The Cerebral Coordination of Ginny Weasley
Author: ValorOrgulloso
Rating: T
Chapter XVI: In Which He Calls Her 'Duckie'
"Headmaster, Voldemort kidnapped Dean Thomas and is now after Ginny."
I looked at Harry in shock. This was unexpected.
Dumbledore slowly sat back down, closing his book. He lay his arms down in front of him on the desk.
"Please take a seat."
"But –" Harry protested.
"Please take a seat, and explain to me the situation, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore calmly ordered.
Harry inhaled in what I could only call impatience but took a seat in one of four wooden armchairs residing in front of the enormous desk. In order to do this, he had to release me from his boa constrictor hold. After he sat, he almost pulled me into his lap as he gently guided my hand towards him, but that was where I drew the line. I wouldn't succumb into acting like a sappy, disgusting couple; even during a crisis.
I patted his hand in an effort to comfort him, and he reluctantly released me. I sat in the chair next to him as Hermione and Ron had already taken the other two.
"Now, tell me what this is all about," Dumbledore benevolently requested.
"Dean," Harry quickly if a bit panicky said, wanting to tell his story as fast as possible, "but not really Dean, I guess, wanted to talk to me today. He asked me after our first class to accompany him into an abandoned classroom. I didn't know what it was about, but I did as he asked and followed him. It started off simple enough with him confronting me about some minor issues, but then his face changed when I didn't listen to a word he said… it was Dean's face, but it wasn't. Demon like, almost." Here Harry paused to gather his flustered thoughts. We were silent.
"He passed me a letter," Harry said, "and I opened it and read it. After I read it, it burst into flames. It explained that Dean was being held in the Department of Mysteries. It said if I went down there alone to get something for… for the Death Eaters, because that's who wrote it, Dean would be returned. They said if I didn't go get it for them within the next eight hours, Dean would be killed, and they'd find a way to get to Ginny. They'd…," Harry's voice broke off suddenly, but we knew what he meant. They'd kill me too.
There were a few seconds of silence before Dumbledore suddenly got out of his chair, taking us all aback by his now alert stature.
"Where did you leave the imposter?"
"Wha – classroom two-hundred-twenty-three," Harry told him quickly. Dumbledore strode over to his fireplace, threw some Floo powder into it, and called, "Severus Snape!"
I looked over at Harry, Ron, and Hermione to see Ron and Hermione exchange looks of worry. Harry was sitting there anxiously with a hard look on his face. He saw me staring, and he grimaced in an attempt to smile.
My chair was close enough to his for him to reach over and grab my hand. He leaned in towards me and whispered quietly in my ear, "It's going to be okay, Ginny. I won't let anything happen to you. Just don't worry. It'll all turn out for the better." These words I believed were mostly for his benefit as I wasn't the one freaking out. I was a bit numb to the entire situation, really. It didn't seem real.
In response to his reassurance, I rubbed my thumb over his knuckles. I responded quietly as well, "Harry, I'm fine. I'm more worried about you than anything."
Harry just stared at me like one would look when they were worried for someone's mental health. "Really," I emphasized.
His look didn't go away, so I was almost relieved when the ancient professor turned around and said, "You four are to the Great Hall along with all of the other students. Professor Snape is dealing with the imposter, and I am going to the Ministry to resolve the situation," Dumbledore said gravely.
"Professor, I have to -" Harry started, but Dumbledore cut him off.
"You don't have to anything, Harry. All you need to do here is wait and be patient. Now, please escort Misses Granger and Weasley and Mr. Weasley to the Great Hall to meet with all the other students and professors. I expect an announcement was made at lunch and will –"
"All students please report to the Great Hall immediately. All students please report to the Great Hall immediately," a large voice boomed from outside the office; it sounded like McGonagall's.
Dumbledore nodded at us to get going, and Hermione and Ron turned and started to leave, but Harry just stood there glaring at the Headmaster. I looked between the patient Headmaster and back to Harry. I could feel the anger and annoyance rolling off of Harry, and I had to hook my arm through his stiff one and physically pull him to get him to start walking. It's a good thing Harry wasn't too much bigger than me, or I wouldn't have been able to get him from that room.
Harry didn't look back as I dragged him from the spacious office.
When got down the stairs, I started guiding Harry in the direction of the Great Hall, following the hesitant Ron and Hermione who kept trying to none-too-subtly look behind at us.
He started slowing us down, letting Ron and Hermione get ahead a bit, and, when they turned a corner, he stopped us.
"Harry, what…," I tried to ask, but he suddenly pulled me into a tight hug, and the words died on my lips.
"Hey, Harry, Ginny, what… oh," Ron's words died off of his lips, and, looking over Harry's shoulder to see my brother and Hermione standing there awkwardly, having just come back around the corner.
I mouthed, "Go on. It's okay." Hermione nodded but looked worried, and Ron was similarly stern. They quietly left us with Hermione gently pulling on Ron's arm.
Harry hadn't loosened his hold on me, and, once Hermione and Ron were out of range, he pulled his head back, crushing his lips to mine.
I was breathless. Lips were moving with mine with intoxicating force. Within seconds, I was breathing heavily through my nose, and I was gripping onto Harry so hard I could feel my fingers go cold.
My mind was becoming hazy, and he readjusted so I was pressing against him more snugly.
He released the passionate kiss gently. My legs were jelly, and he held me close so I wouldn't fall.
"Harry, what are you going to do?" I whispered quietly. He didn't normally pull me into such heavy kisses like that unless there was some reason or occasion.
Harry rested his chin on my shoulder and said quietly in my ear, "I'm the only one that can help Dean. They want me. And, even if the Headmaster has an entire army of Aurors with him, they'll get hurt. The fastest way is for me to go there myself and get whatever they need for them. Dean'll be returned okay."
"What about you? Will you return okay?" I asked. I was upset to discover my voice sounded weak and helpless.
Harry was silent, and the fear and panic I was trying to suppress rushed through my stomach. I clung onto his shirt desperately. "Harry, don't do it. Dean will be fine. Dumbledore's got it in hand. Just trust him! Harry, please don't leave! Please," I said hopelessly.
"I have to, Ginny," Harry murmured, much calmer than me.
"They'll kill you! Think rationally. Don't do this!" I wasn't surprised to find a lump appear in my throat. I couldn't speak anymore. All I could do was cling to Harry and hope I was convincing and strong enough to stop him.
We stood still a moment, and I buried my head in Harry's chest desperately. Then I felt Harry try to gently pry my arms off of him. I held on tighter. I wouldn't let him go get himself killed.
Harry sighed. "Ginny… please let go." I just shook my head into his chest. He tried a different approach, this time a bit more emotion seeping through. "Dean will get killed if I don't go. I have to. It's my fault. I'm the only one who can save him. I couldn't live with myself if my roommate, a friend even, died because of me. Again."
I felt tears come to my eyes and clog up my throat tighter with his gentle but firm resistance. I struggled to choke out the words, "You're being a right prick, Harry. And even if Dean… I can't lose you, Harry. Think about me. What do you think'd happen to me if you ran off and…"
I couldn't help it. I started crying. I didn't mean to be so selfish, but Harry had to understand that others who care about him would be affected by his actions, too.
"Ginny…," Harry started. He almost sounded like he wanted to be condescending, but my name came out sounding sad. I sobbed harder.
"Ginny, please… I've got to…"
"No!" I choked out in between my huge bursts of tears. We stood there for another moment. I tried to stop my uncontrollable sobbing.
"Well, what do you want me to do? I can't just stand around here knowing that someone else is suffering and in danger because of me!"
At his frustrated outburst, I tried even harder to suppress the pressure in my chest.
"I want you to stay here with me. Safe. Away from danger, away from those psychos. Harry, I never want you near those stupid Death Eaters again. I want to know that you're okay always. So don't you turn around and leave and get yourself killed! How would you even get to the Ministry? You can't apparate. You wouldn't get there in time. People would see you. You'd never get away with it. Harry, stay here."
I felt and heard Harry's resigned sigh, and he buried one of his hands in my hair. The other one ran up and down my back mindlessly. We stood there for a moment, and I took the time to calm down. My hold on him loosened, and I was vaguely aware that my fingers were aching with stiffness.
He pulled back from our prolonged hug and stepped back. He held out his hand, grimacing, "C'mon, duckie."
"Duckie?" I asked, feeling an odd smile appear on my face.
Harry nodded, quirking his lips in a way I could almost call a smile. "It fits," he assured me.
I shook my head, reconciled to the fact that we were more bipolar than the average couple. I rubbed at my, what I assumed to be, red, wet, and puffy eyes.
He held out his hand, and I grabbed it. When we made it to the Great Hall, it was packed with gossiping students.
A/N: lalala, I love To Kill A Mockingbird, lalala, and it's thirty-six degrees below freezing outside, lalala, and if you were wondering 'duckie' is some cutesy British word for a friend or partner, lalala