Uncorked – Part Two

Harry wrapped his arms tighter around her, surrounding her in the feel and scent of him. Ginny curled into the safety of his embrace, wondering if that was a manufactured feeling as well.

“I feel lost,” she said quietly after a few moments. “Everything has been a lie.”

“Not everything,” Harry countered, then he sighed. “But a lot has been, yes.”

“The foundation of our marriage, our life together is a lie,” Ginny replied. “Where do we go from here?”

Harry slumped a bit, falling into himself in a way Ginny had not seen since they were younger. He seemed smaller, younger and less sure of himself. She hated that; hated seeing him like that. The last time he had looked small had been during the height of the war when everything had been at its worst. Exhaustion and pain had dragged at all of them, drawing on what little strength they had had until there was almost nothing left.
This was almost as bad.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I’m just as lost as you are.”

A loud rumbling sound from her stomach broke the silence that had descended over the room and they both laughed.

“Well, not everything has changed,” she said with a giggle as she slid from his lap. “Let’s get something to eat and make a game plan.”

“There’s my Quidditch Captain,” he remarked, pulling on a lock of her hair.

She pushed him off the bed, laughing as she launched herself off it as well and ran from the room. A small bit of wandless magic had her disillusioned as she heard the thump of him hitting the floor followed by muted swearing. The slap of bare feet let Ginny know that he was right behind her and she ducked the usual tickle jinx that Harry sent in her general direction. Slowing slightly, she eased down the stairs, skipping past the creaky steps. There was no sound behind her now and she bit back a giggle. Harry had put all his training to use again and was invisible and totally silent. Until he took the spells off she wouldn’t be able to see or hear him. Some people would think she was crazy, but she loved playing like this with Harry. Just the two of them acting like children and chasing each other around the house. She was almost at the kitchen and therefore safe so she picked up her pace. Full out running she slid down the hall and into the kitchen, nearly taking out Winky at the stove. Harry’s invisible form almost crashed into both of them a second later. The spells dropped as Harry wrapped one arm around Ginny’s waist and reached out a hand to catch Winky’s shoulder to keep them upright.

“Master and Misses not be running in the house,” Winky scolded, hands on her hips as she played her part in their little game, “or they be getting no breakfast.”

“Sorry, Winky,” they both responded, ducking their heads, chastised. Ginny could see Winky glaring at them out of the corner of her eye.

“Silly Wizards and Witches,” the house-elf muttered. “Sit and eat, Misses Mother Wheezy says both of you too skinny and need to eat more.”

Ginny flinched at the mention of her mother, the good mood they had just built crashing down. The slight motion caught Winky’s attention and the house-elf’s already wide eyes grew larger as she looked at them.

“Oh,” Winky whispered. She reached out to touch Ginny’s hand. “They be gones.”

“Winky?” Harry called softly, letting go of Ginny to kneel in front of the elf. “What is gone?”

“The bad things,” she answered. She trembled. “So many bad things. I tries to make them go away but I not being strong enough. I tells you but you no remember the next day. I be sorry.” She started crying.

“It’s not your fault, Winky,” Ginny told her, lowering herself to the floor. She pulled the house-elf into a hug. “But we need you to tell us about every time you tried to make them go away and each time you told us, okay.”

Winky nodded, materializing a hankerchif. “I can be doing that.” She paused. “But after Master and Misses be eating.”

Ginny gave a shaky laugh as she let Winky go. “Of course, can’t have us waste away.”

*

Breakfast was quieter than normal after Winky’s revelation. Their usual chatter about their days was absent as both were lost in thought. As she ate and tried to corral her thoughts, Ginny watched her husband pick at his breakfast, a sure sign of just how upset he was. Even after all these years, the abuse and neglect of his childhood still manifested in Harry’s behavour, usually his eating habits. When he was stressed he would skip meals, punishing and pushing the limits of his already too thin body.

“Eat, Harry, before Winky notices.”

He stuck his tongue out at her. “I’m trying. It’s just that my new shiny magics are calling for more meat.”

“Have you let her know yet so she can change what she makes for you?” Ginny asked.

“Not yet,” he said putting his fork down. “I’m not sure we aren’t being watched. If Winky started buying vastly different foods whoever is behind this will know something has changed.”

She took a bite of food and thought as she chewed. Finding out who had been dosing them was going to be tricking and would call for being subtle and not rushing in. They were going to have to act like Slytherin’s instead of Gryffindor’s, which was fine with her, but she wasn’t sure how Harry would feel about it.

“What are you thinking, Ginny?” Harry asked after a few minutes of silence.

“That we should act like the Sorting Hat’s first choice for us,” she answered truthfully.

He stared at her for a moment and then started laughing. “It wanted to put you in Slytherin too?”

“Yep,” she said with a grin. “But Weasley’s are always Gryffindor or Hufflepuff so I argued.”

“I have no problem with acting like a snake,” he told her. “I let go of that a long time ago, Gin. What are you thinking?”

“Well, food is easy enough,” she started. “My team is out of the running for the World Cup and our pitch is going through major renovations of all practices are going to be cancelled as of next week. If we tell the family that I’m pregnant, or that I’m trying to get pregnant, we can get away with changing what we eat.”

“Yes, but a lot of what was used on us is dangerous for pregnant women, we can’t guarentee what they’ll do if we say that,” he countered. “How about this: Andromeda has a conference she wants to go to, she asked yesterday if we could watch Teddy for the week.”

Ginny grinned. “And he’s got a massive appetitie, especially for meat. That would definitely work.” She took another bite then pointed her fork at him. “Eat.”

Huffing, Harry picked his fork up and ate some, chewing slowly. “With you being home more you’ll be alone and therefore easier to dose.”

“Teddy will be here, though,” she replied. “And Winky.”

“He’s 10,” Harry snorted, “there’s not much he can do, but Winky might be able to at least catch the person in the act if it comes to that.” He sighed. “I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that.”

“Me too.” She finished her plate and pushed it away as another thought came to her. “Harry, how many people actually know what your job is?”

“Not many,” he answered. “You, my partner, and our director. Though I’m pretty sure Hermione’s figured it out and I think Percy might know.”

“Percy?”

“We had a coversation that last family dinner about techincalities,” Harry replied with a shrug.

“Technicalities?”

“Well, everyone thinks I’m a researcher, correct?” He waited for her nodded. “Technically, they’re right. Unspeakables fall under the Department of Research and are classified as researchers. It’s so if we’re dosed with veritaserum we can say we’re researchers and we won’t be lying.” He paused. “Also, they do make us do do the work.”

“Huh, that means there’s no way for any one to know that we’re no longer under their control,” she said slowly. “That means we’ll have to still act like we are or else they’ll catch on.”

“Yeah, I know,” he agreed with a nod. “This won’t be easy.”

“When has anything ever been easy for us”