Nocturne

~~~~~

“Ginny...” A softly pleading voice drifted through the darkness, sending a chill up the spine of a girl dressed only in a nightgown. “...Why have you abandoned me?”

The girl gasped, her red hair whirling about her face while she spun around, searching for the voice’s owner. It was obvious that she recognized the voice. It had haunted her nightmares for years. This dream, however, was different. “Where are you?” she asked.

“Ginny... You abandoned me, you left me to die...”

“Tom?!” Ginny cried.

A vague silhouette of a young man appeared out of the shadowy trees in Ginny’s dream world. “You killed me, Ginny...” The outline of Tom Riddle’s figure became clearer as the seconds passed, and Ginny felt herself growing faint.

“No, i-it was you...” Ginny gathered up her courage. “Y-you tried to kill *me!*” She took a shaky step backwards, but her energy was leaving her, and Riddle appeared next to her in an instant.

“It was Harry Potter,” he said, his normally-handsome face deathly pale and partly covered by his black hair. “Harry Potter killed me, and you could’ve saved me...” He wrapped his arms around her waist.

“No... That’s not what happened... I remember.” She vaguely remembered that this was a dream, and that she was asleep, but she was feeling so sleepy right now, she wondered why...

“It was Potter,” he said, his form becoming ever clearer. Ginny could now see the shine of his hair and the folds of his robes in the cloud-covered moonlight. “Why didn’t you...”

Ginny’s knees gave out, but Tom held her up. “No... You almost killed me...” She squeezed her eyes shut and made a weak attempt to escape her tormentor’s grasp. “Y-you’ll do it again...”

“But I didn’t, Ginny,” he murmured, pulling her closer. “I won’t kill you. It was Potter... He left you for such a long time.” Ginny’s eyes fluttered shut, her strength finally leaving her. “He doesn’t care about you...”

Tom leaned in to kiss her, and she woke up.

~~~

Setting loose a shrill cry that could’ve woke half the Gryffindors, Ginny leapt out of her bed, waking and realizing what happened only once her feet hit the cold floor. She clamped her hand over her mouth and slipped back into her bed as discreetly as one could with six or seven other fifth years (AN: Yes, Ginny’s a fifth year in this, which makes just about everyone else sixth years) casting worried stares at you. More than one compassionate girl ran to her bedside and made absolutely sure she was all right before returning to their own beds.

Ginny lay in her bed with her eyes wide open and no prospect of sleep. She’d had nightmares of Tom Riddle before, but they were never like the one she just woke up from. They were usually full of gigantic snakes, phantoms, and fiery flashes of eerie light emanating from Tom Riddles ghostly form. They always ended with the light swirling around Ginny and making her fall for what seemed like eternity before she woke up. This dream was just... spooky.

And what did Tom want with Harry, anyway? He’d done away with Tom a long time ago, when he slammed a basilisk’s fang into his old diary. How could he possibly come back for them, and why would he say those horrible things about him? After all, Harry saved Ginny’s life in the Chamber of Secrets! How could he *not* care about her, even a little? If anything Ginny’s feelings had only grown over time, she told herself, and she was determined not to let such a dream rattle her, but she’d never been able to tell him how she felt... Despite all the times Fred and George told her not to be so obvious.

Maybe... she should tell Harry about the dream. No, that was a bad idea. It was only another nightmare, and therefore nothing to worry about.

Ginny turned over and tried miserably to get back to sleep.

~~~

Ginny didn’t seem her usual blushing self at breakfast, Hermione noticed. She was a little pale and drawn, with bags under her eyes. She usually busied herself with staring at Harry while making a mess of her breakfast, but instead she concentrated at her barely-picked-at food. Hermione decided to affirm her suspicions by leaning over her book and a mountain of biscuits to feel the younger girl’s forehead. “Are you ill, Ginny?” she asked.

Ron and Harry glanced over at the pale redhead. “You don’t look so good,” Ron said. “Maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey.” Harry nodded in agreement and made the mountain of biscuits one biscuit smaller before Oliver Wood dragged him off by surprise to a last-minute Quidditch practice before a game against Ravenclaw.

Ron got up to drag Ginny off to the sic ward himself, but she jumped out of her seat quickly ad said, “I’ve forgotten somethi-a book in the dormitory; I have to go get it,” and hurried off.

Hermione blinked. “Well, that was odd,” she said. Then she went back to what she was reading.

After a few minutes, she slammed her book shut and glared at Ron, who had been hovering (not literally) over her shoulder. “Just curious,” he muttered, and went back to his seat.

“What do you think is wrong with Ginny?” she asked.

“I don’t know.”

“She’s acting very strange, Ron. I overheard a fifth year say that she woke everyone up last night screaming from a nightmare.”

Ron’s eyes widened for a split second, and she could tell he was remembering the ordeal his sister went through four years ago. He looked worried, but brushed it off quickly enough. “She’s probably just got a bit of a cold, is all; can’t say for the nightmare,” and tried finishing off his meal with no appetite.

~~~

Ginny slammed the door shut in the girls’ dormitory, having no intention of retrieving anything from her room other than a chance to get away from everyone, and a few seconds of peace and quiet. She leaned against the door for a few moments in silence, until a loud rustling of feathers was hear coming from the boys’ dormitory. Normally, she wouldn’t have gone to look, but in her current state of mind, she suddenly felt compelled to see what was making all the racket.

It turned out to only be Hedwig, flying in with a letter for Harry. She’d already dropped the pale green envelope on his bed, and hopped back onto the window to wait for Harry’s return. The owl eyed Ginny suspiciously for a moment, then ruffled her feathers indignantly and went to her food dish.

Ginny looked at the envelope. It didn’t have a return address; in fact the only thing written on it was “HARRY POTTER” in tiny, flowing script. She was *very* tempted to open it, even though it was certainly none of her business. She stared for a good three seconds longer before finally going against reason -not to mention common courtesy- and opened it, which, she noticed, had a Slytherin seal on the back.

“Potter,

    I’ll go on with this annoying ‘secrecy’ thing as long as I see fit, thank you. Don’t even think about threatening to pounce on me straight out of Potions, *in front of everyone.* I don’t like having to meet you in secret all the time, and I don’t care if you just think I’m being a ‘typical dramatic Slytherin,’ but we just can’t let anyone know just yet. Bear with me.

    Anyway, I’ll be waiting for you impatiently tonight, but not in the usual place. I’ll be in the library, so make sure you hurry up. And you don’t need to come ‘pick me up,’ for God’s sake. I can get past Filch and his damned cat well enough *without* an Invisibility Cloak.

                D.”

Ginny silently slipped the matching pale-green stationary back into its envelope, re-sealed it with a flick of her wand, and slid to the floor. Harry had a secret girlfriend.

~~~

Harry rushed into his room with a loud clattering of his broomstick on the floor, which he’d brought along in his rush. He’d forgotten his pads for Quidditch. He shut the door and spotted Ginny kneeling on the floor, holding the letter.

He took no notice of the distressed look on her face, but started up to her and snatched up his letter. He appeared distressed enough, himself. “Did you read it?” he demanded.

Ginny was taken aback by his tone for a moment. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have--”

“It’s *my* letter, Ginny! You don’t just go around reading other people’s mail! It’s none of your business!” He opened it and scanned its contents, then went back to glaring at her. “Did you read it?”

“I...” she faltered.

“Don’t you *ever* go into my things again!” he hissed, looking frantic. “If anyone found out...!”

“I-I won’t tell anyone,” she said quietly.

Harry looked as if all his energy had been spent on the past two minutes. “Good,” he said. “Just don’t go through my things again.”

Ginny nodded absentmindedly, and Harry grabbed his Quidditch pads and walked out. Then she started crying.

~~~

The Quidditch match was unbearably close, but Gryffindor won the game in the end. Wood made sure to reprimand the rest of his team and handed them all two extra practices next week. They all headed back to Gryffindor Tower in low spirits due to the promise of so much extra training to be done.

Nevertheless, Harry and the rest of the team were greeted warmly as they reached the common room. Harry ignored the “good work’s” and hearty pats on the back and headed straight for the showers, shoving past Ron and Hermione with a quick apology before running off.

Ron gaped after him.

“How rude,” Hermione said. “Unusual.”

“That makes two so far,” Ron said. “Ginny didn’t bother to tackle Harry after the game today. It was weird. Maybe they’re *both* sick.”

Hermione brought her fist to her lips in deep thought and headed for the girls’ dormitories. “I don’t think so,” she said. “I’m going to talk to Ginny.”

“*I’m* her brother! I should be the one to-”

“Ron,” she interrupted, trying to look endearing. “This is something that only another girl can understand.”

“How would *you* know?!” he demanded.

Hermione shrugged. “I just do,” she said, and left Ron pouting and frustrated.

~~~

Hermione gave the door two quick raps and entered. Ginny was sitting on her bed with a quill and some sort of journal in her lap. She jumped three feet in the air and slammed her book shut when she saw her. Hermione flashed the flustered fifth year (yay, alliteration!) an inquiring look, then sat next to her on the bed.

“Hello, Ginny,” she said.

“H-hello,” she replied.

“What are you doing?” Hermione gestured to the little book on Ginny’s lap.

“Writing.”

“Oh.” She ignored Ginny’s avoiding her previous question, and continued. “Just curious. Are you all right, Ginny?”

Ginny focused on her book’s cover and shrugged.

“Whatever it is, does it have to Harry?” Ginny’s eyes went as big as dinner plates when the words came out of Hermione’ mouth. “He’s been acting strangely today, too,” Hermione explained quickly.

“Oh... No, I wouldn’t know about that.” Ginny shrugged again when she said it.

Hermione sighed, exasperated. “Well, don’t tell anyone, but... I know how it is to... like someone who’s too thick to realize it,” She blushed quite a bit when she said it. “So... If you should ever want to talk...”

“I’m fine,” Ginny said. “You shouldn’t have to worry about me.”

Hermione nodded and smiled at her. Ginny smiled back. “Well!” she said, hopping back to her feet. “I still have a bit of reading to do before class tomorrow. Good night.”

“Good night.”

Hermione opened the door... And Ron fell through it. She grabbed him and pulled him out of the room before Ginny spotted them.

“What are you *doing?*” She hissed once safely back in the hallway.

Ron ignored her death glare. “Blimey, *everyone’s* acting weird today. You’re offering advice to my sister?”

Hermione did her best to hold back her temper. “Wha--?! Why were you eavesdropping on us? This is the girl’s dorm, you know. If you-”

“Oh, I was only curious,” Ron brushed it off and asked, “So, who’s the person you like?”

Hermione rolled her eyes and started fro her room. “I’m not telling.”

“Oh, come *on*...”

“No, Ron. I’ll never tell you.” She sounded determined.

“What do I have to do to *get* you to tell me?” Ron followed her closely, step for step.

Hermione spun abruptly and looked at him for a long time. Ron stared back, not sure of what she was doing. Then, she whirled around again called him a stupid twit, and slammed the door in his face.

Ron went sulking back to his room.

~~~

“You’ve abandoned me...”

She was back in the dream world. A chill breeze swept through Ginny’s hair, and he appeared again in front of her. “Tom.”

“I told you,” he said. “He doesn’t care about you.” Tom reached out and brushed her cheek. His hand was as cold as the wind blowing around them. “He’s in love with someone else.”

Ginny began to sense her strength leaving her again. She started shaking, a mixture of fear and defiance. “What do you want from me!” she cried.

“Just you,” he said soothingly, cupping her face, making her look at him. “Just you. I’ll have Potter soon enough.” His voice lowered to a whisper. “It’s been Potter who’s made you suffer all this time. I can make it all go away, Ginny.”

She tried not to appear too frightened, taking into consideration just *who* she was talking to. “No,” she said.

“Don’t abandon me again, Ginny.”

Her life was leaving her more quickly now, and she nearly fell to the ground, too weak to stand. “No, no... You’ll hurt me again...”

“I’ll make it so you’ll never be hurt again,” he said. He knelt beside her and pulled her close. “Ginny, I can stop it all.”

Ginny was babbling now. “No... I don’t...” Now, top was the only thing holding her up. “Please, no... Make it stop...”

Tom kissed her forehead, and Ginny jumped with a sudden, surprising burst of energy. “I have you now, Ginny. I’ll end your pain.”

~~~

Ginny awoke with only a small gasp this time, still feeling the touch of Tom Riddle’s cold fingers. She brought her hand to her forehead, more unsure of this dream than her last one.

Once again unable to sleep, she decided to make her way to the common room to sit by the fire for a spell. (Ha, ha. Pun *SO* intended.) She sat in a chair very near to the hearth for exactly ten seconds before remembering the letter she read. Harry was meeting his secret girlfriend at the library at that very moment.

Ginny sped out the room on a late errand.

~~~

The library was too large to find anyone -let alone spy on them- without a great deal of trouble. Someone, however, had some candles lit in a far-off corner, giving away their position. Ginny crept up to the opposite side of the furthermost bookcase, and quietly unshelved a few select volumes blocking her view.

Harry stood leaning against the wall, partially entangled in the arms of a blonde who was mostly blocked from view. They were engaged in what was obviously a very, very long kiss. Harry broke away suddenly and started talking as if the kiss and never interrupted him. “You still ought to tell your father,” he said.

The blonde laughed. Ginny stifled a gasp; it was a *boy’s* laugh! Harry’s secret girlfriend was a *boy!* “Oh, sure, Potter- ‘Oh, Father, I’m in love with the boy you’ve sworn to cut into little pieces and serve to the Dark Lord in a stew.’”

“Did he really say he’d do that?”

“Actually, Potter, he said he’d bind you up and have you burned like they did at those witch-trial things a few hundred years back.”

Harry made a surprised little noise and buried his face in the other boy’s neck. “Don’t call me Potter,” he said, his voice muffled.

“Don’t call me Malfoy,” the boy replied.

This time, Ginny let her gasp slip a little, but neither of the lovers seemed to notice. Harry with a boy was surprising enough, but Harry with *Malfoy?!* No wonder they wanted to keep it a secret! No wonder why she couldn’t recognize Malfoy, either; he looked rather girlish without his hair slicked back.

Harry seemed to have no complaints about Draco’s hair. He kept playing with it. “Then what are we going to do?” he asked after a long time, running the fine blonde strands through his fingers. Ginny unconsciously started fussing with her slightly tangled fireball of hair.

“Harry, don’t act like you don’t have nothing to lose, either,” Malfoy said. “All your friends hate me. They’d much rather see me knocked off my broomstick in the middle of a Quidditch match than see me together with you.”

Harry sighed and kissed Malfoy’s jaw line. “I just don’t like being so secretive.” Malfoy smirked and kissed him back. Then it was Harry’s turn to smirk. “You prat.”

“You’re one, too.”

“Yeah, yeah.” They kind of cuddled there for a minute. Then Harry started again. “People will find out sooner or later, Draco.”

Malfoy took a step back in surprise (not that it was much difference, considering how close they were before. *Now* they can breathe! ^.~ -A.N.) “What do you mean?”

Harry looked uncomfortable. ”Someone read the letter you sent me this morning.”

The Slytherin’s jaw dropped. “Who?” he demanded, but Harry seemed to just then realize his mistake.

“Eh...”

“Harry.”

“Yeah?”

“Who read my letter?” Malfoy seemed to be saying this through gritted teeth.

Harry looked down. “Ginny.”

“*Weasley?*”

He only nodded at first, but then burst forth into rushed, defensive babbling. “But don’t worry, I talked to her and she said she wouldn’t tell anyone and she’s good enough at keeping a secret so don’t confront her about it because she doesn’t even know who you are, she only knows that I’m meeting someone tonight.”

Draco rolled his eyes. “Did it ever occur to you, Potter, that she might’ve *followed* us here?”

Ginny’s eyes widened, and immediately she started tiptoeing backward out the library. She dove underneath a nearby desk just moments before Draco spun around the corner. Harry followed, treading softly. “She’s not here, Draco,” he said. “I checked on her before I left. She was asleep.”

“I heard something.”

A cat’s mewing was heard in the distance. All three pairs of eyes widened in fear, but Ginny remained silent as both boys whispered desperately, “Mrs. Norris!” Harry dove for his Invisibility Cloak, followed closely by Malfoy. They disappeared from sight, as did the lights a split-second later. Ginny was left stuck between a rock and a hard place- if she stayed put, Filch’s cat would oust her, but if she got up to run, Harry and Draco could very well see her.

She stayed put. The meowing grew louder, and the thumping of old boots sounded in the background. For what seemed like forever, the only sounds were Ginny’s own breathing and the noises of Filch and his cat encroaching upon her.

“What did you hear, love?” Filch murmured. Ginny kept herself from snickering. The janitor hat pet-names for his pet!

She could see the mangy-furred tabby eyeing her from underneath the table. Mrs. Norris meowed again and darted toward her. Completely forgetting about whether or not the boys could see her, she crawled as quickly -and quietly- as she could to hide behind the card catalog, where Filch couldn’t discover her. The cat bypassed her and went for where Harry and Draco were a moment ago. Ginny sighed for relief as Filch followed Mrs. Norris around the corner and out of sight. She dashed out of the library as fast as she could and locked herself in her room.

Ginny leaned against the door, panting, and tried to make sense of what she just saw. Harry Potter, in the arms of his biggest rival, the one whom she thought he hated the most: Draco Malfoy. How could it have possibly happened? (A.N.: Whoo-hoo! Side story possibility! //dances//) It seemed impossible for them to be together... Especially like *that.* Thinking about the two of them kissing like that made Ginny’s cheeks match her hair. She slid down the side of the door, not even thinking about going to bed anymore. She wouldn’t be able to sleep, anyway.

“Ginny...”

Ginny gasped. “What the...?”

“Ginny...”

She looked about stupidly before realizing that the voice wasn’t in the room. It’ was a boy’s voice, after all. Tom Riddle’s.

A shimmer appeared next to her, the vaguest form of a person. “Ginny,” he said.

Ginny’s heart pounded. Surely she was dreaming? “Tom, why-”

“Shh. Don’t worry. You’re not dreaming.” The shimmering form grew slightly more opaque, more in the shape of Tom’s body. “You’re *not* dreaming, Ginny.”

If her heart was racing a moment ago, it was going a mile a minute now. “Y-you’re real?” she whispered.

“Yes, in a sense. Still a memory, but real.”

She made a small whimpering sound and scooted a few inches away before reaching the corner. “You-you’ve come for me, haven’t you?”

The ghostly form knelt close to her. “No,” he murmured. “Not in the way you think I have.” Ginny couldn’t seem to find her voice, so he continued. “I want you all for me... I won’t let you give your heart to anyone else.”

Ginny stared. “I don’t understand.”

Tom reached his cold hands for her shaking ones and said, “You will soon enough.” Despite his blurred and faded shape, he still *felt* real enough. And cold.

Tom kissed her hand, and she screamed.

~~~

“Ginny!”

Hermione burst into the fifth years’ room, ignoring the looks she was given by some of them. She found her cowering in the corner nearest to the door, curled up and sobbing. She knelt next to the girl and put a hand on her shoulder.

Ginny jumped and gave a little yelp in fear of the unexpected contact -making Hermione jump as well- but as soon as she realized who it was, she cried even harder. “Oh, *Hermione!*” she sobbed, and flung her arms around her waist.

Hermione was a little surprised at her reaction, but she relaxed immediately and patted her back. “Shh, it’s all right,” she said, precisely as one who doesn’t understand what’s going on would do.

“It’s not, it’s not,” she said into the older girl’s nightgown, and cried harder.

“Let’s go where we won’t be bothered,” Hermione said, shushing her again. She led her to the common room and sat her down on a big, fluffy couch. She let her cry there for a minute or two before asking, “What’s wrong, Ginny? All right?”

“I-I’m all right,” she managed between hiccoughs. “I h-had a-a bad dream.”

“A bad dream?” She was still holding Ginny, or rather, Ginny was holding on to her for dear life. “What happened? In the dream.”

Ginny was quiet for a long time, aside from her hiccoughs and an occasional sob. “I was dying,” she said. “And... Oh, I tried running away, but it wouldn’t stop, and I couldn’t run...” Another sob. “H-He was killing me!”

Hermione petted her hair, feeling strangely motherly. “Who was?” she asked.

Ginny was suddenly very glad that Hermione couldn’t see her expression right then. “I don’t know.”

They were silent for a while. Then Hermione asked, “How about a hot chocolate? They’re always good for making you feel better.”

Ginny nodded and finally pulled away far enough for Hermione to pull out her wand from nowhere and magic up two cups of hot chocolate. “Thank you,” she said, taking one steaming mug.

“Don’t mention it.”

“No, I’m serious,” Ginny insisted, taking a small sip. “Thank you for.. You know, everything.” She smiled and blushed a little, although one wouldn’t be able to tell with all the crying she’d just finished with.

Hermione smiled back. She’d never really been friendly with any other girls. It’d always just been her and Harry and Ron, but at the moment it just seemed the natural thing to do. They sat sipping their cocoa and staring into the fireplace until they were both finished. Then, Hermione got up and asked, “Are you all right enough to go to bed?”

Ginny nodded and got up, too. Hermione made sure that she went straight to bed, tucked in and all, before leaving. But instead of heading back to her own bed, she sneaked up to the boys’ dormitories. She opened the sixth years’ door without a sound and took a few steps inside. Harry lay sleeping peacefully (or at least looking like it) near Hedwig’s cage, the owl also in deep slumber. Ron was sprawled out on his bed with one arm and one leg draping over the side and his mouth wide open. She pushed his limbs back on his bed and sat watching him.

“Yes, I could go for another chocolate frog,” he said, obviously dreaming.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. “Dream about food often, Ron?” she said, right in his ear.

Ron shot up, speechless. When he found his voice, he whispered harshly, “What are you doing here?!”

“Ginny had another nightmare.”

“Oh... Is she all right?”

Hermione looked down. “I heard her scream, and when I ran in the room, I found her in a corner of the room crying. I calmed her down enough to get her back to sleep, though.”

“Did she say what-”

“She was dreaming about? She said someone was trying to kill her, and she couldn’t run away. It took forever for her to stop crying. It really frightened her.”

“Whoa,” he said. “I wonder what it’s all about.”

“I’m not sure.” Hermione stood up again. “I’m going back to bed. It’s late. Good-night, Ron.”

“Good-night.” He waited until she was almost to the door. “Um, Hermione?”

“Yes?”

“Do you always wear that kind of thing to bed?”

Hermione looked down at herself. She hadn’t minded being seen wearing such a short nightie in front of Ginny; they were both girls, after all. But something so low-cut and high-cut at the *same* time, in front of Ron... She crossed her arms to help cover herself better -not that Ron hadn’t had an eyeful already- and said, “Yes. Why?”

The corner of Ron’s mouth twitched quite visibly. “Oh, just wondering.”

Hermione’s mouth opened and closed twice. “Go back to sleep, Ron. I’m sure there are plenty of chocolate frogs left.” She spun around to leave again, and Ron realized that if he tilted his head in a certain direction, he could just see... the closing door blocking his view. Ron threw himself on his bed in a huff and couldn’t, for the life of him, fall asleep for a very long time.

~~~~~