Harry Potter and the Year After

Chapter Twenty-four: The Leaky Cauldron

Chapter 24: The Leaky Cauldron

That evening after dinner, Harry left for the Leaky Cauldron. He hadn't told them he was going to meet Ginny, and yet before they left, Hermione had whispered into Harry's ear, "Please be kind to her. She's as nervous as you are."

And Ron had clapped Harry on the shoulder multiple times, seemingly out of nowhere.

Harry sat in the corner of the Leaky Cauldron furthest from the door, near the stairs. The place was fairly busy for a Thursday evening. While he waited, a woman, who was probably about forty or so, asked for his autograph. She had him sign her copy of Hogwarts, A History. He found it funny since he'd never actually read the thing. He didn't tell her that.

And then he found himself wondering if it wasn't because of what happened with Nagini and Bathilda Bagshot. He decided he'd rather not think too much about it.

When Ginny entered, he noticed immediately. Her red hair caught the light in the bar in a way that made it look like glowing fire embers. His heart ached just looking at her.

When she looked his way as she searched the crowd, he held up a hand and waved to her. She saw him and started weaving her way through the crowd between tables. As she passed between close tables and chairs, her skirt would catch on the furniture and cause the material to raise up and then flutter back down to her knees again. Harry couldn't help but watch her pale knees and thighs appear and disappear as she progressed toward him

After she sat down across from him, a waitress came to Ginny's side.

"What can I get you?"

"A butterbeer, please," Ginny said without looking away from Harry. The waitress walked away.

"So that letter I wrote to you," Harry started. He had a hard time meeting her gaze. Her face was hard and seemed to be full of light, like a blazing sun.

He didn't know what he wanted to say to her now. This meeting was beginning to seem like a bad idea. "Look, I don't expect you to explain anything to me. I just wanted to see you. I want to be your friend."

"Harry, I--"

"I've been sort of low lately and not making great decisions. But I want to change that. I want to move on in my life... I think if you and I are at least speaking to each other then that's somewhere to start."

"You want to move on?" Ginny repeated.

"I want to move on from this past year and all the fall out. I want to figure out what my life is going to be. We'll be having classes at Hogwarts together and I don't want us to have to hide from one another because you think I can't handle seeing you. Because I can."

"Oh." Ginny's butterbeer arrived and she immediately took a sip of it, seemingly for something to do. "Okay."

"Right." Harry tried to make himself smile but didn't quite manage it.

"Your letter was very moving." Her hair fell forward over her shoulder as she leaned toward Harry.

"Thanks." He couldn't take his gaze from her hair. He had to fight the urge to reach forward and touch it.

"When you mentioned Teddy and wanting to have children someday... you said you thought of me and wanted to talk... It made me think you wanted to get back together."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like that." Harry's voice was flat. He glanced around the room, desperately hoping to find something to distract him. It was hard to have her this close. He hadn't expected it.