A/N:I'm not JKR. Poor me. Many, many thanks to Lyr942 for the beta work!

Oh, For Cryin' Out Loud

Friday, October 24

The room was dimly lit, but the fire was warm and inviting. On both sides of the hearth, as well as every available inch of wall space, were rows upon rows of books. There were two comfortable wing back chairs placed in front of the fire, but he wasn't sitting in either of them. Instead he was pacing back and forth, his shadows dancing on the wall opposite.

When Ginny walked in he stopped his nervous movements, his posture slackening with relief. He strode over to her, and took both of her hands in his. If only she could make out his face…

"Did he give you any trouble?" he asked gravely.

"Actually, he just kind of disappeared after the meeting ended," Ginny heard herself responding. "I spoke with my parents and Ron and Hermione, but he must have ducked out. Not that I'm complaining; I don't think I'm quite ready for that confrontation just yet."

He dropped her hands, and laid one of his own on her shoulder. Gently, he cupped her chin with the other, tilting her face up to meet his gaze.

If only she could see his face…

"Do you have any idea how proud I am of you?" he asked. She could hear the smile in his voice. "I never would have been able to convince them."

"I did come off rather professionally, didn't I," she said, returning his smile.

"And she's modest too," he said, leaning his face closer to her own.

Ginny closed her eyes as their lips met. It was soft and oh so sweet; she thought her heart would break. She let his scent wash over her. It was clean, like summer rain or the first snow fall, and she loved it.

She felt his hand slide from her shoulder and wrap itself around her waist, pulling her close while the other entwined its fingers in her hair. Her own hand rose to his neck as she opened her mouth, allowing him to deepen the kiss.

Then the door opened, but neither of them noticed.

"How could you, Ginny?" a shaky voice questioned from the doorway.

They hastily broke off the kiss, but his hand remained possessively on her waist. Ginny felt her face redden when her brown eyes found the intruder's emerald green ones. They were shining with emotion - anger, betrayal, confusion, sadness.

"Harry," she whispered. "I-"

"How could you?"

Ginny Weasley bolted upright in her dormitory bed, her breathing ragged and her heart racing. Her hand flew to her lips, which were tingling. The after effects of yet another incredibly life like dream.

"How could you, Ginny?" Harry's voice echoed in her head.

"Oh, for cryin' out loud," she muttered under her breath. Every night since term began Ginny had dreamt of the faceless man. Every night since term began, she had awoken immediately afterwards and been unable to fall back to sleep. Quite frankly, she was getting sick of it.

But tonight was different. Tonight, there was Harry. Until just a moment ago, Ginny had hoped the faceless man who haunted her dreams was Harry. It didn't make complete sense, but she felt drawn to him, which made him the logical candidate. They were no longer together, and hadn't been for almost eighteen months, but there was no doubt in her mind that they would at least give it another go when he returned.

If he returns…

And the dreams were so real. One night, Ginny had dreamed that the two of them were having a terrible row, only to wake up angry enough to shatter the mirror on the back of the bathroom door when she slammed it closed. That was why this new dream bothered her so much. If she wasn't kissing Harry, who the bloody hell was it?

Knowing she would not fall back asleep, Ginny slid out of bed and began dressing. As silently as she could, she threw on a pair of jeans, the red jumper her mum made last Christmas, a hat and gloves and finally her heavy winter cloak. Grabbing her Cleansweep, she tiptoed down the stairs into the Gryffindor common room and out the portrait hole.

Careful not to wake any of the portraits that lined the corridors, Ginny made her way to the top of the Astronomy Tower. The air was bitterly cold at that altitude, but Ginny welcomed it. It would help clear her head. Judging by the light, she had a good two hours before sun-up and another hour after that until breakfast.

Without hesitating, Ginny stood on the ledge, broom grasped tightly in one hand, and jumped. She loved to free fall before putting her broom underneath her at the last moment. It was exhilarating. The way her stomach turned when her feet failed to hit solid ground was addictive.

Just three short meters before she hit the frozen earth, Ginny shoved her broomstick in place and jerked up hard on the handle, pulling up out of the nose dive. Automatically, she shot off around the castle, headed for the Black Lake. She loved flying over the lake more than any other part of Hogwarts' grounds. It was beautiful, in any light, and sometimes early in the morning she could watch the giant squid catching fish or just swimming about leisurely as she flew overhead.

As much as she enjoyed flying in the early morning hours, it had sadly become an almost nightly ritual. It seemed like no matter how tired she was, her mind would never allow her to return to sleep. Not that she really wanted to sleep anymore. She was tired of dreaming all the time, especially since the dreams apparently had no purpose other than to occupy her thoughts for the entire day.

As she flew across the Black Lake, she let her thoughts drift to Harry for the first time in weeks. When he first left with Ron and Hermione, Ginny had thought that she was going to die of loneliness. They hadn't even stayed for Bill and Fleur's wedding. Her mother had been heartbroken, but not as badly as Ginny. She understood the reasoning behind Harry's decision, but she had loved him since she was ten years old, and it didn't make it easier to accept. Neither did it help that they left without so much as a goodbye, or even a letter for that matter. Harry had come to the Burrow to celebrate his birthday and they were gone by the next morning.

That was the summer before Ginny's sixth year. She had gone back to Hogwarts only under threats of death and torture by her mother. Even looking back on that time now, a full year later, still brought back painful emotions for her. She had thrown herself into her schoolwork and into Quidditch, anything that would keep her mind of off Harry. For some reason, Professor McGonagall had made her Captain. The first girl to be Gryffindor captain in fifty years; her mum was almost as proud of her as she was when Ron was made Prefect. Needless to say, it was a most welcome distraction.

It was Christmas before anyone in the wizarding world heard from the Golden Trio. When Christmas morning arrived, there were presents for each of them as well as a letter sitting on the kitchen table at the Burrow. Ginny had managed to keep her composure throughout the whole day. Her mum, however, was so distraught that she didn't even yell at Fred and George when they almost set the tree on fire testing their new indoor fireworks.

That was the last anyone heard from them, and they were all beginning to get worried. No one knew what they were up to, only that it was important enough for Hermione Granger not to return to Hogwarts to claim her role as Head Girl. Despite the lack of contact, however, the war was not waiting for them to return. Since Dumbledore died and the Chosen One disappeared, the Death Eaters had become increasingly bolder, striking not just at innocent Muggles and wizarding families; they had directly assaulted the Order six times. And those were just the incidents that Ginny knew of. There were also rumors floating about that Voldemort was recruiting Death Eaters from abroad. The good guys were slowly losing the war.

By the time her seventh year rolled around, Ginny had pretty much come to terms with the fact that it would be a long time before she and Harry got their chance. She knew that she would always have a soft spot for him, but she couldn't keep hoping. It was just too painful. She stepped onto the Hogwarts Express to begin her final year of schooling with a totally different mindset. She was determined to enjoy her year as much as possible, and when it was over, she would do her part to end this war – Harry or no Harry.

Thinking about her latest dream only reinforced that idea. Not only was the man in her dreams not Harry, but she was kissing him. Waking up with the feel of another man's lips on your own isn't exactly comforting.

Ginny hadn't realized how long she'd been out flying until she banked eastward only to get a face full of sunrise. It was stunningly beautiful, but she wanted to get back to the dorm before her roommates noticed she was missing.

Taking one more lap around the castle, she landed gracefully on the Astronomy Tower. She turned for one last look at the glorious sunrise. It always made her feel liberated, even more so than flying. Her only regret was that it only lasted for a few minutes before she had to return to the world and begin her day. Sighing, she began taking the steps down two at a time, eagerly anticipating a hot shower.

Thankfully, Ginny arrived back at her dormitory before any of her friends had even woken up. She took off her outerwear and stashed her broom in her trunk before making her way to the bathroom. She undressed while the water warmed, leaving her clothes in an untidy heap behind the door.

While she brushed her teeth, she studied her face. She was amazed at how little she'd changed. Other than looking a bit older and as tired as she felt, as well as growing a few inches, Ginny appeared the exact same as she had three years ago. She had the same vibrant red hair, the same peaches and cream complexion with a spattering of freckles, the same brown eyes. She was still the same old Ginerva Weasley - on the outside at least. Inside she felt like an entirely different witch. She felt jaded.

"That's what having your heart broken does to you," she said to her reflection around her toothbrush. She spit out the minty foam and rinsed her mouth, then climbed into the steaming hot shower.

For several minutes, she simply stood in the shower allowing the scalding water to cleanse her body and mind of the night's memories. Who is he? Why do I dream about him? Why can't I see his face? The questions were endless, and none of her dreams seemed to answer any of them. They usually ended up adding new questions to the queue.

It's going to be a long day…

A pounding on the bathroom door snapped Ginny out of her reverie. She had no idea how long she'd been standing in the hot water, lost in thought. Hastily, she washed and jumped out. The room was full of steam, making the air feel heavy in her lungs. It was cathartic somehow. Wrapping a towel around her naked body and grabbing her dirty clothes she stepped out into the freezing bedroom.

Ginny shared the room with five other seventh years, and they were all awake and in different stages of preparedness. Jamie Porter usually showered at night and was already dressed, ready to go downstairs to breakfast.

Mallory King and her best friend Kimmy Wilson were gathering their books in their pajamas. It was most likely one of them that had disrupted Ginny's shower. Amelia Apple and Fiona Shepherd were just stirring. They were probably roused by the pounding on the lavatory door.

"Sorry, guys. I didn't realize how long I'd been in there," Ginny apologized. "I hope I didn't make you late."

Mallory glanced at her watch as she entered the lavatory. "No harm done. I just hope you left some hot water for the rest of us. You look like a lobster, Ginny."

Amelia chuckled, "You do look like a lobster."

Fiona and Kimmy joined in, and Ginny stuck out her tongue playfully. She was going to try her hardest not to let a bad night ruin her day.

Ginny hurriedly threw on her white uniform shirt, tie, jumper and plaid skirt, but couldn't find her robes. "Does anyone know what time it is?" she asked from the inside of her trunk as she dug around for them. Her voice sounded hollow and muffled at the same time.

"It's…7:15," Kimmy replied. "What's the rush? You still have forty-five minutes until classes begin."

"Ah! There they are," Ginny exclaimed when she spotted the sleeve sticking out from underneath her bed. "You know I meet Luna in the library before class," she responded before tugging her robes over her head.

"I swear, Ginny," Kimmy began, "if I knew any better, I'd say that the Sorting Hat should have put you in Ravenclaw."

"Hardly," Ginny said. "I will always put Quidditch before my studies." Grabbing her bag and heading for the stairs she threw over her shoulder, "And don't forget about practice tonight, Fiona. 6:30. Sharp."

"Yeah, yeah, don't get your knickers in a twist," she said to Ginny's retreating form.

Fiona was the starting Keeper for Gryffindor's House Team. She wasn't very big, but she had sharp eyes and reflexes quick enough to match almost any Seeker out there. In fact, Ginny had wanted to make her Seeker, but Fiona had been adamant. It was Keeper or nothing at all. She was also notoriously late.

Skipping breakfast, Ginny ran straight to the library. She desperately wanted to tell Luna about her latest dream. Since Harry, Ron, and Hermione left, and most of their other friends graduated a year later, Ginny and Luna had become quite close. She was a bit odd, but she was a loyal friend and a great listener. Luna always provided new perspective to any situation.

It still wasn't 7:30 by the time Ginny reached the library, so other than Madame Pince and Luna, the room was deserted. Ginny had never understood what it was that Hermione fancied so much about the library until she started meeting Luna there in the mornings. The smell of the ancient books, the way the early sun filtered in through the full length windows and the almost complete silence made the time Ginny spent there the only peaceful time she got all day - apart from her night time flying sessions, of course.

Oftentimes, it was the only chance she got to see Luna as well. They didn't have any classes together, and their responsibilities to their respective houses left little time for socializing.

"Good morning, Ginny," Luna greeted cheerfully as she approached their usual table. "What did you dream about last night? Was it something new?" Her glassy blue eyes only left the essay she was scribbling out when Ginny plopped down into the chair across from her. "Why didn't you get breakfast?"

"Some day," Ginny began, ignoring the question, "you're going to have to tell me how you do that." Luna, despite all of her oddities, was uncannily perceptive.

"Do what?" she asked, perplexed.

"You always know what I've been up to before I get a chance to tell you, that's what."

The blonde just shrugged. Ginny reckoned even she didn't know how she did it; just another quirk of Luna Lovegood.

Ginny then proceeded to recount the disturbing dream in perfect detail.

"…and just when we really got going, the door opened and Harry walked in." The last sentence of her tale came out in a rush like she was hoping Luna wouldn't hear.

No such luck. Luna's head popped up from her essay making the enchanted jack-o-lantern earrings she wore cackle spookily.

"Harry?" she questioned in disbelief.

Ginny hid her blushing face in her hands. She didn't know why she felt so ashamed. It was just a dream, right?

"Yes, Harry," she mumbled into her palms.

"I thought you'd been dreaming about Harry this whole time?" Luna was now giving Ginny her undivided attention. She was even making eye contact.

"I know, I know," Ginny said, frustrated. "I'd hoped it was Harry. You should have seen his face, Luna." She dropped her hands into her lap and began tracing the plaid pattern with her fingers. "He looked so crushed. I can't ever imagine doing that to Harry. Ever."

Luna pursed her lips, trying to think of the best response. Finally she said, "I think you should go see Professor Trelawney."

Ginny snorted, "Yeah, or why don't you just chuck me into St. Mungo's right now? If I'm not mad already, asking that bat for help would definitely cross the line between sane and cracked. She'd be lucky to tell me what day it is."

"Ginny," Luna said in the same dreamy voice, "she may not be able to tell you what they mean, but what if they're visions?"

"If that was supposed to be comforting, or convince me to go, you failed, my friend." In fact, the idea that her dreams might be visions left Ginny feeling even more unsettled. "If it's not Harry, I'm not sure I want to know who it is."

She shook her head, her red hair catching the sunlight. "No, I'd rather they stopped, so I can forget about this whole thing."

"But if they're visions, they won't stop until you do something," Luna reasoned.

"They're not visions!" Ginny snapped. She felt a bit guilty about losing her temper with her helpful friend, but Luna had a knack for hitting the nail on the head. The thought of her dreams being something more substantial was down-right frightening.

"They're not visions," she repeated softly. "Why would I be having visions? I think the only person less likely to have them than me would be Hermione. I dropped Divination for a reason." Ginny couldn't keep the pleading tone from her voice. She didn't want them to be visions, because if they were, then that meant that she would break Harry's heart. She was hoping that Luna would start laughing and tell her it was a joke; that she just wanted to get a rise out of her. Instead, Luna began packing up her things and prepared to leave.

"Just think about it, Ginny. Who knows, maybe they're important."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Ginny mumbled under her breath. She was trying not to glare as she watched her best friend fasten her cloak around her shoulders.

"Professor Grubblyplank asked me to help set up class this morning," Luna said as she slung her satchel over one shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow after the match. Good luck."

Despite her foul mood, Ginny couldn't help but smile as she watched her strange friend skip out of the library. She accepted long ago that one reason they were such good friends was because Luna was impervious to Ginny's sarcasm and temper. Granted, she wasn't as volatile as Ron, she still had some bite to her bark.

With Luna gone, Ginny decided to head to class as well. Double Potions with Slytherins was not her idea of a good time, but the sooner it was over, the better. It also put her one step closer to Quidditch practice, her light at the end of the tunnel.

The day progressed exactly as Ginny had anticipated: agonizingly slow. It didn't help that she had so much to think about that she was sure her head would explode, either. Between her dreams, the conversation with Luna that morning, Quidditch practice, or the upcoming match against Ravenclaw, it was safe to say that Ginny had little room in her head for classes that Friday.

Anxious to get to the pitch (and not wanting to deal with the roar of the Great Hall at meal time), Ginny skipped dinner and went straight to the locker rooms. It was only quarter to six, but she couldn't imagine being anywhere but on her broom at the moment. Her earlier prediction had been accurate: It had been a long day, and flying was the only way she had to unwind. She also needed to turn on the lights on the pitch. It was late in the year, and the sun had set almost an hour ago.

After quickly changing into her gear and strapping her broom across her back, Ginny went to the supply closet. Inside she found the Quidditch set as well as the small wooden box that held the stadium lights. Leaving the chest containing the Quaffle, Bludgers and the Snitch at the locker room door, Ginny opened the case containing the lights. Inside were twelve shining white orbs about the size of marbles. She set the box on the ground and watched as the orbs began floating, increasing in size all the while. Before long, each one zoomed off towards its own place around the stadium. In less than a minute, the entire pitch was illuminated.

Satisfied, Ginny un-slung her broom and went to retrieve the Snitch from its casement. She was a Chaser, but she also had thirty minutes to kill before the rest of the team arrived. Releasing the tiny golden ball, she jumped on her broom and took off across the pitch in pursuit.

The other Chasers arrived first; Edmund Tomlinson and Geoffrey Blanks. Edmund was a seventh year like Ginny, but Geoffrey was only a fourth year. A few minutes later, Robby Dalton, the Seeker, arrived with Vance Cutler and Stephen Cobb, all three of which were fifth years. Lastly, with five minutes to spare, Fiona flew in on her broom.

"See, Ginny, I wasn't late today," she said enthusiastically once she emerged from the locker room fully dressed.

Ginny smiled. "Alright, guys," she addressed the team. "We have our first match against Ravenclaw tomorrow, so we're going to spend tonight working on strategy. They've got two new Beaters, Victoria and Jonathan Coffee. They're young, but I've been watching them practice and they're going to be a force to be reckoned with if we underestimate them. What I want to do tonight is…"

For an hour and a half, the team practiced its heart out. Ginny was unsure if Robby would be able to perform to the best of his ability under the pressure, but the rest of the players couldn't be more prepared for the match. After she put the equipment back in the closet and changed back into her clothes, Ginny met Fiona outside. Wands lighting the way, the girls walked back to the castle.

Fiona was chatting amiably, but Ginny's mind was elsewhere. While she had been focused on Quidditch, she had been able to push the thoughts of her dreams to the back of her mind, but now they were coming back full force. Ginny found the memory of the first dream she had creeping into her head.

It was dark underneath the burlap hood, but Ginny could tell there was a light on somewhere. The magical ropes that bound her wrists behind her back were cutting painfully into her skin. She was walking forward and there was someone next to her that kept bumping into her, knocking her off balance.

"Sorry," whispered Fiona next to her. "I can't see where I'm going."

"Me neither," Ginny whispered back.

Abruptly, there was a rough hand on her shoulder, bringing her to a halt. Ginny couldn't help but wince as the man's fingers dug into her flesh. The same man that was holding her in place reached between her and Fiona to knock on the door they had apparently stopped in front of.

"Entrez," came the muffled response from the other side.

Ginny heard the knob turn and the latch release, but the door swung open soundlessly. There was a sharp jab between her shoulder blades urging her forward once more. Beside her, Fiona stumbled, but didn't fall.

After just a few steps they were stopped once again. The burlap sack was jerked off of her head, the sudden presence of light causing her to blink rapidly. Beside her, Fiona was doing the same.

The first thing Ginny noticed once her vision cleared was a man sitting behind the desk she and Fiona were standing in front of. He had his back turned to them. Ginny felt herself holding her breath with anticipation waiting for the man to turn around and reveal his identity. The sense of deja-vu was overwhelming.

After a short moment that seemed like an eternity, he did face them, but Ginny was sorely disappointed. There was not one thing she could distinguish about the anonymous man's features. She released the breath she'd been keeping in. Fiona gasped.

"You," Ginny snarled, anger mixing with disbelief. Though she didn't recognize him, her dream self appeared to know him well.

"Weasley," the man said. The shock was evident in his voice. "Who's your friend?"

"Shepherd," Fiona spit out, not bothering to mask her hostility.

"I was expecting Parkinson and Greengrass or maybe Bulstrode. Are you sure these were the girls?" he asked, pointing at them and addressing the woman behind Fiona.

"Oui," she said nodding her head. "They've been snooping around for almost a week now." Her English was good, but heavily accented.

"This can't be right," Ginny said under her breath. However, the sinking feeling in her gut told her it was.

Ginny observed the woman from the corner of her eye. She was very tall, almost six feet and had straight black hair that reached her waist. Her skin was almost white, and Ginny wasn't sure, but she thought the woman's eyes were amethyst. She looked vaguely familiar.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked seriously.

"I don't see how that's any of your bloody business," Ginny ground out. "And I'll kindly thank you to unbind us." She wriggled her arms to emphasize the point.

"Temper, temper, Weasley. You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

Ginny remained silent, biting back a hundred snide remarks that leapt to the tip of her tongue. She wished she could see his expression. He gave a slight nod to the man behind her and an instant later her bonds had disappeared.

"Fancy meeting you here," Fiona interjected. "And here we were thinking you were dead when really you've just been lurking about, waiting to kidnap unsuspecting travelers. And I want my bloody broom back."

The man shook his head and chuckled softly. "She's a feisty one, isn't she?" he addressed Ginny.

"Don't talk about Fiona like she's not in the same room, you git."

"Well, Ginny," Fiona said, stepping in to end the argument she saw brewing. Ginny was exceedingly grateful Fiona was there with her. "Do you recognize any of this, or should we be on our way. We've wasted enough of our time on him as it is."

Ginny glanced around the room, taking in every detail. She gave a little gasp when she spotted a glass paperweight on the man's desk. Inside was a white dragon. It was enchanted, so every minute or so it would spit out a green fireball and then chase it around before curling up once more.

Ginny felt a knot the size of a Quaffle form inside her stomach. That was the worst part, the room did seem familiar – especially the paperweight. She didn't know why it stuck out in her mind, but it did. Even the conversation sent up little red flags in her head. She imagined the stranger behind the desk was quirking an eyebrow at Fiona's question, but she couldn't make out his face…

"So I told him exactly where he could shove that size three iron cauldron." Beside her Fiona was chuckling at her own story. It took her a moment to realize that Ginny hadn't been paying any attention at all.

"Hey there, girlie, where were you just then?" she asked, playfully rapping Ginny's forehead with her knuckles.

"France," she blurted out of nowhere.

France?

"What?" Fiona had stopped walking. The confused look on her face would have been hysterical if Ginny wasn't feeling equal if not greater measures of the same emotion.

Where did that come from?

"I think you've been hanging out with Loony way too much," her housemate said.

"Don't call her that, Fiona," Ginny replied tiredly.

"Sorry," she said as they began walking again.

Ginny smiled in response. Everyone thought Luna was cracked; she stopped taking offense ages ago.

"So, who did you tell to do what with a size three iron cauldron?"