The Weasley Perspective by CharmHazel
Summary: The story of how Harry and Ginny fell in love as told through the eyes of the Weasley family.
Rating: PG
Categories: Pre-OotP, Post-OotP, Post-HBP, Post-Hogwarts, Post-DH/AB
Characters: None
Genres: None
Warnings: None
Challenges: None
Series: None
Published: 2020.05.17
Updated: 2021.04.04
Index
Chapter 1: Molly
Chapter 2: Charlie
Chapter 3: Bill
Chapter 4: Percy
Chapter 5: Arthur
Chapter 6: George (and Fred)
Chapter 7: Ron
Chapter 1: Molly
Author's Notes: This story will be 7 chapters long, one chapter for each Weasley (Fred shall be included as part of George's chapter). Each chapter will contain 8 flashbacks - 1 moment from each book (where possible) and 1 moment from post-battle. While it is canon, I have taken some liberties due to the fact the story is being told from different perspectives.
Please note that flashbacks will be represented by the date in bold at the beginning of that section.
Thank you to Arnel for picking out all my mistakes as always and for all the encouraging words!
Molly couldn’t help the small smile that appeared on her face as she thought about what day it was, a day which she had imagined for so many years now.
Her only daughter’s wedding day.
The family had been through such a journey to get to this moment that even Molly, herself, had wondered if they would ever get to see Ginny walk the down the aisle to marry the man of her dreams.
There was still so much to do ahead of the afternoon’s festivities, but Molly felt she could take a few minutes to enjoy a cup of tea before the house became busy with activity.
Taking a seat at the kitchen table, Molly allowed her mind to wander back to the day she knew that Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, would be the only boy her daughter would ever want to marry.
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September 1991…
“I’m going to chase the train, Mum!”
“Ginny, don’t go too far and come straight back!” Molly called after her daughter as Ginny ran to keep up with the train as it pulled out of the station.
Molly waved at her boys doubtful they were even looking out of the windows to wave back at her. She chuckled slightly in amusement at that thought as she stopped waving and brought her arm down. As she did so, however, she noticed the boy her sons had claimed was the famous Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, looking out of the window. While she couldn’t be certain, she had a sneaking suspicion he was, in fact, watching her daughter chase after the train with what she thought was a look of longing.
Thinking of how polite Harry had been when he had approached the family about how to gain access to the platform, Molly frowned as she remembered no one had been with him. She was aware that Harry had been raised by his family who were Muggles, so that would explain his lack of knowledge about the station. However, she was concerned that his family had not wanted to make sure he had boarded the train safely and without incident.
“Mum! Mum! Did you see?” Molly was startled out of her thoughts as Ginny came bounding towards her in excitement. “Did you see, Mum?”
“See what, sweetheart?” Molly responded, now realising the train was out of sight of the platform.
“Harry Potter was looking at me as I ran alongside the train!”
Molly smiled at her daughter.
“How could you know that if you were waving your brothers off?” she asked, not wanting Ginny to get her hopes up, despite having seen what her daughter had.
“I wasn’t waving at them! I couldn’t see them,” Ginny explained. “I saw Harry Potter, though. He looked a little sad, so I waved him goodbye.”
Pride filled Molly’s heart at hearing her daughter had shown a piece of simple kindness to a child she did not know personally but had known of all her life.
“Do you think he and Ron will become friends?”
“That depends on where they are both sorted,” Molly answered honestly, again, not wanting to get her daughter’s hopes up. “If they are both sorted into the same house, then it wouldn’t surprise me if they did.”
“I bet you they will be best friends,” Ginny said with confidence. “Then, when I start Hogwarts, Harry Potter will become my friend, too!”
Molly knew then, in that moment, that Harry Potter was the boy that her daughter would want to have in her life and to be the man she would eventually marry. She knew, therefore, that she would have to make sure Ginny had a realistic view of the future, but knowing her daughter as she did, she knew that Ginny would not be deterred from her dream.
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Taking a small sip from her cup of tea, Molly smiled as she remembered Ginny’s optimism of becoming best friends with Harry. It had not surprised her as her daughter had been convinced, growing up, that one day she would meet the Boy Who Lived, become his friend and make him smile. However, it hadn’t happened like that and Ginny had struggled to understand and control her feelings for the boy. It had taken time for them to be able to see the other for who they truly were, but, in her opinion, watching the journey to them finally admitting their feelings for one another, and to this specific day especially, had certainly been interesting.
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August 1992…
Having sent the boys out to de-gnome the garden, Molly climbed the stairs to the first floor. She walked to the bedroom door of her daughter and knocked before slowly opening the door. Unsurprisingly, she found Ginny, now dressed, sat by her bedroom window, which looked out over the garden. She knew with the boys now outside that Ginny would be watching the boy she had long been fascinated with.
“Hi, Mum,” Ginny said without looking away from the window.
“Hi, Sweetheart,” Molly replied as she moved further into the room, closing the door behind her. “I just came up to check you were okay.”
Ginny finally turned to look at her mum. Her eyes appeared to be a little red, suggesting she had shed a few tears over what had happened downstairs after realising Harry Potter was sitting at the kitchen table.
“I made a fool of myself, didn’t I, Mum?”
“No, you didn’t,” Molly answered honestly, truly believing her daughter had done nothing of the sort. “You were just caught off-guard at seeing the boy you like sitting downstairs.”
Molly took a seat on Ginny’s currently unmade bed, knowing her daughter would come to her if she wanted a hug, but only when she was ready.
“Why did I act like a fool, then?” Ginny asked as she turned back to watch the boys having fun as they de-gnomed the garden. “I was fine when we met him for the first-time last year. I was even fine when we picked the boys up at the end of the school year. How is he even going to want to be my friend if I cannot say anything in front of him?”
“Oh, sweetheart! Love can make us behave in a way that we usually would not.”
Ginny’s head turned sharply; her eyes wide in shock.
“I don’t love him like you love Daddy!”
Molly moved off the bed, walked over to her daughter and knelt next to where Ginny was sitting.
“Perhaps not,” Molly replied gently, knowing she had spooked Ginny with her original response, “but our hearts can make us do the silliest things when we care deeply for someone. Even so, if Harry doesn’t see just how wonderful you are, then, it is his loss.”
“Thank you, Mum,” Ginny replied as she turned back round to face Molly.
Tugging her daughter into her arms, Molly suspected that it would be some time before Harry would see just what an amazing friend Ginny could potentially be. Then again, she knew her daughter needed to see that Harry was just a normal boy, just like any of her brothers, before she could truly become friends with the boy she had idolized for most of her life.
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September 1993…
“Not that I would advise either of you doing the same,” Molly stated as she finally gained control of her giggling.
“I don’t think I could give anyone a Love Potion, Mum, not even for a joke,” Ginny quietly responded, bringing a serious tone to the conversation. “Not after what happened last year.”
Molly felt any amusement she had been feeling sucked right out of her as she watched her daughter deflate right in front of her eyes.
“I doubt Harry will ever see me that way as it is.”
“He might be my best friend, Ginny, but even I know he is too blind to see you who truly are,” Hermione told the youngest Weasley. “You are going to have to be patient. It might take a while, but he needs to see the real you, not the person he currently perceives you to be.”
Molly smiled at the wise words of advice her daughter had been given. She knew that the crush Ginny had on Harry had shifted from the fantasy she had created from the stories of the Boy Who Lived to the real-life hero that Harry had become when he had saved her life in the Chamber.
“I think you need time as well, sweetheart,” she gently said, causing Hermione to nod as she caught on to what the older witch was trying to say. “You need to see Harry for the normal boy that he is, flaws and all, especially if you want to be someone he can trust and be close to.”
Molly glanced over at the boy in question. She knew that this was probably not going to be the year that he would get to know Ginny and become actual friends with her. Beyond the fact that neither one of them was ready for that step, she knew that the young wizard would likely get caught up in yet another adventure. She could only hope that it wouldn’t end with Harry meeting the wizard who had escaped Azkaban just to come after him.
“It doesn’t help that I still blush when I am around him.”
Ginny’s comment drew Molly’s attention away from Harry, but not before she caught him quickly glancing towards where she, Hermione and Ginny sat. Perhaps Harry wasn’t as blind to Ginny as herself and Hermione believed.
“I think perhaps, this year, you should concentrate on settling into Hogwarts properly,” she finally said in response to her daughter’s comment. “Take back control of your experience at school that was taken from you, last year.”
Molly was pleased to see her daughter contemplate her suggestion as Hermione nodded in agreement with her. It had been a rough summer with the sheer number of nightmares Ginny had had about the Chamber and, at one point, they had considered whether returning to Hogwarts would be the best idea for her. However, Ginny had put her foot down and told them she was returning, that she needed to return if she was to have any chance of putting what had happened behind her. Neither she, nor Arthur, had been able to find any fault with her reasoning, knowing that it was, in fact, the best thing for her to return to the place that had nearly destroyed her life.
“Right, you girls better go upstairs and make sure you have everything packed,” she told the two young witches as she noticed the time on the clock at the end of the bar. “You know full well the boys will cause us delays, so it would be best if I know that at least the two of you are ready to go.”
As Ginny and Hermione left the table and headed back upstairs, Molly couldn’t help but worry about how the coming school year would affect her youngest child and her ability to move on from the events of her first year. If the rumours that the Ministry were sending Dementors to guard the castle were true, it would certainly not make it easy for Ginny to begin to heal from her traumatic
experience.
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December 1994…
Molly smiled as she read the letter that Ginny had sent home telling them all about the Yule Ball. She was pleased her daughter had had a good time, even if she went with a boy she only considered to be a friend.
“What are you smiling about, Molly?”
She looked up at her husband, the smile never leaving her face as she spoke, “Just happy to know our daughter had a nice time at the Yule Ball the other night.”
She continued reading and frowned when she saw what Ginny had to say about her youngest son.
“It seems you may need to sit down and have a chat with Ron when he comes home from school this summer, Arthur.”
“What did he do now?” her husband replied with a sigh.
“He didn’t treat his date very well. He ignored her from the sounds of it,” Molly explained. “It seems he was jealous of Viktor Krum taking Hermione to the ball. According to Ginny, it ended up with the pair of them having a huge row in the middle of the common room at the end of the night.”
Arthur sighed again, “I will speak to him once he is home. I suspect he didn’t even realise why he was feeling the way he was.”
Silence fell between the pair as Molly finished reading what Ginny had to say.
Molly’s eyes widened slightly when Ginny admitted that Ron had tried to set her up as Harry’s date to the Yule Ball. She could feel the disappointment and upset in Ginny’s words at not being able to say yes, but she was more intrigued by the fact that there was no mention of Harry’s reaction to the suggestion.
She wondered if Harry was starting to see Ginny in a different light, especially now the pair appeared to becoming much more relaxed in each other’s presence. She thought, however, that Ginny may not have mentioned Harry’s reaction because she feared that Harry was agreeable to the suggestion because he was in desperate need of a date to the ball and would have just been happy to have one, no matter who it was. She knew Ginny would not want to admit that fear to her, perhaps not even to herself. Maybe Harry had been desperate, but the fact he hadn’t appeared to outright reject the idea, which she knew Ginny would have mentioned if he had done, meant that Harry was definitely starting to see past the crush Ginny had once had on the Boy Who Lived, even if he didn’t realise it had developed into actual feelings for Harry himself.
She shook those thoughts out of her head, knowing she couldn’t force any sort of friendship or relationship between the two, that it needed to come naturally if it was going to happen.
Continuing on with the letter, she noticed that Ginny had mentioned that she had met another boy at the ball and had danced with him. She didn’t know if it would turn into anything, but she had enjoyed her time with him and wouldn’t refuse him if he did ask her out. She smiled as she remembered the conversation she had overheard between her daughter and Hermione over the summer. The older girl had suggested that Ginny consider dating other boys rather than waiting for Harry and it looked like that her daughter was seriously considering it. If Ginny did start dating another boy, though, she knew she would be interested in knowing just how Harry would react to that.
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December 1995…
Molly may not have been around her children as much as she would have liked to have been over the Christmas holidays, but she had not failed to notice a certain young wizard glancing at her daughter every now and then when she was at Grimmauld Place. From what she could gather, based on what Sirius had told her, Harry had managed to upset Ginny, and, in turn, Ginny had knocked some sense into Harry. She would be the first to admit that she butted heads with Sirius when it came to the children, especially Harry, but she appreciated that he had taken the time to inform her of any issues there had been when she hadn’t been at the house. Even so, whatever had happened, it seemed to have changed the way Harry saw Ginny, allowing him to see her more than his best mate’s little sister. Whatever the case was, Molly still wanted to talk her daughter about the incident and make sure she was okay.
Before she could knock on the door to the room in which her daughter and Hermione were sharing while they stayed at Grimmauld Place, she heard a voice speaking that made her pause in her actions.
“I’ve been meaning to ask whether Harry came and apologised to you?”
“He did,” Ginny replied.
Molly had not been aware that Harry had made the effort to apologise to her daughter for whatever it was that he had done. She could only think that Sirius had not been aware of that.
“Are you still mad at him for forgetting?” Hermione responded.
There was a pause for the moment before an answer came from her daughter.
“Yes, no, I don’t know. I feel like he should have remembered because he was down there with me and is probably the only person in the world who can even begin to understand what I went through. Then again, I am just Ron’s little sister to him and it would be easy for him to forget me, forget what I did and what I went through.”
“He doesn’t see you as Ron’s little sister. At least, not these past few months.”
Molly’s eyes lit up at hearing this, knowing she was right when she believed Harry was finally beginning to see Ginny for who she truly was, someone who was more than just Ron’s little sister.
“Don’t be stupid, Hermione.”
Molly desperately wanted to barge into the room and tell her daughter not to put herself down like that. However, she also wanted to know what her children’s friend had to say in response to Ginny’s comment.
“Seriously, he doesn’t. His reaction when I told him and Ron that you were dating Michael was interesting. I don’t know if he is beginning to develop feelings for you, but he certainly sees you for you and not Ron’s little sister.”
There was no immediate response and Molly guessed that Ginny wasn’t quite sure how to respond to what she had just been told.
“Then why did he forget about what happened to me in my first year, then?”
The pain that seemed to lace Ginny’s words nearly broke Molly’s heart. She knew Ginny didn’t like everyone bringing up what had happened that year, but she knew Ginny didn’t want anyone to forget the event that had forced her to grow up faster than any child
should have to.
“He didn’t forget, not really, Ginny. He just doesn’t associate you with the Chamber because he knows it doesn’t define who you are as a person. Isn’t that a good thing?”
Molly was nodding in agreement, even though the two girls were unaware that she was listening to their conversation.
“He’s a better person than me, then. It took me years to see past his Boy Who Lived label and see that he was just like any other boy his age. I’m being too hard on him, I know. He has so much going on, so many things to struggle through and here I am, upset at the fact he forgot something about me. Then again, even if he had approached me to ask what it is like to be possessed, I doubt would have taken the same approach as I did when we went and talked some sense into him.”
“Harry did respond quite well to the anger, didn’t he?”
Giggles erupted from the two girls, making Molly decide to leave talking to Ginny for the time being.
As she headed back downstairs, Molly couldn’t help but be pleased that Harry was able to see past what had happened to Ginny in her first year. Though, she was more intrigued by Harry’s response to the news that Ginny now had a boyfriend. She just wished that Hermione had been more forthcoming over what that the reaction had been.
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August 1996…
Molly looked towards the orchard as she heard a squeal of laughter come from her daughter. In the distance, she could see Ginny flying on a broom as her brother and his friends watched from below. Seeing as Harry didn’t appear to be holding his own broom, she could easily guess that the young wizard had let Ginny have a go on his Firebolt. With the darkness of war looming just beyond the wards of The Burrow, it made Molly happy to know that her children and their friends could find moments of joy in their lives.
It had certainly been an interesting summer, especially once Harry had arrived to stay with them until the teens went back to Hogwarts in September. She had feared that, on his arrival, Ginny would be pushed to the side as Ron, Hermione and Harry spent time together. However, her fears had gone unfounded as they had gone out of their way to include her. Molly decided that the events of the end of the school year, when the teens had gone to the Department of Mysteries together, along with Neville and Luna, had only served to bring together and tighten their friendships. This had pleased Molly immensely, knowing just how much Ginny felt hurt over the previous summers when she had not been included.
However, what had intrigued Molly the most, over the past few weeks, was the blossoming friendship between Harry and her youngest child. Whatever impact Ginny’s crush had on any potential friendship previously had finally disappeared and it wasn’t unusual to see the two in fits of laughter over something. The friendship, along with Hermione’s and Ron’s, was something Harry had needed following the death of his godfather in June. Molly knew Harry still had his moments when the grief would hit him hard, but those were becoming less and less as the summer passed, especially as none of his friends would allow him to wallow in his grief for too long.
“HARRY!”
The scream of Harry’s name smashed through Molly’s thoughts, causing her to look up to discover that Harry had now jumped onto his broom, pulling Ginny on behind him, before shooting high and fast up into the air.
Molly suspected that the friendship between Harry and Ginny would develop into something more at some point in the next year. She knew was probably getting her hopes up, but she had seen the discreet looks between them — something was definitely developing between them. She doubted either of them realised what was happening though. Ginny, she knew, would just be happy to have a solid friendship with Harry, one which did not involve her blushing and running in the opposite direction. Harry, however, she doubted that he knew what he was even beginning to feel for her daughter and would probably need a shock to the system before he even grasped just how he felt. She wasn’t going to interfere, though, even Arthur had warned her not to, but even if she said something, she doubted either of them would believe her.
A smile crossed her lips as she noticed Harry bring the broom to a stop, hovering above the makeshift Quidditch pitch. Her daughter had her arms wrapped around his waist as she sat comfortably behind the wizard. Neither looked uncomfortable at the position they were in as they laughed about something. It pleased her to see both of them looking so relaxed, acting like the teenagers they were. While she would always fight against them becoming involved in this war, desperate to protect them for as long as possible, Molly was not blind to understand that the events of the past few years had forced all of her children, but especially Harry and Ginny, to grow up and mature quicker than they should have.
Watching as her daughter rested her chin on Harry’s shoulder, Molly knew she would do anything to make sure the two teens enjoyed this summer without the need to worry about what was going on outside the wards of The Burrow. She could only hope that it wouldn’t be all for nothing as she turned back to the task that she had been distracted from.
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July 1997…
Molly was looking out of the window at the spot from where half her family and other members of the Order of Phoenix had just left to go and collect Harry from his relatives for the final time. She was anxious about them all returning safely, which was only made worse by the fact they would not return to The Burrow for several hours, due to the plan they had in place to get Harry here safely.
She had tried to protest against Ron and Hermione being a part of the group, but the two teens had been supported in their desire to help by Arthur and Moody, who had made clear that the pair were both of age and understood the potential risks. She had backed down, knowing she could not stop them or any of her children from doing what they could to help bring the war to an end, but she had been surprised that her daughter had not demanded to be allowed to go and help.
To most, Ginny was still her normal self, but it was clear to Molly something was wrong and had been since she had returned home from school for the holidays. The problem was Molly did not know what was bothering her daughter, though she did have her suspicions. She had asked Ginny if there was anything wrong, but she had said she was fine, so Molly had left the issue because she needed to prep for Bill and Fleur’s upcoming wedding and Harry’s eventual arrival. She had hoped Ginny would come and confide in her, but she never did. However, with everyone out of the house for the next few hours, Molly was determined to find out what was wrong with her daughter.
“Mum? Can I talk to you about something?”
Molly hoped that this was Ginny about to confide in her as she didn’t want to push her daughter to talk, but she was worried about her and wanted to do whatever she could to help and support Ginny.
“Of course, you can,” Molly answered, turning away from the window to look at her youngest child. “How about you sit at the table and I will get us a nice cup of tea and some cake?”
Ginny nodded in response and took a seat at the table as Molly bustled around the kitchen.
“What did you want to talk about?” Molly asked, careful to hide her eagerness, as she finally came to sit at the table with her daughter.
“I just wanted to apologise for not being very helpful the last few weeks,” Ginny responded as she wrapped her hands around the cup of tea her mother had just passed her. “I have tried to be happy as I didn’t want to bother anyone with the wedding coming up.”
“You could never be a bother, Ginny,” Molly responded, upset that her daughter felt the need to hide how she was feeling from her. “I have left you alone because I didn’t want to push you to talk before you were ready to do so. As we have a few hours to ourselves, why don’t tell me what is wrong, and we can see if there is anything we can do to make you feel better.”
“Harry was my boyfriend,” Ginny blurted out much to her own surprise.
Molly didn’t immediately respond, slightly shocked with the way Ginny had told her the news. She could admit that she felt Harry might have had something to do with why Ginny was feeling so down. She hadn’t known they were dating, but she had spotted them sitting next to one another at Professor Dumbledore’s funeral and they definitely appeared closer than they had when they had left for school the previous summer.
“Wait! Was?” Molly asked in confusion as it clicked into place the exact words Ginny had said to her. “What do you mean by ‘Harry was your boyfriend’?”
A ghost of a smile appeared on her daughter’s face as she told Molly how Harry had kissed her after the Quidditch match, how they had spent every second they had free together and the way she had felt when she was spending time with Harry.
“Then, at Professor Dumbledore’s funeral, he told me he couldn’t be with me,” Ginny explained as a tear ran down her cheek. “I could tell he didn’t want to do it, but that he needed to because of the fact You-Know-Who is still after him. The thing is I could have told him I refuse to accept that, but I barely put up a fight and I let him walk away.”
Molly knew better to tell her youngest child that she was pleased that Harry was trying to protect her. She knew that Harry was important in this war, but that didn’t mean she was going to try to protect him and her own children from it all.
“Why did you let him walk away?” Molly asked, though she suspected it was because her daughter understood the young wizard well enough to know what he needed.
“Because that is what he needs right now, Mum,” Ginny answered. “He wants to be with me. He told me that being with me was like something out of someone else’s life, but he didn’t want me to be used by them to get to him. I let him go because I know, deep down, that if he makes it through this war, Mum, that he will come back home to me.”
“Something tells me that it was not an actual break up, not for either of you.”
Ginny looked up in shock at her mum.
“Did he say he couldn’t be with you at all? Or was it he couldn’t be with you right now?” Molly asked, suspecting that Harry didn’t make the decision he had lightly.
“He just said we couldn’t be together,” Ginny slowly said as she thought about the conversation she’d had with Harry. “He never said he didn’t want to be with me.”
“Then, perhaps, you should find a way to let him know that you will be here waiting for him when this is all over,” Molly suggested with a smile on her face. “Make it clear to him that you are his, no matter what he has told you.”
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May 1998…
Molly wearily climbed the stairs to the Gryffindor boys’ dormitories to check on Harry and hopefully her daughter if she was also there. She had not seen either of them in the past couple of hours and whilst there was no need to worry that anything might have happened to them, the long-term fear she had of losing any member of family still lingered. It was hard to let go of, especially after losing Fred during the battle.
Reaching the door to what she knew was the room where the seventh years had slept this year, she pushed any thoughts of the family’s loss to one side for the moment, knowing Arthur and Percy were taking care of George while she checked on the rest of her children.
Molly went to open the door and paused for the moment, uncertain whether she should just walk in. She didn’t think, if her daughter had found her way up here and reunited with Harry, that Ginny would decide to take that next step in her physical relationship with Harry right now, but, at the same time, she could understand if she did, given how long they had been separated by this war. Ginny had desperately missed the man that she loved over this past year and her cries when they were all made to believe Harry was dead only reinforced the idea that Ginny wanted to spend the rest of her life with the saviour of the wizarding world. The fact Harry was so nearly taken from her would be all the push her daughter needed to want to consummate the relationship. Therefore, deciding it was safer to do so, Molly knocked on the door to the dormitory.
No response came, so Molly reached out and opened the door slowly, listening out for any sound that might make her think differently about entering. However, all she heard was silence. There was no voices to be heard, talking or otherwise. Feeling confident that she wasn’t about to walk into something she did not want to see, she quietly walked through the door, leaving it open behind her.
Glancing at the beds as she moved properly into the dormitory, she could see only one bed was occupied. She knew Ron and Hermione were in the Great Hall, which had caused her to come looking for Harry and Ginny, and she could only assume that the rest of his classmates were also still down there. It wasn’t a surprise, therefore, that the two people she had been looking for were the two people who were occupying the bed.
As neither had responded to her knocking on the door, Molly knew they had to be asleep. So, she quietly moved over towards the bed to get a better look at the pair.
She smiled when she finally saw that the young couple were curled up together, peacefully asleep. Harry was flat on his back, chest bare and in a pair of pyjama bottoms, with Ginny tucked into his side, her head resting on his chest and an arm wrapped around his waist. Her daughter was dressed in just her knickers and a large t-shirt that had ridden up slightly. Any concerns she had of walking in on them being physically intimate were blatantly unnecessary as the pair were laying above the covers of a made bed. Even so, Molly knew it probably wouldn’t be long before Harry and Ginny took that step together.
Just seeing the pair curled up together gave Molly hope that they would all get through the next few months as they grieved those that they had lost and as they learnt to live in a world without fear.
Not wishing to wake the couple when they both seemed to sleeping peaceful for the first time in several months, she backed away and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
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Movement on the stairs caused Molly to be torn from her memories of Harry and Ginny’s relationship throughout the years.
Looking up at the clock, Molly realised she had been sitting there, lost in her thoughts, for around half an hour. This caused her to stand from her seat and head to the sink.
She placed her cup into the sink, setting it to wash itself, and paused for the moment as she looked out over the grounds of The Burrow, thinking about how in just a few hours her daughter would be walking down the aisle, her dream coming true, to marry the Boy Who Lived.
Chapter 2: Charlie
Author's Notes: Charlie was absolute hell to write! Doesn't help when I had so few moments to choose from! Thank you to Arnel for your positive feedback on this chapter!
Charlie stepped into the kitchen to find his mum cooking breakfast.
“Morning, Mum.”
“Good morning, Charlie,” she replied as she began serving up a plate of food for him.
Taking a seat at the table, Charlie was pleased to see his mum didn’t appear to be stressed out about the final preparations for the wedding that was to take place this afternoon.
“Thanks, Mum,” Charlie said as Molly placed a plate of food in front of him.
“When you’re done with your breakfast, I am going to need to start getting everything set up,” Molly told him as she went back to preparing the breakfast for the many people staying at The Burrow.
Charlie could only nod as he took a mouthful of bacon.
He still couldn’t believe his baby sister was getting married today and to the man she had claimed, as a little girl, she would marry one day. The idea that Ginny’s dream had come true still amazed him, but he also knew that he’d not had the luxury of seeing the couple fall in love as his siblings and parents had. Even so, just the few moments he had been able to witness of the two together was enough to know that Harry and Ginny belonged together.
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December 1991…
“So, what is this I hear about you seeing the Boy Who Lived at Kings Cross?” Charlie asked as he sat down next to his sister on the sofa.
He was pleased that he wouldn’t have to spend his first Christmas in Romania alone. He had made friends at the Dragon Sanctuary, but it wouldn’t have been the same as celebrating Christmas with his family.
“How did you know?” Ginny demanded to know. “Did Mum tell you?”
Charlie chuckled at his sister’s response to the innocent question.
“Of course, Mum told me. Who else would have written to me to tell me that your dream of meeting Harry Potter came true?”
“But I didn’t meet him!” she protested. “Not really. I didn’t speak to him, but I did see him! He was lost and didn’t know how to get on to the platform.”
Charlie had been told the whole story of what happened the day his mum and Ginny had taken his younger brothers to Kings Cross to catch the Hogwarts Express. However, he was happy to indulge his sister as she told him her version of that day’s events. As he and Bill had been the ones to tell her stories of the Boy Who Lived while they still lived at home, it seemed only fair that he listen to actual stories about him.
“I even waved to goodbye to him, Charlie,” Ginny told him happily before her mood changed. “He seemed so sad. His family didn’t come to see him off, Charlie. I didn’t like that they were not there. Do you think maybe the Muggles don’t like him?”
He didn’t immediately respond as he remembered his mum’s words. She had been concerned about the fact that his relatives were not with him and how his clothes appeared too big for him. While his mum had not stated in any term that she thought that Harry Potter was mistreated by his Muggle relatives, Charlie felt it was something that had crossed her mind as he read between the lines. However, he did not want to upset his sister with those sorts of thoughts, especially when he had no evidence to back up his words.
“I don’t know, Ginny,” Charlie said as he chose his next words carefully. “Perhaps they didn’t want to come onto the platform as it can be very overwhelming for Muggles who are not used to having magic in their daily lives. It can be just as overwhelming for witches and wizards to venture out into the Muggle world as well.”
“Maybe, but I don’t think they like him very much,” Ginny responded with a determined look on her face. “Ron wrote to Mum at the beginning of December and asked if she could make Harry a Christmas present, saying he had never had any presents before.”
Charlie looked over to where his father was sat in hopes he would confirm what the youngest Weasley had said. His dad nodded in confirmation, much to Charlie’s shock. Perhaps the Boy Who Lived’s home life was not as good as many hoped it had been.
“I helped Mum pick out the colours for his jumper,” Ginny continued without waiting for a response from her brother. “I wanted him to have nicer colours than Ron has for his jumper!”
Charlie couldn’t help the chuckle that slipped from his lips. Their mum always seemed to insist on making his youngest brother a maroon-coloured jumper every year for Christmas.
“What colours did you choose?”
“Mum and I settled on emerald green,” his sister proudly told him. “The same colour as his eyes!”
Charlie noticed her eyes appeared to glaze over as Ginny mentioned the colour of Harry’s eyes. It seemed that just one brief meeting with the boy she had long had a crush on had only served to intensify it.
“I hope he likes the jumper,” Ginny said as she came out of whatever daydream she had been having.
“I am sure he will,” Charlie told her confidently. “It’s one of Mum’s jumpers, how could he not like it? Especially when she had help from you!”
Ginny blushed in response, something that was unusual for her as she was not the type to be easily embarrassed. That alone made him wonder just how his sister would be around the Boy Who Lived when she finally met him properly.
HP&GW
July 1993…
“I’ll stay with Ginny, Mum,” Charlie offered, breaking up the argument the two witches had been having over his mum’s refusal to let his youngest sibling enter the final tomb that Bill had taken them to visit.
“No, Charlie, you go ahead,” his mum responded. “I don’t want you to miss out on seeing it.”
“Yet it is ok for me to miss out on seeing it?” Ginny complained.
“I told you I don’t want you having nightmares from whatever is in there. You have had enough nightmares since you have come home from school!”
Ginny froze in shock at their mum’s words before turning and running off away from the entrance of the tomb.
“I’ll go after her, Mum,” Charlie told his mum as she remained frozen to the spot, upset with herself for what she had just said to her daughter.
He didn’t wait for a reply, not wanting Ginny to get lost, and shot off in the direction that his sister had run. Luckily, she had not gone far, just enough to distance herself from their mum. She sat on the floor with her knees pulled against her chest and her head buried in them.
“Ginny?”
“Go away, Charlie!”
“I can’t do that. I am not going to leave you alone when you are this upset, especially when we are in a foreign country that we don’t know all that well.”
Charlie sat down next down to his sister, wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gently tugged her until she was curled up in his arms.
“You want to talk about it?” he asked quietly, not wanting to push his sister, but knowing she needed to talk about the events of her first year and her nightmares.
“I don’t really remember much of what happened to me,” Ginny admitted in a whisper just loud enough for Charlie to hear. “I remember using the diary, but I don’t remember the things it made me do.”
“Are the nightmares your mind filling in the gaps?”
“Yeah, something like that,” his sister confirmed. “I know most of what happened, thanks to Harry telling Professor Dumbledore after he rescued me. It wasn’t hard to piece together how the events and my blackouts connected. It’s just that, when I dream of what happened, it seems so much worse than it actually was.”
“Like what?” Charlie asked, suspecting that this wasn’t the part that was bothering her the most.
“Instead of being Petrified, the victims were…” Ginny started, pausing to calm herself. “The victims, like Hermione, were killed by the Basilisk.”
“But that didn’t happen, Ginny,” Charlie immediately responded, desperate to reassure her.
“I know that, Charlie! I am not stupid!” Ginny snapped. “They were all lucky that there was something there, like water, or they personally had something, like a mirror, that made it so they were not looking directly at the Basilisk.”
Charlie didn’t respond, fearful he had now said the wrong thing and that his sister would now refuse to talk.
“Dreaming about that isn’t even the worst part of my nightmares, though,” Ginny said brokenly. “It’s the ones I have when I dream about what happened when Harry rescued me. Sometimes, he is too late to rescue me. Other times, he gets down there, discovers what I have done and is too disgusted by my actions that he leaves me there. The worst ones, though, are when I dream that Fawkes wasn’t there to heal him after the Basilisk bit him and he dies and there is nothing I can do to help him.”
Charlie didn’t respond as Ginny broke down in tears again. Instead, he gathered her up in his arms and held her as she sobbed.
“Are you worried about seeing Harry, again?” Charlie asked as his sister’s tears eased. “I thought he spent a fair amount of time with you at the end of last term?”
“He did, Charlie,” Ginny replied as calmly as she could. “He played Exploding Snap with me, after I was released from the hospital wing. The evenings he played with me were usually the same nights I slept better. He didn’t treat me any differently because of what I had done.”
“Perhaps I am being ignorant here, Ginny, but I am failing to see the problem,” Charlie replied carefully. “Obviously, your nightmares about what could have happened to you and how Harry responded means something more as you know Harry never would have left you down there.”
“Oh, Charlie, Harry would have rescued whoever had been taken down into the chamber! It could have been a Slytherin and he still would have gone down there and rescued them. That’s just who Harry is!”
“Then, what is the problem?” Charlie asked, genuinely confused about the conversation they were having now.
“I am worried about how he will treat me when we finally return to school in September!” Ginny finally confessed. “I know he spent time with me at the end of last term, but what if he was just being nice to me because he felt compelled to just because he rescued me?”
“Ok, Ginny, I am going to make this clear to you, right now,” Charlie said as he tugged his sister in front of him so he could look her in the eyes, “he is a boy! Like every boy, Harry is probably just as clueless as Ron is or as I was at that age! Whatever it is you are hoping from him, you may have to wait before it actually happens. The difference between Harry and any other boy is that Harry has been through an awful lot for someone who is just about to turn thirteen. Chances are he may forget about what you have been through because he is still dealing with everything he has been through.”
“I still need to apologise to him, though,” Ginny argued back. “He needs to know how sorry I am for putting him in the position of needing to rescue me, for him nearly getting killed down there.”
“Didn’t you just tell me that Harry would have rescued whoever it was who had been taken down into the Chamber?”
Ginny’s eyes widened as Charlie threw her own words back at her.
“Something tells me that he won’t require any sort of apology from you,” Charlie gently told his sister. “That is what I think is causing you the nightmares about what could have happened when Harry rescued you.”
“That makes sense,” Ginny replied with a sigh. “Thank you, Charlie.”
“Now, let’s go and find something fun to do, while we wait for everyone to come out of the tomb.”
HP&GW
August 1994…
“So, what is this I hear about you being a better Seeker than me, Potter?” Charlie said as he took a seat next to Harry on the sofa.
He hadn’t had the chance to properly get to know the boy who had saved his sister’s life and was the best friend of his youngest brother. He had only heard good things about Harry, but both he and Bill had agreed to make the effort to get to know him better for the sake of their siblings.
“Who did you hear that from?” Harry said as he shook his head in amusement.
“Choose one of my siblings,” Charlie responded, “and you’ll have my answer!”
It was certainly true that all five of his siblings who had attended Hogwarts at some point in the past three years had nothing but praise for Harry’s flying skills. The twins, in particular, like to rub it in that the black-haired wizard was even better than he had been when he had been on the Gryffindor team.
“Even Percy?” Harry asked in surprise.
“Yes, even Percy. He might not be into Quidditch the same way the rest of my siblings are, but even he cannot deny a great flyer when he sees one.”
“He did make a bet with his girlfriend about the outcome of a match. Made sure to tell me I needed to catch the Snitch because he didn’t have the Galleons to pay her if Gryffindor lost.” Harry said with a chuckle, remembering the desperate plea Percy had made to him.
Neither spoke again for the moment as Charlie thought about how to approach talking to the younger wizard about Ginny. His sister had already lectured both himself and Bill about not badgering Harry, most specifically about not bringing up the events of her first year. However, both of them had agreed they wanted to thank him for risking his life to save her.
“I just wanted to say thank you to you, Harry,” Charlie finally said, figuring it was just best to approach the subject head on, “for saving Ginny’s life back in her first year.”
Charlie noticed Harry’s eyes flicker over to where his sister sat talking to Hermione. He didn’t know if that meant anything, but it certainly showed he did notice Ginny, even if it currently weren’t in the way his sister would want it to be.
“I couldn’t leave her down there,” Harry replied, removing his gaze from Ginny, but refusing to meet Charlie’s eyes. “She would have died had I not gone into the Chamber myself. She nearly did die. She was so cold, barely breathing. It was honestly one of the worst moments of my life, seeing her lying there, not moving.”
Charlie took a sharp breath in at hearing Harry’s words about that awful day. It didn’t matter what Ginny had told him, that Harry didn’t care about her as much as Ron, as just hearing those words told him that Harry cared deeply about Ginny. It didn’t matter to Charlie if it was because Ginny was his best friend’s sister, a member of the Weasley family or if the younger wizard liked Ginny as an individual. The simple fact of the matter was that Harry Potter cared deeply enough about her for the day to be one of his worst memories.
HP&GW
August 1997…
Charlie moved through the crowded dancefloor towards where his sister was currently dancing with Bill. He still couldn’t believe his older brother was now married and to a part-Veela of all people. However, it was even harder to believe that his sister looked so grown up in her bridesmaid dress. Ginny had grown up much more than he had expected in the three years since he had last seen her.
“May I cut in?” he asked as he reached his siblings.
“Feel free,” Bill laughed as he twirled their sister into Charlie’s arms.
Charlie swooped her up and spun her round before placing her back on her feet. He placed one hand on her waist, took one of her hands in his other hand and began moving them around dance floor.
“You know,” Ginny said with a teasing tone, “Mum is going to start on you to find a woman to settle down with.”
“Not happening, Ginny,” he told her stubbornly. “I love my dragons far too much.”
He looked down to see his sister’s eyes twinkling with mischief.
“I don’t think Mum is going to be happy when you tell her that! Unless there is something you need to tell us?”
“Ginny!” Charlie couldn’t believe the cheek at what she was suggesting. He knew she was teasing him, but this really wasn’t the time or place for that sort of joking.
They continued to move across the dancefloor, with Charlie twirling and spinning Ginny every so often, when Charlie realised someone watching them. It took him a second to realise it was Harry, disguised via Polyjuice Potion as their cousin Barney, whose eyes seemed to be tracking their movements.
“You want to tell me why Harry is watching us?” Charlie whispered into his sister’s ear.
“No,” Ginny said despite the fact that she had frozen at the question.
“Is that a ‘No, I don’t want to’ or a ‘No, there’s nothing to tell’?”
Ginny didn’t respond, so Charlie knew she was trying to hide something when it came to why Harry was watching them dance. He had seen them both watching the other ever since Harry arrived at The Burrow a few days ago, glances that would linger. If he was right, and he suspected he was, then something had happened between the pair while they were at Hogwarts this past year.
“Answer me this, then, and I promise not to bring the subject up for the rest of the evening,” Charlie quietly said, manoeuvring them out of Harry’s eyeline. “Did you and Harry date at some point this year?”
He wasn’t surprised when his sister nodded in confirmation. Her eyes contained a glimmer of sadness, which told Charlie that things had ended between them before they had left Hogwarts after Professor Dumbledore’s funeral. However, with the way Harry had been watching Ginny all evening, he suspected that the break-up was not something he had wanted to do, but had, instead, done out of necessity. If it helped keep Ginny a little bit safer while the war raged, then he was not going to judge Harry for doing what he felt he needed to do.
HP&GW
May 1998…
It was absolute chaos as Charlie ran up the front steps of the castle, quickly passing a number of other people, including Horace Slughorn. He could see flashes of red, but he was uncertain if they were spells or the heads of his family as everything seemed to
happening so quickly. All he knew was that he needed to find his family.
“Stupefy!” Charlie cried in the direction of a Death Eater who was blocking his path into the Great Hall.
The Death Eater crumbled to the floor, allowing Charlie the room to manoeuvre around his body and make his way into the Great Hall.
Charlie immediately spotted George fighting alongside his friend, Lee, which left him wondering where Fred was and why he wasn’t fighting alongside his twin brother.
“Expelliarmus!”
Charlie ducked in response, the spell passing closely over his head. He shook his head of any unnecessary thoughts, knowing this was the time he needed to concentrate. He remained where he was crouched on the floor, for the moment, throwing spells to help those around him in duels with the Death Eaters who had managed to make their way into the Great Hall. When he finally felt the need to stand, he spotted something that made his heart stop for a second — his baby sister was duelling Bellatrix Lestrange.
Without thinking, he began making his way across the hall towards where the duel was taking place. There was no way he was going to let Ginny fall to Bellatrix. Harry, wherever he was, would not cope with losing her, nor would any of the family. He didn’t make it far before being pulled into a duel with one of Voldemort’s cronies.
Charlie was nearly distracted, however, when he spotted a jet of green light miss Ginny by an inch. He quickly disposed of the Death Eater and turned to help Ginny, only to find his own mum was now duelling Bellatrix.
“Are you ok, Ginny?” Charlie said, running over to where Ginny was watching in horror as the two witches duelled to obviously what would be one of their deaths.
“It should be me fighting her,” Ginny replied numbly. “Even then, if I had died, it wouldn’t have mattered as I would have been with Harry.”
“What are you talking about?” Charlie responded, confused by his sister’s words. Was Harry dead? He hadn’t arrived until several minutes ago and had only reached the front of the castle as all hell had broken loose.
Ginny didn’t respond as within a matter of moments their mum had managed to defeat Bellatrix Lestrange, Voldemort had turned and directed his wand at her and an invisible voice had cast a powerful Shield Charm in front of where they were stood.
“Harry!” Ginny whispered in disbelief.
Charlie didn’t fail to notice where Harry stood when he whipped off his Invisibility Cloak. While he would have to ask Harry to confirm his theory, he suspected that the very fact that Harry was so close to where the Weasley family, most specifically Ginny stood meant he had seen what had nearly happened to Ginny and he had made his way over with the same intention his mother had had. Now, Harry was standing in front of Voldemort about to finish this war for good.
Charlie could only watch with rapt fascination as Harry and Voldemort exchanged words. Horcruxes, Harry willing to die, love, Dumbledore, Snape, the Elder Wand — so much information in such little time. Glancing over at his sister, it didn’t seem as though she was truly listening with her eyes fastened squarely on Harry, a glimmer of hope held back as Harry and Voldemort cast what would be their last spells in this long and drawn-out war.
There was silence for just a second as Voldemort lay there, finally dead, and then, the noise of celebration exploded.
Charlie turned to his family, only to see Ginny just seconds behind Ron and Hermione, running over to Harry. With all the excitement in that moment, he wasn’t sure how many people noticed the way Harry’s weary eyes lit up as Ginny threw her arms around him or the way he pulled her tightly to him, even if it was just for a couple of seconds. While he had been aware that the pair had dated at some point before Dumbledore’s death, he had not asked Ginny anything about it after promising not to do so at Bill’s wedding. However, standing there, watching the look in both of their eyes at seeing the other alive was enough for Charlie to know that it had been more than them simply dating.
“He won, Charlie!” Ginny cried out in excitement after she had forced her way out of the crowd that now surrounded the Boy Who Lived. “He won and he is alive!”
Charlie wrapped her up in his arms and spun her around, ecstatic the war was finally over.
“Now Harry gets to face six brothers about his intentions when it comes to their sister,” Charlie said jokingly.
Ginny froze in his arms, causing Charlie to put her back on the floor. She gazed up at him with a look of sadness.
“Oh, Charlie!” she said before she burst into tears. “Fred died.”
HP&GW
May 1998…
Charlie paused outside his parents’ bedroom door as he made his way downstairs. He couldn’t hear any movement inside, which suggested neither of his parents were awake yet. In all honesty, given the time, he suspected his mum would not be getting up anytime soon, which was not unsurprising given the fact they had laid Fred to rest the following day. He knew his heart still felt heavy with grief at the loss of one of his brothers, but somehow, this morning, it also felt a little lighter than it had been in the last several days.
Knowing it was best not to disturb his parents, he quietly continued his journey down the stairs, intent on helping out by making breakfast for the family. However, as just before he reached the final couple of steps, he heard voices coming from the kitchen.
“I wish Mum would just let us share a room.”
Charlie was taken aback by his sister’s statement, knowing she must be talking to Harry. While he was accepting of the relationship, as was every other Weasley, he didn’t quite think they were at that stage to take such a big step forward. It didn’t matter to him that Ginny was due to turn seventeen in August, the couple had still been separated for nearly a year and he felt they needed a little more time before sharing a bed.
“I sleep better next to you,” Ginny continued, unaware Charlie was listening.
“I sleep better next to you, too,” Harry replied. “It stops the nightmares from centring around you.”
No one spoke. Charlie didn’t dare take a peek because he didn’t fancy catching his sister snogging her boyfriend. He still had a hard time realising how much she grown up over the last few years after he left to work in Romania.
“Perhaps Mum is right, though,” Ginny said, breaking the silence. “If I go back to school in September, it will just make it harder to leave you, deal with the nightmares and sleep alone if we were to get too comfortable sleeping next to one another.”
“Don’t you want to go back to school?” Harry asked curiously.
“I don’t know,” Ginny admitted. “I do want to finish school. I mean, someone needs to as no one has completed their time there since Percy!”
The couple chuckled as Charlie slapped his hand over his mouth to prevent himself from laughing.
“Even so, I don’t know if I can return there after everything that has happened. Fred died there, Harry, and at some point, I am bound to walk past where it happened and I don’t know if I could cope with that.”
Charlie heard the sound of a chair scraping against the floor and wondered who had moved. Taking the risk, he peeked round to see Ginny sat in Harry’s lap, her head buried in the crook of her boyfriend’s neck as Harry comforted her.
“Whatever you choose to do,” Harry told her quietly, “I will support you, no matter what anyone else thinks. If you go back to school, I will be there at every Hogsmeade weekend, every Quidditch match and any other time I can get away with visiting. If you don’t want to go back, that is fine as well. We could look at getting our own place together and we can find out if there is a way for you to get a trial for the Holyhead Harpies without being at Hogwarts.”
“You would do that?”
“Why wouldn’t I? I love you, Ginny. That’s never going to change and I would do anything to make you happy.”
“I love you, too,” Ginny replied as she lifted her head up to kiss Harry.
Charlie stepped back out of sight and onto the stairs, thinking about what he had just heard. He could honestly say he didn’t realise how deep and how serious their relationship was. He had not asked Ginny any more about Harry and what had happened between them at Hogwarts, just as he had promised. Even then, he thought being separated by the war, for as long as they were, that perhaps one or both of them would decide to just move on.
He knew, having spent most of his time in Romania, that he had missed out on watching his siblings grow up. Perhaps that was what had made him sceptical about his sister’s relationship with Harry, especially when the couple had quickly reunited in the aftermath of the final battle. However, now having heard this one simple conversation, he knew they were in it for the long haul. That thought alone made Charlie smile, knowing his sister have found someone she loved.
HP&GW
A clap on the shoulder nudged Charlie from his reminiscing about Harry and Ginny’s relationship. He turned his head to see Bill stood behind him.
“Once you are done eating, can you come and help Dad and me put the tent up for today?” his older brother asked.
“Yeah, give me five minutes and I will be there,” Charlie responded, knowing he had left his wand upstairs. He turned back to his food, ate the last couple of bites before downing his now-cold cup of tea.
A few minutes later, as promised, he was heading out to the back garden to help with the first of the preparations. He still couldn’t believe his baby sister was getting married in a matter of hours, but he knew now that if anyone deserved a lifetime of happiness, it was Ginny and Harry.
Chapter 3: Bill
Author's Notes: Thank you to Arnel for the corrections and edits. Much appreciated.
Bill stood at the entrance to the marquee that had been erected for his sister’s wedding reception. He was amazed by how simply and tastefully it had been decorated, considering how much Ginny had fought their mum over what she wanted for her own wedding. It had taken Harry stepping in and reminding Molly that it was his and Ginny’s wedding and that, under no circumstances, was there to be any pink used.
He still couldn’t believe his baby sister was getting married as he watched as the final few flower garlands, made up of lilies and roses, were weaved into the chairs. To think how far she had come since the day she had arrived in Egypt to visit him, while still struggling with the events of her first year and here she was about to marry the boy who had rescued her.
Bill chuckled to himself as he moved away from the marquee and headed over to where the ceremony was to be held. He remembered Ginny declaring, with absolute certainty, when she was just five years old that one day she would marry the Boy Who Lived. Her dream had come true, though he knew she would remind everyone that she was just marrying her Harry, someone very different to whom she had declared she would marry.
Even so, it had been long, rough ride to get to this point, to this very day that he had honestly thought it would never happen.
HP&GW
July 1993…
“Where are you taking me, Bill?” Ginny asked as he led her through the streets of Cairo.
“It’s a surprise, little one,” he replied, not wanting to tell her of his plans in case she refused.
“Don’t call me that, Bill! I am not a child anymore!”
Bill stopped walking as he realised that his sister was right in what she said. She was no longer a child after the events of her first year at Hogwarts. Surviving being possessed by the memory of Lord Voldemort and being forced to set a fifty-foot Basilisk on the school would be enough to make any child grow up quicker than they should and needed to.
“You’re right, Ginny, and I apologise for that,” Bill said as he pulled his only sister into his arms and hugged her tightly. While he only knew the basic story of what had happened to his sister, who was not forthcoming about it herself, he hated how he nearly lost her and no one had been there to help her until it was nearly too late. “I know you are reluctant to talk about your first year at school and I understand that, I really do. However, I want to help you and where I am taking you, well… I hope it will help.”
Bill could only watch as his sister drew back enough to be able to gaze up at him. It seemed she was looking for something, which he suspected was any sign that he was lying to or deceiving her. After a minute or so, she nodded and pulled out his arms completely, allowing him to continue their walk to historic marketplace of Khan El-Khalili in the heart of Cairo.
“Wow!” Ginny gasped as they began walking through the marketplace.
Bill watched in amusement as Ginny tried to look at everything that the market had to offer. He couldn’t blame her as he’d had a similar reaction when he had first visited. The architecture alone was enough to make anyone’s jaw drop in awe of its beauty, but then, there was also the variety of goods that you could buy from silverware and stunning gold artifacts to incense and spices. He intended to bring his mum shopping here later on in their trip, but today, it was all about Ginny.
“Bill, isn’t this all items for Muggles?” Ginny asked as he led down another pathway.
“Noticed that, did you?” Bill replied with a chuckle. “I am planning to bring you and Mum back here to have a look round another day. Today, however, we are going to wizarding section of the marketplace.”
Bill watched as his sister’s eyes lit in excitement at knowing whereabouts they were going. He suspected, however, that she might not be as excited when she discovered just why he brought her there. For now, though, he was eager to show her the wizarding part of the market.
“Welcome to Alsouk Sahria,” Bill said as they turned down yet another pathway and passed through a set of magical wards.
“Oh, wow! This is amazing, Bill!”
He remembered being as excited as Ginny was the first time he had ventured into the market. Like the Muggle part of the market, it was filled with a variety of cafes and shops selling similar items for the magical tourist. He didn’t dare bring the whole family here as he knew they would end up leaving with a magic carpet, something that was banned in Britain.
“We’re not looking today, Ginny,” Bill told his sister when he saw her drawn to a stall selling stunning jewellery. “I have somewhere specific in mind for us.”
A couple of minutes later, he opened the door to what looked like a book shop, letting Ginny walk in ahead of him.
“A book shop?” Ginny asked inquisitively. Like Ollivanders was stocked floor to ceiling with wands, this shop appeared to be the same except it was with books.
“This is not just any book shop,” Bill explained as they approached the counter. “It creates custom book orders, including diaries.”
“No.”
Bill stopped and turned round to find his sister glaring at him.
“I don’t want another diary. Not ever.”
“I understand why you don’t, but can you please hear me out before you reject the idea?” he pleaded, knowing how stubborn his sister could be.
“Fine,” Ginny huffed in annoyance, “but if I don’t like what you have to say, we leave. Immediately!”
“I have two reasons for wanting to buy you a new diary,” Bill quickly explained. “First, it will help to have somewhere to write down your thoughts, feelings and nightmares. I know the diary turned out to be something horrific for you in the end, but you told me yourself that it was helpful to begin with, that it helped you deal with the struggles of starting Hogwarts and feeling lonely.”
Ginny appeared stunned by him using her own words against her. He could tell she wanted to deny it, but was pleased when she simply nodded in agreement.
“The second reason,” Bill continued, not waiting for Ginny to say anything in response, “is that the best way to handle any fear is to face it head on. I can’t imagine what you are going to be feeling about returning to Hogwarts this coming school year, but the very fact you are returning means you are not going to let the events of your first year stop you from attending the school. If we apply that same idea to the use of a diary, then it will help you not be fearful of magical objects that could potentially appear to be like the diary was.”
“Then why we are here?” Ginny asked curiously. “You know I could have just bought a new diary when we go to Diagon Alley at the end of the summer.”
Bill knew in that moment she had accepted his reasons, which pleased him immensely.
“Because this shop specialises in creating custom made books, meaning we can get you a diary, which not only you are comfortable with, but has an array of spells on it to protect your privacy and make sure no one can use it but you.”
“I like that idea,” Ginny said slowly. She bit her lip as a look of concern came over her face. “The spells won’t make the writing disappear or make it so no one else can see what I am writing when the book is open? I just don’t want…”
Bill was confused as to what his sister was getting at for the moment before a sweeping realisation came over him.
“You don’t want anyone thinking you have another diary like last year,” Bill guessed, knowing he was right without the need for his sister to confirm. “More importantly, I think you don’t want Harry to worry if and when he sees you with it.”
The blush that began to spread across Ginny’s cheeks was enough for anyone to confirm that Harry was at the forefront of her mind. Ron had mentioned to him that Harry had used the book briefly, which was the reason Ginny had stolen it back to begin with. Being in the chamber would have been traumatic, in different ways, for both of them, so he could understand Ginny not wanting Harry or anyone who knew the truth to be panicking she was writing in diary that could potentially harm her.
“There is a list of spells or options for you to choose from,” Bill explained. “You get to pick everything and I will be paying.”
Ginny threw herself at Bill, wrapping her arms around his neck as he caught her.
“Thank you for understanding and for not teasing me.”
Bill hugged her tightly before letting go and leading her over to the counter to begin choosing her diary. He could only hope this idea would work for her and bring back some of that confidence he knew she’d had before she started Hogwarts. Perhaps then, she could make that step towards becoming friends with Harry as she had always told him she would.
HP&GW
June 1995…
Bill smiled as he took in the sight of a noisy Great Hall. He had never expected to return to Hogwarts for any reason, except if he was lucky enough to have children. Now, here he was, having returned for the last reason he could have expected — as a family member to Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived and the fourth Triwizard Champion. He was not surprised, though, by his own mum being invited to stand in as Harry’s family, given that the only family the young Gryffindor had left were Muggles, who did not care for magic.
Taking a quick glance over to where Harry sat, pushing his dinner around, he knew that the nerves Harry must be feeling, ahead of the final task, were growing worse. He doubted anyone could manage to distract Harry from what he was about to face. How Harry could have possibly thought the Dursleys would have come to support him?
“Mind if I sit here, Bill?” a female voice came from behind him.
Bill turned and smiled when he saw his only sister standing there, waiting for an answer.
“Now, why would I refuse the opportunity to sit next to you?” Bill said with a small chuckle.
As Ginny took a seat next to him, Bill couldn’t help but notice as Harry glanced over in their direction. The glance was fleeting, but he doubted that it was him that Harry had been looking at in that moment.
“Did you have an enjoyable afternoon with Mum and Harry?” Ginny asked as she began helping herself to some food.
“It was enjoyable. Harry told us some stories of his time here, which shocked Mum enough to want to have several words with the headmaster.”
“Oh, no, that cannot be good. I only know the basics of what Harry, Ron and Hermione have done in the last four years,” Ginny said grumpily.
Bill smiled at his sister’s response. He knew Ron was pushing her away and refusing to allow their only sister to spend time with him and his friends. Ron guarded his friendships carefully, not wanting one of his siblings to take away something that belonged to him and him alone, especially after so many years of having to deal with hand-me down clothes and toys. However, he had told Ron himself that Ginny didn’t necessarily need to be a part of their adventures, but he could still try to include her in conversations and allow her to spend time with him, Harry and Hermione.
“Harry actually told us a little bit about your first year,” Bill told her nervously.
“He did?” Ginny said, dropping her cutlery on to her plate in shock.
“Actually, Mum brought it up when we were walking near to the Forbidden Forest,” Bill explained, remembering how surprised he
had been that his mum had asked about Harry’s experience. “Mum wanted to know about what had happened when to the Acromantula colony in the forest. It seems Harry had left out just how many of them were living there and that they had been attacked.”
“That would explain the shock then.”
“With the way Mum reacted,” Bill said, lowering his voice to avoid anyone overhearing, “I didn’t dare tell her that both me and Charlie had been there as well!”
“Seriously?” Ginny asked in disbelief.
“I am not going to tell Mum just how heavily involved we were in helping find the Cursed Vaults while we were in school. Just like I will not be telling Mum how I saw you kissing a boy as we were about to enter the Great Hall for dinner.”
Ginny’s eyes widened in shock at Bill’s words.
“I have no problem with you dating someone, but it does make me wonder about the crush I thought you had on Harry,” Bill continued as he took a quick glance at Harry, who was, thankfully, too occupied to pay them any attention.
“I…” Ginny began before pausing.
Bill figured she was trying to figure out what to tell him, how to explain why she was suddenly dating someone else.
“Hermione told me to try dating other people,” Ginny finally admitted. “I am unable to be myself around him and Hermione thought this might help me. I met Michael at the Yule Ball, which I told Mum about, and we started dating a few weeks ago, which I have yet to tell Mum.”
“What about Harry?” Bill asked genuinely confused. He was certain Harry was beginning to notice Ginny. Then again, he also thought Ginny would wait forever for a chance to date Harry. Perhaps he was seeing things that were not there.
“He isn’t interested in me and I doubt he ever will be,” Ginny told him bluntly. “Even then, he has a crush on a girl in the year above him.”
“You still care about him.” It wasn’t a question as Bill could clearly see in his sister’s eyes just how she felt about the boy. She may have begun dating someone, but she still had some sort of feelings for Harry.
“Of course, I do, Bill,” Ginny snapped. “Anyone would, given the position he has found himself in this year. I am scared for him, scared about what might happen tonight. Something in my gut is screaming that something bad is going to happen tonight. I doubt I am the only one thinking it, but if I am right, it is going impact Harry deeply and he is going to need his friends more than ever.”
Bill opened his mouth to respond, but Ginny cut him off immediately.
“Can we stop talking about this and just eat our dinner?” she said, turning back to her plate of food.
The fact that his words had riled her up meant Bill was right in thinking that Ginny still had feelings for Harry. If something did happen tonight, then hopefully Harry would see that Ginny could potentially help him through it. He just wished they would both wake up and see how much they had in common and could support one another in a way no one else ever could.
HP&GW
July 1996…
Bill climbed the stairs to the first floor of The Burrow in hopes that he could get his sister to open up to him. He had just announced to his family his engagement to Fleur Delacour and the reaction, well, it had been a bit of a mix as he had been expecting. Considering no one had been fully aware of their relationship, he knew there would be some sort of resistance to the news. However, he had hoped, probably far more than he should have, that Ginny would be one of those who would be accepting and excited for him. Sadly, that had not been the case.
He was grateful at that moment that Fleur had chosen not to come with him to speak to his family. They had both agreed it would be best for the males to be clearheaded when he told, knowing that they all had reactions to the Veela at the Quidditch World Cup a couple of years previously. However, she had agreed to spend the summer with his family to give them a chance to get to know each other. Somehow, though, he knew Ginny and his mother would fight against it.
Bill finally reached Ginny’s door, knocking on it as he called out, “Ginny, open the door, please! Let’s talk about this.”
“NO!” was the immediate response.
“Open the door, Ginny,” Bill demanded. “Stop acting like a toddler who has had their favourite toy taken away from them!”
The door swung opened violently to reveal a fuming redhead.
“A toddler?” Ginny questioned him angrily. “After everything I have been through, you think I am acting like a toddler?”
“Yes, you are, and I am disappointed that the one person who I thought would welcome the news of me getting married turned out to be the one giving me the most resistance to the news. What is your problem?”
Ginny just glared at him before trying to slam the door shut, but Bill had managed to slip his foot in its path and keep it open. He pushed his way into his sister’s room and shut door quietly behind him.
“How would you feel if I behaved the same way over you dating Michael?” he asked as he watched his youngest sibling pace back and forth in front of her bedroom window.
“We’re not dating anymore,” Ginny casually said, barely glancing as she did so.
“When did that happen?”
Ginny finally stopped pacing and turned to face her oldest brother.
“After the last Quidditch match of the season,” she told him honestly. “Turned out he didn’t like the fact that Gryffindor won against Ravenclaw, all because I was the better Seeker on the day. I certainly don’t want to be with someone who is a sore loser.”
Bill couldn’t help but laugh at the reason behind his sister dumping her boyfriend.
“So, you’re single, again?” he asked her as he took a seat on her bed, tapping the space next to him.
“Single?” Ginny laughed as she sat down next to him. “No, I found someone much better to date, just like Ron wanted me to.”
“Harry?”
“No, Dean Thomas. Ron wasn’t happy about that. I get the impression he meant Harry, though. Why does everyone keep bothering me about that? We’re just friends.”
Bill could believe that for now, but it did seem the two teens were completely blind to the knowledge that they would be well-suited to one another. Based on what the twins had told him, Ginny had been able to get through to Harry at times others couldn’t and had helped him out several times over the course of the year. However, he knew not to push the subject further, so instead dropped it and went back to his original reason for following her up to her bedroom.
“Look, I know Fleur doesn’t always make the best first impression. I also recognise that she can make other women feel inadequate because of her Veela side, but I know her and can see past that. I love her, Ginny. She is it for me and I really want you to accept that. I don’t think you or any of our brothers would like it if any of us decided we didn’t like the person they wanted to marry.”
“No, you’re right, Bill,” Ginny quietly replied. “Though, I think you would all give me grief if the person I end up marrying isn’t Harry.”
“Well, then, like me, you would have to show the family just why that person was the one you fell in love in and wanted to marry,” he stated, knowing Ginny would eventually come round to accepting that Fleur would be his wife one day. “Fleur is coming to stay for the summer, so please for me, try to get to know her. If you can do that, I swear, whoever it is you end up marrying, I will support your decision without question.”
“Fine,” Ginny huffed out, “but you do know you essentially just blackmailed me?”
“Yes, but that is what us Weasleys like to do to each other.”
HP&GW
June 1997…
Bill’s eyes flickered open as the sound of a door opening and closing woke him from the nap he had been taking. He sleepily looked around and realised that his parents and fiancée were absent from his bedside, making him hope that they had all taken the chance to go home, shower and eat.
Voices drew his eyes to the entrance of the hospital and he saw Madam Pomfrey speaking with his sister and Harry Potter. The sight of the two students brought a small smile to his face, especially when he spotted the pair holding hands. It seemed as though his sister’s wish had finally come true. Though, given that his mum had said nothing to him about them dating, he suspected that Ginny had yet to tell anyone outside of the school they were dating, unless this was something that had happened in the last couple of days.
“Bill!” Ginny cried out as she ran over to his bed, causing Bill to sit up quickly and open his arms to receive his sister in a hug.
The siblings hugged each other with Ginny being careful not to cause her older brother any pain or distress.
“How are you feeling?” his sister asked as she finally pulled back and took a good look at him.
“Tired, but feeling better than I did last night,” he told her honestly before looking behind her where Harry stood awkwardly. “Though, I am more interested by the fact that Harry has accompanied you to visit me and how the pair of you were holding hands before coming over here.”
Bill held in the chuckle as both Ginny and Harry blushed, though he noticed neither could stopped the smiles from appearing on their faces. The way their eyes had lit up when the pair made eye contact made it obvious to him, also, that they had strong feelings for one another. If his mum saw the way they looked at each other, she would probably ignore his own wedding plans and begin planning a wedding for Ginny and Harry instead.
“So, would either like to tell me how this happened?” Bill said, breaking the couple’s eye contact.
Ginny pulled Harry to the chair next to Bill’s bed, pushed her boyfriend into it before promptly sitting on his lap, much to Bill’s amusement.
“I kissed her…”
“…in the middle of the common room…”
“…after the Quidditch Cup final...”
“…in the front of the entire house!”
Bill couldn’t stop the laughter this time at hearing the young couple alternate as they told him at how their relationship began. Even in his amusement, the way they had just spoken said so much about how good they were together.
“So, you’re telling me that Harry was the one to initiate the kiss,” Bill asked once he had managed to contain his laughter. He couldn’t deny that he was surprised by the turn of events. From what he had been told by Ron, Harry’s only experience with kissing a girl had not been the best.
The young couple nodded.
“So, if you have been together since… what would it be? Beginning of May? Why does no one in the family appear to know about it?” Bill asked earnestly. “I am assuming here that everyone at school, including the teachers, know you are dating.”
“I hadn’t actually thought to tell Mum,” Ginny admitted to her older brother. “It wasn’t because I forgot to do so… ok, maybe it was partly because of that, but, even then, it wasn’t exactly the first thing on my mind…”
“No, I suspect Harry would have been,” Bill jokingly said, causing the two teens to blush spectacularly.
“Bill!”
“Sorry!” Bill replied, not feeling remotely sorry for teasing his sister. Their blushes basically confirmed that their new relationship was constantly at forefront of their thoughts.
“Anyway,” Ginny continued, shooting a stern look at her brother, “I have had classes and my O.W.L.s to worry about in amongst spending what little spare time I have with Harry. However, may I remind you that you, Mum and Dad all made clear not to put anything too personal in our letters home to you, in case they were intercepted. I believe my relationship with Harry falls under that category!”
“Ok, ok, you are correct about that.”
Ginny shot a smug look at him, letting Bill know she had won that little argument.
“To be honest, though, especially now as I think about it,” Bill continued, “Fleur mentioned to me, last night, that you two had entered the hospital wing together after the battle had ended. How is it, then, that no one noticed?”
“It was hardly the time,” Harry muttered, his face dropping at remembering just what that battle had cost them all — the loss of the one wizard Voldemort had truly feared, Albus Dumbledore.
Ginny glared at Bill for his insensitive comment before turning to Harry and taking him into her arms to comfort him.
Bill watched in amazement at the way his only sister comforted her boyfriend. He had known that Harry had taken the death of the headmaster hard and he had expected that Harry would have closed himself off to everyone, but it seemed Ginny was able to get through to him in a way no one else had ever managed. However, he was even more surprised when Harry seemed to nod in agreement to something before gently kissing Ginny on the lips despite Bill’s presence.
“I’m glad you are feeling better, Bill,” Harry politely said before heading to the doors to exit the hospital wing.
“Sorry, I overstepped, Ginny,” Bill apologised, understanding he had gone too far with his questioning. “Please tell Harry that.”
“If you hadn’t had said anything, it would have been someone or something else,” Ginny sighed. “I am just doing my best to keep his spirits up enough to make sure he is functioning throughout the day.”
Bill could see something in his sister’s eyes that told him there was far more to it than what she had just said. He suspected they both knew that, with Dumbledore’s death, Harry would be stepping forward and doing what was needed to stop Voldemort. Somehow, however, for Ginny, Bill felt that she was going to need to let go of the one thing that truly made her eyes light up in joy.
“You don’t have to say it, Bill,” Ginny said, surprising him. He hadn’t realised his expression had given away what he was thinking. “I know what I have with Harry is not going beyond the end of the school year.”
“Yet, the way his eyes light up when he looks at you tells me he has every intention of coming back to you once this all over.”
“I wish I could tell you that makes me feel better, Bill, but I know it could be a long time before that happens. We both know what is coming, so we are just holding onto one another for as long as we can.”
Bill was proud of the young woman that Ginny was becoming and it amazed him of the amount of strength she had to come through
everything that had nearly crushed her. He just hoped she would remain strong, because he didn’t think she would survive if Harry died.
“I have to go now, Bill,” Ginny said as she stood and hugged her brother. “I will come back later if I can.”
Bill grabbed her by the hand, stopping Ginny from leaving.
“He’s going to win, Ginny,” he told her with a conviction he wasn’t quite feeling. “He is going to win and he will come back for you.”
“I know he is,” Ginny said with a smile that told Bill that she had faith in her boyfriend.
HP&GW
April 1998…
“Bill?”
Bill turned to see his sister standing in the door to the living room of their Great Aunt Muriel’s house.
“What are you doing here?” Ginny asked him as he walked over to her and wrapped his sister tightly in his arms.
“I just brought Mr Ollivander over to come and stay here until the war is over,” he told her as he shifted their position so Ginny could see the Wandmaker being fussed over by their mother. “I also thought I would catch up with my siblings and discover just how much they are driving Muriel, Mum and Dad up the wall by being stuck in the same house together.”
“I think that would be more the twins than me,” Ginny said with a giggle. “Not that Aunt Muriel knows, but they are running an Owl order service, which is unsurprisingly popular.”
Bill chuckled. He really was not that surprised by that piece of information. Considering no one knew how long this war would drag on for, he knew that they needed to find ways that allowed them to still laugh from time to time. If the twins could help with that, by continuing to run their business, then all the more respect to them. He just didn’t want to be here if and when their Great Aunt found out.
“Well, you can let me know what happens when she finds out what they are up to.”
“Like I am going to be present for that blow up,” Ginny told him with a look that said, ‘Do you think I am that stupid?’ Anyway, how is Ha… everyone at the cottage?”
Bill didn’t miss his sister’s near slip of the tongue. He knew she wanted to know about Harry more than the other occupants. He had not been able to tell them anything when he had rushed them out of The Burrow and to Aunt Muriel’s house after Dobby, a house-elf, had arrived with Dean Thomas, Luna Lovegood and Mr Ollivander. When Dobby had then returned with Harry, Hermione, Ron and a goblin he recognised to be Griphook before he could Disapparate, he had stayed long enough to get them into the cottage and provide Harry with a place to bury the house-elf.
“I wish I could give you a straight answer, Ginny,” he quietly told her as he pulled out of the living room and into the hallway. “He is not very forthcoming about everything that has happened since they escaped the wedding reception. I know they are planning something because he demanded the goblin, who arrived with them at the cottage, remain there with them.”
“I don’t need to know about his plans, Bill, or even anything that has happened in the last several months,” Ginny said earnestly. “Just tell me how he is in terms of his physical and mental health.”
Bill was surprised by her request, knowing that Ginny hated being shut out of the war and everyone’s attempts to protect her. Yet, the look on her face told him that she truly was more concerned with Harry’s health than her desperate need to know the details she was consistently denied.
“He’s a mess, Ginny,” Bill admitted. “It’s clear they haven’t had good access to food. He is definitely far more tired than he lets on. He does his usual of saying he is fine, but it is clear to everyone that he isn’t. The loss of Dobby…”
“Dobby’s dead?” Ginny gasped in shock.
It took Bill a minute to remember that Harry would have probably told her about Dobby at some point, last year.
“A knife to the stomach just as they Disapparated out of Malfoy Manor,” he told her solemnly. “Harry refused to come into the cottage until after he had dug a grave without magic and buried the house-elf.”
Bill could only watch as Ginny bit her lip and appeared to be looking at something that wasn’t there. As he watched her eyes, he realised she was musing over an idea, one he was pretty certain he knew he was going to deny her. While he thought Harry could do with something or, in his case, someone to make him smile right now, he knew full well that the idea Ginny was about to present would not go down well right now.
“Perhaps…” Ginny began before Bill shook his head to reject what she was about to suggest.
“I don’t think it is a good idea,” he told her earnestly. “Yes, seeing you might be what Harry needs to help push forward and end this war, but I think you know that he may find it harder to keep doing what we both know he needs to do.”
Ginny’s face dropped as the rejection.
“I don’t say any of this to hurt you, Ginny, but he spends so much time with Ron, Hermione and the goblin that I don’t even know if he would have the time or even agree to see you. I don’t want to force him to see you and I know you don’t want to do that either.”
“Send them all my love, Bill,” Ginny replied simply, letting Bill know she was not going to argue with him. “Just make sure he eats well and gets enough sleep until they leave for whatever it is they plan to do next.”
“That Fleur and I can do,” he promised as he led Ginny back into drawing room where his parents were still talking with Mr
Ollivander.
HP&GW
May 1998…
Bill looked up from the Gringotts paperwork he had just read through to see his sister and her boyfriend whispering to one another. It had been a regular sight for everyone over the past few weeks and one that never seemed to fail to make anyone smile, including George.
He had been pleased to discover that Harry had not waited too long before reuniting with Ginny. The support, trust and love between the two was tangible. Bill, however, suspected each member of the family was watching with interest, dabbed with a small amount of scepticism as well. He could admit he was in the same boat, even after his interaction with the couple just after he had been attacked by Greyback. For him, it was not about whether they were good for each other, they clearly were, but, instead, about how this past year had impacted and changed them as people. He feared the experiences and their grief would cause them to struggle to adapt to the peace they had won and cause problems for their relationship. It seemed, though, they were each other’s best source of comfort and support, so his fears had been quickly wiped away. He just hoped that this was a relationship for keeps.
“All of this seems straightforward, Harry,” Bill said, pushing his thoughts on the couple aside. “There are no payments that shouldn’t be there, including any money being sent to your relatives.”
“That’s good,” Harry replied with a sigh of relief. “Now, that’s done, would you be amenable to giving me an overview of the banking system, exchange rates and average costs of items I will need to pay for, such as furniture, a house, for example, as well, helping me understand what all this means on the paperwork Gringotts gave me.”
Bill was surprised by the request. While this area of banking was not his area of expertise, he was honoured that Harry trusted him to go through his finances and explain what he needed to know. Given Harry had come over to Shell Cottage to visit Dobby’s grave and spend the afternoon here, it was the perfect time to go through it all. However, he was unsure about having this conversation with Ginny present as the relationship between the two teens was still relatively new and, in his eyes, not at the place where they would be discussing finances.
“Do you want to go through it all now, while you are here?” he asked the younger wizard, trying to find a subtle way to ask about Ginny. “Or, would you rather come back another day by yourself?”
“Subtly has never been your strong suit, Bill,” Ginny said with disgust. “Why would it be a problem for me to be here?”
Bill sighed. He knew he needed to approach this carefully, otherwise he would be staring at the tip of Ginny’s wand in his face.
“Ok, I didn’t phrase that well, but, I wasn’t too sure whether Harry wanted you present for this conversation, given that you are not at that point in your relationship yet. Fleur and I didn’t discuss our finances, at least not in detail, until I had asked her to marry me.”
Ginny went to respond, but a simple touch of her hand from Harry caused her to back down.
“I know your family is watching us carefully,” Harry responded, “as they try to understand our relationship and where it is heading. It is annoying, but I know you all need to be certain my intentions are good. Well, here is your chance to be certain. I want to share everything with Ginny. She has already refused my offer to put her name on my account, at least, until we get engaged or married. However, she has accepted my request she be here to learn about my account, my estate and the banking system.”
Bill was shocked by Harry’s answer. It appeared his sister was right, subtly was not his strong suit, or the rest of the family’s it would seem. Even so, the couple were serious, but knew not to move too quickly in their relationship. Yet, it didn’t mean they could prepare ahead of time for certain things both would need a decent understanding of in the future, like Harry’s account. Any worries he had for their future together was instantly wiped away. These two were a team, supportive and trusting of one another as every good couple should be.
“Ok, let’s start from scratch and begin with our currency…”
HP&GW
A tap on the shoulder pulled Bill from his memories. He turned round to see his younger brother, Percy, standing there.
“Mother has asked if you could come and get dressed,” Percy said as he took in the sight of the marquee. “The guests should begin arriving in the next half an hour.”
“Of course,” Bill replied, stunned at how fast the time had passed. “I will head up to house shortly.”
Percy nodded and walked away.
Taking in the set up for his sister’s wedding one last time, he was pleased with how everything had come together. He wanted, just like everyone else did, the wedding to go well and without the problems he’d had at his own wedding. Given that their circumstances were different and how hard everyone had worked to organise everything, he knew this would be a day to remember for the young couple.
*Khan El-Khalili - an actual marketplace in Cairo, Egypt
*Alsouk Sahria - translates to Magical Marketplace
Chapter 4: Percy
Author's Notes: We are now at the half way point of this story! Just three more chapters left to go with all of them partially written. The hope is to have this story complete by April, preferably sooner. Until then, the first of my two new stories is being published this Sunday and it is called Heart & Soul. Thank you to Arnel for their wonderful editing skills and encouraging words as always.
Percy waited patiently at the end of the lane, ready to direct guests towards where the wedding was to be held. He felt honoured that his sister had asked him to be an usher, especially given his estrangement from the family during the second wizarding war. Even though he was a part of the family again, he still felt the need to work hard to prove to everyone he had changed from the blind, ambitious idiot he had once been. He knew he didn’t need to, as he had been reminded by his own wife and his family many times, but he still felt the shame and guilt from his actions and the pain he had caused everyone.
He was most ashamed of how he had perceived and treated Harry, his sister’s future husband. It was, perhaps, one of the main reasons, he had made such an effort to help the young couple organise their wedding. He had known Harry, in particular, was worried about unwanted guests being able to access the property and wanted to find a way to prevent it without causing any major problems for the family. It had been Percy, himself, who had suggested the use of Portkeys to allow all invited guests to bypass the already-extensive wards of The Burrow. Harry’s face had lit up at the suggestion and then, expanded on the idea to only send the date and time of the wedding with the Portkey itself after the guests had RSVP’d.
Looking down the lane, Percy saw the first guests begin the walk up towards the property. He was proud to see his hard work pay off, but most importantly provide protection for the couple. He just wished he had been able to provide that protection through their years at Hogwarts.
HP&GW
July 1992…
“Come in,” Percy called out after hearing a knock on the door. He looked up from the letter he had been writing to see his baby sister come into the room and close the door behind her.
“Hi, Percy,” Ginny said as she looked around his room. “The twins and Ron won’t let me play with them. Mum is busy cooking and told me to go and find something to do. Can I sit in here and talk to you, please?”
Percy knew he would much rather be left alone, but, like the rest of his brothers, he could rarely deny his sister of any request she made of him.
“Fine,” he responded with a sigh, “but let me just finish off this letter I am writing.”
Ginny gave a nod, took a seat on his bed and proceeded to continue looking around his room as though she had never seen it before. Thankfully, she remained quiet for once, allowing Percy to complete his letter in just a few minutes.
“What did you want to talk about?” Percy asked, turning his attention to his sister. He knew it would be better to let her choose the subject if it meant making her happy and keeping her occupied.
“Tell me about Harry Potter,” Ginny answered immediately, her eyes lit in excitement.
Percy couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the request. Ginny had already spent the past week asking Ron and the twins about the boy, so it had only been a matter of time before she asked him for his own opinion. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be angry at him for telling her the truth about Harry, knowing his younger brothers probably made him out to be a larger-than-life character.
“He’s a bit of a troublemaker,” he told her truthfully. “No, that’s not right. He doesn’t make the trouble, but he is very good at finding trouble and taking Ron down with him.”
“From Ron told me, he was as much a part of the trouble Harry found himself in,” his sister said in defence of their brother. “It sounds like you don’t like Harry.”
“I never said that!”
“You had the look on your face, Percy! The one you get when one of us causes trouble and you think we are acting like toddlers.”
“Well…” Percy said, searching for the words to explain himself as he withered under the glare Ginny was giving him. “Ok. I can admit that he isn’t a bad person. I think he is overwhelmed by all the new things he is learning and from the unwanted attention he receives. Admittedly, he deserved the attention he received for helping Gryffindor lose one hundred and fifty points in one night.”
“Ron said that was because Harry and Hermione had taken a baby dragon up to Astronomy Tower to pass over to some of Charlie’s friends. They just wanted to protect Hagrid from getting in trouble for having a dragon.”
Percy knew Ginny was right. He, like the rest of Gryffindor, had been angry at the huge amount of points Harry, Hermione and Neville had lost in one go. Yet, he couldn’t deny he found it admirable that they had been trying to help someone out by taken a big risk in sneaking a dragon through the castle.
“Well, he certainly belongs in Gryffindor,” Percy confessed lamely, not knowing how else to respond.
“Of course, he does, Percy,” Ginny said defiantly. “Where else would he go? He is the Boy Who Lived! The only house he could be in is Gryffindor!”
Percy shook his head in despair at his sister’s idealistic view of Harry Potter. Admittedly, it was the same view every child in the wizarding world had grown up with, following the downfall of You-Know-Who, but even he could admit that anyone attending Hogwarts had come to recognise he was just a normal person and so much more than the Boy Who Lived moniker. He could only hope that Ginny would quickly recognise that too. He didn’t want her to get her hopes up about who she believed Harry to be and left disappointed that he didn’t meet her expectations.
“Maybe he could have gone to Slytherin,” Percy teased, knowing Ginny would never accept that idea. “Then again, maybe you could end up there when you start in September!”
HP&GW
April 1993…
Percy’s eyes were wide-open in shock and his face felt like it was heating up rapidly. The exact expression appeared on his sister’s face as they stared at each other. Neither of them seemed to be able to move despite the awkward position they found themselves in. Thankfully, after what felt like an hour, Ginny turned her back to him.
“Can you give me and my sister a few minutes, please?” Percy said to his girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater.
The Ravenclaw prefect pulled herself away from her boyfriend and quickly tidied herself up before leaving the classroom, closing the door behind her.
Neither Weasley moved or spoke for the moment as they both tried to figure out how to handle what just had happened — Ginny walking into the unused classroom to find her brother snogging Penelope with his hands freely roaming her body.
Percy quickly tidied himself up to look his usual neat and presentable self before walking towards where his sister remained standing with her back to him. He wasn’t quite sure what he was going to say to her or how she was going to react. Ginny, in his opinion, had not appeared to be herself over the last few months, but he had willingly dismissed it as her adjusting to her new environment. Plus, with his prefect duties, he had hoped the twins and Ron would help her settle into Hogwarts.
“What were you doing walking into this classroom, Ginevra?” he asked, not wanting to directly broach the subject of himself and Penelope immediately.
“Certainly not what you were doing with that girl, Percy,” she snapped back, finally turning to look at her brother.
“Well, I should hope not. You are far too young to be involved with any boy. Even so, you know full well that it is too dangerous to be walking around the castle by yourself, right now. It doesn’t matter that there hasn’t been an attack in several months, but it isn’t worth the risk. Mum would not be happy if she found out that you were taking unnecessary risks.”
Percy was surprised when his sister could only glare at him for his comments. Given what he had said about their mum, he had expected her to rant at him for treating her like a little girl. He wondered what had happened this year for her to change as much as she had. Ginny had been looking forward starting Hogwarts, even more so when she discovered Ron had become best friends with Harry Potter. Ron had not exactly given her the opportunity to get to know the boy, but then again, she had done herself no favours when she sent Harry that embarrassing Valentine.
“You’re not still hiding from Harry because of the Valentine you sent him?” he asked curiously, even though it had been two months since that incident. “It isn’t worth moping over, Ginevra. If Harry has not made the effort to become your friend, then he isn’t worth the hassle. In all honesty, I think he finds himself in too much trouble most of the time. Look at what has happened this year, the majority of the school believe him to the Heir of Slytherin.”
Much to Percy’s surprise, Ginny froze up as her eyes seemed to dart around the room like she was looking for something. Her reaction made no sense to him. Yes, she had been devastated by the attack on Mrs Norris and her friend, Colin, but why would him mentioning the Heir of Slytherin terrify her in a way it had not done to others in the school.
“Do you know something about the Chamber, Ginny?” he cautiously asked her as he slowly moved towards his sister. “Do you know who the Heir of Slytherin is? Is it Harry like everyone suspects?”
“All I know is that it isn’t Harry,” Ginny stated with absolute certainty. “His mum is a Muggleborn! So, why would he, of all people, start attacking them?”
Percy was taken aback by Ginny’s defence of Harry, while also impressed by her argument that tore apart the idea that Harry could possibly be the one behind the events of this school year. Still, something was off when it came her well-being. Yet, he knew she would not open up to him until she was ready.
“Fine. That makes sense, Ginny. However, I am still worried about you,” he told her earnestly. “If you want to talk then I am here. If not, please find someone you feel comfortable with and talk them instead.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Percy sighed, wishing she would just agree, but it was better than refusing.
“Look, let’s make a deal. How about neither of us reveal what happened here today? You keep what you saw me doing in here to yourself and I will keep my concerns about you to myself. I won’t even tell Mum.”
Ginny visibly relaxed and nodded her confirmation. He didn’t doubt she would keep the fact he had a girlfriend secret, especially if it meant him not mentioning anything to their mum. He just wished he knew what was wrong with her.
HP&GW
November 1993…
Percy came down the staircase and into the common room to find his sister at a table, poking her wand at what looked like a hand-drawn card. Intrigued by what she was attempting, he headed over to see if he could lend a hand.
“What are you doing, Ginny?” he asked as he took the seat next to her.
His sister looked up at Percy in shock before quickly shoving the card behind her back. He suspected he didn’t want him to see it and that it was potentially embarrassing for her, especially given how red her cheeks had gone.
“N… nothing, Percy,” she stuttered in reply.
“Whatever it is, I promise not to laugh and to help you with whatever spell you were trying to cast. Remember, I am not the twins or Ron, who know would tease you given half the chance.”
“Fine,” she said after a few seconds of contemplation. She pulled the card from behind her back and placed it back on the table so Percy could see.
It was a ‘Get Well Soon’ Card. It was beautifully decorated in the house colours of Gryffindor, so he couldn’t understand why she would want to hide it from him or anyone. Then, it dawned on him that there was currently only one Gryffindor in the hospital wing.
“Is this for Harry?” he asked her kindly.
Ginny nodded as her face grew red once again.
While Percy felt that Ginny needed to grow up and move past the crush she had on the boy, he did grasp that it was hard for her to do so when Harry had been one to save her from the Chamber. He realised, therefore, that seeing Harry fall off his broom from a great height the previous day probably scared her a little more than the rest of their housemates. Even so, he still thought it was a nice gesture.
“It scared me too, seeing him fall as far as he did,” Percy told her earnestly. “We should be glad that Professor Dumbledore was in attendance as it was his quick thinking that saved Harry.”
“The Dementors have a really bad effect on him,” she whispered in response. “I don’t know what he hears, but it must be really bad for it to cause him to fall off his broom. It isn’t nice to hear your worst memories play over and over again in your head.”
It wasn’t hard to figure out that Ginny heard memories from her experience with the diary when the Dementors were near. However, Percy did not want to bring that up and leave her feeling awful for the rest of the day.
“Well, how about I help you finish off the card, so you can take it down to Harry. Hopefully, it will cheer him up as I suspect he is not feeling all that great being stuck in the hospital wing. What spell were you trying to cast on the card?”
“You are going to think it is silly, but I wanted to make it so that when Harry opened the card, it would sing.”
Percy was careful to hide his reaction to his sister’s idea, something he thought was a little overboard. He suspected Harry would find a little too much and try to hide it as a result. Yet, after the events of last year, Percy didn’t have the heart not to support his sister in what she was trying to do. He needed to be a better brother than he had been, even if it meant helping her put the finishing touch to a card in a way he personally would not.
“It’s not about whether I think it is silly, it is about you creating the card the way you want it to be,” Percy carefully said to her. “We shouldn’t let other people’s opinions determine how we do something. Now, try casting the charm again, so I can see if you are making a mistake.”
He watched as his sister pointed her wand at the card and said the words of the spell. Nothing happened and he quickly picked up why.
“Your pronunciation is correct,” he explained, “but you kept your wand still and you need to move it slightly to make the spell work.”
He patiently went over the spell with Ginny until he was confident she would be able to perform it correctly.
“Thank you, Percy,” Ginny said when she finally managed to make her card sing when it was opened.
“You’re welcome,” he told her with a genuine smile. “Why don’t you take it down to Harry now?”
Percy watched as his sister left the common room to head down to the hospital wing, hoping Harry would appreciate the hard work that Ginny had put in the card. Somehow, though, he suspected Harry, just like himself, would think the card was a little much.
HP&GW
December 1994…
Percy had not been able to help the smile that had spread across his face when he had seen his sister walk into the Great Hall on the arm of Neville Longbottom. He had thought she looked beautiful and grown up in the robes their mother had purchased for Ginny to wear. No longer she did look like the scared little girl she had been the summer after the events of the Chamber. However, he was even more grateful that she had secured a date with someone other than Harry Potter. He felt that meant she had finally moved past the schoolgirl crush she had on him and recognised that he was, at least in his opinion, more trouble than he was worth.
He was still in two minds over whether the boy had entered himself into the tournament or if he had been set up as he claimed. The boy had always found himself at the centre of the events that had happened here at Hogwarts from the moment Harry had first stepped into the castle. So, in his mind, it was not hard to think that Harry was, in fact, a willing participant of the tournament.
However, the only question that continued to linger was how the Goblet of Fire had spat out a fourth name under a fourth school when it was only to select three participants. He didn’t know if Harry was capable of casting the necessary spells to make that happen, but he was certainly powerful enough, given that the boy could cast a Patronus, a charm many wizards and witches could not cast themselves.
Percy decided to push those thoughts to the side for now, knowing he would probably find the answers he wanted any time soon. Instead, he walked through the crowd of students that was gathered on the dancefloor and approached his sister, who he felt needed rescuing from her toes being continually trod on by Neville.
“Excuse me,” he politely said as he reached the pair in question, “but, may I cut in and have a dance with my sister?”
Neville just nodded and placed one of Ginny’s hands in Percy’s.
“What are you doing here, Percy?” Ginny asked as he began to move them around the dancefloor.
“No hello, Ginevra?”
“Hello, Percy. Nice to see you here at Hogwarts,” she responded with a forced politeness. “Now, would you care to tell me how it is that you are attending the ball, instead of your boss?”
“I have been promoted,” he answered proudly. “I am now Mr Crouch’s personal assistant. He asked me to represent him here, tonight, as he has not been feeling too well lately. I was happy and honoured to do so, especially as it meant attending such a prestigious event.”
“And you haven’t taken the chance to keep an eye on your siblings’ behaviour?”
“Someone has to tell Mother that you all behaved yourselves here at the ball,” Percy replied, not remotely surprised that his sister had figured out his other reason for attending. “Mother is convinced you are going to do something that paints Hogwarts and our family in a bad light. The twins have already accosted Ludo Bagman tonight, though I did manage to chase them away before they
did something to embarrass themselves.”
“You are allowed to relax once in a while, Percy. Not everything has to be business.”
“I am here representing Mr Crouch and our department, Ginevra. I cannot behave in a way that reflects badly on Ministry.”
“Fine,” Ginny said with a slight huff as Percy twirled her. “I noticed Harry sat next to and interacted with you at dinner.”
“I thought he would appreciate sitting next to a familiar face,” Percy told her, knowing now was not the time to bring up his opinion on Harry and him being the unexpected fourth champion. “I am surprised to see you here with Neville Longbottom. I would have thought you would have been Harry’s date if given the opportunity.”
“Well, Ron suggested the idea and Harry certainly did not object,” Ginny explained as she looked across the dancefloor at something or someone. “Neville had already asked me though and I was not about to break my promise to attend with him just to be Harry’s date. It wouldn’t have been fair to him.”
“That was very honourable of you. I think that it was also the best choice as it does not look like Harry has been the best date to the young lady he brought tonight.”
“No, instead I chose to have my toes trodden on constantly.”
Ginny said nothing else as her eyes lit in excitement at something behind Percy.
“My apologies for interrupting as you dance with your brother,” the unknown boy formally said as he reached the siblings, “but may I have this dance?”
Ginny looked to Percy, a hopeful look in her eyes.
“It’s fine,” he told her, genuinely pleased she was finally showing interest in a boy who was not Harry Potter, even if he felt the boy had been more formal than need be. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
HP&GW
July 1995…
Percy still couldn’t believe his luck at receiving such a prestigious promotion at the Ministry. He had been certain when he had been called in to see the Minister for Magic that he would be let go for the mistakes he had made in his first year working there. Given how much trouble he had found himself in for not recognising that Mr Crouch had not been himself, he had expected to lose his job and was willing to accept that outcome. However, it seemed the Minister, himself, felt that Percy had been untreated unfairly and had done the best he could have given the position he had unexpectedly found himself in.
Walking into the house, Percy was happy to see his family sitting around the table, having just started to eat dinner.
“I am pleased you are all here,” he greeted them cheerfully. “I have some unexpected, yet wonderful news to tell you.”
“Take a seat, Percy, dear,” his mother said as she stood from her seat. “I will get you a plate of food while you tell us your news.”
Percy did as he was asked, taking the spare seat next to his sister as his mother began serving food onto a plate for him.
“What is your news, son?” his father said, a look of concern on his face.
“I was called to the Minister for Magic’s office today,” Percy began, choosing to ignore his father’s expression. “I was expecting to be told I was no longer an employee of the Ministry, but it turns out that the Minister wished to offer me a promotion to a position in his office. You are now looking at the newest and youngest Junior Assistant to the Minister for Magic.”
His family’s reaction was not the one he had been expecting or hoping for.
“How?” Ron asked bluntly.
“Excuse me?”
“What I think your brother is trying to ask,” his father politely said, “is how is it you have managed to gain such a promotion after the trouble you found yourself in just last week?”
“The Minister felt I had been unfairly treated by those who had questioned me and tried to place a portion of the blame on me,” Percy stiffly explained. “He felt that I handled the situation the best I could have and that I could not be to blame for not noticing the problem with Mr Crouch. He said I had shown initiative, dedication to the job and loyalty to the Ministry and that, as a result, deserved a promotion to a position that would be reflective of those qualities.”
“Do you not see the problem of your promotion, Percy?” his father asked with a tone of concern.
“No, I do not, Father. Nor do I understand why there would be one.”
“I am assuming that you are aware that the Minister has been trying to find out who in the Ministry has a close connection to Dumbledore. Fudge believes that I am one of those people who does and has therefore promoted you to a position through which he can spy on our family and to some extent, Dumbledore.”
Percy felt stunned that his father could think that way. The only reason he could come up with for his father not being impressed was jealousy. His father had never risen beyond being the head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, a small department that was routinely overlooked, except when needed.
“You should be proud of the promotion I have been given,” Percy declared to the room. “Instead, you are acting like you are jealous of me for climbing through the ranks of the Ministry much faster than most people do!”
“Excuse me?” his father’s voice dropped dangerously low, though Percy ignored the warning sign of his father’s anger.
“You heard me, Father! Do you know how much of a struggle it has been for me since I began working at the Ministry? I have had to prove, day after day, that I am not like you. You have a lousy reputation amongst the Ministry workers, one which I have had to work hard to overcome just so I can advance my own career. Your lack of ambition has resulted in the money struggles this family has. It’s like you don’t even care about the need to feed and clothe your children!”
“How dare you!”
Percy neglected to note how the rest of the family remained stunned by their brother’s outburst against their father. He refused to acknowledgement how his mother was in tears over what was happening in front of her. More importantly, he did not recognise how his ambition to do well at the Ministry had suddenly become a priority over his family.
“It needed to be said,” Percy replied in defence. “My loyalty lies with the Ministry and not with a man who is making wild accusations that is leading him into big trouble. If Dumbledore keeps up with this nonsense, then he will no longer retain the many positions he holds in our world.”
“It isn’t nonsense, Percy!” Ginny said furiously, interrupting her brother’s tirade against the Headmaster of Hogwarts. “Harry was there! He watched Cedric be murdered, unable to do anything to stop it. He was used in a ritual to bring back You-Know-Who! For what reason would Harry lie about something that serious?”
“You only believe him, Ginny, because of that stupid crush you have on him! When are you to grow up and see Harry for the troublemaker he truly is?”
“Apologise to your sister, right now, Percy!” his father demanded as his sister recoiled in shock from the harsh words he had said.
“Why should I? I only told her the truth.”
“Dumbledore believes Harry and he, too, has no reason to lie about something as serious as this. He recognised the signs that You-Know-Who was going to return and now he has. All of us here believe in Dumbledore and Harry and we will be supporting them. War is coming, Percy!”
Percy couldn’t believe his family would willing take the word of a boy who was forever getting into serious trouble over their own son. There was no evidence for You-Know-Who returning and the Ministry confirmed that he had been killed nearly fourteen years ago.
“Harry’s words are the only evidence you can present and it isn’t good enough! You are an idiot for following Dumbledore, Father. It will only lead to him bringing you down with him when you are proven wrong and traitors to our world. If you feel the need to betray our Ministry, then I have no choice but to make it known to everyone where your true loyalties lie. It is obvious to me that I am no longer a part of this family.”
Percy stormed out of the room and upstairs. If he was no longer an accepted member of this family, then he would pack his belongings and leave. There was no point staying where he was no longer wanted.
HP&GW
December 1996…
Percy felt awkward as he watched the Minister for Magic and Harry exit the kitchen to take a stroll around the garden. He didn’t particularly want to be here in his former home with his family after the way he had treated them the last time he had been in their presence. However, he knew that he was being used just so the Minister could finally speak face to face with the boy they were calling the ‘Chosen One’.
He could feel the cold stares of his siblings and his father as he averted his gaze from looking directly at them. He wasn’t a fool to believe that they would give him a piece of their mind, given the chance, about how he had been wrong to believe the Ministry over Harry about the return of You-Know-Who. He didn’t need to see their smug faces if he turned round and told them he had been wrong to ignore Harry’s claims about what had happened at the end of the third task. In his defence, the Ministry had not been given solid and credible evidence that would have backed up what his family believed.
“I hope they are not working you too hard at the Ministry, Percy,” his mother said, breaking Percy out of his thoughts.
“We are very busy at the moment, Mother,” he replied curtly. “With the unexpected return of You-Know-Who, everyone is expected help in the best way they can to help keep as many people as possible safe. It has meant the Minister’s office has been left working around the clock most days.”
“Well, please don’t overwork yourself. You will be no good to the Ministry if you do not take good care of yourself,” his mother responded kindly that left Percy wondering how she could still worry about him after the way he had spoken to the family last year. Perhaps, maybe, given the way she was treating him, it was time to admit his mistakes and apologise.
However, before Percy could say anything to his mother, he felt something hit his glasses. Reaching up, he wiped a finger through the substance and quickly discovered that one of his siblings had been childish enough to throw mashed parsnips at him. Though, the amount that was running down his glasses, to the point that his vision was beginning to be obscured, he suspected that more than one of them had thrown the food at him.
“I think I shall be going, Mother,” Percy said stiffly. “It seems I am not welcome here and I certainly do not want to be remain in the presence of those who choose act like children.”
He turned and headed for the door, wiping his glasses off as he did so.
“Perhaps you should have believed Harry when he told everyone that You-Know-Who was back!”
Percy froze at hearing the words from his sister’s mouth. She was right, but now was not the time to admit that. He chose, instead, to ignore the internal voice that was telling to admit his mistake and stormed out of the door.
HP&GW
May 1998…
Percy stumbled back slightly in shock at hearing the heartbroken screams come from his siblings and their best friend. The pain that was evident, particularly in his sister’s cry of the Boy Who Lived’s name, had truly stunned him. Had Ginny’s crush on Harry Potter developed into something deeper and more meaningful? His stubbornness that had prevented him from admitting his mistakes had stopped him from seeing whatever relationship had developed between the two teens and now Harry was dead.
He could only watch in a daze as the events unfolded around him. He could see Ron and Hermione holding Ginny back from attempting to take on You-Know-Who herself, making him realise that his sister had probably just lost the boy she had fallen in love with. She would be heartbroken, but the way she fought against being held back told Percy that she would fight with everything she had to make sure that Harry’s death did not mean You-Know-Who’s victory.
Percy knew he had a lot to make up for after the way he had behaved over the past two years. Therefore, he made a promise to himself to do everything in his power to help win this battle and the war, but to also to be there for Ginny as she worked way through her grief and heartache over the loss of the boy she had fallen for. He had ignored her when she needed her family once before, but he would not do that again.
Dragging himself from his thoughts, Percy focused his eyes on what was going on around him, allowing them to settle upon Neville Longbottom as he strode forward with a determined look in his eyes. He slowly and carefully moved himself towards where his youngest two siblings stood, noticing his other brothers were doing the same. Whatever Neville was about to do felt like a sign that everything was about to change and Percy was determined to be ready. The end of the battle was coming and Percy knew that no one was going to let it be a victory for the wizard who had destroyed so many lives. It was time to end this.
HP&GW
June 1998…
Percy paused at the door to the living room and watched his sister and her boyfriend, who were curled up on the sofa, talking. He couldn’t deny what a sweet scene it was. Both teens looked the most relaxed he had ever seen them to be in the last few years. It wasn’t a surprise to him, or anyone who knew the couple, given that the war had finally come to an end just a few weeks ago.
However, given his estrangement from the family for the past three years, he had held his distance from most of the family, allowing him the time to understand the dynamics and how they had changed.
For him, it had been Ginny and Harry’s relationship that had shocked him the most. He knew he could freely admit that he had done everything he could to turn Ginny from the idea of pursuing a relationship with the raven-haired wizard. Now, he’d had the time to watch them, he was glad that his sister had ignored everything he had told her and chosen to choose her own path in life. The problem was that he needed to do the one thing he had been avoiding since he had come back into his family’s lives.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Percy said as he finally stepped inside the living room, “but can I have a private word with Harry, please?”
“Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of Ginny,” Harry replied civilly, proving to Percy why he needed to be the Gryffindor he was and own up to his mistakes. “I have no secrets from my girlfriend.”
While Percy had hoped to have the coming conversation in private, he was not a fool to believe that Ginny would not eventually find out what they were about to speak about. It was obviously going to easier to just talk to Harry with Ginny present.
“I wanted to apologise to you, Harry,” he said, looking directly at the wizard in question. “I have said and done some truly awful things when it has come to you. I will not make any excuses for my behaviour, but, and as much as some people may not believe this, I can admit when I am in the wrong, even if it does take me some time to accept that.”
Percy kept his eyes on Harry, nervous to look at his only sister, fearful she would whip out her wand and hex him so badly that he wouldn’t be able to sit for a month. It seemed, though, that Harry was taken aback by his words and was not sure how to reply to his apology.
“Well, it’s about damn time, Percy,” his sister responded with an underlying tone of anger. “We have been telling you for years that Harry was a good person. Do you really think that Mum and Dad would have …?”
Ginny stopped talking as Harry placed a calming hand on her shoulder. Percy could only watch as they appeared to have a silent conversation and was surprised when Ginny looked as though she was going to back down from having a rant at him.
“It’s fine, Percy,” Harry calmly told him. “We all make mistakes. It would be wrong for me not to accept your apology when I have lost count of how many times Ron has needed my forgiveness for the mistakes he has made. The very fact you can admit you were wrong and apologise for it makes it much easier to say that I accept your apology.”
Percy didn’t know how to respond to Harry’s acceptance. He knew, thanks to Ron and Hermione, that Harry would accept his apology, but for him to accept so easily, that he had not been expecting. All Percy could do was to finally accept that Harry Potter was a good man, no matter what his previous opinions on the Boy Who Lived had been.
“You have yourself a perfect match, Ginny,” Percy quietly said to his sister before turning to leave, missing the shocked expressions on the couple’s faces.
HP&GW
Percy shook himself from the memories, knowing it was no good to dwell on the mistakes he had made when it came to Harry and Ginny. Checking the time, he saw it was just a couple of minutes until the wedding was due to begin. Knowing that there were no more Portkeys due, he headed back to the house.
“Father,” Percy said as he stepped inside of the kitchen, “all of the guests have arrived. Whenever Ginny is ready, the wedding can begin.”
His father gave him a nod of thanks before Percy turned and walked back out. Pleased to have played his part in the wedding, he headed towards to where the guests were now seated, ready to see the young couple have the happy ending.
Chapter 5: Arthur
Author's Notes: Just two chapters left. Warning for Chapter 6 - it will be George (and Fred). Thank you to Arnel as always and for your wonderful words on this chapter.
“Are you ready, Daddy?”
Arthur looked at the elegant and beautiful woman whose arm was linked with his. He couldn’t believe this was his one and only daughter, ready and waiting to walk down the aisle to begin her new life. Even more unbelievable was the fact that her dream of marrying the Boy Who Lived had come true. Oh, he knew this was not the reason why his daughter had fallen in love with the boy. No, it was because of the young man Harry Potter was — loving, trustworthy, protective, and noble, among so many other wonderful attributes.
However, at that moment, Arthur was not sure he was ready to give his little girl away, even if it was to the perfect man for her. Ginny had grown up so quickly, forced to because of the experiences throughout Hogwarts, but Arthur wished he could have given her a more innocent childhood, an extra year with her being the mischievous little girl she had been before her first year at school. Yet, he knew it was those experiences that had made her into the stunning young woman she was today. As hard it was for him to do so as her father, it was time to let his daughter go and take the next big step in her life.
“I am so proud of you,” he whispered to Ginny just before they took the first step down the aisle.
HP&GW
September 1991…
“Were there any problems getting the boys on the train to school?” Arthur asked as he sat down to have dinner, following a long day at the Ministry.
“We were nearly late as the twins and Ron were not ready to go when I had planned to leave,” Molly told him as she placed a plate of beef, potatoes and vegetables in front of him. “Though, I cannot complain about it as it led to us helping a lovely boy through the
barrier to the platform.”
Arthur recognised the tone in his wife’s voice. The child was one she would happily mother if she was given the chance.
“It was Harry Potter, Daddy,” Ginny piped up before Arthur could ask his wife about the boy.
“Harry Potter?” Arthur questioned as he looked to Molly for confirmation, who nodded her head in return.
“Yes, it was him!” his daughter excitedly replied. “He was all alone at the station. His family didn’t come with him onto the platform.”
Arthur was concerned by his daughter’s comment. He knew, as did everyone in the wizarding world, that Harry Potter had been sent to live with his only living relatives, who just so happened to be Muggles. He knew that the parents of Muggleborns would certainly find the wizarding world to be overwhelming, but he had never heard of a child being left to board the train by themselves.
“He was ever so polite, Arthur,” Molly said as she recalled meeting the Boy Who Lived earlier that day. “A little nervous, but I think that would be expected since he is only just returning to our world.”
“Fred and George met and spoke to him as well,” Ginny said as jealously seeped through her words. “Mum wouldn’t let me go on the train to meet him.”
Arthur could tell Ginny was not happy that she had not been allowed to meet her childhood hero and crush. However, even without confirming with his wife why she had not allowed it, he suspected his daughter would have overwhelmed the poor boy with her excitement of getting to speak to him.
“I chased after the train as well to wave off the boys,” Ginny continued, not waiting for a response from either of her parents. “I couldn’t see them, but I did see Harry sitting in a compartment, looking out of the window. He looked sad. I think that’s because there was no one there to wave him off. So, I waved to him instead!”
Arthur smiled as the small act of kindness that his daughter had shown a boy she did not personally know. Though, again, her words concerned him. It was sounding more and more like Harry’s childhood had not been as good as everyone had thought. Still, there was not much he could do. He had no evidence or reason to take a deeper look into the situation.
“Daddy, you’re not listening to me!”
“Sorry, sweetheart,” Arthur said, focusing on his daughter once more. A quick glance at his wife let her known that they would speak about the family meeting the boy later after their youngest child had gone to bed. Arthur wanted to know what had happened from someone a little more impartial than his daughter. “What did you say to me?”
“He saw me looking at him! He didn’t wave, but maybe he wasn’t sure if I was looking at him. He watched me chase the train until it was going too fast for me to keep up!”
Arthur smiled. His little girl’s crush was not going to go away anytime soon, especially now Harry Potter was attending Hogwarts. He just wondered now what would happen if the boy became good friends with his youngest son, Ron. Somehow, Arthur knew that the next seven years were certainly going to be interesting if the Boy Who Lived became a big part of their lives.
HP&GW
May 1993…
Arthur watched over his daughter as she slept, devastated over what she had been through and angry with himself for not having seen the signs that something was wrong. Her letters to home, which she had continued to write throughout the year, had been normal and much more detailed than any of her brothers had ever been. Even when she had come home for Christmas, nothing had seen amiss with her. Yet, as he thought over it, there had been little signs that, when put together, showed that Ginny had been in trouble.
“Take a seat on the bed, Mr Potter.”
Arthur looked up at hearing the matron’s voice, glad to hear that Harry had come to be checked over. The amount of dirt and blood Harry had been covered in had worried him and Molly, even though the boy had not appeared to be hurt or in pain while explaining the events that had led to them sitting in Professor McGonagall’s office.
The way he had spoken as well had made saving Ginny from certain death sound like it was an everyday occurrence for him. Arthur had been surprised by just how calm Harry had appeared, but it had allowed the boy to provide a concise, yet detailed account of everything. However, something had stood out for him in the way Harry had spoken about finding Ginny on the floor of the chamber, close to death. That moment had certainly impacted the young Gryffindor in a way that was yet to make itself known. Admittedly, Arthur did hope it would help bridge the gap between his daughter and the boy she’d long had a crush on and create a friendship based on a shared experience.
“Molly, I am just going to step away for a moment,” Arthur said as he stood from his chair. “Would you like me to get you a cup of tea?”
“That would be nice, Arthur,” his wife replied, not once taking her eyes away from their youngest child.
Arthur walked the short distance between where his daughter lay sleeping to where Harry was being lectured by Madam Pomfrey.
“Did you even think, Mr Potter, when deciding to put yourself in such a precarious position?”
“I believe he was just doing what needed to be done, Madam Pomfrey,” Arthur said, hoping it helped save Harry from her lecturing him further. “I doubt the consequences were a priority at the time, given he was in the process of saving my daughter.”
The matron frowned for a moment, but then gave Arthur a curt nod of understanding before leaving to go and check on her other patients.
“Thank you, sir,” Harry quietly stated.
“I believe it is only fair, Harry, given what you did for my family tonight. I don’t think we will ever be able to repay you for saving our Ginny and risking your life in the process.”
“Ron was with me as well,” the boy protested modestly.
“He wasn’t there in the chamber with you, though.”
“I’m glad he wasn’t,” Harry confessed after a few moments of silence. “Seeing Ginny there, lying on the floor of the Chamber… it was one of the worst moments of my life.”
Arthur was stunned by the words that had come from the young wizard’s lips. He had noticed over the summer that Harry had been overwhelmed by Ginny’s crush, but the boy had never once called her out on it. Now, here he was, admitting that what he and Ginny had just been through had been one of the worst moments of his life. For Arthur, it showed that Harry did care for his youngest child. He could only hope, therefore, that this shared traumatic experience would forge a friendship between them, allowing them to move past the awkwardness of the summer before.
“Well, I can only thank you again for saving my daughter’s life,” Arthur replied, not truly knowing how to respond to what Harry admitted. “I feel we shall forever be in your debt for the courage you showed this evening.”
Harry did not respond, blushing from Arthur’s thanks and praise.
“I hear there is going to be a late-night feast, so I shall let you head off to the Great Hall. I am sure Hermione will be joining you soon.”
HP&GW
August 1993…
Looking out over the beautiful view of Cairo that could be seen from their balcony, Arthur relaxed as he enjoyed the peace and quiet of the warm summer night. Their holiday in Egypt had been enjoyable and much more relaxing than he could have hoped, but tomorrow, they would return to England ahead of his children’s new school year. He wanted to take this chance to enjoy the calm before the chaos that tomorrow would almost definitely bring.
“Daddy?”
Arthur turned to see his daughter standing just inside the balcony doors. She appeared nervous, but he couldn’t imagine why she would be. He smiled at her as he gestured to the chair next to him.
“I thought you were playing Exploding Snap with your brothers,” Arthur asked once Ginny had taken the seat he had motioned to.
“I was, but I saw you out here by yourself and thought I would come and spend some time with you,” Ginny admitted with a small smile.
The father and daughter sat in silence for several minutes as they kept their eyes solely on the view before them as the stars shone brightly over the city.
“Thank you,” his daughter said, breaking the silence.
“Whatever for?”
“For this trip,” she automatically replied, though Arthur could tell there was more to her thank you. “For bringing us to see Bill and Charlie. For…”
Ginny paused, causing Arthur to look over at his daughter. She appeared to be struggling with whether she wanted to continue what she was about to say. He suspected that it had something to do with the events of her first year at Hogwarts, but he refused to push her to speak, knowing she would do so if she felt able to.
“For giving me the space I needed to deal with what happened to me,” Ginny finally said as she turned to face her father. “I know I haven’t talked to you or Mum about it, at least nothing beyond what you already knew.”
“It’s fine that you haven’t wanted to talk to me or your mother,” Arthur replied, truly meaning what he had said as he knew Ginny had spoken to Bill and Charlie in some capacity about the Chamber. “I know your mother may currently be a little overprotective of you, but she would never push you to talk about it with her if you don’t want to.”
“I know, and I appreciate the patience you have both shown me. You have let me open up to the people I felt most comfortable with. I think because Bill and Charlie were not there at the school that night, it has made it easier for me to talk them. So, thank you, Daddy, for bringing us to Egypt. It really has helped me.”
Ginny stood from her seat, came over to Arthur and hugged him tightly.
“Are you ready to return to Hogwarts?” he asked curiously as Ginny chose to sit on the floor by his feet and rest her head on his knee, similar to what she had done when she was younger.
“I’m little nervous,” she confessed quietly. “I know Professor Dumbledore made sure no one knew anything beyond me being taken into the Chamber and that it was Harry who rescued me, but I don’t really know how people are going to react to me. They have had a summer to let everything sink in. What if they think I’m to blame for what happened?”
“Ginny, are you worrying about what the students think?” he asked, suspecting that it was in fact someone specific she was worried about. “Or, are you worried that Harry may think badly of you?”
“Harry,” Ginny whispered just loud enough for Arthur to hear.
Arthur honestly did not know how to respond to his daughter’s confession. He did not want to betray Harry’s confidence after he had been completely honest with Arthur about it had felt to see Ginny lying on the floor of the Chamber. Yet, at the same time, he needed to tell her something.
“I don’t think Harry is going to hate you or think badly of you, Ginny. He was just as worried about you as your whole family was. Just don’t expect to have this instant friendship with him, though.”
Arthur didn’t have the heart to tell his daughter about the fact that Sirius Black had escaped Azkaban and the concern from the Ministry, having already been notified himself, that the man may be after Harry with an intent to kill him. He didn’t need her worrying when she needed to focus on returning to Hogwarts and facing any demons she had about being there.
“I am probably worrying about nothing,” Ginny said as she stood up and turned to face him. “Thank you, Daddy.”
Arthur watched his daughter walked back inside, worried for how the coming year would treat her, but confident she would face everything like the Gryffindor she was.
HP&GW
June 1995…
“Ginny?” Arthur said as he came to a standstill as he walked into the kitchen. “What are doing up so early?”
Arthur had just come downstairs to make himself a cup of tea before getting ready to go to work. While he was up a little earlier than usual, awake even before his wife, he had decided to go into work earlier than normal in hopes of allowing himself to have more time in the evening to help prepare for their move to headquarters for the Order.
“Nightmare,” Ginny quietly replied as she lifted her head up to reveal red, swollen eyes.
The nightmare was not a surprise to Arthur. He had, in fact, been expecting his daughter to feel the impact of the return of You-Know-Who after what she had been through during her first year at Hogwarts. However, knowing how far she had come in putting those events behind her, he had not been expecting the tears.
“Do you want to tell me about it?” he asked as he began making himself a cup of tea, plus a fresh cup for Ginny.
“It was all a bit of jumble of images,” Ginny confessed. “I dreamt of the Chamber and the diary, but it morphed into something worse.”
Arthur said nothing as he poured the hot water into their cups. He doubted she would go into detail about the nightmare, but he could tell that something it was bothering her.
“Do you think You-Know-Who will come after me?”
It was a question Arthur had not even thought to consider. The diary had just been a memory of You-Know-Who, therefore, the current form of the Dark wizard would have no memory of it. The only way he would know was if Lucius Malfoy made him aware of it. If he did though, would Ginny be at risk? Even so, what good would come of kidnapping the witch the diary had been planted on? His daughter barely remembered anything that happened to her; only what she had written and read in the diary and waking up in the Chamber. Everything else, as she had admitted, was just big blank spaces in her head.
“I have no reason to believe he would,” Arthur answered honestly as he finally came over to the table and placed the two cups of tea on the table. “I don’t believe he has anything to gain from doing so. Why do you ask?”
Ginny did not immediately answer, choosing to stare into her fresh cup of tea. Arthur waited patiently for her to respond, wondering if Harry had part in her thoughts leading her down this road.
“Does anyone even know why You-Know-Who is after Harry?”
While this was a question he, and many other people, had considered, he was unable to connect it to Ginny’s concerns. He thought about what she asked and realised that he had only considered why the Dark wizard had gone after the Potters that night. What danger were all three Potters to You-Know-Who? He didn’t know, but now it appeared he was now after Harry again. He suspected that it would be for revenge for his original defeat. Yet, something inside told him that it had to be far more than that.
“I honestly don’t know the answer to that, Ginny,” Arthur said, choosing his words carefully. “It was unheard of to hear of just one person surviving a personal attack on a family by Voldemort. The only reason I can think of, right now, as to why he may be after Harry is for revenge.”
“Wouldn’t that mean he would want to come after me for revenge on surviving the Chamber, though?” Ginny asked again.
“As I said before, Ginny, I don’t think he would. I think You-Know-Who’s focus will be solely on Harry for the moment. If it would make you feel better, I can speak to Professor Dumbledore and see what he thinks.”
“No, it’s fine,” his daughter said in refusal. “He has more pressing issues to be worrying about than my stupid concern. I am just worrying for nothing. Like you said, he has no reason to come after me. Unless he has been told, he won’t even know about my
involvement with the Chamber.”
Arthur was shocked by the sudden turnaround from his daughter, but he figured she just needed one person to give her some reassurance. That didn’t mean that he was not concerned himself. While he did fully believe that You-Know-Who had no reason to come after Ginny, it didn’t mean he would not choose to do so at some point in the future. If Harry was killed, would Ginny be next?
“I’m honestly more concerned about Harry, right now, Dad,” Ginny continued. “I can’t imagine how he is feeling, but I feel, out of everyone, I may have the closest idea because of my own experiences. I want to be there for him as best as I can. So, I need to stop letting my own fears from getting me down, so I can be strong for Harry.”
Ginny reached over and hugged Arthur. He was amazed by how willing she was to ignore her own concerns to help a friend in need, especially one that she had struggled to form a solid friendship with. Yet, she was right in saying she was closest to understanding what Harry was going through at that moment. He just hoped Harry would recognise that and open up to her when the opportunity presented itself.
HP&GW
January 1996…
Arthur sat back in his seat and took in the scene before him. Members of the Order and his family were gathered around the table, eating, chatting and laughing on the night before the children were due to return to Hogwarts. It was a blessing for him to be here with them, sharing a meal, when he had spent the past two weeks at St Mungo’s, following his attack by a snake while on guard duty at the Ministry.
Looking over at the boy who had somehow saved him, he noticed Harry seemed to be tense. Whether it was the remnants of the situation from earlier that day or because he would be returning to Hogwarts the next day, Arthur was not certain. He suspected it was both, even if he did remain unaware of what had happened between Severus, Sirius and Harry.
It was then that he noticed it — Harry quickly glancing at Ginny.
It was something of a surprise to see as he knew the pair had struggled to form a friendship similar to what Harry had with Ron and the twins. Ginny’s crush on the boy had not helped, but Arthur had hoped that the Chamber would have formed a bond between them. That had not been the case, but given the events of the previous two years, he couldn’t blame Harry when his focus had been directed elsewhere. However, something in the last few months, or was it the last few days, had changed between them.
Harry glanced over Ginny once again. This time, Arthur was ready for it, allowing him to notice the look in the boy’s eyes. He was different to one he had when he looked at his godfather, one that would flicker between amusement and concern. Yet, when he looked at Ginny, there seemed to be a look of contemplation as though he was trying to figure something out about the youngest Weasley.
“I take it you have noticed,” his wife whispered to him, pulling his focus from Harry.
“That Harry seems to keep sneaking looks at our daughter?”
“I think he has finally noticed her,” Molly said joyfully.
Arthur didn’t think that was the case. There was no look of awe or admiration to suggest that he had.
“I don’t that it is, Molly,” Arthur told his wife honestly. “Has something happened while I have been in hospital?”
“There was a minor confrontation between the pair,” Molly explained. “Harry accidentally upset her and Ginny put him in his place. I don’t know what it was about, but Harry seems to have been looking at her in new light since then.”
Arthur returned to his gaze to the table, discretely watching as Harry continued to sneak looks at Ginny. His wife’s explanation certainly explained the look of contemplation on the boy’s face. Harry was finally seeing the real Ginny, not the young girl with a crush on the Boy Who Lived, who would run away and refuse to speak in his presence. Perhaps now, Harry could finally form a true friendship with the one person who knew what it was like to face You-Know-Who.
HP&GW
December 1996…
“So, Harry,” Arthur said as he took a seat on the sofa next to the young wizard, “how has your year at school been so far?”
“Beside the whole business with Snape and Malfoy?” Harry asked, who looked surprised by the man’s question.
“Yes, and I would like to think more has happened besides that,” Arthur replied, hoping Harry had not been completely distracted by whatever the young Malfoy heir was up to.
“It’s been better than expected,” Harry replied. “Professor Slughorn is actually a good teacher and I am doing better in Potions now.”
Arthur nodded, understanding the strained relationship between Harry and Professor Snape.
“I am really enjoying being Quidditch Captain as well. Ron and Ginny are incredible additions to the team. Ginny certainly surprised me at tryouts. I knew she was great a Seeker, but she really excels as a Chaser. She is completely in her element when she is on her broom with the Quaffle in her hand.”
Harry continued to talk about the first few months of school and Arthur couldn’t help but notice how often Ginny was mentioned and how Harry’s eyes would light up when he did. It seemed that, in a space of a year, Harry’s feelings towards the youngest Weasley had shifted and changed. Had he finally seen Ginny’s true self and fallen for her?
“…and Ginny ended up telling Professor McGonagall that she had forgotten to brake,” Harry continued, never once noticing how Arthur was carefully watching his facial expression. “I know she shouldn’t have done it, but with the way Zacharias Smith had been commentating, I don’t blame her for getting her own back on him.”
The pride in Harry’s eyes as he talked about what Ginny had done did not go unnoticed by Arthur. He was absolutely certain the boy had developed feelings for his daughter, but he wanted to confirm in a way that would appear cruel if anyone realised what he was doing.
“May I ask about Dean, Ginny’s boyfriend?” Arthur said.
“What about him?” Harry replied with a frown.
“Well, we know very little about him, except that he is a boy in your year and house. I would just like to know a bit more and whether he is good to our daughter.”
Arthur watched Harry as the young wizard appeared to think about what he wanted to say. It appeared the boy was struggling with how to approach the question. He suspected this may be because he did not want to come off as jealous. If that was the case, then, he was right to believe that Harry had feelings for Ginny.
“He is a decent guy,” Harry finally said. “He is on the Quidditch team, filling in for Katie after what happened to her in Hogsmeade. He treats her well, but I don’t think Ginny was happy with the way he ran from an argument between Ginny and Ron when he had the chance.”
“What were they arguing about?” Arthur said with a sigh.
“Oh, they…” Harry said before freezing.
“Shall I take a guess?” Arthur asked, suspecting Harry did not want to reveal details. “It must have been Ginny’s dating life.”
Thankfully, Harry nodded in confirmation.
“It was the same before you arrived, Harry. You would not be revealing anything I already didn’t know and you certainly don’t need to reveal what led to the argument.”
“Ron, well, he went to call her something awful,” Harry admitted. “He never said the word, because Ginny interrupted him before he could thankfully, but it was clear Ron felt she had dated too many people and that she was beginning to earn a reputation. I had to stop them from hexing one another.”
Arthur sighed, hating how protective his sons appeared to be of Ginny. While he could admit that he would rather Ginny not be dating anyone, worried about how she might be treated, he knew she was old enough to make her our decision. Plus, he was certain that Ginny would never remain with any boy who treated her badly.
“What do you think, Harry?” he asked the boy, knowing he would be torn between defending his best friend and the girl he had so obviously fallen for.
“I think Ginny knows her own mind and heart to decide for herself,” Harry confessed, “but, at the same time, I think she could do better than Dean.”
Arthur smiled as Harry realised what he said before he bolted from the living room in horror. He was pleased that the boy had finally recognised Ginny for who she truly was as a person. However, it did leave him wondering whether his daughter still held feelings for Harry and whether she had reached the same conclusion as he had — that Harry Potter was completely smitten with her.
HP&GW
August 1997…
Arthur sighed in despair at the state of the tent. Tables were turned over, chairs scattered and glass smashed across the floor. It was a stark reminder that a beautiful and happy occasion had been turned into a fight for their lives, following the Ministry falling into the hands of Death Eaters. He was just grateful that there had been no serious injuries and that Harry, Hermione and Ron had escaped before anyone could stop them.
The thought of Harry escaping brought him back to how the Death Eaters had handled his youngest child. They had questioned her relentlessly over Harry’s location and any potential plans he had. Thankfully, Ginny did not have the answers to that and could truthfully state that Harry had not been seen by anyone at the wedding. The Death Eaters just didn’t need to know that the Boy Who Lived had been there in disguise with only a select few knowing the truth. However, it bothered him that the Death Eaters seemed certain that Ginny would give them answers, let alone know them. There was something he was missing and if the looks the two teens had consistently exchanged throughout Harry’s stay here, then perhaps his daughter was hiding the true extent of her relationship with the boy.
He looked over to where his daughter sat, next to her brother, Charlie. She seemed a little shaken by events, but relieved it was all over. While he would rather leave to her in the company of her brother for the meantime; he didn’t think he could leave getting answers from her. If his daughter had embarked on a relationship with Harry, then they needed to take that into consideration when making plans for if and, most likely, when they went into hiding.
“Charlie, may you excuse us for the moment,” Arthur said, having walked over to where his two children sat. “I need to have a private word with your sister.”
“I can go and help clean up,” Charlie said before looking at his sister. “Tell him the truth, Ginny. Your life may depend on it.”
Arthur was surprised by the comment made by his son to his sister. Yet, somehow, he felt that it was to do with what he was about to ask her.
“You’re going to ask me about why the Death Eaters singled me out,” Ginny stated without question.
“I am,” Arthur confirmed. “I am guessing Charlie knows the answer. Is there anyone else who does?”
“Far more people than I am honestly comfortable with,” his daughter admitted. “Mum, Bill and Charlie all know. As does anyone who was present at Hogwarts this past year.”
He didn’t need her to say the words to confirm her relationship with Harry had changed. Her last statement had made that perfectly clear. The worry for him now was whether You-Know-Who was aware of what Ginny meant to Harry and if he would take advantage of that knowledge.
“We broke up,” Ginny stated when Arthur had responded. “At Professor Dumbledore’s funeral. I wasn’t surprised as he knew it would come down to Harry in the end. I just hate that I only had a few weeks with him.”
Arthur sighed in defeat. He had a feeling that neither Ginny, nor Harry had taken into account that Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy would think the two teens were still in a relationship. It was possible, therefore, they had passed that information on to You-Know-Who before the break-up had even taken place.
“I understand that Harry is hoping that this break-up will keep you safe,” Arthur carefully said, “but, whichever way you look at it, you are still at risk. You’re a Weasley and we are known blood-traitors and supporters of Dumbledore. Harry walking away from you has probably not helped as much as he thinks it has.”
“I know that,” Ginny admitted, a determined look on a face. “I didn’t tell Harry that, because I knew he needed to believe I would be safe. He needs to concentrate on the task ahead of him and if this helped him, then I accept that.”
“I need you understand, then, that if our safety is compromised, we will be going into hiding. Thankfully, they have bought the story of your brother having for Spattergroit for now, like they have accepted you know nothing of Harry’s plans, but we both know that can change. If and when it does…”
“Then, we have to go into hiding. I understand, Dad. I won’t fight you on it if it comes to that.”
“Good,” Arthur said as he wrapped his arms around his daughter and hugged her. “I suggest you go and get cleaned up before letting your mum fuss over you. I know you don’t like it, but I think we both know it would help her right now.”
Arthur watched as his daughter walked back towards the house to do as he asked. He hated that she was probably at more risk than anyone in the family, barring Ron. If he thought it was possible, he would take them into hiding now, but he knew it would look too suspicious. All he could think of, right now, was to speak to Minerva and make her aware that Ginny could be a potential target.
HP&GW
July 1998…
Arthur looked up from his newest Muggle contraption as he heard a knock on the door of his shed.
“Come in,” he called out, placing the rectangular shaped box upon the workbench.
“Sorry if I am disturbing you, Arthur.”
Arthur was pleasantly surprised to see his daughter’s boyfriend standing just inside the door of the shed. He had been expecting Harry to come and seek him out for a talk ever since he had discovered the young wizard was dating his daughter. Some people would tell it was too early in their relationship or that they were still so young, but Arthur had quickly seen that the relationship between Harry and his only daughter was one for keeps.
“No, not at all, Harry,” Arthur replied kindly. “Perhaps you could tell me what this Muggle contraption is?”
Harry walked over to the opposite side of the work bench and took a look at the item Arthur pointed out to him.
“Oh, that’s a VCR, better known as a video player,” Harry told him with a hint of condescension. “You have to connect it to the TV for it to work. You place a video tape in it, press play and the images from the tape show on the TV.”
“Ingenious! Muggles always amaze me with what they managed come up with,” Arthur exclaimed before gesturing to Harry to take a seat. “So, what can I for you, Harry?”
“I…” Harry paused to take a deep breath; his nerves obvious for Arthur to see. “I wanted to talk to you about my relationship with Ginny.”
“What about it?” Arthur asked, refusing to make this easy for the young wizard.
“Well, I am very much aware that the entire family has been watching us, observing our relationship. I would be a fool to ignore that it was happening. I am happy that no one has tried to interfere and stop us from having time together, but I am starting to feel like I need to make my intentions known for everyone to take a step back.”
“I can have a word if you want me to?”
Arthur had suspected the couple had known the family had been observing. To be honest, he was more surprised that neither of them had snapped and told them all to back off.
“Oh, no, it’s fine,” Harry admitted, though Arthur doubted that it was. “I think they are slowly coming to the realisation how much we care for and love one another and that we are intending to stay together.”
Harry looked away, making the Weasley patriarch realise that the young wizard had perhaps said too much. While the young couple
were openly affectionate with one another, Harry didn’t tend to express his feelings verbally for everyone to hear.
“Erm… I wanted to inform you of my intentions with regards to my relationship with your daughter,” Harry continued, standing up a bit straighter. “I don’t feel the need to prove myself worthy of your daughter’s love, even though I still wonder how I am myself. However, I do wish to let you know, and would very much like your blessing, that I do, one day, wish to marry her.”
“You have both my and Molly’s blessing,” Arthur replied instantly, not wanting to make Harry feel any more nervous than already was. “May I ask when you plan to ask her?”
“Oh, erm, I am not quite sure,” Harry confessed. “Not for a few months at least, but it is dependent on what Ginny decides about Hogwarts. If she chooses to go back, then it will not happen until she finishes school. If she doesn’t, then I think it will be by the end of the year.”
“I take it Ginny is conflicted about returning to a place that holds such bad memories for her.”
“Yes. We have talked it through many times, but as I said to her, it has to be her decision. I will support whatever she decides.”
“And that would be a sign of what it means to be true partners in a relationship, Harry,” Arthur told him proudly, knowing that any concerns his family still had about the relationship between Ginny and Harry could be easily put to rest if they understood how supportive the pair were of one another. However, he did not plan to tell them that, nor of how Harry had made clear his intentions for the youngest Weasley. He just wondered if he would be able to keep it secret from his wife until the day Harry proposed to Ginny.
HP&GW
Turning to his daughter, Arthur pushed away the memories and leant down to kiss his daughter’s cheek. Her smile as he pulled away truly stunned him. Her happiness at marrying the love of her life was clear for everyone to see.
“Take good care of him,” he whispered to Ginny’s amusement before he turned to face the groom and the minister.
“Take good care of my daughter,” he said as he placed Ginny’s hand in the hand of the groom.
“If she lets me, Arthur,” Harry replied, causing Arthur to chuckle.
The couple may have both laughed at his suggestion to them, but it was well-known within the family that these two would always take care of the other, no matter what.
Knowing his part was now done, Arthur went and took his seat next to his wife, excited to see where the couple’s next steps in life would take them as he also reminded himself that he was not losing his daughter, but was instead gaining a son.
Chapter 6: George (and Fred)
Author's Notes: Only one more chapter left to publish! Until then, enjoy the chapter I believe many of you have been waiting for. This is all from George's perspective with Fred being a big part of the memories. Thank you to Arnel as always for your brilliant editing skills.
“Family and friends, welcome…”
George allowed the words of the minister to fade into the background as his eyes settled upon the expressions of the bride and groom. The happiness they were exuding made him wish that Fred were here to see as Harry and Ginny exchanged vows. Admittedly, he had said that every wedding, every birth and every other good moment since the end of the war, but this time, he truly believed this was the one moment Fred would have wanted to be present for.
While he suspected that his sister probably knew, George could admit that many of the pranks he and Fred had pulled, while at Hogwarts, had been for the benefit of putting a smile on the face of Ginny and Harry. Even before they had managed to con their only sister into admitting that she and Harry had dated, he and Fred had long been convinced that the pair would be perfect for each other. Now, here they were, getting married, and Fred was not alive to see it happen. Oh, the teasing he would have given the couple.
HP&GW
June 1992…
“Do you have it?” George asked as Lee Jordan walked into the boys’ bathroom on the first floor.
“Of course, I do,” Lee replied, holding up a camera he had borrowed from another Gryffindor. “Are you sure this is going to work? I cannot imagine Madam Pomfrey allowing such a gift into the hospital wing.”
“She probably won’t, but we won’t know for certain until we try,” Fred said as he came out of one the bathroom stalls before turning his attention to his twin brother. “We should be able to get the seat off without magic. Don’t want to risk damaging it with the wrong spell.”
News had quickly reached the Gryffindor common room that Harry had ended up in the hospital, magically exhausted, after a confrontation with Professor Quirrell. Once the twins had confirmation from their younger brother, Ron, and his best friend, Hermione, they had quickly put their heads together to come up with the perfect ‘Get Well Soon’ present for the Boy Who Lived.
“I still cannot believe your own mother gave you the idea for this,” Lee said as Fred walked back into the stall to begin removing the toilet seat.
“If this gets back to her that we actually attempted this, then we will happily remind her just who gave us the idea,” George said with a smirk, even though he knew he and Fred would still get in trouble. He could, however, hope that it would lessen the punishment if their mother realised that she was partially responsible for they had done.
“Well, are you not risking her finding out about this by taking a photo?” Lee asked. “You have never once taken a photo of any of your pranks, so why would you start now?”
“We may be sending this to Harry,” George explained to the twins’ best friend, “but we are also doing this for our baby sister.”
“Who would kill you if she heard say that George,” Fred called out from the bathroom stall.
“My apologies, dear brother, I mean our darling sister, who just so happens to have an enormous crush on the recipient of our gift,” George said, correcting his mistake. “We figured, given how upset she was to be left behind for another year, that she would appreciate our attempt to send an actual toilet seat to Harry.”
“Done,” Fred said as he came out of the stall, now carrying a toilet seat. “No magic needed.”
George inspected the seat quickly, impressed that his brother had managed not to damage it.
“Ok, let’s get this photo, then,” Fred said, standing shoulder to shoulder with George, them both facing Lee.
Lee held up the camera and quickly took the picture as the twins held up the toilet seat with cheeky grins adorning their faces.
“Brilliant,” Lee said as he lowered the camera. “I will get this camera back to Beatrice. She said she would be able to have the photo developed and back to us by the end of term.”
“Good, because if this fails, then we can at least show Harry that we did actually have the toilet seat for him,” George replied as he let go of the toilet seat and pulled out his wand. “What am I inscribing on the seat, Fred?”
“How about ‘To one troublemaker from two others, get well soon!”
“Nice and simple, while keeping you both anonymous,” Lee said as he and Fred watched George inscribed the message onto the toilet seat with magic. “Though, we should probably get another photo of this.”
“Ginny is going to love this,” Fred said once George had completed the inscription and Lee had taken one more photo. “If I thought we could get away with it, I would suggest we steal another toilet seat to bring home to Ginny.”
“How about we attempt to get this past Madam Pomfrey first?” George suggested. “If we do, then we can arrange one for Ginny.”
Fred pulled out a piece of parchment from his pocket, unfolded it and, with a tap of his wand, whispered the words, ‘I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.’ Before their eyes, writing began to appear on the parchment, not that Fred took notice of it as he quickly unfolded the parchment even further to reveal a complete map of Hogwarts and its grounds.
“She’s in her office,” Lee stated as the three boys immediately looked at the hospital wing. It showed the names of Harry Potter, which they had expected, and Madam Pomfrey, who they hoped would be elsewhere at that moment. “I doubt she will be leaving any time soon. She would not leave an unconscious patient alone in the hospital wing.”
The twins looked at one another, wondering how they could get their gift past the strict matron. Neither spoke a word as an evil grin appeared on each of their faces and turned to face their best friend.
“Lee, our dear, dear friend…” Fred started.
“You truly have the gift of conversation…” George continued.
“…and we believe you would be able use that…”
“…to distract our lovely matron.”
“Oh, no,” Lee said, moving back towards the door to the corridor. “There’s no way I am getting involved in this scheme of yours.”
“So, we shouldn’t let slip to Alicia about how you have a crush on her?” Fred said as he made sure the toilet seat was firmly secure in his arm.
Lee’s mouth fell open in shock.
“Well, it seems Lee is on board,” George said as he went to leave the bathroom with his twin. “Let’s go and pass on our brilliant gift to our young friend!”
HP&GW
February 1993…
“His eyes are green as a fresh pickled toad…” Fred began to recite as the twins approached Ginny in the common room, having made sure Harry was not around as they did so.
Ginny looked up from where she sat in the corner, her eyes wide in shock and her cheeks a deep red.
“You were there?” she whispered.
“Oh, no, but the whole school has heard about it,” George told her as the twins took a seat either side of her on the arms on the chair that she sat in. “It seems Draco has taken to reciting it to whomever is willing to listen, which, right now, is everyone.”
The twins could only watch as Ginny dropped her head in shame and began to cry quietly, something she very rarely did.
“Hey, Gin,” George said as he shifted so he was knelt in front of her. “Why the tears?”
Ginny shook her, refusing to reveal what was upsetting her.
“Is it because Draco is reciting the poem,” Fred said as he joined his twin brother to kneel in front of his youngest sibling, “because we can prank him for you if you want us to.”
George looked over at Fred, knowing that they would be pranking Malfoy, whether Ginny wanted them to or not. Even if he wasn’t the reason for her tears, though he suspected Malfoy probably was, it was still a great excuse to prank the Slytherin.
“You can if you want,” Ginny finally replied as she lifted her face to look at her twin brothers. “He isn’t the reason for the tears, though.”
“Who is?” George demanded to know, automatically the hating the person in question.
“Because we will prank them as well,” Fred declared.
“Please, don’t prank them,” Ginny pleaded.
The twins glanced at one another, knowing there was only one person she would refuse them the opportunity to prank. That didn’t mean they couldn’t have words with the boy for making their sister cry.
“I doubt he knows what he did,” Ginny continued without for a promise from her brothers. “I don’t think it helped that he tripped and fell in his hurry to escape the dwarf or that there were so many people around. I doubt he even noticed that I was there when it happened.”
“Well, Harry is an idiot if he cannot appreciate the beauty of your writing,” George said, thinking he was probably stretching the truth quite a bit.
Ginny giggled, “I think we all know my poem was awful.”
“Awful?” Fred questioned.
“Never!” the twins then chimed together, making Ginny laugh properly.
“Even if it you think it was awful, Harry may not have,” George told her as he carefully wiped away the last of her tears. “Like you said, he may just have been embarrassed by it happening in such an open space.”
“Plus, if what we saw when we rescued him from his relatives in the summer,” Fred continued, “he was probably feeling overwhelmed by such an honest expression of your feelings. I think Harry may not be as loved by his relatives as he should be.”
That was something George and Fred had both been concerned by. They had tried to confront Harry about it, but he always managed to find a way to change the conversation. So, they had let it drop, knowing there was no point forcing the issue when Harry appeared much happier at The Burrow.
“I still think I should never have sent it,” Ginny confessed. “He will never come to like me if I keep making a fool of myself in front of him. He will probably think I am just like the rest of the girls at this school.”
“You know what,” George said, deciding he could twist the truth just a little, “if Harry doesn’t make the effort to find out what a brilliant witch you are…”
“The best of all of the Weasleys,” Fred noted.
“…then, it is his loss!” George finished, truly believing what he said.
He would never willingly come out and admit it, but he honestly felt Ginny needed to wake up and see Harry for who truly was — a typical twelve-year-old boy, who had absolutely no clue when it came to girls. Perhaps then she would loosen up and be herself around Harry. He thought the two would be great friends, but only if Ginny could get past her idolised view of the second year. For some reason, though, he believed it would take something huge and potentially life-changing for that to happen right now.
HP&GW
November 1993…
“Are my brothers in there?” George heard as he left the hospital wing with Fred.
“Yeah, they should just be behind us,” Angelina Johnson said as the twins saw the Gryffindor Chasers and their sister come into view.
“George! Fred!” Ginny cried when she spotted them, running over and throwing herself into George’s arms. “Is he ok?”
“We will catch up with you shortly,” Fred told Angelina, Alicia and Katie as George hugged their sister tightly.
George kept Ginny in his arms until the three Chasers had walked far enough away to guarantee the twins some privacy. Once he could no longer see them, he gently pulled back and looked down at Ginny. He couldn’t but immediately notice the worry in her eyes.
“Is Harry ok?” Ginny asked again.
“He’s fine,” George said soothingly, knowing Harry’s fall would have scared even the toughest person.
“He is going to be spending the night in the hospital wing,” Fred explained.
“Madam Pomfrey will keep him there until Monday morning,” George interrupted.
“Of course, she will,” Fred replied, nodding his head in agreement. “Just as a precaution, though. He did fall from quite a height and he was unconscious before he even hit the ground.”
George could see Fred’s words hadn’t helped to calm Ginny. In all honesty, he thought their sister looked close to tears.
“It was the Dementors,” Ginny just about managed to say, a telling sign she was holding back tears. “He passed out when they came onboard the Hogwarts Express. I don’t know what he hears but it must be far worse than what I hear if they cause him to pass out.”
George and Fred looked at each other in confusion. They knew that Ginny had not reacted well to the Dementors as they had managed to get Ron to tell them what had happened in their compartment. However, when they had confronted Ginny about it, she had shut them down and refused to talk about how the Dementors had made her feel. Yet, based on what she had just said, Harry certainly had it worse if they cause such an extreme reaction in him.
“What do you hear, Ginny?” George tentatively asked. “You don’t have to answer the question, but it would really help us understand just how bad it is for Harry.”
“I hear Tom Riddle taunting me,” she whispered painfully.
Neither twin said anything, knowing there was nothing they could say that would make their sister feel any better. George couldn’t help but wonder if Ginny and Harry had even talked to one another about the impact the Dementors had on them. He knew it was a stupid thought to have, because he knew Ginny was still unable to talk to Harry by herself, given that he had saved her at the end of the last school year.
“You know what you should do,” Fred suggested as he wrapped an arm around Ginny and began to guide her away from the hospital wing. “You should put something together to cheer Harry up!”
“I could do that,” Ginny said, brightening up just a little.
George thought Fred might be setting Ginny up for some embarrassment, but, at the same time, he thought the gesture might help his sister deal with seeing Harry fall so far. In all honesty, he just wanted Harry and Ginny to see each other for who each of them truly was as he felt they would become brilliant friends if they did.
“How about Fred and I help you out by teaching you a spell to use on a card?” George said as the trio headed towards the staircase.
As much as he wanted Ginny to wake up and see Harry as just a normal boy, he knew he couldn’t force her to do so. For now, it was something that was better left alone.
HP&GW
August 1994…
George followed as Fred tugged Ginny deeper into the woods, running as far away as they could from the trouble that had started at the campsite. None of them paid attention to their surroundings as they moved further along, nor did they realise that they had lost Harry, Ron and Hermione much further back.
“Stop running, Fred!” George called out when he finally realised there was no one else around them.
Fred stopped abruptly, causing Ginny to stumble slightly as she, too, came to a stop.
“There’s no one else around,” George said as his siblings turned to face him. “I don’t think we should risk going any further or we won’t know when it is safe to go back.”
“George, where are they?” Ginny asked, fear shining brightly in her eyes.
“Who are you talking about?”
“Harry, Ron and Hermione,” she told him, her eyes gazing over his shoulder, frantically looking for their brother and his friends.
George turned around to see Ginny was right. None of the trio were with them. They had become separated.
“What if they have been caught?” Ginny asked fearfully.
“I doubt that would have happened, Ginny,” Fred told their sister with as calm a voice as he could manage. “They probably just ended caught up in the crowds that were rushing in the same direction as us. I’m sure they will have found a safe place to hide and wait.”
A glance at his brother told George that Fred was just as worried as their sister was.
“There were Death Eaters, Fred!” Ginny cried out as she pulled her hand away from Fred’s. “You know as well as I do just who the Death Eaters were! What if they capture Harry? He doesn’t know who they are. He doesn’t understand, because no one has ever told him!”
George was surprised by his sister’s outburst. It was not because of the fact she knew about the Death Eaters as that wasn’t exactly a secret for those who had grown up in the wizarding world. It was more because of her concern for Harry. While he knew Ginny had moved past the worst of her crush, it was obvious to anyone who knew her that she still harboured feelings for the Boy Who Lived. Then it dawned on him the true reason why his sister was worried — she didn’t want him to go through anything like what she had just a year previously.
“How about we start walking back towards camp?” George suggested. “Hopefully, by the time we make it back, the Ministry would have dealt with the troublemakers and everything will be calm.”
“That’s sounds like a good plan, George,” Fred replied. “Perhaps Harry, Ron and Hermione will have made it back to camp as well. What do you say, Ginny?”
Ginny nodded her agreement, allowing Fred to take her hand and begin to guide her back towards the camp. George followed behind, keeping his wand in his hand in case of trouble, hoping desperately that Ginny’s fears did not come true.
HP&GW
April 1996…
“Boys, I need your help.”
George looked up from the parchment he had been looking at to see his sister standing in front of him and Fred.
“And don’t even try and tell me you are too busy to do so, because I am pretty certain you are not studying for your OWLs like some people think,” Ginny said with a dangerous look in her eyes.
“What can we help you with, dear sister?” George said as he shifted along the sofa to allow Ginny to sit down between him and Fred, knowing he was risking meeting her Bat Bogey Hex if they didn’t help.
“Actually, it’s not me who needs the help. It’s Harry.”
“And why isn’t he asking us for help?” Fred asked. “We would help him, no questions asked, if he came to us.”
“With the way Harry has been this year, do you honestly believe he would come and ask you?” Ginny replied with her own question.
George had to admit that his sister had a point. Harry had been on edge ever since the end of the tournament the previous June, which was to be expected with the return of You-Know-Who. Up until recently, most of the school had been wary of him and his refusal to tell anything but the truth about You-Know-Who being back. So much had happened to the younger wizard over the current school year that Harry asking for help would take a miracle. However, he was intrigued about how his sister had come to be involved in approaching them.
“Well, how did you manage to get him to ask you for help?” George asked before he could stop himself.
“We talked and I offered to help,” Ginny told him simply, refusing to elaborate further.
“I’m impressed, Ginny. You managed to talk to the Boy Who Lived without running away!” Fred teased, knowing it had been a long time since that had actually happened.
Ginny glared at Fred, making it obvious she was not in the mood to be teased about her former crush.
“Look, can you help him or not?”
“Well, you haven’t exactly told us what it is you need us to do?” Fred replied, pointing out the flaw in her question.
“All you need to do is to create a distraction that will keep Umbridge away from her office for a decent amount of time,” Ginny told them. “We don’t need to know what you are planning, only when it will happen so Harry can be ready to do what he needs to do.”
George and Fred looked at each other, both knowing their upcoming plan would be the perfect distraction for Harry. On top of that, her request would be helpful in finalising it.
“It seems your request just so happens to align perfectly with something big we are planning,” George responded.
“We’ll have to drag it out a bit longer though,” Fred said, thinking out loud. “I would hate for Harry to miss the show.”
“You make an excellent point, Fred.”
“Any chance one of you could give me an idea of just what you are planning?” Ginny interrupted before the twins’ back and forth went on too long.
“Nope, it is to remain secret until the actual day,” Fred declared. “We just need to decide on what day it will be happening, something I believe we will now need to discuss with Harry to make sure we can make it all work.”
“So, what is this?” Ginny asked as she swiped the piece of parchment that the twins had been looking before either of them could get to it themselves.
George could only watch as his sister read through the notes they had written down, her eyes growing wider every few lines. She would now know what they were planning and why, while also realising why they would be able to help Harry without issue.
“You’re leaving?” Ginny asked, looking at both twins for confirmation.
“Yes,” George replied simply, knowing no other words were needed.
“To open Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes?”
“Yes, just like we have always dreamed of,” Fred confirmed.
“Where did you get the money to do this?”
“If we tell you, you cannot tell anyone,” George said, giving his sister a rare serious look.
Ginny gasped, “Harry gave it to you. That’s the reason you are willing to help without knowing why.”
“Our sister has a brilliant mind, George!”
“That she does, Fred,” George said in agreement. “And, hopefully, she’ll continue our pranking legacy once we leave.”
“Leave me some of your products before you go,” Ginny asked. “I may just need them to help Harry out if there is no one else around to cause a diversion if needs one again.”
George couldn’t help but smile. His sister may deny that she had feelings for Harry, but it was obvious to George, at least, that Ginny still cared deeply for him. The very fact she was willing to go as far as causing some sort of havoc to help Harry out proved just how much she cared for him and George doubted that she would do the same for her current boyfriend, Michael Corner.
HP&GW
August 1996…
George exited the storeroom of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, carrying all the necessary items for having a Pygmy Puff as a pet.
“There you, Ginny,” he said as he placed all the items on the counter. “Everything you need to take care of…”
“Arnold,” his sister automatically replied as she carefully placed the creature onto her shoulder.
“Interesting choice of name,” George noted with some amusement. “Anyway, Arnold is probably going to prefer sitting on your shoulder, but there is a small carrier for times that is not possible. I have also thrown in enough food to last until Christmas and at no extra cost to you and Mum.”
“Thanks, George.”
“Now that there is no one near us, do you want to tell me all about how your dating life seems to be an issue for Ron,” he said, shifting the conversation back to one Ginny had originally been distracted from.
“Why?” his sister responded as her expression changed from one of love to one of absolute anger. “Is it so you can tell me I am too young to be dating? Or is it so you can back up Ron about how I have dated too many boys in too short a time?”
“I have no intention of backing Ron up on anything when it comes to your dating life. Firstly, it would be hypocritical of me to say you are too young date, and, secondly, the last Fred and I had heard, you were dating Michael Corner and had been since last summer at least. That to me does not sound like you going through boy after boy.”
George watched as Ginny’s expression changed yet again to one of regret.
“Sorry, George,” she quietly said. “I have had enough of Ron sticking his nose in. He keeps asking me why I am dating Dean when there is obviously, at least in his opinion, a better option for me. And before you say it, I know exactly who he is talking about and as far as I am concerned, he doesn’t like me in that way.”
While he wouldn’t say it out loud, knowing he would be hexed severely if he did, George secretly believed that Harry was starting to open his eyes to Ginny and see her for who she truly was. Neither he nor Fred had failed to notice how Harry had responded to their sister during the previous school year. Then again, Ginny had gone out of her way to help Harry whenever she could. In all honesty, it was a surprise she dated Michael Corner for as long as she did.
“Want to try a love potion on him?” George joked, not knowing what else to say to his sister about Harry.
“You do realise that you selling them is going to be problematic for Harry,” Ginny told him sternly, sounding an awful lot like their mother. “Girls are going to think they have a shot with the ‘Chosen One’ if they get their hands on one of your Love Potions. Harry hates to be controlled as it is and would never forgive anyone who tried to use one on him.”
George could see Ginny still had feelings for Harry, but she appeared to be resigned to the idea that she would never have a chance with him. What he wouldn’t give to slap some sense into Harry!
“Even so, I don’t want to experience something that isn’t real with him,” Ginny said so quietly that George almost missed it.
“I think that, with you dating his dorm mate, he may just wise up and realise just what a great catch you are, Ginny,” George told his sister as he came out from behind the counter to hug her. “And if he doesn’t, well, then, he is just a fool for failing to see what Fred and I see.”
HP&GW
April 1998…
George and Fred quietly entered their Great Aunt Muriel’s house, not wanting to wake any of the inhabitants, most specifically their mother. They had just returned from another secret location where they helped Lee Jordan present another episode of Potterwatch, something their mother had already lectured them about due to the risks involved. However, neither were prepared to stop if it meant them playing their part in the current war.
“One of these days, you are going to realise that we all know most of your tricks!”
The twins looked up to see their only sister sitting on the staircase, dressed for bed, obviously waiting for them.
“Don’t worry, everyone is asleep,” she quietly told them as she stood, walked down the stairs and headed towards the kitchen with the expectation that they would follow her.
With a quick look at one another, the twins followed their sister, both wondering what Ginny wanted to talk to them about. George suspected it was to do with a certain Boy Who Lived, who they had confirmed was alive and safe on the show. While she had never admitted it to them, at least, both he and Fred were convinced something had happened the previous school year.
“What did you want to talk about, Ginny?” George asked after Fred had locked and silenced the room from potential eavesdroppers.
“I just wanted to know how you come by all your information that you announce on Potterwatch?” Ginny asked.
“We have our sources and our spies,” Fred admitted, refusing to elaborate further.
“Just ask what it is you truly want to ask, Ginny,” George demanded, knowing his sister was skirting around the issue.
“Fine,” she huffed. “How did you know all that stuff about Harry?”
George was taken aback by how Ginny had only asked about Harry; having thought she would have tried to at least make it look like she was concerned about Ron and Hermione as well.
“We’ll tell you if you tell us something we would like to know,” Fred said with a glint in his eye.
“That’s blackmail, Fred!”
“It just might be, but the very fact you asked about Harry and not about Hermione and Ron therefore suggests you are hiding something,” George responded.
The guilty look that appeared their sister’s face confirmed his suspicions.
“We suspect that we may just be the last people in the family…” Fred began.
“Well, I doubt Percy knows,” George interrupted.
“Yes, that’s true, but we cannot really count him as family right now, can we?”
“True, very true.”
“Like I was saying, I believe that me and George are the only ones who are still uncertain as to whether something has happened between you and a certain black-haired wizard.”
Ginny appeared to deflate before their eyes at the realisation that she could no longer hide the secret of having been in a relationship with Harry Potter.
George couldn’t believe her reaction to their enquiry, despite having suspected the truth for some time. The looks the pair had kept shooting one another from the time Harry arrived back at The Burrow to when he had escaped the wedding screamed out that the pair had feelings for one another, but neither he nor Fred had been sure whether there had been more or if they were on the verge of something.
“I’m sorry I never told you,” Ginny quietly said, “but there was nothing to tell by the time I arrived home from school for the summer. He broke up with me at the end of Dumbledore’s funeral.”
“Stupid, noble git!” Fred muttered just loud enough for Ginny and George to hear.
“Remus told us,” George said, answering Ginny’s original question. “He visited Shell Cottage after Teddy was born. He spoke to Harry, who didn’t really give him much information about what they were doing. All Remus could tell us was what we said on the programme, that Harry is alive, well and working on next stage on his plan, which he hopes will bring us towards the end of the war.”
“So, it’s nearly over?” Ginny asked, looking at each of her brothers individually with a pleading look in her eyes.
“Hopefully,” was all Fred could say, not wanting to his sister’s hopes too high.
A few minutes later, Ginny had left the room to go back to the bed, leaving the twins to contemplate how worried Ginny truly was for Harry.
“Harry and Ginny are going to end up together, married with babies,” Fred said with absolute certainty. The look in his eyes told George that he was more certain of his statement than he had been about the war hopefully being close to ending.
“I think we need to expand our promise to one another,” George said as he remembered the discussion that they’d had just a few months prior about what they would do if one of them was to die. “We need to promise to take care of Ginny if Harry doesn’t survive, because she will not cope if something happens to him. It doesn’t matter if one of us dies, whichever one of us survives has to help her if the worst happens to Harry.”
“Agreed,” Fred immediately responded, “but I don’t think that is a promise we need to worry about. Harry is going to survive, marry our sister and have the family he has always wanted.”
Even though he thought Fred was being far more optimistic than he should be, George couldn’t help but agree. If anyone was going to survive this war, it would be Harry.
HP&GW
July 1998…
George wandered out into the garden of The Burrow, barely paying attention to where his feet took him as he contemplated the shop he had yet to return to. He was struggling to keep the promise he and Fred had made to one another, that, in the event of one of them not surviving the war, the living twin would keep the shop open for business. The problem was neither of them had foreseen just how hard it would be to continue without the other. How was he meant to keep their dream going, then, when he couldn’t imagine being there without Fred?
“GEORGE! WATCH OUT!”
Turning his head towards where the shout had come, George saw a Quaffle flying straight for him, causing him to quickly duck and avoid being hit.
“I was expecting your skills to be rusty, Ginny,” George said as his sister flew down to reclaim the Quaffle, “but I had not expected your skills to deteriorate so badly!”
Ginny glared at him before responding, “Actually, Harry threw it. Turns out he is absolutely horrendous in any other position than what he is used to.”
“In my defence,” Harry responded as he flew down and joined the siblings, “I have only ever learned to play Seeker, given that I was only taught about Quidditch when I joined the Gryffindor team.”
“What are you doing out here, George?” Ginny asked, choosing to ignore her boyfriend for the moment.
“Just taking a walk as I think,” he confessed.
“Thinking about what?” Ginny asked. “Must be serious if you are going to walk right into the path of a flying Quaffle.”
George looked at his sister and her boyfriend, pleased to see some happiness in their eyes. While he had spent some time talking with them both about how he was feeling as he came to terms with Fred’s death, he didn’t want to intrude on their time together.
“Oh, George, you have the same look on your face as Harry gets sometimes. You might as well tell us what is bothering you or I am going to have charm your hair black and start calling you Potter!”
George couldn’t help but chuckle at the threat, thankful his sister could always find a way to make him laugh.
“I was thinking about the shop and the promise I made Fred,” George admitted, knowing he couldn’t escape telling them. He also knew Harry may have some words of wisdom for him, all thanks to his own personal experience of loss.
“What did you promise him?” Ginny asked as she came over to her brother and wrapped her arms around him.
“We talked about the possibility of one or both of us not surviving the war,” George explained. “We wanted to have plans in place for the business in case the worst happened. We promised we would keep the shop going, no matter what, but how can I walk back into the shop knowing he will not be there with me?”
“What would you have wanted Fred to do had it been you who had not survived?” Harry asked bluntly, much to the surprise of the two siblings.
George knew instantly that Harry had said the right thing, because he knew he would want Fred to reopen the shop and keep on creating new products.
“How did you know?” he asked the younger wizard.
“It’s the same thing I told myself when Dumbledore died. I knew if it had been me, I would have wanted those who were aware of my mission to keep on going until Voldemort was dead. In fact, I did tell Neville to kill the snake when I went to meet Voldemort, thinking I was not coming back to finish off the job.”
George looked Harry in awe, grateful for the wise words he had said. His sister could not have fallen in love with anyone better than Harry.
“You know Fred was certain that you two would end up together,” he told the couple. “We both did. I just wish he were here to see it.”
“He is, George,” Ginny quietly told him. “He is up there, watching you, while having a laugh with the Marauders. He is probably planning the ultimate prank to play on you when it’s your time to join him. Not that you should go and join Fred any time soon!”
“If it helps, Gin gave me the exact same speech after I told her what happened in the forest with Voldemort,” Harry told him as Ginny shot him yet another glare. “Even so, it’s going to be hard the next few months as we find our footing again. All we can do is try and live our lives for those who didn’t survive to see the peace we won.”
George knew it was incredibly hard for Harry to say those words when he knew that the younger wizard was carrying a lot of misplaced guilt that he felt for not defeating Voldemort sooner. However, he was still impressed by how Harry, with love and support from Ginny, had found a way to keep going. He needed to follow Harry’s example and find something that help him keep on living and moving forward and he knew, therefore, that he had to keep his promise to Fred.
“Well, then, any chance you two fancy helping me clean up the shop?”
HP&GW
“… then, it is with great pleasure, that I declare you bonded for life.”
George snapped out of his memories, realising immediately he had not paid attention to the ceremony. He couldn’t help the face he pulled as he watched the newly married couple share a kiss, something neither he, nor his brothers, could still bear to see.
“May I present to you, Mr and Mrs Harry Potter!”
Standing with the rest of the guests, cheering loudly, George pulled out the firework he had specially designed for this specific moment and discretely set it off. Most guests’ eyes looked upwards as streaks of green and red shot across the sky before coming together to form a heart with an overlapping lightning bolt.
George, ignoring the glare his mother was sending him, looked over to the happy couple to see them looking back at him, smiling. His sister gave him an appreciative nod of the head before turning her eyes back to the fireworks. He was glad that she was happy with the fireworks, because he wasn’t too sure she would be happy with him later when he would play a prank that he knew Fred would have appreciated. Though, if he kept it until after the speeches, Ginny and Harry might just be more accepting of it.
Chapter 7: Ron
Author's Notes: Here it is... the final chapter in this story. It seems quite fitting to be posting this just days after this story received an Honourable Mention for Best Romance in the Trinkets! Thank you to everyone who voted for this and for Black and Red which won the actual category!
Big thank you to Arnel for your brilliant editing skills, your patience and your encouraging words throughout this entire process. Much appreciated!
“Well, it would seem it is now my turn to speak,” Ron said, having cast a Sonorous Charm on himself, “and embarrass the groom as is traditional.”
The guests laughed, though Ron did hear a cheer come from his brothers. However, given the glare coming from both the bride and the maid of honour, he was not planning on going down that route with his speech.
“However, if I do not want to be hexed by the bride, I believe it would be best to keep my mouth shut.”
“Best decision he has ever made,” Ron heard Harry whisper to his wife.
“As you all know,” Ron continued, “I am not only the best friend of the groom, but I am also the brother of the bride. Essentially, this has meant I have had a front row seat to their love story. Now, while many people would have you believe that I am completely oblivious to much of what is happening around me, I can admit that I did notice when Harry and Ginny finally began to fall in love with each other.”
“I find that hard to believe, Ron,” George shouted out, much to amusement of all the guests.
“I’m glad my act worked then, George!” he quickly responded. He wasn’t going to admit to everyone that Hermione may have pointed the odd thing out here and there, though. “Regardless of what many people believe, and the fact it may have taken me time to see it, I have long believed that my best mate and my little sister are perfectly suited for one another.”
Ron glanced down at the faces of Harry and Ginny and was glad to see them smiling in response to his words.
“Now, even though I said I would not tell any embarrassing stories about Harry,” Ron told the crowd, finally coming to part of his speech he had most been looking forward to, “I do believe I should tell the couple’s love story from my point of view. It began many, many years ago, just days before I was to begin my very first year at Hogwarts…”
HP&GW
August 1991…
“Are you nervous?” Ginny asked.
“A little,” Ron admitted.
The two youngest Weasley children were out in the garden, laying on the grass and watching the clouds slowly float by. It was the day before Ron was due to begin his first year at Hogwarts, leaving Ginny as the only remaining child at The Burrow.
“I doubt the teachers will be surprised or impressed by anything I do, though,” Ron continued. “How do you follow five older brothers who have all made a name for themselves?”
“By being yourself,” Ginny told him as she rolled onto her side to look at her older brother. “Do you think he will be there?”
“Who are you talking about?”
“Harry Potter, of course!” Ginny replied excitedly.
Ron sighed. Like every other child in the wizarding world, they had been raised to know all about Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, and how he defeated You-Know-Who as a baby. Ginny, however, had become obsessed with the story and constantly asked for it be told to her. She had declared to him and their brothers that, one day, she would meet Harry Potter and they would get married. They had all teased her terribly for it, but she had never backed down from her declaration. It had now turned into a crush and he feared how she would respond to the boy if they were to meet.
“The Daily Prophet says he is meant to begin this year,” Ron reminded his sister. “Remember, they said he had been spotted in Diagon Alley at the end of July.”
“I know, but it’s really hard to believe that the Boy Who Lived is going to be starting Hogwarts!”
“Why would you think that?”
“He just seems like this bigger than life person who wouldn’t need to go to Hogwarts,” Ginny said with a smile that betrayed her naivety. “I mean he must be really powerful to have been able to defeat You-Know-Who as a baby.”
“Even if he is powerful, Ginny, it doesn’t mean he knows how to use his magic,” Ron argued. “He has been living with Muggles since that night. They wouldn’t know enough about our world to be able to teach him too much. I bet he is just a normal boy like me.”
“Well, I hope he isn’t, because why would I want another brother in my life?” Ginny said before sticking her tongue out her brother.
“I would need to make friends with him for that to happen. That might not happen. He may not even end up in Gryffindor.”
“How can someone as brave as him not end up in Gryffindor?”
“Perhaps he is really clever and belongs in Ravenclaw,” Ron pointed out, even though he secretly agreed with Ginny. He couldn’t see the Boy Who Lived being in any house but Gryffindor. “We only know what we have been told about him, which isn’t much. For all we know, he could be the worst person in the world.”
Ginny glared at Ron, who knew he probably shouldn’t have said what he just did. He just wanted his sister to realise that Harry Potter might not be the person she perceived him to be based on the limited information they knew about him.
“You’re wrong!” Ginny declared angrily.
“I probably am,” Ron admitted. “I’ll write to you when I find out, and if I am wrong, I will let you prank me in whatever way you want.”
Ginny sat up and looked down at her brother, a look of glee on her face.
“NO!” Ron cried, knowing the look on her face. “You are not asking Fred and George to help you.”
Ron sat up, turning his back on his sister when she started to pout in the way that would always get her what she wanted. He was not going to fall for that today. He was always a target for Fred and George’s pranks as it was; he certainly did not need them helping Ginny if it turned out he was wrong.
“Fine,” Ginny huffed. “I won’t ask them, but you have to write to me regularly and tell me about Hogwarts and Harry.”
“I’ll try my best,” Ron told her, “but only if I have a time and only if you promise not to be disappointed if Harry is not the boy you think he is.”
“I promise,” Ginny said earnestly before changing the subject. “So, do you think Fred and George are telling the truth about you
having battle a troll to be sorted?”
HP&GW
June 1993…
Ron glanced up as he noticed Harry stand from the sofa and head across the common room. He wanted to ask where he was going until he noticed his best friend had stopped in front of his little sister, Ginny.
Ginny had been released from the hospital wing a few days earlier but had taken to ignoring them all. He didn’t know if it was because she was embarrassed or ashamed of what had happened to her or if she thought that her brothers would reject her. Either way, he felt she was isolating herself for all the wrong reasons. Sadly, Ron did not even consider the fact that he had ignored her since she had returned to the Gryffindor Tower.
Ron watched as Harry said something to Ginny that caused her to widen her eyes in shock before nodding. He was startled when his best mate sat down across from his sister at the table and pulled out a pack of cards from his pocket. While Harry had saved Ginny’s life, he didn’t think Harry owed her anything as a result. Yet, there he was, beginning a game of Exploding Snap with her.
“What’s going on?”
Ron turned his attention away to see Hermione had sat down next to him, her eyes looking in the direction of Harry and Ginny.
“I’ve no idea,” he told her honestly. “Harry appears to be playing Exploding Snap with her, but I have no idea why.”
“Do you think it might be because not one of her brothers has made the effort to check on her since she was rescued from the Chamber of Secrets?” Hermione asked, unimpressed by Ron’s lack of attention to his sister.
“She’s the one who has been staying away from us,” Ron argued, refusing to recognise the truth in Hermione’s words.
The pair’s attention was drawn back to Harry and Ginny when a laugh rang out across the common room. They found the pile of cards had exploded in Harry’s face, causing Ginny to laugh loudly at his reaction.
“Tell me something, Ron,” Hermione said without taking her eyes away from the scene in front of her, “what have you done to make your sister smile or even laugh since she returned from the hospital wing?”
Ron didn’t answer. He was stunned by the scene before him as he let the question Hermione had asked sink in. He realised that he was seeing and hearing his sister laugh for the first time in nearly a year. He hadn’t been the one to cause it, nor had his brothers. It had been Harry, someone who understood what Ginny had been through. What had he done personally to help his sister?
The truth crashed into him at an alarming speed. He had done nothing, except to ignore her. He had been more concerned for Hermione and how she was doing since she was revived after being Petrified. Ginny had been isolated from them because not one of her brothers had made the effort to talk to her or to check on her.
“We’ve ignored her again,” Ron admitted to his best friend. “Harry has done what we haven’t even bothered to do. He’s making her smile and laugh.”
Hermione didn’t respond, something Ron was grateful for. He didn’t need to feel worse than he already did. He had spent most of the year ignoring his sister, not wanting to share his best friends with her, and it had ended up with her confiding in a diary that nearly killed her. Even though she would probably deny it, he was, along with his brothers, partially responsible for the events of the past school year. His best friend had saved her and was saving her again by interacting with her when nobody else would.
Something else caught his eye when it came to his best mate. It seemed Harry looked the most relaxed for the first time since the beginning of the school year. It looked like, even if Harry did not recognise it, that playing Exploding Snap was helping him as much as it was helping Ginny. Ron could only hope, therefore, that any awkwardness that had been between Harry and Ginny would now ease and they could become friends.
HP&GW
September 1993…
“Why did you do that?” Ginny asked angrily, having dragged Ron into an empty classroom near to the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.
“Why did I do what?” Ron replied, genuinely confused as to what he had done to upset his sister.
“You told me to leave you and your friends alone!”
Ron was stunned by the harshness of his sister’s words and shocked that she would feel angry at him for telling the truth. He thought she would have wanted to sit with her own friends on the train and not in the company of the boy she had an embarrassing crush on. In all honesty, he didn’t want Harry feeling uncomfortable by Ginny’s presence.
“Oh, you have to be kidding me!” Ginny snapped. “You honestly don’t know why I am angry with you!”
“Why would it even bother you?” Ron responded immediately. “You’re not even friends with Harry and Hermione!”
“Well, that is not the point!”
“Then, what is the point?” Ron asked, still not understanding exactly what his sister was getting at.
“It’s the fact that you asked me to leave you all alone after everything I went through last year!”
Ron felt like he had been slapped in the face by his sister’s harsh words. He knew what she was saying was true as she had been so lonely the year before that she had turned a diary, which had then taken possession of her. His sister had nearly died all because her brothers had not had time for her and he had chosen to push her away once again, all because he didn’t think his best mate would appreciate having Ginny around.
“Look, Ron, I am not asking you to be spend all your free time with me,” Ginny gently explained. “I am just asking that you don’t treat me like I am a nuisance to you and your friends.”
“Your crush on Harry doesn’t exactly help that,” Ron admitted, knowing it was a touchy subject for her. “It’s not like you can hang out with us when you can barely keep yourself from blushing when you are in his presence.”
Ron knew he couldn’t mention how Harry saving her life had probably added to how much Ginny liked him. Harry was now her hero in real life, rather than just in the games she used to play as a little girl. However, he expected she knew this already, so it would only be adding salt to the wound if he did bring it up.
“I’m working on that,” Ginny said so quietly that Ron almost missed it. “I know he is more than the Boy Who Lived, but it is hard to separate that from the real him when he actually rescued me.”
It was easier to see that admission was something she didn’t want anyone to know, especially when the entire school was well aware of her crush on Harry. However, for him, until his sister could see past the Boy Who Lived persona and see who his best mate truly was, he couldn’t risk Ginny spending too much time with him. It would only serve to make them both feel uncomfortable and awkward. Plus, if he had to admit it, he didn’t particularly want his sister being a part of his friendships.
“I’m sorry,” Ron said as he walked over to Ginny and hugged her. “I’ll do my best to be a better brother to you, but I cannot guarantee I won’t screw up every now and again. Just promise me that you’ll come to me, Percy, Fred or George if you need someone to talk to.”
“I can do that,” Ginny replied, her voice muffled by Ron’s jumper. “Just don’t tell me to leave you alone like I am a nuisance to you, and we won’t have a problem.”
HP&GW
December 1994…
“Why did you turn down the chance to go to the Yule Ball with Harry?” Ron asked his sister as he took a seat next to her in the Gryffindor common room.
“For the exact reason that I gave you when you suggested the idea, Ron,” Ginny said as she turned her head to glare at him. “Neville asked me to go with him and I said yes. I will not break a promise all because you thought I could go with Harry.”
Even though his sister turned her eyes back to the book she had been reading when he had sat down, Ron didn’t move. It was bad enough that Hermione claimed she had some mysterious date to the Yule Ball, but he honestly could not believe that his sister would turn down the chance to go with the boy she had long had a crush on.
“Why are you still sitting there, Ron?” Ginny asked, snapping Ron out of his thoughts. “I’m not going to change my mind. Plus, Harry has a date now. Parvati has been telling all the girls how she is the lucky girl who gets to go with him.”
“Had Neville not asked you and you had been free to say yes, would you have accepted?” Ron said, knowing he was beginning to pry. He didn’t want to tell her, but he had spotted the look of disappointment on her face when she’d had to refuse his suggestion.
Ginny slammed her book shut and turned to face him. “Maybe I would have, maybe I would have said no. I honestly don’t know, but I am starting to wonder if you asked me on his behalf as a way to embarrass me or because you thought I would drop everything to go with him. Harry and I have never had a one-to-one conversation, except for…”
Ron didn’t need his sister to finish the sentence, knowing she was referring to when Harry had rescued her from the Chamber of Secrets.
“Look, I don’t think it was fair of you to ask me to accompany him, especially when you have done everything you can to keep me from him since I started Hogwarts,” Ginny continued after a couple of minutes. “I also don’t think it would be fair to him to have me pushed on him when we all know my crush on him has made him uncomfortable in the past. So, tell me, Ron, just what was going through that thick head of yours when you thought to ask me to go to the ball with Harry?”
He opened his mouth to respond, only to shut it immediately, knowing he couldn’t tell her the truth. He had not thought once about Ginny’s crush on his best mate. The simple fact was that he had been desperate and saw Ginny as an option for Harry. How he thought it had been a good idea when the two barely interacted to begin with was beyond him?
“Don’t bother answering, Ron. Your silence tells me everything I need to know,” Ginny snapped before she stood and walked away. She stopped when she reached the staircase to the girls’ dormitories, turning to look at him. “And for your information, Ron, I no longer have a crush on the Boy Who Lived.”
Ron looked away the moment his sister continued up the stairs, not wanting to see the scathing looks that were bound to be on the faces of his fellow Gryffindors. He knew he had put his foot in it once again and he knew he was to blame for the way she had responded. He had not been the best brother he could have been to her, especially with the way he continued to push her away from being friends with Harry. Still, he did have to wonder if Ginny had noticed how Harry had not outright rejected his suggestion to take her to the Yule Ball. Somehow, he suspected she had not.
HP&GW
June 1996…
Circling the makeshift Quidditch pitch at The Burrow on his broom came as a comfort to Ron after the events of the past school year. He knew dark times were coming and he wanted to be able to enjoy the things that he had loved for as long as he could. He was even more grateful for the fact that they would be remaining at home this summer and that Harry would be coming to stay sooner rather than later.
“Fancy practising your Keeper skills?” a voice said from below.
Ron looked down to see his sister flying up to join him, a Quaffle tucked under her arm.
“Might as well,” he replied as he gently steered his broom towards the goal post, “especially if I want to keep my place on the team. What about you, though? Harry will be back as Seeker, which means you will no longer have a spot on the team.”
“I’m going to try out for one of two open Chaser positions,” Ginny replied as she lined herself up to take a first shot on goal. “Ready?”
Ron nodded, preparing himself to make what he thought would be an easy save. He was surprised, however, when Ginny managed to not only score, but trick him into believing she planned to throw the opposite way to what she actually did.
“When did you get so good?” Ron asked once he returned from retrieving the Quaffle.
“I have been sneaking out for years to practice. You would have found that out sooner had you and our brothers not constantly denied me the opportunity to play with you!”
Ron threw the ball back to his sister, deciding it would be best to change the subject now as he didn’t particularly want to take the entire brunt of her complaints about being left out. Instead, he thought he would take the chance to ask her about what she had told him and their friends on the train home.
“So, you’re dating Dean,” he stated as Ginny went to throw the Quaffle, causing her to falter and throw it off target.
“Are we really going to have this conversation?” she asked, not making the effort to retrieve the ball. “I thought you would be fine with me dating one of your dorm mates. You told me to choose better and I have.”
“Personally, I think you can do better than Dean,” Ron automatically replied, not thinking of the consequences. He had meant it when he had told her to choose better, but he had been looking at Harry when he had said it. Obviously, his sister had not seen his hint as to whom he had meant. Had she truly given up on Harry like Hermione had told him?
“Just admit it, Ron,” Ginny said angrily as she guided her broom downwards. “The only person who you think you would be suitable for me is Harry!”
Ron quickly flew down, jumping off his broom before his feet touched the ground.
“Actually, I think you are the only person good enough for him!”
Ginny froze in her tracks and slowly turned to face him.
Ron, seeing that he had his sister’s attention, pushed on with what he thought was a solid argument.
“You had an impact on Harry, this year,” he explained, remembering the way Ginny had been able to talk to Harry in a way no one else had been able to. “He listened to you. He responded to you. Perhaps you only see that as the pair of you now being friends, but I see that as a potential for a relationship. If you don’t believe me, then just think about all the interactions you have had with him this past year.”
He walked away, leaving his sister to think about what he had just said. He knew it was wishful thinking in hoping that his best mate and his only sister would fall for one another, but he truly did believe they would be perfect together. The problem was that he didn’t think Harry had looked at Ginny in the same way he had looked at Cho. Even if the two didn’t wake and realise how good they would be for each other, hopefully this past year would have cemented their friendship.
As he reached the broom shed, Ron decided it was probably best just to leave Harry and Ginny to it. Instead, he turned his thoughts to Hermione and whether he could find the courage to tell her just how he felt about her.
HP&GW
May 1997…
Whatever he had been expecting when Harry entered the common room after his detention with Professor Snape, it was not seeing his best friend snog his sister in front of everyone. He knew they had become good friends over the last couple of years, but he had no idea that either of them felt that way for each other. He was certain that Hermione had told him that Ginny had gotten over her crush on Harry and he was absolutely convinced that Harry had never looked at Ginny in that way.
Ron pulled himself away from his thoughts as he noticed Harry looking at him as though he was waiting for Ron’s acceptance of what had just happened. Despite his shock, Ron could only give his best friend a small nod to show he was fine. The problem was that he didn’t actually know if he was fine with Harry wanting to date his sister.
His eyes followed the new couple as they exited the common room to spend time together. He couldn’t fail to notice how both Harry and Ginny’s eyes lit up when they looked at each other. It was happiness that he didn’t think he had seen on either of their faces in the past few years. How could he begrudge them that in a time of war?
“Are you ok?” Hermione asked him, causing him to take his eyes off the now-closed portrait hole.
“I think so,” Ron answered as honestly as he could. “I just wasn’t expecting to see that happen in front of me.”
“Weren’t you the one who hinted at Ginny to choose better last year?”
Ron thought back to that conversation on the train home last June. He had said that, but he had refused to get his hopes up that either of them would ever see the other in that way. He had obviously missed the signs that they were falling one another, all thanks to his own unexpected relationship with Lavender.
“How long has he liked her?” Ron asked, knowing Hermione would have picked up on it sooner rather than later.
“Honestly? I don’t know precisely when he fell for her or even when he realised that he had, but I began to notice that Harry was falling for Ginny around the end of November, beginning of December.”
“That long?”
“Probably longer,” Hermione suggested. “Remember, we did spend a lot of time with Ginny over the summer holidays, which gave Harry the chance to get to know her better. I am not surprised I didn’t figure it out sooner because he handled Ginny’s relationship with Dean well.”
Ron gasped before turning to look where Dean had been standing, only to notice he was no longer in the common room. He suspected that Dean had not handled Harry and Ginny’s kiss all that well, which therefore had the potential to cause problems in the dorm later on. He understood, all too well, what it was like to see the person you had a crush on dating someone else, but Dean probably had it far worse when he shared a dorm with Harry.
“In all honesty, I had hoped that Harry would fall for Ginny,” Ron said as he pushed aside his concerns about Dean. “I think I was probably being biased when I told Ginny to choose better, because Harry is my best mate. Yet, at the same time, even I saw the impact she had on Harry last year. She seemed to be the only one who could put up with his moods and get through to him when he was really struggling.”
He knew what he said was true as thought back over the events of their fifth year. Ginny had never once been scared to put Harry in his place. Harry had listened to her when she had made it clear that he hadn’t been possessed. She was the one who had managed to get Harry to talk when he seemed to pull away from everyone after his final Occlumency lesson with Snape. She had also been the one to break Harry down enough to accept that his friends were going to accompany him to the Ministry to rescue Sirius. Ginny was essentially the best person for Harry to date, but he still feared one of them breaking the other’s heart.
“I think I just need to get use to the idea of them being together,” Ron admitted. “Hoping for it is much different than actually seeing it. I am probably just fussing for no reason.”
“I’m impressed, Ron,” Hermione replied with a twinkle in her eye. “It seems your emotional range has grown from a teaspoon to a tablespoon.”
HP&GW
April 1998…
Having waited a few minutes, Ron followed Harry out of the door of Shell Cottage and onto the beach. He had noticed, over the last several days, that his best mate had disappeared frequently to escape the crowded house. He didn’t blame Harry for feeling that way, knowing it must have felt overwhelming to be in the company of so many people after living in tent with just two other people for the past several months.
Ron kept his distance as he wandered after Harry, who he had noticed had walked off in the direction of Dobby’s grave. It made him wonder if this was where his best mate sat every day when he left the house. He could only hope, however, that Harry did not use that time to wallow in the guilt Ron knew he would be feeling over the loss of the excitable house-elf.
“I understand why you walked away from her now,” he said once he had stopped close by to the grave.
“Sorry?” Harry asked in confusion without turning and looking at Ron.
“I understand why you walked away from my sister now,” Ron repeated, being clearer about whom he was talking about. “I honestly thought you had dumped her because you didn’t want to be with her anymore. I know I was wrong now and I understand why you broke up with her.”
Harry didn’t respond. Ron suspected just the mere mention of Ginny was enough for his thoughts to turn to the person he had left behind.
“Hearing Hermione scream the way she did and not being able to do anything to help her,” Ron continued on, knowing he needed to say this to somebody before he could even contemplate telling the girl he had long held feelings for, “it tore me apart and made me feel completely helpless.”
“I have lost too many people, Ron,” Harry finally said. “Your sister… she is something special. Just the idea of losing her scares me. It scares me far more than if it was anyone else. I have always tried to protect you all, tried to convince you all it was too dangerous to follow me, but I never stopped any of you from coming with me once you made it clear you had no intention of letting me go anywhere by myself. This time, I couldn’t risk it. I couldn’t risk her life.”
Ron didn’t reply as the words his best friend had said made him realise what he had been trying to deny for this past year. Harry was in love with Ginny, just as much as Ginny was in love with Harry. How he hadn’t seen it before was beyond him.
“You love her,” he stated, knowing it was true and not needing to question it.
Harry finally turned his face towards Ron, who was surprised to see a small smile grace his best mate’s face for the first time in several months.
“I do,” Harry confirmed. “If I survive this war, I have every intention of spending with my life with her. As long as she still wants to be with me, that is.”
Ron had no doubt that his sister would still want to be with Harry once this war was over. However, he feared the impact it would have on Ginny if Harry didn’t survive. He swore to himself that, if the worst did happen, he would be there for his sister the way he should have been after she had been rescued from the Chamber of Secrets. For now, Ron pushed the thought aside and decided to focus on helping Harry end this war and making sure he survived it.
“Well, we better make sure we do everything in our power to make sure you live to see a world without You-Know-Who,” Ron told Harry. “I suspect Ginny may just hex me into the next week if I come home without you.”
“You will look after her if something does happen to me, won’t you?” Harry asked with a serious look on his face.
Ron nodded, unable to speak out loud in response. He truly hoped his best mate survived, but somehow, he knew Harry would give his life if it meant the people that he loved survived. He couldn’t fault him, given how many people he had lost throughout his life. He just hoped it did not come to that.
HP&GW
August 1998…
Ron smiled as he looked around the back garden of The Burrow. He honestly didn’t think his family would make the effort to throw a party for Ginny’s seventeenth birthday, given the impact Fred’s death had made on their lives. Yet, here they were, a garden full of friends and family celebrating his sister’s coming of age. It was probably one of the best sights he had seen since the end of the war.
He couldn’t help the smile on his face widening as he saw the laughter and happiness in everyone’s faces. The smile, if it was even possible, grew further when Ron’s eyes landed on two of his favourite people.
“What is causing that smile of yours?”
“Harry and Ginny,” Ron said to his girlfriend without turning as he pointed towards the other couple, who were wrapped in each other’s arms, slowly swaying in circles to the song that was playing over the wireless.
“It’s nice to see you smiling about them,” Hermione responded, “rather than wanting to go over there and rip them apart.”
“Why does everyone seem to think I want to do that?” he questioned his girlfriend as he turned his eyes towards her. “I have absolutely no problem with them being together. I never have. I just don’t want to see my best mate snogging my baby sister.”
“Have you told them that?”
“Why would I tell them that?” Ron asked, genuinely confused by the question. “The last time I gave my blessing to them, Ginny nearly bit my head off!”
“They know you and your family have been watching them,” Hermione explained gently. “Harry understands it, even if it is annoying to have you all watch his every move. However, when it comes to you, the only one he knows that knew about their relationship, he is worried about your reaction.”
“Why, though? He knows I understand now just why he walked away from her to begin with. I told him that when we spoke at Shell Cottage. Does… does he think I don’t believe he is in this for good?”
“I think you know the answer, Ron, and I think you know what you need to do.”
Ron did not respond, but, instead, walked towards where the couple in question continued to sway together. He had not been the best friend or brother over the past several years and he certainly was not the best person for expressing themselves properly.
Like all his brothers and his parents, he had watched the couple carefully ever since they reunited after the war. He had not done this to understand Harry’s intentions as the rest of the family had done; he had figured those out once he had understood his best mate’s need to keep the girl that he loved safe, something he had not been able to do for Hermione. No, for him, it was the fear that either Harry or Ginny would break the other’s heart because the war had changed them too much for them to remain together. He could admit that the couple had very quickly proven his worries were not needed. The love, trust and support they shared was what had helped them through the aftermath of the battle. How anyone could doubt Harry’s intentions was completely beyond his understanding.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Ron quietly said as he reached the couple, who sharing a kiss at that very moment.
“Wow, he apologised as he interrupted,” Ginny whispered after the couple pulled apart before turning to look at Ron.
“Can I have a word with Harry?”
Harry appeared to scrutinise him rather than respond to the question, making Ron feel uncomfortable.
“Whatever it is you need to speak to me about, you can say in front of Ginny,” his best mate finally said. “You know I will tell her about the conversation if she leaves us to it.”
“Hermione may have pointed something out to me that I was completely unaware of,” Ron began, wishing he could do this without his sister present, but recognising Harry was right. The couple told each other everything. “It appears you are aware that we, as a family, have been observing your relationship, something perhaps we should not have done. You don’t need our blessing or approval to be together.”
“No, we don’t,” Ginny growled.
“That was never the reason I was watching, though,” Ron continued, ignoring his sister’s comment. “I have never had a problem with your relationship. Just keep the snogging to a minimum in front of me. I have already told Harry that I understand why he walked away from the relationship last year. Trust me, I really do understand that.”
“Then, why did you need to observe us? I would never intentionally hurt your sister. I love her.”
“I was worried that, with everything you have been through, one of you would end hurting the other because the war had changed you too much for you to remain in the relationship. Out of everyone, you two probably had the worst experiences, especially over this past year, and I was worried neither of you would be able to cope with or support the other.”
Ron paused for a second. He had to hold in a laugh, though, as he noticed how the couple were staring at him like he had two heads.
“My point is my worries were not needed. I honestly believe you two are meant to be together and I promise not to walk in and interrupt any more moments between you.”
“Thank you, Ron,” Harry replied, genuinely pleased by his best mate’s comments.
“Just don’t bother to try and stick to that final promise, though, Ron,” Ginny said with a serious face, though her tone betrayed her face, “we both know you will end walking in on us at some point!”
HP&GW
Ron paused as he finished his last story and turned to look at the newlyweds. He was pleased to see they were smiling and not ready to hex him for his honest telling of how they fell in love.
“I know there have been times when I haven’t been the best friend to you, Harry, or the best brother to you, Ginny, but, as I said earlier, I honestly do believe you two are perfect for one another. While it may have taken Harry a little longer to get there, you always trusted one another, believed in and had faith in each other. You understand each other in a way no one else will ever be able to do so. With everything you have been through and fought against just to be able to stand up in front of everyone here today and declare your love for one another, you are the one couple that I, and everyone, know deserve to live a long and happy life together.”
Ron picked up his glass of champagne and raised it towards the couple, “To the most deserving and perfect couple I know — HARRY AND GINNY!”