Let It Be [GINNY]

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It was well into the month of September, and James still hadn’t come home. He was writing to Ariadne as much as he possibly could of course, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t worried about him. Sometimes she had to pinch herself to remind herself that she wasn’t dreaming, that she had a very nearly perfect life. Her parents, Merlin rest their souls, had met their makers last year, her childhood home destroyed along with it. If Ariadne was totally honest with herself, the news hadn’t made her very sad. She had cried of course, but more out of the expectation of the emotional reaction than how she really felt. She had never realized the extent of how restrictive her parents had been, not until her father had used the Cruciatus Curse on her that fateful October morning. If Ariadne closed her eyes, she could still see him, standing over her, eyes full of rage and disgust. A Potter? He had yelled, performing the curse over and over again while watching his daughter writhe in pain. He had been so disappointed in her, his perfect little girl, in love with the eldest son of the biggest blood traitor in the wizarding world. Ironically enough, it had been James’ presence that had eased the nightmares once she and her sister had been removed from the Lestrange household. James and his family had been a source of comfort and...dare she say it, normalcy that Ariadne had never truly experienced. When they graduated from Hogwarts, they had made the decision to move in together to Grimmauld Place, which Harry had bequeathed to James on his seventeenth birthday. People said they were too young to make these kind of decisions, but Ariadne knew who her heart belonged to, now and forever. It only made sense they take this next step in their relationship.

Alone in the vastness that was Grimmauld Place, Ariadne found that she sought the comfort of familiarity. Andromeda was busy with hit witch training, and her brother was...well, she wasn’t exactly sure where. So she decided to pay Ginny Potter a visit; she had been more nervous to meet her than Harry Potter himself, but had found the Potter matriarch warm and welcoming, and had felt at home in their Godrics’ Hollow cottage. She whipped up an apple crumble, perfect for the fall afternoon, and Apparated to the house. Inhaling slowly, she reached up and knocked on the door, exhaling as she took a step back. Perhaps Ginny wasn’t home; if she wasn’t then she’d leave the crumble and a note on her doorstep to let her know she had dropped by. She hoped Ginny was home though; she needed someone to talk to that knew James as well as, or better than herself.

Ginevra Molly Potter

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BUT WE DON'T
WANNA GROW UP

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SEPTEMBER 2024

September was the month that Ginny found herself alone once more, alone with her thoughts and her emotions. With both James and Albus away from home more than none and now her daughter Lily, who was barely around, to begin with, had gone back to Hogwarts. With Harry still gone, presumed dead by everyone around her, Ginny had almost lost her mind. She still thought about the article about her plotting his murder to be with her lover or something along those lines, and even wanted to punch that Rita Skeeter in her smug old face. But she kept herself calm and collective in this time, and instead of going into work that chilly morning she decided to stay home and fully collect herself. Cleaning had become her front of relief, something she had picked up on after she had lost her memories.

That day was no different than the last as she sat in the living room with a scrapbook put together by Harry to help her with memories. Tears were still in her eyes as if she were that teenager that pined after him. In reality, her mind was still there – having lost the memories that came after their marriage and most of her adult life, but she was getting there, getting back to the way she once was, or so she was told. Once she found Harry, she would return to trying to get her memories back, but if he never did – then neither would those memories. It was decided, she did not want to feel that heartbreak.

The sound of someone knocking on the door brought her back to stiffen. Was it Harry? Had he come home? Pushing the book off her lap, she removed herself from the plush couch and moved towards the door. Brushing strands of red hair from her face, she whipped her eyes before slowly opening the door. Her heart sank a bit at who was there, having hoped that it was her husband, but she slowly smiled. “Ariadne, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you by?” she questioned the blonde that stood on her doorway with some offering in her hands.

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TAG @ariadne

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Ariadne was about to leave; she was indeed turning her head to face the street when she heard the door open and her boyfriends’ mothers voice rang out. She turned back to face Ginny Potter and smiled serenely. “Well, I had the day off from work and with James out of the house I get rather...lonely,” she admitted with a small shrug. She then held up the apple crumble. “I’ve taken up baking as a hobby; James is usually the one who does the cooking, or we order takeout, or go out to dine. I figured I might as well find some use in the kitchen.” Another tinkle of a laugh escaped Ariadne’s lips. Oh, if only her parents could see her now. Besides the fact that she was on the doorstep of Ginny Weasley-Potter, wife of Harry Potter, she had been in the kitchen of her home for other purposes than pouring a drink or eating. That was what a house elf was for, according to her mother when Ariadne had first asked her for a baking lesson when she was about six or seven years old. Aria had not mentioned wanting to try baking again until she had gotten to Hogwarts; she had somehow meandered her way down to the kitchens when a house elf passing by had taken pity on her and invited her inside for a mug of hot chocolate.

Not wanting to go deep into reminiscing silently while still outside, Ariadne cleared her throat. “May I come in?” she asked the woman politely. Even after being with James for almost two years now she still had the urge to always be polite when visiting others’ houses, almost to a fault. Her parents had instilled manners in her in every way possible, and it would still be some time yet before she felt fully comfortable just walking into the Potter home. The way Ginny’s look had sank when she opened the door hadn’t gone unnoticed either; Ariadne suspected she was hoping it was Harry, come back with news, or one of her sons even, but instead it was her sons’ significant other, which was less exciting than her other options. She wouldn’t stay too long of course; she never liked to overstay her welcome, and she was sure Ginny had plenty of things to do without her being underfoot.

Ginevra Molly Potter

[Deleted]

[googlefont="Open Sans Condensed:300"]

BUT WE DON'T
WANNA GROW UP

[attr="class","next"] When Ginny had first heard about James fancying such a girl as Ariadne, she was happy for her son. To find love was a wonderful thing and she was glad that James did not take after his father in making a girl wait for love to be returned. She wasn’t sure what stage in the relationship they were at this point, with James having gone looking for his father in hopes that he was still alive, but she hoped that Ariadne would join the Potter family eventually. She was a sweet and kind young woman, the total opposite of what Ginny was at her age. Ginevra Weasley was a woman of great determination and power, a stubborn mule she was – but she had a good heart. That part of her was lost when she had her memories stolen by dark wizards long before Harry’s disappearance, a feat that had long been forgotten since the attention had turned from her memories into trying to find her husband alive.

The fiery red-head let out a soft laugh, “Baking is a lovely hobby to have. I was never fond of the kitchen, probably would still burn water if my mom hadn’t taken the time to teach me,” she said with a smile. Unlike the girl before her, she had come from a poor household filled with children, a stay-at-home mother and a father in the ministry. Money was hard to come by for the Weasley family, and thus, everything was done by their mother and her magic. After marrying Harry and becoming part of a famous family, house elves never really came to their home. At least, from what she had been told. Supposedly she was better at cooking and such after a few years, and with her memory gone, that skill had long disappeared. Luckily, Mrs. Weasley had come to the rescue and Harry was good in the kitchen as well.

She smiled, taking a step out of the way, “Yes—yes of course, please do come in.” With each of her children gone, for the time being, one still at Hogwarts, she had grown rather lonely at home. When Harry was around, they spent the silent nights together and simply wined and dined, maybe even filling the time with stories of the past that she had long forgotten. Now that he was gone and the children no longer home, the house felt less like home and more like a cold cell. It was nice to have someone stop by and keep her company. “I could probably use the company, with the children away and – well you know, it gets rather lonely around the house.” Perhaps she could even ask Ariadne about James, she had heard from him a few times while he was gone but had no indication of his return—she prayed that his partner would fill in the blanks.

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TAG @ariadne

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Ariadne smiled politely at Ginny’s quip, though quite sure that even she wouldn’t have the ability to burn water. She knew her boyfriends’ mother was only joking, but sometimes the logic of it all got in the way of Ariadne being able to enjoy a joke for what it was. “Its precision and proximity is what keeps my mind distracted. Especially with James...well, you know.” Ariadne trailed off. She knew James’ absence was even harder for Ginny, with her husband being the reason for this whole adventure in the first place. She knew James was safe; if he wasn’t, she had the feeling she’d know. Just like he knew almost instinctively what had happened to her while the Lestrange sisters had been absent from Hogwarts for a few weeks. So much had changed since then - her parents were dead, she had gone back and graduated from school and now was in the maternity ward at Saint Mungo’s. She and James were stronger than ever, and with any luck in five to ten years, they’d be regulars at the maternity ward for other reasons.

Shaking her head to clear her mind, Ariadne walked into the Potter home, finally setting the apple crisp down on the kitchen counter. “Shall I serve?” she inquired, before going ahead and doing it anyway, getting out the plates and silverware from the cupboards. She had been here enough times with James and had recognized which cupboards held which dishware. She waved her wand to provide a little heat that the crisp had lost over the walk over, then slid a plate over to Ginny. “I hope you like it, I honestly wasn’t sure what kind of dessert you liked, but James raves over my apple crisps, so I well...I hoped you’d like it too,” she said, knowing she was rambling a little bit. She daintily cut off a small bite and popped it into her mouth. She chewed slowly, savoring the taste. She wasn’t about to let Ginny know this, but this had been her second attempt of the day on her crisp; the first one had gotten burnt. It was worth it though, as the second time had come out perfect. “So, how are things at the Prophet?” she asked after swallowing, cutting herself another bite.

Ginevra Molly Potter

[Deleted]

[googlefont="Open Sans Condensed:300"]

BUT WE DON'T
WANNA GROW UP

[attr="class","next"] ‘Its precision and proximity is what keeps my mind distracted. Especially with James...well, you know.’ Ariadne’s words had Ginny nodding her head, keeping one’s mind distracted during this time was the best idea, it was something that Ginny had done. When Harry disappeared, she threw herself into her work, something that she hadn’t done since before she lost her memory. Her memory loss and then Harry’s disappearance and possible death resulted in her distracting herself through work or family meetings. She understood a bit what the young blonde was going through, now with James running around trying to find his father, she hoped and prayed that he returned—maybe even with his father. “I completely understand,” she said with a soft smile.

Once Ariadne was through the threshold of the Potter residence, the ginger closed the door and followed after her as the two of them walked into the kitchen. Ariadne had been to the Potter home many times since she began dating James, always welcome for family dinners and such. And quickly went to grab plates and silverware from their locations, and Ginny smiled, “Of course,” she said in response to the question presented. Seconds later the dish was served, and a wand was waved over it to return the heat that was likely lost. She began rambling, hoping that Ginny enjoyed it as much as James raved over it and she let out a soft laugh as she used the fork to cut an appropriate piece and put it into her mouth. The warmth of it reminded her of her mother’s deserts that she once cooked for Christmas dinners back at the Burrow, and she smiled, cutting another piece, “This is delicious Ariadne, I might have to steal whatever recipe you use,” came a soft laugh of words from Ginny.

She swallowed her second bite just as the woman asked how things were going at the Prophet, and she smiled lightly, “Oh things are going great. We have a ton of new interns from the previous school year, and a lot of them look like perfect candidates. And with all the news lately, it’s been rather busy for us all.” Just as she finished speaking, she cut another bite for the desert and spoke, “What about things at the maternity ward? How is interning?” and with that, the bite went into her mouth, and she began to chew.

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TAG @ariadne

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Ariadne breathed an internal sigh of relief as Ginny closed the door behind them. Outside, there was always the chance of something unwelcome coming in with them, and with Harry and James both now missing, she didn’t want anything getting in. Tucking into her own creation, Ariadne savored the warmth of the apples; she had gone to Godrics’ Hollow straight after the crisp had come out of the oven, when it was most fresh. “I am more than happy to share my recipe with you Ginny, my old cook is the one who instilled a joy of baking within me,” she admitted, a small smile creeping onto her lips. Ginny was not her mother-in-law, but with how...perfectly wonderful her relationship with James was going, she had to be curious if their next step was not too far off. She had been thankful (and felt immediately guilt-ridden after) that her parents were not alive to see her move in with James after graduation, but she suspected that James would be weeping over her own grave if they had been.

Ariadne listened to Ginny talking about her interns, nodding along as she ate her apple crisp. Her face lit up though when asked about her maternity ward experience. “Oh Ginny it’s absolutely wonderful!” she gushed, her eyes sparkling. “Taking this journey with the mothers and bringing new life in the world…” she trailed off, then laughed softly. “I suppose for someone with my history, this is a new experience,” she admitted. Her family had a dark and rather bloody history when it came to life on this world. Her expression hardened, and her gaze turned to meet Ginny directly in the eye. “I never got to tell you this because I didn’t want to speak of such things in front of the rest of your family. But father used to rave on about your mother, and how he killed the greatest thing to happen to the Lestrange family.” Ginny would know she meant Bellatrix Lestrange, who had been killed by none other than Molly Weasley to protect Ginny herself. “Even as a child, as he would go off on his tangents, I knew that what your mother had done was good. Perhaps I knew then that I would go on a different path than my family would have desired for me. But...I’ve never gotten to say thank you, to your family. If Bellatrix had lived...I don’t know what my life would be like, but it would be far worse, if not over,” she finished softly.

Ginevra Molly Potter

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BUT WE DON'T
WANNA GROW UP

[attr="class","next"] ‘I am more than happy to share my recipe with you Ginny, my old cook is the one who instilled a joy of baking within me,’ Ginny smiled, “I’m glad they did so. Baking or even cooking is a beautiful escape from the reality of the world,” she said truthfully. After losing her memories, she had spent much time in the kitchen with her mother, though that was something she had done long before. Sadly the Wesley family was rather poor and unlike Ariadne, did not have the money for personal cooks. She remembered returning to Harry after spending time away, and the two of them had attempted to bake together—many of those time ending in a mini-food fight and giggles. And now with him gone, she cooked to distract herself…and it was a beautiful distraction.

Ginny smiled; she was glad that Ariadne was enjoying her time with the beautiful experience of childbirth. While she didn’t remember her childbirth stories, she still remembered being told what a fantastic experience it was from those that had witnessed it. She envied those that remembered the experience or got to see it because she had forgotten her own. However, before she could say anything, Ariadne was talking about her family – about how her father talked about Molly Wesley and bashed her for killing Bellatrix. Ginny clenched her jaw, she still remembered that day, remembered Bellatrix and her fighting before her mother came in and took the woman’s life. She had been proud of her mother that day, the badass woman she was after everything their family had gone through; she wasn’t surprised to hear that Bellatrix’s family saw it differently.

“You shouldn’t be thanking me, Ariadne…you should be thanking my mother. She gave the fatal blow,” she said softly, reaching out and giving the young blonde’s hand a squeeze. “If she was still alive, I know that I likely wouldn’t be. Which means that there would be no James for you to love,” she said truthfully, it was odd to think about. What would the outcome have been if those that had survived had died and those that had died would have lived? So many lives would be different and change; she internally shivered at the thought.

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TAG @ariadne

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