It was getting late. Past ten o’clock. They had been travelling for an hour so far, and Hermione and Ron were soundly asleep. Hermione’s head was tipping to one side, leaning on Ron’s shoulder. Harry smiled at the thought of their embarrassed expressions when they’d wake up.
“Would you care for a drink, sir?”
Harry looked up, blearily. An airhostess was standing over him, looking immaculate as they always did. He shook his head.
“No thanks. Not right now.”
She nodded and moved on down the aisle. Harry took his glasses off and polished them, then slipped them back on his nose, yawning. He felt drained. The last few days had been the worst of his life.
First, Ginny had told him she was carrying his child, which had scared Harry so much, but he couldn’t imagine how scared she was. Secondly, he had done nothing. He had simply walked away from the problem. They were going to Albania for eight or nine months, which meant Harry would miss out her entire pregnancy. He felt awful. He was still desperately in love with her, but he knew it would only be playing into Voldemort’s hands if they got back together now. Now that he’d had time to think about it, he realised that deep down he wanted to be a part of his unborn child’s life. He knew things were not ideal, but he was going to be a father. The hugeness of that was too big and important to ignore.
“Hey, this seat taken?”
Harry was forced out of his reverie. He blinked and looked up. A woman about his age was standing over him. She had long blonde hair that hung down to her elbows, and she was very tall. She was grinning, showing a set of sparkling white teeth. Her grin looked oddly cheeky and angelic at the same time. Harry sighed.
“No, please take it,” he said politely, gesturing to it. She flashed him a dazzling smile, and Harry was reminded of a girl in a shampoo advert he had once seen at the Dursleys’.
“I’m at the back really,” she said, sitting down. “I just get airsick “ runs in the family. My name’s Eve, by the way.”
She held out a hand. Harry shook it.
“Harry,” he said.
She smiled again. It seemed like she never stopped smiling. Harry rubbed his throbbing temples. Lack of sleep was taking its toll.
“Hey,” she said softly. Harry looked up and saw that up close, her eyes were brown, like Ginny’s. “You look tired.”
Harry smiled and let out a humourless chuckle. “Yeah, well “tired” is an understatement,” he replied.
Eve grinned. “So then, what’s your story? You have one, I can tell.”
Harry gave her a wan smile. “It’s long,” he said.
“We have time.”
“Well…” Harry began, uncomfortably. “I “ it’s complicated…there’s this girl “ woman.”
Eve nodded. “Is she your girlfriend?”
Harry shook his head. “Well…no. We broke up a while ago but over Christmas we sort of got back together. Only for a day though “ the next day we broke up again, both agreeing it was for the best. But then, she came to me with news. Potentially wonderful news, but I wasn’t expecting it…”
Eve nodded again. “She told you she was pregnant.”
Harry stared at her, dumbstruck. He nodded, flabbergasted.
“How did you - ?”
“Same thing happened to me,” she said, a haunted flicker rising in her eyes. “I was sixteen, too immature and naïve. It was terrifying.”
Harry didn’t know quite what to say. “But…your baby…what happened to it?”
“I had an abortion,” Eve replied calmly, but Harry could tell she was putting it on. “There seemed no other solution. The guy left me as soon as I told him, and I couldn’t tell my parents. I didn’t want to do it alone. I thought about it for several weeks, hoping he would come back to tell me he wanted our baby but he never did. So I decided there was no other choice,” she paused, trembling slightly. “I regret it. I shouldn’t have killed my child. I should have been a mother, even if it meant I would have no father for my child.”
Harry could feel his heart sink. What have I done? he thought, desperately.
“Harry,” Eve said, looking directly into his eyes. They were remarkably like Ginny’s. “Don’t let it happen. I barely know you, but I can tell you don’t want to lose something as precious as your own son or daughter. Whatever you have to do can wait. You have the strength “ you can go back as soon as you land and tell her you’ve decided to stay, or you can forget about it and carry on like nothing’s happened. It’s your call.”
Harry almost felt tears rising. “I “ can’t,” he gasped, his heart tearing.
As Eve looked at his eyes, Harry felt as though he had ripped open a closed wound. The look in her eyes “ disappointment and sadness mixed with pity. He couldn’t bear it. He looked away.
“Then she doesn’t deserve you,” Eve said softly and evenly. With that, she swept up and looked down at Harry again.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Goodbye.”
As Harry watched her go, through teary eyes, he felt ashamed with himself. He hated everything about himself right now, but he knew he couldn’t stop now. He couldn’t do it. Her form slowly faded away, as if in slow motion, until she had gone completely, just like an angel.
“Lisle, can you help me in the kitchen for a minute?”
Harry, who had been dozing on the sofa, suddenly jumped up. He looked around blearily. People, nearly all of which were redheads, were milling around blowing up balloons by magic or putting plates of food on a side table in the dining room. Lisle had been trying to sneakily eat some of the icing on the enormous chocolate cake that read: Welcome Home Ginny and Amy! made by Molly. Hermione was calling from the kitchen for Lisle.
“Oh Harry, you’re awake, I was wondering if you could help me with this banner,” came Arthur’s voice from behind Harry. Harry turned to see Arthur struggling with a large banner, his glasses askew. Harry walked over.
“Here,” he said, flicking his wand at it, and it straightened immediately. With another flick it was on the wall, pinned tight.
“Why weren’t you using magic?” Harry asked, curiously. Arthur grinned a little sheepishly.
“Well I know Molly hates me not using magic, but it’s good practice for being around Muggles,” Arthur said. Harry grinned.
“Yeah,” he chuckled. “I think Molly wants you to “ ”
“Arthur! Help me with these scones, they’re burning!”
Arthur rolled his eyes. “Excuse me, Harry. I’m clearly needed in the kitchen. Could you do the rest of these decorations, please? Ginny’s going to be back in about ten minutes.”
He hurried off, leaving Harry to a pile of balloons and streamers. He jabbed his wand at one of the balloons and it filled with air. He repeated this, levitating them into the air after he had done so. When he had finished he stood back to admire his work.
“Shh, she’s coming! Everyone to their hiding places!”
Hermione rushed in, pushing everyone she could see down. She reached out an arm and forcefully drove Harry to the floor. Harry had to admit that he felt a little stupid ducking behind the sofa like a child playing hide-and-seek. It was a surprise party for Ginny, organised by Molly, Hermione and Fleur, and Hermione insisted they all hide.
In front of him, Hermione sat crouched, anticipation all over her face.
“Hermione “ ”
“Shh!”
“Hello, anyone home?”
Through the gap from behind the sofa (slightly distorted by the Hermione’s bushy hair), Harry could see Ginny walking through the front door, accompanied by Ron. He had gone to collect her from St. Mungo’s. Ginny was holding a CarryCot with Amy inside. She set the CarryCot down in the hall. She frowned at Ron.
“Where is everyone?”
“SURPRISE!”
Hermione had leapt up, along with everyone else, accidentally knocking Harry over. Harry slithered out from behind the sofa, straightening his glasses. Ginny’s face broke into a huge smile.
“You lot!” she said, as everyone beamed at her. “You gave me a fright!”
“Mum, you’re back!” Lisle ran forward to hug Ginny, who laughed.
“Ginny dear, welcome back,” Molly said, beaming. Fred and George worked their way towards Ginny.
“Good evening,” George said. “Nice to have you back all in one piece.”
“Ginny, how are you!”
“Ohh, look at Amy! Isn’t she sweet?”
Within a few minutes, a loud chatter had arisen among everyone as they passed round Amy, or nibbled at food. Lisle was soon picked up by Fred and George and spun around wildly, shrieking. Members of the Order were there too, including Remus and Tonks. Her bubble-gum pink hair stood out vividly from everyone else’s.
“Hey mate.”
Harry swiveled round. Ron was grinning at him, holding a plate of custard creams. He looked around appreciatively. “Pretty good…nice décor.”
Harry grinned. “Yeah. Are those canary creams?”
Ron shook his head, and popped one in his mouth. Harry took one.
“So,” he said, munching. “Married life treating you alright?” Harry suddenly realised he hadn’t seen Ron since the wedding, apart from a few days ago in hospital. Ron beamed, looking over at Hermione, who was laughing politely at a joke Lisle had just told.
“It’s going well,” he said. “Obviously it’s good and all…now and then she is a little bossy “ but that’s not unusual is it?”
Harry laughed, but it was short lived as he suddenly sprouted feathers and a beak. Ron roared with laughter, and Fred and George popped up out of nowhere, identical grins of glee on their faces.
“Canary Creams!” Fred roared over the laughter of everyone watching. “Now half price till September at Weasley’s Wizards Wheezes!”
A moment later, Harry had successfully transformed back into a human, glaring at Ron, who was nearly crying with laughter.
“You,” Harry growled, but he could not keep his face straight. He was soon laughing with everyone else. Ginny came up, smiling.
“Hey, I didn’t know those two still had those things,” she said affectionately, brushing a yellow feather out of his hair. Harry chuckled ruefully.
“Yeah, I hadn’t forgotten,” he said, amusedly. “How are you feeling, anyway?”
Ginny sighed. “Oh the norm. Having a baby isn’t exactly a bed of roses, pain-wise. It’ll clear up in a few weeks and I’ll be back to normal “ oh hi Tonks!”
Tonks had just strode forwards, her pink hair practically luminescent. She had electric blue eyes today, rather the same colour as Mad-Eye Moody’s and her normal wide grin was in place. Her nose was abnormally normal today, surprisingly.
“Hi Ginny “ Harry,” she nodded to them both, her teeth sparkling. “How are you? Sorry we haven’t been able to make it here for such a while, we’ve recently moved house again and none of the furniture is in the right place anymore! It makes my brain feel backward so I can barely think, let alone visit other peoples’ houses…”
Harry slipped away unnoticed. He went upstairs, in need of the toilet, as the downstairs one was engaged. He walked past the new room for Amy, and into their room, which was right beside it. A precaution Ginny had insisted upon incase Amy cried during the night and could not be heard. Her cot was currently in Harry and Ginny’s room, temporarily, until she stopped relying on being fed in the night so much.
Harry went into the ensuite bathroom. After he had finished, he ran his hands under the tap briefly and walked out. As he was about to leave the room, a flicker of light on the wall caught his attention. He turned, knowing what to expect.
The door to his bedside table was slightly ajar, and from it was where the light was coming from. Harry walked over to it and knelt down. He opened the door and gazed at the Pensieve.
Silvery thoughts swirled around the marble basin, shimmering in the dimness of the room. Harry had moved it a few days ago; deciding it was best to keep it in his room, completely out of Lisle’s reach. He didn’t like the thought of her falling into a thought she ought not to see…
He gazed down into the swirling silver mass. He leaned closer. He could see trees and grass. However, he could not see himself anywhere. Perplexed, he leant even further, but he still couldn’t see himself. Then it occurred to him.
This isn’t my memory.
His nose made contact with silver. Harry instantly felt himself being plunged forward, into the basin. Soaring through what felt like nothingness, he continued to fall until he collided with the floor.
Hazily, he looked up. He was sitting in a garden “ a back garden. Harry recognised it as the Burrow. He looked around and soon spotted a red head. It was Ginny.
Her eyes were as red as her hair. She was crying. Harry instinctively walked over to see what was wrong but then remembered he was in a memory. His present self was in a ghost-like state, floating and drifting.
Harry watched her cry for a few moments. She was silently sobbing into her hand, the other one clasped around her middle. She looked younger.
“Ginny?”
She did not turn, her hair blowing in the soft breeze. Harry knew already that she could not hear him.
“Excuse me, are you okay?”
This time it was not Harry who spoke. Ginny looked up. She looked confused. Harry looked up as well.
There was a woman standing there. She was tall, with elbow-length blonde hair. She was smiling, her straight white teeth sparkling, and she had a camera around her neck. Harry stared, astonished.
“Eve?”
She did not turn, but she continued to smile at Ginny who was looking very perplexed now.
“I’m sorry,” Ginny said, “but who are you? Do my parents know you’re here?”
Eve sighed. “I’m a photographer. I was driving up this hill to get some pictures of these plants and trees. There’s some great wildlife up here. Anyway, your house caught my attention a little.”
Ginny glanced at the tottering Weasley residence and looked as if she didn’t doubt it.
“Well, anyhow, I was about to continue driving but I saw you under this tree. You looked upset. And I couldn’t resist taking a look at those snowdrops*.”
Ginny still looked a little confused. “I see.”
Eve’s grin slowly vanished. “You seem upset. What happened?”
Ginny sighed. “It’s a “ long story. Besides, no offence, but I don’t really know you that well…” she trailed off. Eve sat down next to her. There was a long pause.
“I was flying to Albania,” Eve said, breaking the silence. Ginny turned around. “I was going out there to do some photography you know, and while I was on the flight I met a man. He was about the same age you are, maybe a little older. He told me he had a girlfriend “ well sort of. They had broken up over something and then a few weeks or more ago gotten back together, but only for one night. The next day they broke up again, he didn’t say why though.”
Ginny looked astounded.
“Then,” Eve continued, “the girl discovered she was pregnant. She must have felt scared and lonely, and yet she still told him, even though the next day he had to fly to Albania. He left the girl behind, but I think he wanted to stay.”
Tears were coming in Ginny’s eyes. “Did “ did he have black hair “ and glasses?”
Eve looked at Ginny for a long time, and then slowly nodded. Ginny trembled and tears began to fall down her cheeks.
“You met Harry,” she said after another pause. Eve nodded.
Ginny wiped her teary eyes. “I knew he left “ for a reason. But it seems like bad timing. I can’t do this alone “ my parents don’t know and the only ones who do know have left me. I can’t even begin to think of what’s going to happen “ it’s too scary…and what if “ what if Harry comes back but he doesn’t want to be a father?”
Eve cut her words off. “You can do it,” she looked at Ginny straight in the eye. “You have to do it. Because I know every mother wants their child. What if Harry wants the same thing, but is just too afraid to admit it in case he fails?”
Ginny wiped her face. “I’ll “ I’ll tell my parents. I have to do that first. Then “ I’ll decide what comes next.”
Harry watched the two for a long time. No one spoke, and Harry wondered who would break the silence next.
“Harry?”
It was not Eve or Ginny who spoke. Harry turned around and saw the present-day Ginny standing before him, floating and wispy, just like him. He jumped up.
“Let’s go back,” Ginny said. Harry nodded.
She grabbed his hand and they began sailing through nothingness. Soon, Harry felt his knees buckle as the floor reappeared underneath his feet. He fell over and realised he was back in their bedroom. Ginny was getting to her feet next to him. She sat on the bed with a sigh. There was another silence.
“I’m sorry,” Harry said eventually. “I was curious to know which memory it was when I realised it was not my own. I didn’t realise you’d put one in the Pensieve.”
Ginny shook her head. “I know. I don’t mind.”
“Who was she?” Harry asked quietly. Ginny sighed again.
“I dunno “ I went in to get her a glass of water and then when I came back out “ she was gone. It was as if she’d just vanished.”
Harry nodded. “The same thing happened to me. As she walked away, it was as though she almost - evaporated or something.”
“You think she may have been an angel?”
Harry paused. “Do you?”
Ginny shrugged. “She may have been, she may not have been. No matter what she was we’ll probably never find out.”
Harry sat down next to Ginny. “Oh.”
“But,” Ginny pressed on, “after she left like that, I told my parents, just like I said I would. And after that, I decided I would keep Lisle. Then you came back “ not immediately but I said I’d wait for you anyway.”
There was a very long pause. Both Harry and Ginny sat there, deep in thought. Then Harry put an arm around Ginny’s waist.
“I love you,” he whispered. “Welcome home, Ginny.”
Ginny smiled, and her whole face seemed to illuminate, even in the dark.
“I love you too,” she murmured, “and it’s nice to be back.”
A/N: I hope that ending wasn’t like, cheesy or anything. I’m sorry it’s been such a loong update, but when I say I have been majorly busy I really mean that. I’ve had so much work and my computer broke so this is about my third re-type. Anyways, please leave a review telling me what you think, I know this chapter wasn’t really the most interesting, but there’s more to come. ^_^ Hopefully the next update will be quicker “ I hope. Until then!
*Snowdrops are winter flowers, just as an extra note. You may already know that or you may not really care. Just thought I’d add it in case.
Oh and I am going to just say thank you to everyone who has faithfully reviewed this! Reviews help me SO much, the more the better! I have had so many kind reviews from you all I feel very lucky because I don't really deserve them!
Oh and since she very much wanted to be the first (or top three) reviews of ch.10 I thought I'd mention her, thank you ladyofthebookworms!!
Oh and thank you to you ALL! :D Big smily face!