Ginny's Sixth Year

Chapter 32

"Relax, Ginny. Neville's got you," Luna told me soothingly. We were walking around Platform 9 3/4 looking for my family. Beads of sweat were dripping down my face as I struggled to take most of my weight off of Neville. 

"There they are," Neville said, pointing at two redheads in the crowd. Fred and George. They were talking to someone other than each other who we couldn't see over a tall witch standing in front of them. Either Mum or Charlie. 

We slowly worked our way towards them. George was the first to notice us. Or rather, Neville. Luna and I are both quite short. "Neville! Where's..." George's smile turned into a frown as he pushed his way towards us. Fred and Charlie followed him. Charlie smiled at me, grabbed Luna's wrist, and pulled her just out of earshot in one swift motion. Fred took my weight from Neville, and George grabbed my trunk, which Luna had been carrying. 

"What happened?" Fred asked.

I shook my head, trying to tell him that I couldn't talk. He looked just as confused as Neville when I had tried to tell him who to look for. "Jaw broken," I tried to say. Fred nodded, showing me that he had at least understood that I can't enunciate anything, even if he didn't know why. 

He picked me up and whispered in my ear, telling me that they would take me to Bill's cottage to get me cleaned up. Charlie and Luna came back, Charlie looking pale and scared. I kicked Fred hard in the knee because I couldn't exactly tell him to set me down. Thankfully, Fred got he message and helped me over to Luna. 

"See you around, I guess," she said.

I nodded. We hugged for a moment and then she said goodbye to Neville. Luna disappeared into the crowd to find her father.

"What's your plan, Neville?" Charlie asked. It was then that I realized that Charlie probably knew Neville's parents.

"I'm Apperating home," he said.

"By yourself?"

"Yeah, I have a license."

"That's not what I meant. Are you up to it? Appertation is harder the weaker you are. You could come with us to Bill's and get a decent meal in you and then—"

"Thanks for the offer, but I'd better go home to Gran."

"Alright, if you're sure. Thank you for, you know, taking care of Ginny." I mumbled in protest. "I can't understand you, Ginny." I swore at him. "That doesn't mean I don't have an idea of what you're saying!" he joked, lightly hitting me on the head.

Neville and I hugged. I remembered all we had been through together. Neville smiles down at me, and I did my best to smile back. "See you next term, Ginny!"

I nodded. It seemed like I was doing a lot of that. Charlie put his arm out. I grasped it and we Apperated away.