To the Future

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: Nothing much to say except for the usual "these characters belong to JK Rowling."

P.S. REVIEW! & don't kill me for the pairing. :)

**P.P.S.** Tellings came first, love blossomed, and then things wilted. But fear not! After all, wilting flowers can be rejuvenated with a little bit of water and care…which brings us to the final arc in the story: SPROUTS. Even after wilting, a sprig of hope comes back, giving us a sprout for a new beginning. The end still isn't quite in sight yet, but I still thank all you readers who have read this far, considering this is my longest story yet. So let's read –and REVIEW!!!

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The Second Sprout (& the Twenty-Ninth Telling)

Breakfast was subdued and quiet Sunday morning. The seventh years ate in the Great Hall under the watchful eye of the school ghosts, as the living faculty was setting up things outside. After breakfast, the teens had free time until noon, when graduation would begin.

Mira and Grant found Ginny in the library an hour before the ceremony began. They were already in their black dress robes and pointed caps. Mira's hat also donned a gold badger medal on a black ribbon, and Grant's dangled a silver snake medal on an emerald green ribbon from its rim. The couple wondered why their best friend was still wearing her jeans, though.

In answer to their thoughts, Ginny closed the book she had been perusing. "I know I need to change," she stated exasperatedly.

"Well…yes," Grant said. He peeked out a nearby window. "Honestly, you should see how many people are here. There must be just under a thousand out there already."

"If you figure around ten relatives per student, then yeah," Mira calculated. She faced Ginny. "You haven't seen your parents since they found out, have you?"

The redhead ignored the question outright and stood. She stretched her shoulders before giving the other two a bemused grin. "Shall we get going?" It threw them off a bit and she dashed to the door. "I'll go get dressed and meet you outside, guys." Ginny left as Grant opened his mouth, but Miraphina motioned for him to stop, and the brunette took his hand and they exited.

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Merlin, this does nothing for a girl's figure, Ginny observed as she peered into her mirror. She grimaced and sighed, giving up and closing her trunk. Well, everything's packed, so I might as well head down.

The witch grabbed her hat and exited the Gryffindor tower. While she knew she would need to come back once more for her things, Ginny took her time leaving the castle. It was calming and comforting, and hard not to imagine coming back next year. A sigh escaped her lips as she descended the floors.

And then there was a clatter behind her.

Ginny turned and blinked. Funny, she realized, how my feet led me to the Room of Requirement. She paused, unsure, and looked down both ends of the corridor. No one came, so she entered the rendezvous place.

Inside, the décor was the same as ever. Navy walls, grape drapes, pine and bronze chairs, burgundy carpet… The redhead inhaled and sat down in front of the crackling fire in the hearth. The flames jumped and danced and hissed, casting eerie shadows behind Ginny. But its sounds were soothing white noise –that was easily disrupted by the room's door rumbling open and close.

Her heart hammered. The ceremony had not yet begun. The distance Charm was still in effect. She didn't even know what would happen if he closed the twenty-meter gap between them. Ginny squinted her eyes shut and heard him take one tentative step forward.

"You can't," she shakily stated, and she rose from the chair.

"Ginny," Sirius breathed.

She opened her eyes and faced him, and took a step backwards, but the pressure was still there. She chewed her lip and opened her mouth to say something.

"It's going to start in a few minute," he commented. He took another forward step, but she retreated. Sirius sighed and stepped again and Ginny tried another step backwards, but that put the wall beside the fireplace at her back. He raised his eyebrows and walked straight to her.

"Don't you feel the Charm in place? We don't know…what will…happen…" Her voice left her as he got closer. The firelight heightened the smokiness in his gray eyes, and the black tendrils of his hair seemed liquid fire itself. At the same time, the pressure from the Charm weighed down on her, like she suddenly had all the gravity in the room. There were barely a few inches between them, and the pressure was unbearable. "This is torment."

"At such a small proximity, yes," he whispered. He closed the gap, and the pressure shattered as if it had been a fragile piece of glass. Sirius smiled his sexy grin and placed his hand behind her head. A throaty chuckle escaped him when the apples of her cheeks burned cherry red. "Ah, how the wait makes things taste this much better."

His lip were soft, feathery soft. It had been too long without his kisses, and Ginny relished the heat of his breath. Sirius's mouth on hers, his body trapping hers against the wall, his heart beating rapidly and in time with hers… She forgot the rest of her thoughts as he literally stole her breath away.

After several sweet kisses, he pulled his lips from hers and leaned against her forehead. "Much, much better."

Ginny gingerly touched her swollen lips. "I have to fix my makeup…"

He grinned. "And now I don't have to do mine!"

"But I don't understand," she said, ignoring his joke. "Charlie said it wouldn't be lifted until right before the ceremony."

Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "It was to be lifted five minutes before graduation began. It's-" –he glanced at the clock that had just materialized in the room- "-eleven fifty-seven."

"Ack! We'll be late!!" Ginny dragged him out of the Room of Requirement. "You go first, and I'll go the longer way." She pecked his cheek. "I'll see you down there, love."

"Yes, see you there, love." He smiled and then disappeared down the short end of the hall. She waited ten seconds before taking the long way outside. When she reached the shore-side by the lake, she gulped and spirited herself to her seat with the Gryffindors. Then the ceremony began.

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Just the setup was breathtakingly beautiful. Families and friends sat behind the seventh years. Slytherins waited in their seats on the left, next to them the Gryffindors, the Hufflepuffs, and then the Ravenclaws. Dumbledore stood at a podium right near the edge of the lake, while the faculty lined up on either side of the seventh years. The sunlight glinted off the water, and cast everyone in an ethereal glow.

Shyeah, Sirius thought. Like I could ever be wrapped in light. He closed his eyes and exhaled, then reopened his eyes and scanned the seventh years to make sure no one was misbehaving. His glance rested an extra second on Ginny. Okay. Well, I s'pose I have been wrapped in light before… As Dumbledore began his long-winded speech, Sirius looked through the sea of faces behind the students and gulped. Arthur and Molly, Fred and Verity, George and Angelina, Harry and Hermione, Luna –all the ingredients for consecutive explosions sat in the front of the audience. Padfoot sighed. What the hell had he gotten himself into?

There was a round of applause signaling the headmaster's finality, and that was the cue for the other teachers to go and line up next to him. Sirius nudged Remus as they waited and Remus gave a slight smile. Dumbledore cleared his throat once everyone quieted.

"First, we have awards for our best students. The top three of the class will receive special honors. If you could," he spoke, gesturing to Grant, Ginny, and Feria Harling, "please join me in applauding their studious regiments."

The three shook hands with each teacher –Grant gave Sirius a teasing smirk, which the professor returned –and Dumbledore gave the students gold pins with one, two, or three stars. Once the pins were beside their hats' house medals, they sat back down, accompanied by more applause.

Finally, it began. Each head-of-house called their students, and the seventh years alphabetically had their medals changed to the school crest. Ginny fidgeted with her sleeve as she waited.

"Dorn, Cara." The girl traipsed up to Flitwick…

"Oakley, Christopher." Many names later now, the boy met Snape…

"Selwyn…" "Straumer…" "Syver…" "Tableigh…" "Tavnull…" "Temari…" It seemed to be forever. "Uzilay…" "Voullier…" "Waelund…" Ginny straightened; one more… "Wersch…" "Weasley, Ginevra." The redhead stood at McGonagall's clear tone and went up to her head-of-house. Professor McGonagall smiled very warmly before waving her wand and changing Ginny's gold lion medal to that of the lion, the serpent, the badger, and the eagle. Ginny returned to her chair and waited as the last six students met with their teachers.

Dumbledore approached his podium one more time. The seventh years rose. "Congratulations!!" He began his hearty clapping, and everyone joined in.

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"There you are!!"

Ginny turned around at the sound of Hermione's voice and hugged the genius dearly. "I'm so glad you came!"

Hermione looked at her incredulously. "Of course we would. You didn't honestly think we'd miss this, did you?"

Ginny smiled. "Well, if you've heard anything from Harry, I'm sure you know I can't ever expect things anymore."

"I did fill her ear quite a bit," Harry said, and he hugged her. "Second in your class, eh? We're proud of you, Ginny."

"Yes, well…" She shifted uncomfortably as her parents reached them. Both gave her hugs and kisses, but Ginny stiffened in both their arms. "Hi, Mum, Dad."

Molly pinched one of her cheeks. "You've done so well, Ginny."

Arthur smiled. "That's our Ginny."

"No, that's our Ginny," Sirius and Miraphina stated in unison. Sirius placed a hand on her shoulder and Mira grabbed one of her arms and clutched it to her.

"Ah, you're Miss Atherton," Arthur recalled. "Ginny mentioned you on the way back from the Selwyn estate." His eyes drifted begrudgingly to Sirius, but he said nothing else.

Luckily, the twins and their fiancés came up right then and interrupted the awkward moment. Ginny introduced Mira to her family and Harry and Hermione, but poked her friend in the arm." Where's our resident snake?" Ginny didn't hear where Grant was, though, for she was distracted by the sudden blush that colored Hermione's cheeks.

"…said something about closest relatives," Mira stated. "You guys know him, I think. Name's Malfoy."

Ginny's attention moved back to Miraphina. "Draco?!!" she, Harry, and Hermione all shrieked in unison.

"Yes, me," came a snarky response. The slicked-back hair and clear, sharp eyes of the man standing next to Grant belonged to none other than Draco Malfoy. "Still have a problem with me, I see."

"That's in the past, Draco," Harry said. "After all, some helpful info in the Second Great War was divulged by you."

Draco fought down a smirk at the bit of praise. "Yes well, right now I'm not any kind of spy. As it my house wasn't chaotic enough, Dumbledore dropped Grant on us."

"'Us'?" Hermione echoed with raised eyebrows.

"I promise I'll do my bit and baby-sit," Grant cut in. "After I learn how to baby-sit first…"

Molly covered her mouth as she gasped. "Oh, my! Draco, dear, how wonderful!"

Draco's expression was squeamish when Mrs. Weasley kissed his cheek. "Well, it's been a while, but things are pretty steady with Mother being around, too."

"Wait," Harry coughed, stifling his laughter, "you didn't actually marry Pansy Parkinson?"

"I'm nothing like her, Harry," Lavender Brown –well, Malfoy now –corrected, adding an annoying, sarcastic little laugh. There was a bundle in her arms. "That aside, would you like to see Sage Rukh Malfoy?" She folded the blanket down partially and revealed a sleeping baby girl who had wisps of platinum blonde hair on the top of her head. Just like her daddy.

"Oh, Lavender, Draco, she's adorable," Hermione cooed. "Can I hold her?"

Ginny and Mira agreed that Sage was cute, but Mira needed to see her parents. "I told them I'd be right back," she said to Ginny over her shoulder, "so maybe I'll see you later, after pictures-"

"Mira, watch out! Charlie-!!" Ginny winced when Mira walked fac-first into her brother and crashed to the ground.

"Miraphina! Sorry," Charlie said, and he offered her a hand up, which she took. "Guess I got distracted."

Grant left Draco and Lavender and rushed over. "Are you okay, Mira?"

The Hufflepuff brushed the grass out of her hair. "Yes, Grant, I'm fine," she muttered shortly.

He frowned, so Ginny changed the subject. "Um, Mira, pictures? Your parents?" Her eyes lowered and she noticed Charlie still held the curvy brunette's hand. Ginny coughed.

Mira blinked and withdrew her hand as if nothing was out of the ordinary. "Right! I'll try to get back as quickly as I can, so stay here, okay?" She gave Ginny a quick hug and scampered off.

"We need to find my mother," Draco stated. "Sage needs a nap, and we should eat, so come on, Grant." He yanked on Grant's collar but switched to ushering the eighteen-year-old along after Lavender nudged him and shook her head.

"So it's back to just family," Charlie stated nervously. "Did someone really let Draco spawn?" he inquired incredulously.

"Love occasionally leads to children, Charles," Laurel remarked. And, once again, things were uncomfortable.

"Well, how about a picture?" Fred asked.

"Wait, look! There's Lee!" George exclaimed, so the twins dragged their fiancés off to see an old friend.

Molly smiled, but it was tight. "Ginny, dear, I take it all of your things are ready to go?"

The witch stiffened. She hadn't expected to bring this subject up so soon. "Um, yes, of course they are…"

"Where are you planning on going?"

Ginny blinked. "…What?" Yes, I don't want to go home, but… Her thoughts muddled with one another as she put two and two together.

All eyes were on Molly and Arthur. "We know it's been a tough year, Ginny," Arthur softly said, "but your mother and I aren't idiots, you know. You cleared out your room when we asked you to pack for your seventh year. Since you have no intention of coming back, then you can't."

She closed her eyes and deeply inhaled. She'd done enough crying for a lifetime. Opening her eyes, Ginny locked her gaze with Sirius. "I'll stay with Sirius, then." He returned her smile, but her mother turned ashen white. Clearly, they hadn't anticipated that.

"You most certainly will not!!" Molly shouted. "We never gave permission for this –this fling to happen!" She shook her head and waved a hand at them, dismissing their relationship. "No! Absolutely not!"

Ginny fought to keep from screaming at her mother. "So you want me to be homeless until I work for enough money for an apartment?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"Ginny…," Arthur mumbled. "It's not that we-"

"What if she stays with us?" Hermione interrupted. Ginny looked at her and Harry, who gave her a wink. "Arthur, Molly, would it be acceptable if Ginny stays with us? Until she can get her feet on the ground, that is."

It was obvious that they hadn't anticipated that, either. Arthur looked dumbfounded, and Molly's mouth formed a perfect O. A second later, Molly seemed to regain her composure. "Well, I suppose… Only if Sirius does not see her. If I hear that he visits for midnight trysts-"

Ginny's cheeks matched Gryffindor's maroon image color. "MOTHER!!"

"He won't bother her," Harry replied. "We promise."

Molly smoothed her dress and gave all of them a curt nod. "Well, then. I guess that is all we have to say." Without another word, she sauntered off, heading for McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Remus. At some point, Luna had slipped away and was already chatting with the three professors, and Arthur dashed off to join his wife, the teachers, and the Quibbler reporter.

"That was generous of you," Charlie told Harry and Hermione. "Although, are you sure you can handle living with her?"

"Are you really going to separate us?" Ginny asked.

"You didn't listen, did you?" Harry said, and he exchanged a conspiratorial grin with Sirius.

Ginny rolled her eyes. Ugh. Boys.

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A little boring, a tad exciting –add in a cameo with Draco and Lav, and there's chappie 29 for ya, folks! So now Ginny's graduated. Jeez. Almost a year's passed in the story. Weird. Anywho, life's not over. The story will keep going since there are many loose ends to tie up, some that won't even be resolved in this story, but in the companion stories (of which the first is up, so go read & review From the Past please). Whoo, boy! I have my work cut out for me! Well, review and keep reading. This story is for Ginrius and the fans! (which is why this is a triple-post! YAY!!!)

-mew-tsubaki