An Unlikely Alliance

Unlikely Alliances

Chapter 1

As twilight settled upon the streets of London, there was still evidence of the bustle and energy that characterized the earlier part of the day. The last of the street vendors packed up their stands; weary and exhausted, they were anxious to return home and put their feet up. Several newspaper scraps alerted the passerby to a bonnet sale currently in progress at a fashionable ladies boutique, while another shouted that Milda Collingsworth would be signing autographs in the Peabody Bookstore this evening to launch her new book: A Woman’s Reference to Understanding Her Bloke.

However, these missives went unnoticed by one young woman in her early twenties. She strode purposefully down the street and paused between two adjacent buildings. She glanced left, then right, and then took a deep breath. The air in front of her became hazy and the faintest outlines of a door could be seen. Had the street held any acute observers, the lady’s disappearance would have caused them some alarm, but the remaining people that were on the street that day paid her little mind, and so the young woman went about her business unnoticed.

Ginny Weasley closed the door behind her and made her way to the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place, her stomach faintly rumbling. She walked in and Molly Weasley, who had been attending to a large cauldron immediately, noticed her entrance.

“Ginny, dear, you’re early. The others haven’t arrived yet. Be a dear and put out the plates. There’s a good girl.”

“How’s dad?” Ginny asked as she motioned with her wand. Several plates flew out of the cupboard and arranged themselves on the table as she took a seat.

Molly sighed, “He’s been feeling a bit out of sorts lately. He’s been spending so much more time at the Ministry since his promotion.”

“That’s a shame. Maybe the two of you should take a bit of a holiday. You’ve always wanted to go Spain. Why don’t you just go? It will give you a chance to rest,” Ginny assured her mother.

“That would be lovely,” Molly replied dreamily but then abruptly frowned, “but with the state of things in the Order, it’s not likely -”. The rest of her statement was cut off by the sound of the door opening and several male voices drifted through the hall. Remus Lupin entered first, followed by Bill Weasley, who each took a turn kissing Molly and Ginny hello. The door opened several more times to reveal the twins, Fred and George, Nymphadora Tonks, Mad-eye Moody and finally Ron and Hermione.

The last pair walked in chattering excitedly. The last few years had been good to them. Ron had finally stopped growing and stood very tall at 6’4. Both Auror training and the love of his dear wife Hermione had filled him out, leaving him solidly built and towering over his “little ‘mione”. Hermione had similarly matured with time. Though she had never been a beautiful woman, there was a delicate prettiness to her which was only enhanced by the sharpness of her eyes. Eyes which were able to both observe much and quell her occasionally thoughtless husband with a single look.

They had gotten married just two years out of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It seemed that many young couples had chosen to wed at about the same time. These were dark times and it was only right to spend this limited time with the ones you loved. While Ron and Hermione lived with the fear of ever increasing dark raids, they had found peace with each other and many soon followed their example. Their four year anniversary was rapidly approaching.

“Hermione, Ron, what’s going on? You’re positively beaming,” Ginny asked as she took in the happy pair.

Hermione walked over and hugged Ginny. “We have some news, but we want to wait until everyone arrives before we say what it is.”

Ron looked affectionately at his wife and turned to his sister, “I heard your team has a mission tomorrow Gin. Right bit of work it is too. I reckon you got more than you asked for when you joined the Green Cloaks.”

“You had your chance at it Ron, but you chose to spend more time with Hermione here,” Ginny replied winking at him.

He laughed and walked over to his mother and placed a kiss on her cheek. “Hello mum, that stew smells delicious.”

Dinner passed quickly but excitement filled the room as the large gathering laughed and chatted after a long absence from the Black house. Albus Dumbledore, the head of the Order of the Phoenix had stated earlier that he had a matter of some importance to discuss, one that could change the current and stagnant situation of the Order.

As the hall clock chimed Nine, the members gathered in the main drawing room as several new members began coming in from the hall.

Ginny chose a seat on the chaise next to Hermione and looked up as Albus Dumbledore walked in.

“Good evening, I am sorry if I have kept you waiting. Harry should be with us soon, with the subject of tonight’s meeting…ah here he is. Come in Harry.”

A young man, twenty two years of age, with a face known all throughout the wizarding world, walked in briskly However, the attention of the room’s occupants was currently held by that of a similarly aged young man, dressed in expensive robes, who had followed Harry in, his face still concealed by the hood of his cloak. The pair seated themselves, and the Order members looked on with interest as Harry murmured a few words into Dumbledore’s ear.

“You may remove your hood now, Mr. Malfoy,” Dumbledore said softly.

At this, a collective gasp was heard, as well as several shouts of outrage.

Moody was the one who spoke first. “Wot’s the meaning of this Albus?! Why is there Death Eater at the headquarters of the Order?”

“Yeah and why did you bring him in, Harry?” chimed in a purple-faced Ron.

“You realize this greatly compromises us?” added Hermione quietly. “He has seen several members of the Order. I hope there is a real need for this Professor Dumbledore, otherwise several people are now in danger.”

Dumbledore raised his hand for silence. “I will allow Harry to explain.”

Harry cleared his throat and began, “Everyone, please. First, rest easy that Professor Dumbledore and I would not have brought Malfoy here unless we believed the need to be great. He poses no threat to the Order nor does he pose a threat to any members of the Order. In recent months, there has been an increase in Death Eater activity, yet we have been unable to either anticipate or prevent it. Malfoy brings news which will be vital to the activities of the Order. I will quickly update you all on the events that led to this meeting. Several days ago, I had received an owl from Professor Dumbledore, asking me to come to Hogwarts. It was at that meeting that he told me that he had been speaking with Malfoy for many months along with Professor Snape. Malfoy has access to heavily guarded information about Death Eater activities. We need his help and Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and I had made the decision to bring him to this meeting tonight. He will be gathering information and reporting back.”

Throughout Harry’s short speech, Ginny had been watching Malfoy with interest. He was still pale with pointed features, but had filled out considerably and grown much taller. This, however, did not interest Ginny so much as the look in his pale gray eyes did.

She was accustomed to seeing those eyes glint with arrogance, conceit, and barely veiled contempt. She had seen them hold all those things when they had attended Hogwarts together. He had strutted through the corridors with his band of bullies and would sneer at anyone who would dare get in the path of the Slytherin Prince. Those unfortunate enough to have his wrath focused on them, would all agree that there was a coldness to him that seemed unnatural for a boy his age. Then, they had all left Hogwarts and she had heard that he had become a Death Eater just as his father had before him. He had risen through the ranks swiftly and all his talents as a bully had been polished and enhanced until he had become one of Voldemort’s chief advisors.

As she looked at him again now, Ginny was not prepared to see those same eyes hold nothing. They were still cold, and she shivered when she felt his gaze flick over her quickly, but they seemed to hold little emotion beyond that. There was nothing in them to suggest his feelings about being in a room with people he would have loathed being near in school. Right now, they were simply empty.

A newer member to the Order, a man by the name of Augustus Winter, spoke and pulled Ginny out of her thoughts. “We are about to start the next set of operations to investigate all the areas in Europe which have associations with the Dark Lord. It seems that while the key to defeating him still lies with Mr. Potter, there is much dark magic that we have yet to uncover. There are sects in Romania, Bulgaria, and Germany that are all showing suspicious activity. We will begin our work in a town in Germany where we will collaborate with their Ministry officials.”

“Miss Weasley, I understand that your group from the Ministry will be the first aurors on the scene,” Dumbledore confirmed.

She cleared her throat. “Yes, we will be starting in a small town which skirts an area known to have been one of the earliest sightings of Voldemort after his defeat at Godric’s Hollow. We will be then following our other intelligence to learn as much as we can about how strong his support is in those areas as well as what dark magic still lurks there.”

“Why has the Ministry set up this investigation, and why now?” Molly asked.

Ginny smiled darkly. “Well, at first the Ministry had thought that all forms of dark magic had been documented. Our esteemed Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, has only recently come to the conclusion that there may be other magic that is extremely well hidden; but he only came to this conclusion after the last few muggle born wizards were killed. Both St. Mungo’s as well as all of the Ministry’s top inspectors have not been able to determine the cause of death.” She turned to face her mother. “The more we can learn about the extent of Voldemort’s knowledge of Dark Arts, and what methods he is using, the easier it will be to find his weaknesses. However, it seems that not only does he have a greater knowledge of dark magic than the rest of us, but in the past few years, he has shown a keener sense of strategy and precision in his latest attacks.” As she finished, she shifted her gaze to Malfoy and stared at his speculatively. He held her gaze, his face betraying nothing.

“Thank you, Miss Weasley. Now, I would like to turn to Mr. Malfoy and ask him to give his thoughts about Voldemort’s current focus,” said Dumbledore.

Malfoy stood, his wintry eyes moving over each occupant of the room. “As Potter has said, there is some information that I believe is relevant to your cause. The Dark Lord has deemed it time to heighten his campaign. He has plans set in motion that will lead to the systematic removal of every muggle born witch and wizard. While his goal still remains the destruction of Potter, as well as certain other individuals, he grows tired of delaying his campaign against the wizarding world. The Dark Lord has been consorting with another dark wizard who has shown a particular fondness for developing new methods of torture; a hybrid of magical and muggle techniques. The Dark Lord has fully restored his previous power but has lately been working with a wizard by the name of Dumitri Nedelcu to enhance it further using several little known rituals. As of now, their attempts have been unsuccessful.” With that he sat down and said no more.

Quiet descended the room as everyone slowly digested this new piece of information. Ron spoke first, breaking the silence.

“Why should we believe you, Malfoy? How do we know you’re not setting us up?”

Draco Malfoy turned his attention to Ron, looked him over briefly, and then responded coldly, “I really couldn’t care less whether or not you believe me, Weasley. I have given you information. Whether or not you chose to use it is up to you.”

“Why are you helping us, Malfoy?” asked Hermione.

A flicker of irritation passed over Draco’s face. “My reasons are my own, Mudblood,” he sneered. His words were met with outrage.

“See here Dumbledore, he’s not to speak like that,” shouted Moody.

Dumbledore sighed. “I beseech you all to listen with an open mind. Mr. Malfoy, language of that kind is not acceptable here. I understand that this unlikely alliance will take time. However, it is in these dark times that we must look in unusual places for help. Over the next several weeks, Mr. Malfoy will be bringing more information. In the meantime, the Ministry’s Aurors will continue with their investigations,” he paused, “If there is no other business to discuss, I hereby adjourn this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix.”

TS: The Sun by Maroon 5

An Unlikely Alliance

Chapter 2: Important Announcements

After Dumbledore had dismissed the group, Ginny remained seated trying to absorb the events that had just passed. She saw Harry rise and walk over to Severus Snape. They exchanged a few words, after which he walked into the hall with Dumbledore. What was going on here? Since when did Harry Potter invite Death Eaters to the Headquarters of the Order?

It had ignited an old grudge within her to see Malfoy here, reminding her of all those times he had made her school life a living hell. She had tried to give him chances, even as he picked on her and Ron constantly. It must be hard, she had thought, to have such a mean bastard for a father. He obviously didn't have the most loving home life. However, try as she might to account for his behavior, the constant battery of insults and comments quickly quelled any feelings of compassion. He knew what he was doing, and after a time, she could no longer feel sorry for the pale-haired boy.

Her anger was only increased as she remembered how easily Dumbledore and Harry appeared to accept his words. How dare they simply bring him into Grimmauld Place as though it were a public corner stand rather than the gathering place of all wizards fighting against Voldemort. They had allowed him to waltz in here without bothering to prepare the members for what was to happen, not even asking if this fraternizing with the enemy was alright with everyone.

Snape had known ahead of time as well, she thought. Incensed, she quickly rose to her feet and closed the distance between her and the Potions Master.

“I need to speak with you,” she stated in a clipped tone. He took in her tone and followed her to a corner of the room.

“Did you know about this, Severus?” Ginny spat, staring at him intently.

“Miss Weasley, I ask that you watch your tone,” he remarked.

“Don't you `Miss Weasley' me. I hope you have a bloody good explanation for this.”

“Ginevra,” he said his voice low. ”There are some matters that I cannot discuss with you. Matters that would put you at great risk.”

“That's bollocks, and you know it! I am fully capable of taking care of myself. You of all people should know that. Why do you keep thinking you can or should protect me?”

“I assure you that I believe nothing of the sort. I do, however, have certain aspects of my life I cannot -“

“Will not,” she interjected.

He glared at her, “-cannot include you in. I gave my word to the Headmaster that I would not speak of this arrangement.”

“How long have you known? Can he be trusted?” she demanded, ignoring his earlier comments.

Sighing, he replied, “Ginevra, one doesn't make the decision to turn traitor on the Dark Lord lightly. If Voldemort were to ever hear of this meeting taking place, Mr. Malfoy would be dead within the day. Then again, knowing Mr. Malfoy, this could simply be another opportunity to watch your tempestuous brother's face turn many shades of purple,” he finished with a smirk.

“Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Severus.”

“And animosity from past grievances doesn't suit you, Ginevra,” Snape retorted. “You are not being asked to befriend Mr. Malfoy. He brings information, and it would be foolish to ignore him.”

Ginny simply glared at him.

“If you are quite finished with your tantrum, I have other matters to attend to.” He started to walk away. “I will expect you tomorrow evening at 8 o'clock. We have much work to complete.” With that, he walked to the door where Draco stood stiffly, waiting.

Ginny remained behind, fuming. Perhaps her demand for information had been childish, but considering her family's history with the Malfoys, who could blame her? He was a Death Eater for Merlin's sake. There was something going on here.

“Ginny.”

She looked behind her to where Harry stood.

“Ginny, I've been calling your name for five minutes.”

“Sorry, Harry, what is it?” she asked impatiently.

“Ron and Hermione want everyone in the kitchen for their announcement.” He smiled at the look of frustration on Ginny's face. “Trying to work out what's going on with Malfoy, eh?”

“I wouldn't have to if you told me what was going on,” she snapped.

“Temper, Weasley,” Harry smirked.

“Oh, sod off Potter,” she returned, as she stalked into the kitchen, pushing past a chuckling Harry.

“Everyone, Hermione and I have asked you all here to make a very special announcement,” Ron stated as he gently squeezed Hermione's hand. “We're very excited about it and -“

“Get on with it, mate!” Harry shouted. He looked at Ginny and rolled his eyes. Merlin knew once Ron got started it would be hard to shut him up.

Ginny giggled. She had a feeling she knew what this was about.

“Alright, alright,” Ron laughed. “We're having a baby!” Molly immediately gave a cry of joy and burst into tears, engulfing her son in a giant bear hug.

She sniffed, trying to calm herself. “It's about time. I'm so happy for you dear.” She moved on to Hermione who was soon after embraced by a jubilant Ginny.

“Nice going, mate,” said Harry, shaking hands with Ron. “I think this calls for some Butterbeers.”

“I'm not so sure, Harry,” Hermione said slyly. “I think Butterbeer's what got us into this mess.” She winked at Ron.

“Oi! Too much information, you two!” Ginny shouted. Smiling, she walked over to the cupboard and grabbed several drinks.

A little while later, spirits high and a little giddy from the Butterbeer, Ginny made said her good-byes and left.

She stepped out, momentarily considering Apparating to her flat. Taking a deep breath, she decided to take advantage of the mild autumn night by walking home. It was only a few blocks and it would give her some time to think.

She was happy for Ron and Hermione. They will make wonderful parents, she thought. She sighed, suddenly feeling more aware of being alone. How full their life seemed; those two would probably go home together, holding hands and feeling content just being in each other's presence. Growing sadder as she continued this train of thought, she felt a weight in the pit of her stomach. She knew what it was that she was feeling: melancholy, lonely, and bitter. Mostly bitter, she acknowledged, and hated herself for feeling it. She knew if she was just a little bit different, if she hadn't allowed things to work out this way, she could have all the things she wanted. But no, she had made her choice long ago.

Lost in her thoughts, she found herself at the door to her flat before she knew it. She let herself in, seeking the comfort of her bed and wanting nothing more than a peaceful night's sleep. As she turned off her light, one last thought ran through her head:

Enough.

The next day passed quickly for Ginny. There was always a lull in her department before a large assignment. All the other various departments would rush to put their intelligence together and she would have to wait for her briefing the next day before she could start preparing.

By Seven thirty, Ginny had finished up dinner, tidied up her flat, and was looking for something to do to fill up the time before she had to floo to Snape Manor. Unable to find anything else, she decided to simply leave early. Maybe Severus would be more forthcoming in private. She knew he wouldn't say anything while they worked.

She arrived at the Manor a few minutes later, brushing off the soot on her clothes as she stepped into the drawing room. She would have to remember to replenish her supply of Ingram's Soot-less Floo Powder; having just run out of it a day or two before, she hadn't had time to buy more and had been using regular Floo Powder. As a result, she had found herself constantly cleaning soot off her robes, much to her displeasure.

She walked to the lower floor of the Manor and into a large room that was filled with cauldrons, each of the four walls were lined with potions' ingredients. Ginny usually found Snape here already working, but today, she found only an empty room. She popped her head into an adjacent store room, and found that empty as well. Where is he?

Realizing he wasn't on that floor, she went to the main floor to see if he was still in his study. As she walked briskly down the hall, she noticed some light pouring into the corridor.

Walking into the room, she saw Severus Snape sitting in a chair near the fire, next to a small end table that held two empty brandy glasses.

“A little early isn't it, to start drinking heavily?” she asked, teasingly.

Snape jerked up in his chair, startled. “You're early,” he observed tersely.

Ginny frowned. “So? I was bored at home and -“the rest of her comment was cut off by a deep male voice coming from the hall.

“Uncle Severus these layouts should be sufficient to-“Draco Malfoy abruptly stopped speaking once he realized there was someone else in the room.

An awkward silence presided over the room.

Draco was the first to speak. Holding out a sheath of papers to Snape, he said, “These are the ones you asked for.”

Snape took the proffered bundle; looked at Ginny and Draco; and stated as he walked into the hall, “I trust I can leave you two alone for a moment.”

Silence reigned once again. Several moments passed by until Ginny cleared her throat. Feeling the need to say something, she made eye contact with Draco and spoke, “Malfoy.”

“Weasley.”

Ginny fell silent, unsure of how to proceed. To say that it had been a surprise to see him in Severus' study would have been an understatement. She knew that her mentor was close to his godson. They were Death Eaters' in Voldemort's ranks for Merlin's sake. Yet in all the years she had been coming to Snape Manor, she had never once seen Malfoy there. Severus had been very diligent in keeping certain parts of his life separate from others.

Part of what had surprised her most, was Malfoy's air as he had walked into the room. He had appeared to be at ease, robes unclasped, body relaxed; he was a startlingly different man to the one she had seen the day before.

Growing uncomfortable, Ginny spoke again, albeit reluctantly, “How are you?” Where on earth was Severus?

“Honestly, Weasley,” came her only reply. Leaning against the mantle of the fireplace, Draco smirked as he folded his arms across his chest.

Realizing she would get little response from him, Ginny decided to remain silent, shifting her eyes around the room, she inwardly cursed Severus for leaving the two of them together for so long.

Draco, seeing her discomfort, decided to take advantage of it and used her silence as an opportunity to study her. She still had that ridiculous red hair, though it looked a bit darker than it had during her time at Hogwarts. Her body had filled out a bit, yet remained trim. Having become accustomed to her own height, her movements were graceful rather than the lanky, unmeasured motions of a child. She was rather tall for a girl, coming up nearly eye level with him, he noted. Taking all this in quickly, his eyes narrowed in on the one detail that seemed to be the most at odds with her position as a Weasley: her robes. Used to seeing shabby, misshapen things on the girl, he was surprised to note that the stitching and cut of her robes were those of a very sought after designer, who only took on very exclusive, very rich, clients. Well, it appears there is more to Weasley than meets the eye.

He continued his study of her through half-lidded eyes, as she looked around the room at anything but him; his thoughts began drifting to his relationship with her and her family during school. Draco had never cared much for the Weasleys. At first it had been because of all the stories his father had told him, but over time he had learned not only to give less credence to what his father said, but also found reasons all his own to hate them. This added to their association with Potter had made them the target of much of his ill will during school.

It had irked him to no end, the number of things Potter and his bloody gang of minions had gotten away with. If it had been any other student, they would have been severely punished, expelled even. Yet simply because the boy lacked parents, Dumbledore had looked the other way each time.

He still remembered that first day of school, just as they had descended from the train, when he had gone out of his way to make an overture of friendship to Potter. Having heard so much about him, he had thought Potter would recognize the value of being shown the ropes by a Malfoy. He still remembered how humiliated and angry he had been when Potter had refused his hand. To add insult to injury, Potter had befriended the Weasleys instead, choosing to stand with those pathetically poor blood traitors.

However, all this had had very little to do with the Weasley standing in front of him. Their relationship had always been far more amusing to him. He thought back to his first interaction with the youngest female of the brood with some amusement. She had sharply ordered Draco to, “Leave him alone!” referring to his treatment of Harry that day in Flourish and Blott's. The look on her face had been so fierce. She would have interested him farther if he hadn't been aware that she was another member of Potter's fan club. He idly wondered if her temper was still as prickly as it had been back then.

Ginny, finally noticing his intense scrutiny, glared at him.

“Didn't your mother tell you it was rude to stare, Malfoy?” she demanded.

He continued to ignore her, his gaze unwavering, but grinned inwardly; apparently she still was a bit of a firecracker.

Much to Ginny's relief, Snape reentered the room soon after.

“Draco, I will speak with you again soon. Be sure to think over what we have discussed,” he spoke, dismissing the blond haired man.

“Yes, Sir,” Draco replied with an incline of his head. He nodded jauntily in Ginny's direction and withdrew from the room.

“Let's get started, Ginevra,” said Snape, leading the way to his laboratory.

“Pass the Abscum extract.”

“Here. Three or four grains of Nissel?”

“Three.”

The pair worked quietly for some time, occasionally passing ingredients, their movements in harmony, evidence of two minds working as one. A stray remark was made time to time as they worked through another potion, each completely focused on the task at hand. They continued on this way through the evening, finishing up close to midnight, somewhat tired from the strain of focusing for so many hours, but satisfied with the result nonetheless.

This odd union had been in place for several years. Neither spoke of their relationship to those outside of it. They rarely spoke of it between themselves, having established the pattern of their meetings a while back; any conversation about it had seemed superfluous.

It was doubtful that anyone knew either of them as well as they did each other. Having begun her relationship with Snape at a very vulnerable time in her life, she found that he provided her with a grounding that she had lacked. It had scared her at first; in school they had always been at odds, though there had always remained a steady respect for one another.

Neither spoke of feelings nor what this odd partnership did to them, but what was obvious was their deep mutual affection, respect, and admiration.

They sat in Snape's study, enjoying the moonlight, listening to the crickets sing to each other outside. Ginny felt a sense of contentment as she sat there, sipping her wine. Working on potions always did this to her. It gave her a chance to block out everything else and gave her a feeling of pleasant blankness. Reveling in this feeling, she was able to forget, for a moment, all the big changes in the Order and the large new assignment she had from the Ministry.

“It seems that a chain of events has been started that is likely to consume us all,” remarked Snape. Ginny glanced at his face, noting the thoughtful expression he was currently wearing. Severus was rarely prophetic and even less frequently poetic.

Curious as to what brought on this uncharacteristic display; she furrowed her brow and remarked, “You're speaking about this new alliance in the Order?”

“No, I was thinking more of the first alliance that was made six years ago. I believe that it may have started then,” he mused. He picked up his wine glass and slightly caressed the crystal stem. “Yes, I do believe that it did,” he finished with greater certainty, as he picked up his drink and drained it.

Unsure of what he meant, Ginny leaned back in her chair and thought about his words. That first alliance had started a chain of events for her, a chain that she neither regretted nor would give up.

They each brought their minds to that summer, rewinding the events and playing them back; the summer when teacher and pupil had first joined, and how it had changed each of their lives irrevocably. Side by side, they sat there, each lost in their own thoughts.

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An Unlikely Alliance

Chapter 3: A New Beginning

“Ginevra Molly Weasley!” announced Professor Dumbledore from the podium.

Ginny rose from her chair and walked to the dais. After shaking hands with Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, Ginny waved to her family sitting in the audience who where cheering wildly.

“YEA GINNY!” shouted George and Fred. They had originally wanted to bring some Filibuster Fireworks to the event, but after receiving a severe warning from Molly Weasley, who threatened bodily harm if they ruined this day for her, they had nixed the idea.

After the ceremony, the family retreated back to the Burrow where a party was in full swing. All the Weasleys were in attendance as well as Harry, Hermione, and several members of the Order. After graduating themselves, Harry and Hermione, along with Ron, had started Auror training last summer.

Molly Weasley had outdone herself. The table, the one that the boys had brought into the yard from the kitchen, was covered with all of Ginny’s favorite foods. She was currently situated at it, helping herself to her mum’s pumpkin pie, butterbeer in hand. She was glad to see her brothers; they were all so spread out now that their time together had been gradually diminishing.

As she took a bite, she took a look around, trying to absorb the fact that she was finally finished with school. She wasn’t as elated as she had thought she would be. As she ate, Ginny’s thoughts flitted to her classmates. They had all made plans for their lives after school. Colin was going to work for the Daily Prophet as a photographer, Luna was working at her father’s paper The Quibbler, and her closest friend from school, Henry Givens, was going to work at the Ministry as a cryptographer.

Ginny didn’t know what she wanted to do yet. She had thought of working for the Ministry, as an Auror perhaps, but she didn’t feel ready to handle all the other responsibilities that came with it. What she needed was some time off. Her parents had supported her decision to take a job in Diagon Alley until she was sure, and Ginny was going tomorrow to apply for the waitress job at the Leaky Cauldron.

She licked her fork, savoring the spicy filling and thick texture of the pie. As she swallowed, she smiled at Harry who had come over.

“Congratulations, Ginny.” He smiled. “Happy to be out?”

“Happy to be done with the work more like,” she replied. “N.E.W.T.s examinations were driving me mad.”

“You’ve gotten your results, your mum said,” Harry said, helping himself to a butterbeer. “She’s been talking of nothing else, saying how she’s so proud of her ickle Ginny for getting as many N.E.W.Ts as Hermione,” he teased.

“Shut it, Potter,” she smiled, raising her bottle to her lips. “So how’s Auror training?” she asked.

He shifted slightly, and ducked his head, then looked up and smiled. “It’s absolutely brutal,” he admitted. “I come back every night to my flat completely exhausted. I can feel every muscle in my body, aching.”

She laughed. “Got more than you bargained for then?”

“That’s for sure, but I wouldn’t want to do anything else,” he stated with certainty. “What about you? Do you know what you’ll be doing now? With your marks, you could get work anywhere.”

Ginny blushed, she always got embarrassed when people talked about her marks. “No, I’m feeling a little hesitant about jumping into anything right now. I’ll be taking some time off, working in Diagon Alley maybe.”

Harry looked at her shrewdly then dropped his eyes to the ground. He cleared his throat and then spoke, “You know Ginny, you shouldn’t be afraid to-”

“Everyone, can I have your attention please!” shouted Bill. He stood near the porch steps, flanked by the other Weasley boys. Holding a small parcel in his hands, he walked towards Ginny. “As you all know, our little Ginny has graduated today and my brothers and I have gotten her a little something to show how proud we are of her.” He bent down to hug his sister. Planting a small kiss on her forehead, he whispered in her ear, “Congratulations, Ginny.”

Feeling her eyes prickle with tears, she put down her drink and took the present that Bill was holding. Opening the box, she found some sunblock, four language dictionaries, and an apparition passport. Bewildered, she opened the passport and found several pages stamped with visas for different countries: France, Italy, India, and Egypt.

Shocked, she stared at her brothers. “Is this what I think it is?”

Pleased with her reaction, Charlie explained. “We knew you didn’t want to start working right away, so we pooled our money together and bought you a trip around the world. You’ll be gone for a year and the whole itinerary is listed there as well.”

Ginny looked down at the papers she held in her hand, feeling emotion overwhelming her. The tears that had merely prickled before, threatened to pour out any second.

“Ginny?” Percy asked, growing worried at his sister’s silence.

She looked up, her eyes brimming with tears. “Thank you,” she choked out. She knew how much something like this must have cost and didn’t know where they had gotten all the money to do this for her. Reaching out to her brothers, she grabbed as many as she could and hugged them with all her might. Feelings of love for them filled her up as they returned the embrace, each taking a turn to hug her individually.

Ron wiped the tears from her eyes gently and looked into the face of his baby sister. “I remember when you were born, telling Mum to send you back,” he said gently. Ginny laughed. “You haven’t been yourself, Ginny. It’s like you’ve been keeping something locked tight inside of you,” he whispered. “Maybe you’ve been here too long. You deserve a chance to escape and go to places that won’t remind you of the things you’ve been hiding from.”

Touched by her brother’s words, Ginny hugged her brother once more.

Harry watched as the Weasleys surrounded Ginny. Ron was right, he thought. She does need to get away. He had a feeling he knew what it was that made her so hesitant to put herself out there, but also knew that she would have to work it out herself.

A few days later, Ginny was preparing for her trip, her trunk open at the foot of her bed. She knew that the weather would be warm in most of the places she would be going, but she brought a jumper anyway. Folding it neatly, she placed it in the trunk and looked around her room. She had all the clothes she needed. She also had her camera, a birthday gift from Colin, her notebook so she could document all the places she had been, some parchment for letters home, and her wand of course. Deciding she hadn’t forgotten anything, she closed her trunk. As she was locking it, her mother walked in and took a seat on the bed.

Smoothing down the bedspread absently, she watched as her daughter dragged her trunk to her door. “I’m going to miss you dear. This will be the longest that I’ll have gone without seeing my baby,” she smiled sadly. Hearing the tone in her mother’s, Ginny walked over and sat down next to Molly.

“I’ll be sure to write often, Mum,” Ginny said.

Molly stopped fiddling with the sheets and folded her hands in her lap. “You’re sure you haven’t forgotten anything? You have your toothbrush? An extra jumper?”

Ginny smiled. “I have everything I need Mum.”

Nodding, Molly Weasley pulled a small box out of her pocket and handed it to Ginny. Taking it curiously, Ginny opened the soft velvet lid and gasped, “Oh mum! It’s beautiful.” Nestled in a small black pillow was a small, iridescent, white stone connected to a small gold chain.

Molly smiled. “My mother gave me that necklace when I got married, and her mother gave it to her. It’s been passed down through generations of Prewitt women.” Ginny looked at the stone reverently. “And now, I’m passing it down to you. It was made by a very powerful Prewitt Witch several centuries ago. It’s called the Moonstone Pendant. She used some very strong protection charms and filled it with moonbeams from a full moon. It’s meant to protect the wearer and holds all the wisdom of the women who have come before you.” She looked at Ginny, picked up the necklace and placed it around her neck. “It is meant to guide you in times of uncertainty and darkness. If you ever feel lost, just hold it and you will be supported by the strength of the women in your family.”

Ginny fingered the necklace. Reaching out, she hugged her mother. “Thank you.”

Wiping her eyes, Molly smiled at her daughter. “You’re welcome dear.” She patted her hand and stood up. “You should get some rest now; into bed with you. You have a long day tomorrow.”

Ginny obliged her and watched as her mother left the room and turned off the light. Her family was remarkable really. All her life, Ginny had never felt the empty feeling of being unloved or unwanted. She knew that she always had a place here, but knew that there was something she was missing as well; as though there was also another place out there for her.

She was looking forward to the trip, hoping that the time away from England would help her to sort out her thoughts and give her time to breathe. Lying against her pillow, Ginny sent a small thank you to the Gods for giving her this opportunity; asking them to protect her family while she was gone.

“ATTENTION ALL APPARATORS! THE LINK TO THE PARIS TERMINAL WILL BE OPENING IN 10 MINUTES! PLEASE HAVE YOUR PASSPORTS AND VISAS READY!”

“Mum, they’ve just made the announcement. I have to go,” Ginny said. Molly was currently holding onto her child for dear life.

“I know dear, but I won’t see you for so long. Please take care of yourself,” she replied tears in her eyes.

“Molly, Ginny is a big girl. She’ll be fine,” stated Arthur Weasley. He was standing a bit further back, waiting for his chance to say good-bye. Having already bade farewell to her brothers, Harry and Hermione back at the Burrow, Ginny had come to the station with just her parents.

Hugging her dad next, Ginny inhaled his aftershave. It was the same woodsy smell she had loved as a girl when she would beg him to let her put it on for him. She hugged her mother once more, then levitating her trunk; she made her way to the terminal.

Glancing back, she took in the British station. She wouldn’t be coming back here for some time. Feeling elated, she quickened her pace. For the next year, it would just be her. No thoughts of the war, no worries of the future; just her. She smiled at the thought. Reaching the Paris Terminal, Ginny handed in her papers. Getting them back, she found a spot in the crowd of travelers. The terminal manager informed everyone it was time, and then with a flick of the wrist, she was gone.