Ginny stirred and rolled onto her side. She was in the same rustic house that Cormac had brought her to nearly a week ago. She still didn’t remember anything other than her name and Cormac’s, who claimed he was her boyfriend. She didn’t know if it was true or not, but currently, it was the only connection she had to her lost past, which she was determined to find again. He hadn’t tried to kiss her since the first time she saw him after she blacked out. She felt as though there was a void within her that Cormac couldn’t fill. She rubbed her hand over her stomach. Without warning, she gasped.
“Oh, Merlin,” she hissed to herself. The two children within her, though she didn’t know how she knew they were twins, kicked her stomach hard, as if they were trying to tell her something. She still wondered to whom the children belonged. Cormac said that they were not his. He insisted that she should get rid of them so that they would not be a burden to her. She, however, felt a connection to the unborn twins. She did not want to let them go.
She glowered at the sun shining through the window, taunting her. She wished that she could go outside to stretch her legs, but the doors and windows were locked and she wasn’t allowed outside. She sighed and flopped heavily onto the couch. Cormac, of course, wasn’t home. He seemed to be away more than he was with her, which seemed odd since he often reminded her that he was her boyfriend.
“Don’t leave,” he told her, when she last asked if she could go out. “I don’t want to risk losing you again.”
She understood where he was coming from, but she still was angry. She didn’t want to be treated like a baby. She sighed again and closed her eyes. As she did she heard someone calling. Ginny, where are you? a terrified voice cried. Her eyes snapped open. She peered around the room, but no one was there. Without warning, the doors swung open. Cormac strode in with his usual overconfident air. She scowled at the pompous grin on his face.
“Are you comfortable?” he asked.
Ginny glared indignantly. “You lock me in here and expect me to be comfortable?”
“Sorry, Ginny,” he said, taking her in his arms. She recoiled slightly at his touch. “You still don’t trust me because you won’t let me in. If you just let go of this pregnancy, you’ll be less confused and we can move on.”
“NO WAY!” she shouted indignantly. She pushed hard against him and glared. “I’m going to have these children, whether you like it or not.”
He stared back for several moments before narrowing his eyes and raising his wand.
“Imperio,” he hissed.
She suddenly felt blissfully unaware of everything around her. She felt free of her pain and confusion. There was an urge within her to approach the man standing in front of her. Her arms wrapped around him of their own accord. She closed her eyes as he leaned in to kiss her.
His face was a mere inch from hers when there was a loud succession of pops and cracks outside and the door to the cabin shook violently on its hinges. The blissful ignorance placed upon her was immediately broken. She glared at Cormac for hexing her but before she could say anything, he dragged her through a trapdoor, clamping a hand over her mouth.
*********************************************************************************************
“There’s been an Imperius Curse cast in the forest near Malfoy Manor,” Ron said, interrupting the awkward silence between him and his best mate.
“Ron,” Harry began, uncertainly.
“There hasn’t been a magical disturbance there since Malfoy died,” Ron interrupted with a tone of forced formality. “Aurors are already on their way to investigate, but you might want to look into it personally.”
He left before Harry could reply. Harry sighed miserably and Disapparated. He landed in the middle of a green clearing. A small wooden cabin stood only a few yards away. Aurors were already swarming around it, looking for signs of life. The door appeared to have been knocked off of its hinges during the process of forcing it open. Nobody asked him questions as he strode in.
“Have you found anything?” he asked the nearest Auror, one he knew as Dawlish.
“No, Minister,” Dawlish replied. The look on his face told Harry that he wasn’t forgiven for Stunning him during his hunt for the Horcruxes. Serves him right for tailing us, Harry thought.
He sighed again, turning his back on Dawlish. Craning his neck to peer around every corner of the cramped cabin, he spotted the kitchen. The sink held several dirty dishes, leaving him with the impression that someone had been here recently. He closed his eyes, hoping that his connection with Ginny would lead him nearer to her. He walked forward without opening them. He took several steps to the left, and just when he felt that he was close enough to touch her, he ran face first into a wall.
He moaned in disappointment. He could have sworn he could feel her nearby, but perhaps he only felt it because it was what he wanted to feel.
“Are there any other signs of magic here?” he asked Tonks, miserably.
She looked up at him sadly. “I’m sorry, Harry. There’s nothing here. The others are getting ready to leave now.”
Harry nodded, preparing himself to Disapparate with the others.
*************************************************************************************
As soon as a series of pops and cracks alerted Ginny and McLaggen of their departure, his vice-like grip on her loosened. She shoved open the trap door and glared at him.
“What the bloody hell is your problem?” she asked angrily.
“I was trying to protect you,” he replied simply.
“You’ve got to be joking,” she muttered incredulously. Then, without warning, she ran out of the cabin, which had been turned inside out by the Aurors.
She ran as far as her swollen ankles would permit her. She didn’t know where she was going, but without warning, she felt a pressure fall upon her. As if she had been shoved into a small rubber tube, she struggled to breathe. Then, just as quickly as it had come, the pressure lifted and she fell in front of a crooked looking house. It wasn’t big, but compared to the shack she had just been trapped in, it was like a palace. She didn’t know why she suddenly felt so bitter against where she was staying before, but she also felt a connection toward this place. As she walked to the front door she heard voices.
“You haven’t found her yet?” a worried-sounding woman asked.
“No,” said a man’s voice.
“It’s been over a week,” she sobbed.
“I know,” he said quietly. “It’s as if she’s just vanished.”
She was so wrapped up in listening to the strangers’ conversation that she didn’t hear someone approach her from behind.
“Ginny?” screeched a young woman with bushy brown hair. “What happened to you?”
Ginny didn’t say anything. How did this woman know her? Before she could say anything, the two in the house darted out of the house.
“Ginny!” a tall ginger-haired man shouted in surprise. She stared in shock. His red hair was the exact same shade as hers.
The plump witch who had accompanied the man out embraced her in a bone-crushing hug.
“I was so worried,” the woman cried.
Ginny took a step back, her eyes wide. “Who are you people?” she asked uncertainly.
The three around her looked worried and the bushy haired one asked tentatively, “What do you mean?”
She rubbed her temple irritably, willing her memories to return. “I don’t remember anything. It’s like my mind is blank.”
The man silently slipped away, leaving Ginny with the two women. They both stared at her as if seeing her for the first time. Ginny shifted her weight uncomfortably from foot to foot before scowling.
“Maybe it was a mistake to come here,” she said before stomping away.
“Ginny, wait!” the brown-haired woman exclaimed, grabbing her by the wrist. “Can’t you wait for Harry? He’s been worried sick.”
She was about to ask who this Harry was, but before she could, a memory arose suddenly in her mind along with a sharp headache. A man with deep green eyes and wild black hair was staring lovingly at her with a smile on his face. She felt her knees shake as she saw the man. She gasped and wrenched her hand away from the woman’s grasp.
“What did you do to me?” she cried.
Before either could answer, she took off running again. Ignoring their pleas for her to return, she screamed over her shoulder, “You’re just like McLaggen! You’re probably even with him!”
Meanwhile, Ron burst through the Ministry, just as he had only a week ago. The halls were nearly empty as the sun set through the windows.
“Ginny-Burrow-memory,” he panted breathlessly,
Harry’s head, which had been leaning over a stack of papers, snapped up so quickly that it appeared that he cricked his neck.
“What about Ginny?” he asked frantically, vigorously massaging his neck.
“She’s at the Burrow,” Ron said, catching his breath. “She says that she lost her memory.”
Harry jumped up and left the room before Ron could say anything else, refusing to meet his gaze.
“Where is she?” he asked the moment his feet landed on the front porch of the Burrow.
“I’m sorry, Harry!” Hermione cried. She looked terrified. “She ran away again before we could stop her.”
“She screamed something about McLaggen before she left,” Mrs Weasley said through a sob.
There was a moment of silence before Ron spoke. “Harry, mate, I’m sorry for blaming you,” he muttered. “I shouldn’t-“
“No,” Harry suddenly interrupted. His voice was even quieter than Ron’s. “You’re right. I should have protected her better.”
The other three immediately tried to object and comfort him, but he shook turned his back to them. His whole body was shaking as he vowed, “I’m going to kill McLaggen for whatever he did to her.”
A/N: Okay, so before anyone says anything about Harry declining Ron’s apology, I’d like to point out that he’s very, very upset. Anyways, anyone catch the Pottercast reference? *giggles* I couldn’t mention the Aurors without bringing in good ol’ DAAAWLISH! I’m going to have to think of a Mugglecast reference somewhere… If anyone asks, I’m not using Horcri… lol anyone know what I’m talking about? YAY! Big thanks to all of you for the lovely reviews. I especially want to thanks snhpf for constantly reviewing and being my buddy :] and to Silver_Quill for bringing hot cheese and piranha goldfish into a new perspective for me *Laughs hysterically* There. If constantly leave witty reviews, I might just mention you here!
~QP