Disclaimer: This J.K. Rowling’s world. Thank you for letting my mind wander…

Part One: Ginny

It was a dark and rainy day when Ginny Weasley found herself staring out the window of the Burrow. The scene outside her window was quite depressing. The trees seemed to cry when the rain drops rolled off of the leaves as the wind blew away their tears. They were looking for comfort where none could be found and the yearning was growing stronger with each passing minute. Ginny felt a lonely tear escape from the prison of her own eyes, but she quickly brushed it aside like the wind had with the trees.

Recently she had found herself to be in a depressing mood which was unusual. Typically Ginny was the life of the party and no one could bring her down. No one except a certain dark haired man who wears glasses, that is. Ginny couldn’t understand Harry lately. He was distant and quiet, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. He was just different somehow. She missed the old Harry and wished that he would come back from wherever went. Ginny found herself wondering if it was her fault and if she was the reason for all of the changes in him.

They hadn’t gotten back together in a relationship yet, but Ginny was so sure at the end of the school year that as soon as Harry returned to the Burrow, he would realize his mistake. So far all Ginny was living on was just a hopeless dream about a stubborn man who was not going to change his mind anytime soon. To Ginny it seemed that all her life she was trying to pursue an unreal reality to be with Harry. But Harry had been at the Burrow for nearly five days now and he still hadn’t said anything about their relationship or given her any hints. Ginny sighed deeply.

When she heard her mother call her down for breakfast, she quickly put her hair up into a messy ponytail and hurried downstairs. When she got to the kitchen, she saw Harry and Ron sitting at the far end of the table having a heated debate about Quidditch. Mrs. Weasley was cooking. Ginny took a seat next to Ron. Her mother brought over some pancakes and Ginny thanked her. Ginny, however, just poked at them for a while. She wasn’t feeling very hungry at the moment.

Ginny glanced at Harry. He was laughing with Ron as if nothing had ever happened between them. She knew that she was overacting, but how could he just sit there and act like he doesn’t care? Ginny scowled, took a bite of her pancake, and then stood up abruptly. She stomped past Ron and stopped briefly behind Harry.

She bent down and in his ear she whispered, “I hate you.” Harry looked up, but it was too late. Ginny had already stormed out of the room. Harry thought about chasing after her, but soon pushed that idea away from his thoughts.

Ginny had lied, of course. Hate was a strong word and she knew in her heart that she could not possibly feel this way about Harry, but her anger had gotten the better of her. She ran outside where it was still misting out, but she didn’t care. Then she kept running down a small path into the woods. Although she didn’t know where she was going, she didn’t stop either. The trees blurred past her as she ran, but she was fully aware of the distance that she was putting between her and Harry. Ginny was soon out of breath and so she slowed a bit to a fast walk. Looking up to the sky, she observed that the clouds weren’t going to clear anytime soon. Great, just my luck, she thought.

She was still on the path, but she had gone farther than she had ever gone before on this particular trail. Looking behind her, she could no longer see the Burrow. She kept moving through the muddy forest. She continually told herself to keep going and not to stop. Ginny needed to get as far away from Harry as she could. Again she was running, but this time she was brushing away the tears that were pouring down her red cheeks also. Then she saw a clearing up ahead of her. She slowed her pace to walk. Breathing heavily, Ginny put her hands to her face and wiped away the last of her tears. Crying isn’t going to solve much, she told herself firmly.

The rain had become stronger now and Ginny began to feel cold and lonely. She walked to the clearing, sat on a rock, and hugged herself for warmth. It had only been about a half an hour, but to Ginny it felt like an entire week had passed. She put her head down to her knees and briefly considered returning to the Burrow, but the Burrow was the last place where she wanted to go. And so she stayed on her rock listening to the wind and shivering in the cold for ten more minutes. As she ran through everything in her head, she began to lose hope in Harry and in their relationship. Most of all, she began to lose faith in herself. She understood that Harry thought that she’d be in danger if they allowed their relationship to continue, but if he loved her wouldn’t he show some signs of depression? Wouldn’t he show some signs of being unhappy at least?

Then again, Ginny really hadn’t shown any signs either when she was with other people. That morning had been the first time that she showed any kind of anger toward Harry and although she hadn’t been herself lately, most people would have just blamed that on worry due to the recent war.

Suddenly, Ginny had the strange feeling that she wasn’t alone anymore in her little clearing. Anxiously, she looked up from her knees and gazed around at the scene before her. Oddly enough, there was a small building that was just to the right of her rock. She gasped in shock. She definitely did not notice that structure when she had entered the clearing. Had she been too upset to notice it? She didn’t know.

Cautiously, she stood up and walked over to the front door where she saw a sign that read:

The Green Dragon Pub
Where the Lost Come to Be Found

Ginny was taken completely by surprise. It seemed like a pretty poor location to build a pub. She wondered how many customers the pub actually received and her curiosity led her inside the little tavern. It was warm and welcoming inside. She was right, there weren’t many people, but there were a few. She closed the door behind her and looked around. There were a few tables set up and a couch was in front of a fireplace on the far wall. The top of a set of stairs disappeared to the second floor of the building and Ginny could see a small counter on the left wall. There was a man behind the counter. He smiled as she approached as if he expected her arrival.

The man was old and had short gray hair. His eyes were a dull green, but they were warm like any benevolent old man’s eyes. He was medium height but Ginny noticed that he was holding a cane for support. She forced a smile as she walked up to the counter. She opened her mouth to speak, but the old man beat her to it.

“Welcome to the Green Dragon, Miss. My name’s Blenkinsop Waterbut and I am the owner of this modest pub. You look cold, why don’t you go warm up by the fire and I’ll bring you some hot cocoa,” Mr. Waterbut suggested. Ginny frowned.

“I don’t have any money,” she replied stiffly. Mr. Waterbut looked insulted as she said this and he shook his head.

“I won’t accept your money, Miss. That’s not why I run the Green Dragon. Your teeth are chattering so loud that you must be freezing. Now please, I’ll explain everything once you can actually hear a word that I’m saying,” said Mr. Waterbut in a kind, but serious tone. Ginny lingered for a while more and then she reluctantly headed toward the fireplace where she knelt down in front of it trying to warm herself.

Ginny looked around not quite understanding what she was seeing. There was a young boy sitting not far away from her who was dressed in shorts and a tank top. Ginny knew that it was summertime, but it was a very cool summer day in England. The boy must be extremely cold. Still, Ginny couldn’t understand this place. She moved herself over to the couch and looked up just in time to see Mr. Waterbut walking toward her.

“Here you go, Miss. I even added some marshmallows for you. Now, I do believe that you have some questions?” he asked as he handed the cocoa over to her. Ginny lifted the mug up to her mouth and tasted a little. The flavor was delicious. Then she directed her attention to Mr. Waterbut.

“Of course, I have some questions. Where am I?” she quickly inquired. Mr. Waterbut smiled as if this was his favorite question to answer.

“Ah, of course. You are anywhere you want to be, but you aren’t nowhere. Oh, yes, you definitely somewhere, yet where you are is entirely up to you. Does that answer your question?”

“Um, no, not really. I don’t follow. How can I be somewhere but be anywhere at the same time?” Ginny asked incredulously. Mr. Waterbut’s eyes twinkled knowingly.

“Now, Miss, I’m afraid you’ll have to figure that one out for yourself. I’m not supposed to give away all of my secrets. I have a question for you now,” the old man said. Ginny’s eyes narrowed when she heard his answer to her question but she didn’t push the matter.

“Okay, shoot,” she replied.

“Who are you?” Mr. Waterbut asked.

“Oh! Sorry. My name is Ginny. It’s a pleasure meeting you.” She held out her hand for a handshake but Mr. Waterbut just stared at it as if he didn’t know what she was doing. Ginny pulled her hand away quickly and blushed although she didn’t know why she was turning red�”he was the one who didn’t shake her hand. Mr. Waterbut raised an eyebrow.

“So Ginny, you have a problem,” Mr. Waterbut stated bluntly. Ginny looked up from her lap and wondered how he knew about her current situation.

“How di�”” she opened her mouth to say but Mr. Waterbut put his hand up to stop her.

“No, I won’t tell you that either. Now, your problem, you should talk about it,” he suggested. Ginny crossed her arms and glared at the man.

“Why should I tell you about my problem if you won’t tell me how you knew about it or even where I am?” Ginny fired back. Mr. Waterbut shrugged and he seemed to be looking beyond Ginny. In truth, he looked incredibly bored.

“I think that you have a lot of thinking to do, Ginny. If I were you, I’d take a step back and learn first that everybody has secrets and there’s nothing that you can do about that. Then consider that I’m only trying to help you and next you should think about the reason why you were sitting on a rock and crying in the pouring rain in the first place. Figure it out. If you need me, I’ll be at the counter. Feel free to talk to some of the other guests. One of them is just as stubborn as you are,” Mr. Waterbut said as he walked away from her.

Ginny pouted in complaint and she felt even more frustrated than she had when she walked into the pub. In fact, she had a good mind to just walk out of there in that moment, but she stayed and reluctantly sipped her hot chocolate. Ginny looked around again. The strange boy was still sitting there looking extremely irritated and Ginny had a hunch that he was the person that Mr. Waterbut was talking about. In the corner was an older lady who was quietly sobbing to herself and holding what looked like a picture. On the floor in front of the counter was a little girl who was playing with some toys and hugging a doll fiercely. There was two middle aged men sitting in the middle of the room having a heated discussion, but Ginny couldn’t hear what the subject was.

Ginny didn’t know what to do, but her curiosity got the best of her again and so she stayed in the little pub wondering about the things that Mr. Waterbut told her. She couldn’t take being alone anymore so she decided to talk to someone, but not Mr. Waterbut. She considered her options and glided over to the boy’s table.

“Can I sit down?” she asked him. He looked up surprised but nodded his head slightly. She sat across the table from him and he studied her. She noticed that he had light brown hair and dark brown eyes. His skin was a bit pale, but his cheeks were red probably from sunburn. He didn’t say anything to her so they sat in a very awkward silence.

Ginny put her hands together and rubbed them because they were still very cold. The boy looked at her and she saw his eyes narrow in confusion. Ginny stopped because she felt like she was doing something wrong, but then she couldn’t take it anymore so she continued again. The boy sighed.

“Hi, I’m Craig,” he said and then he held out his hand. Ginny shook it and introduced herself.

“Ginny. I like that name,” he stated. Ginny smiled and blushed a little.

“So, I’m very confused,” she remarked. Craig nodded his head in agreement.

“Yeah, me, too. The old man won’t tell me anything so I gave up,” he muttered softly so that Mr. Waterbut couldn’t hear him.

“He won’t say anything to me either. So how did you find this place? Do you live nearby?” she asked.

“I live close enough. I was walking down the beach further than I usually go and suddenly this sign just pops out of nowhere. I had never noticed a building there so I investigated. And now here I am,” Craig explained. Now Ginny was more confounded. There were no beaches that she knew of near her house and Craig’s accent was not even British.

“I don’t understand. What beach are you talking about?” she queried.

“Um, West Dennis Beach. Did you hit your head or something and forget where you are?”

“Where the hell is West Dennis Beach? There’s no beach near where I’m from,” Ginny said.

“It’s on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Wow, you really have no clue where you are. I get why you’re confused now,” he stated matter-of-factly. Ginny’s jaw dropped. It wasn’t possible, was it? How could she be in the United States and England at the same time?

“No, it’s not that. My house is near the village of Ottery St. Catchpole. I live in England. There’s no way that I’m in Massachusetts,” she told him. Craig just stared at her in disbelief and then the two sat in silence again, both thinking very hard.

“You have got to be kidding. I don’t believe you,” Craig replied. Ginny shook her head and he sighed.

“This just keeps getting weirder and weirder. Nothing makes sense. That old man isn’t talking unless we tell him what our ‘problem’ is and I can’t stand it! He’s making more problems for us. This is insane!” Craig exclaimed. Ginny had the sudden urge to ask Craig what his problem was, but she didn’t want to upset him so she kept her mouth shut during his rant. Craig noticed her silence all of a sudden so he stopped complaining and said apologized to her.

“No, don’t be. Believe me, I feel the same way. Confusion seems to be my main emotion these days. I’m used to it, I guess,” she mumbled. Craig smiled reassuringly.

“Join the club,” he responded.

“So, America, huh? Do you like it there?” Ginny changed the subject; she was fed up with feeling sorry for herself.

“Yeah, I like it. It’s okay, I guess. I mean, well, I don’t like living where I am, but the country’s good. I’m lucky to live there. I’m going to move someday, though. The Cape isn’t really where I want to settle down. I’m looking for a little bit more…excitement. Do you know what I mean? Probably not, not many people do,” he said.

“I know what you mean. Everyone keeps telling me that ‘you’re too young to do this’ and ‘that’s too dangerous’ and ‘no, don’t do that.’ I’m so sick of it all. And if Ha�”” she stopped abruptly. She almost told Craig that if Harry would just stop being stupid then everything would be better. Craig looked at her with an odd expression and then she whispered, “Never mind.”

Ginny spotted Mr. Waterbut eying the two of them and she looked away quickly. She thought about how weird her situation was. She was sitting in a pub which was somehow in more than one location at the same time. She was talking to a complete stranger whom she had met only about fifteen minutes ago. And she was avoiding the owner of the pub that she could leave at any time. It was a mystery to her why she stayed.

“Why don’t you leave?” she asked Craig. She seemed to have awakened him from his thoughts as he was startled by her question. He shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know. It feels like this is where I should be right now. I don’t really have anything to look forward to going back to at home. What about you?” he inquired.

“I have that same feeling. I don’t feel like going home either,” Ginny replied. Craig shot her a glance of understanding and then he looked down at his hands. Ginny started to play absentmindedly with the table cloth. She studied her new acquaintance not really knowing what to think about him. He seemed nice enough, but something was out of place and Ginny didn’t know what that something was. She thought hard and continued to come back to the same question, Why was he here?

Ginny noticed that Craig was holding something in his hands. She tried unsuccessfully to see what it was. So she sat in her chair and continued to think about the possible reasons that he could be here. He seemed perfectly fine apart from being a little tense, but other than that she couldn’t see anything wrong. His brown eyes showed no emotion and face showed no sorrow. In fact, he looked curious and not at all bothered like he said that he was. Ginny couldn’t help feeling a bit uneasy as she sat across from him. Maybe it was because she didn’t know too much about him or maybe it was because she didn’t know where she was. Either way, she needed answers.

“Craig…” she began, but stopped short to collect her thoughts. Craig looked up questioningly.

“What?” he said dully. Ginny unfolded her hands and put faced them up toward the ceiling as if hoping for the words to come from the sky. It didn’t seem as if they were going to so she rolled her eyes trying to figure out how to ask him. She wasn’t aware of it but she unexpectedly blurted out the question and it didn’t sound very sincere.

“What’s your problem?”

“My problem? You’re the one who randomly comes over to strangers and starts talking to them. I don’t believe that I’m the one with the problem at this table,” he spat. Ginny realized that she had unintentionally offended him.

“Sorry, I meant why are you here? Did you read the sign on your way in? It said ‘Where the Lost Come to Be Found.’ And then Mr. Waterbut asked us both to tell him about our problems. I apologize, I shouldn’t have asked,” Ginny muttered. Craig closed his eyes for a minute as if he was trying not to listen. Ginny made a move to get up and leave the table.

“No, wait. I think you’re right,” whispered Craig suddenly. Ginny sat back down.

“So, you’ll tell me?” she pushed the matter. Craig swallowed hard and he seemed to be fighting with himself. Ginny was patient and she waited knowing that if he told her that it would soon be her turn to share. Craig sighed.

“It’s…complicated. It’ll take a while to tell the story,” he said reluctant voice. Ginny looked at her new friend with sympathy and she understood that his tale would be hard to tell.

“I’ve got time,” she replied and smiled reassuringly. And in that moment for the first time, Ginny saw the once hiding emotions start to show on Craig’s stone face.

Disclaimer: This J.K. Rowling’s world. Thank you for letting my mind wander...

Part Two: Craig

Ginny sat back in her chair as Craig readied himself to tell his story to her. He took a deep breath and then looked back to Ginny.

“Okay, I’m ready,” he announced. “I don’t think I’ve told this to anyone before, but I’m adopted. I’ve only lived with the family that I live with now for about four years. I still remember my real family. My mom was incredibly nice and she was always there for me. My dad wasn’t around a lot and when he was, he wasn’t a very nice person to be with. Although my parents were still together, it felt like they were apart. And I kept wishing that my mom would just find someone new and I told her that once. For the first time, I heard the fear in her voice. She told me to never let my father hear me speak like that and that it was only her that kept him away from me. When I asked why she kept him away, she just shook her head and told me that I was too young to understand.”

Craig paused. Ginny saw in his eyes that he held great hatred for his father. She wondered why. Then Craig started to speak again.

“Then one summer day about five years ago, I remember coming home from baseball early because practice had been cancelled since the weather was bad. I used to like to play Muggle baseball during the summer. Anyway, when I opened the door to the house, I heard my mother’s voice begging ‘No…please…don’t!’ After that came my father’s voice telling her to shut up and I knew that something was wrong. So I dumped my backpack on the doorstep after first grabbing my baseball bat and hurried up the stairs to my parents’ bedroom. When I got to the door, I paused and listened. Dad was telling Mom that she was stupid and that she never did anything right. He said that he was going to take me far away so I wouldn’t be ‘disturbed’ by her anymore. She pleaded with him, but he didn’t hear a word. Then…then…” Craig tried to say something but he turned his face away as if it was too horrible for words. Ginny took his hand to comfort him.

“Craig, it’s okay. You can tell me. What did your dad do next?” Ginny asked. Craig pulled his hand from hers and pounded his fist hard on the table, startling Ginny.

“He hit her clean across the face as if she weren’t human. Then he pulled out his wand and used some curse on her which I don’t remember. It all happened so quickly. All I knew was that I had to stop him somehow and I remembered that I was holding my baseball bat. I pushed open the door and my father turned around. He yelled at me to get out, but I didn’t leave. I inched closer to him with my bat behind my back and when I got close enough, I struck him so hard that he didn’t know what hit him. My dad is a big man, too, so it was a little surprising when he fell over. He was mad and I knew it, but I had to do something so I hit him again.

“I had forgotten that he had a wand and I didn’t so when he finally got up and aimed his wand at me, I panicked. I ran toward him to try and take the wand from him, but it was no use. He shot some curse at me and I felt pain throughout my entire body. It was horrible. When the pain finally lifted, he asked me if I was ready to behave. I nodded and rushed over to my mother, who was lying in a puddle of blood on the floor. I shook her praying that she’d wake up, but she never did. She never would. My father told me that all of it was my fault and that I should be punished. The next thing I remember is running as fast as I could away from the house. I ran and I ran and I ran. Finally, I don’t know how long I had been running, but I found some shops. I ran into the nearest one and the clerk stopped me. I tried to break free, but he was strong. When I looked back, my father was nowhere to be found. I spent a lot of time in the Muggle police station explaining everything, but I changed a few parts because they were Muggles. So that’s why I’m adopted. I was ten at the time and I spent two years hoping for a nice family to take me in,” Craig finished.

Ginny looked at her friend with sad eyes. She couldn’t imagine witnessing her mother’s death. It would be too horrible to even think about. Then she pictured Harry watching Sirius die and immediately she knew that she couldn’t even begin to feel what he feels. A tear fell from her eye for both Harry and Craig. Ginny was speechless, but she felt the need to say something.

“Craig, I’m so sorry,” she whispered gently. He shrugged.

“It’s the past now. That’s not my real problem, just the background. Ginny, my father’s back. He hasn’t found me yet, but I know he will. My new family is in danger and it’s my fault. I don’t know what to do. My new sister is only three years old. I can’t let anything happen to them just because they adopted me! It’s not right,” Craig explained. Ginny saw the fear in his eyes and she felt it, too. There’s nothing worse than dreading what’s coming. She felt it everyday when she worried about Harry. Craig stood up suddenly still clutching whatever it was that he held in his hand. Ginny looked up questioningly.

“I’ll be right back,” he muttered quickly and then hurried off toward the other side of the room where he disappeared through a door. Ginny knew that he needed some time to himself to collect his thoughts. She looked around for a while and then went to take a sip from her mug. All the hot chocolate was gone, but she craved for more. So she took the mug with her to the counter. Mr. Waterbut was busy writing something down and he didn’t look up when Ginny approached. She waited patiently.

“Um, Mr. Waterbut? Sir?” she finally said after waiting a couple minutes. He looked up and she stared at him waiting for a response.

“Miss Weasley, kindly say what you would like to say. I’m very busy,” he replied in a bored tone.

“Well, I was just wondering if I could�”hey! I never told you my last name. How did you know?” she observed forgetting about her lack of hot chocolate. He rolled his eyes looked back down at his work. Ginny groaned.

“Why won’t you tell me anything? You have us here, at least let us know what’s going on!” she demanded. He looked up again clearly annoyed now.

“You may leave any time you like, Miss Weasley,” he suggested.

“Why can’t you just tell us?” she pushed.

“Because it’s not my job to figure that out. It’s yours. Now please, you came up here for something, what was it?” he said. Ginny tapped her foot impatiently. She hated it when people spoke cryptically, but she gave up.

“May I please have some more hot chocolate? It’s delicious,” she asked politely. Mr. Waterbut smiled.

“Of course you can. I’m glad that you like it!” He took her mug and poured her some more and handed it back to her happily. She took the cup and sipped it slightly.

“Now, Miss Weasley, is there anything else you needed? Perhaps you would like to discuss something?” implied Mr. Waterbut.

“Nope, I’m all set. Thank you!” Ginny answered quickly and she turned to head back to the table.

“You know where to find me,” she heard Mr. Waterbut call behind her. She nodded and walked quickly to her seat. Craig wasn’t back yet. The dim glow of the fireplace lit the table. She sat for a minute and then got up again. She headed over to where the little girl was playing and sat down on the rug next to her. The girl stopped playing and went over to Ginny, her golden hair bouncing behind her.

“What’s your name?” the small girl said in a squeaky voice. Ginny smiled.

“Ginny,” she replied. The girl thought for a moment and then she sat down right next to Ginny.

“Ooh, I like that name! My name is Hayleigh. I’m four,” she said as he held up four fingers proudly. Hayleigh’s blue eyes were wide as she talked to Ginny. Ginny could tell that she wanted the attention.

“Are your parents here, Hayleigh?” Ginny asked kindly. She saw tears begin to form in the young girl’s eyes. Immediately Ginny realized that it was the wrong thing to ask.

“I don’t know where my mommy and daddy are. I couldn’t find home so I came in here. Mr. Blenky gave me some toys to play with,” Hayleigh sobbed. Then she jumped into Ginny’s arms surprising her. Ginny awkwardly held the small girl and she felt her heart melt. Hayleigh was lost from home and scared. Ginny felt like at that moment she would do anything for her but she didn’t know what she could do.

“It’s okay, sweetie. You’ll be fine,” Ginny soothed. She stroked Hayleigh’s hair out of her eyes and dried her tears. Hayleigh continued to cry and Ginny didn’t know what to do. She held onto Hayleigh and felt a tear fall from her own eye. Quickly brushing it away, Ginny caught sight of Craig walking back into the room. As she held the four year old, she waved to him. He saw her and headed over grinning.

“Making friends?” he smirked. Ginny pretended to glare at his joke. He shrugged and watched the girl in Ginny’s arms. She was quieting down now and she turned to look at Craig. He tried to give her a reassuring smile.

“Who are you?” she demanded as she wiped her eyes.

“I’m Craig,” he replied. She got up off of Ginny to get a closer look at him.

“You look mad. Do you miss your mommy, too?” she asked innocently. Craig glanced sharply at Ginny who had her hand over her mouth. Hayleigh had no idea of the truth behind her question.

“Yeah, I do. Come here,” he said softly. Hayleigh hesitated for a moment and then bounced over to Craig. He picked her up and set her on the table. She kicked her feet playfully and smiled up at him. Ginny wondered what Craig was going to do.

“Do you have a dad?” he inquired. Hayleigh nodded her head. “Do you like your dad?” he continued.

“I love my daddy. He comes home and plays with me everyday. He tucks me into bed every night. Wanna play with me and my dolly?” she asked as she tried to get down from the table. Craig ignored her question and kept her up there. Ginny wanted to see where he was going with this.

“That’s really good. This is important. When you get home, tell your mom and dad that you love them. Then give them a really big hug. Will you do that for me?” Craig said. His voice was hollow and Ginny could see the gloom on his face. Hayleigh didn’t understand but she nodded her head anyway. Then she tried to get down again and Craig helped her. Ginny handed her the doll and then stood up to go over to Craig. Craig was watching Hayleigh and he seemed not to notice Ginny.

“Are you alright?” she asked him worriedly. He seemed to snap out of his trance as he looked at her.

“Yeah, I’m good. She doesn’t understand what she has,” Craig stated as he pointed at Hayleigh.

“She’s only four years old. She’s more concerned with who her next playmate is,” Ginny explained.

“Good point,” he agreed. Then he took out the piece of paper that he was holding earlier. Ginny stared at it. He noticed her focus and showed her what he was holding. Ginny didn’t understand. On the paper was a bunch of scribbling and a stick figure person.

“My sister drew that for me. It says ‘I love you Craig.’ I’m talented enough to read three year old scribbles. See that?” He pointed at the stick figure, “That’s me,” he explained proudly. Ginny laughed.

“Oh? I see you’ve got an artist in the family,” she teased. Craig chuckled.

“My sister, Ellie, is one of a kind. She’ll come right up to you no matter who you are and cheer you right up. God, I wish she was here right now. I haven’t seen her in a long time,” Craig muttered. The smile faded from Ginny’s face as quickly as it had come. She understood what Craig was implying. It sounded oddly familiar.

“Craig…you need to go back to them,” she urged. Craig didn’t seem at all surprised by her advice. He leaned against the table.

“You don’t understand. It’s not safe,” he argued. Ginny shook her head irritably.

“I understand more than you think. Quit trying to be the hero and go back to them. If you explain it to them, I bet they’ll know what to do. Did you even try explaining the situation to them?” Ginny asked.

“No. It’s too late. If I go back, my father will find me,” he said. Ginny could sense his anger rising. Obviously he was short tempered.

“Can’t you just try?” she insisted.

“Damn it, Ginny! Just let it go. I’m not going back and there’s nothing that you can do to convince me. There’s a murderer out there looking for me! Must I spell it out for you?” roared Craig. Ginny saw his eyes darken. Hayleigh, who had been playing just a few feet away, ran and hid behind Ginny’s legs. Ginny bent down and put her hand on Hayleigh’s head to calm her. Then she looked back at Craig.

“Don’t speak to me like that�”” Ginny started but she was interrupted by Mr. Waterbut. He must have overheard the argument because he was now standing right between the two of them. He held is hand up and faced Craig. Craig rolled his eyes impatiently.

“What do you want?” he said rather rudely. Ginny folded her arms barely noticing that Hayleigh was still hiding behind her.

“Sir, I do believe that you are mistaken. Maybe you should consider asking Miss Weasley about herself a little. She really does know what she’s talking about,” Mr. Waterbut answered.

“How do you know that? Did she tell you?” Craig fired back clearly even angrier.

“No, I just know. Now I would appreciate it if you kept your voice down, Mr. Draudy. You’re disturbing our other guests,” Mr. Waterbut requested as he motioned toward the other people in the room. Craig grunted something that sounded like “fine” and then slouched against the table again. Meanwhile, Ginny was still wondering how Mr. Waterbut knew so much about her. She was starting to think that maybe coming into the Green Dragon was not her best idea.

“Mr. Waterbut? Who exactly are you?” Ginny asked suddenly. Craig looked up because he was clearly interested in the answer. Mr. Waterbut’s eyes twinkled.

“Ah, now I don’t get that question very often. My name is Blenkinsop Waterbut. I have a deceased wife and two kids who don’t visit much, but I love them so much. I’m the owner of the Green Dragon Pub and I like helping people who’ll let me. The Green Dragon has been in my family for several generations and I don’t even know half of its secrets. You can call me Blenkinsop if you want,” he explained.

Ginny thought about his answer. He sounded lonely a little bit. Then she thought that he was one of the strangest people that she had ever met because of his sometimes friendly and other times cryptic personality. She caught Craig’s eye and he immediately looked away disgusted. Ginny didn’t understand why he was so mad. She tried to remember if Harry had ever gotten angry like Craig before but she could only think about what Harry had told her he had been like after Sirius’ death. She hadn’t witnessed that, but she wondered if he was really this bad. Blenkinsop waited patiently for her to say something.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured to him. Blenkinsop was taken back by the apology. He didn’t understand.

“Why?” he asked. Ginny noticed that Hayleigh let go of her legs to go back and play. After all, how entertaining is it for a four year old to listen to adults talk? Ginny tried to think of a good answer and she wished that Craig was still speaking to her.

“Well…I dunno. I’m sorry that I was mean to you. It wasn’t right�”you were just trying to help me. And Craig, I shouldn’t have pushed you so far, but I still think that I’m right,” she clarified honestly. The two men looked at her skeptically, especially Craig. Ginny didn’t have anything else to say so she just walked away from them. She needed to think and think hard. She decided to go greet the older woman in the corner who looked really sad. She had to walk past the two middle aged men, but when she did she wished she hadn’t. They stopped their conversation as she glided by.

“Well, aren’t you a pretty little thing?” the first man hollered with a southern drawl. He was tall and was wearing a wide brimmed hat with cowboy boots. Ginny glared at him disgusted. She kept walking at the same pace, but his friend stepped in front of her.

“Where are you going, Miss? Don’t you want to have a drink with us?” he offered with an entirely different accent. Ginny stopped unwillingly. He was much bigger than she was and there was no way she could push by him. He was also very tall with blonde hair and blue eyes. He was close enough to her that she could smell the foul smell of Firewhisky on his breath. She was not impressed at all.

“No, I don’t think so,” she replied quickly, but the man didn’t move. She could see the first man smirking. They were drunk and Ginny had no desire to talk to them.

“Well you know what I think, Isaac?” the first man said. Isaac kept his gaze focused on Ginny.

“What’s that, Xavier?” Isaac wondered. Ginny continued to weigh her options.

“I think that she’s just being shy. Maybe we should help her out,” he suggested as he pulled out a canister from his pocket and handed it to Isaac. Ginny felt her temper rising.

“Leave me alone!” she exclaimed. The men just laughed at her.

“And why should we do that?” Xavier questioned. Ginny quickly came up with a response.

“Because if you don’t then I’ll get my boyfriend and he’ll severely impair both of you with one flick of his wand. That’s why,” she explained hoping that they were too drunk to realize that she didn’t have a boyfriend at the moment and if she had, he certainly wasn’t with her. She always had a last resort, too. She could use her own wand. Surely there was enough magic in this place for the Ministry not to notice, but she wanted to avoid confrontation. She listened furiously as the two men laughed at her again.

“Miss, if you had a boyfriend then you wouldn’t be here. And I don’t see him anywhere so there’s no harm in sitting down for a drink with two gentlemen,” Isaac observed and then he pulled her arm and started to drag her to the table. Ginny had had enough. She pulled her wand out and pointed it at the man called Isaac. He was clearly surprised but then he smiled.

“That is some nice craftsmanship on that wand. Thanks for showing me,” Isaac joked. Ginny rolled her eyes.

“Want to know what’s even better about it? It can get rid of unwanted attention. Now kindly let me go and I won’t hurt you,” she demanded. Isaac didn’t move so Ginny opened her mouth to release one of her patented Bat-Bogey Hexes. She was relieved when Isaac finally moved and that she didn’t have to use her wand. Ginny walked away from the table quickly and heard the two muttering behind her.

“She’s no fun,” one of them said. Ginny smiled to herself glad that she had gotten out of that situation. It wouldn’t have been pretty if she had been forced to use her magic considering her anger level was dangerously high. Ginny headed toward the woman sitting in the corner as she had originally planned. The lady was now watching her because she must have heard the commotion. She approached the woman’s table and stood for a moment.

“Well, are you just going to stand there? You can sit down you know, that’s what seats are for,” the woman suggested sarcastically in a French accent. Ginny laughed. She was definitely not what Ginny had expected.

“Thank you. My name’s Ginny,” she said as she sat down. The woman put down her photograph and wiped her face with the back of her hand. She looked to be in about her late sixties but she looked good for her age.

“It’s nice to meet you, Ginny. I’m Rosemary, but my friends call me Rose. I saw what you did back there,” she motioned toward Isaac and Xavier. “I used to have the same problem back in the day. The trick is to not let them get the upper hand. You did well,” Rose complimented with a glint in her eyes.

“Thanks,” Ginny responded. She glanced that the picture. There was a young man and woman moving in it and they looked happy. Ginny asked who they were curiously.

“That’s me,” she pointed to the woman, “and that’s my husband, Tom. We were young in this picture. He passed away last week. I miss him so much.”

“I’m so sorry,” Ginny offered her condolence. Rose held her hand up.

“Thank you, but I’ll be alright. I’m just doing my grieving. He really deserves it; he was a great husband. Tom was always caring for other people more than himself. He was a great man,” she added. Ginny saw the tears in Rose’s eyes threatening to escape. Then Rose asked Ginny, “Do you have someone special in your life?”

“Yes, I do. His name’s Harry,” Ginny replied not understanding why she had the feeling that she could trust Rose. Rose smiled.

“Do you love him?” she asked. Ginny didn’t feel like she was talking to an older woman. On the contrary, she felt like she was speaking to someone like Hermione.

“I love him very much,” she said.

“Hold onto him then, dear. It’s not often that the good ones come along. You keep him close now…” she paused after she noticed Ginny’s expression. “You look troubled. Does he love you?”

“I think so,” Ginny answered uncertainly.

“Then what’s the problem?” Rose asked kindly. Ginny felt herself let out a deep breath. She hadn’t told anyone yet about how she felt, but she knew that she had to. She took hold of Rose’s picture and looked at it once more. The people in the photograph looked so content and happy as they danced around. Ginny wished that she and Harry could have a picture like that someday. Then everything would be perfect again. However, deep down, Ginny knew that that day would be in the distant future if it ever happened.

Disclaimer: This is J.K. Rowling’s world. Thank you for letting my mind wander…

Part Three: Harry

Ginny trembled for several moments. Expressing her feelings about Harry and her current situation did not come easily into words for her. Rose waited patiently for the teenager to open up to her. After all, she had already told Ginny her troubles. Surely there was some way that they could help each other. Ginny took a deep breath.

“Harry and I…Well, we’re not together anymore. It was his decision, not mine. It’s just…hard. I still see him everyday and he never makes eye contact with me anymore. He never talks to me and he’s just not the same. I don’t know what to do,” Ginny confided. Rose’s expression became sad. Ginny felt that Rose understood her completely.

“Do you know why he doesn’t want to be with you anymore? You said that he still loved you,” Rose asked. Ginny knew the answer although she hated it.

“He told me that it was for my own safety. Harry has lived a very tough life. He has had loved ones ripped away from him throughout his whole life. I think that he believes that if he lets himself get close to someone that he’ll just be setting himself up for another loss. I really don’t know sometimes with him. He can be so…distant. It’s killing me to think that I can’t do anything only because he won’t let me. And then there’s me. I just feel so alone,” Ginny tried to explain. Rose nodded.

“Have you tried talking to him, honey?” Rose suggested.

“I have tried that. He just ignored me or said that he had something else to do. It’s like he’s scared to be too near to me. I’ve tried everything,” Ginny said sadly. Rose considered for another moment.

“There’s not much else you can do. He’ll come around. It may take some time, but for the time being I suggest finding something else to do. Go out and have some fun with friends or pick up a new hobby. If Harry sees that you’ve moved on, maybe it will knock some sense into him,” Rose advised. Ginny frowned. She didn’t want to give up on Harry and she wished that the time would go faster.

“This morning I told Harry that I hated him,” she blurted out suddenly. It had been bothering her all day. Rose raised an eyebrow.

“Did you mean it?” she inquired.

“Of course not! I love him and I always will. I was just mad this morning. But I said it to him as I ran out of the door and I didn’t get to see his reaction. I know that he doesn’t hate me, but I can’t help thinking that he didn’t come after me. He didn’t follow and tell me that everything would be alright and that I really didn’t hate him. And now I’m wondering if he even cares at all. It’s silly, I know,” Ginny muttered. She felt a hot tear roll down her cheek and then another one followed. She hated crying. It made her feel weak, which she wasn’t even close to being. She absolutely despised it, but she didn’t stop herself.

“Oh, dear. I can’t tell you that everything will be okay. I can only tell you that things happen for a reason and most times we don’t understand that reason until much later, after it has passed,” Rose tried to explain. Ginny didn’t feel much better but she understood. She stood up and gave Rose a hug.

“Thank you for everything. I think that it’s time that I go and deal with a few things. Again, I’m very sorry for your loss,” Ginny excused herself. Rose thanked her back and wished her luck with Harry. Then Ginny crossed the room this time fully avoiding confrontation with Isaac and Xavier. She marched up to Craig who was talking with Blenkinsop.

“Can I have a word?” she asked Craig with slight irritation in her voice. He nodded almost reluctantly. She pulled him over to the couch in front of the fireplace and they sat down on it. Ginny looked into the fire for a minute and then faced Craig who caught her gaze curiously.

“Okay, first, how dare you accuse me of not understanding your situation. And second I’ll tell you why I have a crystal clear understanding. My name is Ginny Weasley. My boyfriend, well I guess ex-boyfriend now, is Harry Potter. You’ve probably heard of him?” Ginny hissed. Craig’s eyes widened; he obviously had no idea who Ginny was before. He nodded.

“Good. Then you know that Voldemort is after him. You know that he has lived his entire life in fear. And you know that I have spent every night worrying about him even if he’s the git who dumped me a month ago. If you understand all of that then you must know that I recognize what it’s like for someone to leave because they think that it would be ‘safer.’ So, Craig, go back to your family. Only if you are together with them will you be safe. I’m waiting for Harry to see that and your family is waiting for you to see it. So there. That’s what I have to say. Now either you follow my advice or you keep trying to be the hero. Either way you’ll see it someday,” Ginny finished and then started to stand up. She had said her piece and she felt that there was nothing left to say. It was up to Craig now. She started walking away.

Then she heard footsteps behind her and felt a strong grip on her upper arm. It was Craig. He turned her around and then pulled her into a tight embrace. Ginny was taken off-guard. He whispered “thank you” in her ear and stuffed something in her hand. Then he mouthed goodbye and walked away quickly, almost skipping actually. After shaking Blenkinsop’s hand hastily, picking Hayleigh up, and spinning her around, Craig opened the door to the pub. Ginny watched him as he waved to her giving her a warm smile. When he stepped outside and the door shut behind him Ginny was sure that Craig had found his way home.

She smiled to herself wondering how he knew when it was time to leave. Then she remembered that he had put something in her hand. She opened the envelope, unfolded the letter, and read it:

Dear Ginny,
Thank you for everything. It takes a great person to listen to my story with such understanding. It takes more than a great person. You are a truly wonderful girl and any guy would be lucky to have you. I don’t know how he knew, but Blenkinsop told me that you’ve had some trouble with your boyfriend (I think he said his name was Harry?) recently and I just want you to know that no matter what he thinks, he’s wrong. You deserve the best. If you love him, then he’s probably the right man, but us guys can be pretty slow so just give him so time. He’ll come around and realize what he’s losing. You’re a great person.

Now as for me, I’m going home. I have this feeling that I’ve heard what I needed to hear. I trust that you will too in time. I hope that you’ll be able to forgive me for yelling at you earlier. Sometimes my temper is a curse. Actually it’s like that all the time, but it happens. I wish you the best in whatever you do. You’re a true friend, Ginny.

Your Friend,
Craig

P.S. I’ve put my address on the back. Keep in touch!

Ginny smiled. He must have written that letter while she was talking with Rose. He might have intended to leave without saying goodbye and give to letter to Blenkinsop to give to her. She was glad he had waited. Ginny folded the letter and put it safely in her pocket. She walked up to the counter and sat. Sitting there made her realize that maybe life isn’t about the little things like hurtful words and dirty glances. Maybe life should be about the bigger picture. Because if one focuses too much on the little things, then they could preoccupy themselves and miss the important things. Ginny’s thoughts drifted.

She saw Harry entering the common room of Gryffindor Tower. She felt herself running up to him and kissing him without any care in the world. Then she remembered all of the quiet afternoons that they had spent together and how happy she was. Next she saw Harry’s hurt face at Dumbledore’s funeral and thought that she would have done anything just to lift the pain from him. She heard him telling her that they couldn’t be together anymore and she felt the hurt flow from his words.

She saw Craig’s face as he told his story about his murderer of a father. She felt Blenkinsop’s kindness when she remembered what he had told her about himself. She saw the fear in poor little Hayleigh’s tears that made Ginny miss her home, too. Finally she felt the reassurance in Rose’s voice as Ginny laid her heart out on the table for anyone to hear.

All of these thoughts zoomed through her mind at once. Ginny tried to make sense out of them. All she could hear was Rose telling her that everything happens for a reason. She wanted very much to understand what that reason was. She considered for a moment how her friends’ stories could help her. She heard Craig’s voice saying “she doesn’t understand what she has.” Was Craig’s question directed at Hayleigh or herself? She couldn’t tell anymore. How many times did she feel that she wasn’t good enough for Harry? How many nights had she spent awake trying to discover her flaw? She doesn’t understand what she has.

She continued to think. Craig’s letter crossed her mind. He’ll come around and realize what he’s losing. Was she finally starting to put the pieces together? Harry and Ginny shared a love so deep that it killed them to be apart. She realized that she had seen it on Harry’s face everyday. He was paler and thinner. It was absolutely hurting him because he was torn away from her.

They don’t understand what they have.

All of the people at the Green Dragon would be far better off with their loved ones. Ginny finally understood the secret of the Green Dragon Pub. The secret was love. There was no simpler way to say it.

Ginny couldn’t have felt happier in her entire life. She jumped up and ran over to Blenkinsop. Ginny gave him a big hug and thanked him earnestly. She hated to leave Hayleigh all by herself but she knew that she’d be just fine in Blenkinsop’s care. She gave her a loving hug and waved spiritedly to Rose. She waved back. Ginny grinned her biggest grin. It was quite a change from the last month. Walking toward the door, Ginny took one last look around at the sad little pub. Then happily, she opened the door and found the woods staring back at her. It was partly sunny outside. Even better.

Taking one last quick glance at the pub, she stepped outside into the sunlight and walked forward. On the rock where she had cried her eyes out just two hours before was Harry Potter. Somehow, Ginny wasn’t in the least bit surprised. She glided over to the rock and sat next to him. He looked up startled.

“Hi,” Ginny said to him. Harry stared at her for a moment.

“Hi,” he replied as if he was meeting her for the first time.

“So what brings you out here?” Ginny asked. She didn’t remember Harry being behind her on her way out to this spot.

“Well, after you left I was doing some thinking. And I was thinking that maybe I should follow you. It took me a while to get here but I found your footprints and they just stopped here so here I am,” he explained.

“What were you thinking about?” Ginny prompted. Harry looked away for a minute as if he was collecting his thoughts for what he was about to say. Ginny waited patiently.

“I was thinking about us and how much of an idiot I am,” admitted Harry. Ginny shook her head in protest.

“Harry as stupid as you can be sometimes, you’re not an ‘idiot,’” she assured.

“Yes, I am. I made the girl that I love hate me,” he grumbled softly. Again, Ginny shook her head, but this time at her own stupidity.

“I didn’t mean what I said,” she confessed. “I was confused and angry.”

“It sure sounded like you meant it. I don’t really blame you either,” Harry said. Ginny scooted closer to him and pulled his face around to look at hers. She kept her hand on his cheek as she spoke.

“Harry, you know I love you. I shouldn’t have said that, but at the time, I didn’t understand. And I still don’t understand everything, but some of it makes sense now. You see, Harry, I’ve been doing some thinking also and I think that it’s time for you to start trusting me a little…” Ginny suggested. Harry raised an eyebrow.

“I do trust you. I’d trust you with my life. It’s just that I think it would be safer if Voldemort didn’t know about us, which means that our relationship should be put on a bit of a hiatus. I’m sorry, but that’s the way that it’s going to have to be. I shouldn’t have come here,” Harry said sadly. He started to get up, but Ginny held him there firmly. She was losing her patience quickly.

“No, Harry. It doesn’t have to be that way. That’s just the only solution that you see. The way I see it is that you feel the need to take on this burden by yourself instead of seeking help from those people who love you. But I have a theory. Voldemort doesn’t have anyone he loves to back him up and you do. There’s no way that Voldemort can win the battle against love. It just can’t happen,” she explained. Harry looked into Ginny’s deep brown eyes. He had to admit that she was right in some ways but he still feared for her.

“Ginny, what if something happens to you? It would be my fault. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I ever let anything happen to you,” Harry replied stubbornly.

“Harry, don’t you see that I don’t care? It’s you that I want no matter how much danger I’m in. And I know deep down that you want to be with me, too. It’ll kill you if you aren’t. I had a friend once who was on the verge of losing everyone close to him. He had someone chasing after him, too. He ran away from his family for their safety,” Ginny said. She had caught Harry’s attention.

“Really? What happened to him?” Harry asked. Ginny thought for a moment about Craig. Truthfully, she didn’t know where Craig went for sure, but she had a feeling.

“The last I knew is that he took the advice of a friend. He went back to his family. It was hurting him more to be away. Don’t you see, Harry? We need to be together,” Ginny argued. Harry sighed.

“Ginny, who is this friend of yours?” Harry questioned skeptically. He wondered whether Ginny was just making someone up to prove a point.

“His name’s Craig. I met him today at that small pub right over there,” she pointed across the clearing without removing her stare from Harry.

“What are you talking about? There’s nothing there, Ginny,” Harry whispered anxiously. Ginny shook her head.

“That’s impossible. I was just in there…” Ginny started but then her voice faded when she spun around to face the empty clearing. Harry was right; nothing was there. She smiled slightly because nothing about the Green Dragon surprised her anymore. To make sure that what had happened to her was actually real, Ginny reached down and felt in her pocket for Craig’s letter. Thankfully, it was still there.

“Harry, I swear that a pub was there. But that doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is you and I,” she began as Harry was still turned away from her. She pulled his face around to her with both hands. She kept her hands on his cheeks. “Forget about the pub. Forget about Voldemort. Forget about Sirius and Dumbledore and even your parents. Focus on right here and right now. I love you, Harry. Nothing will ever change that. Now you look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t love me back,” she challenged.

“I can’t do that,” Harry muttered softly.

“I know,” Ginny said. Then she pulled Harry closer to her and looked into his deep emerald eyes. Harry couldn’t resist any longer. He pulled Ginny into a warm embrace and their lips met for the first time in what seemed like eternity. Ginny pulled him closer, not ever wanting to let go. Harry pulled them both up and he lifted Ginny up in the air. He spun her around as they kissed. It was a great feeling for both of them.

They slowly pulled apart, both of them gasping for sweet air. As Harry put her back down onto the rock, he saw the loving smile that he had missed so much. Ginny had the light back in her eyes and a new found excitement. She was finally well again. Everything was right in the world according to her. There was no Voldemort. There was no death. There was no suffering. There was only Harry and Ginny. She was smiling from ear to ear.

“Ginny?” Harry caught her attention.

“Yes?” she answered blissfully.

“Next time you talk to that Craig fellow, tell him that I said thanks,” he said as he slid up behind her and held onto her tightly. Ginny nodded happily as she remembered her friends from the Green Dragon. They had helped her more than she could have asked for. Suddenly remembering Craig’s letter, she pulled it out from her pocket. She pulled the letter out from the envelope and something fell out with it. Surprised, she picked up the paper that had fallen out. It was the picture that Craig’s sister had drawn for him. She grinned again. Turning the drawing over, she saw that what was written on the back was plain and simple.

You’re one of a kind. Don’t ever forget that. I’ll always remember you as the stranger who became my closest friend in a matter of minutes. I hope you find what you’re looking for.

And with that, Ginny looked at the drawing and then she looked at Harry. She couldn’t have asked for better friends. She tilted her head up and kissed Harry again. She felt his tender lips caressing hers. By then the sun had finally peeked out from behind the clouds fully. The trees smiled down at the couple and a warm breeze blew across the clearing. And deep in her heart, Ginny decided that she didn’t need a picture like Rose’s. Just holding Harry tightly in her arms was more than perfect for her.