Two days later found Ginny stood in Diagon Alley her arms full of packages as her mother shopped and she somehow became the pack mule. At that moment her mother was haggling with a cloth merchant, and Ginny couldn't help but roll her eyes at that. Molly was holding up a truly atrocious looking pea green material and it seemed she was haggling a price for it. Shivering at the thought of her mother making her a dress from that cloth she shook her head. With a sigh she turned away looking to see if she could find somewhere to sit, when her eyes locked onto a mop of messy black hair.
With a gasp her arms went slack and the parcels tumbled from her grasp forgotten at her feet. She moved before she realised and was trying to follow that hair through the crowd that had sprung up around her. She caught a flash of green eyes and knew it was him, but he was moving away from her. She picked up the pace his name on her lips ready to call out to him but before she could get too far she barrelled head first into someone coming in the opposite direction. She bounced clean of the person and fell to the floor in a heap.
"Crap," she muttered as she rubbed her hip and looked up to see a very male face smiling down at her.
"Are you alright?" he asked laughter dancing in his voice as he held a hand out to help her up.
She hesitated for a moment but slipped her fingers into his hand and he hauled her to her feet.
She stepped back from him and brushed off her jeans, "so what had you in such a rush?" he asked and she looked up to meet his eyes again. Her breath caught as she realised he had green eyes just like Harry's, and then her heart sank he must have been the person she had caught sight of.
"I'm sorry I thought I saw someone," she murmured and jerked a little as he laughed again.
That laugh seemed so familiar and yet completely different. She shook her head trying to chase away the memories that were clouding reality.
Just then her mother burst through the crowd of people all the parcels floating behind her.
"Ginevra Weasley, what do you think you're playing at," she fumed stopping dead in front of her daughter.
Ginny ducked her head knowing she had no way to explain to her mother what had happened, "sorry mum," she simply said.
Molly assessed her daughter for a moment; her angry words had masked her worry. Ginny was so withdrawn most of the time but she hadn't failed to notice how twitchy her daughter had become in the last few weeks. When she had turned to find the parcels strewn across the floor and Ginny gone she had truly panicked.
"Mrs Weasley isn't it," Molly looked up for the first time noting the boy stood in front of her.
For a moment her breath caught as she saw someone who couldn't have been there, but then her vision cleared and it was a young man she had never seen before.
"Err yes it is, and may I ask who you are," she said trying to be polite.
He laughed and Molly watched as Ginny shivered at the sound and sidled closer to her mother.
"Sorry bout that I'm Lucas, I've been transferred to the ministry and I've been working with Hermione. She talks about you guys all the time," he said holding out a hand for Molly to shake.
Molly looked at his hand for a moment and then took it assessing the man that stood in front of her.
He was tall like most of her sons, but he was boarder of shoulder then Ron or Percy. He had long black hair that reached his shoulders, but it looked right on him. Most of all she was caught by his green eyes, they were so like Harry's had been it was startling. But this young man was most definitely not Harry; apart from a few similar features he looked completely different.
"I'm sorry Lucas she hasn't mention you," she said smiling politely again.
He laughed once more and Ginny moved close enough to press her hand against Molly's shoulder.
"I'm sure she didn't, I gave her one hell of a fright one day coming out of the stacks. I've never seen someone turn completely white," he laughed and Molly knew exactly why Hermione had been frightened by him, "she's still a little edgy around me now," he frowned for a moment but then his face cleared and he was smiling once again.
Molly forced a laugh realising quickly that this young man obviously didn't realise what he looked like to her family. She could feel Ginny's unease radiating off her and Molly instantly knew she had to get her daughter away. As she glanced down at her her eyes seemed almost wild.
"Well it was nice meeting you Lucas," she paused realising he hadn't given a last name.
"Oh sorry Lucas White, I transferred from the ministry in America," he said and she smiled placing his accent finally.
"Well Mr White it was nice meeting you but I think I best be getting my daughter home," she said her hand slipping down into Ginny's.
Ginny's fingers slipped into her mothers and tightened so hard Molly wondered if she's have marks left after she finally let go. Lucas bowed slightly and when he looked up again his eyes were sparkling.
"Nice meeting the both of you," he stepped a little closer to Ginny and she straightened as if meeting a challenge, "and I look forwards to seeing you more Ginny," tipping his head again he slipped passed the mother and daughter and was gone.
Ginny released the breath she had been holding and loosened her grip on her mother's hand. She itched to follow Lucas, to know more about this man that looked so much like her Harry, but she really didn't need any more complications in her life right now.
"Come on mum," she mumbled and pulled Molly along.
Lucas rounded a corner and then stopped leaning back against the wall his heart in his throat. He hadn't realised Molly would be out shopping today. Hermione usually went with her and mentioned something even in passing. He would have avoided Diagon alley if he had. Pressing his hand against his heart he calmed his breathing and felt it finally return to normal. But as he shut his eyes his heart rate picked up again as a pair of hunny eyes flashed in his memory. Ginny Weasley he was starting to think she didn't actually exist, and yet she was everything he thought she would be.
He scrubbed a hand over his face trying to chase thoughts of her away, and yet he could almost feel her creamy skin against his finger tips again. Pressing a palm against his head he realised that thinking so hard had given him a headache. He sighed pushed the thoughts away and decided he best get back to work, submersing himself into research was always the best way to fight off memories that he knew couldn't be his own.
A/N short chap i know but it was a bit of a bridging one I needed to introduce Lucas but i didnt want it to get to clogged up. Hope you all enjoyed.
