A/N: READ PREVIOUS CHAP BEFORE CONTINUING, THANKS!
After admitting himself into Ginny's room from the window, the stranger looked around and affirmed that no other person was inside the room. He crept to the door and whispered the incantation to a silence and locking charm. He then hovered over Ginny's sleeping form. He contemplated leaving her to her rest; he enjoyed watching her. She was resting on her back, hair fanned about her pillow. Her slow, steady breathing enveloped his imagination and slowed his realization that she belonged to Harry Potter, that unbearable git.
He removed his wand from the insides of his cloak and placed it against the arm which bared the mark of his Lord. He tapped her arm twice with the wand, caused it to emit red sparks that traveled up her body and spread to her finger tips on the opposite arm. She sat up with a shriek and faced the stranger with fire in her eyes.
"What the bloody hell was that for?" She said in a harsh whisper.
"You were sleeping, love." He reached out and brushed his gloved thumb across her plump pink lips, leaving the velvet covered fingers to tickle at her cheek. She shuddered and fell under his spell, literally. She felt airy again. She almost had no control of herself when he did this to her.
"Why are you here?" she whispered softly, her only tone of voice under this condition.
"You're working to slow. He won't keep waiting, love, he won't."
"But I can't give him up," she wined. "He loves me."
The stranger rolled his eyes and intensified his tone. "Virginia, you can't keep taking your time like this. He needs your assistance."
"I'll try."
"You're not trying hard enough."
He removed her from his spell, waving his hand before her face, leaving her feeling dizzy and hung-over. He rose to leave and dropped a heavy pouch on the bed beside her.
"A hundred more galleons. Keep up the good work, move quickly. I'll be back in three days time if everything goes to plan." She stood and faced him with internal fire returning its flame in her eyes.
"The money can't make me do anything." Ginny spat.
"That's what you said last time."
Hermione leaned against Ron's bedroom door and cried for the second time to today. She pushed against it slowly peeking around the door to find both young men awake and sitting in silence. They looked up when she opened the door and immediately they rose and went to comfort her.
"So, I take it you two made up?" Hermione whispered much after she entered the room and sat with her friends in silence and tried to figure themselves what the hell was going on inside the house.
"I guess." Harry shrugged. "Hermione, have you noticed anything different about Ginny?"
"Only that she's lost her mind." Hermione sat on the floor and pulled her knees to her chest. "She told me things. I have no idea if they're true, I dunno if I can trust her anymore."
Ron and Harry slid down off the bed to join her on the floor.
"Well," Ron began, "What did you hear?"
Hermione retold Ginny's story in her exact words leaving out the part about the dark mark. When she was finished, Harry and Ron both stared at her mouth agape.
"Are you joking?" Harry said, laughing slightly. "So, that's what I did?" he laughed at looked at the ceiling. "She's losing her touch."
"I am scared, guys." Hermione whispered. "I don't know what to believe anymore."
Ron slipped a protective arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. Again they sat in silence for a while staring at each other and studying the walls. Suddenly, a thud from the room beside them vibrated through the room jolting Harry, Ron and Hermione's attention to the wall.
"Ginny's Room." Ron whispered. The three of them got up and heard harsh whispers through the wall. No one could make out what was being said. A quiet sob and a whimper made them jump. Ron's fists tightened and he started for the door.
"Ron," Hermione whispered, grabbing his arm. "Where are you going?"
"Someone's in there with her." He said.
"But we don't know if it's safe!"
"I don't care," he said, reaching for the doorknob. "She's my sister."
Author's Note: Okay, I know this isn't exactly fair, 2 cliffs in a row but, it keeps you coming back. I noticed that, as far as Ginny's whole name is concerned I'm WRONG. In other words it's not Virginia, it's Ginerva. I know Madame J.K. Rowling cleared that up but, if it's not in the book its up for our imaginations. Technically, I'm not feeling "Ginerva". RR, flames more than welcome.
