Chapter Twenty-Two – The Burrow, His Return
Molly woke up suddenly in the middle of the night. She had been dreaming. Of what though, she couldn't remember. Automatically, she quietly got out of bed as not to wake Arthur. For the last twenty-nine years, she always checked on her children when she woke up in the middle of the night. She wasn't about to stop now, even if Ginny was the only one now living at home.
George moved out a month ago, into Alicia's apartment. Years ago, Molly resigned herself, knowing her sons weren't going to remain chaste until they were married. She had hoped Arthur would be able to convince them. But, as Arthur told her, boys will be boys. Ron also moved out a few months ago and was rooming with Neville Longbottom.
That left Ginny. When she graduated, Ginny asked if she could stay at the Burrow for a while. Molly had no objections. In just a few hours time, Ginny would be waking up and going to her first practice session with the Chudley Cannons.
Molly walked quietly to Ginny's room. She heard crying. Gently, Molly knocked on the door and went inside. Ginny was sitting up on her bed, holding her pillow. She tried to wipe the tears from her eyes when she saw Molly.
Molly sat down next to Ginny and put her arms around her. "Ginny?" she asked.
"It's his birthday today, Mum," Ginny said softly, "It's his birthday, and I don't know where he is, or if he's even alive."
"You still love him, don't you?" Molly asked, stroking Ginny's hair.
A small sob escaped. Molly put her arms around her daughter. It never ceased to amaze her how physically strong Ginny was. Molly could feel the tenseness in her muscles.
"I've tried hating him. It just doesn't work. I gave him everything, Mum. Everything," Ginny cried. Molly took a quick breath, realizing what her daughter was saying.
Molly stayed silent, rocking Ginny slowly. After fifteen minutes, Molly thought Ginny might be ready to go back to sleep. Molly laid her down, but continued to sit up next to her. Another fifteen minutes passed, and Ginny's breathing became steady. Then Molly gave her a kiss on the forehead and went back to sleep.
8888
"Why aren't they here yet?" Molly cried.
Arthur looked up from The Daily Prophet and glanced at the Grandfather clock. "Molly, Charlie's still traveling. I'm sure they'll be here soon," he said reassuredly.
Charlie and Danya were stopping by before they left on their Honeymoon. They had been married in Bulgaria just yesterday. Molly had wanted to go to the ceremony, but not everyone in the family could go. So they compromised. Molly and Arthur were throwing a huge party for them tomorrow night. Charlie joked and said they could get married all over again.
Ginny was flying lazily in the front yard, keeping watch. "Mum! They're here!" Ginny cried from outside.
Molly smoothed out her skirt and ran outside. Charlie and Danya were walking towards the front door, holding hands, with their trunks floating behind them.
"Charlie!" Molly gasped, looking at Charlie's face. It was completely scratched up.
"Don't worry, Mum. I was feeding an over-active baby ridgeback. It's tail messed me up a bit. I'm fine!" Charlie said cheerfully.
"Mess up wedding pictures," Danya said smiling. Molly was pleased; Danya barely spoke to them last time, because of not knowing English very well.
Molly gave Charlie and Danya a big hug. "Ginny, go tell your brothers that Charlie's here." Ginny flew off.
"Does she ever leave her broom?" Charlie joked.
Molly shook her head, "Only when I force her. She had her first game three days ago. She scored five goals, but they lost."
"I can't wait to see her in action," Charlie said, beaming. Charlie and Danya were going to be here for a week, and Ginny had another game in four days.
Molly prepared a feast for dinner. They ate outside, since so many people were here. Fifteen adults plus two babies made for quiet an interesting meal.
88888
Molly walked briskly in the house from the chicken coup. Even though they weren't needed, like years ago, Molly still enjoyed keeping chickens.
She went straight into the kitchen and saw that Errol had returned. Errol was now semi-retired. He simply couldn't handle the long journeys anymore. But once a mail owl, always a mail owl. So she had Errol deliver mail to her mother, who didn't live that far away. They had an official Ministry owl for all of Arthur's correspondence.
Molly was used to seeing Errol lying in strange places, but the angle he was laying in seemed wrong. She went over to him and lifted him up. The old owl had delivered his last letter, he was gone.
Molly started crying uncontrollably. Errol had welcomed them into their new home so many years ago. She loved this owl. She sat down and started writing letters to her children, telling them the sad news.
88888
And a few years passed. Percival Junior was born just three months after Charlie and Danya were married. Much to Molly's disappointment, not a single baby was born in 2000. She had hoped for at least one a year.
2001 was a different matter. Charlie and Danya had their first child, Boris. Percy and Penelope were expecting, as well as Fred and Angelina.
Then one day, three years to the day after The Final Battle, Molly was enjoying a rare afternoon alone. Molly always told Arthur that she seemed to be busier as a grandmother than as a mother.
Since she had some spare time, Molly was baking cookies. She looked outside. It was a beautiful day out. She waved her wand at the front door, and it opened, letting the fresh air in. She had just leaned over the oven to take out a tray of cookies when she thought she heard a noise.
Quickly, she stood up and looked out the kitchen window. Nothing was there. She put a different tray of cookies into the oven. Closing the door behind her, she started towards the living room to do some knitting.
He was there, standing at the front door.
"Hello, Harry," Molly said gently, as if she was expecting him.
He nodded at Molly. Molly took off her apron, and placed some fresh cookies on a plate and motioned him inside. She went to the refrigerator and poured him a glass of milk. Then placed the plate and glass at the end of the table.
"Please sit down, Harry. You know you're always welcomed here," Molly said, trying to control herself. She wanted to scream at him for leaving, for breaking Ginny's heart. She refused to let herself raise her voice.
Hesitantly, Harry sat down. "I've missed being here," he said softly.
"Would you like to talk about it?" Molly asked, wanting to hear every detail.
Harry shook his head, "Not yet," he said sadly. "Is Ginny here?" he asked hopefully.
"Ginny's on a tour of Africa with the rest of the Cannons. They'll be back in three weeks," Molly said.
"I've read about her in the paper," Harry said. Molly just realized that he looked exhausted. He gingerly picked up a cookie and took a bite. "This is really good," he said.
"Harry, would you like to get some sleep?" Molly asked.
Harry nodded gratefully. Molly led him to Ron's old room. When she knew he was a sleep, she ran down stairs to tell Arthur the news.
88888
Molly and Arthur agreed that they shouldn't tell Ginny. It would be best to tell her in person that Harry was back. Harry had slept the rest of the day and through the night. He didn't come downstairs until ten o'clock the next morning. Molly noticed that he was wearing the same clothes that he wore yesterday. He hadn't come with a trunk.
Molly put some breakfast in front of him, and he started eating hungrily.
Molly went back to her knitting, not saying a word.
"I went to America," Harry said finally.
"America?" Molly asked.
"To a city called Chicago. I wanted to live as a muggle. I wanted to forget that I was ever part of the wizarding world," Harry said flatly. "I worked in a bookshop. I lived above the shop."
Molly put down her knitting. "I couldn't escape our world," he continued. "Without even realizing it, the bookshop where I worked was only three blocks away from Chicago's version of Diagon Alley. In a section of Chicago called Lincoln Park. The muggles have a zoo there, the wizards put one right next to it, and no muggles know its there."
"I could see the wizards and witches going towards the Red Lion Inn, which was the gateway to Buena Square, their Diagon Alley. I thought about our world every single day."
"I only went in there three times. The last was only a week ago. That's when I realized that I belonged in this world, not the muggle world. I left for the Burrow the next day," Harry said, taking a bite out of his toast.
Molly was touched. Harry had said he left for the Burrow, not London. "Harry, what would you like us to do?" she asked gently.
Harry looked scared, like he thought she was going to throw him out.
"Who would you like us to tell that you're back?" she asked.
"Nobody. Not yet. She might find out if people knew…" Harry trailed off.
Molly knew immediately that he meant Ginny. She wondered if it was possible that he still loved her.
"Then we'll keep this a secret for a few weeks," Molly said sagely.
88888
Harry went right to work. He helped Molly with chores. Every time one of her sons came over (which was often), he hid in the room he was staying in until they left. Harry and Molly both felt guilty when Ron and Hermione came over for dinner.
One week before Ginny was scheduled to return, Molly needed to go to Diagon Alley. She wondered if Harry would like to go with.
"I don't know," Harry said weakly.
"You look older, Harry. Put on a hat, and I don't think anyone will recognize you," Molly told him. Which was true. Harry looked much older than his twenty years.
Harry agreed and together they went to Diagon Alley. Harry looked around. "I should find a job," he said.
"One thing at a time, dear," Molly said.
They finished the shopping and Molly insisted on treating Harry to an ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream parlor. They sat outside in the sun in silence, Harry eating his sundae and Molly thoroughly enjoying her scoop of quintuple chocolate.
"How is Ginny?" Harry asked. It was the first time he had asked about her.
"She's doing very well, dear," Molly said. "The Canons had their first back to back winning seasons for the first time in three hundred years. Not even close to winning a championship yet, but they're improving."
"Is she with…" Harry couldn't finish the sentence.
"She's tried, Harry," Molly said truthfully. "She's had a handful of boyfriends, but none of them serious. As far as I know, she's single."
Harry stayed silent and finished his ice cream.
She looked around and a very small sign caught her eye. She pointed the sign out to Harry and he looked pleased. "That's an idea," Harry said thoughtfully.
"Why don't you get the details?" Molly asked.
Harry nodded and stood up and walked into Ollivander's. The small sign on the window said "Apprentice Wanted."
88888
The day Molly was beginning to dread was here. Ginny would be arriving home this afternoon. Molly hoped that she would realize that not telling her that Harry was here was for the best.
Harry was at work when Ginny burst through the door. "Is the baby here yet?" she asked. Penelope was due any day now.
"No, love. Not yet. Soon," Molly said. Ginny brought in her trunk and plopped down on the couch.
"The African teams are amazing, Mum. I think I learned more there in a month than I have in the past three years," Ginny said.
"Ginny, we need to talk," Molly said, settling herself onto the couch next to her.
"That doesn't sound good," Ginny joked.
Molly picked up Ginny's small hand. "He's back," Molly said softly. Molly watched Ginny's face turn white.
"That's not possible," Ginny said.
"He came to the Burrow three weeks ago," Molly started.
"Three weeks!" Ginny jumped and faced her mother. Molly just then was reminded how much alike they really were. "Three weeks and no one told me!"
"Look at yourself, Ginny!" Molly cried. "That's why we didn't tell you until you came home. It would've ruined Africa."
Ginny sank back onto the couch. "Where is he?" she said softly.
"He's at work," Molly said.
Ginny looked at Molly sharply. "He has a job?"
"He's an apprentice at Ollivander's," Molly said.
"He's making wands?" Ginny asked. "Where's he staying?"
"Here," Molly said simply.
"When will he be back?"
"In about an hour."
88888
The next hour passed incredibly slowly. Ginny ran up to her room and started unpacking, trying to pass the time.
Molly closed her eyes when she heard the crack announcing Harry's arrival. Harry entered slowly, having known that Ginny would be back. He looked around frantically for her.
Ginny must have heard him from upstairs, and ran down the stairs. She stood in front of Harry for a moment and then pushed him down on the ground. "You bastard!" she screamed.
Harry looked up at her miserably. "You just left! You didn't think about anyone else but you. How selfish are you? Why couldn't you have stayed?" she cried, sinking to her knees.
Molly knew she should leave, let them get through this on their own, but she seemed to be rooted to the spot.
"Ginny…" Harry said, taking her in his arms.
She pummeled him with her fists. "Why did you leave me?" she said, more softly, tears pouring down her cheeks.
Harry brought her in close and whispered something in her ear. They stayed there, on the floor, whispering for almost five minutes. Then Molly had to cover her mouth to stay silent when their lips met.
88888
Three days later, Molly and Arthur celebrated with Percy and Penelope when they welcomed her fifth grandchild, Mary Jane, into the world.