Chapter Text
Ginny woke to the familiar sounds of her mother puttering around the kitchen, getting ready for the stampede of people that would descend down the narrow staircase in a few hours. A warm breeze drifted through her window, fluttering the flower-patterned drapes and bringing in the smell of the garden and freshly cut grass. That smell alone quickened her pulse, images of wide-open fields and blue sky flashed behind her eyelids.
She drew back her sheets and stretched her whole body, feeling bones crack and sore muscles everywhere. Her fingers and toes brushed the walls on either side of her bed. Ginny lay for a bit, staring up the familiar funny face in the wood knot directly above her. She could never quite tell, but sometimes she thought she saw it moving.
If she got up now, she could steal Fred’s broom and go for an early ride. Get some practice in before the troop of idiots woke up. With this in mind, she popped out of bed and walked the two steps to her dresser, grabbing old athletic shorts and a worn-out Chudley Cannons t-shirt. Her bedroom was the smallest of the house, closer to a broom closet actually, but she didn’t mind. She was outside most of the day when she was home anyways. When the twins were being particularly rowdy, Percy was being insufferable (back when he was being insufferable at home), or Ron was a whiny git, she longed for space. She found it in the rolling hills surrounding the Burrow.
She grabbed her trainers, hand-me-downs with holes in the toes, and tramped downstairs.
“Morning, Mum,” she chirped towards Molly’s back and stopped to give her a kiss on the cheek.
“Breakfast is up in an hour! Don’t forget this time… and BE CAREFUL!” her mother hollered after her fast retreating back. Ginny waved a hand in acknowledgement.
She walked around to the broom shed to steal Fred’s Comet, the broomstick in the best shape, and headed towards Howard’s field. It was in a valley, so she could fly high without being seen. She started off on the path at a light jog. By the time she arrived, spotting the familiar abandoned farm house and faded ‘Howard Farm’ sign, she’d worked up a sweat and felt the flush in her cheeks. She jumped on her broom and kicked off.
There was nothing like this. The summer air, already getting hot, the sun on her cheeks, and the wind whistling through her hair. Her red plait flew out behind her as she tilted the broom upwards and headed directly towards the clear blue sky. She messed around for a bit, doing loops and twirls in the air and flying around the large oak tree in the middle of the field. Then she started her Quidditch exercises, throwing crab apples for herself to chase.
Before she knew it, the sun had fully risen from behind the hills and the wristwatch she’d charmed read Breakfast. She hooked the broom under her arm and began the run home, hoping she had time to sneak it back before her brothers woke up.
It was mid-August already and time for Harry and Hermione to show up. They would brighten the mood considerably. About one month into living in what was essentially a chimney stack of human beings and people started to get restless. And crabby. And perhaps ready to murder. If Ron complained one more time about having to do the dishes the Muggle way or the twins left another Exploding Earwax in her bed, she swore she’d burn the place to the ground. Not to mention that every time she sniped at her brothers, they made comments about it being ‘that time of the month’. Huge pains in the arse, the lot of them.
But Hermione was coming. It would be good to see her again.
Ginny groaned and rolled her eyes at herself.