By: fiSh
Summary:
And she woke up and the world was just as it should be….
A/N:
to all my reviewers.. I AM SO SORRY... i took so long to update i was at the beach and please read my first finished story Walk Me Home... it's sad.. anyway thanks and this is for you guys for being patient with me... thanks..
Disclaimer:
I'd pack my bags and head to jail
Take my fish in a pail.
I thought I owned it, but alas I wail!
For I have dreamed. Oh! Woe I fail!
Nothing from my uncanny mind can sum up to the simple fact: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER… though I wish I did. Don't we all? I love Cassandra Claire… lucky duck… but love her stories all the same.
Chapter 8
Ubi Rivera
Dearest Estella,
Has it really been a week? I really cannot believe that I am back here with my family. I miss you and David so much and Molly says that she feels the same way. We were hoping you two would come over, my parents want to meet the two wonderful, hospitable people who took me under their wing.
Molly still practices with the books that you have given her. She's so smart and willing to learn and it's all because of you. Words cannot sum up the gratitude that I feel but I can only say Grazie Mama for everything.
Ti Amo.
Always,
Ginny and Molly
Ginny had sent the letter off with Pigwidgeon then she headed downstairs. There was an afternoon party planned in celebration of her return and a dinner party for Harry's engagement to Cho. Reality began to hit Ginny when she first saw Harry in the kitchen that night. She couldn't be any happier at that moment, when she had seen the boy she had loved for sixteen years. Then she had been reminded that Harry was engaged to Cho and her happy cloud threatened to crash down on her. Ginny knew better, besides she had a Molly to think about now.
Ginny made her way down to the kitchen and as soon as she entered she was greeted by a cheery voice.
"Morning mama!" Molly chirped, " It's about time you got up! Remember you promised to teach me how to fly." Ginny groaned at her daughter's teasing tone.
"My sweat and blood! The fruit of my loins! The one I was in labor for almost 28 hours!" she cried out dramatically feigning misery as she reached out for a roll in the breadbasket, "Won't even let me get a decent nights rest!" she sat herself next to Molly who was laughing at her antics, "And she tells me she loves me!" she said directing it to Mrs. Weasley who looked amused. Ginny nudged Molly.
"Nona?" she called out making Mrs. Weasley look at her expectantly, "May mama teach me how to fly?" she asked batting her long eyelashes at her grandmother. Mrs. Weasley smiled and nodded.
"Yes, but do be careful." Mrs. Weasley said quickly.
Molly squealed and threw herself into Mrs. Weasley's arms, "Oh I will! Thank you Nona!" she smiled up at her grandmother before turning to her mother giving her an I-told-you-so smile and sauntered to the seat next to her mother.
"Well, she never allowed me!" Ginny cried out giving her mom a look.
"That's because you went and done it anyway." Mrs. Weasley shrugged and smiled before turning to the dishes.
"Andiamo mama!" Molly cried tugging on Ginny's sleeves.
"Alright!" Ginny said sighing as she and Molly made their way out of the kitchen, "Now you go put on your pair of jeans, the dark blue ones with the frays at the tip. I'll get you one of my old t-shirts." Ginny said as she pointed to the closet while walking to the wooden antique bureau that stood on the corner. She pulled out a bright blue shirt and a small green one she used when she was younger. Molly walked to the bed and wriggled out of her pajamas and slid into the jeans. Ginny walked over and pulled the green shirt over Molly's head. After that she pulled the other shirt over her head and brushed out her hair tying it into a high ponytail leaving naughty strands falling onto the back of her neck and over her cheeks.
"Mama?" Molly's asked as Ginny pulled Molly's hair into a ponytail like hers, "Where did you learn how to fly?"
Ginny smiled, "When I was around nine and my brother's were asleep I would sneak into the broom shed and ride every broom I could before getting tired. Then I'd practice everyday when I was the only one left at home while Bill and Charlie worked and the rest were at Hogwarts studying." She explained as she wrapped the hairclip around her daughter's hair.
"What was it like?" Molly asked turning to face her mother when she was done.
"What? What was what like?"
"To fly."
"Oh, it's wonderful! It's so many feelings all at once. It's scary yet exciting, it's brilliant and nerve-wracking. I love and it and I hate it. It's falling and flying all at the same time you just want to close your eyes as you feel that there is nothing solid beneath your feet yet you want to open it to see how far you've gone. You almost want to reach the clouds but too scared to." Ginny sighed. Molly beamed up at her mother. They headed downstairs and walked into the garden ready for Molly's first flying lesson.
Harry rubbed his damp hair off with a towel. The week had passed by so quickly that he was back training almost every morning with the team, Cho was already beginning with the wedding plans and Ginny was back. Harry's life couldn't get any better.
"Harry," Cho's voice came from the door as she waltzed in, "Are you sure that this dress is enough?" she twirled. Cho wore a dark blue dress that reached up to her knees, sexy yet conservative. Harry was stunned and stayed rooted to the spot. Cho was always dressy and no matter what she wore she always looked great, in fact she never looked horrible.
"More than enough." Harry whispered airily. Cho smiled brightly as she walked up to him.
Comfort.
They were comfortable with each other.
Or
They sought comfort from each other. After the war, love, for Harry seemed like it never existed. After they had found out that Ginny was dead he felt that it would be impractical and unfair because the one who deserved his love the most was gone. Hermione had told him many times that Ginny wouldn't want him to suffer on her account and that's when Cho came in. Cho had a habit of coming when he was at his lowest points though it didn't make him completely happy at least he wasn't moping around being the boy-who- griped. Cho and Harry were once more in that situation where they both sought reassurance and someone to love them. In the midst of the post-war era they found themselves in each other's arms. Cho had been suffering the death of her best friend Marietta and at her burial along with other students and people who had died in the war Harry was the one she went to for comfort. Ron and Hermione who never really liked Marietta that much, where there too they didn't even make a comment about her being a sneak.
Cho wrapped her long olive skinned arms around his bare waist and placed her chin on his shoulder smiling at their reflection. She smiled and kissed the side of his chin.
"We're perfect together." She murmured closing her eyes her soft breath tickling his neck. He laughed nervously and his face went red. She leaned against him and he stared at the mirror.
Were they really perfect?
They were two different people. Harry loved snuggling in the morning and kissing while Cho didn't, she thought it wasn't sanitary. Harry had laughed at her reason. She didn't like snuggling after their nights together she said she didn't want him to touch her sweaty body. He had laughed again. Harry was the ideal romantic while Cho was the Sanitation Queen. He had even made fun of her for her loving cleanliness more than him.
The ring on her finger, the 4.15-carat diamond ring, glimmered under the light that shone in front of the mirror. He remembered her face when he had asked her, he was nervous and unsure but he wanted a family so badly. Then Ginny came back and he kept having dreams about their past together. He felt so unfaithful and rid himself of Ginny thoughts then turned to kiss Cho properly who sighed softly into his mouth.
Ginny straightened out her white summer dress that Ella had given her. Her long red hair neatly pulled back, half in a big white barrette and the rest flowing down in silky red waves past her shoulders. She dabbed her lips with clear gloss and turned to see Molly trying to fasten her black Mary Jane shoes.
Ginny smiled and crouched in front of her daughter slipping the black strap in and slipping in the silver hook fastening the strap in place. She patted her daughter's shoe and hoisted her off the bed and onto the floor. Molly turned around and motioned Ginny to tie the bow of her green dress. After she was done Molly turned to face the mirror a sour expression on her face.
"DO I have to wear the dress mama?" she whined crinkling her nose.
"Yes," Ginny muttered, "It's only fair because I have to too! Besides it's in your favorite color." Molly rolled her eyes and Ginny tugged her daughter's ponytail giving Molly a face.
"You look pretty mama." Molly smiled up at her.
"That's because I look like you." Ginny blew her a kiss (without the hand) and smiled.
"I know!" Molly tugged on her mother's hand, "Andiamo mama!" she cried out eager to meet new people, Ginny had thought of calling her the little socializer.
The afternoon party had gone by so fast and almost everyone she knew and remembered was there. Luna had greeted her, her big blue eyes filled with tears; they had spent an entire hour talking and promised each other that they would spend a day together. Then she bumped into Neville who was looking for Luna his face bright red. Then she had an awkward moment with her past boyfriend, Michael, he had told her that he was glad she was alive. She had seen Lavender and Parvati who kept on inquiring about Molly. Then she had walked into Padma and Dean making out in the bathroom they greeted her giving her a hug and saying how much they missed her and then she promptly walked out. She walked into the kitchen filled with her family she waved awkwardly at all of them and walked out of the kitchen bumping into Cho and Harry.
She only wanted to be alone, was that so much to ask for?
She gave them a smile, which Cho returned, fake written all over her face. Ginny still couldn't understand what made Cho hate her so much. She had given up Harry hadn't she, Cho won so why was she being a real witch with a capital B!
Molly sauntered up to Ginny's side and Ginny introduced her to Cho. Cho gingerly smiled back clearly enamored with Molly. Molly clasped her mother's hand and smiled charmingly up at Cho which Ginny had named the Hate Alert smile. Molly excused them and dragged her out of the hallway and out into the porch t the side of the house facing the forest.
"Grazie Molly." Ginny whispered as she closed her eyes to relax, Molly always knew what her mother needed. Molly walked into the house and after a few minutes she walked out with a cold glass of water in her hands. She gave it to her mother and walked into the house saying she would cover for her. Ginny was thankful. She massaged the bridge of her nose with her thumb and finger her eyes closing in the process.
Seeing so many old friends after eight years had sent her into an emotional roller coaster and seeing Harry and Cho, with her engagement ring dancing underneath the light, together had topped it off like ice cream making her slightly sick. She closed her eyes and sighed making her breathing go slow and normal. Then she remembered that fateful Christmas day when she had invited Luna for the Holidays after the break up with Harry she didn't know how to face him and she was glad that Hermione and Ron had kept him busy enough to keep him from talking to her. That day she had sat on the same spot she was sitting at that moment only it was more shabby and woody. She had been crying softly to herself when Luna walked out to comfort her.
She lifted her face from Luna's shoulder and smiled sheepishly at her close friend. Luna shook her head and smiled tucking one of Ginny's long strands of hair behind her ear. Ginny sighed sadly and bit her lip to prevent herself from crying.
"You had him for that moment Gin." Luna whispered stroking the length of Ginny's arm softly, "That has to count for something."
"One of the hardest things in life are having words in your heart you cannot utter."
"I know."
"I wish God wrote the book of my life with a different plot."
"And if you were the writer wouldn't you want Harry to be happy too?"
"If I were the writer of this story, I'd be the one standing next to him." Ginny said sadly gazing out into the pleasant looking forest before them.
"I know how hurt you are right now." Luna began as she patted Ginny's shoulder softly.
"Hurt is an understatement. I'm broken, my heart is broken." Ginny muttered burying her face in her hands.
Sighing Luna wrapped her arms around her friend and whispered, "You know, a heart can be broken but it keeps beating just the same." Luna gave her a squeeze and walked into the house leaving Ginny with her thoughts.
Ginny opened her eyes and yawned. Could her life possibly get any worse? She thought to herself and Harry walked out and jumped when he saw her.
Apparently it could.
She smiled up wearily at him and motioned for him to set next to her.
"Too many people huh?" Harry grinned.
"Well, I'm just glad the house isn't as shabby as it used to be and I've got you to thank especially for my room, for leaving it the way it is. Thanks." Ginny smiled warmly at him.
"No problem." Harry returned the smile, "Must feel special huh? All those people in there, to see you. A lot of them missed you, you know. Especially Ron, he near killed Dumbledore when he said your body was nowhere to be found."
"He did?" Ginny blushed crimson under the setting sun, "I missed a lot too, I thought most of my friends and family had died. I was traumatized and I didn't speak for two months straight."
"Must have been horrible huh?" Harry wondered out aloud. Ginny nodded and then sighed.
"I never felt so alone and then Estella, the lady who took me in, she told me about her daughter Molly, and I felt horrible for being so selfish. Then I finally came around to helping in the house, I got a job in a bookstore determined to pay Estella but she had unknowingly placed it in a box for me and then I met Jake. That's the story you know." Ginny laughed softly fingering the paper cup in her lap.
"Ginny.." Harry whispered after a few minutes of silence, "I'm not imposing anything on you and I hate to hurt you but I want you to know."
"What Harry?"
"After I found out about the spell and broke up with Cho before the war, I was determined. I wanted to fight the Voldemort and then hopefully if I made it I would start things with you because you deserved it. Then things had to go the way they did and I threatened to give up. I felt like I had nothing to live for and Hermione and Ron had said that you wouldn't want me to suffer on your account."
"That's true." Ginny giggled and Harry laughed.
"Then I felt guilty and then Ron and Hermione brought me to the burial and I saw Cho again. Then a few years of being close friends I asked her out and two years later I asked her to marry me. But Ginny…" Harry bent his head down making his long black bangs hide his eyes, "If you had returned, if you hadn't unknowingly run away imagine what might have been."
"I never thought of it that way Harry, I'm sorry." Ginny whispered placing a hand on his lap he quickly covered hers with his. She froze.
"I would have loved you." Harry looked at her his eyes blazing burning a hole through her. She looked afraid.
"I loved you." She whispered, "There's a big difference."
"You don't know Gin.." Harry sighed as Ginny pulled her hand back, "You have no idea what it was like living with this nameless feeling in me."
"Don't ruin this Harry please." Ginny begged, "I'm sorry Harry, for leaving I had to, but I do not regret it one bit. I have Molly." She slipped her hand into his and gave it a squeeze.
"I'm sorry Ginny." Harry sighed, "I missed you and I felt horrible because the last words I said were harsh and I couldn't bare it. I felt horrible and I planned so much before that after I broke up with Cho."
"Harry," Ginny said shortly, "Enough. What's done is done. I forgave you and I forgive you. We're friends, that's it, don't bring up the past and don't ever wonder what might have been. Don't do this Harry please." She begged again tears dancing in her eyes.
"I'm sorry." Was all he said, "I guess I never quite forgot what we had." And then he walked away, leaving Ginny alone again. She puffed her cheeks and exhaled, slightly frustrated. She stood up, straightened her dress and walked into the house to be greeted by numerous people.
The dinner went by pretty fast too, when they had announced their engagement, they had been standing in the middle of the garden while Ginny watched from inside the house by the fireplace. Molly had long been in bed and Ginny really wanted to go up but she had no reason to. Taking a sip from her glass she swallowed hard when everyone started clapping.
"Hello Gin." Luna's voice came from behind her, Ginny whirled around and smiled.
"Hello Luna." She smiled before turning to face the window again.
"No one really understands why he's marrying her." Luna said loudly.
"Really? I do. I mean he's loved her since… forever."
"Things changed Ginny." Luna said coolly, "Harry was never really happy with Cho. He told Hermione once and I was there to when Ron invited me. He said that he just wanted a family and he'd be happy. Which was rather lame."
"I'm sorry you know, about Ron." Ginny said quickly.
"Oh! We all knew that they were bound to end up together. I've got Neville anyway, when he comes around." Luna laughed, Ginny smiled.
"Well so far my love life is nil. I'm to dedicated to bringing up my daughter, but no I think I've got to stop. Sometimes I think she's more grownup than me."
"She's really smart, too smart for her age. I wonder where she got that all, you weren't really bright you know." Luna teased Ginny laughed and shoved her playfully, "I'm just teasing, of course it's from you, you're smart and beautiful and she got that all from you."
"Thanks, but sometimes there's so much of her father in her eyes and what's scary is that the color is just like Harry's and Tom's"
"She's your daughter Gin, not an evil nightmare." Luna laughed. Ginny smiled glad that Luna was there with her.
"Well how about lunch tomorrow? Like I promised." Ginny said brightly.
"Sure, I have to go look for Neville I'll see you later?" Luna smiled up at her friend. Ginny nodded. Luna walked out of the living room and into the kitchen and Cho waltzed in from the garden.
"Cho." Ginny said coolly.
"Ginny." She said her name like it was a disease that she didn't want to catch.
"Congratulations."
"Thanks."
"Wish you the best."
"Really Ginny stop tryingso hard."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I tolerate you because your Harry's friend and this is your house unfortunately." Cho said raising an eyebrow, challengingly, "You were dead and now your alive. But mark my words, you're still dead to me." Cho waltzed out of the room.
Ginny squinted and threw her glass into the fire glaring at the spot Cho had been standing on. She huffed and marched up to her room.
"Bitch." Was all she said before entering and shutting the door behind her.
the chapter title means When In reality... well doi...
A/N:
sorry goes out to FS1 Cho's a biyatch here... but i hope that's fine.. she has every reason to be.. especially since she's the one with the ring... and poof Ginny's back.. jucier every minute writing Chapter 9 and going to start with ten soon before posting nine so that way im always updating.. sorry... this goes out to all the new readers and reviewers.. keep reviewing and read Walk Me Home it's nice...