On the same day that Hermione and Lucius were jetting toward America, Harry stood in the doorway of his bedroom watching Ginny pack. She'd received an owl from the Holyhead Harpies, who'd reviewed her record on the Gryffindor quidditch team and had accorded her a spot in their month-long training camp.
"I think that's everything," Ginny said quietly as she snapped her trunk closed. "I've brought more than enough stuff for the entire month."
After reducing it with a wave of her wand, she sat down on the bed, looking up at Harry with an earnest expression. "I'm truly sorry that things have turned out so bad between us, Harry," she said in a soft voice.
"So am I," he said heavily. "I never expected it to be like this."
"I really do love you, you know," she told him in a matter-of-fact voice. "But I think we probably would have been better off if we'd waited a few years to get married. Now that the war has been over for awhile, things have changed and I've realized that there are so many more things I want to do."
"Fine time to realize that," he grumbled, thinking of James. "I suppose you're right. But I don't regret being together because we'd not have had James otherwise."
"Mum really pushed the idea of us getting married," Ginny admitted. "She's always wanted me to live my life just as she has. You know how Mum gets when she's made up her mind about something. There's just no stopping her."
"How well I know that," Harry said ruefully. "She's like a runaway freight train."
Frowning at the unfamiliar reference, Ginny quickly added, "There's nothing wrong with the way she's lived her life, but there's nothing wrong with wanting other things, either."
"I never said there was," he retorted, his tone somewhat testy.
"Mum means well," Ginny said. "But Dad has learned just to stay out of her way and let her think she's had the last word, even when he goes off and does what he was planning to do, anyway."
"Yes, I've noticed him doing that many times," Harry acknowledged. Changing the subject, he said, "Perhaps this separation will do us some good. It will clear the air a bit and allow us both to do a bit of thinking about what we really want out of life."
"I was thinking the same thing," Ginny said. "I'll be able to think about us better without my Mum giving me her opinion every two minutes and telling me what to do."
Harry considered Molly to be the biggest catalyst of the problems between them, but merely nodded rather than voicing his opinion aloud.
After a moment, he stood and walked over to get something he'd hidden behind the dresser. "I bought you something to take to training camp with you," he told her. "Close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you to."
He waited until Ginny had obeyed, then retrieved a long, skinny, wrapped package that he'd disillusioned. Walking quietly over to her, he placed the package into her waiting hands, then removed the disillusionment with a flick of his wand.
"You can open your eyes now," Harry told her.
"Oh, Harry, you've bought me a broom!" Ginny exclaimed as she tore the wrapping off. Taking a quick look at the broom, she gasped in surprise. "And not just any broom, either! I've never seen one like this!" Examining it more closely, she saw the Nimbus logo at the end of the broom, but it wasn't any model she was familiar with.
"It's a prototype," he told her. "Nimbus made it to my specifications, actually. I've tested it and it would absolutely blow my old Firebolt out of the water. And they are quite interested in seeing how it works for you during training. Based on how you and I rate it, they plan to release it within a year or two as the Nimbus Tornado."
Ginny was stunned by Harry's unselfish generosity, considering all the problems they'd been having recently. Despite it all, Harry still knew how to give the perfect gift at just the right time.
"I love it," she said quietly, carefully placing it on the bed before getting up to give Harry a kiss on the cheek. "You know, you didn't have to do this. My old Cleansweep 11 would have been perfectly sufficient."
"I wanted to," Harry said quietly. "If you're going to go through with this, I want you to do it right, so it won't all be a useless waste. If you want to be part of the Holyhead Harpies, then be the best damned Harpy you can be."
"I will," she vowed. "You can be sure of that. The Harpies won't know what hit them."
Suddenly feeling awkward, she said, "Well. I suppose it's nearly time for me to go. The train leaves in about an hour."
"I'll go with you and see you off," Harry told her. "We'll just drop James off with Andromeda and he can spend a couple of hours with Teddy today."
"Well, you know Mum is going to be there," Ginny warned. "And she's still pretty angry at you."
"I don't care," Harry shot back. "I have to right to see my wife off on a trip!" After a pause, he added, "And I'm sure your Dad won't let things get too much out of hand."
"Suit yourself," Ginny said, shrugging indifferently.
"I will!" Harry answered, his tone testy.
Twenty minutes later, the couple arrived at the train station, which was busy with muggles of all varieties hurrying to meet their trains.
Harry headed directly to Platform 9 3/4 until Ginny called out, "The ticket says I should take Platform 10 1/2, which should be the barrier directly opposite 9 3/4."
"I didn't know the wizarding world had more than one platform here," Harry said. "I learn something new every day."
"I didn't know myself," Ginny admitted. "Mum and Dad always use the floo, portkey, or apparition to get anywhere."
After looking to make sure that no muggles were watching, they slipped through the barrier opposite the usual one without incident. A bottle-green replica of the Hogwarts Express stood waiting on the tracks, with young women and their families bustling toward the train with their brooms and baggage.
Almost immediately, they spotted Molly and Arthur Weasley waiting on a bench near the barrier.
"There you are!" Molly brayed at Ginny. "I'd almost thought you'd come to your senses and decided to give up on this silly whim of yours."
"No, Mum," Ginny said quietly. "It's what I want to do, and I'm going to do it while I have the chance."
Turning on Harry, the older woman said, "And I'm sure you egged her on to do this. I wouldn't be surprised if you just want to get her out of the house so you can bring other women home!"
After a pause, she noted for the first time that James wasn't with them. "Where's my grandson?" she demanded. "I certainly hope that you weren't so stupid as to leave James with the Malfoys!"
"I don't think it's any of your business whom I chose to mind my son," Harry said, rolling his eyes at her, his voice dripping with frost.
Seeing that the situation was rapidly deteriorating, Ginny told her mother, "If you really must know, he's spending the afternoon with Teddy Lupin and Mrs Tonks!"
"Molly, you promised you'd not bring up uncomfortable topics today," Arthur reminded her in a low voice. "Ginny is going to go whether you like it or not, so let's give her a nice sendoff."
"I know, but I just can't help it when I see something that needs to be corrected!" she shot back. "I feel as if I'm a bad mother if I just let it go."
"Sometimes, being a good mother means recognizing when your children have grown up and are old enough to make their choices -- and mistakes," he told her gently. "I know it's hard, but you've got to let Ginny fly from the nest."
Harry gave Arthur a grateful look as he was successful in defusing Molly in mid-rant, and wondered why he didn't do it more often.
Ginny noticed that the platform was nearly empty. "I'd better get on the train before it leaves without me!" she said, pointing, eager to escape further conflict.
"Owl me every day," Molly told her, bringing her daughter in for a bear hug. "And make sure to eat right and get plenty of rest."
"What your mother said," Arthur said gruffly.
"Don't forget, I'll be bringing James down for a visit," Harry told her. After giving her a brief peck on the cheek, he said, "Take care of yourself!"
Harry did not wait for the train to pull out of the station, but left immediately after Ginny disappeared onto the train. He had better things to do than argue with Molly Weasley all afternoon.
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A/N Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate it!
Next chapter yet to be named