A Time to Love

Chapter Seven. Weasley Pride

"Pain and foolishness lead to great bliss and complete knowledge, for Eternal Wisdom created nothing under the sun in vain."

-Kahlil Gibran, "The Voice of the Poet"

Two weeks later, Ginny woke up in excruciating pain. It was not the first time and it surely would not be the last, but that did not make it any easier to bear. The worst thing was that the pain was not in one concentrated area but all over her body. It was as if a large boulder was glued to her entire body. From experience, she knew that it would go away in a few minutes if she lay very still.

She did at least know what was happening to her because it had happened to her many times before, specifically in her second year and the summer before. Her parents and the Healers that had taken care of her had explained it all to her.

When Ginny had come home after her first year of school, she had nightmares every single night. And it had always been the same thing: Tom coming to the Burrow and making her kill all the people that she loved, and this time she was very aware of what she was doing. Only she hadn't been able to stop herself. And so night after night she woke up the whole house with her bloodcurdling screams. Everyone thought it would stop after a couple of weeks but they relentlessly continued even in Egypt where she was having a good time, especially because she was with Bill.

As soon as they came back to England they took her to St. Mungo's, though she had no idea what they could do possibly do for her there, short of taking away the memories, which Dumbledore had already claimed that it was a bad idea. He said that these were the memories that she needed to keep with her and looking back on it now she knew was the best idea because she had grown personally from the experience.

The Healers, though, knew just what to do - they took away her ability to dream. They literally went inside her head and took out the small part that controlled her dreams. In fact, it was in a little jar buried in one of her drawers. This allowed her to have dreamless sleep every night.

But taking away her dreams had its side effects. There were times when her brain wanted to dream but of course couldn't. Her body went on some kind of lockdown, thus making her ache in her entire body. This mainly happened when she thought of Tom, which she had been thinking of last night right before she went to bed. The way she usually saw it a brief period of pain was better than killing her whole family off in her dreams. This morning, however, that thought had offered her no comfort.

Not because of the fact that this was the first time she had even thought about Tom in months, but because why she had done so. It was because Ron was mad at her.

Ginny had expected that, of course. She had known that Ron would be furious with her and she knew that he would give her the cold shoulder. What she hadn't expected was her own reaction to it all.

She hated when Ron was mad at her. She always had. Him and Bill. Growing up she had always taken great pains not to anger them, not because she was particularly scared of them, but because they were her favourite brothers and she respected them more than anyone. Bill because he was the oldest, easiest to look up to, and treated her less worthy because she was the girl in the family. In fact, he had always made sure that she was included in games and was never left out. And he never failed to let anyone know that she was his girl and held a special place in his heart.

And Ron because he was the closest to her in age. They shared everything with each other, much like the twins did. Where Ron was, Ginny was sure to be in his shadow. So once Ron had left for Hogwarts, she felt like her heart was breaking. Her companion - her confidante - had moved on the bigger and better things. Once she had gotten to school she was virtually ignored by him and it was very hard for her to make friends.

And that's where Tom had fit in. Ron being mad at her now reminded her when she had felt so completely deserted by him all those years ago.

Ginny felt so shamed and childish now. True, she had felt left out because Ron hadn't included her in on the secret about Hermione, but that didn't mean she had to go and tattle to his friend. She could have handled the situation entirely differently and still made sure that Ron got his just desserts.

She felt the pain slowly start to drain from her body and she knew what she had to do now, though it would be like a punch to the gut. It wound the pride she tried so hard to protect. Go against the morals that her brothers had so righteously taught her.

She had to apologize.

***

Ginny grudgingly made her way up to Ron's room and reluctantly knocked on the door. Even though she knew she had to do this if she didn't want to wake up every morning with a locked body, that wouldn't make it any easier to back down and admit she was wrong, especially when she knew she would see that smug look on Ron's face.

She raised her hand to the door to knock but at the last minute, let it rest there. This was absolutely the last thing she wanted to do.

Before she could do anything else the door opened to show Ron's flustered face.

"What do you want?" He spat.

"I want to apologize, if you would stop being so stubborn and accept it."

"Oh he will," said Hermione, coming out from around behind the door. She too was slightly flustered and now there was no doubt in Ginny's mind that they had been fighting, and probably about her. She had no idea if that was good or bad.

"I will?" he asked, turning to her.

"You most certainly will. You two are brother and sister and I hate to see you fight. Besides, you, Ron Weasley, are wrong." The way she said it made her seem like she was the one that was over 6 feet tall and was looking down to him, not the other way around. When she wanted to be Hermione was a force to be reckoned with. Ginny stored that knowledge away for future reference.

"Ginny's still wrong," Ron whined.

"That's why I came to apologize," Ginny said exasperatedly.

"Oh."

It was on the tip f her tongue but she couldn't say it. She knew this was just as hard for Ron, if not harder. Neither of them could look at each other. The Weasley pride prevented it.

"I'm sorry," the both said at the same time in the same embarrassed way.

Ginny glanced up and looked at Ron. He was wearing his trademark lopsided smile. She beamed. The great ball of tension that had knotted in her stomach was slowly disappearing. She had her brother back.

Ginny hated when Ron was mad at her.

***

The next morning Ginny woke up with a happy heart for the first time in weeks. Everything was clear with Ron and therefore, there had been no dreams about Tom and ultimately no pain.

Ironically, just as she was thinking that verything was good again, she remembered Harry still fit into the occasion. He was the kind of person to stay true to his promises and Ginny had a feeling that he wouldn't be tempted to go back on his word ans start talking to Ron and Hermione again. But perhaps with some convincing...

She would just have to see.

In the meantime, her stomach was grumbling and she could smell good aromas coming from the kitchen. She bounded down the stairs and placed herself at her usual spot at the table. A couple minutes later, Ron came sleepily down, rubbing his eyes and with his wild hair all over the place.

"Bet Hermione loved that look," she muttered to him, smirking.

"What?" he asked, his eyes opening as Mrs. Weasley came in through the door, carrying a steaming platter of juicy sausages and bacon.

"Enjoy kids! Eggs' up next!" she said before disappearing back into the kitchen.

Ginny helped herself to some bacon and sausages and watched the effects her words left on Ron. She smiled to herself - very amusing.

"What did you mean by that?" he asked in between mouthfuls.

"By what?" she asked innocently.

Ron swallowed. "You know what I'm talking about."

She let a look of dawning comprehension slide on her face. "Oh, you mean when I said that Hermione would love that look?"

"Yes," he growled. "What was that about? And what bloody look is this?"

"It's the one where you resemble an escaped beast from the wild."

"Ginny!"

"I'm serious! Lucky for you, girls really go for that kind of thing."

"Really? Even Hermione?" he asked incredulously.

"I'm not saying anything more."

"But -"

"But nothing. This is something you have to work on on your own."

"Of course," he grumbled.

Mrs. Weasley came in a minute later with the eggs and there was little conversation between them while they ate. Ginny smiled to herself as she watched Ron slip a piece of toast here and a slice of bacon there into a napkin every now and then. She decided to help the poor boy out and discreetly filled up a napkin with food.

"Oh, I almost forgot," said Mrs Weasley as she plopped down a wad of papers on the table. Ginny recognized them as their Hogwart's letters. Should she dare get her hopes up? This was the year that she would be made prefect - or not. She nervously stretched her hand out and picked up the letter with her name on it. Was it her imagination, or was the envelope a bit thicker than usual? Hands shaking she opened it. She first pulled out the usual letter that contained the book list. She quickly glanced over it before reaching her hand back inside, which closed around a hard object. Ginny pulled her prefect's badge out with glee.

"Yes! Yes yes yes! I'm a prefect!"

Molly embraced her in a smothering hug. "Oh Ginny dear, that's wonderful! I'm so proud of you! Now that really is everyone in the family!" she said as there were suddenly a set of pops right behind her and Ginny turned around to the identical faces of Fred and George.

"Hullo neighbors!" said George.

"We just came over to borrow a cup of sugar," said Fred.

Ron sniggered into his eggs and Mrs. Weasley scowled at them. "I meant everyone who's had the desire and ambition to be a prefect. You two obviously never cared."

"Too true, Mum," remarked George.

"And Ginny..." said Fred, who shook his head in an obvious mock disappointment and for some reason took up an Scottish accent. "You let us down, lass. You let us down."

"That's how I know I'm doing all right," she said, licking her tongue out at them.

"Oh!" Fred and George said simultaneously with grand, dramatic gestures.

"That hurt," added George.

"So what're you going to get?" asked Ron.

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked, confused.

"Remember last year I got a broom when I got made a prefect? Just like Bill, Charlie and Percy. What will you get?"

"That's right," said Mrs. Weasley. "What will it be for you?"

"I don't know," Ginny said excitedly. "I hadn't even thought about it.

"How about a owl?"

"Nah, I don't think so. I can just keep using yours when I need to."

"WHAT!"

"I want something different," she said, completely ignoring Ron.

"Well how about you start thinking about it and while we're in Diagon Alley, we can go pick it up," said Mrs. Weasley.

"We?" asked Ginny.

She smiled. Ginny always thought her Mum was very beatiful when she smiled. She just wished she would do it more.

"Yes," Mrs. Weasley said. "I was thinking that we could have a girls day out, just the two of us. It's been so long since you and I have had a real chance to talk and spend time together. Now we have the perfecr opportunity. We could pick up your school things and have lunch. What do you think?"

"I think that would be perfect," Ginny said with a smile.

"What about me?" Ron asked indignantly.

"Ha ha!" laughed Fred.

"Looks like ickle Ronniekins will left all by his lonesome!"

"Oh I'm sure he'll be able to find something to do with his time..."

"We could stay here and keep him company..."

"Except that we don't really like him that much."

"Oh well!"

And with a pop Fred and Geoge disappeared.

"I swear that Dad must have found the pair of them in some muggle alley and tried to pass them off as part of the family," Ron muttered.

"Yes, I'm starting to think you're right."