CHAPTER 5

Suspicion leads to Action

Jack wandered into the room holding a vial containing dark black liquid as thick as molasses.

"Perfect!" Ginny said with a grin, extending her hand.

"Oh, I know," Jack replied, "it's just in my nature." He passed her the vial, Ginny pulled the cork out and immediately the room smelt of carcass. George covered his nose with his shirt, his face carrying a disgusted look. Ginny gently pushed the ointment over the wound; it warmed on Harry's skin and stung, like someone was sewing him together. She put the vial down,

"It's going to hurt for a while," she said, prodding his chest with her wand, a bandage wrapped around Harry tight. "But, you'll live… just take it off after a couple of days and it should be pretty much fully healed."

"Oh!" George said, wrapping his arms around his little sister. "I owe you," he kissed the top of her head.

"Think nothing of it, family discount." She laughed, the sound was a shock for Harry and for a minute he stood stone cold, trying to savour it. "Anyway," Ginny said, "if either of you come up with anymore injuries let me know, but knock first… louder." George nodded with eyebrows raised.

"Oh, believe me, I will."

"James," she said with a curt nod, "We shall duel again some time,"

"Thank you," he said, extending his hand, she clenched her jaw and stared at his hand as if it carried a death sentence. Harry slowly lowered it, now feeling awkward,

"I didn't mean… I just… thanks, you have been a great help." Ginny nodded,

"It's fine." She said. They went to leave, but as soon as George's hand touched the brass door knob she called out again.

"George, take care of yourself okay?" Her tone was so worrisome that George turned around.

"I'll be fine sis," he said, he winked. "Love you,"

"You too."

"He seemed nice" Jack said, as soon as he heard the door click into place.

"Mmm," Ginny replied, eyes not faltering from the hinge, Jack watched her gaze.

"What's up?" He asked, moving in front of her and trying to force her eyes to his.

"I'm not sure…" she said, looking through Jack as if he were invisible. "There was just something about him, something odd, you know?"

"Well, did you see his bruises? That guy has been through a lot, the fact he can still beat you…" He paused seeing Ginny's eyes completely break from the wall and send a piercing stare.

"Hey! Your mother uses that stare and I don't like it much when she does it to me either, stop alright? He did beat you," Ginny sighed, resigned.

"Yeah… he did."

"Doesn't mean you aren't won't get him next time," he said sincerely, kissing her squarely and strongly on the mouth. Ginny smiled and kissed him back, before he broke away and walked into the other room. Ginny grabbed the potion she had just used on Harry and sealed it, she shook it slightly, "We should make more of this stuff," she said looking into the dark black liquid. "Always works a charm."

"Hm?" Said Jack from the other room, Ginny shook her head, whispering an inaudible 'never mind,' before walking into the kitchen to place it back on the shelf between the pickled mandrake root and the essence of bat lung which was an excellent cure for headache. She felt arms around her waist and she froze under the heat of Jacks touch, his hand ran down her sides.

Ginny was significantly shorter than Jack, his head just fit above hers. Ginny leant against him, lifting her head and kissing him needily. Jack pushed her up against the counter as she undid his belt, everything that happened that day was forgotten, all the stresses of her work became a blur, until all that mattered at that moment was this man holding her, unable to let go.

George allowed Harry to keep his sword after the duel between him and Ginny; he assumed that George had begun to trust him with his weapon due to how he didn't kill Ginny even though he had the chance.

The sword felt cold beneath his fingertips, familiar, he knew exactly where his hand fit and how hard he would have to swing it to completely knock a foe's sword out of their hand. Fred eyed Harry as he threaded his hand over the rubies,

"You make my sword look amateur," said George with a mild smirk. He withdrew a long steel blade; its handle appeared to be embedded with silver, but nothing to brag about.

"It's not the luxuries," Harry replied, he put his sword back into the sheath. "It's how you use what you've got… what I can tell from your sword is that it is in a need of a sharpen and that it's about two years old… correct?" George frowned,

"Yes…" Harry nodded,

"You sharpen that thing up and I reckon it could cut through three men at once if you swing it hard enough." He shut his mouth as soon as he realised what he had said, he hadn't meant anything by it… but it made him sound like a complete madman.

"Know quite a bit about swords, don't you James?" George asked, Harry nodded, "guess you know that your sword was Godric Gryffindor's then?" Harry looked up at George, by his expression he could tell that he had been holding that question in for a long time.

"Yes, I did." He was getting suspicious again. Harry had completely forgotten about George recognizing the sword. Although he already knew that George was curious about how a man so beaten up with no place of his own would have a sword of such beauty and wealth. But to explain how he came to bear a sword with such status?
When Harry didn't answer George frowned, he slipped his hand into his pocket and touched a small vial of something he had discovered in Ginny's place, Veritaserum.

"How did you get the sword James?" Harry opened his mouth, "you didn't answer that question when I last asked you."

"Uh…"

"How did you learn those skills?" They had now stopped completely; George faced him, eyes sparking in angry curiosity.

"I just –,"

"Who are you?" George spat, "Where do you come from? Why did Voldemort come after your family? Are you going to answer any of the questions I'm asking you?" Harry thought profusely, swearing in his head.

"I…" He looked at George, he had never seen him this angry… ever… it was a shock.

"How do you know so much about swords and about fighting that you can beat an Auror?"

"Auror?"

"Ginny is, yes." Harry nodded,

"And see! Changing the subject again! Give me one reason why I should trust you." Harry looked up at him; he could honestly not give him any answer. George thought quickly, he had to do this one way or another and James had chosen the hard way. George pulled the sword out from its sheath as quickly as he could and knocked Harry out cold.

"I didn't think so…" he muttered.

Back at the apartment George secured the ropes tight enough so that movement was completely limited before walking in front of his hostages form.
His head had fallen to the side, his eyes closed as if asleep. George mumbled something and searched around the table, pulling up sheets of old parchment and newspapers in search of something to write on. He found an extremely small coil of paper, reaching for his quill he quickly scrawled a message,

Ginny,

James is a liar. I'm beginning to think you're right – perhaps he is a Death Eater. I took some Veritaserum from your place and tied him up here but I think this is more your forte. Meet me at my place A.S.A.P

George.

He read it through three times, before he walked over one of his windows which was half-boarded up after multiple breakages. He vaguely remembered flying through the window, feeling the glass dig into him as it cracked.
George leant out of the window and wolf-whistled; a small owl, twittering at the top of its lungs soon landed squarely on top of the boards, tilting its head and extending a claw.

"Calm down Pig," George said in an urgent whisper as the bird continued to tweet and wriggle around. He secured the paper around its leg, "take that to Ginny." The bird, practically jumping out of its feathers left the window. "That should do it," George muttered, turning around to face Harry.

Jack's hands were all over her body at once, they had made it to be bedroom… how? Ginny didn't know. His lips trailed the veins in her neck before returning to their rightful place at her lips. Jack flipped her so she was on top, pulling her as close as he possibly could. Ginny straddled Jack and started undoing his shirt, only to be interrupted by a sharp screech and a flutter by her ear, she looked up and saw Pig – as innocent as ever, sitting on the bed head.

"Not now," she mumbled as Jack flipped her again, breathing deep into her and preventing any speech. Pig started jumping along the bed-head, making up an annoying song as he did so. She looked apologetically into Jack's eyes, but he just shook his head,

"Leave it," he mumbled, grabbing her arms and pushing them above her head.

"I think," she said, trying to move her arms, but she was pinned. "I should get the letter, it might be important." Jack sighed and got off her disappointedly.

Ginny sat up on the side of the bed and took the parchment from the leg of the owl. Ginny scanned over briefly before looking at Jack apologetically. "I have to go," she muttered, she scrunched up the letter in her hand, "I'm sorry. Work, it never ends," She pecked him on the mouth; "it shouldn't take long."

"Is it honestly that urgent?" Jack asked after her. But he only heard the sound of Ginny apparating in return.

Harry awoke with his hands fastened behind his back; Ginny was holding his sword, rocking it gently back and forth, its blade almost touching the ground with every swing.

"Good, you're awake." She said, eyes sparking up from behind her eyelashes. Her voice was menace-filled, it wasn't a welcome… it was a threat.

"What's happening?" Harry said, trying to put his hands apart, he couldn't, the rope was too tight. Harry looked up at George who was sitting on a table, "What's going on?" He asked him, George shook his head very slightly. Harry saw water stains on the shirt he was wearing, "What did you do to me!?" He asked, scared now, the last time he had been tied to a chair it was for torture, and he didn't feel this would be any different.

"Just to get the truth, that's all we want." Said George, a jolt pierced Harry's gut, the truth?

"I t –," he began, he couldn't finish, his throat constricted and stopped him, Ginny cut him off.

"You told us lies!" Said Ginny; throwing the sword so it landed just before Harry, piercing the ground with a deafening thump.

"…Veritaserum," Harry muttered, putting two and two together. George nodded,

"Caught on have you?" Ginny added, standing up. "So," she said, her eyes sparkling, "let's begin shall we?"

Thankyou so much for the reviews I've gotten thus far. I've loved reading them!

Yay for cliff-hangers :)

Pheonixxsong