Inner Demons - Epilogue
Title: Inner Demons (sequel to Starting Over) -- Epilogue: Eight Years Later
Author: serendipity_50
Pairings: H/G, R/Hr
Warnings: Het sex, mild profanity, angs
Word Count this chapter: about 1,000
Era: Post-DH Pre-Epilogue
Disclaimer: The characters belong to JK Rowling. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment only.
Story Summary: elationships are hard under normal circumstances, but Harry and Ginny don’t have the luxury of living normal lives...
Chapter Summary: Ginny watches her family and decides the hard work was worth it.
Author's Notes: And finally, the ends are tied up in a pretty bow. Thank you to all of my faithful readers and to Ash and Min, without whom I never would've made it through to the end. At this point, I believe this will be my final contribution to the fandom, although I doubt I'll stop reading. It's been a great ride. I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday and a blessed 2013. Best wishes for the future.
Ginny heard the whoosh of the Floo in the sitting room, and the tension slipped from her shoulders like a cloak dropping to the floor. She was never really aware of the worry in the back of her mind, building steadily through the day, until that sound whisked it all away. Reveling in the feeling of lightness, she smiled at the cacophony of childish voices echoing down the hall and turned her attention to the tiny ball of energy bouncing in her chair and banging on the table to a litany of “Da! Da! Da! Da!”
“Just a minute, silly girl. Let me get you cleaned up.”
But at ten months old, Lily didn’t care if she had applesauce from head to toe. She just knew that her daddy was home and her brothers were going to get to him first. Barely managing a damp rag for the sticky face and fingers and a quick Scourgify for the soggy shirt-the hair would just have to wait until bath time-Ginny set the squirming baby on the floor, then followed quickly to keep up. On hands and knees, Lily could move faster than a new Snitch, and she didn’t slow down a bit when she reached the pile of small boys and Auror wrestling in the middle of the rug. With a squeal, she threw herself right into the middle of the fray.
Ginny gathered the red robes tossed haphazardly over the end of the sofa and hung them on their peg by the Floo, then leaned against the door jamb to watch indulgently as Harry let the children romp all over him, taking care that no one got hurt and making sure that everyone got a fair share of attention. He never looked happier than when he was playing with his children.
As always when she savored this sight, Ginny’s heart swelled with love for her husband. Yes, she still struggled when she knew he would likely be facing danger, but she now had three little people who needed her to be strong, and Harry finally understood how his choices affected the people who loved him. They’d worked damned hard to come this far. Years of couple’s counseling had taught them how to be open about their fears and dreams and how to face the hard times together.
Even so, life hadn’t been perfect.
Mum had taken forever to forgive them for eloping, and Ginny had bitten her tongue every Sunday for more than a year because of the way her family had seemed to be waiting for everything to fall apart. Harry had also confessed that he hadn’t felt like a true part of the family until George had finally come round after James was born. Their family issues were only aggravated by worries over the work-related injuries both of them sustained in the early years-playing Quidditch could be just as dangerous as being an Auror-and of course, the press had been insatiable from day one.
But eventually, Harry had started spending almost as much time teaching training classes as chasing Dark Wizards, and Ginny had no regrets about giving up Quidditch to start their family. They still battled almost daily with persistent reporters-some refused to heed the warnings against messing with Harry Potter’s wife and children and frequently found themselves in St. Mungo’s nursing untraceable hexes.
But all in all, life for the Potter family was good and getting better. They still had close friendships with Ron and Hermione, Scott and Val, and the half-dozen children produced from those unions. And with his latest promotion, Harry would be in the field much less and Ginny could-maybe-relax a bit more.
Harry grunted in pain-no doubt from bony little elbows and knees poking into sensitive places-and she smiled at his upside-down beseeching look.
“Help?” he croaked.
She smirked. “You’re asking me for help? What would the Minister say about his big, bad, new Head Auror being brought down by a four-year-old, a three-year-old, and a baby?”
“Oh, he’d understand completely,” Harry said with solemn conviction. “These are the scariest wizards and witch in the world!” With fingers wiggling toward ticklish little ribs, he sent James and Al shrieking out of reach, then tossed Lily into the air and pulled her down to blow a raspberry on her stomach, making her squeal with glee. “See?” He sent a pleading look back up at Ginny as he set Lily on his shin, holding her with one hand while he bounced her and sent the boys cackling away with his other hand. “They’re terrifying. I’ll never get away if you don’t save me.”
Ginny rolled her eyes, but played along with a grin, walking around to stand at his unoccupied hip and holding out her hand. “Come on, you pitiful thing. I’ll rescue you.”
In one fluid movement, Harry shifted Lily safely to the floor, sent the boys running again, grabbed Ginny’s hand and pulled her on top of him, then rolled them both over so his body shielded hers from the resulting onslaught of children. Braced on his elbows above her, he grinned. “My hero.”
She couldn’t help giggling. “You prat! Now we’re both trapped.”
“Mmmm,” he murmured dropping his lips to trail along her jaw. “Guess we’ll have to make the best of it.” Her reply was lost when he covered her mouth with his, ignoring the protests of their neglected brood. Ginny arched into the kiss, opening to him and inviting his tongue in to play. She suddenly wished it was bedtime for the mini-marauders-she’d like her own chance to attack their daddy.
But children were more persistent than reporters, and Harry finally came up for air to stave off the whinging pleas for attention. Ginny put a hand on his cheek to keep him in place for a moment, letting her desire show in her eyes. “Later, yeah?”
His pupils swelled to nearly swallow the green irises, and he rubbed against her in a very improper way, given the children on his back. “Definitely,” he growled, then rose to his hands and knees, careful not to displace any of his riders, and crawled off down the hall.
Ginny rolled to her side to watch them go, anxious about Lily’s precarious hold on Harry’s shirt-“Jamie, don’t let her fall!”-but also admiring the “horse’s” backside. She’d definitely have to check it for injuries later.
~ Finis ~
Author: serendipity_50
Pairings: H/G, R/Hr
Warnings: Het sex, mild profanity, angs
Word Count this chapter: about 1,000
Era: Post-DH Pre-Epilogue
Disclaimer: The characters belong to JK Rowling. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment only.
Story Summary: elationships are hard under normal circumstances, but Harry and Ginny don’t have the luxury of living normal lives...
Chapter Summary: Ginny watches her family and decides the hard work was worth it.
Author's Notes: And finally, the ends are tied up in a pretty bow. Thank you to all of my faithful readers and to Ash and Min, without whom I never would've made it through to the end. At this point, I believe this will be my final contribution to the fandom, although I doubt I'll stop reading. It's been a great ride. I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday and a blessed 2013. Best wishes for the future.
Ginny heard the whoosh of the Floo in the sitting room, and the tension slipped from her shoulders like a cloak dropping to the floor. She was never really aware of the worry in the back of her mind, building steadily through the day, until that sound whisked it all away. Reveling in the feeling of lightness, she smiled at the cacophony of childish voices echoing down the hall and turned her attention to the tiny ball of energy bouncing in her chair and banging on the table to a litany of “Da! Da! Da! Da!”
“Just a minute, silly girl. Let me get you cleaned up.”
But at ten months old, Lily didn’t care if she had applesauce from head to toe. She just knew that her daddy was home and her brothers were going to get to him first. Barely managing a damp rag for the sticky face and fingers and a quick Scourgify for the soggy shirt-the hair would just have to wait until bath time-Ginny set the squirming baby on the floor, then followed quickly to keep up. On hands and knees, Lily could move faster than a new Snitch, and she didn’t slow down a bit when she reached the pile of small boys and Auror wrestling in the middle of the rug. With a squeal, she threw herself right into the middle of the fray.
Ginny gathered the red robes tossed haphazardly over the end of the sofa and hung them on their peg by the Floo, then leaned against the door jamb to watch indulgently as Harry let the children romp all over him, taking care that no one got hurt and making sure that everyone got a fair share of attention. He never looked happier than when he was playing with his children.
As always when she savored this sight, Ginny’s heart swelled with love for her husband. Yes, she still struggled when she knew he would likely be facing danger, but she now had three little people who needed her to be strong, and Harry finally understood how his choices affected the people who loved him. They’d worked damned hard to come this far. Years of couple’s counseling had taught them how to be open about their fears and dreams and how to face the hard times together.
Even so, life hadn’t been perfect.
Mum had taken forever to forgive them for eloping, and Ginny had bitten her tongue every Sunday for more than a year because of the way her family had seemed to be waiting for everything to fall apart. Harry had also confessed that he hadn’t felt like a true part of the family until George had finally come round after James was born. Their family issues were only aggravated by worries over the work-related injuries both of them sustained in the early years-playing Quidditch could be just as dangerous as being an Auror-and of course, the press had been insatiable from day one.
But eventually, Harry had started spending almost as much time teaching training classes as chasing Dark Wizards, and Ginny had no regrets about giving up Quidditch to start their family. They still battled almost daily with persistent reporters-some refused to heed the warnings against messing with Harry Potter’s wife and children and frequently found themselves in St. Mungo’s nursing untraceable hexes.
But all in all, life for the Potter family was good and getting better. They still had close friendships with Ron and Hermione, Scott and Val, and the half-dozen children produced from those unions. And with his latest promotion, Harry would be in the field much less and Ginny could-maybe-relax a bit more.
Harry grunted in pain-no doubt from bony little elbows and knees poking into sensitive places-and she smiled at his upside-down beseeching look.
“Help?” he croaked.
She smirked. “You’re asking me for help? What would the Minister say about his big, bad, new Head Auror being brought down by a four-year-old, a three-year-old, and a baby?”
“Oh, he’d understand completely,” Harry said with solemn conviction. “These are the scariest wizards and witch in the world!” With fingers wiggling toward ticklish little ribs, he sent James and Al shrieking out of reach, then tossed Lily into the air and pulled her down to blow a raspberry on her stomach, making her squeal with glee. “See?” He sent a pleading look back up at Ginny as he set Lily on his shin, holding her with one hand while he bounced her and sent the boys cackling away with his other hand. “They’re terrifying. I’ll never get away if you don’t save me.”
Ginny rolled her eyes, but played along with a grin, walking around to stand at his unoccupied hip and holding out her hand. “Come on, you pitiful thing. I’ll rescue you.”
In one fluid movement, Harry shifted Lily safely to the floor, sent the boys running again, grabbed Ginny’s hand and pulled her on top of him, then rolled them both over so his body shielded hers from the resulting onslaught of children. Braced on his elbows above her, he grinned. “My hero.”
She couldn’t help giggling. “You prat! Now we’re both trapped.”
“Mmmm,” he murmured dropping his lips to trail along her jaw. “Guess we’ll have to make the best of it.” Her reply was lost when he covered her mouth with his, ignoring the protests of their neglected brood. Ginny arched into the kiss, opening to him and inviting his tongue in to play. She suddenly wished it was bedtime for the mini-marauders-she’d like her own chance to attack their daddy.
But children were more persistent than reporters, and Harry finally came up for air to stave off the whinging pleas for attention. Ginny put a hand on his cheek to keep him in place for a moment, letting her desire show in her eyes. “Later, yeah?”
His pupils swelled to nearly swallow the green irises, and he rubbed against her in a very improper way, given the children on his back. “Definitely,” he growled, then rose to his hands and knees, careful not to displace any of his riders, and crawled off down the hall.
Ginny rolled to her side to watch them go, anxious about Lily’s precarious hold on Harry’s shirt-“Jamie, don’t let her fall!”-but also admiring the “horse’s” backside. She’d definitely have to check it for injuries later.
~ Finis ~