Chapter 8 - The Arrival at the Burrow
Red. Everywhere, that's all he could see was red. As soon as he stepped out of the fireplace he was engulfed in the red. It felt like they were trying to squeeze his brains out, as soon as his feet hit the ground. He was being passed around from person to person, over and over again. Suddenly he let out a great squeal, "mommy!"
He felt the familiar embrace of Ginny picking him up. He was so scared, all these strange people he had never met passing him around, giving him hugs and kisses. He began to cry as his mommy held him in her arms. "Shh, It's okay, shh." He heard her whisper into his ear, "It's okay baby, come on, let's go sit down, then I'll tell you who all these strange people are, okay?" He gave a soft nod and she went over and sat down on the couch.
She turned him around so he could see everyone, "Okay, these are your uncles." the each stepped up one by one, "Fred, George, watch out for those two and don't ever accept anything from them, Bill, Charlie, He works with dragons, and Percy. He's a big tight wad, don't ask him to do anything fun, he'll automatically refuse."
"I heard that Ginny." came Percy's voice from the back of the crowd.
"Who said I didn't want you to?" Ginny said sweetly, "Now, these people are your grandma and grandpa, Molly and Arthur Weasley."
They stepped up and his eyes brightened up quite a bit. "Grandma? Grandpa?" he said, looking up into their eyes, "Wow mommy, I never knewed I had so much family. I actually have uncles, how come I don't see any aunts and cousins though mommy?"
"Well, I have no sisters, and the only one of my brothers who has a wife is away on his honeymoon with her. Where's Harry by the way, I would have thought that he would be here." Ginny said, looking up at her mum and dad.
"He's coming over with Cho and the kids for lunch, we thought we'd let you tell him." Molly said, "You also get to tell Ron and Hermione."
"Oh god. I can see it now, that's not gonna be pretty. When do they get home?" Ginny asked.
"In two days. Why don't we all go into the kitchen and have some breakfast?" Arthur said, grabbing everyone's attention, "Hay Grant, You wanna help me in the back yard after breakfast?" he said, sending Grant a secretive wink.
After Breakfast (Around 11 o'clock. Harry is due any moment, and everyone but Ginny and Molly are outside)
As Ginny was pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace, Harry stepped out and slammed right into her, almost knocking her down. He stepped back and moments later Cho stepped out of the fireplace followed by Amber and with baby Alex in her arms, "Ginny, what's wrong?" Cho asked as soon as she saw her pacing like she was.
"I'm so sorry." she said as tears slipped out of her eyes, "You're my best friend. I would have told you, but I was so scared. I'm so sorry, don't hate me." Ginny said in a rush, pulling Cho into a hug.
"Gin, what are you talking about? What did you not tell me?" Cho said, confusedly.
"I think you all need to sit down for this. You should all be here too, Amber and all." Ginny said, taking a seat on the arm of the chair that Molly was sitting in.
They all sat down on the couch and looked up at Ginny expectantly. Ginny looked at her mother who just gave her a slight nod and patted her hand, "Okay," Ginny started. "This is really hard. I have something I need to tell you. I need you to promise you'll keep an open mind through the whole thing." They just nodded, "Okay. You know how Draco left me five years ago? Well, there's something I didn't tell you about that. Something I didn't tell him really, but anyways. Whooh, this is hard. Five years ago, about a month after Draco left, I found out that I was, well, I was pregnant." Ginny finished up quickly.
Harry's eyes got really big and he looked at her expectantly, "What happened?"
"Well, I, eh, this is the hard part. You remember that year I went away for a research project? I had him in America while I was away and I didn't tell anyone about it."
Harry and Cho sat there for a minute, then Harry burst, "You mean you've had a son for five years and no one knew? How could you do this Ginny? Does Ron know? He's gonna k-" he was cut off by a smack in the back of the head from Cho.
"Look, I know you have some questions, especially about why I had to keep him from you, but you have to understand. I did it to protect him."
"Protect him from what Ginny? Us? How can you do this to us, to him?" Harry argued angrily, standing up and beginning to pace like she had been moments before.
"I-uh-I." Ginny stuttered, she couldn't find the words to tell him.
"What Ginny? Why did you do this? I'm so confused. I thought that we were close. Why did you keep something like this from me?"
"Look Harry, you don't understand."
"No Ginny, I don't understand. How could you do something like this to me, your best friend? How? I always thought I could trust you, I told you everything, only to find out you had been lying all along. How can you betray me like this?" Harry finished his rant quietly, looking at Ginny.
"You don't get it, I had to protect him from Draco. No matter how much I wanted to tell you, to tell him, I couldn't because I couldn't run the risk of Grant getting hurt the same way I did. How can you be like this Harry? I would have thought that you of all people would have forgiven me. The time when I need you and Cho the most you're acting like I betrayed you.
"Don't you see? I couldn't tell you. I was scared to. I didn't want Draco to know so that he could hurt Grant like he did me and if I told anyone I knew I would run the risk of doing that exact thing. I need your help Harry. Everything I have worked hard to protect is falling apart. Everything is breaking around me. Draco knows about Grant now. I can't protect Grant alone anymore. I need your help." she said, putting her head in her head as she began to cry. She could feel Molly rubbing her back affectionately, and it helped to calm her slightly.
Cho stood up and handed Alex to Harry before walking over to Ginny and pulling her up into a hug. She stood there with her arms rapped around Ginny as she cried until she saw a little boy she assumed to be Grant walk up to Ginny and tug on her shirt. Ginny looked down to Grant and gently picked him up, "Hey baby."
"Are you okay mummy? Why are you crying?" he asked her, the worry apparent in his voice.
"It's okay hunny, mummy just had a little fight with Uncle Harry. You wanna meet him?"
"You mean he's here? I finally get to meet Uncle Harry?" He said excitedly.
"Yep, there he is." she said, turning so that he and Harry could see each other. Grant climbed out of his mothers arms and walked over to Harry where he tugged on his pants leg until Harry crouched down.
"Are you Uncle Harry?" after Harry nodded to him, he threw his arms around his kneck, "I've always wanted to meet you. My mummy has told me all kinds of stuffs about you. Oh yeah, since my mummy won't say it, thank you for helping her when daddy left." he added as an afterthought.
