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Chapter 3: Fearless

A Remote Region in Scotland

Early August, 2001

Fearless is the only word for Ginny. Raised with six older brothers, Ginny learned to be aggressive and to fight for everything she wanted. She learned the importance of never letting anyone else define her, and how nice it felt to put those who tried in their places. This attitude carried her through the last Wizarding War where she was recognized for her fearless nature. It defined her flying style when she played quidditch. Play for keeps, and go for the kill when the opportunity presents itself. This was also her fighting style in the war.

In the present, Ginevra "Ginny" Weasley is having an amazing day. Like much of her first season, she has been a standout chaser for the Holyhead Harpies. Rapidly moving from back-up Chaser to starting position, Ginny has been catapulted to stardom. Today, at the exhibition match against Puddlemere United, she is on fire. Hitting all the plays and leaving most of her team mates and competitors in her wake as she once again shows her fearless approach to the game she loves.

Being an exhibition match, the Harpies are rotating in A few of the back-up squads – letting Fay Dunbar play. Ginny has always been i pressed with how well Fay can crack the bludger. Ginny was on the backup squad for the first third of the season until a starting chaser was injured and she was rotated in. That was her break out game. The rest is Harpy History.

Today, the Harpies win soundly and Ginny is the high scorer. The match raised impressive dollars for the orphans and widows fund. Much needed even a few years after the last wizard war. In addition to the funds, it entertained all spectators and sponsors. Oliver Wood made a special effort to congratulate Ginny as he was friends with all her quidditch playing brothers as well as her fiancé, Harry. "Great game Ginny – you really are an amazing player!" Oliver said enthusiastically. "Say hi to your brothers and Harry for me."

Ginny beamed at the compliment. She remembered well watching Oliver play with Harry, Charlie, Fred, and George. "You take care, Ollie – see you around."

On her way to the locker room her idol and team captain, Gwenog Jones, stoped her. "Well, well, well… looks like the Rookie of the Year is kicking quaffle and taking names! Keep it up Spitfire and we could take the league. Wear this with pride" Gwenog said as she handed Ginny the MVP dragon hide jacket. Ginny turned bright red and could not hold back her smile. What a day! Her team mates continued to congratulate her on the way to the locker room.

As Ginny entered the locker room, she looked around at her friends and realized she was truly having the time of her life! She quickly showered and changed – putting on the amazing MVP jacket. It was enchanted to be a perfect fit. It was made of top grade dragon hide with the Harpies logo on the back and a stylistic 'MVP' written on the left sleeve. As she put it on, her name appeared on the left upper chest Ginevra "Spitfire" Weasley. In muggle terms this is a bad-ass jacket that carries its own 'cool factor'. She would be proudly wearing it every day until the next game. Now it was time to mix with the crowds – after all, this is a charity event.

Ginny made the rounds and talked to her sponsors and fans – unlike muggle sports, wizarding athletes don't have inflated salaries. They make enough to get by, but they aren't getting wealthy. That's where sponsors and licensing agreements come in. First you get the fans, then you get the Sponsors. Licensing comes after that. She was well on her way. Her looks and her talent make her extremely marketable.

She noted with equal parts pride and embarrassment that there was now a Ginny Weasley fan club, complete with shirts, hats, and pins. Signing autographs was still a new thing to her and she relished it.

The Holyhead Harpies were the only all female professional quidditch team in Europe. They're made up of an amazing group of women with a positive message to girls everywhere. Being a role model was nothing new though – she had a bit of a following among the younger years at Hogwarts, too. So, autographs – she signed calendars, posters, a broom, and even a 'hot off the press' new Quidditch card!

'Wow', she thought – 'I did not know it had printed! And the label was 'Rookie of the Year'. All these girls looking up to me. And some of the boys too, although most tended to be shy and have hearts in their innocent little eyes. The younger boys anyway. No comment on the older boys.

Ginny reflected that hormones and hero worship go with being a star. At this thought, her mind turned elsewhere. 'Harry always hated the fame and the attention, but I am soaking it up! Strong, independent, talented, and quite the striking image if I do say so myself!'

Then it all comes to a pause as one little girl, decked out in a Ginevra Weasley jersey, hat, and pin proudly walks up and asks – "Will Harry Potter be at your next game?" Forcing a smile, Ginny proudly said, "Of Course, Harry LOVES the Harpies". Strange how that question bothered her a little. Another little girl explodes with a high pitched little voice "No Ginny, He Loves YOU!" and the giggles start… She just smiled. Looks like we have the same fan base...

The questions shifted a bit, but she adjusted. A few hours later, the crowds began to thin and the group of players slowly broke up. Ginny leaned against a column, looking tough as nails and pretty cool in her MVP jacket, she sipped her hot cup of tea and relaxed. She returned to her earlier thoughts considering Harrys hatred of attention and fandom – 'I guess I kind of get it', she thought as fatigue began setting in from all the mingling.

'Harry was known for being the 'Boy Who Lived' for so much of his life. Then as the 'Boy Who Won', the 'Boy Who Saved', the 'Boy Who Fought', etc. Not as Harry Potter, sweet and quiet little boy who just wanted to make friends. No, he had been the mythical child hero who ate dark wizards for breakfast and had books written about him'.

Harry always seemed to take his dislike of attention to an extreme though. 'Knowing what I now know about his developmental years… living in that damn cupboard, maybe even positive attention was just too much for the skinny little fellow that just wanted peace and quiet', she decided. 'Hard to believe that shy little boy never backed down from a fight. No matter how much it hurt'.

It has been a while since she last thought about Harry's childhood or the sad details he finally shared with her. As she considered this, she realized that it was strange how everyone still referEd to him as a "Boy". The BOY who lived, the BOY who fought, the BOY who WON, etc. Of course "The Next Merlin" is starting to gain steam… as is "The Greatest Wizard of the Age", "The New Dumbledore" and others of a similar note. It was really no wonder Harry rarely read the Daily Prophet anymore, he keeps saying he'll renew his subscription as soon as the fame and attention blow over... But three years later, and it's still going strong'.

He's not completely disconnected, she knows. Harry still reads and even writes for the Quibbler and a few foreign publications. He seemed to enjoy writing those unusual articles for The Quibbler. The Lovegoods definitely profit from it as the subscriptions are easily 10 times what they were before. Sadly, that's still not saying too much.

Ginny recalled being shocked when he told her the articles are theoretical and on the fringe of magic theory, but not fiction. Parvati once even let it slip that, according to her sister, the Department of Mysteries, aka the 'D-O-M', scrutinized his articles and had actually requested he submit certain types of articles for review before posting – declared some of them too sensitive for publication. Since getting access to Peverell family magic and grimoires, Harry had really grown in knowledge. The family magic and his natural curiosity frequently took him into uncharted magical territory as he strived to understand what he haD access to. Ginny remembered reading a few of the 'questionable' articles before they were redacted and noted that they ranged from wondrous and thought-provoking to truly terrifying.'

'Hermione may have been the brains of the golden trio, but Harry was the dreamer, the artist, and the one most willing to explore beyond what was known and accepted. Occasionally', she reflected, 'that took him to some dark and obscure arcana.'

"OK – enough of those thoughts", exclaimed Ginny out loud, "time to focus on ME now! Nothing is going to get me down today!" Smiling, she focused on her latest event. Her last interview made the cover of Witch Weekly! Two months ago she met with one of their 'celebrity' reporters and had an amazing interview. They discussed many topics including quidditch, fashion, growing up with 6 older brothers, the importance of instilling self-confidence in girls, and how she want to be a role model for all girls who just need a little encouragement to achieve their goals. They talked about the need to set positive examples and how it felt to achieve an Order of Merlin Second Class, and being in the running for 'Quidditch Rookie of the Year'.

Harry came up briefly, but that was to be expected when he's featured so frequently – 'Honestly', she thought, 'he has no idea how frequently.' The advanced copy came with a request to have a short follow-up interview updating the article with her thoughts on actually being named 'Rookie of the Year'. The original interview took place when she was still a candidate. The article only needed a paragraph or two. The Harpies had just started a two week break, so she would work it in next week as the publisher was eager to go to print as fast as possible.

Walking on air and surrounded by positive and happy thoughts, she arrived at the apparition point near her flat. She still can't quite believe she was named the 'Quidditch Rookie of the Year'. She had her own Quidditch collectable card that was quickly gaining in demand and the endorsement requests have significantly picked up. With a little luck, she could be the "Face of the new Firebolt Mk2!" Her team jersey was selling out in shops and, for the first time in her life, she had extra galleons. Quidditch Today has dubbed her "The Spitfire" while the Prophet calls her the "Red Fury". Someone even started calling her the "Crimson Hurricane". She doesn't have to wonder which one will stick – Spitfire is written on her Jacket.

Walking up to her front door, she noted how well she was settling in to her new place – she just recently signed the lease with two fun and amazing ladies. Both were Gryffindors she knew well from school. The first is the backup 'rookie beater', Fay Dunbar, who was a year ahead of her and had a solid performance in the exhibition match today. Fay originally wanted to become an Auror, but she saw enough violence in the war and decided not to go that route. The other is Katie Bell who had graduated two years ahead and is now the team healer. Katie recently finished her training at St Mungo's and decided to combine her healing skills and her love of quidditch. All in all, the girls became their own awesome support group and as well as close friends and confidants.

The flat was in a nice magical district that had plenty of other quidditch players and enthusiasts all around it. The area had a fun night life with great restaurants, bars, and it even had a small garden for district members only. Not really a family setting, but definitely a Young Upwardly Mobile Magical Individual (often referred to as a YUMMI) friendly district. There were enough Aurors and Hit Wizards living nearby by to make it safe to walk the streets at night. While the flat came with good security and strong wards, Harry and Bill really beefed it up. Sometimes she wonders where all that raw power Harry throws around comes from. But, then again, he was casting a mega powered Patronus capable of driving off over a hundred dementors at thirteen years old. And once that 'parasite' was removed from his scar, his magic really came into his own. Of course thats a National secret, not open for discussion.

Back to her home: The main room of the flat was warm and cozy with a large fireplace, making for easy floo travel. It also had and an amazingly comfy pair of love seats. The optimal word here is plush. The walls were a bit bare, but the three ladies had plans to go with an antique quidditch deco look. Their home was a place where up to a dozen witches could meet and just hang out. Lots of rookies gravitated to this flat on their days off. The kitchen was kind of large, but Harry and her mum loved to come over and cook, so all good there. There was a smallish table in the kitchen – but with their busy schedules, it was mostly unused. Normally, they just stood around the counter when they are. Unless Harry or her mum are cooking, that is.

Fay and Katie seemed to hang around more on 'cooking days' as there was always extra. The pantry was stocked, but the girls were not really handy in the kitchen and prefer ramen noodles and energy bars (muggle food is fast and easy). Honestly, if it wasn't for the occasional visit from Harry and her mum, they would never eat a home-cooked meal.

The stairs to the upper level were narrow, but well maintained. They led up to the three bed rooms. Katie took the master suite as she put down the first payment. Fay and Ginny each have their own rooms, but share a connecting bathroom. The attic is pretty nasty, they never go up there. Ginny suspects there are doxies, but who wants to find out. All in all, this is a fun place in a great area.

She sat at the kitchen table and began going through the mail, Horace Slughorn sends his congratulations. 'I need to send him a few tickets' Ginny reflected. She always thought it was kind of weird how much Harry seemed to like him even though he was a bit of a fan-boy. But then, Horace was close to his mother and he was not there during that horrible 'Goblet of Fire Year' where Harry was treated so badly. 'Still,' Ginny reflected, 'I find him a bit annoying'.

Ginny continued sifting through the mail.' Hmmm a few meeting requests from potential sponsors… not just sports either. Apparently a few designers want to get her to wear their brands'. Ginny can't help but think back to her childhood when she wore mostly second hand clothes. back then, she desperately wanted to be seen in fashionable clothing. Now designers send her their latest trends just so their 'new look' can be seen on 'the Spitfire'. She frequently shared some of the accessories with her mum.

Next, Ginny read the Witch Weekly letter discussing the best time to meet for their follow up interview. Included in the letter was a shrunken poster of the planned cover. Apparently, they send these to all of the featured witches to hang on their wall or put in a scrapbook. She tapped it with her wand and watched it expand, eager to see which photo they chose. It was the close-up that featured her eyes and the mischievous smirk that looked so good on her. She picked that smirk up from Harry, but she did it better.

Then she read the caption at the bottom – "Harry Potter's Girl!'

"What the...?" she just stared at it quietly. Her flat mates looked up to see what was up.

Well, technically it was true. She was his fiancé... But was that all she was known as? She spent so many years chasing Harry, but now that she had him... did she really want to settle down when her life was just getting interesting?

No, she was not letting some stupid caption get her down after such an amazing day. Maybe... it was time for a girls night!

Looking at her friends, Ginny said, "Ladies, we really pulled out all stops today. Tonight, lets go out and celebrate!" An hour later, they were out the door and hitting their regular locales.

—CS—

Back at the Flat

Later That Night

Hours later, the ladies returned from their night out. They showered and changed into their night clothes. Coming downstairs, they move to the main room. Katie pours three large glasses of water to rehydrate from their fun night on the town. Fay brought out crisps and dip, she had a metabolism to die for.

Katie looked at Ginny for a moment and asked, "Hey, what's up Ginny? You were distracted all night."

"Just thinking about my upcoming wedding." Both Fay and Katie noted the lack of excitement.

Katie played the positive angle with, "You got a good man there, Ginny. Have you set a date?"

At this point Fay breaks in, "No kidding! Famous, rich, influential, nice looking, need I go on…" Katie can't help but feel like Fay is focusing on the wrong thing here. But Fay persists by saying "Really, Ginny, I hear he is actually considered to be a true-blue 'Mage' or something. How does that happen at our age? With that much power and influence, you must feel like you're marrying into royalty. Heads of state and Ministers of Magic competing for the opportunity to kiss his cute bottom." She was a little 'buzzed'. Maybe more than a little.

Fay's comments got a good laugh from the bunch, but it was not completely untrue. Ginny knew first-hand that Harry gets a lot of powerful and famous people vying for his approval. There was not a ball or gala he couldn't attend anywhere in Europe. No restaurant would turn him away – he even walked up to the Red Wyvern at 7pm without a reservation and got one of the best tables in the restaurant. It was during a date where Ginny admitted to being 'a bit peckish'.

Once he found out that wasn't something normal people could do, he was embarrassed, but the meal was exquisite. The owner even threw in one of his 'finest bottles of Ogden's' and had his picture taken with them. About the only place that doesn't fawn over him is Gringotts – and even there he has enough money to get some degree of preferential treatment. Loads of preferential treatment, now that she thinks about it. Maybe they do fawn over him... Do Goblins Fawn?

"No date yet, Katie, but Harry is pushing a bit. He really wants a family." Realizing she had not addressed Fay's question, "And yes, Fay, there are perks, but there are also some significant drawbacks."

At this Ginny paused and took another sip of water. "Have you ever been around a really powerful Wizard when they're just going about their day?" Noticing the looks on her friend's faces, Ginny realized that they didn't know what she is talking about. "I don't mean Dumbledore at Hogwarts either, we never really spent THAT much time around him. And he was never really relaxed around us. It's when a", here she puts down her glass and holds up the first two fingers of each hand, making 'quotation mark' gesture, "'Mage level' wizard drops his guard… It's just plain weird at times."

After a brief pause, she elaborated "Magic seems to crave his attention. Brooms fly faster when he rides them, magical mirrors swoon when he's near, heaters put out more heat, lights are brighter, floos and port keys push harder (Frequently resulting in Harry landing on his bum), he even has a bit of subconscious wandless magic." She remembers when he decided not to continue playing quidditch. He really liked quidditch, but he was always wondering if it was fair for him to play. How could he be 100% sure he hadn't summoned the snitch or slowed it down? "And then there's the really weird stuff" she added, "Apparently, there are the spirits and other worldly beings that reach out for attention…" At this Ginny can't help but shudder.

Deep in thought, Ginny remembered one such 'thing' that followed them around Madame Malkin's on a casual shopping weekend. It made itself known by looking out at them from every mirror they crossed. Super-creepy. It wasn't even remotely human. Harry told her to ignore it until it just went away. But how do you ignore a tentacled monstrosity with a dozen eyes?

Fay noted her sudden silence and blank stare. "Oi – Earth to Ginny – you still with us?" Seeing Ginny shake off whatever she had been thinking, Fay asked, "Seriously, what's it like to be with the great Harry Potter?" In a bold playful voice she continued "Man of mystery! Defeater of You-Know-Who! Youngest seeker at Hogwarts in a century! How does he make you feel when he holds you close? Spill it Spitfire!" Taking a big sip of her water, Fay went on to say "It's not like any of us really got to know him, what with your git of a brother and 'the Great Hermione Granger' always standing guard". Then in a low and sultry voice she added "Come on Red, What's he like? Witches want to know!"

Listening to Fay talk, Katie realized two things – First, Fay is a little too interested in Ginny's private life with Harry Potter. Second, they have ALL had a little too much to drink. 'Tonight will either get fun, ugly, or both' she thought. 'No matter the outcome, it'll be a memorable night.' Katie always had been the kind and thoughtful one of the bunch. She really thought she should change the subject, but the subject was just too much fun. And if she is honest with herself – she was curious too.

Katie remembered that little fellow in the baggy clothes that dominated the quidditch pitch, but was clueless about the wizarding world. He was so eager to prove himself, but always had his heart on his shoulder. She felt an acute need to protect him in his first year and eventually took him under her wing like a long lost little brother. That all changed in his second year with all that 'Heir of Slytherin' garbage. The next year was great, but the year of the tri-wizard tournament was beyond awful. As much as Katie wished she could erase that year, it just can't be done.

Ginny didn't want to open up too much just yet. At least not in the way Fay wanted her to… And she still needed to vent. "Do you know that he has to wear glasses when we go out because his eyes glow slightly? The glasses are charmed to cover it up, but it's freaky at times. You normally only see the glow at night or in the dark, but it can be unnerving. When he's pushing his magic around, the glow is much more noticeable. Don't get the wrong idea, Harry has never scared me, but I get a little creeped out at night when I see them. I wonder if Dumbledore's eyes glowed and if those little half-moon glasses somehow covered it up too. Who knows, maybe thats why they were always 'twinkling'."

Fay seemed to consider those words. Then she asked a question that had to be alcohol-induced, "Do the glowing eyes kind of turn you on? Seriously 'Red', it sounds pretty cool."

After thinking about it and taking another sip of water, Ginny blushed and sheepishly stated "It's kind of hot at times."

Then she turned a bit sour and shared one of the reasons why the glowing eyes bother her. "That Familiar he picked up also has glowing green eyes. Imagine that in the middle of the night." How in the hell did he bond with a runespoor? "He is so attached to that snake! No, not snake, SNAKES! It's got three damn heads. Six glowing green eyes. Well, eight if you count Harry's. And I do because they always seem to be together. Makes it tough to fall asleep some times. Those eyes… Watching you. Judging you. And it's definitely a girl snake. Or should I say they are definitely girls. That's what he calls them 'The Girls'. Of course he calls the middle one 'BEE-AY-YOU-TEE-FUL'!"

Katie braced herself. She never forgets how jealous and somewhat possessive Ginny gets over Harry. And she had heard her rant about 'That Snake' so many times. 'Here it comes' she thought pensively.

"Imagine having to share your future spouse with three other girls that are vain, judgmental, jealous, and despise you! But they adore your fiancé! They hang on his every word. Not me, though. One snake openly glares at me, one ignores me, and the one in the middle – Selene - smirks whenever she thinks I'm being foolish… Which is almost all of the time."

Ginny continued her rant, "Who would imagine a snake can SMIRK! And they talk to Harry all the time in that 'hissy little language'. I just know they're talking about me…" Katie and Fay exchange a look. Katie is ready for the snake rant to end, nothing good ever comes from this. Fay, on the other hand, was enjoying it. She loves winding Ginny up and watching her go off like a force of nature.

"Sometimes, I know they insult me because Harry gets irritated with them. And they get this look, like 'What? Is that offensive to you humans? I'm just trying to help her. Bless her sweet little heart…' When Harry's not around, the fangs come out and they get downright catty."

Ginny still remembered the one day she and Harry had a not-so-minor row over the fact that Harry gave the middle snake, Selene, a copy of Witch Weekly. A copy she had intended to read. Ginny painfully remembered accidentally referring to her as an 'ugly snake'. The look on Selene's face was almost human in its, no 'her', shock and dismay. If she were a human, Ginny was certain Selene would have broken down in tears. Harry got mad and told her to leave. Things with 'The Girls" were never the same after that. 'Would Selene act differently around me now if I had only let her have the damn magazine with a smile?' Ginny sadly wondered.

Fay could not resist asking "Ummm Ginny, not to disagree, but how can they be 'catty' when they can't even talk? You know - in English..."

Ginny just shook her head "They look at me and whisper to each other. They laugh too. In that hissy-little-way that can only be laughter. No…" she said, thinking about how to describe it, "It's not laughter in a nice way, it is more of a snicker." She took a sip of water.

Ginny continued, "Did I mention the middle one smirking?" To this both Katie and Fay nod their heads. Even Fay had heard enough, now. "Ok, Imagine Pansy Parkinson, Romilda Vane and the Ice Queen... all living with you and resenting you for breathing their air. Also, not happy that you're spending time with 'Their' wizard."

Continuing her venting session "But the magic and the snake are only part of the equation, the fame is another issue. Don't get me wrong, I like a little fame to. But with Harry, it's different. We can't just go out without being mobbed. Think of the times you just like to go shopping in Diagon Alley… Now imagine everyone is watching you, whispering, pointing and trying to figure out what you're buying".

Katie nodded and agreed "That's gotta be annoying".

Ginny cuts her eyes and tells them about the last outing they had. "We thought we would be somewhat anonymous in the French magical district. Then, out of the blue, a group of Beauxbaton girls saw him and swarmed us." Katie flinched as she knew where this was going.

Fay, on the other hand, laughed and dove right in. "A hormonal mob of teenaged girls swarming a boy that I distinctly remember to be awkward in the spotlight. What did he do?"

Ginny actually chuckled a little remembering the way he flinched when he saw them coming. "Well, fight or flight kicked in and he wasn't about to fight a bunch of school girls. But with me being there, he was stuck. No way out! He signed a few autographs, then recognized 'Phlegm's' sister, 'Grabby-Gabby', and lit up like a yule tree. He apparently kept in touch with her after the tournament. He even hugged her goodbye. There are so few people he's relaxed around, why does one of them have to be her? A Perfect. Little. Veela?" She enunciated each of the last three words slowly and deliberately.

"Come on Ginny, that girl has got to be what, thirteen? Fourteen?" Katie didn't think it fair to be so critical of a young girl. She remembered herself at that age - going through puberty and insecure about her body and boys… She definitely remembered Harry pulling Gabrielle from the lake and it was a heart-warming scene.

Ginny nearly chokes on her water. "Hah! She was 10 or 11 during the tournament – a first year I think. Didn't you see her in that Beauxbaton uniform? So doing the math, and that makes her now 16..17? I don't know, but she looks like her sister did during the tournament" Ginny let out a little laugh as she said this. "I don't worry about Harry, it's just not in him to cheat. But I don't like having someone 'waiting in the wings', either.

The topic switched to quidditch as Fay added that she's hoping to get a chance to play in the next game. "I just want to have that breakout game like you did against the Hornets! I'd love to be paired with Gwenog. She is such an amazing player!" Katie listens and knows that Fay has at least another year or so on the backup team before she is ready, but decides to politely nod along.

Katie notes that Ginny was still lost in thought. Not listening to Fay ramble on about quidditch. Ginny really had a lot of unresolved issues with Harry's fame and his Familiar. Add in having a 16 or 17 year old Veela batting her eyes isn't helping. Katie wondered how much was really just her imagination.

Out of the blue, Ginny interrupted with, "Did I mention that she climbs into Harry's bed to keep warm?" Katie actually spits up her water at that.

Fay actually stutter a minute and said, "What, the teenage Veela!?" Both ladies are staring at Ginny with shocked expressions.

"No," Ginny corrects rolling her eyes, "I'm talking about the snake." With a smirky laugh, she said, "But thanks for bringing that up." She still had her sense of humor.

Fay answered first, "Oh, the snake… are we back to that again?" Leave it to Fay to be so blunt. In her defense, Ginny did interrupt her.

Katie actually liked Harry's familiar. Selene, Artemis and Hecate. She especially liked Selene - the fun one in the middle. But she knew NEVER tell Ginny that. Nope, never-ever.

"Yes, Fay - the snake. She has her own heated sleeping-stone, done up like a four poster bed. But she still slithers into bed on really cold nights. Harry made her stop when I'm over, but I know for a fact that she does it when I am not there." further considering, Ginny adds, "Was it a 'she'? Or was it a 'them'? It's enough to drive you nuts just thinking about it."

Seeing a chance to tease her friend, Fay leapt at this, "Geez, Ginny, you almost sound jealous of a Familiar. I know snakes can be creepy, but it is his Familiar. You know, bound by Magic and all that"

"Fay – it has three heads!" Ginny said with an exaggerated shudder.

Ever the joker, Katie took the opportunity to chime in "Waking up in bed with a snake is not something I would want to do – no offense Fay." To this, they all laugh. Katie is good for cutting the tension. And it serves Fay right for dating Blaise that summer.

Pausing, Ginny stared off for a minute. "God I miss Hedwig… She was like a loving mother. She used to stay with me sometimes and look after me. You can tell when a Familiar loves you, and she definitely did. She loved me almost as much as she loved Harry. Losing Hedwig broke Harry's heart. It's one of those things that nothing can ever make right."

Shaking her head, Ginny continued sharing, but the humor is not there. "It's not just the snake. Or the crazy magic. He never stopped chasing Dark Wizards. He still goes looking for the next 'You-Know-Who' to fight. Why couldn't he just get a normal job? Kingsley really wanted him. Then he would be around more..."

Fay looked at Katie, the asked the question they were both thinking, "Ginny, you travel all the time... If Harry took the Auror job, wouldn't he be complaining about you always being away?"

Ginny just got a sad look on her face and responded, "Yeah, I guess he would. I'm not ready to stop either. Settling down and having children... I just don't see the rush. Not when things are going so well."

On that note, the evening wound down awkwardly. Ginny knew she could trust her roomies not to talk or gossip, but she also knew she had shared more than she should have. It had been building up. She loved Harry, but did she really want to be anyone's 'girl'? To give up on her quidditch career when it was just getting started? To settle down? No. No she did not.

She wanted to be her own person...

Authors Notes

This is the chapter that shows where Ginny and Harry have a few problems. Quite simply, Harry is operating at a power level that sets him apart from even wizarding society. Ginny is struggling to see how they fit together and needs her friends to lend a little support. She is realizing that, at 19, she doesn't want to settle down. She is young and not ready to give up her life on the quidditch tour.

Re-edited it on 6/25/2020, removing a bit of the irrelevant text and correcting tense.

Constructive feedback appreciated.