Prompt: O70 - As she stopped to catch her breath, she looked back. That was a mistake.
Harry! Harry, wait!" Ginny shouted and ran deeper into the Forbidden Forest, always in the direction where she thought Harry was. She had to tell him it was dangerous to wander around in the forest alone when the Death Eaters were all over the place. Her heart was pounding in her chest as the path Harry must have walked down ended in front of her. Without thinking, she threw herself into the bushes ahead of her, hoping the path would continue somewhere beyond the scrubs. The branches scratched her arms and legs, leaving angry red marks from which blood began to drip. She glanced over her shoulder, fear driving her forward. She couldn't afford to stop, not when Harry was in danger. Her legs began to feel heavy as she spotted a clearing in the dim light up ahead. Her eyes scanned the surroundings for any sign of Harry's presence.
As she stopped to catch her breath, she looked back. That was a mistake.
A tall, black figure stood in the shadows, laughing scornfully. The red slits of its eyes glowed snake-like in the darkness. "Tom!" Ginny screamed in panic. He'd found her. Ginny's breath hitched as she realized the gravity of her situation. How could she be so stupid? Of course, he'd followed her and now knew he'd find Harry and would now hunt him down with relentless determination.
With a rush of panic, Ginny turned around and continued running somewhere she knew Harry wasn't. Her footsteps echoed through the silent forest. Tom's laughter grew louder behind her, sending shivers down her spine. Forcing herself to run faster, she felt the cold night air stinging her lungs and her heart pounding in her ears. She stumbled and picked herself up again, careful not to look back because she had to move forward to find Harry before Tom found him.
But no matter how fast she ran, she couldn't shake the feeling that Tom was getting closer. His presence hung over her like a dark cloud, suffocating her with his evilness.
As Ginny ran through the trees, she felt her strength weakening with every step. Her legs burned with exhaustion, and her lungs screamed for air. She knew she couldn't keep up this pace much longer, but the thought that she had to warn Harry kept her going.
She felt herself swaying, stumbling over a root and falling lengthways onto the ground. Panicked with fear, she tried to get up again when she felt hands holding and shaking her. Struggling with all her might, she tried to shake off the hands, but it only became more persistent, and a voice called, calmly but intently, "Ginny! Ginny, wake up! Please!"
Recognizing the voice, she froze and cautiously opened her eyes to find Harry looking worriedly down at her, gently stroking her cheeks. "Another nightmare, love?"
Ginny just nodded and pulled Harry down to her. Breathing a sigh of relief that it had all just been a bad dream, she pressed herself against Harry as if her life depended on it. Her heart was already pounding less loudly. "Hold me, please!"
