A/N: Not sure about this chapter, it's mostly filler. Also, per request a little bit of Harry's POV on things is included. DISCLAIMER: I claim nothing. Any thing, one, or place that you may recognize belongs solely to JK Rowling. Enjoy!
Ginny
Eleven o' clock the next morning found Ginny staring apprehensively at the wooden front door of the Burrow. She knew her mother was waiting for her on the other side and she wasn't sure yet if she was ready to face her just yet. She loved her mother dearly but Molly Weasley could be an overwhelming force of nature sometimes. Ginny took a deep breath and opened the door.
Her mother was sitting at the kitchen table, a cup of tea at her elbow, flipping through the most recent copy of the Daily Prophet. She leapt to her feet when she saw Ginny come in. Ginny barely had time to brace herself before her mother wrapped her in a smothering hug.
"I've been worried sick!" her mother admonished her once she released Ginny and held her back at arm's length to look at her.
"I know, sorry. I didn't really think that you all would worry like this." The two women sat down at the kitchen table. Mrs. Weasley summoned another cup from the cupboard and poured her daughter some tea.
"Now then, what's going on? Where have you been? You were so vague about everything last night." Ginny held up her hands to stop her mother's barrage of questions before she could really get started.
"One question at a time."
"What's this about you and Harry not being together anymore?" Ginny groaned to herself. Of course her mother would start with the hard questions first. Might as well get it out of the way now.
"Do you want the long version or the short version?" Her mother simply leveled one of her famous Looks at her. "Right, long one it is then."
Ginny recounted everything that had happened as quickly as she could, not wanting to think about it any longer than necessary. When she finished there was a long moment of silence while the two women simply sat there drinking their tea. Ginny was starting to wonder if her mother had turned into a statue when she finally stirred.
"But you and Harry seemed like you were doing so well."
Ginny shrugged, "Apparently things aren't always what they seem."
"Does anyone else know about this?"
"Just you and George."
"Explains why Harry's still alive then. If the rest of your brothers knew about this, they'd have him hung by toes from the nearest tree by now. I consider him as an honorary son and I'd help them do it too," Mrs. Weasley declared. Ginny smiled. Harry had certainly chosen the wrong family to cross.
"Thanks mum, but I think I've got that part handled. I figured I'd tell everyone else at dinner on Sunday so that I don't have to repeat myself over and over. The only reason George knows is because I dropped by the shop yesterday afternoon after I quit my job." Ginny clapped a hand over her traitorous mouth. She hadn't meant to say that last bit. She shrank back in her chair a little underneath her mother's withering gaze.
"You did what exactly?"
"I quit my job."
"You quit, your job?" Mrs. Weasley narrowed her eyes at her youngest child.
Ginny simply nodded. It was too late to go back now. She had hoped to have another plan in place before informing her mother of this part of recent events.
Her mother looked as if she had plenty to say on the matter, but she seemed to decide to save it for another time as she switched topics.
"Do you have somewhere to stay? You said you were staying with a friend?"
"I'm staying with Oliver Wood. He's given me the use of his guest room for as long as I need it until I can find a place of my own."
"Oliver Wood?" her mother said, surprised.
"Yep."
"That certainly wasn't the answer I was expecting."
Ginny shrugged, "You and everyone else, but I honestly think it's the perfect answer for my situation at the moment." Seeing the look starting to cross her mother's face, Ginny leaned forward, planting an elbow on the table and pointing a finger at her mother. "Don't even think about it mum. Absolutely none of your matchmaking attempts. We're just friends and I intend for it to stay that way. Not to mention I have absolutely no interest in men for the time being."
Mrs. Weasley held her hands up in surrender. "Alright, fine, if you say so. I would like some grandchildren before I die though."
Ginny looked at her mother incredulously. "What about Victoire and Molly and Ron and Hermione's child?"
Her mother considered this for a moment before replying, "Okay, more grandchildren then."
Ginny thumped her head back on her chair and groaned. The woman really was impossible some days. Bracing her hands on the armrests of her chair, she pushed herself upright.
"Alright mum, I really do have to go. I have to go apartment and job hunting." She didn't really have to do these things today, she just needed to get out of there before her mother continued pestering her about children and reminding her of her newly single status.
"Oh alright. It was nice of you to finally stop by and let me know that you weren't dead in an alley somewhere," Mrs. Weasley gently reprimanded as she stood to give Ginny a hug.
"You're welcome. Love you."
"Love you too dear."
As she turned to leave her mother cheerfully called after her, "Oh and do tell Harry that the next time I see him I'll hex his bits off. That is if he had any to begin with."
Ginny grinned at her mother's cheerful, matter-of-fact tone. "Will do Mum, but I may beat you to it."
Oliver
Oliver wiped the rain out of his eyes as he sat on his broom in front of the goal posts at one end of the Quidditch pitch. As per the usual English weather, it had been raining since noon with a gray, leaden sky before that. Oliver was soaked through and miserable, but Quidditch did not stop for the weather, no matter how awful it was. He remembered one game he had played in last year near Glasgow in his native country of Scotland where it had been so cold and wet he had had icicles hanging out of his hair and his hands had gotten frozen to the broom. At least it was somewhat warm today even if the weather was fit for only ducks and fish.
He peered through the mist and rain to observe the rest of his team going through the drills he had set for them last night after he had finished the movie with Ginny. She had fallen asleep shortly after he had joined her. He had levitated her onto the couch and let her sleep there for the night before retiring to his room. When he had left this morning she had still been there, curled up in a cat-like ball with her hands tucked under her head. Between the movie and then making up some new drills last night, Oliver wished he was still asleep.
He was brought out of his daydreaming by Lee calling his name before chucking a Quaffle at him. Oliver caught it easily and lobbed it back at the Chaser.
"Just wanted to make sure you were still with us up here. You seem rather preoccupied today," Lee said once he was within easy talking distance. "Got a special someone on your mind?" he added with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows.
Oliver rolled his eyes. Why was everyone trying to set him up with someone? "No, I'm just getting bored up here watching you ladies fly around down there."
"HA! That's funny. I don't see you working terribly hard up here either," Lee tossed back.
"Why don't you call William and Chris up here and we can change that." William Collins and Christopher Banks made up the rest of Puddlemere United's Chaser team.
Lee grinned as he turned and shouted down to his teammates. The two other Chasers joined them and Oliver set them to work on passing and shooting exercises.
An hour later Oliver called his team together. It hadn't been their best practice, but it hadn't been their worst either. Normally, they'd still be working for an hour or more still at this point, but Oliver had had enough of the rain. Even his bones felt waterlogged. From the looks on their faces, he could tell his team felt the same way.
"Alright lads, let's call it a day. This miserable weather isn't going to let up anytime soon and I'm so waterlogged it'll take me a week to dry off." A few of his teammates chuckled as they descended back down to the grass and headed to the lockers.
"So Oliver, got any big plans for the weekend?" Liam Ryans, the other half of Puddlemere United's Beater asked him as they were finishing up in the locker room.
Oliver shrugged as he pulled one foot up on the bench to tie his shoe. "I don't know, I haven't given it much thought. Probably help out with the Junior Quidditch Club and catch up on some paperwork that I've meaning to do."
Liam made a face, "Remind me never to become a Quidditch captain. It sounds extremely dull. You do know that you have to go out every now and then and actually interact with humans other than us Quidditch players."
"Actually, I don't have to leave my house to do that. I have a flat mate now," Oliver retorted. "See, non-Quidditch player interaction." Although, he mentally corrected, she used to play Quidditch. But he wasn't going to tell Liam that.
Liam started at this news, "Since when do you have a flatmate?"
Oliver immediately saw the error in telling his teammate that. No going back now though. "Since about two days ago."
"How come we're just now hearing about this?" This came from Phillip who had wandered over to join the conversation.
"Because it was a rather spontaneous, last-minute thing and it's none of your business. They needed a place to stay and I had an empty room that wasn't being used and that's all that I'm saying on the matter," Oliver declared trying to cut off the questions he could see forming in the Beater's minds as they left the pitch. By now they were standing under the portico that formed the player's entry into the stadium.
Liam abruptly turned around to where the rest of the team was and bellowed, "Hey guys, Oliver's got a flat mate!"
Oliver made a run for it.
Harry
Harry sat behind his desk in the Auror Department of the Ministry of Magic. His eyes were focused on rereading the same paragraph of the report in front of him for the fifth time while his mind was focused on the events of the last couple of days.
How had everything fallen apart so fast? Cheating on Ginny had been the worst mistake he had ever made. He realized that now after it was too late. It was true that something had soured in their relationship lately, but Ginny had been right last night; he should have said something about it rather than going about it the way he had. He should have tried to fix things, instead he had made everything worse. Merlin he was an idiot. Now Ginny was probably gone for good and she would probably take his two best friends with her when they found out what he had done, which they undoubtedly would. There were very few secrets that stayed secret in the Weasley clan.
Harry dropped his head into his hands and groaned.
"The report that bad huh?" Harry started at the voice and looked up to find Ron, his best friend of the last thirteen years, standing in the door. He glanced down at the report in front of him having forgotten it was even there.
"I haven't even read a word of it," he admitted.
"Don't bother, it's as dry as a desert and there's nothing important in it. It's just Daniels blowing hot air again," Ron said stepping into the office and settling into the chair opposite Harry. "You and Ginny coming to Sunday dinner?"
Harry deliberated how to answer that question before deciding that honesty was the best policy. Better that Ron hear it coming from him rather than someone else.
"Ginny and I aren't together anymore."
Ron blinked at him, trying to process this. "What do you mean you aren't together?"
"As in we broke up."
"But, why? I thought you all were mental for each other."
Harry grimaced. "I did a really stupid thing. I cheated on her with another woman and she found out."
Ron gaped at him in astonishment, stunned speechless. Finally he snapped his mouth closed and contemplated his best friend. Harry watched a range of emotions (more than a teaspoon, Hermione must be wearing off on him) cross Ron's face while he looked for something to say.
"You cheated on Ginny?" Ron finally said.
"Yes and now I think I've lost her for good. Actually I know I have."
"And you're still alive?" his friend continued as if he hadn't heard him.
"Apparently. Besides you and I both know that you're crap at Divination and couldn't contact even a gold fish in the spirit world," Harry said. He looked closer at Ron, "You're being awfully calm about this."
Ron cleared his throat, "About that. I'm about to tell you something I haven't told anyone."
Harry leaned forward and planted his elbows on his desk. "Go on."
"A year or so after we started out, Hermione and I went through a rough patch. I cheated on her with another woman. I only did it once though and it was the stupidest thing I've ever done and we both know I've done some pretty stupid stuff."
Harry digested this new information for a moment. "Does Hermione know about this?"
"I'm sure she does. This is Hermione we're talking about." Harry nodded in agreement. Hermione wasn't called the brightest witch of her age for nothing.
Ron continued, "I'm sure you all will be fine. Everyone knows you and Ginny were meant for each other."
"Everyone except me and Ginny apparently."
Ron shrugged, "Just give her some time and space to cool off. I'm sure she'll come back eventually. She's made for you, even if she is mad at you."
"Thanks mate, I feel a little better even if I still feel like a complete idiot." Harry stood and stretched, feeling several of his vertebrae pop back into place. Ron stood and followed him to the door.
"No problem, that's what friends are for" he said clapping Harry on the shoulder. "However, if Ginny does give you a second chance and you blow it, I will not hesitate to beat you to a pulp." The last part he added with a warning finger planted in Harry's chest and a deadly serious expression on his face. Harry knew that his best friend was not joking. He nodded in understanding.
Ron grinned, "Good, now let's go see what's being served for lunch. I'm starved."
Oliver
Oliver arrived back at his flat still fairly well soaked. It had continued to rain most of the way home. He tried to avoid magical methods of transportation as much as he could. While he had finally passed his Apparating test, he still wasn't entirely comfortable with it and the same went with the Floo Network. His fireplace wasn't even hooked up. That and some days he liked the anonymity of the Muggle world. So he walks and takes the Tube and the occasional taxi. Unfortunately the nearest Tube station to his flat was four blocks away and in his hurried escape from the Quidditch pitch, he had left his umbrella.
He passed one of his neighbors, Mrs. Matthews, a middle-aged widow as he was climbing the stairs.
"Oh, Oliver, you're absolutely soaked!" the woman said as she watched the puddles that were starting to congregate around his feet.
Oliver offered her a smile, "I'm afraid I forgot my umbrella at work, I was in such a hurry to leave."
"Understandable." She winked at him like they were both privy to an inside joke, only Oliver didn't know what it was.
"I'm afraid I don't follow you."
Mrs. Matthews laughed. "Don't play coy Oliver. I met your lovely fire-haired friend as I was coming back from the market earlier. She's quite the charmer."
Oliver connected the dots and sputtered a denial. "No, no it's not like that Mrs. Matthews. She's an old friend of mine who needs a temporary place to stay so I'm letting her use my spare room until she gets back on her feet."
She nodded and smiled as she patted his arm like he was a hopeless child. "Whatever you say dear. Now, if you'll excuse me I must go check my mail."
She bid him a good day and continued on down the stairs. Oliver watched her go before shaking his head and heading for his flat. He and Ginny were simply friends and flat mates. Besides, even if he liked her in a romantic way, she had just gotten out of a messy break-up from a long term relationship. Love and men were probably the last things that were on her mind. He cleared these thoughts from his mind as he unlocked the door. What he needed right now was a hot shower and a change of dry clothes, not nosy teammates or match-making neighbors.
A/N: As always let me know what you think. Leave a message after this note.~Naomi