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Chapter 6: 16th of March 2004
The next morning, William woke up to the delicious smell of bacon and eggs. Sitting up, he found the blanket he had conjured was placed on him. Rubbing his eyes, he looked at the kitchen and found Mary walking around, putting breakfast on the table. He got up and walked to the table.
"Morning," said Mary cheerfully as she placed two glasses of orange juice on the table.
William yawned before he asked, "What are you doing?"
"What do you think I'm doing?" asked Mary. "Anyway, I want to thank you for letting me stay here last night."
William was about to say that he didn't let her but then he decided to keep quiet. So he just smiled. "You're welcome, I will just go and wash up…"
"Can I ask you something?" asked William as he and Mary ate their breakfast.
"What?"
"Why are you engaged to a Malfoy?" asked William.
Mary put down her fork with a loud clank. "I was betrothed to him ever since I was a baby. I'm a pureblood, you see."
William thought for a while. "What's your last name? I have never heard you saying it."
"You don't want to know." muttered Mary. It's awful."
"Come on, I want to know." insisted William.
"… Lestrange."
William frowned. "Lestrange… sounds familiar…hey, isn't there's one Bellatrix Lestrange who killed my father's god…"
"That's my grandmother." said Mary quietly. "My parents are as bad as her."
"You mean they are Death-Eaters?" exclaimed William. He remembered reading about them in his History of Magic. Wrinkling his nose, he stared at Mary in disbelief. "You don't look like one of them." he said finally.
Mary laughed weakly. "I'm one of those decent ones, like Sirius Black, Andromeda Black and the Weasleys. So my family don't like me very much. They are hoping that I will change for the worse if I marry to a Malfoy."
"Oh."
Silence.
"Do you hate me now?" asked Mary timidly.
William chewed on his bacon and frowned at Mary. "Yeah."
Mary looked hurt.
"Because you are a very bad cook." said William, trying to keep a straight face.
"William!"
William ran out of the kitchen, laughing as Mary chased after him.
"I think I better stay outside or something…" said Mary nervously as she and William approached The Burrow. "I don't think Ginny will like to see a Lestrange…"
"Oh no you don't." said William, grabbing Mary's hand. "You said you will be there for me when Ginny answers my questions. Don't you back out now."
Mary looked uncomfortable, then she looked down at William's hand.
William blushed and quickly let go of her hand. "Sorry."
William knocked on the door and waited. Mary went and hid behind him.
"Mary, stop being ridiculous…" said William, slightly annoyed and the door opened.
"William!" exclaimed Ginny and she threw her arms around him happily.
Smiling, William just hugged her back.
"What brings you here?" asked Ginny after she released him. "Do you miss me already?" she teased.
William grinned then he frowned slightly and turned his head. "Mary, stop hiding behind my back."
Slowly, Mary stepped out.
Ginny's smiled faded and her face went pale, as if she had seen a ghost. William knew what she was going to say.
"Ginny, this is my friend Mary." he introduced quickly.
"Your friend? Are you sure?" asked Ginny, shaking. "She looks exactly like your mother…"
"Yes, I'm sure." said William firmly.
Suddenly Ginny looked from Mary to William before she took a step back, staring at them in amazement. With William looking exactly like his father and Mary looking like Hermione, it was like having Harry and Hermione back from the dead.
"Ginny, are you all right?" asked William in concern. "Maybe Mary and I should come next time…"
"No, Harry!" exclaimed Ginny suddenly.
William paused for a while before he said quietly, "I'm not my father, Ginny."
Ginny blinked as if she had snapped out of a trance. "I-I'm sorry. Please come in."
Ginny went into the house. William were about to follow when he noticed Mary still standing outside uncertainly. William reached over, took Mary's hand and pulled her into the house.
William and Mary came into the Front Room and found Neville Longbottom on the sofa, drinking a glass of pumpkin juice. When he caught sight of William and Mary, Neville nearly choked on his drink. "What the…"
Ginny quickly whispered into Neville's ear. Swallowing, Neville said nervously, "Hello."
William greeted warmly while Mary just smiled.
"Sit down." said Ginny, indicating the sofa. William and Mary sat down beside Neville. "This is my friend Neville Longbottom."
Mary went pale at the name and got up. "I-I think I better go." she said quickly.
"Mary!" said William sharply. But it's too late, Mary had already Disapparated.
William sighed and scratched his head in frustration.
"What's with her?" asked Ginny.
"Did I scare her off?" asked Neville.
William shook his head. "She's… shy." he said finally.
Neville stared at him.
"It's true." lied William. "Now, um… Ginny, can I ask you something?"
"Ask away."
"Did my father commit murder?" asked William immediately.
Neville's eyes widened. Ginny swallowed. "Where did you hear that from?"
"Did he or did he not?" asked William.
Closing her eyes, Ginny nodded solemnly. "But it was an accident. The curse just came out of his mouth."
"Who did he kill?"
Ginny shook her head sadly. "Please don't ask me."
"I want to know." insisted William.
Ginny got up. "G-Go and find out yourself." she said quietly and she went upstairs, closing her bedroom door shut.
William looked at Neville. "Don't look at me." said Neville, holding up his hands.
"Is it someone very close to Ginny?" whispered William.
Neville nodded. "The person is very close to all of us, including your parents."
"Oh… by the way, do you know anyone named Julia Potter?"
Neville blinked. "Who?" he asked blankly.
"Julia Potter." repeated William. "I found her tombstone in my father's garden. She died in late May 2004. Do you know her?"
"Julia, Julia…" Neville thought for a while and shook his head. "Never heard of her. Your grandparents died when your father was one, he had no siblings. And I don't remember Harry having any cousins…"
"Oh. Thanks. I think I should be going." said William, getting up.
"So soon?" asked Neville.
"Yeah. And um… Neville? Take care of Ginny, all right?"
Neville nodded.
William got home and he found a note on his door.
William,
I'm sorry to run off like this, I just can't face someone whose parents are being tortured into insanity by my grandparents. I'm ashamed to face Neville Longbottom. Please send him and Ginny my apologies for leaving so suddenly.
Love,
Mary
William groaned and kept the note in his pocket. Then he went into the house. Tiredly, William sat down the sofa and stared into space for a moment before he caught sight of Harry's diary. He picked up and read where he left off.
16th of March 2004
Diary,
I broke up with Ginny today. It's kind of hard, telling your girlfriend that you want a break-up but I have done it.
Today is the Weasleys' family outing, and being a part (sort of) of the Weasley family, I'm invited too.
We went for a picnic (the Weasleys love picnics) outside a cottage (the Weasleys rent it) two hours away from The Burrow. The weather was good, the Weasleys twins entertained us by showing off some of their new tricks. Ron and Hermione were still keeping a distance apart. Even though Mr and Mrs Weasley tried to get them together, they still managed to escape in different directions after a while. Ron busied himself by eating like a pig while Hermione just sat by the lake, staring out at the scenery.
"I'm taking this to Hermione." I said to Ginny as an excuse and took the plate of sandwiches to Hermione.
"Here you go, Hermione." I said to Hermione and she invited me to sit down before she took a bite off her sandwich.
"Looks like you and Ron have nothing to say to each other now." I commented.
Hermione sighed. "We have run out of things to say a year ago."
We sat in silence before I said, "Want me to cheer you up?"
Hermione smiled at me and asked me to go to her room in the cottage with her. Naturally, I accepted her invitation.
While the Weasleys were watching the twins with their new Camouflaging Suits with interest, Hermione and I went to the cottage.
As soon as Hermione closed the door, I grabbed her and kissed her hard. She kissed me back eagerly. All those desire we had for each other since the last time we kissed (which was last week, we didn't get much chance alone in The Burrow) had dissolved. She sighed in content as my lips left hers.
"Better?" I asked as I grazed her neck with my lips.
"Hm-mm." she said, then wrapping her arms around me, she leaned her head against my chest, listening to my heartbeat.
"I have decided, Hermione." I said softly as I stroked her head.
"What?" she said in an absentmindedly tone.
"I want to break up with Ginny. There's no need to drag her into this… mess." I said finally.
Hermione lifted her head and looked at me seriously. "You're right. The fewer people involved, the better. I will try to deal with Ron…"
We kissed again. Hermione seemed to have completely absorbed into our world, but I kept my ears open while we kissed and sure enough, I heard footsteps up the stairs and Ginny calling me.
I pushed Hermione away gently. "Oh no, Ginny is coming!"
Immediately, I sat down on a chair and tried to make myself to look as if I had sat for a while, while Hermione picked up her brush and brushed her hair. Someone knocked on the door and Hermione opened it.
"Hello, Ginny." said Hermione cheerfully.
Ginny came in and spotted me. "Harry, I have been looking all over for you!"
I smiled and Hermione made an excuse about seeing what Ron was doing and left the room.
"Come on, Harry, let's go downstairs…" started Ginny.
Then I got up and said no. I held her hands and I just told her that I wanted to break up with her. She just went hysterical and asked me what she had done wrong, took me a while to calm her down. I told her truthfully that it was not her fault and it's me who thought that we should see someone else.
She asked me a difficult question: "You don't love me anymore?"
I wanted to say no, but that was a little too much... so finally, I said, "I still like you. We can still be good friends."
Ginny was hurt and she showed it on her face clearly. She turned and left me alone in the room.
That's it, Diary. I'm single again, on the surface that is. But Hermione and I love each other secretly.
I'm horrible to treat Ginny like this. She deserves someone better, someone who won't cheat on her like I do.
Hermione said that she would deal with Ron… I don't know how she's going to do it. Is she going to file for a divorce? Whatever she does, I know that it's going to be messy. And ugly.
Poor Hermione, if only she's not married…
I have to go, update you next time.
Harry
"So that's how he broke up with Ginny…" thought William.
So far, the diary didn't mention about Julia. William had no idea who she was, just that she was related to him (she must be, since she and William shared the same last name). Even Neville didn't know who she was.
The only person who had the answer was Mary Lestrange.
William frowned. He didn't even know where she lived, how was he going to find her? He sighed. He didn't know why, but he just wished that he could see Mary again.
