Disclaimer: Nope! I'm not J.K. Rowling. I don't even know her and, if I did, I'd be bugging her to get the next book out!
They had all ran up the stairs: Percy, the twins, and Ron. They shouldn't have, they would loose points but they had her scream, a high-pitched screech that had silenced them all and stung their ears.
The scream was familiar to all the Weasleys It was the noise that they had all woken up to the first week Ginny had come home from Hogwarts last year. She had always been found in her room, pale and sweating. They had asked her what was wrong, of course, but she would never answer and had always ended up falling asleep in Percy's arms.
This time was no different.
"Ginny!" Percy said, kneeling down to his youngest sibling and holding her close. The other Weasleys hovered around the two.
"I – I – I," Ginny tried to make up an excuse as Fred bent down and picked her up as Percy instructed him to do.
"Take her to the hospital wing," the prefect instructed, "I'll mail Mum –"
"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" Professor McGonagal burst in, red faced. "Percy! I would have expected -" she stopped, seeing Ginny's nearly limp body in Fred's strong arms.
"Wha- Wha- What happened here?" she asked, her face turning from red to white.
"I – I don't know, Professor," Percy stammered. "She needs to be taken to the hospital wing."
Professor McGonagal nodded and moved out of Fred's way. He walked past her quickly with his only sister in his arms. George and Ron ran after him, Percy stood for a moment. He as about to leave when –
"Percy, please explain," Professor McGonagal said.
Percy was torn between his family and his duties. His sister, his ONLY sister who had NEVER teased him, was sick. Something was wrong with Ginny yet Professor McGonagal, his boss (if you will), wanted an explanation. He stared at the Professor while thinking of his delicate sister.
"I'm sorry, Professor. My sister," he gestured toward the door and ran out of the dorm.
*~**~*
It was several hours later but Percy still sat by her side.
"Honestly, Perce, I'm FINE!" Ginny said again for the hundredth time, it seemed.
"No, you're not!" Percy said to his sister, raising his voice. "Ginny! I'm telling Mum and Dad."
"But you CAN'T. Please?" Ginny pleaded. "They already think I've gone batty." Ginny added, looking down. "I heard them talking, Perce, about sending me to St. Mungos. I'm FINE. Please …"
Percy looked at his sister. Tears were flowing down her checks. She had always been so nice to him. She had loved him like, it seemed, none of his younger siblings did. He sighed.
"All right Virginia," he said, getting up.
Ginny smiled. "Oh, Perce!" she said, grabbing him around the middle and hugging him. "Thanks."
Percy patted his sister's head lovingly and walked away.
She sat there. Nothing's wrong, she told herself. I hadn't gotten enough sleep. I imagined him.
"Oh, but you didn't Ginny, my love," she heard his voice faintly whisper.
Ginny gasped, falling back in the hospital bed, her head hitting the soft pillow.
"I did," she whispered. "I did."
That's it. I know my chapters are short and I'll try lengthening them a bit. They seem so huge when they're hand-written. Also, Medea, I know things to move along quickly in my writing. That's a problem I've noticed with not only this bit but my other works. I'm working on it. ;-D
Oh yeah … I have Chapter 3 typed up but I don't have a 4th chapter written yet. If you want this 3rd chapter, it may take a while to get another one up. It's all up to you.
Thanks for the reviews. I enjoy reading your opinions.
