The First I've Heard of You

Chapter Five

George had told Ginny that the lunches usually started around eleven thirty, so Ginny got there at eleven. She hoped only her parents would be there, wanting to take the reintroductioins more slowly than not. She and Brynlee landed with a soft pop along the apparition barrier close to the house, and Ginny clasped her daughter's hand tightly.

The Burrow looked the same as that day she fought with Harry, it was like no time had passed. A large table had been set up in the garden, Ginny guessed their family was too big to have gatherings inside nowadays. She had barely had time to register her surroundings when footsteps made her stiffen.

Ginny's mother walked out of the house and the younger woman stood frozen. Molly looked older, perhaps beginning to grey, but otherwise she was just the mum that Ginny had left behind.

Then Molly saw her daughter. "Ginny?" Her voice was already beginning to break. She ran over and wrapped her only daughter in one of her 'bone-crushing' hugs that Ginny hadn't realized how much she'd missed.

"It's me, mum." Molly held her at arm's length, tears shining in both women's eyes.

"Arthur!" She called back into the house. "Come out here!" Ginny thought privately that there was a little too much panic in her mother's voice. She hoped it didn't alarm her father. "Ginny, why did you leave?"

Ginny held up the hand that was still clutched in her daughters. "This is Brynlee, my daughter."

"Your-your what?" Molly got down to the little girl's level. "Oh Ginny, she looks just like you." She was full out crying at this point. "Hi, love, I'm your grandma."

Brynlee looked up at her mother, confused. "That's not gramma Ruth."

"This is your grandma Molly. She's mama's mama."

"Who's gramma Ruth?" Molly asked. "Is that her dad's mom?"

"Grandma Ruth is from back home. We didn't have a lot of family there so she kind of helped me raise Bryn when I needed help."

Molly took a step back, sounding wounded. "What do you mean you didn't have family? We've been here the whole time."

"I didn't know how to come back, mum. But that's why I did, we need you."

Then Arthur stepped out from the house into the garden. "What's going on?" Molly stepped aside from Ginny so Arthur could see her.

"Hi dad."

"Ginny?" He rushed forward and hugged her, just as her mother had.

"It's me, dad." Arthur just hugged her tighter. 

"I can't believe you're back." He kept the hug for moments more, Ginny returning it graciously.  Finally he broke away and backed up to stand next to his wife. "Tell us everything." 

"If it's okay with you I'd like to wait until the whole family is here so I don't have to repeat it so many times." Her parents looked slightly disappointed but they agreed. "But dad, this is Brynlee. My... daughter. Brynnie, this is grandpa Arthur." 

He gasped, noticing the little girl for the first time. "Hello, Brynlee. It's good to meet you." 

"Good to meet you, grampa Arthur." Brynlee repeated. She walked hesitantly forward and shook her grandfather's outstretched hand. 

"Ginny." Arthur addressed his daughter once more. "Everyone should be getting here shortly. We still have our weekly lunches." 

"I know. I purposely came when I knew everyone would be here." As though Arthur had summoned them, the sound of apparation could be heard. Ginny rushed to grab her daughter's hand and pulled her back.