And now, a moment with Ginny and Bill.
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
I am the baby of the family, it happens, so
Everybody cares and wears the sheeps' clothes
While they chaperone
Curious, you looking down your nose at me, while you appease
Courteous, to try and help - but let me set your
Mind at ease
x
If there was a better way to go then it would find me
I can't help it, the road just rolls out behind me
Be kind to me, or treat me mean
I'll make the most of it, I'm an extraordinary machine
x
x
x
x
Extraordinary Machine
By May
x
x
x
x
"You don't have to do this," Bill was telling her, "I mean, you don't have to prove anything to me."
"I know that," Ginny replied in a cheery tone, gingerly stepping through the broken window of the abandoned manor in Little Hangleton. "But you're wrong about that first bit. I do have to do this."
It was one of those rare days, after the final battle, when the two actually got to spend some quality time together. Bill was acting Minister for Magic, at least until they held a proper election the next year, and as such he was very often kept busy with the work of rebuilding the world. What free time he did have, he spent with his new wife Alicia Spinnet, though she was kept fairly busy helping to rebuild as well. Ginny didn't mind too much, she was endlessly proud of her big brother and exceedingly happy that he'd a little family of his own again, and someone to love. And she too had plenty to occupy her time. But somehow, they'd managed to get this task all to themselves, the former professional curse-breaker and his little sister, the girl who'd killed Voldemort once and for all. It was a good feeling, having a family outing. The task, however, was potentially miserable.
The ward of mist that Voldemort had conjured around his own private dwelling had dissipated the moment Ginny Weasley had struck him down with Harry Potter's wand. No one had been all that anxious to go near it though, not until now, five months after the fact, when Bill had realized that so many priceless Ministry artifacts and books and tools of government had been jealously secreted away by The Dark Lord. Just as his sister had once been.
"You know, I used to wonder why he kept me a secret for so long," Ginny noted in an overly-cheery tone, as they picked their way through the dusty mess. It really wasn't so hard though, at least, not as hard as she'd thought it would be, being back there. All the sunlight shining in through the broken windows made the difference. When she'd been there, the whole landscape had been under perpetual twilight, "Only letting one or two people know I was here, until the celebration. When you rescued me."
"I wondered that too," Bill admitted, wandering over to the long-cold fireplace in the Riddle parlor. He recognized a few antique Ministry tomes on the mantle, and grabbed them. "Snakeface wasn't exactly one for subtlety. He bragged about the spoils of his war all the damn time. But not a word about you." Bill shook his head, his eyes widening for a moment as they lit on a time-turner. He hastily snatched that as well. "I'm going to have to get a whole team in here," He shook his head, before going on, "But yes, even Severus didn't know for sure about you, and he'd been here while you were."
Ginny nodded, "Tom always made sure I was locked in one of the houses in the village, when he summoned someone here." She had paused, a hand on the high-backed, dark green arm chair that had been his favorite seat. She licked her lips, chewing on the inside of her cheek. "I saw Sna…Severus…walk by the window. He couldn't see in. I beat my hands against the glass until my knuckles bled." Her eyes shut tightly. Bill paused in his work, walking toward her, reaching out to touch her arm.
"Gin…" He said slowly, "Let me take you back, I can…"
"No!" Her eyes snapped open, an old Gryffindor fire burning up at him in her glare. "I need to be here, Bill." Her brother pulled back his hand, instead running it through his hair. "Now where was I…oh, right," She smirked, walking over to a crushed photograph on the floor. "Why he kept me a secret for so long. I figured that one out." She picked up the frame, eying Tom Riddle in his school robes. With an uttered spell and a wave of her wand, it was ash in her hand.
"Really?" Bill slowly returned to the task at hand, finding a few more odds and bobs on tables and shelves. There were bigger things too, he'd send some people later for those. Ginny nodded.
"It wasn't like he needed me, or that I was all that impressive on an item," She said, leading him into the next room, which was cluttered to high heavens with random treasures of every sort. Bill whistled. Priceless paintings were stacked against the walls. Sculptures and antiques and yes, even some gold in glass cases, clearly taken from museums. Ginny ignored all of this. She went straight for the broomstick propped up in the corner. "I hate this room," She said quietly. "First time it happened was in this room." She cringed, but picked up the very familiar broom, one Tom Riddle had once kept on display, "But yeah, I mean look around. I'm just a girl, he got all this."
"I'm going to need a wagon," Bill said, shaking his head in amazement. But when his sister came back to his side, he wrapped an arm around her tightly.
"It was something primal." Ginny finished, her voice low and monotone. "Something an animal would do. A primitive man. An uncivilized one. Taking the enemy's girl, and all that rubbish," She sniffed, rubbing at her eyes, "I don't think he wanted his followers to know just how…uncivilized he could be."
"Even though they basically did the same thing?" Bill noted, ironically. Ginny nodded.
"Exactly." She replied, "He always wanted to prove himself better than those who served him. All this," She looked around at the room, "Just the spoils of a boy who wanted the world to know that he was better than all of them."
"Huh, makes sense," Bill looked down at his sister, who was running her hands over Harry's broom thoughtfully. The tension was gone from her shoulders, though. The tension that had been there since they'd stepped into the house. "I forget, sometimes," He murmured, "Just how well you knew that monster."
"He was inside my head when I was eleven years old, Bill." Ginny whispered, "Kind of hard not to get to know a monster like that." Bill smirked.
"You," He said, tilting his head to kiss the top of hers, "Are my hero, you know that?" Ginny grinned up a her brother.
"Of course I am, I'm wonderful," She replied airily, turning to the door and tugging on his hand, "Ugh, now let's blow this joint. Nothing but a dusty treasure trove, now."
"Good plan," Bill nodded, letting her pull him out of the room, through the parlor, and out into the sunshine again. "I'm going to need help going through this anyway, there's no way the two of us could manage it, I'll send a team here tomorrow. Although," He went on, surveying the village below thoughtfully, "That would mean I still have the day off from my many manly and important duties!"
"As would I!" Ginny grinned, kicking a window shutter to splinters for good measure as she exited the house. She inspected the Firebolt in her hands, "You know, we've still got plenty of brooms tucked away at The Burrow. Fancy messaging Alicia and George for a good ol' fashioned Weasley Quidditch match?" Bill grinned back at her.
"Miss Weasley, I would love to," He told her grandly. Ginny cheered, bouncing on her heels. It hadn't been much of an outing. They'd gone in, had a conversation, looked around at all the dust, and then gone out again. But somehow, she felt as if a massive weight had been lifted off of her. She'd gone back to the center of her own personal hell, and found it molding, powerless, and gathering dust.
And that afternoon, Ginny Weasley was going to go flying.
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Author's Notes: Huzzah! Updates may take a break for a couple of weeks, as my husband is coming home on leave tomorrow, and I haven't seen him in almost six months. I plan on being very occupied. Don't worry though, I still love you all as well :D And I am still quite full of ideas!