"Hey, Ginny," Ron said as he poked his head into her bedroom at the Burrow. "You look beautiful. Are you ready for your first official night on the job?"

"Yep. It's a little nerve wracking though, doing something public before I've ever even met my boss or stepped foot in my office."

Ron chuckled. "Don't worry; Mr. Perry is a great guy. Coach Mason is a little rough around the edges, but as long as you're willing to play by his rules, he won't bother you. The guys, whether they make the team or not, will give you a hard time. They'll probably flirt, tease, and put you through some kind of initiation, but it won't be anything you can't handle."

Ginny looked at Ron suspiciously. "Why are you talking like you're not going to be there?"

"Because I'm not. Tell Jeff that I wasn't feeling well, and I'll make my excuses with Mr. Perry tomorrow," Ron replied with a shrug. "You're supposed to meet Jeff outside the banquet hall."

"That's a little rude," Ginny said.

"Well, he thought I was coming with you, and I really didn't want him at the Burrow," Ron explained. "You'll be fine; they set up an apparition point right outside the hall."

"That's not the point. You should be going, Ron."

Ron sighed. "It still just hurts too much."

"You'll have to face them eventually," Ginny said.

"But not tonight."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I need to go; I'm going to be late."

"Behave and have fun."

Ginny gave her appearance a final look over and apparated to the banquet hall. She looked around nervously for a person she thought could be Jeff.

"With that hair, you have got to be related to Ron," a booming voice called. Ginny turned around grinning to see a huge blonde man, probably at least a foot taller than herself with forearms as big as her thighs. He smiled happily, but Ginny had to repress a laugh at the thought that he looked like he'd taken a bludger to his nose.

"Jeff?" she asked hopefully.

"One in the same," he answered happily. "Where's Ron?"

"He says he's sick," Ginny answered truthfully.

"You know, he hates these things more than anyone else I've ever met," Jeff said with a chuckle.

"You could say that," Ginny mumbled.

"I think I've figured him out though; I think he just doesn't like coming without a date," Jeff said thoughtfully.

"Something like that," Ginny answered, realizing for the first time how little Ron's friends knew about him.

"You know what's funny," Jeff said as he extended his arm to Ginny. "Before Ron told me you were being offered this job, I didn't even know he had a sister."

Ginny smiled politely and took Jeff's arm. "There are a lot of things you don't know about Ron." Jeff shook his head and led Ginny into the building.

When they entered the banquet hall, Ginny wasn't sure what she was supposed to do, but Jeff confidently walked over to a crowd of men, most about as big as himself.

"Jeffrey! Have you been holding out on us?" another blonde man asked with a huge grin. "Who is this pretty little thing?"

Jeff laughed. "Well, Tank, if you're lucky enough to make the team, she's your new Mom."

If it was possible, Tank's grin grew. "Well, since we all know I'll make the team, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Taylor Thompkins, but everyone calls me Tank."

"Ginny," she said as she extended her hand. "What position do you play?"

"You mean you don't know I'm the best keeper in the league?" Tank asked in mock horror. "Please don't tell me they sent us another one who doesn't even follow the game!"

"At least this one's cute," another man with light brown hair piped up.

"I play the game, thank you very much. I mean, I used to play," Ginny corrected herself.

"The name's Jacob, by the way," the man with light brown hair said. "What position did you play?"

"I spent a year at seeker and two at chaser," Ginny informed him.

"Before this conversation goes any farther, let me introduce everyone. This is Tank, Jake, Steven, Caleb, and Dustin," Jeff interrupted.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Ginny said, nodding around the friendly circle.

"Oh, I think the pleasure is all ours, Miss," Steven said sweetly.

"Thank you," Ginny replied, trying hard not to blush. "So fill me in; do you guys have a pretty good idea who's going to make the team?"

"Well, Tank is a sure thing, not only to make the team but to make captain," Jeff said immediately.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, but if I'm a sure thing, you are, too," Tank replied.

"Well, who am I to deny the great team Wes and I make," Jeff said smugly.

Tank rolled his eyes. "It's the chasers where things get a little fuzzy. There are five who are really good and they all work together really well interchangeably," Tank informed her.

"I'm not going to make it," Steven said with a groan. "Dustin played much better than I did the last couple of work outs, and we have a very similar style."

"Cheer up, mate. At least you'll make the reserves," Tank comforted him. It wasn't hard for Ginny to see why Jeff thought Tank would make captain. It was obvious everyone respected him.

"Easy for you to say; you know you made it," Steven said stubbornly.

"So, what about you two?" Ginny asked, turning her attention to Caleb and Jake.

"Well, Jacob is as close to a sure thing as any of the chasers," Caleb began, "but I'm pretty much just trying out for the reserves."

"Why?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Because I'm a seeker," Caleb said as if it explained everything.

Ginny still looked confused so Jeff spoke up. "I thought everyone knew that the great Harry Potter was a shoo in for the team. Although, if I acted like he did I know I wouldn't even be considered for the team."

"So he is only making it because of who he is," Ginny said.

"So you follow Ron's theories on Harry Potter," Jeff said with a chuckle.

"Potter is making the team because he's never missed a snitch," Tank said slowly. "Jeff here was just talking about his personality. Potter's an okay bloke, but he keeps to himself. He doesn't buy into the whole team bonding thing. That kind of attitude wouldn't work with anything but a seeker."

"Oh," Ginny said, trying to digest all of the information. "You know, he did miss a snitch once."

"He did not!" Jake exclaimed, causing all of the other guys to laugh. "Sorry, but I'm a bit of a fan, I would know."

"Well then, you should know that in his third year at Hogwarts he missed the snitch against Hufflepuff. Dementors came out on the pitch; Harry passed out and fell off his broom. The other seeker caught the snitch before he even knew what had happened to Harry."

"Wow," Jake said in awe.

"Well boys, it appears we have another one with a bit of a celebrity obsession," Tank said, causing Ginny to cock an eyebrow at him. "That gives me an idea for your initiation."

"Bring it on."

"Well, since I don't think Potter even knows my name, you have to make sure he knows yours before the meeting after they announce the team," Tank informed her.

"Is that it?" Ginny asked, laughing.

"I wouldn't be so confident. I'll be surprised if you can even find him before the meeting," Caleb told her.

"Yeah, it's the same thing every time we have one of these things," Steven added. "We all see him show up, but then he disappears until the important stuff."

"It won't be a problem," Ginny said confidently.

"Well, Miss Confident, would you like to meet our better halves?" Tank asked.

"You're all married?"

"Well, Jake, Dustin, and I are," Tank said. "Got kids too. Our wives are right over there." Ginny took Tank's arm and walked over to where three women were standing talking.

"Marissa, Chloe, Violet, this is Ginny, our new team Mom," Tank said.

"Pleased to meet you," Chloe said, wrapping her arm around Jacob.

"If my husband gives you a hard time, just threaten to take away his desert. That's Tank's weakness," Marissa told her.

Ginny laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Aren't you a little young?" Violet asked.

"I'm old enough," Ginny replied defensively. "I had some pretty good experience dealing with rowdy boys growing up."

"Chloe, you'll love this; she's a bigger boy who lived nut than Jake," Caleb said, lightening the mood.

"I never said that," Ginny protested.

"It's so obvious," Jeff teased.

"If you don't stop right now..." Ginny warned.

"Oh look, they're going to make the announcement!" Chloe exclaimed.

Ginny turned her attention to the stage and felt a small tap on her shoulder. "Excuse me, Miss. Mr. Perry wants you in the conference room." Ginny nodded and followed the man through a side door. They walked into a room that held a long table with chairs all around it. "Have a seat; the team will be joining you shortly." Ginny sat down at one of the chairs and waited patiently. She felt butterflies in her stomach; she would soon be starting her first job as an adult. She smiled when she heard applause and cheering coming from the next room. A few minutes later the door burst open. Tank and Jacob walked in laughing with a man Ginny didn't recognize. The man looked at her and his face broke out into a huge smile.

"I know you! You're the wee Weasley! I haven't seen you since you were about seven and you came with your mum to watch Charlie play!" the man exclaimed.

Ginny frowned at being called the wee Weasley. "It's Ginny."

"Why didn't you tell us you were a Weasley? Fred and George are great!" Jacob said enthusiastically.

"Well they're not that great. I've been trying to get my cousin to break up with your git of a brother for a year!" the man cried laughing. "I'm MJ, the J being for Johnson."

"As in Angelina's cousin?" Ginny asked, now smiling. "She really is too good for Fred." Jeff walked in talking to another man Ginny didn't recognize.

"Oy, Jeff!" Tank called as Jeff walked in with two more men Ginny didn't recognize. "Why didn't you tell us your date was a Weasley?"

Jeff looked confused. "You guys know Ron?"

"Who's Ron?" Jacob asked.

"Ginny here is related to our favorite set of pranksters," Tank explained.

"Those twins with the joke shop?" Jeff asked.

"Yeah, they're Ginny's older brothers," Jacob said. "Now, who's Ron?"

Ginny shook her head and walked over to the men she hadn't been introduced to. "Hi, I'm Ginny."

"Wesley," the first man replied, obviously a little confused as to what was going on.

"Dustin," the other said.

"Good. Now that I know everyone, can I clear up a few things?" Ginny asked loudly. The room quieted and everyone's heads snapped in her direction. "I had six older brothers. Bill was the oldest, he died in the war, then Charlie, who apparently played Quidditch with MJ at Hogwarts."

"We were in the same class," MJ offered helpfully.

"Then there was Percy, but he also died during the war," Ginny continued. "And then the twins, Fred and George who you all obviously know, and then Ron who works for Mr. Perry, and then me."

"Ron never mentioned he had such a large family," Jeff said quietly.

"Well, Ron doesn't mention a lot of things these days," Ginny replied with a sigh. The room had filled with uncomfortable silence when the door opened again. Ginny couldn't help but gasp when she saw Harry walk in with the man she knew to be Coach Mason.

Harry's head immediately turned in her direction. "Ginny?" he asked in disbelief.

"Hello, Harry," she replied coolly.

"I think Miss Weasley has been holding out on us," Tank said below his breath.

"She's a sneaky one," Jeff added.

Ginny turned around and grinned. "You never asked if I already knew him. It's your own fault for being too dense to realize we probably went to school together." Harry looked at her questioningly, but before he could speak, Mr. Perry walked into the room.

"Good, you've all met Miss Weasley. You will all show her the respect you failed to show her predecessor." Everyone nodded in agreement. "Now, let's get down to business. You will have the rest of the weekend off, and you will then report to the manor. You need to bring enough stuff with you for at least two weeks. Miss Weasley will arrange with you a schedule for your first break around that time period. This is a huge commitment; I want to bring the World Cup back to England. We have less than two months before our first match, and we need to be in tip top shape if we want to be dominant!" Mr. Perry smiled proudly at the team before him. "We're keeping you in the house to eliminate distractions. I know some of you have families, but I assure you we'll make sure you get to see them, and if all goes well, you'll return to them a member of the World Cup Championship team! Now, let's all head back out, celebrate and enjoy our dinner. I'll see you all in two days." Mr. Perry stood up from the table and led Coach Mason into another room.

Ginny knew Harry was staring at her, but she ignored him and left the conference room on Jeff's arm. He led her to a table with Tank, Marissa, Jacob and Chloe. Jeff pulled out her chair and Ginny sat down.

"So how close were you and Potter?" Tank asked, not wasting a minute with pleasantries.

"Well, he's only a year older than me and we were both Gryffindors. He and Ron were the same age and were best mates for a while," Ginny explained.

"Funny, Ron never mentioned that," Jeff said dryly.

"He wouldn't, notice I said were, not are. But before you ask I don't really want to get into it," Ginny responded.

"So when did you play seeker if you played with Harry?" Jacob asked, changing the subject.

"During Harry's fifth year, when he had a lifetime ban from Quidditch," Ginny replied, already becoming annoyed with the interrogation.

"I had forgotten about that!" Jacob exclaimed.

Chloe rolled her eyes at her husband. "You can deny it, but I can tell there's something between you. A woman knows."

Tank eyed Ginny nervously. "Is she right? Because if there's some kind of awkwardness between the two of you, you either need to settle it or quit. Not to be mean, but we need a stress free team if we want to win."

"There won't be problems between Harry and me; his problems are with my brother. We do have a history, but it's because he saved my life when I was 11."

"Oh," Chloe replied lamely. They ate the rest of their dinner with mild conversation, no one having the nerve to question Ginny any farther.

Later that night Ginny and a quiet Jeff were walking back to the Apparation point. When they reached it Jeff looked at Ginny awkwardly.

"Why do I feel like there's so much more to this story than you're telling us?" he asked quietly.

"Because there is," Ginny replied.

"Can you tell me about it?" Jeff asked.

Ginny looked at him and considered her options before answering him. "I'll make you a deal: I'll tell you some about my past if you'll tell me about Harry now."

"Deal," Jeff replied. "Do you want to go somewhere to talk?"

"Why don't we just go for a walk," Ginny suggested. Jeff nodded and they began to walk down the street in awkward silence.

"So, what do you want to know about Potter?" Jeff asked after a few minutes.

"I don't know, anything, everything," Ginny said.

"Well, I don't know all that much about the guy other than what I read in the papers. He really just keeps to himself most of the time; it's like he doesn't trust us. You know he and Wes both played for Magpies, so Wes knows him better than anyone else. Wes was telling me that he's almost always either by himself or with some random girl. Its funny how there's no in between with him."

"So he's always with random girls? What about his girlfriend?" Ginny asked incredulously.

Jeff looked at her in confusion. "I know there have been reports of a girlfriend, but I've never met one. Okay, my turn to get some information. Why does Ron hate him?"

Ginny sighed. "Well, they were best friends all through school. Harry really was a part of our family; he'd come stay with us during the summer and holidays, my parents loved him, and I wasn't lying when I said he saved my life. Around his and Ron's seventh year, things started to change. A rift started to form between Harry and Ron; Harry was pulling away, preparing to battle with Voldemort, and Ron finally woke up and asked out the girl of his dreams. Without getting into too many details, they had a big fight after Harry had defeated Voldemort over the girl I mentioned. Harry left with her and Ron hasn't been the same since."

"So Ron had the audacity to fight with the guy who had just saved all of our lives?" Jeff asked.

"While he was still in the hospital, too," Ginny added. "No one knows exactly what was said other than the three of them, but I have a feeling it was ugly. In Ron's defense though, he had just lost his girlfriend and a big piece of his family; he was emotionally spent."

They continued to walk in silence for a bit longer before Jeff spoke up again. "So anything else you want to know about Potter?"

Ginny thought about it for a moment. "Is he happy?" she asked quietly.

"He looks happy when he's flying," Jeff said thoughtfully. "Other than that he looks really lonely. I mean there are those girls Wes talked about, but I haven't ever seen him with anyone. He always comes to the banquets alone, and he never stays long. I mean, for someone who is admired and loved by most of the wizarding world, he looks fairly miserable."

"Oh," Ginny replied. "Well, I guess I should get going home; I don't want Ron to get worried that his friend is taking advantage of his baby sister."

"Well, then good night I guess," Jeff said.

"I'll see you in a couple days."

A/N Thanks so much for your reviews! It really is great to get feedback on your work. I wasn't planning on updating today, but since the prologue was shorter than the rest of the chapters I figured I'd go ahead. I hope you liked all of the OCs, because they will be a part of this story. As for what happened in the war, well you'll just have to wait and see. In the next chapter you'll get your first real piece of the puzzle though. I've had four tests this week (two more to go) so I haven't had much writing time. The good news is though that the first six chapters are already written, so it's just a matter of getting my final approval! Thanks again for your reviews!