Chapter Two: Interlude

Author's Note: Gah, this has been hard. I've wanted to rush, to get the story over with quickly, to get to the point and ignore everything else, much like I did in "A Woman's Work". But I know that isn't near as satisfying as a good, long yarn. So, while this tale is rather short, I've tried to avoid the "BANG BANG BANG!" writing style. So, on with the show!

It's been eleven months since I lost my daughter. Since she was murdered by Tom.

I've been through a lot - possession, betrayal, battles and deaths - and nothing, nothing comes close to the loss of a child. Especially by your husbands hand, even if not by his heart.

Tom hasn't shown his face again. I think he's afraid of what Harry would do to him. Fear of violence was never his problem.

But being possessed by Voldemort can put a wrench in your marriage. In some way's though, it's brought us closer. I look across the dinner table, straight into his eyes. I understand what he's going through; I sympathize with him, I love him. But I don't know how much more of this I can take. I've been beaten, tortured, threatened. I've lost five children. Each was harder than the last. And this one.... little, precious one....

I don't know if I can take it anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I love Harry dearly. More than life itself. But my children...

No matter. There's nothing I can do any ways. If I were to leave Harry, he would commit suicide. I know that. He's borderline sane as it is. A man, no matter how strong, and brave, and wonderful, can only take so much. Having the blood of your children on your hands is enough to drive anyone into utter madness. He's much stronger than I am, to still be here.

His laughter draws my eyes. There must be something funny in the Daily Prophet for him to laugh like that, with his head thrown back, and tears streaming down his face. I wish it would happen more often.

My solemn gaze quiets him. He doesn't have to ask what's wrong - he already knows. His gaze pierces me before he turns back to the paper. I turn back to breakfast, barely able to choke back a sob. What happened to us? Why can't we have peace? Why can't we enjoy a simple laugh together without having to remember?

Why?

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The house was quiet as usual. James was off at a friends for the summer, "working on potions". Which meant of course that he'd have a mountain of homework when he got back. Dawn and Hope were sitting at the table eating lunch. Harry was working on a new battle plan for the Aurors D.T.'s. Grinning, he looked up at the girls. Noticing the various shapes being created on their plates, he got up and walked over, teasing them about their breakfast.

Ginny loved seeing him and the kids together. It made her laugh. All three of the children were carbon copies of their father (though the girl's hair wasn't quite so messy). When the family went out, people tended to mistake Ginny for a step mother. It always made her laugh.

Hope splashed her milk at Dawn, who returned with a bacon catapult. Ginny intervened before a full fledged food-fight broke out, then sent the dripping black haired beauties to their room to change. Their faces were apologetic, but their emerald eyes twinkled; and she knew that a water fight would soon ensue. No matter.

Girls will be girls, especially when they're mine.

Harry entered the room silently, arms wrapping around Ginny in a comforting embrace.

"Where did the girls go?" his husky voice caused a shiver to run through her.

"In the shower" was her oh-so-intelegient, breathless reply.

"Oh dear, we'll die of boredom!" he joked, pulling her closer.

She turned to him, tilting her face up for a kiss; he clung to her, ravishing her with passion and desire. She pulled away, waggling her eyebrows before dashing upstairs to their bedroom. He caught up with her, laughing, as they fell in a heap on the bed. Just as his hand strayed, Ginny was blinded by a bloody vision.

The healers rushed about the room, muttering, and casting dark looks. Her belly was on fire. A crimson haze hovered before her eyes. Somewhere, someone was screaming. She thought it might be herself.

A healer leaned over, a good looking chap with black hair and hazel eyes. He was talking to her encouragingly, words that went in one ear and out the other. As he leaned closer to look at her, suddenly he was transformed. His hair grew messier, his eyes grew greener, and his comforting smile became the mocking smirk of Tom.

Behind him a young nurse stepped away from the table holding a bloody thing...... the daughter that would never be born.

With an agonized scream, Ginny tore herself away from Harry. She leaned against a wall, sobbing. Harry made no move to stop her; he fell back onto the pillows and lay there, with silent tears coursing down his face.

The thrum of the shower in the next room soothed her, slowing her tears and clearing her vision. She looked up at her husband. From across the room his emerald eyes glistened, like an ancient river in the sunlight.

"Why?" and she knew he wasn't talking about her actions. Numbly she shook her head, as she walked back towards him. He reached out to her, pulling her into the folds of his arms. Once again the tears came, joining his own as he rocked her back and forth to the gentle lullaby of the water.

Early one Friday morning, Ginny was sorting the weeks laundry for washing. A hand wrapped around her belly, followed closely by a strong, masculine arm. Gently, she tried to shover her husband away, before she felt the cold edge of a knife pressed against her throat.

" Good morning Ginevra."

Ginny froze. The girls were asleep upstairs - he wasn't likely to bother them, so long as they didn't bother him. James was at Joe's house for the summer, and she wasn't pregnant, so her children were safe for the moment.

"What do you want Tommy?" she spat. The knife pressed closer.

"Release me." Riddle demanded.

"I thought you were the one who had a hold of me?" She quipped. He growled. She laughed at him.

"I grow tired of your games girl." he intoned, shaking her for good measure. The action disturbed the resting knife, bringing a thin line of blood to her throat. "Release me!"

"I find it funny that the all powerful Lord Voldemort is unable to release himself from a simple set of household wards. Perhaps he is not so powerful as he would have us think.... perhaps the real mastermind behind the whole charade was our dear old Wormtail?!"

"Sarcasm will get you no where girl. I know how much pain this causes you. I know how you are paralyzed, unable to bring yourself to hurt your darling husband.

Don't forget that I am with him at all times. When he sees you. When he thinks of you. When he speaks to you. When he kisses you. When he...." his hand reached up and cupped her breast.

She elbowed him in the stomach sharply, throwing his hand away from her.

"Pervert!" she hissed.

He simply laughed. "I could kill you at any moment girl. Don't toil with me." But they both knew it was a lie. After all, if Tom killed her, then that would deprive Harry of his final life line, his reason for living. If she died, he would join her.

Ginny turned around sharply, once again shoving the knife away. She pushed him into a wall, ignoring the weapon that clattered on the ground. Pulling her wand out, she threw a Petrificus Totalis at him, which he smoothly dodged, tossing back an Imobilus that she avoided no problem. The fight continued for a good ten minutes, before he seized up out of the blue and collapsed into unconsciousness.

Ginny watched warily for a second, then edged closer, prodding him. When she was satisfied he really was her husband, she threw herself next to him and began to sob into his chest.

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The next night Hermione came over to inspect Harry, and evaluate the strength of the spells on him. Her sharp posture and bossy voice soothed Ginny. Hermione, the most brilliant witch of the age, was here, and she would take care of everything.

She asked them questions, and tutted at the appropriate times. She was the image of the perfect business woman.

"What were you thinking about, when it happened?" She inquired.

Harry quirked an eyebrow. "Whether Gin had forgotten to wash my wool socks in cold water or not."

Hermione nodded, making the appropriate notes in a journal. She then turned to Ginny.

"Had you noticed any strange, or peculiar behavior prior to the event?"

Ginny shook her head. "Nothing, as usual. He popped out of nowhere."

Hermione sniffed. "It can't be out of nowhere. We simply haven't figured out the pattern yet." She waved a hand at Harry. "You can go."

He reached over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you."

She looked surprised. "It's nothing Harry." she insisted, and he left; but when she wrote in the journal Ginny could see her hand shaking.

She drew up beside her friend, wrapping an arm around her. "Hermione...."

She sniffed, turning to face Ginny. "How can you do it? How can you deal with it?" she demanded softly. "I'm only his friend, only a sister, and I've never even seen him like that.... and it's tearing me apart!" She sounded slightly hysterical, " Your his wife! You've had to deal with this every single time! You've lost children! How can you do it?"

Ginny turned to look out the window. Harry was pushing Hope and Dawn on the swing set. She pointed to her family, turning to Hermione. "That's how. If I loose it, who will the children look to? If I go crazy, what will that do to Harry? If people find out, the children will be taken away, and Harry will be put in Azkaban, which we both know would kill him. I have to stay calm!"

Hermione backed off, nodding her head slightly as she gathered her books and left. Ginny leaned her forehead against the window pane.

"I have to."

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Authors Note: Okay, I was going to make this a lot longer, but I decided that certain events should take place in their own chapter. I actually hadn't planned on writing these scenes at all, but they sorta grew. I wanted you to see how this was affecting Ginny.

I probably won't be able to update 'till after Christmas. I'm writing seven - count them - seven stories for presents, which will probably take me the next few weeks. But I promise to update ASAP with a nice angsty chapter. But don't worry, it gets fixed.