Disclaimer: You know the drill
Chapter 4
After an uneventful Care of Magical Creatures, and an equally dull Transfiguration class, Harry and Ron headed off to Divination, while Hermione went to Arithmancy.
Harry and Ron climbed the ladder to Professor Trelawney's classroom, where they were overwhelmed by the heat and familiar sleep-inducing perfume. Ron was snoring loudly, and Harry was barely awake when Professor Trelawney stopped suddenly at Harry and Ron's table, startling them both awake.
"A vision!" Professor Trelawney gasped excitedly. Lavender and Parvati squealed with excitement from the other side of the room. "You!" Professor Trelawney pointed to Harry, "In a few days time, you will be leaving us!" Professor Trelawney said shaking a bit for the effect. Ron snickered into his sleeve, and Harry stomped on Ron's foot under the table, trying to shut him up. When Professor Trelawney walked away, Ron turned to Harry and whispered in his ear.
"She's mental, that one. What a phony old bat." He said.
"Really, according to her I should have died and come back about seven thousand times by now. Looks like it'll be happening once more." Harry said sarcastically. Divination ended with little more excitement, and Harry and Ron headed to the Great Hall to meet Hermione and Ginny for lunch.
"How was Divination?" Hermione asked through her snickering, "I suppose Trelawney is still an old fraud?" She said still laughing at them. She couldn't believe they continued to waste their time in that class.
"Oh the usual, Harry's supposed to die." Ron said grinning. All four of them burst out laughing.
"How many times is that now, Harry?" Ginny asked through her laughing.
"I don't know. I stopped counting after three or four. In other words, after the first week of Divination back in third year." Harry replied. They all continued to laugh through lunch.
After lunch, Ron and Ginny headed back to Gryffindor tower to get their books while Harry and Hermione walked to Charms together.
"Harry, don't think I've gone mad or anything, but I still worry every time that old fraud predicts your death." Hermione said.
"Honestly, so do I, especially after I found out she has made a true prediction or two in her time, and they were big ones." Harry responded. Harry had told his friends about the prophecy during his sixth year, and of course they knew about Peter Pettigrew's return during third year.
"That's exactly it, no matter how phony Trelawney is, there's always the reality that V-Voldemort is after you." Hermione said under her breath, barely audible.
"Hermione, I can't believe you still can hardly say his name." Harry said shaking his head.
"I'm not the one with the ability to defeat him, he actually poses a threat to some of us." Hermione joked.
"Alright, I get the hint I won't bother you about it anymore." Harry said as they opened the door to Professor Flitwick's classroom. Harry sat down next to Ron, and Hermione sat behind them, next to Neville.
The rest of the day was uneventful until the Gryffindor quidditch team had practice. At one point, Ron had been reaching out to stop the quaffle, when a bludger got away from the beaters, Dean and Seamus, they had nothing on Fred and George, but they were what the team had to work with. The runaway bludger hit Ron hard on the hip as he reached for the quaffle. He made the save, but the bludger had smashed his hipbone. Hermione, Harry, and Ginny were now gathered around his bed in the hospital wing.
"You're in for a rough night, Mr. Weasley." Madam Pomfrey said while measuring out some potions. "I think it would be best if you took a sleeping draught to make sure you get enough rest." She continued, handing him a goblet. Ron drank it all, and then made a disgusted face. Harry laughed; he knew all too well how unpleasant sleeping potions were. Ron was soon dead to the world, and Madame Pomfrey told Harry, Hermione, and Ginny that visiting hours were over and sent them back to Gryffindor Tower.
"I really hope Ron's okay." Hermione said suddenly, breaking the silence.
"I know, that accident looked really painful." Harry said. A second later, Harry's face broke into a mischievous grin. "Hermione, I think I'm going to get my invisibility cloak and go visit Ron tonight, want to come?"
"Harry, that's a great idea!" She turned to ask Ginny if she wanted to come as well, but Ginny had already gone up to bed. Harry ran up the stairs to his dormitory, and seconds later returned with the beautiful silvery cloak folded in his hands. He threw it over Hermione and himself, and they headed toward the hospital wing. Once they arrived, they sat down in chairs next to Ron's bed and stayed there silently, both hoping Ron was sleeping well.
After about an hour in the hospital wing, Harry decided he should go get some sleep. He turned to Hermione, only to see that she had fallen asleep, and was now sitting in her chair, bent over the bed, with her head on Ron's chest. Harry smiled to himself as he covered her with the invisibility cloak to make sure Madame Pomfrey wouldn't catch her. He then pulled the Marauder's Map out of his pocket, and back to Gryffindor Tower, making sure to avoid Filch and his cat. When he walked through the portrait hole and into the common room, he sat on an overstuffed couch in front of the fire, planning to warm up for a few minutes before heading up to bed. It was dreadfully cold in the castle at night. Without meaning to, Harry fell asleep on the couch.
Around three o'clock in the morning, Harry awoke as he felt the end of the couch near his feat sink. He looked up to see Ginny staring at the fire, with a terrified look on her face. She was ghostly white, and her hair was sticking to her forehead and the sides of her face from perspiration.
"Ginny?" Harry questioned, surprised to see her in the common room at this hour.
"Oh, Harry, I'm sorry I was trying not to wake you." She replied, having jumped a bit when she heard his voice.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked.
"Fine, fine." Ginny assured him.
"You don't look fine, and if you were you wouldn't be hanging around the common room at this hour." Harry said, trying to coax it out of her.
"I just had a nightmare that's all." Ginny sighed.
"About what?" Harry inquired.
"Tom." Ginny replied, her voice cracked a little, but she was obviously trying not to seem afraid.
"I have nightmares about him all the time, I know how that feels." Said Harry.
"Yours must be a million times worse, I mean with your parents and all." Ginny immediately wished she could take it back, she didn't want to make him think about his parents and get upset for no reason.
"I think any dream about him is awful." Harry said, trying to be comforting, but in reality he felt that his were much worse. After a long silence, Harry spoke again. "Why do you call him Tom? Why not You-Know- Who or Voldemort?" Harry asked. He had always wondered about this, but never bothered to ask.
"It's because, through that diary, I talked to him a lot and got to know him. I got to know him as Tom, sixteen year old Tom Riddle, before he became the darkest wizard in the world." Ginny said, her voice cracking as she remembered her first year. She could feel tears coming on, and she wanted to cry, but she fought the tears back. Crying made her feel weak. After hearing this, Harry realized that maybe her dreams where just as bad as his, after all she had been possessed by Voldemort.
"You thought of him as a friend, didn't you?" Harry asked.
"I did. When I talked to him through the diary he seemed so nice, and so understanding." Ginny said, having more trouble fighting her tears. She hadn't thought about, or talked about the diary since it happened. Quite the contrary, she had tried to forget all about it.
"Ginny, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up." Harry said. Harry was still lying on his side with Ginny sitting on the end of the couch by his feet. He was amazed at how well she could prevent herself from crying, and at the same time wondering why she so adamantly refused to cry. Harry was too tired for analytical thinking, and quickly drifted off to sleep. After a few minutes, Ginny spoke again.
"I don't think I want to go back up to my dormitory tonight." Ginny said, no longer sounding like she might cry. "I'm going to stay down here by the fire, it feels safer." She looked down at Harry and noticed that he was asleep. She laughed lightly and said jokingly, "Am I really that boring?" She lay down on the couch so that she was wedged between Harry and the back of the couch, now feeling very secure. She summoned a blanket and covered Harry and herself with it. Unfortunately, the noise had woken Harry up; he started to get up when Ginny stopped him.
"Do you think you could stay down here? I'm still kind of scared." Ginny said.
"Er...I guess." Harry said.
"Normally I bother one of my brothers when I get scared but Ron is in the hospital wing. Thanks for staying, Harry." Ginny said sincerely.
"No problem, just please stop talking and let me sleep." He said jokingly, although he was partially serious.
"Sorry." Ginny whispered as she lay down again, her forehead resting on his upper back. Harry reached behind him and took Ginny's hand, holding it in his own.
"There's nothing to worry about, anyone who would take Wormtail as his right-hand man can't really be all that powerful." Harry said. Ginny giggled at this, and after a long silence she spoke again.
"We sure do have a lot in common when it comes to dreams, don't we?" No answer. Harry had fallen asleep again. With nothing else left to do, Ginny closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
AN: Look how quickly I got the next chapter up! They'll be going back in time soon...but I'm not telling how soon. And as you can see this will have Ron/Hermione too, but it's mainly Harry/Ginny, I don't think I've mentioned that yet. Please review! Constructive criticism=appreciated. Flaming=crap. Thanks for reading!
Chapter 4
After an uneventful Care of Magical Creatures, and an equally dull Transfiguration class, Harry and Ron headed off to Divination, while Hermione went to Arithmancy.
Harry and Ron climbed the ladder to Professor Trelawney's classroom, where they were overwhelmed by the heat and familiar sleep-inducing perfume. Ron was snoring loudly, and Harry was barely awake when Professor Trelawney stopped suddenly at Harry and Ron's table, startling them both awake.
"A vision!" Professor Trelawney gasped excitedly. Lavender and Parvati squealed with excitement from the other side of the room. "You!" Professor Trelawney pointed to Harry, "In a few days time, you will be leaving us!" Professor Trelawney said shaking a bit for the effect. Ron snickered into his sleeve, and Harry stomped on Ron's foot under the table, trying to shut him up. When Professor Trelawney walked away, Ron turned to Harry and whispered in his ear.
"She's mental, that one. What a phony old bat." He said.
"Really, according to her I should have died and come back about seven thousand times by now. Looks like it'll be happening once more." Harry said sarcastically. Divination ended with little more excitement, and Harry and Ron headed to the Great Hall to meet Hermione and Ginny for lunch.
"How was Divination?" Hermione asked through her snickering, "I suppose Trelawney is still an old fraud?" She said still laughing at them. She couldn't believe they continued to waste their time in that class.
"Oh the usual, Harry's supposed to die." Ron said grinning. All four of them burst out laughing.
"How many times is that now, Harry?" Ginny asked through her laughing.
"I don't know. I stopped counting after three or four. In other words, after the first week of Divination back in third year." Harry replied. They all continued to laugh through lunch.
After lunch, Ron and Ginny headed back to Gryffindor tower to get their books while Harry and Hermione walked to Charms together.
"Harry, don't think I've gone mad or anything, but I still worry every time that old fraud predicts your death." Hermione said.
"Honestly, so do I, especially after I found out she has made a true prediction or two in her time, and they were big ones." Harry responded. Harry had told his friends about the prophecy during his sixth year, and of course they knew about Peter Pettigrew's return during third year.
"That's exactly it, no matter how phony Trelawney is, there's always the reality that V-Voldemort is after you." Hermione said under her breath, barely audible.
"Hermione, I can't believe you still can hardly say his name." Harry said shaking his head.
"I'm not the one with the ability to defeat him, he actually poses a threat to some of us." Hermione joked.
"Alright, I get the hint I won't bother you about it anymore." Harry said as they opened the door to Professor Flitwick's classroom. Harry sat down next to Ron, and Hermione sat behind them, next to Neville.
The rest of the day was uneventful until the Gryffindor quidditch team had practice. At one point, Ron had been reaching out to stop the quaffle, when a bludger got away from the beaters, Dean and Seamus, they had nothing on Fred and George, but they were what the team had to work with. The runaway bludger hit Ron hard on the hip as he reached for the quaffle. He made the save, but the bludger had smashed his hipbone. Hermione, Harry, and Ginny were now gathered around his bed in the hospital wing.
"You're in for a rough night, Mr. Weasley." Madam Pomfrey said while measuring out some potions. "I think it would be best if you took a sleeping draught to make sure you get enough rest." She continued, handing him a goblet. Ron drank it all, and then made a disgusted face. Harry laughed; he knew all too well how unpleasant sleeping potions were. Ron was soon dead to the world, and Madame Pomfrey told Harry, Hermione, and Ginny that visiting hours were over and sent them back to Gryffindor Tower.
"I really hope Ron's okay." Hermione said suddenly, breaking the silence.
"I know, that accident looked really painful." Harry said. A second later, Harry's face broke into a mischievous grin. "Hermione, I think I'm going to get my invisibility cloak and go visit Ron tonight, want to come?"
"Harry, that's a great idea!" She turned to ask Ginny if she wanted to come as well, but Ginny had already gone up to bed. Harry ran up the stairs to his dormitory, and seconds later returned with the beautiful silvery cloak folded in his hands. He threw it over Hermione and himself, and they headed toward the hospital wing. Once they arrived, they sat down in chairs next to Ron's bed and stayed there silently, both hoping Ron was sleeping well.
After about an hour in the hospital wing, Harry decided he should go get some sleep. He turned to Hermione, only to see that she had fallen asleep, and was now sitting in her chair, bent over the bed, with her head on Ron's chest. Harry smiled to himself as he covered her with the invisibility cloak to make sure Madame Pomfrey wouldn't catch her. He then pulled the Marauder's Map out of his pocket, and back to Gryffindor Tower, making sure to avoid Filch and his cat. When he walked through the portrait hole and into the common room, he sat on an overstuffed couch in front of the fire, planning to warm up for a few minutes before heading up to bed. It was dreadfully cold in the castle at night. Without meaning to, Harry fell asleep on the couch.
Around three o'clock in the morning, Harry awoke as he felt the end of the couch near his feat sink. He looked up to see Ginny staring at the fire, with a terrified look on her face. She was ghostly white, and her hair was sticking to her forehead and the sides of her face from perspiration.
"Ginny?" Harry questioned, surprised to see her in the common room at this hour.
"Oh, Harry, I'm sorry I was trying not to wake you." She replied, having jumped a bit when she heard his voice.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked.
"Fine, fine." Ginny assured him.
"You don't look fine, and if you were you wouldn't be hanging around the common room at this hour." Harry said, trying to coax it out of her.
"I just had a nightmare that's all." Ginny sighed.
"About what?" Harry inquired.
"Tom." Ginny replied, her voice cracked a little, but she was obviously trying not to seem afraid.
"I have nightmares about him all the time, I know how that feels." Said Harry.
"Yours must be a million times worse, I mean with your parents and all." Ginny immediately wished she could take it back, she didn't want to make him think about his parents and get upset for no reason.
"I think any dream about him is awful." Harry said, trying to be comforting, but in reality he felt that his were much worse. After a long silence, Harry spoke again. "Why do you call him Tom? Why not You-Know- Who or Voldemort?" Harry asked. He had always wondered about this, but never bothered to ask.
"It's because, through that diary, I talked to him a lot and got to know him. I got to know him as Tom, sixteen year old Tom Riddle, before he became the darkest wizard in the world." Ginny said, her voice cracking as she remembered her first year. She could feel tears coming on, and she wanted to cry, but she fought the tears back. Crying made her feel weak. After hearing this, Harry realized that maybe her dreams where just as bad as his, after all she had been possessed by Voldemort.
"You thought of him as a friend, didn't you?" Harry asked.
"I did. When I talked to him through the diary he seemed so nice, and so understanding." Ginny said, having more trouble fighting her tears. She hadn't thought about, or talked about the diary since it happened. Quite the contrary, she had tried to forget all about it.
"Ginny, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up." Harry said. Harry was still lying on his side with Ginny sitting on the end of the couch by his feet. He was amazed at how well she could prevent herself from crying, and at the same time wondering why she so adamantly refused to cry. Harry was too tired for analytical thinking, and quickly drifted off to sleep. After a few minutes, Ginny spoke again.
"I don't think I want to go back up to my dormitory tonight." Ginny said, no longer sounding like she might cry. "I'm going to stay down here by the fire, it feels safer." She looked down at Harry and noticed that he was asleep. She laughed lightly and said jokingly, "Am I really that boring?" She lay down on the couch so that she was wedged between Harry and the back of the couch, now feeling very secure. She summoned a blanket and covered Harry and herself with it. Unfortunately, the noise had woken Harry up; he started to get up when Ginny stopped him.
"Do you think you could stay down here? I'm still kind of scared." Ginny said.
"Er...I guess." Harry said.
"Normally I bother one of my brothers when I get scared but Ron is in the hospital wing. Thanks for staying, Harry." Ginny said sincerely.
"No problem, just please stop talking and let me sleep." He said jokingly, although he was partially serious.
"Sorry." Ginny whispered as she lay down again, her forehead resting on his upper back. Harry reached behind him and took Ginny's hand, holding it in his own.
"There's nothing to worry about, anyone who would take Wormtail as his right-hand man can't really be all that powerful." Harry said. Ginny giggled at this, and after a long silence she spoke again.
"We sure do have a lot in common when it comes to dreams, don't we?" No answer. Harry had fallen asleep again. With nothing else left to do, Ginny closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
AN: Look how quickly I got the next chapter up! They'll be going back in time soon...but I'm not telling how soon. And as you can see this will have Ron/Hermione too, but it's mainly Harry/Ginny, I don't think I've mentioned that yet. Please review! Constructive criticism=appreciated. Flaming=crap. Thanks for reading!