Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.
A/N: Wow. LONG chapter. Happy reading.
What followed was a mess of business and bureaucracy, but at the end of forty-five minutes, Ginny Apparated to the designated Apparition Point at Malfoy Manor to pick up young Draco Malfoy for the adoption ceremony. All it took was the flashing of both the Minister's and Lucius Malfoy's signatures to gain access to the nursery.
Easy.
Unfortunately, young Draco himself was not as easy. Inside, he was throwing a major temper tantrum over who knew what. The house-elves did not know what to do—if they hit him, they would get punished—if they really did anything they would get punished.
Ginny strode in. "Excuse me, sir house-elf," she said. The house-elves looked at her in shock at her form of address. "I'm here to adopt Draco. Would you deliver this to Mrs. Malfoy?"
"Mistress Narcissa Malfoy?" a house-elf squeaked.
"Yes. I'm sorry, but it needs to be done. But—well, would you like to be free?"
"Free?" they gasped. "Free?" It was unheard of; freedom. Some elves shook their heads, while others nodded.
"You'll have to wait a day or two," Ginny said. "But you'll be free. I can get Mr. Malfoy to do things for me. Now, I need to take Draco."
"NO!" Draco yelled. His face was red, but he wasn't crying. He still was an insanely cute baby—if not for the disgusting expression on his face. Ginny ignored him.
"Thank you," Ginny said to the house-elves, and bowed. She scooped Draco up under her arm, and carried him, kicking and screaming, to the Apparition Point. She went directly to the weapons-room of her house that Penelope knew of, and descended to the secret basement.
"NO!" Draco yelled again. He screamed and flinched when Ginny raised her hand to feel his forehead, and Ginny frowned.
"Worse than I thought," she whispered. "Now, Draco—"
"NO!"
"I need you to drink this," she requested and wiggled a bottle of sleeping potion in front of his face.
"NO!"
"If you agree, then I'll give you a treat," she said. Draco hesitated. "But if you don't, you're taking it anyway, all right? I don't want to be mean, Draco."
"Yes," he finally agreed in a small voice.
"Good. Then open your mouth, all right?" Draco obediently opened his little mouth wide and Ginny poured the sleeping potion into it. "It tastes like yummy oranges, right, dear? Yes, it's good, right? I love you, sweetie."
At this, Draco stiffened slightly in surprise. Had he never heard that before? Never?
Ginny scowled a bit. Well, she supposed she did love him; the little boy tugged on her heartstrings like almost none before. No matter how much of a bastard he was in her world.
Draco wrapped his arms around her neck and buried his face in her shoulder, dead asleep, so Ginny stood.
"Here…and here…" Ginny mumbled. She selected where her door would put her, and stepped through it. She emerged right in the shadows behind the gargoyle at Dumbledore's office. She sneaked up the stairs, though her progress was rather hampered by the dead weight of child she held in her arms.
Now, there was a little secret passage…right before the door…ah, there it was. Ginny pressed the small catch with her wand, and it swung smoothly open. She ducked inside.
Gently, Ginny lay Draco down on the ground. She scowled even more when he started to whimper, and smoothed his hair back. Slowly, the little sounds died away.
I should have thought about that, Ginny berated herself, and uncorked two other little vials, one of Dispel Potion and another of Dreamless Sleep Potion. First she made Draco swallow the Dispel, which made him wake up gasping.
"It's all right," she whispered. "I'm here. I'm making the nightmares go away." She used a simple and painless Injection Charm (often used by potion addicts, unfortunately) to place the Dreamless Sleep in his system. When she whispered to him, Ginny noticed Draco smile slightly.
"Oh, baby," Ginny whispered. She held gathered him into a big, Mrs. Weasley-type hug even though he was Dreamlessly Sleeping. Her cheek rested on his little blond head. "I'll never, ever hit you, all right? Now I have to go, though. I'll be right back." Carefully, she placed him on the ground again. "I'll be right back."
Already there were all the people (except Malfoy, of course) that had been at her house. They were basically wringing their hands, and muttering. Only Dumbledore sat serenely at his desk, and his eyes as well belied a nervous twinkle.
"Is she coming?"
"She said she'd come."
"An hour, wasn't it?"
"Who is she, anyway?"
Ginny stepped out from behind the bookshelf. "I," she said, in answer to her father's question, "am Ginevra Molly Weasley, Assassin Master of the Highest Order, and Ruler of the Guild; and Warrior Master of the highest degree. Not Westley; that was a fake name."
"So then—" Professor McGonagall gasped.
"It is you—" Professor Flitwick interrupted, just as Mr. Weasley gasped, "Weasley?"
"So it is as I suspected," Dumbledore stated. His face was disappointed, an expression that Ginny remembered being more shame-inducing on students than an angry one. Hah. Not anymore.
"Indeed," Ginny said. "Now that I've got my entrance over with, I would like to a certain person who is currently under the Dreamless Sleep potion. Excuse me for a moment."
She walked over to the space right next to Fawkes' perch and seemingly reached through the wall.
"I never—" Dumbledore began, but just sat back to watch.
Ginny felt around with her hands until she felt Draco's frail body, and then she pulled him through into a tight hug. His head drooped on her shoulder.
"There, there, sweetling," she murmured to his sleeping form, and patted his back. Sure, the little boy was sleeping like the dead, but that wasn't an excuse not to give him any cuddle time.
Reluctantly, Ginny turned back to Dumbledore. "Ask," she said simply.
"Your origins are mysterious," Dumbledore began, raising a hand to stop anyone from asking anything else. "How did you come to be what you are now? How did you come to be here?"
"First," Ginny responded, "I would like some other people here to hear about this; once I'm done I won't repeat, not to anyone."
"Why?"
"My past…" Ginny said and searched for the right words. "My past…causes me…some pain. I would prefer to have the Potters, Sirius, Remus, the Longbottoms, Penelope, and…Annette on hand to hear."
"I would like the Minister here," Dumbledore said and looked around. "Arthur, would you like your family? Since her name is Weasley and as far as I know your family is the only Weasley family in the world?"
"No!" Ginny interrupted, "no! I—I'll explain later, but—they're too—too innocent. Just—don't. Oh, maybe Mu-Mrs. Weasley or any older member—but—just—no."
Mr. Weasley looked surprised at her outburst, and then uncharacteristically grim. "All right," he said. "If it's that bad—well—Gideon and Fabian Prewett, my wife's brothers. Aurors, both."
"That sounds fine," Ginny said, taking control over the discussion. "I can contact Penny easily, but…I think it's best if you get in touch with the others, Professor Dumbledore." Dumbledore nodded and picked up a handful of Floo Powder, threw it into the fireplace, and stuck his head in the flames.
"Penelope," Ginny said clearly into her palm, shifting Draco slightly on her lap. "Penelope, this is not an emergency." Ginny's emphasized words activated the magical communication system that was embedded in both Penelope's and Ginny's palms.
Paranoia has helped more than harmed someone in Ginny's position. Letting her guard down now…would be bad. Very bad.
"Hey! I'm here," Sirius announced as he climbed out of the fireplace. "What's the matter? You've got serious looks on your faces—does this have anything to do with the call Lily sent me that her neighbor Ginny arrived in front of her house looking like a ninja?"
"Ninjas don't look anything like me," Ginny said, taking very slight offense. "They have a different stance, they wear real armor, they use katanas, they have different poisons, and…." She trailed off and smirked inwardly. That had gotten her exactly the kind of reaction she'd wanted: shock.
"Who are we waiting for?" Sirius asked, and before he finished, Lily, James, Remus, Harry, and Annette (a new friend of Ginny's and an old of Lily's) came tumbling out of the green flames as well.
"After this, Gideon and Fabian Prewett, and Penelope."
"How is Penny getting here?" Sirius frowned. "She doesn't know how to Apparate, right?"
"No, portkey," Ginny informed the room at large. "Once she's here, she could probably take Draco and Harry; keep them occupied, especially since Draco is asleep—"
"Is that—that Draco Malfoy?" James hissed, but Lily and Remus restrained him from seizing the little boy in his hands and strangling him.
"He was…mistreated," Ginny responded. "It will take a lot of work and a lot of support before he's normal. But…all will be explained, all right? I just…well, we need to wait."
Penelope whooshed in from the portkey and looked around at all the people gathered there. "What's going on?" she asked Ginny, but Professor Dumbledore answered her.
"Your…mother is answering some questions for us," he said. No one missed his hesitation over the word 'mother', not even those conversing with each other in the room. As it was, Penelope's eyes narrowed.
"All right," Penelope said. "What's going on here, Mum? Is this about—" she made a gesture that obviously symbolized the Time-Turner.
"Partly," Ginny replied. "Partly Draco here as well…partly the secrets that I've been keeping from you."
"What secrets?" Penelope asked sharply. Her nostrils flared. Ginny recognized this technique; getting angry in order to cover up hurt.
"Ones that I was planning to reveal when you got a little older," Ginny said. "When you'd learned—ah, that must be the Prewetts.
"It is indeed," a handsome red-haired twin said. This, Ginny knew from multiple pictures, was Fabian Prewett.
"How did you know?" Gideon asked.
"Now that we're all here," Ginny said, disregarding his question and taking control over the room, "we should make the blood contract."
"Blood contract?" Lily exclaimed, while all the others in the room except for Dumbledore and Penelope just reared back in surprise.
Only…Sirius had a slightly…odd look in his eyes. Ginny cast him another glance, but decided to come back to it; what was happening now was far more important.
"Here," Ginny said, and pulled a tightly furled scroll out of her pocket—really reaching through a hole in her pocket to reach the corresponding one on her…work…suit. "I have the contract made in case of this eventuality; I just have to add the specifics. Professor, if you would look it over?" She handed it to Dumbledore, who unrolled it and read it through carefully.
"I shall do the specifics, if you please," Dumbledore said. He took out his wand. "And I'll read it through. Here we are:
"I do so swear upon my blood and upon my magic that I will not communicate, share in a Pensieve, place in a Pensieve, or in any way betray the confidence of Ginevra Molly Weasley, Assassin Master of the Highest Order, and Ruler of the Guild; and Warrior Master of the highest degree (hereafter referred to as Ginevra). What is imparted here—neither this blood contract nor the secrets that Ginevra shall tell—shall ever be mentioned outside Headmaster Albus Dumbledore's office without permission; and if ever mentioned inside the Headmaster's office Ginevra must be present, conscious, lucid, and consenting to the discussion without force. None of the information may be used against Ginevra or her adopted daughter by name of Penelope Weasley. Signed—"
"A blood quill seems best here," Ginny interrupted. "Since that's it for the contract. If not everyone agrees, I tell nothing."
"We agree," Dumbledore hastened to assure Ginny, which caused some scowls. "What about Harry, though?"
"He needs to sign as well," Ginny said. Lily and James—well, everybody who knew Harry—glared at her, and she shrugged. "I don't want to do this, but I really am not happy with doing this…Rose and Draco too. I mean it when I say that I am not repeating this—you could repeat to your children if I'm there—I just—"
"Why don't we sign with magic signs?" James suggested. "We all have those, and Harry knows how to write his—Rose's we can write with—with her blood—"
"Excellent idea," Dumbledore said.
"You're really eager to hear this, aren't you?" Ginny asked quizzically. She tilted her head a little. Most people nodded. "All right, sign."
The adults and Penelope signed their magic signs, and grasping their hands over the little children's, the adults wrote the children's magic signs with the children's blood. Ginny pulled a little bottle of Murtlap Essence out of her potions stash in her 'work' suit to rinse the children's hands with, and then put it back in the vial.
"Now, tell," Fabian commanded impishly. Ginny just sighed.
"Don't interrupt me, all right?" she requested, and she began. "I lived in the future; born in the future, bred in the future. I—no, I'll tell the story of that world.
"There was a boy named Tom Marvolo Riddle. He was mistreated at an orphanage and longed for power. He was cruel, a bully, and when he went to Hogwarts he was sorted into Slytherin, where he was cruel still. He grew up to be one of the most evil wizards, ever. He killed many, many, many people.
"Then there was a prophecy made, by Sibyll Trelawney. It went along the lines that someone born at the end of July to parents who had defied Voldemort three times would be able to defeat Voldemort; kill or be killed, basically. The two possibilities were Neville Longbottom, and Harry Potter." Lily gasped and tightened her hold on Harry. Ginny shot her a grimace before continuing. "Voldemort would mark the child as his equal, and the child would have a power that he knew not. The Longbottoms and the Potters—you, Lily and James—went into hiding, protected by the Fidelius Charm.
"Sirius was your Secret-Keeper, Lily and James. No one would ever know where your house was unless he told them. But you were afraid; wouldn't Voldemort come after Sirius and torture him for the location? Besides, you knew that there was a spy somewhere. So you decided to switch to Peter without telling anyone. It was the perfect bluff—who would suspect poor, innocent, clumsy Peter of holding such an important secret? And of course he couldn't be the spy, o no. Remus was far more likely, being a 'Dark' creature. So you switched to Peter.
"I'm sure you know how this will turn out. Peter was the spy, and immediately took the information to Voldemort, who had heard part of the prophecy and knew enough to come after little Harry. On Halloween night, he went into Godric's Hollow and killed James. He killed Lily, too, who died for Harry to live, if that makes sense. A sacrifice, you could call it. When Voldemort cast avada kedavra on Harry, the curse rebounded on him, leaving Harry with a lightening bolt cut on his forehead and Voldemort little more than a spirit.
"Hagrid took Harry to a place where he was safe from outside influences and would grow up without getting arrogant. That place was the Dursleys'; Lily's muggle sister Petunia, her husband, and their child. Harry grew up in a cupboard under the stairs, punished for accidental magic.
"Now, Sirius. He went after Wormtail; cornered him on a muggle street. Wormtail blew up the street, cut off his finger, transformed—I'm sorry if you didn't want this revealed, Marauders—into his illegal Animagus form—a rat—and escaped. But first, he shouted to the street that Sirius had betrayed Lily and James; implying that he was confronting Sirius. Sirius was arrested for the betrayal of Lily and James, and killing Peter Pettigrew and thirteen muggles in the explosion. He was taken away laughing.
"He was taken to Azkaban, survived by transforming into his dog Animagus form so that the Dementors didn't affect him as much.
"Meanwhile, Harry found out that he was a wizard. In his first year at Hogwarts, he fought Voldemort off, using the blood protections to harm Voldemort's host body, since he was a spirit just possessing someone else and drinking unicorn blood to stay alive.
"Next year, I got ahold of an evil diary that contained Voldemort's memory of when he was sixteen years old and opened the Chamber of Secrets. I was possessed and brought down to the Chamber, where Harry saved me. I was happy. I had a major crush on him.
"Harry's third year, Sirius escaped and made his way to Hogwarts. At the end of the year, he confronted Wormtail and Sirius in the Shrieking Shack. He spared Wormtail's life, creating a Life Debt.
"Fourth year he was in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, the fourth contestant, brought in through foul play of a Death Eater. He basically won. But the Cup was a portkey, bringing him to a graveyard. Where his blood resurrected Voldemort.
"Fifth year, he found out about the prophecy. He was lured to the Department of Mysteries by way of his lightening-bolt-shaped scar, which was a connection to Voldemort. Sirius died there. The second death that Harry had truly witnessed—I don't count you two, Lily and James.
"The members of his illegal Defense club went with him. I was one of those. I started training to fight, to be a Warrior Master. No one knew. I used a Time-Turner.
"Harry's sixth year. He found out that Voldemort had made Horcruxes. The diary was one—I won't go through them all. Then Professor Severus Snape killed Dumbledore, so Draco Malfoy wouldn't have to—Draco had been given a task by Voldemort, to kill Dumbledore, on pain of his family's death. So Dumbledore was dead and Draco and Snape on the run.
"Remus took over the Order of the Phoenix from Dumbledore. I trained even harder for Warrior Master status, and started training for Assassin Master. Again, no one ever knew.
"Ron and Hermione—Harry's friends—and Harry went on a search for the Horcruxes. It lasted a long time, two years perhaps, with the was raging on constantly. People died every day and Hogwarts became a stronghold of the light—a city—it was basically safer than most places.
"Voldemort and his Death Eaters found it amusing to change everyone into werewolves, set them against each other at full moon, inject them with silver—all these lovely little experiments. I was made a werewolf, which enhanced my physical capabilities. Fortunately. And fortunately as well, on full moons I just had to fight with other werewolves, never the experiments, when I was in Death Eaters' hands then.
"I finished my training for both Assassin and Warrior Masterships. But in those two years, terrible things happened. Terrible things. Lucius Malfoy burnt down my childhood—my family's—home, with all of them still in it. Even Ron. Harry was down one best friend. Hermione was killed. So many people were killed—I killed Death Eaters—people who might have been Death Eaters—I—"
"Mum, it's all right," Penelope whispered, leaning in towards Ginny. That calmed her down, along with Draco's slight squirming on her lap. The room was utterly silent.
"You were my father," Ginny said, pointing to Mr. Weasley. "You were my uncles, killed in the First Rising." She pointed to Gideon and Fabian Prewett. "I was the only Weasley left. I rose quickly, in the next year, to be the best of the best at what I do. But then…then Harry was killed. Our last hope.
"Voldemort conquered the world. We had failed.
"But still, there was some type of resistance left. I was one of those resisting, and we all did research on the magic that had saved Harry's life the first time he'd encountered Voldemort. It was all in a book that Lily had got hold of, called Ofe Anciente Magickes. It was Ancient Magic, older even than Dark Magic, and the power that Voldemort knew not, that had saved Harry.
"We used that book to create a new time-turner, one that could go into the future, and the past, and any amount of time at all. Here it is." Ginny reached under her shirt and pulled out the time-turner with the dials on it. "Remus sent me back in time to make sure kill Tom Riddle, make sure that none of that ever happened. I went."
Silence.
More silence.
Even Harry and Rose were totally quiet, not even moving.
"And…and now? Why were you—" Dumbledore ventured.
"Assassinating?" Ginny asked dryly, and Penelope gasped. "Yes, I've been using the time-turner once again to keep up my skills. And I've been…working. The world is still dangerous, Penelope. And only a few were actually people; most were demons and vampires and the bad werewolves."
"The…the way you put it, though…" Professor Flitwick squeaked, "it doesn't really sound that bad…"
Ginny, Penelope, the Marauders (except Peter, of course), and Lily rounded sharply on the tiny professor. But it was Penelope who spoke.
"Not that bad?" she hissed. "Not that bad?"
"Sssh, Penelope," Ginny said. "It's innocence. Let him preserve that."
"No! I want them to know—to see how you felt all those times when you would collapse—"
"Fine, then," Ginny said. "I'll show you. Not my worst memory, but…I'll use my own Pensieve, then." She ducked out of the room, but poked her head back in. "Penny, I'll even give them a demonstration of my skills in fighting." Penelope silently applauded as well as she could, given that she was holding Draco now. The room's atmosphere lightened.
When Ginny came back in, she had shucked off the outer, everyday clothes, and was garbed in her full assassin's gear, mask and everything. She held a Pensieve in her hands, one that was obviously already filled.
Ginny's appearance made all of them but Penelope and Dumbledore (he hid it well) jerk back in slight fear. But then Ginny set the Pensieve down and took off her mask, showing familiar brown eyes.
"Shall we—?" Dumbledore asked, and gestured to the Pensieve. Ginny nodded, so one by one they all touched the surface and fell into the memory. Ginny was the last, leaving the children behind, so she could start the memory playing.
In the memory, it was twilight, a golden twilight, with the full moon just over the horizon. Ten men and women and children were chained tightly together in a cage, a small-ish bird-cage-like contraption set in the ground.
Just in front of the line of chained humans were wolves bearing the snout and tail of a werewolf, standing slowly and stretching; growling in bloodlust at the humans, who trembled—but never screamed—o no, one must never scream when in the Death Eaters' hold—at the sight of their predators.
Ginny was among the chained, huddling down to the ground, still red hair shielding her face, looking any place but the werewolves pacing closer…and closer…and then they sprung.
It was a sudden release of tension as the wolves pounced onto the defenseless humans, but there were screams filling the air: the wolves were ripping and tearing and eating the flesh of the humans. One got to Ginny; ripped a chunk out of her back; and moved to the next.
Ginny—the real Ginny—winced and rubbed at that spot. It still hurt to this day.
The memory-Ginny twisted and changed; muscles ripping, new muscles forming, bones snapping, bones reshaping, instincts taking over, fur sprouting—the wolf was there.
Angry at the chains that bound it, the wolf ripped and tore at the wolves next to it, those wolves tearing back—a fight started, until a Death Eater outside the cage waved his wand a few times.
The chains sprung apart and the cage turned to pure silver.
Repelled by the poisonous bars, the wolves disregarded the delectable human scent in favor of fighting each other. A werewolf cub's body went flying out of the writhing mass of fur and blood, hitting the silver bars. It was dead instantly.
The fight went on and on, wolves dying, no sight of the memory-Ginny-wolf, until her body flew out. But her reflexes acted, twisting her around in midair—she touched the silver bars but so lightly and so little that she was back in the fight again after a minute.
So it went, the Death Eater watching with enjoyment and the real-people watching in morbid fascination, until the moonset. Then, with just as much pain, the wolves shifted back to humans. Ginny's hair was pure white.
The Death Eater applauded.
"Let's get out of here," real-Ginny murmured, and pulled them out. She looked around and all but Penelope, Dumbledore, and Sirius had sickened looks plastered on their faces.
"Oh, dear, dear, Ginny," Lily sobbed, and threw herself at Ginny. Ginny took the hug as it came, comforting herself by her best friend's presence and obviously comforting Lily and well.
"Not the worst?" James asked, pale.
"No. Not the worst," Ginny responded. "You don't want to know the worst."
"Out," Penelope commanded everyone but the Marauders, Lily, and Annette. "Sorry for kicking you out, professors, Headmaster, everyone, but go."
They went.
"Thanks, Penelope," Remus said. "Could I hold Draco?"
"Sure," Penelope answered, and passed the little boy's limp body over.
They sat in silence for a while, just taking comfort in each other's presence. Now there were no secrets between them all…or almost none.
"Guys," Sirius said abruptly, standing up. "I have something to tell you all, that must remain as secret as everything that Ginny's just told you. I am a Spy Master of the highest degree."
"Aah," Ginny sighed in that moment of clarity. "I see. That's why…"
"Why didn't you tell me?" James asked, hurt. Remus echoed him.
"I work for the Department of Mysteries," Sirius said. "I…can't say much more…"
Ginny looked at Sirius closely. Her eyes penetrated all his layers of magic, all his layers of deception. "Excellent," she breathed, but then a look of extreme sympathy spread over her face. She closed her eyes.
"What—?" Penelope asked her mother. "Why—?"
"Who wrote those runes?" Ginny asked Sirius, her eyes closed. "I have a set as well. Death Eaters. I got caught, once."
Sirius realized what she was talking about and sat down heavily, closing his eyes as well. "My parents'…associate," he responded nonchalantly.
"What is going on here?" James asked loudly. "Were—Sirius, is she asking if you were tortured or something?"
"Beenden Sie die Täuschung und zeigen Sie meine Schmerz," Sirius whispered, and all across his face, hands, exposed skin—also presumably all his body—lines were traces: scars, scars of runes.
"Zeigen Sie die Narben, die ich halte," Ginny also whispered, and near-identical runes were traced in scars along her skin.
"Pain…" Lily said, translating the runes. "Pain when you use magic…pain when you use blood…a compulsion to use magic and blood…pain in general to go with happiness…oh, Ginny…Oh Sirius…"
"They were angry," Sirius choked, finally telling someone other than the Healers. "Angry at me running away. So they got a…business partner…to come and do that to me. The Healers disabled them, but…well, the scars are still there."
"I fell into the hands of Death Eaters," Ginny said. "They did this to me…I escaped. The Healers disabled the runes. I am glad."
"Oh, Ginny," Annette sighed, "oh, Sirius." She grabbed both of them in a hug. "You really should get together. Two tortured people with serious psychological damage? Perfect!"
"Don't think it hasn't crossed my mind," Sirius and Ginny said, in near-perfect unison, and glanced at each other in surprise.
"Creepy," Remus said. "Really creepy."
"And while we're at secrets," James piped up, "I have a few. I've…sort of got a title…it's…uh…"
"Spit it out," Lily prompted, "they don't know. They won't be able to guess."
"I'm called…the Champion of the Light…"
"Sweet Merlin!" Sirius gasped. "I never knew!"
Ginny just sat back in her chair and blinked.
"I'm a Secret-Keeper," Lily offered.
Silence.
Even more silence.
Yet more silence.
"I'm called the Teacher," Remus mentioned.
Shocked silence.
"I'm a Spellcrafter," Annette said happily, speaking to the ceiling.
….
….
Even the narrator—the omniscient narrator—was shocked into silence. Strange.
"These kids," Penelope said, motioning toward the now-sleeping Harry and Rose, and Draco, "are going to be pretty good at something."
"Understatement, Penny," Lily snorted. "They'll be amazing."
"Yeah."
The group fell into silence again, this silence comfortable at having no more secrets. No more secrets.
Well, except for Lily; but the secrets she carried were others' secrets.
And Ginny felt herself healing.
A/N (#2!): There you are. Bye.
