Ginny Weasley stepped off the Knightbus, feeling victorious, into the night again. Glancing quickly around, she soon spotted the lofty structure of the London Eye towering above the Muggle residential buildings surrounding her. She had yet to come up with a better plan than her Hermione-themed 'London Eye Approach', so she started towards her goal again, determined to find Harry. She had come so far! Turning back now would be embarrassing. The twins would probably never let it go.
Besides, she had already stunned someone - things couldnt really get much worse, she thought. Best continue on and see where she ended up, Gryffindore style.
She hadn't gone 200 meters when she felt a strange prickling at the back of her neck. She could have sworn that she had heard the faintest popping noise. Her DA and Order training kicked in and the witch began to scan her surroundings, while feigning that she had noticed nothing.
She remembered Harry running this exact scenario in Fourth Year. Using his Father's cloak had been another stroke of genius from Hermione, leaving Harry - the assailant - undetectable, even by charms like Homenum Revelio. Except by Dumbledore. Cause Dumbledore was just that good. Even Hermione hadn't be able to puzzle that one out. The exercise had been a good idea, anyway. It was frightening, not knowing where you were going to be attacked from, having to raise a shield rapid if you happened to spot it coming out of the corner of your eye. It was somehow even more exhilarating when it was Harry under the cloak... Knowing he was watching her, giving 100% focus, waiting for her to drop her guard. For a minute, they were the only two important things in the whole world.
If she was being followed, the situation was pretty much the same. Watch your surrounds, scan peripherally, be ready. One notable exception - this stalker didn't have a supercloak. Ginny slid her wand from her pocket and muttered "Homenum Revelio", as casually as she could. A shilloute lit up like an azure firework to her left. Her instincts had been reliable, for once. "Okay... breath... One guy, one stunner, direct hit hopefully, cast and dodge, then shield and reorientate... Now!"
As Ginny raised her wand arm, everything seemed to happen at once.
The spell was already on her lips as she spun and pointed, releasing the perfect stunner direct into the silhouette's chest. Whoever it was had been waiting and watching, and had become a sitting duck. The stalker crumpled in a blue, glowing heap. Ginny moved to follow through, leaping towards the felled target, but cried out as something hit her from behind. She heard twin shouts of "Impedimenta!" from her rear. She stumbled, off balance, as the second jinx struck true. The witch tried to roll to absorb the impact of her fall but still landed on one wrist, a sharp pain shooting up her forearm. Harry's voice sounded in her head: "Of course there was more than one! Amateur mistake, Ginny!"
Her failed roll, turning into more of a cartwheel-flop hybrid, gave her a little distance, and time, to work with. She threw a shield up behind her without even glancing around as her momentum carried her forward. Lady Luck must have been on her side, because she felt two more spells splash harmlessly against her hastily cast barrier.
Then she heard something that made her blood run cold. She turned to look at her attackers, frozen in fear, as she heard the first syllable of the Killing Curse from behind the metal mask of one of the Death Eaters. She couldn't run fast enough. There was nothing to dodge behind. Her wand arm wasn't quick enough. It would pass through her shield. The young witch stared in shock as the hate-filled man spoke the syllables that would end her life. Time seemed to slow. "Avada-"
Registering too late for the Purists, a trio of Apparition cracks had sounded, followed in canon by a yell of "Stupefy!". The cursing Death Eater dropped. His friend turned to meet the new assault but joined the other before he could even raise his wand.
Standing meters away was the one person that had eluded her all night. Harry James Potter was a vision of fury. His arm was still pointed right where the fallen Death Eaters had stood, quivering. His eyes were ablaze, and he was shaking like he was seizing. By his side were the rest of the Trio, already scanning the area for threats, Ron casting Homenum Revelio every few steps. Hermione was at Harrys back, putting up an anti-muggle ward. She heard Ron mutter, "Clear".
Ginny remembered to breathe. She was safe. She was alive. Harry had saved her again. That had been waaay too close. She went to get up, but stopped when Harry took several quick steps towards her, wand still out. Why was he still on edge? He had got them...
Oh. He had his wand trained on her.
"Harry...?", she murmured, suddenly frightened as she rised slowly to her feet. His jaw was set, his eyes wide. "What is your middle name?", he growled.
"Harry what... it's Molly! It's Molly!". He had moved closer until he had the wand to her throat. He relaxed, but didn't lower the wand. A little softer, he asked again. "What is the name of your Pigmy Puff?" Ginny was still staring wide-eyed at the wand pressing into her flesh. "...Arnold".
The tension drained out of Harry and his face was full of relief. Pocketing his wand, he pulled Ginny into a hug. She was too shocked to do much more than breath her own sigh of relief. Harry whispered in her ear. "I'm sorry. Weve been tracked and attacked already tonight. I had to be sure it was you. Are you ok?" Ginny hesitantly wrapped her arms around him. "I am now". She hisses in pain when her wrist bumped off Harrys back. It was probably sprained.
As they broke apart, Harry looked at her bruised wrist and whipped his wand out again, probably going to cast Episkey, then started cursing at himself. Ginny's eyes went wide. What was wrong? Harry spotted her wand in her hand and grabbed her arm. He looked right at her. "Don't cast anything! Its the Trace! Voldemort is using the Trace on underage witches and wizards like us to track us. That's how they found you."
The others had wandered over, their tasks completed. Ron stopped dead when he saw her. "Bloody hell. Ginny? How did you get out here?" She reluctantly stepped away from Harry, turning to face the Trio. "I flew-"
Herminone cut in. "No time. Harry, they have your Trace on that stunner. We need to move." Harry turned to face her. "What about Gin? We can't leave her here. They get an update on her location every time she defends herself." Ron's head snapped around having been gazing at her with confusion. "No way. She can't come with us."
Ginny grew angry. "Shut it Ron! I'm here to help! I'm coming!"
Everyone turned to Harry. He said nothing, only stared at Ginny. Hermione let out an exasperated sigh. "We have no time for this, we're moving now, before more arrive." Harry nodded curtly. Ron started swearing. Harry grabbed her shoulder suddenly, Hermione, he arm, and she was funnelled through a tight tube before being expunged on the doorstep of Number 12 Grimmauld Place.
As Harry stumbled, she caught him. It was almost natural. He had always suffered with Wizarding forms of travel. She was ready out of habit. In place of his usually grateful smile however, Harry's face was just blank. Ginny didn't like this. "Only one day on the run, and he's already shutting emotion out", she thought to herself.
She studied Harry out of the corner of her eye as the Trio - now a Quartet - passed into Grimmauld Place. He was wound tight, that was clear - his head was on a swivel constantly. She could guess why. If he meant what he said when breaking up with her, he likely felt personally responsible for their safety. He would totally blame himself if anything happened to any of them. That's just how Harry was. But this was a new extreme. War was changing Harry, and not for the better. She was seeing his best and worst qualities at their strongest - his protectiveness and his guilt.
They made their way into the sitting area, collapsing on couches. Hermione allowed a controlled burst of incendio light at the end of her wand, aimed at the grate. The flickering shadows made Harry's gaze even more disturbing. "Harry..."
He cut across her. "Why did you come after us, Gin? Are you crazy? You know how much danger being around me - us - puts you in... "
Ginny rolled her eyes. If I had a galleon for every time I've heard that. "Don't you think I know? You three are facing people and magic far beyond your skill"- Ron tried to interrupt. "No offence! But you are! You need all the help you can get! And I want to help. I'm good with a wand, I've trained with you all. I had your backs at the Department of Mysteries."
There was silence for a moment before Ron piped up. "Mom is never going to let this fly. She'll kill me."
"I'm not a little girl anymore. She hasn't realised that. I'm only a year younger than you three. I'm not useless and you all know that. Besides, Mom isn't here, Ron. The adults arent in charge anymore."
Hermione sighed before nodding. "Ginny has a point. Logically, we can use her. Tactically, we should take help when we can."
There was silence again. Then Harry exploded. "Dammit Gin! We broke up to protect you from Voldemort! Did that mean nothing to you? It wasn't a joke. He'll use you against me. Ron and Hermione are different because he already knew about our friendship. They weren't safe anyway! He calmed a little, looking away. "I'm sorry. I shouldnt have shouted. I hate this whole situation. But I can't let you stay."
Ginny could not think of anything to say to that. Suprisingly, it was Hermion that saved her from having to reply. "None of us like this Harry. And I hate to say it, but you're wrong." Harry whipped around to look at her. "Hear me out! Ginny, with her iconic red hair, just stunned either Death Eaters or at least Aurors working for Voldemort. She was then saved by Undesirable Numbers One through Three. We left them alive, so Volemort will know before long. I'm sorry, but it's too late. She's connected to us now, as more then just Ron's sister. She'll be taken and questioned for our location. She might be tortured. The rest of the Wealeys can deny knowing anything about our location, bases, tactics or plans and they would hold out under Veritasurem. Ginny won't. She's seen us, she's seen us in Number 12, and she's seen us illegally stun what could be, potentially, Ministery Personnel or at least people loyal to Voldemort, and she attacked them first too. I don't know if she could break the secret on the Fidelius here, but we can't risk it. She is safer with us and we are safer with her here."
Harry and Ron turned to look at her. She could see the gears turning. Hermione was probably right. They couldn't make her leave now, could they?
"... Ugh! I hate it when you're right!" Ron pointed a finger at Ginny. "You better stay safe because I dont want to kill that trumped up Lord just die at Moms hands." Ginny cracked a small smile. Ron rolled his eyes at her before getting up and moving to the Kitchen. "I'm hungry!" Hermione got up, muttering and following after Ron. "Gotta make sure he doesn't burn the house down..."
Harry stared at her again. Merlin, he had to stop doing that. Ginny stared back, chin raised. "Well?", she asked.
Harrys face fell into his hands, looking beaten. His voice was barely a whisper. "I don't like this, Gin. I don't wanna lose you."
His change of tack threw her, and she sat there for a moment before sitting down beside him on the ancient couch. "You aren't going to lose me. If anything, you have me back now. We'll be ok. We always are. Well fight hard, tooth and nail, Griffyndore style.." He smiled at her, and she enveloped him in her arms.
"I'm sorry for being a prat today. I'm just worried. I already lost my family, then lost my Godfather, which was almost worse since I knew the man. I can't lose my friends too. You're all too important to me. But you're right. Well fight and win. We have something Voldemort never had. Love, true loyalty, family and friendship. I can almost see the meaning behind what Dumbledore used to rant on about. It gives us a power he doesn't have."
Ginny smiled properly for the first time in what seems like an age. As she held him to the familiar background of Ron and Hermione bickering over something, she knew, somehow, that he was right.
They would win.