Chapter 19

December 27

Christmas Eve was on the 27 of December that year at the Weasley's house. Harry was to be released from the hospital that day and they were going to celebrate with him and Ginny. When they had gone missing the family had decided to postpone Christmas. It was showing to be a good idea.

Ginny had found the house in pretty much the same order. When she got home Arthur and Charlie were out working. Molly said they had been sorry to miss her coming home but... they had so much work as usual. Fred and George had to go back to their shop for a few hours, they had after all closed it the whole time she was missing. Hermione, Ron, and Bill were the only ones sitting in the living room when she and Molly got home from the hospital.

Hermione stood quickly and hugged Ginny. "Your alright?"

Ginny nodded, not really meaning it. Hermione couldn't understand, Ginny just wanted her to go home to her well kept house, the cute little cottage about 2 miles away, and she wanted her to take her husband with her.

"Can I have a hug, Ginny?" Ron asked and Ginny almost slapped him. IT was as if, all of a sudden they thought she would be afraid of a hug.

"Of course, Ron, whatever made you think that you couldn't." she said bitterly, the longest sentences she had spoken since she went to the hospital.

Ron turned beet red and nodded. When they hugged it was awkward, as if he didn't want to hurt her.

Bill stood quickly, brushing his trousers of some unseen dust. He hugged her and kissed her cheek. "I've really missed you Ginny... I"m so glad... your... alright." He said 'alright' as if it were a different word.

"Well... who wants some supper?" Molly asked, trying to be cheerful.

"I'm starved." Bill cried, trying to be natural.

"Well... how about mashed potatoes and gravy?"

Ginny winced, "Uh...can we have... something else?"

Molly looked shocked, it was her favorite food after all. "What... what would you like dear?"

"Well... I don't mind anything else... just not mashed potatoes."

Molly nodded reluctantly, trying hard not to ask why.

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When Harry reached the Burrow he was extremely nervous. His hands were shaking and sweaty. He didn't know what to expect. Would they ask questions? How would he answer, well... yes, your daughter did sacrifice her virtue for my life. He had no clue.

And what to expect with Ginny... he was most scared of that. Would they ever be the same as they were? No. He was sure of that.

He felt quite sick, his head was pounding and his stomach still ached, after he had eaten so much of the retched hospital food, and vomited it back up, he just didn't feel the same. His stomach had a lot to get used to. He wondered how he would eat Molly Weasley's food and cut it down to a minimum?

As he knocked on the door he wiped his sweaty palms on his trousers. They were tweed and definately not his nicest pair, but they were one of the only pair that had fit him lately, with his thinning waist.

Arthur answered and smiled at Harry, it was a wary smile, as if he would give anything not to fake it. Molly had probably asked him to smile. Molly was always trying to make other people feel better, he did love that about her.

"Come on in Harry, We're just about to have Christmas Eve supper."

Harry just nodded and followed Mr. Weasley into the kitchen, walking on the new shiny linoleum flooring, Mrs. Weasley had recieved for her last birthday.

Bill and Charlie were sitting at the kitchen table, talking quietly amongst themselves, which they had been doing more and more often. He really wondered what they were talking about. "She's all wrong for you." Harry said, randomly. Charlie looked up quickly, looking around in fright.

"W-What?"

Harry laughed, "Bloody 'ell... it really is a girl then?" Harry was just faking it, he really didn't find it funny, he was trying to find something funny.

Charlie shook his head trying to take it back.

"Alright, Alright... I won't ask any questions." Harry said and walked into the living room. Ron and Hermione jumped up almost automatically to hug him.

"Harry, how ya been?" Ron asked.

"I'm fine..." he said, he wondered why they were asking him this, when it was Ginny they should be worried about.

"Harry!"Hermione began to cry and Harry just felt very... out of place.

"I'm fine Hermione. Don't cry... really..." then he saw Ginny, she was sitting in Mr. Weasley's chair, rocking back and forth, staring out the window. She looked as if she were in another world.

When Hermione and Ron were done fussing over him Fred and George were motioning him to sit next to them. Harry nodded, wanting a bit of a laugh.

"Well... we aren't going to ask anything unless you want to tell us." George said.

Fred nodded as if confirming that it was actually "we" not just George that had that thought.

"Well... uh... thanks guys."

"Sure Harry. We just thought since you helped us get out joke shop started we'd help you out... you wanna play some Quidditch after supper? Have a little fun..."

"Oh, sure." Harry said, looking away from them to Ginny. He was very worried, it was Ginny, the fun girl, what had happened, no... he knew what had happened.

"Great." George grinned and he handed Harry some chocolate.

"No, thanks." He said, he was saving his stomach space so he could eat what little he could eat, of his favorite foods that Mrs. Weasley made.

"Blimey Harry!" Fred cried.

"You better eat, you look like you've lost at least 20 pounds."

Harry frowned, it was embarassing, having his weight loss shoved in his face... and Ginny's. He'd prefer if she didn't notice. "No I haven't... And quite frankly i think it is none of your damn business." He shot out.

Fred and George looked shocked and they both stood up quickly and left the room.

"Supper's ready!" Mr. Weasley called from the kitchen. Harry stood and walked in, Ginny following slowly, distractedly behind him. As they entered the kitchen Harry could see more than just the Weasleys there. There was Dumbledore, Tonks, and Remus. He turned to look at Ginny, Her face had turned white, he didn't know why.

"Ginny are you alright?" he whispered hoping no one would hear, but the kitchen had gone completely silent.

She looked up into her eyes and saw embarassment, he didn't know why she was embarassed. She turned and rushed up the stairs.

Everyone looked around a bit before Mrs. Weasley burst into tears. "Ginny... oh she'll never be the same..." Arthur put his arms around her and she cried onto his chest. Everyone else looked towards Harry for some explanation.

"I... I can't explain anything right now... I don't think it's the right time..." Dumbledore was nodding to him. "I... I need to go talk to Ginny." Then he headed up the stairs the only sound below being that of Molly Weasley's tears and Arthur's soothing words.

He knocked on Ginny's door softly. He could hear her crying inside. "Ginny?"

Then he just opened the door, knowing she wouldn't say anything when she was crying. She was sitting on her bed, her room was her favorite color, chocolate brown. Her bed was an old quilt her mother had made. The only thing different about it since he had last entered it was the broken vase on the floor. It was a beautiful vase, and Harry actually felt sad that it was broken.

"Ginny?" He whispered.

She whipped around and looked at him. Her face was red and tired looking. When she saw him she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why... Why did you leave like that?"

She turned back away from him, looking at the wall, "I couldn't... When... everyone knew... it's just so... It's one thing to be married and everyone knows you aren't a virgin anymore... but... oh, bloody 'ell... it's just all so retched... Dumbledore even knows it, Damnit!Remus Lupin seeing me bare naked from the waist up... I just couldn't..."

Harry was suprised... he hadn't thought... then suddenly he understood. "Oh."

"I just have to get out of this house... I just... I thought the whole time of how i wanted to go home so badly, and now... i just want to leave, i must sound so ungrateful..."

"No... what do you mean?"

"Everyone looks at me differently, it's like it's not even my family anymore... I just... I need to leave for a while... get away... come back when they've forgotten about it."

"Will they ever forget about it?" Harry asked.

Ginny looked at him and her eyes became sad again. "No... but they'll just... get used to the idea... at least I hope so..."

Harry nodded. "Where are you going to go?"

"I... I don't know..."

"Well..."

"I was thinking somewhere in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade... better Diagon Alley... I won't see Fred or George very much."

Harry nodded again. "Do you have money?"

Ginny looked up again and then he knew by the look on her face that she didn't.

"No... of course not... you just graduated... it's settled then... you can get a job somewhere in Diagon Alley and live with me."

Ginny looked shocked. "I... no, no... Mum would never... Dad would never... no, no..."

Harry laughed a little, "I'm gone most of the time, It has 2 bedrooms. IT would be fine... I'll pay the rent. You can just live there until you earn enough money."

Ginny finally realized what a good idea it was. "hm... As long as you stay out of my hair." She teased.

They both laughed a little and shook hands as an agreement. Ginny would leave, preferably very soon.