Chapter 4: Forever
Ginny had taken an extra month to complete the combined two years, but now she was just counting down the days until her due date.
Harry had constantly asked her to move in with him, so he could take her to St. Mungo's when she went into labor. She, however, said no. Her parents were already disappointed with her being pregnant at 17; she didn't want or need anymore shame on her shoulders. Her mother had always said it wasn't right to live with a man before marriage. Ginny had also gotten a job in Diagon Alley working in the Leaky Cauldron until she could go get a job at the wizarding day care as a teacher.
She was living in an apartment in Hogsmeade, with Harry coming and going often to check up on her. He gave her a special port key, normally used in rescue situations, that now was issued for pregnant mothers. Harry, being an Auror, had managed to get a hold of one, and gave it to Ginny for when she went into labor, if he wasn't there.
Today, Hermione was over for the afternoon, and the two women had just sat down in the kitchen to have a cup of coffee. Hermione, who was engaged to Ron now, was on the verge of lecturing Ginny; she was sure of it.
"So, how are you and Ron doing?" Ginny asked casually, setting a mug of hot coffee in front of Hermione, and a cold glass of water in front of herself.
"Fine, fine. He's in such a wonderful mood," Hermione said with a smile at Ginny. She then turned the tables. "How are you and Harry doing?" she asked finally, wanting to skip the small talk.
"What about us?" Ginny asked, taking a long drink of water, and swallowing.
"Well, everyone's wondering, Gin. Are you two getting married?"
"He hasn't asked me, and we haven't talked about it." Ginny muttered, looking away from Hermione for a moment. She then admitted her fear. "I don't think he's serious about this."
Hermione shook her head, laughing. "Harry! Not serious?! You've got to be joking! He's ecstatic. Besides, he keeps telling you this is what he wants!"
"Hermione," whined Ginny. "I'm having his baby in three weeks, and he hasn't shown any signs of wanting to propose to me!"
"He's good at keeping things bottled up," Hermione said firmly. "Doesn't he kiss you? Tell you he loves you?"
"Of course he does, but-"
Hermione held up a hand to stop her argument. "No, Gin, he'll do it. He's just probably scared of you turning him down or something. He loves you, and if I know Harry, he'll make it right again."
"I just hope it happens soon," she sighed in reply. She wanted to believe Hermione, but it was still difficult. What if Harry was planning to propose, but it wasn't out of love, but out of doing the right thing for this baby?
"Don't get yourself upset," Hermione warned her suddenly. "It's not good for the baby!"
"That's my point!" Ginny said hurriedly, then lowered her voice, in case Harry had come in without her knowing. "If Harry's not serious, it's not good for the baby once he or she is born"
Hermione frowned, shaking her head. "We already went through this months ago! How can you doubt Harry?! He loves you more than anything, and he wants this baby just as much, and you know it!"
"You can't know that, Hermione! You just said he's good at keeping to himself," she exclaimed.
"Who?" said a voice from behind Ginny. Harry was here. Her heart was pounding. Why did he have to show up at difficult times?
Ginny spun around in her chair, and forced a smile. "My friend Joshua from Hogwarts. He came over today with his wife, and there was this big argument," she lied, picking a name off the top of her head.
"Joshua?" Harry frowned, trying to remember a 'Joshua.'
"You didn't know him. He's having marital problems." Hermione added to the lie, covering for her friend. She then looked at Ginny, getting to her feet. "Listen, Gin, I've really got to go. I have to go shopping for dinner tonight."
"Okay," Ginny nodded, getting carefully to her feet, and following Hermione to the front door to get her coat. Within a minute, Hermione left after saying goodbyes to Ginny and Harry.
Ginny turned around to go back into the kitchen, but Harry didn't get out of her way.
"There's no Joshua," he said quietly. She felt a rush of guilt speed to her heart, and reluctantly, she nodded. 'Why did you lie?' he asked
"There are things you don't understand, Harry. It's complicated...I can tell Hermione because she's a girl, and she knows you very well, and I know I can trust her"
"So, you can talk about me to Hermione, but not to me?" he asked painfully, his heart aching from the lies, and this talking behind his back.
Ginny sighed. He had a point... She shook her head, refusing to look him in the eyes. He had her cornered. "No... no I can't. I'm sorry."
"Ginny, what's going on?" he asked flatly, keeping his gaze on her.
"Nothing," she told him, then moved past him into the kitchen.
"Because there's something I need to tell you," he told her urgently, making her stop and turn around, finally looking at him. "Please sit down," he added gently.
She did as he asked because she really didn't feel like arguing with him anymore. She watched him closely, waiting to hear whatever it was he needed to tell her. He didn't want to be apart of this child's life anymore, and this was it, she knew it!
"I got a letter from my boss today. The Aurors are being shipped out to a new base... Voldemort's declaring war."
This piece of information hit her in the face like a brick. "So...you're leaving," she bit out sadly. "When?"
"Next week. I really don't want to, Gin, but I have to go. All those people he killed... I need to get Voldemort back for all the pain he's caused."
She stood up, and ran her hands through her long hair. "When will you be back?" she asked quickly.
"I don't know," he admitted quietly. "But what I need to know is...will you wait for me?"
This was it, the choice she had to make. Did she love him, or was he just some guy who fathered her child? She stared into his eyes, trying to find the answer in the pools of emerald green.
The choice came immediately. After all she'd been through, after all he'd done for her, it was obvious. Why she had not seen it before, she didn't know.
"Yes," Ginny whispered. She moved towards him, and hugged him tightly. Tears spilled down onto his robes, as she held him tightly. They stayed like that until Ginny's tears subsided.
She pulled away from him slightly, so she could look him in the eyes. "I'll wait for you... I promise."
He smiled weakly down at her. He leaned down slightly, kissing her lips with passion. He kiss ended after a few moments, and Harry stared back down at her, wanting to plant this moment in his memory forever and always.
"Please come back," she begged him.
"I love you, Gin, but I can't promise what might not happen..." he sighed.
"I know," she said weakly, tears building up in her brown eyes once more. "I love you too... I always will!"
She felt a rush of emotion spill over her. She knew he meant it from that moment on. Ginny now knew that this was forever- that his love for her was strong, just like her's was for him.
This was forever
Ginny had taken an extra month to complete the combined two years, but now she was just counting down the days until her due date.
Harry had constantly asked her to move in with him, so he could take her to St. Mungo's when she went into labor. She, however, said no. Her parents were already disappointed with her being pregnant at 17; she didn't want or need anymore shame on her shoulders. Her mother had always said it wasn't right to live with a man before marriage. Ginny had also gotten a job in Diagon Alley working in the Leaky Cauldron until she could go get a job at the wizarding day care as a teacher.
She was living in an apartment in Hogsmeade, with Harry coming and going often to check up on her. He gave her a special port key, normally used in rescue situations, that now was issued for pregnant mothers. Harry, being an Auror, had managed to get a hold of one, and gave it to Ginny for when she went into labor, if he wasn't there.
Today, Hermione was over for the afternoon, and the two women had just sat down in the kitchen to have a cup of coffee. Hermione, who was engaged to Ron now, was on the verge of lecturing Ginny; she was sure of it.
"So, how are you and Ron doing?" Ginny asked casually, setting a mug of hot coffee in front of Hermione, and a cold glass of water in front of herself.
"Fine, fine. He's in such a wonderful mood," Hermione said with a smile at Ginny. She then turned the tables. "How are you and Harry doing?" she asked finally, wanting to skip the small talk.
"What about us?" Ginny asked, taking a long drink of water, and swallowing.
"Well, everyone's wondering, Gin. Are you two getting married?"
"He hasn't asked me, and we haven't talked about it." Ginny muttered, looking away from Hermione for a moment. She then admitted her fear. "I don't think he's serious about this."
Hermione shook her head, laughing. "Harry! Not serious?! You've got to be joking! He's ecstatic. Besides, he keeps telling you this is what he wants!"
"Hermione," whined Ginny. "I'm having his baby in three weeks, and he hasn't shown any signs of wanting to propose to me!"
"He's good at keeping things bottled up," Hermione said firmly. "Doesn't he kiss you? Tell you he loves you?"
"Of course he does, but-"
Hermione held up a hand to stop her argument. "No, Gin, he'll do it. He's just probably scared of you turning him down or something. He loves you, and if I know Harry, he'll make it right again."
"I just hope it happens soon," she sighed in reply. She wanted to believe Hermione, but it was still difficult. What if Harry was planning to propose, but it wasn't out of love, but out of doing the right thing for this baby?
"Don't get yourself upset," Hermione warned her suddenly. "It's not good for the baby!"
"That's my point!" Ginny said hurriedly, then lowered her voice, in case Harry had come in without her knowing. "If Harry's not serious, it's not good for the baby once he or she is born"
Hermione frowned, shaking her head. "We already went through this months ago! How can you doubt Harry?! He loves you more than anything, and he wants this baby just as much, and you know it!"
"You can't know that, Hermione! You just said he's good at keeping to himself," she exclaimed.
"Who?" said a voice from behind Ginny. Harry was here. Her heart was pounding. Why did he have to show up at difficult times?
Ginny spun around in her chair, and forced a smile. "My friend Joshua from Hogwarts. He came over today with his wife, and there was this big argument," she lied, picking a name off the top of her head.
"Joshua?" Harry frowned, trying to remember a 'Joshua.'
"You didn't know him. He's having marital problems." Hermione added to the lie, covering for her friend. She then looked at Ginny, getting to her feet. "Listen, Gin, I've really got to go. I have to go shopping for dinner tonight."
"Okay," Ginny nodded, getting carefully to her feet, and following Hermione to the front door to get her coat. Within a minute, Hermione left after saying goodbyes to Ginny and Harry.
Ginny turned around to go back into the kitchen, but Harry didn't get out of her way.
"There's no Joshua," he said quietly. She felt a rush of guilt speed to her heart, and reluctantly, she nodded. 'Why did you lie?' he asked
"There are things you don't understand, Harry. It's complicated...I can tell Hermione because she's a girl, and she knows you very well, and I know I can trust her"
"So, you can talk about me to Hermione, but not to me?" he asked painfully, his heart aching from the lies, and this talking behind his back.
Ginny sighed. He had a point... She shook her head, refusing to look him in the eyes. He had her cornered. "No... no I can't. I'm sorry."
"Ginny, what's going on?" he asked flatly, keeping his gaze on her.
"Nothing," she told him, then moved past him into the kitchen.
"Because there's something I need to tell you," he told her urgently, making her stop and turn around, finally looking at him. "Please sit down," he added gently.
She did as he asked because she really didn't feel like arguing with him anymore. She watched him closely, waiting to hear whatever it was he needed to tell her. He didn't want to be apart of this child's life anymore, and this was it, she knew it!
"I got a letter from my boss today. The Aurors are being shipped out to a new base... Voldemort's declaring war."
This piece of information hit her in the face like a brick. "So...you're leaving," she bit out sadly. "When?"
"Next week. I really don't want to, Gin, but I have to go. All those people he killed... I need to get Voldemort back for all the pain he's caused."
She stood up, and ran her hands through her long hair. "When will you be back?" she asked quickly.
"I don't know," he admitted quietly. "But what I need to know is...will you wait for me?"
This was it, the choice she had to make. Did she love him, or was he just some guy who fathered her child? She stared into his eyes, trying to find the answer in the pools of emerald green.
The choice came immediately. After all she'd been through, after all he'd done for her, it was obvious. Why she had not seen it before, she didn't know.
"Yes," Ginny whispered. She moved towards him, and hugged him tightly. Tears spilled down onto his robes, as she held him tightly. They stayed like that until Ginny's tears subsided.
She pulled away from him slightly, so she could look him in the eyes. "I'll wait for you... I promise."
He smiled weakly down at her. He leaned down slightly, kissing her lips with passion. He kiss ended after a few moments, and Harry stared back down at her, wanting to plant this moment in his memory forever and always.
"Please come back," she begged him.
"I love you, Gin, but I can't promise what might not happen..." he sighed.
"I know," she said weakly, tears building up in her brown eyes once more. "I love you too... I always will!"
She felt a rush of emotion spill over her. She knew he meant it from that moment on. Ginny now knew that this was forever- that his love for her was strong, just like her's was for him.
This was forever