Disclaimer:
I do not, I repeat DO NOT own any Harry Potter characters and or the Harry Potter series. It all belongs to J.K Rowling! That lucky girl! Just to make that clear OK! This plot is just a figment of my imagination and felt like writing it before I lost my nerve to post it up!.
To: ModMaude, Amanda, dreamy-crazygirl, emgurl, captain-alex-obvious. Thank you so much for reviewing!
HE said, SHE said.
"Nice to meet you Ms. Bray."
"Please, call me Cameron." Cameron said smiling widely at Harry. A smile, Harry noted, that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Harry" he answered for he felt that she was waiting for him to offer.
Just then, Harry caught glimpses of people looking and pointing at them, whispering swiftly with their companions as they walked or pretended to do something that would require them to stop so they can look their way. He was about to say something when Cameron, noticing what he had been looking at, said "Do you want to get out of here?"
Harry, taken a back by her question, looked at her.
"Well, it's just, if we linger we might attract all of Diagon Alley to this bench." He still did not know what she meant. Sensing this and comprehension dawning on her face she looked at Harry and said "You don't happen to read magazines do you?"
"No" Harry answered unsurely.
"Of course, how silly of me…" Cameron Bray looked away shaking her head. "…You're Harry Potter."
Harry was at a lost for words now, "Err, listen, are you sure ok?" He said more of giving himself something to say.
"Yes yes, I'm quite alright. So did you want to grab tea or coffee or something, just a little payback for you know, helping me."
"I'm the one who knocked you over." Harry said with a laugh.
"Well, I was the one who ran into you." She was eyeing him hopefully.
Harry did not know why he agreed to have tea with Cameron Bray, perhaps he was feeling guilty for knocking her over, or perhaps it was because the amount of people that had gathered around them was becoming uncomfortably unbearable or perhaps he was intrigued by her furtive charm. When they had settled into the farthest tea shop in Diagon alley, away from prying eyes, drinking their respective teas, Harry was feeling uncomfortable again for the silence between them. But before he could start up a conversation, a couple of teenage witches came up to their table timidly holding in their hands a copy of a magazine with a very scantily clad witch on the cover.
"Err, sorry to interrupt Ms. Bray, Mr. Potter…" said one of the witches with the magazine in her hand. Harry was surprised to also be addressed but not as surprised as what happened next.
"Not at all" Cameron Bray flashed a very attractive smile. "What can we do for you?"
One of the other girls let out a squeal of joy and jumped at the balls of her feet, earning a reproaching look from her friend.
"Well, if its not too much trouble will you sign these for us? Please?" The calmer witch looked from Harry and Cameron. Cameron flashed a flirtatious smirk at Harry and took the offered magazines in her hand. The excited witch handed her a quill and Cameron Bray took it with ease and wrote on the cover of the magazine. When she was done, the girls took their respective copies and looked expectedly at Harry.
"Will you also sign Mr. Potter?"
"Sign? Me?" Harry said incredulously at the two young witches before him.
"Well, it's not everyday you get to meet a famous witch and wizard." Said the calmer witch.
"Err, sure." Harry finally said, he still wasn't sure why they wanted to have him sign a woman's magazine, but perhaps that all the writing material they had. Harry took the copies in his hand and he was floored at what he saw. It was a copy of a magazine called Witch Style and on the cover was none other than the woman sitting in front of him. He looked up at the physical form of the woman smiling flirtatiously at him on the page, surprised that the flesh and blood form of Cameron Bray was smiling at him with her eyebrows raised. Harry signed the copies a smile playing in his mouth at what he had just put together. But the smile quickly faded at what he saw lower on the page. On a little inset photo was the picture of the man that had been a source of many fights at The Burrow and the very man standing in between him and Ginny. Or so he felt.
He read the caption "West and Bray? Making Magic?"
His head was swimming with questions and he handed the magazine back to the delighted witches and he watched them skip happily along Diagon Alley. He allowed himself a couple of seconds until he looked at Cameron and found that she looked slightly embarrassed, her cheeks showed a faint tint of red in them.
Harry looked at her and smiled, "Who are you?" He said his voiced laced with humor and curiosity.
Cameron Bray launched her biography in 10 minutes as to not bore Harry, he, being the gentleman that he was assured her that it would not be a problem but Harry lied, he was more interested in the part with Ryan West. He was forgiven for wanting to hear another opinion about everyone's favourite Seeker. For this involved Ginny, so he told himself. His only other information came from Ron, and an opinion from a woman would be greatly appreciated. He, Harry, could deduce what kind of guy he really is and what better informant than a possible previous girlfriend. He was fighting the uneasy feeling that was arising in the pit of his stomach about West and Cameron Bray making magic. Of course, he dared not believe any information printed on these magazines. Merlin knows, he's had his share of rumors but he could not help but ask himself if Ginny's seen this. They've had to have gotten some kind of platform for this rumor. But Harry decided that he would not bother with these accusations with now. He focused on the task at hand. When he realized that she had not mention Ryan West, he took it upon himself to do it. He did after all, had a plan.
"So, I hope you don't mind me asking, how do you know Ryan West?" Harry said with as much coolness as he could muster. He saw another flicker of something in Cameron's eyes followed by a tiny lip curl.
"No not at all." She answered taking another sip at her tea.
"He was a boyfriend of mine; we met 3 years ago, on and off you know. Busy schedules for the both of us, and he was always away and he looking like he does…" She trailed off, looking a bit melancholy, but just as it came, it went in a blink of an eye.
"Well, let's just say that he has never had a problem getting what he wanted from witches alike."
And when Harry surmised that she wasn't going to follow it up with more, and he was frankly thankful that he wasn't for his dislike has arisen tenfold. He did not want to think of what her last statement meant.
"So…" Harry started "does that mean you and him—"
"Why Mr. Potter I didn't see you as the gossiping type?" Cameron Bray said jokingly.
"Well, I'm not, it's just—" Harry was saved from explaining what he wasn't for
She interjected once more.
"No, we are not together." She said "That's just rubbish. We remain very good friends though. We might've not worked out as a couple, but we're still close." She said with a smile.
"And besides, it won't be long 'till the press gets wind of his new love." She said as an after thought.
It took Harry a whole 5 seconds for the words to sink in, and once it did, he felt as though the wind was knocked out from him. He had a sickening feeling arise at the thought of what she was talking about. With some trepidation, he asked.
"Who would that be?" He asked again as coolly as he could get.
"Well, if you don't read magazines, I don't suppose you'll know." When he did not answer, she continued. "Well, Witch Weekly is doing a special on the best looking Quidditch players; he was assigned to a writer and from what he tells me, he's pretty taken by her. Actually, that might be an understatement, he really likes her, and from the sound of it, so does she." She added with a laugh.
Harry's insides felt like they were slowly untangling, he looked at her dumbfounded, his worst fears confirmed. 'Ginny does like Ryan West.' He thought He chanced a look at Cameron Bray and he saw that she was looking at him pensively.
"Harry are you ok?"
"Yes, fine." Harry added a little too quickly with a voice a little to high to be his own.
"Well, word has it that their going to the launch together—" she started "—the magazine launch for Witch Weekly. He's asked her and she said yes from what Matilda told me." Earning a blank look from Harry, she explained a bit further.
"Oh, Matilda is the editor, Matilda and Ryan's parents are close friends and I drop by once and a while to visit her at work. She's a darling. The launch should prove to be interesting, if the press don't know by know, they'll know then about Ryan and I and the nonexistent relationship they all think we have." She added with a laugh. But as she looked at Harry, she said
"But I supposed that was more than what you wanted to hear." She looked apologetically at Harry. "I'm sorry, Harry, I tend to talk and talk until someone stops me."
But Harry was not concerned about that. He was still a bit preoccupied about the news of Ryan West and Ginny.
"No that's quite alright, really." He said.
"Oh good!" Cameron said happily. Well, what about you, then? I've told you all about me." She looked hopeful at Harry. Harry didn't fancy telling her his whole life story, but felt obliged to for she had done hers upon his request. As he was about to start, a very excitable owl flew over their heads and kept twittering happily around Harry. Cameron looked annoyed but as Harry's hand clasped around Pig, she smiled at him in attempt to vanish her look of annoyance.
"Settle down. Pig, just… let—me." Harry struggled to get the letter out of his leg. He unrolled the parchment and saw Ron's writing. He read it quickly and feeling happy that he was saved from talking about himself, he folded the letter and looked up at Cameron, still holding Pig in his left hand.
"Err, Listen, I'm sorry, but I have to go." Harry said.
"Oh, that's ok. Thanks very much for everything. We'll catch up some other time perhaps?"
He did not know when or how they were going to see each other again, seeing as they didn't exactly run in the same circles, but he answered nonetheless. "Yeah, sure."
As Harry walked a bit further up the street in Diagon Alley feeling an odd mixture of emotion he did not know what to make of his meeting with Cameron Bray. He was sure that when he had agreed to sitting down with her for tea that the information he was to get about Ryan West would not include an affirmation of Ryan West and Ginny Weasley's blooming relationship. His stomach gave another queasy lurch at the thought. 'It's just hearsay Potter, don't believe anything until you hear it straight from her.' He told himself as he wound his way through shoppers milling about in the busy street. Harry felt an odd sense of foreboding after he left Cameron Bray at the tea shop. He could not put his fingers on it, perhaps it was the substantial verification of Ryan's feelings for Ginny—from what Harry could surmise from a really close friend—that made him feel uneasy; or perhaps he sensed something awry about Cameron Bray's blatant revelation about Ryan to a complete stranger that not 20 minutes ago, knocked her to the ground. Harry felt that she almost wanted to share the information with her. He could not think of talking about Ron or Hermione like that to anyone who asked. Feeling he had walked enough, he shook his head of any more thoughts of his meeting with Cameron Bray and went to The Burrow to answer Ron's summon for lunch.
Ginny sat herself in her office Monday morning looking ruffled and feeling a bit sullen. She had gone home to her flat just before lunch on Sunday to get a bit of articles done and out of the way. Much to the protest of her Mum, instead of bringing her work back to The Burrow, she wanted to stay at her own flat and do it there. She needed time to think about what she would say to Harry. She didn't think that he would be back for lunch so she settled for talking to him during dinner for she was sure that he would be back then. As the fates would have it, Harry was not to join them for dinner after all, it transpired that he had a busy day tomorrow and wanted to turn in early. "But he was here for lunch though." Ron added as they got the table ready. They kept missing each other.
Laden with frustration, Ginny slumped her head on her table muttering to herself and sighing deeply. She heard a light rap on the door and looked up. It was Devon looking like she had just swallowed Bubotuber pus. Ginny does not remember a time when her friend had ever looked so weary.
"Hey Dev." Ginny asked "You OK?"
"Err yeah, listen, have you talked to Sarah?" Devon asked quietly shutting the door behind her and sitting in front of Ginny.
Ginny shook her head. "No, should I?"
"Well, I don't know, but do you remember her niece, she brought her to work a couple of years ago. Very excitable young girl?"
Ginny pursed her lips in thought. "Yeah, I think I do. What about her?" Ginny saw some hesitation in Devon's face. It looked like this particular bit of gossip pained her to say, and Ginny didn't think that could ever be possible.
"Well, she flooed her yesterday hysterical at what had happened to her and her friend at Diagon Alley.
Ginny was not in any particular mood to wait for the punch line so she egged her friend on. "Well? Go one then."
"Oh all right then." Devon said resolutely "Apparently she had gotten autographs of Cameron Bray—" she paused.
"Devon!" she said irritably at the mention of Cameron Bray.
"—and Harry Potter."
Ginny did not know the significance of this. OK, so she had gotten an autograph from both of them, so what.
"So what?" Ginny asked.
Devon swallowed and spoke. "Well, the thing is—they were together at the time. Having tea at the Tea Shop in Diagon Alley."
Ginny was frozen; the words flitted rapid-fire in her mind. The maelstrom of emotion currently churning in her rapidly beating heart, a heart that had all but stopped just moments ago in shock.
"Oh." Was all she could muster.
"Gin?" Devon asked concerned. "You OK?"
Ginny got to her feet abruptly surprising Devon back in her chair. She went around her desk, pulled out her wand and starting ordering papers about to different files and folders and what not.
'That's why he wasn't back for lunch' her head screamed in panic
A pink folder narrowly missed Devon's neck as it zoomed by to the other side of Ginny's office.
"Ginny" Devon said.
'How could he? Does he not see right through her?'
Her file cabinet shook ominously to her side. She waved her wand again and loose papers from everywhere flew in dangerous speed to their rightful place. Devon was moving in all sorts of direction trying to avoid angry papers zooming at her.
'Damn her. That scheming, deceitful, cow.' As her file cabinet gave another angry jolt.
Ginny pointed her wand at her desk and everything fell into place. A goblet sitting on her side table emitted green sparks, Devon took notice of this and tried once again, to call her friends name.
"Ginny" she said louder.
'What could he possibly—what was he—why was he—' her head thought angrily apparently unable to decipher full sentences.
"Ginevra!" Devon shouted through her reverie in which Ginny's goblet exploded, the file cabinet jerked violently and sparks of red and green flew our of her wand.
Ginny was breathing very heavily looking around her room and finally resting on a very dishevel Devon.
"What the bloody hell was that?" She asked.
"What?" Ginny said trying to control the beating of her heart to a healthy speed and replacing herself back behind her desk as Devon looked at her in mild surprise and awe.
Devon pulled out her own wand and fixed the broken goblet. "Listen, next time you get like this, can you come to my office? It's a mess and your skill of vindictive-cleaning will be useful." Devon added with a smirk.
Ginny smiled " I wasn't angr—" Devon put up a hand to stop her
"Don't lie to me, I know you too well Ginny."
Ginny looked at Devon meekly.
"And I know exactly what you are thinking. All I have to say is Don't! We don't know the circumstances behind it. Don't believe anything you hear. You ought to know that working in this business. You should talk to Harry and ask him why on earth he would have shared tea with that worthless trollop." Devon said adding a touch of contempt to the last part.
Ginny dared not contest this last part. Devon is right. She shouldn't blame Harry, for all we know, this was probably all her. Harry probably doesn't even know who or what she is. Ginny did not want to believe the sensible assumptions she and Devon were thinking up, but her heart lightened just a little bit in spite of the recent news.
"Let's give him a break shall we? This has Cameron Bray written all over it. Although when time permits, please smack him over the head with something, preferably something large. " Devon said a smile playing at her lips.
"Your right Dev." Ginny let out sigh of frustration and buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry for over reacting." She looked at her friend
"Hey, don't apologize to me, I always say venting is good, especially in good company." She gave her the tiniest of winks.
"And besides, a few paper cuts never killed anybody." Devon added with a smirk. Ginny laughed. Just then another rapping could be heard on her door. They both turned around.
"Come in." said Ginny
And both girls were greeted with a sight of a very windswept Ryan West by the door looking positively charming.
"Oh, am I interrupting something?" he asked warmly, but before Ginny could answer, Devon got up and said..
"No, no, I was just leaving." She said getting up and turning to Ginny and smiling at her furtively and finally turning around towards Ryan by the door. With Ginny's office looking a lot cleaner and tidier than when her friend had came, Devon excused herself and shut the door behind her.
Ginny stood up and greeted her guest with a smile. Ryan West, Ginny gathered, looked—if possible, cuter than she had ever seen him.
"Hi" they greeted at the same time.
"Please sit down." Ginny offered.
"Thanks" he said shyly. Ginny smiled, her anger and sullenness ebbing.
"Oh, congratulations on your new nephew." He added
"Thank you Ryan. I'm very excited." She said glowing
"Well, I suppose Ron told you that I wanted to see you today?"
"Err, yes, he did." Ginny said curiously "What about?"
"Well, see, I presume you know about the launch of the issue?" he asked timidly
"Actually, yes. I just received the memo this morning." Ginny's stomach felt like it had gymnast in it and was doing back flips, much to her dislike.
"Well, err…" Ryan began and smiled at her "—I was just wondering, if you weren't already going with anyone else, if you would like to go with me?" He finished softly. He was grinning at Ginny.
Ginny couldn't help but notice that she too was grinning, his smile was infectious.
She looked down, surprised and flattered that he had asked her. But something inside was preventing her from shouting 'YES' to the top of her lungs.
"Ryan, I'm really flattered—" Ginny began, not really knowing her answer just yet, but started talking in hopes that maybe her mind would be made up by the time she was finished, but Ryan had interjected.
"Listen, you don't have to give me answer now…" he said sheepishly "I just want you to think about it OK?" he finished with a light hearted smile.
Ginny nodded and smiled back at him.
"All right, I better be going, you have thinking to do." He said jokingly to the red head that was before him as he got up.
Ginny still hadn't said anything else at this point from when he spoke. She walked him to the door. "Hope to hear from you soon then?" Ryan asked turning around from the doorway so that he and Ginny were merely inches apart.
With one last great lurch in her stomach, she nodded. "Definitely."
She watched Ryan West cross the space between her office and the lift before she shut her door and walked back to her desk.
'What is wrong with you!' her inner voice chided.
When she had received the memo this morning, she had immediately thought of asking Harry if he would want to come. Ron and Hermione would be there and she thought it would be fun to be together and show Harry where she worked. She thought that he might appreciate the invite. But given very recent events, she was not even sure if she was ok or mad at Harry. Ryan West had asked her and she had kept silent. Why? She asked herself; she liked Ryan West, she liked him a lot, but Harry, she loved Harry. She couldn't shake him off to the back of her head even though she tried. Given the events that transpired perhaps Ginny still hoped of asking Harry even after what she had heard this morning.
'Pathetic' her head said.
'I have to get to the bottom of it' she thought of what she had heard. 'I have to talk to Harry.'
