Correspondence by Hermione Starise
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Chapter 1: First Attempts
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Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers, not
me! And anything that you might find similar to Jane Austen's book Emma-
this obviously belongs to her and not me.
AN- This has been slightly inspired by Jane Austen's Emma but the story is far from the same. My real inspiration for this came while watching Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. Don't ask I don't know why! This chapter is quite long: I doubt every chapter that I write will be this long but I plan to summarise a month in each: this one is a little different because it deals with the end of the School Term. * End of June * It was the last day of term and Harry Potter had one last goodbye to say. Well it wasn't really goodbye but things wouldn't quite be the same. Harry had finished his time at Hogwarts: completed his studies and had a remarkable amount of NEWTS to his credit (although of course he had not done half as well as his best friend Hermione Granger who had got top marks in all of her subjects).
This last goodbye was to his other best friend, Ron Weasley's (who had also done very well) sister: Ginny. He although he had never fully realised it until it came to saying goodbye, just how much connection he had with her. He had saved her life in the Chamber of Secrets: she had liked him for so long and her feeling had been unreciprocated until she had moved on. This had been in Harry's fifth year and her fourth: she had been swept of her feet by a Gryffindor in her own year. It had been strange for Harry who had thought that he would be glad of being free of the younger girl affections but strangely it had hurt. And he had never really understood why.
Voldemort: they had both seen Voldemort. True Ginny had only ever witnessed him as a shadow- a memory- as a boy: Tom Riddle but all the same she had known the Dark Lord and survived. The only other person apart from Harry himself to have done so: there had to be some sort of bond established from that fact alone! Surely?
"Ginny?" Harry found her sitting by the Lake with some of her friends: among them Colin Creevy.
"Yes," She said looking up. The girls in her group giggled and Harry felt a blush creep up in his cheeks. There had been a time when Ginny would have been the one blushing but not anymore.
"Err: fancy a walk?" He asked.
"Yes, excuse me." She said to her friends.
Harry had to marvel at how much she had changed. The shy and unconfident girl who had once blushed at every sight of him had completely vanished. She was still smaller than him and was of a slim, petit build. Her face that had once been so riddled with freckles now only had an attractive dusting of them across her nose and cheeks: a pleasant addition to her creamy skin. Her fiery red hair shone as the light reflected on it and hung now almost to her waist. Her eyes were a deep dark brown: totally unreadable and strangely captivating.
"Well?" She asked breaking the silence.
"I just wanted to say goodbye." He said.
"Goodbye? But Harry I'll see you again! I mean you won't be coming to the Burrow this year, I know you, Ron and Hermione are going straight into auror training but I only have one year left to go and then I'll join you." She said smiling.
"Join us? So you want to be an auror as well?" He asked, slightly surprised.
"Yes, I mean what choice do I have anyway? With Voldemort still out there it's like I have to." She said. "Yes, that's how I felt." He admitted, "But I think I might have gone into it anyway: it seems to be where my talent lies."
"But what about Quidditch?"
"Well I can hardly fight Voldemort with a broomstick can I?" Harry laughed.
"No I suppose not," Ginny said laughing too, "But it does seem such a shame to waste a talent like yours!"
"Maybe." Harry said realising that once again he was blushing. "Can I write to you?"
"Of course," She said, "But surely you'll be too busy!"
"No I think it's important to keep in touch with people after all nobody can be quite sure how long they have left to."
"Live?" She fished calmly, "I'm sure you will. Ron and Hermione will too."
Harry said nothing. He was surprised with the certainty and assurance that she had said it: it was quite unnerving really.
"Of course I might be forced to kill those two if they don't sort themselves out!" Ginny said half to herself.
"Yeah and I'll help! It's me who's got to live with them for the next Merlin knows how many months!" Harry laughed realising the implications of what she was saying. He had never voiced such a thing himself but he had always thought them.
"They would be so perfect together!" Ginny said, in mock despair, "But all they ever do is fight!"
"Yes." Harry said thoughtfully before giving Ginny a quick hug. He drew away blushing, "Sorry."
"No. I'd let any of my brothers hug me and you're just like another Brother to me Harry. Yes I know I have seven and you'd think I had more than I can handle but you're special: you're part of the family whether you have red hair or not!" She said beaming.
"Well you better go the Leaver's Ceremony is about to start! I'll see you at the end of term feast!" She said, hurrying him off.
"Yeah see you." He replied as he began walking back up the castle: with the words "just like another Brother," spinning round and round in his head. * September: Young Auror's Training Centre in County Durham. * "Harry!" Hermione called wandering into the common room area for the young auror trainees.
"Yeah?" He asked looking up from where he was sitting in a large squashy chair.
"Hedwig's just arrived with letters from Ginny." She said, handing him an envelope.
"Oh!" Harry said almost too eagerly, and took the letter from her.
Hermione smiled, she wasn't blind. She could see that her friend was besotted with the pretty red-haired girl. It was rather sweet really.
"Here Ron, there's one for you too." She said handing the half asleep red- haired giant who had just entered his envelope.
"What's this?" He asked sleepily.
"A letter from your sister that's what!" Hermione said settling herself down in a chair to read her own.
It read:
Dear Hermione, It's weird without you, Ron and Harry here. I'm not lonely of course: I have my friends. But we're the eldest in the school now and it's strange not having anybody to look up to: even weirder having other pupils look up to me. I'm head-girl, and you are a very hard act to follow! I'm trying my best of course. I can't come to you every time I need help with my homework! Of course I can write but it's not the same! And you, you must be missing this place! Poor Hermione I say to myself, poor Ron, poor Harry: all away from Hogwarts! It's also quite sad that I'm the last of the Weasley kids at Hogwarts and in only a year's time there will be none there at all! So how's auror training going? It sounds wonderful- I can't wait to start! But first I have to struggle through NEWTS and prefect/Head-girl duties! Anyway that's enough of my meddling. I have to go and do my transfiguration homework! Love, Ginny.
Hermione looked up smiling but felt a stab of jealousy at the same time: how she missed Hogwarts! And how lucky Ginny was to still be there! Studying her friend's faces as they read their letters she could tell they felt the same.
"It's nice of her to write us individual letters isn't it?" She said brightly.
"Yes, it is." Harry nodded.
"Yep!" Was Ron's response.
It was the weekend: Saturday and Sunday they had free from training. The three had taken to exploring the surrounding area. There was not much in the way of the wizarding community in the North-East expect for Durham Sanctuary, the north's answer to Diagon Alley. A lot of their time was spent with fellow Auror trainee Neville Longbottom who had grown up in the area of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne one of the regions largest muggle cities.
That Saturday however the four were contenting themselves to stay near the Training Centre. It was a bright, warm day and they were planning on taking a picnic and spending the day near a little stream they had discovered.
"Come on you two! Get ready!" Hermione said, looking at her watch and realising that they did not have much time before meeting Neville.
A while later they were all lazing in the September sun. Harry was scribbling his reply to Ginny (he seemed to be writing an awful lot) Neville and Ron were playing cards and Hermione sat with her back to a tree with a large book open in her lap.
She wasn't really reading though. She was contemplating how lovely it was just to sit and not do very much at all. She looked at Harry and wondered at his being so fond of Ginny. She looked at Neville and wondered about him being a medic-auror: he had taken on extra work so that he could be trained as a medic as well as an auror, his talent for Herbolagy made him ideal for such a thing. Then she looked at Ron. Ron? He was hard to understand. He always had been and always would be: what was it about him that set him apart from her other male friends? Neither Harry nor Neville had the ability to make her blush just by speaking to her; neither of them could hold her attention for hours on end. She shook her head! No! He was her best friend he was no different to Harry! But he was. To her he was.
* The same day back at Hogwarts *
Ginny looked at her best friend in surprise and elation.
"Really?" She asked amazed.
"Yes!" Colin Creevy replied blushing furiously.
"Oh Colin! How wonderful! And Fiona too! Well who'd have thought! Oh you make such a cute couple!" She exclaimed: happy beyond measure for her friends.
"She told me she'd had feelings for me for ages when I admitted I liked her!" Colin said, quite unable to fully believe what had happened.
Ginny smiled knowingly. She had known.
"You knew!" Colin said in an accusing tone, "And you didn't tell me!"
"Well actually I didn't know. Not for certain, but it was so obvious!" Ginny replied calmly. Indeed when one spent all her free time with the same two people, romantic feelings between them had been unmistakable. She supposed that must be how Harry felt about Ron and Hermione.
"Oh I'm sorry," Colin said suddenly as if he thought he'd upset her, "Here's me and Fiona and you and Mark broke up months ago and you still have no-one."
Ginny laughed, but was touched at her friends concern for her, "No Colin, nothing could make me happier and believe me I don't want anyone just at the moment!"
He smiled, "Gosh Ginny, you must be an angel! And you have the patience of a saint!"
Ginny who the muggle sentiments were quite lost on just smiled. Oh how she whished Ron, Harry and Hermione back! She was going to have to spend some time on her own now that Colin Creevy and Fiona Finnegan were a couple!
* 19th September: Hogwarts *
Ginny was felt her heart lift when she saw Hedwig come to her with mail at Breakfast. It was the Hogsmeade week-end and Fiona and Colin had gone early, she was planning to go later with some of the other prefects that she had got to know quite well.
She sent Hedwig back off after giving her some toast, and sent with her Hermione's birthday card and present. (The present being a fine shawl that Ginny herself had magically embroidered to have moving patterns.)
There were three letters as always. One with Ron's untidy scrawl, another with Hermione's perfect script and one with Harry's friendly print.
As always (and she could never quite explain why this was) she ripped open Harry's first. It was a long letter- as always from him. She wondered where he got the time and felt extremely bad that hers where never half as long.
It read:
Dear Ginny, How are you? And how are Colin and Fiona doing? She hasn't dumped him for taking too many pictures of her- has he? Training's going well. We've just had a test and as always Hermione got top marks. Neville's really doing well with his medic course. It's given him so much confidence and I swear his clumsiness is disappearing as if it never existed! Ron is taking things in his stride but Merlin he is besotted with a certain curly haired friend of ours! I think she probably is with him too but they are both too stubborn to admit anything! What will I do? They are driving me mad! It's hard to say how the wars going. It's so infuriating for us here- we all feel that we are ready to join the fight yet we have another month of this training. It's really difficult when we here about muggles that are murdered or Wizards betraying us and not being able to go out and do anything about it! Voldemort- I am sorry I must use his name- is growing stronger by the day and I feel as if it's up to me to stop him! He plans to kill me I know he does. And will I survive next time- I have seven times. Will I be lucky the eighth? You are the only one who I admit such fears to, after all it easier to write something down than to say it out loud, but it makes me feel guilty: you should be enjoying your last year at Hogwarts. I am sorry. Tell me, how is Professor Dumbledore? I know he must be away a lot of the time. We expect to see him at the centre soon but I worry for him. He cannot be getting any younger. How would you say he was? And you- how are your studies going. Divination still driving you mad? Maybe Hermione had the right idea when she walked out. But I'll let you into a secret- Ron and I used to make things up: and look how well we did! Even in the final exam! I reckon the examiner must have been like Prof. Trelawney in that the more tragic your predictions are the more likely they are to come true! So next time you have to do your star charts just say that you are going to fall of your broom and loose a friend. You'll get excellent marks! Do you still want to go into the Auror Force? Did you find that Defence Against the Dark Arts got really tough in the last year? I did. How do you like being Head Girl? Hermione loved it but Ron always used to complain about being Head Boy. Who is your head boy? Anyone interesting or is it some awful Slytherin? And how is Jack Merran doing as Quidditch coach? Did they win their latest game? Ask him to keep me posted will you? I really miss having the Quidditch team to manage. Anyway I better go! Love, Harry.
She finished his letter feeling rather troubled. Harry seemed to really be struggling with the idea of war and he seemed to want to fight. This scared her.
"Ready Ginny?" Someone asked coming up behind her.
"Yeah," She smiled. The Head-Boy, Frank Clearwater was indeed an interesting person. Well the handsome Ravenclaw was bound to have sparked her interest- they did after all have similar responsibilities. He was the brother of Penelope Clearwater, her bother Percy's fiancée and she had hard a lot about him from her.
She left the Gryffindor table and went into the entrance hall where their friend where waiting: Harriet Sanderson was a fellow Gryffindor, but the others Jane Farseek and Daniel Newton where Hufflepuffs. They were nice people and she could do without her best friends for a day- especially when one of their company was as handsome as Frank Clearwater.
* In the early hours of the next morning: Young Auror's Training Centre in County Durham. * Hermione had felt strange celebrating her birthday away from Hogwarts. But it had been nice all the same. She, Ron, Harry and Neville had gone into Durham for the day and had a nice lunch there.
Then they had thrown a lovely party for her and invited everyone at the centre. Ron had said: "It's not every day you turn eighteen."
For those few hours she had felt free and happy away from the worries of the war and Voldemort but know she was lying in bed in sleepless distress.
All because of Ron.
He hadn't actually done or said anything: and this was the problem:
The evening had passed like a dream: everyone had been smiling and laughing. There had been just one moment though when she had thought that things might get even better: or worse. She could not decide what it would have done for her.
It had just been a minute: she had detached herself from the party that was going on in her name and walked to the window to look out on the darkened landscape: as she did every evening. Ron had followed her.
"Hermione." He had whispered making her jump. She had spun round to meet his intense stare.
"Yes?" She had replied smiling.
"I can't keep it from you any longer." He had begun, "I..."
But was cut off by the arrival of Harry with a birthday cake a lit with eighteen candles.
And this was why Hermione lay sleepless. Wondering what h had been about to say and marvelling over the way he had looked at her: with his lovely blue eyes, a lit with love and adoration for someone. Should she dare to hope that that someone was her?
* 20th September: Young Auror's Training Centre- County Durham *
Harry had got up very late. It was Sunday and Hermione's party the previous night had worn him out. When he went down to the common area he found it empty with notes from Ron, Neville and Hermione. Each was different.
Hermione: Gone for a walk. I don't know when I'll be back.
Neville: Gone to make up a potion to cure flu. Prof. Greening says there will be a nasty bout of it soon. See you all later.
Ron: Gone into town. I'll be back this afternoon.
Harry sighed. They had all disappeared and he would be left on his own! He sat down dejectedly, and picked up a Quidditch Magazine that was lying on the table and began to read.
It wasn't until some time later that a Hogwarts school owl flew in: carrying three letters: Ginny.
Felling more cheerful Harry ripped open his and read:
Dear Harry, I'm fine thank you but what about you? Colin and Fiona are doing just great: although I'm starting to wonder whether they remember I exist or not. But that doesn't really bother me: I'm spending a lot of time with the Head Boy. Yes he is someone interesting: he's Penny Clearwater's brother- Frank. (Penny and Percy are engaged now- you did know that didn't you?) Anyhow he's a Ravenclaw, he's smart and funny. Just the thing to take my mind of Colin and Fiona! Thanks for your advice on Divination: I'll try it next time I have homework! Yes I still want to go into the Auror Force. You're right about Defence Against the Dark Arts getting harder but I'm taking it in my stride: I got 97% on my last test! Jack is doing really well with the Quidditch team. They won their last match against Hufflepuff and have one against Ravenclaw next month. Prof. Dumbledore seems tired and well older tan usual. The war is draining his energy I think and Prof. McGonagall seems to be doing more and more of his work every day, Don't worry too much Harry. Things will get better I am sure of it! And don't be wanting to rush into war you need to be fully prepared. Anyway I have to go; Frank and I have to do the detention notices for Prof. McGonagall. Love, Ginny.
Harry felt a stab of jealousy. She was rushing the end of his letter to spend time with this Frank Clearwater. He shook his head violently. He was being silly- the only interest he had in Ginny Weasley was that she was still at Hogwarts. That was all that drew him to her- the simple fact that she still had what he did not. She was just a school girl whose main concerns were passing her exams and who was going out with who. He had bigger worries now- he always had! He was Harry Potter- who the task of saving the day always fell to. He had to defeat Voldemort!
He was in an irritable mood for the rest of the day and Hermione wasn't much better when she came in from her walk- soaked to the bone. She went straight to bed after tea complaining of a headache.
Neville also retreated early to bed: for he had spent all day making a complex anti-flu potion and was sucked of energy.
By then Harry was too completely lost in his own glumness that he did not notice Ron's severe disappointment when he learned that Hermione had already gone to bed when he got back from Durham. Or the way in which Ron sat and looked very thoughtful before going to bed him.
So as Harry spent the last few hours of the day playing cards with an ex- Ravenclaw, he felt completely miserable. And when he went to bed he decided just to forget the day he had had and consider it a complete waste and therefore not worth his memory.
And when he fell asleep things did not get much better for his dreams were invaded by a certain red-haired girl.
AN- Please review!!
AN- This has been slightly inspired by Jane Austen's Emma but the story is far from the same. My real inspiration for this came while watching Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. Don't ask I don't know why! This chapter is quite long: I doubt every chapter that I write will be this long but I plan to summarise a month in each: this one is a little different because it deals with the end of the School Term. * End of June * It was the last day of term and Harry Potter had one last goodbye to say. Well it wasn't really goodbye but things wouldn't quite be the same. Harry had finished his time at Hogwarts: completed his studies and had a remarkable amount of NEWTS to his credit (although of course he had not done half as well as his best friend Hermione Granger who had got top marks in all of her subjects).
This last goodbye was to his other best friend, Ron Weasley's (who had also done very well) sister: Ginny. He although he had never fully realised it until it came to saying goodbye, just how much connection he had with her. He had saved her life in the Chamber of Secrets: she had liked him for so long and her feeling had been unreciprocated until she had moved on. This had been in Harry's fifth year and her fourth: she had been swept of her feet by a Gryffindor in her own year. It had been strange for Harry who had thought that he would be glad of being free of the younger girl affections but strangely it had hurt. And he had never really understood why.
Voldemort: they had both seen Voldemort. True Ginny had only ever witnessed him as a shadow- a memory- as a boy: Tom Riddle but all the same she had known the Dark Lord and survived. The only other person apart from Harry himself to have done so: there had to be some sort of bond established from that fact alone! Surely?
"Ginny?" Harry found her sitting by the Lake with some of her friends: among them Colin Creevy.
"Yes," She said looking up. The girls in her group giggled and Harry felt a blush creep up in his cheeks. There had been a time when Ginny would have been the one blushing but not anymore.
"Err: fancy a walk?" He asked.
"Yes, excuse me." She said to her friends.
Harry had to marvel at how much she had changed. The shy and unconfident girl who had once blushed at every sight of him had completely vanished. She was still smaller than him and was of a slim, petit build. Her face that had once been so riddled with freckles now only had an attractive dusting of them across her nose and cheeks: a pleasant addition to her creamy skin. Her fiery red hair shone as the light reflected on it and hung now almost to her waist. Her eyes were a deep dark brown: totally unreadable and strangely captivating.
"Well?" She asked breaking the silence.
"I just wanted to say goodbye." He said.
"Goodbye? But Harry I'll see you again! I mean you won't be coming to the Burrow this year, I know you, Ron and Hermione are going straight into auror training but I only have one year left to go and then I'll join you." She said smiling.
"Join us? So you want to be an auror as well?" He asked, slightly surprised.
"Yes, I mean what choice do I have anyway? With Voldemort still out there it's like I have to." She said. "Yes, that's how I felt." He admitted, "But I think I might have gone into it anyway: it seems to be where my talent lies."
"But what about Quidditch?"
"Well I can hardly fight Voldemort with a broomstick can I?" Harry laughed.
"No I suppose not," Ginny said laughing too, "But it does seem such a shame to waste a talent like yours!"
"Maybe." Harry said realising that once again he was blushing. "Can I write to you?"
"Of course," She said, "But surely you'll be too busy!"
"No I think it's important to keep in touch with people after all nobody can be quite sure how long they have left to."
"Live?" She fished calmly, "I'm sure you will. Ron and Hermione will too."
Harry said nothing. He was surprised with the certainty and assurance that she had said it: it was quite unnerving really.
"Of course I might be forced to kill those two if they don't sort themselves out!" Ginny said half to herself.
"Yeah and I'll help! It's me who's got to live with them for the next Merlin knows how many months!" Harry laughed realising the implications of what she was saying. He had never voiced such a thing himself but he had always thought them.
"They would be so perfect together!" Ginny said, in mock despair, "But all they ever do is fight!"
"Yes." Harry said thoughtfully before giving Ginny a quick hug. He drew away blushing, "Sorry."
"No. I'd let any of my brothers hug me and you're just like another Brother to me Harry. Yes I know I have seven and you'd think I had more than I can handle but you're special: you're part of the family whether you have red hair or not!" She said beaming.
"Well you better go the Leaver's Ceremony is about to start! I'll see you at the end of term feast!" She said, hurrying him off.
"Yeah see you." He replied as he began walking back up the castle: with the words "just like another Brother," spinning round and round in his head. * September: Young Auror's Training Centre in County Durham. * "Harry!" Hermione called wandering into the common room area for the young auror trainees.
"Yeah?" He asked looking up from where he was sitting in a large squashy chair.
"Hedwig's just arrived with letters from Ginny." She said, handing him an envelope.
"Oh!" Harry said almost too eagerly, and took the letter from her.
Hermione smiled, she wasn't blind. She could see that her friend was besotted with the pretty red-haired girl. It was rather sweet really.
"Here Ron, there's one for you too." She said handing the half asleep red- haired giant who had just entered his envelope.
"What's this?" He asked sleepily.
"A letter from your sister that's what!" Hermione said settling herself down in a chair to read her own.
It read:
Dear Hermione, It's weird without you, Ron and Harry here. I'm not lonely of course: I have my friends. But we're the eldest in the school now and it's strange not having anybody to look up to: even weirder having other pupils look up to me. I'm head-girl, and you are a very hard act to follow! I'm trying my best of course. I can't come to you every time I need help with my homework! Of course I can write but it's not the same! And you, you must be missing this place! Poor Hermione I say to myself, poor Ron, poor Harry: all away from Hogwarts! It's also quite sad that I'm the last of the Weasley kids at Hogwarts and in only a year's time there will be none there at all! So how's auror training going? It sounds wonderful- I can't wait to start! But first I have to struggle through NEWTS and prefect/Head-girl duties! Anyway that's enough of my meddling. I have to go and do my transfiguration homework! Love, Ginny.
Hermione looked up smiling but felt a stab of jealousy at the same time: how she missed Hogwarts! And how lucky Ginny was to still be there! Studying her friend's faces as they read their letters she could tell they felt the same.
"It's nice of her to write us individual letters isn't it?" She said brightly.
"Yes, it is." Harry nodded.
"Yep!" Was Ron's response.
It was the weekend: Saturday and Sunday they had free from training. The three had taken to exploring the surrounding area. There was not much in the way of the wizarding community in the North-East expect for Durham Sanctuary, the north's answer to Diagon Alley. A lot of their time was spent with fellow Auror trainee Neville Longbottom who had grown up in the area of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne one of the regions largest muggle cities.
That Saturday however the four were contenting themselves to stay near the Training Centre. It was a bright, warm day and they were planning on taking a picnic and spending the day near a little stream they had discovered.
"Come on you two! Get ready!" Hermione said, looking at her watch and realising that they did not have much time before meeting Neville.
A while later they were all lazing in the September sun. Harry was scribbling his reply to Ginny (he seemed to be writing an awful lot) Neville and Ron were playing cards and Hermione sat with her back to a tree with a large book open in her lap.
She wasn't really reading though. She was contemplating how lovely it was just to sit and not do very much at all. She looked at Harry and wondered at his being so fond of Ginny. She looked at Neville and wondered about him being a medic-auror: he had taken on extra work so that he could be trained as a medic as well as an auror, his talent for Herbolagy made him ideal for such a thing. Then she looked at Ron. Ron? He was hard to understand. He always had been and always would be: what was it about him that set him apart from her other male friends? Neither Harry nor Neville had the ability to make her blush just by speaking to her; neither of them could hold her attention for hours on end. She shook her head! No! He was her best friend he was no different to Harry! But he was. To her he was.
* The same day back at Hogwarts *
Ginny looked at her best friend in surprise and elation.
"Really?" She asked amazed.
"Yes!" Colin Creevy replied blushing furiously.
"Oh Colin! How wonderful! And Fiona too! Well who'd have thought! Oh you make such a cute couple!" She exclaimed: happy beyond measure for her friends.
"She told me she'd had feelings for me for ages when I admitted I liked her!" Colin said, quite unable to fully believe what had happened.
Ginny smiled knowingly. She had known.
"You knew!" Colin said in an accusing tone, "And you didn't tell me!"
"Well actually I didn't know. Not for certain, but it was so obvious!" Ginny replied calmly. Indeed when one spent all her free time with the same two people, romantic feelings between them had been unmistakable. She supposed that must be how Harry felt about Ron and Hermione.
"Oh I'm sorry," Colin said suddenly as if he thought he'd upset her, "Here's me and Fiona and you and Mark broke up months ago and you still have no-one."
Ginny laughed, but was touched at her friends concern for her, "No Colin, nothing could make me happier and believe me I don't want anyone just at the moment!"
He smiled, "Gosh Ginny, you must be an angel! And you have the patience of a saint!"
Ginny who the muggle sentiments were quite lost on just smiled. Oh how she whished Ron, Harry and Hermione back! She was going to have to spend some time on her own now that Colin Creevy and Fiona Finnegan were a couple!
* 19th September: Hogwarts *
Ginny was felt her heart lift when she saw Hedwig come to her with mail at Breakfast. It was the Hogsmeade week-end and Fiona and Colin had gone early, she was planning to go later with some of the other prefects that she had got to know quite well.
She sent Hedwig back off after giving her some toast, and sent with her Hermione's birthday card and present. (The present being a fine shawl that Ginny herself had magically embroidered to have moving patterns.)
There were three letters as always. One with Ron's untidy scrawl, another with Hermione's perfect script and one with Harry's friendly print.
As always (and she could never quite explain why this was) she ripped open Harry's first. It was a long letter- as always from him. She wondered where he got the time and felt extremely bad that hers where never half as long.
It read:
Dear Ginny, How are you? And how are Colin and Fiona doing? She hasn't dumped him for taking too many pictures of her- has he? Training's going well. We've just had a test and as always Hermione got top marks. Neville's really doing well with his medic course. It's given him so much confidence and I swear his clumsiness is disappearing as if it never existed! Ron is taking things in his stride but Merlin he is besotted with a certain curly haired friend of ours! I think she probably is with him too but they are both too stubborn to admit anything! What will I do? They are driving me mad! It's hard to say how the wars going. It's so infuriating for us here- we all feel that we are ready to join the fight yet we have another month of this training. It's really difficult when we here about muggles that are murdered or Wizards betraying us and not being able to go out and do anything about it! Voldemort- I am sorry I must use his name- is growing stronger by the day and I feel as if it's up to me to stop him! He plans to kill me I know he does. And will I survive next time- I have seven times. Will I be lucky the eighth? You are the only one who I admit such fears to, after all it easier to write something down than to say it out loud, but it makes me feel guilty: you should be enjoying your last year at Hogwarts. I am sorry. Tell me, how is Professor Dumbledore? I know he must be away a lot of the time. We expect to see him at the centre soon but I worry for him. He cannot be getting any younger. How would you say he was? And you- how are your studies going. Divination still driving you mad? Maybe Hermione had the right idea when she walked out. But I'll let you into a secret- Ron and I used to make things up: and look how well we did! Even in the final exam! I reckon the examiner must have been like Prof. Trelawney in that the more tragic your predictions are the more likely they are to come true! So next time you have to do your star charts just say that you are going to fall of your broom and loose a friend. You'll get excellent marks! Do you still want to go into the Auror Force? Did you find that Defence Against the Dark Arts got really tough in the last year? I did. How do you like being Head Girl? Hermione loved it but Ron always used to complain about being Head Boy. Who is your head boy? Anyone interesting or is it some awful Slytherin? And how is Jack Merran doing as Quidditch coach? Did they win their latest game? Ask him to keep me posted will you? I really miss having the Quidditch team to manage. Anyway I better go! Love, Harry.
She finished his letter feeling rather troubled. Harry seemed to really be struggling with the idea of war and he seemed to want to fight. This scared her.
"Ready Ginny?" Someone asked coming up behind her.
"Yeah," She smiled. The Head-Boy, Frank Clearwater was indeed an interesting person. Well the handsome Ravenclaw was bound to have sparked her interest- they did after all have similar responsibilities. He was the brother of Penelope Clearwater, her bother Percy's fiancée and she had hard a lot about him from her.
She left the Gryffindor table and went into the entrance hall where their friend where waiting: Harriet Sanderson was a fellow Gryffindor, but the others Jane Farseek and Daniel Newton where Hufflepuffs. They were nice people and she could do without her best friends for a day- especially when one of their company was as handsome as Frank Clearwater.
* In the early hours of the next morning: Young Auror's Training Centre in County Durham. * Hermione had felt strange celebrating her birthday away from Hogwarts. But it had been nice all the same. She, Ron, Harry and Neville had gone into Durham for the day and had a nice lunch there.
Then they had thrown a lovely party for her and invited everyone at the centre. Ron had said: "It's not every day you turn eighteen."
For those few hours she had felt free and happy away from the worries of the war and Voldemort but know she was lying in bed in sleepless distress.
All because of Ron.
He hadn't actually done or said anything: and this was the problem:
The evening had passed like a dream: everyone had been smiling and laughing. There had been just one moment though when she had thought that things might get even better: or worse. She could not decide what it would have done for her.
It had just been a minute: she had detached herself from the party that was going on in her name and walked to the window to look out on the darkened landscape: as she did every evening. Ron had followed her.
"Hermione." He had whispered making her jump. She had spun round to meet his intense stare.
"Yes?" She had replied smiling.
"I can't keep it from you any longer." He had begun, "I..."
But was cut off by the arrival of Harry with a birthday cake a lit with eighteen candles.
And this was why Hermione lay sleepless. Wondering what h had been about to say and marvelling over the way he had looked at her: with his lovely blue eyes, a lit with love and adoration for someone. Should she dare to hope that that someone was her?
* 20th September: Young Auror's Training Centre- County Durham *
Harry had got up very late. It was Sunday and Hermione's party the previous night had worn him out. When he went down to the common area he found it empty with notes from Ron, Neville and Hermione. Each was different.
Hermione: Gone for a walk. I don't know when I'll be back.
Neville: Gone to make up a potion to cure flu. Prof. Greening says there will be a nasty bout of it soon. See you all later.
Ron: Gone into town. I'll be back this afternoon.
Harry sighed. They had all disappeared and he would be left on his own! He sat down dejectedly, and picked up a Quidditch Magazine that was lying on the table and began to read.
It wasn't until some time later that a Hogwarts school owl flew in: carrying three letters: Ginny.
Felling more cheerful Harry ripped open his and read:
Dear Harry, I'm fine thank you but what about you? Colin and Fiona are doing just great: although I'm starting to wonder whether they remember I exist or not. But that doesn't really bother me: I'm spending a lot of time with the Head Boy. Yes he is someone interesting: he's Penny Clearwater's brother- Frank. (Penny and Percy are engaged now- you did know that didn't you?) Anyhow he's a Ravenclaw, he's smart and funny. Just the thing to take my mind of Colin and Fiona! Thanks for your advice on Divination: I'll try it next time I have homework! Yes I still want to go into the Auror Force. You're right about Defence Against the Dark Arts getting harder but I'm taking it in my stride: I got 97% on my last test! Jack is doing really well with the Quidditch team. They won their last match against Hufflepuff and have one against Ravenclaw next month. Prof. Dumbledore seems tired and well older tan usual. The war is draining his energy I think and Prof. McGonagall seems to be doing more and more of his work every day, Don't worry too much Harry. Things will get better I am sure of it! And don't be wanting to rush into war you need to be fully prepared. Anyway I have to go; Frank and I have to do the detention notices for Prof. McGonagall. Love, Ginny.
Harry felt a stab of jealousy. She was rushing the end of his letter to spend time with this Frank Clearwater. He shook his head violently. He was being silly- the only interest he had in Ginny Weasley was that she was still at Hogwarts. That was all that drew him to her- the simple fact that she still had what he did not. She was just a school girl whose main concerns were passing her exams and who was going out with who. He had bigger worries now- he always had! He was Harry Potter- who the task of saving the day always fell to. He had to defeat Voldemort!
He was in an irritable mood for the rest of the day and Hermione wasn't much better when she came in from her walk- soaked to the bone. She went straight to bed after tea complaining of a headache.
Neville also retreated early to bed: for he had spent all day making a complex anti-flu potion and was sucked of energy.
By then Harry was too completely lost in his own glumness that he did not notice Ron's severe disappointment when he learned that Hermione had already gone to bed when he got back from Durham. Or the way in which Ron sat and looked very thoughtful before going to bed him.
So as Harry spent the last few hours of the day playing cards with an ex- Ravenclaw, he felt completely miserable. And when he went to bed he decided just to forget the day he had had and consider it a complete waste and therefore not worth his memory.
And when he fell asleep things did not get much better for his dreams were invaded by a certain red-haired girl.
AN- Please review!!