Disclaimer: JK owns everything!

A/N: Thank you all for your reviews! You're all so great! Keep coming with ideas!

xxx

A Fake Smile

Chapter Four: Parental Guidance

Harry had been feeling pretty miserable after his argument with Travis and was glad to be back at work where he could get distracted and busy and forget all about his personal life. This all seemed to be working until Ron suddenly appeared at his desk a few days later.

"Hey!" Harry said in surprise. It had been a while since Ron had stopped by; he was always so busy at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. It sometimes struck Harry as a surprise to see Ron looking so official in his magenta robes but that was just because he was used to him looking so casual in jeans and a shirt on weekends.

"Hey. Here, chocolate and peanut butter." He replied as he passed Harry and ice cream.

"What are we? Five?" Harry scoffed as he took the ice cream and licked it.

"You're welcome." Ron replied sarcastically.

"Thanks." Harry chuckled, "So, what's up?"

"Not much, I thought I'd stop by before I went back to work. Just had lunch with Hermione – once I got her to leave the damn library!"

"Of course. How's..." Harry started but was cut off.

"What happened with you and Ginny the other night? I saw her yesterday and she seemed pretty upset. She didn't say anything but Hermione told me that you had a fight with Travis at a bar a few nights ago. What's going on?"

"Oh...umm. No, it's nothing. I just ran into Ginny and then I saw Travis and we talked. We didn't, you know, fight or anything. People are exaggerating!" Harry mumbled.

"I don't think so. Ginny isn't easily upset, something happened and I want to know what it is." Ron snapped.

"I have work to do so can we not talk about this?" Harry asked as he started aimlessly shuffling papers on his desk.

Ron tossed his half eaten ice cream in the bin and slammed his hand on top of all the papers Harry had been moving. "Listen to me. You may be my best mate but she is my sister! If you go around hurting her again you will be answering to me!"

"Go back to work, Ron." Harry said through gritted teeth.

"This isn't over." Ron spat, he was shaking with anger by now.

Harry didn't answer but threw him a dark look as he turned and walked away.
To avoid making eye contact with those watching him, Harry tossed his left over ice cream on top of Ron's in the bin and picked up the papers that had fallen off his desk when Ron had moved his hand.

Xxx

"Hi." Ron said with a smile.

"Hi." Hermione replied, standing on her toes to give him a kiss.

"How was the rest of your day? Did you leave the library by any chance?" Ron asked, closing the door behind him.

"Yes, Ronald!" she replied, giving him a dirty look.

"Haha, just checking!" he chuckled as he pulled her into his arms.

"Ummm, did you speak to Harry?" Hermione whispered.

"Yeah, he's not giving anything up. He said everyone is just exaggerating."

"Well, I don't think they are. You know how he is, downplaying everything."

"Yeah. Is Ginny here? I wanted to speak to her again."

"She's in her room, playing depressing music again. It's driving me nuts!" Hermione muttered.

"Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes." Ron said and walked to Ginny's room.

"Be careful!" Hermione yelled.

Xxx

"Hey Gin..." Ron said as he turned off her music box and sat next to her on her bed.

"Hi." She replied shortly, never taking her eyes off her big ruby engagement ring.

"I spoke to Harry..."

"I don't want to talk about him. Get out!"

"No. I want to know what happened, why you're so upset. I don't understand why Travis didn't show up for family dinner the other night, the one he organised."

"It doesn't matter. We had an argument and he went home."

"There's more..."

As tears started to cascade down Ginny's face she shook her head and mumbled something he couldn't hear.

"What was that?"

"Harry and I kissed. Travis found out and stormed out." She sobbed.

Xxx

"You kissed her? YOU KISSED HER?" Ron yelled as he walked into his, Harry and Neville's apartment.

"What?" asked Neville.

"Not you! YOU!" Ron yelled as he pointed at Harry who just rolled his eyes and went to get a Butterbeer from the kitchen.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING? ARE YOU TRYING TO BREAK THEM UP OR JUST TRYING TO HURT HER?"

"I wasn't trying anything, okay? It just happened. And in my defence, she kissed me back." Harry said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Oh, yeah, that makes perfect sense. I guess it's not so bad now, is it?" Ron replied sarcastically.

"Okay, hold on! You kissed Ginny?" asked Neville.

"Yes!" said Harry and Ron in unison.

"Major party foul, mate!" he squeaked.

"It doesn't matter, she's with Travis. It just happened and it's over now. Done!" replied Harry, completely ignoring Neville.

"I don't know about that, Travis stormed out the other night when he confronted Ginny. She doesn't even know what's happening now."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Harry gave a smirk worthy of Draco Malfoy.

"Do not make me punch you!" Ron hissed, "Go and apologise!"

"Like hell I will! She still loves me, whether she wants to admit it or not is her problem."

"She's with Travis, Harry. You need to accept that." Said Neville. He had stepped in front of Ron who had his fists up.

"No." Was all he said before grabbing his cloak off the rack and walking out of their apartment.

Xxx

Harry came to a stop in front of the cottage. He just looked at it, thinking of how different things would be if his past was different. He slowly stepped forward and touched the gate and watched everything transform. He never got the opportunity to know his parents but he still missed them terribly. Especially in moments when he desperately needed some parental guidance. He watched the stone carvings for what seemed like an age and then turned and walked to the cemetery.

Xxx

Ginny leant forward and brushed the dead leaves off the grave stones and then flopped back onto her cloak. She had no idea why she had come here, her feet seemed to just direct her. One minute she was moping on her couch next she was crying on the cold, hard ground in front of James and Lily's graves.

"What are you doing here?" asked a calm voice.

Ginny yelped and turned, she hadn't heard anyone coming behind her which was careless. Someone could have attacked her and she would not have had the time to defend herself.

"I don't know." Ginny replied as she got to her feet and gathered he cloak. "I'm sorry, I'll go."

"No. You can stay if you want." Harry said quietly. He put his hand out to stop her but thought better of it and shoved it in his cloak pocket.

"O-okay." She muttered and spread her cloak out again and sat down, leaving enough space for Harry to sit next to her.

Harry ignored her gesture and remained standing. "What are you doing here, Gin?" he asked.

"I don't know. I was upset and sad and next thing I was sitting here and crying like a two year old."

"Why here?"

"I don't know. My subconscious must have thought this was a great place for me to breakdown!"

Harry didn't reply but sat down in the space Ginny had left for him. He placed his hands on the grave stone and sighed deeply, closing his eyes in the process and then breathing in deeply. After a few minutes Harry pulled back and opened his eyes.

"I'm sorry for what I did. To you and to Travis."

Ginny nodded, "What happened between you and Travis? He didn't go into detail before he walked out."

"I told him about the kiss and he threatened me a couple times and then Abe told us to leave. End of story."

"He said you told him I was still in love with you."

"That might have come up, yeah."

"Harry! What are you doing? Why are you doing this?"

"Do I really have to explain this to you?" Harry asked irritably.

"Please do because I have NO IDEA what's going on in your head!" Ginny replied beseechingly.

Harry breathed deeply again and turned his body to face Ginny. "Tell me you don't love me anymore."

"What?" Ginny asked in shock, she was still facing the grave yard and couldn't see the pained look on Harry's face.

"If you don't love me anymore, tell me."

"I don't love you, Harry." She said quietly.

"Now say it to my face. Look at me." Harry asked.

But Ginny refused to turn. She knew if she did the truth would show on her face and Harry would see just how much she longed to be in his arms and be loved by him again. Harry turned her face to look at his and could see her eyes glistening with tears.

"Say it." He said quietly, "Say it and I'll never bother you again. Promise."

"I can't." She said as tears fell from her eyes.

Harry closed the distance between them with a kiss and Ginny didn't pull back. He put his hands on her waist and pulled her forward so she was straddling him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, sliding her hands into his hair as he pulled her tighter against his chest. Ginny deepened the kiss and pushed Harry back so they were now lying on the ground, she on top of him.