| Firecrab
Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: melbourne
Posts: 887
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Chapter Twenty Six
“Gin” he smiled opening the door and walking inside, “You here?”
“In the kitchen” she called up the stairs from the basement “I hope you guys are hungry”
“What- have you cooked?” he said walking down the stairs,
“Nope – Cara has, she wouldn’t let me and she wouldn’t let me call Kreacher” He saw her sitting at the table, hands on her belly contentedly in new green dress with a large smile on her face
“Wow – you can cook” Harry grinned staring at the table covered in food and laid with places,
“Course” Cara smiled waving her wand for the finishing touches on a roast chicken “Now your guests will be here soon”
He sat down beside her “Who?”
“Dad, my brothers…”
“So you want to tell them but what about your mum”
“She’s not coming; we can tell her when she wants to be bothered with us”
“She refused the invitation?” He asked Ginny,
“She did, so there coming, Ron’s coming and before you kill me Hermione is too” Cara said pointing her wand at him in defence before he could make a move,
“Say that again”
“She’s coming Harry”
“I didn’t suggest it, but don’t get mad at Cara” Ginny said taking a sip from a glass of pumpkin juice “She invited her, Hermione said ok and that she’s told them what she said”
“That doesn’t mean I want her in my house!” Harry said angrily, “I don’t care if she’s sorry, it doesn’t change a thing”
“Harry” Ginny said quietly,
“She’s not welcome here”
“Harry!” she said a little louder,
“Why would you go behind our backs and invite her?”
“HARRY!” she shouted,
He stopped and stared at her, Cara and Sophia took there cue to leave.
“Harry, its fine” she said standing up, stretching and rubbing her lower back with her palms looking at him,
“Right so instead of asking me you went along with it”
“Instead of asking me you decided to kill yourself”
“That was completely different Ginny and you know it, I did that to save you all I’m doing this now to protect you and my baby from her spite”
“Happens that she’s my baby to”
“And you’re my wife; it’s my job to protect you both”
“Here we go again, what if I don’t want your protection, what if I just want your love”
“You’ve got it, but me trying to stop things from hurting you comes with that automatically, she is not stepping foot in this house”
“She is, she is coming to apologise and if it doesn’t work then we’ve made the first move, we’ve tried again and she can just leave, you’re my husband now, you’re the father of my baby, I don’t want to leave this world and you be on bad terms with her when you need her”
“You’re not going to die”
“It’s a possibility, you know that and if it happens -” he cringed and she touched his cheek “- if – you’ll need help and your two best friends will be there for you if they are your friends”
“Nothings going to happen to you, I’m not going to let you die”
“Please Harry, just listen, I want you to make up with them for me, we have to do this”
“I can’t”
“Do it as a wedding present for me Harry, for her-” she held his hand to her belly “- do it for Faith”
“Faith?” he said in a small voice,
“I thought it was something, you know – appropriate, and you said I could chose”
“I did didn’t I”
“You did, so please – will you?”
He nodded, wrapping her in his embrace strongly, “For Faith”
There was a doorbell ringing in the background, “That’s them, now are you ready?”
“I guess, I still don’t think this will go down well”
“We just have to get through it, we’ve got dad – we had there support before hand”
“We did it without them”
“We will tell them why though Harry, we have too”
He nodded turning them as footsteps came down the stairs. It was Hermione and Ron hand in hand. She took one look at Ginny, burst into tears and enveloped her in a hug,
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean it – can we go back to how we were?”
“Hermione” Ginny said hugging her back lightly “You’re squashing us”
“Oh I’m sorry – I just wanted to say sorry” she pulled away “You look so – so pregnant”
“That’s what happens when you are” Harry said callously, folding his arms,
“Harry” she turned to him “What did we just -”
“I’m trying, it’s not working, I can’t look at her” he replied,
“Give us a minute” Ginny started,
“Can I talk to you?” Hermione said quietly looking between them,
“Ginny, Ron hasn’t met Cara or Sophia until they opened the door, they should meet properly right?” He said sitting at the table,
“Alright” she smiled a little leaning to kiss him, Harry reached to stroke her belly and she held his hand there for a moment looking into his eyes and seeing something that worried her. “Harry…”
“You can see right through me can’t you?” he replied moving to put his head in his hands as Ron led Ginny up the stairs, she looked back for a second and then followed him up.
He didn’t move as he spoke “I’m doing this for her, because she asked me to do it for her”
“I am sorry; I do mean it, the words they just came out”
“You told us that our daughter was better off dead” one hand rubbed his forehead the other was still holding his head,
“I was angry, I was just angry because of Ron, I know it’s not an excuse but it’s all I have”
“Let’s forget it; I don’t need this on top of everything else ok”
“It feels like you just can’t be bothered Harry, how can we be friends if you can’t accept my apology”
He looked up “I didn’t say we’d be friends, I said forget about it Hermione”
“Ginny’s willing to-”
“-Ginny thinks she’s going to die” he said “That’s the only reason – and don’t you say that if we’d given Faith up this wouldn’t be happening, because I don’t want to hear something I already know”
“I’m not saying that – wait a minute – Faith?”
“That would be our daughter’s name”
“And her dying?”
“Ron didn’t tell you about the ultimatum after the haemorrhage then?”
“Yes but he also said she was sure then that she wouldn’t give up the baby and she wouldn’t die”
“Well things change” he muttered
“You can change them back Harry” she said sitting down and reaching for his hand “We could be friends again”
He pulled his hand away “Not anytime soon Hermione – wait until one of them is dead and then come and see me”
“Don’t be so – so”
He swore at her “- so what? So miserable, so pessimistic, so – so” he swore again “- upset that my wife’s going to try and kill herself for my baby and if I try and stop her I’ll lose her?!”
“Wife…”
He stood up “We’ll explain over dinner, I’m going to – to – I don’t need to tell you, I’ll just be back in a minute, go and see them” he said and apparated up to his bedroom.
He yelled “ARGHHH!!!” punching the wall, this time with his right hand over and over and over again, swearing as he did so, until he collapsed to sitting on the floor, head in his hands tears falling angrily,
“You’re not going up there with him like that!”
“Don’t you dare try and stop me Ron!”
“He’s lost it!”
“HE’S MY HUSBAND AND HE’S IN PAIN!”
He stared “Husband?”
“Husband” she replied and he heard her footsteps as her brothers voices sounded from the fireplace in the room below,
“Harry”
“Ignore me, go back downstairs”
“Your hand, your crying – Harry” she said quietly sitting down in front of him, but holding onto the bed to get down there awkwardly, and holding his hand when she did,
“Ignore me”
She took his wand and conjuring a bandage wrapped it firmly around it “I can’t, not when I can see your suffering”
“You need me to be strong and I’m a wet mess”
“You care, you love me, you love her” she left his bandaged hand resting on her stomach as she lay down on his left side propping herself on pillows next to him,
He lay down on his side next to her leaving his hand there “I’m not good at this”
“You are, you’re here, you feel – I don’t need you to be strong and to fight, I just need you, the Harry I met that first time on the train platform, before he knew he would have battle to survive, before he knew all of this would happen”
“If I don’t fight I’ll lose you”
She shook her head “Don’t fight, help me get through this, we can do this together we said that from the beginning, you said that so don’t fall apart now – I need you, Faith needs you, we just want you to be you”
He sighed and got up “Come on, let’s go and pretend everything’s ok for our guests” He helped her up gently; she stood but didn’t move only to hold him in a hug.
“I think we should tell them to go – cancel dinner and you stay here to calm down”
“I’m calm Gin, we have to do this, and they have to know what’s wrong”
“They know we’re married, that’s enough for now”
“That’s not what there missing”
“What did you tell dad?” she said looking up at him,
“The truth, I told him the truth”
“You said?”
“I told him what he needed for him to agree to it”
“You scared him, you told him I was going to die and you scared him into agreeing”
“I did what I had to”
“That’s why he’s upset” she stepped back from him in realisation,
“Gin don’t run away – let me explain – you wanted this, I wanted to give you today to because you needed it, because you wanted it so I did what I had to, I told him there was a possibility just like you keep telling me”
“Don’t hurt him again, I’ll go down and tell them to go”
“I take it they could hear me?”
“Yes”
“Then I’ll face that I’m losing the plot alright” he muttered tightening the bandages on his hand,
“Stop fiddling with it – I’ll get some skelegrow”
“It’s fine, I don’t want her fussing”
“Who says I’ll go to her for it?”
“Penny or your Mother, both are just as bad as each other – I’d rather the pain and mangled hand thanks”
“It’s your wand hand; you’ll be useless with out it”
“I’ll be fine, my left hands just as good”
“Don’t be so stubborn”
“I’m not being stubborn, I just can’t be bothered, I’ve got enough to think about, this-” he lifted up his hand “- is nothing compared to what it would be like to lose you Ginny, if I’m going to get ready for pain I’d better start somewhere”
“I love you but you can’t half be dramatic sometimes”
“Gin”
“Just close your eyes for a second”
“Gin”
“Do it”
He did as he was told and she took his hand placing it on her heart and then moving it to her stomach “You feel them right?”
“Yes” he murmured “You and her – she’s wriggling, your heart beats thumping like drum”
“And that is how we’re going to stay”
“How can I believe that when you’re willing to die?”
“- For her - you’ll have Faith and if not both of us”
“And if not neither of you, I’ll have nothing, I’ll lose you both and that leaves me the only option of joining you”
“We have time now”
“Not enough”
“We’re not going to leave you” she replied “So open your eyes and kiss me”
He did as he was told, holding her cheek with his good hand, and refusing to let go as he kissed her.
“Harry…” she said in breathless anticipation, wanting more as they broke away, foreheads still touching, his eyes closed,
“I love you Mrs Potter”
She giggled a little and leaned up to meet him in a kiss again, “Love you too Mr Potter” she kissed him again wrapping her arms around him falling into his embrace. There kisses became more passionate, fiercer and aggressive; his t-shirt was pulled over his head, the straps loosened on her dress, and buttons undone on both sides until there were footsteps heard climbing the stairs.
“I hate your family” he said with a smile kissing her again and ignoring the footsteps until they heard the knock at the door,
“Is everything alright Ginny” it was Arthur,
“Fine” she replied,
He reached over for his shirt, she tidied herself up and called out that they’d be down in a minute “We just need a moment to finish talking” her voice was strained and Arthur was worried, but it was on edge from a kiss not from an argument. She looked at her watch, dinner would be cold.
“Don’t make that face, once they’re gone we can continue what we started” she smirked running a hand through his hair and down the back of his neck,
“Sophia’s staying here, your think Ron’s going to leave easily or Cara – I doubt it”
“I’ll tell them why I want them gone but I think they’ll know – don’t you think, it being our wedding night and all” she smiled,
“Hmm” he reached for her hand and raised it to his lips “Come on then”
“Harry, Ginny” Arthur said watching them walk down the stairs her hand in his,
“Sorry to keep you guys waiting” Harry started as they came out from the living room to stand at the bottom of the stairs,
“So I’m guessing we’re here to give you guy’s congratulations” Bill said eyes on the floor,
“If you want too” Ginny said with a small smile “I mean if you don’t you can just have dinner and go home and tell mum everything we tell you”
“She won’t want to hear it”
“Which is why she isn’t here” Ginny smirked “Do you think I haven’t invited her and tried Bill?”
“You got married and didn’t tell her”
“We had reasons, let’s eat and we might tell you some of them” Harry said with a smile leading Ginny down the stairs to the full kitchen table, they sat down surrounded on all sides.
“A toast” said Arthur trying not to look pained “To Ginny and Harry”
“And Faith” Ginny added
Everyone looked up but Hermione “Faith?” Said Percy, Bill and Charlie together,
“Faith in what” the twins tagged on the end,
“Faith Potter” Harry said as Ginny’s hand crept along the table to hold his left one.
Everyone exchanged glances except Arthur, Harry and Ginny, he only had eyes for the bump hidden by the table, and they only had eyes for each other. He looked up,
“To Ginny, Harry and Faith” he raised his glass with a small smile,
“It’s ok guys” Ginny started “You can say this how thing is completely strange if you want – because it is”
“And I thought it was just me-” said Fred,
“- That found this bonkers” added George with a identical grin,
“Nope – we’ve just come to peace with the idea” Harry smirked “I mean look at the hole in my bedroom wall if you don’t believe me” he said holding up his bandaged hand.
“Not again” Ron said rolling his eyes,
“That’s so yours and Ginny’s half of the house” Sophia said with a grin,
“Yeah, yeah” Harry laughed,
“They’re going to lock you up in a house without walls” Ron muttered with a small smile,
“Is that possible?” Sophia said,
“Magic Sophia” Grinned Harry “You can do almost anything”
“Hold on ‘your half’?” Ginny said looking between them,
“You didn’t tell her?”
“You told me not to sister” Harry said sticking his tongue out at her,
“At least now you’re listening, little brother” Sophia replied sticking out her own at him,
He laughed “Little brother? I don’t think I like that”
“What’s going on – halves – brother and sister?”
“With Sophia now officially being a witch and Sirius’s daughter she gets what was his”
Ginny blinked “So this house, the inheritance – whoa the entire Black family vault”
“But I don’t want it, so Harry and I came to an agreement – since Sirius thought of him as his son, I’m his daughter, and it’s only right that we go halves – I did tell him to keep the house and money but he wouldn’t have it”
“To right he wouldn’t – it’s yours Sophia” Ginny said firmly smiling at Harry’s honesty,
“So we’re splitting everything in half and Faith will get to call me Auntie – if that’s ok with you?”
“Course it is!” she got up and hugged her happily “I got a sister!”
Ron coughed and she looked at Hermione to see the tears falling silently down her cheeks “What are you still sitting for Hermione she’s your sister too!”
She leapt up crying and laughing and joined in the hug,
“Girls” Ron said with a grin without realising it was Cara sitting next to him,
Hermione spoke turning back to wipe her eyes, “Girls what?”
“Nothing” Ron mumbled,
“Good” she grinned kissing him,
“Problems with public displays of affection solved then Ron” Harry smirked,
“What problems” Ron grinned back as Hermione settled on his lap contently,
“So you said you were going to explain” said Bill “Because we’ve eaten and I’m pretty sure I’ve got questions and so has Charlie and Percy and Dad”
Hermione sat down again demurely, Ginny sitting closer to Harry and holding his waist with his arm round her, “We’re sorry we did it without you guys, but we had to”
“Why?” Bill continued “You could have just told us, we would have been there – the twins work close enough you could have told them”
“We just did… look … erm…we went to the doctors this morning” Ginny started but couldn’t seem to finish,
“You want me to?”
“Yes please – but I think – is it ok if I go lie down and you – or will you be mad”
“Go on” he said kissing her forehead,
“Don’t run away from this Ginny” Arthur said as she got up,
“She’s not” Harry said “She’s taking it with her and going to lie down, she’s worn out or couldn’t you tell”
“Harry” Charlie said warningly,
“It’s fine, he’s defensive, he’s automatically fighting for her it’s a good thing” Arthur said adjusting his glasses on his nose, “He’s going to explain, Gin’s going to rest it’s fine”
“Not for him to talk to you like that it’s not Dad” Gin said leaning to kiss his cheek, going to all of her brothers and then to Harry, “You gonna behave?”
“I’m sorry Arthur, I will control myself – I’ll just find a spare wall”
Arthur let a smile pass his lips as Ginny kissed Harry and shuffled out,
“So where shall we start?”
“The beginning” Bill started, “The healer’s appointment this morning”
“We’re having a girl, but there’s something else, the nurse found a clot”
“And that means?” Charlie said,
“It means that there’s a good chance she might not make it and that Faith won’t either, there is also a good chance they will both be fine”
“Right”
“And there’s also a chance that just one of them will not make it, it depends on whether the clot clears or not, but she’s taking a potion that should help”
Hermione looked up “And If not?” she asked “Then what happens?”
“Then they go for surgery, muggle and Healer trained doctors operate to clear the clot and if not – and if not-” he stumbled on the words rubbing his forehead,
Sophia got up to kneel in front of him taking his hand, “And if not they will…”
“Take out Faith and try to save Ginny from the clot, but only if she let’s them”
Percy stared along with the other brothers “If she lets them?”
“She won’t give her up” Harry said “She won’t let me save her, she’d rather die to save Faith then give her up”
Arthur looked at him and nodded his head when Harry shook his; this was to stay between them now,
“We got married today not only because we love each other, and not only as a just in case but to make me officially her next of kin if something’s happens and she can’t make a decision, so that I can make it for her”
“Your going to do what she wants” the twins said together in shock, standing up angrily,
“Yes” he lied “I promised her I would so that it wouldn’t be up to Molly to make that choice”
Charlie drew his wand as did Bill and they each got up and dragged Harry’s half lifeless form up against the wall,
“You’re going to kill her!” Bill accused his wand pointing at Harry’s chest,
“And you agreed to it?!” Charlie said turning back to his father and pushing away Ron when he attempted to pull them away from Harry,
“I did, it’s what she wants – I can’t argue with it, it’s not right for me to and it shouldn’t be up to Molly and me to decide, it’s Harry and Ginny’s baby it’s there choice”
“How long does she have?” Percy asked, he was the only brother not to have moved from his seat,
“Two more months – it’s all only possibility, if this potion works then there shouldn’t be a choice to make and there’s every chance it will”
“Right well I’m with Dad on this one, it’s not our choice it’s theirs and from what Harry has said it might not even come down to that she won’t make it, we just need to think about that she’s alive now, she’s taking a potion and she’s doing everything she can to help her chances”
“She’s going to Mungo’s in a month to check” Harry said as Bill let him go, “We’ll know more then, she wanted to tell you now so it wouldn’t be a shock”
“I’m going to see her” Charlie said and let go, Harry didn’t make a move to stop him, Bill and the twins followed him up the stairs,
“Boy’s don’t be stupid” Arthur said going after them “She needs all the rest she can get, you going up and making her angry and upset is not going to help her”
“I want to hear it from her” Charlie kept going along with Bill as the twins thought otherwise and slowed on the steps before turning around, they got to the door opening it to find her awake, crying and sitting in front of the mirror in her underwear embracing her baby bump.
“Gin” Charlie rushed forward picking up the sheet and wrapping it round her as Bill stood hesitant at the door, “Gin it’s alright, everything’s going to be alright”
“Leave us alone” she sobbed holding on to him,
“Not a chance, silly Ginny” he held her “Silly billy Ginny” he murmured soothingly,
“I want Harry” She mumbled “I need him to hold me”
“What am I not good enough?” Charlie smiled good naturedly stroking her hair, as Bill apparated down to the kitchen,
“He’s – he’s different, smells different, hold’s me differently”
“Gin” Harry rushed forward from spot he’d apparated to, “Are you alright?” Charlie released her into his arms, Harry wrapped the sheet around her more securely lifting her on to his lap, he cradled her there, holding her too him, kissing her forehead and wiping her tears with his thumb. “Don’t cry sweetheart”
“I- I – I don’t want to lose her”
“Come on Gin, don’t think like that, we’re doing everything we can, she’s got the best chance we can give her, she’s going to be ok, I promise she will be ok”
“You can’t promise that” She sobbed clutching at him, “You can’t promise me that when you don’t believe it”
“I promise you Ginny, I love you and I promise you she is going to be ok”
She didn’t say anything else but held on to him as tightly as she could manage,
“We’re going to go, Sophia can go with Ron and stay at the Burrow for a while, give you two some space”
Ginny shook her head, Harry felt it “She doesn’t want her to go”
“It’s not-”
“You guys are still strangers to her, it would be wrong of us just to dump her now, she stays – it’s half her home and she needs her friends now she’s left her family”
“Alright – but you need us, any of us just send an patronus and we’ll be here, just don’t leave us out please” He leant in and kissed Ginny’s forehead gently, before placing a hand briefly on Harry shoulder “For anything ok”
He nodded as Charlie left.
He heard the voices leaving one by one until he could make out Hermione, Cara, Sophia and Ron’s remaining, they didn’t show any sign of leaving even when he put a sleeping Ginny to bed and joined her. He only heard footsteps as he drifted off to sleep, the slight creak of a door before he gave into it completely.
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RIP JD Salinger
Last edited by lilly_luna; 10-20-2010 at 08:26 AM.
Reason: i posted the wrong chappie lol
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