Many people came to see young Lilian Hall after her birth. Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin dropped in with hearty congratulations for both mother and father. Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall graced the house with their presence as well. They brought with them a vial of liquid that was supposed to help build up the babies immune system. Sara and Kevin were grateful for the gift.
Of all the visitors that came by the house, Harry was happiest to see Ron, Hermione and Ginny. The Weasley family had come to see the baby a couple of weeks after her birth, but the young students were more interested in speaking with each other. They went into the backyard to have some privacy. “It’s great to see you all again,” Harry said.
The others agreed. It had been difficult for anyone to see anyone at all this summer. After the events of last may, parents had become skittish about letting their children to be on their own. Even Hermione’s parents had expressed reservations about letting their daughter come so far from home. It took the gentle nudging of Arthur and Molly Weasley to convince them to let Hermione join them. Though they were happy to see one another, it soon became clear that Ron was more interested in Hermione, and Harry more interested in Ginny.
They soon split off from one another. Harry and Ginny walked into to town to get some time alone. Their hands were clasped together, neither of them wanting to let go of each other. Harry led her to a small café in the village. Kevin had often brought him here as a small treat for work done on the house, and the owners began to know him by association. A kind elderly woman showed the couple to a table in the corner. She quickly fetched them some tea and pastries, and then left them to themselves.
Harry reached across the table and gently stroked Ginny’s hand. “It’s good to see you again.”
Ginny turned her hand to clasp his. “I’m glad to see you, too, Harry. I’ve tried to get my parents to let me come to this village, but they wanted me to stay at the Burrow. Mum asked George and Fred to move back home, but after the first few days of dung bombs and trick wands being left around the house, she sent them back to their shop.” She wouldn’t let go of his hand. “How have you been?”
Harry looked into her eyes. “I’ve been ok. Kevin has kept me busy, though I think he was trying to keep himself busy as well. The weeks before the baby was born, he was a mess. He was always running around the house, looking for something to do that would keep him occupied for just a little while. I rarely had to do anything because the work would be slower and take longer if he did it by himself.”
Ginny took her hand from Harry’s, reached into her trouser pocket and pulled out an envelope. She laid it on the table, but didn’t open it. Harry looked down at the parchment. “What’s that?”
She lowered her eyes for a moment. “They’re my O.W.L results. I haven’t been able to open them yet. I was hoping that you could do it for me.”
Harry put his hand back over hers, which happened to be covering the envelope. “If you want me to, I’ll open it.” She nodded. He took the envelope from under her hand. Slowly, he opened the seal and pulled out the parchment inside. Harry was doing this deliberately because he could see the growing anticipation on Ginny’s face.
After taking a minute to unfold the parchment, Ginny hit the top of the table. “Hurry up, will you?”
Harry smiled. He read down the letter. “This is outstanding, Ginny. You got all A’s”
Ginny’s face suddenly formed an expression of horror as she snatched the letter from Harry. She quickly scanned the parchment. Her expression softened a bit, and then she took the letter and started hitting Harry with it. “How cruel can you be, Harry Potter? How can you make me think I had done badly on my exams?”
Harry raised his arms to defend himself. “I’m sorry, Ginny,” he said, between chuckles. “I just needed a good laugh.” She sat back down. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. You really did a good job on your exams.”
In fact, Ginny had done exceptional on her exams. She had gotten ten Outstanding and two Exceeds Expectations, those two in Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. Ginny read the letter three more times before she would accept that the words wouldn’t change. “I can’t believe I did this well. The exams were rushed last year, and I thought it would affect my concentration.”
“I knew you would do fine,” Harry said. He got up from the table, walked over to the counter of the café, and came back with two slices of cake. Setting one plate in front of Ginny, he said, “A little celebration in honor of your achievements.” Ginny looked up at him, and Harry would almost swear that he saw a tear in her eye.
*********************************************************
Since they were already there, Arthur and Molly allowed Ginny and Ron to stay the night at Godric’s Hollow. A quick call to Hermione’s parents and she was staying as well. The girls stayed in Harry’s room that night, while Ron and Harry slept in the living room. The four of them stayed up late into the night talking and reminiscing, but the girls soon went upstairs.
Ron and Harry laid out their sleeping bags, but they didn’t go to sleep. Harry could sense that something was troubling Ron. “Everything all right, Ron?”
Ron didn’t say anything right away. He laid down, and took a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking about something for a while now.”
“What is it?”
Ron turned onto his belly and looked over at Harry. “We’re going to be starting our last year at Hogwarts soon. By this time next year, we’re supposed to be out in the real world.”
Harry nodded. “I know. It’s a bit scary to think that we won’t go back to Hogwarts after this year. But you shouldn’t worry about what’s going to happen to you out there, Ron. I’m sure you can find something your good at. Maybe you could tryout for a professional Quidditch team.”
Ron shook his head. “No, that’s not what I’m worried about. I’ve…” He sighed. “I’ve been wondering what’s going to happen to us after we leave school.”
“What?” Harry asked.
“Come on, Harry,” Ron replied. “You can’t tell me that you haven’t thought about what’s going to happen to our friendship after this year. We’ll be going our separate ways, Harry. We’ll be doing different things, probably in different parts of the world.” He laid his head down on his pillow. “And I’ve been wondering what’s going to happen between Hermione and me, also. No doubt she’ll go into the Ministry, probably working on something similar to S.P.E.W., which will take her away as well.”
“Ron,” Harry said. “You’re thinking about this a little too much. I can see where you’re coming from, but Hermione and I aren’t going to forget you. Sure, we’ll all probably be doing things that will keep us apart, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to grow apart.”
“Maybe,” Ron replied, not raising his head. “I hope you’re right, Harry.”
So do I, Harry thought.