Author's Notes:
I'm sorry it's taken so long. Life has gotten in the way. I was visiting with family and then school started. I know I know- no excuses. But here it is, with MANY THANKS to MinistryMalcontent, my beta.
Harry looked into the pensieve that Dumbledore had left him, observing the memory of that morning five years ago, almost to the day. He tried to make sense of what Ginny had said. "What did I do to you, Harry? What did I do?" Harry wondered why she had been so flummoxed, why she had seemed so, broken. She was the one who had hurt him.
He produced the memory of the night before that, and the evening before that. He dived into the pensieve, suppressing the shudder that wanted to race through his body as he felt the icy depths.
Harry eyed his hair, trying to decide what to do with it. Should he glamour it completely, or should he just put highlights in it? He decided to put gold streaks in his hair. He muttered the incantation, then turned his attention his eyes. They were much too green. He decided not to change them, because Ginny had always told him how much she liked the color. He grabbed the muggle concealer, and the powder foundation he had bought with a fiver. He rubbed it all over his scar, and could finally barely tell it was there. His tell-tale scar was covered, and no one could even finite it.
He finally stopped examining himself in the looking glass, in order to pick out what to wear. He didn't want to appear under or overdressed. Are you a girl now, Potter? he asked himself.
He finally threw on a dark green button down shirt, hoping for her to notice his effort. He pulled on a pair of black trousers, absent-mindedly wondering whether he should wear his trainers.
He decided to wear the trainers, as Ginny probably wouldn't notice anyways. He smiled at himself in the mirror.
"Look at that handsome bloke," he told himself. "Ginny will love him."
He hoped she would.
He skipped the cologne Hermione had given him for his seventeenth birthday, instead opting for the au naturale smell. Ginny had once told him that without cologne he smelled like bread and pine. He didn't know how that happened, but didn't argue, because she smelled like wildflowers, and he knew for a fact that she didn't use that scent in her shampoo.
He tried to calm his hair down, but as always, it didn't work. He smiled at himself in the mirror, but it came more like the grin of a goblin.
He walked out of the hotel, making sure he had the room key in his pocket. No one could know he was a wizard.
He continued to walk to the pub where he was to meet Ginny. He walked in, deciding to wait until she arrived to order his drink. He sat down on a bar stool, observing the other patrons.
They all looked like drunk muggles to him. He smiled in spite of himself. At least they weren't drunk wizards, as drunk wizards tended to forget the privacy statutes. Not that he had any authority over that, of course.
His thoughts strayed to Voldemort, and the horcruxes he had managed to hunt down so far. Back in his sixth year, he never would have believed that it would take this long to hunt them down. It didn't help that he was the most wanted wizard in Britain, and anyone who aided him would either be killed or sent to Azkaban. Or worse, tortured for information.
The ministry had fallen halfway through what would have been his seventh year, and Voldemort had become the Minister of Magic. He had made Bellatrix Lestrange head of the department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Snape head of the Aurors.
Harry couldn't go anywhere himself. He even had bought himself a pair of muggle contacts. He lived as a muggle, going from hotel to hotel with Ron and Hermione, each wearing a new disguise each time. They always had different names, and always paid in paper. No one could trace them this way. Sometimes they would take a break, and go somewhere they knew contained no horcruxes, just in case someone had caught on. But no one ever had.
He watched as the door opened, and in came Ginny. He stood up from his stool, smiling at her. She glanced at his hair questioningly. "It's just a glamour, muggles do this to their hair all the time."
She nodded as if she knew this already.
"I missed you," he said, looking into her brown eyes.
She smiled at him, and his heart felt as if he was meeting her for the first time. "I missed you too, Harry."
He pulled her to his chest and hugged her. Her warmth made him feel like he was doing the right thing. Her warmth made him want to end it all, right then. She looked up at him and he leaned down and kissed her. It was nothing like their first kiss. It was loving, and needy.
They stopped kissing and went to sit down at the bar. The bartender looked at them questioningly. "One whiskey please," Harry said. "And erm... one-"
"Beer," Ginny inserted, smiling at him. The bartender slid the glass of whiskey down the bar and Harry caught it easily. Harry noticed her eyeing him, but refrained from asking the question that nagged at him. Instead he decided to change the subject.
Harry pulled out a picture of last years Christmas. "Your mum sent this to me through Dobby. I wished I could have been there with you."
The picture was worn, even though it had only been taken a little more than six months ago. Ginny was smiling in the picture, as were her mum and dad. They all looked like grimaces, though.
"Oh. I wished you were there too, Harry. I wished everyone could have been there. I was the only one with a Weasley sweater."
The bartender sent down Ginny's beer, and Harry felt pride well up in him. His girl didn't get tipsy with just one shot of whiskey.
Harry put his hand into hers, hoping she didn't reject him. He took a swig of his whiskey nervously.
"Can I have a sip?" She asked.
He smiled and held his cup out to her.
She drank it. "It's not nearly as strong as firewhiskey," she said.
"I know. Not nearly as intoxicating either. Dead useful," he said.
Harry set a few pounds on the counter, and drained his whiskey. "You wanna go to Harrods?"
"What's that?" She asked.
"It's a store, you'll love it," he said, remembering the countless levels, and all of the unique things they had.
They walked to the store, and Harry hoped it wasn't closed. Luckily, it wasn't. They walked in, and he pulled her through the various rooms.
"It'd be easy to get lost in here," he told her. He'd been to this store once with Ron and Hermione when they had been throwing anyone off of their scent.
When they were done, and Harry had brought her a few things. He tried to concentrate on his hotel room as they kissed in the alley. He didn't want to splinch them. They continued to kiss, he began to unhook her bra, and she began to unbutton his trousers. He moaned into her mouth, and then, they fell onto the bed.
The next morning, Harry woke up at seven. He moved towards the mirror, and noticed his glamour had worn off. He charmed them back onto his hair and decided to surprise Ginny with breakfast.
He walked a long time before he found a restaurant that he thought she might like, and served breakfast. He walked in, and noticed right away that it might not be the type of restaurant where he could buy breakfast to go. He decided to ask the hostess when she came back from seating the people who had walked in right before he had.
When she returned, she noticed that she was eyeing him. He looked down, wondering if he'd forgotten shoes or something. But he hadn't. He shrugged mentally, and proceeded to ask her, "Do you have food available to-go?"
"Sorry sir," she said, "but we don't."
"Right, thanks… Do you know anywhere that does?"
She pondered the question. "There is a McDonald's about five minutes away, and I believe there is a coffee shop somewhere on the next block."
"Thank you, miss," he said.
"You're welcome," she said. She waved, but he was already in the process of heading for the door.
He walked until he saw the coffee shop, which had actually been ten minutes away. He ordered a few pastries, and had bought Ginny chamomile tea in the café's to-go cup. He bought himself a cup of coffee, taking a sip now and then on the long walk back to the hotel. He didn't want to be as reckless with Apparation as he had been the night before.
When he got back, he dropped the bag and cups he'd been carrying. The hotel room was empty. "Ginny?" he called. No one answered. He walked around the room, even checking in the shower and under the bed. She was no where to be found. What if Death Eaters had found her? He muttered a quick evanesco to banish the food he'd bought them.
He knocked on Ron and Hermione's adjoining door. "Guys, are you awake?"
He heard some scurrying around, and Hermione opened the door. "Harry, you're up early."
"I- I just wanted to make sure you two were okay."
"Did you have a nightmare?" she asked, concerned.
"Er, yeah, I did," he said, running his hands through his hair. If the Death Eaters had found him, they would have raided Ron ad Hermione's room as well. Had Ginny left voluntarily? Something broke inside of him.
"Well, we're alright Harry. Why don't you get some more sleep?" she asked.
"Yeah- yeah, good idea," he muttered.
She smiled at him, in what he guessed was supposed to be comforting or reassuring. Harry closed the door, grimacing at her. He walked towards the bed, and sank into it, his head in his hands.
Harry was expelled from the memory, and left to wonder once again why Ginny had seemed to think everything was his fault.
A few weeks later found Ginny trying to get on with her life. She had found out the day after Harry had accosted her that his engagement to Cho had been called off. Now she wasn't going after him, hoping against hope that he didn't hate her. She hoped that maybe he'd just need time, but she came to understand that if he hated her, she'd have to grin and bear it, because she did not blame him.
She walked down the refrigerated aisle of the supermarket, trying to decide if she really needed to buy the cream cheese.
She looked up, and there was Harry. He was examining a carton of eggs. She wondered what was so interesting about it, but began panicking a moment later. What if he saw her? She looked away pointedly, as if that would really stop him from seeing her.
She could suddenly feel Harry's eyes on her, but he didn't approach her. She sighed in relief when she no longer felt his eyes on her.
Ginny had examined her own feelings for him over the last few weeks, when she had time. Mia had helped her, because somehow Mia always knew what to say, and how to say it. She'd realized all of these things, and wondered what else she'd realize with even more time. She worried about it. Revelations and realizations always shook her up.
SNSNSNSNSN
Hermione walked into the Ministry, happy that Harry had finally spoken to her. She felt as if her life were complete again. She had her family, and now both of her best friends.
She walked past Stan Shunpike, wondering how he had even gotten a job at the Ministry. She figured that maybe the Knight Bus had only been a part time job while he worked on studying for his second bout of NEWTs.
She entered the lift, and noticed that Draco Malfoy was also entering from the Floo Room. "Hello Draco," she said pleasantly. She tried not to let her feelings over his part in her argument with Harry cloud her features.
"Hermione," he said. It seemed to her as if he had difficulty using her first name.
"Have you been well?" she asked.
"Yes, I have, thanks. You?"
"I've been as well as I could be."
"What's that mean?" he asked curiously.
"What does what mean?"
"Usually when someone says that, they're dealing with something," he explained.
"Oh, well I'm not."
"Alright," he said. "I think this is out stop."
Hermione noticed that he was right, and they continued to walk down the corridor side by side. Hermione almost felt like they were friends, until they parted ways without saying a word.
SNSNSNSN
Harry Apparated into the Ministry, ready for work. He sighed, still brooding over everything. Usually, he would not brood. Ginny Weasley seemed to bring out the moody teenager in him, however.
He wondered, not for the first time, whether they would ever be able to be together again. He continued onto the lift, hoping to avoid both Hermione and Draco.
He pressed the button for his floor, and waited a few minutes for the lift doors to close. He wondered why wizards had decided to use lifts (as they were a muggle invention), but not all of the other inventions, such as computers, cars, tapes, televisions, and telephones. Even the ballpoint pen. But they only used the lift and the radio.
He shook his head as he exited onto his floor, continuing to his office.
He managed to get to his office successfully without Hermione bothering him. Mission complete, he thought.
SNSNSNSN
Ginny flooed to the locker rooms at the Practice Pitch. It was her fourth week as a Harpy, and soon the matches would begin. The first match would be against the Catapults. She grinned in anticipation. She couldn't wait to see the look on McLaggen's face when she scored on him for the first time.
She remembered him from her school days. She had no idea how he had gotten signed to the Catapults, because he could not even manage to get on the Gryffindor team. She didn't give him much more thought as she changed into her robes and threw on all of her pads.
She wrinkled her nose at the smell of sweat in them, and muttered a quick scourgify. She had always been good at cleaning charms, even back in her fourth year.
Mia was already out on the pitch when she entered, catching the practice snitch. "Hey Mims!" she called.
"Hola!" Mia called back.
"How long have you been here?" Ginny asked.
"Um… about an hour."
"Why?"
"It's good exercise. I ran around the field as well," she explained.
"Why?" Ginny asked, flummoxed.
"Because otherwise I'd get fat. Quidditch won't keep me in shape well. I discovered that in high school."
"So you run?"
"You say that as if it's a bad thing!"
"Well, I'm allergic to running."
"Ginny, if you were as committed as I, you would be even better."
Ginny considered throwing the Quaffle at Mia, but decided she didn't want to injure their seeker before their first game.
"I'm diggin' these robes," Mia said.
Ginny thought about the word- diggin'. What a strange word.
"Like you're 'diggin'' Draco?" Ginny asked.
Mia actually blushed, "How'd you know?"
"I could see it that night. And when we ran into him in Diagon Alley," Ginny scrutinized. "You've never blushed like you've blushed regarding him."
Mia blushed harder, but ended up grinning sheepishly.
"See!"
It reminded Ginny of when she and Harry had first began their relationship in her fifth year. The last week, she'd stopped analyzing her actions, and just regretted that she had done what she had.
SNSNSNSN
Cho wandered about Diagon Alley, wondering how her life had gone so off-course. She'd had a plan- one that had involved Harry. But ever since Ginny had come back, she could sense his unrest in their relationship. Normally, she would not have given him up so easily, but she'd always suspected that his heart belonged to Ginny Weasley.
She had been right, too. Part of her dreaded watching them get together, but part of her looked forward to it. Harry would finally be happy. Truly happy. Not just content, but joyful. And if he ever needed her advice, she'd be there.
She knew that the Weasley's saw her as a villain, and she supposed that she hadn't helped by being foul and controlling. It was how she'd always been. Dramatic, but beautiful. Like her Patronus. However, she hoped that soon they'd see the real Cho. Not the nasty one she showed them.
She wondered how long it would take them. Knowing him, months or years.
SNSNSNSN
Ginny sighed as she once again missed a shot. "Weasley! Get down here!" Gwenog Jones called.
Ginny huffed and dove towards the ground. "I know, Gwenog. I know."
"Are you sure?" Gwenog asked. "You're missing an awful lot of goals lately."
"I'm sorry. I've just been distracted, I promise I'll get together," she promised. She meant it, maybe if she stopped worrying about her relationship with Harry she would be good again.
"Good, I'd hate to kick you off the team so soon, Weasley."
"Me too," Ginny muttered.
"Now get back in the air, and show me you can play."
Ginny took off in the air, putting all thought out of her head except the ecstasy of flying.
SNSNSNSNSN
Hermione Apparated into her home, wondering what she should cook for dinner. It was her night to cook. "Maybe I should make Shepherd's Pie," she muttered.
"Ron, are you home?" she called.
"Out here, 'Mione!"
Hermione followed the sound of Ron's voice, and found him in the back garden, playing with Arthur. She smiled, a warm feeling coming over her heart. The feeling often did, when she saw her two boys.
"How are my men today?" she asked, picking Arthur up and kissing him on the cheek.
"Well, according to Hannah, he was great at daycare. He ate all his lunch, and slept all the way through naptime."
"I'm so proud of you, sweetie!" she told her son.
"Mumma!" he smiled. "Miss you!"
"I missed you too, sweetie," she smiled.
She put him down, and walked over to Ron. "I missed you, too, Mr. Weasley!"
"And I you, Mrs. Weasley," he said, leaning in for a kiss.
She met him halfway, and then heard an "ew" emit from Arthur.
She laughed. "What do you want for dinner, Little Man?"
SNSNSNSN
Ginny pulled off her shin pads, sighing in relief as air hit her skin. It felt so much better than the sweat that had enveloped her legs previously.
She ran a brush through her red locks, smiling at the pulling sensation on her scalp. She decided to brush her fringe into the rest of her hair for the day, and cast a cleaning charm to rid her of all of her sweat.
She walked out of the changing rooms, in her normal black robes.
"Ginny! Wait up!"
She turned, noticing Mia for the first time.
"Are you alright, Gin?" Mia asked.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Ginny asked.
"Well, Gwenog yelled at you. And you've had this unthinking expression on your face."
"I'm fine," Ginny said.
"If you say so," Mia muttered.
Ginny glared at her friend, but then decided to plow through the conversation. "Do you have anything to do?"
"Nope," her friend said, "You?"
"Nah. You want to go to a Cinema? We can stop by a flat, and we'll change into muggle clothes."
"Works for me," Mia said.
Without another word, they both popped out of existence.