There's Something About Ginny

'And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm'.

Emily Dickinson

Sunlight filtered through the moth-bitten curtains of Ginny's bedroom, awakening her from her slumber as she lay upon soft, faded sheets. Ginny slowly stirred, her pale stomach exposed by her childhood pajamas as she stretched her arms, basking for a moment in the warmth of the sunlight and the room that had been hers for as long as she could remember. Yet a heavy feeling inside of her was pulling her down and would not relent. Yawning as she stood up, she was lost for a moment in confusion till she recalled the reason for her worry. Her face lost its just-woke-up relaxed demeanor and immediately fell into a frown, and Ginny got out of bed.

With effort, Ginny removed a white summer dress from her luggage, which was packed to the rim with her belongings. It reminded her that just a single day of leisure remained till she had to leave for Hogwarts. It would be her first time alone upon the train unaccompanied by a fellow red haired Weasley, she realized, nor would the plateau be as crowded as usual years. Yet another change for the worse in something that had once been so stable.

As she slowly tied the string to a tight knot in the back of her dress, Ginny's eyes roamed to the window, the bright light peering through the curtains. It took her a while to tie the knot, she noticed, as her thoughts returned to the previous day. The fact that a day could still be beautiful, despite everything, seemed like a mockery to her. Ginny felt the sunshine contrasting inside of her, and felt as though no one could ever understand. Yet that thought was interrupted as the sound of hissing came to her through a memory, and Ginny realized that it was Harry who could understand her best. He as well was cursed by a man whom had hurt them the most, a curse linked to dark magic, both uncontrollable and unwanted. It was the darkness in their past which connected them, Ginny knew. It was the connection upon which their unique friendship stood and, more precariously, their relationship.

Looking forward to meeting with Harry, Ginny went down the creaking stairs to the kitchen. The warm smell of pancakes was in the air, making her stomach growl. Yet it was a kitchen void of Ginny Harry, Ron and Hermione into which Ginny entered. There were only several Order members and her mother around the table, a look of pity in her eyes.

"Where's Harry?" she asked as she poured herself a cup of orange juice from the table. Tonks uncomfortable shifted, and no one replied. "Where's Harry?" she asked again, supposing that they hadn't heard her, though a slight suspicion started growing in her chest. Had he? She never doubted that he would, but when she needed him the most? The silence that ensued made her heart race and her throat tighten, and she asked yet again, her voice pained and the answer already known inside, "Where is he?" Molly opened her mouth yet could not speak, and that was the final blow for Ginny. She ran from the kitchen, heading through the forest towards the small lake by the Burrow, and willing herself not to look back.

The surrounding forest was betrayed by a few leaves already turning hellacious colors of red and brown, hinting upon the upcoming sacrifice for the nearing winter. And yet the summer heat was still present, fighting fiercely and making it known that it would not capitulate its gaze for weeks to come.

Ginny finally arrived at her giant willow tree overlooking the lake, the place where she would always run to when she was upset. The body of water was diamantine beneath the morning sky, the sunshine melting into Ginny's skin and giving her the warmth she longed for. And yet, without warning, tears began to fall on Ginny's cheeks, and falling to the ground she expressed the pain she had been holding inside of her all summer. She was scared, terrified, of Voldemort's return, and her nightmares of the chamber had been haunting her again ever since, the first time since her third year. She was frightened from all the death eater attacks, and the auror deaths - fear for her family felt like a bird fluttering, trapped, inside a building. She had grieved at Dumbledore's death as well, though had to bottle it inside for Harry - she had been so happy with him during the school year despite the darkness that surrounded it... a flush of anger flooded Ginny as she returned to the present. Removing her black cloak, she deftly climbed up the ancient willow tree, about to do what she came here for. Ginny stared for a moment at the dark blue lake beneath her, and then jumped into it.

The water was so cold that she cried out at first, yet it soon turned to a reviving, refreshing coolness. Defying gravity as she dove beneath the depths of the lake, Ginny immediately felt better. Here alone she could escape from the world, and it never failed, no matter what, to clear her mind.

Like dust cleaned away from a tome, revealing the page beneath it, the cold water seemed to clean her of troubling emotions. All her anger, fear and confusion seemed to melt away, leaving her with nothing but her diamantine thoughts. Though not much more comforting, they were rational, and that was what Ginny craved - order, reason... an escape from confusion. Her mind drifted to Harry, and even the cold could not numb the pain of his departure. Yet she could now see that it was all for the best that their relationship came to an end. She knew that he couldn't be with her at the moment; their decision to have a relationship despite everything was foolish, made in the spur of the moment. Ginny did not understand what took her so long to realize that she shouldn't be in a relationship that gave her nothing but lament. Yet she still hurt, and she still cared for him.

After a while, noticing that even a swim could not make her future brighter yet only clear the past, Ginny noticed that the sky was right above her - it was already noon, time to head back. She exited the lake, her white dress clinging to her soaking body. Drops of water fell from her dark auburn hair, and just as she turned to head to the Burrow a sudden chill came over her. She would have supposed that it had just been a cool breeze, had it not been for a pale hand that grasped her shoulder, turning her around. Ginny jumped in surprise as she found herself face to face, or more like chest to face, with Draco Malfoy. Raising her neck to peer at the tall Slytherin, she was simply speechless, and solely Malfoy cleared the silence as he lowered his head, avoiding her eyes and saying in a low voice: "I would be very careful if I were you, Weaselette..." Ginny gave a shudder, and was spared from having to reply when Draco quickly apparated, as gone as fast as he had arrived.

Ginny stared after him into thin air, pondering the threat. Could he know about Alucinor? It was possible, yet she doubted it. And why should he threaten her? Occupied, Ginny had not put much thought to what happened between them, figuring that Draco had only seized the opportunity to kiss a girl, and had saved her solely due to his desire to escape evil. Yet why had he arrived? Perhaps he had been sent here, she thought. Putting the thought at the back of her mind, the young woman walked towards the Burrow, resolutely determined to put her troubling thoughts away. There were some things which she simply refused to acknowledge. Hope in Draco was one of them.