PROTECTION ♞ h.p.

21. One Step Forward

Previously, on Protection:

*takes big breath* Harry saved Ginny from Malfoy, only to lose control after regaining his memories, thanks to Snape, who removed the old memory charm in an attempt to put on a new one. After finding Ginny and almost killing her, Harry got control enough to run away, only to have Ginny follow him in an attempt to help...one thing led to another and after a few tense moments and some sharing of power, sex ensued, inexplicably freeing Harry of his dark nature. The tortured couple awoke happy and refreshed...only to realize that their memories were probably in danger of being taken from them again by the family who didn't know Harry was better...so racing off, they tried and failed to keep this from happening, only to have Ginny force the family to reverse it for good when they tried to talk to her to find out what had happened and why Harry hadn't killed her. Furious and hurt, Ginny disowned her family before she and Harry disappeared, running off to live alone in the woods, as any good power-couple should. Ron and Hermione ended up in the hospital after having almost died during Malfoy's ritual...and Snape is dead, having really died when evil Harry slammed him against a wall on his way to find and kill Ginny. It has now been two weeks. :)

Arthur stood at the sink, his hands trembling as he struggled to wash the dishes without breaking them. His vision swam with tears as he swirled the sponge around and around in circles against the plate he held. He'd hardly slept over the last two weeks, unable to think about anything beyond what had happened the night Ginny and Harry disappeared.

He still didn't know how he'd made it through the trip to the hospital, how he'd managed to tell Molly what had happened.

"No," Molly breathed, tears filling her eyes as she stood from her chair beside Ron's bed. "Not dead," she said, beginning to cry as Arthur approached her. "Not dead...not dead, please," she moaned as she quickly lost her composure. "You were supposed to protect her!" she cried, pounding her fist on Arthur's chest before grabbing his robes as her knees buckled.

"She's not dead," Arthur soothed, holding her tightly as she cried.

"Then why are you here?" Molly choked out. "I still remember her. Why aren't you doing the spell?! Where is she?"

Dropping the plate into the water, Arthur pressed his hands against his face. After everything they'd done to keep her safe...Ginny hated them. Hated them so much, she'd disowned them and left. In many ways it felt like they'd failed...they'd kept her alive but she was still gone.

"Arthur," Molly murmured from behind him.

Arthur lowered his hands from his face as she reached around and turned off the tap.

"I'm...so sorry, Molly," he said gruffly.

"You have to stop this," she told him. "It wasn't your fault."

"Wasn't it?" he wondered aloud, gripping the counter hard. "I should have said something else...tried something else. If she just understood."

"We've been over this," Molly replied. "I don't know what else you could have said."

Arthur shut his eyes, suppressing a shudder as she rubbed her hand against his back.

"If this is the price we have to pay, luv, then we'll pay it," she whispered. "She's alive and...and that's what we wanted."

"But she hates us," he breathed. "She hates us and she isn't coming back."

"You don't know that," Molly reasoned.

"Yes, I do," Arthur said as the look in Ginny's eyes when she dismissed him flashed through his mind. "You didn't see her."

"No," Molly murmured in agreement.