From Across the Great Divide, Chapter 17

[tartanboxers]

Rated: R

Summary: A post-Hogwarts H/G fic. Strange circumstances draw Harry and Ginny closer together. But are they in danger? Romance, adventure, Monty Python, and tartan boxer shorts abound.


Ginny awoke suddenly; she’d heard a noise. Heart pounding, she sat up in bed, disoriented for a moment. She had to think about where she was, and then it came to her. This was Percy’s old room. She’d been put here because her old bedroom didn’t have any furniture in it; that was all at her house now.

Yesterday she’d been released from St. Mungo’s. Harry had brought some clean clothes from her cottage, and they’d gone into the Ministry, where they’d spent a good part of the afternoon telling their version of the past weeks’ events to Ron. He had used a Quick Quotes Quill, but an accurate one-he’d proven that to them before they’d got started-to take their statements. Afterwards, she’d gone back to her cottage and packed what she’d need for the next few days at the Burrow. And now she’d spent the night in the house she’d grown up in for the first time in over four years. It was both strange and familiar at the same time.

Ginny reached for her dressing gown and went to investigate the source of the noise. It had sounded like her mother screaming, but the scream hadn’t been one of fright, it had been one of outrage.

She found her mother in the kitchen muttering to herself angrily. She looked up as Ginny came in.

"I’m sorry, dear, did I wake you? How are you feeling this morning?"

"Better. The night’s sleep did me good. But what’s wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, dear."

"Didn’t I hear you shout?"

"It’s nothing, really. What can I make you for breakfast?"

"Nothing, Mum. I’ll get myself something in a minute."

Ginny sat down at the table. Her father must have already gone into the Ministry. The day’s owl post was lying on the table, and Ginny idly picked up the latest issue of Witch Weekly which was amongst the letters. She didn’t even have time to read the print on the cover before her mother distracted her.

"Do you want some tea? Oh, don’t bother with that, dear."

Ginny looked at her mother in alarm. Molly had two pink spots standing out on her cheeks.

"Why not?" Ginny asked, looking at the cover. The main article seemed to be something about knitting. "What’s it got in there now?"

"Nothing, nothing at all," her mother replied too quickly. She moved to take the magazine from Ginny’s hand, but Ginny held fast.

"If there’s nothing in there, then it won’t do me any harm to look, will it?" Ginny had wondered how long she’d be able to remain under the same roof with her mother without getting into a row. She’d been there less than twenty-four hours, but she thought they’d been doing well up to now. Her mother had seemed to be making a great effort not to baby her.

Molly pursed her lips and did not reply. Her face was definitely redder now. Ginny began to page through the magazine. Her mother set a mug of tea in front of her, sloshing the hot liquid onto the table. Ginny pulled the magazine out of the way just in time. She looked at her mother speculatively. She was sure the tea had been spilled on purpose. Ginny sipped at her tea and continued to turn pages. Suddenly she felt her mother’s presence behind her.

"It’s a pity about your hair. We really need to do something about it," her mother said, as she ran her fingers along the side of Ginny’s head. "It would be a shame to cut more of it off, but these burnt ends have got to go, and if we could even it out…"

"You can cut it after breakfast," Ginny replied, as much to get rid of her as anything else.

She turned another page, and she saw it. This was what had made her mother cry out earlier. Ginny stared at the small item in disbelief for a moment, before turning back to her mother.

"Mum," she said, trying to keep her voice even. "Did you go into Diagon Alley this week?"

Her mother gave an exasperated sigh. "Yes, dear, but really…"

"And did you meet anyone while you were there?"

"Well, I ran into Harry, but it was quite unexpected…"

"Really, Mum," she said, no longer able to contain her laughter. "Isn’t Dad enough for you? Do you have to go after my boyfriend too?"

"It’s not funny!" her mother insisted.

"Of course it is. It’s completely ridiculous!"

"You’d think they’d have some sense of decency. Honestly, I’m a respectable witch. How could they imply something like that, and with someone young enough to be my son! Humph…" She went on muttering under her breath.

Ginny shook her head but couldn’t stop laughing. It had been quite a while, she realised, since she’d had anything to laugh about.

"I have half a mind to go down to the Witch Weekly office and tell them a thing or two," her mother burst out angrily.

"Why don’t you do that, Mum?" She giggled. She knew Harry hadn’t got anywhere with the Witch Weekly people, but she wasn’t so sure about her mother.

Ginny stood up to see about breakfast. Just some cereal would do. Her mother was still going on about the article under her breath.

"Do you see now, Mum?" she asked quietly, suddenly serious. "Do you see how they twist things to put them in the worst possible light?"

Her mother put a hand to her throat. "That poor boy! He’s a saint for putting up with it."

"Yes, well, I think he mainly ignores it."

"That doesn’t make it right."

"No, Mum, it doesn’t."

*

That night at supper Ginny’s father brought up the matter of her job at the Ministry.

"Now that the Ministry knows what was happening in your department, they’re willing to lift your suspension," he said.

Ginny was surprised. "Already? I didn’t think there’d be a report done up so quickly. I don’t even know the whole story yet, and I was involved."

"I don’t think your brothers have turned in any sort of report yet, but I think they have been in touch with the Improper Use of Magic Office and let them know you weren’t responsible for the files that disappeared. With all that’s been going on, I believe Ms. Hopkirk is taking an extended leave of absence. They’re going to be needing qualified personnel in that office. You may even be able to work a promotion out of this."

He sounded as if this should be a tempting offer, but to Ginny it wasn’t. She’d had quite enough of that office, and even in a position of greater responsibility, she didn’t think she’d like the hassle of having to train new recruits. She knew the busiest time of the year for that office was just starting.

"No offence, Dad, but I don’t think I’ll be going back there."

"Well, you weren’t planning on making a career of selling joke items, were you?" put in her mother.

Ginny had a funny feeling she’d had this exact conversation before, and then she realised she had. Harry had asked her almost the same thing last week. She wondered why the same question from her mother annoyed her so much more. She knew her mother was motivated by concern for her, as Harry had been.

"No, Mum, I wasn’t," she replied carefully, keeping her tone neutral.

"Then how were you planning on paying your rent? You know I’ve always said that Diggle character was charging you too much."

Ginny sighed. So much for peaceful recuperation at home. And they’d been doing so well up to now. What could have turned into a row over breakfast had been defused, but her mother had just touched on another sore subject. Luckily, her father came to the rescue.

"Molly, it isn’t as if she’s out of work. I’m sure there’s something else available, Ginny, and you can stay on at the joke shop until you find something better."

Ginny smiled gratefully at her father. "Actually, Dad, I was wondering if there were any other openings at the Ministry. I wouldn’t object to going back there, just not in the same department."

Her father sat back and thought for a moment. "I’ll have to ask around. Maybe Percy knows about something in his department."

"No offence, Dad, but I really don’t think I want to work for Percy."

A faint smile touched his features. "No, I suppose not. Is there any particular department you’re interested in?"

"Well," she began, "I’ve been giving the matter some thought. Do you think you could get me into Magical Law Enforcement?" She went on quickly as her father raised his eyebrows. "Not as an Auror, or anything. It’s just, well…" She wondered how to go on; then she had an idea, although she was sure her mother wasn’t going to like it. "Have you seen today’s issue of Witch Weekly?"

"Ginny!" Her mother was definitely not happy with this topic.

"No," her father said at the same time. "Why?"

Ginny dug out the issue and showed her father the item linking her mother and Harry. "Have a look at that. I ask you, is it fair that they can get away with that?"

Her mother was quietly fuming in her place at the table. Her father tried to look serious, but he seemed to be having difficulty. A smile was threatening to break out over his features. "Do you have anything you want to discuss with me, Molly?" he said at last.

"Now really! I don’t think it’s funny at all," she replied.

"It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen. Honestly, do you think anyone is going to believe this?"

"That’s not the point, Dad," put in Ginny, "although it is rather funny. The point is, why are they allowed to get away with that? Why doesn’t the wizarding community have laws against this sort of thing? The Muggles have them. Harry told me so."

At the mention of Muggles, her father perked up. "Is that so?" He sounded curious. "Perhaps it’s something to look into."

"That’s it, Dad. I think I’d like to get into Law Enforcement but on the side where the laws are made. Maybe something can actually be done about Witch Weekly."

"I’ll have to ask around and see what’s available. I can’t promise you anything above entry-level, though, even with your Ministry experience. The salary won’t likely be anything spectacular."

"It can’t be much less than what I’m making at the joke shop. If you find anything, I’m interested."

Just then a noise came from the fireplace where Ron’s head had appeared. "We were just wondering if you were finished supper," he called.

"Just about," answered Molly. "Why don’t you and Hermione come over for pudding?"

"All right, then. Harry will be along with us, if that won’t make too many."

"Not a problem, dear."

Two minutes later, three figures had Apparated into the kitchen. Molly was already bustling about the kitchen, making extra places at the table and putting on a pot of tea. Once everyone had partaken of an excellent treacle tart, Ron pushed back his chair. "Excellent tart, Mum. The reason we came over, though, is we need to talk to Ginny. All three of us."

"Why don’t you take your tea into the living room, then? That way I won’t be in your way."

Ginny saw Ron wince slightly. She was sure Hermione had given him a kick under the table. "Can’t we help with the dishes, Mrs. Weasley?" she asked.

"That’s quite all right, dear. I can manage. There’s a good deal less here than when everyone was still at home."

Ron stood then and led the way into the living room. Ginny felt Harry’s hand on the small of her back, as he followed her. She hadn’t seen him since the Ministry yesterday. "How are you feeling?" She heard his voice in her ear.

"I’ll be all right. What’s all this about?"

"I think we’re about to get an explanation."

"And Hermione is allowed to hear it?"

"Apparently so. Ron said she’d found something in her books."

They all took seats and looked at Ron expectantly. "I’m here to explain the whole story of what happened," he began. "This is taking into account the statements made at the Ministry yesterday, information we’ve been able to gather from Lucius Malfoy’s followers, and what we’ve uncovered on our own."

Ginny felt nauseous as she remembered Richard Bradley. "What’s happened to his followers?" she asked.

"We’re almost positive we’ve caught them all. They’re in holding at the Ministry awaiting trial. You and Harry will have to testify when the time comes, but we’ve got enough on them to put them in Azkaban for a good long time."

This news was a relief, but there was still one person unaccounted for in all this. "What about Lucius Malfoy himself? Why haven’t you included his statements in all this?"

Ron and Harry exchanged a look. "Because," Harry said, "Lucius Malfoy didn’t survive the fire."

"Oh," Ginny whispered. The treacle tart was suddenly weighing very heavily on her stomach. She might have been the one to die in that fire, after all. Harry, who was sitting beside her on the sofa, reached an arm around her shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"Basically, I had time to pull only one of you out. It wasn’t a difficult decision to make, especially as his robes were already burning. I’m not certain he would have survived if I had been able to pull both of you out."

Ginny shuddered, and she felt Harry tighten his hold on her.

"So," Ron continued. "This is what happened, as we have been able to ascertain it. This actually began long before our wedding day with Ginny merely doing her job. You sent official notices to two of Lucius Malfoy’s followers. Now, at that time, Mafalda Hopkirk was acting under the Imperius Curse to cover up for their activities, but for some reason, she missed something, and Ginny sent those letters. Normally, this wouldn’t have meant much to Lucius and his followers. The letters in themselves weren’t really damning, since the infractions were so minor. It was the signature on those letters that drew their attention. It brought Ginny to their attention, and that was one of their goals: to find out where you were. That would have been easy to discover in any case, since they were watching your office, and you never had any reason to hide yourself as a minor employee of the Ministry.

"On the evening of our wedding, someone was sent to your cottage, Ginny. The goal was to capture you then, making it look as if you’d interrupted a robbery. But they didn’t expect you to return accompanied, and certainly not with Harry. So instead of following through with the plan, the person who broke into your place Disapparated, and they stepped back and re-worked their plans.

"Their other target in this was Harry, but he was much harder to pin down. The location of his London flat isn’t known to most people. His position in the wizarding world would make him difficult to quietly capture. He’s under far too much scrutiny for that, and when he’s not among wizards, it’s as if he disappears. So when they saw they way things had shaped up at our wedding, they decided to manipulate the two of you to make it easier for them to catch both of you."

Ginny felt Harry’s arm tighten around her once more at this. Ron had just voiced what had become an obstacle between them. She desperately wished this didn’t bother her, but it still did.

"And so Ginny received warnings, things to scare her," Harry said. "It worked. It got me to move in with her. Hell, George all but suggested it himself. But they never manipulated my feelings."

"Be that as it may," Ron said, "they got what they wanted. Almost as soon as you’d moved in there they backed off the scare tactics. They simply waited until they could catch Ginny on her own and use her as bait to lure you in. And the rest you know from Lucius himself."

"Yes, he had some sort of plan to replace the Dark Lord," said Ginny. "He explained that bit to us. There’s still one thing I don’t understand in all this. Why did our wands connect? I can’t have had the brother wand to Lucius Malfoy’s. It just doesn’t make sense."

"I don’t know of any other way to explain it," said Ron.

"But I do." It was the first time Hermione had spoken since they’d entered the living room. Up until then, she’d been happy to sit and listen. "Your story in the hospital the other day struck me as familiar, and I went and looked up a thing or two. It seems that in the past this sort of thing has happened once before, and it’s been documented. I don’t suppose you remember Eulalia the Extremely Clever from History of Magic?"

Harry and Ron exchanged a look. "Which goblin rebellion are we talking about here?" asked Ron.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It’s a wonder you ever passed your NEWT in that class. Ginny, do you know who I’m talking about?"

Ginny had to admit she didn’t.

"Honestly!" Hermione sighed. "Eulalia wasn’t a goblin, she was a witch. She lived at about the time Hogwarts was founded. She may even have studied under Rowena Ravenclaw herself. She was, by all accounts, a simply brilliant witch, and she was considered highly desirable. There were two young wizards who were rivals for her affections. She preferred one, but her parents wanted her to marry the other. Unfortunately for her, in those times the parents had as much say, if not more, than the girl did in choosing a husband. At any rate, she must have had a certain amount of influence on her father, because he agreed to let the matter be decided by a wizard’s duel. But when Eulalia’s suitors duelled, their wands would not work against each other; they connected even though they weren’t brother wands."

Ron interrupted at this point. "This was all a thousand years ago. How do they know the wands weren’t brothers?"

"Because it was so remarkable, it was documented. Brother wands meeting in a duel and connecting is a rare enough occurrence. The fact that two wands behaved this way even if they weren’t brothers is all but unheard of. That’s why the story is even documented."

"So what happened to make the wands connect?" asked Ginny.

"There was some other magic at work. Some sort of old magic. There’s no spell specified, but it’s certain there was some sort of protection spell at work. Eulalia had used something on the wizard she had chosen, and it helped him win the duel."

Ginny felt an odd shiver pass down her spine. "Harry used a protection spell on me," she said slowly.

Hermione looked at Harry. "Did you? I thought you must have. What did you use? Most protection spells are very tricky business."

Harry described the Holy Kiss spell to them, and how it had seemed a good thing to try, as it seemingly had no negative repercussions.

"Nice one, Harry," said Ron when he’d finished. "Trust you to find a good excuse for a snog session."

"No, it was legitimate," said Ginny. "I felt it, both when it was performed and the other night. There was some sort of strange power in me. That must have been it."

"Where did you find this spell, Harry?" asked Hermione.

"In a book in Hogwarts library." Harry paused as he tried to remember the title. "Really Old Magic I think it was , by something An-, Anti-"

"Methuselah Antiquas?"

"Yes, that’s it."

"Hmmm." Hermione gave him a searching look. "Well, all’s well that ends well, but you want to be careful with Antiquas. He can be a shoddy researcher. There’s usually more to his spells than he says…"

"What’s that supposed to mean?" asked Harry sounding alarmed.

"Just what I said. There’s more to this spell than we know. But don’t worry, no harm’s been done to Ginny by it. If anything, it saved both of you. Let me see what else I can find out. I’ll let you know."

Ron got out of his seat. "I think that about covers it then."

"Wait, Ron," said Hermione. "Before we go, I have something for Ginny." She pulled a small flask out of her bag. "How is the burn on your head healing?"

The bandages had been removed before Ginny had been released from St. Mungo’s. The salve that had been used had been very effective.

"It’s much better now, thanks. Whatever they used on it cleared the blistering right up."

"Then you should be all right to take this," said Hermione, indicating the flask. "It will make your hair grow back faster. You want to be careful with it, though. It will make all your hair grow, not just what’s on your head. It’ll work on your fingernails and toenails, too, if you take too much at once. If you use it sparingly, you should be all right."

Ron was snickering behind his hand. "Oh, won’t that be attractive? Imagine the eyebrows you could grow, Gin."

"Shut it, or I’ll make sure I grow claws to rival Crookshanks’."

Ron and Hermione said good night to the elder Weasleys before Disapparating home. Harry, on the other hand, showed no inclination to leave straight away, and Ginny was just as glad.

"How are you, really?" he asked when Ron and Hermione had gone.

"I’ll live. I’m fine, really. As long as I don’t get into a row with Mum, I’ll be well-rested and ready to go back to work on Monday."

"And how are you managing with your mum?"

Ginny laughed. "We’re both on our best behaviour so far. Although there was the Witch Weekly incident this morning."

"What Witch Weekly incident?"

"There’s new gossip about you; didn’t you know?" Harry shook his head. "Apparently you’ve thrown me over for my mother. There was a picture of the two of you at Florian Fortescue’s and everything." Ginny put on her best wide-eyed innocent tone, and Harry burst out laughing.

"And how is your father taking the news?"

"Oh, I think he’s making plans to run off with Mandy Brocklehurst one of these days."

They laughed together over the idea until Harry stopped suddenly and looked at her intently. Ginny felt the smile melt away from her face.

"What?"

"Everything is not all right with you." He seemed to be looking straight through her. "Ginny, I’ve been there. I know. Talk to me, please."

Ginny blinked hard, determined not to cry in front of him again. Why did he have to see her so clearly? She’d been doing this all day: laughing at things until it sounded false even to her own ears, and yet he was the only one who saw through the facade.

"I almost died, Harry." It was the first time she’d said it aloud. "You saved me again, and now I’m in your debt."

"No. Don’t ever look at it that way. I don’t. Besides you heard Hermione. The spell saved us both."

"Only because Malfoy chose me to duel first. If he’d chosen you, it all would have worked out differently."

"He was never going to choose me first. He took you because he was expecting to dispose of you easily. Then I would have had to watch you die, and he was hoping to shake me with that so I would lose to him as well. So the spell did save us by throwing a spanner into the works."

"I suppose so, but you still pulled me out of the fire."

"What else would I have done? If you want, I can argue that I’d never have been in a position to do that if it hadn’t been for Draco Malfoy. How do you feel about owing your life to a ghost?"

"In a way I do anyway. He helped me when his father was about to do me in. Why did he help us? He always hated you at school, and he never hid his feelings about my family."

"I think he hated his father more at that point. Think about it. It can’t be very pleasant being a ghost, and his father damned him to eternity in that condition."

Ginny cuddled close to him and fell silent. He held her for a while, rubbing her back and planting an occasional kiss on her brow. She felt as if she could sit like this with him forever, but at last it was time for him to go. He gently disengaged himself. "I’ll come by tomorrow, if you like," he said before kissing her softly on the lips.

Ginny nodded and hugged him close. An instant later he Disapparated.

*

Ginny went back to her cottage on Sunday, feeling rested but not particularly happy about having to stay by herself. The place seemed rather empty now. She was wondering what she was going to do about supper, since the last groceries she’d bought had never made it into the house, when she heard a knock at her door. She hesitated before opening it, finally asking, "Who’s there?"

"It’s Hermione," came the answer. Ginny opened the door to see her sister-in-law standing there. Hermione peered into the house behind Ginny. "I’m not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No. What would you be interrupting?"

"Well, I assumed Harry would be here…"

"No, he’s moved back to London. Why don’t you come in?" She motioned Hermione inside. "I’ve just got back here myself. I don’t have much in the way of food in the house, but I can get you a cup of tea if you like."

"No, thanks," she said as she took a seat. "I’ve just spent the afternoon in the Hogwarts library. I thought Harry would be here so I could tell the both of you together. I thought he’d moved in here with you."

"That was only while the threats were going on. He’s back in London. It’s better this way, really."

Hermione looked surprised. "What happened?"

"You heard Ron the other night. The whole thing was a set-up."

"I heard Harry say his feelings weren’t manipulated. And for what it’s worth, I believe him. I’ve known him well for over ten years now, and I’ve never seen him like this over anyone. And if that weren’t enough, there’s the matter of this protection spell."

"What did you find out?"

"Not as much as I’d have liked, actually. Harry really managed to find something obscure. I couldn’t find mention of it in any book other than the one he found it in, which means we’re stuck with the opinion of one author. But…" She paused here for a moment. "I don’t suppose Harry read the introduction to that book."

Ginny thought back to the day they’d found the spell. "I have no idea. We were both paging through books looking for something likely. If there was anything more than what was on the page he showed me, I never saw it."

"Do you remember there being some sort of bond required?"

Ginny nodded. "I even asked him what the bond between us was, and he said something about the Chamber of Secrets incident being enough."

"Yes, well it had to be more than that for the spell to have worked the way it did. That spell belongs to a category of spells that require a bond between the two people involved. The stronger the bond, the more likely it is the spell will work. And for the spell to have worked on the scale it did with you, I think there’s only one possible bond at work here: true love."

Ginny was stunned. "But he… we…"

"It doesn’t have to be declared for it to be real and present. There’s no other explanation that I can see. Your wand connecting with Lucius Malfoy’s without their sharing a core is an extremely rare occurrence. I don’t think it’s happened in the thousand years since it happened in the Eulalia story. If that’s not a miracle, I don’t know what is. For that spell to have worked on that scale, it had to be based on the strongest bond there is."

Ginny was glad she was sitting down, because she suddenly felt weak. This information was completely overwhelming her.

But Hermione wasn’t finished yet. "The other aspect of a spell like this is, it reflects back on those involved. Its casting serves to strengthen whatever bond there is between you."

"So what you’re saying is," Ginny said slowly, "that for the spell to have worked in the first place, Harry had to love me, and the fact that he cast it on me only strengthened that love?"

"Yes, exactly."

She thought back with a small thrill of horror at the things she’d said to Harry the other day in the hospital. She realised now that at least part of what she’d said had been a result of the trauma she’d experienced. She hadn’t exactly had a clear head that day. "I’m sorry, Hermione, this is all a bit much for me to take in right now."

"Don’t you love Harry in return?"

"Yes, of course I do, but I’ve about sent him packing, because I thought we’d been manipulated into thinking our feelings were more than they were." Ginny buried her face in her hands.

Hermione was shaking her head. "Harry’s feelings had to be true for the spell to have worked. No one could have forced that onto him."

"I realise that now. It’s just that… I feel like a complete idiot for doubting him. And he knows nothing about all this?"

"I’ve come directly from the library. I thought he’d be here, and I’d tell you both together."

"I need to tell him about this, and then I need to make it up to him. Somehow."

"Ginny, you’ve both been through a traumatic experience. If anyone understands what you’re going through, he does."

"I know. He’s been nothing but patient with me through all this."

"It’s because he knows. He knows you need time to come to terms with it all. Let him help you. Lean on him. He wants to be there for you. Let him."

Ginny knew Hermione was right, but she’d been doing everything on her own for so long now, she wasn’t sure if she remembered how to let someone else shoulder the burden with her. But it would feel good to lay it down for a while. Ginny nodded at her sister-in-law. "I’ll try," she said.

"Are you going to be all right by yourself here?"

"Yes. It’s something else I’ll have to get used to. Best to face it head on."

"If you’re sure, then. I really do need to get home." She gave Ginny a quick hug before going to the door. "If you need anything, you know where to find us."

Ginny saw her out and then went back to sit in the living room. She had a lot to think about.

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