Chapter: Conversations.
Without a doubt I was being plagued by what happened last week. Since overhearing Ginny the only thing that I could hear when I closed my eyes was her voice gasping my name. I had spent a good deal of time reviewing that moment by myself. Of course when I say reviewing I mean… Well I'm sure you can guess what I meant. I've been harder than a diamond in an ice storm. I honestly feel like I'm going through puberty again. I can't understand what is going on. No one has ever affected me the way that she has. Ever since I first recognized that I loved her, the mere mention of her, the smell of her perfume, anything had me enthralled. Now it was intensified, mainly because it was the first time in my life I'd been denied the one thing I really wanted, her.
My heart beat with new possibilities. Her unknown admission that she was still thinking about me gave me new hope that someday, somehow we would be together again. Even after her attempt to get closure from me, the closure that I absolutely couldn't give. It was pulsing through my veins, my heart contracting to the sound of her name. Ginny. Ginny. Ginny.
If I hadn't been going insane before, now I was stark raving mad. If I didn't find some sort of sanity soon they were going to open a room for me in Mungo's permanently. I could recognize how out of character I had been acting, how all consumed my thoughts were. I couldn't focus during the dozens of ministry interviews I have had, I could barely focus when I was trying to be a decent best man for Ron. My parents' house was coming along but with deadlines for permits and the rest of the things that needed to be done it felt like I was never going to be able to accomplish. Somehow I managed to get the renovation permits approved through the ministry and I had a sinking suspicion that it as because I was Harry Potter. I turned them in a week past the deadline!
I was losing it.
I was completely barmy. No doubt about it.
I thought that working on this house would be a minor distraction. As I tore down a few boards and my mind circled right back around to where it always had been. I knew that I wasn't going to be getting anywhere today. I threw my hands down in a huff.
"You done already?" I had completely forgotten that Neville was here.
"I'm just going to take a break."
"Do you mind if I take some of this?" His hand motioned towards a shriveled black plant growing from the floor. I nodded, why the hell not? I was just going to toss it in the rubbish heap anyway. A grin spread across his face as he pulled out a plastic bag and began carefully grabbing the plants. "You know this is deadly night Shade. It only grows where there has been violent death. It's considered a bad omen you know."
A bad omen you say? I almost had to laugh at that.
I've had my fair share of those in my day.
Neville twisted around with a look of horror on his face. "I'm sorry Harry, I totally forgot." He motioned towards the graves just barely visible from the window before us. I let my eyes caress the figures of my mother and father, though I had known their faces for a long time now, they still felt like strangers to me. I had never really known them. It's funny to miss someone you never really knew.
My eyes flicked back to my friend looking guilty for something he had no control over. Sometimes I forgot that I wasn't completely alone. Neville lost his parents too, Neville who fought beside me without a single doubt to our cause. Without a single complaint. He was a braver man than I was, a better man. I envied him for the strength he had.
"An Auror with a penchant for plants. Never thought I'd see the day." I picked up the crowbar and moved to resume my task of tearing down the half erect wall.
"I don't know Harry…" A rotted board sprang free from the wall and I tossed it to the center of the room. I had to admit my curiosity was peaked.
"What's up Neviile?"
"…it's just that I took the job at the office because that's what everyone was doing. Ron did it, Seamus did it, hell even Hannah did it for a while. It's just now… I took the job because I felt like I had too, you know. Like I was obligated."
I tore off another board. Yeah, I knew all about that…
"Now, I just don't know if it's what I want to do anymore."
"Have you considered just telling them to stuff it and doing something that you like?" He finished collecting his night shade and moved to my left to help me with the wall.
"I don't even know what I would do."
I stayed silent for a few moments letting my mind wander with different possibilities. "What about your things with plants. You've always loved that sort of thing."
Neville stalled as he mulled over my suggestion.
"Like a professor?"
"Sure, why not. There are tons of apothecary places, and you need different plants for all different types of potions and medicines. It's actually a pretty high demand job if you think about it."
"I don't know… do you think, well do you think I'd be good at it?" I could see the uncertainty shining in his eyes as he looked at me, shoulders slouched down. I gave him a light clap on the shoulder.
"Are you kidding me, you would be the best professor out there. The kids wouldn't even know what to do." He gave me a grin but shrugged his shoulders tearing off a piece of siding.
"Who knows?"
I was relieved that at that moment, with one of my closest friends. One who had stood by me and forgiven me for my mistakes, I felt at piece. I didn't really want it to end.
"So what's going on in your world? Anything new? "
He shrugged again as we both took places on either side of the window and leaned it out. "Not really, been spending a lot of time at the Leaky lately."
My eyebrows shot up. "I didn't really take you as the one for heavy drinking."
"Nah, I'll drink a bit of ale now and again but I mind my pints. It's just that, well, Hannah works there."
"Yeah? How has she been? I know you said she worked as an Auror for a bit after Hogwarts but…"
Then it hit me.
"MERLIN! You Fancy her!" It had been a long time since I'd seen Neville Longbottom blush. "Have you asked her out yet?" His face bloomed with another Red flush. "Come on Neville what have you been doing at the Leaky if you haven't been putting on some moves."
"I haven't really gotten the courage to ask her just yet."
I was flabbergasted. Neville Longbottom, still a bit insecure over a bird. Who would have thought.
"We're just going to have to do something about that Mate." I threw down my crowbar and began taking off of my gloves, making my companion follow suit.
"You'll help me?" He grinned sheepishly setting his things in the toolbox.
"Of course. In fact, I think I'm ready for a pint right now." Neville's flushed face drained of color as I grabbed his arm and apparated ourselves to the alleyway outside of the Leaky cauldron. Four pep talks and eight different run through's of getting to play Hannah I had finally managed to convince Neville to follow me indoors. ("It won't kill you, act natural or she's going to know something is up!")
As we came in through the front doors and the occupants of the dingy pub recognized who we were the noise stopped. Then slowly low whispers echoed around between customers.
I hated it when that happened. I gritted my teeth as I pushed Neville towards the bar.
He tripped forward. I lunged backwards behind a column as he managed to catch himself on the bar right in front of where Hannah was polishing some glasses. She caught his gaze, giving him a huge smile. "Hi Neville, how are you doing today?' Her smile must have stunned him, because he stared at her in a mixture of horror and awe. Hannah's smile slowly slid from her face as she looked at Neville, morphing to obvious concern. Come on big guy, you can do this. Another few moments passed. "Are you alright?" More silence.
Say something Neville! You are drowning here!
A chair scraped against the ground shaking the poor guy from his trance. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Sorry. Yeah."
More silence. "Well would you like something to drink?"
More silence.
"Wouldyouliketoeatfood?" My hand flew on its own to my face. It was a touch too hard, now my forehead stung from where I let out my disbelief. EAT Food? What are you Ron? This was going bad. This was very bad.
"Eat food?" Hannah was confused, and rightly so, poor girl had no idea what was going on. Neville was acting like a total Loony. He was doing fine outside when we practiced! "I just had my lunch?"
Neville's back sagged and I could tell he knew that this was an epic failure. I sent up one more tiny prayer that he would suddenly find some sort of game and be able to ask her out. "Right." He said, I couldn't see his face, I almost didn't want to. I made him come here after all. Guilt washed over me. "Of course, yeah, you aren't hungry of course. I'm just….I'm just going to go…" And like that he turned to leave.
He made it three steps before she called after him.
"But I'm free Friday night." My eyebrows flew up into my hair. Neville had whipped around and was looking at Hannah again. She had an encouraging smile on her face and was looking at him through lowered eyelashes.
She was totally into him right now!
"Friday it is then."
"I'm off work at seven."
When I finally met him around the corner, the smile plastered across his face was uncontrollable. "She said yes huh?" He didn't answer but the look on his face said it all.
We walked out the door once again joining the bustling London sidewalks. "Now you just need to figure what to do for your first date." Neville's grin disappeared and I recognized the premature signs of panic all over his face. Why, why did I not just keep my mouth shut?
I had moved the location of my couch four times now. I had been plagued with dreams of Harry doing deliciously wicked things to me for a week and I could barely take it. I had tried everything, but nothing stopped him from coming, or me from coming in my dreams. Then waking up and making myself come because my body was on fire.
It wasn't fair. I was in no way fucking fair.
Now I had decided that the only way to remove the emerald eyed bastard from my dreams was to unobstruct the flow through my flat. Desperate times called for Feng Shui measures. I didn't really even know what that meant but I was willing to try anything. Anything to get some decent sleep.
If this didn't work then…
Then I was going to have to jump on the dating wagon again.
Because I needed to get laid.
It won't help. The thought echoed around me. Like some sick messed up Jiminy Cricket conscious telling me that it wouldn't stop until I gave up and climbed Harry like a tree.
Well guess what conscious. Fuck you.
I was in control of myself. Of my emotions. Of my feelings.
Who was I kidding? I was debating on buying a fountain this morning to add a water element to my place.
I was going barmy.
Perhaps the couch would be better against the other wall….
"Hello?"
I screamed bloody murder. My wand was in my hands in seconds as it pointed towards the voice.
Well speak of the goddamn devil.
"How the hell did you get this grate?'
Harry's stared back at me from the coals in my fireplace. At least he had the smarts to look sheepish.
"Your mum gave it to me. I kind of need your help with something. Do you mind coming around the burrow tomorrow?' My mind began to race. Should I do this? Shouldn't I be keeping my distance? Wasn't there anyone else he could possibly call?
"I don't know…"
"Please Ginny, this is actually pretty important, I didn't know who else to ask."
"Are you going to let me in on what it is I'm helping you with?" His face turned to the side and I could tell someone was talking to him.
"I can't really say right now but I promise it's important." It had to do with the wedding, right? Why else would he have called me for whatever he needed? Sometimes, I really hated having to be the Maid of Honor.
"Okay. I'll be there at four."
"Thanks Gin! I owe you one."
His face disappeared and I tried not to think about him, or what in the world he might want me to do tomorrow.
You know on second thought, I think putting the couch by the window would work the best.
A/N: Hi everyone. Excuse me while I dodge any possible projectiles coming my way from your anger! I know it's been forever since I updated. I've been insanely busy. You honestly wouldn't believe me if I told you.
A JKsavedmylife reviewed my story telling me how much they needed a new chapter so voila. I forced this one out. Seriously. But in good news I think that I have gotten over the hurdle of my writers block now! I have a lot ideas for the next couple of chapters. Plus I have been able to carve out a little bit of time from my schedule that I can dedicate to writing.
AWESOMENESS! I think so! I know I don't deserve it, but. PLEASE REVIEW! I miss you all.
Also if you like The Vampire Diaries. I have started writing my first Non Harry Potter Fan Fiction. It's actually rather frightening.