Hogwarts Letters
Molly stood in the kitchen, absently mindedly scrubbing a pan that was beyond clean. Though she could have done it by magic, like she usually did, nowadays she preferred to do at least a bit of the washing herself. It gave her something to do while she sat in the Burrow, unable to go anywhere for fear of You-Know-Who.
It had been ten days since the wedding, since the Death Eaters arrived and Ron, Harry, and Hermione ran off. If she tried hard enough, Molly could hear the ghoul in Ron's bedroom, covered in purple pustules and wearing his pajamas. She knew the trio was safe at Grimmauld Place, thanks to Remus, though he barely stayed to chat before imparting the knowledge. He looked so tired, and wouldn't say why he knew they were there – just that he had visited. Molly was thankful for at least that.
A hoot in the distance distracted her from scrubbing the pan for a moment and made her look up. An owl soared into the kitchen, landing neatly on the table. It stuck out its leg and Molly, putting down the pan, took the offered letter before the owl flew off again. Hogwarts letters had come again, just like they had for so many years. Somehow, in the midst of it all, Molly had forgotten about Hogwarts for a moment.
She looked down at the letter, addressed to Ginny. "Ginny!" she called. There was no sound of her, and Molly sighed. It was Ginny's sixteenth birthday, but she barely showed her head downstairs this morning before running off into the orchard. Molly stood up, taking the letter, and walked outside.
Ginny was barely visible, noticeable only by her hair. She was sitting in a tree, reading a book but not turning the pages. Molly thought briefly of the diary she kept five years ago, but shuddered before dismissing the memory. She would do everything she could right now to keep herself from crying.
"Ginny!" Molly yelled again, coming closer. Ginny's head snapped up and she sat in the tree, watching her mother but not moving. She waited until Molly reached the tree before climbing down to the lowest branch, refusing to actually climb out.
"Your Hogwarts letter is here," Molly said, keeping her voice even. Ginny reached her hand out for the letter, and Molly let her stay in the tree. Moments of calm were precious now, and there was no point in arguing over little details.
"Mum?" Ginny said quietly. "You gave me two letters." She handed back a second envelope, not noticed under the first. Where the previous one had had Ginny's name, this one had Ron's. Molly said nothing for a moment, and then opened the letter.
The first thing that slid out was a badge that Molly had seen so many times before – the Head Boy badge. Ron was Head Boy this year, and he wasn't even there to assume his place. Molly leaned against a tree, feeling the tears beginning to burn her eyes. She, in all honesty, did not think that Ron was going to be Head Boy – it was more shocking to her than his appointment as Prefect. Molly felt the tree shift as Ginny climbed out of it and took the badge slowly from Molly's hand, tucking it away somewhere.
"I'll write to Professor McGonagall and tell her that Ron is sick," Ginny said. She paused, not knowing what to say. "Mum – just come inside, I'll make you a cup of tea." She grabbed her mother's hand and started to pull her back to the Burrow, but couldn't do it. Tears ran down Molly's face, and she stood there, clutching the rest of Ron's Hogwarts letter.
"Mum, come on," said Ginny. "I'm sure it'll be ok. I promise."
"They're not going back to Hogwarts this year," Molly whispered to no one in particular. She had known it before, but it took the arrival of the letters to actually accept it. The trio was gone, and Ginny was going to set off for Hogwarts alone.
