When the War is Over: Chapter One
(I don't own any copyrights to the Harry Potter series, or anything to do with it)
One year...Today it's been exactly one year since he left me on my doorstep, the tears pouring down my face and my heart breaking into pieces before him. He promised me he'd write. He promised me he'd let me know, even if it was just the smallest gesture, that he was alive. To this day, I've received nothing. Not one letter, not one single word. I haven't heard from my brother or Hermione either. Mum says to be patient. Mum says that they are fighting a very important war, and to keep us all safe, we must all make certain sacrifices for the greater good. Should one of those sacrifices be the man I love? Should I loose a brother...or a friend? How much is enough to satisfy the will of the world?
I'm laying on my bed, staring at the ceiling. It's harder for me to get up these days, I just lack the energy, the motivation. Mum is worried, I've heard her talking to dad late at night, whispering how their 'losing' me. Strangely, even that doesn't affect me. I'm not scared of being lost. I was lost the day he went away...
A knock at my door, I don't even turn my head, I haven't got the energy. Mum enters the room, carrying a handful of clean socks. She puts them in my top drawer and than she settles down beside me on the bed. I turn my head away and stare out the window. A cloud of birds rises up over a nearby field, circling in the cloudless blue sky. I want to be like those birds, free to go where I wish, free to fly with whoever I choose.
"Honey?" Mum asks worriedly, pressing her soft cool hands against my forehead. "Did you forget that we all planned to go visit Fred and George today? Wouldn't you like to visit Diagon Alley?"
"I'm sorry Mum," I reply automatically, "I'll be ready in a few minutes." She wordlessly nods and leaves the room.
I pull myself out of bed, and begin digging through my drawers for something to wear. My hand brushes against something metal. It's a picture of us, he's wrapping his arms around me and I'm smiling while he rests his head in the curve of my neck. His silky black hair makes my skin tingle, his hands, so perfectly placed on my abdomen making butterflies flutter in my stomach. I remember that day. My picture self is rocking from side to side, while I close my eyes and place my hands over his. His picture self is kissing my neck, my cheek, and than he turns my face to his and kisses me deeply, lovingly. Afterwards, he leans close to my ear, and I can still feel the way his breath tickled the little hairs there, the way his deep voice was so gentle, so tender. "I love you," he whispers.
I bury the picture in my drawer before I start crying. I had to put it away because I spent most of my time staring at it, trying to lose myself in every detail of his embrace, his being. I dress quickly, I'm not hungry as usual, and that worries Mum, but she promises me we'll get some Ice Cream if I get hungry. I'm not a child...why do they treat me like one?
Diagon Alley is so full of life, yet all the liveliness around me only seems to make me withdraw further. A hundred different memories remind me of him, and I just want this weight to be lifted off of my chest. I promised myself that I could try a little harder if only I could hear one single piece of news about him that wasn't being reported in the Daily Prophet. Does he love me anymore? Has be forgotten me?
Fred and George try so hard to be cheery that I can't help but lighten up a little. I think that's why we've been visiting them so much. We really can't afford to keep traveling to Diagon Alley by Flu Powder, but Mum knows that I seem a little better when I'm around them. Today they offer me a free daydream product that will allow me to enter into the specified daydream on the box for thirty minutes exactly. A little embarrassed, I pick a romance daydream. I may seem foolish, but even if it's just a daydream, I want to be with him.
When we arrive home, we find that Dad has returned home from work early. He looks grave as we enter the kitchen. What's the matter Daddy? He's holding a handful of mail in his hand and looking at Mum sadly.
"Ginny, can I speak to Mum for a little bit?" He asks gently.
I leave the kitchen without a fight, rush to my room, and return with an extendable ear. Mum and dad must be really distraught, because they've forgotten to fortify the doors against these things.
"Molly," he says, "read this letter...what do you make of it?"
There are a few moments of silence.
"I don't make anything of it Arthur," she replies, "It is not exact one way or another, and could just be a trick of the enemy."
"Ginny will need to know," he says uncertainly.
"Certainly she will not!" Mum snaps fiercely. "You've seen the way...Arthur we're losing her!"
"But she and--" He protests.
"No! That's my final word!" She replies, "I'm going to burn this, and we'll have no further discussion of this subject. We'll tell her when we have solid evidence one way or another."
"Well, I'm due at a ministry hearing in about ten minutes," he sounds defeated, "I love you dear."
The sounds of him aparating, the scrape of a chair as Mum rises. I have to save that letter! I hear the kitchen stove being turned on. But there's nothing I can do...she's going to burn it and I'll never know what the letter contains. Suddenly, I feel a little like my old self. Let her burn it, I think, I'll find a spell that can reassemble the ashes.
Later on that night I creep into the kitchen. Mum threw away the ashes in the garbage, so I rescue as much as I can. Carefully, I return to my room, remembering to jump the steps I know will creak. Mum has surprisingly good hearing for such a large house, and in these troubled times, well, I wouldn't want to be cursed by her in the middle of the night if she mistook me for an intruder. Dad won't be back until late. Something about another raid on death eaters.
"Reparios Asemblios!" I mutter. I've spread the ashes on my desk. If I got the wand movement correct the ashes should melt, and reform into the letter, or whatever I've managed to rescue of it anyway.
In a moment, the letter does indeed begin to reform, but it looks as though I've missed so rather large chunks. It reads:
To the Weasley Family,
There is both good and bad to report. The good news is that we've found another . It turned out to be a shard of You-Know-Who's very first wand, which might be connected to the of Master Olivander in some way, although we have no solid information yet. We are seeking another , very last one. Details cannot be given, for fear that this letter might fall into 's hands, but we are safe, and we have had good luck so far. We have not seen the ' One' in some time, and have been concerned that something might have to hi. It is in 's best interests not to mention anything just yet, as worries would be unjusti at this time.
Sincere
Hrmne
on
Ode f Phonx
My heart is beating out of my chest. I can get the basic idea of what this letter is about, but it doesn't soothe me in the least. Why didn't they tell me they hadn't heard from him. Why has he written to my family, but not to me? My head is full of images of his warmth, his touch, the words, "I love you," ring over and over in my head and heart.
The hallway light switches on outside my door! In my panic I swipe my hand across the desk; The paper returns to ash and settles on the floor. I dive into bed, switch the light off, and wait. My bedroom door opens a crack, I can hear my mother's gentle breathing as she checks on me.
"Ginny?" She calls softly into the dark. I don't respond.
"Ginny," she repeats, "Sweetie, I just wanted to say that your father and I love you very much. Please don't go away from us Ginny, we love you!" When I don't respond, she sighs and closes the door. I swear that tommrow I will confront them, and if I have to, I will take matters into my own hands.
"I love you Ginny," he says, as he settles beside me on the bed.
"I like having you this close," I reply as I lean on his chest. He strokes my hair and kisses my forehead.
"I'll come back. Your my reason for coming back, I swear it..." He says.
"Come back..." I whisper.