Dealing With the Consequences

Insights

Ginny laughed and bent down, starting to tickle Jason. The little boy giggled while his mother's hands moved fast over his stomach. Then Ginny knelt down and lifted Jason on to her lap. There she started kissing him with wet, smacking noises and the boy doubled up with laughter.

"Now, Jay Jay, tell me which wicked witch was chasing you?" said Ginny teasingly after a while.

"Gwannie!"

"Ah, I figured. Well, now, since you're here I'd like to introduce you to someone." Ginny cast a nervous glance at Sirius' face and found what she had expected. He was looking from Jason, to her, and then back again with recognition in his features, and Ginny realized with a slight quiver that she was facing a big argument.

She quickly got to her feet and pulled Jason up into her arms, "Jason, this is Sirius, one of..."

"Ginny, could I have a quick word with you before we continue this introduction?" Sirius interrupted her with suppressed anger in his voice.

"Well..."

"Now!" Sirius said in a tone that didn't tolerate any objections.

"Fine, let's take a walk through the garden." Ginny turned to Jason who was trying to get her attention. "Jay Jay, I want you to go back to Granny and play with her for a while. I'll be back as soon as possible."

She put Jason down with a slight feeling of exposure, and the little boy tottered away towards the house. The mild breeze was making whirls in her hair, and the leaves from the trees were casting shadows over her features. The two of them started walking silently towards the end of the garden, side by side. After a while Sirius halted.

"So, that is your son," he said, more like a statement than a question.

"Yes."

"Just out of curiosity, how old is he?"

Ginny crossed her arms over her chest, a gesture showing her fear and insecurity. "He is fifteen months old now."

Sirius looked at her blankly; his lips pressed together forming a thin line and his eyes shooting lightning. Ginny shrugged and looked at him pleadingly.

"Please, Sirius, you have to understand..."

"Understand? Understand what?" Sirius exclaimed, throwing his hands up in a dejected gesture, his eyes sparkling furiously. "That you kept this boy away from me for the first fifteen months of his life? Why you had to keep it a secret? That you refused me to see him, to even know about him, although he is so obviously my son? No, I don't understand. I don't understand any of it at all."

"Now you listen carefully," Ginny hissed in a sharp voice, "You had no right whatsoever to be a part of Jason's life. You practically threw me out of the house."

Sirius attempted to object but Ginny continued, raising her voice even more, "No, you didn't usher me out the house, nor did you literally tell me to go, but I'm not stupid, Sirius. I know when one isn't wanted, and I certainly wasn't."

"Still, you had no right to keep it a secret, Ginevra!" Sirius burst out in frustration. "He's my child as much as he's yours. I never would have let you leave if I knew what circumstances you were in."

"I know that, and that's why I left. Can't you see, Sirius? Don't you understand?"

"No, I really don't. That was totally irresponsible of you... leaving like that!"

"Stop treating me like a child, Sirius. I grew up a long time ago, in case you haven't noticed."

"Well, then tell me why you acted like a child all along, and not like an adult, ready to admit your faults and take on your responsibilities?" snapped Sirius, making Ginny boil with anger.

"You don't know anything, Mr Black. I might be the one acting like a child, but at least I'm not blind. Not like you, just walking around, not noticing anybody's feelings or concerns. No... I much rather prefer being the child you accuse me of being." With that she spun around and started to walk back towards the house.

She wasn't surprised to feel Sirius' hand on her wrist, forcing her to turn and face him, nor was she surprised by the enraged look on his face. But when she felt his demanding lips upon hers, she was taken aback by the cruelty he kissed her with. No tenderness lay in the kiss, just pure frustration and anger. But Ginny impulsively responded to the touch and pressed her body tightly against his. Sirius' hands were moving up and down her back, leaving burning traces on her skin. She knew in the back of her mind that she shouldn't let this happen, but her body betrayed her mind, and her senses were going wild.

When he suddenly pushed her away she stumbled backwards a few steps and had to grab hold of a tree trunk nearby, otherwise she would have fallen onto the ground. Sirius eyed her provokingly for a few second or so, and then started walking the same way Ginny had headed right before the short kiss. After passing her, he slowly turned to her with an expression of indifference on his face.

"Oh, and by the way, Ginevra, you're definitely not a child. Not a child at all." With that he left her standing there, perplexed and shivering in the cold air.

She still longed for him... every night before falling asleep. She felt him... his body, his wet kisses and the way their bodies had moved together perfectly. And every night for the last two years he had haunted her dreams, and she had so desperately wished for it to go away. But it wouldn't. It would never stop.

A few minutes later she returned to the house and walked straight to the kitchen. There, she found Harry with Jason on his lap, and Molly standing in front of the stove. Ginny smiled, because the picture of her mother standing at that same place was so familiar to her. Harry was trying to remove his glasses from Jason's grasp without any further success. Ginny let out a little laugh at the picture of the two of them, and they both turned their heads to her.

Jason quickly jumped out of Harry's lap and let go of the glasses so that they nearly fell to the ground. But Harry's reflexes were extremely good because of all the years of playing Quidditch, so he caught them right before hitting the floor.

"Mm, it smells delicious, Mum. What are we having?" Ginny's hand glided over Jason's head in a caressing movement.

"I'm making us some soup, dear. I hope Jason likes it too."

"Oh, of course he will. He's not particularly fastidious," answered Ginny with a smile.

"Good."

Ginny sat down in front of Harry and they started talking about this and that. He told her about everything he had done for the last two years and what everyone else had been up to. He was quite excited about the baptism because Ron and Hermione had made him their daughter's godfather. Ginny congratulated him and said that she was a bit nervous about the whole thing but also looked forward to it.

"I just remembered something... I don't even know what her name is!" Ginny exclaimed suddenly.

"You can ask Ron later, I'm sure he'd be happy to tell you all about his daughter. He's probably the proudest dad I've ever seen. Both he and Hermione make wonderful parents."

"Yes, I can imagine." Ginny looked down at Jason, a sad expression on her face. She let out a sigh and kissed her son on the head.

"Are you okay, Gin?" Harry asked worriedly.

"I'm fine. Just fine..."

Molly turned to look at her daughter questioningly, and Ginny smiled to cover up her mixed emotions.

"You know, Ginny, if there's something bothering you, please don't be afraid to tell us. We're your family. We can help you," Molly said as she turned back to the food.

"I know, Mum. It's just that... this is something I have to figure out on my own."

With that she arose and gave her mother a quick kiss, then walked back to her room with Jason in her arms.