Prompt: Home

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Ginny flooed into her cottage, sighed contentedly, and thought, HOME. All of her siblings knew that it would break Molly's heart to know that any of her progeny thought of anyplace other than The Burrow as their home. But after spending both Christmas and Boxing Day in the rebuilt family house, the youngest Weasley felt a weight lift from her shoulders as she kicked off her shoes and bellowed for her cat.

"Crookshanks! I've brought you some toys from Hermione!" she aimed her voice in the general direction of her bedroom, assuming the cohabitant of her abode was sound asleep somewhere warm and cuddly. She heard the thud as he jumped from her bed, and the floorboards of her hallway creaked under his weight. His claws clattered on the hardwood stairs, and she sighed again at the familiar sounds of a safe place she could truly call her own.

He leaned against her calf, winding his tail around her in greeting, so she bent down and offered him one of the Christmas gifts furnished by his previous owner. He sniffed, batting at it briefly, sending it flying across the room underneath the over-sized chaise where she did most of her reading. The beast looked up at her as if to say, "Why would I play with a fake when I can eviscerate the real thing?" She patted him on the head, agreeing with him, "I know, you're too smart for toys. Don't worry. It's nice that she tries, right?"

Strolling over to the chaise, but leaving the toy where it landed, she grabbed her favorite wooly throw on the way and flounced down. After she whipped the blanket over her, she reached for one of the books she had been reading, and pointed her wand at the fireplace murmuring Incendio. Crookshanks hopped up to join her, and the two of them relaxed together, savoring the peace and quiet. The only sounds were Crookshanks purring, the crackle of the fire, and at first Ginny turning pages, but soon an even breathing as she drifted to sleep.

As she fell asleep, she thought to herself, the only thing that would make this more perfect would be a cup of tea. No, scratch that, someone to make me a cup of tea. She smiled, as she rolled over, and someone to cuddle with, someone to make this house even more of a home.

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A/N: 400 Words

As an aside - I miss Draco. I don't think he'll pop up in tomorrow's chapter, but he'll be back soon. I swear.

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