Ginny
Albus left James' room and finally Ginny got to see James through the opened door. He was dressing now, pulling on a T-shirt. His packed bag was on the bed. Albus didn't say anything to her and Harry wouldn't talk either. She'd patted his back and said some soothing things, but she hadn't got any sense from him.
James looked at her. "Mum," he said. Nothing more, though.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"I s'pose Dad's told you-"
"Nobody's told me anything, as usual." She paused, and gave her eldest son what she hoped was an encouraging smile, with her arms folded, in the doorway. "Why don't you tell me what happened?"
"I'm an adult. I'm entitled to some privacy! And if I can't get it here then maybe it's about time I moved out."
"There's no rush. You've got the apprenticeship-"
"I'm not staying here with him!"
James wasn't behaving like an adult. He was sulking like a teenager. She sighed, then asked softly, "Can't you tell me what's going on?"
James looked embarrassed. "Dad just walked in here," he said.
"Yes?"
"And now he's kicked Teddy out!"
"These are the things I know; there's something in between which will make sense of it." She paused, but James started fiddling with his hair and looking in the mirror. "I suppose you've told Albus?"
"Yeah." James turned on her, "Go ask Dad. You're going to believe his version anyway. There's no point in me telling you anything." His face crumpled. "He's got no respect for me, Mum."
She wanted to ask who it was who didn't respect James. Instead she put her arms round him as she hadn't done in quite a while, and she let him rest his head on her shoulder. "I love him," James mumbled. Again, she didn't know whether he meant his father or Teddy.
"Talk to me, baby," she said.
She felt his shoulders rise in a shrug under her arms.
"I'm gay, Mum."
There was a silence. She listened to them both breathing.
"I thought you probably were," she said quietly, "but I wasn't sure because I thought you would have told me. I don't mind who you fall in love with, James, but I mind you keeping secrets. Am I really such a harridan that you thought I'd care?"
His ribs spasmed. It might have been a sob.
"I love you, James. That's it."
Another rack of his chest. That was definitely crying. Soon her shoulder would be wet. She wouldn't say anything, though. She would let him pretend that he'd been big and brave and buried his feelings like a man.
"I can't stay here, Mum."
"Of course you can."
"He thinks I'm a child. He can't respect my decisions. He doesn't see me, he sees some kid. And now I've messed everything up for Teddy."
Ginny sighed. So, Harry had caught Teddy and James together, had he? She should have been predicted something like that. She'd suspected how James felt, and he was such a lovely boy that Teddy would have had to work hard to resist him. There must have been something she could have done to stop this. Teddy was a sweet enough young man. It had probably been a mistake to put him in with James. But they were adults. It was about time Harry learned to knock on doors before he walked through them.
"We'll talk to your father. We'll work something out."
Then James pulled away from her. He wiped his face. "I'm going after Teddy, Mum. If you need me, you can Owl me at work."
If she needed him? He had no idea just how much she needed all of her children.