A/N:  I would like to thank my fantastic beta, Ara Kane, for pointing out the errors I overlooked.  I’m really not that thick, I just worked on this too late into the night.

 

Disclaimer:  I don’t have any original ideas, everything belongs to someone else!  Of course, J.K.Rowling gets credit for the wonderful world of Potter.

The song “Seven Years” was written by Lee Alexander and can be heard on the Norah Jones CD “Come Away With Me”.

 

Please review.  Your comments will be greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

 

Seven Years

 

A pre-Hogwarts songfic by Muggle Molly

 

 

Spinning, laughing, dancing to

Her favorite song

A little girl with nothing wrong

Is all alone

 

Eyes wide open

Always hoping for the sun

And she’ll sing her song to anyone

That comes along

 

 

It was a sunny, autumn day at The Burrow.  Molly Weasley was just ready to call the children to lunch.

 

“Let me fetch them, Molly,” pleaded her husband.

 

As he walked the well-worn path to the orchard where Ron and the twins were practicing their Quidditch moves, Arthur spotted Ginny in a grove of oak trees, playing in the fallen leaves and clearly in a world of her own. He watched her kick great piles of leaves into the slight breeze as her long red hair bounced around her head, shinning golden in the noontime sun.

 

Arthur Weasley loved his six boys dearly.  They were all outstanding in their own ways, but his only daughter held a very special place in his heart.  The youngest Weasley, “Daddy’s Girl” as Ginny called herself, made Arthur’s heart swell.  It had been that way since the first time he held her in his arms and looked into that angelic face seven years ago.

 

 How fast they grow up, he thought as he approached the grove, unnoticed by Ginny.  Oh, if he could stop time and keep her just like this forever!

 

 

Fragile as a leaf in autumn

Just fallin’ to the ground

Without a sound

 

Crooked little smile on her face

Tells a tale of grace

That’s all her own

 

 

How he cherished moments when he could observe her like this, safe and unaware of her surroundings, her whole being focused wherever her imagination might take her.  Ginny looked so small and innocent.

 

That’s not to say she can’t hold her own with her big brothers, Arthur laughed to himself.  Ginny did inherit her Mum’s temper.  Woe to anyone that gets on her wrong side!

 

 Just four more years till she’s off to Hogwarts and the house will be so empty.  I know she’ll be fine, but what about me?  How can I watch over my little girl when she’s that far away from home?  Will her brothers keep her safe?  How lucky she is to grow up without the fear of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!

 

Her favorite bedtime story about The Boy Who Lived assured them all that they could live in peace, but it was unwise to think all evil in the wizarding world was now gone.  But of course, she would be safe at school.  How foolish of him to think otherwise. 

 

Arthur pulled himself out of his reverie and focused on the task at hand.

“Ginny, Mum says it’s time for lunch.  Best hurry off now.”

 

“But Daddy, I’m waiting for the prince to come and rescue me.  Just a bit longer, please?”

 

“All right, then.  But just until I collect your brothers.”

 

“You can be my prince, Daddy!  You must save me from those wicked trolls Fred, George and Ron,” she called after him as he headed toward the orchard.

 

 

Fragile as a leaf in autumn

Just fallin’ to the ground

Without a sound

 

Spinning, laughing, dancing to

Her favorite song

A little girl with nothing wrong

Is all alone

 

 

As he walked on, he wondered how long it would be until that inevitable day when her real prince would come to carry her away from this home.  The man in her life that would take his place.  The man that she will love for the rest of her life was out there somewhere, perhaps someone she will meet at Hogwarts.  Would she find him without having to endure more than her share of heartache and pain?  Would he love her as much as she deserved?

 

This young fellow will need a great deal of courage if he is to stand up to the Weasley men’s scrutiny, Arthur smiled to himself.  Her six brothers were very protective of their little sister.  He had better be a Gryffindor!

 

“Come, Princess Ginny, I have arrived at last to will take you back to the castle,” Arthur said as he held his hand out to her.  “I believe luncheon is served.  Quick now, if I am not mistaken, those three trolls are headed this way!”

 

Ginny let out a squeal of delight as she jumped up to give her “Prince” a big hug and let him carry her back to The Burrow.  Arthur snuggled her close, knowing that these carefree moments were the precious gems that made his life so rich and that he was indeed a wealthy man.