CHAPTER TWO

(A/N: Some minor language is in this chapter, and some violence)

Ginny's bar adventure was somehow left out of the papers, making her workday completely uneventful. She skipped lunch, trying to get ahead from losing an evening of reading and editing. She had fifteen jobs due by the end of the day, or at least by seven o'clock, and she had to make the deadline if she didn't want to get reprimanded by Neville Longbottom, her current overseer.

Neville went to school with them years ago, choosing to pursue a career in education right after graduation. But after a few unfortunate events, he came to Potter Industries to grovel to Harry, who was at the time angry at Ginny for calling him out on his affairs. Neville was spiteful now, abused by the American education system's numerous bad apples. Angering him was the equivalent of pulling the pin on a hand grenade and holding it in your hand: You weren't sure how it would end but you knew it wouldn't be pleasant. Neville was also angry about keeping the same position year after year. Ginny had been in the same spot since graduation after a two-year degree, meaning she'd been in her position at least five years longer than Neville had his, yet he was more angry than she could ever be.

"Smith, get in here!" Neville boomed, calling back a new colleague. She'd been transferred from the accounting department after some errors. Sending her to the department meant to catch all written mistakes was the perfect payback, at least in Harry's mind. "WHAT IS THIS?!" Neville screamed. Though his door was shut, everyone still froze at the sound.

"I knew she wouldn't make it," Kimberly sighed. She was in a cubicle next door to Ginny's, another slap on the wrist. Kimberly had massive credit card debt after three years of college partying. To make up for it, she worked at Potter Industries and The Cat's Claws, a strip club nearby. Kimberly was one of the first Ginny caught Harry with. Kimberly was now two positions above Ginny managing entire projects and writing the documents herself. She had no college experience while Ginny had an associate's degree in English. The slap on the wrist was more like a hammer, Ginny realized, and she trembled at the thought.

"Ginny, I got in another pile from upstairs," Jason said with a light smile. He was new here, a recruit from a local high school who thought the corporate life was dreamy. You'd think with the pile of crappy work he delivered to Ginny alone, he'd get the hint to get out while he could. Yet he was still chipper and tried to strike up a conversation with her about the mail. She ignored him, opening the package with her company-provided letter opener.

"Jason, I have some important packages on that cart. Keep the chitchat to a minimum, 'kay?" Kimberly grinned darkly, snatching her boxes from him. "I expect you not to damage anymore packages either. Two of mine were dented yesterday, narrowly missing a data CD."

"I'm sorry, Kim. I can't help how they-"

"I hate being called Kim," she hissed, spinning in her chair and causing it to creak. Jason sighed; Kimberly was ignoring him too. His squeaky cart wobbled up the aisle as Ginny got back to work, trying her hardest to ignore Neville's yelling and Smith's sobbing. She wouldn't be back in her cubicle later, Ginny thought. She'd flee from the building as soon as possible, probably leaving behind a few valuables. She'd come back the next day with a friend to retrieve them, because at most companies they would still be there. Neville had wanted to get rid of her frilly picture frames from the first day, however, so everything would be trashed as soon as she uttered the words, "Fine, I'm leaving!"

But those words never came. She was crying, sobbing, and shaking, but she kept working. Neville stood in his doorway shaking his head as everyone else tried to ignore the scene. He'd fire her later for sure, but she was safe for the afternoon, even if no one else seemed to be. Neville broke into a loud lecture as he walked the paths between cubicles, rubbing in Smith's failure while trying to prevent more—all while distracting everyone from their tasks.

When Ginny's phone rang, she decided not to answer. Hermione was calling about dinner, which was an hour away. Ginny would have to stay where she was past that time, if Neville didn't explode and napalm the entire department.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" Neville asked her darkly.

"Ginny Weasley, editing. How may I help you?" Ginny said halfway cheerfully. Neville sneered as he continued to yell as he walked up the aisle.

"What the hell is going on with you?" Hermione asked. Ginny sighed, choosing not to answer. "I have to work late. Just get something without me."

She hung up as Neville launched himself at the messy break room. He fired the only one who kept it orderly for having a stain on three separate projects. They'd tried to get the printer fixed in her area for ages with no success, which meant that ink spots were common. Most customers could care less, but Neville cared more, way too much in everyone's opinion. But he was where Harry wanted him, just like Ginny and just like Kimberly. If Smith was lucky, she'd be spared, but now she just wanted away from her relentless boss. Everyone did, but they were all afraid to move.

Ginny finished a few projects as his tirade continued past five o'clock. The rest would have to be done as quickly as possible, but she couldn't work with the yelling. No one could, yet they remained frozen, eying the clock as he paced the aisles. When he caught someone staring at the clock, everyone immediately froze even more than before. Silence gripped the area for the first time in ages, and surprisingly, Neville let everyone go.

"You too, Weasley!" Neville called darkly, storming into his office and slamming the door.

"You still owe people those projects," Kimberly sneered over the wall. "I suggest you work in the elevator with all the classy people. It'll serve you well."

Kimberly moved towards the stairs, always her choice. Ginny sighed, grabbing her projects and moving into a supply closet to work. Two others were there with the same idea, but today they were caught. Neville made them all leave, except Ginny.

"You're being rather insubordinate today," he grinned darkly. "I also heard a little rumor that you were involved in a little incident last night. I suggest you keep your personal affairs to yourself like always, yes?" he asked. Ginny nodded as he eyed her work. "Go home, Weasley, and think harder about not doing your work when you're asked."

Ginny kept her thoughts to herself as she tossed the unfinished projects into her bottom filing cabinet. She didn't have time to do everything during her workday, which was partly his fault. Ginny or Lyndsi always had to take minutes at his meetings, and his tirades happened at least once a week, keeping everyone from thinking straight. The entire position was a mess, and after ten-plus years, Ginny felt herself growing tired of the fight.

"I told you to leave!" Neville called after her, slamming the door to the stairs behind him. He stayed on the other side, watching as she bent down to do something behind her cubicle wall. He opened the door. "Ginny, come on. No more tonight."

"No," Ginny said, rising up with a light smile. "I don't know what those nasty little brats at the school system did to you, but you've become the worst human being I've ever met. You're hateful, and in everyone's opinion, you're a worthless man who overcompensates his shitty life by taking it out on everyone else. You can take your stupid fucking projects," she spat, throwing the papers at him, "and shove them up your fucking ass!"

"You do realize you won't be allowed back here, not tomorrow and not ever?"

"I don't want this fucking job! Harry's got his micro penis shoved up everyone's ass, and you know what, asshole? I hope you enjoy it! That's why you'll never get a promotion! He's using you like he uses everyone else."

"Seriously, Ginny, you can't come back from this. No one will take you back. No one ever does," he grinned. Ginny smiled to him, launching one final project in his direction.

"Go jump off a building, Longbottom," Ginny spat, pushing past him to take the stairs down. She heard the door open again behind her. She looked up to see Neville smiling. "You haven't won, Ginny. You never will."

Rather than follow her down, he disappeared in the office again. Ginny scoffed, entering the lobby with her head held high. She was finally done with this place, and it felt more liberating than any other time in her life.

She walked home, collapsing on her sofa and turning on her television. There was nothing on, but that was fine with her. She grabbed a glass-bottled soda from the fridge, something she rarely drank to keep to her diet, and drank it greedily while she ate a bag of microwavable popcorn. For the first time in a while, she was happy.

Ginny opened her apartment door to see Karen Thomas, head of the human resources department at Potter Industries. She was older than she looked and planning to retire at the end of the year, though the company was forcing her through hoops about the process. She ranted to anyone who would listen on the elevator, which is why most people preferred the stairs. Karen wasn't the only disgruntled worker, but it's not like it was Ginny's problem anymore.

"The company's that way, Karen, and no, I'm not going back," Ginny said sternly, beginning to close the door in her face. Karen placed her hand firmly on it, keeping it open. "If it's about yesterday, I really did mean to quit. You know my situation. I should've left years ago."

"I could care less about what happened yesterday or with the rest of your career with the company. It's about Neville, your former boss," she sighed, pushing her way inside and taking a seat on Ginny's sofa. "You were recorded as telling him to go jump off a building, Ginny. That's a threat, a serious one. We know you were angry, and we'll forgive all the little words you said to him before that. But threatening the life of a man who died last night? Well, that makes you a suspect."

"What? He actually did it?"

"No, he was robbed at gunpoint not far from his apartment, a gruesome scene," she said sternly, grabbing a piece of Ginny's toast.

"Unless the cops are going to get involved, I suggest you leave. And keep your fucking hands off my breakfast," Ginny spat, pulling her plate from the table. Karen grinned, standing while licking crumbs from her fingers.

"I've gotta hand it to you, Ginny, you've really started to grab your life by the horns. I heard about that little incident at the bar that never made the papers. You are a lucky one on that one, but...this new attitude suits you. You should've gotten angry a long, long time ago after what that scum bag did to you. Did you know that he tried to ask me out not long after you started working there? I mean, everyone knew the man was married. Your picture was all over the office, especially the ones when you were pregnant," she smiled. "He thought I would want him, a confirmed lesbian who was waiting to marry her partner of fifteen years legally," she laughed, shaking her head. "I'm trying to get a case against them about my retirement issues from the inside. Now that Neville's gone, I could use your help in confirming that your department was completely orchestrated by Harry from the beginning."

"I don't follow you."

"I'm going to clear his office myself. I control the keys, remember," she grinned, holding up one of two master keys available. James Potter gave his to Remus, who was hands-off with the company now. The other belonged to human resources, specifically Karen. "I'll get together the evidence if you'll go through it. It'll probably contain something we can add to the lawsuit to bring everyone down. It'll be great!"

"I was hoping to leave soon, actually. I want out of this town, so I'm cutting some ties, and-"

"Oh, don't flatter yourself, Ginny. You've got to finish off your ex! It'll be perfect!"

"I think I'll go back to my original demand. I want you to leave, Karen. I won't help you bring down the company because I don't give a damn about the company. Just leave and shut up about it, forget about it, okay?"

"You won't get your last paycheck, or the rest of the money your salary allows. I hope you have enough savings built up somewhere," she scoffed, trying to grab another piece of toast before leaving. "You've gotten a little too far over the spectrum, sweetie. I suggest you put that anger to good use before someone gets hurt."

"Get out," Ginny sighed, slamming the door behind her and latching each lock. She then tossed her breakfast out the window onto the street below, narrowly missing Karen as she got back into her car.

"You shouldn't waste good food like that!" she yelled back.

"Fuck you!"

Ginny slammed the window shut and returned to her couch. She already had everything done, every penny she needed put where it belonged. There were a few more ties, a few more obstacles that she needed to cut and cross. When she was done, she could forget her life existed, just like everyone else.

Ginny looked up from her meal to see her brother staring at her with contempt. She hadn't faced him in so long, and civil conversations didn't exist in the two's history. She and Ron started a dislike for each other the moment Ginny's marriage to his best friend started to falter. The moment it was destroyed, she meant nothing to him. With Harry so vindictive about the whole thing, Ron probably endured countless conversations of sister-slamming, which made him numb to her position. He was gone to her now, a figment of their past.

Yet here he stood, staring at her like he wanted to say something but the words couldn't come, wouldn't come. Ginny just stared; she had no more feelings now, just hunger and the desire to finish her meal in peace.

"My children told me you stayed with them, that you smelled like jail. How did that happen?" he asked sternly, snatching a chair from a nearby table and sitting in it, keeping it where it was. Ginny shrugged. He didn't want to know that story. He needed an opening, a way to make contact while still appearing better than her. "My daughter said you did something you shouldn't have, but that would be why you'd end up in jail. I always knew you'd be in trouble somehow, yet you were never mentioned in this," he spat, slamming down a copy of the next morning's paper. "No Ginny Potter, no Ginny Weasley."

"I changed my name," Ginny whispered calmly.

"I don't give a damn!" Ron spat. People from other tables noticed as he moved over to her and squatted to look her in the eye. "You ruin everything you touch! You're the reason my marriage failed, the reason why I can only see my children on pre-planned outings! I'll spend thousands to get custody, thousands I don't have!"

"I never got the chance to fight for my children," Ginny countered softly, seeming to talk only to herself.

"You're a worthless bitch! You deserve every bad experience you ever received! You-!"

But he was cut off by large waiters pushing him outside. While everyone in the restaurant stared, even the kitchen staff through the pass, Ginny got back to her meal. She'd written Ron off long ago as being in the same field as Harry. His marriage ended because he couldn't be faithful, and it was that simple. Any money he spent trying to get his children back full-time would hopefully be wasted. Ginny never got that experience because of Harry's power, but Hermione would, and she envied her for it.

Ginny left the restaurant and headed to a nearby park for a quick walk. She was enjoying the greenery, imaging the new life she'd planned for herself, when she heard a familiar laugh behind her. The woman from the bar, the niece of the publisher whoever Rita Skeeter. The card she gave her was burning a hole through the building's trash as she skipped over to her, a melting ice cream cone in her hand.

"His freezer broke so he's giving them out for free!" she laughed, trying to lick the melting ice cream from her hand before it hit the ground. She wasn't having much luck, and it didn't help that Ginny kept walking. "Oh, come on, everyone likes ice cream!"

"I'm lactose intolerant," Ginny murmured, continuing to walk towards the park's fountain. She wanted to sit beside it, alone, to hear the water murmur soothingly, but she knew that wouldn't happen now that this person was here, whatever her name was.

"Ginny, I've got plenty to talk to you about. Aren't you curious about how your little adventure didn't make the paper?" she asked, dropping the half-melted cone into the bushes. "My aunt has connections, and she's willing to make a good deal with you for your story. Come on, you owe her something," she begged, running to get in front of Ginny to block her path. Ginny walked around. "Please, there must be something the former Mrs. Potter could tell the world. You've got to have something locked in that head of yours. You fought back with that bartender and got him fired. Now that was your doing, not ours. We just helped convince them not to file charges, which kept your name from the early edition.

"Ginny, please, give me something to work with here," she sighed, plopping onto a park bench near the fountain. Ginny stopped a few feet from it, staring into the water. Lights from the path were reflecting in the droplets, hypnotizing her as the strange woman panted behind her.

"I truly have nothing to say. Once I leave this city, nothing will matter anymore. I won't have existed. Have you ever wondered what it's like not to exist? Well once I leave, I will. Writing a memoir or whatever for your aunt would change that. No, if I ever write anything down, it'll be for me. Thank her for me about the charges thing. She didn't have to do that; I would've gladly served for the crime," Ginny whispered, walking towards the park's exit.

"Okay, can I be honest?" the woman begged, standing to run after her. "I saw that thing with Ron Weasley. He's your brother, isn't he? Did you know what they're investigating him for?"

"Crimes of passion?" Ginny tried, smirking slightly. "Unless he's being charged for the adultery he and my ex-husband committed together, I could care less. He wrote me off long ago for ruining his friendship with Harry. I wrote him off for being just like him. It worked."

"Well something surely made him mad to get him to attack you like that," she chuckled, giving Ginny a knowing smile. "Your brother is a criminal, Ginny. He's being investigated right now, but the walls are closing in. They're trying to get him to burn his bridges and try to run. That's why he's decided to divorce his wife, though he'll blame you for it every day of the week to keep the pressure off himself.

"Let's look at the whole picture for a moment, shall we?" the woman asked, sitting on a park bench just ahead and begging Ginny to sit down with her hands. Ginny stopped but remained standing. "Oh good!" she cried, stomping her feet with joy. "Okay, so your brother got involved with a few dealings with an old friend, someone even Harry knew to stay away from. He did errands for him first, just the usual beginner's jobs...but then the jobs got more serious until suddenly, he's doing jobs for some guy he's never met. Then the undercovers get a whiff of him, and now he's got a list of presumed charges ten pages long, and that's just the short version."

"I doubt my brother would kill anyone. He's always been squeamish about blood. You're making this up to show what a good storyteller you are. It's the plot of one of your aunt's novels, just altered for the occasion," Ginny smiled. The woman shook her head with a blank gaze. "So he's really done illegal things for someone? Was there cash involved? He has always been greedy."

"Worse, Ginny," the woman sighed, "but it's not your problem. Go, run, but don't bother reading the national news in say...three months. He'll be going in then. What people might want from you is how to connect Harry to him. I'm not saying you ex actually did anything for these people. We all know he's got plenty of perks with his company, so any outside cash isn't important for his survival. But he's made some questionable investment choices over the years. He never wanted you to know, but he did enough to you for it not to matter anymore.

"We want your story to help the others, Ginny. As nasty as your divorce was, the ones who know of it know the details of your marriage could reveal his true character," she said, smiling sympathetically. "If you want to keep him from taking over Potter Industries, you'll consider my aunt's offer, and this isn't about money or anything else. We don't blame you for wanting to disappear from all of this. You should've done it years ago, sister, and taken your children with you. But those days are over, and now there are some tough choices to be made. If he leads that company, which he will if his character isn't smeared enough, then this entire world has something to worry about. His power within the company is already strong enough. What happens when he starts overseeing every project, every contract, within the company's grasp? It may not affect you now, but if he's truly vindictive about your separation, you won't be safe anywhere."

"I've covered my tracks well. Please, I don't want to get involved with this. You shouldn't have told me anything you just did. My brother and my ex are both gone to me. I'm leaving it all behind as soon as I can, and I just want to be left alone," Ginny whispered, beginning to walk away.

"If you want to do some last-minute research before you leave, visit our office. I slipped a few of our cards around your mail box and doorway. You can't miss them," she smiled deviously, watching Ginny head for the entrance of the park.

As Ginny walked, she thought heavily about what the woman told her. If her brother and ex were a part of a growing crime ring, she should do something to stop it. But writing a book would never solve anything. It would just keep her here longer, keep her in his trap for longer. She'd covered her tracks well, she knew. Running would be easy; she just had to get away first.