When Ginny had finished her shower, she got dressed in a daze and decided to go to bed. She had hardly slept at all that night and she thought, 'Thank goodness it's Sunday,' because that meant they had didn't have classes to attend. She could do what she wanted for the day and all she wanted was to be alone. She had homework to complete but she was sure the Professor's weren't going to be strict about essays and such for the following week because how could they? A fellow student had just…
Ginny wouldn't even let herself finish her own thoughts. Rebecca and Julia seemed to be fast asleep with no worries in the world as Ginny draped the curtain around her bed and waited until she fell into a fitful sleep. Ginny woke up to Hermione calling her name frantically a few hours later and she woke from the middle of a Riddle dream. She had been in the chamber again and this time instead of Harry, Cedric had come and rescued her. The Basilisk had been defeating Cedric. Hermione had woke her up just in time.
Ginny looked around fearsomely.
Hermione whispered worriedly, "Gin...I'm sorry I wouldn't have woken you up...but Harry sent me to check on you and you seemed to be having some kind of fit! You freaked me out so much!" She sighed and shook her head, "I'm sorry to worry you. This is fairly normal." Hermione's eyes turned into the size of saucers and she whispered, "Ginny...this shouldn't be normal! Under any circumstances! Who else knows about this?" She shrugged her shoulders and rubbed her eyes tiredly, "Um...only Harry." Hermione raised her eyebrow and she grumbled, "No wonder Harry wanted me to check on you! Are you alright?" Ginny shook her head and sighed, "No, but I'd like to get some more sleep if that's okay? Thanks for coming to check on me."
Hermione nodded and she frowned at her friend anxiously before she headed out the room. She heard a knock on the door minutes later and she sighed as she got up out of bed to find Harry at the door. She raised her eyebrows and asked, "What's the matter?" Harry grimaced and replied, "I could be asking you the same thing. You look like you've hardly had any sleep." Ginny closed the door behind her and whispered, "Harry...you didn't tell Hermione why I was dreaming like that did you?" He shook his head slowly and she sighed in relief, "Thank goodness. Hermione would never stop worrying!"
However, Harry grimaced and replied, "Gin, maybe Hermione should know." Ginny raised her eyebrows and Harry continued, "Because then at least someone in your dormitory can comfort you. Unfortunately I can't do anything about it since I'm not allowed in, but Hermione could." She sighed and whispered, "I don't know Harry. I can't really think about this right now, but thank you, I appreciate your concern. Please don't say anything to Hermione until I'm ready."
Harry nodded and she gave him a quick hug and a thank you, before darting back inside. She didn't want to tell Hermione-she had enough on her plate without Hermione being worried about her. Ginny hopped back into bed and she spent the rest of the day there. However, every now and again she woke up as she had just dreamt about the last time she saw Ced-when he had winked at her- and the memory which was turned into a dream was as clear as day. This made her think Cedric was alive. It took several seconds to readjust and realise that he wasn't.
Later that evening when she woke up, she felt like she'd hardly slept. Hermione was calling her name and her eyes drifted open. She sighed and grumbled, "What is it, Hermione?" Her friend shook her head and whispered, "Gin, its dinner time and you need to eat." Ginny grumbled and groaned dismally, "No, Hermione I don't want to see anyone." Hermione disappeared for a second before Ginny heard a knock on the door again.
Ginny lifted herself out of bed and half stumbled to the door. She opened it to find Harry standing there, looking concerned. He grimaced and asked hopefully, "Gin...please won't you come downstairs? If you're not going to eat, you can at least come and get some fresh air." She groaned and murmured, "I don't want to go, Harry. It's going to be hard to go on with life as normal. I've never…lost someone this close to me before-and so suddenly!" She could feel the tears coming again and she wiped them on her long sleeved shirt. Harry whispered, "I know what it's like, Gin. I thought I nearly lost you in the chamber. That was a living nightmare." She blinked rapidly and he hurried on, "Please come down? Even if it's just for a walk around the grounds?" She finally murmured, "Fine! Just let me shower quickly." before heading to the shower and changing into jeans and shirt. When she returned, the common room was thankfully empty and Harry was waiting for her at the foot of the dormitory stairs. He forced a smile and said, "I'm glad you came." Ginny nodded and whispered, "Not to eat dinner. I can't stomach food." Harry was obviously upset by this, but he nodded as she reached him and then they walked to the entrance of the grounds together in silence.
Without communicating, they headed down to the lake as Ginny knew they would. It was routine for them. She was grateful for the silence, and for his company. She felt like she didn't want to talk-about anything but she needed him. When they reached the lake, they sat down against the biggest tree trunk they could find and Ginny suddenly whispered, "I can't believe the two of you were in this lake only a few months ago." Harry nodded and replied, "Neither can I." She looked at him and said softly, "You know towards the end of the third task, I was actually routing for you." Harry's green eyes visibly tensed and he asked, "Why?" She shrugged, "You're my best friend. Even though I liked Cedric as more, nobody could take your place Harry-ever." She smiled bleakly at him and he smiled back at her, "Thanks Gin. That's good to hear."
She nodded and leant against his shoulder. Everybody was at dinner so she wasn't surprised that the lake was empty. Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulder and whispered, "Remember how you used to be so nervous around me that you used to put your elbow in the butter?" Ginny found herself laughing-to her surprise-at the memory, "Oh yes, and how Fred and George teased me mercilessly about it for months after!" Harry chuckled slightly, "Did they?" She nodded and grinned, "Yup! Sometimes, they still do. I don't feel embarrassed anymore though." Harry murmured, "That's definitely a good thing. And I'm glad you're laughing. Cedric would have liked that."
Ginny thought that it would feel strange talking to Harry about Cedric, but it wasn't. She knew that Harry had some sort of inclination about her feelings for Ced, but she hadn't wanted to discuss it with him. However, he was making it seem effortless and totally normal, although she was sure it wasn't so easy for him. Ginny whispered throatily, "How are you taking it?" He shrugged and replied, "I've been better. But then again haven't we all?"
She nodded and sighed before she looked into his deep, green, troubled eyes. Ginny felt her stomach do a little flip. Those emerald eyes had always been mesmerising to her- even though she didn't like him in that way. But…Ginny felt her stomach do a dance as she stared into those eyes. Butterflies surfaced and she felt a blush spread into her cheeks that hadn't been a result of those eyes in a long, long time.
Harry whispered, "You're blushing." She broke eye contact and whispered, "Sorry, I'm just thinking about Cedric." He raised his eyebrow and asked, "What about him?" She sighed and said, "The truth? Well I liked Cedric a lot. I think you all knew that." Harry nodded and she continued, "And on the morning of the task he…he asked me out." She didn't want to even think about the fact that he had specifically asked her to be his girlfriend. She stumbled, "Cho had finally agreed to split the previous night with him and so he asked me." Harry raised his eyebrows so high that it looked like they would hit the sky as he said, "And you said yes?" She nodded and grimaced, "Yeah. I said yes. And you know what the really horrible part is? I've known that something really tragic was going to happen from the minute this tournament was announce. I warned him and I…I asked him not to compete. He said he was doing to make his house proud and that I had nothing to worry about! I should have stopped him…I should have…" as tears began to trickle down her face.
Ginny swallowed hard and Harry whispered, "Gin, you did everything you could. You warned him and he ignored you. That's not your fault. If anybody's to blame, it's me." Ginny shook her head and whispered, "No, no Harry stop it! Stop with this guilt-trip right now!" Harry shrugged and replied, "Everyone already thinks I'm a liar as it is. Hardly anyone believes me about Riddle being back." Ginny gasped and whispered throatily, "Are you serious?" Harry nodded and whispered worriedly, "Especially the Hufflepuff's. They're the most disbelieving." Ginny shook her head in incredulity and stammered, "They…they don't think you…you did it do they?"
Harry looked away from her, breaking eye contact for the first time in a while as Professor McGonagall appeared on the far end of the lake. From his lack of an answer, she could deduce that they had in fact people really did believe that Harry could be responsible. Her mind was swarming with anger as Harry stood up, and offered Ginny a hand. She took it and they both walked towards the professor. When they reached her, Professor McGonagall said, "I'm sorry to interrupt Mr Potter and Miss Weasley, but Miss Granger alerted us to your absence and Professor Dumbledore did not think it wise that you linger around the grounds on your own at night, given what's just happened." They nodded, apologised and followed Professor McGonagall back to the entrance hall in silence.
When they entered the Great Hall, all eyes turned on them. As they walked in between the tables, Ginny noticed some frosty looks coming from the Hufflepuff table. She turned around to look at Ravenclaw, and caught sight of Cho. Her facial expression was the frostiest of them all. She knew dinner was going to be a long and laborious affair.
Author's Note: Sorry his took so long to put up! It was a tough chapter to write with Cedric gone. I've got to get used to not writing about Cedric now.