Parallel Positions
Title: Parallel Positions
Words: 497
Rating: PG
Characters/pairings: Harry/Ginny (of course), Ron/Hermione, Molly Weasley
Summary: Summer days prove to be great soil for re-learning old truths.
Author’s Notes: Entry for the July 2014 challenge on the LiveJournal hpgw_drabbles community:
As summer started recently, it will be our theme for July. Your challenge is to write a drabble of at least 400 but no more than 650 words. The drabble must incorporate summer in some way or another.
This is a sequel to my one-shot The Relative Position of Celestial Bodies. While you should be able to enjoy this without having read that, you might enjoy it more if you did. Also note that I plan on expanding this to be a real one-shot, rather than a drabble. No promises on time-frame, although I’m feeling a little more like writing recently, so cross your fingers. More on this in the ending Author’s Note.
Parallel Positions
It seemed rather surprising that the paddock was still the same. So many other things had been destroyed, or damaged, or changed that the idea that their oasis was still pristine boggled the mind.
But Harry wasn’t inclined to look a gift horse in the mouth. The sun was out, and Mrs. Weasley’s list of chores had been finished, so naturally he found himself outside, lying down, listening.
Something was missing though--not that he couldn’t figure out what it was; he knew exactly what wasn’t there, but didn’t feel like he had any right to say anything about it. So he just lay there and listened.
oooooooooo
Two days later was another paddock day, and Harry was, predictably, lying and listening.
This time, however, there was another set of breaths that he could hear, and the occasional nose-whistle. He smiled, but didn’t break the silence with anything so crass as words.
oooooooooo
The next Monday the quiet wasn’t as unbroken. Short words, phrases, sometimes a soft chuckle. And Harry smiled more, and didn’t just listen, although the talk/listen ratio was rather low.
oooooooooo
He’d wondered if he’d have company--the sky was covered in clouds and the wireless had predicted rain. But sure enough, lying parallel to him, was his Ginny. Well, the his was a little presumptuous, he figured, but he had high hopes.
The talking was louder this time, or rather, more intense. And he talked more, although he made sure to listen at least as much as he talked. That seemed to be the correct course of action, and that made him happy.
Mrs. Weasley had sent Bill out to retrieve the two of them earlier, but his quiet approach and undiscovered eavesdropping convinced him to turn around and persuade his mother to ignore their absence--some things are more important than laundry.
Even when it started raining the two of them lay there, arms and souls almost-but-not-quite touching, talking about things, and the past, and other things.
When it started raining harder, they were both somewhat thankful, as the talking had gone past intense all the way to painful, and the rain, as always, helped camouflage the tears that had started rolling down as they discussed their separation.
oooooooooo
Several sunlit days later found them out there again. There was maybe a hands-breadth of space between their bodies, and their hands were tightly entwined. The talk was more serious: of the future, of hopes and dreams and eventually plans and promises. This time it was Ron that overheard, and turned around and went back to the house. The gnomes could wait another day before their eviction.
oooooooooo
Two days later was another paddock day. There was no conversation. There was no discussion of anything. And there was no space between the two bodies, wrapped around each other as tightly as possible, having and holding and re-acquainting and celebrating. Mrs. Weasley herself came out and saw, and smiled, and turned back to the kitchen--she could peel her own potatoes today.
oooooooooo
A/N: Okay, how many of you out there have Major Depressive Disorder, also known as Clinical Depression? Wow! That’s a lot of hands. Well, if you could see me right now, you’d see I have my hand raised too. I’ve had it for awhile now, on the order of four years. My doctors and I have had the opportunity to try different medications, some of which haven’t worked, some of which have worked, and some of which have worked but had undesirable side effects (20-lb weight gain anyone?).
Unfortunately, the one that we found that worked well without too many side effects all of a sudden stopped work at the beginning of 2014. So we began a journey of trying the ones I hadn’t tried yet. Guess what--we’re still looking. We’re also investigating other non-medication options but they haven’t borne fruit yet.
All this is to give you an understanding of why my output has been decidedly low this year. I have NOT given up my stories, nor writing. I’m just finding it rather hard to do lately. I’m very blessed in that my family understands and supports me, and I’ve been able to continue working, but other, less-essential, things have had to take a back seat.
Anyway, as an infamous professor once said, “Thought you ought to know.”