Too Little, Too Late

When Ron came home from war, cradled in Hermione's arms, his eyes lifeless and cold, Ginny cried. When Harry didn't come home, and Ginny realized that she would never again feel the warmth of his lips against hers or the touch of his calloused hand and against her cheek, a part of her heart came out with the tears she cried. She would forever remember the three years she spent crying herself to sleep at night, just thinking about him. Three years... until the tears ran out and she began to accept the emptiness in her heart.

Four years later, Hermione married a well-to-do Muggle who left her a month later when he found out she was a witch. Hermione was devastated. Ginny, however, still couldn't throw away her feelings for Harry.

Another three years passed, and Ginny finally faced reality; he was gone from her life forever, and unless she did something soon, she would be alone forever. She jumped headfirst into the dating loop and married less than a year later.

Despite the briefness of their dating, Ginny was quite positive she had made the right decision. He was no Harry, but he still found a way to make her happy and support the large family she had always wanted.

Ginny gave birth to her first son within the first year of their marriage. Dylan had ginger hair and soon proved that he was just as stubborn as his father.

Her next son was no different. Glen took pride in his ability to spit up three times a day, giggling madly afterward.

The twins, Ginny feared, would turn out just like Fred and George. Landon and Matthew, though very similar in looks, had very different personalities. Landon was very quiet and was good at occupying himself when Ginny was busy. Matthew, on the other hand, required constant attention. If he wasn't occupied, he would proceed to take off his diaper, which meant more work for Ginny in the long run.

On their final try, Ginny was blessed with the little girl she had always wanted. Rose was the perfect little angel in her mother's eyes. Possessing her father's good looks, rather than the Weasley hair and freckles, she always had a smile on her face.

Most days, Ginny either sent the boys over to Auntie Luna's for a couple of hours. Luna never minded, having no children of her own. She made sure to always have homemade cookies on hand and a story or two prepared to tell the children.

Rose, only a year old, was still too young to venture across the field and over the brook to Auntie Luna's, but Ginny kept her busy throughout the day while getting her chores finished.

Long days spent with just Rose let Ginny know that her life was the way it was supposed to be. That is, until the doorbell rang...

Carrying a bottle of apple juice in one hand and her wand in the other, Ginny hobbled to the door. Her eyes met those of the man at the door, and the bottle slipped from her hand. She slipped her wand in her pocket for fear of dropping it too. In an instant, she heard the words she had spoken in her youth, echoing in her ears: 'Eyes like a pickled toad.'

'Ginny,' the man said, just above a whisper, seemingly breathless. 'I can't believe it. You look beauti--'

'You're alive,' Ginny said, sure that her eyes had to be deceiving her.

'Clearly,' Harry said with a chuckle.

Ginny, however, couldn't bring herself to laugh. It couldn't be, after all these years that Harry Potter was still alive.

'But what are you doing here?' she asked.

Harry looked down at his feet then back up to her. 'I didn't know where else to go. The Burrow was the first place I thought to find any of you guys.'

Ginny continued to stare at him.

'Can I come in?' he asked at last.

Flustered, Ginny nodded and moved out of the way.

Harry stepped inside, and Ginny shut the door behind him. Rose let out a shriek of laughter from the kitchen and Ginny was quick to transform from a love struck teenager to a fulltime mother. She scooped the bottle up off of the floor, wiped the nipple clean, and hurried to the kitchen where Rose was sitting in her high chair waiting for her bottle.

Ginny handed the bottle to the little girl, who smiled gleefully and began drinking the bottle. Ginny turned around and found herself face-to-face with Harry, who had followed her from the foyer.

'So...' Harry said casually. 'Are you babysitting for Bill and Fleur?'

Ginny blushed and looked back at the girl in the high chair. 'Not exactly, Harry.'

Ginny could feel Harry's eyes burning into the back of her head as he worked the puzzle pieces together. 'She's yours?' he asked at last.

Ginny turned to face him and smiled, nodding proudly. 'Yep. This is Rose, my pride and joy.'

'But... she looks nothing like you,' Harry noted.

'Trust me, that's a compliment after four boys that remind me of my brothers,' Ginny said with a chuckle as she bustled about the kitchen just to keep from looking Harry in the eye. 'I had twins third time around. Matthew is in every way like Fred and George--troublemakers. But Landon is just the opposite. An angel if I ever saw one. Dylan just turned seven, and he leads around all the other boys. And then there's Glen, who is six, and he is quite a handful--constantly leaving out all of his toys. It's a lot of work, but I love it.'

'And then Rose looks like...'

'Her father,' Ginny said boldly. 'Draco.'

'How the hell did you make the transition from me to Malfoy?' Harry asked incredulously.

Ginny sighed, leaning over the stove. 'Harry, I don't want to argue. Why did you come here? What could you have possibly expected in coming here?'

Harry said nothing and Ginny was forced to look at him again.

'Did you expect me to be here waiting for you? Like a sad, lovesick puppy?' Ginny snapped. 'Because if that's it, Harry, then you are sadly mistaken. I'm not the girl I was seven years ago, when I was holding onto the last hope that you'd come back to me.'

Still Harry said nothing, but he could no longer meet her eyes. He stared at the ground in front of him, as if almost guilty for his actions.

'Harry, I waited for you for ten years. I gave you a decade to find whatever the hell you were looking for, and I couldn't wait any longer!' Ginny shouted, close to tears. She turned away again, putting her hand over her mouth trying to keep herself from crying. 'Why?' she asked quietly. 'Why didn't you come back for me?'

'I--I just couldn't. I needed time away from all the excitement after I killed Voldemort. I needed to be normal for a change. I needed to be just me.'

Ginny faced him, tears glistening on her crimson cheeks. 'And did you get what you wanted? Did you get you time to yourself? Your taste of normality?'

Harry stared at a point just past her, as if remembering a distant memory. 'Yes,' he said, and then looked at her. 'I just wish it hadn't taken me so long to come back to you.'

Harry slowly walked past her and opened the door. He looked back at her, and she turned to see him as well. Their eyes met one final time and he nodded gently to her. Ginny watched him walk out the door and disappear in the middle of the driveway. All she could hear were his last words ringing in her ears.

I just wish it hadn't taken me so long to come back to you.

She began to cry as she whispered, 'Me too.'

The End