Story Author: Faye
Disclaimer: It's a good thing I don't own Harry Potter or else Ginny would be a vampire by now. Hehehe… And Christopher Moore wrote a book called Bloodsucking Fiends, so I guess I don't own the title either.
AN: I'm sorry for the wait, everyone. This semester I'm taking two AP classes and I've had so much work everyday, it was hard to even begin to write this. But I couldn't keep you guys waiting forever. I hope you like this chapter, and don't forget to review.
Harry didn't know how he was able to survive the next month. The press was practically glued to him now that he had been made Head of the Auror office, something he was even angrier about that usual since now he couldn't even do his job, seeing as he had about ten people following his every footsteps. Being Head of Aurors, he could of course prohibit them all from being on the Auror floor of the Ministry, something he had already done. Not that it helped, anyway. Someone always managed to sneak through the Department to his office. One of the reporters was an Animagus and had turned herself into an owl. A photographer managed to disguise himself as a trashcan and hopped all the way to Harry's office, only being caught when he hit a wall and cried "Ow!" Because of these recent trespasses, Harry had posted Aurors at all the entrances of the Ministry; if reporters could pass unnoticed through the Auror Department, it was obvious that Voldemort's Death Eaters would be able to do so as well.
On top of that, Harry had to test every employee of the Auror office for signs of being put under the Imperius Curse. He wanted to do this himself, so that he could be absolutely sure of the results. Fortunately, no one was under the curse, so he didn't worry about that any longer. He still had many new tasks to do now that he was the Head of Aurors. He had a meeting with the Minister of Magic practically every day, something Harry found both boring and annoying. The Minister always rumbled on about something that wasn't even remotely important, and Harry had to sit there and listen, while every once in a while the Minister sneaked a glance at his forehead. The Aurors also made sure to get his approval of everything they did, so he was constantly being bombarded with questions.
But that wasn't what was really bothering him. It was Ginny's leaving that was bothering him. He couldn't help thinking every minute that she hated him. But what had he done? He would drift off away from reality often and ponder what he'd done to anger Ginny, only to be interrupted by his new assistant, Anna, who usually told him the Minister wanted a "brief" meeting with him.
Harry tried to visit the Burrow more often than he usually did, hoping that Ginny would be there and he could talk something out over her. But that was never the case. Ginny was always either at Quidditch practice or else at her flat, somewhere Harry couldn't bring himself to go. It was one thing to just conveniently 'be' at the Burrow when Ginny was, but it was another to turn up at her flat and demand an explanation for why she suddenly hated him.
Harry shifted his mind from Ginny for a second and turned to stare at the window in his office. Of course, he was underground, but the charm on the window showed the snow falling gently. It was getting dark, and only Harry and the security Aurors remained in the Ministry. It was a weekend, after all.
Harry decided that he'd go to the Burrow and see if Ron wanted to play a game of Quidditch. Ron and Hermione had found a place to move to, but they had decided to move after their wedding, so Ron was still at the home.
Besides, Harry thought in doubt, maybe Ginny will be there.
After stopping at his house to grab his Firebolt, Harry Apparated outside the Weasleys' house. The Burrow was hanging a bit to one side and looking like it was held up by magic, as usual.
Harry knocked on the door, and Mrs. Weasley opened it after getting his password.
"Harry!" she cried. "It's good to see you again. I could get used to seeing you everyday, you know. Come in dear, come in."
She ushered him into the kitchen where Ron was sitting – eating, as usual. Mr. Weasley was sitting in the living room, reading the newspaper. He nodded at Harry and showed him a picture of him in the Auror office, arguing with a fellow Ministry worker.
"Hey mate. Come to play some Quidditch?" Ron asked, noticing the broom in Harry's hand.
"Oh, Ron," Mrs. Weasley said. "It's awfully cold out there. Harry doesn't want to go out."
"Mum, "Ron said, rolling his eyes, "Harry brought his broom. Do you expect him to sweep up the kitchen with it?"
"Oh, all right, boys," Mrs. Weasley said. "Just don't stay out there too long."
"We won't, Mrs. Weasley, " Harry smiled.
Ron hurried upstairs and got his broom (his Quidditch team had Firebolts for all its players, but they weren't allowed to take them home, so Ron still had a much slower broom than Harry) and the Quidditch balls. Harry and Ron walked up to the clearing in the trees. The snow was still falling gently, and everything looked beautiful. Harry found his mind straying to Ginny again.
"Ginny's having her first match tomorrow," Ron said. "It's against the Falcons."
"I know," Harry said.
"Are you going to watch?" Ron asked, mounting his broom.
"Yeah, " Harry said. "I wouldn't miss it. Are you all right, Ron? You look worried."
"I'm fine," Ron grumbled. "It's just what if they win…?"
Harry watched as Ron fumbled with the Quaffle and laughed. "You're scared that you're going to have to face Ginny and she's going to beat you!"
"I'm not scared!" Ron shouted furiously and threw the ball spinning towards Harry. Harry caught it; Ron wasn't a good a Chaser as he was a Keeper. "It will just be weird going against my own sister!"
Harry sniggered and threw the ball fast at Ron, who caught it easily. "All right, you're not."
"I'm not scared!" Ron said again. "Why should I be, it not like Ginny… Hey Harry, who are you rooting for, anyway?"
"What?"
"Me or Ginny?"
"Don't be dumb, Ron," Harry said. "I'm rooting for both of you."
Ron shook his head. "No. You have to pick one of us."
"Fine. I've always like Puddlemere United better than the Cannons."
Ron cursed and threw the ball at Harry. Harry didn't catch it and Ron yelled, "Traitor!"
They then started flying at higher speeds and tried to get the ball past each other. Ron easily beat Harry. Later they got the Snitch out. They let it wander for ten seconds, and then they both went after it. Harry caught it in seconds many times. Ron didn't catch it at all. Harry was still the best Seeker around, after all.
When Harry and Ron got back to the house, it was dark out and a couple more figures could be seen inside.
As soon as Harry walked in, his heart stopped beating for a second. Hermione was sitting at the kitchen table, but the surprising thing was that Ginny was sitting next to her. Her red hair was pulled up in a long ponytail and she looked more beautiful than ever before.
Ginny turned to look who had entered the house and as soon as she saw Harry her eyes narrowed. She looked accusingly at her mother and Hermione.
"Have a seat, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said, ignoring Ginny. She led Harry to the seat directly across from Ginny.
Ginny didn't shrink away from Harry, as he had expected, and to his relief, she didn't throw any dirty looks at him. She sat frozen in her seat and Harry would have thought someone had Stupefy-ed her if she hadn't moved her leg quickly away when his accidentally bumped it.
Mrs. Weasley set a plate in front of Harry. He couldn't bring himself to eat.
Hermione noticed the tension between Harry and Ginny and said, "Ginny, tomorrow is your first match, isn't it?"
Ginny turned her head slowly to Hermione as if in annoyance and said, "Yes."
"Ron told me you're playing the Falmouth Falcons. He says they're known for hard play. Good thing Harry will be there, so he can help if they try to break your head." She laughed nervously as she said this, but Ginny's face had snapped to Harry when she heard "Harry will be there."
"You're going?" Ginny asked, speaking her fist words to Harry in over a month.
"Yes," Harry answered uncomfortably, shooting a dark look at Hermione.
"Why?" Ginny asked, her voice hard.
"Er… because I want to watch the match," Harry said. "And I couldn't do anything if one of those Beaters tries to break her head, Hermione. Viewers aren't allowed to interfere." His voice held the same nervousness as Hermione's.
"Yes, but you're Harry Potter," Hermione said. "Not to mention an Auror as well. If you wanted to interfere, no one could stop you. What could they do, anyway? Give you a fine?"
"I don't need anyone to protect me," Ginny said. "Especially not famous Harry Potter."
Harry stared at Ginny in shock. She'd never said those words to him like that before. Famous Harry Potter. That's all he was.
"Ginny," Hermione began. "I don't – "
"I don't even know why you're bothering to come to the match," Ginny told Harry. "If you want my opinion, I rather you not."
"Fine," Harry said. He got up from the table.
"Where are you going?" Hermione asked him.
"I'm leaving," Harry said. "It seems like I'm unwanted here."
"Harry, that's ridicu – "
"That's right," Ginny said. "You're not."
"Ginny!" Hermione cried.
"What!"
Harry left the two girls arguing and Disapparated. A moment later he popped into his bedroom. He took off his cloak and shirt and dropped onto his bed. A moment later he fell asleep and he was dreaming of Ginny. He sighed as Ginny laughed and hugged him. His dreams were never going to come true…
"Ouch!"
"Watch it!"
"What the bloody – "
Harry tried to maneuver through the crowd in the stands. That was a little difficult to do, seeing as he had his Invisibility Cloak over himself. He finally caught sight of Ron and Hermione and the other Weasleys.
He sat down next to Hermione who said, "Is that you, Harry?" She didn't have to whisper. No one else would hear her over the noise of the crowd.
"Yeah."
"I thought you weren't coming," She said, a smirk on her face.
"No, you didn't."
"Why are you wearing that cloak? Do you really think Ginny doesn't want you here?"
Harry rolled his eyes, although no one could see him. "I'm wearing it to avoid the press, Hermione. And yes, I do think Ginny doesn't want me here."
Hermione sighed. "You and Ginny… the way you two bicker…"
Harry stared at Hermione. All those years at Hogwarts with Ron, and she said he and Ginny bickered? Besides, you could hardly call it bickering…
Suddenly the crowd started roaring. The game was about to start. The commentator's voice could be heard over all the noise.
"Welcome! Welcome to the first match of the season! Puddlemere United versus the Falmouth Falcons!"
The crowd roared even louder at this. The players walked out onto the field. The captains shook hands, and then they were in the air.
"… The Quaffle is released, and Puddlemere United's new Chaser Ginny Weasley shows off her skill by snatching the ball right under Nottingham's nose…"
Harry cheered with the rest of the Puddlemere supporters as Ginny scored goals one after the other. The other Chasers got a fair amount in, but Ginny seemed undoubtedly the best and fastest. The Falcons Beaters managed to unseat many of the Puddlemere players from their brooms, but Ginny escaped their strong Bludgers with ease. Harry had never seen her move so gracefully. By the end of the match (with a Puddlemere United win), the Puddlemere fans were chanting, "Weasley! Weasley! Weasley!"
Fred and George were still chanting when they got back to the Burrow.
"You were bloody brilliant, Ginny," Fred said.
Harry watched Ginny laugh. He wished he could still make her laugh.
Hermione, seeing the look of longing on his face, said, "You were great, Ginny. She was brilliant, wasn't she, Harry?"
"I thought Harry wasn't going," Ginny said.
"Of course he went," Hermione said cheerfully. "He wouldn't miss your first match!"
Ginny decided to ignore Harry, and Harry did the same to her. Hermione realized that her plan to get them to talk wasn't working. Harry and Ginny just looked at each other with hard looks on their faces.
"Oh, for goodness sake!" she cried. "You two better start talking to each other. This is ridiculous! Harry's going to be Ron's best man and you're going to be my maid of honor, Ginny! I'm not going to let you two ruin my wedding!"
"I'm not going to be maid of honor if Harry is best man!" Ginny said.
"Yes, you are!" Hermione shouted. "You promised months ago, and you can't go back now! You're going to be my maid of honor, and Harry is going to be best man!"
Hermione stomped upstairs. Ginny walked past Harry and went outside. It was dark out, and Harry didn't know where she was going. He followed her out, but he couldn't see her. What was she doing, disappearing outside in times like these?
Harry thought he saw a flash of red disappear into the trees. He went after her. He didn't know what she was doing, but he was going to find out. He charmed his feet so that his footsteps couldn't be heard and he followed her for a good five minutes. He found her kneeling on the ground, but he couldn't see what she was doing. Her back was facing him and her hair fell on either side of her face.
Harry walked towards her and placed his hand on her shoulder. Ginny stood up in such a quick movement and faced him. A small noise that sounded like a growl and a hiss escaped her lips. When she saw who it was, she took a few steps back.
"Ginny, what – " It was then that he noticed the blood around her mouth. Harry blinked and the blood was gone. Was he imagining things? No, her eyes were red again, like that time at the Ministry. Only this time, it was a dark, deep red.
"Ginny!" Harry said. "What's happening? What's with your eyes? Ginny…"
Harry placed his ands on her shoulders. "Ginny, please…"
Ginny shrugged his hands away. Were those tears in her red eyes?
"Harry, " she said. Yes, she was definitely crying. "Harry, I told you to stay away. I told you to stay away from me… I told you…"
"Why Ginny? Please, just trust me. "
Ginny still had tears running down her face. She brought something out from behind her.
"What's that – "
Harry stared at the animal in shock. It was so disfigured, he couldn't tell what it was. But there were two holes on its body, and it was completely sucked dry of blood.
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