Brother and Sister
"It harrows me with fear and wonder."-Shakespeare
Chapter 8
"A sickle for your thoughts?"
Ginny smiled and opened her eyes. She found the familiar eyes that went with the familiar voice. "Well, Ronald Weasley. Putting off homework again?"
Ron gave her a withering look for both using his full name and for poking fun at his less than 100% motivation toward his studies. "You know I don't like it when you use my full name. It's what Mum always uses when she yells at me." Ron sat down by his sister, who, for her part, sat up. She had been lying on her back near the lake, thinking.
Ginny, despite Ron's look, had not finished with teasing him just yet. She looked at him innocently and said, "But you allow Hermione to call you that."
Ron opened his mouth to make a smart retort but then realized he didn't have one. Furthermore, making a reply would only open him to more teasing and he wasn't about to let Ginny side track him this time. He decided to get right to the point. "You've been pretty quiet late, Gin. It's not like you. Are you going to tell me what's going on?"
Ginny immediately thought about trying to put Ron off again but then sighed internally. The truth was she had a lot weighing on her mind. Hermione had tried to talk to her, but Ginny had put her off. "Hermione send you to come talk to me." This wasn't said meanly, or angrily. Ginny knew they all meant well. She loved them all for it, even though a part of her wished they'd go away. But the other part was glad they didn't.
"No. Yes," said Ron changing his mind. He shrugged. "Take your pick. Whichever one makes you the least mad at me. But it doesn't take Hermione to see that something is wrong. Or Harry for that matter."
At Ron's last sentence, Ginny looked up. A startled fear was in her eyes. "Did Harry talk to you? Did he say anything about me? You've got to tell me, Ron!"
"Hey," said Ron, in what he hoped was a calm, soothing voice. "Harry's just worried about you is all." Ron took a deep breath and said softly, meaningfully, "He loves you, Gin."
Ginny's face broke out into a smile but Ron could see a pin prick tear in at least one of her eyes. It was ultimate happiness and sadness all rolled into one. "It's like this whole thing has been a dream, you know. And I'm afraid I'll wake up and find myself in some horrible nightmare."
"You've been thinking about the prophecy haven't you?" asked Ron quietly. Harry had told them a few weeks ago about the prophecy. It had hurt Ron and Hermione that Harry had kept it from them for so long. In a way they understood, and they worried, and they grew ever more protective, ever more close to Harry.
Ginny nodded her head. "At first, you know it made me worried, but even more it made me determined to help Harry fight Voldemort. I still feel that. I can't help shaking the idea that some how I was meant to help Harry, that somehow everything will be all right. But that's when the nagging doubt comes." Ginny looked into her brother's face and this time he could clearly see the tears shining in her eyes. "I don't know what to do. And what if I fail? And what if Harry fails? I can't lose him, Ron. I can't lose any of us. I love him Ron."
Ron pulled his sister closer to him and wrapped her in a big comforting hug. "I know, Ginny. I know." Ron could feel his sister squeeze him in her return hug. "We have each other, Gin. And somehow, we are going to save ourselves. I don't know how, right now, but when the time comes we'll know. And we'll give...em...Voldemort a fight that will never be forgotten."
Ginny let go of her brother and looked at him with a big smile on her face. Ron's heart was lightened by the determined gleam of hope that was now back in Ginny's eyes. This was the Ginny that he knew and loved. His sister with the spark that would never, could never die.
"Now," said Ron standing up, brushing some dirt and grass off his pant legs. He offered his hand to Ginny who gratefully accepted the help up. "I've got a girlfriend and a best friend who are anxious to know that you are all right. So I think it best if we head back."
Ginny smiled and nodded.
The two were heading back to the castle when Ron gently admonished and joking lightly said, "Now remember you need to talk to us when you worried or whatever. None of this keeping stuff to yourself, okay? You know you are always welcomed to talk to me or Hermione, but please talk to Harry, okay? He goes mental when he thinks anything is wrong with you and then he proceeds to make me mental with nagging questions about you."
"Yes, brother dear," Ginny said jokingly and yet serious.
As they neared the castle, they both could see Harry waiting by the side door, anxious, pacing. Ginny, after a light, grateful squeeze to her brother's arm, rushed forward. She threw her arms around a very elated and relieved Harry Potter, who in turn, hugged her back.
Ron stopped and watched the two of them from a distance. He felt the hairs on his arm rise and shivered. For some inexplicable reason he felt as if all the happiness had suddenly been sucked right out of him. He looked around, knowing there were no dementors present, and yet he looked just the same. What did those muggles called that feeling? Someone walking over someone's grave? Ron turned his gaze back to Harry and Ginny who were whispering, smiling shyly at one another. He didn't know why he felt just then that the four of them, their happiness, was at its height and that the winter of discontent would soon be upon them. Ron quickly left the two of them alone and went in search of Hermione, knowing she could make his heart lighter or, at the very least, share his burden.
"It harrows me with fear and wonder."-Shakespeare
Chapter 8
"A sickle for your thoughts?"
Ginny smiled and opened her eyes. She found the familiar eyes that went with the familiar voice. "Well, Ronald Weasley. Putting off homework again?"
Ron gave her a withering look for both using his full name and for poking fun at his less than 100% motivation toward his studies. "You know I don't like it when you use my full name. It's what Mum always uses when she yells at me." Ron sat down by his sister, who, for her part, sat up. She had been lying on her back near the lake, thinking.
Ginny, despite Ron's look, had not finished with teasing him just yet. She looked at him innocently and said, "But you allow Hermione to call you that."
Ron opened his mouth to make a smart retort but then realized he didn't have one. Furthermore, making a reply would only open him to more teasing and he wasn't about to let Ginny side track him this time. He decided to get right to the point. "You've been pretty quiet late, Gin. It's not like you. Are you going to tell me what's going on?"
Ginny immediately thought about trying to put Ron off again but then sighed internally. The truth was she had a lot weighing on her mind. Hermione had tried to talk to her, but Ginny had put her off. "Hermione send you to come talk to me." This wasn't said meanly, or angrily. Ginny knew they all meant well. She loved them all for it, even though a part of her wished they'd go away. But the other part was glad they didn't.
"No. Yes," said Ron changing his mind. He shrugged. "Take your pick. Whichever one makes you the least mad at me. But it doesn't take Hermione to see that something is wrong. Or Harry for that matter."
At Ron's last sentence, Ginny looked up. A startled fear was in her eyes. "Did Harry talk to you? Did he say anything about me? You've got to tell me, Ron!"
"Hey," said Ron, in what he hoped was a calm, soothing voice. "Harry's just worried about you is all." Ron took a deep breath and said softly, meaningfully, "He loves you, Gin."
Ginny's face broke out into a smile but Ron could see a pin prick tear in at least one of her eyes. It was ultimate happiness and sadness all rolled into one. "It's like this whole thing has been a dream, you know. And I'm afraid I'll wake up and find myself in some horrible nightmare."
"You've been thinking about the prophecy haven't you?" asked Ron quietly. Harry had told them a few weeks ago about the prophecy. It had hurt Ron and Hermione that Harry had kept it from them for so long. In a way they understood, and they worried, and they grew ever more protective, ever more close to Harry.
Ginny nodded her head. "At first, you know it made me worried, but even more it made me determined to help Harry fight Voldemort. I still feel that. I can't help shaking the idea that some how I was meant to help Harry, that somehow everything will be all right. But that's when the nagging doubt comes." Ginny looked into her brother's face and this time he could clearly see the tears shining in her eyes. "I don't know what to do. And what if I fail? And what if Harry fails? I can't lose him, Ron. I can't lose any of us. I love him Ron."
Ron pulled his sister closer to him and wrapped her in a big comforting hug. "I know, Ginny. I know." Ron could feel his sister squeeze him in her return hug. "We have each other, Gin. And somehow, we are going to save ourselves. I don't know how, right now, but when the time comes we'll know. And we'll give...em...Voldemort a fight that will never be forgotten."
Ginny let go of her brother and looked at him with a big smile on her face. Ron's heart was lightened by the determined gleam of hope that was now back in Ginny's eyes. This was the Ginny that he knew and loved. His sister with the spark that would never, could never die.
"Now," said Ron standing up, brushing some dirt and grass off his pant legs. He offered his hand to Ginny who gratefully accepted the help up. "I've got a girlfriend and a best friend who are anxious to know that you are all right. So I think it best if we head back."
Ginny smiled and nodded.
The two were heading back to the castle when Ron gently admonished and joking lightly said, "Now remember you need to talk to us when you worried or whatever. None of this keeping stuff to yourself, okay? You know you are always welcomed to talk to me or Hermione, but please talk to Harry, okay? He goes mental when he thinks anything is wrong with you and then he proceeds to make me mental with nagging questions about you."
"Yes, brother dear," Ginny said jokingly and yet serious.
As they neared the castle, they both could see Harry waiting by the side door, anxious, pacing. Ginny, after a light, grateful squeeze to her brother's arm, rushed forward. She threw her arms around a very elated and relieved Harry Potter, who in turn, hugged her back.
Ron stopped and watched the two of them from a distance. He felt the hairs on his arm rise and shivered. For some inexplicable reason he felt as if all the happiness had suddenly been sucked right out of him. He looked around, knowing there were no dementors present, and yet he looked just the same. What did those muggles called that feeling? Someone walking over someone's grave? Ron turned his gaze back to Harry and Ginny who were whispering, smiling shyly at one another. He didn't know why he felt just then that the four of them, their happiness, was at its height and that the winter of discontent would soon be upon them. Ron quickly left the two of them alone and went in search of Hermione, knowing she could make his heart lighter or, at the very least, share his burden.