Twists of Fate

Chapter 8: A Fresh Beginning

Scorpius stepped out of the fireplace, momentarily wishing that the fire would burn him to ashes. It'd been a long time since he'd felt so nervous. To be perfectly clear he wasn't entirely sure why he was nervous. His Dad was right. He did not need to impress these people. They already accepted him into their family once. Once a Weasley, well there was no escape.

This fact was confirmed when he was engulfed into a bone-crushing hug. Scorp's vision dotted with black spots, as his waist was crushed. His other senses heightened, giving him the chance to inhale the flowery perfume that danced below his nose. To feel the fresh tears fall onto his chest. To hear the sniffles that emitted themselves into his ear, as whoever was hugging him sobbed into his shoulder, clutching him tightly.

He didn't need any of that to know just who was hugging him. He knew by the familiarity and sense of comfort that washed over him that it was no other than Ginny Potter holding on tight to him.

During his time at Hogwarts, she acted like a second mother to him. Sending him sweets on Halloween. Writing him monthly letters to check-in. She hugged him so many times, his body memorized the comfort that escorted her motherly arms.

Blinking slightly, the room came back into focus. Graying red hair tainted his vision, proving what he already knew.

"Ginny you've got to let the boy breathe." Harry chuckled, patting his wife's shoulder

"He can breathe when I'm done hugging him." Ginny sniffed, swatting Harry away. Despite her words, her grip loosened slightly and all of Scorp's sense restored themselves to their former glory. His vision swirled, as his pupils settled back into focus.

Ginny's shoulders shook as she let the tears continue to cascade down her dampened cheeks. Scorp rubbed circles on her back, hoping to give her some sort of relief.

As she cried, he let his greedy eyes survey the room. Taking in all the people around him and all the little crooks and crannies of the Burrow. It hadn't changed much. It was messy with useless muggle artifacts: yarn, pots, pans, and clothes scattered around the floor. It was crowded with bulky furniture and people. Most importantly it felt like home.

Scorp didn't lend his focus too long to observing his whereabouts. Instead, they zeroed in on the eleven people within the room. People whose faces he was used to seeing regularly. Faces he once stoned into his memory and now held subtle changes.

Fred's once pimple-covered face was fresh and spotted the makings of a dark brown beard. Hugo's Weasley red hair was cropped into a buzz cut. Which was scarily different from the shaggy-haired boy that he remembered.

Roxanne's flawless face still appeared perfect, except for a tiny scar, shaped like a crescent, by her chin. Scorpius studied it for a moment, wondering the story behind the scar. He never really knew Roxanne when they were growing up. He remembered her to be a cautious person. She never did anything without thinking of the possible consequences. The scar was maybe proof that she had at least once done something a little reckless.

"I've missed you Scorpius." Ginny smiled dazzlingly at him, wiping away the few stray tears from her eyes, as she stepped back from the hug.

He shook his head, forcing his eyes away from the table and onto the women in front of him. Even in her ripening age, Ginny Potter was still gorgeous. Her forehead was aligned with wrinkles. Probably from all the times, she spent worrying about James and her other children. Her hands that clutched onto his forearms were slightly withered and adorned with the scars from her past involvement in the war, but her aging stopped there. Her brown eyes blazed with energy and her freckles shined brightly against her pale face. He brushed away the lonely tear that slithered down her cheek. "I've missed you too."