.Edgedancer of Madness

By: Enygma1920

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters you recognize. The ones you're familiar with are from the wonderful mind of J.K. Rowling. Any others are from my own overactive imagination.

Chapter 3: A Hard Day's Night

Tucked deep into the dark recesses of the Ministry of Magic, the stillness of the Auror locker room was shattered by a throng of dirty, tired Aurors stumbling in from the pit. Snaking between the cursing, mud-covered persons was a bright beacon of red hair leading a path towards a set of lockers. In stride next to him, was a head covered in messy, raven locks decorated with bits of twigs and dirt. The redhead winced as he sat down on the bench and began to rub his shoulders. "That was bloody awful," Ron muttered, Harry nodded in agreement.

The last three hours had been horrendous, barbaric even. They and the other Auror's in their unit had spent another gruelling training session at the hands of Tonks and her 'Gauntlet of Misery' in the training pit. In Harry's opinion, it had to be the most brutal yet efficient Auror training module. The only one that even came close was the infamous 'Eliminator' run by an influential, American Auror in the states. Harry moved gingerly, attempting to not exacerbate the painful, throbbing in his right shoulder.

"Are you all right?" Ron asked.

"Yeah." Harry removed his glasses and wiped the specks of mud from them. "Nothing that a nice, long shower can't cure."

Ron nodded glumly and slowly limped towards the showers; Harry followed suit, gathering his belongings and finding an available shower stall. The feel of the hot water rushing over his sore body soothed his tortured muscles. He knew that any other day that a Stinging Hex wouldn't have had a chance in hell of touching him, but his mind hadn't been focused on the tactical defence techniques he was supposed to be practicing. When Harry felt the heat from the hex burn his shoulder, he knew he would be cornered and receive the inevitable talk from Kingsley or Tonks on his substandard performance that day.

Harry closed his eyes and let his mind wander to the issue at hand. Ginny. Ginny had been working at the ministry for the past two and a half weeks and he had been interacting with her almost daily. However by now Harry had hoped that their cold interactions would have improved, but they weren't, they were unsurprisingly getting worse.

The entire predicament was inevitable even if their relationship had not gone to shite the last time he was in the states. The memories of that afternoon started rushing to the forefront of his thoughts. He shook his head, No. He had his regrets but now wasn't the time to dwell on them and if Ginny had accepted it, then he could respect and accept it as well. Since his body was no longer feeling the soothing influence of the shower, Harry turned off the water and exited to the locker room.

As he reached his locker, he was surprised to see Ron sitting down and waiting for him. Usually after a tough session, Ron would be the first in line at the canteen, piling food on his tray. To see him sitting there, waiting, was a bit suspicious, in Harry's opinion.

"Looks like you've got a lot on your mind," Ron said.

"Yeah," Harry muttered and pulled a shirt over his head.

"Having problems with your intern, eh?"

Harry shot a glare at his friend. "No, she's fine."

Ron's steely eyes studied him quietly before speaking, "Good. Harry, I was wondering, could this sudden spell of inattentiveness be linked to a certain sibling of mine that you've had the pleasure of working with?"

"If you're speaking of Fred or George, then no."

Ron drummed his fingers against the locker. "Mum noticed you weren't at Sunday dinner. She was worried of course, but I told her you were a bit under the weather and decided to stay home."

Harry glanced over and saw Ron watching at him. "You missing dinner had nothing to do with Ginny, did it?" he asked.

"No," Harry lied. "I decided to do a couple of duelling sessions with McNair and guess we lost track of time." It was partially true, he had been with McNair but spent the afternoon after the session looking at the bottom of a pint glass.

"Uh-huh, right. Harry, is there a reason you're avoiding Ginny?"

"No, and why are you interrogating me?" Harry was growing increasingly irritated with Ron's random queries.

"Well to tell you the truth, the rumour mill has been spinning over an incident on Friday night between Ginny and your intern?"

Dumbstruck, Harry stopped lacing his boots. "What rumours? And what incident?" He continued lacing his boots. "They briefly met when I was walking Ginny to her car. I left with Adriana and Ginny drove off…that's it." Harry was curious as to what and who was spreading gossip, he doubted it was Adriana ; but then again, when had anything involving him not been fuel for gossip. "Did she mention it to you on Sunday?" Harry asked.

"No, Ginny didn't talk much yesterday."

Harry stilled. "What do you mean?"

"Well, she was tense about something but wouldn't talk about it. During dinner, she would sit and listen to the conversations around her, but she hardly spoke unless someone asked her a direct question. Even when Fred and George pulled out all the stops at dinner - nothing. George mentioned to me afterward that even her eyes didn't have that mischievous glint to them anymore, but Fred assured us, she would be okay… I think he knows more than what he lets on, Ginny and Fred have always been close."

Harry had anticipated an indifferent attitude towards him, it just never didn't occur to him that her family would be on the receiving end of it, as well. "She does have a lot going on; it's her first time being here longer than a few days in years and I know she is spending a majority of her time going through those old cases, it's a lot for one person to deal with."

Ron nodded. "You may have a point, has she said anything to you about the case?"

"No, nothing yet"

Ron leaned against the lockers. "I don't know, Harry. This weird behaviour has been going on for years." He turned and faced Harry directly. " When Ginny stopped coming home for the holidays. Mum would invite her, but she would give work as an excuse. Last Christmas, she only sent gifts and called mum and dad on their mobile phone she bought for them, plus I can't shake the feeling that Hermione knows more than she lets on." Ron rubbed his chin, "And I can't figure out what's it's about. I have my theories, though."

Harry groaned and slumped against the lockers. "Theories? Not this again, Ron." Harry knew it had been a mistake to give Ron the book: Conspiracies, Cults and Cover-ups for his birthday a few years back. Ever since then, Ron was a self-proclaimed, conspiracy theorist. Ron's fascination with conspiracies was equal to his father' of all things muggle. After digesting the book, he spent weeks proclaiming outrageous theories to anyone within earshot. Harry would find Ron with his nose firmly buried in the newest conspiracy book, instead of working on the idle stack of reports on his desk. Initially, Hermione was pleased to see Ron take up the hobby of reading, especially since this was one of her own favourite hobbies. Unfortunately, the bliss was short-lived after an explosive row about Ron's current theory on the reasoning behind the protection, or 'enslavement' as Hermione put it, of house elves because of the feeding tendencies of some magical creature that Harry had never heard of.

Needless to say, after a threat of hexes and curses, Ron was more hesitant about sharing his theories around her; however, that didn't stop him from sharing them with Harry. Ron ignored Harry's remark and appeared to be gearing up to divulge his newest theory about Ginny, but thankfully the locker room door opened and a thatch of pink hair popped in.

"Wotcher, Harry."

"Hey, Tonks."

Tonks entered the empty locker room and stood in front of them. "I was wondering what was keeping you two. Are you both okay?"

"Of course."

"Never better."

"Good." Tonks turned on her heels, and began to walk towards the exit. She stopped. "Oh, and Harry," she looked over her shoulder at both of them, "stop by my office sometime before you leave today."

Harry resisted the urge to groan, "Right." Tonks smiled and left the locker room. Harry closed his eyes, and gently banged his head against the locker.

"Come on, mate." Ron pulled his friend to his feet toward the exit. "We've missed lunch already and I'm starving." Harry reluctantly allowed himself to be dragged towards the exit. As he ascended the stairs behind Ron, Harry couldn't shake the feel that this was just the start of a long day.

Both men managed to scavenge something from the canteen for a quick lunch and were on their way back to the office they shared. Harry inspected the chip butty in his hand; it was not exactly what he had in mind for lunch, but it would have to do. A painful elbow jab broke through Harry thoughts. "Ow! Damn it, Ron!" He rubbed the sore spot. "What was that for?"

"Who is that Hermione's talking to?" Ron pointed.

Harry's eyes roamed over to where Ron's had gestured. He had never seen the woman around the Ministry before. She stood a slightly taller than Hermione, with a tan complexion. They were huddled in conversation, oblivious to everyone around them.

"And it looks like she's wearing Muggle clothing," Ron noted. "That's a little odd for the Ministry, don't you think?"

Harry watched as both women threw back their heads in laughter. The mystery woman ruffled her short wavy brown hair roughly, which caused Hermione to laugh harder. "Maybe she's one of those consultants Hermione works with from one of the other Ministries," Harry offered.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Ron folded his arms and then leaned against the wall. "It's just that something seems oddly familiar about her."

Harry looked back over at the duo; he couldn't differentiate her face from any of the other Ministry witches he knew. "If you say so, mate." Harry patted his friend's shoulder. "Come on; let's get back to the office so we can get some work done before my meeting." Ron reluctantly left his stance and both men set off down the hall towards the lift.

"Yeah, you should attempt to finish some of those files on your desk and get them to Tonks. No need to add more petrol to the fire, because Tonks is going to flambé your arse for this morning's performance," Ron laughed.

Harry shoved his hands deep into his pockets and muttered a string of curses. This did indeed look like the beginning of not only a long day but also an arduous week.

Ginny sat behind her desk, absently humming to herself as she thumbed through an old case file for the millionth time that afternoon. She had been at it since seven that morning, searching for that ever-elusive clue which could trigger a chain reaction and change the entire investigation. After she drew up empty once again, Ginny threw the file down in disgust and closed her eyes with the hope that the headache that she was developing wouldn't get any worse. She winced in pain from the intense, rhythmic throbs pounding at her temples. She tightly fisted the quill in her hand, which caused it to snap in two.

"Damn cheap quills," she muttered, as she studied the splinters. "I don't know how in the hell I used to use these things," she said as she chucked the quill aside and then reached down for a Muggle pen. The office door slowly creaked open; out of habit, she reached for her wand, but stopped when she recognized the presence.

"Well…well, Weasley, what shit storm did you get yourself into this time?"

A smile sneaked across Ginny's face. "Oh nothing out of the ordinary, just following your example Ma'am" She eagerly glanced up, ready to be greeted with, Wait - what happened to her eye?

"How are things, Pyro?"

Ginny snapped out of her trance. "You will never let me live that down will you, Zeddie?"

"Don't intend to," she replied, with a grin. "And don't call me that."

"How are you, Phoenix?" She looked at her friend with some trepidation.

"I'm okay, how about you?" Phoenix asked.

"Good." Ginny focused on the appearance of the woman in front of her. "I see you clean up nicely," she cracked, to change the subject.

Phoenix looked down at her simple muggle business attire. "Ah, yes so fresh and so clean," she laughed. "But, considering this is the Ministry of Magic, I can't traipse in here looking like I just returned from a field assignment."

"By the way, how did you know where my office was?"

Phoenix laughed again, "Did you forget who you're talking to?"

Ginny rolled her eyes sardonically. "How long are you here for?"

"Just a few hours; we're in route to an assignment." She gazed around the office. "Nice accommodations, by the way."

Ginny frowned. "It's not like my old office... this one is too..."

"Stuffy?"

"Exactly," she giggled. "And who exactly are we?"

"Just Rapture and I. There have been reports of suspicious activity involving the trafficking of illegal potion ingredients," Phoenix answered. "The usual."

"Hmmm, that sounds like fun."

"Oh, yeah, tons of fun, can't wait," Phoenix replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "How goes the Godric Investigation?"

Ginny picked up the thick folder and handed it to her. "See for yourself."

Phoenix opened it and began to read, her eyes widened, "This is... What's your opinion on it?"

"I think there is a possible relationship between this investigation and the Leviathan Case. There's not a lot of strong evidence but there is too many coincidences and circumstantial evidence to ignore."

"Shit," Phoenix whispered. She sat the file back down on Ginny's desk and then let out a low whistle and met Ginny's eyes. "Have you told Kingsley? Did you notify-"

"Yes, and I'm just waiting to hear back from Kingsley before I notify him." she answered, cutting off her friend. Ginny knew exactly what thoughts were running through Phoenix's mind; they were the same ones that had haunted her for the past few days.

Phoenix leaned back in her chair. "I need a drink," she muttered.

Ginny smiled empathetically and pulled out two glasses and a bottle of Captain Ogden's Rum she had stashed in her desk drawer. She filled both glasses generously and pushed one over in front of the other witch.

Phoenix snatched the glass, then proceeded to drain it in one go. "Which Aurors were working the case before you?"

Ginny finished off her own glass and then refilled them both. "My brother and Potter were, but now it's just Potter's case."

Phoenix paused mid-sip; she removed the glass from her lips, setting it down gingerly. "Potter? You mean Harry Potter?"

Ginny threw a quizzical glance at the witch. "Phoenix, how many Aurors do you know with the surname Potter?"

"Actually, smart-arse, for your information, there is an American Auror named Steven Potter." She winked. "But how is that going? Working with Harry 'the boy wonder' Potter?" Phoenix laughed and took another sip of her drink. "Is he really how they say he is? I mean I've heard some wild stories about him in the field and that he's a brilliant Auror but has a death wish with some of the risk he takes. O'Malley told me he recently pulled some crazy stunt and Kingsley was livid and docked him with A1 duties, I'm surprised Kingsley didn't reassign him."

Ginny watched her friend finish her drink and refilled it again. She had overheard some of the stories about Harry since coming to the Ministry, I wonder what he did this time? Ginnystopped that train of thoughts from taking her down an intentionally forgotten trail when she noticed Phoenix was staring at her. "It's fine," she automatically answered.

Phoenix threw back her head and cackled. "Are you playing nice, at least? I mean he is the saviour of the wizarding world."

"Yes, unlike you Phoenix, I am a professional."

Phoenix cackled. "Cut the bullshit, and I have you know I am very professional when it's needed" she finished her drink. "and since when did you get all professional? You're sure as hell aren't with the rest of us; is Wilson having an influence on you? "

"Oh, just shut it, Phoenix," Ginny groaned in exasperation and flopped into her chair and glared crossly at the other woman.

"Well, besides being civil to the boy, you didn't answer my question; what's it like working with him?" Phoenix asked.

"I haven't really worked with him, a few exchanges of files here and there, but that it."

"Hmmm, I'll have to tell Rapture that, she will be disappointed she didn't come by; she's been wanting to meet Potter ever since you let it slip you went to Hogwarts together." Phoenix poured another drink. "It's hard to believe that you barely knew him with your brother and Hermione being part of the golden trio."

Ginny's looked away. "Well believe it, I was just Ron's little sister to him, besides I haven't been in England for years so he's barely more than an acquaintance to me. "

"Yeah, yeah…if you say so" she smirked. "Anyways you're going to have to get re-acquainted with him if your conclusions are legit."

Damn her, does she always have to be right? Ginny was aware there was a slight, possibility that she would have to work closer with Harry than what she was currently comfortable with but for now, she preferred to live in denial until the inevitable was forced upon her. "Yes, I know."

Ginny had survived and worked in worse situations with less than favourable people and was still able to maintain her focus on the assignment. However the part of her that was in denial was also concerned she would unwittingly sabotage herself. Ginny was so close to getting the answers she needed that she refused to let the complicated past she shared with Potter jeopardize the integrity of her work. It's just Potter, she reiterated to herself as her gaze slowly wandered over to the hunched figure of Phoenix, who was carefully cleaning her glasses when she remembered what had distracted her about Phoenix's appearance in the first place. "Phoenix, what happened to your eye?"

Phoenix fumbled her glasses before she returned them to their perch on her angular nose. "Oh, is it that noticeable?"

"Well considering you have one brown eye and the other is half brown and half blue, I'd say 'yes'."

"We'll it's been gradually changing since I was released from the hospital last year." Phoenix shifted in her seat. "It started off as a small blemish and spread from there. I didn't really notice it until last week, probably because I didn't want to," she muttered; her eyes shifted downward and away from Ginny's. "So Pyro, what do you do for fun around here?"

Ginny recognized Phoenix's topic evading tactics and knew better than to probe the subject any further. "Well, if in fun you mean, I come in early to re-read the files from the night before, sometimes I'll join a Auror training session, and then I sit behind this desk for hours, comparing cases I've requested from the archives. Then I spend my evenings in the lab performing diagnostic spells on evidence. After a few disappointing hours of that, I drive home to an empty house and collapse into my empty bed, only to wake up and start the vicious cycle all over again the next day." She smiled sarcastically. "You, of all people, should know we have no time for fun in our occupation."

Phoenix's eyebrows furrowed. "You're at it again, I see?"

"At what?"

"Being consumed by the job, that's what." Phoenix crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "You're spending all your time among these files and not going home. You've picked up exactly where you left off from in D.C." She cocked her head to the side. "I know you refused to celebrate your birthday last week. Care to explain that?"

Ginny felt her anger simmering. "So, been talking to Hermione, have you? What else has your little informant told you?"

"Hermione, my informant? Ha! Hermione simply mentioned it in conversation, earlier, and is only looking out for your best interests. She is right to worry about you; we both are."

"How many times do I have to tell you all that I'm fine!" Ginny cried and slammed her fist on the desk. She was growing tired of the endless prodding about her wellbeing. Can't they just leave me alone! "Tell me, Phoenix, why is my wellbeing any concern of yours?" Ginny knew immediately after the statement left her mouth that she had struck a nerve with Phoenix.

Phoenix's steely glare made Ginny shiver; Phoenix's wrath hadn't been personally directed at her in years.

Don't catch a damn attitude with me," she hissed, leaning forward in a menacing manner. "The only reason we're concerned is because we are your friends, Ginny." Phoenix gestured her hand towards the haphazardly stacked files on the desk. "If you surfaced from your work once in a while, you would know this!"

Ginny leaned forward, matching Phoenix's battle stance. "You, of all people, should know how important this case is for me! I have and will continue to make sacrifices for this investigation, if it means getting what we want!" She accidently jarred her desk, which caused a stack of files to shift and tumble to the floor.

The fierce gleam in Phoenix's eyes quickly sobered. "I know, Ginny, I just- I don't want you to forget who you are doing this for and to live too." She threw herself into the chair and ran both hands through her short brown hair. "Listen, I'm sorry I snapped at you. It's just the back to back missions are leaving me fatigued, and if this shit starts up again..." she trailed off.

Ginny's anger retreated. "I know, Phoenix, and I'm sorry, too. I'm just-"

"Stressed to the point of no return?"

"I wouldn't be me if I wasn't." Ginny smiled wistfully. Phoenix broke the tension when she started cackling in her distinctive laugh.

"I guess we're both a little stressed."

"That's why we make a good team. Who else would allow me to blow off some steam and not take it personally?"

"Keep telling yourself that, Pyro," Phoenix chuckled. "The only reason I don't take offence is because, half the time, I provoked it and you know as well as I do that no one of sound mind will stay around for one of your tantrums."

Ginny's red eyebrows arched. "Oh, really? If I remember correctly, your tirades easily surpass my own; why, I remember the time when Xander-"

Phoenix threw up a hand. "Please, let's not go there today, Gin."

Ginny snickered as she flicked her wand to restack the files that fell.

"Hey, I have an idea; if this mission doesn't go to shit, I should be back in the area sometime next week." A sly grin crept across Phoenix's lips. "Let's go and have our type of fun, it will be just like old times."

"It has been a while since we had one of our outings." Ginny smiled; there was no telling what an evening could hold. The idea of experiencing a night of debauchery like old times was very tempting. Ginny hastily wrote a note, which left the office through the open-door hatch. "Hermione." She said, gesturing to the note.

Phoenix grinned. "And if I know Hermione like I do, she is in need of a night out just as much as you."

"Besides that, she would hex us if we didn't include her."

"I have a good idea of where we could go. We have connections, of course." Phoenix grinned deviously.

"Of course," Ginny giggled.

"You could invite your brothers and friends too; the more the merrier. Do you think they are up for it?"

"Maybe," Ginny shrugged. "I'll check with them at Sunday Dinner. What have you got planned for tonight? What are you doing before you leave?"

"Nothing… I hadn't planned on anything. Rapture is at the Citadel and I assumed I'd go back there to kill time, before we move out. Why?"

Ginny clapped her hands together. "Perfect, I know a good way to kill time and it has always helped soothe your nerves before an assignment." A huge grin spread across her lips.

"What? A bottle of jack and getting laid?"

"Ew, no" Ginny shook her head. "I'm talking about your other healthier habit, cooking. You can cook me dinner, I mean us dinner."

Phoenix laughed, but still looked unconvinced. "And what exactly are you asking me to cook, Pyro?"

"Oh, just some chicken and sausage jambalaya, fried catfish, okra, and tomatoes, maybe some black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, a few oyster shooters, and maybe some praline bread pudding. Oh, and a pan of cornbread… but that's all," Ginny rambled as she smiled sweetly.

The multi-hued eyes of Phoenix widened at Ginny's request. "That's all?" Phoenix repeated. "Gin, that's enough food for at least eight people!" She crossed her arms smugly. "Besides even if I do cook this feast, where will I get the ingredients? I highly doubt the grocers around here keep what I need in stock."

Ginny waved her hand to dismiss Phoenix. "That's the least of your concerns. I'll take care of it. So, what time is dinner?"

Phoenix opened her mouth to object but instead rolled her eyes and playfully huffed, "Fine."

Ginny grinned. Even though she knew her friend would complain, cooking always helped ease Phoenix's nerves before missions. "Well, I guess since I won't be indulging in my other habit tonight and will be cooking instead," Phoenix rose and walked towards the door, resting her hand on the knob, "I should actually attend to the business I have here. Can I meet you at your house around seven?"

"Perfect, I'll have all the ingredients by then," Ginny replied. Phoenix nodded her head and strode out the office door. Ginny couldn't help but smile. For once, she looked forward to going home.

Harry's shoulders slumped as the large wooden door closed behind him. "It could've been worse," he mumbled as he dragged his hand through this hair, causing it to look even more dishevelled than usual. Thankfully, 'The Talk' had been with just Tonks and not Kingsley. Tonks had held a soft spot for Harry since his fifth year at Hogwarts. She hadn't exactly been lenient, but it hadn't been the arse roast Ron had predicted. If it had been Kingsley, it would have been a totally different story.

Harry shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, causing his shoulders to tense a little as he walked down the hallway. When he reached the lift, a soft conversation drifted past his ears. He looked around for the source of it, and his eyes landed on the office at the opposite end of the hallway. Ginny's… I wonder if she is in there. Before his mind could comprehend what he was about to do, he was standing in front of the closed door with his hand outstretched, ready to knock.

The faint murmurs he had heard were more distinct, now; when curiosity got the best of him, he flicked his wand to open the door hatch above her office a smidge more. He heard Ginny's voice rise to a loud, ear-splitting pitch before a loud bang brought silence. Instinctively, Harry pointed his wand at the door ready to intervene, but the sound of the second voice stopped him. He couldn't distinguish it. It wasn't the baritone of a man's voice, but it was low and raspy, almost feminine in certain aspects. They spoke so low that the conversation was barely audible, until a distinctive cackle startled him.

Harry instantly pinpointed the melodious laughter that intertwined with the raucous cackling. The innocent sound of Ginny's jovial laughter stirred long denied emotions deep inside him as buried memories darkened his thoughts. He sighed and ran his hand over the door and decided that Ginny's visitor had more important business than he did. Harry's eyes caught sight of a memo darting through the slightly open hatch and watched it disappeared around the corner.

"Harry?" Adriana walked up to him from the direction of the lifts. "Did you hear me call your name?" Harry looked down into her concerned brown eyes as he led them away from Ginny's office. "Ron told me about the meeting you were in; how did it go?" she asked.

"It was fine." Behind him, he could hear the door creak open and her voice carry down the hallway.

"Harry?" Adriana placed a hand on his chest. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just have a lot on my mind," he muttered.

"Care to share with me?"

"No, not really, sorry." He smiled weakly. Adriana nodded and she smiled brightly at him and began telling him about a funny incident that happened in today's meeting. He listened half-heartily and chuckled when prompted as he walked with Adriana back to her office, leaving his past behind him.

Ginny barrelled down the stairs to the blare of her doorbell. Her bare feet skidded across the floor and nearly caused her to crash into the door. "Oi, why didn't you answer the door?!"

"Because," Phoenix yelled from the kitchen, "It's not my house and I don't know what type of wards you have up. Plus, I'm in the middle of cooking. Who the hell am I? Alfred?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and adjusted the hastily wrapped bath towel that clung to her body. "I'll show you 'Alfred'," she muttered darkly and then removed several locking charms and opened the door slightly to peer at her visitor.

"Hey, Ginny, it's me. You can open the door now."

Ginny began to close the door but paused. "Wait, how do I know it's you?" she asked.

"Oh, honestly," she huffed. "It's me, Hermione."

"Tell me something only you would know."

"All right," Hermione smirked. "When you get pissed, you fancy playing connect the dots with the freckles on your legs."

Ginny's face flushed on the other side of the door. "You promised you would never tell anyone!"

"I had, but you asked for it," Hermione replied with a grin.

Ginny flicked her wand at the closed door and opened it to allow Hermione in.

"Is that a new ward?"

"Yeah, only works if the visitor knows something about me and I acknowledge it."

"Did I develop that?" Hermione asked as she hung her robes up.

"Probably." Ginny shrugged as she reapplied the security wards. She readjusted the slipping towel. "Zeddie's in there." She pointed to the kitchen and then turned and dashed back up the stairs. "I'll just be a minute," she yelled over her shoulder.

Hermione stood in the small foyer and quietly studied her surroundings. She had only visited the house once, after Ginny bought the house two years ago. Hermione was idly tracing her finger along the intricate cedar carvings on the wall when a familiar aroma wafted under her nose that pulled her towards the kitchen. Hermione stepped into the kitchen and barely missed being cleaved in two when a knife zipped by.

"Oh, shit!" Phoenix dropped the tomato she had been cutting. "I'm sorry; I wouldn't have summoned the knife if I knew you were coming in. Did I nick you?"

"Almost."

Phoenix smiled apologetically. "I didn't expect to see you here, Fox." She turned away to add a piece of breaded catfish to the hot oil.

"Neither did I," a dressed Ginny said as she leaned against the doorframe. "What brings you to my humble abode?"

"Ron has been assigned primary patrol in Hogsmeade tonight. I didn't want to stay in the flat alone, so, I thought I'd stop by and see if Phoenix was here."

"Night rounds?" Ginny turned to Hermione. "I thought that was only for A-2 thru A-4's?; how did he manage to be given that assignment?"

Hermione sat down at the table. "He was assigned by circumstance. Apparently Harry performed poorly in this morning's tactical exercises and is being reprimanded with night watch. Ron, being his partner, got shafted, too."

"Shafted?" Ginny laughed. "Since when have you started using words like that?"

"I think we're beginning to corrupt the girl," Phoenix chimed in from over her shoulder.

There was a slight pause before Ginny and Phoenix broke out into laughter. Hermione looked back and forth between the two witches. "What? It's not like I haven't talked like that before!"

"Hermione, that was in the States; this is here. I don't think my brother would appreciate us, two rogue women corrupting you," Ginny laughed. "You'll always be his sweet, innocent 'Mione!" Ginny doubled over in laughter at her own joke while Phoenix started to choke from laughter at the sink.

"Innocent?" Phoenix chortled. "Pyro, remember that one time, Fox got really pissed and started dancing-"

"Oh, shut it, both of you!" Hermione huffed and then softly giggled.

Both Ginny and Phoenix continued to laugh while Phoenix shook her head and finished mixing the corn bread batter. Ginny opened the refrigerator, pulled out two butterbeers, and handed one to Hermione.

Ginny settled down next to her at the small table and proceeded to watch Phoenix whirl around the kitchen. "You know you would think I'd be a pro in the kitchen with having a mother like mine," Ginny said as she sipped from the bottle "Technically, I should be able to whip up anything like that!" She snapped her fingers.

"You probably have more skill than I do; I still have a tendency to burn things," Hermione replied, finishing her butterbeer.

Phoenix stopped what she was doing. "Ladies, I hate to tell you this but, Hermione, the only reason you burn dinner is because you don't pay attention," Phoenix pointed out. "I've seen you cook, Hermione. You'll start one dish and then start another, get so engrossed in what you're doing with the second dish, you forget about the first dish and end up burning it, which by the way, I still don't understand with how good you are at potions."

Ginny nearly choked on her mouth full of butterbeer and started to laugh at the scowl that had formed on Hermione's face as a result of Phoenix's remark.

"And you, Pyro," Ginny stopped mid-laugh while Hermione smirked. "You seem to be the only witch I know who can burn a pot of water and ruin one of my good cauldrons"

Hermione doubled over in laughter after she caught the three-shaded blush that had descended upon Ginny's face. Phoenix turned away from the stove and greeted both women with a grin, "Dinner is ready."

"Now I remember exactly why I dislike primary patrol," Harry muttered and then kicked a rock as he strolled down the main avenue of Hogsmeade.

Ron nodded. "Yeah, but at least were not duelling rogue Death Eaters every five minutes." Ron looked up at a darkened Honeydukes. "I like how things are quiet, now. Don't you?"

After having fought in a war for so long, peacetime was both a gift and a curse. The restlessness that Harry felt was one reason he would volunteer for more active missions outside the country, while Ron preferred to stay local after marrying Hermione. Harry didn't mind the travel. This was the longest time in several months that he had been in England. However even with the current calm state of things, Harry couldn't shake the feeling that something was brewing, just waiting to strike. "How many more hours?"

"Several, so quit asking."

Both men trudged towards the road that led to Hogwarts. When they reached the crest, they stopped and looked at the majestic castle. "When was the last time you visited?" Ron asked.

"It's been years," Harry answered. The grounds still held too many painful memories for Harry to venture there willingly. "What about you?"

"Only a couple of months ago," Ron answered. "Hermione asked me to pick up a bag of mooncalf dung from Neville."

"How is Neville?" Harry asked as he leaned against a tree.

"He's good, been doing real well since he took over Herbology after Professor Sprout retired." Ron pushed off from the tree he had leaned against. "He and Luna are expecting."

Harry eyes brightened at the news, yet he felt a distinct twinge of guilt. Both men still exchanged pleasantries if they ran into each other but it had been years since he had a real conversation with old roommate. He forced a smile. "Really? That's fantastic; did he mention how Luna is handling it?"

"Er, no. I didn't hear the news from Neville." Ron muttered; his ears went pink.

Harry gave Ron a curious glance. "Then who?"

"Lavender."

"Lavender Finnigan?" Harry started to laugh. "You ran into Lavender? How did that reunion go, Won-Won?"

Ron scowled. "Fine, She and Seamus were visiting from Ireland when I ran into both of them on Diagon Alley. Looks like Seamus is trying for a Football team, they have four already."

Harry continued to laugh and tease at Ron's expense. He hadn't thought about the Won-Won and Lavender fiasco in years. He wiped the tears away as he remembered the whole hormonal ordeal and the never-ending snogging sessions. Harry continued to chuckle until a figment began to tease him with the memory of the last Quidditch match of that same year, his laughter slowly died with the faded image of her eyes as they twinkled with amber lights.

A slow smile teased at his lips as he stared off into space and remembered the joy he felt when Ginny had barrelled into his life and heart that day. Harry glanced up to see Ron staring at him. "Come on; we have to cover the perimeter and I bet Rosmerta will open up for us for a cold butterbeer," Harry suggested. Ron agreed as they both turned and started towards the perimeter path of Hogsmeade.

They quickly reached the fence that bordered the Shrieking Shack and were in the middle of a lively discussion on the upcoming Quidditch match. "There is no way Puddlemere can beat the Cannons next week!" Ron argued. "Wood barely saved those goals when they played Portree last week."

"Ron, I don't know which match you were listening to, but Oliver is having his best season yet. Unless the Cannons' new Chasers step up, they'll have to rely on Hawthorne to catch the Snitch early!" Harry rebutted.

"But Harry, how can you say that?! Chudley is having their best season yet! They haven't played this well since-"

Harry came to an abrupt halt and looked at the desolate path behind him. Ron stopped and turned to look back. "What is it?" he asked.

Harry glanced over his shoulder at Ron. "I thought I heard something," he muttered.

"Lumos." Ron took a few steps further down the path, away from Harry, and began to sweep the area. "What did you hear?"

"It was a rustling," Harry replied as he searched the area with his eyes. They stood in silence and listened to the unsuspicious night sounds around them. "Nox," Harry muttered. "The day must be getting to me." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Yeah." Ron extinguished his wand, which had blanketed them in a dim light. "Let's go get that butterbeer you mentioned earlier."

Harry took two steps and heard a branch snapped behind him. He whirled around and yelled, "Stupefy!"

Except he didn't hear the sound of a stunned body falling; instead, a low groan answered him. "Lumos!" Off to the side of the path, a bare foot stuck out a few metres away from where he had stood only minutes before.

He jogged over to the motionless body. "Ron, we're going to need back-up!"

Ron shot several red flares from his wand into the air, summoning all nearby Auror teams to Apparate to their location. Harry could hear Ron barking out orders to the steady stream of Apparating Aurors in the background as he approached the site. Harry had witnessed many terrible things as an Auror, but the scene in front of him brought a tidal wave of nausea that made him feel ill for the first time in years.

He kneeled next to the mangled form and reached out to remove a branch that obscured his view. Just as he wrapped his hand around the branch, a hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. Harry bit back a yell and desperately tried to break the grasp of the wide-eyed, ragged-breathing body in front of him. "They're alive!" he yelled. "We need an emergency team here, now!" The commotion of Aurors' feet running towards him fell on deaf ears. Harry could only hear the horrible, anguished screams of the battered witch lacerating and reverberating in his mind.

The three witches that sat around the table could all be described with one word: satisfied. Hermione sat back in her chair and patted her full stomach. Ginny had slowly begun to slide down the chair, her eyes shut, at peace. Next to her, Phoenix sat with her head resting in the crook of her arm with a contemplative expression. Phoenix's gently kicked the dozing Hermione and nodded her head towards Ginny.

"Hey, Ginny." Phoenix gently shook her arm until Ginny groggily opened her eyes. "Do you by chance have those files from Trinidad?"

"The Soucouyant assignment?" Ginny mumbled as she stared bleary eyed at Phoenix.

"Yes, I've been looking for them; I need them to finalize the report for Antares."

Ginny stood up with difficulty and left the other two women at the table. Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Phoenix held her hand up. When the sound of soft creaks from the floorboards above answered them, Phoenix dropped her hand and then beckoned for Hermione to speak.

"Soucouyant?" Hermione whispered. "I don't remember her being on that team, Was that one of your diversions?"

"Yeah." Phoenix glanced up at the ceiling. "Ginny's been drinking spiked butterbeer all evening. I know she has drunk enough to do almost anything." Phoenix looked away. "But that's not the point; how has she been doing?"

"She's been fine, she been staying late, working on finding supporting evidence for the link between the two cases, nothing out of the ordinary for Ginny." Hermione understood Phoenix's concerns, overprotective but warranted considering the previous year.

Phoenix nodded. "What about Potter?"

"Harry?" Hermione's curiosity peaked at this question.

Phoenix nodded, "I'm not familiar with how he operates, only rumours and hearsay, " she glanced up the stairs. "I don't want Ginny distracted."

Hermione took her time before she answered; she was aware how protective Phoenix was especially of Ginny. "Harry is a good Auror, he might put himself in dangerous situations but he handles it well and anyone with him is safe, he's hardly reckless anymore, " She knew what rumours Phoenix was referring too, even after all these years, people still spreading fraudulent rumours about Harry.

"Phoenix?"

The American witch looked up from the butterbeer cap she was playing with. "Hm?"

Hermione hesitated before asking, but her curiosity got the best of her. "What has Ginny told you about Harry?"

"Oh nothing," she levitated the cap with her wand. "Just that she went to school with him and he's her brother's best mate" she shrugged. "Never brought him up to be honest, even when she first came to the Institute, we all assumed she knew him, but not according to her."

Hermione nodded. She wondered how much of her past Ginny had kept secret.

"Well, will you just keep an eye on her, I'm not happy Antares sent her out here, but he felt it was time for her to get back out in the field…"

Before Hermione could question her further, they heard the light shuffle of Ginny's feet on the stairs before she entered the kitchen and put an end to the conversation. "Nick, exactly what files are you talking about?" she asked sleepily.

"Never mind, maybe it was Rapture that had those files, I always get you two confused. "

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I can see how you can confuse a pale, freckly, red-head English girl with a tall, blond American."

Phoenix pushed back from the table. " I'll just ask Rapture when I get back to the Institute, worst case scenario, I'll submit it incomplete." She picked up her leather jacket from the back of the chair. "Well, ladies, it's been real, but I must return to the Citadel and get some sleep." Phoenix placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder. "Are you going to be all right tonight, Pyro?"

Ginny nodded her head sleepily and yawned. The dinner and alcohol had begun to have their sedative effect.

Hermione rose from her seat and followed Phoenix. "I'm going to leave too, Ginny. I need to beat Ron home. Stop by my office at work tomorrow?"

"Sure." Ginny led her guests to the front door and watched Hermione Disapparate on the front lawn and Phoenix ride down the street on her motorcycle. Ginny inadvertently rubbed her full stomach and let loose a long yawn. After she closed her mouth, she disappeared into the house and soon afterward fell into a dreamless sleep.