FIC--One Year--May
Jan. 8th, 2007 07:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ficsbydeenasTitle: One Year
Chapter Title: May, 10 of 13
Rating: R for language
Words: 6189
Summary: The final Quidditch match of the season means another chance at the Quidditch Cup for Ginny and the Gryffindor team. However, a Bludger has different ideas.
Betas:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
miss_elisha, lisarene, oncelikeshari and redhot_witch
One Year
Chapter Ten:
May
~*~
Through the remainder of April, Sarah stayed at St. Mungo’s, undergoing treatment for her depression and her suicide attempt. Her absence, while refreshing for Ginny, weighed heavily in the minds of the seventh-year girls. Sarah, for the most part, had always been a bubbly person and her eternal good mood was often contagious, sometimes even cheering Ginny up when no one else could.
But there was no time to really miss Sarah. Ginny and the rest of the seventh year students were occupied with the upcoming NEWT exams at the beginning of next month. Most of Ginny’s free moments were split between classes, studying and Quidditch practice, which began cutting into her sleep. It was not an odd sight to find Ginny taking a nap during one of her free periods.
Ginny was asleep one Tuesday afternoon when the large door to the dormitory opened, loudly followed by heavy steps crossing the room. Sitting up, Ginny rubbed her eyes and resigned herself to the fact that she would miss her daily nap.
"Sarah?" Standing a few feet from Ginny’s bed was a very different Sarah Mitchell. Sarah’s usually shiny golden blonde hair was dull and hung limply against her shoulders. Ginny noticed that Sarah had lost weight as well. "Sarah, what are you doing here? Are you coming back?"
Sarah turned around and Ginny was shocked by her dorm mate’s appearance. Sarah, who took great pride in her appearance and wore make up on a daily basis, looked extremely tired and her skin was sallow and colourless. Her bright blue eyes, heavily lidded, had lost all their sparkle. "Ginny, oh I didn’t see you there."
"Are you back at school?" Sarah shook her head slowly.
"No. I’m going away for awhile, Ginny, with my mother," Sarah said softly and opened the drawers of her bedside table to remove her belongings. "Mum’s taking me to Majorca. I have a lot of things to work out." The fire was gone from Sarah, leaving Ginny with a sunken feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Sarah…er, what happened, you know, last month?" Ginny didn’t think she would ever get the image of a barely breathing Sarah lying on the bed after taking the poisonous potion out of her mind.
"Well, first off, Ginny, thanks for finding me. I, er, was a bit out of it, you know, and had a hard time dealing with things." Sarah sank heavily onto the bed behind her and let out a heavy sigh.
"I heard about your father, Sarah. I’m sorry, I didn’t know," Ginny softly told Sarah and sat down next to the other girl. "He was sick?" Sarah shook her head and began tugging at her sweater and balling it in her fists.
"No. He was fine. And that’s what’s so unfair," Sarah whispered in a low voice, one Ginny hadn’t heard before. Ginny watched as Sarah got off the bed and began pacing at the foot of her bed. "We were in Glasgow for Christmas, and he was going to cross the street to get to the train station and was hit by a car."
"Oh, my goodness, Sarah! That’s terrible!"
"He was hit pretty hard and died at the hospital," Sarah choked out. "Mum didn’t trust the Muggles and we took him to St. Mungo’s." Sarah sniffed the tears that were heavy in her eyes and trailing down her cheeks. "They couldn’t do anything for him there." With a rare display of emotion, Ginny found herself crying as Sarah went on to explain about her father’s injuries and the resulting funeral. But the one thing Ginny couldn’t understand was how Sarah would want to do something like that to herself.
With a deep breath, Ginny went on to ask Sarah that very question. "But Sarah, why did you do that?"
Ginny could sense Sarah’s trepidation at the prospect of answering the question, and Sarah’s head fell to her chest.
"Ginny, I miss him so much. We were so close and we did everything together when I was at home. Mum worked while Dad stayed home and taught us at home," Sarah began with a tiny smile on her face. "He taught me how to play the piano. He was actually very good, you know." Sarah’s eyes lit up at the memory she shared with Ginny, who continued to listen to Sarah describe her father in loving terms.
Mr. Mitchell, Ginny learned, was much like her own father. He was a gentle man with a great love for life and especially, his family. Even though he was a pureblood wizard, he preferred to live among Muggles and had many Muggle friends who merely thought that he was a modern man, choosing to stay home with his children while his wife went to work. By the time Sarah finished talking about her father, Ginny discovered that she hadn’t really got to know Sarah in all the years they'd lived together.
Sarah had finished talking about her father and looked seriously at Ginny. "Ginny? I want to tell you something."
"Okay…"
"I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything I said about you and Harry. I should have known better." Sarah looked at Ginny with pleading eyes. "I always wanted to be you. You have brothers who love you and I was stuck with snotty sisters." Ginny let out a little snort. Sarah was right. Her sisters Caroline and Beatrice were some of the most arrogant and self-centred girls Ginny had ever met. "I suspect I’m really not the best Gryffindor there ever was."
"Sarah, no, you’re wrong. There are much worse examples of a Gryffindor." And for the first time in seven years, Ginny gave Sarah Mitchell a hug.
~*~
Ginny began pacing back and forth in the changing room as she and the rest of the team prepared for their final Quidditch match of the season. It wasn’t just any other game, either. It was for the Cup. They were playing Ravenclaw again, and the two teams were neck and neck for the championship. While Ginny had been in this position before during the year Harry was captain, she was more nervous than ever. Harry, Ron and Hermione had already stopped by to say hello and wish her luck. Fred and George had sent her a new set of goggles for the match, but she refused to wear them, fearing that they had done something to them. And to her surprise, Charlie and Bill were also in attendance. Ginny was happy her brothers were here, of course, but their presence added more pressure than she was prepared to handle.
Ginny’s thoughts were broken by Demelza clearing her throat in an attempt to get the team’s attention. The room grew quiet and everyone turned toward their captain.
"Okay. We’ve practised hard and we’re ready, I know it. Dennis, make sure you keep an eye on the left goalpost. You’ve been letting in a lot of goals on that side." Dennis nodded. "Jimmy and Charlie, their Chasers are wicked fast, so you have to keep the Bludgers going. If you have to knock ‘em off their brooms, fine. We need any kind of advantage. Adam and Natalie, we’ll be using those formations we worked on for the last couple of weeks and remember, Adam, I am the one calling out the formations. Not you."
"Right, cap’n. Sorry about the last match." Demelza and Adam had got into a fight because Adam kept ignoring Demelza’s called formations and going off on his own.
"Ginny, you’ve been doing great all season. Just catch the damned Snitch as soon as you can. I don’t trust Baker and Busby." Baker and Busby were the Ravenclaw Beaters. Ginny nodded.
The team gathered in a circle, hands in the middle, ready to chant.
"Bravery.
Strength.
Honour.
Go mighty Gryffindor!"
The team chant was a little cheesy, but it was a good way to get everyone focused and ready for the match. Demelza led the way out the changing room and the Gryffindor team headed out onto the pitch, ready to defend their title. Once out on the green grass, they mounted up and took off into the blue May sky as Ethan McClelland announced the team in his usual fashion, although he was a bit more enthusiastic announcing the members of his own house team. Madam Hooch released the balls and the match began.
While the weather was perfect for Quidditch when the match started, clouds gathered after about an hour and a half into the match. Ginny was having a particularly trying time during the match. Tom Baker and James Busby, the Ravenclaw Beaters, constantly harangued Ginny, blasting the Bludgers at her one after the other as well as trying several times to knock her off her broom. Ginny had the distinct feeling that they were so persistent because she was the cause of Ravenclaw’s last defeat two years ago. Ravenclaws were smart without a doubt, but they were also logical and excellent strategists. Their tactics didn’t surprise Ginny. After all, Ron was her brother.
After an hour of flying in the dark clouds, Ginny finally got a good look at the Golden Snitch and plotted out a path to avoid the opposing Seeker. She weaved in and out, careful not to make it obvious that she’d seen it. When she was certain she could make her final drive, Ginny leaned into her broom, urging it on as it built up speed. Out of the corner of her eye, the speeding form of the Ravenclaw Seeker came up quickly on her and Ginny made a quick decision. Knowing that the other Seeker was a gullible git, Ginny dived for the ground and saw that her tactic had worked; she was being followed.
The roar of the crowd filled Ginny’s ears as they figured out what she was doing while the ground came increasingly close. She knew it was time to begin pulling up, hopefully causing her opponent to crash to the grass. What she didn’t expect was the Bludger that came out of nowhere, colliding with the back of her head sending her tumbling back to Earth.
~*~
Ginny felt the pain in her head and heard a buzzing in her ears which muffled something like the sound of voices. She willed her eyes open and when they did all she could see was the high stone ceiling of the Hospital Wing. Her left ear hurt and all she could hear out of it was a constant ringing that would change into an irritating buzz. Taking a deep breath, she turned her head to the side and noticed something that made her smile. Harry lay there, with his head at her feet, sleeping with his glasses clutched in his hand. His other hand was stretched toward her and she instinctively knew that at some point he was holding her hand. Her heart ached at his simple declaration of love.
Ginny’s eyes moved across the room to find her parents leaning against each other in a pair of easy chairs. Her dad had his arm around her mother and her head lay gently on his shoulder. Oh how she wanted that some day. To know that the someone you loved would always be there to support you and try their best to make life as wonderful as it possibly could be. Her eyes again went to Harry. And then she knew. She had that with Harry. All she wanted was to hold fast to that feeling and never let it go. She knew that she was still very young, in the eyes of the rest of the world, but she knew in her heart of hearts that no one but Harry would complete her the way he did.
She rolled to her side and took Harry’s outstretched hand in hers, stroking the flesh on his hand. His eyes began to flutter and she watched as he opened his eyes to her and smile.
"Gin…Ginny…" Harry spoke in the middle of a yawn. "Hey, you’re up." He lazily put his glasses back on his face and scooted onto the bed to sit next to her, taking her hands in his. "You scared me, love. Don’t ever do that to me again!" He started to cry. Harry Potter, defeater of Voldemort, was crying because she got hurt in a Quidditch match.
"Harry, it’s okay." Ginny reached out and wiped the tears from his cheeks. "I’ve been hurt in matches before."
Harry suddenly looked very serious. "Gin, it’s bad." Ginny’s smile faded at Harry’s tone. "First, you’ve got a concussion. You probably knew that." Ginny nodded. Harry sighed heavily and looked down at the stark white sheets. "You’ve got a skull fracture, but Madam Pomfrey fixed that. And, uh, you might have some hearing problems."
"Might? Doesn’t she know?" Ginny’s eyes were wide with panic and she felt her heart race. "Bloody hell, Harry, what the hell happened out there?" She looked over at her parents as her father shifted himself in the chair and let out a loud snort. "Harry, the last thing I remember was heading into a dive."
Harry pulled Ginny closer to him and took her hands again. "Well, one of the Beaters hit a Bludger at you and it hit you in the back of the head."
"I know that Harry!" Ginny hissed.
"You may have trouble hearing and, uh, well you may have some brain damage." Ginny could barely hear him, but she knew enough to know that her career as a Healer was in jeopardy.
"No," Ginny whispered frowning in disbelief. Everything she’d been planning for could be lost and she’d be left with nothing but a cracked skull. What am I going to do now? "How are we going to fix this, Harry? What if I lose my hearing? What if…what if something else happens?"
"Whatever it takes, I’ll make sure that you get the best care. I’ll take care of everything, I promise." Harry’s face was full of concern and a bit of fear. Her heart broke as she continued to listen to him. "You’ll have the best Healers in the world and the best Muggle doctors if we need to. Ginny, don’t give up." Tears began falling down his cheeks and he put his arms around her, the two of them comforting each other with soft caresses.
All too soon, a stabbing pain erupted in Ginny’s temple and she screamed into Harry’s ear before falling back onto the bed. Her ears were ringing and her head felt as if she was being stabbed with an ice pick. She could hear Harry yelling out for help and the sound of footsteps coming across the floor of the hospital underneath the buzzing of her ears before it drowned everything else.
Opening her eyes wide, she saw her parents and Madam Pomfrey surrounding her bed and Harry holding her shoulders on the bed. She couldn’t hear what the four of them were yelling but she could tell that the old matron was bewildered by her condition just from the look on her face. She watched helplessly as her mother had to be removed from the room by Tonks, who Ginny didn’t even know was there.
"What’s going on!" she shouted at the others. Harry answered her, but she couldn’t hear the words.
Madam Pomfrey returned with a tankard of steaming liquid and motioned for Ginny to drink it. She sat up and reached for the pewter container, lifting it to her lips. It was a thick, purplish liquid that tasted worse than it smelled. She thought she tasted something like molasses mixed with bile in it, but decided not to decipher the ingredients. When she had finished, the ringing subsided and she began to hear bits and pieces of the conversation before drifting off to sleep again.
~*~
Orange light filtered in through Ginny’s eyelids the next time she woke up, telling her it was early morning. She allowed her eyes to open and found Harry’s spot on her bed empty. She was hoping he’d still be there. Ginny rolled to her left side and was pleasantly surprised. He was asleep on the bed next to her, his mouth open and a soft snore coming from his throat. She held back a giggle and continued to watch him.
"Harry," she whispered. "Harry, wake up." He didn’t move. She found a Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Bean on her bedside table and tossed it at his head, hitting him right above his ear.
"Gi..awh…neee?" he said in the middle of a yawn. "You awake?" He sat up and ran his hands through his hair, making it stick up most handsomely.
"Yeah. Mum and Dad still here, too?" She couldn’t see them anywhere in the room. "And why are you still here? Shouldn’t you be in class or something?"
Harry stood up and walked over to her bed, standing at her side. "I sent them home last night. I almost had to hex your mum." They exchanged a smile. "I’ve worked it out with my instructors. You’re more important than that anyway. I had better get Madam Pomfrey. She wanted to see you when you woke."
Harry kissed her cheek before getting the matron. Ginny hated being in here and desperately wanted to get back to the common room and take a shower. Her teeth felt like they were coated with wool and her mouth was dry. Thank Merlin Harry didn’t kiss her on the mouth. She reached for her wand and cast a dental hygiene charm she’d picked up from Hermione and lay back down on the pillow, turning toward the bed Harry had occupied and enjoying the quiet of the usually noisy ward.
Ginny jumped as she felt a tap on her shoulder and she craned her neck to find both Harry and Madam Pomfrey standing over her with worried looks.
"What’s wrong?" she asked them. She watched Harry’s mouth move, but heard nothing. "What?" She dug at her ears with her index fingers and shook her head. Madam Pomfrey’s mouth was now moving and Ginny still couldn’t hear what she was saying. "I can’t hear you! What the hell is wrong? Tell me what’s going on!"
Harry raised a hand and sat next to her, taking her hands in his. Madam Pomfrey scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to Harry, who gave it to Ginny.
We told you that there would be other side effects, and hearing loss is one of them.
"How long will it last?" Pomfrey scribbled again and handed her the note.
It’s temporary. It will come back after a fashion, but I don’t really know any more than that.
Harry began scribbling on another piece of paper and then handed it to her.
You need to go to St Mungo’s. They’ll be able to tell us more after they get a good look at you. Your parents will be here in an hour or so.
Ginny looked at Harry with anxious eyes, her stomach churning and her heart racing. "Harry, I’m scared…" She lost control as he took her in his arms and rocked her back and forth as she cried into his shoulder. He began stroking her hair and she felt herself relax. She wished she could hear his voice; he could always calm her down with his loving words, but all she could do was feel his lips move against her scalp.
~*~
The bright light of the Healer’s exam room blinded her as she stared up at the tiled ceiling as the two wizards studied her brain with assorted spells and wand motions. Her hearing returned soon after they arrived at St Mungo’s and was soon whisked away into the exam room where a team of medi-wizards hovered over her.
The tap of a wand on the top of her head, a rather sharp tap if she was truthful, woke her up out of her thoughts. She wished that Harry or her parents were in with her, just to have a friendly face. But no, they weren’t allowed. It was one time in her extremely independent life that she wanted someone there to take care of her. Well, besides strangers with wands.
"Now Miss Weasley, when your hearing fades, what exactly happens? Any pain or ringing? Do you feel dizzy?" asked the female Healer as she came around to look at Ginny. She looked to be in her mid-40s and had soft brown, curly hair with friendly green eyes. Ginny immediately liked her.
"Well, er, the first time it happened, my ears were ringing and then it really hurt. Then the next time, it just stopped." She sighed as she remembered the feeling of not being able to hear. "I fell asleep after Madam Pomfrey gave me something purple."
The Healer nodded and motioned for her male associate to come round to face Ginny. He smiled weakly at her and looked down at the notes he’d taken down. "Uh, yes. Now, let’s see. Is your vision blurred or anything, miss?" Ginny nervously smiled at the young man, not much older than herself, addressing her so formally.
"No. Just the ringing and headaches." Ginny nervously played with the hem of the exam gown she was wearing.
"Okay, Ginny, that’s all we need right now. Do you want me to bring in your parents as well?" asked the female Healer.
"Yes, please. Harry, too." She received a smile as the woman went to the door and opened it for the others, then ushered them into chairs across from Ginny.
"Physically, Ginny will be fine. Madam Pomfrey's treatment was correct and delivered quickly. However," the woman began, "there may be some residual damage that we can’t detect."
"What do you mean? Can’t magic fix anything?" asked Ginny’s mother, worrying the strap of her handbag.
"Mrs. Weasley, to be honest, no. Magic can’t fix everything. Take for instance Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter’s eyesight." Ginny, her mother and the two Healers looked pointedly at the bespectacled men, making them both shift uncomfortably in their seats. "The retina is extremely delicate and a spell aimed incorrectly can irrevocably damage the tissue. The same can be said for the brain." The Healer got up from her stool and began rummaging through a drawer across the room.
"So, what can we do to help Ginny?" Harry asked, running a hand through his hair as he kept looking at Ginny, and gave her a smile.
"First of all, there will be daily analgesic potions for you to take, Ginny. Those are for the headaches."
"Do I have to mix them?" she asked with a chuckle.
"No. Madam Pomfrey should have them in the Hospital Wing."
Ginny let out a sigh of relief. Even though she was near the top of her Potions class, she felt uneasy making medicinal potions at the moment.
"You will also need to rest frequently during the day. Naps between classes and short blocks of studying should help with the fatigue."
"You mean I’ll have medical ORDERS to take naps?" Ginny couldn’t help but sound excited, and was almost laughing.
"Ginny! This is serious and nothing to joke about," her mother reprimanded, looking to be on the brink of tears.
"Molly, Ginny is taking this seriously. She’s merely finding a silver lining," Ginny’s father reassured his wife with a pat on the hand.
"Well, it’s no laughing matter, Arthur. Our baby is losing her hearing." She blew her nose into a handkerchief. "How can she be a Healer if she can’t hear?"
Her mother’s remarks caused Ginny to panic. What if she did lose her hearing forever? What would she do with her life? She couldn’t be a Healer. She’d worked all year to hone her skills for that future occupation and suddenly it could all be fruitless.
"I’m sure there’s something that can be done, Mrs. Weasley. Right?" Harry piped in, looking both worried and optimistic at the same time.
"Yes, there is." The Healer smiled. "I know of a noted Muggle neurologist whom I have worked with in the past and who should be able to help you out, Ginny."
"Muggle! She’ll go to a Muggle doctor in a Muggle hospital to receive Muggle treatment?" Ginny’s father’s face it up like a Christmas tree and was nearly bouncing on his seat.
"Er, yes, Mr. Weasley. Is there a problem?" The Healers looked at each other nervously.
"You’ll have to excuse my father. He’s rather fascinated with the Muggle world," Ginny informed the Healers while she smiled at her father. "I have a feeling my father wants to go along with me."
"But this is a magical child. Why would a Muggle want to treat her? How do we explain ourselves? It’s just not feasible." Ginny’s mother shook her head. "Last time my husband dabbled in Muggle medicine, they sewed him up like barbarians!"
"Mrs. Weasley, I’m sure she wouldn’t suggest it if she didn’t think it would help," Harry said, trying to calm everyone down. "Just hear her out. For Ginny’s sake." Harry flashed Ginny a gleaming smile, settling her nerves.
"Mr. Potter is right. This is for Ginny’s well-being. And to answer your question, Mrs. Weasley, this doctor I spoke of will see her because he is my brother. I’m Muggle-born and my brother is as fascinated by my world as your husband is with the Muggle one. They’ll get on famously." The woman’s smile reassured Ginny that this was the right thing to do. "I’ll call his offce this afternoon and to set up an appointment, if that’s alright?" She received four nods.
"But she'll have to wait awhile to see him then, won't she? The wait lists are long for Health Service patients, I understand.?" Ginny watched as her father wrapped his arm around her mother, the two of them exchanging sad smile.
"Yes, well, but I’m sure there is…" the Healer began.
"It won’t be a problem. I’ll pay for it. That way they'll fit her in sooner. I’ll make sure that she gets the best care. I promised her in the Hospital wing," Harry stated matter-of-factly. Her mother’s jaw dropped and she stared at Harry.
"Harry, no. You need that money, and we can’t possibly…"
"I. Am. Paying for it." Harry got off his chair and knelt in front of her mother. "Sirius left me more than I know what to do with. I love your daughter, Mrs. Weasley, more than I thought possible. Please, let me do this for her."
Ginny’s heart constricted from Harry’s words and she wanted to just leap off the exam table and snog the breath out of him. Instead, she watched as her mother pulled Harry into her arms, nearly squeezing him to death. When she finally released him, her eyes were full of tears and nodded her agreement. Ginny physically felt herself fall more in love with Harry, if that was at all possible.
~*~
Back at school, Ginny’s days became routine, broken up into small chunks of time. After breakfast, she would go to the Hospital Wing for her morning headache medication. The headaches, though easing up a bit, never went away entirely, even with the pain medication. Rather than sharp and debilitating, they were now merely dull and annoying. After visiting Madam Pomfrey, Ginny had her morning classes, each followed by a Healer-ordered nap. Most days, she really didn’t need them, but she dutifully went to her room. After lunch, it was another dose of potion, classes, and naps. The evenings were not much different either.
Ginny sat in the common room of Gryffindor Tower one Thursday, looking over Hermione’s notes with Colin. She’d a rather incident-free day. No snapping at the younger students; no tearful outbursts when Professor Binns spoke about her uncles Fabian and Gideon. Most of all, the dull throbbing headache had diminished significantly. In fact, Ginny was beginning to think her trip to the Muggle doctor was unnecessary.
"Ginny? Hey, you in there?" Colin tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to jump.
"What? What’s wrong, Colin?"
"Uh, you kinda spaced out there for a minute. You got a headache?" While Colin was one of her best friends, she really didn’t need to be coddled by him, either.
"No, I haven’t got a headache, Colin. Is that supposed to be my excuse for everything? A headache?"
"Hey, calm down. We were studying, and you just faded there." Colin’s eyes searched hers, as if he were looking for an explanation. "And don’t get snippy with me, Ginny."
"Snippy? You think this is snippy? You haven’t seen snippy, Colin." Ginny stood up from her chair, knocking it down in the process before storming across the room to the window seat. "Get out of there! That’s my spot!" she yelled at a fifth-year boy and a third-year girl.
"I don’t think so, Weasley. We’re busy," the boy said and went back to kissing his girlfriend.
"See how she likes snogging this! Mucous Chiroptera!" Both the boy and girl began screaming, fighting off the effects of Ginny’s hex. Amid the laughter of the common room rang out a sharp, piercing voice.
"GINEVRA!" She turned around to find a very disgruntled Professor McGonagall standing at the opening of the common room. "What is going on here?"
"She…she cursed us when we… when we didn’t get off the win…window seat," the boy explained between bogeys flying at his face, arms flailing. "Geroff me!" Professor McGonagall, with a practised swish of her hand, performed the counter-curse and the couple was returned to normal. "That’s it, Weasley! I’ve had ENOUGH of you screaming down everyone’s throat! Get a fucking grip on yourself and grow up!"
"Mr. Goodwin! Watch your language!" Goodwin merely huffed in disapproval.
"The hell I will! You know she’s been a loose cannon and I’m tired of it, and so is everyone else!" He crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at Ginny. "She’s pissed off half the House lately."
"Shut it, Tad! You’re being an arse so just get out of my face!" Ginny jabbed him in the chest with her finger menacingly. She felt hands on her upper arms as someone moved to restrain her.
"Ginny, calm down," Colin said in a soft voice. "You need to get some rest, okay?"
Ginny turned around to face Colin and found everyone staring at her, waiting to see what she’d do next. Every face, she realised, she had made either scream at her, cry, or turn into giant bat bogeys. What’s going on with me? she asked herself. She put her hands on her hair and sunk down into the chair behind her.
"Miss Weasley?"
"Yes, Professor?" The woman looked worried, and frankly, Ginny didn’t blame her one bit.
"Are you going to be alright? Do you need to see Madam Pomfrey?" asked Professor McGonagall.
Ginny resisted the urge to roll her eyes and answered calmly, "No, ma’am. I, uh, think I just need to relax."
"That’s right! You sure do need to relax! Get Potter to shag you…that might relax you!" Tad Goodwin shouted from across the room.
"Now that’s enough, Mr. Goodwin! Miss Weasley, I came here to tell you that Professor Lupin wishes to see you." The woman pursed her lips together and turned her attention back to Tad. "Mr. Goodwin, must I inform your mother about your language this evening?"
Spurts of laughter ran through the students standing around. It was common knowledge that Tad’s mother was on the Board of Governors and a very strict disciplinarian. Tad set his jaw and slowly shook his head. Satisfied with his response, Professor McGonagall placed her hand on Ginny’s shoulder and led her out of the common room.
The two of them walked in silence, the clicking of their heels the only sound as they mad their way to the Lupins’ residence.
"Professor?" Ginny stopped and waited for the older witch to turn around. "What am I doing here? Have I done anything wrong?"
"No, Miss Weasley, you haven’t," Professor McGonagall reassured her. "Remus and Nymphadora want to help you with some relaxation for your headaches." With that, McGonagall rapped sharply on the door and left Ginny waiting there.
The door opened, revealing a pastel pink-haired Tonks wearing an oversized t-shirt and shorts, her belly protruding profusely. "Ginny!" Tonks wrapped her arms around Ginny and pulled her into the room. "You feeling alright? Headaches not too bad?"
"No, they’re getting better. But I just want it all to go away, you know." The two of them walked into the cosy sitting room and sat on the sofa together. "Oh, and I keep blowing up at people, too."
"Mood swings? I think I’ve had enough of those to last for a lifetime already," Remus said as he entered the room, looking quite comfortable in lounge pants and a t-shirt. Ginny suddenly felt like she was either interrupting something or extremely overdressed. "I’ve felt like I live with a moody mother Hippogriff sometimes."
"Oh bugger off, Moony." Tonks beamed at her husband and turned back to Ginny. "So, why didn’t you change?"
"Change for what?"
"We’re going to teach you how to relax," Remus told her. "Yoga. It’s about the only time I can get her to shut up most days." He stopped behind Tonks and kissed her on the cheek while ruffling her hair. "Minerva must have forgotten to tell you. Dora, you got something for her?"
"Come on, Gin. I’ve got loads of clothes that don’t fit me anymore." Tonks stood and pulled Ginny into their bedroom, making her feel quite uncomfortable suddenly.
Not knowing what else to do, she sat down on a chair and looked around the room. A small cot stood in the corner decked out in pinks and purples and little stuffed toys that she assumed to be lambs and puppies.
"Tonks?" Ginny asked. "Are you having a girl?" The thought of a girl baby was rather foreign to her and fascinating at the same time. Tonks came over to the chair and tossed Ginny some light clothing, wearing a silly grin on her face.
"Uh huh. That’s why my hair’s pink. I can’t change it. Madam Pomfrey confirmed it." Tonks glowed with the revelation and Ginny had never seen her happier. "Remus brought that home after Easter. I think it’s ridiculously girly, but he is of the opinion that he wants to spoil his little girl, given his advanced years and all." They both laughed.
"Forty is not old, Tonks," Ginny pointed out as she began changing her clothes.
"Oh I know that. He feels old, given the fact that James has an eighteen-year-old son and he’s just starting out." Ginny had never thought of that before. "But I’ve never seen him giddier than what he is lately."
Ginny smiled as she remembered the change in her professor’s demeanour over the past few months. He smiled more and even though he still had his monthly transformations, didn’t look nearly as worn out as he had in the past. Fatherhood was doing wonders for him and she could only think of good things to come.
"I’m ready." Ginny now wore a tank top and some stretchy shorts that came to mid-thigh. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she realised it was the exact type of outfit her mother would send her inside to change out of and the type of outfit that Harry would appreciate in many different ways. "So when did you learn yoga?"
Tonks opened the door and began to leave the room. "Auror training. Harry will learn it next year. Now come on."
Ginny spent nearly an hour with Remus and Tonks learning how to breathe, of all things. They spent part of their time sitting on the floor with their legs crossed and their hands resting on their thighs, palms up. Another portion was spent lying on her back with her hands on her abdomen as she felt herself breathe. Tonks had put on a recording of waves crashing against a beach somewhere, which managed to soothe Ginny so much that she nearly fell asleep on the floor of the sitting room.
"Okay, good job, Ginny." Tonks spoke, waking Ginny from her self-induced deep relaxation.
"Wow, that was great. I think I fell asleep there for a minute." Ginny stood and stretched her arms above her head.
"That’s the whole point, Ginny. To learn to relax," Remus said. "Whenever you feel like you’re going to snap at someone, go to your room and go through the poses we went through." Remus levitated the sticky mats back into the credenza and walked into the kitchenette. "You ladies fancy some ice cream? Dora here has developed a new taste for cherry ice cream with chocolate sauce."
Tonks and her belly waddled over to her husband and playfully patted him on the stomach. "I think you have, too, Moony. I saw the enlarging charm you had to do on your trousers…"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Title: May, 10 of 13
Rating: R for language
Words: 6189
Summary: The final Quidditch match of the season means another chance at the Quidditch Cup for Ginny and the Gryffindor team. However, a Bludger has different ideas.
Betas:
miss_elisha, lisarene, oncelikeshari and redhot_witchChapter Ten:
May
~*~
Through the remainder of April, Sarah stayed at St. Mungo’s, undergoing treatment for her depression and her suicide attempt. Her absence, while refreshing for Ginny, weighed heavily in the minds of the seventh-year girls. Sarah, for the most part, had always been a bubbly person and her eternal good mood was often contagious, sometimes even cheering Ginny up when no one else could.
But there was no time to really miss Sarah. Ginny and the rest of the seventh year students were occupied with the upcoming NEWT exams at the beginning of next month. Most of Ginny’s free moments were split between classes, studying and Quidditch practice, which began cutting into her sleep. It was not an odd sight to find Ginny taking a nap during one of her free periods.
Ginny was asleep one Tuesday afternoon when the large door to the dormitory opened, loudly followed by heavy steps crossing the room. Sitting up, Ginny rubbed her eyes and resigned herself to the fact that she would miss her daily nap.
"Sarah?" Standing a few feet from Ginny’s bed was a very different Sarah Mitchell. Sarah’s usually shiny golden blonde hair was dull and hung limply against her shoulders. Ginny noticed that Sarah had lost weight as well. "Sarah, what are you doing here? Are you coming back?"
Sarah turned around and Ginny was shocked by her dorm mate’s appearance. Sarah, who took great pride in her appearance and wore make up on a daily basis, looked extremely tired and her skin was sallow and colourless. Her bright blue eyes, heavily lidded, had lost all their sparkle. "Ginny, oh I didn’t see you there."
"Are you back at school?" Sarah shook her head slowly.
"No. I’m going away for awhile, Ginny, with my mother," Sarah said softly and opened the drawers of her bedside table to remove her belongings. "Mum’s taking me to Majorca. I have a lot of things to work out." The fire was gone from Sarah, leaving Ginny with a sunken feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Sarah…er, what happened, you know, last month?" Ginny didn’t think she would ever get the image of a barely breathing Sarah lying on the bed after taking the poisonous potion out of her mind.
"Well, first off, Ginny, thanks for finding me. I, er, was a bit out of it, you know, and had a hard time dealing with things." Sarah sank heavily onto the bed behind her and let out a heavy sigh.
"I heard about your father, Sarah. I’m sorry, I didn’t know," Ginny softly told Sarah and sat down next to the other girl. "He was sick?" Sarah shook her head and began tugging at her sweater and balling it in her fists.
"No. He was fine. And that’s what’s so unfair," Sarah whispered in a low voice, one Ginny hadn’t heard before. Ginny watched as Sarah got off the bed and began pacing at the foot of her bed. "We were in Glasgow for Christmas, and he was going to cross the street to get to the train station and was hit by a car."
"Oh, my goodness, Sarah! That’s terrible!"
"He was hit pretty hard and died at the hospital," Sarah choked out. "Mum didn’t trust the Muggles and we took him to St. Mungo’s." Sarah sniffed the tears that were heavy in her eyes and trailing down her cheeks. "They couldn’t do anything for him there." With a rare display of emotion, Ginny found herself crying as Sarah went on to explain about her father’s injuries and the resulting funeral. But the one thing Ginny couldn’t understand was how Sarah would want to do something like that to herself.
With a deep breath, Ginny went on to ask Sarah that very question. "But Sarah, why did you do that?"
Ginny could sense Sarah’s trepidation at the prospect of answering the question, and Sarah’s head fell to her chest.
"Ginny, I miss him so much. We were so close and we did everything together when I was at home. Mum worked while Dad stayed home and taught us at home," Sarah began with a tiny smile on her face. "He taught me how to play the piano. He was actually very good, you know." Sarah’s eyes lit up at the memory she shared with Ginny, who continued to listen to Sarah describe her father in loving terms.
Mr. Mitchell, Ginny learned, was much like her own father. He was a gentle man with a great love for life and especially, his family. Even though he was a pureblood wizard, he preferred to live among Muggles and had many Muggle friends who merely thought that he was a modern man, choosing to stay home with his children while his wife went to work. By the time Sarah finished talking about her father, Ginny discovered that she hadn’t really got to know Sarah in all the years they'd lived together.
Sarah had finished talking about her father and looked seriously at Ginny. "Ginny? I want to tell you something."
"Okay…"
"I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything I said about you and Harry. I should have known better." Sarah looked at Ginny with pleading eyes. "I always wanted to be you. You have brothers who love you and I was stuck with snotty sisters." Ginny let out a little snort. Sarah was right. Her sisters Caroline and Beatrice were some of the most arrogant and self-centred girls Ginny had ever met. "I suspect I’m really not the best Gryffindor there ever was."
"Sarah, no, you’re wrong. There are much worse examples of a Gryffindor." And for the first time in seven years, Ginny gave Sarah Mitchell a hug.
Ginny began pacing back and forth in the changing room as she and the rest of the team prepared for their final Quidditch match of the season. It wasn’t just any other game, either. It was for the Cup. They were playing Ravenclaw again, and the two teams were neck and neck for the championship. While Ginny had been in this position before during the year Harry was captain, she was more nervous than ever. Harry, Ron and Hermione had already stopped by to say hello and wish her luck. Fred and George had sent her a new set of goggles for the match, but she refused to wear them, fearing that they had done something to them. And to her surprise, Charlie and Bill were also in attendance. Ginny was happy her brothers were here, of course, but their presence added more pressure than she was prepared to handle.
Ginny’s thoughts were broken by Demelza clearing her throat in an attempt to get the team’s attention. The room grew quiet and everyone turned toward their captain.
"Okay. We’ve practised hard and we’re ready, I know it. Dennis, make sure you keep an eye on the left goalpost. You’ve been letting in a lot of goals on that side." Dennis nodded. "Jimmy and Charlie, their Chasers are wicked fast, so you have to keep the Bludgers going. If you have to knock ‘em off their brooms, fine. We need any kind of advantage. Adam and Natalie, we’ll be using those formations we worked on for the last couple of weeks and remember, Adam, I am the one calling out the formations. Not you."
"Right, cap’n. Sorry about the last match." Demelza and Adam had got into a fight because Adam kept ignoring Demelza’s called formations and going off on his own.
"Ginny, you’ve been doing great all season. Just catch the damned Snitch as soon as you can. I don’t trust Baker and Busby." Baker and Busby were the Ravenclaw Beaters. Ginny nodded.
The team gathered in a circle, hands in the middle, ready to chant.
"Bravery.
Strength.
Honour.
Go mighty Gryffindor!"
The team chant was a little cheesy, but it was a good way to get everyone focused and ready for the match. Demelza led the way out the changing room and the Gryffindor team headed out onto the pitch, ready to defend their title. Once out on the green grass, they mounted up and took off into the blue May sky as Ethan McClelland announced the team in his usual fashion, although he was a bit more enthusiastic announcing the members of his own house team. Madam Hooch released the balls and the match began.
While the weather was perfect for Quidditch when the match started, clouds gathered after about an hour and a half into the match. Ginny was having a particularly trying time during the match. Tom Baker and James Busby, the Ravenclaw Beaters, constantly harangued Ginny, blasting the Bludgers at her one after the other as well as trying several times to knock her off her broom. Ginny had the distinct feeling that they were so persistent because she was the cause of Ravenclaw’s last defeat two years ago. Ravenclaws were smart without a doubt, but they were also logical and excellent strategists. Their tactics didn’t surprise Ginny. After all, Ron was her brother.
After an hour of flying in the dark clouds, Ginny finally got a good look at the Golden Snitch and plotted out a path to avoid the opposing Seeker. She weaved in and out, careful not to make it obvious that she’d seen it. When she was certain she could make her final drive, Ginny leaned into her broom, urging it on as it built up speed. Out of the corner of her eye, the speeding form of the Ravenclaw Seeker came up quickly on her and Ginny made a quick decision. Knowing that the other Seeker was a gullible git, Ginny dived for the ground and saw that her tactic had worked; she was being followed.
The roar of the crowd filled Ginny’s ears as they figured out what she was doing while the ground came increasingly close. She knew it was time to begin pulling up, hopefully causing her opponent to crash to the grass. What she didn’t expect was the Bludger that came out of nowhere, colliding with the back of her head sending her tumbling back to Earth.
Ginny felt the pain in her head and heard a buzzing in her ears which muffled something like the sound of voices. She willed her eyes open and when they did all she could see was the high stone ceiling of the Hospital Wing. Her left ear hurt and all she could hear out of it was a constant ringing that would change into an irritating buzz. Taking a deep breath, she turned her head to the side and noticed something that made her smile. Harry lay there, with his head at her feet, sleeping with his glasses clutched in his hand. His other hand was stretched toward her and she instinctively knew that at some point he was holding her hand. Her heart ached at his simple declaration of love.
Ginny’s eyes moved across the room to find her parents leaning against each other in a pair of easy chairs. Her dad had his arm around her mother and her head lay gently on his shoulder. Oh how she wanted that some day. To know that the someone you loved would always be there to support you and try their best to make life as wonderful as it possibly could be. Her eyes again went to Harry. And then she knew. She had that with Harry. All she wanted was to hold fast to that feeling and never let it go. She knew that she was still very young, in the eyes of the rest of the world, but she knew in her heart of hearts that no one but Harry would complete her the way he did.
She rolled to her side and took Harry’s outstretched hand in hers, stroking the flesh on his hand. His eyes began to flutter and she watched as he opened his eyes to her and smile.
"Gin…Ginny…" Harry spoke in the middle of a yawn. "Hey, you’re up." He lazily put his glasses back on his face and scooted onto the bed to sit next to her, taking her hands in his. "You scared me, love. Don’t ever do that to me again!" He started to cry. Harry Potter, defeater of Voldemort, was crying because she got hurt in a Quidditch match.
"Harry, it’s okay." Ginny reached out and wiped the tears from his cheeks. "I’ve been hurt in matches before."
Harry suddenly looked very serious. "Gin, it’s bad." Ginny’s smile faded at Harry’s tone. "First, you’ve got a concussion. You probably knew that." Ginny nodded. Harry sighed heavily and looked down at the stark white sheets. "You’ve got a skull fracture, but Madam Pomfrey fixed that. And, uh, you might have some hearing problems."
"Might? Doesn’t she know?" Ginny’s eyes were wide with panic and she felt her heart race. "Bloody hell, Harry, what the hell happened out there?" She looked over at her parents as her father shifted himself in the chair and let out a loud snort. "Harry, the last thing I remember was heading into a dive."
Harry pulled Ginny closer to him and took her hands again. "Well, one of the Beaters hit a Bludger at you and it hit you in the back of the head."
"I know that Harry!" Ginny hissed.
"You may have trouble hearing and, uh, well you may have some brain damage." Ginny could barely hear him, but she knew enough to know that her career as a Healer was in jeopardy.
"No," Ginny whispered frowning in disbelief. Everything she’d been planning for could be lost and she’d be left with nothing but a cracked skull. What am I going to do now? "How are we going to fix this, Harry? What if I lose my hearing? What if…what if something else happens?"
"Whatever it takes, I’ll make sure that you get the best care. I’ll take care of everything, I promise." Harry’s face was full of concern and a bit of fear. Her heart broke as she continued to listen to him. "You’ll have the best Healers in the world and the best Muggle doctors if we need to. Ginny, don’t give up." Tears began falling down his cheeks and he put his arms around her, the two of them comforting each other with soft caresses.
All too soon, a stabbing pain erupted in Ginny’s temple and she screamed into Harry’s ear before falling back onto the bed. Her ears were ringing and her head felt as if she was being stabbed with an ice pick. She could hear Harry yelling out for help and the sound of footsteps coming across the floor of the hospital underneath the buzzing of her ears before it drowned everything else.
Opening her eyes wide, she saw her parents and Madam Pomfrey surrounding her bed and Harry holding her shoulders on the bed. She couldn’t hear what the four of them were yelling but she could tell that the old matron was bewildered by her condition just from the look on her face. She watched helplessly as her mother had to be removed from the room by Tonks, who Ginny didn’t even know was there.
"What’s going on!" she shouted at the others. Harry answered her, but she couldn’t hear the words.
Madam Pomfrey returned with a tankard of steaming liquid and motioned for Ginny to drink it. She sat up and reached for the pewter container, lifting it to her lips. It was a thick, purplish liquid that tasted worse than it smelled. She thought she tasted something like molasses mixed with bile in it, but decided not to decipher the ingredients. When she had finished, the ringing subsided and she began to hear bits and pieces of the conversation before drifting off to sleep again.
Orange light filtered in through Ginny’s eyelids the next time she woke up, telling her it was early morning. She allowed her eyes to open and found Harry’s spot on her bed empty. She was hoping he’d still be there. Ginny rolled to her left side and was pleasantly surprised. He was asleep on the bed next to her, his mouth open and a soft snore coming from his throat. She held back a giggle and continued to watch him.
"Harry," she whispered. "Harry, wake up." He didn’t move. She found a Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Bean on her bedside table and tossed it at his head, hitting him right above his ear.
"Gi..awh…neee?" he said in the middle of a yawn. "You awake?" He sat up and ran his hands through his hair, making it stick up most handsomely.
"Yeah. Mum and Dad still here, too?" She couldn’t see them anywhere in the room. "And why are you still here? Shouldn’t you be in class or something?"
Harry stood up and walked over to her bed, standing at her side. "I sent them home last night. I almost had to hex your mum." They exchanged a smile. "I’ve worked it out with my instructors. You’re more important than that anyway. I had better get Madam Pomfrey. She wanted to see you when you woke."
Harry kissed her cheek before getting the matron. Ginny hated being in here and desperately wanted to get back to the common room and take a shower. Her teeth felt like they were coated with wool and her mouth was dry. Thank Merlin Harry didn’t kiss her on the mouth. She reached for her wand and cast a dental hygiene charm she’d picked up from Hermione and lay back down on the pillow, turning toward the bed Harry had occupied and enjoying the quiet of the usually noisy ward.
Ginny jumped as she felt a tap on her shoulder and she craned her neck to find both Harry and Madam Pomfrey standing over her with worried looks.
"What’s wrong?" she asked them. She watched Harry’s mouth move, but heard nothing. "What?" She dug at her ears with her index fingers and shook her head. Madam Pomfrey’s mouth was now moving and Ginny still couldn’t hear what she was saying. "I can’t hear you! What the hell is wrong? Tell me what’s going on!"
Harry raised a hand and sat next to her, taking her hands in his. Madam Pomfrey scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to Harry, who gave it to Ginny.
We told you that there would be other side effects, and hearing loss is one of them.
"How long will it last?" Pomfrey scribbled again and handed her the note.
It’s temporary. It will come back after a fashion, but I don’t really know any more than that.
Harry began scribbling on another piece of paper and then handed it to her.
You need to go to St Mungo’s. They’ll be able to tell us more after they get a good look at you. Your parents will be here in an hour or so.
Ginny looked at Harry with anxious eyes, her stomach churning and her heart racing. "Harry, I’m scared…" She lost control as he took her in his arms and rocked her back and forth as she cried into his shoulder. He began stroking her hair and she felt herself relax. She wished she could hear his voice; he could always calm her down with his loving words, but all she could do was feel his lips move against her scalp.
The bright light of the Healer’s exam room blinded her as she stared up at the tiled ceiling as the two wizards studied her brain with assorted spells and wand motions. Her hearing returned soon after they arrived at St Mungo’s and was soon whisked away into the exam room where a team of medi-wizards hovered over her.
The tap of a wand on the top of her head, a rather sharp tap if she was truthful, woke her up out of her thoughts. She wished that Harry or her parents were in with her, just to have a friendly face. But no, they weren’t allowed. It was one time in her extremely independent life that she wanted someone there to take care of her. Well, besides strangers with wands.
"Now Miss Weasley, when your hearing fades, what exactly happens? Any pain or ringing? Do you feel dizzy?" asked the female Healer as she came around to look at Ginny. She looked to be in her mid-40s and had soft brown, curly hair with friendly green eyes. Ginny immediately liked her.
"Well, er, the first time it happened, my ears were ringing and then it really hurt. Then the next time, it just stopped." She sighed as she remembered the feeling of not being able to hear. "I fell asleep after Madam Pomfrey gave me something purple."
The Healer nodded and motioned for her male associate to come round to face Ginny. He smiled weakly at her and looked down at the notes he’d taken down. "Uh, yes. Now, let’s see. Is your vision blurred or anything, miss?" Ginny nervously smiled at the young man, not much older than herself, addressing her so formally.
"No. Just the ringing and headaches." Ginny nervously played with the hem of the exam gown she was wearing.
"Okay, Ginny, that’s all we need right now. Do you want me to bring in your parents as well?" asked the female Healer.
"Yes, please. Harry, too." She received a smile as the woman went to the door and opened it for the others, then ushered them into chairs across from Ginny.
"Physically, Ginny will be fine. Madam Pomfrey's treatment was correct and delivered quickly. However," the woman began, "there may be some residual damage that we can’t detect."
"What do you mean? Can’t magic fix anything?" asked Ginny’s mother, worrying the strap of her handbag.
"Mrs. Weasley, to be honest, no. Magic can’t fix everything. Take for instance Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter’s eyesight." Ginny, her mother and the two Healers looked pointedly at the bespectacled men, making them both shift uncomfortably in their seats. "The retina is extremely delicate and a spell aimed incorrectly can irrevocably damage the tissue. The same can be said for the brain." The Healer got up from her stool and began rummaging through a drawer across the room.
"So, what can we do to help Ginny?" Harry asked, running a hand through his hair as he kept looking at Ginny, and gave her a smile.
"First of all, there will be daily analgesic potions for you to take, Ginny. Those are for the headaches."
"Do I have to mix them?" she asked with a chuckle.
"No. Madam Pomfrey should have them in the Hospital Wing."
Ginny let out a sigh of relief. Even though she was near the top of her Potions class, she felt uneasy making medicinal potions at the moment.
"You will also need to rest frequently during the day. Naps between classes and short blocks of studying should help with the fatigue."
"You mean I’ll have medical ORDERS to take naps?" Ginny couldn’t help but sound excited, and was almost laughing.
"Ginny! This is serious and nothing to joke about," her mother reprimanded, looking to be on the brink of tears.
"Molly, Ginny is taking this seriously. She’s merely finding a silver lining," Ginny’s father reassured his wife with a pat on the hand.
"Well, it’s no laughing matter, Arthur. Our baby is losing her hearing." She blew her nose into a handkerchief. "How can she be a Healer if she can’t hear?"
Her mother’s remarks caused Ginny to panic. What if she did lose her hearing forever? What would she do with her life? She couldn’t be a Healer. She’d worked all year to hone her skills for that future occupation and suddenly it could all be fruitless.
"I’m sure there’s something that can be done, Mrs. Weasley. Right?" Harry piped in, looking both worried and optimistic at the same time.
"Yes, there is." The Healer smiled. "I know of a noted Muggle neurologist whom I have worked with in the past and who should be able to help you out, Ginny."
"Muggle! She’ll go to a Muggle doctor in a Muggle hospital to receive Muggle treatment?" Ginny’s father’s face it up like a Christmas tree and was nearly bouncing on his seat.
"Er, yes, Mr. Weasley. Is there a problem?" The Healers looked at each other nervously.
"You’ll have to excuse my father. He’s rather fascinated with the Muggle world," Ginny informed the Healers while she smiled at her father. "I have a feeling my father wants to go along with me."
"But this is a magical child. Why would a Muggle want to treat her? How do we explain ourselves? It’s just not feasible." Ginny’s mother shook her head. "Last time my husband dabbled in Muggle medicine, they sewed him up like barbarians!"
"Mrs. Weasley, I’m sure she wouldn’t suggest it if she didn’t think it would help," Harry said, trying to calm everyone down. "Just hear her out. For Ginny’s sake." Harry flashed Ginny a gleaming smile, settling her nerves.
"Mr. Potter is right. This is for Ginny’s well-being. And to answer your question, Mrs. Weasley, this doctor I spoke of will see her because he is my brother. I’m Muggle-born and my brother is as fascinated by my world as your husband is with the Muggle one. They’ll get on famously." The woman’s smile reassured Ginny that this was the right thing to do. "I’ll call his offce this afternoon and to set up an appointment, if that’s alright?" She received four nods.
"But she'll have to wait awhile to see him then, won't she? The wait lists are long for Health Service patients, I understand.?" Ginny watched as her father wrapped his arm around her mother, the two of them exchanging sad smile.
"Yes, well, but I’m sure there is…" the Healer began.
"It won’t be a problem. I’ll pay for it. That way they'll fit her in sooner. I’ll make sure that she gets the best care. I promised her in the Hospital wing," Harry stated matter-of-factly. Her mother’s jaw dropped and she stared at Harry.
"Harry, no. You need that money, and we can’t possibly…"
"I. Am. Paying for it." Harry got off his chair and knelt in front of her mother. "Sirius left me more than I know what to do with. I love your daughter, Mrs. Weasley, more than I thought possible. Please, let me do this for her."
Ginny’s heart constricted from Harry’s words and she wanted to just leap off the exam table and snog the breath out of him. Instead, she watched as her mother pulled Harry into her arms, nearly squeezing him to death. When she finally released him, her eyes were full of tears and nodded her agreement. Ginny physically felt herself fall more in love with Harry, if that was at all possible.
Back at school, Ginny’s days became routine, broken up into small chunks of time. After breakfast, she would go to the Hospital Wing for her morning headache medication. The headaches, though easing up a bit, never went away entirely, even with the pain medication. Rather than sharp and debilitating, they were now merely dull and annoying. After visiting Madam Pomfrey, Ginny had her morning classes, each followed by a Healer-ordered nap. Most days, she really didn’t need them, but she dutifully went to her room. After lunch, it was another dose of potion, classes, and naps. The evenings were not much different either.
Ginny sat in the common room of Gryffindor Tower one Thursday, looking over Hermione’s notes with Colin. She’d a rather incident-free day. No snapping at the younger students; no tearful outbursts when Professor Binns spoke about her uncles Fabian and Gideon. Most of all, the dull throbbing headache had diminished significantly. In fact, Ginny was beginning to think her trip to the Muggle doctor was unnecessary.
"Ginny? Hey, you in there?" Colin tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to jump.
"What? What’s wrong, Colin?"
"Uh, you kinda spaced out there for a minute. You got a headache?" While Colin was one of her best friends, she really didn’t need to be coddled by him, either.
"No, I haven’t got a headache, Colin. Is that supposed to be my excuse for everything? A headache?"
"Hey, calm down. We were studying, and you just faded there." Colin’s eyes searched hers, as if he were looking for an explanation. "And don’t get snippy with me, Ginny."
"Snippy? You think this is snippy? You haven’t seen snippy, Colin." Ginny stood up from her chair, knocking it down in the process before storming across the room to the window seat. "Get out of there! That’s my spot!" she yelled at a fifth-year boy and a third-year girl.
"I don’t think so, Weasley. We’re busy," the boy said and went back to kissing his girlfriend.
"See how she likes snogging this! Mucous Chiroptera!" Both the boy and girl began screaming, fighting off the effects of Ginny’s hex. Amid the laughter of the common room rang out a sharp, piercing voice.
"GINEVRA!" She turned around to find a very disgruntled Professor McGonagall standing at the opening of the common room. "What is going on here?"
"She…she cursed us when we… when we didn’t get off the win…window seat," the boy explained between bogeys flying at his face, arms flailing. "Geroff me!" Professor McGonagall, with a practised swish of her hand, performed the counter-curse and the couple was returned to normal. "That’s it, Weasley! I’ve had ENOUGH of you screaming down everyone’s throat! Get a fucking grip on yourself and grow up!"
"Mr. Goodwin! Watch your language!" Goodwin merely huffed in disapproval.
"The hell I will! You know she’s been a loose cannon and I’m tired of it, and so is everyone else!" He crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at Ginny. "She’s pissed off half the House lately."
"Shut it, Tad! You’re being an arse so just get out of my face!" Ginny jabbed him in the chest with her finger menacingly. She felt hands on her upper arms as someone moved to restrain her.
"Ginny, calm down," Colin said in a soft voice. "You need to get some rest, okay?"
Ginny turned around to face Colin and found everyone staring at her, waiting to see what she’d do next. Every face, she realised, she had made either scream at her, cry, or turn into giant bat bogeys. What’s going on with me? she asked herself. She put her hands on her hair and sunk down into the chair behind her.
"Miss Weasley?"
"Yes, Professor?" The woman looked worried, and frankly, Ginny didn’t blame her one bit.
"Are you going to be alright? Do you need to see Madam Pomfrey?" asked Professor McGonagall.
Ginny resisted the urge to roll her eyes and answered calmly, "No, ma’am. I, uh, think I just need to relax."
"That’s right! You sure do need to relax! Get Potter to shag you…that might relax you!" Tad Goodwin shouted from across the room.
"Now that’s enough, Mr. Goodwin! Miss Weasley, I came here to tell you that Professor Lupin wishes to see you." The woman pursed her lips together and turned her attention back to Tad. "Mr. Goodwin, must I inform your mother about your language this evening?"
Spurts of laughter ran through the students standing around. It was common knowledge that Tad’s mother was on the Board of Governors and a very strict disciplinarian. Tad set his jaw and slowly shook his head. Satisfied with his response, Professor McGonagall placed her hand on Ginny’s shoulder and led her out of the common room.
The two of them walked in silence, the clicking of their heels the only sound as they mad their way to the Lupins’ residence.
"Professor?" Ginny stopped and waited for the older witch to turn around. "What am I doing here? Have I done anything wrong?"
"No, Miss Weasley, you haven’t," Professor McGonagall reassured her. "Remus and Nymphadora want to help you with some relaxation for your headaches." With that, McGonagall rapped sharply on the door and left Ginny waiting there.
The door opened, revealing a pastel pink-haired Tonks wearing an oversized t-shirt and shorts, her belly protruding profusely. "Ginny!" Tonks wrapped her arms around Ginny and pulled her into the room. "You feeling alright? Headaches not too bad?"
"No, they’re getting better. But I just want it all to go away, you know." The two of them walked into the cosy sitting room and sat on the sofa together. "Oh, and I keep blowing up at people, too."
"Mood swings? I think I’ve had enough of those to last for a lifetime already," Remus said as he entered the room, looking quite comfortable in lounge pants and a t-shirt. Ginny suddenly felt like she was either interrupting something or extremely overdressed. "I’ve felt like I live with a moody mother Hippogriff sometimes."
"Oh bugger off, Moony." Tonks beamed at her husband and turned back to Ginny. "So, why didn’t you change?"
"Change for what?"
"We’re going to teach you how to relax," Remus told her. "Yoga. It’s about the only time I can get her to shut up most days." He stopped behind Tonks and kissed her on the cheek while ruffling her hair. "Minerva must have forgotten to tell you. Dora, you got something for her?"
"Come on, Gin. I’ve got loads of clothes that don’t fit me anymore." Tonks stood and pulled Ginny into their bedroom, making her feel quite uncomfortable suddenly.
Not knowing what else to do, she sat down on a chair and looked around the room. A small cot stood in the corner decked out in pinks and purples and little stuffed toys that she assumed to be lambs and puppies.
"Tonks?" Ginny asked. "Are you having a girl?" The thought of a girl baby was rather foreign to her and fascinating at the same time. Tonks came over to the chair and tossed Ginny some light clothing, wearing a silly grin on her face.
"Uh huh. That’s why my hair’s pink. I can’t change it. Madam Pomfrey confirmed it." Tonks glowed with the revelation and Ginny had never seen her happier. "Remus brought that home after Easter. I think it’s ridiculously girly, but he is of the opinion that he wants to spoil his little girl, given his advanced years and all." They both laughed.
"Forty is not old, Tonks," Ginny pointed out as she began changing her clothes.
"Oh I know that. He feels old, given the fact that James has an eighteen-year-old son and he’s just starting out." Ginny had never thought of that before. "But I’ve never seen him giddier than what he is lately."
Ginny smiled as she remembered the change in her professor’s demeanour over the past few months. He smiled more and even though he still had his monthly transformations, didn’t look nearly as worn out as he had in the past. Fatherhood was doing wonders for him and she could only think of good things to come.
"I’m ready." Ginny now wore a tank top and some stretchy shorts that came to mid-thigh. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she realised it was the exact type of outfit her mother would send her inside to change out of and the type of outfit that Harry would appreciate in many different ways. "So when did you learn yoga?"
Tonks opened the door and began to leave the room. "Auror training. Harry will learn it next year. Now come on."
Ginny spent nearly an hour with Remus and Tonks learning how to breathe, of all things. They spent part of their time sitting on the floor with their legs crossed and their hands resting on their thighs, palms up. Another portion was spent lying on her back with her hands on her abdomen as she felt herself breathe. Tonks had put on a recording of waves crashing against a beach somewhere, which managed to soothe Ginny so much that she nearly fell asleep on the floor of the sitting room.
"Okay, good job, Ginny." Tonks spoke, waking Ginny from her self-induced deep relaxation.
"Wow, that was great. I think I fell asleep there for a minute." Ginny stood and stretched her arms above her head.
"That’s the whole point, Ginny. To learn to relax," Remus said. "Whenever you feel like you’re going to snap at someone, go to your room and go through the poses we went through." Remus levitated the sticky mats back into the credenza and walked into the kitchenette. "You ladies fancy some ice cream? Dora here has developed a new taste for cherry ice cream with chocolate sauce."
Tonks and her belly waddled over to her husband and playfully patted him on the stomach. "I think you have, too, Moony. I saw the enlarging charm you had to do on your trousers…"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
