Authors Note: The next chapter will come all in due time, but I have to get it beta read by someone first then I re-beta it so it might be a little more time. But thats okay right? Because I can gurantee this story is completely done and you will get the complete version someday!

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own, sucks to be. Oh, wait! Izzy's mine...but gosh darn it thats it!

Chapter 6 Drunken Apologies

Weekend Hogsmeade trips were a treat for Hogwart's students. Ginny Weasley usually was no exception. However this weekend, the young laughter and friends who gathered at The Three Broomsticks only annoyed Ginny this week. She's just broken up with her boyfriend ("Stupid Git") which explained her rather unpleasant bad mood. Craving a drink but also solitude, Ginny slipped into The Hogshead. The Hogshead had a reputation for danger and shady customers. Hogwart's students avoided it for just that reason and Ginny slip quietly through the door hoping to be ignored there. Walking up to the counter Ginny ordered, "One butterbeer please."

"It'll be just a few minutes, miss," the bartender said barely acknowledging the young patron.

A few customers stood waiting at the bar. One woman wore a cloak that covered her face and Ginny took a few steps away from her; she'd heard that hags frequented this establishment. One guy kept arguing with the bartender and seemed to be the cause of the long line. "Come on. Let a guy get plastered when he's upset. What do you have to lose?"

"You're already plastered," the bartender laughed.

"So, all the better for you. The more beer I buy the more money you make," the man's slurred words prevent his argument from sounding logical. Ginny didn't want to stare, her mother had always smacked her upside the head if she eavesdropped on people, so with considerable effort she looked in the other direction.

"Maybe I just like you kid, and don't want to see you any drunker."

"I know you better than that!"

"Well maybe I just have a bet on Puddlemere next game and don't want to see their star keeper suspended, Oliver."

"OLIVER!" Ginny thoughtlessly exclaimed turning her head. "Oliver Wood?"

"Yeah that's me, and no, I'm not signing autographs," he didn't even look at Ginny.

"It was always Harry's autograph I wanted, not yours."

"Ginny Weasley? What are you doing in a place like this?" Oliver turned to the small red headed schoolgirl.

"Hogsmeade weekend. I think the real question is, why are you so drunk?" She shot him a look of disgust. His hair was messy and his eyes red. The generally graceful Oliver was stumbling clumsily through a bar.

"Izzy broke up with me," he said somberly. "And I still bloody want more beer!"

"I'm sorry Oliver. What happened?"

"I told her I was a wizard and now she thinks I'm a follower of Voldemort or something," he scratched his head in confusion. "To be honest, I'm not really sure I understand." In his drunken state Ginny doubted he understood anything, least likely an upset woman.

"If she thinks like that Oliver you're better off without her," Ginny placed a comforting hand on his back.

"No I'm not. I'll never be better off again," he said incoherently.

"And why's that?"

"Because, hell, I'm in love with her."

It took Ginny a minute to register what he'd said. "Then do something about it. Something other than getting drunk."

"Like what?" Oliver asked impatiently. He'd tried to reason with Izzy and it simply hadn't worked. Of course reasoning with someone when they were running late for work was a little difficult.

"I'll show you," Ginny grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the Hogshead. Pulling him down the street she popped into a building. "We're going to go tell Izzy how you feel?"

"We can't do that, you'll get in trouble Ginny!"

"When has a Weasley, other than Percy, ever been concerned with getting into trouble?" Ginny asked knowingly. Everyone in her family except her older brother Percy had been known for hilarious practical jokes and wild antics.

"None of the others ever went to New York City," Oliver stumbled to explain.

"Good. Then I'll be the first. Besides this transport center just opened. And they are very discreet. You have money to pay for this don't you?" For the first time Ginny looked unsure. The Weasleys were notoriously poor. Ginny had always had second hand-robes, books and even pets. There was no chance she could possibly afford a trip to New York.

"Of course I do. But it's not going to do any good." His voice was low and dark. He sounded so depressed and didn't want mention Quidditch. It was quite obvious to Ginny that Oliver simply wasn't himself, at least not without Izzy.

"Sometimes all you can do is try Oliver."

OooooO

Moments later Ginny and Oliver stepped out onto the streets of New York City. Ginny looked around in amazement as Oliver just tried to maintain his balance. "Okay, is that coffee shop where she works?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah," Oliver mumbled nervously. Suddenly he was aware of how drunk he really was. Trying to smooth his hair down and straighten his clothes, he looked across the street. "Ginny I look like crap."

"Yeah, just a little bit of crap though. You'll be fine. You're still twice as handsome as most men, and I don't say that lightly." Walking in the door Ginny walked straight up to Izzy, who she immediately recognized from Oliver's interrogation at the Weasley house. "Hello I'm Ginny Weasley and I want to know when you have a break."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Izzy stared down the bold little schoolgirl.

"She's got a break any time she wants one," Sandy interjected from across the room.

"Thanks a lot Sandy, but I don't want one now."

"Well you need to take one now," Ginny said completely unfazed. Growing up with 6 brothers made a girl tough. Izzy didn't scare her; Fred and George's pranks were twice as scary and she didn't even want to think about Ron in the morning.

"Says who?"

"Me! And him," Ginny added pointing to Oliver.

Izzy's expression noticeably changed when she saw the drunken Oliver sitting sadly in a corner. Then as quickly as it had changed, it hardened again. "I don't want to talk to him."

"I don't care," Ginny told the older girl. "I found him drowning his sorrows in firewhiskey in Hogsmeade. You aren't going to do this to him. He's a good guy and he deserves to be treated like one."

"If he was a good guy he would've told me from the beginning," Izzy turned and walked into the kitchen.

Ginny followed. "You honestly wonder why he didn't tell you. Look how you Muggles treat us! Just because you don't understand you decide we're evil!"

"Well maybe he should've stayed away from us Muggles to begin with," Izzy's anger rose considerably.

"Maybe he should've just stayed away from judgmental Muggles who knew nothing about wizards," Ginny's eyes were fiery.

"My father was a wizard you little bitch! My father was a follower of the Lord Voldwhoever. I know a bit about wizarding and I know that no good guy would get involved in shit like that."

"OLIVER!" Ginny shouted from the kitchen. "Come here." Shakily, Oliver stood up and walked over to where the two girls were arguing. As he looked at Izzy's beautiful face tears started to sting his eyes. Pushing them back he looked towards Ginny in confusion. "Oliver tell her what happened to your father."

"He's already told me his father died at work. I don't see how that could make a difference," Izzy rolled her eyes. She wasn't just going to throw herself into Oliver's arms because she felt sorry for his sad past.

"Oliver tell her the whole story," Ginny demanded.

"My father was an auror. That means he fought dark wizards..."Oliver treaded carefully.

"So he was the lesser evil. See if I care."

Oliver looked at Izzy then swallowed the lump in his throat. "One day at work they got a report of He-who-must not be named torturing some Muggles. They told him not to go that it would be too late to save them by the time he got there. My father was a brave man; a true Gryffindor. He said he'd try anyways. So he went and turns out He who must not be named wasn't torturing anyone," Oliver's voice broke into a sob.

Instead of forcing Oliver to continue Ginny picked up the story. "It was a trap Izzy. A trap to kill the aurors-the good guys- and Oliver's father fell for it. When he got there they turned the Crucio Curse on him."

"I don't know what that is," Izzy tried to maintain her anger.

"It's the worse pain imaginable. It's supposedly worse than death. It's how BAD wizards torture good wizards. After they had tortured him sufficiently it was no longer fun for the death eaters. So they turned their wands upon him and did Avada Kedavra, which is..."

"The killing curse," Izzy muttered under her breath. She knew that one; her research into the dark arts had stumbled upon the horrid curse.

"Now do you understand that Oliver isn't a bad guy? Why would he be? He lost his entire family to the dark arts."

"I didn't choose to be a wizard Izzy. That I still swear to you," Oliver's bloodshot eyes met Izzy's violet ones. "I did choose to be good though. I wish you would understand that."

"I'm sorry but I don't understand Oliver," Izzy said harshly. Pausing for a moment to think, her voice softened, "I suppose I can try though."

"Really," Oliver's face broke into a hopeful smile.

"Really Oliver," Izzy said reluctantly hating herself as the words slipped slowly from her lips, "I'll try to date a wizard."

Next thing Izzy knew Oliver had flung himself at her in the hugest of drunken hugs. "I missed you Isabella. I really did."

"My work here is done," Ginny beamed to herself.

"Oh crap!" Oliver said barely noticing Ginny. Instead of thanking her, he showered his attention upon Izzy. "I forgot. Would you go with me to the Quidditch awards?"

"What? Why?"

"I'm nominated for rookie of the year. I need to bring someone and that someone needs to be you," Oliver explained gradually sounding less and less intoxicated.

"Don't worry, she will Oliver," Ginny smiled knowingly and went into the coffee shop to order a drink.

"She's a little know-it-all isn't she?" Izzy rolled her eyes.

"Yeah. She's almost as spirited as you," Oliver laughed.

"Oh, shut up. Being drunk and cheesy is not an appealing combination. Besides you should get that little girl back to wherever she came from. I'm not keeping her. And I need to get back to work."

"So you'll go then."

"Yeah I'll go," Izzy nodded. "Is this a formal event?"

"You're suppose to wear dress robes, but you wear whatever you want. I don't care just come," Oliver fumbled his way to the doorway. "Love you Izzy." With that Oliver bounced out of the kitchen almost knocking over a pile of plates.

"I love you too Oliver," Izzy said quietly once he left the kitchen. "That's the entire problem," she grumbled hitting a iron pan as loud as she could with a spoon. The echoing rings were more peaceful than her thoughts, which she could not drown out.

I've seen people bribe readers for reviewers. However, as the girl I saw do that was a Slytherin and I'm a hufflepuff it won't happen. I'll be nice to you even if you are mean to me! But please do review, it makes me feel oh so warm and fuzzy inside!