RP: Finding Each Other

[rar_molly]

Date: 19 May 1998
Characters: Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley, other Weasleys and people at the Battle
Location: Hogwarts
Status: Public
Summary: Voldemort is dead, but Molly is panicked - She wants to find her family.
Completion: Incomplete

Comments

[rar_ginny]

Dad and Percy were sitting by Fred and Gin sat at the table and watched them, wishing that it wasn't so bright. The sun really had no right to shine right now.

People passed her by and she hardly noticed, but she still wondered where Charlie was. And George. She wanted George so badly that it ached.

Mum had stepped away for a moment and Bill had as well and it made her feel unaccountably nervous, but she didn't understand why. It wasn't as if them being there made her feel less alone. Nothing seemed to.

[rar_neville]

Neville stepped into the Great Hall for the first time in hours. It seemed an age had passed since he'd eaten here and Luna had managed to distract the crowd of mostly female students so he could eat. Since then he'd done pretty much anything and everything asked of him, and he'd never felt so tired in his life.

A glimpse of bright red hair caught the corner of his eye and he turned, spotting Ginny sitting alone, other members of her family nearby. He hesitated, chewing his bottom lip. He knew about Fred, but wasn't sure Ginny would welcome his presence in her and her family's time of grief.

She looked so small and forlorn, though, and the sight made his heart clench. He might not be able to say anything to lessen her pain - he didn't think anyone had that power - but he could...be there, if she wanted something from him. Even if it was to tell him to go away.

He walked over and sat down beside her. "Hi."

[rar_ginny]

Someone sad down beside of her and she didn't turn at first until she heard his voice.

Neville.

She turned her face toward him and tried to smile but it fell flat.

"Hey, Nev," she said weakly, looking him over. He looked tired. "Are you all right? You're not hurt are you? You were brilliant out there, you know? I'm proud of you." And she meant every word, it just sounded odd, her voice, flat and raspy.

[rar_neville]

Neville looked down at his palms, noticing for the first time that he'd burned them when ripping the Sorting Hat from his head. They hurt, now that he actually saw the angry red skin.

They could wait. They'd waited this long.

Ginny's smile was weak, but there, and he smiled back. "I'll be okay once I've had a bit of a rest."

It took a few moments for the rest of her words to filter through his exhausted brain, and he just barely held back a groan. "I killed a snake, Gin. You'd think it had been V-Voldemort himself, the way some people have acted. I don't understand it." He sighed before catching her eyes. "I'm sorry. About everything."

[rar_ginny]

"That snake almost killed my father," she said blandly, watching him. "So yeah, I think it's a damn good thing you did. But that wasn't what I actually meant. You stood up to him. No one else did."

She averted her eyes when he told her he was sorry. "I am too," she said weakly, glancing over at Fred. "I keep hoping I'll wake up. I don't suppose I'm going to." She blinked a few times to clear her vision and swallowed around the painful knot in her throat.

"I'm proud of you. In case I didn't say it already."

[rar_neville]

"Oh." Neville had forgotten the snake had attacked her father. Maybe he'd never known; he couldn't recall. "Well, I'm doubly glad I had the chance to do it then. Harry told me to kill it if I got the chance." He lifted one shoulder. "I have no idea why. He left before I could ask."

He shifted uncomfortably on the bench. "I just got to him first," he demurred. "If I hadn't someone else would have." He looked at her, trying not to panic. He needed her to believe he was normal as much as she needed a shoulder to lean against. "Right?"

He shook his head, realizing he was being selfish. He was supposed to be comforting her, not the other way around. "I'm sorry," he said miserably. "I'm being stupid again. Can I get you anything?"

[rar_ginny]

"I don't know either. But I'm glad he did."

He was fidgetting and acting upset and she reached out and took his hand, squeezing it before realizing he was hurt. "Your hands," she said softly, pulling one into her lap. "Nev, you have to get this looked at."

She glanced up at his next statement. "You're not. And no. Unless you can bring Fred back, there's nothing." She gave a half smile and wiped away a tear. "Let me find Fleur. She can help your hands, all right?"

[rar_neville]

Neville's breath hissed through his teeth before he could stop it when Ginny squeezed his hand. He wished he'd never noticed them, because now his palms wouldn't stop throbbing.

"They're just scorched a bit," he said, tugging his hand gently from her grasp. "I've gone all day with them like this. I'll be all right. Really."

He brushed away another tear before carefully wrapping an arm around her shoulders, hoping her father or brothers wouldn't misunderstand and smite him down where he sat. "You're more important," he whispered. "My hands can wait."

[rar_ginny]

She was about to argue when he wiped another tear from her face and put his arm around her. She went into his embrace willingly, slumping against him and hiding her face against his shirt.

"I'm not. Nothing much feels important at the moment," she said but the tears had started again and she clung to him, biting her lip hard, tasting blood, attempting not to break down completely. "I miss him." Her voice was thready and weak and her eyes burned and her throat hurt worse than ever. Her head was pounding. "I don't know what we're going to do w...without him."

[rar_neville]

For one of the few times in his life Neville was glad he was an only child. He tightened his hold, feeling her shake with suppressed sobs, and pressed his cheek to her hair.

"I know you miss him," he said softly. "I miss him, too. Even if he did feed me a canary cream. Remember that?"

[rar_ginny]

Ginny did remember and she laughed, but it was broken and quickly turned into one of those sobs she was trying to suppress. She wanted suddenly to beg that he take her away from here, she couldn't stand it, not one more second. But as soon as the thought formed a horrifying panic overtook her at the mere idea of being away from Fred, away from the rest of them. Nothing felt right, nothing looked right, and the despair was crippling

[rar_neville]

Neville closed his eyes and hugged Ginny more tightly to him. "Don't be sorry, don't be," he murmured. She'd been so strong for her family; he could be strong for her, if that was what she needed.

"Don't be sorry," he said again. "You've nothing to be sorry about."

He fought against the prickling sensation behind his eyes. The last thing Ginny needed was for him to fall apart as well. He hated seeing her in such pain.

[rar_ginny]

Ginny tilted her face up against his throat, curling her arms tighter around his middle and clinging, squeezing her eyes shut against the tears and taking long shaky breaths.

"I didn't tell him I love him," she whispered, her voice breaking in the middle. She gave another soft sob and pressed her face into his skin, feeling his warmth, so different than how cold Fred's flesh had grown.

[rar_neville]

Neville let out a shivery breath as Ginny clung to him, her head tucked beneath his chin, wishing he could find the right thing to say. Even the almost right thing to say would be nice.

"He knew, I promise he knew," he answered, wanting to kick himself for the platitudes. At the same time he thought about a lifetime's worth of sweets wrappers, locked away in a box, and swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. It wasn't quite the same, not nearly the same, and yet...

"He knows," he said, more firmly. "He can hear, even if he can't answer back. His--his spirit knows. He doesn't hold it against you, I'm sure of it."

[rar_ginny]

His skin was wet from her tears and he held her tight against him and she swallowed again, feeling dizzy and disoriented and so unbearably sad that she thought her heart would stop.

"I love him so much," she sobbed, hoping Neville was right, hating herself for worrying because that wasn't helping anyone. It was stupid and childish and she cried a bit harder for a while before she finally was able to get her breathing under control. "Don't leave me yet," she begged through the knot in her throat. It was choking her she was choking and the tears wouldn't stop. "I don't want them to see me looking this bad, all right? Just... I'm sorry but st...stay just like this for a wh...while? Un... until I calm down. Please?"

[rar_neville]

Neville couldn't reply for a moment past the obstruction in his throat, making it impossible to speak. Instead, he turned them both so if Ginny's parents or her brothers happened to look their way they'd see only his back and Ginny's arms around him.

"As long as you need," he whispered, meaning every word. "I'm not going anywhere."