Warning: This chapter contains some content not suitable for people under sixteen.
The Midnight Hour
CHAPTER TWELVE: In A Mood
Ginny did not wake until late the next afternoon. She had stayed outside in the snow by the forest until the sun peered over the lawns of Hogwarts. When Severus stepped into the trees tears begun to escape her eyes, she crouched in the snow, shivering and crying. The invisibility cloak that was wrapped around her provided little warmth, but she didn't care. Nothing mattered at that time. As Severus turned to look for her she dropped a rose petal, so he knew she was there. After he disappeared Dumbledore turned to face where she was standing and gave a small, sad, smile before walking back to the castle. Ginny was sure he could see her, but dismissed the thought. She was, after all, invisible.
She stirred in her bed, willing her eyes to open. Her throat felt dry and rough, her nose was blocked and her eyes were still inflamed. As she sat up she felt dizzy, she closed her eyes again. Willing her sickness away. She knew that she shouldn't have stayed in the cold for too long, but at the time it was the last thing on her mind. She opened her hand, Severus note still in it. She wrapped her fingers around it again, not wanting to read it. She peered out of her bed curtains to find an empty dormitory. She got out of bed and gathered some fresh clothes then headed towards the bathroom for a shower.
The shower did not improve her mood, not even slightly. Her eyes were still rather red and somewhat swollen, her lips were dry and she was worried that she might begin to cry again. She picked up Harry's invisibility cloak and shivered at the feel of it, wet and ice cold. She pulled out her wand and muttered a quick drying spell before folding it up and tucking it into her jacket pocket.
When Ginny reached the common room she saw Ron and Hermione in the corner, talking happily. When she approached them Hermione looked up and Ron glared at her.
"Have you seen Harry?" she asked, Ron shook his head.
"He's probably at the Quidditch pitch preparing for practice." He told her, Ginny nodded and headed for the portrait hole.
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The weather over the quidditch pitch was the same as it had been last night, cold and windy. Ginny made her way through the snow unfeelingly towards the change room. She was slightly relieved when she saw Harry in there, sitting on a bench with his head in his hands.
"Harry," Ginny called out as she took the invisibility cloak out of her pocket, he turned and she held it towards him. "Thankyou." He stood up and strode over to her. He took the cloak gently and brought his hand up to her face, caressing her cheek gently, she looked away from him.
"Gin, are you okay?" He asked, she nodded and turned to walk away, he grabbed her wrist and turned her around to face him, placing his lips upon hers in a hard kiss. Ginny pulled away from him and ran out of the change room. He called out after her, but she kept running.
She entered the common room and headed straight for the stairs, when she approached the first step Ron jumped in front of her.
"Where are you going Missy?" He asked happily, she tried to walk around him but he blocked her way again.
"To my dormitory." She hissed, trying yet again to get past him and failing.
"Training is in ten minutes. You get ready, I'll wait for you here." He said and stepped out of her. Ginny stormed up the staircase and into her dorm room. She opened the door and slammed it shut, and looked over to find Hazel sitting on her bed reading a letter. Ginny walked over to her trunk and pulled out her Quidditch robes grumpily.
"Ginny, you missed breakfast. And lunch." Hazel said softly, Ginny nodded and pulled off her jacket. "Are you okay?"
"Yes Hazel," Ginny replied sarcastically, "I am fan-fucking-tastic." She closed the lid on her trunk and walked over to the bathroom and slammed the door behind her, it locked with a click. She continued to get changed and could hear Hazel walk over to the door and settle herself outside of it.
"Ginny. This is tearing you apart." Hazel begun, Ginny ignored her. "You can't keep doing this, it isn't healthy. You are obviously not meant to be together." The heat rose in Ginny's face and she opened the door, Hazel, who had been leaning against it, fell backwards onto the tiled bathroom floor. Ginny pulled Severus letter out of her pocket and threw it at her before slamming the door on her head. There was silence for a few minutes before Ginny emerged from the bathroom, ready for quidditch practise. Hazel walked over to her and hugged her. "I'm sorry." She whispered, Ginny nodded "It doesn't sound like he is going to a funeral." She said softly, Ginny shook her head and tears escaped her eyes. "I'm so sorry." She repeated, stroking her friend's head. Ginny pulled away from her.
"Harry kissed me." She hissed, Hazel pulled a face.
"You should tell Harry to piss off." Hazel said with a comic smile, Ginny shook her head.
"Say what? Hey Harry I cant go out with you because I am dating your fathers second worst enemy and your potions master?" She spat, Hazel looked away.
"Are you still going?" Hazel motioned to Ginny's robes, Ginny nodded.
"Ron's waiting for me." Ginny told her, Hazel gave her the letter back and she walked out of the room.
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"WEASLEY!" Harry roared "WATCH WHERE YOU ARE THROWING!" the quaffle flew straight past the goal posts and out of the stadium. Ginny turned her broom around and headed back to the centre of the pitch with the other chasers. "Pay attention!" He yelled. "Go Bell!" Ginny looked over at Madden, the third Gryffindor chaser, he raised his eyebrows and smile.
"Lover's tiff?" He asked, Ginny rolled her eyes and looked away. There were probably plenty of people who thought she and Harry should be together. She didn't feel anything for him at the moment, that is, except anger. Harry kept flashing her looks, she wished desperately that he would stop. After Katie threw and missed Harry called the rest of the team back to the centre.
"This is terrible!" he cried as Ron flew in beside Ginny. "Just because we won against Ravenclaw doesn't mean that we will win against Slytherin, they have a strong team, but I will be damned if those bastards beat us. Bell, you need to anticipate what the keeper is going to do, and NOT play into his hands. Ron, what your doing is okay, but you can do much better. Madden, your throws are hardly reaching the scoring zone, Timera and Wolf you don't tap the quaffle you HIT it. And Weasley," He turned to Ginny and she glared at him. "I don't think you have ever played worse in your life. No only did you miss the goal posts, but you managed to throw the quaffle outside of the stadium. I don't think I have ever seen anyone do that before. That was just pathetic. You better shape up or you're off the team." Harry said, anger surging through him, Ginny smiled at him sardonically.
"I'm sorry I cannot shape up to you Potter." She hissed before turning her broom around and flying out of the pitch. The rest of the team stared after her, open mouthed, including Harry.
Ginny dismounted by the front doors of the castle, and dragged her broom behind her all the way up to the common room. She walked straight past Hermione who asked her what happened and up to her dorm. Hazel was in there looking through her trunk frantically. Ginny plonked down on her bed. Hazel walked over to her, something clutched in her hand.
"What happened?" Hazel asked, Ginny growled.
"Harry threatened to kick me off the team, so I left practise." Ginny explained, trying to keep her anger at bay.
"Stupid git." Hazel hissed, Ginny nodded. "Hey, Gin… I thought you might like this." She said handing Ginny a long gold chain with a minute glass tube attached to it. Ginny, raised her eyebrows. "My mum gave it to me." She explained "that tube there can hold items, I used to keep a letter from my mum in it. I think you will have more use for it than I do." Ginny smiled.
"Thankyou." She said accepting the necklace, Hazel grinned. "How do you use it?" She asked, Hazel motioned for Ginny's letter, she gave it to her. "You tap the object and then the tube." She said as she did it. The letter shrunk and zoomed into the glass tubed. Ginny reached over to her bedside table for her rose, Hazel took it from her and smelt it. Within moments the glass canister held the rose and letter from Severus. Ginny smile and hugged Hazel. "I'm sorry about the way I treated you before." Hazel shrugged.
"Hey, I'm used to it." She laughed. Ginny fastened the chain around her neck. Her mood was slightly improved, but she still felt empty.
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Ginny sat at dinner eating her beans. She was with Hazel and Colin talking about the essay they had to do for McGonagall. Every so often she would sneak a look over to the teachers table, hoping in vain to catch a glimpse of Severus.
"Ginny, can you help me with it, I don't know anything about internal organism transfiguration." Colin asked, Ginny laughed.
"Well Colin, you should have been paying attention instead of playing footsies." Ginny said, Hazel smiled and Colin laughed. "I guess I can help you." She said evenly and was tapped on the shoulder. She turned around to see Harry. "Harry I don't want to ta-" she begun before he interrupted her.
"Ginny. I will only take up a couple of minutes of your time." Harry said, Ginny stood up and walked over to the corner of the room with him, receiving a howling from the Slytherin table, she made a rude gesture at them.
"What do you want?" She asked.
"I wanted to apologise for the way I acted towards you at practise… and before. I shouldn't have taken you by surprise like that." He said as his face went a light shade of red.
"You think so?" she asked sarcastically.
"Ginny, I just- it's just… I really like you. And it took me a long time to realise it. But please, don't dismiss the prospect of a relationship with me now, not now that I know I like you." He begged, she looked away from him.
"Harry, I can't go out with you. I don't have feelings for you any more. I am sorry." She said stiffly, Harry begun to walk away. He turned back towards her.
"And Ginny, you will always have a place on the team, and in my heart." He told her before he walked back to the table and settled into his seat.
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The next six days passed uneventfully. Ginny's nights seemed long and boring without any detentions or remedial lessons. She spent most of her time in the common room, nose buried in her homework. With each day that passed her heart ached more, and was only relieved with the thought that Severus would soon. She sat on the end of her bed, packing her trunk with the hopes that when she arrived at Grimmauld place Severus would be there. Throughout the week she would feel an occasional wave of heat through her body, and was sure that it was some sort of sign that Severus was okay, but for the past two days she felt nothing. She threw her textbooks on top of her clothes and jumped onto her trunk, hoping to use her weight to secure the latch. Hazel walked over and helped her. Ginny always packed too much. Hazel had finished packing earlier that day and spent most of her time with Colin. She now sat beside Ginny on her trunk, both in their pyjamas.
"He'll be back tomorrow." Hazel said happily, Ginny nodded hopefully. "Don't worry, he will be okay." If only she knew, Ginny thought.
"As for you." Ginny said reaching into her top pocket. "This is your Christmas present." She said handing her a small orange box. "But you can't open it until Christmas morning!" Ginny said, Hazel rolled her eyes.
"Why give it to me now? You know how much suspense kills me!" Ginny nodded.
"That's why I gave it to you today." She looked over at her friend, and then around the room, to make sure the other girls were not in the dorm. "And Hazel, I just want to say thankyou for putting up with me. I know I haven't been in the best mood during the past week or two, but thanks for being so patient with me. It means a lot. And," she looked around again "thankyou for keeping my secret, you have no idea how much I appreciate it." Ginny said, Hazel smiled.
"That's okay, you can pay me back later!" Hazel said, Ginny punched her in the arm and said goodnight.
Ginny had trouble sleeping. She didn't know whether it was nerves or adrenalin. She was excited that she would see Severus the next day, but she knew deep down that there was a chance that she would not return. Her heart ached whenever she thought of loosing him. And she had no idea how he was going, if he was still alive. She felt empty, incomplete. Willing herself to sleep she buried her face into her pillow and closed her eyes, as she attempted to clear her mind. All she could think about was loosing Severus. Tears escaped her eyes even thought they were clenched together.
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The Hogwarts Express whistled one more time before it's engines were set into motion, propelling it along the track to platform nine and three quarters. Ginny sat in a compartment with Hazel and her other friends from Gryffindor, hardly able to keep a smile off her face and butterflies from her stomach. Hazel threw her some chocolate and she munched away contentedly.
"I think my parents want to go on holiday to Australia this Christmas." Felicity groaned.
"What's wrong with that?" Colin asked, Felicity rolled her eyes.
"What's wrong with that? Colin! They don't have snow there! What is a Christmas without snow! Really? Not only that but it is on the other side of the world, not to mention the equator. The fact that it is on the other side of the equator means that it will be summer there! Do you know how an Australian summer gets? Do you?" She barked, Ginny held back laughter as Colin looked to her and Hazel for support.
"Thirty degrees?" Colin asked unsurely.
"THIRTY? Try forty-five! Forty bloody five. How is anyone meant to live in that?" she growled and threw herself against her seat.
"Well, I'll make a snow man for you." Ginny said, Felicity rolled her eyes.
"Thanks a lot Weasley!" Felicity said sarcastically. There was a tapping at the train window and Ginny saw a barn owl struggling to keep up with the train. She rushed over to the window and opened it, the owl flew in and settled itself on her lap, holding it's leg out for her. She untied the piece of parchment and it flew out of the carriage immediately. Her fingers trembled as she unrolled the letter, hoping desperately to see Severus tidy handwriting. Her heart dropped as she saw the familiar writing of her mother.
Ginevra,
Your father and I will pick you up at Berner St. just outside of Kings Cross Station. Hermione will know the way. By the way Ginny, love, can you please show this letter to Ron, Hermione and Harry and then burn it?
Love,
Mum (and Dad)
Hazel looked at her hopefully, she shook her head and stood up.
"I have to find Ron." She announced and walked out of her compartment. She walked down the corridor, peering into other compartment along the way. She saw Malfoy and walked past him, he turned around and call her.
"Hey, Weasley!" he yelled, she kept walking "Looking for lover boy? Third compartment from the back. I should know." He laughed cruelly before joining his friends in their compartment. Ginny waited until she heard the door behind him and ran to the back of the train. She opened the door to find Ron sitting on the ground, eye a brilliant shade of purple, and Harry standing up, blood streaming out of a gash on his arm. Ginny walked over to Hermione.
"What happened?" She asked, Hermione shook her head.
"Malfoy. Stupid git. He came in here, threw around some insults, curses and punches and then walked out as though he was a hero." Hermione walked over to Harry and took out her wand. He pulled away from her and looked away. Ginny walked over to him and grabbed his face.
"Harry, don't be stupid. It could get infected." She hissed, he held out his arm and Hermione healed it. She walked over to Ron and squatted beside him. She did some sort of spell and the purple swelling reduced to a red mark. Ron stood up angrily.
"I'm going to kill him!" He growled.
"Oh Ron, don't be stupid." Hermione sighed "It wont be long before someone kills him. Don't bother getting your own hands dirty." Harry walked over to Ginny.
"What's up?" he asked, she handed him the letter and he read it, and passed it to Ron who showed Hermione, she nodded and incinerated it with a spell then cleaned up the ashes.
"I know the way." She said with a small smile. They stood in silence for a few moments.
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Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny stepped into the car that the ministry had provided for them. Ginny's parents were already in the car, which was magically enhanced to the size of a stretch limousine, even though it was a mini. Ginny sat in-between her mother and father contentedly. She knew that the car was headed straight for the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. She turned around to the back seat and saw a strange box shaped object.
"Hey what's that?" She asked her father, he grinned from ear to ear.
"That is a televonion!" He announced happily, "It's like a photo, but it talks, and the people can't see you." He turned to look at it then turned back to the front window. Ginny looked at Harry.
"TeleVISION" he whispered, Ginny laughed and turned back to face the windscreen.
It was easily a half hour drive with all of the traffic. When they pulled up outside of number twelve and fourteen. The car pulled up and the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione filed out of the vehicle and retrieved their bags, Mr. Weasley looked around and whipped out his wand, with a flick and an incantation the car disappeared. They filed towards the house that squeezed itself between the other twelve and fourteen and walked into the corridor. Ginny noticed that someone had managed to put up a roughly constructed box around the portrait of Mrs. Black, she was extremely thankful for that.
"So, who's here mum?" she asked, Mrs Weasley dropped her trunks and sighed.
"Well, Tonks, Lupin, Moody, Fred, Bill and Charlie. George will be home soon." She said rubbing her hands together. "I better get a start on dinner" she said before walking off. No Severus, Ginny thought. She pushed all of the negative ideas pelting through her brain aside, it was still early.
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That night Ginny went to her bedroom, her good mood gone and completely replaced by a feeling of dread. Severus had not returned yet, and from what she could gather no one had heard from him. She had felt a cold, draining wave wash over her after dinner, but pushed it aside. She couldn't help feeling that there was something wrong. She sat in her bed and stared out of the window, hoping desperately that her lover was still alive to see it.
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Another two days had passed and Ginny's mood worsened significantly. She sat down for most of her time looking out the window longingly, whenever someone asked her if she was okay she forced a smile and told them she was just bored.
All measurement of time slipped by her as she sat staring. She willed time to go by as it did. She had no wish to know how long she had been sitting there, hoping to see Severus. From the conversations she managed to hear no one had heard anything about Severus' welfare. On two occasions Dumbledore had entered the room, given her a sad smile and left again without a word. She was drawn out of her musings by footsteps approaching her. Harry sat down beside her.
"Ginny, are you okay?" he asked, she practiced her rehearsed routine. Smile, nod, say; I'm just bored. Harry didn't fall for it.
"Do you want to watch some television or something?" He asked, she shook her head.
"No thanks. I like being bored." She forced another smile and Harry sighed. He stood up and walked out of the room and she was left to her thoughts. She knew that with each minute that flew by there was less of a chance that Severus would come back, and with each minute her heart was torn further and further apart.
The sun set and darkness overwhelmed the sky. Dinner came and went, but Ginny didn't make the effort to go to the dining room. Mrs. Weasley brought a plate of food in for her, but it sat by the windowsill untouched and now stone cold. When the sky was at its darkest Ginny mustered up enough energy to make her way to bed so she could have a restless sleep and hope to wake up in the morning to find out Severus had returned.
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Three more days passed and there was still no news. Ginny had not eaten since the day she returned to Grimmauld place and felt an emptiness in her stomach and heart, neither to be filled. People had begun to avoid her, they had obviously realises that she just wanted to be alone. For the past two nights she had cried herself to sleep, with the knowledge that she was not likely to see Severus again. She loved him deeply, and did not want to move on. Still, she sat by the window faithfully on the off chance that she would see his pallid face as he walked to the door. Dumbledore had come by the room three times during the three days, his actions the same as always. A sad knowing smile. Ginny wished he would tell her something, anything, she wanted to beat it out of him. She knew that he had some idea of what was going on and had to restrain herself from using her energy cursing it out of him. Rain began to pour down, the sound threatening to drain out her thoughts, and for that she was glad. She wished to be in his arms again, to feel his lips against her own, to share his warmth.
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It was two days before Christmas and most of the house was in an exceptionally good mood. The decorations and constant cheer did very little to improve Ginny's outlook as she slowly began to come to terms with the fact that Severus might not come back. She had made an effort to wrap all of the presents she had bought before leaving Hogwarts, including the one she purchased for Severus. It sat in her bedside table draw on its own. She couldn't bear to look at it for longer than a few seconds.
He had broken his promise. He had promised her that he would return. He lied. It was more than a week later, approaching two weeks and no one had seen nor heard from him. She sat at her window and tugged at the gold chain around her neck. She pulled out her wand and tapped the canister. The letter and the rose fell into her lap. She unrolled the letter and looked at it, tears caught in her eyes, stinging her unforgivingly.
It is hard for me to say goodbye to you. So I wont. I will be back, I promise.
"Ginny!" She hid the letter in her hand and put the rose beside her. She turned to see Hermione. "Your mother wants you to help us put the decorations up." Ginny nodded and Hermione left the room. Ginny clutched the letter tightly before tapping it with her wand, doing the same thing to the rose moments later. She didn't want to say goodbye either.
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A/N: There you have it. What will happen next? Well, only I know that. The next chapter will be up soon. Thanks ever so much for your reviews, they are deeply appreciated.
Peace out!
Sinister Spiders