Neither Harry nor Ginny mentioned it, but they both felt a shift in their relationship after that night. Harry was grateful Ginny didn't ask what had conspired between him and Hermione while she was upstairs with Al, or after she left. He did tell her he knew Al had taken a Puking Pastille, which relieved Ginny.
Not to say Ginny wasn't curious. The feelings emanating from both Harry and Hermione were hard to read. There was an animosity, a hurt, just what one would expect from a newly divorced couple, but there was something else that Ginny just couldn't put her finger on. She sensed Al had often been caught in the middle of it, but what IT was, she doubted Al knew and she wouldn't ask him anyway.
Ginny resolved to make things light and positive around the two Potter men. She remembered how she felt after her divorce; the loneliness and isolation she craved, to deal with the feelings of failure. Thank Merlin for her large family and an amazing group of friends who constantly picked her up when she was down, and helped with Scorpius.
She had a quiet couple of weeks ahead of her at work, having already completed four interviews, with only one being published per week. So she told Harry she'd take the boys to school and pick them up, as she could do everything else in between the school hours.
Harry Apparated home the first night, to Ginny's place. Already he could hear the laughter coming from inside, and he smiled. His son, usually so closed off and quiet amongst others, was coming out of his shell, thanks to Ginny, Scorpius and the Weasleys.
He knocked and went in. "Hiya, Harry," said Scorpius, laying on the sofa and tossing a Snitch up and catching it. He was reading last month's Quidditch Monthly.
"Dad, hi! Ginny and I made risotto for tea," called Albus, from the small kitchen.
"Smells delicious," said Harry, banishing his case and cloak to his own apartment. He came closer to Al. "Where's Ginny?" he asked.
Ginny came in from the courtyard. "What do you think, Al? Chives? Oh, hey Harry," she said, her face lighting up. She handed the herb to Al.
"Should be okay, although the recipe called for parsley," said Al, frowning.
"I think it will work fine," said Ginny, patting his arm. "Al's done a great job on dinner," she told Harry.
"Looks like you two have got it all under control," said Harry, pleased that Al was helping.
"Ginny's like Grandma Molly, a good teacher," said Al, tasting the risotto after adding the chives. He nodded in satisfaction.
"Well, there's no higher praise than that. Thanks, Al," said Ginny, hugging him. She then called out to her own son. "Scor, can you set the table, please?"
They enjoyed their meal, talking about their respective days. Al and Scorpius couldn't wait for the upcoming school holidays, and what they might do. Ginny mentioned going camping, something it appeared she, Scor and Teddy had done regularly.
"Can we go camping too, Dad?" asked Al eagerly.
"Maybe. I've got a busy couple of weeks coming up at work but I hope to take some time off during your holidays," said Harry.
Al beamed at him, and he and Scor exchanged hopeful looks.
Ginny brought out a treacle tart she had made for dessert, telling Harry he could take the leftovers home. Neither she nor Scor had a particularly sweet tooth, so they didn't mind.
Nights like these became a regular thing. Sometimes Ginny would owl and ask him to pick up take-away on his way home, or to meet her and the boys at the Burrow for tea. Or he'd come home to find the three of them playing MarioKart at his place, while delicious smells came from the kitchen. It was all very cosy and happy, and exactly what Harry had wished for himself when he was younger, and for his own son, now a similar age.
Friday night it was just Harry, Al and Ginny, as Draco had taken Scorpius for the weekend. Al was a bit down, already missing his friend, so they took him out for pizza, then came home and played MarioKart. Al looked at his father strangely when he immediately offered up Yoshi, and played as Luigi instead.
Al sat between the two, having lots of fun. He knew his dad let him win a few games all the time, but Ginny was really competitive. Still, the Potters had been playing a lot longer, and both beat Ginny. She was a gracious loser.
"You're getting really good," offered Al. "You just go too wide on the turns."
"With more practice, you'll soon beat us," said Harry, winking at her.
"That's true. I may need to move in, so I can play more," said Ginny, pouting, but winking back.
Harry groaned good naturedly. "Hey, this is a man's house, right Al? No females allowed," he told Ginny.
Al shrugged. "I wouldn't mind if Ginny and Scor lived with us," he said.
Harry and Ginny looked at each other, then Ginny looked away, flushing. "I, erm, guess I should go. What are you men up to tomorrow?" she asked.
"We'll be out most of the day. I plan to take Al to Godric's Hollow, and then check out something," said Harry.
"Wanna come too, Ginny?" asked Al, eagerly.
Ginny hugged Al. "No thanks, love. This is something you and your dad need to do together," she said softly. She met Harry's eyes over Al's head, and he nodded slightly, in a gesture of thanks.
"Well, have fun and I'll see you both soon," she said, going to the door, opening it then closing it behind her.
It was quiet at their place after she left. Neither Potter man acknowledged they really hadn't wanted her to leave.
/*/*/*/*
Ginny didn't sleep well that night. Tossing and turning, dreams of Harry and Draco invaded her mind. As she lay in bed upon waking, her mind drifted back to the night she and Harry were alone. How easy it had been, how comfortable she had felt, how right it felt, being with him.
'I wouldn't mind if Ginny and Scor moved in'. Al's words buzzed in her head, as did the look on Harry's face when they'd locked eyes. His had been one of surprise and, dare she think, hope?
She already knew she loved Al like he was her own. He was so like Harry in looks, and she had seen a change in him from when they had first met. He was happier, gaining confidence every day. Both Al and Scor had been a great influence on each other, Al being more studious ( which Ginny credited to Hermione), while Scor couldn't wait to break free from the daily shackles of school and homework. Already Al had asked Ginny to teach him to fly during the holidays, but wanted to surprise his dad. Scor's grades had improved, so it had been win-win.
Harry was more easy going than she thought he would be. He seemed to enjoy his work, yet it wasn't the be all and end all of his life. Ginny had often heard he and Ron discuss becoming Aurors, and Ginny had figured Harry would have a hard time leaving his work at the office if he had chosen that career path. Thankfully he hadn't.
He was a good, caring father, not unlike Draco in that regard. In fact, Ginny found the two men had a lot in common, which amused her immensely, imagining both men's reactions if she were to share that with them.
Many a night, after the boys had gone to sleep, Ginny and Harry would meet in their respective courtyards and talk through the wall. Harry's most often topic of discussion would be how he could become a better parent for Al.
Ginny would reassure him every time that he was a great father, and that his son loved and respected him. A new country, a new school and a divorce were enormous odds to overcome for even a grown man, let alone a young boy, but Al was doing well. Sure, the situation with Hermione hadn't improved, but Ginny was sure, with time, the three of them would be fine.
Those nights talking had become precious to Ginny. There was something about talking in the dark, a feeling you could say and share anything. She felt closer to Harry, sometimes wanting to hug the man as easily as she hugged his son. Ginny knew Al loved her hugs and pats. Scor did too, but was so used to them that he just accepted it or shrugged her off.
Harry, she knew, had grown up not knowing he was loved, needed, wanted. He had only known the human touch to be something that hurt him. She had seen him flinch often when being touched. Until her mother.
Her mother had probably been the only person that Ginny had seen hug Harry that he hadn't stiffened, but actually reciprocated. She knew her mother had considered Harry another son, long before she had declared so to Sirius. Knowing how she herself felt about Al, she knew how her mother felt. 'What was it about those Potter boys that made you want to smother them with love?' she wondered, smiling.
Which led her back to Hermione. She had been Harry's best friend, along with Ron, since they were eleven. Surely she knew how much a gentle touch would mean to Harry, she knew more of his past and upbringing than Ginny did. From Al's comments, he strived to do well at school because he didn't want to let his mother down, "even more".
Ginny never asked what he meant by that comment, but it stuck in her mind. Al seemed to be more like Harry than Hermione when it came to his school work, but surely Hermione wouldn't hold that against her son. After all, nobody could come close enough to Hermione and her study habits at Hogwarts, and Al was still only young.
Ginny checked the time, surprised to see it was after nine. She quickly showered and dressed, as she was meeting with Neville and Oliver to discuss their idea. This was something else she had been thinking quite a deal about, and she wished Luna was home to discuss it with, just for another opinion.
Ginny Apparated to the Burrow, needing the sanctuary of home and hearth. She had a mild headache, thanks to the many facts and information Neville and Oliver had fed her. She needed a cup of tea, a fly and a hug from her mother, not necessarily in that order.
However, when she got to the house, she saw Hermione and Molly seated at the large table, a photo album lay open between them. Both women's eyes were red, and they smiled brokenly at Ginny as she came in.
"Cup of tea, love?" asked Molly, already up and on her way to the kitchen.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I can come back," said Ginny, looking at Hermione. She immediately sensed this was a big thing for Hermione to be at the Burrow.
Hermione shook her head and patted the seat next to her. "No, it's fine. Come sit," she said.
Ginny sank into the chair, and Molly placed a steaming cup in front of her. "Ta, Mum," she said, taking a sip. "So, where did you get up to?" she asked, gesturing to the albums.
"I was just telling Hermione about Ron's sixth birthday," smiled Molly.
"Dad took him to the Chudley Cannons match, right?" asked Ginny. She looked at the album that Molly pushed in front of her. A cheeky Ron waved his brand new scarf at her, her dad standing behind him.
"The Cannons won that night, first win in ages. I think Arthur told Ronnie he was their good luck charm, and he followed them ever since," sighed Molly happily.
Ginny turned the pages of the album. "Look, this is just after you painted his room orange. Merlin, what an eyesore! I don't know how he slept in that room," said Ginny.
Molly and Hermione chuckled through their tears. Ginny put her hand over Hermione's and squeezed, as she told tale after tale of growing up with Ron, from a siblings point of view. She had Molly and Hermione laughing and crying.
Arthur came in from his shed, took one look at the table, nodded at Ginny and Hermione, but went back to the safety of his shed without saying a word.
Finally the tea grew cold and they got to the end of the album. It was a photo of Ron in his Hogwarts uniform, his trunk at his feet.
"I think you could probably tell us more stories about Ron, from here on," said Ginny, gently. "That was taken just before we left to go to Kings Cross," she said, pointing.
"We met on the train. Neville lost Trevor, you see, and I helped him look for him. Ron was in the compartment with Harry, trying to do a spell on Scabbers. I t-told him he had d-dirt on his nose, right here," said a tearful Hermione, pointing. "I just miss him so much," she said, breaking down.
Molly got up and came around to her, consoling the younger woman. Ginny went outside to get some fresh air, leaving the women to their mutual grief. They both loved Ron so much; Hermione having confessed her feelings to Ginny before Bill and Fleur's wedding. Ginny had known about Ron's feelings for ages and suspected Hermione's even as far back as the Yule Ball.
But where did that leave Harry? Had he come second best to Ron, even in death? Surely not. Ginny chided herself for even thinking it. Most likely their mutual grief had brought them closer which had evolved into romance.
The door opened and Hermione came out. "Ginny, will you take me to see him. Please," she asked.
"Of course," said Ginny gently. She took Hermione's hand and led her down the path.
"I barely remember his funeral," whispered Hermione painfully. She threaded her arm through Ginny's.
"You seemed almost in shock," said Ginny, moving a tree branch out the way with her spare hand.
"I think I was," admitted Hermione. She saw the pond ahead, and knew they were getting close. She stopped walking, making Ginny stop too. Ginny looked questioningly at her.
"W-would you mind if I went on from here alone?" she asked.
"Of course not. Go ahead," said Ginny.
"Will you wait? Please," begged Hermione.
Ginny nodded.
Ginny wandered down to the Quidditch pitch, sitting and leaning against a pole. It was such a lovely day out, perfect for flying. She looked towards the Lovegood house, wondering where in the world Luna was. When she had left England she and her family were heading for South Africa. Ginny missed her dear friend terribly, and promised herself to write Luna when she returned home. She was sure Luna would be happy to know Harry and Hermione had returned to England.
She heard a sob and quickly got to her feet. She walked quickly to Hermione, and found her on her knees, sobbing. Ginny went to her side, put an arm around her and helped her to stand. She guided Hermione to a bench her dad had made, close to Ron's gravesite.
"I'm a terrible person, Ginny," she whispered. "I've hurt him horribly."
"Who?" asked Ginny, confused.
"Harry," sobbed Hermione. She buried her face in her hands, and Ginny held her.
Slowly her sobbing stopped. She sat up, brushing her hair off her face. "Ginny, will you answer me something honestly?" she asked.
"If I can," said Ginny.
"Do you think Ron and I would have ended up together?" she asked, turning to look at Ginny.
Ginny looked at Ron's grave site, then back at Hermione. "I honestly don't know," she said truthfully. When Hermione jerked back in surprise, she took Hermione's hands in her own. "Hear me out, please."
"I've known Ron liked you for a long time, maybe even going back to the Yule Ball. He'd call out your name in his sleep, and I know he looked forward to your letters every summer," said Ginny.
Hermione nodded.
Ginny looked to his grave site, praying for forgiveness for what she was about to say. " I remember how many times he hurt your feelings, with thoughtless comments, and putting down your interests, like SPEW. He was only fourteen, fifteen at the time, so we can put that down to lack of maturity," said Ginny.
Again, Hermione nodded.
"But mostly I remember how he hurt you by snogging Lavender Brown in your sixth year. I know how much you were looking forward to going with him to Slughorn's party, you told me yourself," she said.
Hermione bit her lip and looked away.
"I'm sure Ron didn't mean to hurt you, hell, he probably didn't realise you liked him as much as he liked you. But we all saw it, and we just hoped the two of you would come to your bloody senses and snog each other. Poor Harry, having to put up with the pair of you," sighed Ginny.
Hermione chuckled, despite herself.
"I want to believe Ron grew up a bit while you were away. But then Bill told me he left you two, so I don't know. Obviously he made it back to you, which I'm glad. Harry needed you both, so much," said Ginny.
Hermione smiled at her protectiveness of Harry.
"The twins told me the pair of you kissed, right there in the middle of the bloody battle. Is it true?" asked Ginny.
Hermione smiled at the memory and nodded. "He was worried about the house elves," she said.
Ginny nodded, turned and took Hermione's hands in her own. "My brother died a hero, protecting you and me from that curse. I wish, more than anything, that the two of you would have gotten together, been happily married and made beautiful bushy red headed babies together," she said. "You would have been my sister-in-law."
Hermione laughed, though her eyes filled with tears.
"But Ron died. Ten years ago, my brother died; a hero. Wondering about what might have been will get you nowhere. It's like the Mirror of Erised. We only get one shot at life, Hermione. Don't waste it on woulda, coulda, shoulda. Go out and live it. You have a wonderful son, isn't he enough reason to let go of the past and embrace the future?" asked Ginny, rhetorically.
Hermione nodded, breathing deeply. "You're right. You're absolutely right. Except about one thing," she said.
"What's that?" asked Ginny.
"Most of us only get one shot at life. Except Harry. He's like, the exception to that rule for sure," chuckled Hermione.
"What does that mean?" asked Ginny.
This time Hermione took Ginny's hands in hers. "You should ask Harry what he saw when he went into the forest that night. The last thing he saw, before Voldemort..." Her voice broke off.
Ginny shook her head. "It was a long time ago, he probably doesn't even remember," said Ginny, dismissively. She went to stand, but Hermione tugged her back down.
"He remembers, Ginny," she said, her voice filled with pain.
"Hermione, what is it?" asked Ginny in concern.
"I'm sorry. So sorry," she said. "I never should have taken him away from here," she said, looking around. "He would have recovered better here, with you."
"Yeah, Mum would have -" began Ginny, when Hermione tugged her hand.
"NO! With you," she said, emphasising the last word.
The two women looked each other in the eye, an understanding growing between them.
Ginny shook her head. "Don't say that. Harry never cared for me like that...did he?" she asked tentatively. She held her breath.
Hermione slowly nodded. Ginny sucked in a harsh breath.
"He watched your dot on the Marauder's map all the time on the Horcrux hunt. He was so worried when he saw you at Hogwarts for the final battle. I really believe he needed you to be safe and away from it all. You were his reason to win, Ginny. You!" said Hermione, all in a rush.
"Why are you telling me all this now," said Ginny, shakily.
"Because I kept him away from you all these years. I married my best friend, knowing I could never love him as a wife should love a husband. Because...because I wished our son was mine and Ron's son," whispered Hermione. "I need to find a way to right the wrong I did to him."
"Oh, Hermione," said Ginny, not finding any words to comfort the other woman as she cried again.
"I know both you and Harry are right. For Albus' sake, I need to let go of Ron. Ginny, the man I thought I loved is gone. Yours is still here, conveniently right next door to you," said Hermione, standing.
"I never said I loved Harry back then," said Ginny. She looked away. Those feelings may have been the love of a school girl, but her feelings now were the feelings of a grown woman; stronger, more passionate.
"Love is a precious gift, Ginny. Some people can find love again and again. Some people only love once. I think you and Harry are amongst the latter," said Hermione.
A tear ran down Ginny's cheek. Was it possible? "He never said anything," she finally said.
"Harry Potter keeping his feelings to himself? Well that's a bit unusual, isn't it?" asked Hermione, sarcastically.
Ginny shot her a dirty look. "So this is the ex wife giving me her blessing, is it?" she shot back.
Both women looked at each other, then laughed. Ginny stood and hugged Hermione. She had missed her friend.
Ginny nudged Hermione. "Go," she said, indicating with her head. "Go say goodbye to Ron. All this crying has made me bloody hungry. Wonder what Mum made for lunch?" she asked.
Hermione chuckled, wiping her eyes on her arms as she returned to Ron's grave. "You Weasleys," she said, shaking her head. She grew solemn.
"Would we have made it, Ron? We'll never know, will we?" She sighed. "I need to let you go, so I can move on. I hope you understand. You...you will always have a special place in my heart, Ron Weasley."
She slowly walked away, then stopped. She turned for one last look. "Goodbye."
She turned and walked away. Ginny met her, took her hand and the two friends went back to the house.
That night, Harry knocked on Ginny's door. He and Al had just returned, and had bought a pizza for tea. It went without saying that they ordered two, one with extra anchovies.
However there was no answer at Ginny's, so Harry returned to his and Al's place. As they had done so often, they watched a movie while they ate. The MarioKart beckoned, but Al declined.
"It's more fun when Ginny plays too," he said. Harry nodded in agreement.
Harry did some small household chores while Al got ready for bed. He went upstairs to say goodnight to him, and they talked about their day. Harry turned off the light, leaving Al's door ajar.
Harry showered, but felt restless, not yet ready for bed. He had really wanted to see Ginny, to share with her what he and Al had been up to that day. He grabbed a beer and headed for the courtyard.
He popped the tab, wondering if he was imagining Ginny's flowery scent. "Gin, you there?" he asked hopefully.
There was no answer.
"We missed you today, both Al and me. We even got your favourite pizza. There's leftovers in the fridge if you want some tomorrow."
Harry knew he was talking to nobody, but it was easy to spill your guts in the darkness.
"I took Al to Godric's Hollow, showed him the house, and the cemetery. He was great, knew that it meant a lot to me that he was there."
Al had grown up hearing the names James and Lily and knowing they were his grandparents, but that was it. Seeing their home, their graves, his dad's reactions, made him aware of his Potter heritage.
"We spoke to the Reverend. He said you and your family came often to lay flowers. Every Mother's and Father's day, every birthday, every anniversary. I can't thank you enough for that," continued Harry.
"We had lunch at the pub there; it was good. Al asked a lot of questions, about my family, about your family. I think he's just trying to connect the dots, and it seemed to go okay," he said.
"Then I took him somewhere special. A place I only just found out existed. See, the goblins took me to my family vault when I went to Gringott's that day. I had only been in my personal vault before. Amongst the treasures, I found the deed to Potter Manor. Today I took Al there," said Harry.
"He loved it, just as I did. There are house elves still working there, loyal to the house of Potter. They told Al and I stories of my grandparents, and great grandparents. Apparently my own parents were planning to move there too, but they never lived long enough," said Harry sadly.
"The house elves asked when Al and I would be moving in. I have to say, Gin, it felt really good being there. But it's much too big for just me and Al. But one day, maybe..."
Harry took a swig of his beer and sighed. He looked up at the moon. "We missed you today. I missed you today. You and Scorpius have become very important to us...I just wanted to let you know. Not that you know, because you're not home." He chuckled at his own silly words.
"I hope you've had a good day, whatever you did and wherever you are. You've brought light and happiness into our world, Gin. You deserve the same back. Goodnight," he said, toasting the moon.
Next door, with her back against the wall that separated them, Ginny sat silently, a lone tear running down her cheek.
