A/N Here is the next short chapter, but one which I feel is important.
Please leave a review, I always enjoy knowing what you think.
The next chapter will reveal more about Harry.
Ginny Weasley stood behind the counter of the Windswept Broom, a new restaurant in Diagon Alley, quietly humming to herself. She was absently wiping the surface clean as she studied the picture and Quidditch jersey of Harry Potter that were hanging on the opposite wall. It had become a sort of routine, glancing at the picture of him holding onto a Snitch with an outstretched arm, his face alight with the thrill of winning. The smile that spread onto her face could not be helped. With the counter clean, she worked her way around the room cleaning each table in turn.
After Harry disappeared, the war and tension across the country decreased. Voldemort was still out there, but he was biding his time. Dumbledore finally managed to exert some more control by actively working against Voldemort. This increased show of force ensured that Death Eater activities decreased. The world almost seemed to be going back to normal. She could not believe that it had only been two years since his disappearance. It felt much closer to fifty.
With the lull in the war she had managed to persuade her mom to allow her to find a summer job. The only reason her mother consented was because she knew that Ginny was not working for the money. With little to do around the house except her usual chores, Ginny had drawn into herself more.
If school had been difficult for her, the summers had been a nightmare. The only highlight of her life the past two years was them being allowed to move back into the Burrow this summer. Grimmauld Place had not exactly been a welcoming place to spend your summer holidays. It was cold, dark and damp. A place like that allowed only one thing' really: brooding. Time alone with nothing to do was dangerous with Harry not in her life anymore.
Each day, she made a point of studying the various Quidditch jerseys and memorabilia around the restaurant as she worked. The few Harpies jerseys that hung in the one corner received a few more ambitious stares than the rest. A bright orange Canons shirt was barely visible in the dark corner where it had been hung. The owner of the Windswept broom tried not to have a Canons jersey, but he relented knowing that the surprisingly large number of Canons fans were rather obsessive. Not having a shirt of theirs would be dangerous. In an attempt to please them even more, seeing as they were his most devoted patrons, he even decorated one of his few guest rooms in their dazzlingly bright colours. It was not surprising that it was the smallest room.
A few older brooms that had been flown by legendary players were hung on the wall. A few even dangled from the ceiling. The place comforted her. Working here allowed her to focus more on her dreams of a future as a Quidditch player than her past with Harry.
This was her last day working at the Windswept Broom before she would return to Hogwarts for her sixth year. She was hoping that it would be a better year for her. It would also be Ron and Hermione's last year. Luna was still around, but being in Ravenclaw and not in the same classes they rarely had time to talk. The stupid inter house rivalries were infuriating. Her only real friend was always out of reach and her own Gryffindor classmates were inconsiderate prats. Unfortunately, being the house of the brave meant it was also mostly a house filled with egos to match. More than one idiot had to be told the hard way that she was not interested in dating them.
She would not call herself depressed. She was far from that, there was just no desire in her to start a relationship with any of the guys at Hogwarts. Her emotions were still too confused for her to make out what to do. Dumbledore had never been able to tell the Weasleys what had happened to Harry. She was only starting her sixth year which gave her more than enough time to think things through. A rash decision to date someone she did not really like would only end up hurting her, the unfortunate guy, and Harry most of all, if he was to return.
A bell rang indicating that a new patron had entered. Looking up she sighed, a regular. His weary eyes remained downcast as he took his usual seat. She felt sorry for the guy, an over worked ministry employee who worked countless night shifts. He always enjoyed a breakfast here after a long night's hard work. With just a wave of his hand he ordered his usual coffee and breakfast, it was always the same. Ginny had not really managed to get much out of the man and she often wondered what had happened in his life.
Another man came in a little while later, an Auror this time. Like the other man, he was also unfortunate enough to get the night shifts. Studying them while she pretended to be working, she wondered if they were single. That would explain why they always had the worst shifts. A man with no family to go home to was an ideal candidate for the worst hours. By the looks of them, she got the feeling that they were single, but that they had not always been so.
She was the only one working this morning, Saturday mornings were always relatively quiet in Diagon Alley. Most people preferred to do their shopping later in the day. Ginny always worked the morning and afternoon shifts. It was not the best time to work to make money, for that you had to work evenings, but she did not want to be around drunken old men. Besides, she wanted to spend time with her mother and father before she returned to Hogwarts.
The bell rang again and to her surprise two new people entered, a tall red haired boy and short girl with dark hair. Brother and sister Ginny supposed. Her eyes remained on the boy until he passed. He seemed preoccupied and his eyes – gray eyes – were focused on a table in the far corner.
Before passing, the woman gave Ginny a warm smile and a knowing look. She smiled back, confused. Upon closer inspection, the girl with him appeared much older than she had at a distance. Her face appeared almost ageless. A well aged forty-five, if she had to guess. Reconsidering her earlier assumption, the woman had to be his mother.
Forgetting the look from the woman, she studied the boy, mesmerised. He walked with an elegant ease, almost like he was gliding along the ground. He was neither large nor thin, his back was straight and her keen eyes noticed the outlines of well-defined muscles. Her cheeks tinged. Shaking her head she noticed that the woman herself looked like she was floating. They had an air of something about them, not snobbish or arrogant, but they looked like people used to authority. It was an odd thought, but she had become quite good at reading people while she worked here.
The pair settled down in the far corner. She noticed them looking around the room. The boy's gray eyes continued smoothly around until his eyes fell upon Harry's jersey. He paused. Her stomach fluttered suddenly and she looked down at her hands that were nervously drying a glass. Even the palms of her hands were sweaty. Only one man had ever done that to her.
Those piercing gray eyes had drawn her in. She could not resist looking at them again. When she glanced up, she saw him studying the two wizards who were still eating. His eyes were distant, as if remembering something.
Maybe, just maybe, she could let herself go for once. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she moved around the counter towards them. "Hi. I am Ginny..."
