CHAPTER 2
Ginny looked around her room at Sanctuary with a rare, peaceful smile. Its tan walls glowed in the first morning's rays, and the herbal scent wafting up from the various plants scattered around the room seemed to lend itself to the harmony that wove in and out of the heady mix of warm oak and sunlight. The bedposts were carved with vines, flowers, and woodland beings, while her bed spread depicted oak leaves and vines. The bedside table was fashioned to look like a tree but with the branches cradling the table top.
She picked up a tin watering can from a pedestal located near one of the room's two windows and began to sprinkle the plants with water. Murmuring meaningless nonsense and gently caressing stems and leaves, Ginny felt more content than she had for…for more years than she would care to admit.From down-stairs, the kitchen clock chimed six. Taking the stairs two at a time, Ginny rushed out the door for the first class of the day.
Ginny arrived breathless at McGonagall's doorstep and, stopping for a moment to quiet herself, entered quietly. The lesson passed without incident until class was dismissed. The door handle but touched her hand when McGonagall called out, in the tones Ginny had begun to associate with trouble, "Miss Weasley, if I could speak with you for a moment?"
Ginny trudged back the Professor's desk and stood in front of the teacher. "Yes Professor?"
"One of the girls in your dorm informed me you weren't sleeping there." There was a cold pause while McGonagall's lips tinned into an even tighter line, eyes raking her over, "Just what is going on?"
Ginny flinched and rocked back and forth on her heels."Professor, you see..." She tried to speak and found that the words stuck in her throat somewhere in the vicinity of her knotted stomach.
"Have you been staying with a…boy?" The professor asked sharply and Ginny's mind raced over her options.
The young witch shook her head wildly and the Professor looked mildly relieved. "Then where have you been?"
"I can't say," Ginny whispered, twisting her fingers.
The professor regarded her above her spectacles, yellow eyes sharp and blunt. Then, in a slightly softer voice flavored with her light brogue, said, "Miss Weasley, if you canna' adequately explain yourself then—"
Ginny bit her lip, fear rolling into a palpable ball in her stomach. She felt sick; lose Sanctuary?
"All students are to report to their dorm before ten with the Heads being the only exceptions." Ginny flinched as if physically struck.
"Please! I can't—"
"Miss Weasley, if you could give me some kind of reason," Argued McGonagall, shaking her head from side to side.
It was like some dam burst inside her, words coming tumbling out of her mouth in a torrent of pure emotion, "I can't! I would if I could but it's—I need some time to be alone sometimes, you know? Please tell me you understand, just a little because no one else does?" That little ball of fear in her was choking her and her breath came in great gasps, "It's Malfoy, that little toe rag, his faul—"
Ginny wrapped her arms around her torso, coughing, unable to breathe. A hand thrust a warp mug into her hands and Ginny tried to focus on the scent wafting up. Chamomile. Earl Grey. Some special brew? Trying to imagine McGonagall tending to a kettle of tea like her mother, puttering about the kitchen to toss in a dash or pinch of this and that, held her over until the all consuming panic subsided some.
"Miss Weasley, how long have you been having these attacks?" Oh, is that what they are? Thought Ginny dispassionately. She shook her head, shrugging, and the professor shook her head.
"We'll talk later of this, I think. Drink up and have a piece of chocolate." Meekly, Ginny accepted the chocolate McGonagall was pressing on her with a nod of thanks.
The day's classes were done and Ginny sat in Sanctuary's library, cuddled with Cooking and Cleaning: Spells of the Home and a furry blanket, trying to relieve a bit of the day's stress before she hit the books.
There was a pall, a silence, then something in the kitchen shattered. Ginny sat up and struggled to her feet, viciously kicking aside her blanket.A burglar? But how had they gotten past her wards? Then it was a powerful intruder, she drew the conclusion rapidly with the fear struggling to condense in the pit of her stomach.
Grasping her wand in sweaty fingers, she crept downstairs. Something moved in the dark and Ginny brandished her wand at it, hissing harshly, "Show yourself!"
There it was again! She felt something move against her leg and she turned and fired a spell at it. "Peraculas totalus!"
It froze but Ginny couldn't see what it was in the dim light glancing down the stairs.
"Lumos," She said and immediately the intruder was illuminated.A dog, or rather a puppy by the looks of it, stared up at her, completely frozen in place and standing on what used to be a glass dish. Quietly she reversed the spell and bent down; it bounded over, enthusiastically licking her hand. After a few minutes, Ginny's heart rate began to slow and she smiled at the puppy.
"My," She cooed, "aren't you just the cutest?"
The dog, sensing weakness, sprang up to bestow a wet kiss onto her lips. Spluttering indignantly, she stood, ordering half-heartedly, "Stop that!"
Straining to pick it up, she carried up stairs to have a better look at it. It was a puppy, but it already came up to her knees; no doubt when it was bigger it would be the size of a small pony. Its eyes were honey-colored and its fur was light bronzish-brown, but there were no distinctive markings.
"I can't keep you, but I'll find your owner in the morning," Ginny promised the pup. "You'll have to bunk here for the night."
Navigating the stairs slowly around her furry shadow, Ginny slowly descended back down to the kitchen. The young witch sighed and then began to clean up his... she looked back at the dog and lifted up its tail (an action which the dog did not approve and gave an indignant bark at) yes, his mess.
With a few swishes of her wand, the mess was cleaned up and safely in the dumpster. She looked at the dog and then dragged a plastic cereal bowl from the cupboard and filled it with tap water. Rifling through the cold box and laying out the chicken she'd pilfered from the Great Hall last night, Ginny dumped them onto a plate and placed it with a flourish before the dog.
Satisfied with her work, she retrieved her book bag from the doorknob of the front door and started her homework. Ginny had only written five inches on her potions essay when she was interrupted by the puppy's whining.
"What?" She said irritably. "I've given you food, I've given you water, and what's more, I've given you a place to sleep. What more do you want?" The puppy scratched at the door, and, almost curious, Ginny opened it for him.
Winking through her legs, the puppy was out and streaking straight for the Forbidden Forest. Guessing his intent, Ginny lurched after him."No! Bad dog! Stop!" Ginny cried as she raced after the shadow.
Two figures detached themselves from the shadows of the trees and a monster of a man reached out and grabbed the dog by the scruff of his neck. Careening forward, she almost didn't register the identity of Hagrid's be-specktacled companion.
"Hagrid, Headmaster, I can explain!" Rapidly editing what'd happened, she raced through the story, "...And then he dashed out and I couldn't stop him." She was running out of breath and words. "And so that's where you came in." She added lamely.
Ginny looked up from Dumbledore's boots to see their faces. Hagrid was grinning good-naturedly and the headmaster was looking at her, eyes twinkling in the moonlight.
"Good thing we're out 'ere 'eadmaster." Boomed Hagrid, holding Lance up for inspection. Cowed, the pup was limp in his grasp.
"I quite agree Hagrid, a good thing indeed." Said Dumbledore, still looking intently at Ginny.
"So you're not mad?" Ginny squeaked, gaze darting back and forht between the two men.
"No Ginny! I'm just won'dron what you're goin' ter do wit' it." said Hagrid, reaching down to pat the puppy's head.
"May I keep him?" She asked quickly."Is he yours?" Asked Dumbledore gently.
"I mean," She amended quickly. "Until we find his owner. Just for a time."
"But it's a big task, keep'n a dog; are ya sure yer are up to it?" Asked Hagrid kindly and Ginny nodded fervently.
"Then where is 'e go'n ter stay? The dorms? S' no place for a pup of this size." Hagrid said with unusual delicacy.
"Never mind Hagrid," Said Dumbledore and he winked at Ginny, who breathed a small sigh of relief and buried a niggling sense of unease. "I'm sure Ginny will be a capable dog owner and find an out of the way place to keep him, anywhere on these grounds is fine. What are you going to call him?"
Ginny looked up in surprise and smiled.Getting down on her hands and knees, she took the dog's face in her hands. The puppy was drooling slightly, head sagging as he panted cheerfully. The girl shook her head, reminded unfailingly of a large war hound or old. "Lance?"
"It's settled then. In the morning, Ginny will make up posters that she can put up in Hogsmeade looking for the owner." When there was obviously no argument, he continued, "It's been a long night and I do believe I will retire. Good night, sleep tight, may no bed bugs bite."
"Goodnight Headmaster," Intoned Ginny and Hagrid waved his own farewell. The gameskeeper took his own leave and split off, leaving Ginny to make her way back to Sanctuary with a firm eye on the pup. Lance whined again, the same distinctive whine as before.
"What now?" Asked Ginny, turning to look at the dog and the turning away again, "You could have told me you had to go to the bathroom, rather than making a scene." She chided and soon as the dog was done they were walking back to Sanctuary.
Ginny crawled into bed with a contented sigh. With only a puppy's grace, Lance barreled up onto the bed and managed not only to topple her bedside table, but also trample a plant whose pot he'd used as a stool.
Looking from the dog to the plant mournfully and sighing, Ginny silently resolved to see if she couldn't revive it tomorrow. She snuggled the puppy to her chest and he woofed into her ear. "Love you too." Ginny murmured, sinking quickly into sleep.
