If She Fell
folder
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult
Chapters:
8
Views:
3,420
Reviews:
17
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult
Chapters:
8
Views:
3,420
Reviews:
17
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
If She Fell
Chapter 5: Like a seed dropped by a skybird
disclaimer: I own nothing but bits and pieces of the plot. JK Rowling owns all the good bits.
Ginny practically ran up to her quarters near the hospital wing, a smile lighting up her face. She couldn’t put her finger on why she was so happy; perhaps it was the way in which Remus looked at her, the way in which he asked to go with her to Hogsmeade. Ginny looked around at her clothing and decided that Muggle jeans and a jumper would suffice. It was cold and warming charms only went so far. She forewent her robes and grabbed the warm fur lined cloak that was a gift from Charlie. She freed her hair from its ponytail and looked in the mirror, smiling at her reflection.
“You look happy, dear,” noticed the enchanted mirror.
“I feel happy,” Ginny replied, placing her purse in the deep cloak pocket and spelling the pocket closed.
Ginny darted down the stairs, realizing when she reached the entry hall that she still had forty minutes to wait until she was due to meet Remus.
‘Slow down, Gin,’ she thought to herself, ‘It’s Remus. Remember what happened the last time…’
Ginny slowed down her steps, deciding to head to the rose garden while she awaited Remus. Slipping out the almost hidden doorway, she was surprised to see Remus there. She stepped back into a small shadow and watched him for a few moments. He paced, almost nervously, a worried look in his hazel eyes. Since his ‘healing’, Remus had been looking younger. Gone were the sleepless nights that plagued him. Gone were the nightmares. While he had been mostly serious when Ginny was younger, before the Great Battle, he didn’t hesitate to smile or laugh anymore. It appeared he had come to terms with the past. Come to terms with the loss of the childhood friends. Come to terms with once being a werewolf. There was something in his eyes…
“Peace,” whispered Ginny, “he’s at peace.”
Remus turned around at Ginny’s gentle whisper and smiled.
“Hi Gin,” he said.
“Hi Remus,” she replied with a smile.
“What about peace?” he queried.
“You seem at peace.”
“I think I am,” he admitted, “and it’s been a long time coming. I think I’ve finally realized that I can’t change anything that happened in the past. I can’t change having been a werewolf. I can’t change Peter Pettigrew betraying James and Lily. I can’t change what happened in battle. I can only move forward, atone where I must and forgive where I can.”
“Does that include Ron?” asked Ginny, looking up into Remus’ eyes.
“Yes,” nodded Remus, “Ron was young and scared. I can’t hold that against him. He handled it badly, but it’s not my place to judge.”
Ginny gave Remus a small smile, “Forgiveness is good.”
“Yes,” agreed Remus, “it certainly is. Now, I have a field of flowers to show you and you have some shopping to do.”
Remus took Ginny’s arm and led her back into the castle and out the front door. They chose to walk to Hogsmeade, enjoying the light snowfall that had started and the chill in the air. Ginny stole glances at Remus, admiring his strong profile. Unbeknownst to Ginny, Remus stole glances at her, as well. Remus found it hard to imagine he ever thought of Ginny Weasley as a child.
They walked in companionable silence, it being too cold to carry on much of a conversation. When they reached the side road leading to the Shrieking Shack, Ginny followed Remus up a small hidden path that wound behind the dilapidated mansion. They walked around a curve in the path that led to a break in the trees and Ginny gasped audibly. In front of her stretched a field covered with snow. And growing through the white snow were the most vivid flowers she had ever seen.
“Oh,” she said, awe creeping into her voice, “it’s beautiful.”
“Isn’t it?” said Remus, not looking at the field, but instead looking at the wonder in the bright brown eyes of his companion, “the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
“What are they? I’ve never seen flowers bloom in the snow before…except for the roses this morning…”
“I’m not sure what they all are, except for the snow lilies,” said Remus, gently handling a tall yellow flower, “I was planning to show this field to Pomona. I’ve kept it secret for too many years.”
“I’m glad you shared it with me,” said Ginny, looking up at Remus, her eyes sparkling and her cheeks pink from the cold.
“I thought you’d like it,” he said, “no one ever really comes this way anymore…”
“The Shack still has the reputation for being haunted,” smiled Ginny, “it’s hard to erase that reputation from a place, especially when the Order kept up the ruse throughout the years.”
“I was contemplating possibly purchasing the place with my reparation money,” said Remus, “I could fix it up and maybe turn it into a hotel or something…”
Ginny turned to look at the old house, mentally stripping away the decades of disrepair. In her mind, she saw a regal home, three stories of classic beauty, the color of the snow lilies, with a wrap around porch, “It should be yellow,” she commented.
“I’ll need a great deal of help with the renovations if I’m to do this,” remarked Remus.
Ginny imagined the wrap around porch with two comfortable rocking chairs. Squinting in the bright light reflected off the snow, she could almost see two figures in the chairs, one male with shaggy brown hair, and one female with long red hair. Ginny smiled.
“Chairs on the porch,” she whispered, “perfect to watch the field in bloom, in summer and winter. There’s an underground water source, with a pond that was filled in…over there…I can see the pond uncovered, the stream leading to it, with a little waterfall…”
Remus looked at her quizzically, “That would be lovely.”
“It will be,” stated Ginny. She shook her head, clearing out the image of the future that she so clearly saw, “You have to buy it, Remus. It was meant to be ours.”
“Ours?”
“I meant yours.”
“I see,” said Remus, “I suppose it couldn’t hurt to stop into the registry office and make certain it’s still for sale.”
“It is,” said Ginny.
“You sound so certain.”
“I’m not sure why, but I am,” answered Ginny, smiling shyly at Remus.
Without another word, Ginny closed the distance between her and Remus and stood on her toes. She gently pressed her lips to his in the barest of kisses, then turned and ran down the path to the road. Remus stood shocked for a moment, and then followed the impulsive redhead. When he caught up to her, she took his gloved hand in her mittened one and they walked into the village.
“Registry office first,” said Ginny, “then we need cocoa, then shopping.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
They ducked into the just opened registry office, Ginny walking up to the clerk and flashing him a bright smile.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
“Yes,” said Ginny, “My friend Remus Lupin was wondering if the Shrieking Shack property was still available for purchase.”
The clerk stifled a laugh, “Of course it is. Who would want THAT haunted monstrosity?”
“I would,” stated Remus, “in fact, I would like to arrange for purchase.”
Ginny smiled as Remus talked business with the clerk. She wandered outside to wait for him to complete the transaction. She wasn’t sure why she had such a strong feeling of belonging up on the hill that housed the shack. She just knew that she saw her future as certainly as she saw the high street in front of her.
Chapter 5: Like a seed dropped by a skybird
disclaimer: I own nothing but bits and pieces of the plot. JK Rowling owns all the good bits.
Ginny practically ran up to her quarters near the hospital wing, a smile lighting up her face. She couldn’t put her finger on why she was so happy; perhaps it was the way in which Remus looked at her, the way in which he asked to go with her to Hogsmeade. Ginny looked around at her clothing and decided that Muggle jeans and a jumper would suffice. It was cold and warming charms only went so far. She forewent her robes and grabbed the warm fur lined cloak that was a gift from Charlie. She freed her hair from its ponytail and looked in the mirror, smiling at her reflection.
“You look happy, dear,” noticed the enchanted mirror.
“I feel happy,” Ginny replied, placing her purse in the deep cloak pocket and spelling the pocket closed.
Ginny darted down the stairs, realizing when she reached the entry hall that she still had forty minutes to wait until she was due to meet Remus.
‘Slow down, Gin,’ she thought to herself, ‘It’s Remus. Remember what happened the last time…’
Ginny slowed down her steps, deciding to head to the rose garden while she awaited Remus. Slipping out the almost hidden doorway, she was surprised to see Remus there. She stepped back into a small shadow and watched him for a few moments. He paced, almost nervously, a worried look in his hazel eyes. Since his ‘healing’, Remus had been looking younger. Gone were the sleepless nights that plagued him. Gone were the nightmares. While he had been mostly serious when Ginny was younger, before the Great Battle, he didn’t hesitate to smile or laugh anymore. It appeared he had come to terms with the past. Come to terms with the loss of the childhood friends. Come to terms with once being a werewolf. There was something in his eyes…
“Peace,” whispered Ginny, “he’s at peace.”
Remus turned around at Ginny’s gentle whisper and smiled.
“Hi Gin,” he said.
“Hi Remus,” she replied with a smile.
“What about peace?” he queried.
“You seem at peace.”
“I think I am,” he admitted, “and it’s been a long time coming. I think I’ve finally realized that I can’t change anything that happened in the past. I can’t change having been a werewolf. I can’t change Peter Pettigrew betraying James and Lily. I can’t change what happened in battle. I can only move forward, atone where I must and forgive where I can.”
“Does that include Ron?” asked Ginny, looking up into Remus’ eyes.
“Yes,” nodded Remus, “Ron was young and scared. I can’t hold that against him. He handled it badly, but it’s not my place to judge.”
Ginny gave Remus a small smile, “Forgiveness is good.”
“Yes,” agreed Remus, “it certainly is. Now, I have a field of flowers to show you and you have some shopping to do.”
Remus took Ginny’s arm and led her back into the castle and out the front door. They chose to walk to Hogsmeade, enjoying the light snowfall that had started and the chill in the air. Ginny stole glances at Remus, admiring his strong profile. Unbeknownst to Ginny, Remus stole glances at her, as well. Remus found it hard to imagine he ever thought of Ginny Weasley as a child.
They walked in companionable silence, it being too cold to carry on much of a conversation. When they reached the side road leading to the Shrieking Shack, Ginny followed Remus up a small hidden path that wound behind the dilapidated mansion. They walked around a curve in the path that led to a break in the trees and Ginny gasped audibly. In front of her stretched a field covered with snow. And growing through the white snow were the most vivid flowers she had ever seen.
“Oh,” she said, awe creeping into her voice, “it’s beautiful.”
“Isn’t it?” said Remus, not looking at the field, but instead looking at the wonder in the bright brown eyes of his companion, “the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
“What are they? I’ve never seen flowers bloom in the snow before…except for the roses this morning…”
“I’m not sure what they all are, except for the snow lilies,” said Remus, gently handling a tall yellow flower, “I was planning to show this field to Pomona. I’ve kept it secret for too many years.”
“I’m glad you shared it with me,” said Ginny, looking up at Remus, her eyes sparkling and her cheeks pink from the cold.
“I thought you’d like it,” he said, “no one ever really comes this way anymore…”
“The Shack still has the reputation for being haunted,” smiled Ginny, “it’s hard to erase that reputation from a place, especially when the Order kept up the ruse throughout the years.”
“I was contemplating possibly purchasing the place with my reparation money,” said Remus, “I could fix it up and maybe turn it into a hotel or something…”
Ginny turned to look at the old house, mentally stripping away the decades of disrepair. In her mind, she saw a regal home, three stories of classic beauty, the color of the snow lilies, with a wrap around porch, “It should be yellow,” she commented.
“I’ll need a great deal of help with the renovations if I’m to do this,” remarked Remus.
Ginny imagined the wrap around porch with two comfortable rocking chairs. Squinting in the bright light reflected off the snow, she could almost see two figures in the chairs, one male with shaggy brown hair, and one female with long red hair. Ginny smiled.
“Chairs on the porch,” she whispered, “perfect to watch the field in bloom, in summer and winter. There’s an underground water source, with a pond that was filled in…over there…I can see the pond uncovered, the stream leading to it, with a little waterfall…”
Remus looked at her quizzically, “That would be lovely.”
“It will be,” stated Ginny. She shook her head, clearing out the image of the future that she so clearly saw, “You have to buy it, Remus. It was meant to be ours.”
“Ours?”
“I meant yours.”
“I see,” said Remus, “I suppose it couldn’t hurt to stop into the registry office and make certain it’s still for sale.”
“It is,” said Ginny.
“You sound so certain.”
“I’m not sure why, but I am,” answered Ginny, smiling shyly at Remus.
Without another word, Ginny closed the distance between her and Remus and stood on her toes. She gently pressed her lips to his in the barest of kisses, then turned and ran down the path to the road. Remus stood shocked for a moment, and then followed the impulsive redhead. When he caught up to her, she took his gloved hand in her mittened one and they walked into the village.
“Registry office first,” said Ginny, “then we need cocoa, then shopping.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
They ducked into the just opened registry office, Ginny walking up to the clerk and flashing him a bright smile.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
“Yes,” said Ginny, “My friend Remus Lupin was wondering if the Shrieking Shack property was still available for purchase.”
The clerk stifled a laugh, “Of course it is. Who would want THAT haunted monstrosity?”
“I would,” stated Remus, “in fact, I would like to arrange for purchase.”
Ginny smiled as Remus talked business with the clerk. She wandered outside to wait for him to complete the transaction. She wasn’t sure why she had such a strong feeling of belonging up on the hill that housed the shack. She just knew that she saw her future as certainly as she saw the high street in front of her.