Avoiding Our Grasp

Chapter Two****Meeting The Past

Ginny and Bill approached the small green goblin holding open the door and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, but could you show Flamespark where her office is?" Bill asked politely.

"Of course, sir. Follow me." The goblin turned on his heels and walked out of sight. He walked surprisingly fast for having such small legs, and the pair worked hard to keep up with him. It didn't help that he was winding under and through groups of people at the same time. When he reappeared, he was walking through a door on the far side of the room and behind a counter. Once there, he waited politely for Ginny and Bill to catch up. When they too had entered through the door, the group set off again, racing through the winding corridors and narrow halls.

Suddenly, their goblin guide stopped, causing Ginny to barely avoid toppling on top of him.

"We're here," he said, and turned toward Ginny. "Go straight through this door and turn to the left. Your office is right there. I suspect you know where yours is," he said, rounding on Bill.

"Yes, thank you. We appreciate it," Bill said graciously, and went through the door. Ginny hesitated, and turned back toward the goblin.

"Aren't you coming?"

"No," the goblin replied. "I can't go through this door. I don't work in this department."

"Oh," Ginny said, faltering. After a moment's pause, she headed through the door.

*

Ginny was immediately stunned by the sheer amount of movement in the room. There were goblins filing in and out through a door in the far wall, running to various cubicles and placing sheaves of papers in files. There were security guard wizards posted near the doors and magical vault enforcement researchers muttering to themselves as they tested a new safety device. Every so often something exploded and a large "boom" sounded. That set off a storm of curses and a hex or two directed at the offending wizard.

Bill turned toward Ginny, whose eyes were as big as dinner plates, and said, "Don't worry, I'm sure there's a sound-suppressing charm on your office."

"Er, yeah, I hope so...." Ginny was still entranced by the noises in the office. Bill took her by the shoulders and guided her to the left, where a door appearing out of nowhere immediately greeted them. Imprinted upon it in large black letters were the words,

"Flamespark, Auror

Head of Magical Vault Security"

"Hmm," Bill said, thoughtfully. "It seems as if you have a great position waiting for you here. Let's go in, shall we?"

Ginny nodded in agreement, and they entered her new office.

*

The first things they noticed were the windows. They were large, picture windows that stretched from ceiling to floor on three of the sides of the room. In the center there was a large oak desk, gleaming with an obviously new coat of polish. The walls that were not taken up by windows were covered with pictures of the Weasley family. Glancing at them, pictures of Ginny at six, the family in Egypt with Ginny at 12, Ginny graduating from Hogwarts, and many more smiled back. The floor was covered with a warm-coloured Persian rug, and heat filled the room through a fireplace in the corner.

"Wow, Gin. I mean, Flamespark. I'm having trouble getting used to calling you that," he said, smiling. "Mum and Dad must have sent these photos, eh?" Bill walked over to the photos on the wall to examine them more closely.

"Yeah, I guess. They're really nice."

"Hmm...." Bill was captivated by a photo of all the Weasleys and didn't answer.

"Bill?"

"Yes?"

"Umm, I have work to do. Could you leave me alone for a bit?"

"Sure. I'll be in my office if you want me."

"All right. Where is that?"

"Down the hall and to the right. My name is on it, my real name, so you can't miss it," Bill winked and stepped out of the room.

"Bye," Ginny said forlornly. She turned toward her desk and sat into her chair. Suddenly, she slumped forward with her head in her hands, sobbing.

*

It had been about an hour since Bill had left, and Ginny couldn't get any work done. She had tried to get her desk in order, but it was hard with the constant shuffling of goblins and wizards in and out. After a while, she nearly lost it with one of the apprentice wizards when they dropped a couple of papers.

"Oh, I'm really sorry.... I'm just a bit stressed out right now. Can you give me a moment?"

The apprentice nodded fearfully and fled from the room.

"Maybe I should go take a walk," Ginny said as she opened the door of her office and shut it behind her. "I'll be back in a bit," she mentioned to one of the goblins, who was about to go into her office, and walked briskly away.

*

Ginny leaned far over the railing and breathed the warm Egyptian air. This reminded her why she didn't just pack up and go back to England. She would still be alone no matter where she lived, but here it was so beautiful. As she looked at the city below her and the many witches and wizards who were mulling about, she caught sight of a familiar face. A short witch in purple robes was at the side of a tall wizard in black robes, and they were dodging through the crowd, headed toward Gringott's. Although Ginny could find nothing out-of-the-ordinary about the pair, she noticed that the witch walked diagonally, in a sort of zigzag fashion. After a moment, it hit her: Luna Lovegood! She was the only witch that Ginny knew at Hogwarts who walked diagonally. That got rather annoying when you were walking beside her, but it really made her stand out in a crowd.

Ginny rushed downstairs to the ground floor of Gringott's and rushed over to the door, where she caught Luna coming in the door with the tall wizard in black: Neville Longbottom!

"Luna! Is that you?"

"Ginny! It's so good to see you, love! How are you doing?"

"Hullo Ginny!"

"Neville?" Ginny turned to face the round-faced wizard. "Neville! How are you? Oh, it's so good to see you both!"

"Same to you, Ginny. So, how have you been? I didn't know you were working in Egypt?" Luna examined Ginny's face with her large, bug-like eyes.

"Yes, well...." Ginny replied lamely. "I wanted to get away from all the... memories. It's nice here, but I miss the Burrow."

"I'm sure. Everything's calming down a bit at home. People suspect that Voldemort will be surfacing soon, but no one knows for sure, and so they're running on suspicion." Luna continued to fill Ginny in on the latest news, while Neville stepped up to a free goblin.

"So, Luna. Why are you and Neville here together? Are you two... together? "

Luna's face coloured. "Yes, we're actually here on vacation. Neville proposed to me last month. The wedding's going to be in two weeks. Would you like to come back for it?"

"Oh, Luna! That's wonderful!" Ginny gave her friend a tight hug. "I'd love to come! I mean, if you don't mind..."

"Ginny! You know I'd love to have you there! Actually, there's something I was thinking about last night...."

"Yes?"

"Would you be a bridesmaid? I was thinking about the people I'd like in the wedding, and you came to mind first. So how about it?"

Ginny was speechless. "Yes! I'd absolutely, very much, LOVE to be a bridesmaid for you!!"

"You- you would? Oh, Ginny, I don't know how to thank you!! Thank you infinitely!"

"Luna, I WANT to do it. You don't need to thank me!"

"Here, why don't you give me your address, and I'll send you an invitation, all right?"

"Sure," Ginny said as she wrote her name and address on a piece of paper, and handed it to Luna, "so who else is in the wedding?"

"Well... Hermione, your brother Ron, You... and Harry Potter."

Ginny nearly fell over. "Harry Potter? He's, he's, he's... COMING?"

Luna gave Ginny a queer look and answered, "yes, he'll be at your house in a week. When did you last see him?"

Ginny stammered, "Oh, er, well-"

Right then, Neville came back, money in hand. "Ready to go, Luna?"

"Yes. Neville, Ginny said she'd be in the wedding!"

"Wonderful!" Neville gave Ginny a quick hug. "Well, I'll see you in a week, then! Goodbye!"

"Goodbye, Ginny! Oh, and please invite Bill and Fleur to come along to the wedding as well! We'd love to see them! Cheers!" Luna and Ginny hugged again, and then parted.

Once back inside her office, Ginny leaned back in her chair, thinking deeply about this wedding, and seeing Harry again, after five years....

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