A week after Darren's visit Ginny was obviously still shaken, Harry refused to leave her alone again there was no way he would let such a thing happen again. In an attempt to distract her from her thoughts of Darren, Harry invited Ron and Hermione over with their two children for the day.
Ron was chasing Lydia around teasing her good-naturedly; Ginny was holding John whilst Harry and Hermione stood off to the side talking quietly.
"So how's she coping?" Hermione asked.
"She isn't, she just pretends it isn't happening." Harry replied.
"You chose a good time to come back Harry."
"I should never have left."
"No on blames you."
"But only you guys know I'm back, I've yet to make my return official."
"So when are you doing that?"
"I'm not even thinking about that right now, all that matters now is Ginny."
"So not for a while?"
"Nope not till after the baby's born at least."
"Oh that reminds me, we had dinner with Molly and Arthur the other night."
"And?"
"Well I think that Arthur might be almost ready to take Ginny back, she was after all Daddy's little girl. But Molly is adamant she will not forgive Gin, but if we get Arthur onside she may be that much easier to convince."
"Well, get Arthur here, I don't care how you do it just get him here, the sooner the better."
"He's not ready yet, well have to gently warm him to the idea."
"Hermione perhaps you don't understand, Gin is due three weeks from Monday, if Molly isn't there how do you think both of them will feel. This is one day of her life when Gin is going to need and want her mother by her side."
"Three weeks? So we're talking more of a rapid boil than a gentle warming?"
"Definitely."
"Well I'll see what I can do, but I'll have Arthur here within the week."
"Thank you Mione."
Hermione and Arthur were having lunch in Diagon Alley a few days after Hermione's chat with Harry. They had just received their drinks when Hermione decided it was time to start on the topic she wanted to discuss.
"So Arthur, Ron and I heard from Ginny a few months back."
"Hermione…" He began visibly stiffening.
"No Arthur please, just give me a chance, give her a chance."
"Have you forgotten what she did to us?"
"No I haven't forgotten, I probably never will, but I have been able to forgive. Don't you think it's time both you and Molly did the same? It's been twelve years."
"This conversation is over Hermione." Arthur placed his money on the table and turned to leave.
"Arthur, please wait!"
"What?"
"Could you turn your back on your only daughter when she needed you the most?"
"She turned her back on us, Mione."
"It was a mistake Arthur, a mistake!"
"But she destroyed so much of our lives, a part of Molly died the day Ginny left."
"And your lives are all that matter? Do you think that a part of Ginny didn't die also? That her life has been a bed of roses? Ron and I are going to visit her on Saturday, if you want to come be at our house by twelve, if not well, I just hope you can live with yourself. See you on Saturday." As she finished Hermione placed down the money for her drink and left without another word.
At precisely eleven fifty-eight on Saturday morning Arthur knocked on Ron and Hermione's front door, within moments they were in the car and headed out of town to where Harry and Ginny lived. In the car on their way Arthur tried to find out why it was so important that he speak to Ginny; was she sick? Dying? But neither Ron nor Hermione were saying anything, and so Arthur stopped asking.
Upon their arrival Hermione insisted that Arthur go in a head of them, as they still had to get both children out of the car. So Arthur relented and went up to the door, much to his joy he found that they had a doorbell and it made it that much easier to announce his presence, although he barely suppressed the urge to ring it continually. Through the clouded glass running down the left hand side of the door he saw a large man approach the door, he assumed it must have been her husband, Daniel was it? He remembered receiving the invitation years ago although in their anger the Weasley family had not so much as replied to her owl.
"Hell- Mr Weasley?"
"Harry? What are you doing here? Last I heard you were dead!"
"Really? Well don't go countering that rumour just yet." Harry laughed as he motioned for Arthur to come in. "Well you must be wanting to see Gin, follow me." Harry led Arthur out into the backyard, where Ginny was lying on a sunlounge, hiding from her wheelchair as she so often did. "Gin, you've got a visitor, you up to it?"
"Sure, who is it?" Ginny had her back to the two men as they approached and made no effort to face them.
Following Harry's silent instruction Arthur moved around to face her, what he saw was not at all what he expected, her hands rested on her large stomach and she had what had clearly been quite a gash now healing reaching down her right cheekbone.
"Daddy? What are you doing here?"
"Mione and Ron brought me here because apparently we were turning our backs when we're needed the most, and honestly when I look around I can really see how much we're needed. Look at you Ginervra you don't even look happy, you're living with the man you've loved almost your whole life, in a nice house. You have a child on the way, and you dare say that your mother and I should just forget that you killed your own brother because you're unhappy? How dare you!"
"Dad, what right do you have to criticize me? What do you know of my life? You know what, now is not when I've needed you the most, when I needed you the most was six months ago!"
"Why, did your perfect little world cave in momentarily? Or did you just have a bad day?"
"A bad day? A bad day? Are you fucking kidding me? I threw myself in a river for Merlin's sake!"
"Well done Ginervra, why did you do that?" Arthur asked with false concern.
"Because I snapped, ten years of verbal, physical and sexual abuse will do that you know."
"What?" all traces of his anger was now gone, replaced by genuine concern.
"Ah so you do care? Yes I was abused, incredibly so. Everyday I was beaten, screamed at and some days raped, by my own husband no less. At first Darren was sweet and kind but then he started to drink and everyday he would come home drunker than the day before, scream and hit me, then if I was lucky he would pass out. One night I just snapped and I ran, I found a forest and ran deep into its heart where I found the river. I was exhausted and I just dropped in, floating away, by morning I was almost dead in a comatose state."
"Oh my poor baby girl, I'm so sorry." He hugged Ginny close as he continued to mutter his apologies. "How about we go inside and join everyone else?"
"Um sure, but could go and tell Harry that we want to come in first?"
"Um, ok." He replied uncertainly, he walked over to the door and feeling somewhat foolish he told Harry that he and Ginny wanted to come inside. Much to Arthur's surprise Harry saw nothing odd in this statement and simply nodded. Arthur went back to Ginny who still had not moved from her sunlounge. "Well are you coming?"
"I can't until Harry comes out, go ahead if you want."
"Ok, I think I'm missing something here aren't I?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Are you going to fill me in?"
"You'll know soon enough." Was all she would say.
Moments later Harry walked out into the yard. "You know Gin if you didn't insist that I hide this thing from you, you wouldn't have to interrupt me mid-conversation to come get you." Harry joked as he helped her into the wheelchair.
When Ginny again faced her father the look on his face said more than words ever could, he looked as though he had temporarily lost the power of speech as he followed mutely as Harry pushed Ginny back inside.
Inside Arthur managed to push the fact that his baby girl was in a chair from his mind and joined in the conversation.
Later that afternoon Arthur again found himself alone with Ginny, he took the opportunity to fill in the gaps in her story.
"So Gin, when did you find Harry again?"
"Well I found him in my room in hospital, but it was him who found me floating in the river."
"Really? And that was six months ago?"
"Yeah, we were just lucky that the first person we ran into once we reached the town was a doctor, which reminds me you have to meet Georgie, she's my physiotherapist, she's helping me to walk again."
"So the chair's not a permanent thing?"
"This? No, well at least no if I can help it! I can't do much more in physio until after the baby is born but I've got some feeling back in my legs."
"So how long do you have until the baby arrives?"
"Three weeks now, I can't wait."
"So do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet?"
"Nope Harry and I want it to be a surprise."
"Hang on if you've been with Harry for six months and you're due in three weeks, then…"
"Oh no the baby isn't Harry's, it's Darren's, but because of my back injury Georgie said having any more kids might not be an option. As much as I don't want to be reminded of Darren, I don't want to never be able to have kids. If I didn't have this baby then, well, I might never have gotten the chance to be a real mum."
"Hey Gin, whoa calm down, I'm just getting all my facts straight, you gave only a half explanation before that's all."
"Sorry, it's just that I don't like to think about it too much so I explain really fast and change the topic."
"Don't worry dear, I understand everything."
"Dad, We're leaving are you coming?"
"Be there in a minute Ron. Well, I'll come back and visit soon. See you later my dear." Arthur said, hugging his daughter.
"Bye Daddy, see you soon." She replied hugging him in return, just glad to be Daddy's little girl again.
Well until next time. REVIEW, or, I'll, I'll, well i dont know what I'll do, just review, please?