Chapter 10
Ginny was plagued mercilessly by the same question all week, never a waking moment without curiosity.
"Argh! It's driving me mad!" She hissed within the safety of Sanctuary.
Eventually, more to keep her sanity rather than of a desire, she found herself wandering up to the school one weekend in search of her answer.
"Lady...lady...hmmmmm..." She mumbled under her breath, skimming over an assortment of titles, running her fingers down the spines with a thoughtful look on her face. This was how Harry found her.
He was not looking forward to this meeting, not at all. He knew what needed to be done, the hard part was doing it.
"Ginny." He winced at his voice, it was different, darker, more sinister sounding than he had intended. "Ginny, we need to talk."
She faced him with defiance, he noted. He was always drawn in by her deep eyes, by her flaming red hair, by her haunting beauty. As she faced him now, and he noticed subtle differences; she no longer slouched, by stood, rather, as a queen with her head back and shoulders straight, her hair was let down instead of pulled strictly away from her face, but her eyes...clearer than ever and terrible with undiluted power.
He shook himself, Potter, don't make this harder on yourself or her than you have to.
"Yes?" Said Ginny, her eyes wary, and her body taunt and prepared for a battle.
"Ginny, I need to talk to you, I beg you to hear me out." He could see her freeze at his words, surprised and confused.
"Whatever." She said, trying to express indifference.
"It didn't work out for us."
"No shit." She interrupted.
"But don't take it out on your brother." She raised an eyebrow, fighting back maniacal laughter.
She rolled her eyes and spoke. "If I remember correctly, it was you who cheated on me!"
Harry winced, he didn't know when he had asked Ginny out that he was still carrying a torch for Cho, and he came undone when Cho came back asking forgiveness. That was how Ginny found him. God knew how many times he had tried to speak to her, only to look into her eyes and have second thoughts. It had been a long while since he had spoken with Ginny, and he longed to do so again, if just as a friend. Harry knew he still harbored feelings for her and he longed to hear her laughter and feel the calm that descended upon him when he spoke to her...to feel her lips upon his...
Neither of them needed the heartache. He was still amazed that she came to Christmas at all, so maybe she wanted to be friends as much as he did.
"I'm sorry Ginny, I didn't ever mean to harm you." He was surprised by the harsh laughter that grated from her mouth.
"Bullshit. Potter, I don't know how long I can keep talking to you without hexing you to next Tuesday and back."
"Ginny, I'm begging for your forgiveness!" He bowed his head and dropped to a knee. "Please!"
Ginny stared open-mouthed at him. He was on his knees. Hadn't the feud been going on long enough? It had almost been a year.
He looked at her now, his eyes boring into hers. There were no emotions there, they that had long been the key to reading her heart was now gone, an empty green-gray void left.
She hissed and glared at him. "If you think you can just say sorry and this is all over, you're dead wrong. When we dated, I had eyes for no one else but you, I trusted you and you have to idea how long it took me to work up to doing that, after Him. This will never be over for me, but it will end for you."
He looked at her fearfully, wouldn't...kill him, would she? No no, he was jumping to conclusions...
"Potter, I forgive you, but I will never forget." He found himself nodding, tears in his eyes, his head bursting with surprise.
"Thank you."
"Don't."
Early January had come and gone, the worst storm of the season having just passed as well. Rattling and banging against the windows of Sanctuary, the great tree nearly trembling with its ferocity.
It was the day after the storm, yet a chill still hung on the air, its icy tendrils working their way through Ginny's cloak to assault her skin. Yet it didn't bother her unduly, she thought, walking at a leisurely pace through what she now was beginning to call her Domain.
She walked through the forest, taking no heed of the temperature, bending to touch stems and leaves, speaking through the mind in a way that was now comfortable to her. She checked in the animal's burrows, helping if she could, taking care of kits while their parents hunted for food.
It was late after noon when she sensed a disturbance in the woods. It felt dark, mutated, and...hungry, ravenous for flesh and thirsty for blood. With growing horror she felt it take the life of a stag, ending its life swiftly with one large bite of its powerful jaws.
With no moment to think, she warned every animals she could reach with her mind away from it, her fear all the evidence they needed.
She began walking steadily to the creature, her heart racing and her breathing irregular; Goddess was she scared. But it was harming her people so it must pay.
Lance materialized at her side, melting out of the Forest's shadows like a giant apparition.
Of all the beings she had spoken with within the Forest, Lance's mind was the only one with which she could not commune. It was strange, to be sure, but she found that it didn't bother her, she knew he would speak to her in time.
Now there was a second presence, one that made her squirm, it seemed to give off a feeling of old books and cheap perfume from many Christmases ago, yet there was also a third presence, one that she knew all to well...Hermione and Ron!
Those fools! They were sure to get themselves killed!
She doubled her pace, sprinting past the trees and into the small clearing where she knew they were.
"Stupefy!" She heard Ron's voice, going up and down with fear-induced squeaks.
"Percales Totalus!" There was Hermione's voice.
She knew their spells would be useless, it was a werewolf she saw now. Its silvery pelt shimmering as it danced about them, swiping with narrow misses. It was playing with them, snapping at Hermione's robes and pushing Ron down into the dirt.
Ginny stared for a moment before her wits returned to her.
Stay away from them! She put all of her power behind the words, breaking through his frenzied mind.
No. It said, its amusement clear. Would you take their place Lady? Its tone was taunting, daring her to take its challenge.
Yes. She thought defiantly, stepping into the clearing's dim light.
"Ginny?!" Ron cried in anguish as the wolf raked his claws across his arm.
"Go back! We can handle this!" Hermione screamed.
"Come and get me wolf." She said looked it in the face.
Its eyes glinted with the prospect of a challenge and jumped at her as she ran, its pursuit carried on swift paws.
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Goodness...
Sixteen reviews....I'm amazed.
I swear, I just about dropped dead when I saw my in-box. You guys are the greatest!
Terrisina Dragonwagon- I've never read it but I'll look it up at the library! Thanks for the review!
3roken5oul- Go soft? Ginny? No way! It's like when someone you absolutely loath says something funny and you're reminded that they do have a somewhat less hate-able side...this lasts for a total of what? 6 seconds? And then they say something to get your goat and then you have to remind yourself that gazing fondly at fond objects is a cause for concern. ;D I know there isn't any Draco in this one, but I think you'll LOVE the next chapter...
Hoppers: Indeed. :D Thanks! I love surprises (as long as they're good ones...)
lizz- Thanks and I will.
Ron is so hot- O.O Wow, you reviewed.every.single.chpater...O.O Thanks!- Must agree with the pen name, but grins Draco...I'd take him any day. ;D Cliffhangers...if there's a chapter afterwards I will forgive the author.
Dracosbaby7- Thanks! I thought it was an interesting twist, but there are draw backs as you'll find out later. (MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! cough sorry. :P)
Emikae- Cool pen name! Well, she'll find out later, and so will all of you. (I'm evil, so sorry.) But I will say this, you're scarily close. Thanks for the review!
Yavi- Thanks BFF! You always give input even when I don't. Off to review!
NOTE: Go read 'Aran'sApprentice-Meahow''s fic. If you like Metroid, you'll LOVE her fic, honestly! Go!
