Not Forgotten

Chapter 2

Ginny trotted down the halls of the hospital. Her complexion had gotten paler this past week. She lasted a week working at St. Mungo's already, and (grudgingly) she would admit that it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be at first. She thought of a certain dark haired male more and more, and those voices didn't stop. Sometimes they would come twice a day, sometimes only once every three days. Ginny refused to tell anyone.

She prayed it would just go away if she left it alone enough.

"Time for your check up." She raised her eyebrow as Haden scrunched up his face rather comically. Color had returned to his face now, and he was on the road to steady improvement. Of course, due to his handsome looks, many of the nurses whispered about him. Apparently, he was a curse breaker. And apparently, he was one of the worst curse breakers. Not, of course, that there were many. It wasn't exactly a popular profession.

A curse had bounded on him when he tried to break someone of it. The details were still unknown.

"Must I?" He nearly pouted. Nearly.

Ginny didn't answer as she handed him the vile. He shot her a look of sadness as he took it, and downed it. Making a sour face, he handed the empty vile back to her.

"You should be due for release any day now. Are you going back to curse breaking?" Ginny smoothed out her white skirt and opened the curtains for him.

He winced at the light. "Of course! I'm one of the best, the field needs me." He smiled.

Ginny didn't comment.

She hadn't asked him about his relation (or maybe, lack of relation) to Theodore Nott. It was something that piqued her curiousity, but since he had been in failing health before today, she didn't trouble him with such matters.

"Are you related to Theodore Nott?" She blurted out, not being able to hold back the question any longer. Merlin, the boy looked healthy enough for a simple question!

He grinned boyishly. "We're cousins. But I don't think he'd admit it if you ever asked him." There was a twinkle in his eye, mirth dancing around in his green orbs.

Green.

Ginny frowned. She missed Harry.

"Don't worry about your brothers, Gin!" Harry laughed. "They're just jealous that you can beat them in a Quidditch." He put his arm around he shoulders reassuringly as they walked on.

"Watch, one day you'll be a professional chaser and whoop my arse out in the field!"

They both laughed.

She sighed. No—she missed who she thought he was. She missed who he never was.

"You've been a curse breaker for long? My brother is one as well." She mused, putting a hand on her hip as she stood beside his bed.

"Well, I've been one ever since I graduated from Hogwarts. It's going to be my fifth year come December. And who's your brother?"

"Bill Weasley."

"Ah." He stuttered a bit. "A fine curse breaker. Might be as good as I am one day!"

She laughed softly. He was a character all right.

"Well, rest tight." She straightened out his sheets a bit, and left the room. Her stomach growled, reminding her that it was almost her lunch break.

"Ginny!" Julia called out from behind her. Ginny turned around and stopped, waiting for the young brunette to catch up with her. They walked together towards the lounge. She had become good friends with Julia in the past week. Slowly, Julia shed off much of her shyness as they began to know each other.

Julia giggled. "He's a cute one, isn't he?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Sure, but not my type. I think his ego is big enough to fill this hospital, and more."

"You could always put him under my care, if you don't like him." Julia looked more than happy to oblige, if said thing were to happen.

"Madame Everett would have a cow. She'd complain that we were treating patients like cattle to be traded." Ginny stopped as soon as she said this.

He hated them. Those stupid beings—no better than cattle, the lot of them! He stormed, furious out of the room with his screaming caretaker and into to the small room that the boys shared bunks in. Upon seeing him in one of his rages, the children that were in the room immediately left to go somewhere else.

He kicked the bedside table. His eyes danced in fury as his knuckles went white from how hard he had them clenched.

"Boy! Get your no good arse back here, you're going to work for your stay!"

One day, Tom inhaled, I will kill him.

"Ginny? Ginny!" Julia shook her friend's shoulder.

"Huh." Ginny blinked, coming out of her daze.

"Are you all right? Maybe I'll have to nurse you!" Julia joked, but her face was serious.

Ginny was silent. That memory had hit her. She didn't just remember it—it was as if she felt it, felt the emotions… She paled.

Maybe she should talk to Luna about it. No… She didn't want to worry her friend for no reason.

"I'm fine." She smiled, and then continued walking.

Julia sighed.

xxx

Ginny walked along the muggle shops until reaching one of her favorite coffee shops. She always had her lunch hours here since it was a quiet place. Not many people came here, but those that did were always regulars.

"Same thing for ya today, Gin?" Todd smiled. Todd worked here. His family had owned this place for generations. He was friendly to everyone and everyone loved him for it. You can always count on Todd to cheer you up during a stressful day at work.

"Yes. Thanks, Todd." Ginny smiled, taking a seat near the corner of the cafe. She seated near the window, which offered her a clear view of the bustling streets of London. She had her nurse uniform on still, since she was in a hurry to eat and didn't bother taking it off just to put it on again. She hated her white uniform. Usually, healers wore lime-green uniforms, but the advanced healers had to wear white uniforms.

She thanked Todd again as he put a melted cheese and tomato sandwich in front of her, along with a steaming cup of coffee (made the way she liked it). She ate like there was no tomorrow.

Satisfied, she leaned back in her chair and yawned. She still had half an hour left before she had to climb through the window at Purge & Dowse Ltd. (can you believe that was how you got to St. Mungo's?)

Ginny looked into the remains of her coffee cup and sighed. She was really fed up with what was happening. Sure, she was a bit freaked out that the memories haunted her even more now and that she was hearing voices again, but she was also exasperated. What could it mean? She supposed she could ask Hermione about it…

But a part of Ginny didn't want to hear the answer, lest it be one that she didn't like. And chances were, it most likely wasn't going to be something she wanted to hear. But… Luna had a right to know. Luna had become increasingly worried over how Ginny had looked lately, and didn't hesitate to tell Ginny that the redhead looked like a swarm of mudpixies attacked her.

I wouldn't really listen to her if I were you.

Ginny froze, sitting up straight. Her eyes widened.

That voice was unmistakable. She looked around, slowly. No one else acted like they heard anything. But… that voice, it was so clear! How could they not have heard?

Ginevra, dearest. Why would they hear?

Her hand dug into her purse for money, and she gave a weak thanks and bye to Todd as she exited the cafe. Her face were sheets to her red hair.

She felt her heart beat. Maybe… maybe if she ignored it, it would go away. She frowned. Maybe it was the stress. Maybe it was just her.

Oh, I don't think so. Do I really sound like I'm stress induced?

Oh great. He could hear her thoughts too. She walked into an alley and apparated.

"Hermione! Help!" She sobbed.

"Holy Merlin!" Hermione screamed, shocked as a hysteric redhead appeared in her office. She knocked her tea over her papers, and quickly cleaned it up with a flick of her wand. "What's wrong?"

"He—Tom," Ginny looked for the right words. What was she to say? She heard voices in her head again? "He's in my head!"

Silence.

Hermione didn't appear to move.

And then there was movement.

"What?!" Hermione yelled, casting a silencing spell on the room, and locking the door. "What do you mean? Are—are you sure?"

Great reaction skills, huh.

"Yes I'm sure!" Ginny sobbed. "He—he speaks. I hear him and it's like no one else does!"

Hermione gribbed her wand, but didn't know what to do. "But Voldemort's dead!" She muttured, more to herself than anyone else.

"No—this, this is Tom." Ginny was sure of it. The tone, the playfulness in his voice, the malice that was tinged in it with the dripping sarcasm…it was definitely Tom. Voldemort had a different voice.

"The diary." Hermione gasped. "It was destroyed, but… I'll have to talk to Harry about this."

"No!" Ginny shouted, frantic. "Hermione, you can't! I don't want to be a test subject for the ministry. I don't want to be pitied again…" She was near tears. She didn't want the looks that everyone gave her after the Chamber incident happened. She worked too hard to convince people that she was fine, to stop the wary looks, to stop the looks of pity.

Hermione bit her lip. What was she to do? Obligation and friendship…

"Fine. I'll research it and see if I can get anything done." She sighed, conceding to the redhead's demands.

Ginny hugged her tightly. "Thank you!"

"Ginny, are you sure he isn't doing other things to you? You haven't been looking well lately." Hermione's eyes scrutinized Ginny's face, worry etched across the brunette's features.

"I'm fine." Ginny managed. "But I have to go, I'm already late to work, my lunch break ended ten minutes ago." She gave a weak smile.

Crack.

Ginny landed back in the hospital and dashed to the room she was supposed to be in. Thankfully, no one noticed her late arrival (no one, except a nurse named Sarah. But she just smiled and walked away.)

She made her way to her rounds. A small girl that had been petrified lay in one of the newer rooms. Ginny took one of the vials from the potions room to the girl, and administered it. The young girl should be fine in a week. Ginny's eyes lingered in the stone-skinned figure of the young girl. Her eyes softened sadly.

If only she could erase bits and pieces of her life…

Would you erase me?

Her muscles tensed. Oh geez, no matter how many times she had heard him speak it was still hard to get used to. She didn't want to get used to it.

Just watch, Hermione's going to get you out of my head in no time.

So you hope.

She turned on her heel, and made her way to the third floor. Slowly, she entered Haden's room. He was awake, propped up by pillows and reading a book.

"It's time for your medicine." She smiled. Her voice was a bit weak, but she'd rather die than show everyone how weak she was getting.

"You need it more than I do, it looks like." He joked.

Ginny didn't find it particularly funny. "Ha." She managed. His eyes locked onto her eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing together.

"Oh you know. The usual. Petrified girls in rooms, cursed curse-breakers, and the usual hallucinations." She snapped. She immediately regretted it, thinking she told too much.

"Hallucinations?"

"Joke. You know, haha?"

"When I get out of here, will you join me for dinner one day?" He grinned sheepishly.

Ginny's eyes widened. What? Huh? She definitely wasn't expecting this. Was he kidding?

His face clearly showed that he was serious. She sighed—Luna did say that she didn't get out often enough to enjoy herself. (Work-a-holic, Luna always called her.)

"That sounds nice." She smiled, sincerely. "That still doesn't get you out of taking your medicine." She handed it to him, raising her eyebrows.

"Aww." He pouted, and drank it in a gulp. The usual sour face followed as he handed it back to her.

"Curse Breaking Through the Ages?" Ginny asked, reading the title of the book he was holding. "Can they be any more creative with the names?"

He laughed. "I guess not. It's a great book though!" His eyes lit up as he talked. He loved talking to her about curse-breaking, he could ramble about it nonstop. Sometimes, Ginny couldn't believe he was related to slytherins. Ginny smiled. It was also hard to believe that he was one of the worst curse breakers. She certainly wouldn't tell him this. Ever.

Worried it'll break his little heart?

Her pulse quickened, and her smile faltered. She kept the smile on though, even though it was strained. "Oh—looks like someone just came in. I better go see what's going on." She excused herself lamely, and left.

She didn't see his face fall sadly as she left.

xxx

"You are so irritating!" She screamed, throwing a pillow at the wall of her bedroom. It was a very funny sight to see, if it had been any random observer. Ginny Weasley, her red hair in a mess about her head, and her eyes in wild fury as she stood in her bedroom, screaming at nothing.

You didn't think that back then.

"Because back then," she snarled, "You were a lying, conniving, asshole!"

I believe I was quite charming.

If a voice could smirk, this one would be smirking.

"Why do I hear you? What are you doing to me?" She huffed, her breathing heavy as she tried to regain her breath.

Wouldn't you like to know?

She screamed in frustration.

"You git! You horrible, horrible, jerk!"

What an astounding vocabulary you have there, Ginevra.

Screaming and throwing a tantrum was really taking a toll on her stamina. Her vision blurred around the edges in front of her as she felt lightheaded. She sat on the edge of her bed to steady herself, and groaned. She did not feel good at all.

"I wish you would go away." She said weakly, almost pouting.

He didn't respond.

A/N: Whee! Tom comes in! And oh my isn't Haden adorable? Thanks to everyone who took their time to read, and those who put me on favs/story alert! And my ETERNAL gratitude to the one person who reviewed for chapter one.

SlytherinPrinzessin—The song that was in the first chapter is "Angel in the Night" from Basshunter. It's trance, and very catchy. Thanks for the review!

Needless to say, review will make the updates go faster!