It didn't take long for Draco, Hermione, and Ginny to catch up to everyone in the entryway at the bottom of the Grand Staircase. Harry was half shocked but half relived to see Ginny with the couple. "Who is ready to go and see if the Giant Squid still likes apples?" Draco chuckled as he gestured to everyone to head out of the front doors. He stopped by Harry and gently nudged the boy. "She has apologised profusely to Hermione," he said looking back at the two girls who were still talking holding both hands together. "Look," Draco said as the boys walked down the steps. "I have no idea what is going on between you both, but you are one of us now Potter and if you ever want to talk, know that we are all here for you."
Harry looked into Draco's eyes seeing no maliciousness or hatred hidden amongst a pool of grey. "Thanks," he sighed. "It's the lies more than the actions that I can't get over. She lied to me again and again. Like she doesn't trust me."
Draco patted the boy's back as they made their way along the cobblestones and around the side of the school building to the lake. "Maybe she felt like she had to. Like she was caught between a rock and a hard place and she felt alone. I am not saying what she did was right," he quickly added as Harry turned to protest. "I am just saying you should hear her out and maybe think about forgiving her. I know what guilt can do to a person. Keeping a secret you are too afraid to tell anyone. Or finding out that someone you trust and care about is not who you think they are. It can eat at you and plant doubt and fear."
The others were ahead of them, settling themselves on the grass beside the large (non-mobile) oak tree that sat my the water's edge. Harry leaned up against the tree trunk thinking over what Draco had said. Was he too hard on Ginny? Maybe he should have at least heard what she had to say rather than storming out.
Ginny and Hermione took up the rear and Hermione flicked her hand conjuring a large blanket big enough for everyone to sit on as well as a few pillows for everyone to use. Draco was standing by the water and placed his fingers in his mouth making a wolf whistle noise before lifting three apples out of his pocket. Everyone watched curiously wondering what he was doing. All bar Luna who jumped to her feet and gave an excited squeak. She joined her cousin, just as the still water began to ripple and waves began to break against the lake edge. "What are they -" Leo started but stopped almost screaming as a long purple/grey tentacle shot out of the water. And then another. Then another. Then finally a large head of a very large squid. "What the fuck?" He gasped shuffling backwards.
"This is Ben," Draco said as the Squid lowered one of it's tentacles which Draco proceeded to tickle before cutting off a slice of apple and throwing it into the Squid's open mouth.
Hermione was still in shock having never before seen so much of the giant sea creature. She, Pansy and Harry gave nervous waves as Blaise tipped his imaginary hat smiling and shouting 'morning' as he did.
"Hello Ben!" Theo and Luna shouted. Hermione inched closer to Draco, fascinated by the way he interacted with the creature.
Ginny wasn't paying much attention. She had met the creature on more than one occasion with George and Fred so she wasn't as surprised to see him above the surface like this. She turned to her husband. As they walked around the grounds, Hermione had been trying to convince Ginny to talk to her husband. She felt very much like she was partly to blame for the fight, and she wanted to do whatever she could to help.
Ginny knew she was right, and she wanted to talk to him, she just didn't know what to say or how to start. "Harry" she said quickly but at the exact same time that Harry muttered "Ginny" making the two of them smile at each other.
"Do you want to talk?" Harry asked offering Ginny a hand and using his free hand to rub the back of his trousers, which were against the tree trunk. Ginny smiled up at her husband and nodded taking his hand as the two headed off for a little privacy, conjuring their own smaller blanket not even 50 yards away from the group and settling down.
The Squid obviously thought he wasn't getting enough attention, and proceeded to lift another tentacle bringing it down on the grass and right between the couple. Ginny began to absent-mindedly stroking him.
"Harry I am so sorry!" Ginny blurted out wanting to get her point across before she chickened out.
"Me too," Harry sighed. "I should not have stormed off this morning and-"
Ginny shook her head. "You did nothing wrong Harry. I lied to you and I took money from the account without clearing it with you."
"It's both our money, you don't have to clear -"
"Oh yes I do because if it was you who took such a large amount, I would be bloody furious!" She cut him off. "I should have told you. I was going to tell you but I panicked. I know it was a mistake. I should not have given Ron so much. Especially now I know he bloody gambled it away. I just...I felt like he needed me. Like he was spiralling, and I needed to help him before I lost him. I couldn't lose another brother. I... I...hated watching him suffer. And he completely fooled my parents into thinking he was on the mend when he wasn't. I..." she hung her head. "I was stupid, and I made everything worse!"
Harry took her hand in his and used his other hand to caress her cheek. "Ginny, it was never about the money. That is not why I was upset. I was annoyed that you didn't trust me enough to tell me."
"I thought," Ginny sobbed. "If I told you that you wouldn't trust me any more. And I couldn't bear that. But I was a damn fool."
Harry smirked. "Yes you were." Ginny looked up at him, her lip wobbling. "You were a fool for thinking I would ever not trust you." He squeezed her hand. "I love you, you bloody idiot! I would have been angry but if you had told me, we could have worked something out. Worked out a way to help Ron and to get him help at the same time. He needs professional help Ginny."
Ginny nodded as she scooted closer to her husband. "I am so sorry for everything. I wish I could change what I did. I wish I could go back and make it right." Her shoulders slumped.
"We will make it right," Harry said, leaning in towards his wife. "Together we will do whatever we can to help Ron. Of course, we will. We can come up with a plan together."
"Together," Ginny nodded. "I am so sorry for ruining this weekend. I knew how important it was to make amends with Hermione. You wanted your sister back in your life and I almost jeopardised that for you. I have no excuse other than I was defending my brother, and I was an ass!"
Harry leaned in and kissed her. "This weekend wasn't ruined. I managed to get Hermione back in my life and I made a whole group of new friends in the process." He looked to the Slytherin's. "She is happy. If nothing else, if she didn't want to know me after what happened the fact that I can see how truly happy she is, would be enough. But I feel complete having her back. Like she was the thing I was missing for years."
Ginny looked at the group too, watching as Draco was giving Hermione apple chunks to give to the Squid as Luna snapped pictures. "She does seem happy. And they seem like a great group of people. I am glad Hermione and Luna found them."
"They are pretty great," Harry agreed. "I can't believe these were the same people we used to fight and argue with. The ones we would make fun of. They really have changed Gin. So much."
"I can see that," Ginny smiled. "But I knew they were as soon as I saw Luna and Hermione with them. Hermione was always a good judge of character and Luna brings out the best in everyone she meets."
There were a few minutes of awkward silence between the two as they were both lost in their own thoughts. But after a few minutes, Ginny looked to her smiling husband. "So what about us?" She asked shaking. She couldn't bring herself to look up at him so she kept herself busy, picking a blade of grass up and twirling it in her fingers. "Are we going to be OK?" She had to know, but she was terrified of what he would say.
Harry however surprised her by kissing her. A sweet and simple kiss before taking her cheeks in his hands. "Gin, no matter what happens to us in this life, I will always love you. You are my soulmate and the one I will always want by my side. We are going to be OK. I promise you."
"And you don't hate me?"
"Not even if I tried."
"What about the money?" Ginny asked.
"It won't exactly break the bank," Harry smirked. "Won't even put a dent in it. We are fine." She sighed. He wasn't wrong. With the inhritance he had from his parents and the inheritance he got from Sirius, Harry was actually very well off. And Ginny playing for the Holyhead Harpies for 7 years before leaving to start her family, meant that she had saved up quite a bit of her own fortune and she had deals with radio shows, tv shows (on wizarding sports channel) and she frequently wrte guest articles for the Daily Prophet. She had quite a bit of money to her name as well. Not as much as Ron, but together they had more than enough for a few generations of Potter. Neither needed to work but did so because they felt it was th eright thing to do. Show James that you have to work hard to achieve your dreams.
"Actually I was going to speak to your parents about paying some more off the debt. Just to ease the burden. I would rather Ron owe us than owe some loan sharks."
Ginny gasped at this. "No, Harry, you can't do that. It's too much."
"It's nothing. Let me talk to Molly and Arthur first," he said as Ginny jumped forward, wrapping both her arms around her husband and kissing every inch of his face.
"Harry James Potter, I LOVE YOU!" She shouted as she hugged him tightly. She was fully aware that there were quite a few people, more than just the group, watching them now, wondering why she was shouting so loudly. But Ginny didn't care. She wanted everyone to know.
"I love you Ginny Potter," Harry chuckled as he kissed her back, just as enthusiastically.
"And we love you both," Hermione called over. "But it's time for lunch and Theo gets very moody if he isn't fed as soon as the lunch bell chimes.
Theo sighed dramatically placing the back of his palm over his forehead. "She is right, of course. I need to eat lots and often or I am an emotional wreck." He sighed heavily and protended to faint. If I don't eat at least every hour, I become a wild card. Dangerous to others."
"More like a pain to others," Pansy rolled her eyes. "He becomes moody, whiney, yappy and a downright bloody baby. I swear I know toddlers with more self control than this fully grown man."
"That's why I always carry snacks in my bag," Daphne chuckled holding up a large zipped see through bag, like a makeup case, which had Theo's name on it. "And he is all out by now so we better feed him quickly."
Harry took his wife's hand holding it in his own and pulled her to her feet as the tentacle slid back into the murky water. He flicked his wand and the blanket disappeared and slipped his wand back into his pocket as they headed off towards the castle with everyone else.