Chapter 3: He has No Clue
The morning sun filtered in through Ginny's bedroom curtains and shone down on the sleeping Ginny. Her eyes twitched and then finally opened. She yawned as she sat up and looked over at her alarm clock. 7:00 a.m., meaning her alarm would go off in 3...2...1...right on time. Ginny slapped her hand down on the off button as she rubbed her eyes with the heel of the other. Timidly, she placed her bare feet on the maple flooring. The cold feel of it made her draw back but after a moment, she placed her feet back on the floor. Nanook was sleeping off to the side and she smiled at her dog. Ginny stretched for a few moments and then opened her bedroom door and walked to the kitchen. She turned on the coffee pot and opened the window for Meridian to drop off the Daily Prophet. Laying a table of treats by the window, Ginny left the kitchen and walked into her bathroom. She pulled her hair down from its messy bun and brushed it out. Walking over to the shower, she pulled back the baby blue vinyl curtain and turned on the shower. Ginny quickly discarded her pajamas into the laundry basket and stepped beneath the hot spray. The scent of Vanilla soon filled the bathroom. After shampooing and conditioning her hair, Ginny pulled it up into a towel and wrapped herself up in her white terry cloth bathrobe. Opening the bathroom door, Ginny left the door open and headed back to the kitchen. She prepared her cup of coffee and then walked over to where the issue of the Daily Prophet lay. Picking it up, Ginny went out into the dinning area and sipped her coffee as she skimmed through it. It was then that she came to an article that made her still.
Harry Potter...in Love?
Is it possible that the wizarding community's favorite playboy has finally found love? Sources reveal that the rumor is indeed true. Harry Potter (left) seen with Trista Wharton (right) seemed a little more than "just friends" at the premier of Trista Wharton's latest flick. Yes ladies and gentlemen, we have a wizarding witch in Hollywood. So what couple could be more than perfect then two exceptionally beautiful people that do two exceptionally wonderful things? It is quite possible that this "couple" may have more in the works than just a random date from day to day. Sources state that Harry and Trista will soon be engaged, but perhaps we revealed that news too soon that its news to Trista. Wake up Harry Potter, if you don't catch this delicious woman, I will. (cont'd)
-Keegan Kirshaw
Ginny stared at the moving picture of Harry with his arm wrapped around the tall willowy peroxide blonde princess for about thirty seconds before she threw the paper down and rubbed her eyes. So the rumors about Harry were true. Ginny was never one to always believe things that she read but as they say, "Pictures speak a thousand words." And every last one of them was incriminating. Ginny suddenly felt like an idiot as she thought back to the week before when she had had dinner at her family's. She'd been honest, played his game, and all the time he must have been laughing! "You're an idiot Ginerva...plain and simple." She whispered. Sighing, Ginny stood up and walked back into the bathroom. She quickly and expertly applied her makeup and then dried and styled her hair. Walking back into her bedroom, Ginny opened up the door to her walk-in closet and chose a black pant's suit with a blue blouse underneath. Pulling on her black flats, Ginny walked out and picked up her purse. She filled a thermal coffee mug up and grabbed a Power Bar before Apparating. It was going to be a day.
Harry looked down at the article that lay on the coffee table and grimaced. Damned photographer had to catch him right at that moment. He had always known what it was to live life in the spotlight, but that never made things like this easier. People were always angered. Trista Wharton and Harry were mere friends, despite Trista's advances. Not the couple the papers claimed. Harry could not be tied down to one girl, not with his hectic schedule. Girls required time and effort, two things neither of which Harry was willing or able to give. He stared down at the picture trying to figure out how to weasel his way out of the situation before him when someone knocked on his door. Specifically, Trista knocked on the door. Harry opened the door and Trista stalked in.
"Did you see what they wrote about us, about me?! I do not want this kind of stuff about me in the papers!" She exclaimed.
"What do you expect me to do about it?" Harry asked as he rubbed his hands over his eyes.
"I don't know, but fix it. You're a wonder boy. You can do anything! I will not be portrayed as some common whore in the newspapers, not when you can do something about it."
"Perhaps you should have invited him to the movie premiere...darling."
"Don't start, you know why I didn't. Besides," she said walking over to him, "I wanted you there." She whispered. Harry shook his head and stepped back.
"No."
"Why not?"
"The name John ring a bell?"
"He won't have to know." Trista breathed as she ran her fingers through Harry's hair. Harry sighed and closed his eyes. Opening them once more, he found Trista's lips moving toward his, instead of moving back however, Trista's hands found that Harry's lips met hers. They kissed and Trista moved for more when a scream broke them apart.
"What the hell was that?" Harry asked.
"No idea." Trista replied. About twenty minutes later, the Ministry showed up.
Ginny walked through the apartment, careful not to disturb anything and grimaced and the awkwardness of her clothing. She had not expected field duty today, but the job had to be done. She studied the back room were the woman lay dead. Ginny shook her head. The woman whom looked to be no older than herself, was still dressed in her night attire. Whoever thought that the early bird catches the worm and the late bird dies?
Ginny's department was new to the Ministry, but now-in-days, witches and wizards were becoming more creative with their murders, they were beginning to emulate muggle-style executions. Ginny wiped her forehead with her forearm, things were supposed to be better now, but instead, the dark side of the muggle world had been chosen to be emulated with the rest. A young black man walked in to the room.
"Weasley?" Ginny looked up.
"Yes Torrez?"
"We've begun questioning the neighbors, so far no one has heard or seen anything."
"Lucky us."
"We'll find him."
"We'd better." Ginny said, stepping around the body. "Do you have a name for the victim?"
"Sure do. Victoria Raines. 21. Nurse at the local hospital. No family."
"I'm guessing she's a witch, otherwise we wouldn't be here, but why is she living a muggle life?"
"Good question." Ginny looked at him. "I'm on it."
"Thanks Dominic." Ginny got down on all fours and gave a quick examination of the body. Nothing seemed too unusual about the death, but she'd have to wait for the autopsy to find out more. A minute later Dominic returned.
"There was a couple upstairs that heard a scream, they're outside right now."
"Thanks Dominic, I'll be right there." Ginny stated. He left the room again and Ginny surveyed the room once more before following Dominic. She groaned when she saw whom Dominic had found.
Harry saw Ginny come out of the apartment and groaned. He hoped she had not seen the article, but by judging her reaction when she saw him, he had no doubt that she had. Still, she was quite gorgeous., minus the latex gloves. Ginny smiled at them, though he knew it was forced, and she reached to shake Trista's hand. "Hello. I'm Ginvera Weasley, I am sorry we have to meet under these circumstances. May I ask who you are?" Dominic choked on something, presumably his tongue. Trista looked at her critically.
"Trista Wharton. Perhaps you've seen some of my movies." She stated, reaching over to shake Ginny's hand daintily.
"Nope. Can't say that I have. Good day to you Mr. Potter." She stated, turning her attention to Harry.
Harry smiled, "Good day to you Ginevra."
"Okay, so what do you know?" Ginny directed to Harry.
Harry looked down to Trista, "Erm, just that we heard a scream."
"Yes Mr. Potter, Torrez has informed me of that, did you see or hear anything else?"
"No. We were...occupied." Harry stated uncomfortably.
Ginny smirked, "I'm sure. If you remember anything, please feel free to come by the office to give a statement. You may go." Ginny then turned and walked back into the flat, Dominic in toe.
"I cannot believe you just spoke like that to Harry Potter and Trista Wharton! That was great!" Dominic stated enthusiastically. Ginny looked up at him and grinned.
"I'm glad you found it amusing. Come on, we have a lot to do."
Dominic groaned, "Tell me about it."
Ginny and her team worked the scene for another hour and a half before Ginny returned to the office. Annette Farland had just finished the autsopy and was walking to Ginny's office when the two women collided. "Ginny!" Annette called out. "I just finished the autopsy, she wasn't murdered by a wizard."
"Witch then?" Ginny inquired absently.
"Nope. Muggle."
Ginny stopped. "What?"
"She was murdered by a muggle, plain and simple."
"How do you..."
"Know this?" Annette interrupted. "Simple, follow me." And Ginny did. The two walked down to the makeshift lab and Annette flicked her wand to produce a projector-like screen. "Victoria was shot. Here are the points of impact." Annette paused as she used her wand to point to the wounds. "She was shot and it was with no magical help. The shots are very precise, perfect, and deadly. Whoever did this to her knew exactly what he was doing."
"How can you be so sure that it wasn't a muggle-born, or even a specially trained wizard?" Ginny pushed.
Annette rubbed her chin for a moment as she studied the screen, "I wont lie to you, it's possible, but highly improbable. Besides, Victoria spent her days in the muggle world with very few magical connections. She knew whoever it was that killed her judging by her apparating barriers, the absence of a floo connection, and her...attire. No, the person to kill her was a muggle."
"Then we need to notify the muggle police." Ginny remarked.
"Not just yet." Annette returned.
"Why not? If there is a serial killer among their midst, I should say they deserve to know." Ginny stated.
"What I fear though is that there is a serial killer. Only, he's after our kind."
"You mean there's a crazed muggle out there trying to recreate the stupid Salem Witch Trials? Wait a minute, I didn't think a muggle could kill a witch."
"Tell me again why you're my boss." Annette stated dryly. "Technically they can, but our community has always found ways around it. Victoria didn't expect her death, but there's something else. Anyway, I just examine the bodies."
"The rest is my job. Thanks Annette, you did a wonderful job."
"I try." Annette laughed.
Ginny walked into her office and sighed. She plopped down at her desk and began flipping through the files. At some point, someone had brought her lunch and a large cup of coffee, but did not bother to disturb her. Ginny was known around the office to be a very determined woman, and she was also the one to spend the late night hours of the office thinking, piecing together things. She saw things no one else did, and she found things other missed, she was renowned, but she grew agitated when she was distracted. It was obvious to other's why Ginny forgot every major holiday, and often lost herself in the dates, but it was never made obvious to Ginny.
Around one the next morning, Ginny was still at her desk. Looking at her watch she gave a gasp as she realized the time. Grimacing, she stood up and walked over to her window. Drawing back the curtains, she looked out on London. She had always loved London at night. Sighing she walked back to her desk and sat down on the plush leather seat. Steepling her hands together, she leaned back and thought back to the night before. Christmas Eve. She groaned as she realized she had missed Christmas at her mother's, a promise she had made, and broken...again. Rising from her chair, she decided to go home. She turned off her office light and grabbed her coat and scarf before leaving her office. She locked the door and turned to walk down the hall when she was stopped by a person Ginny's automatic reaction was to scream, the person's was to cover her mouth. Ginny bit the hand, and it was automatically withdrawn and cradled by the other person.
"Shit Ginny, that hurt!" A male voice shouted.
Ginny narrowed her eyes at the familiar voice, "Harry?"
"Yeah?" He replied.
"What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to talk to you."
"...At one in the morning?"
"Yeah" Harry said as if it made complete sense. It didn't.
"Why?"
"Well..." Harry began, then stopped. He realized he really had no strong reason. "Can I buy you a drink?" He asked out of desperation.
Ginny's eyes widened in surprise, "I...guess."
"Great!" Ginny continued to look at him curiously, but she then stepped in front of him and the two began to walk. Ginny pushed open the door to the outside, and Harry held the door open behind her.
"Thanks." She mumbled as she rolled her eyes.
"No problem."
"So uh...where are we going?"
"Well there's this-" Harry paused, then grinned sheepishly. "No clue."
Ginny laughed, though she could not find the humor. "Come on, I have some coffee over at my place." She started walking to her flat.
"Are we walking?"
"I am." She said as if the conversation were through.
"I guess I'll follow."
"Suit yourself." The two walked the few blocks in silence. She then stopped before a building and headed to the entrance. Harry followed.
A/N: Thus ending my update spree for the story tonight. Read and Review!