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 Eighth Wilt (& the Twenty-Fifth Telling)
Ginny landed on her rear and winced. "OW!"
"Don't complain," the wizard barked at her. Then his lips curved up in a smarmy smile. "I could always hurts you more, you know."
She gulped and shook her head.
Harrumphing, the wizard stomped out of the room and shut and locked the door behind him. The only light was that coming from underneath the door. Sullen and robbed of her wand, Ginny curled up on the floor with her cloak wrapped tightly around her.
She sniffed. The room was musty and had a draft, and there was some unidentified liquid to her right. At least there weren't any rats.
But I wish there was a dog, Ginny commented to herself. She hugged her knees to her chest. A certain dog. One who would hold me right now… Before she knew it, she was asleep.
*~DREAM TIME!~ (we haven't had one in a while)*
Ginny awoke to find Sirius there in the room with her. Her first thought was that he, too, had been captured, but then she saw that her friends were at the door. They had come to rescue her.
Sirius gave her his ever-familiar sexy grin. "Come now, princess. Your emancipation awaits you." He took her hands in his and helped her to her feet, but she didn't leave the room. He met her eyes. "Gin…? What's wrong?"
Tears rolled down her cheeks, but her voice was clear. "How can you save me? After everything that's happened, you deserve better. Leave me here."
For the first time ever, he glared at her with pure hatred. "You're right. I should leave you here. You avoided me, you're too scared of what others will think, you've cheated on me, you probably cost me my job-"
She squidged her eyes shut and lowered her head. "I just-"
"Just what, Ginevere?" came Sturgis' voice from the doorway. She looked up, heart hammering against her ribs, and saw the sixth year's equally cold gaze. "You used me. I truly loved you-"
"'Loved'?" she squeaked with wide eyes, noticing the past tense.
"-and you used me to try to get to him-" He pointed to Sirius. "-jealous. And just when it looks like you'll have a change of heart, he walks back in, and you're so fickle that you waver. You can't have us both."
"But-"
"We shall leave you here," Sirius finished, and he led the others away. As the door closed, Ginny caught glimpses of the rest of the team's faces, and saw the unspoken hatred in their eyes, as well.
*~END DREAM~*
Ginny woke for real this time. Her heart pounded faster than it had in the dream, and she broke out in a cold sweat. The redhead barely had time to put her thoughts in order when the door actually opened.
It wasn't Sirius. A woman stood in the doorway, and the backlight gave her an eerie aura. She stepped forward and closed the door. Darkness eclipsed them, but the woman pulled out a wand for light. She found her way to Ginny and knelt in front of her. "So you're her."
Ginny sat on her heels and did her best not to flinch from the woman's alien eyes. "Why did you take me hostage?"
The woman's rustic, reddish-brown eyes were clearly visible since her blue-black hair was pulled back in an elegant and too-tight bun. The sleeve of her black robe dragged on the floor as she poked at the base of Ginny's throat with a sharp, navy-painted nail. "You're quite the piece of meat, aren't you?"
"Why did you take me hostage?" the Gryffindor repeated. Her breath caught when the woman poked her knee and dragged her nail uncomfortably close to the inside of her thigh.
"Well-developed, too." When the woman realized Ginny had lost her voice for the moment, she tut-tutted and smirked. With a flip of her robe sleeve, the woman removed her hands from the young witch. "My name is Iola Selwyn. And you, Miss Hero-of-the-Second-Great-War, are going to be bait."
Ginny gulped. "F-For what?" she whispered.
"You'll find out soon enough," Iola murmured, her nose so close to Ginny's that the girl could feel her breath. Then Iola abruptly stood and resumed a normal tone. "But you'll just have to wait and see." She left on that note of 'finality', and Ginny was alone again.
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Hours must have passed. Ginny estimated it was either morning or midday. Absently, she wondered if the Hogwarts staff was wondering where one of their Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers was. And where five students were (six, if they did become worried about Grant). Lingering on Grant, Ginny grimaced. More and more, it felt like Raven was right. She still refused to believe that Grant was evil, but Ginny's gut feeling was unsure. After all, she hadn't seen him. Well… That could mean either he was doing something else, or he, too, was locked up somewhere. If he was locked up, he might be in worse condition than her…
An involuntary shiver made its way down Ginny's spine. Merlin, the more she waited, the more anxiety built up.
Finally, the wait was over.
Voices conferred outside, and Ginny saw two shadows obscure the bit of light from under the door. "Why did we wait a day?" came one voice. "She's been sittin' in there for almost twenty-four hours."
"Are you going to question your master?" That was Iola, and her question received no answer. "Open the door," she snapped. "It's time, Bartleby."
The door swung open, creaking to a hesitant stop. Ginny blinked to readjust her eyes, but she stumbled as Iola gripped her elbow and dragged her from her holding cell.
Things zoomed past in Ginny's vision, as if she were riding a broomstick. Browns, beiges, charcoals, gray-greens –the dimmed color palette almost made her sick. When Iola suddenly stopped in front of a large metal door, Ginny's stomach wasn't sure if it was glad to have a chance to calm down or angry because it wanted to regurgitate the last meal. There wasn't time to decide as the metal door was thrust open. "Shall we?" Iola asked the other cloaked figures.
About fifteen people dressed in black robes matching Iola's stood in a half-circle around the room. One, in a Death Eater's mask, had someone to his right, but Ginny's view of who it was was blocked. Mask-Man moved, and Ginny's heart nearly stopped.
Also in a black robe, it was Grant.
Mask-Man spoke to Iola. "Good. You're right on time, dear. I've done what I can with Grant, but the ritual shall finish the job. Let's begin."
"Yes, Lord Tersium." Iola dragged Ginny by the arm again, except the redhead was placed at the wall Grant faced. To her further horror, Iola waved her wand and Ginny was fettered to the wall by her wrists. Ginny bit the side of her cheek and tasted the iron flavor of blood, but the pain was unbearable; the cuffs were white-hot, and her wrists sizzled with burns.
"I see you noticed our favor to you," Tersium hissed with pleasure. "Yes, it was rather last minute, but we quickly fashioned some shackles for you." He stepped forward and gave her a swift kick in the side, causing her to topple over. Tersium's coal eyes seemed endless as she peered into them. "You should thank us, blood traitor."
"Bite me," she grumbled.
Tersium was expressionless for but a moment. With a flick of his hand-carved wand, Ginny's sweater, tie, and school shirt were torn down to her navel. He knelt and poked the meaty flesh between her bra-covered breasts. "You may be a blood traitor, but you're still pureblood. Your request can be arranged."
His words hung in the air, and no one dared to speak. Ginny couldn't believe this man had such power over the others, but Voldemort had been quite the same. Still, she wasn't sure she had ever felt this scared in her life.
Thinking nothing of his actions (He probably does this all the time, Ginny thought), Tersium rose and faced his companions. "Tonight is a great night. For tonight, we welcome another pureblood to our circle. We shall induct Grant, my son, into our order of Death Eaters!" Though they were few, their evil cheers filled the room as if the fifteen were really fifty.
"As usual," Iola continued for her husband, "the proper sacrifice has been acquired." Ginny snorted, and –with a twitch of her eyebrow –Iola faced her. "Is there something funny, blood traitor?"
"Sacrifice? I'm going to be offered to some Dark god?"
Iola smirked, though, and stood by her husband's side. The power couple held hands, and Iola stroked her spouse's silvery hair. "You're part of an initiation," the hag of a woman stated, thinking that was enough of an answer.
Ginny cursed under her breath, not willing to waste any more time talking to these pigs. Any rescue attempt would be too late now.
The Selwyns acknowledged her forced silence and compliance. Tersium stepped forward and handed Grant a wand –not the wand Ginny had seen him with at school –one of carved ivory, shaped into a king cobra with its hood out. Tersium adjusted Grant wrist and fingers so Grant pointed the tail at Ginny.
"Go on," the father urged. "Get it over with."
Ginny's throat caught her scream. Grant's eyes were unreadable.
Tersium rolled his eyes and backed off. He and Iola exchanged looks, and she stood at Grant's side. She leaned her bony cheek on Grant's shoulder and lifted his wand arm back up when it slacked.
"We all killed a loved one who wasn't related to us, Grant," Iola purred in his ear. "The first kill is wonderful. It would've been better had we actually gone to the school and retrieved that muggle-born girl you were so infatuated with –I mean, we did knock her out with the package –but your best friend walked right in. You should seize an opportunity when you see it."
Grant squinted his eyes shut, and he shook his head. "I can't! She's my best mate! I couldn't harm her, my friends, or Mira!!" he desperately cried.
Iola scowled and stepped behind him. "Straighten your arm!!" she snarled, clutching his elbow and fixing it for him. "Aim right for her and use the Killing Curse!!"
"NO!!"
"Listen to your mother!" Tersium yelled. "Take the first kill!"
"I-"
Iola shoved the point of her own wand into the base of the back of Grant's neck. "Do it, or so help me Merlin, I will kill you as well."
Grant's terror mirrored Ginny's, and his eyes scanned her face for any hint of a plan. But of course there wasn't one. They were both screwed. However, he swallowed, and opened his mouth. "A-Avada…"
"What was that?" Iola mocked. "I can't hear you."
"Shout it with pride, Grant!" Tersium scolded, standing slightly behind his wife with a hand on her shoulder.
Grant winced. "Avada Kedavra!!!"
At the last second, Grant pointed his wand in the direction of himself.
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"Hurry! This way!!" Sirius whispered to his students.
They panted, but kept up with the middle-aged professor, whose fury had awarded him newfound agility and energy. Sturgis was right behind Sirius, and he had a nagging suspicion. "You sense them, too, don't you?"
Sirius nodded, and the other students felt they missed something. "Up ahead," the teacher explained. "Several magical entities –almost twenty, I estimate –are gathered in a central room. Something's going to happen. Soon."
At Sirius' last word, the group reached a metal door. Before they opened it, there was a bloodcurdling scream, and the thud of a body hitting the floor.
The scream was Ginny's. Sirius hoped the body wasn't also hers.
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YAY! I ended the chappie with the intended cliffie!!! Three cheers for me! … ACK! CHEERS, not CHOKES!! I promise there will be more soon, so REVIEW (maybe ten or fifteen for this chappie alone? please?), peoples! I need to know you care about Ginrius!
-mew-tsubaki