The Contract

Chapter 84

"I'll be the one to tell her," Arthur told Bill and Muriel, his back straight, a stubborn jut to his jaw as he stared them down. "Don't give me that look...I've not been my daughter for...I've not seen Ginny...she's still my daughter even if not biologically...I'll tell her. This is going to destroy her!" Muriel wasn't exactly the epitome of a loving warm woman. She had been raised to be a Lady, so it was hardly surprising. She didn't know much about children; he wasn't sure what he'd been thinking letting Ginny go...but she needed sternness not coddling.

Right now, she needed the opposite, codding not sternness.

"Very well," Muriel agreed after glancing a William, Bill had nodded his agreement.

Bill couldn't deny his father, not when he so rarely asked for anything. Molly's conditioning no doubt, to see him standing up for himself, voicing what he wanted...was exhilarating. It meant that maybe one day his father would get better. He'd be able to look after himself, that the trauma would be put behind him as he moved on with his life.

"Tilly?" Muriel called out sternly.

"What can Tilly do for Lady Muriel?" a House-elf appeared, dressed in a white cloak with the Prewitt coat of arms. It was tradition to dress a House-elf well, it spoke of your own wealth and status. That had declined over the years, as more were abused for the sake of it.

"Bring Ginny here, then pack up everything of hers and have it transported here as well." Muriel declared. She'd naturally bought the girl a wardrobe befitting a Prewitt child. Something Molly had refused to allow her to do, declaring that the clothes she wished to dress 'her Gin-Gin' in were old fashioned and two generations out of date.

The girl had originally lit up when she heard she was being tailor fitted for clothes. Then she'd thrown a fit when she got them, the dresses covered everything, with frills and fittings that she clearly didn't like. Buttoning all the way up to the neck, and the hats...well, she'd refused to wear them.

Part of Muriel was glad for this, the girl was a handful, and she was too old to put up with it. Duty first though, always duty first, and she'd had a duty to the girl...until now. She was a Prewitt in blood, but not in name, she'd never be able to claim the Prewitt estate. When she disowned the girl, she'd lose any Prewitt magic or gifts she might have inherited.

Bill already had those gifts, his ability to see magic, it was a gift known to the Prewitt family, admittedly through marriage, but it still counted as far as she was concerned.

A scowling Ginny was popped into the Burrow with an agitated House-elf that promptly left to follow her Mistresses other orders.

"DAD!" Ginny called out lurching forward hugging him for all he was worth, "I knew you'd let me come home!" delighted that she wouldn't be stuck with the stuffy old witch and her bloody cats. When her dad's arms wrapped around her in a hug just as tight, she smiled, she was home. Oh, she'd missed this, the closest thing she'd had from a hug was when Muriel was correcting her 'stance' that was correct for a 'Pureblood witch' even of her status.

She felt tears drop into her hair and head, "Dad? Are you okay?" she queried, glancing around the room, frowning as she realized just how heavy the atmosphere was. "Where's mummy?" reluctantly letting him go, she'd never take hugs from her family for granted again.

"Sit down, Ginny," Bill said, a look of pain on his face, this was his little sister...Merlin, she probably had no idea and this was going to destroy what little innocence she had left.

"What's happened to mummy?" Ginny asked, sitting down, leaning happily against her dad. She was glad to be home, she'd do anything to avoid going back to Muriel. Even if she had to beg and plead her to her dad who could never deny her anything.