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You Know My Name | ||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Harry/Ginny, Teddy Lupin, Victoire Weasley Genres: Fluff, Romance Warnings: None Story is Complete Rating: PG Reviews: 7 Summary: It needed a holiday at the beach for Harry Potter to meet the girl again he once had a crush on - without her even knowing. Part of the Harry and Ginuary Gift Exchange. Hitcount: Story Total: 2007 Disclaimer: Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions in this story are my own and in no way represent the owners of this site. This story subject to copyright law under transformative use. No compensation is made for this work. Author's Notes: This story is a gift to Startanewdream, or Mah Potter how she's called here on SIYE, and it is inspired by the prompt 'In every universe we would be together'. It's part of the Ginuary Gift Exchange on AO3. Feel free to have a look, there are more than 30 wonderful stories to read. |
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"Come on, Vic. Where are you? We want to go to the beach." "I'll be ready in a minute, Auntie Ginny," replied a girl's voice. "Can you please help me with my ponytail?" Sighing, Ginny Weasley put her beach bag down and went over to the bathroom to check on her 4-year-old goddaughter, Victoire. Trying to fix her ponytail with an elastic band, the blonde girl was standing on a stool she had pushed in front of the bath mirror. Ginny smiled at the girl and took the elastic from her hand. "Come on, let me help you." With practised movements, she arranged the hair of the girl and straightened her summer dress. "So, done! Come on now, or the best spots at the beach are already occupied when we're finally there." The girl hopped off the stool, grasped her backpack with her toys and dashed out of the room. Ginny followed her, laughing. As they arrived at the beach a 15-minute walk later, Ginny looked about, searching for a suitable spot from where she could observe her goddaughter when she was playing down by the water. Pleased, she noticed an empty corner near the entrance to the beach, from where she could also keep an eye on the newcomers who would soon be crowding the beach. Turning to her goddaughter, she called, "Come on Vickie. Let's get over there. We need to rub the sunscreen on you before you go down to the water." "Coming, Auntie," the girl replied and ran ahead. Ginny spread out their blanket on the sand and rummaged through her beach bag in search of the sunscreen whilst Victoire took off her summer dress and raised her arms, waiting for Ginny to rub the milky substance into her skin. The girl giggled when Ginny tickled her briefly after she finished. "Maman always uses her wand, but using your hands is much more fun." "With so many Muggles around, your Mum couldn't do it with her wand, either," Ginny explained patiently and gave her a pat on the bottom. "Now go! But don't go into the water. If you want to go into the water, I'll come with you. Is that clear?" The girl nodded. Muttering a quick "thank you", she grabbed her beach toys marched away through the sand. Throwing a glance after her goddaughter, Ginny took her book out of her bag. "Don't go so far away, Vic," she called after the girl and lay down on the blanket. She was just about to open her book when she noticed the girl addressing a black-haired boy who was playing with his father on a blanket nearby. Shaking her head, Ginny couldn't help but grin to herself. The girl couldn't deny her Veela genes. But then...her jaw dropped, and her heart began to pound loudly when Victoire stepped aside and she got a clear look at the boy's father. Ginny gulped and forced herself not to stare at the man, his mop of black hair, his broad shoulders, covered by a tight-fitting sleeveless t-shirt and the amused smile he was giving his son… Ginny forced her eyes down at the book in front of her and began to read. After the umpteenth attempt to read the passionate kissing scene in her romance novel, she gave up and peered over to the black-haired man who was lying on his back, his arms folded behind his head. She couldn't believe the sight of a man could make her so excited. That had never happened before, and she wasn't going to start now, was she? Besides, the man was married with a kid. Forget it, Weasley. To her annoyance, however, her eyes seemed magically drawn to those broad shoulders, the flat stomach, the daring-looking mop of black hair and those black-framed glasses that looked so damn sexy on him. When the man propped himself up and let his gaze wander over the beach, she spun around. She was here to take care of her goddaughter, not to stare at men. With a sigh of relief, she spotted Victoire nearby, building a sandcastle with her newfound friend. Reassured, Ginny put her book aside and made herself comfortable to watch the children play, hoping that would distract her a bit from the man. "Auntie Ginny. Can we have some chocolate?" Victoire called as she came back to their blanket with the boy in the tow. "Of course," Ginny replied, smiling at the kids. "Sit down, though." She shifted a bit aside to make room for the children and reached into the beach bag, where she kept some snacks cold. She pulled out two bars of chocolate and held them up. "Strawberry or Hazelnut?" "Strawberry," Victoire called without hesitation. Ginny snorted because she had already expected Victoire's answer, opened the chocolate bar, broke it into smaller pieces and laid them out on the blanket. Looking at the boy, she smiled. "You have found yourself a boyfriend, Vic?" "Yes, he's nice," the girl replied, while the boy's cheeks flushed slightly. "Where's your mum?" Ginny couldn't help but ask, giving the boy a friendly smile. A shadow crossed the boy's face. "Mum is dead," he answered in a low voice. "Oh," Ginny gasped, her eyes briefly flickered over to the boy's father and back at the boy. "That ... I'm sorry." The eyes of the boy, who had just laughed with her goddaughter, looked at her sadly. With a wry smile, the boy mumbled, "I only know her from pictures. At home, on my bedside table, I have a photo of her and my dad. It’s their wedding photo." Ginny peered over at the man. He was very handsome, exactly her type of man. Just a moment ago, she had assumed he was married, and now...Her heart was bleeding at the thought that the two of them were living without a mother or wife. She shook her head, trying to get rid of these images. "I'm sorry." A warm voice tore her out of her thoughts. Ginny looked up and her heart almost stopped when she stared into emerald green eyes that were looking at her through black-framed glasses. "I'm sorry to interrupt you," said the man with a lopsided grin. "Teddy and I, we have an appointment for lunch, and we must hurry." "Oh, that's fine," Ginny replied with an embarrassed smile. "The kids can play together again when we're back," the man said, giving his son an encouraging smile. "That is if you don't mind." His eyes landed on Ginny. "Oh, of course," Ginny nodded, pleased. "We are here all day." "That's great," the man beamed at her. "How long are you staying here? We're leaving in 4 days, unfortunately." "We…We're leaving tomorrow," Ginny stammered, hoping she didn't blush. "Oh, that's a pity. The two of them are getting along so well," the man replied. Looking at his son, he added, "Come on. Teddy. We don't want to be late when your grandma is visiting." "Grandma Drommie is coming?" The boy squealed and leapt up enthusiastically. "Yes, come on. We…" The man paused and stared past Ginny with wide eyes. He swallowed once and uttered, "We have to hurry." Giving Ginny a brief smile, he took the boy by the hand, and they walked away. Ginny let her gaze wander after the two of them, unable to avert her eyes from the broad shoulders of the man and his firm arse that filled those sexy jeans shorts well. As sorry as she was that the wife of this handsome man had died, why should she feel bad now for hoping to see him again? On the other hand - the man surely was a Muggle. Would she even have a chance to get to know him? After all, she was a witch - a fact she couldn't tell him so easily. It was probably better to forget about him. After all, tomorrow, she would be leaving anyway. Harry's heart was pounding loudly in his chest as he walked along the promenade with his godson by the hand and a million thoughts buzzing through his head at the same time. He heard Teddy's enthusiastic babble about a sandcastle but couldn't follow the conversation with the boy. All of his thoughts revolved around one thing. The name tag on the girl's backpack had said, Victoire Weasley. All morning, he'd been shooting furtive glanced at the red-haired beauty in the deep-blue bikini who had come to the beach with her daughter. And when he picked up Teddy, who was playing with the woman's blonde daughter, the name Weasley on that backpack had hit him like a sledgehammer. That pretty young woman there at the beach had to be Ginny Weasley, the girl who had brought that bloody diary to Dumbledore so many years ago. The girl he had secretly admired. His thoughts went back to the days when Dumbledore had trained him, and he sometimes snuck away under his invisibility cloak to secretly watch a Quidditch game or a training unit. He would have loved to play Quidditch, too, but watching Ginny fly through the air had been fun too. He wasn't a bad flier himself, he liked to think. But flying all by himself wasn't always fun either. If he had had friends, though... Yes, with a friend around or two he certainly would have flown more often. When he flew alone on his Nimbus 2000 behind the cottage where he had lived with Sirius, he had often dreamed of racing this red-haired girl. A girl that didn't even know that he existed. He couldn't believe that he didn't immediately recognize her. Okay, they were 14 or 15 years old at the time. He couldn't help but grin as he remembered what a little boy he was back then, with knobbly knees. Ginny had become a real beauty. And obviously married. From the look of her daughter, certainly to a tall, handsome blond bloke. But wait! The girl's name was also Weasley. Did the blonde bloke take Ginny’s name after the wedding? Or had he left her, and she raised her child alone? He made a mental note to check if she was wearing a wedding ring and cursed himself for the thought of her being a single mother was giving him hope. On the other hand, did he even have a chance if she was into blond men? "Gran!" Teddy exclaimed, startling Harry out of his musings. The boy tore himself away from Harry and ran towards the woman. Andromeda Tonks was sitting on a bench in the shade of a tree across from the pub where they had arranged to meet for lunch. When Teddy's first excitement in seeing his grandma again subsided and he wriggled out of his grandmother's arms, Harry took the opportunity to greet the woman. "Hello Dromeda," he smiled at her. "As you can see, Teddy survived the first few days of our holiday." "I never doubted that," replied the woman with a warm smile. "I hope he didn't drive you crazy." "No, he's a good boy," said Harry, adding with a grin, "It looks like he got himself a girlfriend today." "Oh, Teddy. A girlfriend?" Andromeda gave her grandson an encouraging smile. "What's her name?" The boy just shrugged his shoulders. "She's not my girlfriend." When his grandmother didn't take her eyes off him, he rolled his eyes and relented. "Her name is Victoire and she's all right. We built a sandcastle together." Pouting at his grandmother, he mumbled, "But she's not my girlfriend." "Let's go inside," Harry interfered. "The sea air gives you an appetite." They chose a table in the back, a little away from the hustle and bustle at the bar, where a mixture of locals and holidaymakers were looking for a cool down in the form of a cold beer. Glancing through the menu, Andromeda announced that she was going to have a Shepard's Pie with a cider and Teddy spaghetti with tomato sauce. Harry went to the counter to place their order and returned with the cider, lemonade for Teddy, and a bitter for himself. While waiting at the counter, he had thought a little more about Ginny, wondering if Andromeda might know something about her. "Dromeda, do you know the Weasley family," Harry asked casually after handing Teddy crayons and a colouring book to keep him occupied. Andromeda raised an eyebrow, giving him a bewildered look. "Not so well. Why do you ask?" "Oh," Harry hesitated, not willing to give away the real reason behind his question. "Teddy’s new girlfriend is Victoire Weasley. We met her and her mother by chance at the beach." Andromeda nodded in understanding. "I've occasionally seen Arthur Weasley and some of his older sons at Order meetings. They live somewhere in Devon. But that's actually everything I know." Andromeda gave him a pensive look. "If I remember correctly, I've seen Arthur and his wife a couple of times in the maternity ward when their grandchildren were born." "Ah, interesting," Harry replied, nodding to himself. Of course, her parents would visit Ginny when she had a child. He bit his tongue as he almost asked the older woman about blonde husbands. This question would have been a bit too obvious, wouldn't it? Harry was torn from his thoughts when the waiter served them food. He took a chip from his plate and put it in his mouth when he noticed Andromeda's gaze lingering on him. "What is it, Harry?" Asked the woman. "Something is wrong with you." "No, it's all right," Harry replied and turned to his meal, hoping Andromeda would do the same. But he wasn't lucky. "Come on, Harry. What's bothering you?" Andromeda didn't give up. "I'm sure you didn't ask about the Weasleys because this girl was playing with Teddy today." "No, that's ..." Harry began and took a deep breath. "Okay. I know the girl's mother. That is, of course, I don't know her, but I know who she is because I've seen her a couple of times when I was fifteen or so. She's a very good-looking redhead. " "And what's the problem?" The woman eyed him closely, a knowing smile on her face. "You didn't fall in love with her, did you, Harry?" "No, of course not..." Harry started but paused to peck at his food. Feeling the slightly amused look Andromeda was still giving him, he took a deep breath and muttered, "Maybe." Without saying a word, Andromeda raised an eyebrow, awaiting further explanation. "All right," Harry finally said. "When I was 15 or 16, I had training sessions with Dumbledore because of ... well, you know. That's why I often went to Hogwarts. Of course, not in public. At first, Sirius came with me, but later, he only took me to the castle gate, and I went up to Dumbledore's office alone. Sometimes I was lucky enough to watch the House teams play Quidditch. That's where I know her from. She was a good flyer. She probably still is." Harry smiled. "I almost didn't recognize her today. She's so…" Harry waved, his fork still in his hand. "Judging by your dreamy eyes, you've got at least a massive crush on her." Andromeda smiled at him. "No, I actually don't really know her. And besides…" Harry hesitated and glanced briefly at Andromeda. "She is married." "Ah, that's the problem." Andromeda nodded in understanding. Harry washed down the last bite with a sip of his bitter and looked over at Teddy, who was struggling with the remains of the spaghetti on his plate. He couldn't suppress a chuckle when he saw the boy's face was smeared red with tomato sauce. "You're lucky your girlfriend isn't here," Harry teased and inwardly rolled his eyes as he somehow didn't get the Weasley girls out of his mind. "Are you sure she's married?" Andromeda asked. Sighing, Harry ran his hands through his hair. "Well, I think so. After all, she has a daughter." Andromeda took a sip of her cider and glanced thoughtfully at Harry. "Do you want to see her again?" "Teddy and her daughter, the two of them want to play together when we're back," Harry said. "Why don't you just ask her?" Andromeda suggested. "How?" Harry snorted. "Sorry. Are you married? Sounds like a strange question." Harry grimaced. "And if you don't ask, you'll never know what the answer would've been." "That could be," Harry replied in defeat. "But knowing my luck, there will be a blond, muscular man next to her on the blanket when we get back, and I have my answer." He looked at the woman. "Please don't tell Sirius about it. I wouldn't hear the end of it. For my whole life." When Harry and Teddy came back to the beach, Harry looked about, but to his chagrin, the girls were nowhere to be seen. On their spot, a bearded elderly man was lolling on a towel far too small for him. Sullenly, Harry noticed that he didn't know where the Weasleys were staying either. Giving Teddy a crooked smile, he muttered, "Women." To make sure he hadn't missed them, Harry looked about once again. When the girls didn't appear miraculously, he glanced at his watch only to find out it was already late afternoon. Obviously, the lunch with Andromeda had taken longer than he'd expected. He put his hand on Teddy's shoulder and looked down at the boy. "What do we do now?" "Let's go to the playground then," replied the boy, rolling his eyes slightly annoyed. With a soft chuckle, Harry stroked the boy's hair and nodded. "Okay, then. Let's go." They both trudged through the sand back to the promenade, where Teddy had earlier discovered a playground he really wanted to try. The boy was just about to run ahead when they passed a bustling kiosk with a couple of tables as a voice called, "Teddy. There you are." Harry stopped and let his eyes wander over the crowd until he saw Ginny and Victoire sitting on a bench nearby. Relieved, he walked over to the girls who were having a snack and greeted them, "Here you are. We were looking for you at the beach. Teddy was already sad he'd lost his playmate." Teddy shot him a reproachful look but then turned to Victoire. "We want to go to the playground," he blurted excitedly. "D'you want to come with me, Vic?" Ginny gave Harry a questioning look. "There's a playground down the promenade with a climbing frame and a slide Teddy really wants to try out," Harry explained, trying to get a peek at Ginny's fingers without attracting her attention. "Sounds like fun," Ginny replied, glancing at Victoire. "Vic, what do you think?" "I've never been on a climbing frame," said the girl indecisively. "There's a first time for everything," Ginny grinned and turned back to Harry. "I hope it's a bit shady there. I'm not really the sun type and could use a nice place in the shade right now." "There's plenty of shade there," Harry nodded reassuringly at her. "And there's a fence around the playground. The two of them can move around freely. Plus," Harry added, "There's a very nice view over to the old harbour." Harry peered over to the climbing frame where Teddy held his hand out to Victoire to help her onto the platform of the tower. The two children got along really well. Teddy, who was older and taller than Victoire, was very considerate and helped her as soon as she hesitated. Though Harry suspected the girl wasn't used to Muggle playgrounds, she followed Teddy everywhere without wavering. Harry shot a brief glance at Ginny, who was sitting next to him on the bench, looking out to the sea, obviously deep in thought. What would he give to know what she was thinking? Rummaging through his beach bag, he asked, "Ginny, do you fancy a game of badminton?" When she raised an eyebrow, he waved the rackets at her. "I could use a partner." "That's not fair now," she said, sounding a bit offended. "You know my name, but you never told me yours. Did Vic tell you?" Harry grimaced, realizing his mishap. Should he really confess that he knew her? After all, she was a married woman, and he didn't want to embarrass her by bringing up his crush from the past...and his real name. Before he could even think, he blurted out, "I'm Harry." A stab of guilt run through him. It felt a bit as if he'd lied. Well, it wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either, was it? "Okay, Harry," Ginny replied with a smile. "Let's try that game. But don't be too hard on me. I'm afraid I never played badminton." "Don't worry. You'll see, it's pretty easy. Someone like you won't have a problem playing it." "Someone like me? What do you mean?" Ginny asked, giving him a bewildered look. Damn it, thought Harry. Almost the next mistake. "I dunno why, but my gut feeling is telling me that you're a great badminton player," Harry said, hoping Ginny would let the subject drop. "Gut feeling," Ginny said with a giggle. "What else is your gut feeling telling you?" "You just make a very sporty impression," Harry said, but the guilty feeling didn't leave him. He had to tell her that he knew who she was - and how he knew her. Anything else would be unfair. On the other hand...what good would that do? She was a married woman. Well, he hadn't seen a wedding ring on her finger, but somehow, he couldn't get rid of the feeling that this blonde, muscular husband of hers might suddenly appear out of nowhere. "I think we better quit now. My wrist is starting to hurt," Ginny called out about half an hour later. Harry gave her a worried look. "What about your wrist?" "Nothing, really. It's just an old sports injury," Ginny said, shrugging sheepishly. How was she supposed to explain to a Muggle that a Bludger had smashed her wrist? "I broke my wrist a couple of years ago, and it still hurts a bit when I put a strain on it," Ginny explained. "Don't worry. It's nothing serious." "Okay," Harry replied hesitantly, obviously not convinced by her answer. "Really. It's all right." Touched by his worried look, she gave him a winning smile. "Look!" Ginny held up her hand, moving her wrist to show him that it didn't hurt anymore. Harry returned her smile and indicated towards his beach bag. "I'll put the rackets away." "Okay." Ginny nodded and strolled over to the kids, who were having a fun time on the seesaw, giggling loudly all the time. "Auntie Ginny, can we get some ice cream?" Victoire asked, looking pleadingly at Ginny with wide eyes. "Yes, why not," Ginny replied, glancing at her wristwatch. "It's almost dinner time. We can stop for ice cream somewhere on the way home." She turned to Harry, who just walked up to her, carrying their beach bags over his shoulder. "What about an ice cream before we have to go home?" "Yeah, sounds good. Teddy?" Harry gave the boy a questioning look. When the boy replied with a euphoric nod, Harry turned to Ginny. "There's a nice little ice cream parlour with a large selection nearby. It's on the way to our hotel," Harry explained. "But I don't know if that's your direction. Where are you staying? " "We're staying in a guesthouse at the end of the promenade, right by the old fishing harbour," said Ginny, pointing down the beach. "Oh, what a coincidence. That's where we have to go too," Harry exclaimed, giving Ginny a charming smile as they slowly strolled down the promenade. "Maybe, we are even staying in the same guesthouse?" "Oh, I don't think so," Ginny answered. She doubted Harry would be in the same guesthouse. After all, he was a Muggle. She hesitated. Was he? She glanced at Harry and noticed his questioning look. "Why are you so sure about that?" "The guesthouse is not that big. We would've seen you," Ginny replied, looking down at the path ahead of her, avoiding Harry's gaze. If Harry really was a Muggle, she had to be careful. What would he think if she and Victoire suddenly disappeared into nowhere when they passed the Muggle repelling charms? "Who knows?" Harry said. "It was late when we arrived last night. We spent a few days in London because Teddy wanted to visit the zoo." Ginny smiled and let her eyes wander to the children who were walking ahead of them, as loud bird screeches made her look up at the sky. A huge flock of seagulls circled over the ice cream parlour, watching the holidaymakers down on the earth with keen eyes. "Vic, Teddy, take good care of your ice cream, or the birds will steal it," Ginny instructed the children, who pressed their noses against the glass of the counter to choose their ice cream. When everyone held their cone with two scoops in their hand, Harry turned to the iceman, raising his hand. "I'll pay for everyone." "That's not necessary," Ginny protested. "It is," Harry insisted. "It's my birthday." Ginny raised an eyebrow and looked at Harry doubtfully. "Really. It was my birthday yesterday." Harry gave her a lopsided grin. She couldn't hide her blush as she looked Harry in the eye to see if he was having her on. What a fatal mistake. It almost took her breath away as she stared into those emerald green eyes and had to admit to herself that the butterflies she suddenly felt in her stomach were a clear sign that Harry was not only handsome but that she was also attracted to him. "Then I wish you a happy belated birthday and thank you for the ice cream," Ginny said, returning his grin. Maybe she should give him a chance. Muggle or not. After all, she was sure she'd seen the signs that he might be interested in her, too. She also liked that he got along pretty well with children. Damn it, Weasley, she thought, rolling her eyes inwardly. You're not going to think about children now. At that moment, she realized that she would be leaving with Victoire the next morning and probably wouldn't see him again. There was no way she could write letters by owl to a Muggle, wasn't it? "Eeeh." Teddy's scream pulled Ginny out of her thoughts. A seagull had torn the ice cone from his hands and sailed away with a triumphant cry. Teddy looked horrified, close to crying, from his now empty hand to Harry and back. Harry gave the boy an encouraging smile and ruffled his hair. "Come on, Teddy. Everything is okay. Do you want my ice cream?" He held his cone out to the boy. When Teddy accepted it with a bright smile, Harry gave him a slap on the shoulder. "But watch out for the seagulls." Ginny was getting nervous as they were slowly approaching their guesthouse, which Harry actually shouldn't be able to see...if he was a Muggle. "Where exactly is the guesthouse you're staying?" Ginny asked, looking about. "Over there," Harry replied, pointing to the white two-story building in front of them with the large sign, stating 'The Golden Snitch' under a drawing of said winged sports equipment. "Come on, Vic. There are swings in the playground here," Teddy called and dashed off. With a broad smile, Harry watched as the children run through the gate to the beer garden and disappeared behind the house. "The two of them are getting along pretty well," he said, turning back to Ginny, who was giving him a puzzled look. "You're not a muggle?" She said in a tone that made it clear it was not a question but a perception. "A Muggle?" Harry looked perplexed at Ginny before he noticed his lapse. Of course, Ginny had to assume he was a Muggle. Realizing that he had a lot of explaining to do, he grimaced and admitted sheepishly. "No. I'm not a Muggle." Giving Harry an accusing look, Ginny said, "You knew all along that I was a witch. How?" Harry ran his hands guiltily through his hair and took a deep breath before looking up again to meet Ginny's gaze. "I think I owe you an explanation." Frowning, Ginny watched Harry closely, trying to read his gaze. Was she so wrong about him? Apparently, he was hiding something. "What is it?" She asked. "How do you know me?" "I don't really know you. I ..." Harry paused, trying to gather his thoughts. "I only know who you are," Harry began, raising his hand soothingly as Ginny gave him a reproachful look. "I know who you are. At first, I didn't recognize you, but when I noticed the name Weasley on Victoire's backpack, it fell like scales from my eyes. I can explain everything. Please, believe me." "I'm all ears," Ginny replied as they followed the children. "Let's sit down here." Harry pointed to a table in the beer garden with a good view over to the playground. "How about we bring our things to the rooms and then meet here. I've seen an Italian just around the corner. I could get us pizza if you want." He glanced briefly over to the children. "I'll let them know where to find us, and I'll be back in no time." Ginny hesitantly glanced over at the children. "Okay." She nodded, giving Harry a cunning smile. "But then, you'll spill the beans." Harry put the boxes with the pizza on the table and looked around. Teddy and Victoire were still playing in the playground. Ginny had obviously not come down yet. He hurried into the guesthouse dining room to get lemonade from the fridge and a bottle of red wine from the wine rack. After glancing at the price list on the door of the fridge, he put the money in the honesty box. When he returned to the table, the two children were already examining the boxes, obviously hungry. "Vic, where is your mother?" Asked Harry, looking around. "Mum is at home; she's having a baby soon," the girl declared proudly. Harry froze, giving the girl a puzzled look. Did that mean…? Harry shook his head in disbelief and snapped around when he heard a snort behind him. Ginny was standing in the doorway and had obviously listened. "Did you really think Victoire is my daughter?" Ginny gave Harry an amused look. "What's so funny about that," Harry asked, confused. "Why should a woman as beautiful as you..." Harry stopped. If Victoire wasn't her daughter, then... "Let me guess," Harry began, hesitating to ask the question that had kept him busy all day. "Then you are not married either?" "What?" Ginny exclaimed. "Married?" She looked wide-eyed at Harry when suddenly realization hit. "Oh." She giggled. "Seems I have to thank Vickie that all those blokes at the beach left me alone." Giving Harry an amused look, she added, "No, I'm not married. Didn't find the right one yet. And I'm not in a hurry." "Sure," Harry replied. "I didn't mean to imply that ... Anyway, I'm relieved that no tall blond husband is going to turn up here..." "No. Rest assured, blonde is not my type." Ginny giggled. "Besides, it's Victoire's mother, who is blonde. Her father, my oldest brother, is just as red-haired as the rest of our family," Ginny explained as she opened the pizza boxes and distributed them at the table while Harry poured lemonade for the kids and opened the bottle of wine. "I hope red wine is okay?" Harry asked. "It's not an Italian wine, but I enjoyed it last night." "You were celebrating your birthday alone with a bottle of red wine?" Ginny smirked. "A handsome bloke like you?" "Me? Handsome?" Harry snorted, looking at Ginny, while the four of them sat down at the table, and the children immediately tucked in. "If I'd known you were here, then..." Harry said. "What about the explanation you were promising?" interrupted Ginny. "How do you know me, but I don't know you?" Absentmindedly running his hand through his hair, Harry leaned back on his chair. He took a deep breath and looked Ginny into the eyes, giving her a sheepish smile. "My name is Harry. Harry James Potter." "You're who?" Ginny eyes widened and wandered searchingly to his forehead. Was this really Harry Potter, the little boy her parents read her goodnight stories about? Harry chuckled. "I always hide the scar when I'm in the public. It's slowly fading and almost gone. There are only a few people who know how I look alike." Ginny met Harry's eyes, the green of which magically attracted her. "I guess that's the reason nobody knows that Harry Potter was married?" she said in a low voice. "Oh, I'm sorry," she stammered when she realized what she'd just said. "I'm sorry about your wife, and ..." She paused when she noticed Harry's confused expression. "I'm not and have never been married," he said with a bewildered look. "Oh, I thought ..." A crease formed on her forehead. "Teddy said his mother died." As Ginny was giving him a blank look, Harry shook his head and answered with a rueful smile. "Yes, that's right. Teddy's parents are both dead. They died in the war. Teddy is my godson. " Godson. Ginny tried to understand the word. Harry was on holidays with his godson? Just like her? She couldn't help but shake her head in relief, smiling. "So, we're both on holidays with our godchildren," she said in disbelief. "Yeah, obviously," said Harry, grinning. "What an incredible coincidence." "And why are you telling me of all people who you are?" Ginny looked at Harry expectantly, wondering why Harry Potter has revealed his identity to her. "Oh," Harry exclaimed. "Right. There's more to tell." "Yeah, exactly." Ginny leaned back and folded her arms. "How does Harry bloody Potter know little insignificant Ginny Weasley?" "It's a long story," Harry replied, pouring lemonade for the children to gather his thoughts. "Well, maybe not that long either. It all started with a diary." "A diary?" Asked Ginny, aghast, putting her slice of pizza back in the box. Looking at Harry, wide-eyed, she muttered, "What do you know about the diary? I suppose it's not about just any diary." "Right. It's about that diary," Harry confirmed warily, unsure how Ginny would react. "One day, when I was around 14 years old, Dumbledore called my godfather, Sirius Black." "Sirius Black?" Said Ginny, frowning. "That name sounds familiar to me." "That's entirely possible," Harry said, adjusting his glasses. "For some time, his name was pretty well-known. But that's a story for another time." "Uncle Harry, we're going back playing again," announced Teddy and marched back to the playground with Victoire in the tow. "But stay on the property," Harry admonished the two of them before he turned his attention back to Ginny. "So, where were we? The diary. What do you know about the diary, Ginny?" "I only know it had something to do with Tom...well, with Voldemort." Ginny looked up at Harry. "And I know that he'd used me to do bad things at Hogwarts." "That's right," Harry nodded. "When Sirius returned from his meeting with Dumbledore, he told me about a girl and a diary in which Voldemort had hidden a part of his soul. The girl had fought Voldemort for almost a year until she finally brought that diary to her Head of House; against Voldemort's will. "Just a few weeks earlier, Sirius had told me about a prophecy that said that one day I had to fight against Voldemort. Believe me, it had given me a lot of courage back then that a girl who was younger than me could hold out against Voldemort for so long. Since we've both been touched by the evil, I felt so strangely connected to you. I would've liked to get to know you back then, but unfortunately, that wasn't possible. Both Dumbledore and Sirius thought it would be too dangerous if anyone found out." Ginny looked at Harry in silence. She had always tried to forget the memories of those events that had happened so long ago. Her nightmares about it had diminished over the years, but every now and then, they would still wake her in her sleep. And now Harry Potter was telling her that he knew her because of that damn diary, and that he even fancied her back then. "A short time later, Sirius and Dumbledore decided that the headmaster would give me extra training," Harry resumed the conversation. "I secretly went to Hogwarts every weekend to meet Dumbledore, and whenever I had the chance, I tried to watch a Quidditch game or at least a practice. On one of those occasions, Sirius showed me who the small but not so insignificant Ginny Weasley was. I loved watching her play Quidditch, and I always thought she'd play professionally one day." "Yes, that was my dream," Ginny nodded pensively. "Until that damn Bludger smashed my wrist. As you've seen, I can't even play badminton without my wrist hurting." "I'm really sorry about that," said Harry in a sad voice. "It's okay," Ginny replied with a sheepish smile. "I've found another job that I love and where I have peace and quiet from the public. No annoying press and photo appointments. " "What kind of job do you have," Harry asked, interested. "I work for the broom development at Firebolt," Ginny replied with a big grin. "I spend a lot of time on test flights and then evaluate my impressions with the designers." "Wow, that's interesting," Harry exclaimed. "It's fun, too," Ginny agreed. "And what does the great but unknown Harry Potter do for a living?" "Nothing as exciting as you, unfortunately," Harry replied. Ginny raised an eyebrow and waited for Harry to elaborate. "Sirius and I, we have a few smaller businesses. Nothing big, but mostly things that are important to us," Harry explained. "What are these businesses about?" Ginny asked, clearly interested. "We make Wolfsbane potion and deliver it to pharmacies or directly to those affected. With a similar recipe, we make an ointment that can be used on scars caused by werewolves. That sort of thing." "That might not be as exciting as testing brooms, but it's important," Ginny said in an approving tone. "How did you come up with that?" "Teddy's dad was a werewolf. We wanted to help him, and that's how it started. I've a few more ideas, but they're not ready yet," Harry grimaced, unsure whether the plans would ever come true. "What kind of ideas are these?" Ginny asked in a low voice, watching Harry closely. "One day, I want to open a flying school for kids," Harry confessed. "That's a great idea," Ginny exclaimed enthusiastically. "It's just ..." Harry hesitated. "What?" Harry leaned back and silently looked over at the children. When he finally spoke, he looked Ginny in the eye, hoping she understood. "I don't think I'm ready to open a school that has Harry Potter written in big letters outside." "Oh," Ginny said, returning his gaze. She looked at him in silence for a moment, obviously processing his answer. "Your privacy must mean a lot to you," she said finally. "I appreciate that you talk so openly about it to me." Harry let his gaze wander over to Ginny, her red hair, laying in a braid over her shoulder, the many small freckles on her slightly tanned skin on her face and the neckline of her blouse, the sunburned tip of her nose, and her chocolate brown eyes that looked at him so warmly. "I don't know why, but I have the feeling that I can trust you and that I have known you for a long time, although I don't know that much about you." "Teddy, are you ready? I'm sure Victoire is already waiting for you," Harry called his godson, who was sitting at a small side table, bent over a colouring book. "Just a moment. I just want to finish colouring the dragon," replied the boy without being bothered to even looking up. Harry couldn't wait to see Ginny again. Last evening, they had drunk the bottle of red wine together before they went to their respective rooms with the children. After they agreed to meet for breakfast at eight o'clock, Harry had almost kissed her. He had taken her in his arms, and Ginny had looked up to him. But when their eyes met, and he slowly leaned down to her, Teddy had impatiently called Harry to hurry to unlock their room. Ginny had rolled her eyes and pushed him away with the words, "Go already! Don't keep your godson waiting." It was five minutes to eight when Harry and Teddy thundered down the stairs to the first floor for breakfast. Looking about the dining room, Harry picked a table for four outside on the terrace. He briefly considered waiting for Victoire and Ginny, but Teddy was a little restless and claimed to be hungry. When they were putting their breakfast on the table, a bowl of cereal and pumpkin juice for Teddy and a plate of sausage, baked beans and a fried egg, and a cup of coffee for Harry, Harry glanced at his watch. Ten minutes past eight. The girls were a little late. As Teddy began to spoon his cereal, Harry sighed and took a sip of his coffee, wondering what was holding them up. Ginny would probably be packing for their departure, Harry remembered and turned to his breakfast. As he wiped his mouth and put the napkin on his empty plate, Harry glanced at his watch again. It was eight-thirty. Something was wrong here. As he went to the buffet for another coffee and pumpkin juice for Teddy, Harry noticed the clerk at the reception. He went over to the desk and cleared his throat. "Sorry. We were supposed to meet the Weasleys for breakfast, but unfortunately, they didn't show up yet. Can you please tell me their room number?" "The Weasleys?" the clerk said and leaned over to skim the guest book. "Ah, here they are. Room number 7. I'm sorry, the ladies left last night." "Left?" Harry looked at the man, dumbfounded. "That can't be. I saw them last night." "I'm sorry, the guest book says they left shortly before midnight yesterday." "Oh, that's ... Oh," said Harry. "Thanks." Bewildered, he turned and walked back to the table where Teddy was giving him a strange look because he had forgotten the pumpkin juice. The sun was slowly setting in the west as Harry and Teddy strolled down the promenade to their guest house, an ice cream cone in their hands. They had a lot of fun together over the past few days. Harry had helped Teddy build a new sandcastle after the previous one had been washed away in a somewhat stormy night. Teddy had made good progress playing badminton, and on their way home, they had stopped at the playground near the beach. But as much fun as they had, Harry had to admit that he missed Ginny - even though he had only seen her for a few hours. If Harry was being honest with himself, he had to admit that he also was a bit hurt. What had he done that made Ginny leave so suddenly? As often as he thought about it in the last days, he just couldn't figure out what he'd done wrong. "Go away," Teddy yelled, and Harry had to laugh when Teddy managed to get his ice cream cone to safety from a seagull at the last moment. "Well done, Teddy. Constant vigilance," he praised the boy and decided to forget about Ginny. It just wasn't meant to be. When they reached the guesthouse, he suddenly felt the urgent need to leave immediately. They would be going home tomorrow morning anyway, so why not tonight. He had planned to go to the beach with Teddy until noon, but they could also do something else in London. "Teddy," he turned to the boy. "Do you want to sleep here again tonight, or do you want to see Uncle Sirius? We could have dinner with him." "Unca Siri!" The boy blurted out excitedly. "But first, I want to go to the playground, and I want to have a lemonade." Harry laughed. The boy had enjoyed the local lemonade offered at the guesthouse. 'Okay, you can play down here while I go up to our room and pack our things. And we'll have a drink before we leave." "Yay," the boy exclaimed and ran away without giving Harry a second glance. Chuckling, Harry looked after him, watching as he climbed the ladder of the slide. Half an hour later, Harry stepped out of the house laden with two bags and said goodbye to the host, whom he had just informed about their early departure. He cast a searching look over to the playground, where he expected to find Teddy. He was startled when he heard a familiar laugh from the direction of the beer garden. He walked around the corner and froze. Teddy sat laughing at one of the tables, a glass of lemonade in his hand and next to him sat... Harry thought he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the long red hair shining in the evening sun. "Hi," Ginny heard a voice she had missed. She turned and smiled at Harry. "Hi, yourself." "You ... came back?" Harry looked at her with a crooked smile. He seemed pleased to see her, but he also looked a little unsettled. No wonder after they left in such a rush, Ginny thought. "I'm sorry we left without a word. I wanted to get in touch with you the whole time but only managed to come today. I really wanted to see you again." "What happened?" asked Harry "Vickie's mother was in labour last Saturday, and she was in very bad shape. She wanted to see Victoire. That's why my brother, Victoire's father, contacted us late that evening, and we went home immediately." "How is your sister-in-law?" Harry asked worriedly. "She's doing much better now. She's still a bit weak, but she and Victoire's new brother are doing well considering their circumstances. She just lost a lot of blood, and it took her two days to recover." "Thanks, Merlin," Harry exclaimed as he slumped onto the chair next to Ginny. Ginny noticed the bags. "You want to leave? I thought you wanted to stay until tomorrow." "Teddy wanted to go home to see his great-uncle," Harry replied. The boy looked at Harry indignantly. "You asked me if I want to see Unca Siri." Ginny looked from Teddy to Harry and raised her eyebrows. "Okay, okay," Harry held up his hands defensively. "I ..." Harry paused and ran a hand through his hair. "The whole time, I was wondering what I did wrong. Why you left, and I just wanted to forget you, and ..." "Oh, no." Ginny leapt up, grabbed Harry's hands, and pulled him up to her. "I'm glad I got here in time. Where should I've found you if you'd been gone? And for the record, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm here with you. Don't you think it proves that you have done some things right?" "Some?" asked Harry, raising his eyebrow. "There's always room for improvement," Ginny replied with a mischievous grin. "What was my biggest deficit, if I may ask?" Harry stepped closer to Ginny, wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and took a deep breath of her flowery scent. "Hmm, let me think," Ginny replied, looking into Harry's eyes, pouting. "Are there really that many?" Harry asked worriedly. "I can only think of one shortcoming, but that's a pretty big one," Ginny said, a mischief glint in her eyes. She threw her arms around Harry's neck and pulled him closer to her. Whispering in a hoarse voice, "I'm still waiting for the first kiss," she closed her eyes and pressed her mouth firmly to Harry's. Harry froze for a moment, drained of his ability to think until luckily, his subconscious stepped in and made him returned the kiss with vigour. Pulling her closer, Harry held Ginny's head gently but firmly in place, enjoying the silky touch of her hair in his hand. He took a deep breath of her flowery scent, closed his eyes and opened his mouth to run his tongue across her upper lip, begging for entrance. Ginny willingly opened her mouth and welcomed his tongue with a soft moan...and the world ceased to exist. An eternity later - just as the necessity to breathe slowly found its way back Harry consciousness, he noticed an increasing tugging on his T-shirt. As the two broke apart, gasping for air, Harry glanced down to look into Teddy's expectant eyes. "Uncle Harry, does that mean I can see Victoire again?" |
| Reviews 7 |
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