MetaFic

((A/N: Sorry for the delay, but RL has gotten in the way of my writing lately.))

Chapter 15 - A Shift

Christmas morning, Ginny went through the motions of opening presents and interacting with her family. She was mostly happy, but the fact that she had no present from Harry disappointed her. As she thought about it, she decided that since her family was going over to Sirius’s house for Christmas dinner, Harry would probably give her present to her then. That eased her mind somewhat. She did not want a present just to have a present, but she felt that what he gave her would indicate how he felt about her.

Given her mother’s nervous behavior, it was easy to tell that her mind was not at ease. For the first time in many years, her mother was not cooking on Christmas Day. The state of “not cooking” translated itself into a state of “worry.” Ginny found it amusing, but followed her father’s lead of being careful around her mother so as not to cause any needless problems.

The rest of the family present seemed to be having a good time during the holiday. Bill and Charlie were unable to get enough time off work to make the trip back to England practical.

By lunchtime, everyone was dressed nicely and they all took the Floo to Sirius’s house. It was nicer looking than last time she had seen it and impeccably decorated for Christmas. It looked like one of those model homes in Witch Weekly. Even her mother seemed to be impressed, based on her reaction.

“Weasleys… Welcome!” Sirius’s voice boomed as he walked into the living room they had Flooed into, instead of the kitchen. She was glad Sirius had changed that. “I’m glad you could make it. Let me introduce a few people who will also be joining us.”

That was when Ginny noted a familiar man walk in behind Sirius, along with Harry and a woman she had not seen in this timeline before, although she knew her as a fierce fighter in the other timeline. A slightly older woman walked in last and stood at the back, someone Ginny was surprised to see at first, although it made sense after thinking about it. Ginny noticed her parents visibly react with nervousness at this last woman, although it was also obvious they tried to hide it.

The younger woman stepped forward and put her hand on Sirius’s arm. Sirius put his hand over hers and gave her a big smile. “Everyone, this is Hestia Jones, an Auror and friend. To answer the question on everyone’s mind, I met her at the Ministry not long after I was released from prison. Hestia, I would like to introduce the Weasleys.” Sirius named each of them, to which Hestia nodded and greeted them.

“You seem to be short two children, Arthur.” Sirius was looking around to make sure he had not missed anyone.

“Quite right, Sirius. My two oldest, Bill and Charlie, are out of the country and unable to make it.”

“Most unfortunate,” Sirius replied as he stepped to the side and pulled Hestia with him. “Arthur and Molly, I believe you two are the only ones who do not know Professor Remus Lupin, an old friend of mine and of Harry’s parents, as well.”

Lupin stepped forward and shook Arthur and Molly’s hands. “Good afternoon, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Arthur paused for a moment. “Lupin … you’re the professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts, aren’t you?”

“I am,” he said with the barest of smiles.

“Ah, then you can tell us how our children are doing.” He smiled at the five children with him, who all looked less than pleased to be in the situation at the moment -- even Ginny, who knew she was doing very well.

Lupin chuckled. “I’ll not make them suffer; rather, I'll report that each of them is doing well, even the two you would least suspect -- based on their reputation,” he said with a wry grin.

Ginny watched her mother beam at the twins and she watched them shrink back with an embarrassed look. It was an amusing reversal of the usual situation where the twins were in trouble.

“I belive most you,” Sirius looked at Ginny and her brothers, “haven't met my cousin, who is presently without a family. May I present Narcissa Black.”

Narcissa took one step forward before giving a nod with a brief curtsy. “Happy Christmas, everyone. I’m also pleased you could join the House of Black for the festive occasion,” her smooth and cultured voice spoke.

Her father cleared his throat a little nervously. It appeared that he had forgotten Sirius’s annoucement back in September. “Happy Christmas to you as well, Miss Black.”

Ginny found the awkard moment amusing, although she was careful not to show it. On the other hand, all of her brothers, even stoic Percy, were wide-eyed at the sight of a former Malfoy in their presence. Sirius broke the awkward moment.

“Since everyone already knows Harry,” Sirius indicated the last person on his side of the room, “let’s go sit down to eat.”

He led them all to the dining room and everyone saw an immaculately set room fit for a king. At each place was a small placard with a name on it. As everyone found their place, Ginny saw that the adults were at one end of the table, with Sirius at the head, and the children were at the other end, with Harry at the foot of the table.

As they were seated, Ginny heard her mother say, “Do you need to me to bring the food in?”

Sirius smiled. “No, don’t trouble yourself, Molly.” He had barely finished saying that when dishes and trays of food suddenly started appearing on the table. Ginny knew it was courtesy of Dobby’s magic. “Everyone, help yourself.” He started the process of selecting a platter of ham, helping himself to it and then passing it on.

The meal was quite good, Ginny thought, maybe even better than her mother’s because of the variety. The quality of preparation was as good as her mother’s cooking. The conversation was a bit bland, as her family was on their best behavior, threatened with a dire warning from her mother if they did not behave. The adults did not talk about anything overly interesting.

After the meal, they all went back into the living room again.

“Everyone, please take a seat,” Sirius directed them. He went over to the Christmas tree and with his wand, he caused a box the size of a small footlocker to come out from under the tree and to move over in front of Arthur. “A small gift from our family to yours. Harry assures me that even though this might be used the most by your children, that you and Molly might get some use out of it, even if it’s only peace and quiet,” he ended on a smirk.

Her father chuckled as he pulled a small colorfully wrapped box the size of a deck of cards out of his pocket, and his wand so he could enlarge it. Everyone could see that it was obviously a painting of some sort as it returned to full-sized. “A Christmas and a house warming gift from our family to yours,” he said proudly, handing the wrapped present to Sirius.

Sirius ripped the paper off to find the portrait of a wizard with dark hair and the family crest of the House of Black on his robes. The wizard was fighting a horde of goblins, and it looked like he was winning as goblins went flying, only to have more take their place.

Arthur cleared his throat a little nervously. “While not the most pleasant of subjects, I found this family heirloom a few years back in a Muggle house. It probably was handed down through a squib line, but they really should not have had a magical item like this, so I confiscated it. It wasn’t until I returned to the office that I noticed the Black crest on the wizard’s robes. Based on the picture, which I believe to be the last big goblin rebellion, I would guess this to be Phineas Nigellus Black’s grandfather, Orion Black. I thought you should have it.”

A big grin came over Sirius. “While not something to take with me to my next meeting at Gringotts,” everyone gave a forced chuckle, “I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the family heirloom, Arthur. Your noble gesture is most appreciated.” For the moment, Sirius set it on the mantle above the fireplace, leaning it against the wall and a small tapestry hanging there. He turned around and gestured towards his gift to the Weasleys.

Arthur unwrapped the present and found a small chest. Ron noticeably sucked his breath in. It was not hard for Ginny to guess what it was either. Her father opened the chest to reveal a brand new set of Quidditch balls as well as a pair of Beater Bats.

“I understand that it is a family sport at your house,” Sirius said. “And please don’t worry, Molly,” he hastily added. “The Bludgers have a cushioning charm on them to lessen the injuries.” She smiled gratefully.

“It is indeed a family sport,” Arthur said with a chuckle, “although, it has been a few years since Molly and I played with the children. Perhaps it’s time to return to the family game.” He looked up to his host. “You and Harry would be most welcome to join us.”

“Thank you, we’d be delighted.” Sirius turned to Harry and nodded.

Harry practically dove to the tree and pulled out a stack of small presents, handing one to each of the Weasley children. “These are from me.” Each of the children pulled out a small present which their mother expanded before they handed them to Harry.

Ginny had bought Harry a good quality dark maroon robe with the Potter crest sewn onto the breast, which he seemed to really like. He had given her a broom servicing kit, along with extra polish. It was a nice gift, but she was slightly disappointed that it was not more romantic. With force of will, she pushed her disappointment away and gave him a big smile. It was still too soon, she thought.

As they sat around and casually talked for awhile, Dobby appeared with some snacks and various drinks. Ginny grabbed two bottles of Butterbeer, handing one to Harry.

“Thanks,” he told her as he opened it.

“No problem.” She motioned for him to follow her and he did. She went out of the room and over to the stairs, walking most of the way up the first flight before sitting down. He sat down next to her.

“How’s it going with Sirius?”

Harry grinned. “Spectacular, great even. I don’t know how well he would have done when I was a baby, but he’s what I need now.” He gazed at her with a thankful expression before he whispered, “I really appreciate…” He stopped and pulled out his wand, casting the Muffling charm she had taught him. “I really appreciate what you did for me with the Dursleys.”

“You’re very welcome, Harry. I’d do it anytime.” Despite her being calm and casual, he looked down as if embarrassed. She decided to relax and let him work through it.

“Ginny,” he said after a long moment, “I’m really sorry I haven’t been as good a friend to you as I could have been. I really should be spending more time with you and I promise that I will soon.”

That was a surprise. “Oh? Why soon?”

He mumbled something she did not catch.

“What was that?” she asked.

Harry sighed, still not looking at her. “I have to finish my task for Sirius first,” he quietly said, as if not wanting to admit it.

“What task is that?” she asked curiously.

He glanced at her and she saw a look like he did not want to explain, but knew he must. She was not sure why he felt compelled, but did appreciate knowing.

“Sirius said that because I won’t take the obvious choice,” he emphasized the last three words, “I must spend some time with all the other girls getting to know them. I drew the line at Pansy and Millicent and he agreed, knowing their families. Still, I’ll be done by the end of February and then we can spend more time together -- as friends.”

Ginny was feeling pretty good about what he was alluding to until he added the last two words. “I don’t understand, since we’re already friends.”

He took a long pull on his Butterbeer. “We could get to know one another better.” He paused to finish off his drink, as if he needed to figure out how to say something. “Sirius says that since I’m the last Potter, I have a family obligation to not take too long to produce an heir.” He shook his head slightly as he turned red. “I tried to throw that back on him, as he’s in the same situation and a lot older, and he pointed out that he’s on very friendly terms with Hestia.”

She was starting to figure out what was going on, despite the fact that he was mostly avoiding her question, and she wondered if she needed to talk to Sirius about not putting pressure on him. “What is she like?”

Harry shrugged but seemed relieved at the topic change. “Pretty nice from what little I’ve talked to her. She’s five years younger than Sirius, but that probably works pretty well for him, as I don’t think he fully grew up while in prison.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” she said. The idea of having some fun at his expense came to her. “So, what’s this obvious choice you talked about?” With just a hint of teasing, she added, “What are you choosing between?” She wondered if she would be correct in her guess.

Now Harry really blushed and looked down. “I’d rather not say at the moment.”

“Oh? Why not?” She struggled to keep the innocent look on her face and in her voice.

“I’m not ready to do anything, so it doesn’t matter right now.”

“If that’s what you want.” There was a slight edge to his voice, so Ginny knew she had better stop there. They were on better terms now and she wanted it to keep it that way. “Since Professor Lupin is here, shall I assume he and Sirius worked out their problem?”

Again Harry looked relieved at the subject change. “Yeah. Sirius was pretty upset that Moony,” Harry paused, “he lets me call him that when we’re alone. Anyway, Sirius was pretty upset that Moony abandoned me for twelve years, not even stopping by for birthdays and Christmas to act like an uncle or something. Moony said that he had wanted to, but that Dumbledore had told him not to go near me. Sirius asked him how many times they had done things Dumbledore had told them not to and asked why this was different. Moony said that Dumbledore had told him that it was the only way to keep me safe. Then Sirius told Moony what little I’ve told him about my life at the Dursleys.” He shook his head. “Sirius made it sound like it was a pretty ugly row.”

Ginny could only imagine. “And now?”

“Moony swore he’d start treating me as his own, regardless of what Dumbledore wants. We’re supposed to start meeting on Sundays at school. After he apologized to me, we’ve started getting to know one another this last week and he’s pretty nice most of the time.” Harry grew pensive and looked at her as if trying to divine something.

“You’re wondering if I know his secret, aren’t you?”

Harry looked surprised, but nodded.

“I do, but don’t worry; I won’t tell anyone. However, people will figure it out eventually. It’s hard to miss when he gets sick so regularly,” she said sympathetically. Ginny considered the situation. “Maybe it will be different this time around and he can continue teaching. He’s the best Defense teacher we’ve had so far. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”

He nodded. “It would be good to keep him. What do you think…” Harry was interrupted by Ron walking up to the bottom of the stairs.

“There you two are, I’ve been looking for you, and I think Mum has too.”

Harry pulled his wand out and canceled the Muffling spell, which caused Ron’s eyebrows to shoot to the top of his forehead.

“You’re using magic? You’ll get into trouble…”

Harry chuckled and even Ginny smiled, already knowing the answer.

“Don’t tell the twins, but you wouldn’t, here. There are too many wards and hiding charms on the house,” Harry explained.

Ron suddenly looked suspicious. “Then what spell were you just doing?”

“Just a privacy charm, my brother,” Ginny said as she got up. “We didn’t want anyone eavesdropping.”

“And what do you to talk about that’s so private?” His suspicion was still in full force.

“If we told you, it wouldn’t be private any more, would it?” she asked, her sarcasm clearly evident. Harry chuckled and got up as well. She looked at him and saw he was more relaxed now. Ginny was pleased. Despite the fact that he still planned to spend time with the Hufflepuff girls, she thought the situation between them was looking better.

Ginny followed Harry into a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, ready to go home at the end of their third year. She was pleased that Harry put her trunk up and then sat down next to her. They were still just friends, but they were slowly getting closer.

One fly in the potion was that Harry’s two week time with Susan Bones had been good enough that he had continued spending some time with her occasionally for the rest of the year. Ginny was pleased that Harry was not searching out the strawberry blonde Hufflepuff to sit with on the train, but she was a little saddened that her prediction that the Hufflepuff girls would be the real competition had come true.

“What is everyone doing for the summer?” Hermione asked as they all made themselves comfortable. It was the usual five Gryffindors together. “I’m going to Spain with my parents for most of July.”

Harry looked at her sharply; his attention had been focused on something outside the compartment window. “Are you going to be here on the thirty-first? It’s a Sunday.”

“I think so, why?”

He looked around at them all. “Er, I’m probably not supposed to tell you yet, so you can’t say anything, but Sirius is planning to throw me a birthday party and all of you will be invited.” He grinned and looked at her. “Ginny, you’ll get to use the party manners your mum told you about last summer.”

Ginny groaned. “Please don’t remind me.”

“What?” Ron asked, and the other two looked very interested as well.

Seeing that she could not get out of it, she told them. “Last summer, Mum talked to me how young witches were supposed to act in formal situations; you know, how to be proper and all that crap.”

“Ginny!” Hermione almost shrieked.

Ginny only laughed at Hermione taking the bait. Her friend was so predictable.

Neville groaned. “Gran is going to talk to me about that sort of thing, too, when that invitation arrives.”

“It’s not that hard,” Hermione countered. “Most of it is common sense. I’ve read several books about Wizarding customs.”

Ron snorted. “It’s not that easy, Hermione…”

“Yes it is, as long as you think before you speak,” she said pointedly.

Here we go again, Ginny thought. Trying to derail the argument before it got any louder, she hurriedly asked Harry a question. “Harry? Will you be staying with Sirius from now on?” That stopped her friend and her brother from arguing.

A brief look of anger flashed across his face. “Yes, but only after lots of arguing between Sirius and Dumbledore last night.”

“So that’s where you were last night,” she commented. “Why? I thought that after what happened at your relatives that it didn’t make sense for you to go back there.” Ginny wondered what Dumbledore was trying to do now.

“It doesn’t, but Dumbledore still believes I’m in danger. Even though he doesn’t have any more blood from my mother to reestablish the old wards there, he came up with a plan to create wards that were,” he held up his hands in air quotes, “almost as good using my blood. Sirius pitched a fit and I told the Headmaster he wasn’t getting any of my blood. Voldemort is dead,” Ron and Neville twitched at the name, “and any remaining Death Eaters should be easily dealt with. Besides, the Black home is heavily warded for security.”

“And Dumbledore thought that wasn’t good enough?” Ginny was incredulous at the thought.

“Yeah, he doesn’t think that’s good enough. And to make it even more maddening, I can tell he knows something else but won’t tell Sirius or me what it is.” Harry shook his head. “Stubborn old coot.”

Neville snorted and started laughing, causing everyone other than Hermione to laugh as well. “My Gran has called him that a few times.”

Hermione looked like she could not believe what Harry and Neville were saying. “But he’s the Headmaster…”

“Hermione,” Harry stopped her with a tired voice. “How many times have we talked about his mistakes? I’m glad that you have people you look up to and can respect, but the Headmaster is not on my list of respected people until he will explain some things to me, and he refuses to do that.”

“Maybe you don’t need to know, Harry,” she argued, much as she did with Ron.

Harry gave her a calculating look. “Very well; let’s play ‘what if’ for a moment. What if you, Hermione Granger, found out that Albus Dumbledore had information about you that determined your path in life and if you did not make the right decisions, that all of your friends and both of your parents would most likely be killed? And what if when you found out that he had that information, you asked him what it was so you could make more informed decisions about your life to keep those around you safe, he told you that it didn’t matter right now -- that he would tell you later, at some unspecified date? Tell me, Hermione, what would you think of the man who won’t tell you what you need to know to keep your loved ones alive?”

Hermione looked uncomfortable for a moment. “That’s a made-up situation, Harry. The Headmaster wouldn’t do something like that. But if he did, then I would trust him to tell me at the right time.”

He locked gazes with her. “And if he falls down the stairs and breaks his neck, killing himself before he can tell you? Or if you make a wrong decision in the meantime, getting someone killed before you can do something to help them?”

She shifted, almost squirming, in her seat in the complete silence of the compartment, with only the rumble of the train going down the tracks as a background noise. “I would still trust him,” she quietly said. “I have to.”

“Why do you have to trust him?” Harry asked just as quietly.

“Because if I can’t trust him, then I see no hope for the Wizarding World to get better.”

Harry seemed to glow just slightly as his magical power leaked, unconsciously. “You pin all of your hopes of a better world on one man?” She nodded as if afraid to answer. “On one man who has made many mistakes in his long life, including sacrificing a young boy’s childhood by putting him into a home where he knew the boy would be neglected and unloved and possibly abused? That’s the man you’re putting all of your hopes on to fix our society?”

Ginny wondered about the conversion Harry had had last night. It sounded like Dumbledore did not share the prophecy, but he had shared a few things -- things probably only Sirius had made him admit to. She was amazed; this sounded like her Harry.

Hermione looked and sounded like she was about to squeak. “If not him, then who else is there?”

Harry leaned back against the bench and his power dropped. “Why not all of us who believe there needs to be a change? Dumbledore is not all bad, but he doesn’t have my full trust and he shouldn’t have yours either. I’m starting to think he’s forgotten what it’s like to be a normal person. He’s been Chief This and Supreme That for far too long.” Harry took a deep breath, but did not release her from his gaze. “Think about it… Should any one person have that much power?” he asked her with intensity.

It was very quiet in the compartment; no one seemed to know what to say after that. Ginny decided that she was probably best able to handle him at the moment. “Harry?” His gaze slowly left Hermione and turned to her. “I need a breath of fresh air. Will you escort me please? I don’t like to stand on the end of the train alone.” She gave him a pleading look and he nodded. He followed her out and to the back.

Ginny stepped onto the small landing on the back of the train, holding tightly onto the railing. She was not really afraid of the place, but it was not a favorite place of hers, either. Most importantly, it offered privacy; no one would be able to join them because the landing was so small or overhear them because of the noise.

Harry closed the door after them and stood next to her, holding onto the railing as well. “I was a little intense there, wasn’t I?” He looked a little embarrassed as he looked out over the tracks the train had just traveled.

She could not help the giggle that escaped, and Harry shyly smiled back. It was enough to remove most of the seriousness. “You do know that your magic comes out when you’re really passionate about something, don’t you?”

“No. Was that why Hermione was suddenly so … so intimidated?”

“Yes.” She looked at him to gauge his reaction to her next question. “I assume that while Dumbledore didn’t share the prophecy with you, he did share some other things?”

A flicker of anger came to him again. “He made no mention of the prophecy, but can you believe that…” he paused as if having to control himself, “that man admitted that he knew I would suffer when he left me on the Dursleys’ doorstep? He knew he was, and I quote, condemning me to ten dark and difficult years, unquote, but he did it anyway and he also had the audacity to not explain why. I was so angry that I destroyed a whole shelf of his little silver instruments and Sirius wasn’t much better as he banished his chair at the Headmaster, except that he didn’t aim too well and it broke out the window behind the desk.”

Ginny’s eyes went wide and a hand flew to her mouth. “Really?” When he confirmed with a nod, she started laughing. His anger dissipated and he chuckled too, for a moment.

“It was a funny sight -- now that it's over,” he sheepishly admitted, looking at her with a goofy grin. He put a hand over hers on the railing. “Thank you again for saving him. Having Sirius there to help me and to stand up for me made me understand how much I miss my parents, but,” he looked out for a moment and then back at her, “it’s not so bad with you and Sirius as my family.”

She could not help it, she stepped over to him and gave him a hug. He hugged her back with one arm, the other still holding onto the railing. They stood there and gently swayed to the motion of the train for a long moment.

“We should probably go back,” he eventually said.

“Yeah, they’ve probably recovered by now.”

He chuckled. “Do you think I should apologize to Hermione?”

She considered the question. “No. You didn’t really attack her, it was more like a debate, and it is something she really does need to consider.”

Harry nodded and turned to the door, opening it for her. As she walked back into the train, she saw Susan Bones watching them come in. Ginny could not help the slightly smug look on her face, but she did try to contain it. After all, the competition was not really over yet and Susan was a nice person.

Ginny started applying her makeup. It had been hard, but she had finally talked her mother into letting her use a little. Her Harry had liked it when she used a little -- just a little lipstick and something to bring out the color of her eyes. She was almost finished getting ready for the big party Sirius was throwing for Harry’s fourteenth birthday today.

Outside her door, she could hear her mother. “Be sure you follow all the rules I’ve told you about for these situations”

“Yes, Mum,” said a bored Ron.

“If you do something to embarrass your sister or our family, you will be sorry.”

“Of course, Mum.”

“Be sure to address him as Mr Black for this party, unless…” her mother’s voice faded as they went further down the stairs.

Ginny mentally giggled at her brother; she could easily imagine his expressions. He was doing so much better than he had been at the beginning of their third year. At the rate he was maturing, he might even be ready for Hermione to date him before they finished Hogwarts.

She thought about the upcoming party. Both she and Ron had received invitations. The party officially started at two and ran until six, but all the boys were to be there at half one. In talking to Harry about it, he had told her there were five boys invited and seventeen girls. When she asked about it, he said it was Sirius’s idea and he knew little about it, other than Sirius also told him it was traditional to have an after-party party at six for those who had some sort of a tie to the family or who were closer in some way. That split also allowed those who had other obligations, or who wanted to leave, an opportunity to do so. Other than the fact that Sirius provided a Portkey for every guest, the intricacies of the party and the underlying motivations were beyond him at this point. This was more of the sort of Pureblood traditions that his godfather was trying to teach him.

Finishing her makeup, Ginny put on her dress robes and looked at herself in the mirror. While Ron had complained about having to wear dress robes, even though their mother had bought him new ones, Ginny had been happy to get some new ones for the occasion. Hers were pale blue and she thought they looked very nice on her. Unbeknownst to her mother, Ginny had applied a slight “lifting” charm in the top portion, helpful to the thirteen year-old girl who knew she still had more to grow there. Her hips were starting to change and she liked what she saw there. Hopefully, Harry would, too. Done dressing, she grabbed her wand and put in under a strap on her thigh. It would be a little hard to pull out quickly from that hiding spot, but she probably would not have to draw it. Still, she never left home without it.

Looking at the clock, she saw that it was about ten before two. She had nearly half an hour before her Portkey went off. When she had asked Harry why hers went off at seventeen after two when the invitation said the party started at two, he had only said that Sirius thought it best that everyone arrive at their own time. It had only take her a few minutes after that to work out there were seventeen witches in their year, and if they arrived in alphabetical order, and there were no other names after Weasley, she would be the last to arrive. After some consideration, she decided that she liked the idea of arriving last.

Her mother came up behind her. “Ginny dear, are you ready?”

“Yes, Mum.”

“Turn around slowly. Oh, very nice, dear. If that doesn’t get Harry’s attention, then he needs to get his eyes checked.”

Ginny blushed. “I hope it does get his attention.”

“Just remember, dear, this is a formal occasion. Use formal names until the person tells you otherwise.” Her mother smoothed her left sleeve slightly before checking her hair. “How are you and Harry getting along?”

She could not help her grin. “We’re doing well. We’ve had some really nice conversations over the last month and he put his hand on mine during the train ride home.”

Her mother gave her a light hug, so as not to wrinkle the robes. “I’m glad things are going well for you. Ignoring the fact that Harry would be a good catch for any young witch, he’s just a nice young wizard and you two seem to be so right for each other. Your personalities complement each other.”

Ginny could not help but smile. “Thanks, Mum. I have to agree.” They occasionally had rough moments, but Ginny did love her mother.

There was a knock at the back door, causing the two to jump slightly. Her mother drew her wand and walked towards the door. Ginny looked through the doorway into the kitchen at the family clock, noting it was about two minutes before two. She also noted that Ron’s clock hand said “Home” for some reason. She turned just in time to see her mother open the back door.

“Sirius? What are you doing here?” Her surprise was very evident in her voice. “I thought you’d be at the party.”

“Pardon me, Molly, but I need to return something to you.” With a flick of his wand, Sirius floated a very stiff and slightly bluish Ron through the back door. He propped her brother against the wall. “I hope you’ll forgive me for running so quickly, but you are correct. I do have a party to chaperone.”

Her mother’s eyes narrowed and a look of scrutiny came over her. “What has my son done?”

“Had I not stepped into harm’s way, I believe you’d be treating him for a few bruises, but I’ll leave the interrogation to you. Oh, the magic topic you need to find out about is ‘Slytherins.’ Ta-ta for now.” Sirius Disapparated with a small crack.

Ginny watched her mother’s anger grow, even though nothing was said. The woman stormed out of the room, leaving Ron still in the body bind and leaning against the wall. Walking over, she saw Ron’s eyes were very wide and they looked fearful. With a shake of her head, she said, “You’re right to be scared. I’ll ask Harry what you did, but I can’t believe you let your temper get the best of you at a party.”

His eyes seemed to be glancing towards the door and then back to her. It was easy to guess what he was trying to communicate.

“No, I’m not going to help you get away. Besides getting me in trouble, it will only make things worse for you later. I will give you a piece of advice though. Be a man, fully admit what you did, and then take the punishment without complaint. It won’t be as bad that way.” Still, she would not want to be in his place.

Ron did not look happy, but she could only shake her head at his predicament.

Her mother walked back in with her wand drawn and a faint trail of steam coming out of her ears. Ginny gulped at the thought of her mother having the need to take a shot of Firewhiskey before dealing with any of them. With her Portkey in hand, she carefully said, “Mum, I’ll go get Dad from the shed and send him in, then I’ll wait out in the back garden.” Her mother nodded as if afraid to speak. Ginny all but ran from the house.

She hurried to the shed out back. “Dad! Dad!” She flung the door open. Her father was bent over his workbench looking at a small device. Only her knowledge from the other timeline allowed her to identify it as a blender.

“What is it, Ginny?” He was as calm as ever, not reacting to her obvious distress. It was the product of years of experience with seven children, including a set of very active twins.

“Dad, Sirius just brought Ron home from the party in a full body bind. Mum hasn’t said a word yet, but I think she went and took a shot of Firewhiskey. She had her wand out too.”

Her father dropped the tool in his hand and started running for the house without a word, his wand in hand.

Ginny shook her head as she contemplated the situation. Ginny felt she could take her mother in a straight up duel, but her mother’s temper was also legendary and, Ginny was certain, larger than hers. Everyone was correct to be wary of the woman’s wrath. While Ron was a real prat and generally deserved everything he got, she hoped her father saved her brother this one time.

As she waited in the shade of the shed, she realized there was no shouting coming from the house. Given what magic could do, she was not sure if that meant a silencing charm was in effect, or if her father had done something so her mother could not shout and hex her brother. With a smile, she considered that there was bound to be a good story behind this.

Suddenly, there was a pull behind her navel and she started flying through the ether. A moment later, she landed with ease on the porch of a house.

Sirius stood in the doorway. “Welcome, Miss Weasley. Please come in.”

“Thank you, Mr Black, and thank you for inviting me.”

“I’d say it’s my pleasure, but I think Harry will enjoy your company more. You look very nice this afternoon,” he complimented her as he closed the door. “You remember Miss Jones, I trust?”

“I do. Good afternoon, Miss Jones.”

“Miss Weasley. If you’ll come this way, there is one more person to greet.”

She was steered into the hallway leading to the living room. There was Harry in black dress robes and looking very dashing as he stood in the wide doorway. “Harry,” she softly greeted him.

“Ginny.” He took her hand and kissed the back of it, before he pulled her closer and kissed her cheek. “You look exceptionally pretty today.”

She could not help her blush. “You’re looking very nice too, and I hope you’re having a happy birthday.”

“Thank you. May I escort you to the snack table? Would you like some punch?”

“Yes, thank you.” She smiled. “You’re being very formal.”

He grimaced slightly. “You don’t know how much time Sirius has spent the last couple of weeks verbally beating this stuff into my skull. I never knew there was so much to know. The idiot Headmaster really should offer classes for this stuff.”

“You mean like a Wizarding Studies class, to complement the Muggle Studies class?” Ginny noted that Hermione was getting a biscuit and looked up at her voice.

“What a wonderful idea for a class,” Hermione said with enthusiasm. “I’ve read several books, but an actual class where we could practice this would be very helpful.”

“Indeed,” Harry dryly said as he picked up a glass of punch and handed it to her.

“Thank you, kind sir,” Ginny told him. “So,” she said as if discussing a secret, “what did my brother do?”

Harry laughed and even Hermione chuckled. Neville had wandered over and he laughed as well.

“Your brother seemed to take exception to the fact that there are Slytherins at my party.” Harry nodded to a small group across the room that included Tracey, Daphne, Pansy, Millicent, and Blaise. “While he managed to contain himself at first, Blaise said something to him about his robes fitting for once and Ron just lost it for some reason.”

“Blaise’s comment wasn’t even all that bad,” Neville added. “Perhaps it wasn’t the politest thing he could have said, but it wasn’t said rudely.”

Ernie walked over. “Ginny,” he said with a nod before he smiled. “You should have seen your brother.”

“I was just finding out about that.” She looked back to Harry. “So what happened when Ron lost it?”

“Oh, he started shouting about how Slytherins can’t be trusted, how Blaise was just like Malfoy and a git…” Harry paused and looked at Neville.

“And he demanded that Blaise leave because he shouldn’t have been here in the first place. Then he tried to draw his wand.” Neville shook his head. “It was sad really. The only good thing is that Sirius was around to stop him.”

“That the girls weren’t here to witness it was also good,” Ernie said.

“True,” Harry agreed. He looked at Ginny. “Sirius said he saw you when he took Ron home.” His looked changed to one of eager amusement. “What happened before you left?”

Ginny shook her head. “Mum was so angry she was speechless at first.” She decided she should leave the Firewhiskey part out until it was just Harry. “I ran outside to get Dad, who was in the shed in the back garden. When he ran inside, I stayed out in the shed.”

Harry chuckled. “That was probably wise on your part.” Hermione nodded in agreement. Harry suddenly frowned for a second. “If you’ll excuse me, I was just reminded that I need to circulate.”

Ginny looked around and saw Sirius giving Harry a pointed look before her friend walked away to talk to Megan Jones and a few other Ravenclaws, including Stephen Cornfoot, the last boy she had not originally noticed. Looking around, she did see all seventeen girls in their year.

“Neville?” He looked at her. “Do you know why Harry, or rather Sirius, invited just you five boys while he invited all of the girls?” Hermione looked interested in that too.

“I believe so.”

“And?” Ginny prompted him.

“Sirius is following the old traditions with this party, so he’s only invited the boys from the families who would understand those traditions.”

“You mean they’re all Purebloods?” Hermione asked, looking slightly upset.

Neville smiled. “That would be one way of putting it. Don’t worry though, I’m sure the next party will invite everyone. It’s sort of how it’s done, or so Gran said.”

“But if that’s true, then why am I here?” Hermione’s tone was demanding, although her voice had not been raised.

“You have noticed that you’re not a boy, right?” Ernie piped up with a grin on his face.

Hermione frowned at him.

Neville grinned at the by-play. “You have noticed that all of the girls in our year are here, right?” he asked.

“Yes, so what?”

Ginny shook her head. This was where a book was just not good enough, she thought.

Neville must have been thinking the same thing as he was shaking his head slightly too. “So, Sirius is making sure feelers for family connections are being sent out and he’s trying to find out where true interest lies for Harry, as well as where Harry’s interest lies.”

A few seconds later, Hermione started to look incensed. Ginny laid a hand on her friend’s arm to calm her down. “Hermione, at fourteen, these sorts of things don’t mean a lot, especially to Sirius and his more enlightened, you might say, views.”

“She’s right,” Neville said.

Ernie nodded his agreement too. “It’s really just a way for us to meet socially outside of school and without houses getting in the way.” He looked around. ”Although, I think you could successfully argue that most of us have trouble mingling with others from a different house.” He shrugged at his own comment. “Now if Harry were sixteen or seventeen, there would be fewer of us here and there might also be parents here as well.”

“You mean to make marriage arrangements? I thought the book was outdated when it mentioned those,” Hermione said with incredulity.

Neville shrugged. “They’re becoming less common, but they still happen, especially in the conservative Pureblood families who will only allow their children to marry other Purebloods.”

“That’s … that’s just wrong,” Hermione quietly said.

Ginny did not argue as she generally agreed with her Muggle-born friend, but she also understood what Neville implied. It was a part of their world. Noting that Harry had moved on and was now talking to Susan Bones, who was standing very close to Harry, along with Hannah Abbott, Ginny decided to circulate as well, so she started slowly crossing the room to the Slytherins.

On her way over, she passed by Sirius’s cousin. “Miss Black, it’s good to see you again.” It was not hard to guess that her presence was to help the Slytherins feel more comfortable.

“Miss Weasley.” Narcissa gave her a smile and a nod. Ginny appreciated the woman not holding Ron’s actions against her.

Ginny continued her walk across the room. Fortunately, Pansy and Millicent had moved off to the side, leaving Tracey, Daphne, and Blaise alone.

After greeting them, to make sure nothing was misconstrued, Ginny made sure she was smiling when she said, “Zabini, I’m not sure whether I should hex you for my brother’s sake or if I should pay you for the entertainment. What do you think?”

Zabini’s neutral expression slowly changed into a grin, as did the two girls with him. “I’d take an entertainment fee.” After a moment, he asked, “You’re not upset with me?”

Ginny shook her head. “No, I understand that he let his biases and temper get away from him. It’s nothing new.” She grinned again before she said, “It only remains to be seen if he will still be alive when I get home this evening.” All three Slytherins laughed. She watched Zabini look at his companions and nod at the table; the two girls walked away. Ginny wondered if there was a pecking order inside Slytherin and, if so, how it worked.

“I saw you talking to Potter earlier. You aren’t going to rescue him from your competition?” The dark skinned Slytherin seemed to be the epitome of calm and collected as he talked with her.

She looked over and saw Susan was still standing very close to Harry, but she also saw that he looked a little uncomfortable. His reaction and her extra mental age gave her confidence.

“He’s a big boy,” she replied. “I know where I stand with him and I’m not worried. Besides, why does it matter to you?” It was not an idle question; she really did wonder why he cared.

“It’s always good to know where people stand and where they are going,” he replied casually.

This was a true Slytherin, she reminded herself. On the other hand, she was a Gryffindor and there was no reason to be subtle in this case. “And where do you stand, Zabini? Could Harry count on you if he needed to?”

He carefully scrutinized her for a long moment, not showing any shock at her question. “You’re not in the proper position to be asking that question,” he finally said. When she smiled and raised an eyebrow at him, he added, “Or are you really that confident?”

“I think I can safely say that I’m his best friend and will remain that way for a very long time.”

Now Blaise’s right eyebrow went up for a moment. “Even better than your brother or Granger?”

“I believe so,” she said a little more confidently than she felt, but it was the way the game was played. And if she could win this game, Harry would have an inroad into Slytherin.

He thought about that. “Has anyone told you that only you and Bones received a kiss during the greeting?” He gave her a sly smile.

That hurt a little, but she did not let it show. “As you said, she is the competition, but I’m confident that he’ll choose me.” She noticed that Harry was looking over at her now, and he was frowning slightly. She wondered if he saw Blaise as competition for her. She would not play jealousy games with Harry, but she did wonder what he was feeling and thinking at the moment.

She looked back at Blaise, who had been watching her and probably Harry, she realized. “Are you three, assuming you can speak for Greengrass and Davis, interested in joining a study group for our Defense class? Harry would invite you if I asked him to and you promised to at least be neutral.”

Zabini looked completely surprised for the first time. “I could see where Potter would accept us, but what about the others?”

His objection was obvious. “They will follow Harry’s lead, or he won’t tolerate them. That includes my brother.”

He laughed. “You almost make me want to accept just to observe that discussion.”

Ginny smiled. “Harry’s smart enough to hold that in private. Let me know if any of you three are interested.” She left him and walked toward Harry, who seemed to be happy to see her when she arrived. Susan frowned slightly, but nodded before she turned and sought out someone else to talk to.

“What’s up with Zabini?” he asked quietly.

“I was evaluating him to see if he had any interest in joining your Defense study group.” Harry looked surprised. “I told him he’d have to follow you and at least be neutral. He said he’d think about it. He’d be a good person to make a friend with. You can trust him if he gives you his word.” He gave her a questioning look. “Yes,” she answered, understanding he was asking about other timeline experience. “Davis and Greengrass too.”

Harry looked very thoughtful for a moment. “I’d have to make a couple things clear to Ron and few others if I did that, but I can see the advantage.”

Ginny grinned and went up on her toes so she could whisper in his ear. “Both of you are good about building bridges to others.”

He blushed slightly.

“Besides, you’re cute, too,” she flirted with him, turning him even redder before she walked away. She would flirt with him some more as the afternoon went by.

---

Ginny landed in the back garden of The Burrow in an excellent mood. She looked at the Portkey, a piece of black marble about the size of her fist that was in the shape of a dog. He was lying down and had a happy look on his face. The party favor would make a nice paperweight.

She looked up at the stars and let out a happy sigh. Things were going so much better than nearly a year ago when she had had a talk with Harry on the evening of her birthday. With a big grin on her face, she walked into the house. Only her parents were in the living room. Her father was reading a Muggle book on how things worked, while her mother was knitting. Ginny guessed they were the start of what would become the family’s Christmas sweaters.

Her mother’s look of concentration changed to a questioning look as Ginny closed the door behind her. “How did it go dear? Did you have a good time?” Her father looked at her with interest too.

“It was lovely,” she all but gushed. “I had a great time and I was the only one that Harry kissed good-bye.”

“I’m so happy for you,” her mother said as she got up and came over to give her a hug. When she let go, Ginny saw that her father had a mostly happy look, but there was some reservation about him.

“Don’t worry, Dad. He only kissed me on the cheek.” That settled her father. She had kissed Harry back on the corner of his mouth, as if she was going for his cheek and had missed. Based on his blush, she thought Harry knew she had done that on purpose.

“And? Is there anything else we need to know or do?” her mother asked, in a leading sort of way.

Ginny could easily guess what was going through her mind and blushed slightly. “No, Mum. Harry and I will work things out on our own. Sirius would understand if you came to talk to him about some sort of agreement, but Harry wouldn’t, and I don’t want to scare Harry off.”

Her mother gave her a small squeeze on the shoulder. “I understand dear and I trust you on this. Harry is a good boy, but you’re right, he wasn’t raised in our world.” She paused and her look became a little more concerned. “Please don’t rush things too much, Ginny. Proceed carefully so you keep your good reputation.”

Ginny smiled at her mother. There were times Ginny was frustrated with the woman, but most of the time, she was a good mother. “Don’t worry, Mum, I will.” She looked to her father and then back to her mother, almost afraid to ruin the moment. “Dare I ask … how’s Ron?”

Her mother’s expression darkened considerably and she returned to her seat. After a moment, she said, “He’s grounded for the rest of the summer.”

At least he is still alive, she thought.

“You may go talk to him if you’d like,” her father said, “but please don’t tempt him with outings. He will be on a very restricted schedule.”

Ginny wondered what that meant. “All right. Well, good night then.” They echoed the “good night” and she went up the stairs. Curiosity overcame her, so she continued up the stairs, past her room, to the top floor. She started to knock on the door, but stopped when she heard sniffling sounds coming through the door. Ginny knocked lightly and then opened it.

“Go away,” a raw and almost hoarse voice told her.

“Ron,” she tentatively said.

He rolled over on his bed to face the door. “What? You’ve come to make fun of me too?”

She was shocked at the sight of him. He was very red in the face and it was not from blushing. It appeared he had been crying, although it would not be kind to ask. “No, I came up to make sure you were all right.”

Ron gave an angry snort. “Not likely. I assume you heard?”

At least he was talking to her and not taking out his anger on her. “Harry explained what happened at the party, and Dad told me you were on a restricted schedule as well as grounded. That’s all I’ve heard. I guess you have a lot of chores assigned?”

He gave a short slow sad laugh. “If only. You’ll probably have few chores for the rest of this summer, as I’ll be doing them all. About all I’ll be doing is chores, my summer homework, and,” he face scrunched up and he said in a mocking voice, “etiquette lessons. An hour every day, I’ll have them; thirty-one lessons between now and school,” he practically snarled and then hit his bed with his fist. A moment later he quietly said, “I’ve never looked forward to school as much as I do now, not even first year.”

Her heart went out to him, but he did deserve all that from what she had heard. “That’s not fun, but it doesn’t sound too bad.”

Now he looked angry. “Not bad? You want bad? How about no flying for the rest of the summer and I can’t go to the Quidditch World Cup! They’ve already given my ticket away to Lee Jordan.” He looked down at his feet, very depressed.

It was all Ginny could do not to look at him in horror. She knew he had been wanting to go from the moment they first heard it would be held here in England. When her father announced he had gotten tickets for all of them a few days ago, Ron had been over the moon. Now, it had all been ripped away from him. A restricted schedule indeed, she thought.

What could she say? Nothing would help. “I’m sorry,” she quietly said.

He just nodded.

“I’ll see about getting Harry to come over and visit, and Hermione too. They can talk to you while you do things around the house,” she suggested hopefully.

Ron just shrugged, not even looking up. “Sure, go ahead, although I doubt Mum will allow it.”

Ginny looked at him, his posture practically shouting dejection. She tried to give him a caring look. “You were doing so well this last year, Ron. I thought you were really starting to grow up.”

He glanced at her and then twisted on his bed and lay back down, now staring at the ceiling. “Thanks,” he said tiredly.

She understood that he was done with the conversation. “If there’s anything I can do, let me know. Good night, Ron.”

His hand flicked a wave in her direction, while he said nothing.

Ginny closed his door and went down to her room. She saw herself in her mirror as she walked in. The sight of her in her nice robes and all made up brought the party back to mind. Ron was in a terrible spot now, but she thought the day had been spectacular. Harry had alternated between small flirts and being shy, but he was paying attention to her.

((A/N: Here’s some more character development and a turn in the right direction for Ginny. :-) My apology, but my fingers runneth over. We will hit 17 chapters in total.))