Author's Notes – Hey! I've got another story up – and it's another one-shot. I've got to stop procrastinating and stuff. Anyways, this one's a bit different from my usual, it's a bit hurt/comfort and it's not at all funny. Well, I'll try to add some humor but I wouldn't put it was my main priority. I'm just trying to draft Ginny's relationship with the twins.
Summary: (One-shot) (Post PoA) After the Chamber of Secrets event, Ginny turned into a shell of her former self. Until the twins and their idols brought her back.
Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.
Summary: (One-shot) (Post PoA) After the Chamber of Secrets event, Ginny turned into a shell of her former self. Until the twins and their idols brought her back.
- It's a Twin Effort –
It wasn't real. It wasn't real. It can't be.
Her breathing haggard and her eyes blurred with tears that trailed down her pale face, mingling with sweat from the fear of a certain Tom Riddle. Ginny Weasley stumbled down several staircases as she reached the foot of the last staircase making her way into the dimly lit living room in the Burrow. She closed her eyes just as she collapsed on the small, but cozy armchair by the fire.
It was just a dream. Just a bad dream…nothing else. She would repeat to herself as she slowly regained her breath. Ginny shook her head slightly when a small voice called out to her.
It was real though, wasn't it? You were the one who attacked all those people. All those people, classmates – just some innocent kid and you attacked them.
Freezing as if Petrificus Totalus on her, she snapped her eyes open as she darted them everywhere as if looking for the source of the cruel voice. But nothing was there, no one was there. She was alone. No one…
She shook her head hastily; no one said it was my fault, did they?
Ah, yes. They wouldn't. But everyone's thinking it. How could they no - did you not set a large snake after them? Not just a snake, but the largest of all – a Basilisk, the King of Serpents. One simple glance and they could have died. It'd be your entire fault.
No. No…no. Weasley red hair flying everywhere as Ginny shook her head, her eyes squeezed shut. It isn't my fault. It isn't my fault. It isn't my fault. She chanted to herself but there was no stopping the small voice from ridiculing her.
You'd be a murderer, wouldn't you? No difference from you little friend, Tom? No difference from the Death Eaters who torture muggles for fun. Nope, not at all – no difference at all.
Eyes widened in shock, surprise, fear and, in a sense, a mottled feeling of anger and hurt. I am different! She declared to the voice but her voice shook slightly with tears nearly leaking from her eyes.
Ooh, yes. A murderer! It was your fault –
Suddenly, the voice stopped, and Ginny froze again – the door had creaked. Someone was here.
Instinctively, Ginny's hand ran to her wand – after a year, she had come to feel dependent on her wand – but to find nothing there but the folds of her night gown. In her hast, she hadn't gotten her dressing gown.
For a second, that felt entirely too much like an eternity, the door had opened completely and a figure had walked through. A tall, lanky frame, with the traditional red hair on his head had slipped through quietly. His face was unusual to her, his eyes held no twinkle in their blue depts. His careless, mischievous smile was gone and his face was oddly solemn and, at the same time, protective.
He quickly walked toward her in such a fast past that made him look as though he had come ran. His arms awkwardly went around her, slightly pushing her on his lap. And for a minute they were silent. Just staring at each other, slightly disbelieving yet grateful brown eyes met the eyes of her brother's cerulean blue eyes.
Abruptly, Ginny let go of any resistance of the tears and flung herself at her brother. With the same abruptness, a few minutes later, Ginny stopped, as if first realizing what she was doing and pushed away, not meeting his eyes.
Then, the door creaked again, and another figure slipped swiftly past, identical to the one next to Ginny – whose eyes whipped to face the almost exact face of the brother beside her. Her eyes followed him as his eyes met her eyes and he gave an almost ghost of a smile and walked quickly to her other side. He sat down on the opposite side of his twin but instead, on the armrest.
In his hand was an old looking piece of parchment. Wrinkled and yellowing, he clutched it in his hands as if it were the most valuable thing in the world.
At Ginny's almost surprised yet suspicious face, Fred gave a small wink and fleetly unfolded it to show absolutely nothing.
Not one drop of ink.
Seemingly ignorant of Ginny's apprehensive stare, George nodded approvingly at Fred before taking out a wand from his pocket. He pointed the tip towards the parchment and spoke the words that had become his favorite phrase.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
To Ginny's awe, spidery letters and shapes began to form on the parchment. Forming something…but what was it?
Hogwarts – it was a map of Hogwarts.
The twins exchanged an almost gleeful glance as the watched their only sister's reaction – her eyes had widened and the quickly, and skillfully scanned the piece. She whipped her head around to face both the twins in turn as if asking for an explanation.
Fred cleared his throat, "this, dear younger sister –"
"- And favorite sister – " George added in helpfully.
"- Yes, that too – is the Marauder's Map," continued Fred.
Ginny gave a puzzled look that was intrigued and curious.
"The Marauder's Map," George paused thoughtfully and continued, "is a map of Hogwarts – as you can see – that shows secret passages, and –,"
Fred opened his mouth to extend his twin's description but closed it quickly, his lips quirking into a smirk when he had seen Ginny realizing the map's full effects.
She looked up quickly, eyes connecting with Fred's, "D-does this mean - ? I mean, is he – are they really?" her voice wavered as but her eyes widened again when Fred nodded.
George turned to her, "I guess we're really like stalkers – I mean, no one else can tell someone that Dumbledore is having tea with Professor Snape right now when we're not even in school."
He stopped when he heard a sound, almost foreign to his ears after long weeks without even a something sounding even the least bit similar – Ginny was giggling. She stopped suddenly as if just realizing what she was doing but shook her head slightly and looked at George and gestured for him to continue.
His own face was now mirroring his twin's face – a smirk and all. "Dumbledore really is - y'know, having tea with that git." George paused and shook his head, grinning.
Fred picked up where George had left off, "There is a reason we showed this to a reason we showed this to you though…" he trailed off unexpectedly and glanced at the carbon copy of himself before growing solemn.
"We remember what we saw." The two said in unison.
Confused and about to state it, Ginny opened her mouth but was quickly silenced by her older brothers.
"When you were…not yourself," Fred said, pausing and glancing at his twin for help before continuing, "we saw it on the map." He gestured awkwardly at the map.
George nodded, "It was odd, we'd be watching out for the professors but then we'd see you but all of a sudden, your name became all faded. It was like your name was being erased."
Fred shivered uncharacteristically as George paled slightly, "a-and that only happens when…when someone's about to die." Fred quickly said, stuttering slightly. His face was extremely pale and he looked like a ghost.
"But it was strange. Odd, really – when your name became only a faint outline, another name appeared." George paused.
"Tom Riddle appeared." Both Fred and George stated wincing and giving a small shudder.
Ginny paled, herself and tears desperately tried to leak out at the name. She shivered as if a cold gust had made her cold.
"W-we didn't want to tell you in case it…you know, scared you or something," Fred said, unsure of himself.
"But we decided, in the end, that it would be for your benefit. You see," George added, seeing the youngest Weasley's obvious confusion and fear, "it proves that it wasn't you. It proves that it was Tom Riddle!" George exclaimed, he was obviously proud of his ingenious observation.
Regaining some of her color, Ginny gave a small smile. After weeks of expressing no emotions, she apparently had some trouble keeping it up. Her mouth struggled to form words of gratitude at the seemingly simple concept.
It wasn't her.
Fat drops of tears dripped down her face as she gave a quick hug and kiss on the cheek for both her brothers before allowing the tears to run freely down her face.
And that was what it was.
Almost like tears of freedom. Free of the curse that wouldn't allow her to be happy, to laugh, to skip or to jump. Wouldn't allow her to live – but she was free now.
And she was damn smart enough to take her chance – to finally live her own life.
- - -
Date Started – October 3rd, 2007.
Date Posted – August 1st, 2008.
Author's Comments – Well! That's done! I'm sorry if it was too…mushy. It seemed like it to me a bit – and I'm the author! Anyways, thanks for reading – please review. You've taken time out of your life to read so please just take a bit more time to just review and give a small comment.
Constructive criticism is appreciated.
So just review and I'll be forever grateful for feedback!