, and thanked them for making him laugh, stating he'd needed that very much. Harry shook Ron's hand, but laughed when the youngest male Weasley pulled him into a one-armed hug.
“Save it, Harry,” Ron joked feebly. “I don't need you getting all mushy. I have my mirror. We'll talk again.”
When he turned to Hermione, he ended up getting an armful. She fiercely hugged him, and he was certain he heard her sniffle. When she pulled back, a tear had already escaped down her cheek.
“I'm going to miss you, Harry. I wish I hadn't treated you so badly at the beginning of the school year.”
“Don't worry about it, Hermione. In the end, you became one of my closest friends. That's what counts. Like Ron said, you have your mirror. We'll talk again.” He gave her a cheeky grin. “Besides, I'm thinking I'll best your scores this school year.”
Hermione chuckled, but Harry could see the light of determination in her eyes. “We'll see.”
“Just don't spend all your time revising, yeah? If you promise to give yourself plenty of free time, I'll share with you whatever spells I learn, show you by way of the mirror how to cast them.”
“It's a deal.”
Harry grinned, knowing full well she'd accept his challenge. “Good. We'll contact you when we can. We won't always be able to since we'll need to contact Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, too. Remember that it's a six hour time difference. It'll be later here than it will be there.”
Hermione nodded. “I wrote it down when you first told us you were going. Nothing specific, just 'six hour difference.' That way, anyone who saw it wouldn't know what I was referring to.”
“Alright, well, I guess this is goodbye for now. I still have some last minute packing to do, and it's going to be a very early morning. Knowing Sirius, he'll get me up extra early and make me do some sit-ups or something.”
Hermione chuckled a little, which helped to lighten the mood. Harry turned his attention to his girlfriend. Mindful of everyone watching, he simply hugged her.
“I'll see you in the morning, Ginny.”
“Yes, you will. I'm sorry about Charlie. I don't know what his problem is.”
“Don't apologize for him. He's worried. I can understand that.”
Ginny pulled back, shaking her head. “You're much too nice. Anyway, go.” Softly, she said, “Tá grá agam duit.”
Harry smiled, happy he knew what she said and how to respond. “I gcónaí.” Then, feeling cheeky and wanting to show off a bit, he added, “Grá mo chroí.”
Ginny beamed at him. He'd called her the love of his heart. “Go raibh maith agat.”
Still grinning, Harry replied. “Tá fáilte romhat.”
Ginny laughed at Hermione and Ron's expressions of confusion, and Harry joined her. “Bye, Ginny.”
Harry left with Sirius, actually looking forward to the start of their trip.
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