Chapter 1:
Mrs. Weasley stood at the bottom of their winding staircase and tapped her foot impatiently. She craned her neck to look up, only for there to be no sight of her daughter. "Ginevra Molly Weasley!" She shouted in a threatening tone, "You're going to be late if you don't get a move on-"
"I said I'm COMING!" Ginny yelled back after she finally had enough.
Ron and Harry were in the middle of a game of chess when they heard Ginny start barreling down the stairs with such excitement that it made Harry chuckle. "She's always like this in the morning." Ron grumbled before sipping some coffee from his "World's Best Auror" mug that Hermione got for him as a gift. "Drives me mad."
"She's just excited." Harry quietly defended her.
"I didn't think it was possible for anyone to be more excited for school than Hermione." Ron uttered next. "Check mate."
"Damn." Harry cursed under his breath. He ran a hand through his hair and made it even messier than before. Mrs. Weasley often made attempts to cut and style his hair to make it look better, but it never worked. His hair had a mind of his own it seemed.
Ron smirked whilst tossing his bag over his shoulder. Then he announced, "I'd love to stay and beat you at another game of chess-" Harry rolled his eyes in the midst of his boasting, "-but I'm going to be late to my first day of Auror training. Are you sure you don't want to go, Harry? Everyone would be thrilled to have you there…"
Harry had gotten an offer to join as well, but he turned it down. He didn't feel ready to move on just yet, especially not after everything he had gone through. Sometimes the pain crept up in the middle of the night, which caused him not to sleep very well. Harry stayed at Grimmauld Place mostly, then sometimes the Burrow, and then sometimes in Hogsmeade. He didn't like being in one place too long because he started to get nervous, and a bit paranoid for some reason. He was still known as the one who defeated Voldemort, but that often came at a price.
"I'll think about it." Harry concluded, and he gave Ron a pat on the back with a fake smile. "Good luck."
"Thanks." Ron returned it. He suspected that his best mate was still a bit traumatised from the war, but he seemed to be doing alright otherwise. He laughed, talked often with others, and he had a healthy appetite. All of this led Ron to fully believing in Harry's recovery.
Ron stepped into the fireplace and shouted, "Department of Auror Training!" Then he disappeared into the thickness of the floo powder. Shortly afterwards, Mrs. Weasley appeared in the room with Ginny's bags at her side. It looked like she had packed her entire wardrobe and toiletries. Ginny's broomstick casually leaned against the door, a Firebolt gifted by Tonks for her birthday.
She seemed distraught, which led Harry to ask her, "Is everything okay, Mrs. Weasley?" Usually she would flash him a scolding look for using her name like that, as she had asked him many times to just call her Molly, but Harry didn't think he could ever get used to that.
Much to his surprise, she didn't do it this time. Instead she had a look of worry written all over her face. "No, not really." She admitted with a sigh, "Teddy is sick, and someone's got to take Ginny to King's Cross!"
"What about Mr. Weasley?"
"He's covered up with work." After the war, Arthur left the Ministry and started his own business repairing Muggle cars in London. Percy also left the Ministry, but just to be a reporter for the Daily Prophet. Fred and George remained at their joke shop in Diagon Alley, and they were swamped as well given that school was about to start. Hermione was under apprenticeship with Kingsley Shacklebolt to become the next Minister of Magic.
"Well…" Harry trailed off uneasily, "I reckon I could take her…"
Mrs. Weasley threw her arms around him and cried out, "You're a dear! Thank you, Harry!"
He awkwardly patted her back and replied in a muffled voice, "You're welcome."
When she pulled away, she turned towards the stairs again and shouted, "Ginny you're going to be late!" The irritation in her voice was hard to ignore. Harry thought he would never see the day where Mrs. Weasley would get irritated with her only daughter.
Harry watched as she excitedly bounced down the stairs, and her red hair flew all around her Gryffindor robes. She wore an olive green colored headband in her hair to keep the strays out of her face, and it showed off every one of her freckles. She was covered in them, but they did nothing but flatter her, and accentuate her creamy, pale complexion.
"I said I was coming!" She repeated whilst Mrs. Weasley impatiently tapped her foot against the floor. "Morning, Harry." She greeted him when she noticed him standing there.
"Morning." He responded.
"Ginny dear, Harry is going to take you to King's Cross today. Is that alright?" Mrs. Weasley timidly asked.
Ginny's eyebrows furrowed, "Why can't you?" Harry couldn't help to think it, but it sounded almost as if Ginny didn't want Harry to accompany her.
"Tonks has an emergency with Teddy and she needs my help," her mother explained somewhat sadly, "I'm so sorry, dear, but I do hope you understand…" Harry could tell that Ginny was upset, but it only showed for a split second before she forced a smile.
"I suppose dad is busy as well?" She asked. Mrs. Weasley simply nodded her head, and Ginny sighed. "Well then, how are we travelling this time?"
"It's a surprise!" Harry and Ginny exchanged nervous glances as Mrs. Weasley went to retrieve a set of keys in the kitchen. When she came back she explained to them, "Arthur just finished it. He says he's never seen one like it before! Come see!"
The two of them followed her out the front door, and in the yard was parked the family car, and then what some sort of a truck. Of course he knew what cars and trucks were, but he had never actually driven one before. "I think you have to have some sort of licence to drive this, Mrs. Weasley." Harry informed her.
"Is that right?" She asked.
He scratched the back of his head whilst walking around the truck to get a better look at it. "I think so. My aunt and uncle had one, and I think Hermione's mum and dad did, too."
Mrs. Weasley thought for a moment before ultimately shrugging her shoulders. "I don't see the problem as long as you don't get caught. Just be careful!"
"Mum." Ginny groaned, "Can't we just apparate or something?"
"But your father insists on testing out the muggle truck!" Mrs. Weasley pleaded. Ginny's luggage suddenly appeared in the truck bed in the blink of an eye. It was rusty, smelled like metal, and a bit of a bulky thing, but fascinating nonetheless. "You must get going now or you'll be late. Remember, this one doesn't fly!" Harry's cheeks flushed slightly at the reminder of his and Ron's time flying the Weasley's old car in their second year.
"C'mon, Ginny." Harry said to her as she seemed frozen in place. He gave her a little nudge, and she forcefully smiled once more before getting inside. She just sat there not moving a muscle until he cleared his throat and told her, "Er, I think you have to wear the safety belt."
"What?" She asked.
He pointed to the strap partially concealed inside of the seat beneath her bum, "You're supposed to wear that around your waist."
"Why?"
"I think it's the law." He said. "And it's also for protection." He paused momentarily. "Ginny, I really think you should wear it." He wasn't confident whatsoever in his ability to operate the vehicle, but it was too late to back out from taking Ginny to King's Cross. If he had known that this was the mode of transportation beforehand then he might not have been so keen to offer his help. It isn't like you have anything better to do, he thought to himself.
Ginny started yanking on the belt, but she didn't know what to do with it next. She huffed in frustration, "I don't understand it..."
"Let me help you." Harry reached around her and took the belt from her hands, and he stuck inside the metal lock on the other side of her body. 'click', "There you go." Harry said when he finished, and he glanced up at Ginny, who was staring down at him with a blazing look in her eyes. He gulped silently before jerking back to his original position. Partially because he felt nervous, and also because Mrs. Weasley decided to pop her head inside of Ginny's window.
"All you have to do is stick the key in, turn it all the way over, and press your foot down on the gas pedal." She told them, "Use the wheel to turn it left, or…or…
"Er, right?" Harry said.
"Right! Good luck!" Mrs. Weasley chirped before backing away from the truck.
Harry already had a basic understanding of how cars worked, so this didn't help him at all. He stuck the key into the ignition and turned it all the way over, causing the engine to roar to life. Ginny jumped in her seat a bit when she heard the noise, but she didn't seem to be scared. It just must have caught her off guard by the sound.
Harry's foot hesitated before pressing down onto the pedal, but he didn't anticipate the truck to jerk forward so much. Both his and Ginny's bodies lurched forward, and Ginny let out a small yelp. "Don't you know how to drive this thing, Harry?" She asked him a bit angrily.
"No!" He defended himself. She pursed her lips after that and grabbed onto the closest sturdy object to keep her body in place. It was stop and go for most of the way out of the Burrow, but eventually Harry got somewhat used to the touchiness of the brake and gas pedals. The wheel itself was much easier to use, but he was still by no means very good at driving.
Ginny soon became a passenger driver as she grew more irritated with his driving abilities, although she had to admit that she probably couldn't do a better job. Muggle cars weren't something she was used to, unlike her dad, Harry, and Hermione. The only kind of world she knew was one with wizards, witches, and magical things.
"That light is red." I can see that, Harry thought. "Watch out for that person- they aren't even looking at the road!" She shouted before leaning partially out of the window to shout at them, "HEY, WE'RE TRYING TO DRIVE HERE!" Harry's face turned a deep shade of crimson, but he kept his mouth shut. He knew all too well that Ginny had a short temper just like other members in her family. She was practically fuming in the seat beside him despite pretending to be calm.
It was rare that Harry and Ginny were ever alone because of the size of her family, and the fact that Ron and Hermione were always by his side. This could have been a good opportunity to try and get to know his best mate's sister more, and try to find some common ground with her. All he really knew was that she used to have a crush on him years ago, and that she liked Quidditch.
Wait a minute, Harry thought, I like Quidditch!
"So are you going to join the Quidditch team this year?" He finally asked her.
"I hope so." She replied thoughtfully, "I'll have to try out again, but I think I'll make the team. I'm an excellent chaser."
"Ah, that's a good position." He commented lightly, "I was a seeker for a long time."
Ginny stifled a laugh and replied, "I know."
He smiled fondly because of the memories, and then he nonchalantly added, "Sometimes I forget you were at Hogwarts with us."
"Why?" Ginny asked him. "Because I'm just Ron's little sister to you?" He didn't realise they had arrived at King's Cross, and were idling just outside of the station entrance. It was a busy time of the day, and neither of them doubted that it might have had everything to do with Hogwarts' students crowding the place.
Realising he hit a nerve, Harry attempted to back track his words to try and redeem his stupidity. "I didn't mean-"
She opened the door and tossed her belt to the side angrily to get out. "You know," she said to him coldly. "I'm much more than just someone's little sister."
"Ginny, I-" she slammed the door shut before he could finish.
She grabbed her things and hurried towards the station, and meanwhile Harry just shook his head in disappointment.
You fucked that right up, Potter.
author's note: if is story looks familiar to you, thats because it is! Sort of. enjoy!
