Ginny was snuggling with Harry at the train station as she waited for the Hogwarts express.
"I don't want to go..." she sighed, lifting her ring to the sun; white gold, with diamond and amethyst chips swirled into a flower shape.
Harry tightened his grip around her. "I'll visit you. Loads, I promise." he said, kissing her gently.
"Ugh, can you two be any more disgusting?" Ron snarked.
"Yes, yes we can." Ginny shot back with a smirk.
Everything was beautiful now; Voldemort was dead. For good this time... she was in her last year of school, and engaged... Even Ron and Hermione were a couple now. But, the thought of leaving Harry still brought tears to the young girls' eyes. But, she sighed, grabbing her luggage rack. "Okay, I guess I should go..."
Harry went and kissed her on the cheek one more last time.
"I'll just be an owl away..." he told her. "And I can Apparate now..."
Ginny nodded. "Yeah...but it wouldn't be proper for you to just appear in my bed room."
Ron looked horrified. "I don't want to hear that!"
Ginny laughed and kissed Ron on the cheek, blew Harry one last kiss, and raced through the platform. Harry sighed. But, then, he saw someone he thought he'd never see again...
"Lockheart?"
"Harry Potter... my, how you've grown." he said a bit stiffly. "And, Mr. Weasley..."
"What're you doing here?" Ron asked, frowning at him.
"Didn't you know?" he said, eyes glittering. "I'm replacing Professor Sprout--- I'm the new Botany Teacher at Hogwarts."
Harry and Ron just stared at Lockheart without saying a word for a few seconds.
"I did not know that she retired."
Lockheart nodded at Harry.
"Yes. I always liked Botany. And my last professorship did not last that long. I am hoping for a better turn out this time."
Ron mumbled something but with a slight jab in the ribs by Hermione he kept his mouth closed.
"Well that is wonderful Professor," she added.
"Well thank you miss."
"Why are taking the train?" Harry asked next.
Lockheart pointed to his head. "My memory is still not completely back. I was told by the ministry that I will have to retake my apparition exam."
"Oh, I am sorry," Harry replied.
"Well, I better get going or I will miss my train. It was good seeing you Mr. Potter."
Harry watched as he disappeared into the same portal Ginny had just gone through two minutes prior, and a strange thought occurred to him. As if picking up on it, Hermione looked at him, concerned.
"Harry... no." she said sharply.
"What?"
"No."
"No what?"
"No freaking out just because of how things ended last time. This is the time for not freaking out."
"Well..." Ron said doubtfully, "he is the one who tried to erase my memory. That's how he lost his, remember?"
"Well, past is past." Hermione said briskly. "You two need to come on; you have auror training to get to. We all do."
"How can you forgive him so quickly after what he did to me?" Ron asked.
"It was years ago. And he got what was coming to him. Also, I did not forgive him. But what are we going to do about it? They would not hire him back if he did not show some evidence of being changed."
"I don't trust him," Ron replied.
"Me either," Harry assured. "But Hermione is right."
"What?" Ron shouted.
"Overreacting will only make this obvious. But it doesn't mean we still can't really pay attention."
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Ginny lay in her bed, the moonlight illuminating her red hair and tanned complexion. Harry's fingers gently grazed over her cheek, and she made a soft noise. He leant down and breathed softly against her neck. "Ginny..." he whispered.
Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled. "Miss me already, Mr. Potter?" she whispered.
"Couldn't stay away..." he smiled back."How've the first two days been?"
"Not bad. Just lonely." she said, twining her fingers with his.
"Well, at least first day of classes were all right?"
Ginny groaned. "Don't get me started... Snape doesn't have you to yell at anymore, so, now it's me, 'cause he found out we're engaged. And, Lockheart is incompetent at everything... how you can screw botany up, I don't know... but, he's managing..."
Harry smirked.
"And, he's as pompous as he was my first year." she continued. "When he sat next to me on the train--- yes, the whole way... oh... doesn't shut up..."
"Well, I guess memory charms don't take away your personality," Harry remarked with a smile. "But nothing else though? I mean he didn't do anything other than being the pompous twat he is?"
"Do? No, not really..." she shrugged, nonplussed. "Just bored me to death. Couldn't even pretend to fall asleep, because every time he wanted to emphasize a point, he'd pat me on the thigh."
"He'd do what?!"
"Shhh... Calm down before you wake up the whole of Gryffindor."
Harry swallowed. This, he did not like. He stretched his neck a bit, and Ginny sighed, wishing she hadn't said anything now.
"I don't think he was trying to be grabby." she soothed. "It was more like a slap, really... Like he would do another man in a pub."
"Well, you weren't in a pub, and you certainly aren't a man." Harry growled.
"Oh Harry do not make such a big deal about this," she pleaded.
"But it is. He's a professor and you are a student," Harry shouted.
At that outburst, Ginny's roommate stared to stir.
"Harry you have to go now! We will talk about this later," she informed in a stern whisper.
Harry started to protest when Ginny flashed him an even sterner look.
And with that Harry reluctantly left.
"Ginny? I just had the weirdest dream... Was Harry Potter here?"
Ginny opened her mouth wide and feigned jealousy. "Were you dreaming about my fiancé?"
The roomie shook her head quickly. "No, not like that... he was just here talking to you--that didn't happen did it?"
"No," Ginny lied. "Just get back to sleep."