https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1593-A-War-with-No-Victors-Forty-Three-/12529319/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1595-A-War-Without-Victors-Forty-Five-/12529324/
Chapter 1594: A War Without Victors (Forty-Four)
Chapter 1594: A War Without Victors (Forty-Four)
"What have you been up to lately?"
Ginny asked, her eyes involuntarily drifting over the stack of Muggle books on the dining table as she emerged from the kitchen carrying a large plate of pies. She addressed Hermione, who was engrossed in perusing a stack of documents.
"Albert wants to bring electricity to the village," Hermione replied.
"Electricity? You mean those batteries that Dad has stored in the warehouse?"
The word 'electricity' was certainly not foreign to Ginny.
"It's a bit different," Hermione carefully chose her words, offering an explanation to Ginny, "Electricity is a form of energy. In the Muggle world, electrical energy is just as magical as wizarding magic. It can accomplish numerous unimaginable feats and bring us a lot of convenience. Once we have electricity, we won't need to rely on oil lamps and candles for lighting anymore."
"I still don't quite understand, but Dad would definitely love this topic."
Ginny had not opted for Muggle Studies in her third-year elective classes, so her understanding of the subject was limited.
However, she herself didn't really care much about these things. Like most wizards, she had little interest in learning about Muggles or their peculiar non-magical inventions.
"Would you like a pie?"
Ginny offered the plate filled with pies to Hermione and said, "It's a new flavor. I assure you, it's a delightful surprise."
"Sure, thanks," Hermione said, setting aside the document about photovoltaic and wind power generation. She took a pie from the plate that Ginny handed to her and took a bite, only to be surprised by the sweet bean filling.
"Red bean pie," Ginny supplied the name. "Dobby seems to call this kind of dessert by that name, saying that Albert brought the recipe back from the Far East." Ginny quite liked this sweet treat; it was definitely much better than meat pies.
Unfortunately, neither of them possessed the culinary skills of a house-elf, and thus they couldn't perfectly replicate the red bean pie.
"Albert certainly knows his food," Hermione remarked, eyeing the red bean pie in her hand, somewhat doubtful that this treat was comparable to Dobby's confectionery masterpieces.
"How is it?" Mrs. Weasley inquired as she entered the room, carrying a pot of hot cocoa. Her eyes flicked to the clock on the wall, and she poured two cups of hot cocoa for Hermione and Ginny.
"It's delicious, but the pie crust is a bit too hard," Hermione replied, skillfully steering the conversation in another direction. "It's probably a dessert from some country in the Far East."
"How do you know?" Ginny asked, intrigued. Ever since she had sampled the various afternoon tea treats prepared by the house-elf, Dobby, she had lost interest in the hard meat pies.
"When I went to Australia to look for my parents last time, Albert specifically bought several local cookbooks, saying that he wanted the house-elves to learn how to cook," Hermione said, forcing herself to finish the still-warm pie, despite her waning appetite.
To be honest, it wasn't that bad, but after tasting more delectable versions, she naturally lost interest in these "failed experiments" before her.
"By the way, when will the house be finished?" Mrs. Weasley suddenly asked about something that had been on her mind.
"Well..." Ginny and Hermione exchanged glances, "We're not quite sure."
"Most of the framework for the house is already done. According to Mr. Joseph Clova, at the current pace, most of the work should be completed within half a year."
"Half a year?" Mrs. Weasley furrowed her brow slightly. Her concern wasn't about the pace of the construction, but rather, she knew that her daughter's wedding couldn't be postponed until the village project was entirely finished.
The venue for the wedding would then become an issue. Surely, they couldn't hold it in their modest home.
A hastily organized wedding like this might become a laughingstock, causing the guests to look down on Harry. The Weasley couple didn't want such a thing to happen.
"That's already quite fast," Ginny said, guessing what her mother was thinking, and offering a soft reassurance. "The progress over there is almost visible day by day.
"Mrs. Weasley, I've already set a date for your wedding with Harry," Sirius suddenly said. "It's on August 15th of this year. It's a bit rushed, but there's no other choice."
"To be honest, as long as we have a small wedding and invite some close friends, it'll be more than enough. There's no need to make it a big deal," Ginny said, not too concerned about her own wedding. As far as she was concerned, as long as she could be with Harry, that was all that mattered.
Mrs. Weasley looked at her daughter and finally said that she would discuss this matter with her father and Sirius later before walking away.
"Mom is still unhappy. She thinks I'm too young and even underage, but she doesn't really have anything to complain about," Ginny said, watching Mrs. Weasley's departing figure. Turning to Hermione, she continued, "I don't really care about the wedding. Mom and Dad eloped back then, and their wedding didn't receive many blessings, but they still lived a happy life."
Even if Harry had nothing like Lupin, Ginny would still marry him resolutely, just like Tonks.
In the end, they didn't care about those things.
And, when Mom and Dad eloped back then, they didn't really care about those things either. Why care about them now?
"I also think that as long as you and Harry are happy, that's enough!" Hermione agreed with Ginny. The wedding was just a formality, and whether or not it happened wasn't that important.
"So, how are things going between you and Ron?" Ginny suddenly asked tentatively.
Hermione almost spat out her hot cocoa. After a fit of violent coughing, she looked up at Ginny in astonishment.
"Ron and I are just... good friends," she said.
"Just friends?"
If she weren't equally curious about the answer to this question, Ginny wouldn't have agreed to help Ron find out about Hermione's feelings.
"Did Ron ask you to ask me this?"
Hermione quickly realized what was going on and replied with a hint of contempt, "I thought he would be bold enough to ask me himself."
"Ron is just afraid of ruining your relationship and ending up not even being friends," Ginny said, having already decided not to provide any more help to Ron, the failure.
"I've actually considered..."
"Considered Ron?" Ginny's eyes lit up.
"Considered my future," Hermione said, lost in a brief moment of recollection.
Ginny perked up her ears to listen.
"You know, I like Albert," Hermione admitted. "Unfortunately, I was too late, and there was never any opportunity. Later, I considered Harry."
"You considered Harry?" Ginny asked, her guard up.
"I remember when Albert rejected me, he gave me a piece of advice," Hermione continued, ignoring Ginny's fascinating expression. "He said that if I wanted to advance in the Ministry of Magic and aim for a high position, I could consider developing my friendship with Harry into something more."
Without paying attention to Ginny's reaction, Hermione went on, "Albert believed that after Harry defeats Voldemort, he will surely gain high prestige, which would be beneficial for my future in the Ministry. Moreover, by then, we would have a solid emotional foundation, which is much better than starting a new relationship with someone I like."
"But then, I gave up."
"Why?" Ginny asked, her expression complicated.
"Undeniably, I do have a soft spot for Harry. But at the time, I was actually quite angry. When I calmed down, I realized Albert was right. For me, Harry was indeed the best choice at the moment. But... as you know, the Wizarding War has fully erupted, and none of us can be certain that we will survive until the end," Hermione explained. "Especially after Harry confided in me about his need to face certain death, as his friend, I wanted him to survive this war. So, I gave the opportunity to you because I felt that you were more suitable to awaken Harry's desire to live, and I had more important things to do."
Hermione lied, but not entirely. Just like Albert, she hid some truth within her words. However, this "sincere" revelation undoubtedly made Ginny feel extremely awkward.
After all, she had tried to play matchmaker between Ginny and Ron.
(End of Chapter)
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