Ginny Weasley and The Boy Who Lived
Chapter 4: House-Hunting
It was a couple of weeks later and Harry was beginning to wonder what he was going to do while Ginny was at Hogwarts. He knew Hermione had a job already, which didn't surprise him, and Ron had been for a couple of job interviews for post within the Department of Magical Games and Sports but he hadn't heard back from anyone yet. A possibility suggested itself in the form of a letter from the Ministry delivered by great-horned owl at breakfast.
Dear Mr Potter, Following your recent successful appearance at the Quidditch World Cup Final, a number of Quidditch teams in the British and Irish League would be interested in bidding for the chance to sign you up for the coming season. If you would present yourself at the main conference room of the Roderick Plumpton Building at nine-thirty this morning, you may meet the captains concerned and make your decision.
Yours sincerely,
Bonny Gordon Quidditch Association Office Ministry of Magic
He folded up the letter and put it back in its envelope. Ginny looked at him, raising her eyebrows. I have to go over to the Association building today. Madame Gordon says there's some interest in me from some of the League teams, they want a meeting.
Can I come with you?
I'd like to do this on my own if it's okay love.
Sure, if that's what you want. I'll wait here for you then. When do you have leave?
As soon as possible. I'll take the car over if Worthington's free.
Do you want me to check?
If you could, I'll go get my stuff. Harry said, rising from the table.
No problem. Ginny confirmed, getting up too. They left the dining room together. Harry headed up the main stair and Ginny headed down one of the back corridors that would take her out to the garden and the garage. Worthington wasn't in and the car was gone, but something else caught Ginny's attention. Lion?
Yes?
Could you come to the garage please?
Sure.
He arrived about thirty seconds later, dressed in jeans, a dark-green shirt and his dragon-hide jacket and carrying a small rucksack and his broomstick. Perfect. "Do you think you could ride this?" she asked pointing to a huge black motorcycle.
Harry nodded, "Sure. Do you know who it belongs to?"
"It's either Sirius' or Remus'. It doesn't belong to one of us, not even Charlie."
"I reckon it's Sirius', Hagrid mentioned something about borrowing a motorbike from him once. I'll ask him if he minds me borrowing it." Harry said, Padfoot?
Yes Lion?
Is the bike in the garage yours?
Yes why?
Can I borrow it? I need to go into town but Worthington's busy and I don't like Apparating unless I have to.
No problem. replied Sirius. The spell to start it is 'Exsilire'. See you later and good luck.
Bye Padfoot and thanks. Harry shrank his Firebolt down small enough to fit in his rucksack and straddled the big bike. Ginny opened the front door of the garage, Harry tapped the starter, "Exsilire." It roared into life, Harry released the brake and the bike rolled down the gentle slope out of the low building. When he reached the flat he stopped. "Bye Ginny. See you later!"
"Bye Harry!" yelled Ginny over the roar of the powerful engine as he popped the clutch and flew off down the drive. The main gates opened of their own accord to let him pass, he turned left heading out into the city. Bye Harry. she repeated. She stood there for a few minutes then turned, shut the door and went back into the House, closing the door behind her.
----
When Harry returned a few hours later while the family where eating a late lunch, he was grinning widely. Ginny smiled as he slipped into his place between her and Sirius at the table. Success?
Harry nodded, "Hey Ron, have you still got the Cannons robes I got you for Christmas?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"The signatures are a little, outdated."
"Really?"
"Yep. Alderman isn't Seeker anymore."
"Who is?"
"Me."
Ron leaped to his feet and whooped with glee. "Yes!!!"
"You're the Cannons' new Seeker." Charlie repeated.
Harry nodded, "I went to a meeting at the Roderick Plumpton Building this morning. Conroy was there, as well as the Bats' Captain Alan Barks and Henrietta Dylan from the Wasps. Conroy gave me the best offer, so I signed up."
Ron sat down again. "Well, Harry'll be playing Quidditch and I'll be working for Bagman, what'll you be doing 'Mione?"
Hermione leapt to her feet, her face contorted and flushed red with anger, "LEAVE ME ALONE RON!!! I'LL TELL YOU WHEN I'M GOOD AND READY!!!" She turned and ran out of the room slamming the door behind her.
"Sometimes I don't understand her." moaned Ron, and followed her, slamming the door again behind him. Harry starred at the door, forlorn. Ginny read his emotions perfectly, "Don't worry Harry. They'll work it out."
"Yeah." Said Harry, unconvinced.
"After all they have been losing their temper with each other practically since they met. Remember third year, when Ron thought Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers? They made up after that."
"That's true." admitted Harry. Somewhat reassured, he picked up his knife and fork and began to eat.
----
"I'm thinking about moving out, getting a place of my own." Harry confessed to Ginny two nights later.
"Why? Don't you enjoy staying here?"
"I do Ginny. I love staying here with you, Ron, Hermione, Sirius and your family. But you'll be going back to Hogwarts in a couple of weeks, and so will Sirius and Charlie, the twins'll be leaving for their flat in Hogsmeade. It'll feel strange without all of you here. Carrie told me that there's a vacant flat in the Eyrie, the building where she lives."
"Carrie?" asked Ginny stiffening.
"You know her Ginny. Connie Moore, Conroy's girlfriend."
"Oh yeah. Sorry. That sounds good. Ron was looking for a place too. Would there be room for him?"
"Yep, the flats are all three bed-roomed."
"When were you planning on moving out?"
"I don't know, Burke the building superintendent said I can move in anytime, but I've not decided to move yet."
"I think you should Harry. It'd be good for you, and Ron."
"I'll do it. I'll owl Burke in the morning."
"Good. Now get some sleep."
Two days later, Sirius and the gang moved into Harry's flat with Mrs Weasley and Charlie's help. The two couples took the larger double rooms and Sirius put his things in the smaller single room beside the large bathroom. On the first evening, Carrie Moore, Conroy and Burke organised a party for their new neighbours. It went on so long that Ron went to work the next morning after only three hours sleep.
On the last Monday in August, Sirius left for Hogwarts and Hermione disappeared off to her new job. The next morning, after Ron had left for work, Harry and Ginny went out and bought Harry's first car, a black Ford Puma coupe and drove it to the Leaky Cauldron. They had a couple of drinks, then went through the wall into Diagon Alley, Harry bought Ginny all her new books and equipment and also some new robes. After a tasty lunch prepared by Tom, the bartender they drove back home.
Far too soon it was Ginny's last evening before she had to leave for Hogwarts, Harry cooked dinner for himself and the two Weasleys and after the meal he and Ginny headed up to bed to enjoy the last few hours they had left.
A/N: Please review.
It was a couple of weeks later and Harry was beginning to wonder what he was going to do while Ginny was at Hogwarts. He knew Hermione had a job already, which didn't surprise him, and Ron had been for a couple of job interviews for post within the Department of Magical Games and Sports but he hadn't heard back from anyone yet. A possibility suggested itself in the form of a letter from the Ministry delivered by great-horned owl at breakfast.
Dear Mr Potter, Following your recent successful appearance at the Quidditch World Cup Final, a number of Quidditch teams in the British and Irish League would be interested in bidding for the chance to sign you up for the coming season. If you would present yourself at the main conference room of the Roderick Plumpton Building at nine-thirty this morning, you may meet the captains concerned and make your decision.
Yours sincerely,
Bonny Gordon Quidditch Association Office Ministry of Magic
He folded up the letter and put it back in its envelope. Ginny looked at him, raising her eyebrows. I have to go over to the Association building today. Madame Gordon says there's some interest in me from some of the League teams, they want a meeting.
Can I come with you?
I'd like to do this on my own if it's okay love.
Sure, if that's what you want. I'll wait here for you then. When do you have leave?
As soon as possible. I'll take the car over if Worthington's free.
Do you want me to check?
If you could, I'll go get my stuff. Harry said, rising from the table.
No problem. Ginny confirmed, getting up too. They left the dining room together. Harry headed up the main stair and Ginny headed down one of the back corridors that would take her out to the garden and the garage. Worthington wasn't in and the car was gone, but something else caught Ginny's attention. Lion?
Yes?
Could you come to the garage please?
Sure.
He arrived about thirty seconds later, dressed in jeans, a dark-green shirt and his dragon-hide jacket and carrying a small rucksack and his broomstick. Perfect. "Do you think you could ride this?" she asked pointing to a huge black motorcycle.
Harry nodded, "Sure. Do you know who it belongs to?"
"It's either Sirius' or Remus'. It doesn't belong to one of us, not even Charlie."
"I reckon it's Sirius', Hagrid mentioned something about borrowing a motorbike from him once. I'll ask him if he minds me borrowing it." Harry said, Padfoot?
Yes Lion?
Is the bike in the garage yours?
Yes why?
Can I borrow it? I need to go into town but Worthington's busy and I don't like Apparating unless I have to.
No problem. replied Sirius. The spell to start it is 'Exsilire'. See you later and good luck.
Bye Padfoot and thanks. Harry shrank his Firebolt down small enough to fit in his rucksack and straddled the big bike. Ginny opened the front door of the garage, Harry tapped the starter, "Exsilire." It roared into life, Harry released the brake and the bike rolled down the gentle slope out of the low building. When he reached the flat he stopped. "Bye Ginny. See you later!"
"Bye Harry!" yelled Ginny over the roar of the powerful engine as he popped the clutch and flew off down the drive. The main gates opened of their own accord to let him pass, he turned left heading out into the city. Bye Harry. she repeated. She stood there for a few minutes then turned, shut the door and went back into the House, closing the door behind her.
----
When Harry returned a few hours later while the family where eating a late lunch, he was grinning widely. Ginny smiled as he slipped into his place between her and Sirius at the table. Success?
Harry nodded, "Hey Ron, have you still got the Cannons robes I got you for Christmas?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"The signatures are a little, outdated."
"Really?"
"Yep. Alderman isn't Seeker anymore."
"Who is?"
"Me."
Ron leaped to his feet and whooped with glee. "Yes!!!"
"You're the Cannons' new Seeker." Charlie repeated.
Harry nodded, "I went to a meeting at the Roderick Plumpton Building this morning. Conroy was there, as well as the Bats' Captain Alan Barks and Henrietta Dylan from the Wasps. Conroy gave me the best offer, so I signed up."
Ron sat down again. "Well, Harry'll be playing Quidditch and I'll be working for Bagman, what'll you be doing 'Mione?"
Hermione leapt to her feet, her face contorted and flushed red with anger, "LEAVE ME ALONE RON!!! I'LL TELL YOU WHEN I'M GOOD AND READY!!!" She turned and ran out of the room slamming the door behind her.
"Sometimes I don't understand her." moaned Ron, and followed her, slamming the door again behind him. Harry starred at the door, forlorn. Ginny read his emotions perfectly, "Don't worry Harry. They'll work it out."
"Yeah." Said Harry, unconvinced.
"After all they have been losing their temper with each other practically since they met. Remember third year, when Ron thought Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers? They made up after that."
"That's true." admitted Harry. Somewhat reassured, he picked up his knife and fork and began to eat.
----
"I'm thinking about moving out, getting a place of my own." Harry confessed to Ginny two nights later.
"Why? Don't you enjoy staying here?"
"I do Ginny. I love staying here with you, Ron, Hermione, Sirius and your family. But you'll be going back to Hogwarts in a couple of weeks, and so will Sirius and Charlie, the twins'll be leaving for their flat in Hogsmeade. It'll feel strange without all of you here. Carrie told me that there's a vacant flat in the Eyrie, the building where she lives."
"Carrie?" asked Ginny stiffening.
"You know her Ginny. Connie Moore, Conroy's girlfriend."
"Oh yeah. Sorry. That sounds good. Ron was looking for a place too. Would there be room for him?"
"Yep, the flats are all three bed-roomed."
"When were you planning on moving out?"
"I don't know, Burke the building superintendent said I can move in anytime, but I've not decided to move yet."
"I think you should Harry. It'd be good for you, and Ron."
"I'll do it. I'll owl Burke in the morning."
"Good. Now get some sleep."
Two days later, Sirius and the gang moved into Harry's flat with Mrs Weasley and Charlie's help. The two couples took the larger double rooms and Sirius put his things in the smaller single room beside the large bathroom. On the first evening, Carrie Moore, Conroy and Burke organised a party for their new neighbours. It went on so long that Ron went to work the next morning after only three hours sleep.
On the last Monday in August, Sirius left for Hogwarts and Hermione disappeared off to her new job. The next morning, after Ron had left for work, Harry and Ginny went out and bought Harry's first car, a black Ford Puma coupe and drove it to the Leaky Cauldron. They had a couple of drinks, then went through the wall into Diagon Alley, Harry bought Ginny all her new books and equipment and also some new robes. After a tasty lunch prepared by Tom, the bartender they drove back home.
Far too soon it was Ginny's last evening before she had to leave for Hogwarts, Harry cooked dinner for himself and the two Weasleys and after the meal he and Ginny headed up to bed to enjoy the last few hours they had left.
A/N: Please review.