Ron and Hermione sat at a corner table at The Three Broomsticks. They had talked a little about their lives, but avoided the harder issues.
"We should go and see Harry." Hermione said.
"Yeah, maybe one day." Ron said between gulps of butterbeer.
"No, I think we should do it, like tonight."
"Why?" Ron asked suspiciously.
"Well, she was his girlfriend, and he did see her first."
"What do you mean, 'saw her first'?"
"Oh, didn't I tell you?" Hermione said, sheepishly. "He saw her about a week ago. He wrote to me, and told me, but I didn't believe him."
Ron pulled a face, "Okay, I'll get someone from work to fetch him."
"No, Ron, we have to go ourselves. Remember, his house is unplottable."
"Right. I'll go tomorrow."
"You're not listening to me!" Hermione said, getting steadily more annoyed. "We, both of us, have to go. Otherwise, you won't be able to see the house."
"Wait a minute, I saw that little piece of paper. I can see the house."
"He changed it." Hermione said quietly.
"You mean after Dumbledore's death? I saw the new one too."
"After that. He didn't want anyone to be able to bother him."
"Who's the secret-keeper then?" Ron asked.
"He is."
"And, he let you see it?" Ron said, looking slightly hurt.
"Yes. I think I may have been to only one."
"Okay then," Ron said, standing up, "I'll pay for this, and then we can go get him."
12 Grimmauld Place was completely dark. One could be forgiven for thinking that it was empty. The house had an air about it, an air of death and misery. The only indicator that there was anything alive there was the occasional sigh from the living room. Sitting on the sofa was a young man. His black hair stuck up in all directions, and he had large circles under his eyes. His glasses lay broken on the other side of the room, thrown there in a fit of rage. His clothes hung off, like a man who had not eaten for weeks. The young man sighed again, staring blankly at the wall. There was a knock at the door.
"Harry! Harry, open the door!" a pleasant female voice shouted.
Harry turned his head slightly, the voice was familiar to him. He got up, went to the window and pushed back the grimy net curtain. Standing out side were two people he knew very well, or at least, had known very well, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. They looked worried, they kept shooting glances at each other.
Harry thought back to the letter he had sent Hermione, could that have something to with their sudden arrival? He walked the short distance to the front door and went to open it. At the last moment he faltered. What if they were here for some other reason, he thought. Since the last time they had spoken, Harry had got the distinct impression that Ron had no wish to ever see him again. What if they were here to arrest him? He had heard that Ron was ruthless at catching criminals, and seeing that Ron hated him now, it wasn't out of the realms of possibility that he'd got into his head that Harry had done something. Hermione approached the door again, and Harry didn't move out of the way in time.
"Harry! I can see you, please open the door."
Harry took a deep breathe, it was now or never, he told himself. He opened the door.
Hermione turned to Ron,
"I don't think he's going to-"
"Going to what?" A voice said softly behind her.
"Harry! Oh, it's so good to see you!"
She wrapped her arms around him.
"I'm so sorry for not believing you." she whispered.
He patted her awkwardly on the back, "What do you want?" he asked.
"I need you to come with us, to the Ministry."
Harry pushed her away, "Why?"
"We - we think, I mean we know, we've found Ginny. You were right."
"I - I was right?" Harry stared at her, and then looked over at Ron.
"And he... ?"
"Believes me, yes. So, will you come?"
Harry thought, "Yeah, okay."