Chapter 4
"Spill it Ginny." An extremely concerned Hermione Weasley ordered. The two women were in the dinning room of the burrow drinking tea.
Hermione's depressed looking red haired sister-in-law had been in a sad state for the past two days. A fact Hermione was all to well aware of because Ron had tried to pry some information out of the girl only to have her, in typical Weasley fashion, blow her top and hex Ron. When Ron had returned he was mummified and mumbling through the bandages for Hermione to get him out. When Hermione had reversed the spell, one developed by Ginny and herself for dealing with Fred and George, she immediately contacted Ginny to try and determined why she had mummified her husband.
Ginny had explained that she was in no mood for Ron, he had inquired about some privileged information and when he wouldn't stop pestering her she felt obligated to deal with him. Hermione had agreed that Ginny was in the right and brow beat Ron for trying to make his own sister divulge privileged information.
"Hermione, did you ever regret putting your career on hold to raise Brayton, Chadwick, and Geoffrey?" Ginny asked needing to know.
Hermione was the most brilliant witch of her age and the job offers upon her completion of Hogwarts were numerous. She had opted of course to teach at Hogwarts. Upon the defeat of Lord Voldemort, then Headmaster Dumbledore had retired from teaching for a well deserved rest. Albus, while loving what he had done, had stayed mainly to ensure that Harry Potter received the necessary care, education, and training he would need to fulfill his destiny. Minerva McGonagall was appointed to the position of Headmistress and could no longer teach charms due to the demands of her time. Her first (and only) choice for the job was Hermione.
Hermione was twenty-four years old when she learned that she would soon be a mother. Her husband, one Ronald Weasley was both thrilled and terrified. They had so many things to worry about, new housing (they lived in a modest apartment at the time), new furniture, baby clothes and money in general. Ron was an auror and had been one for almost six years. He had always allowed Hermione to handle their savings and the two were very well off (two incomes with very little expenditures). While the duo were no where near as well off as Harry Potter the two would be fine financially if Hermione had to stop working for awhile.
A while turned out to be quite awhile because Hermione had one child after another, after another until the third boy arrived (about eighteen months between each boy). Hermione had opted not to return to Hogwarts until Geoffrey was five years old (at which time she had been gone some eight years). Molly had volunteered to tutor the children at home until Ron could come pick them up. Ginny had always refrained from asking Hermione her question because of her own guilt, a guilt she buried successfully until she saw the raw hatred and disdain in her own daughter's eyes for her.
"It wasn't easy. Ron and I discussed it for quite some time. We worked out the pros and cons of him being a stay home father and me being a stay home mother. In the end we decided we'd rather have our family now, and I would stay home, then for me to go back to work, stop and have another baby, go back to work and stop again." Hermione explained.
"Why do you suddenly have an interesting in my choice of putting my family above my work? Are you feeling burnt out since you've worked now most of your adult life and left very little time for anything else?" Hermione inquired. For many years now she had tried to get her sister-in-law to go out more often. She figured if she'd live a little, instead of focusing solely on her work, that she would find someone that made her live again... even if it wasn't Harry Potter.
"Everyone always said you were the brightest witch of our ages, and I'm not one to argue with them. It just seemed... I don't know, wasteful that you chose to stop your career to have a baby." Ginny stated wishing she'd not said it but realizing that it was far too late to take it back.
"My husband and I made the decision together as partners. I don't expect you to understand that because you threw away your chance at happiness before you even got to that point."
"I made the choice that was best for me." Ginny defended.
"Correct. You made the choice that was best for you, not what was best for you and the man you've loved since before you truly knew what love was." Hermione angrily retorted.
"I... I wasn't happy."
"Bollocks. Harry tried to reason with you offering compromise after compromise. You made a life altering decision for yourself and for him without even realizing the consequences. You didn't even seem to care that you did so. Did you ever once ask him how he was doing?" Hermione yelled. She'd kept her feelings on this subject bottled up for years and had never voiced them for fear of alienating Ginny.
Now however, Ginny had crossed the line by implying that she had ruined her life and career by choosing a family of her work.
"I don't like the feeling of being a kept woman." Ginny replied. It was true that Harry had tired everything in his power to make things work with Ginny but she would hear none of it. Her mind had been made up and damn the consequences at the time.
"But you have no problems stomping on the heart of the man you professed to love do you. I don't know how you sleep at night some times Ginny, I really don't. I suppose the only good thing about this whole situation is that the two of you never had children. I'd hate to think how they would have felt knowing that their mum was a selfish witch who chose 'herself' over her family." Hermione said and decided she'd had enough of Ginny's company for the moment.
Hermione stood up and left Ginny without even saying goodbye. Ginny knew that she would have to come up with a very sincere apology for Hermione but she would work on that later. Two things that Hermione had stated weighed heavily on her mind.
The first was her point that Ginny had drastically changed Harry's life without carrying about anyone but herself. It had never occurred to her that when Harry took custody of the twins the day that they were born that she had drastically altered his life without once taking him into consideration. She remembered how close she was to finishing her training to be a medi-witch (early and at the top of her class). She only now realized that she'd actually considered the birth of her children to be a hindrance rather than a gift.
"Dear god I've become another Percy." A horrified Ginny uttered aloud.
This was followed by the second realization. Her daughter truly hated her. If she was anything, anything at all like her then she was not going to forgive her for missing sixteen years of her life.
"What am I going to do?" Ginny said aloud.
"If you'd like my advice, I suggest you try to work you way back into their good graces." A very stern voice informs the youngest Weasley.
Ginny had not noticed her Mother's arrival and wish that she had. She'd never have uttered those comments aloud if she'd seen the woman behind her. No one save herself knew all of Ginny's reasons for leaving Harry and giving up her children. The reasons, at the time, seemed valid. Now however, they didn't.
"How long have you been standing there mum?" Ginny asked the woman.
"Long enough to hear Hermione cursing like she was one of your brothers, something I never would have thought she was capable of. I would have asked her what was wrong if she hadn't stormed out like a true Weasley." Molly informed her daughter.
"So whose good graces should I be trying to work my way back into?" Ginny inquired not sure she was going to like the answer.
"Your family's good graces." Molly replied.
"I've only just upset Hermione. There's no one else that's mad at me." Ginny responded.
"I'm not too fond of you at this moment Ginevra Molly Weasley. Also I was not referring to the Weasley Clan; I was referring to your 'OTHER' family." Molly informed her.
Ginny stood there saying nothing for a moment. She had to tread very carefully these next moments. Taking a deep breath she turned to face her mother. "You know?" Ginny asked.
"Your father was called down by the medi-witch on duty to handle a problem concerning Lilly..." Ginny was up like a shot and about to go inquire what was wrong with Lilly when her mother caught her and clarified her meaning.
"Ron was investigating the incident but apparently Harry and Evan decided they didn't want any attention so they had her name removed from the official records. Ron called Percy and he decided to throw his weight around to try and get the records unsealed. The medi-witch called your father to come deal with him. That is when your father found out about Lilly's attack and called me to come see her."
"So you've seen my children." Ginny muttered.
"No I've seen Harry's Children. You gave up all rights to them sixteen years ago." Molly stated for the record.
"I didn't even realize who they were until I saw Harry. I hadn't looked at Evan when he brought in Lilly because I was to busy trying to save her life. Lilly came in so battered that I didn't even know it was her. I had one of the intern medi-wizards handle removing the bruise on her face while I attended to her broken ribs and should wound." Ginny defended.
"Ginny... I won't pretend anymore to understand why you did what you did. You made the choice that you felt were the best. I know you've saved hundreds of people, your own daughter included now... but I have to wonder... was it worth what it cost you?"
"I don't know any more mum, at the time... I thought so. But it wasn't until I saw the utter contempt in her eyes for me that I began wondering the same thing." Ginny said with a sadness that Molly knew was sincere.
"How did Lilly react to you and dad?" Ginny asked wondering about her children's life for the first time since she found out she was pregnant.
"She loves us. Despite the altercation with your brothers, she held nothing against us."
"Did... did she mention how she felt about me?" Ginny asked really wanting to know.
"I don't think you should go near her if she's still at St. Mungos tonight." Molly advised.
"What did she say?" Ginny asked.
"Ginny I don't think...." But Molly's youngest and only daughter would have none of that.
"What did she say mum?" Ginny demanded. "I need to know."
"She broke down crying. Crying the likes of which I've never seen or done myself. Afterwards, when she finally started to calm down, she said that she hates you. She was very adamant about it too. Then she asked me why you didn't want her." Molly said in a very sad tone.
Ginny sat down; her face reminded Molly of her granddaughters just before she broke down. "I... I guess I deserve her hatred." Ginny said with reluctance. "I mean... what kind of mother would abandon her children simply to pursue a life's dream?"
"I'm sure she doesn't hate you really." Molly said trying to encourage Ginny.
"Mum... I know you're trying to cheer me up... but I don't think anything you say could make me feel better about what I did to my children... and to Harry."
"Then you have a decision to make. You can either stay here and wallow in self pity, or you can go and try to fix this mess you've made." Molly said glad to finally see her daughter wisen up. She only hoped that it truly wasn't too late.
Another realization came to Ginny. An epiphany if you would. "I don't know where to begin fixing this mess I've made."
"Start with your former fiancé and go from there. Evan won't be a challenge to persuade. Lilly will be the one that you truly have to win over." Molly said trying to encourage her daughter.
"How alike are we?" Ginny asked. "Lilly and I that is?"
A slight frown came to Molly's face. "Almost identical."
"I'm doomed." Ginny stated putting her head on the dinning room table.
To Be Continued
"Spill it Ginny." An extremely concerned Hermione Weasley ordered. The two women were in the dinning room of the burrow drinking tea.
Hermione's depressed looking red haired sister-in-law had been in a sad state for the past two days. A fact Hermione was all to well aware of because Ron had tried to pry some information out of the girl only to have her, in typical Weasley fashion, blow her top and hex Ron. When Ron had returned he was mummified and mumbling through the bandages for Hermione to get him out. When Hermione had reversed the spell, one developed by Ginny and herself for dealing with Fred and George, she immediately contacted Ginny to try and determined why she had mummified her husband.
Ginny had explained that she was in no mood for Ron, he had inquired about some privileged information and when he wouldn't stop pestering her she felt obligated to deal with him. Hermione had agreed that Ginny was in the right and brow beat Ron for trying to make his own sister divulge privileged information.
"Hermione, did you ever regret putting your career on hold to raise Brayton, Chadwick, and Geoffrey?" Ginny asked needing to know.
Hermione was the most brilliant witch of her age and the job offers upon her completion of Hogwarts were numerous. She had opted of course to teach at Hogwarts. Upon the defeat of Lord Voldemort, then Headmaster Dumbledore had retired from teaching for a well deserved rest. Albus, while loving what he had done, had stayed mainly to ensure that Harry Potter received the necessary care, education, and training he would need to fulfill his destiny. Minerva McGonagall was appointed to the position of Headmistress and could no longer teach charms due to the demands of her time. Her first (and only) choice for the job was Hermione.
Hermione was twenty-four years old when she learned that she would soon be a mother. Her husband, one Ronald Weasley was both thrilled and terrified. They had so many things to worry about, new housing (they lived in a modest apartment at the time), new furniture, baby clothes and money in general. Ron was an auror and had been one for almost six years. He had always allowed Hermione to handle their savings and the two were very well off (two incomes with very little expenditures). While the duo were no where near as well off as Harry Potter the two would be fine financially if Hermione had to stop working for awhile.
A while turned out to be quite awhile because Hermione had one child after another, after another until the third boy arrived (about eighteen months between each boy). Hermione had opted not to return to Hogwarts until Geoffrey was five years old (at which time she had been gone some eight years). Molly had volunteered to tutor the children at home until Ron could come pick them up. Ginny had always refrained from asking Hermione her question because of her own guilt, a guilt she buried successfully until she saw the raw hatred and disdain in her own daughter's eyes for her.
"It wasn't easy. Ron and I discussed it for quite some time. We worked out the pros and cons of him being a stay home father and me being a stay home mother. In the end we decided we'd rather have our family now, and I would stay home, then for me to go back to work, stop and have another baby, go back to work and stop again." Hermione explained.
"Why do you suddenly have an interesting in my choice of putting my family above my work? Are you feeling burnt out since you've worked now most of your adult life and left very little time for anything else?" Hermione inquired. For many years now she had tried to get her sister-in-law to go out more often. She figured if she'd live a little, instead of focusing solely on her work, that she would find someone that made her live again... even if it wasn't Harry Potter.
"Everyone always said you were the brightest witch of our ages, and I'm not one to argue with them. It just seemed... I don't know, wasteful that you chose to stop your career to have a baby." Ginny stated wishing she'd not said it but realizing that it was far too late to take it back.
"My husband and I made the decision together as partners. I don't expect you to understand that because you threw away your chance at happiness before you even got to that point."
"I made the choice that was best for me." Ginny defended.
"Correct. You made the choice that was best for you, not what was best for you and the man you've loved since before you truly knew what love was." Hermione angrily retorted.
"I... I wasn't happy."
"Bollocks. Harry tried to reason with you offering compromise after compromise. You made a life altering decision for yourself and for him without even realizing the consequences. You didn't even seem to care that you did so. Did you ever once ask him how he was doing?" Hermione yelled. She'd kept her feelings on this subject bottled up for years and had never voiced them for fear of alienating Ginny.
Now however, Ginny had crossed the line by implying that she had ruined her life and career by choosing a family of her work.
"I don't like the feeling of being a kept woman." Ginny replied. It was true that Harry had tired everything in his power to make things work with Ginny but she would hear none of it. Her mind had been made up and damn the consequences at the time.
"But you have no problems stomping on the heart of the man you professed to love do you. I don't know how you sleep at night some times Ginny, I really don't. I suppose the only good thing about this whole situation is that the two of you never had children. I'd hate to think how they would have felt knowing that their mum was a selfish witch who chose 'herself' over her family." Hermione said and decided she'd had enough of Ginny's company for the moment.
Hermione stood up and left Ginny without even saying goodbye. Ginny knew that she would have to come up with a very sincere apology for Hermione but she would work on that later. Two things that Hermione had stated weighed heavily on her mind.
The first was her point that Ginny had drastically changed Harry's life without carrying about anyone but herself. It had never occurred to her that when Harry took custody of the twins the day that they were born that she had drastically altered his life without once taking him into consideration. She remembered how close she was to finishing her training to be a medi-witch (early and at the top of her class). She only now realized that she'd actually considered the birth of her children to be a hindrance rather than a gift.
"Dear god I've become another Percy." A horrified Ginny uttered aloud.
This was followed by the second realization. Her daughter truly hated her. If she was anything, anything at all like her then she was not going to forgive her for missing sixteen years of her life.
"What am I going to do?" Ginny said aloud.
"If you'd like my advice, I suggest you try to work you way back into their good graces." A very stern voice informs the youngest Weasley.
Ginny had not noticed her Mother's arrival and wish that she had. She'd never have uttered those comments aloud if she'd seen the woman behind her. No one save herself knew all of Ginny's reasons for leaving Harry and giving up her children. The reasons, at the time, seemed valid. Now however, they didn't.
"How long have you been standing there mum?" Ginny asked the woman.
"Long enough to hear Hermione cursing like she was one of your brothers, something I never would have thought she was capable of. I would have asked her what was wrong if she hadn't stormed out like a true Weasley." Molly informed her daughter.
"So whose good graces should I be trying to work my way back into?" Ginny inquired not sure she was going to like the answer.
"Your family's good graces." Molly replied.
"I've only just upset Hermione. There's no one else that's mad at me." Ginny responded.
"I'm not too fond of you at this moment Ginevra Molly Weasley. Also I was not referring to the Weasley Clan; I was referring to your 'OTHER' family." Molly informed her.
Ginny stood there saying nothing for a moment. She had to tread very carefully these next moments. Taking a deep breath she turned to face her mother. "You know?" Ginny asked.
"Your father was called down by the medi-witch on duty to handle a problem concerning Lilly..." Ginny was up like a shot and about to go inquire what was wrong with Lilly when her mother caught her and clarified her meaning.
"Ron was investigating the incident but apparently Harry and Evan decided they didn't want any attention so they had her name removed from the official records. Ron called Percy and he decided to throw his weight around to try and get the records unsealed. The medi-witch called your father to come deal with him. That is when your father found out about Lilly's attack and called me to come see her."
"So you've seen my children." Ginny muttered.
"No I've seen Harry's Children. You gave up all rights to them sixteen years ago." Molly stated for the record.
"I didn't even realize who they were until I saw Harry. I hadn't looked at Evan when he brought in Lilly because I was to busy trying to save her life. Lilly came in so battered that I didn't even know it was her. I had one of the intern medi-wizards handle removing the bruise on her face while I attended to her broken ribs and should wound." Ginny defended.
"Ginny... I won't pretend anymore to understand why you did what you did. You made the choice that you felt were the best. I know you've saved hundreds of people, your own daughter included now... but I have to wonder... was it worth what it cost you?"
"I don't know any more mum, at the time... I thought so. But it wasn't until I saw the utter contempt in her eyes for me that I began wondering the same thing." Ginny said with a sadness that Molly knew was sincere.
"How did Lilly react to you and dad?" Ginny asked wondering about her children's life for the first time since she found out she was pregnant.
"She loves us. Despite the altercation with your brothers, she held nothing against us."
"Did... did she mention how she felt about me?" Ginny asked really wanting to know.
"I don't think you should go near her if she's still at St. Mungos tonight." Molly advised.
"What did she say?" Ginny asked.
"Ginny I don't think...." But Molly's youngest and only daughter would have none of that.
"What did she say mum?" Ginny demanded. "I need to know."
"She broke down crying. Crying the likes of which I've never seen or done myself. Afterwards, when she finally started to calm down, she said that she hates you. She was very adamant about it too. Then she asked me why you didn't want her." Molly said in a very sad tone.
Ginny sat down; her face reminded Molly of her granddaughters just before she broke down. "I... I guess I deserve her hatred." Ginny said with reluctance. "I mean... what kind of mother would abandon her children simply to pursue a life's dream?"
"I'm sure she doesn't hate you really." Molly said trying to encourage Ginny.
"Mum... I know you're trying to cheer me up... but I don't think anything you say could make me feel better about what I did to my children... and to Harry."
"Then you have a decision to make. You can either stay here and wallow in self pity, or you can go and try to fix this mess you've made." Molly said glad to finally see her daughter wisen up. She only hoped that it truly wasn't too late.
Another realization came to Ginny. An epiphany if you would. "I don't know where to begin fixing this mess I've made."
"Start with your former fiancé and go from there. Evan won't be a challenge to persuade. Lilly will be the one that you truly have to win over." Molly said trying to encourage her daughter.
"How alike are we?" Ginny asked. "Lilly and I that is?"
A slight frown came to Molly's face. "Almost identical."
"I'm doomed." Ginny stated putting her head on the dinning room table.
To Be Continued