Thanks a lot of you for reading and reviewing.A couple of you were a little off the mark about a couple of things, but no problem, I'm sure all will become clear!

Redemption

Chapter Two

Thursday evening found Ginny in the Ten Bells, the nearest bar to her flat just outside London, in a village called Heatherby Mills. It was a quiet bar, anchored in the churning hills my a scattering of old weather-wore buildings and small shops. She'd settled there for the simple reason that is was close to work - especially when one could Apparate - and that everything about the surronding area was quiet and peaceful and calm.

She didn't like to drink alone, which was good, because she knew almost everyone in the pub, and they were usually very happy for her to join them. This night she'd walked in on her way home, to find Neville Longbottom at the bar, nursing a tall frothy mug of beer.

"Neville!" she yelled in surprise - this was a Muggle village, a Muggle pub. Why on Earth would Neville be there?

"Ginny," he said, slipping off his stool to greet her. She surveyed him enthusiastically - my God, when did he get so tall? she thought, as her eyes took in his tall, slim figure, and rough dark hair. His hands, which had reached out to shake hers, were worn and callused, and his skin was a rich brown. He had a hint of a five-o'clock shadow on his chin, and bright blue eyes that she had never noticed at Hogwarts. Even his dirty finger nails didn't spoil him, they fitted somehow. "I thought I might find you here."

"Well, you did," she spluttered, amazed at the change in him. Even his voice had got deeper, more full. "Tuscany agreed with you," she said, unable to keep the awe from her voice.

"Thanks," he said confidently. "So does London with you, apparently."

She glanced down at herself, feeling very small under his steady gaze.

"Nah, this is just me." She realised they'd been shaking hands for the past five minutes. "Oh, what am I doing?" she said suddenly. "Come down here and give me a hug!"

He did. She was shocked by the lack of hestitation, lack of awkwardness, lack of bumbling, tripping or gawping. Neville was nothing at all like what she remembered.

"I haven't seen you since my sixth year," she said, grabbing a stool next to him and turning it a full ninety degrees so she could look at him.

"Yeah, I've been busy," he replied, lifting his drink. She watched his arm muscles flex, heat rising to her face. "I've been researching."

"Yeah, I heard about that. You've been searching the field for new specimins?"

He nodded. Neville had gone into Herbology when he'd left Hogwarts. It had evidently been the best move in his career - he looked lean and fit and healthy and pleasantly weather-beaten. That and I tremendous boost to his self-confidence.

"I've got to say, Neville, you are looking fantastic," she admitted, grinning. Neville beamed shyly.

"Thanks," he mumbled, blushing. "So, um... you're a writer now?"

"Uh-huh," she said. "On-and-off. I'm a free-lancer. I do a bit of photography as well though."

He raised his eyebrows. "Really? I was a bit surprised when I saw your name under that column you wrote on the Demolition of the Dementors. I thought you'd have gone into the Ministry like the others."

She shrugged. "Well with two brothers and Dad there, plus Hermione at St. Mungo's..."

"You thought you'd go the other way," he smiled. "I get it. But you've got quite a bit to do with them, I hear. You're going to the Benefit?"

"Is there anyone I know who isn't?" she laughed. "Every single person I've spoken to in the past twenty-four hours seems to be going."

"And I'm not breaking your run - I'll be there too."

"That's great," she replied. "I could use a chance to catch up - I want to know about everything that happened since we lost chance."

"OK, when was that? Just after the Great Defeat, wasn't it?"

Ginny swallowed. The Great Defeat. That was when it had all gone belly-up. It stung her hard in the chest, and she found herself with an unintentional frown on her face.

"Oh, Ginny, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to drag anything up for you--"

"No," she said, forcing her voice steady. "No, it's alright. I just don't tend to think about it very much anymore. Ever since then, things haven't been the same. Well..." she trailed off. That wasn't entirely true.

"Want to talk about it?" Neville said softly. She looked at him, so bright and successful and flourishing. She nodded, grabbed a drink, and led him over to a corner of the pub.

"It wasn't all bad all of a sudden," she went on. "I mean, everything was great, for a while. Ron and Hermione got together, Harry had absolutely nothing to worry about..." She heard the name, but it seemed strange and disconnected. She hadn't spoken it in years. "He played Quidditch, Ron too for a while. Hermione went to St. Mungo's to train. I went back to Hogwarts... it was great."

"Then the press?" Neville promted grimly, taking a mouthful of ale.

"Yes, that. All those owls, all that attention, all that admiration and appreciation. It just... went to his head. Can you blame him?" Neville shook his head. "Harry carried on with us for a while, didn't he? But we never, you know, made anything out of it. He'd start looking around, and realised that he could ahve any other girl he wanted. I understood, I mean, he'd earned it, hadn't he? He'd gone through all that, he'd done just what everyone hoped he would, he found the Horcruxes, vanquished Voldemort... et cetera, et cetera."

"That didn't give him the right to--"

"It did though," Ginny bit as Neville interrupted. "It gave him every right. I can't blame him for wanting to... sample other things. He'd lived him whole life in isolation and suddenly he could do anything he'd ever wanted to do, and no one could think the worst of him. He just started believing himself to be the hero he was. He got a little carried away, that's all."

"He's still a little carried away," Neville said, slightly bitterly. "Did you see that newspaper report last week? 'The Boy Who Vanquished the Dark Lord: Harry Potter in Flaming Love Triangle'. I mean, come on, some of us would be happy with just the one girl..."

Ginny grinned, and eyed Neville's profile. "Something tells me you're not having any trouble there," she smiled, patting his hand. "Besides, it might all have been hype."

"He doesn't care enough to correct it, I should think. He's so used to all the gossip and rumours that one more doesn't matter."

She agreed. "He's still working in the Auror office then?"

"In Iraq, last I heard. Not sure why, though."

"I was in the Auror office today, I'm glad he isn't in the country."

"Is Harry still in contact with Ron and Hermione?" Neville frowned.

"I think so," she shrugged, "but just barely. After he ditched us I think they sort of just concentrated on each other. And you should see where it got them," she added with a grin. "They're onto the third."

"Really?" Neville said again. "That's wonderful. How old are they all?"

"The twins are seven, five minutes each way, and Little Gin is nearly four."

"Little Gin?" he repeated, grinning. "After you?"

She beamed. "I told them not to, but..."

Neville laughed, then looked down at his wrist. "Ouch, it's getting on a bit." He drained his glass. "I've got to be somewhere."

"Lady-friend?" Ginny smiled.

"Might be," he said, blushing again. "Bye, then. I'll see you on Friday."

Ginny hadn't thought about Harry in a long time, and thanks to that, she hadn't actually considered his behaviour either. When she thought about it now, she admitted that perhaps she hadn't been hard enough on him over the years. She'd always been the first to defend him when someone had put him down, but now, when she considered it again... Sometimes there just wasn't an excuse for being a haughty, arrogant son-of-a--

Angrily, she put Harry Potter to the back of her mind, and thought instead about Reggie Felmort.

Reggie Fellmort had seemed like a nice kind of guy, open and friendly, unusual for an Auror. She found herself looking forward to the Ministry Benefit with a lot more optimism than she had previously expected to. This was shaping up to be a pretty good night.

How's it going? Let me know please! Next chapter - the Ministry Benefit, and unexpected surprise.