Odds and Ends
3 - A Smarter Ginny
Premise: What if Ginny was a little smarter and more assertive at the end of book6 and the beginning of book7?
(A/N: A random idea that hit me. All bold text is quoted from either book6 or book7 and is used only for setup of the parts I wanted to write.)
(At Dumbledore's funeral…)
Harry looked at Ginny, Ron and Hermione: Ron's face was screwed up as though the sunlight was blinding him. Hermione's face was glazed with tears, but Ginny was no longer crying. She met Harry's gaze with the same hard, blazing look that he had seen when she had hugged him after winning the Quidditch Cup in his absence, and he knew that at that moment they understood each other perfectly, and that when he told her what he was going to do now, she would not say "Be careful", or "Don't do it", but accept his decision, because she would not have expected anything less of him. And so he steeled himself to say what he had known he must say ever since Dumbledore had died.
"Ginny, listen..." he said very quietly, as the buzz of conversation grew louder around them and people began to get to their feet. "I can't be involved with you any more. We've got to stop seeing each other. We can't be together."
She said, with an oddly twisted smile, "It's for some stupid, noble reason, isn't it?"
"It's been like... like something out of someone else's life, these last few weeks with you," said Harry. "But I can't... we can't... I've got things to do alone now."
She did not cry, she simply looked at him.
"Voldemort uses people his enemies are close to. He's already used you as bait once, and that was just because you're my best friend's sister. Think how much danger you'll be in if we keep this up. He'll know, he'll find out. He'll try and get to me through you."
"What if I don't care?" said Ginny fiercely.
"I care," said Harry. "How do you think I'd feel if this was your funeral... and it was my fault..."
She looked away from him, over the lake.
"I never really gave up on you," she said. "Not really. I always hoped... Hermione told me to get on with life, maybe go out with some other people, relax a bit around you, because I never used to be able to talk if you were in the room, remember? And she thought you might take a bit more notice if I was a bit more -- myself"
"Smart girl, that Hermione," said Harry, trying to smile. "I just wish I'd asked you sooner. We could've had ages... months... years maybe..."
"But you've been too busy saving the wizarding world," said Ginny, half-laughing. "Well... I can't say I'm surprised. I knew this would happen in the end. I knew you wouldn't be happy unless you were hunting Voldemort. Maybe that's why I like you so much."
"I'm really sorry," he told her and started to turn away, but she reached up and grabbed his shoulder to stop him.
"Is this temporary or permanent?" she asked, oddly calm.
"Why? What difference does it make until I'm done?" He wondered why she was prolonging this.
"I want to know if you're really doing this just to protect me, or if you really never meant it?" When he started to object, Ginny hastily added, "I heard what you said a minute ago, but I want to make sure."
"Just until this is over. You can wait that long, right?" he asked hopefully.
"If it's just temporary," she said, ignoring his question, "then why bother? I… My whole family is on his list of people to kill. They'll come after us as soon as there are no other more important things to do, or if they happen to find us somewhere."
Harry looked at her carefully, weighing what she said. "That may be true, but if you're not my girlfriend, that will move you lower on the list."
Ginny gave a short laugh. "Harry, don't be naïve. I'm sure Snape and Malfoy have already told Riddle that I'm your girlfriend."
He shook his head. "Then they can tell him that we broke up."
"That's my point, Harry. They won't know we've broken up. They've both already left," she said logically.
"There are others around who will tell," he told her, still sure he was taking the right action.
"Harry, are you returning to Hogwarts next year?" she suddenly asked.
"No," he answered, not sure where she was going with that.
"Because you have better things to do, right?" she prompted. It hurt a little that he had not told her what he was doing, but she could deal with that most of the time.
"Right."
"I'm not coming back next year either, so there will be no one to tell Riddle we aren't together," she announced a little fiercely, as if daring him to contradict her.
"What?" he was very surprised. "You have to return. You have so much more to learn…"
"And you haven't?" she interrupted him.
"Not as much, but that's beside the point. I have things that Dumbledore told me to do, you don't," he told her and stepped a few inches closer, as it trying to make her see his point.
"Harry, Hogwarts will become a school run by Death Eaters. I'm a Pureblood girl who's considered a traitor, which means I'll rank right down there with the Muggle-born girls as far as worth," she argued, her voice going a little lower. "I'll be a prime candidate for a mistress. All it will take is one time of catching me unaware and it's all over. They'll do whatever they feel like and then ship me off to Riddle. It will be far safer for me to stay at home and be home schooled."
He paled as he considered what she said. Still, he did not want to give up. "You mother will never let you."
Ginny wanted to scream he was being so stubborn, but she kept to her argument. "I'll handle her. It will be much easier to convince her than you seem to think." Now Ginny stepped forward a half-step to match him, putting them almost her nose to his chin, although they were staring into each other's eyes. "It doesn't matter what you say, Harry. I'm not letting you go. Yes, we could have had months or years more together if you had approached me sooner. I'm telling you that we will have those months or years the war will last. I'm not giving up on you just because you're trying to be all noble so you don't have to feel guilty that it's all your fault. If something were to happen to me, it would never be your fault."
"I didn't say it would be my fault, but like I said, it would kill me if I had to go to your funeral and if it was my fault," he said just as fiercely and quietly as she had been arguing.
"And what do you think your leaving will do to me, Harry? Did you think about that? I told you that I understood you had to go hunt Voldemort. I know you'll have to leave to go on missions from time to time. But you won't be gone all the time and I want us to have each other during those times when you're not gone. I may even be able to help you more than you think, if you'll only give me the chance."
"But Ginny…"
"Damn it, Harry!" she hissed. "What is it going to take for you to understand that I have needs too? Do I mean nothing to you?"
Harry was driven a half-step backwards by her intensity. "Of course not," he finally answered her.
She did not want to do this, but maybe it was the only way. "If you insist, I'll pretend temporarily that we've broken up, but by the end of the summer, we will be back together again, even if I have to run away from home after you. Do you now understand how I feel about you?"
He slowly nodded. "You really are serious." He now understood that hard and blazing look of hers was not what he had originally thought. It really meant that she had determined to get what she wanted.
"You're damn straight I am. What kind of girlfriend would I be if I gave up so easily? Now, make a decision," she whispered. "Do we continue on normally or are you going to insist on a temporary split for show?"
Harry knew what he wanted, but he did not dare. Even her compromise was more than he felt should happen, but he could tell the fiery redhead in front of him was changing his plans whether he liked it or not. He just hoped this worked out all right. "I'm sorry," he almost croaked, his voice so low. "We can't continue on like normal."
That determined look returned to her eyes. "I'm sorry too, Harry. I'll see you after your birthday," she said so softly he barely heard her.
Ginny glanced around and saw that her brother and Hermione were still nearby, but fortunately, still only paying attention to each other. Reaching down for all the skills her twin brothers had ever taught her, she thought about what he had originally tried to do and let her emotions come rushing to the surface. Scrunching up her face in anger and taking a step back, she screamed, "Potter! You bastard! Don't you ever come near me again!" Actually meaning a little of it because of what he had tried to do, she let her arm come swinging around and a loud slap was heard as her hand hit his face. With tears starting to run down her face, she turned and stomped off.
She saw everyone stare at her momentarily as she made her way back up to the castle and her dorm room. She had not wanted to do that. It hurt her in several different ways to have done that, including that she knew she had hurt him, but it was what he wanted. She hoped it accomplished his goal.
Behind her, Harry squatted down and picked up his glasses off the ground and put them back on. His face hurt -- a lot. As he stood back up, he came face to face with another reality of trying to push Ginny away.
Ron was looking at him murderously and Hermione was giving him pitying looks. He saw blurry movement out of the corner of his eye and in looking, he saw the twins walking towards him. Behind them, Bill and Fleur stood, each of them giving him dirty looks. He did not know where her parents and Charlie were, but he hoped he could escape them for now.
"What did you do to her?" Ron asked as he grabbed the front of Harry's robes. "You get one chance to explain." The twins walked up at that time.
Fortunately for Harry, Minister Scrimgeour picked that moment to show. While Harry did not want to talk to the Minister, the old Auror's timing was helpful and he took it. "I'll explain in private," he hurriedly said before turning to the newest arrival. "Minister."
"Mr Potter," I'd like a word with you, Scrimgeour said.
"Of course, Minister." Ron let go and Harry smoothed his robes as he walked off with the Minister and away from many Weasley glares. He would explain that what Ginny did was for show to protect her. He hoped they bought it.
---
With a jerk behind the navel as though an invisible hook and line had dragged him forward, Harry was pulled into nothingness, spinning uncontrollably, his finger glued to the Portkey as he and Hagrid hurtled away from Mr. Tonks. Second later, Harry's feet slammed onto hard ground and he fell onto his hands and knees in the yard of the Burrow. He heard screams. Throwing aside the no longer glowing hairbrush, Harry stood up, swaying slightly, and saw Mrs. Weasley and Ginny running down the steps by the back door as Hagrid, who had also collapsed on landing, clambered laboriously to his feet.
"Harry? You are the real Harry? What happened? Where are the others?" cried Mrs. Weasley.
"What d'you mean? Isn't anyone else back?" Harry panted.
The answer was clearly etched in Mrs. Weasley's pale face.
"The Death Eaters were waiting for us," Harry told her, "We were surrounded the moment we took off -- they knew it was tonight -- I don't know what happened to anyone else, four of them chased us, it was all we could do to get away, and then Voldemort caught up with us -- "
He could hear the self-justifying note in his voice, the plea for her to understand why he did not know what had happened to her sons, but --
"Thank goodness you're all right," she said, pulling him into a hug he did not feel he deserved.
"Haven't go' any brandy, have yeh, Molly?" asked Hagrid a little shakily, "Fer medicinal purposes?"
She could have summoned it by magic, but as she hurried back toward the crooked house, Harry knew that she wanted to hide her face.
He turned to Ginny and she threw herself on Harry, practically squeezing the life out of him as she hugged him. "I've missed you so much," she told him fervently. Ginny then pulled back a little and kissed him soundly.
"Wow," Harry said shakily, totally unprepared for that reception. He had expected a far colder one.
"I told you I'm not letting you go, Harry." She looked at him intently until he nodded, then she relaxed and started to tell him about the others coming back. Her mother saw them coming into the house walking arm in arm and gave them a nervous smile as she went to help Hagrid.
---
A few days later, they were all sitting down and having dinner and discussing current events.
"And they still haven't called a hearing about all the underage magic I used escaping the Death Eaters?" Harry called across the table to Mr. Weasley, who shook his head.
"Because they know I had no choice or because they don't want me to tell the world Voldemort attacked me?"
"The latter, I think. Scrimgeour doesn't want to admit that You-Know-Who is as powerful as he is, nor that Azkaban's seen a mass breakout."
"Yeah, why tell the public the truth?" said Harry, clenching his knife so tightly that the faint scars on the back of his right hand stood out, white against his skin: I must not tell lies.
"Isn't anyone at the Ministry prepared to stand up to him?" asked Ron angrily.
"Of course, Ron, but people are terrified," Mr. Weasley replied, "terrified that they will be next to disappear, their children the next to be attacked! There are nasty rumors going around; I for one don't believe the Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts resigned. She hasn't been seen for weeks now. Meanwhile Scrimgeour remains shut up in his office all day; I just hope he's working on a plan."
There was a pause in which Mrs. Weasley magicked the empty plates onto the work surface and served apple tart.
"Mum? Dad?" Ginny looked at her parents. "I've grabbed Ron's books from this last year. I just need someone to pick up a Potions Kit for sixth years and probably some parchment and quills, then I'll be ready for home schooling this year."
"No!" Mrs Weasley all but shouted. "You will not abandon your schooling, young lady."
"I'm not, Mum. I'll just be doing it from home…"
"I don't think so," her mother persisted and looked at her husband.
"Why, Ginny?" her father quietly asked.
"You've just answered the why, Dad. Professors are disappearing, Dumbledore is no longer there, Hogwarts is not safe any more," Ginny replied.
"And why do you think you can do this at home?" he asked tiredly.
"Arthur!" his wife screeched, hands on hips. Everyone else at the table remained perfectly quiet and still, hoping to avoid being brought into this.
"Because I've always had very good grades," she answered, ignoring her mother's outburst. "Independent study is not that hard. I do it for half of my classes at school most of the time anyway. And if I get stuck on something, I'll have you and Mum, as well as all my brothers who have already gone through this, plus whoever else happens to be around from time to time."
"Those bad stories are just rumors," her mother said forcefully, as if trying to convince herself.
"And when Death Eaters are running the school, how will you feel when they use me to get to you?" Her mother gasped as she sucked in her breath. "Our family is known to be blood traitors and working for Dumbledore's group." Ginny looked between her parents. Her father was looking resigned and she mentally rejoiced. Her mother was still looking defiant, however.
"You still belong in school," her mother finally said with a large nod, as if that settled it.
Ginny still had two more ideas though. "So, you're fine with, as one Slytherin told me last year and I quote, You just wait until next year little Weasley, you'll be big enough to bend over a desk."
"Ginevra! Such language!" her mother huffed. Her brothers looked very upset. Only Harry and her father did not.
Ginny suspected her father had expected something like this to come up, and Harry had heard her say this before.
"Mum," said in a bored and slightly disappointed tone, "I was quoting the boy. Please ignore his crudeness and look at what he threatened me with. I don't want to have to worry about the possibility of being caught unaware at school and then taken to some unused classroom before I'm sent off to Voldemort for torture and to be used to make you do things," she argued.
"But, but," her mother stammered slowly.
"Molly, she has a point," her father said wearily. "Ron has already told us he's not going back so Ginny would be there alone." His wife looked upset; Ron's refusal to return was still a sore spot for the mother. "We haven't even heard if Hogwarts is reopening, and if it does, she might be right in that Death Eaters are running it. If she's that uncomfortable with going back, then she doesn't have to," he said with a finality he rarely used. "Besides," his weariness returned, "we will probably need the money saved from their tuition. I don't know how long I'll be able to keep my job."
"Oh, Arthur." She came around the table and gave her husband a hug.
She also did not say anything more about Ginny's school choice, so Ginny looked at Harry and smiled ever so slightly. Harry just shook his head in chagrin. He had to say that Ginny was incredible.
---
After Bill and Fleur were officially married and the party started, Ginny went over to a disguised Harry. She reached out and pulled him up and out onto the dance floor. He dragged his feet and was reluctant, but he went.
Ginny snuggled up close to him and enjoyed him holding her during the slow dance. "Are you convinced now?" she asked.
Harry chuckled. "Yes, you're right. Your way is better."
She purred and moved her head around on his shoulder a little, as if trying to find the place that was just right. "I know it will be tough at times. We'll be in hiding and it may be hard to get to us, but I'll always be there and waiting for you with open arms."
"And a warm kiss?" he teased.
Ginny giggled softly. "Yes, a very warm and very willing kiss -- many kisses, in fact. I don't want you to forget why you're fighting."
"No chance of that," he told her as they swayed gently to the beat of the music.
She lifted her head and stared into his green eyes. A Mona Lisa smile came to her for a moment before she said, "I love you."
He looked a little nervous, but he grinned at her. "I lo…"
A large silvery and gleaming animal suddenly appeared in the midst of the party. Out of its mouth came the voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt. "The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."
Harry looked at Ginny, who returned his look of horror. The war was coming to them and their time of testing was beginning.
(the end)
---
(A/N: This is the direction I wish the real books had gone, but alas, :) I was disappointed. This story is abandoned because I just did not feel like continuing it. I don't think it shows that much promise considering I don't like book7 that much and isn't worth my time to figure out the changes this would make to be basic plot of book7. I like the idea of making Ginny more of a real character in book7, but I don't want to write this.
Notes:
The obvious question to answer is would Harry still willingly sacrifice himself to remove the Horcrux in him? The story could be written such that yes he would, as he would be sacrificing himself to save Ginny. Or it could be written that they find another way to remove the Horcrux so that Harry's sacrifice isn't needed because he was really looking forward to a life with Ginny, so dying really wasn't an option. I personally prefer this last option.
I'd probably also put The Burrow under Fidelius since #12 GP is compromised, with Bill doing the charm and making Ginny the Secret Keeper, since she would be the most protected person and the one they would not want going out. That would create a bit of the "stir-craziness" that Sirius experienced in being cooped up, but she could go outside at least a little, as the charm would probably hide the back garden/yard as well as the structure of the house.)