Strawberries

The Second Strawberry

He groaned, and turning over, hefound himself in a bed. He reached for his forehead. He felt a throbbing pain there. He half expected to feel a hole in his head, but all his fingers ran over was his infamous scar.

Outside he heard the sound of clinking, like silverware on plates and voices. Harry got up slowly; pain beat at his head andhis vision went hazy for a minute. When things finally swam back into focus,he picked himself up and dragged himself out of the room. He went left down the hall way and entered the living room and saw the two red heads eating at the counter.

Serena looked up as he entered. "You're alive!" She stared in awe.

"Um… Yup." He rubbed his eyes and ran his hand through his hair, he felt sore all over and it appeared in his movements.

One day I'll actually die, he thought to himself.

"Wow, déjà vu," the mother stated. Harry looked at her. She looked so familiar, just like his mother or-

"Ginny?!?!"

"Hello, Harry."

Harry had stood there for what seemed like an eternity, all thought of pain gone and out the window.

"Ginny?" he took a step closer, his footing unsure.

"Ginny?" he picked up her hand and examined it as if there would be a tag saying 'Ginerva Weasley' on it. Harry pulled back.

"Ginny!"

"You sound like a broken record," she sniffed, turgid emotions in both of them as the drew unsteady breaths.

"Strawberry?"

"Yes?" Both of them answered, but Ginny was the only one to have tears start to silently fall down her face.

"Wait-" started Serena.

"Strawberry, that was my nickname for your mother when we were growing up." They stared at each other, delighted at the memory.

"You guys knew each other when you were young?"

"Are you kidding me!" exclaimed Harry, "She's my best mate's sister."

Serena just sat there,stunned.

Words came spilling out of Harry, a sudden waterfall he was unable to hold back, "Why didn't you ever return home? You know they're looking for you. Did you hear about Fred and George? They're-"

"Don't tell me!" she yelled, and covered her ears, shaking. After several moments, silent except for the sound of Ginny's ragged breath she whimpered, "Don't tell me."

"Ginny? Ginny, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing," she said, composing herself again, and wiped away the tears, and the nostalgic feelings coming to a screeching halt. "We can talk about that later, okay Harry?" And she dismissed the topic. Harry frowned, he knew something was wrong.

-x-

Harry was tucking Serena into bed. "You know Serena, I think you look just like your mom!" She grinned sleepily. "G'night daddy," she whispered.

"G'night Strawberry." He kissed her on the forehead, and she kissed his cheek and he tucked the blankets closer around her.

"Your turn." Harry passed Ginny by the door, which she had been peeking through. She slipped in and kissed Serena, "Goodnight my angel," Ginny whispered.

"G'night Strawberry," Serena replied sleepily. Harry stifled a laugh as Ginny turned out the light and closed the door.

"She called you Strawberry," Harry laughed softly.

"Only because you did." She smiled up at him. "It's so good to see you again Harry."

He crossed his arms. "Now, you're going to tell me what happened after all this mess of a war started."

She looked uncomfortable. "Harry, not here, it's a long story..." She sounded very tired all of the sudden.

"I've got all night, and longer if it takes."

She sighed and walked back into the kitchen. She started cleaning up the mess. She didn't say anything. Harry thought she wasn't going to say anything at first.

"I was captured… when there was a raid at Hogwarts, one of the Death Eaters captured me and held me captive, and three years later I escaped. "

Harry looked a little stunned at such a sudden, short explanation, but he began to think. "But- Serena is already 6-years-old. You certainty didn't have her while you were at Hogwarts, that means that-"

"It means-!" she hissed at him, and then she composed herself and finished in a calmer voice, "It means what you think it means." She looked stunned she had said it out loud and turned back to her work.

Harry didn't say anything for a couple of minute, then, "So who's the father?"

"Nobody," she said shortly.

"Who?" he persisted.

"Gadammit! Harry does it matter?" She started yelling, "I just want to forget it all, and that's why I haven't been back to see my family! I'm so ashamed of myself! I practically LET him…" Her voice trailed off.

"Ginny! You can't blame yourself! You were only- what, sixteen years old?"

"But I got pregnant didn't I! I didn't fight hard enough if I got pregnant!" She looked furious at herself.

"Ginny how can you say that, the guy must have been older and stronger than you- not that you're weak or anything, but a full grown man against a sixteen-year-old! The odds are the man would win-"

"And what about you. You were only eighteen when you defeated Voldemort! He's like a thousand!" She sounded delirious.

"That's not the point, and besides I had some of his power."

"But you still did it! You still defeated him!" she wailed.

"Ginny, let's just not talk about that part okay?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Yes, good idea." She turned away.

"I should take you to your family." Harry tried to keep at baythe awkward silence he knew would follow.

"No," she whirled around again, her face fearful. "Anything but. I'd rather be pregnant again rather then go face my family right now." She looked like she was about to break down and cry, desperate whimpering noises were coming from her.

"Okay, okay." He gave her a hug, calming her, banishing her fears, and she shivered under his embrace. "Not yet."

After a few minutes in silence, Harry pulled back and started to talk again. "Serena was acting weird today." He walked around the small kitchen and started to help clean up. "She was crying and running away from a little boy." He looked up at her and saw her watching him intently, he continued. "When I asked her about it she said that she couldn't tell me because the 'Dragon' would get her." He looked at her again. "Do you know what that means?"

Ginny didn't answer right away, she had a sad, calculating look in her eyes. She seemed far away. Then she finally answered, "No, no I don't know what that means."

-x-

Ok, you smart mathematicians, you caught me… I can't to math for $#¡↑ (I can hardly spell, bows down to the spell checker). So right now, I'm raking me brain trying to figure out how old everybody is now…

But I cant guarantee I'll fix anything, (see, I'm not very smart, no sir-ee) so after I try to fix it, you're all welcome to yell at me again and tell me how stupid I am;)

Have a nice day!

•patronus