A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed!! I love you all… for always! lol. (FWI- If you are confused… that was my intention! Check out my completed story, Best Friend's Girl, if you wish to be unconfused… or if you fancy a good read as well as a good cry.)Well, here's Chapter Five! Enjoy, and please review!
THE TIME IT TAKESChapter Five
The three of them stared at it for quite awhile, as though they were sure that the moment they looked away, the ring would have disappeared.
"Well?" The shopkeeper asked finally, "Do you like it, dear?"
Silently, Harry nodded, still looking at the ring. He certainly did like it- it was one of the most exquisite things he had ever seen, right up there with Ginevra Weasley herself.
It was a sort of vintage looking silver, a slender band. There was one perfect diamond in the center, and on either side was a simple design made up of some shimmering silver-white stone. If it had been at Diagon Alley, Harry would have suspected it was Unicorn Horn, but quite obviously that wasn't it.
"High Carat diamond," the woman beamed, "Pure silver, and that's finest white opal on the sides." She had obviously been looking forward to discussing this ring for quite sometime.
Harry nodded, glancing at Ron, who seemed to be wondering what on earth carrots had to do with diamond rings. Then, he turned his gaze to the ring once again, and said, quietly,
"It was my mum's." he looked up at the woman, "That man- he was my father."
"Oh!" the woman cried, "Oh, dear, that… Well, you look so much like your father dear, only met him the once, but still… a striking resemblance, really. Can still picture him in my mind quite clearly, along with those handsome companions of his! Charming lads… anyway… An incredible coincidence, really dear."
Harry chuckled. Somehow, he doubted that this was a simple coincidence.
"How much?" he asked the woman suddenly, although it really didn't matter. He needed the ring, it was essential. He'd Confund her if he didn't have enough…
She hesitated, "I don't feel right making you pay for this," she said firmly, "It was your mother and fathers, and who's to say that they didn't intend for you to have it? You… you just take it, love." She smiled at him kindly, "I hope your girl likes it."
Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise, but he took the box in his hands, held it tightly as he could, because there was a time when he had held it. Yes, years ago, his father had held this same ring in his own, identical hand, smiling to himself as he envisioned presenting it to her, the girl he loved and always would, the woman he'd marry. The perfect ring, James Potter had thought, clutching it tightly, Lily will love it… and someday, our child will give it to someone, someone who he loves as much as I love her…
Harry didn't say a word as they left the store, though Ron and Hermione were chattering behind him. He didn't pay them a bit of attention, until he heard Hermione shriek.
"What is it?" He asked, whirling around to face her and pulling out his wand. He was still jumpy at times, and he wasn't sure he would ever get over that fear of being found that he had acquired in the last year.
"Harry- this- this wasn't the right store!" she exclaimed, looking at him with an expression of worry and excitement.
"What d'you mean?" He asked quickly, "It was the most right store we could have possibly chosen!" he gripped the silver box a bit tighter.
"Harry," she looked around at it, her eyes widening as she discovered that the jewelry shop was gone, and in its place was a deserted, boarded-up building that looked as if it had been empty for years. "Harry, that store closed in 1981. My mum told me that it used to be a jewelry shop, she would take me in when I was a baby- but it closed, around-." She shut her eyes in realization, "It closed just after Halloween that year."
Harry blinked, turning towards the shop, and then back to Hermione. "So- so you reckon it was a trick, then."
Hermione pried the box out of Harry's hand and opened it to look at the ring, which was still sitting in the box's velvet folds. She lifted it and examined the band, a slight smile on her face. "No," she said, handing the ring to Harry, who looked at the band as well.
There was a single name engraved inside- Lily.
Hermione smiled again at Harry's shocked expression. "I think its destiny."
---oOoOo---
"Accio, Fiancé!" the young witch called, causing Harry, who had just entered the house, to fly into her arms, where she locked him into a tight embrace.
"Happy birthday, Ginny," he laughed as they broke apart.
She smiled, and lifted herself onto her toes to press her lips to his. He responded immediately, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her off her feet. Grinning, he spun her around the kitchen and kissed her again.
"I love my birthday," Ginny murmured as he put her down gently.
"I'm a big fan, as well." Harry agreed, tucking a loose strand of red hair behind her ear.
"Well, I'm officially of age," she declared importantly, drawing herself up to her full height- of five feet and four inches. "And able to legally work my magic on you whenever I wish."
Harry laughed. "You didn't need to be seventeen for that, Gin."
She grinned up at him happily. "No, I don't suppose I did." She kissed him again, leaving him grinning involuntarily.
"Hey- Ginny, I've got something planned after this party of your mum's- you aren't busy, are you?"
"Oh- Harry," she sighed, her face appearing sad, "Really, you should have said something sooner, my other six fiancés have all got something planned as well… it is my only birthday, after all…" At the sight of his mock-offended expression, she smiled. "What did you want to do?"
"It's sort of a surprise." He said.
"All right," she nodded, raising her eyebrows, "I like surprises."
---oOoOo---
Ginny looked around the dining room table; smiling at all of the people she loved best in the world. There was her very favorite brother, scarred but still whole and smiling and purely Bill, holding hands with his wife, who Ginny was at lest starting to warm up to. She'd even referred to her as Fleur, once or twice.
Charlie was there, fresh from Romania, entertaining everyone with an amusing anecdote about a particularly nasty dragon, his hair long and wild. Her Mum was fussing over Percy, who was smiling for the first time, as far as Ginny knew, since that night at the school. Then there was her Dad, marveling over the Muggle party favors that Hermione had bought.
George, earless and grinning, was mercilessly teasing Ron, actually seeming like himself for the first time in a long time. Ron was holding onto Hermione and grinning; hence the teasing from George. Hermione herself was smiling, looking pretty and perfectly at peace, content to be at Ginny's birthday party, being held by her boyfriend, and spending time with the family she hoped to one day call her own.
Then, next to Ginny and squeezing her hand, was the person who she often felt was too good to be real. Beaming up at him, she squeezed his hand in return, and for a moment or maybe ten, the simply looked at each other. Harry grinned, noting for the fifteenth time that evening how extraordinarily beautiful she was. She had chosen a pale blue, simple dress for her birthday, wearing no shoes. There was a darker ribbon holding back the long, loose plait in her hair, and her eyes were wide with happiness on this occasion. Her cheeks were flushed, but a pale pink, not the scarlet hue that Weasley's often turned when embarrassed. Ginny didn't look embarrassed at all. Rather, she looked perfectly content, simply happy, as if she'd found her place in the world- next to Harry, holding his hand.
They were still holding hands an hour later, as he led her to the yard.
"Are we Apparating somewhere?" she asked, eager to exercise her recently acquired skills and legal abilities.
"Nah," said Harry, who wasn't quite as fond of Apparition as Ginny was, "I thought we'd fly."
He summoned his broom, mounted it, and smiled back at her. "Get on."
She nodded, boarding the Firebolt behind him, and wrapping her arms around his waist. Happier just by the feel of her touch, Harry grinned to himself. He kicked off, and they flew into the distance.
---oOoOo---
Ginny sighed, tugging on the silky blindfold that her incredibly cheesy fiancé had shoved over her head the minute they had dismounted.
"Harry Potter, if it weren't for the fact that it was eight in the evening and the many loud voices I can hear, I would suspect that you had led me here to do away with me in the dead of night." She gripped his hand even more tightly than she had before, "Can I look now?"
"My, you are impatient," Harry noted, "Just a bit further." He instructed, leading her a few more steps, "All right…" he said, "Okay, now you can look."
The blindfold disappeared, and she observed her surroundings, the smoke and the noise and the crowd, and then she looked back at Harry, a funny little smile on her face.
"Kings Cross." She said softly, eyeing the familiar wall in front of her.
"So it would appear." Harry agreed.
She laughed a little, and then gazed up at him. "Why?"
Harry turned towards the wall, and smiled. "About seven years ago," he began, "I met someone, in this very spot. Little redheaded girl, very easily excited." He explained, turning to face her. "She was ten years old, had a whole bunch of brothers… and she was crying, because everyone was leaving her behind."
Ginny smiled at the memory, and nodded. "Sounds like a charming girl."
Harry pulled out the slender silver box and handed it to her.
"I'll never leave you behind again," he promised, and she let a little gasp escape her mouth. "It's beautiful, Harry." She breathed, slipping the ring onto a slender finger.
"It was my Mum's." he said quietly, and she looked at him questioningly, but nodded. "Let me see?" Harry asked.
She lifted her left hand, where the ring was shimmering. It fit so completely, so perfectly, that Harry could no longer imagine her hand without it. He held the hand in his, and he smiled.
"Do you like it?" he asked her suddenly.
Ginny rested her free hand on his face, and kissed him gently, her eyes full of those rare tears.
"I love you," she murmured as she broke away from him, "And this is perfect."
---oOoOo---
Ron and Hermione sat in the couch of the Burrow's sitting room, Ron looking out the window as Hermione rested her head in his lap. He stroked her hair idly, sending a peaceful smile to her pale face.
"They've been awhile," he noted, trying to sound casual and failing miserably.
"She's fine." Hermione assured him softly, for this was his worry. "Harry, too." She added, for this was hers.
Ron nodded, but was obviously not convinced, as he hadn't torn his eyes away from the window.
"You don't think that they're…" Ron muttered nervously, "Do you?" he demanded.
Hermione laughed, sitting up to look at him. "Honestly, Ron. He took her to King's Cross Station."
Ron frowned. "Why did they go there anyway?"
"Because that's where they first met, I suppose. He didn't exactly give me many details, either." Hermione explained.
"Yeah, okay, but he can't exactly say that he fancied her back then, though."
"Harry has a plan, I'm sure," Hermione shrugged, and they fell silent for a moment.
"What if he took her to his house after, though?" he asked, a new worrisome possibility occurring to him.
Hermione laughed. "Really, Ron, I doubt he'd take her to Grimmauld Place tonight. He's trying to be romantic."
Ron chuckled. "So… you don't think they're…" He trailed off, looking her in the eye for the first time.
She smiled and patted him on the hand. "No, Ron. I don't think so."
She turned towards the window this time, and smiled again. "They're back." She informed him, watching them land on Harry's broom. Quickly, Ron turned back to the window, nodded, and launched himself off the couch.
"Ron!" Hermione hissed, "Allow them some privacy."
Reluctantly, he settled back onto the couch, and they watched the couble walk slowly towards the house. Ginny, barefoot in her blue dress, her red hair loose and wavy from the old braid, smiled up at Harry, who looked happier than Ron or Hermione could ever remember seeing him.
Ginny said something funny, and Harry laughed, putting his arm over her bare shoulders.
"They look happy." Ron noted.
"They're in love," Hermione said softly, a certain sadness in her voice that Ron noticed immediately. He turned to look at her directly, his clear light blue eyes reading her brown ones searchingly. Finally, he took her hands in his and smiled at her.
"Yeah?" he asked, "So am I."
Hermione inhaled sharply, her eyes filling with tears. "Are you?" she asked him, her voice quivering as it often did with emotion. "Funny. Me too."
"Wonder if there's a connection," Ron muttered, and their lips met in a soft, sweet kiss.