Chapter 4: The Youngest Weasley
Downstairs, Ginny and Harry enjoyed a hearty lunch. They talked and laughed and tried to stay out of the way as the twins bustled around in the kitchen concocting god knows what. Harry, still trying to hide his feelings for some unknown reason, loved every minute he spent with Ginerva Weasley and hated that he didn't get to do it more often.
But she was often traveling, living either in her apartment in Paris or her flat in London or her cousin's house in Dublin. She even visited a friend in New York periodically and it was during those trips that she would take time to go to Salem and visit with Hermione, even if it was only for a day.
Harry loved listening to Ginny's stories. She met so many interesting people during her travels – wizards and muggles – and it was these people that inspired her first few successful novels.
That's right. Ms.Ginerva Weasley had become a writer. And a very popular one at that – in both muggle and wizarding worlds. After having grown to love and adore muggles and their lifestyles as much as her father, and testing the highest out of any previous Hogwarts student in her Muggles Studies Class, Ms. Ginerva Weasley had turned down a job at the ministry instead to work (temporarily) at Gred & Forge's so that she could take a creative writing class at a local bookstore. After being told by the teacher that she 'should not be here wasting your time. Go write something and publish it.', she left the class, spent a few months writing a muggle love story and got it published. Though not a literary classic deserving the Nobel Prize, it did sell well in British bookstores. All of a sudden Ms Ginerva Weasley had money, a wee bit of fame and a growing reputation. Someone once told her, "Write what you know", so she used that advice to produce her next book Do You Believe in Magic, a story of teen romance in the halls of a British wizarding school (of course only those who attended Hogwarts when she was there knew that the story was actually based on two of her close friends).
At the same time, she was writing another story revolving around wizards, but decided that it would be better aimed at muggles. They loved the supernatural, and it was something she 'knew'. So she popped out another hit book. All this within 2 years. Ginny was on a roll and people couldn't get enough of Ms. Ginerva Weasley.
Harry thought it was quite remarkable that the youngest Weasley of them all was enjoying the most success. She'd started out as such a weakling, a wallflower, someone you would hardly notice. Then the War started and she changed. She grew up almost over night and Harry began to look at her differently. When he had begun to fancy her, he found out just how much she had changed. But after they broke up, he didn't get to see that side of her but once more before the final battle. Of course, he had started to see a bit of almost every Weasley in her personality, and now, at 20 years old, in Harry's opinion, she was the perfect combination of Weasley characteristics: She was motherly and protective of those that she loved, something her mother had instilled in her from the beginning. She, like her father, was fascinated by muggles and other cultures. She had the cool flirtatious charm that Bill used to win ladies' hearts; she was adventurous and not scared to take chances like her dragon-taming brother; she was studious enough to be a Prefect like Percy, but also had a sense of humor to rival the twins. And her temper, if tempted, could match Ron's – but she learned to control it far before Ron tamed his. And in addition to all of that, she had an easy going, casual manner about her that made her approachable, lovable and truly one of the most interesting people Harry had ever met.
"…and after all that, he still wanted to marry her! She was a complete and total bitch to him, and he still loved her. Now that is what I call tough love."
"I don't believe I could stand spending an entire evening with those people."
"Harry, you could if you were as smashed as I was." She laughed and took a drink of pumpkin juice. "Afterwards, I went back to my flat and put on a movie because I had to get that hideous woman out of my head. Oh, what a terrible woman." She shook her head, as if trying to shake the memory.
"Well, I bet she gave you an idea for a character at least."
"As a matter of fact, she did. I don't have a story for her yet, but I do have a character." Smiling, she looked at Harry who smiled contentedly back at her. She noted something strange in his eyes that she hadn't seen in a long time. It sent a tingle up her spine, but she continued to look at him. He'd changed a lot in the last 3 years. His look became rougher, more like Sirius, more like the early pictures of James that she'd seen. He was quiet, but not as quiet as he had been in his last two years at Hogwarts. Now he was quieter in a relaxed way. And he thought everything was funny. That was one of her favorite things about the new Mr. Potter – he had found laughter in life again, and to a greater extent than ever before. The only people she knew to laugh more than Harry were her older twin brothers.
She picked up their plates and returned them to the sink and then sat back down. Harry looked at her and then asked with a note of hope or expectation in his voice, "So, are you here for a while? Here in England that is?"
"Yes, I think for a while. I just returned from Paris…it truly is a lovely city. People may think the French are rude, but they aren't once you get to know their ways. And Paris is gorgeous. So many gardens, and museums with the most amazing art. Even on the street you can see beautiful art. I saw this one piece that was simply breath taking, so I bought it from this old man on the street, and I took it home and I stared into it for so long that I thought I was in it. And then inspiration struck. For four days after that, I sat in front of my laptop and wrote. No sleep. Just writing. In four days I whipped out what I consider to be one of my best pieces….oh Harry I wish you could see the painting. Its so gorgeous, but its in my flat in Paris…" she drifted off realizing how much she'd been talking. That was another thing Harry loved about her – she could talk and talk and talk, and he could listen to her voice for hours.
"Well, you're connected to the Floo network aren't you? Why don't we just go?"
"What? Now?"
"Why not? Ron's busy. The Twins are busy. I don't have any plans for today. Let's go." He stood up and walked over to the fireplace. Ginny followed him, smiling. Even if they were just going for a few minutes, the fact remained: she was going to Paris with Mr. Potter.
