Chapter 24: Wading through.

With Charlie's door shut firmly behind me I realized I had reached the end of my planning. I wove back towards the forest taking the time to appreciate the quaint little cottages rustic beauty. It was such a pretty place to have such bad memories attached to it. But when I really thought about it, there weren't many places that didn't have bad memories tied to them somehow. Beautiful places, Hogwarts, the ministry. Such awful things happened there. That was the nature of caring about something. I'd now reached the end of what I had set out to do, I had found Charlie, and I had learned the truth. The only thing left for me was to go home. But then what? I'd eventually have to see Harry, what in Merlin's name was I going to say to him?

My body still shook from anger and hurt, Charlie's letter burning a hole in my jean pocket. I half expected this to all be a dream and for me to wake up any second. My heart had not been whole in a long time; but my brother's betrayal had carved out a cave inside and left it empty. How could he of done this to me? To all of us? I knew why, he had told me why. But Fred would never have wanted this. He would never have allowed Charlie to do what he did. My heart squeezed painfully as I took one last look at the romantic Romanian countryside and turned to apparate.

My eyes opened to the monochromatic walls of the Romanian apparition station. Inside my feelings welled like an ocean during a storm, my heart begged me to forgive Charlie but I couldn't. I'm not sure I ever would be able too. How were we supposed to proceed from here? How was I ever going to be able to trust him again? Tears once again pricked the back of my eyes, it felt like I had lost another brother. It hurt, it hurt so bad.

I caught a glimpse of myself in a dark glass window, probably used to view the passing wizards for suspicious activity, and cringed. My face was red and splotchy, my hair a mess and my body seemed to be melting to the floor. I looked miserable, I looked exactly how I felt. I wish for the thousandth time in my life that I didn't have to be such an ugly crier. I attributed it to being a red head, couldn't tan, freckles everywhere and ugly crying. Now Hermione, she was a pretty crier. Somehow she was even able to excel at blubbering with grace. I would forever sob without care to who saw me and ultimately judged. But I would not start crying in a ministry building. I had my pride after all.

A sigh escaped me as I began the process and the insufferable wait to get home. It was always like this, easy to get out, damn near impossible to get back in. Maybe because all you want to do is to get home that it took so long. More likely was they were wary of potential threats from pissed off wizards. I dreaded getting home, and yearned for it at the same time. Merlin what was I going to do?

And what about Harry? Harry who had spent all that time believing that I hated him. Believing that we all hated him. Worst of all I had, I had hated him. For something someone else did, not him. He deserved to know the truth behind all of it. He deserved to hear it from me. Now that I knew everything, it was only right that I set things straight. I owed him that; I owed him a hell of a lot more than that. He didn't have to leave me the box; in fact it wasn't even close to being his style. But all in all I'm glad that he did. I don't know if I would have believed him if he had tried to tell me face to face. My mind flashed to our numerous conversations since he returned home. I had been horrid, and bitchy, and self-righteous... How in the world could he still love me after all of that? After everything I put him through?

My number finally was called and I removed my heard from my hands and walked to my fireplace. I hesitated only a moment before yelling for the Ministry in London, I lost myself in the green blur of passing grates thankful for any distraction, even a momentary one. I managed to get a pinch of floo powder from an older wizard who knew my dad or so he insisted and with another hesitation filled with dread, I yelled for the Burrow and spun towards home.

The family room was deserted as I climbed from the grate dusting off the remnants of soot from my jacket. The sinking sun cast a brilliant orange light through the massive room. It was warm and welcoming just like it had always been. Somehow it felt strangely different, I was different. I couldn't go back to the way it was before. I couldn't pretend that none of this had happened and that everything was alright.

Quiet as a ninja kitten, Hermione turned the corner from the kitchen cup of tea in hand. "Ginny you're back." I couldn't manage even a weak smile as I looked at her and slowly her smile melted away as well. "Let's go upstairs shall we." I didn't agree, but I did follow her as she made a quick stop in the kitchen to grab the tea service and hopped up towards the bedrooms. She motioned for me to open the door to my old bedroom and I acquiesced, walking directly to the bed and plopping down. Hermione busied herself with making my cup as I cherished the silence. When she finally handed me the delicate floral china I managed to find some words. Hermione was clearly dressed for bed and she wasn't the sort to go out in public in her pajamas.

"Why are you sleeping here?"

Another beautiful smile broke across her face. "It's tradition isn't it? Bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding."

"I don't know." I answered truthfully. I was hardly a nuptial expert as my eyes tripped over the dresses and boxes filling the room. I let guilt seep over me. "Hermione I'm sorry for missing the rehearsal dinner."

She scoffed lightly before setting down her cup. "I already told you it was quite alright." She lifted up a piece of parchment and passed it over to me. "I made everyone a schedule for tomorrow, it goes over everything much better than the dinner ever did."

I scanned over the schedule and thanked Godric for Hermione's type A personality. Leave it to Hermione Granger-soon-to-be-Weasley to make the bridesmaids jobs easier. She was an angel. I swear.

"Thanks." I said rolling the parchment up and setting it beside me.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Another heavy sigh escaped me as I contemplated her question. "I wouldn't even know where to start." I let my body fall backwards slowly, letting my half drank cup rest on my stomach.

"Let's start with how things went with Charlie."

I craned my head to look at her, amazement clear on my face. "How did you know about that?"

A mischievous glint lit her eyes. "I know everything."

This woman was a wizard. Oh. Right…

"It didn't go well." That's about as much as I could muster, I didn't want to burden the bride with the saga that was my troubles. Especially the night before her wedding.

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright. It isn't your fault."

"Is there anything I can do?" My mind wandered for a bit, I was tempted to ask if she still had that time turner. But four years was a long time to try and go back and change things. That and I would probably lose track or break it, and then I would be lost to the ravages of time. Knowing my luck that is.

"No."

"I know you and Harry got into a bit of a row…" She prodded. A bit of a row? Understatement of the century. Just me telling him to get fucked basically without any of the prior knowledge that would have prevented me from saying any of it. I couldn't find the words to answer her. I thought maybe she would leave it alone then, since I really wasn't ready to talk any of this. Hermione seemed to have other plans. "What did you think about the box?"

Surprise smacked me again and I propped myself on one elbow making my cup wobble dangerously. This woman knew way more that I gave her credit for. This woman might even know more than I did. "You know about the box?" Well that changed everything.

"Yes. " We remained silent for a few moments before she continued. "So, what did you think?"

I didn't know. I honest to Merlin didn't know. "I don't know what I'm supposed to think." Hermione nodded but didn't press me farther. It was welling up inside of me now, there was no way I could stop it. "Everything I thought was, isn't. My life has literally been turned upside down. I spent the last four years believing lies and the things that I believed and it's wrong. It's all wrong! I don't know where to start to filter through everything to reorganize my perception of what real and what's not and what I've done for the past four years. And how I felt for the past four years. I don't know what to do. All I know is that he left me that box and now everything has changed."

My breath was coming out in harsh puffs as I finished my words. Once they were said I could feel a modicum of weight lift from me. "Well not exactly…" Hermione said her eyes skating from mine. Warming bells rang inside me. What next? I don't if I can handle any more revelation today.

My eyes narrowed a bit. "What do you mean not exactly?" Her thumb began fiddling with her engagement ring. Nervous Hermione was definitely not a good sign.

"Harry didn't leave the box for you…" Her eyes finally met mine. "I did."

Confusion consumed me. I felt like I was going to be confused forever. I was so sick of being confused. "I don't understand."

"I went to see Harry the other night and he was in his cups. I've never seen him drink like that before. It scared me honestly. He was crying, he was breaking down right in front of me and he asked me to burn the box." I sucked in a hug gulp of air trying to tamp down the image of Harry crying and what the thought did to me. "Naturally I got curious about what could be so important so I opened the box and…well I couldn't burn it. I know it wasn't my place but…I thought you needed to know."

I was speechless. Harry didn't know that I knew. I had assumed that he had given me the box as a way of explanation, a way for him to tell me what he couldn't say in words. His last letter popped up in my mind and his vow to leave me alone. The thought terrified me. That and the knowledge that he didn't know. He didn't know that Charlie had been lying. If Hermione hadn't given me that box I would have never known the truth. It would have been burned, all of those beautiful letters. All of the proof of what he sacrificed over the years. All of the things he did for those people.

"Thank you." I sat up and pulled Hermione into a hug. She squeezed me and I couldn't help but squeeze her back a little tighter. I don't know what I'd do without you." She pulled away slightly giving me a reassuring pat on the back.

"You'd be fine I expect. " I gave her a watery smile. She was the best sister I could ever ask for and had no say in choosing. "Do you know what you are going to do about Harry?"

I did not know yet. Not 100%, but I did know one thing for certain. "He deserves to know the truth. He needs to know that I forgive him." With my mind made up I turned back to my best friend. "So what exactly does one do at these traditional wedding sleepovers?" Another brilliant smile broke her face I couldn't help the answering smile of my own. Dr. Waylon was right, forgiving Harry made things easier. My earlier dread was filled with mild excitement. After all it wasn't ever day your older brother got married to your best friend.

A/N: Late again. I'm sorry. Holidays swept me up and didn't let me go. I did manage to write out this chapter by hand yesterday though so I figured it would be all of your late Christmas presents. Only one day late too.

I love you all so much! Your reviews and responses to this story have really inspired me. I've taken your suggestions and energy and made this story into something I am proud of. When I first started writing this I have to say I didn't at all think that it would be ending this way, but I'm very very glad that it has.

Thank you so much for your words and I hope you like this chapter. The next chapter will be the wedding part one.

I'm thinking about adding a few oneshot's to the end of this story. There are a few milestones I would like to cover of Harry and Ginny once this is all over. What do you guys think? Would you continue to read if I did that?

Please let me know.

I love you all. So much. Seriously.

Muah!

-Nurse Holliday