Goodnight
By Cassandra Sisenta
A/N: New chappie! Finally finished this! Two more chapters to go, then this is done!! ^_^
Disclaimer: HP not mine!!
It was night, dark and ominous as the shadows danced against the warm, red walls of the Gryffindor Common Room. It was empty as it usually was when the clock struck midnight and not a single thing stirred. The place was quiet, not a sound could have been heard, save the crackling fire that still burned even if the room was left alone.
Everyone was asleep since the day that passed had been a terribly tiring one. The teachers weren't relenting on their workload and everyone had been so busy making ends meet. It must be because the Christmas holidays were coming, as well as the much-anticipated Christmas break.
The room looked undeniably cozy even against the darkness of the night.
No one would have thought that anyone would want to leave this place for the dark corridors beyond these walls.
The door to the girls' dormitories opened with a small creak and moments later, it was closed as if someone passed through it though no one was there.
Silence continued to reign on the fire-lit Common Room until a deep, masculine voice split broke through the lack of sound.
"Where are you going?"
A tall, red-haired figure rose from the high-backed chair in front of the fire. He turned around to look at the Common Room that was still empty, still silent. The fire shadowed the hard contours of his face, revealing the severe, serious expression on his face.
"I know you're there, Ginny. Take off Harry's Invisibility Cloak."
Nothing happened.
Nothing stirred.
"I can stand here all night and you know it." He said, his voice not losing its firmness and patience.
There was another pause, but unlike before something changed within the seemingly cheery room.
At a far corner, a deep red head of flowing red hair appeared followed by a pale pink face of a girl. Her eyes were large and shining with indescribable emotion as the she peeled away the Invisibility Cloak that covered her from head to toe.
She stared steadily at her brother, looking as if she was challenging him. She didn't speak. It didn't seem that she needed to when her brother suddenly filled the room with sound.
"Where have you been going every night for the past month, Gin?"
She seemed unconcerned and was totally unmoving as she answered, in a calm and leveled voice.
"What I do is none of your business Ron."
Another pregnant pause.
The same stillness seemed to have taken over Ron as he looked at his sister steadily. It was an alert, controlled stillness that could have been frightening given the circumstances. His stillness and silence could mean anything and it was certainly dangerous when a Weasley was quiet. The signs could be seen in the way a muscle in his cheek had tightened and the hard way with which his hands were clenched at his sides.
It took some time before another sound broke the silence within the empty Common Room.
"Who is he?" It came in a tight whisper.
Ginny remained unresponsive and passive.
Ron had never seen his sister like this. She was always so filled with light and energy. Always with a smile for anyone who cared to see it. Always so cheerful. Who was this person standing before him?
She was so cold.
So unfeeling.
"What has he done to you, Ginny."
It wasn't a question.
Something shifted in the hard brown eyes of the younger Weasley and they turned into melted chocolate.
Comforting.
Loving.
The old Ginny everyone knew.
"Nothing you ever could, dear brother."
Her words held no malice, only an innocent explanation. She was trying so hard to make him see something he couldn't be able to grasp and this she knew. And yet she tried.
Her efforts were met with hot and unbridled emotion.
Yes, he would never understand.
"Why are you doing this?"
Calm, serene, warm, her expression.
"He needs me, Ron."
"You're too good for him."
"How would you know?" She asked in a quite whisper. "You're not him."
"He will hurt you, Gin."
"I know, but I don't care anymore."
"He's made you forget your responsibilities."
"As well as everything else that didn't really matter."
"He's relinquished you into nothing!"
"He made me into something."
Desperate men say desperate words.
"I'll tell Mum and Dad."
And for a moment, there was the usual fire in her eyes.
It burned furiously within the depths of her as if shooting forth from inside and all she needed to do was set it free. She just needed to yell, scream, curse, condemn.
Ron deserved it!
He never cared for her!
But it didn't come.
Soon enough the fire was once again quelled.
Ron didn't need her fire.
He already had too much.
"You do what you want then."
And with that she turned away from him, away from everything else that was familiar and dear to her.
"Ginny, you can't do this."
There was only HIM now.
"Ginny come back here this instant!"
Just him.
"What has Malfoy done to you, Ginny?"
And she has embraced the knife.
"Goodnight, Ron."