-1A/N: Taking place 2 weeks after the last chapter. I know it's a gap, but I don't want this to be to long as it'll interfere with HWOWWG7 (wow, big title), and it's only a short angst type of thing anyhow. But this chapter isn't going to be angst… it's going to be happy, so the angst bit can be all the more tear-jerking…
Natalie: Thanksh. And your new story ish…. HILARIOUS!
Chapter 2
Ginny looked out at Edith playing Quidditch on the vast lawn with Albert. Ron and Hermione were staying, as was tradition every summer. The sun was setting in the sky and the last glimmers were caught in the air, shedding warmth on the golden evening. She couldn't help but stifle a giggle as she wound a finger in her red curls and saw Edith score against Albert, who was hopelessly floundering about in the air. She knew he'd get better with time and confidence; he shared a lot of Ron's traits, but as Hermione had said proudly as he'd first begun counting at the age of one and a half, he did have half a brain after all -- so no worries.
Looking up to the old clock that her mother had given her as a wedding present, her laughter turned to a mirthless sigh as Harry's hand still lay quivering on 'work'. At least she should be relieved it was not hovering on 'mortal peril' as she had found it doing so previous times. She'd always known in her heart he'd become an Auror -- but she thought that on his birthday, maybe he could take the time off to be a little less dedicated. Her eyes widened, however, because as if with her thoughts, the hand moved to 'travelling', and then came the familiar footsteps coming up to the kitchen door.
"Hello, you!" She said happily, bounding from her chair and flinging her arms round him as he entered the kitchen. "Happy Birthday. I would have said it this morning, if you hadn't have left before I could…"
"What?" Harry's eyes widened. "I forgot! It's my birthday!"
Ginny laughed out loud. Sometimes when she had celebrated previous birthdays Harry had looked at her like a birthday was some kind of alien thing, something no one should get too happy about. And because of that, she wanted to go to his Uncle and Aunt's house and teach them the pronunciation of her bat bogey hexes. But anyway -- he was there now, so it didn't particularly matter.
"Wow, Harry. Only you could manage to forget it. The kids made cards and presents, but do you think you could go out there and tell them how you really play Quidditch?"
He smiled.
"Sure; but only if you come with me!"
Ginny frowned for a second, but she knew Hermione could manage with all the arrangements for the party by herself; so she went out onto the lawn with Harry and fumbled to get their Skylight's out of the shed. Edith immediately ran up to her father and gave him a huge hug that would have sent Ginny toppling backwards.
"Heyyy…. Dad… Happy Birthday…"
"You coming to play Quidditch?"
Ginny grinned before she turned around and tossed the broom to Harry. She herself assigned positions.
"Right, teams. We'll have… Harry and Albert on one side, and Edith and I on the other. Yes… alright… you two can be the Chasers…"
And so the game commenced.
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One or two hours later, they came down from the darkened lawn, all with eyes sparkling with the hilarity of it all. Edith had managed to hit Albert with the Jellylegs curse as her wand fell out of her pocket, and as a result, poor Albert had not only been tossed off his broom but he'd also scored an own goal and hit the ball in Ginny's face. Neither teams had won seeing as no one had bothered to keep the score, but their spirits were up. Ginny couldn't remember having laughed so much. It was wonderful to her that she and Harry had been able to rebuild their lives after Voldemort had ruined it.
But she could see sometimes, Harry still thought of him. He still dwelt on the past, and that was what led to him spending days tracking down dark wizards, because there was an empty space in him that still wanted revenge for all the deaths Voldemort caused, but that couldn't be filled because Voldemort wasn't there to kill a hundred times. And that was where Edith came in, because she was the jewel of their lives, whether she knew it or not.
Ginny could sense it, through the smiles and the laughter. She knew. It was an old feeling her own mother used to swear she suffered from in the old days, when Ginny still attended Hogwarts.
There was something, winging its way down to them. A wave building its power to crash down upon them its hardest, just when they were unprepared. Just when they decided to take a rest from the glancing behind their backs whenever they turned a corner….
It was something to do with the invitation from Edith to Obedience, and Ginny knew that something was wrong.
The party commenced as prepared, and Harry seemed overwhelmed. But Ginny couldn't help feeling distracted, detached from the celebrations; she knew it; she wasn't going crazy. There… was… a presence. And that night, when finally, all things had calmed down, Ginny looked up at the clear night sky, a blanket of stars, and she knew.
Something was coming…
A/N: Next Chapter is Edith's POV, followed by Harry's, and that's when it kicks off. Please R & R, and thanks to all people who reviewed!
