Chapter 45: Falling Apart Together
"Harry? It's time to get up." Ginny's voice was soft, and he smiled to himself as he reached across the bed to pull her close. Except, of course, all he pulled at was a flat, miserable pillow. Opening his eyes, he sighed to himself and stared up at the blue-grey ceiling of his old room at 12 Grimmauld Place.
The dream he'd been having had been lovely and full of Ginny. But of course, she was Merlin knew where, and he had no idea how to go about finding her. He squinted at the light coming from the top window and knew it was still early. But he was awake and didn't quite feel up to trying to sleep again. Harry grabbed his glasses and some fresh clothes as he headed out to take a quick shower. Maybe if he got an early enough start, he could leave before anyone would try to stop him.
The house was quiet, and everyone still seemed asleep when he made his way downstairs. Yawning, he went over to the kettle that always seemed to be on and poured himself a cup of tea. It tasted delicious, so Harry was assuming Mrs Weasley was still around, keeping them all fed and cared for.
Thinking of Mrs Weasley made him remember her reaction to finding out Ginny and Brogan were missing in action. At first she'd seemed cross, then worried and then finally, accepting. Bill had told Harry he had done the right thing, sending her to the infirmary with a Professor. Apparently recovering from a serious Dementor attack could be a bit precarious; Ginny's strength could have been zapped away, and they could have almost drained her completely. Still, Harry felt hollow inside at the words Bill had said to him.
He sat down at the long table and rubbed at his eyes, under his frames. "Bloody hell, Gin, where are you?" He said softly to himself. "I need you to kick me in the arse."
"It's not as bad as all that, surely, Harry?" Arthur Weasley nodded at him as he entered the kitchen, also heading towards the simmering kettle. After he poured himself a cup, he rummaged around in a far cupboard for a moment. He put the box of McVitie's Chocolate Digestives in front of Harry and gave him a tired smile. "Don't let Molly know I'm feeding you Muggle-store rubbish."
Harry smiled back and grabbed one of the chocolate covered biscuits, enjoying the taste. "No worries, sir."
"It's Arthur, please, Harry. I'm practically your father-in-law at this point."
Harry didn't say anything and drank some more of his tea, to cover what he knew had to be his embarrassed face.
"You know these aren't half-bad, really," Arthur said, staring at the biscuit in his hand. "Ah, Muggles can indeed be brilliant sometimes."
They sat in companionable silence for a moment, and Harry was thankful for the chocolate and the company.
"You're planning on doing something stupid, aren't you?" Arthur said, watching him. "But a part of you is hesitant."
Harry swallowed and looked at the table, his hand aimlessly scratching at a rough part of the wood. "Remus wants me to wait. Says it's too dangerous out there, but when isn't it too dangerous? I want to bring her home. I'm worried that we haven't heard anything."
Arthur nodded to himself and grabbed another biscuit. "Did I ever tell you about the time I found our dear Ginny teaching herself to fly?"
Harry shook his head. He remembered Hermione mentioning something about Ginny stealing her brother's broomsticks when she was younger and playing Quidditch when no one else was around. But he assumed she had been taught to fly by them first.
Arthur smiled at him and leaned back in his chair, still chewing on his biscuit. "She couldn't have been more than 4 or 5, our dear Ginny. She was so determined to do it, you see. But none of us would let her. Ron had tried and taken a nasty fall a few months before. Molly absolutely forbade Ginny to even think about it. Which of course –"
"Made her want to do it all the more," Harry said, nodding. He could just see a tiny version of Ginny rebelling against her mother's rules.
Arthur nodded gleefully. "I came across her out by the pond, quite by accident. I kept hearing this muffled crashing noise and went to investigate. She didn't see me coming and just kept trying to make the broom go higher. It was a basic child's broom, of course, not much speed or height to it, but it was huge compared to her. It took all my willpower, Harry, not to run over to her and demand she go back into the house. This was my baby girl trying to fly! She could get hurt! She could fall and break something!"
He paused for dramatic effect, a smile on his face as he remembered. He glanced at Harry. "But do you know what, Harry? She did it. She flew. She fell off a dozen times, but she finally got it, and that's when I knew there was nothing I could do to keep her from being herself. And that it was okay that she fell. Because Ginny knows the only way to accomplish something is to get back on the broom and keep trying. If my daughter, and the woman you love, wants to get back home, then she will. She would never accept defeat. It is as simple as that, Harry."
Harry felt a choking feeling inside and nodded, his eyes growing watery. Mr Weasley was right – Ginny would keep trying to get back to him no matter what. But that didn't mean he had to sit around and wait for it though.
"I still think I should at least meet her half-way, Arthur." The name sounded foreign in his mouth, but he knew he'd get used to it.
Mr Weasley smiled. "Of course you do, Harry. That's why she loves you. Let me know when you want to start. There are a few places I know Aberforth liked to use, back in the day. He probably forgot I even knew about them. We can try them first and go from there."
The older man got up and patted Harry on the back, taking his teacup to the sink. Harry smiled at him.
"Thank you," he said to Ginny's father, suddenly full of gratitude.
"But of course, Harry. What are fathers-in-law for? Now, just give me a moment to freshen up, and we'll head out, just the two of us. Less fanfare that way. You can finish those up, by the way, or I'll never hear the end of it from Molly." He nodded at the remaining biscuits and headed upstairs.
Harry finished his tea, his heart feeling a bit lighter than it had since everything had gone to hell. He would find Ginny and Brogan today. He just knew it.
o-o-o-o-o
Brogan and Ginny spent the rest of the morning looking through the shack for clues as to their whereabouts. Just looking out the window certainly couldn't help them – and neither of them wanted to leave the safety of the building just yet. They also had been changing the bandage on his back every so often. Ginny knew it was getting worse, and that it was her fault he'd been hurt, but neither of them talked about it. But things felt less awkward between them, and for that, she was grateful.
"Right, well, I think we're near Scourie," Brogan said, staring at the map he'd found on the desk. "We're half-way between Ullapool and Durness. So which way do you want to go?"
Ginny looked at the faded map and frowned. "What's this?" She pointed to what appeared to be a small island directly across from them.
"Handa. A nature reserve," Brogan read aloud. "Actually, that rings a bell. I wonder…" He paused and went back over to the bookcase. After crouching down for several minutes, he pulled out a slim book and held it up. "The Muggles think it's a nature reserve, but a wizard owns it. Should we try our luck there instead? I could probably Apparate us both once we got past whatever spells Aberforth put around this place to keep it safe."
Ginny frowned and took the book from him as he handed it to her. It was titled "Living in Plain Sight for the Sake of Nature and Water Fowl on the Island of Handa (Or How To Get Tax Free Shelter from the Muggles) by Jean Balfour.
"Lovely," Ginny said, flipping through the book. "How do we know we can trust whoever lives there, though? They might be Voldemort supporters."
Brogan winced as he sat back down, rubbing absentmindedly at his shoulder. "I don't think they are. I know I have heard of Handa before this, I just can't figure out from where. But I don't think it was a bad thing. If they're just normal Wizarding folks, we can use their floo, at least. I think we should try it before making the trek into either of the two Muggle towns."
Ginny sighed. "Are you sure you can Apparate us both? You're not exactly 100% here, Brogan. I don't know what we're dealing with since a dark object made your wound. Maybe it'll affect your magic in some way. Merlin knows we can't even get it to stop bleeding."
Brogan frowned and sat back against the sofa, looking at her. "All we can do is try, Ginny. Come on, where's that adventurous spirit you're so famous for?"
Ginny flopped back onto the sofa and frowned. "I am…I am feeling unnaturally anxious. I...I don't know what's wrong with me." She glanced away and took hold of her necklace again, gripping it tightly.
Brogan was quiet for a moment, and she finally turned to meet his eyes. She looked away again, feeling her breakfast churning in her stomach. She sensed the awkwardness descending again and wanted to fight it. But her anxiety was getting to be too much. She didn't realize she'd started drumming her fingers on the edge of the sofa.
"It's the Copulatus Spell, isn't it?" he finally asked, his voice quiet.
Ginny looked down at her hand, nodding, willing herself to stop. It was more of a struggle than she wanted to admit. "If I knew where Harry was, it would be different. I mean, I'd still need to see him, but the anxiety is less. But not knowing, not having a clue if he is hurt or okay or… damn Dumbledore for this spell anyway! I hate feeling this way!"
Frustrated, she pushed off the sofa and walked toward one of the windows, staying just out of sight, lingering behind the thick green curtains that adorned the window. She frowned as she noticed the fabric had a small design running through it, and what she had mistaken as an abstract symbol was tiny goats. Who made curtains with goats on them?
"I wish Garret had been able to find a book on the spell for you two," Brogan said eventually. "You two have been separated like this before. How did you deal with it then?"
Ginny turned back around, hyperaware of his eyes on her. She looked at anything other than him. "I told off my parents, and then I told off Dumbledore for subjecting me to such a thing. It was a brilliant moment of me being a hacked off bint."
Brogan snorted, and she glanced at him, silencing him with her look. He watched her pace for a while and then got up, walking over to her. "What can I do for you?" he asked softly.
Ginny froze, not looking at him. "Nothing. Or you could turn into Harry, I reckon." She meant it as a joke, but Ginny heard a strange sound in her voice that she didn't like. Her voice was full of need, and she felt her skin flush. She turned away again, but he stopped her, his hand resting on her arm. Suddenly a warm feeling settled over her, and she felt as though Harry were there, at least in her mind. She took in a deep breath, closing her eyes, and she was flooded with memories of Harry and her together. Feelings, thoughts, laughter…loving. Ginny felt her heart beat faster in response.
"Oh God," she murmured, swaying on her feet. "Harry!" Ginny felt as though she were falling, falling through all of the feelings she had for Harry – everything felt so real – and it felt good.
Brogan caught her as she swooned, and she was vaguely away of him carrying her over to the couch. Ginny felt herself tingling all over, and her body suddenly felt the need for Harry much more intensely. The anxiety had been replaced by something much worse, in Ginny's estimation, for now, she felt as though her entire body was aching to be touched. She opened her eyes and stared up at Brogan.
"What did you do to me?" she whispered.
"I was trying to make you feel as though Harry were here to relieve your anxiety," he said, his cheeks a bright pink color. "I think…I think I overdid it. Shite, I'm sorry, Ginny. Here, we have to stop touching…" Brogan tried to pull away, but she stopped him, pulling him closer.
"No, do it again. Please, Brogan. Oh, goodness," Ginny heard herself moan, and she knew afterward she would be embarrassed beyond belief, but she couldn't help it. She let herself go into the sensations he was feeding her. Her body drank them up as though it had been dying of thirst. Her desire was traveling through her, making her feel as though she were burning up from the inside. The touch of his skin against hers made all of her emotions and feelings about Harry rush through her. Sensations of them together – the two them loving each other crashed into her, making her gasp. Strong images of them together filled her mind. Brogan held her as she rode out the wave of her need, and then suddenly, Ginny felt release and cried out, her body arching off of the sofa.
After a moment, she felt Brogan's arms release her and lay her back down on the cushion. He pulled away, and she kept her eyes closed, still lingering with the effects of her body's actions. Her heart rate was slowing, and she was taking in long, deep breaths of air – a sort of peace finally filling her. There was still anxiety, but this was better. This was nice.
But she was afraid to look Brogan in the eye. Her peace had come at a price that she didn't think she would ever be okay with paying. So she remained still, her eyes closed until she heard him move away.
When Ginny finally did open her eyes, he was no longer in the room, and she couldn't blame him. What had just happened should have never happened. She felt dirty and ashamed, and she had used him, that was the worst part. She had used his empathic gift to get herself off – and some part of her had been okay with it. Ginny sat up and hung her head in hands, and she cried. She cried for all the things she had just lost – and for all of the knowledge she had just gained.
o-o-o-o-o
"All right, Harry?" Mr Weasley asked him as he stumbled.
Harry stopped and blinked at the other man as though not seeing him. He had felt Ginny - stronger now than before - and the effect made him wobbly on his feet for a moment.
"I think…" Harry stopped, putting his hand against the wall of the building they were next to, feeling his stomach swoop. He felt absurdly keen all of a sudden. Quite keen.
Mr Weasely frowned at him and put a hand on him to keep him upright. "Here, Harry, let's go into this tearoom. We should have eaten more than chocolate biscuits for breakfast. I don't know what I was thinking."
Harry let the other made lead him to a small tea shop called "Madge's Menagerie of Tea" and sat down as the other man ordered them two cups and a few sandwiches.
Harry rested his head in his hands, feeling his breathing coming in quick gasps. Struggling for a moment, he started a few Occlumency exercises in his head, to calm his heart rate down. He had just felt the oddest, yet most pleasurable sensation…
"Here we go, nothing like a nice bacon sarnie to lift your spirits, eh, Harry?" Mr Weasley said, smiling him. He frowned at Harry a moment later. "You're looking quite peaky, are you sure there's nothing wrong?"
Harry shook his head and took a bite of his sandwich, not tasting it. After he felt himself start to feel steadier, he glanced at Arthur. "I felt…I felt Ginny."
Arthur didn't say anything for a moment, but he stopped eating, and Harry watched him cast a quick spell so that the other patrons in the tea shop wouldn't hear them.
"It's the connection between you two, isn't it? I admit I was worried you would start to feel the effects of being separated for too long, without knowing where the other person was. You have to be strong, Harry. From what Dumbledore told us before, you two will both experience rather sharp jabs of anxiety until you are back together."
Harry nodded but kept his thoughts to himself. He didn't want to tell Arthur that while he had indeed been feeling more anxious than usual, what he had just felt had been tinged with a different emotion all together. It wasn't exactly the sort of thing you could tell the father of the girl you loved.
They finished eating quickly, and Harry looked around the small village of Ullapool, sighing. This was their second to last hope – according to Mr Weasley – Aberforth had a small shack he'd used in the past for when he wanted to get away from the wizarding world. It was a small village dotted with touristy type shops and hotels. And, also, Harry noticed, an inordinate amount of tearooms. But the place Mr Weasley knew about was outside of the village, and he explained they would probably have to secure some type of transportation to at least get half-way there. Aberforth had liked things remote.
Harry waited as Mr Weasley rented a car, or at least, attempted to. Harry helped with the money part of it, and Mr Weasley assured the man at the rental shop they would return the car in good condition. This had been the wrong thing to say, and now the shop owner was trying to sell them extra insurance. Harry stood outside and let them haggle; he knew Arthur would probably cave in the end and give the man too much money. He didn't really care – if they found Ginny, Harry wasn't going to worry about even bringing the blasted rent-a-car back.
Thinking of Ginny made his anxiety return. He knew the Copulatus Spell was working on them both. So far, Harry had kept it at bay by focusing on finding her and using his Occulmency. But this was the fourth village they'd visited, and they had not had any luck. Harry didn't know how much more he could handle. He wondered briefly what would happen if he and Ginny didn't see each other in the near future. Would they both go mad with lust and anxiety? Harry wished Dumbledore had told them more about the spell – he wished anyone had been able to tell them more about the spell. He didn't like feeling as though he were at the mercy of something he didn't understand. He'd had enough of that in his life.
Harry's eyes strayed to the Muggles walking by, and he found himself watching a young woman about his age, across the street. Her hair was long and chestnut, and it caught the early afternoon sun. He allowed his eyes to drift to her short skirt and bare legs, and he found himself admiring them far more than he should have. His eyes moved upward until he realized he was watching the way her breasts bounced as she walked. He shook his head to clear it. Apparently, he had a bit of an answer to his earlier question – feeling keen for Ginny meant feeling interested in anything female.
Just brilliant, Harry thought to himself. I've turned into a leering sex-maniac. He tried clearing his mind again but Mr Weasley interrupted him.
"Ah, well, Harry, I will owe you a bit more money, I'm afraid. Mr Mackay in there seems to think we don't look reliable." Arthur said, coming out of the shop. "But this is us," he said, nodding at a small black car sitting off to the side.
They got in the car, and Mr Weasley acquainted himself with the controls for a moment as Harry looked at the map they'd purchased. It would probably take them a little over an hour to get to the safe house, that is, if Aberforth hadn't done anything to it to make it harder to find. Harry hoped that this time they'd find them. If he were having problems with the effect of the spell, what on earth was happening to Ginny?
o-o-o-o-o
"Oi, Bims," the young man with the dirty-blonde hair poked at his colleague to wake him up. "We're almost there, eh?"
Jasper 'Bims' Bimble, yawned and stretched, glancing at his partner. He looked out at the bleak landscape in front of them and frowned. He didn't know how or why he'd let his friend talk him into this whole thing.
"I don't know how I let you talk me into this, you arse," he mumbled. "Just because your auntie swears she saw Aberforth Dumbledore in Durness twenty-five years ago, you get delusions of grandeur. This is a wild Hippogriff chase."
"Just think of it, Bims, what if we find Harry Potter himself! Won't HE be pleased?"
Bims rolled his eyes and looked out the window again. The train they were on was just pulling into the station. He figured it would be a lark, heading out with Horace to play "Death Eater" and finding something to bring back to the Dark Lord. But now he just saw it as what it was – a folly and a colossal waste of time.
Truth was, he was pretty sure Lord Voldemort didn't even know who they were – and they weren't proper Death Eaters anyhow, but his father and Horace's wanted them to be. His father had told his only son that he needed to go out and make a name for himself in this brand new world. But short of torturing Muggles for the hell of it, Bims didn't know what that meant. He didn't much fancy torturing anyone. Not that he'd ever admit that.
"I'm sure Harry Potter is nowhere near this godforsaken town," Bims said, still grumpy. Horace paid him no mind as they got off the train.
"Now, if you were an ol'codger like Aberforth Dumbledore, where would put your house?" Horace said, staring the map of the area that was posted at the exit of the station. Bims rolled his eyes and glanced at it over his partner's shoulder.
"Well, it wouldn't be anywhere near the village. Probably in the middle nowhere," he said as he pointed to the deserted area between Durness and Ullapool. "Like here."
Horace frowned where his finger was, and then joy filled his face. "There's a wizard island around here, isn't there? Handa or something."
Bims frown at the map and then saw it. "There's just birds and stuff there. Why would they go there?"
"It'd be perfect, Bims! Hiding in plain sight, as it were," Horace nodded with enthusiasm at the image of the island. "Let's go! Adventure awaits!"
"Mucking about in the middle of bleedin'nowhere on a daft island full of birds is not an adventure, Horace."
"It beats waiting around, getting yelled at by my Da to do something with my life. Come on, let's get away from all these…Muggles."
Horace adopted a sneer on his face that Bims was sure he thought made him look menacing. To Bims, it just made him look constipated.
o-o-o-o-o
"Here," Brogan said as he handed Ginny a wet flannel. He'd left her alone until she'd cried herself out. It was only when the silence in the other room had become deafening that had he dared to venture out.
She was sitting on the sofa, her knees drawn up and her head resting on them. She didn't move until he sat down next to her, blocking her view. Her eyes flashed at his, and then she looked away, but she took the cloth from his hands and rubbed at her eyes.
He released a breath he'd been holding and looked away, staring at the wall in front of them. His shoulder ached; it was time for another change of bandage, but he knew they needed to talk first.
Ginny removed the flannel from her face and lay it down next to him, between them. Brogan wondered if that was now their new boundary line. There was nothing else for it. He took a deep breath to steady himself.
"I'm sorry," he said, still staring at the walls. "I'm sorry I made a bad situation worse. I should have controlled my feelings better. I..wasn't thinking. I just wanted to help you, I swear, Ginny."
He heard a sniff and then a choked sound, and he glanced over, seeing her start to cry again—bloody hell.
Ginny held up her hand to stop him from reaching out and touching her, even though he hadn't even moved a muscle. He frowned and stayed perfectly still, just waiting.
She stopped and wiped at her eyes again and then looked at him. "I'm the one who should be apologizing to you."
"For what? Being human? Having needs? Having needs that are doubly so because of some bloody compulsion from a spell you never asked for?" Brogan felt shocked that she would even think she needed to apologize. He'd been the one to mess up – he was an Empath, and he should have known touching her would only make things worse. He hadn't realized how potent the Copulatus Spell was until he'd tried to comfort her with thoughts of Harry. He had made a stupid mistake.
"I used you," Ginny stated baldly. She looked at him, her brown eyes full of pain. "I lost control. I…I never do that…I mean, I didn't mean to do that. With you. I…oh, I don't know what I mean."
Brogan looked away and sighed. "Ginny, remember when we were at the Abbey, and we talked about Aine being called a scarlet woman?"
Ginny made a disparaging sound. "Oh, great, now I get to blame Aine for this?"
Brogan shook his head. "No, not blame, but… she was known as a goddess of fertility, Ginny. She…she was a very sexual being. That's where part of her power lies, I think. You get hit with all of this because you are her heir, and you are part of a Copulatus Spell with your soulmate. I don't want you to feel like a scarlet woman because you…you had a sexual reaction to what happened. Your body needed release. It is as simple and as complicated as that."
Ginny stared at him. "How can you be so calm about this?"
Brogan sighed. "I should have controlled my own emotions when I touched you. I just wanted you to be able to feel Harry and see if that would help your anxiety. You didn't use me. Nothing happened. I touched your arm, I held you, you…" he motioned with his hands towards her. "Your body reacted to the emotions because of how much you love Harry. I was just…a conduit." He finished lamely. Said out loud, it did sound a bit…dodgy. But he didn't want her to feel ashamed.
He moved forward, and she pulled back, blushing. He held up his hands. "I won't touch you if you don't want me to. But…you have nothing to feel ashamed about, Ginny. You really don't."
She shook her head stubbornly and looked away as though unable to meet his eyes. Brogan felt his heart break a little bit – he wasn't doing a good job of making her feel better. He tried a different tack.
"You like sex, right?" he asked her, and she flashed a blazing look at him, which made him feel as though he were pinned to the spot. He ignored her anger and forged ahead.
"I know you do. I have had both you and Harry in my head enough times to know. There is nothing wrong with it. I like sex, too, even if I'm not having any currently. Well, except with myself." He held up his hand and waved. "It is a basic human need. And as far as you are concerned…your needs are twenty times that of a normal, healthy female. At least, I would imagine they are. Aine gives you the power to protect Harry and…"
"It manifested when Harry and I made love," Ginny said, staring at him. "The night it came true, the prophecy, it was during sex. I never really thought to wonder why. We were just loving each other. Well, more specifically, I was loving Harry. I…I gave in to the feeling and just let go."
Brogan nodded. "It opened a doorway between you and Aine, I think. It is one of the reasons I sort of thought the Heir and I were destined but…" he paused, clearing his throat. "You and I could never have what you and Harry have. I am not your soulmate, Ginny. I understand that. I can't help my attraction to you or to Harry. I have kept it inside for a long time now, and I am tired of hiding it. So please, please do not feel ashamed. I do not feel used. If I brought any sort of comfort to you…if what happened brought you any peace of mind, then it was worth it. To me."
Ginny blinked at him. "You are too easy on me, Brogan. You are just so god damn understanding about all of this."
"It beats the alternative."
"Which is?" she asked skeptically.
"I go fucking crazy."
Ginny sighed and bowed her head again. They were silent for a long time, listening to the wind begin to rattle the wood of the walls.
"We should go if we're going to try to Apparate to the island today," he said.
Ginny nodded numbly and stood up, not looking at him. He watched her head into the loo, closing the door softly behind her. Brogan was worried about her. But at least, she seemed less anxious. Feeling her earlier, hearing her call out Harry's name as her body carried her into pleasure had been on of the most strange and yet exhilarating experiences of his life. For a moment, he had been tempted – but he knew he could never do that – would not be able to do that. Not to her and not to Harry. He realized with a start that he loved them. He loved them both.
"I'm a bloody fool," he said softly to the empty room. "I am a bloody, bloody fool."
o-o-o-o-o
They changed the bandages on Brogan's cut one more time before leaving and headed outside. The day was bright but windy. Ginny turned around to look at their little private hut of safety and shook her head. Never seeing it again sounded okay to her.
Brogan walked ahead of her, wand at the ready in his opposite hand. She had strung her bag across her shoulders, but it was still heavy. Ginny had grabbed some of the extra food and taken it, just in case. She had also made sure to grab extra bandages and a few more of the pain relief potions for later. She slipped her wand into her sleeve so that it would be quicker for her to get to in case of emergency – Hermione had taught her that one.
"Do you think you could cast a charm on this to make it less heavy?" She called to Brogan after walking a short way. She looked away as he turned and walked back to her.
"Aye, sorry."
He nodded at her, and they started again. Ginny still felt embarrassed, and even though he appeared okay with everything, she still couldn't shake the feeling of shame. But she had to admit, she was less anxious now. The Copulatus Spell had apparently got what it needed for the time being. Ginny turned over all the questions she had in her mind – had what happened constituted as cheating on Harry? What was his reaction going to be when she told him? Should she tell him?
Ginny sighed. Of course, she was going to tell him. But what exactly would that be? Oh, hey, Harry, Brogan made me think of you, and it felt so good I came while crying out your name in his arms? She shook her head to herself. No, she didn't think that would fly, exactly. She hadn't been thinking of Brogan when it had happened – that had to count for something, right? He had flooded her with so many feelings of being loved by Harry that it had been a bit unreal. And she now realized that some of those feelings had not just been hers alone.
They walked on in silence, the wind blowing a bit harder now. Brogan claimed he had just been…what had he said? Oh, yes, a conduit, and maybe that was true, but she couldn't help but wonder what the whole thing had felt like to him. Ginny wasn't sure she would have been able to do the same if she were honest. It had felt so…sexual, the whole thing. The need, the desire, all of it coursing through her, looking for release. Was he turned on by it? By her? Why did she care? She cared because she liked Brogan – maybe she liked him a lot – but she loved Harry. She looked ahead and watched him, confused. She couldn't imagine being with anyone other than Harry. Brogan didn't make her feel the same way. And that was what it came down to. Without the Copulatus Spell and without Brogan's empathic abilities, nothing would have ever happened between them. She had never considered having sex without love. In her mind, the two were always linked. Perhaps that was old-fashioned of her – but – she didn't think she loved Brogan and so, therefore, could not imagine being intimate with him.
Brogan stopped up ahead and did something with his wand to the area in front of them. They had been walking down a long copse of trees, moving in between their large trunks – it helped shelter them from the wind and prying eyes. She reached him and stopped as well.
"I think we can Apparate past this point," Brogan said, nodding ahead. "Are you ready?"
She narrowed her eyes and looked back and forth – the vast expanse of land was intimidating, yet barren. In the distance, she thought she could see a road with cars traveling past. The island of Handa lay to the north of them, the dark blue of the water between them and it.
"I reckon," Ginny paused and looked up at him. His face was neutral, but his eyes still seemed to be asking her something. "Are you ready? Do you want to…practice first?"
"You mean leave you here and try it and then come back to get you?"
She nodded. "I can hide behind these trees."
"That sounds amazing practical, and efficient, Miss Weasley."
She smirked and then sobered. "Be careful."
"Aye. Be back in a snap."
Brogan walked a short ways away and looked back at her, making sure she was hidden behind the tree. Tapping his wand to his head, a moment later, he was gone, with a small audible pop! and Ginny held her breath. A moment later, he re-appeared, looking none the worse for wear. He slipped his wand into his back pocket and smiled.
"It's okay, although I did almost miss the end of the beach and wind up in the water. I'll be sure to be more precise with you."
"Thanks ever so," Ginny said, grimacing.
Brogan stopped in front of her, his eyes searching hers. "It would be easier to do this if you let me hold you around the waist."
Ginny frowned. "I know. It just feels…too intimate after…well, after."
Brogan bowed his head, looking away from her. "I am so sorry, Ginny. I don't want you to be afraid of me."
"I'm not!" She blurted out and then recovered. "I mean, I just…oh, hell. Go ahead."
He grasped her around her middle, pulling closer to her. His touch was very light, and he waited until she looked up at him. "On the count of three."
She nodded in understanding as he pulled his wand out again and used his good arm to make sure he was holding her tight. His fingers squeezed her as he counted, and she closed her eyes. A moment later and she felt the harsh pressure of her body being squeezed through air and space.
"You can open your eyes now, Ginny," Brogan said as he moved away from her. She felt herself lurch forward and then released the breath she'd been holding. Her insides felt smooshed together.
"Now I know why my mum prefers to travel by floo. I'll take a broom any day."
She looked around at the island, trying to get her bearings. It was a small sandy section of land, with huge palm trees in front of them. She stared at them a moment, not believing what she was seeing. Brogan pointed off to the right.
"There's a path. I reckon we should start there."
She nodded her agreement and let him lead the way again. The disoriented feeling of Apparation was leaving her, and she felt less sick to her stomach. She hoped whichever wizard lived on the island could help them. Ginny wanted to go home. Where that was, she didn't know, exactly, but she knew it meant that Harry would be there.
o-o-o-o-o
"Bims," Horace whispered as they watched the two people who had just Apparated in front of them turn and start walking up the path to their left.
"Yeah?"
"That girlfriend of Potter's…she a ginger?"
"I think so, yeah."
"Do you think that's her?"
Bims frowned and squinted as the couple disappeared over the small bluff. "What would his girlfriend being doing here?"
"I don't know, I just got a hunch," Horace said, frowning.
"Brilliant," Bims muttered under his breath. Louder, he said, "I suppose you want to follow them?"
Horace merely looked at him, his eyebrows raised.
They had wandered over to the sandy area because they had heard someone Apparate and then Disapparate quickly. Bims had expected it to be the old geezer who ran the island, but he could admit to himself that the two people they had seen had thrown him. He reckoned it was worth checking out. He nodded at his friend, who cackled with glee, and they both took off in the same direction as the other two.
Probably just some couple out for a lark, he thought to himself. Still, Horace was right. This was better than sitting around at home, waiting for something to happen.
o-o-o-o-o
