About Harry

Chapter 31 - Lily's room

A few days later, while Harry was preparing dinner, he heard Ginny shouting from the living room that a letter from Hermione had just arrived.
She walked into the kitchen soon later with it 'Do you wanna read it?'
'You do it and summarize it for me' he muttered busy over the stove.
She took place on one of the chair and opening the seal perused it quickly 'It seems everything is fine. She got some delay in Czech Republic because of some blokes tried to smuggle dangerous classified objects in the country, but it wasn't a long wait. She said the house is spacious, close to Charlie and Clea's and with a pretty garden. Ion has grown a lot. Hugo was very happy to see her and Ron too. She writes, as well, to tell you she is sorry.... What for?' she asked with an uncomprehending frown.
Damn! Think! Think!
'She realised she left an end of the month report undone. She asked me to finish it. She doesn't want to leave it to the new guy' he replied in a hurry concentrating very hard on the stove not to have to look at her.
'I see...' she muttered 'This is so her to worry about a silly report. Isn't it?' She continued reading the letter again. 'Do you want to answer, or shall I?'
'Ginny either I cook, or I write. You get the choice' he retorted collecting some fish with a food turner to place it in the pan.
'I don't want any fish!' she, noticing, interjected abruptly before he could do it.
'Why may I ask?' he asked irritated, halting.
'I don't like the smell' she stated resolute.
'Since when????'
'Since now!'
Harry took a big breath and counted mentally up to three. 'Ok. all right' he consented putting back the offensive fish in the container 'I'll cook something else, but you stop criticizing and write that letter. The owl is waiting. You write from me that she must not think about it.'
She got up to collect ink and paper and sitting down again started to scribble.
In a cooking pause he went behind her shoulder to read.

Dear Hermione,
I'm glad to hear everything is fine, (blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah)....The garden must be lovely...(blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah)...such a nuisance smugglers! Once, while me and Harry were travelling.....(blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah)....Ion is such a nice kid.....(blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah)...........................Harry says not to worry about the report. He says, as well, not to think about work but just to concentrate on your family. He sends his love. He is cooking (blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah)...

Harry wondered how "must not think about it" could transform itself in three full sentences. Despite it being an inaccurate translation, he had to admit that not having asked Ginny to write in code what he wanted to convey she ended up with something even better and surely Hermione would have been able to read between the lines.
While they were having a fish-smell-free dinner Harry, with his stomach suddenly clenching, asked Ginny if she felt up to the task to sort Lily's room after it.
'We can do some boxes with clothes and toys to give away and another with what we want to keep' he suggested.
'Are you sure you want to do it? I can sort it out with mum if you don't feel up to it' she asked in concern.
'As a matter of fact, I'd rather prefer not to. But It must be done, and we will do it together' he said pushing away his unfinished meal. This task, still to be accomplished, had been hunting him for weeks. He wanted to be done with it, despite what it comported, to be finally free of the thought.
They got to the room in silence, Ginny made some boxes appear. The clothes and toys took just a moment to sort out by magic. They were stored in no time even if not tidily. They didn't even have to look at them too much which was a relief. However, deciding what to keep was a short of torture. Harry would have swapped with a Cruciatus Curse anytime. On one side he couldn't throw away anything, everything seemed important. On the other side he couldn't bear to keep not even a thing. Knowing that in the house all those drawings, and clumsy crafts and notebooks with her first ABCs, were there reminding him of what he had lost, was a torment. He wanted everything to stay and to disappear at the same time. Nothing seemed right. No decision was a good one.
In the end they made a box with almost everything that wasn't clothes or toys to store in the attic, too tired and dejected to sort any longer. One day, perhaps, when more composed, they would have been able to open it again and do a better job. Perhaps they never would. It didn't matter.
Only the calendar on the bed side table was left. Ginny took it. It was still on the month of July where Harry had left it. She looked at it and then her eyes travelled to Harry, immobile, sitting in the middle of the room, next to the boxes they had just closed. She tore up the page from the rest of the calendar 'We will keep this' she said.
She left the room and got back after a few moments with a framed picture. It was a photo taken in the hospital the day of Harry's birthday with Lily just born in his arms. He was smiling absorbed completely by her. She was keeping his thumb clutched in her tiny hand.
Ginny opened the back of the frame and laid the calendar's page behind the picture closing it inside.
'There' she said and left it on the side table.
Harry hadn't moved or spoken. He couldn't do neither. It was painful even to breathe.
Ginny took him by the hand and lead him out of the room closing the door behind them.
'It's done' she murmured taking a big breath. 'We can have a tea before bed, what do you think?' she asked forcing a smile.
Harry nodded still feeling a knot in his throat. But she was right. It was done. And the worst was behind them.