Chapter 1. Ginny Weasley.

Ginny sat in the corner allowing the pain and sorrow she felt to flow through her. No matter how many times She went to men for comfort, she never found it. She felt the hot tears burning her cheeks and she tightened up into a small ball, pulling her legs to chest and burying her face between her knees. The silent sobs that wracked her body only tormented her wretchedness.

She knew there was no cure for this heartbreak. She silently promised herself it was the last one she would ever experience.

Ever.

Then as the sixth year Ginny left her body to it's pain, she couldn't hear the portrait hole swing open. She wouldn't have been able to hear it anyways, the portrait always swung silently. Exactly like the blow that had come tonight. She and Dean had finally gotten back together after Ginny forgave him for his little "Lavender incident". Ginny now realized she only set herself up for a deeper, more wrenching heartbreak.

On walking back to Gryffindor Tower Ginny had heard something break in a nearby classroom and she passed by. Ever curious she walked over to the door and pressed her ear against it. The noises were muffled because a very poor silencing spell had been placed on it. Ginny's brow furrowed and she reached for the knob. It was locked, but nothing a quick "Alohamora" couldn't undo. Recalling the scene that the silent swinging of the door revealed burned a hole through Ginny's ever so tender heart.

Parvati Patil (with no shirt) and Dean (the same) violently knocking each other around in the abandoned classroom. Ginny wailed in pain and a fresh cascade of tears flowed forth from her puffy brown eyes.

Dean watched Ginny's sorrow from the entrance of the portrait hole, unable to shake off the immense feeling of guilt and dread. He knew he had only a mater of hours to live before he had every Weasley brother hunting him down for his neck. Why did he have to love the cascading deep red hair and the soft brown eyes? He forced his legs to move one by one across the Gryffindor common room to her trembling frame.

He reached out a hand to place on her shivering shoulder . . ..

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Ron flew up so fast from his deep slumber that he startled Harry.

"Ginny!" He yelled, it echoed through the darkness in the seventh year boy's dormitory room.

"Ron?" Harry asked warily as he watched his friend jump from his bed and grab his robe to throw over his maroon nightclothes. "What's going on?"

Ron's blue eyes blazed with an internal flame, he said only one word.

"Ginny."

Harry's utter confusion did not hinder him from also jumping up and throwing on his robes. The boys flew out he door and down the many stairs to the common room, leaving behind them very confused Neville and Seamus. Their feet slammed down hard onto each step, making enough racket to wake the dead.

Smaller boys heads popped out from their doors to see what was going on. Harry quickly yelled at the gathering masses to return to their beds as he blindly followed Ron. Amazingly they obeyed, very wise after the recent Hogwarts student attacks. Hey all knew that if Harry Potter was running somewhere with all that noise, You-Know-Who could very well be involved.

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"I don't want to hear it!" Ginny was no longer crying from sadness, but now the tears came pouring from the hot anger in her gut. "You get away from me Dean Thomas!" Then her large brown eyes grew round as she noticed what had burst from the boy's dormitory stairs.

Dean noticed the change in her countenance and turned to see large knuckles slam into his skull and then, black . . . nothing . . .

Ron stood there his back arched and his arms poised at his side daring the unconscious Dean to get up and fight. Ginny's hands drew up her mouth to hide her silent gasp.

"Ron . . ." she breathed. Her brother stood there useless as she began to faint away. Ron only registered what she was doing when a black blur rushed past him and grabbed Ginny to keep her steady. Harry Potter held Ginny Weasley in his arms and she gripped onto him for support. Her breath was coming in ragged gulps. A little wail escaped her lips and the tears came back, Ginny buried her face into the strong shoulder filling her vision and sobbed. Ron sunk to his knees and let his arms dangle by his side, limp and seemingly lifeless,

Thus was the scene Head Girl Hermione Granger walked into.

She took it all in and rushed over to Ron. She dropped to her knees in front of him and looked into his blank blue eyes.

"Ron." She breathed. "Is he . . . . ?"

Ron's eyes were suddenly alert and ready taking in the vision of beauty before him and then moving to he heap of boy on the floor next to him.

"I- I don't know . . ." he tried to push over the lump in his throat.

Hermione nodded and turned to Dean, "Ennervate!' she commanded to the lifeless from who stirred from the moment with breath.

All the breath rushed out of Ron as he realized he had almost killed someone over his little sister. His pale face turned to Hermione's equally pale one and she unceremoniously threw her arms around Ron's neck. He held her there and felt her body breathing living.

He opened his eyes and through Hermione's hair he caught a glimpse of Harry and Ginny. Both seemingly caught between that moment of realization and ignorance of one's feelings.

He smiled and squeezed his eyes shut. Maybe the night wasn't so bad.

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