Title: "The Box"
Pairing: Ginny Weasley/Angelina Johnson-Weasley
Rating: T
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Warning: Canon Character Death Implied.
Summary: On the mantel of Angelina and George Weasley's house stands a simple cherry box. A box that holds the secret of the grief shared between them as Ginny is about to find out, several months after losing Harry in a car accident.
Ginny stared at the box that sat on Angelina and George's mantel prominently displayed. Her fingers ghosted over the sharp edges. The pads of her fingers explored the soft varnish that sealed the cherry wood. A simple lock was the only thing that marred it's surface. The plain box, obviously loved and cherished by Angelina and George, had been a source of curiosity for everyone else in the family. Though the box had been the subject of many conversations, neither George or Angelina ever said anything when anyone was caught messing with it. They simply shared a sad smile or a lingering touch.
The box had even escaped the amount of counter measures used by all members of the Weasley family dying to see what was actually held within its depths. That simple thought brought a long-forgotten soft smile to Ginny's face thinking of a happier time – the last time her and Harry had tried to break into it themselves using their own sons as a decoy.
"Sorry about that," Angelina's voice sounded from the kitchen causing Ginny to jerk her hand away from the box.
Ginny watched as Angelina came from the kitchen with a tray full of tea and biscuits. Since Harry's death in March, Angelina had become her favorite person; just as she knew George had become Ron's with Hermione's death in the same accident. Someone full of the silent strength and loving compassion that Ginny needed more than ever, especially now that she was a widow with two small children and one more on the way. Though Angelina took a seat on the couch after setting the tray on the coffee table, Ginny stayed where she was by the fireplace and the elusive box.
Angelina softly smiled the sad smile that she always shared with George taking Ginny by surprise. She knew that her brother was in the shop today and found it disconcerting to have what she considered George's smile shown in her direction.
"You know George and I were discussing it the other night and wondered if you would like to know what is in that box?" she softly asked pouring the tea.
Ginny stood mute but her hand reached out to the boxes smooth lid. She jerked her hand back when she heard the sound of locks start to click. Ginny turned her head quickly to look at Angelina in amazement.
"Go on," she nodded. Noticing that Ginny was reluctant, she continued, "Though a piece of George is in there, I assure you that none of his pranks are."
"It's okay," Ginny murmured. After all this time, it just didn't feel right to look through a box thats contents where so special to George or Angelina that while they displayed it prominently in their home; they had it guarded with a series of locking mechanisms that had fooled every member of the family for years.
"No, we want you to see whats in the box," Angelina softly spoked. "George is going to show Ron later today. It's time that you both know something about me and George...Go ahead and open it."
Ginny gently opened the lid to find what appeared to be two velvet ring boxes.
"Mine's on the left."
Ginny just stared at the two boxes. All these years and all that was inside the simple cherry box was two ring boxes. Ginny turned to look at her sister-in-law puzzled. She didn't understand what could be so important that they insisted on displaying the box while keeping its contents safely locked away.
Angelina smiled, a haze coming over her eyes from unwashed tears as she softly told Ginny, "Go ahead and open the box on the left."
"Angelina..."
"Don't worry about me Gin. You need to see what's in the box. So just open it."
Ginny picked the box on the left, her fingers taking in the softness of the velvet that wrapped it. Snapping open the box, Ginny gasped to see two gold bands nestled inside.
"Why don't you open George's on the right?"
Ginny did what she was told again and gasped to find two more gold bands nestled inside.
"I don't understand," Ginny whispered, her eyes staring at the obvious wedding bands.
"For the past few weeks you, have constantly been asking me how I seem to know what you are going through. Why do I ask you if it is a good day or a bad day; instead of asking how you are doing like everyone else,"Angelina paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "I've never asked you how you were doing because I already know the answer."
"The reason I already know the answer is in the first box you opened. Look at the engraving on the thinner ring."
Confused, Ginny closed the box in her hand and set it gently back into the box. Pulling the thinner ring out of the box, Ginny saw the last words she ever expected to see engraved -- 'Always. Fred.'
Ginny, her eyes now glazed over feeling for the first time the true depth of sister-in-law's pain, whispered, "These were to be your wedding rings. And George's box? They were to be his but to who?"
"Alicia," Angelina spoke, her voice cracking from the tears she fought back. "But Ginny those weren't to be our wedding rings. They WERE our wedding rings."
"What?" Ginny mouthed trying not to drop the ring she was holding, ignoring the tears that started to silently fall down her face.
"Would you like to know why you are just finding this out and Ron will be finding out later?"
Ginny nodded her head, still in shock as she moved to the couch where Angelina sat.
"George and I feel that its time for us to tell you something that is going to be very hard for either one of you to hear without proof that we know what you are going through. That is why for the past couple of months, we have just stood on the side providing you only the comfort you both asked for and nothing more."
"We know you don't believe this now and you won't probably even days, weeks or months down the road. But you will survive this. Neither one of us expect you to ever be whole again. We've had a decade to grieve and there are days we find ourselves powerless to stop the process."
"Someday, you will find a piece of happiness. When you do grab onto it. George and I found our bit of happiness in each other while Andromeda finds her bit of happiness in Teddy."
"But for now, just know that we both our here for you whenever you need a shoulder to cry on or in George's case, if you need someone to hit. It's going to be a painful road and the good days and the bad days will continue for the rest of your life but know if you look for it you will find your bit of happiness. A bit of happiness that will make those bad days not so bad. And the good days all that more wonderful."
Ginny leaned over and grabbed her sister in a tight hug. Holding her as tight as she could. And for the first time since she learned that Harry was never coming home again. That she would never see his bright green eyes. Or feel his arms wrapped around her waist as they drifted off to sleep. Ginny cried.
a/n: This piece was initally planned to be part of a co-writing venture with JadeStar. However our other projects have gotten in the way but we wanted to share this piece of angsty goodness with you that I wrote. In case you are wondering, I wrote this piece after a very painful conversation with my kid sister who thought her marriage was dead and that she wouldn't survive it; I promised her she would. Then I confessed what she had suspected for sometime -- I confessed my true relationship with the All-American, Capitan of the Football Team, Boy-Next-Door who died of natural causes days before my 18th birthday and 6 weeks before his. We buried him the day before my 18th birthday.