The ages in this fic are a little shoddy and roughly worked out, but I don't think that's a major concern. I just wanted to write a more 'adult' fic to set apart from my other ones.
Enjoy
Ginny Weasley had tried all day to ignore the fact she had to go to dinner with her brother and his wife. Ginny had shoved the importance of the event to the recesses of her mind and intended it to stay. Harry had taken note on that Sunday afternoon, his wife was grumpy and uncommunicative. He gained this insight after she launched a packet Bourbons at him when he mentioned the dinner.
This wasn't the first, nor would it be the last time Ginny had expressed deep distaste going to Ron's house.
"Gin" Harry slunk into the living room where his wife resided. Curled up on the couch, with an issue of 'Quidditch Quarrels' in her hands, he knew she was procrastinating.
"Yes?" Ginny huffed and flicked a page over, her eyes scanned the words, but the meaning of those tiny printed letters missed her mind.
"Aren't you getting ready?" Harry spoke, but his words were distant as his attention latched on an argument upstairs, James and Albus.
His boys were well into their teens; their gruff voices were easy to distinguish.
"Nope" Ginny flicked another page over, the crinkle of the paper toyed through their unspoken words.
Harry closed his eyes and took of his glasses to rub them on his shirt.
"Please, let's not do this again"
"I could say the same thing" Ginny slapped the magazine shut and tossed it across the room to land on their black leather arm chair.
"Dad!" Albus yelled from the landing. Harry put his glasses back on and turned his whole body in the direction of the staircase.
"I'll be there in a minuet Al"
"But Dad, James is being a…"
"For Merlin's sake- I'll be there soon Albus"
Ginny had taken Harry and their son's bickering to slip out of the living room and fuss with the shoe rack by the front door.
"Gin-what the- oh come on Ginny" Harry groaned from the living room and swung around the door frame to glare at this wife. "Stop being childish"
Ginny rose to her feet and jutted a finger at him, her eyes narrowed to replicate a glare only Molly Weasley could have taught her.
"Don't you dare call me childish"
"Well tell me the bloody reason why you won't go. Tell me why you never want to go" Harry flung his arms up over his head and hisses his words into a rushed string of aggression.
Ginny quirked an eyebrow, but gave no answer, this was a usual occurrence. However the reason always thumped behind Ginny's ears and within her skull whenever she was asked.
If Harry knew, it would probably be the catalyst to an aneurysm.
"I'll sort the boys out, I'll get ready. Happy now, Potter?" Ginny pushed past him. Harry rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth.
The one thing he hated was the fact that Ginny called him Potter, with anyone else it was fine, but with Ginny, it was a derogatory term of a sort.
At least he had gotten Ginny to get ready.
One step forward would be three leaps back at Ron's house, he just knew it.
Harry had slipped on a simple navy shirt, not a far cry from his casual wear, but at least he felt more presentable. Ginny had avoided wearing a dress, like most of the time and opted to wear a white blouse tucked into black trousers and slipped on a leather jacket. Lily often said she looked like a Muggle detective when wearing such clothes.
Albus and James had both be harangued into wearing jumpers, it was the Christmas holidays and Ginny wasn't in the mood to let them get colds. More so, she didn't want to be picking up snotty tissues for two weeks.
Lily hung at her Mother's side, staring up at her with admiration.
"I want to become a detective" she stated once she slipped into the back seat of their car, this was often Harry's preferred mode of transport when Ginny was in a mood, it would let him play music whilst traveling on winding roads and speeding past ancient hedge rows to Ron's abode.
"Do you?" Ginny buckled the thirteen year old in, much to Lily's distaste.
"Yes, I think it would be fun, I'd get to use a gun and not a wand" she spoke while batting away Ginny's hands.
Ginny shrugged at her daughter, before standing back to let Albus get in.
"Do whatever you want, but don't come to me in ten years' time with a bullet lodged in your shoulder"
James chuckled to himself and complained about being crushed when Albus got in, shoving Lily, who was at in the middle seat, into his side.
Ginny shut the door with a solid thud and got in the passenger seat.
"You know I hate traveling by car Harry"
"We all can't get what we want" Harry grumbled and flicked through the radio stations whilst backing out of their driveway.
"What is this?" Ginny hissed as a song blurred through the speakers.
"It's just David Bowie" Harry sighed and turned it up louder.
"I don't mind him" James commented.
"Thank you" Harry grinned.
Ginny peered out of the window and spotted several cars parked up along the pavement.
"Something is happening at the church" she noted dully.
"It's probably a play" Lily shrugged. She had been in one before she had gone to Hogwarts, from the size of the crowd and the amount of cars, she fathomed it would be the year 6 Christmas musical.
Harry had enrolled his children into the local primary school before they went to Hogwarts; he often stated it was better for them to know about Muggle society than not know anything and not have the option to live in either society.
Finally reaching Ron's house, Harry parked up and sat for a moment in silence, as his children ran out to greet their cousins.
Ginny turned to him.
"What?"
"You'll never tell me will you?"
"No" Ginny unbuckled her seat belt and slipped out of their car.
Stood on the porch, Hermione was busy greeting Lily and laughing about something, Ginny didn't care to bother herself with.
Ginny then set her jaw when she heard Hermione's girlish laugh.
Ron already had James eloped in a bear hug when she greeted her brother with coolness. Albus and Hugo were comparing height. Rose nose deep in a book.
"You look like a lesbian" Ron let go of James and nudged his sister playfully.
"Nice to see you too Ronald" she huffed and waited for Harry to catch up.
Harry caught up quickly and shook hands with Ron then kissed Hermione on both cheeks.
Ginny and Hermione simply nodded to each other.
Once out of the cold and in the comfort of the sitting room, the catch up was long and somewhat tedious for Ginny.
Sat swilling her wine with in the glass, she kept her ears primed and her eyes low.
"I want to be a detective" Lily muttered to Hermione, who was sat across the room.
"Really?" she tilted her head and answered with hyped up enthusiasm.
"I was watching this TV show with Dad and I really want to do what they do" Lily gushed her words and beamed brightly.
Ginny soon zoned out, there was nothing for her to say or do.
"Who wants to go and play?" Hugo dashed into the sitting room clutching a Quaffle. James and Albus rose their feet quickly, Lily nodded; Rose shrugged and handed her book to Hermione.
"Look after it for me Mum?"
"Sure thing, wrap up Rose" Hermione shouted after her daughter as the four trampled outside.
Ron had opted to live in the small Wizarding town of Padforth or often known to Ron and Harry as Padfoot, this location meant they could freely play Quidditch without breaking the law. This location also meant that Ginny had no means of a quick escape to a pub.
"What's Rose reading?" Harry commented after finishing a long conversation about Quidditch league tables with Ron.
"It's an Astronomy book" Hermione stroked the binding gently and flipped it over. "She loves it at Hogwarts, so I bought it her so she could study at home"
Ron cut through.
"When's dinner going to be ready love?"
Hermione opened her mouth to snap something but settled just to walk into the kitchen, not only to keep him happy, but avoid Ginny.
The intention to get away from the redhead didn't go entirely to plan.
"Harry's asking again" Ginny grumbled.
"Well don't make it so bloody apparent that you hate my guts" Hermione turned her head to Ginny, but still kept her hands inside the oven mitts.
"You still cook like a Muggle" Ginny leant against the door frame, the sliding door rattled as she pushed off it.
"You drove here" Hermione rolled her eyes and bent down to open the oven. Ginny let her gaze slope down the curve of the brunettes back to settle on her jean clad rear.
"I would rather appreciate it if you didn't ogle me" Hermione emphasised her words by slamming the oven shut with a clang and throwing the oven mitts down on the counter.
Ginny shrugged and went to walk back into the sitting room when Hermione spoke once more.
"You look charming tonight Ginevra" her words were stiff and emotionless.
"Trying to be nice are we?"
"As always" Hermione sneered and watched Ginny leave, she was knowledgeable of the smirk upon the redheads lips.
As it grew darker, the children or rather teens were called in for the meal. Damp with snow and chilled due to the wind, Hermione was glad she had chosen to start the meal with soup.
"This is wonderful" Ron grinned at his wife.
"Wonderful?" Hermione blew on the steaming liquid, she chuckled, her husband never used the word wonderful.
Harry smirked at the terror that invaded Ron's face.
"I mean, erm, I don't…"
"Ronald, I'm not saying its bad you think it's wonderful, but you never say wonderful, you've been listening to Rose for too long"
As Harry began to talk, Ginny flicked her eyes up to meet Hermione's. The look burned through layers upon layers of Hermione's skin and made her flush. Ginny licked the spoon slowly with the tip of her tongue and winked.
Hermione furrowed her brow at such a look and Ginny smirked at her annoyance.
"Enjoying the soup Hermione?" Ginny perked up. "You look flushed"
"It's just warm" Hermione retorted, glaring at her.
"How? Earlier you said it was cold"
"Ha, you must be mistaken, I said you were cold"
Rose and Lily instantly winced at the women's conversation.
"That's rich" Ginny spoke before drinking down another spoonful of soup.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione snapped and Ginny laughed to herself.
"So" Harry clapped his hands together. "Who's looking forward to Christmas?"
Ginny rolled her eyes and Hermione quickly finished her soup.
"I'll go and get the second course"
As Hermione left, Ron mouthed 'shut up' to Ginny.
Ginny shrugged and leant back, her eyes followed Hermione until she was absent from the room.
As the meal concluded, Rose and Lily left the table with haste.
James stayed to converse with his Dad and Uncle, Albus tried to seem interested but resorted to play chess with Hugo. Ginny sat to listen to her husband and Hermione kept herself to herself in the refuge of the kitchen.
Rose and Lily retreated up stairs.
"They've gotten worse" Rose commented, completely passing her bedroom door much to Lily's surprise.
"What? Where are we going?"
"Mum and Aunt Ginny, they flirt like nobody's business"
"Pardon?!" Lily soon looked dreadful.
"Come on Lil" Rose slipped her hand around the door handle of her parents' room and opened it quietly.
"Flirt? They have husbands"
Rose turned on Lily quickly, silencing her.
"What I'm about to show you Lil is top secret, you can never, ever tell anyone and I mean it" Rose's eyes were dark and looming with what Lily could only guess was underlying betrayal. "Shake on it"
Rose held her hand out in front of her; Lily took it hesitantly, but shook with panicked vigor.
Lily soon felt her heart in her throat as she entered the bedroom at Rose's side. They crept across the cream carpet. Only the street lamp outside shone through the window and illuminated the room with yellow light.
Lily drew a breath and held it as she was motioned to stay put by Rose.
The fifteen year old then crept further into the room, past her parents' double bed and came to a small door by her Mother's side of the bed.
Kneeling down, she opened it with care, so the hinges didn't creak and slid other items out of her way to collect an old shoe box from the very back of the cubby hole.
Arranging all the other boxes back where she witnessed them, Rose set the box down on the bed then closed the door quickly.
Rose then picked up the box, which looked at least twenty years old and motioned to make a hasty exit.
Slipping out of the bedroom, Rose closed the door and with pent up adrenalin, jogged to her room. Lily followed, all the while her mind racing with what could be in the box.
Rose opened the lid and stood back.
In a room crammed with books and posters of Muggle bands, the box didn't look out of place, so could be easily hidden.
Lily peered in; all mystery had drained from it.
"It's just letters and photos" Lily furrowed her brow. Rose sat down on the bed cross legged and patted next to her.
Lily sat as instructed.
"Just letters and photos she says, Lil, these are letters from your Mum to my Mum and vice versa, the photos too"
"And?" Lily prodded at one black at white photo.
"This is probably going to ruin you" Rose bit on the inside of her cheek. "Oh well, you said you wanted to be a detective, right?"
"Yeah"
"It's time to detect" Rose wiggled her fingers at Lily and took the letters out first. "These letters start from my Mum's fifth year all the way to her twenty- first birthday"
"Tell me straight Rose" Lily grumbled, suddenly impatient.
"Aunty Ginny and my Mum went out with each other"
Lily shuffled back.
"You mean like, out, out?"
"Yeah" Rose nodded along with the word. She knew it was heavy duty telling a twelve year old such information, but Lily was a person who Rose could trust.
Lily gulped thickly and picked up the stack of old photos. Some were innocent enough; just Hermione and Ginny hugging or sitting next to each other in their Hogwarts robes others in casual wear.
"If you want to keep your innocence I suggest you don't look past the- oh" Rose grimaced as Lily made an inhuman gaging noise and rolled off the bed.
The photo to inflict such a reaction was abandoned on the bed.
"Which one did you see?" Rose picked it up and chuckled darkly. "That's just the tip of the iceberg Lil"
The picture was that of Ginny sat against the headboard of her bed and Hermione sat on her midriff, letting Ginny kiss her stomach, Ginny's hands were tugging on her underwear and Hermione was grinning brightly, a faint blush upon her cheeks. The pair looked youthful, something foreign to their daughters eyes.
"They looked really happy" Rose sighed. Lily popped her head up.
"I bet" she looked disgusted.
"Lil, they were happy together for about, I dunno, seven or so years, then they randomly married Uncle Harry and Dad, something mega happened"
"I'm not asking!" Lily squealed.
"I'm not asking you to, I'm just saying, it's sad that they sort of loathe each other now"
Lily sat back on the bed, but made sure she didn't look at the photos again. Rose pouted and flicked through the photos. Her mind raced to picturing her Mother sat in bed at night flicking through them, remembering it all.
"I wonder if Dad knew" Rose sighed. Her attention was fixed on a picture of her Mum and Ginny kissing after what looked like a Quidditch game.
"I don't want to know" Lily felt curiosity stab at her once her gaze passed over the letters.
"Lil, I want to try and get them back together" Rose smiled fondly down at the pictures.
"Are you crazy?!" Lily shouted her voice higher and stressed. Rose set the photos down.
"I've known about this for months and it's like they were always meant to be together"
"Hello? We wouldn't be alive if they were"
"That's true, but I just think, they are hurting, after all this time, they still love each other"
"Don't say that" Lily grimaced and hugged Rose's pillow to her. "It makes me all, icky"
"Merlin" Rose collected the contents of the shoe box back up and arranged it neatly within. "I'm going to try and get them back together, without your help then"
"No, you're not!" Lily snapped.
"Why?!"
"It'll ruin our families"
"Don't be so selfish!"
"I'm being rational. Maybe they're not together because they know that too"
Rose sighed and picked the box back up and stroked the lid.
"I just want them to have a chance"
"They had one and blew it"
"How do you know that?" Rose growled.
"I don't"
As soon as Rose went to shout back, a soft knock at the door sounded.
"Shit" Rose hissed and stashed the box under her bed. "Come in" she cleared her throat and made a quick strangling gesture at Lily.
"We're going now hun" Ginny sighed and Lily crawled off the bed, a sheepish look soon played on her face. "What are you two up to?" Ginny smirked, but earned no proper response besides shrugs and grunts.
Rose kicked the box back further under her bed and followed her cousin and aunt from her room and closed the door firmly.
Lily soon became pale as she saw Hermione.
Sat with a glass of wine, she looked calm, but Lily soon considered the possibility of her being sad on the inside. Ginny kissed Lily on the head and told her to go and collect her coat, Rose was on her tail.
In the hallway, Rose cornered the twelve year old.
"Don't tell a soul, got that?"
"I know, I know Rose"
"Then don't look so crazed" Rose hissed and fell silent when Albus came into to put his shoes on.
"What are you two talking about?"
"Mind your own business, fart face" Lily grumbled and Rose smirked.
"Just, don't freak out okay" Rose pulled Lily into a hug and whispered. "Try and find stuff of your Mum's"
Lily agreed and pulled away.
Harry and Ginny soon appeared, with James behind them ruffling Hugo's hair.
"Ready?" Harry picked Lily up, like he used to when she was smaller and quickly regretted it. "You've grown" he wheezed.
Lily laughed and squirmed free.
"Say thank you" Ginny added and glanced over her should to see Hermione still holding her wine, staring at her.
"Thank you Aunt Hermione, Uncle Ron" Lily gushed and hugged them both. Albus and James mumbled their thanks too and were soon ushered out of the door by Harry. As the trio climbed into the car, Harry and Ginny hung back.
"It was a really lovely meal Hermione" Harry hugged her and squeezed her shoulders.
"Yeah" Ginny slunk her jacket back on and refrained from hugging the woman. Ron punched his sister on the shoulder, who in turn punched him back.
"Bye you two" Ginny pulled Hugo and Rose into a long hug, her eyes trained on Hermione all the while.
Ron was absent to notice, but Harry noticed it, it was like a juggernaut had just landed on his head.
"Bye" Harry ruffled Hugo's hair and kissed Rose on the cheek.
"See you in a few weeks for Christmas then?" Harry tried not to sound distracted as he spoke to Ron.
"Yeah mate" Ron shook his hand in a hearty clap.
"See you" he waved them both off and the pair walked from the house to their car.
Rose felt her heart drop, like an air bubble in a water cooler as Hermione didn't stick around to wave them off.
Ron closed the door as soon as the Potter's car was out of sight.
"Good night that was" Ron rolled his shoulders and went to sit back on the sofa.
Rose tried to calmly walk back to her room, but as she passed the kitchen she heard for the first time, something that made her physically nauseous.
Rose peered through the gap in the door; her Mother was bent over the sink, shuddering with sobs.
Not once in Rose's life had she heard her Mother cry after one of their meals.
Lily was silent for the remainder of the journey home, as was Ginny.
Harry sang quietly along to the radio and James talked about his girlfriend and their plans to disinterested Albus.
Once they arrived home, once they were all settled, Harry crept up behind Ginny and wrapped his hands around her hips.
"I love you in that jacket" he mumbled against Ginny's neck, his voice vibrated in deep curses against her skin. Ginny closed her eyes and became ridged.
"Not now Harry"
The man didn't let go.
"We never do it anymore" Harry kissed her neck, she felt a few uncut hairs on his chin bristle up and down.
Have a shave and sex change and I'll think about it Potter
Ginny rolled her eyes and forced herself from his hold.
"Gin?"
"Do it? We aren't fucking fifteen are we?" Ginny flopped down on the sofa and heard Harry curse.
"No, we're not, but you were acting like one all night" Harry walked around the sofa to stand in front of her.
Ginny turned her head away from him.
Harry unbuttoned his shirt and paced.
"You were looking at Hermione all night"
"Is this what it's about?!" Ginny sat up straight.
"Why don't you tell me?" Harry stopped pacing to stare at his wife. Ginny rose to her feet and ran a hand through her fiery hair. Then she crashed her lips into Harry's, he tumbled back into the arm chair and Ginny straddled him.
Harry tried to get a word in, even one vowel would be a blessing, but Ginny was already unzipping his trousers, stroking him softly.
"Fuck" he arched his back and Ginny closed her eyes, to get lost in dreams of creamy skin and brunette hair rather than a scar and glasses.
Ginny pulled her trousers down also, along with her underwear and sheathed Harry inside of her quickly; she squirmed in discomfort of their rushed connection. Uncomfortably filled, Ginny began to rock her hips.
No buttons on her blouse had been touched; the swish of rubbing material and grunts broke the silence within the sitting room.
"Gin, maybe I should…"
"I already cast the, fuck, I already did it" Ginny rocked her hips back and forth rapidly, holding the arms of the sitting chair. She dropped her head and avoided kissing him, she just let mumbles spill from her parted lips.
Harry held her hips and grunted.
"Gin" he mumbled.
Ginny felt knots tie around her pelvis; the feeling was overwhelming as she thrust harder down on Harry.
"Shit" Ginny gritted her teeth and the image of Hermione under her shocked her enough to let a strangled gasp out. She then rocked her hips softer, so she didn't harm the apparition.
"I love you" Ginny closed her eyes again as she felt them glaze with a sheen of tears.
Then as seconds passed Ginny knew Harry was close, as was she.
"Hermione" Ginny let her voice cry out in a tremor as they came, as Harry's penis twitched inside of her, she soon halted everything.
Her heart stopped.
Harry stilled.
Ginny gawked.
Ginny then wrenched her body from Harry's and pulled up her trousers hurriedly.
Harry set his jaw let his head fall back and his hands clap against his face.
"Fuck" Ginny slipped her shoes back on and snagged her jacket and ran from their house. Slipping her wand out of her jacket pocket, she quickly aparated to the one place she knew she would be safe from the world.
Ginny landed in the Burrow living room shortly after she cast the spell. Unsteady on her feet she crashed into the Christmas tree, baubles tumbled across the wooden floor and smashed.
"Mum" she gasped as Molly popped her head around the kitchen wall.
"Ginny?" Molly dried her hands on her apron and hobbled to her daughter. "What's happened?"
Ginny fell into her Mother's arms with the grace of a baby foal.
"I don't know" Ginny sobbed into her Mother's chest as leant to elope the woman in a strong hug. "I don't want to do this anymore" Ginny cried. "I don't want do this"
"Shhh" Molly cradled her daughter and looked up to see Arthur across the room, with the same look of worry.
"Set up her room would you Arthur?" Molly whispered and he traipsed back up stairs.
"It's going to be okay, Ginny, I promise" Molly sat Ginny down and let her daughter lay down and rest her head upon her lap.
"I don't want to do be this" Ginny sobbed. "I don't want to be anything"
"Mione" Ron threw the letter down onto the kitchen table. Harry had waited until half eight that morning to send the owl.
As a matter of fact, it turned out it had been a bad night for them all.
For Hermione it had been full of dragged out minuets and scarce hours of sleep. Ron had been up all night tending to Hugo who had been plagued with nightmares.
The couple had talked in whispers within the dark.
Stood in their kitchen watching the sun burst from behind fluffy snow clouds, Hermione picked up the letter with itchy skin.
Groggy from their bad night and irritated due to the aroma of coffee laced with burning toast, Hermione had almost no will power to even read it.
Scanning the scrawl of Harry's hand writing, her face paled.
Hermione listened to Ron breathing like a tired horse while she re-read it.
"Ginny left" Hermione touched the woman's name upon the paper and rose to her feet.
"She left her family"
"No, no, no" Hermione uttered the worlds under her breath. "She didn't just up and leave; Harry's not telling us the full story"
"Why wouldn't he?"
"Lots of reasons Ron" Hermione had already shrugged off her dressing gown.
"Where are you going?" Ron twirled around and took a bite from his burnt toast with a loud crunch.
"To Harry!"
"Ou, camph, jus go…" he spat through a mouthful.
"Oh, I can and I am" Hermione was already on her way up the stairs.
Jogging past Rose's room, she decided it was time to wake her daughter up, Hugo was sleeping off his nightmares, but there was no need for Rose to still be in bed.
Hermione twisted the handle to Rose's room and entered.
"Rosie it's time to…" Hermione stopped her words abruptly. Rose was sat on her bed, the shoe box in front of her.
Hermione went ridged.
Rose winced and pushed it away from her.
Hermione bowed her head and closed the door behind her with a deep click.
With an almost grief stricken demeanour, Hermione slunk over to sit on her daughter's bed. The frame creaked with the added weight.
"Why are you going through my things?" Hermione's voice was void of emotion, much like the voice a person would hear over a train station speaker.
"I was actually looking for books and it looked more interesting" Rose let her words spill over her lips without really registering any of them, the teen was too busy thinking of how long she would be grounded.
"How much have you seen?" Hermione peered down at the shoe box then at Rose.
"Everything" Rose didn't look as panicked as Hermione had expected, she looked calm, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Hermione pressed her lips into a tight line and nodded woodenly.
Rose lowered her gaze to her lap then took shy glances at the few pictures she had out on the bed.
"I've never see you look so happy" she shyly admitted.
Hermione let a sad laugh escape her.
"How long have you had this?"
"A few months"
"And you haven't told anyone?"
Rose shook her head, the lie then sprang up and down in her stomach like a jack-in-a-box.
"I want to know about you and Aunt Ginny."
Hermione chewed on the inside of her cheek, suddenly too tired to really care what was going on, Rose would have found out anyway.
"Mum?"
"I called it off" Hermione picked up one of the photos. "And that is all you need to know, it was a mistake, now I would appreciate if you put it all back and give it to me when I come back from visiting your Uncle Harry" the pit of Hermione's stomach swarmed with liquid tension and fear, it swilled around at a nauseating pace.
Rose dropped her gaze.
"Alright"
More?