Summary: None of them thought they would end up here. Yet there they were one year later. One year on, standing together to tell their tales of love, forgiveness, guilt and the ultimate sacrifice.
A/N: Haha…woops. I was just rereading the first chapter and I realized George Weasley is on the monument and then five hundred words later, alive and well, in the bar. Thankyou for those of you who pointed it out. I kinda feel stupid now. Oh well, just to be clear, Fred is still
Just because everything is different doesn't mean anything has changed- Author Unknown
One whole year. 365 days. 8760 hours. 525,600 minutes.
Had it really been a whole year?
'We are gathered here today to mourn the losses…' a low voice drowned, 'of those near and dear to us all,'
Ginny wanted to roll her eyes. That man, the man who married one brother, and buried another, knew nothing about loss.
Anger was the only thing she could feel whilst the man continued to talk. Where was he, when they faced some of the foulest people to walk the earth? Where was he, when her brother fell to the ground, without uttering a single goodbye? He was probably at home, in the safety of someone's arms, fearing for his own life, yet doing nothing about it.
That was one whole year ago. It just didn't seem right.
It seemed only yesterday she was in school, fighting the wrath of Severus Snape. How had she wound up, standing beside her boyfriend, cradling a small child in her arms?
Yes, it had been one year, and in that time Ginny Weasley's life had dramatically changed.
She was different. Hell, they were all different. She looked to her left, where Hermione stood, curled into Ron. Tears were brimming in her dark eyes, at the sheer mention of their 'losses'
Ginny didn't like it when they put it like that. Losses wasn't the right word. They hadn't lost anything. Lost things could be found again. She lost her things, and within days she found them, under her bed, or somewhere obscure.
But she would never get Fred back. Teddy would never meet his parents. They were part of her past now, and she didn't have the power to change them.
She looked down at the baby in her arms. Teddy Lupin, swathed in white blankets, his hair uncharacteristically black, as if he sensed the sombre occasion. His blue eyes conveyed nothing but confusion. The child didn't understand. He wasn't old enough to comprehend just what had been taken from him at such a young age. Ginny knew she dreaded the day he asked them about Lupin and Dora. She didn't know how to answer something like that.
'Our lives have been changed by the events that took place one year ago,' the wizard said solemnly, 'And we will always remember them,'
Change. Didn't she know about change!
If anyone had asked her, this time last year, whether she thought it was possible, to be standing here today, with Harry, without a brother, with a child, she would have laughed at them. Sometimes she even found herself stopping, during the day, wondering how the hell she wound up standing in that spot.
'Mr Harry Potter would like to say a few words,'
Harry.
Ginny sighed, as her boyfriend untangled himself from her, making his way up to the stage. Their life together was so different. Straight after the war, it seemed that nothing would be normal again. It seemed that the remaining Death Eaters were hell bent on making him feel scared, or guilty for killing the Dark Lord. He couldn't go a day without being accosted in the street. And then came the acceptance letter from the Ministry. Auror training. It had been his dream since he was fourteen. But Harry saw it as his chance. His chance to show the world that he was normal, just like everyone else.
So he threw himself into the job, trying to make new friends who were interested in him, not Harry Potter.
Ginny had always seen a different between 'Harry' and 'Harry Potter'
Harry Potter was the celebrity, who killed Voldemort, and once wielded the Elder Wand. He was the one everyone loved. And then there was Harry. Just Harry. He was the guy she loved. He was moody, sang off-key, and incredibly passionate. That was her Harry. And it seemed like everything else, he changed.
Ginny wished the world would slow down. Everything changed in the blink of an eye. On Sunday night, Teddy loved mashed carrots, and when Andromeda returned him on Friday afternoon, he liked beans instead. One morning Fred was at home, eating breakfast at the table, and the next thing she knew, she was attending his funeral. Why did the world get the move so fast? Why does the sun sink and rise in mere hours. Why didn't she have more time?
Ginny looked up, to see Harry at the podium, concluding his grave speech. It was days like these, that she understood how Harry had been affected. His words, too wise, too soon, his eyes to tired, too young.
'I think a minutes silence is due to respect those lost,'
As Harry clambered down the steps, Ginny heard her mother let out a sob. Her mother too had changed. She was tired, more grim, and smiled a lost less these days.
Why was it that everything in her life changed?
Her father hurried to quiet her, and Harry's arm snaked around her waist. She fought to meet his eyes, but his head was bowed, his green eyes transfixed on little Teddy's squirming hands.
'Bathilda Bagshot, Julian Ballington, Colin Creevey,'
Ginny smiled softly, remembering her old school friend. He had been so kind, so innocent. How could he possibly be dead?
'Jessica Hartley…'
Ginny knew their names were drawing nearer, 'Kay Letterman…'
Her stomach knotted, 'Nymphadora Lupin, Tonks Lupin,'
It was almost as if he knew. Teddy's loud wail split the silent air, in the quiet after his parent's names. He sobbed in Ginny's arms, almost as if he was mourning the parents he never knew. It expressed everything Ginny was afraid to. The loss, the pain, the hurt that Ginny didn't want to show.
It was then the tears fell for Ginny. Fred had been taken from her, yes, but she knew Fred. She grew up with him, and shared countless moments with him. But the reality was, Teddy would go to his first day at Hogwarts, finish school, have his first date, and so many other important moments without the parents he deserved. Harry and Ginny could try, Andromeda could pretend, but none of them would ever replace the whole that Lupin and Tonks had left.
'May we remember them forever…'
It was ironic really, that he had wanted this on his tombstone. A muggle saying, and yet, it fitted him perfectly.
'Why did you leave us Fred?' she whispered softly, crouching down. A fresh bunch of roses had been placed, probably by her mother, partially obscuring his name.
'Is this real?' she questioned, 'Are you really gone? Am I really never going to see you again?'
Her brother elicited no reply, and the tears came, easily this time. The real Fred, would have had a smart, witty comeback that wouldn't fail to make her laugh. Silence had never been Fred.
'Are you ready Ginny?'
Hermione stood behind her, keeping her respectful distance. She cradled Teddy lovingly, letting Ginny say her goodbyes to her brother.
Ginny lay down the small bunch of flowers she had bought beside the roses, and then stood up.
'Yeah, I am,'
She began to turn, hesitating slightly. She stopped, and walked back to the tombstone. She gently kissed the smooth granite.
'I love you,' she whispered, finally walking away, the words engraved on his tombstone, forever in her mind.
Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today.
The bar was rowdy that night. If she hadn't known better, she would have said Fred was at the heart of the party.
Music blared loudly; people danced, laughed and lived. They were trying. They were all trying to show that even they knew how to celebrate.
This was what Fred would have wanted, Ginny decided, to have the day he died, remembered by laughter, and drinking, definitely, lots of drinking.
So, she was going to enjoy herself. She was going to laugh, and dance, and try to pretend that today was like any other day.
She looked around for Harry, and found him by the bar, laughing with her mother, cradling Teddy in his arms.
'Hey there,' she whispered, wrapping an arm around his waist, 'Would you and your handsome godson like to join me on the dance floor?'
Harry grinned at her, hoisting Teddy to his chest, 'Do you think we should dance with this pretty lady?' he crowed to the baby.
Teddy laughed, and Harry nodded, 'Sounds like a yes from all of us,'
Harry swooped down, kissing her hand, 'Let's go,'
So the three of them waltzed out onto the dance floor, as a fast song struck up. Harry placed his hands lovingly on her waist, sandwiching the one year old between them. He met her eyes, and smiled widely.
And then they began to dance. It was clumsy, awkward, and yet incredibly romantic. Teddy sat between them, giggling and kicking his legs, as his two surrogate parents danced around him.
They were a family. They were small, and maybe unorthodox, but still a family. It was an entirely new concept to Ginny. The idea of being someone's mother was just…terrifying. But somehow, she loved it.
As Hermione and Ron joined them on the dancefloor, Ginny smiled sadly. The looks they exchanged, the opening, loving looks, the comfortable touch, and sappy grins were all so different. They had gone from almost hating each other, to this. Love.
Things really were different.
Draco joined them, a pretty girl at twirling around his arm. He grinned cockily, and winked at Ginny before being swept away by his girl.
'Ronald!' Hermione's cry was heard above the noise, 'You are an insensitive prat,'
The music stopped, as everyone turned to look at the two standing in the middle of the room. Hermione had pulled away from him, and had both hands on her hips.
Ron scoffed back at her disbelievingly, and began to retort.
Her boyfriend shot her an amused look and Ginny giggled. Yes...everything was different...
But some things would never change.
A/N: This chapter isn't my favourite…I've written better. It's driving me crazy. Does this feel forced to you? Don't give up on me. It will get better.
I think George is my next target. I just want to do it…right. Because hello, loosing a twin is a big thing and it has to be…perfect. So, don't be alarmed if I post other characters first. Other than George, tell me what characters you would like to see, and if you could tell me why. If I don't do George next, it'll be Percy.
Now…press the purple button. Please?