Chapter Four
By Lizzie and Rita
Harry squinted at his computer screen unsure of what he was seeing.
Someone is watching us she had typed...and before she finished her sentence she had suddenly signed off.
Harry was up in the muggle studies computer lab, having known Ginny would most likely use a computer in the library (seeing as they were that much easier to access).
Harry wasn't sure, but he felt something was wrong.
He quickly signed off and left the lab, sprinting down the halls, tripping down the stairs, and finally ending up just steps from the library door.
It was pitch black inside, and the door was locked.
He tried several charms such as alohomora to try and unlock the door, and he was failing miserably. It was as he was tugging on the door, hoping it would just give way, that he heard the youngest Weasley scream.
Harry froze, as soon as her voice quieted the lights came back on, and the door unlocked.
He opened it, and saw Ginny, one hand over her mouth and another over her heart.
"Ginny? What happened?" He said from where he stood, which was stuck in the doorway.
Ginny took several deep breaths, then opened her mouth, letting out a strangled sob. She dashed over to Harry, threw her arms around him, and sobbed into his chest as he rubbed her back in a comforting way.
"Ginny...Ginny, what happened? Ginny, it's okay - what happened?"
She wiped her eyes and whispered, "Death..."
"Hey Ron, where you been?" Hermione asked as Ron climbed through the portrait hole.
"Online." He said simply.
"Oh...I was too a little while ago. I met this guy who reminded me of you for some reason." Hermione said, her head tilted to one side, studying the redhead.
Ron smirked. "Oh?"
Hermione smiled. "Yeah."
"Well I met someone who's a bit like you," he smiled.
Hermione looked at her friend and grinned playfully. "Oh?"
"Yeah."
They grinned at each other, not quite sure what the other was hinting at.
"Death? What do you mean, death?" Harry said quickly, looking at Ginny closely.
"I... I don't really know... the lights went out, and when I used lumos, someone - I'm not sure who - was there, and they grabbed my wrists and said that..."
"Said that...?"
Ginny shook her head, looking like a deer caught in headlights. "I can't tell you..."
"What? Did they...blackmail you?"
Ginny nodded.
"With what?"
Ginny looked around before taking a deep breath and replying.
"With my life."
Hermione and Ron were sitting rather close on a couch laughing over something one of them had said earlier when Harry burst into the common room dragging Ginny by the hand.
"Go upstairs and pack a bag." He ordered. Ginny looked around, frightened, before nodding and rushing up the stairs.
"What'd you just ask my sister to do, mate?" Ron asked suspiciously, standing up, Hermione following suit behind him.
Harry stepped close to the two of them and leaned in so only the could hear his hurried whispers, "Something is going on - I don't know what, but I'm afraid Gin might...have either of you heard of a guy online...QuidditchDragon?"
Hermione nodded. "Yeah, I was in a chat with him - he kept blocking people... seemed like a class-A jerk. Why?"
"He's...threatening Ginny."
Ron looked angered. "What? Why?"
Harry shook his head. "She can't say... she's worried he may found out he told. I was talking to her in the chat and she said he was PMing her the whole time."
"Why are you having her pack, Harry?" Hermione asked softly, hoping others wouldn't hear.
Harry bit his lip, "I was thinking the room of requirement. I was going to stay with her...you two can too, of course...I want to protect her...but I don't want anyone becoming too suspicious."
Something jolted in the middle of Hermione: perhaps jealousy. If Hermione was in Ginny's shoes, Harry would surely...? Or would he?
"We can't all go at the same time," Hermione whispered, "It will be too suspicious. Two at a time, at the most."
"Okay. I know I'm first," Harry said protectively, looking at Ginny's door.
"Me --"
They quieted as Ginny emerged from her bedroom, carrying a smaller version of her stuff.
"I figured it would look weird if I brought everything... besides, one of you could go back if I need something else, right...?"
Hermione and Ron quickly nodded.
"Okay, do you want to go now?" Harry asked, looking around at the first years who were eyeing them curiously.
"Yeah," Ginny replied, looking at Ron. "Who's coming...?"
Hermione and Ron looked at each other.
"I'll go first," Ron offered, looking at Hermione.
"Alright... Harry, bring the invisibility cloak, and Ron can sneak back in the morning just in case..." Hermione whispered.
"Alright," he said, gently tapping Ginny to start walking. "Bye, Herms."
"Bye, Harry... bye, Gin."
"Bye, Hermione..." she said slowly, as if scared it was the last time she could say goodbye to her friend.
"Bye Ron," Hermione whispered to Ron, hugging him.
"What, I don't get a hug?" Ginny said, attempting at a joke and failing.
"Not if you're going to be pushy." Hermione replied with a weak half smile before scooping the younger girl up and hugging her close.
"Don't be afraid, Ginny," She whispered, hoping to comfort the terrified looking girl despite her slight amount of jealousy, "Surely we've faced worse dangers."
Ginny shrugged. "I guess... night, Hermione."
"Night..."
I need a place for Ginny to be safe... I need a place for Ginny to be safe... I need a place for Ginny to be safe... "Try it now, Ron?"
Ron attempted the door, but it was a no-go. He shook his head and Ginny sighed.
"Can I try, then?"
Harry shrugged, backed off, and let Ginny pace the hallway.
I need a place for Harry, Ron and I to stay... a place where we can be safe... A ... A... SAFE HAVEN... I need a safe haven, I need a safe haven, I need a safe haven... "Try it, Ron."
Ron tickled the pear and the door opened. Ginny's eyes widened at the room: it was stocked with food, two beds, some seats, a bookcase filled with a never-ending stack of books and magazines, and a water cooler.
"Wow, Ginny, what'd you ask for?"
Ginny shrugged. "A safe haven - and boy did we get one..." She stepped inside and sunk into the large green couch.
"Hey Gin...why are there only two beds?" Ron asked slowly.
Ginny blushed.
"Erm... I don't know..." She confessed. She caught Ron's gaze and laughed. "I wasn't thinking of that, Ron!"
Ginny winced. "There aren't any pillows, and -"
Ron gave her a look that clearly said, in a brotherly voice, let him sleep on the couch.
Ginny sighed. "Never mind."
"Don't say a word to anyone, you hear? Or you know what the cost is?"
"W-What?"
He moved his arms towards her throat. "Your pretty little neck!"
"Wha-what?"
"Wha-What?" he mimicked, running his wand across her wrist. "You have a thing for Potty?"
Ginny said nothing, all breath caught in her throat.
"Oh yes you do, you little Weasel - say a word to him and you're dead faster, you hear me? A word to no one!"
Ginny nodded quickly and the voice ran towards the window, yelled, "accio Firebolt!" and flew out of the room with a menacing smile.
"Oh my..." Ginny gasped, breathing heavily. It took her a while to figure out where she was and what happened - and that her dream was reality. She let a sob tumble out of her mouth.
Harry woke up from a dreamless sleep and saw Ginny awake and crying. "Ginny, Ginny, are you okay?"
Ginny shook her head. "No... I'm - where's Ron?"
"He went back to the common room... are you okay? Did you have a bad dream?"
Ginny nodded. "I dreamt of... yesterday and..."
"Just try going back to sleep, okay?" He began walking back to his bed when Ginny stopped him.
"Harry...could you...well... I understand if it's weird but... can you lay in this bed with me? Just until I go to sleep?"
Harry smiled softly.
"Sure, Ginny." He sat down on the bed as she curled back under the covers.
"Ron wait up, slow down." Hermione called.
"I just want to check up on Gin...I'm worried about her." Ron replied gruffly, slowing down ever so slightly.
They finally reached the room of requirement, both freezing at what they saw.
Harry and Ginny were asleep, side by side, Harry's arm draped across Ginny's waist.
"WAKE UP!" Ron yelled, poking Harry roughly in the back.
"What the - oh... How'd I get - Oh... oh..."
"Yeah, Oh - what did you do to my - "
Ginny yawned. "You're so bloody loud, Ron... Oh, you think Harry and I... come off it, Ron, I had a nightmare."
"Morning, Herms." Harry said quietly, just noticing the bushy haired girl standing behind the still fuming Ron. He cringed at her broken expression - she looked as if she had been stabbed in the back.
Ron looked at Harry and then Hermione and felt his stomach lurch.
"Erm...okay... well, we should probably get going, right? Breakfast and all..." Ron said slowly, looking at Gin.
"What about Ginny?" Hermione asked softly. "Does she come with us...?"
"We can bring her back food," Harry offered.
Ginny shook her head. "No, that looks too suspicious... besides, if I'm there with you guys no one is going to mess with me..."
Harry shrugged and they walked off to the Great Hall.
As they headed to their regular seats, Ron suddenly grabbed Hermione by the hand and dragged her to the opposite end of the table.
"Hermione." He said rather seriously, filling her plate with her favorite foods for her as he spoke, "I want you to come to Hogsmeade with me this weekend."
"Wh-huh?" She stuttered, immensely confused.
"You. Me. Hogsmeade."
"As... friends?"
Ron shook his head. "More."
Hermione could have choked. "Oh - um - yes!"
"Whadaya reckon their talking about?" Ginny asked Harry slowly, studying her brother has he placed food on Hermione's plate and she blushed.
"I don't know," Harry said. "But I think I have an idea."
"What?"
Harry smirked. "Hogsmeade."
Ginny smiled as well. "Ron finally got the courage to ask her out? I'm shocked..."
"Apparently he finds it easier to talk to Hermione when most of her attention is focused on you...and me." Harry replied.
"She broke up with you, Harry."
"Yes, but I don't think either of us wanted to break up at the time. We love each other. I'm glad she did leave me though - we may love each other but not in the type of way that a couple would...we're...best friends, and that's all." Harry said quietly, as if unaware Ginny was there anymore, like he was just thinking out loud.
"Are we still going to Hogsmeade?" Ginny asked, trying to change the subject slightly.
"Why wouldn't we be?"
Ginny looked around and shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just starting to wonder why you asked me."
"What do you mean?"
She shrugged again. "I don't know. Forget I said anything."
"Gin, if there's anything you want to talk to me about...you can." Harry reassured her gently.
Ginny took a deep breath and leaned in to whisper to Harry. "He knows we're going together, and he said he'd 'see me there'."
"Then we go, now laugh like I'm just whispering a dirty joke in your ear." Harry whispered back. Ginny giggled and playfully swatted Harry's arm - she was quite the actress.
"But what if he... does something?" she sighed backing away slightly to look him in the eye. "What then?"
Harry grinned, "Then I kill the bastard." and before Ginny had the chance to respond, Harry leaned in and kissed her.
Ginny pulled away slowly, somewhat shocked at what happened, and blushed. "Harry..." she said softly, before kissing him again.
Disgusting, snogging in the middle of the great hall, he thought angrily, With golden boy no less...filthy bitch, I'll show her...I wonder if she's told him...told him what I said to her...
, he thought angrily,"That is disgusting." Ron said to his sister and best friend, having snuck up on them. He felt a small amount of satisfaction as they sprung apart with their eyes wide.
"Grow up, Ron." Ginny replied breathily.
"Ginny?" Hermione asked as she entered the room of requirement. It was now a weekend, and thanks to Ron, Hermione had been able to let her jealousy of Ginny and Harry go and be friends with them. It took her some time but she realized that friendship was more important then fleeting teenage romance, "Are you ready to go? Harry and Ron are waiting in the entrance hall."
Ginny sighed, looking over her shoulder. She wasn't sure of what was going to happen, but she knew she couldn't avoid the afternoon any longer. Maybe she could have a somewhat good time with Harry...
"Alright, Herms... I'm ready."
It took no time at all for the two girls to reach the entrance hall with the help of numerous short cuts and secret passages.
"What took you so long?" Ron asked looking a bit disgruntled.
"Well we were on the 7th floor, Ron." Ginny said with a quick roll of her eyes.
With that the four teens allowed Filch to check them off his list of students going to Hogsmeade and headed down towards the wizarding town.
"So, where do you guys want to go first?" Harry asked, feeling Ginny slight tense up as soon as they set foot in Hogsmeade.
Hermione shrugged. "I don't know... anywhere, I guess. Any ideas, Ron?"
"Well -"
"Not Honeydukes."
"Okay, then -"
"No Quidditch shops."
Ron grumbled. "You've practically said no to everything worth going to!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "We have to agree on something..."
"Why don't we get a butter beer and think about it? I don't want to stand here in the snow all day."
They entered the Three Broomsticks sitting in one the back corners. Ron waved Madame Rosmerta over and ordered a round of butterbeers before turning to his sister, Harry, and Hermione.
The infamous QuidditchDragon stood behind the four, his invisibility cloak hiding him from sight. He watched as Rosmerta brought them each a bottle of butter beer. He stepped closer to the redheaded girl - as if she sensed him standing there, she tensed.
"Something wrong, Gin?" Harry asked, noting her wide eyes.
"Uh, no... I guess not... Just not really in the mood for a butterbeer anymore," she sighed. Ginny looked behind her, somewhat paranoid, and could have sworn she saw something move. Oh, God, she thought. "Harry..."
"Yes?"
She leaned into his ear and whispered, "He's here."
"Where?" he whispered back, his jaw clenching. "How do you know?"
"I don't know...someone's watching us."
"I can hear you, doll," she heard in her ear.
Ginny closed her eyes, trying to tell herself it was merely a dream. When she opened her eyes and saw it was reality, she went running out of the Three Broomsticks - alone, with Harry close behind
"Where is she going!" Ron asked, trying to keep up with Harry's sprint.
"He's here - she said he was watching us!"
"What?" Hermione yelled, her running slowed down by the amount of snow on the ground. "Where is she headed?"
"I - I don't know," Harry called back, cold and freezing snowflakes hitting his face. "But we have to catch up, come on!"
No one noticed that instead of there only being four pairs of footprints in the snow, there was five...
Okay... I think I outran him... Ginny thought to herself, ducking inside a shop she had never seen before.
Ginny darted between the shelves, hoping that she really had lost him, but not wanting to take the risk. Finally she stopped, leaning against a wall, panting. She surveyed the store for a moment, all of the shelves were filled with items but what those items were, she couldn't tell.
Near her she heard someone whisper something, however when she turned towards where the whisper had come from all she saw was the stores clerk.
"May I help you, miss?" He asked, politely.
Ginny opened her mouth to reply, but no sound came out, her voice was...gone. She shook her head nervously, her hand on her throat.
Ginny opened her mouth to reply, but no sound came out, her voice was..gone. She shook her head nervously, her hand on her throat.
"Are you sure, miss? Water, perhaps?"
Ginny nodded and croaked, "please." The clerk disappeared behind the stacks of shelves, off to get her water. Ginny was suddenly very nervous, and was feeling rather stupid.
"Hello, Weasel," she heard a voice whisper in her ear. Oh... god...
"Get away from me!" She yelled, turning around and causing everyone in the store to look at her nervously. She looked at the boy behind her, and saw it was none other then Draco. "Draco?"
"God, jumpy aren't we?" he smirked, reaching behind her to get something off the shelf.
She put a hand over her quickly-racing heart.
"What are you doing here?"
Draco rose an eyebrow and put the item in her face. "A box of quills?"
"Yeah, is that okay with you?" he snarled, pushing her out of his way.
"Erm...right," Ginny squeaked as the clerk came back handing her a cup of water, which she drank quickly after thanking him.
She watched Malfoy purchase his quills and leave. She didn't dare take her eyes from the slytherin until he disappeared from the store and around the corner.
Cautiously she watched people enter and leave the store, still slightly afraid of going back out into the cold.
Out of nowhere she heard a voice hiss in her ear, "Don't make a noise, Weasley."
Ginny bit her lower lip, yelling at herself mentally. I knew I shouldn't have run from the group... especially with what's at risk... me. She attempted turning around, but the voice tsk'd.
"Nuh uh uh, Weasel, no turning around. Listen to me, and listen good. You are being watched - every minute of every day. If you tell anyone what's going on you're dead, and Potter's dead quicker then he was in the first place, got it?"
Ginny gasped. "Why are you after Harry?"
The voice laughed. "Why aren't I after Harry?" He took a deep breath. "It's not up to me. It's up to the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord says he wants Harry Potter, Harry Potter's what he gets. And if some little girl tries to meddle into his business, death is what she's gonna get, okay?"
Ginny nodded tearfully, biting hard on her lip causing it to bleed slightly.
"That's a good girl - now I know I can't make you tell me anything here - but I'm a smart man...and soon I'll figure out what you're thinking to get into the room of requirement...yes I know that's where your hiding love...and once I do get in...there will never be any escaping me."
Ginny gulped. "I'm not hiding there."
He laughed. "Right. Don't try to lie, dear, it's oh so pointless. You really are loud in the hallways, you know? So easy to follow."
"Who are you?" she asked angrily, feeling violated.
She heard noise by the door, and felt the man move slightly. While he did this, he made a sort of a swishing noise.
"Ginny?" Harry called, looking around.
This is my chance... she thought hurriedly. While the man was still turned around, she stepped on his foot and tipped over the items in the shelf. As she tried to run away, however, the mans arms went around her torso. He brought his mouth close to her ear and whispered, "Good try, love. See you later."
His arms moved apart from her waist, and she turned around, trying to find him... but he was nowhere.
Harry ran to Ginny, pulling her close to him, "What happened?"
"Please, Harry, don't make me tell you." She said nervously, "Not now."
"Okay," he murmured into her hair as she leaned into his chest. "Later."
"So... he knows we're here?" Harry whispered, sitting on the bed next to Ginny. They were in the Room of Requirement, without Ron or Hermione. If she had to tell anyone, she knew it had to be Harry - he was the one whose life was on the line... as well as hers.
"Yes... For now we're safe but we need to get moving. He said he's going to find out what we're thinking to get in.. and once he does that, there's no escape," she whispered back.
"And...there's more that you can't tell me?"
Ginny nodded. "But... it involves you. You can only imagine what it's about..."
"Voldemort."
Ginny nodded again. "This guy's a death eater or something - he called him the 'Dark Lord.'"
"Why is he after you, anyway?"
Ginny shook her head. "I can't tell you, Harry..."
Harry sighed. "We need to think of a plan. And fast."