To the Future
A HariPo fanfic
by mew-tsubaki
Note: Nothing much to say except for the usual "these characters belong to JK Rowling."
P.S. REVIEW! & don't kill me for the pairing. :)
P.P.S. We're about a third of the way through the story and- *CAR SCREECH AND CRASH* I'm already THIS FAR?! Well, when you consider that I mean I'm three-fifths of the way or so through the story, it's not that much, is it? Any who, tellings came first, love blossomed, and now things are wilting. But fear not! After all, wilting flowers can be rejuvenated with a little bit of water and care…
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The Fourth Wilt (& the Twenty-First Telling)
As soon as Sturgis had fulfilled Ginny's mouth-to-mouth requirements, he had carried her to the Hospital Wing and placed her in a cot, where Madam Pomfrey fussed about her now.
"Are you sure it's just your ribs, dear?" Madam Pomfrey asked her for the umpteenth time. "Your face is awfully red. You might have a fever!!"
"I'm quite sure, Madam Pomfrey," Ginny stated. "I didn't hit the ground. I only got the wind knocked out of me by the Bludger."
"Well you're very lucky Mr. Reaves had been there to save you. I'll go mix up the bone repair potion while you get some rest. You can stay of leave, Mr. Reaves." The nurse witch bustled back to her station, muttering something about 'suicidal sports', leaving the two teens alone.
This time was Ginny's turn to stare at Sturgis. He fidgeted and quickly rose. "I guess I'll go-"
"Don't." The word was faint, but she emphasized it by tugging on the bottom of his ratty old rocker tee. He sat back down, cheeks suddenly rosy. Ginny had been curled up, but she sat up when he stayed, feeling slightly better. "Thank you, by the way."
"It's nothing." A moment passed, and he spoke again. He grimaced first. "Can I ask why you were messing with the Bludgers? You let them go and then-"
"That's right! The Bludgers!" She slapped her forehead. "I forgot to put them back. Ooh, Madam Hooch is going to kill me!!"
"They returned to the chest right as you fell. I closed the lid on them and still managed to catch you," he told her. Sturgis grinned. "You should calm down, Ginevere."
She reddened at the endearment. More than 'cara' or 'caro', this variation of her name was…. Well, to say the least, it was more intimate.
"So why the need for an escape from reality?"
"Ah, that… I think I broke up with my boyfriend." Ginny lowered her eyes to the thin blanket covering her legs, wondering how stupid she sounded blurting that out.
Sturgis was thoughtful for a moment. Without warning, he pointed his wand at Pomfrey's station and uttered, "Muffliato!!" He faced her and asked her straight out: "What did that bastard Black do to you?"
Her jaw unhinged. "You knew?! But I-!"
"You thought you weren't being obvious? You weren't. I just happen to be more observant than others."
"Yeah, I got that and no, he didn't do anything." She ran a hand through her hair, cheeks on fire. "I still can't believe…. Anyway, I'm sick of being treated like an ignorant little baby. Even Sirius was starting to think of me as an infant, so I… I screamed at him and ran away." Ginny realized her mistake. "Running away… Great –I handled that like an adult. Ugh!"
"He's the reason why you asked me that weird question, isn't he?" Sturgis guessed.
Ginny hugged a pillow and buried her blushing face in it. "…Yes," she finally answered, "but I'm still not sure about him. I-" The redhead stopped and shook her head. "I'm just tired of him, and I don't want to think about him right now." Neither of them said anything else and Sturgis coughed and undid the spell as Madam Pomfrey came waddling over with the potion. Ginny slurped the sludge –and it clicked. Her cheeks burned redder than her hair and she glanced at the sixth year, who also blushed but looked away. Had she really meant her words? What she said was like she was giving Sturgis the 'O.K.'!!
Sensing a similar pondering, Sturgis stood up. "I'll see you at supper," he spluttered, and he exited the Hospital Wing.
The eighteen-year-old witch nearly choked. Sure, she didn't feel as strongly for Sirius anymore, but now she was giving Reaves mixed messages?!! The only problem, she thought, is that my heart is giving me mixed messages, too.
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"I c-can't believe exams a-are t-two w-weeks from now," Miraphina mentioned to Ginny during Divination three days later. "I-I mean, I was a first year not that long ago! How can I b-be a…seventh year?!!"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Exams are going to be a piece of cake compared to everything else in my life right now."
Mira calmed down. "How's Reaves been acting?"
The redhead blushed and cupped her mouth in her hand. "Nothing much has changed," she mumbled. "But he's been there for me more like a l…" The word felt thick on her tongue, and she buried her head in her arms.
Mira's eyes widened. "Like a lover?!" she whispered giddily. "Ooh, how romantic!!"
Ginny bashfully grimaced. "Yes, more like a lover than the guardian angel he had been. Merlin, why does he have to like me?"
"Like? Just how thick is that skull of yours? The way he's been your silent protector –he loves you, Ginny!! Oh, she grew up so fast!"
"That's not possible!" Ginny managed without stuttering. "Well, I guess it's possible, but –but illogical! There! It's illogical!!"
"You just can't come to terms with it."
"Yup." Ginny stared out the window. "Men are like Divination, Mira. You try so hard to figure them out, once you think you've got it, you're screwed. …Erm, not literally. Okay, sometimes, but…"
Miraphina shook her head. "This weekend's the last Hogwarts trip to Hogsmead. Are you going to patch things up with Sirius, or have a romantic date with Sturgy-boy?"
"I can't even get close enough to Sirius to patch things up with him." The redhead heaved a sigh.
"Sounds like an excuse in favor of Sturge, if you ask me," Mira teased.
"I didn't."
Professor Trelawney sauntered up to them and peered at their scattered set of rune stones. "Hmm… The serpent and the crown… That's interesting. The snake will usurp his father and take his place."
The brunette sniffed. "Yes, I'll let any snake I see know that 'now's the time'." Trelawney walked away and Mira frowned. "A snake will overthrow his da? What kind of nonsense is that?" She looked at Ginny. "You all right, Ginny?"
Ginny had visibly paled, but she put up a front. "Yeah…"
The bell rang and the room was filled with chatter. Ginny and Mira made their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts and settled in the back of the room. Their classmates filed in and everyone took out their books, since most of what Remus gave them was textwork.
"But what if Sturgis asks you out for the trip?" Mira asked. "I wonder what you should wear…"
"Stop saying that I'm going on a date with Reaves!!" Ginny hissed, but something inside her was delighted at the idea. Walking with him, laughing at his side, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. She slapped her cheeks to keep her imagination from running wild.
But someone else's was. "I'm sorry. Did you say Sturgis is in love with you?"
Ginny started. "No one said that, Raven."
The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Then why has he been smiling lately?"
She gulped. "Um…new broomstick?"
"Uh-huh." Raven turned to Miraphina. "What do you have in mind for outfits? I know his favorite color's baby blue."
Mira agreed with Raven for once. "Maybe a cute short-sleeved blouse and a blue skirt? Or maybe… Hmmn… We need to be careful so it doesn't clash with her hair."
Raven nodded vigorously. "Definitely. We'll go light on the makeup, too. A bit of bluish-silver day shadow, a dab of brown mascara, a bit of lippy, and she'll be set."
"But hair up or down? Maybe down. Y'know, all the better to grasp –OUCH!!" Mira glared at Ginny. "I thought you're not going out with him, so why should you care whether or not we're talking clothes and makeup?"
"Class is starting, you idiots!" Ginny told them, and the three girls faced forward.
Remus gave them a few pages to read, with an accompanying worksheet, but Ginny couldn't concentrate. She was now tinkering with the idea of hanging out with Sturgis, maybe sharing one date with him, but Trelawney had spooked her again with the reading of the rune stones last period. Surely the serpent meant a Slytherin, but there was one detail Ginny was unsure of:
Grant wasn't evil. …Right?
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When the time for first break came, the Weasley girl traipsed down the path to Charlie's hut and cut around behind it. Just as I thought. Charlie's not here.
Laurel, however, shimmied to rid herself of her winter scales. The were-dragon sniffed the air and, turning, saw Ginny.
But Laurel is.
As if sensing Ginny's thoughts, Laurel disappeared into the Forbidden Forest and reappeared as a witch. "Hello, Ginevra." Laurel smiled.
At the sound of Laurel's perfect accent and at the sight of her smile, Ginny's mouth turned up at the corners. "Hi, Laurel."
"May I be of assistance?"
"Did Charlie tell you about what…happened last month?" She almost regretted dredging up the unwanted memories.
Laurel half-smiled. "If you are referring to his discovery of his little sister being in love with his older coworker, then yes, Charles did mention something."
Ginny took the innuendo. "He always throws things when he's riled to that extent."
"I noted that a few years ago." Laurel shrugged her cloak off and tied her hair back. "I take it your present issue coincides with those past events?"
The redhead felt dumb talking to someone with such an eloquent speech pattern. "Not necessarily. But this means you know about Sirius and me, which is what I need a big sister's opinion on."
Laurel did something Ginny did not expect: She crimsoned. "While I appreciate the sentiment, I am not actually your sister-in-law, Ginevra."
"You're Charlie's mate, Laurel. That goes deeper than any marital bond." When Laurel didn't protest, Ginny continued. "I have a problem, though…."
"I'm listening."
After making her brother's mate swear not to tell Charlie anything, Ginny related to Laurel the stories of the prophecy, the two wizards at Hogsmead, Grant's strange behavior and disappearance, and Trelawney's serpent reading. Fifteen minutes passed, and Ginny had finally run out of breath. "I'm worried that something big is going to happen," she finished.
Laurel closed her eyes, dwelling on this information. "Yet the faculty is not worried."
The girl bit her lip. "Sirius pointed out the same thing."
The woman grimaced. "If Dumbledore sees nothing out of the ordinary, then there is probably no reason to panic. My advice to you is to watch your back, though, here at Hogwarts as well as at the last trip into Hogsmead. Grant may be your best mate, but we know one thing for sure: We do not know much about him."
Ginny didn't want to consider the possibility of Grant's evilness, but she understood Laurel had a point. Not even his girlfriend knew any of his secrets.
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OKIES! Shorter than chappy 20, I know, but this was for effect, and 22 should be a bit longer. Hmmm… Who knows how long I'll be able to drag Ginurgis out? Hmmm… Anywho, the next few chappies are central to the storyline and many things happen and change. You might even be shocked! *feigns horror* See you after you review! And sorry it took so long to get this bit chappy up!
-mew-tsubaki