The evening following the fight found Harry and Ron zooming around the quidditch pitch in the blistering cold of the winter sky. They were performing some rather spectacular moves when Ginny and Hermione, bundled up in coats, scarves, and gloves, gestured for them to join them on the pitch. Harry landed and hobbled over to where the girls stood. The aches of his body amused him rather than concerned. Mainly, they had been caused by Ron’s short temper.
Earlier that evening as he, Harry, had sat brooding in the common room, Ron had suggested they go outside for some one-on-one quidditch practice. Harry had taken this as a gesture of solidarity and the two made their way to the pitch, stopping by the changing room to pick up the spare quidditch balls. When they were finally in the air Ron hit a bludger rather hard in Harry’s direction. It hit him squarely in the shoulder. Harry assumed that it was an accident.
Not long thereafter, another bludger had hit him on the side of his head. This time he knew it had to be intentional and made to yell at Ron, but before he could do so, a third bludger hit him in the stomach knocking the wind out of him. He landed on the pitch to get some air and Ron landed smugly behind him. Finally when he had enough air to speak, but not enough to pummel his best friend, Harry asked, “What was that for?”
“Well,” Ron commented as he leaned against a post, “the first one is for kissing another guys girl.” He ducked as Harry threw his firebolt at him. “The second one is because that girl was my sister!” Harry did not retaliate for the second hit he had received.
“And the third one?” Harry asked feeling somewhat amused.
“The third one is for offering to snog my girlfriend,” Ron said as he threw Harry’s broom back at him. Harry found the third reason particularly amusing and rolled around on the floor laughing for a bit. He only got up when Ron began shooting bludgers at him from the air once more. They then had a rather splendid game of one-on-one quidditch and were practicing their best moves when the girls had appeared.
“Harry! Are you alright?” Hermione asked in concern when she noticed his limping gait.
“Splendid,” he responded with a wink to Ron.
“Here,” Ginny said, shoving a rolled up parchment into his numb fingers.
“What’s this?” Harry asked as he opened it.
“Snape told me to give it to you,” she said in an upset voice.
“Is that your detention assignment?” Ron asked Harry amicably enough.
“Yeah,” Harry said, his face falling as he read it.
“Well?” Hermione asked as little tufts of white air burst in front of her face from the cold, “What do you have to do?”
“Clean the potions class everyday for the next month,” Harry sighed.
“With both you and Dean, it should take an hour tops,” Ron told him in an attempt to lighten his spirits.
“I suppose so,” Harry said as he cast Ginny an apprehensive look.
Before he had the chance to ask Ginny to talk privately she said her goodbyes and trudged back up the field to the castle.
“What’s her hurry?” Ron asked as they made their way to Hagrid’s for dinner.
“She has to give Dean his detention note,” Hermione told them with a dark look on her face, “Snape is pure evil.”
Harry shared Hermione’s loathing of Snape. Clearly Snape had discovered that he and Dean had been fighting over Ginny and now he was sending her to give them their detention slips. It was cruel.
“How is Ginny doing?” Harry ventured tentatively.
“Worse than she looks,” Hermione responded, “Dean won’t talk to her at all.”
“What does she care?” Ron asked looking confused. “Now that he’s broken up with her she can be with Harry.” He cast Harry a warning look, “You do want to be with her, right?”
“Of course!” Harry answered hastily.
“What makes you think they’ve broken up?” Hermione asked them with some irritation in her voice.
“She kissed another guy!” Ron pointed out.
“She didn’t kiss anyone. I believe it was the other guy that kissed her,” Hermione stated firmly.
“Is that true?” Ron asked Harry, taking great pains not to look at his friend. The topic was clearly embarrassing him.
“Um, I suppose so,” Harry answered in all honesty. “Hey,” he said, turning to face Hermione, “I thought you were on my side.”
Hermione rolled her eyes. “I am on your side! I just don’t want people to go around thinking Ginny is a trollop.”
“She’s not!” Harry shouted hotly.
“That’s what I’m saying,” Hermione replied as she reached up to knock on Hagrid’s door.
After the second knock the door swung open revealing the disheveled interior of Hagrid’s home.
“Been expectin’ you,” Hagrid told them, “What’re you lettin’ the cold air in for? Come in, come in!”
As they filed in Hagrid returned to something that was brewing in the fire. It took Fang a moment to recognize them, but when he did he covered them in slobber with his overenthusiastic greeting. Meanwhile, Hagrid put on dragon-hide gloves and reached into the fire to bring out the cauldron. As he settled it onto the center of the dining table he gave Harry a thorough once-over. Harry felt as though he had been manhandled.
“Looks like the rumors were true,” Hagrid said as he took off his gloves, “Yeh been fightin’ with the Thomas boy?”
It wasn’t a really question, more of an accusation.
“He started it!” Ron interceded on Harry’s behalf.
“From what I heard,” Hagrid stated ominously, “It was Harry that started it, by kissin’ his girl.”
“That still doesn’t give him the right to hit him!” Hermione piped up.
Hagrid, Ron, and Harry all gave her a quizzical look.
“Right,” she said throwing up her hands, “that’s girl logic.”
“Exactly,” Ron said as Hermione scowled at him. “I’d beat the snot out of anyone that even tried to kiss you,” he told her.
Hermione blushed rather prettily and couldn’t hide the grin that crept onto her face.
“A bit more goin’ on than you lot told me about?” Hagrid asked with a smile.
“Hermione and Ron are…together,” Harry finished lamely.
“Congratulations!” Hagrid beamed at the two of them. “Jus’ make sure yeh don’ rush things,” he advised.
“Don’t worry Hagrid,” Hermione reassured him, “we’re taking things slow.”
“Yeah, slow as a snail,” Ron added. “Not that I don’t like that,” he said at Hermione’s frown.
Hagrid gave a small laugh as his eyes fell onto Harry, “I suppose yer chasin’ after Ginny ‘cause of these two.”
“I am not!” Harry replied fiercely.
“Well it’s a good thing Charlie wasn’t here to hear about yer little tryst with Ginny, else he would’ve broken you in two.”
Harry rubbed his aching back and muttered, “Don’t worry, Ron was here to see to that.”
Hearing this, Hermione sat up in her chair, “Ron! You promised!”
Ron, for the time being, took a greater interest in Fang scratching him vigorously behind the ear.
“Any news on Tonks?” Harry asked Hagrid in an attempt to rid them of the disquieting conversation they were currently having.
“To tell yeh the truth,” Hagrid said as he got the bowls from the kitchen cabinet, “Charlie’s only just found her.”
“He’s found her?” Hermione said startled, forgetting her previous anger.
“Yeh,” Hagrid elaborated, “she’s been hidden out in their old home.”
“In their what?” Harry asked loudly.
“Oh,” Ron said in apparent comprehension. “So that’s where she’s been.”
“What are you talking about?” Hermione asked, looking as though she might hurt them if she didn’t get some answers.
“It’s no big deal,” Ron responded hastily, “after they finished Hogwarts Charlie, Tonks, and a couple of their mates rented a home in London. It was really for convenience, they needed to be near the Ministry. Tonks was training to be an Auror and Charlie was working on getting a grant from the Ministry so he could go study Dragons in Romania. Besides, it was a terrible old house. Way worse than the Burrow, but it was all they could afford.”
“And you claim nothing happened between them?” Hermione questioned Ron. “With the way Charlie’s been after her how can that be?”
Hagrid gave a hearty laugh, “Been after her has he? Well I’m glad there’s someone listenin’ to my advice.”
“You told him to go after her?” Harry said in an accusatory voice.
“’Course I did,” Hagrid said waving the question away, “poor girl is smitten with him. It’s ‘bout time he makes her dreams come true.”
“Hagrid!” Hermione chastised him. “What about Lupin?”
“What ‘bout him?” Hagrid asked.
Hermione sputtered for a moment at the curt response, “Tonks is with him now!”
Hagrid looked as though this were inconsequential. “He loved Gaia with a passion that yeh could not understand. Now, seein’ as she’s alive, I’m sure there ain’t nothin’ he won’ do to find her.”
“What about Tonks?” Hermione asked abhorred by what Hagrid was saying.
“Tonks belongs with Charlie,” Hagrid said this with certain finality, “Jus’ like Ginny belongs with Harry. Lupin’s jus’ another Dean. Besides, he’s got Gaia back.”
Hagrid’s pronouncement rang in their ears as they settled down to eat the porridge and biscuits.
“Do you think Hagrid’s right about Charlie and Tonks?” Harry asked Ron as they were getting ready to go to bed.
“I know he is,” Ron replied with all confidence, “Mum always said those two belong together.”
“But Hermione thinks Hagrid is wrong,” Harry pointed out. He felt that if Hermione doubted something, than he needed to look more closely at the issue.
“She also thinks you and Ginny should get together,” Ron said flat out. He looked to ensure that the others in the dorm were fast asleep. “You heard Hagrid,” he whispered, “Lupin is just another Dean!”
“So you’re saying…?”
Ron gave him a discerning look. “Hermione can’t see the whole picture; too many people she cares for are involved.”
Harry thought about the fact that Charlie was Ron’s brother; perhaps it was Ron who was too involved.
“Besides,” Ron continued, “you saw how much danger Lupin put Ginny in when he found out Gaia was still alive. I can’t see him doing that unless he really loves her!”
Harry pondered this as Ron flopped into his four-poster bed and got cozy in his covers.
“What I don’t understand,” Ron drew Harry’s attention as he yawned loudly in the middle of his thought, “is why this Gaia character isn’t in your memoirs.”
Harry was surprised by his own stupidity. The memoirs were bound to hold something about Gaia! Halfway through opening his trunk a thought occurred to him. Having Ginny view the rest of the memories with him would be the smartest course of action. That way, she would be able to tell him if there was an unusual activity going on that he would not notice. As Harry crawled into bed he smiled knowingly. So when do you think you’ll be available to view the memories with me? Harry asked Ginny, knowing full well that she had been the one to stop him from going into the memoirs. That’s clever, Potter. The voice in his head taunted in amusement. Let’s see if Dumbledore has found a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher before we set a time. I may have to change the hours of my Volcency lessons.
Harry considered this matter for a moment. What did Hagrid say that’s got you, Ron and Hermione in such a huff? Utterly bemused, Harry proceeded to tell her about Charlie, Tonks, Lupin and Gaia in great detail. So that’s why Ron’s dreaming about living in that old shanty that Charlie and Tonks used to rent! Harry found himself grinning into the air at Ginny’s insight. Am I in the dream? He asked in a conspiring fashion. No just Hermione, Ginny answered. I’ll bet they’re snogging, Harry told her as he caught the silly grin on Ron’s face. Actually, Ginny told him, he’s dreaming about her giving him a foot massage! Harry muffled his laughter in his pillow at the thought. He got it together long enough to ask her what Hermione was dreaming of. She’s dreaming about acing her N.E.W.T.S.!