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Monuments and Melodies

Chapter Nine- Wall

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She shut her eyes, and took a deep breath, nodding. Her hand touched the door, and slowly she pulled it open.

The hinges creaked with disuse, pushing the door open slowly, like an unknown force was blowing it. Ginny's chocolate eyes peeked open, searching the open void for something, but it was too dark inside the doorway to distinguish anything.

This was it. This is what she had been waiting for… and now she was sure she wasn't ready for it. The Cottage had been somewhere her and Neville had lived for about a year after Hogwarts. She remembered the too short period often, but not always with a smile. It was almost too painful to think of those Sunday afternoons just sitting on the porch, or those frequent walks along the endless moor. Neville was her best friend, and a lover- certainly someone she had been attracted too. And she had been happy with him, happy with his constant companionship, and the ease he brought to situations.

And coming back here brought a whole resurgence of old feelings.

She had said she didn't love Neville. She couldn't and she told him that. For so long, her heart had belonged to Harry- the Boy Who Lived- Potter, and to see it somewhere else was all a confusing mess. And she couldn't see herself with Neville because of it. And the poor boy seemed to accept this, and he still begged her to spend time with him, to live with him, and having nowhere else to go, she accepted. The good times she had spent here. Looking back, her moments with Neville had easily been the greatest time of her life.

"Miss Weasley, I haven't all day," the grim voice of her former professor called her from her thoughts. She nodded weakly to him, and bracing herself, took the deep step through the door and into the foyer.

It was dark inside, and she could barely see except for the lit outline of curtains by windows across the room. Snape, who must have come in behind her, took the initiative to draw the drapes briskly, letting the gray light spill across the floor.

She almost gasped, but caught herself. The house looked just as she had left it two years ago. The country blue couch still had a crease between cushions were Ginny used to wedge herself for comfort, there was a small stack of letters on coffee table alongside a empty mug, and there were ashes left in the fireplace, probably from Neville's last trip to Mungos. If not for the prominent coat of dust, one would almost think the house was still occupied.

In the back of her head, Ginny wished it was.

"Well, let's get this over with," Snape grumbled, looking at her. Again, the red head's response was a vague nod. Slowly, as if she was afraid the floor would give way if she dared to run too fast, she walked across the room to a door in the corner- the door to her and Neville's bedroom. Carefully, she pulled it open, stepping inside.

It was just like the main room had been, left in immaculate condition. The bed was still unmade, looking as though she and Neville had just crawled out of it, begging the other to hit the snooze button. A pair of boxers was flung on the hard wood floor.

As she walked further into the threshold, a gleam of silver caught her eye. There on the tall wardrobe sat a small metal jewelry box, carved and etched with a scene of dragons. She smiled sadly at the memory of it. Charlie had given it to her after the Chamber of Secrets incident. The small case had meant so much to her. Just the way he presented it- when everyone else was hush hush about the topic, and overprotective, he came in with open arms and acceptance. He never made her talk about the experience, but he was always there to listen, and she had loved him for it.

Reaching up with delicate hands, Ginny grabbed the box and held it in front of her to open it. Inside was a thin chain holding a small sapphire mounted in a silver swan. She pinched the chain in her fingers, dangling it to look at the jewel… Neville. He had given it to her. His white lady, he had called her. Oh, how the tears threatened to slip over the edge of her lids. Quickly, she dropped the necklace in and snapped the box shut, trying to breathe steadily for a moment. She would not cry. She would not break down. She promised herself this.

Biting her lip, she moved to the closet, ready to sift through the remnants of her past.

-

Severus surveyed the kitchen- crumb topped table, dishes in the sink, a window still cracked open in the corner… How had they left this place? He had always assumed it was a thought out decision for Ginny to stay at Hogwarts. He had never even questioned the idea, nor thought of where Neville had been. Was their departure from Longbottom Cottage more abrupt then most chose to think?

Ginny had been in the bedroom for a long while now. He had entered about an hour ago only for a stuttered plea to be alone. So, he would give her some space, and some time to get her things together. The main room where they first entered held a bookshelf, and he had spent some time in there, looking over the numerous classics and medicinal books it held. Eventually, his attention wandered and he found himself in the kitchen.

Curious to see what they contained, Severus had started sifting through the dressers. He had always thought there was something oddly personal about how one's kitchen looked. If you thought about it, a person's china, the food kept in store, the little potions they were sure to make- that could tell you a lot.

He started with the silverware first, noticing the dull points of forks and knives from years of use, plain and unadorned. The china was interesting, designed with a painted on mosaic- wide plates and deep bowls. The enormous amounts of maple tea caught his gaze, along with the numerous cans of instant soup in the bottom cupboard. Finishing off with the cabinets, he noticed the thin door on the opposite wall- a pantry, most likely.

Having nothing better to do, he crossed the floor, attempting to pull open the door.

It wouldn't budge.

He tried pulling on the door knob again harder, but there came no movement. He pushed in this time, leaning his shoulder against the wood. It was probably locked. He swiftly took out his wand, and murmured the familiar spell, "Alohomora."

No luck.

But something was oddly intriguing about that stupid door, and while part of him was ready to give up on the absurd idea, his mind still racked through its entrails for any spell that would suit the situation.

"What are you doing?"

He whirled around to see the small red headed woman looking at him curiously. She was a bit rumpled, her mane of hair frizzed, and a smudge of dirt on her cheek. The card board box in her hands was stock piled with odds and ends- picture frames, jewelry, papers, clothing, and scarves.

"Nothing," Severus replied, stepping away from the stuck door. Ginny placed her box on the dirty table and walked over beside him. She was frowning, and there was an odd glaze to her eyes.

He prayed to Salazar she wouldn't cry.

"You know," she whispered, "Neville and I always wondered what was behind that stupid door…" she gave a chuckle, but it came out as more of a choke. She paused a moment before continuing, "We used to sit at that table every night and speculate as to what was behind it. Well, just whenever we couldn't find anything to talk about… We'd come up with the wildest plots and stories of dragons and princesses trapped within that idiotic door. It was dumb, really… now that I think of it," she tried to laugh again.

"It couldn't be that hard to open it."

"I'm sure it isn't… it's just, we… you know what? I want to know what's behind that door," Ginny said, looking over at him.

"You want me to open it?"

"Yes."

Severus thought for a minute, "I'm not sure it's a good idea."

"Please?"

"No, I don't want to."

"Why not?"

"I just don't want to." He glared at her, causing her to bite her lip.

"Fine, I'll do it myself."

"Miss Weasley-" But she was already at the door, murmuring a set of complicated spells, the language of the past weaving through her mouth. He grumbled a swear, and pinched his nose. For some reason, he had a bad feeling about this.

And suddenly, there was a long creak. He looked up to see the door swinging open as if on wheels. Ginny was blocking his view, and he could not see what was behind it, but the noticeable slump of her shoulders told him a lot more.

"What is it?"

She turned back to him, and he could see the tears glowing in her brown eyes, "It's a wall." He moved closer, and upon inspection, he could see that this was true. There was nothing behind the door but a continuation of the mourning blue walls around it, "It's a stupid wall…"

He watched her shake a bit, and her hands come to her eyes to shield them from his gaze, "It's just a stupid fucking wall," she continued, "And to think I was that stupid! To think that there might actually be something behind it! To think that he might actually be behind it! What the hell was I thinking?"

"Miss Weasley-"

She cut him off, growing upset, "You want to know what I was thinking? I was thinking that maybe it was all just a mistake. That maybe he really was still alive, because I'm in love with him. I wasn't in love with him them, oh no! But I am now," there was a bitter tang to her words, and the tears began to pour down her freckled cheeks, "And you know what? I'm so stupid because it's just wanting something I can't have- loving someone I can't have! And he's not here so it's just stupid! And now I don't have him, and I want him and I should have seen it when he was here, but now he's not! And I don't have him, and the only thing I have now is this stupid closet!" She slammed the door shut, "Which isn't even a closet! It's a fucking wall!"

"Miss Weasley!" he shouted over her, to get the girl's attention. She looking up at him, pale, water flowing down her face.

And covering her eyes, with a sob, Ginny quickly grabbed the box off the table and fled from the room. She left behind a very speechless potions master…

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A/N- I know it's short, but I felt this was the best place to end the chapter. I want to keep the flow going, so added needless nonsense would sort of be… anticlimactic?

I would like to thank by extraordinary reviewers! And I'll address a few with questions and such.

TommieBoy182- I love your ramblings! There wonderful and keeps a poor fan fiction writer motivated… ahh, I must see Phantom! Eh… the fluff… I'm afraid you may be waiting for a while… Sorry! I want it to happen too, but things need to develop a little, you know?

SwiggyGlade- Hey, I'd love to help if you'd like. Just email me. I'll be sure to put the address up on my author page.

i am green- Hermione will be coming in later- much later. And I have to say, I am not the biggest Hermione fan beforehand… (Damn you Cassandra Claire for turning me into a Ginny lover) That does not mean I will be abusing her because of my own biased opinions. It is however mentioned that Hermione is in the Spell Damage ward of St. Mungos earlier. I am sticking with this. It's sort of crucial to my plot.

And that's about it… Thank you so much for reading, and PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW!