Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its affiliates. All of it belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Coming Back
Chapter 2
Anger Management
"I swear, bloody women controlling this house like it's their own," Ron muttered furiously, moving the couch in the parlor of his apartment to accommodate his younger sister, whose eyes were red and blotchy and whose frown escalated on each second of his rant. Ginny pulled out her wand and whispered a quick jinx. Ron was now upside down, his shirt hanging over his head.
"Oh ha, little sister," Ron dead panned, crossing his arms as he hung upside down. "Get me down!" Ginny put her hand to her face in a thoughtful gesture, then weighed her options. She left him there and walked away.
"Great, just bloody great," Ron mumbled vehemently as his wand dropped from his pocket unto the floor. Hermione walked into the room and looked up at him, uncovering her face from the mounds of blankets in front of it. "Hey, 'Mione! Um, little help?"
Hermione arched an eyebrow. "Ginny did this," she said matter-of-factly. Ron nodded. "I'm not getting involved."
She walked away, stumbling slightly over a loose blanket.
"Stupid bloody-minded little sis- Ginny! I love you! Get me down?" Ron now sported warts.
"- was a bit upset, you know, with the whole ordeal. Him leaving and all. Best not mention it," Mrs. Weasley informed the dinner table. All looked apprehensive, but agreed and resumed talking.
The table, packed down with a variety of food and drink, was missing a few occupants.
Bill, with his 7-month pregnant wife, Fleur, talked in hushed tones to his younger brother Charlie, who had brought no one to dinner. Percy had decided to stay home with his wife Penelope, but had insisted they tell him everything by owl. George was absent, having not been able to close up shop early. Ron and Hermione were there, though Hermione had left the table to Floo back home and see if Ginny would join them.
"S'where's Dad?" Ron asked, flinging food out of his mouth as he talked. Fleur grimaced in disgust and turned away.
"I told you to wait for your sister!" Mrs. Weasley scolded, sitting down and glancing at the clock.
"But Mum! I'm starved!" Ron griped as Bill and Charlie grinned. Mrs. Weasley whisked his plate away, leaving a dumbfounded Ron with his mouth open, exposing the soon to be devoured food.
"Zat is-," Fleur didn't even finish before she exited quickly. Bill groaned, leaned over, whacked Ron on the head, and followed her quickly. Charlie looked around. The long table was empty, except for Ron and himself.
"So, you and Hermione thinking of popping one out soon?" Charlie grinned at Ron's surprised look.
"Well, actually, she's-erm-she's-" It was Charlie's turn to look astonished.
"Wow, she is? I was just, you know, guessing. Does Mum know?" Ron shook his head, idly wringing his hands.
"Naw, but we were gonna tell tonight, 'cept hardly anyone's here, and with Ginny and Harry, we thought we'd save it," Ron mumbled. Charlie nodded.
"So the whole thing about Ginny and Harry, d'you know what happened?" Charlie asked, playing with the rim of his cup. Ron shrugged.
"Bits and pieces. 'Mione said that Ginny would tell us when she was ready," Ron replied furtively. Charlie arched a brow. Ron put up his hands in mock defeat. "Don't look at me. I'm not involved." He walked into the kitchen.
Charlie sat alone at the table. "I'll be fine by myself, Ronald!" Charlie called to the kitchen, leaning back in his chair and rolling his eyes.
Ginny entered the dining room with Hermione, looking sullen. Hermione rushed into the kitchen to tell Mrs. Weasley that Ginny had arrived. Ginny plopped down next to Charlie.
"Hey, little sis, how've you been doing?" Ginny glared at him, burning a hole into his forehead.
"Sod off," she exclaimed huffily, exiting the room.
"Close up on Charlie, sitting by himself with a table full of food. Can we say fate?" He reached for the potatoes directly in front of him. As soon as he grasped the handle, Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen, "Charlie, you better not be eating yet." Charlie dropped the spoon and sat back, glancing at the empty seats.
"Isn't this a ball?" Charlie addressed the table, crossing his arms.
When everyone had eventually gotten settled, sometime later, Mr. Weasley walked in. Everyone looked up at him.
" Sorry, sorry. Worked overtime," He tiredly stated, yawning and slipping into the empty head seat. Mrs. Weasley scooped potatoes on his plate, gathering a little bit of each food and splattering it onto his plate.
Mr. Weasley shook his head, and turned to the others.
" Bill, Fleur! How's the little Weasley?" He grinned toward them. Bill and Fleur glanced at each other, smiling.
"The Healer told us the gender, " Bill stated slyly. Mrs. Weasley all but squealed. Ron rolled his eyes. Hermione elbowed him.
"A boy!" Bill said, earning a table full of "Congratulations!" Ginny, who had been silent during the whole exchange, spoke up.
"Well, I have news too," she told them in a slight monotone. "I'm very sure someone's already told you, but I guess I'll have to repeat it. It's kind of noticeable."
The table guessed it was news of Harry and his absence.
"Harry's gone away and I'm pregnant with his child," Ginny pushed away from the table and stood up. "Thanks for the meal, Mum, Dad." She walked away, trembling. All occupants were silent for a minute or before Hermione stood up.
"She shouldn't be Apparating or Flooing," Ron followed in her wake.
Mrs. Weasley looked shocked. "Well, someone has to tell Harry! He can't just come back and find Ginny with a baby!" Mr. Weasley put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.
"Let Ginny handle it. She's old enough."
"Can you believe Lynn? I've been moved out of the flat for three weeks and Harry's still not gone. It's bad enough that my kid is going to hate me for not knowing his father, but if his father is still around and just doesn't know?" Ginny ranted onto her best friend. Lynn adjusted the four or so bags in her hands.
"-and I'm going to end up being one of those old women with a whole bunch of cats and my kid will hate them so he won't ever come over and-"
"Ginny, you're babbling. Get a guy after the baby's born.You're not going to end up nutters." Lynn reassured her confidently. Ginny grumbled under her breath profusely.
"How am I going to do that? Do I go to a restaurant and wait for someone to buy me a drink? And then blurt out that I have a baby at home?" Lynn shook her head.
"No, you can do blind dating," Ginny gave her a blank stare. "When you don't know the guy?"
Lynn grabbed Ginny's hand and explained the joys of dating when you don't know the person.
"What if the guy is bad with kids, though?" Ginny looked uneasy. Lynn stopped in the middle of the road. Two cars dodged her. A guy called out from his window, shouting at her to get out of the road, and throwing up an obscene hand gesture. Lynn returned it happily. She stepped out of the road and into the car park where Ginny was standing, her hand over her heart.
"Merlin, Lynn! Are you trying to kill me?" Ginny said, huffily, fingering the wand in her back pocket.
"Absobloodylutely. I always wanted to kill my best friend, " Ginny rolled her eyes. "Besides, I'll look up the men and set up the dates!" Lynn told Ginny triumphantly.
"You have a bad taste in men, Lynn." Ginny's statement didn't faze Lynn. On the contrary, she looked ecstatic.
"Perfect. You need a new taste; you always go for heroes. I'll start now." She walked off. Ginny lagged behind, looking puzzled. When she finally understood what Lynn meant, she gave her step a burst of speed.
"Wait! I never said I wanted to date!" She called, hurrying to catch up with Lynn.
"Ugh, I feel so sick, " Ginny moaned, leaning over the toilet bowl, her damp hair stuck to her forehead in sweaty clumps.
"That's what happens when you don't have safe se-" Hermione nudged Ron's shoulder. Both were in the doorway of their loo, watching Ginny as she puked up her three meals from the day.
"Whoever invented the term 'morning sickness' should be shot in the head, brought back to life, and shot again," Ginny rubbed the sweat from her forehead and massaged her flushed cheeks. "And you two shouldn't be talking. I know your little secret. It was bound to happen, the way you two go at it like rabbits." The tips of Ron's ears turned as red as Hermione's face.
"Anyway, are you still going to help me move into my flat tomorrow?" Ginny asked, standing up and taking a drink of water from the sink. Ron chuckled.
"Help you move? You mean, do all the moving for you, right? You're too lazy to levitate anything," Ron grumbled as Ginny pushed between him and Hermione to get out of the loo. Ginny shook her head.
"Everyone else is helping too. S'not like you're going to have to carry all my junk. I just want to get moved out from the other flat, you know?" Ginny moved to the parlor and plopped onto the sofa. Hermione smiled understandingly. Ron grinned.
"You just don't want to see Harry or the old flat, right?" Ginny nodded, burying her face in her hands. A thought came to her mind and her head shot up.
"Harry's still here? I-I thought he left yesterday," Ginny stuttered, leaning back into sofa's cushions. Hermione sat next to Ginny.
"He was here last night, Ginny. He seemed broken up about what happened. We didn't get the whole story from him though," Hermione explained. Ron leaned onto the back of the couch.
"Are you gonna tell us?" Ron asked, though Ginny gave no answer and instead buried her face in a pillow
"I can't go back there," came Ginny' muffled voice, startling Crookshanks, who had been loittering around the doorway to the parlor. Hermione patted Ginny's back.
"I'll go see if Harry left yet," Ron addressed the silent room and walked off. "Conflict, conflict, conflict. Never a dull moment in this family." He continued mumbling under his breath as he Apparated away.
"Harry?" Ron called out into the empty loft. There was no answer. "Stupid wanker. Now I have to search the place. Harry! Are you here?"
Angrily cursing himself for volunteering, he entered Harry's room. Harry was sprawled out on the bed, asleep and fully clothed. Ron swore under his breath. He was suddenly struck by an idea, as he thought about Ginny back at his loft and Harry over here. Ron's eyes lit up, almost evilly.
Ron quickly apparated into the parlor of his loft. The girls hadn't moved from their spots.
"Ginny, he's gone. Why don't you go and pack up all the stuff you'll need for tonight?" Ginny rubbed her eyes and stood up, giving Ron a hug.
"Thanks Ron," Ron felt an immediate feeling of dread and regret as Ginny apparated out.
Hermione noticed his stricken expression. "What'd you do?"
A/N: Yes, left you hanging with a cliffhanger. This was Far From Home before I reposted it. Revised as of 8/26/08.