Disclaimer: "It took me like three hours to finish the shading on the upper lip. It's probably the best drawing I've ever done." Napoleon Dynamite.

A/N: Hello my beautiful reviewers (hands out cookies). Thank you all! This is a small but necessary chapter. It does have lots of Ron being Ron, and I love that. Be patient, big things are on the way.

Chapter 12: Sleeping Dogs

That evening, Ginny was uninterested in socializing. She retired to her room with a stack of books shortly after dinner. As Ron and Hermione unwound in their favorite sitting room, Harry took the opportunity to fill them in on the glimpse Ginny had given him into her experiences.

"Are you sure she said Godric?" Hermione asked.

"Quite," Harry answered.

"Well that could be very useful then," Hermione murmured more to herself than anyone in particular.

"I don't see how," Ron said as he pulled his feet out of his shoes. He made to put them on the coffee table, but a stern look from his wife changed his mind. In order to obtain an equal comfort level, he slouched down in his chair and stretched his legs underneath the table instead. "I imagine that Godric is quite a popular name…at least within wizarding England. Ra-rah Gryffindor and all that stuff."

"Don't be silly, Ron," Hermione admonished. "Everyone knows it's taboo to name a child after a founder of Hogwarts."

Ron shot Harry a look to see if it really was common knowledge. Harry merely shrugged his shoulders in reply.

"Honestly, you two," Hermione muttered. She pinched the bridge of her nose in a manner that clearly stated she was praying for patience. "Can you imagine sending your son off to Hogwarts with the name Godric and he doesn't get put in Gryffindor House? Or worst yet, he does?"

Harry flinched involuntarily, and Ron swallowed audibly. Each knew the horror of having an overly recognizable name. "Don't worry, love," Ron said wickedly. "I was thinking we could name our son Ragmar after the manager of the Chudley Canons."

Harry quickly ducked his head to hide his laughter. Hermione turned first red than white with anger. "I WILL NOT NAME ANY SON OF MINE AFTER A CHUDLEY CANON!"

"Calm down Hermione. I was only joking," Ron laughed, "Besides, Ragmar was an awful manager."

Harry got the distinct impression that for a single brass knut Hermione would have cursed Ron into the next century, but she merely rolled her eyes and turned back to Harry. "Maybe she was just confused."

"I don't think so," Harry replied. "She seemed pretty focused on what she was saying."

"Then this could be a solid lead to where Ginny was trapped," Hermione said confidently. "I'll make sure to add it to the notes I've been keeping."

"Notes?" The questioned sounded more like a croak as Harry's voice cracked with bewilderment.

"Yes," Hermione explained, "I've been keeping careful notes about Ginny's behavior and comments she's made since her return. I hoping I can draft some sort of profile of where she's been and what happened to her."

Harry swallowed uncomfortably. He shot a quick glance over to Ron and saw the same unease written on his friends face.

"Maybe it isn't the best idea," Ron said slowly as if he was first voicing a thought that had wound around in his brain for weeks. "Maybe it doesn't really matter where Ginny was."

Hermione glared at her husband with disbelief. "Surely you can't be serious? Ten years of her life are unaccounted for. Don't you want answers?"

"Of course I'm curious," Ron said quickly, "but Ginny's back with us now. She's re-adjusting. There's no reason to go poking around and dredging up the past. Let sleeping dogs lie, I say."

"Sleeping dogs," Hermione muttered angrily. She snapped quickly around to Harry. "You can't possibly agree with him."

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat and chose his words carefully. "Everyone wants to know all the facts, but are we pursuing them to help Ginny or to appease our curiosity?"

"I want to help Ginny," Hermione replied quickly, "you know that."

"Than I don't think the past ten years are a mystery to Ginny," Harry said truthfully. "I think she knows exactly where she was and what happened to her."

Hermione was struck momentarily speechless by Harry's comment. Finally, she stuttered, "B…but she's never said anything…anything."

"That's how she was after the Chamber of Secrets," Ron commented absently. Clearly he was still trying to sort out his thoughts and memories. "Ginny never spoke about it, and she nearly died down there."

"She can't just go on pretending like nothing happened. It's not healthy," Hermione said weakly.

Harry was inclined to agree, but on the other hand, he had never been one for openly dealing with emotional issues. Certainly there was no immediate cause for digging up the mystery of Ginny's disappearance. "Ginny will confide in someone when she's ready."

Ron nodded in agreement, but Hermione seemed unimpressed by Harry's argument. She shot a few incredulous looks at Harry and her husband before rolling her eyes. "I think she's more likely to wind up in St. Mungo's." She released a heavy sigh before rising awkwardly. "But, I'll let it go for now. Lord knows with a baby on the way I have enough to worry about."

Harry had cause to wonder about Ginny's candidacy for St. Mungo's when she announced during supper on Friday, "I've decided to start attending Hogwarts."

"What!" Ron blurted as his fork fell noisily to the floor.

"You heard me," Ginny said while calmly slicing her carrots. "I'm going to enroll back at Hogwarts."

Harry contemplated the end of his fork where a piece of steak and kidney pie remained frozen part way to his mouth. Ginny had went with Harry to the school each day as he attended to his duties in Professor Lupin's classroom, but she spent most of her time meeting and having tea with Professor Dumbledore. Harry had wondered at the time about the nature of those visits.

Ron was staring gaped mouthed at his sister. "Why would you want to do something like that?"

"Because Ron," Ginny explained, "I never finished my final year."

"Neither did Fred and George, and they've done all right," Ron uttered, " Besides, you're too old to be a student."

Ginny looked very much like she wanted to stick her brother with her fork. "I wouldn't be a traditional student. I will be working one on one with the professors to prepare me for the NEWTs."

"NEWTs," Ron sputtered. "Who cares about the NEWTs?"

Hermione released a loud squeak as if Ron had just blasphemed. "Ron," she admonished, "NEWTs are an important milestone in the educational process."

"Yes," Ginny sighed, "But more importantly, I need to do well with the NEWTs for my future career."

"What's that?" Ron shouted. He looked surprising like someone who just realized he had gotten on the wrong train.

"I haven't decided for certain yet," Ginny replied calmly, "But without having NEWTs, my options are limited."

Ron glared accusingly at his wife. "Did you put this idea into her head?"

Both Ginny and her sister-in-law looked incised, but it was Ginny who replied first. "No Ron. Professor Dumbledore was the person who suggested it."

Ron seemed properly chastised, but he was unwilling to totally abandon the argument. "It seems silly to me," he muttered, "I mean are you still considered a Gryffindor?"

"I not going to be living at the school," Ginny explained, "I'll only need to be there three days a week, so I'll commute in morning like Hermione."

"I think you've made a wise decision," Hermione complimented, " And, we should all applaud Ginny for taking a positive step towards her future."

Harry had been silent throughout the entire exchange, and although Hermione looked to him for support, he remained mute. His appetite had mysteriously disappeared, so he focused instead on pushing a carrot around his plate. On some level, he realized he was pouting like child, but the idea of Ginny going back to Hogwarts annoyed him.

"Harry, what do you think?" Ginny's question cut into his sulk.

Harry met her gaze across the table. He couldn't explain exactly how, but he could sense her wavering resolve and her fear of an uncertain future. She wanted, no needed, his support. "I guess you have to do what you feel is right," he sighed, "I mean how hard can it be. You live with two professors already, and Ron has his occasional uses."

"HEY!" Ron protested, but he was drowned out by Ginny and Hermione's laughter.