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Chapter 8
Please, Not A Bad Day
It was dark. It was the kind of dark where you can't see anything beyond your nose. It was the kind that monsters liked. Slimy green monsters liked to crawl out of the dark looking for yummy little things to eat. She was little. Grand-mum said she was little like mummy. She wished she was big. She needed to be brave. Grand-dad said her daddy was brave. She wouldn't scream. Someone would come if she screamed. She went back to thinking about the slimy green monsters. They were nicer…
***
Harry arrived at the burrow between Arthur and Ron. He would have paid anything to have prevented the site before his eyes. She was rolled into a tight ball crying by a cold stone marker that seemed to be offering no comfort. Pain shot straight to his heart. He couldn't pry his eyes away. He was so enthralled, he didn't notice his feet moving. He didn't notice how Arthur and Ron slipped inside with the rest of the family to spy out the kitchen window.
***
The dark wasn't so bad. Cold was bad. The floor was cold. The wall she laid against was cold. She was cold.
***
Ginny couldn't breathe. The sobs were uncontrollable. She had officially fallen apart. It wasn't as bad as she had expected. There was soft green grass below her. It had the most wonderful smell. If she could give green a smell, it would be the smell of fresh grass. No matter how many times she tried to deny it, she loved the color green. She had been leaning with her back against Fred's marker. Her eyes were shut tight against the tears that still managed to spill out. She couldn't remember when she had moved her hands to the grass grasping clumps of the green stuff in her hands. She couldn't remember sliding to the ground. She couldn't remember curling into a ball. No one ever bothered her when she was here. She would hex anyone who tried. So, who was here now? At least, she would hex whoever it was now if she could breathe let alone get the words out. She let herself be unwound and pulled up off the ground to be cradled in strong arms.
***
She was hungry. She hadn't really eaten anything for breakfast except for a little treacle tart. She had been so excited. Grand-mum was making lunch. She wanted lunch.
***
Harry took Ron's advice. Hermione had said he was right. He held her in his arms. He rocked her back and forth. He kissed her head. He whispered into her ear "I'm sorry, so sorry." He whispered and just simply held her. Tears fell from his eyes when her fists unclenched the grass and curled into his shirt. He had to make her understand. He was back. He wasn't going anywhere.
***
Once upon a time before mummy was born, there was a little boy who was smaller than me. A very bad man went after his mummy and daddy. The little boy grew up not knowing how many people he would help.
***
Ginny couldn't believe how safe she felt. The sobs slowed but she kept her eyes firmly shut. She hadn't felt this safe since the night before he left. It couldn't possibly be…she felt herself begin to slowly rock back and forth in his arms. He was coming for lunch. All males were foremost concerned about their stomachs. If it was him…Ginny felt his lips press against her hair. It was so soft she wouldn't have even noticed it if her subconscious wouldn't have suddenly decided to wake her up. She had imagined this day so many times. At first, she thought their reunion was going to be strictly passion. This idea was quickly replaced with more of a scene of mutual comfort. As the years had past, the vision had changed. The only one she remembered recently was the one that involved him shaking his head and walking away. When she heard him whisper, she thought it was just her mind giving her what she wanted. When he wouldn't quit saying it, she decided to hold on. She wasn't going to let him go. She hoped he liked this shirt.
***
The little boy grew and grew. He was ready to go to school. He was 11 years old. One day, a mean troll went after Auntie Hermione. The boy and Uncle Ron went and saved her together.
***
Arthur and Molly had made their way to the kitchen window by declaring that they in fact owned the window. There was a chorus of complaints as they edged toward the window. Arthur hugged Molly to his side as tears freely ran down his wife's face. The couple couldn't seem to get their fill of the sight of the younger pair. It was almost like a cleansing calm descended upon them. This was the moment they had been waiting for these five long years. Everything was going to fall into place. Arthur and Molly continued to soak in the beautiful scene before them as the crowd in the kitchen thinned. They were so enthralled in the moment that they didn't notice who the crowd in the kitchen had actually included.
***
The next year at school, there was a very bad man who went after mummy. He had a giant pet snake. Uncle Ron played a giant chess game. He won. He always wins. Aunt Hermione won a puzzle so the boy could walk through a fire door. The bad man's pet snake was keeping mummy in that room. The boy killed the mean snake and saved mummy. He was very brave.
***
It wasn't fair. Just because the lot of them had moved out didn't mean that they couldn't take turns looking out the window. It wasn't like the view was changing much. Maybe that was why everyone backed off. Well, now that Ron thought about it everyone really wasn't everyone. It was just himself, Percy, and Charlie. The three of them might as well round up everyone. Charlie was going to check on Bill and Fleur. Percy was going after George and Angelina. He was going to see what the hold up at the ministry was that would be keeping Hermione and Grace. It wasn't like Hermione to be late. The girls were fine. He wasn't worried. At least, that's what he told himself.
***
The next year the boy, Uncle Ron, and Auntie Hermione saved a very brave man by traveling through time. She really didn't believe this one…
***
Charlie never did well with people who were ill. It seemed that whatever Victorie and Bill had was contagious because Fleur was currently spilling her guts in the kitchen sink. Bill was in the bathroom. Victorie was crying and spewing all over the floor. Charlie was beginning to think they should have made this one the short straw. Walking in on George and Angelina couldn't be worse than this.
***
The next year the boy fought a dragon. He didn't fight it like Uncle Charlie. He fought it because he had to win three cups. She didn't think she would be that brave for a stupid set of cups. This part of the story really wasn't her favorite. It didn't have enough flying in it…
***
Percy had drawn the short straw. Ron had cheated so he could go after Hermione. Percy really couldn't blame him. He loved George, but the flat above the shop was the last place he wanted to be right now. By the sounds he was hearing, he really didn't want to go up there. Charlie said it was his turn since he had gotten Ron and Hermione that morning. Percy argued that it didn't count because this was George and that was Ron. Ron started to take offence until Percy started to mention the reason why Ron moved out of the flat above the shop to his own place. Percy heard a mumbled "good point" before Percy stepped into the flu. It didn't really matter if he got stuck "finding" George this time. He had a feeling that lunch was going to be late. Percy sat on the stairs and waited for a lull in the noise. He hoped they would come down soon. Interrupting …that…again was not at the top of his priority list. Ron could back him up if lunch was cold when they got back.
***
The next part of the story involved a pretty bird…she almost always fell asleep at this part. She was so sleepy. She didn't want to sleep.
***
Ron arrived back at the memorial to find it eerily deserted. He pulled out his wand without a second thought. He might not have accepted a direct offer to be an auror, but it never did leave his system. Dad had mentioned that Hermione had rushed Grace to the powder room. Even though Hermione wouldn't even have had to stand in line…she hated when people stepped aside for Miss Granger… she would have skipped the whole lot for their niece. Their niece…he liked the sound of that. Ron slipped into the women's room not knowing if he wanted to find them their or not.
***
Her eyes kept drifting closed. She just needed to think about Grand-dad's story. The next part was about a prince? Or was it about a book? She just wanted to sleep. It was dark. She was cold.
***
Ron slowly pushed in each stall door. He was just over half way down the row when he reached a stall the read out of order. He paused before pushing lightly against the door. When it didn't open, he used his wand. He gasped at what he found inside.
Ron reached out to pull Hermione towards his chest. She was so still. It was all he could do to keep from dropping her back against the toilet when she made a rumbling sound in her throat. Ron realized there were tears running down his face. She was alive. She was going to be fine. Ron picked her up into his arms and apparated back to the burrow on the spot. She was going to be alright. She had to be. She just had to be.
***
All she had to do was keep thinking about the story. Now, she was at the part where the boy, Uncle Ron, and Auntie Hermione went camping. Everyone fought against the bad man's people. The brave boy made the bad man go away and never come back. She was falling asleep. She was so tired but it was dark and cold and dark…she hated the dark.
***
Arthur heard the pop…and then he heard Ginny's screams. He saw his son running towards the house with an unconscious Hermione in his arms. He saw the tears on his son's face. He saw Harry holding back his daughter with what looked like the entire boy's strength. He saw Molly usher their son inside while shooting out instructions. He watched as Ginny went into hysterics. He watched Harry decide at that moment that he was going to hold his daughter up even though she was determined to hit the ground. He watched his wife bring Hermione back to a groggy state. He heard the most horrible truth in his life…
"She's gone…Grace is gone." Hermione went back under before Arthur heard Ginny scream "where?!"
***
She wouldn't go to sleep. Not here. Not in the dark. She just had to think about Grand-dad's story… Once upon a time before mummy was born, there was a little boy who was smaller than me…
***
Harry watched Hermione fall back against Ron on the couch. Ginny was screaming "where" over and over and over. It was all he could do to hold her up. It was then he saw Arthur staring at him.
"What do you mean by: please, not a bad day?" Arthur was giving Harry the most puzzled look. Harry knew what the man was thinking as he stared back into the Arthur's eyes. This day was probably automatically placed on Arthur's bad days' list. Harry was going to explain to anyone what he meant. Explaining would mean that he thought there was a chance that…no, he wasn't even going to think it. Harry Potter found missing persons. He was going to find Grace. He was going to need grace to find her.
***
Her daddy was the bravest man ever. He was really smart. He would find her. Her daddy was going to find her…
