AN: Hey, guys! Don't worry so much! Mrs. Weasley was mostly just overreacting. The Ginny situation is explained in this chapter, and it may sound contradictory to the era, since an unmarried girl shouldn't just move in with a single man. But first of all, Harry is still very much married, at least in his eyes, though the world sees him more like a widower… And secondly: it's the wizarding world! They aren't that uptight about a woman making career on her own as the Muggle world during those times…
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Chapter 9
Hermione sat in front of the fire letting the glow warm her skin.
It had become a ritual of hers, over the years. Every night, if she wasn't too tired, she reserved a little bit of time just like this. Sitting in her bedroom with only the firelight illuminating the room, she allowed herself to remember…
Occasionally she wrote in her diary, of sorts, she started the day of her daughter's first birthday. She wrote to her daughter about everything: how she missed her, how she imagined her growing up. Her hopes that she felt loved, wherever she was, and the hopes of one day being able to see her and take her in her arms at last…
Over the years the journal had become substantial, more then six years of writings now.
The first year after she had given birth to her daughter had been hell. She had taken the money to get her father out of prison, but had always felt guilty about the gold she had accepted. There had been so much, that there had been a substantial amount left she could use for her own purposes.
That year, she hadn't been able to find the strength to go back to being a governess, which meant working with children… She had often wished she could be stronger then that, but she had wallowed for several months in self-pity, living away on the dirty money she had left.
A tragedy had threatened to make her lose her grip on reality entirely. Five months after his release from prison, her father had gotten involved in a fatal fight at a seedy bar somewhere in the questionable parts of London. For a month she had mourned her father by hating him. Having gone to sell a part of herself to get him out of prison, he had rendered all her painful efforts meaningless by getting himself killed.
Slowly, she got back on her feet, though. A wake-up call in the form of a visit from her old Headmistress had shaken her back to reality. The woman believed her depression stemmed from not being able to find work, and having to deal with her father's death. Hermione, however, did nothing to rectify that belief.
Realising she still had her health, and her skills, and her good reputation, she got back up from her melancholy and went to work as a governess again. At first she had been wary, but when her Headmistress had told her the family had three boys between the age of seven and ten, she had been able to relax more.
It was with that second family that she had started the habit of lingering a few minutes in front of the firelight before climbing into bed. The experience had made her stronger in some sense, but the longing to see her daughter kept being a weakness she had to fight daily, in order to keep from falling apart.
This was her last night here with the fourth family she had been governess at. It was never getting any easier to say goodbye to the children she taught daily, but she had become used to the goodbyes in her life.
The only constant she had was herself, and her learning of magical theories. Long since an Animagus in the form of a longhaired brown furball of a cat, she had expanded her horizon and even developed a few of her own spells. Even her potions were getting better every day. Were she not a Muggleborn, she could have opened a magical Apothecary. As it was now, she was able to sell her potions for a minimum profit to Apothecaries selling it as their own.
Driven by an inexplicable need, she saved as much as possible. Her books and most of her clothes were second-handed, but even then it was obvious that the salary of a governess, who was mainly compensated by living under the family's roof, was so limited that it would take a lifetime before she could have enough to stand on her own.
There was another twisted reason she wanted to save her money: it gave her the vague illusion that she would one day be able to pay the right to have her daughter back.
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After Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had left the party, Harry quickly made his goodbye to Ron and Luna, and left with Neville in tow. Neville had been tactful enough not to pry, but Harry had decided to explain the situation anyway.
Giving few details he recounted a story about how he and Cho Chang had married after Cedric had been murdered. How complications during childbirth had rendered her unconscious for the last decade almost, and how he had been blessed with Lily, his adopted daughter he considered as his own.
Leaving the explanations that few, Harry mused on the truth of the matter, the whole truth.
Harry had never elaborated on how he had come to adopt the little girl as a baby, which only increased the mystery surrounding his persona. Many rumours had been flying around, but Harry didn't care. He loved his daughter who was his own, very much, and more times then he could count, she had been the only thing getting him going.
Ron Weasley was the only one, besides the unconscious Cho, who knew Lily's real parentage. The rest of the Weasleys had accepted Harry wouldn't tell them where he had found the little Miss Lily and knowing Harry loved her was enough for them.
Harry shook his wandering thoughts back in order, and during the ride out of London the morning following the party, he explained shortly why mentioning the name of her only daughter in front of Mrs. Weasley, could be a bad idea at times.
Though Ginevra Weasley still was on semi-good terms with her mother, there was one thing in her life that Mrs. Weasley could not accept. And that was the fact that she had remained unmarried and had moved in with Harry when her mother had been out to pressure her into marriage.
Now, Harry knew Mrs. Weasley had to know deep down in her heart that the rumours were just that: rumours… But ever since Ginny moved in with him, speculations had been made about the two of them. Now Harry saw Ginny as a little sister, and he was sure she saw him as a brother also, and he was still married for Merlin's sake! He would never put her reputation on the line like that!
He had tried to make Ginny see reason, but he cared for her and when she pleaded to let her stay, he had given his word he wouldn't pressure her into marriage with anyone to get rid of her.
And it wasn't like she was an inconvenience, really… She had loved Cho as a sister, and with her nursing training, she was of a lot of help in caring for his wife. And even though there were House-Elves keeping his house in order, she had a keener eye on what had to be done than him.
She did have her own life though: she volunteered her services to the Muggle poorhouses, and she worked as a nurse in a magical facility who healed the disastrous results of duelling and Quidditch. As such she couldn't take care of Lily as well…
That's why there was a need for a governess to teach Lily how to read and such. If her little outbursts of accidental magic were anything to go by, she would be allowed to Hogwarts in a few years, carrying the Potter name.
Most governesses were far too strict, though, and he had sacked quite a few of them. The others, Lily had taken care of by making it so difficult on them to teach her anything, that they'd packed and left without turning back. But Harry couldn't blame his daughter, and he wouldn't deny her the carefree childhood, before she would be acquainted with the harsh reality of the world they were living in.
He wanted her to know she was loved by him, and he basked in her unconditional love in return. She was the source of his happiness really, saving his mental sanity from despair more then once. Ginny used to try and discipline her occasionally, but Lily fought valiantly against the woman's affections claiming she wasn't her mother. Harry was just selfish for Lily's adoration when she turned to him, and he never did give Ginny the right to meddle in Lily's education, so the red-haired woman had given up long before now.
Engaged in mindless chatter about the Ministry, Neville and his host finally came upon Harry's house. Mansion would be more accurate…
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