Author: Lash_Larue
Title: The "Hunters" Part 12 "Priorities"
Pairing: Ginny/Hermione, Fleur/Bill, others
Rating: adult
Summary: What's important
Warnings: There might be a bit of angst here, not a comedy like the last one.
Word Count: 1500
Disclaimer: These characters belong to JK Rowling
The Hunters Part 12
"Priorities"
"Right then Arthur, you can go home tomorrow," Dr. Barstow told him.
"Splendid! Thank you again Dr. Barstow, for all you've done for me," Arthur said sincerely.
"I'm just sorry I didn't have better news for you on the test results," she replied, "are you sure you don't want me to tell your wife and son?"
"Quite sure, thank you, and I hope that you aren't offended that I want to discuss further treatment with my regular, uh, doctor," Arthur answered.
"Not at all, you should do that, he knows your history. Tell him to feel free to contact me with any questions. It was a privilege to work on such a stout skull, Arthur," she said with a twinkle in her eyes.
"You're a grand lass, Dr. Barstow, are you married? Pardon me for asking."
"Not exactly, Arthur, my partner is a woman, you see," she answered guardedly.
"How wonderful, my daughter is in love with a woman as well! Marvelous girl! Smart as a whip, I tell you! Do you know, I think I may actually be beginning to understand that a bit, now."
"Well, that's more than my father ever did. Threw me out of the house when he found out. I've never been so hurt in my life, it was like the ground had swallowed me up," Dr. Barstow told him.
"Aye," said Arthur, a bit shakily. "Still, he came 'round when he saw you were happy, I expect."
"He never did, actually. He died last year. Told Mum he didn't want me at his funeral." Arthur passed a quaking hand over his face.
"I'm so sorry, Doctor. Sometimes fathers are very great fools. I can tell you that I should be quite proud indeed to have a daughter like you. I'm quite proud of my own, come to that."
"Then tell her, Arthur. Tell her often, and say it loud. There is a part of every girl's heart that only her father can reach. Be sure that part knows that you love her, will you?" Dr. Barstow left, and Arthur Weasley paid careful attention to her parting words.
xxxx
"I've got next week off, Gin," Hermione announced as she stepped from the fireplace, "so you can go back to practice with no worries."
"Great, I'll get back as soon as I can every day, and Fleur will be back before the team travels again. I don't know how I'm going to be able to sleep without you, though."
"Well, Fleur will be here, so I can join you on occasion. She and Victoire will be alright for a little while without us, at least for a few months," Hermione proposed.
"Maybe, but we might want to see if we can find someone else to help out. If we make the playoffs I'll be gone a lot. Mum won't leave Dad alone, and he won't be able to floo or Apparate for a while. Besides, it's going to be a while before Fleur will feel comfortable with him being around Victoire. She was really upset by what he said," Ginny replied.
"But he didn't mean it," Hermione protested.
"Yeah, he did, he just couldn't keep from saying it. And I know he's trying, and he does seem to be happy for us, but he's not really comfortable with it. And that's fine, he feels how he feels, he can't help that. Victoire would pick up on that feeling though; you know how sensitive she is to emotion. And right now we can't have Fleur getting upset if we can help it. Besides, what do you suppose Dad would do if he caught one of us kissing Fleur?"
"Oh dear…" Hermione muttered, "I hadn't thought of that."
"Well I have, and so has Fleur. Penny might be able to help out, she and Percy are a good couple for Victoire to be around, but they have their own lives to lead, and Mum really counts on Percy. Ron's kind of useless just now, and George – well, he's George."
"Right, we need someone dependable who really cares for Fleur and can sort of make their own hours…" Hermione trailed off.
"Pansy?" they said together.
"I need a drink," Ginny whispered, "I cannot believe we are even thinking of Pansy Parkinson for this."
"She did offer to rub potion on Fleur's belly," Hermione reminded her.
"Volunteering to rub something slippery on Fleur's body does not count as a selfless act," Ginny countered.
"Point taken, and we'd have to get to know her better before we could consider it seriously anyway. Just because she's wanked off while watching me eat you out and rub your come on my breasts doesn't mean we know each other."
"You did what?" Ginny asked through a mouth suddenly gone dry.
"It was lovely," Hermione assured her, "my skin never felt so soft."
"You are going to kill me yet," Ginny said as she reached for her lover.
"I want mama!" came an insistent voice.
"No kids for us 'Mione, deal?"
"Agreed, although we might have to adjust to being mothers to a queen one day."
"Queens have servants though, right?"
"Mama!"
"Victoire certainly does, and it's still your turn," Hermione said with a smile. Ginny made a rude gesture, but she hurried up the stairs nonetheless.
"Where mama?" asked Victoire as Ginny entered the room to find the child standing in her crib.
"Mum and dad have gone on a little trip, sweetheart, remember? They'll be back, but for now Hermione and I will be with you, okay?"
"Mama Ginny," said Victoire as she held up her arms to the redhead.
"Ohshit…", thought Ginny as her heart melted.
xxxx
"Fleur, my love?" Bill said to her as they lay side by side on the beach.
"Oui, mon couer?"
"Let's go home. I miss Vic, and I miss Shell Cottage," he said.
"Sunshine is overrated," Fleur agreed, "and I too am homesick. This is a nice place, but there is an emptiness. Home is better."
"Should we warn Hermione and Ginny we're coming?" he asked.
"Non, it will be fun to surprise them, but perhaps I should go first, just in case…"
"Right," Bill agreed hastily, "we'll go to the Burrow and see Mum first."
xxx
"It's good to be home," Arthur sighed as he settled into his chair. "Thank you Percy, for all that you've done."
"Think nothing of it Dad, I'm just glad you're alright," Percy told him. "Shall I go with you to see Pye tomorrow?"
"No, no, he's coming here. Doesn't want me Apparating or taking the floo just yet. Just routine, any road, good man, Pye."
"Right then, I'll just be going home then. Call if you need anything, Mum," Percy said as he kissed Molly on the cheek. He threw a pinch of powder into the fire and was gone.
"Now then Arthur," Molly said calmly, "what aren't you telling Percy?"
"Never could fool you, Mollywobbles," he said, smiling. "Well I'm afraid the news isn't all good. The surgery was a complete success, they got all of the tumor and I have no ill effects from the surgery. I am afraid however that the cancer has spread a bit."
"Oh, Arthur…"
"Now, now, no call to panic, there are things to be done, and that's what Pye is coming to talk about tomorrow. That dratted snake isn't helping a thing, but Pye has some ideas. I'm not done yet, Molly."
"The children will be so upset," she breathed.
"No they won't. We're not going to tell them," Arthur decreed.
"We can't hide that from them, Arthur," Molly said, shocked.
"We can and we will. I have bridges to mend with my children, Molly. And I want to earn Ginny's trust back, have her believe that I accept her for who she is. I can't do that if she knows I'm ill. We will lie until it can't be hidden any longer, and then I will tell them and take the blame. Please, Molly, don't take the chance to earn back my daughter's trust from me."
"But Arthur, surely –"
"Molly darling, Dr. Barstow told me that her father did the same thing to her that I did to Ginny. She said it was like the earth had swallowed her up, that there was a part of a girl's heart that only her father could reach. Her father died last year, said he didn't want her at his funeral. I want the chance to reach that part of Ginny's heart before I die. I want to reach it on my own; I want to earn her love, to show her that I love her and am proud of her, and that I embrace all that she is. I want to show you that I can still learn, still grow. I want you to think that you made the right choice long ago, Molly. I want this last chance to deserve you…"