| Firecrab
Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: melbourne
Posts: 887
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Chapter Sixty Five
She sighed wandering down the stairs, ‘He’s down – finally, I can’t understand why it’s so hard, Harry goes out like a light for Soph’
‘I’m sorry I’m so late’ he slumped in the chair, ‘He was right there, we were that close’ he pinched his fingers together and rubbed his forehead, ‘Before he released the gas – your brothers need to pull that stuff from their shelves’
‘She got the perfect baby’
‘And Ron was about as much help as a chocolate teapot when we were doing the paper work – wait what, what do you mean perfect baby?’
She crossed her arms ‘He won’t settle for me, he doesn’t like me’
‘He’s asleep isn’t he?’
‘Just, but it took me two hours, it’s not supposed to be that hard, not even the girls were that difficult’
‘He’s getting used to being at home that’s all’
‘It’s been a week; he should be ok by now’
‘He’s had eight weeks of the hospital; he’s only known the nurses and the incubator’
‘I – I don’t know him like I thought I would, he doesn’t know me, I’m not his Mum’ she started to sob ‘I’m not his Mummy’
‘Of course he knows you, don’t be so silly’ he attempted to hug her but she wouldn’t hold back, ‘You’re his Mum, he knows that, this just isn’t home yet’
‘I thought I’d be ok, I thought once we were home and I had to look after him I’d – I’d be better’
‘There’s nothing wrong with you’
‘There is… the healers said there is – I didn’t tell you, I didn’t want to hurt you for you to leave me, because of it’
‘I keep telling you, I’m not going anywhere’
‘They said its post natal depression’
‘They can help, I’ll help – I’ll – I have time off, they owe me loads, we’ll get him settled in together and we’ll help you get better too’ He kissed her forehead and she held back tightly,
‘I can’t do this alone anymore’
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t realise’
Wailing ensued from upstairs and she burst into fresh tears against his chest,
‘Come on, I’ll put you both down, you both need sleep’
They wandered up and he took James in his arms, ‘Shhh’ he placed him in her arms and stood behind her wrapping his own around them both. James ‘crying became a throaty gurgle as he stared up into Ginny’s eyes, and reached out with little arms,
‘I’m going to take care of you now, like I promised to, like I’m supposed to’ he kissed the side of her head, ‘He’s just like his sister and his mother, he won’t settle in a strange place’
‘This isn’t strange, it’s his home’
‘He has to get used to it, he’ll be better eventually’
‘Hmm’
‘Don’t worry about it’ he rocked his arms enveloping hers and James. He gurgled, and closed his eyes. Ginny made a move to place him in the crib by their bed and he started bawling again.
‘Go to bed, I’ll take the spare room and his crib - I’ll stay with him’ he smiled reaching for him, ‘He’ll be fine and so will you after a good night’s sleep’
‘I love you’ she mumbled sitting on the bed, ‘So much’ she yawned and shuffled under the covers with a small smile watching him carry James on his shoulder as he wailed and levitate the crib out of the room.
‘Love you too’ he jiggled him hearing him quieten down by a miniscule amount.
He was snoozing with James sound asleep on his chest lying on the bed. Ginny peaked round the door crying before she looked in on the girls, kissed their foreheads and tightened the cloak at her shoulders. She crept out and with a flick of her wand arrived at the Burrow.
She opened the door and heard them talking in the living room, her Dad appeared first hearing the door go.
‘Oh Ginny… are you ok sweetheart?’
‘I just – I can’t sleep’
‘Is Harry at home?’
‘Hmm – yes, but he’s holding James and not me’
‘Silly Billy’ he reached out in a hug, ‘Is he not settling yet?’
‘No, he just keeps crying’
‘Hmm a drop of fire whisky used to put you out like a light when you wouldn’t sleep’
‘Thought that was a joke’
‘Even muggles do it, they use – now what is it… rum or that really stinky stuff they call alcohol – brandy, just a tiny bit, minuscule with their bedtime feed’
‘Hmm but I don’t want him reliant on fire whisky to sleep Dad’
‘He’ll get used to being home soon enough, don’t you worry about it’
‘Harry said the same’
Her mother came out, ‘and he’s right love, have a sit down, I’ll get you some warm milk and biscuits and you try to wind down before you go home’
‘I – I don’t know if I want to go back’
‘Ginny’
‘I can’t look after them, I know that now’
‘Sweetheart you just need some help that’s all’
‘Harry’s never there, he’s never got time to help anymore since the promotion’
‘He won’t know unless you tell him’
‘I have, it’s been the same as it was when the girls were born, the first few weeks he’s there, he’ll dote on them and then he gets distracted and pulled away on a case and I don’t see him for days, and nights – nights are the worst, trying to get them all off to sleep after missing him putting them down – they don’t sleep I don’t sleep’
‘I’ll come over tomorrow’
‘He’ll look after them, he has to now’ she rest her head on her arms on the table and closed her eyes as her mother stroked her head,
‘It’s going to be alright, I promise’
‘Hmm’
Molly looked to Arthur, matching worried expressions on their faces. Arthur stood up and went to the other room to check the time on the clock, Molly continued patting her hair until her breathing slowed to a gentle snore and she was sound asleep.
Arthur whispered ‘It’s too late to send a message, I’ll do it in the morning, and if he wakes and worries he’ll send a message here first’
She nodded and levitated her gently from the seat, to the couch in the living room conjuring a blanket over her,
‘What are we going to do?’
‘Just be there for her Molly, for them all, that’s all we can do’
***
He woke up, yawned and felt the weight on his chest. He shifted James minutely watching his little hand unfurl and mouth open,
‘Ah, you go back to sleep’ he whispered, sitting up but holding him to his shoulder with a smile. He wandered down the hallway still holding him as he looked in on the girls and then opened his bedroom door. He sighed seeing the empty bed but had a fairly positive idea of where she was. He checked his watch and saw they’d all be asleep. He went back to the spare room putting James in the crib, giving him a moment to settle and then going to bed himself.
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RIP JD Salinger |