Things Change
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything, but I definitely own this piece of writing! J.K Rowling owns all the characters and stuff. I do, however, own her 'friends' and some more new characters that'll appear later on, and the plot is ALL MINE!
A/N Well, apparently I evilly left you all a cliffhanger last chapter, so he he he. Hopefully for you, more random events that are mildly interesting will happen in this chapter, because I feel like it. Btw, as you can probably tell, I'm on a slight sugar high from eating too many biscuits.
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The hospital wing slowly came into focus as Ginny opened her eyes, blinking a few times to clear her vision. She could feel herself gradually becoming aware of her limbs and torso once again as she squinted against the harsh sun, her eyes not quite used to the level of light after being shut for what was obviously a long time. She moved her fingers gingerly, then her toes, then her arms and legs.
'Well, everything seems to be in working order' she thought to herself, taking a few deep breaths to fill her lungs with air. Slowly, she put her hands down on the bed and levered herself up until she was sitting against the back of the bed, blinking again as the light from the window opposite really hit her. She looked around, feeling her neck twinge as unused muscles ached in protest. There were a few cards on the bedside table next to her, along with some bags of sweets – mainly Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans.
"Why on earth do people give you those when you're ill?" she murmured to herself, looking up as she heard Madam Pomfrey bustling over to her.
"Up are we?" she said, putting a hand to Ginny's forehead with a disapproving look. "It's been long enough. Here".
She shoved a piece of chocolate into Ginny's hand. Ginny just looked at it, feeling sick at the thought.
"Eat up," Madam Pomfrey instructed in her typical manner, gently pushing Ginny forwards and plumping her pillows so she could lean on them instead of the metal rungs of the headboard. "You'll need it after being asleep so long"
"How long have I been in here?" Ginny asked as the chocolate began to melt in her grasp. The last thing she remembered was leaving the library and then everything started to get hazy after that.
"Three days," Madam Pomfrey replied airily, opening a large beaker of green potion and pouring it into a glass on the bedside table. Ginny gaped at her, all tiredness forgotten as she stared in shock (A/N Ginny seems to get shocked a lot these days, poor thing). Three days?! That was longer than she'd ever slept in her entire life before! She suddenly became very aware of her acute hunger, and her stomach started to growl. She broke of a bit of the by now sticky chocolate and put it in her mouth, chewing slowly as she frowned at the floor. Almost immediately her tiredness started to drain away and the blurriness cleared from her vision as the healing powers of chocolate set in. She leant back against her pillows, lost in thought. If she'd been asleep since Friday, that meant it was…Monday today. Well, at least she'd miss double potions.
"Drink this" Madam Pomfrey ordered Ginny, handing her cup of green potion once she had finished the chocolate. "It'll help you get back on your feet faster, although it may send you back to sleep a couple of times during the day. And sit up straight, otherwise you'll choke"
Ginny looked at it apprehensively as she held it in her hand, but as Madam Pomfrey was standing there waiting for her to drink, she downed it in one, screwing up her face in disgust as the bitter liquid hit her tongue.
"Blegh!" she said, gratefully taking the glass of water Madam Pomfrey gave her and taking five successive gulps.
"I don't know what you expected. It's medicine, not a strawberry milkshake," Madam Pomfrey said with a sigh, placing the top back on the beaker and taking it away, along with the empty cup. "Really…"
Ginny ignored her as her voice faded away down towards her office, instead taking another sip of water from the glass.
'The aftertaste's even worse than the potion', she thought, placing the glass on the bedside table. 'Silly hospital wing. How I ended up in here again…'
Actually, that was a question she needed answered. How had she ended up unconscious in the hospital wing? Ginny put her fingers to her temples, trying to remember the events that had lead up to her collapsing. She had been in the library with Thom, doing homework…then she'd said she needed to go…she'd left, and then…
Ginny sighed. After that, everything started to get hazy. She had a vague feeling that she'd been having trouble with a headache, but apart from that, everything was just a massive blur of colour. She leant back on her pillows again, staring at the ceiling. She had to try and remember…she had an indistinct feeling that it was important…
"Ginny! You're awake!"
Ron practically ran down the hall towards her bed, his bag flying behind him. He was closely followed by Hermione and Harry, although their pace was slightly slower.
"Uh, hi Ron," Ginny answered, slightly bewildered at his worried tone. "Nice to see you again"
"We've been worried about you Gin," he replied, sitting down on the chair next to her bed. "You collapsed for goodness sake! Did you think we wouldn't care or something?"
Ginny shrugged, her expression nonchalant. "C'mon Ron, I'm fine, really. It's not that serious"
"Not that serious?" Hermione said, sitting on the end of her bed. "You've been unconscious for three days Ginny; in my book that's pretty serious"
Hermione's tone was concerned and Ginny felt a rush of warmth for the girl. She shrugged again.
"I wasn't really unconscious…just deeply asleep is more like it"
Hermione gave her a disapproving look. "Well, you'd better stay in bed for at least another day, you hear me?"
"Who died and made you the resident healer?" Ginny asked, a grin playing across her tired face. She could see a smile tugging at the corner of Hermione's mouth, and she felt satisfied that making a worried Hermione Granger smile had been her good deed for the day.
"Oh, that reminds me," Hermione said suddenly, opening her bag and digging around in it. "Your friend Sope or Sofa –"
"Sophie"
"Right, Sophie, well; she gave me some of the homework you missed on Friday and today, as well as your books, so you can do a bit of catching up" Hermione finished, her expression pleased.
"Oh…," Ginny answered, eyeing the pile of parchment and large volumes of books she had dumped on the bed with a look of apprehension. "Thanks. Well, as long as it doesn't give me another headache –"
"Headache?" Harry interrupted suddenly, his tone serious.
"How many?" Hermione asked, her expression matching Harry's tone of voice. Ginny looked up at them both, bewildered.
"I – I've had a couple recently. Just one from my hangover" (A disapproving look from Ron) "and one on Friday, I think, when I was in the library. Why?"
Ron, Hermione and Harry exchanged dark looks.
"Nothing – we're just worried, that's all," Hermione replied, her gaze still on Ron, who was staring darkly at the bedcovers. Attempting a smile to cover up the awkward silence as Ginny gave them all a questioning stare, she said, "We don't want to you to get ill again"
'Oh really' Ginny thought to herself, crossing her arms defensively and nestling further down into her pillows. 'More like you're just hiding something from me'.
"Thanks for the homework anyway," she replied instead. "I'll do some when you've gone"
As if realising that the visit had come to a rather uncomfortable end, Hermione stood, 'subtly' indicating for Ron and Harry to do the same. "Well, um…get better soon" she said before practically running out of the room under Ginny's heated stare, Ron and Harry following close behind. She had a pretty god idea of where they were all going.
"Maybe they should just move into that blasted library instead of taking the time to run backwards and forwards from there permanently," she muttered to herself, leaning forwards and bringing the pile of homework closer to her. "History of Magic…Astronomy…Potions…DADA…Oh bloody hell, not more Potions…"
Opening her dog-eared copy of 'One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi', she began to do her potions homework.
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Ginny was woken once again by somebody pressing her hand to their lips. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw Thom sitting in the chair by her bed. His eyes were closed and a worried expression adorned his face. She could feel her heart flutter the way it had wanted to do in days, and, feeling utterly hopeless at beating it, she gave in for once. She smiled, trying to sit up. Her movement alerted Thom to the fact that she was awake, and his eyes flew open.
"Ginny…," he breathed, his eyes lighting up, and she wondered briefly what she would do when she once more had to distance herself.
"Hey Thom," she replied, now fully sitting up again and leaning on her pillows. Her half finished potions homework had been placed neatly on the end of her bed, she noticed, probably by Thom. "How long've you been here?"
She yawned, the feeling of lethargy still wearing off. Thom edged the chair closer to her and leant on the bed, lightly grasping her hand.
"About ten minutes," he replied, a worried smile playing across his lips. "Madam Pomfrey told me not to wake you"
"Not to wake me? I've been asleep for three days already; I doubt being woken from a nap is going to have dire consequences for my wellbeing"
Thom laughed a little, his smile widening into a grin. "Even in the hospital wing Ginny Weasley can still crack jokes"
"I'd hardly call it a joke; more like a way from stopping myself going crazy. I'm not used to being stuck in a bed all day," she replied, casting a helpless gaze around the room. "I'm getting thoroughly bored"
"Well, I'll have to make sure you no longer feel that way," Thom answered, kissing her hand. "I'll entertain you!"
"What a bore" a familiar voice said, breaking into the little bubble surrounding Ginny and Thom. Draco had stopped short of the foot of Ginny's bed, his face uncharacteristically hidden by his silvery hair. His eyes were grey slits, staring at them both maliciously. Ginny froze, her cheerful expression disappearing. She looked back at him with an unreadable expression, completely still.
"Get out of here Malfoy" Thom said defensively, his face angry.
Draco stayed silent for a moment, before saying, his tone impassive, "See you around Ginny".
He was still looking at Ginny, and fleetingly it was as if something had passed between them; but then it was gone, and he turned on his heel and headed for the door. When he had vanished through it, Ginny let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, and turned back to Thom. But the moment had been destroyed and now Ginny had unconsciously put up all her barriers again. She was once again unreadable.
'Poor Thom,' she thought fleetingly. 'He doesn't have a clue'
"What the hell was he doing here?" Thom asked, breaking through her reverie with his words. "It's not like he needed anything"
"Hmm…," Ginny replied, not really listening. She had been thinking the same thing. If Draco had come all the way up here from the Slytherin common room – which was in the dungeons – why had he just gone straight back out again when he saw her and Thom? Unless…unless…
"Well," Thom said, getting up and slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I have to go – I've got potions next and, well, you know what Snape's like…"
"Sure, sure," Ginny replied, tearing herself from her thoughts and looking up at Thom. She gave him a half-hearted smile and briefly squeezed his hand. "You go on; I'm not keeping you"
"Oh, okay" Thom said, his tone slightly dejected.
'Oops,' Ginny thought. 'I could've worded that better'
"See you," she replied instead, letting go of Thom's hand and half-smiling up at him. He smiled back, albeit a little disconcertedly, before turning and leaving through the door. Ginny sighed, slumping back on her pillows. She didn't know what was going on – Thom, Draco, Thom, Draco, Thom, Draco…both names kept swirling around in her head.
'But why?' she asked herself, confused. 'Why are they both swirling around in your head?'
She fell asleep contemplating the answer.
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…"Choices are very important child," Professor Trelawney was saying, her overly large shawl flapping in the fierce wind as they sat in the middle of the forest clearing. "They shape the future…they shape it into what it will be, and what you will become because of it"
"But what if I don't know what to choose?" Ginny asked, sitting on the grassy floor with her legs crossed.
"Questions, child, questions…they help you to decide!" Trelawney cried, and her shadow lengthened across the floor as the sun rose higher in the sky.
The scene changed around her, colours spinning in an immense blur until they settled and bled into a landscape. It was a murky view of rolling hills, each bleached grey by the blanket of cloud overhead.
"It lies out there you know," Ellia said behind her. She stepped forwards and placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder. "It may look bleak and grey, but the sun will one day shine here again"
"I know," she replied, watching the wind rustle the leaves in the trees. Ellia's hair was glinting blonde even in the dull half-light, and her eyes twinkled, their bright blue depths shining with wisdom. "I still have some hope"
They stayed silent for a few moments, before Ellia spoke again. "He will not harm you here" she said. "It isn't safe. Too many people protect this place, even though it is no longer as clear as it once was. You are safe here child"
"I know" she replied again, and the scene faded from view…
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A/N Okay, how was that? I'm not putting too many samey things in here am I? Too be honest I'm actually quite worried about how people will react to this one. I was thinking that maybe everyone will hate it. Well, maybe that's a bit extreme – anyways…
Lady Jade – Thanks for the 'endearing' term, lol! Yeah, I just had to leave it at a cliffy! I've never done one before, so it was my first try. And yes, I totally agree with the whole unrealism of two people who hate each other suddenly falling madly in love. And I apologise for the lack of D/G action! Thanks for your review.
cashew – Wow, you left a review like literally five minutes after I put the chapter up! And I'm glad that I stopped your household from becoming a grumpy war zone, I so know what you mean. I am not a morning person, lol! Oh, and yes, even though I changed my summary (again) I would mucho appreciate it if you gave me your version – it's most likely a lot better! Hmm, I've never left a cliffhanger before – it's nice to know I do it so well! Everyone's been saying I'm evil *sniffle sniffle* because I left you all with an evil cliffhanger. And yes, who is after Ginny, only I know the answer he he he – wait, I'm not even sure if I do, lol! Oh, and another thing – the sk8ers I know actually own skateboards! Dun dun dun! And yeah, they're pretty popular – but then again we all hang out as one group. During lunch break there are usually about 50 of us spread out on our part of the grass – quite a few. And I enjoyed reading about your school politics too. It was interesting. Laters, and thanks for reviewing (again!)
tay – okay, your reviews have taken up like a page and a half. Yeah, classic Ginny-is-left-out-she-gets-no-attention story, but I like it. And I got the Tarot reading from my own deck, and I have this little book that goes with it. I try not to use the book too much, but it comes in handy, lol! Hmm, Mortly is kind of an offence to the human race isn't he…And there was no way I was going to having Ginny even think about his looks yet. She knows he's good looking – it's common knowledge. And I think I explained Guy Fawkes Day/November Fifth/Fireworks Night somewhere in one of my authors notes. And thanks for the enthusiasm on the whole D/G action thing, lol! And can I say one thing – OMG you have SO MANY HOLIDAYS! We have like five or something – I can't remember. Anyways, I will never sue somebody who leaves me loads of review, lol! I'm glad you like Amy too, as she's kind of kewl, huh? Anyways, thanks for the many reviews, lol!