Chapter 12 Where The Heart Is
A/N: Thanks a lot, readers and reviewers! You're all amazing. I'm honored that you've given my little story a chance. And I've gotten more than a hundred reviews already! As my cousin says, who'd have thunk it (not that she knows I write in here)!
Ginny circled the paddock once again, taking care not to get too low lest she wets the tip of her robe. On a regular Quidditch training day, she wouldn't have minded getting her whole body soaked, even muddied, but this day, she happened to be thinking. A lot, if it was any indication that she had abandoned her workout after only fifteen minutes of warm-up laps.
She was supposed to train early this morning right after Harry left. Instead, she went to Larson Parish, got him a book she didn't know what for, crept stealthily back to the Burrow and had lunch with her Mum like nothing out-of-the-ordinary ever happened. Except, of course, her Mum kept smiling a lot, humming "A Magical Love Story" under her breath every time she looked at her.
She had been acting like that ever since their family dinner yesterday when she and Harry told everyone that they were dating. She held her breath, expecting uproar from her overprotective father and brothers and was surprised when, after a moment of silence, they started cheering, clapping Harry on the back and teasing him. Her mother started laughing and weeping at the same time, Bill raised his glass for a toast, the women hugged her and the twins wore huge grins on their faces, suspiciously passing around a money bag behind their backs. Even the older grandchildren joined in the affair, little Victoire asking her mother why they were dating.
"Took you what, just two weeks?" Charlie had good-humouredly jested. This wasn't entirely accurate, Ginny thought. If her calculations were correct, they would have known each other fourteen years already, terribly long to realize they were right for each other even for old-fashioned standards.
She was confused for a while, not knowing whether she should be disappointed or pleased that her brothers had been very accepting of their relationship. Normally, they would be intimidating the guy she was dating, grilling him incessantly and convincing her at the end of the day that he was not good enough for her. She supposed they would be less vicious to Harry since he was almost family but not to the point that he was off the hook. In the middle of it all, she wanted to scream out that they had also decided to get married, just to get the negative reaction she had been anxiously anticipating.
Not that Harry had already proposed, though she had been foolishly waiting for him to do so ever since that "first kiss" after their "first date." It was just one of those things that she knew deep down in her heart was right, almost instinctive – like the smell of the air just before the first snow falls, that euphoric feeling she gets before a match knowing they'd win or the safety she felt in the confines of home.
"It's not rushing!" she reasoned to herself once again. She's a twenty-four year old woman, has a great career and financially stable (not that it would matter to Harry). Plus, the new contract she had signed six months ago for the Holyhead Harpies now has provisions allowing her to get married and have children. So really, the idea's not far-fetched at all. She only wished she knew how Harry felt about the subject.
She dismounted her broom and started walking, carrying her Firebolt on her shoulder. The sun was starting to set but she still had time for the hike before it got dark.
She still hadn't discovered the mystery occasion that was coming up for which she was supposed to give Harry the book for. Earlier, she had looked up significant dates regarding his life from the books in the study but found nothing relevant approaching the coming month, save for the incident when he accidentally freed a boa constrictor from a Muggle zoo when he was ten, and even that she was certain didn't need celebrating.
She pondered about this a little more whilst her feet carried her towards the first hill north of the Burrow. Right around the top was a small open space she marked as her spot. She came here often when she was young at the time all of her brothers have left home save for her - Bill in Egypt, Charlie in Romania, and Percy, Fred, George and Ron all at Hogwarts. Some nights, when her parents thought she was safely tucked in bed, she sneaked out, blanket in hand and she would lie for hours just staring at the stars, fantasizing about what she'd do when she grows up.
As she reached the hollow ground, she leaned on the trunk of an ash tree and looked up on all of her friends – Orion, Cassiopeia, the centaur, the phoenix, the lynx, all the while pondering how much of what she had dreamed of have been fulfilled. She had finished at Hogwarts, she became a professional athlete, she was living on her own, and now, she had found her soulmate.
"Hey," interrupted the voice of the very person she had been thinking of.
"You found me," she said, smiling at Harry. It always surprised her that he knew that much about her, even the littlest secrets and quirks nobody knew nor noticed.
"Well, I'd find you anywhere," he said lightly, putting down the basket of food he brought to spread the checked cloth on the ground. It didn't escape his mind that she wouldn't remember how he came to know of this place seven years ago. At the time, he was so stressed out about Auror training and Ginny just whisked him away, Apparating them here and telling him all about "her place." They stayed there a couple of hours just talking, stargazing, sharing a peaceful night, and right before they Disapparated, she whispered to him that now that he knew her secret sanctuary, it was to be called "their place." "Your Mum's been looking for you."
"Yeah, I told her I'd be training and I wandered off," related Ginny. She helped Harry with the blanket, afterwards lying down to face the sky. "It's cosy in here, isn't it?"
"Hmmhmm." He started unloading the basket of the food Mrs. Weasley packed: chicken, pasta, bread and a jug of pumpkin juice. Ginny commented that she'd have loved some strawberry wine to which Harry argued might not go well with the two potions she was still taking.
"You know, when I was younger, I made up stories about the constellations," she narrated after they ate, the two of them now lying down on the blanket and holding hands.
"Yeah?"
She nodded. "Something like the Queen getting kidnapped by the Sea Monster and the King riding on the Dolphin's back into the depths of the sea, bringing with him a battalion of Fishes..." she recounted, both of them laughing at her childhood fantasies.
"You know what else?" she asked, turning her head to look him in the eye, her tone growing serious.
The pause made him wonder what it was she was going to say so he faced her and said "What?"
"I love you," she admitted softly.
"I love you, too," he answered without hesitation, and this time, it was she who kissed him.
Ginny laid down on her bed, an overwhelming feeling of happiness engulfing her. For the first time in her life, she felt complete, and with some strange sense of irony she realized it was all down to her Mental Block.
Before she put off the light, a strong breeze whipped through her room, reminding her that she forgot to close the windows. The night sky that had been clear a few hours ago was now covered with thick clouds. Reluctantly, she stood up to shut them tight and went down on her knees to look under the bed where a stray piece of paper must have fallen. She was right. She reached right into the middle and clutched the bit of parchment, recognizing it as the talking Post-It from her black cherry chest. Don't forget, it said in an unfamiliar handwriting. Only now she was uncertain if she still wanted to remember, knowing that whatever memory that might resurface might change how she felt about Harry. Not now when everything's perfect.
She put the Post-It back on her side table, slipping it between the pages of her novel right beside the bronze key. Ginny picked the latter up, loving the feel of the metal in her hand. It was uncommonly warm to the touch and looked ancient. Last week, she thought about putting a chain on it to make a necklace but didn't think she could stand the heavy weight dangling on her neck.
Her fingers felt unfamiliar grooves on the back side, prompting her to flip the key upside down to look closely. True enough, there were miniscule script markings written in a foreign language etched on the edges that she had never noticed before. She read the words aloud, trying her best to pronounce the words correctly "Dove il cuore è." Sounds Italian, she thought just before the key glowed brightly and she felt her feet leaving the ground, her room disappearing in a swirl of colors, a strong air current propelling her forward.
A/N: Long wait, I know. I did tell you last time I might not be able to update but I still felt like I was in school and couldn't meet the deadline for a project. Hahaha! I was totally that kid in school!
And if you're wondering what that Italian phrase meant, it's translated as the title of this chapter. I'm not sure if it's translated correctly (found a website to do it for me) as I don't speak the language and don't know anyone who does so holler back and let me know. If you've forgotten past (minor) details, you'll find them on chapters 1 and 8.
For the new readers, yes, Fred is alive in this fic. I seem to get that a lot in the reviews which is really my fault. I forgot to write a note about it.
Lastly, I'd love to hear from you. Tell me if you like it, hate it, or point out what's missing. I'm not going to complain, I promise:)