A Dark Time For The Light

40

Ginny left quietly for work, leaving a note on the pillow, Meet me at work for lunch between twelve and one. U should be back in touch with J. I love u. C U @ lunch. G xx.

Hermione was there at a quarter to. A familiar tiny shape barreling towards her on the shop floor, Ginny watching carefully as Hermione and Josie met again, hugging strongly enough to break ribs. Josie brought Ginny into the hug, “She’s always been yours. She’s truly beautiful, Janey. I understand now”. Hermione melted into the two hugs, and Ginny understood, being able to hold her Missy in front of the interlocutor and she was still hers. Josie saw them both together and her eyes teared. “You two should never have been separated”. And wasn’t that the truth?

I can still see the basket of smashed eggs in the road. My last sight of home as I’m apparated away. I was nearly there. I’d been to Farmer Giles’ farm for eggs and butter for tea. I’m in the lane leading to the Burrow. I didn’t hear them coming. Three Death-Eaters right behind me. I only realise when one touches me on the shoulder. I spin round. Damn!, my wand is on the kitchen table. In an instant, I’ve been Stunned by one of them, his/her wand in the sensitive spot at the nape of my neck, to cause more pain, no doubt, then I’m grabbed in strong arms and we Apparate.

They were sitting in the little park eating lunch. Ginny lay on her back, her head pillowed in Hermione’s lap, listening to the other two talk and reminisce, although their memories were a bit brutal to Ginny’s ears, she realised that her lover had been in danger for her life many times. Nothing to do with Magic or Voldemort, just the day to day existence as a drug-addicted prostitute, a member of society that said society counted as lower than low, abused and in the thrall of a violent pimp, then paid in drugs for sucking society’s collective cock under dark railway arches. Ginny wondered at Hermione’s resilience, she hardly ever had nightmares, whereas she would have been troubled night after night.

They made their way back to the store. Hermione and Ginny dared a little kiss in the crowded street, then Ginny and Josie went back to work. Another worker had witnessed the kiss and at the staff lockers, he sneered at Ginny running appraising eyes over her, “A dyke, eh?. Bit of a waste if you ask me. You’re way too pretty to be an ugly hairy dyke. You need a real man....”. He got no further as a blur of irate blond pinned him against the lockers, “Our policy in this establishment is to employ without prejudice of race colour or sexuality, so cut that out unless you want a verbal warning”. The boy desisted, but still shot a sneer at Ginny as he left.

“Ignore him. Come on, we’ll be late”, they clocked their cards and headed back onto the shop floor. Ginny remembered really wanting to dislike this girl, imagining how she’d corrupted her beloved, but as the truth came out more and more, she realised Hermione was less the innocent than Ginny had first thought in all of this. In fact seeing the girl’s obvious devotion to Hermione, she started to wonder who indeed had led and who had followed.

She giggled down at Josie, “Thanks for saving me, back there”. The blonde smiled, “He’s a git and he gets on me tits actually. He saw me scars one day and started calling me junkie, which is...was...true, but the Managers know and don’t have a problem with it. I have to wee into a little cup twice a week and I’m tested. I’ve never slipped up since I stopped. I’ve been tempted, I can’t lie. I asked Steve, me boyf, to handle money for me to start with, that guy’s a treasure, even when I was coming off and was a right mess, he tret me right, held me head over the bog. I probably couldn’t have done it else. You remind me of ‘im in a way. Innocent but willin’ to learn. Poor lad, ‘e’s ‘ad an education livin’ with me”.

Ginny said, “I can believe that. I mean, I’ve tried a bit of weed and I’m not averse to a beer or two, but I’ll admit, I was shocked at the state of Hermione when I found her”. They were loading stock into the racks and Ginny paused, shaking her head at the memory, before continuing, “I read this book she gave me written by others coming off. It was extremely useful”. Josie laughed, “You know, even strung out and hurtin’, that girl could still read for Britain. I’ve never seen such a bookworm. I mean, I had to study hard at school, everyone thought I was a no-hoper like the rest of my family, so I read everythin’ I could get my hands on. It’s where I learned to fight. First against me father for bein’ brainy, then me brothers, I’ve eight. I’m the youngest and the only girl, they were all more interested in beer and girls and footie, but me mam backed me up, said there was nowt wrong wi’ havin’ a few brains. She was so proud of me for gettin’ into such a good uni. Shame it all went tits-up. I think I aimed too high and I wasn’t prepared for the other snotty brats makin’ me feel inferior for bein’ a council estate girl. They’d all gone to posh public schools”.

Ginny shrugged, “Well Hermione and I went to a pretty posh school, but there were lots of subjects not covered. It’s where she got so out of her depth”. Josie’s brow furrowed, “I know, I never did understand why she had such gaping holes in her education, she didn’t strike me as the skiver type, more of an over-achiever if you ask me”.

So Hermione had never come out to Josie as a Magical, she wondered why not. They worked companionably side-by-side. “I’m the youngest of seven”, ventured Ginny, “Six boys then me, so I know all about having ten zillion brothers bit, and, yes, I’m the brainy one”. The girls shared a conspiratorial giggle plus stories of what it meant to be the only girl in a big family as they were sent for their break.

That evening on the Tube home, Ginny had to admit, she was beginning to really like Josie and said as much to her beloved when she got home. Over the evening meal, she covertly glanced at Hermione, “Why did you never tell her, Missy?, about being Magical, I mean”. Hermione chewed thoughtfully, gazing into the middle distance, “The Magical life was dead to me. I’d lost all of my dearest friends and you most of all. I just turned my back on it. I know Jose wondered about the stuff I didn’t know, but I was alone, I knew I was on the wanted list, and, if I’m honest, I couldn’t trust her absolutely. I mean, wait until your hurting because you can’t score and your flatmate has a bounty on her head, she’d have turned me in for the money, at least, I thought that at the time, I’m not sure now. You can tell her if you like”.

Ginny smiled, “No, it should come from you, but I could be with you if you like, to help out. If she’s going to be a friend, then she should know, she’s off the gear now so she won’t be as tempted to grass us up. Harry and Draco are ‘out’ to most of their workmates, the ones they trust, by extension Seamus and Dean. Colin and Dennis are known to be Magicals by some Muggles. Come on, Missy, you should know, more than others”.

Hermione sighed and leaned in to her lover who held her, “When’s your first pay cheque?”. Ginny kissed the curly head, “Friday. We’re paid a week in hand. Why?”. “Let’s take her for lunch on Saturday. Go shopping, whatever, and tell her. You’re right, she should know. What’s her boyfriends name again?”. “Steve. Shall we invite him as well?, or make this girls only to start with. He sounds like a nice bloke but neither of us knows him yet, do we?. It may be a good idea to just tell her for starters”.

In the event, Draco and Harry joined the girls and all four travelled up west on Saturday morning. Draco had his review and needed some smart clothes and Ginny needed black jeans for work. The company were okay about blue for the first couple of weeks, but preferred the staff in black to match the polo shirts.

As it happened, all four were still in the cafe where the girls had arranged to meet Josie when the girl in question sauntered in. Hermione spotted her and waved her over, the girls budged along the bench and she sat down. Before Hermione could conduct the introductions, Josie held up her hand, “Nah, let me guess”, she raked her inquisitive and intelligent gaze over the boys before her. She tipped her head on one side as she scrutinised them, “I bet you’re Harry”, she directed at the brunet, “And you, blondie, must be Draco, in that case”. She sat back looking pleased with herself.

The four laughed. Hermione said amidst giggles, “This is my fellow student, partner in crime and friend, Josie”. Draco shook the girl’s hand, “Ah, she of the extensive knowledge of electronics that Harry and I can’t figure out”. Josie grinned, “The very same. What’s your problem?. I mean with the electronics?”

There followed a lively discussion. Hermione was unsure about one or two points concerning the Network and why it was so slow. In seconds Josie had mapped out a schematic on a napkin giving highly technical instructions. “That should speed you up. You need to download these Codecs and all your video files will zoom along”, she made rapid jottings on the other side. Hermione folded the delicate paper into the bottom of her bag. Harry’s problem was with the set-up of the TV and hi-fi. They couldn’t get the DVD player to play through the amplifier, well it did, but you could only hear the soundtrack, the voices seeming too far away, “Oh, that’s easy, you’re set up for a 5:1 speaker system and I’m guessing you’ve only got stereo, am I right?”. Harry chuckled. “Stereo, that’s only two speakers, right?”. She nodded. “Sounds like your machines think they’re outputting to five speakers, not two, so you’re only getting the sound out of the back pair of five, just go into your DVD set-up menu and alter it to stereo. Piece of piss”.

As it was, the boys stayed with them for lunch, then off they went to do their errands and the girls were left alone. Over a large pot of tea and several cigarettes in Josie’s case, Hermione and Ginny ‘came out’ as Magicals. Josie’s eyes were round, “Fuck. I was told you people existed, but I’d never actually met any. Most round our way don’t believe the stories, like, but I always wanted them to be true”.

They ordered more tea, the staff not minding the three hanging round as the cafe had quietened once the lunchtime crowd had lessened. The girls told their tales to a gobsmacked Josie who asked many pertinent questions. “Jesus. This is just like the Jews hidin’ from the Nazis in the second World War. I won’t ask where yer hidin’. If any o’ your mob grab me for associatin’ then I won’t know where y’are, will I?”.

Ginny thought this an extremely sound move and said so. The staff were beginning to clean up around them and the girls took the hint. Leaving a generous tip, they left. They did their errands, then Ginny made noises to the effect that they needed to get back to the Bunker. Josie shook her head, “Nah, come back to mine for tea. I know Steve’d love to meet ya. We can crack a beer or two and Steve’ll run you back later. Is there anyone you have to call?”.

“We can’t phone, we can’t get a signal where we are. Is there a computer at your house?”, Hermione asked. Josie raised a brow and smirked, “Ja-Hermione. Like you have to ask?”. Ginny giggled. They took the Tube back into the East end, then a bus and a short walk, then Josie let them into a door beside a shop window that let onto a long hallway with a set of stairs at the end. Her flat, also above a shop, was a bit smaller than Harry and Draco’s and didn’t let in as much light, but they had full use of the garden behind the shop that was Steve’s pride and joy.

Steve, it turned out, was a huge six five ex-Hell’s Angel. A bear of a man, tattooed all over, rings and piercings in every bit of soft flesh on his body, certainly all the bits that Hermione and Ginny could see around the vest he wore over jeans. He was also a complete and utter ’darlin’’, as pronounced by Josie. It was obvious in an eyeblink that the man was completely besotted by his feisty five-one bottle-blonde ‘Princess’.

They had a delicious meal cooked by Steve. While he was in the kitchen, Ginny leaned towards her colleague, “You’re very lucky. He obviously adores you. Love like that is hard to find, even harder to hold on to”, she glanced at Hermione and grasped her hand. Hermione snaked an arm around her beloved, “Are we okay being out like this? I don’t want to upset anyone, you know, at home”. Josie grinned, “I told Steve chapter and verse, he wouldn’t let me lie or omit anything, so he knows”.

The four spent a very pleasant evening. Steve drove them back to a point half a mile away from the Bunker. He looked concerned dropping them in such a quiet lonely place. Hermione had a prickle that perhaps he wanted to know their real whereabouts, but quashed it for the much more plausible reason that the man was merely being chivalrous towards his female guests. A gentle giant indeed. In many ways, he reminded Hermione of Hagrid, and she wondered, with a pang, just exactly what had happened to him.

They tipped into the Bunker. They now had a TV in the canteen and there was a roaring selection of boys and men riveted to a football match, along with the odd female. Eyes bright, totally focussed. A shout then groans as the corner became a goal kick and missed. The girls grinned and made their way to their room. As they left the canteen, Hermione glanced back. Right at the rear of the assembled company, two boys leaned together and kissed deeply, then drew a little apart, looking into each other’s eyes, then kissed again. Hermione grinned as she turned into the corridor, Seamus had Terry back again.