Okay, everyone. You may be wondering why this is back to chapter one. I revised it. It is VERY important that you read this, as I changed some important things and merged together chapters 1 and 2. The next chapter should be coming up in a few days, and expect faster updates than before, because I actually sat down and mapped out this story. I have no excuse for taking so long this time. Feel free to remind me should I take longer than a week.
Disclaimer: I don't own, however much I wish I did.
Screams erupted. Giants pounded around her. Curses whizzed past, barely missing her head. Ginny looked around desperately, wishing she didn't feel so helpless, that she had her wand. She spotted her boyfriend and ran forward, shouting, "Harry! Harry! No! Stop, he's going to get you! Stop! Look out…" she trailed off as a curse hit him and he fell over. Dead? No, he couldn't be. He just couldn't. "It wouldn't be fair," she muttered out loud. "It wouldn't be fair. Not fair, not fair, no, he's not dead, he can't be… He can't! NO!" she screamed, protesting with every bone in her body.
She weaved around the battling pairs, ducked curses, and jumped blood spattered bodies. It seemed like it took forever, like she was in some kind of hell where she was the only one moving, where everyone else was dead, but at last, she reached him. Bending over him, she grabbed his wrist, feeling hopefully for a pulse. "Don't be dead. Please, Harry. Don't be dead. Wake up. Come on. Wake up," He didn't stir. "Come on, Harry, you're stronger than this! Are you really going to let some stupid power-hungry freaks kill you? You're better than that, you're kinder, and, and… you're smarter. You know we can't do this without you. Why are you leaving? Why?" she whimpered to him, going from defiant and angry to feeling run over, like someone had killed her, too.
"Is poor Ginny sad?" A loud, fake concerned voice asked. "Why she would be, when her boyfriend was mean to her, and cheated on her, I can't imagine. Did you love the bastard, Ginny?" Ginny looked up, feeling rage start to pound through her.
"Bellatrix," she spat, standing up. Bella laughed, a high, cold laugh at odds with her beautiful face. She drew her wand and pointed it directly at Ginny's heart. Ginny plunged her hand into her back pocket, forgetting, for a moment, that she didn't have a wand. A jet of green light shot toward Ginny. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as she watched the curse fly toward her. This was it, then. She was going to die. Strange, though, everyone said her life would flash before her eyes… not that she was complaining, mind you. Her life hadn't been that good, after all. She was glad to leave it.
Then a heavy body thudded into her, pushing her to the ground. There was a burning in her right hand and she looked at it, blinking slowly. It appeared burned… as if it was dead. It had taken a very powerful curse, one aimed to kill, for this to happen. She barely had time to register this before the world blacked out.
xXx
Ginny woke in a bed. It was a very nice bed, she considered, running a hand over the soft white sheets. She lifted her head off the pillow (a nice, soft white pillow) and glanced about her. She appeared to be in a hospital room. Certainly, there was a rather hospital-like feeling to it. Six beds lined each wall, with a curtain around some of them. A middle-aged woman with slightly graying blonde hair and a haggard look on her face was bending over an empty bed, smoothing the white blanket over and over, so that it would be perfect.
"Excuse me?" Ginny asked softly. The woman jumped and turned around. She gasped; almost seeming abashed at her behavior, and swiped at her eyes. Had she been crying? Ginny wondered at that dimly before dismissing it as unimportant.
"Oh, my dear. You startled me. I wasn't expecting you to become conscious. I don't think anyone was…" she added quietly.
"Why? What happened to me?"
"You were hit with a very powerful curse. Luckily it just grazed your hand, not killing you, but you were asleep, that is, in a coma, for almost seven years," the woman explained. "We didn't expect you to wake up…"
Ginny looked down at her hands, picking at a hangnail. She knew, of course, that someone had pushed her out of the way, and that was why she was still alive. But that couldn't be right… the healer didn't mention anyone else. Maybe it was best to say she didn't remember. Avoid awkward questions. "Is it bad that I don't remember this?" she asked, playing innocent.
The woman sighed, looking concerned. "It's not good, that's for sure. We'll move you to a special ward for people who have lost their memories. It may help you."
Ginny nodded. As long they didn't try Veritaserum, she was safe.
"That's a good girl," the healer said. "I'll send in Healer Zabini soon. She is very experienced in these things and being in her ward should help you."
Ginny nodded absently, her mind already on other things. Zabini? Why did that name sound so familiar? She wracked her brains, but came up with nothing. Maybe she did need this new ward.
"Miss Weasley?" a melodious voice asked.
"What?" she snapped, angry at being interrupted from her thoughts. She glared at the young woman with dark hair and darker eyes standing by the foot of her bed. She took a quick summary of this new acquaintance. Very pretty, probably fawned over by many guys, but stood with perfect ballet posture and, judging by the purse of her lips, had a serious stick up her arse.
"I'm Healer Zabini," the woman stated. Okay, so why don't I recognize you? I know your name, but not you…, Ginny thought, scrutinizing her face for some familiar feature. "You'll be moving to my ward. Now, I understand you don't remember anything?"
"I remember some things… a lot of screaming. A flash of light… and blood. Lots of blood…" Ginny said. She mentally cursed herself. Why had she said that? She meant to say nothing.
"Okay…" Healer Zabini nodded, making notes on a clipboard. "Right, we're going to move you now. You just rest and I'll apparate you there—" she spotted Ginny's confused look and hurried to explain. "Oh, we don't usually apparate within the hospital, but for moving patients, we have found it's the easiest way."
She scooped Ginny up with surprising strength for her thin arms and turned on the spot. Ginny felt a brief squeezing on her lungs, then a new room came into focus around them and she could breathe again. Healer Zabini set her down on a bed and stepped back. "I'll just leave you to get settled in. I have a meeting in another wing."
Ginny shrugged, inwardly laughing at the healer. 'Get settled in'? How ridiculous. She didn't have any settling in to do. No bags, no decorations, for Merlin's sake she didn't even have any clothes besides the hospital pajamas she was wearing. The only thing she could possibly have to do was fix her pillow so it was comfortable. All she wanted was to be left alone. Just then, a man strolled in. Ginny looked up at him, groaning. Did no one understand the whole 'leave me alone' thing? "Hey! You're new! What's up?" he spouted happily.
"Umm…" Ginny stared at him blankly. This man couldn't be a healer. He was too… happy. Healers didn't smile.
"Anyway!" he burst out, apparently too impatient to wait for an answer. "I'm Blaise Zabini. My sister is in charge of this wing," he lowered his voice conspiratorially, "She's older than me—by ten years! Can you believe it? 35! I mean, wow. What's your name?"
"Ginny—" Ginny started.
"Oh! Ginny Weasley! I remember you!" Blaise interrupted. "You were in the year under me. Gryffindor, right? You dated Potter? And--" He cut off abruptly.
Ginny blinked, trying to reason why he knew, or, in fact, cared. "Um, I don't know?" she said, disappointed to realize that she really didn't remember about this Potter kid.
"Oh yeah. You're in the people-with-no-memories ward. I forgot." Blaise looked disappointed. Really disappointed. Maybe there was something he wanted her to remember.
"Wait… I think I remember you…" Ginny said slowly, as she stared at his face.
She stumbled and dropped her books. "Watch where you're going!" she said harshly, looking up at the person who had just run into her.
"Sorry," an Italian boy answered her. "I was in a hurry… let me get those." he bent over and scooped up the books.
Ginny looked at his hair as he was kneeling in front of her. It was smooth and dark, with lighter highlights through it. The boy stood up and reached down to hoist her up too. "Thanks," Ginny said grudgingly.
"By the way, I'm Blaise."
"Ginny," she answered. He smiled at her. She smiled back, feeling drawn to him like a magnet to a refrigerator.
…
"Ginny, look, I've been meaning to tell you… that is, I—" he broke off, looking awkward.
"It's okay. I've got a pretty good idea what you want to say." And before he could say anything else, she kissed him. After a couple seconds, he pulled back.
"You like me back?" he asked.
"Of course I do. You're cute and funny and easy to talk to. Do I need more reasons to like you?" Ginny asked, and pulled him back to her mouth.
"You were a good kisser." Ginny commented.
Blaise smiled, surprised. "You really remember me? I must be good."
"I don't know if you still are…" she told him. "Maybe some other time we can find that out." Blaise smiled again.
"I think that can be arranged."
