And then with a loud cracking sound cold sea air hit them and they found themselves standing in the dark a few hundred meters from a cliff down to the sea. They could see a cottage behind them a little way up the hill.
"That's it I recognise it from the pictures Bill sent"
Ginny said, so they started to walk up to it keeping the cloak on still. The walked seemed shorter from where they stood but the ground was clumpy and would have been hard to walk on even in the daylight because there was no track to follow. as they walked Ginny filled Harry in on what other people knew, and what she knew in more detail. Finally they got to the front door and rung the bell. They could hear voices from inside and there were lights turning on. Bill though the door open clearly quite cross at having been woken up and even more to find no on there he looked very menacing with the scaring to his face showing in the lamplight. Harry and Ginny pulled off the cloak and Bills expression melted.
"Get in quick"
He said seroiusly.
"Bill? Oo is it? Bill?"
Then Fleur came down the stairs wearing a white silky dressing gown.
"'arry! Ginny what are you doing 'ere"
Ginny and Harry were panting a bit.
"We have some.. news"
Said Harry
"I will put ze' kettle on"
Said Fleur understandingly
"So what's your news then?"
Said Bill in a slightly worried tone. Ginny and Harry looked at each other and Harry put his arm round her. Then Harry looked back at Bill, stood up straight, and cleared his throat
"Ginny is pregnant with my child"
There was a very short pause where Bill contemplated this then he frowned at Harry
"I'm gonna kill you!"
And he lunged at Harry, as Ginny screamed at him NO. He punched Harry to the floor and became very werewolf like.
"I'll fucking kill you! You got my 17-year-old sister pregnant! You couldn't keep your fucking cock in your trousers! MY FAMILLY TRUSTED YOU!"
Bill was shouting as he had his hands round Harry's neck.
"NO BILL STOP IT!"
Came shouts from Fleur and Ginny. But he shrugged them off as they tried to restrain him. His werewolf's tendencies clearly went a little beyond a fetish for raw steaks. But before Bill could strangle Harry completely, Harry pulled out his wand and Bill was thrown backwards suspended flat against the wall. He was growling loudly and as Harry was pointing his wand at Bill he struggled to his knees and looked down as massaged his neck. Ginny rushed over to Harry.
"Bill how could you!"
Said Ginny though her tears. Fleur was stroking Bill's chest trying to clam him down and his growling was diminishing into heavy breathing. Fleur turned to Harry and said.
"Its ok 'arry you can let him go now"
So Harry released Bill and Bill dropped to the floor in a perfect crouch. Everyone then stood up straight and there was tension in the room. There was a long silence this time where Harry and Bill gave each other evil stares. Ginny walked up to Bill and stood directly in front of him. He could still see Harry over Ginny's head. They were both tall men, although Bill was clearly larger.
"Bill please. I love Harry and he loves me this is a happy thing not something that gives you the right to try and kill him!"
Bill looked lividly at Harry then closed his eyes and when he opened them he was looking at Ginny. He stared at her for a while then Harry came up behind her and grabbed her waist pulling her towards him away from Bill a bit. Fleur stepped between Bill and the others.
"Lets all sit down, come on Bill sit please"
Bill looked into Fleur's eyes and then followed her to sit at the table. Harry and Ginny took seats opposite Bill, and Fleur gave them all hot drinks.
"So what do you plan to do now then?"
Said Bill.
"Bill I want ask to you a favour"
Started Ginny
"I thought this might be coming"
Said Bill with his head in his hand
"May I come stay with you till I have the baby?"
"Of course you can Ginny it would be our pleasure to 'ave you"
Said Fleur
"Thank you" said Ginny
Bill got up with his drink and began to pace up and down the kitchen. He looked angry still.
"It isn't all that simple though is it Ginny, you have CMBD and this pregnancy could kill you"
Bill was getting really angry again he was almost shouting now. Bill gripped his mug so hard it crushed in his hands. Harry got up and went to stand in Bill's pacing path.
"She is NOT going to die!"
Said Harry aggressively and Bill went for him again
"You don't know that! You stupid fuck!" he yelled forcing Harry to the wall by his collar. Ginny got up and ran to Bill and she grabbed his arms
"Bill NO!"
Bill threw her off and she hit the staircase knocking herself hard, and falling to the floor.
"Ginny!"
Screamed Fleur, running over, Bill had dropped Harry and was kneeling by her side in seconds Ginny was clutching her side and she was wheezing.
"Gin!"
Cried Harry. Fleur laid her down flat and felt Ginny's side she was frowning with concentration.
"I'm sorry Gin I'm so sorry I didn't mean for it…. I just.. I'm so angry"
Sobbed bill
"Its ok Bill I know you didn't mean it"
Ginny wheezed heavily
"I 'sink 'er rib is broken we should get 'er up stairs"
Bill went to pick her up, but Harry got there first. And Bill did not protest, Ginny yelped in pain as Harry picked her up. Fleur lead the way up the stairs into a small spare bedroom, and they lit some lamps. Fleur told the men to leave while she sorted Ginny out. So Bill and Harry went back downstairs. They sat with their drinks in the kitchen. Bill had had to make himself a new one coz his mug got crushed. They sat in silence opposite each other not looking at each other at all.
Fleur came down the stairs a moment or two later and the two men sat up expectantly. Fleur picked up Ginny's bag from the floor and plonked it on the table in front of them. She then started to rummage though it and pulled out a clump of papers, which she spread over the table and found what she was looking for the Esben method. She then gave Harry and Bill a glace. Then she lingered on Bill and gave him a "sort it out, or your on the sofa" kind of look. She took the paper she needed and disappeared back upstairs. The men went back to looking into their mugs, maybe they were hoping that the peace would just leap out of them, and neither man would have to stand down. They could hear Ginny crying in pain upstairs.
"Look Harry… I'm sorry I went for you"
"Its ok you were protecting your sister, I can't imagine how hard it must be to discover how ill she could be from this"
"She almost died Harry, she was minuets from death, and if she is this effected now, think of what it will be like 6 months down the line when one push breaks a rib now Harry!"
Harry hadn't even considered this, it was something he had not even foreseen, and he hadn't planned ahead himself he didn't really plan to be alive in 6 months time.
"I just know, that here is the best place for her right now Bill. Fleur can look after her and you are clearly the best protection she could want and, she is out of you know who's reach here. Please Bill I am asking for your help. I am trying to save the world for her; can you look after her till I have done that? Please"
Bill looked at Harry, and he got up and went round to stand next to him. Harry stood up so that he was eye to eye with Bill.
"Her staying here till the baby comes was never in question Harry, both you and Ginny are welcome here anytime you want. I just got … cross. There's a lot going on here to you know, and to have my 17 year old sister beat me to it is, a bit embarrassing really."
Harry looked at Bill inquisitively, beat them to it?
"Fleur and I are having a little… trouble in that department, she had a miscarriage a few weeks back. We didn't tell anyone its no one else's business. But I am telling you now Harry, so that you can appreciate what we are going though, and having this now, is just going to bring it all home."
Harry put a hand on Bill's shoulder
"I'm really sorry mate. I'm really sorry for this"
And they both broke down in silent tears and embraced each other in a manly hug. Fleur tip toed down the stairs and leant against the banister watching them lovingly. Harry caught sight of her and broke away clearing his throat, as did Bill.
"You 'ave souted it ot zen?"
Bill and Harry nodded looking at the floor with their hands in their pockets.
"Is Ginny ok can I go see her?"
Harry asked quickly.
"Yes she is ok, go see 'er now while she is awake she needs 'er rest"
Harry looked at Bill then made his way up the stairs. He realised as he hesitated with his hand on the doorknob to the room that he had been in this situation before, but Ginny wasn't dieing then, Voldermort wasn't winning then, and he wasn't leaving her then, and the world was a much smaller place than it seemed today. He opened the door and walked in. She looked so small in the bed tiny and grey in the moonlight. He walked over and sat on the bed beside her and stroked her face. She opened her eyes.
"Hey there handsome"
"Hey"
"Some adventure ay? Have you sorted things out with Bill?"
"yer everything's fine now"
Said Harry smiling
"Did you know that fleur had a miscarriage?"
Said Ginny
"yer Bill just told me, he's really cut up about it, and he thinks that triggered his temper etc"
"Are you ok he didn't hurt you did he"
Said Ginny worried
"A few bruises I will be fine, listen I cant stay I have to get back to Ron and Hermione they don't know I am gone, and I will probably get back to find them having hot steamy sex ha ha ha"
Ginny laughed and then winced in pain. And Harry brought his hand up to her cheek.
"I have to go"
He said painfully
"I know.. its ok"
"I will come back… ok… keep talking to me on that paper you hear! B for Bill and F for Fleur ok?."
"Ok"
With that Harry left the room. He couldn't bear painful good byes and so he went downstairs and grabbed his cloak
"'arry you 'avent finished your drink?"
"I'm sorry I have to go now. Look after her for me, she is the most precious thing in the world to me."
"No problem mate"
Said Bill.
"I will come back. I don't know when"
Before anyone could say anything else he turned tail out of the room, and with a cold blast of sea air he was gone from the house and diapered into the night.