�Ron, stop it, we�re in a hospital room.�

�We�re in a private hospital room, Hermione.�

�Yes, but that door doesn�t lock.�

Ron sighed and shifted off of the bed. He walked over to the door with his wand and looked at it. She was right.

�Well, how am I supposed to get in some private time with you then?�

Hermione giggled and shook her head. �You�ll just have to wait. We�ll both have to wait. I�ll be able to leave tomorrow.�

�Yeah,� Ron said as he came back to the bed, sitting down on the edge. �But then we have that whole to-do at my parents to sit through. I want you to myself.� He leaned back onto the bed and laid his head in her lap.

�You have the rest of your life with me,� she said as she gazed down at him.

�Hermione, that�s not what-�

Ron was interrupted by the door opening. He smiled as Hermione pulled her bathrobe closer around her and turned around to see his father. Ron sat up, embarrassed.

�Dad- er...�

Arthur shook his head at his son. �It�s alright, Ron. But I�m afraid I have to break this up for other reasons. Hermione, I have some rather disturbing news to tell you.�

�What is it?�

Ron moved to the chair and looked at his dad, who appeared to be upset at something.

Arthur handed Hermione a folder. �Well, of course, as I mentioned, there�s been an inquiry into what exactly happened with the Silphium you take. They spoke with Neville this afternoon and he explained how he gets it in from a special dealer and that they�re the only ones he goes through for that particular-�

Hermione gasped and Ron turned to look at her, but she was looking from the folder to his father.

�This can�t be... I mean, it�s a coincidence, right?�

Arthur shook his head. �I�m not sure, honestly. It does seem a bit... well... dodgy, at any rate.�

Ron frowned. �Would one of you tell me what is going on?�

Hermione handed the folder to Ron. �Well, according to Neville, there�s only one importer that gets in Silphium for him. It�s the Fagan�s.�

Ron read through the folder and then looked at his Dad. �So you mean... Neville gets the herb from... Donald Fagan?�

Arthur shook his head. �Well, Donald doesn�t run the business anymore, actually. He gave it to Louis to run, since the boy was banned from using magic awhile ago, it�s the only place he could really work. They keep a shop down along the waterfront, one of the ones set up to do business with Muggles.�

�But why would Louis Fagan want to hurt Hermione?�

�Oh, Ron, isn�t it obvious? He probably knew we were working on appealing his case to the Wizengamot and wanted me out of the way. His plan worked perfectly too.�

�Now, we don�t know that for sure, Hermione.�

Ron looked at his father. �Yeah, but we can guess. The git. He coated that herb in Pennyroyal on purpose!�

�Ron,� his father said, shaking his head. �How would he know she�s allergic? Neville just places the order through him, it doesn�t say anything else and I�m not sure Neville would have any reason to tell him why he was ordering Silphium. It could have been for anyone. It could have been for Ginny even.�

Hermione sighed. �You�re right of course, but... we can�t prove anything either way, can we?�

�Well, we can send someone over to question Louis, we can do that.�

�Yeah, let me do it Dad.�

�Er, no son, given the circumstances I suspect-�

�I promise I won�t hurt him. Much,� Ron said, making a fist.

Hermione touched his arm. �You�re father�s right. It needs to go through the proper department. If they do find something out, then we need to have all the back-up we can find and not just Louis Fagan with a bloody nose.�

Ron shook his head. �If I find out he did this deliberately, he�ll have more than a bloody nose, I�ll pull his arms-�

Arthur interuptted him. �Ron, please. Try to remember that we can�t go about accusing people of things until we have proof. Especially with the current condition at the Ministry.�

Arthur shook his head at their blank looks. �Donald Fagan is almost a sure replacement for Amelia. She�s been working very closely with him. I admit I haven�t been paying that much attention, since Amelia hasn�t even advised me she�s stepping down yet, but I saw them together tonight and they looked very... well, very thick as theives.�

�But doesn�t Amelia have a right to know that you�re investigating his son?� Hermione asked after a moment.

�We�re going to send someone over to question him. Not investigate. I don�t see any reason why Amelia should know until after I�ve read the report.�

Ron frowned. �That sounds a bit like a cop out, Dad.�

�Ron,� Hermione said as she put her hand on his. �Your dad can�t go around accusing respected people like Donald Fagan. It�s not... proper.�

�We�re not accusing the father, we�re accusing the son.�

Arthur sighed. �Yes, well, the two are connected and Hermione is right. However, I will advise the Wizard Patrol to send someone who is not easily swayed by white lied answers. I want to know exactly how and what Louis did with the Silphium when he got it in.�

Arthur got up and smiled at them. �Now you two go back to having a nice quiet evening together. When do they let you out of this place, Hermione?�

�Tomorrow morning. Esme said I�m to rest for a few days and then I can return to work. But she okayed my visit to the Burrow, so Molly can go ahead with her party plans.�

�I think Molly would have the party here if she needed to. You�ve made your mother extremely happy Ron, with this engagement. I dare say Hermione that she�ll be wanting to plan the wedding any day now.�

Hermione smiled but Ron gulped. �We just got engaged!�

Hermione and Mr. Weasley laughed at him and he felt his skin burn. �Er yeah. Right. Anyway, Dad... thanks for telling us about Fagan.�

�I reckoned it was best I say something. Perhaps if you see Neville again you�ll ask him if he ever mentioned to Louis who he was getting the Silphium for?�

Ron walked his father out and said goodbye to him. He went back into Hermione�s room to see her staring off into space. He smiled.

�Hey, what�s wrong? Besides the fact someone may or may not have tried to poison you?�

Hermione shook her head and looked at him. �There�s something I probably should tell you Ron, but... well. It�s not... look, you have to promise me you won�t go storming out of here.�

Ron didn�t like the sound of that. He frowned and sat down in the chair next to the bed.

�Do you promise?�

�Is it that bad that I need to?�

�Well, I�m not sure, but you may take it the wrong way-�

�Out with it, Hermione. I promise not to go running amok. Here,� he said as he reached into his robe, �hold my wand. I can�t very well go hex someone if I don�t have that.�

He meant it to be funny, but she didn�t smile. Uh-oh, he thought to himself.

Hermione nodded at him and then bit her lip. �Do you remember the other morning when you mentioned Neville�s run-in with Louis Fagan? And I went out to talk to him about testifying at the hearing?�

�Yeah. But you said you never did. I�m assuming it was because he was upset at my sister?�

�Well, yes. That was the main part of why I didn�t. But...well, I had another option to persue, besides Neville, but then I had that fainting spell and...�

�You wound up here. Okay. So... what?�

�Neville had a run in with Louis a few years back because Neville has never liked him very much. In fact, Neville has every reason to abhor him. And it all stems from Ginny�s 7th year.�

Ron didn�t understand. �Why does it start back then?�

�Because, Ron,� Hermione said with a sigh. �Louis Fagan and your sister... well, they were... involved. Do you remember when Harry was leaving and Ginny had that time when she came down with something?�

Ron was confused. �But Ginny was upset with Harry back then, right? And... what do you mean she was involved with Louis Fagan? Is he the reason she took ill?�

�I�m not sure. It might have been... it might have just been Ginny, oh I don�t know. I�ve never really had her talk about it before. But I know that shortly after her and Louis became involved, that�s when she had that... problem. I didn�t find out about this until long after the fact, of course. But Neville knew. And he always disliked Louis after that. Apparently one night Neville ran into Fagan who was out with a friend and they had a bit of a row. I think Neville said they were bothering some girl-�

Ron interupted her, feeling angry that he had been kept in the dark. �How come no one ever told me about Ginny and Fagan?�

�What would you have done? As far as I know, it only happened the one time and he was a bit... well, unrespectful towards her after it. Didn�t you ever wonder why Ginny was so withdrawn after that?�

�I just reckoned it was because of Harry leaving.�

Hermione nodded her head. �That was part of it sure, but Louis went around talking about your sister and I believe she had a very rough time of it for awhile. So when I couldn�t use Neville for the hearing I was thinking about asking Ginny to stand up and say something about him, but then... oh I reckon in retrospect it was a silly idea. I don�t think I�d want to put Ginny through that now anyway. Even though his lack of character regarding the whole thing would have been more than perfect for the point I�d been trying to make to the Wizengamot.�

Ron couldn�t believe it. �So my sister... she, what? She slept with Louis Fagan? The same man accused of tricking Muggle girls into doing things? And then she kept the whole thing quiet after he went around talking about her?�

�Well, Ginny didn�t want to upset anyone, I reckon. She confided in Neville, of course and then later, me, when I wouldn�t leave her alone about what was bothering her.�

Ron stood up. �Well, if that doesn�t... look, I know I�m overprotective towards her but you�d at least think she could turn to her family to help her.�

Hermione sighed. �I think she was just embarrassed by the whole thing. And really, what would have been better? Getting through it as quickly and as quietly as possible or having her brothers swoop down on the school trying to protect her honor? You know Ginny, Ron. She�s very proud. She likes to handle things her own way.�

�Stubborn, more like it.�

�Yes, must be a Weasley trait.�

Ron glanced at her and saw her smile. He scowled. �I just feel... bloody useless all of a sudden. My sister went through this and I didn�t know and she had Neville Longbottom defending her honor. Fagan is very fortunate I didn�t know anything about it. And so help me, if I find out he did have something to do with you getting sick-�

�You�re going to let the Ministry handle it. I will not have you running about trying to avenge Ginny�s honor or some silly thing. It�s the past, Ron. Let it stay there.�

�It�s not the past if he tried to hurt you.�

Hermione sighed. �True. But if that is the case and he did do this to me, well then, we just have to make doubly sure he gets punished for it. You can make sure that I won�t rest until he�s locked up in Azkaban.�

Ron shook his head. He knew she was right, what had happened with Ginny had been a long time ago, but it still bothered him that someone would treat his sister that way. And poisoning Hermione... there was no word to describe the emotion that coursed through him at the thought of that. Louis Fagan had best be careful not to run in to him anytime soon or he�d get first hand knowledge of that other Weasley trait, very intense anger that took the form of a fist.

�We should probably check in at the office, you know,� Ginny said quietly.

Harry opened his eyes and looked at her. Smiling, he reached out and tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

�And why would we want to do that?�

�Because we spent all afternoon...� Ginny paused, turning pink in the face, �Doing non-work releated activities.�

Harry laughed. �Even the wicked have to rest sometime.�

�I doubt someone would call what we�ve been doing resting, Harry,� Ginny moved closer to him and rested her head on his chest. �Although I do feel a bit wicked. Besides... I should check on Dex.�

Harry didn�t say anything and closed his eyes again. He didn�t want to think about the outside world. He knew that was selfish but right now all he wanted was to hold Ginny and maybe get some food to eat... eventually.

�Well, I am hungry,� he admitted a few minutes later.

Ginny giggled and looked up at him.

�What?�

�Nothing,� she said, a coy smile on her face. �We should have went to my flat, at least I have food you could cook.�

�Me? Cook food? Do I look like Ron?�

�Ewww. No, thank goodness,� Ginny said pausing. �Harry, I hope you�re not one of those men who expect women to do all the cooking. That�s horrible.�

�We could get a house-elf.�

Ginny laughed. �Yeah right, and I�d really like to see you explain that one to Hermione.�

�Well, we�d pay them of course.�

Ginny shook her head and he groaned when she pulled away from him. She wrapped the sheet around her and rolled over to the other side of the bed.

�Besides, I�m not sure �we� need anything. I�m hardly living with you am I?�

�That can be arranged. This flat�s big enough. And why are you moving all the way over there?� Harry scooted closer to her and pulled her to him.

�Because I can�t think when you�re being... well, you.�

Harry laughed. �Well, since I can�t seem to stop being me, you�re just going to have to live with it. I know you won�t marry me... yet... but why not move in here, Ginny? I don�t plan on us spending any nights apart.�

Ginny frowned then and shook her head. �Harry, we can�t spend every waking hour together. We�d get sick of each other.�

Harry shook his head back at her. �Nonsense.�

Ginny raised her eye at him. �No, pratical. Couples can�t be together all the time.�

�Ron and Hermione-� he started but she interrupted him.

�Ron and Hermione drive each other crazy as well as the surrounding neighborhood, sometimes, so don�t use them as an example. Besides...� Ginny paused and looked at him doubtfully. �Do you truly want to be with me all the time?�

Harry thought about it. It wasn�t even a question to him. �Yeah, yeah I do.�

�Not very healthy.�

Harry rolled his eyes. �And you�re not very romantic.�

�That�s not true!� Ginny exclaimed.

�So... what? You can�t stand me all of a sudden?�

�Harry, it�s not that. It�s just... look, I can�t explain it. I need to be my own person. I can�t just be Ginny Weasley, sister of Ron, daughter of the Minister, girlfriend of Harry Potter. I want to be my own person too.�

�You are.�

Ginny rubbed at her temple. �Oh can we please not turn this into an arguement? You don�t understand what it means to be the youngest person in a family full of successful people. And it�s worse because I�m a girl.�

�Actually, I sort of like the fact that you�re a girl, Gin.�

She made a face at him. �No, it�s just... it�s like they expect me to get married and have kids and that�s it. Even though they should know better. I know they all rested easy when Neville and I started dating because then they didn�t have to worry about me anymore. It�s like my entire family, with the exception of George and Fred, doesn�t realize that I can take care of myself sometimes.�

Harry took a hold of her hand. � Ginny, I hardly doubt your family expects you to settle down and stop having a life. Besides, I want to take care of you. Why is that a bad thing?�

�It�s not. It�s great, it really is, Harry. And I want to take care of you too. But having me around all the time isn�t going to... well, it�ll drive us crazy, eventually.�

�You�re underestimating your many loveable qualities.�

Ginny sighed. �And you�re not being realistic.�

�Look, Ginny... I know you think I�m just being naive or romantic or I don�t know... idiotic,� Harry paused as she shook her head at him, �but I spent five long years being away from you. And I spent even longer than that not knowing you or being with you. I want to discover every little thing about you. Why is that wrong?�

�It�s not. It�s... it�s wonderful Harry. I just don�t want to be swallowed up by all of this. I was known as the girl who had a crush on you for far too long. And when I got over that, oh Harry... I felt so silly.�

Harry was suddenly curious about something. He looked down at her and tried to keep his voice casual.

�When did you really... you know, get over all that?�

Ginny shook her head. �Probably end of your fourth year, when I met Michael. Although really, what a fool. I was just kidding myself. And then you were such a prat the following year-�

�Hey, I had things to go through-�

�Yes, Harry. I know. I didn�t even like you sometimes that year, I have to admit. But... I realized later that I never stopped loving you.�

Harry sighed. �I wish I�d been nicer to you, I really do.�

Ginny turned her head and looked up at him. �You were always nice. Well, except when you were being a prat to everyone. But you were never mean to me. You just sort of...�

�I ignored you.�

Ginny turned pink and looked away from his eyes. He ducked his head down kissed her cheek.

�Honestly, Ginny, even when I didn�t know I was doing it? I always noticed you were around. You�re hard to miss.�

Ginny shook her head and looked down. He turned her face towards his and kissed her gently on the mouth. If he had to he would make up for every slight and every misunderstanding that had ever occurred between them. He never wanted her to feel like she had in the past. He pulled away from her and smiled.

�And that�s why I want you with me all the time. It�s part of that whole �making amends� thing I was talking about. You didn�t think I just meant for the time of when I ran away did you?�

�You�ve already made your amends, Harry. I have never, in my whole life, felt more loved then I do right now and that�s because of you.�

Harry smiled, his heart catching. �That�s because of the very attentive ministrations I�ve paid you last night and today, no doubt.�

Ginny didn�t answer but blushed and Harry felt what could only be male pride swim through him. He chuckled and Ginny pushed at him. She pulled out of his arms and stood up, wrapping the blanket tighter around her.

�Yes, well... I�m going to get dressed.�

�Well, that is a very unfortunate turn of events. We can have much more fun with you out of your-�

She interupted him with a very cross look. After a moment, she continued.

�I�m going to get dressed and you are going to take me out to a very nice dinner and then we are going to drop by and see my Mum and then we�ll go and see if Dex ever came back to the office.�

Harry groaned. �I�ll trade you one uncomfortable conversation with your Mum for one annoying conversation with Dex.�

�You know, Harry... I really don�t like being the grown up in this relationship all the time. You�re making me feel very prudish just because I don�t want to lay about with you all evening.�

Harry raised an eyebrow. �Who said we�d only be laying about? I had plans.�

�I�m sure,� Ginny walked over to the other side of the bed and picked up the shirt that she�d discarded. She frowned. �Hmm. Maybe I should have rethought that whole button plan. I�ll have to mend this later. Can I borrow another shirt?�

�Be my guest, Ginny. What�s mine is yours...� he said slyly.

She shook her head at him and then went to his closet. He watched her silently for a moment and then shook his head. �Grab a shirt for me then, while you�re at it.�

�Any shirt?� She turned to face him, a smile on her face.

�Er... within reason, of course. But I don�t believe I have any odd pieces of clothing though. Why are you smiling?�

�Oh, no reason,� she said nonchantly. He watched as she pulled something pink out of his closest.

�Oh no you didn�t. I said within reason, Ginny.�

�What�s wrong? I think it�s a very reasonable shirt.�

Ginny had managed to find the one shirt he didn�t like. It was pink and big and very ugly. Harry didn�t even know why he still had it.

Growling, he rolled over and stood up, taking the shirt from her hands. She had a barely suprressed expression of glee on her face.

�What?�

�This shirt is hideous. I don�t even know why I still own it. It�d look better on you.�

�Hardly. Pink and this redhead don�t mix. Besides, you�re the one who had it in his closet, not me. And you said any shirt.�

Harry stared down at the shirt and frowned. �Please, you can�t expect me to really wear this, can you?�

�Can and will, Harry Potter. See you in a bit,� She winked at him and then sauntered away, heading towards the loo.

�You know maybe there�s something to this not spending a lot of time together thing after all.�

Ginny looked through the door opening at him and smiled sweetly. He thought he heard her say something that sounded like �making amends� but he wasn�t sure. She closed the door then and he narrowed his eyes.

She was definitely going to drive him crazy.

In the years since the fall of Voldemort, the Hog�s Head had not experienced a revitalization. In fact, it was still very much the dingy, wrong side of the wand dodgy place it always had been. Strange dealings took place in the pub, and even stranger meetings took place in the back rooms. But no one noticed, or at least, no one seemed to notice and that was what the two men who came in from London, wanted. Still, they both wore the hoods of their cloaks over their faces, as though wanting to keep all light from finding them.

The first man, the stronger one, stared at his companion and narrowed his eyes.

�What�s wrong with you?�

�Nothing. Why would you ask that?�

�You�re nervous.� It was more a statement than a question, and the other man paled.

�Look, I did what you said and no one is any the wiser-�

�And the girl I left? How is she?�

�She�s fine. Still sleeping.�

�Good. I want her nice and rested for later.�

The other man, the one who had always had a distaste for the things his friend did, looked at him and then shook his head again.

�I don�t want to know.�

�Why not? I thought it used to excite you. She agreed to go with me... or should I say you? Rather easy actually. You do have a way with women.�

�Yes, I know. They trust me. But before was different. You�re playing a more dangerous game now, you know. There�s more people to consider.�

�Leave them to me. Or should I say, leave him, to me.�

The other man stared at him. �You�re already going to take care of it?�

�Of course. Would I let you down? I know he�s in your way. Don�t worry. She�ll be yours,� he paused, a small grin breaking out on his face. �Or should I say, ours?�

The man across from him smiled suddenly too. Then he frowned. �You said I could have her first. You promised.�

�Don�t worry, it�ll all go as we planned.�

Looking comforted by this fact the other man nodded and then cast a furtive look around the pub. �I have to be getting back. They�re bound to notice she�s missing.�

�Oh give it a few days.�

�You don�t know her sister, she�s...�

�Don�t worry they�re not going to find her until we want them to. And I haven�t even had a chance to spend some time with her,� he paused, his eyes glittering dangerously. �They didn�t find the other girl until they found our little clue. True, she was much faster than we anticipated, but other than that, it�s happening just the way we planned.�

The other man looked at him, his eyes wide. �Don�t you ever get tired of being right? Aren�t you worried something is going to go wrong?�

Louis Fagan let the hood fall away from his face and he smiled at his companion.

�No, not in the slightest. We�ll have her again, my friend. She�ll be ours. And no one, not even Harry Potter, will stop us.�