I do not own Harry Potter.
Life After the Last Battle
Chapter 7, Disappointment
"You know, Harry," Ron said as he, Harry and Ginny walked up the dock, "This would have been so much easier if we could have sent Hermione a letter," Ron said.
"I know. But Muggles are getting suspicious. There have been owls flying all over the world about Voldemort's death. The Ministry, well, no not the ministry, but the Order's asked everyone to stop sending owls for now. Obviously, only half of the people will listen, though. We should do what Kingsley asked," Harry answered. Ron nodded.
"Yeah, and besides, Ron," Ginny said from ahead of them, "Isn't much more romantic this way?" Ginny said, smirking. Ron turned pink and looked down.
"Oh, come on; Harry's told me about your little snog. Enough denying it," She said. Ron glared at Harry, who shrugged apologetically.
"Honestly, Ron. Don't be embarrassed; you don't know how much Hermione would go on about you." Ron let out a giggle. Harry and Ginny turned to stare at him, and then the three of them burst out laughing.
Hermione got on the plane and sat down quickly, very frustrated that she'd come all the way here, only to leave again. She knew it would have been easier to apparate, as she knew what her own house looked like and could visualize it, but she had never apparated so far and didn't know how that affected apparition. Hermione laid her head back on the seat and got ready for another long flight.
"Ok, so now how do we find her?" Ginny asked.
"That's what this is for," Ron said, pulling his Deluminator out. "We just click it and it'll bring us to her. Or me at least."
"Ok, well we obviously can't do it here. Let's find an empty park or something," said Harry. They walked around, the sun beating down on them, before coming to a little playground, completely vacant. It was almost eerie. They walked into the shade of a willow tree.
"Ok, so… Do it," Ginny said. Ron opened the Deluminator. The light from the last time he'd clicked the lights off in his room flew out, bouncing like orbs in midair. Ginny stared at them. Ron frowned and clicked it again. They only flew back in.
"This is not working," Harry said. Ron clicked it a few more times, but nothing happened.
"So, now what?" Ginny asked.
"I don't know," Ron looked down. He felt responsible; why wasn't his dumb Deluminator working? The three of them sat down on the dry grass, thinking.
"Well, I guess we have to find her," Harry sighed.
"Yeah, but we had the Deluminator. Now it isn't working. She could be anywhere," Ron said miserably. "Might as well just send her a letter. Do you think Kingsley would mind if we just sent one little letter?" Ron asked.
"Ron, we really shouldn't. Besides, we didn't bring an owl," Ginny said. Ron nodded.
"Alright, so now what?" Harry repeated Ginny.
"We need a place to stay. It's almost four. We aren't going to see Hermione today," Ron said. The excitement of landing had worn off completely by the time Ron said this. They got up, exhausted, and Ginny checked the guide book they'd thought to bring for a hotel nearby. The nearest one was six blocks away, so they walked to it. They checked in, went up to the room, and promptly collapsed on the couch.
"I am so tired," Ron mumbled. It was all just hitting them. Ginny nodded mutely and Harry didn't even answer. Ginny got up after a while and made coffee. There was a small dispute about sleeping arrangements; Ginny wanted Harry and her to take the two double beds, but Ron didn't want them sleeping in the same room, and Harry didn't want to make Ginny sleep on the fold out couch. Finally Ginny sighed, surrendering.
"Fine. I'm tired and gross. So are you Ron. Go take a shower; I'd like to be with my boyfriend alone, please," she growled. Ron just smiled to himself and went into the bathroom.
"I'm so tired," Ginny said, yawning.
"Me too," Harry said. He sat down on the couch with Ginny and threw an arm around her shoulders. She looked up at him and kissed him. Harry tried kissing her passionately, but he was so tired, even kissing was hard to stay focused on.
"Harry, no offense, but your not on the top of your game tonight," Ginny said, laughing at his bad kissing.
"I know," he laughed. "I'm so tired, I can't even kiss you." They laughed together.
"So… where do you think she is?" Ginny asked.
"Well, I was thinking, maybe she's not here after all. Maybe she and her parents left right after she lifted the charm," Harry said.
"Maybe. But say she is here, how do we go about finding where her parents are?"
"Well Hermione said that the charm made them think they were different people. Their names are Monica and Wendell. We can't remember the last name," Harry said. Ginny frowned.
"So we're just supposed to visit every Monica and Wendell in Australia?"
"We know they're very close to Sydney," Harry offered. Ginny was not convinced.
"I thought you guys—,"
"Had a plan?" Harry said quietly.
"Yeah."
"Well, sorry to disappoint you," Harry said, getting up as Ron came out of the bathroom, in his Chudley Cannons shirt and grey pajama pants. Harry slipped into the bathroom as Ron came out and shut the door loudly behind him. Ron looked at Ginny.
"What was that about?"
"I don't know. I must have said something to upset him."
"Well, what'd you say?" Ron asked. He didn't interrupt Ginny's description until the end.
"And I told him I thought you guys had a plan—what?" Ginny asked; Ron had groaned.
"That's what I said."
"Said when?"
"Didn't he… Didn't Harry tell you about when we were gone?"
"Not yet."
"Oh. Well, there was a point, along the way that…I left," Ron looked down. "And when I left I said, 'I thought you had a plan.'"
"Oh," Ginny sighed.
"It's fine. Probably just hit a nerve," Ron assured her. Ginny nodded. Harry was quick in the shower and came out wearing green sweat pants and one of the sweaters Mrs. Weasley had given Ron; he had said Harry could borrow one. Harry must have grabbed the wrong one. Ginny looked at him and did a double take; the sweater looked about ten sizes too small. Ginny burst out laughing as Harry stood there grinning. Ron turned to look at him and almost choked. For the second time that day, the three of them stood about, laughing.
"Nice—tension—breaker—Harry!" Ginny gasped between outbursts. Harry just smiled again, the awkward conversations forgotten. Harry struggled out of the sweater, with help from Ron, Ginny laughing hysterically in the back round. Harry and Ron pulled out the fold out sofa bed while Ginny took a shower.
"Look, mate, I want to talk to you about something," Ron said as he and Harry made the bed.
"About what?" Harry asked.
"About Ginny."
"Oh-er-what about her?"
"I-I know you really like her, but remember she's only 16. So, please, don't rush into things," Ron said.
"Ron, no offense, but it's really none of your business what Ginny and I do, besides do you think I'd ever try anything like that, especially before marrying her?"
"Harry!" Ron gaped, his face turning red, "I just meant don't go too quickly, I wasn't talking about THAT!"
"Oh…. Well….. I thought you meant, like…"
"Harry! Ew! God!" Ron shook his head in disgust, turning around. Harry suppressed an embarrassed smile; he didn't want Ron to think he took this discussion as a joke, but the conversation was very funny to him.
"Could we just, never talk about this ever again?" Ron asked, still faced away from Harry.
"Certainly," Harry agreed. Ron turned around, smiling. "So, excited about seeing Hermione?" Harry gave Ron a meaningful look, obviously pertaining to the embarrassing moment, only to make Ron nervous.
"Shut up," Ron mumbled, turning red again. He yawned a big yawn and said goodnight to Harry, trudging into the bedroom. Harry heard him collapse on one of the beds. Harry sat down and waited for Ginny, falling asleep in the process.
Ginny got out of the shower and looked in the mirror. She got into her pajamas and thought about Ron and Hermione as she brushed her teeth. They were always fighting, yet they seemed to have a fierce passion behind it all. Ginny was glad about her relationship with Harry, glad it wasn't like Hermione and Ron's, where everything was unclear. It seemed like they were never exactly on the same page. It made her upset that Ron felt so strongly towards Hermione, but was too afraid to do anything. Or maybe it was more to do with pride; neither one wanted to be rejected, but not only for simply being rejected, but for the humiliation that came with it. Ginny understood this rejection, and she knew Harry did, too. Ginny combed her hair and towel dried it a few more times. She put it up with a rubber band that had been in the pocket of her dirty jeans. She went out to the couch to see Harry, fast asleep on the fold out bed. She smiled and woke him up; nothing would be worse than Ron finding them asleep together.
"Ummhhh…." Harry moaned, turning over. "Go away."
"I certainly will not go away! Now get up!" Ginny whispered, shaking him. Finally, he pulled himself up and stood. Ginny scrambled into the warm bed. Harry was still standing there, eyes half closed.
"Nighhh…." He mumbled, walking groggily to the other room. Ginny smiled. She was out the minute her head touched the pillow.
