Book II
Small Gods

Chapter 7
Time in the Afternoon

"III"

She has to kill him, she is sure of it.

The weight of her decision settles behind her chest and comforts her. She has thought it through. First, she will steal his magic, and next, she will kill him. Discard him. Push him aside like he wants to do to her.

Ginny smiles. The idea calms her and reassures her. She's finally ready. It is time.

"III"

April 9, 2008

Ginny keeps on showing up at the coffee shop that is apparently so close to Harry's apartment, not that she knows where he lives or anything. He manages to find her almost every time she sits down with a coffee and her book, appearing next to her table with a tea and the paper. She always lets him sit down with her, and they just read together or chat. About nothing really.

She tells herself she is annoyed with his constant presence and that's why she's always so flustered when he inevitably appears standing over her table, grinning down at her, but in all honesty, she just begins to expect his presence there. She begins to like their moments in the coffee shop, brief lulls of ease and calm in her hectic life.

Harry never brings up the Burrow, in fact, it's her who broaches the subject again.

He's distracting her from her book. She tries to read past the first sentence of the chapter she's on but the words won't sink in. She keeps on glancing up at him. Meanwhile, he is reading quite peacefully, the prat, turning the pages of his paper as if he has no worries in the world. She glares at his stupid face and the stupid paper and how stupid he is for just sitting there and making her feel guilty and…

"Fine!" Ginny says, tossing her hands in the air, "you can take me to the Burrow."

He looks up at her, startled, his eyes wide. "What— where did that come from! You— you want to go to the Burrow?"

She continues to glare at him.

He begins to grin. "Alright! So how do you want to do this? I mean… should you just show up with me one Sunday? Should I tell everyone you're alive?" he trails off, thinking.

Ginny falters then… maybe she hasn't thought this through as much as she thought she has.

She'd be lying if she says she doesn't miss everyone, guilt and bitterness set in when she thinks about how much she has missed with her family. Have any of the boys gotten married? Had kids? How much have they all changed as they've grown up and had their lives without her? She knows, realistically, that it was her decision to leave them, but it was for their safety! She left for a reason. And that guilt… the guilt eats at her.

But she also can't say she doesn't feel trepidation at seeing her family again. What if they hate her? Are they mad and angry with her? How much has she hurt them over the years?

She presses her hands over her eyes, fuchsia spots bursting among the black behind her lids. She groans, she knows this will be hard but fuck…

"Ginny," Harry tentatively reaches out, laying a hand on hers, "hey, we can figure this out. Don't worry."

She startles at that. The 'we', his hand on hers… any bit of his decency is too much to bear. She pulls her hand out from under his and stands and moves to walk out.

Pausing, she says "come over for dinner later and we can discuss the options."

Then she walks out the door, glancing back only briefly, Harry's startled face still staring at her as she moves out of sight.

Fuck.

"III"

April 13, 2008

The walk up to the front door is tedious.

Harry practically vibrates with excitement and it grates on Ginny's frayed nerves. But she knows how important her family is to him so she grins up at him slightly when he looks down at her. He lets himself in the backdoor as if he belongs, but of course he does, more than YOU at this point… and she stalls on the doorstep, the weight of it suddenly overwhelming. She halfway turns around, back down the rocky lane, already pulling her apparition destination to mind, when Harry's low voice behind her startles her back to the moment.

"Gin, hey I know this is a lot. But I promise you, you all deserve this. I know it's been hard on you and your family ever since you… had to leave… but you all deserve this moment of happiness. They've all been like a family to me and… I just want y— I just want everyone to feel…whole again."

He is so goddamn earnest. It's almost too much. Almost.

She lets him lead her into the kitchen, her hand tense in his. She can hear them. She can hear her mum chatting away at the stove, her dad's low tones rumbling at the table, and Ron's loud laugh. They all sound so happy. It all sounds so normal. They've been here, all along, living the same lives they've always lived, while she had to leave for… what? For a chance at something bigger? Nothing seems bigger than this at this moment.

She feels so small.

Cheers and loud cries of Harry welcome him as he steps into the room before everyone and everything becomes unnaturally still as Ginny passes the doorway. She longs to fall into Talia at this moment. She wishes she could hide behind her cover and her hand starts to unconsciously drift up to tap at the rune on her chest before she realizes it's still caught in Harry's hand.

She looks down at their hands, mostly as something to do. She can't bear to look into her mum's eyes, see the anger waiting there.

Something like panic pricks behind her breast and it's just so silent…

Then a shuddering gasp comes from her mum. "Ginny… Ginny is that you?" Her voice is quiet, trembling, scared. As if she is terrified Ginny will disappear right in front of her eyes.

Ginny looks up at that, looking into her mum's watering eyes, and there's no anger in them, no disappointment, and something inside her breaks and it's all she can do to just give a shaky nod of her head and then with a gasping sob, her mum rushes towards her and wraps her arms around her and holds her, just holds on to her as if she's a lifeline and Ginny can't stop the few tears that escape and the utter relief that fills her chest and it's all she can do to not break down and apologize over and over and over…

Harry moves back giving them their space, but he's grinning like mad, mightily pleased with himself, the git.

Her dad wraps his arms around the both of them and then her whole family is there, touching her, hugging her, exclaiming over and over in joy and disbelief. And she knows there will be hell to pay and they will have so many questions, but right now, at this moment, she couldn't care any less.

AN-

I know it's been a while but I was stuck for a bit on where I wanted this to go.

I hope you enjoy Ginny's sweet reunion with her family!

And thanks to everyone who left reviews while I wasn't updating, that really helped me get back into this story!

Love you all,

-upstater-