Leave Out All the Rest
Chapter 19: Raging Maternal Instincts
POV: Third
An owl with ethereal white feathers soared through the village of Godric's Hollow, looking for the Potter home. Once it located the open kitchen window, it flew in with a graceful tilt. It landed on the kitchen table, placing the letter in its beak near the bowl of apples and oranges. It made a hoot , alerting whoever was home that mail had arrived. Then, it made way to the goblet resting at the corner of the table; it took a gulp of water, thankful that it was not Firewhiskey (Mister Potter tended to have a drink when nights were hard).
When Ginny Potter, beautiful and fierce as ever, entered her kitchen, the owl took off.
"Was that an owl I heard?" Hermione asked, raising a brow as she followed after her sister-in-law.
"Yeah, Hedwig was here," Ginny said, reaching for the letter on her table, smiling as she recognized the handwriting on it. "It's from Lily."
Hermione huffed. "It must be a long night for her, then. Lily only writes if she can't sleep. Or if she's desperate for some help on a particular school subject. Seeing as the letter isn't for me, telling me to drop my rubbish attitude, as she calls it, about cheating, I think your daughter is at her wits-end with teenage issues."
Ginny laughed. "You know your niece well, don't you, 'Mione?"
Hermione scoffed disapprovingly, but there was mirth in her brown eyes as she moved to the stove, deciding to help Ginny with tea while she read her letter.
Mum,
Yes, I've been getting yours and Dad's letters. While I realize I tend to reply promptly and have been failing to do so lately, there is no need for Dad to send Neville to question me every day. I can't exactly tell Neville to shove off—well, I can, but he is Professor Longbottom here and I don't want detention.
Anyway, I'm having a crisis. While I wish I could talk to my friends, it turns out they are all my relatives and they're all tossers, I thought you've never let me down.
So here it goes: I kissed Liam.
And I think he fancies me, too, but he's confused because all his friends are related to me. That's a stupid reason, isn't it? I mean, Dad didn't think about not dating you because you were his best friend's sister; he just didn't want to date you because of all the Voldemort stuff. I mean, if Liam had an excuse like that, I could understand.
Or maybe it's because I'm thirteen. But, really, is that even an issue? You weren't even a First Year when you fell in love with Dad.
I'm a mess.
Sincerely,
Lily.
"Wow," Hermione exhaled loudly as she read over Ginny's shoulder. "It was an overload of drama. When did Lily grow up and start developing problems that we didn't have until we were sixteen?"
As she asked that, Hermione remembered several memories of a six year-old Lily bursting into her room with Hugo on her heels, the two demanding that she turn them into adolescents so they could move on with their lives and use their magic properly.
"I don't know. None of the older girls went through this so early. In fact, Rose at her given age of fifteen has yet to lose her mind over a boy," Ginny said as she tucked the letter into her pocket, reminding herself to dispose of it in case her husband found it. "But, honestly, Liam Greengrass?"
At the huff Ginny made, Hermione laughed loudly, pulling out a chair for herself. "Oh, come off it. It was more than obvious Lily started fancying the boy this past summer. She was all giggles and blushes when he was over. Don't tell me you didn't notice?"
"Of course I noticed," Ginny snorted, taking a seat beside her sister-in-law, crossing her arms across her chest. "Who didn't notice that? I'd just assumed it was an unimportant crush. The first one she actually had that wasn't on the muggle actor from that one film."
"Gin, do you realize what you just said? The sign is clearly there. How could you—how can either of us, actually—say that first time crushes are insignificant and would fade away?"
"Well, didn't you have—"
"Subconsciously, I hate to admit, I fancied Ron from our Second Year. He was the first boy I ever fancied. And by the wedding ring on my finger and his snores that wake me up every other night, he's been the only person I've liked since."
Ginny made a face. "Merlin only knows why. I still think he bewitched you."
"Yes, I agree. He doesn't deserve me," Hermione said seriously, making the woman across her chuckle. "But back to the subject. Ron was my first crush, and the world knows Harry was your first, too. You loved him from the moment you laid eyes on him. And you loved him through the years he was the biggest prat in the world until he fell in love with you. Then what happened? Your childhood crush ended up being your husband—for seventeen years now in a few months, actually."
Ginny groaned. "I know. It happened to Victoire,too, if you recall."
Hermione nodded, smiling. "She was five when she told us she was going to marry Teddy."
Even though the couple they were currently discussing was her niece and her godson, Ginny couldn't help but to frown protectively. Teddy was her son, and she hated knowing he was already destined to be with someone, that there was another woman out there he loved more than her, that he could potentially put before his own mother.
"I miss the times he used to shove her off, claiming she was infested with Dragon Pox and her breath smelled like Fangs'."
"Then they went to Hogwarts and fell completely in love with one another," Hermione squashed Ginny's reminiscing.
However grudging and with raging maternal instincts, Ginny nodded simply at the comment. She knew from experience that in the Wizarding World, most of the time, the person you first come to like was most likely to end up as your lifelong partner. It wasn't an official, proven theory, but they say that the purest feelings are usually the truest. And when you're at a tender age, especially with that amount of magic in your blood, you attract all types of pure and true people and things to you.
"Lily doesn't stand a chance, does she?" Ginny asked with a resigned huff. "She's going to end up Lily Greengrass in a few years, won't she?"
Patting her hand reassuringly, Hermione said, "You're precipitating yourself, Gin. I think you've got to take this a step at a time. She hasn't even formally gotten with the boy. However, I think you're looking over the fact that there's a reason why Lily trusted you with this. And, as you may know, no teenage girl trusts their mother with this type of information. Believe me. Rose has made it clear I'd be the last person she'd have that conversation with."
"That's because she thinks she can handle it all on her own," Ginny shot Hermione a knowing look, "exactly like you did at her age. You didn't actually talk about your feelings for Ron with anyone until I pried it out of you in your Sixth Year." Before Hermione could say anything, she continued, "I'll support Lily if she wants the relationship with him—as long as they take it slow. He is a Fifth Year after all, and I wouldn't want Lily to be overwhelmed. Merlin knows she's going to have a lot on her plate when she has to tell her brothers about it."
"How will you tell Harry?"
"—Tell Harry what?" Settling into Hermione's question, a bespectacled man with untidy black hair and a unique lightning bolt scar on his forehead stood by the door of the kitchen. There was a redhead man beside him, just like old times. "What do I need to be told?"
Giving Ginny a very apologetic stare, Hermione composed herself quickly by flashing her brown eyes at the men. "Aren't you two supposed to be at the Ministry? We weren't expecting either of you until further in the night."
Shrugging carelessly, Ron Weasley walked to his wife. "We're technically still on duty, but we decided to take a moment of leisure," he said before pressing a light kiss to her temple. "We knew you two would be here, gossiping like teenage girls and all that."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Don't lie, prat. You came with me because you thought Hermione was going to be at her parents all day. And seeing as she most likely didn't leave anything, you came here to eat."
"That's not true!" Ron glared, not noticing he was contradicting himself as he grabbed a half-eaten Pumpkin Pasty from the table and shoved it into his mouth.
"That was mine, Ronald," Hermione sighed, shaking her mass of brown curls at her husband in a disapproving manner. "Even if I was at my parents' house, how many times have I told you not to free-load off Ginny? You could've gone to a muggle fast-food restaurant."
Ron shrugged, scoffing at her comment as he walked to Ginny's cupboards. "I'm a complete daft with muggle money," he said as he scavenged for food, "and, 'sides, most of their food sounds revolting. I don't know what a Big Mac is, nor do I intend to find out."
Harry copied Hermione's gaze of defeat, deciding for the millionth time there was no fixing Ron and one must move on with life. "Well, what were you supposed to tell me, Ginny?"
"Nothing, dear," Ginny smiled flawlessly. "I was just preparing invitations, actually."
"Invitations for what?" Harry asked curiously, exactly how his wife had expected him to.
Turning to Hermione, giving her the tiniest wink, Ginny carefully folded her hands on her lap, still holding on to that smile. "Well, since we're hosting Christmas dinner this year, I decided to invite a few more people than we usually do."
Harry raised an eyebrow, but it was Ron who spoke as he munched on a bag of crisps that were hidden behind a few plates. "Like who, Ginny? You know I'm against your new friendship with that bloody pumpkin-head Krum. I don't care if you two are colleagues now, I will not eat Christmas roast with him."
"Ronald," Hermione instantly snapped, "can you be a little more compassionate than that? Viktor has just lost his wife. If we would decide to invite him to dinner, you shall have no objection to it. He's been one of my oldest friends, and I'd be happy to take your roast and hand it all to him."
Ron gaped. "My roast, 'Mione? You'd give my roast to that motherfu—"
"Who are these few more people you're inviting, Gin?" Harry interjected quickly, trying to ease the Weasleys' argument from happening as he noticed Hermione's eyes locked in concentration, ready to aim a nonverbal spell at her own husband.
Catching on, Ginny said simply, "Well, all of Al's friends. I'm sure he'd be delighted to have them over, you know how whiny he gets when he doesn't see them." The gentle smile she had from earlier morphed into a smirk. "And since we're inviting most of Al's friends, I thought we'd invite Lucas Zabini's parents, Blaise and Loretta. Liam's father, as well. And, of course, we can't forget Astoria and Draco Malfoy."
Instantly distracted from her anger to her husband, Hermione choked on the oxygen passing down her throat. "Malfoy?"
Forgetting all about Viktor Krum and his ever-constant letters to Hermione—that the latter refused to let him read, claiming that Krum was a perfect gentleman and they were just friends—Ron looked at his sister with outrage. "Are you mental? You can't invite Malfoy over!"
With her usual flare of I-will-not-be-challenged, Ginny stood from her chair, taking a dangerous step toward her brother. "Listen, Ronald, I will invite whomever I damn well please. This is my home, not yours. And if I want to invite the Malfoys over for Christmas, tea, or for a bloody game of chess, then they're invited. Is that clear?"
Ron took a step back. "Harry—"
Harry scoffed at the would-be plea his best friend was going to make. He was married to Ginny; he knew better than anyone that she was not to be told what to do.
"Harry!" Ron gasped now, catching on to his choice.
Clearing her throat (and better handling herself), Hermione said, "Calm down, Ron. It's just Christmas dinner. Besides, I thought you got on with Malfoy now."
"What the hell made you think that?" Ron asked, taking an indignant bite of his crisp.
"When you met Scorpius five years ago," Hermione reminded him. "You like the boy, remember? You told Al you were surprised he wasn't a git like his father, but for the sake of keeping things friendly, you admitted that Malfoy himself wasn't a git now in adulthood."
Ron huffed. "Nope. I never said that."
Before Hermione could argue back, Harry managed to add in, "I have no objection with the Malfoys coming over, actually. I think it's slightly overdue. Scorpius is Al's best friend and we have yet to host his parents to...better get to know them, I guess. Either way, I want something in return, Ginny."
Ginny raised a brow. "I give you that every night already."
Turning green, a crisp going down the wrong pipe, Ron threw his sister the bag. "Shut it! I don't want to hear your private fornication happenings!"
"How do you think your nephews and niece were conceived, Ron?"
"I want to pretend that a jolly giant dropped them off at your doorstep."
Ginny shot her sister-in-law a pitying look. "Is that really how he thinks they're made? Because if that's so, I'm so sorry, Hermione. You poor girl, you've never known pleasure."
Hermione turned red, looking a little stricken, but Harry stepped in once more to not allow the conversation to head in a direction none of the adults were comfortable with. "I wasn't referring to that, Gin. I just mean that I have to tell you something, and I expect you to take it with ease."
Ron's face lit up like someone had brought him a feast. "Oh, that's a bloody brilliant idea, mate!"
"What is?" Ginny questioned, not liking where this was going already.
Trying to be a little milder about it, definitely less smug than how Ron was handling the matter, Harry reached for his wife's hand. His thumb rubbed small circles on the skin over her knuckles. "Gin," his voice was low and steady, "I've moved Teddy up ranks. He's no longer in training. I've finally agreed to give him his badge—and an assignment along with it."
Not reacting with an expected fury, Ginny knitted her eyebrows. "Teddy's been in training for only ten months. He isn't qualified yet to do anything."
Teddy Lupin, against all of his mother's wishes and protests, started Auror Training two years after graduating Hogwarts (after roaming around the world trying to find himself and his calling). Ginny had expected him to go work as an associate with George at the shop, even to help manage dragons with Charlie, but the last thing that anyone expected—though, it really should've been obvious since Tonks was his biological mother—was for him to want to join the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
Harry squeezed his wife's hand, trying to seep some ease into her skin. "He's more than qualified. Kingsley himself suggested the idea. I know you wanted me to make sure he stayed in training as long as possible, but he's ready, Ginny. He has incredible potential, and I don't doubt him. And..." and this was going to be the hard part. Harry squeezed her hand once more. "And, we need a young Auror abroad. He'll be a great asset—especially since he can morph into anyone."
Still not responding with that flame of fury they knew came so easily to her, Ginny's face was solemn. "Why do you need him abroad? Where is he going? What assignment did you give him?"
"It's a new case," Harry sighed, deciding to answer all her questions as Ron shouted a clear objection for him to reveal details. "Someone broke into the Ministry a few months ago. They stole some important, dark artifacts from one of our vaults."
Ginny still did not look at ease. "Why do you need Teddy?"
Exchanging a look with Ron, who was still protesting from the background, Harry proceeded to divulge facts that went against the code of an Auror. "Some of the items that are being smuggled used to belong to Slytherin and Voldemort. We don't know what they do, but we think we know who wants them."
"Death Eaters?" Hermione questioned from her seat on the wooden table. "You think Death Eaters want these artifacts?"
"We don't know for sure. The Ministry passed a silent law that orders the reformed and known Death Eaters to report various times a month to have their minds checked. We're just making sure. And, if it turns out to be known Death Eaters, we need someone on the case that they don't know. That's where Teddy comes in. He can be anyone, make himself look different with a blink of an eye. He's useful. It'll be dangerous, yes, but—"
"You want my child to be on the hunt for dark wizards?" And there, right there with her brown eyes glistening black, her face deadly pale, and her hair intensely red, Ginny Potter snapped into that full-out, murderous rage people knew her for. "Are you barking mad? Absolutely not!"
"Gin," hiding behind his wife, Ron called out, "don't go murdering Harry! He's Head Auror, we need him!" He held onto Hermione's shoulders, a little frightened now that those deadly eyes flashed at him. "Harry didn't want to give him the case at first, Ginny, but Teddy insisted. This was his choice!"
Pointing a menacing finger at her husband, Ginny hissed , "You get Teddy off this ridiculous case, Harry Potter! Because if you don't, I'll make sure the next case they open is that of your murder!"
Just as Harry's eyes had gone wide when his wife pulled out her wand, jabbing it onto the fronts of his robes, the door to their house opened. A creak echoed; soon followed by a, "Good evening, Potters! I'm here, now feed me!"
Choosing to enter at the worst moment ever, Teddy Lupin, with his silver eyes and his shaggy turquoise-colored hair, entered the kitchen with a bright grin. After a second of silence, blinking by the door, his grin faded as he noticed the angry and mortified expressions of the adults and Ginny's wand pointed at the Savior of the Wizarding World.
"Mum?" Teddy asked, raising a concerned brow. "What's going on?"
Turning slowly, her wand still jabbed into Harry's chest, Ginny narrowed her dark eyes into slits. "Teddy Remus Lupin," she hissed.
"You told her?" Teddy gaped at Harry, taking a scared step back. "I thought we agreed to break it to her after the holidays! I don't want to be locked up for Christmas, Dad!"
Harry smiled apologetically. "I know, Ted, but—"
"Does Victoire know about this?" Ginny silenced her husband by jabbing him harder. "Have you even mentioned to that girl that you'll be going abroad on some dangerous case?"
Teddy paled, his hair fading from a vibrant blue to a murky brown. "Um...no?"
"Well, then," Ginny breathed, removing her wand away from Harry, fixing his robes in the process. "You can expect her to find out about this idiotic choice of yours immediately. Just so we're on the same page, I doubt she's going to take it well that her dimwitted, Metamorphagus boyfriend is going to go get himself blown up." And with that being said, Ginny stomped her way out of the kitchen, her trail of anger and threats lingering behind with the others.
"Dad," Teddy groaned, slumping himself on a chair.
"Sorry, Ted," Harry said with a shrug. "But you know we need you on this case. It's essential. Besides, don't feel terrible about it. It's the price Ginny's paying for inviting the Malfoys over for Christmas dinner."
Teddy quirked an eyebrow, looking pleased rather than upset as Ron was looking at the mention of his childhood nemesis. "Brilliant. I like the Malfoys."
"Well don't," Ron snapped, ignoring the frown that Hermione and Harry were giving him. He knew the Malfoys were the only living relatives Teddy had left. But not getting the clue, Ron added, "This dinner will only serve as a means to keep tabs on Malfoy. Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater."