Author's Note: I do not own Ginny Weasley, George Weasley, Fred Weasley OR Hermione Granger nor ne others mentioned… Got it??? Ok on wit the story…. O n I luv yall lots my fav beta readers Alex and Lunetter, u rule… n to keladry, my best friend ever who so willingly reads my crap and tells me how bad it is… I luv ur brutal honesty… n also thanks to Emily for your review, u really helped me out
Deaf
Chapter 3: Meetings
The world around the woman was blurry and grey. She couldn't see where her feet were leading her. She couldn't hear what the woman beside her was saying. She couldn't make sense of the endless screaming behind her eyelids. Nothing seemed real but nothing was false either. This reality she walked through seemed more like a black and white photograph, like the ones that hung on her bedroom walls. It was there, she could see it, she could understand it, but the shadows that lurked everywhere complicated her vision, distracting her. Her eyes were stinging, expecting the tears that couldn't come. She was too sad for tears.
Ahead of her was a life she had turned her back on years ago and behind her was an emptiness she had been wanting to give up for most of those years. Both choices were unappealing and she wasn't sure which she hated more, but her feet kept moving forward. They kept following this long forgotten friend, this woman that she had no reason to trust and no reason to believe in again. The only thought that was streaming through her head was that they were dead. That she could never see her father again, never sit on his lap. Or curl up next to her older brother again as she fell back into a dreamless slumber. Nothing could satisfy her thirst for their love, no water could ever cure her of this kind of yearning.
It took her a few moments to realize they had stopped outside of a very familiar pub. The dingy building looked even more dismal than ever considering what she was likely to find there. Glancing at Hermione though, Virginia knew she had to do it. She had to go back, for her father. Upon deciding, she walked forward and wrenched open the door. Virginia stepped swiftly into the dark room, letting her eyes adjust to the light and looked around at the people sitting at various tables. She vaguely recognized one or two of them, but nobody in particular jumped out at her. She let out a small sigh and let her eyes wander over to Tom, the bartender, taking in his appearance. He hadn't changed a bit since the last time she had seen him.
They passed through the room unnoticed and went into a courtyard around back. The only thing back there was a pair of old tin trash cans, or so it would appear to the untamed eye. Hermione pulled out a long piece of wood that Virginia recognized as a wand and tapped the bricks. One by one they folded back until a large archway stood in front of the two woman, leading them onto a winding cobbled street known as Diagon Alley.
Hermione took her arm and practically dragged her through the thick crowds. A few heads turned in her direction and a few whispers followed her, but Virginia couldn't be sure if she was the reason. The walk through Diagon Alley was one of the longest she had ever had to take, knowing what awaited it her at the end of the journey. They stopped near the end of the street at a small shop with the words Weasley Wizard Wheezes over the door. There was no stopping the dread that plowed down on her.
Looking at the door for a few minutes she didn't think she could do this. She didn't think she could go back, not yet at least. But right when she was about to turn and run, Hermione grabbed her wrist again and pulled her inside. Virginia followed the older woman to the back of the store, near the cash registers where what looked like an overly large boy with red hair was sitting counting out someone's change. The boy looked up and smiled at Hermione, barely noticing the petite redhead next to her.
"Oy George! You have a visitor!" he yelled back to someone who was obviously in the storage room. "How are ya then Hermione? Alright?"
"I'm fine Fred thank you." Virginia was sure she would've said more if what looked like Fred's mirror image (save for the hair which was quite a bit longer) stepped out of the back room and came to give his wife a kiss.
"Hey there beautiful! How are you then?" He gave her a tender smile and warmth practically radiated from his gaze which was locked with hers.
"I'm fine George just thought I'd stop in and surprise you." She seemed to have forgotten all about Virginia, maybe she could duck out right now, they'd probably never notice.
It's actually kind of odd how karma works. As soon as you don't want something to happen, or you really want something to work out, the exact opposite comes true. So it was with Virginia as George finally turned his attention from his adoring wife and looked at her with a genuine smile on his face.
"And now who's this Hermione a new friend of yours? I'm Ge…" The man's eyes suddenly became very large as he recognized some one from his past who had changed quite a bit from the last time he'd seen her.
Fred looked up from the money he was counting to see what had gotten his brother so dumbfounded. He followed his stare to Virginia and his jaw dropped as well.
"Ginny?" Fred gasped incredulously. He could hardly breathe as he stared at his baby sister who had been gone for much too long.
"Hey. Fred, George. How are you?" her voice was soft and mouse-like. She stared not at these two people who she had known and loved for 20 odd years of her life, but at her feet which had suddenly become very interesting.
"I think I'm about to faint. Gin, where, what, WHO!?" George stuttered over the words as he could barely believe his eyes.
"Umm… Gin, how are you? It's really been a while." Fred gave Hermione a quick glance, suddenly remembering what Virginia hadn't known. All the woman could do was nod as she looked at the awkward reunion between siblings. "George, why don't we close up the shop for a little while and take Gin out for lunch or something, that way we can talk."
"I've already eaten; me and Hermione had tea while she told me about…" Virginia looked out the window up front, watching small witches and wizards dragging their fathers and mothers and brothers and sisters this way and that. A small tear formed in her eye, trickling down her face. She remembered dragging her family around looking in the candy and joke shops endlessly. Things had been so much sweeter back then, so much simpler and carefree. If she could she would go back and relive those times over and over again.
She felt his hand touch her shoulder and shivered. She hadn't been touched like that in years, not like she was loved. Cool fingers tucked themselves beneath her chin forcing her to look up into George's eyes. They too were sparkling with tears. He pulled her into a hug, holding her close to him.
"It'll be ok Gin. It'll all be ok eventually." Virginia flinched, both at the name he had used for her and the fact that he thought the pain would go away. She pulled away sharply and looked him in the eyes.
"I've been gone now for 4 years George, and I have changed. My hair my clothes, how I live, I may no longer be like you, I may no longer BE a Weasley. But I know that it won't be okay. I know that I won't wake up one morning and have it all just have gone away. Life's not like that George. I've been there, I've done that. I died George, the girl you knew, Ginny Weasley, she died. She died 4 years ago. She died when he died and every morning I wake up feeling the pain. I fall asleep seeing his face. It's not going to go away George! My father and brother died and I never said goodbye to them! That's not going to change in 5 years, 10 years, never. After an entire millennium they will still be gone and I'll still be hurt by the loss by my guilty conscience!" As she spoke the words her voice steadily rose in volume she was getting excited and angry and she couldn't stop the words from spilling off of her tongue. "I never said goodbye, I never apologized, I never forgave them. And now I can't. Now I can't."
Virginia closed her eyes as the tears that had been waiting all day to come out finally did, soaking her face. Her knees crumpled beneath her leaving her in a ball on the floor, trembling in pain and exhaustion. The world around her was crashing down and there wasn't anything she could do to stop it. Why does everyone that I love always die?
Strong arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders pulling her back into a tight embrace. And so they sat there for long minutes, Virginia and Fred crying into each other as George and Hermione sat across from them each lost in their own tears and pain.
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A/N: ok I'm really hurt by the lack of response to this story, out of this world got mad reviews, so im not sure If ya'll don like this story or if u just aren't reading it… please enlighten me, it'd really help… constructive criticism is accepted happily, o n Emily, I din get a chance to add into the story the direct changes to Ginny's appearance, it didn't seem to fit, so ill add it in next time. Thanks for the suggestion tho!!! R/R thanx peeps luv yas lots!!! byeeee