The Twin Lockets

The Twin Lockets

Chapter Five: Secrets

Ginny shuddered. She looked up at her clock. It was far past midnight. She's been up for hours, thinking. Or trying not to think, rather.

I should be happy, Ginny thought. I'm finally back home. Everything's fine.

But, she wasn't. Everytime she thought of Harry, she felt sick.

Why was I so cold with him? Why did I push him away? She thought.

But, she knew the answer.

Because I don't love him. I never really did, did I? And when he broke up with me, I realized that we were just never meant to be.

Ginny shuddered again. No, she didn't feel bad about what she'd done to Harry. She should've been kinder and more tactful, but she wouldn't have changed her answer to Harry. But, she did feel bad about lying to her family.

She didn't know why she'd done it. Why she'd told them she couldn't remember what had happened to her. But, something told her not to tell them, even though she knew exactly what had happened.

She'd been kidnapped from her room by a gang of Death Eaters just a week ago. They'd locked her in a cell. Interigated her. Beat her. She remembered the maniacal cackle of Bellatrix Lestrange. The newly found superior look of Peter Petigrew. The chants of the masked Death Eaters telling them to try a new hex on her every five minutes.

She had thought she'd never be able to escape. And she wouldn't have, if it hadn't of been for...

"Ginny?"

Ginny looked up at the door as Hermione stepped in.

"Hey, Hermione," Ginny said.

"Why are you still up?" Hermione said.

"Thinking," Ginny said.

"Oh," Hermione replied. She thought a moment before speaking again. "You're sure you can't remember what happened, right?"

"Yes," Ginny lied. "I'm sure."

Hermione sat down on Ginny's bed.

"They must've performed a memory charm on you. A good one, too, considering how well it worked. With most of them, you'd still be able to rmember at least a little bit," Hermione said.

Ginny gulped. "Yeah."

Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but then hesitated. "Um, Ginny, can you keep a secret?"

"What is it?" Ginny asked, leaning forwards.

"I... I took something."

"Took what?"

"A memory. From Godric's Hollow. Harry and Ron have been looking for it. They just finally went to bed a few minutes ago," Hermione said.

"But... why? Why did you take it?" Ginny questioned.

"It... I think it might show something that maybe Harry shouldn't see."

"Like what? His mother meant for him to see it. Why shouldn't he?"

"Well," Hermione began, "Maybe Lily did want Harry to see it. And maybe, at one time, it would've made sense for him to. But, I just have a feeling that something's changed. Something that would make it so that if he saw this memory, something bad might happen."

"I see," Ginny said. "So, what are ou going to do with it?"

"Look at it first," Hermione said. "Just to see if I'm right."

"And if you're not?"

"Then I'll give it back to Harry."

"And if you are?"

"Then, I'll do whatever I can to fix the problem."

Niether one spoke for a moment. "Yeah," Ginny said, breaking the silence. "You do that."

Hermione nodded, leaving the room, eyes locked with Ginny's.

Ginny layed down in her bed. She knew that she should tell somebody, but it didn't seem right to tell Hermione's secret when she wouldn't tell her own. But, maybe if she told both of them to someone, it woul even things out. someone who would keep their secrets and help her out. But who.

Bill, Ginny thought. He's always been closer to me than any of my other brothers. Yes, I'll tell Bill... in the morning.

With that, Ginny closed her eyes, finally falling alseep.

~*~*~

Several hours later, Hermione walked around outside. The air was surprisingly cold for summer. She'd been walking around in the Weasleys' back yard for a couple hours. Ever since she'd finally found a time when she could view the memory Harry's mother had left for him. It was just as she had suspected: something he shouldn't see.

At first, she hadn't thought of it that way. She'd seen no reason why he couldn't view it. But, then, she realized how dangerous it was that even she had seen it. That is, if her suspicions were correct.

Lily's memory had made no sense to her at first, but after a while of thinking, the pieces began to fall together for her. She hadn't understood why Lily would've wanted Harry to see the memory until the end. But, what did the ending mean?

The part Harry had been meant to see in the end was so simple. So small. and yet, it held so much. The thing is, Hermione couldn't tell what it held.

"Lily, in the Forbidden Forrest, if you walk for twenty-two yards from Hagrid's hut and then make a left and take exactly thirty seven steps, you'll come to a place. A large tree. Whisper the password. This password: Corpus Vipera. When you do, a passagway will open up to a small place. In this small place, on the other side of the pond, there is a tree. Carve your name on it, under mine. Yours and Potter's. Please, just do this. I can't say why. Just do it. Please..."

The words spoek to Lily in the memory echoed back to Hermione. She knew that they must have some sort of significance. Something Harry should know. But what? When she found that out, she would tell him. Tell him everything. But, till then, it'd just have to be her little secret.

~*~*~

Soon, it was the day of Fleur and Bill's wedding. Fleur was just frazzled and Bill paced nervously around the room.

"Bill."

Bill looked up to see his little sister looking up at him with her big, brown eyes. "What's wrong, Gin?"

"It... There's something I need to tell you. I've been wanting to tell it to you all weekm" Ginny said.

"Can it wait?" Bill said. "Till after the wedding?"

"It..."

She was interupted as Arthur Weasley, Fred, George, and Charlie entered the room and began chatting away.

"Just tell me in after the wedding, Gin," Bill mumbled, walking away from Ginny.

Ginny sighed. She needed Bill now, but he was too busy. She looked up at the clock. It was time. She had to leave, soon. She had to go meet somebody. She knew that know one else would understand, but Bill might have. Oh, if only she could've told Bill first!

The wedding was short and simple. Fleur looked lovely as always and Bill had a smile constantly on his face. The reception began, the newly we couple dancing as their guests smiled happily in a daze.

"Gin, you okay?" Ron asked, stuffing some cake into his mouth.

"Yeah. I'm fine," Ginny said. So, Ron had noticed her unease that day. She glanced at the clock. It was time. "I'll... be right back."

Ron shrugged, taking another huge bite of cake. Hermione sat down besides him. "Poor Ginny, something's bothering her. And I don't think it's just the kidnaping."

"Then what is it?" Ron asked, his mouth full.

"I'm not sure. It's just... Oh, I don't know!" Hermione looked away.

A little while later, on the other side of the Weasley's back yard where the wedding was held, Harry looked around, trying to find Ginny. He'd barely talked to her since the night she'd come back. He glanced around, again. Lupin and Tonks were on the dance floor. Mrs. Weasley was hugging Bill and crying, Mr. Weasley by her side, grinning. Fred and George were walking around, talking to pretty much everyone nearby. He could spot everybody. Everybody but Ginny.

"Hi!"

Harry turned around to see Gabrielle, Fleur's little sister, smiling broadly.

"Er, hi," Harry said.

"Fleur told me all about you," Gabrielle said, her French accent giving a twirl to each of her high pitched words.

"Um, yeah," Harry said. Gabrielle had grown up a lot since he'd last seen her almost three years ago, but she was still small and had childish qualities to her.

"I tell all of my friends about the time you saved me," Gabrielle continued. "They all say that I'm very lucky."

"Er, yeah," Harry muttered. He looked around, spotting Ron. "Listen, I have to go. I'll, uh, see you later."

Gabrielle nodded, a sweet smile on her face.

Harry scurried over to Ron. "Have you seen Ginny?"

"Nope," Ron replied.

Harry sighed. "Hey, where's Hermione?"

"Beats me," Ron said, eating his fourth piece of cake.

Though Harry and Ron didn't know it, at that very moment Ginny was returning to the Burrow to come face to face with Hermione.

"Where have you been?" Hermione snapped.

"I was... out," Ginny replied, looking down.

Hermione scowled. "Doing what?"

"I was... visiting somebody."

"Who?"

"Er, nobody."

Hermione shook her head and sighed. "Ginny, I just hope you know what you're doing."

"So do I," Ginny whispered.

Neither of them knew it, but they were both in very similar situations. Ginny was sneaking around and lying to her friends. And, sooner or later, Hermione would have to sneak around and lie to her friends as well. That is, if her theories about the memory were correct. but, if they were, how could she find out? No, she'd have to wait. Bide her time. When the time came, she'd know it.