Chapter 6

            Ginny walked until she reached the library. Hermione had books piled in what appeared to be a random order. Her children followed her around with sugar quills and 'checklists' pretending to help her with her work. Ginny watched as she instructed Ron to move piles of books onto shelves, unload other shelves, and generally perform all the physical labor. All through out he kept a constant banter with her. She was so lathe to interrupt them.

            "Hermione. Can we chat a bit?"

            All adults stopped at the sound of her voice. The children too involved in pretending to be their mother ran into her and each other. Ginny smiled sadly at the display.

            "Sure. Ron, take the children for snack please."

            Ron rolled his eyes, and with a bow and flourish, "As you wish my dear." He herded the kids off in the direction of the kitchens. "Ice-cream for all!"

            Hermione sighed. "He is going to be the death of me…" the smile on her lips and love in her eyes were so obvious. "So, what can I do for you Ginny?"

            Ginny looked at her for a long minute, and turned, closing the doors, and locking them. She cast a locking and then silencing charm on the doors and turned to what looked like her only friend left. "I am a horrible person Hermione." She then broke down into tears and felt Hermione comforting her. Ginny spilled the story of the last four years to Hermione.

            "Merlin Ginny, I – I don't know what to do for you." The pain and frustration in Hermione's eyes was evident.

            Then she hit Hermione with the shocking news of the spell cast on Harry. "He can't not love me."

            "That's a double negative." Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth, blushed, and muttered. "I am so sorry Ginny. So Dumbledore interfered with Harry again."

            "What am I going to do?"

            "Well, you need to think about what you want to do. You have choices. Earn back Harry's trust, and earn the love you know he has for you, or?"

            "Or nothing." Ginny said firmly.

            "What about Dean?" Hermione asked, Ginny's face began to get impassive. "Don't you dare pull that stunt with me Ginny Weasley! I saw you with Dean in the halls."

            "Potter damn you! My last name is Potter!" She screamed it to Hermione. "Would everyone stop calling me Weasley!" She finished mournfully.

            Hermione smiled. "So, I guess you made up your mind then."

            Ginny sat there stunned. She had thought she had given up on her dreams four years ago, and now she was clinging to a name like it was a lifeline. "And I know just what I need to do."

            She stood up and wandered over to the restricted section. "Dumbledore told me the title of the book." She tore through the names, and plopped an old, worn book in front of Hermione, and opened it to a specific page. "Cast that on me."

            Hermione read the spell. "Oh no! No, no, no!" She pushed the book away like it was the most repulsive thing in the world.

            "Please! Don't you see? Then he'd know I couldn't betray him again!" she was crying.

            Hermione's heart nearly broke for her friend. "Ginny, have you considered that Harry might not be your soul mate?"

            Ginny looked at Hermione like she'd suddenly sprouted a second head. "That is simply not possible." She held her head defiantly, glaring at Hermione.

            "Look, I know you. I think you should take time to think this through." Hermione closed the book softly.

            Ginny stared at Hermione anger building, her voice became hard edged, yet they were barely above a whisper. "I thought you were my friend. I thought you were Harry's friend. I figured you of all people would understand." She grabbed the book clutching it to her like a favored toy.

            Hermione sighed and remained quiet. When Ginny got this way the only thing was to weather it out. The tension was broken by someone rattling the doors. Suddenly they burst open and Ron stood there wand in hand looking scared. Ginny shot one last look at Hermione and stormed off, still holding the book.

            "What was that all about?"

            Hermione helped Ron repair the doors, locked them for the second time that day and cast a silencing charm and retold the story since he had left.

            Ron had returned with treats from the house elves and tea. When Hermione finished he kissed her softly on the forehead and stood up brushing the crumbs from his robes. "Right then, now, where did we leave off?"

            Hermione's jaw dropped. "You aren't going to do anything?"

            Ron shrugged. "They are both adults, I have far more important things to do than to chase around after them trying to patch up their sordid love lives."

            Hermione stood gazing at the man she married as if he had just revealed to her the secrets of the universe.

            Ron got on odd look on his face after noticing his wife staring at him. "What?"

            "Nothing…" She shook her head smiling. "Let's star to work on getting the Restricted section back into order."

            "Bloody hell! I worked for hours on this!" Ron exclaimed seeing the mess Ginny left behind. "Who did this?"

            "Ginny did. She was after the book." Hermione said still amazed at Ron's total control over his emotions.

            Then it hit. "How dare she! Sleep around on my best mate, blame him for the death of their child, then come in here and wreck my hard work! I've half a mind…" He stalked out muttering to himself.

            Hermione stifled a chuckle. "Well, at least he's working on it." She said to her children. "Now, let's see what we can get done."

------------- Headmaster's Office 15 minutes later -----------------

            "Wake up you pig-headed git!"

            Harry was still trying to register the person yelling when he felt a hand slap his face. "Ugh, not twice in the same day…" He reached for his glasses, and found himself looking at Dean Thomas. "Whaddya slap me for?"

            Dean looked thoroughly brassed, and Harry was trying to figure out what he had to be upset about. "You know bloody well what that was for."

            Harry's mind was trying to get a grip on his actions. "Well, call me dense as hell, but no, I've no idea what that was for."

            "You are messing with Ginny, and I don't like it."

            "Dean. I put up with you because you are a decent guy. I have asked you before not to bring up your relationship with Ginny. I'm going to ask you to leave before I throw you out the damned window behind you for the shear pleasure of watching you fall, and hearing you hit the ground." Harry was half standing at this point.

            "That doesn't matter any more. Apparently she is under the impression you are still married, and that you still love her. I wonder where she could have gotten that idea from. I could put up with knowing she'd never really love me, why the fuck can't you just fly off again and disappear for a few months?"

            Just then to door opened and Ron stalked in, fury etched in his face. "You." He said leveling his finger at Dean. "Get the bloody fuck out of here. But don't go too far, we have unfinished business." Dean glanced at Ron, and in an instant chose to take the better part of valor and left. Harry meanwhile sat back down in his chair. "You." Ron continued glaring at Harry. "You are a selfish, ungrateful, spoiled, insensitive jackass." He grabbed Harry by the collar and drug him up to his feet. "Stand up so I can bloody well knock some sense into you."

            Harry gained his footing rapidly, but was still off balance when Ron struck him. Harry's hand went to his rapidly swelling eye. "Oh, now you've done it Weasley. After all the shit I went through to get you, your wife and kids free…"

            "Don't you bring them into this. This had nothing to do with them." Harry regained his feet, albeit somewhat unsteadily, and looked in time to see Ron's other fist just before it contacted with his stomach. "This is about your wife you insufferable prat!"

            Harry got up on his hands and knees and coughed. One hand feeling around for anything broken. Once he had determined everything was intact, he held the hand up in front of him hoping Ron would let up. "Stop. Please?"

            Ron reached down and hauled Harry up. A note of concern was in his voice. "You ok mate?" Harry nodded mutely. His head was throbbing, and his stomach ached like he had been sick, and his eye was swelling shut fast. "Good." He pushed Harry into the chair and stood over him. "Now you listen and you listen good Potter. You love Ginny, I know you do. I was there when Dumbledore cast that damned spell."

Harry looked up glaring at Ron. "Like hell you were."

"Actually Harry, Ronald is telling the truth, he was in the library that night." Dumbledore said.

"Turpentine Albus. I'm not kidding." Harry warned the painting. He turned to Ron. "So why didn't you say something? You knew but you didn't say anything?"

Ron looked him square in the face. "That isn't the part that concerns me. What does is Ginny is out there trying to get someone to cast the same damned spell on her."

"Why? What does she hope to accomplish by that?"

Ron looked at Harry and sighed, letting him go. "Because she wants you back. She never stopped loving you, ever. She thought you had cast her out, you weren't paying attention to her anymore, you were always away or busy. It's not god damned wonder she strayed. So why did you do it? Why give her divorce papers?"

"I thought it'd make her happy." He looked down at his hands. "I thought she wanted to pretend it had never happened, she could have her life back."

Ron dropped a bundle of letters on his desk. "Read those."

Harry looked at the bundle. He recognized them immediately, they were letters from Ginny.

Ron thrust them to Harry's side of the desk. "Damn you! I said read them. Now, I have other fish to fry." He left the room.

Harry did so, reading every word Ginny had written to her brother Ron. After two hours, he folded the last one up neatly, and left the office to try and find Ginny.