Chapter 8: Simultaneous Contrast

After dragging herself out of bed, throwing on some clothes and finding her sunglasses Gin made the trek to the local coffeehouse. The walk took her quite some time, as her Jeep was still parked somewhere on a side-street, and it unfortunately gave her time to think. Peter Pyle was an asshole. Sure, he was nice, polite, all of that crap, but he'd somehow managed to make her talk about what had happened with Hugo, and if she never saw him again that would be just fine.

After finally entering the shop she found an open seat in the back, next to the bookcase that held old paperbacks and textbooks. She sipped the coffee, not minding that she'd forgotten the sugar and milk. Somehow the strong, bitter taste suited her mood. Looking at the bookcase for something to take her mind off of her life she picked up a book that was missing the cover. Without even bothering to see what it was about she flipped open the first few pages and began reading. It was an English translation of a Japanese novel, and she remembered reading it a long time ago, as her father loved the author and collected all of his works. As she made her way deeper into the book she sat it down quickly, as the story came back to her suddenly. A man and a woman who were friends as children, drifted away, and eventually met years later. The narrator was forced to choose between his wife and children and the woman who was the great love of his life. She shut the book, took her coffee and walked out of the shop as quickly as possible.

She had walked about half of the way back to her flat when her Jeep came down the road past her, stopped, and turned back. When it pulled up next to her Mary Caroline was in the driver's seat. "I'm glad you taught me how to drive or this would have been a nightmare. Come on, get in."

Gin reluctantly got into the Jeep, buckled up and waited. Mary Caroline sat there for a moment, just looking at her. After adjusting her sunglasses she looked over at her friend. "What? Thanks for getting the Jeep. Let's go."

After putting the transmission into drive Mary Caroline glanced over at her. "What happened to you last night? You went out to smoke and then you were gone. Peter came back in but wouldn't talk much. What'd you do to him?"

"Nothing."

"Bullshit. You said something to him. He would hardly give me the time of day. I had to look for him and when I found him he was at the back booth, all these shots of whiskey lined up in front of him. I practically threw myself at him and he ignored me." She pursed her lips and half-snorted. A thought struck her and her eyes widened. "Oh, maybe he's gay…"

Even in her confused and heavily caffeinated state Gin's mind began working feverishly, trying to connect the dots. Lining up the whiskey shots, the way he stood, the way he rubbed his chin, his smell…the smell. "Stop the Jeep!"

"No! I can't, I'll cause an accident. What's wrong?"

"Well pull over then! Now!"

Mary Caroline signaled and pulled the Jeep into an office parking lot. Once she'd parked and turned off the Jeep she looked over to Gin. "What's wrong, sugar?"

Gin's breathing was slow and hard. With a shaky hand she reached up and pulled off her sunglasses. "Mary Caroline, Peter isn't Peter. He's Hugo."

"Are you still drunk?"

"No. Stone sober. I'm your mum level sober right now. There were little things about Peter that reminded me of Hugo, little things that I know that I don't think he even knows he does. The whiskey shots? I never told you, but he did that the night I saw him in London. He's an Auror, they use disguises and all sorts of spells and charms to…it was Hugo. I told him everything, too."

"Merlin's beard, Gin."

"Exactly."

Mary Caroline started the engine, threw the transmission in reverse and backed out of the parking lot at an alarming rate of speed. After pulling out onto the street she looked over at Gin. "I'll be mad at you for telling him instead of me later, right now we have to find him."

Peter Pyle had disappeared from Richmond, Virginia. There was never a record of him at any of the local hotels, Muggle or wizarding. In desperation, and in order to convince herself that Peter Pyle was actually Hugo, Gin wrote a letter to Al. It took a few days to receive his return letter from Australia, but her suspicions were confirmed; he'd never worked with anyone named Peter Pyle or even knew anyone by that name.

When Mary Caroline returned from her monthly brunch with her parents she found Gin packing a small bag. "What time's our portkey?"

Gin paused. "Our?"

"You didn't think I'd let you do this on your own, did you? We're partners. Besides, we need check on the London gallery."

"Seven. Tonight." Gin continued packing. "Are you sure you…"

"Oh shut up, Gin. Now which clothes are you taking? You want to look good."

The afternoon seemed to stretch out forever for Gin. She couldn't concentrate on anything. She'd pick up a book, read a few lines and discard it almost immediately. She paced around the flat, causing Mary Caroline to threaten her with a permanent sticking charm on her bum. Finally the time came, and after taking the local portkey to Washington, D.C. they were almost ready for their international portkey back to London.

Portkey travel is much more efficient than Muggle air transport, but occasionally delays occur. The portkey that Gin had scheduled was one of those. Apparently there was a mix up with the item they were to use for their portkey, so arrangements were being made to have a larger portkey produced and they would leave at nine that night alongside the other travelers scheduled for that trip.

Gin sat and squirmed on the hard plastic chair; not even the fact that she'd cast a cushioning charm on its seat did much to make her comfortable. She kept thinking back to her conversation with 'Peter' outside the club, specifically how at the end he'd told her that it was never too late. That led to an overwhelming amount of memories that flashed through her mind like someone flipping the pages of a book.

The way he kissed her when he got off of the train after the war, so damned good-looking in his uniform. Watching him play Quidditch at Hogwarts. Sitting at his parents' house reading. Trying to teach him how to make cookies while his father snuck in and grabbed the ones which had just come out of the oven. His arm around her at the WeasleyVision cinema, her head on his shoulder. The long weekend when they snuck away from everybody and went to a little inn somewhere in the Cotswolds, waking up next to him, the extended morning in bed with tea and Muggle television.

"Gin. Gin, time to go." Mary Caroline nudged Gin's boot with her shoe. "Come on, you don't want to miss it."

Reluctantly Gin returned to the present, the uncertain present. She shouldered her bag, bangle bracelets jingling against the strap of the bag, and followed Mary Caroline to their designated portkey room. People were already milling about as they waited for the signal to touch the rather large Muggle tire, which Gin supposed came off of some construction vehicle. It felt as if everyone in the room was staring at her, that they knew her secrets. She pulled her sunglasses off of the top of her head and put them on, not caring what anyone said.

"Portkey to London, International Portkey Station. Portkey active in sixty seconds. Please standby and thank you for using Washington Magical Transportation Services."

Gin heard the announcement and mechanically moved towards the portkey, not bothering to look at the other travelers. The disembodied voice of the announcer was heard again, conducting a countdown. Mary Caroline had already reached forward and touched the portkey, but Gin was still lost in her own thoughts. When the countdown reached five she heard someone call her name, but it wasn't Mary Caroline. She looked across the portkey and saw him.

The portkey turned blue, activated, and the travelers disappeared. Gin stood and looked across the portkey to the only other person left in the room. Hugo Weasley. Her stomach fell away. There he was. He'd shaved off his goatee and let his hair grow out. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a shirt she'd bought for him on his last birthday. She could feel his eyes bore into her, and finally she couldn't stand the silence. "Hugo…"

He walked around the portkey to her and stood very close. "Shut up." He put his arms around her and kissed her. "Let's go get something to eat."

As they walked through the darkened streets of Richmond Gin glanced over at him every now and then. It had been so long since it was just the two of them that she didn't know how to act. He'd kissed her…what did that mean? He really was Peter Pyle, that wasn't just her imagination, was it? She caught him glancing over at her every now and then, but they didn't speak as they walked. She wanted to say so many things, ask so many questions, but after all those years of knowing Hugo she just couldn't make out what to do next.

They walked into the all-night diner, surrounded by people from the local university, a couple of drunks and a table of construction workers. After taking a booth near the back they perfunctorily ordered drinks and looked at the menu. Finally Hugo broke the silence.

"Do you eat grits? I know it's an American Southern thing, but they sound awful."

Gin laughed. Of course Hugo would talk about food. "They're crap. Mary Caroline loves them, though. Guess it's what you grow up eating. You'd hate them."

"Yeah, I think I'll skip those."

The heavily tattooed waitress in a white t-shirt stopped by and took their order. Gin just ordered an omelet but Hugo ordered his Weasley-sized portion of food. She chuckled inwardly, as no matter what the occasion the man could eat. After the waitress left with their order they looked across the table at each other.

"Never got a chance to tell you, but I like your hair that way." Hugo glanced at her and then started playing with the salt and pepper shakers, moving them around until they lined up perfectly with the napkin dispenser. He spoke without looking at her. "I was pretty horrible to you in that club. Sorry."

Gin laughed, incredulous that he was actually apologizing to her. "Seriously? That's what you lead off with? You like my hair and you're sorry you were nasty? Really? I should be the one apologizing for months after what I put you through."

Hugo took a deep breath. "Yeah, well…that's what I thought until I heard some things."

Gin took a sip of her coffee. "Peter Pyle? Where'd you pull that name? That was you, wasn't it? You gave yourself away eventually, you know."

"He was the cook in our outfit during the war, he's from Australia. Knew you wouldn't recognize the name. Dammit. What gave me away? I got top marks in Disguise, even used one of George's new Voice Changing Chews."

"The way you rub your chin using only the last three fingers on your hand when you're thinking about something, the way you smell…it's that cologne Rosie got you for Christmas. Some other things, too, but when Mary Caroline told me about how you lined up whiskey shots after I left the club…I put it all together and it fit. How'd you manage to come over here? Aren't you still supposed to be in training? Are you going to be in trouble?"

He shook his head. "I'll be fine. I'm working, sort of. After I saw you at the club in London, well…I signed up for a class in Muggle fighting techniques that the AAB teaches. Exchange program thing. Lavender Boyd teaches it…you know, the stuff that HR used to beat up Graham Kent back at school. I came over a day early and that's when I became Peter Pyle. Got your address from Nate. I'll send them a message; let them know I'll be back a little later than planned."

Gin leaned forward. "Look, Hugo, we can dance around it for only so long. I dumped you. I sent back the ring. But did you mean what you said when you were Peter? It's never too late?"

"Yeah." His voice was quiet. "I did mean it. Still do."

The waitress brought over their food and quickly distributed plates, but Hugo didn't even look at his food. After she left he leaned forward as well. "Look, if you'd just written to me about what was going on I would have understood. You're not, what did you call it? Auror arm-candy? You've never been that. I didn't ask you to marry me because I wanted you to look pretty at Auror functions and have a bunch of kids. I asked you to marry me because you're the only woman I know that I can really be myself around. I don't want a tame, good little wife, I want the hellion who manages to say what she thinks, who can take the piss out of somebody with three words, who makes beautiful paintings, who…Merlin, Polly."

"I never thought I'd hear you call me that again." Gin shook her head slightly. He'd started calling her that after they first realized that they were in love in his wartime letters. "I was scared, Hugo. I mean, Scorpius and Mione…"

"The hell with Scorpius and Mione." He shook his head. "Everybody's different. Dad certainly let me know about that. When he found out what had happened at the club, I guess HR told him, I dunno, one of them, he stopped by after work and hauled my butt to the pub and let me have it. He didn't yell, though, that was the freaky part. He told me about him and Mom, things he'd never told me before. How they fought but always knew that in the back of their minds that they'd always be together." He laughed. "Merlin's socks, if they hadn't found a way to be together I wouldn't be here talking to you. They hadn't been together long when he and Mum had a spectacular row about how different they were than Harry and Ginny. Eventually they realized that they were, well, them and not somebody else. That's us, not Mione and Scorpius."

"But the ring…and how I sent it to you…"

"Yeah, about that. I talked to Lavender during one of our breaks and filled her in. Don't worry about that piece of shit, he's not going to pull that again. You weren't the only one he did that to, you know. Fucker didn't know who he was messing with when he did that to you. Lavender called in a few favors, hell, Uncle Harry even sent over our potions expert. He's in a world of trouble." The anger fell from Hugo's eyes. "I wish you would have told me. Doesn't mean I wouldn't be mad about it or hurt, but I would have understood. Or tried. At least I would have listened."

"I know. I know that now, but I was so confused. Italy was a bad idea." She nervously fretted with her bangles. "So now what?"

"Well, I've missed my portkey. Don't have a hotel and my bags are already at the terminal in London. Guess I should let the AAB know what happened. And Dad. Don't want them to come looking for me. Other than that…" He leaned over the table, took her face in his hand and kissed her. "We go from here. Come on."

Gin couldn't believe what she heard come out of his mouth. After all the torture she'd put herself through, after everything she'd done, he still wanted to be with her. "What about the food?"

"Fuck the food, let's get out of here."

Gin pulled out some Muggle money from her purse and the two of them left the restaurant. After walking down the street for a moment they stopped in an alley, hidden from the lights by a shed. She took his arm. "We'll apparate to my place."

Hugo moved her hand from his arm and intertwined his fingers with hers. "Lead the way."

When Gin rolled over the next morning she found herself in an empty bed. Just a dream. A wonderful dream, but just a dream. She laid back in bed and reached for her watch and that's when she saw Hugo's large watch next to hers. She got up out of bed and wrapped the sheet around her and headed over to the kitchen area. Hugo sat at her little table, in his boxers, reading.

"We've got letters. Man, do we have letters." He held up a small stack. "These are mine, yours are there." He pointed to small stack on the other side of the table. "Would have made tea but all you have is coffee. Don't know how you drink the stuff. I made some but I think I mucked it up."

"I'm sure it's fine." She poured a cup, tried not to make a face at the horrible coffee, sat down across from him and took a look at her letters. Mary Caroline, her mum, Ginny Potter, Mione, Minnie and HR. "Bloody hell, how many do you have?"

He started flipping through them. "Let's see. Mum, an official one from the Auror department, Rosie, HR, Al, one from the AAB, Scorpius, and one from your dad."

"Dad? Dad wrote you?" Gin eyed him suspiciously. "Let me see that."

He gently smacked her hand as she reached for it. "Not your letter. I'll tell you later. How about this, I'll tell you what's in mine if you tell me what's in yours."

She eyed him, trying to look serious and intimidating but he gave her a giant, cheesy grin. "Fine." After pulling her mum's letter out of the stack she stopped suddenly. "How did everybody know you were here?"

"Ah, yeah, that. After you fell asleep last night I had to go and send an owl to the AAB and let them know what happened so they could coordinate stuff with the Aurors. It's a right pain in the arse getting to their place here, especially at two in the morning. I think it must have snowballed from there. Oh, and Mary Caroline must have said something to your mum. That's my best guess so far. I've just read the work ones; haven't read the others. Maybe she'll say something in her letter."

Gin picked up Mary Caroline's letter and started reading, and it was just as Hugo thought, she'd contacted her mum. Right before the portkey left she saw Hugo, and when they arrived at their destination and Gin wasn't there she'd put two and two together. In very large, triple-underlined words she told Gin good luck and to listen for once instead of talking all the time. Her mum's letter was very thoughtful and encouraging, exactly the same way that Mione and Minnie's letters were. All of them hoped to see her soon. HR's letter was, as usual, typical HR. Serious but with an undertone of dry sarcasm. He told her that when she came over next that he hoped it wouldn't involve some horrible club, but if he had to he could force himself. Ginny's letter, though, that one surprised her.

Virginia,

News travels fast, even an ocean away. You know that I only wish the best for you, but I want you to remember to think with your head and your heart. If you do that I think everything will be clear.

If Hugo is worrying about reporting right away don't worry about that. I have a few tricks of my own, especially concerning your godfather. You have to Ginny swear not to mention this to anyone, though. Just our little secret.

Ginny

"Holy hippogriffs!" Hugo laughed and shook a letter in front of Gin. "I don't have to be back for a week! Somehow I got a holiday."

Gin smiled to herself and sat Ginny's letter under the stack. "That's good news."

"Yeah." Hugo nodded. "We've got a lot of lost time to make up. Can we go get something to eat? You don't have anything in the fridge except some weird looking vegetables."