A/N: I kept it vague on purpose - deal with it! :-P Also, sorry 'bout the
cheesy flashback format, but I can't get this to italicize, so it'll have
to do for now!
Ooh ooh! And thanks to my reviewers (positive feedback is always fun!).
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As she did every day, Molly sat by the window in her rocking chair knitting sweaters. Watching the leaves dance on the lawn, her heart ached when she counted the sweaters she had made so far. "One for Charlie, one for Bill, one for Percy, one for George . " She faltered, fighting back tears, "one for Ginny, one for." she hesitantly glanced at the maroon sweater she was holding on her hands. Shaking, she continued, "one for Ron." A tear trickled down her cheek as she thought of the ones she would not be knitting that Christmas season. "I should make them for the girls," she thought aloud. "It'll keep me busy.one for Annie, one for Celeste, one for Alicia, and one for," he breath caught in her throat as she heard a pop. Glancing up, she finished, "HERMIONE!" Molly's eyes met with a pair of warm brown ones full of tears as she jumped up to embrace her son's fiancé. Pulling her close, she whispered, "are you two alright, dear?"
Hermione nodded, but as comprehension dawned on her, she pulled away and looked around rather suddenly. "You mean he's not here either?" she choked. Sinking to the floor, she sobbed uncontrollably. Molly gently encircled her with her arms and slowly rocked her exhausted body until she was too tired to cry any more. "No one's seen him for weeks, Molly. Weeks. He has to be dead . I cannot believe that he is alive anymore, Molly. Not after all this time." she faltered as she choked back more sobs. Approaching footsteps made them both turn to face a pair of beat-up sneakers and jeans on long legs coming towards them.
"Hermione, if you lose faith, who's left to keep it, luv?" Ginny said resolutely. "I will not have any future sister-in-law of mine talking about my brother that way. He's out there - Harry will find him." Her eyes glazed as she spoke of Harry. "I won't let him come home until he does."
Molly gaped at her angrily, and then rose to her feet. "Virginia Weasley! How dare you blame this on Harry! It's bad enough you sent him away last week, but now you're making promises you have no right to make!" Her hand flew to her mouth as she tried to hold in the impulsive words that she had set loose into the room. "Oh, Ginny . oh I'm so sorry." Ginny turned quickly on her heel and bounded up the stairs, avoiding the eyes of both her Mother and her best friend.
Once in the safety of her room, Ginny's tears burst through the dam and flooded her face and pillow. Her heart ached, and she longed for Harry to come back. "Why did I send him away? Why lost TWO when I could've at least had him?" she moaned weakly. Punching her pillow, she scowled at the picture frame on her night table. In it was a muggle picture of Harry and Ginny's first kiss snapped by Colin Creevy at her Hogwarts graduation almost 4 years ago. She felt tears trickle down her cheeks as she remembered the last time that he had kissed her.
**Flashback**
"Harry. I'm coming with you," Ginny said defiantly as she jammed her hands on her hips.
"I said no, Gin, and I mean no. I love you - more than anything in the whole world - but I'm not changing my mind about this. Please, don't make me sneak away, Gin. Let's just have some time - just us - before I go." He searched her face for acceptance, but saw none. Pulling her close, he repeated, "I love you more than life itself Ginny Weasley - please believe that." He kissed her briefly, then backed away from her and turned to leave.
"If you leave, Harry James Potter, know that I will not be waiting for you when you come back." Ginny shouted angrily. "And, promise me that you'll bring my brother back home safely." She folded her arms to emphasize the finality of her statement and fought the tears that threatened to leak from the corners of her eyes.
Harry simply nodded and mumbled, "I promise, Gin. I love you," before he turned and aparated away.
*****
Ginny hated herself for being so cold. The pain that radiated from her heart was almost visible in her fatigued demeanor, but she could not allow him to see it - ever - because she knew her strength, though outwardly intimidating, was truly waning and every second spent with him would surely weaken her resolve against him. She knew very well that Ron's disappearance had not been Harry's fault, for she saw the true brotherly love that Harry felt for him in everything that he did or said about him, but it made it easier for her to push him away if she had a tangible reason to do so.
Her contemplation was interrupted, however, when her door creaked open and a pair of red-rimmed eyes peeked in. "Come in, 'Mione," Ginny whispered hoarsely. Hermione approached her bed and settled herself beside Ginny's crouched form.
"You okay, Gin? Molly didn't really mean to yell at you it's just she's - she's hurting." Hermione's voice faded as her eyes dropped and she began picking at the bedspread with her weathered hands. Ginny placed the tips of her fingers underneath Hermione's chin and lifted her face so that it was level with her own.
"I know, Hermione. She's my mother. It's her job to yell at me, and she's beside herself with so many emotions that she doesn't know what to do with herself. Just as you and I are. But, I am completely sure that Harry will find him. I wasn't lying - or being unrealistic," she said with an eye roll. " I just know, okay? He's my brother - and Harry's . well, Harry's . Harry." Hermione nodded, half-smiling. "Let's go get you something to eat, okay? You can tell me all about how things have been, and we'll wait for them together, okay?" Hermione threw her arms around Ginny and held onto her tightly for what seemed like a long time.
Then, pulling away, she sighed and replied simply, "Thanks, Gin. It's good to be home."
Ooh ooh! And thanks to my reviewers (positive feedback is always fun!).
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As she did every day, Molly sat by the window in her rocking chair knitting sweaters. Watching the leaves dance on the lawn, her heart ached when she counted the sweaters she had made so far. "One for Charlie, one for Bill, one for Percy, one for George . " She faltered, fighting back tears, "one for Ginny, one for." she hesitantly glanced at the maroon sweater she was holding on her hands. Shaking, she continued, "one for Ron." A tear trickled down her cheek as she thought of the ones she would not be knitting that Christmas season. "I should make them for the girls," she thought aloud. "It'll keep me busy.one for Annie, one for Celeste, one for Alicia, and one for," he breath caught in her throat as she heard a pop. Glancing up, she finished, "HERMIONE!" Molly's eyes met with a pair of warm brown ones full of tears as she jumped up to embrace her son's fiancé. Pulling her close, she whispered, "are you two alright, dear?"
Hermione nodded, but as comprehension dawned on her, she pulled away and looked around rather suddenly. "You mean he's not here either?" she choked. Sinking to the floor, she sobbed uncontrollably. Molly gently encircled her with her arms and slowly rocked her exhausted body until she was too tired to cry any more. "No one's seen him for weeks, Molly. Weeks. He has to be dead . I cannot believe that he is alive anymore, Molly. Not after all this time." she faltered as she choked back more sobs. Approaching footsteps made them both turn to face a pair of beat-up sneakers and jeans on long legs coming towards them.
"Hermione, if you lose faith, who's left to keep it, luv?" Ginny said resolutely. "I will not have any future sister-in-law of mine talking about my brother that way. He's out there - Harry will find him." Her eyes glazed as she spoke of Harry. "I won't let him come home until he does."
Molly gaped at her angrily, and then rose to her feet. "Virginia Weasley! How dare you blame this on Harry! It's bad enough you sent him away last week, but now you're making promises you have no right to make!" Her hand flew to her mouth as she tried to hold in the impulsive words that she had set loose into the room. "Oh, Ginny . oh I'm so sorry." Ginny turned quickly on her heel and bounded up the stairs, avoiding the eyes of both her Mother and her best friend.
Once in the safety of her room, Ginny's tears burst through the dam and flooded her face and pillow. Her heart ached, and she longed for Harry to come back. "Why did I send him away? Why lost TWO when I could've at least had him?" she moaned weakly. Punching her pillow, she scowled at the picture frame on her night table. In it was a muggle picture of Harry and Ginny's first kiss snapped by Colin Creevy at her Hogwarts graduation almost 4 years ago. She felt tears trickle down her cheeks as she remembered the last time that he had kissed her.
**Flashback**
"Harry. I'm coming with you," Ginny said defiantly as she jammed her hands on her hips.
"I said no, Gin, and I mean no. I love you - more than anything in the whole world - but I'm not changing my mind about this. Please, don't make me sneak away, Gin. Let's just have some time - just us - before I go." He searched her face for acceptance, but saw none. Pulling her close, he repeated, "I love you more than life itself Ginny Weasley - please believe that." He kissed her briefly, then backed away from her and turned to leave.
"If you leave, Harry James Potter, know that I will not be waiting for you when you come back." Ginny shouted angrily. "And, promise me that you'll bring my brother back home safely." She folded her arms to emphasize the finality of her statement and fought the tears that threatened to leak from the corners of her eyes.
Harry simply nodded and mumbled, "I promise, Gin. I love you," before he turned and aparated away.
*****
Ginny hated herself for being so cold. The pain that radiated from her heart was almost visible in her fatigued demeanor, but she could not allow him to see it - ever - because she knew her strength, though outwardly intimidating, was truly waning and every second spent with him would surely weaken her resolve against him. She knew very well that Ron's disappearance had not been Harry's fault, for she saw the true brotherly love that Harry felt for him in everything that he did or said about him, but it made it easier for her to push him away if she had a tangible reason to do so.
Her contemplation was interrupted, however, when her door creaked open and a pair of red-rimmed eyes peeked in. "Come in, 'Mione," Ginny whispered hoarsely. Hermione approached her bed and settled herself beside Ginny's crouched form.
"You okay, Gin? Molly didn't really mean to yell at you it's just she's - she's hurting." Hermione's voice faded as her eyes dropped and she began picking at the bedspread with her weathered hands. Ginny placed the tips of her fingers underneath Hermione's chin and lifted her face so that it was level with her own.
"I know, Hermione. She's my mother. It's her job to yell at me, and she's beside herself with so many emotions that she doesn't know what to do with herself. Just as you and I are. But, I am completely sure that Harry will find him. I wasn't lying - or being unrealistic," she said with an eye roll. " I just know, okay? He's my brother - and Harry's . well, Harry's . Harry." Hermione nodded, half-smiling. "Let's go get you something to eat, okay? You can tell me all about how things have been, and we'll wait for them together, okay?" Hermione threw her arms around Ginny and held onto her tightly for what seemed like a long time.
Then, pulling away, she sighed and replied simply, "Thanks, Gin. It's good to be home."