Hello dear reader, just a few words before you start. This is my first Harry Potter fanfiction - and I hope this won't be a huge disaster ;)
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters but JK Rowling does.
Christmas Eve
Part One
Since the final battle, young Ginny Weasley had little reasons left to laugh. She had lost her brother Fred as well as her brother George who indeed was still alive but seemed to be a completely different person; as a matter of a fact it seemed as if with Fred George's soul had died along. Her parents and other brothers had also changed, almost everything she once used to love so much had been destroyed in this battle. Ginny longed for a deep, calm sleep and an awakening which proved that everything just had been an incredibly horrible nightmare, but whenever she'd try she would just wake up, finding everything was still the same. The youngest Weasley tried to ignore the pain and drifted into a cold and numb world, aside of her family and feelings and very similar to George who seemed to be without any emotions left – almost as if a Dementor had sucked his soul out of his body by kissing him.
Suddenly someone knocked at her door. Ginny turned her head way too slowly and eyed the door. It already had been opened and Charlie already stood in her room. He was very pale with dark shadows under his eyes apart from that he seemed to be outwardly intact. „Ginny." He called her name softly, almost whispered it. Her brown eyes met his blue ones. „Ginny, please come with me. Mum is so worried. Please! After all, today's Christmas Eve. Come now and change your clothes, I'll be waiting right here. Later there will be a surprise!" With these words, Charlie closed the door behind him and left the seventeen year old alone. Christmas Eve.
'Wow', Ginny thought, 'it is already December'. Of course there wasn't much of a Christmas spirit in the burrow, according to the latest incidents but still she was surprised that the rest of the year had been gone by that quickly. While following her thoughts for a while it took some time until Ginny finally moved, her motions were all stiff and slow. With one step after the other she went over to her cupboard and took some clothes she didn't even look at. She had to take a shower as well. After all, it was Christmas Eve. With that thought she went upstairs to the bathroom, scuffling and past Charlie, who really had waited until now behind her door.
Inside the bathroom she locked the door with shaking fingers and threw her clothes on the ground. She looked in the mirror and tried to breathe calmly. The girl in which eyes she stared – she didn't recognize her. She was too thin, too pale and her face too marked by sorrow as if she still could be Ginevra Molly Weasley, always quick at repartee and only seventeen. She quickly looked away, avoiding the stranger's blunt gaze and took off her clothes. As the warm water came pouring down on her she felt halfway alive again, felt more than herself. But she knew that this moment wouldn't last too long. She sighed, turned off the water and wrapped herself in a towel and started rubbing her hair half dry, then combed it until it was all sleek and smooth again. She changed into the fresh clothes and looked in the mirror.
There she was again, this stranger. This time however, she could see certain similarities between this girl and the Ginny she once used to be. With some secondary snapping of her wand she let the shower become all dry and clean again and the steam which had filled the small room disappeared. She unlocked the door and went downstairs again quietly, back to her room. Charlie was still standing where had seen him a few minutes ago, leaning his back against the wall. „You look better!" he said somewhat happily even if his voice sounded rather hoarse than pleased, and hugged her closely.
Ginny tried to smile but it didn't reach her eyes. Charlie pretended it was a full smile and grinned back awkwardly. After all, it was Christmas Eve. „Please, go and get Percy… and George. I'll be waiting downstairs with mum, dad, Ron and Bill."Without leaving her a chance to protest or panick he turned around and quickly went downstairs. „No! Charlie I can't do this!" she hissed after him but he already was out of the range of audibility. She sighed then threw her nightgown on her bed and made her way up to Percy's room. For a short time she just stood in front of his door then finally knocked. It sounded lost.
„Come in", Percy's voice was very soft and awkwardly hoarse. Ginny entered and –stared at her normally accurately brother: Percy sat on his bed, still in his Pyjamas (well, she had just changed a few minutes ago but for Percy it was a little miracle although not a good one) his hair uncombed, his face unshaved. He was pale, too, as well as everyone else of them. „Ginny. What are you doing in here?" Percy asked her surprised and interrupted her thoughts. „I… Mum wants us to come downstairs. She is so worried!" she repeated Charlie's words as far as she remembered them. „Hm. Oh well."
Percy got up, his motions wasn't any longer elastic but somewhat clumsy as if some invisible burden was laying on him, pressing him down. He almost had reached the door when Ginny quite loudly called „Percy. You need to get yourself ready! Please, go tot he bathroom and change. After all, it's Christmas Eve!" Percy froze at the door sill but then turned around to face her and nodded slowly. Just like herself before, he went back to his cupboard and got fresh clothes then left. For a little time Ginny felt relief. But eventually she remembered that now, she had to go and get George and she felt the urge to rather go back to sleep than facing him and his new disturbing self.