Chapter 6

Joe lowered his glass and rested his head on his hand. His head felt as if it were spinning. He was a light weight when it came to alcohol. He had never realised that before. But he wasn't a strong drinker and his brother's well they were.

Beside him Frank hiccupped. Joe could see that his eyes were a little clouded and it was a strange sight. The pair were sat in the Leaky Cauldron off Diagon Alley with Kyle, Anton, Gideon and Fabian. It hadn't been a planned meeting, but sometimes its better that way.

Frank and Joe had gone to King's Cross and waved their friends off to Hogwarts. It had been the strangest feeling not to climb up onto the train themselves. Joe had considered just jumping on board for a moment but then sense kicked in.

He was a man now. He wasn't a student and as he waved goodbye he had felt as though something inside him had died. Maybe he hadn't really accepted the fact that he was no longer a student. Maybe he hadn't realised that the train would leave without him on.

As he sat there he realised that as sad as he was Frank was worse. His girlfriend had returned to Hogwarts and left him in the real world. He wondered again not for the first time if relationships could work over a long distance. Alice and Frank would be surrounded by people, maybe something would happen which wasn't planned.

And what about the others? Joe knew that he would miss his friends while they were at school. He realised that he would miss the life of a student too. The fact that when he wasn't in lessons he was able to mix with his friends. He was able to roam around the best building in Britain. It was strange to think that that aspect of his life was truly over.

But as much as he knew he was going to miss Hogwarts he was looking forward to this new part of his life. For starters he now got to spend time with his brothers. With their age gap they had never been especially close. There were only two years between Anton and Kyle and as such they had been friends throughout their childhood. But with nine years between them and Joe it had been harder. But now finally they were on equal footings.

Then there was also the fact that as a man he was now a fully fledged member of a group known as the Order of the Phoenix. It had been a surprise to him that it even existed. Which wasn't a surprise thinking about it. The Order was a secret organisation set up outside of the ministry to deal with the threat of Voldemort. He loved the fact that they thought so much of him to invite him to join. It was even better that his brothers and Frank were involved.

The only other great thing was the fact he had a job that he already loved. He had started in July almost instantly after finishing Hogwarts. He did a lot of running around the studio fetching drinks for the presenters. But when one of them ran off to the toilet he was in charge of making sure the next song started without a problem. Then he had been offered tickets to a Quidditch game because the presenter had a wedding that day.

Sure he wasn't presenting anything yet, but it was only time. They loved his joke and his work ethic. He knew that it was only a matter of time and then he would be in. And he couldn't wait for that moment.

However with all the ups there was still one thing that weighed him down. It was worse than the knowledge that Hogwarts was over, it was the idea that the girl he liked would move on without him. Branwen Ddraig seemed to be etched on his brain. She seemed to rule his dreams of late and all he wanted to do was hold her and kiss her. He'd admit that he enjoyed those few times he had managed to get her alone. It just felt right to him. He could hit himself for not making a move before. They could have had months maybe even years of enjoyment in Hogwarts together. Now he was forced to admit that he had been too late.

A hiccup burst through his mind. He looked at the two red headed men sat at the table with him. This was another reason why he and Frank had made their way to the Cauldron that afternoon. They both knew that while alcohol wasn't the answer to any problem raising a glass to the memory of a friend was allowed.

The first of September had come around so quickly. The last year had been full of torment and troubles for them all. But it was strange now to think that it had really been a year. He remembered the night so well. The fear that had flown around them after the vision had been shown. How they had sat up in the sixth year boys dorm room all night. They hadn't slept and just watched as the girls cried. Joe had tried to understand why but he knew now that that didn't matter.

"You know Frank boy she was always the apple of mum's eye. Ginny could never do anything wrong as far as she was concerned. It was horrible!"

Fabian slammed his beer down onto the table.

"I remember she snuck into Molly's room when she was really young and spilt her perfume all over these fancy robes that she was wearing out for a date with Arthur. Molly of course got the blame for leaving it where Ginny could reach."

Fabian shook his head with laughter on his lips. Gideon though had his eyes closed.

"She wanted to be just like Molly that was the problem. She was so young and we were older. She wanted to be grown up like we were. She wanted to go to Hogwarts and wear makeup and have a boyfriend. She wanted to fit in."

Gideon gave a sniff.

"She was misbehaved but she felt she didn't fit in. I'd gladly go back to those days when she was a terror if it meant having her back again."

They fell silent for a while. Then Frank spoke up.

"You realise she never grew out of that right. She was always pulling pranks and misbehaving its just she got very good at not getting caught."

Fabian and Gideon gave a look but Joe smiled as he remembered something funny from his past.

"Frank's not lying. She gave antlers one time!"

The four men laughed as Frank turned red.

"She didn't mean too Joe!"

"No she was aiming at Remus."

The two youngest men laughed. Frank lowered his drink and looked closely at Joe.

"Remember when the boys tried to prank all the girls; it must have been what … their second year maybe. They had a major falling out over that and there was fighting between them all in the common room, and in the corridors and things. Anyway I think they put something in Ginny's make-up. I might be wrong but anyway she ended up with a blue face –"

Joe suddenly remembered that incident laughing he finished Franks sentence with him.

"And she turned Peter blue."

The pair of them laughed happily looking at the Prewett brothers and Joe's own brothers. Joe wiped his eyes gently.

"Your sister was no angel. She had a wicked sense of humour and enjoyed tormenting the people she was closest too with silly little pranks like that. But you know when it came down to it she really did care and she would do anything and everything for us all."

They all fell silent as they picked up their glasses. Frank seemed to lower his before anyone else.

"Alice told me that Ginny was the only person that Amanda confided in. When everything happened with her father Ginny was the one that she turned too and trusted. That's why they learnt that spell. Ginny wanted to know that if anything like that happened again she'd be able to help. I think that says everything about her."

"She was the best girl ever. I loved her because she was my sister but I was proud of her because she was a decent girl. Fabian and I talked about this loads. Ginny was a beautiful girl and girls like that tend to be conceded but not our Ginny."

He gave a massive smile as he picked his glass up again. Joe nodded at that.

"She was one of the most gorgeous girls I ever met. And I am able to say that I was her first proper boyfriend. Because Michael didn't count, the two timing git. And she did break my heart. But that smile, how could anybody ever stay mad at her? She was a good girl and there are not many girls like her. She's missed more than words can express and the wizarding world is a little less exciting without her."

Anton surprised Joe as he raised his glass up.

"May I recommend a toast to the lives of Alexander, Magnolia and Ginny? May their souls have found rest and enjoyment while we left here live everyday missing them in ways beyond any words."

"To the Dunn's."

The six men around that small table in the Leaky Cauldron raised their glasses high clinking them together. Those sitting around thought they were celebrating a good day, an engagement, a marriage, or maybe even a birth. Nobody there could imagine that they were remembering a night that would forever play on the minds of those that had known the family, and be a ghost that would haunt at least one person for another twenty years.

I just want to say thanks to Binka you are too kind

Kris xx