*
Chapter Six
*
A/N: Whew! This took me a lot longer to get out than I thought it would. Really, I haven't updated in ages! I had to take some time to get everything sorted out, you know, fine tune it and make sure everything's in here. Then there was vacation, and everything else that popped up just pushed production back even further. And this story is going to have so many chapters...(29 at the least-I just planned most of it out), well, it's just a miracle I can remember the general plot. If any of you have questions pertaining to my stories, or me, please email me at Snowman1400@hotmail.com. Lots of comments have been made about how my story isn't exactly "in canon," but I think that as you continue to read, you'll realize that you all judged it too soon. I think you should all take a closer look and read between the lines, take in the implications, that sort of thing. C'mon now, you all know that JK Rowling has one or two extra twists to the plotline that she hasn't revealed yet, so who's to say that my story isn't fitting? All I can say is that this story is my "baby," and the one I plan to make my best. Everybody has one story that they want to be perfect, and for right now, this is mine. I'm in love with it! Okay, so you're all probably bored to death with reading my long author's notes, so I'll leave it at this and add a short one on to the bottom, all right? So, after much procrastination, here is Chapter Six.
*
Chapter Six
~
Emotional Suicide: Forgoing Happiness for the Common Good
~
Ginny sat in the highest branch of the tallest tree inside the parameters of the Weasleys' property. A slight breeze floated through the newly greened leaves, whispering secrets and answers to the confused young woman. The sun was setting just beyond the horizon, casting a comforting pinkish- orange glow throughout the town. Families were sitting down to dinner, and fathers were returning home from work.
She could hear the children calling to each other from the deserted lot not far from her house, and could hear their mothers shouting for them to come inside before they caught pneumonia. Whatever that was.
Her mind slowly drifted from one subject to another, carefully touching on each one before moving on to the next. She thought of how this would be her last summer here. The Burrow would no longer be her home, no matter how much she wanted it to be. Ginny would be an adult, and expected to get a house of her own. She would always visit the place where she grew up, but it would never be the same after she graduated. She thought of how her brother, Ron, had already graduated, but still proudly called the Burrow his home. Well, he always had been a bit on the childish side. But no matter how often her mother nagged him to get his own flat, Ginny knew that it wouldn't be long before she was the only Weasley child left here. She thought of how the small stream near the woods ran uphill, and marveled in the wonder of it all. She thought of how the birds flew in their seamless formations, heading for the next pond or lake. But most of all she thought of her life. Well, the two of them. The life she was destined to lead, and the life she could have had.
If she could have it her way, Ginny would graduate Hogwarts next year with honors, and quickly join the team at the Daily Prophet as a special reporter (one that went to various different countries to get first-hand reports). Rita Skeeter had put in a good word for her when she convinced Hermione to release her last year. Ginny wanted to be independent for the beginning of her adult life; she needed to be self-sufficient long enough to find out who she really was. Living with six brothers often stifled your creativity; unless you count the numerous times she had brainstormed pranks and evil schemes with Fred and George. She wanted to travel the world and meet strange and intriguing new people.
But she was stuck with a different life, one that was practically chosen for her. She would never have the chance to go around the globe, and she would never be able to have such a time-consuming career. Ginny would be forced to take a job behind a desk that had regular hours so she could take care of her child.
Her child.
The child that would consume her everyday life. The child that would change everything. The child that could possibly hold the key to Harry's triumph over Lord Voldemort.
Some things were more important than childhood ambitions or long-time goals.
By now the sun had completely gone from the sky, and tiny stars were starting to peek out from behind the thin layer of evening clouds. The world was darkening, and she could feel the temperature drop with every passing minute. The crickets started to come out and play their nighttime serenade, and the tall reeds rubbed against each other in the strengthening winds.
"Ginny?"
Her head snapped at the sound of her name, and she strained her ears to listen for the intruder. Who was looking for her?
"Ginny?"
There it was again. The new voice most definitely belonged to her brother, Ron. What if he found her here? Ginny couldn't risk him finding her secret hiding-place, so she began to scramble quickly down the tall tree. Branches scraped against her bruised legs, leaving sticky sap lines along her calves. Twigs pulled through her messy hair, making it even more unsightly.
Finally, she felt the footholds fall away beneath her, signaling the end of her descent. Her bare feet hit the wet grass in one swift movement, and she took a moment to shake off the small pain in her soles. Hastily, she darted away from the base of her secret tree, making for the field where her brother undoubtedly was.
"GINNY!" she heard him yell, hands cupped around his mouth to amplify his voice, "WHERE THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU?"
She rolled her eyes and started towards the man.
"I'm right here you prat," she smirked, emerging from the woods. His head turned to face his younger sister, and she could see the look of distress fade from his face.
"Mum says it's time for dinner," he shot back, "and I'm NOT a prat."
Ginny bit her lip to hold back a smile after saying, "Is that so? Then would you mind explaining to me why you still live at home?"
"I've already made that perfectly clear, and mum will wring your neck if supper gets cold before you get back."
She sighed and then started to walk past him while whispering under her breath, "Prat."
Ron didn't seem to hear her, however, and after she was halfway across the small field he yelled after her, "Oi, Ginny! Why aren't you wearing any shoes?"
~
The Next Morning
~
Ginny rolled over peacefully, savoring the last few moments of rest. Her dark-red hair fanned out around her head, making her pillow look as if it had caught fire. Her freckles stood out against her creamy, morning-pale skin, and she licked her lips quickly to rid them of their chapped roughness.
Sunlight poured in from the single window, brightening up her tiny bedroom. It reflected off the multiple picture frames, shining beams of light onto the wall. If she had been looking, Ginny would have seen the black-and- white versions of her friends shielding their eyes from the vibrant sunrise.
Slowly, she stretched her arms to the side, trying to shake off the grogginess. She loved the morning, and declared each day wasted if she missed the first few hours of light. Sliding the covers off her petite frame, Ginny sat up in one motion and soon felt the soft, fuzzy texture of her carpet. It crept up in between her toes, tickling and massaging her feet at the same time.
She stood up and used her muscles for the first time that day, loving the feeling of the sleep melting off her body. Her hand flew out to grab her bathrobe, and she momentarily found herself hopping down the stairs for breakfast.
The many flights of stairs flew by underneath her bare feet, which could be found without shoes or slippers for most of the summer. After a few short seconds, the carpet underneath her turned to worn wood, and Ginny rounded the last corner to find herself in the abnormally quiet kitchen.
"Ah, good morning, dear," her mother said sweetly, spinning around to face her only daughter.
"Morning, mum," Ginny replied, sliding into one of the old chairs beside the table.
Mrs. Weasley presently grabbed two frying pans full of food and proceeded to pile mounds of breakfast goods atop her youngest child's plate.
"Mum, just because Fred and George aren't here anymore doesn't mean you have to give me all the food they would have eaten as well," she mumbled, staring intently at the heap of bacon before her.
But her mother just shrugged it off and went to grab a jug of juice for her daughter while humming to herself.
"Did you have a nice sleep?" the woman asked as she poured Ginny a glass to drink.
"Mmh hmm," came the reply from her chewing mouth.
"Something smells good," another voice called from the stairway, and she looked up to see Ron standing in a pair of too-small pajama pants and a too- large pajama shirt.
"Well good morning to you, too," Molly called, shoving the remainder of the foodstuff onto her son's plate.
Never one to complain of "too much food," Ron started to dig in.
"So what are you two planning on doing this summer?" Mrs. Weasley said airily in an attempt to make conversation. She continued to clean the breakfast utensils as she waited for an answer.
Ginny only shrugged and said, "Dunno."
"What about you, Ron?"
Her brother swallowed his massive mouthful of meat and replied, "I was thinking of going to visit Harry later this week, but that's about it."
Ginny felt her expression tighten as she listened to her family members talk.
"He's found a place to live, then?" Molly called from the sink.
"Erm, yeah. Over near muggle London."
Mrs. Weasley spun around to look her son in the eye and said, "Why is it, Ronald Weasley, that your friends, your siblings, and everyone else your age has managed to find their own flat, and yet you still insist on staying here?"
"Mum, I've asked you to stop pestering me a million times! I'll find an apartment soon enough!"
"I don't think it WILL be soon enough..." her mother trailed off.
"You two cannot possibly be having this argument AGAIN?" Ginny mused, glancing up from her meal.
Molly looked at her son disdainfully before changing the subject.
"So, you said you're going to visit Harry? How is he these days?"
Once again, Ginny felt her gaze fall from the two of them while she tried her best to look uninterested. But she couldn't help keeping her ears trained intently on the conversation.
"Oh, you know, Auror Training's gotten him pretty tired out. He hasn't got much time for anything else."
"Hmm," Mrs. Weasley furrowed her brow, "That's no good. Boys his age shouldn't be worked that hard."
"Being a dark-wizard catcher is a rough job, mum," Ron supplied before stuffing an entire piece of toast into his abnormally large mouth.
"Even so," Molly said in a distressed voice, "What day did you say you were going over there?"
Ron gave her a shrug before saying through a load of sausage, "Probably Thursday, if I get the chance."
Mrs. Weasley thought for a moment before saying, "I suppose I'll make you a few minced-meat pies to bring over for him, the poor dear."
Ron rolled his eyes dramatically before jamming another egg down his throat.
"Don't chew with your mouth open, you great prat," Ginny scolded her brother as she pushed her chair out and stood up. Her back was to the table before Ron got a chance to shout through a mouthful of his breakfast, (while managing to spray it all over the kitchen), "I AM NOT A PRAT!"
Ginny let out an exasperated breath and stomped up the stairs, not sure what caused her sudden foul mood. Perhaps it was all that talk of Harry over breakfast...who was she kidding? Of COURSE it was all that talk of Harry over breakfast.
She soon found herself opening the bathroom door, and Ginny dropped her robe on the tile floor before reaching to the dial on the shower wall. She turned it to "CW" for Comfortably Warm, and then stripped off all of her pajamas. Gathering them up in a small bundle, Ginny shoved them down to the bottom of the hamper and hopped into the water.
She felt the warm liquid slide all over her naked body, and closed her eyes in relief as she washed away all her problems.
Then, as she wiped the clean, fresh water from her eyes, a thought crossed her mind.
'I wonder what Harry's doing right now," Ginny pondered.
~
*Present Time, Harry's Flat*
~
A young man flew through his two-bedroom apartment, grabbing a slightly damp towel before sprinting into the small bathroom that was attached to the room where he slept. There was another bathroom in the flat, but it was next to the kitchen and did not have a shower.
Quickly turning the knobs on the wall after attempting to pull back the curtain, Harry cursed silently at his knack for oversleeping. He wrestled with the blue-and-white denim that obscured bathers from view, and finally managed to tug it aside, ripping two rings off of the cloth.
"Bloody shower curtain," Harry whispered under his breath, tearing out of his sleep clothes and piling them atop a large mound of dirty laundry in the corner. He wrenched off his black-framed glasses and set them beside the sink before leaping in the steamy tub.
The warm water felt refreshing, and it aided in waking him up further. Harry winced as he calculated the time in his head.
'If it's 6:53 now, and training starts at seven o'clock, then I've got...well, either way it's not enough time.'
Auror Training was a very demanding and time-consuming activity, to say the least. Harry often found himself walking through the front door late at night, amazed that his limbs were still attached. They sure did know how to work a man to the bone, that's for certain.
With all of this training, he barely had time for a social life; in fact, now that he thought about it, he barely had time to sleep.
Harry reached for the small bottle of shampoo while contemplating further. His wet hands were slippery on the smooth surface of the plastic, and in his rush he managed to drop it in the puddle of used water at his feet.
Picking it up, Harry realized that he really didn't do anything fun anymore. Hell, he hadn't even been on a date in nearly two months, give or take a week. Harry Potter, the famous hero who had managed to escape the Dark Lord a countless number of times, was experiencing what he liked to refer to as a "down time" in his love life.
At the thought of his own romantic endeavors, Harry was reminded of the skinny blond woman who was in his Physical Combat class (taught by none other than Kingsley Shacklebolt, who, much to Harry's dismay, did not go easy on the poor boy). Her name was Nancy O'Doul, and she seemed like a very nice woman.
Harry stopped mid-lather to think about her bright smile, her cute little dimples, and those few, well-placed freckles on the bridge of her nose.
At the thought of freckles, Harry opened his eyes quickly when he remembered that asking Nancy out was not an option, thanks to a certain red- haired little girl that he hardly knew. Ginny Weasley was ruining his life. Harry was eighteen years old; he should be able to date whenever and whomever he wanted. He was in his prime, and he was about to waste these few, precious years on fulfilling some stupid prophecy...
It wasn't her fault. How could he think that it was Ginny who was messing up everything so badly? She hadn't done anything wrong, and she most certainly wasn't stopping him from seeing anyone else.
But Harry still knew he couldn't do it. He couldn't ask Nancy out to dinner, or even for a small cup of coffee. Goddamn his horribly out-of- control nobility complex; why couldn't he just continue on with his life, and forget about this predicament for just a little bit?
Harry wasn't a coward. He wasn't about to abandon Ginny; life had taught him to be a better friend than that. What if it was someone else in her place? What if it was someone he actually really cared about...he wouldn't make her do it alone.
His hands reached up to shake his dark hair out under the water, washing the foamy white suds off of his head. The soap slipped slowly down his face, dispersing quickly after reaching his shoulders.
Harry spun the dial to 'OFF' and stepped out of the bath and onto an orange rug on the floor. Droplets were still clinging to his well-defined arms and abdomen, and he used the white towel to dry himself fully.
His hands fumbled for his spectacles, and when he found them he glanced at the clock on the wall.
"Fuck," he groaned as he read the time.
It was 7:21, and that was MUCH too late to show up for training. He was definitely going to pay for this at the academy. How on earth had he managed to take such a long shower?
~
LATER THAT SUMMER
~
Ginny stepped daintily out of the bathroom, covering her tiny body with an old, fluffy, pink towel. Her hair dripped steadily onto the carpet, leaving a dark trail behind her. She dashed across the hall and to her bedroom, which was one flight of stairs down from the shower.
She turned briskly to shut the door behind her, and was preparing to drop her cover when she heard a scuttle and a crash from behind her.
Ginny whipped herself around to face her only window, clutching the towel in front of her. Her widened eyes soon returned to normal after noticing with relief that the noise had come from an intruding owl.
The bird was hopping on top of her wardrobe, scattering keepsake boxes and old shoes.
"C'mere, then," Ginny cooed, holding her hand out to the owl. He looked up at her cautiously before hopping down onto her arm. She winced slightly as his talons dug into her wet flesh, but the pain was quickly relieved after she untied the attached parchment.
"Thanks," she called as he flew out of her now-open window and out to the horizon. Ginny watched him soar for a few moments before realizing that she was still standing in the middle of her room without any clothes on.
She dropped her towel and walked her naked self over to her pile of newly laundered clothes, and selected a warm weather outfit. Her hands flew behind her to clasp her bra, and she was soon wearing everything but a shirt.
Ginny walked over to her bed where she had laid the mail, attempting to shake her hair dry with the wet towel. She picked up the paper and read the address with delight. Her fingers hurried to unseal the letter and soon her eyes were flying over her best friend's writing.
*
Dear Ginny,
Hey! How was your summer? Mine's been good so far, but Scotland's gotten pretty boring after spending so much time here. What have you been up to lately? Have you gotten your Hogwarts letter yet? I got mine yesterday, and I couldn't wait to tell you the news- I got Head Girl! Can you believe it? Well, we're coming back to England at the end of next week, but I don't suppose I'll get a chance to see you until we're all on the train on September 1st...last time, eh? Mum's calling to me for something, so I have to go. See you soon,
Caroline
*
Head Girl? Ginny couldn't help but feel a little jealous and perhaps a bit left out, but she was happy for her friend nonetheless. At least she would have a few connections once term started; it never hurt to know a Head Student.
She looked longingly around her bedroom, suddenly feeling slightly depressed. School was starting in less than two weeks, and she wasn't looking forward to it. What was the point, anyway? It's not like she was going to do anything with her life that required an education.
"Don't think like that,' she told herself, biting her bottom lip. Ginny was going to get a good education, no matter what her future had in store for her.
'But what are you going to use it for? It's not like you can go and get a great job or anything, now that you're going to have that baby to take care of..."
Why wouldn't that stupid pessimistic voice in her head just shut up?
No, she would get a job. Maybe not a particularly desirable one, but Ginny Weasley would have a career; she was not about to become some mindless housewife.
What were her options? The classes that were required for a profession in journalism did not qualify her for much else. But she still took some of the basic ones, which would make it easier to find an alternate job.
Muggle Studies, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts (naturally), Divination, History of Magic, and Charms.
What could she shape out of that?
Endless amounts of behind-the-desk jobs came to mind, but each one seemed more desperate than the previous. She had just decided that cauldron cleaning would not be suitable for a mother-to-be when she realized there was pretty much only one real option.
Muggle Relations.
It was the only real job without many qualifications. Well, she could either be that or a seamstress, and she'd never been very good at sewing.
Ginny flung herself on top of her bed and glared up at the ceiling. Her fingernails dug into the worn, pink blanket beneath her as she let out a frustrated groan. Oh, the things you had to give up in order to do a good deed.
Suddenly, Harry came into her mind. Ginny reminded herself that Harry's life had been full of nothing but him giving up his happiness at others' expense. He had had more than his fair share of sadness. A melancholy feeling passed over her as she thought about their lives, wishing to god that everything could be different.
She guessed he didn't hear her prayer.
~
A Week or So Later
~
"GINNY! HURRY UP! YOU'LL MISS THE TRAIN!"
There were seven seconds until the Hogwarts Express rolled out of Platform 9 ¾.
Her feet pounded the pavement beneath her, dragging the heavy trunk. She could hear her mother calling "goodbye" from behind, and the wheels creaking below the weight of her luggage. The clock struck 11 a.m. and she could see the steam engine start to move.
"GINNY!"
She looked up to see her best friend Caroline standing in the doorway of the carriage, holding out her hand.
"C'MON!" she shouted, motioning for her friend to run faster.
Ginny sprinted towards the train, leaping up onto it before it gained much momentum. Caroline bent over to help pull in her trunk, and then they both stood there, panting. After a moment of silence, the two of them burst out laughing and rushed to embrace each other.
"I haven't seen you in forever," Caroline squealed, nearly suffocating her. Caroline was easily five inches taller than Ginny, and about seven pounds lighter. Not that Ginny was fat, Caroline was just morbidly skinny. But with her short, brown hair and small pointy nose, she had the eloquent look of a stereotypical adult Parisian woman.
"I know! How was Scotland?" Ginny replied.
"Oh, you know," she said, starting to walk down the corridor, "Boring family excursions and the lot."
"Yes, I do know," Ginny murmured quietly.
Caroline smiled and threw open the nearest compartment, which was occupied by two other people.
"Dear Lord, you two, get a room!" Caroline shrieked jokingly, shielding her eyes.
"We had one, until you guys decided to barge in!" Colin Creevey shot back, giving her a menacing glare.
"Oh, lighten up, Collin," she heard the girl beside him coo, recognizing her at once as Theresa Sauniere.
"Well hello to you too," Ginny joked, plopping into a seat beside Colin. He had grown a lot in the past year, although he still had a slightly pinched appearance.
"Hey," he murmured in response, attention still concentrated on Theresa, who was now talking to Caroline.
"Is that the Head Girl badge?" she asked her, leaning forward to examine the pin.
"Yup," Caroline said smugly, chest swelling slightly in pride. If she had not sworn to never think of him again, Ginny would have been forcibly reminded of her older brother Percy's own arrogance.
"Cool," she whispered, leaning back into her seat.
"Say, aren't you supposed to brief the Prefects on their jobs or something before we get to school?" Colin asked in an attempt to get her out of the compartment.
Caroline's face dropped as she mouthed the word, "Shit!" In one swift motion, she had exited the compartment and left the door ajar behind her. Ginny watched her walk off for a second or two before turning back to Colin and Theresa, who were completely absorbed in each other.
"Well," Ginny said hopefully, trying to break them apart for just a moment. She was unbelievably uncomfortable around the two canoodling lovers.
The next fifteen minutes were pure agony for the small redhead, who tried everything from flipping through the latest edition of Witch Weekly to humming a tune from a popular song to try and ignore the other occupants of the room. It was only when they started hard-core snogging that she decided now was the time to leave them alone, before she accidentally saw something she didn't want to.
She quietly got up and slipped out of the compartment, doing them the courtesy of closing the door after she left. No one else needed to see the two of them getting it on while lying on the floor of the Hogwarts Express.
Ginny walked the hall of the train with no conviction whatsoever. She was just wasting time before Caroline was finished with her meeting and could return with her to their compartment.
But as she reached the front of the train, she heard loud bouts of laughter and shouts coming from the first two compartments. She carefully walked up to them and peered in the first window. There were five students in there, all prefects. They seemed to be playing an intense game of Exploding-Snap, which wasn't going very well for the longhaired boy on the right.
She continued on her search, looking in the next window. Caroline was seated on someone's lap, and two other people occupied the room. Ginny took a small breath and put a smile on her face before pulling the compartment door open.
"There you are!" she said in a jovial voice, looking directly at Caroline. Her friend turned around immediately to look at Ginny, as did the three other people in the room. There was a boy and a girl across from Caroline, who looked very unfamiliar to Ginny. She saw their school ties and knew instantly that both of them were from Ravenclaw.
The boy on which Caroline was sitting turned his head as well, but she received a much more welcoming look from him than from anyone else there. Cursing herself for not recognizing the back of his head, Ginny returned his large grin as he said happily, "Hey, Ginny!"
"How's it going, Liam?" she replied casually, moving in to take a seat next to Caroline.
"Erm, Ginny, this compartment is reserved for student authority figures ONLY," Caroline whispered loudly to her friend, giving her a wide-eyed look. Ginny scanned the room quickly, and almost hit herself upside the head for being so stupid. The two people on the other bench were wearing Prefects' badges, so they must be in sixth year. That was probably why she didn't recognize them. She looked momentarily over at Liam, who was trying to shift behind Caroline in order to hide his Head Boy badge.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said through heavy blushing, "I guess I'll see you all later then."
"Wait a minute," Liam called just as she was about to run out of the doorway in embarrassment, "You can stay."
"Liam-" Caroline interjected, giving him a scolding look. She was acting as if Ginny was like her dirty laundry.
"Oh, lighten up, you."
Caroline raised one eyebrow before biting her lip in silence. Ginny stood awkwardly by the door for a full ten seconds before Liam said in an amused voice, "Well, you ARE going to sit down, aren't you?"
Ginny was grateful for his generosity, and laughed as she said, "Of course."
She once again sat down next to Caroline, who was still perched atop Liam's lap. She saw her dark-haired friend wind her arms around Liam's neck, as if marking her territory. She sure did get pretty weird around boys, especially ones that she was completely taken with, (like Liam).
"So, how was your summer, then?" Liam asked happily, turning to face Ginny completely. This upset Caroline a little bit, seeing as she was now facing the wall.
Liam was, in one word, gorgeous. Keeper and Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, he had very large, strong arms that many girls in Ginny's year fantasized about being wrapped up in. His bright blue eyes almost drew her into them, and she could only think of one person with more mesmerizing irises (the other boy's were green-although she couldn't recall his name at the moment). He had a strong nose and a goofy grin, which combined to make a deadly pairing. His dark blond hair fall carelessly to his ears, and Ginny found herself wanting to reach up and run her fingers through it...
"Ginny?"
Her eyes widened in surprise as Liam pulled her out of her daydream.
"Sorry about that," she muttered, tucking a piece of hair nervously behind her ear.
"S'alright, I was just wondering how your summer was."
Ginny looked back up at him before replying, "Well, it was pretty boring, to tell you the truth."
"You mean you didn't go anywhere?" Caroline asked in a snobbish voice. Ginny hated how distant and bitchy Caroline Elling could be.
"Yeah, I mean, I did go to visit my brother Bill in Egypt for a week, he's got a new girlfriend, but that was about it."
"Was it any fun?" Liam said, sounding mildly interested.
"Not really, I was kind of stuck inside most of the time."
"So no partying with any Egyptian boys, then?" Liam joked, nudging her gently with his elbow.
Ginny playfully pushed it back and said in a dry tone, "As lively as the night life in the desert is, I didn't have much of a chance to go clubbing."
"That's a shame," Liam sympathized, frowning slightly.
"Too right," Caroline added, feeling a bit left out of the conversation, "Ginny could use a little partying. She can get pretty uptight, you know."
Liam laughed at Caroline and shot Ginny a suggestive glance before saying, "Nothing we can't fix, eh?"
Ginny closed her eyes at the implications, and stifled a laugh.
"You throw the party and I'll be there."
"Excellent."
Caroline was watching them with feigned interest, and took this moment to interrupt.
"Liam, sweetie, could you help me with this pin, it's a bit hard to clasp."
He looked at her through a furrowed brow, and then down to the spot where she wore her new badge. It rested just above her left breast, which was now only a few inches from his face. A sly smile played across her lips, but he decided to go along with it.
"Oh, er, sure."
It took nearly five minutes of him fumbling around with her shirt, trying to get the pin to stay straight. Caroline was about to declare it crooked once more before he announced loudly, "I give up. Just wear it like that."
~
Ginny sat in the compartment with them for the remainder of the ride, and didn't notice once that she and Liam were the only ones talking.
"You're Quidditch captain this year?" he asked, eyes sparkling.
"Naturally," Ginny replied in a mock-egotistical voice, "I am the best player on the team."
"I just can't believe Potter picked a girl, is all," Liam joked, knowing that pretending to put Ginny down for being a female was a great way to get a rise out of her.
"You better believe it. And if you don't think I'm any good, than just wait for our first match."
"Ah, so you think you can win then, do you?" Liam replied, playing right into her trap.
"With you as Keeper, Liam O'Connell, even the Giant Squid could both score and win against Ravenclaw," Ginny shot, trying her best to keep a straight face.
"Ouch, that one hurt Weasley, but you as Seeker? I'll admit, Potter was good, but you've got the eyesight of a blind flobberworm."
"Flobberworms can't even see to begin with!" Ginny exclaimed, calling him on his folly.
"Exactly my point, my dear. You couldn't spot the snitch if it flew up to you, hit you on the nose, and held a sign that read, 'I AM THE GOLDEN SNITCH! CATCH ME!'"
Ginny's mouth dropped open in exaggerated disgust as she whispered, "You offend me, Liam O'Connell."
"I do my best."
Caroline cleared her throat and said in a loud voice, "Ginny, we're nearly there. I think you'd better go and change into your school robes."
She looked down at herself and suddenly realized that she was still dressed in the muggle clothes she'd worn to the train station.
"Silly me," she replied, "I'll be right back."
"No need, Gin," Caroline called to her retreating back, "We'll meet you up at the school."
"What?" she asked, peering back into the room.
"Oh, and go check on Colin and Theresa. Make sure no one's conceiving any children, if you know what I mean."
Ginny was about to object when Caroline shooed her off, motioning for the sixth year boy to close the compartment door. 'Bitch,' Ginny whispered to herself, fuming all the way back to the other compartment.
She threw open the sliding door to see Colin and Theresa asleep on the seat, lying beside each other. Thankfully, their clothes were still on. Ginny quickly pulled her robes on before waking them, and once she did she received a very angry stare from Colin for taking him away from his precious girlfriend.
"Almost there," Theresa said loudly, excitement mounting in her voice. Ginny turned to see her staring out the black window, eagerly anticipating their arrival at school. Colin only sighed and turned back to tidying up their numerous candy wrappers before they left.
The train lurched to a stop a minute later, letting the students out in swarms. Ginny scurried out with Colin and Theresa, who were still holding hands.
She saw Caroline's head a few meters away, and she called to her, "OI! CAROLINE!"
But she did not make a move to acknowledge Ginny, who was frantically waving after her.
"CAROLINE!" she yelled.
"CAROLINE!"
She watched helplessly as her friend stepped into the carriage, being helped up by none other than Liam O'Connell. Ginny was about to find another carriage to take up with Colin and Theresa, but Liam spotted her a moment later.
"HEY, GINNY! OVER HERE!"
She was grateful that he had seen her and offered her a chance to ride with them. Carriage space was a limited commodity and very hard to come by. She pushed through the crowd of students, finally making it to the footstep.
"Here," he said, offering her his hand. Ginny clambered into the carriage and turned around to hail Colin and Theresa, who were two steps behind her. Once the five of them were all seated, the thestrals started to pull them towards the castle.
Liam and Colin were sitting on one side, facing the girls. Colin and Theresa's feet were rubbing against each other slowly, and Liam smiled at the two girls across from him.
"Last year, huh?" he mused looking out the window toward the school.
"I know," Caroline replied, "I can't wait to get out of this dump."
"I'm gonna miss it," Liam said seriously.
"Me, too," Ginny added, "But we still have another whole year here."
Liam laughed and said in an upbeat tone, "Well then we'd better make it the best damn year ever."
Ginny could only think of all the secret passageways and rule-breaking aids she knew. Having Fred and George as older brothers had an upside; she overheard everything a troublemaker needed to know. That and the fact that Harry had left her the Marauder's map, (it's not like he needed it anymore).
The carriage stopped abruptly in front of the Grand Entryway, which was lit with numerous torches. Colin ushered Theresa out first, followed by Caroline and Liam. Ginny was the last to exit the ride, but to her surprise Liam was waiting for her right outside the carriage door. He offered his hand to help her down from the high step, and Ginny could practically feel the jealousy radiating from Caroline. Liam didn't seem to notice, however, and he just whispered to her, "Welcome back, Ginny."
~
The first few weeks of school passed by in one giant blur. New classes, old friends, and Quidditch practice kept Ginny busy most of the time. And when she wasn't catching up on late homework in the common room, she was studying for her N.E.W.T.s, (not that it really mattered what kind of score she got on them anyway).
It was the eve of Halloween night. Ginny sat cross-legged before the fire, nose buried deep in a book. The fire cast a glow around her that made her face look both ethereal and slightly tired. Her eyes had trouble focusing on the tiny text.
"What is that you're reading?" Theresa called to her from the couch.
Ginny merely held up the book so her friend could see the title and kept reading. She was completely swept up in the words, which kept taking her on turn after turn. Only one chapter ago she thought Charlotte was the one who was supposed to be Henry's soul mate, but after reading of her affairs in Barcelona, Ginny sided with Yolanda. The Dutch maid had been trying to live chaste, (until she met Jonathon, that is).
Henry had been called off to war, and Charlotte had stayed home with her sister, Yolanda. Charlotte had been mysteriously absent for most of the book, leaving Ginny very curious. Jonathon, the stable boy, had tricked Yolanda into losing her virginity to him, and a nasty trick it had been. She ended up running to Henry for help, who had just returned from Iceland. The two of them shared a romantic cup of cocoa in the living room, only to be interrupted by Charlotte's return.
Her eyes raced across the page, trying to hurry in order to figure out what would happen next.
*
"I'm home," a voice called from the front door, causing both Yolanda and Henry to break their eye contact.
"Yolanda?" the woman shouted again, "Where are you? I've only just gotten back from Pedro's, and I have a lot of stories to—Henry! You're home!"
Charlotte's face changed from secretive to feigned excitement in a matter of milliseconds. She pressed her lips tightly together as Yolanda jumped up from the lumpy sofa. Two mugs of hot cocoa stood steaming beside them, forgotten.
"What was that, dear?" Henry asked coolly, giving her an unreadable look. He usually caught on quickly. His gray eyes shot a feeling of foreboding at his fiancé, who was now doing her best to keep from trembling. "Who is Pedro?" he corrected.
"No one, sugar," Charlotte said sweetly before giving him a polite smile.
*
"Ginny?"
*
Yolanda stood in shock between her sister and Henry, cringing slightly. Her mouth flapped open helplessly, as if she were trying to say something.
Charlotte glared at her before saying, "Don't you dare, Yolanda."
"Don't I dare what?" she challenged, finding her voice, "Don't I dare tell him who Pedro is? Don't I dare tell him one of your famous stories from Barcelona? Don't I dare tell him what you've REALLY been doing these eight long months?"
"I'M WARNING YOU, YOLANDA!"
With that, the young woman spun around to face Henry. She said in a hurried voice, "She's been cheating on you."
*
"Ginny!"
*
Henry's face fell. His bottom lip shivered slightly as he looked up at the skinny brunette before him.
"You've been sleeping with another man?" he asked quietly.
"Three, actually," Charlotte spat, wrinkling her nose in disgust.
"How could you?" he demanded, "HOW COULD YOU? I GAVE YOU A RING, GODDAMNIT!"
*
"VIRGINA WEASLEY!"
Ginny looked up from the novel at Theresa, who was nearly screaming her name at the top of her lungs.
"What's your problem?" she asked, clearly annoyed.
"I just wanted to see if you knew where Caroline was," Theresa said laughingly, "Then you can go back to reading your precious book."
"As a matter of fact, I do not know where she is. Now will you please leave me alone?"
"Gladly."
Ginny gave a 'humph' noise and continued to read.
Present Time
****
"Where are you taking me?" he asked in a curious tone.
"It's a surprise," Caroline told him, gripping his hand tighter and pulling, "Somewhere you've never seen before."
"I doubt it, Ginny's shown me pretty much every inch of this castle. I know my way around."
"LIAM O'CONNELL WILL YOU PLEASE STOP TALKING ABOUT GINNY WEASLEY FOR ONE FREAKING SECOND?"
"Sorry," he murmured, and continued to follow her. They were headed up a narrow staircase, which led to one of the upper levels. The two of them kept climbing for what seemed like ages, and finally Liam knew he'd counted too many floors.
"Caroline, are you sure you're going the right way? The only thing up this high is the Astronomy Tower."
She turned around and gave him a sly smile, and he immediately understood her meaning. Not one to say no to some action from one of the prettiest girls in school, Liam kept walking.
Caroline led him up another flight of twisting stairs, and finally they emerged at the top of the tower. She tugged relentlessly at his fingers, bringing him towards an open broom cupboard.
She twirled around and pushed him inside, closing the door behind her. Her fingers started to run up the sides of his shirt, and she could feel his muscles tense. Perfectly manicured hands started to rub his chest, bringing Caroline even closer than before.
Her head started to lean in, and pretty soon he found himself snogging Caroline Elling in the Astronomy Tower closet.
They were in there for nearly twenty minutes, kissing and fooling around. When she finally pulled away, Caroline whispered to him, "Liam, did you like that?"
"Er, yes," he murmured, not knowing what she was about to say next.
"We could do this more often, you know. If we were a couple."
His eyes widened in disbelief at her nerve. Had she just implied for him to ask her out?
"Oh, yeah, erm, that sounds good."
She laughed and said, "Perfect."
They walked together down to the seventh floor, where Caroline pointed down the hall she had to go to get to Gryffindor Tower.
"A really good boyfriend would walk me there," she said coyly, "and good boyfriends get good rewards."
Liam's face changed slightly, and he quietly followed her to the big portrait of the fat lady. They walked in silence, for it was well past curfew.
When they arrived at the painting, Caroline said, "I guess this is goodnight."
"Yeah, erm, goodnight," he said slowly.
She leaned in quickly to give him a short kiss with just a hint of tongue. Then Caroline spun around and said, "Acromantula."
The fat lady swung the portrait open, and Liam watched as Caroline revealed to him the secret entrance to Gryffindor Tower. He waved hastily and then turned around to run down to the fourth floor, where the Ravenclaw commons were located.
What had just happened?
~
Ginny sat at a table in Charms class between Theresa and Caroline, who were talking animatedly. Ginny was working diligently on charming her teacup to sing, but it wasn't working very well. This spell needed a lot of concentration, but she just wasn't in any kind of shape to perform it. The girls on either side of her were talking about last night, and she couldn't help but join in on the conversation.
"So anyways, he pulled me almost violently into the closet, and I kept telling him I wouldn't do anything with a boy unless he were my boyfriend, so he took out this little daisy and said, 'Caroline, will you go out with me?' It was absolutely the most adorable thing I've ever seen in my life, so of course I said yes. I mean I had to, didn't I?"
Ginny snorted loudly and then said, "You little liar."
Caroline looked quite miffed that one of her best friends would call out her lie.
"What are you talking about? It was the cutest thing anyone's ever done for me!"
"I declare bullshit!" Ginny exclaimed, laughing knowingly.
"How dare you accuse me of making things up?" Caroline nearly shouted, pointing her finger at Ginny's chest.
"BECAUSE LIAM IS FREAKING ALLERGIC TO FLOWERS!"
Caroline's face fell and she stared at her for a long time. Her near-black eyes showed no emotion until she let her mouth curve into a triumphant smile.
"You're just JEALOUS," Caroline snapped.
"Of what?" Ginny scoffed, clearly interested.
"Oh, don't try and play dumb, Ginny. Everyone's seen the way you're always hanging off of him."
"I'M always hanging off of him?"
"You little desperate prat, I almost feel sorry for you. Really, he's been trying to send you the message since the first day of school, but perhaps you haven't gotten it; HE DOESN'T WANT YOU!"
Ginny remained quiet for a moment, staring at the girl in front of her. Caroline Elling: Fair-weather Friend.
"Whatever you say, Caroline," Ginny whispered, gathering up her books. The bell rang five seconds later, signaling the end of the last class of the day. Ginny grabbed her book bag and dashed out of the room, scurrying through the halls. There was only one place she was safe, and she was headed there right now.
She almost sprinted to the Library, which was not too far from the Charms corridor. She soon found herself weaving through the bookcases, looking for a particular corner. Finally, towards the end of the room, she banked left and headed for the end of the row.
Her back hit the wall as she slid down the cold stone, closing her eyes tightly. This was the one place she could be guaranteed refuge. No one ever came in the Magical Skin Deformities section. Not in broad daylight, anyway.
Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes as she fingered the clasp on her bag furiously. What the hell had gotten into Caroline? Making up stories just to get attention. She was almost as bad as Patricia Gunt, the fifth year Slytherin who claimed she'd seen Merlin's ghost in the loo.
Ginny looked around at her surroundings. She remembered the first time she came here.
*
Ginny crept through the corridors, not wanting to make a sound. Being caught out-of-bounds was bad enough, but when it was your third time sneaking out in one week, it almost guaranteed expulsion.
Her bare feet hit the cold stone floor as she turned to face the Library door, whispering, "Alohamora."
The large lock clicked from inside and she pushed in open. The wood was heavy, but she didn't care. Ginny was soon running through the tall bookshelves, whispering frantically.
"Hermione?" she called in a low voice, "HERMIONE!"
A sniffle and a ruffle of parchment could be heard from the left side of the room, and she quickly went off in that direction. A faint glow could be seen from the end of the row, and soon Ginny found herself standing in front of a floating book.
"Did Harry say you could borrow that?" Ginny asked jokingly, giving way to a small smile.
A small head poked out through the opening in the cloak, and Hermione replied, "No, and you best not tell him I took it."
Ginny laughed and stood next to her friend.
"What's wrong?"
Hermione let out a small whimper before saying, "He hates me."
"Who?"
"Your brother."
"No he doesn't."
"Yes, he does," Hermione said firmly.
"You're probably right," Ginny confirmed airily, inspecting her fingernails. The silence that came from the girl beside her was startling.
"Are you serious?" she asked, clutching the invisible cloth to her chest.
"No, you prat. Ron's only been obsessed with you since fourth year. There is no possible way he could hate you."
"What if I told him I hated him, never wanted to see him again, and that I thought he should burn in Hell for all of eternity?"
"Hmm, well now we have a problem."
"See?"
"Hermione, why are you in the library?"
"I needed some time to think."
"In the blemish-books?"
"Ginny," Hermione scolded, "It's the Magical Skin Deformities Section, and I'm only here because no one in their right mind would ever come."
"Good point."
"So do you think he hates me?"
"No."
"Good."
"I'm just curious, but why do you care about my older brother's opinion so much?"
Hermione blushed a bit and then said in a quiet voice, "Promise not to tell anyone?"
Ginny nodded obediently, and Hermione whispered in a hurried voice, "I think I fancy Ron."
"Dear god is that all?"
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, confused.
"That's old news-we all know already. It's kind of obvious."
"Oh my god. Do you think he knows?"
"Hermione, we're talking about Ron here. The only thing he notices is the Quidditch schedule."
"Ginny?"
"Hm?"
"Thanks. For coming here, I mean."
"Well, it was a bit of a stretch, but I can face the books on Pimple Potions for you."
"You're a good friend. You know that, right?"
"Of course I do, Hermione. I'm not completely naïve, unlike my dear older brother."
"Shut it, you."
"Oooh, looks like I've touched a nerve..."
*
"Ginny? Are you okay?"
The voice startled her, and she jumped slightly when she heard it.
"What? Who's there?"
"It's me. Liam."
Her head spun to look at the bookshelf. A very familiar pair of blue eyes peered out from behind a book on proper face washing techniques.
"Oh. Hey."
He said softly, "You know you're missing the Halloween Feast, right?"
Silence.
"Ginny, have you been crying?"
Ginny's face fell in horror as she realized that she had been wearing mascara that day. As if on reflex, she reaching into her bag and pulled out a small green compact mirror. Her fingers wiped the black smudges from beneath her eyes, and then she heard Liam say, "Much better."
Ginny smiled sadly and put the mirror in her lap.
"Now, is there a reason you're in this section? Because your skin looks perfectly clear to me..."
Ginny laughed and said, "It's a long story, but I go here when I need some time to be alone."
"Oh."
She could tell that he thought she meant for him to leave, so she was surprised when he said, "Do you want to talk?"
"Yes."
He sat down on the other side of the bookshelf, proceeding to remove several hardcover books.
"What's wrong?"
Ginny looked at the floor and said, "Caroline."
"Oh."
"She made up this story about what happened between you two last night, well I think she made it up at least, and she was telling everyone who would listen, but I called her lie and-"
"What did she say?"
Ginny swallowed before saying, "She said you pulled her in some closet and gave her a flower and then asked her out really romantically or something."
"What?."
"But I knew she was lying, because you're allergic to flowers, remember last year when I almost had to carry you to the Hospital Wing after you started to get breathing problems during Care of Magical Creatures-"
"Not one of my more glorious moments," he joked.
"I wouldn't think so. But she said you gave her a daisy, and then when I called her a liar, she said I was just a jealous prat who was so desperate that I kept clinging to you and throwing myself at you, and-"
"She said WHAT?"
"...and I just got really quiet, and I'm afraid we're not going to be friends again. She's been acting really weird lately, and I don't know what's going on."
That wasn't the entire truth. She knew what was going on. And his name was Liam O'Connell. What was his problem? Someone that gorgeous shouldn't be allowed to talk to two young girls; there will be fights.
"Ginny, listen to me. Don't pay her any mind, all right? She's just being a bitch."
"Then why are you dating her, if she's such a bitch?"
"I didn't really have any say in it, actually. She kind of just declared us 'together'."
"Oh," Ginny mused.
"But I'd leave her in a second for you."
Her ears heard what he said, but her mind couldn't process it. She looked at him questioningly, wondering if he was speaking the truth.
"If you'd have me, that is."
His baby blue eyes showed some kind of deep emotion, much more than childish attraction.
"Oh, Liam-"
But her sentence was cut short. Suddenly they found themselves leaning in closer towards each other, breath tingling on one another's lips.
When Ginny finally felt the contact, she noted that his lips were probably among the softest, smoothest, most perfect lips in the world. The way he held her mouth against his felt so perfect, and she could almost feel the earth spinning beneath her. He sure knew how to cheer a girl up.
"Wait, Liam, no-" Ginny said, pulling away abruptly.
"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly, "Was that a bad move? I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry-"
"No, Liam, stop. You didn't do anything wrong."
"I didn't?"
"No."
"Oh. Okay," he stopped frowning and looked at her comfortably, "Then what's up?"
"Liam...I can't...WE can't..."
"...be together," he finished sadly.
"It's not like that," she tried, but he wouldn't hear it.
"Then what is it like?" he asked dangerously, the hurt evident on his face.
"I don't have a choice!" she said in a frustrated squeal.
"A choice about what?"
"Liam, I can't be with you. I just can't."
"I see."
"It's not you, I mean, I really wish I could..."
"Whatever, Ginny. See you around."
And with that, Liam stood up and exited the library. Ginny bit her lip and started to sob uncontrollably. Why did this have to happen to her? What had she done to deserve this? Her hand brushed against the mirror in her lap, and she picked it up. Her eyes glared at the green compact, suddenly hating it.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?" she screamed, flinging it across the room. It hit a wooden shelf and broke into six pieces. The bits of shattered glass flew to the ground, making small clinking noises.
It hadn't even been the prophecy-thing. It was just a normal mirror. Ginny had let her emotions take control of her, and she'd mistaken her pocket mirror for Dumbledore's accursed contraption. Now she had nothing in which to check her makeup, as well as seven years of bad luck. Excellent.
~
Liam hardly talked to Ginny for the rest of the season. He never once went out of his way to chat with his old friend, and she noticed that the amount of P.D.A between Caroline and him grew to an unbearable level. On top of studying for N.E.W.T.s and running Quidditch practices, Ginny just didn't have the time or energy to see Liam rubbing up against her now more- friendly friend.
She was positively overjoyed when Christmas Break rolled around. Until she realized that she would be spending it at the Burrow, along with the rest of her family. And Harry.
Someone up there must really hate her.
~
A/N:
This chapter is currently 29 pages long, and it's only half of what I wanted it to be. I suppose I will have to pull back and split this chappie in 2 parts. I will post Part Two next. Trust me, this story is just heating up. YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THE NEXT FEW UPDATES! With that said, put this story on your author alert list so you can tell when the next part comes out. Chapter 7 is in Lily and James' time, and it is a crucial new installment! DO NOT MISS IT!
And now, to respond to a few reviews:
*
Ashlyn: Thanks, that makes me feel so great!
EmeraldDream1: Thank you, I try my best to make it realistic.
Luvsirius: You have no idea how happy your review made me!
Ally of Pirate's Swoop: Yea, it's a little difficult, seeing as they're in two different places.
Zigzag722: I'm glad your logic saved me
Brown*Pryde: Who could resist?
*
Okay, so now all you have to do is...
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Chapter Six
*
A/N: Whew! This took me a lot longer to get out than I thought it would. Really, I haven't updated in ages! I had to take some time to get everything sorted out, you know, fine tune it and make sure everything's in here. Then there was vacation, and everything else that popped up just pushed production back even further. And this story is going to have so many chapters...(29 at the least-I just planned most of it out), well, it's just a miracle I can remember the general plot. If any of you have questions pertaining to my stories, or me, please email me at Snowman1400@hotmail.com. Lots of comments have been made about how my story isn't exactly "in canon," but I think that as you continue to read, you'll realize that you all judged it too soon. I think you should all take a closer look and read between the lines, take in the implications, that sort of thing. C'mon now, you all know that JK Rowling has one or two extra twists to the plotline that she hasn't revealed yet, so who's to say that my story isn't fitting? All I can say is that this story is my "baby," and the one I plan to make my best. Everybody has one story that they want to be perfect, and for right now, this is mine. I'm in love with it! Okay, so you're all probably bored to death with reading my long author's notes, so I'll leave it at this and add a short one on to the bottom, all right? So, after much procrastination, here is Chapter Six.
*
Chapter Six
~
Emotional Suicide: Forgoing Happiness for the Common Good
~
Ginny sat in the highest branch of the tallest tree inside the parameters of the Weasleys' property. A slight breeze floated through the newly greened leaves, whispering secrets and answers to the confused young woman. The sun was setting just beyond the horizon, casting a comforting pinkish- orange glow throughout the town. Families were sitting down to dinner, and fathers were returning home from work.
She could hear the children calling to each other from the deserted lot not far from her house, and could hear their mothers shouting for them to come inside before they caught pneumonia. Whatever that was.
Her mind slowly drifted from one subject to another, carefully touching on each one before moving on to the next. She thought of how this would be her last summer here. The Burrow would no longer be her home, no matter how much she wanted it to be. Ginny would be an adult, and expected to get a house of her own. She would always visit the place where she grew up, but it would never be the same after she graduated. She thought of how her brother, Ron, had already graduated, but still proudly called the Burrow his home. Well, he always had been a bit on the childish side. But no matter how often her mother nagged him to get his own flat, Ginny knew that it wouldn't be long before she was the only Weasley child left here. She thought of how the small stream near the woods ran uphill, and marveled in the wonder of it all. She thought of how the birds flew in their seamless formations, heading for the next pond or lake. But most of all she thought of her life. Well, the two of them. The life she was destined to lead, and the life she could have had.
If she could have it her way, Ginny would graduate Hogwarts next year with honors, and quickly join the team at the Daily Prophet as a special reporter (one that went to various different countries to get first-hand reports). Rita Skeeter had put in a good word for her when she convinced Hermione to release her last year. Ginny wanted to be independent for the beginning of her adult life; she needed to be self-sufficient long enough to find out who she really was. Living with six brothers often stifled your creativity; unless you count the numerous times she had brainstormed pranks and evil schemes with Fred and George. She wanted to travel the world and meet strange and intriguing new people.
But she was stuck with a different life, one that was practically chosen for her. She would never have the chance to go around the globe, and she would never be able to have such a time-consuming career. Ginny would be forced to take a job behind a desk that had regular hours so she could take care of her child.
Her child.
The child that would consume her everyday life. The child that would change everything. The child that could possibly hold the key to Harry's triumph over Lord Voldemort.
Some things were more important than childhood ambitions or long-time goals.
By now the sun had completely gone from the sky, and tiny stars were starting to peek out from behind the thin layer of evening clouds. The world was darkening, and she could feel the temperature drop with every passing minute. The crickets started to come out and play their nighttime serenade, and the tall reeds rubbed against each other in the strengthening winds.
"Ginny?"
Her head snapped at the sound of her name, and she strained her ears to listen for the intruder. Who was looking for her?
"Ginny?"
There it was again. The new voice most definitely belonged to her brother, Ron. What if he found her here? Ginny couldn't risk him finding her secret hiding-place, so she began to scramble quickly down the tall tree. Branches scraped against her bruised legs, leaving sticky sap lines along her calves. Twigs pulled through her messy hair, making it even more unsightly.
Finally, she felt the footholds fall away beneath her, signaling the end of her descent. Her bare feet hit the wet grass in one swift movement, and she took a moment to shake off the small pain in her soles. Hastily, she darted away from the base of her secret tree, making for the field where her brother undoubtedly was.
"GINNY!" she heard him yell, hands cupped around his mouth to amplify his voice, "WHERE THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU?"
She rolled her eyes and started towards the man.
"I'm right here you prat," she smirked, emerging from the woods. His head turned to face his younger sister, and she could see the look of distress fade from his face.
"Mum says it's time for dinner," he shot back, "and I'm NOT a prat."
Ginny bit her lip to hold back a smile after saying, "Is that so? Then would you mind explaining to me why you still live at home?"
"I've already made that perfectly clear, and mum will wring your neck if supper gets cold before you get back."
She sighed and then started to walk past him while whispering under her breath, "Prat."
Ron didn't seem to hear her, however, and after she was halfway across the small field he yelled after her, "Oi, Ginny! Why aren't you wearing any shoes?"
~
The Next Morning
~
Ginny rolled over peacefully, savoring the last few moments of rest. Her dark-red hair fanned out around her head, making her pillow look as if it had caught fire. Her freckles stood out against her creamy, morning-pale skin, and she licked her lips quickly to rid them of their chapped roughness.
Sunlight poured in from the single window, brightening up her tiny bedroom. It reflected off the multiple picture frames, shining beams of light onto the wall. If she had been looking, Ginny would have seen the black-and- white versions of her friends shielding their eyes from the vibrant sunrise.
Slowly, she stretched her arms to the side, trying to shake off the grogginess. She loved the morning, and declared each day wasted if she missed the first few hours of light. Sliding the covers off her petite frame, Ginny sat up in one motion and soon felt the soft, fuzzy texture of her carpet. It crept up in between her toes, tickling and massaging her feet at the same time.
She stood up and used her muscles for the first time that day, loving the feeling of the sleep melting off her body. Her hand flew out to grab her bathrobe, and she momentarily found herself hopping down the stairs for breakfast.
The many flights of stairs flew by underneath her bare feet, which could be found without shoes or slippers for most of the summer. After a few short seconds, the carpet underneath her turned to worn wood, and Ginny rounded the last corner to find herself in the abnormally quiet kitchen.
"Ah, good morning, dear," her mother said sweetly, spinning around to face her only daughter.
"Morning, mum," Ginny replied, sliding into one of the old chairs beside the table.
Mrs. Weasley presently grabbed two frying pans full of food and proceeded to pile mounds of breakfast goods atop her youngest child's plate.
"Mum, just because Fred and George aren't here anymore doesn't mean you have to give me all the food they would have eaten as well," she mumbled, staring intently at the heap of bacon before her.
But her mother just shrugged it off and went to grab a jug of juice for her daughter while humming to herself.
"Did you have a nice sleep?" the woman asked as she poured Ginny a glass to drink.
"Mmh hmm," came the reply from her chewing mouth.
"Something smells good," another voice called from the stairway, and she looked up to see Ron standing in a pair of too-small pajama pants and a too- large pajama shirt.
"Well good morning to you, too," Molly called, shoving the remainder of the foodstuff onto her son's plate.
Never one to complain of "too much food," Ron started to dig in.
"So what are you two planning on doing this summer?" Mrs. Weasley said airily in an attempt to make conversation. She continued to clean the breakfast utensils as she waited for an answer.
Ginny only shrugged and said, "Dunno."
"What about you, Ron?"
Her brother swallowed his massive mouthful of meat and replied, "I was thinking of going to visit Harry later this week, but that's about it."
Ginny felt her expression tighten as she listened to her family members talk.
"He's found a place to live, then?" Molly called from the sink.
"Erm, yeah. Over near muggle London."
Mrs. Weasley spun around to look her son in the eye and said, "Why is it, Ronald Weasley, that your friends, your siblings, and everyone else your age has managed to find their own flat, and yet you still insist on staying here?"
"Mum, I've asked you to stop pestering me a million times! I'll find an apartment soon enough!"
"I don't think it WILL be soon enough..." her mother trailed off.
"You two cannot possibly be having this argument AGAIN?" Ginny mused, glancing up from her meal.
Molly looked at her son disdainfully before changing the subject.
"So, you said you're going to visit Harry? How is he these days?"
Once again, Ginny felt her gaze fall from the two of them while she tried her best to look uninterested. But she couldn't help keeping her ears trained intently on the conversation.
"Oh, you know, Auror Training's gotten him pretty tired out. He hasn't got much time for anything else."
"Hmm," Mrs. Weasley furrowed her brow, "That's no good. Boys his age shouldn't be worked that hard."
"Being a dark-wizard catcher is a rough job, mum," Ron supplied before stuffing an entire piece of toast into his abnormally large mouth.
"Even so," Molly said in a distressed voice, "What day did you say you were going over there?"
Ron gave her a shrug before saying through a load of sausage, "Probably Thursday, if I get the chance."
Mrs. Weasley thought for a moment before saying, "I suppose I'll make you a few minced-meat pies to bring over for him, the poor dear."
Ron rolled his eyes dramatically before jamming another egg down his throat.
"Don't chew with your mouth open, you great prat," Ginny scolded her brother as she pushed her chair out and stood up. Her back was to the table before Ron got a chance to shout through a mouthful of his breakfast, (while managing to spray it all over the kitchen), "I AM NOT A PRAT!"
Ginny let out an exasperated breath and stomped up the stairs, not sure what caused her sudden foul mood. Perhaps it was all that talk of Harry over breakfast...who was she kidding? Of COURSE it was all that talk of Harry over breakfast.
She soon found herself opening the bathroom door, and Ginny dropped her robe on the tile floor before reaching to the dial on the shower wall. She turned it to "CW" for Comfortably Warm, and then stripped off all of her pajamas. Gathering them up in a small bundle, Ginny shoved them down to the bottom of the hamper and hopped into the water.
She felt the warm liquid slide all over her naked body, and closed her eyes in relief as she washed away all her problems.
Then, as she wiped the clean, fresh water from her eyes, a thought crossed her mind.
'I wonder what Harry's doing right now," Ginny pondered.
~
*Present Time, Harry's Flat*
~
A young man flew through his two-bedroom apartment, grabbing a slightly damp towel before sprinting into the small bathroom that was attached to the room where he slept. There was another bathroom in the flat, but it was next to the kitchen and did not have a shower.
Quickly turning the knobs on the wall after attempting to pull back the curtain, Harry cursed silently at his knack for oversleeping. He wrestled with the blue-and-white denim that obscured bathers from view, and finally managed to tug it aside, ripping two rings off of the cloth.
"Bloody shower curtain," Harry whispered under his breath, tearing out of his sleep clothes and piling them atop a large mound of dirty laundry in the corner. He wrenched off his black-framed glasses and set them beside the sink before leaping in the steamy tub.
The warm water felt refreshing, and it aided in waking him up further. Harry winced as he calculated the time in his head.
'If it's 6:53 now, and training starts at seven o'clock, then I've got...well, either way it's not enough time.'
Auror Training was a very demanding and time-consuming activity, to say the least. Harry often found himself walking through the front door late at night, amazed that his limbs were still attached. They sure did know how to work a man to the bone, that's for certain.
With all of this training, he barely had time for a social life; in fact, now that he thought about it, he barely had time to sleep.
Harry reached for the small bottle of shampoo while contemplating further. His wet hands were slippery on the smooth surface of the plastic, and in his rush he managed to drop it in the puddle of used water at his feet.
Picking it up, Harry realized that he really didn't do anything fun anymore. Hell, he hadn't even been on a date in nearly two months, give or take a week. Harry Potter, the famous hero who had managed to escape the Dark Lord a countless number of times, was experiencing what he liked to refer to as a "down time" in his love life.
At the thought of his own romantic endeavors, Harry was reminded of the skinny blond woman who was in his Physical Combat class (taught by none other than Kingsley Shacklebolt, who, much to Harry's dismay, did not go easy on the poor boy). Her name was Nancy O'Doul, and she seemed like a very nice woman.
Harry stopped mid-lather to think about her bright smile, her cute little dimples, and those few, well-placed freckles on the bridge of her nose.
At the thought of freckles, Harry opened his eyes quickly when he remembered that asking Nancy out was not an option, thanks to a certain red- haired little girl that he hardly knew. Ginny Weasley was ruining his life. Harry was eighteen years old; he should be able to date whenever and whomever he wanted. He was in his prime, and he was about to waste these few, precious years on fulfilling some stupid prophecy...
It wasn't her fault. How could he think that it was Ginny who was messing up everything so badly? She hadn't done anything wrong, and she most certainly wasn't stopping him from seeing anyone else.
But Harry still knew he couldn't do it. He couldn't ask Nancy out to dinner, or even for a small cup of coffee. Goddamn his horribly out-of- control nobility complex; why couldn't he just continue on with his life, and forget about this predicament for just a little bit?
Harry wasn't a coward. He wasn't about to abandon Ginny; life had taught him to be a better friend than that. What if it was someone else in her place? What if it was someone he actually really cared about...he wouldn't make her do it alone.
His hands reached up to shake his dark hair out under the water, washing the foamy white suds off of his head. The soap slipped slowly down his face, dispersing quickly after reaching his shoulders.
Harry spun the dial to 'OFF' and stepped out of the bath and onto an orange rug on the floor. Droplets were still clinging to his well-defined arms and abdomen, and he used the white towel to dry himself fully.
His hands fumbled for his spectacles, and when he found them he glanced at the clock on the wall.
"Fuck," he groaned as he read the time.
It was 7:21, and that was MUCH too late to show up for training. He was definitely going to pay for this at the academy. How on earth had he managed to take such a long shower?
~
LATER THAT SUMMER
~
Ginny stepped daintily out of the bathroom, covering her tiny body with an old, fluffy, pink towel. Her hair dripped steadily onto the carpet, leaving a dark trail behind her. She dashed across the hall and to her bedroom, which was one flight of stairs down from the shower.
She turned briskly to shut the door behind her, and was preparing to drop her cover when she heard a scuttle and a crash from behind her.
Ginny whipped herself around to face her only window, clutching the towel in front of her. Her widened eyes soon returned to normal after noticing with relief that the noise had come from an intruding owl.
The bird was hopping on top of her wardrobe, scattering keepsake boxes and old shoes.
"C'mere, then," Ginny cooed, holding her hand out to the owl. He looked up at her cautiously before hopping down onto her arm. She winced slightly as his talons dug into her wet flesh, but the pain was quickly relieved after she untied the attached parchment.
"Thanks," she called as he flew out of her now-open window and out to the horizon. Ginny watched him soar for a few moments before realizing that she was still standing in the middle of her room without any clothes on.
She dropped her towel and walked her naked self over to her pile of newly laundered clothes, and selected a warm weather outfit. Her hands flew behind her to clasp her bra, and she was soon wearing everything but a shirt.
Ginny walked over to her bed where she had laid the mail, attempting to shake her hair dry with the wet towel. She picked up the paper and read the address with delight. Her fingers hurried to unseal the letter and soon her eyes were flying over her best friend's writing.
*
Dear Ginny,
Hey! How was your summer? Mine's been good so far, but Scotland's gotten pretty boring after spending so much time here. What have you been up to lately? Have you gotten your Hogwarts letter yet? I got mine yesterday, and I couldn't wait to tell you the news- I got Head Girl! Can you believe it? Well, we're coming back to England at the end of next week, but I don't suppose I'll get a chance to see you until we're all on the train on September 1st...last time, eh? Mum's calling to me for something, so I have to go. See you soon,
Caroline
*
Head Girl? Ginny couldn't help but feel a little jealous and perhaps a bit left out, but she was happy for her friend nonetheless. At least she would have a few connections once term started; it never hurt to know a Head Student.
She looked longingly around her bedroom, suddenly feeling slightly depressed. School was starting in less than two weeks, and she wasn't looking forward to it. What was the point, anyway? It's not like she was going to do anything with her life that required an education.
"Don't think like that,' she told herself, biting her bottom lip. Ginny was going to get a good education, no matter what her future had in store for her.
'But what are you going to use it for? It's not like you can go and get a great job or anything, now that you're going to have that baby to take care of..."
Why wouldn't that stupid pessimistic voice in her head just shut up?
No, she would get a job. Maybe not a particularly desirable one, but Ginny Weasley would have a career; she was not about to become some mindless housewife.
What were her options? The classes that were required for a profession in journalism did not qualify her for much else. But she still took some of the basic ones, which would make it easier to find an alternate job.
Muggle Studies, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts (naturally), Divination, History of Magic, and Charms.
What could she shape out of that?
Endless amounts of behind-the-desk jobs came to mind, but each one seemed more desperate than the previous. She had just decided that cauldron cleaning would not be suitable for a mother-to-be when she realized there was pretty much only one real option.
Muggle Relations.
It was the only real job without many qualifications. Well, she could either be that or a seamstress, and she'd never been very good at sewing.
Ginny flung herself on top of her bed and glared up at the ceiling. Her fingernails dug into the worn, pink blanket beneath her as she let out a frustrated groan. Oh, the things you had to give up in order to do a good deed.
Suddenly, Harry came into her mind. Ginny reminded herself that Harry's life had been full of nothing but him giving up his happiness at others' expense. He had had more than his fair share of sadness. A melancholy feeling passed over her as she thought about their lives, wishing to god that everything could be different.
She guessed he didn't hear her prayer.
~
A Week or So Later
~
"GINNY! HURRY UP! YOU'LL MISS THE TRAIN!"
There were seven seconds until the Hogwarts Express rolled out of Platform 9 ¾.
Her feet pounded the pavement beneath her, dragging the heavy trunk. She could hear her mother calling "goodbye" from behind, and the wheels creaking below the weight of her luggage. The clock struck 11 a.m. and she could see the steam engine start to move.
"GINNY!"
She looked up to see her best friend Caroline standing in the doorway of the carriage, holding out her hand.
"C'MON!" she shouted, motioning for her friend to run faster.
Ginny sprinted towards the train, leaping up onto it before it gained much momentum. Caroline bent over to help pull in her trunk, and then they both stood there, panting. After a moment of silence, the two of them burst out laughing and rushed to embrace each other.
"I haven't seen you in forever," Caroline squealed, nearly suffocating her. Caroline was easily five inches taller than Ginny, and about seven pounds lighter. Not that Ginny was fat, Caroline was just morbidly skinny. But with her short, brown hair and small pointy nose, she had the eloquent look of a stereotypical adult Parisian woman.
"I know! How was Scotland?" Ginny replied.
"Oh, you know," she said, starting to walk down the corridor, "Boring family excursions and the lot."
"Yes, I do know," Ginny murmured quietly.
Caroline smiled and threw open the nearest compartment, which was occupied by two other people.
"Dear Lord, you two, get a room!" Caroline shrieked jokingly, shielding her eyes.
"We had one, until you guys decided to barge in!" Colin Creevey shot back, giving her a menacing glare.
"Oh, lighten up, Collin," she heard the girl beside him coo, recognizing her at once as Theresa Sauniere.
"Well hello to you too," Ginny joked, plopping into a seat beside Colin. He had grown a lot in the past year, although he still had a slightly pinched appearance.
"Hey," he murmured in response, attention still concentrated on Theresa, who was now talking to Caroline.
"Is that the Head Girl badge?" she asked her, leaning forward to examine the pin.
"Yup," Caroline said smugly, chest swelling slightly in pride. If she had not sworn to never think of him again, Ginny would have been forcibly reminded of her older brother Percy's own arrogance.
"Cool," she whispered, leaning back into her seat.
"Say, aren't you supposed to brief the Prefects on their jobs or something before we get to school?" Colin asked in an attempt to get her out of the compartment.
Caroline's face dropped as she mouthed the word, "Shit!" In one swift motion, she had exited the compartment and left the door ajar behind her. Ginny watched her walk off for a second or two before turning back to Colin and Theresa, who were completely absorbed in each other.
"Well," Ginny said hopefully, trying to break them apart for just a moment. She was unbelievably uncomfortable around the two canoodling lovers.
The next fifteen minutes were pure agony for the small redhead, who tried everything from flipping through the latest edition of Witch Weekly to humming a tune from a popular song to try and ignore the other occupants of the room. It was only when they started hard-core snogging that she decided now was the time to leave them alone, before she accidentally saw something she didn't want to.
She quietly got up and slipped out of the compartment, doing them the courtesy of closing the door after she left. No one else needed to see the two of them getting it on while lying on the floor of the Hogwarts Express.
Ginny walked the hall of the train with no conviction whatsoever. She was just wasting time before Caroline was finished with her meeting and could return with her to their compartment.
But as she reached the front of the train, she heard loud bouts of laughter and shouts coming from the first two compartments. She carefully walked up to them and peered in the first window. There were five students in there, all prefects. They seemed to be playing an intense game of Exploding-Snap, which wasn't going very well for the longhaired boy on the right.
She continued on her search, looking in the next window. Caroline was seated on someone's lap, and two other people occupied the room. Ginny took a small breath and put a smile on her face before pulling the compartment door open.
"There you are!" she said in a jovial voice, looking directly at Caroline. Her friend turned around immediately to look at Ginny, as did the three other people in the room. There was a boy and a girl across from Caroline, who looked very unfamiliar to Ginny. She saw their school ties and knew instantly that both of them were from Ravenclaw.
The boy on which Caroline was sitting turned his head as well, but she received a much more welcoming look from him than from anyone else there. Cursing herself for not recognizing the back of his head, Ginny returned his large grin as he said happily, "Hey, Ginny!"
"How's it going, Liam?" she replied casually, moving in to take a seat next to Caroline.
"Erm, Ginny, this compartment is reserved for student authority figures ONLY," Caroline whispered loudly to her friend, giving her a wide-eyed look. Ginny scanned the room quickly, and almost hit herself upside the head for being so stupid. The two people on the other bench were wearing Prefects' badges, so they must be in sixth year. That was probably why she didn't recognize them. She looked momentarily over at Liam, who was trying to shift behind Caroline in order to hide his Head Boy badge.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said through heavy blushing, "I guess I'll see you all later then."
"Wait a minute," Liam called just as she was about to run out of the doorway in embarrassment, "You can stay."
"Liam-" Caroline interjected, giving him a scolding look. She was acting as if Ginny was like her dirty laundry.
"Oh, lighten up, you."
Caroline raised one eyebrow before biting her lip in silence. Ginny stood awkwardly by the door for a full ten seconds before Liam said in an amused voice, "Well, you ARE going to sit down, aren't you?"
Ginny was grateful for his generosity, and laughed as she said, "Of course."
She once again sat down next to Caroline, who was still perched atop Liam's lap. She saw her dark-haired friend wind her arms around Liam's neck, as if marking her territory. She sure did get pretty weird around boys, especially ones that she was completely taken with, (like Liam).
"So, how was your summer, then?" Liam asked happily, turning to face Ginny completely. This upset Caroline a little bit, seeing as she was now facing the wall.
Liam was, in one word, gorgeous. Keeper and Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, he had very large, strong arms that many girls in Ginny's year fantasized about being wrapped up in. His bright blue eyes almost drew her into them, and she could only think of one person with more mesmerizing irises (the other boy's were green-although she couldn't recall his name at the moment). He had a strong nose and a goofy grin, which combined to make a deadly pairing. His dark blond hair fall carelessly to his ears, and Ginny found herself wanting to reach up and run her fingers through it...
"Ginny?"
Her eyes widened in surprise as Liam pulled her out of her daydream.
"Sorry about that," she muttered, tucking a piece of hair nervously behind her ear.
"S'alright, I was just wondering how your summer was."
Ginny looked back up at him before replying, "Well, it was pretty boring, to tell you the truth."
"You mean you didn't go anywhere?" Caroline asked in a snobbish voice. Ginny hated how distant and bitchy Caroline Elling could be.
"Yeah, I mean, I did go to visit my brother Bill in Egypt for a week, he's got a new girlfriend, but that was about it."
"Was it any fun?" Liam said, sounding mildly interested.
"Not really, I was kind of stuck inside most of the time."
"So no partying with any Egyptian boys, then?" Liam joked, nudging her gently with his elbow.
Ginny playfully pushed it back and said in a dry tone, "As lively as the night life in the desert is, I didn't have much of a chance to go clubbing."
"That's a shame," Liam sympathized, frowning slightly.
"Too right," Caroline added, feeling a bit left out of the conversation, "Ginny could use a little partying. She can get pretty uptight, you know."
Liam laughed at Caroline and shot Ginny a suggestive glance before saying, "Nothing we can't fix, eh?"
Ginny closed her eyes at the implications, and stifled a laugh.
"You throw the party and I'll be there."
"Excellent."
Caroline was watching them with feigned interest, and took this moment to interrupt.
"Liam, sweetie, could you help me with this pin, it's a bit hard to clasp."
He looked at her through a furrowed brow, and then down to the spot where she wore her new badge. It rested just above her left breast, which was now only a few inches from his face. A sly smile played across her lips, but he decided to go along with it.
"Oh, er, sure."
It took nearly five minutes of him fumbling around with her shirt, trying to get the pin to stay straight. Caroline was about to declare it crooked once more before he announced loudly, "I give up. Just wear it like that."
~
Ginny sat in the compartment with them for the remainder of the ride, and didn't notice once that she and Liam were the only ones talking.
"You're Quidditch captain this year?" he asked, eyes sparkling.
"Naturally," Ginny replied in a mock-egotistical voice, "I am the best player on the team."
"I just can't believe Potter picked a girl, is all," Liam joked, knowing that pretending to put Ginny down for being a female was a great way to get a rise out of her.
"You better believe it. And if you don't think I'm any good, than just wait for our first match."
"Ah, so you think you can win then, do you?" Liam replied, playing right into her trap.
"With you as Keeper, Liam O'Connell, even the Giant Squid could both score and win against Ravenclaw," Ginny shot, trying her best to keep a straight face.
"Ouch, that one hurt Weasley, but you as Seeker? I'll admit, Potter was good, but you've got the eyesight of a blind flobberworm."
"Flobberworms can't even see to begin with!" Ginny exclaimed, calling him on his folly.
"Exactly my point, my dear. You couldn't spot the snitch if it flew up to you, hit you on the nose, and held a sign that read, 'I AM THE GOLDEN SNITCH! CATCH ME!'"
Ginny's mouth dropped open in exaggerated disgust as she whispered, "You offend me, Liam O'Connell."
"I do my best."
Caroline cleared her throat and said in a loud voice, "Ginny, we're nearly there. I think you'd better go and change into your school robes."
She looked down at herself and suddenly realized that she was still dressed in the muggle clothes she'd worn to the train station.
"Silly me," she replied, "I'll be right back."
"No need, Gin," Caroline called to her retreating back, "We'll meet you up at the school."
"What?" she asked, peering back into the room.
"Oh, and go check on Colin and Theresa. Make sure no one's conceiving any children, if you know what I mean."
Ginny was about to object when Caroline shooed her off, motioning for the sixth year boy to close the compartment door. 'Bitch,' Ginny whispered to herself, fuming all the way back to the other compartment.
She threw open the sliding door to see Colin and Theresa asleep on the seat, lying beside each other. Thankfully, their clothes were still on. Ginny quickly pulled her robes on before waking them, and once she did she received a very angry stare from Colin for taking him away from his precious girlfriend.
"Almost there," Theresa said loudly, excitement mounting in her voice. Ginny turned to see her staring out the black window, eagerly anticipating their arrival at school. Colin only sighed and turned back to tidying up their numerous candy wrappers before they left.
The train lurched to a stop a minute later, letting the students out in swarms. Ginny scurried out with Colin and Theresa, who were still holding hands.
She saw Caroline's head a few meters away, and she called to her, "OI! CAROLINE!"
But she did not make a move to acknowledge Ginny, who was frantically waving after her.
"CAROLINE!" she yelled.
"CAROLINE!"
She watched helplessly as her friend stepped into the carriage, being helped up by none other than Liam O'Connell. Ginny was about to find another carriage to take up with Colin and Theresa, but Liam spotted her a moment later.
"HEY, GINNY! OVER HERE!"
She was grateful that he had seen her and offered her a chance to ride with them. Carriage space was a limited commodity and very hard to come by. She pushed through the crowd of students, finally making it to the footstep.
"Here," he said, offering her his hand. Ginny clambered into the carriage and turned around to hail Colin and Theresa, who were two steps behind her. Once the five of them were all seated, the thestrals started to pull them towards the castle.
Liam and Colin were sitting on one side, facing the girls. Colin and Theresa's feet were rubbing against each other slowly, and Liam smiled at the two girls across from him.
"Last year, huh?" he mused looking out the window toward the school.
"I know," Caroline replied, "I can't wait to get out of this dump."
"I'm gonna miss it," Liam said seriously.
"Me, too," Ginny added, "But we still have another whole year here."
Liam laughed and said in an upbeat tone, "Well then we'd better make it the best damn year ever."
Ginny could only think of all the secret passageways and rule-breaking aids she knew. Having Fred and George as older brothers had an upside; she overheard everything a troublemaker needed to know. That and the fact that Harry had left her the Marauder's map, (it's not like he needed it anymore).
The carriage stopped abruptly in front of the Grand Entryway, which was lit with numerous torches. Colin ushered Theresa out first, followed by Caroline and Liam. Ginny was the last to exit the ride, but to her surprise Liam was waiting for her right outside the carriage door. He offered his hand to help her down from the high step, and Ginny could practically feel the jealousy radiating from Caroline. Liam didn't seem to notice, however, and he just whispered to her, "Welcome back, Ginny."
~
The first few weeks of school passed by in one giant blur. New classes, old friends, and Quidditch practice kept Ginny busy most of the time. And when she wasn't catching up on late homework in the common room, she was studying for her N.E.W.T.s, (not that it really mattered what kind of score she got on them anyway).
It was the eve of Halloween night. Ginny sat cross-legged before the fire, nose buried deep in a book. The fire cast a glow around her that made her face look both ethereal and slightly tired. Her eyes had trouble focusing on the tiny text.
"What is that you're reading?" Theresa called to her from the couch.
Ginny merely held up the book so her friend could see the title and kept reading. She was completely swept up in the words, which kept taking her on turn after turn. Only one chapter ago she thought Charlotte was the one who was supposed to be Henry's soul mate, but after reading of her affairs in Barcelona, Ginny sided with Yolanda. The Dutch maid had been trying to live chaste, (until she met Jonathon, that is).
Henry had been called off to war, and Charlotte had stayed home with her sister, Yolanda. Charlotte had been mysteriously absent for most of the book, leaving Ginny very curious. Jonathon, the stable boy, had tricked Yolanda into losing her virginity to him, and a nasty trick it had been. She ended up running to Henry for help, who had just returned from Iceland. The two of them shared a romantic cup of cocoa in the living room, only to be interrupted by Charlotte's return.
Her eyes raced across the page, trying to hurry in order to figure out what would happen next.
*
"I'm home," a voice called from the front door, causing both Yolanda and Henry to break their eye contact.
"Yolanda?" the woman shouted again, "Where are you? I've only just gotten back from Pedro's, and I have a lot of stories to—Henry! You're home!"
Charlotte's face changed from secretive to feigned excitement in a matter of milliseconds. She pressed her lips tightly together as Yolanda jumped up from the lumpy sofa. Two mugs of hot cocoa stood steaming beside them, forgotten.
"What was that, dear?" Henry asked coolly, giving her an unreadable look. He usually caught on quickly. His gray eyes shot a feeling of foreboding at his fiancé, who was now doing her best to keep from trembling. "Who is Pedro?" he corrected.
"No one, sugar," Charlotte said sweetly before giving him a polite smile.
*
"Ginny?"
*
Yolanda stood in shock between her sister and Henry, cringing slightly. Her mouth flapped open helplessly, as if she were trying to say something.
Charlotte glared at her before saying, "Don't you dare, Yolanda."
"Don't I dare what?" she challenged, finding her voice, "Don't I dare tell him who Pedro is? Don't I dare tell him one of your famous stories from Barcelona? Don't I dare tell him what you've REALLY been doing these eight long months?"
"I'M WARNING YOU, YOLANDA!"
With that, the young woman spun around to face Henry. She said in a hurried voice, "She's been cheating on you."
*
"Ginny!"
*
Henry's face fell. His bottom lip shivered slightly as he looked up at the skinny brunette before him.
"You've been sleeping with another man?" he asked quietly.
"Three, actually," Charlotte spat, wrinkling her nose in disgust.
"How could you?" he demanded, "HOW COULD YOU? I GAVE YOU A RING, GODDAMNIT!"
*
"VIRGINA WEASLEY!"
Ginny looked up from the novel at Theresa, who was nearly screaming her name at the top of her lungs.
"What's your problem?" she asked, clearly annoyed.
"I just wanted to see if you knew where Caroline was," Theresa said laughingly, "Then you can go back to reading your precious book."
"As a matter of fact, I do not know where she is. Now will you please leave me alone?"
"Gladly."
Ginny gave a 'humph' noise and continued to read.
Present Time
****
"Where are you taking me?" he asked in a curious tone.
"It's a surprise," Caroline told him, gripping his hand tighter and pulling, "Somewhere you've never seen before."
"I doubt it, Ginny's shown me pretty much every inch of this castle. I know my way around."
"LIAM O'CONNELL WILL YOU PLEASE STOP TALKING ABOUT GINNY WEASLEY FOR ONE FREAKING SECOND?"
"Sorry," he murmured, and continued to follow her. They were headed up a narrow staircase, which led to one of the upper levels. The two of them kept climbing for what seemed like ages, and finally Liam knew he'd counted too many floors.
"Caroline, are you sure you're going the right way? The only thing up this high is the Astronomy Tower."
She turned around and gave him a sly smile, and he immediately understood her meaning. Not one to say no to some action from one of the prettiest girls in school, Liam kept walking.
Caroline led him up another flight of twisting stairs, and finally they emerged at the top of the tower. She tugged relentlessly at his fingers, bringing him towards an open broom cupboard.
She twirled around and pushed him inside, closing the door behind her. Her fingers started to run up the sides of his shirt, and she could feel his muscles tense. Perfectly manicured hands started to rub his chest, bringing Caroline even closer than before.
Her head started to lean in, and pretty soon he found himself snogging Caroline Elling in the Astronomy Tower closet.
They were in there for nearly twenty minutes, kissing and fooling around. When she finally pulled away, Caroline whispered to him, "Liam, did you like that?"
"Er, yes," he murmured, not knowing what she was about to say next.
"We could do this more often, you know. If we were a couple."
His eyes widened in disbelief at her nerve. Had she just implied for him to ask her out?
"Oh, yeah, erm, that sounds good."
She laughed and said, "Perfect."
They walked together down to the seventh floor, where Caroline pointed down the hall she had to go to get to Gryffindor Tower.
"A really good boyfriend would walk me there," she said coyly, "and good boyfriends get good rewards."
Liam's face changed slightly, and he quietly followed her to the big portrait of the fat lady. They walked in silence, for it was well past curfew.
When they arrived at the painting, Caroline said, "I guess this is goodnight."
"Yeah, erm, goodnight," he said slowly.
She leaned in quickly to give him a short kiss with just a hint of tongue. Then Caroline spun around and said, "Acromantula."
The fat lady swung the portrait open, and Liam watched as Caroline revealed to him the secret entrance to Gryffindor Tower. He waved hastily and then turned around to run down to the fourth floor, where the Ravenclaw commons were located.
What had just happened?
~
Ginny sat at a table in Charms class between Theresa and Caroline, who were talking animatedly. Ginny was working diligently on charming her teacup to sing, but it wasn't working very well. This spell needed a lot of concentration, but she just wasn't in any kind of shape to perform it. The girls on either side of her were talking about last night, and she couldn't help but join in on the conversation.
"So anyways, he pulled me almost violently into the closet, and I kept telling him I wouldn't do anything with a boy unless he were my boyfriend, so he took out this little daisy and said, 'Caroline, will you go out with me?' It was absolutely the most adorable thing I've ever seen in my life, so of course I said yes. I mean I had to, didn't I?"
Ginny snorted loudly and then said, "You little liar."
Caroline looked quite miffed that one of her best friends would call out her lie.
"What are you talking about? It was the cutest thing anyone's ever done for me!"
"I declare bullshit!" Ginny exclaimed, laughing knowingly.
"How dare you accuse me of making things up?" Caroline nearly shouted, pointing her finger at Ginny's chest.
"BECAUSE LIAM IS FREAKING ALLERGIC TO FLOWERS!"
Caroline's face fell and she stared at her for a long time. Her near-black eyes showed no emotion until she let her mouth curve into a triumphant smile.
"You're just JEALOUS," Caroline snapped.
"Of what?" Ginny scoffed, clearly interested.
"Oh, don't try and play dumb, Ginny. Everyone's seen the way you're always hanging off of him."
"I'M always hanging off of him?"
"You little desperate prat, I almost feel sorry for you. Really, he's been trying to send you the message since the first day of school, but perhaps you haven't gotten it; HE DOESN'T WANT YOU!"
Ginny remained quiet for a moment, staring at the girl in front of her. Caroline Elling: Fair-weather Friend.
"Whatever you say, Caroline," Ginny whispered, gathering up her books. The bell rang five seconds later, signaling the end of the last class of the day. Ginny grabbed her book bag and dashed out of the room, scurrying through the halls. There was only one place she was safe, and she was headed there right now.
She almost sprinted to the Library, which was not too far from the Charms corridor. She soon found herself weaving through the bookcases, looking for a particular corner. Finally, towards the end of the room, she banked left and headed for the end of the row.
Her back hit the wall as she slid down the cold stone, closing her eyes tightly. This was the one place she could be guaranteed refuge. No one ever came in the Magical Skin Deformities section. Not in broad daylight, anyway.
Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes as she fingered the clasp on her bag furiously. What the hell had gotten into Caroline? Making up stories just to get attention. She was almost as bad as Patricia Gunt, the fifth year Slytherin who claimed she'd seen Merlin's ghost in the loo.
Ginny looked around at her surroundings. She remembered the first time she came here.
*
Ginny crept through the corridors, not wanting to make a sound. Being caught out-of-bounds was bad enough, but when it was your third time sneaking out in one week, it almost guaranteed expulsion.
Her bare feet hit the cold stone floor as she turned to face the Library door, whispering, "Alohamora."
The large lock clicked from inside and she pushed in open. The wood was heavy, but she didn't care. Ginny was soon running through the tall bookshelves, whispering frantically.
"Hermione?" she called in a low voice, "HERMIONE!"
A sniffle and a ruffle of parchment could be heard from the left side of the room, and she quickly went off in that direction. A faint glow could be seen from the end of the row, and soon Ginny found herself standing in front of a floating book.
"Did Harry say you could borrow that?" Ginny asked jokingly, giving way to a small smile.
A small head poked out through the opening in the cloak, and Hermione replied, "No, and you best not tell him I took it."
Ginny laughed and stood next to her friend.
"What's wrong?"
Hermione let out a small whimper before saying, "He hates me."
"Who?"
"Your brother."
"No he doesn't."
"Yes, he does," Hermione said firmly.
"You're probably right," Ginny confirmed airily, inspecting her fingernails. The silence that came from the girl beside her was startling.
"Are you serious?" she asked, clutching the invisible cloth to her chest.
"No, you prat. Ron's only been obsessed with you since fourth year. There is no possible way he could hate you."
"What if I told him I hated him, never wanted to see him again, and that I thought he should burn in Hell for all of eternity?"
"Hmm, well now we have a problem."
"See?"
"Hermione, why are you in the library?"
"I needed some time to think."
"In the blemish-books?"
"Ginny," Hermione scolded, "It's the Magical Skin Deformities Section, and I'm only here because no one in their right mind would ever come."
"Good point."
"So do you think he hates me?"
"No."
"Good."
"I'm just curious, but why do you care about my older brother's opinion so much?"
Hermione blushed a bit and then said in a quiet voice, "Promise not to tell anyone?"
Ginny nodded obediently, and Hermione whispered in a hurried voice, "I think I fancy Ron."
"Dear god is that all?"
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, confused.
"That's old news-we all know already. It's kind of obvious."
"Oh my god. Do you think he knows?"
"Hermione, we're talking about Ron here. The only thing he notices is the Quidditch schedule."
"Ginny?"
"Hm?"
"Thanks. For coming here, I mean."
"Well, it was a bit of a stretch, but I can face the books on Pimple Potions for you."
"You're a good friend. You know that, right?"
"Of course I do, Hermione. I'm not completely naïve, unlike my dear older brother."
"Shut it, you."
"Oooh, looks like I've touched a nerve..."
*
"Ginny? Are you okay?"
The voice startled her, and she jumped slightly when she heard it.
"What? Who's there?"
"It's me. Liam."
Her head spun to look at the bookshelf. A very familiar pair of blue eyes peered out from behind a book on proper face washing techniques.
"Oh. Hey."
He said softly, "You know you're missing the Halloween Feast, right?"
Silence.
"Ginny, have you been crying?"
Ginny's face fell in horror as she realized that she had been wearing mascara that day. As if on reflex, she reaching into her bag and pulled out a small green compact mirror. Her fingers wiped the black smudges from beneath her eyes, and then she heard Liam say, "Much better."
Ginny smiled sadly and put the mirror in her lap.
"Now, is there a reason you're in this section? Because your skin looks perfectly clear to me..."
Ginny laughed and said, "It's a long story, but I go here when I need some time to be alone."
"Oh."
She could tell that he thought she meant for him to leave, so she was surprised when he said, "Do you want to talk?"
"Yes."
He sat down on the other side of the bookshelf, proceeding to remove several hardcover books.
"What's wrong?"
Ginny looked at the floor and said, "Caroline."
"Oh."
"She made up this story about what happened between you two last night, well I think she made it up at least, and she was telling everyone who would listen, but I called her lie and-"
"What did she say?"
Ginny swallowed before saying, "She said you pulled her in some closet and gave her a flower and then asked her out really romantically or something."
"What?."
"But I knew she was lying, because you're allergic to flowers, remember last year when I almost had to carry you to the Hospital Wing after you started to get breathing problems during Care of Magical Creatures-"
"Not one of my more glorious moments," he joked.
"I wouldn't think so. But she said you gave her a daisy, and then when I called her a liar, she said I was just a jealous prat who was so desperate that I kept clinging to you and throwing myself at you, and-"
"She said WHAT?"
"...and I just got really quiet, and I'm afraid we're not going to be friends again. She's been acting really weird lately, and I don't know what's going on."
That wasn't the entire truth. She knew what was going on. And his name was Liam O'Connell. What was his problem? Someone that gorgeous shouldn't be allowed to talk to two young girls; there will be fights.
"Ginny, listen to me. Don't pay her any mind, all right? She's just being a bitch."
"Then why are you dating her, if she's such a bitch?"
"I didn't really have any say in it, actually. She kind of just declared us 'together'."
"Oh," Ginny mused.
"But I'd leave her in a second for you."
Her ears heard what he said, but her mind couldn't process it. She looked at him questioningly, wondering if he was speaking the truth.
"If you'd have me, that is."
His baby blue eyes showed some kind of deep emotion, much more than childish attraction.
"Oh, Liam-"
But her sentence was cut short. Suddenly they found themselves leaning in closer towards each other, breath tingling on one another's lips.
When Ginny finally felt the contact, she noted that his lips were probably among the softest, smoothest, most perfect lips in the world. The way he held her mouth against his felt so perfect, and she could almost feel the earth spinning beneath her. He sure knew how to cheer a girl up.
"Wait, Liam, no-" Ginny said, pulling away abruptly.
"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly, "Was that a bad move? I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry-"
"No, Liam, stop. You didn't do anything wrong."
"I didn't?"
"No."
"Oh. Okay," he stopped frowning and looked at her comfortably, "Then what's up?"
"Liam...I can't...WE can't..."
"...be together," he finished sadly.
"It's not like that," she tried, but he wouldn't hear it.
"Then what is it like?" he asked dangerously, the hurt evident on his face.
"I don't have a choice!" she said in a frustrated squeal.
"A choice about what?"
"Liam, I can't be with you. I just can't."
"I see."
"It's not you, I mean, I really wish I could..."
"Whatever, Ginny. See you around."
And with that, Liam stood up and exited the library. Ginny bit her lip and started to sob uncontrollably. Why did this have to happen to her? What had she done to deserve this? Her hand brushed against the mirror in her lap, and she picked it up. Her eyes glared at the green compact, suddenly hating it.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?" she screamed, flinging it across the room. It hit a wooden shelf and broke into six pieces. The bits of shattered glass flew to the ground, making small clinking noises.
It hadn't even been the prophecy-thing. It was just a normal mirror. Ginny had let her emotions take control of her, and she'd mistaken her pocket mirror for Dumbledore's accursed contraption. Now she had nothing in which to check her makeup, as well as seven years of bad luck. Excellent.
~
Liam hardly talked to Ginny for the rest of the season. He never once went out of his way to chat with his old friend, and she noticed that the amount of P.D.A between Caroline and him grew to an unbearable level. On top of studying for N.E.W.T.s and running Quidditch practices, Ginny just didn't have the time or energy to see Liam rubbing up against her now more- friendly friend.
She was positively overjoyed when Christmas Break rolled around. Until she realized that she would be spending it at the Burrow, along with the rest of her family. And Harry.
Someone up there must really hate her.
~
A/N:
This chapter is currently 29 pages long, and it's only half of what I wanted it to be. I suppose I will have to pull back and split this chappie in 2 parts. I will post Part Two next. Trust me, this story is just heating up. YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THE NEXT FEW UPDATES! With that said, put this story on your author alert list so you can tell when the next part comes out. Chapter 7 is in Lily and James' time, and it is a crucial new installment! DO NOT MISS IT!
And now, to respond to a few reviews:
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