Hanging By A Moment
By Duck Goddess
Disclaimer: Don't own anything except the plot and Leah.
basketball15 – How can you be sure? OMG, the reviewers are going to kill me…
Hana the dragon – NO! What's with you and beating me up? I'm INNOCENT! (coughs) Anyways, thanks!
Lilac Alyssa Halliwell – Thanks! Yeah, I like Colin/Leah in this story better than R/Hr…Col and Lee have more scenes.
eatingmania and sweetevildevil – Thanks!
NikkiEvans – I have to say they do make up but not in this story. There's a sequel to this (I know, how…boring?) but I love trilogies – even though this trilogy sucks.
Chapter Five
"If your mother wishes you to go home then I have no choice but to excuse you from classes tomorrow. Would you like anyone else to come with you?"
Before Ron could say anything, Ginny shook her head.
"That's settled then," Dumbledore said, smiling, "You shall come here tomorrow morning at 8:00."
"Thank you, Professor," Ginny and Ron said in unison and left his office.
Draco sighed as he watched Ginny leave the Great Hall. He saw her pain and confusion as she read her letter. What had happened? Why the hell did he say those things to her last night?
"Draco," Blaise said, "Are you okay?"
"Fine," Draco said shortly.
"Something happen with Weasley?" he asked quietly.
"Like I said before, you're smarter than I thought."
Blaise smirked.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Before I say anything, you can't insult me after I explain. I said that I couldn't trust her because she was a Weasley and a Gryffindor," Draco said softly.
"You. Are. An. Idiot," Blaise said simply.
"I thought I said you couldn't insult me!" Draco said angrily.
"Since when have I listened to you?" Draco went silent.
"Why the hell would you say that to her?" Blaise asked.
"McClaggan was saying something about people dying and I saw her," Draco breathed, "Voldemort was standing above her. I didn't want to talk to her after that."
"You know, Draco, the key to a good relationship is trust," Blaise said wisely.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I guess our relationship isn't very good then."
Blaise rolled his eyes. He really needs to learn, Blaise thought.
Harry watched Ginny leave. For some reason, Draco was watching her as well. He frowned. Please don't tell me he knows something about the attack. Although Harry didn't particularly like Draco, he didn't hate him either, not after what he said in their training session.
"Harry!" Hermione said.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"What do you think happened?"
"I have no idea. I didn't get a vision or anything," Harry said.
Hermione frowned. It was unusual how Harry didn't know about the attack. Something's strange, Hermione thought, and my boyfriend and friend are part of it.
She looked at Harry. He looked troubled.
"What's wrong?" she asked him.
"Nothing," Harry said shortly but his eyes gave it away.
"You still like her, don't you?" Hermione asked softly.
Harry stared at her.
"Yeah, I do," Harry finally answered.
"Just tell her you still have feelings for her," Hermione advised, "You guys are friends."
"Yeah, last time I told her that, she ran off and now our friendship is more like an awkward, blushing relationship that hasn't been developed."
Hermione rolled her eyes. He was so damn bitter!
"Look, I, for one, knew that Ginny had feelings for you. It was really deep. I'm not sure what happened but her feelings for you haven't disappeared altogether. They're still there, just buried deep inside her," Hermione said.
"I have a feeling she likes someone else now," Harry said sadly.
"Well, you just have to get her back – before it's too late."
"How?"
"I don't know. Think of it yourself," Hermione said and set off to the library.
Harry sighed. What was so special about Ginny, anyways? How come he still liked her after she said that she didn't like him? Was Hermione right? Did Ginny still like him?
Ginny sat in Transfiguration, listening to McGonagall drone on and on about human transfiguration. She was meant to be taking notes but she just couldn't be bothered. And when you can't be bothered you just can't be bothered. Besides, she could copy off Colin later.
She stared out the window. Ginny sighed. What happened to her father? Leah's dad was in the Ministry, how come she didn't get a letter? She frowned. Was it something to do with the Order? There was no point in keeping the Order of the Phoenix a secret and now, everyone in the wizarding world knew that the Order was a group of Voldemort-fighters. Of course, the Death Eaters still wanted to know the whereabouts of the Headquarters.
Ginny couldn't help but feel vulnerable. More than half her family was in it so they were targets in Death Eaters' eyes – especially Ron and Ginny. Voldemort met Ginny and possessed her and Ron was Harry's best friend.
"Miss Weasley!" a stern voice called. Ginny jumped and turned towards McGonagoll.
"I advise you to pay attention, Miss Weasley, if you want to pass your NEWTs!" she said coolly.
"Yes, Professor," Ginny said monotonously.
Ron sat in his Head Boy dorm, packing. There was a knock on his door and Hermione came in.
"Hey," he greeted her.
"Hello. Can I ask you something?"
"It's a free country," Ron said, shrugging.
"What would you do if I told you that Harry has feelings for Ginny?" Hermione asked him carefully.
"I'd laugh," Ron said.
"Well, Harry likes Ginny," Hermione said.
Ron laughed. He then looked at her expression and stopped.
"You're serious, aren't you?" Ron asked.
"Yes."
"What about Malfoy?" Ron said hysterically.
"Well, you'd rather have Ginny with Harry than Malfoy, right?" Hermione asked, towering over him.
"But – but – how?" Ron finally said.
"I don't know."
"How come everyone likes Ginny? No one sees that she's just an annoying brat who blackmails you!" Ron said angrily.
Hermione rolled her eyes. Typical Ron, she thought, getting all overprotective.
"Ron," she said soothingly, "Calm down. Anyways, say hi to your parents for me. I love you." She kissed him softly and left the room.
Ron sat on his bed, stunned. Did she just say that she loved me? Hermione loves me!
Ginny and Ron waited outside Dumbledore's office. Suddenly, Dumbledore appeared beside them and said, "Chocolate frogs."
A moving staircase appeared and they stepped on it.
"Now, say hello to your parents for me. Good luck, Ronald, Ginevra," Dumbledore said as he handed them the floo powder.
Ron took a pinch and threw it into the fireplace. He stepped in and said, "The Burrow!" and disappeared.
Ginny went to throw the floo powder into the fire but Dumbledore stopped her.
"Ginevra, do not blame Draco for what he did. He is merely confused," he said serenely.
Ginny's eyes widened. How did he know? Dumbledore nodded and Ginny threw it in.
"The Burrow!" she cried and she appeared in her family's fireplace.
Ron helped her out and she stood up.
"Mum? Bill? Charlie? Fred? George? Percy?" Ginny called.
"It's us! We're home!" Ron shouted. No one answered.
"Something's wrong," Ginny said softly as she started to panic.
"Where is everyone?" Ron asked, frowning.
"Let's check the rooms."
They checked the garden but no one was there. They checked the kitchen, their bedrooms, the toilets and the attic but no one was there.
"Do you think they forgot about us?" Ron asked.
"No. Mum wouldn't do that. She told us to floo home and we'd go to St. Mungo's together," Ginny said, remembering the letter.
"Well, they're not here, are they?" Ron said, "Let's get our wands."
"If you even touch your wands, your family dies," a familiar, cold voice drawled. They spun around. There was no one there.
"Invisibility cloak," Ginny breathed.
"I would expect that from a Weasley. There are other ways of concealing yourself but I guess you're too stupid to realize that," the voice sneered.
"Disillusionment charm," Ron told Ginny. She nodded.
"Show yourself!" Ginny cried.
"Alright." A figure with white-blonde hair and grey eyes appeared and Ginny gasped.
"Draco?" she asked softly. He smirked.
A/N: I know, this chapter's kind of short but I just wanted it to be good. Anyways, I think you all know who it is. What does he want? I have no idea.
Originally written: July 2005