A/N: This story is one of my old ones from my old profile; I have updated it a bit and fixed what grammatical and spelling errors I noticed. Please enjoy the story and review!
Disclaimer: Lady and Koto do not own Harry Potter. We simply write stories in relation to him =)
Chapter One: Remembering the past
Ginny rushed down the rickety stairs and into the kitchen just as her mother placed steaming bowls of porridge on the table. Taking a quick glance around the room she noticed the twins and Harry over by the window having a whispered conversation. Harry caught her eye and gave her a wink as she made her way around the table
"Morning Mum" Ginny greeted her mother as she sat down in her favourite chair at the end of the large wooden table.
"Morning Dear, we are leaving for Ron's as soon as you're finished your breakfast"
Ginny ate her breakfast quickly and rushed back upstairs to finish packing, before making her way back downstairs. Making herself comfortable in the sitting room, she was soon joined by her brothers and Harry.
"Right, well that's all of us now" stated Molly as she entered the room followed by Arthur.
"Let us be off then" said Mr Weasley and all left with a crack.
Ginny stumbled as she arrived but was caught by Harry who had arrived just before her.
"Thanks" she mumbled standing up while trying to slow down her breathing," Never been much good at that have I?"
Harry laughed as her brothers and parents arrived behind them, "No not really but neither is Ron".
Ginny looked up at Harry as he laughed and smiled at him before turning to look at her parents.
"I'm going to go ahead to Ron's" she told them "I'll meet you there, ok?"
"I'll come with you" Harry told her as the rest of her family began to make their way towards the Inn "I want to talk to Ron"
Ginny walked down the lane towards Ron's house. Harry reached the gate before her and held it open as she walked through.
"Thanks" she mumbled as she walked up to the door and knocked loudly.
A women dressed in robes of Midnight blue answered the door, her straight, blonde hair flowing freely over her shoulders.
"Who is it, Lie?" asked an accented female voice from the inside of the house.
"It's Harry and Ginny" called Liesel, Ron's German friend, as she opened the door wider.
There was the sound of little feet running down stairs and 3 small children appeared.
"Aunt Ginny" cried a young girl with curly orange hair, running towards Ginny and throwing her arms around her waist.
"Hey Jacinta" replied Ginny as Harry talked with the twins Zane and Destine, both with curly blonde hair and blue eyes.
"Hey Zane, Hey Destine" said Ginny ruffling their hair as Harry hugged Jacinta.
"Now Harry I don't want you being a bad influence towards my daughter, you already messed up my husband enough" said a tall blonde haired woman dressed in robes of a dark turquoise as she arrived to stand beside Liesel.
"She's too much of her mother's daughter to listen to anything her Uncle Harry tells her to do" joked Harry as he closed the door behind him and followed them into the hall.
"Ron, your sister's here." Fleur called up the stairs as she made her way across the hall and into the kitchen. Harry and Ginny followed as the kids raced upstairs with Liesel to find their Uncle. As they entered, Bill and Charlie rose from the table to greet them. Ginny kissed her brothers on the cheek before taking a seat at the large wooden table near the window and gazing out at Hermione's forgotten rose bed.
Ginny sighed to herself as she watched a wren pick at the grass growing around a red rose bush.
Things were so different now. Sure Hermione and Ron were still friends but things just weren't the same. Hermione no longer lived here in this little cottage house in Hogsmede and Ron no longer left it.
Yes things were so different. Ginny wondered if they would ever return to the happy lives they all lead before the death of their child. Taylor Grace was born on the 22nd of October and today would have been her 4th birthday. She was born with a hole in her heart and lived for just over 6 months due to the fact that she caught whopping cough. Her passing put a lot of strain on all involved but none took it nearly as hard as Hermione.
At the funeral Hermione didn't talk she just sat, staring out at the green grass surrounding the grave. Ron was by her side the whole way. Hermione suffered and was soon in hospital from depression. Ron was by her side from dawn to dusk only leaving her when work couldn't be without him or to go home and get rest but even then Harry or Ginny had to take his place. One morning Hermione woke to Ron and Harry sitting in silence, a cold cup of coffee in Harry's hand. Harry left for work soon after leaving Ron alone with Hermione. Once alone they talked. Ron asked Hermione to be his wife but Hermione said no claiming it was for the best. Ron soon saw that she was right but wanted to remain friends. Hermione agreed.
Three years later and this is where they were. Hermione had moved back to London and Ron stayed in the little house by the river in Hogsmede, hardly ever leaving it. Ron went away to Germany with work for a year and came back just the same, only ever leaving the house for work or to buy food, but he did bring someone back. Leisel. At the time she was working for the German sector of the ministry. She had been transferred to England and needed somewhere to stay, so Ron invited her to stay with him and now she was busy with work and trying to find a place of her own.
Ginny pulled her gaze away from the flowers as Harry came to sit beside her, bringing with him a plate of store brought biscuits and a steaming teapot.
"Looking at the flowers?" he asked grinning at her.
Ginny nodded as she took a biscuit from the plate.
"Not much to look at anymore" Harry remarked placing the sugar and plates on the table, his smile having been replaced by a frown.
Ginny didn't respond. She just continued to stare out at the snow that had begun to fall on the remains of what was once a beautiful and blossoming garden.
"I'll see you guys later" called Fleur as Bill and Charlie joined her in the hall, "we're heading back to the Inn"
"Bye" muttered Ginny her heart not fully in it as she watched leaves fall from a maple tree into the now empty fountain.
"Yeah, see you guys later" Harry called from beside her as he poured tea into the cups.
Harry stood and got milk from the fridge before coming back to the table and passing Ginny hers.
"Thanks" she said gratefully taking the cup from him as Leisel entered with Ron.
"Harry" he said as he approached the table. Harry stood and shook his hand before sitting back down beside Ginny and giving her hand a light squeeze for comfort.
"Ginevra" said Ron as he extended his hand towards her.
Ginny didn't take his hand, "Hello, Ron" she said. This was how it had been for some time. After everything that had happened, they no longer talked to each other like siblings should. Ron had become so withdrawn that his sole purpose became work. He had no social life whatsoever and when talking to people, even his old friends and his family, he talked to them like they were just another group of people he was doing business with. Ginny hated it. Ron was starting to remind her of Percy, too consumed with work to even notice what was going on around him. Ginny would have been surprised if Percy even knew he was an uncle to 5 children. She assumed he knew nothing or very little about any of them anymore. He hadn't even shown up at her wedding. But that didn't matter now. Her marriage was well over and she had come out on top. She had no children but enough money to support herself financially with some left over for the luxuries in life.
She turned back to the table and took a small sip of her hot tea. Ron had remained standing while Leisel sat.
"Look, I can't stay long, I've got work to do" Ron was saying. Ginny glared at him, anger building up inside her chest.
"Well Ron" Harry replied in a calm voice, "We just wanted to drop in and say hello, see how you all are"
"Well as you can see we are all perfectly fine" said Ron taking a sip from his tea before turning to head back up-stairs. Ginny stood just as he reached the door, her chair making a scrapping sound as she pushed it back, her eyes blazing.
"I suppose you've forgotten what today is," she said staring at his back.
Ron did not turn around, "I'm sure you know where the door is, Ginevra, I think it best if you used it soon" he said loudly before disappearing back up-stairs again.
Ginny remained standing, staring at the spot which her brother had just been standing moments before, tears welling up in her eyes. Harry reached out and took her hand, pulling her back down to her seat, placing her hands on the table. Leisel reached over and took both her hands giving them a light squeeze.
"Don't worry about him, you can stay here" she said looking at Harry, "You are staying aren't you?"
"We'll stay" Harry told her, "But only until Arthur and Molly get here."
Leisel smiled at them before taking a sip of her tea and looking out the window at the garden.
"So sad" she muttered as a butterfly landed on the red rose near the window.
Neither Ginny nor Harry responded to this as they all gazed out at the butterfly as it fluttered it's wings and moved on to the next door's garden.