May 15, 2015
Ginny hummed to herself as she gathered up her things for the day, dancing to the music that poured softly from the radio on her shelf. It was Friday -- finally. Dinner tonight at her parents', then a chance to relax for the rest of the weekend.
"Ma'am, you have a visitor," the voice of her secretary, Natalie, came over the intercom.
"Business or pleasure?" Ginny asked, grinning as she switched off her end. Sliding her pumps back on, she tucked her bag back behind her desk and smoothed her hair.
"Business, I'm afraid," Natalie replied, cheerfully.
"Send them in." Ginny chuckled softly, aiming a bright smile at the door as it swung open. "Hi," she started, starting towards the door and holding out her hand, "I'm…" She fell silent as the dark haired man stepped into the room, blinking at her in surprise.
"Ginny Weasley," he breathed, staring at her.
"Harry Potter," she replied, lowering her hand. Her lips twitched up slightly and she threw herself at him, hugging him desperately as he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace.
"Merlin, it's good to see you, Gin," he murmured, squeezing her gently. Ginny was horrified to find tears forming in her eyes as she clung to him. It was really him. Back from…wherever he'd disappeared to.
"I can't believe you're really here," she whispered, closing her eyes and gripping the back of his neck with one hand. "You're really back. …Ron and Hermione are going to be ecstatic. I have to Floo them." She pulled out of Harry's arms and started for the fireplace, but Harry caught her wrist before she could reach the mantle.
"Please. I really am here for business. And I'd rather get settled before catching up," he explained, a pleading tone in his voice. Ginny blinked at him curiously, and then slowly nodded. Harry smiled and released her wrist, then sat in the chair in front of her desk.
"Right. Sorry." She sat across from him, straightening her papers neurotically. "What can I help you with?"
"I need to fill out some transfer of Magical Residency forms. Four of them." Ginny's brow wrinkled at his request as she slowly gathered the papers.
"But you were born in England. You don't need to transfer back after you've been away. Even as long as you've been gone."
"I know. They aren't for me," he replied. His eyes flickered away from hers momentarily. "…They're for my kids." Ginny faltered, nearly dropping the papers before she could fasten them.
"Children. Wow. You really have been gone for fifteen years, haven't you?" Harry flushed. "So you're married, too?" she inquired curiously, tilting her head.
"Divorced, actually. Charlotte and I…had some troubles. But I have full custody of our kids." He selected a photo from his billfold and held it across the desk. Ginny grinned as the four children waved wildly at her. "What about you?" he asked, leaning back in his chair. Ginny passed him the framed family portrait she and the kids had done the previous Christmas.
"Maggie, Peter, and the twins, Bailey and Jacob." She gazed at their smiling faces fondly, handing Harry another picture. A Muggle photo this time -- of her and Theodore before he'd gotten sick. "My husband Theodore. He was a Muggle. …He died a few years ago, of brain cancer." Harry gingerly held the picture, offering her a soft smile.
"I'm sorry. …You look really happy," he said and handed Ginny her pictures back.
"I was," she replied, accepting the pictures and putting them in their proper places. "He was sweet and funny… I think you would have liked him."
"I'm sure I would have," Harry agreed. There was a pregnant pause as they gazed at each other. The crackling of the intercom finally broke their silence as Natalie spoke.
"It's four o'clock, Gin. I'm off."
"Have a lovely weekend, Natalie," Ginny replied, breaking out of her stupor and gathering the last couple of papers. "Say hello to Dennis for me."
"Will do, love. Have fun at the folks' tonight," Natalie said breezily before clicking off. Harry smiled, taking the papers as Ginny held them out.
"Dinner at the Burrow tonight, huh? The house must seem pretty empty with everyone out on their own."
"Ha!" Ginny scoffed, grinning widely. "That house will never be empty. Mum has more grandkids over than she can count. Plus, she's been fostering since after the war. Ron started an orphanage with Hermione as a sort of wedding present." Ginny faltered at the sudden forlorn look on Harry's face.
"I…missed their wedding?" he asked quietly, staring down at the papers. "I can't believe it." Ginny gently placed her hand over his and squeezed.
"It's okay, Harry… You didn't know they'd get together." Harry let out a bark of laughter, arching an eyebrow.
"I've known they would get married before Ron realized she was a girl," he informed her. Ginny smirked, blinking as a sudden thought hit her.
"Why don't you come to supper tonight? Mum will be absolutely thrilled." Harry stared at her for a moment, and then slowly shook his head, opening his mouth to protest. "You have to, Harry," Ginny insisted before he could get a word out. "Please? You know you've always been welcome at the Burrow. And Ron and Hermione will absolutely die if they find out you're back and you didn't come. Please. Bring your kids, everyone else will be." Harry hesitated, giving Ginny a cautious look.
"Who all is going to be there?" he asked slowly, making Ginny smile.
"Mum and Dad, of course. The two girls they're fostering right now, Louisa and Dawn. Ron, Hermione, and their two. Fred, Angelina, and their three. George and his flavor of the month. Percy, Katie, and their three. And…me and my four. Charlie and Tonks are in Romania, and Bill is on a visit to France with Fleur." There was a brief silence as Harry considered, studying the trinkets all over Ginny's office.
"Okay. We'll be there." he said. Ginny beamed happily, clapping her hands together.
"Oh good. Be there at 5:30. I'll just tell Mum I'm bringing some friends, so you can surprise everyone," she offered. Harry nodded, pushing himself up.
"I should go. I left the kids with my landlord. It'll take us a while to get ready." Ginny nodded, following him to the door. He shifted awkwardly, leaning in and pressing a kiss to her cheek.
"It's good to see you again, Gin," he murmured, touching his fingertips to her temple. "I'll see you tonight."
"Bye," she whispered, eyes wide as she watched him stride down the hall. "Good to see you, too," she replied when he was out of sight. Gathering her composure, she grabbed her things and Apparated to Ottery St. Catchpole. This would be the most interesting dinner this year.
The Burrow was brimming with conversation and laughter as Harry approached. Chloe and Rochester clung to his hands, while Kaylee and Albus walked a few steps ahead. The children stared in awe at the house, murmuring to each other. Harry just smiled, a peaceful feeling settling into his stomach. He was finally home.
"Go on up and ring the bell, Al," he instructed, scooping Chloe into his arms and ruffling Rocky's hair. Al took his job seriously, pushing the button firmly and stepping back to take Kaylee's hand. After a moment, the door swung open and Ginny's smiling face appeared.
"There you are! I thought maybe you'd forgotten how to get here." Harry smirked, and ushered the kids inside as Ginny held open the door.
"As if I could forget." He brushed a kiss to her cheek in greeting, addressing his children. "Right, you lot. This is my old friend Ginny. She was nice enough to invite us to dinner, so be good," he instructed. The children all nodded solemnly, and Ginny beamed.
"Be sure to have fun, though. The rest of the kids are out back playing Quidditch, just through those doors there. Why don't you go join them?" All four perked up at the mention of their favorite sport, and Harry waved them on, setting Chloe down.
"Go on. Al, keep an eye on your sisters." The four barreled out to join the game, and Ginny slowly lead Harry to the kitchen.
"Mum's going to cry when she sees you, you realize. And Hermione," Ginny warned. Harry nodded, slowly pushing open the door. The kitchen was exactly as he remembered. Mrs. Weasley was at the stove, demonstrating something to Hermione. Mr. Weasley was at the table, fiddling with a clock radio. And Ron…Ron was staring right at him.
"Bloody hell," he choked out, paling. Hermione turned to see what was going on and gasped, dropping her spoon. Mr. And Mrs. Weasley both looked up.
"Harry," Hermione breathed, hands trembling as she covered her mouth. Harry offered her a small smile, and she flew across the room, flinging her arms around him and bursting into tears. He held her awkwardly, patting her back softly.
"If I'd have known I would get this reaction, I would have come back years ago," he joked half-heartedly, clapping Ron on the shoulder as the redhead stepped up beside him. It wasn't enough, though, because Ron joined in the hug, sandwiching Harry between himself and Hermione. Ginny smiled softly as Harry closed his eyes and leaned into the embrace.
"Merlin's beard, we missed you," Ron muttered hoarsely as he finally released him. Harry nodded, squeezing Hermione gently before releasing her.
"Hi Mrs. Weasley. Mr. Weasley," he greeted them shyly. He closed his eyes as Mrs. Weasley wailed and hugged him tightly. He sagged against her, letting her fuss over him as she did when he was younger.
"Molly, let the boy breathe," Mr. Weasley chided gently, resting his hand on his wife's shoulder. She reluctantly released him, but cradled his face in her hands.
"Welcome home, Harry," she murmured, kissing his forehead. A tear escaped from his eyes, but he quickly wiped it away and shook Mr. Weasley's hand firmly.
"It's good to be home," he replied immediately, smiling. Home. That sounded nice.
"So where have you been?" Hermione asked, clutching his arm and dragging him over to the table. He let her direct him into a chair, his cheeks turning pink.
"Um…Well, I was in Chicago for a while. Then Salem. And then New York City." Hermione blinked owlishly at him and Ron cocked his head to the side.
"America? You were in America the whole time?" he asked, a bark of laughter slipping out. "Merlin's balls, I was in New York three bloody weeks ago. I can't believe it."
"You have to tell us everything, Harry," Hermione demanded, clinging to his hand as if she didn't quite believe that he was real yet. "We haven't seen you for fifteen years. God, so much has happened…" She trailed off, squeezing his hand as a new tear streaks down her cheek. "You're really here, aren't you?" Harry squeezed back, managing a soft smile.
"I'm really here. And I'm back for good," he assured her, tugging her close and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'll tell you everything in detail after dinner. You'll just get the short version for now." Everyone watched him attentively, even Mrs. Weasley, who was standing at the stove, putting the final touches on their meal.
"I went to Chicago first, where I started teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at the Institute of Magical Education. I met Charlotte Deprise there my second year of teaching. We had a bit of a…whirlwind romance. We got married less than a year later. Albus was born in December 2003. The next year I was transferred to Salem Institute of Magic in Massachusetts, so he and Charlotte came with me, naturally. Kaylee was born in March 2005 and Rochester was born in September 2006. Then Charlotte got a job with the U.S. Magical Government, so we moved to New York in 2007. I got a job at Manhattan's Magical Instruction for Young Witches and Wizards. Chloe was born April 2009. After Kaylee was born, my relationship with Charlotte started getting strained. I tried to make it work -- staying home all weekend with her and the kids and making it home for dinner every night. But she asked for a divorce just after Chloe turned one. That was finalized January 2011. I got full custody of our kids. And that's when I started planning our move back to England."
And that was everything. Harry let out a long sigh, grinning crookedly. "That actually took less time than I thought. I guess we won't have to worry about after dinner." Hermione had become increasingly antsy during the entire explanation, and once he was finished, she launched herself back into his arms, practically sprawling in his lap as she hugged him. Harry gave Ron a fearful look, patting Hermione's back gently. "Really, it's okay, Hermione. Please don't start crying again."
"I'm not crying, you prat," she mumbled against his shoulder, pulling back enough to grin brilliantly at him. "I'm just so glad you're back."
"We all are," Ginny piped up, her eyes locking with his for a moment. Her cheeks burned as he smiled at her.
"Too bloody right, we are!" a voice crowed from the doorway. Fred and George stood there, grinning madly at Harry.
"Look at you, Potter. Not a day back and you already have women leaving their husbands for you," George teased. Hermione stuck her tongue out at him and slunk back over to Ron's side, leaning back against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. Harry chuckled, standing and clapping both of the twins on their shoulders.
"What would your children say?" Fred mock scolded as he and George gathered Harry into a double bear hug.
"I reckon they'd like it a mite better than me stealing husbands from wives," he cracked, rolling his eyes over to where Ron was standing. "No offense, mate, but you're really not my type." Ron scoffed, tightening his grip on Hermione and pressing a kiss to her temple.
"I'm everyone's type," he insisted. Hermione laughed, patting his arm comfortingly as Mrs. Weasley made a noise from her place at the stove.
"Ron, dear, you're Hermione's type," she corrected him, hefting a tray of sliced ham from the counter and holding it out. "And we can talk more about potential infidelity while we eat. Dinner's ready."