I am trying my utmost to keep both of these worlds as cannon as possible, but the fact that I'm mucking a bit with the timeline makes it difficult.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, and bow down to the superiority of my Lord and Lady, Chris Carter and J.K. Rowling.

Please enjoy, and comment often!

CH 2

One week earlier

A bat-bogey hex heralded her arrival, after the first idiot decided to question her identity. She hadn't had time to remove her disguise, as slight as it might be. Her fiery hair billowed around her as she shuffled hurriedly through the office, though someone else might call it barreling. Brown fire burned through blue contacts as she approached her destination, ignoring the protesting secretary as she slammed open the door.

"Where is he?" she fired at the office's occupant as soon as she entered the space, slamming the door behind her, her robes billowing as her motion came to a stop.

"Good morning to you, too, Auror Weasely. How are you this fine day?" he answered calmly, in a polite, almost dismissive tone. His British accent was a sharp contrast to her altered one.

"Don't screw with me, Perce. Just because you're Minister, doesn't mean I won't hex you!"

"I see your time in the States hasn't done you any favors, Ginny. And I don't appreciate that tone coming from you."

"And I don't appreciate being sent on a wild goose chase by my own brother!" In her ire, her original accent started to bleed through into her words, coming to match her sibling's.

"Searching for possible Dark Wizards from the war in exile wasn't a wild goose chase."

"Oh, so the fact that I was in deep cover in medical school had everything to do with my search. Then there's the fact that the one wizard I want to find, who most certainly isn't Dark, I get diverted with a new mission. And you still haven't answered my original question."

Percy Weasely, Minister of Magic of Great Britain, leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands, sighed, and looked her in the eye, and said, "It's classified."

"Classified can get stuffed! Why can't you give me a straight answer?"

"Ginevra, I am not trying to be difficult. That information was classified 'Ministers Eyes Only', and as part of the oath that I took when I came to this office, I couldn't tell once I knew. I'm sorry."

She nodded brusquely. "Fine, then I'll get help from the highest authority you know." She turned to open the door.

"You wouldn't."

She turned back, crossing her arms, and arching an eyebrow. "Wouldn't I? You wouldn't be able to say no to her."

Percy groaned. "Tattling to Mum because I can't tell you state secrets isn't fair."

"Fair play went out the window five years ago, Perce. Tell me now, or Mum gets a visit from Midnight," she threatened.

"For the last time, I can't tell you. I am magically bound from divulging his whereabouts. It's a secret," he said, emphasizing the last word.

Ginny tilted her head, understanding the meaning of his message. "And just who else would keep this secret?"

A slight smirk formed on her brother's face. "Who else, dear sister, but the brightest witch of our age, and her husband?"

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

After making a pit stop at St. Mungo's, and apologizing to Neville for hexing him hard enough to require medical attention, she hoofed it to Diagon Alley, passing the Leaky Cauldron and headed to the far side, where the flat of her favorite sister-in-law resided.

Her knock was answered quickly, by a redhead, but not a redhead she was seeking particularly. "Hello, Brother Mine."

"Hello, Sister Dear." As a part of her hug, she rubbed her brother's scar on the side of his head, where his ear once was. "What have you been up to?"

"Hunting down idiot wizards who don't know what's best for them."

He smiled. "Ah, this is about him. Well, as I am not the best source for what you seek, I will step aside."

"And enjoy me grilling Ron for the whereabouts of a certain wizard."

He laughed. "Only an added bonus, I assure you."

"Bet you a Knut, I get him red-faced in ten minutes or less."

A voice called to the front room, "Oi, George! What are you doing, letting in a bloody hippogriff parade? Who's at the door?" A second voice can be faintly heard admonishing the first speaker for his language.

"Guess who stopped in for tea?" George called back, prompting the other inhabitants to enter the room.

"Oh Merlin!" Ginny received an enthusiastic hug from her sister-in-law, then her other brother.

"It's so good to see you, Ginny! How have you been?"

"I'm fine, Hermione. How are Hugo and Rose?"

"They're wonderful. I needed a quiet day, so they are spending the day with Grandma."

"Not in Hogwarts yet?"

"Merlin's pants, Gin. They're only two and one year olds. And even though Rose has inherited all of her mother's brains, it's still a bit early yet for her to be catching a ride with Hagrid," Ron interjected, taking his turn with hugging his sister.

A chagrined grimace came over her face. "I guess times running away with me, so much so that I've lost track of family events. I'm sorry."

Hermione curled an arm around her sister-in-law's shoulders, escorting her to the kitchen, leading the rest of the family back from whence they came. "It's quite alright, Ginny. It's the nature of the job. I can't begin to tell you how many dates early on your brother canceled on me due Auror business, or missed events. So don't apologize." Guiding Ginny to one of the seats at the table, she served her the tea that they had been enjoying before her arrival. "Now, why don't you tell me, what brought you to our doorstep, because it wasn't to apologize for neglecting to visit."

Ginny looked at Hermione in surprise. "How did you-"

"You had that look in your eyes; a look I came to be quite familiar with in our Hogwarts days, and right after."

"Will you tell me the truth? I've already grilled Percy; I even threatened to tell Mum to tell me."

Hermione laughed a bit, while Ron sputtered in his tea, coughing to clear the liquid from his throat. "Bloody hell, Gin! Why didn't you just drop in a dragon's keep! It would have been more decent!" George chuckled into his cup as he took a sip.

"I didn't actually do it. If I'd told Mum that I thought Percy had anything to do with Harry's whereabouts, it'd make her duel with Bellatrix look like a Tickle Charm frenzy."

George nodded. "She takes on one of the most evil, insane witches in our history, and suddenly everyone knows what we've been trying to tell them for years."

"Which is?" Hermione asked.

"Where it was we got our tempers from, especially her," Ron concluded, indicating his sister at his last point, which she rewarded with a swift kick in the shins, sending her brother on another cursing fest, one pointedly ignored by his wife, as she turned back to Ginny.

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

Hermione sighed, setting down her tea cup. "We wanted to, really we did, but we promised Harry we wouldn't tell anyone, even you. You have to understand, something changed in him between the meeting in Dumbledore's office after the Battle, and next morning.

"The two of you are the only family I've ever really had, and I love you dearly, but I cannot do this anymore." His tone was sorrowful, his face dejected. Her heart broke her dearest friend, a young man she considered to be a brother in all things but blood.

"When he faced Voldemort that last time, he died. And while he lost that last part of Riddle's soul, he lost a piece of his own as well."

"I'm tired, 'Mione. There's too much blood, too much death. This can't be my world anymore."

"Even though Riddle was dead," Ron added, "he knew the battle wasn't really over. He wasn't fighting because he wanted to, but because he had to. And not having the choice tore at him."

"You're my best mate, Ron. I need you to understand. I have to walk away. Now. Before it's too late."

"He didn't want to be Chosen. He wanted to choose. He wanted a fight he chose to fight," Ginny said, a slight melancholy seeping into her tone.

"I've had enough trouble to last a lifetime."

"He doesn't have the Wand, does he?"

Ron shook his head. "No, he made sure to put it back. He didn't want to go looking for trouble."

Ginny snorted. "He's Harry bloody Potter. Trouble has a Point Me charm on him."