Ginny paced in the kitchen, her mind reeling with thoughts. She had awoken from a dream without disturbing Harry, which was a relief, because it meant she didn’t have to lie to him like she had to four days ago. Knowing it wouldn’t help, knowing it would only make her anxiety worse, Ginny stopped pacing suddenly and walked straight to the cupboard holding her Pensieve. She placed her wand at the surface and found the memory of the dream of four days ago, the dream she had lied to Harry about.
Diagon Alley was under attack. Her dream had started in the middle of action, odd for dreams, which usually jumped around between random memories before landing in the main focus of the dream. Instead, she remembered clearly standing in the middle of the road, watching families scatter, taking cover in stores, knowing they couldn’t risk Side-Along-Apparations with more than one child. Auror’s, member’s of the Order, Ron, Hermione, people from Dumbledore’s Army, and random witches and wizards fought together against the mass of masked Death Eater’s fighting towards Gringott’s Bank. She heard Harry yelling at her, but she stood, as if in a trance, watching the dream unfold, because she knew it was just that, a dream.
She had bolted straight up in bed with a loud gasp that had caused Harry to sit up at her side, rubbing her back as she breathed irregularly, “Was it real time?” A shake of the head for an answer, she couldn’t trust speaking yet, he’d pick up on the change in her voice. He’d know she knew something new.
“Everyone survived?”
It wasn’t exactly a lie, a small nod and a quiet confirmation, “Yes, everyone survived the dream…” But she woke up before the dream ended…and the ending had been clear.
He gave her neck a small, affectionate squeeze. “And nothing out of the ordinary happened? A typical battle, Order versus Death Eaters?” No. No it wasn’t typical. She had stood in the middle of the battle, as Harry screamed, pleading with her.
“In Diagon Alley,” she swallowed hard, “The usual fighters…Order, the DA, random’s…you, Ron, Hermione.”
“And no one was hurt?”
It wasn’t exactly a lie, a small nod and a quiet confirmation, “No one was hurt.” But she woke up before the dream ended…and the ending had been clear.
She had “battle” dreams quite often, sometimes occurring at Hogwarts, or Diagon Alley, or the Burrow, so when she explained to Harry that it was just another dream of that sort as he had asked all his regular questions, he had kissed her forehead and held her close as they laid back down.
There was something more, however, that she didn’t mention to him, something that was different than the other battle dreams: she didn’t join in the fighting. She stood there, watching everything unfold…and it was the reason, the feeling, the understanding of why…Ginny looked away from the Pensieve as the sickening feeling in her stomach she had felt standing in that dream threatened to overtake her entire being.
So, she hadn’t exactly lied to him four days ago…but those same questions, if he had the opportunity to have asked them tonight…she would have been forced to lie because she had the dream in full. What she knew to be the end of the battle had been confirmed, and now she couldn’t justify her lies. No, it wasn’t real time, but not everyone survived…it sure as hell wasn’t an ordinary battle…and he would be hurt the most of anyone involved.
Ginny sighed heavily as she drew the silvery strands of the dream from her temple and placed them in the swirling water of her Pensieve, knowing she would never allow Ron, Hermione, or Harry watch what it contained.
“Ginny?” Hermione’s voice broke the silence. Ginny swiveled in the kitchen chair and gave Hermione a weak smile which was a sort of allowance for Hermione to enter the room fully. “Bad dream?”
Ginny nodded as Hermione sat across the table from her. Then the silence returned to the room, but to Ginny it felt like drums were pounding in her ears, and a high ringing spun around and tightened its grip on her head. Even after placing the memory of the dream into the Pensieve, much like the dream four days ago, it’s shadow remained swimming sporadically in her mind.
She closed her eyes and heard chopped up remnants of the memory, voices ringing with calm reasoning, frantic yelling, and Harry…Harry pleading with her. Her eyes stung and she felt Hermione’s hand enveloping her own from across the table, “Gin? Are you alright?” she whispered.
“I’m just upset I haven’t dreamt about Hufflepuff manor in so long. I know there is something there.” Ginny clenched her jaw, another half truth. When had she started keeping things from everyone? Hadn’t they all been so open and trusting thus far? She had a sudden pang of understanding for Dumbledore. Where did he find the strength to keep the most disturbing news from the ears of those involved? Did she have the ability to keep the weight off Ron, Hermione and Harry’s shoulders?
“Gin?”
She loved them all so much, that’s why she wasn’t telling them everything…it was for their own good. That’s how Dumbledore got through. But Dumbledore was flawed. Wasn’t she just delaying the inevitable? But she had to…if she told them now, they’d try and stop it from happening, and it had to happen. If she told them what her dreams contained, more harm would befall them, more pain and suffering. That is if prophecies are to be believed. Dumbledore had explained to her and Harry the complexities of prophecies. Would Harry be the one so affected by this war if Voldemort had never heard the prophecy?
“Ginny, can you even hear me?”
Would the events of her dream unfold if she had never dreamt it in the first place? If she told Harry everything, he would do everything in his power to make sure it didn’t occur, but would it even matter? Would she let him stop her from doing what had to be done?
“Ginny? Listen to me, you need to calm down.”
Maybe not telling them was her being a coward. Maybe she didn’t want to deal with Harry’s pleading directly, if she waited until the last moment, she could run away when his world crashed in around him. She choked on her tears when that thought struck her. She would be abandoning him.
“Breathe, Ginny, breathe.”
It had to happen and she knew it, standing in the dreams. She had a decision to make, and in the dream it was so clear, but thinking about it…seeing Harry’s face outside the dream…hearing his voice in her head…she couldn’t breathe.
“I’m going to get Harry.”
“No!” Ginny stifled a sob, she felt like she was being strangled. Everything was collapsing.
“You’re hyperventilating Ginny, you need to breathe!” Hermione’s voice was tight with concern and exasperation.
Then the full realization, she was suffocating, and Hermione knew something was horribly wrong, and she would need to come up with one hell of a lie. How could she keep Hermione from running to Harry? She couldn’t fill her lungs, they weren’t even in her, and her heart wouldn’t beat…was it because it knew she would throw half of it away when she abandoned him, so it was abandoning her in full now in spite?
“Ginny!” Her shoulders were being shaken, and her eyes shot up to Hermione and locked there, she could focus. “You don’t need to tell me what’s going on,” a hand placed reassuringly on her cheek, she could feel. “I won’t ask you a damned question,” she shook her head and felt hot dry air scratch her throat, “and I won’t tell Harry about whatever the hell is happening right now, but I can’t do that if you don’t take a breath right now.”
Choppy, sharp, choking, quick, and stabbing, breaths, “That’s better…but listen to me, together, we’re going to take a real breath. Are you ready, Ginny? You have to focus. Together now, that’s it, slowly…in,” and Hermione placed both hands on her face and slowly breathed in, made sure Ginny returned her gaze, “and out. There you go, and again,” another deep breath and everything righted itself. She did have lungs, her heart hadn’t left her, and it could still beat.
They stared at each other, and Ginny saw that Hermione was kneeling in front of her, a glass of water was being given to her. She sipped it. “Hermione…” her voice was raw.
“I said I wouldn’t ask questions…when you’re ready, you can tell us what’s going on. Just…just don’t do anything stupid Ginny. I can see it in your eyes. I’ve seen it in Harry before…and it scares the hell out of me.” Ginny nodded, finished her water, and allowed Hermione to walk her up to her bedroom. She felt the squeeze on her arm, was Hermione being reassuring or was the touch meant to remind her she had a responsibility to tell her what exactly had just happened.
She slid into bed and saw Harry sleeping soundly. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “Please…please forgive me.” Harry’s eyes moved beneath his lids, and Ginny saw the corners of his mouth twitch, but he didn’t wake up. Ginny turned away from him, knowing she had to pull herself together. She brought the sheets up to her chin, took a deep breath and fell back into Diagon Alley, where she stood like a statue as everything she knew spun in chaos around her.
Weeks passed, and a routine had developed in Grimmauld Place. Ginny spent most of her time sifting through the Pensieve’s, looking through Dumbledore’s memories of searching for Horcruxes. Only she could be drawn towards objects or places that could be important. Together with the memories and her dreams, she’d report her findings to Harry, Ron, and Hermione and they’d do further research, travel to villages, and interview people (while in disguise of course). They’d been focusing on Ginny’s Hufflepuff Manor dream, Ron and Hermione took turns scoping the mansion while she had been researching the history of Helga Hufflepuff.
Ron and Harry had left earlier that day to go watch the Hufflepuff Manor, leaving Hermione and Ginny at Grimmauld. Ginny had been reading about Helga Hufflepuff’s detailed childhood when she had fell into a light slumber. She snapped awake with Hermione’s voice above her.
“I’m sorry!” Hermione apologized when Ginny jumped a foot in the air. She rubbed her chest where her heart beat wildly in surprise.
“It’s okay…” Ginny closed her eyes and tried to remember what she had been dreaming as Hermione took a seat next to her.
“I actually wanted to talk to you about that night…a few weeks back?” Hermione said tentatively, not sure if she should bring it up. “I know I said I wouldn’t push the topic…but it really scared me…and I just wanted to know…”
Ginny’s head snapped up, “Hufflepuff Manor.”
“What?”
“It’s going to happen tonight. You three need to go tonight.” Ginny said, turning to Hermione, who thought maybe Ginny was just trying to change the topic.
“How…were you dreaming just now? About the Manor?” Hermione tried to understand.
Ginny nodded. “The trinket room I dreamt about…the Horcrux is definitely in there…and it’s a statue. A small statue…” Ginny closed her eyes again. Hermione waited. “There isn’t enough time, though. In the dream, I felt like there wasn’t any time…”
“No time for what?” Hermione asked, becoming anxious.
Ginny shook her head, not understanding it herself. “I don’t know.”
“We can’t just go…with so little information…even if there isn’t any time…it’d be silly just to run there tonight,” Hermione explained softly to Ginny.
“I know. But maybe, maybe it won’t happen tonight, but when it does, you’ll have to be quick? No, that’s not it…” Ginny stood up and began to pace. “I feel like I have to be there.”
Hermione’s eyes grew wide, “I’m sorry Ginny, but you can’t come.”
Ginny turned to her, with her eyebrows raised. “I know I don’t usually…but I think this time I might have to...” Hermione continued to shake her head, “What the hell, Hermione?”
“I don’t trust you coming with.” Hermione shrugged.
“What?”
“I said I don’t”“
“I heard you!” Ginny’s voice rose.
Hermione stepped forward, “Why did you freak out that night? What did you dream to make you so scared…so against talking to Harry?”
“This has nothing to do with that…”
“You told me that night you were upset you hadn’t dreamt about Hufflepuff Manor in so long, then you hyperventilated, and now you want to go along to find the Horcrux tonight? Don’t tell me it has nothing to do with it,” Hermione’s voice was high and frazzled.
“Whatever, Hermione, believe what you want. I’m not ready to talk about what happened that night, and I trust that you won’t go back on your promise and you’ll keep it from Harry, because it isn’t time for him to know, or for you to know.” Ginny said, her face had become flushed. “I’m just telling you what I was dreaming when you came into this room 10 minutes ago. I’m telling you the Horcrux is a small statue, it’s in the trinket room in Hufflepuff Manor…and you won’t find it unless I go with. Why? I don’t know…I wish things were easier, that we have all the answers, but we don’t. All we can do is trust our instincts.”
“Fine,” Hermione answered, “But my instinct is that you are hiding something huge and”“
“Hermione! Ginny!” the girls were staring angrily at each other when Ron bustled into the room, out of breath, closely followed by Harry, who hung on the doorframe.
“Is everything alright?” Hermione placed a hand on Ron’s shoulder; he was hunched over, clutching his stomach.
“Yeah, we came back to get you Hermione…we overheard a conversation between the old couple…they’re leaving the house tonight, it’s our chance to go in and check things out.” Harry explained, walking over and kissing the top of Ginny’s head.
Ginny gave a meaningful glance to Hermione, who turned her attention to Harry, “Do you think that’s wise? We don’t even know what the Horcrux is...”
“I just had a dream that this would happen,” Ginny said quickly, defying the tight lipped Hermione, who was refusing to look at her as a show of disapproval. She continued when no one spoke. “I was just telling Hermione that I thought tonight would be the night…and that the Horcrux is in the trinket room, and that I have this feeling it is a small statue…”
Harry gave her a small nod, then, noticing Ginny’s hard eyes placed on Hermione, and Hermione’s clenched jaw, he said, “Is everything all right?”
“Ginny was also telling me she thought she should come with,” Hermione finally returned Ginny’s hard stare.
“What?” Harry took a step away from Ginny, “Absolutely not!”
Ginny tore her eyes from Hermione, “Why not!?” she challenged Harry.
“We agreed you wouldn’t come along on these things!”
“But I dreamt…”
Hermione cut in, “You dreamt that the Horcrux is a statue in the trinket room. You had a feeling that you needed to come with. It’s not the same.”
“This is ridiculous. You’re not going to have much time tonight”“
“Not if we keep fighting about this”“ Harry said above Ginny’s declarations.
“”and if I come I’ll be drawn to the Horcrux!”
“How do you know you’ll be drawn to it?” Ron finally contributed.
Ginny held up her hands towards the ceiling, “I just do okay?! The old couple will be gone…there isn’t any danger in this situation!”
“There will be if we get caught by them,” Hermione whispered like a child who wanted the last word, she crossed her arms.
“Which is why you want to get in and out…that’s why I should come!”
“No!” Harry repeated angrily.
“I think she should come,” Ron said plainly, after watching everyone with a calculating eye. All three heads turned to him and his words hung in the air.
A few moments passed and Ginny finally said, “Thank you Ron.”
“I said, no.” Harry repeated. “There is absolutely no reason…”
“It’s a room full of frickin’ trinkets. Do you have any idea how many ‘small statues’ there will be in there?” Ron said, now leaning up against the desk Ginny had been sitting at not an hour ago. Harry shook his head, stubbornly. “Listen, you don’t want her to go, you vote no. I think she should come, I vote yes. Hermione? Let’s just say it’s up to you.”
Everyone turned to Hermione, and she slowly looked up and locked eyes with Ginny. Ginny knew in an instant. Hermione whispered, “No.”
Ginny shook her head in disbelief, “Fine. You all better hurry. It’s a small statue; you’d be able to hold it in your hand. Good luck.” She pushed passed Harry, who held out a hand to stop her, but she moved her arm up and over him and left the room.
They all watched her leave, Harry turned to Hermione, “There’s something going on…and you’re going to tell me after we get back from Hufflepuff.”
Hermione shook her head, sidestepped Harry’s demand, and said, “Let’s go.”
Ginny sat silent, sitting at the end of the long kitchen table and watched as Hermione, Ron, and finally Harry disappeared into flames, traveling by the Floo Network. She shook her head, sipped her tea, and waited.
They didn’t have time to prepare or to run. They didn’t hear the old couple return, who came in through the kitchen and sat, sipping coffee and reading the paper. The couple sat there for a long time as Ron, Hermione, and Harry struggled in the trinket room. They didn’t hear the whispered curses, killing the old couple. “Did you hear that?” Ron said. There was a squeak on the stairs. Then Death Eaters poured into the trinket room. Curses were flying…they didn’t have any time…
She didn’t realize how long she had been out, but when she snapped awake, she saw that the tea she had been drinking was spilled all across the table. She sat stunned for a moment before standing quickly. She didn’t know how she knew, but it hadn’t happened yet, and if she’d hurry, she could save all their lives, and get the Horcrux before the Death Eaters.
She fell into the coffee shop located in the middle of the small town. Ginny ignored the gasps and angry yells from the owner as she sprinted out of the shop and tripped onto the street. Closing her eyes, she spun on the spot and was at the gate of the Manor. She saw two shadows walk through the front door. The old couple had just returned. She looked up and saw three more shadows creeping in an upper room of the mansion.
She needed all the time she could get and the driveway was a long one, she made the decision to Apparate into the house. How she was able to hit the trinket room with no problem, she had no idea.
“Ginny?!” Hermione gasped.
Harry stepped forward, ready to demand an explanation, but was interrupted by a voice below, “Did you hear that, dear?” they heard the women call out from the kitchen.
“No!” a man shouted, “What did you hear?”
“It sounded like an Apparation!” the woman called back.
“Shush!” Ginny hissed, as Harry’s mouth hung open. “There’s not time to explain. Death Eater’s are on their way.”
Harry, watched in shock as Ginny moved around the room, her hands out, hovering above rows of trinkets, stopping every so often and closing her eyes, he snapped his head towards the door to the room. He stepped forward as if to grab Ginny, but Hermione stood in front of him. “Just wait,” she whispered, her eyes round.
Ron moved quickly over, “She is coming up the stairs,” he breathed, looking between the two.
Hermione looked frantically at the door as well as they heard the woman’s voice, “I could be imagining it…who would pop into the house at this hour…and why wouldn’t they use the front hall?” she spoke to herself.
“We can’t Apparate out of here…she’ll hear us…and we’ll never get another chance to be in here,” Ron continued. Harry spun around and saw a window cracked open.
Ginny’s eyes remained closed but she spoke in an urgent order, “We need to get Auror’s here, or the old couple is going to die. We can’t stay here, or we’ll die.”
“Out the window,” Harry pointed and pushed Hermione towards it. She nodded and hurried over; meanwhile Ginny looked up and cast her eyes across the room, landing on a jade statue of a wizard and a witch. Ginny walked, as if in a trance, to the statue resting on the shelf. She felt connected to it somehow, like it belonged to her in another life. She stared at it for a little bit, scared to touch it, not knowing how to comprehend her feelings towards it. Never trust something if you can’t see where it keeps its brain.
Ron was already half way out the window after helping Hermione out when Harry looked back and saw Ginny walking away. “Damnit, go,” he said to Ron as he started climbing down the drainage pipe on the side of the house; Hermione was already on the ground looking up anxiously. “Listen to Ginny, get Auror’s here, and fast…then meet back at Grimmauld,” Harry spoke almost silently before turning back into the room.
Ginny stood before the statue and began reaching out for it. Her fingers felt numb as they came closer to the jade. She barely heard Harry’s footsteps bounding towards her because she heard something else in her head; her heart skipped as she heard the voice that had haunted her during her first year at Hogwarts and onwards. Amazing the effects a simple book could have in the hands of a silly little girl. Ginny blinked hard and shook her head, her eyes widened as she continued to stare at the statue. Do not hide from death Harry Potter, I want to see you when I kill you, I want to see the light leave your eyes. Ginny saw her hand shaking horribly above the statue. Join me, Harry, and you will have power beyond anything imaginable.
Harry rushed forward, hearing the woman just outside the door, “Did you leave the trinket room door open dear?” she yelled out, the door began creaking open, Harry saw the woman’s arm come into view. He grabbed Ginny’s outstretched hand, spinning her around and pushing her behind and up against a bookcase blocking them from direct view of the door. His body was pushed tight against her, it had to be, other wise he’d be seen.
If she wasn’t so distracted, she would have noticed how his hand had slipped easily around her waist; but, she was distracted. The voice that had been almost clear when her hand shook horribly over the statue was slowly slipping away. There was now just buzzing in her ear, coming in and out of focus.
Harry looked down at her, their faces closer than he could barely handle…his heart racing for an entirely different reason than being discovered. Ginny, disoriented from the experience with the statue and being pushed up against the bookcase opened her eyes and tried to focus on a spot on the wall above Harry’s shoulder.
“I never come in this room enough,” the woman sighed, and Harry closed his eyes as he heard the lady step into the room. Ginny suppressed a gasp when she saw her reflection in a mirror just behind Harry. She saw the old woman with her back to them, examining a cabinet. Ginny tugged on Harry’s arm and nodded at the mirror, then to behind the couch.
Harry nodded, finding Ginny’s hand as he led her, creeping, to behind the couch. They ducked behind it just as the woman turned around. They saw her shadow walk across the room to the opposite side of the bookcase they had just been hiding behind. Harry looked at Ginny again and raised his eyebrows. She nodded again across the room; he looked over and saw a broom cupboard. He nodded in agreement.
Ginny slipped her wand out of her robes, Harry shook his head putting a hand out to stop her, but Ginny’s stare back settled him down. She stared at the door intently, Harry held his breath. The woman moved again, and as she did, she said in a loud voice, “We really should go through all these things…find something new every time I come in here!”
Just as she was speaking, Ginny cast a spell in the smallest of a whisper, “Alohomora,” and the broom cupboard clicked open with the smallest of a swing, completely unnoticed by the woman. Harry and Ginny crept a few more steps, hunched over, shielded by the couch. Ginny dared a peak around it and pushed Harry forward towards their hiding spot when she saw the woman bending over to get a closer look at an umbrella stand.
Harry made it into the closet, but when Ginny made to run towards the door, the woman gasped, and Ginny fell to the floor behind the couch. She dared to look up and saw Harry staring at her from behind the cupboard door. “Oh I remember this umbrella!” the woman sighed and Ginny bit her lip in frustration, glaring under the couch just in time to see the woman walking towards it and around. She looked frantically back to Harry who signaled for her to hide under the couch.
Ginny pushed herself under just in time; the woman walked behind it and opened the window fully. Ginny held her breath as she listened to footsteps walk back around the couch. Turning her head she saw feet stop by the couch, then the couch sag under the weight of someone having a seat. Ginny, when she felt like she regained some breath, pushed herself carefully from beneath the couch.
Emerging silently, she walked backwards towards the cupboard, praying the woman wouldn’t turn around. When she reached the door, she felt Harry’s hand close around her wrist and pull her gently inside. He reached behind Ginny and grasped the door handle, turning it as he shut the door, then slowly releasing it as the lock fell silently into place, leaving them in complete darkness.
Ginny stood on tiptoe as the door closed, Harry slipping an arm around her waist, pulling her close into him. Ginny’s arms snuck up and around his neck so that they ended up in a position as if they were slow dancing…afraid to explore the cupboard with the chances of knocking over a broom and making a racket. When the door was shut, Harry placed his now free hand on the door frame, holding his and Ginny’s weight as she clung to him.
Neither dared to breath, they barely moved. They stood in silence for a long time before they heard a muffled man’s voice. A grunt from the woman before they heard her shout out, “Oh, just let me get it for you! Honestly! Stop opening drawers!” her voice became muffled too as they heard the click of the trinket room door closing.
They simultaneously breathed out as Ginny fell from her tiptoes to flat feet. Harry allowed her to fall from his tight grasp, but he kept his arm around her small frame, her arms remained around his neck.
He looked down at her and shook his head in relief and she smiled up at him, “Been a while since we’ve shared such a small broom cupboard,” she teased. Harry blinked at her and she watched his eyes flutter down to her lips and back to her eyes. Her heart stopped but just as quickly as she saw his desire, he pushed it back.
“We need to get out of here,” he whispered. She nodded sadly.
“Not before we grab that Horcrux,” she said determinedly, opening the broom cupboard carefully, peering out to make sure the room was indeed deserted once more. Harry followed her out and watched as she strode back to the jade statue.
She closed her eyes as her hand hovered above it. We need the girl…she knows something…I don’t care how you do it, find her and bring her to me…alive! Ginny shook her head violently and forced herself to grab the jade statue. It immediately began glowing a dazzling orange as Ginny turned around and stared at Harry.
The statue was warm under her skin, her hand felt like a million little needles were prickling her skin, and the voice in her head became louder and more clear as her hand clamped the statue. I want the redhead captured because Potter won’t be able to handle it! If they figure out her importance before we can use her…someone will pay dearly… Her head was numb and she felt like she had been holding her breath for too long under water; colors were restricting her sight and her ears needed to pop.
“How did…” he began. Ginny just shook her head.
“Later…let’s get out of here,” she said quickly, passing him and squeezing through the window. “Here,” she passed him the statue, “it’s too heavy,” she breathed before she shimmied her way out onto the ledge and down the pipe to the lawn below. They crept along hedges and saw two Auror’s pop onto the gravel at the front gate, just as dark robed figures entered the house. The Auror’s disappeared with two more pops, and they saw the beginnings of a battle happening in the kitchen.
Harry made to walk back towards the house, but Ginny stopped him, “They can’t know we were there, Harry. Voldemort will figure out we’re going after the Horcruxes. As of now, he’ll think his Death Eaters screwed up, or that the Horcrux has merely been lost. We can’t risk it…the Auror’s will do what they can to protect the old couple.”
Minutes later Harry and Ginny Apparated on the doorstep of number 12 Grimmauld Place; neither moved towards the door, Harry looked at Ginny expecting an explanation, Ginny stared back not sure if she wanted to give it. They hadn’t believed her when she said she should come with.
“So much for Ginny staying behind while we’re out there searching…” Hermione said sarcastically, opening the door. Ginny glared at her, then turned to Harry, grabbing the Horcrux.
“Here’s the small statue you lot couldn’t find,” she strode towards Hermione and stood in front of her. “And your welcome…5 minutes later and you’d be battling Death Eaters.”
“Ginny…” Harry whispered once in the hall.
She ignored him, and instead leaned into Hermione lowering her voice, “Tonight had nothing to do with that night weeks back and I’d really appreciate it if you’d just forget it.” She shoved the statue in Hermione’s hand, “Trust me alright?”
“Gin!” Harry called after her as she moved past Hermione and walked up the stairs.
“I’m going to bed!” Ginny shouted, shutting the bedroom door angrily.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all shuffled into the kitchen and sat at the table, staring at the statue that rested in the center.
“What’s going on Hermione?” Harry asked simply.
“What do you mean Harry?” Hermione answered in a flat voice.
“Something is going on with Ginny, and you know what it is.”
“Something is going on with Ginny, and I don’t know what it is.”
“Why have you been staring daggers at each other? What did she whisper to you before she stormed off to bed?” Harry pushed.
“We’ve been staring daggers at each other because I haven’t understood something…and she whispered ‘trust me’.”
“What haven’t you understood? Why did she whisper ‘trust me’?”
“Harry, we could go in these circles all night. What it comes down to…we let her down tonight.”
“How so?” Harry said, taken a back, “What, because we didn’t want her to come along? It’s no different than any other time we’ve gone out without her.”
“No. It was different. Everything is different. She needs to come with us…” Hermione took a deep breath. “She needs to come with us out, when we go out for research or whatever.”
“Hermione, what the hell is going on?”
“You need her.”
“I know I need her.”
“No, you need her.”
“Yes, I know.”
“You can’t do wandless magic unless she’s around.”
“What?”
“She needs to be with us when we’re out there because a time might come when you’ll need to be at your very best…”
“Where is this coming from? Is this what is going on between you two? She’s been telling you she has to come along? Has she seen something? Dreamt something?”
“Harry, I can’t do this…answer the barrage of questions. If you’re so concerned, talk to her about it. I just wanted you to know, we need to trust her more, as is evident from the events tonight. And she needs to be more involved, for your own good, because you need her.” Hermione stood up. “I’m going to bed.”
Harry and Ron watched her leave, in quite the same manner as Ginny left for bed. “Is she serious?” Harry asked Ron. He did a double take when Ron shrugged. “What, you…you agree with her?”
“Mate, tell me a time when you’ve blocked Expelliarmus when Ginny hasn’t been around.” Harry opened and closed his mouth. “I wanted her to come tonight…she told us she needed to come tonight…and if she hadn’t, that old couple would be dead and who knows what would have happened to us.”
“Yeah, but…what’s going on with her and Hermione?”
“Nothing…I think everything is really stressful, and Ginny is scared, and feeling small and powerless because we’re holding her back. And I think if you get too preoccupied with conspiracy theories, you’re going to take huge steps back…and we need to keep moving forward. I’m going to bed.” Ron finished, standing up and leaving the kitchen.
Harry sat and watched him leave in disbelief, then stood quickly, not sure how he should feel as he ascended the stairs towards the room where Ginny waited.
When he entered the room she was sitting on the bed, her legs crossed and lifted up against her chest, her arms draped around them holding her self up. The sheet was tangled around her legs, her hair was half up, and her eyes were red. Cleary she had been crying. Harry closed the door and leaned up against it, the click of the door caused Ginny to look up. She sighed sadly and wiped the corner of her eyes.
Harry walked forward slowly, not sure what he should say; he murmured the first thing that came to him, “I thought we were telling each other everything.”
He immediately regretted saying that, because Ginny’s chin dropped to her chest as she shook it from side to side before running her fingers through her hair, grabbing a clump on either side. Her shoulders began to shake and he could hear her small sobs. “What’s going on, Gin?” he asked, crawling on the bed and touching her shoulder softly. His heart broke when she jumped at his touch.
She took a deep breath and lifted her head, her cheeks were wet. “We’re getting nowhere it feels. I mean, sure, we found a Horcrux tonight, but there’s three left! With no leads!”
Harry scooted closer and put his arm around her, he was happy when she didn’t wince or jump and instead nuzzled into his shoulder, “Hey, you said it, we found another tonight…so now we’ve destroyed 4. So, tomorrow we get to work finding the next one…”
“We’re running out of time. The Death Eaters were at the Manor tonight to collect the Horcrux…Voldemort is collecting them again.” Ginny stopped because she was dangerously close to revealing too much.
Harry tucked a piece of hair behind Ginny’s ear. “Is that a guess…or do you know something I don’t?”
“Do you resent Dumbledore for withholding the entire truth whenever he dealt with you?”
Harry thought for a moment, “I don’t think resent is the right word. I think he tried his best to make the right decisions with guiding me, but he made mistakes. There were times when he should have told me everything…and times when he was justified in not.”
Ginny nodded, “I agree completely.”
“So you’re not going to tell me what’s wrong?”
“It’s my dreams…I’m trying to figure some things out…”
“I want to help.”
“You can, by letting me figure it out on my own.” Then she laughed.
“What?” Harry asked.
She shrugged, “Dumbledore, I can’t figure him out. He told me to wait for you to figure things out about our relationship. But, I kind of think the advice goes both ways.” Harry nodded in understanding.
“It goes against everything in me…but I can respect that. If you need to figure this out on your own, you can. But, can you just promise me…promise me you won’t put yourself, intentionally, in a situation where you are going to be hurt.”
“Harry…”
“No…I can see it in your eyes, and I’m scared. I’m scared you’re going to…”
“Harry…this situation we’re in. We’re in no place to make promises like that,” Ginny explained, staring at the bed.
“I’m not asking you to promise me you won’t get hurt, I understand the implications of battle. Just don’t purposefully…I don’t know…sacrifice yourself.”
Ginny thought a moment. “I can’t promise you that.”
“Gin…” he breathed.
“Promise me you won’t sacrifice yourself in battle.”
“It’s different…”
“How?” he didn’t answer, so she shook her head and continued. “Our biggest fight, who get’s to protect the other. How about we promise to always love each other, and fight our hardest to stay together as long as we can.”
“You’re scaring the hell out of me, Ginny.”
“Welcome to the club, I’m scared for you everyday…I guess that’s what love is, huh?”
Harry shook his head. “No, this is what love is,” and he leaned over and kissed her with everything he had.