AN: As always, my thanks go to GryffindorHealer, dumnonian, and Ksummerforever for their kind support in giving the chapter a final checkover.
Staring after Ginny, aghast, Harry tried to comprehend what had just happened, what Ginny had said. 'No, I'm not.' But what was that supposed to mean? And why had she run away?
"Ginny, wait!" he shouted in a slight panic, dashing after her across the street, where she hurried away with quick steps. "Ginny, please don't run away! Wait for me!" he called as he'd almost caught up with her. And sure enough, she halted as he reached out and clasped her hand. With tear-filled eyes, her mouth quivering from barely suppressed sobs, she stared him in the eyes.
"Ginny, what's wrong?" Harry asked, confused, and took her in his arms. Reluctantly, she returned the hug and clung to Harry, shaken by another bout of weeping. Gently, Harry stroked her hair and spoke in an almost pleading voice, "Ginny, please tell me what's wrong. Please!"
Ginny was weeping quietly, snuffling a little. Slowly pulling out of his embrace, she met Harry's gaze. "I'm sorry, Harry," she said, her voice still teary. "I'm not a witch."
"But..." Harry began but paused when Ginny shook her head.
"I'm a squib," she said in a quavering voice and took a deep breath to calm herself down." I'm sorry I can't be what you expected me to be."
Harry gaped at Ginny, trying to process what she'd said. She was a squib. So, what? She was still the same Ginny he'd met only four weeks ago, wasn't she? The Ginny he wanted. The Ginny he loved, as he'd just admitted to himself. He'd loved her when he thought she was a Muggle. Did her being a squib make any difference? No. He shook his head slowly.
"I understand that you don't want to be with a squib, Harry," Ginny said, her mouth quivering even harder. "What wizard wants to be with a failure?"
"Merlin. No, Ginny. You're not a failure," Harry blurted out. "This is absolute nonsense. I don't care what you are. I love you because of who you are! And you're wonderful."
"You what?" Ginny asked in shock, her eyes widened in disbelief, closely fixed on Harry's.
Harry suddenly realized that he'd just confessed his love to Ginny, but it was true. He nodded vigorously, tears welling up in his eyes. "Yes. I love you, and I don't care what you are. I don't care if you're a Squib or the Queen of England!"
"I'm not that old," Ginny snapped, completely taken aback, and suddenly snorted.
Harry couldn't suppress a laugh either, and Ginny joined in. They both fell into a fit of laughter that Harry had to push up his glasses to wipe the tears from his eyes. As his laughter slowly faded into a chuckle, he took Ginny in his arms. "I mean it. I don't care what you are. Please, believe me!"
Ginny laid her head on his chest. Harry couldn't see it, but he heard the smile in her voice through her last sob as she said, "I think I love you, too." She chuckled briefly. "And I'm sorry I ruined your birthday by being silly."
"You didn't," Harry objected.
"A bit," Ginny insisted, looking up at him. "We need to talk. I have to tell you what to expect if you're really serious. But not here. We could have a coffee. In my room." Giving him a shy smile, she sighed. "I'm sorry for being so emotional, but I still need to get used to this idea. It's all so confusing. Dating a wizard was never an option for me. I was always so focused on the Muggle world that I never thought about it."
Harry agreed to stay with Ginny for coffee. They were almost there anyway. "What about your bag? It's still at your brother's, isn't it?"
Ginny hesitated but then waved her hand. "I can get the bag tomorrow."
"Okay then." Giving Ginny a reassuring smile, Harry grabbed her hand and started walking. Fortunately, there weren't many people on their way, so Harry took the opportunity to watch Ginny out of the corner of his eye. Judging by her tight lips, she was still tense and lost in thought. Once, she looked over at him.
"I'm sorry I'm not very talkative," she said, giving him an apologetic smile. "There are so many thoughts floating in my head right now. I have to sort myself out first."
"We can talk another time," Harry suggested.
"No," Ginny shook her head. "I'd go crazy if I had to wait until we met again. I just need a few minutes to think." She looked around. "We're almost there."
Harry followed Ginny as she unlocked the front door and headed up the stairs. "Is your roommate home?" Harry asked. "I haven't met her yet."
"Yeah, probably," Ginny replied, unlocking the door to her flat. "Cassy, are you home?"
"I'm in the shower," came a muffled voice from somewhere.
"I have a visitor. Please don't run around naked. We're going to my room," Ginny called back and beckoned Harry to follow her.
Ginny's room turned out to be surprisingly tidy, Harry noticed, and spacious. Besides a bed and a wardrobe, there was space enough for a desk with a chair and a comfortable armchair with a small side table. Judging by the lamp next to it, it was Ginny's reading spot. The presence of a small bookshelf confirmed it.
"Make yourself comfortable. I'll get us coffee. Or would you rather have tea?" Ginny asked.
"It's a little late for coffee," Harry replied. "I'd rather have some tea."
Ginny nodded and disappeared through the door.
Harry strode to the bookshelf and let his eyes wander over the spines of the books. In the upper rows, he found only medical books that he couldn't do anything with. In the row below, he discovered some books by Caroline Graham and P. D. James; the entire shelf seemed to contain crime and mystery novels. Harry bent a bit down to read the titles on the bottom row and couldn't hide a grin as he guessed from the somewhat suggestive-sounding titles that they were all romance novels.
As he stood up, Harry noticed a photograph on the desk that surprised him. A larger group of people, what looked like the parents and - Harry counted quickly - seven children, all redheads, waved at him from the photo; pyramids could be seen in the background.
Ginny returned, carrying a tray with a pot of tea, two mugs, and a bowl of biscuits.
Nodding towards the photo, Harry raised his eyebrows questioningly.
Ginny laughed briefly. "This is my family."
"Has your roommate seen the picture yet?" Harry asked in surprise.
"Oh, that's what you mean," Ginny replied, amused. "Cassy is a witch. That's why she took me in three years ago. It's easier for her with me than with a Muggle."
Ginny served the tea on the side table and pulled over the chair from her desk. That left the armchair for Harry, and he sat down.
"Thank you," Harry said as he raised his cup. "Your room is really cosy."
"Thanks. I like it here," Ginny explained, sipping her tea.
"When did you get the idea of studying medicine?" Harry asked cautiously.
Ginny chuckled. "Good question. Today, it feels like I've always wanted to do it." Smiling pensively to herself, she sighed. "Of course, when I was little, I wanted to go to Hogwarts like my brothers. Every time they rode that train with the red locomotive to school, I complained because I wasn't allowed to go with them. Until it became more and more obvious that I would never get a letter from Hogwarts inviting me to attend the school."
"That must have been hard," Harry realized, imagining a young red-haired girl hiding in her room, crying.
"Yeah. It was. At the beginning," Ginny admitted. "But then my parents decided to send me to the Muggle primary school in Ottery." She laughed. "One day, I was playing football with the boys and got injured. It wasn't that bad, really. I think my ankle was swollen. They took me to the local doctor's office. The doctor, a younger woman, was very nice to me. I was really impressed with her. And then I thought to myself, if I'm going to be a Muggle, I want to be a doctor too. Just like her."
Harry had watched Ginny as she spoke, serious but always with a smile on her lips, occasionally pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. When she finished, he placed his hand on hers and squeezed it. "You took fate by the horns and found your own path. Not everyone can do that."
"Without my family, this wouldn't have happened," Ginny stated. "My father works at the Ministry in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office. So, he knew a bit about the Muggle world, enrolled me in school, and got me Muggle identification papers when I got older. Either he or my mum always took me to school, mostly Apparated. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made it in time. Since I moved into this flat, I've been using the Floo in Bill's apartment to go home."
"So you've left the wizarding world completely?" asked Harry. "It must have been hard to go your own way, even with the support of your family."
"When I was little, I had a friend, a witch, who lived nearby. But we haven't seen each other for a while. Sometimes, my mother took me to Diagon Alley, and every now and then, I met my brothers there. But I never went alone. I never hid or avoided other wizards or witches, if that's what you mean. Although my parents would have liked that, especially during the hard times during the war. Once, I even went to the Quidditch World Cup. I didn't let that be taken away from me. I always wanted to fly, and since I couldn't do that, I wanted to at least experience it live." She looked up and smiled. "That's enough from me for now. Unless you want to know something else."
"So, you have a big family with six brothers, older brothers if I understood correctly. Is there anyone else in your family?"
"No," Ginny replied and laughed. "Except for my aunt, Aunt Muriel, but you don't want to meet her."
Harry ran a hand through his hair and grinned. "Now that we know neither of us are Muggles, we don't need to hide our family from each other anymore."
"I'm looking forward to meeting your godfather," Ginny replied, a broad grin on her lips. "Is there anyone else I should know about?"
"There's an uncle. Actually, it's not an uncle, but like Sirius, a schoolmate of my parents. Then there's his wife and their son, my godson, Teddy."
"You have a godson?" Ginny asked, amazed.
"Yes. I meet Teddy every Saturday," Harry replied with a fake pout. "But on Saturdays, you're either at work or home visiting your family."
Ginny's eyes sparkled with excitement. "When August is over and the autumn term starts, my weekends are free again. I would be happy to meet your people."
"Sirius is already pushing," Harry admitted with a laugh. "He'll be on the road next week, though. How about a week later, after your birthday?"
Ginny replied with a playful grin. "I would like to invite you to my birthday. My mother has asked about you several times. Until recently, I was able to brush her off because I couldn't invite a Muggle, especially with my twin brothers there. Have you ever been to Zonko's in Hogsmeade? They both work there."
Harry's eyes went wide. "Merlin. Really. Those two are your brothers?"
"You know them?" Ginny asked, baffled.
"Just by sight. Sometimes, I go to Zonko's to get things that..." Harry laughed. "Let's say to get revenge on Sirius." Glancing at his watch, he jumped up. "Damn, it's almost midnight. Surely you have to get up early again?"
"Don't worry. I got enough sleep at home at the Burrow," replied Ginny, amused.
"At the Burrow?" Harry raised an eyebrow.
Ginny giggled. "That's what we call our house. When you see it, you'll know why."
"I can't wait," Harry replied, taking Ginny in his arms.
"Will we see each other this week?" Ginny asked, cuddling up to him.
"I don't know yet. I'm travelling a lot this week. I'll get in touch with you. Can you receive owls here in your apartment? Or would the Muggles notice?"
"I rarely get owls from home. But in the evening, when I'm back from work, it shouldn't be a problem." She hesitated briefly. "And if you can't make it, you're cordially invited to my birthday. Monday in a week."
"I'm looking forward to it," Harry said, looking Ginny in the eyes.
Ginny grinned. "Don't get too excited. My whole family will be there. It will definitely be loud."
Harry groaned, took a deep breath, and shrugged his shoulders. "They won't kill me right away. And if they do, you were worth it to me."
"Idiot!" Ginny laughed.
"Well, I think it's time for me to go," Harry said with a hint of sadness in his voice. Ginny nodded, a wistful smile on her lips.
Harry gently cupped Ginny's face. Their lips met in a tender, increasingly passionate kiss. When they finally parted, Harry whispered, "See you next week." His fingers stroked her cheek, and with one last lingering look, he stepped out into the corridor. Giving Ginny another quick wave before closing the door behind him, he headed down the stairs.
** HG **
When Harry pushed open the heavy wooden door at Grimmauld Place, the light was still on in the kitchen. Sirius gave him an amused look as Harry joined him at the table where he'd made himself comfortable with a glass of Firewhisky. Conjuring another glass for Harry, he filled it.
"To your birthday dinner," Sirius said. They clinked glasses and downed it in one go. When the smoke emanating from their ears cleared, Sirius asked with raised eyebrows, "How did it go?"
"Dinner was perfect," Harry replied, adding, "And the aftermath had a happy ending too."
Sirius looked at Harry in surprise. "So you had..."
"No. No," Harry said hastily. "Afterwards, on the way home, I told Ginny that I met her brother."
"You know her brother? You never mentioned that," Sirius said in a slightly accusatory tone.
"Oh, I'm sorry, not sorry," Harry replied without any feeling of guilt. "I wanted to talk to Ginny first. Bill Weasley is her brother."
"The Bill Weasley you have an appointment with at Gringotts tomorrow morning?" Sirius asked, perplexed.
"Ouch. Yeah, exactly that one," Harry blurted out. "I almost forgot about our meeting."
Sirius frowned until he seemed to understand. "This is fantastic," he exclaimed. "So, your Ginny is a witch."
Harry grimaced. "No, she is not."
Sirius looked at him blankly.
"She's a squib," Harry said, continuing before Sirius could respond. "And it's absolutely fine with me." Harry felt a lump in his throat and the tears welling up in his eyes again as the emotions from earlier resurfaced again. "It took me a while to convince her that I didn't care, but...," Harry grinned happily, "but we're fine now. Maybe better than ever."
Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "Oh, that's incredible. I'm really happy for you. The saviour of the wizarding world and a squib. The Ministry will love it. That's awesome."
Harry froze. "Damn. I didn't tell her that."
"What didn't you tell her?" Sirius asked, eying him confused.
"That I'm Harry Potter," Harry replied, running his hands through his hair, deeply worried.
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Why is this a reason to be worried?"
"Ginny thought I would ditch her just because I'm a wizard and she's a squib," Harry said, genuinely worried about how she'd react. "She invited me to her birthday. I have to tell her before I go, or I might ruin her party."
"When is your Ginny's birthday?" Sirius asked. "I'm sure you still have time."
"Monday in a week," Harry replied, grimacing. "And we're in Norway until Thursday for this Muggle security systems training."
Sirius nodded. "Yeah. We're leaving tomorrow afternoon. But in the morning, you have an appointment with Bill Weasley to clarify the details of the wards you want him to install."
** HG **
Bill Weasley was already waiting for Harry when he entered Gringotts the next morning. They greeted with a handshake. "Did you bring the portkey, Mr. Potter?" he asked.
"It's Harry, please."
"Then I'm Bill for you," the man said with a small smile.
"That makes it easier for us," Harry confirmed, handing Bill the portkey to the Muggle company's premises. "Then let's get going."
They ended up on a narrow road, running along a metal fence separating the back of the property from a meadow where a large herd of cows grazed. Bill looked around briefly and then turned to Harry. "As far as I understood, the property is supposed to be protected from this side with Muggle repelling charms to prevent break-ins?"
"Exactly." Harry nodded. "However, Muggles using this road should not notice the charm. Therefore, the charms should only work if someone tries to climb over this fence."
Bill nodded. "Any other wards besides Muggle-repelling charms?"
"No. We considered wards against wizard intrusion, but wizards could also simply Apparate onto the property, and anti-apparition wards are not covered in the budget. Unless you can suggest another alternative."
Bill nodded. "I'll think about it and come up with something until we meet again next week. Now, let's take a look at the front of the property."
As they followed down the path along the metal fence, Bill threw an appraising glance at Harry. "Am I right that you are dating my sister?"
Harry nodded cautiously, unsure where the question was leading. "Yes, that is correct."
Bill nodded slowly to himself. "And Ginny knows who you are."
Oh," said Harry, somewhat relieved. "Yes. Yesterday, we had a long conversation. She knows I'm a wizard, and I've made it very clear to her that I don't care that she's not a witch. And I think she believed me in the end."
"I see." Bill nodded again. "But what I meant is if Ginny knows who you really are, Harry Potter."
Harry grimaced as if he'd bitten into a lemon. "I'm afraid she doesn't know yet."
Bill raised his eyebrow and wordlessly looked at Harry, waiting for him to continue.
Harry sighed. "To be honest, I forgot. It was no bad intention. We talked for so long, suddenly it was late, and...I just forgot. It didn't even occur to me because it's not that important. I don't feel as important as some people might think."
"Talk to her," Bill said.
"I'll talk to her on Thursday. Unfortunately, I'll be abroad for the next few days, but will be back by then." Harry hesitated for a moment. "Do you really think she has a problem with me being Harry Potter?"
Now it was Bill's turn to sigh. He stopped and gave Harry a considerate look. "To be honest, I'm not sure. But I wouldn't be surprised if she does."
"Why?" Harry asked, surprised.
Bill shook his head. "Talk to her. I don't want to interfere. Ginny always knew what she wanted, and she always had the full support of her family. She is happy with her life, and she can be proud of what she has achieved. Please, don't hurt her. That's all I ask you for."
** HG **
The security systems training in Bergen, Norway, was very educational for Harry, even if it was difficult for him to concentrate at times. In his whole life, he'd probably never scratched his head and glanced at his watch as often as this Thursday afternoon. The attempt to send Ginny an owl had failed because it wasn't possible to rent an owl, surrounded by muggles as they were. Sirius had suggested Apparating to Oslo in the evening, but in the end, Harry had decided to just head to Ginny's flat on Thursday evening.
When he finally stood at Ginny's front door, a small bouquet of flowers and a selection of Honeyduke's Best in his hand, he rang the bell, and his heart was pounding loudly. The moment the buzzer sounded, he pushed open the door and stormed up the stairs. A girl with short blonde hair stood in the doorway and looked at Harry curiously.
"Hi, I'm Harry. Is Ginny home?" Harry asked, hardly containing himself from rushing past the girl into the flat.
"No, I'm sorry," the girl said, giving Harry an apologetic glance. "When I got home, I found a note from Ginny on the kitchen table saying her mother had asked her to come home earlier."