Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I making any money off of this.

Monuments and Melodies

Chapter Five- Ideals

-----

Ginny was sitting at the small table in the room she had grown to call her own, as she read the thick book in her hands. Her hair was held back in a thick braid leaning to one side of her head and draped down her shoulder, its hills and valleys shining in the morning light. She wore a plain, navy dress that hung at her bare feet, almost touching the dusty floor.

She was getting better. Her cheeks had found some color, her hair was thicker, and she had gained some much needed weight. She even looked pretty now. Certainly not pretty like she was before; her smile was often lost, and her eyes no longer gleamed with the warmth of contentedness. Now all they held was the sharp blade of unwanted knowledge, and melancholy.

Severus stood in the doorway watching her. She had not yet realized he was there, too absorbed in her book. Ginny read a lot now, flying through many of the books in the house. She had even asked Severus if he knew of any other good stories, and he had brought her some from his own personal library. It was the least he could do.

Harry often came around, looking for Ginny. At first, she would not even see him, but eventually he forced his way in, and they had spoken, but not for long. He did the same thing each time he arrived, first asking for Ginny's company, only to find a disappointing answer, then pounding on her door until she let him and spoke with him for about five minutes before he went on his way. And she would always stand in the same doorway Severus stood in now, watching with sad eyes as Harry walked down the narrow hallway.

Severus talked to her sometimes too. Mostly when he was giving her a new potion or bringing her something. It was nothing serious, maybe a few comments on the book she had most recently read or a question about current events in the Wizarding World. He liked them though- the conversations, for however simple they were. It was usually awkward and strained, but she was someone to talk to, and that was more than he usually had.

Severus stepped forward into the room, causing the dark wood floor below him to squeak. Ginny looked up.

"Hello," she said softly, the sun's rays playing on her turned cheek. She gave him one of her small tight lipped smiles.

"I brought you your potion." Severus took a small glass bottle out of his many robes, and walked over to the table, placing it just in front of the girl's hand.

"Thank you,"

"What are you reading?" Severus asked, looking down at the small printed book open in front of her. She tipped the cover of the book back, the title along the top reading 'The Complete Collection of Shakespeare's Sonnets.'

"Professor McGonagall gave it to me the other day when she came to speak to you."

"Hmm… I wouldn't have thought her to be a fan of such muggle literature."

"Why is that?" Ginny asked.

"She doesn't exactly seem the romantic type, and Shakespeare is rather quixotic."

"True…" she said, "But I'd like to think everyone has some little idealistic part in them."

"Idealism is idiotic." Severus muttered, but Ginny looked at him questioningly.

"Idiotic? No, I would say that…" she shook her head.

"What would you call it then?"

She looked at him thoughtfully for a minute, "I don't know," she said vaguely, casting her head towards the window. Severus, not knowing how to respond, stood for a time, just watching her.

"Do you need anything? There's some soup leftover downstairs from last night," he said finally.

She looked back to him, "No, thank you."

He cleared his throat, "Then I'll leave you to your book." He turned to walk back out when she stopped him.

"Actually, I think I'd like some of that soup," she said, changing her mind.

"Alright, I'll bring you some after I've finished heating it up."

She stood up, the skirt of her blue dress just grazing the floor, "No, I'd like to come down to the kitchen, if you don't mind?"

"No," he said, taken back, "I don't mind. I'm not so sure you can handle it though. How do you feel?"

"I'm fine. I've been fine for a long time, and I think I'm fine enough to get down the stairs to make myself some breakfast." Ginny replied firmly, sliding the simple slippers by the edge of her bed on her small feet.

"You can come down, but you're not cooking."

"And why is that?"

"I don't want you to exert yourself."

"While cooking?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes, Merlin knows your mother does it."

Ginny's face dropped, "Did," she corrected softly.

Severus was at a loss for words once more. He gazed at the small girl standing in front of him, her eyes to her feet, with a blank look.

He cleared his throat once more, causing her to look up and silently turned and walked out the door. He could hear Ginny following him, and he led her down the crickety old stairwell, down to the kitchen.

As he made it to the middle of the kitchen, he turned around to look at her. She stood stiffly in the doorway, one hand against the wooden trimming, and he began to wonder if that hand was the only thing keeping her up. She did look paler than she had upstairs, and a bit winded. He cursed his stupidity. He should not have gone so fast. He should have let her walk with him slowly.

She starting blinking like she was about to faint and her hand fell dumbly from the wall, her knees buckling. Severus rushed over, catching her arms before she hit the ground. He expected her to be unconscious, but she was awake, blinking harshly. He slowly brought her up, a hand on her waist and arm as he took her to the table and helped her to sit down in one of the chairs.

Making sure she was steady, Severus hurried over to the sink and ran a stray cup under the water. He brought the full cup back to Ginny, who accepted it with her bony fingers and took a great gulp. Breathing deeply, a bit of the color seemed to come back to her face, and she took another sip.

"Perhaps you should get back to bed, Miss Weasley," Severus suggested grimly. She looked up and shook her head fiercely.

"I've been up in that room for two weeks now. There is no way you will ever get me back up there now," she said stubbornly, making a move to stand.

"I don't think so," he pushed her back into the seat, "You can stay, but I'll be damned before I see you trolloping around the kitchen in your condition. Sit."

Ginny scowled, but stayed in her place. Looking back to see if she was obeying is command, he moved over to the stove, taking a pot out from the dresser below him. Twisting the burner, a flame spouted up and he placed the pot over it, then pouring a can of chicken noodle soup into it. He stirred it lazily as the substance bubbled.

"I pray chicken noodle meets your standards, Miss Weasley," he said, a tint of sarcasm echoing in his words. Ginny looked over to him and scowled again.

"Yes, it's just fine," she said grudgingly from the table, "As long as you're able to prepare it correctly, Professor."

"I assure you, I am perfectly capable of making a simple batch of soup."

"If you like it thick then."

"What do you mean by that, Miss Weasley?"

"Only that you forgot to put the water in."

"What?" Severus looked over to the soup that was looking altogether too thick; the broth evaporating quicker than it was heated. "Shit," he growled under his breath, taking the pot of the stove, and practically slamming it in the sink.

He turned around to face Ginny again, who, much to his dismay, was giving him a satisfied smirk. It was his turn to scowl as he dumped the ruined, partly burnt broth in the sink and filled the pot again with another can, this time adding water. He cursed softly again at his stupidity as he dropped the pot on the stove.

"It was a good try then," Ginny said from behind him, a smug look still deeming her features.

"I wouldn't try me, Miss Weasley, unless you'd like to be eating your soup in bed," he hissed, and immediately she fell silent, looking to the rough table, "That's what I thought."

Severus, seeing the soup was ready, took the pot off once more, and put a bit of it into two tattered bowls. He placed one in front of Ginny, before sitting at the opposite end of the table with his own.

"Thank you," she said simply, taking some of the broth out of the bowl of her soup and blowing on it.

"You're welcome," he said, not sounding welcome at all.

Suddenly, there was a loud 'POP' that could only single the art of apparition, and Harry Potter appeared in the kitchen.

"Professor," he greeted with a nod, before turning to Ginny, "Gin- can I talk to you for a moment."

Severus took this attention on the younger girl as an invitation to turn back to his soup, trying not to listen to the conversation between his two past students, but heard all of it anyway.

"You are talking to me," she said coolly, taking a bite of chicken.

"Alone, perhaps,"

"There's nothing holding you back from speaking to me here," but Harry looked pointedly in Severus's direction. Ginny saw this and frowned, "Grow up, Harry. If you've something to say, then say it."

Harry blew out the air in his chest irately, "Ginny-"

"I don't have time for this, Harry. I honestly don't."

"Fine- I want you to reconsider."

Ginny looked at him a moment, before shaking her head firmly, "No."

"Gin-"

"I said no, Harry." She said decisively.

"I'm just trying to look out for you-"

"No, you're just trying to look out for yourself."

"That's not what this is about!"

"Then what is it about?!" she snapped, "I can't be there to take care of you, Harry. I've got to take care of myself now."

"But you don't have to! We can get through this-"

"There's nothing to get through! I'm fine, goddammit! I can look after my bloody self!"

Harry opened his mouth to retort, but it was cut off, "Potter," Severus said sharply, finally speaking, "I think it's time you got going."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, it's time you got going. Miss Weasley's in no condition to be harassed by the likes of you."

"How dare-" Harry began, steaming.

"Just go, Harry," Ginny sighed. Harry turned back to her.

"What?"

"The Professor's right. You need to go."

"But, Ginny-"

"I'm not in the mood for this, nor the health. Please, I want you to go."

"Ginny, you don't really want that," he said, feeling put off, but trying to deny it.

"I do, Harry. I really do mean it."

Harry clenched his fist, taking a deep breath, "Fine. I'll go."

"Thank you," the red head said wearily. Harry took out his wand to apparate, but turned back to Ginny as he brought the wand up.

"Just think about it, please. That's all I ask."

Ginny sighed in a quiet exasperation, "I'll think about it, but I'm not promising anything."

"That's all I ask," he repeated, giving her a tired smile, and apparating once more with the comforting 'POP'.

Ginny sat silent a second, before letting her head fall on one of her hands, as she idly stirred the contents of the bowl in front of her. Severus sat stiffly, eating his soup and occasionally looking up at her. He did not know what to make of the recent passing between the girl and Potter and did not want to guess.

"I'm going back to my room," Ginny said finally, picking up her half full bowl and dropping it in the sink.

"I'll bring you up."

"No, it's alright-"

"Stop being absurd. Do you really want another fainting attack half way up the stair well?" Severus reasoned.

Ginny frowned, "Fine, but I don't expect you to hold my hand."

"I wouldn't think of it," Severus hissed in irritation, and blatantly taking her elbow.

"I'm not that sick," she croaked, trying to pull her elbow away, but failing. The potions master held tight.

"I seem to think otherwise," he said, "Stop sulking, come on."

In silence the two walked up the creaking stairs, two scowls looking anywhere but the other.

-----

A/N- Sorry about the wait on this one. I wanted to get chapter six finished roughly before I put this up, and I've already started seven, so you should be seeing those out soon. I'd like to thank everyone reviewed, because you made my day! I love reviews with a passion, and they are my one true motivation in front of a cup of good maple tea. Please give me your true opinions and feel free to ramble about your views or even what you had for breakfast, because I get a kick out of that. Thank you so much again for reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.