A/N- Surprise! No six month wait for the next chapter this time. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 26 – Harpy's Flight
"Mum! I'll be fine!" Ginny groaned, pulling her hair back into a haphazard ponytail. "You heard what Gwenog said; there'll be security guards all around the stadium. Nothing's going to happen!"
Glancing at her mother's reflection in the mirror, she saw Molly Weasley was standing in the doorway of her bedroom with her arms crossed forebodingly and her lips drawn into such a firm, thin line that they had nearly disappeared.
Not her eyes! Don't look your Mum in the eye! Ginny mentally advised herself. Damn! Too late!
Not only were Molly's eyes drilling holes of utter disapproval straight into her daughter's back, but she was channeling her best 'you know I love you, HOWEVER you are NOT going to do this because I'm your mother and you know that I know what's best' edict into her glare.
Merlin, she is good! Ginny thought and she looked back at her own reflection before she succumbed.
"How can you be sure?" Molly shifted tactics when she realized that her daughter's stubborn streak had not disappeared along with her memory. "That madman is still out there! He's already tried to kill you once and you saw what he did to Harry! Who knows what he'll do next! I thought we'd agreed that it's too dangerous for you to go out in public, which includes playing Quidditch!"
"No, Mum," Ginny answered in the calmest tone she could muster and turned determinedly to face her mother, "you, Dad and Harry agreed!"
"And you don't?" Molly replied incredulously, shifting to place her hands on her hips. "You still haven't recovered completely from your ordeal! I can tell! You still look tired and you're too pale! You haven't been sleeping well, have you?"
It was true. Ginny was still suffering nightmares which continued to make a full night's sleep impossible, but that was the last thing she wanted to get into with her mother right now.
"I need to do something besides sit around all day long," Ginny answered evasively.
"We have been doing things!"
"Yes, I know, Mum, but that's not what I mean."
She had been keeping relatively busy over the past several weeks, either helping around the house or with dinner, going to visit with Teddy, Fleur and Victoire, or Hermione, or spending time with whoever came by The Burrow to see her. George was even starting to make a habit of having dinner with her and her parents whenever Angelina had to work late. His company was the one Ginny looked forward to the most, after Harry's. Her memory loss prevented her from knowing what George was like before the death of his twin during the Battle of Hogwarts, but Harry recently commented to her privately that he was moving toward becoming his old jovial self since she had come home.
However, even when surrounded by her family, Ginny was becoming more and more restless and, quite frankly, she was beginning to feel that if she didn't get away from The Burrow and do something soon, she was going to scream. She had grown to love her family, truly she did, and she gave prayers of thanks every day that Fate had provided her with a path back to them.
What she found maddening was that everyone, including Harry, continued to display a tendency toward over protection that seemed smothering at times.
While she understood the reason behind their concern, her understanding did not alleviate the fact that she felt something was missing in her life. Strangely, or maybe not, the only time the pang eased was when she was with Harry. Unfortunately, that was not nearly often enough since he continued to work long hours, trying to track down the golden masked Death Eater and his followers.
The moment she received the Floo call from Gwenog Jones the evening before, an exhilarating rush of excitement raced through her. The head coach of the Holyhead Harpies had expressed her relief that Ginny had survived the horrendous attack, but it did not take her long to come straight to the point of her call; given Ginny was not dead after all, her contract with the team was still binding. Gwenog then went on to all but command her to report to the Harpies training facility the next morning, ready to practice.
Molly had listened in silence to her daughter's conversation with Gwenog until she could no longer resist pointing out the fact that the Death Eaters had not yet been caught and the danger they still posed to her daughter. Never one to be deterred when the Harpies' chance of victory was on the line, Gwenog assured Molly of Ginny's safety by increasing their security measures for that very reason. In deference to Ginny's memory loss, and before Molly had the chance to voice further objections, Gwenog stated that she would arrive at the Burrow's Apparition point the next morning at nine a.m. sharp to personally escort Ginny to the Harpies' training facility.
"Besides, I'm following the Healers' recommendation, aren't I?" Ginny argued, shifting her own tactics in the mother-daughter battle of wills. "They said going to as many places as I can that are supposed to be familiar to me and doing the things that I used to do could help restore my memory; that, if I'm not mistaken, would include playing Quidditch again."
"That may be so," Molly replied, "but I'm sure the Healers did not intend for you to do anything that will put your life in jeopardy!"
Ginny rolled her eyes as she brushed past her mother into the hallway and then down the stairs. "The only thing that's going to put my life in jeopardy is the fact that I haven't trained in so long, I'm likely to fall off my broom. Do you really think Gwenog would ask me to come back if she didn't think the team's security could handle dealing with the threat of Death Eaters?"
"Yes I do!" Her mother replied, following close on her daughter's heels. "She doesn't care about you and your safety! All that woman cares about is winning Quidditch games! We can't even be certain that call was actually from Gwenog!"
"You know it was!" Ginny grabbed the strap of her duffle bag from the couch and slung it over her shoulder. "The wards around the house do not allow just anyone to Floo call here, and access from the Harpies' office was never removed after the attack." When her mother took a breath to counter her argument, Ginny went on quickly, "Dad also proved it by using the Tracer charm on the ashes left in our fireplace; they came from the Holyhead Harpies' office."
"Maybe so, but how can we be sure that the person who placed the call wasn't a Death Eater or—"
Ginny stopped with her hand on the knob of the kitchen door and gave her mother an incredulous look. "Are you saying that Gwenog Jones is one of Golden Mask's Death Eaters?"
Molly looked slightly deflated. Her argument did not sound very logical even to her own ears but that did not mean she had given up.
"They could have used a disguise," her mother replied stubbornly. "You can't see someone's features clearly in the flames."
Ginny tutted skeptically, "You're being overly paranoid!"
"When it comes to the safety of my children, there is no such thing as being overly paranoid!"
"Fine," Ginny said with a heavy sigh. It seemed that her mother was not going to let the subject go until her fears were placated. "You're absolutely right."
"I… I am?" Molly was so surprised by Ginny's sudden attitude change that her eyebrows flew up to the middle of her forehead as she gaped at her daughter.
"You just made me realize something," Ginny stated. "The only way I know what Gwenog looks like is by the old fading poster of the Harpies in my room. Even though I saw her head in the flames, it doesn't mean that I can be sure of recognizing her in person. Maybe it's a good idea for you to come out with me to meet her and tell me if really it really is Gwenog."
"And if she's using Polyjuice?"
"Argh! Mum!" Ginny rolled her eyes again and stalked out the door.
"You haven't been to practice in months so, what's another day or two going to matter?" Molly insisted keeping pace beside Ginny. "At least give Harry a few days to out check into their security and—"
Ginny rounded on her mother, "You are not going to bring Harry into this! He's busy enough as it is and he doesn't need the bother of checking into the Harpies' personnel!"
Not to mention, she thought to herself, since Harry was just as paranoid about her safety as her Mum, he would likely find a persuasive way to talk her out of going back to Quidditch just yet.
Molly gave her a calculating look, "Are you sure it's not more like you don't want Harry to find out what a stupid thing you're doing?"
"Of course that's not it!" Ginny lied as she wondered whether her mother was a skilled Occlumens. "I'm going to tell him." And she planned to; but not until after she had attended at least her first training session and proven that it was perfectly safe. "Just promise me you won't say anything to him until I get the chance."
"You're late, Red!"
The voice in the distance caught the attention of both women and saved Ginny from further argument with her mother.
Looking toward the gate, Ginny suddenly felt nervous about meeting Gwenog face-to-face, which, given her memory loss, might as well be for the first time. Her nerves were not eased by the impatient scowl the stocky, dark-skinned woman wore as she and her mother approached. An aura of unyielding authority surrounded Gwenog Jones, giving Ginny the immediate impression that this was definitely not a witch to mess with.
"I'm sorry, I, uh, was just—," Ginny started to apologize but her mother finished for her.
"Refusing her mother's advice when all I've done is point out the dangers of going off somewhere she'll be completely vulnerable while mad men are still on the loose."
"Good morning, Molly," Gwenog replied completely unfazed by the older woman's anger. Ginny glanced worriedly between her mother and Gwenog as each locked hard, determined eyes upon the other. Ginny was actually surprised when Gwenog looked away first.
"You need not worry about Ginny's safety," Gwenog stated calmly while her dark eyes scrutinized every detail of Ginny's appearance. "We've hired additional Security Wizards that will be stationed at all entrances and around the training pitch. She'll be perfectly safe."
Ginny heard her mother let out a skeptical huff but her attention remained on Gwenog who was looking her over as critically as she might a hippogriff on the auction block. Despite the fact that Ginny felt uncomfortable under Gwenog's appraising eye, she still found herself hoping with all her might that the Quidditch legend found her worthy.
"You've lost some weigh," Gwenog stated and her frown deepened, "as well as muscle tone."
Ginny looked down at her body self-consciously, wondering how Gwenog could tell such things through her jeans and a sweatshirt.
"What do you expect?" Molly demanded, arguing on her daughter's behalf despite herself. "The poor girl nearly died! She wound up unconscious for over a month and then she awoke with no memory of the people who care about her most!"
Gwenog stopped in front of Ginny, and her eyes rested on the younger girl's face, "You haven't been getting enough sleep, either."
Ginny's eyes widened in surprise. She thought her mother was exaggerating in an attempt to get her to stay home, but maybe she really did look that tired due to the continued interruption of sleep caused by her nightmares.
"I want you in bed no later than nine o'clock every night," Gwenog stated. "I won't have one of my players falling asleep on her broom! We're also going to have to put you on an intensive weight training program if there's any hope to get you into form for the start of the season. Let's go; no time like the present."
Gwenog reached for Ginny's arm, ready to take her to the training facility by Side-Along Apparition, but Molly quickly intervened.
"Just one moment! You aren't taking Ginny anywhere until I'm assured you are really Gwenog Jones."
"Excuse me?" Gwenog was quite accustomed to the fame her Quidditch career afforded her and she could not recall the last time someone attempted to keep her from doing whatever she wanted. "Of course I'm 'the real Gwenog Jones.' Who else would I be?"
"Mum's afraid you could be a Death Eater in disguise," Ginny stated resignedly. "It'll be best if you just humor her."
"Humor me?" Molly snapped indignantly. "Far be it for a mother to be concerned for her daughter's welfare and safety!"
"Yeah, yeah." Ginny waved her hand dismissively. Her patience with her mother's over protectiveness was nearing its limits. "Like the first thing a Death Eater would be worried about is how skinny and tired I look."
"Do not take that tone with me, Ginevra Molly Weasley!" Molly advanced on her daughter, pointing a stern finger straight at her daughter's nose.
"Alright, then, Molly," Gwenog intervened, checking her watch. "What's it going to take to convince you that I am who I say I am?"
Molly crossed her arms triumphantly, "Tell me the exact words you said to Ginny after you found out she and Harry were engaged."
Ginny rolled her eyes yet again and crossed her arms angrily; how could anyone be expected to remember a conversation that took place well over a year ago?
"As I recall, I said 'I don't care if you're marrying the Savior of the Wizarding World or Merlin himself. If Harry Potter knocks you up before the end of next season I'll fix him so that he won't get the chance to do it again. And congratulations, by the way.'"
Although she did not dare, Ginny nearly laughed at the expression on her mother's face; apparently Gwenog had provided the correct answer, but Molly was not happy about it.
"Is there anything else?" Gwenog asked raising one eyebrow.
Molly Weasley looked as if she was fighting an internal battle with herself and she finally responded in defeat, "You are sure your new security measures are enough?"
"We have made arrangements to have five additional security Wizards guarding the premises whenever Ginny is present. Does that satisfy your concern?"
"No, which I assume won't matter to either of you."
"Of course it matters, Mum," Ginny smiled reassuringly. "This is something I want to do. I need to get back into Quidditch. Try not to worry so much. Now," she held her hand out to her mother, "take my hand and swear to me that you won't go running right off to Harry this morning to tattle on me."
"But—"
"Mum! I am a grown woman! I really don't need your permission!"
"You're a grown woman who doesn't want her fiancé to know where she's going and what she's doing!"
"Ginny isn't going to be in anymore danger than—" Gwenog began to protest until Molly pointed a stern finger at her as well.
"You stay out of this!" Molly snapped, ignoring the affronted expression on Gwenog's face.
"Swear it to me!"
"Oh, alright!" Molly finally gave in to her daughter's pleading look, albeit very reluctantly, and took her hand. "I swear!"
"Thank you!" Ginny's smile broadened when she felt the warm, magical tingle of her mother's promise run up her fingers.
"I'll be perfectly safe." She gave her mother a kiss on the cheek. "See you tonight."
An ominous premonition stole over Molly as she was left staring at the empty space Ginny and Gwenog had occupied only moments before. It did not matter how much security Gwenog put in place; something dreadful was going to happen if Ginny went back to playing Quidditch again, she could feel it with every fiber of her being.
xxxxxxxxx
"Cross them off, too." Harry ran a hand through his hair giving evidence to his frustration.
He and his team were gathered in their meeting room, all facing one of the walls on which hung photos of the Death Eaters Harry had identified as being present at Malfoy Manor. Each watched solemnly as Seamus drew a red 'X' across the pictures of Marcus Flint and Malcolm Baddock, whose badly decomposed bodies were discovered in yet another abandoned building in the middle of the city.
"That makes a total of five in just the past few days," Ben commented, thumbing through the report outlining the discovery of the two most recent victims.
"I wish we got to those two and Acastus Osmore before Golden Mask did," Ron stated ruefully.
"I do, too, for more reasons than one," Harry replied. The bite of Osmore's whip across his back was still all too vivid in his memory. "Hopefully we'll at least find Goyle alive; he's one I look forward to meeting up with again."
"I'm betting you'll probably get your wish eventually," Alicia said. "I doubt Golden Mask will go after him; Goyle's too stupid to be much of a threat."
"Or it may be just the opposite," Seamus countered as he sat back down at the table. "If I were Golden Mask, I'd be more concerned that Goyle's too stupid to know how to keep his mouth shut."
"We don't necessarily know that Golden Mask is the one who killed them," Ben stated, tossing the report he had been reading into the growing pile in the middle of the table.
The others all looked at him incredulously but Kevin spoke up first, "Then we've stumbled across quite an improbable coincidence given five of the men Harry identified have been found murdered, not to mention they were all stabbed. Perhaps Golden Mask did not personally killed them, but it seems to me he's trying to clean house and in a way that can't be detected magically."
A knock on the door drew the team's attention just before it was opened by a junior Auror named Kent Atwater.
"Sorry to interrupt," Kent said as his eyes passed over those in the room before landing on Harry. "Stacie is looking for you, Harry. She said there's someone here asking to see you."
"Now's not a good time," Harry answered with a frown. It wasn't unusual for people to come to the Ministry asking to meet with him, but they never usually got past Stacie. Director Candlehard's assistant deemed it her personal mission to ensure people who he did not know and anyone from the press did not bother him. "Did she tell you who it is?"
"No," Auror Atwater replied; "she only said she knew you would want to take the meeting."
"Alright. I better go see what this is about." Harry trusted Stacie's judgment, so if she thought he would want to meet with his mystery guest, then she was probably correct. "You guys continue with the briefing and I'll be back in a bit."
Harry's curiosity and concern grew as he approached Director Candlehard's office and then he felt the bottom drop out of his stomach when he saw the red-haired woman sitting impatiently in one of the chairs near Stacie's desk, twisting a handkerchief worriedly in her hands.
"Molly!" Harry quickened his pace to reach her. "Is it Ginny? Is she alright?"
"She's fine," Molly assured, noticing that Harry had paled visibly in the few seconds it took him to cross the room to reach her. "At least I hope so. She was when she left. Oh, Harry! She wouldn't listen to reason and so I'm worried—"
"What do you mean she left?" Harry asked, frowning. "Left to go where? Wait, let's go in here."
He nodded his thanks to Stacie and lead Molly into a small empty room next to Director Candlehard's office.
The moment the door was shut, he turned expectantly to Ginny's mother. "Where did she go?"
"I tried to talk sense into her," Molly stated starting to pace the room. "She just wouldn't hear it!"
"Molly, where did Ginny go?" Harry asked again, his mind sifting through the few places that, given her memory loss, Ginny would even want to go to a place that would raise her mother's concern; and then he knew the answer just as Molly told him.
"To the Harpies stadium! She's decided to start playing again!"
Harry swore under his breath as Molly went on to tell him about Gwenog Jones's call and her arrival to escort Ginny that morning. So much for thinking the question regarding whether Ginny would return to Quidditch at this point in time had been settled. Knowing Ginny as he did, Harry was not particularly surprised; he had fallen in love with a very stubborn woman.
"Gwenog said the team hired additional security specifically to ensure Ginny's safety, but even so, I thought you ought to know."
"I've seen some of the people they've hired for security in the past," Harry scoffed. "I wouldn't let them guard a Niffler."
"Maybe if you talk to her again she'll listen," Molly said hopefully.
"Doubt it," Harry replied under his breath and his skeptical tone heightened Molly's concern even more. "I voiced my opinion the other night at dinner. You and Arthur did as well, and I thought she understood the danger the Death Eaters still pose."
"What are we going to do?" Molly's voice shook slightly making Harry feel guilty that his own worry was upsetting her even more.
"First of all, we aren't going to panic," Harry stated and looked at his watch, which read 12:10. "There's always someone from the press at the stadium when the team practices, but hopefully it will still take a little while for word to spread that Ginny's been spotted. When did she and Gwenog leave?"
"About three hours ago."
"Three hours?" Harry questioned, failing to understand why it had taken that long for Molly to contact him.
"Ginny planned to go no matter how much I objected and she managed to get me to swear that I wouldn't tell you about it this morning," Molly answered his unspoken inquiry. "Of course she said nothing about not to telling you after noontime."
"I'm glad she didn't," Harry said and he gave Molly a reassuring hug. "I'll go over to the stadium now, so try not to worry."
"Thank you!" Molly said with relief. "Maybe you can get her to see things more reasonably."
"I can try," Harry answered but how he was going to talk sense into one Ginevra Weasley, he had no idea.
xxxxxxxxxx
Once free of the squeezing sensation of Apparition, Ginny opened her eyes to see that they had arrived outside a large Quidditch stadium. A broad chested, bored-looking wizard dressed in green robes and wearing a badge that officially stated that he was a member of 'Holyhead Harpies Security' was standing in front of a large wooden door. He nodded in recognition to Gwenog and when he stepped aside for them to pass, his eyes widened with surprise when they landed on Ginny.
"Welcome back, Miss Weasley," he said happily, all signs of boredom now gone. "Looks like the Harpies will have a fighting chance this coming season, after all, eh?"
"I certainly hope so, Marlow," Gwenog replied. "Shall I send you some backup? Once word gets out that Red here is back, you may find your hands full."
"No need," Marlow stated, cracking his knuckles and grinning broadly. "I'm rather looking forward to it. It's about time I had something more to do than just stand around watching the grass grow."
Marlow pulled the door open for them, and offering him a quiet thank you, Ginny stepped through the portal.
The moment the heavy door closed behind them shutting them off from the warmth of the sunlight, Ginny had to fight the urge to turn around and run right back outside. They had entered the mouth of a long, stone-walled tunnel illuminated by torches that cast an eerie, greenish glow. Ginny found it unsettling, almost irrationally so, and for a moment she expected to see him step from the shadows to once again drag her into the pits of Hell.
Ginny forced down her growing panic with a great amount of effort; the last thing she needed was for Gwenog to think the attack had left her unhinged.
Hundreds of years ago numerous serpentine tunnels had been dug through layers of stone and rock under the Holyhead Harpies' stadium forming a maze of crisscrossing passageways. As Ginny and Gwenog made their way along, they came to various junctions of other tunnels lit by torches of various colors including blue, pink, crimson and even purple. Each time they came to an intersecting tunnel Ginny silently hoped that they would take it instead so she could get away from the disturbing green.
"You'll get used to it quickly enough," Gwenog was saying. "Just don't forget to check the bulletin board in the locker room after every practice so you know which colors to follow when you leave and come back for the next day's practice; it's important, since not only do the hallways change color, they shift direction every so often; just like the staircases at Hogwarts."
The simile was lost on Ginny since she had no memory of Hogwarts, but she understood the importance just the same.
"We started using this labyrinth as added security just after your relationship with Harry Potter became public. The press went crazy trying to get to you for interviews and pictures. It became so bad that we decided to have the staff and players use the tunnels to keep reporters away from everyone."
"Why let the press in at all if it got that bad?" Ginny asked.
"If it was up to me, we wouldn't," Gwenog answered tersely. "Unfortunately none of the other teams in the league deny press access to their stadiums, so our team owners wouldn't let us either. It was a tough enough compromise as it was. The tunnels have been a blessing, actually. Since the war, no team allows anyone to Apparate directly into their facilities; not even their players. These tunnels provide private access for the team and staff; plus they discourage the press and overzealous fans from wandering where they shouldn't. Henreed Haglestone from that Wicked Witch rag ended up lost down here for close to three months a while back. I haven't heard of anyone else trying to sneak through since."
They came to an intersection that branched off into six different directions and, to Ginny's relief, Gwenog chose the right most tunnel that was lit by red-colored torches rather than green.
"This is why you need to pay attention to the colors on the team board so you know which tunnel to take from this point." Ginny nodded her understanding, noticing the tunnel had started to slope upward as Gwenog continued. "Personally, I think it's a shame they found Haglestone at all."
"Why's that?"
"You really have forgotten everything, haven't you?" Gwenog queried, giving her an appraising look.
"Yes, I have," Ginny answered tightly. "Do you think I'd make something like that up?"
"Don't get your back up," Gwenog replied calmly. "I've just never heard of such a long and complete case of memory loss; temporary ones, sure. We get at least four or five a season, usually as a result of a crack in the skull from a Bludger; but in those cases there's only partial memory loss such as forgetting what happened during the game or for the past few days. I've never known someone to completely forget who they are and everything else about themselves. Since Death Eaters have become active again, I thought perhaps your case was something that the Ministry or Aurors cooked up for some reason or other."
"I wish it was made up, but it's not," Ginny stated flatly.
"To answer your question about dear Mr. Haglestone," Gwenog went on, still clearly annoyed over what had happened, "his unfortunate incident occurred about ten months ago, and within a week of several, shall we say, noteworthy photographs of several Holyhead Harpies players appearing in his magazine."
"Photographs?" Ginny asked, her voice sounding higher than usual and she cleared her throat. "Do I, dare ask the type of magazine we're talking about?"
"Wicked Witch: Entertainment for Wizards," Gwenog spat in disgust. "You were, shall I say, the center of attention in what turned out to be one of the best selling issues they've ever had. Given that swine feely admitted right after he was found that he'd been trying to find his way up into the team showers, camera still in hand, mind you, it would have suited me just fine if he'd been lost down here forever."
Gwenog noticed Ginny worriedly chewing her bottom lip. "No use concerning yourself about it now, Red. The photos are old news. I suppose we can be thankful he never made it to the showers and the photos they did publish weren't as bad as they could have been; 'tasteful' and 'art form' was how our publicity people spun it since everyone's important parts were strategically covered."
"Easy for you to say," Ginny grumbled. "But why would a magazine want to publish photos like that of me?"
"Have you looked in a mirror lately?" Gwenog asked, glancing sideways at her. "You aren't exactly a troll."
"Gee, thanks," Ginny rolled her eyes. "But—"
"You were starting to make a name for yourself as a damn good Chaser," Gwenog explained. "It certainly didn't hurt that you were engaged to Harry Potter, savior of the Wizarding World and Vanquisher of the evilest Dark Wizard of all time. Why do you think they'd smack their greedy little lips if they could get their hands on photos of you?"
"That still doesn't explain how they got them in the first place!" Ginny insisted. "I didn't… I mean I never would have posed…"
"I told you not to do it," Gwenog replied, annoyance clear in her voice and Ginny's heart sank. She had actually posed for the photos?!
"I've been in this business nearly longer than all of you combined. I tried telling you that tabloids always find out about these things if they think it's juicy or compromising enough. Of course you lot didn't listen and you all went right ahead with your photo shoots anyway. And what happened? Someone working for the photographer sold the photos to Wicked Witch. You, along with your teammates Galilani, Griffin, and Grayson said it was all the rage and that you'd found the perfect Christmas gift for your boyfriends. Instead, each of you not only gave your blokes a memorable gift but you provided a very happy holiday for every lonely Wizard, and probably quite a few Witches, throughout Europe."
Ginny was now thankful for the dim light for she could feel her face flame with embarrassment. What must her family have thought? What had Harry thought? Had it bothered him that her intimate gift that was meant for his eyes only had been made public?
"Some good did out of it, though," Gwenog was saying. "Our game attendance shot up after that, so that shut up the front office and stopped the team owners from firing anyone once they realized how much more money they'd make. Now there's talk of selling a team calendar this year; bloody hypocrites."
Ginny glanced at Gwenog, aghast, "Surely the owners can't make us to do that!"
"Apparently they can try since they're claiming it's considered publicity and that everyone on the team is contractually obligated to participate. I wouldn't worry too much, though. I told them that if each player wasn't allowed to wear enough clothing to feel comfortable, then they shouldn't be surprised when all of you end up catching cold and calling in too sick to play. After that, they backed off quite a bit."
"Good," Ginny said with a relieved grin as they came to a flight of steps at the end of the tunnel.
She followed behind Gwenog up and through a door that led to another short hallway whose width was made narrower by various pieces of gym equipment stored along its walls. The sound of female voices reached Ginny's ears as they approached a metal doorway labeled 'Locker Room' and her stomach fluttered nervously. She was about to be reintroduced to her teammates and she had no idea what to expect.
"Alright you lot!" Gwenog called in an authoritative voice. "Listen up; I've brought a surprise with me!"
Silence immediately descended when Gwenog stepped aside, revealing Ginny's presence behind her. The quiet lingered for no more than a heartbeat before her teammates' squeals and excited screams of joy echoed through the room.
"Ginny!"
"Oh, my God, it's Red!"
"Welcome back! It's great to see you!"
Ginny's teammates swarmed towards her, most with tears of joy in their eyes, hugging her profusely and talking all at once.
Gwenog allowed the hubbub to go on for several minutes, giving her team time to celebrate the return of someone that most of them had come to think of as a sister. Ginny's 'death' had hit them hard, both professionally and personally; not only had she been on her way to becoming one of the top chasers in the league, but Ginny had a spirit and a love for Quidditch that was infectious.
Right from the start, Gwenog had complimented herself for fighting so hard to ensure the Holyhead Harpies was the team that signed Ginny Weasley. The girl turned out to be well liked by their fans and players alike and, in Gwenog's opinion, she had been the final element that melded them as a team.
That point was driven home after the Harpies completely fell apart in the wake of Ginny's absence. At first the fans and sports columnists were supportive and understanding of their abysmal performance and subsequent losses; they initially understood the effect such a tragic death of a teammate could have. Unfortunately, the public's fickle opinion shifted as quickly as the wind and the honeymoon was soon over. It also didn't help that Ginny's replacement, Glendora Speedwell, had difficulty even finding the rings, let alone scoring lately; unfortunately, Gwenog could find no one else on such a short notice that played any better.
"Settle down!" Gwenog called. "You were supposed to be on the pitch twenty minutes ago, so let's get the introductions over and practice started."
"Introductions?" A stocky brunette who was a few inches taller than Ginny asked. Her brown eyes filled with concern as she looked at Ginny. "I didn't want to believe all the rumors I've heard. You have lost your memory, then?"
Their enthusiastic and friendly welcome had done wonders to settle Ginny's nerves and the genuine worry in the brunette's eyes helped her feel even more relaxed. "I'm afraid so."
"That must be horrible for you!" exclaimed a tall, pretty black woman who had hugged her enthusiastically. "But other than that, how have you been? You're back at The Burrow then? Is there anything we can do to help you? Oh, we've really missed you!"
The other woman hugged her again, and Ginny returned the gesture, feeling an immediate kinship.
When they parted Ginny was laughing along with her teammates at the other's succession of questions and warm enthusiasm and she ticked off the answers good-naturedly on her fingers.
"Let's see; forgetting everyone and everything about my past has not been easy, but all things considered I'm doing very well. Yes I've been back with my family at The Burrow for a few weeks now and you can all help by letting me get to know each of you again. I'm almost overwhelmed by your wonderful greeting and I can't tell you how excited I am to start playing again."
This started another chorus of happy voices welcoming her back along with promises to help her in any way that they could.
Just as Gwenog made another attempt to rein them in and start the introductions, Ginny heard a voice ring out from behind the five women who had surrounded her.
"But what about poor Harry? Doesn't that mean you can't remember him, either?"
They all turned toward the one who spoke and for the first time Ginny noticed two other women standing apart from the others.
"No," Ginny responded in a quiet voice. "I haven't been able to recall him either."
"Then surely you won't be marrying him now. I mean how can you? He's nothing more than a stranger to you now, is he?"
The well proportioned platinum blond who had asked the question was eyeing her with cool curiosity, but it was the loathing in the glare of the other woman standing next to her that struck Ginny even more. She was standing as still as a statue, her wavy honey-colored hair pulled back in a bushy pony tail and her blue eyes narrowed slightly at Ginny. She seemed to suddenly realize that the rest of the team was looking at her and she quickly dropped her gaze to the floor.
"What does it matter to you?" the black woman shot back, saving Ginny from having to formulate a response. "It's not like you have any more of a chance with him now than you did before!"
An angry flush painted the blonde's face and the butterflies in Ginny's stomach twitched their wings nervously in reaction to the exchange about Harry. The venom in the other woman's gaze did not help matters any, either. Everyone else seemed happy to see her, so what was the problem with these two?
Gwenog stepped forward giving the women a warning glare of her own, "Ginny, this is Geramina Bagnold," she indicated the blond and then the other, "and Glendora Speedwell. They play the position of Chaser along with Susan Galilani."
"That would be me," Susan stepped up to Ginny with a smile but then her eyes hardened somewhat when she glanced meaningfully at Glendora. "I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have you back."
She then leaned closer to Ginny's ear, "Don't mind them; they're just jealous."
"That they are." Even though Susan had whispered her comment to Ginny, the brunette had heard her and she stepped forward, introducing herself.
"Xenosa Gravelpone, Beater. Speedwell got your position while you've been gone, and when she isn't playing Quidditch, Bagnold there fancies herself God's gift to men, including yours."
"Excuse me?" Geramina Bagnold asked indignantly, drawing herself up.
"Knock it off!" Gwenog snapped. "I've already warned you that I will not tolerate anyone bringing their squabbles onto the pitch! If I find that it does, you'll be benched. Need I spell it out further?"
Gwenog eyed the three warningly.
"This is Odina Griffin, our other Beater," Gwenog continued as if she had not just issued a dire warning and the one she indicated stepped forward rather shyly.
"Hi, Ginny. It's really good to have you back." Odina's dark eyes sparkled with warmth and genuine welcome as she gave Ginny a quick hug.
"Thank you," Ginny responded with an appreciative smile of her own. Odina was quite pretty with dark eyes and nearly black hair that contrasted strikingly with her pale skin. At least another one of her teammates seemed genuinely happy about her return.
"I'm Gaea Grayson," the tall black woman said. With her attention on Ginny rather than Glendora and Geramina, she was grinning widely. "I play Keeper. And let me introduce our captain, Seeker and the old lady of our team, Gail Smethwyk."
"You don't need to be nasty just because I have more experience in the game than the rest of you kids combined!" Gail snapped at Gaea but when Ginny saw the good humor shining in her eyes, she realized their words were nothing more than friendly banter. "Welcome back, Red."
"Thank you. I'm very happy to be back," Ginny replied, grateful that the team captain welcomed her warmly as well.
"Right, now that's done, we've already cut into our training time as it is," Gwenog said impatiently with a glance at her watch. "I want everyone on the pitch within the next ten minutes or you'll all be putting in an extra hour in the weight room tonight."
Gwenog's words were met with loud groans and everyone but Gaea, who was already dressed in her practice robes, moved toward their lockers to finish dressing for practice.
"You can use the locker next to mine again," Gaea said, leading Ginny to a locker in the far corner of the room that was between her own and Odina's.
"It's so fabulous to have you back!" Gaea said happily.
Odina gave Ginny another shy smile as they approached but she continued dressing into her practice uniform in silence.
"The team just hasn't been the same without you," Gaea added as Ginny opened her duffle bag and pulled out her toiletries to place them on a shelf in the locker.
"I'm glad that some of you think so, anyway," Ginny said quietly. Even though she felt welcomed by the majority of her teammates, she could not help feeling somewhat disappointed by the way Glendora Speedwell and Geramina Bagnold had reacted to her return.
"You can't worry about those other two," Gaea insisted dismissively. "You never did before. Oh, you're going to need practice robes aren't you?"
"Unless I'm going to play in my underwear," Ginny grinned.
"No, that won't do," Gaea said with a smirk.
"I'll go find some robes for you," Odina offered, shutting her locker door. "I'll be back in a minute."
As Odina hurried off, Gaea continued, "Another round of photos like that would likely give the old-greasers in the office a heart attack; especially if they aren't the ones making the money off of it. I'll have to tell you all about that little fiasco sometime."
"Gwenog already did," Ginny stated dryly and then she changed the subject to what was more on her mind. "Can you tell me about Glendora and Geramina? They don't seem at all happy that I'm back."
"Speedwell's problem is simple," Gaea answered with a shrug. "She took over your position as Chaser and she knows that with you back, she'll be getting a ticket back down to the minor league."
"Not necessarily," Ginny protested. "I still need to prove that I can play better than she does to get my position back."
"That's just a formality," Gaea stated confidently and she took a seat on the bench between the two rows of lockers. "You're an all-round better player than Glendora and everyone knows it. And you're a hell of a lot nicer to boot!"
"Thanks," Ginny grinned but it faded quickly. While she had outwardly ignored it, she could not help wondering about the comments that had been made linking Geramina and Harry. "And Geramina? Does she know Harry well?"
Gaea surprised Ginny when she snorted with amusement, "Geramina's completely full of herself and quite probably the vainest creature you'll ever meet; she expects every man who crosses her path to fall at her feet. I don't doubt that there's some Veela blood in that one."
Ginny felt her heart sink; she did not find the thought of a relationship between Geramina and Harry amusing at all. Geramina was extremely beautiful with her long, blond hair, large blue eyes, completely freckle-free complexion and curvy body; certainly most men, including Harry, would easily be attracted to her.
Ginny did not really want to let on how much Geramina's comment had affected her and she turned her back on Gaea in the guise of arranging her toiletries more neatly in her locker. Gaea, however, was not fooled.
"I guess that answers my question regarding whether you and Harry are still together after everything that's happened. Let me assure you that when it comes to Harry you have absolutely no reason to worry about Geramina or any other woman, for that matter."
"I don't know how 'together' we are at this point," Ginny replied with a heavy sigh.
"You are working on it?" Gaea asked hopefully. "I get the feeling just from this short conversation of ours that even though you can't remember him or your relationship from before the attack, you already have feelings for him, yes?"
Ginny looked down as she nodded her head affirmatively. "We have a long way to go yet and there are a few things I still need to come to terms with."
Maybe she should confide in Gaea about her nightmares. It certainly would be nice to talk to someone about them; especially someone who wasn't Harry or family.
"Well, don't give Geramina another thought," Gaea insisted with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "She tried making a play for Harry during our team Christmas party, which was right after it became public that you two were dating again. We were having a great season and everyone, you and Harry included, were celebrating with some excellent elf-made wine. When you went to the loo, Geramina cornered Harry, conjured mistletoe over his head and threw herself at him. Literally."
Ginny quirked an eyebrow and Gaea chuckled gleefully. "I'm surprised she actually had the nerve to bring his name up today after that."
"Why? What happened?"
"I can't recall Harry's exact words, but I do remember he made it extremely clear that you were the one and only woman that he was interested in and that it would be a very cold day in a particularly unlikely locale before he'd consider taking Geramina up on her offer."
Gaea savored the memory and then added, "The look on Geramina's face was priceless! I don't think she'd ever had a man turn her down before, and especially not as bluntly."
The thought of Harry boldly and openly stating his preference for her over the beautiful Geramina warmed Ginny through and through and she smiled widely. "So Harry put her in her place then, did he?"
"That he did!"
"Here are some robes for you," Odina returned, handing them to Ginny. "You'd better hurry, though. Gwenog is already blowing her whistle and screaming like a banshee at somebody for screwing up their part of the drills."
Ginny thanked her for the robes and quickly dressed.
"We still have your broom and gloves over here." Gaea lit a wall sconce with a wave of her hand, illuminating an entire wall on which hung numerous brooms. "The team offered all of your equipment to your family after what happened, but your father told Gwenog to give everything to Harry. Gwenog tried and tried to contact him; I did as well, but he never returned our messages. Finally Gwenog and I went to the Ministry to see him. He thanked us but he refused to take them. It wasn't hard to tell that just looking at your broom was painful for him, so it's been here ever since. I felt so bad for Harry, and I could hardly believe how different he looked."
"What do you mean, different?" Ginny asked with a frown as she pulled on the gloves that had been hanging with her broom.
"Merlin, Red, do you have any idea how much that man loves and adores you?"
Ginny's eyes grew wide, and Gaea grinned. "And you felt the same way about him, trust me." Then she sobered quickly. "I only saw Harry twice after everyone thought you had died; once a few weeks before your memorial service and then once at the service. He looked terrible, as if he hadn't eaten or slept since the attack. Whenever I used to see the two of you together, you were both always so happy, so full of life. Like each of you was reflecting the light and sparkle of life of the other, you know? When Harry thought you were gone, the light and the life in his eyes disappeared. It was like something inside of him had broken or died with you."
Ginny silently contemplated Gaea's words as she walked with the other woman toward the pitch. Her description of Harry was that of a man who had been completely devastated and heartbroken when he thought he had forever lost the woman he loved. Here, yet again, was an example of the extreme contrast between the monster who haunted her dreams and the man that she was coming to know as Harry Potter.
Gwenog's shrill whistle blew again and Gaea grabbed Ginny's arm to hurry her along.
"Come on, Red. I don't know about you, but I don't feel like an extra hour in the weight room tonight."
xxxxxxxxx
Almost from the start, Ginny began second-guessing her decision to participate in an official team practice before first reintroducing herself to the game and a training regiment in a more private setting.
Initially, she felt a sense of exhilaration when she kicked off the ground and took several laps around the stadium. She flew by the area designated for the press and noticed there was only a small handful of reporters and photographers present, but she gave them little thought; as she increased her speed with each lap she took, she was filled with the heady feeling of liberation that flying, wind on her face and blowing through her hair, gave her.
Then the drills began.
Whether it was from nerves or her prolonged inactivity over the past several months, her performance was mediocre, at best. While Ginny was able to keep up with Geramina and she easily surpassed Glendora in terms of speed and agility, her gloves might as well have been coated with butter, given her abysmal handling of the Quaffle. Most of the time she had trouble just hanging on to the dimpled ball properly and she missed sending it though the goal hoops more times than not. It did not help that when Glendora or Geramina passed her the ball, they tended to throw it just out of her reach so that she had to stretch in order to catch it. Ginny soon realized that they only did this when Gwenog was not watching and that they were deliberately trying to make her look as bad possible. This, however was not missed by her other teammates and practice was temporarily halted when Gaea and Xenosa confronted Ginny's antagonists for their blatant lack of sportsmanship.
Still, Ginny felt that if she had been in top form, Geramina and Glendora's attempts at sabotage would not have met with as much success.
If all of that was not enough to shake her confidence and concentration level, when Gwenog mercifully signaled the end of practice, Ginny decided to swing by one side of the pitch in a final attempt at a goal. Just as she aimed her last throw, she was startled by the flashing of numerous bright lights and a crowd of people yelling at her from the stands. At first she tried ignoring them, but as the calls and shouts became louder, she looked over and her eyes widened in amazement. Instead of only the few reporters and photographers that were in attendance earlier, the press area was now overflowing with what had to be at least a hundred people. With her attention diverted, she slowed down, which turned out to be a mistake for it encouraged the reporters to shout questions at her all at once.
"… true you've completely lost your memory?"
"Do you think you've earned your spot back on the team after the terrible way you played this afternoon?"
"Is your relationship with Draco Malfoy serious?"
"… honestly think you'll be ready to play with the Harpies again before the season…"
"… Harry Potter feels about his ex-fiancée seeing Draco Malfoy?"
"What caused you to break off your engagement with Harry Potter to be with…"
"What do you feel contributed to your poor performance today?"
"Does Harry still want to marry you even after learning about Mr. Malfoy?"
Ginny tried to block out their questions, especially those of a more personal nature, but it was too late and the damage was done. It was difficult enough to hear them put to voice just how badly she had played today with some semblance of dignity; after all, they were only echoing her own thoughts on the matter. However, it was their questions about her relationship with Harry and Draco that she was not prepared for.
Ginny heard Gwenog blow her whistle again and she pulled her attention away from the loud mob of reporters. She slowly made her way to the ground, dismounted her broom and headed toward the team locker room with the others.
"What happed out there today, Weasley?" Gwenog strode angrily over to her. "How can we count on you to score if you can't hold onto the Quaffle!"
"Ginny didn't play that badly," Gail, the team captain, came to Ginny's defense and looked at her kindly. "It's the first time you've been able to practice in several months. We know what you're capable of; you just need time to train up again."
"Thanks, but Gwenog's right," Ginny acknowledged miserably. She could not hold Glendora and Geramina's gaze when they passed by wearing barely veiled smirks. "I played like complete rubbish."
"Yes you did—" Gwenog started to say before Gaea interrupted.
"It wasn't Ginny's fault! Several of our teammates," she stressed the word quite sarcastically, "did everything they could to make her look bad. I can't believe you didn't see it!"
Before Gwenog could answer, Ginny looked around frantically when shouts again erupted all around her. The throng of reporters had swarmed the past the security wizards and, even with the spells the wizards were shooting at them, many of the reporters continued to advance and call out questions to her.
"Miss Weasley! Do you think your skills are honed enough to play professionally any longer?"
"Has Harry Potter taken you back after you ran off with Draco Malfoy?"
"Are you still engaged or doesn't he want a harlot for a future wife?"
Ginny couldn't take anymore. She had not realized just how badly she wanted to play Quidditch for the Harpies, but her desire to play quickly faded before her growing anxiety over the reporter's innuendo and accusations. She suddenly felt the need to get away from them as well as her teammates, and before anyone could stop her, she fled, tears of frustration blurring her vision.
She ran through the door and into the first tunnel that she thought led out of the stadium, still clutching her broom.
How could those reporters ask her such questions? It was not so much their comments about the disastrous practice, but the questioning of her character. As if it was her fault she had been attacked by Death Eaters and then stayed with someone other than Harry for several months during her convalescence; most of which she was unconscious.
She ran through the tunnel, the hurtful words echoing in her head, until she was finally forced to give in to a painful stitch developing in her side. She approached the kaleidoscope juncture of tunnels and, groaning to herself, she peered apprehensively down the green-lit passageway. Of all the possible colors of the rainbow, why did it have to be green?
Reminding herself that she was merely in the middle of a tunnel and not one of her nightmares, she gathered up her courage and entered the green passageway. She silently chastised herself for being so cowardly as to let something as simple as the color green bother her; after all, Harry's eyes were a beautiful shade of green, which she considered warm and comforting.
She had only taken a few steps when she thought she heard a noise in the distance and she froze. She was still breathing heavily which, to her ears, sounded incredibly loud in the quiet of the tunnel and she forced herself to take deep, even breaths. Cocking her head to the side, Ginny listened for the noise again; a good part of her hoped that she had only imagined the sound and the other part hoped to hear it again so she could identify its origin and whether it had come from ahead of her or from behind.
Several moments passed of listening to nothing but her own breathing and her heart pounding wildly in her ears. Hearing nothing further, she pulled out her wand as a safety precaution and continued on her way at a tense but quick pace, glancing back over her shoulder every so often to make sure no one was following her. At least for the moment, it seemed that she was quite alone.
Ginny continued to feel on edge, but she finally chalked it up to a disappointing practice on her part combined with the detestable questions the reporters had thrown at her. Their queries regarding her less than stellar performance were understandable. After all, she assumed most of them represented various sporting publications; but she never expected so many people to hurl accusatory questions or try to probe into more the personal matters of her life, especially since it was none of their business, anyway.
Another intersection lay up ahead and she looked back over her shoulder to assure herself that she was not being followed. Then, just as she took a quick step to continue on her way, she was brought up short when she crashed into someone who suddenly seemed to have appeared out of nowhere directly in front her.
She stumbled backward and the only thing that kept her from falling to the hard, stone floor was a vice-like grip encircling her upper arm. Still stunned by the encounter, Ginny looked up into the face of a man she could not recall ever seeing before and, as he grinned triumphantly at her, her startled cry echoed throughout the kaleidoscope tunnels.