Dedicated to Isulith, Melissa, Ana Morales and Suga Gurl.
Chapter 14: Things I'll Never Say
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I'm tugging at my hair
I'm pulling at my clothes
I'm trying to keep my cool
I know it shows
I'm staring at my feet
My cheeks are turning red
I'm searching for the words inside my head
Because I know you worth it
You're worth this, yeah
If I could say what I wanna say
I'd say I wanna blow you away
Be with you every night
Am I squeezing you to tight?
If I could say what I wanna see
I wanna see you go down on one knee
Marry me today
I guess I'm wishing my life away
On these things I'll never say
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Things I'll Never Say – Avril Lavigne
"H-Harry…" The elder took the others out of the room, leaving them alone.
"Ginny… I can't believe it's you!" After all this searching, all the false leads, he was actually with her at last.
"What are you doing here, Harry?"
"I came to find you. I've been looking for months."
"Oh…"
An awkward silence fell upon them. Harry decided to try and break it.
"Everyone misses you."
"How… how are they all?"
"Well. Ron and Hermione are married. Fleur has had her baby. A boy called Jack. Remus and Tonks are together. That's pretty much it. But they do miss you."
"I miss them." She whispered, fiddling with a towel.
"Then come back."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because… I can't. I'm still trying to control the power. I'm getting better. But I'm not completely safe."
"Best as can be." Said the nun elder. Ginny looked at her. She hadn't noticed her come in.
"What?"
"You best. Keep trying, get better. Should go home."
"Not yet, please. Soon." Ginny promised. Harry frowned.
"How soon is soon?"
"When I feel I can face them."
"But you'll keep in contact?"
"Yes. Send me an owl, and I'll reply. But don't tell the others where I am. My brothers'll try and drag me home."
"OK. But soon?"
"Yes."
They stood in silence. Awkward silence.
"So… how did you find this place?" Harry asked.
"I read about it at Hogwarts. Not many people know it's here. I found this book in library, and it mentioned this shelter."
"What is it?"
"People trying to get away. They come here for help. These are some of the very few muggles who know we exist. They say our gifts are from God. They have a sort of meditation. It helps me control the magic."
"We've been so worried."
"The things I said and did… Harry, I didn't know if they were going to accept me back. I still don't. I hurt people. People died because of me."
"Of course we'll accept you. We love you, Ginny." Ginny bit her lip and turned away.
"Before… when we were fighting… I made fun of you. I said such hateful things. I slept with Draco Malfoy. I got possessed by Voldemort again. I hurt my family, my friends… And when you said that you loved me I scorned you. I called Professor Dumbledore an old fool!"
"You slept with Malfoy?" Harry said, his voice going curiously high.
"Um… yeah. The night before they took me."
"Oh… OK. But you were under the influence of a potion."
"Yeah. Believe me Harry; I don't know what came over me." His voice still high he said,
"No worries…"
"You're upset."
"No! Well…"
"The word you're looking for is yes. But it didn't mean anything. It was… a mistake."
Ginny walked Harry down to the mountain path that led to the village. He turned to her.
"Ginny, about what happened… with Malfoy…"
"We'll talk about it when we get back. Right now I just need to-"
"OK. When you get back." He smiled at her.
And before she could say anything he had kissed her. Just for a moment, his lips had pressed against hers. And then he had disapparated.
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He apparated back to England the next day. When he arrived at the Burrow that afternoon, he kept his word to Ginny and didn't say anything about her.
"Harry dear, are you quite alright? You're very quiet." Molly said anxiously. Harry grinned and nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Jet lag."
"No luck?" Harry was spared having to lie by baby Jack's wails. Fleur picked him and started to rock him.
"He needs feeding." She told them, unbuttoning her shirt. Fred, George, Harry, Ron, Charlie all stood up, red-faced and made various loud excuses, leaving the room.
"Honestly Ron, what are you going to be like when we have babies?" Hermione exasperatedly, following them into the kitchen to make tea. Ron stared at her.
"What do you mean? We're having babies?"
"Don't… don't you want a child?" Hermione said, putting down the kettle and staring at him. The others began to feel that this situation was even more uncomfortable than the one in the living room.
"Why do we need a kid? We've got each other." Ron said. Hermione's eyes narrowed.
"You don't want children?"
"Not really. I mean, I always had so many siblings I'm fed up with families. Maybe later on though."
They all jumped as Hermione slammed the kettle down.
"Fine!" She said angrily. Ron grabbed her wrist.
"What's wrong?"
"You're so insensitive Ronald Weasley!" She shrieked.
"Hermione…"
"Don't 'Hermione' me, you insensitive, selfish prat! You never discussed this with me!"
"It never came up in conversation! Why are you so upset? You never mentioned children before!"
"Well, it's about two weeks too late for that Ron! I'm already pregnant!"
Shocked silence. The other tried to creep out of the room, but it was desperately tempting to hear what happened next.
"P-pregnant?" Ron stammered. Hermione glared at him defiantly.
"Yes."
"Really?"
"Yes!"
"This is brilliant!"
"Ye- What?" Hermione said, doing a perfect double-take. "But you just said-"
"Forget what I just said! My god… you're pregnant?"
"But you said that you didn't want them yet!"
"That was before. This is now! This is bloody brilliant!"
"Ron, please explain this to me. A moment ago you didn't want children. And now you do?"
"Well yeah! I just figured that you didn't. You know, what with having to put up with all of my family."
"Should we feel insulted?" Fred whispered. Ron and Hermione ignored him.
"Then why did you say it?" Hermione demanded.
"Dunno really. I just always presumed I wouldn't want kids."
"When he was five, he presumed that Ginny was adopted because she was girl. Took her down to the village in her pushchair, trying to find her real family." George said knowledgeably. Ron glared at him, then took Hermione's hands in his.
"Hermione, I DO want children. Which, I guess is kinda convenient, since you're pregnant." He added as an afterthought.
"YOU'RE PREGNANT?" Mrs Weasley shrieked, standing in the door way with Fleur, who still had her shirt unbuttoned. Bill stood behind them grinning. The other guys in the room glanced at the three of them, then turned away blushing. Fleur rolled her eyes and did up her shirt.
"Um… yes?" Hermione whispered. Before she could say another word she was being hugged so tightly, she was in danger of suffocating. Ron's brothers all patted him on the back, talking loudly. Harry smiled. Well, that was one thing to write to Ginny about.
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Ginny smiled as Hedwig landed on the windowsill of her bedroom.
Dear Ginny,
Big news first. Hermione's pregnant! You should have seen Ron's face when she told him. It was absolutely priceless!
I haven't told them that I found you. Just in case you were wondering. But your mum is frantic. She's distracted with Hermione at the moment. But that won't keep her busy for long.
It's weird. Now that I'm actually writing to you I can't think of a word to say. Just hurry home, OK? Your apparition license is updated, so you can come back whenever you want.
Love, Harry.
PS: can you give Hedwig a drink? She's flown a pretty long way.
Ginny patted Hedwig and poured water in a bowl for her. As she stroked the owl's downy feathers, she looked back at the letter.
Maybe it was time.
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A week later Harry joined the Weasley's in their back garden for Sunday dinner.
Ron fussed over Hermione, giving her cushions, pouring her drinks. Hermione looked at him crossly.
"I'm pregnant, Ron, not made of glass."
"Just making sure you and my little guy are OK. Or possibly girl." He said quickly as Hermione raised her eyebrows dangerously. Harry laughed. Jack lay on his rug on the grass, with Bill as he tickled his son.
Fred, George, Charlie and Mr Weasley were happily discussing the Quidditch match they were planning to play after dinner.
But it was as Harry who noticed her first. He stood up and the others fell silent, looking towards the gate, where a black-haired, pale-skinned woman stood. Ginny gave a nervous smile.
"Room for a Prodigal Daughter?" She asked.
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CLIFFHANGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ooh, I'm doing far too many of those at the moment.
Only a few more chapters left. And I have to say, I've quite enjoyed this fic. I just started writing it on a spur; I had no idea where it would go.
And I have to give a HUGE thank you to all of my reviewers! I have been taking exams for the past two weeks. I posted a new chapter last Wednesday. On Friday, I checked my e-mails for my new reviews and found 35 in my inbox. After a whole load of exams, that really cheers you up. I both read and appreciated every single one!
I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!
*Ahem*, anyway… someone asked what Ginny's powers where. Basically, she absorbed all of Voldemort's powers when he got killed. So she has twice as much power, and can't control it all. I just realised that I never actually explained that, did I? Oops.
I promise Ginny/Harry action next chapter! And now I'm gonna stop typing, before this author's note ends up longer than the chapter.
Oh, but first, did anyone see the Simpson's episode, with J.K.Rowling? How funny was that?! Lisa asks her, "What happens to Harry Potter in the end?"
"He grows up and marries you. Is that what you want to hear?"
"…Yes!"
Pure genius. Although, Tony Blair is SO not that cool! I live in England, I KNOW that he isn't that cool!
OK. Gonna stop talking now. Feel free to e-mail me!
Lotsa luv 'n' huggles
Katie
