A/ N: Hi guys! Here's chapter 3! Enjoy!
Harry, Ron and Hermione apparated to Malfoy Manor, waiting for the others to arrive too. They stood in awe there, taking in the beauty of the manor, not believing that only 2 years prior to this day, they were held captive there, being tortured. A couple of minutes later, the whole Weasley clan apparated next to them, and they started making their way towards the big entrance.
Ginny and Draco were sitting across from Blaise and Seamus in the living room, anxiously waiting for her family to arrive. None of them knew what reaction her family would have. After a couple of minutes of uncomfortable silence, they heard a loud knock on the door. Ginny jumped up, ready to run to the door, but Draco stopped her.
"Weasley, we stick to my mother's plan okay? She explains what happened and then we come in" he told her, knowing that she wanted nothing more than to jump into her family's arms. That's what he did, and he wasn't even an affectionate person, so he could imagine how much Ginny wanted to hug everyone. Ginny nodded and sat back down next to him. She saw Narcissa make her way to the door and heard her open it.
Narcissa opened the door and smiled warmly at Molly. She invited all of them in, and guided them to the dining room, making sure to avoid the living room where the kids were all sitting. They all sat down and waited for the house elves to bring the food.
"Narcissa, I don't want to seem rude, but why exactly did you want to discuss that was so important that I bring my whole family?" asked Molly, smiling warmly at her. Narcissa smiled awkwardly at all of them, not knowing how to tell them what was going on. She took a deep breath and looked at all of them. How does one tell someone that their long gone daughter is alive?
"A couple of days ago, somebody knocked on my door. I opened the door, and it was my son. Draco, who for two years I had believed dead" she said. Molly and Hermione gasped at this information. Narcissa smiled at them and continued "He told me he had been captured by some Death Eaters after Voldemort's death, and held captive for two whole years, being tortured and underfed. He thankfully escaped from that prison, with the help of some other prisoners. Now, for the past couple of days, I've been trying to reach you, because I think this is some news that you want to hear. The people who helped my son escape were Blaise Zabini, Seamus Finnigan, which I heard was a friend of your children" she said, looking at Ron, Harry and Hermione, who clearly started smiling, amazed at this information "and finally, your daughter, Ginny. She's alive and well. They were all injured severely, but some old woman healed them when they escaped" she told them as Molly started sobbing. Everyone looked at each other in disbelief. They had searched all the country for her, and she was nowhere to be found, so this was some extraordinary news.
"Where is she?" asked Arthur "Where is my daughter if she's alive?" he asked getting up, followed by everyone else, all impatient to go see Ginny.
"I'm right here dad," said Ginny walking into the dining room, followed by Seamus, Blaise, and Draco. She felt a tear roll down her cheek as her whole family jumped on her, wrapping her into a bone-crushing hug. She hugged her family for the longest time, and when they finally let go of her, Seamus was next. They were all emotional and happy to see that the daughter, sister, and friend that they had believed dead was very much alive, and in good health.
Molly separated herself from the group and walked towards Narcissa who was sitting at the table with Draco and Blaise. She sat next to her and smiled. "Thank you. Thank you for contacting us as soon as you found out where we were. I couldn't be more grateful. I know we've had some rough times, but I would very much like it if we could put our differences aside and go back to being friends, the way we were years ago" she told Narcissa. Narcissa's smile widened and she hugged Molly.
"I would love that Molly! I really missed our friendship!" she told her. Molly then turned towards Draco and Blaise. "I'm glad you boys are okay. I can't even imagine what you've all been through" she told them, smiling warmly at them, and getting up to hug them, surprising both. It sure was a very emotional day. There were people hugging or crying wherever you turned your eyes.
After a little while, they all sat back down at the table and started eating the meal that the house elves brought. They were all having small cheerful conversations when Ginny excused herself from the table. She got up and walked out of the dining room, feeling Draco and Blaise's eyes on her. As she was walking down the hallway, she heard footsteps behind her.
"Ginny wait up" she heard, realizing the person following her was Harry. She stopped and turned around, smiling at him. "So... how are you feeling?" he asked her, unsure of what to say. The situation was awkward and none of them really knew how to act around each other after two years apart.
"I'm good... You?" she asked him, biting her lip. She was wondering how to act, what to say. Where they still a couple? Did he move on, got a girlfriend? What were they? He looked at her and hugged her. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. He was the only thing that kept her alive through those two horrible years. Whenever she felt like giving up, she thought of him. She hoped he hadn't moved on, and that they could go back to how it was before, but she knew that it would never be the same. She had been through too much to have a normal relationship again. She wanted nothing else than to kiss him, but she didn't want to make things even more awkward than they already were. She slowly let go of him and took a step back. They were both standing there awkwardly, waiting for the other to break the silence. "Okay, well, I have to go. I'll see you back at the table in a couple minutes" she said as she started walking away.
"Oh, okay," he said, not moving, and watching her frail body walk away from him. He sighed and turned around, making his way back in the dining room. He walked to his chair and sat down, between Ron and Hermione. He pushed his food around his plate, not really listening to the conversations around him. Draco and Blaise noticed this and excused themselves from the table. They walked out of the manor and went to find Ginny, who was sitting down in the gardens, a place that she immediately fell in love with the moment she saw it. They both sat down next to her and just waited until she was ready to talk.
"I don't know what to do. I don't know how to act or what to say. I feel like an outsider. I feel like my whole family has moved on and I haven't. Like I was stuck in the past for two years, and now when I'm free, I don't recognize them. Or even myself. What am I supposed to do? I thought that when I'd be back, everything would be the same. I thought that everyone would be just the way I remembered them. But it's not like that. Everything is different and it's so overwhelming. And Harry. I missed him so much and now I don't even know what to say to him anymore. Everything is awkward, and I hate it. I just want things to go back to the way they were before these two years, I can't take any more shit like this. We've been through too much" she said, letting a tear roll down her cheeks. Blaise started patting her on the back, unsure of what to say. A few minutes passed, and none of them said anything.
"It won't go back to the way it was before," said Draco after a long silence "everything will be different from now on. Our families will never understand what we went through, and we can't expect them to. And although I hate admitting it, we gotta stick together. We've been through a lot, and we're the only ones who understand each other. We can't just go back to our lives and ignore each other or hate each other like before. It just won't work. We can't expect anyone to understand what we've gone through and how it has changed us. Our lives will be different from now on, and we need to give our families time to adjust. They've been grieving us for the past 2 years. It's not easy for them. Just... give it time... things will hopefully get better" he said as he got up and walked back towards the manor. Blaise gave her a small hug and followed Draco, leaving Ginny behind, lost in her thoughts.
Ginny went back inside the manor, and sat back at the table, noticing that except for Draco, Blaise, and Harry, no one had noticed she left. She pushed her food in her plate, not hungry. She didn't listen to any of the conversations around her but rather was lost in her thoughts. She was very happy that she was reunited with her family, but something felt off. Something didn't feel right.
After dinner, her mother told her to pack anything she had and to take it with her since she obviously had to go home. Ginny then went into the bedroom where she had been sleeping at the manor, about to pick up some things, when she realized that nothing was hers. Everything belonged to Narcissa and she had nothing that was really hers. She went back downstairs, and everyone was getting ready to leave. Ginny pulled Seamus and Blaise aside.
"I don't know if I really want to leave" she whispered to them. "I've spent 2 years with you guys, day and night. I can't go away. You're the only ones that understand me!" she told them. Blaise and Seamus looked at each other, not knowing what exactly to say. They both knew she was right. No one else understood, and they didn't want to see her go either.
"Let's meet up every day. Let's meet up for let's say, half a day. And every day we see each other less until we can be apart from each other." Blaise suggested. Ginny considered this for a second and nodded. Seamus grabbed Ginny and brought her in for a hug. She let a single tear roll down her cheek and quickly wiped it away. She then hugged Blaise and walked away, following her family.
Ginny apparated in front of a big white house, with old architecture that must've been from the late 1800s. She then recognized it. It was a house that belonged to her grandfather. She used to go there with Bill and Charlie when she was a little girl. She smiled to herself at those memories. She started walking inside, noticing that it wasn't the same. The colors on the walls were different, darker. The furniture was newer, and all the beautiful paintings that her grandmother had painted were gone. The place looked cold and unwelcoming. She looked around her and turned towards the twins who were behind her. Everyone else went to different rooms.
"What happened here?" she asked them, as she was looking around.
"Times weren't the best after the war Gin," said Fred. "Yeah we won the war and Voldemort died, but we lost you," he said. She looked at them, realizing what they must've been through grieving a sister. She nodded as a cue that she understood. She looked at them and said good night. She then headed up the stairs, and towards a room that used to be hers as a little girl. She stopped before going in. The twins who were behind her nodded, confirming that it was indeed still her room. Ginny turned back towards the door and slowly opened it. It was dark inside, so she turned on the lights. She was delighted by the fact that nothing had changed in this room. The pale green walls were still the same, the bed in the middle was the same, the curtains and the furniture were the same. She just stood there in awe and heard the door slowly close behind her. She walked on the balcony that was connected to her room. Her room was the only room with a balcony and was the biggest room in the house. She remembered that as a little kid, she had thrown a fit because she thought it was unfair that all her brothers were born before her and got to choose a better room than hers. Her grandfather, amused by this, told her that when she grew up, he would give her his and her grandmother's room and it would be hers, and no one else would have it. He had unfortunately passed away a few years ago, but her mother decided that no one would have that room since it belonged to Ginny. Ginny smiled and sat on the bed. She opened the drawers from her nightstand and found several piles of letters all destined to her. Confused, she picked up the one on top, opened it and started reading it.
Hey Gin,
It's been about a year and a half now. Your mom is doing better. Everyone is. I think they just got used to the idea that you just won't be around anymore. I'm an Auror now, as I told you in the last letter. I think this one is the last one I'll write to you. I'm getting better and better everyday, and I really think Ron's idea to write you letters to cope with everything was an amazing idea. He doesn't get those too often, but I must give him credit for this.
I went by the cemetery today. Left some flowers there for you. I go every week and talk to you. I know you're not really there, but it still helps you know. I want you to know that I've never stopped looking for you, and I never will, no matter what everyone says. If there's even the slightest chance that you're out there somewhere, I'll find you. I promise. If you're not, I hope you're in a better place looking over us.
I also got engaged today! I told you about my girlfriend in the past letters. She's great. She's the one who helped me overcome this the most. I love her a lot. She used to go to school with us. Astoria Greengrass. She's great, I wished you would've met her. God, I miss you sometimes. I think about every day because before you were my girlfriend, you were my friend. And it's so hard without you Gin.
So yeah, this is the last one I'll ever write to you.
I still love you Ginny, and I'll always love you, no matter who I marry. You were my first love and I'll never forget you.
Love, Harry
Ginny felt a few tears roll down her cheeks. So, this was her proof. Harry did move on, but she couldn't even be mad. She was somewhat happy for him. He deserved to be happy. Ginny stayed up all night, reading all the previous letters. She found some from Ron, Hermione, Luna, Neville, Dean, both her parents and all of her brothers. She went to bed as the sun was rising, saddened by all the tear marks on all the letters.
A/N: Heyyy I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was a bit longer than the last one, and a bit more emotional! What do you guys think? Have a great day!
