Halloween Hangover
AN: The scene between Harry, Ron, and Ginny was insipid by the Big Bang Theory season five episode The Isolation Permutation.
Happy Halloween!
Hermione appeared with a soft pop in the alley behind the condemned stadium that housed Holyhead Stadium, home of the Holyhead Harpies. Hermione was given the unpleasant task of telling Ginny that Harry had disappeared. She didn't want to and felt that it was Ron's job, but Ron shook his head quickly, the fear of his sister already on his mind.
"Ginny won't get mad at you," Ron had said when he suggested that Hermione go and tell Ginny.
They settled the argument the same way they had settled any disagreements or agreements. With rock, scissors, paper. There was a slight pause as usually, they did it three ways and not the usual two.
"May I help you, ma'am?" asked one of the security guards. His name tag said his name was Rusty.
"I need to speak with Ginny Weasley," Hermione said, ducking her head from the wind. "Harry Potter, you will pay for this," she thought.
The guard moved to allow Hermione to enter the stadium. She paused when she had only walked ten steps towards the double doors at the end of the corridor when an eagle patronus passed her. When she figured out what it was, she went on to the doors. She pushed one open and walked out to the sidelines of the pitch. She could hear people flying on brooms before she saw them.
"May I help you?" Gwendolyn asked. Gwendolyn was the Harpies manager and Hermione, Ron, and Harry had gotten to her well since Ginny had signed with the Harpies earlier in the summer. "Oh, hello Hermione, what can I do for you?"
"I need to speak with Ginny. It's an emergency."
Gwendolyn nodded and called to Gwenog with something similar to a walkie-talkie. "Is it something to do with Harry?" she asked.
"Unfortunately," Hermione sighed. She was already thinking of how Harry was going to make up for this. Of course, she would wait until she learned why Harry had somehow disappeared.
"WEASLEY! GET DOWN HERE!"
Hermione jumped at the shout and watched as Ginny landed next to Gwenog and pointed to her. She watched Ginny's face and what felt like a split second, Ginny was in front of her.
"Hermione, what happened?" Ginny demanded.
"Would you know where Harry went?" Hermione asked, hesitantly.
Ginny shook her head, confused. "Other than going to work? No, why?'
"Well," Hermione paused before she decided to just tell her. "Harry never came work."
"What?" Ginny hissed.
"Ron went to his flat and he wasn't there," Hermione explained.
"What?" Ginny repeated, louder.
Hermione then said, quickly. "And we can't find him."
"WHAT?!" Ginny shouted, bringing the girls in the air to a halt. The now steaming redhead looked up at them and barked, "Keep flying."
She walked over to Gwenog, explained the situation and headed to the locker room. She returned sometime later, dressed and her hair pulled back in a ponytail.
Together, she and Hermione left the stadium and walked the apparition point. With a pop, they arrived back to the Ministry.
"Who knows that Harry is missing?" Ginny whispered.
"Just Ron, Neville, Robards, and Kingsley," Hermione replied. With a pop, she appeared in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic. Another pop sounded beside her and soon followed her to the lifts. Hermione pressed the large two and grab a hold of the rail. She glanced at Ginny.
It was clear that Ginny was somewhere between worried and angry. She made a note to quickly disarm her if Harry suddenly appeared. On second thought, she wouldn't. She might join her in on the hexing.
Since she had started the ministry, she had received more calls then she cared to count that something has happened to either Harry or Ron or both of them. One time, she had stormed down to the Ministry matron and had left dragging the two men by the ear. She almost was mad enough to hex the both of them the last time she was called to the Matron's office for something relating to an injury.
She was only Ron's emergency contact due to illness or injury. What she didn't know was that it was up to Harry to tell her of his death if something happened to him. Ron figured she would take the news better from Harry than another Auror. Harry hoped he never had to.
"Level Two: Department of Magical Law Enforcement…. Including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamot Administration Services."
Hermione and Ginny walked towards the Auror Headquarters. They passed the dark wooden wall with Auror Headquarters in silver letters and the Auror emblem. Ginny opened one of the glass doors and was surprised to find it calm, despite the fact that one of their own was missing.
They met Neville, who walked them to Robard's office. Upon seeing the redhead, Gawain Robards stood up.
"Was Harry sent on a mission I didn't know about?" Ginny asked, beginning to fire off questions.
"No."
"Was he kidnapped?"
"No."
"How do you know?" Ginny's voice cracked.
"Because the wards on the flat were still in place and there was no sign of struggle. Also, there was no note and one hasn't come to the office."
Ginny looked at Robards, to Kingsley, to Neville and back, confused.
"Ron sent word that he wasn't there and told us this information. Also said, he would look for him." Neville pulled out a chair and placed it behind Ginny in time for her to collapse on it.
"Do you know where he would go?" Robards asked.
Ginny thought for a second, a list compiling in her head. "The joke shop, the Leaky Caldron…" Ginny trailed off. "He didn't venture into the magical world for the known reasons. He spent the majority of his time when he wasn't here, in Muggle London."
Ginny turned to Hermione, hoping for some help. "Holyhead," she added.
Suddenly, they both looked at each other and then to the calendar. The men's eyes followed, confused as what the calendar had to do with anything until realization dawned on Kingsley.
It was the last day of October. October thirty first, or Halloween or known commonly in the wizarding world, as the day of Voldemort's first defeat. But to Harry, it was something more personal.
"Godric's Hollow!" the girls exclaimed at once. Then they jumped up and left so quickly that Robards didn't know what was going on.
"What does the day's date have anything to do with it?" Robards asked.
Neville hated to share this but knew that Harry would understand. "It's the day of his parent's death," he said.
Kingsley nodded, understanding the possible reason why Harry didn't come to work that day. He then sat down, hoping that Hermione and Ginny would find him.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Hermione and Ginny appeared with a pop in the alley behind the church beside the graveyard. They walked around the gray brick church and through the kissing gate. Ginny took the lead as she had been there with Harry a few times before.
They were disheartened to know that Harry had been there, but wasn't there now. There were fresh lilies on the grave.
"The house maybe?" Hermione suggested.
They turned around and walked back out of the kissing gate. They barely walked a few feet when a Jack Russell terrier patronus appeared in front of Hermione.
"I checked Godric's Hollow. He's not there. Meet me at the flat." It disappeared in the wind.
Thinking that Ron might have found Harry, they quickly rushed to the alley and disapparated to the landing in front of Ron and Hermione's shared flat.
Hermione opened the door to find Ron, alone. Ginny deflated at seeing just her brother.
"Well?" She asked.
"I looked at Godric's Hollow, he was there. I checked the house and the wards Harry placed on it wouldn't allow me to check and see if he's inside. I was able to go the door and do that one spell that I can't remember what it's called. The one where it shows you if someone else in is in the house? And nothing, so he's not there.
"So where do we go now?"
"That's the thing, I don't know." Ron paced in the sitting room, muttering "If I were Harry, where would I go if I wanted to be alone.
"The Burrow?" Ginny suggested.
Ron and Hermione looked at each other and then left the flat with Ginny behind them. Ron locked the door and as one they disapparated to the Burrow. Molly wasn't there as she would be out to do the weekly shop in Diagon Alley. She would also stop in and see Bill at Gringotts and then meet one of her friends for lunch.
Hermione checked the house, while Ron checked the padlock and Ginny checked the shed.
They met back in the kitchen at the Burrow an hour later, after searching the grounds for Harry. Ron had even adventured into the village to see if Harry had gone there.
"He wasn't there," Ron told them when he returned.
Ginny was starting to get worried, but she kept the emotion at bay.
"Where else is there that Harry could be?" Hermione barely got the question out when she realized where Harry could be.
"Hogwarts?" She suggested.
"I don't think so," Ron said, shaking his head.
Ginny stood up suddenly. "Grimmauld Place!" she exclaimed.
She ran outside and disapparated, appearing on the stoop of Number 12 and opened the door.
"Harry?" She called. She didn't get an answer. She wished she could have summoned Kreacher. He died the fall after the war. Harry had sent him to Hogwarts to work and one of the elves found him one morning in October.
Because Minerva had to contact the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, Harry was notified. She and Ginny were excused from class for the day and watched as Ron and Harry dug a grave in the back garden of Number 12 Grimmauld Place. The girls had come for support, but Kreacher's passing didn't seem to bother Harry as the others.
Ginny was heading upstairs when Ron and Hermione appeared.
"Check downstairs and I'll go upstairs," she called over her shoulder.
Hermione followed Ginny upstairs and was about to head on to the next floor when they heard Ron shout.
"I found him!"
Ginny and Hermione ran down the stairs as Ron called that they were down in the kitchen. They ran down the stairs to the kitchen and into the door. A lynx patronus had disappeared just as they came through the door.
Before Hermione or Ginny said anything, Ron told them.
"He's at the Three Broomsticks."
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
It was decided that Hermione would go on to the flat to get ready and Ron and Ginny would go after Harry.
They apparated to the edge of the village and walked to the Three Broomsticks, quickly. When they walked in, they immediately found Harry in one of the corner booths.
Madam Rosmerta was at the counter when Ginny approached her, digging in her purse.
"I hope he wasn't any trouble," Ginny murmured, handing her enough galleons to cover the bill.
"No, he wasn't. Not like some others I know," Madam Rosmerta said, glancing at the drunk in the corner. Turning back to Ginny, she said, "The minister is over there." She pointed to the other corner beside the window where Kingsley was waiting.
"Thank you," Ginny said, hugging him. "For finding him."
"You're welcome. I was meeting Minerva here for a meeting and found him."
"Thank you again. I better get him home." Ginny walked over to Ron and together they approached Harry. He looked up at them and smiled, apparently drunk.
"Oh look. It's Ginny and Ronnie, hiya Ronnie."
Ron glanced at his sister. "Yeah, he's drunk." He made a note to hex George for telling Harry his childhood nickname.
Harry glanced at his girlfriend. "Hi, Snuggle Boo."
Ron tried to keep his amusement at bay but snorted. "Snuggle Boo?" Ron inquired.
"He likes to snuggle up to me in bed, and where the name came from I don't know," Ginny explained, trying to defend herself.
Ron nodded, decided not to ask for further explanation and asked Harry, "What are you doing here?"
"I came here to get some firewhiskey since there was none in the flat. Because that's what we do when we're sad."
Ron ignored his sister's inquiring look she was giving him and asked Harry why he didn't go home.
"Because no one drinks alone at home, they drink in a pub like this."
Ginny sighed. "Let's get you home."
Harry held up a hand, stopping them in their tracks. "Hang on one second. Ginny, what would it take for you to go to the counter, buy a bottle of rum, take me upstairs to one of the rooms and have your way with me?"
Ron looked between his sister and best friend. "Did you two already…" He trailed off.
"Yes, Ron." Ginny knew what he was thinking. "Help him up so we can go."
"Alright, Ginny." He approached his best friend and helped him up out of the chair.
"Come on mate. Up you get."
Harry felt himself being pulled up and he leaned against Ron as they left the pub.
Madam Rosmerta watched them leave from behind the counter. She had a suspicion as to why Harry came here. To mourn his parents' death that occurred nineteen years ago on this very day. She held up her goblet of mead in a silent toast to someone only she could see.
James and Lily Potter.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Harry woke up in his bedroom the next morning, wincing at the light coming through the curtains. He reached over to his bedside table and found his wand and pointed it at the window to close the curtains.
He groaned as the pounding in his head intensified at the movement.
Suddenly, he felt a cool washcloth on his forehead. He took a deep breath to calm the nausea and inhaled Ginny's flowery scent.
"Gin?" he asked, his voice sounding groggy.
"How are you feeling?" Ginny inquired, softly.
"Awful."
Ginny pushed back his fringe away from his forehead and reposition the washcloth on his head. She had done this many times before when Harry was sick and knew that something cool on his forehead would help his headache. Or it would until she got a hangover potion.
"I bet you do," Ginny murmured, softly.
Harry slowly turned onto his left side, facing Ginny. He looked up at her and without his glasses, he could make out her face slightly. Only he didn't know if she was angry with him for getting drunk on Halloween. Again.
"Are you mad at me?" Harry asked, his voice starting to sound more normal.
"Am I mad at you?" Ginny repeated. "No, baby, I'm not mad."
Harry sighed, mainly in relief and then asked Ginny what happened the night before.
"If you're worried you did something bad, you didn't. After Ron and I brought you home from the Three Broomsticks, you collapsed on the bed and fell asleep. I stayed up half of the night, waiting for the vomiting to begin," Ginny explained. "You didn't by the way."
Harry made a noise that sounded like a soft moan, but Ginny wasn't sure.
"I feel like I've been run over by a train," Harry stated, his voice muffled by his pillow.
"Aw, baby. What's wrong?" Ginny started to softly rub Harry's side in an up and down stroke.
"My head feels like I've taken a beater's bat to the head and my stomach feels like it's been kneaded on the inside." Harry turned to lie back down on his back. His hand went to his head, while his other arm wrapped around his stomach, tightly. He grimaced when he felt his stomach roll.
"Do you feel like you're going to be sick?"
Ginny barely got the question out when Harry started gagging. She quickly summoned the trash can from the bathroom and got it in front Harry in time for him to retch. Ginny rubbed his back in soothing circles, whispering words of comfort. When Harry stopped retching, she helped him up from the bed. She knew he wasn't done.
Knowing this, she quickly helped him to the bathroom and sat him down in front of the toilet.
"Gin," Harry croaked before he unleashed more into the toilet. He vomited and vomited until he was sure his actual stomach or a lung was going to come up. He felt Ginny's hand on his back, rubbing in soothing circles. He vomited more until he felt like there was nothing left in him.
He didn't want to get up. He figured he could just lay on the bathroom floor and die, which what he felt like at the moment.
Ginny flushed the toilet and summoned a clean washcloth. She dampened it with her wand and wiped Harry's face off with it, cleaning off the evidence from the vomiting and tears. Harry's head was pounding from the force of his retching and his stomach felt raw, but like his head, hurt all the more.
It was then Harry realized he had been crying, the pain from his head and his stomach had brought him to tears.
"Are you feeling better?" Ginny asked, softly.
Harry was afraid to shake his head and didn't want to shrug his shoulders. He took a stock of himself and finally answered Ginny's questions.
"A little bit."
He felt Ginny's hand go up his neck, rubbing gently. It felt stiff from the position he slept in last night. He sighed softly as he felt the knot in the back of his neck disappear.
"Want to get a shower? The steam might help you feel better?"
Harry agreed, figuring he would feel better if he got cleaned up. He felt grimy and gritty.
"Okay, I'll get the shower, sat up and get you some clothes to change into."
Ginny left the bathroom briefly, returning with a pair Harry's pajama bottoms and a T-shirt, as well a clean pair of boxers. She laid them on the counter and sat up the shower by tossing a towel over the shower rod and placing a clean washcloth on the shelf on the shower organizer.
"Alright, I'll be outside the door if you need me." Ginny left to give Harry some privacy and began to clean the bedroom. She started with an air freshening charm, making the room smell clean. With a flick of her wand, the bed was stripped of its sheets, blanket, and comforter, and a clean set of sheets magically made the bed with a clean blanket and the comforter.
The shower came on in the bathroom, telling Ginny that Harry was in the shower. She sneaked in and got the clothes Harry was wearing and dumped them in the hamper before carrying the hamper out to the bedroom. She sorted the clothes for laundry and sat them by the door, deciding to wait until Harry was done in the shower before doing the laundry.
She cleaned up the bedroom, picking up Harry's shoes and placing them in the closet, went through the pockets of Harry's jeans and pants to make sure nothing was left and had just started fluffing the pillows on Harry's bed when she heard the shower turn off. She summoned a cup and a bottle of water and a hangover potion from the cabinet to have it ready for when Harry came out and went back to fluffing the pillows until she had Harry call for her.
"Ginny?"
At the call, she went into the bathroom to find Harry sitting down on the toilet with the lid down. He was dressed in the clothes she brought him.
"Are you ready to move back to bed or do you want to go to the couch?" Ginny inquired after some time had passed.
"I want to back to bed."
"Alright." Ginny helped Harry to stand up. He didn't have his glasses on, making Ginny have to lead him around.
"Let's get some water in you," she murmured as she poured some of the water into the cup and handed it, Harry, guiding his hand to the cup. He sipped on it slowly before handing it back to her.
"And I have a potion for you, too. This is the hangover potion." Harry sighed. "It should help your head and your stomach feel better."
Ginny held Harry's head with one hand and guided the potion to his lips with the other. Once she got the required dose down him, she handed him back the cup of water.
"Need anything else?" she asked.
"No," Harry replied.
"Want to try to sleep some more?"
Harry nodded, slowly.
She helped him lay back down in the bed and tucked the covers around him like her mother did when she was little.
He was asleep in a matter of minutes. Ginny watched him sleep for a second before she got up and went to do laundry.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
"Harry?"
Harry turned over, reaching for his glasses. They were handed to him and he slipped them on. Ginny's face came into view. He noticed the curtains were pulled back and the light didn't hurt his head and eyes.
"It's time for more water," Ginny said, handing him the cup of water. Harry took it and sipped it slowly. He sat down on the nightstand and laid his head back down on his pillow.
"Thanks, Gin."
"You're welcome." She pushed back some stray hair from his face. "Do you feel like eating anything?"
The hangover potion had done its job and Harry was feeling better. As a matter of fact, he was feeling hungry.
"Yeah," Harry murmured and got up pushing the cover off of himself.
He followed Ginny into the kitchen where on the stove, she had made a late breakfast. She shooed him to the table and made his plate for him, while he washed his hands in the sink.
Ginny waited until Harry was sitting before she sat the plate down in front of him with a cup of tea. Harry picked up the cup first, noticing the familiar taste of ginger tea.
"Mum sent a flask when she sent an owl, asking how you were doing," Ginny explained, drinking her regular Earl Grey tea. "Is it cold, I set a warming charm on the skillet?"
"No, it's fine," Harry said, offhandedly.
Ginny stirred in a spoon full of sugar in her tea, trying to come up with a way to approach the subject of what happened.
"Eighteen years. They've been gone eighteen years."
Ginny looked up at Harry's sudden announcement. She waited to say something in reply when Harry continued.
"I thought after the war, and I defeated Voldemort that Halloween would get easier. It hasn't."
Ginny got up from her chair and walked over to Harry, sitting down on his lap.
"It's okay to miss them, Harry," she whispered.
"I do," Harry murmured. "I just miss them all the more on Halloween. I sometimes wonder if they're proud of me. I would like to think they are."
"Harry, you avenged their death and countless others. They would be proud of you."
Harry nodded, mutely and laid his head down on her shoulder. Ginny didn't question it when her shoulder felt wet. She, instead, wrapped her arms around her boyfriend, holding him as he grieved for his parents.
She rocked gently as Harry's sobbing decreased, wishing for all the world take this pain away.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Harry stood in front of his parents' headstones. He had already come here on Halloween, but something felt off that day. This time when he came, he wasn't alone.
Ginny stood beside him, holding his hand. They brought more lilies, this time enough for Sirius's headstone, and Remus and Tonk's grave.
"You never told me how Andromeda agreed to bury Tonks here," Ginny whispered when they had been there for a while.
"She asked me if I had an idea where to bury Remus, I said here," Harry explained. He noticed Ginny shivered and wrapped his heavy coat around her. She smiled at him. "It wasn't difficult, because I found papers in his vault, which he also left to me, stating that he wanted to be buried here with Mum and Dad. Andromeda didn't want to split them up and agree to bury them here."
"It would make it nice for when Teddy gets old enough to bring him here."
Harry nodded in agreement. "It would."
Ginny patted Harry's shoulder and whispered, "I'll give you a moment."
"Thanks, babe," Harry said softly.
Once Ginny was at the kissing gate Harry turned back to his parent's headstone.
"I'm going to ask her to marry me, one day. I don't know when, but I know I can't imagine life without her. She's helped me after the war and every Halloween since we've gotten together with the exception of two years we were apart. I love her and I don't know where I would be if it wasn't for her."
Harry glanced at his father side of the headstone. "I wish I could talk to you Dad and get advice. I know Ginny's the one for me, but I need advice on where to go from here."
He paused, trying to find the words to say next. "I hope I've made proud," he decided to go. "I hope I made you both proud."
The wind got chillier and he knew he better get home before he or Ginny got a cold.
"I love you," Harry said to the headstone. "I love you both."
He walked back to the kissing gate and took Ginny's cold hand in his warm one and they disapparated back the flat.
From that Halloween on, Harry traded the Firewhiskey for spending time with Ginny, Ron, and Hermione. Then after he and Ginny got married and had a family, Harry made Halloween a happier occasion. He figured his parents would rather he celebrate the day and not mourn their deaths. Yes, he still missed them and yes he would grief for them with Ginny by his side, but after that Halloween, he never had a Halloween Hangover again.