“Oh come on, Ginny,” George said laughing. “You can’t find any better way to greet your favourite brother?”
“But…how...when...” Ginny stuttered as she stared at George, her face still registering the shock of seeing someone for the first time in three years.
“It’s not like you to be speechless Ginny,” George said still laughing. “But I think when you stuttered you meant to invite me in. So, thanks!”
George squeezed past Ginny, who was still standing in the doorway with a shocked look on her face, and walked into the apartment.
“This is a pretty nice place,” George said, looking around. “Nicer then my flat, that’s for sure. Cleaner too.”
“George!” Ginny said crossly, finally able to speak. “How did you find me? Why is it you and not Mum or Dad? And why now, after all this time?”
“Those are all excellent questions,” George replied, grinning slightly. “But how about you explain the child sitting on your floor first?”
“She’s my daughter,” Ginny said quietly, shutting the door behind George.
“Well, thanks for that clarification, Ginny,” George replied sarcastically. “But I worked that out on my own. I was hoping more for how she came to be your daughter.”
“Don’t tell me you don’t know how babies are made, George.” Ginny said chuckling nervously as she walked toward the kitchen. “I really wouldn’t feel comfortable explaining it to you. But maybe there’s a book we can get you. In fact, there’s a lovely little book shop down the street, why don’t you go have a look?”
“Cut it out,” George snapped, his expression suddenly serious. “I could easily tell Mum where you are. Would you rather deal with her?”
“You wouldn’t,” Ginny replied, whirling around to face George.
“Of course I would Ginny!” George retorted. “We’ve spent nearly three years wondering where the hell you were and you think I would just leave without any answers?”
“Does it really matter what I’ve been doing?” Ginny said. “All that matters is that you know I’m here. We should just move on and focus on the future. Forget the past.”
“You can’t possibly expect us to forget about the last three years,” George replied gently. “You’re going to have to face the past sooner or later.”
Ginny nodded slightly, her face scrunched up in frustration. She walked over to the couch and sat down, resting her chin on her hands. George sat down next to her and they sat in silence for a few minutes, watching Lily play on the floor.
“Okay, I’m ready,” Ginny said, keeping her eyes focused on her daughter.
“I’m not going to stall, Ginny,” George said. “Why did you leave?”
“I was tired of fighting,” Ginny replied, her voice surprisingly soft and vulnerable. “Harry and I weren’t really together and I couldn’t go back to Hogwarts and face more people staring at me. I needed space and unfortunately, I had to leave the Wizarding world to get it.”
“And along the way you just happened to have a child?” George asked, holding back a smile.
“Yes. Sort of...” Ginny said quickly. “I had a short relationship with a man I met one day in London and that rather brief encounter resulted in Lily.”
“Right,” George replied doubtfully. “Ginny, I’ve done the math. Unless Lily was born a bit too early, you had to have ‘met’ this man the day you left. Maybe I’m thinking too highly of you, but I really doubt that’s the case.”
Ginny stood up quickly, startling Lily who had started to drift off on the floor. She reached down and pulled Lily into her arms, rocking her slowly back and forth.
“Why don’t I put Lily down for a nap?” George asked. “That way you can have some time to think about your story and get it right.”
Ginny nodded silently and handed Lily to George. He smiled down at his sleeping niece and walked toward the bedroom, singing softly to Lily. As soon as he was in the bedroom, Ginny walked into the kitchen and grabbed her wand off the counter. She felt vulnerable without her wand now that she was finally around another member of the Wizarding world, even if that someone was her brother. Twirling her wand in her fingers, she thought about what she was going to tell George. It wasn’t a surprise that he didn’t buy her story about the stranger in London, but she wasn’t sure she could tell him the truth. The truth was what she had been running from and now that she was being forced to face it, she wasn’t sure she could handle it.
“Well,” George said, coming into the kitchen and interrupting her thoughts. “Have you got your story straight by now?”
“I suppose,” Ginny replied stiffly, slipping her wand into her pocket. “I’m just not sure I want to share it with you right now.”
“Oh Merlin,” George said exasperatedly. “Do I really have to walk you through this? I know who Lily’s father is. A blind monkey would know who Lily’s father is.”
“If you know who her father is, then why have you bothered asking me?” Ginny said angrily.
“I wanted to give you a chance to tell your side of the story,” George replied, his eyes flashing. “Ginny, please just tell me a little. We’ve spent all this time worrying and searching for you and you’re just refusing to talk? It’s not right.”
“Fine,” Ginny sighed. “I have a daughter and you know exactly who her father is. So what else do you need to know? Do you really need to know exactly how Lily was created, because I can’t stomach that.”
“Harry is her father,” George said softly.
“What?” Ginny said and then sighed, knowing George was not going to let this go, “Yes Harry is Lily’s father. What else do you need to know?” Ginny walked over to the pantry and began rummaging through it, muttering angrily under her breath.
“I don’t really need to know how it happened,” George said. “We can deal with why it happened later, but I want to know why you left. And what you’ve been doing for the past three years. I’m your brother Ginny; I want to know about your life!”
Ginny softened slightly at his words, and shut the pantry. She turned around to look at him and considered telling him everything, why she left and why she had remained hidden. But a little voice in her head urged her to wait. She knew that Harry deserved to know everything first, and while she loved George, she owed Harry that much.
Shaking her head slowly Ginny responded, “I’m sorry George, but I can’t tell you why I left. At least, not yet. Harry deserves to know everything first. I’m sorry, but I won’t change my mind.”
“But you promise to tell Harry everything?” George asked.
“I promise,” Ginny replied smiling. “When the time is right, I’ll tell him everything.”
“What about Mum?” George asked. “What are you going to tell Mum?”
“Oh Merlin,” Ginny groaned. “I forgot about Mum! Well I won’t worry about that for awhile. I don't have to worry about that anytime soon.”
“Anytime soon?” George repeated. “Ginny, you are planning on coming home aren’t you?”
“Well sure, eventually,” Ginny replied. “I just have to think about it, that’s all. I have a life here George! I can’t just up and leave because you want me to, at least not right away.”
“You need to think about it?” George repeated, following Ginny. “What’s there to think about? People are expecting you to come home now that we’ve found you!”
“What do you mean, people are expecting me?” Ginny asked slowly. “Who else knows I’m here, George?”
“No one,” George said quickly, looking away and backing out of the kitchen. “I misspoke, it was a mistake.”
“George!” Ginny growled angrily, pulling her wand out of her pocket and pointing it at George threateningly. “Please don’t make me hex you, George. Tell me who else knows I’m here.”
George hesitated and looked down at the ground nervously before replying, “I’m not the one who found you, Ginny. Harry did.”
It Wasn't Over, It Still Isn't Over by bellaoc
Chapter Notes: Finally, here's the second chapter! Enjoy! :-D
Chapter Endnotes: Aha cliffhanger! Sorry! But you'll find out more next chapter, I promise! :-D
Thanks a billion to my amazing beta Terri (mudbloodproud)!