Author's Note: Ah, I'm getting writer's block! Please review- any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
CHAPTER 11 – Might as Well Be Strangers
"This is complete bullocks! Can anyone actually fly around here?" Alicia bellowed, her hands flying.
Ginny turned to her crossly. "Just because you've already made the team doesn't mean you can shout out at anyone you wish. That's my job."
"Sorry" Alicia backed down, retreating to the benches.
Ginny walked foreword, greeting the second batch of her tryouts. Most looked to be nervous 1st, 2nd, or 3rd years.
"Don't worry all of you, you'll all get a chance at each position. I want to warn you of a few safety precautions first-"
"Ginevra Weasley!" a stern voice rose over the field – magically magnified by her wand. Ginny whirled around, catching the sight of Professor McGonagall motioning for her in the distance.
Oh no…
Her throat was blocked by a large lump. Her face lighted into a persuasive travesty as she faced once again the eager group of youngsters.
"Just, one moment please. Alicia? Could you pass out the brooms?"
Ginny slowly sprinted off the Quidditch field to where McGonagall stood, wringing a rolled piece of parchment in her thin grip.
Worse case scenario? My family was attacked again, she found out my secret…or worse, someone's died…
Trying to breathe became harder as Ginny caught glimpse of McGonagall's stern appearance crumbling into one of alarm.
"Professor?" Ginny stopped in front of her, winded – pinching her sides to keep herself in check.
"Ginny," McGonagall started out unsteadily "We must eliminate try outs for Quidditch. The…Ministry, of Magic, has decided to search out any muggle-born children – and I'm afraid for the safety and the exposure of our students."
From the sound of her hushed tones, Ginny could tell that Professor McGonagall's words to her were to be strictly kept secret. For Ginny's ears only. Suddenly Ginny felt elated that she was one of the few chosen pupils to be told this valuable piece of information – that she could be confided in – but at the same time, she was terrified…what of the students she looked over? Madeleine was definitely not of pure-blood, or half-blood – what of her family? She was about to ask McGonagall of any news concerning her family, or one of the many plaguing questions – what would happen to those students taken from Hogwarts? Where they questioned? Thrown into Azkaban?
Ginny opened her mouth to speak, but McGonagall interrupted her with a glare. "I suggest you get your Gryffindors off the field, immediately Miss Weasley. I would like to speak with you later and the other Heads of houses after dinner in my office – please be prompt."
With an unconscious nod, Ginny watched her storm off.
Later that evening, Ginny left McGonagall's office with Neville beside her – pale and wide-eyed.
What are we going to do? What are we going to do!!
"Ginny," Neville broke the silence "I know this is hard…but, I think we need to start up the DA again."
Flabbergasted, Ginny halted in the hall, giving Neville an incredulous look. She wasn't expecting this. But she knew what was coming after it.
"I agree Neville, I think, with the danger out there – we all need to protect ourselves. And since the defense against the dark arts has been…replaced,…we need to teach everyone how to defend themselves incase-"
"We think you should head it." Neville broke Ginny's rant.
A chill ransaked Ginny's frail body. She warily peered up at Neville. "We?"
"We, yes. Luna, I, and the rest of the DA members."
Ginny hung her head – great, just what I need…another burden…
Neville's reassuring hand came to her shoulder.
"We'll be right beside you Ginny, Luna and I. Please, you have the best Patronus than anyone, not to mention…you've dealt with Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who before." Ginny shivered at the thought. "And, Harry taught you, more than any of us."
Heaving in a breath, her insides shaking, she nodded her head. Neville's face brightened.
"What are you two mudbloods doing?" Malfoy's smug voice came from a distance behind, followed by his cronies – Crabbe and Goyle.
"Shove off' Neville glowered whilst Malfoy encircled him. He only let out a snicker. "Shouldn't it be off to bed with both of you? Isn't it past your bed time?"
"If you haven't noticed Malfoy,-" Neville shown his badge with a flick of his shoulder "We were at the meeting too"
"Ooo! Showing off your new jewelry Neville? Not very impressive – well, I suppose McGonagall had to pull a last resort, what with all the decent Gryffindors being gone and all-"
"I guess you're calling Hermione, Ron, and Harry decent then?" Ginny raised an eyebrow cheekily.
Malfoy's eyes narrowed, realizing he was caught by his own words. "I wasn't talking about your sorry pathetic brother, that mudblood, or scar head. I don't see how you're fit for the job either Weasley, you're probably blubbering every other minute for your lover, aren't you? It's disgusting how you idolize that bloody idiot, he can't even-"
Malfoy was sent to the ground at the power in Ginny's punch. Fuming, Ginny charged towards him, sending blows with her fists into his face. Neville reached Ginny's form, shaking with rage, before Crabbe or Goyle could pull their wands. Scrambling, he hoisted her from Malfoy and pulled her up – keeping a locked grip around her arms. Draco felt his face, wiping the blood from his nose, lip, and eyebrow.
"Oh, you'll pay for that you bloody bitch!" he jumped to his feet, charging – but Ginny was fresh on her feet, boiling in her restraint. She wretched herself from Neville, and was now face to face with Draco's detestable pasty face.
"You and your father disgust me Draco Malfoy!! How could you condone what he does? Destroying families!! Killing innocent people!!! AND YOU DESIRE THE SAME FATE!!!! YOU REPULSE ME!!!!"
"Ginny, please, he's not worth it" Neville spoke softly in the background.
Ginny's face was inches from Draco's, peering up at him in mixture of emotions that hit her in sweeping moments – hate, regret, fury, grief, despair, loneliness, disgust, helplessness-
Unexpectedly, Ginny watched Draco's features change under her gaze and at the sound of her harsh words.
No longer hostile, his eyes became a poignant ice blue, his mouth and face were without tension – almost sagging in agony. Ginny couldn't make out his emotions, and before she could try, a tight grip grabbed her by the shoulder from behind.
"Miss Weasley"
Snape's nasal voice hissed her name, his eyes staring coal black into hers. Her expression did not change. Snape's face scanned from Draco's, to hers. Draco had resumed his stance.
"I assume, that you were on your way back to your respective dormitories, am I right?" Snape let go of Ginny's school robes, shoving her back slightly.
Neville took Ginny's hand from behind, but Ginny continued to stare, an insurgent, at Snape, as if daring him to mess with her. Snape cocked his head to the side, amused.
"That will be fifty points from Gryffindor. Meet me for detention, Miss Weasley and Mr. Longbottom, tomorrow night at my study."
With one last sneer, Snape whirled around and left – not a glance at Crabbe, Goyle, or Draco.
"C'mon Ginny" Neville urged more harshly. Ginny held her gaze with Draco before succumbing to Neville's nagging hand.
"I'm sorry Neville, that I got you in trouble." Ginny bowed her head, finally regretting her impulsive actions. Damn hormones...She brushed back her hair, unable to concentrate on her dark arts homework, muttering underneath her breath complete bullocks!
"It's okay, I'm just…worried about what McGonagall said this afternoon."
Ginny's head fell into her hands. "I know. Rounding up students? How could they ever be 'potentially dangerous?!'" she furtively looked at a group of 1st years playing chess, a young red haired girl with freckles next to a slightly older boy with dark hair and glasses – who was inching his hand closer to hers. Ginny turned away, disturbed.
"You think we should write the letters tonight? To their families?"
Neville nodded, gazing at the 5 foot long list before him. "I think we need to. The sooner we can get them out of her and safely back with their families, and get them all into hiding, the better."
Ginny's night was consumed with breaking the news to young students – then writing letter after letter till 2 AM, when her hand was cramping so bad, she was sure she had carpel tunnel.
"I haven't even finished by homework." Ginny groaned, her stomach growling even more loudly.
Neville chuckled beside her. "Hungry much?"
"I'm always hungry" Ginny slowly lifted herself up. Grabbing a small apple from her bag – a snack she had taken from the Great Hall. Neville frowned in worry.
"Ginny," he grabbed hold of her wrist holding the apple, and turned her arm over. It had never hit Ginny before, but now as Neville was examining her outer appearance – she was frightened by what she saw.
"Ginny, I've never seen you this…skinny...before. It's…unhealthy." Neville dropped her arm gently, looking Ginny squarely in the eyes. Chivalrous, kind-hearted Neville, was upset – and Ginny felt utterly guilty for it.
"I, I'm worried about you Ginny. I've seen you eat at the great hall – and it doesn't make any sense. You're, a stick!!" Really, he wanted to tell her that she was wasting away, but he didn't want to be too rough.
"Please Neville, I'm perfectly fine! It's just…all the stress is eating up my rations I've stored away" Ginny chuckled uncomfortably. She secretly wondered if she was eating enough. Did she really need to eat more? Was the baby taking that much from her? She had to admit – she was exhausted beyond belief.
Neville sighed, closing the books and hoisting Ginny to her feet.
"If you ever need someone to talk to Ginny,…"
"I know, I know. You're one of my most loyal and bestest friends Neville! Of course I would talk to you" just not about this…
Neville crinkled a small smile. "Are you, holding up alright?"
Ginny looked up confused.
"I miss them, a lot – Ron, Hermione, Harry – I know it must be hard, your brother and Hermione not around. But, no one ever told me- you and Harry, um, did you, really break it off?"
Should she tell him? She toyed with the idea, she wanted so badly to tell someone else – someone close to her – but her desperate need could not be met. She knew that deep inside.
"Harry and I, it's complicated…we might as well be strangers sometimes…" the words kept flowing, she couldn't stop "Sometimes I feel like I'm reaching out to something that's not there, you know? I don't know his thoughts these days, he tells me it's easier for us to be apart. For all I know of him now, he could be in another town…another country…and I know, I'm supposed to let him go, for now…"but it gets harder every minute. Fresh tears formed in the creases of her eyes "that some day, when things get better, he'll be back – and we can start where we left off. But I keep wondering, if things will be the same…"
"Oh," Neville replied nervously, realizing he had gotten an earful more than he had bargained for. Although confused, he felt privileged that Ginny was finally opening up to someone – especially him. He wrapped a comforting arm around her, leading the walk up the stairs with her. He then asked the nagging question "So, you miss him then too?"
Ginny grabbed hold of the railing and squeezed it for support as the tears came.
"Every day."