Written for Ginny's birthday(2022), and some random girl I had a conversation with when I was sixteen.
Notes and details at the end. Also, yes this was written over the course of a day. Yes, it probably shows.
It's short, though, so enjoy what's here.
For context:
- Harry never went to Hogwarts
- Ginny disappeared in October 1998. The current year is 2005.
- Also, Andromeda died prior to the Battle of Hogwarts.
- Random other thing: Harry kept the resurrection stone.
You can see how this idea is probably bigger than One-Shot territory, but I'm not about to take on a second fic right now.
Follow my Tumblr! at rmwb-fanfics
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Category: The Birthday Challenge (2022-2) Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Angst, Drama, General Warnings: Mild Language Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 6 Summary: ***Winner of Most Unexoected in the Birthday Challenge (2022-2)***Not a year after Percy rights his wrongs, Ginny follows in his footsteps. Hitcount: Story Total: 5157 Disclaimer: Harry Potter Publishing Rights ? J.K.R. Note the opinions in this story are my own and in no way represent the owners of this site. This story subject to copyright law under transformative use. No compensation is made for this work. Author's Notes: |
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The sun rose slowly over Devon. Residents of the seaside to the south would have enjoyed a beautiful sunrise. The air felt fresh in that typical summer morning manner. The orchard was only tended to half, these days. The occupants of the towering structure they called 'The Burrow' no longer harboured the manpower to tend to such a large farm. Molly Weasley started her day the same way as usual. She delicately folded back her duvet in an attempt to leave her husband undisturbed. She'd throw her dressing gown over her shoulders and wrap it around herself tightly. Then, she'd pad halfway towards the door, only to remember those dreaded glasses on her bedside and make the walk back, avoiding the creaky floorboards. The glasses had been a recent development. For the longest time, she'd held near-perfect eyesight. Then the war started up again, and like a lot of things with their family, she began to deteriorate slightly. She found a few more grey hairs every once and a while, and her wrinkles no longer faded quite so naturally. Then the final battle had happened. Something only a couple of members of her family had been involved in. She was lucky not to have lost anyone in the fight. It was the horrors of the aftermath that haunted her. Harry Potter comes out victorious. The world is indebted to him forever, and England erupts into peace and gratitude. The Weasley's had come out unscathed. Relatively unaffected by the war. Bill and Fleur went on to have their first child. Ron had finally gotten the nerve to ask out his long-time best friend, Hermione Granger. Everything was looking up. But then Ginny had started disappearing for hours, sometimes days, at a time. She'd refused to return to Hogwarts for her final year. Which had driven Molly up the wall. How she wished she hadn't been so forceful. In hindsight, she wondered if it was that which had driven her daughter away. The Aurors had deemed it a missing person case. But Molly had been convinced that she was just out again. Wherever she had been disappearing to. But Molly had never known where it was she got off to. So, after a two-year-long search, when they'd finally begun to give up, new magical technology had arisen. Fresh from the Department of Mysteries. A way to monitor the vitals of a magical signature by simply entering the name. Molly couldn't remember the specifics of that day. Not after so long. All she could recall, seeing as it haunted her nightmares six years later, was entering Ginevra Molly Weasley and waiting for thirty excruciating minutes before the lantern flame turned black. Signifying a dead signature. Her daughter was dead. And so, as Molly crept down the winding stairs of her now empty home, and padded across the kitchen to the cold cabinet, she took out the cake she'd made the night prior. It had a quaffle drawn on the top. Molly now wished she hadn't pushed her daughter's love of quidditch aside. The cake was composed of rich chocolate. She'd spared no expense with this year's cake. Though the cake's scribbles read 'Happy 24th Birthday, Ginny!', the reality of the matter was that Ginny hadn't made it to eighteen. Some might say this tradition was unhealthy. That it promoted denial and created a refusal to move on, but Molly thought differently. As did the rest of her family. It wasn't really her birthday anymore, she supposed. August 11th was just another day now. That was what she was supposed to think. And though she'd staunchly deny it, she had a ridiculous hope that the Ministry's contraption had failed. That somehow, her daughter was out there. Living a wonderful life. Well, if this dreadful day was good for anything, it was that she'd have all of her children and their wives over for lunch and dinner. She heard the familiar creak on the wooden stairs and turned, expecting seven redheaded excitable children, as always, but being greeted with only the charming smile of her husband, Arthur. "Good morning," he murmured into her hair as he came to embrace her. "Hello," she replied with a warm smile. They didn't say anything more. After years of marriage, there was no need for meaningless words. Arthur found The Prophet on the kitchen table in front of his seat and dutifully unraveled it. "Potter's got a new charity," Arthur remarked, mildly. Harry Potter truly was a blessing. That boy had been raised away from Hogwarts in seclusion and came to everyone's aid hundreds of times throughout the war. Nothing was known about his personal life. Apparently, he was quite the womanizer, but Molly felt that was likely an exaggeration of the papers. If the papers were to be believed, every male celebrity had a secret harem. Harry Potter hadn't been seen since You-Know-Who was vanquished, so there really were no claims to prove their delusional theories. "Oh?" Molly asked as she replaced the cake in the cold cabinet and brought out a couple of eggs instead. She wasn't hungry this morning. She hadn't eaten breakfast in years. But she knew Arthur loved his eggs. "What's this one for?" Arthur didn't respond for a moment, but after clearing his throat, he said, "Missing witches," Molly hesitated in her cooking for but a moment. The spatula hovered over the eggs before continuing its ministrations in producing a fine pair of scrambled eggs. "That's very kind of him," Arthur made a sound of ascent at the back of his throat. "You have to wonder where the hell the money is coming from," he remarked. "Supposedly he doesn't have a job… he refuses any payments sent to him in gratitude for his actions. I know the Potters were rich but this is ridiculous. There's the werewolf fund, which he singlehandedly promotes. Then there's the one for, what were they?" "Metamorphmagus protections in Eastern Europe?" Molly supplied, having read that specific piece of news a few years ago. "Yes, that's it," said Arthur, smiling at his wife as she handed him his plate of eggs and toast. "I mean, I suppose he hasn't got any children so it'd make sense for him to have some extra gold on the side… but, honestly, this is ridiculous," he repeated Molly tut-tutted as she flicked her wand at the tap and let water fill the sink. "Yes, well, it is still very kind of him to create all these funds…" Molly looked out through the window that lay above the sink and stared out at The Burrow's land. She could still hear the distant cries and laughter of her children running around. Ginny's most of all. She'd had to cover this window for the first couple of years after Ginny. It had been too difficult to see her in her mind's eye. Running and jumping. Giggling like mad as her brothers chased her around. She turned away, drawing the curtains closed. She wasn't surprised to find her husband had risen to stand behind her. Wrapping his arms around her middle in silent support. "I miss her," Molly whispered dispassionately. "We all do," he replied softly. The day was spent preparing for the arrival of her many children. August 11th was always an adults-only family event. Neville and Hannah would typically watch her grandchildren. She pitied them. That was a lot of kids. The kitchen table was only large enough to house the sixteen necessary occupants. Fred and Angelina, George and Katie, Bill and Fleur, Charlie and Alyssa, Ron and Hermione, Percy and that lovely Audrey girl, and herself and Arthur. The two spots that remained were rather obvious. Those were left for Ginny. And if she'd lived past eighteen, a potential partner as well. Her family clock struck twelve. She watched as all the hands drifted their way to 'traveling'. Well, all save Ginny's, which remained firmly at 'Lost'. A smile formed on her lips as she watched the clock. Not a second past noon and they had all left on time. For everyone knew that August 11th was a day you couldn't skip out on. Nor be late for. A dozen cracks of apparition met her ears and she swung the door open eagerly. She watched as all of her sons came trudging up the dirt road to meet her. She greeted each and every visitor in their own little way. They'd each brought a different food offering, and Molly would blush and offer her thanks. They'd offer 'How are you's' and 'Did you read what Potter did this week?' and just like every year, the main topic, the reason they were all here, went undiscussed. Because there was nothing more to say, really. This was just a day to spend time together and honour the one that should be with them. Lunch passed by in a daze. Percy's promotion and Audrey's latest book were marvelous distractions. Bill and Fleur's trip to Australia with Ron and Hermione at the end of the month ought to be fun. It was 5:23 in the evening and Molly was beginning to prepare dinner. It needed to be ready at precisely 6 o'clock. An odd obsession, but one that Ginny had always staunchly defended. Claiming that 6 p.m. was the ideal time to eat dinner. Since 1998, not a single Weasley had eaten dinner at a different time since. Hermione practiced this tradition like a religion. She and Ginny had always been close. Perhaps not as close as Ginny and Luna, but still close. Hermione would spend the summers at The Burrow from time to time. Along with Neville. Everyone was talking and laughing at the table when a thunderous CRACK was heard from the sitting room. Fourteen wands were drawn in an instant as everyone rose from their seats. Katie did so rather precariously, due to her seven-month pregnancy. Molly led the charge, creeping around the corner and gently prodding the door open. What met her eyes nearly caused her heart to stop. There was a little girl no older than four standing in the center of the room, eyeing her surroundings with curiosity. She had bright red hair, a small nose, and a splattering of freckles across her face, arms, legs, everywhere. She was dressed in a green summer dress and wore a delicate silver necklace. What nearly made her heart stop, however, was the fact that this was a clone of Ginny at that age. Every single detail down to the way she held herself. 'Like a boy,' she thought, nearly laughing out loud at the thought. There was one difference, however. The eyes. They were a brilliant emerald green. It was a shade she'd never seen before in someone's eyes. It was absolutely enthralling. She heard the many quick intakes of breath from her husband and sons. Who all knew Ginny at this age and would have remembered it vividly. The girl was still unaware of their presence, it seemed. Though that didn't last long. Her eyes swept up to meet them and they widened in surprise. She stumbled backward over her own feet, her mouth agape. "Are you quite alright?" she heard Percy ask from behind her. Coming to the front of the group to show himself to the girl. Molly was still in shock. She knew this wasn't Ginny. It was evident through the eyes. But she desperately wanted it to. She shook herself. She mustn't think like that. Lots of young girls look the same and differentiate when they got older. Everyone knew that. "No," the girl replied. She sounded exactly like Ginny had. Molly had to rest an arm against the door. As did Arthur and Bill. "How did you get in here, darling?" that was Audrey. Thank Merlin for these two being able to think fast in an unknown situation. That must have come from experience with the press. From Audrey's novels to Percy's political status, they'd had their fair share. "'pparated," the girl said shyly. She sniffled a bit as she spoke. Evidently fighting tears and keeping her eyes fixed on Audrey. "Really?" said Audrey excitedly. "That's quite impressive for one so young. Did you mean to come here?" Molly wondered why Audrey hadn't asked the girl's name. Then she realized that she was probably trying to get the girl comfortable before interrogating her. The girl shook her head and her chin wobbled. "I didn't mean to at all!" she wailed. Tears began to stream down her face. "Accident magic," she supplied, wiping her eyes. Percy nodded with false seriousness. "Yes, we all have our outbursts at times, don't we?" he must have done some piece of magic because the girl giggled and focused on him for just a moment before turning back to Audrey. "What's your name, sweetheart?" Audrey asked finally. The girl stared back at Audrey with curiosity and appraisal that did not match her age. Eventually, she seemed satisfied with Audrey and said, "LilyLuna," as one word. Molly furrowed her brow. That was an odd surname. "Is Luna your last name, dear?" she blurted without thinking. LilyLuna's gaze drifted up to meet her and she could have sworn she'd seen recognition in her eyes. "No, it's my name name," she explained. "It's one word. Because one of my grandmums was named Lily so things get confusing when daddy brings her back," Molly didn't know what to think of that, so she shrugged it off and moved further into the room. The other Weasleys crowded around the door, and everyone finally got a good look at LilyLuna. "Do you have a surname? We can't help you find your parents if you don't tell us," said Percy kindly. "Potter," she answered. She said it as though this had absolutely no weight to it. As though Harry Potter's, - because that was the only possible link here – unknown child accidentally being sent to The Burrow was a typical Sunday activity. Percy, bless him, gaped at the girl for a good five seconds. Luckily, Audrey can move past such things rather quickly and she firmly took hold of the situation. "Do you know where you last were? If you think about it really hard I can bring you there," LilyLuna Potter shook her head. Red hair flipping wildly around her. "We were celebrating," she said. Her eyes lit up at the thought. Molly frowned. Harry Potter had something to celebrate on her deceased daughter's birthday. "What were you celebrating," Audrey asked, sitting down on the floor and crossing her legs in apparent interest. "Mum's birthday," she replied excitedly. "I was put on toasting duty," she explained quite seriously. This had the effect you'd expect. The wife of Harry Potter, the mother of the girl who looked so very much like Ginny had the same birthday as Ginny. What the hell are the chances of that? "That is quite important. Burnt toast is terrible," said Charlie, walking into the room and making his presence known. LilyLuna nodded solemnly. "But you never know when it's going to pop!" she cried desperately. "It always surprises me… usually I only 'pparate a little. But this time I think I went far," she looked straight at Molly when she said this. Molly was desperately trying to figure out a way to contact Harry Potter about his missing daughter. That poor boy was probably being driven round the twist with worry. Not to mention the poor mother. "So, you think you apparated by accident because you were surprised by a muggle toaster?" said Fred, trying to piece it all together. LilyLuna nodded, and Molly heard one of the twin's chuckle. "It isn't funny!" LilyLuna cried. "Now I'm in the old house!" Molly's brow furrowed. The old house? What on earth did she mean? "Where is it you live? Do you have any siblings? Aunts or Uncles? We need to know who to contact," said Charlie, trying to help but most definitely speaking too fast. LilyLuna, however, seemed perfectly content and understanding of quick-paced conversation, and answered each of Charlie's questions. "We live on the Ginsmol. It's a boat. We go everywhere," she swept her arms through the air to demonstrate how everywhere, everywhere was. Absently, Molly realized she was likely learning more about Harry Potter's life than anyone had ever truly known. "I've got three brothers. They're all older though," she said dejectedly. "Teddy, Arthur, and Jamie… then I've got no aunts because daddy's alone…" 'Well, that was self-explanatory,' Molly thought idly. It is Harry Potter, after all. "But mum has loads of brothers… I don't know them!" she finished brightly. A slow realization began to creep in on all of the occupants of the room. The similarities were becoming quite clear, but no one wanted to say anything, it seemed. So distracted they were in their own thoughts, LilyLuna kept prattling on. "Teddy isn't really my brother because he's a Lupin but he's my brother because mum and dad raised him and he calls mum and dad mum and dad," she was speaking so fast and without taking any breaths that it hit Molly even harder. She was so eerily similar to Ginny. "Jamie makes fun of my hair so he's alright. And Arthur is the best. He's Jamie's twin and he plays with me," she finished excitedly. "Who's your mother?" Molly blurted. She needed to know. There were too many similarities. From the mannerisms to the way LilyLuna spoke. Her appearance to the descriptions of her mother and then there were the names. Luna? Ginny's best friend growing up. Arthur? Well, that was self-explanatory! LilyLuna swayed from side to side, thinking hard. "Daddy says that if we ever get separated we shouldn't go telling anyone our names…" she bit her lip. " 'specially not strangers…" she looked up through her eyelashes at Molly. "But I've seen you in pictures… I think," she frowned and plopped down to the floor. Having grown tired of standing. Molly felt as though she'd been trampled by an erumpent. This girl who could have passed as a twin for a young Ginny had seen HER, Molly Weasley, in photographs? It couldn't be, could it? She'd crushed this hope so very long ago. It had been an unhealthy obsession. Focusing nearly every ounce of spare time on finding her daughter that was magically considered dead. She took a glance around at the room in a daze, catching similar expressions of shocked disbelief. "Lily… can I call you Lily?" Audre leaned forward, smiling kindly. Though, even she was rather shaken. She and Percy had met shortly after the investigation of Ginny's whereabouts was concluded. She'd saved him, really. He'd blamed himself for driving Ginny away, having returned to their family only five months before Ginny's… death. Lilyluna nodded. "You can call me Lily. You can call me Lilylu, you can call me Lils, you can call me…" she continued in this vane, listing off multiple different variations on 'Lily' and 'Luna'. For all her experience with children, the current situation was wearing Molly thin. Audrey nodded to each and every one of them before finally she grabbed hold of Lily's shoulders and shook her gently, drawing the poor girl back to reality. "Can you tell me your mum's name?" Lily stared back at Audrey slack-jawed for a moment. Just as she was about to open her mouth, a tremor ran through The Burrow. The overwhelming sound of shattering glass and what could only be described as a veritable rock slide was heard from beyond the walls. Molly didn't know what was happening, only that something was wrong. The air smelled of sulphur and she instinctively turned to her husband, who was sharing a worried look with Bill. She'd never seen her eldest son so tense. His wand was leveled at the ward stone above the mantlepiece, muttering under his breath. His wand arm was trembling and he was sweating profusely. Fleur was supporting him with her own magic, but it wasn't enough. A crackling rumble rang through the grounds and Bill turned to his father, horror-struck. "The wards are gone," he said, far too calmly. He promptly rushed out of the room, towards the front door. Fred, George, Ron, and Charlie and their respective partners followed, nearly bowling over Lily, who had been pulled out of the way at the last minute by Percy. Molly and Arthur shared a look before following the others out. There, on the drive to The Burrow, not fifty meters ahead was a solitary figure. Molly could tell from this distance that it was a woman. The wind was whipping at her hair rather spectacularly. The colour of which, would never have left Molly's mind. It was like a living fire. She pushed through her children and watched the witch's shoulders relax, her wand arm fell by her side and she seemed to lose the threatening aura. She stood, staring at the family in front of her for a long while. Nothing but the birds and the distant sound of the muggle freeway could be heard. Slowly, ever so slowly, she took a step towards them. Which led to another, and another. She walked down the drive with determination. She had a hard, blazing look about her that could have made Molly shrink away had they belonged to a stranger. But this wasn't a stranger. This was Ginny. She stopped ten meters ahead of them and swallowed. "Is my daughter here?" she asked feebly. Her eyes were sweeping over all the familiar faces, and the unfamiliar in the case of Audrey, who had finally joined the back of the group. "Mum?" The family turned into a unit and spread apart for Lily to run past. Merlin, she even ran like Ginny had. Ginny's tense and apprehensive expression immediately softened as she laid eyes on her daughter. Lily jumped up and Ginny caught her, holding her close. Eventually, Ginn lowered her and Lily whispered something to Ginny that none of them could hear. But Ginny's reply carried. "He had to stay home and watch your brothers, didn't he?" Lily nodded into her mother's stomach and turned back around to face the Weasleys. "Ginny." It came from Percy. Who was staring at his sister in poorly contained awe. Ginny swallowed and nodded. "Alright, Perce?" she asked hesitantly. A pained expression layered her face. Percy shook his head. "No, no I'm really not," This was a sentiment the rest of the family most definitely shared. Ginny grimaced, playing with Lily's hair absently and averting eye contact with the rest of her family. "Why'd you leave," Bill asked dispassionately. This was something Bill did sometimes. If anything got overly emotional for him, he'd shut everything out and make it seem as though he had not a care in the world. Fleur referred to it as his 'most-masculine-trait'. Ginny continued to avert her eyes. Lily was quite interested in something crawling across the dirt and didn't seem to mind her mother's hands running through her hair. "Because I needed to get away," aired Ginny. She finally looked up from Lily's hair and stared straight at Percy, then Charlie, and then Bill. "Isn't that why you all left?" "Well we didn't exactly fake our deaths to accomplish that, now did we?" Charlie shot back. Alyssa gripped his bicep to get him to calm down. Ginny cocked her head to the side in thought. "No, I suppose you didn't, but neither did I… at least, not on purpose," Molly swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "We used the Ministry's new research… we couldn't locate you," she was determined to fight off tears as long as possible. Ginny was just so… Merlin, she'd grown since she'd last seen her. Ginny's expression inexplicably hardened at her mother's comment. "Yes, I suppose you couldn't. My name had changed by then," Arthur sighed from beside her and Molly couldn't help but agree. She'd been married for who knows how long. Her surname would have been Potter by then. "Why did you leave… why would you do that to us," the same question meant so much more when it came from Arthur. And it was apparent on Ginny's face that it had gotten through the mask she wore. "I'm not talking about this with Lily here," the way she spoke demanded no argument, and none came. "I'll… I'll be back," "You said that last time," said Percy soothingly. Molly could see the similarities now. Percy, over anyone else here, could relate to whatever Ginny had done. "Yes, well…" said Ginny, flustered, "I've gotten a lot better at keeping promises since I last saw all of you," a thunderous crack of apparition later, and Ginny was gone once again. The silence was deafening. It seemed all the light and warmth had gone out in the world once Ginny had left. Molly's sobs started slow. A sniffle, here and there, before they wracked her body. She felt her husband and Fleur come to her side and hold her up. There were so many unknowns. Why had Ginny left? Had Potter forced her to? Why hadn't she made contact if she'd been alive? Was it all her fault? Did this all come back to Molly's protective nature? Something Andromeda Tonks had warned to be overbearing. But Andromeda was gone too. That familiar sense of everything slipping through her fingers returned with a vengeance. She shook off Arthur and Fleur and turned to her family, nodding her thanks and suppressing her tears. She heard the shoes on packed earth and gravel from behind her and she turned around to face Ginny once again. Having apparated silently, it would seem. "I was scared," she said quietly. The complete and utter silence of the world seemed to have persisted, however, so her words carried to the rest of the family. But Ginny had eyes for none but her mother. "I fell in love shortly after the final battle… a man who had lost everything, left to care for his infant godson," Molly could see it in her mind's eye. Drawing inspiration from all those photographs of Hogwarts after the final battle. Only her daughter and youngest son had fought. The others were either in hiding or helping in other ways. "At first, I merely offered him company. But it became so much more than that… you have a child call you 'mum', and you can't just leave, can you?" "You could have told us… You could have told us about Potter's godson! We would have helped you. Especially if it mattered to you this much!" cried Arthur desperately. Ginny nodded solemnly. "I realize that now, of course," she sniffed and wiped at her nose. "the more time I spent with Harry and Teddy, the more I grew attached to the pair of them. And when I found it was mutual… I wanted more," "We would have supported you," whispered Molly. She'd yet to break eye contact with Ginny. "I know, mum," Ginny nearly wailed. "I know that now. I've known that for years but there was more, there always is…" she paused and blinked rapidly. "I got pregnant. I was freshly seventeen, I hadn't a clue what I was going to do but Harry promised that he'd stay with me… so he proposed and," "And you accepted, because you loved him," Ron filled in. Speaking for the first time. Ginny nodded. "So I kept the engagement a secret. I kept the baby a secret… but I just wanted to leave, mum. Honest, that's all I wanted to do but then there was… a problem with Teddy, and we had to go. I didn't have time to send a note or anything, and honestly…" she hesitated, "I didn't want to. I just wanted to disappear." She exhaled and shook her head. "I regretted it pretty much right away, but there was so much happening. First, we had the wedding which was amazing... and then we had to find a place to live and Harry suggested we live on a boat because he and Sirius used to sail… then there was the pregnancy and it became easier to make excuses. I knew you were looking for me, but I just…" she faltered. "You didn't care," said Percy, nodding. "Believe me, I know," Ginny grimaced but nodded. "We never got the paper… we never knew you thought I was dead… not for a while, at least," "But eventually you knew, didn't you?" said George, who stood at the back with his twin, Bill, and Ron, seeing as they were the tallest. Ginny nodded again. "And you made no move to correct us?" said Fred. Ginny, still never breaking eye contact with Molly, shook her head. "It had been years… I'd had three kids. A pair of twins and Lily, by the time we found out about what had happened… I knew it was because of the marriage… but I never reached out," "Because you grow ashamed, after a while. Your life could be better than it had ever been. You could be thriving and enjoying every minute of every day but deep down there would always be that shame that you left family behind, and there's no point going back because if you'd turned your back on them, what was stopping them from doing the same to you?" Percy explained, tearfully. "Yeah, Ginny, I can understand," Ginny shook her head. Her eyes were wet and tears collected in the corners of her eyes. "Yes, you can understand, but I still don't. I've had… I've been so unbelievably happy these past five and a bit years… I've seen so many amazing things, and Harry is such a perfect man… You'd seemed to have moved on when I came two years ago…" "What?" asked Molly. Ginny nodded. "I came at Christmas with Harry two years ago… I was at the door and got a glimpse through the window and, well, everything seemed… normal. Happy. So I left. Harry wasn't pleased, actually. That was our first and only real fight. He's been pressuring me to make contact with you for years now," "Ginny we were never happy," Molly sobbed, "Without you, everything just lost its light. Everything. Those smiles? They weren't real. None of them were. From any of us," Ginny's bottom lip quivered. "And, I left for such childish reasons… I was seventeen, hadn't finished Hogwarts, and pregnant. I got married, and I was in love. Young and naïve and immature and my decisions with you… my family… they reflected that" her expression grew firm. "So how could I possibly return and explain myself when the only viable excuse I can pull is that I was scared? Why would you want me back, if I thought you were happy with me gone? If I was happy when I was away, it made it all the easier to distance myself…" Arthur stepped forward, breaking the eye contact between mother and daughter for the first time. He reached up and held her face in his hands. She blinked and the tears that had accumulated fell as two simultaneous large droplets. "We would have accepted you back in an instant because we're family, Ginny. Just like Percy before you, we would have prioritized the fact that you came back." he dropped his hands from her face. "And it's the same now," Arthur stepped forward and drew Ginny into a bruising embrace. They all watched as Ginny's arms slowly slinked up and around to return the gesture with equal care. Then, Percy came forward, followed by Ron, then Fred, Bill, Charlie, and finally, George. The embrace held for a long while. Molly stood outside the circle the entire time. And when they finally broke, Molly stepped forward. Ginny was roughly the same height as her, and their identical eyes locked. Molly bowed her head and Ginny followed. Their foreheads came together and they each closed their eyes. "You have always been welcome here, Ginny. And you always will." Ginny nodded fiercely and they came apart. She wiped at her eyes and smiled feebly at her mother. "Merlin, I'm a mother of four and I'm still… like this," she gestured to herself in frustration. Molly chuckled tearfully. "I'm a mother of seven and I'm still like this," she said, gesturing to the two of them. Ginny laughed prettily and looked up and to the right. Gazing at the sky. There was a prolonged silence, though it wasn't awkward. It was, in fact, incredibly comfortable. The first time in many years of living in a silent Burrow that the lack of sound was welcome to Molly's ears. "You know… it is your birthday…" Molly began slowly. "I've made you a cake?" Ginny turned her attention back on Molly. Her expression was so youthful, so innocent, that Molly's heart nearly came out of her chest. "Really?" she asked in disbelief. Molly nodded. "But, unfortunately, there is far too much for the fifteen of us…" Ginny's smile broadened and Molly later swore that it had been the most beautiful, the most comforting, and the most wonderful sight she'd ever laid her eyes upon. "Do you have room for five more?" Ginny asked happily. |
| Reviews 6 |
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