Apparating into a small deserted alley everyone took a moment to get their bearings. "Where are we?" asked Ron.
"Charing Cross road." Hermione said "This was as close as I could take us without risking being seen by any muggles."
As a group they all surreptitiously left the alley and after a few moments looking up and down the street to find the right direction they headed towards Great Newport Street and the Leaky Cauldron.
As they walked Harry noticed that Ron and Hermione were keeping to themselves, from what Harry could pick up of the conversation Ron was trying to convince Hermione that he could handle the gold requirements for their trip. Apparently Hermione was making a convincing counterargument, evidenced by the momentary reddening of Ron's ears. Before Harry could decipher any more of the conversation his attention was turned elsewhere as Ginny slid an arm around him, he reciprocated as they continued to walk.
Approaching the sign hanging above the door changed, from a simple black placard to a dirty and dingy old sign with a dark green cauldron in the background, reading The Leaky Cauldron.
Walking through the door and past the bar Tom gave a small bow in their direction and wheezed "Good afternoon, Mr. Potter."
Harry said politely back "Afternoon."
After a few minutes of trying and failing to enter the proper sequence of taps into the bricks Ron gave up. It took Hermione only two attempts to get the sequence right. A few minutes later the quartet were making their way up the cobbled streets towards Gringotts. As they walked Harry took the opportunity to look around; life was slowly coming back to the street.
Madame Malkins which Harry had noticed had been closed on their previous visit was open again. But still, the brightest and liveliest thing on the entire street was the front of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Even in its obviously abandoned state the displays in the windows were all colorful and attention grabbing. But it was sad too, the way that the windows were shattered. Someone had blown a hole right through the glass where the U-No-Poo advertisement had been and there was signs of someone having burnt objects inside.
"What's it like?" Asked Ginny.
"What's what like?"
"The ride to the vaults," Ginny said in a tone somewhere between curiosity and the deadpan sort of voice that made it sound like the answer to the question should be blatantly obvious.
"You mean you've never been?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Sort of, I've been inside. But Mum and Dad always would leave me with one of my brothers while they went to the vault. When I asked him, Dad always compared it to a sort of muggle amusement ride," She unconsciously looked upwards as she tried to drag the information out of her mind "A roller coaster, I think he called it."
Harry had never been on a roller coaster, but from what he himself knew this was the best analogy. He said "Sort of, I guess, but I won't say anything else." Ginny gave him a slightly hurt look, Harry quickly said "You'll just have to find out for yourself." He said, smiling. She smiled back.
As they approached the marble steps that led up to the wizarding bank Ron, Hermione and Harry stopped cold in their tracks. The only one to continue walking was Ginny, who almost yanked Harry to the ground as they were both still wrapped up in each others arms. Turning back to look at them she said "What is it?"
"Oh, nothing." Ron sighed "It's just that, the last time we were here we sort of broke in and robbed the place." He said, sarcastically.
Ginny's eyes widened considerably, "You don't think that the goblins'll do anything to you, do you?"
"I guess were about to find out." Harry said as he started up the stairs, Ron and Hermione close behind. As they passed through the doors all three of the one-time-thieves were cowed by the poetic warning emblazoned on the doors.
Inside the bank was relatively empty, with only one or two other people doing any business. Before splitting up Ron said to Harry and Ginny "Meet you back at the Cauldron in what? three hours?"
"Sure." Ginny and Harry said shrugging. The quartet split up, Ron and Hermione going over to one desk, Harry and Ginny to another.
"Hello." Harry said nervously, "I would like to make a withdrawal please." Almost as an afterthought he added 'and I would like to exchange some of my gold for muggle money.'
"Do you have your key, Mr. Potter?" The goblin behind the desk asked.
Harry winced as the goblin said his name, it felt like an accusation. "Yes, here it is." As he pulled it out of his pocket and placed it on the desk, it was very difficult to look the goblin in the eye.
The goblin called another one over to the desk and said "Kobold here will take you to your vault."
They followed Kobold to the doors at the far ends of the hall. As they walked Ginny whispered, as if in fear of making noise in the otherwise silent hall "What do you need the muggle money for?"
Harry said in almost as quite a tone "Have to get some new clothes, all of my old stuff is practically rags."
Clambering into the cart Harry slipped over to the far side and helped Ginny in. As the cart started to move she gripped his hand, and started to lay her head on his chest. After a moment Ginny felt Harry's heartbeat through his shirt and she awkwardly shifted her head away. Harry grimaced as he realized that his heartbeat must have reminded her of the scar that was there. He was still perplexed as to why she was so affected by it, he'd have to ask her and sort it out.
But he didn't know when would be the right time. Every time the cart would swerve suddenly or pitched forward as they dropped she would grip his hand a little tighter. When they finally arrived at his vault Ginny got out a bit shakily, but there was a smile on her face. Kobold requested the key and after Harry handed it to him he placed it in the lock and turned.
Ginny couldn't help it, she gasped as she saw the mountain of gold that was revealed by the door. Harry smiled sheepishly and quickly tried to shovel a moderate amount into his carryall bag he had been handed quickly. When he was done Kobold closed the door and handed him back the key. Ginny spent the time on the return trip staring awestruck at the stalagmites and stalactites that they passed.
Back up in the main hall Harry returned to the desk he had been at previously, and after a few minutes his pocket was padded with a small number of British pound notes to supplement the Galleons in his bag. 'Thanks.' Harry said, their business done he turned to walk away.
He hadn't gotten more than a few paces before the goblin called to him "Mr. Potter!" Harry turned to look back at the goblin, which had a grim look on his face as he said "We understand that on your previous visit you were engaged in actions that were actually to the benefit of both your species and mine. But let it be understood that we will not tolerate any such actions in the future, are we clear." The tone in the goblins said that this wasn't a question.
"Crystal." Harry gulped, before he turned to leave.
Passing through the threshold Ginny involuntarily shuddered as she said "Well, at least they didn't lock you in a vault or anything."
"Yeah," Harry said. For a few moments they lapsed into silence.
It was quickly broken however when, as they continued strolling down the street Ginny found his hand and said "It was kind of fun though." After a brief pause she added "The ride in the cart, I mean."
Harry smiled, and looking to her he said "From the way you were squeezing my hand, it kind of felt like you were scared to me" teasingly.
She smiled back as she said "That was the fun part of it, it was like flying but I had absolutely no control over where I went or how fast I moved. It was really cool."
"Good, I'm glad you enjoyed it." Harry said simply as he squeezed her hand.
They lapsed into a contented silence as they continued walking. As they passed Madame Malkins Ginny said "Do you mind if we stop for a minute?"
'Sure,' Harry said 'can I ask why?'
"Yeah," She said as she started dragging him towards the door "I can get the measurements done now and pay for them later." And after a pause added "You know, before getting caught in the school rush."
Walking through the front door they were greeted by the entire staff, judging by their eagerness they were the first potential customers all day. Both Harry and Ginny were mobbed by the people, and after a few seconds of polite refusals on Harry's part he smiled as he watched the small mob drag Ginny off to a corner.
For the next twenty minutes Harry sat back and watched Ginny as she was fussed over by everyone in the store. Her ears getting redder and redder by the minute as everyone fawned over her; he also noticed that she was eyeing a sky blue dress robe on one of the displays near her.
When the attendants were done taking measurements they took her over to the counter and started taking down her personal information, so that there weren't any mistakes with the order. While this was going on Harry took one of the attendants aside and said, pointing to the dress robe "I'd like to add one of those, in her size to the order." The attendant smiled, and promised him that it would be taken care of.
They were walking down the street, again hand in hand and looking at him Ginny said "What are you smiling about?"
Harry quickly hid the smile and said "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all" Ginny decided not to press the issue. They eventually found themselves in Quality Quidditch Supplies, moving from display to display depending on if it caught their attention.
Harry was off in his own little world, thinking about nothing really. But he was quickly brought out of this trance when Ginny hugged him from behind. Starting a little he realized that he had stopped in front of the display for the new Firebolt II. Ginny, still hugging his back tightly said "You thinking about buying it?"
Harry shrugged as he said "Dunno, do you think I should?"
"It's your money, but if you do promise me one thing."
"Anything" Harry said.
Shifting her hands to where they had been earlier she said softly, just loud enough for him to hear "If you do buy it we'll break it in together."
Harry inaudibly gulped; they had been back together for little more than a day. The way she was acting was really starting to worry him. But he quickly said "It's a deal."
A few minutes later they were walking out of the store with a Firebolt II wrapped up and under Harry's arm, Ginny under the other. Making their way back to the Leaky Cauldron they realized that they had two more hours before they were supposed to be meeting the others. Harry still needed to get some clothes, and after leaving the parcel containing the Firebolt with Tom they left through the front, and into the muggle world.
Walking around, looking for a place to buy some clothes Ginny cautiously asked "Harry, would it be ok for me to ask how you got that –" She paused before saying "scar on your chest?"
Harry was slightly relieved, ever since this morning in the back of his mind he had been running through scenarios, trying to find a way to talk to her about why she had acted the way she hah; but she was doing it for him. Looking down at her he said "This is going to take a while to tell."
"We have time." She said.
"Okay, well I guess I should start at the beginning of last summer…"
Authors Note: First off I just want to apologize to everyone for taking so long. It probably would have taken me longer except I found some great new music (I can't operate without music for some reason don't ask why). Anyways this next chapter is going to be introducing a new major character or two to the story, since everyone already should know the story Harry is going to be telling. Please Read and Review, let me know what you think, especially the later half of this chapter feels a little rough personally…