Another light chapter showing relatively normal life.

And a new year begins.

GINNY XIII

1994

A cold ball on the back of her head stopped her laughter. Ginny swiftly seized the first pack of snow she got her hands on and ran towards her brother George, the culprit behind the cold water that dripped under her scarf and inside her coat. She ran among the snow walls they built earlier. Turning at a corner, she found herself face to face with Fred, who was waiting for her. He threw a huge snowball at her, which she avoided, then threw her own with all her force, catching her other brother right in the face. Then she made another snowball hit George, who had gotten around and was now behind her, right in the face as well.

"How did you do it?" George asked, removing the snow from his face. "How did you know I was behind you?"

"You're too predictable!" she yelled as she ran away, ducking another snowball.

She climbed a small mound from which she could see most of the battlefield. Ginny, Fred, George, Ron, Hermione and Harry were playing a game of snowball battle, and so far they all got covered in snow from head to toe. Only Percy refused to participate, saying he had work to do.

Harry just got it in the back by Hermione. This place gave Ginny a perfect overview of the whole battlefield. However, it also made her an easy target, and Ron proved it by getting her in the legs. She skidded down the mound, forming a snowball by the same occasion, and threw it right at Harry who was nearby. He avoided it, but got hit by Hermione once more.

"You got to make better, Harry, or Bludgers will make a feast of you at the next game," Ginny surprised herself saying, to which Harry laughed before he threw a snowball that got her right in the chest. It was easier to speak to Harry in the midst of the action, but she could still get distracted by him.

It was the first day of the year 1994, and Ginny couldn't be happier. The Burrow was filled with guests, not only Hermione, but also Harry and his mother coming to spend the rest of the holidays at their home. The thoughts about Peter Pettigrew and the Dementors were far away from her mind as the snowballs flew all over the field surrounding the Burrow. She even managed to hit Harry a few times, and she wondered why she was afraid this morning that he might be angry at her for something so silly. They were doing a battle of snowballs. The goal was to hit the others.

They must have played it through the whole afternoon, for the sun was beginning to disappear when her parents called them all back inside. They were all wet as a result from the physical exertion and the snow that penetrated their coats and melt against their skin. As a result, they all had to take a shower.

Ginny was one of the first to take hers, followed by Hermione. The advantage of being a girl was that their hair took longer to dry, so they were allowed to wash before all the others. Ginny was still brushing her hair in her bedroom when Hermione came back from the shower. This was no surprise, since Hermione never took long to clean herself.

"Ah. It feels good," Hermione said, sitting next to Ginny on her bed. She and Hermione shared Ginny's small bedroom when she came to the Burrow.

"Who went in after you?" Ginny asked.

"Ron."

"Oh. The others will have to wait."

Both girls laughed. Ginny liked to spend time with Hermione. She still struggled to make friends at Hogwarts. People had not entirely forgotten for the Chamber of Secrets yet, and the fact that her family sheltered a serial killer, even if it was unconsciously, didn't help either.

"We should get down, and help your parents with the preparations for dinner," Hermione said as she dried her hair with a towel. Ginny noticed that Hermione didn't brush her hair. She only dried them. It probably explained in part their messy state. When Ginny asked her why she didn't brush her hair, Hermione shrugged and said she just didn't care if her hair was a little messy.

They went down not long after, and they found Ginny's parents and Harry's mother setting the table… with Harry helping them. Ginny tried to make sure her eyes did not cross his. She could already feel the temperature increasing at the level of her cheeks.

"Ah, you're there. Good. Come here. We have some work for you two," Ginny's mother said.

"Harry, you should go up and prepare to take your shower," his mother told him.

"Ron is probably still inside, and then there are Fred and George who must take their own," he pointed out as Ginny was conducted towards a pile of plates.

"Go now. No one wants to eat the dinner of New Year with a funny smell on it."

She hit his head with her finger, and Harry headed towards the stairs after whispering an okay while laughing quietly. As always when Harry left a room, Ginny was both relieved and sad. She and Hermione helped the parents prepare dinner. Ron, Fred and George finally joined them after a while, and Harry followed a few instants later, his short dark hair still as messy as always.

When the table was set and filled with fuming plates of turkey, ham, potatoes, various vegetables and all kinds of meals that made Ginny's mouth watered, they proceeded to sit down. Ginny just took a place between an empty chair and Fred. It was then that Mrs Lily called her son.

"Hey, Harry. Come and sit next to your old mom. Don't be ashamed of her," she said on a playful tone.

Most people around the table laughed, and Harry seemed to reluctantly accept as he was about to sit next to Hermione. Ginny was sharing the laughs when she realized that the place Mrs Lily spoke about was the very empty chair next to Ginny. She kept her arms against her ribs as tightly as she could to avoid touching him, and she tried to not cross his gaze as he sat down.

Dinner proved quite a more delicate affair than Ginny expected with Harry next to her. She discussed with most of the other people around the table and to forget that it was Harry who was sitting next to her. Fred and George proved entertaining enough with the fireworks they both bought and prepared. Dessert was just as succulent as the main course, and Ginny felt full at the end of it.

Everyone then moved into the living room to spend the rest of the evening. Ginny first played some Exploding Snap with Ron, Fred and George. Soon, the cards' explosions were added to those of fireworks. In the meantime, Harry, Mrs Lily and Hermione were playing some game Ginny didn't know that seemed to be a Muggle game, with cards that neither moved by themselves nor exploded. Her parents and Percy listened to the radio from which the voice of Celestina Warbeck was coming.

After a while, Hermione left Harry and Mrs Lily and began playing chess with Percy. Ron abandoned Ginny with their twin brothers when he saw that Hermione defeated Percy. It was then that Ron and Hermione started to play a game of their own. After a while, Ginny went to watch their game, leaving Fred and George alone to make things explode.

"You shouldn't have done this," Ron said. "You left your tower vulnerable."

"Are you forced to give me advice every time we play?" Hermione said, sounding a little irritated as she moved her bishop.

"That's the one domain where I can actually give you advice. Would you like it if I refused to listen to you about our homework?"

"You don't listen to me most of the time anyway."

"That's not true. I always listen when you tell what I should answer to a question."

"That's when I give you the answer. Not when I tell you to actually do your homework."

Ron shrugged. "No one is perfect. Proof." Ron moved a pawn diagonally, removing Hermione's tower. "I told you. You left your tower defenseless."

"You said it was vulnerable, not defenseless."

"That's not the same thing."

Ginny had to admit that looking and listening to Ron and Hermione argue was a show to watch in itself. She also got the distinct impression that they somehow enjoyed their arguments. She also saw with amusement that her father was slowly falling asleep in his armchair while her mother listened closely to the radio, a tear falling from her eye as Celestina Warbeck started singing a passionate song. Ginny couldn't say that she was a fan of Celestina. There were some of her songs that she quite liked, but Ginny was more into the Weird Sisters. She better liked their style, more catchy. It even happened to her to fly on her brothers' brooms while playing their songs into her head.

Harry came to watch the game of chess as well. It was easier for Ginny to stand near him if she knew they only watched two friends play a game. Hermione muffled a grumble when her bishop was eaten by Ron's tower right after she just disposed one of his pawns. Ginny knew very well that Hermione didn't like to be bested by someone, especially in an intellectual domain. Ron's huge smile, as he contained a laugh in front of Hermione's expression, made it funnier as he enjoyed, for once, being better than the girl who helped him with all his homework.

Ginny lifted her eyes for a moment, and established eye contact with Harry, who was just as amused by the situation as she was. This time, she didn't mind reddening since she could easily put it on the account of how funny she also found the situation. Ron finally defeated Hermione, who obviously made huge efforts to not show her displeasure while Ron grinned from ear to ear.

"Okay, Ginny. Do you want to try and wipe that smug smile from your brother's face?" Hermione asked her. Ginny was surprised that Hermione actually asked her to defy Ron at chess. Ginny was not bad at that game, but she wasn't as good as Ron was. Still, she accepted the challenge.

Ginny didn't last long against her brother though, but she thought she managed to surprise him a few times with unexpected moves. Then it was Harry, who failed just like she did. His game with Ron was nearing its end when the radio stopped playing Warbeck's songs and began a song she knew only too well.

When all is dark and there's no light

Lost in the deepest star of night

I see you

Ginny recognized the lyrics and the melody of one of the best songs by the Weird Sisters right away. She went to listen to them.

At around eleven o'clock, everyone seemed tired, but none of the adults seemed to want to ask them to go to bed. Her father was quietly snoozing, while her mother was listening to yet another song of Celestina Warbeck who returned to the radio. As Harry and Ron were discussing about a series of comics called the X-Men who Ginny never heard about, and that Harry apparently gave some numbers to Ron for Christmas, she went to look through the window, through which she could see the snow heavily falling outside. It was strange, but she was able to see the snowflakes falling to the ground despite the complete darkness that surrounded the Burrow.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Ginny almost jumped at Mrs Lily's voice, who was right behind her. "When I was a kid, I could stay still at the window, watching snow falling with my sister. We remained there, still, for hours. Sometimes after our parents supposedly put us to bed."

She laughed nervously. "You have a sister?" Ginny asked.

"Yes. I do."

Ginny didn't know about that. As Harry's mother got lost into the snow outside, Ginny thought about the fact that she always wanted to have a sister as she grew up. She loved her brothers, but being the only girl among seven children could be hard sometimes.

"What's her name?"

"Petunia. But I used to call her Tuney when we were kids. I still call her this way."

"I never saw her." She wondered what Harry's aunt looked like.

"No. And you'll probably never see her."

Ginny frowned. "Why?"

She saw Mrs Lily close her eyes. "It's complicated."

She kept them close for quite some time. Then she looked around the room. Fred and George were drinking some chocolate while Ron was showing Percy his comic books and Hermione and Harry talked to each other on another couch. Mrs Lily went to Ginny's parents. Her mother was still listening to the radio. Mrs Lily whispered something into the ear of Ginny's mother, who seemed to wake up suddenly. She looked at her watch, then to her husband.

"Time to sleep, everyone! It's past eleven. Let's go to bed."

There weren't too many complaints. Almost everyone looked very tired. Ginny's father woke up and followed her mother to their bedroom. Fred and George headed toward theirs while Ron and Harry moved up to the highest room the house. Hermione accompanied Ginny to her own bedroom that they shared while Hermione was staying at their home.

"It was a good day," Hermione said as they changed. "A good beginning for the year."

"Yes." Ginny thought she noticed, however, that Hermione was forcing a little her enthusiasm.

Ginny went to brush her teeth. When she returned, Hermione was still sitting on the bed they added so she could sleep in Ginny's chamber.

"Ginny, is there something wrong with Mrs Evans?" Hermione asked her out of nowhere as Ginny was getting inside her bed.

"What? What's wrong?"

"I don't know. She just seems… rougher."

"Rougher?" Ginny had not seen anything like it.

"Yes. Maybe it's just an impression but… Maybe she's just worried about Harry, after what happened on the train."

True. Ginny was horrified when they were told that Pettigrew had been on the train and actually attacked Harry. She was worried sick about him for most of the holidays, and rejoiced when he arrived at the Burrow yesterday, looking perfectly fine.

"Maybe it's her training to become an Auror," Hermione resumed. "It must be quite stressful. This is her last year, after all."

"Maybe." Now something came back to Ginny. "But… I surprised a discussion she had with Harry yesterday. I just heard… Harry was asking her questions. He said she was participating to the efforts to find Pettigrew."

"She is?" Hermione asked, looking curious.

"Yes. I'm sure. That's what Harry was saying."

"Strange," Hermione wondered aloud. "I didn't think the Ministry would involve Harry's mother. She's too involved. It's something too personal for her."

"So what?" Ginny didn't see anything wrong with that.

"Well, you cannot ask a victim to chase down someone who tried to kill her."

"Why not?"

Hermione looked with a strange expression to Ginny. Then she shook her head. "No matter. Probably everyone at the Ministry is chasing Pettigrew now with what happened. They probably involved all the Aurors along with those still in training. That would explain why she looked on edge."

"On edge?" Ginny didn't have this impression from Mrs Lily. "She didn't look on edge to me. She looked… normal."

Except maybe for tonight, when she looked sad while she briefly talked about her sister. Ginny wondered why Mrs Lily told her she was unlikely to ever meet Harry's aunt.

"Perhaps it's just a personal impression," Hermione said.

A knock was heard on the door at this moment, and the voice of Ginny's mother came from the other side.

"To bed now, girls. You'll talk tomorrow."

Ginny didn't need to be told twice. She pulled the covers upon her, and wished a good night to Hermione before she blew out the candle.

She was running in the fields. Her shoes sucked the water from the wet grass under her feet as she chased the gnomes around the house. She threw insults at them, forcing them farther away from their gardens, mocking their small shapes and gross figures. Among them was a rat, grey, with a long tail similar to a worm. Ginny ran after him, throwing harder, darker insults after it. The rat increased its speed, so Ginny increased hers as well. The insults she threw at the rat grew sharper, hissing as the rat ran so quickly that it looked like his shape was stretching, his body taking a more sinuous form. It was progressively more difficult to distinguish it from the grass around, and it grew, wider, longer, until it was bigger than Ginny, and making hissing similar to those she produced. It now shone in the darkness, fluorescent green lights illuminating the giant form from time to time. The giant snake stopped, turned its head and looked to Ginny with its shining yellow eyes. Then it opened its mouth, revealing sharp long fangs, and it jumped on Ginny.

She woke up, panting, breathing quickly. It was yet another nightmare. She did fewer of them, but they kept coming back from time to time. In the darkness, she managed to distinguish Hermione in the bed next to hers, still sleeping. Ginny envied her, being able to rest peacefully every night, not having any trouble to sleep. But perhaps it was only fair that Ginny was the only one making nightmares. After all, it was Ginny who set the Basilisk upon Hermione last year. Hermione told Ginny that she forgave her, and on more than one occasion, but Ginny still felt guilt over her actions from last year, as unconscious and under control she might have been when she conducted them.

She wrapped the covers around her body more tightly. She felt herself shivering, and she wrapped even more tightly. Slowly, she managed to calm herself, thinking about positive things, about the holidays she just spent with her family. Thinking about Harry. Thinking about him always helped her. Ginny might be shy in his presence, losing all her ways, unable to tell him a single word, but thinking of him always helped her relax and feel better. Slowly, she faded back into sleep, this time dreaming that she played Quidditch for the Holyhead Harpies.

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Next chapter: Harry