*All characters events, locations, and things, belonging to the Harry Potter world, are the sole ownership of J.K. Rowling. I am just borrowing them to write these stories of mine. Everything else, is my creation.
CHAPTER SEVEN: THE PRODIGAL WIFE
"What were you thinking, Ginevra? This is unacceptable." Molly was standing in front of her, her hands on her hips.
The dangerous look on Molly's face was not unlike the ones Ginny remembered seeing as a child when she'd done something her mother hadn't approve of. Not much had changed since then, because there it was, the look of utter disapproval. The look that said 'I raised you better' 'I expected more from you'.
Usually, that look was enough to unsettled any of the Weasley children, herself included. Her brothers, because they had never grown out of fearing their mother's wrath. Ginny, because her mother's disapproval was not something she had ever been able to bear. Tonight however, she was simply too tired to think about it.
She had gotten home an hour after leaving Harry's. She had taken a walk to clear her head, and then apparated home, thinking she would have to deal with possibly, only Alan. Instead she'd found her mother, and sister-in-law, Hermione, sitting in the living room.
When Molly saw her, the first thing she did was run to her daughter and hug her, then immediately proceeded to tell her off for being gone for over a day.
"Your brothers, your father, and your husband are out looking for you. Hermione and I went to St. Mungo's, even had to go to those muggle hospitals. We thought something horrible had happened. Poor man called us this morning when you didn't come home. Explain yourself, Ginny," Molly demanded
"Oh, mum," Ginny said, closing her eyes, passing a hand through her tired face. "Not right now. Please, just go home—the both of you. I'm alright. You can tell the rest to stop looking. I'm going upstairs to sleep," she told her with a tired sigh.
Then, without offering any explanation, she walked away, up the stairs and disappeared into the second floor landing. Molly was left there, mouth open, hands limp at each side and no longer tight to her hips in indignation. Hermione stood next to her, shocked into silence.
ooooo
Upstairs, Ginny had stood in the hallway for a minute, trying to put herself back together. She took a deep breath, and slowly released it, telling herself she was alright. She'd listened for any signs of anyone leaving or coming into the house, downstairs, but there was nothing. She sighed. She knew her mother well enough to know she was probably refusing to leave until Alan returned. Hermione, of course—the good friend that she was—had most definitely stayed on Ginny's behalf, to run interference with Molly.
Now she sat in Charlie's room, watching him sleep. She watched his chest sink and rise softly, watched the calm of his beautiful face, the serene sleep he was enjoying. He was at peace with the world, a peace which life had yet to take from him as it had done her. She needed that peace tonight. She needed to drive away that overwhelming indignation she had felt after seeing Harry again.
She thought of the boy she'd loved, the boy who'd loved her, the one who'd promised he'd never leave. The one who in another life, hadn't left her.
Now however, all Harry brought was that upsetting feeling that could only be eased by looking at her son. Charlie was the only good thing she had of her own, in the world. The one thing she had created that had escaped ruin. The one and only person who's mere existence kept her from hating, even if that hate was for the man who'd stolen her heart, and with it, the peace she was starving for.
ooooo
"Your mother was worried about you. You could have let us know you were alright."
Alan was sitting at the edge of the bed. Ginny was laying down, slowly breathing in and out. He knew she wasn't sleeping, she knew he knew. Still, she kept quiet.
He'd walked into the room not long after Ginny herself. She'd left Charlie sleeping when she'd heard her husband come home and made her way to their room. She'd just made it into bed and closed her eyes, when she heard his footsteps outside the bedroom door. She wanted to avoid any type of confrontation with him, however small the chance of that happening was.
For the most part, Alan would hardly actually argue with her. If she were to be fair to the man, she did most of the arguing, and when he did argue, it was usually on her behalf.
"Were you—were you with someone else?" She didn't answer. There was a pause, and then a sigh. "I'm trying, Ginny, by God I'm trying, I really am, but you make it impossible. I just thought that after... after him things would change. I thought that maybe you'd be able to look at me, at us, in a different light.
"I'm here until the end, Ginny, but at this point, if you want out of this marriage, I won't do anything to stop you. If you need to be let go, I'll let you go."
She felt the bed shift as Alan stood. She heard the soft thudding of his boots on the hardwood floor as he walked away. There was the sound of the door opening, and then a pause.
"I want to fight for us," he said, "I just hope you haven't given up, not just yet." She pressed her eyes tight. The guilt was eating her inside. The guilt that by now she should be so used to, but wasn't. Maybe she should say something. Maybe she should give him an explanation, he deserved that much, but she didn't make up her mind in time as it seemed that Alan was done waiting for an answer. She heard the door close as he left.
He didn't return to bed that night, and the next morning when Ginny got up, he wasn't home.
ooooo
"Where's dad?"
Ginny was sitting down at the kitchen table. Unable to stomach anything, she'd simply sat there, drinking her tea, while Charlie next to her, ate his breakfast cereal. They'd sat quietly for while, that was until he'd asked the question.
"He left early for work," she answered, smiling at her son.
"Oh." There was a pause. He played with the milk at the bottom of his bowl, frowning. He bit his bottom lip and then spoke again. "Are you both alright? I mean... you know…. together, are you alright?" he asked still looking down at his bowl.
"Why do you ask?" It had taken Ginny a moment to process his words. This had been the first time he'd ever asked anything of the sort.
"I just thought... you know—" he started, and then stopped for a second, seemingly trying to come up with the right words. "Well, I just thought. This is how it usually starts before parents separate," he answered, saying the words quickly, glancing up at his mother, and then back down at his bowl once more.
Ginny looked him, really looked at him. He was thirteen years old now, more than half-way to adulthood. She hadn't expected him not to notice the tension, least of all his father's absence from their house that morning. But coming face-to-face with the realization of his knowing, that had taken her by surprise. She'd been naive—or more likely in denial—about her son's awareness of what was going on between his parents.
"Well of course not. We're fine, Darling," she lied. "Dad had work, last moment stuff. I wouldn't think on it. Anyhow, I was thinking that maybe you and I can spend the day together, go to Diagon Alley. Maybe we can get Morph his birthday gift. How does that sound?" she finished, smiling as genuinely as she could.
She received a bright smile in return. "I have the perfect thing," he said excited, now distracted by the idea of buying his best friend a gift.
"Well then, its a date," Ginny said. He gave her nod of approval, and went back to his breakfast with a smile. For now, he'd left the whole matter of his parents forgotten. She would have time to think of a real explanation, for when the subject came up again.
Besides, Alan most likely had left early for work; actually, Ginny was almost sure of it. The man would never miss a day of work—he was too serious about his job, unlike Ginny who didn't care one way or another about hers. She was the Senior Assistant to the Head of the International Magical Cooperation Department, Janice Klinny.
Her boss had been very supportive of Ginny after the whole Daniel scandal, and had made sure to stop any gossip in the office when the articles had started surfacing in the media. "Come back when you're ready," she'd told her after Ginny had asked for time off. "Take the time you need to get over this, your job will be here when you return."
Klinny was the only reason why Ginny had even returned to work. Her boss had always been very kind to her, like another mother for Ginny. At the moment however, she wasn't working. She was off for work for a couple of weeks, as she was every year at that time, when Charlie was home for the Summer.
