Dean entered the Daily Prophet's office at Diagon Alley the next day, seeing it already full of life. And of course Ginny was there.
The two did not really interact that day, both concentrating on their own work. Ginny was writing a piece on a new statement by José Barboza, the manager of the Brazilian National Quidditch team who was now retiring, while Dean was tasked with some satirical cartoons.
During their lunch break, many of the Prophet, Ginny and Dean included, left the office to get something to eat in the Leaky Cauldron. Dean sat with Ginny, wanting to approach her, but then Harry arrived.
"Hey, hun" the head of the Auror department and former chosen one said, as he kissed his wife no the check.
"Hey" she replied, trying to smile a little due his presence.
"You're pieces on Wiel and Weiss were great!" Harry said.
"My pieces or Dean's art?" She asked.
Harry was confused for a moment, before connecting the dots: Dean Thomas, his former classmate, the name that credited with the illustration in the prophet and the dark-skinned man sitting with them right now.
"Dean Thomas!?" Harry almost shouted aloud. "Haven't seen you in so long! Has it been since the Battle of Hogwarts? How have things been?"
"About that long" Dean replied. "And things have been great"
"Good to see another member of the DA again! I've thought about having another meeting down the line. I hope you'll consider coming by" Harry stated, before standing up again.
"You just came" Ginny said.
"I'm sorry. I just had time to come by for your lunch hour to say hi. Just a lot of the guys at the office found your two pieces great. See you tonight" and with that he was gone.
Ginny was a bit disappointed with the quick visit.
Dean was just looking. It seemed that all was not perfect in the Potter's paradise.
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To some extent Dean had always resented Harry for ending up with Ginny. First at the end of their sixth year, and then again in their seventh. While being on the run, the thought of Ginny had kept him comfortable during many cold and terrified nights.
And now Harry seemed to not appreciate this wonderful woman that had become his wife and the mother of his three children?! That somehow angered him even more.
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Dean quit his day after lunch as Bob stated the next edition of the prophet was too packed for any cartoons.
Ginny stayed for one and a half hour longer before being called by Bob as well.
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Ginny arrived in Bob's office, being called.
"How's the Barboza-piece doing?" He asked.
"Just done" she replied. "Send it to publishing"
"Good, then I give you one last mission for the day" he said, before pulling a basket filled with snack from underneath the desk.
"What's that?" She asked.
"A gift basked from the older Lady Greengrass. Apparently your and Thomas' work on Wiel made her laugh so much, she wanted to reward you. It's for both of you. And she also gave a hundred galleon donation to the Prophet. Take this and bring to Thomas, you two have earned the rest of the day off with your work. It's like there's much else going on in sports right now"
"Thank you, sir" was all Ginny could reply, being a little bit dumbfounded.
Leaving the office dumbfounded, Ginny wondered what she'd do next. The babysitter for Lily was on pay till the evening, so coming back immediately made no sense. So the first step would be going back to Dean.
She looked at the address Bob had left her, it being a muggle apartment in London, and she apparated to it.
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Ginny knocked at the door, and Dean opened. He was surprised at why she was there. She explained the situation and he let her in.
"Surprised that older Lady Greengrass read sports" Dean said, as they sat down on his couch.
"She's quite a curious case. Just throw money at things she likes. Apparently last month she donated seventy galleons to Florean Fortescue Jr's Ice Cream Parlour due a flavour she liked" Ginny replied.
"This is seems to be a pretty nice wine" Dean asked, picking up a bottle from the basked. "Wanna try some? To celebrate our success"
Ginny, you're married. You shouldn't be drinking wine with an ex-boyfriend in his apartment, especially after you had recently kissed. This is what went through her head.
"One glass" came out from her mouth.
Dean nodded and got two glasses, filling them with the red liquid.
As the two began the enjoy the wine, they also started to talk about their past. She spoke about her career as a Quidditch-player and then of her three children. For some strange reason she barely mentioned Harry. He knew some of her later life, having sometimes read her work. Here remembers her and Rita Skeeter reporting the 2014 Quidditch World Cup in the Patagonian Desert, where her family was featured. She definitely was the better reporter than Skeeter.
He quickly talked about his life as a traveling artist in Texas, New Zealand, France and Norway.
"You had someone back in Norway, right?" She asked.
Hanna Hotvedt, a half-blood healer from Oslo, Norway. And before that Tess O'Donelly, Bonnie Warren and Géraldine Adne.
"Her name was Hanna. Yeah, things just didn't work out in the end" he replied, slowly stepping closer to her. Hanna was an amazing partner, but she just was not the one.
Ginny saw a moving photo on a small cupboard, which showed Deann and some woman with flaming red. Hanna, she speculated, who kinda looked like her,
Things got strange again between them on the couch, like back at the office.
She was partially the reason why all of his past relationships failed. Not as in her fault, but as how he had elevated her as an ideal. Tess O'Donelly, Bonnie Warren, Géraldine Adne and Hanna Hotvedt all resembled her. Beautiful redheads with pale skin, who also had an adventurous spirit. But they just couldn't compare to Ginny.
He still hang on to her, even after all these years. Even after she had move on and founded a family, with a husband and three children. And now she was here, in his apartment.
She was so needy for companionship. Both physical and emotional. Which Harry hasn't been giving recently, and now she was here with another man, slightly inebriated.
The mood between the two was going somewhere sensual, but as Dean came closer to her, but Ginny rose up from the couch.
"It's been about an hour and I gotta go" she said, picking up her things and heading to the door.
Dean followed her.
"Are you happy?" He asked her.
"What?"
"With Harry. Your barley mentioned him when you were here. And earlier today, he barely had time for you. Are you happy with him?"
"Yes"
"Then why did you kiss me back to passionately?"
This was it. The moment of truth.
Ginny didn't have a reply being backed up against the wall by him.
"My past relationships failed because none of them were you. And you're needy as well" he stated, his hand caressing her cheek.
Ginny's heart was pounding. Not because she was against what was happening, but because deep inside she welcomed it.
"Dean…" she tried, but before she could not say anything else he lips crashed on hers.
Things are starting to get more heated now...
