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A Man, a Boy and an Umbrella | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Fluff, General, Romance Warnings: Death, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 55 Summary: Harry is left to raise Teddy alone, following the deaths of all those close to him. They return to England after having lived in America for a long time. Harry wants to do what's best for Teddy. Meeting Ginny Weasley will change their lives, Hitcount: Story Total: 27557; Chapter Total: 3765 |
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Molly and Arthur stayed for three weeks, seeing Ginny settled in Harry's house. Harry did not mind the company of the elder Weasleys, and took much joy in showing them around New York, Conneticut and Massachusetts. Arthur was curious and had a thousand and one questions about everything. Molly was particularly interested in the visit to Salem, home of the infamous witch trials. They both got to see where Ginny would be working and even met some of her colleagues. They could see that Ginny was going to have a busy, but enjoyable time during her year there. All too soon, it was time for the Weasley parents to head home. Harry surprised them with aeroplane tickets, to Arthur's excitement and Molly's trepidation. Teddy was sad to see them go, for he had enjoyed their visit. He had been happy to show them the little kindergarten he was going to be starting in September. Ginny started her training, and they soon settled into some sort of routine. For the first few weeks Ginny was simply doing nine to five; with study and meeting women who were in various stages of their pregnancies. She had made close friends with three of her classmates, and Harry and Teddy joined her often to meet for dinner with their significant others. Teddy started kindergarten; only doing half days to start. Harry found himself with a couple of hours free time every day. At Ginny's urging, he went to speak to his Auror trainer, and was allowed to join in on the morning classes, or use the gym if the class were out on surveillance training. Harry and Ginny were enjoying the time together, getting to know each other completely. Harry told her of his past, his verbal and sometimes physical abuse at the hands of his Muggle relatives. Of Sirius, breaking out of Azkaban and taking him away, far away to America, with Remus, and the very house they lived in now. Sirius was able to tell him all about that terrible Halloween night, and share with Harry his many memories of his parents, particularly his father. Dumbledore then reached out, offering Remus a position at Hogwarts. As he needed the money, and missed life in England, he accepted, and promised to keep an ear out for any news. After some time, Remus confirmed Peter Pettigrew was alive, after finding the Marauder's Map in Filch's office. Sirius immediately headed back to England to help his friend, so he could secure his freedom and make Peter pay for his treachery to James and Lily. In the subsequent fight, Remus transformed, Pettigrew was captured, and Sirius was declared innocent. In the wave of protests from parents about a werewolf teaching, Remus quit to return to the States with Sirius, and tutor Harry. Remus was happy to be with the only people left who he considered family. Tonks joined them two years later. Voldemort had broken into the Ministry, desperate to get his hands on a prophecy. The Order of the Phoenix had been reformed, and Tonks was a part of it. She came to let Sirius know, and ended up falling for Remus. She visited them often, bringing information from England. Voldemort and his Death Eaters were on the rise, seemingly looking for something. What, Tonks didn't know. However, after hearing the story of a girl possessed by a diary, Sirius and Remus quickly worked out Voldemort had somehow managed to make a Horcrux. Their subsequent correspondence with Dumbledore found he had made more than one. So they set out, with Harry, to find and destroy them. It took some time but soon, there was only the snake and the diadem left to find and destroy, when word came that Voldemort had arrived at Hogwarts, and the battle had commenced. Sirius and Harry met with Remus and Tonks, who had given birth at her mother's home in England. Andromeda and Teddy departed for Conneticut and safety while the others headed for Scotland. The plan was for them all to regroup in Conneticut and make further plans then. Returning home alone, to tell Andromeda about Tonks, Remus and Sirius, had been one of the hardest things Harry had to do. He hadn't stayed in England long after the battle, needing to return to the fragments of his family. Watching Teddy grow up had been the only thing keeping Harry from drowning in his grief. Ginny found it hard to believe this man had been through so much personal hell. She gathered him in her arms, much as her mother had done to her as a child, and rocked him as years of loneliness and grief poured out from him. Harry cried, for the boy under the stairs, for the boy on the cusp of manhood who had fought and won, yet lost. And he cried because Ginny was here, with him, and he was so goddamn happy about that. When he told her that, through hiccups and red eyes, they both laughed. Then Ginny kissed him slowly, softly at first, then harder and longer. They lay entwined on his bed, his arm around her waist, her leg threaded through his. And she said the words he had longed to hear all his life. “I love you, Harry.” He stared into her beautiful brown eyes. Did she know what those words meant to him? That he had only said the words to Teddy, and that was a completely different kind of love. “I love you too, Ginny,” he replied, hoping she understood that his love for her was from every part of him. They made love for the first time that day. Ginny had a rare day off from study, and Teddy was at kindergarten. Harry was inclined to want to worship her body, but the first time was too exciting, too new, and unfortunately, over way too soon. The sights, the sounds, the smells were intoxicating. As they lay together after, wrapped in each other's arms, Harry knew this was forever. This was a forever kind of love. They rushed to get dressed and to go pick up Teddy together. Harry almost wept in relief when he was invited to another boy's house for a sleepover, and was keen to go. They returned home, packed his bag and took him to the boy's house, promising to pick him up early next morning. Then they hurried home. This time it was Ginny's turn to speak. “All cards on the table,” she told him. “You told me your story, now it's my turn.” Harry nodded and held her while she spoke. She told of growing up with her brothers, of hearing all about Hogwarts and being so excited when it was finally her turn to go. How a vindictive Lucius Malfoy, wanting to hurt Arthur for his Muggle Protection Act, had slipped an enchanted diary into her school books. Ginny had poured her heart out to Tom, when Hogwarts didn't turn out the way she had hoped. The other girls mocked her for her second hand robes, and her brothers didn't want their little sister hanging around them. Although she had Luna, she rarely had classes with her. So she turned more and more to the diary, and Tom manipulated her, using her to set a Basilisk loose in the school. It Petrified several students before Dumbledore saved her in the Chamber of Secrets. Harry was stunned that it had been Ginny who had been possessed by the diary. She truly knew what it had been like to have a connection to Voldemort; the connection he'd had since he discovered he was a wizard. Ginny cried as she told of her fear she'd be expelled from Hogwarts, or worse. Dumbledore had spoken in her favour, and she'd been allowed to return. Despite a visit to Egypt to see her brother Bill in an effort to stop her nightmares, the real help came from her brother Charlie. Or more specifically, Charlie's Hogwarts friend, Tonks. The Auror visited Ginny at home, and came nearly every day, when she could. Mostly they talked, of how weak Ginny had felt, how Tom had manipulated her. Tonks taught her to be strong, to believe in herself, to just be the best Ginny she could be. Ginny took what Tonks said, and thought about it long and hard. She'd never asked for any favours from her brothers for being the youngest, smallest and only girl; on the contrary. She may not be able to do anything about her size, but she would grow. She could do something about her magic, though, and under cover of a spell that Tonks had taught her, she practised some basic defensive magic. She was soon quite proficient at many spells, but the one she really liked was the Bat Bogey Hex. She was determined not to let the diary incident shape her life in a negative way. She had been touched by dark magic, and survived, and was even proud of herself for not giving in to the darkness. Tonks told her she must be a strong witch to fight Riddle's possession all year. Tonks became her strongest supporter, and the elder sister she never knew she was missing. Her kindness and patience with Ginny meant a lot to her, and she vowed to one day do something to honour her new friend. They stayed in touch through letters, although Ginny had overheard that Tonks was a member of the newly regrouped Order of the Phoenix, so when her letters weren't responded to immediately, she understood the reason why. At the start of the new school year, she held her head high. She still had Luna, whose friendship never wavered. She made an effort with the girls in her dorm, but their close friendships had already been formed. They were polite and sometimes included her, but there was no 'best friend' in Gryffindor. She still suffered from nightmares, no matter what she did to stop them. In desperation she turned to the new DADA professor, Remus Lupin. His kindness was what she needed, and over the next months, he taught her the Patronus charm. Even he was surprised with the size and grace of her mare, as it roamed the room. She had been surprised to learn he was a werewolf, but he had been kind to her so she tried to help him. She went to the headmaster, asking if they got enough signatures on a petition, could Professor Lupin please stay. Ginny was sure most of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff would sign. Dumbledore looked sadly at her, then told her Professor Lupin had already left. He was sure Remus would be touched by her concern, but there was no way he would be teaching there next year. Numb, Ginny nodded and left. Harry and Ginny stopped talking for awhile after that. Both their hearts were hurting at the loss of two people that had meant a lot to them. Harry and Ginny simply held each other close, content to be with each other. They were lost in their own thoughts until Ginny stood, held out her hand and led Harry to his bedroom where they made love for the rest of the night. It was intense and intimate; words being unnecessary. Ginny moved into Harry's bedroom after that, and Teddy barely blinked at the news. He didn't understand why Harry would want to share his bedroom with a girl, but then again, Harry did have a huge bed. Teddy supposed there was room enough for Ginny, and he quite liked cuddling between them some mornings. George, Angelina and Freddie came for a visit in October, announcing that Angie was pregnant again and showing photos of Bill and Fleur's new daughter, Dominique. Teddy was thrilled to have the younger boy stay with him, and introduced him to his friends at kindergarten. Ginny was happy to see someone from her family, and George promised not to say a word to their parents about his sister's new sleeping quarters. Harry, Ginny and Teddy returned to England for Christmas and they were staying for a week to welcome in the New Year. It was obvious to anyone who saw them that the three were a family, and that Harry and Ginny were crazy in love. If Harry happened to corner Arthur in his shed for a quiet word, then Arthur wasn't saying a word. Only to Molly, later that night, did he share the question Harry had asked him, and they both cried in joy. It was a whirlwind of a week. Ginny was determined to catch up with as many friends as they could. They arrived on Christmas Eve, and left Teddy making Christmas biscuits with Molly and Tori while Ginny accompanied Harry on his visit to Godric's Hollow. They joined the Christmas Eve service at the small church and lit two large candles, one to honour their past, and one to celebrate their future. Christmas Day was a day of presents, food and naps. Audrey had been having contractions all day. She thought she had plenty of time and didnt want to disrupt the celebrations, but her waters broke as they were preparing to leave, and shortly before midnight, Ginny and Molly helped her deliver a beautiful baby girl. Every one agreed baby Molly was the best gift they could have received this Christmas. The Burrow was packed, as everyone had stayed to welcome the new addition. Somehow Molly found places for everyone to sleep. To Harry and Ginny's surprise, she ushered them both into Ginny's old bedroom and expanded her single bed to a queen size. She then wished them a goodnight, and bustled back downstairs to check on the grandchildren, who were camping in the lounge. The next day was a visit to Ginny's aunt Muriel who had felt too poorly to come to the Burrow the day before. Ginny brought food for her, and news of the new baby. They stayed for an hour, before the old lady fell asleep. Their next stop was St Mungo's, to visit Ginny's old colleagues. Most remembered Harry, and were happy to see the two of the together. They were also happy to hear Teddy was doing well. They spent most of the next day at Hogwarts. Harry marvelled at the trees in the Great Hall, and the beautiful decorations. He congratulated Hagrid, who immediately smothered him in hugs, to Ginny's amusement. Hagrid also told him he had been the one to deliver him to his Muggle relatives that Halloween night. He spoke in a way as if asking for forgiveness, but Harry told him there was nothing to forgive. Hagrid cried all over Harry, and the headmistress had to perform a drying spell on his clothes. The next day was spent with Teddy in Muggle London, looking at all the Christmas sights and trying to avoid the frenzied shoppers out looking for bargains. When they returned to the Burrow they skated on the ice covered pond, and flew when they could. Molly thought they were foolish for being out in the cold, and had hot chocolate and fresh scones waiting for them. Ginny rolled her eyes, muttering 'warming charms' under her breath. The next day was spent hanging out with Luna, Neville, Ron and Hermione. It was fun just sitting around, sipping hot cider and wine, talking and catching up on everyone's lives. That night Harry and Ginny joined Kingsley for dinner. He was interested in Ginny's training, and what their plans were for after. Harry confided that in the new year, Teddy would return to kindergarten for three full days and two half days, and Harry was resuming his Auror training, on a part time basis. They had no further plans until Ginny graduated in June. Ginny was loving her studies, and knew she had made the right career choice. She loved meeting the new mums, and was excited to be a part of their journey in bringing a healthy witch or wizard into the world. Every pregnancy, every expectant mother was different, and that was what made it so exciting. Helping her mother to deliver her own niece had been a special experience too, as Audrey was the one sister-in-law she felt she knew the least. She had been happy to accept their request to name their daughter, Molly Ginevra. They were all spending New Year's Eve at the Leaky Cauldron, which had been closed for their private celebrations. Harry finally got to meet Dean Thomas, and the two had a great chat in the corner, discussing art. Harry had taken Teddy and Ginny to the Museum of Modern Art gallery, which thrilled Dean as they discussed Muggle and magical art. When it was time to count down to midnight, Harry drew Ginny aside and found them a little niche, big enough for two. And in the last seconds of the year, Harry asked Ginny to do him the honour of becoming his wife. Ginny stared at him in surprise, totally surprised. As bells and whistles sounded, as the fireworks flared across the sky, Ginny kissed him and whispered yes. “What? I can barely hear you,” cried Harry, cupping his ear. People were cheering and singing Auld Lange Syne “YES!” shouted Ginny, flinging his arms around his neck. “Really?” asked Harry, dumbfounded. He fumbled in his pocket for a small box. “Really, really?” he repeated, worried she'd change her mind, or that he'd heard wrong. “Yes, a million times, yes,” she said. He took her hand and slid the ring on. She held it up, admiring it twinkle in the light. He drew her into his arms. “No take backs,” he warned. Laughing she shook her head. “I love you so much, Ginny. You've changed my life for the better,” he said, kissing her over and over. Ron found them soon after. “Ugh, would you two stop that. Anyway, Happy New Year!” he cried. “We're engaged!” cried Ginny, showing her brother the ring. “So are we!” cried Hermione, from behind Ron. The two couples laughed and embraced each other, then they announced it to everyone else. The festivities then kicked up another notch, as the New Years party soon became an impromptu engagement party. Across the room, Arthur and Molly watched in satisfaction as their two youngest children celebrated with their partners. It was the greatest joy a parent can have, to see their children grow, be happy and prosper. All their children were doing well in their chosen careers, and had found good partners to see them through life. “Well now, seems we've got weddings to plan for,” sighed Molly happily. “And a new grandchild to welcome,” reminded Arthur. Fleur, Angelina and Audrey had understandably not stayed up late to see in the New Year. Bill had stayed at the party with Tori until she fell asleep, but George and Percy had stayed home with their wives. “The years are going by faster and faster each year,” said Molly. “That's because we're busier than ever,” said Arthur. “In the best kind of way.” “I'll miss them terribly when Harry, Ginny and Teddy leave the day after tomorrow,” sighed Molly. “Well, when Harry cornered me in my shed to ask for Ginny's hand in marriage, he also gave me aeroplane tickets to come and visit them again at Easter. Surprise!” said Arthur, kissing her. “Aeroplanes...again?” said Molly weakly. Arthur nodded and beamed. |
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