#sorry for errors

Shane is there one night, it’s been two months since he’d been able to come with the time of season it was, and currently on his hands and knees with Matt, an objectively gorgeous man inside him, dark skin, dark eyes, buzzed head, strong muscles- fucking him deep and steady- and it’s good, it feels good being filled and held down and the grab of Matt’s hands over his ass and hips, telling him his good he feels and usually, usually it’s enough. This is enough, Matt makes him feel good and knows how he likes it well enough but it’s just- Shane’s been craving some kind of release these past few months and this isn’t enough. The fucking is good, sending a hot thrill through him, he’s hard and his mind is buzzing but he wants- wants more, wants to be kissed, wants to hand a hand on his throat, wants to feel closer, his skin is itching. He wants ugh.

Shane squirms, wriggles back closer to Matt and lifts his face up from his arm, watches a couple in front of him kissing hot and slow as they frot together and it’s hot but Shane still wants- still needs- something. More. He doesn’t know. He hates that this feels like even this isn’t taking off the edge. He sucks at the skin of his own wrist and watches the couple in front of him and he fits a hand around his cock, ready to make himself cum and go home and maybe do some yoga, call rose and then-then.

A big warm hand catches Shane’s face, tilting his face up, and Shane blinks, blinks, looks up this gorgeous fucking perfect body, mouth watering Adonis belt, sculpted stomach, looks up at his wide shoulders, big arms, this fucking marble sculpture of a man who is holding his face and making him look up. The man’s thumb finds Shane’s mouth, his thumb rubs over it and he tugs Shane up till he’s on his knees.

The man guides Shane’s hands to his perfect thick chest to steady him in the new position, holding him as the rock of Matt’s thrusts push him forward. Matt kisses the back of Shane’s shoulders in the new position and Shane knows he doesn’t mind another person joining, and Shane catches this man’s face and fuck he’s definitely never been here before. Shane would remember those eyes, heart shaped mouth, messy curls. Fuck. He’s beautiful. Shane’s lips part and the man’s thumb slides into his mouth and Shane shivers, feels his cock pulse at the way he watched Shane take it, presses down on his tongue to make his mouth slick with saliva.

Shane sucks at his thumb as his brain goes a little foggy and why do his eyelids feel heavy, and then the man says something low and shaky in a language that Shane can’t understand and then he’s pulling Shane up with his thumb in his mouth and fingers under Shane’s chin and mumbling

“Need something in your mouth hm bunny?” His voice is low and accented and rumbly and his eyes are strong and heavy on Shane, and fuck. Fuck it’s like someone turned the headlights on- the sound on- the whole fucking world on- the back of his head tingles, his stomach twists with thick anticipation and who the fuck is this.

“You need a little kiss hm?” He asks and his hand not in Shane’s mouth lets Shanes cheek and Shane’s cock blurts wet and he’s nodding, heart pounding heavy tongue feels heavy and he cause yeah that sounds nice and he looks like and Shane wants a little kiss from him really badly and “please” he mumbles around his thumb and he’s sliding his arms up around the strangers neck, leaning in, tilting his chin because he wants he really wants. wants. He looks like he can kiss.

“Please” he mutters again when the man holds his face still, draws his thumb so fucking slow out his his mouth and shane wines, fell the loss like he’s empty, and Matt is still inside him ? Maybe ? But he’s empty and- and - he wants, and then the man is smirking, so pretty, Shane thinks as he gets closer and he mocks him softly “pleaseee” and then he’s being Kissed.

Shane is being fucking kissed. Maybe he thinks now for the first time ever in his life he’s being Kissed. This is what kissing is- anything else was an imitation of this.

The man kisses him like he’s starving, mouth parted, tongue first but not too much, hot and sweet and filthy and needy and Shane thinks he’s whining maybe, his arms tighten around the man’s neck and he he’s pulling him in and fuck he needs, he- the man’s hand wraps gentle around the front of Shane’s throat, thumb rubs over his Adam’s apple feather light. Fuck that’s, that’s so good. Shane arches up, up into the man and licks into his mouth and holy shit. Holy shit. This is better than the cock pressed inside him right now, more sensitive, somehow.

The mans hand skims Shane’s chest, fingers pinch over his nipple in a way that makes his cock throb, moan into the kiss and his hips push forward towards him. Chasing more of him, doesn’t care do the way it makes Matt slip out of him and shane only realises by the sound Matt makes.

“Shane” Matt says, grips at Shane’s hips and tries to pull him back, arch his hips back to take him again.

Shane tilts his hips away from the touch, keens up into Ilya, feels Matt’s hands slip away at Shane’s movement, backing up at his refusal to the touch.

Immediately he feels the strangers hand slide down his body to his ass, pulling him in, in and Shane goes, leans in in

“Fuck, fuck. Come here sweetheart” the man is panting and Shane is nodding and the man is pulling him until their bodies are flush and Shane feels the heft of his cock push against his and Shane’s hand flies to his hair, gripping his curls and pulling.

“Yeah” Shane nods and then “Shane” and the man is saying “Ilya” and in a blink Shane is in Ilya’s lap and being kissed stupid, Ilya’s big hands gripping at Shane’s ass, pulling him in to help Shane rut his cock against his and fuck Shane feels dizzy with it. Each time they pull back to breath it’s short desperate gasps before licking back in and Shane’s jaw aches and fuck he might- he might fucking cum from this. Ilyas hands are everywhere he wants them, before Shane can think to ask, his hand just the right strength of grip, the pull. Shane can feel his need in his touch.

Shane feels other hands graze his back, his side, touch his hair and he just shrugs away, shrugs into Ilya, Ilya who pushes hands away from Shane’s ass, twists them when someone tries to push their cock toward their joined mouths. The thought of anyone else suddenly seems like an interruption. He wants this. Anyone else will stop this. He needs this.

Shane wines when another persons hand combs through Ilya thick curls and it’s enough to pull Ilya away from Shane’s mouth, where Shane had been sucking his tongue, after Ilya had pulled his chin down to spit into his mouth. Shane wants to bite at the hand separating them, even for a few seconds. It makes his chest burn. Mine. He thinks- give it back- he thinks and maybe wines low because Ilya is catching his face in both hands and whispering “I’m here, I’m here bunny, open your mouth” and Shane nods, leans in and Ilya is kissing him again, wet and warm and licking behind his teeth and Shane is grinding up against Ilya’s hip, he wants more but he can’t stop this.

“Fuck hang on” Ilya breaks their kiss and pulls Shane’s mouth to his neck, he’s picking him up and then they’re on a couch and Ilya is up over him, pinning him down by his wrists and fuck yes. yes. yes. And Shane- Shane looks up at Ilya and thinks he fucking needs, needs his touch, needs more and that’s dizzying in of itself and then Ilya is kissing and biting over his chest whispering “can I have you? Here?” He’s asking, fingers at Shane’s hole, petting softly and Shane nods, nods, “please” he mutters. “Yeah, like being full here too huh bunny?” He asks and Shane nods, and Ilya smirks. “Kissed you all stupid huh? Can’t even talk” he bites at Shane’s chin and Shane slaps Ilya’s side- mumbles “asshole” In a dizzy low voice- Ilya catches his hand and pulls it down to his cock.

“Mm yes will go in your asshole” Ilya purrs and it’s so serious it shouldn’t be hot but Shane moans, actually moans and rocks his hips up and Ilya mutters “easy” and Shane has enough brain to threaten “find someone else to” and Ilya shakes his head as he works Shane open with his fingers, where he’s still slick with lube. “You don’t want that do you? He wasn’t fucking you right bunny, let me do it yeah?” Ilya kisses him till his head fogs.

“Let me fuck you right yeah? How you like huh? Can see just how you like it bunny, promise I’ll make it so good” he whispers and Shane feels that fog come over him again. Shaky good. So fucking good. He needs so fucking bad. Needs to feel this man fill him, take him, fuck him.

“You’ll tell me, if you don’t like Okie? Or what you need, if you need more yes?” Ilya says and oh, that makes it easy and Shane nods, wraps his legs around Ilya and sighs “yes yes, okay- I want to, I want to cum please I want you inside me” be confessed, boldened Ilya’s bluntness.

“Good fucking boy” Ilya grins, and shane melts under the praise.

Pre-Setup?:

First, I did a "mockup" setup in the kitchen to get a feel for the flow and what supplies I needed at the ready, and then after dinner, armed with my notes and two trusty assistants, I jumped into it. I figured since it was just a hue-shift it would be relatively safe as a first attempt (though a full body doll is still a bit ambitious lol... I think dyeing just a few parts would be even less stressful, like fantasy parts/wings or something.)

Dye subject: 

I am dying my Doll in Mind Laia HCE hybrid. She's on a Soulkids New body (from 2021), and both are in normal resin. I believe the head is from 2018 or 2019. For anyone wondering- the default match of these two is excellent! 95+% match with the head being paler, only slightly noticeable in photos. In my opinion, a faceup would be enough to close that gap.

So this doll is shelling a fantasy character of mine; Naelia, an elf mage that has a bubblegum-pink skintone. (Artwork for reference)

Dye Supplies:

- A dedicated "not-for-cooking" stainless steel pot. I got mine at Walmart for 6$ (I have also seen ceramic recommended; avoid non-stick coatings, aluminum, or anything damaged.)

- A long dowel (or in my case, two chopsticks taped together...) to rest across the lip of the pot. This is to hang pieces off of.

- A metal spoon (for measuring dye and some stirring. A longer spoon is welcome but I didn't need it much!)

- The Rit Dyemore colors of choice. I had purple and blue on hand in case the pink hue wasn't right on the peachy resin. I didn't end up needing them at all.

- 1 glass bowl of cool water (I have seen ice water used but I opted for regular cold tap) This is to cool the pieces and pulls off excess dye.

- 1 glass bowl of warmer soapy water. I just used my on-hand palmolive dish soap. This is for- or was for- if I needed to magic eraser excess dye off any of the pieces... I didn't end up using this bowl at all for this project. I was dying a pretty light color though, so I will still set it up every time- better to not use it then not have it in an emergency.

- Cotton balls, magic eraser, & rubbing alcohol- again, on hand to remove access dye, spots, etc.

- Emergency acetone, if I needed to strip a piece completely. I did not have acetone free nail polish remover but I would say based on what I've read, I'd recommend that far more- its safer on pieces and does the job just as well. But in a pinch (or if all else fails) if you rinse your piece REALLY WELL with soapy water very promptly after acetone wiping it should be alright. (I do occasionally use this for removing stubborn faceups and I haven't had any issues, but it pays to be cautious.)

- A clean designated dye towel to lay rinsed parts on (I find this less messy than paper towels, and cushier) I also had some clean washrags handy for drying parts if they needed acetone cleaning so minimize cross-contamination on the towel.

Preparing the doll & dyebath:

First order of business was to unstring her and carefully lay out the left and right sides. (Souldoll kindly marks almost every piece as R or L so I didn't have to worry as much)

I filled my bathroom sink with warm/hot soapy water (palmolive dish detergent again) and laid a washrag in the bottom of my sink to cushion parts from clinking about in the water. I gently washed every piece with a magic eraser, and tried to be as even and thorough as possible to remove any surface dirt, oils, and even out any possible nicks she may have acquired while being my sewing model. Since souldoll does have sanding lines on one side that are pretty noticeable to the touch, I went over them lightly for the hell of it. I accepted that dye may gather here. I laid her out to dry on a towel and went to eat dinner.

After that I strung her left side in white string and her right side in yellow. I tried to pick string that was a lighter color just in case of any color bleeding, and I chose a woven string instead of yarn just in case of any possible melting. (I haven't seen cases of this or anything, its just me.) I ended up threading wire through a few of the pieces (feet, torso) to try out preferences (I don't think I like wire in this case, it kinda dug into her hip joint at one spot.)

At the recommendation of a few tutorials, I initially filled the pot with 3 quarts of warm/hot water. I was measuring the length of the string and pieces in the pot as I went, and ended up adding about 4 more cups of water. This did not have any negative effects that I could see. I don't know if this matters, but I brought the clear water to an almost boil first- that setting is about a 6 on my stove. Then I added 1 tablespoon of Rit Dyemore Super Pink, and turned up the heat to 7 (medium-high) to keep an active steamy boil. I added one drop of dish soap to the top- it's reportedly to disperse surface tension and break up any dye that may be floating, but this dye is liquid so it shouldn't have as much of a risk of that as powder dye would.

This next part is important- I had help! My two assistants (my roomie @dolliesanddelights/Caiterprince and my partner Naf/@dyemelikeasunset) were present. Cait was helping me document everything, taking videos, and checking the color-match of dyed pieces in photos as we went. My boo had a stopwatch app open and also ended up helping me hold pieces when I was busy. This probably is the biggest recommendation I can offer to anyone dyeing dolls, for the first time or not. Taking photos of the progress while I was in a mad dash between dipping parts would have significantly slowed me down and disrupted my process, and having someone help me time and hold pieces while I ran other pieces along the assembly line was SOOO helpful. So if you're intimidated to do it all yourself, you'd be right and you shouldn't have to! If you have a friend or relative that you trust then I recommend recruiting them. If you do not, then don't be obligated to make yourself take photos, and maybe do a pretend run-through of it yourself so you know what you need and how much time it takes to rinse or photograph a part, etc. It might be over the top, but being prepared helps my anxiety immensely, haha. (Also! Even though I had everything set up, I reminded myself that if it went awful at any point, I could always just stop!) So that being said, the assembly line went like this: Dip the parts with a timer going, to help figure out how long everything would need. I would bob the parts up and down to check the color change every 10 seconds. After the desired color was reached, I would pull them over to my cool clean water and dunk them, then lay them on the towel and check the color and for any discrepancies. If it was good, I would grab the next pair of pieces and my boo would reset the timer. I opted to do all my parts in pairs of the same type- ie both the left and right shins, feet, elbow peanuts, etc. So I decided I would test the flat feet first, on wire. I ended up dipping them again later as they were a touch lighter than the rest of the other pieces!)

This photo doesn't even do it justice- it was already lovely!!!! 😍😍 I had only read one report about dyeing Souldoll resin and that it didn't take dye great, so I was extra vigilant. But it looked good, so onward we went- a 30 minute rush!!! I worked my way up from the feet, doing shins, knees, thighs, etc. I ended up dipping all the body pieces for 45 seconds- even the torso pieces!

The DiM head took dye significantly faster- around 25 seconds. Since it was a faceplate, I threaded string through the eyewells- it did not have any ill effects!!! I decided to leave her faceplate a half-shade lighter so when I blush her, she'll have a natural highlight in her cheeks... no idea if this is "correct", I just really didn't want to risk it being too dark. Another important highlight: Someone had recommend using nylon socks or a fishnet to dip parts, especially small pieces. I grabbed one of these at walmart to give it a go.

I LOVED this thing. if it was bigger, I would've used it for everything. I used it on all the peanuts, hands, heeled feet, and my boo even fit both the forearms in it with no consequence. I was very attentive about any mesh imprinting on the resin, but nothing like that happened- even if the parts didn't move around much, they all dyed evenly. This thing could probably hold everything for tinies, and most pieces for YOSD except maybe the torso/head. I preferred this way more then trying to string them- the little pieces made me nervous because this pot is deep so this was a blessing.

Finally done! (The lighting in my kitchen is affecting the final color a lot, so read on)- The outcome was: her elbow peanuts, flat feet, and face are a touch lighter, but not enough for me to care about. The tops of her hip peanuts have a darker hue from the friction in her hip socket, so that's fine- and absolutely no dye collected on any of her seamlines. Well ok then! 😵

Some things I learned: - Between wire, string, dowels, fishnet, and free-handing- I liked string, it gave me a lot of control. Wire was ok, but I noticed afterwards that it had dug into the thinner resin around her hip socket, so I probably will use it less- wire works well for small bits so they don't get thrashed around in the boiling water, but IMHO the fishnet was awesome and way faster.

- The water WILL evaporate!! 😂 Even though I filled it even more than needed, I started to notice pieces that were formerly submerged started to peek out when hanging on the dowel. This is when my boo and I started to just hold the strings above the pot- but the steam WILL get to you after a while. (Don't be me. Bad bee.) Hook the string onto a piece of wire, hold it with forceps or tongs- whatever you can find. - Keeping up a quick pace is important. The water is evaporating, the dye to water ratio will change over time. This might get complicated if a part gets splotchy or has residue- but I think it's better to run through and dye everything in one pass, then go through and clean/strip the parts that didn't turn out and redye those. (Unless you have an assistant! but I can't speak from experience yet. Guess I have to dye more dolls and find out! 👀) Anyway, without further ado-

(Since tumblr is limiting posts to 10 photos, expect more photosets in the future...)

I can't believe how lucky this first attempt was lmfao. I keep having moments of "but is she TOO pink?" but then immediately marveling in how lovely she is in all lighting conditions. I need to get apoxie for her elf ears and start on her faceup, and I'm still hunting eyes and a wig to modify for her, but she's sitting on my craft desk in all her pink radiance. 

"No one's hiding anything, Dee", he replied causally, motioning the irate woman to close the door. Not wanting his brothers to hear their quarrel from down stairs. Deirdre reluctantly does so and returns to her interrogation. "If you aren't hiding anything, then do you keep avoiding me whenever I ask why you keep coming back so late?"

Jacob got up suddenly, running his hand through his hair sighing. It was currently 2:36 in the morning. A bit ago, Jacob, John, and Joseph had just gotten back to the ranch to find Deirdre sitting on the couch waiting for them. Particularly Jacob. Deirdre had gotten there hours ago after coming from the F.A.N.G. Center. They were both tired.

"I already told you before Dee. Joseph's late night sermons are very--" "'Important to the Project', yeah I got that," Deirdre finished, rolling her dark, brown eyes. "So important you're kept out until almost 3am."

The redhead's jaw shifted. "Yeah? If you know, then why are you barkin' at me about it?"

"'Barking?'", Deirdre gasped, voice shaking with emotion, "the only reason I'm 'barking' at you is because I know you're lying to me about what's really going on and you've never lied to me before."

Jacob crossed his arms over his chest, his posture stiffening, and his weight shifting from one leg to the next. Deirdre didn't expect for herself to blow up at Jacob like that. It was just so frustrating with how secretive he's being and she hated being lied to. If they were going to start a new life together, they would have to communicate better. And this time it would have to start with her.

"Hey, sit", Deirdre softly coaxed, while patting a spot beside her on their bed when she finally sat down. Though Jacob was hesitant, due to how fast he believed her mood changed, he settled down next to her. Despite her now calm demeanor, Jacob could still sensed tension radiating off of Deirdre. She flinched at the feeling of his large hand stroking the small of her back. She really couldn't stop herself from practically melting into his side. There were times where Deirdre wanted Jacob to be more verbal about his affections towards her. This was not one of those times.

"Jacob, at the F.A.N.G. Center, I've...overheard things", Deirdre started. "Things from a coworker saying that he saw you meeting with some sort of...weapon supplier during a few of Joseph's late night sermons he and a friend went to for fun."

"Really now?". Jacob sounded almost...amused.

"Yeah...? Apparently the men you're in charge of were unloading wooden crates from a truck when he went out to smoke. You opened one of the crates a little and he saw a bunch of rifles."

"That coworker of yours say anything else?" He was now stroking her arm.

"No. I didn't hear anything else." Deirdre was calm now. "Jake, what's really going on? And please tell me the truth?"

Jacob exhaled and pulled the woman closer to him, feeling Deirdre's thick, wavy hair brush against his beard. "Those guns are for our protection. Protecting what Joseph believes in", Jacob informed. "Folks around here are a little...unpredictable. They don't like what they can't understand." Deirdre's brown, doe-eyes widened in concern. "We're not gonna go out of our way to hurt no one. I just want our members to be protected and I need to train my men to be strong for when the Collapse comes." Deirdre is still on the fence about whether she believes in the Collapse or not. But Jacob is the only person that's important to her right now, and what's important to him, would eventually be important to her. Which meant his brothers and their Project. So Deirdre can't totally be dismissive of the new life she chose.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you and calling you a liar," Deirdre lamented. "I just hate being lied to, or rather, hate being kept in the dark about things...by you."

"Yeah?" Jacob pulled her into his lap. A way to physically say he accepts her apology.

Deirdre nodded. "As much as it concerns me that guns are now involved, I want you to know that I'll stick by you no matter what. So don't be afraid to be straight with me."

"I ain't afraid of anything Dee. I just wasn't ready to tell you to about our operations."

"Oh."

They sat is silence for a bit until Jacob broke the silence as he pulled Deirdre closer. "I guess I'll try to be more open about what we've been doing. Just promise me you'll stay with us. With me." Deirdre sighed and then smiled. "I'll stay with you. I kind of have to."

"Good enough for me, Dee." Jacob lips got close to her ear. "Now how 'bout a kiss?" He started kissing below her earlobe.

Deirdre huffed at the sensation then pulled away. "How about we get some sleep, Jake? I still have work in several hours."

Everything is just beginning to settle again when Molly comes downstairs early one morning, peering into the sitting room to see if Harry is still asleep. He’s been having a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep as he’s been weaning off the pain potions.

This morning though, as she looks in on him, he is sound asleep. He lies on his back, his face relaxed in a way she has rarely seen since the curse that nearly claimed his life.

Lying next to him is her only daughter, on her side facing him, their hands entwined in the narrow space between.

Molly considers the scene for a long moment before turning for the stairs and going back upstairs, giving the ghoul a good solid prod as she passes.

Molly didn’t want Ginny to go to Ireland, to pursue a career as dangerous and untested as Quidditch. By mostly, she wasn’t ready to let go of the last of her children. It took her ages to realize her misstep. Ginny is not one to be contained or dictated to, and it is this very part of her that has kept her safe for so long. The same way she keeps things so tightly held to her chest, the way there is far more that she hides than she shares.

And so with great effort, Molly lets things lie, knowing Harry’s near death experience and Ginny’s budding career are complications enough.

Well, she pokes gently now again, just to judge reactions. She trusts them, that doesn’t mean she isn’t curious. But she has also learned the hard lesson of alienating her daughter, and isn’t eager to face that cold distance again.

As the weeks pass, nothing reveals itself, Harry back to his home and Ginny off far away to her dreams. Molly’s just begun to believe she read too much into it when it all finally breaks.

It starts with a book, if such a word can even be used to describe a pile of filth and lies held together with a binding. She reads it, mostly because no one is going to badmouth her daughter without her having something to say about it, but also because Ginny never talks about that year, and she’s curious.

When she finishes, she wishes she never picked it up in the first place. Because even if they are lies, there is a truth lying under all of it that wears the stoic mask of her daughter’s face, and some things begin to click painfully into place.

Ginny smiles and makes self-deprecating jokes that are honed with fine sharp edges that belie their ease. I’m fine, she says, smile fierce and dangerous.

Even when the ministry turns its hungry eyes on her, Ginny just lifts her chin and dares them to try.

This is when it finally all falls apart.

Ginny walks into the garden one evening, only to be followed a moment later by Harry, a grim look of determination on his face. To Molly’s surprise, Harry grabs Ginny’s arm, pulling her around, and for a moment it looks like he may yell, but instead he pulls her in to his body with something like ease and familiarity and kisses her.

Here we go, Molly thinks.

It’s awful watching Ginny tear him apart, shatter his poor heart right there in front of everyone, but what’s worse is the utter hopelessness in Ginny, these feelings she’s hidden so well from all of them.

*     *     *

Molly watches as Ron and Hermione speak furtively to each other in low tones, their topic clearly Harry. Agreement eventually made, Hermione disappears off after Harry, Ron joining the rest of her sons at the table where they currently squabble over the drama they all just watched unfold.

“What happened with Crabbe?” Molly asks, crossing over to stand at the head of the table, Arthur silently just behind.

She watches her children all glance at each other, as always, trying to decide how much to protect each other.

Ron shrugs. “No one actually knows. But fifth year he supposedly fell down a flight of stairs. He was in the infirmary for a week.”

“Wasn’t that right around when Ginny broke her collarbone?” George asks.

Ron nods. “A rogue Bludger, she always said.”

They look at each other, something passing between them.

“He was a bully,” Percy says, looking a little uncomfortable to be speaking that way of the dead, but clearly keen to exonerate his sister. “Even when I was at Hogwarts.”

George nods. “He hit Harry with that nasty late Bludger. The game we got banned. Remember?”

Ron nods.

Bill frowns. “So we’re saying that Ginny did something to Crabbe in revenge? Something that ended up putting him in hospital for a week?”

“He no doubt deserved it,” George says, valiantly trying to defend his sister, but Molly knows it’s probably more than that, to judge from the way Ginny spoke of it. The way she threw it on the ground in front of them all as if she herself were troubled by it still.

“We all make mistakes,” Molly says.

Hermione appears with a pop, walking back into the garden.

Ron pushes to his feet.

Hermione shakes her head. “He wouldn’t talk to me. He’s locked himself in his room.”

“Did he say something?” Ron asks, clearly noting how stricken she looks. “Anything?”

“About Ginny? No.”

“Did you two really not know?” Bill asks.

“He said they’d been together for three years,” George points out. “Kind of a hard thing to miss.”

“But that can’t be true,” Ron says. “I mean Cass. And didn’t Ginny date Michael?”

Hermione shakes her head. “I don’t know. I’ve only suspected for a couple months.”

“A couple months?” Ron says, sounding outraged.“And you didn’t say anything?”

“I wasn’t certain. I only suspected. I mean, they’re never together, and she’s over in Ireland, so I thought maybe…”

“I can’t believe you never told me!” Ron rails.

“Clearly Harry was going to great lengths to keep it a secret. I assumed they had their reasons. And I didn’t…” She falters, eyes filling with tears.

“What?” Ron says, his anger seeming to instantly soften as he touches her back.

“I didn’t want to make him mad at me again.”  

“’Mione,” Ron sighs.

“I mean Cass. If I’d known I would never—”

“We didn’t know,” Ron says.

She nods, still looking miserable. “He was really…upset. I haven’t seen him like that in a long time.”

Ron’s jaw tightens, like maybe he has some idea what that may have looked like, pulling her into a hug.

“Should someone check on Ginny?” Percy asks, glancing up towards her room.

“Go ahead, if you feel like getting hexed,” Bill says.

Molly lifts her wand. “Leave your sister be. We will eat dinner, and let this sort itself out.”

She gets some mulish looks, but no one argues.

Only once all of her sons have gone back to their homes does Molly finally climb the stairs to Ginny’s room, finding her sitting and staring at the wall like any movement would be far too painful.

The puddle on Ginny’s floor is littered with glass, but her face is the shattered, dangerous thing.

Molly tells her to come down, trying not to be alarmed when she acquiesces without a fight,mechanically eating.

Arthur speaks, and Molly reminds her this was a war they all fought.

Ginny sits at her table and bends, and Molly sees that she’s somehow talked herself into believing she doesn’t deserve it, doesn’t deserve anyone’s love. Because the war may not have made her into a monster, but it made her believe it all the same.

*     *    *

Molly has to find the deepest well of patience within herself to sit in that courtroom and not hex every so-called responsible adult in that room. She focuses on her daughter, the intense pride she feels because there she is, under the calm surfaces and dangerous words: her reckless, brave, ruthless, beautiful child.

Even more telling, she thinks, is the way so many people rally to her side. So many young people, showing devotion to each other, refusing to be bullied or to budge no matter the authority of the court, and this is the thing to give Molly faith for a future better than the endless wars she has fought. The losses they have paid.

“Alright, dear?” she asks Ginny after she is released, the inquest and the book behind her, but gaping wounds still ahead.

Molly had stood in the hall and watched Harry and Ginny fight, rail and thunder against each other yet again, but also the way Harry was fighting for her, not against, that he will not be driven off by the things in Ginny that Molly herself has always struggled with. And Ginny, who seemed to shove him away with both hands almost as steadily as she held him close.

“No,” Ginny admits. “I’m not all right at all.”

That small truth tells Molly that she will be though, makes her believe it more than anything else.

*      *     *

Molly sits at her kitchen table with a cup of tea, the house quiet and empty. Not hollow, but simply waiting.

“Ginny never came home last night?” Arthur asks as he comes to breakfast, clearly alarmed at having found her bedroom as empty as it was when Molly first checked.

“It’s okay,” Molly says.

Arthur frowns. “How is that okay?”

Molly points to the family clock. Ginny’s hand isn’t on traveling or gallivanting about or even mortal peril. Instead, it is firmly pointing to one destination.

Home.

Arthur makes noise about Ginny hiding somewhere in the Burrow or the old clock needing a tuning.