Harry sat in the common room, books open out in front of him. Ginny was fast asleep in one of the armchairs, her head resting against the back of the chair. They had been dating for the last two months.
It had caused a bit of controversy from the rest of the school, but was quickly demolished when they realized it would not be a good idea to say anything hateful about Harry or Ginny when one of them was around.
The worst problem was coming from Ron, who didn't seem to get the hint to leave them alone. Hermione was unfortunately partnered with him in the tournament and hated every moment of it.
Ginny shifted in her sleep, almost falling out of her chair. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. "I did it again didn't I?" Ginny questioned.
"You aren't going to get far in class if you keep falling asleep so much."
She grumbled. "I just haven't been able to sleep in months and I don't know why," she said as she sat down beside him.
He smiled at her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She snuggled closer to him. "I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough," Harry said as he kissed her forehead.
"Me too. How is Hermione doing with that git of a brother of mine?"
"She seems to be doing well though she looks a bit haggard after each meeting with him."
"If only there was a way to get her out of it."
"We can knock her unconscious?"
"I don't think she'd appreciate that too much," Ginny said as she pushed him down on the couch. He smiled up at her. She moved to lie beside him, wrapping her arm around his waist.
"Comfortable now?"
"Very much so," she mumbled against his neck. "How much longer till we have the competition?"
"Another week I think. I don't know why they are waiting so long."
"Me either, but who cares."
"I care," Hermione said as she came into the room. "If I have to spend one more hour with that bloody git I am going to lose my mind," she huffed as she sat down in one of the armchairs. "Are you still not sleeping?"
"No," Ginny said with a small smile as she placed a kiss on Harry's neck. He turned to glare at her and she just smiled.
"Enjoying the comfort of having your own quarters I see," Hermione commented dryly.
"I'm not pregnant nor have we slept together."
"I never said you did, just the rest of the entire school thinks so."
"Let them think what they want as long as you don't let them get to you," Harry said with a sly smile.
"Of course," she said as she hugged him tighter.
Hermione and Harry watched as she fell asleep beside him. "Well I believe we've solved her sleeping problems."
"Sleeping with me?"
"Seems logical."
Harry just shook his head as he wrapped his arms around her. She snuggled closer to him. "Well then I can live with that."
"It probably has something to do with your bonding. How is that coming along?"
"Interesting to say the least."
Hermione smiled.
"Ah you've finally found a way to get Ginny to sleep," Pansy said as she entered the room and dropped on the other couch.
"Wonderful, now she won't be falling asleep in all of her classes," Daphne said.
"And won't be falling off her broom either," Luna commented.
"You all should be quiet if she is trying to sleep," Neville said as he lifted Luna up.
"Put me down," Luna said with a laugh as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Harry smirked. "I hear you two have a hard time staying in your own beds."
They both stopped to look at him. "Who told you that?" Neville questioned.
"Madam Pomfrey told everyone while we were there."
"Even Mum?"
"Yes."
"Wonderful," Neville said.
"Yes it is, so when shall we tell them of the joyous news?" Luna asked.
"What news?" Pansy, Hermione, and Daphne asked together.
"We are getting married this summer," she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"What!"
"I asked her to marry me last week," Neville said, his ears turning red. Luna smiled and kissed him on the nose.
"That's wonderful!" Pansy gushed.
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Hermione demanded.
"Do you parents know?" Daphne demanded.
"Not yet, we aren't sure how to tell them," Neville told them.
"Better be soon love, we don't want them to get mad if we wait any longer," Luna said.
"Definitely."
"Is everything in place?" Malfoy snapped at the other figure on the other side of the room.
"Don't get you panties in a twist Malfoy, everything is in place," the other figure said.
"Good, you two better not fail," a third voice said.
"We won't fail father. He's got better connections then I do," Draco said grudgingly.
"If you two fail our lord will not be pleased," Lucius snapped.
"No one will suspect a thing. This contest has them all so wrapped up it's not even funny," the second figure said.
"When are we putting this plan into motion?"
"The dance that night. Time to get Potter and Weasel a bit of their own medicine."
"I wouldn't bother showing your face if you fail."
"We won't fail. It's meant to cripple them and that is what I plan to do."
"Then get it done."
Ginny woke later that night. Harry was still wide awake, reading from a book. She was lying beside him, her head resting against his chest. She smiled slightly as she looked around her now empty common room.
"Everyone left?"
"About two hours ago," he said to her.
"What did I miss?"
"Neville and Luna are engaged."
"I already knew that."
"You did? No one else knew."
"I'm not everyone else now am I?" Ginny said with a smile as she turned to look up at him.
He smiled down at her. "No, no you're not."
She leaned up on her arm and stretched out. "How long have I been asleep?"
"A few hours."
"Good, I haven't slept in days."
"I haven't either," Harry said as he moved off the couch to stretch. Ginny watched him stretch, watching his muscles move under his tight red shirt. He looked over his shoulder and smirked. "See something interesting?"
"Very," she said with a smile.
"Well why don't we head down to the kitchens and get ourselves a bite to eat?"
"Wonderful, I'm starved." Ginny got to her feet and took Harry's hand in hers.
Harry smiled and walked with her. "So how did you know they were engaged?"
Ginny turned to grin up at him. "Now Harry, that is my little secret. You see, being the Slytherin Queen and brightest witch next to Hermione, I picked up a few little tricks from my brothers and fellow classmates."
"Yet you still didn't know I was the heir?"
"That was faulty intelligence. You're new, but I could tell you every single detail down to their wand type of anyone in this school."
"Talented," he said with a grin.
"No, just clever."
"Clever?" A voice said from behind them. "More like lucky."
The two turned around to face Ron. He was leaning against the wall, shadows obscuring him from view.
"What do you want Ronald?" Ginny asked in a bored tone.
"What I've been wanting for months, for you to leave him. Why won't you listen to me? I'm only thinking of what's best for you."
"Best for me? Why can't you just leave it? I'm happy."
"You won't be for long," Ron said with a shake of his head. "I tried to give you fair warning but my job is done." With that he walked away.
"What was that about?" Harry asked.
"I have no idea."
"He's up to something, I can see it."
"Harry," Ginny warned.
"There's something wrong Gin. I don't like what he's up to and I have a feeling we aren't going to like what's about to come."
"You don't think he's going to try to hurt you do you?" Ginny asked worried as she turned to look at him.
"It's possible, but I don't want to assume." Harry looked down at her, seeing fear and worry in her eyes. "I don't want to think he is going to, but I also want to be on guard. Something has been going on at this school."
Ginny sighed. "I know," she said with a shake of her head.
"You've known for a while?" Harry questioned.
Ginny pulled away from him and started to walk away. Harry followed, a few steps behind her. She headed down the halls until she finally reached the balcony that she loved to use. Ginny leaned against the railing, gazing out into the distance.
"I come here to think. It's a good place," she said quietly.
"Great view too," Danielle said from where she was sitting on the railing. Harry jumped, not realizing his sister was there.
"What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for Ginny of course," Danielle said as she turned to face her brother. "Mum and Dad have been wanting to talk to you. They were going to come earlier, but I warned them not to. So you might want to go talk to them."
"But-"
"Go ahead Harry, I've been needing to talk to Danielle anyway," Ginny said as she moved to kiss his cheek.
"Are you sure?" Harry questioned.
"I'm positive," Ginny said with a smile.
"Alright," he said as he kissed her softly on the lips. He pulled back with a small smile. Ginny's eyes were bright as she smiled up at him.
Harry turned and headed off. Danielle cast silencing charms around the balcony. "I hate to leave him out of this," Ginny said with a sigh. "I know he's worried, but I can't really help that."
"Well it wouldn't be that smart to tell him either. Especially considering it really doesn't matter if he knows or not, there is only one path you have before you," Danielle said sadly.
"To think I actually have to go through with this. I just wish I knew who was behind all of this."
"So do I, but even my visions can't tell me what we want to know."
"Nothing is ever going to be perfect," Ginny, said heavily as she sat down, leaning against the railing.
"I don't want it to happen but the time is drawing closer."
"It's going to be bad before it becomes better," Ginny said heavily.
"But just remember that living through the hard part always leaves you with something better in the end."
"If you're broken then how can you enjoy it? That's what they aim for. They want to destroy your spirit, your will to live so that way there is nothing left for you to go back to. Even if you do survive you're always haunted by what happened, what you couldn't always prevent. Because of that, they will always have some power over you, even if they're buried six feet under."
"But it also gives you time to heal, to be able to overcome what they've done to you. To prove that you are stronger then what they thought you were."
"True, but what about all those people who can't? Who fail? Or those women who have lost the ability to have children?"
"They have counter spells for that now."
"When they didn't? What that must have been like for them. To go through life with the knowledge that you would never be able to have a family of your own."
"Horrible I'm sure," Danielle said. "It happened to Mum."
"It did?"
"Yes, right after I was born."
"How?"
"I'm not sure, Mum never really told me."
"So what do we do now?" Ginny asked as she turned to look up at Danielle.
"Now, we wait."
"Waiting, I've been waiting all my life."
"So have I. Once this is over, then its time to live and I mean really live."
"I can't wait. I just hope I don't have to wait long. The sooner it happens, the sooner this will be over."
"Yes but that doesn't mean you are going to want to go through with all of that."
"Well I don't want to, but that doesn't mean it isn't going to happen. You said so yourself, I have one path to take before it opens up again. Some things were just meant to happen and that's something we can't change."
"That doesn't mean that it isn't worth it. That's what you always have to remember. Take the bad with the good and you'll be happy in the end."
"Or broken, but you won't know until you hit the end of the road."
"Which, we hope, is a long way away," Danielle said.
"It is hard?"
"Is what hard?"
"Is it hard knowing something is going to happen, but never knowing when?" Ginny questioned.
"Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't."
"So are you happy with it or do you believe you are better off not knowing?"
"To be honest, I am glad I know. Life takes too many unexpected turns, so I get these frequently. Jessica could trip or make a bad grade and it could affect what happens to Mum three weeks later. What people don't realize is that everything you do has some affect on someone else. Everyone is important because everyone affects each other."
"That I can understand."
Danielle smiled but it faded as her eyes clouded over. Ginny got to her feet, hurrying to the girls side and holding her up so that she didn't fall off the balcony. It was a few minutes before her eyes cleared. "Run, run Ginny," she said breathlessly.
"What? What are you talking about?" Ginny demanded.
"Run! Go to Harry! Something! Anything just go!"
Ginny pulled back from the girl and took off running to where she knew the Professor's quarters were. She hurried down the halls, running as fast as her legs would carry her. "No," she whispered breathlessly as she came to a sudden stop in the middle of the hall.
Before her stood a line of ten Death Eaters, all wearing masks and long black cloaks. She spun on her heels but there was another line behind her. Ginny dug for her wand, moving so that her back was to the windows lining the hall.
"There is nowhere to go now," a voice that was so familiar to her said. Ginny's eyes went wide as the figure stepped forward. "I tried to warn you, I gave you one last chance, but you didn't heed my warning. Now I can't do anything for you."
"I can't believe you are doing this to me!" Ginny cried. "I'm your sister! How could you Ron?"
A/N: You've all missed me right? lol I'll bet well ne how here is the next one and dun dun dun Ron's out to kill his sister! Or is he? hehe only I know, oh and well my beta. I have about a page to finish of ch. 13 but since I am like in this huge writing session for DC I am working on that one right now, coming along nicely. Also if you read DC I am having a sort of contest there but I mean its going to be fun for me.
Ne how the next chapter is not that bad just a few non important filler parts I suppose.
ch. 11 is where Hermione learns some important information.
ch. 12 is the chap you will have a bit of problem with. Its violent so I suppose i'll put a warning up. Its nothing TOO bad, but still rather be safe then sorry.
That is all the hints you will be recieveing so so long until next sunday!
Seritha