Is he in love with you yet?

"Bill?"

He turns in the act of folding up his school robes; his mother is standing at the door, in her arms his baby sister with those wide brown eyes that are so captivating. He smiles.

"Hey there, beautiful." Fingers wrapping around Ginny's tiny chin, Bill kisses his sister on the forehead and laughs as she giggles. His mother stares at them with a softened look.

"All ready?" she murmurs, quietly, quietly; they learnt pretty soon after she was born that Ginny doesn't like loud noise one bit. Bill nods; squaring his shoulders, he follows his mum downstairs, heaving his trunk along behind him.

Ginny doesn't go with them to the station. None of them do except his father. When Bill walks out the door, he looks back once, and feels for the first time that maybe he is going to be a little homesick - just a little - and as the door closes his eyes alight on his baby sister and they share a grin.

Merlin, he will miss her.

When he gets back home she's talking and walking - well, more like mumbling and stumbling, but it's all the same to him - and he feels like he's missed a lifetime. He spends his days with her on his lap, jiggling her up and down as he tries to remember the correct term for the spell that makes objects fly.

He reads the papers, too; there's still news of that Harry Potter boy splashing the pages - where is he now? and so forth - and Bill can't help but empathise. He cannot fathom what it would be like to grow up an only child, minus the hustle and bustle of a busy family life. He imagines it would be lonely, and sad, too.

He reads the sections on Harry Potter to Ginny, and she stares up at him with solemn eyes, as if she can understand. There's a swooping sensation in his stomach that makes him think he'll be hearing a lot about Harry Potter in the coming years, but he's not sure where the thought comes from. Maybe it's the way Gin stares at him as he reads, or that single moment when she splays out her tiny hand on an image of baby Harry sleeping, as if she could reach through the pages and comfort him. The image startles Bill, his baby sister reaching out like that. He doesn't mention the instance to anyone else. It just seems too personal.

Fast forward several years and his sister has become obsessed. She asks for stories of 'that famous Harry Potter' every night, sitting up and not falling asleep until she gets one. Bill's mum thinks it's cute; his father sees it as a learning experience; his brothers couldn't really care less. But Bill watches, wonders-

Wonders if perhaps Harry Potter is more than he seems, and that maybe when Ginny says she'll meet him one day, she's not lying. He keeps this to himself, however. His brothers already think he's a nutcase, growing his hair past his chin.

And then Ginny's seven and he walks in on her drawing something. She snatches the picture away as soon as he comes close, but he reaches forward and grabs it, smoothing out the crinkles and staring in disbelief at the paper.

A girl who is clearly Ginny stands hand in hand with a boy with black hair and a scar on his forehead, and Bill's stomach flips when he realises she's drawn their wedding day. Ginny Potter is written in the bottom left hand corner.

He isn't sure why this affects him so. It's normal for little girls to have crushes, dreams of wedding bells - they all go away eventually, right?

But this is different. Maybe it's to do with the fact she's drawn the scene in Everlasting Ink, as if his sister is a Seer and is predicting the future. Bill wouldn't be surprised if she ends up marrying Harry Potter; the way she looks, the crimson flush that stains her cheeks…it's all too real, too perfect, to just disappear.

Bill hands the drawing back, shares a secret smile with Ginny, and walks out. But the picture keeps him awake that night, haunting him. Ginny Potter, he thinks. It just sounds too real to be ignored.

Merlin. Merlin. Oh, Jesus, Godric Gryffindor.

Ginny is all he can think as he reads the letter from his father, detailing everything Harry Potter had put into words about the Chamber of Secrets.

Bill doesn't remember ever being so scared. His hand shakes as he takes a sip of his coffee; the bitter taste of it reminds him that he hasn't added sugar. "I should go get some," he murmurs to himself, eyes closed, but he doesn't move. He can't move.

A diary … blood on the walls … a basilisk … and Lord Voldemort.

Bill pulls out a sheet of parchment from his drawer so fast it gives him a paper cut. He Summons the ink and quill stored by his bedside, and begins to write almost feverishly, hand flying across the page, blots of blue spreading out like clotted blood in veins.

Ginny,

Dad told me what happened. I wish I was there for you right now, reading you your bedtime story like I always used to - remember? Giving you a goodnight kiss and telling you that everything will be all right… God, Ginny, I'm sorry. For lying. For saying Hogwarts will be the best thing that's ever happened to you, because clearly, it's not…

I wish I could see you. Please, please write back. I love you so much, and I'm sorry.

Yours, Bill.

He looks at the letter, holding in at arms length away, before muttering "Incendio" and watching it curl up in flames. He Vanishes the ashes and goes to bed, the image of his sister's sprawled, bleeding figure never once leaving him throughout his long, sleepless night.

She comes to Egypt pale as snow. She's smiling, and clearly everyone thinks she's okay and all better and couldn't be happier, but Bill can see right through her.

She's terrified.

He corners her as quickly as he can; his family has gone on ahead and this tomb is fresh, open-ended and having a rather cheery atmosphere compared with all the others. Bill stays Ginny with a hand on her arm and envelopes her in a one-armed hug.

She's limp in his embrace and he quickly lets go. "Gin?"

Her eyes dart away.

"Ginny, please."

"What?"

"I- I heard."

"Good for you." She moves to walk away, but he stills her once again.

"Please, Ginny. I just want you to know I understand how hard it is-"

And with this she snaps at last. "Understand? How the hell do you understand?" Her nostrils flare, face going into that sabre-toothed tiger mode she learned from their mother. "No one does, not even Harry, and he-" At this she pauses and blushes, anger visibly washing away from her like the ebbing of the tide.

"Harry Potter?" Bill teases, grinning. "Is he in love with you yet?"

"Shut up!" Ginny hisses, but he can see the traces of a smile lurking at the corners of his mouth, and knows he's done his job. Releasing her, he watches as she runs off deeper into the catacombs after the rest of their family, her red hair flying like a Gryffindor banner out behind her.

Ginny Potter, Bill thinks, and laughs for the first time since his father's letter arrived.

He meets the famous Harry Potter when the guy is fourteen years old, and it unnerves him. Those startling green eyes hide so many secrets, betray knowledge that no teenager, or anyone for that matter, should understand. The scar on Harry's forehead makes Bill shudder, too, but he conceals the reaction with an easy grin and handshake.

The Quidditch World Cup is amazing - until the Death Eaters come, that is. Bill is so scared he can't hear a thing over the pounding of his own heart, but it's not himself he's frightened for. Ginny, Ginny, Ginny. Her name drums inside his head, banging to be released, and when he finds her safe and well and blessedly whole he only just manages not to cry.

And Harry Potter. Centre of a scandal once again, and Bill pities him. He sees the way his sister's eyes follow Harry around, still infatuated after all these years. The oblivious demeanour of the guy, however, makes Bill brace himself for Ginny's heartache that is surely just around the corner.

He and his mum meet Harry the morning before the Third Task. He's surprised, and though Bill's mother laughs it off, Bill can understand. To have no family for so long, then suddenly become overwhelmed…not to mention the daunting task ahead of Harry. Bill shivers at the thought of the maze, the hedges grown thick and gnarled and wreathed in mist-

And his train of thought cuts off entirely as the Beauxbatons champion catches his eye and smiles. Suddenly he understands how Ginny feels when she looks at Harry, and he thinks that he should really stop teasing her for it because really, the trembling of his knees is entirely unavoidable.

When they make their way out to the stands, Bill cheers on the Hogwarts' Gryffindor champion, but his eye is on Fleur Delacour the whole time. He doesn't even notice who's sitting beside him until the four champions are all ensconced in the maze; he turns and sees Ginny, her pink beanie clashing horribly with her tomato-red hair. She gives him a worried glance, and he squeezes her hand. "He'll be all right," Bill murmurs, smiling gently. After all, it's just a friendly competition.

How wrong he is.

Well, not entirely. Harry passes the Third Task relatively unscathed. But it's Cedric Diggory who makes Bill's heart flip.

Fleur forgotten, Bill pushes forward through the crowd of people, getting the briefest glimpse of the Hufflepuff's still, silent body before being shoved out of the way himself. He finds his mum and Ginny and Ron and Hermione, and together they make their way to the Hospital Wing, desperate and panicky, Ginny's eyes wet and red with tears.

The wait is unbearable. Bill bites his fingernails down to the quick; Ron and Hermione are sitting stock still, faces identical expressions of shock; his mother is harassing Madam Pomfrey and Ginny is rocking back and forth, barely breathing as she heaves with great sobs. Finally, however, Harry is ushered inside, a great black dog by his side, his face crumpled and defeated.

There's no time for questions. Harry takes his potion, Bill's mother demands Ginny depart to her dormitory, and Bill sits vigil by the boy's bedside, amazed at how close he came to death - yet again - and escaped with the barest trace of injuries. This boy is truly something, Bill thinks, staring down at his sleeping form. Ginny deserves him; and he deserves Ginny.

But he doesn't say it out loud, merely sits, musing, thinking over the day and wondering what life will be like with You Know Who returned.

And maybe he thinks about Fleur, just a little.

The Order consumes his life. He gives up his job in Egypt, wanting to be closer to his family, but especially Ginny - her maturation over the past few years, coupled with the fact he hears she has a boyfriend, makes him wonder about all he ever believed in relation to her and Harry.

But then the man in question arrives in a whirlwind of hearings and illegal magic and outbursts, and Bill suspends that train of thought for a while, instead taking the time to observe the real Harry Potter.

He's different. Bill sees that immediately. The way he holds himself - hunched and taking shuffling footsteps, almost as if he's afraid of being noticed - the coarseness of his voice, the jumpy quality he possesses now and the disrepair of his clothes. Clearly, he's changed, and not for the better. He seems more dangerous - almost volatile - and Bill has doubts about Ginny Potter ever coming to be.

But then it's Christmas, and Harry saves Bill's father's life, and all is forgiven.

And Sirius. Oh, God.

Bill's heart stops when he hears about it. Of course, he barely knew the man, just passing him on his comings and goings at Grimmauld Place, but he knows Harry held a special spot for Sirius in his heart, and Bill is afraid that hole will never fill.

Ginny seems to understand. Though she has a boyfriend - a different one to before, Bill notes - she constantly worries about her childhood love, talking about him over the summer that follows and even striking up the nerve to have a conversation with Fleur about him. She quickly desists.

Fleur is everything. Bill's heart swells so much when he sees her he can ignore the snide comments of his family, even from his mother. But some small part of his mind still dwells on Harry and Ginny - what will happen to them, with Harry so broken and Ginny in no position to fix him?

The pain is incredible. Vicious gashes of hurt spring up all over his face, throat, chest- he has trouble breathing, his eyes are scabbed closed.

When he does open them, everything has slid out of focus, and the only one by his bedside is someone with a familiar mane of long red hair.

"Ginny?" he rasps, his tongue heavy and painful and thick in his mouth.

She glances up, and even with the blurriness of his vision he can see the tear stains ringing her eyes. "I'm not that far gone, am I?' he attempts to joke, stretching out his neck muscles.

The trembling in Ginny's lips gives him pause. "Oh, Merlin, Bill-" She takes a shaky breath. "It's not you. It's Dumbledore. He's- he's dead."

"What?" He's misheard; surely, because Albus Dumbledore cannot be dead, for surely the world would stop turning, everything would just stop, because it is impossible, entirely improbable-

The look on his sister's face silences him. He stares at the ceiling, white, so white.

"Where's Fleur?"

"She went to take a rest…over in that bed, there. I offered to watch you. Harry- Harry was here, too."

There's something different about the way she speaks Harry's tone, almost intimately, sensually. "Are you two-?"

"Yes," she bites out, looking down at her lap. "I should go. Your fiancée will be awake any moment now; I'll give you two space." And before he can respond - argue, decline - she's gone in a whirl of red that reminds him eerily of blood.

He continues to stare at nothing. Harry and Ginny … Fleur … Dumbledore.

And the tears begin to come.

The wedding passes as quickly as it began. Ruined, of course, by the Death Eaters, and the fact that there is no chance of a honeymoon, but it's his wedding all the same and he can't help but feel buoyed.

Ginny, on the other hand, looks dragged down. Bill corners her mere days after Harry, Ron and Hermione depart, the evening before he and Fleur are to head over to Shell Cottage and start their new life together.

Ginny shuffles her feet at his question. "I'm fine…really."

"Harry?"

"We-" She looks at a point just over Bill's shoulder. "We split up. He thought it would be safer for me." The scathing note in her voice makes Bill sure she doesn't agree.

"Right. Well-"

"Just give it a rest, Bill. Don't tell me everything will be okay, because it won't. I'm not a kid anymore." Ginny turns and shuts herself inside her room. Bill distinctly hears the lock click.

Well, he tried.

He wishes he could Apparate over to the Burrow and tell Ginny the news, but he knows it's too dangerous. Harry Potter here in his house, and he can't tell a soul.

Well, correction, he can. He sends a Patronus, and knows that Ginny got the message, but her knowing Harry's safe and seeing him alive and well are two completely different things.

All too soon the trio depart Shell Cottage, disappearing with a crack along with the goblin. Bill and Fleur stand arm in arm by the window, watching the spot where the four of them disappeared long after they're gone.

When Bill sees George alone, his heart breaks in two all over again. The war is done, finished, but the battle of George Weasley will live on for a long, long time.

Bill sheds tears when he thinks no one will notice, but Fleur always does.

It gives him a mild flame of hope when he sees Harry and Ginny walking side by side, hands entwined, and he smiles at her. When she catches his eye, she holds his gaze defiantly, so different from the little girl he thought she was.

He wonders when she grew up, and how on earth it happened so quickly.

Their little miracle Victoire, a spitting image of her mother, is brought into the world. Victory, Bill thinks, passing the child around the multitude of people in the family. Ginny takes the bundle, cooing gently at it, Harry standing above her and looking so contagiously happy Bill feels like he's marrying Fleur all over again.

The engagement comes as no surprise to anyone. Ginny Potter, Bill thinks, and smiles.

He walks in on his baby sister standing alone, looking in the mirror and frowning. She turns as he enters.

"Bill."

He grins, enclosing her in a gentle hug he hopes will not crease her gown. "Hey there, beautiful." She laughs. "All ready?"

With her nod, he releases her, gesturing for her to do a twirl. She is the most beautiful woman he's seen - including his wife, though he will never admit it.

It's time. The both of them glance at the clock in the room, and she squares her shoulders resolutely. He knows she'll be fine, but he doesn't say it. He doesn't need to. Just a smile does the trick.

He takes his place amongst the guests, taking his wife's hand and watching his father walk Gin up the aisle. Harry is waiting, that perpetually messy hair sticking up at the back as usual, his green eyes brighter than Bill's ever seen them. As they join hands, Bill gives the fraction of a sigh, and the scars on his face stretch as he smiles.

Merlin, he will miss her.

Author's Note: Sorry for my fanfiction absence. Exams, study for the exams, etc. BUT THEY'RE OVER. I had the two of them today. Anyway; hope you like this. Wrote it all this afternoon. Oh, and I KNOW that Ginny isn't in the scene from GoF when Harry arrives in the Hospital Wing, but I gave myself artistic license, okay? Please, please review.