09

Ginny would have liked to have slept in the next morning, as it was so far beyond cold that not only was she shivering under her covers; but she was also shivering in her dreams. She got out of bed at around five past seven, her arms crossed and teeth chattering; she wouldn't have been surprised if she froze to the spot halfway between her bed and her closet. But she managed to reach it, and threw on abnormal amounts of clothing that weighed her down but thankfully – kept her warm.

She had returned to her bed with around seven layers of clothing on, gotten under the covers and kept herself as enclosed as possible when there was a knock on her door. She cussed, firstly because this would delay her sleeping in – and secondly because someone was actually up and about so early in the god damn morning.

'Ginny?' Her mother called out.

For a second, Ginny contemplated not answering – but figured she would hear about it later eventually so she thought she may as well.

'Awake.' She said softly.

'And decent?' Molly called.

'Yes!' Ginny replied hotly but really, who in their right mind would be up out of bed at seven in the morning - at minus seven degrees celsius - naked?

Molly burst in looking positively joyful. She didn't look remotely cold; in fact she looked quite the opposite. Her face was positively beaming, and she had very little amount of layers on; not nearly as many as Ginny – and suddenly she wanted in on the secret.

'Ginerva dear, great news!' Molly exclaimed; and immediately Ginny was suspicious.

Very rarely her mother would use her real name; and if she did, it was never to announce great news. "Ginny" was usually used when announcing great news – "Ginerva" was something more commonly renown for escaping Molly's mouth when Ginny had gotten into some sort of trouble; or Molly was just plain angry at something (happened a lot back in the early days when Fred & George would play tricks on Ginny).

'What?' Ginny spat.

But Molly didn't answer.

She didn't need too; behind her Ginny's youngest brother Ron entered the room, positively beaming – and he was followed closely by Hermione, who was sharing an equal grin.

'Ginny.' Ron said, nodding.

Ginny sat up in her bed and raised an eyebrow, looking from each of their grinning faces to the next.

'Well spill it.' She spat stupidly, thinking she could be sleeping instead.

Ron took a deep breath, nodded at Hermione (who nodded back) and took a step forward, staring down at Ginny with a grimace.

'Ginny, Hermione and I…' Ron took another immense breath. 'Hermione and I are engaged.'

-

Harry rapped hi fingernails against the top of his desk as he stared blankly down at the bit of parchment that sat perpendicularly towards him on the wooden finish. He was slightly frustrated that it was still in the same state it had been in when Remus had handed it to him earlier on; and that was that it was still completely blank. The hours had slowly passed, Harry had sat and watched his room grow increasingly darker until it had come to the point where he needed to cross his room and turn the light on so he could see the parchment.

Of course he immediately regretted this because once again he was reminded of the fact that he had still not written down one insignificant letter of any language, let alone that of a required amount to form a logical sentence in the more preferred English language. And really, nothing formed properly in Harry's brain all night, except however for the eventual thudding of downpour outside and the rattling of his window caused by the increase of wind.

He eventually became so sick of staring at a blank parchment that he got up and left it – venturing downstairs to a different looking Remus who was racing across his parchment with enthusiasm, much like the writer of this story is now desperate to write out all the information that has been lost by the stupid and useless advanced technology we all call "laptops" that are meant to be so helpful and user friendly and near on impossible to crash.

DAMN YOU MICROSOFT. Anyway…

Neither Remus nor Harry bothered to notice the other and were seemingly oblivious to each others presence. Harry raided the fridge upon response to his growling stomach, while Remus turned over his parchment and continued on writing.

A few good minutes passed by; Harry managed to find some left over chicken from last week. He cared not for expiry dates and continued on chewing as Remus slowed his writing to a gentle loop and came to an eventual cease with a significant full stop. He placed his quill triumphantly onto his desk, leant back in his chair and as you might have guessed it, looked over at Harry and evidently broke the eerie silence.

'You're going to spoil dinner,' Remus said, as Harry gnawed away.

Harry then swallowed rather sharply. 'I wasn't aware there was going to be a dinner; hence my actions.'

Remus cocked an eyebrow. 'Well there might not have to be the way you're going. How's that letter coming along then, eh?'

'Fine.' Harry lied; unluckily for him, Remus could sense immediately the poor attempt at Occulemency.

'Harry…' Remus started.

'Remus…' Harry mocked in return.

'You are testing my patience.' Remus said hotly. 'It's wearing quite thin you know; I really do want you to write her that letter – or see that you go to her and tell her everything.'

Harry sighed. 'Don't you think I know that? Don't you think I want to, too?'

'Then-?'

'It's not that simple, Remus,' Harry threw his chicken bone down in detest. 'I – I wouldn't know… I –don't- know what to write to her or what to say to her.'

Remus frowned, and Harry frowned back.

'But Harry; the longer you leave this…' Remus began.

'Oh come on not this nonsense again,' spat Harry. 'OK, I understand – the longer I leave things the harder it will be for me, for her to understand – for anything to remotely start happening between us.

'I get it Remus.' Harry continued. 'I quite frankly do not need any more pressure from you than I already have.'

Remus opened his mouth to reply but shut it again.

'I will tell her when I tell her.' Harry said. 'It's as simple as that; I will know when the time is right, only I can – so goodnight Remus.'

Remus blinked.

'Harry I-'

'Goodnight!'

Another blink of the eye and Harry was gone, up the staircase and into his room. Remus winced slightly as Harry's door was slammed firmly shut and by the sound of it – nearly off its hinges.

Remus sighed and thought of it as just yet another excuse for Harry to buy more time, some more time to hold off the remainder of his life – and more time away from what reality was waiting for him (a good kick up the bumb).

But as Remus cleared away Harry's plates, that was all he thought of it; another of Harry's buy-more-time schemes – but little did ol' Remus know that it would in fact be the last time he would ever have a disagreement, last time he'll have an argument… it would be the last time he would have to put up with another excuse from Harry James Potter.

-

Ginny sat seclusively in her bedroom, watching from above as family members and some friends began arriving at the news of the engagement. Some she knew, some she thought she knew and some, she just didn't give a stuff about. It was well and truly dark when she heard the distant sounds of a party starting – as well as the wafting aroma of delicious food ascending through the floorboards. She ignored the rumblings of her stomach and took to staring into the night.

The moon was half-full so she was at least able to smile swiftly at the thought that Remus Lupin wouldn't be out in the cold tonight – and as her mind trailed over Remus she once again thought of going to see him. Several times during the past weeks she had contemplated going there indefinitely because there was less pressure there with easier surroundings, each time she had looked to have made her decision – something pulled her back. And she would find herself back at the Burrow and stuck with the inevitability of doing nothing at all every day.

In a sense she rather it that way; hence her current position, barricaded in her room as her brother's engagement party moves into full swing. She was however – at one point – distracted with a knock at her door.

'Ginny?'

It was Hermione; of course.

'Family are here, would really love to see you.'

Ginny stared at the door but said nothing, did nothing else. Eventually Hermione's footsteps echoed away leaving Ginny at peace once more, and able to look back out into the black sky with a sigh. It was not like she disagreed with the engagement; not at all – hell she was entirely for it.

When she had been told earlier about the engagement, she herself felt her spirits lifted dramatically and it made her the happiest she had felt in weeks, if not months. And the only reason she was not downstairs now, sculling Butterbeers and singing "Should all acquaintance, be forgot" with a slowly growing hoarse throat like the rest of them; was because she could not.

She felt an omen upon her shoulders had not yet been released; it was if apart of her had forgotten reality, and created it's own. Or rather like a computers hard drive, crashed from a seeming amount of viruses – going along in existence with not much purpose until you come to format it and re-install the operating system of your choice with a clean slate and starting all over again.

This was what Ginny wanted; she wanted to be wiped clean of her memory and restarted – so her life in existence could once again be as happy as those downstairs were now – she wanted to be herself again.