Chapter 4 Ginny

I woke to the sound of soft whimpering coming from the bed beside mine. In my sleepy daze, I could not remember who had been sleeping there. I picked up my wand from my bedside table and whispered to myself, "Lumos." The light was bright at first, but then dimmed so as not to wake anyone in the room. I saw the mass of hair and realized it was Hermione.

I sighed to myself before standing from my bed. I cringed when my bare feet touched the cold floor. I slowly reached down and shook her shoulder softly, "Hermione, Hermione wake up."

She began to murmur slightly more in her sleep before I whispered louder, "Hermione!" She jumped awake, her forehead beaded with sweat and her chest heaving. "Are you alright Hermione?"

She touched her scar I knew was hidden under her sleeve softly before nodding slowly. Her voice was raspy when she spoke, "Thanks."

"Would you like to go down to the common room with me and talk about it? I myself need some time by the fire anyway." She nodded before standing from bed and placing fuzzy slippers on her feet. We walked down the stairs and each found an armchair in front of the fire. It was quiet for a bit before I finally asked, "What was your nightmare about?"

Hermione stared into the fire silently before she sighed and began to speak. "I was back in Malfoy Manor. I relived Bellatrix cutting into my arm to brand me with that hateful scar." She looked down at her arm and rubbed the scar, now revealed from beneath her rolled up sleeves. She rubbed small circles over the letters as if the pain still burned from the fresh cuts. "Everyone just watched and listened to me scream. And I could hear them echoing around me. Except in my dream, I don't get to escape with Harry and Ron. They couldn't reach me, so they had to apparate without me." She let out a heavy sigh. "And then things began to escalate. She carved all over my body. Things such as know-it-all, bucktooth, and bushy hair. Basically all of my insecurities. And I just kept screaming and screaming."

She had tears in her eyes as she spoke. I reached across and placed my hand on top of hers, "It's okay Hermione. Bellatrix is gone. And Harry and Ron would never leave you. You know that."

She nodded slightly, "I suppose so." I saw a flash of guilt in her eyes, "You don't think they would actually do that do you?"

She sighed before whispering softly, "Ron might."

I gave her hand a slight squeeze, "You think that just because you didn't want to go out with him?" She nodded again. "He still loves you Hermione. Whether it be romantically or as a friend, I don't know. Don't really care either, because he needs to suck it up, but anyway, he wouldn't do that. He still cares about you, even if you rejected him."

Hermione looked over at me and gave a slight smile, "Thanks Gin."

I smiled back, "Do you mind if I ask a question though?"

"Sure."

"Well, you and Ron always had this chemistry between you. And when he decided to go out with Lavender, you hated it. Why don't you want to go out with him now?"

She let out a long sigh, "I don't know really. It just didn't feel like that's what's supposed to happen. With he and I, I mean. We kissed, and there just weren't fireworks like I expected. I feel like when I love someone, like really really love them, there will be fireworks when we kiss. And also, I just love him too much as a friend. Anything else would just be so…awkward. Kissing him was even awkward. And if anything ever happened with he and I, I feel we would hate each other. And I don't want that to ever happen." I nodded before she looked at me again, "Is that stupid? Like, the fireworks thing?"

I smiled widely and shook my head, "Not at all. I always have fireworks when Harry and I kiss. Fireworks, and butterflies, and just everything the stories always talk about."

She smiled, "You're not mad at me are you? For not dating Ron?"

"Of course not! You are like my sister no matter what. He could completely hate you and you'd still have to come around because. That and my family loves you too much to not see you ever again." She beamed at me and I grinned back.

We sat silently for a bit before we heard footsteps on the stairs behind us. Harry approached and sat down on the arm of my chair. His hair was still a mess and his eyes squinted from the light, "I thought I heard giggling girls down here."

Hermione gave a mock look of horror, "We do not giggle!"

I started laughing, "And even if we did, we weren't giggling. We were just talking about some girl things."

"Ah. Well, what do you say everyone goes and gets dressed and we head for breakfast a little early? I can wake Ron up." Hermione and I nodded in agreement, we hadn't noticed the sun had started to rise.

We all met back in the common room before starting to the Great Hall. Ron was the first to speak, oddly enough. "How many times do you all suppose you'll put your names in that cup thing?"

We continued walking for a moment before Harry spoke up, "None. I've had enough excitement for a lifetime. Not to mention fame and glory. I am not doing it. Period."

Ron nodded before turning to me, "What about you Ginny?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure. The extra money could help Mum and Dad at the Burrow, but at the same time, I don't like entering for a contest that I don't know what it is. Professor McGonagall didn't even seem to know!"

Ron nodded, "I suppose you're right. I was thinking the same thing about helping mum and dad though. Especially since they weren't planning on buying double the books this year. I think I might put my name in the goblet a couple of times. Not the max, because if I'm not chosen, that's okay. But then if I am, I could help out with the money for awhile."

Hermione finally spoke up, "That's if you win Ron. You have to consider that too."

"Well yeah, of course, but you know."

"I think I might do that too. Put my name in a few times to go along with the one entry. Maybe two of three. What about you Hermione?"

"I don't think I'll add any extra entries. Harry nearly died last time there was some kind of wizard tournament. Several times actually. I'd just rather stay away from something like that."

"Yeah, true."

We finally entered the hall and I was shocked to see all of the people already crowding into the Great Hall, most of them seventh years.

I looked at our group to see everyone's eyes wide. I was the first to speak, "Wow. Apparently everyone else is a little eager to put their names in the goblet." Their heads nodded in agreement.

We found our table at the edge of the hall and sat ourselves comfortably where we could see the students bustling around the goblet. Most of the people crowded around it were Slytherins. They pushed each other out of the way to try and get their names in the cup first.

Hermione let out a chuckle, "They're quite barbaric, aren't they?" We all laughed in agreeance and continued to eat our breakfast.

After the crowd finally died down, I stood, "Well, I'm going to go put my name in it. Is anyone coming along?"

Ron stood up, "I will." We turned and began to make our way to the goblet. Harry and Hermione could both be heard sighing. They really did not agree with Ron and I's decision.

We waited in line for about fifteen minutes before our turn finally came. I allowed Ron to go first. He wrote his name on some parchment four times before he turned and left the white circle around the goblet. I followed and placed my name in the cup twice before we returned to our seats together.

"And now we wait."

Ron nodded, "And now we wait."