Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, JK Rowling does. Good for her. *clap clap*

***

Keepsake
Leaving


Ginny sent the last garden gnome flying with the slightest flick of her fingers. Midnight was approaching, yet all the lights in the Burrow were illuminated in preparation for the morning departure. She took this time to sneak out to the backyard to collect her thoughts and bask in the relaxing moonlight.

“You didn’t even need a wand for that,” Hermione Granger whispered, amused, as she came outside to join her friend.

“Mum’s been teaching me ever since I got out of Hogwarts,” Ginny deadpanned. “It only comes useful in gardening.”

Hermione sat beside Ginny on the stone bench. It didn’t take a great philosopher to see that Ginny was in turmoil with her thoughts. Only one person could cause her so much grief.

“Harry…” Hermione started softly, “Harry hasn’t looked for you yet. Maybe you should get back in before he realizes that you’re gone.”

“And already he doesn’t notice that I’m gone,” Ginny sighed. “It doesn’t matter; before long, we’ll all have forgotten that he’s left us.”

“Ginny, don’t play so hard on yourself,” Hermione said. “It isn’t only a difficult time for you, but for all of us as well.” But she knew that she was lying. Of course it was difficult for Ginny. The pain was extremely magnified for her.

“Are you…going with him?” Ginny whispered shakily.

Hermione shook her head. “I’m not quite sure,” she replied sincerely. “It’s all literally up to Ron. Harry won’t let us go; he says it’s time he needs to himself. But if Ron can get through that thick skull of his, then yes, we will go with him.”

Ginny scoffed, a little too angrily.

“Don’t blame us,” Hermione refuted. “We’re his friends. You can’t punish us for having to go with him. He needs us; he just hasn’t realized it yet.”

“I’m not blaming you,” Ginny replied. “I’m just venting. I’ve already rid the garden of all the garden gnomes, a job that would usually take all day that only took me an hour. And that still hasn’t done it for me.”

“You’re in pain,” Hermione said obviously. “But it’s because you love him so much. And he’s in pain too, if you’ll believe me, for the same reason.”

“And it still isn’t stopping him from leaving!” Ginny exclaimed hotly. “Despite everything that has happened, despite all the good that we’ve done for each other, he’s still leaving me! I mean…us.”

“No, you’re right,” Hermione softly admitted. “He is leaving you. And Ron and I have been trying our hardest to convince him that his home is here. But you have to understand how much Harry is feeling right now, too. He failed his Auror test, and now, without that, he certainly needs the time alone, in spite of what we think.”

Ginny stood up. Pulling her wand out, she unexpectedly waved it around in a slow circle. Hermione saw that she was giving the unruly grass a nice, even trim. She was thankful that Ginny was finally out of Hogwarts. Legally permitted to use magic was helpful to her young, fiery-headed friend. It was the only thing that kept her from pushing over the edge. She needed magic to vent.

Once Ginny finished, Hermione walked up to her tentatively.

“Ginny…if you want Harry to stay, you’ll have to do it yourself. We’re only his friends, as absurd as it sounds, and we can’t entirely influence his decision. But he loves you, so it should be easier for you to convince him…if you’re up to the task.”

“I am,” Ginny said truthfully. “Maybe you’re right Hermione, maybe I can do it. In fact, I think I should go up there right now and confront him, face to face.”

“Wait a minute first,” Hermione told her.

“Why?”

“Ron’s in there right now, trying to convince him…for all of us.”

***

Inside the Burrow, things were slowing down. Mrs. Weasley, always the polite host, threw an impromptu party to celebrate Harry’s sudden decision to leave instead of weeping for it. However, all that had happened so far was nothing short of boring. Fred and George surprisingly engaged Mr. Weasley in a business conversation, gaining useful tips and pointers for their business, which was now branching off into two other stores. And since Mrs. Weasley didn’t have enough time to make a good dinner, despite her culinary expertise, there was no food to speak of other than a few blocks of cheese and a few biscuits gone stale.

Upstairs, in Ron’s bedroom, Harry was busy packing the last of his effects into his second overstuffed bag. At the same time, he was dodging Ron’s questions, avoiding having to answer them.

“Mum will have a fit once you leave, you know,” Ron told his friend blatantly. “Do you honestly have the heart to allow us, your friends, to be left with that kind of monstrosity?”

Harry smiled widely, shoving a shirt into his bag. “I wouldn’t mind.”

Ron grumbled. “Everything’s a damn mess right now Harry, and you know that. We’re still cleaning up after everything that’s happened over the year and we can’t afford to have you leave right now.”

“Trust me, Ron,” Harry said, zipping his bag with a sense of finality. “You’ll do fine. The only people I’m truly concerned about are you and Hermione and with the two of you finally together, I feel no guilt leaving you two. Things are different now.”

“We’re still the same!” Ron insisted, an uncanny similarity to a stubborn child begging for sweets. “Nothing has changed!”

“It’s safe now,” Harry said. “That changes everything. And now you and Hermione are together. That changes things even more. I can finally do things at my own pace without having to worry about anyone.”

“So you felt obligated to protect us?” Ron interrogated, arms now folded.

“You know that’s not what I mean, Ron. I’m merely saying that I want to take this time to myself. I failed the Auror test, so there’s nothing left for me here right now. And the three of us have spent so much time together that I think we could afford to use a break. Wouldn’t you and Hermione like to have some private time to yourselves as well?”

Ron remained silent, unsure of how to respond.

“A year or so,” Harry continued. “If things go smoothly for me during this…’vacation,’ then I’ll be back in one year’s time.”

“What about Ginny?”

“What about her?” Harry asked ignorantly.

“You know exactly what I mean, Harry. If you won’t stay for me and Hermione, then why can’t you stay for Ginny? The girl loves you and I know for a fact that you love her, too.”

“It’s difficult, Ron,” Harry sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Ron sat beside him.

“How is it difficult?”

“Ron, with everything that has been going on between me and your sister, the space between us grows and grows with every time we avoid talking or even looking at each other. And after spending a year trying my hardest to keep away from her to keep her safe, all that time without each other is hard to make up for. Between you and me, it’s hard to reciprocate what she feels when I feel that anything I do could hurt her.”

“That’s pure rubbish,” Ron said, unabashed. “You’re always playing the hero, always trying to save everyone. You don’t have to do that anymore, Harry. And I don’t know why you’re doing this right now, or who you’re leaving for, but I know you’re trying to do something noble. For Merlin’s sake, you won’t even let me and Hermione come along.”

“Ron,” Harry said, standing up. “The idea of me leaving is in everyone’s mind now. And I’m pretty sure that when I return, you’ll be the fearless Auror, you and Hermione will be nauseatingly in love, and Ginny will have found someone else to make her happy. Looking at the situation, everybody wins.”

“How the hell-”

A knock on the door interrupted them.

“Who is it?” Ron hotly asked.

“Is Harry in there, Ron?” the voice replied.

The two froze; it was Ginny. Ron knew Harry would try to avoid her at all costs, but Ron was faster.

“Yes, he is, Ginny,” Ron replied quickly while Harry gave him a scornful look.

Ron opened to door and the two of them saw Ginny standing in the doorway with a sad, hopeful look in her eyes.

“I’ll just leave the two of you alone, then,” Ron said proudly, feeling brilliant. He shut the door behind him.

For a few long, dragging moments, Harry and Ginny said nothing to each other. They didn’t even look at each other. While he finished packing, Ginny sat on the opposite edge of Ron’s bed, cautiously looking around.

Finally, Harry spoke first.

“Look, if you’ve come here to tell me not to leave, then I’d better tell you-”

“That’s not why I’m here,” Ginny said sincerely. She still avoided eye contact, keeping her eyes on the ceiling.

“Then why are you here?”

“As foolish as it sounds,” Ginny said slowly, “I’ve come to say goodbye. You’re leaving, so I thought it would be appropriate. And despite what we’ve been through and all, I thought you deserved at least that.”

Harry said nothing, only taking in every wonderful sensation of having Ginny in his room. It had been quite a while since any of them had ever been this close to each other.

“Well…thank you,” Harry responded.

Ginny stood up, ready to leave Harry in solitude. But Harry stopped her.

“Wait,” he said softly. “Do you…not want to talk?”

“About what?” Ginny dropped her shoulders and looked surprisingly weary in front of Harry.

“I know that we haven’t been talking lately,” Harry said sheepishly, feeling foolish.

“I’m aware of that,” Ginny replied coolly. “After all, it was me that you weren’t talking to.”

“Look, Ginny,” Harry said, approaching her. “I never meant for things to get so horrible between us that we can’t even talk to each other. That was one of the best parts of our relationship, I’ll have to admit.”

Ginny sighed, exasperated. But she said nothing.

“Do you love me?” Harry asked her plainly without a slight trace of dread in his emerald eyes. He would have taken her hand in his, but he waited.

Ginny averted her eyesight from Harry. She wanted to tell him exactly how she felt, but she felt that it wouldn’t matter. It wouldn’t keep him from leaving.

“You’re leaving…” Ginny said weakly, nearly and desperately wanting to fall into his arms. “You’re leaving, Harry, and you’ve made it clear that nothing is going to change that, not even magic.”

Harry shook his head. “That isn’t answering the question, Ginny.”

She only nodded, feeling it was more than the answer he needed.

He moved increasingly closer to her, taking his hands and placing them gently on her arms. He felt Ginny shiver but he wasn’t sure why. Fear? Nevertheless, he slid his hands down until he took hers in his own. Harry smiled softly and Ginny reciprocated. Once the tension reached a high, Harry leaned in, giving Ginny a long-awaited kiss.

The two broke apart, sharing a brief glance. Taking a breath, the two continued, making up for time lost.

But the kiss wasn’t as sweet as she hoped it to be. In the back of her mind, like an acid seeping into her every pore, she knew that tomorrow, Harry would be gone. She knew that this time tomorrow, she would be feeling depressed about how not even her love would be enough to keep Harry home. She knew that at this time tomorrow, all she would have left of Harry was the memory of tonight.

So she would have to make this night count for all she was worth.

***

Ron walked down, appearing incredibly tired.

Hermione and Mrs. Weasley both approached him as he went down the stairs. They both had the same question on their faces.

But Ron’s worn out and hopeless appearance gave them both the answer they were dreading.

“We best say good-bye then,” Mrs. Weasley said as Hermione felt the tears welling up.

Disclaimer: This is JK Rowling's material, not mine.

***

Keepsake
Discovery


Ginny never dreamt in her life that she would end up being a single mother. Despite the influence her mother had on her, having given birth to Bill somewhere around her age, she never aspired to travel in those footsteps. She was driven more by ambition and couldn’t think that at her young age, she would be slowed down by the demands of motherhood.

However, a test changed all that.

A few weeks passed since Harry’s departure, and Ginny had been feeling under the weather. Only Hermione noticed Ginny’s strange behavior; her frequent trips to the bathroom and her occasional lightheadedness even when the days were calm. However, even when Hermione confronted her, Ginny denied that there was anything unusual going on with her. But Hermione’s suspicions only grew.

Finally, one late night, Hermione spent her time waiting for Ginny to run across the hall to the toilet, just as she had been doing lately. Sure enough, around midnight, Hermione heard scampering noises on the way to the bathroom, prompting her to get out of bed and to go check.

When Hermione saw Ginny hunched over the toilet, weaker than ever before, Ginny was willing to confide in Hermione. She informed her of her escapade with Harry the night before he left and also filled her in on everything she had been feeling since then. Despite their unwillingness to see the possibility of things, they couldn’t deny what was right there in front of them. Eventually, Hermione convinced Ginny to take both a homemade test as well as a store-bought one.

Ginny sat on the lounge chair across the fire place, anxiously awaiting Hermione’s return. It had been ten more minutes longer than Hermione promised. It had been ten more minutes of twiddling her thumbs. It was ten more minutes of pushing out fears from her mind. It was ten more minutes of putting Harry out of her thoughts.
Soon, the fire place ignited with emerald flames and Hermione stepped out with a paper bag in her hand.

“Let’s go to the bathroom,” Ginny stated briskly, standing up.

No one else was at the Burrow; Fred and George were at their shop in Diagon Alley, Mr. Weasley accompanied his wife on her search for new potion ingredients that mysteriously went missing (which, coincidentally, were the ingredients Hermione needed for her potion), and Ron was out at the Ministry for Auror training. Now was the perfect time to do what they needed to.

Upstairs, Ginny and Hermione rushed into the bathroom as Hermione locked the door behind her for extra precaution. She pulled out a small box from the paper bag while Ginny pulled out a small vial from the medicine cabinet. Inside it was a violet liquid, sloshing around thickly like some type of gelatin. The two brewed it last night near midnight, the safest time to use Mrs. Weasley’s ingredient cabinet.

“Two choices before you, Ginny,” Hermione said. “One is the Muggle method, which is somewhat reliable. Two, on the other hand, seems to be the more sensible choice, because its results are almost always true. I think you should take both of them.”

“No problem,” Ginny said breathlessly. She still couldn’t believe she was about to do this. Considering the possibility was already a large step for her, and she wasn’t sure how many more leaps she would have to make. “How do you use this…stick?”

Hermione reached over and ripped the box open, taking the test out.

“It’s quite simple, actually, and it’s similar to the potion. All you have to do is…pee on this end here, and then wait five minutes for the result. One stripe indicates pregnancy, and two doesn’t. It’s the same with the potion. Just deliver your sample and blue is positive and red is negative.”

Ginny shook her head in resignation. “No matter how simple you say it is, Hermione, it is still more difficult than I could ever want it to be.”

Hermione sighed. Ginny was correct; she had no way of relating to her whatsoever, so who was she to say how easy this was. Of course it wasn’t going to be easy. Saying it might have made herself feel better, but it certainly wasn’t working on Ginny.

“I’ll be outside,” Hermione said. “Call me when you’re ready.”

***

In Harry’s arms, Ginny felt warm again, a distant feeling from the cold, emptiness she became used to. It was as though life breathed into her again. Being beside him, just being with him, it was a feeling unlike any other.

Ginny’s eyes were closed as she absorbed everything that just happened. It was wonderful and she felt lighter than air. All that it took to bring her back down was the loving kiss Harry planted on her forehead.

She shifted position under the blanket and turned to face him. He looked so serene in front of her, so confident. She kissed him back.

After pulling away, Harry sighed.

“I just wish…” He couldn’t say it without sounding like a pig.

“What?” Ginny asked, an eyebrow raised.

Harry laughed softly. “I just wish we could have done this more often instead of just one time.”

Ginny couldn’t help but laugh as well. The sound of their laughter together was ecstasy to her ears; a lot of time had passed since they had done so.

“I love you,” he finally said, without a trace of humor or laughter in his tone.

“I love you, too,” she whispered, sliding one hand into his. “I love you tremendously, Harry.”

“Lucky us,” he said smiling as he leaned in for another kiss. “Love is something we could all use.”

Ginny thought Harry sounded so wise and profound.

“If you love me…”she began, fighting off the tears she knew would be soon to come, “then why don’t you stay? If we love each other as much as we do…why do you have to leave?”

“Ginny-” Harry began.

“No,” she intervened, placing a finger on his lips. “No, I can’t let you leave, Harry. Can’t you see? Things have changed. You don’t have to leave anymore. We both know that we love each other, so why do you need to go? Now that we’re back together, things are finally right again!”

“I can’t just stay because of this,” Harry uttered softly.

Ginny felt as though a dagger pierced her heart.

“You mean you can’t stay just because of me.”

“You know damn well that that’s not the reason, Ginny. I love you. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t leave you at all.”

“Then why do you have to?” she exclaimed, pulling away from Harry’s arms. Suddenly, she felt an overwhelming sense of bareness. “You have a choice: don’t leave!”

“I have to, Ginny! I need time by myself! I need time to finally get used to normality. Don’t you see how long it’s been for me without being The Boy Who Lived? Don’t you see that for once in my life, I can be regular and not be a hero? I enjoy this feeling, Ginny, and I think that I would enjoy it more if I took time off by myself without pressure from you or anyone else!”

Ginny slid off the side of the bed, taking the blanket along with her. Harry frantically rushed across the room to get into clothing.

“I pressure you?” she asked sullenly. “I cause this in you?”

Harry furiously shook his head.

“Why did you have to go and turn this wonderful thing into something horrible and monstrous?” she continued, her voice faltering. “Why did you have to go and lie to me?”

“How did I lie to you?” he asked, shocked at her words.

“You told me that you loved me!” she exclaimed at him, warm tears now streaming down her cheeks. “You told me the most important words in my life and then you took them away like some sort of Vanishing Charm!”

“I never took them away, Ginny! I do love you! Why can’t you see that?”

Ginny shook her head as she put on her top. The tears wouldn’t stop now. She looked at him with a heartbroken stare.

“No, Harry. If you loved me, you would stay. If you loved me, I wouldn’t have to worry about what would come tomorrow and the rest of the days after you left. If you loved me, you wouldn’t let me cry.”

“Ginny!” He was speechless.

“Enjoy all the time in the world you want, Harry!” she cried, now fully clothed. “I won’t stand around anymore waiting for you to grow up.”

She stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

And now, even with the window open letting in the warm summer air, Harry felt colder than he ever felt before.

***

Hermione knocked on the door; two minutes passed and she was already impatient.

“Can I come in now?”

Ginny opened the door. “Come in; I’m done.”

On the counter were the two tests. The Muggle pregnancy test lay on top of a paper towel while the potion, once purple and now white, sat beside it bubbling and fizzing around.

“I’m scared, Hermione,” Ginny admitted. “No, I’m petrified with fear.”

Hermione gave Ginny a warm hug. “I know, Ginny. But just know that if you…are, then we’ll work through it with everyone. We all love you, Ginny. And we would never abandon you.”

Ginny sniffled as she wiped away a tear; she was surprised that she had anymore tears to cry.


The next five minutes dragged on for eternities. It was the longest wait that either of the girls had ever experienced. Hermione was already thinking up of ways to console Ginny for either outcome and Ginny was busy avoiding thoughts of their last night by thinking about what she would do if either of the tests were positive. By the third minute, tears were nonexistent and only a void remained deeply etched into her heart. Finally, Hermione looked at her clock to see that the five minute mark was passed.

“Which one do you want to look at first?” Hermione asked, her throat exceedingly dry.

“Can you…look at the Muggle one for me, Hermione?”

Hermione nodded and looked down at the Muggle test. She showed no sign of emotion on her face whatsoever.

“Well?” Ginny asked, afraid to know the answer.

“Why don’t we wait first for the potion to finish up for confirmation?” Hermione suggested. Ginny only nodded.

Finally, after a few more seconds passed, the potion suddenly stopped fizzing and bubbling. All the sparks that spewed from the surface dissipated and the liquid inside remained white and still.

After a couple breathless moments, the potion churned, launching a few sparks out into the air. And almost as fast as it started it became still once more.

Only this time, the potion was a dark navy blue.


A/N: I hope you liked it.

Disclaimer: I write off of JK Rowling; this is her work of art.

***

Keepsake
Without Harry


After the potion turned blue and the Muggle test returned with a lone stripe, Ginny’s life changed. She was a mother-to-be, and there was business to take care of.

Only a day passed before Ginny informed her mum and dad of her impending parenthood, and they took it better than she expected. Concern was the major problem, not anger. It was concern for how she would go on to carry and raise the child without Harry, whom they knew without a doubt was the father. Soon, another more imperative concern presented itself: would she even raise the child herself? Adoption wasn’t unheard of even in the Wizarding world, but getting rid of the child altogether was out of the question. It was certain that she would carry Harry’s baby to term, but what she would do with it after remained a mystery.

Ginny hoped that her mind would be more at ease since she knew she was pregnant now. But it was quite the opposite. She was now out of Hogwarts, which meant that it was time for her to start a career. She always planned to be a Healer at St. Mungo’s, but she couldn’t see how she would fulfill that dream now. Having a child during this time would make pursuing a career option difficult, if not impossible. She would have to delay her personal plans in order to make room for the baby in her life.

Also, Ginny would have to make a decision of where and how she would raise the baby. She knew well enough that she wouldn’t deny it a magical upbringing like Harry was; it was painful to even think about refusing their child its birthright. But would she raise it in the city? That would mean having to move away from the Burrow, an option she had never even thought of.

And right when Ginny thought that Hermione had backed out of her personal concerns for now, she forced her way back in with her ridiculous color-coded pro/con lists. In the end however, she was grateful for Hermione for allowing her to make her final decision.

The two young witches spent more time together listing the positive and negative outcomes having a baby would bring. Eventually, Ginny took a good look at all the cons and compared them to the pros. She thought to herself how meaningless it was to even make these lists. The joy of being a parent was worth a million, if not infinite pros compared to the cons. She was capable of working out all the negative aspects. If being a young mother meant having to delay her career path, so be it. It was do-able. Everything she was afraid of, she was also capable of doing.

In the end, right after Ginny spent her night ripping and setting fire to the pro con lists, she made her decision. She would keep the baby and she would raise it herself with her family and friends as her mentors.

It didn’t matter anymore what everyone else thought. All that mattered was that Ginny was going to be a mother soon, and she would have to do everything in her power to make the best life for her child. After all, it was what Harry’s baby deserved.

***

At eight months pregnant, Ginny spent most of her time trying to contact Harry. Ginny was desperately hanging onto any last shred of hope that Harry might actually respond to her letters. The mistake she made when Harry left was that she never asked exactly where he was going, so she didn’t have a clue where he was right now. It wasn’t as if Harry would have openly told her, but she never asked.

In her letters, Ginny didn’t state plainly that she was pregnant. She didn’t even hint it. First, she wanted an actual reply from him, and then she would start laying down the path to gradually tell him. Selfishly, she wished that if he found out, he might return immediately and apologize for everything that occurred between them. Their last encounter, which was their last fight, was never resolved.

However, now that the baby was undoubtedly on the way and soon to be born, Ginny spent less time fussing over Harry and instead spent time preparing to give birth.

Her stomach’s size amounting to that of a watermelon, Ginny didn’t feel as comfortable as she would have liked. The Burrow was getting too crowded, what with Fred and George coming down more often, Bill and Charlie being there for the birth, and Hermione now moving in after her engagement to Ron. She felt that anywhere she turned in the Burrow, things were crowding in on her.

Finally, Hermione and Ron made a decision; they would move to the city. Their decision was sensible. After all, it was near the Ministry and near the Daily Prophet, where Hermione had taken up a job. Also, it was their decision to move that compelled Ginny to follow suit.

Late in her eighth month, Ginny was practically finished moving everything she owned into her new flat next to Ron and Hermione’s. Living in London wasn’t all that bad for Ginny. The only thing that bothered her now was that she couldn’t travel as she pleased anymore, meaning that if she wanted to see the rest of her family, they would have to come to her as it wasn’t safe for someone in her condition to travel through a Portkey or through Floo powder.

Regardless, having Ron and Hermione next door set Ginny’s nerves more at ease. Having a new apartment made a new start for Ginny and her independence. She was really growing up.



On February fifteenth, which was a Friday and just a day after Valentine’s Day, Ginny was rushed to St. Mungo’s with Ron and Hermione by her side. At the hospital, they met up with the rest of the Weasley clan.

Ginny had a foolish sense of hope in the back of her mind that on this special day, Harry would miraculously appear out of nowhere to coach her and be by her side. Yet she knew better. She excused her tears for Harry as tears of labor.

For Ginny, labor lasted a full grueling nineteen hours, all through which Fred and George came up with numerous magic tricks to pass the time by and humor their younger sister. However, Ginny wasn’t amused. With pain from both the approaching birth and thoughts of Harry, she couldn’t imagine how labor could get any worse.

Fortunately, she was rewarded near midnight, when she gave birth to a small yet handsome baby boy. With thin strands of black hair and baby blue eyes, Ginny settled on naming her son Liam.

Following the birth, Ginny spent a short three days in the hospital, where Liam was kept in an incubator shortly due to his small size. While in bed, Ginny went through stacks of parchment trying to write a letter to Harry and inform him of his new son. But having Liam didn’t change anything; she still didn’t know where he was.

Her stay at the hospital was her last attempt at trying to contact Harry. From then on, she remained dutifully focused on being a wonderful mother to Liam by both preparing for endless nighttime feedings and finding a job now that she had a family to take care of.

Ginny began her pursuit for a job at St. Mungo’s by first doing a few odd jobs wherever she was needed. It was the perfect environment because while she worked, one of the other nurses would take care of Liam if he wasn’t asleep in the nursery. At the time however, the money she made at the hospital wasn’t nearly enough to purchase both the diapers and baby food she needed. So when her shift at the hospital ended, she would Floo to the Daily Prophet with Liam, where Hermione would let her help with copying and typing.

But more and more problems began arising.

When Hermione was promoted, her new salary enabled for her and Ron to purchase a house, which meant having to move away from Ginny. Night was when Ginny needed her brother the most because he and Hermione would be able to take care of Liam while she was away completing her shift. Now that they were gone, she had to juggle back and forth the stress of motherhood as well as her two other jobs. Even though her duties at St. Mungo’s were getting more central and earning her more pay, it wasn’t enough to drop her Prophet job altogether.

It got more complicated as Liam grew older. Not only did he add to her impossible workload, but she tried her best to keep his knowledge of Harry to a minimum. He was getting smarter everyday and his intelligence only resulted in questions such as “’Addy?” or sometimes, after coming back from visiting with Ron, he would even mention “’Arry?”

Finally, she worked out a bedtime story that would put Liam’s questions to rest. She made Harry out to be some great hero who went out on all sorts of heroic escapades that saved many people. She would retell the story every night and every night she would end it the same way.

“And Harry the Hero left the princess with a broken heart, but with a keepsake she would love for the rest of her life.”

***

Ginny’s life finally calmed down after a while. Liam was a month past his first birthday and was capable of doing what kids his age did. His vocabulary had doubled since the start of the Harry bedtime story, which she no longer told. His crawling accelerated into walking or rather, stumbling around the flat.

Liam resembled Harry more than she anticipated. He inherited the famous Potter hair, black and unruly. She wouldn’t cut it short; it seemed an insult to Harry. His features matched Harry’s more than hers, aside from the dusting of red freckles across his cheeks. Aside from that, looking at Liam was like looking at the man she loved but lost.

However, things were going better for Ginny. She became a Healer at St. Mungo’s, which enabled her to move into a larger flat capable of allowing a proper nursery and playroom for Liam. Her family would visit often to play and talk to Liam, whose calm exterior broke whenever they visited. In fact, much to her dismay, Liam grew quite close to Fred and George, his favorite relatives. She decided to minimize his time with them.

As fulfilled as she claimed her life to be, Ginny was having problems of her own on the inside.

After Harry left, she vowed never to love another man again, especially since she was about to have his child.

But now that Liam was growing up and things had finally settled down, she realized that what she missed most was being in the company of somebody she truly loved. It was different with her family; she needed a man, as crude as it sounded. Yet it was never as easy as she hoped it to be. The fact that she had a son got in the way of most of her relationship with men she met, and she was well aware of it. To her discreet delight, she enjoyed the fact that the men were intimidated by the fact that Liam was the son of the Boy Who Lived. Still, it wasn’t enough to keep her satisfied.

That changed, however, one fateful day on the fourth floor. A man by the name of Wyatt Collins was admitted for an improperly used Vanishing Charm. It started with his hand occasionally disappearing and the reappearing. But when it stopped, his legs soon began to do the same thing until finally, he vanished altogether.

It was difficult for Ginny to heal the man, who was her first vanishing case yet. But from what she could tell, he sounded nice and seemed pleasant and she wanted to carry out a normal conversation with him without looking like she was talking to an empty hospital bed.

As Ginny gave Wyatt his treatments, the two talked. He revealed that he was a Squib, a secret he had told nobody, not even his girlfriend who cast the charm on him. He said that they were in midst of a fight when, in her anger, his girlfriend cast the charm on him and gave him adverse effects. Wyatt seemed wonderful so she couldn’t see why his girlfriend, or ex-girlfriend, would do such a thing. Then again, she also couldn’t see the man.

When Wyatt received visibility again, Ginny was amazed at how he was, in every aspect, her type. From their talks, she learned he was a Squib fitting into the Muggle world as a college professor. He explained that in his spare time, he also assisted Squib children and helped them adjust in a world where magic was all around them. Finally, to top his great personality, he had good looks.

After the occasional cup of coffee after work, Wyatt finally asked Ginny out properly. He was the first man to do so after learning of Liam.

“Are you so sure you would want to take me out to dinner?” she asked in her mild surprise.

“I thought that was why I asked you,” he said with a handsome smirk.

“I’m not so sure,” she truthfully responded. “Liam…”

“I won’t try to replace his father’s place, I can assure you that,” he told her. “Just an innocent dinner. And if you prefer the coffee better than an actual meal, then we’ll keep up with that.”

“Innocent?” Ginny asked, an eyebrow raised.

“As innocent as innocent can get,” Wyatt replied with a small wink.

Their first date ended with Wyatt spending the night at Ginny’s flat and in her bedroom. She found herself falling for him unexpectedly. To think that only a week and a half ago he was the invisible man she couldn’t see.

Ginny only hoped that Liam wouldn’t call him “Da-da” anytime soon.

A/N: Nice feedback, please? I honestly don't know if this chapter was good enough. Oh yes, and I apologize if this chapter didn't really deliver. I look at it more as a filler chapter and a verbose way of introducing the main plotline of the story.

Disclaimer: Marvelous work, JKR. Simply marvelous work.



***



Keepsake

Of All Nights





Hermione squealed and began jumping up and down in the air, very unlike her.



“Shut up, Hermione,” Ron said, rubbing his temple. “You just might give us a stroke.”




Hermione slapped Ron on the shoulder. He scowled.




“It’s nice, right?” Wyatt asked, feeling a little embarrassed. “It’s decent for Ginny, wouldn’t you say?”




“It’s absolutely gorgeous!” Hermione exclaimed, barely containing herself. “She’ll be thrilled!”




Ron simply rolled his eyes.




It was late at night in the Burrow and everybody was sleeping except for Ron, Hermione and Wyatt, all of whom were in the kitchen. Wyatt made his nocturnal visit, heralding what he claimed to be “important news.” Ron was exasperated, having been disturbed by his sister’s boyfriend just as he was planning to go up to bed. Hermione, on the other hand, was pleased to see him. However, she was even more pleased to learn or, rather, see what the important news was.




Wyatt showed them a ring, yet just not any ring. From what he told them in the next few minutes after revealing his treasure, Hermione and Ron learned that it was crafted by goblins with fairy silver gold. Golden filigree curled around the band itself, almost like vines of ivy creeping along a surface. Eventually, the lace-like gold met together at a specific point: the diamond.




“It must be four karats, or even five!” Hermione screamed, admiring the marvelous rock. “Look at it, Ron!”




Ron yawned. “I’m looking, ‘Mione.”




Hermione slapped him on his shoulder again, this time causing Ron to give her a positively disdainful look. His face went red.




Wyatt flushed. “I’m not so sure…”




“She’ll love it!” Hermione commented decisively. “I can’t believe it! You’re proposing! You and Ginny are getting married!” Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but it appeared as though Hermione was crying. Ron sighed heavily.




“It’s not decided yet,” Wyatt reminded her. “I still have to go through with the whole proposal.”




“And maybe you didn’t know this,” Ron said drowsily, “but she is sleeping upstairs. She might be able to hear you.”




Hermione frowned. “Regardless, this is easily the best thing that’s ever happened to Ginny. You two are going to be so happy.”




Wyatt was purely red now. “Thank you, Hermione. What about you, Ron? You’re the brother. I want to know what you think.”




Ron unfolded his arms and set them on the kitchen counter upon which he was leaning. He shrugged, yet it was blatantly obvious that he had something to say. After a few seconds of silence, he finally spoke.




“I think that you’re good enough to Ginny,” Ron noted unabashedly. “She seems to love you and Merlin knows that I can’t tell her who to love or not. But the father of her baby, the father of your potential stepson is my best mate. I won’t lie to you; they were happy. They were happier than you could have imagined. Look at it! They were happy enough to have a son!”




“Ron!” Hermione cried out, this time shoving him. “You’re being unbelievably rude to Wyatt!”




“He should know this!” Ron retorted. “He should know this if he’s really dedicated to doing this!”




Hermione backed away, having no reply.




“Anyway,” Ron proceeded, ignoring the frightened look on Wyatt’s face, “if you’re going to propose to my sister, you have to understand that she might not be entirely over Harry. Hermione and I sure as hell aren’t.”




“But he’s gone,” Wyatt insisted quietly, worry splashed over his handsome features.




“Yeah, but his son isn’t, eh?”




Wyatt turned away while Hermione stared at Ron with utmost disgust.



***



“And make sure that you only feed him at the designated times,” Ginny directed, her voice forceful even on the phone. “Liam doesn’t eat anything mashed, so if you brought any baby food, it’s completely useless. Feed him the carrots I have in the fridge. And if you have any other questions, feel free to call me. Is he crying? Is my baby crying? Put him on the phone!”




Wyatt waited anxiously while Ginny made specific orders for the babysitters taking care of Liam, Ron and Hermione, for the third time during their dinner. Barely into their appetizers, Ginny spent more time on the phone talking than talking to the man in front of her. He nervously ran his fingers over the case in which the engagement ring was held in his coat pocket. The romantic evening he planned at the most expensive restaurant in London was quickly turning into the first telephone nursery hour ever. He loosened his tie, feeling the pressure rising in his chest.




Finally, Ginny placed her cell phone in her purse wearing a tired face. She reached out and grabbed a bacon-wrapped shrimp, popping it in her mouth.




“I’m sorry for ruining this evening,” Ginny apologized. “I don’t understand; we’ve gone out before to dinner and not once have I been on the phone for nearly an hour explaining the difference between strained peas and mashed peas.”




“We’ve always gone out with Liam, never by ourselves,” Wyatt reminded her. “I only thought that tonight, of all nights, we could go out by ourselves without having to worry about diapers or solid foods.”




Ginny stared at him quizzically. “Of all nights? Will you remind me the importance of tonight?”




Wyatt sighed, taking a great sip from his chardonnay. He gave Ginny an intent look, one of smoldering concern and worry.




“I…understand…”Wyatt started slowly, “that Liam is your life. He is your son. When we first started dating, I never dared to betray the relationship between you and your son. And…not once did I dream of replacing his father. Not once.




“However, I have to share my concerns. The boy’s father…Harry Potter, I have my doubts. I mean, he hasn’t been here for Liam and according to what you told me, he doesn’t even know about him.”




“What are you trying to get at?” Ginny folded her arms.




“I don’t want to pick a fight with you, Ginny. I love you, you must remember that. However, given the circumstances...”




“Circumstances?” She appeared ready to jump from her seat and leave him alone.




“You have a son!” Liam said, a little too loud. “His father is Harry Potter! And from what I understand, you loved him. You loved him very much. It is only natural that I assume that after his departure…that affection lingered. Am I correct?”




Ginny remained silent.




“What I am trying to say, Ginny, or perhaps ask…do you still love him?”




Ginny gave Wyatt an incredulous look, one of amazement and confusion. Then, before she knew it, she backed down, shrinking back into her chair. She clearly had something to say.




“Wyatt,” she whispered, choosing her words carefully. “I loved Harry very much. However, whatever ‘affection’ I had for him, whatever I felt dearly for him, all of that is gone now. There is only you. You and me. Harry…Harry left, and not once did he turn back. He lost me along the way.




“But I have to be honest with you. No matter how much I would like to sever all previous ties with Harry, it’s too impossible. I have a son with him, Wyatt, and I cannot deny that. And if that time ever comes…if Harry shows up again, wishing to see his son…I cannot deny that. But as of now, as of what we have, I love you, Wyatt, and nobody else."




Wyatt processed what Ginny told him, his fist clenched tightly around the ring case in his coat pocket.



***



Wyatt and Ginny returned home late that evening, around ten. As expected, Hermione came bounding down the stairs, Mrs. Weasley and a sluggish Ron following her. Mr. Weasley would be home soon to witness the celebration.




“Oh my!” Hermione shrieked, skipping several stairs and heading straight for the couple. She searched Ginny’s hand, finally seeing the engagement ring.




Hermione squealed in excitement, Mrs. Weasley squealed in delight. Even Ron could not repress a smile. Wyatt wrapped his arm around Ginny, his fiancé.




But Ginny found she could not squeal…nor smile.





A/N: Sorry for the long update. It's all explained in my bio. Does anyone have any suggestions for where this story should head? Don't take this as a sign of unpreparedness; I have it planned. But any tidbits or anything you would like to see that I could tweak into my story would be great. Feel free to suggest through reviews/email.