Michael's words quickly erased the embarrassment from Ginny's mind. She pulled herself off of Harry's lap and looked at Michael seriously.

"What's wrong with Dustin?"

"Tonks just went to go see for sure, but the Auror assigned to his room said that he had passed out and wasn't responding to anything," Michael explained. "His wife was very upset."

"I can imagine," Ginny replied. She was starting to panic herself. It sounded like whatever was wrong with Dustin was serious; especially if they were taking the boat directly back to England and canceling the vacation. It scared her to think that he could have been attacked under all of the security that the Ministry had provided.

"Right, well, um, I'm just going to wait outside until I hear anything else," Michael said awkwardly. "Tonks wanted me to tell you to say put until she gets back."

It was then Ginny realized that she and Harry were still in the tub, and that now one more person knew their secret. "Michael, I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this to anyone. I'll talk to you more about it later, but now there are more important things to worry about."

Michael nodded, and left the room. Ginny looked over at Harry, expecting him to look as nervous and worried as she felt, but instead he just looked nauseous. She reached over and placed a hand on his chest.

"Are you okay?" Harry didn't respond, but he moved to get out of the tub. Ginny watched him cancel all of the charms in the room and slip his dressing gown back on. She got out of the tub and dried herself off with one of the fluffy towels in the bathroom. She put on her dressing gown and followed Harry out of the room.

"Talk to me," she pleaded.

Harry sat down on the edge of her bed and held his head in his hands. "This is all my fault."

"How could this be your fault?"

"Someone handed me a glass of Champaign when they were making toasts, but I didn't drink it. When Dustin finished his glass, I gave him mine. I'd be willing to bet that one glass is what did this to him."

"Harry, you don't know that. How would someone have put something in your glass, anyway?"

"The waiter who gave it to me just seemed so insistent that I take that glass, even after I told him that I didn't want to drink."

Ginny felt her heart begin to beat faster. "Do you think you would recognize the waiter if you saw him again?"

"I don't think so. It was fairly dark, and I don't think I saw him again after he gave me the glass."

"And you're sure that he was insistent that you take that one glass?"

Harry nodded. "I'm sure."

"We have to tell Tonks right away. Someone could be trying to hurt the team's chances at the cup. We could be looking at an angry Japanese fan, or someone worrying that you guys are too good."

"Or," Harry interrupted her, "we could be looking at someone who just doesn't like me. Someone who holds a grudge against me. Someone who doesn't want me on the team. Someone who would prefer that I spend my life chasing down dark wizards."

Ginny sat down next to Harry on the bed and took his hand in her own. "Harry, there is a good chance that this has nothing to do with you. There is a chance Dustin is just sick, or he's overly exhausted, or that, that, well, I don't know. But there is a good chance that this has nothing to do with you or us."

"So, you think it was just a coincidence that I was getting threatening notes?"

"Well, no. But I'm not going to assume that this had anything to do with either one of us until we have more information. Can you do that?"

Harry let out a long sigh. "What are we going to do about Corner?"

"We'll let Tonks explain things to him. He's a ministry employee; he'll have to keep quiet if he wants to keep his job," Ginny replied with a shrug. "I'm not thrilled that he knows, but its better that it's someone we know instead of someone we don't."

There was a knock on the door and Ginny went to answer it. A very flustered looking Tonks was standing in the doorway. "Come in."

Tonks walked into the room and began pacing in front of Harry. "They've taken Dustin to St. Mungo's by emergency portkey. It definitely looks like he was poisoned."

"I think it was meant for me," Harry said quietly.

Tonks stopped in her tracks and looked Harry in the eye. "Are you sure?"

"Pretty much. He drank out of a glass that was intended for me. Someone was very insistent that I take the glass in the first place. It all makes sense to me."

Tonks sighed. "I was afraid of that. I knew you were sitting next to him at dinner, and I thought it would be too lucky if it turned out this had nothing to do with you."

"So what does this mean?" Ginny spoke up.

"It means that this boat will be back in England by tomorrow afternoon. Everyone on the team will still have four days off, and then they will start having practices once a day. Everyone will be tailed by an Auror and it will be the recommendation of the Ministry that you all stay in your private homes as much as possible, going only to and from practice if you can help it."

"Michael found out about us," Harry said suddenly.

"I thought he looked a little pink," Tonks commented.

"Well, he walked in on us in a fairly compromising position," Ginny admitted, turning pink herself.

"Don't worry about him; I'll talk to him. It was probably inevitable that he found out anyway if he's supposed to be tailing Ginny. He'll just have to sign a Ministry confidentiality agreement," Tonks explained.

"So, he's going to continue to be Ginny's guard?" Harry asked. Ginny couldn't help but notice the twinge of jealousy in Harry's voice. It did wonders for her heart to know that he cared enough to be jealous.

"I think so. He's proven himself capable while he's been working here. Besides, there are enough wards at the Burrow that she's safe there, and the same goes for when she's at your flat, so it'd really just be when she's at the Ministry or running errands." Tonks paused and looked Ginny directly in the eyes. "Not that I expect her to go much of anywhere."

"What does that mean for my job?" Ginny asked.

"It means that Mr. Perry will probably have to be let in on your relationship with Harry as well, and that someone else will probably be taking over most of your duties that would require you to be out and about. Basically, your job will be reduced to attending games and doing desk work."

"Do you really think this is that serious? I mean, we don't even know what's wrong with Dustin yet." Ginny was starting to feel very frustrated. She didn't want to be forced to live her life in a box.

"You're right. If it turns out this has nothing to do with you or Harry, then you can disregard everything I just said. But unfortunately, my gut instinct is telling me that this was an attack that was meant for Harry," Tonks replied. "I'm sorry, Ginny, but this is probably how it's going to have to be."

"But why Ginny? Why not put all of the restrictions on me?" Harry asked. "It's not fair that she should have to suffer just because she's involved with me. If you're going to do that, why not put restrictions on yourself and Hermione as well?"

"Because the person who's been threatening you hasn't mentioned anyone but Ginny in their threats," Tonks explained. "Trust me, though, there will be plenty of restrictions on you as well, especially when it comes to seeing Ginny. On Saturday we prepared all kinds of possible solutions for how to protect you two incase something happened. This is just the security scheme I think will most likely be implemented after I give my report to Minister Bones."

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to like this very much?" Ginny asked, glancing over at Harry.

"Well, basically you probably won't be able to see each other apart from late at night when you're going to bed, and you can only see each other by traveling by your portkeys. It's not that you wouldn't be safe if you were in Harry's flat, but you could raise a lot of questions if you both disappear for long periods of time, and you never know who's watching you."

"At least we still get to see each other," Ginny commented. She placed her head on Harry's shoulder. "I hate this," she whispered.

"Would it help if I quit the team?" Harry asked suddenly.

"What?" Tonks and Ginny exclaimed at the same time. Ginny pulled back so she could look in Harry's eyes to see if he was serious.

"Well, maybe if I quit the team all of this would go away and Ginny could still have a normal life."

"I hate to say it, Harry, but Ginny will never have a normal life as long as you're in it," Tonks said slowly. "You were receiving threats the entire year you two didn't speak to each other, and if the person who's attacking you is trying to hurt you, it won't make a difference whether or not you're on the team. Besides, they already know about Ginny, so she's going to need extra protection now regardless."

"I understand if you just want to wipe your hands of me," Harry said sullenly.

Ginny took Harry's face in her hands and forced him to look her in the eye. "The only reason I want to wipe my hands of you right now is because your self-pitying attitude is getting on my nerves. We've been over this before; you don't have to suffer alone. I'm with you because I want to be, not because it's easy. I wouldn't be spending all of my time sneaking around so I can be with you if I didn't care about you. You won't be getting rid of me that easily."

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered.

Ginny leaned over and kissed him. "Just don't slide back into the brooding boy you used to be."

Harry chuckled slightly. "I'll try."

"Well, I'm going to go take my position again. You two get some sleep; we'll be arriving back in England tomorrow. Try not to worry too much, there's nothing else you can do about this for now." Tonks left them alone in Ginny's bedroom.

"Well, this has been a long day," Ginny commented. "It doesn't feel like I was just swimming my stress away an hour ago."

Harry silently stood up and began pacing the room. He stopped in front of Ginny's trunk and gave it a swift kick, only wincing slightly at the pain it caused his foot. "I hate not being in control of my life!" he exclaimed.

"Well, don't take it out on my trunk!"

"I just wish there was something I could do. I'm not used to having everyone else make decisions for me. I feel like I was more independent when I was at Hogwarts. Now, I can barely buy new clothes without the Ministry's approval."

"They're just trying to keep you safe," Ginny pointed out. "I can't really help you here because I still don't know exactly what's going on," she added quietly.

Harry sighed. "I'm sorry I'm putting you through this."

"I'm choosing to go through this with you." Ginny stood up and walked over to where Harry still stood next to her trunk. "Go get ready for bed and I'll be there in a minute." Harry walked into his own room looking like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. It amazed Ginny that every time they seemed to have a moment alone together, something happened to ruin it. She knew she should be mortified that Michael caught them snogging in the tub, but since they were both clothed she couldn't bring herself to have the energy to care.

Ginny wondered how Dustin's wife and sons were holding up. She knew that she would be a complete mess if it was Harry that was currently unconscious. It didn't seem to hit her until that moment how close it came to being Harry that was currently unconscious. She shook the thought out of her mind and changed into a nightgown. She loosely plaited her hair and walked into Harry's room.

Harry was already in bed under the covers. Without saying a word, Ginny crawled into bed and snuggled up beside him. Harry wrapped his arm around Ginny's waist and held her close.

"I hate this," he whispered.

"It'll all be over soon."

"It'll never be over as long as I'm Harry Potter, the bloody boy who lived."

"But soon we'll be able to be together in public; that'll make things easier."

"I hope so."

"Just get some sleep, Harry. There's nothing we can do about it right now."

"Good night, Gin."

"Night."

Ginny woke up the next morning to find Harry's room filled with bright sunlight. The spot next to her in bed was empty and she felt lonely the second she realized it. She sat up in bed and looked around the room for any sign of Harry. Ginny was disappointed to wake up alone, but she was sure that Harry had somewhere important he needed to be.

Ginny got out of bed and walked through the door that led to her room. She went into the bathroom and was instantly reminded of what had occurred in the room the night before. She felt her skin flush at the mere thought of it. She was about to get into the shower when she heard a knock on her door. Ginny made sure her dressing gown was tied securely before opening the door to her bedroom.

"Morning, Ginny," Michael said. His refusal to look her in the eyes told Ginny he hadn't forgotten about what he had walked in on the night before.

"Good morning. Did you need something?" Ginny was trying her hardest to keep her tone level and professional. The last thing she needed was to make things awkward with her guard.

"I was actually supposed to tell you that you're needed in the conference room."

"Let me get dressed and I'll be ready to go." Ginny closed the door to her room and quickly got dressed. She pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail and quickly splashed some water on her face so it wouldn't be as apparent that she had just woken up.

Ginny walked out into the hall where Michael was waiting for her. He followed her in silence down the hall and up the stairs to where the conference room was located. There were already two Aurors standing outside the door, looking very intimidating.

"Thanks, Michael. I'll see you when we finish," Ginny said as she pulled open the door.

Michael reached over her and pulled the door open wider. "Actually, I'm a part of this meeting as well."

"Oh." The first thing she noticed when she walked into the room was that Mr. Perry was glaring at her. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for whatever he was about to say. She took the empty seat next to Harry, while Michael sat down next to Tonks across the table.

"Good morning, Ginny," Tonks said politely.

"Morning."

"Well, there's no sense in beating around the bush," Mr. Perry said, his tone harsh. "I can't deny that I'm disappointed in you, Miss Weasley. I made it very clear what our rules were from the beginning."

"I know," Ginny admitted quietly.

"That's irrelevant now, though," Tonks spoke up, "we can't go back and change how Harry and Ginny feel about each other. The point is that this is now a Ministry sanctioned relationship, as well as a Ministry secret. You've both now signed confidentiality agreements, and we're all going to have to deal with this to the best of our abilities."

"I'll do whatever you need me to," Michael said. Harry glared at Michael at the comment, but Ginny stepped on his foot to try and prevent him from starting anything.

"Well, I think we've all agreed that Ron will take over most of Ginny's job responsibilities that can't be handled from the Ministry," Tonks added.

"Are you sure that's the best idea?" Ginny asked.

"Considering our options, Minister Bones and Mr. Perry both seem to think so," Tonks replied, but her doubt was obvious from the tone of her voice. "So all we need now is for Ginny and Harry to agree to the new terms that we're going to set." Tonks cast a nervous glance at Mr. Perry before setting her attention cautiously on Harry and Ginny. "Mr. Perry wants it known that you're not to act overly friendly outside of your own places of residence unless it is Ministry sanctioned time as long as you're both employed by the Ministry, and the Ministry wants to remind you that you're not to spend excess amounts of time together at said places of residence so you don't raise any suspicion."

"This is ridiculous!" Harry exclaimed. "You're treating our relationship as if it's a contract that has to be negotiated. We are people, you know; people with feelings."

"You should have thought about that before you broke the rules," Mr. Perry snapped. Ginny had never seen this side of Mr. Perry before, and she didn't think she liked it very much. It was becoming obvious to her that his top priority was to have a winning team, regardless of what he did to his players to get there.

"How's Dustin?" Ginny asked, hoping to shift the attention away from her relationship with Harry.

"There's been no change. The healers are now positive he was poisoned, but they can't pinpoint a source," Tonks replied.

"So what are you going to do about the team?" Ginny asked.

Mr. Perry let out a long sigh. "We're bringing in Steven from the reserves. He'll start practicing with the team after the brief vacation they're still getting."

"Well, at least the team has plenty of time off before their next match," Tonks pointed out.

"I'm afraid that no amount of time will be able to replace everything that Dustin brought to this team." Mr. Perry looked like he was going to be physically ill at the thought. Ginny couldn't help but roll her eyes. It was just a game; granted it was an important game, but it wasn't worth ruining your life over.

Ginny was surprised to hear the thought cross her mind. Here she was, letting a game dictate her life. When she was honest with herself, she knew it wasn't just about letting the game dictate her life, but about the fact that she was letting too many people have control over her life.

"I don't think the restrictions on Harry and myself should be so strict," Ginny said suddenly.

Harry reached over and reassuringly took her hand under the table. "I agree."

"You broke the rules! You don't get a say in how we deal with that," Mr. Perry replied sourly.

"What are you going to do? Kick me off the team?" Harry yelled, slamming his hands on the table. "Do you want to lose two of your star players before your second match?"

"You can't quit," Mr. Perry said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Harry snorted. "I'd like to see you make me try to play if I decide not to."

"You signed a contract!"

Ginny could see the anger in Harry's eyes. She looked down and noticed that the wood on the table under Harry's hands was starting to crack. She quickly placed her hand over his closest one and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "Calm down, Harry."

Harry retreated back into his seat and intertwined his fingers with Ginny's. His emotions seemed to disappear behind a veil on his face. Ginny was in awe at how fast he could go from furious to calm.

Harry's near outburst of magic wasn't lost on Tonks. She eyed them nervously. "I understand you don't like it, but don't you know it's for your own safety?"

"So then why can't I go see Harry during the afternoon, in the privacy of his flat?" Ginny challenged. "He lives alone, and if you're taking away most of my work responsibilities, why can't I see him during the day?"

"Well," Tonks said nervously, "what if we allow you to use your own judgment during Harry's time off, but you abide by our rules while he's got practice?"

"That will work," Ginny said.

"For now," Harry added, sending a silent challenge to anyone to disagree with him. Mr. Perry did not look pleased with this new agreement, but he made no move to argue with them.

"So what do you want from me?" Michael asked.

"I just need to make sure you know what Ginny's situation is," Tonks replied. "You need to be aware of the entire situation if you're serious about staying on as her guard. This is a bigger task than we'd normally give you, but you've proven yourself in your training and this weekend."

"I'm only supposed to be with her when she's out of one of the safe zones, correct?" Michael asked. Tonks nodded. "I think that I'm up to the task."

"Then we're done here," Tonks said, trying to smile through all of the obvious tension in the room. "If my calculations are correct, we should be about an hour away from the coast. I'm sure you've all got things you need to take care of before you leave. Harry, I'll go back with you to your room, if Ginny and Michael will wait a few minutes before returning."

Harry leaned over and kissed Ginny. "I'll see you in a minute."

Ginny smiled warmly. "See you."

When Ginny walked into her bedroom she could hear Harry talking to himself. She crossed through the open doorway and walked into his bedroom. He was pacing the floor around his bed, talking to himself about something Ginny couldn't comprehend.

"Should I leave you alone?" Ginny asked lightly.

Harry looked over at her, seemingly startled by her presence. "No, I was just trying to work something out in my head."

Ginny walked over and plopped down on his bed. "Anything I can help you with?"

"No, I need to figure this out on my own before I bring you into it."

Ginny felt slightly disheartened at his response, but she trusted his judgment. "Are you packed?"

"Never really unpacked."

"Me either."

Harry stopped his pacing and looked at her as if he were afraid she was going to start yelling at him. "I'm sorry I almost lost control again."

Ginny shook her head. "Don't be. Perry would have deserved it if you had blown up on him. He cares more about the team than the players on it."

"He just wants to win," Harry said with a sigh. "Before you came in Tonks was explaining everything to him, including how we believe that the attack on Dustin was meant for me. He wasn't very happy with me; he seems to blame me for the potential failure of his team. Actually, I think he was happy to have someone to blame."

"Did he not care that you were being threatened at all? How could it all be your fault?" Ginny exclaimed. "I have half a mind to just quit my job right now; I didn't sign a contract that said I couldn't!"

Harry shook his head. "I went over that with Tonks already. She seems to think it would draw too much attention to you, and that it would raise people's suspicions as to why you quit."

"What if I tell Ron today?" Ginny asked quietly.

"I don't think that would help much. People would still speculate why you left, and then you'd have the press all over you."

"Speaking of press…" Ginny got off the bed and walked into her room. She returned a few seconds later holding the issue of Witch Weekly with Harry on the cover. She handed him the magazine. "You should probably read this."

Harry reluctantly took the magazine and sat down at the desk in the corner of the room. He read the article, snorting from time to time at its contents. When he finished with it, he threw the magazine in the air. Ginny thought she jumped ten feet into the air when the magazine exploded into millions of tiny pieces.

"Utter rubbish," Harry said, sounding completely disgusted. "But thank you for giving that to me; it was a wonderful way to get out some of the frustrations I've been feeling all day."

"I want Luna to write another article to counter that one; an article that actually tells a bit of truth about your life, past and present."

Harry looked at her very seriously. "Would it make you feel better?" Ginny nodded. "Then I'll do it. But I'd prefer not to until after the World Cup. I don't want to take any more attention away from the rest of the team than I already do."

"Then maybe you could even include that you were in a relationship, but that you wanted to keep it private," Ginny said hopefully.

"Are you kidding?" Harry asked, looking at her incredulously. Ginny felt insulted until she started to see the corners of Harry's mouth turn up in a smile. "When I finally get to be with you I'm going to announce it to the world!"

Ginny laughed. "What are you doing the rest of the day?" With everything that was going on, she wanted to spend as much time with Harry as she could.

Harry frowned. "Actually, I'm going to see Hermione's new flat and meet Lily," he said awkwardly. "I promised her I would the day I got back into the country. I would say you could come with me, but I don't think we should risk being together outside of a Ministry approved location."

"Well, obviously Hermione's going to want to see you as soon as you get back," Ginny said quickly. "This is a big time for her, and I'm sure she'll want to hear all about your match." Ginny forced a smile, but inside she was wondering how much longer she'd be second to Hermione on Harry's list of priorities.

"Well, I should be home by nine at the latest tonight, so you should probably come over around ten," Harry added.

"Not a problem. I'll spend some time with Dad today. I'm sure he's dying to know what happened with Dustin." Ginny walked over to Harry and kissed his cheek. "I'm going to go get my things together and try to organize what work I'll actually be able to do. I'll see you tonight."

"Bye, Gin."

"Bye, Harry."

Ginny arrived at the Burrow later that afternoon feeling thoroughly depressed. She had gone through her remaining responsibilities for her job and realized that the only things she would be allowed to do from now on were the most tedious and boring tasks of her job description. Even worse, Ron would be doing all of the hands-on work with the team that she had once done. They would be lucky if Ron and Harry didn't kill each other after one practice. It was going to be a long few weeks for all of them.

Ginny set her trunk down in the entryway of the Burrow and walked into the kitchen where she heard someone rustling around. She was surprised to see her father and Charlie both covered in what she could only guess was flour. Her father had a smudge of something brown on his forehead and Charlie had a white upside down handprint on his bum. The scene was too ridiculous looking for Ginny to even try to keep her laughter under control. They turned around at the sound of her laughter, both looking mortified to have been caught doing whatever it was they had been doing.

"Ginny, aren't you home early?" Arthur asked. "We didn't expect you for another few days."

"Haven't you heard?" Ginny asked. They both shook their heads no. "Oh my. Well I suggest you come to a stopping place with whatever you were doing and sit down."

When they were all seated at the table Ginny began to speak again. "One of our chasers, Dustin, fell ill and was rushed to St. Mungo's. Our vacation on the sea got called off and we rushed back."

"Is he okay?" Charlie asked.

"Well, they think he was poisoned," Ginny said slowly.

"That's terrible!" Arthur exclaimed.

Ginny sighed. "What's worse is that they think the poison was meant for Harry."

"Tonks is going to be working herself to the bone over this," Charlie said with a frown.

"She definitely wasn't happy about it. I can't believe Ron didn't tell you all of this."

"Well, he rushed off to the Ministry this morning and we haven't seen him since," Arthur explained.

"Probably because he's pretty much going to be taking over my job," Ginny said sullenly. "After the attack they decided that it was too risky for me to be out in public any more than I have to be. I actually have to have a guard anytime I'm not here, the Ministry, or at Harry's flat."

"And I'm sure Harry is under similar restrictions," Charlie added, sounding equally sullen. "I'll be lucky if I see Tonks again before the World Cup is over."

"Well, with Dustin out that may not be too much longer," Ginny replied.

"I was going to propose. Dad was trying to help me figure out a meal that I could cook for her so I could set the mood properly."

Ginny's heart went out to Charlie. "She'll still be here when this is all over. You may just have to put things on hold for awhile. You knew when you starting seeing her how important her job was."

"I know."

"Besides," Ginny said with a grin, "it looks like you'll need that much time to figure out how to properly prepare a meal! How did you survive living on your own for so long?" They all three began to laugh again as they survived the disaster area that was their kitchen. "Did you never eat?"

"I think Dad and I just tried something that was a bit over our heads today," Charlie replied through his laughter.

"Well, since I'm practically on house arrest I'd be more than happy to help you work something out."

"That'd be great," Charlie said, still smiling. "But for now I'd settle on having your help in cleaning this mess up."

They talked while they cleaned and ten minutes later the kitchen was close to being spotless. Ginny, Charlie, and Arthur decided to go to the sitting room and continue their conversation.

"So, Ginny, do you have any big plans for your birthday?" Arthur asked.

"I hadn't thought about it, honestly. It's been hard to think about that kind of thing without Mum, Bill, and Percy."

"I know what you mean," Charlie said.

"Well, we should at least get the family together for dinner," Arthur insisted. "Let me talk to Ron and the twins, and I'll work something out. Just keep the evening of your birthday free."

Ginny smiled. "I can do that."

"So how is Harry handling all of this?" Arthur asked,

"He has his ups and downs," Ginny replied honestly. "I just wish I knew exactly what was going on with him."

"He'll tell you when he's ready," Arthur assured her.

"Have you thought anymore about talking to Ron?" Charlie asked.

"Harry and I are trying to arrange a rendezvous between Ron and Hermione. I've already seen some signs that make me think Hermione is close to cracking. I'm hoping that maybe if she sees that Ron is moving on with his life she'll clear Harry's name."

"I don't understand why Hermione is the one holding all of the cards," Charlie mused. "Can't Ron and Harry just talk?"

Ginny sighed. "Harry's tried that. Ron was too stubborn to listen to him. Ron won't just believe that Harry and Hermione were never together without knowing some kind of real reason why Hermione broke up with him. Hermione's got her reason, but she feels like Ron wouldn't have let her go if he knew what her reason was."

"So this whole thing is Hermione's fault?" Charlie challenged.

"Well, I wouldn't say it's entirely her fault," Ginny said, surprised to find herself defending Hermione. "Ron's played his part in all of this as well."

"What did Ron do other than refuse to believe her?" Charlie asked.

"He sent back letters to Harry without opening them that explained things a bit better; letters that were not only addressed to him, but to me as well."

"Sounds like they've both made pretty big mistakes," Charlie said. "But you can't tell me that Harry is completely innocent in all of this."

"He's not, but I think he's more innocent than the other two," Ginny replied with a shrug. "I know he's suffered a lot because of it."

"Well, I think Ron has as well," Arthur pointed out.

"They're all too stubborn," Charlie added. "It sounds like Ron really jumped the gun with this one. I never knew Harry as well as the rest of you, so no longer considering him part of the family wasn't hard for me. I know Ron has been known to fly off the handle over something small, but it just seems odd that he would go to such an extreme without knowing all the details. I think there's probably more to this than you know."

Ginny could tell that her father was struggling to keep from revealing anything he wasn't supposed to. "You're probably right. But right now, all I know is that Ron is mad at Harry for stealing Hermione away from him, and Harry has never considered Hermione to be anything other than a sister."

"Just don't be too quick to judge Ron. He is our brother," Charlie said. He stood up from his seat. "I should be getting back to my flat incase Tonks decides she has time to see me tonight. I'll be by sometime soon for our cooking lessons."

"Bye Charlie." When he had left Ginny turned her attention to her father.

"So, do you think that Ron's more innocent than I do?" she questioned.

"I think that it's not my place to get in the middle of all of this," Arthur replied. "Are you going to see Harry tonight?"

"Around ten. He's with Hermione and Lily now," Ginny replied.

"Well, would you be open to eating with your old man tonight?"

"Of course." Ginny followed her father into the kitchen, all the while wondering what it was he knew that she didn't. By the time they had finished dinner and Arthur had retired to his room for the night, Ron still wasn't home.

Ginny arrived at Harry's flat at ten on the dot. He was waiting for her on his couch, reading a magazine. When he heard her arrive, he looked up from his reading and smiled at her. Ginny dropped her bag on the floor and sat down next to him on the couch.

"How's Hermione?" she asked.

"Well, she's worried sick about us, but she's ecstatic. Lily is adorable. She was very playful and looked to be very happy. You would never guess the kind of trauma she went through."

"Well, that's one benefit of being a baby," Ginny said quietly. "You don't have to remember what it's like to see or hear your parents die."

"That's not completely true," Harry replied, his voice sounding a bit choked up. "I can remember my mum screaming and I used to have dreams about the green light produced from the killing curse."

"Well, let's just hope that Lily doesn't have to go through anything like that," Ginny said, taking Harry's hand.

"I want to make sure I'm there for her if she does," Harry replied. "I know how horrible it was for me, so I want to make sure she has a support system."

"She does have Hermione," Ginny reminded him. "She knows what it's like to lose your parents as well." She could easily see Harry falling into playing the role of Lily's father, and she didn't think that would be the best for anyone involved. If Hermione didn't want Ron, but she still wanted a family, she would have to deal with what it was like to be a single parent. Lily needed to think of Harry as an uncle, just like Harry thought of Hermione as a sister.

"I know."

"It's been a long day, why don't we go to bed?"

Harry smiled at her. "Best idea I've heard all day."

A/N Okay, so I'm making a habit of being late. I still may take a break next week, but I'm almost done with chapter 24, and if I can finish 25 before Sunday I'll post the next chapter as soon as my beta can finish it. Let me say this though, 24 is a HUGE chapter. Keep an eye out for it; who knows when it'll come. You'll regret it if you miss it. (And now I have to go hide and hope that it's not going to let you all down!)