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Chapter Two
Further Schemes
“Mum, please let me go!” begged Ginny as her mother scrubbed dishes in the Burrow’s kitchen. “You know I’ll be much safer with my muggle friend and her muggle parents than I would be even if we moved into the order Headquarters again this summer!”
“I don’t know, Ginny. You-Know-Who seems to be targeting muggle families more and more now…” Mrs Weasley was hesitant to send her youngest child far away from her side when danger lurked so closely, despite the fact that her only daughter was finally showing an interest in someone who wasn’t Harry Potter. In the week that she had been home from school, Ginny had done little but mope around looking sad. Ron had finally told his mother that Harry had just broken up with Ginny, and Mrs Weasley didn’t even have the heart to yell because that was the first she knew of the pair dating.
“But mum, I was really hoping to spend some time with Sally! Her family is going on vacation in another week and won’t be back until its time to start school again!” moaned Ginny piteously.
“Fine,” replied Mrs Weasley, relenting because of the interest her daughter showed. “When and where do you want to be dropped off?”
“I thought it would be easiest if I took the Knight Bus,” Ginny replied, ecstatic that her mother had said yes.
“I suppose so, dear,” sighed Mrs Weasley, hoping that she wouldn’t regret sending her daughter to visit her friend who lived in a little town somewhere in Surrey. “Now, go owl your friend and tell her that you’ll arrive at her house the day after tomorrow.”
Kissing her mother briefly on the cheek, Ginny fled to her room to get in touch with the person she would be spending the next week with. Ginny skipped up the stairs, past her very puzzled brother, Ron. As he walked into the kitchen, he saw his mother, and hoped that she could explain Ginny’s suddenly non-depressed actions. “What’s with Ginny?” he asked eloquently.
“Oh, a muggle-born friend just invited her to stay with her next week. I said she could go,” replied Mrs Weasley, settling across the table from her youngest son, glad that Ginny seemed so enthused about her visit.
“Really? Ginny will be gone next week?” asked Ron interestedly.
“That’s what I said, dear,” Mrs Weasley replied with a raised eyebrow.
“Well, then next week would be the perfect time to invite Harry over! That way he can spend some time with some decent people, and he and Ginny won’t be tripping over each other, acting like they don’t miss each other and such stupid stuff!” Ron was proud of his idea, and sure that Hermione would like it as well. All the letters she had sent Ron since the start of summer had mentioned how worried she was about Harry, who had been depressed even before he reached the Dursley’s house this year.
“That’s a wonderful idea, Ron. Why don’t you write and invite both Harry and Hermione to come the day after tomorrow. That’s when Ginny leaves,” explained Mrs Weasley.
“Okay,” Ron said with a smile, getting up to do as his mother suggested.
After he left, Mrs Weasley smiled to herself. She was relieved that this summer was progressing as so many before it had. Still, she worried how long that could last when a war had broken loose in the wizarding world, with Harry at its centre. In all likely hood, her own son would be there as well, before long. After all, one could only help one’s best friend defy a dark lord so many times before that dark lord took notice.
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“Harry?” whispered Ginny excitedly as she stared into the little mirror he had given her. Their plan was working out incredibly well, and he would be so happy to hear it. Ginny was glad that she was able to give him a little happy news while he was in that hateful place.
“Hi, love,” Harry greeted her, as his face appeared in the glass, “What did your mum say?”
“She said yes!” cried Ginny quietly. “I arrive day after tomorrow, on the Knight Bus!”
“That’s great!” Harry told her, and then he appeared to glance around the frame that surrounded the glass. “Why is it so dark on your end?”
“Oh,” Ginny said with a slight blush, “I’m in my closet.” Harry gave her a startled look, so Ginny went on, “Well, I refuse to be caught now, not when I’m just about to see you again, to spend a whole week with you alone! Don’t you dare laugh, either, Harry Potter!”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Gin.” Harry’s amused smile faded and he jerked his head to look back over his shoulder. “I’ve got to go, someone’s coming!”
“I love you!” called Ginny softly, and he replied in kind before both ended the magical connection.
In his bedroom, Harry slid the mirror in his pocket just before his uncle walked in. The man looked seriously upset, as he did every time he saw Harry, and his nephew was fighting to keep a look of disgust off his face at that moment. The Dursleys had never been pleasant, but the closer Harry was to the freedom of his seventeenth birthday, the worse they seemed.
“Boy, while we’re gone on holiday next week, you’ll paint the kitchen, as well as the other chores I already told you about. You will not laze around our home, just because we’re not here!” growled Vernon Dursley.
“Yes, Uncle Vernon,” Harry ground out, glad that the Dursleys would be gone and ecstatic that Ginny would be staying with him, though he was careful not to show the least sign of happiness to his uncle.
“Good. Now your aunt wants you to get down there and help her cook supper.” That said, Harry’s uncle left, and the sixteen-year-old wizard slowly followed him. He didn’t really mind cooking on his own, but with his aunt in the kitchen too, Harry would be forced to listen to her complaints and gossip the whole time. The Boy-Who-Lived would have been happy to cook for his relatives on his own, if only for the benefit of sneaking a little food before Dudley could eat it all.
“Start chopping those carrots, now!” ordered Aunt Petunia as Harry entered the kitchen.
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Saturday morning, Ginny threw some clothing, a few books and some other necessities in an old worn leather bag, avoiding the urge to sing out happily. Her family would be surprised if all of her melancholy was cured by an invitation to stay with a friend they had never before heard her mention. Ginny refused to give them any reason to suspect that there was no ‘Sally Jameson’ ever at Hogwarts, let alone one who was Ginny’s closest friend.
So Ginny still threw the occasional depressed sigh out at meals, and still spent most of her time quietly in her room, despite the fact that she wanted to be singing and dancing around just because she could. Harry and she were in love, and they were spending the next week together at his aunt’s house. Life was good for Ginny Molly Weasley, and she wanted everyone to know it, despite the fact that the reason for her happiness had to be kept secret.
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Harry watched his aunt, uncle and cousin pull out of the driveway in Uncle Vernon’s new car, trying to look completely natural, despite the fact that he had the mad urge to grin widely and wave the Dursleys on their way. The only thing that stopped him was the certainty of them turning around and shipping him off to spend the week with some person perhaps even less pleasant than themselves.
Harry was happier at this moment than he could ever remember being. He didn’t even really mind that his relatives had woken him at five to cook their breakfast so that they could catch their flight. He was already counting down the minutes until Ginny was due to arrive…