The Rain Begins To Fall
Chapter 10Arthur Weasley sat in the kitchen with a steaming cup of tea in front of him. He sighed as he tried to come to terms with the return of his precious daughter Ginny only to find her holding hands with Draco Malfoy. Malfoy. A name he had learned to despise since he could remember.
Ginny couldn't sleep all the tossing and turning was evidence enough. And the fact that her husband was not with her was definitely nerve-wracking. Not to mention the fact that she would have to tell her family of her marriage to a Malfoy. Oh Merlin she was in for it. She sighed and walked down towards the kitchen for some hot chocolate only to find her father glaring the table into oblivion.
Arthur turned to see who had come down and when he saw Ginny he gave her a small smile. "Hello Ginny."
"Dad what are you still doing up?" she asked, reluctant to enter further.
Arthur noticed his daughter's hesitation and motioned for her to enter the kitchen. "I should be asking you the same thing. I'm sorry I reacted the way I did, it's just hard to grasp the reality that my little girl's all grown up. And the fact that you hadn't come to see us for over a year was heartbreaking for us. I just couldn't help but think it was something I did. And you showing up, holding hands with Lucius' son, well it didn't help matters at all."
Ginny didn't know what else to do except walk over to her dad and give him a hug. As soon as she hugged him, her dam of rivers broke. "I'm so sorry dad."
Arthur allowed himself to cry as he stroked his daughter's fiery red hair, "Shh it's alright my little fire-cracker. I'm the one who should be sorry. Shh, daddy's here now."
After a few minutes of continuing apologies and regaining their composures Ginny let out a sigh, "Dad I have something to tell you that I know you're not going to like, but I'd prefer to give you an explanation with Draco and his family here."
Arthur Weasley stiffened and slowly but carefully placed his hand upon his daughter's, "And how exactly do you propose we do that? You know my history with Lucius…"
But before he could continue, Ginny looked at her father, "Dad, what I have to share with you concerns our families, both of our families and I'd appreciate it if we just drop it until tomorrow."
Ginny silently walked back up to her room, without waiting for her father to reply. But halfway there, she stopped and walked back down towards their fireplace. She grabbed a handful of Floo powder and said, "St. Mungo's."
In the kitchen, Arthur Weasley felt the weight of the world on his shoulders as he thought about the inevitable. He was by no means a blind man, he was now very much aware that his daughter was in a relationship with Draco Malfoy. He wanted desperately to deny the fact that he was able to spot that glowing green dragon tattoo on his daughter's ring finger when he held her just a few moments ago, a sign that she had pledged herself to Draco Malfoy. In the wizarding world, that only meant one thing, his daughter had married Draco Malfoy.
"I've seen it myself Arthur."
Arthur jerked his head upwards at the voice of his wife, "When?"
Molly Weasley looked tiredly at her husband, "When she showed up with Draco Malfoy."
Arthur slumped his shoulders in defeat, "I didn't mean to react the way I did, and it was just…"
"Arthur, Draco is not his father and our daughter has a good head on her shoulders."
Arthur looked at Molly, his fiery, beautiful wife, "I just can't believe she didn't tell us before."
"The war changed all of us, we may not have had casualties on our side but you have to understand Arthur, Ginny and Draco were the most affected by the war. Ginny lived a sheltered life, most especially since the Chamber incident, and having to fight in the war and watching those she loved risk their lives and almost dying, it would have been too much for her to handle.
Draco also lived a sheltered life much like Ginny's, except that he was raised in the dark, raised to serve a murderer whose beliefs were as deranged as he was. Learning the truth, seeing the light, he wouldn't have been able to find the redemption that he sought here in the Wizarding World."
Arthur closed his eyes for a minute, "But why? How did they get together? I thought Draco and Ginny hated each other from the very beginning?"
Molly smirked at her husband, "But isn't that how we started out? When I first met you in the train to Hogwart's I thought you were such a know it all."
Arthur smiled a little, "And you were so bloody annoying with your pig-tails and your smart-mouth."
Molly sat on her husbands lap and kissed the tip of his nose, "You almost always found a way to tease me about my boyish tendencies."
Arthur kissed her on the lips, "You were an infuriating, hormonal fighting machine by our third year."
Molly wrapped her arms around her husband, "And you couldn't resist my charms."
"No, I definitely could not."
St. Mungo's… The halls of St.Mungo's was eerily quiet, save for the hushed conversations taking place in one of the private wards where a certain Slayer slept a fitful sleep. "Slayer…"Buffy opened her eyes and saw a large mirror, two metres high covered in black velvet curtains.
"Slayer…"
The voice called out to her, it sounded so familiar and yet…
"Come…"
She now stood in front of the mirror, her hand moved to part the curtain…
"See the truth…"
Buffy stared at her own reflection, but she was not alone. Beside her were her friends from Sunnydale, Giles, her family from both sides of the continent and Harry.
The image began to blur and she now stood there facing a reflection of herself beside Joyce and a handsome young man with an evil gleam in his eyes.
Once again the images began to blur…
"You think you know what you are…"
As Buffy's reflection began to clear up, she began to feel a tingling sensation run down her whole body, her senses were going hay-wire, all her senses were heightened to the max that it hurt to hear her own heartbeat. Then the pain, it shot through her whole body like being hit by lightning over and over again…
Grimmauld Place…Harry screamed in agony, his form writhing and twisting on his bed. Sirius, Remus, Tonks and Giles all ran to his room. Once they opened the door, the screaming stopped. When they stepped in, there was an audible gasp from all of them. The occupant of the room was nowhere to be seen Harry Potter had disappeared.
It was at this very moment that Dobby the house-elf appeared in front of the four adults with a serene smile on his face, "I knows where master Harry Potter is. Dobby will take you."
He held out his hand to Giles, "The Witch/Slayer has awakened Rupert Giles and that is where master Harry Potter is."
The four adults looked at Dobby with confusion written all over their faces and just as they were to question him more, Dobby had spread his hands palm up towards the sky and chanted an incantation that created a bubble around them. Dobby closed his eyes brought his hands together palm to palm. Panic settled in as the four adults saw the bubble they were in was floating a few centimetres above the floor. A crackle of energy swept over the bubble and a loud thunder crash soon followed. And within seconds the bubble was gone and with it Sirius, Tonks, Remus, Giles and Dobby.
Buffy was struggling with invisible forces clawing into her body from all sides. Somewhere between screaming in agony and crying out her mother's name, another voice joined her screams.
Buffy moved her head towards the sound and saw Harry lying beside her, struggling with the same forces, screaming in agony.
"Harry?" She whispered hoarsely, she then forced all the pain out of her thoughts as she used what was left of her strength to reach out and touch his hand.
"What's happening to her?" Narcissa shouted in alarm.
Draco and Severus had gone out to call on any Medi-Witch's and Doctor's nearby.
It was at this very moment that Harry Potter, who seemed to be in the same predicament as their daughter, apparated beside Buffy. Their screams stopped suddenly and their eyes shot open, two pairs of eerily glowing green eyes.
Harry was now standing in front of Buffy, both as still as statues, until their eyes began to glow.
Their bodies floated slowly above the bed and their mouths opened as if screaming in silence.
Both Buffy and Harry fell on their knees as another wave of pain passed through their bodies, but the pain was concentrated on their shoulder blades. Bones started to crack, flesh was torn and the smallest hint of relief came, before Buffy and Harry collapsed again.
Ginny had just arrived in St. Mungos' when she was nearly bowled over by a stampede of Medical staff running after her husband and Severus Snape.
Meanwhile, Dobby could feel a wave of pure, ancient magic permeate the air just as they had safely arrived in St. Mungo's.
Narcissa and Lucius stood back in awe as they watched Buffy and Harry slowly descend on the bed.
The double doors burst open followed by a blur of Medical Staff, Draco, Snape, Ginny, Giles, Tonks, Sirius, Remus Lupin and trailing behind were the most Senior members of the Order of the Phoenix, Professor McGonagal and Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
TBC
Sorry for the über-late update…I can't apologise enough, the only excuse I had was reality caught up with me, which meant work, double shifts, bills, my son and other realities. Sorry again. I'll try to update my other stories as soon as I can. Thanks for your patience guys.