Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I just like to torture him and his friends ;)

Hazardous Sanity

By Emerald Riddle 4/05

Chapter Ten: Looking Back And Forgetting

Times are gone when you would say,

This is the one come seize the day,

Times are gone for honesty,

"My victory is your defeat"

Oh, can't you see you've been mistaken?

-In My Life by The Rasmus

Ginny sat in the Gryffindor common room with Harry and Ron, waiting for Hermione to return.

"She's been gone for hours," Ron muttered as he wore the end of his sleeve with his fingers.

"She hasn't been gone for hours, Ron," Ginny said angrily. "And stop ruining your shirt! Merlin knows if we can afford a new one!"

Ron's ears turned pink, but he didn't back down. "Of course we can afford anew bloody shirt! We aren't THAT poor!"

She looked like she was about to reply when the door to the common room swung open and Hermione emerged, wiping sweat from her brow. Wet tendrils of hair stuck to her face as if she had just been to a sauna instead of Snape's freezing cold dungeons.

Ron jumped up, relieved to get away from Ginny, and started on Hermione. "Where were you? What did Snape do to you? Did he bring you to the Headmaster? Did you lose anymore points?"

She didn't answer. Ignoring Ron, Hermione fell into one of the squashy armchairs by the fire. Ginny thought that was odd, considering how sweaty she was. Harry moved to her side and started whispering something in her ear as he held her hand.

Funny, I never noticed how close the two of them were... Ginny thought while watching the exchange of whispers and reassuring hugs.

Her brother rolled his eyes and settled back into his spot on the sofa.

Ron seems to be used to it. Why did I never notice if he did? I certainly watch the two of them enough.

Hermione seemed to be fighting back tears as Harry murmured gentle words into her ear. It struck Ginny with such force, she did a double take.

I never once really watched them together. Never. I watched Hermione alone. I watched Harry alone. I watched them with Ron and with other students, but not together.

Harry leaned into theballs of his feet as he held the arm of the chair to support him. "Ginny, Snape brought Hermione to the Headmaster. They were questioning her on the murders, it had nothing to do with what happened downstairs. They said that if they didn't figure out what was going on soon, the Minister is going to take the investigation into his own hands. And that means somebody, maybe even someone innocent, will be going into Azkaban for a life sentence." He paused to let that sink in, then continued.

"The Minister is already working with the Aurors and compiling suspects. Right now they think it may be a death eater... but they have a few students in their heads as well. One of them would have been me, but apparently, Fudge doesn't want a repeat of my fifth year. They narrowed it down to a few Gryffindors... One of them is Ron."

Ginny and Ron gasped.

"Another is Hermione."

Ginny felt as if she was slapped in the face.

Harry still continued, "And they reckon that with the fresh murders this morning... you'll be added to the list, Gin."

"But WHY? Why would they think Ron would kill a member of his own family? Why do they think Hermione would even think of killing? Why?" Ginny screamed in frustration. Angry tears spilled from her eyes.

Ron just continued gaping like a fish. His shirt sleeve was now in shreds.

Harry sighed. "The killer had to be clever. Hermione, as you know... is very clever. Ron has a bad temper. They are also my two best friends. Fudge has this whole conspiracy thing going on in his head..."

Ginevra turned to Hermione. "What did you tell the Headmaster?" She asked wearily.

"I- I... didn't tell him anything, really," she said.

"Then I'll have to-" Ginny was interrupted by the common room door swinging open again.

McGonagall strolled in, her actions jerky. "Mr. and Miss. Weasley, if you will please come with me?"

Ron and Ginny got up automatically, their heads buzzing so loudly that they didn't even think to ask why they were needed.

In McGonagall's office, they got the news that their brother, Fred, killed himself yesterday afternoon.

Lana Gwen watched as everything unfolded on the screen in Ginevra's mind. She woke up to find herself tied to a chair in front of it, so she really had no other choice.

It felt as if her mind was tearing itself in two, coming together again, then doing the cycle over and over repeatedly. She was now more aware than ever of how incomplete she felt. Like she was missing her other half.

Which, in this case, she was.

But she watched as everything fell apart in the Wizarding school. Students dying because of her. Her love, her queen, accused of it. Ronald, her brother, being confused and really not being told anything. Then there was Harry Potter... Ginevra usually perceived him as weak and in need of protection. But she was wrong.

Out of all the students and teachers in Hogwarts, he had to be the least person likely to need protection.

When somebody needed comforting, he was there. When everybody was panicking, he stayed calm. When emotions ran high and haphazard, he didn't react. He was smart, hiding the strength in his face with his hair so those close to him didn't notice. Not even Ginny.

Potter crept behind the scenes, helping those who did not even know it.

How very Slytherin, Lana thought.

Voldemort always scoffed at him, but really, he was the one being fooled. The Potter boy knew what was going on, and Lana knew he would be the one to surprise them all by saving them.

Saving her.

Or at least I hope so.

Ginny sat in Hermione's dorm room, her own not yet fit for living. She shared a bed with Hermione even though she had her own in the far corner of the room. They both thought this was a good idea.

The news that Fred killed himself... Well, it didn't really surprise anyone but Ron. It was bound to happen after George died, Ginny was just sad it had to happen so soon... They didn't even get a chance to talk about what happened at George's wake. It was, of course, a mistake. Ginny wasn't attracted to her brother like that. Besides, she was a lesbian. She wasn't attracted to any guy like that.

The two of them just needed... something. Something different. Something that felt good, something that hurt, something... that needed company to be done.

She did not know whether to regret it or not.

Hermione lay curled up on the other side of her bed, her breathing was even and her breasts rose and fell with her chest. Ginny felt suffocated. She wanted something like what she and Fred had. She wanted a moment of blissful ignorance and sharp twists of pain and lust mixed so much they blurred.

But Hermione would just push her away.

Ginny looked around the dorm room and saw Parvati. She heard stories of Parvati... Stories of her with guys, with girls, with both. She was pretty sure the girl was bisexual. Once she stumbled upon her and Lavender kissing in the second floor bathroom (the new place for lovers). Before that, she stumbled on her kissing Seamus in the Astronomy Tower.

Gets around, Parvati does... Ginny mused before laying down next to her.

She straddled Parvati lightly before kissing her gently awake. The girl moaned slightly and kissed back. The kissing increased its passion and finally, her eyes fluttered open.

"Ginny?" she groaned, looking very groggy and confused.

Ginevra put her finger to Parvati's lips, pulled the curtain shut around them, and got down to some serious kissing with Gryffindor's favorite sex maniac, other than Seamus of course.

Author's Note: I just really wanted to thank all my loyal reviewers, you don't know how much those help keep me going! I have to tell you again, that this story is not done yet but it is in the stages of ending. You can expect a few more chapters before the final climax ;) Remember! The more reviews I get the quicker I'll update! They feed my muse . Oh, and I have had this written sice APRIL... But I was unable to upload it. Now that I have my new computer, this should not be happening again. Much love to you all!

A/N 6/18/05: This chapter has been EDITED.