Chapter 8
Secrets Revealed Redux, Part 2

Saturday, July 8th, 1995

The Weasley's tiny sitting room was crowded. Only during Christmas parties when it was time to open presents had it ever looked so crowded. Everyone under twenty – Harry and Ginny's six closest friends plus Susan, Fred, George and Percy – were seated on the ground. The adults – Sirius, Amelia, Remus, Tonks, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and Bill and Charlie, were all seated in various chairs and the couch. Chairs had been brought in from the kitchen. Marlene and Eli were asleep in one single baby-buggy near Amelia.

Harry felt the sudden sensation of stage fright at the sight of his closest friends and family. Half of the people in front of him already knew of the secrets he and Ginny were about to reveal. However, other than a couple trips into the Pensieve showing a few memories, none of them had seen what Harry and Ginny had planned for them. His friends didn't know a lot about what had happened to their alternate selves, so this would be new to them as well.

It is alright, love, Ginny said, her voice soothing in his mind, We can do this.

Harry felt a tad braver now. Ginny had more at stake here than he did. This was her family whom she was about to reveal everything to. And yet she seemed more ready than he was.

Harry cleared his throat, and meandered his way around his friends sitting on the floor. He placed the Pensieve on the coffee table, then walked back over to Ginny and faced everyone. It had been decided that Ginny would begin first, since this was first and foremost a "family meeting", only much larger.

"Harry and I asked everyone to be here today," Ginny said, "Because we've been hiding some very important secrets from some of our loved ones. Bigger secrets than just the Soul-Bond."

"There are many of you here in this room who know what those secrets are," Harry said. "However, quite a few of you do not know them."

"You're not pregnant, are you, Ginny?" Fred asked.

"Frederick Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley scolded.

"Just trying to relieve the tension," Fred said. "Ow!"

Ron, the closest person near Fred other than George, had punched Fred on the shoulder.

"Would you just shut up and listen?" Ron asked; before turning back to Harry. "Go on, mate."

"Harry and I are from the future," Ginny said, "A little less than six years now to be exact, though it was ten when we came back."

Harry didn't want to see the reactions on any of the faces of Ginny's family. So he only looked at Ginny.

Getting right into it, eh? He asked her.

Like pulling off a plaster, Ginny said, Better to let it hurt for a second than keep the pain going.

"You're JOKING?" Fred and George both said in unison.

Harry thought Mrs. Weasley might scold the twins again, but this time she did not. She was only staring at Harry and Ginny with a mixed expression of shock, disbelief, and... fright? And she wasn't the only one. Most of those whom didn't know this secret shared the same expression.

"I know it is hard to believe," Ginny said. "I know you all have questions. And we have answers. But we decided the best way for you to find out everything is to go into our Pensieve, into our memories. That will explain everything to you. If you have any questions after that, we will gladly answer them for you."

Harry saw that Ginny, too, was avoiding the eyesight of her family. She walked backward to the stairs and sat down on the bottom one. Harry joined her. Nobody moved for a moment. Then Ron stood up.

"You want us to go into the Pensieve too, right?" he asked.

"If you wish," Harry said, "Just know that it will be shocking. We haven't told you everything that happened."

"Wait," Fred said, "Ron knows about this?"

"Raise your hands if you already knew we're from the future," Ginny said.

Everyone except Draco, Astoria, and all of the Weasleys except Ron were the only ones who didn't raise their hands.

"Sirius?!" Mrs. Weasley asked, "You knew about this and you didn't tell us? We've trusted you these past few years. And you kept this from us? And Ron... I can't believe...!"

"They were sworn under the Honor Vow not to tell anyone who didn't know," Ginny said. "The sooner you all go into that Pensieve, the sooner you'll know why we couldn't tell you. Go on, then. You'll probably be in there for most of the afternoon. After you finish, you can ask all the questions you want."

Ron was the first to make his way into the Pensieve. Then his friends and most of those of whom were in the know all followed as well. Slowly, everyone began to go into the Pensieve, one-by-one until it was only Ginny's parents, Sirius and Amelia left in the sitting room with Harry and Ginny.

"Winky and us will watch the twins for you," Harry said to Sirius and Amelia.

Amelia kissed her sleeping babies on their foreheads as Sirius made his way into the Pensieve, then she followed after. Mrs. Weasley was staring at Harry and Ginny. She didn't seem angry. She just seemed... scared of them.

"Is this why you moved into Potter Manor, Ginevra?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "Because you're... older than you look?"

"Please, Mum," Ginny said, and Harry knew she was trying her best to be strong, "Go into the Pensieve. You'll know everything soon."

"Come on, dear," Mr. Weasley said, "Everyone is waiting for us."

Mrs. Weasley nodded, turned away from Harry and Ginny, and soon, both her and Mr. Weasley had disappeared into the Pensieve. Harry, Ginny, Winky, and the sleeping twins, Marlene and Eli were the only ones in the sitting room now.

"She hates me," Ginny said, hoarsely.

"She does not hate you, Ginny," Harry said.

"She does!" Ginny said, "You saw the look on her face. The way she asked that question, with almost an accusing tone."

"She's scared," Harry said, "She's scared and she's confused. But she'll get her answers inside the Pensieve. They all will."

"Oh, they'll get answers and much more," Ginny said, with a humorless laugh. Then she sniffled and the dam she had tried to seal had finally broken; she burst into tears. "I thought I was ready for this."

Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and cuddled her against him, as she quietly cried into his shirt.

Truthfully, Harry had to agree with her. He wanted to cry too, even though he rarely ever did cry. He thought he was completely ready for this. Everything he had prepared for over the past week, plus more, had come down to this. He had spent most of the day yesterday, and that morning tiring himself out doing final preparations, mentally preparing himself for what was about to happen.

And yet, he had not been ready for the reactions on the faces of Ginny's family. On the face of the woman who had been like a mother to him for many years. He had not prepared himself for that.

Ginny backed away from Harry, and wiped the tears from her soaked face. Then she stood up and stared at the kitchen.

"Mum hasn't fixed lunch yet," Ginny said.

"Are you hungry, Lady Ginny?" Winky asked, "Winky could fix you some lunch."

"Just watch over Marlene and Eli, Winky," Ginny said, "I'm not hungry right now. However, when everyone comes out of that Pensieve, they probably will be hungry. So I am going to fix everyone a meal."

"That is a good idea," Harry said. "I'll help you, if only to pass the time."

So Harry and Ginny stayed in the kitchen for nearly three hours, fixing a large meal that took up most of the time to fix. Three hours after everyone had gone into the Pensieve, there was a noise coming from the sitting room.

"They can't be done yet," Ginny said, "Can they?"

Harry and Ginny peered into the sitting room. George was standing there, staring at the Pensieve, his face as white as a ghost. He seemed to be shaking uncontrollably. He turned quickly toward Harry and Ginny, realizing they were watching him, and shook his head. Harry saw a lone tear rolling down his cheek. Then he hurried up the stairs, the sound of his feet stamping echoing throughout the house. Fred appeared a second later in the sitting room, looking just as ashen-faced, though he didn't have tears in his eyes. He just looked scared.

Fred looked toward Harry and Ginny. "Where is he?"

"Upstairs," Harry said.

Fred nodded and ran up the stairs without another word.

"Oh, Merlin," Ginny said, hoarsely, her voice almost a whisper. "They know."

Harry turned back to Ginny. She was staring at the kitchen table, which was filled with serving plates of food.

"Fred," Ginny said, "They just saw when he -"

She couldn't finish her sentence. She sank down into one of the chairs at the table, and was reduced to a quiet sobbing. Harry walked over to her, but when he tried to comfort her, she shook him off.

"I'm fine!" Ginny growled.

Harry realized she wasn't fine, but he knew she needed a little time and space to herself.

"I'm just going to go set up the picnic tables," Harry said.

Ginny didn't reply, so Harry walked outside. As he retrieved the picnic tables from Mr. Weasley's garage, then began to set them up, his mind wandered.

Obviously his and Ginny's memories were now at the Battle of Hogwarts. He wasn't surprised Fred and George had emerged early from the Pensieve. Actually, he was quite surprised that they were the only ones. He thought that perhaps Sirius or Amelia – maybe even Remus or Tonks – would have emerged after Sirius' death in the Department of Mysteries. Or maybe Ron would have after witnessing his other self leaving the tent during the Horcrux hunt, believing that Hermione had "chosen" Harry instead of him. Maybe Hermione would have after seeing her boyfriend's other self kissing Lavender Brown. Really, there were a lot of events he had experienced that would have shocked any one of them.

But, he figured, perhaps they were just trying to be strong. Or their curiosity as to what else they would be seeing had made them stay. Only Fred and George had left. The look on George's face – it was as if they had lost Fred all over again, even if he was still here. Harry wondered, as he glanced up in the direction of the twins' room, if Fred was trying to make George realize exactly that – that he was still there, still alive.

Ginny emerged from the house as Harry finished setting up the second picnic table. There was no evidence of her breakdown anywhere on her face. She walked over to him and he opened his arms for her. She fell into them, and wrapped her own arms around him. They swayed back and forth, with her head against his chest, and his face in her ginger mane, as if nothing was going on but a slow dance at a Ball.

"I'm sorry," Ginny said, "I should not have raised my voice in there. I'm not angry at you."

"You don't need to apologize," Harry said.

"I shouldn't have been upset at George's reactions," Ginny said, "I knew it was only inevitable that my family would react that way. I just thought I had a bit more time to prepare myself."

Harry said nothing. He didn't know what to say. Maybe there was nothing to be said. He just held her, as they swayed back and forth in a slow dance, comforting each other. They didn't need to talk or look through their notes. This was their way of preparing for whatever was coming next.

Time passed, and whether it was a few minutes or an hour Harry did not know. Winky had appeared at their side.

"Winky?" Harry said, "Why aren't you with the twins?"

"Madam Black has taken the twins upstairs to feed them," Winky said. "Everyone is back from their trip. Winky will go and finish the preparations for your meal."

Winky walked back toward the kitchen, and Harry and Ginny stared at each other for a moment, though neither said a word. Harry took Ginny's hand and they walked back into the Burrow. When they reached the sitting room, they found that it was once again crowded. Though you wouldn't be able to tell from a distance.

The room was absolutely quiet. Nobody was speaking. Everyone was sitting again, either on the ground or on the couch or chairs. Nearly everyone's faces were pale-white, and held expressions of shock and disbelief. Mrs. Weasley had tears running slowly down her cheeks, and Harry knew these hadn't been her first tears in the past few hours. She wasn't the only one quietly crying. Hermione, Susan, and Tonks all had tears running down their faces. Many of the couples in the room were comforting each other.

Harry heard footsteps coming from the stairs, and turned to see Fred and George making their way back into the room. They were almost unrecognizable without their usual grinning faces. Neither of the twins glanced at Harry and Ginny yet as they walked past them and sat down on the floor.

Sirius cleared his throat, the first to make any sort of sound. "Harry, Ginny, Amelia says we can continue this discussion without her. She's spending time with the children. She'll come down in a bit."

Harry nodded.

"How long were we in there?" Neville asked; he had one arm wrapped around Luna, whose expression was vacant of her usual dreamy stare.

"Nearly four hours," Ginny said. "We tried to show you as much as we could. Obviously we couldn't show you everything, or you would have been in there for much longer."

"So... I'm sure you have questions," Harry said, "We'll try to answer to the best of our ability."

"How old were you," Mr. Weasley asked, "when you came back in time?"

"I was twenty, Ginny was nineteen," Harry said, "We came back on the third of May in nineteen-ninety one. Ten years exactly, give or take a few hours."

"Technically we are still nineteen and twenty," Ginny said, "I can't explain it, but that is just how old we feel."

"The day your Soul-Bond formed," Bill said.

"The last thing you saw in the Pensieve," Harry said, "When we were drowning in that pool. That pool is what created our Soul-Bond and what sent us back into our younger bodies. It was an invention of Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel."

"The Flamels created a large time turner?" Percy asked.

Harry and Ginny exchanged looks. They had agreed to tell everyone as much as they could without giving too much away.

"Technically, you could say that, Percy," Ginny said, "But we didn't really go back in time. The pool sent us into an alternate reality, back to our younger selves. We thought it was time-travel until recently."

"Alternate reality?" Draco said, "What does that exactly mean?"

"We thought we were changing our future for the better," Ginny said, "For these past four years, we believed that we were doing exactly that. Only... recently we realized we weren't. The reality we once lived in, the reality you witnessed through our memories in the Pensieve, it still exists. In that world, it is believed Harry and I are dead."

"Excuse me," Percy said, "I can't be the only one thinking this. What happened to our Ginny? Our Harry? Those that you two replaced?"

Ginny squeezed Harry's hand with hers. Neither of the Bond-mates had thought much about that. They had done their best to not think about that.

"I don't know," Harry said, "I don't know what happened to them -"

"Nothing happened to them," Mrs. Weasley said, speaking up for the first time since she had emerged from the Pensieve.

She stood up and walked over to Harry and Ginny and hugged them both at once.

"You, Ginevra," she said, "Are still the same little girl I remember. The same girl I still love. My daughter. Nothing can change that."

Ginny sniffled, and Harry knew she was trying her best not to break down again. Now was not the time for tears. They had explanations to give.

"And you, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said, "Obviously, I didn't know much about you before I met you, but I am sure you would still be the same boy -"

"That's just it, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said, backing away from her hug, "I wouldn't be. I was far less confident and brave than I am now. You saw what I went through in the Pensieve."

"He's right, Mum," Ginny said, "I don't know how else to say it. Over these past four years, I've stolen the little girl you would have known. Harry and I weren't part of a Soul-Bond when I was really ten years old. I didn't live in Potter Manor when I was eleven, going on twelve. I was a young girl going through some of the worst experiences I would ever have. You saw me in that Chamber. Please don't tell me I would be the same girl you would have known. I'm not her."

Mrs. Weasley sighed and Harry saw her eyes become misty again. She turned and walked back across the room and joined her husband on the couch.

"I'm sorry," Ginny said, looking around at her family. "But it is true. Over these past four years, I have made sacrifices – Harry and I both have made sacrifices. But we did it so that most of what you saw in that Pensieve would never happen. Fred, George, I am deeply sorry you had to see that."

George looked down at his lap, his face still ashen and grim.

"Sirius, Remus, Tonks," Ginny said, "The same goes to you. I'm sorry you had to see all of that. But that is what we sacrificed. I could have spent these past four years living here at the Burrow with my family. I could have paraded around as that little girl you thought you knew me as. But I couldn't. Because I was fighting a war with Harry by my side, along with a few of our friends who knew our secrets. You can call it a silent war, but a silent war is better than what would have happened."

"You all saw what happened," Harry said, "You saw exactly what Ginny and I needed you to see. Ginny and I could have sat here and told you about our secrets of time-travel. But without you going into that Pensieve, the story of our time-travel would have just been words. I spent most of my teenage years fighting a war that – to most people – hardly lasted a couple of years. The day Ginny and I came back to our younger bodies, we knew we had to fight that war again. But this time, we were going to fight it so nobody else had to. You might ask, Arthur, Molly, why we kept these secrets from you for over four years. That is why. Because we didn't want you to experience what we were going through."

"We could have helped you," Mrs. Weasley asked.

"We know," Ginny said, "I didn't want you to help us. It was hard enough without having to worry about the rest of you. It was better you stayed oblivious to it all."

"Voldemort is dead," Harry said, "Three years earlier to the day than his defeat where Ginny and I come from. But this war isn't over, not as long as his followers are out there. You all know now what might have happened if he was still out there. You all now know what the risk is."

"Kid," Sirius said, "If you continue that speech, I might as well give you my job today."

Several in the room laughed quietly. The tension had lifted a bit.

"I will assume the two of you were married in – well, your reality," Mr. Weasley asked.

"Yes, Daddy," Ginny said, "Less than a year."

"I would have liked to have seen your wedding!" Mrs. Weasley asked, "Where were those memories? I am sure you have many!"

"Well," Ginny said, "We didn't think you could handle seeing two weddings so close to each other."

"What in the world do you mean by that?" Percy asked.

"Harry and I are getting married on my birthday, Perce," Ginny said, then to make it clearer, "Next month."

Harry winced at the abrupt announcement. Another plaster, love?

Ginny only smiled. However, before she could say anything more, she was interrupted by a shriek coming from Mrs. Weasley. Once again her mother bound across the room and hugged Harry and Ginny.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?!" Mrs. Weasley demanded, "It is only nearly a month away! So little time!"

"I was getting around to it," Ginny said.

An odd sound was heard coming from the kitchen, and it turned out to be Winky clearing her throat.

"Pardon me, Master and Lady Potter," Winky said, "But your meal is now ready if you wish to take this discussion outside."

"Meal?" Ron asked, his face lighting up at the mention of food, "What meal?"

"We knew you would all be hungry when you left the Pensieve," Ginny said, "And – well – four hours is a long wait. So we cooked a late lunch for everyone."

"How very thoughtful of you!" Mrs. Weasley said, "How about we all go outside then. We can discuss this wedding, and I am sure there are more questions to be asked!"

"Good idea!" Sirius said, "I will just go and retrieve my wife and youngest children."

Harry and Ginny remained behind, as most of the guests in the room walked outside. However, most of Harry and Ginny's closest friends remained behind as well, even Ron, though he looked eager to begin the meal. Neither Draco nor Astoria had stayed with their friends. It seemed Draco was still thinking about what he had witnessed. Harry couldn't blame him.

Charlie was the last to leave, and he was looking at Harry and Ginny rather oddly. Was Harry imagining things or did he look... frightened? Why would the second oldest Weasley child be frightened of him?

However, before Harry could contemplate this, he saw his friends staring at him with questioning looks.

"I know you all probably have some questions," Harry said.

"You bet we do!" Ron said, "What was up with – err – Lavender Brown?"

Hermione glared at Ron at his mention of Lavender. Obviously she was still remembering those scenes playing out in the Pensieve.

"You don't want to know, Won-Won," Ginny said, "Believe me. It is best we just forgot about it."

"I agree," Hermione said, "If you are smart, Ron, you will never mention her again."

"Whatever you say," Ron said.

"If I even see you looking at her for more than a mere passing glance at Hogwarts," Hermione said, "I swear I'll hex you."

"Really, now?" Ron asked, "What about Viktor Krum?"

Hermione blushed. "I chose you, remember?"

Ron blinked rapidly, then a small smile formed across his lips. Harry cleared his throat, afraid the pair was going to snog again.

"How about we finish this conversation later," he said, "Like... after lunch?"

"Definitely!" Ron said.

Everyone laughed, and headed outside.

To Harry and Ginny's well-received surprise, nobody seemed to want to ask anymore questions at the moment. Either they were too busy eating to concentrate on important questions, or perhaps they needed more time to think about what they had just witnessed in the Pensieve. In fact, most of the discussion had to do with Harry and Ginny's wedding, which they were happy to discuss their ideas they already had, as well as listen to ideas from others, mostly Mrs. Weasley.

After lunch, everyone had decided it was best not to crowd Harry and Ginny with so many questions at once. Instead, they decided as a group to speak to Harry and Ginny privately, giving everyone who wanted to ask questions a few minutes alone with the pair. So Harry and Ginny sat on the couch in the sitting room, and was first joined by Draco and Astoria.

"We don't really have any questions for you, Harry," Draco said. "I just wanted to thank you. And I wanted to apologize to you. While in the Pensieve, I saw a boy who looked like me, but also appeared to be a total stranger. Well, I shouldn't say total stranger. I saw some of himself in me. I know I have already apologized to you once for acting like a complete git to you when we first knew each other. But I want to apologize to you for what my – erm – other self did to you."

"You don't need to apologize for that," Harry said, "It wasn't you."

"But it could have been," Draco said. "Thank you for showing me exactly who Lucius Malfoy was. I am not ashamed to say I was blind to his actions. Thank you for showing me who I might have become, and who I will strive to be very different from."

"You're welcome," Harry said.

Harry stood up, extended his hand and Draco shook it. Astoria then surprised him by hugging him.

"Thank you, Harry," she said, "I saw glimpses of my sister in your memories. Glimpses of her older self. It was like having her back for a little bit, and I will never be able to thank you enough for that."

Astoria backed away and she and Draco walked out of the house. Harry sat back down with Ginny, just as Fred and George walked in. Ginny immediately stood up and hugged both of her brothers. Harry watched them as the three siblings cried against each other.

"I never understood until today," Fred said, "why you were crying when I came home from Hogwarts the summer before you, Harry and Ron became students. I now know why."

"I thought I'd never see you again, Fred," Ginny said, her voice muffled against Fred's chest.

"I'll tell you the same thing I told George," Fred said, "And I hope you listen to me. Because it took over half-an-hour for George to listen to me, even with two ears! I am still here, Gin-Gin. And I will always be here. I am never going to leave you."

Ginny sniffled. "Thank you, Fred."

Ginny returned to the couch, and sat next to Harry, and cuddled against him. George was staring at Harry, obviously trying to get up the courage to ask his question.

"How was he?" George said, after a few moments, "The George you knew. How was he after F-Fred died?"

"I'm not going to lie to you, George," Ginny said, "It was bad. I never once saw him produce another Patronus again, he may never had been able to produce one again. I visited his flat a few weeks after everything happened, and all the mirrors were broken."

"He didn't want to look at his reflection," George said, hoarsely. "I completely understand."

"For three months after the Battle of Hogwarts," Ginny said, "He didn't join family functions. If Bill and Charlie hadn't stunned him and brought him back here, he wouldn't have attended the funeral. He took up drinking, Firewhiskey, and sometimes stuff stronger than that." Then she smiled. "And then Angelina came into his life. She rescued him, and he changed somewhat. He smiled again, though it wasn't as big as it used to be. Hold onto Angie, George. She'll be there whenever you need her."

George nodded, as tears streaked down his face, and he said with a hoarse voice: "Thanks Ginny."

Fred clapped George on the back, and George looked at his twin. Harry felt his eyes water when he saw the expression on George's face. It was as if he had just remembered Fred was still there. The twins turned and left the room. Charlie was the next to come in. He still had a frightened expression on his face when he looked at Harry and Ginny.

"I need a good silencing charm," Charlie said.

"Pardon?" Ginny asked.

"A silencing charm," Charlie said. "This discussion we are about to have – I don't want anyone else to hear it yet. I will tell them soon, I promise. But I don't know a strong enough one."

Ginny summoned her wand from her holster and pointed it in the direction of the kitchen.

"Muffliato," she said, then placed her wand back in its holster, "There. The conversation is completely private."

"Thank you," Charlie said.

"No problem," Ginny said, "it is a simple spell."

"I didn't mean for that," Charlie said, "Thank you for keeping my secret from the family."

"What secret?" Ginny asked.

"Well, you know," Charlie said, "about Hope."

Harry stared at Charlie. He wondered why Charlie was thanking them for such a thing. Then he realized... Hope was a name.

Ginny realized this too. "Charlie, who is Hope?"

Charlie narrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Then his eyes widened. "Oh, bugger. You don't know a thing about it. Oh... well... never mind. I'll just go."

"Oh, no you don't!" Ginny growled; she summoned her wand again, and put up a barrier, blocking Charlie from leaving. "Sit down and explain yourself!"

Charlie sighed, walked over to a chair near the couch and sat down. He buried his head in his hands and didn't look back at them for a couple of minutes.

"I thought you knew," he said, his voice muffled in his hands, "I thought when you revealed you were from the future, I thought my secret would be revealed. I was sure I would have seen her in the Pensieve."

"Charlie," Ginny said, "Who is Hope?"

Charlie sighed and looked up from his hands. "Hope is my daughter."

Harry winced when Ginny squeezed his hand tightly. He could feel her shock through their link. He couldn't blame her. He was just as surprised.

"You have a daughter?" Ginny asked, "How are we just learning about this now?"

"Because I am ashamed," Charlie said.

"You're ashamed of your daughter?" Ginny asked.

"No!" Charlie yelled, "Never! I will never – could never – be ashamed of her!"

"Then what is wrong?" Ginny asked.

"I need to start from the beginning," Charlie said. "You know I went to Romania nearly straight after I left Hogwarts. Nymphadora and I broke up basically on the train coming back to London. I was heart-broken, but it was for the best. Then, about a week after I started my job, I met someone. Her name was Maria."

Harry winced. He had heard the past tense in Charlie's voice quite clearly. This story wasn't going to have a happy ending.

"I asked her on a date the same day I met her," Charlie said, "I don't know why I did it. Perhaps I was trying to get over Dora. We had our date at a pub in the village outside the dragon camp where we worked. We got pissed. I mean, totally wasted. We had loads of fun. We connected instantly. That very first night,we shagged. Maybe it was because we were drunk. I don't know. All I know is I fell in love with her that night, and she fell in love with me. A little over a month later, she told me she was pregnant."

Ginny winced. "I'm starting to understand why you didn't tell anyone."

"I proposed to her that very same day," Charlie said. "What else could I do? She was having my child! We got married a month later. It was a small wedding, all of our co-workers were there to see it. Over the next months, we had the perfect life. We were in love, expecting a child, happy beyond belief. There were times I had forgotten about my family here. Then came the day she gave birth."

Tears fell down Charlie's cheeks, and he choked on his sobs. "She died during childbirth. My daughter was fine. Beautiful, healthy, perfect. But Maria was gone."

Ginny stood up from the couch and walked over to Charlie. She sat in his lap and comforted him.

"I am so sorry," Harry said, hoarsely, as he watched sister and brother cry together.

"I named my daughter Hope," Charlie said, "Because she is the reason I am alive today."

"Don't say that, Charlie!" Ginny cried.

"I'm sorry, Ginny," Charlie said, "She is. I need to apologize to you, Ginny, Harry. The day you told me and our family about the Soul-Bond, the day you revealed you were married. I freaked out. All I could think about was... my little sister is going down the same road Maria did. I know! I know it probably isn't true, but I was still grieving."

"But... what about Tonks?" Ginny asked.

"I tried," Charlie said, "I tried to fall in love again. I tried to forget about Maria. Every time I am here in England, my baby girl is back in Romania, with her grandparents wondering where I am. I'm not exactly her grandfather's biggest fan. I am lucky I still have a job."

"What does that mean?" Ginny asked.

"Maria's father owns the dragon compound," Charlie said.

Harry winced. He didn't expect that.

"I tried to date Dora," Charlie said. "But all I could think about was Hope. If my relationship with Dora went somewhere, what would happen? Would that force me to come back to England? I'd have to bring Hope, and I'd have to explain this story to everyone. I wasn't ready. So... I gave up on love for my daughter."

"Charlie," Ginny said, "You have to tell everyone."

"I can't," Charlie said, as he choked back a sob, "Mum's going to hate me."

"You think she'll hate you?" Ginny asked, "I'm technically not her daughter! Her daughter, your sister is for all intents and purposes dead. I'm married and living in a boy's house and in body age, I'm not even fourteen! I should be her little girl right now, just learning about loving someone who isn't my family. She should hate me."

"You know how Mum is about family," Charlie said, "She may not be like the usual prude purebloods that are common in the wizarding world, but she's still our mother. The woman who faints at the thought of boys and girls in bed together before they're married. You two were technically married before she knew about it, and she still tried to split up our family to stop you two from sleeping in the same bed."

Harry had to give it to Charlie. He had a point.

"Hope was conceived well out of wedlock," Charlie continued, "after a drunken night when her mother and I barely knew each other. Hope – she's – "

"She's Mum's first grandchild, Charlie," Ginny said, "She'll be loved unconditionally."

Charlie sighed. "I hope you're right. Do I have to tell them today?"

"Yes," Ginny said, "I want to meet my niece as soon as possible."

Charlie sighed. "Mum almost had a heart-attack inside your Pensieve, little sis. I just hope I don't give her one."

"Break it to her gently," Ginny said.

Charlie nodded. He hugged Ginny, who giggled when her brother stood up with her in his arms, locking her in a bear hug. He put her back on the ground, and Ginny walked back over to Harry and sat down on the couch with him.

"Wish me luck," Charlie said.

Ginny brought down the barrier that had been blocking Charlie from leaving. "Good luck."

Charlie left the house. As Harry and Ginny waited for the next of their friends and/or family to come in, Ginny cuddled against him.

"Do you think Hope existed in our reality?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Ginny said. "It would explain why Charlie never wanted to come home."

"Well, Auntie Ginny," Harry said, "You have a niece."

"We have a niece," Ginny corrected. "Much earlier than than we thought we would."

Harry smiled and kissed Ginny's hair. Uncle Harry. That had a nice ring to it.

Decided to end it there!

Next chapter: Harry and Ginny continue their discussion with their closest friends (and possibly others), everyone meets Hope, and the group begin the very early stages of their Animagi training. The wedding is only a few (maybe two or three) chapters away!

Okay. I owe you all an explanation about Charlie. Because I know you are going to be confused. In my story, Charlie and Tonks were already out of Hogwarts for a year when my story began. They are a year older in my story basically. Everything that happened with Charlie and Maria and Hope happened in that entire year before Charlie came home for the first Family meeting. Every time he came home, he left Hope with her maternal grandparents. Hope is now... er... four years old, almost five. (Correct me if I am wrong, I am almost as bad at math as Jo Rowling is!)

Hope you liked this chapter! I wrote it as quick as I could so my previous cliffhanger wouldn't be so bad. Speaking of cliffhanger, if I had kept the last chapter going, it would have ended at:

"Charlie," Ginny said, "Who is Hope?"

Charlie sighed and looked up from his hands. "Hope is my daughter."

See... just as cruel! Plus Fred and George's and Draco's conversations all would have not been in that chapter either. They would have waited until after the scene with Charlie, in order to make the following chapter longer.