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SIYE Time:10:08 on 29th March 2024
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The Masked Ball
By HarryGinnyDestiny

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Category: Alternate Universe
Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Ron Weasley
Genres: Comedy, Fluff, Humor, Romance
Warnings: Extreme Language, Intimate Sexual Situations, Mild Sexual Situations, Negative Alcohol Use, Sexual Situations
Rating: R
Reviews: 36
Summary: You are cordially invited to the 372nd Annual Ministry of Magic Masked Halloween Ball!

Tired of being recognised everywhere he goes as ‘The Boy Who Lived’ and ‘The Saviour of the wizarding world’, Harry decides that at this years Halloween Masked Ball he’ll go that extra mile with his disguise, so he won’t get hounded by the press all evening, or stalked by fan-girls all night.

Tired of being recognised everywhere she goes as ‘the star seeker of the Holyhead Harpies’ and ‘The daughter of the newly appointed Deputy Minister of Magic’, Ginny decides that at this years Halloween Masked Ball she’ll go that extra mile with her disguise, so she won’t get hounded by the press all evening, or stalked by fan-boys all night.

What could possibly go wrong?

Hitcount: Story Total: 13559; Chapter Total: 2124
Awards: View Trophy Room




Author's Notes:
Apologies for the delay, I had intended to post an update every week, I have Chapters 6 and Chapter 7 is almost complete. I have a Beta for Chapter 7, but Beta'd Chapter 6 myself, so apologies if it's not quite up-to-scratch. I promise Chapter 7 will be better. I'd send this one off to Beta too, but don't want to delay the story any longer.

You may notice I have included a Sneek Peek of Chapter 7 in here. I included a few scenes from this Chapter in Chapter 5 as sort of a Sneek Peek too, but also included them in this Chapter for continuity, and so not to cause any confusion. It helps the flow of the story to show each scene happens in order. When Molly notices the Weasley Clock several things have already happened, so repeating them made sense so it didn't get too confusing, as a lot of things are happening in this Chapter. Hope this helps!




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Chapter 6 ” A Series of Unfortunate Events.


Dawn was breaking over a small cottage on the outskirts of Godric’s Hollow. Ginny stirred, lost in a series of blissful dreams. She opened her eyes slowly, and sighed. She had the most wonderful dream the night before. It had been so real, so clear, it almost felt like it had actually happened. In the dream, or the series of dreams, she had actually eloped and married Harry. But no, in no version of reality could that actually happen! she reminded herself. No, it was all just one long, though utterly perfect, dream. She opened her eyes more clearly, and frowned. She didn’t recognise the room she was in, it certainly wasn’t her bedroom. Ginny raised her hand to rub the sleep from her eyes, to waken herself up a little more, when she noticed something on the fourth finger of her left hand...something that looked very much like the rings she had just dreamed of. A stunning emerald engagement ring encrusted with diamonds, and next to it, a beautiful diamond studded wedding band. She raised her hand, and brought it closer to her face to examine the rings in greater detail, and considered 'pinching herself' in case she was still dreaming, when she heard a soft voice behind her.

"So, you’re finally awake..." came a voice she well recognised.

Ginny turned around in the bed, and came face to face with a very red-faced Harry Potter.

"Errrmmm... morning..." her complexion slowly changing to match his.

"So..." she began. "Looks like it wasn't all a dream after all?" She sighed. "I mean, last night really happened, right?"

“It certainly appears so.” Said Harry chuckling softly, and then. “What do you remember?”

“Bits and pieces.” She began. “I mean, I don’t remember everything. Though I do remember you proposing, and us exchanging vows. Though I definitely remember our first kiss as husband and wife, but not much either before or after that.” She sighed again. “What about you?”

“About the same I think,” he replied honestly. “So, Errmmm...any regrets?”

“Nope, definitely no regrets!” She laughed at that. “I had one of the most amazing dreams of my life, and woke up to find out it was a reality. Why would I regret that?

“What about you, Harry?” she asked back, looking slightly nervous of the reply he would give. “Any regrets of your own?”

“Only that we didn’t do this sooner!” laughed Harry. “Seriously, no regrets here either. Just a little nervous in case you had wakened up, and changed your mind."

“You didn't need to worry.” She grinned. “No regrets. Though I can’t believe I’m actually your wife! That part might take some getting used to.”

"Well, it’s not like you’ve changed your name or anything…" grinned Harry. "Mrs Potter," he finished cheekily.

Ginny grinned even wider at that. She was no longer a Weasley, she thought, she had forgotten about that part of it. Yes, that might indeed take some getting used to. She sighed happily. She was Ginny Potter now, wife of Harry Potter, and what didn’t sound utterly amazing about that?

Ginny paused for a moment. The thought of how the night had ended weighing slightly on her mind. She couldn't remember anything after they had exchanged vows, though she did remember their first kiss when they were pronounced husband and wife, but nothing after that. Not even how they got home.

“We didn't.... you know...” she asked tentatively. Sweet Merlin, how could she forget that part of it?

“No, we didn't.” replied Harry, reading well into what she was hinting at. “That much I do remember. We pretty much got back here, and you passed out almost right away almost fully clothed.”

“Good!” grinned Ginny.

“Good?” he replied, a slightly puzzled look on his face.

Ginny laughed at that.

“I’m glad we waited for that part,” Ginny replied. “I do want to remember the first time I make love to my husband; you know.” She grinned.

“Mmmm… You know, I do like the sound of that!” laughed Harry.

“Oh, you better!” teased Ginny. “Because it’s happening… right now!”


At that, Ginny launched herself on top of Harry, who was just able to gasp, "Bloody Hell!!!' before their lips met once more.


****





Aft er several hours that felt like several blissful days, Ginny lay in Harry’s arms, glowing in the aftermath of their love. She felt she could stay like this forever. She couldn’t remember feeling this happy, this content. It was as if nothing could spoil this perfect moment. She sighed, and wondered how she could get this lucky, this blessed, to have finally found her Happily-Ever-After.

“So…” said Harry, finally finding his voice. “What are your plans for today?”

“Honestly?” sighed Ginny. “I don’t really plan on ever leaving this bed. I just want to stay with you all day and talk about our plans for …." Ginny's mind froze for a minute...wait! She did have somewhere she had to be today she remembered. "Oh bugger! Shit! Bugger!” she gasped.

“What’s up?”

“I’m meant to be going in to see Gwenog Jones this morning! I completely forgot! Oh, bugger! Sorry, Harry! I can…probably Floo call her, and try to re-arrange...”

“No!” laughed Harry. “Don’t be silly. You should go."

"Are you sure?" She asked. "I mean, it's just to go over different strategies for the next match."

"Of course." He laughed. "Just make sure you come back here after. Maybe grab a change of clothes or two from your flat on the way? Unless you’re not planning on moving in with your husband just yet?"

Ginny sighed.

“You know you’re bloody perfect, right?” she grinned.

“Well, I should hope so!” laughed Harry. “After all, you married me!”


****



G inny arrived much later than planned to the Holyhead Harpies Training Ground. Still worse-for-wear from the night before, despite several large spoonfuls of Philius Pepper's Pepperup Potion, which had always worked wonders before. She made a mental note never to go out drinking with either Susanne or Marianna again anytime soon. Not if she valued her liver!

She entered the Holyhead Harpies Training Academy, and walked past Gwenog Jones’ Personal Assistant Pansy Parkinson, who shared a bright, cheerful, “Hello!” to Ginny as she entered reception. Ginny returned the greeting somewhat reluctantly.

She had never liked Pansy while she was in Hogwarts, and the years of her working as PA at the Club had done nothing to change that perception. In truth, part of her still suspected Pansy of leaking news to the press following on from the Randall McDuggan fiasco, though she could never prove it. But she didn’t trust Pansy as far as she could throw her!


Three loud knocks, and then, “Come in,” came a curt voice within the room. Gwenog Jones had bid her to enter.


"Morning, Ginny," said Gwenog somewhat sharply. "Everything alright? Only, you're not the type to keep me waiting, my dear," she continued, a small note of concern in her voice.


Ginny held Gwenog Jones in such very high esteem. She was a very hard taskmaster, but she had moulded Ginny into the professional Quidditch Player she was today: Voted five years running the Best Seeker in the League, something that had won her the Captains Armband in both the Team and for England's National Quidditch Team. Ginny had Gwenog to thank for all that.


"Yeah" replied Ginny "Look...I'm really sorry. It was the Annual Halloween Ball last night, and I went to it with Susanne and Marianna..."

Gwenog shook her head. "Oh dear, Ginevra. I do hope all is well?”

“Yes, it’s all good now." signed Ginny. "I was just a bit more worse-for-wear than I intended to be this morning, truth be told. Sorry, it won’t happen again.”

Gwenog shook her head once more. “You know, the only reason you decided to flat-share with those two troublemakers was in the hopes that some of your professionalism would rub off on them! I do hope they’re not becoming a bad influence on you…”

“No,” laughed Ginny. “Not at all. Don’t worry, it’s not something I ever intend on repeating anytime soon! Those two are an absolute nightmare!”


Gwenog shook her head once more, and, unnoticed by Ginny, the Sneakoscope, which sat on a small metal cabinet behind her, had started spinning slowly since she had entered the room.


“So,” continued Ginny, changing the tack of the conversation. “We were planning to talk strategy ahead of the Cannon’s match on Tuesday.”

Gwenog nodded. “Good. Good. So, what are your thoughts? I hear the Chudley Cannons have had a few injuries ahead of the match. Their star Beater Cormac McLaggan seems to be side-lined, which is great news for us!”

"I heard that too, perhaps a bit too loudly" said Ginny observantly. "I actually think it’s a deliberate ploy from the Cannon’s to throw us off guard!"

"Interesting. What makes you think that?" Asked Gwenog.

"Well, I have it from a reliable source that McLaggan has been spotted going into their training ground when he’s supposed to have been in St. Mungo’s..."


The Sneakoscope was spinning much faster now, the lights on it flashed brighter and brighter as it spun faster and faster, enough to distract the train of their conversation.


“Give me a second,” sighed Gwenog. “I’m not sure what’s gotten into this blasted thing! It’s never done anything like this before!”


Gwenog took out her wand, and pointed it directly at the device, which was spinning faster and faster with each passing minute, and muttered spells and incantations, but nothing seemed to work.


“What in blazes is wrong with this thing!” she gasped.


Gwenog concentrated all her efforts on her spellwork, but the Sneakoscope just spun faster and faster. She tried again and again to silence the device, but it just kept on gaining momentum.

After ten minutes of unsuccessful spellwork, Gwenog stepped back, deep in concentration, and looked curiously from the Sneakoscope to Ginny, and back again, strange expression now spreading across her face.


"Ginny... you haven't....I mean... you couldn't be...I mean..." began Gwenog.


By now the Sneakoscope had reached its crescendo. It spun much faster than ever now, lights flashing, and whistling louder and louder and louder.


"Please tell me you aren't Married????" Gwenog finally managed to say, a deeply troubled look on her face.

Ginny grimaced. “That’s…actually... kind of a funny story…” she began.


****






Molly Weasley woke up later than usual on the Sunday morning, spending an extra few hours tucked up in bed reading. It felt strange living in the Burrow after all her family had flown the coop, moving out into their own homes and flats. Ginny had been the last to leave, moving in with two of her Quidditch team mates which Molly didn't much approve of.

She made her way slowly down the stairs, and began the usual routine of beginning to cook a very late breakfast for herself and Arthur. She was just tidying the last of the dishes away when she glanced up at the Weasley clock, and noticed something wasn't quite right.

The clock had been in the Weasley family for generations, and over the years had become busier and busier as her sons has all married, and had children of their own. She remembered the day of her son Bill’s wedding, when a hand had magically appeared on the clock for her new daughter-in-law Fleur Weasley. Then in the subsequent years, other hands had magically appeared for Bill and Fleur’s children Victoire, Dominique, and Louis, always at the moment of their birth. Hermione’s hand had been the last to appear on the clock, on the afternoon of their wedding. However, this morning, something was amiss.

Molly scanned the clock, checking each of the names of her family, making sure every one of them was safe and accounted for. It was when she searched for Ginny, that it hit her. Ginny’s hand wasn’t there. She looked again and again, scanning every inch of the clock, checking that she wasn’t imagining things. Ginny had to be there! She scanned and scanned the clock, begging it to show her Ginny’s hand, and know she was safe, that she was still… No, she couldn’t think like that.

She remembered back to a much darker time in the family’s history, in the aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts, when she had come home to find Fred’s hand had magically disappeared from the Clock, and the reality of his loss had hit her that much harder. The only way Ginny Weasley’s name could be missing from the Weasley Clock would be if Ginny Weasley no longer existed, and there was only one logical explanation for that in Molly’s mind! If Ginny’s hand was missing from the clock, that must mean she was… No, she couldn’t bear to even contemplate that. But the reality was slowly sinking in.

Arthur heard his wife’s scream coming from the bottom of the stairs. He sprang out of his bed in a heartbeat, snatching his wand from the nightstand, and rushed down the stairs to see what was going on. He got to the living room, when he saw her: Molly Weasley’s face drained of all colour, tears pouring down her cheeks, pointing at the Weasley Clock. He rushed to her aide.

“Molly, what’s going on!” he asked fearfully. “What’s happened?”

“Oh, Arthur…It’s… It’s Ginny, I think she’s… I think she might be…” she gasped through her tears. “…Dead!” she sobbed.


****





Ginny sat in the small office with her head in her hands. Gwenog Jones had now been yelling at her for almost half an hour. The consequences of her actions now slowly becoming clearer and clearer in her head, which was still slightly foggy from the night before.

"Seriously, Ginevra! I expected better! You've really screwed up here, haven't you?" barked Gwenog furiously.

Ginny looked up, tears in her eyes, and opened her month to speak.

"If the next words out of your month are another "I'm sorry!", then save it! You stupid, stupid, stupid girl, do you have any idea what damage you've done here??"

Ginny grimaced.

"How many times are we to go over this!" Gwenog continued angrily. "Seriously! Only Maidens are allowed to play for the Harpies! You should know all this stuff! You know our Club history better than most!"

"I said I was sorry..." Ginny said for what felt like the hundredth time, she genuinely meant it.

"Sorry? Sorry? Have you any idea the damage you've done here?" snapped an angry Gwenog Jones, her face scarlet with rage. "As Team Captain I expected far better of you!"

"But...Isn't there some solution?" Ginny again began. "I mean, no other teams in the League have any of these rules?"

Gwenog rolled her eyes. "We are talking about over eight hundred years of Holyhead Harpies History here! Not to mention Ancient Quidditch Tradition! We are an Ancient Wizarding Club with Ancient Wizarding Traditions. Do you honestly think you can re-write that, stupid, stupid girl?" she snapped.

"Well... I mean, some Traditions change. I guess, didn't we only accept Pure-blood Witches at one point, and that changed?"

"So you think we can just rip up the Rulebook for you? Is that what you think?" snapped Gwenog. "Because if you do, you are sadly deluding yourself! I'm sorry, Ginevra, but I have no other option here! My hands are tied, I'm afraid I am going to have to suspend you!"

"But... I'm Team Captain... and we have the crucial match with the Cannons coming up..." Ginny said in a small voice.

"Then you should have thought of that beforehand, shouldn't you! Utter madness!" snapped Gwenog. "This is utter madness!"

"Isn't there any other way to resolve this?" she pleaded. "I'm willing to try anything! You know how much this Club means to me," Ginny sobbed.

"Well, it may be a long shot, but you could try to perhaps annul the marriage secretly, and pray to Merlin that no-one finds out?" Gwenog said, throwing her a life-line. "But if anyone finds out what you've done, girl, we'll be back where we started, won't we?"

Ginny contemplated that for a moment, then shook her head.

"I... I'm sorry, but I... I really can't do that. Anything but that," said Ginny, still thinking of everything that had happened the night before. As important her career was, there was no way she wanted to undo all that had happened the night before, as well as this morning. She really couldn't do that to Harry.

"Then, Ginevra, Team Captain or not! I'm afraid I'm going to have to suspend you!"

"Suspend me for getting married?" Ginny said shocked.

"I'm suspending you for Gross Misconduct and a Violation of Holyhead Harpies Tradition, pending a formal investigation. You should prepare for the worst, my dear."

"Surely it doesn't need to come to this?" she pleaded once more.

"I really don't see how? You said yourself, you are unwilling to annul the marriage, so really, we have no other options. You will have to brace yourself, my dear. You will probably never play for the Harpies again!!" said Gwenog sadly. "Don't get me wrong, I'll be very sad to see you go, you are the best player in the League. But I'm not sure the fans will forgive something like this, and we do have Traditions to upkeep!"

Tears poured down Ginny's cheeks. She had worked hard for this, and the Harpies meant the world to her.

"I'm really sorry it's come to this my dear," said Gwenog, feeling suddenly parental to the tearful girl sitting before her, one she had guided and mentored for the last five years. "For what it's worth, the Harpies will be sad to see you go. I do know how much this team meant to you. But you will do well in the future, at whatever team you end up at. And the Harpies will get a decent sell-on fee for you, which should offer some recompense. For what it's worth, I am really sorry it has come to this."


Ginny got out her chair, made one final apology, and turned to exit the room. As she did so, unnoticed by either Gwenog or Ginny, an Extendable Ear slipped back under the Officer door from where it had come from. Its owner, Pansy Parkinson, acted oblivious when Ginny had finally dried her eyes and exited the room.


"Bye, then!" called Gwenog's PA smugly after her, a smirk on her lips, as Ginny finally exited the building. Pansy grinned. She had just been given the story of the century!

Pansy waited another half hour until the dust had settled, and then she called through to Gwenog Jones to let her know she was going on her break. Then, she made her way to a small empty office at the other end of the corridor where she knew she wouldn't be disturbed. Pansy checked left and right in the room, and outside the window, ensuring no one was within earshot. Then, she threw powder into the giant fireplace, and called out for, "The Daily Prophet: Rita Skeeters office!"

"What is it, sweety?" came the voice of Rita Skeeter. "You'll have to make this quick, I have less than an hour to finish these articles before the Prophet hits the press!"

"Then I'd drop what you're writing, and listen up!" Pansy grinned. "And I expect to be paid well for this information, mind! Because I think I have just landed the scoop of the century!"


****





It was now almost lunchtime. It had taken Arthur Weasley less than an hour to summon most of his children to the Burrow. The Weasley Galleons, now a family tradition following on from the Second Wizarding War, alerting his children that an 'Urgent Family Emergency' was under way!

One by one they had Apparated to the Burrow, to hear the grim news that was now unfolding. That something may have happened to Ginny, and that all may not be well in the world.

Molly was discussing matters with Bill and Fleur, while Arthur was deep in debate with Charlie, George and Percy, when Ron finally arrived, the last of the Weasley brothers to get the message, and still quite hung-over from the night before.

“What have I missed?” he asked breathlessly, as he arrived looking a little worse for wear.

“Where’s Hermione, dear?” Mrs Weasley asked as her son stepped through the door. “She should be here! We need all of our family here for this! We have a lot to figure out!”

“Sorry, Mum,” gasped Ron, trying to regain his breath. Getting ready this morning had been hard work, especially with how hung-over he felt.

“Hermione left early this morning." Ron continued. "She had to travel to the Ministry on urgent business.” And then, “Why? What’s happening?”

He looked around the room for an answer, and suddenly noticed how sombre everyone looked.

“It’s Ginny!” came the gruff Bill Weasley, finally breaking the silence, a deadly serious look on his face. “Something’s happened to her. We think… maybe... something bad!”

Ron’s face turned ashen, as he let out a long angry hiss.

“I knew it! I bloody knew it! I just knew he was bad news!”

Molly Weasley opened her eyes wide. Her son knew something!

“Knew who was bad news?” Molly snapped. “Ron, if you know something, you have to tell us!”

Ron let out a huge sigh.

“Rupert Paul Beckham the Third, that’s bloody who!” Ron hissed, his temper now rising. He knew that bloke was bad news, he thought, he bloody knew it!

“Who???!” came the collective voices of the Weasley clan, now all facing Ron.

“The ponce Ginny was with last night!” Ron gasped. “And he looked like a total git! And you should have seen him! He was all over her like a rash! I mean, it was totally inappropriate! He looked like a complete sleazebag!”

The whole family were now surrounding Ron, listening to his every word with rapt attention.

“Ron, tell us EVERYTHING you know!” demanded Molly Weasley sternly.


****






Hermione sat exhausted in her office, and sighed deeply. She had just spent a good part of her morning Obliviating most of the staff of the Ministry of Magic’s Department of Magical Contracts, not to mention many of their friends and family members, who many of them had contacted upon getting the news. She was just thankful at this point that many of those contracted out with the Ministry had thought the news was a wind-up, so she had been able to curtail it before it got too far. Heaven forbid the Prophet got the hold of this news! She could well imagine the carnage that would cause!

The news, that Harry Potter had married Ginny Weasley in the early hours of that morning, had hit the department of magical contracts with the force of a small bomb, before taking on a life of its own. She was just glad she had alerts in place, that, should any news concerning Harry Potter reach the Ministry, then she would be the first to know about it. Though, she hadn't expected anything like this! In truth, the most she had imagined, or at least hoped for, was that the couple might realise who each other were, and decide to start dating, not just decide to bloody elope! She didn't know whether to be mad at them for doing this, or overjoyed that they were finally together. One thing was certain, she needed a drink, and a large one at that!

Hermione checked her notes, and made one final check that every member who had this news had come across their paths, had been dealt with, their memories wiped of the past few hours, as well as everyone they had told, and that all records of the marriage was hidden so well no-one at the Ministry would be any the wiser. Once she was satisfied of that, she got up and pulled on her jacket, and made ready to leave. First stop, she thought, the Leaky Cauldron, to meet Neville and Hannah, and let them know what had just happened. She needed someone to talk to before she went home to her husband. There was no way he could be told, at least, not before actually speaking to Harry and Ginny first, and finding out what had actually happened! Plus, Neville owed her bigtime on their bet, she smirked.

She tidied her desk, and bid farewell to her befuddled staff, who were unsure why she was even there. She had to remind herself that she had also had to Obliviate most of them too. What a morning! she thought to herself. And at that, she picked up her bag, and left the office with a very, very sore head.

Hermione was just thankful that this day could not get any worse.


****





Mea nwhile, over at the Burrow, Ron was filling the family in on everything he knew about the evening before.

“As I was saying, last night was the Halloween Ball” he continued. “I had arrived early, and I bumped into Ginny almost immediately at the bar, who was by-the-way wearing a dress that left very little to the imagination! I mean it was totally inappropriate! You should have seen her! You could see practically everything! And I’m also sure she was pretty drunk, even at that stage of the night!”

“Wait?” came the gruff voice of Bill. “This is our little Ginnykins we’re talking about here? Because it doesn’t sound like her!”

“Oh, dear!” sobbed Molly Weasley. “I knew it! I just knew those two flatmates would be a bad influence on her! I had warned her, but she just didn’t listen!”

“Tell us about this man,” said his father sternly. “This man, who was 'all over Ginny'. We need to know every last detail here!”


Ron slowly explained everything he could remember about the night before. How Ginny had been dressed up to hide her identity, and how it was her two flatmates’ idea, which drew angry comments from all of the family.

He then discussed how many times he had seen Ginny at the bar, with trays of cocktails in her hands, and how drunk she had obviously been. I mean, she had to have been pretty wasted to let that git be all over her like that!

And then, he came onto the subject of the man himself, Rupert Paul Beckham the Third, and the brothers all hissed and gasped as he described everything he remembered about this man. How he was obviously bad news, and at least ten years older than Ginny from Ron’s hazy recollections. Maybe fifteen? He wasn't quite sure of anything, other than he was a total git!

Ron described how he had been all over her on the dancefloor, groping her and feeling her up like a total sleazebag, before Apparating away with poor Ginny to who-knew where.

The family listened to every detail Ron could remember in rapt attention, occasionally butting in with cursory accusations: "Why hadn't he stopped this?" "Why hadn't he intervened?" "Why hadn't he dragged Ginny to safety, away from this monster!" But each one had been met with the same answer. This was Ginny they were talking about here! They all knew how headstrong she was! They knew once she had decided something, neither one of them could talk her out of it.

They all remembered warning her about her previous boyfriend, Randall McDuggan. But no matter what they said, she was having none of it! It wasn't until he had finally gone to the Daily Prophet with his sordid lies and ‘five minutes of fame’ did Ginny finally realize what her family had suspected all along: that he had been bad news.

And, when Ron had finished telling his story they all fell deathly silent, turning these new revelations over in their minds.


“So, do we think he might have… done her in?” asked Charlie, finally breaking the silence. “Because, from everything Ron described about this bloke, he sounds pretty creepy!”

“Wait?!” gasped Ron, “Done what to her? What? WHATTT?? What the bloody Hell is going on here!”


The family now described everything they knew so far. How their mother had come down late in the morning, and noticed something was amiss with the Weasley Clock. How Ginny’s hand had magically vanished from there, and what they thought that possibly meant. Ron by this point looked badly shaken.


"Why didn't I stop her..." he said sadly, his head in his hands. “I could have…”

“You couldn’t have done anything even if you wanted to, little brother!” reminded George. “We already covered that. We all know how headstrong Ginny is. Don’t blame yourself for this, okay? If anything, blame her flatmates! They got her into this mess! Or blame the psycho who abducted her from the Halloween Ball! None of this is your fault, little brother! Okay?”

“So, what do we do now?” Ron asked.


Arthur Weasley was first to speak. A plan slowly forming in his mind. They would split up into pairs, with each pair investigating a different place, and then report back to the Burrow. Arthur and Percy would travel to the Ministry, and speak to Kinsley. Perhaps they could put a team of Aurors on the case. Ron and George would try to find Hermione, and find out everything they could about this Rupert Paul Beckham the Third nutcase. Bill and Charlie would travel to Ginny’s flat, and force their way in if necessary, and see if any clues were there as to what happened to their little sister. Molly and Fleur would travel to the Holyhead Harpies training ground, where they knew Ginny spent a great deal of her time these days. She had been there training almost every day for the past month, preparing for their forthcoming games with the Appleby Arrows and the Chudley Cannons, perhaps the most important two games of the Season, as they well knew. It might be a long shot, but perhaps Gwenog Jones might be able to give them a few leads. And at that, they all said their goodbyes, and best wishes, and Apparated pair by pair.

The search for Ginny, or what had become of her, had begun!


****






Molly and Fleur had waited until the first members of their family had returned from their initial enquiries before setting off, which for the most part had proved fruitless.

Ron and George had been unable to find Hermione, though her office staff had told them she had left only half an hour before their arrival. None of them could tell them where she was heading to next, or even why she had been there. They had also asked several members of staff about Rupert Paul Beckham the Third, but none of the staff recognised the name, which Ron found particularly odd, given he was sure Hermione had introduced him as 'her co-worker'. They had next travelled back to Ron's flat, in case Hermione had gone back there, but there was no sign of that, so Ron had left a message for her to contact them urgently at the Burrow.

Bill and Charlie had similar luck, or rather lack of it, having had to break into Ginny's flat only to find it empty, with Ginny's clothing left messily on the living room floor, which worried them more. Had there been a struggle here? They had gone through Ginny's room, but no clues were there either as to where she might have gone, or where this Rupert Paul Beckham the Third might have taken her body, now both assuming the worst.

Arthur and Percy had the most success, alerting the Minister of Magic to the issue at hand, who had already put his best team of Aurors on the case.

At that point, Molly and Fleur had finally set off to the Holyhead Harpies Training Ground, arriving shortly after lunchtime had ended. They made their way inside, to be greeted immediately by Gwenog Jones' grinning Personal Assistant, who seemed to be in wonderful spirits upon their arrival.


"Oh, Mrs Weasley!" Pansy gushed. "Fancy you visiting today? I hear congratulations are in order! You must be sooo, soooo proud?"

This greeting caught Molly Weasley off-guard. "Proud? I'm sorry my dear, but I don't know what you're talking about? We're here to speak with Gwenog Jones."

Pansy grinned at that request, and there was a real sense of maliciousness in her look.

"Ooooh, but I'm not sure that's a good idea," Pansy replied as sweetly as treacle, her smile growing wider with each passing moment. "Gwenog isn't in the best of moods today, I'm afraid. Your daughter made quite the impression when she was in here earlier. I take it you're here to argue her case?"

Molly stopped in her tracks, looking slightly confused.

"Did you just say my daughter was in here today? Are you sure?" she asked, and then. "Why would I need to argue her case?"

"Ginny....she was in 'ere?" gasped Fleur brightly. "Today? So she iz alive and well, yes?"

"Well, of course she was here today." Pansy grinned wider, relishing every second of this exchange. "She is in here every day! Though I'm not sure she'll be in here for much longer, what with the marriage announcement, and all. She caused quite an upset to be perfectly honest"

"Ze ....marriage announce moi??" said Fleur looking slightly confused too.

"Was it a nice wedding?" Pansy continued digging. "A small family affair, no doubt? You have to keep these things tight, what with the press and all. But I bet Ginny was an absolutely adorable bride..."

Molly looked thoroughly confused by now. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, dear. We're actually here looking for my daughter."

"Oh, so you didn't know..." beamed Pansy smugly, "...that your daughter got married last night? Oh, my! I had assumed you'd all be invited?"

"Ginny... is... are you saying.... SHE IS MARRIED!!!!!" the last words came out as a shriek from Molly's lips.

Pansy Parkinson was digging hard for more information, and by the look on Molly Weasley's face, she had just struck gold! Rita Skeeter would pay top Galleon for this new information. She might even be able to quadruple her fee!

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY MY DAUGHTER IS MARRIED!!!!!???" yelled a furious Molly Weasley.


****

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