Previously
"I let Avery straight into Harry's house!"
It was all my fault. Avery got in because of me. Everyone's eyes were on me and an uncomfortable silence filled the room.
"Ginny no one blames you for what happened" Kingsley said reassuringly. I shook my head my hand still clutching my mouth, feeling tears splash onto my hand. Harry was almost killed because I had been too stupid to remember to close the door.
"Well it is a habit you have Ginny dear but we don't blame you for Harry being poisoned simply because you forgot to shut a door, anyone could have left it open" Mum said seeing my tears.
"Not Harry" I said trying to keep my tears at bay. Dad reached out to comfort me but I flinched away and ran out of the room. Mum called me back but I didn't listen. I nearly killed Harry. It was my fault Harry was lying unconscious in a hospital bed. He was going to hate me. I ran straight past Harry's room and past the reception till I felt the cold winter rain splashing on my face mixing with my tears. I looked around me not sure what to do. What if Harry had died? My family and Kingsley would hate me forever. Not to mention the heavy guilt I would carry. I didn't even want to think of it.
"Ginny, come inside it's freezing out here" Carrie stood beside me and put her arm around me, she led me inside.
"So your family found out it was Avery hey?" she asked giving an anxious laugh, walking me back through the doors.
"Yeah they did why?" I said shakily, looking at Carrie. Her eyes darted around the reception avoiding mine.
"Did they mention how he was getting information?" she asked clearly getting anxious.
"Kingsley said it was someone on the inside who knew about Harry's collapse" Her face dropped and she started ringing her hands. I narrowed my eyes at her. Something in my brain clunked into place like clockwork. "It's quite possible that someone on the inside has been leaking everything, someone who knew what Harry's condition was when he collapsed" Kingsley said in my brain.
"How's Teddy?" Carrie asked. At that I understood and my anger sored and bubbled in my blood.
"You!" I spat. Carrie looked alarmed.
"What?" she squeaked. I seized her by the collar and held her up against the wall. She squealed like a pig in fright.
"YOU TOLD AVERY WHERE TO FIND HARRY AND TEDDY DIDN'T YOU!?" I shouted in her face. Her arms flailed at her sides as she struggled to get free.
"What n-no I-I didn't- mean- to" she stuttered. I twisted her collar. She gasped
"Ginny!" Dad was running down the corridor towards me. He took out his wand and I felt my hands fly off Carrie. I struggled against Dad to get hold of her again.
"YOU MADE ME THINK IT WAS ME! YOU NEARLY KILLED HIM! WHY!?" I cried in anger. Carrie stayed pressed up against the wall in fright.
"Ginny you're making a scene!" Dad yelled struggling to hold me back.
"I DON'T CARE IT WAS ALL HER! SHE WAS THE ONE WHO TOLD AVERY!" Dad gave up trying to hold me back and I felt his wand prod me in the hip. My muscles paralysed and went weak. I slumped in his arms in defeat.
"You better get out of here!" he barked at Carrie "Don't you ever let me see you again or I swear I will hex you till you're nothing more than a lump of flesh!" pride for my father swelled inside me. He picked me up in his arms and carried me down the corridor while I sobbed on his shoulder.
"What happened?!" Hermione asked alarmed. Dad put me on the couch and slumped into the chair beside me. I was still unable to move my muscles so I just lay on the couch staring at the cushions, unable to wipe my tears or nose. "Ginny has found our leak" Dad said waving a tired hand. Ron jumped into action.
"What who?" he demanded. Kingsley and Mum were obviously visiting Harry, Bill and Flur were sitting in the corner listening intently. I sniffed trying to control my running nose.
"One of Ginny's work mates Carrie. She looked after Harry when he collapsed" he replied "That's why she was a threat" he said gravely. I felt my muscles slowly regain some normalness and I moved to wipe my eyes. Hermione grabbed a tissue and handed it to me. I thanked her and wiped my nose, feeling less stupid now my nose wasn't running like a leaking tap. Dad was rubbing his forehead. The room was silent only my sniffing was audible. Dad stood up and headed to the door. He stopped and looked around the room.
"I'm going to tell Kingsley" he stated "He might still catch her and have a talk to her" he left the room and I continued to stare at the cushions feeling the anger still boiling inside me. It was Carrie, who I had worked with for a year, who had comforted me when I found out Harry had been poisoned. She had betrayed him and lied to me. The room was silent for what seemed like hours before I had gained full control of my muscles. Mum had returned to say Kingsley had caught Carrie and she admitted to everything. "I think she was threatened by Avery" she told us. That didn't change my attitude towards her.
"I'm going to see Harry I want to be there when he wakes up, it shouldn't be too long now" I said throwing off the blanket Hermione had given me. Bill and Flur stood up "We'd better be going. Would you floo us when Harry's awake?" Mum nodded and they left the room, waving goodbyes.
It was currently 7:00 pm and the corridors of St Mungos were still full of patients and healers. Harry's room however was peaceful and calming. The steady rise and fall of his chest was comforting and it looked as if he were merely sleeping. His glasses sat on the side table beside him next to a glass of water. It would have looked so normal if he wasn't in hospital. My mind that had been racing for the past few days slowed and all I had to think about was the ticking of the clock and wait for Harry to wake up. His finger twitched and my heart leapt. Deciding it was just a nervous twitch I sighed and lent back on the chair. His finger twitched again. This wasn't a nervous twitch "Harry" I whispered cautiously. He didn't reply but he moved his fingers as if testing them. "Harry" I repeated. He opened one eye slowly and raised his eyebrows before opening the next. The somersaulting butterflies from last night returned and fluttered even more madly in approval. He glanced around until he saw me.
"Ginny" he breathed weakly. The Butterflies exploded. After waiting 3 days to hear his voice and see his emerald green eyes I finally was. The anger and betrayal I had felt a few hours before vanished.
"Yes I'm here and so are Ron and Hermione" I said. He smiled at me and tears rolled down my cheeks.
"I'm okay" he said hoarsely he raised his hand to my cheek and brushed away my tears. I closed my eyes at his touch, my cheek tingled pleasantly and my heart glowed. I grabbed his hand, he squeezed mine. It felt amazing to feel him hold my hand back, instead of feeling his limp cold hand against mine. I wanted to run into the family room and tell everyone he was awake but I didn't want to leave his side. I wasn't ready to let go of him just yet.
"Glasses?" he said. I stared confused "I can't see you very well" he continued, trying to help me understand. I suddenly realised and handed him his glasses feeling silly. He put them on and gazed into my eyes. "Still beautiful" he said grinning "I must look a right mess"
"No more than usual" I giggled. He laughed which then turned into coughing. My heart squeezed in fear but the coughing stopped and he breathed normally again. I breathed a sigh of relief
"And still humorous" he said sarcastically. Fear flashed across his face
"What's wrong?" I asked worried
"Teddy how's Teddy?' he asked struggling to sit up. I stopped him and forced him back onto the pillows.
"Teddy's fine he's with my Mum and Dad their here to. I should go tell them" I said, suddenly feeling guilty not telling anyone he was awake. He nodded and let go of my hand. I stood grinning at him. He looked at me funny
"Are you telling them telepathically or…" he joked. I looked away and made towards the door.
"Right yeah" I said. I could hear him laughing behind me. My heart soared higher hearing it.
The room was quite with an air of anticipation. As soon as I entered the room Ron sat up higher eager to hear the news. I couldn't stop the smile that was spreading on my face.
"Is he awake?" Hermione asked hopefully. I nodded quickly; Ron launched himself from his chair and pushed past me, I side stepped him. Hermione looked up at me doubtful
"Is he okay?" she asked timidly.
"He's fine" I confirmed. At that she leapt up and barged past me, I rubbed my shoulder now feeling it throb after being pushing painfully into a doorframe twice. I sat down in Ron's vacant chair deciding to leave them. I folded my legs and stared out the window opposite. It was a miserable day still and the rain battered the windows but I saw past it. It was a wonderful day for me. The birds chirped and the sun shined reflecting my feeling.
"Ginny where's Hermione and Ron?" Mum asked worried, forcing the miserable gray sky to return. I looked away disappointed. Mum was standing in the door holding Teddy's hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Teddy was looking around the room searching for them as if it were a game of hide and seek.
"Well Harry's awake so they thought they might say hello" I said casually picking up the Witch Weekly from 1987. Mum dropped her coffee and the steam rose off the ground. She tugged Teddy behind her down the corridor, Teddy protested "Slow down, Ouch my arm!" he shouted disgruntled. I grinned behind my magazine. If Teddy had known what could have happened to him he wouldn't be complaining about a sore arm. Deciding I was doing myself no good sitting there reading an old magazine, I threw it down and walked to Harry's room desperately wanting to see him again.
Terry pasted me in the corridor. He called my name and I stopped to face him. He ran up to me wearing a grin.
"How is he?" he asked
"He's okay thanks to you" I replied, continuing towards Harry's room
"Just an average day" he said proudly, walking beside me "Listen I'm sorry about Carrie and everything I mean if I had known I would have told you" I put my hand up to stop him.
"I know but it doesn't matter now and I wouldn't have expected you to know" I said. We stopped outside Harry's room and Terry held out his hand.
"It was lovely meeting you Ginny and I guess since we work in the same place, I will be seeing you around more" he said shaking my hand, before walking down the corridor and into the intensive care wing. I pushed open the door to his room, Harry was sitting up against the pillows nodding along with whatever Ron said, not really paying attention. He caught my eye and grinned. My heart fluttered pleasantly. Ron spun around to see what he was grinning at. He saw me, before continuing his one-sided conversation.
"That's great Ron really but can I please talk to Ginny? I have to ask her something" Harry said a little impatiently. Ron nodded, grinned at him knowingly and stood up. I stared at them feeling a little confused
"Do you want us to leave Harry?" Hermione asked clearly excited but trying to sound casual.
"Oh no that's-" I began but Harry cut me off "Yeah that'd be great" he said. Hermione winked at me. I stared blinking stupidly, feeling out of the loop. Mum got up to leave taking hold of Teddy "I don't want to leave!" he whined
"Come on Teddy it won't be long" she said tugging his arm again. They all walked towards the door. Mum stopped and turned around "I'm so happy for you Ginny" she said smiling before following the others. I sat down on Harry's bed looking at him bewildered.
"Well I guess their happy because I told them I was planning to ask the most amazing, caring, beautiful and funny woman I have ever known to marry me" he said gazing into my eyes. Someone must have planted fireworks in me because it felt like they were exploding inside me one by one filling me with happiness till I felt like I was floating. I stared at him with my mouth open like a fish, processing his words.
"Say something please" he said afraid. I closed my mouth anything would be good now, just say anything, preferably yes. I opened my mouth again. Harry held my gaze, his jewel green eyes making my stomach do somersaults. Maybe even just an incoherent mumble ANYTHING, my brain yelled at me.
"I understand it's not very romantic" he said looking around him
"No" I said, my brain swore at me. Harry's face dropped, "No! I mean it doesn't matter, yes" I said "Yes it's very romantic and yes I will marry you."