A sea breeze swept Ginny’s hair across her face. She ran her fingers through her red locks in an attempt to tame them. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. A hand grazed her back.
“We’re setting sail very soon,” Harry said from beside her. She turned to stare at him. He was smartly dressed in maroon colored robes and the ocean’s gleam reflected off of his glittering eyes.
“I haven’t seen the rest of the family,” she said, looking around her.
“They’re settling in,” he assured her. There was a moment of silence between them as they gazed at the habor, watching the last of the passengers hurrying up the ramp. “I’m really excited, Gin. We’ve all needed this.”
Ginny knew what he meant, and didn’t need to ask for clarification. It had been seven years since the war and the wounds caused by it were beginning to ache less. The wizarding world seemed much different after Voldemort had finally died. The first few years had been filled with an eerie quiet as everyone mourned the loss of loved ones and tried to rebuild their lives.
The Weasley family was still recovering. They were strong, each and every one of them, but they would forever be haunted by Fred’s death. And while they had grown accustomed to Bill’s scars, he was still a constant reminder of what life had been like.
Ginny had finished school at Hogwarts and began playing Quidditch for the Holyhead Harpies. She loved it. She found that her passion for the game and the intense training and rigor involved allowed her to escape the somber life waiting for her once she dismounted her broom for the day. She and Harry had resumed their relationship after the war, and she cared for him deeply, but too much had changed. The war had aged them in a way they could never fully grasp. She found herself standing at his side for comfort’s sake. Harry was constant. He was a man who loved her and that was all she needed, at least, that’s what she always told herself.
So to give the people something uplifting, Harry had proposed a wizard’s cruise. Such a concept was unheard of and was met with reservation. But Harry insisted that everyone needed to relax and enjoy themselves. People needed to remember that life could be good, too. She admired his enthusiasm and watched as he made preparations for a year. And the MMS Potter was to set sail that day with 2,000 wizards and witches aboard.
Her thoughts were interrupted as Harry kissed her temple. “I’ve got to make sure everything is set with the captain. I’ll see you in a bit.”
Ginny wrapped her fingers around the ship’s railing and leaned over for a better look at the boarding passengers. She could see wizards and witches levitating their bags behind them as they hurried their pace, parents hauling their children behind them and…
Is that Draco Malfoy? Ginny strained forward to get a better look. Why on earth would he be coming onboard? No, it can’t be him. Didn’t he just get out of Azkaban? This guy was dressed shabbily and his hair was long and disheveled. But then again, that shock of platinum blond hair wasn’t found on just any wizard’s head…
Ginny turned around to face the passengers on the ship. She spotted her father with the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt. They were deep in conversation and their faces appeared grave. Ginny wondered what they were discussing.
“Dad, Kingsley,” she called out as she joined them. Her father stopped talking immediately. Kingsley, however, was always more subtle. He smiled at Ginny and patted her on the shoulder.
“Ginny.” He smiled. “How have you been?”
“Just fine,” she answered. “This is some ship.”
“It definitely is,” the Minister mused, looking around him.
“Er, Ginny,” her father began. “I think Fleur is unpacking, do you think you could help her get settled in?”
Ginny wanted revert back to her childhood and throw a fit at her father’s obvious attempt to make her leave. Instead she nodded and left the two men alone.
She found Fleur doing exactly what her father had said. Their cabin was spacious enough for the entire Weasley family. One wouldn’t have believed it was for only four occupants. Fleur, who was six-months pregnant with their third child, was hunched over a luggage stand, sorting through her belongings. Victoire, now six, was sitting on a small bed, reading a magazine. Dominique, a rambunctious child at three, was standing on her tip-toes, trying to get a better look outside the cabin’s window.
Both girls smiled at Ginny as she walked in. “Aunt Ginny!” Dominique barreled into her and Ginny picked up the little red haired girl into her arms. The family had all said how much she resembled Ginny as a little girl.
Fleur turned to face her. “Hello, Ginny! I am so glad zat you are here. I could use some help.”
Fleur looked breathless and her face was pink. Ginny had always thought Fleur was beautiful, but pregnancy made her glow even more. “Sure, what can I do for you?”
“Dominique has been very fussy, could you take her outside for a bit?”
Victoire dropped her magazine. “I want to go outside, too!”
“Why not? The more the merrier.” Ginny smiled at her nieces. “In fact, let’s see if we can find Teddy.”
Victoire beamed at her. “Oh yes, let’s find Teddy! I think he’s with Auntie Andie.”
The three of them headed out with Ginny holding their hands. She hadn’t the faintest idea where Andromeda and Teddy were staying, but it was just her luck that a blue haired boy about Victoire’s age jumped out of a cabin not too far from Fleur’s.
“Rawrrr!” he growled at them, barring his teeth and waving his arms about him wildly. Victoire giggled, but Dominique’s hand quivered in Ginny’s.
“Teddy, it’s not nice to scare people like that,” Ginny said, ruffling the boy’s hair. It was amazing how much he was beginning to resemble Remus.
“I’m sorry,” he said genuinely, lowering his hands. His hair turned a dark brown.
“Well, Teddy,” Ginny began, “we’re going out onto the deck. Would you like to join us?”
He grinned at her. “Yeah!” He grabbed Victoire’s hand and the two of them started sprinting down the hallway.
Dominique called after them, tugging on Ginny’s hand to quicken her pace. “Wait!”
Ginny had a hard time keeping the three children together once they’d gotten outside in the sunlight. Victoire and Teddy, whose hair was back to blue, skipped around the deck, playfully pushing each other. Victoire was just as beautiful as her mother. Her white blonde hair was tied into two pig tails and her deep blue eyes mirrored the ocean.
Dominique tugged on Ginny’s robes. “Aunt Ginny, what’s that?”
She looked towards the direction the chubby little finger pointed at. “That’s a seagull, sweetie. They’re birds of the sea.”
“She looks just like you.” A voice drawled from behind Ginny. She turned around to face Draco Malfoy.
Ginny was dumbfounded. I knew it was him! He looked completely different from their Hogwarts days, and yet not so different at all. His blond hair had grown out and had lost its youthful sheen. It hung back in a ponytail. His face was thinner and his gray eyes appeared haunted and made Ginny shiver slightly. He no longer wore the impressive signature robes of a Malfoy, and instead dressed like a…commoner who’d been through a rough patch. But whatever wear and tear he’d endured over the years hadn’t diminished his handsome looks.
“You can stop gaping at me anytime, Weasley.” He let out a small sound that took Ginny a moment to register as a laugh.
“Oh, Malfoy,” she said dumbly. “This is my niece, Dominique.”
“I could’ve sworn she was yours.” His eyes dropped to her left hand where he found what he’d been looking for – a large diamond on a thick gold band.
Ginny refused to take the bait and divulge information about her personal life. She crossed her arms across her chest. “How’ve you been?”
“Just fine,” he said, although there was a hint of sarcasm present. “And yourself?”
“Great.” Before Ginny could stop herself, she added quickly, "Why are you here?"
Draco laughed again. "Same reason everyone else is on this ship. To have a good time."
"I see," she said, eying the blond wizard carefully. Victoire and Teddy came running up to them.
“Aunt Ginny,” Victoire said, panting, “They’re going to set sail!”
“Well, we wouldn’t want to miss that! Go on and I’ll catch up with you in a bit.”
Victoire grabbed Dominique’s hand and the two girls took off. Teddy hung back, eyeing Draco peculiarly. He held Ginny’s hand possessively.
Draco’s eyes widened. “How many do you all have?”
Ginny stared at him. She wasn’t sure whether he was trying to be rude. After all, the size of her family had been a source of ridicule for the Malfoy family. When Draco didn’t sneer at her, she relaxed. “Quite a few actually, Victoire and Dominique are sisters. This is Teddy, he’s…”
Ginny paused for a second. Merlin, I’m introducing Teddy to one of the only family members he has left. No, she reassured herself, they’re not really his family.
“He’s Remus and Nymphadora’s son.” She watched Draco’s face with anticipation.
Draco blinked, but kept his face expressionless. “Hello, Teddy.” He offered the boy his hand.
“Teddy, this is Draco Malfoy. He went to school with Harry and me.” Teddy took Draco’s hand reluctantly, but then a look of realization dawned on his face as his hair turned green, as it did whenever he was excited.
Draco retracted his hand in surprise. “A metamorphmagus?”
Ginny nodded. “Like his mum.”
Teddy continued to stare at Draco. “Hey…” he began, but couldn’t seem to finish his thought.
Ginny’s heart sank. He knew who Draco was. Surely Andromeda had told him about his living family members. She stared at Draco expectantly, waiting for him to react. His mouth opened slightly as if to say something.
Before either of them could say anything, a high-pitched scream pierced her ears. “Aunt Ginny! The ship is leaving!”
“Coming!” Ginny called back. There were so many people gathered on the deck now that she didn’t want to lose sight of her nieces. “It was…um, nice seeing you, Malfoy.” Draco nodded in return as she grabbed Teddy’s hand and pulled him towards the girls. She watched Teddy give Draco a last lingering look.
“Aunt Ginny,” the boy said, dragging his feet in an attempt to get an answer from her. “Was that man my cousin?”
Ginny reluctantly stopped and let out a sigh. She lowered herself to her knees so that she was at eye level with the boy. She rubbed his arms affectionately. His honey brown eyes seemed to stare deep into her soul, as if pleading for the truth. “Yes, he was.” She waited for the string of questions to pour from his mouth – Why haven’t I met him before? Does he know who I am? Does he not like me? Do I have more family?
But instead, Teddy merely said, “Oh.”
“AUNT GINNY!”
“Let’s go before the girls worry,” she said, giving his arms one last squeeze before straightening up. His eyes were dark, but he gave Ginny a lopsided smile.
“Minnie, please be careful,” Ginny said, steadying the little girl, who was straining to see over the edge of the ship.
“Look, Aunt Ginny, seagulls!” she turned to smile at her aunt.
“We’re moving!” Victoire squealed. She looked hopefully at Teddy who looked quite sullen. “Teddy! Look, the water!”
He brightened up for his friend and leaned over the edge of the railing to point out the fish swimming beneath them.
Ginny eyed the boy warily for a moment. Maybe it would be best if Harry spoke to him later.
She looked around the ship. There had to be hundreds of wizards and witches on the deck as they waved at friends and family members on the pier. The sound of cheering became one prolonged rushing sound that drowned out the crash of the ocean waves as the ship set sail. Some people had begun to release sparks from their wands, which was met with gales of excitement. She could feel Dominique jumping up and down with enthusiasm.
Ginny spotted Ron and Hermione a few feet away, each holding the hand of little Rose, a wobbling toddler.
“Aunt Ginny,” Victoire asked, turning to face her. “Can’t all those people on the dock just apperlate onto the ship?”
Ginny grinned. “It’s Apparate. And no, they’ve made sure the wards have been closed.”
“So nobody could get off the ship either?”
“No. But why would they want to?”
“I don’t know.” Victoire shrugged. “What if they got bored of the ship?”
“Well, I’m pretty sure you guys won’t get bored. If you do, just let me know.” She winked and tugged one of the girl’s pigtails affectionately.
Ginny wrapped her arms around herself and shivered involuntarily. She took a deep breath and stared at the blue sky. The earth seemed to be revolving before her eyes. The sudden increase in the ship’s speed made her feel queasy.
“Hey squirt, you all right?” her brother Charlie said as he come up beside her. When he noticed her body sway a little, he reached his arms out to steady her. “Whoa. I think the ocean’s getting to you.”
“Y-yes, I think so,” she said shakily, holding a hand to her head.
“You go rest; I’ll look after the rugrats for you.”
Ginny vaguely nodded in acknowledgment before she headed towards her cabin. As she stumbled her way through the numerous witches and wizards that were still milling about the deck in excitement, she couldn’t help but feel a tiny sense of dread tingling through her body.
“We’re setting sail very soon,” Harry said from beside her. She turned to stare at him. He was smartly dressed in maroon colored robes and the ocean’s gleam reflected off of his glittering eyes.
“I haven’t seen the rest of the family,” she said, looking around her.
“They’re settling in,” he assured her. There was a moment of silence between them as they gazed at the habor, watching the last of the passengers hurrying up the ramp. “I’m really excited, Gin. We’ve all needed this.”
Ginny knew what he meant, and didn’t need to ask for clarification. It had been seven years since the war and the wounds caused by it were beginning to ache less. The wizarding world seemed much different after Voldemort had finally died. The first few years had been filled with an eerie quiet as everyone mourned the loss of loved ones and tried to rebuild their lives.
The Weasley family was still recovering. They were strong, each and every one of them, but they would forever be haunted by Fred’s death. And while they had grown accustomed to Bill’s scars, he was still a constant reminder of what life had been like.
Ginny had finished school at Hogwarts and began playing Quidditch for the Holyhead Harpies. She loved it. She found that her passion for the game and the intense training and rigor involved allowed her to escape the somber life waiting for her once she dismounted her broom for the day. She and Harry had resumed their relationship after the war, and she cared for him deeply, but too much had changed. The war had aged them in a way they could never fully grasp. She found herself standing at his side for comfort’s sake. Harry was constant. He was a man who loved her and that was all she needed, at least, that’s what she always told herself.
So to give the people something uplifting, Harry had proposed a wizard’s cruise. Such a concept was unheard of and was met with reservation. But Harry insisted that everyone needed to relax and enjoy themselves. People needed to remember that life could be good, too. She admired his enthusiasm and watched as he made preparations for a year. And the MMS Potter was to set sail that day with 2,000 wizards and witches aboard.
Her thoughts were interrupted as Harry kissed her temple. “I’ve got to make sure everything is set with the captain. I’ll see you in a bit.”
Ginny wrapped her fingers around the ship’s railing and leaned over for a better look at the boarding passengers. She could see wizards and witches levitating their bags behind them as they hurried their pace, parents hauling their children behind them and…
Is that Draco Malfoy? Ginny strained forward to get a better look. Why on earth would he be coming onboard? No, it can’t be him. Didn’t he just get out of Azkaban? This guy was dressed shabbily and his hair was long and disheveled. But then again, that shock of platinum blond hair wasn’t found on just any wizard’s head…
Ginny turned around to face the passengers on the ship. She spotted her father with the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt. They were deep in conversation and their faces appeared grave. Ginny wondered what they were discussing.
“Dad, Kingsley,” she called out as she joined them. Her father stopped talking immediately. Kingsley, however, was always more subtle. He smiled at Ginny and patted her on the shoulder.
“Ginny.” He smiled. “How have you been?”
“Just fine,” she answered. “This is some ship.”
“It definitely is,” the Minister mused, looking around him.
“Er, Ginny,” her father began. “I think Fleur is unpacking, do you think you could help her get settled in?”
Ginny wanted revert back to her childhood and throw a fit at her father’s obvious attempt to make her leave. Instead she nodded and left the two men alone.
She found Fleur doing exactly what her father had said. Their cabin was spacious enough for the entire Weasley family. One wouldn’t have believed it was for only four occupants. Fleur, who was six-months pregnant with their third child, was hunched over a luggage stand, sorting through her belongings. Victoire, now six, was sitting on a small bed, reading a magazine. Dominique, a rambunctious child at three, was standing on her tip-toes, trying to get a better look outside the cabin’s window.
Both girls smiled at Ginny as she walked in. “Aunt Ginny!” Dominique barreled into her and Ginny picked up the little red haired girl into her arms. The family had all said how much she resembled Ginny as a little girl.
Fleur turned to face her. “Hello, Ginny! I am so glad zat you are here. I could use some help.”
Fleur looked breathless and her face was pink. Ginny had always thought Fleur was beautiful, but pregnancy made her glow even more. “Sure, what can I do for you?”
“Dominique has been very fussy, could you take her outside for a bit?”
Victoire dropped her magazine. “I want to go outside, too!”
“Why not? The more the merrier.” Ginny smiled at her nieces. “In fact, let’s see if we can find Teddy.”
Victoire beamed at her. “Oh yes, let’s find Teddy! I think he’s with Auntie Andie.”
The three of them headed out with Ginny holding their hands. She hadn’t the faintest idea where Andromeda and Teddy were staying, but it was just her luck that a blue haired boy about Victoire’s age jumped out of a cabin not too far from Fleur’s.
“Rawrrr!” he growled at them, barring his teeth and waving his arms about him wildly. Victoire giggled, but Dominique’s hand quivered in Ginny’s.
“Teddy, it’s not nice to scare people like that,” Ginny said, ruffling the boy’s hair. It was amazing how much he was beginning to resemble Remus.
“I’m sorry,” he said genuinely, lowering his hands. His hair turned a dark brown.
“Well, Teddy,” Ginny began, “we’re going out onto the deck. Would you like to join us?”
He grinned at her. “Yeah!” He grabbed Victoire’s hand and the two of them started sprinting down the hallway.
Dominique called after them, tugging on Ginny’s hand to quicken her pace. “Wait!”
Ginny had a hard time keeping the three children together once they’d gotten outside in the sunlight. Victoire and Teddy, whose hair was back to blue, skipped around the deck, playfully pushing each other. Victoire was just as beautiful as her mother. Her white blonde hair was tied into two pig tails and her deep blue eyes mirrored the ocean.
Dominique tugged on Ginny’s robes. “Aunt Ginny, what’s that?”
She looked towards the direction the chubby little finger pointed at. “That’s a seagull, sweetie. They’re birds of the sea.”
“She looks just like you.” A voice drawled from behind Ginny. She turned around to face Draco Malfoy.
Ginny was dumbfounded. I knew it was him! He looked completely different from their Hogwarts days, and yet not so different at all. His blond hair had grown out and had lost its youthful sheen. It hung back in a ponytail. His face was thinner and his gray eyes appeared haunted and made Ginny shiver slightly. He no longer wore the impressive signature robes of a Malfoy, and instead dressed like a…commoner who’d been through a rough patch. But whatever wear and tear he’d endured over the years hadn’t diminished his handsome looks.
“You can stop gaping at me anytime, Weasley.” He let out a small sound that took Ginny a moment to register as a laugh.
“Oh, Malfoy,” she said dumbly. “This is my niece, Dominique.”
“I could’ve sworn she was yours.” His eyes dropped to her left hand where he found what he’d been looking for – a large diamond on a thick gold band.
Ginny refused to take the bait and divulge information about her personal life. She crossed her arms across her chest. “How’ve you been?”
“Just fine,” he said, although there was a hint of sarcasm present. “And yourself?”
“Great.” Before Ginny could stop herself, she added quickly, "Why are you here?"
Draco laughed again. "Same reason everyone else is on this ship. To have a good time."
"I see," she said, eying the blond wizard carefully. Victoire and Teddy came running up to them.
“Aunt Ginny,” Victoire said, panting, “They’re going to set sail!”
“Well, we wouldn’t want to miss that! Go on and I’ll catch up with you in a bit.”
Victoire grabbed Dominique’s hand and the two girls took off. Teddy hung back, eyeing Draco peculiarly. He held Ginny’s hand possessively.
Draco’s eyes widened. “How many do you all have?”
Ginny stared at him. She wasn’t sure whether he was trying to be rude. After all, the size of her family had been a source of ridicule for the Malfoy family. When Draco didn’t sneer at her, she relaxed. “Quite a few actually, Victoire and Dominique are sisters. This is Teddy, he’s…”
Ginny paused for a second. Merlin, I’m introducing Teddy to one of the only family members he has left. No, she reassured herself, they’re not really his family.
“He’s Remus and Nymphadora’s son.” She watched Draco’s face with anticipation.
Draco blinked, but kept his face expressionless. “Hello, Teddy.” He offered the boy his hand.
“Teddy, this is Draco Malfoy. He went to school with Harry and me.” Teddy took Draco’s hand reluctantly, but then a look of realization dawned on his face as his hair turned green, as it did whenever he was excited.
Draco retracted his hand in surprise. “A metamorphmagus?”
Ginny nodded. “Like his mum.”
Teddy continued to stare at Draco. “Hey…” he began, but couldn’t seem to finish his thought.
Ginny’s heart sank. He knew who Draco was. Surely Andromeda had told him about his living family members. She stared at Draco expectantly, waiting for him to react. His mouth opened slightly as if to say something.
Before either of them could say anything, a high-pitched scream pierced her ears. “Aunt Ginny! The ship is leaving!”
“Coming!” Ginny called back. There were so many people gathered on the deck now that she didn’t want to lose sight of her nieces. “It was…um, nice seeing you, Malfoy.” Draco nodded in return as she grabbed Teddy’s hand and pulled him towards the girls. She watched Teddy give Draco a last lingering look.
“Aunt Ginny,” the boy said, dragging his feet in an attempt to get an answer from her. “Was that man my cousin?”
Ginny reluctantly stopped and let out a sigh. She lowered herself to her knees so that she was at eye level with the boy. She rubbed his arms affectionately. His honey brown eyes seemed to stare deep into her soul, as if pleading for the truth. “Yes, he was.” She waited for the string of questions to pour from his mouth – Why haven’t I met him before? Does he know who I am? Does he not like me? Do I have more family?
But instead, Teddy merely said, “Oh.”
“AUNT GINNY!”
“Let’s go before the girls worry,” she said, giving his arms one last squeeze before straightening up. His eyes were dark, but he gave Ginny a lopsided smile.
“Minnie, please be careful,” Ginny said, steadying the little girl, who was straining to see over the edge of the ship.
“Look, Aunt Ginny, seagulls!” she turned to smile at her aunt.
“We’re moving!” Victoire squealed. She looked hopefully at Teddy who looked quite sullen. “Teddy! Look, the water!”
He brightened up for his friend and leaned over the edge of the railing to point out the fish swimming beneath them.
Ginny eyed the boy warily for a moment. Maybe it would be best if Harry spoke to him later.
She looked around the ship. There had to be hundreds of wizards and witches on the deck as they waved at friends and family members on the pier. The sound of cheering became one prolonged rushing sound that drowned out the crash of the ocean waves as the ship set sail. Some people had begun to release sparks from their wands, which was met with gales of excitement. She could feel Dominique jumping up and down with enthusiasm.
Ginny spotted Ron and Hermione a few feet away, each holding the hand of little Rose, a wobbling toddler.
“Aunt Ginny,” Victoire asked, turning to face her. “Can’t all those people on the dock just apperlate onto the ship?”
Ginny grinned. “It’s Apparate. And no, they’ve made sure the wards have been closed.”
“So nobody could get off the ship either?”
“No. But why would they want to?”
“I don’t know.” Victoire shrugged. “What if they got bored of the ship?”
“Well, I’m pretty sure you guys won’t get bored. If you do, just let me know.” She winked and tugged one of the girl’s pigtails affectionately.
Ginny wrapped her arms around herself and shivered involuntarily. She took a deep breath and stared at the blue sky. The earth seemed to be revolving before her eyes. The sudden increase in the ship’s speed made her feel queasy.
“Hey squirt, you all right?” her brother Charlie said as he come up beside her. When he noticed her body sway a little, he reached his arms out to steady her. “Whoa. I think the ocean’s getting to you.”
“Y-yes, I think so,” she said shakily, holding a hand to her head.
“You go rest; I’ll look after the rugrats for you.”
Ginny vaguely nodded in acknowledgment before she headed towards her cabin. As she stumbled her way through the numerous witches and wizards that were still milling about the deck in excitement, she couldn’t help but feel a tiny sense of dread tingling through her body.
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