Chapter 7: Excuses and Apologies
Ginny woke up the next morning and the sun was pouring through the tattered curtains into her room. Her eyes were heavy and they burned as she struggled to open them. Memories of the fight she and Harry had had the night before came rushing back. She felt her anger start to rise again as she sat up slowly and looked around her room. Hermione was not in her bed, and Ginny assumed she had woken up hours earlier since judging by the sunlight in her room, it was nearly noon.
Ginny got slowly out of bed and walked to her cupboard. She opened it and grabbed some clothes and got dressed. Still unable to open her eyes completely, she made her way to the stairs and walked down to the kitchen. When she got there it was empty so she went over to the stove and made herself a cup of coffee.
She carried the cup in both hands and blew at the steam that was rising from it, as she walked out the back door and over to the pond. Once she was there, she took off her shoes, and sat down and put her feet in the water. She still had not seen anyone, and began to wonder where everyone was when a voice called her name from behind.
"Ginny?" said Harry.
Ginny just sat there and did not look back, but she could feel her hands tighten slightly around the hot cup she was holding.
"Ginny?" said Harry again as he stepped up next to her.
Ginny did not look up at him as she spoke. "What?"
"About last night…" Harry began hesitantly.
"I'm fine Harry. I know you didn't mean it." said Ginny, still not looking at him.
"Mean what?" he asked.
Ginny raised her head and looked at Harry. "What you said about me."
Harry's face screwed up in a confused look as he asked "What I said about you?"
Ginny saw the look in his eyes and realized that he had no idea what she was talking about. She did not have the energy to fight with him right now so she just sighed and said "Forget about it Harry. I'm fine."
"No. I want to know…" he began in protest.
"Harry, I said drop it. I don't want to fight about this right now." she interrupted as she stood up and grabber her shoes.
She stepped past Harry without looking at him, leaving him staring at her with a look of total disbelief on his face. He took a step towards her then he stopped and watched her go into the house.
Ginny walked up the steps and through the door. When she walked in, she noticed that Tonks and Hermione were in the kitchen. "Have we had owl post yet?" she called as she dropped her shoes.
"Yeah." replied Hermione.
Ginny excitedly asked "Did I get anything?"
"No." said Hermione.
"Have you seen Harry yet today?" asked Tonks as Ginny walked into the kitchen.
"Yeah, just a minute ago." said Ginny as she jerked her head in the direction of the door. Her voice was dripping with irritation as she continued. "He wanted to talk about last night, but I don't think he thinks he did anything wrong. What are you doing here Tonks?"
"Oh. I'm on my lunch break. I was just helping Hermione with some studies." said Tonks as the hopeful look fell from her face.
"Did he say anything about the Daily Prophet article this morning?" asked Hermione.
A confused and curious look crossed Ginny's face. "No. Why?" she said.
Hermione picked the newspaper up off of the counter and handed it to Ginny. "Look on page fourteen. Lower right."
Ginny quickly found the page and began reading. Her eyes opened wide, and her voice broke slightly as she read aloud. "Arabella Figg, resident of Little Whinging has been reported missing…" Her voice trailed off as she looked up at Hermione and Tonks. "How did Harry take this?" she asked matter of factly.
"He was kind of quiet, but seemed alright." said Hermione.
"Wow. Has anybody heard anything other than what is in here?" asked Ginny as she held up the newspaper.
"Not really. This was the first I heard of it. I'm sure we'll find something out soon." said Tonks. "I really have to get going. Will you be up at the office tomorrow Hermione? We have some more things we need to work on."
Hermione looked nervously at Ginny, and could tell by the look on the youngest Weasley's face that she would have some explaining to do. "Ummm…Yeah. I'll be there." said Hermione finally as she lifted her head confidently.
"Well, ta then!" said Tonks as she stepped back and drew her wand. With a loud crack she was gone.
Hermione turned towards Ginny and saw her staring intently at her. "What?" she asked defensively.
"You tell me. Going into the office? Disappearing all the time? What's going on Hermione? For real?" said Ginny forcefully, yet caringly.
Hermione took a deep breath, and seemed to collect her thoughts before continuing. "Do you remember your second year?"
Ginny nodded.
"Well, that year, professor McGonnogal arranged for me to use a time turner to take more subjects." said Hermione slowly.
Ginny just kept nodding and said "Keep going." when Hermione stopped talking
"I had to swear not to tell anyone. I didn't tell Harry. I didn't even tell your brother. I wanted to tell him so desperately, but I had made a promise to McGonogal. I made a promise this time too. I can't tell you. I can't tell anyone. If I did, a lot of people would get into serious trouble, including your dad."
Ginny looked appraisingly at Hermione. "Ok." she said reluctantly. "But please tell me that it is not illegal, or dangerous and is going to get you hurt or in trouble."
Hermione looked down and nervously rubbed her hands together. After a moment, she looked up at Ginny. "Ummm…" she began.
Ginny watched Hermione struggling and finally said "Hermione?"
Hermione looked up at Ginny and said "I can't tell you. I'm sorry."
"It's ok. I won't bother you about it anymore." said Ginny finally with a smile, much to Hermione's relief.
Harry watched Ginny go into the house before walking back to the far side of the house. As soon as he rounded the corner, he saw Ron, still pulling weeds from the flowers. "Hey. Did you find her?" Ron asked as he stood up slowly.
"Yeah. She didn't really want to talk though. She actually acted as though she didn't do anything wrong." Harry said with an awkward chuckle.
Ron bent back down and began pulling weeds again. "She'll come around." he said as Harry joined him.
Later that day, long after dinner and after everyone had gone to sleep, Harry laid awake in his bed. He could hear the slow rhythmic breathing of Ron in the bed next to his. Harry had been staring at the ceiling for the last hour and could not sleep. He kept replaying the events of the night before, and finally started thinking about the dream he had had. He couldn't help but feel that on some level, it had been less like a dream, and more like a vision. Like a message sent to him from beyond the veil.
Quietly, he got out of bed, and made his way across the room to the door. He looked back at Ron's sleeping form before slipping through the door and down the stairs to the living room.
As he walked around the corner, he saw the familiar red hair hanging over the back of the couch. He and Ginny, though never planned, had managed to end up downstairs almost every night since Harry had come to the burrow over a week ago.
Harry stood there looking at her hair for a moment, listening and watching for any sing of movement. Finally, he walked over to the couch and sat down. Harry looked over and saw Ginny with her eyes closed and her chest rising and falling slowly as she slept. She looked so peaceful that Harry could not help but smile slightly. He sat watching her for a long time and finally his eyes grew too heavy to keep open, and he drifted off to sleep.
Ginny woke suddenly and for a few seconds, she did not remember where she was. She looked around quickly until her eyes had adjusted to being open. They finally came to rest on Harry who was sleeping on the other end of the couch from her. Like Harry had done before, she sat looking at him while he slept. Her face hardened slightly as her thoughts drifted back to the fight they had had the night before. She felt a pain in her chest as she heard his hurtful words echo through her head.
Slowly, Ginny got up, trying not to disturb the sleeping Harry Potter. She was just about around the couch when she heard a hoarse voice call her name.
"Ginny?" said Harry.
Ginny turned and looked at him. She saw the smile on his face, but until he apologized for saying she caused Sirius' death, she would not be swayed, no matter how adorable he was. "What?" she said sharply.
"Where are you going?" Harry asked.
"I was going to bed, unless you are ready to apologize to me." said Ginny as she put her balled fists on her hips.
"Apologize?" began Harry. His face was overtaken with a look of disbelief. "For what?" he said as he stood up quickly.
Ginny sighed loudly, rolled her eyes and turned towards the stairs. "Good night Harry." she said as she started walking up the stairs leaving a completely dumbfounded Harry standing at the bottom.
"Ginny!" called Harry, but Ginny kept walking without looking back.
Harry stared at the stairs Ginny had just gone up. His mind was in turmoil as he desperately tried to understand why Ginny thought he needed to apologize. After thinking of half a dozen reasons he though she should apologize, he walked back up to his room and went to sleep.
Harry awoke the next morning and was unable to move his arms. After struggling for a few moments he stopped and opened his eyes. As his mind cleared slightly, he looked down and saw that his arms were being held to his side by his covers. He rolled over and his arms came loose.
"Where did you go last night?" came Ron's voice.
Harry looked over towards Ron, who was still laying in his bed. "I couldn't sleep."
"I noticed. You were tossing and turning all night again." said Ron as he looked over at Harry. "So where did you go?"
Harry lifted himself slowly onto his elbows. "I went downstairs to think." he said.
"Oh." replied Ron, deciding not to press the issue.
He and Harry grudgingly got out of their beds and got dressed. Harry's mind was still fixed on the conversation, or lack there of he had tried to have with Ginny the night before. He knew he had been harsh with her on his birthday, but she had been rather harsh herself he thought. Before he knew it, he and Ron were walking downstairs.
"Good morning." said Hermione as Ron and Harry walked into the kitchen. She was sitting at the kitchen table holding her copy of the Daily Prophet, which she had lowered slightly when the boys walked in.
Harry's eyes were barely open as he raised his hand slightly and grunted "Yeah."
"Morning." said Ron quietly. His demeanor brightened slightly as he saw Hermione's smiling face.
"Have you heard yet?" she asked the boys as she held out her newspaper for them to examine.
Ron looked over and gave Harry a questioning look. Harry's heart jumped slightly as he recalled the news from the morning before. "Heard what?" they said together.
"Look!" exclaimed Hermione as she handed the paper to Ron and pointed out the front page headline.
Ron took the paper and the three of them crowded around it. "Minister Fudge Called On For Answers." it read. Ron let out a low whistle and slid into the chair next to Hermione. He continued reading the article. "Look's like Fudge is in trouble." he said finally.
Hermione nodded in agreement. She stood up and moved behind Ron. She rested her chin on his shoulder as she strained to continue reading. "I have heard rumours flying around the Ministry when I have been up there with Tonks." she said absently.
"What have you been up there with Tonks for?" asked Ron as he put the paper on the table and turned to look at her.
Hermione moved back and shook her head slightly and looked into Ron's suspicious eyes. "Well, you know. Things." Seeing that he was still confused, she added with a reassuring nod "for school."
Ron furrowed his brow a bit, and then looked over at Harry. Harry had picked up the paper and was intently reading the front page article about The Ministry of Magic. He had obviously not heard what Hermione had said.
Just as Ron was about to ask Hermione what she meant, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley walked into the kitchen. "Good morning." said Mr. Weasley cheerfully.
"Dad." said Ron. "What's going on with Fudge? It said in the Prophet that he is about to be sacked."
Mr. Weasley smiled slightly as he walked over next to Mrs. Weasley and poured himself some tea. "Oh did it now?" he said without looking up from his cup.
Two hours later, Ginny sat bolt upright in her bed. Crack came the noise against her window again. She threw her covers back and hurried over and pulled back the tattered curtains. "Oh, they are going to be in so much trouble if mum catches them." muttered Ginny to herself.
Outside, she saw Ron and Harry on their brooms zooming over the pond, and the occasional speck of gold that caught her eye told her that they were playing a game of Catch the Snitch. She jumped back quickly as the old battered snitch of Ron's slammed into her window again. She smiled inwardly as she saw Harry flying towards her.
Their eyes briefly met and suddenly he faltered on his broom, and began to plummet towards the ground. Her heart jumped and she let out an audible sigh of relief as he righted himself just before striking the ground. After a split second, he was in pursuit of the snitch again with Ron close behind.
She watched them for a while longer before going to her cupboard and finding some clothes. As she was getting dressed, her thoughts were consumed by Harry and their evolving friendship. She laughed aloud as she thought back to her first years at Hogwarts and how she had barely been able to string two words together in his presence, and how now, she and Harry were able to hold entire conversations using only two words. Her face tightened as she thought about how they were also able to fight using as many words as they could fling at each other, and still remain friends.
Crack came the sound of the snitch again, causing her to jump. "I am still mad at you Harry Potter" she said to herself through a smile as she watched him dash away from her window again.
As Ginny was walking down the stairs, she heard her mum's voice tear through the otherwise silent morning. "Ronald Weasley! Harry Potter!"
Ginny hurried down the rest of the stairs and through the kitchen. She saw her mum standing in the open doorway. Her face was nearly as red as her hair as she screamed again. "You two come here this instant!"
Ginny walked over to the stove and poured herself a cup of hot water for tea. She turned and leaned back against the counter, and with a smirk on her face, she waited for Harry and Ron to land.
Moments later, Ron and Harry walked, heads down, into the kitchen followed closely by an irate Mrs. Weasley. "You two! What were you thinking?"
Ron and Harry just stood there not moving or saying anything.
"Well? I'm waiting! You could have been seen by muggles. With everything going on right now in the Ministry, that would NOT be a good thing to have happen. Your father has worked too hard…" yelled Mrs. Weasley.
"Sorry mum." interrupted Ron.
"Yeah, sorry Mrs. Weasley." said Harry, eyes still cast downwards.
"Mum, have we had owl post yet today?" asked Ginny.
Mrs. Weasley's head whipped around towards Ginny. "No Ginny." she said before turning back towards the boys.
"Mum?" said Ginny again.
"What?" Mrs. Weasley snapped.
"I don't think it was their faults really. That old Snitch of Ron's really doesn't have much of a mind left, and it took them up here to the house. They were just trying to catch it and go back to the lower garden." said Ginny matter of factly.
Mrs. Weasley looked from Ginny to the boys and back again. She seemed to be weighing Ginny's words carefully. Her face softened slightly. "Well," she began in a calmer voice. "You two need to be more careful. Flying out in the open like that. Not only could the muggles have seen you, but so could anyone else."
Harry and Ron were noticeably relieved as Mrs. Weasley walked out of the kitchen without any further reprimand. Harry looked up at Ginny and with a weak smile he said "Thanks."
Ginny's face hardened as she glared at Harry. "I didn't do it for you. I just didn't want to hear mum yell any more. It was making my head hurt."
"Then why didn't you just leave?" said Harry as he returned her stare.
Ginny looked at him for a second longer and then shaking her head, she turned and walked out of the kitchen. "Ron." she called from the other room. "Where is Hermione?"
"She went with Tonks earlier. She said she'd be back by lunch." came the voice of Harry.
"My, your voice changed RON!" she called back before walking out the front door away from The Burrow and towards the village.