This chapter take place after Harry's first year, starting the day after Ron rescues Harry from the Dursleys. For the PJO timeline, it fits around BotL.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson.
Mr and Mrs Weasley, of the Burrow, were proud to say they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. Well, as normal as they can afford to be, of course. Their first six boys were somewhat the average, normal boys you would find playing ball - or quidditch - on your street, but their seventh child, the only girl, was definitely a disgrace to her family.
Ginny Weasley was a small ten year old, with a fast approaching birthday coming around the corner. That meant that she got to go to Hogwarts for the upcoming year. The last of her brothers just went off to Hogwarts, and she was usually left home alone.
It didn't matter anyways, Hogwarts wasn't her first choice of place. Those Followers of Hecate practicing magic they can't even do without wands everywhere. No, Ginny was only a Follower of Hecate by blood, not by choice.
"Ginny, there are dishes for you to wash," Ginny's mother called, "then here is your list of chores for the day."
Albeit begrudgingly, Ginny went into the kitchen to receive her list and to wash the dishes. Mrs Weasley handed her the long piece of parchment.
"Why do I need to 'coax the ghoul to sleep'? I only need to do that once a week, on Thursdays. Today's only a Tuesday," Ginny pointed out.
"Don't talk back, girl!" Mrs Weasley huffed, "Besides, Harry's here today, and we don't want a ghoul to disturb him, would we?"
Ginny bit back an angry retort remarking a ghoul and her mother's similarities and started to do the dishes instead.
Mrs Weasley gave Ginny a bowl half full of cold porridge. "Your breakfast," she sniffed in disdain, probably considering how much waste it was to feed Ginny's extra mouth.
Ginny rolled her eyes at her mother and went back to her chores. Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny saw an unfamiliar face walk down the stairs.
"Harry!" Mrs Weasley called out, enveloping him into a hug. "Here's your breakfast, dear. Ron and the others already ate, we all thought you could enjoy sleeping a bit longer-" she pushed forth a complete four-course breakfast.
"Thank you, Mrs Weasley," Harry thanked nicely, and Ginny couldn't help but roll her eyes again at her mother's antics. "I don't need all this food, really." Then Harry glanced in her direction - the kitchen counter - where she was eating the cold porridge she had received. "Do you want some?"
"Oh, don't be silly, dear. Eat up your food. Ginny's not that hungry." Mrs Weasley assured him.
Just to spite her mother, Ginny ignored her protest and smiled at Harry. "That would be really nice, thank you, Harry," she said pleasantly, "I'd really love to try some of the food."
Harry smiled back, "take whatever, I don't mind," he assured her. Ginny reached over to grab some marmalade spreaded toast, avoiding her mother's glare.
Over the course of several days, in between her breaks from the chores, she and Harry got to talk a bit more. Harry had noticed the Weasleys' abusive behavior towards Ginny, forcing her to 'be a proper child'. Being subjected to the same abuse back at the Dursleys', offered to help with her work and to stay with her when she was locked in her room. Of course, Ron was dragged around as his best friend helped his sister out.
"I don't get it," Ron had moaned, "we could have been playing Quidditch if you hadn't insisted on de-gnoming the garden with Ginevra."
Ginny, who was flinging gnomes right next to the pair, dropped her gnome and looked at Ron. "I don't need your help, Ronald. Just run home, will you? I'm sure Errol would have been more helpful, and he's dying."
Ron just huffed and continued to de-gnome, as there was nothing better to do.
On the upcoming Thursday, Ginny went up to the attic to deal with the ghoul. With nothing more than a drachma with her, she opened the attic trapdoor.
"You need help with that?" Harry asked from the ground.
"No thanks, I'll manage fine." Ginny replied. She was taking up so much of Harry's summer and needed some alone time to do something.
Harry shrugged. "Alright then, you go have fun with the ghoul."
Finally alone, enclosed inside the attic where no one but the ghoul can hear, Ginny walked over to the nearest window, the only window up there. The window fractured the beam of light, creating a rainbow on the wooden floor.
"O Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering." Ginny threw the drachma at the rainbow. "Show me Nico di Angelo at- well, wherever he is."
It took a moment, but the connection came through. Nico, who seemed to be hanging out in some graveyard in - where was that, New Orleans? - showed up in the misty image.
"Hi, Neeks," Ginny greeted. It had been a long time since she'd seen Nico in person, though they had frequent Iris messages.
"Hello, Ginny." Nico acknowledged, "how's the UK? Are you surviving there?"
"As you can see, I'm not dead," Ginny gestured to her opaque self.
Nico frowned disapprovingly at her humour. So much for being the son of Hades. "How are they treating you?" He clarified. "You're off to that magical school of yours in a few weeks, how are you feeling about that?"
"Oh, they're treating me worse," Ginny shrugged, "and about Hogwarts, well, you know I haven't been looking forward to it as much now. Hecate's magic isn't worth learning. I'd much rather focus on my other skills."
"Backtrack to the 'treating you worse' part." Nico seemed to not enjoy her switch of topic. Ginny chose to ignore that.
"When did you become a therapist?" She asked warily.
"Just answer the question, Ginny," Nico looked at her with his grief filled eyes, "I do care about you too, you know."
Ginny huffed in annoyance, even though she knew he just lost his sister. He probably didn't want to endure the same pain again, even if it were to a slightly lesser degree. "More chores, less food," she held up the chores list. Nico's eyes widened at the length of the parchment.
"Daily?" Nico asked feebly.
Ginny nodded in affirmation.
"Your food, what are you eating?" Nico asked in a formal and controlled voice Ginny associated with when he was emotionless, back in those days where he would allow zero human interaction after his sister's death. It was still those days, mind you, but Nico had allowed Ginny to talk to him now.
"Half a bowl of porridge in the morning and leftovers in the evening," Ginny listed, "leftovers are usually non-existent, if you know my brothers." She could swear Apollo was forcing all this out of her throat, as the god of truth.
"Ginny, I'm sure you know, but this isn't very good for your wellbeing," Nico said after a moment of silence.
"I know that." Ginny tapped her foot, thinking. "I've gotta get out of here," she concluded, stating the obvious.
"Genius," Nico muttered under his breath.
"I'm just brainstorming, sue me."
"Ginevra, hurry up there, you need to come cook lunch now," Ron banged at the trapdoor, "Mum says so, and I'm hungry."
"All right, I'm finishing up already," Ginny replied, then turned over to Nico, "I'll talk to you later," she promised, and waved her hand through the connection, leaving her to stare at the wooden wall of the attic.
The ghoul, thankfully already lulled asleep by the talking that just had taken place, turned over and gave a loud snore.
Ron opened up the trapdoor and stuck his head through. "Hurry up, Ginevra!"
"My name is Ginny, you know," Ginny hated when people called her Ginevra, her real name, and all of her brothers knew that. All of her brothers highly disliked her, so they all called her Ginevra out of spite. Ron ignored her.
On the eve of her birthday, a Monday, she was up with the sun. At the crack of dawn, the shadows were still really long. Good conditions. This way, she could sneak away hopefully without anyone knowing. Of course, even the greatest plans can go horribly wrong.
Ginny took some of her very few belongings and threw them into a small backpack. She only took with her a stack of golden drachmas, a set of clothes, her stock of emergency ambrosia and nectar, and a bracelet with a single black jasper she always kept on her right wrist. She took a small canteen of water and her leftovers she saved up from the day before.
Her room being on the first level, she crossed the living room to the front door with ease. Outside always had better for long distances. Ginny opened the door to step outside.
"Ginny?" Someone sitting on one of the couches in the living room called out to her. Given that they called her 'Ginny,' she suspected that it was Harry, for which she was grateful. If it had been one of her brothers, they'd probably wake the whole house. But with Harry, there was a chance he might not do the same.
Ginny turned to face the person in question. "Hello, Harry."
"Where are you going at this time?" Harry asked as he got up to talk to her.
"Places," Ginny gestured as vaguely as possible. She made the mistake of looking Harry right in his emerald green eyes. He held her gaze, almost challenging her to look away.
Without breaking eye contact because of how petty she was, Ginny opened the door to go out. The sky was glowing pink and orange, and the first bird calls were singing through the air.
Harry held the door open for her as the two of them stepped outside. "How long will you be gone?"
"Long enough," Ginny bit her lip. She was planning on leaving permanently, but she couldn't tell Harry that.
"You do have a place to stay, right?" He ran his hand through his hair.
Ginny nodded. "Yeah."
"And you'll be fine? Safe?"
"Way safer than here," she retorted dryly.
"Ginny." They hadn't broken their eye contact, and now Harry was looking at her in concern.
Ginny sighed. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Really. Don't worry."
Harry gave a lopsided smile. "I guess I'll just have to trust you."
"Yep, I'm really trustworthy." Ginny grinned, then became serious again. "This never happened, yeah?"
"Yeah. No one'll ever know a thing about this from me," Harry promised, "as far as they're concerned, I didn't know you were out."
They stood like that, Ginny's smile turning bittersweet. "Thanks, Harry," she whispered, before walking away.