Author: Lash_Larue

Title: "Resolution"

Pairing: Ginny/Hermione, others

Rating: Adult

Summary: Things come to a head in the Wizengamot

Warnings: Not really this time

Word Count: 2350

Disclaimer: These characters belong to JK Rowling

The Hunters Part 15

"Resolution"

"I've just had an owl from Harry!" Hermione exclaimed as she came down from her attic office.

"Oh?" Ginny commented over her shoulder, continuing to work on dinner. "How is he?"

"It's not about him, it's about Pansy."

"So, was I dancing with a Death Eater after all?" Fleur inquired.

"I would have to say no," Hermione answered, "in fact, I'm not so much impressed as I am overwhelmed."

"Please keep us guessing, you know how much we like that," Ginny requested.

"You've been terribly smug since you scored 18 goals against Greenland in the final match, beloved."

"I thought you wanted me home quickly? And now I have these days off and…"

Fleur smiled at the teasing banter between her friends, they were fun companions, and Fleur had been as happy to see Ginny back as Hermione had been.

"You are marvelous, and we both thank you for returning quickly. But she has a point, Hermonkey darling, what have you found?"

"By the terms of inheritance set up by Pansy's great-great grandfather, when her father died it was Pansy, as the oldest child, who inherited everything. Pansy Parkinson has spent a huge amount of her inheritance to aid the families of people killed and injured during the war. She has set up education trust funds for the non-magical survivors of wizard/muggle couples. She has even brought in specialists from abroad to see Neville's parents. She paid for the restoration of Luna Lovegood's home. The list goes on," Hermione told them.

"How come we never heard about all that?" Ginny asked.

"Harry said that it was really hard to uncover, and that he might have sort of bent a few rules to do so. Pansy was adamant that she did not want it known that she was doing it. Harry believes that she didn't want people to think that she was trying to buy forgiveness for her actions during the war. He also thinks that her father may have had her under the Imperious curse or some other threat back then, and that perhaps her mother was similarly coerced," Hermione answered her.

"What a bastard, I'm glad Grawp stepped on him," Ginny muttered.

"This is good news," Fleur said, but I see a difficulty."

"Yes?"

"We wanted to see if she was trustworthy, honorable; but have we not acted rather less than honorably ourselves, in discovering that which she wanted to remain unknown?" Hermione bit her lip in thought.

"In a way, I suppose so," she said, "I was so concerned about keeping Victoire safe that I just didn't think about it from that angle."

"None of us did," Ginny admitted. "What should we do about it?"

"My instinct is to confess and apologize, but that could make terrible trouble for Harry, and he did ask that we not say anything to Pansy."

"Harry put himself at risk for us. We must keep our silence. And perhaps Pansy will not be interested, in any case. Why don't we invite her to dinner sometime, and just see how things go?" Fleur suggested.

"That's about all we can do, I guess," Ginny agreed. "Life sure was simpler when you knew that if you were doing something Pansy didn't want you to do, that you were doing the right thing."

"This Sunday?" Hermione asked.

"Works for me," Ginny agreed, "that's an off day."

"I am always here," Fleur said with a smile.

"Mama! Hermonkey!" came Victoire's voice.

"You're getting closer, 'Mione," Ginny pointed out. Hermione stuck her tongue out at Ginny and headed for the stairs.

"I will send the invitation," Fleur announced, "and at any rate we shall give her a good dinner, if she accepts."

xxxx

"This assembly is called to order," Percy announced with a slam of the gavel. "The chair will recognize those wishing to speak to the resolution before the Wizengamot to grant same-sex couples the right to the legal status of marriage as is currently provided to male-female couples. The chair also reminds you all that outbursts will not be tolerated, nor will abusive language. This is a body of law, and this resolution will be given the same respectful consideration as any other matter before it." Percy waited a moment to be sure his message had been received. It had. Percy was actually very impressive. "Statements are limited to five minutes, and I shall not recognize any request to speak other than a politely raised hand. The floor is now open…"

"…it's unnatural, that's what it is! I won't have it! I won't have my children exposed to thi-"

"Your time is up, sir," Percy broke in, and when the speaker began to protest a bailiff cast a very nice 'silencio' on him.

The discussion had been lively, and there had been impassioned speeches both for and against. Percy's bailiffs had ample opportunity to practice various suppressing spells, but thus far nothing new had been said. It seemed to Percy that they would have done as well to have had the members mail in their votes.

"Does anyone else wish to speak?" he asked. Two hands were raised, and Percy recognized the first of them to rise. Arthur Weasley stood and walked to the front of the room.

"Most of you know me," he began, "I've been here for a long time, and many of you know how I would have wanted the vote to go on this a few months ago. Nearly dying has a way of making you think things over, however, and I believe that some of you may be under the same mistaken impression of what this resolution is about that I was."

"This resolution is not about approving or disapproving of homosexuality. It is about respect. Respect for your fellow witches and wizards, and respect for love itself. 'Unnatural'; we've heard that several times today, I've said it myself in the past. Well I was mistaken, and so are you, if you think that. We as humans fall in love with who we fall in love with, and no one has ever figured out exactly why. Now I'm not talking about someone deciding to go out and bag themselves a rich spouse, that's not love. I'm talking about your heart needing someone else's heart to beat properly, the relationship where there is a hole in your life when they aren't there, having someone who is more than important to you; rather they are an essential part of you. I hope that all of you know that feeling, for it's wonderful, and it's the very best part of life. Sometimes, and more often than you might think, I promise you, for not everyone has the courage or the inclination to let it be known, a man feels that for another man, or a woman feels that for another woman."

"All of you here today know someone who is homosexual, likely more than one. Many of you here today, are homosexual. Notice that I'm not using popular terminology, this isn't a pub, this is a place of laws, and this is the place where we provide for the fair treatment of one other. So I'm going to explain the thing that came to me about what you're really saying if you vote 'no', on this. With the chair's permission I would like to ask some people to stand, merely stand, not speak."

"Very well," granted Percy.

Arthur gestured, and several people stood, a murmur went around the room.

"Order please," Percy said.

"Familiar faces to most of you, I can see," said Arthur, "and yes, these people you see standing now are homosexual. 'Gay', if you prefer. All of your lives have been touched in some way by these people, several of you owe your lives to the healers standing before you. Many of you have been educated by some of them, and all of you who are not Death Eaters owe your freedom to be here today to many of them, and perhaps one of them in particular. And there is one, not here today who would be standing with them had he not already died in the effort to secure your freedom. You all know Albus Dumbledore. Who knows how many others were lost that would have been affected by your decision today? I don't."

"So what a 'no' vote means today is that you are telling these people here before you, and those that have died, that 'Yes, you've taught our children, and yes, you've healed our wounds and succored us in our illnesses, and advised us of our rights. You have provided us with the goods and services that are needed in our lives, and yes, you have even died for us. But, no you can't marry the one you love, you can't have the protections and rights that we do because; well, you're 'unnatural'…"

"I'm not here to attack anyone's faith, not even to try and change your feelings. If you don't understand how a man can fall in love with a man, then you don't. It's just not in you, perhaps. A 'yes' vote here does not mean that you approve of homosexuality, and frankly it's not your place to approve of it, it exists whether you like it or not. And if the Supreme Being disapproves, we may leave the matter in their hands for disposal, don't you think? If you believe that your faith tells you it is wrong, it is your right to believe that. But we none of us have the right to force our faith upon others. A 'yes' vote here today merely recognizes that these and the many others that have been a part of your lives, are people. That's all; we're all just people."

Arthur turned and bowed to the chair, and then resumed his seat, as did the others standing. There was a bit of whispering, and some chairs were slid a distance away from their neighbors when possible, there were even some that left with red faces, but there was no eruption, and there was thought evident on some faces of the Wizengamot. And the vote was up to them, the people in the gallery were there merely to voice their opinions.

"Anyone further?" Percy asked. One hand was raised, and Percy recognized them, and Pansy Parkinson walked to the front of the room.

"I think that Arthur Weasley has just about covered it," she said. "I am Pansy Parkinson, and I just wanted to take this opportunity to be sure that all of you know that I too am a homosexual. Some of you may have known that already, but for those of you who know of me, and did not, know that…" and here Pansy turned and faced the Wizengamot, "you know it now."

"Thank you." Pansy took her seat, and there was more than a little confusion evident. Except for Harry Potter. Harry had a small smile on his face.

"If no one else wishes to speak, then we will adjourn for deliberation. The Wizengamot will assemble in one hour for the vote. Voting is to be by roll call." After a moment's silence Percy slammed his gavel down. "This assembly is adjourned." The Wizengamot filed out, and more than one face among them turned to look at the assembled people, some of whom received more looks than others.

"Well played, Pansy," Harry whispered to her. Pansy initially looked startled, but a smile spread across her lips in a moment.

"Been sneaking about, Potter?" she asked.

"Maybe, just a bit, I have people I care for to look out after, Pansy, just like you do. I don't intend for any of them to be caught unawares if I can help it," he explained.

"Am I going to be in the 'Prophet' soon?" she asked.

"Not from anything I've done, you have my word. I wouldn't have spoken to you about it myself, but I wanted you to know that there are no hard feelings on my side. And also that I admire you for what you're doing, and for the way that you're doing it, even what you're doing with those wankers in the Wizengamot. You're all right with me, Pansy."

"Thanks Harry. Say, I've been thinking about opening up a club for guys. You interested?"

"I might be, I'm right sick of the Min, truth to tell. I've been invited to try out for England though, will that interfere?"

"Oh no, that will help a great deal. Just you win the cup, Harry, and we'll make a fortune," Pansy promised.

"May I buy you lunch?" Harry asked her. Pansy nodded and smiled, and tucked her arm through his.

"Good Lord," Arthur said to Minerva McGonagall, "Harry Potter and Pansy Parkinson smiling and laughing together? Well, there's one miracle today, perhaps there will be another. Thank you for coming, Minerva."

"Thank you for asking me, Arthur. And don't imagine that I don't know that this evidences a change in you. I admire you for having the courage to do so," Minerva told him.

"I had to see sense, didn't I? I have two wonderful children who are homosexual, Minerva. Oh, and Ron as well, of course."

"Arthur!" said Minerva in shock, but she had to laugh.

No visitors were allowed in the chamber during the voting, but as it was to be a roll call vote the members knew full well that it would be on record just how they had voted.

The resolution passed.

"You swore to me that you would vote against this," hissed an angry member to a colleague. "Don't tell me that sentimental twaddle Weasley was spouting got to you!"

"Weasley had nothing to do with it. It's done, now bugger off will you? Peddle your hate to someone who gives a damn."

"I'll ruin you."

"You can try, certainly, but she could do it in an instant. And to you too, you stupid bastard." The man fell silent as the full import of what he had just heard settled on him.