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Chapter Six: Disappointing Discoveries

"Fnding something new gives us happiness and we marvel about it. What if it turned out to be the reason for doom?"

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The next morning, Ron found himself very fresh as he woke up. However, Hermione was quite the opposite of him. He found her, sitting in the study and scribbling something furiously on a piece of parchment. Her hair was disheveled and heavily bushy. Her eyes were red and there were bags under it. Her face was drenched with sweat or tears, Ron did not know.

When asked what she was doing, she simply answered that she was trying to find out who the murderers were. Ron had to prepare the breakfast. He made an excuse of needing fresh air and took some toast along with him to the car where his sister sat, admiring the morning view from the window of the driver's seat.

"Good morning, Ginny," Ron greeted. Ginny smiled and opened the door for him. He took a seat beside her.

"Good morning, Ron."

"I have brought you some toast. I hope you don't mind. That was all I could smuggle when Hermione is there, watching me with those concerned eyes," Ron said, handing over the plate of toast to his smiling sister. She took it with a nod of thanks and began chewing it slowly.

"You can eat?" Ron asked. Truthfully, he did not know if she could eat. Turned out she could.

"So it seems," she replied, now looking at the toast in her hand.

"Er. . . Do you need jam or butter?" Ron asked. Ginny shook her head. "Not hungry?"

"I'm worried. . . I sense that Harry has not had his breakfast and is in his office though he is on leave. My babies are here. . ."

"You can sense all that?" Ron asked, looking astonished and ignoring the fact that his brother-in-law was in the Ministry, working, despite being given a recovery leave by Minister Shacklebolt himself. Ginny nodded. "Blimey!"

"I cannot read minds though, do not worry," Ginny joked. Ron let out a snort and she laughed.

"Ginny, do you know. . .or rather, did you sense the way Harry was, yesterday?" Ron asked. Ginny turned away from him and sighed.

"I did. I am worried about a particular emotion that came from him. Otherwise, I am more worried about Jamie," she said, looking out of the window.

"And what was that particular emotion?" Ron pressed.

"The emotion to take revenge. . .to torture. . .to kill," she whispered the last part. Ron's eyes widened.

"K-kill? Kill Who?"

"The one who murdered me."

"And who was that?"

"I don't know, Ron, I honestly don't! I can vaguely remember Mrs Potter telling me about that but as she said finally, certain things will not be remembered by me for a while. . . I think this is one of that. I can't even remember who the Master of Death is. I-it feels like I have known him for so long but. . . I just can't seem to recollect his identity," Ginny explained. Ron nodded slowly. He too, was wracking his memory and brain to remember this bloke who apparently called himself the Master of Death.

"What's up with Jamie?" Ron asked.

"He knows," she whispered. Ron did not have to press her to know what she meant. James was a smart boy, even for a four year old. He must have already figured that Ginny was never going to return.

"What about. . .what about. . ." Ron stuttered, unable to say it.

"Yes, Ron?" Ginny asked, her brown eyes looking low.

"That baby," he whispered. He did not trust his voice. Ginny raised her eyebrows in confusion. "Harry told me that you both were expecting another baby," Ron blurted out. Ginny still looked confused.

"Al? Albus?" She asked. Ron shook his head. "Expecting?" She asked, more to herself, then looked at her flat belly. Ron regretted asking this now. Ginny had forgotten about this as well and now he had reminded her. What sort of a brother was he? He asked to himself. Ginny suddenly gasped and tears filled her brown eyes. Ron felt horrible.

"Mrs Potter told. . . She told me that t-two lives couldn't go back to the e-earth. . . I never got to choose. . . My baby. . . My daughter!" Ginny cried, clutching her stomach. Ron wrapped an arm around his sister and pulled her close as his vision became blurry with unshed tears. Ginny had somehow gotten to know that they were expecting a girl. It was Harry's longtime wish to have a daughter. . .and that wish was broken. All of this was because of those two ruddy murderers, Ron thought angrily. Ginny shook her head against his shoulder.

"There is no use getting angry, Ron."

"It is all because of them!"

"I should have been more careful. It is my fault," Ginny said.

"Don't blame yourself, Ginny! You sacrificed yourself for my godson and nephew!" Ron exclaimed. He did not receive any response from his sister. Silence reigned for a few minutes before a thought crossed the elder brother's mind.

"Ginny, do you want to see him?" Ron asked, tentatively, after a few minutes. He knew Ginny's answer would be affirmative but she surprised him with a negative reply. She shook her head no. "Why? A-are you angry or something on him?" Ron asked. Ginny chuckled.

"We can never fight, Ron," Ron snorted again. "You know that."

"Then, what is the reason for not wanting to see Harry?"

"I don't think I can see him in that condition," she winced. They remained silent for a few more minutes as she chewed hesitantly on the toast she was given. Ron wondered if this 'entity' of his sister was not as feisty and brave as his real sister was. She seemed really shy and silent. Suddenly, Ron's face lit up. "Hey Ginny!"

"Hi," Ginny joked. Ron snorted yet again. This 'entity' of his sister was as sarcastic as the real one. "What is it, dear brother?"

"I was wondering if you can step out of this car," Ron said. Ginny raised her eyebrows then shrugged.

"I don't know. Could give it a try, what do you think?" She asked. Ron nodded enthusiastically and she opened the door beside her seat. She swung her legs to the other side and her feet touched the dry ground. Ron inhaled deeply as she stood up and bent low to see him. "I think I can!" She walked a few steps away from the car as Ron released the breath which he did not realize he was holding. When she walked about five feet away from the blue vehicle, Ron's breath hitched because, just as she did, she suddenly held her head and collapsed to the ground. Ron got out of the car and ran towards her. He could not sense if she was 'alive' or not. Hell! He did not even understand what to do. He could not ask Hermione either. She was bound to become worried that he was going insane.

Ron himself doubted his sanity but he felt something. He felt the similar sibling bond with this entity of his sister that he always did when he talked to the real Ginny. It made his heart warmer to think that his sister would always be with him. He felt selfish but he could not help it. He did not want to give this car away to his dad. What would be the use of it even if he did give it to his dad? His dad will not be able to see his daughter or talk to her. It was only him. Only he could see her, talk to her, feel her and also, feed her.

Ron snapped out of his train of selfish yet heartwarming thoughts and looked down at his sister. Her breathing had stopped and Ron began to panic. There was only one option left and doing that was as easy as a child's play. He took one of his sister's arms and wrapped it around his neck. Gently, yet firmly, he picked her up and started closing the five feet distance between the car and the place where he previously stood. He struggled to open the door but managed it. Hastily, he placed her on the back seat and kneeled down, outside the car as he watched her.

Ron did not know if it would work but he hoped against hope that it would work. He began praying to Death, who he now considered as a deity, in the hopes of making Ginny to wake up. Apparently, Death answered his call of prayer as Ginny stirred and mumbled something incoherently. She blinked open her eyes and looked around. Her eyes widened and she sat up straight, as if lightning hit her. During this process, she bumped her head on Ron's jaw and he exclaimed.

"Ow! Blimey Ginny! Can't you be slow?" Ron asked, rubbing his sore jaw with his hand. Ginny rolled her eyes in response.

"Really? I just fainted and woke up."

"And so?" Ron asked, pretending not to care.

"I know," she said, looking forward. Ron turned to her with a perplexed expression. "I saw your concerned eyes, Ron. Teen Ginny might have not really realized this, but I do. I know that you hide your emotions, brother, so as to not seem vulnerable. You will never be looked as weak, Ron, trust me."

Ron nodded as tears slowly formed in his eyes. He looked away and blinked his eyes, so as to not let them fall. He was a man who always hid his emotions behind lock and key. The jealousy he'd feel if Harry gets more than him, the stupidity he'd feel when Hermione did something which he never deserved, the envy he'd burn with when his mother would treat others' better than him, the fear he felt when he saw Harry and Hermione together, the feeling of an underdog he'd feel when being with Harry; It was not very easy to bottle them up! He might never have an emotional range of a teaspoon, as Hermione told him. He was snapped out of all the negative emotions when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his neck. He looked up to get his vision blurred by a mane of fiery red hair. He embraced Ginny back and they stayed still for a moment. He backed away when he realized what he was doing.

"Ron, look," Ginny said, frowning. "You have to let the emotions out, Ron, or else you'd explode!"

Ron laughed as his own dialogue came back to him. Ginny smiled, sensing a change in the mood. She soon joined in and the laughter lasted for several minutes.

This is where this chapter ends. Some shocking revelations along with the sibling relationship I want to express in words. I hope it felt somewhat real. According to me, a sibling relationship is a really beautiful bond which should never be broken. I hope I can nail that opinion of mine in this story.

Comment if you agree or disagree with me! I'd love to hear your thoughts about it!

Thank you for reading!

Miyoko x