Thank you for R&R.
Chapter 13:
They all jumped and cringed as one as the door opened and slammed shut. They sat there for a few moments in silence with Hermione glaring at Ron so fiercely that he knew he was sleeping in the guest bedroom for the next few days.
"Ron. You prat!" Ginny shouted at him as she got up from the couch and walked to the door, slamming it shut as well. Hermione and Ron sat staring at each other again for a moment before Hermione gave a loud groan of annoyance and got up to go start cleaning. Angrily she picked up the cups from the coffee table as Ron watched helplessly from the couch.
"Hermione I-"
"Don't." She bit out angrily, walking away. Ron cringed as he heard the dishes clatter into the sink, and he debated with himself whether he should follow her or not. Self-preservation said not to, but he knew he screwed up and the sooner she vented her annoyance at him the better for the both of them. So, with that sullen thought Ron picked up the tray of snacks Hermione had set down when they came out for coffee and headed into the kitchen.
Setting the tray down onto the counter he began to put them back into their tin as Hermione washed the dishes. Neither of them spoke as they performed their tasks. Ron felt guilty that Hermione was mad at him. He was mad at himself. Here he was, the one who had said not too long ago that it would probably be best for Harry if he stayed away from the wizarding world, pushing him to come back.
"Hermione…" He tried again once she started the dishwasher. She turned around and leaned back against the sink, her arms crossed over her chest as she stared at the floor.
"Why did you do that Ron?" She asked him with forced calm.
Ron stared at her for a few moments, trying to think of what to say, but nothing exactly came to mind. "I don't know Hermione." He answered softly.
"You don't know?"
"No, I don't." He said. "I just…it was…we were all having a good time." He finished lamely.
"Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?" She bit out. "We were having such a good time that you thought you would try to bully Harry into something he wasn't ready for?"
"How do you know he's not?"
"Because if he were he would have come and found us and not have us stumble into him you prat!"
With another glare Hermione stomped out of the kitchen, turning off the light even though Ron was still standing there. He took several calming breaths before slowly following her out. He found her in the living room again, sitting on the end chair with a book on her lap. He could tell by the way she held it that she wasn't really reading it and he felt inclined to let her continue to pretend, but he wanted to have this out. He didn't like having tension between the two of them.
"I'm sorry Hermione." He started. "It just felt right, the four of us. We were all having a good time. It was like in sixth year, after Harry and Ginny got together, how we would all be together, happy, talking, joking. Before everything fell apart."
"Oh Ronald." Hermione sighed, exasperated as she moved over to sit next to him. "I know you meant well. But you did push too hard."
"I know."
"I'm not saying we shouldn't push Harry." She said, "But I think we should be less aggressive about it."
"What do you mean?"
"I just mean that Evelyn will be going to Hogwarts when she's eleven. It might be easier, for the both of them, if they had some presence in the wizarding world. Unless attitudes change, Harry and Evelyn will need some allies."
That was true, they would. Though the stigma on the two of them wouldn't prevent Evelyn from going to Hogwarts, it would be good to have some people on their side to help protect her. He didn't envy the little girl. He made a mental note to himself to encourage his nieces and nephews to take care of her. Several of them would be going at the same time as she, it would help if she had people who loved her there.
"And what about this thing with Harry and Ginny?" He asked his fiancé.
"What about it? It worked, didn't it?" She huffed.
"Harry stormed out and Ginny followed in a huff. How is that working out?" He asked her incredulously. Hermione just gave him that knowing look that he both hated and loved.
"Yes, but they left together that's the point."
"How's that the point? I thought you wanted them to get back together."
"Oh, honestly Ron. The whole point of the evening was for the two of them to spend time together. To get to know each other again which they did, and they had a good time, until the end. But then left in a huff, together."
"Really that was your plan? Have them spend time together?"
"Well what else was it supposed to be? I wasn't about to lock them in a room and see if they hop into bed together."
Ron blanched at that. "I should hope not! They're not married, or engaged, or even together!" Hermione just stared at him incredulously for a few moments before rolling her eyes. "Don't look at me like that. You know the wizarding view of premarital relations. Just because Harry did that once doesn't give him a free pass on my sister."
Again, Hermione stared at him incredulously before breaking into laughter. "You really think he only had sex once?"
"Well yeah, Evelyn didn't come out of thin air." He told her. "I do know where babies come from."
Hermione laughed harder then. "Oh stop, I'm going to wet myself." Hermione exclaimed. He didn't quite understand what was so funny but couldn't help but join in after a moment, glad to hear her laughter. It was one of the best sounds to him and he loved it.
After a few moments the two of them gasped for air as their laughter began to die. Ron wrapped his arms around Hermione, holding her tight. Despite its ending it had been a good evening. They had had a nice meal with their friend and for the most part it had been light and fun. It was how it always should have been, the four of them together. Grownups now.
He thought of Harry and Ginny, they had gotten along so well. He wasn't so oblivious to not see the looks that passed between the two. He knew his sister still loved Harry, and he could tell that Harry felt the same about Ginny. All Ron ever wanted for his sister was for her to be happy. He wanted her to find someone, to settle down and start a family. For the longest time he had wanted it to be Harry, so he searched extra hard, but after several years he changed to just wanting her to find someone and be happy with them.
But now Harry was back, and the two of them still loved each other. However, the more he thought of them together the more worried he became for his sister, and for Harry. As he told Hermione, he learned a lot about muggle life from television. He didn't believe it was all true, he wasn't that dense, but he still believed that it was based on some truth. The more he witnessed and experienced the more Ron understood Hermione's passion for changing the wizarding world. Their views and laws were archaic to the rest of the world around them. The muggles outnumbered them significantly, and though they had their own issues, they clearly seemed more functional and accepting.
"Do you think it was just that one person?" Ron asked Hermione. She pulled away from him and he wished she hadn't, he wasn't sure he wanted to see her expressions as they had this conversation.
"What do you mean?" She asked, causing him to roll his eyes. He'd hoped she wouldn't make him ask it outright.
"I mean, do you think it was just that one person that Harry had been with." He asked again. "You know, Evelyn's mother."
Hermione shook her head. "Honestly, no. I don't."
For some reason that made him feel angry. How could muggles give themselves away so easily? In the wizarding world you were with one person, and it wasn't until marriage, or in his and Hermione's case, long term engagement, and it was till death do you part. In one television series a person could sleep with five or more people throughout. He felt kind of queasy thinking his friend might have done that.
He wondered what his sister would think about it. It must be hard enough to know that Harry had been with one person, Evelyn being the evidence of that. Ron wouldn't blame her if she felt betrayed, though the two of them weren't together at the time. But he wondered and worried how she would feel if it was more than the one.
"What are you thinking?" Hermione asked him gently, breaking him from his thoughts.
He thought for another moment before replying, "I'm thinking Harry is a man slut." Hermione laughed again.
"Don't judge him too harshly Ronald."
"And why shouldn't I? Especially since you're getting my sister involved."
"Because we weren't there. We don't know anything."
"Yeah, and that's his fault, not ours." He bit out.
"The point, Ron, is that it's not as simple as Harry being promiscuous. We've known for a long time, before he left, as far back as possibly fourth year, that Harry has had mental health issues. People do things they wouldn't normally do, they make bad decisions and try to escape their pain." Hermione paused leaving Ron to ponder that. It was something he had thought about many times since he's known Harry. If anything, Ron was surprised, and a little impressed that Harry hadn't cracked years before he did. Between the abuse from his family, all the death around him, and being hunted by an evil bastard, it was a miracle that Harry was currently sane at all.
'Though he did crack.' His mind supplied as it remembered Harry's confession last week of having been locked up. But he was better now, right?
"I'm just worried about Ginny." He admitted. "I'm worried about how she's going to take it. I don't want to see her hurt again."
"I know."
"But I'm also worried about Harry. I'm afraid of what will happen if she rejects him because of it."
Hermione didn't respond. There was nothing she could say, he knew. All the two of them could do was wait and hope for the best outcome and be there if the worse happens. Either way Ron and Hermione would be there to pick up any pieces that may fall.
"Harry! Wait!" Ginny called, chasing after him down the block. Harry stopped and turned to see her running at him. She caught up to him and stopped a few feet away, not sure exactly what to do. "Please don't go." She said softly. They stood there staring at each other for a few moments. It was already dark out, but the sidewalks were lit brightly by the streetlights that reflected the wet pavement.
"Would you like to come over and have some coffee?" Harry asked her. She looked into his eyes searchingly for an instant before nodding yes. He reached out his hand to her and she looked at it hesitantly for a moment before reaching out and grabbing it. They stood there holding hands for a few blinks before he tightened his fingers around hers and they began walking in the direction of his house.
The walk to Harry's home was made in a comfortable silence. This was the first time Ginny got to look around the neighborhood. The few times she had visited either of her brothers she had apparated directly to their homes and didn't venture out. She could see why they had chosen the area as all the houses looked lovely with their cut grass and hedges. The flowers in bloom gave the air a wonderful floral scent and she could imagine how beautiful they will look in a month. She looked up at Harry to see him smiling down at her, causing a shiver to roam down her spine.
"Are you cold? You didn't bring your jacket." He commented. They stopped for a moment for him to shrug off the lightweight coat he had worn. He wrapped it around Ginny, who slipped her arms into the sleeves. It hung very loosely on her, but it felt very comfortable. She could smell Harry on it, the scent of his cologne and body wash smelling heavenly to her. It took all her willpower not to just take a deep breath into it and take it all in. Harry then reached back out and grabbed her hand again and they continued walking towards his house.
When they approached it, Ginny couldn't help but show a bright smile. It was a beautiful house, and she let Harry know about it. He seemed pleased that she liked it. They opened the little fence in the front and walked up the sidewalk, Ginny admired the flowers that lined the walkway up to the door. She never thought of Harry as a gardener though she knew his aunt had made gardening part of his daily chores, so it wasn't a surprise.
She admired the porch, loving the bench swing and the toys that littered the area as Harry unlocked the door with keys, reminding her that he lived like a muggle. As they entered his house and Harry turned on the lights, she took a few moments to look around. It looked like a very warm home. There were pictures littering every surface available, and the toys were all over. She smirked a bit at the color scheme of the décor being mostly red and gold.
"Once a Gryffindor always a Gryffindor." She commented quietly to herself.
Harry looked over at her from where he was picking up a few pieces of clothing that looked to belong to Evelyn off the couch.
"What?" He asked, not quite hearing her. She just smirked and shook her head.
"Was just commenting on your Gryffindor taste in decorating." She said, walking more into the room and looking around more. Harry looked around as well as if noticing for the first time what his house looked like.
"Yeah, it's normally different looking." He said. Harry grabbed his wand that she was alarmed to see sitting on a nearby shelf and not as she presumed with him and waved it. The colors in the living room changed from reds and golds to soft blues, greens and whites.
"Oh, well this is nice as well." She commented.
"Yeah, Evelyn was going through some photos from Hogwarts and decided we needed to pretend to be Gryffindors." Harry motioned for her to sit down while he walked to the kitchen to get drinks.
Ginny took the time he was gone to look around the room more as she sat on the couch. Picking up some paper from the coffee table in front of her she smiled at the childish drawings of gold lions surrounded by red and maroon backgrounds. Picking up a few more she could see better drawings that were clearly done by Harry. She admitted the artwork, noticing that while he didn't have Dean Thomas' talent for art, Harry wasn't half bad himself.
A few minutes later Harry walked back out a few minutes later carrying a tray with some juice and a plate of what looked like chocolate cookies with some white creme in the middle (Oreos YUMMY) "Sorry, I appear to be out of coffee. Perhaps I should take this time alone this weekend to actually do some shopping." He commented, handing her a glass before sitting down next to her on the couch.
"There has never been any doubt Harry, that you are in fact Gryffindor." She said, taking a sip of the juice. Harry looked at her confused. "You said you were pretending to be one. You don't have to pretend you know. You are one." She told him firmly. Harry smiled.
"Yeah. And hopefully Evelyn will be one too." He sat back and looked at his hands thoughtfully.
"What if she's not? What if she's in another house?" Ginny asked him curiously. Harry thought for a moment.
"I used to care about being in Slytherin. That I would disown a child if they ended up there." He chuckled at that.
"I don't think you would ever disown a child Harry. No matter if they were in Slytherin or even a squib." Ginny commented sincerely. There was no way in her mind that Harry would be able to stop loving a child, or anyone. Once Harry Potter loved you, he loved you no matter what.
"I just want her to be happy. I don't care where she ends up." He said sincerely. "Though. odds are against her being in any other house other than Gryffindor. I see so much of it in her. But alas, we must wait and see." He said.
Ginny set her glass down on the table in front of her and turned to lean her back up against the arm of the couch so she could face Harry. It felt like it used to be when they were alone together. It was comfortable and nice. She wished she could go back to that time when things, while still complicated due to Voldemort, were also quite simple.
She looked at the table near her glass and saw a picture there. It was a picture of Harry sitting under a tree with a woman with long blond hair. The picture was Muggle and didn't move but she could imagine from the grass that a soft wind was blowing. Harry had his arms around the woman in an embrace and they were both smiling at the person taking the photo. There was a slight bump on her stomach where she rested her hand gently on it.
"That's Andrea." Harry said quietly. She looked up from the photo to see Harry. He was staring at the photo as well, a slightly glazed look on his face.
"Is that Evelyn's mother?" She asked. Harry nodded. He looked up and met Ginny's eyes. She could see sadness in him, and her heart ached for him.
"What happened to her?" Harry looked away from her and reached out for the photo. He stood up with it, walking away and putting it up on a shelf by the TV. He stared at it silently for a few moments.
"She's not around." He said simply. The same thing he had said the last few times asked. They were quiet again.
"Did she die in childbirth?" Ginny practically whispered. Harry turned to look at her questionably.
"Why would you ask that?" He asked. Ginny swallowed hard before answering.
"It's just, you said that Evelyn showed magic ability before she was born. Which means she's probably powerful. It's not very common knowledge but a lot of Muggle-Borns generally don't have mothers." She said sadly. Harry came over and sat back down on the couch.
"Why is that?" He asked curiously.
"Well, Muggles don't have the defenses and capabilities to handle the magic of the babies. The baby's magic and life are connected to the mothers. During childbirth a lot of the baby's magic is cast upon the mother, and usually Muggle women can't handle it and they die." She told him. Harry looked horrified at this discovery.
"That is so horrible. How…Why…I don't even know what to say." He stammered in shock. Ginny placed her hand on his comfortingly.
"That's why it's not very common knowledge Harry. It's not a thing most people want to know. That they are responsible for their mother's death just because they are magical. It's not their fault, they had no control over it, but it's still tragic." Harry didn't know exactly what to say so he kept his mouth shut and thought.
"Is it a common thing? Do many die?" He inquired.
"Not as many as I'm probably making it sound. The Hogwarts quill recognizes any measurable magical baby born in the country. Most magic doesn't start showing itself till about 4 or 5 years. Those that show early, like Evelyn are rare and are usually detected early in the same fashion as the Hogwarts quill and a healer is sent out to act as their…I think Mum called them 'obertitions'?"
"Obstetrician" Harry corrected softly.
"Yeah. Obstetrician, and they assist in the birth and block the mother from the backlash of the baby's magic." She finished. Harry looked away in thought. His eyes glazed over again as he thought back to the time when Andrea was pregnant.
"He was a wizard." He muttered to himself. Ginny looked at him curiously. She squeezed his hand gently to get his attention. He looked up at her and smiled, squeezing her hand back.
"What are you thinking?" She inquired softly. He took a deep breath, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts.
"I was just thinking back. We, I mean, Andrea and I went to a doctor's appointment one day, and she had told us that due to her patient load that we will now be under the care of another Doctor. We didn't think anything of it at the time, but when we asked later everyone said that it was unusual to be told in that matter and even more usual that he saw us right away that day." Harry looked away again, still in thought. "Our appointments nearly doubled after that. He was there the whole way, all the way up to the birth and for a few weeks after. And strangely we never got a bill."
Ginny laughed a bit at that last sentence. Harry looked back at her with a smile on his face. "I'm going to guess that it was probably a Healer then." She said, Harry thought for a moment.
"But I didn't get a magical signature off him."
"That's because Healers probably mask their signatures in order to allow their patients to be read more easily and to not confuse others regarding patient and Healer." She explained. They sat quietly again each in their own little thoughts.
"She didn't die." Harry whispered again, breaking the silence. Ginny looked at him for a moment. "At childbirth. Andrea didn't die. She lived. She was healthy." And that was all that was said on the topic. Ginny had more questions she wanted to ask, but something inside her told her now wasn't the time to ask them.
"So, what are your plans for tomorrow eh?" She asked him changing topics. The atmosphere in the room was very thick and practically suffocating and she was finding it hard to breathe.
"Probably cleaning and shopping. In case you can't tell this place is a bit of a disaster. I also have some studying to do. Yours?" He inquired back.
"Probably hang out at home or The Burrow. Coach felt it best we take tomorrow off." Harry sat back on the couch again looking comfortable.
"Well, you're welcome to come over tomorrow and hang out with me if you'd like. You can help me go shopping and carry all my bags." He joked. Ginny laughed at that.
Ginny stayed over for another half hour before leaving, finalizing their plans for the next day before she did. As she was about to exit the house she turned towards Harry for a final goodbye when she was swept into a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight, inhaling his scent deeply as she did. It felt good to be in his arms again, even for just a goodbye hug. They separated and she looked up into his eyes, face inches from hers.
"Goodnight Ginny." He whispered to her before slowly letting go. She kept her eyes on his heart falling slightly at the letdown of wanting more, but quickly recovered. Saying her own goodnight and leaving the house. She walked a bit away from it due to the anti-apparition wards, Harry watching her protectively from his window and then turned on the spot and disappeared as if she was never there.
Harry stood still at the window staring at where Ginny had been moments before, his heart thudding in his chest. She had felt so wonderful in his arms that he hadn't wanted to let her go. He wanted to press his lips upon hers and keep her there, never letting her go again. But he couldn't bring himself to do that. He still had too many secrets that he felt he should reveal before they could consider a relationship.
For now, he was content to have her back as his friend.
Turning from the window Harry grimaced at the mess that was his house. Evelyn had been a handful Friday night, as she normally was the night before going to Andromedas. Tired after a day of work, Harry had gone to his bedroom to tidy up with Evelyn in tow. Digging in his closet she found his chest of old school things and she dug out a photo album and announced that she wanted to play Gryffindor.
With that proclamation he dug out his old uniform for her and they transformed the living room into red and gold. She pretended to be a student as he gave her schoolwork such as drawing the house mascot and making up a poem. Harry smiled as he picked up the paper with it that she had dictated to him to write. It made no sense, was mostly gibberish but the memory of creating it made it special. Setting it down on the dining room table he made a mental note to buy a frame for it to hang it.
House tidy with the last bit being clothes that he tossed into the laundry room, Harry began turning off the lights to head upstairs to bed. His stomach was in knots of knowing he would be spending the whole day with Ginny. Whether the knots were from nerves or excitement he honestly couldn't tell. He was elated to spend time with her, to get to know her again, but a part of him was scared to death of it.
The next morning couldn't come quickly enough for Ginny but when it did, she was quite pleased. She arrived at Harry's house promptly at 9:30 as arranged to be ushered into the dining room to have breakfast with him. He had made a cheese omelet with bacon and toast. It tasted wonderful. It still alarmed her how thin he looked but as he ate another piece of toast, she figured it was just how he was, and it at least gave her some comfort that he could care for himself.
Though she knew he always could, and always had thanks to the Dursleys. But the last few months of their time together before he disappeared had worried her to no end. When he moved to Grimmauld Place by himself it was clear he wasn't taking any care of himself. He had been emaciated and dirty, with only slight improvement after Ron and Hermione had brought him back to the Burrow. He was barely living before he left. It had been a constant fear of hers after he left that she had frequently had to squish down and try to not think of or it would drive her mad.
She noted as she looked around that he had apparently cleaned up after she left. Not that the house was dirty, but it had the normal wear and tear mess of a busy single father with toys and clothes everywhere. She noted his books off to the side of the kitchen table, obviously he had even done some studying. She was curious about his schooling. She had been surprised to learn he was a teacher, of young children at that, but that he was also still in school.
Once breakfast was finished Harry shuffled her out of the house and into his car. She had obviously ridden in a car before, but this was the first time she had done it in the front seat the Muggle way. It wasn't so bad a ride, Harry was a very careful driver she noticed, probably from experience of having a small child in the back seat, which helped her anxiety about it.
They first stopped at a shopping center where she had a complete and utter blast going through the stores. They stopped at this clothing store where Harry dragged her in and forced her to try some things. She was surprised by some of the Muggle fashions and quite liked them. Being out of Hogwarts and mostly in the Wizarding world she kind of fell out of the Muggle clothing loop and stuck to jumpers and pants with robes.
But Harry seemed to be attempting to correct that and had bought her, against a lot of protest at least a couple of things, including a super cute blue top with purple flowers on it. She did try telling him that she had her own money, being a Quidditch player paid well, but he didn't listen. She dragged him into a toy store nearby, where he protested saying that he's seen enough of these. She was like a child again in the store, playing with everything she could, touching buttons, playing with dolls. In the end Harry insisted on buying her a little purple stuffed kitten. It was extra soft and had pin paws and ears. It didn't move or anything but somehow it made it extra wonderful.
That she allowed him to buy without protest.
He next took her into an electronics store where they spent half an hour going through music and movies. Harry bought Evelyn a few kids DVDs, and the latest Lily Allen CD which he later played in the car on their way back to his house.
They both decided that it would be a good idea to eat lunch before going grocery shopping, so Harry took her down the street to a hamburger joint that he loved. They spent the time eating and swapping stories. Ginny loved listening to him tell her stories about Evelyn. His face just brightened up and he was so enthusiastic. It was a completely new experience to see this side of Harry, and she had to admit to herself that she did enjoy it.
Grocery shopping was a hugely fun experience for her. She had never been to a Muggle store like this before and she loved it. She even picked up some random food items that looked good that she wanted to try out. She found it amusing how Harry would stand in an aisle and read weird little labels on the box, him claiming he was looking for nutritional value in them. Or how he spent over 5 minutes going through picking out oranges. He explained as they went that Muggles didn't have the capabilities of getting perfect food all the time.
They drove back to Harry's house at about 3pm and unpacked the car. Again, the Muggle way. That, she got though, seeing as it was a Muggle area. They plopped on the couch after the groceries were put away and Ginny sighed tiredly.
"I can definitely see why you are lazy and don't have anything. Shopping is a lot of work!" she exclaimed. He laughed sitting back on the couch. She pulled her legs up and draped them over Harry's.
"What do you wanna do now?" He asked, reaching over and tucking a stray hair behind her ear. She closed her eyes at his touch, enjoying it. He slid his hand down her arm gently as he dropped it and it landed on hers, where she turned her palm up to grab it.
"Nothing. I just want to sit here with you." She said softly. He leaned closer to her, leaning against the couch. She could feel his breath on her cheek.
"Alright" he whispered to her.
They sat there for an unknown length of time, just basking in each other's company. Harry occasionally rubbed his thumb over her hand as she held onto it. Some unknown time later they both fell asleep, falling into a peaceful rest.
"DADDY!" Evelyn shouted standing right in front of her father. She had been dropped off by Aunty Dromey a few minutes ago. She had entered the house with her to check if Harry was home, but promptly left telling Evelyn to be good and let the nap a little longer.
Evelyn was not happy.
She knew from the pictures her dad had and from the party they went to on funday (little kids' way of saying Sunday hehe) was Ginny, a friend her dad liked, but that did not mean she could just come over and take nap times with her daddy.
Harry startled awake, practically jumping off the couch and away from Ginny who also jumped. He looked around frantically for Evelyn before settling on her small form in front of him. He sat up and grabbed her in worry.
"Are you alright sweetie?" He asked her. Evelyn nodded her head frantically no. "What's the matter?"
"You are taking a nap." She said simply. He looked at her confused, not sure what she meant.
"Yeah, I fell asleep after shopping. I'm sorry sweetie." He said, hoping that it would placate her.
"With HER." She emphasized by pointing at Ginny who was watching the two of them curiously.
"It's not nice to point." He lowered her arm to her side, but she struggled away from him. Harry sighed wearily and leaned his head into his hand trying to rub some of the sleep and anxiety from being woken suddenly away.
Evelyn didn't like that he wasn't paying attention to what she was trying to say and promptly started showing her displeasure by shouting and screaming. Ginny cringed at the sound and covered her ears, admiring the fact the little girl had a good set of lungs. Harry on the other hand was not amused by her fit and promptly told her sharply to stop.
Evelyn didn't like that either, ignoring him and throwing herself on the floor crying and screaming. Ginny didn't know what to do. She had been in the presence of children throwing temper-tantrums before, obviously having a very large family with loads of kids, but she has never felt like she was the cause of one. This was a very different feeling. She thought about leaving and was starting to get up to tell Harry so, but Harry put his hand on her leg, telling her though it to stay put.
He stood up from the couch and looked down at Evelyn beating the floor in her fit.
"Evelyn, stop." He said loudly and firmly. It had no effect. If anything, it made her get louder. "I'll give you till five to stop or you'll be punished."
She continued to lay on the floor in her fit. Harry, keeping to his word, counted slowly to 5. giving her ample opportunity to quit. When he hit five however and she had not he easily bent down, picked her up by the arms and sat her on her feet. Again, she wouldn't accept that and bent her knees so she wouldn't stand.
Harry scooped his arm under her legs picking her up, she was fighting him all the way. Ginny was afraid that Harry would drop her, but he seemed to have a firm grip on her. He carried her out of the living room and up the stairs. She could hear him walk down the hall. She heard him tell her to stay in her room till she learns to behave and the door closing.
She looked up as he entered the living room and gave him a small nervous smile. He came over and sat next to her again, leaning back tiredly.
"Sorry you had to witness that." He said reaching for her hand again and pulling her towards him. She leaned up against his chest. She could feel his heartbeat and his breath slightly hitched from exertion.
"No worries. I didn't cause that, did I?" She asked hesitantly, looking up at him from her relaxed position.
"No." He said simply. "I don't think it's you. She's been like this for a few weeks."
"What's wrong with her then?" She inquired, though not entirely sure if it was really any of her business. Harry leaned his chin gently on top of hers and wrapped his arm around her.
"Laura figures that she's being a bit jealous by all the extra people who just entered our lives." He said.
"'Our lives.'" She repeated. "It sounds kinda strange hearing you use that term. You aren't just you anymore, are you?" She asked. She could feel him shake his head a little.
"No. It's now an 'us', or 'our', or 'we'. Whatever. I'm now a packaged deal. When it comes to me, you get all my extra baggage as well as a kid." He joked. He could feel her chuckle beneath him. She thought about it for a moment, and then sat up and turned to face Harry.
His face fell a bit at the seriousness of her look. She took a moment to consider what she wanted to say, feeling like this could be an important conversation in this…well…whatever this was right now.
"You're right. You are a packaged deal." She said calmly. Harry wasn't sure how to respond to that exactly.
"Is that a problem Ginny?" He asked quietly, not quite sure if he wanted an answer. She gripped his hand still in hers tightly and put on a small smile.
"No Harry. It's not." She said, Harry gave a small sigh of relief.
"Good. Because, I know this is going very quickly, we've only just, well, reunited a week ago, but I don't want to lose you again." He said frankly. She was startled by his admission. Harry wasn't exactly the most straightforward of people, especially when it comes to his feelings.
"I don't want to lose you either Harry. But I don't want to cause distress in your life. Evelyn is the most important thing to you."
"I know." He interrupted. "And she is, and I will let her know it in every way possible. But you are important too." There was a loud bang on the ceiling. and Harry rolled his eyes.
"I don't think she's calming down very well." Ginny stated staring at the ceiling. She looked back down, yet again meeting his eyes. Her heartbeat more rapidly at the look he was giving her. She missed this so much.
"I never stopped loving you, Ginny." He whispered. A small smile graced her face, causing him to smile back at her. He leaned in closer to her, face inches from hers. She fluttered her eyes closed and held her breath, waiting for him. She could feel his breath on her lips as he slowly moved in.
*clank*
They both moved apart a bit and looked at the ceiling again. Ginny started to laugh. She couldn't stop herself. She's waited eight years to kiss Harry again. Harry looked at her as if she was slightly crazy, but in a loving way. After the laughter drew to a stop, she gave a loud sigh. She waited eight years; she could wait a little bit longer. Harry was here and she was secure in that he wasn't leaving.
"I think perhaps I should go now." She said, standing up. Harry pressed his lips together for a moment before nodding. "But I think we should get together soon, Harry. Maybe discuss more of…well...this." She emphasized both of them with her hands.
"Definitely." He agreed. He followed her to the door, where she grabbed her jacket and put it on. It was kind of chilly outside.
"You did a good job handling her, I must admit. I've seen many a flustered parent in the throes of a kids fit but you handled it with perfect grace." She said standing in front of the door. "As if I expected anything else from the great Harry Potter." He chuckled at her.
"Oh please. I defeated Voldemort. Handling a 4 year old. Easy peasey." He waved off.
"And so modest!" She reached up and gave him a tight hug, she held on for a few moments before pulling away inches from his face, practically going cross eyed. She looked deep into his emerald green eyes. "I never stopped loving you either." She whispered.
She leaned in closer and pressed her lips to him. She felt him responding back eagerly as they kissed. As much as she hated it, she broke it off. He had to go handle his daughter. She gave him one last peck on the lips before opening the front door and exiting out of it, closing it behind her.
She stood on the porch for a moment and brought her hand up and gently touched her own lips. She could still feel the ghost of his on hers, and she felt tears prickling in the corner of her eyes. With one last glance at the door, she quickly walked down the walkway and out in the street, apparating away again.
A/N: I totally didn't know that kids actually threw themselves on the floor kicking and screaming. I thought that was an urban myth made up by television until my nephew did it and i was too impressed at witnessing it to be annoyed.
Please R&R