Chapter VIII: Pillow Talk

Ginny scanned the bookshelf in the library until she saw a large and dusty book that looked to have never been opened. Only Hermione would read something like that. Ginny reached for the book and suddenly found that the book had been taken out of the shelf from the other side.
"Hey!" She exclaimed. "Stay with books on your own side!"
Ginny walked around the bookshelf and saw Harry holding the book.
"Sorry," He said. "I didn't know you wanted it."
"It's alright," Ginny blurted. "I can get another book."
"I don't really need it," Harry assured.
"I wasn't looking for that book," Ginny explained. "Any book will really do."
Harry smiled.
"Since neither of us really want the book," he began, "then I guess I'll put it back."
Harry slipped the book back into it's place. There was silence as Harry and Ginny just stood opposite of each other and tried to think of something to say.
"So," they both said at the same time.
"What?" Ginny asked.
"No," Harry blurted, "you go first."
"I can't remember what I was going to say," Ginny admitted.
"Me neither," Harry laughed.
Ginny smiled.
"Getting any progress from that broom?" She asked.
"No," Harry replied. "It just seems to have a mind of it's own."
Ginny nodded slowly.
"Learn anything interesting in Runes?" Harry asked.
"Yeah," Ginny answered. "We learned to answer questions using runes."
"What kind of questions?"
"Any questions," Ginny explained. "Think of a question."
Ginny sat down on the floor and pulled her rune stones out of a pouch in her robes. Harry sat down a few feet in front of her.
"Got a question?" Ginny queried.
Harry nodded.
Ginny rubbed her hands together and closed her eyes.
"What kind of question is it?" Ginny whispered.
"There are only two possible answers," Harry told her.
"I'll use the fork spread," Ginny announced.
Ginny ran her hands over her many stones. Gently and without looking she took three stones. There was one stone toward her and the other two stones were a stone apart closer to Harry. Ginny opened her eyes.
"Alright," Ginny breathed. "These two stones," indicating the two near Harry, "are the results of your two choices. This stone here is the factor that will help you decide between the choices."
Harry looked down at the stones.
"This one," Ginny went on, pointing to the left of the two choices, "is Wunjo. Wunjo is the realization of what you have worked for and the enjoyment of all your gain. It is to realize where you are now and what you have and being satisfied to the point of bliss."
"That sounds like a good choice," Harry admitted.
"The other choice is the inverted Thurisaz," Ginny explained. "When something is inverted, it means that the meaning is opposite. Thurisaz is the negative forces of the dark side in ourselves. There is a dark side that we must take control of in ourselves to break free of the demons inside us and not become them. It is the ability to identify the demons in us and overpower them. Since it is inverted, your other choice is to be consumed in the dark side."
"I like the other choice better," Harry told her.
Ginny smiled.
"The factor that will help you make the right decision is Mannaz," Ginny informed. "It is the nature of humankind. The self and its place in humanity is recognized here. Acknowledge the importance of every one self to the greater many. This is a time of personal reflection and remembering to respect the human feelings. Cleansing is important now."
"So to make the decision, I need to meditate and be cleansed?" Harry asked.
"More then that," Ginny spouted. "This is getting back to your human nature and realizing your true feelings. Some outside force is effecting your decision and you have to trust in yourself and focus on what you really want."
"Thanks for the reading," Harry began, standing up, "but I really don't think this has to do with my question."
"What was your question?" Ginny asked. "Maybe I can help you apply the meanings to it."
"That's alright," Harry assured her, "it's just nonsense."
Harry turned away from Ginny and walked around the shelf and out of sight. Ginny sighed in disappointment and frustration.
"Ginny?" Amilia asked from behind her.
Ginny turned around.
"What are you doing on the floor?" Amilia inquired.
"Nothing," Ginny mumbled, picking up the stones and replacing them in her pouch.
"I think I found something," Amilia announced.
Ginny stood up and blurted, "What is it?"
"Hogwarts: A History," Amilia told her.
"What?"
Ginny and Amilia, thinking that it would be bad if someone overheard them, decided to go into the girl's lavatory to look at the book. When they were inside, they worked together to check under that stalls for feet. Once the lavatory was secure, they sat in a corner of the room. Amilia opened Hogwarts: A History to the middle. She flipped a few pages and then turned the book toward Ginny.
Ginny read aloud, "'Along with it's many unusual plants and animals, Hogwarts has also the Rune Tree on it's grounds.'"
Ginny looked at Amilia.
"The tree is here?" Ginny gasped.
"Yes," Amilia nodded. "A man was found dead outside the Forbidden Forest. He had on him a journal, a map, and a drawing of the tree. His journal and map went missing from the headmaster's office in nineteen seventy-nine. That's the same year that my dad was a sixth year."
"Same year as Ken Chang," Ginny stated. "What about the drawing?"
Amilia reached over and turned the page. The picture on the next page was very detailed. The tree trunk was tall and slender with runes signs carved up the side. The leafy area was lush and fresh-looking. Ginny glanced at Amilia.
"So the Rune Tree is-" Amilia began.
"In the Forbidden Forest," Ginny finished. "We found it."
"We can't go in there!" Amilia exclaimed. "No Rune Tree is worth risking our lives."
"What about Harry?" Ginny blurted. "We have to help him. What Cho's doing is wrong and we can't let her continue this."
"What can a tree tell us anyway?" Amilia asked.
"Maybe it says how we can break the spell," Ginny guessed.
"There's no way to get through the Forbidden Forest," Amilia explained. "Do you have any idea what's in there?"
"I have a plan," Ginny began. "I once overheard Harry and Ron talking about a cloak. It turns it's wearer invisible. We can just borrow the cloak from Harry."
"How are you supposed to get it?" Amilia asked.
"I can go in at night," Ginny guessed, "when he's asleep."
"So first you have to sneak into Harry's room," Amilia said, raising her eyebrows. "That'll be interesting."
"Oh, come on!" Ginny yelled. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind if he knew I was trying to save his life."
"I just think it's interesting that you'll know what he sleeps in," Amilia giggled.
"Amilia!" Ginny shouted. "Will you come off it? I'm just going to go in there, get his cloak out of his chest-"
Amilia giggled louder.
"Will you be serious?" Ginny asked, beginning to blush. "Once I've grabbed the cloak, I'll go down into the Forbidden Forest and search for the tree."
"Wait," Amilia interrupted. "There's only a few more days until Christmas holiday. You won't have time to search between now and then."
"I can get the cloak before the holiday and then we can search after," Ginny suggested.
"You don't think he'll miss it?" Amilia pointed out.
Ginny clenched her teeth.
"I mean, we aren't sure how often he uses it," Amilia continued.
"Well," Ginny whispered. "Who cares if he misses it? We're talking about his life here."
"Do you really think that Cho wants to kill Harry?"
"That's what happened in my dream," Ginny explained.
"I sure hope you know what you're doing," Amilia said, standing up. "He could be sleeping in Quidditch pajamas."
"Amilia!" Ginny shouted. "I don't care what's he's wearing."
"Maybe he'll turn over in his sleep and whisper 'Oh, Ginny'," Amilia continued.
Ginny put her hands over her ears, yelling, "I'm not going to listen to you anymore!"
"What would you do if Harry wakes up and says 'Ginny, I knew it was you'," Amilia laughed.
Ginny started chasing Amilia around the privy.
"'Kiss me, Ginny'," Amilia giggled, trying to imitate Harry's voice. "'I am the famous Harry Potter and I only want to kiss you.'"
Amilia ran out of the privy door and Ginny followed. Suddenly, they found themselves colliding into something and falling to the ground. They looked up and saw Harry Potter standing over them.
"Are you two alright?" Harry asked.
"We're great," Amilia blurted. "It's funny running into you. We were just talking about you."
Ginny elbowed Amilia in the ribs. She flinched and held her side, busting out laughing.
"Were you?" Harry asked, an amused smile on his face. "It must have been something funny. May I know?"
"No!" Ginny shouted, without thinking.
"Oh. Ginny," Amilia giggled. "We have nothing to hide."
"You may not," Ginny whispered.
"Well," Amilia began, smirking mischievously, "I was just wondering what you dreamed about."
Harry scratched his head, saying, "I don't remember many of my dreams usually."
"Do you have any idea if you'll be dreaming about someone tonight?" Amilia asked.
"I can't say that I'll know what I dream about until it happens," Harry explained. "I could dream about anyone, even you two."
"Which one of us do you want to dream about?"
"Excuse me?" Harry asked.
"Nothing," Ginny said, her face turning really hot. "We'd better be going."
"Yes, Ginny has a lot to look forward to tonight," Amilia yelled to Harry as Ginny pulled her down the hall.
"I can't believe you," Ginny whined. "I've never been more embarrassed in all my life!"
"What about the poem?" Amilia asked.
"Well, I suppose that was more embarrassing," Ginny admitted.
"I think you should tell him," Amilia voiced.
"Tell him what?" Ginny questioned.
"Tell him how you feel," Amilia urged.
Ginny eyed Amilia, saying, "He's still in love with Cho, remember?"

*****************

The firelight gave comfortable glow to the dark common room. The people that were still there so late at night were either talking quietly or not at all. Ginny breathed tiringly as she looked over her Herbology book. She found her eyeslids falling as she got to a section called "Reproduction of the Venemous Tentacula". Jerking herself awake, Ginny put down her book. She couldn't stand to read anymore.
It was then that she noticed Harry and Ron playing Exploding Craps in the corner of the room. She was about to go back to reading when she saw Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas studying with Colin Creevey. Neville Longbottum was talking to Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. They seemed to be telling him his hororscope. It occured to Ginny that all the occupants of Harry's room were in the common room.
Casually, Ginny made her way up to her room. She went all the way to the end where Amilia was asleep in her bed. Ginny shook Amilia until her eyes opened.
"What's wrong with you?" Amilia whined. "What time is is?"
"Shoosh, will you?" Ginny snapped. "Harry's room is empty. We should do it now."
"You do it!" Amilia exclaimed, turning over.
"Amilia, I need you to be my look out," Ginny informed her.
Amilia groaned.
The two snuck over to the boy's dormitories.
"You watch them and give me some sign if they start up the stairs," Ginny told Amilia.
"Yes, ma'am," Amilia said, saluting Ginny.
Ginny glared at her. Harry's room was down the hall two doors and to the left. She knew this because of the time in her second year. Siruis Black had snuck into Harry's room and attacked Ron. The yelling echoed through Gryffindor tower. Ginny saw everyone run to the fourth door down, toward Ron's yelling.
As she entered the room, Ginny half-expected it to be somehow different. It was a boy's room. Surprisingly, it looked just like the girls' rooms. There were five four-poster beds with trunks at the end. It wasn't messy. It didn't smell different. Ginny just shrugged. She scanned the beds and trunks, wondering which one was Harry's.
"Now what?" She asked herself.
There was a knock on the door. Ginny spun around, confused. The knock got louder and more urgant. It took until it stopped for Ginny to realized that it was Amilia's signal. Someone was coming to bed. It was too late for her to run for it. Amilia must have stopped knocking because they would have seen her if she didn't leave. Someone turned the door knob. Panicing, Ginny threw herself under one of the beds.
"If I had turned just a bit earlier, I think I would have caught the snitch twenty-minutes in," Harry told Ron as they entered the room.
"What position do you think they'd put me in if I make the team next year?" Ron asked.
"I reckon, a chaser," Harry said, sitting down on the bed that Ginny was under.
"Really?" Ron queried. "D'you think I'd make a good chaser?"
"No," Harry began, "it's just we have two chasers graduating this year. It'll be the only position open."
Ginny saw Ron's feet walk over to his trunk and pull out pajamas. Even though she would only see feet if Harry changed, she wasn't taking any chances. Ginny closed her eyes and just listened.
"Speaking of positions open," Ron said, "isn't the team captain graduating this year?"
"Yes, she is," Harry confirmed.
"With an opening like that, who do you think they'll pick?" Ron asked.
"Since I have been longest on the team," Harry explained, "it is likely to be me, but I'm not going to get my hopes up."
"They'll have to pick you, Harry!" Ron excalimed.
There was a pause, in which Ginny heard the springs of Harry's bed uncoil. He had gotten off. She opened her eyes and watched his feet walk over to the window.
"You think we should see Hagrid?" Harry asked. "We haven't seen him in a while."
"Late night cup of tea?" Ron queried. "Sounds good to me."
Harry and Ron's feet walked over to the door and left the room. Ginny listened for a moment, making sure no one had come in when they went out. There wasn't a sound. Ginny pulled herself out from under Harry's bed. She sprinted to his chest.
"This is it," she breathed.
"I can't believe I forgot it," she heard Harry's muffled voice say just behind the door.
Ginny jumped under Harry's bed again. The door opened and Harry came in. He opened his chest, moved some things around and then pulled something out.
"How did I expect to leave Hogwarts without my cloak," Harry called to Ron, who stood in the door way.
"C'mon, Harry," Ron urged. "It's late. We don't even know if Hagrid's awake."
Harry and Ron shut the door behind them. Ginny just lay under the bed, ridiculing herself for having been too slow to get the cloak.