Title: A Place to Call Home
Author: RuthErin
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, places, names, etc. associated with the Harry Potter series.
Summary: The war is over. Harry leaves the Dursley's to spend one last summer at the Burrow, but things get off to a rocky start, as secrets are revealed and old grudges are brought to light. Time is running out for Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny: they must ultimately decide what to do now that school is finished, where they will spend their futures-and who they will spend them with.
Author's Notes: This chapter explores something we don't always see in HP fan-fiction: An adult perspective of what is going on. We saw a little of that in Book 5 in, "Mrs. Weasley's Woes", and to some degree this compliments that. The main difference is that this is directly from their perspective-what the children don't see. It takes a slight turn from the light attitude that once Voldemort was defeated "everything would be okay". This is the conversation you'd never want to over-hear your parents having: the grave human feelings that suggest they are as breakable as we are.
A Place to Call Home, Chapter Four- Molly and Arthur
~*~
Arthur Weasley was used to coming home to a full household; with seven children it was inevitable. However, he was not used to the silence that greeted him on his arrival back at the Burrow that evening. It did not take him long to suspect that something had happened.
Ginny and Harry could be seen walking near the lake. Ron and Hermione were having a heated conversation in the parlor, which Fred and George were pretending not to be listening in to. And Molly was storming around the house in search of the broom, which Arthur noticed cowering behind some cloaks.
Arthur raised his eyebrows. The only time Molly got this upset about the broom was when something much more significant was bothering her. And almost certain that her behavior was linked with the strange behaviors of the rest of his family.
"Molly.?" he spoke gently, tentatively. If he, or something he did, was responsible for this odd behavior, it was safer not to make any sudden moves or loud noises.
Molly's head whipped around, and for a moment she stared at him, her eyes betraying her distracted mind. Then, suddenly, her eyes seemed to focus and she smiled weakly at her husband. Arthur moved to her side and tenderly guided her to a kitchen chair.
"Come now, my Love, sit down. I'll make us some tea and you can tell me what has got you in such a tizzy, eh?"
Molly's smile seemed to change, relief now visible in her tired eyes. Arthur was home now; he would make sense of all this. Arthur would take care of things.
Mrs. Weasley settled into the chair that her husband had pulled back for her. She took a deep breath and waited as he charmed the teakettle and filled it with water. As soon as he was seated in the chair across from her she began to speak.
"Oh Arthur, I just don't know what to make of it all. The owl came and at first I thought it must be some mistake, but it has got Dumbledore's signature and the Hogwarts seal, and then of course there's the matter of Ginny. says she doesn't mean to go back! Challenged the curriculum, and they let her! Seven N.E.W.T.s!" she paused, and Arthur jumped in, concern and perplexity showing in his every feature.
"Molly, dear, slow down a bit and explain this to me. what has this got to do Ginny? And who got seven N.E.W.T.s? Ron? Has he finally given up and shown you his report?"
Mrs. Weasley was shaking her head now distractedly, and seemed to struggle to find the proper words. She jumped up and began rummaging through drawers and cabinets. Finally she opened the icebox and found what she was looking for: a thick roll of parchment that sat chilling behind last Saturday's leftovers.
Whatever was going on must be somewhat serious-the last time she had misplaced something in this manner was when word had come to them about Bill; In that case, she had put the deeds to his dragon in the toaster oven, and nearly caught the kitchen on fire.
Now, his mind spun counting the children he had seen as he had come in, going over who could be hurt or in trouble, or. Percy. It had to be Percy. They had not heard anything of him in months.
Molly handed the parchment over to Arthur and sat watching him as he unrolled it with trembling hands and began to read. His mouth fell open as he read through page after page.
Molly watched her husband with tearful eyes. His hair, once the vibrant shade of their children's, had grown much thinner and turned to pale shades of grey. He was shorter than he used to be, and his back was not as straight as it once was. The war had taken its toll on her husband. He had grown old during these past few short years, and she had not noticed until this moment.
Now Arthur had finished reading, and slowly turned to look out the window, towards the lake. What he saw now was almost as astonishing as what he had just read: the two figures out by the lake, which he knew to be Harry and Ginny, were embracing in a very, er, intimate manner.
His wife followed his gaze and nodded knowingly.
"Yes, that's the other little surprise. Apparently it's been going on behind the scenes, so to speak, for quite some time. Ron is less than thrilled, as I am sure you can well imagine. But Arthur, what of this other business, eh? Can Ginny really be finished? Can we let her do this?"
Arthur closed his eyes and breathed deeply.
"Harry and Ginny, eh? Can't say I didn't always suspect there would be something. and as for her finishing school a year early, I don't think we can let her-that would assume she had asked us first. As it is. it's already done. We may still be her parents, but she's not really our little girl any more. Virginia is growing up."
Molly sighed and turned to watch her daughter once again. Her baby; Finished with school. it was not quite right. Her children already grew up too fast without doing something as mad as skipping years all together.
Charlie was always off dealing with the dangers of dragons; Percy had married, and moved away without sending word to any of his family members; Ron was job hunting and head over heels in love with Hermione; and Bill. Bill would have turned twenty-nine this summer.
"My little girl." She sniffed, and Arthur put a loving arm around her.
Author: RuthErin
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, places, names, etc. associated with the Harry Potter series.
Summary: The war is over. Harry leaves the Dursley's to spend one last summer at the Burrow, but things get off to a rocky start, as secrets are revealed and old grudges are brought to light. Time is running out for Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny: they must ultimately decide what to do now that school is finished, where they will spend their futures-and who they will spend them with.
Author's Notes: This chapter explores something we don't always see in HP fan-fiction: An adult perspective of what is going on. We saw a little of that in Book 5 in, "Mrs. Weasley's Woes", and to some degree this compliments that. The main difference is that this is directly from their perspective-what the children don't see. It takes a slight turn from the light attitude that once Voldemort was defeated "everything would be okay". This is the conversation you'd never want to over-hear your parents having: the grave human feelings that suggest they are as breakable as we are.
A Place to Call Home, Chapter Four- Molly and Arthur
~*~
Arthur Weasley was used to coming home to a full household; with seven children it was inevitable. However, he was not used to the silence that greeted him on his arrival back at the Burrow that evening. It did not take him long to suspect that something had happened.
Ginny and Harry could be seen walking near the lake. Ron and Hermione were having a heated conversation in the parlor, which Fred and George were pretending not to be listening in to. And Molly was storming around the house in search of the broom, which Arthur noticed cowering behind some cloaks.
Arthur raised his eyebrows. The only time Molly got this upset about the broom was when something much more significant was bothering her. And almost certain that her behavior was linked with the strange behaviors of the rest of his family.
"Molly.?" he spoke gently, tentatively. If he, or something he did, was responsible for this odd behavior, it was safer not to make any sudden moves or loud noises.
Molly's head whipped around, and for a moment she stared at him, her eyes betraying her distracted mind. Then, suddenly, her eyes seemed to focus and she smiled weakly at her husband. Arthur moved to her side and tenderly guided her to a kitchen chair.
"Come now, my Love, sit down. I'll make us some tea and you can tell me what has got you in such a tizzy, eh?"
Molly's smile seemed to change, relief now visible in her tired eyes. Arthur was home now; he would make sense of all this. Arthur would take care of things.
Mrs. Weasley settled into the chair that her husband had pulled back for her. She took a deep breath and waited as he charmed the teakettle and filled it with water. As soon as he was seated in the chair across from her she began to speak.
"Oh Arthur, I just don't know what to make of it all. The owl came and at first I thought it must be some mistake, but it has got Dumbledore's signature and the Hogwarts seal, and then of course there's the matter of Ginny. says she doesn't mean to go back! Challenged the curriculum, and they let her! Seven N.E.W.T.s!" she paused, and Arthur jumped in, concern and perplexity showing in his every feature.
"Molly, dear, slow down a bit and explain this to me. what has this got to do Ginny? And who got seven N.E.W.T.s? Ron? Has he finally given up and shown you his report?"
Mrs. Weasley was shaking her head now distractedly, and seemed to struggle to find the proper words. She jumped up and began rummaging through drawers and cabinets. Finally she opened the icebox and found what she was looking for: a thick roll of parchment that sat chilling behind last Saturday's leftovers.
Whatever was going on must be somewhat serious-the last time she had misplaced something in this manner was when word had come to them about Bill; In that case, she had put the deeds to his dragon in the toaster oven, and nearly caught the kitchen on fire.
Now, his mind spun counting the children he had seen as he had come in, going over who could be hurt or in trouble, or. Percy. It had to be Percy. They had not heard anything of him in months.
Molly handed the parchment over to Arthur and sat watching him as he unrolled it with trembling hands and began to read. His mouth fell open as he read through page after page.
Molly watched her husband with tearful eyes. His hair, once the vibrant shade of their children's, had grown much thinner and turned to pale shades of grey. He was shorter than he used to be, and his back was not as straight as it once was. The war had taken its toll on her husband. He had grown old during these past few short years, and she had not noticed until this moment.
Now Arthur had finished reading, and slowly turned to look out the window, towards the lake. What he saw now was almost as astonishing as what he had just read: the two figures out by the lake, which he knew to be Harry and Ginny, were embracing in a very, er, intimate manner.
His wife followed his gaze and nodded knowingly.
"Yes, that's the other little surprise. Apparently it's been going on behind the scenes, so to speak, for quite some time. Ron is less than thrilled, as I am sure you can well imagine. But Arthur, what of this other business, eh? Can Ginny really be finished? Can we let her do this?"
Arthur closed his eyes and breathed deeply.
"Harry and Ginny, eh? Can't say I didn't always suspect there would be something. and as for her finishing school a year early, I don't think we can let her-that would assume she had asked us first. As it is. it's already done. We may still be her parents, but she's not really our little girl any more. Virginia is growing up."
Molly sighed and turned to watch her daughter once again. Her baby; Finished with school. it was not quite right. Her children already grew up too fast without doing something as mad as skipping years all together.
Charlie was always off dealing with the dangers of dragons; Percy had married, and moved away without sending word to any of his family members; Ron was job hunting and head over heels in love with Hermione; and Bill. Bill would have turned twenty-nine this summer.
"My little girl." She sniffed, and Arthur put a loving arm around her.