When Ginny left Dumbledore's office, she knew she was in no condition to return to classes.
Ginny stood by her answer the first time Dumbledore had mentioned destroying horcruxes- she would do anything to stop Voldemort and end the war. Yet it was frustrating being in the past to save her future, but not being able to save the future of her friends here.
In her angered state Ginny crashed straight into something hard, causing her to fall onto the ground with a thump.
"Sorry," Ginny grumbled without looking up.
"So we're speaking now?" Regulus's amused voice asked, as he stood over Ginny, extending his hand.
"We weren't ever not speaking," Ginny mumbled, ignoring his outstretched hand and hoisting herself up on her own.
"Did Lucius give you my note?" Regulus asked, getting straight to the point as he looked around the deserted hall.
It's not as if Ginny was avoiding Regulus, Hogwarts was only so big. Yet it seemed that for once, the castle was working in her favor and she had managed to avoid crossing his path.
It wasn't just her confusing feelings she felt where Regulus was concerned. Now the added pressure of his confrontation at the Malfoy ball, and his cryptic note, proved that Regulus hadn't laid his suspicions to rest.
Ginny's lack of response confirmed that Lucius had followed through, and delivered his note, but Regulus's face remained blank, not showing Ginny how he felt.
"I'm sorry for the-"
"Please don't apologize," Ginny responded cutting him off.
She had put that night at Malfoy ball behind her. Something as trivial as a fight with Regulus and Severus seemed like it was in a different life.
"I need to though," Regulus responded, as his sad eyes connected with hers, making her palms sweaty.
"You don't, I forgive you," Ginny responded automatically.
She realized then that she did. Sure, she was angry at first that her two friends didn't trust her, and that they accused her of lying. Yet what kind of person was she if she held it against them? Perhaps the accusations of her friends had hurt the most because they were right, and that meant they knew her- that they cared about her enough to spot the holes in the web she was forming.
If her traveling to the future created a ripple in time - sent out an almost electric feel of magic when she arrived meant that Tom felt the power and used it to put him two years ahead in becoming Lord Voldemort then maybe Regulus's was right. Perhaps it was too much of a burden to carry alone.
"But can you forgive me?" Ginny asked.
Regulus looked taken aback and before he could answer, Ginny continued.
"Severus was right, I had met Tom Riddle before, he just doesn't remember," Ginny uttered, before she could change her mind.
Shock flicked across Regulus's expression as he took a step closer, closing the space between the two of them as his voice lowered.
"You don't have to tell me," he whispered.
"I wish I didn't have to," Ginny responded, swallowing hard. "But I think perhaps it is too much of a burden to carry alone," Ginny added, reciting his words.
Regulus smiled slightly, as he nodded his head, as if he had known all along and was just waiting for her to admit it to herself.
"Were you in Hogsmeade last night?" Ginny asked, once again taking Regulus by surprise.
He froze, his head spinning to find an excuse, but his posture answered the question for Ginny.
"So was I," Ginny added quickly.
Regulus took a step back, darting a glance around the hallway once more.
"On the seventh floor there is a tapestry with Barnabas the Barmy teaching trolls ballet, encase you ever want to unburden yourself" he whispered, before he walked back down the corridor and out of sight.