Chapter Two - Revelations
Hermione had left for Australia, and her father, brother, and boyfriend had all gone to work at the Ministry of Magic. She wasn't able to keep from feeling a bit left out - a feeling she'd been used to all of her life. Ginny also felt a happy shiver just at the thought of the words 'her boyfriend'. The last time that Harry was her boyfriend, that same thrill had been dampened somewhat because she'd known that he'd go running off to fight Voldemort, and leave her behind. When she'd told him at Dumbledore's funeral that his stupid nobility was one of the reasons why she really liked him, she had known then, and for years before, that her feelings for him were way beyond 'really like'.
With everyone else gone, her mother had assigned her a long list of chores to do, so as she worked, Ginny had lots of time to think about everything that had happened over the past few days. Yesterday, she'd allowed herself to mourn for the losses that she and her family had suffered during the war and final battle, but now her musings were about what seemed like dramatic, if simple changes in her life. She'd barely even been able to share a hug with Harry after he'd defeated Voldemort, and even that had been with others hugging him too. Later that morning, he'd disappeared with Ron and Hermione, and was gone for the rest of the day and night.
Getting a chance to have even a few minutes with him was looking even less likely on Sunday morning as Harry was again pulled in other directions from her, but when she saw him leaving the Great Hall, she left Luna and the other friends she'd been sitting with, and had gone over to find out what was happening. When Ron and Hermione had told her what was going on, and let her know where Harry had gone, the news that he, Ron, and Neville were leaving soon to join the Aurors had made her decide that now was time to take matters into her own hands.
She smiled as she worked, and that same triumphant, fierce look was in her eyes that had been there when Harry had told her that he loved her for the first time. Another warm thrill shot through her at that thought - Harry loved her! That moment had been brilliant, and it hadn't mattered that it was far too short, or that he'd needed to leave for the Ministry. He was doing what he had to do - what she was sure he was meant to do. That brought her thoughts around to what she would be doing next.
Since she'd be turning seventeen in a few months, it would be up to her whether she went back to school or not, but Hermione had already decided that she was going back, and Ginny was nearly certain that she would be going back too, and if they could work it out, going into her seventh year as she should have been if the past year had been a normal one. After that, she really had no idea what she would do. The fact that she was absolutely sure that she and Harry would be together in that future was enough for now, and she decided that worrying about things like jobs could wait.
There were nearly four months before school would be starting again, though, and with Harry and Ron working, and Hermione likely spending a lot of the summer back with her parents, she was going to need to find things to keep busy with - or her mother would find them for her, just as she'd done today. While evenings and days off spent with Harry were definitely pleasant thoughts, months worth of all-day chores around the house and yard were not, though that would be different too, once she could use magic outside of school when she turned seventeen.
While Ginny was busy with her thoughts and housework, Harry was being kept busy at work. When Josh gathered his three trainees together, they were told that they were going to be assisting in a raid of Borgin and Burke's shop in Knockturn Alley. The two owners of the store were wanted for numerous crimes now, and the Minister of Magic, and Head of the Aurors had decided that it was time to clean up Knockturn Alley, starting with the biggest Dark Arts artifacts dealer in Wizarding Britain.
"How come Neville gets to have all the fun with Josh today?" Ron grumbled as he and Harry crouched behind the low wall they were using for cover. They'd been assigned the job of covering the back of Borgin and Burke, while Neville would be going in the front door with Josh and four other Aurors. There were others covering both ends of Knockturn Alley too.
