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Holly Polter



Chapter: Monsters

Ginny was beginning to regret joining the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She wanted to play Quidditch, which seemed to be the one thing that they were not permitted to do. Any time they gathered more than three players in a public space, at least two of them were given detentions or summoned for other duties. They coordinated an ambush on McGonagall's office, but their Head of House could only confirm what they'd suspected: Umbridge was spying on them somehow, and was using any rule or implied authority to suck the joy out of their lives.

Harry was still being treated to periodic detentions with the fat beast, but they only seemed to calm him down rather than rile him up. Umbridge appeared more frustrated as this went on. It was a small, silent victory each time Harry was placid in the face of her spit-flinging chastisements, but only for those close enough to him to see it. The rest of the school no doubt counted their lucky stars not to be him.

In the more personal arena, Hermione had, in astrange fit of girliness, confessed to Ginny all of her frustrations over Ron. His work habits, his grumbling, his need to leave everything to the last minute or skip it entirely if the task seemed too burdensome. Like hygiene.

"If he's so frustrating, why are you dating him?"

Hermione tried answering that question several times during their conversation, but couldn't finish the statement. She left thoughtful but less upset.

Fate drew Ginny into counseling the other half of the doomed couple when Ron sidelined her after dinner one night and said,"Gin, you're a girl- what's wrong with Hermione?"

She gave her brother a fitting look of disdain."Why should there be something wrong with her?"

"It's like she's become two people. Four people. There's a bunch of people with different personalities in her head. Do you think maybe she's under a curse?"

"What are you talking about?"

"There's the one that sounds like mum, telling me everything I'm doing wrong, even- no, especially- when I'm doing nothing at all. There's the one that wants me to hold her while she reads- I mean, isn't that why she got a cat? In class another one shows up, all McGonagall-like and ignoring me completely. There's the one, well, the one when we're alone and she relaxes. She likes my jokes and wants me to... suffice to say, that's the one Iwant to date."

"You get the whole witch, Ron. Take it or leave it."

They broke up soon after. The twins then cornered Ginny, claiming that she invalidated the betting pool. Hermione was the favorite to end the relationship, but Ginny was seen as having juiced the front runner. She argued that Hermione approached her, so it wasn't active interference on her part; she would have said the same to anyone in Hermione's situation, whether she knew about the betting or not. No one had asked her about talking to Ron, but the defence was essentially the same.

Dean won the pot, for which he thanked Ginny by kissing her hand. It became a thing, where whenever he saw her in common areas he insisted that he kiss her in some innocuous place (left thumb, elbow, shin, an inch above an ear) as renewed thanks for his victory. Getting attention from one of the most attractive older boys in the House was enjoyably distracting from the air of Umbridge's oppression, but news of it found its way to Michael's ears which led him to accuse her of cheating on him, right in the middle of the Great Hall before supper. Ginny guessed that Michael expected some broom closet gropes as contrition for her 'betrayal', but instead she called him an idiot and broke up with him on the spot. The slandering as backlash from his Ravenclaw friends only lasted the weekend.

Dean asked her out the following Tuesday, to which she very enthusiastically said, "Er... no, thanks."

Everyone was confused, Ginny included. When asked for a reason, she dodged the matter by saying, "I'll let you know when I can put it into words."

~o~

All five fingers this time, please.

The spell bonded her right hand to warm stone, and Ginny let her bare feet release their grip on the pipe that fed hot water to the sinks. The tingling on her toes let her know that her burns were healing, but she needed to give them a minute before using them for bracing. Thus idled, she let her body hang off the one hand.

A sour whiff of her sweat-soaked cotton undershirt disrupted her concentration, and she dropped fifteen feet to the floor with ayelp. Both feet slapped down onto cold flagstones- after the sting of landing dissipated, it actually felt good. Probably they were the only part of her that did. As her hair was bound into a long, tight plait, even that hurt a little.

"UGH! Hols, I need a break..."

"Why?" echoed from the Sounding Stone.

"I've been jumping around this room for an hour!" Indeed, even Moaning Myrtle had grown bored with their most recent visit to her loo and wandered off to contemplate death in the drain system.

"Okay, instead of a break, do this--"

"Hols--"

"Eh, are we learning or whining today, Gingersnap? Stand easy, shake out your arms and then link your hands between your tits."

Ginny rolled her eyes but followed the familiar instruction, hooking her hands in front of her with the knuckle of her right thumb pressed against her breastbone.

"Breathe... unbreathe... breathe.... unbreathe... once you're focused, visualize a big sieve above your head- a yard across. When you have it ready, command it to 'shoo the useless moo juice'. Visualize the sieve dropping through your watery body, thinking of little white clots being caught and dragged down until the sieve passes through your feet."

Ginny followed the instructions. She decided to run through several passes of the sieve. After four times, her eyes popped open."I don't think this is-- hey, I'm not sore!"

"I read somewhere that fatigue accumulates in the muscles as lactic acid. However it works, you just enspelled your body to stop feeling the burn."

Ginny looked down and said, "Ah- and my feet feel wet 'cause I'm standing in a puddle of cream."

"Exactly. As your instructor, I suggest that you step out of it and get back to the climbing-on-the-ceiling work."

She lifted one bare foot out of the warm milky puddle and shook it. "You coulda taught me this earlier," Ginny groused,"I wouldn't have fallen asleep in Transfiguration."

"No, that was you being tired. Tired isn't fatigued. This technique only removes the pains caused by your body trying to warn you that further muscle use is probably going to tear something- that's fatigue. Being tired is your body saying, 'Oi! Enough already. We need to think about stuff and put all the tools away for the next shift.' Besides, Minerva so rarely gets volunteers. It was a decent thing to do for her, even if unintentional."

Ginny muttered, "... couldn't have been something cool like a panther, no, McGonagall turns me into a hatstand--"

Her muling was interrupted by a pair of intruders, Clio and Calliope Carrow. The twin sisters from Slytherin two years ahead of her were well known for their moon-like skin, unblinking eyes and penchant to enjoy dissecting things way too much. The door banged open and they appeared, four pale-grey eyes targeting Ginny a heartbeat later, freezing her in place just by the intensity of their staring.

It wasn't hard to intimidate her at the moment, as she already felt rather vulnerable wearing only an undervest and running shorts, her bare feet still standing in a pool of creamy water that was trickling towards a drain in the floor. She shot a look towards the sink where parchment and stone was lain for Holly's recitation and saw with relief that she'd changed into Berrybeak.

"What are you perpetrating here..." said one twin.

After several seconds, the other said, "... little lion?"

"I'd ask you the same thing," she countered.

"We are witches..."

"... we have come to a witch's lavatory to... lave."

The first twin nudged the other and grinned. They walked into the room, splitting apart to take opposite paths around the edge of the space, aiming to reconvene around Ginny.

"We have other duties..."

Ginny looked longingly to where her wand was propped in the sink next to Berrybeak. She said, "What duties--?"

"Pest control, for one. We've been asked to clean up any of the unwanted--"

There was a snap, a shriek and Ginny saw a bluish spell slice through Berrybeak, catching the bird as it tried to take flight in evasion. The bird fell to the floor in a pile of black feathers, twitching.

"...vermin."

Shocked, Ginny could only stumble to the floor and prop her body over the bird to protect it.

Both of the Carrows were standing over her by then.

"Don't touch it, little lion."

"... crows have nasty diseases."

Ginny seethed, "That's MY bird, you sodding cunts!"

"Such language..."

"... this place is contaminated with all sorts of foulness."

One twin faced the other and they nodded.

"We should scour it..."

" ...burn it with fire."

"You might want to leave before we start."

"And cover yourself up; walking around like that, people would start to think..."

"You're a slag."

Ginny stood up, Berrybeak's body clutched to her chest. She wrestled and fumbled to loosely don her robe and trainers, grabbed the wand, stone and parchment and then strode out.

She kept an even temper just long enough to find an empty classroom. Once behind a sealed door, she lay her bundle atop a long desk. Ginny then screamed out in rage.

From the desk came a muffled, "Yes! Take that anger and--"

Ginny gasped and stepped back, whirling around to seek out the source of the voice.

"Oi! I'm still here, Gingersnap."

She turned around and grimaced at the ink newt standing atop the glowing stone. "How could you do that to me?"

Holly was scribing her words straight onto the reading surface of the stone, making them come out as fast as her tail could scribe; "What- y'think I meant to do that? That sodding Carrow cunt has broken my bird form, so now I have to build up a new one. Praise God, the Devil and that poser Merlin that I was able to hold onto enough material to switch down to ink, or I'd be starting from scratch."

Ginny growled at her.

The ink imp nudged the stone over to sit on a scrap of homework sticking out of Ginny's robe, then started scribing. "Like I was saying, you take that rage you're feeling; focus it, collect it in your chest and then channel it down your arm into your fist."

"Yeah? And then what?"

"Put it through something!"

Ginny whirled around and swung her arm in an arc over her head and down onto a dusty desk. It made a loud smack, and her fist stung from wrist to fingertips.

"Ow!"

"Don't hit the desk- penetrate it! Aim to break the stone floor beneath it, treating the desk as if it's just in the way."

A developing instinct informed her that she'd need abit more oomph to carry that off.

Ginny marshalled her thoughts, allowing her feelings about all the injustices of the last few weeks to bubble up into a thick froth. When it felt like she couldn't hold onto the pressure any longer, she leapt up and swung her fist down, her whole body committed to dropping through the floor at the point of her fist. With a thunderous 'crack', the desk split apart in aburst of dust and splintered wood, the iron braces falling to either side of where Ginny had landed crouched on the floor.

Taking a look at the carnage, she breathed out aheartfelt, "Fantastic!"

"Now, let's go to hospital- you probably just broke your hand."

Pain shot through her arm. "Aiggh! Wha-what did I do wrong?"

"Nothing. Your hand isn't used to breaking things. I'm showing you how you can do the extraordinary- that doesn't mean there aren't consequences. Power usually comes with a price."

"You could've told me!"

"It would have held you back. Don't be fussed because you had to pay- commit to the action because it's what you want done. The price will never even out. Sometimes you get away with murder. Other times you pay triple."

Radiant waves of pulsing protest made her hand feel as large and weighty as an iron doorstop. After a minute calming the alarms in her mind, she said, "How did you learn how to do this? I've never heard of anything like it."

"I needed to break my cousin's jaw and got inspired by muggle comic books. This was before I knew about magic. Counter-question for you, Gin- do werewolves have more magic than wizards?"

"I don't think so. Do they?"

"No they don't, which means anything they can do, you can do if you just figure out how."

The pulsing pain in her hand robbed her of breath for a moment. She then said, "Bet they don't break their bones."

"Bet they do, every month. They just heal fast enough so it won't hold them back. Ask Remus."

~oOo~

Harry shook his head, watching as a sixteen-foot-tall pile of ugliness went digging for gold up its own nose.

"Your brother." Harry would have covered his face but his bandaged hand twinged when he flexed it. "Hagrid, was now really the time--?"

"Couldn' leave 'im! Th'other giants was bullyin'him for being runty."

Ron chuckled. "'Runty,' he says. Well, I'd say he's the biggest one around, now. Why's he beat you up all the time?"

"He does'na!" Hagrid protested. "Lad don't know 'is own strength is all. Anyhoo- now ye've met, so, there ya go."

Ron said, "You're not planning a class on him, are you?"

"Nah tha's-- actually tha's not a bad notion you got there, Ron."

"Yes, it is!" Harry said. "This is what we've been saying, Hagrid. You've got to watch yourself. Umbridge is on the warpath and has already put Trelawney--"

"'At's 'Perfesser Trelawney', Harry."

"Not for bloody much longer," Harry insisted. "That's my point- you've got to teach us what we'll see on the OWL exam."

Ron nudged his arm and muttered, "Thought you didn't care about OWLs."

"I don't," Harry whispered back, "but everyone else has a full lifespan ahead of them, including our friend Hagrid."

"Oh right." Ron turned to Hagrid and said,"Yeah- you should stick to the Ministry stuff. Umbridge, she loves that. Ministry makes her all gooey."

Harry gagged. "Ugh. What a horrible image."

"Almost made myself sick, to be honest."

Harry stared at the lumbering little giant. Then an idea caught in his head. "GRAWP!"

"Grawp," the giant replied.

"I am Harry. HARRY."

The giant squinted down at him, measured him against the size of the giant's hand and then said, "Nah Hagger."

"Right! Not Hagrid... Harry. HAAARREEEE."

"Haaaaa Reeee." The giant's voice had aquality like rocks grinding together.

Ron stepped up and said, "I am RONALD!"

Grawp moved his boulder-like head towards Ron and said, "Unallg."

"No, it's with an 'R', you say Rrrrrronnnnnaallllllduh."

"RRRRRRNALLLLLDUHHH"

"Ronald, get it? Ronald!"

"ERRNALD!"

Ron cheered, "YES! Or close enough, y'know?"

Grawp slapped the ground in shared glee, creating aconcussion wave that took Harry's and Ron's feet from under them. He jumped up and did a little giant jig, bellowing, "ERRRRnald! ERRRR NAALLLD!" He stopped when a tree branch poked into his ear, thereby earning its arboreal execution.

"Tha's brilliant Ron," Hagrid said,"Ye got 'im to know ye!"

"Just hoping he'll recognise me enough not to step on me," Ron explained as he and Harry clambered back to standing. Ron tightened his cloak against the cold, then said, "Let's get out of here."

"But ye'll come back, won't ye?"

Harry replied, "Sure, Hagrid."

Ron said, "We will?"

"Yeah. Say Hagrid, what does he like to eat?"

"Deer and birds, mostlike, but don' worry on that- he feeds himself fine."

"It's not to feed him- it's to train him."

Ron paled and said, "You're going to train him?"

"Of course not. He barely recognises me," Harry said. "You are."

Hagrid scoffed, "Whad'ya think I bin tryin' ta do alla this time? Do a thing- get a ferret. Soon as he gets told, 'No, you have to say it right', he knocks me over, eats all the ferrets and the lesson is done, innit?"

Grawp said, "Fritts? Mmmm, fritts! Gimme fritts!"

"Yknow who really likes this sort of thing," Harry mused.

Ron said, "Loony Lovegood?"

"No, Lavender. She helped Hagrid care for the Skrewts."

"Aye, tha' she did! Braver than most 'spect, is Lavender Brown." Hagrid was then pushed to the ground by his massive half-brother. He swatted away at Grawp's hands probing into his cloak. "I don' have any ferrets, Grawpy! Go find sommat else!"

The three of them trooped back through the Forbidden Forest to Hagrid's hut, quietly discussing the state of the school with Umbridge in power. Despite their best efforts, Hagrid continued to act as if his job was safe so long as Dumbledore was still Headmaster. They also had to explain to Hagrid why Hermione wouldn't come out to see him along with her friends- the break-up with Ron being too fresh for them to have reverted to civility, much less friendly adventure-seeking.

"Hang on- that's why you brought up Lavender!Sure- a quest in the forbidden forest, a bit of fear from the unknown and then she sees that I wanted her help with something she likes; plus we'll be isolated."

"Try and practice as many different spells as you can while you're out here. Hols mentioned that the Slytherins don't pay as close attention to you when we're separated."

"That's brilliant, mate! I bet we'll be snogging by the third trip!"

Harry shook his head but smiled as well. He clapped ahand on his friend's shoulder and said, "Don't change, Ron."

~o~]

There were times that Ginny's friend and far neighbor Luna was a true balm of unaffected whimsy.

Other times she seemed like a lamed kitten cleaning itself right in the path of stampeding bulls, and the urge to rescue her warred with the instinct not to get trampled. Such was Charms class this day.

"But Professor Flitwick," Luna enthused,"I'm quite certain that the Patronus charm is effective against Heliopaths. How else could Minister Fudge control his Heliopath army?"

Ginny winced. Flitwick was usually willing to roll with Luna's assertions if they didn't divert the lesson overmuch, but that bloody Toad was attending.

Professor Flitwick glanced towards Madam Umbridge and then said to Luna, "W-well I suppose that may be the case, but the only /documented/uses for the Patronus Charm are to fend off Dementors and Lethifolds. If they prove to be useful in that case as well, er... you'll be happier to have learned about it won't you?"

Then echoed the inevitable, "Hem-hem." Even the expectation of Umbridge's faux-cough gave Ginny a shiver.

"Yes, Madam Umbridge?" said the Professor.

"I hope you don't intend to teach these students the Patronus Charm, Professor Flitwick."

"Oh, of course not! The Patronus would be NEWT material, and better suited to your area of speciality."

Maybe that would have ended it, but Luna pressed,"I don't see why we can't learn it now. Harry Potter can cast one, and did so as a third year quite successfully. The Dementors left after that, which was quite a relief."

Umbridge smiled wider than ever. "I think, Miss Lovegood, that it is time you learn the difference between truth and fantasy."

There were a few coughs, some repressed snorts and Vicky Frobisher muttered, "Psh, good luck with /that/."

"You will serve detention this evening in my office, Miss Lovegood, at five."

"Why? Did I do something wrong?"

Even Umbridge was perplexed by Luna's confusion. After a bit of sputtering she said, "You're getting detention for arguing with your professors, disrupting the class and making false statements that undermine the common good!"

~oOo~

"Oh, don't worry Ron. Doing the patrol on my own won't be much different than when you show up." I should've said that. Sodding prat. I don't care if he drags Lavender out into the woods on Hagrid's secret assignment. I don't care. I don't.

Hermione strode purposefully along her route- library to Astronomy tower, use the hidden staircase that smells like pine boughs down to the corridor at the far side of the Charms labs, then cross the main staircase to third floor, down to Hufflepuff, the kitchens, and back to Gryffindor tower.

It was a route she'd developed to best catch out students sneaking to several common destinations. She would have explained it to Filch for his benefit but the man was horrid to anyone under the age of forty and deserved no pity.

Bet she's pregnant by Yule. And I won't care about that, either.

"Hermione!"

She looked up to see Ron charging across the Entrance Hall at her, wand out and an expression of such anger that her own ire was triggered.

"Get Lavender pregnant for all I care--!"

Ron called out, "Protego!" A dome appeared above her like a glass umbrella, just in time to deflect a ruddy ball the size of a quaffle. The ball caromed off the shield and directly into Ron, who was sprinting too fast to avoid it.

The ball ruptured like a water balloon, liquid splashing over his face, chest and the arm held up in defence. There was puff-like sound, and then Ron was engulfed in flames.

Hermione screamed. Ron did as well, but his prompted Hermione to snap out of her shock. Her mind raced in trying to work out how best to help him.

"Ron; STOP, DROP and ROLL!"

Ron's flurry of arm movements weren't likely to keep bees away much less put out the flames- Hermione's plan finally slipped the last piece into place. "Incarcerous! Muto!"

Thick ropes flung out of her wand to bind around his body, which she then transfigured into fire blankets.

"Depulso! Accio! Depulso! Accio! Depulso!Accio!"

Her banishing and summoning charms then knocked the near-mummified Ron to the floor, rolling him back and forth until the flames were smothered out.

Hermione dropped to her knees to strip the thick canvas from around Ron's smoking body. When she'd rolled him out of the wrappings and cradled his head in her lap, Ron's eyes opened.

He croaked, "Coulda used water."

She cried while shaking her head, then explained,"Many flammables will only spread when mixed with water- the proper solution is to stop, drop and roll, which you were not doing. They teach us that in first form - in muggle school."

"Ohh," he wheezed. "Smart. Didja catch'em?"

"Who?"

"S-slytherins. Jumped me but I knocked 'em onner arses. Came to save you."

"You did! You saved me. Then I saved you back."

"Always gotta..." but Ron's taunt faded on his lips along with consciousness.

A spell reassured that he was still breathing and likely to continue doing so. She then looked around, hoping that whomever had attacked them were gone. Seeing no one, she let her emotions out and sobbed over her friend. After a few moments of self-pity, she marshalled her focus and set about getting Ron quickly yet safely into the healer's care.

~oOo~

Meanwhile, on the other side of the castle...

Ginny waited down the hall from Umbridge's office. If she couldn't rescue Luna from the bulls, she could at least pick up what was left after the trampling.

Luna emerged, cupping one arm in the other at the elbow, head down, her eyes wider than Ginny has ever seen them. The door to Umbridge's office slammed shut behind her. She looked up at Ginny and sobbed,"She's an infection! The Ministry is infecting its way into Hogwarts like a flesh-eating... infection... thing! She made me hurt myself. What sort of m-monster... is a monster ...? Whyyyy?" With little encouragement Luna tucked into Ginny embrace, who then shuffled her away from the cause of her suffering.

In a way, Luna seemed more childlike than ever, as if Umbridge had chased off her usual dreamy detachment, diminishing her to this abused wreck. Ginny felt new rage rushing in her ears. Then a thought bubbled up, just loud enough to be heard over the noise of angry protests:

You may want vengeance but Luna doesn't care about that right now. She needs security. Be your father's daughter.

It took a moment for Ginny to put the words she'd heard in an order that made sense over the roaring of her blood. She took adeep breath and then slammed down the locks on her mind as Holly had taught her.

"Luna, curfew is coming," she said in her most caring voice, "We can't stay here. Would you like me to bring you up to see the healer, Pomfrey?"

Luna nodded, tears from her lashes flinging onto Ginny's arm.

She arranged their embrace so that they could walk together, like friends sharing an umbrella. A long, slow climb eventually brought them to Madam Pomfrey's domain. Luna had stopped crying, but her pain and distress were taking a toll- Ginny felt like she'd shouldered half of her weight for the last leg.

Unwelcome news greeted them in the form of Ron, lying unconscious on a bed with blue-green salve covering most of his face.

Ginny and Madam Pomfrey had the same question for the other's patient; "What happened?"

Deferring to authority, Ginny said, "Luna had detention with Umbridge. The cuts... I can't even tell what she was supposed to be writing."

Luna murmured, "My words are worthless."

Ginny hugged her and said, "Maybe to her, but not to me."

"I'll get this patched up," Madam Pomfrey said as they escorted Luna to another bed. "As for Mr. Weasley, he ran afoul of some form of Greek fire. His eyes were unaffected, thankfully, and the burns should heal in a few days under this paste."

"I'm surprised Hermione isn't here."

"She was and would still be, were they not Prefects- duty called them both and clearly only she could answer. Off to bed, now."

Forewarned, Ginny left Luna to Pomfrey and headed out. Partway back towards Gryffindor tower, the clocktower bell tolled nine times. She dashed into a sprint at the first ring, hoping to avoid the curfew patrols. With her luck it wouldn't be Hermione catching her out.

She turned a corner and ran straight into a wall of black robes, proving her assumption. A deep and contemptuous voice said,"I was hoping to find you."

Ginny had landed on her bum. She looked up to see Blaise Zabini leering down at her, accompanied by Pansy Parkinson and Theodore Nott, gleeful expressions behind their pointed wands.

"Roaming in packs now, are you?" she challenged.

Zabini chortled. "Such lip from the blood traitor. Get up."

Nott tried to grab her arm but she shoved him away, though not hard enough that she'd lose track of the other two crowding her.

"Tell me, Wee-little-Weasley," Zabini said,"what are you willing to do to avoid detention with our dear Professor Umbridge?"

"Nothing." Ginny brushed dirt off her robe once she'd got up to her feet. "You're not a prefect, and all I'm doing--"

"I'm a prefect," Parkinson said in an unbecoming gloat, "and my friends are accompanying me on my patrol. You can get detention... or ask Blaise to forgive you. He might only require asmall demonstration of your desire to appease us."

Zabini cocked an eyebrow towards Parkinson. She smiled back.

"Are you mental?" Ginny marveled, "Do you think you can get away with anything, and no one will say 'boo'? Touch me wrong and I'll bring this all up to McGonagall."

"Zee, I dunno," Nott said. "She's got a point."

"Things are changing," Zabini said, flicking the air as if to brush away Nott's warning. "I've been given assurances by the High Inquisitor. Take her over there." He gestured towards a hall leading to the Divination tower, unlikely to be visited at night.

Ginny thought of resisting or just breaking away to run, but noted that all three Slytherins had their wands at the ready. Hers was still stowed inside her robes.

Stupid, stupid girl. Run and at least one of them will catch me with a spell before I reach cover. I have to wait and find an opening.

They took her into a hidden passage that led to anarrow stone staircase.

A feeling prickled up her skull, prompting her to whirl around to face them. She felt the splintery hemp ropes from Zabini's /Incarcerous/wrap around her and realised that her opening, if there ever was one, had passed on. The ropes tightened and she lost her balance, falling backwards down the stone steps to the sound of their laughter.

Ginny curled into a ball as much as she could and focused past the shocks of colliding with protrusions to concentrate on keeping her bones from breaking. She tumbled to a stop probably a floor and a half down.

Soon she could hear the footsteps of her tormentors descending the stairs towards her.

Parkinson squealed and said, "Ooh, do it again!"

"Don't you think we've done enough?" Nott hissed. "We should just go."

"No," Blaise said. "We have to remove the ropes. Then it's just her falling down the stairs, isn't it? And I've been wanting to try out the memory charm."

A panic built in her- if she wouldn't remember what happened, there was nothing to keep them from doing anything to her. Ginny twisted in her ropes to no avail.

... and then there was a long, gurgling moan, unsettling enough that all four froze at hearing it. The sound echoed in the staircase, but the source was obviously coming from above them.

She could see all three of her assailants turning slowly to look up the stairs. An odd sound echoed, as if wet meat had been slapped onto a countertop. Then Parkinson screamed.

There was a bunch of scrabbling and much arguing from the Slytherins as they haphazardly cast spells at whatever they'd seen. Whatever it was had been struck by at least a few spells, if the roars of triumph meant anything, but they were followed by moans of protest as the creature they fought shook off their hexes. The noise abated with the sounds of the three students fleeing back up the stairs.

Things grew quiet.

Ginny tried to flip around but the ropes resisted her at first. It took some effort and a bit of enhancement, but she flung herself up from the floor and managed to land facing the opposite direction. She regretted the success of her wriggling almost immediately.

It had a lumpy pinkish body with a knobby spine ridging the top of it. At one end was a neck that ended in a sucker-like mouth. Two eyes stretched above this on stalks, twisting and turning to gaze in all directions. The other end had two tentacles, easily a yard long each.

The blob of animated flesh and muscle rolled up and flipped over towards Ginny. She felt a tendril wrapping around her waist, squeezing around her hips to anchor its crawl onto her prone body.

It made a shrieking grunt. Something wet happened, and she could smell acrid fumes of acid reacting with fabric.

Ginny felt the ropes around her body loosen slightly-/the creature must have dissolved a knot/. Given the opening, Ginny scrambled to crawl out of her bindings. She had to twist her way out of her robes, leaving the creature to paw at the thick woolen fabric. She frantically kicked, landing two solid hits that pushed it away from her once she was nearly free. The monster whistled and hissed in frustration as she rolled out of its grip and ended up tumbling further down the stairs.

Knocking and bouncing her way down, her body scraped or collided with stone steps, stone walls, and the idle blunted corner. With each painful hit Ginny was cursing Holly's name, wishing she'd learned more about hardening her body with magic.

Her tumble ended when her head thumped into heavy oak- she'd run out of downward in which to flee. She tried to clamber to kneeling and then thumped to the floor, discovering that 'up' had turned left for the moment, though it was looking fondly at backwards as an option.

Wet sucking sounds accompanied the approach of the horrific mass, making a splat-like sound as it came down each step.

Splut. Splorch. Splet. Shhhhsplut.

Ginny could just see the glistening of its soggy flesh in the flicker of torchlight coming from beneath the door she couldn't open.

A tendril wrapped wetly around her ankle; a wave of cold seeped into her through its clutch, sapping all the strength from the kick she'd wanted to apply. The thing began to shudder. Its tentacle around her leg tightened enough to hurt.

Her body was then wracked by convulsions in adesperate instinct to generate more heat. Pain from her contusions and scrapes cried out from the tremors, but the only respite seemed to come from the petrifying chill that was numbing every limb, except for the one gripped by the tentacle where all the heat flowed. Unable to move except to shiver, unable to focus beyond her panic, the underlayer of her mind broke through the noise so that a single calm thought could be heard.

I'm going to die.

As she felt the numbing wave closing in on her heart, she thought one last curse- at herself for ever holding back on pursuing what and whom she desired.

I wish I'd... had... more...

~oOo~

Professor McGonagall hissed, "What do you mean,'missing'?"

"Missing. As in 'not where she is supposed to be'," Madam Umbridge said with no small amount of condescension.

Professor Snape spoke up, "As it said to Madam Umbridge on my way here, one of my prefects mentioned something to suggest that Miss Weasley could be in some danger. When I pressed, the only thing I could discern was that she'd last been seen falling down a staircase near the sixth floor corridor below the hospital wing."

McGonagall tightened her lips, then said, "And why did the prefect not then go after her to check on her?"

"Apparently, some sort of horrible creature blocked the path. It was sufficiently frightening that the prefect had run away, and felt so conflicted about her reaction that she neglected to mention Miss Weasley's situation until an hour ago."

Umbridge added, "When I heard of the dear girl's plight, I sent my personal elf to investigate the corridor. All she found was some rope, rotted away by a caustic liquid. Tell me, Headmaster, what do you intend to do about it?"

The Headmaster took a few moments to stare at the ceiling. He then replied, "I certainly think the prefect ought to be reprimanded. The other prefects should be alerted to seek out any information they might uncover, and to alert others to be on the lookout should Miss Weasley reappear. No reason to send the whole castle into a panic."

Umbridge smiled like Christmas had come. "Do you mean to tell me that you, personally, intend to do nothing about this? Need Iremind you that this is the same girl who had disappeared into the Chamber of Secrets, if reports from the archives here are to be believed?"

"I am giving it all due consideration, Professor Umbridge. I am impressed that you should have that information so readily at hand."

Umbridge wheeled around and strode out of the office, nearly vibrating with glee.

Both of the remaining professors waited until the door shut behind her before turning to yell at the Headmaster.

"... she'll destroy you, sir...""...cannot believe that you would dismiss this, especially for one of the Weasleys..." "... if you couldn't care who was dying, what about the creature..."

This was soon garbled by the various portraits of prior Heads, either criticising him in similar fashion or chastising the other professors for their rudeness to one in his position.

The Headmaster raised his hands, bringing silence to the room. Once all the attempted speaking had faltered away, he said, "I have full faith in Miss Weasley's ability to persevere. In point of fact, that it was Miss Weasley is the reason I am not of much concern. I can say without doubt that she is still alive and in this castle. We should only be concerned with her circumstances if her mother were to contact us. Molly has aparticularly ingenious device to keep the pulse of her family."

Snape sneered, "That ridiculous clock? It didn't help her three years ago!"

"Of course it did," McGonagall corrected him. "Mrs. Weasley contacted me right about the same time as the last message appeared on the wall, warning that Ginny was in mortal peril. That's why we knew it was her who had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets."

"Have a little faith, Severus," Dumbledore said, "There are greater magics at play here than what we teach. The Weasleys' remarkable clock is only one example."

Green fire flared in the hearth, heralding the tremulous voice of Molly Weasley. "P-professor Dumbledore? Oh, please tell me you're there. Ginny... my daughter is... lost."

Both professors glared at the Headmaster. He kneeled down to the fire and said, "Lost, you say?"

"She was in Mortal Peril, but now she's just Lost. You didn't send her into the Forbidden Forest, did you?"

~oOo~

Hermione was the first to find out, as the Prefects gathered for their weekly meeting just after dinner. Partway through Erin Moore's briefing they were interrupted by Professor Umbridge, who insisted that their primary role was to keep the other students from panicking or trying to interfere with the search by the professors. To that end, they were forbidden to speak of it to anyone who wasn't already in the know.

Professor Umbridge then dismissed them, but decided to escort the Gryffindor prefects back to their tower. While pacing the sullen and silent students, the professor asked after their Quidditch team's chances in their next match 'with another player dropped from the roster'.

Hermione said, "We'll find her. We'll get her back."

"Still, it's best to plan for alternatives," Umbridge simpered. "Perhaps you should follow the example of your sister prefects and join the team, Miss Granger. In fact, I'll do you the favour and put you down as designated substitute. No need to thank me."

"I don't care what it takes," Angelina muttered, "We're finding Ginny before next Saturday."

Once back in the common room and away from Umbridge, the prefects quite unofficially explained everything they knew. The twins and Hermione gave Harry meaningful looks until he noticed, and finally led them up to his trunk to get the Marauder's Map. The four of them scoured every corner and crevice that the map revealed, but found no trace of Ginny.

George growled, "We need to search but can't be seen."

Harry nodded, but then he said, "Actually, we need someone unseen to search for us. Dobby!"

The house-elf popped into existence by the bed where they had assembled. "The great Harry Potter calls for Dobby! Dobby is very pleased to--"

"Time is short. Ginny Weasley has gone missing and we need you to help us find her."

Dobby paled.

"What?"

Dobby said, "Miss Ginevra is... lost."

"Yeah, we know!" complained Fred.

"Dobby is sorry but there is only one place in great Hogwarts where one cannot be found."

Hermione sucked in a gasp and said, "The Chamber of Secrets!"

Dobby scowled at her. "Dobby was sure that the great Harry Potter had found that one."

"Then where?" demanded George.

"The Come-and-Go room," said Dobby."When things cannot be found, they are in the Come-and-Go room."

Harry sighed and said, "Alright, good. You just need to take us there."

"Dobby is sorry but Dobby can't!"

"Why not?"

"Because it is lost! It cannot be found!"

Hermione said, "How can Ginny have gotten into aroom that no one has ever found, but that you're certain exists and that she's there?"

"It cannot be found /now/," Dobby emphasized. "Other times it can be."

"When?" asked Fred.

"When it no longer needs to be lost."

"You're making no sense, Dobby."

The elf's lip quivered. "Dobby does not know how much clearer he can be!"

There was much arguing between Fred, George and Hermione as to what the elf was trying to say. Harry raised both hands and said, "Shut it!"

All four turned to him.

"Dobby, is there anything you can tell us to reassure us that Ginny will be okay?"

"Dobby is certain that she will be found as soon as she is no longer lost."

The elf disappeared the moment both twins lunged at his neck.

If only to give them something to do, Harry gave the Marauders Map back to the twins, who were determined to figure out where ahidden room they didn't know about could be hidden. They left Hermione sitting with Harry, feeling just as ineffectual.

Hermione said, "I feel like I've let them down. First Ron, then Ginny. If I had been doing my job--"

"Stop it," Harry commanded, making her jump. "You're not going to help by beating yourself up. How is Ron, anyway?"

"He's recovering. Said he still cares, which is why he ran to save- Oh! The Slytherins! Harry, he'd been jumped by Slytherins and figured that was who threw the Greek fire at me."

"What- you think they've captured her and are keeping her somewhere?"

"No, but it was Parkinson who first reported that Ginny was missing. The cow looked contrite enough during the meeting, but she had such an evil grin when they left. I think... I think she winked at me." Hermione suppressed a gag at the memory.

Harry sat back. "You want to go after the Slytherins in general? Hermione, if we're caught doing anything to them right now, it'll be instant expulsion. If it would lead to saving Ginny, I'd do it, but how is it going to help?"

Hermione shook her head and said, "I don't know." It felt like a betrayal of all she was, to say that. She broke down crying.

Much to her surprise, Harry reached over and drew her into his arms.

~oOo~

...time.

Consciousness could have waited if all Ginny had sensed was warmth. It was the scent of honey and lemon that coaxed her to leave the comfort of sleep bundled beneath at least four layers of duvet. Within her blankety cocoon she could see nothing but she heard the crackle of an active hearth. Ginny burrowed her way out until she could open a gap to catch sight of the flickering warmth that matched the sound. Between her in her cavern of covers and the hearth was a tall stool with a cup of tea set upon it. Beyond the tea was a reading chair by the fire occupied by a girl- the curves were obvious even though she had very short hair. She was reading a book, backlit in a way that obscured her features.

Ginny rasped out, "Hullo?"

The chair-dweller's head jerked up at her query. She rose from the chair on unsteady legs and approached, bracing on one piece of furniture then the next in hobbling over towards the bed. The woman then knelt down on the floor next to the stool, taking care not to upset the teacup. She peered into the coverlet cave where Ginny was laired.

"How are you feeling?"

Five seconds passed in silence as Ginny processed this:

Not Tonks... is that Holly? The voice is similar but she sounds much nicer ... kinder ... could this be Lily Potter? Am I dead? Is this a dream? I'm too sore to be dead or dreaming, so it has to be Holly, but where did she come from? How did she become --

She was that thing!

Rational thought left her and Ginny scrambled back into and then out of the blankets, pushing and kicking herself backwards until she fell off the far side of the bed. She dropped to the floor with a thump loud enough to match the bruise on her bum that she'd probably just earned.

Her heart was beating too fast and she couldn't see much beyond the bed, nor did she hear any movement indicating that the Holly-thing was coming around the side to get her.

After a few ragged breaths she dared to edge one eye above the horizon of blankets.

Holly was sitting on the floor, having slumped down from kneeling, looking defeated. Ginny heard her say, "Your tea is getting cold."

"What do you want from me?"

"I dunno," the Holly-thing replied,"Nothing, really. Forgiving me for... y'know, almost killing you before... would be a blessing, but I'm not expecting it. If you prefer, I'll go. You can enjoy the room and then head back out into the school to resume your life without my interference."

"What did you do to me? What are you, really?"

She let out a sigh. "I'm Holly. All other labels are just as arbitrary as a name. I built a human body up from being a bird-it's an ugly process, as you might now realise. I was short on magic, and without a form to carry you it looked like you were done for, so I had to... feed."

"Where's my wand?"

"I dunno; where were you keeping it? Is it in your robe?" Holly fussed with the pockets of the robe she was wearing until she said, "A-ha!" She pulled a stick from an inner pocket and tossed it onto the bed. The wand landed with a 'thap', easily within her reach.

Ginny wrapped her hand around the handle of hazel, athrum sending its greetings as she held it ready. She stood up, straightened her white t-shirt and then glared at Holly. "Why are you wearing my robe?"

Holly clambered up to standing, taking a few steps towards the end of the bed. "I was freezing and it was available."

"Only after you tore it off my body!" Ginny side-stepped to the end of the bed as well, dodging around the tied-back curtains to ensure she could keep her wand pointed at Holly whenever possible.

"I was trying to untie you with one tentacle and some poorly anchored teeth," Holly said. "Once I'd formed into something humanoid, I hefted you up the stairs, finding your robe still entangled in rope. I put it on so that I'd look like a student, y'know, so Icould get us someplace safe without having to explain who or what I am and how I got into the castle." Holly huffed and then untied the belt of the robe. She let the fabric slide off her shoulders and down her back, whipping it around until the garment was held up towards Ginny in her left hand.

Ginny had tracked her movements carefully as she could, though the only light came from the hearth-fire, leaving Holly mostly in shadow. Ginny was startled when she refocused on Holly's whole form, realising that the witch holding her robe out to her was now nude.

"It's definitely you," Ginny muttered.

Holly shivered, then continued, "Yeah, well, the portraits are more likely to take notice of a shambling horror or a naked woman walking around than yet another student out in the corridors too late. Even enchanted paint will stare at my tits when they're on display."

Ginny caught herself staring at those tits and then tried to lock down on her stray thoughts. She most certainly did not want to be distracted into lowering her defenses.

She yanked the robe out of Holly's hand. Taking abrief glance around the room, Ginny saw that there was only one door and headed for it, nearly tripping over her trainers which had been left at the foot of the bed. She held both wand and gaze on Holly while her sock-muffled toes sought to find their way into the shoes, and then opened the door behind her. Beyond was a wide stone hallway, lit with a few torches at either end. Across from the door was a large tapestry that she recalled seeing on the seventh floor, not far from Ravenclaw tower.

Suddenly aware that she'd turned her back on Holly she whirled around, wand at the ready. Holly hadn't moved, though her arms were wrapped around her chest, her stance unsteadily balanced on one leg with the other bent in front of her in an odd pose of modesty.

Ginny backed out of the room into the hall without another word, closing the door behind her.

It seemed like this shouldn't be the end of the encounter; Ginny stood facing the door, waiting for something to happen.

Nothing happened.

Even though she fully intended to get with all haste back to her dorm room, she found her legs unwilling to commit to that plan. Several different feelings held her in place- affront, curiosity, and doubt.

A minute later she'd run out of indecision and opened the door again. Inside, Holly had returned to sitting by the fireplace, wrapped in the blue and white checkerboard duvet from the bed, sipping from the teacup.

Ginny strode in and said, "That's my tea," not stopping until she was standing next to the chair. She took the cup that Holly handed to her, drank it down, tossed the crockery back into Holly's hands and then stormed out again.

Ten seconds she stood in the hallway before she spun around and burst through the door once more- it jammed up partway open this time, as the door had caught on Holly's foot. The woman yelped and then hopped about, holding her foot and growling curses.

Ginny said, "Serves you right!" and left once more.

Three minutes. It took three minutes standing in that corridor with her back to the door, looking at a foolish wizard trying to teach ballet to trolls before she could move again. She turned-

The door was gone.

This proved to be quite upsetting. Ginny couldn't even tell where the sudden feeling of rejection came from, but it stabbed at her. One hand lifted up to touch the blank wall.

She murmured, "Holly?"

Please, let me in. Please, let me in. Please, let me in. Please, let me--

Beneath her hand, wood grew out of the stone until the door had fully formed once more. It opened on its own.

Holly was curled up in the chair by the fire, inspecting her foot. She looked up at Ginny and said, "We can do this all night, Gingersnap- I'm not the one who needs sleep. What do you want?"

Ginny shuffled in and closed the door behind her."Why did you show up looking like that?"

"You were in danger. I had to rush into the new form, or they might have hurt you worse. When I saw I wasn't going to make it to human in time, I compromised and became the partial... thing."

"You forced your body to do that... for me?"

Holly shrunk into her duvet a little tighter, and then nodded.

Ginny placed her robe at the end of the bed and said,"You can borrow it until you find a better one."

Holly uncurled from the chair and walked up to Ginny. She stared up until their eyes locked. She then said, "Thank you," grabbed the robe and slipped it around her body to replace the blanket, tying it in place and clasping it. Given their differences in height and frame, it seemed strange that the robe would cling so attractively to Holly's curves. Then again, if Ginny were curvier the robe might cling to her as well- she was overdue for a replacement.

Holly stared up into Ginny's eyes again, her green irises drawing her in by their gravity. "For this and so many other reasons, I owe you," Holly said. Her voice was soft and patient;"What do you want?"

The question echoed in Ginny's suddenly silent brain. The room was too warm. The sounds of the hearthfire weren't enough to mask her ragged breathing.

Ginny leaned down. She opened her mouth just slightly... and kissed Holly, lips to lips. All motion stopped, along with her heart.

It restarted at full speed when she felt Holly splaying fingers through her hair, cupping her head with both hands.

Unlike any of the kisses she'd shared with Harry or Michael or even the one with Luna when they were ten, this kiss was what Ginny had always dreamed kissing should be- soft, warm, a sensual engagement of desire with anticipation balanced with restraint. Their lips slid together and pulled back just enough to let a breath through, then pressed forward again with just a bit more pressure, just a hint more passion. Ginny felt fingers caress her jaw and then slide around to card through her hair, taking a brief and gentle grip of her head to adjust their angle and move in once more. Holly's tongue was both very involved and yet non-intrusive, teasing Ginny to open her lips more or twirling in sinuous dance with her own.

Then the kiss ended, with Holly nudging Ginny's face away from hers with her chin.

Ginny leaned back so she could hopefully see Holly's mood in the shadows from the flickering fire. She didn't appear to be happy or regretful, just... worried. "H-holly...?"

"There are times when I know what I'm doing, and times when I just fake it. I quite honestly don't know which way to turn with this."

Panic doubled her heart rate. "Wh-why's that?"

Holly's lips pressed together. Her hands dropped to her sides.

Ginny's nervousness turned into anger. "What, are you just playing with me?! You talk and talk and talk about sex and magic and destiny and /Harry/, but when it comes to me you just shut up and turn away? What do /you /want?"

Holly's eyes locked with hers. She said, "I want to make love to every blessed square inch of your body, Ginny Weasley. I want to kiss your neck and feel you shiver when I tickle your bum. I want to know if your right nipple is more sensitive than the left one. I want to see where /all/your freckles live. I want... you. There are two things in the way of that."

Ginny could feel the pounding of her heart all the way down to her knees. She was bouncing between fiery emotions- fear, excitement, anger, hurt and, yes she admitted, lust. Mostly she suspected that Holly was going to say the worst thing, the thing she hated most but that she'd heard so very often throughout her life- 'You're not old enough'.

"Two things- w-which are?"

Holly cupped her hand on Ginny's cheek again.

Oh, here it comes.

"I'm here to help Harry- nothing and no one is ahigher priority for me."

That's no surprise- so of course the secondreason will be the ugly one.

Ginny nodded, braced herself then asked, "A-and the other... thing?" Her voice sounded mortifyingly childlike to her ears; no doubt it would confirm Holly's--

"I'm needful at the moment. I haven't... I can't guarantee..." her worried look became more intense.

"You, being tongue-tied, is not normal," Ginny observed.

"Ginny, I need love and warmth and magic. You've got it, I want it, and I probably won't stop taking it if you actually offer it. Besides which, if you wanted to ease into trying out gay, this isn't the way. You'd be jumping into the deep end of the pool. I almost killed someone with sex once- stopped her heart. I almost killed you in making this body. Do you honestly think your first time should be with me, making love to you until you beg for mercy?"

She heard her mouth make a noise that sounded quite surprisingly like 'No.' Holly looked surprised as well.

Ginny placed one hand at the center of Holly's chest. It took her several deep breaths before her mind could catch up with her instincts. "You're right. I don't want to be used or consumed or whatever. I think you're the most thrilling person I've ever met. I've looked for a long time for what I want to become as I grow up. It's not my mum, or one of the teachers or any of the chasers or even Tonks. I want to be like you. Er, /this/you. I can skip the monster stage, right?"

Holly bit her lip as if to keep it from speaking out. Her arms crossed and Ginny could feel the loneliness, the separation created in the movement.

Ginny said, "Y'know, I practised that speech ahundred times in my head over the last few weeks and I was sorta expecting you to feel complimented. Why are you looking nervous?"

Holly squinted her eyes closed, and said,"Sometimes I think that I am who I am because I've felt like there was aknife at my throat ever since learning that magic exists. It's like a mad cycle of trauma- recovery- intrigue- betrayal- recovery- evasion or capture- trauma-recovery... "

Ginny's eyebrows rose high. "Maybe we can find another way for me."

"Slower? More deliberate? God, I hope so." She then reached out a hand to touch Ginny's forearm.

Lust flared again and Ginny felt her resolve breaking. "Holly, maybe--"

"Go back to your dorm," she said."We'll try things as you're ready for them. Just know that I think you're worth the delay. You're the better woman. In fact, by saying 'no', you've pretty much guaranteed that I'm going to pursue you until I have you under my tongue."

Ginny blushed but smiled, taking an extra glance at the pink tongue-tip as it flicked out to wet Holly's lips. "What'll you do now?"

An expelled puff sent the fringe on Holly's forehead to swaying in the warm air. "I still need to... feed. Think I'll find Harry."

A cold flush ran down Ginny's spine. She turned and opened the door, but couldn't bring herself to walk through it.

"Something else on your mind, Ginny?"

Who am I? I'm the last child and only daughter of the Weasleys. I'm the one who had to spend her first year of school fighting off possession by a Dark Lord's relic. I'm attractive. I'm powerful. I'm standing in a room with a disappearing door that no one can find unless Holly wants them to...

Ginny closed the door and turned around to face Holly.

... and said woman has offered to make love to me whenever I'm ready for it.

"Ginny?"

"Give me back my robe."

"Why?"

Ginny walked up to Holly until she stood close enough to touch. She hesitated, wanting to reach out but not certain how, or what would be acceptable. She mumbled, "Because..."

"Because?"

"Because-I-like-looking-at-you-naked!" She could feel every freckle on her body prickle as if each one was scandalised by the rushed statement. "A-and if I walked away from this I'd feel like astupid, immature coward for the rest of my life."

"Which you're not."

"Which I am not."

Holly clasped Ginny's uncertain hand between her own and brought it up against her own face. She then reached out to Ginny to touch her the same way. They moved in, guided by the other's hand and kissed.

Ginny broke them apart this time. She said, "I am, however, exhausted. Can we take our time with this?"

Holly kissed her again, insisting on several more minutes of unspoken affection.

Ginny broke them apart again. "Hols?"

"Ginny... I don't think I need sex to recover the magic. I think you just need to keep kissing me, and making me feel loved."

Ginny grinned. "I can do that. Get on the bed."

They faced each other, staring but neither really trying to intrude on the others' thoughts.

Ginny had a troubled look, so Holly said,"What's wrong?"

"I'm really fine taking it slow... but I was also... um...."

"Yeah?"

"Looking forward to touching you."

Holly took hold of her hand, brought it beneath the lapel of her robe and said, "I would love to be touched by you."

They kissed, and soon Holly decided that the room was entirely too warm for clothing. Ginny demurred, as being short a pint of blood had her a bit chilled, still.

~oOo~

The fire in Albus' bedroom turned green. He looked up from his reading. Recognising the face in the flames, he said, "Yes, Molly?"

"Headmaster, I hadn't heard from you but Ginny is back at school. May I assume things are under control and I can get some sleep again?"

"Molly, your clock is making a fool of me again. I had no new information to give you as reassurance, else I would have called, even if it is a bit late."

Mrs. Weasley's voice carried a hopeful uncertainty;"I thought as much. It's a bit curious..."

"What is?"

"My sons are in Bed, yet Ginny is... at School. Perhaps... an Astronomy class?"

"None are scheduled. We shall have to add that to the list of questions to ask of her once her exact location is discovered. Try and get some sleep, Molly. I am sure that Ginny is safe enough."

~oOo~

Resolved that Ginny had been absent long enough to merit creating a cover story, the girls came up with one. They then got properly dressed with what they had at hand and headed for the hospital wing.

They snuck their way along the seventh floor. The Room was quite close to the hospital entrance, so they traveled from shadow to cover, avoiding being seen or heard by anything they could see or hear themselves. Once they'd arrived at the right corridor, Holly pulled Ginny into an alcove well out of sight of the portraits. Before she could say anything, Ginny had tipped her head up and pulled her into a deep kiss.

Holly reciprocated, and also untied her belt in process of stripping out of the robe she'd borrowed.

"Hols! Not here," Ginny hissed.

"'Course not, Gingersnap, but I can't bring the robe with me when I vanish, and you were last seen wearing it. Best to reduce the questions as much as possible."

"Oh, right." Ginny donned the garment and smiled at her, taking a deep breath and snuggling into the robe, no doubt still warm and a little musky from Holly's body. Ginny then kissed Holly, sneaking in a squeeze of her left boob.

Holly 'eep'ed' and then said, "Worse than some boys, you are. Not Harry, but..."

"And you're really going to--?"

"He's the anchor. I love him. I love you. Don't make me choose."

"Wasn't gonna," Ginny protested. "I'm just surprised you have the energy."

"Why? You gave it to me." She then teased,"In a way, it'll be you--"

Ginny smirked and put her hand over Holly's mouth, saying, "Yeah, yeah, shut up with that."

Holly smiled, kissed the fingers against her lips, and then vanished.

... appearing next to Harry's bed in his dorm. The curtains were shut so she ignited a bluebell flame in her hand, then pulled back one curtain just a bit. Her breath caught in her throat.

Harry lay tucked beneath his blankets, but the bed was crowded by a witch held tight in his bare arms. Based on her hair...

"Hermione," she exhaled.

The witch in question made a noise, her head shifting on Harry's pillow to nuzzle into his neck.

Holly closed her fist around the blue flame, extinguishing it with a sizzle and hiss.

~oOo~