Water was coming through the ceiling.
Hermione stormed upstairs, fuming. That roof! It’s leaking everywhere! She thought. It had better be fixed by tomorrow evening…
Downstairs, there was a steady drip, drip, drip of water as the hall gradually got wetter with the rain that kept leaking through the numerous holes in the roof.
Hermione grabbed the bucket from behind the sink and went back to the hall. She put the bucket under the biggest leak, and went up to bed. I just hope it doesn’t flood, was her last thought before she slipped away into dreamland.
________________________________________________________________________
The next afternoon no one had come, and Hermione was getting irritable.
She snatched up the phone and dialled.
“Hello, Rent-a-Cottage, Lila speaking.”
“Hello, this Hermione Granger. I’m renting the Cliffside Cottage and I have a complaint. You see, the roof-”
“All complaints must be filed to the owner of the cottage. We don’t deal with them. Goodbye,” the girl said, almost robotically.
“But-”
“Goodbye, Miss. Granger. Have a happy holiday!” With a cheery tone, ‘Lila’ hung up.
Hermione ground her teeth. “Well, I’ll just have to go over there…”
She Apparated.
***
Ginny sat down, staring at the kitchen floor. Memories ran through her mind, pulling at the edges. Faces swirled in front of her, taunting her.
“Anyone hurt?” Harry asked.
He was standing beside his friends, making sure everyone was all right. Just like always.
“I’m all right,” answered Hermione.
“Me too,” Ginny replied.
“Ron?” Harry said.
No answer.
“Ron!” Hermione was panicking now.
No answer.
Ginny bent down and began to look through the rubble. He’s got to be here. He’s got to be here. The one thought went round and round in her head.
“Here he is!” With the sound of Harry’s voice came a wave of relief over Ginny. Immediately both of the girls ran over to Harry.
“Rennervate,” He pointed his wand at Ron. Ron stirred.
But at that moment six people burst through the only wall that had, up until that point, remained standing. Now it crumbled.
The six people all wore plain black robes, with masks covering their faces. They raised their wands.
“Stupefy!”
A jet of red light flew straight towards Hermione and hit her in the chest before Harry or Ginny could make a move. Hermione fell to the ground, eyes closed.
“Hermione!” Ron managed to sit up and reached out for her.
Ginny turned to face their attackers.
“Avada Ked-”
“Protego!” Ginny shouted, full of rage. But it was no use. They were outnumbered two to one.
The memory faded. Tears ran down Ginny’s cheek, and she collapsed, crying.
Now that the house was useable again, Hermione wanted to introduce her new friend Jessenia to Ginny. Instead of sending an owl, Hermione decided to Apparate and take her friend out to lunch. However, when she got there, Ginny was crying, a stream of tears running down her face.
“Ginny! What’s the matter?”
“Her - Hermione?” Ginny sounded surprised. “You - you’re dead! Are you a ghost, or something?”
“What? I’m not dead, Ginny. I’m fine… are you alright?”
“But - but I remember! I saw you die!”
Hermione shook her head. Then she stepped forward, concerned. Ginny scrambled backwards.
“Get away from me! You’re a Death Eater, trying to get information out of me, aren’t you? Well, I won’t tell! I won’t tell you where Harry is!”
“Ginny, I know where Harry is. He’s at the office - where he works. Ginny, the Death Eaters don’t exist anymore… I think you need a Healer. Have you been drinking?”
Slowly, Ginny shook her head. Her hand was shaking like a leaf as she picked up something behind her. Then suddenly -
“Stupefy!”
Hermione dodged the spell and got her own wand out.
“I’m sorry, Ginny, but I have to take you to St. Mungos. Come on.” Ginny didn’t fight back and she let the older witch take her by the hand and Apparate her to the hospital.
Hermione looked sadly at her friend. I’m so sorry, Ginny. I should have stopped them. But in her mind, Ginny was far away.
She sat in her cell, staring at the ground. Three weeks. That was how long she’d been here, trapped. She laughed mirthlessly, remembering what had brought her to rot in the godforsaken prison of Askaban.
She glared at him, her wand raised.
“Please - don’t - I beg you! I did not mean it - it was an accident! Please! Just listen to me!” he implored.
“It’s because of you he’s gone! You killed him! You deserve everything you get!” she hissed.
“But - it was an accident! It wasn’t my fault; I tried to stop it! Please -” He broke off and gulped, as her wand prodded his throat.
Her eyes seemed to glisten with rage.
“Avada Kedavra!” she screamed. His life disappeared in a flash of green, and he slumped. George, pale and sweaty, wand held tightly, burst in.
“Ginny!” he gasped. Dawlish followed him.
“You just used an Unforgivable!” The only brother she had left stared at the corpse on the floor. Dawlish looked from it to Ginny.
“I’m afraid you will have to come with me, Miss. Weasley.”
She had a year to rot in this godforsaken place. A whole year for avenging Harry! But her anger at the whole thing kept her sane, and she only had to survive for another year, instead of the rest of her life. They had been so ‘understanding’ of what she’d been going through then that they ‘let her off lightly.’ She snorted.
Back in reality, Hermione jumped, and got up.
“Ginny?”
There was no answer. Hermione sat down with a sigh. Another false alarm. If only there was a cure.
It's All in Your Head by Celtic_Jewel
Chapter Notes: Thanks to my beta, Ashley.