"I'm so sorry."
The words reverberated around in her head. Yet no matter how many times she replayed them, they wouldn't make sense. He couldn't be gone. Harry Potter: The-Boy-Who-Lived. The Chosen One. Dead.
Ginny was only vaguely aware of the Healer's hand on her shoulder before he turned away, unable to meet her wide eyes. She didn't see her family move in around her. Molly, holding her only daughter to her chest as though cradling an infant. Arthur, silently rubbing his princess' back. George, looking as though he were reliving a painful memory. Ginny saw none of this. Heard not a comforting word. Felt no reassuring hand.
Only one thing registered: Ron. Ron wasn't there. Just as Ron hadn't been there for the past fortnight. Ron, who had spent the past 15 years attached at Harry's hip, was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly rage, pure, unfiltered rage filled Ginny as she threw off her family's condolences, disregarding their pity. She didn't want their pity. She wanted answers. She wanted revenge.
"Ginny-" Molly never finished her sentence. Before she had time to say more than her daughter's name, she was gone.
"She'll be alright," Arthur said. "She just needs some time to herself. You know Ginny. She won't allow herself to show weakness." He hugged his wife, before turning to George, who gave an understanding nod and left to follow his sister.
George left his father to console his mother in the waiting room, while he followed the trail of flowing red hair as it disappeared behind the next corner. Her years of Quidditch training had made her exceptionally fast, and being her twin borthers' heir to mischeif making meant she could find a way out of almost any situation without thinking about it. But he was George Weasley. Only one person could find a passage faster than him, and he was...
George sped up and took a sudden right turn, through the Magical Maternity Ward. To his left, he could hear a baby's cry mixed with the bangs of what might've been fireworks. To his right, he passed a nurse, rubbing what could only be dittany on her left hand.
"Damn kid already has teeth." she said to her smiling colleague.
George pressed on, sweeping past the nursery window, where a few proud fathers were admiring their own little witches and wizards. He destinctly saw a small hand shoot red sparks from behind the glass, causing the caretaker to come over with a pair of very small dragon skin gloves.
At the end of the ward, George went through the set of double doors, and turned left just in time to stick his foot inside the closing elevator door. "Going down?" he asked of the only other passenger.
"Mum send you after me?" Ginny asked, crossing her arms tightly.
"Dad." he answered, as they began their descent "I reckon they think you'll do something stupid."
"Like what?"
"Well, seeing as our dear brother, and your husband's best friend isn't here," he said. The lift opened, and he followed her to the main lobby, "I suppose they think you might be going to find him, and possibly put him into some bodily harm."
Ginny didn't say anything as they passed the que, lead by a man with a chicken's head atop his shoulders. He was causing quite a stir, tearing feathers out of his head and throwing them around. A women had to chide her young children for pointing and giggling, while barely suppressing the smile on her own face.
"I reckon they're right." George pressed on.
Ginny spun around on the spot, causing him to almost collide with her.
"What do you want?"
After considering for a moment, he said, "I just want to make sure you're alright. And you don't do something you might regret later."
"Regret?" she said, firing up, "What would I regret, George? I just lost my husband, and Ron, " she turned back, continuing her way to the secure apperating point. "Ron is nowhere to be seen. He is my brother and Harry's best friend, sure. But he was his partner! Meaning that no matter the moral obligation, he had a duty to be there with him! And he wasn't!"
Everyone in the lobby turned to see the source of the commotion that had dampened the sound of squawking. George started walking faster to keep up. "I understand, believe me, I do. But you don't even know what's going on with him."
"What do you expect me to do?" she yelled, spinning around to face him once more. "Just wait for the coward to show up? Listen as he tells me he's sorry he's not here? Pretend he can make it all better? Fuck that! You don't know..." she trailed off, noticing the pained look on George's face. It was the same face he'd shown in the waiting room. The face he showed when he thought of Fred.
"I do know." he said quietly, placing a hand on each of her shoulders. "When I found out Percy was with Fred when he-" George took a deep breath before continuing. "I was more angry than I've ever been. What right did he have to even be there, much less fighting at Fred's side? I wouldn't even let Percy near his body at first. There are still times when I can't even be in the same room as him. But I try. I don't reckon Fred would want me to hold it against Perc. And I don't suppose Harry would want you to fly off at Ron without giving him a chance to explain."
Ginny allowed herself to be pulled into a hug. Her affection with her brothers was so rare, but it felt nice, all the same. "Alright." she said, pulling away. "I won't make any promises, but I'll try not to hurt him until he's told me what he has to say."
"Can't ask any more than that." George said, taking a step back to give her room.
"Tell Mum and Dad I'm alright."
"And are you?" he asked, "Alright?"
Ginny gave a weak smile and wiped the single tear from her eye, before turning on the spot, and disappearing into nothingness.