[HP] Three thousand days of innocence

Once Ginny and Ron were out on the street, they went their separate ways.Ginny took a detour to Earls Court Road, went straight to the red brick house, and rang the bell.The door opened quickly, revealing a grinning Simon.

"Am I frighteningly powerful?" he called into the house.

John appeared behind him, rolled his eyes, and ate the cereal from the box with relish. "He said to me 15 minutes ago, 'Look, here comes Ginny.' Someday I'll learn not to bet on someone who can see the future."

Ginny walked into the hall with a smile. "I just finished seeing Draco," she said.

"I can see that." Simon blinked.

Ginny blushed and lowered her head, but she soon came to her senses and continued. "He's in a bad situation," she told them. "They gave him a potion for amnesia, but it didn't work, he kept screaming, and—and in so much pain..."

John frowned. "Damn it," he muttered as he chewed his cereal.

"So I was wondering if you guys would take the risk of seeing him."

"As if we'd say no," Simon snorted. "Tell us what needs to be done, and we'll do it."

"Do you think you need a make-up?" John asked. "I've always been good at camouflage magic."

"Well, I think that's a good idea," said Ginny. "I've hammered out a few details, and if I could hear from you..."

She spends hours with them, discussing what kind of disguise they need, when to go, what to do if they get separated or someone comes and asks them.It was dinner time; they ordered takeaway, and Simon said it was Draco's favorite Chinese restaurant, a remark that nearly broke Ginny.They sat comfortably on the floor and ate noodles from the carton, while Draco suffered alone in the sterile hospital.John noticed her gloom and nudged her lightly with his elbow. "We didn't tell you about the first time Draco saw a computer," he said, and he and Simon quickly made her laugh again.

Late at night, John mentioned that Simon would be up early for work the next day.They had told her when they first met that Simon was the football editor of The Guardian.

But he just shrugged. "I will tell my superiors that there is something wrong with my family," he said. "I've kept my vacation this year so there's plenty of time off. He understands."

"How did you tell Draco's restaurant?" Ginny asked, frowning.

"Ben Hamilton was hospitalized with meningitis," Simon said. "Contagious. No visits allowed."

"Then I guess it's just me going to bed," John said, getting up and stretching. "I've got to work in the shop for a few hours before I go to the hospital tomorrow. It was a pleasure to be with you, Ginny." He bade them goodnight and plodded upstairs.

After John left, Simon and Ginny silently packed up the takeaway garbage and put the leftovers in the refrigerator.Ginny was about to say goodbye and go home when Simon folded his arms and leaned against the counter where he had been standing when she was forced to lie to Draco. "Ask me," he said.

Ginny blinked and stared at him. "What?"

"You have a question to ask me, I can 'see' it." Simon continued. "Don't hold it back, dear. Ask me."

She looked down at her hands, then up into his dark eyes. "How will this all end?" she said softly. "You know exactly what's going to happen, don't you?"

Simon raised his head and observed the dim lights on the ceiling. "Ginny, the future is never set in stone," he said slowly. "What I see -- changes all the time. People make choices, change their minds, change the outcome of things. All I see are possibilities. More accurate than the average person's predictions, but still just guesswork."

"But you know."

"tell him. "I know the outcome of the trial."

"Will you tell me?" There was hope in her voice.

Simon smiled bitterly. "Do you know the story of Cassandra?"

"Of course—Princess Troy, the first prophet—"

"She was cursed and people didn't believe a word she said," he said. "She's not the only one suffering this. All seers are under the same curse. I could tell you what I saw right away and you wouldn't believe me."

"But I will," Ginny said firmly, stepping forward. "I know you saw—"

"Either it's what you want to hear, or it's the last thing you want," Simon told her. "No matter what, what I told you may never become a reality. But if I tell you, it may cause change."

"Can't you say something?" she asked bitterly. "Draco thinks he should be sent to Azkaban. That's why I want you and John to meet him, because he's so down..."

Simon frowned and looked away. "I knew it would be like this," he said softly.

"You tell me something will happen soon—in your letters—"

"I've regretted writing this letter every day since then."

"Why didn't you tell me? Please, Simon—"

"I'm not a Magic Eight, Ginny," he cried. "You can't expect to shake me and all problems will be solved." He snapped his fingers.

She flinched immediately. "That was not what I meant--"

"Oh, but you did. The answer is simple, isn't it? Don't worry, you're not the first and you won't be the last to think of me as a goddamn oracle." He walked up to her and grabbed her upper arm. "You still have a lot to do to help the little dragon boy. It's not over yet."

"I know," she whispered, her lower lip trembling. "I'm just—I'm so tired, Simon—"

"We're all tired, Kim dear." He pulled her into his arms and held her tight. "If possible, I would like to tell you that I can see you and the little dragon boy living happily ever after and having a bunch of little ones, but..." He sighed and let go of her. "It's my own curse," he said. "I'm a seer, not a wizard. I see what happens to people, but I can't protect them."

Her heart rose to her throat. "What did you see?"

Simon leaned on the cooking table, supporting the table with his hands. "Draco will never be whole again," he whispered, not looking her in the eye. "It doesn't mean he'll always be like this, but a big part of his life will never come back. He needs to work on accepting the parts he remembers and letting go of the parts he doesn't remember."

"Can he remember the last battle at Hogwarts?"

Simon squinted at her. "You see," he said, "that's a question I can't answer. It's too risky."

Ginny nodded. "I see."

"Okay." He stood up straight. "Go to sleep, miss. When we go to see the little dragon boy, don't wear bags under your eyes."

Ginny smiled, and he led her to the front door, helping her with the bag that had been thrown on the chair. "Draco is so lucky to have you and John," she said when he opened the door.

"You'd make me blush, dear," he said, leaning against the door shyly.

"But you know that, don't you?"

"We were meant to be with him." He shrugged. "It's that simple."

His words stayed in her mind that night and as she prepared to go to St. Mungo's the next morning.She was excited for Draco.Goyle, Crabbe, and the Slytherins he hung out with at Hogwarts were different from John and Simon.It would be a great inspiration to him to see them again, and they would let him know that the fight was not over.

They took the Tube to Holborn on Sunday afternoon, cast a disguise spell, and made it through a department store window to St. Mungo's.They were unnoticed as they passed through the halls, many with strange diseases waiting for busy therapists, family visitors, maintenance workers keeping the floors clean and eccentric caretakers running business.Ginny sneaked out her wand and cast the necessary spells to make sure no one would find them out of the way of visitors.

"This place freaks me out," Simon said.His Scottish accent sounded off as they entered the secure ward.

"Shut up, Simon," John retorted. "Don't talk nonsense."

"You're talking nonsense."

"Be careful," Ginny said, looking around to make sure no one saw them.Her detection spell found no healers around; Ginny thanked God that St. Mungo's wasn't as busy on a Sunday as it was on other days.She led them to Draco's door, and John and Simon removed their disguises and followed her inside.

Draco was lying on the bed with his hands under his head, staring at the ceiling, and when he saw her walk into the room, he sat up in bed. "Ginny—" Then, John and Simon came into his sight, and in the blink of an eye, he got out of bed and rushed over to hug Simon. "My God!" he cried, laughing, as Ginny closed the door and barricaded the room. "You're here, you really—" He hugged John again, which finally made him unbearable.When Ginny turned, she saw him scowling, hugging John tightly.John kept rubbing his back reassuringly. "Relax, friend," he murmured. "Relax."

Draco pushed John away, blinking angrily. "You lied to me." He reproached softly, looking back and forth between John and Simon. "Eight years. You've lied to me about everything."

John sighed. "Draco—"

"No, you can't pretend I'm making a fuss over a molehill," Draco snapped, avoiding them. "You make me live like a—a person without magic, and when I teleport, you tell me it's telekinesis, not magic—"

Simon scowled. "Look, boy—"

"You're a wizard." Draco said, looking at John. "You can do magic too," he said to Simon. "Did it never occur to you that I might want to go back to where I belong? Did you?"

Ginny rushed forward and gently pushed Draco back from a sad John and an angry Simon. "Calm down." She stroked his cheek and comforted him. "It's all right. They'll explain everything you need to know."

He gasped and shook his head. "They could have saved me from being ignorant for so many years," he murmured.

"When they themselves don't know anything? Draco, they'll tell you the truth - there was nothing they could do until I found you in the park the other day. I'm the key to it all."

"We want to tell you everything," John said. "You have to be patient to hear us out."

Draco looked down, took Ginny's hands, and looked up into John's eyes. "You know patience isn't my strong point," he said hesitantly.

Simon snorted. "Say the fuck again," he drawled.

Draco smiled hesitantly. "A lot has changed since I last saw you two," he said softly.

"I doubt it," John said. "I think you can still make the best pavlova I've ever had."

"I think I can kill you in Grand Theft Auto," Simon added.

Draco laughed heartily, and his smile warmed her heart. "Dream," he said. "I just lack practice."

At Draco's prompt, John took out his wand again out of thin air, and conjured up two chairs for him and Simon to sit on.Draco and Ginny were sitting on the edge of his bed, Ginny hugging him as if he was going to disappear at any moment.They told him everything, and Simon went to Australia to find John, that prophecy, and it was their duty to protect him.Draco sat there quietly with his arm around Ginny's shoulders, listening to John and Simon take turns telling their stories.

After they finished speaking, there was a long silence in the room. "That's why you're always lucky when you buy the National Lottery," Draco said thoughtfully at last.

John snorted with a smile, and Simon argued, "Hey, I only abuse this talent when I'm short of money."

"You are my friend only because you have to."

John and Simon looked at each other. "When I hear a prophecy, nothing compels me to fulfill it," John said quietly. "Come to London and protect you as best I can. It's my choice. Not out of duty." He put his arms on his knees, leaned forward, and looked at Draco seriously. "I've never regretted my choice, neither has Kinzie. If you want to think we're here just out of duty, well, it's all up to you."

Draco nodded silently and hugged Ginny tighter.Then he said, "Excuse me for being an idiot?"

Simon laughed. "Didn't we always forgive you?" he said.

As the afternoon flew by, they kept reminiscing about old times - John and Simon recounting insignificant things in their circle of friends, Draco mentioned his experience in the detention cell and treatment for amnesia - Ginny looked down at her watch , she was taken aback when she realized that the visiting hours were about to end. "We have to go," she said, after Simon had finished his noisy story about visiting Julia's parents. "I wish we could have stayed longer—"

"I understand." Draco said, getting up from the bed.John and Simon got up and took turns hugging him, whispering something to him, making him laugh and cry.After hugging them, Draco turned to Ginny and took her into his arms. "Thank you," he said softly.

Ginny smiled happily and hugged him too. "I would do anything for you," she said softly.Although John and Simon had turned away, she kissed him implicitly, and the three of them walked out of the room together, resuming their disguise magic.

"Not as bad as I thought," John said as they walked through a ward. "He's in good spirits, which is fantastic."

"You and Simon have helped a lot," said Ginny, when she suddenly realized that Simon was no longer with them.She frowned and turned to look at the corridor behind her.

But she didn't see Simon in disguise, the tall, thin, red-haired boy.He stood not far away, still in his own appearance, and in front of him was a little boy of three or four years old.Next to the boy is a young blonde woman talking to a therapist.

The little boy looked a lot like Simon.

"Damn it," John hissed.He moved forward, but it was too late.

"Hello," Simon said to the boy, who stared at him with black eyes. "May I have your name?"

The young woman - Ginny thought she was the boy's mother - noticed what was happening and grabbed the boy's hand. "Let's go," she said coldly, "We don't talk to strangers."

Simon looked up at her. "As if I were a stranger." He also said coldly.

The woman ignored him and hurried away with the baby, but Simon grabbed her arm and forced her to turn around. "Let go of me or I'll call security," she ordered. "Stay away from me and my son."

Simon let go of her, as if she had been burned, and she picked up the boy and hurried away.Simon stared at them with wide eyes, pained.John grabbed him by the shoulders and tried to pull him away, but Simon lunged forward and called out to the leaving woman, "You were nine years old, Ainsley! You already remember!"

"We're too noticeable," John said succinctly. "We have to get out of here—"

"You already remember!" cried Simon, flushing and struggling in John's hands. "As if I were a fucking stranger!" Both therapist and patient looked at them in surprise and confusion.John was right: they had to get out of St. Mungo's before someone found them.

"She knows me," he insisted as John and Ginny dragged him down the corridor. "She knows me, she knows me—you're a complete liar, Ainsley!"

"We're leaving," John said.

At this moment, Simon collapsed without warning on the floor between them.

"What's going on?" Ginny called.

John crouched next to Simon, his eyes turning onyx.Ginny could feel the tremor in the air, the tingle of ancient magic. "Kinzie," John said eagerly, patting his face. "Simon, come back. Come back quickly."

Simon arched his back, and from his mouth came out a low, raspy voice that didn't look like him at all: "Where the three rowan trees grew, on Halloween—"

"Come back to us," John begged.Ginny knelt down too.People are watching.Somebody called for help.

"—no one can save a wizard—"

"He hasn't been out of control like this in a long time," John said to Ginny. "Call his name. He needs to be called back."

"Who is that woman?"

"His sister. Shit, I knew it was going to be when I saw her—"

"—Rest where the sky and the earth meet—"

"Simon," she said, shaking his hand. "I'm Ginny, come back—"

"What's going on here?" An old therapist came over and looked down at them with his hands on his hips. "Your friend caused quite a commotion and disturbed our patients."

"There's no other way," said John.Without warning Ginny, he apparated the two of them by the hand.