CHAPTER 6

A/N: Special thanks goes out to my Beta—Vicky for being so wonderful and quick with these chapters 

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Ginny stumbled into her apartment, closing the door after her and waving her wand to turn on the hall light. She was exhausted. She could feel her cat, Jasper, winding the familiar path around her feet as she walked towards her bedroom. When she reached her bedroom door, she leaned against it, raising one foot after another and sliding her shoes off before throwing them haphazardly across the room.

Her feet were aching terribly as she hobbled over to her bed, flopping onto it, and staring at the ceiling. Jasper joined her a minute later, rubbing his head against her shoulder and purring loudly in her ear.

Today had been insane. Soon after Kingsley had filled them in about their new assignment, Ginny had received an owl from her mother, inviting her over for a Weasley dinner.

Ginny closed her eyes, raising a hand to scratch behind Jasper's ear as she recounted the day's events, and the dinner she had just come back from.

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After their meeting with the higher-ups, Draco and Ginny had finished their paperwork and then began to study their new files more closely, taking notes and making a plan of how and where to start. The day ended with too much to do and not enough time to finish it.

After that it was off to her apartment to change into something non-'scary Auror', something more feminine that would please her mother.

It just got steadily worse from there...

It started out, as always, opening the door to her childhood home and immediately being crushed by her mother. She laughed, breathing in her mother's familiar scent of flour and honeysuckle, before being pulled away at arms length.

"Let me look at you," Molly said, studying her daughter. "Kingsley and Tonks treating you all right?" she asked and Ginny nodded before being wrapped in a hug again. She knew what was coming next before her mom even said it. "You need to eat more, dear. I can almost wrap my arms around you twice! You be sure to get a second helping tonight before the boys eat everything! Now go, go! I'm sure your father will want to see you!"

Ginny laughed as she made her way to the living room. Her dad was sitting there in front of the fire. Only his profile was visible to her and she thought him to look stoic and statuesque as he gazed at something in his lap.

Curious, she made her way slowly closer. She placed a tentative hand on his left shoulder and he jumped at the contact, turning to face her. "Hi, Dad," she said quietly.

She watched as he hurriedly shut the book that was in his lap, placing it on the floor before standing up to give her a hug.

She accepted the hug and grabbed on tightly. He was looking at the family album again, looking at the smiling faces of his children, when they were all here, before Ron had died and Percy had gone missing.

She heard him sniffle a little against her hair and she smiled, pulling back. "All right there, Da?" she asked.

He smiled, giving her a nod. "Glad you're here, Gin-bug. Work going well?"

"Great," she answered loudly, trying to let herself be heard over the stomping of approaching feet.

"GINNY!" three voices called excitedly.

Suddenly her feet were off the ground and her ribs were being crushed from behind. "Let me down!" she squealed, kicking out with a laugh. "Fred!"

She was back on her feet in an instant. "Hey, how'd you know it was me?" he asked with a smile.

She laughed, giving him a hug. "Well, if I wasn't such a fabulous Auror, it may have been hard to deduce, but seeing as I am, in fact, a fabulous Auror, I immediately knew it was you!"

"Meaning she guessed," Charlie said as he came around to hug her. "Hey, sis," he said into her ear as he wrapped his left arm around her, the stub that was once his right remaining at his side.

"Hey, shove aside, shove aside!" George said, grabbing Ginny up and twirling her. She laughed and he set her back down. She smiled up at him, noticing the scar on his cheek that was left over from the war. The twins were no longer identical. "Hey, George, where's Katie?"

"She had to work late at St. Mungo's tonight."

"That's too bad." Ginny looked behind them, searching for her other brother. "Are Bill and Fluer here?"

"No, Simone is sick again, so they couldn't make it," Fred said.

"Oh."

Fluer had fought valiantly during the war, using her Veela powers to distract the enemy. Unfortunately, her powers were no good against the female Death Eaters, and she was shocked repeatedly with the Crucacious curse before anyone could help her. It was only after the final battle that she found out that she was pregnant. Simone was born weak. She was often falling ill and her very doting parents never left her side when she did.

"Dinner's ready!" they heard their mom's voice call from the dinning room.

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When Ginny, her brothers, and father entered the dinning room and saw an extra place sitting on the table, they showed no surprise. They merely took their customary seats and glanced surreptitiously at the extra setting before tucking into their dinner.

Conversation was light as Mr. Weasley talked about some of his new Muggle discoveries.

"It's called Teflon. It's wonderfully useful! They use it to cook on. It's slippery so that nothing they cook sticks to it."

"Oh, I wish Percy were here, that would be a lovely thing to bring to the Ministry's attention," Mrs. Weasley said as she filled her spoon with mashed potatoes, before taking a bite.

No one spoke for a moment. Not knowing what to say.

It was Charlie who spoke up first.

"Mum, this has to stop. You've been leaving an extra plate for him at every family dinner for the last four years. He isn't coming back."

"Charlie!" she admonished him.

Fred spoke up next. "He's right, Mum. This needs to stop. He's gone mum."

"They never found a body..."

"Mum..."

"NO! I will not accept that two of my children are gone! I won't!" she said, standing quickly and rushing from the room.

Ginny sighed as she pulled Jasper onto her chest, looking into his bright yellow eyes before holding him close. She rolled onto her side, pulling him with her, and he purred against her chest as she let the tears fall.

'They're gone, Mummy…' she whispered as her breathing finally evened out and she cried herself to sleep