Numb
The door opened with a creak as he snuck through the door. It had been almost eight months since he had been home. He left in January; it was early September, and the air had already begun to cool, the leaves taking on spectacular colors.
Breathing in the wonderful scent of the Burrow, the loneliness gradually began to wash away. He couldn't wait to greet Ginny, to see his beautiful wife again, to feel her lips on his own. His head was light, airy. He had a huge swell of pride. He had finally defeated Voldemort, though part of Harry dreaded the life ahead with no discernable purpose.
He had defeated his mortal enemy... the world had needed him for that, and now that it was finally over, he wasn't sure how to continue after such a glancing blow... he had never thought about his life after defeating Voldemort. He thought, as he peeled his coat off and hung it on the hooks near the door, that now he could finally settle down and start a family with Ginny. His own kids...
"Gin?" he called. He tiptoed up the stairs to the bedrooms and peeked in the first one. Nothing. He checked the rest of the rooms down the hall and the bathroom. They were empty. Confused, he chceked the kitchen. It was empty; there was a kettle on one of the burners, bubbling happily. He grinned.
"I'll find you!" he called out playfully. He searched every spot of the house, every closet, the fireplace, even under the couch. Then, he cast a knowing look at the attic stairs.
"Ah-ha." he muttered under his breath as he began up the stairs. Creeping through the trapdoor, he heard something drop to his left. There was a dim light on the other side of a large pile of boxes. He crept around them and jumped towards the light with a grin on his face, only to find...
"Ron?"
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Harry sat at the kitchen table whilst Ron poured two glasses of tea, a grim look on his face. Harry tapped absentmindedly on the table. He had discovered his friend sifting through old photographs, and looked at some now while he waited. Ron's family, most of them gone, smiling widely and poking each other in the picture frame, Ginny's 12 year old self grinning mischieviously at him.
"So, is Ginny grocery shopping or something?" Harry asked as Ron sat across from him. Ron sighed and took a long sip from his glass.
"Mate, she's... gone right now." he said quietly.
"Where?" Harry asked. The sad look invading Ron's expression was arousing worry, knotting his stomach and rising to his throat.
"After you went missing, she... had a little trouble. She was upset." he started out gently.
"I know that, Ron. I would be too. Just tell me where she is, mate." Harry said, an urgent look rising to his eyes. What was going on? He gripped his tea glass.
"She's at St. Mungo's."
"Why? What happened? Is she hurt?" Harry asked feverishly. Ron stared intently at the table, choking back the feeling of glue clogging his throat with emotion. Harry stood and reached across the table, laying a hand on Ron's shoulder encouragingly.
"Ron, why is she at St. Mungo's?" he asked. A pleading tone crept into his voice. Ron couldn't stand keeping it from him anymore, and a tear rolled down his cheek as he answered.
"She's in the mental health ward."
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Harry walked through the town near the Burrow, past flower shops and grocers, and pharmacies. Noise encircled him, conversations, car engines, brakes screeching through the air, news boys yelling the advertisements for their papers. He heard none of it.
He passed a little girl drinking hot chocolate on the sidewalk, past two young lovers holding hands, past a shopkeeper sweeping the entrance to his store. He saw nothing but the cobblestones under his feet and the bus station down the street. He was numb.
He boarded the bus, silently dropping some coins into the bus porter's outstretched hand and took a seat on the top level. He needed to feel the wind whipping on his face, to feel the rain that had begun to sprinkle seeping across his scalp, to feel anything.
He took his seat and leaned back as the bus slowly moved into motion.
He had left Ron at the kitchen table, staring guiltily into his iced tea. He had apparently pulled on his coat and shoes, though he didn't remember the details, just that he was on his way to London, to Diagon Alley for floo powder to get to Mungo's unnoticed.
He had his Apparation license; he wanted to take the long way. He wasn't prepared.
The bus lurched to a stop and Harry stepped onto the street, walking casually behind the Leaky Cauldron and stepping through the bricks as they disbanded for a brief moment, closing behind him once more. Pushing his way through the crowd, he stumbled into a shop, whose owner kindly directed him to their complementary fireplace. He felt his stomach drop as he flew through the air and landed in the fireplace of a plush sitting room.
Brushing himself off, he found the Information office and was directed to the mental ward on floor 5. He felt his dread grow with each floor that the elevator ascended to. It whooshed open, and he started down the dim hallway until he found a plump, middle aged woman who led him to Ginny's room.
"She's a sweet girl, really. We've made some improvement, though she's still stuck on some imaginary man. She says he promised that he would come back for her. That's all she ever talks about. She's in a much better condition than she was. She's been considered for release a week from now." the nurse said sadly to Harry when they reached the door.
"That's nice." he said, and she nodded and left him standing in front of the door, his heart a whirlwind of emotions.
"I'm not imaginary." he whispered as he entered the room.
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The room was a bright, cheery blue. A vase of sunflowers sat on a windowsill, and Harry could see bars on the other side of the glass. The bed was curtained.
He drew a deep, shaky breath and imagined what he might say.
"Hello, Ginny, my love. How is your mental illness?"
"Hey, Gin. Sorry I caused you so much mental trauma that you went nuts."
"Ginny! kiss It's me! Your husband! The one who went missing and caused you mental trauma!"
He dashed them away with an angry look on his face at his inability to think seriously. Taking another breath, he reached out to pull the curtain back.
"Who's there?" said a voice from behind the curtain. He stopped and stared at the silhouette on the bed through the gauzy green curtain.
"Um...I'm- Uh..." he stuttered. The curtain slid open with a woosh and he sucked his breath in. Ginny was lying on the bed, staring at him. They seemed to stay like that for an age, Harry staring at her in bewilderment and loneliness, shuffling nervously from foot to foot, Ginny on the bed, her eyes sweeping over him, some mechanism in her mind frantically trying to match him to a memory. He looked different; he was thinner and his hat was pulled low over his face.
He took the hat and coat off, laying them on a chair in the corner, and turned to see her rose lips open as she gaped at him, her eyes pleading and hopeful.
He moved to her bed and knelt down. Her red hair was a vibrant curtain around her pale face, her brown eyes were large and clear, her body slightly plumper than when he had last seen her. She looked healthy. She looked perfect.
"I'm... uh... Ginny?" he asked. He couldn't seem to articulate anything. She ruffled his hair with an outstretched hand, running her deft fingers through it, moving to caress his face. Her eyes filled with large tears and they began to trickle down her face. Her lips stumbled, desperate to form words, her hands trembling as he reached up and clutched one of them in his own.
"It's you." she whispered.
oooooooooooooooo
Review! Yay!
Gi Xian: aww that is reali sweet, love it
Aww, thanks! I'm glad.
Won-Won is gwoss gwoss: Naw! I love the sweet ending! lol ron. harry: I'M GOING TO FIND YOU! AND THEN I'M GOING TO SNOG YOU! -pulls open door-ron: awkward.
Haha, "Ron: Awkward" I love it.
Thanks to everyone!
Charlotte