Neville's Sacrifice

Chapter Ten

The months following the wedding had flown by. Ginny loved being Neville's wife, loved waking up and feeling him lying beside her; She loved it so much that she couldn't think of a time in her life when she'd been happier. Only one small cloud hung over their lives, threatening to disrupt the peace that they had found together.

~*~*~~*~*~*~*~

Sunlight crept along the glossy wooden floors, up the dark cherry wood bed frame, across the snowy white duvet, until it came to rest upon the faces of the two people

Neville lay curled up next to Ginny, his arm draped protectively around her as if having come so close to losing her, he couldn't stand to be parted from her even in his sleep.

Ginny drifted into wakefulness, and, enjoying the warmth of Neville's body snuggled closer to him.

The movement made her stomach suddenly clench. She leaned quickly away from Neville and towards the wand she had on her nightstand. Her hand had almost closed around it when the nausea became too much. The vomit rose up in her throat and she had no choice but to put her head over the side of the bed and to vomit upon the golden oak of the floor.

Neville was by her side in a flash, having been woken up by the sounds of her dry heaving as her body, now devoid of food, kept trying to expel more food from it.

He scooted over to where she now lay limp, her head hanging over the edge of the bed, and gathered her into his arms.

"Ginny what is it? What's wrong?"

Ginny buried her head against Neville's chest and began to cry weakly.

"I tried to grab my wand, but I couldn't get to it in time."

Neville stroked Ginny's head, trying to comfort her. He leaned over to the nightstand on his side of the bed and grabbed his wand. He quickly cast a spell to clean the floor and blankets.

"I'm not worried about the floor or the blankets. I'm more worried about you. This can't keep going on. It's been weeks now. It seems that your feeling better but then it starts up again."

Ginny looked up at Neville from where she lay against his chest, a determined look on her face.

"Neville don't start. I'm not going to the Healer. It's just a simple case of Filiberus Flu. I'll be fine."

Neville didn't want to say it. He hated reminding her, of bringing up the accident. He didn't like upsetting her. But he couldn't let things keep going on as they were.

"Ginny, you know the Healers said since the...since..." Neville took a deep breath and continued, "Since your accident that you are more prone now to get ill and that when you do it's more serious. I want you to see a Healer today. This can't keep going on."

Ginny's face went bright red at the mention of the accident.

"What? You think I'm some kind of invalid, is that it?" she shouted at him, pulling herself away from his arms. "I've told you it's just the flu. That's it. That's all. Now drop it."

"Ginny, Ginny." Neville soothed, trying to gather her back into his arms. She let herself be held, but her body remained rigid, her face turned away from him.

He put his face into her hair, breathing in the scent of her. How could he make her understand that every little cough, every sign of illness sent him into a tailspin of fear, fear that she might get sick, fear that this might be the illness that her body was too weak to fight against.

"Please Ginny. Please...for me...I know you don't like going to Healers now. I know it brings back bad memories of what happened. But I can't stand to see you suffering like this. Please promise me you'll make an appointment today."

At the pleading sound in his voice Ginny looked up into Neville's face from where she lay against his chest. She could see the tears in his eyes, could see how worried he was about her.

She rolled towards him, putting her arms around him and hugging him close.

"I'm sorry I shouted. I know you're just worried about me. If it means that much to you for me to get checked over by a healer I'll go. I'm sure it'll be nothing."

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Neville owned and operated one of the biggest suppliers of magical herbs and fungi in Britain. The growing of these plants took a lot of care and attention. Even though he had plenty of wizards working for him, he still had to be there for the daily overseeing.

"I wish I could go with you to your appointment. I don't like you travelling on the floo network by yourself. But I've got a big shipment of ferocious ferns coming in and I've got to be there."

"I wish you could too. But I'll be fine on my own."

"I know you will be it's only that...well, I worry about you. If anything happened to you, I'd be lost."

Ginny reached up, grabbed his hand, and pulled him to her. She kissed him, then said, "You worry too much. It'll be fine. And I'll have the satisfaction when I come home of telling you that there is nothing wrong with me but a bit of the flu.

Looking at her watch, she gave a start. " The appointments for 8. Its 7:55 now, I'd better go."

She gave him one last kiss, then released him and began rolling herself towards the fireplace that Neville had had enlarged so that it would accommodate the wheelchair. Reaching up onto the lowered mantelpiece she grabbed the jar with the floo powder in it, got a bit, then returned the jar to its shelf. She threw the floo powder into the fireplace. The flames immediately turned a bright emerald green. Wheeling herself into the flames she gave one last wave to Neville then said, "St. Camillus Clinic"