"I can't imagine what the ministry is going to do to rebuild the trust." Hermione laid down the Daily Prophet's list of all of the corrupt employees. The list was longer than many people had predicted. She couldn't even make it past the first page of names without feeling sick. She knew that there was a lot of infiltration from Voldemort's side during the last war, but many of the names were people who had been working for the ministry since before the first war.
"I am sure that Kingsley will have some plan." Harry said from across the room. He and Ron were playing wizarding chess. Ron didn't even acknowledge Hermione's comment because he was so engrossed.
The war trials were just getting ready to take place. The Aurors had asked the golden trio if they were interested in being on the jury. Harry and Hermione wanted to move on past the war and all of those associated with it. Ron was ecstatic that he was considered to be so powerful and wise. He didn't even have to think before saying yes. Hermione had tried to talk to Ron about how being on the jury would be a lot of stress. However, Ron seemed more interested in the fact that he was going to get to punish those who had mocked him during his childhood.
Ginny popped her head around the corner, "Hermione, can you come and help me with something?"
"Um… sure." Hermione exited the sitting room and followed Ginny up the stairs of Grimmauld place. "What do you need help with?"
"I don't know what to do about Harry!"
"I didn't realize that something needed to be done. What is wrong with Harry?"
"Other than the fact that he won't even talk to me? NOTHING! I put up with him dumping me and then running all over the bloody country last year. But we are supposed to be together. Everyone knows it! Except, I can't get him to look at me, let alone snog me!" Ginny threw herself on the bed rather dramatically. Hermione tried her best not to roll her eyes.
"Ginny, I am not sure I have any great advice for you. Maybe you should—"
"—I know! I will just have to do more to get him to notice me!" She skyrocketed off the bed and started rummaging through her suitcase. "What if I was to wear something super daring?"
"—I think maybe you should just ask to speak with him. You don't need to wait for him to make the first move."
"I guess I will have to give that a try supposing I don't have any skimpy clothes to parade around in." Hermione could never understand why girls thought that throwing their body around was a way to get a male's attention. Didn't they have any pride in themselves? I mean, don't they want boys to want them for their personality? "So what is going on with you and Ron? Any more heated kisses in hidden chambers?"
"No." Hermione sighed. "I think it was just a one time thing. He seems to be uninterested in revisiting that part of our relationship. I overheard him talking to Harry about meeting up with Lavender last weekend."
"Are you serious?" Hermione didn't know if she wanted to continue this discussion and let Ginny know how crushed she was or if she should pretend it didn't bother her so she wouldn't have to talk about it.
"Yeah. He seemed pretty excited about their little run in. It seems she hasn't quite gotten over him and was more than … um… willing to show him how much she wants him in her life." Hermione was trying to forget the extreme detail that Ron told Harry about his encounter. When she heard it, she knew she should keep moving, or interrupt them. However, a part of her was so shocked that their kiss just the week previous had meant so little to him. For her, that kiss had been a culmination of years of longing and loving from a far.
"Gross! Lavender was always such a slag. I don't understand what Ron sees in her. Clearly, you are a much better person."
"I guess I will just have to figure out how to move on. He seems to have made his choice."
"I am sorry Hermione. However, if my talk with Harry doesn't go how I want it to, then you and I can hit the town together. Find us some new boys to keep us company."
"Yeah, that sounds like fun."
"So are you and Pansy still meeting up regularly?" Blaise gave Draco a wink over his glass of firewhiskey.
"I don't know. She came by a few weeks ago, but I haven't heard from her since. I think that she might be done with me since the Malfoy name does not carry as much prestige with it anymore. We all know that Pansy was just after me for my power and influence."
"I thought she was after you for your winning personality." Draco gave a wry smile. "I mean, goodness knows that is why I come around."
"Blaise, you come around because I have the best firewhiskey."
"True." Blaise raised his glass in Draco's direction. "So, I have been seeing this new broad recently. I think she went to Hogwarts with us, but I can't be certain."
"Who is it? And how do you not know if she went to school with us? Our classes weren't that large."
"She wasn't in Slytherin and I think she is a few years younger than us. I can't be sure, but she just seems a little bit younger than us. Do you know of some girl named Luna?"
"Loony Lovegood? You are dating Loony?" Draco threw his head back against the armchair.
"Luna." Blaise ground out. "I take it that you know who she is." Draco nodded.
"Yeah, she is a bit…. Um… eccentric. Or at least she used to be."
"Yes, she is. But it is refreshing after being around all of the boring aristocratic girls who parade around us."
"I bet." Draco leaned back and closed his eye.
"Harry, do you have a minute to talk?" Harry looked up from the Daily Prophet and saw Ginny sit down on the couch across from him.
"Sure." Harry swallowed the huge lump building in his throat. "What would you like to talk about?" Harry knew exactly what she wanted to talk about. He just wasn't sure if he was ready for that conversation.
"Do you, Do you think –" Ginny's face started filling in with color as she stumbled over her words. "What do—I mean, do you— Oh, nevermind!" Ginny got up from her seat and started heading towards the door.
"Gin, I don't know." Harry knew the question she wanted to ask even though she couldn't figure out how to ask it. Upon his statement, Ginny turned around and seemed to be able to find her words.
"What do you mean you don't know? You don't know if you still care about me? You don't know if I still care about you? You don't know what exactly?" Before Harry could respond, she pushed forward letting him know all of the emotions she has been storing up for a while. "Do you know what I don't know? I don't know why you broke up with me. I don't know how you can say you love me and then the next day walk away from me. I don't know how you have been able to ignore me since you returned. I don't know how you seem to not even care that I am in the same room when it takes EVERYTHING inside of me to not hold your hand, to kiss you, to hug you, to keep you here with me." Harry looked like he was ready to pipe in, but Ginny wasn't finished yet. "You know what I don't know, Harry Potter? I don't know how you are willing to die for people you don't even know, how you are willing to give up everything, including me!"
Harry just sat there unable to respond as Ginny stood there berating him. He didn't know what to say to comfort her, but he knew he needed to figure it out soon.