CHAPTER 3

It had been a week since Ginny had left Bulgaria and had settled at the dark and abandoned Black Mansion with her children. It was evident that since the war nobody had put a foot on the place, Ginny really couldn't blame them it was the worst house she had ever seen, her children thought exactly the same.

Ginny had gone out that morning to the market, leaving her children protected at the house, when she got back, an owl was waiting for her outside, seeing her, it let a letter fell on her hands. Ginny opened it with fear.

You made a terrible mistake, Ginevra. I will make you regret it.

Frozen on the spot, not being able to breath, Ginny read and reread the letter that couldn't be from anyone other than her husband, Theodore Nott. Somehow he had found out about the interrogation with the Aurors. Both her children and her were in great danger.

Ginny kept the note on her pocket and run to the inside of the house. Only when she saw her three children sitting on the living room, playing with Mr. Crackers, she was able to breathe again. She had to make a better plan, staying hidden at Grimmauld Place wasn't the best thing. The Death Eaters knew about that house, when the war was still going on it had been the Order of the Phoenix headquarters and the Weasley family had lived there a few months.

"Emma, I've things I need to do. You're in charge. Don't go out, don't open the door to anybody. I'll be back as fast as I can." Ordered Ginny to her oldest daughter a little farther away from the other two.

"Mum, you're scaring me, what's going on?" asked her daughter worringly.

"Theodore got himself in bad stuff, dark stuff. The Aurors are looking for him and he knows I answered their questions. That's why we had to leave our home. Take care of your siblings." Answered Ginny sincerely, she needed Emma to understand that what was going on was no joke, that the danger was real.

"Where are you going?"

"To seek help. Don't worry about me, you stay here, this place has the Fidelius Charm on, so I don't think anything is going to happen. But if something does, I want you to grab flu powder and go to the Longbottom Manor, Neville will help you, understood?"

"Who's Neville?"

"A friend, don't you remember him? You met her when you were little, actually he is your godfather."

"No, I don't remember him."

"Okay, that's not important now. He'll help you in any case, just tell him you're my kids and that's it. Bye."

She gave each of her children a kiss and left threw the chimney. Stumbling but without hitting the floor, she arrived to her destination.

"Ginny!" she heard her mother shout surprised before being engulf in one of her famous and suffocating hugs.

"Mum, I can't breathe."

"What are you doing here? What happened? Emma? Thomas? It's been years since we last know anything about you! Not even a letter!" her mother started mumbling.

"I'm fine. Emma, Thomas and Haley are safe."

"Ginny?" asked Molly Weasley with concern in her voice, making her daughter reach her limit and start crying, everything that she had been keeping to herself for years finally got out of her chest.

"Y-you were r-right." Ginny hiccupped, tears running freely down her face. "Theo-dore i-is a b-bas-tard. He is involved in d-dark stuff. They are looking f-for him. He mis-mistreat me, he took m-my wand away, he b-beats me, h-he trows curses at me, many t-times the cru-cruciatus curse. And th-the w-worst is that sometimes h-he also h-hurt our kids."

Ginny didn't know how long she had been on her mother's arms, the Weasley matriarchal trying to calm her, saying things that were supposed to make her feel better. Ginny cried like she hadn't in a long time, she cried for her life, for her children, for everything that she had kept inside, for everything that she had hidden. When she finally got a grip on herself, she left the comfort of her mother's hug and explained her the situation she was living.

"A few days ago, some Aurors came to my house asking for Theodore. They interrogated me with Veritaserum and when they finished they told me to abandon everything, to take my kids and to leave Bulgaria. I don't know how but Theodore found out that I'd talked and said something that I shouldn't have. Today I got this letter." she said taking the parchment with those two terrible sentences that she had read that morning. Her mother gasped upon reading it.

"Ginny! You've to stay here, the Burrow is a safe place, here nobody can touch you. Bring Emma and Thomas right now."

"No! This is the first place he'll come to check. Even so, I don't think he would do it until some time had passed because he is on the run. Besides, mum, I've one more kid besides Emma and Thomas, her name is Haley, she is four years old."

"You never told us about her." Commented Molly Weasley a little hurt for the little information she had about her daughter's life.

"I couldn't, I've been living the last seven years with a man who is not the same as the one I'd fallen in love with. Theodore change… he became a bastard, he didn't let me send any owls, I couldn't even receive them, he put some kind of charm around the house that didn't let any letter with my name on it get inside. Besides, he also took my wand so I couldn't perform any magic. I've been living worse than a domestic elf for so many years."

"Oh, my baby!" exclaimed Mrs Weasley with her watered eyes giving and hugging her again.

"It's fine, mum, now I need you to help me."

"Of course. Anything you wa…"

"Ginny!" a shout interrupted them. A man with red hair and blue eyes and a woman with bushy brown hair entered the kitchen at that moment.

"Ron! Hermione!" Ginny threw herself at them and hug her brother and his wife.

"Wow! What a nice surprised!" said Hermione happy to see her old friend once again at the Burrow.

"What brings you here?" asked Ron a little bit stunned to see his sister after so many years of knowing nothing about her.

Ginny decided that there were no better people to help her with her problem other than Ron and Hermione, so she told them what was going on. Ron was furious, his face turn as red as his hair, while Hermione paled as she heard Ginny tell them the atrocities that she had to endure.

"I'll kill him." Eexclaimed Ron when his sister had finished.

"Ron! Don't get yourself in trouble, it's dangerous, the Aurors are taking care of him. What I need now is a plan to keep my family safe until then." Ginny implores for both of their help.

"I think I've an idea" Hermione started saying. "Emma and Thomas soon will be returning to school, right?"

"They won't be going back to Durmstrang, Hermione! Theodore can easily grab them there." interrupted Ginny.

"I know, I wasn't referring to Durmstrang, I was thinking Hogwarts. I run into Neville the other day, and he told me that there's going to be a new Defence Against the Dark Arts, an ex auror. He is from de USA and it seems he is pretty skilled; he has great level of success missions. I think you kids would be in great hands there, with this new guy and all the excellent teachers, they would be protected."

"I don't know, Hermione… I don't feel really sure about that, I would be far away from them, I wouldn't be relaxed not seeing them for so long." Even though it seemed like a good plan, Ginny didn't like the idea of being separated from her children, not with Theodore on the loose.

"You wouldn't be far from them, Ginny, McGonagall is looking for a new flying instructor and Quidditch referee, Madam Hooch wants to retire. I think you would be perfect for the roll."

"But I'm not a teacher, I didn't even graduated from Hogwarts."

"I think that your professional experience is more than enough."

"And what about Haley? She is just four years old, she can't go to school."

"You should go talk to headmistress McGonagall, I'm sure she'll take your situation into account." Ended Hermione squeezing Ginny's hand giving her full support.