"And so began Year 3. Ron and Hermione were back together and things looked wonderful, for a while. And then, all hell broke loose. You see, none of us had anticipated the sheer magnitude of the challenge we were about to face. All things considered, it would be our greatest one yet..."
~*~*~*~*~YEAR 3~*~*~*~*~
"I quit!" Hermione shrilled as she slammed the crumpled piece of parchment on the table, making all of them jump. Her hair was a frazzled mess and her eyes were scanning the papers with crazed urgency again, looking for the elusive solution. "I've tried every combination in existence," she hissed, angrily batting a stray strand of hair out of her face. "This is impossible!"
"We can't give up," Ron said firmly, peering over her shoulder. "We'll beat this, Mione. We have to!"
"But Ron, look at it!" she practically wailed, shoving the parchment at him. "The seating arrangements just don't add up. According to our latest plan, my parents are sitting with your Aunt Muriel, your parents are with the singles and Charlie is expected to be at three tables at the same time!"
Ron snorted. "If they're the bridesmaids' tables, he'll find a way."
Blaise's attention snapped and he abandoned the envelopes he was addressing. "There are bridesmaids' tables at your wedding?" he demanded. "Why wasn't I informed?"
"Oh my, what an awful oversight," Hermione drawled, turning back to her notes. "Keep writing those invitations out. Do not stop. Harry, how are you doing over there?"
"Almost done," Harry replied, stuffing the last of his invitations in their requisite envelopes. "Hey Mione, I have a question."
"Shoot."
"Why am I on the Wedding Committee?"
Hermione huffed and abandoned her charts. "Because we need all the help we can get," she told him. "Ever since Ron's mum decided to add a 'few extra names' to our guest list..."
Come on," Ron whined. "I can't not invite my cousins."
"This is two hundred more people!"
"Two hundred 'more' people?" Blaise repeated blankly. His gaze swivelled back to the invitations and his expression crumpled to one of abject misery.
Hermione turned to him with a harried nod. "And that's not including my cousins from Australia, my other cousins from Kent, almost everyone from Hogwarts…"
Harry's head swam a bit as the list went on and on. "I thought you wanted a small intimate wedding," he pointed out.
Hermione trailed off and exchanged a knowing look with Ron. He sighed and nodded, as if answering a silent question. They did that all the time. It was very unsettling.
"Harry, I think it's time you learn the truth about the wedding fairy," Ron announced solemnly. "She doesn't exist."
Harry rolled his eyes and lobbed a cushion at him, which Hermione deftly caught. "What he means," she explained patiently, "is that the wedding you end up with is never the one you planned for. Take us, for example. We wanted a simple evening ceremony under the stars, with just our friends and family. And what do we have?"
"An afternoon at the Burrow, over six hundred guests, a chocolate fountain and my Uncle Octavius playing the bagpipes," Ron recited obligingly.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I rest my case. So, can everyone please just get these invitations done? We can go down to the Post Office tomorrow and owl them. I still need Ginny to help me pick out a dress." She blinked and looked around as if just realising something. "By the way, where is Ginny? She was supposed to be here hours ago to help out with this stuff."
Every eye in the room turned on Harry, awaiting an explanation. He sighed and tried not to squirm under the scrutiny. "She's been really busy at work," he explained, trying to sound cheerful and optimistic about it. "But she promised to make it to the bar later so…"
"Is she working late again?" Ron exclaimed. "Gods, what is that? The third time this week?"
"Close," Harry muttered. "It's the fourth time in two weeks." Or something like that. He had stopped keeping track after a while, really. All he knew was that it had been ages since they had spent a night together, let alone any real quality time.
"Well, maybe that's a good sign," Hermione replied bracingly. "She's been trying to move ahead at the WWN for a while now. Maybe they'll even put her on air. Merlin knows she deserves it and…"
The door suddenly burst open, cutting her off. Harry's eyes widened as Ginny stumbled in, grinning from ear to ear and flushed with excitement. "You won't believe what happened at work!" she informed them breathlessly. "I got promoted! I'm going to be on air at the WWN!"
Blaise was the first to react. He scrambled over and grabbed Hermione firmly by the shoulders. "Say 'maybe Blaise will get lucky with the hot blonde twins at the International Affairs Department'. Say it!"
Later that night, Harry lay next to Ginny in bed, still trying to get his head around things.
"So this promotion," he began, slightly irked by how cautious he sounded. "Kind of sudden, wasn't it?"
"Hm?" Ginny frowned slightly as she considered that and shrugged. "I suppose," she replied, putting her head on his chest. "To be honest, I didn't really ask a lot of questions. I was pretty excited." She grinned happily. "I'm going to be live on the Wireless Network," she whispered, sounding awed. "I can hardly believe it. Do you know how long I've been waiting for this, Harry? Do you have any idea what this means to me?"
He didn't, really. But he was starting to suspect that nothing else would ever be quite as important as this. And what did that mean for them?
Ginny smiled brightly and carried on. "When Dean told me I was in, I almost…"
Wait, what?
"What?!" Harry blurted, bolting up and turning to face her. "Dean? Dean Thomas? Your ex, Dean Thomas?"
"Yes," Ginny replied slowly. "He's going to be my co-host on the Evening News. He's the one who recommended my name for the program in the first place."
Harry just stared at her, not really sure if he wanted to laugh incredulously or succumb to a scream of frustration. "Imagine my surprise," he said blandly. "So...so what is this then? He just suddenly decides to do you a favour after you coincidentally left him for me?"
"No," Ginny shot back, her frown deepening. "He decided to recommend me for a job I love and deserve, because he knows I'm the best choice for it. I thought you'd be happy for me, Harry. Why are you acting like this?"
"Why?" Harry did laugh a bit this time. "Why? Maybe because I haven't seen you all month, Ginny. Maybe because we've barely spoken because you're just so damn tired when you come home that all you want to do is sleep. This is the first time I've stayed over at your place in weeks. And now I find out you're going to be out doing the evening news with your ex and I probably won't see you again for Merlin knows how long...really Gin, did you even consider that maybe he's trying to get you back?"
"Dean and I are done!" Ginny snapped, sitting up as well. "He knows that. We both know that! He gave me this job because I can do it, Harry. Why is that so hard for you to believe?"
"I just think that…"
"When we got together, you said we'd do this anyway I wanted. Well, this is the way I want it, Harry. I need to focus on my career. I need to do this. Can you please just do this for me?"
Harry trailed off. This was turning into a fight. Lately, everything seemed to turn into a fight with Ginny, and he really didn't want their brief time together after so long to devolve into an argument. "I'm happy for you," he said finally. "I am, Gin. I just miss you, that's all."
Ginny smiled sweetly and traced his cheek with her fingers. Her lips pressed against his, soft and warm. It felt a bit like a bribe, to be honest. "I miss you too," she whispered. "Just be patient, Harry. Things will settle down soon, I promise."
Harry pulled her closer and deepened the kiss, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling settling into his gut.
Somehow with Dean Thomas in the picture, he didn't think things looked quite so simple anymore.
Turns out, Harry was right.
Over the days, Ginny spent more and more time at the office and he hardly ever saw her. Harry's evenings were no longer about fun, beer and catching up with his friends. Now it was about Hermione stressing over the ever increasing number of wedding details, Harry stressing over Ginny, Ron stressing over calming both of them down and Blaise making things just a little bit worse.
"Hydrangeas?" he scoffed, leaning over to look at Hermione's latest notes. They were all together at the flat for dinner, except Ginny who was of course working late. "It's like you're trying to have a wedding in the 1950s."
"I wanted roses," Hermione muttered. "But apparently, my cousin Harriet already did them last year…" She shook her head and chucked her quill away, leaning against Ron and closing her eyes. "Someone switch on the wireless. We might as catch the news."
Harry obliged and waved his wand, bringing the old set to life. The sound of Ginny's chirpy voice brought a smile to his lips.
"...and the Falmouth Falcons made an unexpected comeback with their win against the Kenmare Kestrals, bringing them one step closer to the Semi Finals…"
Ron grinned and increased the volume with another waveof his wand. "She sounds brilliant," he spoke up happily. "A bloody natural, eh? Mum's over the moon about this new gig."
"Hush," Hermione waved him off impatiently. "I want to hear the rest of…"
"...and now, back to Dean Thomas with the latest on the Ministry budgets. Dean?"
"Thank you, Ginevra. And may I say you look absolutely lovely tonight."
A laugh, cheerful and just on this side of flirtatious.
"Thank you, Dean. You don't look too bad yourself."
"Flattery will get you everywhere, my dear. But back to the news. Minister Shacklebolt responded to criticism on the new budget directives with…"
The rest of Dean's report crackled out of existence as Ron hurriedly turned the set off. Harry said nothing as his friends exchanged wary glances.
In the ensuing silence, Ginny's laugh rang in his ears.
"It's just a little on air banter," Hermione spoke up hesitantly.
"'Course," Ron mumbled. "They're just trying to spice up their show."
"Well, mission accomplished," Blaise smirked. "You could cut all that sexual tension with a knife, am I right?"
"Shut it and help me with these linen samples," Hermione snapped at Blaise, all but dragging the snickering git away before he did any more damage.
"You know he's just being a pillock, right?" Ron spoke up, clapping Harry's shoulder supportively. "It's just work, nothing else."
"I know," Harry replied, forcing a smile. "It's fine. Really."
That night, when he called Ginny after her shift ended, he got her voicemail. Harry fell asleep alone with her flirtatious laugh ringing in his ears and wondering if maybe, just maybe Blaise had a point.
"Of course I have a point!" Blaise announced a few days later, at their usual booth in the Leaky Cauldron. He ignored Ron's warning scowl and turned his attention to a despondent Harry, pointing a dramatic finger at him. "Your girlfriend's shagging that Thomas bloke."
"Oi!" Ron snapped. "That's my sister you're talking about!"
Blaise ignored him as he continued on his spiel. "Don't get me wrong — I love Genevieve. But as Harry's best friend…"
"Excuse me but I have it on good authority that I'm Harry's best…"
"As Harry's best friend, I have a responsibility. That girl is getting a little something on the side, I'll stake my reputation on it."
"Ginny is not cheating on me," Harry added firmly. Whatever he may think about their current situation, he had faith in his girlfriend. Dean, on the other hand merited about as much credibility as a Niffler in a room full of Galleons.
"Please," Blaise scoffed. "Have you heard her and Thomas on the air recently? What about last night when he said…"
And now, back to the lovely Ginevra with a weather update.
"Or the day before that when he said…"
And here's my beautiful co-worker with the latest on The Quibbler's Charity Fundraiser for Crumple Horned Snorkacks..."
"Or last week when she said…"
And now, Dean Thomas with sports."
Harry frowned in confusion. "She didn't say anything about..."
Blaise scoffed derisively. "Subtext, Potter. It's all in the subtext and you're missing it."
"Blaise, stop it," Hermione scolded, looking absolutely exasperated. "Enough is enough. Ginny is not cheating on Harry. She would never do that and you're a prat for suggesting such a thing."
"Please," Blaise drawled. "Look at the facts, will you Granger? She's always at work, we hardly ever see her anymore and then there's all that 'innocent banter' with Thomas on the air. If she's got nothing to hide, why is she avoiding us?"
Harry tried to avoid Ron and Hermione's uneasy glances. The truth was Ginny had been avoiding them these last few days. When Harry offered to stay over, she claimed she was too tired. She hadn't shown up for drinks last week either and even Hermione— who spent as much time at Ginny's flat as she did at her own with Harry and Ron— hadn't seen her in a while. All in all, Harry couldn't say for certain that Ginny wasn't hiding something and he couldn't say for sure when these secrets had come between them.
"It doesn't mean she's cheating on Harry," Ron argued, clearly intent on defending his sister's honour.
"It doesn't mean she isn't," Blaise retorted.
"She's not!"
"She could be!"
"Okay!" Harry spoke up over their rising voices. "Enough already! How about we leave my girlfriend alone for a second, yeah? Maybe she's hiding something and maybe she isn't, but it's nobody's damn business either way. Whatever it is, I think we can all agree that if I'm not asking questions, nobody else has the right to. So can we please just drop it and talk about literally anything else?"
He glared around the now silent table, waiting for a reply.
"Fine," Ron mumbled after a bout of uneasy silence.
"Very well," Blaise sighed. "We'll act like grownups about it."
They nodded sombrely and Harry sighed in relief. "Thank you," he muttered, returning to his drink.
"I'll bet you a hundred galleons she's shagging Thomas," Blaise muttered under his breath.
"I'll see your hundred and raise you two hundred," Ron countered, practically baring his teeth.
"Oh, is that right?" Blaise sneered. "How about we make this interesting, Weasley?"
That got Ron's attention. He cocked his head and his eyes sparked with renewed interest. "You aren't suggesting…"
"I do," Blaise replied solemnly. "Ronald Weasley, I challenge you to a slap bet."
"Deal!" Ron declared firmly. They nodded and shook hands while Harry gaped in dismay.
"What?" he groaned. "No! That is not what I meant!"
Hermione just looked confused. "I'm sorry, slap what now?"
"A slap bet," Ron explained gleefully. "In its simplest terms, the winner gets to hit the loser as hard as he can in the face."
Hermione raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "That is absolutely insane," she scoffed. "What kind of silly, childish…"
"You can be slap bet commissioner," Blaise offered.
She practically shot up in her seat. "Ooh, what are my powers?"
"The Slap Bet Commissioner regulates the rules of the slap bet," Blaise elaborated. "Which means that when I prove our little Jennifer is paying Thomas a little behind the scenes visit, you get to decide how hard I get to slap your fiancé in the face."
Ron smirked. "Actually, what it means is when I prove Blaise is full of shite, you get to decide how hard I get to sock him in the jaw. And," he added, his eyes glittering dangerously, "it's going to be hard."
Hermione quickly got into the spirit of things. "Very well," she intoned, lowering her voice solemnly for added effect. "As slap bet commissioner, I accept the wager on behalf of both parties. May the best man win."
Blaise smirked and lifted his chin. "Oh, I plan to."
Harry just groaned and held his head in his hands. This was going to end so badly.
A few days later...
"Harry, are you okay?"
Harry started out of his thoughts and almost dropped his stir fry. "What?" he blurted, turning around to look at Ginny.
She frowned as she approached him and looped her arms around his neck. "I asked if you were okay," she repeated. "You've been distracted all night."
Great. So she had noticed. Harry smiled brightly and shook his head. "I'm fine," he insisted, pushing all thoughts of Blaise and his stupid slap bet out of his head. "Just thinking, that's all." He turned the heat down and put the wok away, pulling Ginny closer and holding her close. "I'm just really glad you made it to date night this time. I've missed you."
Ginny smiled and her brown eyes sparkled in the dim light. "I've missed you too. I'm sorry work has been so crazy. Dean keeps insisting we stay late and finish exchanging notes for the next segment..."
Harry bit his tongue to halt a forthcoming rant on Dean Thomas and just what he could do with his notes. Really, wasn't it enough that he spent all day with Ginny? The blighter had to keep her after hours too? For the thousandth time, he wondered why Ginny just couldn't see what Thomas' intentions were. The man was clearly trying to replace Harry and he wasn't sure how much more he could take.
But this wasn't the time to think about that. He was in no mood to fight with Ginny and they had so little time to themselves anyway. And he had promised he would do this any way she wanted…
"Forget about Dean," he said. "All I want is some time for us tonight."
"You got it," she promised. "Just you and me and…"
And the Floo flared to life.
"Ginny? You around?"
Dean's face appeared in the fireplace and he smiled pleasantly at them. Harry clenched his jaw while Ginny cleared her throat and disentangled herself.
"Ah, there you are," Dean grinned. "And Harry too, of course. How are you, mate?"
"Hello Dean," Harry replied blandly. "What a totally unexpected surprise."
"Dean, what's up?" Ginny asked, frowning as she approached the flickering fire. "I thought we made all the notes last night and…"
"Oh, we did," Dean agreed. "I'm really sorry to interrupt your evening but I was hoping to catch you before you got busy over the weekend. About that little project we spoke about?"
"Oh of course," Ginny cut in hastily. "The...um, project." Harry frowned as she shifted uneasily. If he didn't know better, he would swear Ginny looked a little nervous. Finally, she turned back to him. "Harry, this will just take a minute. Why don't you go take care of dinner in the meantime?"
She was trying to get rid of him. She was hiding something. A surge of alarm rose inside him, battling with confusion and bewilderment. But Thomas was still there, in his fireplace and there was little he could do right now. So Harry nodded and took his leave. "Don't be too long," he told her softly as he left.
Ginny nodded and gave him a small smile but the flash of guilt in her eyes was unmistakable. Something inside him clenched painfully. He didn't want to believe she would do this to him. He couldn't. But she was definitely keeping something from him. What? And why? Didn't she know she could tell him anything? They had been together for a year now, maybe more. He had no secrets from her.
"...thought we talked about this."
Harry stopped in his tracks. Ginny's voice was low and agitated and it was carrying through from the living room. He could just about hear her. If he kept still and quiet as a church mouse. In fact, if he dug out the Extendable Ears George had given him last Christmas…
His train of thought caught up and Harry shook his head firmly. No, he couldn't do that. He wasn't going to eavesdrop on his girlfriend, for Merlin's sake. Was this all their relationship meant to him? He still trusted her. He had to.
But Ginny was still hissing in the Floo and she was clearly keeping things from him, wasn't she?
Damn it.
"Accio Extendable Ears."
He caught them and hurried over to the wall, ignoring the clamouring of his conscience. Just this once,he told himself. Just this one time to prove that there's nothing wrong.
"I told you I'd think about it," Ginny was saying. "Honestly Dean, all this pressure isn't helping."
"I don't want to pressure you, Gin," Dean cut in gently. That smooth, cajoling tone made Harry's jaw tighten. "But you know how things stand right now. I need an answer from you and fast."
A pause. Harry held his breath.
"Let me think about it," Ginny repeated firmly. "And for Merlin's sake, send an owl next time! Harry can't find out about this."
So, it was true then. There was something...
"He's going to find out eventually," Dean replied evenly. "Better make it quick, Ginny. Time's running out. I want you but if you're not going to even try..."
"I want this," Ginny murmured softly. "I'm trying, Dean. I swear."
Harry's heart sank. The whole world seemed to wither away to ashes, leaving him with the stark, bitter realisation that he'd been had. Ginny had betrayed him. She wanted Dean and...
Harry couldn't be here right now. He Disapparated away with a crack, leaving the Extendable Ears on the table.
Let Ginny make of that what she will. Harry had heard enough.
His friends as always, were pillars of unflinching support during this dark phase in his life.
"I knew it!" Blaise crowed triumphantly. He drew his hand back and…
SLAP!
"Ouch!" Ron yelped, glaring and rubbing his cheek. "Bloody hell!"
"Hey!" Hermione snapped. "No calls without the slap bet commissioner's approval! Besides, there's no evidence Blaise won the bet anyway. For all we know, Ginny could be talking about anything."
"Ha!" Ron yelled, raising a hand and reaching over the sofa to…
SLAP!
"Ouch! Weasley!"
"Honestly!" Hermione scolded. "What did I just say about..."
"It doesn't matter anymore because I won," Blaise muttered, rubbing his jaw gingerly. "She did say I want you too,did she not?"
"This," Ron repeated firmly. "She said I want this. It could mean anything."
Harry shook his head despondently. "I think it means she wants to be with Dean Thomas," he replied miserably. He felt hollow inside. How could she do this to him?
"Exactly!" Blaise agreed cheerfully.
"Oh Harry," Hermione murmured, squeezing his shoulder supportively. "You need to talk to her. If you're jumping to conclusions…"
"I wish I was," Harry replied. "But it's pretty clear what's happening, Mione. I heard her say…"
"Heard me say what?"
Harry jumped at the sudden intrusion and turned around, just as Ginny stepped in and shut the door behind her.
"We really need to get a bell," Blaise quipped, moving aside to let her through.
Ginny ignored him. In fact, she ignored everyone. Her brown eyes were trained on Harry, watching his every move. Harry stared back. Ginny looked nervous but she held his gaze steadily.
"Harry?" she repeated softly. She brought a hand forward and dropped something on the table in front of him. Despite himself, Harry winced as he recognized the Extendable Ears. Ginny's lips twitched slightly. "Do you have something you want to say to me?"
Are you leaving me? What are we doing with each other? Where are we headed? Why do we keep secrets from each other? Why don't we talk to each other? What's going on with you and why am I always the last to know?
"Not particularly," Harry told her. "Do you have something you want to tell me?"
Ginny smiled. "Actually I do."
Oh. So this was it.
Blaise and Ron leaned in eagerly and Harry rolled his eyes. Clearly, they weren't going to get their privacy here.
"My room," he suggested, taking her arm and leading her in.
She followed and the door shut behind them with an ominous click. Harry smiled tightly and led her over to the bed, sitting down with her. Ginny squeezed his hand as they sat in silence. When she spoke, it was clear she was choosing her words carefully.
"There's something I need to tell you."
Harry nodded jerkily. His throat felt dry and the room was suddenly far too hot. "I figured," he muttered. "Just get it over with, Gin."
"I've been talking to Dean a lot."
You don't say, Harry thought bitterly.
"And he's really impressed by my performance."
Honestly. Was she even hearing herself?
"So he recommended me to headline WWN's new station. In Argentina."
Harry's world screeched to a halt. What? His gaze jerked up from the floor. He stared at Ginny, eyes wide and unblinking. Ginny returned his gaze, regarding him with an anxious expression and biting her lip.
"What?" Harry croaked.
"WWN offered me a job in Argentina," Ginny repeated softly. "That's what Dean and I were talking about earlier when…"
"But…" Harry shook his head slowly. "But he said he wanted you and...and you said...and then…"
Ginny's lips twitched in amusement. "Yes," she agreed. "He said he 'wanted' me for the position and he needed an answer soon. But I said I wanted to talk to you first. In hindsight, I can see how you might have misunderstood— especially if you were using Extendable Ears to eavesdrop on me. Not cool, by the way."
He winced and scrubbed a guilty hand through his hair. "Sorry," he mumbled gruffly. "I just didn't get why you would keep secrets from me and then...I got a bit carried away, didn't I?"
Ginny shook her head fondly and leaned into kiss him. "Just a bit," she agreed.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry asked. "Why were you hiding this from me?"
Ginny sighed. "I didn't want to say anything until I was sure about it. I mean, if I take this job it means I'm moving to Argentina. I didn't want to spring that on you without a good enough reason."
Argentina. That's when Harry finally caught on. He blinked rapidly as things slowly slid into place. Ginny was moving away. From here, from home, from him. Oh Merlin, she was leaving.
"You're taking it," he croaked out. "You're taking this job."
Ginny nodded slowly. "It's what I want, Harry. It's a whole new city, it'll be great for my career— I'd be crazy not to do this."
Oh gods, this was happening. "So that's it," Harry mumbled. He couldn't sit still anymore. He got up and started pacing, practically ricocheting off the walls as the world blurred past him. He didn't care. He was panicking, thank you very much. "You're leaving," he started off again, vaguely aware that his tone was just on this side of hysterical. "You're leaving me, you're leaving us and that's it. You give me the best year of my life and then you just take it away and…"
"No, Harry."
He stopped pacing, whirling around to face her. Ginny held out her hands, squeezing reassuringly around his fingers as soon as he was in reach. "We're not pulling a Ron and Hermione," she told him firmly. "I'm not running away to figure out what I want. I already know what I want. I want this job in Argentina. I want adventure and excitement and not knowing what happens next. I want it more than anything else. But I want it withyou."
Harry froze as he realised what she was saying. Ginny just smiled hopefully.
"Come with me, Harry," she said. "Come with me to Argentina."
Ron slumped in his seat at the Leaky Cauldron, staring blankly at his friends. Despite the customary chatter of the Leaky Cauldron, the silence hung thick in the air. Even Blaise seemed to have nothing to say in the wake of Harry and Ginny's announcement.
"Argentina," Hermione repeated, sounding a little dazed. "You're moving to Argentina. Both of you are moving to Argentina."
Harry nodded and smiled, wrapping an arm around Ginny. "We are."
"Okay," Hermione acquiesced. "Why?"
Ginny shrugged and took a swig of beer. "Well, it just makes sense." Her eyes darted to Harry as if for confirmation and he hastened to agree.
"We just think it's worth a shot," he told them. "And I promised Ginny we'd do this any way she wanted. I'm just making good on that promise."
"So you're leaving?" Ron blurted, looking a bit stricken at that. "Both of you?"
Harry smiled ruefully but confirmed the statement with another nod. "We are."
"Yeah," Blaise scoffed. "Sure you are."
Every eye at the table swivelled around to him. Blaise took on a smug look as he settled back in his chair. "I give this whole Argentina thing a week, two weeks tops before it blows over," he announced smugly. "Harry at least, isn't going anywhere."
Harry sighed. "Blaise, I know this is hard," he offered cautiously. "But this is happening. I'm going with Ginny so we can be together."
"Really?" Blaise arched an eyebrow. "Well, let's talk about your plan, shall we? Ginny here will be working with WWN. What about your Auror training?"
Ginny shrugged. "I'm sure there's crime in Argentina."
"Alright," Blaise conceded airily. "Let's go bigger then. Ginevra, my pretty. Where do you see yourself in five years? Come on; hit me with your best shot." Ginny opened her mouth to respond but Blaise cut her off. "One step ahead of you, love. You probably want to do what you're doing right now. Living it up somewhere exotic and interesting, have adventures, try sushi, all that jazz. Hell, why stop at Argentina? You probably want to be in Tokyo or Paris or Mumbai. Sound about right?"
Ginny looked a little stunned. "Well, actually yes. That's about it."
"And you," Blaise carried on, turning on Harry now. "Don't even bother telling me where you want to be in five years. We've all heard it so many times I could sing that song in my sleep. You want to be married with— oh, I don't know— six or seven kids."
Harry didn't really want to say yes. Blaise was obviously taking this in a direction nobody would enjoy very much. But he couldn't deny it. That was exactly what he wanted.
Blaise's eyes glinted in triumph at his silence. "I thought as much. So here's my question. Which is it? Are you two going to be intrepid adventurers or are you going to have the little house with the picket fence? Actually scratch that, here's another question. Exactly how long is it going to take for at least one of you to figure out that you want different things out of life? How long is it going to take for you to admit you can't have both?"
"That's two questions," Hermione replied weakly. But her eyes drifted to Harry and he could just see the same doubts in her eyes. The same questions. How were they going to do this? How was this going to work? Ginny didn't look like she had any answers either. But finally, she spoke up.
"I want to be with Harry," she said firmly. "We're going to make this work. Yeah, it won't be easy but...but he's coming with me. And we can have both. If we want to have kids eventually, we'll have kids. If Harry wants a family, then that's what we'll do."
"And they'll travel the world with us," Harry added, squeezing Ginny's hand in support. "We're doing this together. We're going to have it all. We deserve it."
"I see," Blaise replied with a slow nod. "Question number three then. Do either of you want it all? Because it seems to me..."
"Blaise, stop it," Hermione cut in. Her tone was firm, carrying that no-nonsense inflection they had all instinctively learned to obey over the years. "It's their call." She turned back to her friends and smiled reassuringly. "And if it's what you want, we're all for it."
Ron nodded stoutly, showing his support as well. "We want you to be happy. Both of you."
"We are," Harry assured him. Ron squeezed his shoulder. He didn't look too convinced, none of them did. Blaise was still frowning, Hermione was sipping at her wine and avoiding direct eye contact and Ginny...Ginny looked the way Harry felt right now. Which wasn't a very good look considering that Harry felt a bit terrified at the idea of what they were going to do together. But what other choice did they have? Ginny wanted this, and Harry wanted to be with Ginny. He did. They could do this. They were going to do this and if the thought of uprooting his entire life and moving to a different continent scared him, so what? That's what adventure was all about. It was unpredictable and scary and...and it wouldn't be the first time he'd had to deal with unpredictability right?
But, did he really want that ambiguity back in his life? He wasn't sure he did. Not after the war. But this was for Ginny and he was doing this. That was that.
He would figure it out. For now, it was time to change the subject.
"So, it looks like Blaise lost the slap bet," he declared cheerfully.
Okay, so maybe it was petty revenge but Blaise did start the whole interrogation thing in the first place. Besides, the distraction worked like a charm. The mood lifted at once.
Blaise's mouth twisted in distaste as Ron rubbed his hands with glee. "Oh, he did," Ron agreed gleefully. "And there's more. Slap bet commissioner, the floor is yours."
Hermione smiled pleasantly at a now sulking Blaise. "Let's get to business then," she announced, reaching into her purse.
"Oh, for…" Blaise groaned and swiped a hand over his face. "You have a clipboard. Of course you have a clipboard. Why am I even surprised?"
Hermione ignored him and scanned her notes. "The record shows that Blaise not only lost the slap bet but issued a slap without the permission of the slap bet commissioner."
"No!" Harry exclaimed, feigning shock. "Say it isn't so!"
"That's not fair," Blaise protested. "Weasley didn't win either. Nobody predicted that she was moving to another country, did they? So technically, this was a draw at best."
"Not quite," Hermione grinned, tapping smugly at the clipboard. "Ron's exact words were that he would prove you were wrong. And you werewrong. Ginny wasn't cheating on Harry at all."
"He bet that I was cheating on Harry?" Ginny shrilled indignantly. "Slap him hard, Ron."
"Seconded," Harry affirmed.
"So," Hermione continued over the scattered applause. "With the illegal slap on record, and with the power invested in me as Official Slap Bet Commissioner, I declare Ron the winner."
"Yes!" Ron cheered.
"No," Blaise whined.
"But in the spirit of fairness," Hermione continued, "we'll give you a choice, Blaise. You can get ten slaps right now. Or you'll get five at any given time in the future. You won't know how, you won't know when, you'll never see them coming. It can happen any time. But it will be five slaps and five only."
And that right there was why Harry was infinitely grateful that Hermione was firmly on his side. Given the right motivation, she was downright devious.
"I'd take ten now if I were you," she added primly.
"Why?" Ginny demanded. "Ten instead of five? That's ridiculous."
"But he'll be living in fear for the Merlin knows how long," Harry pointed out. "Take ten now and get it over with, that's what I say."
"I don't care," Ron replied, with a casual shrug. "So long as I get to slap him, I'm good."
"Blaise?" Hermione prodded. "It's all on you."
Blaise took his time. He swallowed audibly and his fingers twitched in barely suppressed agitation. Harry half thought he might bolt given the chance. But Blaise— for all his bluster and bravado— was a man of his word and he proved that by nodding firmly and making his announcement.
"Five," he declared staunchly. "I'll take five. It's just Weasley, for Merlin's sake. He's got the subtlety of a hippogriff in a china shop. There's nothing he can do to surprise me so..."
SLAP!
Blaise yelped and toppled off his chair. Harry promptly burst into laughter. Oh, this day was looking so much better...
"That's one," Ron announced cheerfully, rubbing his hand. "Four more to go!"
Blaise staggered as he stood up and plopped himself in the chair again. "Well played, Weasley," he grumbled, rubbing his face. "Anyone seen a molar lying around?"
They laughed and raised their glasses and just like that all the questions were forgotten for the moment. Harry smiled as Ginny's hand reached over to squeeze his. He would be alright. He had Ginny. What more could he possibly need? They were meant to be together.
And Harry decided there and then that this was the right thing to do.
It had to be.
Right?
~*~*~*~*~PRESENT DAY~*~*~*~*~
"You went to Argentina?" James exclaimed indignantly. "Now wait just a minute. So you can just run off to another country just like that but I'm not allowed to spend one measly weekend in Hogsmeade?"
Dad gave him a quelling look. "Your father and I discussed that with you last week," he stated firmly. "You may go to the Weird Sisters concert if you're home by eleven and that's our last word on the subject. No nights out. End of story."
"Did he say 'end of story'?" Scorpius demanded, perking up at once. "Call the first witness to the stand!"
James ignored him. "But that's not fair! How come you get to…"
He was silenced by another classic Disapproving Dad Look. "First of all, I wasn't finished. Secondly, the point of this story is for you to learn something from my experiences. Now, if you'll just stop interrupting and let me get on with it…"
~*~*~*~*~YEAR 3 (contd.)~*~*~*~*~
Four months later...
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
The assembled crowd broke into a deafening round of applause and Harry was only too happy to join in as his beaming best friend swooped in to exchange a chaste kiss with his wife. This was it. Harry's grin widened as he realised what had just come to pass.
Ron and Hermione were finally married.
And to think he had come this close to missing it.
"I'm glad we changed our dates," Ginny whispered in his ear. She smoothed down her green dress and her eyes shone with happiness as she regarded her brother and new sister-in-law. Harry thought she looked absolutely breathtaking. Maybe someday, it would be them at that altar. Some day. But not yet. They had to live Ginny's dream first.
"I'm glad too," he replied. WWN had wanted her in Argentina the week before, but they had fought tooth and nail to postpone the trip by a few days. They were moving to a new country and Merlin knew how long it would be before they'd see their friends again. Hermione and Ron had even considered moving the wedding dates up a few days so that Harry and Ginny could be there. Thankfully, it hadn't come to that. In the end, Ginny had fought her supervisors off and held the fort up for as long as she could. But that meant…
"Our Portkey is only good for a few more hours."
Harry sighed and nodded. Well, it was time then. This was what it had all come down to. He had put in his transfer papers, packed his belonging and said his goodbyes. It was time to go to Argentina.
Ginny tugged gently at his hand. "Come on," she said softly. "We'll call Ron and Mione as soon as we get there."
Here goes nothing.
Harry allowed her to tug him through the crowd. The Burrow was all decked out and truthfully, it was one of the best weddings he had ever been to. A smile of amusement tugged at his lips as he remembered all those months of Hermione hyperventilating over flowers and linens and cake samples. She had been so worried that she wouldn't get her dream wedding after all. That it would be nothing like the special day she had always wanted. But looking at her now, radiant in her wedding dress and twirling in Ron's arms with the crowd smiling around them, he knew it was every bit as wonderful and special and unique a wedding as she could have wished for.
In the end, it wasn't about the seating arrangements or the flowers or where they had the wedding. It was about her and Ron, together for the rest of their lives.
That's what made it beautiful.
And as Ginny led him through the crowd, Harry hoped that he could have the same too one day. Some day.
"So it's really happening."
They halted as Blaise sauntered over, dressed to the nines as always. Harry smiled ruefully. As much as he would like to deny it, he was going to miss the bloke. He just sort of grew on you, with his tasteless jokes and tactless comments and sharp suits. He would stay here and wreck his customary havoc and Harry wouldn't be there to see it.
"So," Blaise drawled, eyeing them with feigned disinterest. "You're leaving then?"
"Our Portkey is only good for the next two hours," Ginny answered for them. "It's now or never."
"I had my money on never," Blaise said with a slight smirk. "But you can't win 'em all."
"Blaise…" Harry began.
"No," Blaise broke in, holding up a finger to silence him. "It's my turn to talk, yeah?"
Harry shut up. He supposed it was Blaise's turn. Merlin knew when Harry would get to hear one of his long winded, pointless speeches again.
"First of all, get a suit. Suits are cool, even in Argentina. Don't even bother sending an owl because I'll be too busy being awesome to read about how your wind surfing lessons are coming along. On that note, don't try wind surfing. It's stupid, everyone knows that. Honestly, I don't even know why you brought it up. Don't go looking for a pub as cool as the Leaky Cauldron, you won't find one. In the unlikely event that you do, you won't find a wingman as awesome as me anyway so it's a waste of effort. And…"
"I'll miss you too," Harry interrupted. He grinned as Blaise shut up abruptly, looking a bit caught off guard. His friend cleared his throat pointedly and squeezed his shoulder.
"Perhaps you weren't the worst wingman ever," Blaise conceded gruffly.
Harry laughed and pulled him in for a hug. "Take care," he whispered. "Write to me, yeah? I'll miss you."
"Oh for the love of...Jennifer, get him out of here before he starts wailing," Blaise snapped, shoving him off and swiping discreetly at his eyes. "Seriously, this is just embarrassing, Potter. Pull yourself together."
Harry let him go and wrapped an arm around Ginny instead. She said her own goodbye to Blaise, with a fond hug and kiss to the cheek. She took Harry's arm again and then they were leaving. He tried not to look back as Blaise faded away with the Burrow in the distance.
This was it.
"This is it," Ginny announced, stopping at the foot of the small hill overlooking the Burrow. She held out the key. The Portkey to Argentina. It was an actual key, Harry noted. Huh. Subtle. "One touch and we're on our way."
Harry nodded slowly. Time for action then.
He took a deep breath and held out his hand, letting his fingers reach forward and wrap around…
...nothing.
Harry's fist closed around air as the key was suddenly yanked away. He started at the sudden movement and looked questioningly at Ginny. She blinked rapidly, the key clutched firmly to her chest. Wait, what? Harry started to pose a question but judging by Ginny's stunned expression, she didn't know what that was all about either.
"Uh, Ginny?"
Ginny flushed, clearly embarrassed. She cleared her throat and held out the key again. "Sorry," she offered. "I don't know why I...let's just go again."
He did. She snatched it back again. It was almost reflexive at this point. Harry was starting to think Gryffindor had lost out on one hell of a Seeker. "Maybe I should do it," he suggested finally.
She nodded tersely and dropped the key in his hand. Harry held it out firmly. "Just grab it and we can go," he told her.
Away from here. Away from home. Away from our friends and all the people who love us.
Why was he doing this?
She smiled at him and he tried to take a little strength from it. But the lines of her mouth were tight. It looked like a grimace— strained and anxious. Her fingers came closer and closer, reaching out for the key…
...and Harry panicked. He jerked the key back on instinct.
Ginny dropped her hand. "Oh, good," she said flatly. "I was worried it was just me."
They stood there in awkward silence.
"I…"
Harry had no clue how to finish the rest of that sentence. He trailed off again. What was he doing? Everything had been going so well. He was packed and set and ready to go. With Ginny. To a new land. That was the plan. So why couldn't he do it? Why couldn't she? Why were they...
"I don't want to have kids in Argentina," Ginny whispered.
Right. That's why.
Harry swallowed as things slowly slid into place. The realisation hit with the force of the Hogwarts Express. "I don't want to have kids inArgentina," he muttered. He didn't. He really, really didn't. What on earth had made him think that would be a good idea? The very concept was enough to send him reeling. Why hadn't he realised just how mental that sounded? His life was here. His future was here.
Ginny laughed shakily. "We're not doing this, are we?"
No.
No, they weren't. When it all came down to it, when the time came to take action and move ahead together, the truth was that they couldn't. No amount of effort or willpower or wishing they could be together would ever change the fact that they wanted different things.
And it really, really sucked that it had taken Harry this long to realise that, but there it was.
He wasn't going to Argentina with her.
"I can't go to Argentina with you," he said. His insides twisted painfully but he forced the words out because all things considered, she deserved to know. "I'll hate it and resent you and it's...it's just not what I want."
"I don't want to be tied down here," Ginny whispered. A tear slid down her cheek, and he knew she felt as rotten as he did. "I'm so sorry. I can't be."
"I know."
He did.
This was it.
Ginny smiled through her tears. "We're breaking up, aren't we?"
They were.
Oh Merlin, this was happening. The moment he had feared for Merlin knew how long and it was here. It was finally here. If ever, there was a time to just take it all back, throw caution to the winds and jump on board with her, it was now. But his feet were moving now, backing away from her. He shook his head sadly. He just couldn't.
"I don't want to hold you back," he said. "I don't want you to hate me."
She raised a slim hand and brushed his jaw with her fingers. She would never touch him like this again. "I could never hate you," she replied. "It'syou."
But it just wasn't enough. It couldn't be. So, he smiled through the sounds of his heart breaking in a thousand pieces and dropped the key in her hands. "Your move, Gin."
Her hands closed around the key. "Goodbye, Harry," she whispered.
The wind changed, and he had about a second to appreciate the irony of that metaphor. Then she was gone, leaving nothing but the memory of her laughing brown eyes and teasing smile. He stared at the spot where she had been standing for a long time.
The realisation set in slowly and painful. This was it. This was how their story would end.
As much as he hated it, this was how it was meant to be.
Harry standing alone on a lonely hill, staring at the spot where she had been just a while ago. When she had still been his. When she had still been a part of his life.
She was gone.
End of story.
He turned his back on that spot and walked back to the Burrow.
Some day he would find someone who loved him enough to stay. Some day he would have children, a family. It wouldn't be with Ginny, he knew that now.
A small part of him had always known.
But one day, when he had those kids, he would sit them down and tell them the story about the girl with the brown eyes. He would tell them how special she was, how wonderful life had been for that precious time they had together.
There was no happy ending with Ginny. But there was a story in there somewhere.
And it was one hell of a story.
Blaise found him in their usual booth at the Leaky Cauldron.
For once, he didn't say anything. He just sat down next to Harry and ordered a couple glasses of scotch. He didn't raise a toast to Harry's glorious return to bachelorhood. He didn't talk Harry's ear off. He didn't even raise an eyebrow when a girl in a low cut blouse walked in and sat next to him. They sat there in silence for ages. It was Harry who finally spoke up.
"You knew, didn't you?" he asked, staring into the amber depths of his scotch. "You knew I wasn't going to do it."
"Yes," Blaise replied. "But some things, you've got to find out for yourself."
Duly noted. Harry had definitely learnt his lesson the hard way. "How was the rest of the wedding?"
"Not so bad. Mr and Mrs Granger Weasley took off to Aruba for their honeymoon and I had a pretty good time myself. Just so you know, the words it's for the bride will get you just about anything at a wedding."
Harry's lips twitched involuntarily. "Is that right?"
"I've got six phone numbers, two floo combinations, a Pinot Noir and a bag of Jordanian Almonds on my person right now."
That did the trick. Harry chuckled and raised his glass, feeling just a bit better. Blaise smirked and joined him in a toast. "Welcome home, Harry."
"Thanks. It's good to be back."
The funny thing was, he really meant it— even if he had never left in the first place. It had been tough saying goodbye. It was good to know that he still had this — the bar and Blaise and Ron and Hermione. Some things didn't change and he was truly grateful for that.
"You know, if you're going to be single again you're going to need a wingman."
Harry grinned ruefully. And he had this too. Maybe it was time to stop wishing for a future he couldn't predict right now. Maybe it was time to start living the moment, just for the moment. And it was with that thought that he turned to Blaise and said the words he knew his friend had always wanted to hear.
"Blaise Zabini, teach me how to live."
"Yes! Finally!" Blaise's grin could have lit up a Christmas tree. He raised his glass and downed it in one swig,
"Just you wait, Harry," he declared, raising a triumphant fist in the air. "This year is going to be legen-wait for it- dary. Legendary!"
~*~*~*~*~PRESENT DAY~*~*~*~*~
"And that kids, is the story of the girl with the brown eyes."
Lily padded over and looped her arms around Harry's neck. "You must've been sad," she said softly. Harry smiled and kissed her forehead, amused by his little girl's obvious sympathy over his heartbreak. She was growing up so fast…
"I was," he agreed, shifting her on to his lap. "But that changed soon enough and as you all know, we're still friends. She was my first love and that's something special. But I learnt something important from our time together. You can fall in love more than once. And you can love someone without being in love with them."
"So you're saying you still love Aunt Ginny?" Scorpius prodded. He looked very uncomfortable with the notion.
"As a friend," Harry corrected. "When I look back on those times now, I know that's all she ever could be. Yes, there was a time when I thought I'd never be happy without her but then I met…"
"Father," Scorpius finished with a reluctant grin. He slumped back on the sofa, comfortable and at ease again.
Harry smiled back. "Exactly. Which brings us to the rest of the story..."