Ginny got up earlier than always, dressed up and went to the great hall. She passed the group of first year Gryffindors on the stairs and noticed two of her friends who were talking with nerves and anxiety. They were Ronald, her brother, and Hermione who was more beautiful than always.
"Hi, guys " Ginny yawned as she interrupted in their talking. Ronald looked at her with angry glare and snarled under his breath something about rude children. After that act of 'polite' he turned back to Hermione with false smile.
"What's going on, Mione? Why couldn't you tell me the truth?" His voice was full of spite. "Who are you meeting?"
"No one!" Barked Hermione with loud voice. "He has only asked me about talking, you distrustful guy!" She screamed and many people in the corridor looked at them. Girl was humiliated by one of her best friends. She clenched small sheet of paper in her fist and ran away.
"You stupid!" Snarled Ginny "Why were you so rude to her?!" She couldn't understand her brother. Why the one who said that he is interested in Hermione offended her? Ron shook his head helplessly. It take her a long moment to notice that brother looked like he wasn't sleeping well this night.
"I'm sorry" He said with resigned voice "I'm just worrying about her…"
Ginny swallowed slaver. She sighed and hugged brother without word.
"I'm sorry" Ginger-haired boy repeated. After a long moment he decided to ask about their last talking. "Sister… sorry about yesterday. But would you tell me if you started to meet with anyone?" Girl smiled gently and stepped away from her family member.
"Sure." She laughed and after a moment Ron smiled too. She felt that she have to tell him about her relation with his best friend. "Ron... I'm going to end something which is harassing me since holidays. Thanks for support." She added and left confused boy with his thoughts.
She had to find Harry and talk with him.
Hermione was lying on really soft bed in The Room of Requirement. She was thinking about bad luck which had been meeting her since she entered school the day before.
She was on time on platform 9 ¾ and got on the right train. A moment after she put her luggage on shelf above the seat, the troubles have been started. The first presage of her bad luck had a form of brown-haired boy, first year student of Gryffindor. He came to her and with a shy smile reached out his hand to her. Until she looked at the boy with surprise he didn't give her written with small letters letter.
As soon as the boy left her compartment she started to read.
That was twisted form of love letter, maybe from one of the younger students. But there was one thing which made her feel uncomfortable: the author of the letter insisted on meeting in the part of the Forbidden Forest. In the spite of his explains about his shyness, Hermione couldn't stop worry.
Despite of danger she accepted that condition. After the argument with Ron she was determinated to meet with mysterious author of letter.
And also the Ron, her friend, was another thing about which she wanted to complain in silence. She noticed that he started to be some kind of invasive to her. As he wanted to own the girl. It scared her the most.
When Ginny found Harry he was sitting on the small hill under the tree and looking at lake. It was reflecting with light flames made by sun. Girl sighed when she approached place where the boy was sitting. He looked at her and opened his mouth to ask, but she cut him off with declaration.
"I'm sorry Harry for what I feel." She said as she was looking at waving water in the lake. "Our love is dying out every single day. Lately we're talking very often too."
"Do you want me to save it?" Asked boy with slow voice. "As you know, we've got many things to do. We, the Order of Phoenix, need to put up resistance and win with Voldemort." His tone was cold but she has an ability to read between the lines. She saw that he was scared of what the future will bring.
"I need person with who I could feel comfortable and safely. I need someone who can get my trust" she said. He looked up at the girl and saw her sadness. He thought that he should allow her to go.
"Gin…" He said. She sighed with satisfaction quietly because she loved when he used to call her like that. But it has been ending since she started talking. She remembered every single day which she spent with him but she also knew that if one of partners in a relationship started to suffocate, he would end it. That was the reason. Mostly. "You aren't chained with me, I let you go. But I want you to promise me that you will never stand on the Voldemort's side. Please."
"Harry" she smiled gently "you know that I'll never do something as horrible. If something changes in my live you'll be first who I'll inform." She hugged him. That was incredible feeling which told her that they will be friends again.
Something was wrong. She felt it when she was returning to the castle. She sensed it in student's stares and their behavior. As soon as she saw Neville who was passing her on the right she caught him by the arm and stopped.
"What has happened? Why everyone is whispering?" Neville shook his head but before he could respond, Pansy Parkinson appeared next to them. Ginny looked at her with reluctance. Why this pissy girl had to come when she wanted to talk with her friend? Ginger-haired Gryffindor rose her head proudly and started to walk to the school. She was trying to pass Slytherin student on a pavement but black haired one got in her way. Ginny opened mouth to argue but Parkinson overtook her.
"Come." Said Parkinson and went to the school. Ginny was completely shocked but she listened to her and after a few moments they were entering the Slytherin's Common Room. Walls and the ceiling were decorated with light and dark hues of green. Somewhere reflects were shining. They were reanimated by sun which rays were lighting ornamental skin of snake. Colors were cold, that's true, but room looked fairly pleasure.
At the table in a center of empty room was sitting Blaise Zabini.
"What is going on?" Ginny asked before she could stop herself. Boy looked at her with boring glance and with a movement of his head he invited girls to sit next to him. As soon as girls joined him, he waved his wand and murmured spell…
Completely confused Ginny was watching as the game board to Exploding Sap was slowly appearing. What.
"Are you kidding?" She asked.
"I thought that it'll be more pleasant than talking about Hermione Granger." Zabini shrugged his shoulders and grinned. Parkinson burst into laugh. Ginny thought that it was too unimaginable to be real (nice Slytherins for example) so she did anything to stop it. It was ten p.m. but she needed to get relax and playing game with 'friends' would be perfect to calm her nerves. It also was reason why she didn't asked about Hermione and why Zabini mentioned about her.
Stack of colorful cards appeared in the center of the table.
"Why are you nice to me?" Whispered Ginny silently. Pansy Parkinson looked at her with arch glance.
"Why are you asking when we know that you're Slytherin in a heart?" She joked.
"Do you really think that I can trust you after your behavior to Ron or Harry?"
"I don't need your trust or secrets – I was only looking for person who is brave and amusing. And I found one who can be perfect to do with us some wits when everyone else will be focused on war." Zabini teased and glanced at Ginny. "Let's play."
As soon as he said the last sentence, cards have mixed up. The first picture provided beautiful young woman with long, slender neck. She was dressed in violet and black dress from new fashion collection. She smiled playfully and after a moment winked to Ginny.
"Why couldn't you just say that you're attracted to her?" Black haired girl shook her shoulders. Boy with dark complexion froze for a moment. He wasn't prepared for that turnaround. Ginny froze too but her mind was working really hard. It would explain why he was so polite to her... NO WAY.
"Sap!" yelled Parkinson and laughed hard. Gryffindor student looked at her in a shock. She has completely forgotten about game. After that she looked at Zabini who smiled mockingly to her. "That's what we, Slytherins, named 'tactic'." Parkinson was still roaring with laughter. "You should see your face expression! Blaise's was something like 'what the fuck' and yours-…" But they couldn't even know what exactly Parkinson saw on Ginny's face because Argus Filch entered The Common Room.
"Ohh.. Is that day of friendship between Gryffindor and Slytherin? Maybe for that one girl who has gone missing I should look there?" He mocked and with a movement of his head he pointed at the way to dormitories.
"You were to loud…" mumbled Zabini under his breath to Parkinson who was looking at Ginny with apologetic glance. Ginger haired girl shook her head gently.
"Mrs. Weasley we are going to visit headmaster. It's almost 12 p.m!" Filch was still complaining when they left dungeons. But Ginny didn't listen to him. Who has gone missing?
Ginny Weasley was completely exhausted when she entered the Gryffindor's Common Room. It was 1 a.m. It surprised her that she has met group of her friends who were committed in a conversation. They were shouting all at once with nerves. She couldn't understand about what they are talking in a first moment. As soon as she was noticed, everyone in a room silenced.
"What?" Ginny dusted herself off and walk up to Harry and Luna. Ron with suspicious glance started to walk to meet her halfway.
"Where have you been, sister? I haven't seen you all day!"
"Umm, I got ground from Filch because of Parkinson… But it's not important. WHO had gone missing? What had happened?" Girl looked at them with a seriousness.
"Where was Parkinson's fault? Were you fighting or something?" Ron still wanted to ask questions.
"No, I was just playing Exploding Sap with them and Parkinson laughed too loud" snarled Ginny, who started to lost her patience.
"With who?" barked her brother.
"With Zabini and Pansy." Ginny screamed at him and went to her dormitory. "Fuck off, Ron."
Knock, knock…
"Come…" Ginny said with weak voice. Luna entered the room. She looked at her roommate who was sitting on a sofa and hugging pillow. Lovegood remained silence. She was just observing younger girl who burst her face into pillow.
"You're getting angry too fast" said Luna simply "Are you meeting with Blaise or something?" she asked gently.
"No." Snarled girl with ginger hair.
"Nice" commented her friend and nodded. "We were talking about Hermione. She went missing."
Ginny was glancing at her in disbelieve. How could it be even possible? What if someone injured her? Black thinks filled her mind.
"Neville said that he was a witness when Hermione got letter in a Hogwart Express. Ron thought that someone would blackmail her, but it's arguing with it that she has been defending 'mysterious author' all day – she was arguing with your brother about that and after it she disappeared."
Why Hermione?
