Beyond the Prophecy: an excerpt from the untold chapters following the downfall of Voldemort
Chapter ?: The Pains of Mrs. Potter
"Sirius Harry and Ronald Albus Potter," yelled Ginevra Potter up the stairs, "if you two don't get down here RIGHT NOW we'll never make it to Diagon Alley in time to have lunch with the Longbottoms and the Malfoys!"
"Coming, Mum!" the twins cried, catapulting themselves over the stair railing and into the foyer.
"Well, it's about time!" Ginny cried, exasperatedly. "What were you doing up there?"
"Ron was trying to smarten himself up for Minnie, Mum!" teased Sirius mercilessly. "He fancies her!"
"I do NOT, Sirius, and you know it!" Ron shouted back, his ears burning bright red.
Ginny sighed. "Well, I don't care who fancies whom, you boys NEED to learn how to be ready on time! You'll be in detention your first day at Hogwarts if you're not careful," she warned as she fastened their traveling cloaks. "Now, let me look at you."
Ginny turned a hawk like eye upon her sons, looking for any signs of dirt they might have missed in their showers that morning.
Trainers were checked first (bright red with white stripes for Sirius and green with white for Ron)- laces firmly tied.
Next came trousers (brown corduroys for Ron and blue jeans for Sirius)- starting to get a bit ratty at the hems, Ginny noticed, but nothing I can't fix once we get home.
Belts- check.
Shirts (red button down on Sirius and green polo on Ron)- tucked in, very nice.
Hands- look clean from here.
Hair (Ginny couldn't help but smile)- mussed to perfection, just like their father's.
In fact, Sirius and Ron's hair was the first thing that many noticed about the renowned Potter twins, other than their famous parents. Their twelfth birthday wasn't for nearly a month and already random people from all over the world were sending birthday cards for the 'sons of the savior!' It was indeed true that they had inherited the messy black locks their father had been so famous for, but they also had random chunks of red, the same tones as their mother. Many journalists in the tabloids insisted that Ginny had painstakingly streaked it for them when, in fact, it was completely natural (even if in an unnatural sort of way) and had been that same strange way since their birth. It offset their eyes perfectly, Ginny felt. The random highlights of red made their green and honey brown-flecked eyes stand out. They had pale, eager faces with a light smattering of freckles across each nose and every witch that met them on the street couldn't help but comment on how much they looked like their father and mother. Ginny was amazed at how big her boys had gotten over the summer. She knew it wouldn't take long to gain the extra four inches it would take for them to match her at five foot two, but for now making sure they were appropriate for school shopping was the task at hand.
So far, so—oh, bugger.
"Sirius, dear," Ginny sighed, "you've got dirt on your nose. Here, let Mummy get it for you."
"ARRGH!" cried Sirius, backing against the wall. "Mum! Gerroff! It's fine!"
"No, it's not!" she insisted, moistening her thumb with saliva so as to remove the offending dirt. "Come here, Siri, it will only take a minute!"
"NOOO!!!" Sirius howled. He was the typical eleven-year-old male, through and through, but unfortunately for him, Ginevra Potter was the typical mother of twins.
"Sirius Harry Potter, don't make me use my wand to get it off," she snapped, holding the long stick of wood out threateningly. "You know how your face stays red for hours if I have to."
Sirius sighed and lowered his hands from his face, pouting. "Fine. Make me look like a pretty little girl. I don't have to like it."
Ginny smiled as she kissed him on the cheek. "I know, baby, and you're right- you don't have to LIKE being clean, but you know how much it makes your old mum happy. So, please, just do it for me, all right?"
Sirius grumped and Ron saw his outlet. "Aw, Mum, you're not old!" he insisted, his face the picture of angelic innocence. "You look just as pretty as Aunty Gabrielle and she's a fashion model!"
Ginny laughed, her head tossing back and her hair shaking prettily down her shoulders. "Oh, Ron, you little flatterer. Those little girls at Hogwarts won't know what hit them."
"I'm a flattemmer, too, Mum!" Sirius insisted. "You're WAY prettier than Aunt Gabby!"
"All right," Ginny smiled, "if you insist. Now, into the floo and make sure you speak clearly. I don't want to have to search for you in Knockturn Alley again."
"Sure, mum!" cried the twins as they each grabbed a handful of floo powder from the jar on the mantel.
Sirius entered first, brushing his black and ginger-streaked hair out of his eyes. "The Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley!" he cried, disappearing with a whoosh.
"You next, Ronald, dear."
Ron jumped into the fireplace and closed his eyes as he called out his destination. Ginny looked into the grate to make sure he had gone before she stepped back into the kitchen.
"Well, here we go," she said softly with a sigh. "First year of Hogwarts, ready or not!"
A soft 'pop' later and she had Disapparated from the kitchen.
"Aunty Ginny!" cried a small voice. "You're here!"
Two small pairs of arms and legs launched themselves into Ginny's waist as she smiled down at her two adoptive nieces, Emma Longbottom and Minerva Malfoy.
"Hi, girls! Are you excited to buy your new school supplies?"
"You bet!" cried Emma. "Daddy bought me a new plant to keep on my nightstand at school- it SINGS, Aunt Ginny!"
"That's very nice, dear," Ginny smiled enthusiastically. "And what about you, Min?"
"Well, I don't have a plant, but Daddy said I could get an owl to carry my mail. We don't have a phoenix like you do."
"That's true," Ginny said sincerely. "An owl is a wonderful thing to have at school."
"Girls," chided Susan Longbottom, Neville's wife. "Let your Aunt sit down, she's traveled a long way."
Minerva and Emma obliged, but snickered as they sat down on Ginny's either side after Sirius and Ron pulled out her chair for her.
"That's Mum's little joke," explained Emma. "She acts like Apparition takes a lot of time or something."
Ginny giggled with them and soon the entire group was happily enjoying lunch while planning out their day's shopping.
As they walked down the sun-filled streets of Diagon Alley, Ginny couldn't help but feel at ease. She had her best friends surrounding her. Of course, the fact that Neville was now the Minister of Magic (sworn in the previous spring) and came with his own veritable swat team of body guards if necessary, and herself, Hermione and Draco were some of the most highly trained defense wizards in all of Britain didn't hurt either. No one dared mess with the Potters, even if they were just out on their own.
But the feeling didn't last. It didn't take long for Ginny to begin to have that old feeling- someone was watching them, and that someone wasn't necessarily friendly. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled uncomfortably as she nudged Hermione in the ribs.
"You feel it, too?" Hermione asked.
Ginny nodded and the adults began nonchalantly pushing their children to the center of the group as they made their way up to Flourish and Blott's. Just before the group entered, Ginny pulled her wand from her sleeve and pointed it directly at the rubbish bin outside the front door.
"All right, that's IT!" she cried. "I don't care WHO you are, but you've been following us for the last half hour. You had better come out from behind that bin if you know what's good for you!"
Slowly, two figures skulked out from the shadows, their hands in the air revealing their weapons of choice: a high-tech wizarding camera and a quick-quotes quill. Ginny sighed and dropped her wand.
"I take it you wanted an exclusive photo of three of the most famous wizarding families in Britain all out shopping for their children's first year of school?"
They nodded submissively.
"Opportunity was just too good to pass up, Ma'am," said the photographer, meekly. "What with you all together an' such."
"You know, all you had to do was ask. You didn't have to try and sneak a photo- I doubt you would have gotten much money for it anyway if half the people were hidden behind one another. That, and you would have wasted the entire day following us around trying to get a decent shot. Here- gather in a group, everyone. Ron, Sirius- you two, Minnie and Emma stand together in front with your things and we'll gather 'round."
The reported raised an eyebrow. "Really, Ma'am? You wouldn't mind?"
Ginny looked around to the other adults and smiled at the young witch. "No. It will take about three minutes and then we can ALL go about our business."
"You have no idea how much this means, Mrs. Potter! I'll be SURE to get my promotion. How can I ever thank you?"
Ginny grinned. "Tell you what- every time you need a photo, just pop out and ask and if we have a minute, we'll be more than happy to give you one. All the hiding in the shadows had us thinking you were a Voldemort supporter out to get us."
"No, Ma'am!" said the reporter with wide eyes, shaking her blonde curls. "And I will, Ma'am! Thank you, all of you!"
There was a chorus of 'no problems' and the group had a few shots taken- some of them all together and a few others of just the new students.
"Why don't you guys give this nice reporter a few quotes she can put in her article?" Ginny offered. The kids beamed and proceeded to talk the poor woman's ear off about how excited they were about Hogwarts and classes, and even the upcoming Quidditch finals.
Ginny grinned. "That ought to teach her," she said confidentially to Neville. "My boys will talk her ear off about it!"
Neville laughed. "Yeah. That was a really nice thing you did, Ginny, giving her an exclusive photo like that."
Ginny shrugged. "Not really. I'm hoping she'll spread the word and now instead of being stalked by reporters and having horrible tabloid shots posted, they'll just treat us all like normal people when they need a moment of our time and maybe we'll actually look like ourselves in the pictures they publish."
"Brilliant," agreed Draco. "She gets everything she wanted and more, and we don't have to worry about being stalked all day long. No one will be able to compete with her exclusive scoop and so they'll leave us alone."
"Actually," commented Susan, "as far as reporters go, she was rather nice. You should see some of the lot they send to Nev's public address meetings, the evil creatures! They twist around everything he says. She must be new- Skeeter hasn't had time to corrupt her yet."
"I bet you could get her name," Hermione offered. "Have her be your exclusive statement releaser to the press. She'll get a massive bonus and you can pretty much guarantee to never be published in a bad light again!"
"Wonderful!" cried Neville and he moved around the shop looking for the young blonde woman. He found her in the Defense Against the Dark Arts section as she carefully noted which books and subjects Emma and Minerva thought were going to be their favorites.
"How are you feeling, Gin?" asked Hermione Granger-Malfoy, leaning in to her best friend as they walked to their next shopping destination in the alley.
"Hmm? What about?"
"About the boys leaving for school and all. I imagine it must be quite hard for you- I know I'm having a hard enough time with Min leaving, and she's just one!"
"Oh, it's fine, really!" Ginny said earnestly. "They've been looking forward to it for so long and all… Besides, Susan and Draco will be right there on the teaching staff if they need a friendly adult to talk to."
Hermione quirked an eyebrow over Ginny's head to Susan on her other side, but both said nothing.
"You're taking it really well," said Susan admiringly. "I was nearly at my wits end when we finally sent Rupert of to his first Young Wizards play group. I felt like all my babies had left me."
"Nothing to it," said Ginny, grinning. "My mum sent seven of us off, so I don't see why two should be a problem. I mean, just think how much quieter and cleaner the house will be once the twins are gone! And how much more work I'll get done. It's going to be wonderful! I'll finally have a spare moment to myself without having to worry about what trouble they've gotten into—"
Once again, Susan and Hermione shared a significant look, and, once again, said nothing as Ginny continued to ramble about her newfound freedom that was just on the edge of the horizon.
"Mum!" called Ron, turning around from where he was walking slightly ahead with Emma, Sirius, Minerva, Dan, and Rupert. "Are we gonna get wands soon?"
"Yeah!" came a chorus of other excited voices.
The five adults shared a knowing look.
"I'm not sure…" began Neville. "Maybe we shouldn't send you to school after all."
"Too right," agreed Draco, his face wrought with sincerity. "I think they're a little young, don't you, Ginny?"
"Well… Sirius and Ron ARE almost twelve, but… well, boys do tend to mature later than girls. You could be right, Draco."
"I'm sure that Emma could use one more year to stay with her brothers," added Susan. "They really only just started getting along."
"Too true," said Hermione. "Dan is scheduled to start at Hogwarts next year, isn't he Neville? Maybe we could send them all together."
The children looked at one another in shock. How could their parents say such a thing? After they'd almost finished their shopping and been so good all day, too! They'd been waiting to go to Hogwarts for as long as they could remember and now, a mere three days away from their first trip on the Hogwarts Express, they were to be denied what had been their sole reason for living?
"Mum!" cried Sirius, aghast. "You wouldn't make us stay home! …Would you?"
"I don't know," began Ginny slowly. "It sounds like a better and better idea the more I think on it."
"But, Mum," insisted Ron. "What if we promise to write every week?"
"Yeah!" jumped in Minerva, cottoning on as she turned to Hermione. "Every week, Mum, and our grades will be tip-top! Dad will help us study!"
"And our dorms will be the neatest EVER!" chimed in Emma, tugging on Neville's hand.
"We'll never get detention, Mum, honestly!" said Sirius.
The four children stared at the adults, their faces sparkling with trepidation and their expressions doe-eyed.
"Pleeeeeeease?" they chimed.
The adults looked at one another, having entire conversations without speaking a word, as all adults do.
"Well…" began Neville, scratching his head.
But Hermione couldn't hold it in any longer- her lips cracked and her face broke out in a large grin.
"You couldn't possibly have believed us, could you?" she cried, laughing hysterically.
Ginny laughed with her. "Like we'd actually want you to stay home! With all the free time we'll have after you're gone? The Express can't leave soon enough!"
The adults laughed uproariously at their children's expenses, whom were all pouting fiercely at having been had.
"That wasn't very nice, Mum," said Emma seriously to Susan.
"Eh, well, your mother's not a very nice witch," said Neville, grinning at his wife.
"Neville!" cried Susan. "Have you started missing the couch already?"
Neville choked. "No! You know I hated it when Rupert accidentally jinxed it to follow me around for a week!"
"You might start sleeping on it if you don't watch yourself," she warned, though her twinkling eyes betrayed her.
"So are we going to get wands now, then, or will we be going elsewhere first?" asked Sirius, trying to hide his eagerness. Even though his mother had claimed to be joking, he wouldn't have put it past her to suddenly decide he wasn't mature enough to go to school.
"Yes, darling, we can go to Ollivander's. Run on ahead, if you insist, but mind you don't start until we get there, and don't you dare muss anything in that shop!"
After several shouts and cheers, the four older children disappeared in a cloud of dust as they ran to the wand maker's shop.
Several minutes later the adults, along with Dan and Rupert, joined the older children in the shop.
"You can go first, Minnie," said Ron regally, then when he caught Sirius' gagging sound he hastily added, "you know, 'cause you're a girl and all, and Mum likes it when we let girls go first."
"Thanks, Ron!" Minerva grinned, completely missing the side looks the twins were giving one another.
About twenty minutes later both Minerva and Emma held their brand new wands in their boxes.
"Willow and Unicorn," Emma breathed, "it's so pretty!"
"It is!" agreed Minerva. "I like mine, though- Evergreen and Dragon Heartstring!"
"Go on, boys," Ginny nudged gently, and Ron and Sirius carefully stepped forward.
"Ah, the young Potters… I had wondered when I'd be seeing you," said Mr. Ollivander.
Ron and Sirius waved what felt like every wand in the shop and were soon tiring of the experience, but Mr. Ollivander couldn't have been more pleased. He disappeared through the door that led into the back of his shop.
"A certain friend of yours stopped by a few weeks ago and gave me these," he called through the swinging door. "I couldn't have been sure right away, but after what I've just seen, maybe after all… Well, I think she thought you might like them."
Ron gazed questioningly at his mother, who shrugged and waved him gently forward to the counter.
"Ah, here we are!" smiled Mr. Ollivander as he came back through the door holding two boxes. "Well go on, boy, pick one!"
Sirius stepped eagerly forward now and reached for the box on the left, lifting the wand gently from its wrappings. He didn't know the core, but he could see that the wood it was made from was Holly- just like his dad's old wand that his mum kept in her sock drawer.
"Give it a wave, m'boy," pressed Ollivander, "don't be shy!"
The small boy shrugged and waved the wand in a circle around his head and green and gold sparks shot immediately from its tip.
"Wonderful!" cried Ollivander, clapping his hands. "Absolutely wonderful! And now the other Mr. Potter, go on."
Ron stepped towards the counter and carefully opened the remaining box and removed a Maple hewed wand (the same wood as his mum's), waved it in front of him, and grinned when a shower of ruby and silver sparks trailed an arc in front of his eyes.
"Lovely!" said Ollivander, reaching for both wands. "Shall I wrap them for you then, Mrs. Potter?"
"Yes, please," said Ginny. "We can't have any accidental magic on the way home, now, can we?"
So Mr. Ollivander wrapped their purchases and bowed them from the shop, but not before Ron and Sirius turned to him with questions in their eyes.
"What kind—" began Ron.
"Who came—"started Sirius.
Mr. Ollivander smiled down at them. "Well, I can't be entirely sure of her name, but she seemed to know you and had the loveliest green and gold plumage."
"Sanguine!" the boys cried together as Ginny winked at the shop owner over their heads.
"Well," whispered Hermione to Ginny and the other adults confidentially, "at least you don't have to worry about them dueling one another."
"Not with brother wands!" Ginny grinned.
"You didn't send Sanguine to Ollivander on purpose, did you, Ginny?" asked Susan, her eyes twinkling.
"Would I do that?" asked Ginny, feigning shocked innocence.
"YES!" cried Neville, Susan, Hermione, and Draco together.
The three days that remained before her babies would take their first of many trips on the Hogwarts Express felt as if they had passed before Ginny could say "Quidditch". Before she knew it, Sirius and Ron were hauling their trunks down the stairs and into the front foyer of Grimmauld Place, pulling their spring jackets on over their polo shirts and waiting by the door.
"Anxious, are we?" she asked, grinning.
"Can we go NOW, Mum?" whined Sirius.
"Yeah, Mum, please? We want to get a good seat on the train!" added Ron.
"Sure, if you really want," Ginny agreed, pulling on her coat. "We could walk and still get there an hour early."
"Excellent!" chimed the twins as they rolled their trunks down the walk.
The walk to King's Cross train station was uneventful, except for the lively chatter of the boys. They asked their mother (for what must have been the hundredth time) what Hogwarts was like and which house she thought fit them best. They traveled through the slightly crowded station and passed through the barrier onto platform 9 ¾.
"Wow!" breathed Ron to Sirius. "It's even better than we imagined it!"
"Come on, Ron," Sirius said, grabbing his twin's sleeve. "Let's go get a compartment!"
"Go on, boys," said Ginny as she made her way to a bench apart from the other early arrivals. "Make sure you come back to say goodbye to your old mum, though."
The twins made their way onto the train and found an empty compartment in the fourth car- "Don't want to be TOO close to the Prefects' carriage," said Ron. They hastily bullied their trunks into the luggage compartment and changed into their school robes to show them off to their mum. Looking at one another as if into a mirror, they nodded and made their way back to the platform.
"Well, don't you two look smart!" said Ginny, beaming with pride at her sons. "Your dad would be so proud!"
"Really, Mum?" asked Sirius.
"You think so?" added Ron, straightening his jumper.
"I know so," Ginny grinned. "Here, let me get a photo of us together. Aunt Hermione will take it. We'll take one every year like this and then you can see how much you've grown!"
"Cool!" agreed the twins and they sidled up on either side of their mum.
The picture was soon taken and the boys moved to help a very nervous looking Emma and a slightly tearful Minnie with their trunks. When they came back, it was nearly time to leave.
"Sirius! Ron!" Ginny called. "One last thing before you go!"
The boys walked over to her, afraid they were going to get a good scouring charm applied to their faces, but were pleasantly surprised to see two wrapped packages waiting for them in a somewhat secluded alcove on the platform.
"Here. I know your dad would want you to have these. They're for both of you to share, so you'll need to work together in order to maximize the benefits."
She handed Ron a flat package wrapped in bright green paper and Sirius a soft, lumpy one wrapped in a deep burgundy.
"Oh, Mum!" breathed Sirius, as he pulled away the wrapping. "Is this what I think it is?"
Ginny nodded. "Yup. It's your dad's invisibility cloak. His dad gave it to him and so I thought it was right for you both to have it."
"Oh, nice," humphed Ron. "Sirius gets and INVISIBILITY CLOAK and what do I get? An old piece of parchment."
Ginny laughed. "That's not just ANY old piece of parchment. Do you have your wand?"
Ron nodded and took his maple wand from his inside pocket.
"Tap it to the parchment and say 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.'" Ginny instructed.
Ron did so and his face paled in shock as the Marauders' Map appeared before his eyes.
"WOW, Mum! This is the best piece of old parchment EVER!"
Ginny laughed. "I thought you might think that. So, that there is a map of Hogwarts. It shows everyone in it and what they're doing at every minute of every hour of every day."
"So if we need to walk around the castle at night—" began Ron excitedly.
"We can use the cloak and the map to make sure we don't get caught!" Sirius finished, beaming at his brother.
"Brilliant!" they cried, giving each other a high five.
"Exactly," said Ginny. "And you had BETTER make sure if you're making mischief that you don't get caught because if I hear anything about it…"
The twins gulped. "Right, Mum!"
"Precisely. What I don't know—"
"Can't hurt us!" they finished.
"That's my boys!" Ginny beamed. "Now, whenever you're not using the map make sure you wipe it clean."
"Clean?" Ron asked.
"Right. Or anyone else - including teachers- can read it. So, to wipe it blank you tap your wand to it again and say 'Mischief managed!'"
Ron did so and his smile lit up his face when the map turned once again into a ratty piece of parchment.
"Thanks, Mum!" they chimed, giving her a hug and hiding their new presents inside their school robes.
"Please," Ginny begged, "please, please, PLEASE, do not let anyone know you have those! I know for a FACT that your Uncle Draco knows about the cloak and Professor Snape might even know about the map.
"Your Aunt Hermione would be furious if she knew I was encouraging you two after everything she had to put up with between your father and your Uncle Ron. So, for the love of all that is holy, be careful who you let find out about what I've given you."
"Ok, Mum."
"We promise!"
"Good. Now give me a hug and get your bums on that train before they leave without you!"
"Bye, Mum!" Sirius grinned, kissing her cheek. "I love you!"
"I love you, too, baby," Ginny smiled.
"Love you, Mum!" said Ron, kissing her other cheek. "We'll write to you tomorrow and let you know everything!"
"Yeah!" agreed Sirius. "About what houses we all got in, too!"
"I can't wait to read it! Let me know if you've forgotten anything, as well, and I'll send Sanguine along with it!"
The whistle on the train blew and the boys hugged their mother one last time before joining Emma and Minerva in their compartment. Ginny stepped over by Hermione and Neville to wave goodbye. Hermione was sobbing openly, and even Neville had a tear running down his cheek as the train pulled out of sight.
"I can't believe my baby is going to Hogwarts!" Hermione sobbed.
"My little girl is growing up so fast," Neville sighed, still waving at the tiny dot in the distance that was the Express.
"At least we've got Draco and Susan right there," Hermione offered as condolence. "That's got to be worth something. Aren't you terribly heartbroken, Gin?"
Ginny smiled and shook her head as she waved enthusistically. "Nah. I'm not worried in the slightest. They're combination Weasley-Potters, after all. They'll take care of each other, and Emma and Min, too. That's just how they are."
"Well," sighed Neville, "I'm off, then. I left Dan and Rupert with the sitter, but they cause enough trouble as it is. Shall we meet up next week to catch up?"
"Sure! We can have lunch at my place," Ginny offered.
"Excellent. That Dobby sure can cook! See you ladies next week, then!" Neville disappeared with a loud 'crack!'
"Are you going to be all right, 'Mione?" Ginny asked concernedly.
"Oh, I'm sure I will," Hermione sniffed. "I'm going to a book signing this weekend and then it's back to the drawing board from there."
"Ah," Ginny nodded. "Harry's biography set still a number one seller, then?"
"You'd better believe it." Hermione sighed. "Well, I guess I'd better get going. See you next week?"
"Of course. See you before then, if you need me."
"Thanks, Gin. You're a lifesaver. I don't know HOW you do it."
Ginny shrugged. "I guess it's just another mystery for you to solve."
Hermione laughed, hugged Ginny tightly and then Disapparated, leaving Ginny standing alone on the platform. She took one last look around her and with the softest of 'pops' she was gone.
By the time Ginny arrived home that night after visiting her mother and father at the Burrow and her brothers at their joke shop (for some small gifts she could send to her sons), it was well into the night. She jumped into the shower and washed away all the aches and pains from being on her feet the whole day before she changed into the softest, oldest pajamas she could find and crawled into bed. Tired as she was, he mind was traveling faster than the Hogwarts Express had earlier that afternoon. Ginny knew sleep would be as elusive as a snitch, so she got up, grabbed her dressing gown and softly closed the door of the master bedroom behind her.
With her lit wand held aloft, she traveled down the hallway and up the stairs to the twins' bedroom. She had made sure they had cleaned it before they left this morning, but she smoothed the blankets unnecessarily any way. She smiled at the empty indentations in their pillows where their stuffed owls normally kept watch. Sirius and Ron had thought about leaving them behind because they didn't want to be teased for having 'baby toys' at school, but when Ginny reminded them that their Uncle Ron had went through all seven years of Hogwarts with Albert, his stuffed teddy bear, Sniget and Mr. Hoots were placed snugly in their respective trunks.
Ginny grabbed their pillows, left the boys' room, and padded down the hall into the family room where all the pictures were. She smiled as she looked at the first picture taken of the boys. Colin Creevey had snapped it while she was holding the sleeping newborns in her arms the day they were born. She remembered how Sanguine had flashed into her room and lighted on their cradles, each in turn, and sang them lullabies. The magical opalescent phoenix tears fell from her eyes onto each baby's chest, leaving a small, tear-shaped mark that flashed silver, much like their mother's crescent moon that still remained from her binding spell more than ten years ago.
Ginny carefully removed the picture of herself holding the twins with Sanguine perched on her bedstead from the wall and made her way once again up the stairs, but this time she didn't go to her own master bedroom. She silently slipped her way up to the third floor and opened the door to Eternal Sunset. Pulling the comforter down, she placed the two pillows on either side of the bed, leaving just enough space for one in the middle- like how the twins used to come and snuggle either side of her every Saturday morning. Setting the photo on the nightstand next to her wand, Ginny sighed and crawled into bed, hugging the twins' pillows to her chest.
Her babies were gone. They had grown up and left for Hogwarts, just like she always knew they would.
"Oh, Harry," she whispered softly to the empty darkness around her, "you'd be so proud of them. They're so grown up! …I wish you could have seen them today."
It was then, and only then, that Ginevra Potter finally cried.