Down Came the Sky

Chapter Seven: Strained

Sun filtered into the fifth year girls' dormitory, rousing Ginny from sleep earlier than what was expected on a Saturday morning. Especially a wintry Saturday morning. She groaned and turned over to bury her face in her pillow.

"You up too?"

Ginny lifted her face from her pillow and peered, bleary eyed, over at Amy's bed. Amy was sitting up, her dark hair mussed from sleep while the sun seemingly lit a halo behind her. Ginny inwardly snorted at the image; she was feeling grumpy and cynical this morning.

"Yeah, I'm up," Ginny mumbled, resting her head back down but still looking at her roommate.

"I'm sorry I got mad at you the other day...I know now why you didn't want to talk about him." Ginny was suddenly wide awake. She pushed herself up onto her arms to give Amy a piercing look.

"What do you mean by that?" she responded in a low voice, though she was already quite certain she knew what Amy would say. Confirming her predictions, Amy sighed and swung her legs off her bed so that she could lean her elbows on her knees and look closely at Ginny.

"I was talking to Hadley and we both noticed how off you'd been acting, for a while now...almost the entire school year actually..." she frowned, her eyes raking across the ceiling for what seemed like forever, until Ginny grew irritated and cleared her throat. "Oh, right," Amy said, looking at Ginny sheepishly. "Yes, so anyway, we can both understand if you've not wanted to talk about it based on--erm...that bruise. And if you'd started something before it ended with Dean, we both reckon you might be in the habit of being secretive."

Amy's comments were of no help to Ginny's early morning grumpiness, and she had to hold in every biting comment that passed through her mind. She knew that her roommates would never understand. They couldn't. Not unless she divulged the prophecy, she mused.

Her stomach churned in an uncomfortable queasiness...thoughts of the prophecy instinctively lead her to Harry's well being, and thoughts of his well being only led her to the overwhelming feeling of helplessness that his situation produced in her. She closed her eyes and turned away from Amy wishing, for what she deemed probably the hundredth time, that there was more that she could do. When Ginny opened her eyes, she noticed that Amy was staring at her seriously; an expression that was far from common in gracing the face of her exuberant, sometimes overly girly roommate. Amy hesitantly pushed herself up off her bed and sank down next to Ginny.

"He isn't hurting you, is he?" she said softly as her eyes cast down to her knee.

"No," Ginny replied quietly, hugging her knees to her chest. "He's hurting, and it's hard for me because...well, because I love him I s'pose."

Her words hung in the air, as if written in a bright sign that glowed in the spot where Ginny was staring. She had been thinking those words for quite some time, but to have expressed them felt strange, yet relieving at the same time. It was the first time that Ginny outwardly expressed what she had felt for him without any sort of suppression. Amy was studying her knees and she slowly looked up at Ginny.

"Really?"

Ginny nodded and hugged her legs closer. She couldn't help but feel incredibly vulnerable at the moment and she attempted to form some sort of imaginary shell around herself. Amy wasn't the person she wanted to discuss her inner thoughts with.

"Amy, I want you to know that I never cheated on Dean. We had broken up before anything started with Harry, so I'd really appreciate it if you could do something about that nasty rumor." Her voice sounded clipped and slightly rude. Had Ginny not been slightly grumpy and quite irate toward the rumors, she figured she would have felt a little sorrier.

"So, what was going on in Transfiguration?" Amy retorted in an abrupt change of tone.

Ginny shook her head. "I'd rather not talk about it, but know that it wasn't Harry's doing."

Amy nodded grimly and stared out the window. Ginny could tell she wasn't happy with her, but she stifled the part of her that wanted to admit the whole truth to Amy by reminding herself that one only communicated with both Amy and Hadley in order to gain fame through gossip.

"Well, I'm glad you've got him. You've loved him forever." Amy said tonelessly, rising from the bed and wrapping her dressing gown around her body. "I'm going to get ready." She smiled weakly, and Ginny threw herself back on her bed, pushing her pillow over her face. She wanted to scream into it, but she decided at this moment it was nicer to have the rest of her roommates asleep.

*

When Ginny successfully dragged herself out of bed, she opted to go to Hermione's room first, to see if they could go to breakfast together. Hermione, however, was still in bed when Ginny reached her room. Lavender and Parvati were just leaving when Ginny approached the room and they exchanged glances when Ginny asked about Hermione.

"I think she might be ill," Parvati said, glancing back at the door, which was cracked open. Ginny frowned and pushed through as Lavender and Parvati departed. She could hear Hermione's deep breathing, but the hangings of her four poster bed were drawn tightly together.

Ginny carefully crept toward Hermione's bed and drew back the hangings. Hermione appeared to be in a deep slumber, her arm thrown casually across her forehead while her hair resembled a messy orb of frizzy curls awkwardly framing her face. Ginny gently shook her shoulders.

"Hermione, are you all right?" Hermione shifted, moving her arm off her face and turning her face away from Ginny. Ginny frowned and shook her again, "It's getting late," she said a little louder. Hermione groaned and groggily blinked as she stared up at Ginny in confusion.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to get you for breakfast. Why are you still in bed?"

"I can't get up," Hermione responded, turning over to her side.

"Yes you can," Ginny said, yanking the covers off of Hermione. Hermione recoiled at the cold air and sat up, pulling her limbs into a tight ball.

"I'm so tired...please give me back my covers?"

"Hermione, what's going on with you?"

"What?" Hermione rubbed the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. She absently scratched her head and sank back down on her bed, hugging her pillow tightly to her body. Ginny could hear her start to breathe deeply again. Shaking her head, she dumped Hermione's covers back onto her and left. If all else failed, she'd eat breakfast alone.

As she reached the bottom of the dormitory stairs, she felt her insides swell tremendously as she and Harry met simultaneously.

"Did you plan this?" she smiled

teasingly as he walked over to her and instinctively reached for her hand.

"Nah, I could never plan something that would end up working out," he said lightly. Ginny loved the feeling of his hand more than anything at this moment.

She swung their hands in a lazy, child like manner as they strolled down to the Great Hall. She was pleased to see Harry amused by this and she stopped him on the third floor as they reached a long gallery full of suits of armor.

"I want to prove all that ugly gossip wrong," she said in what she felt was a strong voice, with just the right touch of fierceness.

"And exactly how d'you suggest we do that?" Harry responded, meeting her eye.

"Simple. We act dewy-eyed and you put me on a pedestal. That sort of behavior is very boring to gossipers. There's nothing to say about happy people." Harry stared at her a moment and she felt his hand shift in hers, only to grip it more firmly.

"So, you're just looking for an excuse for me to wait on you?" he teased. Ginny swelled at the amused look on his face--it made her feel partly responsible for some of his happiness.

"I don't need an excuse for that," Ginny said casually, leading Harry forward again. "I know you want to do everything for me." She grinned widely, casting Harry a cheeky smile, though he was all of a sudden staring ahead seriously. "Harry?"

"I reckon that's true," he replied, seemingly in a daze.

Ginny couldn't speak--this was maybe the most romantic thing Harry had ever said to her. She wanted to thank him, to show him her love, but as her lips tingled to touch his she remembered the rule and hated it for that instant. And then she was reminded that it was the prophecy's fault that all this fell upon their relationship, so she hated the prophecy more. Then it dawned on her that it was all You-Know-Who's fault that her and Harry had to have such a strained romance, and she hated him even more. By the time she and Harry reached the Great Hall, she was inwardly seething and thinking awful, vengeful thoughts toward You-Know-Who. And she didn't even mind as the hate flooded her because Ginny had determined if she was going to hate someone fully and thoroughly in the world, You-know-who deserved to be on the receiving end of her rage. He was destroying Harry.

"Ginny?" Harry had led her to a spot at the table, and she shook her head clear.

"Sorry, I was thinking."

They sat down together and Harry turned toward her, looking expectant.

"What?" she questioned, reaching for the toast. Harry grabbed the toast from her hand and started buttering it for her. She looked at him oddly before locating the tea, but before she could grab it, she saw Harry reach over and pour the cup for her. She folded her hands in her lap and stared at Harry as he pulled the bacon close and asked her how many pieces she wanted.

"What are you doing?"

"This is what I'm supposed to do, right?" He dropped the bacon and straightened Ginny's food in front of her. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"I said put me on a pedestal, not treat me like a two-year-old."

"Oh." Harry looked down at the table thoughtfully and Ginny watched him as she picked up one of her pieces of toast.

"How do I do that then?" he said, looking up at her. Ginny choked on her toast slightly and Harry quickly handed her a glass of orange juice. Ginny could feel her eyes watering from her quiet laughter.

"You are so clueless," she replied, wiping her eyes. Harry was staring at her with an incredibly worried look on his face. "Just do romantic things, like carrying my books, bringing me small gifts publicly, staring at me lovingly..."

"Right," he said. He leaned on his elbow and stared at her with a sappy expression. "This good enough?"

Ginny snorted again. "You're hopeless." She turned her face toward Harry's with the intent to match his cheesy grin, but before she was able to produce it, it became quite apparent to her that their faces were merely inches from each other. Her gaze trailed from his lips up to his eyes, which anchored to hers intensely. She didn't understand why, but it made her sad.

"Staring her down, Potter?" Harry tore his eyes from Ginny and glared and Malfoy, who looked positively gleeful about something.

"Shove off, Malfoy," Harry growled in a low voice.

"We all knew you were unbalanced, but who knew you would actually taint your saintly image," he drawled, peering down at Ginny. Ginny could feel her temper surmounting, and she slowly rose, withdrawing her wand.

"I know you don't want to make me mad, Malfoy," she spat, pointing her wand right at his face. Malfoy eyed it warily and glanced back at Harry, who had also risen from his seat with his wand gripped tightly. Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles, but Malfoy wordlessly led them away. Ginny quickly put her wand away and plopped back down at the table. Harry was staring at her appraisingly. She felt a rush of heat to her face, but she stared down at her plate.

"Stop looking at me," she mumbled as she started pulling apart a piece of toast. She felt Harry's lips lightly brush her cheek and she turned to him quickly.

"I just had to," he said, his face reddening slightly. Ginny touched the side of her face where the feeling of his lips lingered and smiled at him.

"Stupid rule," she muttered to herself, wiping the crumbs from her hands.

"Are you doing anything today?" Harry said unexpectedly.

"Just revising

"Do you want to go to the library together?"

Ginny leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed. "Of course I do," she replied as she started playing with Harry's fingers. He put his arm around her waist and she felt his face graze the top of her head. "I think you're doing a good job at the whole pedestal thing," she whispered. Harry stared down at her, looking confused.

"I wasn't trying," he said slowly.

"I know," Ginny responded, smiling slightly. Harry took a deep breath and grinned at her, looking quite pleased with himself. This eased Ginny further, and once again she inwardly cursed the rule.

***

Harry gently nudged Ginny's hand, and she looked up at him as she quickly finished writing a sentence. He smiled at her and she raised her eyebrows.

"I'm tired of reading, d'you wanna go for a walk?" he whispered, leaning across the table.

Ginny grinned and dotted her quill on the tip of his nose, leaving a small ink spot behind. "Sure," she replied, chortling at him. "When I finish."

Minutes later they deposited their belongings in their dormitories and Ginny watched Harry bound down the stairs, still rubbing his nose.

"You got it, stop worrying," Ginny smirked.

"I'm not sure if I should trust you," Harry quipped back, running his hand across the tip of his nose. Ginny shook her head.

"Fine," she replied. "Hold still." Harry watched her suspiciously as she licked her thumb and rubbed it across his nose. "It's gone now."

Harry made a noise of disgust, wiping her spit off.

"Oh you complain when it's on your face, but I don't see you minding when it's in your mouth." Harry dropped his hand and gazed at her, causing Ginny's pulse to quicken. Sod the rule, just kiss me... she thought. But he looked away and grabbed her hand.

"Let's go," he said in sort of a grumble. Ginny felt her face contract in worry...she wasn't making this easy on him.

Their breaths rose as they ventured out into the snow and Ginny wrapped her scarf around her mouth and nose to warm them up. She decided that it just wasn't the same holding hands with mittens on, so she slipped her hand out of her mitten and into Harry's. Harry led her out to the lake and stopped at its edge, silently gazing out at it. Ginny coiled her arm around his, replacing her mitten, and leaned on his shoulder.

"Hmmm iffmm bmmm?" Ginny mumbled into her scarf. Harry gently pulled her scarf off her mouth.

"What was that?" he asked amusedly. Ginny reached up and lightly patted his cheek.

"I said, 'how's it been?'" she responded, squashing his face together. Harry pulled her hand off his face.

"You treat me like a toy," he said in a mock injured voice.

"Ah, but you're good for that," Ginny replied, grabbing his ears and pulling them out. Harry laughed and grabbed her hands in his, holding them as tightly as mittens would permit.

"To answer your question," Harry said, while Ginny attempted to pull her hands out of his. "Things--are--fine." He said this part with a bit of a struggle as Ginny maneuvered her hands out of her mittens, leaving Harry with two hands full of yarn.

"Good," Ginny said, curling her hands into her sleeves. Harry casually stuck her mittens in his pocket and grinned at her. "I would want to know if things were going badly," she continued, regretting her loss of mittens more by the minute.

"I think I'm getting better, actually," Harry said, pulling out one of Ginny's mittens to examine it.

"Really?" Ginny snatched the mitten from him and he scowled at her. She put both of her hands in it and grinned.

"Yeah, Hermione's been helping me loads actually," he continued a bit more seriously, rubbing the back of his neck and staring out at the lake. Ginny suddenly felt her stomach leap.

"She has?" She must have had quite a fearful edge to her voice because Harry's attention snapped to her.

"Yes?" he responded quickly, in a tone a shade above where he naturally spoke.

"She wasn't doing well today," Ginny said, discarding her mitten so she could easily wring her hands. "She couldn't get out of bed." She carefully looked up at Harry, whose mouth was hanging open.

"She said she was fine," he said in disbelief. "I had no idea..."

"She probably didn't want you to know," Ginny replied grimily.

"I have to stop practicing with her," Harry said firmly. "D'you think she should go to the hospital wing?"

Ginny shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe I should take her."

"Did...did it make you tired?" Harry asked timidly. Ginny nodded her head and fixed her attention on the lake. The sun glared off of the small layer of ice incasing it, causing her to squint. It was hard to focus on Harry when she turned back to him.

"What have you been doing?" she inquired quietly as Harry's face slowly came back into focus.

"I just hold her hand and think about some emotion intensely...then I try wandless magic. I've been able to levitate things, but that's about it."

"Have you ever tried it without a person?" Harry huffed in frustration, causing clouds of air to puff from his mouth and he stared at the lake again.

"That's what I was doing before! I don't know how to make this work." He glared at the lake and crossed his arms moodily.

"Okay..." Ginny said, roughly turning him back toward herself. His glare softened, but didn't disappear. "Try this. Just look at me and try it, but don't touch me. See if that works." Harry sighed and rubbed at his forehead. Ginny followed the motion worriedly until he gave her a small smile.

"I'll give it a go, but don't expect anything."

Ginny nodded and stepped back from Harry. He shut his eyes and screwed up his face in concentration. Suddenly his eyes snapped open and he gazed at Ginny fiercely, though his body didn't move. She felt her stomach flutter at the intensity of his stare, but she kept herself rooted. She felt her mitten squirm in her pocket and she looked down to see it poke out, slowly rise and then suddenly fall to the ground. The air around her felt charged and she picked up her mitten, grinning at Harry.

"You did it," she beamed. Harry smiled back, but looked a little pale. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine. I can't believe that worked." He began pacing back and fourth, glancing at Ginny every so often. "I..." he started but then stopped, as if he had just confused himself. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Ginny cut him off.

"It's enough that you did that, you can tell me more later." Harry nodded as his face relaxed slightly, though still appearing quite introspective. "I think I'll check on Hermione," Ginny said slowly, slipping her hand into Harry's mitten again.

"That sounds good..." Harry responded absently. His hand felt like a dead fish in hers, so she gently moved her fingers. Harry's hand responded, but the walk back to Gryffindor Tower was in silence.

*

Hermione was still in bed when Ginny stopped by her room. It was dully lighted and smelled of stale breath. Ginny opened the window and carefully drew the hangings to Hermione's bed open.

"Hermione," she whispered, gently shaking her shoulders, "wake-up."

Hermione's eyes cracked open. "I'm not ready to get up," she mumbled, pulling her covers over her head.

"Its dinner time," Ginny said, placing her hands on Hermione's shoulders.

"What?"

"You've been asleep all day."

Hermione sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes. "It's dinner time?"

Ginny nodded. "Are you feeling all right?"

Hermione's eyes slowly drifted around her room and settled on the window. She stared outside, still disorientated. "It's dinner time?" she repeated.

"Would you like me to take you to the hospital wing?" Ginny asked gently.

"The hospital wing?"

"You've been asleep all day."

"Oh."

Hermione sank back in her bed and her eyes slowly drooped. Ginny shook her awake roughly. "Hermione, we're going to the hospital wing," she said firmly.

"What? Why? Is someone hurt?" Hermione replied in a dulled, groggy panic. Ginny sighed.

"Do you want to get dressed, or shall I just get your dressing gown?"

Hermione sat up again and leaned her head on her knees. "My head hurts," she said softly, hugging her legs. She looked out the window and gasped.

"What time is it?" she asked quickly.

"Five-thirty, you've been asleep all day," Ginny replied dully. "C'mon." She heaved Hermione out of her bed and handed her a dressing gown.

Hermione shook her head. "That's Lavender's."

"Where's yours?"

Hermione slowly pulled out her dressing gown and wrapped it around her body. Ginny put her hand on Hermione's back and slowly led her down the stairs. She felt Hermione grip her hand and stop her before they reached the bottom.

"I'm in my pajamas," she said in a sedated panic. "I can't go down there."

"It's okay, we just need to get you to the hospital wing," Ginny responded, tugging Hermione forward, but Hermione stubbornly sat on the stairs.

"C'mon, Hermione." Ginny tried to keep her voice calm, but she was starting to get quite irritated. Hermione leaned her head against the wall and her eyes slowly started drooping again. Ginny released a frustrated sigh and quickly scrambled over to the boys dormitory, hoping that Harry or Ron would be in their room. Thankfully they both were, and they both looked startled when she burst in.

"I need your help," she said breathlessly. Harry and Ron exchanged a look and followed after Ginny. "We need to carry her to the hospital wing," Ginny said, as they reached the bottom of the girls' dormitory stairs. She quickly strode up, and turned around to see Harry and Ron still standing at the bottom. "Come help me," she said irritably.

"We can't," Ron replied, staring at Hermione worriedly. "The stairs are charmed."

"Fine," Ginny said sharply. "I'll bring her down and then you can carry her the rest of the way." She bent down and shook Hermione again. "Hermione...Hermione, let's go," she said as gently as she could, even though her heart was thudding against her chest. Hermione slowly opened her eyes and look around in confusion. But before she could speak, Ginny stood her up and leaned her on her shoulders. "Just walk down the stairs," she mumbled, leading Hermione forward. Hermione had placed an uncomfortable amount of weight on Ginny and it took a while for them to reach the bottom. Ron quickly scooped up Hermione as they reached him.

"Do you know what's wrong?" he asked nervously as he shifted Hermione in his arms.

Ginny glanced at Harry, who was staring at Hermione with an expression full of guilt. Ginny shook her head. "Let's go," she said softly.

Madam Pomfrey promptly ushered Ron over to a bed as soon as they entered the hospital wing. "She's been asleep all day," Ginny offered before Madam Pomfrey could open her mouth. "And she can hardly stay awake when she does wake-up," she added. Madam Pomfrey gently shook Hermione.

"Ms. Granger?"

"Hmmm?" Hermione responded, curling into a small ball.

"I need to examine you, can you sit up?" Hermione didn't respond and Madam Pomfrey looked over to where Harry, Ron and Ginny were standing. "This might take a while," she said, casting her eyes to the door. They took the cue and left to sit on the benches outside.

"Just how much have you practiced with her," Ginny asked Harry as soon as they had sat down.

"What?" Ron said, startled. "I thought you didn't know what was wrong."

"I don't," Ginny affirmed earnestly. "But we think it's from Harry practicing his magic." Ron gazed at Harry seriously for a while, but Harry merely stared through the doors of the hospital wing.

"She never told me...I would have stopped," he murmured weakly.

"No one blames you," Ginny said, putting her hand over his. Harry shook his head, stood up and started pacing.

"I think this is a bad idea...it's not working. It just makes things harder." He stopped and looked at Ginny. His mouth was pulled in tightly and his eyes seemed to ache; Ginny had to look away.

"It worked earlier today," Ginny said quietly. She turned back to Harry, who was staring at the ground and rubbing the back of his neck. "That's something, isn't it?" she said a little louder. Harry grimaced and nodded at the floor.

"She'll be okay, right?" Harry said, looking up to Ginny for reassurance.

"Look how much she's brought you through," she replied, standing up to join him. "Don't worry," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Harry hugged her close and she could feel his breath stirring the hairs on the top of her head. It gave her butterflies. Harry breathed deeply and she felt him lay his chin over top her head. She pressed her face to his chest to breathe in rhythm with him.

"Er--" Ron stammered, causing Harry and Ginny to break apart. Madam Pomfrey was walking to the door. "How is she?" Ron asked anxiously.

"She seems fine, but I'm keeping her overnight to do some more tests," she said briskly. "You may want to come back in the morning."

Ginny didn't sleep well that night. She stayed up far too late, trying to convince Harry that it wasn't his fault and when she finally got into bed she tossed and turned until she feel into a fitful slumber. She kept imagining everything that could go wrong then waking herself up. Eventually she drifted off, glad that there were no lessons on Sundays.