Are We There Yet?
That next morning we ended up getting quite a late start. Ginny and I had spent the better part of the morning catching up on each other's lives. I always wondered if you spend the better part of doing something, then what happens to the worse part and what did you do during it, and how come you can't remember it? Hmmm, too bad Hermione isn't around, I could ask her about that. Anyway, after an excellent variety of breads with jam and pastries for breakfast it was time to go find Ron. My plan was already unfolding exactly as I had imagined it. Well at least up till now. Okay, really the only thing I had planned on up to this point was getting up and eating breakfast, but hey! Mission accomplished.
We were off to rescue Ron from certain doom, or at least from a certain young Romanian girl. Ginny and I were both packed and ready to go. Ginny was wearing a delightful ensemble to begin our journey; a dark green faux leather halter top and a nice, casual pair of black jean shorts. I, on the other hand, was in a sensible tank top and khaki pants. Together we practically screamed adventure. Which, unbeknownst to the two of us, was exactly what we were embarking on.
To be completely honest, I was pretty upset with Ron for never writing to me. I'm sure he was caught up in his new job and from what I could guess, a new woman in his life. I thought about Luna running around naked in her flat lamenting the loss of him in her life and I kind of got angry. Ron had promised her when he left that as soon as his life was in order he would send for her. That never happened and it broke her heart. Something I was currently dealing with myself. Then I thought about Luna naked some more, but that was counter productive. I needed to keep my mind focused.
"Mmmmm, look Ginny, they just put out a new batch of sticky buns!"
"Oh, for… Harry don't make me do something that you'll regret. Come on."
Oh well, it was for the best, we had already lost too much time as it is. Ginny had arranged for us to make use of a nearby semi-permanent portkey. It would drop us off on a platform nine and three quarters in Romania. Apparently, wizards aren't very original, as every major train station in Europe used the same platform number for their train stops. This train, however, made a scheduled stop right near the Dragon Reserve where Ron and his brother Charlie were working. The whole trip was only going to take a couple hours. It is so good to be a wizard.
"Ginny?"
"Yeah, Harry?"
"Can I talk to you about something serious for a second?"
Ginny looked at me, "Of course Harry. To be honest, I was beginning to wonder if the old Harry I knew and loved was still in there somewhere."
"I want to talk to you about Draco."
"Oh, here we go, what is this lecture time from you too? You think I haven't heard it all from my own family?"
"Ginny, I am your own family. At least a part of it anyways."
I got her on that one. Her mouth dropped open for a second and then closed and she was ready to listen.
"I know you have a thing for Draco. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but I guess you must care for him quite a bit to go through all of this. As wild as you are, I never would have figured you for the kind of person to have an affair. Do you truly hate this Brunhilde that much?"
"I… well… no, I guess I don't really 'hate' her. I just want her out of the picture."
"Why, so she can raise their child on her own?"
"Huh? Wait, that's not exactly fair Harry."
"It wasn't meant to be. There's more people involved then just Draco and you in this. There are two other people who are going to get their lives ruined. I'm not telling you what to do. I just want you to make sure that you want this enough to do what you're trying to do."
After that, Ginny was really quiet. I'm not sure if what I said was going to make any difference. She's smart and I'm sure she's already thought this all the way through.
"Harry, I guess I never really thought this all the way through."
"Well, I've been wrong before. I wasn't sure what I could say after that, so I let the subject drop. Time will tell what decision Miss Weasley was going to come to on the whole matter. I decided to see if I could give a bad boy makeover to Neville. Ginny might fancy him if I did that. He always loved Ginny, but never said a word to anyone in all these years. Except to moaning myrtle that one time, who told Pansy Parkinson one time when she accidentally used Myrtle's bathroom stall, who in turn thought it would be really funny to send a howler to Neville announcing the fact that the boy was butt-crazy in love with Ginny. Which, was bad enough, except that it was delivered smack in the middle of the sixth year Yule Ball in front of everyone. That was a bit rough. I felt bad for the boy. I never told a soul this, but when I went up to the common room later, I saw him sitting on the couch. When he saw me come in he was wiping tears from his face, but he tried to hide it. His life was already hard enough as it is, so I kept it to myself."
"Ummm, Harry you're thinking out loud," Ginny informed me.
"I was most certainly not, I thought to myself. Then I went back and checked the above paragraph and sure enough the whole thing was in quotes. Ginny had me to dead to rights."
"Uh, you're doing it again."
Crap.
Ginny and I had made it to the town hall. Just inside was a whole bunch of eclectic antiques. Apparently every one of them was a portkey, from what Ginny told me. In one particularly cluttered area we found the one we were looking for. It was an old bludger that had obviously been de-commissioned. I proceeded to unhook the strap holding it down to get a better look at it.
"Harry, what the hell are you doing?" Ginny screamed at me.
I was just about to answer her, but the portkey to Romania had just clocked me square in the face. That was one seriously painful way to travel. I was instantly whizzed across time and space, only to wind up in a small train station. A few seconds later Ginny appeared with a bludger shaped bruise on her forehead. Then wouldn't you know it, a whole bunch of other people decided they wanted to come too. There was at least twelve other people there from the little town of Vilabighoffenschplork, that had ported in. It was good to see so many folks interested in traveling these days.
After saying our goodbyes and, at Ginny's insistence, handing out thirty galleons to everybody for spending money, as most of them had forgotten to pack anything before they came; all of them seemed to be a lot happier. It truly touches me to help other people. It's a part of who I am. You know, the real me.
I had bought us both train tickets and we were on our way. I can't remember the name of the town the reserve was in, but the ticket seller assured us that the conductor would call out each of the stops as we got close to them. We found a quiet little car to get comfortable in and we both took a nice nap. I awoke about an hour later and noticed that Ginny was staring out the window at the Romanian country side.
When she noticed I was awake she asked, "So, what you were thinking out loud about Neville, is that true? Was he crying?"
"He was. I can't remember seeing him more sad or more humiliated then at that exact moment," I told her truthfully.
"I always thought it was just a trick on me. You know some Slytherin trying to make my life miserable."
"Nope. It wasn't a trick on you at all. It was a terribly cruel joke on Neville. You were just the bait used to hurt him."
Ginny bit her lip quite hard, "I never knew that. Poor Neville. Oh, I feel so bad for him I could just sleep with him right here and now."
"Well, that probably would help him feel better about the whole thing, however it is also highly likely that the shock of you even saying something like that in front of him would cause a spontaneous heart attack killing him right then and there," I prodded only half-joking. "Neville is a sweet boy and I'm not sure he would know how to handle a girl like you."
Ginny sighed with a twisty little smile, "Don't worry Harry. I would be gentle with him. I know he's a bit on the fragile side."
"Maybe when it comes to love," I replied, "but the boy has the heart of a lion. I have no doubt he would have given his life for you back in the year of the ol' heinous anus herself, Umbridge."
"Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"Stop, freaking complicating my already stupidly complicated life. You're giving me a headache."
I told her I thought the headache was from the bludger mark on her head, not from me talking about Neville. She laughed at that, and then hit me right in the face. Dang it! Right where the stupid bludger had hit me. I couldn't help but smile. Those Weasleys, they're such kidders.
I saw a familiar woman walk past our door. She just happened to glance at us and then a smile crept across her face. She opened the door and sure enough it was the little kid from the Knight Bus. She pushed him in and then closed the door and ran. The little boy looked up at me and blinked.
"Are we there yet?"
"Ummm, where are you headed to?"
"Are we there yet?"
"Well, no not yet. I'm sure we'll be wherever it is soon," I said with a smile.
"Are we there yet?"
"No, not yet," I insisted.
"Are we there yet?"
I looked up at Ginny, but she was lost in her thoughts. Probably thinking about Draco and/or Neville.
"Are we there yet?"
I patted the boy on the head gently and told him again that we were indeed not there yet.
"Are we there yet?"
I opened the window to the outside and poked my head out to get a little fresh air. I considered jumping.
"Are we there yet?"
I started asking myself the same question. I have to remember the next time I see that wonderful mother to thank her for letting me spend some quality time with her son.
"Are we there yet?"
I began to sing a little tune loud enough that I frightened a number of the native cows in the area. Above it all I could still hear his cherubic little voice.
"Are we there yet?"
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"