"Number 458, Ginerva Potter, charged with Malicious Misuse of Magic," the clerk called. Ginny was directed forward by the young auror at the door. He couldn't have graduated from school but a year before. With a sigh she stepped forward onto the raised dias in the center of the Wizengamot's hall.

"Ms. Potter, I dare say none of us ever expected to see you in this hall under these circumstances. How do you plead?"

"My use of magic was neither not misuse and doesn't rise to the level of Wizengamot scrutiny for misconduct." Ginny stated firmly. She met the eyes of the head of the Wizengamot evenly.

"Call the auror who responded to the scene please," he ordered in response. The young auror at the door stepped out into the hallway and when he returned, Ron Weasley travelled with him, bright red in the face.

"You're aware of the formalities of this court Mr. Weasley?" the old wizard asked. Ron nodded. "Good, then let us begin. You were the auror who responded to the scene?"

"I wouldn't say responded sir," Ron began but the wizard cut him off.

"You were on call and you responded in your capacity as an auror?" Ron looked at Ginny, whose face had hardened into a set mask. She showed no emotion at all. He looked back up to the old wizard conducting the proceeding.

"Sir, yes I was on the clock. But I was taking my lunch. I was on my way to pick up my godson up to bring him out for a special treat. I happened about what I can only call a domestic disturbance -"

"It is not for you to decide what Ms. Potter should be charged with Mr. Weasley. I will remind you that this is a judicial body charged with finding the truth and that you are under oath in your professional capacity as an auror. Who was present at the Potter residence?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Potter and their three children."

"What did you witness"

"When I arrived Mrs. Potter had just hexed Mr. Potter and he appeared to be in some pain on the floor. I flooed St. Mungo's for medical assistance and attempted to diffuse Mrs. Potter's anger while we waited."

"Where were the children?"

"The two younger, Albus and Lily were sleeping. James was sitting on the stairs."

"Did James Potter witness any of the incident?"

"He wouldn't say. He seemed pretty upset."

"Did you recover Mrs. Potter's wand?"

"Her wand," Ron paused looking at Ginny. Her face has fallen only slightly, the wand she'd had since age 11 with the hair of a unicorn at its heart, was gone, "was recovered in pieces and handed over to Ollivander's to be properly disposed of."

"Thank you Mr. Weasley, that will be all"

"For the record. I don't think it appropriate that you're bringing my sister up on these charges. This is all being blown way out of -"

"That will be all Mr. Weasley, you may leave." The wizard interrupted harshly. Ron looked at Ginny whose eyes flickered to him briefly. Almost in appreciation, but then the stone mask fell into place again. He turned and walked stiffly from the chamber, not even acknowledging the young guard who held the door open for him.

"Mrs. Weasley. The hexes you used on your husband resulted in an overnight stay at St. Mungo's. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"Only that they were well deserved. That I won't air our dirty laundry in public and that this body, which once sought to destroy my husband, has now fallen to their knees to blow this incident out of proportion to his benefit and to make me look bad. I know what you're doing even if the rest of the wizarding world doesn't." Ginny barely cut the speech off, simmering in her anger.

"Mrs. Potter, you are sentenced to six months in Azkaban. You have one week to put your affairs in order after which you will surrender your wand to the guards and serve your sentence. You will be given the opportunity for parole at three months. Call the next case."

Ginny turned abruptly and left the chamber. At least they were giving her time to say goodbye to her children before that locked her in the godforsaken hole. At least the dementor's were gone she thought spitefully. Ron was waiting for her outside with Hermione.

"Guys, I really don't want to talk about it," Ginny stated for what felt like the thousandth time. She was barely holding herself together.

"What did they sentence you to," Hermione asked simply. She had begged Ginny to let her represent her, but Ginny knew what it would do to Hermione's reputation. She also knew that it didn't matter what was said. She was going to be found guilty no matter what.

"Six months, opportunity for parole at three. It's what you said to expect. Doubt I'll get paroled even with good behavior. You know he's pulling the strings..." Ginny stated finally. She was barely holding herself together. She just wanted to see her children. "Were you able to convince him to let them come to Mum's for dinner before I have to leave?"

Ron nodded slowly, his face red with anger.

"I can't believe this is happening. But yes, it took every ounce of me not to smack him with some of the shit he said. But bloody hell Ginny those were some powerful hexes. Where the hell did you even learn them. Are you going to tell us what happened?"

They had reached the elevators at this point and Ginny shook her head as they climbed aboard one.

"I'm not going to air our dirty laundry in public." She stated firmly.

The truth was, she couldn't even really remember what happened.

-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-

One Week Before Trial

"Another round of firewhiskey!" Ginny called boisterously at the bartender of the DragonTail, a little known wizards pub on the edge of Muggle London. Neville was to her left and off to her right Dean and Luna both smiling knowingly.

"Gin, you don't have to prove you can drink to us," Neville barely manager to spit out without slurring. The shots were handed round and Ginny raised her, dangerously sloshing the amber liquid.

"To growing up but not growing old," she stated clinking her glass against the others. Luna waited for her to finish it and then, tossing some galleons on the bar and motioning for the bartender, she gathered Ginny up.

"Come on love, time to get you home."

"Don't really want to go home," Ginny said softly. Luna met her gaze, sighed, and gestured to a booth toward the side of the bar.

"Come on then, let's talk for a spell, tell me what's going on Ginny."

Ginny looked apprehensively at Luna and then leaned forward conspiratorially.

"I think Harry's been cheating on me. Think he's decided that he's had his fill what with the three kids and doesn't need me anymore except to serve as a babysitter. And what with his new position in the cabinet and talk that they're going to put him up in the next bloody election..." Ginny broke down then and began to cry.

"Have you talked to him about it?"

"No, but we haven't had sex in a couple of months and he's never home. He always works late. He couldn't even come home to take the kids for me tonight. I had to ask Ron and Hermione to watch them. I'm just so bloody sick of it. I shouldn't feel like a single parent."

Luna nodded in agreement and reached a hand out to Ginny. "Maybe he's just busy love. Come on now, you're going to want to sleep that hangover off before the kids wake you up in the morning. Let's get you home."

Two Days Before Trial

"Harry! I'm home," Ginny called entering the house with an armload of packages. She paused to toss them on the front table and was surprised when she turned and saw James sitting on the steps.

"Hey little man, what's going on, where's daddy?" Ginny asked, noting that he looked a little out of sorts.

"Daddy's upstairs in the parlor." James said with a huff. He got up and marched off. Ginny watched after him surprised. She climbed the steps pausing to glance into Lily's room on the way to the parlor. Lily was still fast asleep. James was nowhere to be found, she was sure however that whatever bad mood he was in would be erased when his godfather, her brother Ron, showed up to surprise him with a trip to Diagon Alley.

Ginny was surprised to find the doors to the parlor locked but thought nothing of it as she waved her wand at them and walked in. What she didn't expect to see was Harry, deeply immersed in a chestnut haired woman's nether areas.

"James I told you to go to your room," Harry said, then looked up.

"Really, that's how you would handle the situation," Ginny said coldly. Harry's face fell. The woman's eyes fluttered open and she hurried to cover herself.

"Ginny..I..."

"You, you fucking whore. Get. Out. Of. My. House. NOW!" Ginny screeched at the brunette who was only happy to oblige. She intelligently refrained from speaking as she squeezed past Ginny and out the door.

"Ginny."

"YOU BASTARD. With our kids home! REALLY"

And then it was blackness.

The Day After the Trial

"Gin bug the kids are here," Arthur called up the stairs. Ginny looked at herself in the mirror as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail and pasted a smile on. When she emerged in the kitchen Albus threw his arms around her.

"MUMMY! Mummy, we missed you," he whined. James hung back, in the corner of the kitchen near Arthur. Molly walked over, Lily perched on her left hip.

"I missed you too Al," Ginny said leaning down to pick him up. She smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek. "Mummy has to go on a trip for work but she'll be back really soon," Ginny said softly, holding her son close.

She put Albus back on the floor and kissed Lily on the cheek as Molly approached. But then she squatted down on the floor and held her hands out to James.

"James, come here darling," she said soothingly. James took one hesitant step and then stopped. Staring at her, but as though he wasn't really seeing her.

"James, it's alright go give mummy a hug," Arthur said, patting James on the shoulder. Ginny watched her son wage an internal war before running to her and flinging his arms around her neck.

"Oh James, I'm so sorry love," Ginny said softly, wrapping her arms around the young boy. "Mum can you watch Lily and Al while James and I take a walk," Ginny asked finally letting go of the young boy.

"Of course dear," Molly stated.

"Will you go for a walk with me James?" Ginny asked, holding out her hand to her son. James paused only a moment before he slid his hand into hers and let her lead him outside.

"Mummy, when will you be back from work?" James asked quietly as they walked down a beaten path to the lake behind the Burrow. Ginny frowned and looked down at her son. At 5 years old, James was already too smart for his own good.

She contemplated the question until they reached the edge of the lake and then Ginny sat down.

"It's going to be a couple months James."

"And Daddy's going to take care of us?" James asked. Ginny was surprised at the tone of his voice and looked over. James looked rather affronted.

"Yes dear, Daddy is going to take care of you."

"Don't wanna stay with him. Wanna go with you," James stated crossing his arms in front of him. Ginny smiled half-heartedly at him.

"Why's that James," Ginny asked.

"Daddy's mean." James said simply. He grew bored of the conversation then, as five year olds do, and wandered off to throw rocks in the lake. Ginny watched him. Before she knew it Ron was walking up beside her.

"Oi, Gin Harry's here for the kids," Ron said.

"DON'T WANNA GO" James shouted, throwing another rock forcefully in the lake. Ginny looked at him, alarmed.

"James, come here," she said. Her son walked over, kicking the grass as he went.

"James, you have to go with your dad," Ron said softly.

"DON'T WANNA."

"James, I'm gonna be back from work really soon and then we can spend all the time in the world together okay?" Ginny asked softly. James looked up at her, his eyes tearing up and shook his head.

"Don't wanna," he said, this time with a little less conviction. Ginny sighed and pulled her son in close.

"I don't wanna either love," she said softly into his hair. She scooped him up and carried him back towards the house. He snivelling in her arms and she trying to keep the tears at bay.

"There you are. I need to get home," Harry stated harshly, pulling James from her.

"I didn't realize how late it was," Ginny said simply, trying not to sound hurt by his behavior.

"Let's go kids, everyone grab hold of the portkey," Harry was saying.

"Don't I get to say goodbye?" Ginny asked. But they were gone. Ron had to catch her as the blackness took over again.

-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-

Two Months Later

Ginny woke up to a gray concrete cell, screaming. She had just re-lived, again, the day that Harry Potter had stolen her children. Her life from her. She took several deep breaths and then started talking to herself.

My name is Ginerva Weasley

I am the Seventh Child of Molly and Arthur

I have three children who I love very much

I will survive this

I am married to Harry Potter

I hate Harry Potter

I tried to kill my husband

I am serving a six month sentence in Azkaban

Today is day 60.

She felt slightly better when she completed her list and rolled onto her side, staring at the dark, damp wall. The dementors might be gone from Azkaban but that didn't make the place any more pleasant.