Ginny woke up the next day feeling her entire body sore. It was the aftermath effects of quidditch, something she wasn't entirely used to. She doubted she would ever do, but she was too happy to actually care. Yesterday's victory was crucial and it was just another step closer to winning the cup. She woke up in a really good mood and was determined to not let anything ruin it for her.
As she cooked breakfast, she remembered her mother's letter. She wanted to visit as soon as possible, although she wasn't sure if today was the right moment. Maybe she could wait another week before heading to the Burrow. No, it would only be worse if she kept postponing it. It was high time she acted like a responsible adult and solved her issues with her family. She hated the idea that she somehow became another Percy. And all this for what? She shook her head.
During breakfast, Ginny informed Dean about her plans. He didn't have any objections, or so it seemed since he didn't say anything for that matter. A nod was all he offered her, which got her annoyed for a second, but she decided to ignore it. She was definitely not going to allow him to ruin her excellent mood. After breakfast, she headed upstairs to get ready.
Admittedly, Ginny was nervous. Her mother was very clear that they missed her, but that didn't erase all the things they had exchanged during their fight. It wasn't as simple as walking back home and pretending like none of this never happened. Molly was always forgiving - after all, Ginny was her only daughter - but she couldn't expect everyone else to act in the same way. It wasn't just the things she had said, it was mostly the fact that she had missed out on a lot of what was going on with her family. She sincerely wished she had been there when Fleur announced her second pregnancy. She didn't like the fact that she had to find out through a letter. A simple apology wouldn't do it. She needed to reclaim an active role in her family's affairs. Truth be told, she missed them. She wanted to make it right.
When Ginny was ready, she headed downstairs and kissed Dean goodbye before she remembered that she needed to inform the aurors about her plans. Groaning internally, she walked to the phone and called the Potter-Wilson household. They had given her their number for emergencies, but she wasn't going to just show herself there unexpectedly and announce that they were going to her childhood home. She should have thought of that before, but between the match and the post-game celebrations, it had completely slipped her mind. Athena promised to be ready in no more than ten minutes.
The auror kept her word and was ringing on Ginny's doorbell a little while later. Ginny opened the door to Athena standing before her, her hands deep inside the pockets of her black, leather jacket. The young woman loved leather apparently, which made look like a rebellious teenager, although she was almost ten years older than Ginny. Pascal, Mr Ivanov's cat, stood on the fence, licking his paws indifferently, ignoring the newcomer.
"Are you ready to go?" Athena asked in a completely monotonous voice. Ginny nodded and bid Dean farewell. Her fiancé weaved her goodbye before she closed the front door behind her. When Pascal noticed them come closer, he jumped off the fence and ran away.
The two women walked together silently towards the apparition point. The tension between them was still very high, although Ginny wasn't sure how and if she should address her. The truth was, the silent treatment kind of intimidated her and she didn't want to aggravate the other woman any further by saying the wrong thing. When they reached the apparition point, Ginny offered Athena her hand, which the latter reluctantly took due to the fact that their destination was unknown to her. Ginny hated apparition, but it was the fastest way of moving around places. The next moment, she felt the so very familiar yet suffocating sensation of apparition. When she opened her eyes again, they were standing right outside the Burrow and Athena immediately let go off her hand.
The Burrow. It wasn't anything special, but it was definitely home. Ginny took a moment to admire the weird structure that stood in front of her that looked like several houses were added on top of each other in an unconventional way.
She took in the smells of the garden, listened to the chicken and the gnomes running around and screaming. She turned her head to her left and saw smoke coming behind the nearby hill, possibly from the Lovegood household. Ginny noted silently to send an owl to Luna at some point. She had missed her too.
Without wasting more time pondering, she opened the fence gate and walked towards the house. She glanced over at the warehouse, wondering if her father was secretly tinkering with some sort of muggle item in there under her mother's nose and she chuckled at the thought. She thought back to their old Ford Anglia and wondered what had happened to it after Ron and Harry crushed it on the Weeping Willow all those years ago. She came to a halt right in front of the kitchen door and, for the first time since she arrived there, she hesitated. She stood there on her own, Athena having fallen behind. Ginny inhaled sharply, and after a couple of agonizing seconds, she knocked on the door.
She heard some noises from behind before the door was swung open and Molly Weasley appeared on the threshold. She gasped before pulling her daughter into one of her bone-crushing hugs. This time, Ginny didn't mind her antics. Her mother's arms were a place where she always felt safe, no matter what. A sob escaped Molly's lips and Ginny held her even tighter. They stayed like this for a while, until her mum finally broke the embrace to look at her daughter with teary eyes.
"Ginny! I cannot believe you're here!" Molly exclaimed, beaming from ear to ear.
"I've missed you, mum," Ginny confessed.
"We've also missed you too, Ginny. Come in!"
Ginny walked inside the kitchen where a couple of dishes were washing themselves and a knife was chopping down some potatoes. No matter how hard she tried, she doubted she would ever reach her mother's skill in household spells. With a flick of her wand, Molly put some water to boil as she led Ginny to the living room. The Burrow seemed a lot cleaner and less chaotic now that all children had moved out. There were no spare socks forgotten on the floor or jackets thrown over the couch. Everything was neat and clean, unlike the Burrow Ginny remembered. It was very melancholic.
"Where's dad?" She asked eventually.
"Oh, probably in the warehouse, Merlin knows doing what." Molly rolled her eyes. "Just give me a second to let him know you're here, alright darling?"
Ginny nodded, as her mother went off to call her father. She stood awkwardly there for a moment, unsure of what to do. She looked around, realizing that nothing had really changed around the Burrow, except herself. She made her way towards the living room, her gaze falling upon the dozens of photos Molly treasured onto the fireplace. A photo of Bill, Fleur and Victoire caught Ginny's eyes and she took it in her hands to examine it better. Bill hugged his wife over the shoulders while the baby girl wriggled in her mother's arms. They both looked very happy. Fleur was yet another person Ginny had treated wrong in the past. Was it because of jealousy? It could be. But she was such a good wife to Bill and a great mother, as it seemed, but what did she know? Ginny hadn't been the best aunt lately.
So many mistakes to fix. And all of this for what? An argument over her marriage. Her past self wouldn't agree, but now Ginny figured things were different. Her and Dean had agreed that they would proceed with the wedding even without her family, but the wedding never happened and here she was, back at the Burrow. The war had scared Ginny in ways she couldn't describe, but that was no excuse to turn her back on her family. Why had she allowed herself to be consumed by darkness?
Another photo won her attention. It was a fairly old photo. It was from when her family went on vacation in Egypt to visit Bill, when he used to work there. It was right before her first year at Hogwarts. Everyone was there; her parents, Bill, Charlie, Percy, the twins and Ron. Ginny's heart ached when photo Fred grinned at her. Fred. Another wound. He wouldn't be too happy with how irrationally she had been behaving.
She assumed that one of the reasons she had been so angry was because of her heartbreak over Harry. But it had been so long, it didn't make sense for her to use it as an excuse. After all, she was over him and happily engaged, despite her current situation.
Happily? Things with Dean were debatable at times, but she was happy with him, right? She loved him and wanted to fix his relationship with her family. But one step at a time. She should start with herself first.
"Okay, your dad will be here in a minute. Where's Dean by the way?" Molly's voice snapped her out of her thoughts as she walked back in the living room.
Ginny gulped. "He couldn't make it," she lied. "Perhaps another time."
"That's quite alright, dear," Molly said reassuringly. "Now, excuse me for a second while I go fix us some tea," she added as she stood up.
"Do you want any help?"
"Thank you dear, but that's not something I can't handle. I'm not that old."
Ginny chuckled in amusement. "Okay, as you wish."
Ginny didn't feel like sitting around and waiting for her mum to make some tea. She decided to head upstairs, just out of curiosity. She headed to the first floor, where her old bedroom was located. She slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside. Ginny looked around. Nothing had changed; her wardrobe, her books, even the poster of the Weird Sisters was still there. She was surprised that Molly had let it hang on the wall instead of throwing it away. Her mum had apparently not touched anything. All she did was keep the room clean, as there was no dust. Outside her window, Ginny could see their yard. She recalled Harry pointing out how nice the view was, although she had profoundly ignored him at that particular moment, before she kissed him - her gift for his seventeenth birthday. It was very cheesy, but she couldn't think of something better back in the day.
She suddenly felt guilty for retrieving that particular memory because she felt like she shouldn't have. But at the same tike she told herself that she shouldn't feel guilty; after all that memory was triggered by her surroundings. She closed the door to her old bedroom and returned downstairs.
Arthur Weasley was waiting for her down at the living room. As soon as he saw his daughter, he smiled a bright smile and went in for a hug. Ginny noticed how the little hair he had on his name had slowly started turning grey. He still wore the same glasses as always.
"Hi dad," she said.
"Hello, sweetie. Long time no see," Arthur said. He took a moment to admire her after he had broken the hug. "Look at you! You're prettier than I remember."
Ginny giggled. "Thank you, dad."
The two of them sat across each other and just then Molly entered the scene, holding a tray with three cups of steaming tea. She offered one each to her husband and daughter before she grabbed one herself and sat next to Ginny.
"How have you been, Ginny dear?" Molly asked.
"Training has been stressful," Ginny admitted. "But the team is doing well, so I suppose it's worth the effort. How are you two doing? How's work, dad?"
"Same old, same old," said Arthur. "It's not as hectic as it used to be, but I'm not complaining. Perkins decided to retire, finally. I've been telling him to just go home. He was getting too old for this."
"Well, he's been your colleague since you started working at the Ministry," Molly pointed out. "And he had already been working for more than twenty years when you started, Arthur."
"Good point, Molly dear…"
They continued casually talking, although there was some undeniable tension in the air. Ginny wondered for how long they would keep dancing around like this before some of them would address the elephant in the room. No, that was her job to do. After all, that was what she came there for in the first place. She placed her cup onto the table and looked at both of her parents. She hadn't realized that they had fallen quiet.
"Listen, mum, dad," she said. "I didn't just come here today to have tea. I came… because I owe you both an apology."
She paused. This was much harder than what she had initially expected. Her thoughts were a bloody mess. Her parents looked at her in anticipation.
"I know I haven't been a good daughter and sister lately," Ginny continued. "I've said things I shouldn't have, to both you and my brothers, and all I've managed to do is isolate myself. I overreacted. The past couple of years have been hard, but that's still no excuse. This wasn't a situation that just affected me. All I'm trying to say is… that I'm sorry. I'm aware that an apology is not enough. I need to do better in the future and not turn my back on you. I can promise to do that… if you still want me to."
Ginny stopped, awaiting for her parents' response, her heart beating loudly. Her mum suddenly burst into tears, and that was a response enough for her as Molly hugged her again and cried on her shoulder.
"Ginny," her father finally said. "I hope you know you're not to blame, at least not entirely. As parents, we ought to support you, even if we don't always like your choices. All we ever wanted for you was to be happy. And you seem to be. That's enough for us," he assured.
Molly pulled back, wiping her tears on her sleeve. "Ginny, we shouldn't have made you feel like we were judging you, or anything like that. If you feel like you will be happy with Dean, that's enough for us. And we shouldn't have made you feel like you had to be with Harry. We understand that your relationship with him has been complicated, at best."
She was right and Ginny was glad they realized that. She felt like a heavy burden had been lifted off her chest. Of course, this was just her parents. Dealing with her brothers would be more difficult. But one step at a time. There was no need to rush. She managed to smile and so did Molly and Arthur. Suddenly the atmosphere felt less tense and heavy, like a shiny day after the rain. All the problems wouldn't be solved with a single apology, but it was a step towards the right direction.
Ginny spent a couple of hours at the Burrow, catching up with everything going on with her family, although her mother had pretty much summarized everything in her letter, but it was nice to hear regardless. She felt proud of George and his thriving business, proud of Hermione and her achievements at the Ministry and felt a little bit more reassured knowing that Ron was actively involved with her case. But the time to leave came soon. She would need to get back on the pitch tomorrow first thing in the morning and she needed to rest well for whatever things Gwenog had prepared for them. She bid her parents farewell, with the promise to come over with Dean for Christmas. When she stepped on the garden, the sun was heading with determination toward the West. It would be completely dark in less than an hour. Athena was casually sitting on the fence, looking over at the sunset. When she took notice of Ginny, she jumped over. The two women apparited separately this time.
They walked together towards Ginny's home quietly. There was still tension between them and Ginny didn't like that at all. They were off in a really bad start, although they didn't need to be. Whatever issue Ginny had, it was with Harry and not with her, even if Athena had been rude to her. When they reached her gate fence, Ginny stopped but didn't get inside.
"What's wrong?" Athena blurted out.
"Can I have a word with you?" Ginny requested.
Athena sighed but didn't object. "Sure."
"Listen, about what happened back at St. Mungos… I shouldn't have aggravated you or spoken to you the way I did," Ginny stated but Athena raised her hand, silently asking her to stop.
"I was out of my line speaking to you like that," the older woman said. "I admit I have a quick temper which I cannot always control. But I stand by what I said. I will just apologize for the way I expressed it."
Ginny blinked, obviously not expecting this response from Athena out of all people.
"If there's anyone you need to apologize to, that's Harry," Athena continued. . "I understand that what he did was unforgivable and I don't blame you for being mad at him. I would be too. But he deserves better than being treated like garbage."
"It's more complicated than you think it is. Harry chose the Wizarding World over me," Ginny said bitterly. "Not once, but twice."
"Listen. Harry has made mistakes and he's paid for them. He admits it himself. But just keep in mind that everything he does is for the sake of your own safety," said Athena. "I'm not asking you to forgive him or anything. That's solely up to you. But what you both need right now is closure.
Trust me, I know how it feels like. Been there, done that."
"You really do care about him."
"He's just a friend." Athena shrugged. "Don't get the wrong idea," she added in a more serious tone.
Ginny raised her hand in defence. "Alright, alright. I'm not sure if I can talk to him right now. But I will think about it."
"Of course. Goodnight, Ginny."
"Yeah, goodnight…"
Ginny watched her walk away, realizing that this was the first time she addressed her with her first name. Once she disappeared from her sight, she opened the fence gate and walked all the way towards her house, which was surprisingly dark. She unlocked the front door and found no one there. That was weird. Ginny frowned. Where was Dean? She stepped inside and realized she stepped onto something. She looked down and realized that she had accidentally stepped on a piece of paper that was left there. She picked it up and recognized Dean's handwriting; he had gone over to visit his own family, it seemed. Well, that was quite unexpected, Ginny noted, but there was definitely nothing wrong with it. What bothered her was the fact that they both acted more like individuals and less as a couple who was bound to get married soon. She sighed and threw herself on the couch.
She had hoped that her visit at the Burrow would help her clean her mind. However, Ginny felt more confused than ever before. Athena's words rang inside her head. She understood where the auror was coming from, but she didn't owe Harry anything. She found her request somewhat illogical. At the end of the day, it was Harry who had wanted them to take their separate ways, it had been his choice, not hers.
Athena was right about one thing, though; they needed closure, because there had been none. She found it peculiar that after so long she would need closure from him and vice versa. But Ginny was determined to fix all past wounds in order to step into a more stable future, even if she wasn't on the same page with Dean on that one. This was her issue and her issue alone. And sooner or later, she would have to face the man who had shattered her heart into a million pieces in order to finally find her inner peace. Once that was out of the way, she could finally focus on solving all the issues she had with Dean. Or at least, she hoped so.
