3
After the Battle
Chapter 3: The Consequences of Celebrating Part II
Shortly after Harry's and Ginny's meeting with Arthur and Molly, the Weasley clan returned to the Burrow. Kingsley had informed the Weasley patriarch that the Aurors had stopped by and made sure it was safe to return there.
It may have been safe but the place was a shambles. Furniture was over turned, books lay scattered about having been knocked off the shelves, it appeared that the majority of the pantry had been smashed in the kitchen, with a large percentage of it now rotting, lending a particularly unpleasant fragrance to the air.
A couple of people made their way upstairs and found all the rooms in a similar state, with dressers and wardrobes having been emptied and their contents strewn about, books and papers strewn everywhere, pictures knocked off the walls. The upstairs was in just as bad of shape as the downstairs.
The only place not affected seemed to be the attic, where it was presumed that the family ghoul had discouraged anyone from entering.
Molly immediately began to assign tasks to everyone so that they could make the place liveable once again. All obeyed, except one.
As soon as Ginny had stepped out of the floo, she had glared at her mother and stalked off up to her room. She didn't care what shape it was in, all she knew was she needed to be some place else or things were going to get nasty in a hurry.
Molly had been all set to go after her daughter but the calmer head of Arthur had prevailed upon her that it was in everyone's best interest if they gave Ginny some space right at the moment.
While the Weasley matriarch hadn't really agreed, the looks she received from Arthur, Bill and Fleur convinced her that maybe he knew best.
Ginny entered her room, fuming, her anger held in check by the thinnest of margins. Seeing her room pushed her precipitously close to that hair's edge and with an impressive display of illegal underage magic, she drew her wand, cast a multitude of spells that sent everything back where it belonged and even repaired the tears in her Quidditch posters.
With a smug, satisfied smile she went over and stared out the window, wondering where Harry was and worrying about him greatly.
This, of course, wiped the smile off her face and a look of sad concern took its place. She had no idea where he could have gone, knowing that there was no way he'd have returned to his relatives in Surrey.
The only other place she could think of was Grimmauld Place but for some reason she was pretty sure he wouldn't go back there either. She briefly considered that he might had just gone to the Leaky Cauldron but discounted that too.
She remembered that Harry didn't have any money left on him and she knew that until things could be sorted out with the Goblins that his chances of obtaining any from his vault were less than nothing.
Realizing that thinking about Harry's situation was doing nothing but making her more upset she tried to push it from her mind for now.
Unfortunately that made her think about what had happened after her mother had sent Harry away. The only thing, and it was a very minor one at that, was that her father had run after Harry
She could tell he had talked to him by the look on his face and how long he'd been gone but she pretty certain that she really didn't want to hear the outcome of that discussion. The look on her father's face was not at all comforting.
The three of them had made their way back to the Gryffindor common room. Things hadn't gone all that swimmingly there either.
Ron and Hermione had appeared confused and worried that Harry hadn't returned with them and were going to go look for him but Molly had stopped them with a couple of harsh words and a glare.
Hermione could have gone but when Ron was forbidden to leave, she had decided to stay as she didn't feel comfortable seeking him on her own.
The only consolation Ginny could take from the whole scene was seeing how upset Bill, Fleur and Charlie became after they had a hushed conversation with their father.
She hadn't been surprised when Percy had just sat there, still looking decidingly uncomfortable, still unsure of things because of his recent reconciliation with the family.
Then there was George and Ginny couldn't hold it against him for not seeming to be concerned, In fact she didn't think he had even been aware of what was going on. He just sat there looking so lost and heart-broken. Just seeing him like that had broken her heart.
Her mother had then insisted that they were all going to return to the Burrow but it wasn't until her father had a chance to talk to Kingsley, that he had relented.
That delay had done nothing to assuage her mother's anger and neither did the fact they had to walk all they way into Hogsmeade to use the floo at the Three Broomsticks.
Bill, Fleur and Charlie had tried to talk to her during the walk, but at that time she was too upset to talk to any one and on top of it Molly had come up behind them, trying to over hear their conversation. Something that only infuriated Ginny all the more.
She was startled out of her musing by a soft tapping at her door. She realized that hours had passed by seeing how close to the horizon the Sun had sank.
Taking a deep breath and preparing herself for the worst, she softly called out "Come in."
She was relieved when it was her father who came tentatively through the door.
He gave her a wan, thin smile. "Ginny, dinner is on the table, please come and join us," he implored softly.
Ginny gave a long drawn out sigh, half in irritation and half in sadness. In the intervening hours, her anger had slowly simmered down and wasn't nearly as intense as it had been when she had first arrived back at the Burrow.
In its place a deep seated melancholy mixed with a growing worry had risen. Her concern for her fiancé had continued to increase until it was a large burning lump deep down in the pit of her stomach.
"I'm not hungry," she sighed sadly.
"Please, Pumpkin, come eat something," Arthur pleaded. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he knew he'd made a huge mistake.
Ginny's eyes flashed angrily and she glared daggers at her father, her brilliant brown orbs burning with such intensity, it surprised the man.
"I'm sorry," he cringed sadly.
"But don't you see? That's just one more example of everyone still treating me like I'm five fucking years old," Ginny accused hotly, her words piercing his heart.
Arthur slumped into the chair in front of Ginny's dressing table and took his head into his hands, shaking it softly. "Yes, I do see it, even if it's too late," he replied quietly, his tired voice laden with regret.
"And then on top of it, I don't know where Harry is," she sobbed as the tears she had been holding in began to fall. "I'm so worried about him it's driving me round the twist."
"I'm sure. . ." Arthur began but then stopped himself. He wasn't sure that Harry was alright and there was no way he could pretend to his daughter that he was.
Ginny gave a short bitter laugh as she wiped at the tears trailing down her cheeks. "You're sure? Sure of what? Sure he's okay? Do you have any idea where he went?" she asked derisively, her voice dripping with contempt.
"No, I don't," the Weasley patriarch admitted sadly. "I did ask but he just gave me a shrug as he walked away," he added softly, replaying the image of the dejected Harry walking away from him over in his mind.
Ginny choked back a sob, wrapping her arms tightly around her abdomen, trying desperately to ease the pain she was feeling both physically and emotionally.
She spun away from her father, once more staring out the window into the gathering gloom as night descended. Wishing she could reach out with her thoughts and find the one she loved.
She jumped when she felt her father gently grab her by her shoulders and she tried to wiggle out of his grasp but he held her firmly.
"You know your mother and I have always considered Harry as good as one of our own," he murmured placatingly.
With a burst of anger, Ginny pulled forcefully away from her father, glaring at him incredulously. "Oh Please, don't even go there," she cried indignantly.
Her father stared at her in shock.
"While that may have once been true, Mum made it perfectly clear that she doesn't consider Harry a son. The way she acted she let him know that wasn't true. She in effect orphaned him all over again," she spat hatefully, her eyes once more blazing with her anger.
Arthur staggered, knowing what Ginny had said was true. He knew that Harry had come to look on his family as his own and in one cruel, heartless moment, Molly had torn that from him.
"And you didn't do much better. You let him go without a second thought," Ginny accused him with disdain.
As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew what his daughter said was true. He should have but didn't fight for and support Harry like he would have done for any of his sons.
"Just leave me alone," Ginny sighed angrily, turning her back on her father once more, staring out the window, her heart aching for the one she loved.
Arthur stared forlornly at his daughter for a moment before silently withdrawing from her room, quietly clicking the door closed behind him. He knew in his heart he had let Harry down just as much as he'd also let Ginny down.
Then it hit him, worse than that, he had let himself down, not holding to what he knew was right. It made him so ashamed of himself and he didn't know how he was ever going to be able to face any of them ever again. He had disgraced the Weasley name, something he had once vowed to never do and now he didn't know how to fix things.
"Oh God, what have I done?" he asked softly, but no answer came, only silence met his question, leaving him feeling alone and adrift, with a coldness settling around his heart. Something he knew he deserved for what he had done.
With a heavy heart he made his way back down to the kitchen but suddenly he didn't feel like eating either.
Ginny crumpled onto her bed, once more giving herself over to the tears that refused to stop, crying herself to sleep as the worry about Harry consumed her once again.
Harry and Ginny
Bill and Fleur Apparated back to Shell Cottage after what had been a rather contentious dinner at the Burrow and hanging around in the parlour for a while trying to get a better understanding from Bill's parents just what was going on.
Unfortunately, neither Arthur nor Molly had been forthcoming with any information, obviously reluctant to speak in front of the others.
They Apparated because Bill had locked down the floo before they had Apparated to Hogwarts to join in the battle.
They arrived in a pouring rainfall, both getting soaked in moments as they hurried for the door.
Due to the darkness because of the late hour and the poor visibility caused by the pelting rain, it wasn't until they were almost to the door that they noticed something laying by the entrance.
"Merde!" Fleur cursed softly when she saw what it was.
Barely visible were two feet and legs showing up to the knees and part of someone's head.
"'Arry," Fleur called softly as she bent down.
Huddled by the door, Harry lay shivering, wrapped up in his Invisibility Cloak, that had slipped to show parts of his body.
"H-h-ey, Fl-fleur-r," Harry replied, his teeth chattering.
Fleur gently brushed her hand across his face, wiping off most of the drops and rivulets of water that coated his exposed skin. She grew even more concerned with how cold he felt.
"Beel, get 'Arry," she ordered as she stood, drawing her wand and unlocking the door.
Without pausing, knowing Bill would follow as soon as he could, she flicked her wand, lighting lights and starting a roaring fire to take the chill out of the air.
Bill bent down and gently lifted Harry, his face screwing up in anguish as he got a good look at the young man laying huddled against the cold and wet.
"Oh, Harry," he cried softly.
Harry gave him a thin smile as he lay limply in Bill's arms, shivering violently.
He entered the cottage just as Fleur was beginning to climb the stairs.
"Take 'im to the guest room and strip him down. I'm going to draw a bath. 'E is suffering from, what do you call it, 'ypothermia," Fleur said worriedly.
Bill followed Fleur up the stairs and took Harry into the guest room. He struggled to get Harry out of his clothing as Harry was unable to offer any help whatsoever.
Harry kept trying to say something but his speech had become slurred and he started to become less and less responsive.
Bill was really getting concerned and had just finished striping Harry down to his boxers when Fleur appeared.
She shook her head at Bill's having left Harry's boxers on, they were as drenched and cold as everything else he had been wearing.
"Come, time is critical," she snapped.
Bill picked Harry back up and started to follow Fleur.
Harry glanced at Fleur and then at Bill, giving him a goofy grin. "Fleurz vera pritee, almos as pritee az Jinny," he slurred.
"Almost," Bill choked out, realizing just how much Harry had to love his sister if he didn't think Fleur, with her Veela charm, was more beautiful.
Harry gave a particularly violent shudder and his face scrunched up. "I'mm so-so c-cold," he whispered.
Bill watched as his eyes began to flutter shut and he pinched Harry hard where his one hand was holding on to him.
Harry's eyes snapped open in shock.
"You need to stay awake," Bill urged.
"I'm so tired," Harry replied weakly, his eyes beginning to fall shut again.
Bill gave Harry a sharp shake, causing Harry's eyes to snap open again.
"I know you're tired but right now you need to stay awake. You can sleep later," he said imploringly.
"K," Harry replied tiredly, struggling to keep his eyes open.
By then they were in the loo and Bill wasted no time in immersing Harry in the tub. While the water was quite warm, it wasn't overly hot.
Fleur looked at Harry worriedly. "Stay with 'im and make sure 'e remains awake. I'm going to make 'im some broth, we need to get 'is core temperature up," she cried softly, hoping that they weren't too late.
"Okay, that sounds good, but do you think we should contact Poppy and have her come?" Bill asked, just as concerned as his wife.
Fleur slowly nodded her head, "Yes, I think that's a good idea," she replied as she hurried from the room.
Bill turned his attention back to Harry, not really surprised to see his eyes fluttering shut.
"Come on Harry, stay awake" he softly urged as he began to vigorously rub the raven haired young man's arms and legs.
The added attention perked Harry up some and he gave Bill a soft grin. "I'm in love with your sister," he murmured quietly, like he was divulging a great secret.
Bill couldn't help but smile at the young man. "I kind of gathered that," he replied with an emotional chuckle.
As happy as hearing Harry declare his love for Ginny, Bill felt his eyes misting, hoping against hope that Harry survived the life threatening situation he found himself in.
He thought it would be patently unfair for Harry to have survived facing Voldemort only to die because of the treatment he had received from someone who should have known better.
He also couldn't help but wonder what had taken place to set off the horrendous chain of events that had brought him to where he was now.
Harry's eyes began to drift shut again, no matter how hard he tried to keep them open.
Bill kept rubbing Harry's limbs vigorously, hoping to stimulate Harry enough to keep him awake.
Bill was pleased that Harry seemed to be responding to his ministrations, at least temporarily. Though he was still struggling to keep his eyes open, it appeared that it wasn't quite the struggle it had been and to him it seemed he wasn't shivering quite as violently as he had been either.
He noticed Harry looking at him with the same goofy grin he had earlier.
"Do you know just how amazing your sister is?" Harry asked, his voice filled with awe.
"Yeah, she's always been a very special young lady," Bill replied, giving Harry a small smile.
"And she's so fucking beautiful," Harry sighed dreamily.
Bill was just about to agree when Harry moaned and thrashed about slightly.
"What's wrong?" Bill asked in concern.
"Arms, legs, pins an needles," Harry groaned lowly.
Bill started to rub Harry's extremities vigorously again. "That's a good sign," he said, hoping that it was true.
Bill's attention seemed to do some good as Harry stopped writhing though he still appeared to be experiencing some pain.
He eased his rubbing, his arms and hands beginning to tire but as soon as he did so, Harry's eyes began to flutter closed again.
"Harry, talk to me," Bill sharply insisted, noticing that when the younger wizard was talking, he seemed more alert.
"Bout, wha?" he asked groggily, still struggling to remain awake.
"Tell me about Ginny," Bill directed, hoping that the topic would fuel Harry's interest.
"She's beautiful," Harry replied a little brighter.
"Yes she is," Bill agreed, to keep the conversation flowing, not that he didn't think so.
When Harry began to flag once again, Bill asked, "What do you like about her so much?"
Harry perked up a little and smiled. "She has the most amazing eyes. They look like Honeydukes' best, ya know?" he replied dreamily.
Bill just nodded, catching Harry's eyes and silently urged him to continue speaking.
"Then there's her hair. Sweet Merlin I love her hair. It's so soft and silky," Harry muttered. Then he stared into Bill's eyes. "And it's the most amazing colour of red. Did you notice her hair is red?" he asked disorientedly.
"Yeah, I've noticed," Bill laughed, though it was tinged with anguish. He couldn't conceive that Harry would be asking if he knew his sister's hair was red if he was doing okay.
"And it smells so bloody brilliant," Harry sighed.
Harry then glanced at Bill sheepishly. "And she has the most perfect breasts," he sighed dreamily. "Don't you think they're just perfect?" he asked pointedly, staring into his eyes once more.
"I – I hadn't really noticed," Bill choked out, not particularly pleased with the turn of the conversation but it did seem to be perking Harry up so he didn't stop Harry.
Harry's look became even dreamier, "Her arse, have you ever noticed how wonderful her arse is?" he asked, staring off into space, no longer meeting Bill's eyes. Something that the older wizard was extremely grateful for.
"Yeah, her arse is something else to look at," Harry sighed.
Bill sighed in relief but then Harry continued.
"But that's nothing like holding it and massaging it," Harry mused, a besotted look taking over his features. "It's soft but firm, if you know what I mean," he continued, his eyes darting to Bill's for a moment.
"Please God, let him stop," Bill mumbled softly. "I really don't need to hear any of this."
Harry sighed again, even louder than before. "Did you notice she has freckles?" he asked brightly. His eyes darting once more to Bill's looking for confirmation. Then without waiting for a reply, Harry once more stared off and began speaking.
"I love her freckles, even if she doesn't," he sighed.
Bill gave a sigh of relief too, glad that the conversation seemed to be headed back into safer territory.
"She has them everywhere," Harry sighed happily, a huge grin on his face.
Bill blushed and sighed, freckles hadn't turned out to be such a safe topic of discussion after all.
He thought desperately, trying to come up with something to change the topic with that Harry would like.
"Quidditch!," he all but shouted. "Let's talk about Quidditch," he prompted Harry.
Harry smiled at Bill. "Yeah, she's a great Quidditch player too," he sighed with a smile.
Bill breathed a sigh of relief. Quidditch seemed to have done the trick.
"Yeah, watching her arse when she's flying is really something," Harry said with a smirk.
Then he looked at Bill embarrassingly. "Do you know I ended up in the Hospital Wing twice because I was watching her arse instead of paying attention and got knocked out by Bludgers," he admitted.
Bill groaned softly, Quidditch hadn't been the safe haven he thought it would be.
Harry gave Bill and impish look. "Do you know she has a little birthmark on her left arse cheek that looks like a little Kneazle?" he asked with a smirk.
Bill closed his eyes and groaned a bit louder, seeing in his mind's eye the very birthmark that Harry mentioned, having noticed it when he had changed Ginny's nappies when she was a baby.
He closed his eyes and shook his head, hoping that he didn't learn any more about Harry's and Ginny's relationship.
Fleur rejoined them, much to Bill's relief and with his help she got Harry to sip from a large mug of hot broth.
"I got a 'old of Poppy and she'll be 'ere soon," Fleur informed Bill.
Bill nodded, hoping it wouldn't be too long, both for Harry's sake and hoping that their conversation wouldn't rekindle.
He noticed that the water in the tub was becoming cool and he was just considering casting a warming charm on it when he felt someone appear behind him. Turning he saw Poppy Pomfrey, who was staring at Harry critically.
"I need him laying in a bed," she said succinctly.
Fleur led the matron to the guest room while Bill picked Harry up out of the bathtub, eschewing magic, preferring the more personal action of touching him, letting him know that he was cared for.
Fleur cast a quick drying charm on Harry as Bill entered the room and gently laid him on the bed.
Poppy immediately had her wand out and was casting diagnostic spells at a prodigious rate.
Bill winced when he saw her frown, something she must have noticed because she glanced at him and gave him a small reassuring smile.
Finishing casting her spells, she withdrew a small item from one of her pockets and tapped it with her wand. It expanded, revealing itself to be a medical bag.
She took out a frightenly large number of potions and began to administer then to a decidingly disgruntled Harry.
"Fuck, they taste horrible," Harry grumbled.
The other two occupants of the room were surprised when the matron gave him a rare, soft smile.
Harry shuddered but it was because of the unpleasant taste of the potions and not from being so cold any more. Though he was still shivering, it didn't seem to be as violently as before.
She then bundled the blankets tightly around him and cast several warming charms before nodding in satisfaction.
"You did as well as you could considering the circumstances. While the warm bath and hot broth helped, it's a good thing you called for me because they wouldn't have been sufficient to combat the state he was in," she explained softly because she could see Harry was drifting off to sleep.
She sat down in the chair next to the bed and looked at Harry for a moment. Turning her attention back to Bill and Fleur, she asked "Would a cup of tea be too much of a bother?"
"Non, I weel be right back," Fleur replied, blushing lightly as she hurried from the room.
Poppy turned her attention back to Harry. "He's suffered so much," she sighed sadly.
Bill could only nod in reply, his throat too choked to reply verbally. He noticed how tired Poppy was, not that he found it surprising. He knew she had spent long hours treating the injured from the battle and he wondered how much rest she had managed to get.
They remained silent, both staring at Harry's sleeping form while contemplating all he had been through.
Fleur reappeared with a tray containing a teapot, three cups and a plate of pastries.
Bill conjured two more chairs and he and Fleur sat down, joining Poppy. Fleur served the tea and they passed around the pastries.
Once they had all taken a bite of their pastry and a sip of tea, Poppy stared back and forth between Bill and Fleur.
"Would either of you care to explain how Harry ended up in this state?" she asked pointedly, her eyes boring into them uncompromisingly.
Bill and Fleur exchanged a quick glance. Bill sighed and rubbed his face tiredly.
"I'll tell you what we know but there is so much we don't know, so I hope you understand if it doesn't answer all your questions," he said sadly.
Poppy nodded and waited for Bill to continue.
Bill sighed and began to explain what had taken place that morning at Hogwarts, how Molly had gone looking for Harry when she couldn't find Ginny. How she had come back down stairs, obviously angry but she wouldn't say anything.
How eventually Harry and Ginny had come down, hand in hand. Their departure with Molly and Arthur and their eventual return without Harry.
How Molly had insisted they return to the Burrow, and all that had taken place there.
He ended with how he and Fleur had returned home and found Harry huddled outside the door, thoroughly drenched and in the state he was.
He glanced at Poppy apologetically. "I wish I knew more but I have no idea what took place," he sighed.
Fleur gave him a patronizing smile and patted him on the arm. "What I'm sure 'appened is that Molly discovered that 'Arry and Ginny 'ad become intimate, perhaps even walking in on them," she said softly.
Bill looked at her in shock. "What? How do you know that?" he asked in disbelief. Though deep inside he knew what she said was probably true from the conversation he'd had with Harry.
Fleur smiled at him. "A woman can sense these things. The way 'Arry and Ginny were looking at one another and the way Ginny was glowing. It was there to see if one cared to look," she explained warmly.
Bill smiled sadly, realizing what Fleur had said explained so much.
Poppy shook her head sadly. "It's such a shame your mother refuses to admit that Ginny has grown up and just what a wonderful young woman she has become."
"Mon dieu, that is so true," Fleur exclaimed in exasperation.
Bill could only nod his head in agreement, knowing it to be true.
Poppy looked thoughtful for a moment. "Will Harry being here cause any problems?" she asked pointedly.
"None what so ever," Bill replied immediately. "Harry's welcome to stay as long as he needs to and will always be welcome here," he added fervently.
Fleur nodded in agreement. "Yes, if for no other reason than 'e saved my sister Gabrielle during the Tournament, but it's more than that. I've come to love 'Arry for who 'e is, 'e's like a brother to me. 'E is and always will be family," she stated emphatically, her eyes blazing with her emotions.
Bill reached out and tenderly squeezed his wife's arm, his eyes glistening as he smiled proudly.
"I agree, Harry is family," he choked out, just as emotionally as his wife.
Poppy smiled at the couple, her own eyes clouding with her own tears. "I'm glad to hear that," she whispered, taken by the love she could see and feel from Bill and Fleur for the young man laying in the bed next to them.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, reining in her emotions. She drew her wand and cast several diagnostic charms. She nodded in satisfaction at what they showed. Harry's condition was improving though he wasn't out of the woods yet.
Stowing her wand, she drained the last of her tea. "I'll leave the potions that he'll require," she stated as she stood. "The next twenty-four hours will be critical. He'll need to be watched closely because even if he recovers from the hypothermia, there is the chance of complications setting in. Let him sleep for now but make sure to give him his potions when they are due," she instructed as she took the potions from her bag.
"And don't hesitate to call me if he needs anything," she added, giving the couple a warm smile. "I'd rather be called and find out it's something minor than risk the alternative."
Bill and Fleur rose together, Fleur beating Bill to Poppy, hugging her hard. "Thank you," she breathed sincerely.
As soon as Fleur released the matron, Bill took her place, hugging her just as hard as his wife had done.
"Yes, we can't thank you enough," he murmured, his eyes speaking volumes.
Poppy hugged him back just as hard. "Just take care of Harry, it's all the thanks I need," she replied, her eyes sparkling.
Bill's one eyebrow shot up as he gave her a wry grin.
"Not a word," she cautioned, her smile growing.
Bill nodded, secure in knowing that though she didn't want to say anything, she had a special spot in her heart for one Harry James Potter, just like he and Fleur did.
He escorted her down to the parlour and watched her floo away before he returned to the room where Fleur had remained, keeping a watch over Harry.
She gave him a tired smile as he returned. "Get some sleep. I will sit with 'Arry," she said softly.
"I will, but first I wanted to talk with you," he replied seriously.
Fleur gave him a questioning look and waited for him to continue.
He paused a moment to put his thoughts in order. Then he smiled at his wife. "Tomorrow I think one of us should go back to the Burrow and see if we can't convince my Mum to allow Ginny to come here for a while," he said with a wry grin.
Fleur nodded her head slowly while she contemplated which one of them should go. Coming to a decision, she gave him a tired smile. "I weel go, I think a woman's perspective is what is needed," she remarked.
"Now go get zome sleep, I will join you in a while. I'll just sit 'ere with 'Arry till it is time for 'is next dose of potions," she insisted.
Bill thought about protesting but decided not to. He was exhausted and there wasn't any reason for both of them to stay with Harry. Rising, he gave Fleur a soft, tender kiss before he headed to their bedroom.
Once there he quickly stripped down to his boxers, climbed into bed and was asleep in moments.
Fleur recast the warming charms and set a monitoring charm as well to let her know when they needed to be reapplied.
She watched Harry sleeping, gently running her hand through his fringe. "Ah, "Arry, you must get well, Ginny needs you as much as you need her," she whispered.
Though extremely tired she remained awake and administered Harry potions when they were due, spelling them directly into his stomach. Next she renewed the warming charms once again and satisfied that everything was in order, she headed off to bed.
She striped down completely and crawled into bed, snuggling into her husband's side. He stirred slightly but didn't awake, something she was happy about. He really had been exhausted and needed to rest undisturbed.
Sighing, she hoped that convincing Molly to let Ginny come visit wouldn't be that difficult. Not only did Harry need Ginny there, she was sure that putting some distance between mother and daughter would be a good thing, or at least they wouldn't be tempted to hex one another.
With that thought in mind, she drifted off to sleep.
Harry and Ginny
Ginny rolled over and sat on the edge of her bed and groggily rubbed her tired eyes. Though she knew she must have dozed during the night, she had been awake for quite some time and only decided to get up because the soft predawn light told her it was morning.
She forced herself to stand and grabbed a change of clothing before she headed for the loo. She wanted to get her shower over and head down to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast before her mother got up.
Her shower refreshed her some, enough so that she at least felt somewhat human. She dressed quickly and made her way down into the kitchen.
She gave a thin smug smile when she saw her plan had succeeded, the kitchen was empty. She quickly made herself some porridge, not wanting to fry anything that would draw anyone else down to the kitchen by its enticing aroma.
She poured herself some pumpkin juice and sat down and ate her breakfast in blissful solitude. It gave her time to think undisturbed though that did nothing to ease her worries about where Harry could be.
Thinking about Harry brought back the memories of the confrontation with her mother and she felt her anger growing. The angrier she became the more she knew that she was going to have a really difficult time being around her mother.
Her one consolation was that her father had given her wand back and she wondered why. Right at that moment she was sorely tempted to hex her mother into oblivion and just might with the slightest provocation.
Ginny ate mechanically while she was thinking and was slightly surprised when her bowl was empty. She drained the last of her juice, took her dishes to the sink, where she quickly washed and dried them. Once she placed them back into the cupboard, there was no evidence whatsoever that she had eaten.
A moment later she heard the sound of her parent's bedroom door opening and she knew it had to be her mother coming down to start breakfast. Gritting her teeth, Ginny made a snap decision and quickly went out the back door and sat on the porch swing, knowing if she went off anywhere it would only lead to an argument.
Though on one hand she didn't care, right at the moment she was just too tired to get into it.
With a deep scowling sigh, she leaned back and closed her eyes, just wanting to rest a bit, knowing she probably wouldn't fall asleep.
The familiar sounds of her mother's morning ritual began to filter out of the house and in her mind's eye, Ginny could see what was happening.
The sound of the cold box door opening for several moments and the slight rattle of things being moved around and she could visualize her mother taking the eggs, bacon and sausages out, then the sound of the door closing.
Next was the rattle of then frying pan being set on the stove and a short time later the sound of the sizzling of the sausages could be heard. It remained fairly stead for several minutes before it increased in volume as the pan was shaken to roll them over.
The sound of a second pan being placed on the stove was heard next and the slightly different sizzle of the bacon hitting the hot pan followed.
The sounds of cooking were suddenly over-shadowed by the sounds of someone coming thundering down the stairs.
By their distinctive tenor, Ginny knew it was her brother Ron.
"Hey Mum, how soon will breakfast be ready, I'm starving," he said, causing Ginny to shake her head sadly.
She wondered what he was going to do once he got married. Since he was currently dating Hermione, who she knew wasn't a cook at all and she doubted she every would be.
"In just about five minutes, Ronnie, dear," she heard her mother reply sweetly. "Why don't you go call Hermione and your sister and let them know," she added.
"I'll go tell Hermione but Ginny's door was open and her room was empty when I came down," Ron replied.
"WHAT?" her mother screamed. "Where did that ungrateful girl get to?"
"I'm out on the back porch," Ginny called out loudly, her irritation changing to outright anger.
She heard the back door open.
"Oh, well breakfast is almost ready. Why don't you come in and help set the table till it's ready," her mother said, trying to sound happy.
"I've already eaten," Ginny growled lowly, further irritated by the assumption that she should come in and set the table when Ron was equally capable, or in reality, available. She wasn't really sure he was capable at all.
"Oh, okay," she heard her mother grumble.
A few moments later she heard Ron return. "Hermione will be down in a couple of minutes," he informed his mother.
There was a slight pause. "Why hasn't Ginny set the table?" he asked sourly.
"She's already eaten, so why don't you do it?" their mother said hopefully.
"What? Me set the table?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes, Ronnie-kins, please do it for me," Ginny heard, her mother sounding like she was talking to a five year old.
Ginny rolled her eyes and chuckled softly when she heard him grumbling. It was followed by the sound of almost every cabinet in the kitchen being opened and closed as he searched for everything that he needed. You'd have thought he hadn't lived there for the past seventeen, almost eighteen years.
The sound of Hermione joining him took place a few moments later. She heard them talking softly for a moment, just low enough that she couldn't really hear what they said.
"Really Ronald, how long have you lived here?" Hermione asked loudly, her voice dripping with disdain.
Ginny just smiled sadly and shook her head as she heard Hermione open a couple of cupboards and pull things out.
The next thing she heard was her father and then Percy come down and join those at the table. She briefly wondered where Charlie was but then she heard her father explain to her mother that he was having a lie in and would be down later.
She suddenly realized that the normal sounds of her family held nothing for her and it was all because Harry wasn't there. She felt like a stranger in what had once been her refuge, her place of safety.
Now it was a prison and she knew that this was probably exactly how Harry had felt every time he had been forced to return to the Dursley's.
She felt tears start streaming down her cheeks as her heart was squeezed like in a vise and a pain shot through her chest.
She wondered how Harry had stood it all those years there and being forced back there every summer. No wonder he had loved coming to the Burrow so much.
Ginny closed her eyes and concentrated on calming herself, breathing deeply until the pain in her chest began to ease. She knew she had to do something or she'd go insane waiting for her birthday, a total of one hundred and seven days away.
Right at that moment it seemed an eternity, back like when she was a child but for totally different reasons.
"Oh please God, keep my Harry safe for me," she prayed softly.
Hearing the people in the kitchen starting to disburse to the various places they needed to go, Ginny rose and headed back inside, wanting to go up to her room where she could be alone and out of the scrutiny of everyone, especially her mother.
She heard the floo flare twice, signalling the departure of her father and Percy heading off to their jobs at the Ministry.
She considered herself fortunate to see Ron and Hermione heading into the parlour as they didn't see her enter. She really didn't want to answer any questions that the pair were sure to badger her with about what had happened. As far as she was concerned, it wasn't any of their business.
She noticed her mother watching her with a scowl on her face, but fortunately, she didn't say anything, something she was eternally grateful for.
She had just reached the landing outside her room when she heard the floo flare and she heard Fleur greet her mother. She briefly wondered what her sister-in-law was doing there but decided she didn't really care and entered her room, shutting the door firmly behind her.
It was about an hour later when she heard a soft knocking on her door. She could tell by the way it was done that it wasn't her mother.
Wondering who it could be, she softly called out, "Come in."
She was surprised when Fleur came into the room, giving her an enigmatic smile.
Ginny looked at her questioningly, causing Fleur to smile warmly.
"I 'ave convinced your mother to allow you to come to Shell Cottage for what you would call a cooling off period," the quarter Veela said with a grin.
Ginny's eyes widened in disbelief. "Really?" she asked incredulously.
"Yes, now lets get you packed up so we can leave as soon as possible. I wouldn't want her to think about it too much and change her mind," Fleur replied humorously.
She knew that wasn't going to happened but figured it would spur Ginny into packing quickly and she wanted to get her home as soon as possible so she could spring her surprise on the young redhead.
Ginny didn't need any further prompting and she sprang out of her bed and began to pack furiously.
Fleur was grinning as she watched Ginny tear around the room, throwing things haphazardly into her rucksack.
The beautiful blonde was astounded at how quickly Ginny was ready and she couldn't help but think about what her reaction was going to be once she found out who was waiting for her.
Fleur couldn't help herself, having to take the mickey out on her sister-in-law. Perhaps she'd been influenced a bit too much by the Weasleys.
"Now I must tell you that to get your mother to allow you to come, you are restricted to the cottage and the grounds inside the wards, though you will be allowed to leave as long as Beel or I accompany you. Also no one w'o isn't there is allowed to visit," she teased lightly, though Ginny wasn't aware of that fact.
Ginny bristled slightly but realized it was better than being here at the Burrow and suffer the hostility she felt from her mother.
"Let's go," Ginny sighed in resignation, though she couldn't help but wonder at the look Fleur was giving her.
Harry and Ginny
A/N: As with the previous two chapters, this one has been added to, I hope you enjoyed the additions.
As always, your reviews and comments are greatly appreciated.