Jigsaw

Chapter 4: I Spy

Ginny strides down the corridor, a smile lighting her face. It isn’t genuine, but that no longer matters. Nothing matters now that she has the power of pretending.

She takes the long way to Potions. Even with her new-found strength, she isn’t prepared for a run-in with Draco Malfoy. He seems to know exactly what to say to crack her armor, and that simply cannot happen.

She makes it to class without any problems and thinks to herself that today is going to be a good one.

Class goes well. She finds it easy to concentrate now that her mind is unclouded by little stresses. She knows she now has a foolproof way to deal with them. Power over her circumstances. All in the form of a tiny blade. And no one needs to know.

--

Draco glances around him, taking in the dark corridor. He knows she will be coming this way soon. She has come down this corridor nearly every night for (at least) the past month. Always ducking into the same classroom. Professor Vector’s room, if memory serves.

And though he has been following her for the past month, he still has no idea what she does every night. And that makes him all the more curious.

It’s near curfew, he thinks. Now, I wait.

--

"I," Ron says, pointing to himself and smiling proudly," am the prince. And you –" he points his finger at Ginny," are the princess."

Ginny smiles and giggles lightly. "Do I get to dress up?"

"Of course," he says, as if it is the most obvious thing in the world. "Let’s find Mum."

And so, they charge off to find their mother, who is in the family room, knitting a new Weasley sweater. When they come to a halt, laughing rather loudly, she glances up at them, a warm smile on her face.

"And what could my two lovely children want?"

"Ginny needs a dress, Mum," Ron says. "She’s a princess."

"Of course she is," says their father, just entering the room, a cup of coffee in hand. "I think your mother can, er, rustle something up. Eh Molly?"

"Of course I can," Mrs Weasley says jovially. "Just give me a moment."

She disappears into her bedroom, and returns after a moment holding an old ball gown. She explains that it is what some witches wear to formal occasions, rather than dress robes.

Ginny personally thinks that is a little silly, but doesn’t say anything because the gown is beautiful. Shimmering, pale pink shimmering fabric. It’s a little tattered at the hems, especially near the off-shoulder sleeves.

When she puts it on, she is practically swimming in it. Her mother laughs before magically taking it in.

She twirls for all of them, and asks Ron what he thinks.

His seven year old self smiles and says, "It’s brilliant."

Ginny’s eyes snap open, a strange warmth swimming through her. She looks wildly around her, realizing after a moment that she has fallen asleep in the common room, an all-too-common occurrence of late. Her Arithmancy book lays open on her lap, and she pushes it off, relieving herself of its weight.

But the weight on her chest doesn’t let up. She feels as if she is slowly suffocating. She reaches up to wipe the sleep from her eyes and finds that they are wet with new tears. Damn it.

She glances around, looking for others, but judging by the darkness outside, they must all be in bed.

She springs up, walks out of the common room and across the castle, finally reaching the Muggle Studies classroom.

She closes the door firmly behind her and slides down to the floor, the small razor in her open hand.

--

He has been sitting here for nearly three hours before he finally sees a flash of red. It is the smallest Weasley, still in her school robes, and looking as if she has just awoken from a nap. Maybe that is why she is later than usual.

She is striding purposefully down the corridor, her step slightly faster than usual. Usually it appears as if she is taking her sweet time, and now her steps have an almost angry quality to them.

He watches her disappear into Professor Vector’s room, and sighs as he realizes that now he has a whole other wait ahead of him.

But this one isn’t nearly as long. After less than fourty-five minutes, he hears the door open.

She is walking past him when he hears the small ‘clink’ of something hitting the floor.

It is only after she has disappeared that he scrambles out of his hiding place to see what it was.

His stomach gives a funny feeling when he realizes that it is nothing more than a small, silver razor blade.