Ginny Weasley Potter (gunpwdr_treason) wrote in whatprice, @ 2009-06-03 23:48:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | dean thomas, ginny weasley |
Reunion of Old Friends
Who: Dean Thomas and Ginny Potter
When: Saturday, 23 May, afternoon
Where: Potter farm, Snowdonia
What: Catching up after too much time away.
Dean realized that his memory apparently wasn't as good as he thought it was as he again stopped in his tracks and tried to find the path that he knew led to the cottage tucked into the wilderness of Wales. While it was starting to grate on his nerves, Maya was certainly enjoying the experience, bounding about around him, her tail wagging a mile a minute as she kept whimpering and yipping in excitement, begging to be allowed to wander farther through the wilderness in order to explore all the interesting green landscape. Putting on hand on his hip, he ran his other over his newly shaved head, the sensation of skin touching scalp so easily still odd after over a year of tangled hair. He swore it wasn't this difficult to get to the cottage before, but then it had been awhile...
Hearing a pitiful whimper, he looked down to see Maya sitting beside him, her butt wriggling on the ground and paws doing a little tap dance as she looked up at him with her best pitiful look. "Trust me, the actual farm is much better. Although mind what I've told you about the chickens. You don't want to see Gin angry, especially when the anger is at you," he reminded the golden colored 'dog'. "Now can't you do some good and use that nose of yours to find the way?"
There was a rustling sound from the end of the... well, it hadn't precisely been a path, but it seemed obvious now that it was clear where it meant to lead... as a curtain of vines on an ivy-draped oak parted to reveal a tousled mane of vivid red. "Dean!" Ginny called cheerfully. "I thought I'd heard someone poke the wards. C'mon, we're just this way." She held the ivy to one side and beckoned him on. "And hullo, gorgeous!" she added to his canine companion.
Dean jumped a bit in surprise when the ivy parted before relaxing and a wide grin spreading across his face at the sight of the familiar red-head. "Ginny, you're a sight for sore eyes," he said warmly, wrapping his arms around her in a friendly bear hug when he reached her side. "It's been far too long." Laughing when he saw Maya circling about them, warily dancing on the tips of her paws, he gestured to show her it was alright to come over. "Oh come over, you. You haven't done anything that would make her angry yet."
"Ahh, but it was sensible to warn... her," Ginny said with a laugh, finishing the sentence only when the dingo's circling gave Ginny a good enough look at the relevant bits to be sure of the pronoun. She returned Dean's hug with a fierce squeeze of her own, then released him to drop into what she hoped was a non-threatening squat, holding her hand out palm-up to let Maya get her scent. "What's your name, pretty girl?" she asked, then added to Dean, "And how long have you had her?"
Dean nodded at the correct choice in pronoun, chuckling deep in his throat when Maya very carefully approached Ginny to sniff her hand. "Her name is Maya," he said with a note of amusement in his voice. "Considering I remembered you having chickens and the like, I gave her a good talking to about what is Maya food and what is Ginny food. Apparently she actually paid attention and figured I wasn't teasing her." His eyes scrunching closed slightly and his mouth quirking sideways, he rubbed his hand over his head in thought. "Little over a year maybe? I took her on when she was just a pup."
"Hullo, Maya," Ginny said softly, not wanting to spook the dingo. She did not presume to pet her unless and until Maya gave clear indications that such attentions would be welcome. "Clever girl, to work out what you were on about with only a talking-to. Or maybe I'm just so scary in person that it's any sensible being's first instinct to be wary." She looked up at Dean with a mad grin. "Speaking of Maya food and Ginny food, are you hungry? It's possible we can dig up something that would pass as Dean food."
"She hasn't even seen your Quidditch face. She can't really know you to be that scary until she sees that," Dean teased before nodding towards Ginny. "Go on girl." He breathed out a sigh of relief when the dingo wagged her tail and proceeded to lick every inch of the hand offered to her. "Dean food sounds brilliant, although Dean food can just be some biscuits. Nothing too extravagant."
Ginny laughed as wet dingo-tongue tickled her fingers, and reached out to give Maya's ears a good scritch. "I think that can be arranged," she said, came to her feet again, and linked an arm through Dean's to lead him to the house.
"I hope you'll excuse the mess," she said as they took the path past the barn and to the old farmhouse. The grounds in front of the house were dotted with picnic tables, and the side-yard looked as though it was in the process of having debris cleared from it. "We're gearing up for Teddy's party, and... I dunno, it just feels so good to have something constructive to do that ends in fun, you know?" She took the steps to the front door two-at-a-time to keep up with Dean's long strides, and held the door open for him and Maya, gesturing them toward the large wooden table that sat between the comfortable living room and the large kitchen.
Dean chuckled deeply as he moved towards the table. "It's hardly a mess, Gin. But then you're talking to the man who spent the past year in the middle of a desert," he teased as he sat down at the table. "Considering all the news I've been caught up on, it seems like we could all do with a reason to get together just for fun." Resting his hand on the top of Maya's head when she sat down next to him, he leaned back in his chair, stretching his legs out as far as he could. "How is Teddy doing? Is he excited about this party?"
"He is, yeah." Ginny smiled fondly. "He's growing like a weed, he'll read anything that will hold still long enough, and he's doing a remarkable job of keeping me sane." She moved to the icebox and began pulling out the makings of sandwiches, which she assembled seemingly by reflex as she talked. "It'll be interesting to see how he interacts at the party. He's... not shy, exactly, but... he's not really what I'd call a party animal, either. And... well. It's been a while since he's been in anything like a large gathering, and most of those have been made up almost entirely of Weasleys. But he does like people. Almost as much as he likes animals." She cut a chicken sandwich in half, put it on a plate with some crisps and a handful of chocolate biscuits, and handed it to Dean. "Some cold chicken for Maya?"
"I think I may have to draw a doodle of Teddy going book hunting now," Dean teased with a chuckle. "It really is a good image." Taking the plate from Ginny, he nodded in thanks. "I'm sure he'll do fine at the party. If he can handle a gathering of Weasleys, I'm sure he can handle anything a party will throw at him. And if not, there'll be enough people about that he can likely sneak off without anyone noticing. As long as he remembers to make his hair a duller color than turquoise." Taking a bite of his sandwich, he glanced at Maya and his mouth quirked up in amusement as the dingo's tail started wagging a mile a minute at the smell of the meat. "You will be her best friend for life if you give her some," he said with a chuckle before looking worriedly at Ginny. "And how are you doing? If you're not in the mood to talk about it, you can tell me to shove off."
Ginny gave a noncommittal half-shrug, but she was smiling; it was hard to be uptight about even the most sensitive conversational topics when there was a happy dingo wagging its tail in one's kitchen. She moved back to the counter and began cubing chicken into a bowl, giving herself a few moments to sort her thoughts. "I'm... all right, I suppose. I think the phrase is 'as well as could be expected under the circumstances'. Haven't killed anyone yet. Even if I really wanted to, there for a while." She brought the bowl back to the table and set it on the floor for Maya. "As I said, the boy keeps me sane." She met Dean's gaze and gave him a rueful smile.
"Not killing anyone is always good," Dean said with a small smile. "And I think a lot of people are in the same boat of alright." After watching in amusement as Maya happily pounced the bowl of meat for a moment, he reached over to give Ginny's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "From the sounds of it, he deserves a smashing gift for his party then. Does he have his heart set on anything specific?"
"You mean, besides a dragon of his very own?" Ginny smiled wryly. She laid her hand on Dean's, there on her shoulder, and her expression grew wistful. In a softer voice, she said, "Really what he wants is to get to go to Hogwarts."
"I could give him a drawing of every breed of dragon there is, but it really isn't the same thing at all. That would be more up your brother's alley anyways, wouldn't it? I'd hate to steal his glory." Sliding his chair away from the table a bit, he patted his knee lightly, offering her his lap as a seat if she wanted it, but knowing better than to try to pull her into contact like that considering the time apart and what she'd been through. "Would another school fill the need or does he only want Hogwarts?" he asked softly. "Although I suppose sending away your sanity to another country isn't the best option right now."
It took Ginny a moment to figure out that the offer of his lap was meant for her and not Maya; clearly, it had been a while since anyone had made such an offer to her. She hesitated for an instant, but then stepped out of her garden clogs and perched lightly on Dean's knee, resting her toes against his other ankle for balance. He could feel the tension in her legs. "He hasn't asked about any other schools, and I haven't brought it up. If he wanted to go... I'd certainly consider it. It would do him some good to spend time around other kids his age." She took one of the biscuits from Dean's plate and took a small bite. "I've been considering taking on some other students here, actually. Mostly for potions and defence, plus whatever lessons I could get other interested adults to pitch in on."
Very tentatively and slowly, Dean moved his hand to rub Ginny's back lightly, ready to pull away at the first sign that the contact wasn't welcome. "Taking on other students here would certainly give Teddy a bigger social group... Although do you think that would help you or cause you more stress? Imagine getting someone like Malfoy in your classes..." He gave a little dramatic shudder. "Or Hermione for that matter, no offense meant to her of course." Reaching past Ginny to grab a biscuit, he munched on it a moment before looking curiously at Ginny. "What sort of defence are you thinking of teaching them?" he asked very softly.
"I figured it wouldn't be so different from what we did in the DA -- mostly hands-on, practical stuff, which is what I'm best at. And those kinds of lessons can be adjusted for classes with lots of different skill-levels, just by dividing everyone into work-groups. I wouldn't mind having a student like Hermione in a class like that, actually; once she got it, I could count on her to help the weaker students -- whether they wanted the help or not, I'm sure...." Ginny smiled fondly at the thought of her friend in her student days; but after a moment her expression sobered.
"I'd... thought I might include some non-magical work as well. Just in case. Ted and I have been practicing with bow and arrows -- although I'm not sure he's worked out yet just why I thought it was a good idea." Ginny looked at Dean gravely. "Have you heard that the muggles -- whoever's been attacking us, I mean -- have been working on anti-magic devices?" Unconsciously, she leaned a little into his touch.
"Just as long as the Hermione in your class is willing to teach rather than point out what you may be doing wrong, you'll be set," Dean joked softly before nodding. "If you need any help with the DA sort of thing, feel free to contact me. Or if you just want to have something a bit lighter and teach the kids how to finger paint or draw two point perspective. I'm not sure how well I can actually teach that last bit, but I can at least supervise some art time."
"I may take you up on that," Ginny said. "Well, if this school idea gets off the ground. So far it's really just in the thinking stages."
Nodding, he pressed his hand more firmly against Ginny's back. "Seamus mentioned the anti-apparation devices... Has there been talk about any other anti-magic devices?"
Ginny shook her head. "Nothing I've heard of, but... if they can manage the one, it seems only a matter of time before they work out others, you know? Best to be prepared. Just...." She sighed and ran her fingers roughly through her hair. "How d'you explain to an eleven-year-old boy that what you're preparing for is to stick arrows into the neighbours, if it comes to that?"
"I reckon even if you don't explain it, he'll get the idea of it," Dean said softly as he moved his hand up to squeeze her shoulder reassuringly. "After all, we realized it eventually, didn't we? Without any adults telling us that it was how the world was." He breathed out a sigh before smiling warmly at Ginny. "He'll understand protecting you and himself... Considering his parents and grandparents, I think that might not take too much explanation. Well... not to much explanation depending on what you've already told him about wizarding history that is..."
"I try to be honest with him, but sometimes it's hard without giving him too much of a ---" Ginny trailed off, frowning, unsure quite how to articulate what she meant. She tried again: "For example. It's not like we're best chums with our neighbours, but we do make it to the farmer's market down the road sometimes. We went this morning, and old Mrs. Gwyllim, who makes the best plum jam--- Ted asked after her husband, and... he died, during the winter. And Bear, in his kind-hearted and generous way, offered to bring her one of our very friendly kittens to keep her company. And all I can think is, the reason those kittens are so friendly and clever is that they are in all likelihood part kneazle, and what would happen if someone who knew what they were looking at figured that out? What would happen to Mrs. Gwyllim, and what would happen to us?" She sighed and closed her eyes. "Except for that one tiny detail, though, what Teddy wants to do is absolutely the right thing, and I.... Well, it's been a long time since I was able to trust like he does. I guess I don't want him to have to lose that, yet. You know?"
"It's difficult to find the balance between allowing him that youthful innocence and making sure he's as safe as he can be." Dean rubbed his hand in a soothing circle over her back. "It will be tough either way. If you let him have his innocence, you'll have to accept the responsibility of cleaning up whatever messes he may find himself in. Did he know about the kittens parentage when he offered them? Was it an honest lack of knowledge, a slip, or did he think that the kneazle part wasn't noticeable enough to be worth the risk?" Breathing out a heavy breath, he shook his head. "And then there's the problem with properly preparing him. No matter how much you talk to him and inform him, he'll likely slip up anyways. He is only a kid after all."
"I know." Ginny sighed again. "And I do talk to him -- about why we spend so much time here, and so little out among other people, especially muggles. About how he needs to be extremely careful of his magic when he's out there. About how some muggles are very afraid of magic -- and just like animals, people can become very dangerous when they're afraid." She shook her head. "I dunno quite everything he was thinking when he offered the kitten -- and anyway, we aren't really certain of the kittens' sire, although we do have some good evidence -- but I feel sure that whatever else he might've thought was simply overwhelmed by it being the nice thing to do for someone he cares about."
Dean nodded as he thought for a long moment. "Maybe you can keep his innocence a bit more by giving him more chances to be with Muggles who aren't threatening. So that he can understand the world he lives in and what he needs to do, but also knowing that it isn't the norm. That he needn't be afraid of everyone who isn't a wizard if he trusts them well enough."
"Maybe, but...." Ginny frowned. "Even as I'd be keeping Ted safe by only letting him be with 'safe' muggles, I'd be putting those muggles at risk for associating with wizards. I mean...." She looked at Dean with concern. "Don't you worry about your family? That they're in danger, with things as they are now?"
"I worry about them, but I can't change the danger they're in either," Dean said with a sigh. "They'll always be my family and even if I felt the desire to take away every memory of mine from their heads so they couldn't be threatened for it, they'd still be in danger just because I'd still be their brother and son. Someone would trace things back to them eventually. The only safety they have is that Thomas isn't that distinct a last name." He gave a wry smile. "But then I guess my family was also in trouble during the second war. Even if I was on the run and not bringing attention directly to them, they were still in that little bit of danger..."
Ginny nodded in sympathy. "Have you decided whether you're going to register? I haven't, and I don't plan to. But Hermione has."
Dean shook his head. "I'm not going to register. To be honest, I think Mum would beat me upside the head if I did something like that. Give me a good lecture of that too many people have worked too hard for me to go and bend to the government trying to treat me as if I was so different from everyone else that they'd need to keep track of me in such a way." He shrugged slightly as he patted her on the back. "I think that registering might put my family in more danger anyways. Right now I don't know if they'll find them or not. If I register, they'll certainly have them on file and who knows what sort of methods they'll actually use to get information out of people who live fully under their laws."
It took Ginny a moment to understand the point of the lecture Dean would have expected from his mother -- to her, the wizard/muggle divide was so much bigger that most of the other categories people put themselves into that she didn't really understand the subtleties of muggle race relations, even though Dean had explained about them, and about his parents -- but then the light dawned, and she nodded. "I think that's the right choice. As far as I know, registering hasn't really hurt Hermione yet -- but I think she did it as a preventive measure, because she reckoned her mum would turn her in if she didn't, and that would be worse." She winced a little, in sympathy with her friend.
Dean shook his head slightly. "It hasn't hurt her yet, but... It sets her apart now. Depending on the sort of technology they have and manpower, they could be pulling information from a good deal of places on her now that they know her. Credit card payments, surveillance cameras, travel records. She's also put herself in a position that if something were to go wrong, she's one of the only people they know how to get to. If they wanted to make her life difficult, they likely could. It would be like how Lupin couldn't get a job because they knew he was a werewolf. They could put something in her background reports that would make people look twice at her."
"Yeah," Ginny agreed, darkly; it was likely she'd made similar arguments herself, only without the muggle-specific details. "But what's done is done." With a little sigh, she let her head droop forward and reached up to gather her mane of hair in a cascade over one shoulder, a wordless request to Dean to rub the tension out of her neck.
"Tell me something happy," she said after a moment. "Tell me about Australia."