Keep Your Enemies Closer

by juxtaposed

The battles keep getting bigger, the losses more profound. When the ultimate loss happens, everything changes. Everyone changes. Harry and Ginny now find themselves dealing with an old friend - and a new enemy. But how do you defend yourself against someone who knows everything about you? Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

also

Hermione reminisces. Harry has mental arguments. Ginny just has issues.

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer applies, blah blah blah, I don't own anything or anyone you recognize. Unless, of course, you recognize something or someone I do. No lawsuits or paperwork, please.

Chapter Seven: Waking Up With The Enemy In Your Best Friend's Head

"Ginny...Ginny..."

Ginny stirred sleepily at the sound of her name being mumbled. "Hmm? Whatsit? I'm sleeping..." she muttered, about to bury her face back into her pillow when she suddenly realized it was the one talking. Except, of course, her pillow wasn't really a pillow. It was a boy. The Boy-Who-Lived. Her best friend. Harry. She started as Harry suddenly let out a moan and a cry. My, my, I wonder what kind of dreams he's having, she thought with a smirk, her cheeks flushing with the very idea of it. Then Harry called out her name again. Okay, is he having those kind of dreams...about me? Or...

"Voldemort," Harry hissed lowly. Oh. Probably not those kind of dreams, then. Wait a minute. Did he say Voldemort ?

"Harry!" She grabbed at him and shook him slightly. "Harry, wake up! Harry!"

"Ow! Geroff, you bloody bast - Ginny?" Harry thrashed about for a second, pushing her away, then suddenly woke up and blinked at her. "Ginny!"

"Yes, I've been hearing that quite a bit." Ginny remarked dryly. Harry blinked again in confusion. "Never mind," she said, before he could ask. "Did you have a dream...or nightmare, rather, about Voldemort?"

"Yeah." Harry yawned. Midway, he paused, then closed his mouth as he turned to her. "Wait, how did you know?"

She rolled her eyes. "You were talking in your sleep."

A faint blush crept to his cheeks. Or was that just her imagination? He suddenly seemed a little nervous, too. Hmm. "Er, I...what did you hear me say?" he finally asked, after hemming and hawing and clearing his throat in many different manners. And yes, that was definitely a blush. So she wasn't imagining it after all. Hmm. She shrugged.

"Not much. You said my name a couple of times, then made some noises, then went 'Voldemort'. And then I woke you up."

"Oh. Thanks." Ginny waited. After a few minutes, Harry blinked at her. "What?" She just gave him a look. "What? Oh. You want me to talk about the dream? Well, er...not much. I didn't really see anything. I was just in the middle of a nice dream, then suddenly everything just started to hurt." With that, he yawned again. "Well, then. Good night."

"Harry!" She frowned chastisingly as Harry just grunted and firmly kept his eyes shut and his head turned away from her, very obviously signaling that he didn't want to pursue the topic any more, despite the fact that it ought to be pursued. And rather thoroughly, in fact, she thought. She let out a groan and rolled her eyes as she realized that Harry would not respond at all to her as long as she was thinking of asking him about his dream.

How on Earth had Ron dealt with all this? she wondered. She was beginning to understand why Ron always seemed so frustrated with Harry when it came to his nightmares. After all, sharing a room with him for seven years, and having to listen to Harry insist he was fine when he obviously wasn't, but not being able to push the subject because then Harry would get all withdrawn and sullen...Ginny suddenly thought that perhaps, just perhaps, her brother had been too patient with Harry. That would be a first, she thought sardonically. She was his sister, and had known him for sixteen years, and she had always had had to deal with Ron's infamous short fuse. She had been around when he had gone through his 'accidental magic' phase - unfortunately. With his temper, he had blown up countless lamps and bowls and, on one occasion, a very nice lemon trifle pudding. He had also set fire to his bed, the fireplace - ironically enough, and, on one occasion, George. And he had also floated - on countless occasions, she regretted remembering, Ginny herself. All completely unintentional, of course, but that didn't make it unhappen.

She suddenly felt a deep, painful aching in her heart as she thought about Ron. She was stricken by how terribly much she really missed him. Like, really missed him. Sure, intellectually, she had known for a while now. She had known for the past year that she missed him. And she had known that there was a huge void in her heart, her life, where Ron had always been. But this was the first time she really knew it. This was the first time she felt in her heart how much she missed her brother. Missed the way he would laugh at the stupidest things. Missed the way he had always been so protective. Missed the way he turned into a complete bumbling prat whenever Hermione was around, but was still so clueless as to what it meant. Missed the way he used to try and keep things from her, only to eventually slip up and reveal everything to her. Missed the conversations that they used to have, in the middle of the night, when they couldn't sleep, and would talk about anything and everything.

It hadn't always been like that. When they were young, sure, they were really close and spent all their time running around the yard together, having prank wars with the twins. Then Ron had gone off to Hogwarts, and for a year, she was suddenly alone. She had missed Ron so badly, she remembered. Nothing like it was now, but still, she had missed him. When he left, she had gone to the station and seen Harry, who she had thought was just about the cutest guy she'd ever laid eyes on. And while he was at school, he had owled her a few times, and told her that things were crazy. She had always replied with ardent fervuor. But, slowly, he got busier and his owls became less frequent. And she had been quite sad, she remembered. She had wandered around the house, causing mischief on behalf of Fred and George, driving her mother insane. And then they had all come home. And she had been ecstatic; she had plagued Ron with questions all summer about his adventures with Harry and Hermione. And he had been eager to relate his exploits, and they seemed to be close again.

Then it had been her year to attend Hogwarts. All his time was spent with Harry and Hermione, and although they were always nice to her, it wasn't the same anymore. She was out of the loop, whenever the three of them decided to do anything. So she had turned to Tom Riddle, a very nice boy whose journal she had discovered. He had kept her company, he had listened to her, he had become a good friend and confidante, much like Ron had been when they were young. Sure, in the end he had grown up to become one of the cruelest, most evil beings in the wizarding world, but as a boy, he had been nice. Well, except for leading her down to the Chamber of Secrets to her death. That was not such a nice thing for him to have done. But then Harry had come and saved her, saved everyone, again. And Ron had been mortified at the fact that he had ignored her so badly that she had had to turn to a force of evil for companionship, and lavished attention - sometimes very much unappreciated - on her for the whole summer.

She didn't know what to expect for her second year, whether he would forget about her again when he was back in Hogwarts with Harry and Hermione. She didn't need him to spend every minute with her, obviously, but she just wanted him to pay a little attention to her sometimes, ask her how her life was. And of course, there was Harry, who she thought seemed to grow more handsome each passing year. But she knew it wasn't a good idea to pursue him, so she had declared herself "over" him halfway through the year, even if she never actually said it to him, and even if it wasn't all that true. Then there was Hermione, who, being the only girl among boys, understood being the only girl among boys, and therefore understood Ginny pretty well. She had eventually become somewhat of a sister and best friend to Ginny.

Slowly, over the years, as Voldemort's constant rise threatened Harry, she became embroiled in the whole shenanigan of facing evil, and living to tell the tale. She grew closer to Ron, Harry and Hermione, helping them in the battles they always managed to find themselves involved in, and as her powers grew stronger, taking part in the fights that went down. And with each passing year, she became a bigger and bigger part in the duel between good and evil, since as every year drew to a close, there would definitely be a big showdown.

You'd think Voldemort would stop being so damned predictable, she couldn't help thinking, rather sardonically. He might as well be telling Harry to lay back and take it easy until April rolls around, because that's really the only significant battle and all. That's right, lad, don't fret till spring comes about. She couldn't help giggling at the mental projection of Voldemort saying something so...paternal. Harry would faint in shock. Speaking of which...she suddenly realized that she had left Harry alone for a good ten minutes now, and to her, that was more than enough.

"Harry..." She nudged the raven-haired boy. Nothing. She harrumphed. "Harry, I know you're awake, I know you can hear me, and I know that you know that I'm pretty damn good with hexes, which I'm going to cast if you don't turn around, open your eyes and talk to me right now."

He let out an almighty groan and turned his head to face her. "What is it?" he growled sleepily.

"Tell me your dream," she said simply, as if offering him a cookie. All the while giving him her most innocent - and dangerous - look, complete with wide eyes and smile, even as he stared harshly at her, muttering under his breath about her being impossible. As an idea popped into her head, Ginny ignored him, waved her hand, and suddenly a small package appeared in front of her. She tore it open, and offered it to him with that same bright smile. "Cookie?"

He kept glowering even as he took a bite out of one. "You're impossible."

She smiled sweetly. "I know."

AN: Hmm, I'm not all that pleased with this particular chapter - it ran away from me a little, and refused to be reined in completely. Oh well. You guys tell me what you think. Yes, you know what's coming - review, please?

AN: And as usual, a big thank you to my favorite reviewer, tiggieotoo - you asked some very good questions, sorry I cant answer all of them for you yet - it'd be a spoiler of sorts for my story - though I think you should have gotten a hint for the 'Ron' mystery in this chapter. And, obviously, Ginny's still well and good for now. Thanks for reviewing again, do ya want another cookie? Cause you and dugong both get one!