Chapter One

"Jesus Christ!" Ginny's voice echoed across the bare room, accompanied by the annoying electronic buzz of an alarm clock. She rolled over onto her stomach, and reached out to shut off the alarm. However, she only succeeded in toppling off the bed, entangled in her sheets and blankets. After hitting the hardwood floor, Ginny smacked the top of the alarm clock, and stood triumphantly.

"Damn Muggle device . . . I should get rid of the fucking thing." She announced to the empty room. She stalked into her small bathroom and proceeded to take a shower.

* * *

"Leroy's Fine Coffee's and Antiquities, this is Ginny speaking . . . " Ginny spoke into the telephone receiver while pouring yet another hot java into a Styrofoam cup. Working undercover sucked. She didn't care if she was possibly working under the best Auror's of the century, she thought it was crappy of them to give her this particular assignment. Oh, Ginny knew why she was given the tedious job of Muggle Relations and Maintenance. Ron, being the overbearing and protective brother he was, had become one of the best Auror's in history, and delegated her into this position to keep her safe from many things, but mostly to keep her from having a life. Ginny had graduated Howarts only one short year after Ron, Harry, and Hermione (otherwise known as "The Dream Team") and had entered Auror Training as soon as she graduated. Only because she had the misfortune of being a year younger than Ron was she made to work under him. True, he was a fantastic Auror, having put away countless numbers of Death Eaters in his four years since Hogwarts, but really . . . Ginny showed more promise than, to say, Lavender "Cheap Whore" Brown, and she was in the hellish field of Muggle Relations and Maintenance. Ginny sighed and wrote down the phone order of about twenty million frothy coffee drinks. She was going to have to have a talk with that brother of hers.

* * *

It had been a long, strenuous day at Leroy's. Leroy was mad at everyone because the new little Muggle girl had spilled an apparently costly bag of imported beans that had already been ground, and became even angrier when Ginny had said that the floor might serve only to enhance the flavor. Anyway, it wasn't like Ginny would be too upset if she got fired. Then maybe she could work on something worthwhile, like Illegally Imported Magic Carpet Investigations. Ha. Ginny had already decided today as she appeased her nine thousandth customer who complained that their coffee wasn't the desired temperature or strength that she was going to have a little chat with Ron at Christmas dinner this weekend. He wouldn't be able to stop her, he'd be closed in the Burrow as much as anyone else . . . it was a perfect plan. Ginny hung her maroon apron in the employee's closet and traded it for the nice gray heather peacoat that Hermione had purchased for her. She pulled on a coal colored hat over her flaming wavy locks, and locked up shop. As soon as her boots hit the street, the cold hit her. It had been a nasty winter, no doubt about that. Colder than any she had experienced, but it wasn't just the chill in the air. Ginny was lonely. Sure, she was a pretty girl, and never really had to work hard for a date, but they were all casual and meaningless, really. Particularly this winter, every date she had seemed to end with disappointment on her part. The guys were all nice . . . friendly, fun, usually handsome and successful wizards. Ginny had even gone out a few evenings with a terrible good-looking Muggle to a dance club, but the strain of not being able to communicate with him about her own world finally won out over the enjoyable evenings. But it was the warmth of family, and friends you had known for ages that Ginny longed for this bleak and dismal season. Of course, she was in contact with Ron every few weeks to report on her findings in Muggle civilization, but Ron never really asked a lot of personal questions here, he had grown up since Hogwarts, and had a "don't mix business with anything" policy. Besides Ron, Ginny really couldn't contact any of her other friends, especially those who were Aurors, as she was supposed to be living a strictly Muggle life. The only time she could see wizards and witches and give her wand some exercise was during mass Auror meetings at the Ministry, sparse weekends at Hogsmeade, and family gatherings. Luckily, just when Ginny had reached the pits of gloom, her mother sent Ron's tiny old owl to Ginny's apartment, telling her when she should arrive for her week of Christmas vacation. So that's where she was headed this evening, home to pack her things and get a good night's sleep before she went home for Christmas.