Xenith
Chapter Forty-five
"Does everyone understand what they are supposed to be doing?" Timothy Jameson addressed his team in a husky whisper. The four wizards and single witch nodded their understanding. "The apperation point is set for a forest we believe to be just outside of Malfoy Manor. and, remember people, this is a rescue operation, I don't want anyone else caught and if we can get out of there without any loss of life, that would, obviously, be ideal." Timothy's eyes lingered momentairly on each member of his team, there was no way they were all going to make it. "I'll see you all back here in two hours," and he dispaerated.
"Ready?" Bill asked Palmer Thomas, hiding the nerves he felt running through his stomach. Palmer nodded.
In an instant they were gone, apperating moments later behind a wall of shrubbery. Bill spared a moment's glance at Palmer before darting towards Malfoy Manor.
Bill halted when he reached the edge of the wood, drinking in the great Manor towering over them. The structure was massive, castlesk in its enormity, with centuries old trees scattering the lawns pouring from the Manor.
During their *debriefing* they had been told that the lawns and Manor in general would be rigged with curses and traps. And crossing a completely open, unquestionably rigged, owned by the Malfoy's, expanse was possibly the most idiotic thing that any wizard, no matter how skilled, could possibly do.
Bill took a deep breath . . . and ran . . .
--
"Very good, Miss Weasley," Professor Figg said, scratching Ginny's grade onto a large scroll of parchment. "Full marks, send n the next person please." Ginny nodded, exited the Defense classroom, and nodded for the next student to go in.
It was her last exam of the year and she had received full marks on every exam. Perfect. //That's better than Percy, even.// She thought to herself as she made her way back to Gryffindor Tower.
"Gin," Hermione said, ambushing her the moment she entered the Common Room. "You have to go talk to Harry!"
"Why, what's happened? Is he all right?" Ginny said, striding over to the stairwell to the boys dorms, all thoughts of her exams dissaperaring from her thoughts.
"I don't know, I don't think so. He's barricaded himself in his dormitory and won't let me in or talk to anyone."
When Ginny reached the boys dormitory she found all of the 5th year boys, some of the upperclassmen, and the majority of the Gryffindor Quidditch team waiting outside the door. Ginny pushed her way to the door, the crowd around her going quiet.
"Harry?" Ginny said softly, knocking lightly on the door. "Harry, it's me, let me in," she lifted the latch, the door swinging open before her. the students behind her standing on their toes to try and get a glimpse into the shadow filled room. Ginny shut the door behind her, casting a silencing charm on the entrance.
"Harry?" She asked, squinting in the dark, taking several tentative steps forward. She heard a groan from the corner bed, the wood creaking as Harry rolled onto his side in the fetal position, his back to Ginny. her eyes adjusted as she picked her way through the piles of mess covering the floor. She perched lightly on the end of Harry's bed, gazing sadly at Harry's back. "What happened?" She said soothingly, wanting to reach out to him but holding herself back.
He didn't reply.
"Why'd you let me in?"
He shrugged, hugging himself closer.
"Harry . . ."
"I wanted you here," she heard him murmured into his crimson comforter. She felt herself smile despite the gravity of the situation. Ginny moved closer to him, her hand finding a place on his back.
"Talk to me."
"I don't know---"" Harry cut off, his breathing ragged. "I don't know---I---I can't go back there this summer, Gin, I just can't."
"What do you want?" His muscles were tense beneath the *comforter*.
He was quite, shivering.
"Tell me."
"A home."
"You'll always have a home with me, Harry," Harry rolled over, a shoulder peeking out from under the blanket. He wasn't wearing is glasses and his eyes shone with desperation. "With my family."
"I can't come this summer, though, Dumbledore said. It isn't safe."
"I know," her fingers trailed to his bare shoulder. She could just make out a large blue and purple bruise sneaking out from beneath the blanket. "Merlin . . ." Ginny breathed, pulling the blanket back, revealing more of his chest, more of his bruises. "What happened, Harry?" She demanded.
"Training," Harry said simply, not wanting to hide anything from her anymore, his emerald orbs falling to her fingers, a *stark* white against his growing tan and dark, sickly, bruises.
"You're too hard on yourself," She said, pulling the blanket back further, revealing more bruises, more scrapes, scabs, and scars. Harry shivered, goose bumps running rampant over his skin. Ginny moved closer to him. "You're not responsible for everything, Harry."
"Yeah, just the entire wizarding world."
"No," Ginny said sternly. "Just yourself." She slid her arm around his back, lying down alongside him. "Your problem is that you care too much about humanity," she forced a quiet laugh.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that the fate of the wizarding world doesn't rest wholly on your shoulders---"
"But it does!"
"I know that, Harry, but you can only do the best you can. But make sure you remember that I'll always fight at your side." Harry turned to look straight into her chocolate eyes, knowing, in all truth, that she would. "Always."
"Harry could feel his blood pounding in his ears, his heart *smashing* a tattoo against his ribcage. Ginny's delicate fingers caressed his cheek, feeling sharp bristles beneath her fingertips.
Harry slowly closed the distance between them, catching her mouth careful with his own.
---
tbc
Chapter Forty-five
"Does everyone understand what they are supposed to be doing?" Timothy Jameson addressed his team in a husky whisper. The four wizards and single witch nodded their understanding. "The apperation point is set for a forest we believe to be just outside of Malfoy Manor. and, remember people, this is a rescue operation, I don't want anyone else caught and if we can get out of there without any loss of life, that would, obviously, be ideal." Timothy's eyes lingered momentairly on each member of his team, there was no way they were all going to make it. "I'll see you all back here in two hours," and he dispaerated.
"Ready?" Bill asked Palmer Thomas, hiding the nerves he felt running through his stomach. Palmer nodded.
In an instant they were gone, apperating moments later behind a wall of shrubbery. Bill spared a moment's glance at Palmer before darting towards Malfoy Manor.
Bill halted when he reached the edge of the wood, drinking in the great Manor towering over them. The structure was massive, castlesk in its enormity, with centuries old trees scattering the lawns pouring from the Manor.
During their *debriefing* they had been told that the lawns and Manor in general would be rigged with curses and traps. And crossing a completely open, unquestionably rigged, owned by the Malfoy's, expanse was possibly the most idiotic thing that any wizard, no matter how skilled, could possibly do.
Bill took a deep breath . . . and ran . . .
--
"Very good, Miss Weasley," Professor Figg said, scratching Ginny's grade onto a large scroll of parchment. "Full marks, send n the next person please." Ginny nodded, exited the Defense classroom, and nodded for the next student to go in.
It was her last exam of the year and she had received full marks on every exam. Perfect. //That's better than Percy, even.// She thought to herself as she made her way back to Gryffindor Tower.
"Gin," Hermione said, ambushing her the moment she entered the Common Room. "You have to go talk to Harry!"
"Why, what's happened? Is he all right?" Ginny said, striding over to the stairwell to the boys dorms, all thoughts of her exams dissaperaring from her thoughts.
"I don't know, I don't think so. He's barricaded himself in his dormitory and won't let me in or talk to anyone."
When Ginny reached the boys dormitory she found all of the 5th year boys, some of the upperclassmen, and the majority of the Gryffindor Quidditch team waiting outside the door. Ginny pushed her way to the door, the crowd around her going quiet.
"Harry?" Ginny said softly, knocking lightly on the door. "Harry, it's me, let me in," she lifted the latch, the door swinging open before her. the students behind her standing on their toes to try and get a glimpse into the shadow filled room. Ginny shut the door behind her, casting a silencing charm on the entrance.
"Harry?" She asked, squinting in the dark, taking several tentative steps forward. She heard a groan from the corner bed, the wood creaking as Harry rolled onto his side in the fetal position, his back to Ginny. her eyes adjusted as she picked her way through the piles of mess covering the floor. She perched lightly on the end of Harry's bed, gazing sadly at Harry's back. "What happened?" She said soothingly, wanting to reach out to him but holding herself back.
He didn't reply.
"Why'd you let me in?"
He shrugged, hugging himself closer.
"Harry . . ."
"I wanted you here," she heard him murmured into his crimson comforter. She felt herself smile despite the gravity of the situation. Ginny moved closer to him, her hand finding a place on his back.
"Talk to me."
"I don't know---"" Harry cut off, his breathing ragged. "I don't know---I---I can't go back there this summer, Gin, I just can't."
"What do you want?" His muscles were tense beneath the *comforter*.
He was quite, shivering.
"Tell me."
"A home."
"You'll always have a home with me, Harry," Harry rolled over, a shoulder peeking out from under the blanket. He wasn't wearing is glasses and his eyes shone with desperation. "With my family."
"I can't come this summer, though, Dumbledore said. It isn't safe."
"I know," her fingers trailed to his bare shoulder. She could just make out a large blue and purple bruise sneaking out from beneath the blanket. "Merlin . . ." Ginny breathed, pulling the blanket back, revealing more of his chest, more of his bruises. "What happened, Harry?" She demanded.
"Training," Harry said simply, not wanting to hide anything from her anymore, his emerald orbs falling to her fingers, a *stark* white against his growing tan and dark, sickly, bruises.
"You're too hard on yourself," She said, pulling the blanket back further, revealing more bruises, more scrapes, scabs, and scars. Harry shivered, goose bumps running rampant over his skin. Ginny moved closer to him. "You're not responsible for everything, Harry."
"Yeah, just the entire wizarding world."
"No," Ginny said sternly. "Just yourself." She slid her arm around his back, lying down alongside him. "Your problem is that you care too much about humanity," she forced a quiet laugh.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that the fate of the wizarding world doesn't rest wholly on your shoulders---"
"But it does!"
"I know that, Harry, but you can only do the best you can. But make sure you remember that I'll always fight at your side." Harry turned to look straight into her chocolate eyes, knowing, in all truth, that she would. "Always."
"Harry could feel his blood pounding in his ears, his heart *smashing* a tattoo against his ribcage. Ginny's delicate fingers caressed his cheek, feeling sharp bristles beneath her fingertips.
Harry slowly closed the distance between them, catching her mouth careful with his own.
---
tbc