I Saw My Lady Weep

Chapter 12: They Say Life Carries On...

"I'm up here, Hermione," Ginny called. She watched as the figure on the ground looked around. "On the roof." A loud crack, and suddenly Hermione Granger was standing on the roof. She wobbled, obviously trying to get her balance. Ginny extended a hand and helped her friend sit without falling.

"So..." Hermione was obviously nervous. Ginny knew she hated heights, and knew that it took a lot for Hermione to come up here. "Are you okay? You... erm... you ran out without saying anything, and Harry's worried, and you know how he gets."

"Yeah, I do." Ginny smiled. "I guess you volunteered to retrieve me?"

"Of course I did. It's what friends do, right? Harry got all worried. I told him you just needed some air and followed you out." Hermione kept peering at the ground. It was barely visible in the moonlight. "Ginny, how did you get up here? I didn't think you knew how to Apparate."

"I don't yet." Ginny confessed. She picked the broom up from the roof beside her so Hermione could see it. "I've been going up on the roof to think for years. I am happy for him and scared for him all at the same time, Hermione."

Hermione blinked. "Who, Harry? Why scared?"

Ginny decided that it was likely a good thing that Hermione couldn't see her face very clearly. "Hermione, he once told me that he never liked to plan for the future because he wasn't sure he'd have one. He's been through so much." She wiped at her eyes. "I know that we all have, but he's really had the weight of the entire world on his shoulders since he was eleven. I just don't know... Oh Merlin... I don't know how I'm going to help him through it all, or even if he's going to want me to be there."

"Ginny..." Hermione began.

"No, Hermione... I need to say this. He loves me, and I believe it. I feel it. In here." She beat a hand against her chest. "And I love him... and I think... I look into his eyes and I see my unborn children. I see the future. I'm just not sure if he knows he has one. And do we? I mean, what if something happens that keeps that future from happening?"

Hermione smiled. "You mean like falling off the top of a four story house, breaking your neck, and dying? That sort of something?"

Ginny giggled and wiped more tears from her eyes. "I suppose we really should get down, yeah?"

"Yeah." Hermione held out a hand. "My treat."

Ginny grasped Hermione's hand and they were suddenly sitting on the ground.

Hermione stood and helped Ginny up. "So you think you and Harry..." She shrugged.

"Yeah, eventually." Ginny took a deep breath, and then let it out slowly. "The alternative is... unthinkable. But it's scary. When I saw him there on the ground... When I thought he was dead... I just broke. Hermione..."

"Yes, Ginny?"

"Do you..." Ginny swallowed. She wasn't sure she wanted to let this out yet. "Do you remember when we were fighting Bellatrix?"

"Yes, I remember." Hermione had grown quiet and solemn. "I remember."

Ginny was quiet. Very quiet. "I didn't care... I didn't care if I lived or died. I didn't care about anything at that point. She nearly got me with the Killing Curse, and the only thing I could think was she was a lousy shot. I was about to throw an Avada Kadavra myself, right before Mom jumped in. I think... at that point... I could have done it. I'm fairly certain I could do it now, were there a call for it. Does that make me a bad person?"

"Ginny..." Hermione whispered.

"I'm serious, Hermione. Does it?"

"Is your mum a bad person?" Hermione asked. "She killed Bellatrix."

"She was protecting her children. She had a reason. I was about to use the Killing Curse because it was the first thing that came to mind. That's no good reason at all." Ginny shook her head. "I don't... I didn't figure you'd understand."

Hermione pulled Ginny into a hug. "I understand perfectly. And no, you weren't protecting your children... you were avenging your... "She smiled at Ginny and nodded. "You were avenging your husband."

Ginny laughed. "Oh, my. I guess I've got it real bad, don't I?"

"Yeah." Hermione smiled in the dark. "Believe it or not, I know how you feel. As exasperating as he is, I feel the same way about your brother."

Ginny laughed. "Does he know that? He's not exactly the swiftest broom on the pitch when it comes to romance."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean he can't be romantic. He's just clumsy about it," Hermione sighed. "To be perfectly honest, I've... I've loved him for a long, long time. Since our fourth year in fact, when he got so jealous over my dancing with Victor Krum. It was so cute."

"Cute? Ron?" Ginny scoffed. "Are we discussing the same person? Ron Weasley? My older brother?"

"Endearing then." Hermione granted.

They paused in their conversation as the door opened, spilling light out into the yard. Andromeda Tonks stepped out with Teddy in her arms. The older woman turned to say goodnight to the people inside the house, then strode to the gate. Within moments, she had Apparated away.

"Endearing, you said? I can live with endearing." Ginny glanced up at the house. "Has he asked you yet?"

Hermione smirked. "This is Ron we're talking about."

"True. Very true. So... Shall we rejoin everyone?" Ginny pulled her toward the door.

Hermione laughed. "Yes, lets. It's getting entirely too melodramatic out here."

XxxxxxX

"So would you stop being stubborn? Just pretend you asked me for help and I said yes. That way you can stop worrying." Harry was leaning in close to Ron. The two men were alone in the darkened parlor, looking every bit as if they were conspiring about something.

Which, of course, they were.

"Harry, you know how I feel about this stuff. I don't need charity." Ron was adamant.

"Shhhh! Keep your voice down," Harry whispered. "Look... if you want you can pay me back. All right? I don't care how long it takes... call it a long-term loan. But I'm doing this... We're doing this... tomorrow. You and I. And when we're done, you don't need to thank me." He waved his hands toward Ron, trying to prevent another near-outburst. "You don't need to make a big deal about it. I assure you that the cost isn't going to be that big a deal. We'll go and take care of it tomorrow, all right?"

Harry sat up abruptly, trying to look nonchalant. His eyes met Ginny's as she walked back into the house and he grinned. "Hey there. Everything okay?" He was concerned about her... in the middle of his trunk unpacking, she just ran out without saying a word.

Ron turned and smiled at Hermione. "Hey, love..." She returned his smile, sliding over the arm of the couch directly into his lap. "I was... um... telling Harry... about the trip."

"Telling Harry about the trip? Ronald! I thought we were going to let everyone know in the morning..." Hermione brought her hand up to Ron's shoulder, more a pat than an actual slap. She leaned in and kissed him.

"Trip?" Ginny asked. She sat next to Harry on Arthur's favorite tuffet, nudging in as close as possible without actually being on top of him. She kissed him on the cheek and put her hand into his.

Harry gave Ginny's hand a squeeze, and then turned back to Hermione. "No, its okay, Hermione. I'm not going to tell a soul. I promise."

"Tell a soul about what?" Ginny looked the question to Hermione.

"I was notified that they've located my parents." Hermione shrugged. "Ron and I are going to go and bring them back to England. We'll be gone a couple of weeks."

"You're going to Australia? When?" Ginny leaned forward. "And why not just tell everybody when you got the news?"

"I didn't tell everybody because we were all waiting on Harry. I didn't want to spoil anything. We'll let everyone else know about it tomorrow." Hermione picked a piece of cloth from the top of the opened chest and held it out in front of her. It was an infant's nightdress in plain white cotton. "As for when... its Tuesday... so no later than Sunday, I think. This is adorable, Harry, but somehow I just can't see you wearing it."

Harry laughed. "I have sort of outgrown all of these."

Ginny looked at the piles of stuff haphazardly placed back in the trunk, and the objects that were on the table and on the floor around it. "So what are you going to do with all this, Harry?"

"I'm not sure. I'm sure I'll find somewhere to put it. I do have several houses."

XxxxxxX

Ginny gently pulled back the covers and slid into bed, then pulled the blanket back up so that she was covered to the neck. She wriggled, very slowly, until her back was pressed up against Harry's chest. Almost automatically, he wrapped his arms around her, a movement that made her smile.

"Mmmph?" Harry lifted his head slightly, not really even opening his eyes. "jnn?"

"It's just me, Harry," Ginny whispered. "I thought you might need the company. Go back to sleep."

"Mmhh. Emthng k?"

"Yes, Harry... everything's okay. Just hold me for a little while, and go back to sleep."

"Mmk. Muvv oo."

"I love you too, Harry." Ginny allowed Harry to wrap his arms around her, trying to give him as much comfort as she was getting. Life is so bloody unfair. She thought to herself, They were just playing with their baby boy. She was so young when she died.

"Whm ur mmmm?"

"Don't worry about my Mum... She'll understand. Shhhhh..." Ginny felt Harry relax in stages as his breathing grew deeper and more regular. She smiled to herself at the thought of his trusting her that much. She'd seen him suffering through a nightmare. When she was with him, he never had them. Nor did she, for that matter.

Ginny lay in the dark, smiling, wrapped in the warmth of Harry's body, until sleep overcame her.

XxxxxxX

"Harry, tell me again why I am dressed in a suit?" Ron felt awkward.

"Ron, we're going into Muggle London. They'd look at us funny if we showed up in dress robes." Harry approached the service counter at Gringotts and nodded to the Goblin. "Greetings. I'd like to convert some galleons into Muggle currency."

"Yes... May I have..." the goblin trailed off. Its face contorted with a sudden rage. Its voice became the growl of a predator that had spotted prey. "Potter! And Weasley." Harry never knew that his surname could be used as an epithet, but it was clear that this goblin had other ideas in that regard.

The goblin stared at him. Harry grew progressively more and more uncomfortable under the creature's stare.

"But Harry, I meant why are we dressed up in the first place?" Ron asked, getting more exasperated by the moment. He was apparently utterly oblivious to the goblin's hostility.

After a long while the Goblin seemed to relent. It nodded at Harry's request. "To what value?"

"To what value? I don't think I understand the question," Harry asked. He turned to Ron. "Because dressing nice is expected where we're going. At least if you wish to be taken seriously as a customer."

"Once the conversion is complete, how much Muggle money do you want? How many pounds, in other words?" The goblin looked even more annoyed than goblins usually do.

"Oh... er... Good question." Harry thought about it for a moment. "Um... How about... um... tnthndpnds?" He said it quickly, so Ron couldn't hear.

"Excuse me, please? Could you repeat that?" The goblin was getting progressively testy.

"Ten thousand pounds, I think," Harry finally blurted out.

The goblin stared at him for a moment. "Sir, are you suggesting you're about to enter Muggle London with ten thousand pounds in your pocket? In hard currency?"

"Er... Yeah... unless there's a better way to do it." Harry was perplexed. He didn't understand the problem.

The goblin fumed for a moment. "If I might make a suggestion. You'll find with those sorts of amounts that using a card is easier than using cash. Would you like for me to issue you a card? It will be preset to a specific amount... in this case, ten thousand pounds... and you'll be able to use it for as long as that amount persists."

"Er... All right. Let's do that, then." Harry nodded. The goblin curled its lip up at him, and then walked back into the depths of the bank.

Ron leaned in. "Did I hear you right? You're getting ten thousand? I can't pay that much back! Are we going to need that much?" He sounded on the edge of panic.

"Calm down, Ron... ten thousand pounds is like... thirty galleons. It's not all that much at all." He kept his voice level, hoping his friend didn't catch on. Sometimes Ron's ignorance of Muggle life was useful.

They waited for several minutes before the goblin returned. The creature handed Harry a blank white rectangle.

Harry stared at it for a moment. "This is it?"

The goblin nodded. "Yes sir. You'll find that it is accepted any place the Muggles would otherwise accept a credit card, and that it will always appear to be an acceptable brand of card. It currently has a value of ten thousand pounds. That amount has been deducted from your account, Mister Potter. If you wish to increase the balance at any time, just return here to us."

"Right. Thanks." Harry tapped the card against the end of his nose, and then put it into his suit pocket. "Come on, Ron."

"A moment, Mister Potter." The goblin held up a hand. "In the interests of peace, because you are a major account-holder, and because the Minister of Magic specifically requested it," the goblin spat, "we are overlooking certain of your... recent activities. But be warned... if you try it again we will hang your skull from our lintel with the other thieves. Do we have an understanding, Mister Potter?"

Harry gulped. "Yes, we have an understanding."

XxxxxxX

Harry and Ron appeared from nowhere with a loud crack. As usual with a side-along Apparation, Ron looked vaguely nauseous. Harry felt this was appropriate, seeing as they appeared in an empty men's room.

"Harry... "Ron gulped. "Where are we?"

"Hmm? Oh... Bank Tube men's room, near the London Exchange. Are you all right?" Harry patted Ron on the back.

"Not really... between being nervous about doing this and the side-along, I don't think I am all right." Ron's color was returning to normal, which Harry saw as a good sign."

Harry laughed. "Wouldn't worry about it. You'll do fine. Let's go up." He led Ron out of the men's room, through the tube access-way, and upstairs to London proper. They came aboveground in the courtyard of the London Exchange, near an impressively huge marble building. The entire area was filled with Muggles, most of whom were dressed like they were.

"See, Ron? I told you... the suits are perfect camouflage." Harry grinned. "Our destination is over there."

Ron looked at the lettering on the wall next to the door. "What's a Tiffany's?"

"They sell engagement rings and wedding ring sets, Ron." Harry pushed the button next to the door. A salesman appeared shortly and let them in.

"Good afternoon. My friend here is in the market for an engagement ring and wedding rings for the bride and groom," Harry said. Ron was looking around, gawking at the jewelry with his mouth open.

The salesman smirked. He looked Harry up and down, and then did the same for Ron. He leaned in to Harry, and in a quiet, conspiratorial voice, said, "If I might be excused for saying so, sir, your friend looks a bit out of his depth. I take it he's not used to shopping at this... hurr... price level?"

Harry's smile was less polite, but it fit the situation. "You can assume that I am used to it." He wasn't... not really... but he would be damned if he was going to let the salesman know it. "He needs a set of quality rings. And when he's selected them, hand me the bill."

The salesman seemed to realize he'd overstepped and immediately apologized. He led Harry and Ron over to a display case and began extolling the virtues of the rings therein. He opened up the back of the case and brought out a series of three ring sets.

It was the fourth set that finally caught Ron's eye. He simply liked the look of it. "So... this isn't silver, even though it looks like it?"

"No, young man." The salesman smiled. "This set is in platinum. The men's band is four millimeters wide, while the lady's is three millimeters. The engagement ring is a three carat square cut diamond."

Ron looked at Harry. "What do you think?"

"I think it's your decision." Harry leaned casually against one of the more solid looking countertops. "Do you think Hermione will like this set?"

Ron nodded.

"Then he'll take them," Harry said to the salesman. "If you could wrap them up... and better box the engagement ring separately."

"Good thinking... In fact, just put the engagement ring in a box. I'm going to ask her before we leave for Australia..." Ron stopped looking confused and began looking a bit frightened.

"You're up to the challenge, Ron. Gryffindor, remember?" Harry took the card out and handed it to the salesman.

"Sir, it's going to be six thou..." At Harry's casual wave, the man shrugged and looked at the card. "Platinum MasterCard. Yes sir." He fiddled with the card in some way that Harry and Ron weren't familiar with, and in moments came over with a receipt. "If you could sign here, please."

While Harry signed, Ron took a glance at the final price. His eyes bulged.

"Harry, you're sure it converts to..."

"Sure, Ron... It's not that much, once you convert it. Trust me."