Chapter 31
"I Thought She Knew"
"Harry, I want you to know that I have faith in you."
Harry raised an eyebrow questioningly, "thank you sir."
"I think that you're making great progress here and I predict…" he smiled mischievously, "that one day you may even be head of the Auror department," said Pius Thicknesse the head of the Magical law enforcement department.
Harry chuckled, "I highly doubt that sir. I'm just trying to get the hang of "concealment and disguise not run the department."
"You'll catch on excellently," he said waving off Harry's comment, "and I think you should set your hopes a bit higher. Being the head of the department is an honor and only a person with certain capabilities can be considered… " Thicknesse went on about the honor and privilege while Harry leaned back in his chair and smiled slightly and nodded while his mind went far, far away.
I would have preferred filing duty. I hope this git isn't inferring that Kingsley plans on making me head the department (I'll have to have a chat with him about that). How in the hell does he think I would ever be prepared to run a department? I can't even sustain a marriage! Ginny has been driving me crazy the last couple of weeks, with have you forgotten your name? Of course I haven't, I was just hoping for some peace and quiet and then she had to go and become a professional Quidditch player, get endorsement deals that display her assets and become the most desired Witch of every Wizard in the world! That was a mistake bringing that up because she bit my head off for that one too! Saying she can wear what she wants when she wants, I wish she would choose to wear more! And that slut comment, I can't even begin to explain that… Harry was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he couldn't even remember leaving Thicknesse office and leaving the Ministry. He shrugged it off and checked to see that no one was around and disapparated to his front step. He yarned as he opened the door. He couldn't wait to lie down, he was tired of training and he was tired of fighting with Ginny all he wanted to do was relax.
He stopped in the front hall at the sight of Ginny's luggage. It was Wednesday and she usually leaves in the evening to be back in Wales for practice on Thursday morning but there was more luggage than usual. He looked up confused as Ginny was making her way up the hall pulling on her jacket.
"What's going on?" He asked as there was a knock on the door. He turned around and opened the door, "who are you?"
"Good Evening Stan," Ginny said over Harry's shoulder to the tall muscular bald man at the door, "can you please load my luggage into the car," she said with a polite smile.
He smiled back and nodded as he began to carry her luggage out the front door, while Ginny pulled Harry into the living room, "who is he?"
"Security"
"Since when do you need security?" Asked Harry confused and a bit worried.
"Eric thought it was a good idea since I got my first threatening letter," Ginny explained simply, Harry's eyes widened in horror, "I believe it was from Romalda Vane," she said to his expression, "it looked like her hand writing."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I don't know…" she sighed, "I feel… I feel like maybe we got to close to fast… or… or maybe my parents were right we're just too young. I really don't know. But what I do know is that I am getting quite a bit of attention and it's a surreal experience for me and it really is uncomfortable no matter how comfortable I act. But I love playing Quidditch and if that means a few photos and rumors so be it… I already put up with it for the one thing I love more than Quidditch. You… and you want to be normal and I'm just bringing more attention so…" she wiped her eyes that had begun to glaze over, "I'm going to leave."
"No!" Harry said horrified, "you can't leave damn Skeeter and the rest of those idiots! I really shouldn't let them get to me like you said but you can't go," he pleaded.
She furiously wiped at her eyes, she was upset with herself for crying she doesn't do that, "it's not about Skeeter, it's about the fact that you deserve to have your chance at a normal life! It's obviously not happening with me around. You want the attention to go away so I will take my share of it and go. I think this time apart would be good for us before we say anything else we don't mean. Besides I need to keep my head afloat managing my ridiculous career and you really need to relax," she finished with a sniffle and started for the door.
Harry grabbed her hand before she could leave, "I can't relax without you and there is no such thing as normal if it doesn't include you. We already spend so much time apart!"
She turned to face him and smiled slightly, "I love you," is all she said as she pulled away from Harry.
Harry stood frozen in place as he heard the front door close. Tears began to poor from his eyes as he whispered "Ginny."
Married for a month gone in a second….
_WEASLEY WIZARDING WHEEZES_
One Week Later
Ron was restocking the skiving snack boxes at the Diagon Alley location of Weasley Wizarding Wheezes. After starting that terribly satisfying fight with Malfoy at the Sighler Ron was shacked. I can't believe Hermione's with that ferret! Although it felt great and was for a good cause, Ron was awfully depressed. Mainly at the fact that he had no way to pay his rent, but George thought this was great news. With his London, Hogsmead, Paris, and the new Barcelona store opening this weekend he needed help in the management department. He said he could trust Ron and if he screwed up he was his brother and no one would care if he hexed the hell out of him.
"Pleasant thought," said Ron aloud, as someone knocked on the front door. "We're closed!" He shouted continuing what he was doing. But the knocking continued. He sighed angrily and stopped what he was doing to answer the door, who the bloody hell is trying to purchase jokes at seven in the morning! He thought walking through the aisles to the door. When he was finally in view of the door he saw that the persistent knocker was a worried looking Angelina and he quicken his steps. "What's wrong," he asked letting her in.
"Have you seen Harry," she asked quickly.
Ron thought for a moment he hadn't realized that he hadn't seen Harry since that night they had the row with Hermione, "no, I haven't seen him in a couple weeks," have I really been that wrapped up in my own thoughts?
"I'm worried, I went into the office early this morning and I overheard Robards telling Thicknesse that Harry hasn't been to any of his lessons all week," she said in small panic.
"That's not like him, Harry wouldn't skip his training to become an Auror it's his dream," he said with wide eyes, "did you check to see if he was at home?" Angelina shook her no and said, "Give me a second and we can go."
Ron hurried to the back of the store and came back putting on his jacket. He picked up a broom that was leaning against the wall behind the counter and banged three times on the ceiling. Someone banged on the floor above twice and Ron returned the broom to its original spot.
Angelina raised an eyebrow in question, "it's to let Lee know there's no one in the shop," he responded to her look. As they exited the building Ron locked the door and muttered the security charms.
"Did you just mutter something about pie," asked Angelina a little confused.
"No," said Ron beginning to walk up the street in front of her hoping she didn't notice his ears turning red. He wasn't about to tell her that one of the spells on the building caused the intruder to be pied in the face.
She shook her head and followed, "you don't think anything happened to him do you?" She asked as they hurried along.
"Of course not," Ron tried to sound as confident as possible. I certainly hope nothing happened to him. I've been an awful friend these past two weeks I hadn't even noticed he was missing. I've been too preoccupied with the love of my life dating that death eater, Slytherin, my mortal enemy bastard Malfoy! He was so angry at the thought of Hermione and Draco he punched the air in front of him furiously.
"Are you alright," asked Angelina as she looked over at him like he was crazy.
"I'm fine," They continued up Diagon Alley towards the leaky cauldron in silence, once out onto the street they went down the first alley and disapparated to 12 Grimmauld Place.
"Harry!" Ron shouted banging on the door. "HARRY OPEN THE DOOR!" he yelled as he continued to pound.
Angelina looked around hoping the muggles couldn't hear Ron. The door slowly opened and they both turned their gazes down to see Kreacher.
"Mr. Weasley, thank goodness you've come," said Kreacher with a sigh of relief.
"What's going on," he asked as he an Angelina stepped inside.
"It' Master Potter… he's… he's…" Kreacher began sobbing.
"He's what!" Yelled Ron in a panic, he could feel sweat forming above his brow.
All Kreacher did was shake his head and cry louder. Angelina bent down to comfort him while Ron began to search every room in the house.
"Harry where are you!" He shouted opening every door, he ran up the stairs and continued to search, "Harry! Harry!" He opened the door to Harry's room and saw a dark figure lying across the bed. With a wave of his wand he turned on the light to see a fully clothed Harry lying in the bed staring at the ceiling looking as if he was petrified. From the odor in the room Ron was quite sure he hadn't showered in days.
"Harry?" He whispered as he slowly approached the bed, "what's happening?"
Harry turned his head to look at him, "she's gone," is all he said before turning back to the ceiling.
"Yes, I know that Malfoy git has taken Hermione away but…"
"Not Hermione… Ginny," he gasped and closed his eyes tightly as if the pain of her leaving just occurred seconds ago.
"Ginny's gone? Gone where? What did you do to my sister Potter?" Asked Ron heatedly
"Nothing"
Ron reached down and grabbed Harry by the collar violently and began to shake him.
"I found out what…. OH! What reeks?" Said Angelina covering her nose as she entered the room, "What are you doing?" She questioned angrily walking over and yanking Ron's hands from Harry's neck as soon as she noticed their placement.
Harry fell back into his original position as if nothing had happened, "let him kill me, life isn't worth living anymore."
"He did something to my sister!"
"Ginny left Harry," explained Angelina cautiously, "Kreacher told me that she packed her bags to leave last Wednesday as usual and never came back."
"What exactly did Potter do to have her not come back?" Ron said poking Harry in the arm.
"I don't know," he whined, "I can't understand women… All I wanted was an ordinary life. A wife… my dream job… friends, is that really so much to ask for?"
"No, but I fail to understand how you wanting those things would make Ginny leave. You have all that," reasoned Angelina.
"Well…" Harry shifted uncomfortably, "I might have said that… umm, she a… draws too much attention for me to be able to have a normal life."
"She has gotten to popular for her own good, even more than before. Have you seen the way the men drool over the photos of her," pointed out Ron with a sneer.
"Oh my god, I can't believe you two! First of all Ginny can't help that she's attractive not to mention you two do the same thing to every beautiful woman you see…"
"That's different!" interrupted Ron.
"No it's not! You just feel that way because it's your sister, the same way the brother's of the girls you stare at feel. Oh and may I point out Harry Potter the boy who lived!" stressed Angelina, "you're the one who draws all the attention, Ginny probably would only get noticed half as much if she wasn't married to you!"
"You can't blame the man for wanting some peace and quiet. He's had a hard life slaying dragons and saving the world," defended Ron.
"You'll say anything to pull your sister out of the sight of men," Angelina rolled her eyes.
"She should be grateful she has people who care enough to be concerned. You would think after everything Harry's been through she would just respect his wishes," retorted Ron
"Your right," Harry said sitting up
"Who's right, this male sexist pig" Angelina raised an eyebrow in question, while pointing her thumb at Ron.
"Ron, she has been ungrateful, I'm in this marriage too and I didn't say a thing as she jets about the world, so the least she could do is let me have some peace! Maybe this separation will be good for us," declared Harry rising to his feet.
"Yeah! Were men and we don't need our women folk being around! If Ginny wants to be a git and Hermione wants to dance with the devil let them! They'll come crawling back soon enough," Harry nodded in agreement to Ron's proclamation.
Angelina shook her head in shame, "let me know how that works out for you. In the mean time Harry you need to go in for training before you get sacked."
"Oh right, I forgot about that," he started for the door.
"Harry, you might want to shower first," said Angelina scrunching her nose.
"Yeah mate, I'm going to have to agree with her on that one," nodded Ron, Harry made a U-turn for the bathroom.
_GINNY'S FLAT_
Later that night
Holyhead
"So you just walked out?" Asked Demelza, she and Luna were having dinner at Ginny's house.
"I didn't just walk out, I said something…"
"I don't understand…"
"Well you don't have to…"
"What did he do or did you do something…"
"I didn't do a thing!" Demelza and Ginny bickered back and forth quickly. The three girls were sitting on the floor around Ginny's coffee table since she didn't own chairs to actually go with her kitchen table. They were eating Chinese out of the carton that Ginny purchased from "Duo Dragons" the muggle Chinese food place on the corner, on her way home from Quidditch practice.
"Ginny why'd you leave Harry," Luna silenced the bickering
She sighed and put down her chopsticks, "I think I'm too young to be married"
"I could have told you that," stated Demelza
Ginny threw some Lo Mein at her. "Thank you so much for your support!"
"You have my full support, love beats age," she said pulling Lo Mein out of her short black bob. "I just don't believe in marriage under the age of thirty, I think you should party out your formative years," she smiled as Ginny rolled her eyes.
"She's right," Luna agreed. Demelza and Ginny both looked at Luna surprised
"You think I should have partied out my formative years," Ginny asked in disbelief.
"Well not necessarily, I just think that you should have had a chance to see what's out there date around a bit. You never really dated anybody else…."
"Hey!" Ginny interrupted, "I dated other people!"
"Starter boyfriends," interjected Demelza.
"All I'm saying," Luna continued, "is that this is your first serious relationship. You never had time to practice so things maybe a bit more difficult."
"That's true, maybe if you had more time to practice, your blowjobs would be more satisfactory," laughed Demelza as she ducked out of the way of Ginny's flying Moo Shu Pork. "Harry would be too sprung to piss you off!"
"Maybe she should take lessons from you, that seems to be your area of expertise" Luna laughed.
"Thank you very much," Demelza smiled proudly
Luna shook her head shamefully, "Wait, Ginny do you even do that?"
"That's beside the point," Ginny began turning red, "I am not about describe my sex life to you two."
"Yeah right," Demelza commented knowing good and well they have discussed more personal things then that before as Luna raised a questioning eyebrow thinking the same thing.
"Alright!" Ginny through her hands in the air giving up as her two friends smiled and leaned in, "yes I…. you know and I haven't heard any complaints."
"Is Harry any good in bed," asked Demelza, "I mean he has a huge ego…."
"He does not!" Defended Ginny
"Yes he does," Luna, agreed, "he may be a nice guy but that whole hero thing has gone to his head."
"You think he's over compensating?"
"Yes!" They answered in unison, Ginny chuckled, "He isn't, it's not like I have anything to compare it to but…." She smiled mischievously. "The standard is three orgasms."
Luna nodded her head pleased as she picked up her wine glass and took a sip, "Oh, that's nothing try having seven," Demelza commented as Luna spit her wine across the table. They all began to laugh
"I Thought She Knew" Nsync
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