Silver Birch House
Chapter 7 -
A Lot of Talk
Author's Note - I like to dedicate this chapter to Duckchick, for all her review and support. Without her, I would never have got this chapter out so quickly! Thank you!!!
And a thank you to Aranel for listening to my ramblings… for hours. :o) And a thank you to JT Jones and to Ginny 1986.
This chapter is a little long, but never mind! Enjoy…
The short plump statue of Mrs Weasley was heard rather than seen at first. At the sound of Mrs Weasley's tirade about how her children never let her know what was going on, Ginny turned from talking to Harry to see her mother stalking down the long corridor in very swift strides. Behind her, three much taller men obediently followed, Mr. Weasley, Charlie and Bill all walked in long casual strides agreeing with her more mechanically than actually listening.
A smile spread across Ginny's face when she spotted them and an unaccountable nervousness settled in her stomach.
"Mum?" she called. Mrs. Weasley looked up and stopped in surprise. She gazed at Ginny a second then rushed over to pull her in to a long hug. Ginny found herself returning the hug with equal emotion and it was some time before she pulled away to look at her mum. Her mother looked pale and drawn, but there was nothing but love in her eyes as she chastened Ginny, and any vestiges of nervousness she felt seemed to vanish.
"Virginia Margaret Weasley do you know what you've put us through? We thought you were dead and all we get are few short messages to let us know your okay!" Mrs Weasley said loudly, "And then Harry tells us that you almost drowned in the lake… Dear me, you look so skinny and pale…!"
The comment about her falling in the lake made Ginny shoot Harry a dirty look, which he appeared not to notice as he greeted the Weasley men.
Passing students looked at them with mixed expressions of fear and amusement as Mrs Weasley finished her tirade by launching herself on Ginny again and putting her in a death grip. Ginny held back a yelp of pain as Mrs Weasley squeezed against her shoulder, but Harry, who had started looking mildly embarrassed by the displays of emotion going on in the middle of the hallway, could see her facial expression.
"Umm… why don't we go back to Ginny's room?" he said glancing down the corridor.
"Yes, good idea," said Mr Weasley, going over to give Ginny a big hug before leading them down the corridor.
After almost two of hours of explaining calmly to her family that she was fine and that falling in the lake had been unintentional, and had nothing what so ever to do with death eaters - she getting ready to scream in frustration. She was just about to yell at Charlie for treating her as if she were five, when a gentle knock sounded on the door.
Ginny stopped pouring a cup of tear to peer out into the corridor, where Cassie and Professor Snape stood looking back at her.
"Are you busy?" asked Cassie.
"Erm, well…"
"Ginny? Who is it?" asked Mrs Weasley, pulling the door out of Ginny's grip to see out.
"Just Cassie and Professor Snape, Mum," said Ginny hesitantly.
"Cassie!" said Mr Weasley, moving past Ginny to shake her hand, "How are you dear?"
"Oh, fine Mr Weasley, I was just wondering if I might steal Ginny away from you?" she said nodding towards Ginny.
"Oh is something wrong?" he asked concerned.
"If a moment isn't too much to ask for Miss Weasley?" said Snape impatiently.
"Of course," said Ginny through her teeth, "this way."
In her bedchamber, the Professor forced her to take another goblet of potion, and he examined her wound again. He and Cassie conferred, occasionally pointing at a piece of parchment, discussing the potion and its effects, making it all sound very complex.
"What does that mean exactly?" said Ginny pulling her robe back up over her shoulder.
"You couldn't possibly-" began Professor Snape.
"I have the highest possible achievement for a Medi-witch, and I've delivered more babies than occupants at Hogwarts so don't tell me I couldn't understand."
"Indeed, I was going to say you couldn't possibly have time to hear everything," he smirked at her and Ginny felt herself flush in embarrassment.
"Is it that hard to be polite to each other?" said Cassie rolling her eyes, "Gin, Dumbledore wanted to have a word with you once you're free."
"Alright," said Ginny.
As Ginny moved back into her living area, she found herself meeting the smiling faces of Dumbledore and Remus Lupin. Her brother's were pulling on there cloaks and Ginny looked at them confused.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"Business Gin, we'll see you at dinner later," said Bill kissing her on the cheek.
"See you later squirt," said Charlie kissing her on the other cheek, before leaving with Remus Lupin.
Mr and Mrs. Weasley followed soon after, needing to retire to there rooms for various reasons, Harry left talking quietly with Cassie and Professor Snape. This left Ginny alone with Professor Dumbledore, who smiled kindly at her as she offered him a seat.
"I hope this hasn't been too hectic a stay for you Miss Weasley?" he asked. "I wouldn't want to keep you from any work you might have been doing."
"Please call me Ginny, everyone else does…" she replied sipping her tea nervously.
"Might I ask how you came about hurting your shoulder?" he asked kindly, looking up from stirring his tea.
"Oh, um. Blaise… Zabini, she has been a close friend of mine now for many years. She was recently accused of betraying Voldemort-" Ginny paused realising she'd said his name, but Dumbledore just smiled encouragingly, "she came to my flat with Professor Snape. They were followed, she and I ran. I got shot; she dragged me back to Silver Birch. But I'm sure you heard all this from Professor Snape?"
"Not all the particulars I'm afraid! I'm lead to believe that you ran to a hide-away house?"
"Of a sorts, yes," she answered.
"I must say I was quite relieved to here that people had taken on the responsibilities there, I thought this house was merely a legend you see,"
"What?" she said, accidentally spilling her tea.
"I'm sorry to take you by surprise Ginny, but there where a house rumoured to be in operation during my defeat of Grindelwald as well. Although, I know very little of it, only was has been speculated over many hundreds of years in News Papers and such, seemingly every time there is a war."
"Really?" she asked, extremely curious.
"It is said to be a sort of operations base come secret hide out, if I remember rightly. It was believed that it was controlled by five members in total, but the staff committee was huge and no one knew who these mysterious persons where. Apparently, each member was powerful in there own way and that they were chosen for this power."
"Power is such an ugly word…" muttered Ginny, "I mean, erm…"
"It depends on your definition I think."
Ginny started playing with a strand of hair, a nervous habit she picked up from Blaise. She looked in to the kindly Professor's eyes and as much as she wanted to tell him everything about Silver Birch, she knew she could not, they had decided as a council what to let him know. And he appeared to know quite a bit as it was.
"Well, Silver Birch is a sanctuary, Professor. And the only reason it still exists and works so well is the secrecy involved…" she tried to think of a delicate way to phrase what she was trying to say, "…the war creates many victims for many different reasons, a great proportion of which are young women. The effects of some attacks tend to be more long lasting than others."
Ginny stopped to see if the meaning behind her words had been understood. From the expression on Dumbledore's face, it was obvious that he understood all too clearly.
"We simply offer a safe home for anyone who needs it, regardless of species, age, sex or past history," Ginny finished.
Dumbledore sat back in thought for a while.
"So, how do you locate these people?" Dumbledore enquired pensively.
"We have different ways, using both magic and… contacts," Ginny said cautiously "such as Blaise… Myself, I'm a Medi- witch, I've been delivering babies, patching up knees and burying people since this war began."
"I can't say I'm surprised to find that Ginny, you're a very level headed young lady. Always ready to do what others squirm at…"
Ginny felt a slight blush mare her cheeks.
"Well, I always liked working with children and animals… it's in my nature. I think the job chose me rather than the other way around."
"We choose out own path Ginny," his blues eyes looking straight at her, "sometimes we may seem to lose our way, or feel we have taken to much on our shoulders… but there is always someone to help us back on our way."
He smiled watching her brow crinkle in confusion.
"These people show up in the oddest places mind you, and sometimes, if we are lucky, at just about the right time!"
Ginny looked pensive.
"Miss We- I mean Ginny, I'd like you to enjoy your stay here. I have a few guests arriving today, it's no secret that I'm trying to gather support. Tomorrow evening we are having a ball of sorts. I'd like you to be there, there will be dinner and dancing – Mr. Potter himself will be there I'm lead to believe!"
"Thank you Professor, are you sure I won't get in the way?"
"Nonsense my dear, It's a big castle. But it might give you an idea of what the Order Of Phoenix is trying to do, plus your family will be there and I think I'll be in a lot of trouble with Miss Jones and Professor Snape if I through you out of the castle. It seems you still might drop dead on us any day now, and we certainly wouldn't want that."
They chatted a bit more, and when the Professor took his leave a little later, Ginny found herself pondering what he'd told her. It was in this contemplative mood that she found herself sitting by the lake again. She looked up at the sound of voices and noticed Harry talking to another wizard a small distance away. Harry was making far off gestures, he looked to his companion who nodded in agreement and immediately trotted off.
Harry then immediately started towards her.
"Imagine finding you here again," he said grinning, "Did you fancy another swim?"
"Actually, I'm afraid of deep water, so no. I don't think swimming was on the agenda."
"Afraid of deep water?" he said, "I didn't know that!"
"There are a lot of things you don't know!" she said elbowing him playfully.
She studied him and was a bit taken back when he studied to, never dropping her gaze. She found herself looking away, blushing and wondering if there was an award for the number of times you could blush around one person.
"So what is the Great Harry Potter afraid of?" she asked, staring out at the water.
"He isn't so great," he said, letting out a thoughtful sigh.
"Oh right, because just about anyone could defeat Voldemort at the ripe old age of one," she said lightly.
When he didn't answer, she looked over worried that she'd been insensitive in some why about the subject. But she looked over to find him openly staring at her.
"You said his name…" he said, a tint of wonder in his voice.
"Oh, sorry-" she began, berating herself for being so tactless around him, of all people.
"No, no. It's refreshing, it's nice to have someone who isn't afraid to say his name at all, especially in front of me!" he said reassuringly.
"At least people will talk to you with out treating you like your five," she said, raising an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" he asked, cocking his head to one side.
"I sometimes wonder if my brother's even notice I have breasts, never mind being nearly twenty-four years old!" she said a little sourly.
"Yes, Ron flipped out when you announced you where running off to the muggle world alone!" he said laughing.
"Did he?" she asked smiling.
"What do you do in the muggle world by the way?"
"What about the rest of brothers, what did they think?" she asked quickly.
"Well Percy thought it would be nice for you to learn new things and the rest thought that you had either gone mad or joined Voldemort, or both!"
Ginny laughed, imagining the looks on her brother's faces.
"You're lucky you know."
"Sorry?"
"To have six brother's who'd care about you so deeply, I wish I had known my Mum and Dad. I can't help but wonder if I'd have had sisters or brothers. What they would have looked like, how it would have been to be the oldest. Or to grow up loved in a wizarding family."
Ginny reached out for his hand and took it between her own.
"I can't imagine growing up with out my family. I can't tell you what it's like being the oldest or what it's like to have a sister, but I can tell you that Ron and Herimone, love you like a brother. My whole family, loves you like you're a part of it."
"Even you?" his voice sounded strange, he turned his hand in her grip to clasp her hand and she met his eyes.
"Of course," she said.
"What if I don't-" he asked quietly.
"Harry!" yelled someone in the distance, cutting him off. Ginny knew she was being less than graceful as she just sat there looking at him, but she wanted him to finish the sentence.
"Harry?" said the voice of a wizard.
Harry stood up to meet him, leaving Ginny where she was. They talked in low voices for a while, before Harry turned to her, "Some of the guest's are arriving, can I walk you back to the castle?" he offered her his arm.
She took it mutely, following him as he talked with the other wizard. When they reached the gates, he took her hand.
"I don't suppose you'd consider attending the dinner party with me tomorrow...?" he questioned.
"Um, okay." She said, knowing she sounded less than intelligent.
"Great," he said giving her a relieved smile, "We can finish our conversation then." Taking her surprise by leaning over and kissing her cheek.
The other wizard, who had stood turning his eyes away politely, gave Ginny a knowing grin before walking away with Harry.
Ginny was stumbling up to her room in a daze when she bumped into Cassie.
"Come on!" said Cassie looking gleeful.
"What?" asked Ginny suspiciously.
"I bribed some sixth years in giving me the password to the tower!" she said.
"You didn't-" started Ginny, her eyes widening, "You did."
Cassie gave a mischievous grin and yanked Ginny down the corridor by her hand, all the way to the tower.
The Fat Lady eyed them.
"Yes?" she creaked.
"Toadstools," said Cassie happily.
"Indeed, aren't you a little old to be in this common room?"
"Depends what you mean by old," said Ginny.
"Come on! We gave you the password!" said Cassie.
Reluctantly, the portrait swung open.
They entered and the common room, filled with students who where settling in for the evening, stopped dead.
"Hi!" said Cassie.
"Should you be in here?" asked a mousy haired girl wearing a prefect's badge.
"Well, we are Gryffindors," said Cassie smiling, "We were here a few years ago."
They moved to stand by one of the tables, and eyes remained fixed on them.
"We were just in the area, and dropped by to see if our fellow Gryffindors where keeping house pride up and all that…" said Cassie, idly playing with a pen.
"Winning house points, supporting the Quidditch team, causing mischief, playing pranks and the like…" supplied Ginny, resting her hip against the chair.
"Playing pranks?" asked one boy, looking up from his homework in interest.
Cassie and Ginny looked at each other, identical evil grins appearing.
"Oh, yes…," said Ginny.
Four hours later, not only had both Ginny and Cassie been provided with amble butter beer and assortments of sweets in exchange for stories and ideas on pranks. But they had also taught most of the tower to play poker and were currently teaching them to dance the mambo.
Ginny wasn't sure where the gramophone had appeared from, nor did she want to know because she was sure she it would get someone in trouble. She was currently dancing with one of the seventh years, who had picked up the dance very quickly and Ginny was being swung every which way. She was having the time of her life and it would appear that Cassie was too, as she helped a first year blow up an apple so that it splattered onto anyone in its general area.
Outside, it started snowing.