Chasing Memories
by cinderalex
Chapter One: Chocolate
Disclaimer: Anything or anyone you recognize isn't mine.
The sun hung low in the sky as Hermione shoved her treacle tart down hungrily. She couldn't seem to eat enough these days, but she supposed that was normal, or at least Mrs. Weasley told her it was. And Mrs. Weasley would know after bearing seven children. As she looked down the long dinner table set in the garden of the Burrow, she counted five of those children. Earlier, she had been so busy eating she hadn't noticed the missing children. Well, she knew Charlie was in Romania meeting his newest girlfriend's parents and...
"Merlin, Hermione, leave some dessert for the rest of us," her husband said grumpily, taking the last bit of the tart from her plate and stuffing it into his mouth. His appetite seemed to have grown in proportion to hers even though he was not eating for two. Normally she would have reacted violently to his stealing from her plate, but, at the moment, she was distracted.
"Molly, where's Ginny?"
Mrs. Weasley dropped her fork, and paused, considering Hermione. "She had a migraine."
Hermione snorted, "Ginny hasn't had a migraine since the time the shelf fell on her head in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes."
"For the record, that was George's fault," Fred piped in. "And about Ginny's absence... Ron told us you were smart."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, come on," George chastised. "Think about it. What day is it?"
"Sunday? But what does that have to do with– oh dear." It was Sunday, July 31st, Harry's birthday. Harry's deathday. Hermione paused, then said, "Three years ago that might have meant something, but I thought– "
"Yeah, well, so did we." Bill was scowling as he called down from the other end of the table. The entire Weasley family was now listening to thier conversation. "But last week Ginny just happened to pick up a copy of the Quibbler."
Hermione shook her head, indicating she that did understand the significance of Bill's words.
"It had a small story, not more than a page, about a recent 'Harry Potter Sighting.' She got really upset. Maybe she had convinced herself to forget him and this reminded her. Or maybe she's got her hopes up that it's true, even though she knows it can't be." George added, completing the story.
"Oh dear." Hermione frowned, clearly thinking. "I have to go. Molly, dinner was wonderful. Ron, I may not be home until tomorrow." And, with a short nod, she disapparated.
BREAK
Ginny inclined the Firebolt, rising higher in the sky. Sunset was the best time to fly. The bright backdrop of reds and oranges, pinks and golds, heightened the rushing sensation. She closed her eyes and, for a fraction of second, she could believe Harry was flying beside her.
"Harry! That's not fair!" Ginny called, racing forward on her broom. "Your Firebolt is way faster than my Cleansweep!" Evening practice had finished twenty minutes ago, but she had stayed behind for some 'extra help' from her captain.
Harry's laughter drifted back to her. "If you were a really good chaser you'd be able to catch me anyway, now wouldn't you."
She wanted to point out to him that the words 'chaser' and 'catcher' were not synonymous, but thought that would indicate her surrender. She considered him for a moment, then smiled.
"HARRY! I think I see– Is that?" she dove down toward the pitch.
"What is it, Ginny?" Harry was rapidly descending behind her. He reached her side when they were about three feet from the ground. "Ginny?" Catching him completely unaware, she shoved him off his broom, sending him tumbling to the ground. Unfortunately the motion unseated her and she fell also, landing roughly beside him.
"That hurt!" Harry muttered, rolling onto his side and rubbing his bottom. His hair was wild, his face flushed, his glasses skewed, but Ginny thought he'd never looked more handsome. Sitting up, he moved to straighten his glasses, but she grabbed them off his face before he had the chance. Setting them on the grass beside her, she shoved him onto his back. Raising an eyebrow, he smiled suggestively at her and winked. Hastily, she shook her head and curled herself around him, wrapping an arm across his chest, resting her head on his shoulder and tangling their legs. He was very warm and very solid, something alive to cling to, and she needed that. The sun sank from the sky before either spoke again.
"Ginny?"
"Yes, Harry?"
"Hold me."
"I already am."
Ginny realized that she could no longer see where she was flying in the thickening darkness and decided it was time to head back home. Tired and sweating, she landed smoothly on the grass. Tucking the Firebolt underneath her arm, she apparated into her living room to find it already occupied.
"There you are! I've been waiting for you for over an hour now! Where have you been?" Hermione rose from Ginny's worn couch and walked over to her, looking truly concerned.
"Flying," Ginny replied shortly, gesturing to broom she was carrying. Even though Hermione's support meant a lot to her, she had really wanted to spend the evening alone, wallowing in memories of Harry.
"Is that Harry's broom?"
Ginny nodded, and then elaborated, "I think Ron took it when he died. A year later I found it at the end of my bed Christmas morning with a scrawled note. I think it said something like : You should have this, really."
Sympathy etched lines in Hermione's face and she patted Ginny on the back. "He really would have wanted you to have it. You meant so much to him. Had it been the other way around, with you dead and him alive– "
"Look, Hermione," Ginny cut her friend off. Her suggestion made Ginny feel guilty. "I really want to be alone. I'll be fine. I just need some time."
"You said that two years ago. And the year before that. And the year before that. And the year before that." When Ginny didn't protest, she continued, "George said there was an article in the Quibbler about Harry."
Ginny could feel tears beginning to press at the back of her eyes. She didn't want to cry. She was finished crying over Harry. "I really don't want to talk about this, Hermione."
"Alright," Hermione conceded, sitting down again and gesturing for Ginny to do the same, "But I'm not leaving. I think we should find a way to take your mind off of Harry. Perhaps there's another guy you might want to talk about?" She grinned suggestively.
"You know there isn't."
"That doesn't mean there couldn't be. There are plenty of guys out there who want to date you, Ginny. And some of them are even half-way decent. I heard Oliver Wood asked you to dinner the other day."
Ginny didn't want to talk about Oliver. She had gone to dinner with him and she even had a nice time. She was certain he would find a sweet girl and fall in love, but she wasn't that girl. He wasn't for her. He wasn't Harry.
"We went out as friends. We went home as friends. End of story."
"Surely there must be someone?"
"Other than Harry, you mean?"
"Yes, other than Harry."
"Nope." Something on the table between them caught Ginny's eye. It was a small square box wrapped in shiny red packaging with a gold string tied around it and bowed on top.
"Is that chocolate?" Ginny asked hopefully, already feeling warmer toward her nosey sister-in-law.
"Oh yes! I almost forgot." Hermione grabbed up the box from the table and began to tear it open. "They're from the twin's shop. Truffle Passions, I think they're called."
Ginny's brows furrowed suspiciously and Hermione laughed, knowing she was thinking of the love potion-spiked Caldron Cakes Ron had eaten in his sixth year.
"Don't worry. They're just chocolate. The wrappers are enchanted to 'utter your romantic future' when first opened."
"Ugh. I'd better not have any then. Mine will be like 'Look forward to a bleak days ahead, as your love was doomed from the beginning.' or something equally as depressing."
Hermione laughed. "I doubt it. If they wrote fortunes like that how many Truffle Passions would they sell? Anyway, it's not as if these fortunes use real magic." Setting the open box on the table she took one truffle for herself and handed another to Ginny.
Ginny looked at her truffle dubiously. "Well, it is chocolate, so I suppose it doesn't much matter what the fortune says. I'll go first." She peeled the golden wrapper off her candy.
A soft, female voice murmured throatily, "Your true love awaits you."
"There. You see!" Hermione exclaimed triumphantly. Ginny shrugged and stuffed the truffle into her mouth. Eagerly, Hermione began to unwrap her own.
The same voice spoke for the second time, "Your true love awaits you."
"That's funny!" chuckled Ginny. "Who'd have thought we'd get the same love fortune? Very unconvincing. We should tell the twins they need to be more careful about how they box these things." She grabbed another chocolate.
Again it said, "Your true love awaits you."
Both women burst into giggles.
When their laughter died, Hermione rose and stretched. "Well, just in case there is any truth behind these fortunes, I had better get home to Ron."
"Thanks for coming, Hermione," said Ginny sincerely. "You really did cheer me up. With a bit of help from Weasley Wizard Wheezes." The two women hugged tightly. Hermione disapparated.
Ginny looked down at the mess of wrappers on the table, sighing. Harry loved chocolate. No, Harry had loved chocolate. There was one truffle left in the box. Ginny unwrapped and ate it.
"Your true love awaits you."
Author's Note: Okay, it's kinda cheesy, but who doesn't love cheese? Please review.