Disclaimer: I own nada!
A/N: Sorry about the delay. I hope this will make up for it. It is a bit short and there might be some mistakes since I didn't pay too much attention during proofreading.
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Chapter Twenty-Two: ReturnsGinny was left in absolute solitude for the next week and a half. Annabel went back to work. Robert "Grumpy" was the only person with Ginny in her little basement cell. Since Grumpy usually had an aloof attitude towards Ginny and he wasn't dumb, Ginny had no mean of communicating with him. Insults would flare up the coldness between the prisoner and her keeper while nice civil conversations was impossible.
"Miss Weasley!" Grumpy called out. Ginny remained in her crossed leg position and ignored the man. She was busy wondering why writing in the sand with her fingers makes them feel soft and smoother. Ginny was quite sure she was the prime example of how prisoners loose their intelligence after the fifth day of captivity. "What are you doing?" the man inquired after noticing Ginny doodling on the floor facing a corner like a bored child in timeout.
Ginny continued to ignore the man. She was almost positive Grumpy came to release her. But Ginny wouldn't be released. She would live with the guilt of knowing something horrible would happen but had no means of letting people know. Emotional imprisonment was the worst type of confinement, Ginny remember Aurora telling her while reviewing her for auror's entrance exam. Making the prisoner feel trapped even years after their actual imprisonment was the ultimate way of making even a strong-minded individual feel weak and helpless.
Looks like Annabel and Grumpy had done quite a great job doing that to me. I don't want to get back in the real world. What would they have done with Aurora to break up the engagement? I don't want to find out . . .
A rough hand grabbed Ginny's shoulder causing her to flinch. Perhaps ignoring the capturers wasn't such a great idea. After all, constant vigilance is a life saving rule, one Ginny broke with her actions in the past 10 days.
"Miss Weasley, are you deaf?" Grumpy asked in the tone that matched in nickname. "I am releasing you. Here is your wand. Apparate out. But remember one thing: a word of this leaks and you will pay for this dearly."
Ginny numbly took her wand. She still didn't understand why Annabel would go such length to get married to Malfoy. The only the git had been tolerable was when he befriended Aurora. Right, the blame all lay with that platinum blonde. If he didn't make Aurora fall in love with him, Ginny would have never been captured, Aurora wouldn't be heartbroken since she never gave her heart away and Ginny would get to play matchmaker instead of getting set up by Aurora.
Looking at her wand, Ginny apparated without a goodbye to Grumpy.
~*~*~
Harry's house didn't change one bit, except how the door was slightly open. The housekeeper mode came back to Ginny as soon as she saw the gap. This was the house of Harry Potter, renowned auror, and man with too many enemies to count and just as many friends and supporters.
Just as Ginny wanted to walk towards the house, she suddenly felt faint. The world seemed distant for a few moments. For what seemed like a few seconds, Ginny's visions spun around without a definite vertex. The lack of direction lasted as short as the whole vertiginous vision. Ginny walked briskly to the door hoping to sit down.
Just as she got on the doorstep, the wooden board flew open narrowly missing her.
"Ginny!" Harry called out as he pulled her in bone crushing hug. "Where were you? I was so worried when I got back and you weren't here."
"When did you get back?" Ginny asked as with a bright smile. She didn't know Harry was back already. The auror gave her the I-asked-first-so-you-answer look. Ginny rolled her eyes at the rather immature reason. To her surprise and greatest sense of undoing, she couldn't remember where she was or why she was outside. A little voice in her head was announcing how she was out walking to get come fresh air. Seeing Harry's worry lines becoming more visible, Ginny's mind came up with a lousy but plausible excuse.
"I was out walking." Ginny sincerely hoped that Harry was back for a few minutes rather than for a day. It would difficult to explain why she was out walking for a day. Since she didn't really know why she was outside, she needed to figure out things as well. If Harry were going to ask her for more detailed information, Ginny would be stuck in a difficult position. Seeing Harry nod as though he liked her answer for the moment, Ginny asked, "So when did you get back? How was the mission? Where is Aurora?"
"I just got back today, actually," replied Harry, with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Come on in." Harry put his arm around her shoulder and led Ginny into the living room. To her surprise, the editor of the Daily Prophet and Helen sat on the couch.
"Hello Mrs. Crimpley. Hi Helen." Ginny greeted the two people with an unsure expression at Harry. The frown made a debut on Harry's brow. Ginny looked between the two visitors and Harry wondering why two people without any special connection to Harry were in Harry's sitting room. The dizziness from Ginny's previous episode hit her at full force. While glancing at the two groups of people looking worried, Ginny's legs gave out.
"Oh my goodness!" the three other people in the room cried out as Harry caught Ginny thanks to his quick reflexes. Harry carried the now frail looking girl to the couch where Mrs. Crimpley and Helen had jumped up from when Ginny fell.
"Here," Harry said as he laid her down. Ginny noticed once again the frown seemed to be a permanent mark on Harry's face. Harry was about to asked something when a cough from the two guests stopped him.
"We'll leave now Mr. Potter," the editor of the wizarding world's newspaper declared when her small noise caught Ginny and Harry's attention. "She is here, safe and sound." Her eyes then turned to Ginny, "Please have a rest dear. Don't worry about your column. I can have someone else write it for you while you are away." The younger girl nodded while the older woman spoke.
"Rest well, Ginny." Being still dazed from the unwarranted fall, Ginny merely nodded while Harry waved them goodbye. The click of the door sounded the two women's exit. Somehow, the fact that Harry didn't bother to check to see if people actually left – a security breach in his actions – made Ginny feel uneasy. It almost seemed like the lack of security from checking the door was caused by an event that happened earlier.
"Harry?" Ginny asked unable to block her discomfort and fear from her voice. The panic in Ginny's voice caused Harry to jump to her side.
"Are you alright Gin?" The lackluster emerald eyes proved that something happened and it made Harry worry. The something probably was connected to her lack of memory. Ginny nodded with a smile. The undivided attention from Harry made her feel safe and loved. Warmth and fluffiness replaced the previous cold and clammy sensation. "Good," Harry mumbled looking away, "good."
"Harry," Ginny began again. She lost Harry's attention to the surroundings. His eyes scanned around the room with the ever-present frown. "What is wrong." The comment presented no option for Harry to brush it off; Ginny demanded for an answer.
"I am just worried," the auror replied. "I came back and you were here. Then I called for your editor and the maid to see if you have been around . . . or that someone had kidnapped you or something. But now that I see you are fine, except a bit tipsy, my heart beat has slowed down." What was supposed to be a reassuring smile confirmed Ginny's suspicions. No matter how much training Harry had in concealing the truth, he could never lie efficiently in front of Ginny.
"Tell me."
"Gin, you need rest. And I am going to help you get that rest even if I have to put a stunning spell on you so I can carry you to the bed and make you sleep," Harry commanded earnestly. Ginny tried her best to give him subtle puppy dog expressions. The silent pleading nearly succeeded until Harry shook his head and tapped her nose making her cross-eyed. "Sleep and rest for you."
~*~*~
Ginny did end up sleep as Harry commanded. Her rest was short, but it was enough to satisfy Harry and gave her enough strength to badger him about what made him so uptight and worried. Even while Harry was an extraordinary seeker, he would not have had such fast reflexes to catch her unless he was still in completing-mission mode.
"Harry, tell me," Ginny whined for the umpteenth time since she had woken up, in Harry's bed that smell too much like the owner. "Please, I want to know what is wrong. You are being distant," Ginny accused, grabbing at any ammunition to have Harry open up.
Upon hearing Ginny's accusation, Harry sharply pulled into a hug placing gentle kisses on her forehead, her cheeks, nose, and lips. Technically, the redhead should be at a state of mental loss, but the little displays of affection did nothing to appease the curiosity boiling inside.
"You are not going to get away from telling me," Ginny declared pulling herself away from the kisses while remaining in Harry's embrace. The tension in her boyfriend's body relaxed with a sigh.
"I am just glad you are safe Ginny."
"Why would I be not safe?" There, the question of the year asked.
"It's nothing . . ."Harry mumbled attempting to hide things again. The sharp look Ginny had that seemed uncannily motherly gave him no option of dodging the subject. "Maybe I just over exaggerated something I heard."
"What did you hear?" Ginny pressed further. She still hadn't told Harry about her lack of memories. If she doesn't find out what he was worried about, Ginny wasn't sure if it would have been a good idea to worry Harry more with her declaration.
"I was in Latin American and we had an encounter with one of the rebel groups. As we brought them to the local ministry of magic, one of the men mumbled something about how I should worry for someone I care about." Ginny motioned for him to continue.
"I didn't take the comment to heart since most of the offending wizards and witches always make an empty like that, but when I got back and you were in my house, the comment came back to me like Dread with a hammer." With the tension released, Ginny noticed how Harry's expressive eyes were clouded with anxiety and concern.
"It's alright. I am perfectly fine. See?" Ginny twirled around the room. The display of energy obviously didn't convince Harry, so Ginny chose to not voice her misgivings about not remembering something.
"Are you really alright Ginny?" Harry asked looking at her like she was being interrogated at the Auror department. "Do you feel anything strange? Out of balance with the rest of your body or your psyche?"
"No?" Ginny replied saturated with uncertainty. This time, Harry had the commanding-mother expression. "A little, I suppose. I don't remember why I was out walking earlier to today."
"What did you feel beforehand?" Harry asked bring their distance closer. It seemed as though Harry was near a breakthrough on something.
"Dizzy." Harry let loose a string of curses before he grabbed two cloaks for Ginny and himself.
"The pieces now fit better," Harry said putting the cloak over Ginny's shoulder. "We are going to stop by the ministry."
~*~ to be continued ~*~
Omni's Chapter Ending Notes:
Melodie: Thank you! I have had the problems of loosing track of stories as well. ^^ There are so many wonderful writing that I loose track. I hope my later chapters are up to par or perhaps better than the initial ones – improvement would be good.
Ella Wood: No problem about the not reviewing. As long as I know you still read and like what I wrote or have something to say about it, I am happy. Feedback is always good. And the China trip was fun, but exhausting. Seeing relatives is quite a tiring task.
sum1special: So the twist wasn't too cliché and tacky and all those other things that usually come with amateur plot twists? Hm, you seemed quite hyper in the last review.
Female Fred: Thank you! You have no idea how much your comment meant to me. I am extremely flattered, but skeptical – a characteristic of my always wavering self-confidence. But I cannot thank you enough. It was a good note for me to remember for school. 'Nother two reviews person! I didn't disappear as you see, but I think I may be becoming somewhat transparent, like those "invisible" tapes.
NCDSbookworm: I believe I have already addressed you review in the little e-mail I sent you. As for drifting from Harry's wedding, we know that the wedding mentioned actually belongs to Draco and Aurora, the king and queen of badly written drama. I thought Ginny and Harry deserved a break with the strange happenings; not to mention Draco Malfoy seemed like the type to attract psychopaths. ^^
Rhiain: She is "safe". Don't worry. No everlasting damage done, at least not debilitating. ^^
Loopyloony: Hook, the one thing a speaker needs. Glad to know I have succeeded in creating my Hook and my little hooks. HEY! You reviewed twice, a brownie for you! And yeah, I have a slow update this time. *blush*
Aindel Druida: A long note to my protector and two-times reviewer. ^^ Eek, school started for you too . . . feeling sympathetic for me? I do feel better, but school ultimately ruins any happy thoughts. I have four tests in one day. What a hectic week. Oh yeah, I believe you can sympathize with choreography a dance for touring in three weeks. I cannot believe my teacher is doing that to me, the person who cannot choreograph for the live of her. Anyhow, done fuming and complaining. Happy days of school to you! (That was not sarcastic, merely overly optimistic.) Oh right, seven dwarves, you know, I thought the kidnappers having a connotation with Snow Whites dwarves was funny . . . but that's my humor. I was imagining them carrying Ginny like a log while singing the mining song.
Avalon2: Goody! One of the biggest problems I have noticed when people write is having their characters be OOC when the story changes in direction. A happy-go-lucky person becomes depressed in three paragraphs. Anyhow, I am glad you like my interpretation of Ginny. OOH! You reviewed twice too! Another dessert for you – that is the only thing I can make without any damage to the kitchen or myself. I am working on the Annabel intro. I am not sure if I will have the rewrite of the chapter up, but please feel free to reread it to see if it is any better. As for school, history consists of too much reading and no time for my stress relieving activities. A vicious cycle.
HopefulTears: No problem. It was nice to know that someone actually went to my website thingy. But anyhow, my little cyber world has renovations so I have two sites! Yep, found out how to work out geocities' programs. And I am not sure if I want Aurora dead yet. I don't really like reading about death so I try not to incorporate that unless completely necessary.
Silver Witch: Thank you. I still like Omni better though. Nice short, full of meaning . . . anyhow, I am sorry you had to wait that long.
The (I'm to lazy to log in) Dragon Guardian of the Sea: Got any ideas on how to hurt Annabel? I could certainly use some. My musey is in the I-am-going-to-be-Miss-Universe mode where she doesn't want to hurt a soul. So much for avenging the non-happy parts of life.
Serenity55: Sorry! School takes precedence though. My teachers and friends have agreed on the fact that I have the schedule of hell . . . too many AP classes and too many reading assignments.
eclipse17: Thank you! I am rewriting it due to my Great Expectations. ^^
Well, that was a long thank-you note. Not that I am unhappy. Reading all of your reviews have certainly brought joy to my days filled with assignment after assignment. The best part was how rereading your reviews drove the writer's block away. It sounds cliché, but seriously. I spend around fifteen minutes scanning the reviews I have gotten so far. Then the next day, I spent half of my non-thinking time and some thinking time at school dreaming up of ways to continue and resolve the twist and such. That probably explained why I got a somewhat low score on my history test, but it's all right. 89.1 % is not too hard to bring up, especially when there's only 250 points so far.
Thanks a million!
Omnifarious
P.S. – Unfortunately, I will always have slow updates once school begins. I made a little journal sort of site where I keep the progress of my stories, which you can find a link to in my bio. If I am out for around a month, you'll probably find some info on whether I have given up or I met the "best" friend of writing. I don't think I will truly disappear. If I do, you know where to find out.