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It Happened One Night | ||||||
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Category: Post-OotP, Buried Gems Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Angst, Drama, Fluff, General Warnings: Death, Sexual Situations, Violence Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 1042 Summary: Harry and Ginny make a decision that changes their lives.... Hitcount: Story Total: 254414; Chapter Total: 9937 |
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A/N: Now that you all officialy hate me, here's the next update. And to all those who are telling me they need to get back to together, I say this: I am a MAJOR H/G shipper. Think about that for a moment. This is just a little glich in their relationship right now. Oh and after reading through this, I've lowered the rating so it's now PG-13. If you think this merits a R rating, please email me and let me know why you feel so. So, here you all are. Enjoy and please review! DISCLAIMER: Same old, same old. Chapter Twenty One February was drawing to a close and March was just around the corner. Light snow and rain alternated days and a chill still lingered around the castle. Students kept bundled up and close to fires and rushed to get inside from outdoor classes. It was on a particularly cold day, yet still sunny, that Ron had chosen to start up Quidditch practices again. He wasn’t quite sure if Ginny would be able to play, but she ensured him that she could and would be at the first practice. She just neglected to tell him that James was coming with her. Ginny felt bad about asking her friends to watch him since he was her responsibility and decided to try and take him with her every where she went. Her alarm went off and Ginny groped around to shut it off. She pulled her blanket over her head and tried to get a few more minutes of sleep in. She had not gotten much sleep in the past two weeks since she moved back into her old dormitory. Since she was now the only caretaker of her nine and a half month old son, taking care of him around the clock and keeping on top of all her studies was taking a toll on the amount of sleep she got. However, James had other ideas that morning and was babbling happily to her. “Go back to sleep James,” she mumbled and snuggled deeper beneath her blanket. She wondered why her son was such an early riser and why he couldn’t sleep in for once. James continued to babble to her in a cheery baby voice. But what she heard next was not something she expected. “Ma!” Ginny’s eyes flew open and she slowly pulled the blanket off her head. She looked at her son who was standing in the crib, holding onto the rail for support (Yet another skill the young mother was proud about; her son could now stand up while holding on to something for one whole week!). James smiled at her, his red hair sticking up from sleep. “Ma!” he said again. A huge grin spread on Ginny’s face. “Oh James!” she squealed and hurriedly climbed out of bed. She picked up her son and kissed him on the top of his head. “You said your first word! I’m so proud of you!” “Ginny? What’s going on?” Claire’s sleepy voice came, a slight irritation in her voice. Ginny pulled back the curtain, a wide smile still on her face, and was greeted with a sleepy looking Claire. “Sorry Claire, James said his first word!” she explained excitedly. Claire smiled at her. “What did he say?” she asked. “Ma,” Ginny said proudly. “I can’t wait to tell Harry! He’ll be . . .” Ginny’s voice trailed off as she remembered that Harry didn’t want to have anything to do with them. She shifted James in her arms and turned to get him clothes. “I’ll just go give him a bath now.” After collecting his clothes, she whisked him off to the loo to give James a bath. Ginny drew the bath water, undressed James, and placed him in the tub. James splashed the soapy water happily and giggled as he saw the suds slop around. Ginny smiled sadly at him. After Ginny had cried her eyes out after Harry declared he no longer wanted them, she began to pack all her things to move out of the room. Hermione helped her and together they moved all her belongings, as well as James’ things, back to her old dormitory. Hermione had stayed with Ginny, trying to calm her and tell her that everything would be all right. Ginny hoped that it was all a joke and that Harry was just pulling her leg. But she was completely wrong and slowly the truth that her husband had left her sunk in. And like always, the news of the fight spread through the castle like wildfire. The next morning at breakfast, all eyes were on her and Harry. Ginny did not want to eat in the Great Hall, so she quickly put something together and left the Great Hall to eat in peace in the corridors. The same had happened at lunch and dinner, and Ginny decided it would be better to grab something quick and eat in the corridors everyday. She couldn’t take the staring and whispering and just didn’t want to deal with it. But the whispering and staring didn’t stay within the Great Hall; it was in the hallways and during classes and some people didn’t even bother to lower their voices. She felt like she had when James was first brought to Hogwarts; alienated from the rest of the world, completely alone. She kept James close to her, trying hard to avoid situations where she would have to ask others to watch him for her. She didn’t want to be a burden to anyone else. Yet she didn’t know why Harry thought of them as such a burden. What had she done wrong? Did she say something to him or do something? What was it that made him hate them so? It was all so strange and something nagged her in the back of her mind that told her that something wasn’t quite right with what Harry was doing. “Ma!” James’ voice broke her thoughts. She shook her thoughts from her head and smiled at her son, lifting him out of the tub, and wrapping a fluffy towel around him. She brought him back to her bed and placed him on it. James looked up at her as she dressed him and saying “Ma” over and over again. She copied him as she continued to dress him and he tried to roll and wriggle away from him. She talked to him as she put on a new nappy and fastened a pair of baby sized jeans around him and found him a shirt to wear. Ginny tugged his Weasley jumper over his head and pulled the sleeves over his arms. Finally she put socks on him and searched for a pair of shoes. Once she was finished, she picked him up, kissed his cheek, and set him in the crib so she could change herself. When she was done, she packed James’ baby bag and put him in his carrier. She picked up the bag and the carrier, grabbed her broom with her free hand, and headed down to the common room. She glanced at the playpen in the corner and decided it would be handy to have down on the Quidditch pitch. She fished her wand out and shrunk the playpen, then slipped her wand and the tiny playpen in the baby bag. Ginny had grabbed a muffin and a few slices of toast from the Great Hall before she headed out to the Quidditch pitch. She went into the locker room and settled her things on the floor. James was reaching for the toast as Ginny worked on enlarging the playpen again for him. “Just a minute,” she said as she took him out of the carrier and placed him in the playpen. He immediately scrambled to stand up, his fists tightly clenching the railing and looked up at her. Ginny tore off a piece of toast and gave it to him. He happily chomped on it and fell back onto his backside. He didn’t seem to care for he had his breakfast and was munching away. Ginny sat on a bench, tearing apart a piece of toast so she could give it to James. She ate her muffin, watching James eat and holding up his hand for more once he finished a piece. Once they had finished their breakfast, Ginny changed into her Quidditch robes and waited in the meeting room for the rest of the team to come. Harry strolled into the meeting room, not really wanting to practice Quidditch at all. He had seen today’s issue of the Daily Prophet and the headline shocked him. Cornelius Fudge was attacked and killed at his own home. While he had admitted that Voldemort was back and had taken some precautions, he obviously thought an attack on his house was highly unlikely for the article had said no extra wards had been put up. What was even more of a shock was that the attack had happened after the recent Dark activity had come to a halt. The Death Eaters had obviously been trying to keep everyone in suspense. They had begun with the sudden rash of attacks around Christmas, and just before Valentine’s Day they came to a screeching halt. Harry sighed, wondering what a mess the Ministry would be in now that the minister was gone and they needed a new leader. They would have to act fast and whoever it was had to be able to work under all the pressure and be a quick thinker. Harry just hoped they would find a replacement (preferable a better one) fast. He paused when he saw Ginny playing with James on the other side of the room. He watched as she tickled him and his high pitched squeal echoed throughout the room. James looked up at his mother, his eyes begging her to tickle him again and he laughed when she did. Harry sighed and looked away. He hated doing this, but he didn’t see how he would be able to protect them. “Ma!” Harry’s eyes were fixed on his son and he tried to hide the smile that spread on his face after hearing his son say his first word. Ginny was beaming at him with pride in her eyes and cuddled him closer to her. He wished he could be sitting with them and looking just as proud as she did. “Ginny, what is he doing here?” Ron’s voice said. Harry saw that Ron had entered the room and was frowning at his sister. “Didn’t I tell you that I was bringing him? Must have slipped my mind. Besides, you don’t mind me bringing your adorable nephew, do you?” Ginny put on an innocent look and smiled up at her brother. “Ginny how do you think you’re going to take care of him during practice?” he asked in a stern voice and crossed his arms. Ginny sighed and looked at her son in her arms. She kissed the top of his head and looked back at Ron. “I just will. I’m his mother and I have to care for him,” Ginny replied. Ron didn’t reply. He gave his sister a sympathetic look and shot an icy glare at Harry. A pang of guilt hit Harry and he sighed. Ron had continued to talk to Harry after the fight of the common room, which surprised Harry. He was sure that Ron was going to hate him and ignore him. He constantly told Harry he was making a mistake, but Harry refused to listen to him. He wanted to protect his family and he saw no other way of doing it. Hermione on the other hand had barely spoken a word to him and when she did, it was in a very cold tone. She was often hanging around Ginny and shooting glares at him. She didn’t even go near Harry unless it was in class or when she was with Ron. Even though Harry hated having one of his best friends hating him like that, he knew he deserved it. “Ma ma ma ma ma ma!” James babbled. Ron looked at James in surprise. “Did he just talk?” Ron said, staring at his nephew in surprise. Ginny nodded. “This morning when I woke up he was talking. Oh Ron, I was so excited! My little boy is growing up. Before I know it, I’ll be sending him off to Hogwarts on his own,” Ginny said, tickling James. She glanced around the room and when she saw Harry, she quickly looked away and placed James in the playpen, where Ron quickly descended upon him and tried to get him to say “Ron”. Harry’s eyes lingered on them for a moment before he looked away and waited for the rest of the team to come in. Once the rest of the team dragged their selves into the meeting room and took seats on the benches, Ron hurried to the front and pulled out his wand. He tapped his wand on a board in the front of the room and cleared his throat importantly. Once everyone was watching him, he immediately began describing new plays. This had taken over an hour to do, which reminded Harry greatly of the days of Oliver Wood as captain. Once Ron was finished with the plays he paced up and down in front of them and talked about their match against Slytherin. Ron’s speech, full of determination and ferocity, was long and nearly put the whole team to sleep. He was determined to get them in top shape so that they would win against Slytherin. “Even if we do lose, we’ll win the cup regardless since our point margin is so large. I mean Slytherin will have to be ahead by 300 points to tie with us, but still I want to rub that Slytherin’s nose in the ground and kick his arse. Bloody Malfoy,” Ron said as they all made their way out to the pitch. The team rolled their eyes as they followed their captain out to the pitch. Harry glanced around with his broom slung over his shoulder and watched Ginny struggle with James. She threw his baby bag over her shoulder and shrank his playpen while holding James. She slipped it into her free hand and tried to grab her broom. Once she was all set, she went out the door and onto the pitch, staying as far away from Harry as possible. A chilly breeze swept throughout the pitch as the Gryffindor team walked out on to it. Ginny cursed herself silently for forgetting to bring an extra jumper for James. Sighing, she enlarged the playpen again, set James inside and placed a Warming Charm on the playpen. After making sure he was taken care of, she joined her teammates up in the air. They practiced flying drills and took turns passing the Quaffle to each other. Ron ran them through tough drills, pushing them to their limits. Many times Ginny had to stop and take care of James. She would apologize profusely to her teammates before resuming practice. After this happened for the fourth time, Ron was getting upset with his sister. “Ginny, why couldn’t you get someone to watch him?” Ron asked angrily when she returned. “I’m sorry Ron but I didn’t have much of a choice,” Ginny said, sending a glare in Harry’s direction. “Unlike some people I know that I have the responsibility of taking care of my son.” Harry looked away and felt everyone looking at him. “Can we get on with practice?” Harry asked Ron impatiently. Ron nodded and called for diving drills. There was a faint cry and Ginny glanced over her shoulder. She sighed and flew back to the ground. “That’s it, we can’t practice like this! Practice is over,” Ron shouted and followed his sister. The rest of the team grumbled about it and flew back towards the ground. Harry lingered in the air for a few moments and did a few laps, enjoying the chill wind whipping around him. He flew back to the ground and saw that Ron and Ginny were going at it. He stood a few feet away from them, waiting for Ron and watched as the two of them went red in the face as they argued. “I said I was sorry. I’ll get someone to watch him next time,” Ginny said, picking up James and shrinking the playpen. “You better Ginny. As much as I love him, he can’t be here for every practice,” Ron ranted. “Ron, I said I’d take care of it! You can’t expect everyone to drop whatever they are doing because I need a sitter,” Ginny shouted. “Ginny, we have an important game! You can’t keep leaving through practice and run to him,” Ron yelled back. Ginny glared at him. “And what do you expect me to do? Let him cry and ignore him?” Ginny asked, her eyes glittering dangerously. Ron sighed and ran a hand through his wind swept hair. “Get someone to watch him!” Ron shouted. “Ron! How many times do I have to tell you? I’ll try to find someone but I can’t promise anything!” Ginny shouted back. She picked up the baby bag and slung it on her shoulder, shifting James to her hip. “You better try hard Ginny. What’s more important, Quidditch or him?” Ron said. Ginny looked at him in disbelief. “Wait a minute, you’re telling me to decide between a game and my son?” she asked. “Yes!” Ron waved his arms frantically in the air. Ginny took a deep breath and looked at him, unable to believe he had asked her such a question. “Well then, the choice is obvious,” she began. Ron had a smug look on his face. She glared at her brother. “I quit. Find yourself a new Chaser.” Ron’s jaw dropped and he stared at his sister. Realization of what he said to her dawned on his face. “You can’t be serious! Ginny, you can’t quit on me. In fact, I forbid you to quit!” Ron said, desperately trying to patch up his mistake. “No Ron. My son is more important to me than a game. You should have known that,” Ginny said. She glanced around and saw Harry standing not too far from them, watching them argue. She looked back at Ron. “I don’t leave my children.” She grabbed her broom and stormed off to the locker rooms. Ron kicked the ground hard. “Now what am I going to do? We can’t play without her!” Ron shouted and stomped off to the locker rooms. Harry jogged after him. “Apologize,” Harry suggested as he reached him. “You should talk,” Ron shot back, glaring at Harry. Harry sighed and looked away. “Figure something out. We don’t have reserves and she’s one of the best Chasers we have ever had,” Harry said and walked ahead of Ron to the locker rooms. Later on, Harry entered the common room after her had changed. He saw that Ginny was no where to be seen. Glancing around, he saw Ron and Hermione whispering to each other. Hermione looked furious and Ron looked like he was afraid. Harry approached them and sank into an empty seat. “Hello,” he greeted them. Ron wore a scowl on his face and muttered a hello. Hermione looked up and was met with a small, fake smile and looked at Ron, shooting a murderous glare at him. “Ronald Weasley! How dare you say those things to your sister? You know how she’s been feeling lately after this git left her!” Hermione shouted. Harry’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth to say something. “Hush, I’m not finished with him,” Hermione snapped coldly. “You better apologize to her! James is her son and she’s not about to leave him just because you want to beat Malfoy in a game. If you really want her back on the team, you tell her she can bring James with her and make accommodations for her because that’s what a good captain does and because you’re her brother!” “I told you to apologize,” Harry cut in. Ron glared at him. “You know what; I don’t want any advice from you right now. After what you did to my sister, you’re lucky I even talk to you right now. And I still don’t understand why you’ve been putting up this act for two weeks?” Ron said. “You’ve got to realize it won’t work.” “What act?” Hermione asked, momentarily forgetting her anger with Ron. “He’s only pretending that he doesn’t want them. He thinks by leaving them, he’s protecting them. Don’t know where he got that idea,” Ron said. Hermione’s eyes widened and she glared at Harry. Harry didn’t like that look in her eyes. “You. I want to talk to you, now,” she hissed and stood up. She grabbed his hand and hauled him to his feet. She looked at Ron. “By the time we get back you better had apologized to Ginny or else the wedding is off,” she threatened. Ron glared at her for a moment. “Now!” Ron quickly leapt to his feet and searched for his sister. Quickly, she pulled Harry out of the common room and down the corridor and into an empty classroom. Hermione pointed to the desks and Harry immediately sat down, not wanting to make her angrier. She slammed the door, pulled out her wand, and muttered a few spells. She turned on her heel, wand still in her hand and looked at him. “Have you lost your mind?” she shouted, glaring at him. Harry didn’t reply. He stared at the desk in front of him. “How could you do this to them?” she asked, her voice low and dangerous. “How could you leave them like this Harry?” He glanced up and looked at him. “Look, Hermione I have a reason for what I did,” Harry tried to defend herself. “And what would that be? Harry, how in Merlin’s name do you think this is going to protect them? Do you know what this is doing to her? What possessed you to have this sudden nobility complex?” she went on. “I do not have a nobility complex,” Harry defended, crossing his arms across his chest. “Right now you do. Why did you do this? Why did you make Ginny think she’s a horrible person? She thinks she did something wrong,” she said, sitting at a desk in front of him. Harry sighed. “She does?” Harry’s eyes widened and a wave of guilt washed over him. “Yes Harry, she does. I’ve been talking with her about this ever since you had that fight and she thinks this is entirely her fault. Why Harry? Why do this to them?” Hermione asked. “Hermione, everyone I love is taken away from me; my mum, my dad, Sirius, my unborn child. I can’t stand the fact that Ginny and James could be taken away from me like that. I won’t let Voldemort kill them too. If this spy sees that I’m not with them and that I don’t care about them, then they’ll tell Voldemort and he won’t touch them. They’ll be safe,” Harry explained, trying hard not to cry in front of his best friend. Hermione stared at him for a long time, a thoughtful look in her eyes. “You’ve already lost them Harry,” she said sadly. “Leaving them won’t protect them.” She slid out of the seat and looked at him. “Harry, you need to decide if what you’re doing is worth it before it’s too late.” She sighed and with a final glance, she left him alone in the empty room. * * * * * Ron had begged Ginny on his hands and knees to stay on the team. He promised he would let her bring James to practice and let her leave practice when she needed to care for him. It had taken a few hours but Ginny eventually agreed to play again and told Ron that if he acted like that again then he would find himself in the age of the dinosaurs. But, while bringing James to Quidditch practice was a convenience to Ginny, it was also a very bad idea. Within a few days, he had developed a bad cold and so did Ginny, but since she couldn’t afford to take anymore days off class, she had to deal with a sick child in the middle of her lessons. He was very irritable and cranky, often crying and calling for her. Several times she would have to leave class and pace up and down in the corridors with him, desperately trying to comfort him and calming him down. Ginny stood in front of her cauldron and tried to concentrate on her potion. It was not easy, for James had chosen to be wide awake and particularly cranky in Potions. She shivered, her worn winter cloak offering her little warmth. She hated that the dungeons was the coldest part of the castle and with her and James being sick, it was the worst place for them both. She was startled when he began to cry and nearly dropped a vial of dragon blood she was holding in her steaming cauldron. Ginny quickly bent over to see what was wrong with James, ignoring the glare Professor Snape gave her. He wasn’t very keen on seeing James in his class and often gave the infant cold and icy looks. “Shh! Come on sweetie, I know you’re feeling awful, so am I, but Mummy needs to do her work,” she whispered quickly, jiggling a toy in front of his face. James continued to cry, holding out his arms for her to carry him. Ginny sighed and looked around the room, coughing as she did so. Her classmates were staring at her and Professor Snape was still glaring in her direction. Giving in, she picked James up and held him with one arm. He began to calm down and Ginny had to continue her work with one hand. She found it to be rather difficult to slice her daisy roots while holding James. Sighing, she sat him on the desk and quickly diced her roots. She didn’t, however, expect for James to reach over and grab the cauldron. “James! No!” Ginny shouted, grabbing his hand. The swift movement caused the cauldron to tip towards the infant. Ginny snatched him off the table, kicked her belongings out of the way, and jumped back, just before the murky brown potion she was working on spilled over the table and splattered all over the floor. It hissed and bubbled as it spread and a hole was forming in the stone floor. The class was silent and those that were close by were backing away from the oozing substance. “Potter!” Ginny winced, holding James close and at the mention of her married name, she suddenly realized that her wedding ring was on her finger. It felt strange. “Weasley,” she corrected softly. “Weasley,” the potions master hissed. “Ten points from Gryffindor and detention!” Ginny looked up quickly. “Professor, please!” she begged. “You will be in here tonight and cleaning up this mess that monster caused,” Professor Snape went on. “Please, I can’t. I haven’t anyone to watch him,” Ginny tried to beg again. “That is not my problem. You should have thought of the consequences before allowing yourself to reproduce. But of course, thinking is not one of your strong points now is it. You were told when this demon child of yours was brought to school that all school rules apply to you, including serving detentions,” he said. The class was staring at her, several Slytherins snickering. “Nine o’clock sharp.” He turned on his heel and went back to the front of the room. He stopped and went back towards her. He waved his wand and the remaining contents of the cauldron were gone and it sparkled clean. “Another zero for the day. What a wonderful future you are creating for your child. I’m sure that with the way your marks have been going in this class, you can find a nice back alley to live in.” Ginny was stunned and tears burned her eyes. Determined not to let anyone see her cry, she held her head up high and began to pack her things, not caring what Professor Snape thought of her leaving class early. She couldn’t bear being in the dungeons any longer. Once she had all her belongings and James was safe in her arms, she began to leave. “Ginny.” She looked and saw her friends looking at her in concern. She smiled sadly at them. “I’ll be okay,” she said before leaving the dungeons. Rain pounded on the windows and walls as Ginny made her way to the Great Hall. All outside classes were canceled for the day as well as all Quidditch practices, which greatly angered Ron. Ginny, on the other hand, was grateful and she hoped that staying inside would help her and James get better. She was still shivering beneath her winter cloak as she walked down the stone passageways. She didn’t have the heart to ask her mother for a new one and now, without Harry, she couldn’t afford a new one on her own. She had James to think about. She quickly entered the Great Hall and saw that there were very few students, she sat down and decided to eat in the Great Hall this time. She managed to finish a quick meal and feed James just as the majority of the school was entering the Great Hall. She gathered her things and went into the Entrance Hall. Ginny didn’t expect the Entrance Hall to be crowded with students, but as there was a nasty storm outside, there was no where else for students to go. Ginny had sought out a corner for herself and James and tried to get some studying done. It was hopeless. James was still being very fussy. She spent a good ten minutes trying to quiet him down. He finally stopped crying and was quiet for her and Ginny began to do her Ancient Runes translation. “Ma ma,” James began to cry again. Ginny pushed the book off her lap, coughing, and picked him up. “Come on James. Be a good boy and go to sleep,” she cooed at him. He persisted in his crying. Ginny sighed and rocked him in her arms. She turned her head and coughed again and glanced around. Several students were looking at her with pity. She hated that everyone knew about how Harry had pushed her and James out of his life. She turned back to her son and began to sing a soft lullaby to him. Harry watched Ginny struggle with James from afar. She didn’t look well and he couldn’t believe she was still wearing that old winter cloak. “She’s not doing so well,” Hermione had noticed him looking. Harry glanced at her and frowned. She had begun to talk to him once again, though her voice was still cold with him. “What do you mean?” he asked. “Harry she’s been sick and so is James. Notice him being so fussy lately,” Ron explained. Harry felt horrible. “She’s pushing herself too hard. She refuses to let anyone help her out, keeps saying that it’s her responsibility and she doesn’t want to be a burden,” Hermione added. Harry felt really horrible now. What had he done? “Damn it,” he looked away, unable to look at Ginny anymore. Guilt washed over him. He never intended this. He only wanted them to be safe, not this. “Harry, maybe you should talk with her,” Hermione suggested. “There might be hope. She might forgive you and take you back.” He shook his head. “I can’t. They have to be safe,” he said and held back the pain. Why was he doing this? Was it worth it to see them suffer like this? “But —”Ron had begun. “I can’t Ron. I don’t want to talk about this,” Harry cut him off and immediately the conversation dropped. Hermione was glaring at him. “If you don’t talk to her, then I will,” she said. “No! I said drop it, Hermione,” Harry said, glaring at her. She bit her lip and looked away from him. They had promised not to tell Ginny the real reason he was acting the way he was, but both kept pestering him to talk to her and he continually refused. Harry braved another glance. James had fallen asleep in Ginny’s arms and he noticed she had nodded off as well. Her head was leaning back against the wall, her eyes closed. Harry couldn’t bear to watch them like this. Before he knew it, he was walking towards them. Many eyes followed him as he made his way to Ginny and James. Harry stopped in front of them and felt his chest constrict painfully. This was too much for him. Ginny looked even worse than he had seen her from a far, her skin was pale and she had dark circles under her eyes. James was pale as well and it hurt Harry to see this. Gently he took James from Ginny’s arms and put him in his carrier, tucking his blankets around him carefully. Harry placed a small kiss on his forehead. He was warm, and it was clear he had a fever. Quickly, he conjured up a soft towel and placed a Freezing Charm on it. He lifted it to his son’s forehead and patted it gently on his skin, hoping to cool him down and break the fever. Harry left the cloth on his forehead and made sure it stayed in place. He looked at Ginny and removed his own cloak, placing it on top of her. He pushed back her hair and kissed her forehead as well. She stirred a bit, but didn’t wake up. “I love you both. I’m so sorry,” he said then stood up. Harry walked away and out of the crowded corridor, ignoring the people who watched him with curious looks. Fifteen minutes later, Ginny was gently woken by her roommates. She looked around groggily, wondering where she was. She shook her head from sleepiness and launched into a fit of coughing. She then realized she was warm and not shivering anymore. Someone had put their cloak on her. Ginny looked around and saw James in his carrier, snugly wrapped in his blankets, and a cloth on his forehead. She frowned. Who could have done such a thing? Ginny realized it was time for class and began to gather her belongings. She walked down the corridor to Charms trying to figure out who had been so kind to her. * * * * * That following Saturday was the first sunny day the students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had seen in weeks. They were also very fortunate that it was a Hogsmeade weekend. Fifth and seventh years took the opportunity to take a break from their O.W.Ls and N.E.W.Ts revision and enjoy a day off. Ginny walked down a twisted cobbled street in Hogsmeade, James sleeping soundly in the stroller, and ignoring all the students who passed her. Unlike, her fellow classmates, she hadn’t come for fun and leisure; she had come on business. Now her business was over and she was feeling rather worn out from the long visit. All she wanted to do was to curl up in her bed and sleep. She sighed, wondering if what she did was the right thing to do. After the fight, Ginny had sent a letter to her parents and told them what had happened. Her parents’ letter back to her had basically told her it was up to her on what to do in her situation and whatever she decided, they would support it. She glanced up and caught a glimpse of a copy of the Daily Prophet in an elderly wizard’s hand. She gasped at the headline. Arthur Weasley, the New Minister of Magic There was a picture of her parents smiling at the camera and Ginny couldn’t believe it. Her father was now the minister. Ginny had received an owl about the death of the late minister from her parents and she knew that the Ministry took quick action and immediately searched for replacements. Amelia Bones, who was the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, was the top choice. Ginny remembered that the letter from her parents had also said that her father was asked to be a candidate, but he wasn’t sure if he would accept it or not. It was obvious now that he did and Ginny couldn’t be proud of her father. “Ginny!” She looked around and saw Ron running towards her, waving something in his hand. He stopped in front of her and pulled her into a hug. He let her go and beamed at her. “Dad’s got it! Dad’s the new minister! Did you see this?” Ron waved the paper around frantically and beamed with pride. “I saw. Isn’t it great?” she said, smiling at her brother. “Ginny!” Ginny looked behind Ron and smiled. All her brothers were heading towards her, smiling wide and looking very proud. They gathered around her and the stroller and each took a turn to hug her. “What are you all doing here?” she asked. “We came to celebrate with you two. Mum and Dad are having their own private celebration at home,” Charlie explained. “You don’t think they’re, er, you know,” Ron suggested. The siblings exchanged looks and they shuddered in disgust. “Thanks for the mental picture Ron,” Fred said and smacked Ron upside the head. Ginny shook the image from her mind. “No way!” Bill suddenly exclaimed. Ginny looked at him and saw he was staring into the stroller. “That’s not little James, is it?” “He didn’t look that big the last time we saw him at the . . . the uh . . . the, well you know,” George said and looked at her apologetically. Ginny smiled sadly. She knew he was referring to the funeral. “It’s okay,” she assured him and George smiled at her. “Grown hasn’t he? Can’t believe it myself,” she said, smiling adoringly at her sleeping son. He squirmed around a bit then settled down. “Seems like only yesterday he was a tiny little newborn.” Ginny looked up and saw that all her brothers were smiling down at their nephew. “He looks so peaceful,” Charlie commented. Fred and George bent over the stroller and Ginny watched them carefully. “Thank Merlin for that. I love it when he’s sleeping. It means I get a break,” Ginny said. “He’s not that much of a handful,” Ron said. Ginny tore her gaze from the twins and glared at him. “Of course you would say that. You’re not his mother,” Ginny rolled her eyes at him. “Where’s Harry?” Percy asked. Ginny stiffened and Ron looked at her worriedly. She had not told her brothers what had happened and begged her parents not to say anything either. “I don’t know,” Ginny quickly replied. “He’s somewhere.” James began to cry and the twins jumped back in alarm. “I swear we didn’t do it!” Fred exclaimed. Ginny went around the side of the stroller and picked him up, sending a glare at the twins. “Shh! It’s okay. Come on, go back to sleep,” she cooed, bouncing him in her arms. James continued to cry and Ginny reached inside the stroller to give him his bunny. She frowned and searched through the blankets only to find that it was missing. “Oh great. I must have dropped it.” Ginny handed James to Bill. “Watch him. I’ll only be a minute,” she instructed and rushed back to the building she was at. She found the bunny lying on the floor of the lobby. She quickly picked it up and left the building again. As Ginny approached her brothers, she saw that they were frowning at her and Ron was staring at the sign of the building. “A law office? What were you doing there?” George asked confused. Ginny ignored him and took James back from Bill. “Here you go sweetie,” she said and handed the stuffed toy to him. James took it in one hand and started to calm down. She smiled at him and put him back in the stroller. “Ginny,” Percy’s voice warned. She looked up at them. “Why did you go there?” Charlie asked. She sighed. “I talked with a solicitor,” Ginny said. Ron’s eyes widened and he seemed to understand what she had done. “Ginny, you didn’t! You can’t do that!” Ron exclaimed. Ginny rounded on him. “And why not? After what happened, what did you expect me to do? Besides, I have grounds for it,” she said. The other Weasley brothers were thoroughly confused as they watched their youngest siblings. “You can’t do it Ginny,” Ron said again. “I can and I have. It’s already been done!” she replied. “Well undo it then!” Ron shouted. “Do what?!” Bill demanded. Ron and Ginny looked at the others. “Will one of you please explain what is going on?” Ginny sighed. She looked down at the ground, avoiding the stares of her brothers and Ron’s angry scowl. “I filed for divorce,” she said quietly. She quickly glanced up and was greeted with shocked faces. “But why?” George asked. Ginny launched into the story of how Harry had been acting different. She told them about the fight in the common room and what he had said to her. Her brothers were looking furious. “I’ll kill him,” Fred said and the others murmured in agreement. “No,” Ginny said. “Don’t do anything. It won’t solve anything.” They stared at her. “But Ginny—” “I said no Charlie,” she repeated herself and gave him a hard look. They looked furious and Ginny knew they wanted to search high and low for Harry. Ginny sent glares to all of them and hoped they would take the hint and not cause harm to Harry. “Look, it’s my life and it’s my choice. This is my decision to make,” Ginny said. “Fine,” Bill finally said and his hand was twitching over where he kept his wand. “You’re right, it’s your decision and we can’t do anything about it.” The group of red-heads was silent for a few moments as they stood in the streets of Hogsmeade. Fred cleared his throat. “As I recall we are here to celebrate our dad and it doesn’t look like we’re celebrating enough,” Fred pointed out. “Well then, that needs to be fixed. To the Three Broomsticks!” George exclaimed. “Oh I don’t know about that,” Ginny said, glancing down at James. “I really should get back. I have to feed him, give him a bath, and put him down for a nap. Not to mention we’re both getting over a cold.” “No excuses. You’re coming to celebrate and we’re spending time with our nephew,” Charlie said and took control of the stroller. “Perhaps it would be wise if we went and got these two new dress robes for the ceremony next weekend. We all have to look our best,” Percy suggested as they walked down the street and towards the pub. “Ceremony?” Ron asked. “The Ministry is holding a ceremony for Father this Saturday. Everyone must attend and we have to look presentable, which means the two of you must have new dress robes,” Percy explained. “Then we’ll stop by Gladrags and pick some up,” Bill said. Ron was looking horrified. “I haven’t got gold to buy new dress robes. I spent it all on Hermione’s engagement ring,” Ron complained. “Then we’ll pitch in for the both of you. You won’t look scruffy in front of all those important Ministry officials and embarrass Father,” Percy said. “Well then. We’ll just leave you at home. That should take care of the embarrassment,” Ron grumbled. Percy glared at him, but said nothing. “Don’t worry Ron. We’ll pick out something pretty for Ginny and something nice and maroon for you,” Fred sniggered. “With lots of lace on it, too!” Fred chimed in. Ron glared at them. “You wouldn’t dare!” Ron exclaimed. The twins exchanged a mysterious grin and looked at their youngest brother. “But of course. We’re even going to help you out with your wedding,” Fred said. “Ron,” George clapped him on the shoulder, “you’re going to look absolutely cracking on your wedding day!” Ron groaned. Ginny smiled at her brothers as they walked. She looked down at the stroller and saw that James was staring up at Fred and George. “Don’t you worry, James. Mummy will pick out something nice for you to wear,” she said sweetly to him. James turned his head and looked up at her. He grinned and squealed in delight. She smiled and they continued to walk. Ginny enjoyed the trip to Gladrags with her brothers. She laughed as Fred and George kept charming the robes Ron tried on to turn maroon and have lots of lace and kept teasing him with their plans for his wedding attire. James had to be fitted for his dress robes, a sky blue color, and Ginny had to struggle with him to keep him still. He squirmed around in her lap as the fitter tried to take his measurements. Ginny had to hold his hands together because he had been trying to grab the tape measure. After a good twenty minutes, the seamstress had his measurements and Ginny was able to be fitted for her own dress robes. She found a pretty set in a dusky rose color and watched as Ron’s face took on a look of horror as the twins presented him with a bright yellow set of robes. Finally they left the shop (Ron clutching tightly to his package which contained a pair of jet black dress robes). Going to the Three Broomsticks was something Ginny definitely needed. She was able to relax with her brothers and forget about everything again. She laughed and joked and relived the past with them and felt like a normal person again. Her brothers were surprised to hear James talk. Ginny was beaming with pride as she told them about everything her nine month old could do. When James had become cranky, Ginny bade goodbye to her brothers and went back to the castle. A light wind swept by, scattering leaves around a figure sitting on the ground in front of the tiny gravestone. Harry had been there for hours, staring at the stone and mourning. It had been nearly a month since he lost his son and it still hurt. A tear fell from his eye. Harry sighed. “I never even met you and yet it’s like I knew you so well,” he said and smiled. “I created you, Ginny and I did. I know you would have been a wonderful son, probably like your brother. Your mum and I would have loved you from the bottom of our hearts and well, we did anyway even if you weren’t born yet. I’m sorry I never got to meet you son, but we’ll meet one day.” Harry stood up and wiped another tear from his eye. “I’m sorry for what I’m doing to your mum and brother, but I don’t want to lose them either. It hurts enough that I lost you, and the thought of losing you all is too much,” Harry said. He raised his hand to his lips and kissed his fingers. Kneeling slightly, he pressed him fingers to the gravestone on the name Bryce Potter and sighed. “I love you, son.” Shoving his hands in his pockets, Harry took one last look at the gravestone and slowly walked away. Back at Hogwarts, while Harry slowly made his way out of the graveyard in Hogsmeade, Ginny was busy with James. She had been able to give James a bath and put him down for a late afternoon nap. Once he was sleeping soundly in his crib, Ginny pulled out a small stack of parchment from the baby bag and went downstairs to the common room after she cast a Monitoring Charm on her dormitory. The common room was pretty much empty as everyone was still taking advantage of the sunny day. Ginny sat on a sofa and looked over the divorce papers in her hands. She had already signed them and at the time it seemed like the right thing to do. Harry didn’t want them and if that was the case, Ginny wasn’t going to burden him any longer. She would file for divorce, ask for nothing from him and he could be freed. Yet, something nagged on her mind. Now this seemed like it was the worst thing to do. Harry didn’t want them. He said he didn’t love them, so why did this seem like an awful idea to her? “Are you doing homework?” Ginny was startled. She looked up and saw Hermione was standing in front of her. Ginny shook her head. “No, it’s something else,” she said. Hermione sat next to her and peered at the papers. Her eyes widened and she stared at Ginny in shock. “You can’t be serious! Divorce papers?” Hermione questioned. “Yes. He doesn’t want us, so why not. Let him have a divorce and he can be rid of us forever. That’s what he wants anyway,” Ginny said gloomily. Hermione shook her head. “Oh no Ginny, that’s not it at all! I knew something like this would happen. Oh, I should have told you sooner!” Hermione said. “What are you talking about, Hermione?” Ginny asked, her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. “Ginny, Harry loves you and James very much. He only pushed the two of you away because he thinks he’s protecting you,” Hermione said. Ginny frowned. “How is this protecting us?” Hermione sighed and looked around the common room. She looked at Ginny again and leaned closer to her. “He thinks that if this spy sees that he’s not around you two and that he doesn’t care about the two of you, the spy will tell Voldemort and you’ll be safe. He truly believes that he can protect you this way,” Hermione whispered. It made sense to Ginny. She knew something was wrong with the whole thing and what Hermione said made perfect sense. “Is he mad? That’s not going to work,” Ginny whispered back. “That’s what Ron and I have been trying to tell him but he won’t listen. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything before, but I just didn’t know what to do,” Hermione whispered. “I should have said something to you. You were so miserable that night you two had that fight. Ginny, I’m so sorry.” “It’s okay,” Ginny said, smiling reassuringly at her. “So that’s his game is it?” Hermione nodded. “All right then,” she said. “I know exactly what to do.” “What?” Hermione asked. Ginny smirked and stood up. “You’ll see.” She smiled at Hermione and went up the stairs. So Harry was just pretending to hate them. All this time and he really did care about them. Ginny didn’t feel so miserable anymore. She was mad with him for even thinking of it and mad at herself for believing it, but now she knew that she had done nothing wrong and he was only acting. She knew exactly what to do to get him to out of this little complex of his and back in her arms to stay. |
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