DISCLAMER: None of the characters or places you recognize belongs to me. All I own is the plot and a few original characters.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The italics is what is actually going on, the normal print is what Ginny wrote.
Dear Hermione,
I know you must have been quite shaken to have run off like you did. I don't know who did what, but I'm sure it has something to do with Ron. If you're doubting Ron's love for you, you need to stop. He's loved you for 26 years, he's not about to stop now.
I'm writing this to try to convince you to come home. We're all worried about you. I hope Hedwig can find you; you didn't tell anyone where you were going. I want you to know we all still love you.
I'm enclosing a diary I wrote a couple weeks ago. I didn't write massive amounts about you and Ron, but maybe it will be enough for you to realize how much he loves you, and you him. Take your time.
Love always,
Ginny
Hermione looked up for a moment, contemplating her options, before pulling a small leather bound book, with the name GINNY written on the front, out of the faded envelope. This was one book she hadn't read. Sitting down she began to read her friend's diary.
Harry left on his Horcrux hunt with Ron and Hermione. He said he'd be back. He said when he got back we'd get married, and start a family. He promised. And I believed him. He would always send a note. Simple and short.
Ginny,
We got another one. Wait for me. I'll come back, I promise.
Love, Harry
Three lines, three notes, two long years. Everyday I waited for a note saying the final Horcrux had been found, or he was going after Voldemort, or even just he was alive. Three more years I waited. I would go many days without eating. Most of the time I just sat in my room and prayed. This was not a time for joy. I feared the worst and everyday my fears grew stronger.
Charlie began staying home. They were all worried about me, but I had always shared a special bond with Charlie. He would bring me food. No one else bothered anymore, I would only open the door for Charlie. He told me time after time that Harry was fine. I can't say I believed him. After a while I stopped crying. He was in God's hands now, and I trusted God to guide him.
I had prepared myself for the worst. At least that's what I thought. If he had died I would cry before the funeral and use glamour charms to keep myself composed. It all seemed so simple and planned back then. I remember not worrying about Ron. My own brother and I was more concerned about his best friend. And Hermione! She was like the sister I never had. And she's Ron's true love, whether he'll admit it or not. I was so selfish and I didn't even realize. All I did was try to protect myself from the horrors of the unknown. I must say I failed. I had never prepared for the disaster that occurred.
About four months after my twenty-third birthday, the fog began to clear. Literately, of course. My head was just a screwed up as before. But the constant fog caused by the dementors began to clear. It may have been going on for months. I don't know. It was hard to notice at first though. The fog had become so thick it blocked out the sun. You couldn't go anywhere without a heavy winter coat, and snowball fights had lost their allure. Heating charms had to be re-applied often, and still every bed in the Burrow had heavy homemade blankets. There was no difference between the summer and winter solstices. I stopped opening the curtains everyday. For me, it wasn't worth it. The dark sky had become a symbol of the souls taken by Voldemort and his minions.
Charlie had managed to coax me out of my room. The entire family was home, excluding Ron. Charlie only spent a couple weeks at a time in Romania any more. The rest of his time was spent taking care of me. I wasn't as depressed anymore. I ate the food he brought me. I didn't spend much time with the rest of my family, I felt like they hated me. Bill and Fleur had kicked the ghoul out of the attic. Fleur's not as bad as I first assumed. Now that she's pregnant she's put on a little weight. Mum's cooking didn't exactly help keep it off though. Percy's back home too. Him and Penelope broke up when he joined the ministry, so it's just him. He's lightened up a bit. The Ministry gave up when you couldn't go outside without a strong 'lumos'. The twins are making their products cheaper now. They've started a non-profit business selling their products. Their products make kids laugh and help adults drift off into fantasies of their pasts. They go door to door since no one goes out anymore. I'm proud of them. Dad goes with them sometimes, for security. Mum, of course, stays home to cook for the family. I'm just thankful we're all still alive.
We were all just celebrating the return of the twins and offering up prayer for Ron and them, when Mum looked up and saw it. 'It' was just a ray of light barely visible in the dark of the sky. It wasn't like in the books where the light shoots down and the hero walks out of the darkness in a spotlight. No, this was just a crack of light appearing in the sky during our prayer circle.
We didn't realize what it was at the time. My initial reaction was a mob of Death Eaters had discovered us, and I'm embarrassed to admit I screamed. I fell to the floor, pulled my knees to my chest, and screamed bloody murder. After that I blacked out, but Mum told me pretty much what happened. I kept screaming and Fred and George carried me over to the sofa. Charlie held me while I screamed and cried, while Dad went to find a sleeping draught.
That one ray of light that pushed me into hysterics gave me the strength I needed to wait for Harry. I began coming down for meals. I played Bill at chess and helped Fleur prepare for the baby. Charlie went back to Romania and, once I had regained some strength, I joined the twins in their business. I had regained the majority of my life. I was back to cheering up people who were less fortunate than me. My hope was restored.
My prayers returned for Ron and Hermione. Harry was safe. That was evident from the decrease in the fog. It was either kill or be killed for Harry. If the fog was clearing, the dementors were dieing. Before his death Dumbledore said those who feed on darkness would starve when the Lord of Dark fell. If Voldemort was dead, Harry was safe. Cruel, but a relief to us all.
I thought that all would be well and fine when Harry returned. Ron and Hermione would get married, Harry would propose, Fred and George would finally be able to locate their dream girls, and Charlie and Percy would find people that would love them. Everything would be as it should.
Some things happened sooner than others. One of the houses we stopped at one day happened to be the flat of newlywed couple Oliver and Katie Wood. They were still close to the other two chasers they had known at Hogwarts, and knew where they were staying. Though I had talked Oliver and Katie a few times, I didn't know either of them very well. So I sat to the side and watched their reunion. I was happy Fred and George had finally found some of their old friends. Next we went to see Angelina and Alicia. This was even better than Oliver and Katie for my brothers. They were teenage sweethearts, Fred and Alicia, George and Angelina. I couldn't have wished better for them.
The next thing that happened was both the best and the worst. Harry came home. Let me rephrase that. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Miranda came home. Looking back now I should have seen it. It was so obvious. Why he didn't write, why he never thought to even let me know he was alive. He had found her.
We saw Ron first. They had apparated just outside the Burrow and his red hair was luminous against the now growing light. I saw him first and ran downstairs to open the door. Ron and Hermione were standing there. Ron older and taller than ever, and Hermione with her hair tamed enough to fit in a ponytail. But I'm skipping the best part. Hermione had a braided string around her finger. It doesn't sound like much, but it's a symbol of my family. Before a Weasley asks his girlfriend to marry him he'll promise himself to her, asking her to wait for an engagement ring. That's what this string was representing. I could tell by the look on my brother's face. Ickle-Ronnikins was going to get married.
Harry came in next. I wanted to throw my arms around him and cry, but I refrained. I knew he must be tired and wouldn't want me jumping on him. That, and SHE was firmly attached to his hand. I allowed them all inside and went to stand with my family. I put a hand on Charlie's shoulder, trying to calm him. Fred and George were both holding him back. He relaxed when I came over, wrapping his arms around me. He realized I needed comfort, not someone to kick Harry's ass. There would be time for that later.
Harry introduced Miranda. Apparently she was a former Death Eater who had been under the Imperious Curse. I wasn't sure what to think of her. She had a certain glint in her eyes. I spent hours contemplating what it may be. At first I thought it may be love. That longing proving the existence of her love for Harry. It was definitely there, but there was something else to it. I started spending time in my room again. Hermione had several muggle books on interpreting hidden desires and such. I asked to borrow them; just saying it had interested me. Charlie, once again, was the only one I told my suspicions. He didn't trust her either. There was something off about her. Neither of us could figure out what, even with my constant studying.
There was no point in telling anyone else. Everyone either liked her or respected Harry's decision. Ron and Hermione said she was like a sister to them. There was no point in trying to convince them otherwise. All I could do was sit around the house and pray she wasn't hiding a horrible secret. But prayers don't do any good when the thing you're praying to stop has already happened. I figure by this time she was just buying her time, waiting for the exact moment. She had already been plotting for several years, how I figure it. And then we went and gave her her opportune moment.
Somehow I seemed to notice things no one else did. Even Charlie doubted me at first. Not many people notice it, after all. When a glamour charm is cast by someone other than the person the spell is being used on, and the person with the charm placed on them is a way from the person who placed the charm for long periods of time the charm will…struggle. Long winded explanation, yes, but the truth. Miranda had chocolate brown hair that barely fell to her shoulders, and bright blue eyes. However when she concentrated on who she really was, my guess is she was plotting the right time, her eyes turned a pale, careless grey. Occasionally I could see an almost ghostly image of blond hair falling to her waist, the next second, nothing.
She claims her name is Miranda Black. This much I believe. What I don't believe is when she says she's a blood traitor. Most blood traitors don't call themselves blood traitors. Usually they would say, "I don't agree with my parents," or something to that effect. Those who grow up being called a blood traitor may call them selves such, but they say it as a curse. As if they can't help their beliefs, as they can't. But no one proudly says they are a blood traitor. She carries herself too well to have dealt with that kind of abuse. When you've been mentally abused you don't carry yourself with the air of superiority she does.
I wasn't extremely worried. I'd seen him kiss her a couple times, but the passion seemed non-existent. At least from Harry. Miranda seemed to be sexually troubled. I can't say I blame her. Being near Harry is enough to make any girl horny.
Anyway, with Voldemort gone you would think everything would be fine and dandy. Unfortunately some celebratory wizards found out the hard way this isn't the truth. Luckily they had their wands and could defend themselves against the mob of Death Eaters that ambushed them. They didn't say much, according to Fred. Just asked where Potter was and started throwing hexes when nobody answered. A 'crucio' hit George, who can't remember much of the fight. Fred didn't leave his side, though he was joined by Alicia and Angelina. Charlie and I took food to their room everyday.
Charlie went back to work to find many of the dragons dead. Upon further investigation, he discovered the camp was attacked by Death Eaters. The remaining dragons took shelter in the mountains, not wanting to harm the like of those who had treated them so well. Charlie took it pretty well; he really cared for those dragons.
The time came when Harry became ready to finish the remaining Death Eaters. Upon careful investigation and planning, done by Percy, Hermione, and I, we had found the time and place of a Death Eater meeting. We had also found the nearest place to apparate where they wouldn't know we were there. Ron said that Voldemort's death had been a simple sneak in, kill him, sneak out assassination. It couldn't be classified as a war, or even a battle. This would be the last battle, the end of the war, the fall of the darkness.
We apparated to the predetermined place after several months of planning. It seems almost all of it was for not. We landed in the middle of a circle of Death Eaters, wands drawn, waiting for us. I thanked God we sent the twins and Tonks on the other side of the hedges. Sure enough the battle broke out.
Already this wasn't going according to plan. Curses were flying all around. The Order was getting separated. I soon found myself back to back with Charlie, each of us fighting for the other's life. I channeled all of my anger into my spells and at Narcissa Malfoy. The bond Charlie and I shared kicked into gear, making sure we both avoided the hexes the other dodged. The link was suddenly severed as he stupefied his opponent, who I later found out was Marcus Flint, and broke his wand. Malfoy took advantage of my temporary distraction and kicked my left ankle, knocking me off balance just enough to see a flash of green flying at me. I grabbed Charlie's arm pulling him down, as the killing curse scorched the ends of his hair.
I quickly turned and stupefied the person I had been dueling, snapping her wand and telling Charlie good luck, before running after her son. I have never liked Draco Malfoy. Well, maybe once in third year, but everyone falls for the bad boy at one time or another. He was always horrible to Ron and the twins, but now he had tried to kill Charlie, and I could not transfer the hateful energy into anything else. He was going to pay for this.
It didn't take long for me to catch up with him. It seemed he knew I would come. This was the turning point of my life, and it could destroy me. Now, I was going to be a murderer. My mind had me convinced of that. I couldn't control the anger that was causing me to bring him down. Protego! Stupify! Dodge. Jump. Protego again. Spells were flying back and forth between us. My head was processing endless possibilities of the next move. He stumbled and I knew this was possibly my only chance. I raised my wand to kill him. And I was petrified. Charlie caught me before I hit the ground. "I couldn't let you become a killer," he had said. Fred broke Malfoy's wand while George reversed the spell he had put on me.
I looked around. All the Death Eaters were bound together and Tonks was talking to the Auror office on her muggle cell phone. Some known Death Eaters were missing. I looked up at Spinner's End. Snape's house. I told Charlie we would have to go in. He just nodded and listened as we decided who would stay behind to guard the Death Eaters. We needed enough people that if they sent reinforcements they could at least hold their own until we got back. Tonks, Remus, Percy, Fred, Alicia, Oliver, and Katie opted to stay. The rest of us walked up the house, Harry, Ron, and Hermione leading, of course. The battle had begun.
We entered Snape's house and immediately discovered it was as cold as his dungeon classroom. We moved silently and stealthily, not wanting the Death Eaters to discover us. It was not difficult to locate them; they seemed to be debating something in a large room. Echoing voices bounced along the walls to our ears. We soon arrived at a large double door. Miranda volunteered to sneak in and get into position. We would follow in a few seconds. I should have seen through that act, but I was on full instinct panic mode, and my instincts had blinded me to knowledge.
Soon we followed, seeing six Death Eaters seated comfortably around a long rectangular table. Miranda was nowhere to be seen. Soon I found myself matching wit and skill against the final Malfoy. I mostly was blocking Unforgivables. Eventually I found my only chance for an attack was to physically dodge behind him. That is until I heard the screams of Harry and Bellatrix Lestrange frantically dueling for their lives. Everyone turned to watch, Death Eaters and Order members alike. I finally got the chance to look and see who all we were dueling. Snape, McNair, Goyle, Pettigrew, Malfoy, and Lestrange. Harry and Lestrange went at it for a while. I was snapped back to reality when Harry barely dodged a killing curse. This was mostly because Lestrange stepped away, allowing someone else to step up. A young woman walked up to where Lestrange had been standing moments ago, her robes billowing out behind her. This was obviously planned.
I could tell Harry didn't recognize her. No one else seemed to either. Charlie looked at me from where he had been dueling Pettigrew, who was unconscious. I nodded, confirming his suspicions. Miranda had revealed her identity. And yet few knew who she was.
A look of realization fell on Harry's face. "Yes Harry, it's me." Miranda said. "If only you weren't so hung up on that Weasley girl this wouldn't have to happen. Even in obliverating your memories of her couldn't be completely removed. If only you could have loved me." She looked him in the face and smiled. "Avada Kedavra!" they both cried, though hers was half a second faster. I was acting on instinct and if I didn't do something Harry would die. I jumped in between them , holding my hands out to the green balls of light. My palms glowed gold and the spells hit them and… stopped. The light collected in my hands where I pressed them into a single curse. I looked at Harry and nodded, releasing the light. Then I blacked out.
I woke up in St. Mungo's three weeks later, according to Mum. Charlie and Harry were in chairs on either side of my bed. Ron and Hermione were sharing a chair against the wall. I could tell they really love each other. There was a faint… glow coming from them. I hope nothing tears them apart, though I know it wouldn't be long before they found each other again.
It took a couple weeks, but Charlie, with the help of Mum and Dad, finally got me out of St. Mungo's. A lot's happened since then. Fred and George reopened their shop, and are engaged to the wonderful Alicia and Angelina. With some of the money they've earned from their shop, it was an instant hit again, they've helped Ickle-Ronnikins pay for Hermione's engagement ring. He's planning to propose within the month. I'm really happy for them. They've always been ones to take it slow, it took seven years for them to admit their feelings, but I hope they don't take more than eight months for the wedding. After all, Harry and I have been married for three months and want them to be married when we name them our baby's godparents.
Percy and Cho Chang are dating now. I guess she finally got over Cedric. But she's really a nice girl and we'll be happy to welcome her into the family if Percy decides she's the one. Charlie found himself a girl named Tayren. She's got a great personality, much like the twins, and has been helping him round up the dragons. Bill and Fleur have two little girls, Samantha and Hilary, who absolutely love Uncle Harry. Mum and Dad are still doing great for their age. Mum still loves to cook and Dad is trying to figure out how to count muggle money.
I'm going to end this diary here, with a recap of the last several years of my life. Everyone's doing great. Harry even got his memories back when Miranda died. I can't think of another time when I've ever been happier than now. The family is all together again, here at the Burrow. But it's more of the Burrows now. There are like eight or nine houses scattered around the property. Even Oliver and Katie live here now. I think everyone liked the idea of living peacefully in the country.
For my future reading desires,
Ginerva Weasley
Hermione sat down the small book, and re-read the letter that came with it. She then dropped the letter, grabbed Ginny's diary, and disapparated with a pop. The next thing she saw was the front door of the main Burrow opening to her, Ginny on the other side. She handed Ginny the diary and asked if Ron was in. "He's upstairs, in his old room," Ginny replied. Hermione nodded, and proceeded upstairs, pausing to say hello to Mrs. Weasley on her way up. She soon arrived at the door to the room she, Ron, and Harry had once spent hours plotting their adventures in. Just as Ginny had said, he was sitting by the window, surrounded by old Chudley Cannons posters, and watching what seemed to be a Quidditch game between most of his family. She walked quietly up behind him. "Looks like they're missing a keeper," Hermione said.
Ron turned around, startled by her voice. "You're back," he whispered. He met her gaze, love and determination evident in his eyes. "I meant to ask you before you left," he smiled. "Hermione, will you-"
"Yes"
"What?"
"Yes, Ronald, I'll marry you." She laughed as his look of surprise turned to one of ecstasy. Cheers erupted outside on the make-shift Quidditch pitch as he kissed her. He turned around to see many beaming faces peering through the window. And he closed the blinds.
"I do hope he remembers the ring," said Fred, turning to his twin and Oliver.
"I hope he turns up to play keeper," Oliver commented. "I'm no good at chaser."
"If you wouldn't have insisted we be evenly matched you could still be keeper yourself." Katie said. At this everyone looked at each other and laughed. The family was back together again.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know Ginny seems a little (okay a lot) OOC at times, but I think it turned out okay. Any questions let me know and I'll answer you and notice it here. I also want to thank Sam and Shelly-Bob for reading. Love you all; Kriss of the Kriss and Sam team.
