Harry read the paper as he waited for the vegetables to start boiling. "The sales for the National Cup have suddenly stalled as the prices have doubled since it became known that the Phenton Phoenixes would be up against the Holyhead Harpies."

"I guess we are not as interesting as they had anticipated," Ginny mentioned, standing beside him to read along.

"Most of the people who want to spend money on a game are people who actually like Quidditch. I don't think the ten people who are interested in us would bother to buy a ticket," he let out.

She frowned at him. "You know it's more than ten, right?"

"Figuratively speaking," he said. He looked at her. "Did you steal a carrot again?"

She smiled apologetically and showed the remainder of the carrot in her hand. She bit a piece off. He took the rest out of her hand and ate it.

"You little scavenger," he teased.

"Thank you again for giving up your family tickets for mine. I always offer to buy them all a seat but of course they insist on buying it themselves."

"It's not like I was using them myself and I saved them up pretty much all season," he told her.

"Is there really no one?" she asked.

He nodded. "There is Remus."

She blinked at him. "And why have I never heard of or seen of this man?"

"He is another friend of my parents. He only checks in on me when he thinks I'm not doing well," he explained. "Hence you haven't seen him. He thinks you're dating me and so he knows someone is checking in on me."

"I don't get it." She turned to him. "If he cares about you, shouldn't he just be in your life?"

Harry shook his head. "It's complicated. And if he doesn't want to be, I am not going to force him."

Ginny didn't understand, but she didn't press on. She looked back down at the article.

"And two years ago he found out his girlfriend was pregnant and he left them." Harry sighed and she looked back up at him. Harry looked upset. "He thought they'd be better off without him. We had a very big fight about it, and I haven't talked to him since."

"Why did he think they'd be better off without him?" she asked softly.

Harry pushed off the counter and turned around to stir the vegetables. "Like I said, it's complicated."

"But this was his girlfriend, not a fling or something, his actual girlfriend?" she asked.

Harry faced her again. "I know, I was so angry with him. I don't have parents, and I'd give anything to have them in my life no matter what. I couldn't understand he'd leave them just because—" He pressed his lips together for a moment. "He has an ailment he was worried he may have passed on."

"Well, if she was already pregnant it's a little too late!" she let out.

He smiled at her. "I know, that's what I told him. He hasn't shown up since, but I do know he went back to his girlfriend and they've had the baby."

"That still sucks for you," she said. "He must know you were right."

He waved his wand to adjust the heat on the stove. "He hasn't had much need to check up on me, I've been doing okay all in all. If he doesn't talk to me, but stays with his family instead, I think that's worth it."

She walked up to him again. "You know you're not going to be alone the rest of your life, right?"

"I hope so." He put his wand down and eyed her hands. "Ginny, I better see those hands far away from the carrots."

She held them forward, towards him. "Where else should I put them?" she asked innocently.

He guided her hands behind her back. "There, out of the way."

"I think you underestimate me, Harry," she said, already walking backwards towards the food.

He let out a resigned sigh. "I give up."

When Ginny arrived for training on Friday morning, Gwenog walked up to her looking extremely put out.

"You are expected in the Phenton stadium in ten minutes with Harry and no training the rest of the day," Gwenog told her.

She froze on the spot. "What?"

"Trust me, I'm not happy about it either." Gwenog's read murder, but it wasn't directed towards Ginny. "We're two weeks off the League Cup!" She shook her head, looking like she was ready to stab someone. "I got instructions from management, and they wouldn't let me get a word in. They haven't heard the last of this, you can count on that."

Ginny nodded. "Do you think it's about the ticket sales?"

"Possibly," Gwenog admitted. "They are desperate to sell those tickets at the current price. As if they haven't made enough money off of you."

"You don't have to tell me," Ginny said. "That's not very promising, I can't imagine what they've concocted for us now…."

Gwenog patted her shoulder. "I know. Now go on, I won't have you be late on my account."

Ginny was dropped at the meeting room by a security guard.

"Didn't I say goodbye to you ten minutes ago?" Harry asked her with a smile.

She nodded and glanced at the door. "Why the hell are we not allowed to go back to training after? What's their plan?"

"Wish I knew," Harry said. "I don't have a good feeling about this one."

They were called in a minute later, and both their managements had gathered.

"We have decided that your relationship is no longer beneficial to our reputation," one of the men said. "And so we have decided that we shall be announcing your break-up and you will no longer need to act as a couple."

Ginny's stomach dropped. Of course she knew this was coming sometime, but she suddenly felt like she ran out of time. She still hadn't told Harry how she felt. She didn't want this part to be over.

"And in the run-up to the Cup, you should not be seeing each other at all to avoid speculation," he finished.

Ginny was biting her tongue.

"Speculation?" Harry went, surprisingly sounding as upset as she felt. "You know doing this is exactly what is going to cause speculation. You just want to sell your tickets."

Another man spoke up. "You and Miss Weasley are not to interact for the coming two weeks and neither of you can give any statements to the press, as we will handle these. Do you understand?"

Reluctantly, Harry nodded.

It was starting to make sense why they'd be off the rest of the day, it made for more drama. Ginny almost nodded too, but then she changed her mind. "What if we are both selected for the National Team? They tend to do a press conference the day following the announcement." She knew, because she had only been following it for years, wishing it would be her turn one day.

"You will not interact," they told her blankly. "You can go."

Feeling too overwhelmed to say anything else, she turned on her heels and pulled open the door. She tried to take some deep breaths as Harry caught up with her. They were supposed to be relieved about this.

She walked to the apparition point and Harry held out his hand for her to take. Neither of them spoke as they apparated to his house.

A/N: 😈