Chapter Seven
As always, these characters do not belong to me.
Harry got buffeted through the crowd and into the stadium, his nerves peaking. Fred and George were beside him, revelling in the fact that for once they weren't identical. Harry ignored their banter of who was better looking, keeping an eye out for any unwanted visitors. In the end it wasn't hard to convince the twins to help Harry, for they had been growing peevish being cooped up for so long in their hiding spot. They didn't even ask why Harry was jeopardizing the Order and their mission to watch Ginny play football, which Harry was relieved about.
They had arrived at the house the night after Harry's early morning phone call and nearly ate all of Harry's food. They inspected the house with great interest, cringing when they saw Harry's old disguises in the guest bathroom. In between tutting and cracking jokes they were bombarding Harry with questions about when he purchased the house and why and when had he given it to Ginny. Harry answered all of them patiently, his own questions hovering on his tongue. Eventually Fred and George answered his questions without him even having to ask.
They had come a day earlier to test out Harry's makeup and create his fake identity so if they were stopped by security it wouldn't look suspicious. They had also seen Ron and Hermione a week ago and relayed they were starting to build the Order again, getting old members out safely and into the main base/headquarters they had set up. Harry thought again with a pang that he should be there, helping them but knew he wouldn't be able or allowed to. The only good news was that the Death Eaters were becoming more desperate to find Harry that the public were beginning to notice.
'They're starting to slip,' Fred told him, inspecting the coffee Harry made.
'Riddle is still in the dark like you but rumours are spreading he's not happy you haven't been spotted, mate,' George continued. 'There's been a couple of Death Eaters in high official positions seen blackmailing and attacking Order members, creating doubt everywhere.'
'Yeah, it's helping Ron and Hermione loads so just keep lazing around for a bit longer,' Fred smirked.
'Okay but you know I hate this,' Harry muttered.
'The problem is no one is brave enough yet to stand up,' Fred pondered. They're just whispering.'
'It's frustrating to no end,' George supplied before changing the subject. 'Man, it's going to take a lot of this stuff to change your hair colour.'
'Can you create the disguise or not?' Harry asked shortly.
'Don't worry, we'll still have you looking beautiful. Somewhat,' George winked at him.
Half an hour later, Harry was seated on one of the wooden chairs, gazing with trepidation at George who was arranging his equipment on the table beside Harry.
'I reckon you should just make his hair a fair brown,' Fred called over his shoulder as he booted up a program to make Harry a fake driver's license on the couch.
'That's way too close to his original colour. Can you let me be the stylist please? You can have yours fair brown if you like it so much,' George replied, beginning to attach the facial hair.
'Maybe I will,' Fred rebutted.
'Hang on,' Harry interrupted. 'You guys are coming with me?'
'Duh,' George said sarcastically.
'What did you think, Harry?' Fred continued. 'We were just going to do this and leave?'
'Well, yeah,' Harry frowned.
'Oh bless him, George. He's so naïve.'
'Harry, you should know by now we only do things that are entirely fun. This is only half the fun. Now close your mouth while I apply this beard.'
Harry, Fred and George took their seats a few rows back from the pitch and metres from the players sub box. Harry didn't know how the twin's managed to get such good seats in the short amount of time but he decided he didn't care. He was a little anxious that the exit was further away but he tried to push that aside. Fred and George were joking with the girls beside them, trying to convince them to go for Ginny's team instead of their opponents. George shook hands with the closest one and Harry realised they were in fact betting each other. He rolled his eyes at the pair of them.
He pulled out his license to glance at his new appearance. He had dirty blonde hair that fell to his shoulders but was currently in a small ponytail to avoid irritation. He was wearing a team cap backwards which was uncomfortable and foreign on his head but he deduced what was uncomfortable for him, Harry, would make it harder to see through the façade. His eyes were now brown and thanks to the twin's design; they were also contact lenses so he didn't have to wear glasses. His nose was a little longer and he had a short boxed beard that only had to have a little bit of help from George considering Harry had forgotten to shave. It had been temporarily coloured to match his blonde wig. A sparse of freckles covered his nose and cheek bones.
'Anyone would think you were in love with yourself the way you keep glancing at your license,' Fred said winking.
George sat forward to grin at him. 'Relax and have a good time, if you can manage that.'
Harry glanced at the both of them, still managing to grin identically at him even with their new appearance. Fred had got his wish of having fair brown hair, while George opted for a darker brown instead. While Fred wanted to give himself a tan to hide his freckles, wear brown contacts and be clean shaven, George kept his eyes the same blue and his freckles visible. George did insist however of having a clean curtain beard and was forever stroking it with his right hand. George had also somehow manipulated his makeup so he looked as if he had broken his nose several times.
Harry was about to protest but a large roar erupted from the crowd. Harry, Fred and George stood with the crowd as the away team entered the stadium. Harry clapped along as the twin's booed happily with the majority. The cheering was even louder as the home team ran onto the pitch and there in the middle of them was Ginny. Harry's face broke into a smile seeing her. He could feel his heart pounding as the twin's whistled and cheered at their sister. The national anthem was sung (Fred and George singing raucously, making the girls beside them giggle) and then they were lining up about to start.
'Oh, what?' George complained.
'Put Weasley on!' Fred yelled.
Ginny was indeed making her way to the bench and Fred and George weren't the only ones complaining. Harry wanted to join in but he kept his silence. Obviously the return of the star striker was quite the crowd pleaser. As Harry recalled from his previous scouting there was indeed far more people attending this game than his last stadium game. His eyes followed her as she threw on her jumper and sat down. She was laughing and nodding towards one of her teammates, who must have joked about something. Harry wished he could go down and join her. The referee blew the whistle and the crowd broke out into cheers as the game got underway.
Harry found he was enjoying himself despite his constant paranoia. Ginny's team, the Harpies were near to perfect in their execution but their opponents equally efficient. The Harpies opened the scoring with a tricky one-two manoeuvre between the striking pair after fifteen minutes of play. Harry noticed their footwork technique was suspiciously similar to Ginny's in their one-on-one competition. Harry stood with the rest, clapping the home team but instead of watching the on field players, his eyes flitted to Ginny. She was cheering with her teammates, her face alight with elation. He had to look quickly away when the urge to leap through the stands to go and celebrate with her became almost too much.
The celebrating was cut short when five minutes later the opposition striker hit a beautiful cross into the back net of the Harpies' goal. Harry had to admire the shot even when he groaned with the other supporters. The score remained locked at half time even though both teams had several more shots on goal, with one even resulting in a spectacular save by the Harpies' keeper. As the players left to go into the change rooms, Fred and George whistled loudly. Even amongst the cheers of the crowd, Ginny's head perked up at the sound. She scanned the crowd, her eyes going over the three of them twice. Fred and George grinned and nudged each other as she was ushered into the tunnel. Harry thought her eyes fell on the pair of them again but she was already out of sight.
'At least we know they work,' George said happily, taking his seat.
'You doubted they would?' Harry asked in disbelief.
'Course not,' Fred replied. 'But it's always nice to get complimented every now and then.'
Harry decided it was best not to ask how they saw it as a compliment and sat back down. He scanned the faces in the crowd out of habit. As his eyes fell over one of the exits to the snack bar he had to do a double take. He skimmed the exit with dread, his eyes falling on the security man. He was sure he was a Death Eater but Harry still doubted his eyes. He was about to mention it to the twin's but decided he may have just overreacted and there was no point in ruining their night. It was in that moment that the players returned to the pitch but this time Ginny's smile did not relieve Harry.
As the second half got under way, Harry tried to convince himself that his paranoia simply got the best of him. Fred and George were doing a running commentary of the game, adding in their own nicknames for the players and bagging the coach for not playing Ginny. The girls beside them were thoroughly entertained, batting their eyelashes and laughing hysterically at them before giving them flirtatious smiles. Harry rolled his eyes at the pair of them before focusing back on the game.
Ten minutes later, the opposition scored and were in the lead. Harry scanned the crowd as the players celebrated, searching for the Death Eater. The security had disappeared, which didn't relieve Harry. His eyes travelled to the Harpies' bench when the crowd began to chant, 'WEASLEY! WEASLEY!' Ginny was up and stretching.
'You have to admit it does have a good ring to it,' George said conversationally to Fred.
'Indeed,' Fred agreed, smirking at his brother.
'How does she tune that out?' Harry asked, completely forgetting about the game and watching Ginny, who face remained impassive.
'She's focused, but just you wait,' George winked. Harry stared at them confused but then the twins' stood up and yelled simultaneously.
'ARE YOU A WEASLEY OR WHAT? SHAKE IT SISTER!'
Ginny's head turned towards her brother's, a light smirk on her face. They were grinning identically at her while all that were in earshot either laughed or whistled appreciatively. Harry scowled at the drunkards who were now cat-calling her.
'Good one,' he whispered furiously to Fred and George, pulling Fred down. 'See what you've done?'
'Aw, come on,' Fred said lightly. 'Ginny has to know she has family here watching her big comeback.'
'Yeah but now you've got all of those guys rallied up. And would you shut up?' Harry spun and snapped at the next closest supporter who was suggesting that Ginny skip the game and go with him. 'She doesn't need some drunkard distracting her.'
'What's it got to do with you?' the man countered, narrowing his eyes at Harry.
'Considering she's my …' Harry stopped, aware he had a lot of people's attention. He didn't need Fred's urgent hand tugging on the back of his shirt to know he had gone too far.
'Never mind,' he muttered, turning back around.
What was he about to say, girlfriend? He and Ginny could not be outed, ever and he didn't think that the two of her six brothers that were currently sitting beside him would be particularly thrilled to find out that the most wanted supposed criminal had made out with their sister. On top of that he had brought unwanted attention on the three of them. One mistaken look or one ill-fated comment to the wrong person and they would be in trouble. His concerns about that Death Eater were starting to creep back into his mind. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't realise he was staring at Ginny, who was staring directly back.
Harry blinked as though he was suddenly caught in the spotlight that was Ginny's gaze. She was frowning slightly, as if she could place Harry somewhere and couldn't remember where. Her eyes shifted to Fred and George, who grinned knowingly at her. She straightened from her stretch slowly, fixing her eyes back to Harry. Harry thought he saw something dawn in her eyes but then her coach was demanding her attention to go back to the game. She nodded, taking off her club's jacket and making her way to the halfway line. She didn't glance back at Harry.
Everyone cheered and applauded as Ginny ran onto the pitch and then the game seemed to come alive. Ginny was flawless in her attack, setting up plays and managing to slip through gaps Harry didn't deem possible. Maybe the return of one of the team's most loved players gave each of them a new sense of purpose and source of energy. Harry could see each player lift as Ginny settled into her position. The opposition had no answer for the new onslaught and were left scratching their heads when the Harpies' captain, Jones and Kent their midfielder pulled off another spectacular one-two combination that resulted in a beautiful goal by Kent.
The Harpies' had the momentum now and everyone could feel the shift in the game as they began to bring it home. Some of the members of the crowd had started singing the team song but stopped midway when Ginny took a through ball from the left side midfielder, Rodriguez. Ginny sprinted down the pitch, defenders chasing helplessly behind her. Harry's heart pounded and Fred and George were yelling support at their sister. Everyone was so focused on Ginny that no one but Harry noticed the rogue player coming in from the blind side. Harry realised that the player had no intention of retaining the ball, only stopping Ginny at any cost.
'GINNY!' Harry shouted at the top of his lungs.
By some miracle Ginny noticed the player as she began to slide dive at her legs. Ginny leapt at the last second to avoid a collision and the crowd gasped. Ginny chased after the ball that had just crossed over the eighteen yard box. Two of the other defenders had caught up with her so she had only seconds to shoot. Harry didn't know how she managed to get a good strike on the ball but she did but it left her body vulnerable to collision.
The stadium erupted into cheers so loud Harry was sure he would go deaf when the ball hit the back of the net. Harry's attention remained on the defenders' who didn't hesitate or slow their chase once the ball was gone. They collided with Ginny and she went tumbling to the ground in the blatant attack. Harry was on his feet and yelling before he registered what he was doing. Ginny continued to lie on the ground, clutching her ankle and ribs. There was a collective of boo's as everyone else finally registered Ginny's injured figure. The referee gave the defenders both yellow cards but Harry heard the cheers from the supporters that meant the referee was giving out yellow cards but his eyes stayed glued to Ginny.
'Come on, Ginny,' Harry whispered urgently. 'Please be okay.'
Ginny managed to roll to her knees the same time the trainer approached her. Harry craned his head to keep her in view. She rested on her haunches, shaking her head at the trainer. She got to her feet and limped gingerly on her ankle for the first few steps. The crowd clapped and she waved in acknowledgement at them. She half jogged, half limped back to her spot.
Ginny made a couple of more breaks through the defence but Harry could tell her ankle was bothering her by the way she carried herself after each run. Ginny continued to play well, even setting up the last goal for the Harpies' that secured their win. It was a cross from the edge of the eighteen yard box for Jones to volley in. The referee blew his whistle to signal the end and the crowd cheered along with the whistle.
'Good game, I guess,' Fred called out over the applause.
'Yeah, true,' George replied. 'It's a shame she wasn't at full strength.'
'I hope she's okay,' Harry said worriedly, watching her again.
'Since when have you care so much for her?' George enquired, with an odd tone.
Harry turned to see them giving him identical smirks. Harry felt his face grow hot. 'What? I care about her …'
'Yes?' Fred prompted, raising his eyebrows. When Harry didn't answer after a few minutes, Fred sighed dramatically. 'Okay, keep it to yourself. She's tough, tougher than Ron anyway. We have business to take care of. Can you give Ginny our love?' The twin's stood in unison.
'Hang on,' Harry said, standing with them. 'Where are you –?'
'Don't worry, we'll be back in about ten minutes,' George supplied, counting their winnings as Fred escorted the girl's towards the exit. 'Ginny will have do the victory round of the pitch. Catch her there and tell her to use the side door near the change rooms like she used to so that she could see us after her games. It's more private so we can talk. You need go through the hidden door behind the banner inside that exit there.' George pointed to the closest exit.
'Wait …' Harry called out as George went to join his twin.
'We'll meet you in there,' George yelled as he was buffeted into the exit tunnel.
'Great,' Harry muttered.
Harry did want to see Ginny, a lot, but he had this nagging sensation that maybe he should have stayed at home. He pressed forward with the majority of the crowd to the front, his thoughts more pronounced. He pushed them behind as Ginny and her team walked over to the fans. Harry found a spot on the fence, next to an ecstatic boy who looked to be about eleven. He bounced up and down on his toes, leaning as far as he could over the fence to see the players. Harry couldn't help but smile fondly at the boy's enthusiasm.
Harry felt, rather than saw Ginny standing in front of him. He turned to see her there, smiling and thanking the people on the other side of Harry. She signed jerseys, hats, photos and stopped to have her picture taken several times. Once she finished with the over friendly teenage boys she turned to Harry. His heart thudded as she smiled at him, though he could see how tired she was in the way she held herself. He took a deep breath and smiled proudly at her and just as tender, a loss for words. She looked at him expectantly, her smile turning slightly sympathetic as though she had seen people just stare at her awestruck before, until she pointed at him.
'You're the hero,' she told him.
'What?' Harry frowned.
'The one who tried to save me from my new date and lover,' she grinned at him. 'I didn't particularly want to go see him after the game so thanks.'
Harry caught on. 'You recognised me,' Harry said, his eyes bright with mischief.
Ginny laughed. 'Well, of course. Anyone recognises 'their would-be saviour'.' She frowned suddenly, which looked odd considering she was still smiling. 'Your voice and your eyes … Have we met before?' her smile faded as she began to concentrate properly.
'Come on,' the boy muttered beside Harry.
Harry and Ginny laughed slightly at him. He looked at the anxious face of the kid and then back to Ginny. 'You better attend to the young sir to my left. Oh,' Harry added, reaching out and touching her arm lightly. 'Arnold would be proud of you.'
Ginny froze, staring at Harry blankly. She appraised his appearance again and unconsciously reached out and touched his jawline which was now covered in hair. Harry's breathing became elevated and he forgot all pretence and stared intensely at her, the grip on her arm tightening. Her eyes widened as the pieces of the night finally all fell into place. She mouthed his name and her hand travelled to his cheek, her eyes searching his face.
'Not here. The door to the changing room where you used to meet your family,' Harry whispered in her ear.
He wanted to kiss her but was acutely aware of the attention the two of them were receiving from the other supporters. He pulled away and gave her one last determined look before he made his way back through the crowd, praying that Fred and George hadn't lured him into a practical joke. He thought he could feel her eyes on his back as he took the steps two at a time. Harry reached behind the banner and found the door. He slipped through after a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure no one would follow him.
The room was only small and carpeted, with a couple of chairs stacked up along the walls. Harry guessed this might be a briefing and tactical room of sorts, judging by the sketched plays on a whiteboard. Pictures of old and current Harpies' players were framed along the white walls, each in various action photos. Ginny's was among them but Harry merely glanced at it.
He paced agitatedly as he waited, his head perking up every time he heard a noise from behind the concealed door only to drop it again and continue his pacing. He rubbed the spot where his watch should be, wanting to know how much time had passed. Fred and George were still out there somewhere and Ginny must have been caught up. Harry stared at a few of the black and white photos, pulling his cap off and scratching his wig. Harry was surprised how real it felt under his fingertips and that it had stayed intact for so long.
Just as he was rubbing his eyes and rubbing his beard nervously a door at the end of the room opened. Harry turned to see Ginny stepping through, carefully closing the door behind her so it wouldn't slam. Harry let the breath he didn't know he was holding in escape, his cap clenched nervously in both hands. She was still in her playing gear, covered in dirt but Harry didn't care about that. His heart pounded as her eyes watched him warily as he came towards her slowly.
'Ginny …' he said again softly.
'Stop,' she replied firmly, holding up her hand.
Harry paused. In his eagerness to be beside her, he hadn't noticed the rigidity of her stance nor the hard set to her jaw. Harry went to say something but was reeling from her expression and couldn't find his voice. Harry realised that he had also forgot to see this from her view. A complete stranger who claimed to be someone you knew and offered personal information about you was suspicious and only a fool would take them for their words. Ginny was wary that Harry was a crazed stalker, or even worse, a Death Eater. Harry placed his cap on his head backwards, so she could still see his face. With his hands free, he placed them in a surrender position. She arched her eyebrows.
'Ginny, I know this is crazy and impossible but it really is me, Harry,' Harry murmured, scared how much it echoed in the room.
'What was I about to attack you with when you returned home?' she asked flatly.
Harry smiled at the memory and at her. 'A broom. I asked you if you were going to kill me with it and Arnold kept barking at your side until you told him 'down'. Or something along those lines.'
Ginny's face softened. She took a tentative step closer. 'It really is you?'
Harry nodded, striding forward as if he was suddenly released from a restraint. He stopped himself before he engulfed her in a hug for she looked shell-shocked. He placed his hands on her biceps and slowly let them drift down, past her elbows, down to her hands. He pushed them up so their palms were resting against the other in front of the two of them. He weaved his fingers through hers, glancing into her eyes as he did. She stared at their entwined hands, then back to him and she finally believed him.
'What are you doing here? I mean, it's a wonderful surprise but if you're caught …' Ginny trailed off.
Harry gave her a, 'you're kidding right' expression, dropping their arms to their sides. 'Someone reminded me that I was neglecting my duties as a friend,' he told her. 'I'm trying to make up for some lost time. You were amazing out there.'
'Thanks,' she smiled but her tone suggested she was less than happy.
'What's wrong?' Harry frowned. 'Aren't you happy I came to watch you play?'
'It's not that I'm not happy to see you,' Ginny started, her voice straining to keep calm. She took a step away, letting Harry's hands fall to his side. 'I really am, even though a minute ago I was preparing myself to attack you thinking you were a Death Eater, but you aren't safe in the open, especially here.' She took a deep breath. 'The Order comes first.'
'I know it was a risk but I had to –.'
'A risk? Blimey, you don't know, do you?' Ginny's eyes widened in surprise.
'Know what?' Harry asked, becoming serious.
'Nothing, I can handle it but you need to go and quickly,' Ginny gestured to the door, her eyes insistent.
'But, there's so much I want to say …' Harry was unable to keep the pain out of his voice. 'I can help you.'
Harry's happiness was deflating rapidly. Ginny was the one who was supposed to be encouraging Harry to be reckless. Now she was practically pushing Harry back through the door. He was stunned, to say the least. The images of their ecstatic reunion were popping in his mind and he was left feeling foolish. The doubts he pushed away had suddenly crept back into the room, leaving a cold prickle against Harry's skin.
Ginny must have sensed the change in Harry's demeanour. He guessed his expression probably matched his current dejected mood so he assumed it wouldn't be hard to sense it. She went to place her hands on his arms but he stepped out of her grasp.
'Please, listen,' Ginny said, slightly desperate. 'Any other time I would love this but you have to go! There is –.'
'Is everything alright in here?' A familiar male voice interrupted from behind Harry.
Harry tensed. Anger boiled to the surface before he could think of why it would. Ginny looked at him pleadingly to not do anything and she flinched when their eyes met. Her fear of him momentarily clouded his anger but unfortunately the voice of the Death Eater noticed to. Harry's senses went into high alert and adrenaline surged through along with his anger. Harry clenched his hands into fists in front of him, hearing him approach. Ginny's eyes begged him to remain silent.
'Miss?' Rowle asked Ginny, in a tone that could have been misconstrued as concern if he didn't snarl at the end of it.
'No, I mean, yes, everything is fine,' Ginny said confidently, edging to stand beside Harry. She smiled at Rowle and Harry wanted to growl.
'Are you sure? You don't have to cover for this scum if he was bothering you.'
Harry began to shake. He wondered whether Rowle could feel the waves of hatred rolling off of him. He was so close to one of the people responsible for other's pain and misery and unable to lift a finger towards him. Harry hoped he enough restraint.
'He isn't scum,' Ginny said, her voice hardening despite herself. She tried to soften it. 'He's a friend of mine that I haven't seen in years. We were just talking.'
'Pretty weird place to strike up a conversation,' Rowle drawled. 'He shouldn't be back here, friend or not.' Harry could feel the Death Eater's eyes on him but he kept staring straight ahead. 'Maybe I should escort him back out.'
Rowle placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and Harry almost exploded. White hot anger made Harry's vision go blank. He opted to shrugging his hand away forcefully instead of what he really wanted to do.
'Get your hand off of me,' Harry snarled. He turned and faced the Death Eater, knowing he shouldn't have but did anyway.
Rowle appraised him, his own eyes narrowing to slits. 'Watch your mouth,' he warned.
'Or what?' Harry taunted, ignoring Ginny's stare. 'You heard her, I'm a friend. Is it such a crime to talk to a friend if you haven't spoken in years? I'm sure if she wanted me to go straight away she would have expressed it.'
'Pretty strange time to reconcile the friendship,' he countered. 'What is it you really want from her?' he said softly so Ginny wouldn't hear. 'Because every other guy wants it too.'
Harry's expression went from rage to pure hatred as Rowle smirked menacingly at him.
'At least she has enough self-respect to not class you as a friend,' Harry retorted.
Rowle took a step closer, his fists clenched. Harry remained where he was. Rowle's eyes were slits. 'You sound mighty cocky for just a friend. Who are you really?'
'Okay, that's enough!' Ginny said loudly. Harry was awed at how brave she sounded. He continued to stare at Rowle but felt Ginny try and intercept them.
'I'll be watching you,' Rowle stated, glaring at Harry.
Harry went to reply but was interrupted by a second commotion. Fred and George stumbled through the door behind the banner, singing the Harpies' song and laughing when they almost fell to the ground. Harry had to credit their acting skills and if he wasn't so worked up about the Death Eater, he would have shook his head in resignation.
'Oops,' Fred said grinning, looking at the others. 'Look what we found! Hey gorgeous.' He winked at Ginny.
'Amazing,' George agreed, staring around in wonder. 'And I am not just talking about this room.'
'Excuse me,' Rowle barked at them. They focused on him. 'Can't you see this is an out of bounds area?'
'Really?' George asked surprised. 'And here we thought it would lead somewhere exciting.'
'But can't you see the extra tunnels and what not,' Fred said, stumbling forwards at the door Ginny came from.
Rowle intercepted him. 'You can't be here,' he said through gritted teeth.
'Are you sure?'
George caught Harry's glare as Fred argued drunkenly with Rowle. George nodded and Harry turned away, relieved he knew. George gestured that Harry move silently to the side with Ginny and he bumbled up towards the other two, calling out to his comrade. Harry and Ginny watched as the twins' managed to persuade Rowle to forget about Harry and Ginny and focus on them. Ginny's hand wormed down and grasped his, trying to comfort him. Harry tried to focus on that while Fred and George got the Death Eater out and back into the stadium, leaving them alone again.
Harry closed his eyes and took deep breaths through his nose. They stood in silence and as the anger dissipated, regret and remorse replaced it. He was too quick to temper and in losing his head, jeopardised her; the one thing he wanted to avoid. Harry realised that he should have known his anger would be near uncontrollable towards them after being forced to watch their carnage and not being able to help. Instead of strengthening his body, his should have strengthened his willpower. He sunk into a nearby chair, his head in his hands.
'Harry …' Ginny was staring at him, at a loss of what to say.
'You shouldn't say my name aloud,' Harry said dully. 'It's too dangerous.'
'No, come on,' Ginny limped over and knelt in front of him, wincing slightly. 'Look at me.'
'Your ankle. You need to get some ice on it.'
'It's fine, really. Just twinging.'
The excitement Harry had before seemed like a distant dream. He was battling between the reality of Ginny and the reality of the endangering prospect of the country's desolation and neither seemed to coincide together, even if he desperately wanted them to. He had Ginny for a moment, now it was time to go back to the Death Eaters. He stood, leaving Ginny crouched beside the chair.
'You were right. This was a mistake,' Harry said flatly. He wasn't looking at Ginny; he wanted to keep his focus.
'No. It was …' Ginny paused to gather her thoughts. He heard her come towards him. 'Well, maybe a hiccup but it certainly wasn't a bad one.'
'You should go back and celebrate with your team mates,' Harry continued in a dull voice, ignoring her reassurance. 'You've been gone for too long.'
'Wait, come on –.' Ginny protested but Harry cut her off.
'Your coach was right. You are an excellent striker. I'll see you later. Or whenever I guess.'
'Harry!'
Harry ignored her and walked back down the passageway. It killed him but he didn't look back at her either. Once he was through the door, he strode quickly through the near empty stadium. He was through the entrance gates in the next minute and then, he ran. He ran until he could feel the oncoming stitch in his side and even then he didn't stop or slow. The breeze blew on his face as he cut through the back streets and alleys, down through parks and open spaces. He was considering running the entire way home, not caring that it would take him hours. The running helped sweat out all of the tension he had built up. The rhythmic pounding against the road helped him to squash out his thoughts and lull his mind into a monotony of nothing.
Harry didn't know how long he was running until Fred and George found him. They pulled their car in front of him, making him stop. George wound down the window from the passenger's seat, grinning at him.
'Nice night for a run,' George called out.
'Did you get rid of him?' Harry asked through his panted breaths.
'Oh yeah,' Fred said, leaning forward and coming into view. 'That was a bonus. We met up with Ginny again too. She seemed a bit shaken but I don't think it was from the Death Eater. She wanted us to find you and make sure you were alright.'
'I shouldn't have of left her like that,' Harry muttered, noting down another thing he did wrong.
'She can look after herself. Anyway, want a lift? Or did you want to continue on the marathon you've got started, here?'
Harry deliberated, before heading to the back seat. Fred pulled away once Harry was in, speeding down the road.
'I don't want to talk about it,' Harry told them after a few minutes of silence.
'Yeah, we thought you would take it that way,' George replied, pointing out to Fred he should turn. S
'He didn't recognise you, Harry,' Fred said. 'We made sure of that.'
'He grew suspicious when I lost my temper. And with Ginny meeting me in a secluded room …' Harry trailed off, shaking his head.
Fred and George went silent to leave Harry to his thoughts. Although they were normally loud and boisterous, they did know when to give someone their space; or Harry had hoped they did.
'Nar, Ginny kept a cool head and I daresay our timing was spot on,' George voiced to Fred, who nodded.
'My performance was better than yours though.'
'Oh come on, I think I was better as the support act than your lead role,' George claimed.
Harry was glad they arrived at the drop off point, a block away from the house, after only ten minutes of the twins' debate. Harry gazed around the surroundings once he was out, not altogether convinced that Rowle wasn't about to pop out from the trees with a few of his cronies. He turned back to Fred and George.
'Tell Ron and Hermione about Rowle,' Harry ordered. 'Get more people around that stadium. I want an eye on Ginny at all times. She is in more of a danger than I thought. If Ron and Hermione ask where we are, don't tell them. For their safety as much as ours. Oh, and maybe not mention that I was with you. Ron will flip his lid.'
'Now, that is something we should see,' Fred winked and Harry wasn't sure whether he was joking or not. 'The other stuff we will do, don't you worry. You just be careful. Oh, and Harry.' Harry turned back around to face them. 'Just remember why you are hiding, okay?'
Harry nodded, pulling his jacket tighter against his chest as they drove away. He took off briskly to the house, leaping over the fence in the backyard to use the back door. Even with the disguise Arnold somehow knew it was Harry. He jumped and barked excitedly as Harry entered the house and it took a few minutes before Harry could quieten him down. Harry sighed as he gazed around the dark and empty house, throwing his cap on the table.
Harry went into the bathroom, flicking on the light and gazing at himself in the mirror. In his pursuit to appease Ginny, he had, as Fred had so helpfully reminded him, ultimately forgotten the seriousness of their current situation. His country that he loved was soon to be overrun by an evil dictator who had placed a price on Harry's head for rebelling against his sadistic and twisted ways. People were relying on his disappearance to cause suspicion and doubt into the minds of those who were already distrusting Riddle and if he was caught, then it wasn't just his life in jeopardy.
Harry peeled off of the wig, ruffling up his black hair. His eyes were still disguised but had Harry's troubled stare. He stripped off his shirt and shorts, standing there in his underwear. He had the body of a fighter. The lean contours of muscle over bone, body fat all but scarce. His skin was pale which made the dozens of scars interspaced over his body more pronounced. Harry stared at each of the scars, some big and ugly and others merely thin lines but he remembered how he got each of them, either from stupidity or endangerment. He had made himself this, he thought. He was a fighter and that's what he had to become again, if he ever wanted this feud to end. And he wouldn't be able to end it if he was out trying to impress a girl with stupid dress-ups.
It took Harry three quarters of an hour to remove the makeup and disguises the twins' created and Harry's face felt raw and scratchy from his constant rubbing and rinsing. Eventually he decided to take a shower to get the rest of the grease, grime and glue off easier. He threw on soft cotton pants and a black singlet afterwards, leaving his hair dripping on his shoulders and down his back. He trudged back to his room, collapsing onto the bed before rolling over to stare blankly up at the ceiling. Having removed his colour changing contact lenses, the ceiling was now a dark swirl of colour. It seemed to suit his mood.
As Harry found himself slowly drifting off he heard the door creak open tentatively. He sat up, frowning. He felt around for his glasses and put them on. He left his bed slowly, careful not to make a sound. He padded softly to his bedroom door. Having not closed it, he didn't have to go to the trouble of opening it. He stuck close to the wall as he glided down the hallway. He paused in the last bit of shadow, sticking his head out slightly to see who had entered the house. Harry found himself emerging from the shadows, staring at Ginny, who standing beside the table near the front door and she was staring directly back at him, her bottom lip between her teeth.