Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his world belong to J K Rowling, the story is mine.
Chapter 9 - Trials and Celebrations
Ginny,
I'm really sorry but we don't need to replace anyone on the Harpies this year. We have decided to keep last years team, but might I suggest trying out for Puddlemere United instead? I hear they need a new chaser. I'll drop your name to Philbert Deverill.
All the best,
Gwenog Jones
"Damn it!" Ginny said throwing the piece of parchment on the desk and storming out of the house and down to the bar at the end of the road. She flopped onto the bar, rested her face in her hand and sighed heavily.
"What's the matter Ginny?" Lucas asked, sliding a drink in front of her.
"Harpies team is full. They suggested trying out for Puddlemere instead but I don't really know the team and -"
"Try out for them, and get on the team! They have a really fit chaser I'd like to get to know a bit more if you know what I mean -"
"You're disgusting Lucas. The problem is Puddlemere tryouts are this weekend, so I'd have to go home, like, tomorrow."
"That's fine, I can come, we can go looking for a flat, like we said."
"Great!" Ginny smiled, looking forward to starting a life with her new friend. "We'll have to go to the Burrow and see my Mum first, I bet she won't be best pleased with our plans!"
HPHP
"I'm home!" Ginny shouted through the house, dropping her trunk and heading into the garden, Lucas following close behind her. It was then she saw that all of her family were there, she smiled brightly for a second, before spotting a bit of black hair hiding amongst the sea of red, and next to it a splodge of white blonde hair. For heavens sake, he'd just have to be here wouldn't he!
"We're so happy to have you back Ginny! How was your holiday?" Her mother asked after freeing her from a hug.
"Good, guys, this is Lucas." Everyone murmured their hellos, before Ginny started again. "I'm glad you all came to welcome me home, but Lucas and I are actually going to look for a flat -" she was interrupted by a loud crack that filled the air.
"Did Harry just leave Anna?" Mr Weasley asked the blonde girl.
"Yeah, he mumbled something about needing to go do something." She blushed as all eyes turned to stare at her. "I better go see if he's at home." And with that there was another pop.
"Pathetic." Ginny muttered under her breath, not unnoticed by Lucas, who looked confused. "Anyway, we're looking for a flat together."
"What! No daughter of mine will be a scarlet woman!" Mrs Weasley was shouting, whilst her brothers were all turning red and moving towards where Ginny stood.
"Woah! Stop, all of you. Would it hurt you to listen to me before you act for once? Lucas and I are just friends, will only ever be just friends. He is not attracted to me, nor am I to him. I want to move out from home because I will need to be near enough to my quidditch grounds, and well I just wanna be independent."
"Okay hunny. How can you afford it though?"
"Well Mrs Weasley, my family is pretty well off, and I don't mind paying the rent until Ginny gets some income in to help." Lucas answered before Ginny had the chance to.
Spying the tell tale signs of her mother about to explode, her brothers quickly made their excuses before disapparating, while Ginny decided now would be a good time to retreat.
"Right, come on then Luke, we better get going. I'll come for dinner on Sunday Mum. Bye Dad!" She took Luke's arm and when they landed outside the estate agents in Diagon Alley, they both took a deep breath in, looked at each other and burst out laughing.
HPHP
"This is definitely the nicest flat we saw Luke," Ginny said, as she stood on the balcony of the flat that overlooked the sea.
"Yeah my parents used to bring me to Devon on holiday, it's a lovely quiet place. Nice and sunny in the summer, I'll be able to see all the girls in their bikinis from up here!" Lucas replied with a smirk spreading on his face, Ginny laughed and slapped his arm playfully.
"You seriously need to stop being so gross!" They leant against the railing, and watched the sea go past.
"Ginny? Who's Harry?" Lucas said, interrupting the tranquil moment.
"No one important." She answered bluntly.
"Not important enough to leave when you tell your family you're moving in with a boy? Come on Ginny, I'm not stupid."
"Well I guess I didn't expect to keep it a secret from you forever. Harry is Harry Potter."
"The Chosen One?! You know the Boy Who Lived?! Why didn't you say anything!"
"It's still raw. I love him, have done since I was a little girl. We started dating a couple of years ago, but he broke it off to go hunting Voldemort." Lucas looked like he was going to interrupt, but Ginny stopped him. "Please, just let me get it all out? Okay?" He nodded, taking her hand. "After the war, we got back together, he told me he'd never leave me again. He lied. He told me he never loved me, and never would. That was the last I saw of him before I left for Paris. Unless you count me seeing his pictures with that slut all the time as seeing him."
"Well if he never loved you, how comes he left today?"
"Save it Luke, he left because he felt awkward, not because he loves me." With that she went back into the flat, leaving Lucas lost for words, staring at where Ginny had just been standing.
HPHP
"Luke, I'm so nervous." Ginny walked over to where her friend was standing in the kitchen, and leant her head on his shoulder. Today was Saturday, and that meant tryouts for Puddlemere United were today.
"You don't need to be nervous Ginny, I'm going to be there watching, it'll all be fine."
"What if I get hurt again?"
"I won't let that happen."
"That's what Harry said."
"I'm not Harry. Come on, we don't want to miss the try outs." He led the way to the front door, and led the young girl out of the building.
HPHP
The tryouts were going to be done in stages. Philbert had sent Ginny a letter explaining how they were going to work, seeing as she'd missed the preliminary trials the previous week. He'd said they needed two chasers, and a seeker. She was trying out for chaser, and Philbert had made it very clear to her that the only reason he was allowing her to be a part of the second stage try outs was thanks to Gwenog's suggestion. She was walking out on to the pitch, with 5 other chasers who were trying out for the vacant positions, and she was trembling. She looked around the stands to find where Lucas was sitting, and saw him chatting up a young teenage girl sat nearby.
"Right, hello all. I'm Philbert Deverill, the manager for Puddlemere United. We've already selected a seeker today, and now we need a chaser. We're going to have you fly 3 times around the pitch to prove your flying abilities, you will need to dodge charmed objects and go through the rings that have been positioned around the pitch. Then we will need you to demonstrate your passing skills, and finally your scoring skills. Then I'll be able to make a decision. The rest of the team is anxiously waiting in the changing rooms, so let's not keep them there any longer than they need to be. Christopher Higgins, you will go first."
HPHP
After several hours, a decision had finally been made. Ginny looked around the stands and saw Lucas asleep, she shook her head and smiled as she returned to look at where Philbert was standing.
"You all flew very well, but you all know that I can only take 2 of you on. The two stand out players today for me were Freya Romero, who excelled in all three tests, so we'd like to invite you to join our team. And the other is Ginevra Weasley, who more than excelled in the tests, coming top in all 3. We'd also like to offer you a position. The rest of you, I'm very sorry, I wish you the best for the future. Now if you two accept, we'd need you to sign the contracts before we introduce you to the rest of the team. Just a formality. Do you accept?"
"Definitely!" Freya had said immediately, and Ginny just nodded her head.
"Great, let's go introduce you to the rest of the team then! I just have this feeling we're going to win the league this year!"
HPHP
He led the two girls into the changing room, and they were greeted by cheering. Ginny looked at them all, taking in her new team mates. Oh no, dread filled her as she saw a familiar man, shuffling behind the rest of the team, hiding away. She saw the untamed black hair jutting out from behind the keeper, Oliver Wood, who was ecstatic that Ginny had made the team.
"Look Ginny! I've got both you and Harry from the Gryffindor team now!" He grinned like a little boy. But his comment made Ginny's heart sink, confirming her fear that she had just signed a contract to play alongside Harry Potter for the rest of the season. She saw Harry approach Philbert, and heard hushed voices. She tried to tune into what they were saying, but couldn't make it out over the din of the other players. Harry went back to skulking behind the team, as Philbert announced the training schedule. After he had finished, the team started to make their way out of the changing rooms, but Ginny felt a hand grab her arm. She spun round to face Harry, noticing that his eyes were still as dull as they had been the last time she saw him.
"Ginny, we need to talk."
"I think you said all you needed to say Harry. You made yourself pretty clear."
"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in France."
"You're supposed to be an auror."
"I changed my mind."
"Yeah well so did I." She retorted, turning to leave, but Harry forced his way in front of her and grabbed her shoulders lightly. She couldn't help but notice that he still made her feel weak, he still had that power over her. It was all she could do to keep herself from kissing him, reminding herself that he didn't love her.
"Did you read any of my letters?"
"Letters? I only got the one Harry. And no, I didn't. I wasn't interested in what it might have said." Harry felt a crushing blow, and grabbed his stomach as his head dropped to his chest. Ginny tilted his head back up to look at her, and she saw tears streaming down from his eyes.
"I wish you'd read my letters. They explained things a lot better than I can. I'm glad you're happy with Lucas." And with that he pulled away from Ginny and left the room, leaving behind a very confused redhead. She sighed, and pulled her hair out of the loose ponytail she had in, and ran her hands through it, before going to find Lucas so she could go home.
HPHP
Ginny arrived at the Burrow at just before 1 in the afternoonon Sunday, hoping that she had missed setting up for dinner. She braced herself for the coming celebrations, and walked into the garden where Bill and Charlie were setting up the tables.
"Princess! Well done! We're so proud of our little sis, making the professional league! And in the same team as our Harry none the less!" Bill jested, poking her lightly on the arm. She made a face back at her brother before moving on to find her parents. She walked blindly into the kitchen, bumping straight into Harry, who moved quickly aside and rushed past her back into the garden. She saw Hermione, her mother and Fleur all huddled round the kitchen table, as she approached she noticed Hermione was really upset. She wrapped her arms around her friends waist.
"What's up Hermione?"
"Your stupid brother is what is up with her, sweetie. Oh congrats on making the team dear." Her mother said to her.
"What's he done?" Fleur pointed to the sofa on the living room, where Ginny could just make out her brother's red hair. She moved into where Ron was, and saw that he was chatting up that blonde girl that was always with Harry. She gasped in shock, before the anger sank in and she ripped Ron up from where he was sitting, pointing her wand directly at his chest. He looked down, and then back up at his sister, wearing a confused expression.
"Ginny, what are you doing?" He snarled under his breath, his face colouring with embarrassment.
"Hi Ginny, I think you and I need to talk." Anna said, standing up and holding her hand out to Ginny, who glared at the hand as if it were dirty, and looked back at her brother.
"I do not, want to talk to you. How could you Ron? Hermione is sat in the next room!" Ron gave a girly shriek as he grabbed his nose, Anna pulled his hands away, and a bat started attacking her face. Ginny laughed as she left them to it, and went back into the kitchen.
"Ginny that was great!" Hermione laughed, clutching her sides. "That little twist is really clever too!"
"Thanks, come on let's go eat, those two will work it out eventually." Ginny took a step towards the door before Hermione grabbed her arm.
"Ginny? Why haven't you been listening to Harry? He just wants to talk to you, to explain things. He feels really bad about -"
"About telling me he never loved me and never would?" She snorted, and pulled her arm away from Hermione and walked out into the garden and sat down next to George.
During dinner, the atmosphere was tense. Ron constantly sent angry looks in Ginny's direction, whilst Anna looked shamefully down at her plate the whole time. Hermione was sniffling, sat next to Harry who had his arm round her waist comforting her, but who was also glaring down the table at Ron. Ginny kept making imitations of bats coming out of her nose whilst George pretended they were attacking him, which antagonised Ron even more. Bill and Fleur were sniggering to themselves, trying to focus on eating rather than looking at everyone else. Mr Weasley pretended to be oblivious to the goings on around the table by talking animatedly with Charlie about boring muggle things. Mrs Weasley spent the whole meal fuming at how her family was behaving, and by the end of dinner she had lost her rag completely.
"ENOUGH!" Her voice boomed down the table, and everyone except Mr Weasley turned to face her, with scared looks on their faces. She was stood at the head of the table, and looked individually at all of them. "I am ashamed of all of you! Ronald, how could you be so insensitive towards Hermione! You are an arse and you deserved everything you got off your sister!" Ron looked down at the floor, whilst red spread across his whole face. "Hermione dear, you need to pull yourself together a little bit, there is no good crying at the table. Bill, Fleur, I expected much more of you! Encouraging George and Ginny to mock your brother! You are supposed to be adults! Charlie, you and your father could try and diffuse the situation instead of acting ignorant to it!" They all looked ashamedly at each other before chorusing, "Sorry Mum."
"And for heavens sake, Ginevra and Harry, the pair of you are making us all go crazy! Ignoring each other and causing everyone around you to be miserable! You need to go talk. In fact," She walked down to the table and pulled Harry from his seat, and gestured Ginny to stand up. Ginny walked over to her mother, who put a hand on each of their backs and pushed them back towards the house, up the stairs and into Ginny's room. "You will talk this out like adults. I will not let you out of this room until you have sorted everything out! Colloportus!" And the door squelched shut, locking both Harry and Ginny in her room, unable to get out of the glued shut door.
Ginny groaned as she walked towards her bed, and sat down, facing the window. Harry shuffled nervously by the door, wanting to say something but not having the courage to do so.
"Ginny?" When he didn't get a reply, he just carried on. "I'm really sorry I said all those terrible things to you. I didn't mean any of it, I just wanted you to be safe."
"And for some stupid reason you thought that I would be safe without you?"
"You're safe aren't you?" She sighed angrily.
"You promised me you'd never leave me again." She shouted, without realising she had raised her voice.
"That was before I was the reason you nearly died!" He shouted back, before looking back down at the floor. She stood up and walked over to where he was standing, and crossed her arms over her chest. He looked up and all she could see in his eyes was sadness.
"I'm listening."
"You nearly died Ginny! I couldn't let that happen again! The only way that you will ever be safe is if you're without me." She glared at him angrily, but he stopped her from saying anything by holding up his hand. "After I left you, and you went back to Hogwarts, Hermione kept sending me letters talking about everything. She said you couldn't let go. It made me feel bad Ginny, everything was my fault. I stopped eating, I stopped sleeping. You took away all the pain from the war, and without you there, it was all I could think about. Hermione said that you weren't moving on. I figured the only way for you to live happily would be if you believed I never loved you! It was the hardest thing I had to do, leave you like that! I wanted nothing more than to hold you in my arms, and tell you I was lying, but I couldn't. You had to think it was true. And I was right, you are happy now."
"Yeah and you're happy. Moving on the next day with that thing! I saw the pictures Harry."
"And you've moved in with some tool you met in France!" He yelled, the jealousy evident in his eyes,
"At least I had the dignity to wait before I started galavanting with someone new!" She shouted back, and felt her cheeks turn red as the anger filled every part of her.
"I'M NOT WITH ANNA!"
"AND I'M NOT WITH LUCAS!"
They both looked into each others eyes for a moment, before Ginny ran into Harry's open arms, locking her lips against his. Harry wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer, before turning her and forcing her into the wall, never leaving the kiss. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him in tighter, feeling him pressed up tight against her made her fill the kiss with more passion. He came away from the wall, still carrying Ginny and let her fall to the bed, before getting on top of her, and kissing her once again, with such ferocity and lust it was like this would be the last time they'd ever be together. Everything Harry remembered about Ginny was bought back to him, the smell of her so close to him was intoxicating. The softness of her lips as they pressed desperately into his, they way her body felt under his caressing hands, and the way he shivered when she tangled her hands in his unruly hair. He pulled away from the kiss, hovering just over her, and looked deep into her eyes. She stared back and saw that all the life had returned to his eyes, they weren't dull and sad now, but happy and lively. She felt a grin spread across her face, the smile that Harry had been longing to see for over a year, made Harry grin just as broadly. Both of them breathing heavily, looking into each others eyes, a moment of complete joy spread between them.
"I love you, Ginny."
"You're not too bad yourself Potter!" She laughed uncontrollably as he tickled her playfully, "Fine, Fine! I love you too!" She smiled at him with a mischievous grin, before pulling his face closer to hers and embracing him in another passion filled kiss.
