Title: All Roads Lead Back
Keywords: Hermione, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Draco and the rest of the gang. H/Hr, but a whole lot of ships thrown in. Post-HBP
Summary: Harry Potter always figured that once he had fulfilled his destiny he could finally have a happy, normal life. Unfortunately for him he fell in love with his best friend...and everything went straight to hell. Set 7 years after the final battle.
Spoilers: All six books.
A/N: I am a Harmony shipper thru and thru. HBP almost sent me into a fit until I realized that I was throwing a tizzy over a book and told myself to get over it. Hee. I then decided to throw my hat in the fanfiction ring and see if I could come up with a realistic (at least to me) story of my favorite couple getting together that adheres to canon. This is my first attempt at writing a fanfic. I have the whole story already plotted out, but would appreciate it if you would tell me if writing the rest is worth it or not.
I know I kind of messed up on the ages of the Weasley boys. At first I thought there wasn't a verified age for Bill and Charlie so I filled that in. Then I discovered that there are birth dates listed for them. Anyhoo, tired to rework that bit but it's still a titch off. Hope you don't mind it.
I know a lot of people want real time-Hermione in this fic like yesterday. Trust me, she is coming. I've got an outline! I've been following it! Hee. She is on her way. I think something that may not be so obvious, and is totally my fault, is the time frame of these chapters. Believe it or not, minus the flashbacks, it's only been three days since the start of the story. I'm moving things along pretty darned slow, placing all my chess pieces on the board. Please be patient. I understand that some people become impatient when you get to chapters that are not exclusively H/Hr. I've even had reviews that tell me that I should only focus on H/Hr. But that is difficult for me to do because even though a chapter may be a Ron chapter or a Ginny chapter that does not mean that it is not important to the story as a whole. It's kind of Rashomon-esque(best damned movie EVER) in that you basically get the whole story from different points of views. But all the views are there for a reason. TRUST me.
Warning: It seems like I am always giving y'all warnings. LOL! So remember the many times I've mentioned I hate Ginny Weasley? Yeah, still do. Just keep that in mind as you are reading the first half of this. I have not lost my mind, promise. This chapter might make you squirm at the beginning. There is some ONE SIDED H/G. But trust me; you are going to want to hang in there. Everything is not what it seems. If y'all don't end up killing me I should have an H/Hr-centric chapter up soon. Merry Christmas!
Disclaimer: If it looks like it's JKR's, well, that's because it is. She's provided me with the canvas and I'm truly enjoying painting on it.
"That cow!"
Ginny looked up from her plate of Death by Chocolate cheesecake.
"That complete and utter cow!"
When Lavender had floo'ed that morning to ask her out to lunch, Ginny jumped at the invitation. She had been feeling forlorn and inconsolable since dawn. Only a few hours before she and Harry had had an encounter. Of the frustrating kind.
Ginny had awoken during the middle of the night to hear Harry whimpering loudly in the room down the hall from her own. She had been worried about him as of late. Something seemed to be weighing heavily on Harry's mind.
For the past few night's at the dinner table Ginny would look up from her stew or her salad to see a detached and far away look on her husband's face. Ginny surmised that whatever was disturbing Harry had a lot to do with the big case he was working on currently. Draco Malfoy had even stopped by the house late one evening 2 weeks prior to drop off some important looking parchments. Harry made it a point to never socialize with Malfoy outside of work so Ginny could only view this breach of normal conduct as important.
Ginny hardly minded that Harry showed so much devotion to his job. The thought of the great and powerful Harry Potter, taking on all evil doers and making the world safe for all wizarding kind was far more of a turn on then she cared to admit. When Harry left Puddlemere to become an Auror Ginny told herself that for Harry chasing after the Snitch would never compete with saving the world. Harry Potter was a hero. And that was who Ginny married, a hero. Ginny's only wish was that he show as much devotion to her and their marriage as well. She cooked for him. She kept his house clean (with a little help from Dobby). She attended to his every whim. How could she love him any more? Here she was even, leaving the comfort of her cream colored duvet to see why her husband wasn't sleeping well.
She was in such a tear to get to him that she didn't even bother to slip on her bedroom slippers or throw on her dressing gown. He's seen me in less, she mused as she smoothed down the front of her ankle length midnight blue peignoir and pulled its left strap back on to her shoulder. As she padded down the oriental patterned runner of the hall she could hear the sounds from Harry's room getting louder. When she reached the oak door of the bedroom she knocked tentatively on it.
"Harry," she nervously queried.
All she got back were jumbled, muffled groans that sounded like "stop" and "don't". Ginny gently pushed open the door, thankful that it hadn't been locked. She had foolishly left her wand back in her room.
As she stealthy entered thru the door she looked towards the bed. Although she could barely see due to the darkness surrounding her, she could make out Harry's form writhing on the mattress. Ginny's heart sped up in fear. Back when they were still dating Ron had once joked that if Harry and Ginny were ever to get married Ginny would need to invest in crash padding for their bed. Ginny had assumed that her prat of a brother was making an off colored joke, so she hexed his eyebrows off in retaliation. She had used a non-verbal spell so that Ron wasn't even aware that his brow line was now as smooth as a new born babe's bottom. That is till his girlfriend at the time, Hermione, entered the Burrow's kitchen and collapsed on to the floor in a fit of tears and laughter. When Hermione would answer his questions of "what's so bloody funny" with only more giggles followed by pointing, Ron retreated to the bathroom to go have a look see.
Ron didn't speak to Hermione for 2 whole days after that. It took him one week to forgive Ginny.
Hermione later confided in her that in the last few months before Voldemort's defeat Harry, who had been prone to nightmares before, had almost gone mad from the visions Riddle would send him at night. The Dark Lord, sensing that the end, either way, was near decided to go for broke and use the connection he had to Harry's mind like a weapon against him. As soon as he would fall into a deep sleep Harry would see before his eyes scenes of death and destruction. Mangled bodies would be everywhere and all of them would resemble the people that he loved and cared about the most. The insides of Harry's own head had become a battlefield. No matter where he laid his head at night; the Hollow, Hermione's, Hogwarts those dreams would follow him. Since Ron usually slept near by his best friend it usually fell to him to try to comfort Harry during these episodes. Ron would even get in the bed and hold him while he whispered comforting words to try to help both of them sleep. This went on for months with poor results until Hermione ended up in the bed with both boys as well. She and Ron, on either side of Harry, all three faces pressed together so closely that you could hardly tell who's tears were who's. Eventually Harry was able to sleep thru the night.
"I'm sure that after Harry and I get married I'll be able to take care of him just as well," Ginny high handedly told Hermione.
However Ginny never got the chance to make good on that claim. After the wedding, once she and Harry began sharing the same bed, Harry never once roused her from her sleep. Ginny began to half suspect that Hermione had exaggerated the story. Typical. However when Ginny questioned Harry about it not too long after they got married he confirmed the truth of it.
"Well you don't dream so awfully any longer," she petulantly replied.
They were both lying in bed at the time preparing to go to sleep. He turned on his side to face her.
"That's because I have you." He reached over and kissed the tip of her nose. "Your the best security blanket a bloke could have." Of course no sleeping was done after a response like that.
As Ginny reached the bed and leaned over Harry she couldn't help but think such was the case no longer.
By this time her eyes had adjusted to the dark. Harry was lying on his back with the sheets thrown off him. His right leg was bent on the bed while the other was twitching slightly. He was clad only in a pair of satiny black pajama bottoms, his nicely sculpted chest bare. This was the closest Ginny had been to her husband in weeks and her mouth nearly watered due to the close proximity. She bit down on her lip to withhold the groan that wanted to come out at the sight of all that smooth, hairless skin. Harry's head was turned facing her and his usual untidy, shaggy mop of unruly long hair was even more tousled. He looked like an angel. A ravished angel. He had his right arm thrown across his head and his left was at his side, the hand clutching at the bed slip.
Even though she knew that he was having some kind of nightmare Ginny couldn't help the tingly feelings she was experiencing. To put it bluntly, she was in heat. There was just something unquestioningly erotic about his pose. His tensed body just seemed to hum with some kind of kinetic sexual energy. Why, the way his face was all screwed up in concentration it looked damn near similar to the way Harry looked when he was about to...
"Please..."
Ginny furrowed her brow, her train of thought lost.
"Please don't..." Harry moaned.
Ginny ducked down nearer to him and placed her hands softly on his shoulder.
"Harry wake up," she gently said trying her best not to spook him.
"Stop..."
His voice sounded so whinny and pitiful that Ginny had a hard time believing that it belonged to her big strong husband and not to some snotty nosed little brat begging his mum for a lolly. As Ginny pondered on this further she felt two strong hands latch on to her upper arms in a vise like grip. Before she knew what was what she had been flipped on to her back, her body being pressed in to the bed by the man straddling her.
"What the..."
Ginny didn't get to finish her sentence. A pair of soft full lips were in the way.
Yessssssss! Ginny nearly wept from the sheer relief of it. This was it. This was what had been missing all this time. This was what had been lacking in her marriage. Passion! Fuck devotion. Passion was what she wanted, she thought as their tongues tangled over and over again. Why Harry hadn't kissed her like this since...Harry had never kissed her like this. Like he was trying to pour his very soul into her. Ginny almost protested. It's just all too much! It will never fit, her thoughts screamed in her head. But her body? Her body didn't seem to mind. Parts of Harry were touching parts of Ginny that they hadn't touched in ages.
When Ginny had been thrown on the bed her nightgown had ridden up to her hips. Without even realizing it she had wrapped her legs around Harry's waist and tried to urge him as close as she could by pressing her heel to his bum. The only thing keeping him from sliding right in to where she desperately needed him was his pajamas and her knickers. Damn the luck! Ginny would have reached down and removed the offending garments herself if her two hands hadn't already been busy, fisted in Harry's shock of cool crisp hair.. Harry's own hands were caressing the sides of her face. His calloused fingers rubbed at her skin gently and the two sensations combined made her almost scream in delight. Instead Ginny moaned into his mouth as Harry slowly moved his hands across the planes of her face. His fingers crept slowly into her hairline and began to thread in her hair. Her silky, straight hair. Her baby fine hair.
All of a sudden everything stopped. Fingers stopped stroking. Lips stopped caressing. Harry's pelvis stopped pushing furiously at hers.
"Ha-Harry..."
To Ginny's confused mind she couldn't figure out why all of the good tingly feelings had ceased. As she slowly opened her eyes and dropped her legs and arms to the bed she caught the soft glow of light that was emanating from Harry's wand tip. He was still on top of her, but he was in a sitting position. Though his whole body was stiff with tension Ginny could feel that his...arousal...had deflated somewhat.
"Harry, I don't understand. What's wrong?"
That was when she looked fully at his face. As long as she lived Ginny believed she would never forget the look on his face. Shock. Harry was completely surprised to find that the woman underneath him, the woman he was about to make love to, was his wife of five years.
"Ginny?"
"Yeah. It's me. Why did you stop?"
Harry looked at her with wide, dark green eyes clearly confused as to how they had ended up in this particular situation.
"I...um...I..." Harry stuttered out. "I guess I had been dreaming."
Ginny rolled her eyes and swallowed back her irritation.
"That much is clear. You were making so much noise that I came in here to see what I could do for you."
"Oh," he said dully.
"Yeah, oh."
Ginny sat up and Harry practically leaped off of her, kneeling on the bed to her left side.
"Then we started...well, you know. And then you stopped." That last bit came out a mite bitter. "Why did you stop," she asked again.
Harry ran his hands thru his hair and looked around the room as if he was searching for answers in the wallpaper.
"I don't know Ginny. I guess I was just tired and confused. I really didn't know what I was doing," he casually said. But he didn't look at her when he said it.
"Oh." Ginny closed her eyes and willed herself not to cry. At least not now.
He spoke the incantation to extinguish his wand and slipped it back under the pillow where he usually kept it. The room once again was shrouded in darkness.
"I'm zonked," he said as he stretched his body out and gathered his poor rumpled sheets over him. "I think I'm going to turn in. Tomorrow is Friday and I need to be in early for a briefing."
He closed his eyes as he laid his head back on the pillow. "Are you staying," he asked, half stifling a yawn.
If she had been Ginny Weasley she would have snapped at this point. She would have jumped on Harry and beat at him with her fists till he were black and blue. She would have jumped on Harry and shagged him good and proper till he was black and blue. She definitely wanted to jump on Harry and cry on to his chest, be it black or blue. But she was Ginny Potter. Her husband was tired and he needed to be up bright and early so that he could save the world.
"No Harry, I don't think so. I'm afraid my feet are too cold and they will keep you up the rest of the night," she said as she removed herself from the bed. The false cheer in her voice nearly made bile rise up in the back of her throat.
A dreamy sort of smile crossed his face and Harry turned over on his side, his back facing her. "You're just too good to me Ginny," he murmured sleepily.
Ginny wasn't sure how long she stood at the side of that bed, but it was well after sleep descended on Harry making his breathing shallow. Eventually she found herself back in her room. She walked over to her nightstand in a trance like state and picked up her wand. She then went into the bathroom connected to her bedroom suite. She cast a spell to lock the door and then one to block all sounds from leaving the room. She then cried herself to sleep on the tiles of the bathroom floor.
Harry had already left for the day by time Ginny came downstairs to prepare breakfast.
"I don't care if she has the most read column in The Prophet. Daphne Greengrass is a no talent hack!"
Ginny picked up a morsel of cake on her fork and lifted it to her lips. This is almost better then sex, she thought as she swallowed the delectable confection down. Well, definitely better then not having sex.
"What are you on about Lav?"
They were having lunch at the Leaky Cauldron that day with plans to go into Diagon Alley after. Lavender was sitting across the table from her, head lowered over a copy of The Daily Prophet, her plate of fruit salad untouched.
"This," she exclaimed irritably. She practically shoved the page she had been reading in to Ginny's hands. "Just look at this tripe!"
Ginny dropped her fork on her plate and picked up the paper. The first thing she saw was a small picture of the witch who covered the society section for the paper by her byline. Daphne Greengrass. The cute dark haired, coal eyed woman had been in Lavender's year back at Hogwarts. Her column was called Daphne Tells It All. It covered the big social events of Great Britain's wizarding elite. Engagements, weddings, baby announcements, parties, promotions; all of it was spread out over 3 to 4 pages. If you also wanted to find out who were living in separate houses, who were having torrid affairs, and who was going to kill his wife if he walked in on her with the Wireless repairman again, Daphne told that all too. It really was little more then a gossip sheet. It was also the first section most people usually turned to in the morning. Daphne's pic winked at her. Ginny and Harry's comings and goings had often been featured daily.
"What am I supposed to be looking at again," Ginny asked trying to figure out what had her friend all in a tizzy.
"My Morgana Ginny! The bloody mention of the engagement party!"
Ginny spread the paper out on the table and looked all over for the announcement. She eventually found it at the bottom of her right hand side.
"Aha! Found it."
"Took you long enough," she grumped.
Ginny ignored the comment. She scanned the notice quickly and finding nothing wrong looked at Lavender again.
"I don't get it. What's so bad about this," a confused Ginny asked.
"What's wrong with it," Lavender exclaimed. "What's wrong with it?"
Ginny sighed. Lavender could be so dramatic.
"What happens when two Gryffindors fall in love," Ginny read from the paper in a fake announcers voice. "Wedding bells! Ronald Billius Weasley, charming Keeper for the Wimbourne Wasps and Lavender Brown-Pye, the young widow of broom entrepreneur Cornelius Shepfield Pye will be joined on June 23rd at an as yet unmentioned location. Since the banns were announced just a few days ago all of Great Britain has been a-twitter over the news. If you always knew that these two lovebirds were destined to be together, like I did, come join the happy couple this Sunday evening begin the Rites to start their blessed union. The fete will be held at the Weasley family compound in Ottery St. Catchpole. Although this will be the bride's second wedding, we here at the Prophet are sure it will be her last marriage."
Ginny had to stifle the giggle that bubbled up at that last bit.
"Why did she have to mention Corn?"
"Well you were married to the man Lavender."
Lavender looked at Ginny as though she were simple minded. "That was ages," she said, a bored expression on her face.
"The man only died 3 years ago." Lavender scowled at that so Ginny quickly switched topics. "Other then that though you must admit it was a perfectly fine mention." She then handed the paper back to Lavender.
"Sure, but who is going to read it," she said in a loud whinging voice as she snatched the paper back. At this point most of the other customers at the tables around them turned to see what the fuss was about. Lavender gave them all the stink eye.
"Ron and I got tossed to the bottom of the page as if we were rubbish," she pouted as she turned back to the table.
Lavender loved her social standing almost as much as she loved Ginny's older brother.
"But did you see who got a big photo and interview?"
"It looked like McLaggen and Pug Face," Ginny said as she took a sip of her butterbeer. Lavender had opted to try a frothy fruity drink that would pop and fizz and put on a little firework display every few minutes. After she swallowed down a bit of it she opened the paper back to the society section again.
"Pansy and Cormac: Tales from a happy Slythedor marriage," she read, voice oozing disgust. She turned back to Ginny. "What's so special about a Slythedor marriage?"
"Well you know there has always been a long standing rivalry between the two houses. Some say the grudge goes back as far as Godric and Salazar. You hardly ever hear about inter-marrying between the two." Ginny shrugged, "I guess some think the McLaggens are rare."
"Well it's not like they re-wrote the bleeding Magna Carta!"
Ginny snorted. Lavender was really taking her muggle studies seriously.
"The Pug and her lil' bitch are always in this thing," Lavender said as she shook the paper furiously. "The happy couple this...the happy couple that. When we all know that Cormac can't keep it in his pants."
"He used to chase Hermione around her desk when they worked together at the Ministry."
"Gabby Delacour says that he is always over at Beauxbatons 'recruiting' the pretty young things for his department. Ha! She can hardly keep the silly little bints in class when he comes around."
"I hear he does the same thing at Hogwarts. Never chats up any of the blokes."
"Humph," said Lavender as she speared a melon chunk off of her plate and chewed it furiously. "Of course Parkinson probably doesn't give two shits. She only married the brute because he had the three things she loved most. Money, connection, pureblood," Lavender counted out on her fingers.
Ginny tittered. "Well..." she took another bite of cake, "...I bet I know one thing McLaggen has that Pansy doesn't love."
Lavender looked at Ginny, half listening as she sipped on her Pink Pixie.
"A penis."
Lavender's drink went shooting out of her mouth. Once again they drew stares.
"Sorry," Ginny said sheepishly to those sitting nearest her. Lavender scooted her chair closer to the table.
"No."
Ginny shook her head affirmatively.
"No."
Ginny chuckled.
"But what about Malfoy? Weren't they an item once?"
"Yes. Then in my 5th year, your 6th, Draco Malfoy became He Who Must Not Be Named's errand boy. Pansy needed someone to keep the loneliness at bay didn't she?"
Lavender hung on to Ginny's every word. It was as if V-Day had come early this year.
"Tell us who Ginny, tell us who" she pleaded.
Ginny looked at her with an evil gleam in her eye. "I don't know if I should," she teased.
"Ginny please?"
Ginny laughed. "Ok, ok." She looked around them to make sure that their conversation wasn't being listened to.
"Let's just say that Parkinson might make that gossip section constantly, but I'm pretty damned sure that dear Daphne isn't telling it all."
For a second Lavender was totally at a loss as to what Ginny could mean. And then it hit her.
"You are fucking with me!"
"No my friend, you and I don't have that kind of relationship. But Daphne and Parkinson did. Moaning Myrtle told me."
"Myrtle," asked Lavender bemusedly. "Forgive me Ginny, but I have a hard time believing anything an emotionally challenged 14 year old dead girl would tell you."
"Don't knock the dead Missy. The Hogwarts ghosts knew all the best gossip," Ginny confided. "And if it went down anywhere near the plumbing you can believe Myrtle saw it."
When school re-opened after the war Ginny found herself back at Hogwarts being named Head Girl and Gryffindor House Quidditch captain. She also was Harry Potter's newly re-established girlfriend. This should have made her the most popular girl in school. Instead Ginny never felt so isolated.
The boys avoided her as if she had the plague. None of them wanted to get too friendly with The Chosen One's girl. If he could take out the dark lord of dark lords what couldn't he or wouldn't he do to them. Since Ginny only had eyes for Harry she didn't mind the lack of male attention.
Most of the females ignored her as well. She had a gorgeous, rich, older boyfriend who was being recruited by all the top teams in the Quidditch league. It also didn't help that said boyfriend was the savior of all wizarding kind. Oh how the girl's hated her! At first it had hurt, but eventually she came to see that all the other girls were jealous of her. Ginny could hardly blame them. She would be jealous too if she wasn't so damned lucky. Ginny had prestige, power, and at last she had her man. She convinced herself that if it meant having Harry in her life, she was willing to suffer the abuse. She just wished she had a friend she could talk to. With Colin dead and Luna off in her own world usually, Ginny realized that she wasn't really close to anyone else in her year. Before she had spent most of her time hanging with Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Now she was all by herself. Neville was once again living in Scotland, in the city of Aberdeen going to school, and would visit her on the weekends. But other then those too brief moments spent with him Ginny felt terribly alone. That was how she and Moaning Myrtle became friends.
Before, Myrtle had always held a grudge against Ginny because of the whole chamber opening, Riddle possessed, diary throwing incident back in her first year. What most people didn't know, and what Ginny was far too embarrassed to tell, was that for years Myrtle would harass Ginny whenever she could. If the ghost caught the poor girl in the bathroom on her own she would soak her from head to toe. The harassment only got worse after she and Harry officially started dating in her 5th year. Myrtle had always had a bit of a soft spot for Harry.
By her final year Ginny felt that it was time to bury the hatchet with the dispirited spirit. One night after making rounds Ginny entered Myrtle's sanctuary in the first floor girl's bathroom. Before the usually high strung ghost could attack her Ginny told her that she wanted to call a truce and be friends. Myrtle made crying like noises for ten minutes straight before happily agreeing. After that Ginny would spend an hour or two with Myrtle after her Head Girl rounds almost every night. Ginny would gush about Harry to the enraptured ghost and Myrtle would tell her all of Hogwarts secrets. It was a relationship of mutual benefit.
"You remember that bathroom on the first floor, the one that Myrtle haunted?"
"More like terrorized," Lavender huffed.
"Yes, well, let's just say that a lot of...interesting things went down in that bathroom. Harry, Hermione, and Ron stole some ingredients from Snape and brewed up a potion in there once. Myrtle told me."
Lavender arched one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows. "You're sure that's all they did in there?"
"That's sick Lav." Ginny snapped. When the pretty young blonde looked perfectly chastised Ginny immediately regretted loosing her temper.
"They were only 2nd years back then. Besides Myrtle gladly told me all of the sex stuff."
"Like?"
"Filch bawling like a baby crying 'Selene, Selene. Why can't you love me Selene? Why can't you notice I'm alive' while whacking off."
"Selene? As in Professor Sinistra? That Selene?"
"That Selene."
"Gracious," said Lavender as her hand fluttered to her chest.
"Yes. Then there was the story of Terry Boot. He would sneak in there every Tuesday night with a duffel bag filled with girl's knickers and knee socks he filched from the laundry. He also would carry around a large pair of Marry Janes. He liked to strip all of his own clothes off, slip on a pair of the panties, the socks, the shoes and nothing else. He would then study his Arithmancy book till the crack of dawn."
"I always knew he was a poof."
"You only thought that because he didn't ask you to the Yule Ball way back when," Ginny teased.
"I had a perfectly lovely time with Seamus, thank you very much." Ginny laughed as Lavender stuck her tongue out at her.
"But finish tell me about Parkinson and Greengrass."
"Nothing much to tell. They would just have these passionate little trysts and Myrtle would watch." Ginny snickered. "She would even act them out for me."
Ginny gave a little cough and changed her voice to sound eerily enough like Pansy's, high pitched and annoying. "Oh Daph, your hair is as soft as a demiguise."
Lavender chortled.
Ginny adopted a lower, silkier Welsh accent. "I'll love you forever and ever Pans."
Lavender could barely control her laughter. "You know, her plumbing might not work any more, but Myrtle sounds like a right perv."
"And how," Ginny agreed.
The two women entered in to a comfortable silence for a few moments. Ginny finished her cake and Lavender plopped a grape she lifted off of her plate in to her mouth.
"Think they're still doing it," asked Lavender curiously.
"Parkinson and Daphne," Ginny queried. "I don't right know. But I have been at a Ministry function or two where you could cut the sexual tension with a knife."
"Goodness," exclaimed Lavender. "But you know it all makes sense now. All the little write-ups she gives the Pug. You know Slytherins never believe in giving something for nothing. I always knew Greengrass was an old snake thru and thru."
"Awww Lav, Daphne isn't that bad." Lavender scoffed. "She isn't, as far as Slytherins go. She's always been nice to me."
"Probably wants in your knickers!"
"Lav!"
"Well it's true."
"No, really. Daphne never fell into that whole pureblood rigmarole that most Slytherins hold to. In fact her parents backed the Ministry during the war," Ginny said.
Lavender picked up the paper again and began to skim it.
"Be that as it may, I still don't like the bitch," Lavender said as she gave a toss to her summery blonde hair.
"And I'll never be able to read this thing the same way again. Listen to this: As I was having supper at Presto's, the place to see and be seen, late Monday night Perfect Pair -rubbish- the McLaggens popped in for a bite. Being on such intimate terms with the couple...", Ginny sniggered, "...I made my way to their table to sit down and have a chat. As the three of us reminisced over our happier years in school, Hogsmeade visits, the Yule Ball, getting caught after curfew, I couldn't help but be in awe of the affection that lay between the couple. As Cormac, the Assistant Deputy Head of the Department of International Magical Coorporation, left the table to discuss important Ministry matters with his colleague Galeta Hersh..."
"Oh come on now, she doesn't even work in his department," Ginny interrupted. Lavender continued to read.
"Pansy and I got down to business -goodness, at the table, in front of everybody ladies...kinky."
"You're so bad Lav!"
"Shush! I'm still reading," she said in a mock stern voice.
"Pansy, I asked, please tell all the faithful readers of Daphne Tells it All just why you have a lasting strong marriage. The stunning, statuesque -oh I think I'm going to be ill now- blonde smiled a peaceful and content smile. My marriage is strong because I make sure my Cormmy is happy. I didn't need to bind him to me to keep him by my side -sanctimonious little- He's there cause he wants to be there. I wasn't one of these pie in the sky little girls who think that marriage is all rainbows and unicorns. I knew that if I wanted a long lasting, healthy relationship I would have to work for it."
As she read from the paper Lavender had raised it in front of her. The view of her redheaded friend was blocked. She gabbed on and on and was unaware of the enraged woman who was sitting across from her.
"My work paid off. You know Daph, there are mornings when my darling husband won't even let me out of bed. -I doubt that- As Pansy and I laughed over this -I bet they did- she slowly leaned in and left me with this final thought to share with you dear readers: If you have to question the strength of your marriage, you might want to question your marriage."
Lavender lowered the paper. "The woman has no shame," she said turning to look at her friend.
She was stopped cold.
When a magical child is born its lineage doesn't guarantee that the small babe will grow up to be a witch or a wizard. In fact the question of whether or not a child would have substantial powers or be a Squib(a condition that had once been rare but was now growing steady prevalent due to the marriages of such closely related purebloods) could not be answered until said child showed any magical aptitude. Generally this occurred around the ages of 4 or 5 once the child expelled their first bit of accidental magic. This was a small blessing in and of its self. No mother would like to have a tot going thru its terrible twos that could make it's porridge fly about the room. Of course there are always exceptions. Yevgeny Murat was fabled to have somehow charmed his stuffed chimaera to stalk and eat his older sister's pet crup all at the tender age of 18 months. But such cases are rare.
In the Weasley household Molly and Arthur's boys' powers tended to pop up at age 5. Percy's actually presented themselves when he was 3. Even then he was an over achiever. But the only Weasley daughter did raise questions. By the summer of her 8th birthday Ginny Weasley still hadn't shown any magical abilities. Her parents were not overly concerned though. They still had a couple of years before drastic measures that would 'encourage' her powers to come out would need to be taken. George had once helpfully proposed they lock her in a pen with a half starved quintaped...and was promptly boxed in the ear for the suggestion.
Ginny by all accounts seemed to be unaware of her deficiency. She appeared to be a cheerful, boisterous child who lived for fun and mischief. But this was an act. Ginny hated not having what others had! Although Ginny's parents made due for their large nest as best as they could, she still felt their lack of wealth keenly. Her being a female didn't even exempt her from having to wear her brothers' old hand me down robes and trainers. Ginny valiantly soldiered on thru this degradation.
But the idea that she might not grow up to be a witch, something that should be her birthright...Ginny couldn't even bear the thought of it. She would rather die then be a Squib! She never told a soul any of this though, just buried it deep down inside and put on a sunny smile. She took Ron's teasing. She withstood pitying pats on her head from her mum followed shortly by a murmured "poor dear". She even ignored Percy's adult like quips of "at least she can't cause more trouble". She did plan to turn him into a pigeon the first chance she got however.
Then that fateful summer the whole family, minus Bill, went to visit Charlie in the Ukraine. Charlie, having recently graduated from Hogwarts, was in Chernihiv to apprentice under the acclaimed dragon huntress Gerda Winkler. She was a petite older witch whose grandmotherly appearance often disguised her fierce nature. She was the foremost expert on all dragon species, both living and extinct, in the world. She was also missing the limbs and an eye to prove it. She could hog tie a baby Fireball, smoked imported Salem cigars, had a voice like a brass gong, and liked for the young men in her tutelage to call her mother. Charlie simply adored her. He wrote home, sometimes 3 letters a week, gushing about Gerda. Molly couldn't stand the woman, sight unseen. As soon as Arthur got some leave time from the Ministry and Percy finished up his fourth year while the twins were leaving their second at school she packed up her family to go visit her second oldest boy.
They spent two weeks camped out by the Desna river. Arthur and the boys would go out in the field with Charlie and his mates, while Molly would watch Gerda like a hawk from the sidelines. Ginny usually was forced to stay with her mum. All in all though, Ginny enjoyed the trip. On their last day there Arthur gave Molly a wad of muggle money, to Ginny's eyes what looked like a small fortune, to go buy his little princess something nice for her birthday.
They walked into town and Molly looked for a shoe store to buy Ginny a nice new pair of girl's shoes. But as they walked the streets Ginny's attention was caught by the display in a nearby shop window. The store sold expensive porcelain figurines. Ginny instantly fell in love with a statuette of a Ukrainian noble woman dressed in a lilac colored Renaissance gown holding a small brown puppy. Ginny wanted to be that girl, but she would settle for being able to buy her and put her on her bureau. She tugged her mother into the store.
Molly at first tried to refuse her daughter's request, but after seeing Ginny's pleading face acquiesced. The two Weasley ladies entered the store and waited for someone to serve them. And they waited. And they waited. They stood there for 20 minutes and watched customer after customer get served, some who had even come in after them.
After awhile an embarrassed Molly tried to shuffle her child out of the store, but Ginny would have none of it. She had to have that pretty lady! And her little brown dog. Didn't her mum understand that? But before she could ask her Ginny saw one of the very attractive, well dressed shop girl's lean over to her colleague and say "bidnny" (poor) and then look at her mum and her. Ginny may not have spoken the language, but she knew what that look meant. It was the same look she received from the other children when she showed up to Mandy Brocklehurst's birthday party in patched robes. It was the same look her mother got from passerbys as she walked into the second hand stores in Diagon Alley. It was the same look in little Meleficent Avery's eye as she told Ginny her mum said they couldn't play together any longer.
Oh yes, Ginny knew that look. Usually she would force down the anger that would swell up inside her at those moments. But not this day. Something inside of Ginny just snapped. She felt a heated wave pulse, vibrate all thru her body. It felt coarse. It felt sickening. It felt ugly. It felt powerful. For the first time in her life Ginny Weasley was experiencing rage. Molly, who had been half way out the door at this point, felt the pulse in the air of powerful magic being expelled. She turned to see her child's eyes turn indigo and her long red hair nearly stand off her head. Molly yanked her daughter out of the store as a porcelain swan sitting on a stand nearest to her exploded.
Ginny ended up breaking every figurine in the store that day. All save the girl and her little brown puppy. Ginny was officially a witch. She was also grounded. Molly stressed to her that if she let her temper get out of control it could be disastrous. Ginny would need to control her temper. She usually did. She never had another episode like that one in Chernihiv. Until now.
Lavender tore her gaze from the near purple face of her future sister-in-law and placed in on the now empty flute she had been drinking out of. The glass rattled on the table as if it were doing an angry jig. As Lavender looked at the tables nearby, all of the glass and tea cups were doing the same thing much to the astonishment of the other customers.
"Um...Ginny...." she fearfully said. Ginny snatched the paper from her hands.
"Let me see that," she snapped as the glassware came to a halt, thankfully.
"Why this is just a pile of tosh. Absolute rubbish! Daphne obviously left a few things out. Ahem..." Ginny said before adopting Daphne's tone. "Pans, love, how have you and your man whore of a husband managed to not kill each other after all these years?"
She then gave an airy toss of her head and began to simper like Pansy.
"Why Daph, dear, I simply allow my husband to chase after anything in knee socks and pig tails. And when I'm feeling a bit peckish myself I invite you over, spread you wide open on my marriage bed, and put my mouth on your crotch!"
Ginny then threw the newspaper across the table.
Lavender looked at Ginny in shock. "Ginny!"
Ginny looked at her defiantly and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"What's gotten into you today?"
More like what hasn't gotten into me today, she broodingly thought.
"Well whatever it is, I like it," Lavender enthused, eyes bright with mirth.
Ginny looked at Lavender's big cheerful grin and couldn't fight the small smile that appeared on her own.
"I've missed this you know. Having a close female friend. I haven't had one since Parv ran away to New Guinea to chase after that mad muggle she was in love with," Lavender said as she reached across the table, grabbed Ginny's hand, and squeezed them affectionately.
"I'm going to love being your sister Ginny."
Ginny squeezed back. "I'm going to love having you for a sister Lav. I wouldn't have chosen anyone else for Ron. I'm really glad he is marrying you."
Lavender squealed at this and clapped her hands merrily. "I am too. Now let's pay the bill and get out of here so we can do some shopping."
~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~~~**~~
Ten minutes later the two nattily dressed women were walking down Diagon Alley, arms linked, chatting away. They made a lovely picture and men couldn't help but gawk. Both girls were slender and stunning, though Ginny was a tad petite. Their elegant robes (both had an account at Twillfit's and Malkin's) and stylish coifs (Ginny's long auburn locks were up in a French twist while Lavender's fell just above her shoulders in golden waves) spoke of money. Though Ginny was easily the prettier of the two, Lavender's naturally vibrant and vivacious personality radiated from her and made people watch her. They were the cream of the wizarding elite and every little girl wanted to grow up and be them. They knew it, and relished it.
"Oh, did I tell you? Ron and I are going to file the adoption papers later today."
"Oh Lav, that's brilliant," Ginny said and squeezed her friend's arm. "Mum will be so excited."
Lavender smiled. "She treats Vi just like she was one of her own grands."
"And spoils her rotten too," Ginny clucked. "I never had it so good. Rosemary, Felicity, and Violet get away with murder."
"Violet Weasley. That has a lovely ring to it, doesn't it."
Even though it was not really said as a question Ginny still shook her head affirmatively.
"Much better then Vi Pye by any accounts. Could you imagine! That's what the kids at Hogwarts in a few years would have called my child, Vi Pye. Why that's tantamount to child abuse," Lavender proclaimed.
Ginny was too amused. "Well you did marry Olde Pye Lav."
"I declare a change in topic," she stated primly.
"Alright, alright," she said while giggling.
"Did you see that bit about Blaise Zabini in the paper?"
"No, what?"
"Looks like he got married."
"Do we know the witch?"
"The name didn't sound familiar. Someone named Amparo Leon."
"Hmmm. Probably just left Hogwarts."
"Back in school Blaise was a scrumptious bit of arse."
"Lav," Ginny exclaimed, scandalized.
"You know I never got to date a black bloke."
"Lav!"
"Did you and Dean ever..."
"Don't you dare finish that sentence!"
"Ok, ok. Spoil all my fun," she said in mock seriousness.
As they came to halt suddenly, Ginny felt the dark cloud she had been under all day begin to disperse. She really did enjoy the times she spent with Lavender. And she felt just horrible about loosing it like that in front of her. It wasn't Lavender's fault that Pug Faced Parkinson was a horrid little slag. Ginny could barely even remember what had upset her so much. Everything about Pansy's life was a lie. Her secure marriage, her happy husband, all lies. And what's more, Ginny thought to herself, the woman probably has even begun to buy into her own self invented delusions. Ginny could almost feel sorry for her. In fact she did feel sorry for her, she convinced herself. Ginny Potter pitied Pansy McLaggen.
"Oh look, there goes Susie. She must be on lunch from Mungo's."
Ginny turned to look across the street at the slightly over weight, short woman with her dark blonde hair tied in a severe top knot on her head.
"Sue! Oh Susan," Lavender shouted failing her arms about. The woman in the lime green healer's robes walked into Obscurus Books, oblivious to Lavender's shouts.
"Oh poo! She must not have heard me. You know I heard Parkinson is seeing her. I wonder how Susan in putting up with that nightmare. You would think she would have gone to one of her little Slytherin mates. Tracy Davis has her own practice over in Hogsmeade. Course Tracy Davis was as dumb as a garden gnome back in school. I wonder how she managed that."
"Hang on Lav, why would the Pug be seeing Susan Goldstein," asked Ginny, a perplexed look on her face. "Susan treats pregnant witches."
"Well...yes," Lavender said, turning to look at the younger woman. "The McLaggens are expecting. I thought everyone knew that. It was in the paper just last week. Though how they managed that..."
Lavender turned to look behind at the store front she and Ginny had stopped in front of and instantly lost her train of thought.
"Ooooh, looks like Persephone's is having a sale today. Goody for us," she said as she turned back to her friend. Her happy smile turned in to a frown of worry.
"Hey, your eyes are watering."
"Oh, are they," Ginny asked as she took the white handkerchief with her monogram, GMP, out of her robe pocket and rubbed at her eyes madly. "I think I'm allergic to this new scent I'm wearing."
"Oh, I hope it isn't that Chased garbage. It's made by Cordelia Hunting, she plays chaser for Appleby. I tried a sample of it just last week and it turned the back of my neck pea green. These barmy celebrities! Just because she can fly a broom real fast does not make her qualified to make perfume," Lavender prattled on, never noticing her friend's half hearted laughter.
"Next thing you know the stupid bint will have her own line of womens robes. Imagine!"
Lavender strolled in to the lingerie store and immediately walked over to the sheer night gowns that left nothing to the imagination. Ginny followed slowly behind her. Lavender picked up a rose colored baby doll and held it against her body.
"You know, I bought one of these last year for Ron's birthday. He wouldn't let me out of the bedroom all weekend long," she beamed proudly.
Must be nice, Ginny gloomily thought as she by passed the gowns and headed to the back to look at the thermal underwear.
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