They sat huddled in the room of requirement, tired, broken, exhausted. Her friends sat huddled around her with solemn eyes and tight lipped grins, she could tell that nothing would ever be the same, even after the war. They all had lost so much, invested everything without a promise of their old world returning. They were the children of war, dark-fighters; they would do whatever necessary to survive, to live.
Currently though, living didn't really seem all that possible.
It had been months of agony, of pain. Darkness and torture surrounded the school, slowly they had started holing themselves up in the Room of Requirement, the only safe haven left inside of Hogwarts. Neville had stepped up, took over the role that had previously belonged to Harry. He was their strength, their survival. He was doing a fine job, the best he could; she knew that he was tired though, they all were.
Stupid Harry. Going off with her stupid brother and Hermione on top secret missions, leaving them here alone to suffer.
She hated them. Sometimes, she really did.
She stood and walked over to where Neville was pacing, trying to figure out their next move. She placed a hand on his broad shoulder, stirring him from his concentration. "Find anything yet?"
He shook his head, "No."
They were trying to find a way to send a message to the outside, the school was overrun by Death Eaters. McGonagall was pushed aside by Snape and the Carrows, the school was a little less than Azkaban at this point. They needed help, they couldn't fight them alone, they had been trying to figure out a way to get word to someone from the Order for help. They had asked Aberforth, but he had done so much for them already, she wasn't surprised when he said no to their request. She wasn't mad at him for it either.
"We'll find a way."
Neville nodded at her, "I know, Gin. It's just frustrating."
He looked so worn, so much older than his seventeen years, and much less jovial than his younger self use to be. She missed that Neville, missed the cute little freckle face who always seemed to be in the wrong place, wrong time. He was a warrior now, a man. Darkness changes people, she knew that better than anyone.
She didn't miss the circles under his eyes, the bruise on his cheek that had still yet to fade. They needed to get out of here, there was only so much more that Neville could take. "I'm going to figure out a way. I promise."
She turned from him, looking at the growing number of students occupying the room, they were all tired, dirty, broken. They hadn't seen some of their friends and family since the beginning of the year, they had no idea who was dead or alive. She was done with this. Done.
She knew that Bill was at Shell Cottage with Fleur, Charlie was most likely still in Romania, Fred and George were manning the airwaves from some unknown location, Percy was with her parents – but, she wasn't exactly sure where they were either. And Ron was with Harry, off galavanting somewhere, not bothering with everyone else in their life that were suffering.
She was bitter, that much was evident.
They should've taken her with them, she could've helped them, instead they left her here to rot.
She strutted over to where her things were kept, rifling through them. Colin appeared next to her, his blond curls matted and pushed aside, his wide blue eyes searching her own. "Is he okay?"
She stopped looking through her things and turned to Colin, "No."
Colin just nodded, he was looking around the room at all of the different houses intermingling as they sat. And waited. For what, well, none of them quite knew. "Are you okay?"
She looked up from where she had been searching through her belongings, no one had asked her that in a very long time. Was she okay?
"I don't know."
Colin simply just brought his camera up and snapped a picture of Ginny in that moment, she gave him a confused look and he simply replied, "For the record."
He had been taking pictures of everything that was happening at the school, he had stated that people needed to know what went on here. Even Colin knew that there was a war brewing outside these walls.
"Colin," She looked into his blue gaze. "Things will get better."
He just smiled at her, his hand coming to rub her shoulder fondly, before he stood to leave. She watched as he went, he joined his little brother Dennis in a game of exploding snap, they looked happy. As happy as they could be anyway.
It just reaffirmed what she had to do.
What she needed to do.
She continued to shove things into her bag, anything that she absolutely needed and nothing else. This was right, this was the right choice, the smart decision. She knew that Neville wouldn't take it lightly, he would fight her with everything he had left to get her to stay, but, her place was no longer here. Not anymore.
She stood as she closed the last snap on her satchel, bringing it up around her shoulders. It would be easier to leave without him knowing, in the dead of the night, without a word. But, she couldn't do that. Not to him, not after what they'd been through. She had to tell him.
He was seated at a desk in the corner by the door that lead to Aberforth's, bent over scraps of parchment that Dumbledore's brother had managed to sneak them in the earlier months of their new regime. He was trying to formulate yet another plan, another play that was bound to work eventually. He had become so much like Harry that it was actually startling to witness sometimes.
"Neville." She murmured his name quietly in the soft voice she often found herself using with him. He looked up at her with those tired eyes. "I need to talk to you."
He looked worried, but not for the reasons he should be. "What's wrong, Gin?" He asked with furrowed brows.
She hated doing this to him, especially after all they'd been through together, leaving the comfort he offered wouldn't be easy. She hoped they all made it through alive, she honestly couldn't say what she would do if she had to witness a world without Neville Longbottom's impenetrable smile or Colin Creevy's piercing laugh.
He seemed to be able to read the look in her eyes, noted the bag slung over her shoulders. He began shaking his head, she stopped him. "Neville. We have to do something. We can't just keep sitting here planning and hope for the best."
"Exactly, Gin." He began, standing from his spot at the desk. The anger in his eyes and tone were noticeable, it seemed like she was seeing him angry more and more these days. "We have to do something, not you. You're going on a suicide mission, to – what? Prove to Harry and your brother that you're just as crazy as them?"
She narrowed her eyes at him and hated that he was one of the few people that seemed to be able to read her so well. "That has nothing to do with it, Neville. We're stuck in here, actually stuck. And they let us imprison ourselves in here because they know that if we come out, we're dead."
She knew she looked crazy right now, yelling at the stoic looking Neville, waving about her arms, but she couldn't bring herself to actually care. Did she even care about anything anymore? He only crossed his arms as she proceeded.
"How many Crucios have you taken?" She asked. "How many unbearable things have you witnessed? These kids," She gestured behind them towards the ever-growing number of students under their care. "They're not like us. They don't have what we have. They don't have the training or the knowledge, they certainly don't have the Order backing them."
"Neither do we, Ginny!" He yelled. "I know you like to think we do, but we don't. We haven't heard from any of them in weeks. Fred and George have no idea, who knows where the rest of them are, because I don't! We can't rely on them to help us right now, or else they already would have."
"That's not true!" Ginny cried, unable to keep herself from stomping her foot like she had as a child when she hadn't gotten her way. "We just need to get to the twins, they'll know how to contact the others!" She said desperately. "The Order doesn't know what's really happening here."
Neville sighed and ran a hand over his tired face, he didn't want to fight with Ginny, she knew that, but she couldn't just stop herself. Deep down he had to know she was right, he had to. But, he seemed unable to budge from his stance on not wanting her to go.
They had talked about this once before, back when things weren't as bad but still just as terrible. They might've had a better shot earlier in the year, but, they had wasted it because Neville hadn't wanted to loose any of them. He had been playing close to the chest, but he couldn't be the hero all the time. She had opted to go back then, Colin too, but Neville had decided against it, claiming it too risky.
It was even riskier this time, but Ginny knew it was the only way. If they didn't get word out to the Order, to her family, hell even Harry and Ron would do, then they would die. It was as simple as that. Deep down, Neville had to know that.
"Ginny." His voice was drained, like he barely had any fight left in him. Didn't he see that was exactly why she was doing this? "I need you here."
She sighed, looking up at the boy who had taken her to the Yule Ball, to the man that had promised to protect them at all costs, to the friend she was trying to say goodbye to. "No, you don't." She looked around at the mass of students around them. "They don't need me, they need you. Colin's just as good at strategy, you want me to stay because you're scared. We can't afford to be scared, not anymore."
Neville slumped back into his chair, looking up at her and sighing. "I don't want you to go." He admitted.
"I know." She uttered quietly.
"This isn't going to work out like you've planned." He said from experience.
Ginny nodded, "I know." She ran a hand through her hair. "You're probably right. But, we have to try. I have to try."
Neville chewed on the inside of his lip, looking around the large room and breathing out heavily through his nose. "There's nothing I could say to get you to stay?"
She smirked ever so lightly as she glanced down at him. "Short of professing your undying love to me? No."
He looked up at her with heavy emotions swirling in his light eyes, she realized then that he was considering it. "Just... be careful, okay?"
"Always."
"Send word as soon as you can. I need to know you're alright."
She found herself embracing the taller boy tightly, it was the last little comfort she'd offer herself before leaving this place. She would find a way, for him, for her, for all of them. They would make it out of this war alive, and it wouldn't be because of Harry, it would be because of all they had sacrificed.
"I will. I promise." She pulled away from him, trying not to let the heaviness in his gaze effect her. "Tell Colin I love him. Dennis, too." She knew they were on the other side of the room, but, if she got into goodbyes with Colin, she'd really never leave.
And this was something she had to do.
Neville said nothing as he watched her turn and open the door, sneaking through the passage that would lead her to the other Dumbledore. The passage door swung closed behind her and she was left in the silent darkness of the secret tunnel. She felt her hands shaking, her heart beating oddly fast in her chest. There would be no going back after this, no turning around, no waiting. This was it.
She took a step forward.
The another.
The walk to the Hog's Head wasn't long and Ginny found her hands still shaking, her heart still racing, but she was determined and she continued on without looking back. She had no idea if Aberforth would even be at the bar, if others would be sitting around, casually drinking. They hadn't been to Hogsmeade at all this school year, even before things became as bad as they were now. Were the shops even still open? Were Death Eaters patrolling the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of Harry Potter and Co?
She scoffed, as if they'd be stupid enough to stroll down Hogsmeade looking for a pint. The Trio would never be that daft, in fact, the Death Eaters were more daft for thinking it.
She had no idea where her brother or his friends were, but she knew they weren't stupid enough to get caught. They might, eventually, but not this early in the game. Hermione was the cleverest witch of their generation, Ron one of the bravest, and Harry...
Well, Harry was destined for this. None of them would go down without a fight.
And neither would she.
She approached the door quietly, listening intently to hear for signs of life on the other side. She heard nothing. Not even crotchety old Aberforth moving around. She waited a few minutes before casting a silencing spell on the door, then gently pushing it forward. She stuck her head out from behind the portrait, looking down and around the sitting room, listening for any sounds in the otherwise dimly lit room. When she heard nothing, she stealthily dropped down from the tunnel and onto the ground in front of the fireplace.
Still, she heard nothing. Looking over her shoulder as she closed the portrait door, she listened for any sign of life, waited to hear Aberforth's quiet grumbles or bar patrons clinking their glasses. But, nothing came.
Once the tunnel was secured, she moved out of the sitting room and into the apartment. Everything looked as it was the last she'd been here a few months ago before things had gotten especially bad. She'd have to leave a note for Aberforth to sneak them more food, last she checked they had been running a little low for her liking.
Ginny moved into the meager kitchen looking around for the spare parchment that she'd seen the older man keep about, finding it beside the breadbox. She scribbled a small note for him, thanking him and listing the supplies they were running low on. Some he'd be able to get easily, others she knew he had, and some were a bit harder to find but he'd been able to acquire them at some point and he might again.
She heard movement coming from the bar, the door slamming open and voices ringing out. Her heart started pounding with adrenaline, her breathing harsh. She quickly stuffed the parchment into the breadbox, closing it as softly as she could before sneaking closer to the sound of the noise. Peering down the stairs, she saw them.
"Pour us a drink, old man."
Two Death Eaters sat casually at the bar, Aberforth stood behind it looking both unsure and yet calm as he gazed at the two masked figures across from him. One had his wand lazily pointed in Aberforth's direction, the other tapped his fingers swiftly against the worn surface of the bar top.
"I said, pour us a drink."
Aberforth's blue eyes looked between them before turning just slightly to reach for two glasses behind him, subtly showing the Death Eaters his hands at all times. It seemed like this wasn't the first time Aberforth had been held at wandpoint.
"What'll it be."
The one with the wand seemed to think it over a moment before answering, "Ah, just make it a firewhisky."
Aberforth looked over to the other one, he studied the bar behind him before conjuring a bottle and setting it on the bar top in front of them. Aberforth poured their drinks silently and stood back as they took their shots. The two refilled their glasses a few times, laughing about something in a lower tone that she was unable to hear.
Her gaze shot to Aberforth, looking him over as he calmly surveyed the two before him, waiting for them to drink their fill and be done. He looked exhausted, but unharmed – she wasn't sure if she was relieved or not. He had been ignoring them lately, not returning their messages, flat out refusing to try and reach out for them. If he wasn't hurt, she almost hated him in that moment.
He seemed to sense her gaze, his blue eyes sweeping around the room casually, as if he were bored and looked around to occupy his thoughts, before landing on her from where she was crouched at the top of the stairs. From his position, he had an okay viewpoint of her and she had a great view of the Death Eaters backs.
They had no idea she was behind them, not a clue. They must've done a search of the bar and apartment at some point prior to this meeting, keeping an eye on Aberforth's comings and goings, deeming it clear for them to wander in when they felt like it. Maybe that's why he hadn't been answering their messages, he was being tailed by the Dark Lord's minions.
It would be so easy for her to hex them, to kill them if she wanted to. She had a great shot, not perfect, but, when were there ever? She could take them both down right now, two less in an army of too many. It would be so easy, so perfect. She felt herself inching forward just slightly, her wand gripped tightly in her hand, she could do it. She could hex them unconscious and get away.
She didn't know if there were any others outside, she didn't know if it was clear, she wasn't actually sure of anything. The strategist in her was going crazy with how terrible of an idea this was, she had barely any information to go off of, she could be walking into a trap for all she knew. The darker part of her – that sounded oddly like a young Tom Riddle – told her not to care.
Did she care?
It would be so easy to just kill them.
She caught the light blue of Aberforth's eyes, so strikingly similar to his older brother's, intently giving her a look that she could only read as – Don't.
He knew what she was thinking, mostly because he was probably thinking the same thing. Don't. She knew it wasn't a good idea, knew that it would probably get the both of them killed, but she was over come with just how much she wanted to.
She wanted to kill them.
She wanted revenge, justice.
But, that didn't make her any better than them. In fact, it made her more alike them than she was comfortable admitting.
She must've looked like she was intent on doing something stupid, because Aberforth's intense blue gaze caught her's once more, his eyes just slightly narrowed at her in that disapproving manner that was eerily similar to Dumbledore's. She was just about to put down her wand and scoot back against the wall when she noticed one of the Death Eaters looking at Aberforth a bit strangely. She sucked in a breath and moved back just before she saw his head spin around.
Her breathing was erratic, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Shit.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
She wasn't sure if he had seen her or not, but he had most definitely saw the way Aberforth was looking over their shoulders. She wanted to move away from the stairs and hide, but she was too afraid to move and a make noise.
She didn't hear anything, but that wasn't necessarily a good sign. She didn't hear the small talk, the clinking of glasses, nothing. It was the quiet stillness that bothered her more. It was then that she heard it, the creak of the stairs beside her. Fuck, it was now or never. She leaned up a bit and tossed a stunning spell down the stairs followed closely by a stinging hex.
The sounds of a heavy body falling down the stairs and the curses from the other Death Eater made her quickly jump up and fly down the stairs. "Fucking hell!" The one was stunned at the foot of the stairs, the other bent over in pain from the hex to his eyes.
Well, she was constantly fucking vigilant after all. Take that, Moody.
Ginny jumped over the body on the floor, sending the same stun spell to the other one, who was blindly flinging out curses left and right, shattering glass everywhere. She looked over in enough time to see Aberforth clutching his shoulder, blood pouring from between his fingers. Once the second cloaked figure dropped to the floor she moved quickly over to the younger Dumbledore.
"I'm sorry, I'm so, so, sorry." She said quickly.
He just shook his head and sent her those intense looks of his. "No matter, they were bound to find you up there sooner or later. You were just lucky they decided to sweep the place after their drinks." He let her cast a simple healing spell on his shoulder, seeing as how she had no idea where his wand was. "What are you doing out here, girl? Go back up quickly, before they wake up. I'll deal with 'em."
She shook her head, eyeing them on the floor. "No. I'm leaving. I have to try and get help, things are just getting worse back there."
He eyed her like she belonged in St. Mungo's. Maybe she did. "What the fuck is wrong with you, girl? Get your ass back up there before these lot wakes up."
She just looked at the older man and sighed. He maybe not've always been the most helpful, but he certainly had done more for them than anyone else. His brother would've been proud of him, whether that was something he had wanted or not. "I left a list for you in the breadbox. Please get them whatever you can, we're running low and more and more kids show up every week. Just... send Neville a note that you're alive and not avoiding us."
With that, she turned and quickly ran out of the Hog's Head Inn before Aberforth had time to protest. She should've asked him if they were patrolling. She should've asked him where some of the safer areas were. She should've asked him a lot of things, but she hadn't.
Ginny quickly made her way to one of the side roads, out of the way and off the made strip of Hogsmeade. If they were patrolling, they'd be everywhere, but she'd have more of a chance somewhere out of the way. She knew if she could just get somewhere more private, she could apparate to the last location of her parents, to Shell Cottage, anywhere but here.
The Shrieking Shack was a perfect place, but she knew it would be filled with Death Eaters. She stopped running just long enough to think of a place, leaning her back against the wall of building, catching her breath. Maybe if she ran into the woods on the other side of Waag's Bakery they wouldn't be able to hear the crack and if they did it would be too late. She chewed her lip and let her mind wander over the very short list of possibilities she had in this instance, her body was still thrumming with adrenaline, her heart pounding in her ears. She didn't even hear him come up from beside her.
The hand clamped over her throat caused the air to rush from her lungs, the other hand gripping her wrist at an odd angle enough to break it made her unable to hex whoever it was. The porcelain white mask and black cloak hid his anonymity from her, but it didn't matter because she had been caught. She hadn't even made it out of Hogsmeade.
Neville had been right, this was a suicide mission and she had just lost.
"Hm, pretty, pretty." He tweaked her wrist, causing her to cry out and drop her wand onto the ground. He brought his now free hand up to trace his fingers across her lips, she held back the shudder that threatened to rack her body. "And what are you doing out at this time of night, pretty?"
She said nothing, just continued to stare up at him. She wasn't in her uniform, she hadn't worn it since the beginning of the year, instead she worn jeans and one of the thinner jumpers she owned. At least he wouldn't know she was from Hogwarts, at least that secret was safe for now. Neville and Colin were safe for now.
"What, not in the mood to talk?" He leaned in closer, the mask disturbing this up front. "That's alright, pretty, I'm not really in the mood to talk either." His grin was lecherous as much as it was dangerous, she knew that she was in trouble. She knew this wasn't going to end well for her.
As much as she was scared, as much as she desperately wanted to give in and cry, there was a part of her that didn't care. A small, miniscule part of her that had been buried since she was twelve years old, that almost wanted him to kill her.
The thought went as soon as it came, leaving tears in her eyes and an odd thumping in her heart. Had she really just thought that?
The Death Eater pushed a rough thigh between her own, spreading her stance. She waited, she knew better than to fight back all screams and half-ass attempts brought on by adrenaline. She was trained better than that, taught better. If she lived through this all, she'd make one hell of an Auror one day – if the world even needed Auror's after the war.
His grip on her throat hadn't softened, but it was just light enough for her to speak and with his hand no longer occupying her wrist, it would be so easy for her to Accio her wand and hex him. She just had to wait for the right moment, let him think he'd won. She'd been playing the helpless little girl for a long time, it was only now that people were starting to see just how strong she really was.
She let out a little whimper, the tears that had been pooling in her eyes had begun to spill over onto her cheeks. She was a good actress, being the youngest of seven children had it's benefits, but there was a part of her that wasn't play acting. She was scared, this was frightening, she wanted to cry. It just happened to be easier to play the scared little girl when she was actually scared.
The Death Eater smirked, getting off at the sight of her tears, the sounds of her scared little whimpers. She wanted to lull him into that false sense of security, make him think her powerless, that he'd won. Then she'd go in for the kill.
"Please." She begged a little, her voice coming out hoarse from his grip on her throat.
His hand gripped tighter before loosening much more than it had been prior, he smirked, bringing his masked face closer to her chest, smelling her exposed skin. "Say it again, little girl. Beg me."
"Please." She whimpered out, her breathing a little erratic from the tears.
He chuckled roughly against her ear, her hand was open and poised, ready for her wand, she was just about to call out when another figure came around the corner. "And what do we have here?" The new Death Eater came closer. "You know not to play with your food, Master doesn't like it – "
He was cut off by Ginny's quiet Accio, both of them falling to the ground covered in the nastiest Bat-Bogey hex she had ever been able to conjure. She wasted no time, running around the corner in the opposite direction, her lungs burning with the effort. She ran as fast as her legs could take her, she was almost to the clearing, she could see it over the rooftop of Waag's, she was so close.
She pushed herself, she was almost there, she could make it. She couldn't hear anything behind her, didn't see any spells being thrown her way, but then again, the edges of her vision were blackened with adrenaline and the rushing in her ears prevented her from really hearing anything besides the throbbing of her blood.
She was going to make it.
She was going to get out of her alive. She would apparate, find her family, any of the closest Order members, she would come back for Neville and Colin and all those kids, they would storm the castle and everything would be alright. She could make it, she was so close.
She turned around the corner of Waag's, the small bakery building looked terrible in the grey of night, none of it's usual twinkle lights on or cakes in the window on display. Ginny wasn't sure why those were the thoughts running through her head as she passed the the little building, but, they were. She could almost smell the pastries that usually infiltrated the building, almost taste the croissants they use to get from there.
She was so close.
She was going to make it.
All would be okay.
She could see the clearing, the woods thick with trees and heavy with darkness. It was going to be okay, she was going to get to Bill's, she'd apparate straight to Shell Cottage, see if she could get in touch with Fred and George, have them send a message to Neville across the airwaves. She could do it, she had a plan. All would be well, for now. She'd figure the rest out once she was safe and with her family. All that mattered right now was apparating, getting out of Hogsmeade.
God, she was so close, she could taste it, just a few more sprints. She could do it. She was going to make it.
She didn't even hear him come up behind her. All she felt was the arm go around her waist, the air leave her lungs as she was thrown to the ground and the black creeping up all the way into her vision as her head hit the pavement.
She was so close.
She could make it.
All would be well.
A/N: I don't even know, guys. I just found myself writing this weird war fic and I just couldn't stop myself. So, here we are. Totally Ginny/Draco, definitely AU, that's about all I got. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.
