OK, here it is! Much anticipated 'talk' chapter! I don't feel I've done it that well, but I wanted a bit of drama thrown in, so this is the result. Hope you like it!
Disclaimer: Mars is bright tonight...(don't own nothin')
IN LOVING MEMORY OF NORTH FACE ROCK SLIDE: A WONDERFUL DOG I WAS NEVER PRIVILEGED ENOUGH TO MEET. PLEASE PRAY FOR HIS LOVING OWNER.
Chapter 37: Resolutions
We somehow manage to keep our laughter in check as we enter the living room. I cast a Silencing Charm on the door. I don't want anyone to wake the twins if they yell. Luna drifts off to sit by the fire, and Harry and I take the armchairs nearest her. I look around nervously at my family, who have been watching us in silence. I have no idea what to do, so I wait for someone to speak.
"So where would you like to start, Ginny?" Dad finally asks. His tone is calm, and not unkind, which makes me relax a little more.
"I think the beginning would probably be good," I reply after a moment of thought. George sniggers.
"No, please, start at the end," he says, a look of dead seriousness on his face. I snort.
"Sure. Well, I walked into the room. Before that-"
"Ginny," Mum reprimands, but I can tell most everyone else in the room are suppressing smiles as well.
"Sorry, Mum. Well, the women here with the exception of Fiona already know this, so I'll try to sum it up. So, as you all know, I got pregnant after the Battle of Hogwarts. I figured it out about three weeks after we got back. I'd been showing a lot of signs of pregnancy, I can't believe none of you figured it out." I pause, shaking my head, and Mum speaks up.
"Honestly, Ginny, I suspected. But I wasn't sure. I knew there had to be something wrong, but I assumed you'd just caught a stomach bug. When you left, I was certain my suspicions were close to being correct, but after Angelina had Skylar and Fleur had Victoire and Arthur started working again, my life because very busy to really sit and think about that. I'm not saying I didn't miss you," she adds hastily, "I did. I just never connected it all together," she sighs. I look down. There's another uncomfortable silence.
"Go on, Ginny," Bill urges me after a moment.
"Well, anyways, Luna was in the cafe with me when I figured it out, and I was so shocked and horrified at what I did that I could barely stand to go back to the Burrow and face you all. I...I was scared, too. I didn't think you'd want me, I thought you'd be disgusted with me. I know there's no excuse, but Luna and I made plans and...we left for Kenmare," I finish softly, avoiding Harry's gaze.
"Where?" Percy asks stiffly. I manage not to swear at him, but it's a close thing.
"Kenmare, Ireland," I reply loudly to his shoulder. "Luna had already gotten us a house, and the two of us worked until we had enough money to furnish it. I was a waitress, and Luna a kindergarten teacher. I worked until my sixth month. Because I was pregnant with twins, I was having worse symptoms than normal. Anyways, Luna's salary was enough to get by with, so I could afford to not work. I gave birth to Lily and Connor on February 24th, 1999. I brought them home a few days later, and I've been living at home with them ever since. Harry found me about two weeks ago, and he convinced me I really did need to go back. I'd been considering it anyway, but he sort of just helped to really convince me that this is where I needed to be. And...here we are," I finished somewhat lamely.
"Two weeks? It took you two weeks to convince her?" Ron asked Harry, incredulously. I caught Hermione's eye and had to look away to hide a smile. So much for being angry with him.
"Well, I had her convinced on the first day, but she thought, and I agreed, that Lily and Connor needed time to adjust to me, their father, before meeting the rest of their family. We didn't want to overwhelm them," he explains. Ron nods.
"And what exactly did you get up to during those two weeks?" George asks, waggling his eyebrows. I glare at him.
"Nothing we shouldn't have," I retort.
"Two weeks is a rather long time. I'm quite offended you didn't want to return sooner," Percy says pompously. I close my eyes and count slowly to ten. I still want to hex him, but I've got better control of myself now.
"I did, Percy, but for my children's sake-"
"The children you conceived out of wedlock and then hid from your family? Or are there other children we don't know of, because apparently you don't feel the need to wait until marriage?" His words are like a slap to the face. I don't move. I'm...in shock, really.
All of a sudden, there's a loud SMACK and then a flash of brilliant white light. I don't even realize what's going on. All I know is that the room is in complete chaos and everyone is yelling, and a pain is ripping through me, so severe I want to curl up in a ball. But I don't. I leap from my seat and run out of the room, up to Connor and Lily's room. I hear several different people call my name but I don't stop. I don't stop and I don't look back.
I run into the room, close the door behind me and whisper, "Colloportus." I hear the squelch of the door locking itself as I sink to the floor in front of my son's crib. I can't believe Percy said that. He's such a dick! He's so awful! I never thought he'd ever say something like that to me! We're family, after all! I can't believe him. I knew it, I knew it! I never should have come back. I let the river of tears run down my face as I sink to the floor in front of my son's crib.
I hear pounding footsteps and raised voices on the stairs and raise my head to cast Muffliato on the door. I don't want the twins to wake up. They'd see me crying and that would only set them off as well, and I just can't deal with that right now.
The door suddenly gives out a violent shudder and I leap a little in fright. It shudders again and I realize that Harry, Ron, Hermione, or one of my family members must be knocking. OK, not knocking(it shudders again), but pounding to come in. I don't want to see anyone right now, though. I grab the nearest piece of parchment and a quill, then scrawl a note: I don't want to see any of you right now. Go away. I shove it under the door and wait.
About ten seconds later, it's back. Ginny, it's Harry. Please can I come in? Me, too. This is Ron. And me, Hermione. I sigh, knowing they'll never give up. Fine, but don't let anyone else in, got it? The reply comes back almost the moment I shove it under the door. OK. OK. OK. I open the door cautiously, and the three of them tumble in. I see the rest of my family outside, waiting anxiously to see me. I shut the door in their faces. I don't want to see them right now.
"Ginny, oh, Ginny, I'm so sorry," Harry whispers, agony lacing his tone. He pulls me close in a hug, and I start bawling. Literally. My chest heaving with sobs and tears pouring down my face, mixing with snot(ew). Hermione hurries to Lily and Connor's cribs and casts the Muffliato over them so they don't wake up. Ron runs to the adjoining bathroom and returns with a tissue.
"He-he-I hate him-I wanna go home," I cry, taking the tissue from Ron and blowing my nose with it.
"Shh, love, shh. I'm so, so sorry. Shh, Ginny, calm down, shh," Harry soothes, running his hands through my hair and down my back.
"Ginny, I...I'm so sorry. I never thought...I mean, Percy was a git when he left for the Ministry, but this...this is too much," Ron says fiercely. "I'm only sorry I didn't get to him before Hermione and Harry did." I look up at him, eyes red and nose running.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Hermione leapt out of her seat and smacked him across the cheek. She left a red mark in the shape of her hand. I haven't seen her hit anyone so hard since she got mad at Draco Malfoy back in third year," Ron reminisces, kissing the top of Hermione's head. "And Harry pulled out his wand and used your signature, Gin-Bat-Bogey Hex. It was great, he's still covered in the things. Nobody stopped to help him, we were all so angry with him. And then Lisa ditched him, too, so things are looking pretty down on him right now."
"Lisa?" I asked, confused.
"Oh, you wouldn't know-Percy's ex-girlfriend," Ron explains, clearly suppressing a snigger. I sigh.
"Too bad she had to see that-probably didn't get the best impression of me," I point out, my voice muffled by the fact that I've hidden it in Harry's chest again.
"Don't worry, love, she ditched Percy, so it's not like we're ever going to see her again," Harry murmurs to me, pressing his face into my hair. We stand in silence for a moment before Lily fusses. I pull away from Harry's embrace and hurry over, lifting her out of her crib and cuddling her tight.
"Hush now, baby girl, everything's OK. You're fine," I promised. She looked up at me sleepily, then snuggled down and went right back to sleep. I held her to my chest and swayed backwards and forwards on the spot, not wanting to put her down. I feel Harry come up behind me and hear Hermione drag Ron from the room, leaving Harry and I to enjoy this moment with our daughter.
"She's going to be beautiful," I whisper, watching Lily. She looks so peaceful in sleep.
"Just like her mother," Harry replies, kissing my hair gently. I smile, then slowly lay Lily back in her crib. She rolls over and continues to sleep. I watch her for a second before Harry slowly turns me around in his arms.
"Yes?" I inquire, looking up at him. He has a smile playing around his lips.
"Just wanted to tell you how much I love you," he answered, leaning in for a kiss that grows more heated by the moment. Our mouths stay firmly closed, but I can feel the emotion behind his kiss-and add some of my own. His lips are wonderfully soft and he kisses me as though my heart is made of glass, but with a passion. It's a wonderful feeling.
A gentle knock on the door finally forces us to pull away from each other. I'm gasping for breath, and Harry's hands are in my hair and at my back, pressing me up against him. His lips are a little redder than normal, and I have a feeling mine are, too. We stand in silence for a moment before I finally pull back.
"We've got to go, Harry. They're waiting for us," I tell him taking his hand and pulling him towards the door. I pause to inhale deeply, then open the door, exit quickly, and close it behind Harry.
"Oh, Ginny dear," Mum squeals, rushing towards me and hugging me tightly. "Don't you listen to Percy, he's just a...well, he doesn't mean it." I don't protest that decision, just roll my eyes at the rest of my family, who all have looks of agreement on their faces. Dad even winks at me. When Mum releases me, he's the next to hug me.
"I apologize on his behalf, Ginny. He had no right to say that to you. I'd also like to say," he adds, pulling back, "that I apologize for my treatment of you when you arrived. I was too quick to judge and I'm very sorry." I smile at him.
"It's alright, Dad. Thanks," I reply, hugging him again. The rest of the family hug me, too, before we head back downstairs, this time to sit at the living room table. Dad goes into the living room to 'deal with Percy', but the rest of us sit at the kitchen table. Mum gets us tea before the real talk begins.
"Alright, Ginny, what would you like to have happen? Not what you think is best, what you want," Mum inquires, effectively turning everyone's attention toward me. I take a sip of my tea to give myself time to think.
"I'd like to be able to stay in Kenmare while still having the family and Harry and Hermione be able to visit," I finally reply.
"Alright...well, I don't know what we can do about that quite yet. What do you think would be best for your children?" My answer is instantaneous.
"They need to stay in the house in Kenmare."
"What do you think, Harry?" Bill asks.
"I agree with Ginny entirely. If I disagree, I'll speak up. But she's right. I don't want them to be too overwhelmed, and with the Burrow being such a public place, I don't know if this is a good permanent environment for them. Public place meaning that the family drops in and out unannounced often. They'll need some privacy, and so will Ginny," he states firmly. I nod.
"So how do you two propose we do that?" Ron asks eventually. I furrow my brow, deep in thought. The family can Apparate or use the Floo to get to our cottage(I don't trust the Knight Bus)...both are available at any time...and all of a sudden, the answer pops right into my head.
"I've got it," I announce, and everyone jumps a little. "How about I give out the address and then anyone can use the Floo to come and go whenever they want?"
"Maybe not whenever they want," Harry says slowly.
"Right. Well, maybe we could have hours where you can come and see the twins, or hours where you can come and see me. That way you'll have a good amount of time to come and see me, Lily, or Connor." The family nods in agreement.
"Seems fair," George says, kicking off his boots and putting his feet on the table. Mum and Angelina turn as one.
"Feet off the table!" They hiss at exactly the same time. George is so shocked, he falls over backward, which of course makes us all burst out laughing. And once started, it's hard to stop.
When we finally do calm down(which takes a good ten minutes), Mum pulls out pad and paper, and we work out all the simplest details. After about twenty minutes of planning, we've got our 'schedule' and Skylar has woken from her nap. I hear Lily and Connor start to fuss, too, and I go to get them, full of happiness that finally, something has gone right in my life.
Hope you lot thought I did OK! Please leave a review! I'll give you a cookie in the shape of the next chapter! Up next: Dangerous Driving Lessons, heehee. :)