Here it is, my friends - update for week May 3, 2020 through May 10, 2020.
As I've already mentioned on my other stories and profile board, I've decided that I will update one of my Harry Potter fanfictions every week. This week's, obviously, is Wack-A-Harry; next week's Operation Homeward; the week after that A Foul Place Is Where I Love You. And it'll cycle just like that. So far, it's been a successful system and I have yet to miss an update. You can also check my board to see which fanfiction will be the week's update, if you were to lose track.
So if you've decided I'm a satisfactory enough writer, feel free to check those other stories out while you wait for an update on this one. They are all, in a way, kind of similar. Just enough so that if you have interest here, you might find interest there.
I also want to thank you all for being so supportive and for commenting. Really gives me inspiration and motivation, you know? So please continue to do so.
Anyway, off to the story.
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James didn't have the time to react because, next thing he knew, Sirius was lying on the ground, clutching his nose as little bat-bogeys flew all about him.
"You son of a bitch!" roared the pretty, red-headed girl that had entered, so angrily that James wondered how so much ferocity could fit in such a tiny body.
"Woah!" exclaimed Fred at the same time George cried, "Ginny, stop!"
"How dare you come here?" spat Ginny. James gathered his bearings just enough to block another hex, this time in his direction. "Have you no shame? You better be happy Harry isn't here to see this, otherwise I'd kill you all right now!"
"Is that not your intention?" said Fred incredulously. Both he and his brother were now putting in a great deal of effort to restrain Ginny, who thrashed wildly against them.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded as George tried to yank her wand from her death grip. "Let me go!"
"No, not until you listen!" exclaimed George exasperatedly. "I know what it looks like, but we tested them! They are Harry's family!"
Ginny gaped for a moment, pausing her thrashing in shock. "Have you gone mental?"
"If we have, Gin, it happened long before now," replied Fred bluntly.
Apparently, it was the wrong thing to say. With a howl of fury, Ginny's expression turned even more furious. "YOU LET MY BROTHERS GO, YOU—"
She proceeded to let out a very impressive stream of curses far too vulgar for any halfway decent conversation.
James mustered enough sense to go Sirius's side, helping him up from the ground and into a nearby chair while trying to avoid the disgusting bat-bogeys flying about. "Ginny ... always was ... a firecracker ..." muttered Sirius.
Once Sirius was seated, James looked back at the wild animal that was Ginny Weasley ... to find Lily approaching her with a straight back and determined expression.
"Ginny," said Lily in the tone she used when chastising James and/or Sirius, "I admire your courage and loyalty, but I ask you hear us out before you try to hex us all into the afterlife."
Again was what she didn't say, but was implied anyway.
Ginny paused, her breathing harsh as she fixed Lily with a look somewhere between a terrifying glare and equally-terrifying calculation. "Fine."
The entire room seemed to release a breath of relief. Fred and George released their sister, who stayed true to her word and did not attack, but still held her wand in a firm grip. "Explain," she bit out.
And they did.
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"So," said Ginny in disbelief, "you really expect me to believe that my ... that Harry's dead family has randomly come back to life with no explanation whatsoever, and is looking to reunite with him, when nearly every person out there right now is looking to either to kidnap or kill him?"
James noticed the catch on Harry's name, but decided to keep his smirk restrained for the time being. He instead focused on the harsher reality - the reality that Ginny's reaction was very understandable. And admirable.
"We know it's hard to believe -" Lily began.
"Oh, it sure is hard to believe," said Ginny aggressively.
"Ginny," said George, gently pushing her to sit down in a nearby chair, "Sirius knew things that only the real Sirius could have known. About his time in Grimmauld Place. Things small and secretive enough that some Death Eater couldn't know them."
"Exactly," said Fred. "And if Sirius is real, then James and Lily must be, too."
James gave them an appreciative look.
Ginny bit her lip, looking over James, Lily, and Sirius, who sat across from her, then slowly turned to her brothers. "Are you sure you trust them?"
"Positive," said both in unison.
She let out a sigh and looked at them from across the table again. "As stupid as they act, my brothers are very clever," she admitted, a hint of softness in her brown eyes. "I trust their judgement. I believe you."
James smiled at her, unable to help the feeling that Ginny Weasley would be a very strong link to his son. Lily seemed to feel the same way, as she strode over to the girl and embraced her tightly. James saw Ginny blink a few times in shock over Lily's shoulder before relaxing into her arms.
When they at last pulled away from each other, Ginny seemed to look mildly embarrassed as she said, "Er ... Sorry about before ... The way I reacted -"
"Don't apologize," interrupted James. He nodded his head in respect to her. "You were protecting my son and your brothers. I admire you for that." He smirked, rubbing a hand over his chin. "And you cast a mighty bat-bogey hex. Bloody hell. Remind me to never piss you off."
Sirius groaned at that, rubbing his nose tenderly, even though the hex had worn off by now. "I can second that."
The room burst into laughter, but whatever happiness it brought was short-lived as the gravity of their situation pressed down upon them. Not just the case of missing Harry, but ... this girl, who could quite possibly be his future daughter-in-law.
The thought made his head spin, not for the first time that day. Or the second. Or the third.
A part of him still saw Harry as a one-year-old boy in his mind, and now he was already meeting his - if James's suspicions were correct - girlfriend. And something told him this wasn't going to be the last time he felt this way. Harry's whole life ... sixteen years of it, and James had missed every second. The knowledge was crippling.
James blinked back the tears starting to fill his eyes, steeling himself enough to say, "Your brothers have already gotten us started on our search for Harry. Do you, perhaps, have anything to add that my help us?"
A flash of sorrow, guilt, and frustration on her face. "I wish I did. Really, I do." She sucked in a breath. "Harry was tight-lipped before he left. Just the usual heroic nonsense about duty and keeping people safe and blah blah blah."
Sirius chuckled softly. "I can see that mindset only grew with age."
Ginny snorted, a teasing humor shining in her eyes. "You know it. One of these days, he's going to walk in wearing a shiny cape flapping in the wind. Noble git." Despite the joke, James caught a glimpse of fondness and respect in her eyes. He added that to the small (but growing) list of Harry's traits.
Suddenly, James felt Lily's warm hand slip into his, squeezing tight. Something in his chest ached as he rubbed it consolingly with his thumb. "Your brothers have already said something similar," she said nervously to Ginny. "Is there anything else to add?"
Ginny's expression was sad and soft. "You know ... I see a lot of him in you. Both of you." She glanced to James in slight awe. "He looks like you Mr. Potter -"
"James," he interrupted, cringing at the thought of being called Mr. Potter. Just because he was old now didn't mean he had to feel like it.
"Er, James," she said, smiling a little. "There are more differences in appearance than people let on - it's not like you're twins or anything - but the resemblance is still nearly uncanny. And Lily ... he has your eyes. Not just color and shape, but they have a similar look in them. And he's stubborn as an ox, but he means well. Fairly humble. He doesn't give himself enough credit."
Lily hummed. "Not exactly like his father, then."
James grinned, running a hand through his hair in the way he knew she hated. "I'm just honest, Lily-Flower."
She slapped his arm lightly.
Ginny grinned at them, her eyes bright. "I can't wait to see you all together. He ... he deserves this. More than anyone I know. The most important thing to know about Harry is that he's a good person. A great one. Even with everything he's seen and been through ..." she looked down at her hands then. "You ought to be very proud of him."
James blinked back more tears. He didn't know half of what Harry has gone through in his life, and he already knew he was proud of him; so proud it hurt. "Thank you, Ginny."
She only nodded her head in acceptance.
They all sat there for a few moments in silence. Not awkward, but solemn and respectful ... final. James knew it was about time they left.
Seeming to understand this as well, Sirius stood from his chair to give Ginny and the twins hugs. "It was great to see you all again," he said, "but we best get going before anyone else comes in."
"Yes," said Ginny sadly. "Mum and Dad went to prepare for us to leave for our Aunt Muriel's. A hiding spot for the time being." The tightness of her jaw said enough about what she thought about that. "They should be back any minute now. I'll ... I'll walk you out."
James nodded, still holding on tight to Lily's hand as they stood, following Sirius and Ginny out of the kitchen and to the front door. Just as they were about to exit, Lily tugged on James's hand, turning one last time to face Ginny, who stood in the doorway. "You seem to care about him a lot."
All three of them knew who she was talking about.
"Yes," said Ginny carefully, yet confidently all the same. "I want to go with you."
Lily and James exchanged glances.
"You are walking into this practically blind," Ginny explained, crossing her arms. "Let me help you."
"You have helped us plenty," James said, slightly nervous. He didn't need to bring a sixteen-year-old girl into this.
Merlin, he realized, that sounded ... so old-manly.
"But I could do more," she insisted, "if I went with you."
They stood there for a few moments in silence, and James briefly glanced to Sirius, who was standing a couple yards away, suddenly very interested in the bright, winter sky over Ottery St. Catchpole. Very helpful, Padfoot.
James turned back to see Lily looking Ginny over. "Is there ... Are the two of you ...?" It had been a question on James's mind, too, and he awaited the answer with bated breath.
Ginny's eyes shuddered. "No," she said in a way that told James there was much more to it than that.
"But ... you wish it was so?" Lily pressed gently.
Ginny breathed in deeply, straightening to look Lily in the eye. "Of course I do. And so does he."
Lily eyed her for a moment, looking her up and down. Ginny held her ground. Then Lily smiled warmly. "I'm glad to see my son has such great taste."
James nodded in agreement, giving Ginny what he hoped was an encouraging smile. "I agree. And that's even more of a reason you should stay here." He glanced at the door behind her. "You have a family to take care of, by the looks of it. They need someone strong like you to stay here with them. How do you think they would feel if you left with us? How would Harry feel?"
Honestly, James himself wasn't sure how Harry would've felt, as much as that fact hurt. But apparently, he had guessed correctly, judging by how Ginny bit her lip, scowling at the ground. "I still wish I could go," she said quietly.
Lily smiled sadly. "We know you do."
Ginny sighed at the ground. "Goodbye, then."
"Goodbye, dear," Lily whispered, kissing Ginny on the cheek and moving to turn away.
James stayed rooted on the spot, one last question nagging in his mind.
"James?" asked Lily.
"You said he felt the same," he said. "Why haven't you made it official?"
Ginny only smiled back sadly. "If only if were that simple."
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Wow, this whole chapter feels succcccckkkkyyy. Sorry about that.
Anyway, happy Mother's Day! Hope you're all doing well.
Please comment! Love to hear your thoughts! Thanks for reading!