Inculpate Terminus: Innocence Lost

Chapter Two: The Necklace

As Professor McGonagall spoke, Ginny watched across the hall, her eyes traveling over the seventh year table, beaming proudly as they fell on her brother, who was sitting next to Hermione, and was, for once, looking completely pulled together in his dress robes.

A hand went up to touch the necklace that she had received only an hour ago as her eyes fell on Harry and she remembered receiving the necklace

She turned the corner, sure she'd find Harry soon. She stopped short when her eyes fell on him, however. Talking to… Cho? She was surprised to realize that she felt a twinge of-something. She stood, watching them for a minute, and then felt guilty.

Of course he would talk to Cho. He had every right to. She'd been his first girlfriend after all, hadn't she? It only made sense that he would think of her now, when everything was about to happen. So what if she'd thought…?

It was silly, really. They'd shared a few dances at a wedding.

They were friends. Friends did that.

She'd just hoped… But it didn't really matter what she'd hoped, did it?

Biting down on her lip so hard that she nearly drew blood, she turned and hurried away towards the Great Hall doors, ready to slip out of sight and have a seat by her parents before the processional, as she realized that she was just happy if he was happy. Even if the person he'd decide to trust wasn't her.

Over Cho's shoulder, Harry caught sight of a flash of brilliant red hair and stopped. He glanced at Cho for a second. "Excuse me, but, could we finish this later?" he asked politely, and then hurried past her in the direction of the Great Hall.

"Ginny," he called, easily catching up with her, given that his legs were much longer than hers.

Hearing his voice, Ginny stopped, willing the hurt look out of her eyes as she turned to face him.

A small pack of seventh year Ravenclaws, chattering excitedly, hurried by just then.

Harry glanced up at them and then down at her, clearing his throat nervously. "Could I-uh-have a word?" he asked quietly.

Ginny blinked, surprised, and then nodded.

"Okay," Harry said, staring at her-at a loss. He hadn't quite expected her to say yes. After an awkward silence, he nodded and then grabbed her by the elbow and led her down the hallway, ducking into an empty classroom and closing the door behind them.

Ginny's eyebrows raised in surprise as she looked up at him questioningly. "Harry-what's-" she began to ask, but he cut her off.

"Just… be quiet a second," he said, digging into his robe pocket for the locket. "I'm sorry," he murmured as she looked slightly taken aback at his abrupt tone. "I just had what I was going to say figured out in my head, but now I've forgotten it all anyway, so… here," he said, finally finding the locket and holding it out to her.

Ginny blinked at the locket, her face twisting in confusion. "Harry it's beautiful, but what…?" she asked, looking up at him.

He flushed, distinctly avoiding eye contact, unconsciously kicking at a scuff mark that Filch must have missed, concentrating on that instead. "It was my mother's." He reached into his robes and pulled out his own matching-though slightly bulkier-necklace and showed it to her. He flushed slightly, now looking up and meeting her eyes, his own very uncertain. "If it works the way I understand it… Er," he flushed even deeper. "We should be able to find each other if we need to with them," he watched as she put it on, his eyes focusing on the crudely fashioned charm around her neck. After a second, he looked away. Her expression softened and she stepped towards him, pressing her hand into his and giving his hand a little squeeze. He looked up at her and then down at their joined hands with an expression that was a mixture of surprise and… was it relief?

"I love it," she said quietly, taking the necklace, which glowed as she touched it. "And if you go anywhere now, I'll find you," she said, her chin setting stubbornly as she fastened it around her neck.

Harry grinned sheepishly, laughing until he met her eyes. He just held her gaze for a moment, unconsciously moving in…

CLANG! CLANG!

Both heads snapped up and only then did Ginny realize that their faces had been inches from each other. She looked at Harry, eyes wide. "The procession is starting! We have to hurry!" she said frantically.

And with that, they both dashed from the room, their hands joined until right before they ran into a large line of seventh years. Ginny quickly dropped Harry's hand as they nearly careened into Neville Longbottom, who was standing with Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan.

Harry glanced at her in surprise, as he realized he hadn't even been aware that they'd still been holding hands.

Ginny looked up at him and then stood on her tiptoes to give him a little kiss on the cheek. "We'll talk after the feast," she whispered, and then turned and disappeared into the Great Hall.

In the present, Ginny snapped to attention as McGonagall's speech wound down and suddenly… the lights went out.

She stood up, yelling for her parents to see if they were okay, the shout seeming to die as soon as it left her lips, drowned out by screams coming from all over the Great Hall.

She pulled her wand out and moved away from the table, hearing her dad conferring with her brothers, organizing them to go out into the battle, no doubt.

But her only thought was of getting to Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"I'll find you," she had told Harry, and already she'd lost him. The necklace around her neck glowed, warming slightly as she felt herself guided towards the center of the hall.

"DISCUTTIERE!" a voice from nearby hollered, and Ginny had only a moment to recognize the blasting curse that she had discovered in one of the books on hexes she'd researched earlier before a loud noise sounded nearby and several students were sent flying. She dodged quickly to avoid the flying bodies, wincing as she tried not to wonder who had already been injured and how badly.