Chapter Twenty One - Oh Merlin

Ginny sat beside her mother, and in front of Dumbledore, who was dubbed the new minister of magic. "Miss Weasley, would you like us to enrol you back into Hogwarts?"

Ginny shook her head. "No," she answered simply.

Her father was standing beside Dumbledore, giving Ginny a grand smile.

"When am I allowed to see my friends?" Ginny asked, mostly asking so she will be able to see Draco. "I miss them dearly."

"You and Miss Granger's files have been thoroughly checked and secured. You are now alive to the wizarding and muggle world. Lily and Mackenzie have also been registered. Olivia's name has also been cleared. I take it you want to take the little ones shopping?" He gave her a mischievous smile.

Ginny grinned. "Herms has been wanting to go shopping for a while. She misses spending money like bonkers. Is it alright if Herms and I go alone, mum … dad?"

Her parents both nodded and gestured for her to leave, for they looked like they wanted to speak to Dumbledore in person. Ginny quickly left and ran up the stairs, yelling, "Hermione! We're going to Diagon alley! Hermione! We get to see our friends! We get to see them!"

Hermione ran out of her room, already ready with her two beautiful babies in her hands. Olivia came running out also, pushing an empty duel stroller. "Let's go! I need new robes!"

Both girls squealed happily and ran down the stairs, Olivia trailing behind them with the stroller bumping up and down the stairs. They reached the fireplace and simultaneously yelled, "Diagon Alley!" while Ginny threw in the floo powder. She grabbed Olivia's hand and jumped into the flames, right after Hermione was pulled into it. Once they reached they perfect place, they placed Lily and Mackenzie in the stroller, Hermione pushing it.

Ginny held onto Olivia's hand and ran into Honeydukes, her eyes twinkling like crazy. "Oh, Merlin! I haven't had chocolate in ages!" she exclaimed, grabbing a basket and filling them with plenty of goodies.

Hermione giggled and also seized a basket, filling it with chewable jellies for her babies. "Gin, do you think I should spoil my children with these candies? I mean, Lily's got that stomach problem and I don't want Mack being messy again."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Take as much as you want!" she screamed, feeling like a child again. "Olivia, dear, what do you want?"

Olivia didn't answer.

"Olly? Earth to Olly," cooed Ginny, still not looking at the child, but picking out mountains and mountains of sugary confections.

Hermione walked through the aisle, pushing the stroller as she went. She grabbed every baby-safe candy that she could find and stuffed them into the little basket she attached to the bottom of the stroller. "Hhmm … Lily's allergic to lemons," she reminded herself, "and Mack simply hates oranges." Hermione skipped the section that included those ingredients. Her eyes widened at the sight of her favorite candy in the world. "Oh Merlin!" she breathed. She grasped the plastic bag in triumph. "Pickle Sickles!"

Ginny popped her head into the aisle. "Pickle who?"

Hermione looked scandalized. "You don't know what Pickle Sickles are?"

"No," Ginny answered simply.

"Wait," stated Hermione, "where's Olivia?"

Ginny twirled around, scanning the over-excited crowd for Hermione's little sister. "Olly!" she yelled. "Olly!"

Ginny ran around the store, occasionally bumping into people. "Olivia Marie Granger! Where are you!"

Spotting the small girl, she let out a reassured breath. "Olly, where have you been?"

Ginny smiled and looked up to see who was around them. Her eyes widened and her breathing became irregular. It wasn't who that stunned her, it was who the person was with.

"Ginny?" he whispered.

Ginny eyed the man in front of her and the girl whose hand he was holding. "Blaise," she choked.

Hermione came running behind Ginny, Mack and Lily in her arms. She couldn't very well drag the stroller with her, so she just picked up the twins and raced. "Ginny, did you find Olivia?" asked Hermione, stopping and breathing heavily. Hermione found Olivia standing in front of her, tears in her eyes. "Oh, darling, we thought you got lost. You almost gave me a fright. You're very lucky that Mack and Lily are so light."

"Blaise, love, can we please go and get some lunch," whined a voice.

Hermione looked up and gasped.

It was almost like looking into a mirror. This girl looked exactly like her. Hermione's hair was much finer and straighter, but everything else was uncanny.

Blaise stiffened. "Hermione."

Hermione, who knew this would happen sooner or later, stated harshly, "Blaise."

"Get out," Luna whispered deathly. "Get out of my house."

Keira trembled. "I just need to speak to Ron-"

"There is no need for you to be here!" snapped Luna, tears in her eyes. Her usually blonde hair was up in a very messy bun, her body covered in an apron. Her home was filled with the scent of apples and dough, mainly because she was baking Ron his favorite pie. "You and Ron share no business other than the Hiding Reserve and that is already over and one with. Get out of my house!"

"Just let me speak to-"

"Luna!" yelled a male voice.

Luna spun around and found a very red Colin Creevey in front of her. "I tried sticking the pan in the oven, but only resulted in almost burning my face!" he exclaimed. "I've got to see Dean in an hour! The healers say he might wake up …" his voice trailed off as he spotted a well dressed Keira Chelts in the living room. "What's she doing here?"

"I'm here to see Ron," she answered simply.

"You can't be here when he gets home!" spat Luna. "I'm telling him some very important news and I really would like it if you weren't here!"

"That's a lie!" countered Keira. "You just want me out of his life because I love him! You just want me out of here because you're afraid that he may love me, too!"

Luna stiffened. Tears flooded out of her eyes and on the cardigan that was underneath the orange apron. "Repeat that," she said through gritted teeth.

A pop was heard in the living room, but no one paid attention to it.

"You just want me out of here because you're afraid that he may love me, too," Keira whispered.

Luna sniffled. "No," she said quietly, "I want you out of here so I can tell my fiancée that I am pregnant with his child."

"You're what!"

Luna turned to the love of her life. "You're going to have a baby, Ron. A baby girl."

The last sound in the room was Ron's laughing and very happy voice.

"George Bloody Weasley!" screeched a very livid Alicia Spinnet. "Get this thing out of me!"

George gulped loudly, wincing at the pain his hand was enduring. Alicia was gripping it so hard, he thought it was going to fall off. His brother, Bill, was in the process of rounding the family up to greet the new twin girls that were going to come out of his wife's stomach. "Sshh, love … it'll be alright."

"Easy for you to say!" she screamed, pushing as she yelled, "you're not shooting out eight pounded babies!"

George whimpered as she squeezed his pale hand tighter. "Love, you are killing my hand."

She growled. "I'm killing your hand!" she asked incredulously. "I'm bloody giving birth to your twin children and you're worried about your hand?"

"I-I need to work the register tomorrow!" he exclaimed lamely.

Alicia narrowed her eyes. "Really?" she drawled. Pushing one last time and hearing her last baby cry, she twisted George's hand in a split second, causing him to bend down to the floor in pain.

"BLOODY MERLIN!" he bellowed.

Alicia took a deep breath, happy that she got those babies out of her. "Now you know how I feel."

"Lavender?" asked Neville carefully, watching as his girlfriend stared out of the Flourish and Bott's window. "Lav?"

Lavender's breath caught in her throat. "Look through the Honeydukes window, Neville," she said breathlessly, "who do you see?"

Neville leaned in closer to her and squinted his eyes. His breathing getting faint, he gripped Lavender's shoulder. "Is that … that Ginny?"

"Look at the girl next to her … the one holding the babies."

"Hermione," he breathed.

Lavender broke a smile. "Remember the day when you told me you had an inkling about them?"

"Yes," he answered, dropping all the books he was holding and grabbing Lavender by the elbow. He heaved her through the crowd and out the door.

"I think you were right."

End Of Chapter Twenty One