Disclaimer:

Nothing is mine. Harry Potter (the Weasley family and so on) belongs to JKR and those who publish her books. Damien is Kurinoone's and Harry's background is kind of hers, too. I am doing this for fun (and to sleep peacefully) and I earn no money for this story. There are parts of this story that have been written by JKR and parts that have been written by Kurinoone.

Chapter Ten – Revelation

After the Order meeting in which they had decided to talk to Ginny – Molly hadn't been amused, but after Arthur had talked to her for an hour in private, she had finally agreed – they had come to the agreement that they would come to the Burrow the next day.

It was Molly's task to prepare Ginny, so that she wouldn't be as shocked. Nothing was explained to her about why they wanted to talk to her, only that they wanted to talk to her.

While all of this was going on, Ginny was at the Burrow trying to get over the attack on Diagon Alley. She hadn't panicked again, but her head was still full of images she couldn't banish from her mind. She tried not to think too much about it but that was rather difficult. Every time she closed her eyes there was a flash of green light or the exploding book shop, or Death Eaters or him. It wouldn't stop.

What didn't make it any easier was the fact that she was forced to stay in her room... not that there was anyone forcing her. It was just that she didn't want to leave it because Hermione was staying over... and there were her brothers.

It was complicated not to get into their way since they all wanted to spend time with her, wanted to be around her, talk to her, wanted to ask her what had happened... okay that had stopped after she had screamed right in Bill's face. Even the twins hadn't dared to ask her again.

She was feeling a bit nervous as well... in only a few minutes some of the Order members where to come to ask her some questions. She supposed they were about the attack on Diagon Alley. Maybe they wanted to know why he had come for her... she planned to say she didn't know.

Other than that she didn't know what they could possible want from her. It was not as if they could know what she had done... there was that feeling in her stomach and that little voice in her head that told her that it could be possible but she tried not to listen. That wasn't the case. That couldn't be the case.

With a last glance at the clock on her bedside table, she took a deep breath and smoothed down her clothes. She had waited for the exact time to arrive. She didn't want to be early. Even if all she had to do was to go downstairs. Being early would mean that her whole family was still there, that there was time to talk...

She opened her door, looking outside before stepping into the hall. No one was there but she heard voices from downstairs.

Silently she made her way downstairs. The voices got louder. She recognised her mother and Ron. They were arguing. As soon as she had reached the end of the stairs, she took a look around.

Her mother and Ron were standing just a few feet to her right, exchanging reasons why they should stay or why they shouldn't. Hermione and Damien were sitting at the table together with all her other brothers, her father, Tonks and Mad-Eye Moody.

Ginny tried to take a calming breathbut it didn't really help. She coughed to make them realise she was there.

Her mother stopped and turned towards her.

"Ginny... very good you are here. Take a seat." Ginny nodded, while her mother turned her attention back to Ron. "And you will go upstairs! I don't want to hear a thing from you."

"But, Mum...!"

"Nothing, Ronald! Upstairs. Now!"

"I don't understand..."

The twins sniggered. "Oh Ronnie... let us explain it to you."

"Going upstairs means you go to the stairs over there and then you step onto the first one, then the second-"

"Shut up you two!" Ron's ears were turning red. "Why is Ginny allowed to stay? Why does she even have to come? What is it you are talking with her about? Why can't we stay as well...?"

"That is none of your concern, Ron. You will go upstairs this very instant or you will have to help even more tomorrow."

Ron mumbled something Ginny didn't catch before turning around, storming up the stairs. Hermione and Damien followed him. Upstairs a door slammed shut. In any other situation Ginny would have grinned. She didn't feel like grinning any more.

Her mother turned around, eyeing her other sons. She seemed to think about something. "Upstairs."

"What?", they said as one.

"All of you... upstairs."

There was chaos for a few minutes as they all argued at the same time. Ginny caught a few pieces of them: "But, Mum...!", "We are members of the Order, Mum!", "You can't just throw us out", "We are old enough".

Her mother didn't even blink, but kept her pose staring at one after the other. Finally it was Bill who got his siblings to be silent and he was the one who spoke for all of them.

"Mum... why do you think we have to leave? All of us are members of the Order and we know that is has something to do with that. It is our right to be here, to hear what you are talking about. We aren't twelve anymore!"

"Oh, I know all of that, William." Bill winced slightly as she used his full name. "But this is Ginny we are talking about and we've got a few questions to ask her. I believe it will be easier for her to talk about what happened if not all of her brothers are sitting there to listen. This is just some privacy for her, for Ginny."

She looked at each of them again, before at least Percy stood up and left the room, going upstairs. Charlie and Bill followed him and after a last glance at her Fred and George went as well.

Her mother turned towards her, giving her a reassuring smile. "Do you want to eat something, dear? Something to drink?" She didn't even give Ginny enough time to answer; instead she just went to the oven pulling something out. She filled a plate and a goblet of something to drink.

A few minutes later Ginny had a plate loaded with food in front of her, her mother sitting just across the table watching together with her father and Tonks how she tried to eat a few bites. Moody was scanning the room with both of his eyes.

"Albus will be here any minute now, and then we will begin."

Ginny nearly choked on a bite of beef. Her Headmaster was coming? Was it really that important? A new wave of panic crashed down upon her. They couldn't know, she told herself, repeating it over and over in her head.

She ate way more slowly than usually and she knew her mother noticed but she didn't say anything.

When the fire finally roared to life and Professor Dumbledore stepped out, Ginny was nearly relieved to see him. She drank a last gulp of the Pumpkin Juice before pushing the plate aside. Her mother took the hint and brought it back to the counter.

"Good evening, everybody."

"Good evening, Albus."

Ginny kept silent.

Her Headmaster moved to the end of the table, where he conjured his own armchair.

"I'm sorry Molly, but my bones aren't the same they used to be."

"No apology needed. Can I make you something to drink? Would any of you like something?"

"A cup of tea would be lovely."

"Of course, of course." Her mother bustled about the kitchen taking cups from the cupboard and setting up water.

Ginny watched her, making it possible to avoid the other's gazes.

"Very well... As your mother probably told you, Miss Weasley, we are here to ask you a few questions about the attack on Diagon Alley a few days ago. Would you please be so kind and tell us about it from your point of view?"

She forced herself to nod, focusing even harder on her mother who now piled up some biscuits.

"I... we walked along the main street and... and Tonks had this feeling that something wasn't quite right. She... she pulled at my arm and told Bill and Charlie to hurry up. They did... and... We were going towards Flourish and Blotts and... There was this young girl and her mother... and they were walking away from the shop and suddenly it exploded." She paused, trying to clear her head, trying to repress the images, trying to forget that day. It didn't work.

She saw Professor Dumbledore nodding from the corner of her eye. "The Aurors later found out that the explosion was caused by a dark artefact placed there several days before. It was hidden in some kind of book imitation which was the reason why it wasn't detected... but please go on."

"There was chaos everywhere. I saw Mum and the others disappear with one of the Portkeys and I tried to find my wand... I got it but lost sight of my father... I... I thought I had caught sight of..." She remembered seeing him standing on the roof, cloak and hair blowing in the wind "of someone from school, I ran towards him. It didn't take me long to figure out that I was mistaken, but I had lost the others in the crowd. Death Eaters arrived from everywhere and people were fleeing... the Aurors came and fought with them. I... I searched protection from the walls of a shop, but there were more Death Eaters coming... and I... I saw this empty alley and made a run for it... but there were Death Eaters coming from there as well... I... I run back and got caught up in the chaos again... I... I fell and I... he was there and... and... you know the rest."

They all remained silent and even her mother had stopped her work. Ginny thought she saw her wiping away some tears before she continued piling up the biscuits. The water was boiling and her mother poured it into a pot.

"Thank you, Miss Weasley... Arthur, could you tell us what happened after she... left?"

Her father nodded. "I... I began a duel with him." Ginny remembered how her mother had screamed when she found out and how much she had cried when he had returned home with a few bruises but alive. "I was so angry. I asked him what he wanted with my little girl, but he just said that that wasn't anything that concerned me. I told him to leave her alone."

Moody snorted, but he didn't say anything. Ginny's heart was racing and she prayed that he hadn't said anything. They had said it was a secret. He couldn't tell. She felt childish while only thinking that.

"I... he..." Her father took a deep breath. "He implied that he had... that he had some kind of relationship with you... a... a romantic one."

Ginny's breath hitched. She knew she had to say something. "He... he what?" Her voice was so high it hurt her own ears. She winced. How very believable.

Her father didn't repeat what he had said. He looked at his hands which were folded on his lap. Her mother, who had placed the tea and the cups on the table while her father was talking, rearranged the cups, staring intensely at them. Ginny knew that she was paying attention even if she tried to divert from it.

"He... he lied! I never... we never... there was never a relationship between us. Never!"

Her mother gave a sigh, stopping her actions. "Very good! Now we know that there wasn't anything and we can leave her be! Does anyone want to eat something?"

Ginny was about to smile, believing that she had found a way out of this, but her Headmaster opened his mouth again. "Are you sure Miss Weasley?"

"Of course I am sure!" Professor Dumbledore just looked at her. She looked right back, trying to find words to deny everything. "He spent some time with us but it was never like that!"

"You don't have to worry about consequences of any sort if you had a relationship with him Miss Weasley. Nothing is wrong with that. He seemed to be quite popular with the girls and I heard several of them talking about how handsome he was."

"No...! It wasn't like that!"

"It could have happened to anyone. You don't have to be ashamed, Miss Weasley."

"I really don't know what he was talking about."

He just looked at her, his eyes were not twinkling. She swallowed and closed her eyes. There wasn't really a way out of this. She could deny all she wanted. They didn't believe her. She stared down at her hands, not meeting anyone's eyes.

„Mum… Dad… please forgive me."

xxx

No. That couldn't be. Not his little girl... not... not Ginny. That couldn't be true. It just couldn't be. Why couldn't he have chosen another girl? No, he didn't wish that upon any girl... but did it have to be his sweet little Ginny?

"Did he... did he force you to do anything you didn't want to?"

His daughter looked up, meeting his eyes. There was pain, so much pain in them. "No, he didn't."

Too much pain for that to be real. "You don't have to lie for him."

"I'm not."

"It isn't your fault if he forced you to do anything."

"He didn't."

"You don't have to feel ashamed. He was the one doing that to you... you... you can tell us, Ginny."

"He didn't force me to anything."

"Ginny..."

"DAD HE DIDN'T! I DID IT WILLINGLY OKAY?"

"You... you did it willingly?"

"Yes, I did everything voluntarily."

"You... you did? But... but why?"

"I... I trusted him."

"But why couldn't you... why couldn't you take another boy... you are way too young to do that anyway."

"I'm absolutely not too young for what we did."

There were protests around the table – especially from her mother and father of course. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"But... you are only fifteen, Ginny... fifteen."

"What is your point, Dad? All the girls my age are doing that."

"What? Aren't you all too young for that? We were a lot older than that!"

Ginny looked at him, confused. "You sure as hell weren't that prude."

"Your father is shocked that you were shagging him, Weasley."

Ginny stared at both of them shocked, before blushing furiously at Moody's comment. "WHAT? Oh…! I haven't… I mean… we didn't… oh god… you thought we have…"

"You didn't…?"

"No!"

"Oh thank Merlin." Arthur relaxed somewhat after that. His worst fear wasn't true. They hadn't taken that step and he hadn't forced her into something. He looked at his daughter, sitting there, looking down at her hands, now after she stopped defending herself and... him. She looked again like she had done those past days, even the days before the attack he realised. She looked... broken. Arthur realised then that it didn't matter how far they had went. She had trusted him. With a shudder he thought back to the flying Killing Curse. She had trusted him.

xxx

It hurt her so much... to see her little girl sitting there hunched over. She looked like she was in so much pain that Molly only wanted to sit with her, to hug her, to make the pain go away like she had done when Ginny was younger, when all she had to do was wipe the tears away and tip her wand to the hurt leg or arm, healing the bruise.

Ginny looked... she looked like a girl with a broken heart. Molly shuddered. She didn't want to think about that, she didn't want to believe that. She hadn't thought that could possibly be true. She had thought it was just some lie, told to Arthur to make him angry, to make him lose control. It was true.

Her little girl, her only girl had... had spent time with him, had kissed him, had trusted him... and he had used her, had broken her, had made her like that. It was his fault that she was like that. That she had refused to come downstairs, that she hadn't felt like playing Quidditch like she did since she had made the team, since she had shown her brothers what it meant to be able to play Quidditch. Oh, she had been so proud... and now there seemed to be nothing left of this happy little girl.

Molly felt anger well up inside of her. She felt like screaming at someone... at him. But he wasn't there and she was glad he wasn't even if that wish inside of her couldn't become reality this way.

It was the moment that something died inside of her and with a start she realised that it was some of her hope.

Albus said that he was the boy who was the only one able to save them. A boy they had to capture, to make them see the Good, to make him fight. A boy all their hope was placed on.

In the last days and weeks when all those other Order members had stopped listening to Albus, had protested about being nice and kind to him to make him see that they were the better side that it was worth fighting for them, that they were right and You-Know-Who was wrong... Molly had stood at Albus' side, believing that he was just a boy and that he needed a mother to take care of him. She had never meet him, had only caught a glimpse of him, but she was sure that Albus was right, that there was still hope.

There wasn't now. What kind of hero, what kind of saviour broke the hearts of little girls? Of her little girl? Of Ginny? What purpose had he? Was that his sick idea of fun?

She looked at her daughter again. Whatever she could do, she swore herself, she would do to keep him away from her, to protect her from him, to make sure that she was never hurt by him again.

xxx

Moody kept himself from saying anything because he knew that Albus expected him to be silent but he didn't like it anyway. He didn't want to be here, but Albus had asked him to come, had argued that he noticed things more than most and that they, in fact, needed such things as much as possible. But there was nothing to see. They were all acting like she was the first girl to trust the wrong boy. There were endless numbers of them... girls and women with broken hearts. Did it really matter?

No, it didn't. Maybe it was somehow amusing to see those girls and women trying to give reasons why they trusted him or their fathers giving reasons why they shouldn't. But really the Weasley girl had to get over it and get done with it.

It was way more important that they asked her what she talked with him about, what she knew about him. Moody was rather sure that she knew at least something.

He would have told her a few things, maybe not something really important since he was rather clever but he couldn't be that good.

Maybe something that didn't seem to be important to him or to her but what was important for Moody, for the Order, for the Ministry, for arresting him, for making him pay.

Alice and Frank. His blood boiled whenever he thought about them and this little... shit thinking he could get away with it but he was just wrong because he, Alastor Moody, he would do something about it and if it was the last thing he did.

Now that they knew there had been something between the Weasley girl and that so called Prince, they had to do something.

They were all cuddling her, trying to know what they had done. He couldn't care less what they did.

He wanted to get information. The best would be to have a look at her memories, see if there was just anything to get an advantage.

Moody didn't like to say it, but they were lost if they hadn't one. The reward notice had been posted but there was just nothing. No hints, no plans, just nothing. The best damn Aurors worked on this, the Order worked on this and there was just nothing.

Maybe this little girl was the key to everything and he would be damned if he didn't use that. They needed to get him away from that monster because that monster kept him safe and the last thing they needed was another monster trying to step into his shoes, learning more every minute, getting better, getting physical stronger, getting magically stronger. He dreaded the day he would come of age.

There was no way they could let that happen... ever. He had to be eliminated beforehand. They just couldn't see. He was dangerous... not their saviour.

xxx

Hermione had stopped listening to the conversation downstairs as soon as she had an idea what they would be talking about, trying to position herself as near to the door as possible.

It was only her that would be able to stop Ron and Damien from storming into the meeting after all. She had tried to stop them from hearing it altogether but that had been impossible. Once they knew they were able to use the Extendable Ears, Ron and Damien wanted to use them.

Hermione knew that Ginny wouldn't like them knowing as well. She wouldn't like anyone else knowing for that matter. It was the only reason why she kept silent. If it had been any other way she would have told someone. But she knew that it would hurt Ginny even more... and Ginny was in so much pain already.

Hermione had tried to talk to her – more than once – but Ginny didn't want to talk, so she had stopped. Ginny wanted to be alone as much as possible... Hermione had stopped being in her room whenever it was avoidable. She only slept and got dressed there.

She did homework in the kitchen, she read in the living room, it didn't matter how loud it was. It was better she wasn't able to read as it was to sit with Ginny in her room, making her even more uncomfortable.

Ginny had nightmares as well. Hermione believed that she was sleeping in the day and in the night... or that she was trying to sleep as much as possible even if it meant nightmares. Hermione was worried about her friend. She was nearly glad that it seemed that finally someone had found out. A look at Ron and Damien told her what she had to know, seeing as Ron pulled out his Extendable Ear, looking shocked. Damien even forgot to pull out his, but looked just as shocked.

Ron stood up, crossing the distance from his bed to the door in an instant. Hermione was on her feet as well, blocking the way out.

He tried to push her aside, but she didn't move. "Hermione...!"

"Ron sit on your bed and calm down!"

"Calm down? I'm totally calm! And now let me pass!" Instead of moving away she stepped even closer to the door. "Hermione, you don't know what is going on. LET ME BLOODY PASS!"

There were people running down the steps. Hermione tried to listen and wasn't paying attention to Ron, which he used to push her aside. She stumbled, but caught herself. Before she could do anything to stop him, Ron was out of the door, Damien at his heels.

Hermione closed her eyes a second, remembering the day Ginny got back to the Tower, tears streaming down her cheeks. She got to help her friend. She was after the two of them seconds later.

She caught up with them before they were in the kitchen. All the other Weasley's were there, but all of Ginny's brothers were standing and shouting above each other's heads.

Ginny was sitting at the table, her eyes wide open. There was fear on her face as she stared from one to the other.

xxx

"How could you do that to us?"

"You betrayed our family!"

"We should watch her memories, find places to strike him."

"Ron you didn't look after her!"

"If I still had been at Hogwarts none of this would have happened!"

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"This is all your fault!"

"Why did you do that?"

"We can't trust you now!"

"It isn't her fault! It's his!"

"How... how could you be so naive?"

"You are just a little girl!"

"We will never forgive you for that!"

"I will never forgive him!"

"Why did you trust him?"

"Do you give him information?"

"Do you betray the Order as well?"

"Shut up! All of you shut up!"

"Are you still seeing him?"

"Do you leave the family now?"

"I know now why you hide in your room all the time! I would as well!"

"Shame on yourself!"

"I don't want her to be part of this family anymore!"

"Will you start calling Hermione a Mudblood as well?"

"Will you start hanging out with Malfoy now?"

"Are you happy all those people died?"

"Did you displease him and so he tried to get rid of you?"

"I believe you just got yourself in years of help in the household!"

"Fred!"

"I'm George!"

"You are one of the twins that is enough!"

"And now...?"

"Working in the household... really?"

"What...? I bet you that that is true."

"There will be no money gambling in this house!"

"Let's go outside then!"

"Forget it, Fred!"

"I'm Geo-"

"Nice try brother, but we won't forget her...!"

"Ginny! How could you do that?"

"Why don't you say anything!"

"Tell us that we are blood traitors, that you don't deserve such a family!"

"Call Dad a freak for playing with Muggle things!"

"Tell us that you are better than us!

"That he is better than we are!"

"Is he better than we are? Tell us!"

"I WANT YOU TO SAY IT!"

"Are you scared?"

"You deserve everything you got!"

"SHUT UP!"

"This is your fault, Ron!"

"MY FAULT?"

"Yes! It was your task to take care of her!"

"And how exactly should I have done that...?"

"I told you and the twins how to do it!"

"You should have noticed his interest!"

"And her interest!"

"You should have noticed there was something!"

"How long has this been going on anyway?"

"I don't want to clean my room!"

"FRED! GEORGE! This is nothing to joke about!"

"I don't want to sleep in the same house!"

"Did you kill anyone yet?"

"I think she has to leave!"

"I don't trust her around me!"

The sentences were crashing into her, burning into her skin and into her memory. Later on she would be able to repeat every single one. It didn't even matter who said what. It was her family. Her family's opinion. Nothing else mattered. There were right. Tears were forming in her eyes, running down her cheeks as they had so many times the last weeks.

She had thought that she had cried them all, but it seemed as if there were new ones every time. There was a second when she wanted to scream back but she didn't. She deserved this. They were right. How could she say anything if they were right about everything they said? She didn't even trust herself anymore! She had killed! She was the reason for all this shit.

With shaking legs she stood up and ran out of the room, just away from the glares, the words, the unspoken as well as the spoken. Hermione's glances full of pity and the 'I told you so' she had never said echoed in her head. Her brothers' hate. Her mother's silence. Her father's broken look. Tonks' black hair. It was too much.

She stumbled and fell, but she stood up again, taking two or three steps at once. As soon as she was in her room she locked the door.

She had to get away.

This was so easy. It would be so easy. Just a few things in a bag. A pullover over her shirt. A scarf around her neck. Opening the window. And without really thinking and at the same time so many thoughts inside her head, she did what a second ago was just another thought.

She grabbed her broom, sat on it and she was out of the window. It was night, the stars shone above her, the air was cold and she felt cold, but as long as it was this cold she couldn't think. She loosened her scarf, embraced the wind in her hair and flew.

She flew as fast as she could, passed the wards, but flew on and on. She didn't stop, she didn't look back. Just out into the night. Away from all of it.

xxx

Albus Dumbledore was the only one who noticed that Miss Weasley ran out of the room. Her brothers were screaming insults and comments at each other's heads; her mother was sitting there, not enough strength to silence all of them. She had tried of course, but she couldn't stop this. Her father hadn't even tried.

Albus himself thought about stopping this but didn't. They were grown up and they knew what they were doing. They had a right to say what they wanted to say. Everybody had that right, even if one didn't like what the other one had to say. It got too much soon and after Ginny had left the room, he decided to interfere.

He raised his voice and let a bit of his magic run free while asking them to please be quiet. They were. Beside many disadvantages there were a few advantages of being one of the greatest wizards alive.

They seemed to look for Miss Weasley. "She went upstairs" They turned into his direction, not saying anything but waiting for him to say something. "You should try to understand her."

Charlie opened his mouth, but a motion with his hand brought him to close it again. "She is a young girl, fifteen years old. She is just starting to look at the other gender. She knows all the boys her age and finds them 'boring'. Additionally all the boys know that she has six older brothers, who will hurt them if they come too close to her. Maybe she decides she will wait for someone to come to her, maybe she is sure that she just hasn't found the one... and then there is this terrible attack in Hogsmeade, one of the places she felt absolutely safe. She is shaken, she nearly dies, but there is this mysterious boy who saves her and risks his own life in the process. Of course she is affected, fascinated and has maybe a little crush as well. She searches for him for months and finally she meets him. He is different, he saved her, he isn't scared, he is handsome and even if he wasn't very friendly to me, I'm sure he can be really charming if he wants to be. Voldemort was as well... is as well. No one would follow him if he wasn't. She was influenced, she was taken... but forbid herself to even think about him... and then he saves her again and again and she believes he can't be that dark, that bad, if he risked his life to save hers. She thinks that she can change him. She trusted him. Some of you spent time with him. She saw how he could be and maybe she saw something he wanted her to see... but she trusted him. Her heart thought it was all right to trust him, to like him. She feels just as betrayed, just as hurt as you do. And now imagine someone would have come to you to tell you that you aren't loyal to the family because you don't stand at their side, that you don't help them, that you are a traitor because they need so much help! What would you have done?"

The faces around him had gone pale and at some points someone had tried to say something but after some time they just had sat and listened.

"Nymphadora, maybe you should go and get Miss Weasley so her family can tell her how very sorry they are."

The young Auror nodded, stood up and went upstairs. They listened to her taking the steps and stumbling. Albus smiled into his beard, but only Moody noticed. The rest of them were too caught up in their own thoughts, definitely trying to think of something to say to their younger sister when she returned.

There was a few minutes silence before only one person came back down. Albus frowned.

„Tonks? What is it?" It was Molly who spoke.

"Doesn't she want to talk to us, Nymphadora?"

"It's not… She's… Ginny's missing."