Ginny could feel people watching her, people she had known all of her life and others she had met and become friends with at school, all of them were watching her. He tried to ignore the eyes as she moved between them, doing the jobs that needed to be done in preparation but it was hard. It had been hard enough having them watch her interact with Harry, but now that every last one of them knew her secret she could feel them watching her with a burning itch pressing against her skin. She wanted nothing more than to run away with Harry, but this was his fight and she knew she had to be here with him, so she gritted her teeth and ignored the increasing whispers in her wake.
Ignoring them she moved between the people looking for the one person she needed right then. Thankfully she caught sight of him standing with her brothers, their heads bent together obviously talking about something major.
"Dean!" she called and the boy turned to look at her with weary eyes and she didn't blame him, "please Dean I need to talk to you a moment."
He turned and looked at her brothers who simply shrugged and he stepped forwards towards her. Taking a breath to steady her nerves she moved back and he stepped around her so that he could move to a quiet corner of the hall where people wouldn't over hear.
Ginny simply watched him for a moment, sorrier for their last meeting then he could imagine, but she didn't say anything about it knowing it would hurt him more.
"I wanted to know if you and your companions completed the mission you had been given, the err one that you told me about," she wasn't sure how much she should say they were unsure about who could be a spy in their midst.
He simply stared at her for a moment and then his eyes moved to over her shoulder and they grew cold. She turned and instantly locked onto Harry who was watching her even clean across the hall. She knew he could see her face perfectly as she could see him, but she didn't do anything. Instead she sent a pulse of love through their bond and felt his returning gesture, with a small smile she turned back to Dean who was watching her.
"Seamus just got the second to last one with Luna, Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem has been destroyed but we don't know how to get the last one," his voice was flat but she could pick up the hints of pain at the edges.
Obviously he wasn't as over her as she had hoped, "what's the last," she asked her voice dropping as she stepped in closer to him so they wouldn't be overheard.
"Nagini," he replied simply and then he was moving leaving her alone to process that bit of information.
With a sigh she turned back into the crowd once again feel the eyes on her as she moved into the people who subtly shied away from her. She wanted this night over for more than one reason now.
Molly knew her daughter well enough to know that all of the attention was going to cause her to blow soon, but she didn't say anything. What could she say? A secret Ginny had protected valiantly had just been revealed in front of hundreds of her wizarding brethren, a move that could never be undone. Molly was unsure what the future would hold for her daughter, but for now they simply had to make it through the night, through the next fight, and she would worry about what was to come later when she knew her daughter was safe and lived. Turning she caught sight of Harry back at his post near the window but this time accompanied by the man he had introduced as Blair. She couldn't help but shiver as she looked at him, the man screamed danger to her senses but she didn't say anything. Harry obviously trusted him since the two had been whispering together for some time.
Turning again she took in the sight of the others Blair had brought with him, some helping with provisions, others simply moving about the room their eyes taking in so much as they scanned over the assembled people. The youngest of their group was sat with a bunch of sixth and seventh years showing them her fur as it rippled along her arms and stopped there. Each of them had wrapt eyes as she demonstrated how she could let the fur crawl across her skin and have it sink back so easily. She frowned at seeing her, why had Blair brought someone so young into a fight she obviously hadn't needed to be in, but she wouldn't question it she knew it wasn't her place even if she didn't like it. Shaking her head she turned her mind back to her work and helped madam Pomfrey prepare for the inevitable casualties.
Ginny paused as she caught a familiar scent and turned to find Luna behind her smiling in her own warm dreamy way. Ginny returned the smile and was surprised when Luna walked forwards and folded the slightly taller girl into a hug that Ginny quickly returned.
"Always knew you were special," Luna said simply as if that was all that needed to be said and Ginny realised it was, the quiet acceptance of this childhood friend made her heart swell.
Clearing her throat of the clog of tears Ginny fought her emotions to think straight, "is Neville ready?" she asked hearing easily how thick her voice was.
Luna's smile grew at the mention of Neville and Ginny couldn't help but grin, it was well known now that even though Neville had struggled against it the strange girl had snagged her man completely.
"He and his team are ready, they said to tell you that things are starting to move in the forest," with that she turned on her heel and disappeared into the milling people around her.
Ginny instantly felt her body grow tight and turned heading back through the people to find Harry at his post. He turned as she emerged his green gaze locking on her and she saw the way his eyes bounced the light back and knew his cat was close to the surface.
"They're ready Harry," she said knowing that he would know exactly what she meant, "I also think Voldemort may be on the move."
She moved so that he could slip his hand around her so that his hand was splayed against her back, his palm hot against her skin.
"I know he's moving I can feel him, I have to go out there and meet him soon, but not before he plays his hand," his words made her shiver and he simply pulled her closer to his body.
Just then there was an all mighty boom that rocked the castle eliciting screams from the younger hall occupants.
"It has begun my friend," Blair said simply and moved away from his post to where Ginny had no idea.
"Don't worry about them they know what they're doing," Harry said simply and moved then pulling her with him.
"You don't leave my side Breeze, the second I can't see you anymore is the moment I give up on everyone else. You are my world Breeze remember that, I will let them all burn to save you so don't leave me," his whispered words had her skin rippling with goose bumps and all she could do was nod her agreement.
With that he moved and she moved with him, a shadow in his wake, as they head for the front of the school where their opponents were starting to break through the magical protections and she could her curse fire cracking through the night.
Just then she heard as Neville activated his part of the plan, the shockwave from the explosion buffeting against the side of the castle as the bridge was blown. She prayed that everyone had made it across fine and that his team would be moving back to the protections of the castle now that they had cut off one of their ways in. she knew this would funnel them to the main bridge that opened up into the courtyard where there would be people waiting ready for them.
Harry called orders as he moved and people didn't even hesitate as they jumped to obey them and Ginny wasn't surprised his voice brooked no recourse, they would obey and that was final. When they reached the doors it was to find them open, and people spilling into the courtyard to meet the black cloaked fighters that were appearing everywhere. Off in the distance Ginny could see the hulking mass of giants and knew that they were cause of the boom everyone had heard earlier. She was unsure what good they were going to be against the giants but she pushed the fear aside, giving herself over to the power she could already feel wrapped around Harry and soon her own power was rising to meet his.
Ignoring all of her worries she pulled her wand from her pocket and moved with Harry as he waded into the fight not even looking back, for a moment she was hypnotised by the way he moved, but she pushed it back and moved with him. Death eaters were flowing in thick from everywhere and she had to dive more than once as a curse was thrown her way specifically because she was at Harry's side, but she didn't care. She could feel the power that had taken Harry before but instead of letting it scare her she just pulled on it, letting it fill her as well as him. She could feel how calm his mind was now and she let her own mind sink into the calm void that he used to centre himself she needed every bit of her mind to get through this.
Harry could feel the moment Ginny gave herself over to the power, could feel her pulling on his own well and he easily fed power into her wanting nothing more than to make sure she was safe. Even as his magic took down opponents around him part of his mind was on Ginny and her movements as she shadowed him. More than once he sent out a wave of power to stop someone from getting too close to her but she didn't seem to notice and he simply let her feel his need to protect her every time she got close enough to him.
The Death Eaters were coming in fast and thick their ranks enough to match every wizard that was fighting but Harry didn't let the odds get to him, he had known this was exactly how things would go. He could feel the other shifters moving through the people taking down more than their fair share, they moved with the same practiced grace as Harry even as they weren't as powerful. He knew they would look after each other so for the time he didn't worry about them; instead he concentrated on the darkness around him. One death eater screamed as he threw a curse at Harry and instead of ducking it and allowing it past his right shoulder as it would have hit Ginny, instead he held his hand up the shield easily springing to his fingertips and the power of the curse was absorbed. When he lowered his hand the shield was gone instantly allowing him to fire a curse back that had the Death Eater dropping to the floor with a scream.
Harry moved between the Death Eaters casting them aside as he needed moving towards his ultimate goal. As he moved he could feel the hate in the back of his mind until it was like a black spot and he felt where Voldemort was waiting for him. Glancing over his shoulder at Ginny she caught his eye instantly and he relayed what he was doing without saying a word. Both moved towards that pull until the broke through the pocket of fighting to find themselves face to face with the person he had heard so much about but hadn't actually ever laid eyes on.
"We meet again finally Harry," his voice hissed out crawling across Harry's skin.
Instantly Ginny was there next to Harry, her hand sliding into his so that their fingers were tangled together.
"Hello Tom," Harry said simply drawing and angry hiss from Voldemort and Harry felt himself grow quiet his mind centring down to the one thing he knew for sure.
Voldemort had to die tonight, even if he had to die as well.
A/N hope you enjoyed the chapter, its been sweltering hot here which I don'd find very conducive to writing so I've been a little but lost but I quiet like the way this chapter turned out if I do say so myself.
I've had a few notes about the shifter stuff, here's where I'm coming from. Shifters give and seek comfort through touch, they are skin sensative, when they feel for someone if its a mate a friend or family they touch. Harry had accepted Hermione as his family, the sister he has always wanted so he will seek comfort from touching her (hugs caresses and the such) it is NOT sexual in any way. Shifters thrieve from touch without it they cant live, but they are not fast to give skin privileges. Hermione has gained those privileges and so he will hug her and hold her and even kiss her lightly on the cheek or forehead, nothing more than that. Ginny is Harry's mate and thus would not look at any other woman ever, but he would take comfort from others he loves. Hope this clears some things up, I won't be changing any of it since I love my shifters the way they are and there will be more of what I have given later.
Anyway hope you enjoyed and a big thank you to Samanne for the wonderful review and PM that made me smile so brightly my husband thought I'd gone nuts (well more nuts then the bloody heat is turning me.) and spurred me to get this chapter up. I look forward to everyone reviews letting me know what you think.
