Secret Love

Chapter 18: Secrets Revealed

The Hogwarts Express rattled along the tracks, the familiar sound of wheels on rails filling the compartment as the countryside flew by outside the window. Harry leaned back in his seat, absently twisting the silver band of his wedding ring between his fingers. It had become a habit of his ever since the summer—whenever his mind wandered, his fingers would find the ring, gently turning it as if to remind himself that this was real, that he and Ginny were bonded forever.
Ginny sat beside him, her head resting on his shoulder, gazing out of the window. It had been a long, emotional summer for them both, and returning to Hogwarts almost felt like stepping back into normal life, except nothing felt normal anymore. Not when they were married, not when the shadow of Voldemort loomed large over everything.Harry continued to fiddle with his ring, his thumb brushing against the smooth metal surface when something strange caught his eye. He squinted, tilting the ring in the light. At a certain angle, just barely visible, he noticed faint writing etched into the inside of the band. His heart skipped a beat. He hadn't noticed it before, and it seemed almost invisible unless the light hit it just right."Ginny," Harry said softly, trying not to disturb the peaceful silence of the compartment, but unable to contain his curiosity. "Look at this."Ginny stirred, sitting up and blinking at him. "What is it?"Harry held up his hand, showing her the ring. "There's writing on the inside. I've never seen it before."Ginny furrowed her brow and leaned closer to examine it. She reached out and took his hand, gently turning the ring on his finger until the hidden writing was visible. Her eyes widened in surprise."Do you know what it says?" Harry asked.Ginny shook her head. "No, but... it looks like there's only part of it here. Maybe it's supposed to be completed with my ring?"They exchanged a look of realization, and without hesitation, Ginny slipped her own ring off and handed it to him. Harry placed the two rings side by side, aligning them so that the faint script continued from one band to the other. Slowly, the writing began to make sense, forming complete sentences, but it was written in a language neither of them could understand."What language is this?" Harry asked, squinting at the strange symbols and curves of the letters.Ginny shrugged, looking just as puzzled as he was. "I've never seen anything like it. Maybe it's some kind of ancient magic?"The intricate writing glowed faintly, almost as if it was alive, but the meaning was lost to them. Whatever message was hidden in their rings, it was still a mystery."We should ask someone about this," Ginny suggested, taking her ring back and sliding it onto her finger. "Maybe Professor Flitwick or Dumbledore would know. Or we could even look in the Hogwarts library."Harry nodded, though his mind was already whirring with thoughts of what the writing could mean. There was something about it, something powerful, that made his skin tingle. It was another layer to their soulbond that they hadn't yet uncovered.As they sat in contemplative silence, a soft *whoosh* broke the quiet of the compartment. Both of them looked up to see a folded copy of the Daily Prophet magically appear in mid-air before landing neatly on the seat across from them. Harry's heart sank instantly. The Daily Prophet showing up uninvited was never a good sign, and sure enough, the front page headline hit him like a brick."Harry Potter is Married to Ginny Weasley!" screamed the bold letters across the front page. Beneath it was a large moving photograph of the two of them—Harry and Ginny—walking hand-in-hand out of Gringotts earlier that summer, the rings on their fingers clearly visible.Harry's stomach twisted in irritation. "How did they find out?"Ginny's eyes narrowed as she scanned the article. "We've been so careful... I don't understand."He flipped through the pages, seeing more pictures and details about their marriage, much of it exaggerated or outright false. The article speculated on everything from the nature of their soulbond to rumors about the Potter family fortune. The media, always hungry for sensational stories, had clearly latched onto this one."This is ridiculous," Ginny muttered, folding her arms. "We wanted to keep it private, and now they've splashed it all over the front page."Harry sighed, tossing the paper onto the floor. He had learned long ago that there was no escaping the constant attention from the press, but it still bothered him. He glanced over at Ginny, knowing that this was the last thing she had wanted—to have their personal lives exposed like this."I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't want this for us."Ginny smiled gently, taking his hand in hers. "It's not your fault, Harry. We'll get through it. Let them gossip. We know what's real."Just as Harry was about to respond, the door to their compartment slid open with a bang. Standing in the doorway was none other than Draco Malfoy, flanked by his usual cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. His smirk was as irritating as ever, and his cold, grey eyes flickered to the newspaper lying on the floor."Well, well, well," Malfoy drawled, crossing his arms as he leaned against the doorframe. "Looks like the *Daily Prophet* got it right for once. Is it true, Potter? Are you really married to Weasley?"Harry's jaw clenched. He had no patience for Malfoy today, especially not after the morning's revelations. "What's it to you, Malfoy?"Malfoy sneered, taking a step into the compartment. "I'm just curious, that's all. You'd think someone like you would have better taste. But I suppose even the great Harry Potter isn't above marrying the first girl who throws herself at him."Ginny shot up from her seat, her wand already in her hand, her eyes blazing with anger. "Say one more word, Malfoy, and I'll hex you into next week."Malfoy raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the reaction he'd provoked. "Temper, temper, Mrs. Potter. It's not very becoming."Harry stood up as well, standing protectively beside Ginny, his own wand now drawn. "Get out, Malfoy, before you say something you'll regret."Malfoy seemed to consider it for a moment, his eyes flicking from Harry to Ginny and back again. Then, with a shrug, he turned to leave. "Whatever you say, Potter. Just remember, not everyone in the school will be as thrilled about your little marriage as you two are."With that, he sauntered out, Crabbe and Goyle lumbering after him. The door slid shut behind them, leaving Harry and Ginny alone again.Ginny let out a frustrated sigh, collapsing back into her seat. "I can't believe him. He's never going to stop, is he?"Harry shook his head, his hand still gripping his wand tightly. "No, but he's not worth it. We'll deal with him if we have to."Ginny smiled weakly. "I suppose you're right. But Merlin, I'm going to hex him one of these days."They sat back down, the mood in the compartment considerably darker than it had been before. Harry reached for Ginny's hand, squeezing it tightly."We'll figure this out," he said quietly. "The writing on the rings, the press, Malfoy—everything. We've been through worse."Ginny nodded, leaning into him. "As long as we're together, we can handle anything."They sat like that for a while, the train rumbling beneath them as it carried them closer to Hogwarts. Outside, the sky was beginning to darken as evening approached, the sun dipping low on the horizon. The school was only a few hours away now, and soon they would be back in the thick of things—classes, Quidditch, and the ever-growing threat of Voldemort.But for now, in the quiet of the train compartment, Harry and Ginny took comfort in each other's presence, knowing that whatever the future held, they would face it together.