Disclaimer: JK Rowling created this story's characters, not me.
Chapter 1: Fearful Flight-------
You will always be my little dove. Peaceful and kind to everyone. But remember, all doves fly away. All doves must take flight during their lives. And only sometimes do they fly back.
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A red-headedwoman crept silently through the woods, cradling a sleeping young girl with red hair curling atop her head. She looked back behind her at what she had left behind.
"Goodbye, Harry Potter," she whispered quietly. "Someday I will return."
She continued into the woods and through the pastures without turning back once more. But behind every tree, beyond every bend in the road, she expected to see him. She expected to feel his hand connect with her face with such force that she fell to the ground, her baby falling from her grasp. He was a danger not only to her own life, but to their child: Rachel Colleen Potter. She sighed. Even naming the baby had not gone smoothly.
Ginny laid in the hospital bed, breathing heavily and preparing herself for the contractions to come.
"Harry?" she whispered weakly. "What shall we name her?"
"Harriet. Harry for short," he said without hesitation.
Ginny frowned. "I wanted her to be named after me. With Harry or James as a middle name."
"Why is everything about you, Ginny? Huh? Why does every bloody thing have to be about you?"
"Harry, dear, it's not that… I mean, you want her named after you too, don't you?"
"Oh, I see. Blame me, like you always do. Fine, just name it whatever you want and be done with it."
Ginny had tears in her eyes. "She's not an it, Harry. She's a human being! She's our child!"
Then the first contraction came. She cried out. Instantly Harry was by her side again, holding her hand, comforting her as if nothing had happened.
Ginny sighed. That's how it all started with Harry. His moodiness came back from his 5th year at Hogwarts, and it progressively got worse. Eventually, after 2 years, he practically gave their baby a concussion, knocked Ginny out for a few minutes. After the incident, however, he was strangely apologetic. That's how it always was. Ginny frowned again. It seemed strange that after the fact Harry was so apologetic and sorry for his actions. It was almost as if he didn't mean to do it, but somehow couldn't stop himself. Like having a monster inside.
Ginny muffled a scream as a sudden snap rang out in the night. She felt her heart pounding heavily in her chest and held her breath fearfully. She'd half expected the snap to be the sound of skin against skin… Harry's hand against their child's back. But it was only the sound of her foot snapping a twig in half, nothing more.
She walked faster now, and with less caution. She was far enough from their house and far enough into the deep woods for Harry not to notice her, so she walked quicker. She did not like these woods one bit. They seemed to engulf her in their shadows.
Finally she reached a creek in the woods and drank deeply. She let Rachel drink from her hands too, and then stood up slowly. The cozy cottage that had once been her home was not in sight anymore. Trees were everywhere, blocking her view of anything around. Trees. For miles and miles. Trees held memories for her that she wished now that she could forget. They meant nothing anymore to her. She and Harry were through.
Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione all had a free period just before lunch on a warm spring day. So they all went out for a walk around in the beautiful weather. Soon Harry realized that Hermione and Ron weren't with them anymore. He grinned shyly.
"I guess Ron and Hermione went off on a snogging session, did they?" Harry said with a smile.
"Guess so," Ginny said looking at the trees surrounding her. They had entered the Forbidden Forest cautiously to make sure no one had seen them. The Forest was, of course, Forbidden.
Of course it was dangerous in here, but it was beautiful too. The trees were not frightful in the bright day… the sun shone through in little rays at various places, providing warmness and a sense of peace. Even some trees and lush foliage were blossoming little flowers of bright colors.
Harry picked a small but beautiful red flower with accents of orange along its petals. "This one's my favorite. It's so pretty."
Ginny nodded and accepted the flower as Harry held it out to her. "It's beautiful," she said, and stuck the flower in her hair.
"Just like you," Harry whispered, and suddenly reached over to her and pulled her into a kiss.
Ginny was shocked at first, but she melted in Harry's warm and loving embrace, and kissed him back lovingly. She rolled on top of him and continued kissing him passionately. Harry stroked her face while not breaking the kiss. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her…
She could take it no more. Ginny sighed in despair. She still loved him. She always would. But she would only love the man he truly was, not the monster that sometimes controlled his emotions. That monster that leaped out, enraged, in the blink of an eye. Everything would be joyful and splendid one moment, and the next, he would have a yelling fit and lose his temper. Tears came to Ginny's eyes as she recalled the final time that she would ever witness Harry lose his temper. Rachel's second birthday.
Harry would be home from work in 30 minutes to celebrate Rachel's second birthday. Ginny took Rachel upstairs to put her cute birthday gown on. It was a pale pink fluffy dress with white tights and pink shoes with a tiny strap across them. Ginny put Rachel's red hair in pigtails and tied a pink and white ribbon in each pigtail. They had just gotten back downstairs when Harry arrived home from work. He grinned.
"And there's my darling Rachel!" he cried and held out his arms to embrace her. She ran toward him.
"Daddy! Daddy!" she cried happily and allowed herself to be engulfed in her father's arms. Ginny took out the birthday cake and laid it on the table by Rachel's high-chair. Harry and Ginny sat down and began singing.
"Happy birthday to you…happy birthday to you…happy birthday our Rachel…happy birthday to you!"
Rachel giggled and clapped her tiny little hands excitedly. Then, without warning, she dug her bare hands into the masterpiece and scooped out a handful of the yummy cake.
Harry's grin faded immediately. Ginny was still smiling, though she chastised Rachel.
"Rachel, manners!" she scolded. "We cut the cake first, sweetie."
Rachel shook her head and giggled again. "Mine," she said. Then, she threw one handful of cake at Harry's face. Ginny's grin faded in the blink of an eye, and she tried to calm Harry down, but to no avail.
"Rachel, no. No, no. Don't throw cake at Daddy."
Rachel's eyes widened at her dad's angry expression. She looked away though, as she busied herself licking the frosting off her fingers.
Out of nowhere, Harry's hand reached across the table and slapped Rachel hard in the face. Ginny screamed as the high chair toppled to the ground and Rachel's head banged against the hard-wood floor. Then, Harry's fist punched Ginny in the head and she slumped over as blackness engulfed her vision.
Ginny couldn't hold back her tears any longer. What had happened to the good man that Harry used to be? A little bit into his sixth year, Harry had been able to control his emotions better. Then, suddenly, his outbursts had come back after they had Rachel. There was no other explanation.
The marriage had been a happy one with Ginny being 21, Harry being 22. He had been such a sweet, caring man, and all of his hardships were in the past. He had defeated Voldemort at the end of his seventh year, and although Hagrid's life had been taken during the final battle, Harry eventually learned to move on. Just like he did with Sirius.
A year later, Ginny had their child, Rachel. She and Harry had a great time raising her, but Harry had his 'moments'. Ginny always wondered why he had no outbursts until Rachel was born. It was a huge coincidence, she thought. Nothing more.
Ginny glanced back at what she had left behind. She was tired of Harry's anger and wrath. True, he always seemed genuinely sorry for what he did afterwards… but that did not cover up the fact that he had done what he did, even if it didn't seem like a thing he would do. Maybe someday he would be able to control himself… if that day came, she promised herself that she would go back. If one day Harry was willing and ready to be a better husband and father, she swore to be there for him.
A sudden promise to yourself is easy to make. It takes but a second to make, an hour to question, and a lifetime to forget.
And for Ginny Weasley it was no different. That promise tingled at the back of her mind for years to come, and would never leave her. A promise broken comes back to haunt you. The day she married Dean would be a day that would haunt her forever.
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Do you like? Should I continue? Sorry if I like writing angst stories!!! Please read and reviewmy other story, If I Should Die Before I Wake. I promise that if I write another story I will try not to write angst. I'LL TRY!!! PLEASE REVIEW!!!! I love reviews. And don't forget to read my other story, which is much further along than this one. Luv ya!
Kelsey