CHAPTER 3
In the kitchen, Fleur and Gerty were exchanging murmurs as they brought the sandwiches and fruit to the table. Bill was chatting with Hermione about his travels in Egypt. Ron and Harry skidded to a halt millimeters from upsetting the table.
“What’s the matter?!?!” they burst out.
Hermione looked up, a disapproving, but sly look on her face. “Dean just sent an owl that he met a girl on holiday. From Beauxbatons,” she cast a meaningful look at Fleur and continued, “So, he broke up with Ginny. I’m sure that makes life a bit easier for you, Ronald.” She smiled at him.
Ron and Harry took seats at the table, and Harry started as two things ran over his feet in quick succession. He looked in the direction that they were heading, and saw a bandy-legged ginger cat chasing after the small black puppy. He looked up at Hermione. “Crookshanks has good taste in friends,” he smiled.
“They’ve been playing most of the morning. Wolf is very friendly,” Gerty’s smiling face beamed down at Harry. She could have been Hermione’s sister, save the uncannily Weasley red hair and the dancing brown eyes. “We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Gerty. Here’s your sandwich.” She set a plate down in front of him.
“It’s nice to meet you, Gerty,” Harry smiled at her. “You’re an Auror?”
“Almost. Still have to pass the finals exams. Then I’ll be taking a job at your Ministry,” she put down a sandwich in front of Ron, who began inhaling it.
Bill and Fleur were devouring their lunches. Gerty sat down next to Harry, and leaned in to him, “There’s a sandwich in there for Ginny.” She pointed to the kitchen. “When you’re done with that, would you please take it to her?” She smiled. Harry nodded. “Thank you Harry. Now eat up.”
After enjoying a pleasant lunch, Bill excused himself, and Dissapparated to Grimmuald Place. Ron and Hermione had begun a conversation about the homework that had been assigned. Harry had a feeling that it might boil over into an argument at some point in the near future, so he quickly excused himself, and grabbed Ginny’s sandwich and headed for the stairs. He thought he saw Gerty wink at him as she cleared the dishes.
He climbed the twisting stairs of the Burrow, nearly dropping the plate of food when the ghoul in the attic caused a great banging in on a pipe. He turned to Ginny’s door, and knocked softly. He could hear soft sobs coming from within.
“W-wh-who is it?” came the muffled voice.
“Erm, it’s Harry. I have your lunch,” his voice faltered. “Can I come in?”
There was a creaking noise as Ginny opened the door. She flung her arms around Harry, and sobbed into his t-shirt. He was able to put the food down before it met its doom. After a few minutes of him standing there, stupidly patting her on the back, she straightened up a little bit, and wiped her nose with a bit of tissue. Her red eyes looked up at Harry.
“I’m sorry you have to see me like this, Harry.” She turned to sit on the bed. “Dean was very nice to me. We hadn’t seen each other for several weeks, he has all the right to… to…” her voice broke as tears streamed down her face.
“Erm… there, there,” Harry sat next to her on the bed, and patted her shoulder. “Sorry. He’s not the brightest bloke, is he? Leaving a nice girl like you,” his brain searched and searched for nice things to say. But, at his last words, Ginny pepped up a bit and looked at him.
“You think I’m a nice girl?” her tears began to subside.
“Well, sure. I almost got you killed”several times”and you still speak to me. You deserve a medal and a parade… I don’t deserve… you shouldn’t even have to look at me…” Harry trailed off and realized the impact that his words had. He felt the guilt of the recent past fall heavily on to his shoulders. He put his head in his hands.
Ginny looked at him intently. Her tears had been swallowed into oblivion; her sandwich lay on the bed stand, forgotten. She leaned over and laid her arm over Harry’s shoulders.
“Harry, you didn’t make me do anything. I went with you because it was the right thing to do…” Harry was standing and making his way to the door, so Ginny wouldn’t have to see his tears.
He opened the door to leave. “I’m sorry Ginny.”
Ginny bolted to the door and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Harry was a bit surprised, and stopped short. Ginny pressed her head against his shoulder.
“You’re brilliant, Harry, you really are…” she looked up at him; tears were welling in her eyes for a completely different reason. The memory of Dean had flown and wasn’t coming back.
Harry looked down at her, tears streaming, her red hair gleaming. He felt strange. She was so beautiful, and so sad. He liked her very much, and couldn’t live with himself if he ever put her in danger again. Ginny stood up on her tip-toes, and kissed Harry very softly on the cheek.
Harry smiled at her. She smiled back, rays of sunshine breaking through a dark cloud. Her tears were gone. They leaned in and…
“WHAT IN BLOODY HELL IS HAPPENING IN HERE?!?!?!!!?” Ron’s voice bellowed and echoed and seemed to come from everywhere at once.
Ginny and Harry, both beet-red, took gigantic steps away from each other. Harry winced. He really did not want to die by the hand of his best friend.
Hermione was right behind Ron. Ron stormed in and pointed a finger at Harry, then one at Ginny. Hermione looked at him severely and cleared her throat. She glared at him until he dropped his arms. Then suddenly, he was calm.
“What are you two doing?” he asked in a choked, strangled, surprisingly rational voice.
“Erm… I was bringing Ginny a sandwich. And she was upset…” Harry didn’t have a very good explanation for what had been going on.
Hermione grabbed Ron’s hand. “Ron,” she said in a very sweet voice, which was very unlike her, but still very sincere. “Why don’t you and I go on a walk? Ginny’s upset, and I think Harry will be very sympathetic.” She gave Harry a meaningful look.
The red drained out of Ron’s face. “Okay…” he answered warily. “But no funny business with my sister…”
Hermione took Ron’s arm, and guided him out of the room, muttering under her breath. Harry and Ginny looked at each other, and with a few short steps each had reached the center of the room, and they looked each other in they eyes…
and fell over laughing.
They both rolled on the ground, clutching their stomachs until both of them were out of breath, and quite tired. Harry rolled over to sit up. Ginny did the same, and tumbled into his lap. There were several aftershocks of giggles, until they met eye to eye for the third time in the short span of time, they smiled. And kissed.