A/N: Chapter 12! Yay! Please enjoy… and don't forget to review. :]
Disclaimer: JKR owns HP. Story title and chapter names are from "Spring Came" by Kendra Peters.
Chapter 12: From Sunset-Gold to Night
Molly Weasley hummed a little to herself as she made some cakes to go with tea. George had already promised to stop by, and Bill and Fleur, but it was a bit lonely, with Harry and Ron working for the Ministry every day and Ginny—well…
She hastily cast about for another subject, but fortunately, a light tapping at the kitchen window changed her thoughts for her.
A very stately looking eagle owl was giving her a sort of glare though the glass. Hastily, she wiped her hands and let him in. He dropped his letter on the table and was off again in a moment. Curious, Molly picked up the letter and gingerly opened it. When she recognized Ron's handwriting, she gave a brief sigh—partly relieved, partly disappointed—and began reading at once.
Dear Mum,
I'm not at work. I took the day off to visit Malfoy Manor. Something's happened. Ginny's been out cold, but she'll probably be all right when she wakes up. I think you should all come over here and see her. Please spread the word to everyone else in the family, and tell Hermione where I've been. Malfoy's not here.
Love,
Ron
p.s. I'm not alone here (besides Ginny); there's someone else. I don't really think I should explain it in a letter. You'd better just come and see for yourself. You'll understand.
Molly read the letter several times before reality dawned. Something had happened? Ginny was unconscious? Ginny would "probably" be all right?!
Suddenly, Molly sprung into action, throwing the letter on the table, running out of the house, and Apparating as soon as she got past the Burrow's protective spells.
-&-
"Send me an owl in an hour or two," Blaise called to Draco's back as he retreated into the sunset. "After you've sorted everything out."
"Something tells me it's going to take longer than that," Draco replied over his shoulder. He shuddered to think of his wife's temper descending upon him. A small, annoying voice in his head reminded him that he deserved it.
Before Draco Apparated, he heard Blaise laughing, but he couldn't bring himself to see the humor in the situation.
-&-
"Ron! Ron! Open this door at once or I swear on my soul—"
The shout, accompanied by pounding on the heavy doors of Malfoy Manor, woke Alice, and she started crying with a much greater capacity than her tiny lungs would seem to allow.
Ron, who was up in her room with Ebby, gave the elf a pleading look.
"You should pick her up, Sir," said the elf. The pounding and shouting grew louder downstairs.
"But—I've never—what if I—" Ron backed away from the cradle, wringing his hands. More voices rose from outside the front doors.
Ebby sighed. "Sir, she is your niece, sir. Eventually, you will have to hold her." But the elf stepped forward and took the baby up in her arms instead. "Shush," she murmured. "It's okay, little mistress. Shush."
Ron thanked all the gods and goddesses he could think of for the house elf's presence before dashing downstairs.
"All right, all right," he shouted, angrily. "Keep your knickers on." He wrenched the door open.
Everyone paused, mid-shout. Harry stood closest to the door, his fist raised, about to knock (if you could call it knocking; it was more like pummeling) again. Behind him stood Hermione, who was chewing on a fingernail, looking worried, and Mrs. Weasley, whose hair was falling from her bun. She looked absolutely frantic. Bill and Fleur stood at the back, Bill with his arm around his wife.
Mrs. Weasley nearly bowled Harry over as she ran into the room and gripped Ron in a tight hug. Moments later, she stepped back.
"Where's Ginny? We got your owl. Fred and George are coming after they close the shop. Your father will be along too." She stopped. Ron blinked at her. "Where's Ginny?!" she asked again, loudly, making him jump.
"She's… upstairs," he said, feeling suddenly very embarrassed. Who was he to welcome them to Malfoy Manor? Not for the first time that afternoon, he forced himself to imagine that Draco was going to be back any minute. Ron thought again of the letter—To make you understand—but turned his attention immediately back to his family, not wanting to think the worst.
Mrs. Weasley pushed past him and began running up the stairs before he could say more.
"On the right," he called after her.
Hermione hurried to Ron and hugged him.
"I wish I'd known you were coming today," she whispered in his ear. "I would have come, too."
Ron pulled back and smiled and her gratefully, meeting her concerned chocolate eyes with his blue ones. "You're here now," he said. "That is what's important."
She nodded. Then, stepping back from Ron, she turned to look at Harry, and, hovering behind him, Bill and Fleur. They all three looked as though they were regretting their decision to show up.
"Come on upstairs," Ron said, ushering them in. "It's okay, Malfoy's not here."
"What, so you've taken over?" Bill joked, pushing gently past Harry. Fleur followed him. Before they climbed the stairs after Mrs. Weasley, Bill turned back to Ron. "I hope you explain what's going on after this," he said simply. Then they left.
Only Harry stood outside the open door. Behind him, the sun was beginning to sink into the horizon. The bright oranges and golds of sunset silhouetted him over the threshold. He hesitated for a moment longer—then, very slowly, he stepped inside.
"Thanks for coming, mate," Ron said, looking straight into Harry's large, troubled green eyes.
"Take me to her," Harry said simply, and Ron nodded, shut the door, and took Hermione's hand, leading his two best friends upstairs.
-&-
Draco was still fighting the urge to run away when he Apparated outside of the boundaries of magical protection around Malfoy Manor. He knew that Blaise was right—Ginny wouldn't want him to run away—but it wasn't about what Ginny wanted. It was about what was better for her, whether she liked it or not. And it didn't matter that it was painful—that's why it was called a sacrifice. She would recover in time, with her family surrounding her, helping her.
Draco shook his head violently, as if he were trying to shake his very thoughts away. He sped up his steps, hoping he would arrive at the front door of the Manor before he could change his mind. In his distraction and haste, he had overshot the front of the house when he Apparated, so instead he had to come at the front door from around the side. He could just see the corner, he sped into a jog—
And he froze, just out of view of the front landing, at the sound of voices.
"Ron! Ron! Open this door at once or I swear on my soul—"
Draco would recognize that voice anywhere.
Harry Potter's voice.
Before Draco could peak around the corner at the group of people outside the front door, he heard the sound of wailing burst out of a window above him, and it wrenched his heart.
Alice, he thought. He was standing directly beneath her second-story window. It was open, allowing him to plainly hear her crying. The sounds of shouting from outside the front door must have frightened her or woken her up.
Over the sound of Alice's crying, he barely heard a female voice, quieting her. Ginny, he thought, and his stomach dropped out. He tried to focus his attention instead upon the people currently outside his front door.
Leaning forward, Draco peered around the corner of the manor. Upon the front step, behind Harry, stood Granger, Ginny's mother, and—Fleur Delacour? Another extremely red-headed man, whom Draco assumed was one of Ginny's brothers, had his arm around her. Odd, Draco thought, but then the door burst open and Draco heard Ron's voice.
"All right, all right, keep your knickers on!"
Mrs. Weasley burst into the house.
Draco sank against the side of the manor, afraid his knees would give out. Of course.
Draco was gone. They knew that. Ginny must have written to them right away, begging them to come and see her and comfort her. She must have been so desperate to see her family and to introduce them to her daughter that she could hardly wait to call them to the manor.
And, of course, they had come, knowing Ginny would need to be told that Draco had always been a lying bastard—he was a Malfoy, after all—and why was she so surprised that he left her with a baby?
Draco took a long, shuddering breath. The reality of leaving her hit him for the first time. He had never been noble before—he was, after all, in Slytherin for a reason. And being so utterly unprepared for what it would be like to sacrifice himself for someone else, when it really happened—when he realized that maybe he was right, that maybe she was happier—his heart broke in his chest.
He felt stupid and betrayed all at once. Yes, this was his decision—but deep down, the whole time, he knew that stubborn, prideful Ginny would drag him back to her. But it was not to be. He hadn't even been gone an entire day, yet here was her family, desperate to see her, and she was inside with her newborn daughter, equally as desperate to see them.
He was a fool, an ignorant, idiotic fool. Ginny didn't need him. She had many others to make her happy. He realized why she had stayed with him all this time: because he needed her.
He, Draco Malfoy, who had never needed anyone in his entire life, needed her.
And then, disgusted at his own weakness, shocked at his own misjudgment, Draco ran as fast as he could away from the manor, sprinting into the rising darkness, disappearing as soon as he crossed the protective barrier.
-&-
"Oh, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley murmured, brushed shaking fingers through her daughter's hair, "oh, Ginny, I'm so sorry." She looked up as Ron, Harry, and Hermione entered the room.
Bill and Fleur looked over at them, too. They stood on Ginny's other side, looking awkward but concerned. Bill held one of Ginny's hands in his own.
As soon as he entered the room, Harry froze. His eyes went immediately to Ginny, and he didn't blink. He didn't even seem to breathe.
Mrs. Weasley stood up. "Ron, I want you to tell me what is going on, and I want you to tell me right now." She looked up at him, her bitterness evident in her voice. "Where's Malfoy?"
Ron took a deep breath. He hardly knew where to begin. He let out his first breath and tried again. Bill turned to look at him, quirking an eyebrow. Fleur continued to remain silent, reaching out and brushing Ginny gently on the arm.
Hermione reached over and took Ron's hand. She gave him an encouraging half-smile, although her own surprise at Ginny's condition was evident behind her eyes. Harry still did not move.
Ron took a third breath. "Okay. Listen. I have a few things to tell you. I think you should all come with me. I can't give Ginny her medicine until later, anyway, and…" he paused. "And there's someone I think you should meet," he finished quickly, not meeting anyone's eyes.
Hermione raised her eyebrows, but Mrs. Weasley took a step toward him. "Ron, I just want to know if she's going to be okay. After—after three years—" but her voice cracked and she could not go on. She looked at the floor.
"I know how you feel," Ron said. "Come on. I'll explain everything." He turned to leave. Hermione followed, and so did Bill, Mrs. Weasley, and Fleur.
Harry didn't move. Ron turned back to him. "Harry?" he asked gently.
Finally, Harry tore his eyes from Ginny's unmoving body and looked at Ron. "I think… I think I want to stay here," he said. "I think I need a minute with her. If you don't mind."
Ron nodded. He understood. No one else said anything.
"I'll tell you everything later," Ron said. Then everyone filed out of the room, and the door shut behind them.
Harry, alone with Ginny for the first time in three years, crossed to her bedside, sat down, and began to cry.
-&-
A/N: Let's face it: Harry was always a bit of a girl. :] Please review!!!
