Ginny was trying not to be annoyed. Nothing seemed to be going right. Work had been a disaster the last few days. With Harry Kilfurd disappearing, Morgan had been a nightmare, cursing and yelling at everyone. Even Phyllis had been cowed and kept her head down rather than growl back at him. The broomsmiths were threatening to strike if they didn't get an increase in pay, and Ginny was stuck testing their shoddy work all by herself.

Whatever was going on with Harry, he hadn't communicated with anyone. She had a sinking feeling in her gut that she'd pressed too far, flirted just a bit too much and it had put him off her. Even though he'd asked her out, and kissed her, maybe he'd changed his mind after thinking it over more.

She'd had several dreams, too, that didn't settle well, despite Harry's letter reassuring her that he was fine, just incapacitated by a bad run in with some Bulbadox Powder. Supposedly he'd had boils and welts all over his hands and arms for several days and had been sleeping extensively between receiving treatments. She wasn't so sure, but made note to ask George about Bulbadox Powder when she saw him next.

And now she was late-again-to a Weasley family meeting. They'd all been summoned, even Bill and Charlie, and were expected to be at the Burrow for dinner. She was still in her flight kit, hair a mess, and bad attitude in place when she walked in the back door.

The kitchen was full of Weasleys and sundry various others when she arrived. Even Percy was there, which surprised Ginny. She hadn't heard that he was back in England at all. Ginny greeted Hermione and her mother both with a quick hug, skirted around Fred and Bill, nudged Ron in the back sharply for bringing Harry Potter with him, dodged Charlie's attempt to tussle her hair, whispered to George that she needed to talk with him later, kissed her father on the cheek, and kicked Percy in the shin.

The noise level was nearly deafening, but there was something comforting and familiar about it all. Dinner hovered over the table and they all sat down, digging in as conversation flowed. Ginny didn't really feel like participating, but listened in around her, gathering what she could.

"-back in country for a couple of days-"

"-said the shipment might be delayed because of-"

"-house elf liberation legislation-"

"-Cannons lost again-"

"...apples up twenty knuts more a-"

"-Daily Prophet said-"

Her eye caught Percy's and she noticed that he wasn't talking to anyone, either, and he was eating only small bits, moving his food around his plate with his fork. They looked at each other for a long minute before Percy smiled at her. Something in his eyes-deep and troubled-made Ginny's breath catch. There was something going on with him and Ginny wasn't sure she really wanted to know.

Once the food had been consumed and conversation dried up, Ginny's father stood and thumped his cup on the table several times, as he did at the start of every family meeting.

"Thank you for coming. I know that some of you had to travel a fair distance, or rearrange work schedules. Well, we felt it was important enough to pull you away."

"Whatever it is, you've got my vote," Charlie joked as he buttered one last bread roll.

The smile that broke out on her father's face, slow and hesitant, worried Ginny. Whatever he had to say, it was important and likely not good news.

"Percy?"

Everyone was surprised when he turned the meeting over and Percy stood. He didn't smile, didn't straighten like he might lecture at all, even. George nudged Ginny's ankle and nodded to him in question. Ginny answered with a shoulder shrug. She had no idea what this was about.

"Thank you, Father." Percy looked older, and there were creases at the corners of his eyes and mouth. Dark smudges under his eyes indicated he hadn't been sleeping well.

"Somebody not cooperating, Perce?" Fred was the only one to laugh at his own joke.

"Some of you might have noticed that I was out of touch for awhile-"

"Rather," said George dryly.

"Yes, well...it was rather unavoidable. I was on what you might call a fact-finding mission."

"For the ministry?" Hermione's eyebrows lifted and Ginny could see the wheels in her head turning.

Percy hesitated and then shook his head. "No. For the Order of the Phoenix."

A ripple of energy went around the table as people questioned what that was, who Percy was mixed up in. Ginny saw that Bill didn't look completely surprised. Or Ron, either. Harry was staring down at his plate, moving one last roasted carrot back and forth with his fork.

"The Order of the Phoenix was a group formed during the last war to bring about the downfall of...of You-Know-Who."

"Cor." Ginny shook her head as her mind tried to process that. Her brother-prim and proper Percy-was part of a secret group subverting the Ministry and getting mixed up with shady people who were standing up to You-Know-Who. She'd never have guessed it in a million years.

"And I'm only telling you this now because...because we need help. The Order has spies all over the place, people watching, people recruiting, people funding...if you can think of a way to support the war effort, then we've got someone doing it."

"Even Aurors," Ron said quietly. Ginny's eyes snapped to his clouded blue ones and he gave a small nod to her. Harry, looking slightly sick, nodded to her also.

"And Cursebreakers."

Bill was mixed up in all of this too. Ginny could tell from the looks shared between brothers that even they hadn't known the others were involved.

"I"ve heard of them," their father said quietly. "During the last war. The Potter's..." He gave a sympathetic look to Harry, who was staring down at the table. "...the Longbottoms, so many others. They were working behind the scenes to do anything they could."

"Who's leading this group?" Hermione said. "Surely it would be better if it were controlled by the Ministry, or even reported to the Aurors in charge-"

"That's why we don't," Percy said firmly. "Most of us don't even know more than a few people involved, for our own safety, and for theirs."

The wording struck Ginny as funny and she wracked her brain, trying to place it. Hadn't Fred and George's bloke said something similar. She nudged George's leg and mouthed 'your bloke?' to him. George looked as bewildered as Ginny felt.

'Maybe', he mouthed back.

"The Ministry would just complicate things," said Bill. "This isn't something strictly legal, Hermione."

Hermione sniffed primly and tucked her arm into Fred's, who patted her hand supportively. Ginny still didn't get that particular relationship, but who was she to judge.

"Surely you're not participating in illegal activities." Her mother's whispered words, almost a plea, made Ginny ache inside. She could understand the worry, but anything that stopped You-Know-Who, legal or not, made sense in Ginny's mind.

"What do you need from us?" Ginny asked.

Percy was quiet, thinking it over. "Maybe nothing. Maybe just be alert and let me know if there's something you notice that seems out of place-"

"There's more we can do," Charlie said, his face pinched into a scowl. "There's someone…. Well, we call him Inima Neagra in Romania. He's sort of a problem solver. Maybe-"

"Sounds like your Bloke," Ron said, turning to George.

"Might be."

"I don't know anyone like that," Percy said, but there was something in the way he hesitated that made Ginny think there was more to the story.

"Hold on," she said. "Are you talking about the same person?"

Charlie leaned around Ron to look at Ginny. "Tall, rather stooped in the shoulders?"

"No," Fred said. "I'd say shorter, more average height."

"With a beard," Bill said.

"No." Percy shook his head. "Clean shaven."

"Well, that clears things right up," Ginny said with a huff.

"It doesn't sound like the same person at all," said Hermione.

"Maybe so, maybe not." George tilted his head to the side. "Only one way to know for sure. How do you get hold of him?"

Everyone hesitated, looking at each other.

"Wait, how many of you have used this person?" Their father sounded concerned.

"Me," Bill said. "He's the best cursebreaker around."

"Us," both Fred and George said at the same time.

Charlie nodded. "Used him around the reserve when we had some issues."

"I've seen him," Ron said.

Ginny raised her hand slightly. "Me too."

"I've had a run-in with him," said Percy. "And a friend in France has worked with him several times."

An uncomfortable silence descended.

"All of my children are criminals."

A giggle began-Ginny thought it might have started with Fred-at their mother's forlorn pronouncement and rippled around the table.

"In any case," Percy said finally. "I don't think we're to that point, just yet. And Dumbledore will let us know when, or if, we do arrive there."

"Dumbledore?" Harry's derisive snort surprised Ginny. He sounded almost bitter. When she looked at him, however, he had clamped his mouth shut and was staring off out the kitchen window.

"He's the head of the Order," said Percy.

"Don't mind Harry," Ron mumbled. "He's had a tough day at work." Ginny saw Harry flinch and glare at Ron, and she wondered if her brother had pinched his friend to earn such a look.

"Well, I'm in," said Charlie. "Don't know how much used I'll be, though. But I'll keep my eyes open and my ear to the ground in Romania."

"Good." Percy nodded.

"Oh, you know we're in," George said as Fred nodded firmly. "We've got some contacts who might be interested, as well, a few chums from school who have skills to contribute."

"Certainly not any of your reputable friends," Hermione huffed.

"Yes, dear." Fred patted her hand again and Ginny bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Oh, it's fine, Hermione," said George. "None of our friends are reputable, anyway."

"Harry and I are in," said Ron. "Already gave you our answer."

"What about it, Ginny?" Bill asked.

Ginny tilted her head to the side. SHe wasn't sure what she could contribute at all to the Order, but if it meant making sure that her family was safe, she'd do anything.

"Of course, I'm in. Don't be stupid." Bill grinned at her and Percy gave a pleased nod.

They turned to look at their parents, who were silently conferring with each other. "We just want all of our children to be safe," said Mr. Weasley.

"And that includes you, Harry and Hermione, dears," her mother said.

"If this had come about while you were all still in school, I would have said no," their father said. "But you're all adults now."

"Gee, thanks, Dad," Fred said.

"And I have no doubt you'd all be up to it in your eyeballs, no matter what we said anyway." He turned to look at Percy, giving a large sigh. "Whatever your mother and I can do to help."

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"I really am sorry, Ginny."

Blackheart waited for Ginny to respond through his earpiece. He was going to repeat it, just in case she hadn't heard, when she sighed.

"I know. You've said."

They were flying in lazy circles around the pitch. The weather charmers were having some sort of dispute over what conditions to have them fly in, so he and Ginny were taking advantage and just hovering, mostly.

Blackheart felt horrible. He'd been forced to lie to Ginny, and that didn't sit well with him. But he also knew that he couldn't tell her the truth. How would it sound if he were to come out and say, 'sorry I flaked on you, Ginny, but you see I have another identity as a vigilante, and I was magically exhausted after saving the Headmaster of Hogwarts life the other day. Yeah, that would go over well.

"Don't be angry with me. The situation was...unavoidable." While he'd been contrite at the beginning of their day, Blackheart was not becoming annoyed at Ginny's reticence to talk to him, let alone let him explain.

She sighed again. "I really do understand, Harry. I just...I thought we had something, you know."

"I thought we did, too." He fell into a dive, hardly feeling the exhilaration of the move but needing the adrenaline to take the edge off.

She turned to watch him in silence and was staring when he pulled up level with her again.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. He tugged at the earpiece and let it dangle at the side of his neck, preferring to hear her words in real life. "I'm just…" She shook her head. "I'm dealing with some family stress. I shouldn't be taking it out on you."

He felt a little of the frustration slip away. "Anything I can help with?"

"Only if you can off You-Know-Who and end this stupid war," she said flippantly.

Blackheart's stomach climbed into his throat and he forced himself to smirk. "I wish."

They shared an awkward smile and he began to feel a little better. Maybe their misunderstanding was just that, and could be overcome if they could get back to talking like they usually did.

"I do still want to go out, you know."

Ginny's smile brightened. "I'd like that."

"And I know there will be more times that I completely mess this up," he said. "It's pretty much a sure bet, actually. But...I enjoy spending time with you."

"If we can get back to work?" Mr. Morgan's voice boomed over the pitch and Blackheart swore, making Ginny laugh.

"I'm starting to hate him."

They flew to their starting positions, sneaking looks at each other throughout the entire testing flight.

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Harry Potter watched the Aurors receive their assignments for the day, one by one leaving headquarters and going out to the field to work. He'd be staying in, doing paperwork. Again. He knew that Robards hated him, and that his attitude was to blame for it all, but he also couldn't help it. Nobody else had a horrible prophecy hanging over them the way that Harry did. Nobody understood, and it made him hate them all just a little bit. Even Ron had been annoying him lately, with his cheery attitude and excitement over being included in the stupid Order of the Phoenix. What good was the secret organization when Harry knew it was really him that had to end You-Know Who?

Of course, he hadn't told anyone, although the burning need was growing. There was new speculation everyday in the papers. Death Eater attacks were growing at an alarming rate and people were looking for a savior. Harry didn't want to be one. He just wanted to fade into the background and let someone else take care of things. But that damned prophecy changed everything, didn't it?

And he was torn. He wasn't ready to die for everyone, but he also didn't feel like he had a choice. His friends were willingly putting themselves on the line to stop a madman, and there was little to no hope of them succeeding unless Harry stepped up. His knees shook just thinking about it.

And Dumbledore was becoming an increasingly painful thorn in his side. He had begun sending owls with supportive messages, and was now sending more demanding missives. He expected Harry to just step up and deal with the situation. No training. No idea on even how to do it!

He had half a mind to simply disappear!

Even as the thought entered his mind, he felt bad. He couldn't do it, could he? There were people counting on him, even if they didn't know he was The Chosen One. They expected him to be there as a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and as an Auror. He was their friend.

All of it was leaving him confused and horribly conflicted.

Seeing Ginny the other night hadn't helped. She seemed to not really see him at all, anymore, as if he were simply one of her brothers, or even less, at times. It made him angry. How dare she ignore him completely. And lie to him! Ron had admitted that the whole Neville situation was untrue. He called it a misunderstanding, but Harry could read between the lines. Ginny hated him, was disgusted by his affection for her, and had come up with a lie on the spot to avoid spending any time with him. And she'd used Neville Longbottom to do it!

It all settled low in his belly, seething and churning, making Harry feel desperate and forlorn at the same time.

He'd decided to confront Ginny once and for all, to force her to listen to his side of things and see if she'd at least give him a chance.