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Room of Requirement
Hermione wasted no time in getting to the point. "So what are they professor, the theories?"
"Before we start with what we don't know let's start with what we do." Dumbledore said putting a finger to his chin. "What absolute fact do we know?"
"That I was at the Manor from about six yesterday evening to nearly four this morning," Ginny spoke up, avoiding looking at Ron and Harry. She could hear the blood boil through Ron's face.
"And That Malfoy was seen by more than Ginny at the Ministry yesterday," Harry added.
"Who saw him?" Hermione asked.
"I did for sure and so did Colin, and most likely about a hundred other people." Harry looked to Hermione.
"I wasn't aware of any trip to the ministry yesterday," Snape said."
"Does he tell you every where he is going?" Remus asked, now puffing on his pipe.
"No." Snape turned to Remus. "He just usually avoids going to the Ministry, too many nosy people he says."
"Did you just see him in passing?" McGonagall asked.
"No, he came to my office and," she paused reliving the event in her mind.
"And what Miss Weasley?" Dumbledore urged her to continue.
"I thought he was there at first because something was wrong with Ian," she said slowly. "But he ask me to come for dinner, he had some things he wanted to tell me about-."
"Hem, hem," someone cleared their throat from behind. Everyone turned to see Aunt Petunia had joined them. "I realize that I am not a witch, but I would like to be part just the same. I care very much about all who are involved," she said with conviction looking at Harry and Ginny.
"I am sorry Petunia, please take a seat." Dumbledore conjured her chair and she sat down.
Two barn owls flew to the window as Dumbledore was about to speak.
"Mr. Weasley would you please." He gestured to the owls.
They were delivery owls; Hermione's subscriptions to The Quibbler and The Daily Prophet had arrived. Ron took the parcels, gave them a treat and sent them on their way. He took the papers to Hermione; she grabbed them anxiously, and began to look through The Daily Prophet. Ginny took The Quibbler from her lap and began to read it closely.
"Any thing of interest Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall with her eyebrows arched.
"Well, it would seem that the woman that the muggles saw leaving the Malfoy Manor was quote a slender woman medium height with red hair." Hermione looked at Ginny.
"I never went outside," Ginny said in her defense.
"It was dark out they couldn't have seen that much." Ron sat back on the arm of Hermione's chair, still giving the Ginny the look of warranted disgust.
"Ron, you will find that nosey muggles see a lot." Aunt Petunia having a guilty look continued, "I used to be concerned at all hours what was going on in my neighborhood," she paused, "I could have told you when the neighbor two doors down arrived home."
Harry rolled his eyes in agreement.
"There's more." Hermione said. "It is reported they heard arguing of several people before the woman left." She looked up at Ginny.
"I swear to you it only the two of us in the house." Ginny twisted the collar of her shirt nervously.
"He could have an army hidden there and you'd never know it Ginny," Ron's voice was drawling.
"Hermione does it say who these muggles were that reported the fires?" Dumbledore asked.
She skimmed through the article a bit, "Ah, here it is- Harold Gallagher and Simon Ruddock, two teenage boys from Wiltshire. Says they were trying to get a better look at the house heard it was haunted."
"There you go Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said. "Nosey teenage boys getting into more trouble than they are bargaining for; yourself and Mr. Potter can identify surely," she said with a smirk on her face.
Ginny spoke from behind The Quibbler, "Well Looney is only reporting the usual stuff, puzzles, love potions, more facts on werewolves, and something grand as usual about Harry." Ginny continued to look through the paper. "Oh wait, here's something, listen Ron." She pushed her hair back. "While on a search back in August for some crazy something in Egypt she said she came across a wizard she believed to be Percy Weasley. Said he was well dressed and looked very well kempt, nothing like the rest of his family." Ginny gave out a chuckle. "Says when she tried to approach him he brushed her off and had his buffoons escort her away from the restaurant where he was dining with a very suspicious character. She dismisses him as a weirdo."
"She would know a weirdo, no offense Harry. You know she did a thing for a while trying to prove his involvement with Vold-," Ron paused and looked at Harry, "emort," he shoved out of his mouth and took a deep breath.
Ginny looked up at Dumbledore and decided it best not to mention what Draco had actually told her the evening before about her brother.
"How about the un-plottable charms on the house, the manor did have them in place didn't it?" Hermione asked moving the conversation on.
"Of course they were placed on the house," Snape hissed. "But who would have removed them?"
"And why were they removed?" Remus added.
"Those are very good and relevant questions, but it doesn't add to the facts we know," Dumbledore said.
"What else do we know for sure?" Snape looked around.
Ginny thought she should at least tell Dumbledore about the full evening, but she just could not bear to listen to Ron at the moment; nor did she want to embarrass herself or Harry that way. She decided it best to wait.
"Well then that does not give us much then does it?" Ron said with the corners of his mouth turned down.
"Oh it tells us quite a bit Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore said nodding his head looking around to all them.
Of course everyone looked as if they new nothing more than when they started.
"I think now would be a good time to start with what we don't know" Snape snarled.
Hermione started to dig around in her bag and pulled out a piece of parchment and quill. She started to scribble words very fast on the parchment. Everyone turned their attention to see what she was scribbling so for. She looked up at them when she was done.
"Just making notes, that's all." She smiled.
"Right then, what we don't know." Ron huffed, drawing one corner of his mouth to his ear.
"Who was the woman seen leaving, obviously it was someone trying to look like Ginny." Remus started as Hermione scribbled.
"Well my theory is Poly Juice was," Hermione scribbled as she talked.
"Very interesting theory Miss Granger," said Moody. "But who and why?"
"Well I have a few thoughts on that one my self," Aunt Petunia spoke, her eyes very serious; they all looked at her to continue. "Well Harry dear I don't mean to hurt your feelings but . . . ."
"Luna?" Harry said looking like he was trying to process some events in his head.
"Who?" McGonagall said looking very inquisitive at Harry. "Are you referring to Miss Lovegood?"
"Told you she was crazy Harry," Ron said pointing his finger at Harry, in an- I told you so manner.
"Why did you say Miss Lovegood, Harry?" Dumbledore said taking a lemon drop out of a candy dish on a table beside him.
"Harry you really don't believe that do you?" Ginny was now looking at him, questioning his remark.
"Let's just say she has not been very happy with me lately," he said obviously not wanting to discuss it with everyone.
"But what would that have to do with Malfoy?" Snape looked down his long nose at Harry. "Or Ginny for that matter," he finished, cocking an eyebrow
"Well as far as Malfoy goes; I really don't know," Harry said running his hand through his hair. "But Ginny, quite a bit." He could hear Hermione's quill scratching across the parchment.
"Harry mate you really don't think she would try and do Ginny in do you?' Ron was ever so tactless.
Ginny ignored the comment for now. "What about Tonks and Ian though?" she said still looking at Harry. "How would she connect to them; I have to admit even for Luna that is a bit far fetched."
"Who ever it is, in my opinion is not working alone, and are connected to both incidents," Remus added. "Didn't the muggle boys say they heard arguing?"
"Yes I think that was right," McGonagall said nodding her head.
No one spoke, they were all thinking racking their brains for some sort of connection to all that had happened.
"Well how about we all go down to the Great Hall and have dinner. I have arranged for everyone to stay here the next couple of days. Yes, even you Miss Granger."
Hermione started to interrupt him.
They all looked at him with more questions than they started out with and slowly got up from their chairs. Remus and Aunt Petunia were down the staircase first. Dumbledore and McGonagall were the last to leave.
Ginny started to lag behind the rest walking down the corridor to the Grand Stair Case. Harry lagged behind for her to catch up to him.
"Okay, Gin?" he asked putting his arm around her.
"There is just too much to think about." She took a deep breath as they continued walking down the hall her arms folded across her chest. "You really don't think Luna and Draco are involved in this do you Harry?"
"I don't know Gin."
They rounded the corner and entered the Great Hall behind the others. There weren't many students in the Great Hall due to Winter Break. It was decorated beautifully; it looked almost the same as when they were in school. The ceiling was the same as the sky outside snowy, but the Great Hall was warmer and dry.
They ate until they were so full. Ron ate enough for all of them and was still eating more when they decided to ask Dumbledore where they would be lodging. Dumbledore told them they would be staying in The Room of Requirement, and he was sure that everything that they needed would be there. Ginny had asked him about her parents and Dumbledore assured her that he had sent them an owl.
They all remembered how to get down to The Room of Requirement. When they went in, none of them could decide who had been thinking the hardest of what they needed. There were no beds, but there were large fluffy sleeping bags and tons of pillows on a very soft and carpeted blue floor. Pajamas were neatly folded on a settee; along with a tray of snacks and hot tea and cocoa. There was a fire place with a soft fire burning giving the room a soft glow.
After changing into their pajamas Hermione said in a giggle, "It's just like a slumber party!"
"Were not going to play truth or dare are we?" Ron said looking at Ginny with that accusatory look.
"I think we should all get some much needed rest," said Hermione as she chose her spot on the floor.
"I am exhausted," Ginny said with a yawn and plopped down on a large bean bag and grabbed a blanket.
Soon the room was filled with snoring from Ron mixed with the crackling of the fire in the grate. Ginny was all but asleep; every time she closed her eyes all she could think about was Ian and Draco. She prayed that they were both and that they would find them soon. As she lay there staring into the fire she went over every detail of the previous day; from the time Draco came to her office inviting her to dinner to the intoxicating shower she had with him before she left. Then a bit of guilt tinged at her for not telling Hermione about the third time; she figured by the look on her face and her eyes looking as if they were about to pop out of her head she might should just leave the shower detail out.
Then there was the déjà vu she felt; it was scary the way it affected her. Not to mention the disappointed looks Harry continued to give her through dinner; and the death looks Ron shot at her.
Every time she closed her eyes attempting to sleep; she ended back up in the dark forest. Each time it felt more real than the last…
Ginny wrapped her arms tight around herself as she tracked through the dark forest. The wind cut through to her bones, and stung her eyes to the point of near blindness. Cold, she was so cold. Wolves cried in the distance, sending a chill up her spine. Ginny stopped momentarily, trying to get her focus through the snow and trees; she needed shelter and quickly or she would freeze to death. As she trudged through the snow and wind she began to get tired and weak. Shelter, she needed shelter. Suddenly the falcon from before swooped down and landed on a near by branch. She started walking towards it; in a flash the bird transformed into a man standing before her. Ginny stopped in her tracks as the man began to walk towards her.
His heavy black cloak billowed out as he walked; his face covered by a scarf.
"There is no need to be afraid," he spoke.
Ginny couldn't immediately place the voice but she knew she had heard it before.
"Who are you?" she asked backing up.
"No one of concern," he said still moving toward her.
"Leave me alone," Ginny shouted over the wind and turned on her heel and began to run.
"It doesn't have to be like this," the man shouted at her back.
She could hear his feet gaining on her.
"Leave me alone!" she screamed as she ran.
The snow filled her face; it was cold on her body as she felt her hands hit the ground hard. She felt a tight grip on her ankle; she began to kick and scream louder.
"Ginny!" Harry shook her.
She shot straight up, looking very scared and addled into Harry's eyes. He didn't know what made him do it; or if he was even the one to do it. Before he could stop it, Ginny's mind was running rampant through his.
He saw her and Ian in the park playing just a couple of days ago; her and Hermione shopping in Diagon Alley a few weeks ago. Then he saw him and Luna at the Ministry kissing. Harry tried to stop the connection but it wouldn't break; a white light flashed and Harry couldn't believe what he was seeing as her subconscious mind began to release memories, past and present. Another flash of bright light and Harry's mind broke free; he felt his breathing labored and sharp as if he had just run a hundred miles; Ginny limp as a fish in his arms.
"Harry!" he heard Hermione's panic stricken voice.
Harry looked down at Ginny in his arms then up to Hermione.
"What is it Harry?" she said as she got to her knees staring into his eyes.
"Harry?" he heard Ron, on the other side of him.
- - -
The door to The Room of Requirement opened, and a very familiar face stepped in. "What happened?" Dumbledore asked looking at the situation.
"I don't know Professor," Hermione said laying a hand on Harry's shoulder, he was still fully supporting Ginny. "She was screaming and going crazy in her sleep a nightmare I suppose. Harry tried to wake her and then- I don't know what happened."
"Just as I suspected she would do," he said walking towards them and kneeling at Ginny's side; placing a hand on her fore head. She began to blink her eyes and look around.
"Is she okay Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked him also kneeling down at her side.
Ginny stayed slightly lifting her head to Harry. He laid her back gently on the bean bag and then sat on the floor in front of her.
"What happened Harry?" Dumbledore asked him.
"I don't know sir," Harry said in a croaky voice. "She was having a nightmare, I woke her from it. She opened her eyes and looked at me and there was nothing I could do to stop it sir."
"Stop what?" Ron asked now beside Hermione.
"I saw things," Harry said pausing long enough to look at Ginny, "that is impossible."
Harry looked at Professor Dumbledore and then at Professor McGonagall then back at Dumbledore. Dumbledore knew what Harry had seen.
"Harry?" Ginny whispered sitting up a little more. "What happened?" She put her hand on her head rubbing her eyes.
"Professor?" Harry said turning to Dumbledore.
"Ginny there is not going to be an easy way to tell you this." Dumbledore sat in the floor crossing his legs Indian style. "Ronald you are going to have to keep your head," he said looking over his half- moon spectacles at Ron.
"Albus are you sure this is the right time?" McGonagall asked him with a stern face.
"Minerva, time is what has been lost here," he said his eyes twinkling.
Ginny was now looking at Harry with fear in her eyes.
"What is it professor?" Hermione said, as she pressed her lips bracing for the worst news.
"Harry do you, or should I?" Dumbledore asked him.
Harry just shook his head and looked away form him, back to Ginny. Harry now had rocks in his stomach; he felt he would be sick.
- - - -
"Miss Weasley, can you tell me what you remember about your last year at Hogwarts?" Dumbledore asked her.
"Not really. It has been a very long time ago," she said looking at him confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"I have to agree with Ginny, what does it have to do with anything?" Ron asked with furrowed brow turning to Hermione.
"Mr. Weasley it has to do with a great many things," McGonagall spoke again.
"Ginny what I am going to tell you may shock you but then again it may not." Dumbledore continued, "When you were eighteen years old you gave birth."
Hermione put her hand over her mouth her eyes wider than ever.
"What the bloody hell do you mean she gave birth?" Ron snapped. "Don't you think she would remember something like that? Better yet don't you think her family would have noticed and Harry?" Ron stood quickly folding his arms over his chest.
Ginny did not say a word she just sat there listening to them discuss her as if she weren't in the room. She could hardly get past the thought she and Harry had a baby and neither of them new about it. Not to mention the fact that she was pregnant during her last year of school. Ron was right someone would have surely noticed, especially her.
"The baby wasn't Harry's, Ron," Dumbledore said looking at Ron.
"Zacharias Smith? That git," Ron said his voice seething.
"Nor was it Mr. Smith."
"I'm afraid I am not following you sir," Hermione said.
"It was Malfoy," Harry said with a lump in his throat. "Ginny had a baby with Malfoy."
"No that can't be right, it just isn't possible," Ron said his voice a little high pitch from the irritation.
"Its true-Ron," Harry said his voice broken, hurt.
Ron nearly passed out. He started to pace the room and use swear words that Ginny had never heard him use before. Hermione was at a loss for words, but it didn't matter because Ron was saying enough for them both.
"GINNY! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? I GUESS YOU WEREN'T, THAT'S OBVIOUS! HOW COULD YOU, YOU DO THAT TO HARRY?" Ron was still pacing about the room with his face hotter than the fire in the grate.
"THAT'S ENOUGH RON!" Harry shouted at his best friend before he could stop himself.
"WILL YOU TWO JUST CALM DOWN!" Hermione was now shouting, "YOU ARE ACTING LIKE CHILDREN!"
"SHUT-UP!" both men yelled to Hermione
Ginny just sat there like an effigy; she was speechless as Harry, Ron and Hermione continued to argue and shout at each other. She didn't understand how all this was possible. If she had a son with Malfoy where was she or he? Why had Draco never said anything? Maybe he did not know after all she couldn't remember a lick of it. Why would she be with Draco instead of Harry? None of this was making any sense. She was trying hard to remember something, anything? She couldn't think with all the yelling and screaming.
Professor McGonagall stood and raised her wand and shouted, "Silencio!"
Ginny could see their mouths still moving but no words were coming out. She thought it was rather amusing, but she dared not smile.
"Now if you three will stop shouting at each other like four year olds, I will remove the charm. But I warn you one more outburst like that and you will find yourselves with out a voice for three days." They all three nodded their heads and McGonagall removed the charm."Reverto Silencio!"
"Now I don't think we are the ones who should be asking questions?" Dumbledore said looking at Ron. "Ginny?"
"My first question is how could I have had a child with Malfoy?" She heard Ron huff he was now looking out a window that had appeared at the far end of the room.
"Things happen and people change Miss Weasley," Dumbledore said. "I think I will let you and Minerva talk that over in private if you wish?"
"No, I want to hear it all now," she said. "With respect professor there is not much that we can all hear now that is going to shock us any more than what was just said at this point."
Professor McGonagall started telling the story behind the story per-say.
"Well you see Ginny, you and Harry were very, very close by the time he graduated. Everyone just knew you two would be married one day soon. But you had one more year left at Hogwarts, he was back and forth between Auror training and rounding up Death Eaters. You did not get to see each other very much, you could say you felt, alone, left behind," she said blinking her eyes still a very stern face.
"What does that have to do with Malfoy?" Ron asked still at the window
"Well you see, when Draco started helping locate more Death Eaters and their hideouts; He frequented the school a good bit. He and Ginny got to be pretty good friends."
"Sounds like they were more than friends," Ron once again sneered. "I mean you don't have kids with just good friends!"
"I said that was enough Ron," Harry said in a very calm but forceful tone.
Ron turned back to the night sky.
"Anyway, they became closer than friends. In late December, you came to me and told me that she had thought she had conceived a child," McGonagall continued.
Ginny could see Hermione doing the math in her head.
"You thought you were two months pregnant. We went to Madame Pomfrey first to confirm it and you were, right at eight weeks."
Ginny looked up and saw Ron sitting in the window seal with his head propped up against the wall.
"Then we went to see Professor Dumbledore, you and Draco made all the decisions as to what to do from there."
"Sounds to me like he decided one kids wasn't enough," Ron said, he had obviously been doing some calculating too. "Seems like he had someone else on the side," Ron growled.
"It sounds right to me professor." Hermione looked between McGonagall and Dumbledore.
Dumbledore prompted McGonagall to continue.
"What did we decide?" Ginny spoke looking at her.
"Well you would not tell your families. It was too dangerous for all of you." she paused looking at Ginny, "So you decided to have the baby; you delivered a bit early, in June right before graduation."
Ginny could see a faint smile come across her face.
"I am still confused as to why I don't remember any of this?" Ginny said shaking her head.
"Well it gets a bit complicated from there Ginny." Dumbledore said.
"Oh really, I thought it was already complicated," she said with a bit of sarcasm.
"You decided that it would be best if you were to have a very powerful memory charm placed on you to forget about it."
"Why would she do that professor?" Harry spoke looking confused.
"You see Harry; things were still very much in a chaotic state at the time. Draco did not want his father to know. Ginny did not want all of you to know, for obvious reasons. She said she would rather protect the child from a lot of heartache and pain. So after she gave birth a few days later, I wiped it from her memory. But being the sentimental old fool I am, I saved the memories in a Pinsieve before wiping them out of hers," he said smiling a little. "Of course this Pinsieve has been locked in my office quite sometime, for safe keeping."
"Did Draco have his memory erased too?" Ginny asked.
"No," Dumbledore said.
"So he left the child for someone else to take care of and ran off to America in between Ginny and has another child," Ron said with s calmer but still disgusted tone
"Well I suppose one might see it that way." Dumbledore said. "But you see he has no other children, Mr. Weasley."
"He's my son," Ginny said with tears in her eyes, "Ian is my son," Ginny said looking at Dumbledore the tears flowing freely from her eyes.
"Yes Miss Weasley," Dumbledore answered her with a very solemn voice, "he is."
"This is all bloody ridiculous," Ron said extremely inflamed. "I can't bloody fucking believe this." He jumped down from the window seal he had been sitting on and marched across the room kicking a pillow as he walked by them all, to the large door and slammed them on his way out.
Hope you enjoyed!