Hiding in Plain Sight (A Hinny Fanfiction)

Off Solid Ground

Chapter 6

Arthur kneeled down as if drawing out a plan in the dirt. "You weren't going to Munich to run away. You were running to something, right?" Harry and Ginny looked at each other. When he nodded to Arthur, she did, too.

"It's Dumbledore's mission. The one you were taking Ron and Hermione on. Why you dropped out?"

"Yes, sir. But I... we have more information now. It shouldn't take as long. But the less you know about it, the better," Harry explained.

Arthur laughed. "You don't have to tell me that, dear boy. I found it rather comforting not knowing anything last night. Frustrated Snape to no end, though. That was also comforting. I just wanted to know you two were alright. Everything else, I couldn't think of two more capable young people." Arthur's face turned from jovial to calculating in an instant.

"Can it end the war?"

"It will end the war, Dad," Ginny said with no hesitation.

"Is it still dangerous?" Harry couldn't get around that truth. He nodded slowly again.

"Then you're going to need help, Harry." Ginny beamed, but Arthur raised his hand. "On a few conditions. One, I don't know how you get out of this place. I'm not worried if Kingsley finds out - I'm worried about your mother. I'd be sleeping out in the shed for a year if she finds out I let you two go. So I didn't. You understand?" They both nodded.

"Two, you find a way to contact us occasionally, just to let us know you're alright. I don't know how. I reckon the Floo network and owls will be monitored, especially when it comes to us. I'm sure you can figure something out." Harry shrugged at Ginny. He had a good point.

"Three, if you find yourselves in Romania, tell your brother to write to his mother more often. I tell you, you two, Ron and Hermione are always getting yourselves in danger and being chased by Merlin knows what, but all she can talk about is whether Charlie is eating enough or not."

Ginny smiled wide and gathered her father in a hug.

"Take care of my baby girl, Harry," he said around a stray wisp of red hair.

Harry smiled. "Of course. But don't you have that backwards, sir?"

Arthur looked from one to the other. "Oh, yes, I guess that's right, considering the history. Sweetie, try to make sure this young man doesn't get himself killed." They ended their embrace reluctantly.

"Okay. I've got some paperwork for Kingsley to fill out. I should only be gone a minute," Arthur said with a wink. He turned and exited the door. Harry listened through the metal until he couldn't hear footsteps anymore.

"You sure you still want to go?" Harry asked Ginny.

"Don't tell me you're getting all soft now, Potter," she replied with a smirk.

Harry eased the door open with barely a whoosh of air. Sneaking around Hogwarts after hours had given both Harry and Ginny plenty of practice in walking silently. The hallway remained just as sparse as when they arrived. They came to the end and found Arthur and Kingsley poised over a spare kiosk, handing a quill back and forth, about five feet away. It wasn't enough space to get past them without the Invisibility Cloak. Past them were seemingly endless lines of people waiting to go through tall, open rectangles. Every so often, one of the rectangles would expelled a terrible, shrill noise. Two or three people in uniform would always waddle over to the person standing inside the rectangle and start patting them in inappropriate places. Harry and Ginny retreated into the hallway to reconvene.

"Diversion?" Ginny suggested.

"I don't know. Your dad and Kingsley are too close for me to get a spell off. They would hear the incantation before it even connected."