Matter of heart - 1

"I'll give you a goat," Mrs. Weasley said sternly. "If you'd been here on time like I'd asked you, you wouldn't have missed the picture and marred Ginny's special day."

Ginny rolled her eyes and muttered, "Good grief."

"We're here now, Mum. We wouldn't think of mucking up Ginny's special day," George said, his eyes sparkling mischievously as he caught his sister's expression.

"Leave your sister alone," Shannon said, wagging a finger at George. Her chestnut-brown hair was swept back into a ponytail that swayed as she moved her finger. "Sorry we're late, Mrs. Weasley."

Mrs. Weasley deflated at the apologetic tone. "It's all right, dear. I know it wasn't your fault," she said, glaring at the twins.

"Why don't you all stand around Ginny again, and I'll take a family picture?" Iris suggested, still standing in the doorway.

Harry hadn't even realized that she'd arrived with Shannon and the twins because she was standing so far back. She appeared rather hesitant to enter, and from the looks on the assorted Weasley faces, Harry couldn't say he blamed her.

There had been a brief moment of shocked silence as everyone stared at her, apparently lost for words. Fred finally broke the tenseness by grabbing Iris's arm and tugging her into the room. "Don't be silly. Everyone can be in the picture. You can charm it, Dad, can't you?"

Mr. Weasley shook himself from his daze. "Er…of course. All right, everyone, gather 'round again," he said, positioning the camera.

Mrs. Weasley, too, smiled widely at Iris and once again began issuing orders. "George and Shannon, you stand on that side of Bill and Fleur, behind Harry. Fred and Iris, you two go on their other side, behind Ron and Hermione. Arthur, hurry with that thing and sit with me in front of them all," she said, sitting in the chair Harry had occupied.

"Where's Charlie? How come he gets out of this?" Ron asked, grumbling.

"He's back at the dragon reservation. He should return tomorrow," Mrs. Weasley said. "Arthur, is that ready yet?"

"Just let me get the focus right," Mr. Weasley said, tinkering with the camera.

"Just take the picture, Dad," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

Harry began shifting his feet.

"Da-ad. I want to leave this place some time today," Ginny moaned.

"All right, that should do it," Mr. Weasley said, sprinting back toward Mrs. Weasley and just managing to sit down before the camera flashed several times.

Harry again blinked the spots from his eyes.

"There. Now, that wasn't hard, was it?" Mrs. Weasley asked, smiling.

"Let's go," Ginny said, picking up her small bag of toiletries.

"Ginny, can you walk all the way?" Mrs. Weasley asked fretfully.

"Mum, we're only going up to Gryffindor Tower," Ginny said, clearly becoming annoyed.

Knowing the feeling of being stalled when he wanted nothing more than to get out of the hospital wing, Harry took pity on her. Taking her bag and slinging it over his shoulder, he offered her his arm.

"Shall we?" he asked.

Ginny beamed, linking her arm with his. "Let's go."

Sticking to Harry's side and limping slightly, she strode purposefully toward the door. From the corner of his eye, Harry saw Mrs. Weasley move to assist Ginny, but Mr. Weasley grabbed her arm and held her back, nodding at Harry.

Mrs. Weasley's gaze wavered slightly before she nodded, taking Mr. Weasley's arm and following behind them.

The large group climbed toward Gryffindor Tower, chatting merrily along the way. By the time they reached the portrait hole, Ginny was slightly out of breath and definitely leaning more heavily on Harry than she had at the beginning of their trek.