Post by paige on May 28, 2007 4:33:31 GMT -5
In response to Mrs. Radcliffe’s ‘Write a one-shot involving a toddler and make me cry’ challenge. My first Fan-Fiction challenge, enjoy, and please review!
“Mummy, when is Daddy coming home?”
Ever since she had found out she was pregnant, two years ago, Ginny had braced herself for this question, but when Aimee, her daughter, asked her on that Sunday afternoon, nothing could have prepared her for the moment the words left her daughter’s lips.
Pulling her daughter onto her lap, Ginny looked into Aimee’s emerald eyes; reminded of Harry she looked away, unable to face her daughter in her moment of weakness. The confusion in Aimee’s eyes was pushed away and replaced with fear. For a two year old, she was much too young to experience rejection, however small it was.
“Mummy?” Aimee whispered, reaching out for her mum’s hand, hoping that her mum would look at her, talk to her, anything other then the sadness and weakness that filled Ginny’s eyes.
Slowly, Ginny turned, taking her daughter’s hand in her own.
“Aimee.” She whispered, willing herself not to cry, not to make her daughter even more scared then she already was.
She knew this moment would come, but Ginny had pushed it away, not wanting to face the hurt, fear, rejection and anger she had felt when she had received the news of Harry’s death.
When the war had ended, Ginny had hidden away her emotions, she was just one of the people having to deal with the death of a loved one, and when she realised she was pregnant, a few weeks later, she had broken down, not knowing how she was going to cope, but her daughter had been her strength, and rekindling the memories she wanted for so long to push away and forget made her feel the pain she had felt when she heard the news she had been longing not to hear.
“You may not understand this Aimee, but you have a right to know.” Ginny started, swallowing and continuing. “Your father was a great, brave man.”
Aimee wouldn’t understand, Ginny told herself, but not telling her now would make it harder when she grew up and asked again.
“He was in a big war before you were born.”
Aimee’s eyes widened, but she was silent, listening to her mothers words.
“I was in the fighting too, Aimee, but I didn’t know about you then, and I wasn’t fighting as hard a battle as your father.”
Ginny forgot that she was telling her daughter this. She was telling herself, making herself remember the memories, knowing that the time had come to face them.
“He was tired and couldn’t help but make a few mistakes. One spell went wrong, and this was one of the biggest mistakes because the Dark Lord” Ginny paused, remembering the times Harry had told her to use the Dark Lord’s real name, but now, after all she’d been through, she couldn’t face it. Ginny took a deep breath and continued.
“The Dark Lord took advantage. He used a very, very horrible spell, and it killed your father in an instant.” Ginny hadn’t realised she was crying now, but nevertheless she went on. “But your dad’s spell hit the Dark Lord, and, even though it didn’t kill him, it drained him of his power forever. Nobody knows how this happened without killing him, but the prophecy, people believe, is a big part of it.” Ginny finished her tale, wiping away her tears, making room for fresh ones.
Aimee didn’t understand parts of the story, but she knew what she needed too. She hugged her mum, knowing she needed the comfort, and the few words Aimee said were:
“I love you, Daddy."
“Mummy, when is Daddy coming home?”
Ever since she had found out she was pregnant, two years ago, Ginny had braced herself for this question, but when Aimee, her daughter, asked her on that Sunday afternoon, nothing could have prepared her for the moment the words left her daughter’s lips.
Pulling her daughter onto her lap, Ginny looked into Aimee’s emerald eyes; reminded of Harry she looked away, unable to face her daughter in her moment of weakness. The confusion in Aimee’s eyes was pushed away and replaced with fear. For a two year old, she was much too young to experience rejection, however small it was.
“Mummy?” Aimee whispered, reaching out for her mum’s hand, hoping that her mum would look at her, talk to her, anything other then the sadness and weakness that filled Ginny’s eyes.
Slowly, Ginny turned, taking her daughter’s hand in her own.
“Aimee.” She whispered, willing herself not to cry, not to make her daughter even more scared then she already was.
She knew this moment would come, but Ginny had pushed it away, not wanting to face the hurt, fear, rejection and anger she had felt when she had received the news of Harry’s death.
When the war had ended, Ginny had hidden away her emotions, she was just one of the people having to deal with the death of a loved one, and when she realised she was pregnant, a few weeks later, she had broken down, not knowing how she was going to cope, but her daughter had been her strength, and rekindling the memories she wanted for so long to push away and forget made her feel the pain she had felt when she heard the news she had been longing not to hear.
“You may not understand this Aimee, but you have a right to know.” Ginny started, swallowing and continuing. “Your father was a great, brave man.”
Aimee wouldn’t understand, Ginny told herself, but not telling her now would make it harder when she grew up and asked again.
“He was in a big war before you were born.”
Aimee’s eyes widened, but she was silent, listening to her mothers words.
“I was in the fighting too, Aimee, but I didn’t know about you then, and I wasn’t fighting as hard a battle as your father.”
Ginny forgot that she was telling her daughter this. She was telling herself, making herself remember the memories, knowing that the time had come to face them.
“He was tired and couldn’t help but make a few mistakes. One spell went wrong, and this was one of the biggest mistakes because the Dark Lord” Ginny paused, remembering the times Harry had told her to use the Dark Lord’s real name, but now, after all she’d been through, she couldn’t face it. Ginny took a deep breath and continued.
“The Dark Lord took advantage. He used a very, very horrible spell, and it killed your father in an instant.” Ginny hadn’t realised she was crying now, but nevertheless she went on. “But your dad’s spell hit the Dark Lord, and, even though it didn’t kill him, it drained him of his power forever. Nobody knows how this happened without killing him, but the prophecy, people believe, is a big part of it.” Ginny finished her tale, wiping away her tears, making room for fresh ones.
Aimee didn’t understand parts of the story, but she knew what she needed too. She hugged her mum, knowing she needed the comfort, and the few words Aimee said were:
“I love you, Daddy."
