Harry Potter was here. Harry Potter was here in Cagailshire. Ginny thought she was seeing things, but no, that black head of hair and those round glasses meant only one thing—The Saviour of the Wizarding World was here.
Now, his glasses were of a newer frame, more square shaped and metallic and his hair was slicked back into a careful do, but it was no mistake that this was Harry.
"Why are you crouching?" Snape asked, stirring his drink.
"See that? I need to step out, can you distract him or something?"
Snape looked at the wizard, and continued to drink. "Ill do no such thing."
"What?"
"Youre on shift, and it looks like Mr Potter requires your service."
"Can't you just? One little hex...Whose side are you on?"
"The side of the witch that wants the both of us to abstain from meddling with each others' relationships."
"Carry on," Ginny snarled and made her way over. "Harry! What a surprise?"
"Ginny? Ginny!" Harry came in for a reluctant hug. "I was told I could find you here."
"Well…here I am. So what are you drinking tonight?"
As much as Ginny wished to have a quick-and-dirty conversation with Harry and return to her shift, never to see him again, she ended up talking to him the entire night, bringing him and his Auror friends drinks and snacks. Apparently, they were sent to Cagailshire on a co-operative placement. There were sighting of Death Eaters in the area and Harry and his Auror team came to investigate.
"My! Who would have guessed," Ginny said, faking a look of surprise.
"I couldn't believe it. And, err there's something else–"
Ginny knew exactly what that something else could be, but could not weasel herself out of a talk with Harry.
"I feel so awful for the way it ended between us." Harry looked sad, and sincere. "I've been thinking of things since.. you left the Burrow four years ago. Been talking loads with Ron and George-"
And my mum, Ginny added in her head.
"I chickened out. You kissed me during Bill's wedding and I acted like a bint. We never talked about it because-"
"Because?"
"I was embarrassed-"
"Embarrassed?"
"And immature." Harry took Ginny's hands. "I liked it. And you. I was thinking, maybe we could…you know?"
Ginny's mind blanked. Finally Harry realized it was time to open up about his feelings? It was five years too late now! Ginny had a new life, new friends and a new job.
"Okay. Harry. I'm not upset."
"Really?"
"I was, before, but I understand. We were both not ready for a relationship and it wasn't the right time, with you having lost Sirius and Remus and Fred passing away and the war ending. It was a lot!" Ginny smiled. "You'll always hold a special place in my heart."
"Wow, that's…that's…" Harry stuttered. "Great!"
Ginny hoped Harry would leave Cagailshire with a sense of closing, but instead, he informed her he was stationed here for a week to investigate the incident and maybe she could show them around the area, and maybe they could grab a coffee after. Seemed harmless enough, although it was never just coffee with wizards. Ginny knew that for certain. Maybe adding in the part about the special place in her heart was unnecessary on her end.
She passed by Snape on the way to the kitchen, muttering, "Thanks a lot."
"Always."
-xxx-
Harry was here to stay awhile in Cagailshire. On that crisp morn, Ginny bundled up and made her way down to the Crone to meet Harry. He looked very, very good and Ginny did admit that the feelings she had for him were not all the way lost.
They went down to the old farmhouse that lay abandoned on the outskirts of town and surveyed every inch of the property, Harry of course asking Ginny lots of irrelevant (to her) questions about the area and the people and if she thought any were interesting. It was very clear that Harry was looking for a very specific response—mainly, if Ginny was interested in any romantically. No matter how Ginny tried to ace her way out of the subject, part of her, the part that was still very much in love with Harry, kept pushing her to say 'no, she didnt fancy any of them."
"Like, there's no bloke at the pub that makes you look twice?" Harry asked shoving her arm gently.
"You know me."
Of course, Ginny was certain that with the way things were going, she and Harry were going to have a fling. Something about the nostalgia was hitting Ginny much harder than she wanted.
When into the scene showed up Severus. He came suddenly and very unexpectedly, and Harry looked like he could have an infarct —his dead former professor not only alive, but taking over his role as tour guide in this very one quick phrase.
"And this, Potter, is the shed, where you will certainly find an abundance of Death Eaters hiding in the depths," Severus said. Of course the unspoken truth that both he and Ginny has actually sighted the cult was closed to Carlisle in a warehouse lay burried under depths of prejudice between professor and boy saviour.
"Snape. You?" Harry said whipping out his wand and pointing it straight at the man's nose.
"Mr Potter-"
"You're alive. You're here? Fuck! Ginny stay back-"
"First of all-" Ginny began but the wands had already been drawn by both and in a swift motion, Snape had been hit square in the neck. He cursed, and could not avoid Harry's next hex that had him quickly bound and on the ground. Ginny admitted her attraction and her impression of Harry has never been so strong. He really had improved his duelling skills. She would have kissed him right then and there, had he not been so bent on taking Snape down. But something lurked inside her to grab Harry's arm when he pointed to Snape's head.
"Harry-"
"He's back on the Dark Lord's side-"
"He's not ! He lives here!" Ginny shielded the professor with her body. "Harry he lives here. He's not a Death Eater."
"Then why is he at the investigation scene?"
"He's just taking a walk or something. He's harmless."
"Snape - taking a walk?"
"Oh, I wouldn't say I am harmless-" Snape began.
"Shut it!" Ginny snapped. "Both of you! Just stop! You're acting like children. you're both on the same side. The good side."
Truth was Ginny has no idea what side Snape was on, she just hoped her words would be enough to cool them down before they killed each other en plein air.
"What were you doing here?" she asked Snape discreetly once the two had quit their trifles. "You could have easily killed Harry, or yourself!"
"I don't waste my energy on duels that do not benefit me, Weasley?" Snape scoffed. "I am here to make certain the Potter boy does not attract any unnecessary attention of Riddle's followers-"
"Harry is a highly trained Auror." Ginny rubbed her temple. "I understand you dislike him-"
"-I mistrust his judgment-"
"-same thing-"
"-it's not-"
"You can't stick your nose in Ministry business, especially since you are presumed dead by said Ministry. I can't believe I'm saying this to my former Dark Arts Professor," Ginny snarled, then instantly got a full face of said professor.
"Presumptuous indeed, that you would think I wouldn't think to meddle in the affairs of the Ministry under the guise of death."
"Do you have nothing better to spend your time on?"
"What could be more engaging than spending time listening to your…life councils. Thank you, Ginevra, for being as insufferable as your companion."
"Harry is not my companion."
"Very well. I'll leave you two to whatever child's play you were engaged in while I continue my own investigations."
Harry and Ginny watched the wizard scan every corner of the farmhouse, giving them not a second's rest until he was satisfied. Harry of course, was fuming, because Snape was trying to upstage his operation.
"Why is he still here," Harry grumbled as the wizard insisted on following them to the outskirts of the farmhouse to investigate the property.
"He's not so bad," Ginny said, dropping her voice. "Believe me, he's probably just trying to be helpful. Or maybe, he's bored."
"Or maybe he's not yet done playing cloak and dagger. Let's go."
Taking Ginny by the hand, the Apparated off the property to Ginny's flat above the Crone in Cagailshire.
A\N: Yes, Harry is throwing a bit of a wrench here into the storyline \ romantic development. But I rest assured that Severus is going to eventually get his way. After all, he is the Potions Master! Ginny just doesn't know what's coming yet!