Of course it couldn't last. Ginny had only gotten 72 hours of freedom.
She had spent the day of her divorce celebrating with her family and friends. They had decided on a friendly game of quidditch, and a family dinner. Everyone was present, Dean had even brought his siblings, and Ginny felt so happy and loved.
The next day she had gone to the Puddlemere United vs. Yorkshire game and dragged Ron and the twins with her. It had been fun and highly nostalgic to go with her brothers and quibble and argue throughout the whole thing. The Yorkshire Quidditch Team had won 740:520 but the game had been full of harrowing attempts, moves, and maneuvers. It was fun to watch and Ginny was able to write a very entertaining yet informative article covering the match that the editor of Seeker Weekly approved with minimal edits and paid very handsomely for. She had entertained the idea of writing under a pseudonym but eventually the gratification and pride of signing G. Weasley had been too great a pull to resist. Her editor enthusiastically supported the idea.
Riding on the high of her first step toward financial stability, she spent the majority of the next day writing. She was motivated and honed-in towards her research: a contrast between muggle's and wizarding world's account of magic and wizarding in the muggle world. What they called the "witch trials" and wizards called "the burnings": where they overlapped, what caused the muggle hysteria of the 1800s and how many actual witches were affected and why. (it had started with a discussion over dinner one night, a comparison of history lessons, and throwing around theories and ideas. That turned into interesting and compelling research and notes that magically formed the outline of a book). She had found several promising articles and been able to outline 2 new chapters before she was forced to take a rest by Sam and his need for a taste tester for his newest culinary creation.
But then Harry bloody Potter had to resurface from parts unknown. He just showed up at the door to the Burrow and asked to talk to Ginny. Her mother screamed; her father, Charlie, and Bill were – thankfully- outback by the pond trying out 'fishing'; but Percy who had returned to the house to grab a hat was in the house and upon seeing him punched Harry right in the jaw, then proceeded to pummel him till he had to be physically pulled off by a recently returned (they had heard screaming) and out of breath Bill and Charlie.
Percy of all people!
Of course once Bill and Charlie recognized Harry but before they could "voice" their displeasure with the sodding git, the slower and newly arrived Arthur had to restrain them from having their own go at the heavily battered and barely conscious man. They tried telling their father that they didn't plan on beating the boy, Percy had taken care of that readily; no they only planned on aiding him in standing so they could curse him a few dozen of times, "small ones we promise!"
Once Harry was healed and recovered enough to talk again, thanks to Molly, he once again asked to talk to Ginny. The boys all advanced to hurt him again, but Molly said that whether or not Ginny talks to him would have to be her choice. So Ginny was Floo-ed and told of the situation.
Ginny thought she would have so much to say to Harry once she saw him, but in the end she only had two questions. So she went to the Burrow to ask him. Harry had tried to talk and say something when he saw her but Ginny was prepared and hit him with both a body-binding and silencing charm. Her first course of action was funnily enough was to try to pull all 3 of her brothers into a hug, but they couldn't stop glowering at Harry for it to last half as much as she wanted it to. After then decided it was time to get serious and told a still bound and silenced Harry that she did not care to hear what he had to say; the time to hear him out was long past. 10 months past. She would remove the spells and ask him three questions, they were yes/no questions. If he tried to answer with ANYTHING other than yes/no she would hit him with a bat bogey hex.
After Harry blinked his understanding of Ginny's rules, she removed the charms and in full view of her family asked her first question: I know at least half the stories of your infidelity are true. The lineage spells prove you have at least 5 children, so there is no denying it. My question is this: did you know how much your actions would hurt me when you did them?
Harry looked like she had struck him, but after several attempts simply hung his head in shame and said "yes".
Ginny took a deep shuddering breath and asked: "did you deliberately postpone having a family with me because of your many illegitimate children…" –Harry was about to say something but Ginny indicated he wait so he closed his mouth and waited– Ginny simply continued "or was it because you never wanted children from the start. You have not acknowledged or have nothing to do with the ones you have, was it that you did not want to kill my dream outright? You just hoped it would forget about it somehow, or that you could bend me to your way of thinking as you always do?" Again Harry opened his mouth to try to explain but Ginny simply raised her wand in warning, Harry hung his head again and said "no to the first, but yes to the rest."
Ginny had thought this man could not hurt her anymore, but here she was crying over the lie she fell so hard for and was too blind to see. Taking several deep breaths she readied herself for her last and most important question: "are you going to contest the divorce?" Harry looked her in the eye, his gaze pleading but when confronted with a raised eyebrow and stony expression he whispered "not if you don't want me to. No".
Ginny wanted to scream! Here he was after months and months of being left behind to clean his mess and he had the gall to think she would still want him in her life! But she would not cry over, or waste emotions on, this man anymore. She would not let him see how much he had hurt her. "No, I do not want to be tied to you anymore. Actually I would appreciate it if you were to stop by the appropriate office within the next few days and officially announce that you will not contest the divorce. It would negate the need for a 2 year waiting period and cement our separation."
Ginny took a moment to really look at Harry, she thought he would be undisturbed by it all, after all he had basically deserted her when the problems started, anyone who had cared would have tried to help her, refocus the media, or do something. But Harry had stayed away and so Ginny had concluded that he didn't care, but looking now she saw a deeply troubled man who was struggling under the weight of his own actions, so taking a deep breath she did what she could to help lighten his load. She knew he feared what separating from her would mean in regards to his relationship with her family and she did still care for the git, that was something she had worked hard to understand and come to terms with, so after a moment of silence she took a deep breath and continued: "I want you to know that not only am I not going to ask my family to disown you as it were, but I will strongly recommend they each make their own judgment about you. I will not ask you not to come here, I will not deprive you of my family. I know how much they mean to you, but I will ask that you respect my space, if we both happen to be here at the same time, do not approach me. Do not talk to me or come near me. I will tell you when I am ready to interact with you again, but it never will be as friends. The best you and I can hope for, what I am aiming and working for is amenable and civil acquaintances. But I readily admit I am not there yet and will need time. Understand this: I am not asking you, Harry; I am telling you. If you even hint at an attempt to disregard my wishes I will let Percy have another go at you AFTER I have had a round or two myself. Understand?"
Harry had already been pale, but now he looked defeated, he swallowed hard and after several failed attempts at speaking he simply nodded 'yes'.
With that Ginny found she did not want to be there anymore, with a kiss to the cheek of her brothers, a hug to her father and promise of tea with her mother soon. She walked out of the Burrow without a backwards glance disapparated home.
But of course that would not be the end of it.
A week after Harry' return Ginny had gone into St. Mungo's to see about some burn cream. She had burnt her hand trying to make melted Mars bars and though she had cast a few healing spells and Sam had given her a muggle burn cream her hand still hurt and she wanted to make sure she hadn't really hurt herself too seriously.
She was just walking out of a side door of the hospital and was preoccupied with thoughts of popping into the twins' store when she was blinded with multiple flashes going off and several voices yelling questions at her. Disoriented and caught off guard Ginny had tried to flee but the vultures were hard on her tail and eventually she realized she was too far from an apparating site and going into the confined area of a shop would only make things worse, so she dashed towards Gringotts. She had planned on going there anyway and the security would keep the non-customers out. Hopefully by the time she finished her business there, either the vultures would be gone or the bank would let her go out a back door or use their floo system to get away undetected.
Thinking about not tripping whilst still hurriedly getting inside the bank caused her to fail to see the tall, well-dressed man walking out of the bank as she hurriedly rushed in. She was lucky the man had seen her running head-first towards the door and had the presence of mind to grab her and steady her before she caused them both to fall in a heap on the floor.
"Bloody hell Weaslett, look where you are going! Though I never thought I would see the day you literally ran into my arms." Ginny knew that voice, shite it was the Malfoy boy: Draco. Why of all people did she have to literally run into Draco Malfoy?