Chapter Three

AN: I'm learning all sorts of things about the English thanks to Imogen! She's turning me into a proper Brit…well…kind of. Thanks for the beta!

Chapter Three

"Harry?" Ron asked again, stunned. "Oh my God! HARRY!" He charged at him with great energy and engulfed him in an embrace. The two men laughed as the hugged each other. "Good lord, man! What ever are you doing here?"

"Thanks for the warm welcome!"

"Oh, you know what I mean! How can you even be here?" Ron looked him up and down, still amazed.

"Well, it's called Apparating, Ron." Harry joked.

"That isn't what I mean and you know it! You're being here…does this mean…well…you said you wouldn't come back until…" Ron was obviously at a loss for words.

"I'm back. And I'm staying back." said Harry seriously.

"So then, you know who…he's really gone then?"

"You're welcome to perform the Priori Incantatem on my wand if you need proof." Ron still looked incredulously back at him. "Didn't the Ministry of Magic tell anyone?"

"No, we haven't heard a word about this!"

"Why am I not surprised?" Harry rolled his eyes.

"They probably don't want to say anything until they are absolutely sure," said Ron, leading Harry into the next room.

"Well, I wouldn't be here if I wasn't absolutely positive he was gone."

Ron turned to look at him again in wonder. A smile spread across his face and with great enthusiasm he hugged Harry once again. "God, it's good to see you again!" They laughed as Miranda walked slowly into the room, head bowed. "Oh, Harry…allow me to formerly introduce my eldest, Miranda." She looked up at him shyly.

"Yes, I believe we have met." Harry reached out to her and she shook his hand. The brown eyes and red hair on this girl reminded Harry of another Weasley. Then Harry realized what Ron had just said. "Eldest? There's another?"

Ron chuckled, "There are TWO others; Minnie and Meredith."

"All girls?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"All girls," Ron echoed. "Minnie is five and Meredith is two. Hermione is out in the garden right now with them."

"Why all the "M" names?" Harry asked taking a seat on the sofa.

"Well, Miranda I found in a book when searching for names. We didn't intentionally name her with an "M", we just liked the name. Then Hermione insisted in naming Minnie after McGonagall after all that mess she went through, but I wouldn't call her Minerva, so we shortened it to Minnie. And with Meredith, we figured all the others were "M" names…why spoil it?"

Harry was puzzled. "What do you mean about all the mess McGonagall went through?"

Ron's smile faded. "Oh, my…I thought you knew." Harry shook his head no. Ron sighed at this and looked very disappointed. "I'm sorry, Harry, I would have told you differently."

Understanding what this meant, Harry leaned forward and placed his head in his hands. "When?"

"Just before Minnie was born actually…so…Five or six years ago."

Why hadn't Dumbledore told him? They had met up for a brief period of time, he could have told Harry about this. Harry always felt guilty when he learned about another death…especially if the victim had been close to him. Ron, sensing that this had brought down the mood considerably, tried to change the topic.

"Harry, let me go and bring Hermione in here. She'll be upset if I keep you all to myself for much longer."

Harry agreed and Ron left him alone with Miranda.

"I'm so sorry about that?" she said.

"About what?"

"Well, I was a bit difficult at the door just now. I really didn't recognize you. I'm so sorry for giving you such a hard time but really, if you only knew how many pranks we get here. It's really a bother and I just have to…"

Harry held up a hand to stop her. "Miranda, don't worry about it. I'm not upset at all."

"Really?" She looked at him longingly.

"Really." He smiled at her, winning a smile back.

"Wait till my friends catch word of what I did though. They'll never let me live that down." She slumped over into the nearby arm chair.

Harry laughed, knowing exactly what she meant. He glanced around at the pictures on the wall and mantle and found the Weasleys waving back at him. He considered asking Miranda about Ginny, but decided he best ease his way into it.

"Must be very nice having all your family so close," he said.

"Oh, yeah…but Uncle Charlie is always running off somewhere, so we don't see him much."

"I bet you get along well with your Aunt Ginny," he suggested, hoping Miranda would elaborate.

"Aunt Ginny?" she sounded confused at the name. "Well, you know…Aunt Ginny isn't…"

"HARRY!!!" Hermione came running into the room excitedly, interrupting the information Harry was desperate to hear. But he stood up and hugged his friend, welcoming the familiar feeling of being with Ron and Hermione again. Hermione laughed and rocked back and forth as she hugged him. "Oh Harry!! This is wonderful!!"

She leaned back to get a really good look at him. In almost a horrified tone she said, "What have you done to yourself? You are skin and bones!"

"Well, thanks, Hermione!"

"Oh, Harry, stop it. You are going to come in here," she began leading him into the kitchen, "and I am going to fix you the best dinner you have ever had. And we are going to catch up, and have a wonderful time!" She forced him into a chair at the table and began rummaging around in the cabinets for items. Ron took a seat next to Harry. "Don't you dare sit down, Ron, I need some help."

Ron got back up, and so did Harry, but Hermione insisted that he sit right back down and allow them to fix the meal. Harry told her he was quite capable of helping, but Hermione wouldn't hear it. In hardly any time, the table was covered in all sorts of delicious treats Harry hadn't had in years.

They all sat down, Miranda on Harry's left and Minnie on Harry's right. The girls told story after story about school and friends and their parents. It seemed Ron and Hermione still fought like cats and dogs and the girls took great pleasure in teasing them about it. Harry shared with them the blazing row they had had on the evening of the Yule Ball, sending the girls into fits of giggles. Harry hadn't had a meal or an evening like this in so long. He felt normal and calm…but there was something nagging at the back of him mind. Where was Ginny?

As dinner concluded, Hermione sent Harry and the girls off to the other room while Ron and she cleaned up. The girls delighted in giving him a tour of the house, ending up in their playroom upstairs. After what he thought was a good amount of time, Harry excused himself from their imaginations and headed down to see what was taking Ron and Hermione so long in the kitchen. He stopped just outside of the kitchen when he heard his name.

"Harry needs to know," Hermione said.

"How am I supposed to tell him this?" Ron asked sounding desperate.

"You just do, Ron. You promised Ginny that you would." Harry's heart froze at the mention of her name.

"I know I promised her, but I never expected…"

"Ron, if you don't then I will."

"NO! You'll be too weepy about it."

What on earth did they have to tell him? Harry's mind was racing, confusion muddling with panic.

"Well you might be too blunt! Something like this needs to be done carefully."

"Oh great, thanks for making me feel calm."

"Look, I'll go up and get the letter, you go out there and somehow bring the conversation around to Ginny."

Harry quickly darted away from the door, not wanting to get caught. He hurried around into the living room and took position by the mantle. His eyes wandered nervously over the photos of the family. Everyone looked slightly different…older…especially Fred and George. But the only pictures of Ginny were quite familiar. In fact, he noticed that he had seen all of these pictures at one time or another. These were all pictures from eight or nine years ago. Oh no…

"Harry!" Ron sounded cheerful, but Harry knew it was an act. "So…what would you like to do now? Game of Chess for old times sake?"

"Where is she, Ron?" Harry said still looking at the photos, his back to Ron.

"What?"

Slowly Harry turned around to face his friend. "Where is Ginny?"

Ron's jaw dropped. "Harry, I think you better sit down and…"

"Is she dead?" Please don't let it be true….his heart couldn't take it.

"Dead? Harry…why would you say that?"

"You all have been avoiding mentioning her. Miranda sounded as if she had never met her. And these pictures…" Harry pointed at them. "There are no current pictures of Ginny here. These were all taken years ago." He looked Ron square in the eyes just as Hermione came into the room. "Where is she?"

"Harry, please…sit down," Ron said.

"I will not sit down until you tell me where she is!" Harry couldn't help it, but he had raised his voice at them.

"We don't know." Hermione interjected.

Furrowing his brow, Harry asked, "What do you mean you don't know? Is she dead?"

"No, Harry, she's not dead. But you really should sit down." Hermione motioned to the chair.

"Just tell me what's happened, will you?" he shouted.

"All right! But you need to calm down!" Ron, looking at his wife for encouragement, took a moment to gather his thoughts. "She left…shortly after you did."

"What do you mean 'left'?" Harry was becoming more agitated by the minute.

"She…disappeared…like you did." Ron stuttered.

"Why?" Desperate for answers, Harry began pacing.

"For protection. She was afraid of anyone…well…finding her." Ron stammered.

"Protection?" Harry said incredulously. "The whole reason I left was for her protection." Harry was beginning to wish he had never even admitted his feelings for Ginny. She would have been a lot better off not dealing with all the danger. But how could he have ever denied how much he loved her?

"Yes, but you didn't know," Hermione said.

"Know what?" Harry's heart was racing in anticipation.

"Well, about the…" Hermione started in, but Ron held up a hand to stop her.

"Wait!" Ron rolled his eyes at his wife. "And you thought I would be blunt. You can't just tell him like that!"

"Why not? Some things are better just said flat out, and I think this is one of them!" Hermione now had her hands on her hips. Harry could see that she was holding a piece of parchment. "If you think you can say this in a better way, then say it!"

Ron gaped at her. "AH! I don't know how to tell him this! He should be getting it from Ginny!"

"But she's not here is she? And we promised her we would tell him if ever he came back!"

"I know! But this…this …" Ron shook his hands into fists in frustration. "This is VERY hard, Hermione!"

"WHAT!" Harry yelled, throwing his hands up into the air! He had had enough of it! Whatever it was they were arguing about wasn't good news, but he was tried of waiting. Whatever it was, he NEEDED to know before he strangled one of them!

Calmly, Hermione turned to him. "Harry, when Ginny left…when you left….well…"

Ron finished it for her. "Ginny had a baby."

Silence.

Harry froze, not quite understanding what they were trying to tell him. She had a baby? What baby? When? How? Oh God….

"Did she get married?" Harry said, hoping that she wasn't, but thinking that just maybe…maybe it wasn't what he thought.

"Married?" Ron said, puzzled. "No, Harry, she didn't know where you were. You were gone."

Oh God….oh no…Harry's thought raced in his mind. Ginny had had a baby…a baby…He kept repeating the words over in his mind. His legs were going weak and he felt like the room was spinning. Reaching behind him, he found a chair and slowly lowered himself into it. Sitting helped, but not much. Ginny had a baby? And she didn't marry anyone else…so that must mean that the baby…

"You mean to tell me…that…" Harry's heart began to race. The question that needed to be asked couldn't find it's way to his lips. He panted out an incoherent mumble of random thought. "But I never would have…I mean…she didn't even…she…she never…I…I…." Placing his hands over his mouth in realization, he said, "Oh…God."

Quickly, hoping to ease some of the tension, Hermione said, "She didn't know she was pregnant when you left. Honestly. She found out about a month or so later. I'm sure she would have told you if she had known, Harry. She didn't plan this."

A month or so after he left? That last night…they had avoided each other for quite sometime, Harry trying to distance himself from her, knowing he needed to leave. But he needed to be with her one last time, so he had gone to her apartment, and she had willing let him stay. That's when it must have happened. That's when she must have…

"I'm a father, " Harry said softly and almost to himself.

Not knowing what to say, Ron and Hermione stood still and quiet. Harry sat thinking, processing this new information. Ginny was alone…and with a baby. She had left shortly after he did, so she must have not only been alone for the pregnancy, but also for the birth and every day there after. Heart beating faster, on the verge of breaking, Harry asked his next question.

"So where is she?"

Licking his lips, Ron answered, "We don't know."

"But she left a letter describing how to find her." Hermione added, holding up the parchment in her hand.

Harry looked up at them for the first time in minutes. "She left a letter describing where she was? And all these years you've never read it?" He was dumbfounded.

"Of course we read it!" Ron said.

"But we didn't understand any of it," Hermione continued.

Harry, looking back at them in pure bewilderment, said, "What?"

Taking the letter from his wife, Ron handed it to Harry, "It was written just for you."

Almost afraid to touch it, Harry carefully took the letter from Ron and opened it, revealing Ginny's own swirly handwriting.

My Dearest Harry,

If you are reading this, then it means you are safe and the nightmare is finally over. It also means that Ron and Hermione have told you about the baby. I'm so sorry, Harry. I didn't know. I would have told you about this had I known for I would never want to keep you from your own child. But seeing as how I am unable to reach you, I must protect myself, and the baby, in the only way I know how. I'm leaving the wizarding world.

I'm in the most boring place on earth, complete with Aunt Petunia neighbors. I'm living as a Muggle and am using the name from Camelot mixed in with Mr. Cool's name. I plan on sharing my knack as a profession, but we'll see how that works out.

I hope this letter finds you well. I hope this letter finds you soon. And I hope you find me. Think about it Harry…you'll understand. Until that time, I will be waiting. In fact, we will be waiting. I will always love you.

With all my heart,

Ginny

Harry read the letter over again, making sure he understood correctly, still tying to wrap his mind around this information. He looked up at Ron and Hermione who were watching him with anticipation.

"Do you understand it?" Ron asked after a pause.

"Yes," but Harry didn't elaborate. Looking up at their astonished faces he added, "I suppose you want me to tell you." From the looks on their faces, they weren't going to let him leave unless he did just that. "She's in America. Nebraska, but I'm not sure which city. I once told her it looked like the most boring place on earth. She reprimanded me by saying it was probably very peaceful and lovely." Harry rubbed at his eyes, trying to brush away the pain that he felt about all of this.

"And the name?" Hermione asked.

Harry smiled and gave a small chuckle. "Gwen, I'm sure is the first name. I have to think a bit on the last name."

"Gwen?" Ron queried.

"Guinevere. You're father named her Ginny after the nick name King Arthur used for his queen, right?" Ron nodded and Harry continued. "Well, she told me she was glad she wasn't named Guinevere because she found it difficult to spell at which point I suggested that she could have shortened it to Gwen. But the Mr. Cool bit…that's confusing."

"How so?" Hermione asked, sitting down and bringing Ron with her.

"Mr. Cool…well…that's…er…Bill," muttered Harry.

"Bill? My brother Bill?"

"Yeah…Bill. But I can't imagine that she is using the name Gwen Bill."

All three sat in thought for a moment before Hermione exclaimed, "William! Gwen William…or better yet Williams!"

Harry rolled it over in his mind. Gwen Williams…it was the same initials as Ginny Weasley, so it seemed to fit. Now, about her profession? Ginny always referred to reading and writing as her knack. Had she become a writer? Did Harry need to go looking for a red headed writer by the name of Gwen Williams living somewhere in Nebraska with a baby?

But it wasn't a baby…it had been a baby once, but this was eight years later. Harry did the maths quickly in his head reasoning that the baby would probably be about seven now. Wow…seven. Another thought struck him. "Do you know if it was a boy or a girl?"

"No," Hermione said sadly. "She left as soon as she could. She was only about six weeks pregnant or so."

"We've had no contact with her since we received this letter. She sent it to us after she left"

So he was right, she had been all alone. No family to help her. No shoulder to cry on when times were hard. And the baby….the baby had been raised without a father. Harry winced at the thought. He knew too well what it was to never know your parents. But he was comforted by the thought that at least this baby was being raised by a loving mother. Folding up the letter, Harry decided Ginny had been alone long enough. He had to find her and there was no time like the present to get started.

Standing up, he thanked his friends for all their help, but explained that he had to go. He HAD to find her. Ron protested, saying that Harry needed to rest, but as Harry pointed out, as long as he knew Ginny was alone out there, he would never be able to rest. So they said their good byes and with a pop Harry had vanished.