A/N: Sorry for the delay, I really don't have a good excuse. I'll just let you read the story and read the flames regarding my laziness later. Don't forget to review!
Hermione's Confession
As the shocking news of Ginny Weasley's tragic actions finally registered, a sombre dark cloud settled over the Hogwarts inhabitants, smothering all cheerful and happy thoughts.
The Hogwarts staffs were especially troubled, as they gathered in the teacher's common room, waiting for the meeting to start. As the various teachers and Professors settled down on the chairs around the oval table, Minerva McGonagall was heard muttering angrily to herself, periodically lifting her hand to wipe away the tears falling down her cheeks.
Dumbledore was sitting patiently at the head of the table, occasionally glancing at the door, waiting for the last two members of staff to arrive. As the hubbub of discussion died down, everyone heard Minerva's mutterings clearly.
"Stupid, just plain stupid. Should've seen it coming… charms were in place to prevent such an event… idiotic -".
Her ranting of self-blame was cut-off by Dumbledore clearing his throat and giving her a stern look over the rim of his glasses.
As Minerva looked slightly embarrassed, the door to the room opened, allowing Professors Weasley and Snape through. After they had taken their places at the table, Professor Dumbledore stood up and surveyed the solemn faces of his fellow colleagues.
"I trust I will not have to explain why I have called an emergency staff meeting?" he asked. "What has happened to Miss Weasley is truly devastating and I have no words to express the extent of my sorrow. Her parents have been notified and I expect Molly and Arthur to be here within the hour. I have allocated them the rooms next to yours Bill," Dumbledore said nodding towards Bill.
"However," Dumbledore continued, "What concerns me is that we couldn't pick up any telltale signs as to how this could've happened. We have charms, wards and other protective measures in place to prevent such a thing from happening to a student under our care. Another baffling thing is why no one had noticed any strange behaviour from Miss Weasley because something of this magnitude could not happen without a cause".
He paused and surveyed his colleagues. Their faces were solemn and sorrowful. He sighed.
"This incident reveals a very tragic flaw in our protective measures. That is why I want to encourage all of you to be open with each other and help me in the investigation to find the underlying cause of this matter. Any information you have will be of assistance."
Bill cleared his throat. "The Malfoy kid, he said something about You-Know-Who being involved in this. Like in her first year, how Gin-" his voice caught and he blinked away his sudden tears, trying to control his emotions.
Snape interrupted before Bill could say anything further. "The boy was clearly in shock!" He said disbelievingly. Snape turned to the headmaster. "We shouldn't base such a serious allegation on some half-mutterings of an emotionally affected boy. One of my students won't be part of this investigation without any concrete evidence."
"I still think it's something to investigate. If Malfoy had anything to do with Ginny's -" Bill started to say indignantly, but was cut off by Professor Vector.
"You shouldn't accuse people just because they said something that suggested Dark Arts involvement! I know you're upset William but think for a moment. It is more likely the poor girl had gone into some kind of depression, brought on by the OWLs after all they can be quite trying on a person's-"
"This is Ginny we're talking about, not some ordinary girl!" Bill roared incredulously, jumping to his feet in agitation.
"Ginny was always laughing and joking, surrounded by friends. She was always up to some mischievousness or another. This year she was the happiest I've seen her in a long while. You have no right to just-" Bill was ranting now, hands gripping the table tightly, tears streaking down his face.
"Mr. Weasley, please sit down!" Albus Dumbledore's voice boomed across the room, restoring order back into the meeting. He continued in a gentler tone of voice.
"While I understand that you are upset about the situation regarding your sister, there is no need to shout at your colleagues when they are only trying to help. I'm sure Professor Vector did not mean any disrespect with her comments and Severus is certainly correct in saying that we shouldn't put such emphasis on the boy's words when he is in a state of shock." He paused but before Bill could argue, he raised a hand for silence. Bill sat back in a sullen pose.
Dumbledore continued. "But I do understand your concern. If what Mr. Malfoy alleges is true, then it is truly troubling indeed. I will properly investigate this matter tho-" He was interrupted by a loud knock on the door.
"Ah, that must be Arthur and Molly. Severus could you?" asked Dumbledore, gesturing to the door. Snape got up from his seat and strode to the door.
However when he opened it, it wasn't the Weasleys who were on the other side
Hermione Granger stood in the doorway, eyes red and wringing her hands anxiously.
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"I didn't mention it because I thought it was a passing thing." Hermione miserably explained later, sitting in one of staff common room's comfortable armchairs.
"And she did seem to be much better after school started. Ginny was calmer and happier as term went on," Hermione insisted earnestly, as if trying to convince them she hadn't been wrong in her assumptions.
"I just thought that what had happened was because of her sadness over Sirius's death," Hermione concluded miserably, looking down at her clasped hands.
"Miss Granger," Dumbledore asked as kindly as possible, "Could you please explain in detail Miss Weasley's behaviour during your stay at the Burrow during the summer holidays?"
"Well," Hermione started hesitantly, speaking slowly. "Ginny seemed a bit more closed off, which was unusual because we always used to tell each other secrets, like sisters. She was restless and often stayed up late into the night. Sometimes she used to get a paranoid look about her and constantly looked over her shoulder." Hermione glanced desperately at her teachers, but they were all listening to her intently.
"These moments were fleeting though and I put it down to remorse and survivor's guilt." She was slowing down now, as if daring herself to go on.
"There was something else," Hermione's voice was soft; almost a whisper and she seemed even more reluctant to talk than before. She began fidgeting slightly.
"Go on," Professor McGonagall encouraged gently, holding her breath in anticipation.
"While I was staying at the Burrow, I shared a room with Ginny. Sometimes, during the night she would wake up and go for long walks outside. She wouldn't return until sunrise and then would sleep only for an hour or so."
There was obviously something very important that Hermione was on the verge of telling, but tears started to overwhelm her. She took in a deep breath to control herself then plunged back into her story.
"One night I stayed up late talking to Mrs Weasley. When I returned to our room, I saw Ginny in the midst of a nightmare. She was tossing, turning, and murmuring something frantically. I was so busy trying to wake her up that I didn't fully register what she had been saying," Hermione confessed hopelessly, wringing her hands desperately as tears trickled down her face and she lost whatever hold she had over her emotions. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed brokenly.
"Oh Gods!" she gasped between sniffles. "It was all there in front of me and I didn't even realise. Her reluctance to talk about anything, dark circles under her eyes, disappearing during the evenings and avoiding everyone. All the symptoms were there, just like her first year and I was too wrapped in my own worries to notice it."
Hermione was so busy berating herself that she forgot about the Professors around her. She hugged herself tightly. "It was so obvious!" she whispered and thought back to that night.
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Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
The steady echoing rhythm of water dripping down onto cold stones sparked a flash of terror and vulnerability in her. The atmosphere was foreboding and everything around her was vague and unfocused. She remembered this place, and this knowledge filled her with unknown dread.
Ginny could feel the hair on her arms stand on end as something changed in the air around her. A subtle change but none the less terrifyingly sinister. The change caused uncontrollable panic to course through her body as she realised something alarming. She wasn't alone in this dark and dismal place.
Ginny's heart thudded painfully against her chest and her breath came in short, loud gasps. In a blinding moment of clarity, a thought raced through her mind. She knew who was with her, and this fact sent a chill of ice-cold fear through her.
Her whole body shook with fear as the name came forth from a dark recess of her mind and rose unbidden from her lips.
"Tom"
Suddenly hands appeared from the darkness, grabbing at her. Ginny twisted and turned from them, trying to evade their desperate attempts. Sweating with a mixture of fear and something more alarming, she flung her arms out to guard herself from the unseen attackers.
"Leave me alone!" She cried in desperation.
"Ginny!"
The sharp voice cut through her panic and she was reeled back into consciousness. Gasping loudly, she opened her eyes only to see Hermione's concerned face peer back at her. With a startled cry, Ginny sat up, scrambling back against her pillows.
"Ginny, it's alright!" Hermione said reassuringly, sitting down on the bed. "It was only a nightmare. Everything is all right now. Don't worry," Hermione looked worriedly at her.
"You are okay aren't you?" she asked anxiously.
Still shivering, her body wet and sticky with sweat, Ginny could only manage a weak nod in reply.
Just a nightmare, she thought.
If only she could believe it.
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Hermione sat up abruptly, startling the Professors.
"Tom," she whispered.
"What was that dear?" Professor Sprout asked in surprise.
"That night, when Ginny was having the nightmare. She cried out the name 'Tom'," Hermione replied, still in a shocked daze.
Professor McGonagall gasped loudly, covering her mouth in horror. Bill gave a rather pointed look at Snape who ignored it. Dumbledore gave his staff a stern look over the rim of his glasses, telling them to remain silent. He turned his attention back to Hermione.
"Thankyou Miss Granger. You have helped us greatly in understanding the surroundings of Miss Weasley's actions. If you happen to remember anything else please don't hesitate to come to any member of the staff". Dumbledore walked over to Hermione and gently placed a toffee into her hands.
Hermione stared at the brightly wrapped candy, blinked rapidly for a few moments and then seemed to realise her surroundings. As she rubbed hastily at her tear-stained cheeks, the Headmaster spoke again.
"But now, it is time for you to return to your dormitory and your peers. Try and find some sleep, no matter how difficult it may be," Dumbledore said and indicated to Bill.
"Professor Weasley, could you please escort Miss Granger back to the Gryffindor tower?"
Dumbledore waited until the pair had left before addressing the rest of the staff members. He sighed quietly, suddenly feeling exhausted.
"It seems that there is indeed another aspect to this investigation. Please keep all your senses alert for any more information regarding this matter. This situation is to be taken with the greatest urgency". He dismissed the meeting.
As the other professors headed towards the door, talking among themselves, Dumbledore indicated to McGonagall to stay behind.
"Minerva a word?" he queried.
"Yes Albus?" she asked frowning slightly as she came towards him.
"Could you possibly take to questioning some of Ginevra's peers? It may turn up something interesting. But quietly, we don't a fuss to arise," Dumbledore cautioned.
"Only Gryffindors?" Minerva asked in whisper.
"At the moment yes. If this turns up anything, I will ask the other Heads of Houses to do the same," he explained.
"All right then," McGonagall replied, sighing slightly.
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Bill and Hermione walked in relative silence, with occasional sniffs from the latter.
"Hermione, could you do something for me?" Bill asked suddenly.
Startled, Hermione looked up at him. "What?" she asked cautiously.
"I want you to look up something for me," Bill explained. "I want you to investigate pendants and charms made from a particular type of living metal". A soft gasp was heard and he turned and looked at her.
"Living metal! But that's very rare!" she exclaimed, her eyes taking on and intellectual gleam.
"Yes it is. This particular pendant I'm interested in is made from the blue-green variety, in the shape of a tree-nymph. I want to know what type of spells and enchantments it can hold". He looked down at her and smiled reassuringly.
"Don't worry, it's nothing dangerous. I would've done it myself but I have a feeling you would be much better at this kind of thing".
Hermione stared down at her shoes, blushing at the compliment. Then she frowned and looked back up at him.
"Why, where did you see it?" she asked with curiosity.
"I can't tell you that yet. But I have a feeling it might be important in the investigation into what happened to Ginny," Bill said vaguely and fell silent. After a long moment, Hermione spoke.
"Yeah alright, I'll do it. But I'll need a pass to get into the restricted section," she said sighing.
"Thankyou. I'll have the note done by tomorrow," Bill said, smiling genuinely for the first time that wretched day.
The two walked the rest of the way to the Gryffindor common room in a companionable silence.