The Real Memory

The game against Uruguay on March 1st arrived before Harry knew it. Now that he no longer dwelled on the past time seemed to fly by. His days were filled with practice and his evenings were filled with Ron and Hermione. Either he was with them or he was reading Hermione's articles. Her ideas were so logical that they even began to sway him if he was on the opposing side of the argument.

It had been after a team interview for the upcoming game that Harry came to a realization. If he dropped Hermione's name a couple of times people would begin to look up her articles more, which would help his friends, Ron wouldn't have to do as much overtime.

He had spent the time between the interview and the game thinking up ways to casually mention her name in his next interview.

The game went well, they won, 2-1. Harry was in a good mood as he left the locker room and saw Ron, Hermione, and Ginny waiting against the wall.

Ron and Hermione were covered in the team colors; even Hermione's blanket was white and red. Harry grinned at them and said, "Hey there," before turning his attention on Ginny.

She was even more beautiful than he remembered, it wasn't hard to set aside her other self and focus on the woman in front of him. Her hair had darkened a little bit, so it was more a deep red rather than bright red. It suited her magnificently.

She was wearing boots, jeans, and a worn jacket. Around her neck was a high-end camera and hanging at her side was a satchel bag that looked to contain notepads.

Her bright brown eyes met Harry's emerald green ones and he lost all of his breath. She was amazing.

"Great game, Harry!" Ron said enthusiastically.

Hermione seemed to be more aware of the sparks flying between Ginny and Harry than Ron did. She stepped in, metaphorically speaking, and gave introductions, "Harry, this is Ron's little sister, Ginny Weasley. Ginny, this is our friend, Harry Potter."

Harry felt nervous, he wanted to hug and kiss her, but he knew that wasn't appropriate. She didn't know they had dated in another world, another set of memories.

Ginny seemed to figure out what to do first, she smiled and stuck her hand out, "Nice to meet you."

Harry grinned back at her as he shook her hand, "You too."

The instant their hands touched, sparks seemed to fly, even Ron noticed it this time. His eyes narrowed in a slight scowl that was only chased away when Hermione reached over and touched his thigh. He looked down to see her smiling up at him. At that moment he knew, that if he had to watch his sister fall in love with someone, Harry was probably one of the better choices.

XXX

Over the two and a half weeks leading up to Ron and Hermione's anniversary party Harry became intimately acquainted with Ginny.

After the game the four of them had gone to a party thrown by one of his teammates. Afterwards Harry had somehow ended up taking Ginny home. As he dropped her off she asked him if he wanted to get dinner some time. He'd been unable to refuse, and so he'd gone home alone, with her phone number clenched in his fist.

They had their first date the next night.

Their second date was only two nights later.

By the day of the Anniversary Party they realized their relationship probably was here to stay. There was just something there that felt permanent, as if they were designed to be together.

The two of them took the train to Ottery St. Mary on the morning of the party together. Ron and Hermione had gone down the night before, they didn't have work or practice, since Ron had taken the 17th, 18th, and 19th off of work and Hermione made sure she had no deadlines around that time.

Just as they were boarding the train Harry heard a semi-familiar voice yell out, "Ginny! You're on this train too?"

Harry and Ginny turned to see Fred and George walking up, with duffle bags slung over their shoulders. Ginny's eyes narrowed, "You can't fool me, you knew I was on this train. Mum told you last night, didn't she?"

The twins shrugged and gave their sister matching grins.

"Well, if that was true-"

"-would we tell you?"

"No," Ginny grumbled before making introductions. "Harry, this is Fred and George. They're the ones that own the joke shop in Notting Hill."

"Nice to meet you," Harry said pleasantly as he tried to keep a straight face. He'd forgotten how entertaining the twins were. Granted, he'd forgotten on purpose, just like he'd forgotten everything else. Well, as close to forgetting as one could get when he was reminded everytime he looked in the mirror and saw the scar on his forehead.

"Good to meet you too, mate." Fred said as he pushed past them and onto the train.

George looked him up and down before following his twin. As he past Harry he commented, "You're much bigger on TV."

Ginny started to flare up at this comment, but Harry's chuckle stopped her. He was too glad to see Fred alive that he didn't mind them poking fun at him. He was a stranger dating their only sister after all.

The four of them got a private compartment, having all paid for first class tickets. Harry had paid for Ginny's upgrade himself because he couldn't ride in the regular coaches, it always lead to awkward conversations and sometimes scary encounters.

Fred and George had gotten first class tickets just because they could. Their business was just as successful as it had been in Harry's Magic Memories.

At the thought of his Magic Memories Harry did a little start and got a conversation started about what Ginny had been working on the day before. She'd been interviewing some boxers for an article she had to finish by Monday.

Before he knew it the train was pulling into the station at Ottery St. Mary. Harry felt as if the very air was humming with excitement. He couldn't wait to spend the day with the Weasleys.

Mr. Weasley was waiting for them with a rather familiar looking Ford Anglia.

After greetings and introductions the five of them were packed into the car, it was so tight that Ginny was almost on Harry's lap. He didn't mind too much though, in fact, that's why he insisted on giving the front seat to one of the twins.

Mr. Weasley drove them through town and then down some narrow dirt roads to an old farmhouse with a huge barn. There was a hallway connecting the barn and the farmhouse.

"There's the Burrow," Ginny said affectingly in Harry's ear. "It's been in my father's family for generations, but the barn wasn't finished and attached to the main house until recently."

"It looks amazing," Harry commented. The Burrow was so different from his Aunt and Uncle's neat, but caring, house or his stylish, but empty, flat.

The Burrow seemed to practically glow from all the love and memories that had been poured into it. If there had been magic here Harry would've expected the house to be as protected as Hogwarts.

"It is amazing," Ginny said proudly as she clambered out of the car after Harry. "When Mum got pregnant with Percy they realized the house wasn't big enough, so they began work on the barn and the corridor. By the time he was a year old it was completed. Father got all of his Dungeon and Dragons buddies to help him. He may be good at a fantasy game, but he's also good with tools."

"Dungeons and Dragons?" Harry asked in shock, trying to fight images of Mr. Weasley declaring that his vacuum wielding Electrician would be throwing sparkplugs at a dragon.

"Yeah, he's been obsessed with the game since it came out in the early eighties. He has a group of about eight people that play every Friday night. I think that's why Fred and George sell magic tricks at their joke shop." Ginny said with a sigh as they grabbed their bags and trooped inside.

Harry thought on it some as they went inside. It really did make sense that Mr. Weasley was a fan of magic in this world and good with basic tools, which was the exact reverse of what he had been in Harry's Magic Memories after all.

Harry mentally kicked himself for bringing up the past. If he dwelt on it too much the nightmares would return.

Mrs. Weasley greet them at the door, she was just as cheerful as before. Harry adored her treatment of him in a way. She never considered him to be more special than any of her own children, which made him comfortable.

He ended up with a small room to himself in the converted barn. It was a simple room, decorated with a rustic farmhouse charm.

Harry felt instantly at home.

The party that evening was one of the best of Harry's life. No matter what past he looked at. There was more food than they could ever eat. The only downfall was that Harry met all sorts of people that made him want to dwell in the past.

There were the Weasleys' neighbors – the Lovegoods and the Diggorys. Harry got to listen to an interesting conversation between Percy and Luna. She kept telling him that garden gnomes were real, he said that was stupid. The way she described them was scarily accurate, it made Harry wonder if the imaginary creatures she mentioned in his Magic Memories were real in some other world.

This thought made him a tad nervous, which made him push the memories further back; he didn't want them to ruin his fun.

Harry received a happy shock when he saw Tonks and Lupin. Lupin had been Hermione's favorite professor and mentor during college. It had been the two of them, along with Ron, that had kept Hermione going after her mugging. It did sadden Harry a little when he realized that this Lupin hadn't known his father at all.

Tonks' hair was a hot pink, but Harry could only assume that was from a bottle, not from magic.

The evening finally came to a close with Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione sitting around the kitchen table drinking beers and laughing about Percy blowing up at Luna when she told him that he was actually part devil, which was why he had the red hair.

As they continued to talk Harry slipped his hand into Ginny's under the table. She gave his hand a light squeeze when he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Harry realized at that moment that the past didn't really matter, only the present, which would lead to the future. And this present didn't have Voldemort, Hogwarts, wands, horcruxes, hallows, or magic. It only contained family, friends, soccer, and Ginny.

Maybe he'd worry about the past later, once the present was perfect.