Trapped Behind the Window

Trapped Behind The Window

There's something about the look in your eyes
Something I noticed when the light was just right
It reminded me twice that I was alive
And it reminded me that you're so worth the fight

My biggest fear will be the rescue of me
Strange how it turns out that way - yeah

Could you show me dear something I've not seen?
Something infinitely interesting...

There's something about the way you move
I see your mouth in slow motion when you sing
More subtle than something, someone contrives
Your movements echo that I have seen the real thing

Your biggest fear will be the rescue of you
Strange how it turns out that way - yeah

Could you show me dear something I've not seen?
Something infinitely interesting...
- Incubus, Echo

Chapter 5

The knock. Harry groaned as he turned over. He felt as if he had just gone to bed a few minutes ago. His head was aching, he was tired as hell and on top of it all, they had already knocked. He pushed himself up and sat on the side of the bed groggily, yawning. He would do better to get up quickly.

Suddenly, a pale, freckled hand tugged at his shoulder, pulling him back into the white sheets. Harry let himself fall backwards voluntarily to find Ginny grinning at him sheepishly. She brushed her red curls away from her face impatiently and smiled, positively beaming with energy. He had not seen her like this in a long time.

"Harry," she said in a excited whisper. "We're not getting up today."

Harry grinned back at her and pulled her in his arms, laughing silently as he kissed her cheek. "You are right, honey. We'll just lie here all day and wait for them to bring lunch on time."

But Ginny pulled away and looked him into the eye sternly. "Harry. I'm not joking - I mean it."

"What?" Harry asked, confused and sat back up in bed.

"You heard right. I mean it. I've had enough. I'm not getting up."

"You can't do that-"

"I will."

"No! The trouble you'll get into after what happened yesterday-"

"Watch me. I'm not leaving this bed," she said and crossed her arms over her chest, looking up at him daringly; not unlike her twin brothers Fred and George, the biggest mischief makers Harry knew. All of a sudden though, her stubborn expression changed to be replaced by a sad, depressed one. The one she had been wearing since they had been brought to that place. "I'm so tired of being here, Harry."

"I know, I know," Harry said soothingly, bent down and kissed her lips lightly. "But staying in bed won't help us in the slightest."

"I want it to end, Harry. I'm so tired of being here - so tired. It's making a total wreck of me. It has to end, one way or another. I'm either getting out of here or I'm going to fight until they kill me. I want to be free again. I don't care how, but I want to be free - even if it is only in death."

Harry looked down at her anxiously. He had never in their over-four-month-imprisonment seen her as determined as today, nor had he ever seen her look so tired and weak before at the same time. But what could they do to resist? They had tried everything and still, whatever they did, they kept hitting dead ends. Nothing helped, nothing. They had no wands, no other powers, no magical items of use, no way to contact anybody, no way to know if others were aware of the situation and knew how to handle it. They had absolutely nothing here. Nothing except themselves.

"I want it to end as well," Harry finally said. "But what do you want to do? If we lie in bed when they come to fetch us, what will happen?"

"What will happen? First of all, they will tell us to get out of bed, then they might scream and tell us to come to them. And what if we don't? What is we just say 'get lost' and remain lying in bed?"

"They will pull us out and we will spend a week in the Silencing Room."

"Harry," Ginny said sternly. "What is the purpose of the Silencing Room?"

"To make you obey."

"And how often have we been in there?" Ginny asked, frowning. "Harry, I can't even remember how often I've been sent in there. And I swear, if I am sent in again, I won't obey either."

"They will brainwash you."

"I have never listened to them and I'm certainly not going to start now."

"And if they decide to use even more force?"

"Like what?"

"Unforgivable Curses."

"Unforgivable Curses..." Ginny said thoughtfully. "First: Avada Kedavra, the killing curse. They could kill me, yes, but I'm at a point where I don't care how I will be released from this place, Harry. Second: Imperius curse. We both know how to fight it off. That won't help them. It has no more effect on me."

"Yes, but what about the Cruciatus Curse?" Harry asked silently.

"I will endure that as well. I don't care about it anymore. I want out," she said.

Harry thought. What was the price he was willing to pay to get out of here? What was the price? The Silencing Room only had an effect on you when you were distressed. If they made him go in, he would probably not like it much, but it would not break his mind. The Imperius curse, as Ginny had pointed out, didn't have any effect on him anyway. Not since the fake Moody - alias Barty Crouch Junior - had taught Harry how to fight it off. But was he ready for the Cruciatus Curse or Avada Kedavra?

Coming to think about it, Harry found he would rather be tortured than die. He had been under the Cruciatus Curse before, and although he shuddered at the mere thought, he would rather endure that then die. And, anyway, if he could get out of this alive, he had to. Voldemort was only to be stopped by him. Only him; that was what the prophecy said. That was why Voldemort had tried to kill him long ago to start with. If he died here, he might be free - but at the same time the rest of the world would fall to darkness, even more than it already had. Nothing would be in Voldemort's way anymore then. Nothing.

Another sharp knock made Harry jump. The second knock. They could be coming to fetch them any minute now, any second. Again, her pale freckled hand searched for his and their fingers intertwined. Harry gazed at her hazel eyes that were looking back at him, questioningly. What is your decision? she seemed to be asking. Harry let himself fall back onto the bed with a sigh.

"Sod them. We're not getting up today."

~

Ginny grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed his cheek. She snuggled up against his chest and sighed contently as he layed his arm around her shoulder, stroking her hair softly.

"You know, I think you are quite easy to manipulate," Ginny said softly and looked up at his sparkling, green eyes.

"Am I?" Harry asked and pulled her closer towards him.

"Yes, definitely," she teased.

"And how would you prove that?"

"Well," Ginny said slowly and drew a line along his cheekbone with her finger. "If I said I wanted you to kiss me... you would do it."

"Oh yeah?" he laughed.

"Yeah."

"Well, just wait. I won't," he said and crossed his arms over his chest. "You won't make me kiss you anymore."

"You sure?"

"Dead sure."

"Okay, if you say so. But I stick to what I know: you are easy to manipulate, honey," Ginny laughed, amused. She snuggled up to him again and planted little kisses on his neck.

"No, I won't."

Ginny just ignored him and continued kissing him, tiny little pecks.

"Not a chance."

"I love you," she breathed to his ear and smiled as she saw him shiver. Her thumb followed down the line of his nose and stopped on his lips. "I love you."

"Won't."

Ginny giggled and bent down over him, flicking a strand of red hair over her shoulder as she brushed his lips with hers softly. "I really do."

"I... won't..." Harry tried and sighed. "Okay, you win. I'm easy to manipulate."

Ginny closed her eyes as he pulled her face closer to his and kissed her passionately, letting his tongue slip into her mouth. She responded immediately by touching his tongue with hers, slowly falling back onto the sheets. His hand caressed her cheek as she slid her hand into his soft, messy dark hair.

"I love you too," he whispered.

Ginny just smiled and gave him another kiss, but pulled away in the middle of it. A key was turning in the lock.

They were coming.