Holidays

"Oh, no," George groaned. He looked around, found Katie, and they ran out of the ballroom.

"Molly!" Dad shouted. He ran toward her and picked her up. He was carrying her in his arms to a chair when she woke.

"What do you mean, she's pregnant?" Mum yelled. Other people started looking at each other. It was as if the group made a collective decision to leave, because the room was filled with the sound of almost three hundred people disapparating.

"Mum," Charlie said. "George isn't here."

"Good thing he isn't. If you see him, you tell him that if he and that tramp try to come home, I'll curse them both. They are no longer welcome at the Burrow." With that, she picked up her purse and disapparated home.

Dad sighed. "I'll see you all later." He disapparated as well.

Hermione flicked her wand and the chairs lining the room started to stack themselves.

"Fred, I'm bored," Tasha whined. "Let's go do something."

"Okay, honey pie. We'll see you all later," Fred said. He took Tasha's hand and they walked out of the ballroom.

"Wow. I think I'm starting to hate her," I said. Tasha seems to only think of herself. I've known her for all of three hours and I want to beat her with a stick.

Ron laughed. Hermione frowned. "I'm sure there is something nice about her that Fred likes," Hermione said reproachfully.

"Maybe it's a love potion," I muttered. We finished cleaning up the ballroom and left.

Christmas day was not a happy day. Mum started crying when she realized that Percy wasn't at the table. She purposely kept George's plate off of the table, but she had inadvertently set Percy's place at the table. She spent the rest of the day crying and silently cursing George.

Fred had invited Tasha over for Christmas dinner ("She and her mother don't get along" he told Dad) which ended up being a mistake. She whined about how the room was too warm and wouldn't shut up until Fred put out the fire, forcing the rest of us to freeze during dinner. Ron and I spent the rest of the dinner cursing her under our breaths.

I was in my room listening to the Wizarding Wireless when I heard yelling from George's bedroom.

"Get out of my house!" Mum yelled. I ran toward George's room. I slid to a halt in the doorway.

"Mum, this is my house too," George yelled back.

"Do you pay the bills around here? No. So get your belongings and get out. I never want to see you again! I cannot believe the shame you've brought upon the family!" Mum picked up a shoe and threw it at George's head. She missed.

"Mum, you're being unreasonable. You should be happy. You're going to have another grandchild," I commented.

"Ginerva Weasley, now is not the time," Mum said in a deadly tone. She thinks she can boss me around, but not this time.

"No. I'm happy for them," I said loudly.

"Oh you are, are you? You think it's okay for two people their age to be unmarried with a baby on the way?" Mum yelled.

"Whether it's okay or not, it's going to happen! So suck up all those negative feelings you have and accept this." I yelled.

"That's it. I will not tolerate any child of mine talking to me like that. You can get out of my house too!" Mum screeched. She took out her wand and pointed it at me. "You both have ten minutes to gather your belongings and get out of my house."

I walked to my bedroom. "Are you serious?" I said in disbelief.

"Pack!"

I packed up my belongings. It didn't take long because I don't have that much stuff.

"Mum, I love you."

"Out!" She cast a spell at me that caused boils to pop up all over my skin. I picked up my trunk and ran out of the house.

I took the Knight Bus to Hogsmeade. I was pretty sure that Neville would let me stay with him in his apartment until I found a place to live.

It started to rain. I got off of the Knight Bus and dragged my trunk behind me. A carriage came by, splashing me with mud and water. I reached Neville's apartment building and knocked on the door.

"Ginny!" Justin said with surprise. Justin Finch-Fletchley was a guy in my brother's year who I didn't know too well outside of Hogwarts. Come to think of it, I didn't know him too well while we were at Hogwarts, but that's not the point. "Come in, come in!" I wasn't expecting Justin to be there but I went inside anyway.

"Where's Neville?" I asked as I set my trunk down on the floor. I pulled out my wand and magically dried myself off. "What are you doing here?"

"Neville's at work and I am making a casserole for dinner. Oh, and I live here now," Justin replied, taking my cloak from me and putting it on the coat rack.

"Oh, I see," I said. There go my plans of staying here for a few days.

"Ginny, let me help you with that trunk." He took my trunk and put it in a corner of the room so that no one would trip over it.

"Now. Sit down. What happened?" Justin asked.

"My mother threw me out of the house because I defended my brother," I said, starting to cry a little.

"Oh. Yes. Neville told me something about your brother getting some girl pregnant. I'm sorry to hear about that," Justin said.

"Why? It's not my problem. This is what I get for being nosy and trying to get involved in other people's business," I defended. I sat down on the couch while Justin finished dinner and began to cry.

Neville came in the door. "I'm home!" he greeted. "Ginny, what are you doing here?"

I started crying harder and walked hurriedly to the bathroom. I locked the door and slumped down against the wall.

"Ginny!" Neville yelled. "Open the door!"

"No!"

"Ginny, you do realize I'm a wizard?" He must have used his wand to unlock the door because he came in and sat on the counter.

"Now. Justin told me what happened. So you are going to stay here for a few days until your mum calms down and then you can go home. Okay?"

I sniffled and nodded. He came over and gave me a hug.

"It's going to be okay you know," he said sympathetically.

Padma and her fiancé had gotten married a few days ago and were on their honeymoon, so I was left to watch the store by myself. It was New Year's Eve and I was just about to close the store when Harry came in.

"Go away," I said. "Don't even start with me."

"Ginny," Harry said softly. "Lavender isn't pregnant."

"What are you talking about? Yes, she is."

Harry sighed. "Lavender's not my girlfriend. I've never been on a date with her. We don't have a relationship."

"Please, Harry, why would she lie?" I said in disbelief.

"Because she's crazy."

"Oh, that's a horrible thing to say!" I exclaimed.

"No, I mean it. She's manic depressive and she lied to make herself feel worthwhile."

"Oh."

"Yeah. I've just stayed away all this time to give you space. Please, Ginny, forgive me."

I opened my mouth to say yes, I would forgive him, when Neville walked in.

"Hey, Ginny, ready to go home?" Neville asked. Ever since I moved in, he and Justin have become incredibly over protective and insist on dropping me off at work and picking me up at the end of my shift. "Oh, hi Harry."

"Hey, Neville."

"Ginny, I've made a really good dinner for tonight. You're going to love it!" Neville said excitedly.

Harry looked at us. I finished closing up.

"Ginny, I have to go," Harry said. "Neville, I'll be seeing you later." Harry left the store.

"Neville!" I yelled.

"What?"

"You totally ruined it! I was about to forgive Harry!"