Set just after Voldemort's victory and 18 months before The Courier. The
story of Ginny Weasley's journey.
Any characters you recognize belong to the incomparable JKR and her publishers, any you don't know are mine. Please don't "borrow" them without permission.
Thanks to my wonderful beta Steph
"The three of us should split up, go our separate ways. We'll be safer that way," the voice said. It was hushed in order not to wake the girl sleeping in the next room.
"Are you insane?!" The reply was still whispered but so intense that it might as well have been screamed.
"We can't go on like this, hiding in corners, travelling by night. It's only a matter of time before we're found. We'd be easier to overlook on our own."
"We're supposed to look after her, we can't just abandon her like so much excess baggage just because it's dangerous."
"I'm not talking about abandoning her, I'm talking about hiding her. She'll be able to disappear if she's on her own. He'd never expect us to leave her alone," the first voice was also gaining in intensity now, if not volume.
"Does it occur to you that if even a madman thinks it's a bad idea, then it might just possibly be a bad idea?"
"For Merlin's sake Ron, she's not a child any more. She can look after herself and she'll be able to blend into the muggle world with ease. She'll be safe and we can get back to fighting instead of running."
"What the hell would you know about fighting? All you know how to do is fill out forms," the second voice sneered. "You're scared we're going to get caught and that your baby sister is slowing you down."
There was the sound of a scuffle before the first voice replied, however instead of a whisper it was now a growl, laced with rage. "Don't you ever say that to me again. I'm doing the best I can to keep all of us safe and if you weren't so damn pig-headed you'd see that you stupid little boy!"
At this point another voice joined in, "Guys I am awake you know."
Ginny Weasley stood in the doorway of the room and surveyed the ruined house, which had been their hiding place for the last three days. The room she had come from was the only room still in one piece and so had been turned into a bedroom by the three fugitives. This room however had obviously borne the brunt of the violence of the battle, which had destroyed the rest of the building. The walls were still standing, but only just, and there were gaping holes in the scorched plasterwork, which hung from them. The roof was almost completely gone and the floor was scorched beyond repair. It had once been the home of a family of wizards who had allied with Dumbledore against the forces of the Dark Lord but there was no clue remaining as to what had happened to them or to their attackers. The two men, one of them still almost young enough to be called a boy really, were on the far side of the room from Ginny. The older one had his brother pinned against the wall by the throat and an expression of absolute fury on his face.
Ginny spoke again, "Percy, put him down, he didn't mean it. I know you're both angry and frustrated but fighting amongst ourselves won't help." She waited until the older man had released the younger with an apologetic look before speaking again. "I heard what you were arguing about, and I'm not anxious to try surviving on my own, but I think Percy's probably right. Voldemort's after me really, not you two. Without me around the heat will be off you guys and you can try and hook up with some of the others. I can live in the muggle world alright, I've spent enough holidays with 'Mione to be able to cope."
"Ron and I probably have enough muggle money between us to find you somewhere to live for a couple of weeks. You'll need to find a job." Percy said. "I might be able to help with that too."
"Percy, you went straight from school to the Ministry. How on earth are you going to be able to find a job in muggle London?" Ron queried.
"Bill gave me the name of a friend of his we could contact if we got really desperate. He runs a bar, maybe he needs a barmaid or a waitress or something," Percy replied.
"You've got this all rather well planned out," said Ron suspiciously. "How long have you been thinking about this?"
"Since our narrow escape from that Death Eater Squad in Manchester last week," Percy admitted. "I didn't want to say anything until it was absolutely necessary."
Ginny looked down at her hands, which were clasped in front of her, before looking up at her brothers again, determined not to let them see just how scared she really felt, "When do I leave?"
"If you go now you'll have time to see Bill's friend and get a room before night fall," Percy replied miserably.
The three of them made preparations for the trip in silence, as if not talking about it would somehow stop it from being real. All too soon however she was ready; she had a purse full of muggle money and a slip of paper on which Percy had written the name of the bar and the man she was supposed to meet. She and Ron looked up at the same moment and their eyes met and locked. Dropping her rucksack on the floor, she flew across the room and into his arms.
"Oh God, I'm going to miss you so much," she cried.
"Me too," he said gruffly, clearly on the verge of tears himself. "Be safe, kid."
"You too," she sobbed, "Both of you. Remember what dad used to say about dead heroes being no use to anyone."
She let go of Ron and threw her arms around Percy. He held her tight and briefly buried his face in her hair. She could have sworn he was crying but when he pulled away from her his voice was steady, with no trace of any emotion in it.
"I'm going to give you a few hours to get sorted and then I'm sending you Hermes," he said. "If you need us just send him back and someone will come and get you."
"But he's yours," she argued. "I can't take him."
"He'll be better off with you," Percy insisted. "He'd much prefer staying in one place than traipsing around the country like we have been."
"I'd tell you to take Pig instead," Ron said. "But let's face it he'd probably get lost or something."
The two men hugged her again.
"Apparate to Trafalgar Square since you've been there before and then get one of those muggle car things to take you to the bar," Percy said.
"Cabs, they're called cabs, Percy." Ginny replied. "I know what I'm doing. I'd better go."
The three of them looked at one another, not quite sure what to do, and then Ginny took a step backwards and disappeared.
Any characters you recognize belong to the incomparable JKR and her publishers, any you don't know are mine. Please don't "borrow" them without permission.
Thanks to my wonderful beta Steph
"The three of us should split up, go our separate ways. We'll be safer that way," the voice said. It was hushed in order not to wake the girl sleeping in the next room.
"Are you insane?!" The reply was still whispered but so intense that it might as well have been screamed.
"We can't go on like this, hiding in corners, travelling by night. It's only a matter of time before we're found. We'd be easier to overlook on our own."
"We're supposed to look after her, we can't just abandon her like so much excess baggage just because it's dangerous."
"I'm not talking about abandoning her, I'm talking about hiding her. She'll be able to disappear if she's on her own. He'd never expect us to leave her alone," the first voice was also gaining in intensity now, if not volume.
"Does it occur to you that if even a madman thinks it's a bad idea, then it might just possibly be a bad idea?"
"For Merlin's sake Ron, she's not a child any more. She can look after herself and she'll be able to blend into the muggle world with ease. She'll be safe and we can get back to fighting instead of running."
"What the hell would you know about fighting? All you know how to do is fill out forms," the second voice sneered. "You're scared we're going to get caught and that your baby sister is slowing you down."
There was the sound of a scuffle before the first voice replied, however instead of a whisper it was now a growl, laced with rage. "Don't you ever say that to me again. I'm doing the best I can to keep all of us safe and if you weren't so damn pig-headed you'd see that you stupid little boy!"
At this point another voice joined in, "Guys I am awake you know."
Ginny Weasley stood in the doorway of the room and surveyed the ruined house, which had been their hiding place for the last three days. The room she had come from was the only room still in one piece and so had been turned into a bedroom by the three fugitives. This room however had obviously borne the brunt of the violence of the battle, which had destroyed the rest of the building. The walls were still standing, but only just, and there were gaping holes in the scorched plasterwork, which hung from them. The roof was almost completely gone and the floor was scorched beyond repair. It had once been the home of a family of wizards who had allied with Dumbledore against the forces of the Dark Lord but there was no clue remaining as to what had happened to them or to their attackers. The two men, one of them still almost young enough to be called a boy really, were on the far side of the room from Ginny. The older one had his brother pinned against the wall by the throat and an expression of absolute fury on his face.
Ginny spoke again, "Percy, put him down, he didn't mean it. I know you're both angry and frustrated but fighting amongst ourselves won't help." She waited until the older man had released the younger with an apologetic look before speaking again. "I heard what you were arguing about, and I'm not anxious to try surviving on my own, but I think Percy's probably right. Voldemort's after me really, not you two. Without me around the heat will be off you guys and you can try and hook up with some of the others. I can live in the muggle world alright, I've spent enough holidays with 'Mione to be able to cope."
"Ron and I probably have enough muggle money between us to find you somewhere to live for a couple of weeks. You'll need to find a job." Percy said. "I might be able to help with that too."
"Percy, you went straight from school to the Ministry. How on earth are you going to be able to find a job in muggle London?" Ron queried.
"Bill gave me the name of a friend of his we could contact if we got really desperate. He runs a bar, maybe he needs a barmaid or a waitress or something," Percy replied.
"You've got this all rather well planned out," said Ron suspiciously. "How long have you been thinking about this?"
"Since our narrow escape from that Death Eater Squad in Manchester last week," Percy admitted. "I didn't want to say anything until it was absolutely necessary."
Ginny looked down at her hands, which were clasped in front of her, before looking up at her brothers again, determined not to let them see just how scared she really felt, "When do I leave?"
"If you go now you'll have time to see Bill's friend and get a room before night fall," Percy replied miserably.
The three of them made preparations for the trip in silence, as if not talking about it would somehow stop it from being real. All too soon however she was ready; she had a purse full of muggle money and a slip of paper on which Percy had written the name of the bar and the man she was supposed to meet. She and Ron looked up at the same moment and their eyes met and locked. Dropping her rucksack on the floor, she flew across the room and into his arms.
"Oh God, I'm going to miss you so much," she cried.
"Me too," he said gruffly, clearly on the verge of tears himself. "Be safe, kid."
"You too," she sobbed, "Both of you. Remember what dad used to say about dead heroes being no use to anyone."
She let go of Ron and threw her arms around Percy. He held her tight and briefly buried his face in her hair. She could have sworn he was crying but when he pulled away from her his voice was steady, with no trace of any emotion in it.
"I'm going to give you a few hours to get sorted and then I'm sending you Hermes," he said. "If you need us just send him back and someone will come and get you."
"But he's yours," she argued. "I can't take him."
"He'll be better off with you," Percy insisted. "He'd much prefer staying in one place than traipsing around the country like we have been."
"I'd tell you to take Pig instead," Ron said. "But let's face it he'd probably get lost or something."
The two men hugged her again.
"Apparate to Trafalgar Square since you've been there before and then get one of those muggle car things to take you to the bar," Percy said.
"Cabs, they're called cabs, Percy." Ginny replied. "I know what I'm doing. I'd better go."
The three of them looked at one another, not quite sure what to do, and then Ginny took a step backwards and disappeared.