Fall From Grace

Chapter Eleven - I have Danced Inside You Eyes

Smack!

Hermione had never been so angry in her life. After the incident with Draco Malfoy in third year Hermione had silently promised herself that she wouldn't hit another person. Apparently this didn't include sixth years who didn't know better. It had all started out fairly amicably. Dean had persuaded her to talk to Ron and Hermione reluctantly agreed that she should.

"Hi Ron," she started, not sure if the panic in her voice was evident or not.

"Hi."

"May I sit here?" Hermione asked, sitting down.

"No," Ron said pulling his mouth into a pout, but Hermione could see he was desperately trying not to laugh.

"You hit Remus." The statement was heavy in the air.

"He hurt you." Ron fiddled nervously with his robes, "I'm sorry. If you like that...prat then I guess you can kiss him or whatever. None of my business."

"But it is you business Ron!" Hermione turned his face to look at her, "you're my best friend. You know all the stupid stuff I could never tell a boyfriend. You know that I sucked my thumb until I was twelve, you know that my first kiss was with a multi-millionaire Quidditch expert and that he left dribble on my chin, you know that I want to be a tadpole Animagus and you know that if I could change my hair colour it would be.."

"Red," Ron grinned at her and pulled one of her frizzy curls so it bounced back up.

"Like yours. You know me better than I do Ron, I don't want to loose you over a boy." Hermione flicked his ear-lobe in an affectionate way.

"You told Harry," Ron said.

"You hit him," Hermione hissed as if that was exactly the reason she wouldn't tell Ron and desperately hoping that nobody would hear them.

"Would you please leave my boyfriend alone?" A voice interrupted them from behind. Chloe looked furious.

"Ron and I were just talking actually, can we have a minute?" Hermione asked sweetly, standing up.

"No. Just because you would rather shag a filthy werewo-" Chloe's words were cut off by Hermione's hand smacking her across the face.

"You don't know anything, you stupid, stuck up little girl," Hermione hissed, turned on her heel and smartly walked away. Chloe was holding a hand to her face and looked shocked.

"Ron! How could you let her do that to me? What sort of boyfriend are you?"

"I'm...I'm not you boyfriend," Ron stuttered before running up the stairs behind Hermione.

Her found her sitting cross legged in the middle of her bed grinning.

"You shouldn't have done that," he said from the doorway. His voice jolted the smile from her face.

"She was...ergh...how could you kiss her?" Hermione asked.

"She was...there. I'm sorry, I really am...I..." Ron looked at the floor. Why was he having such a hard time taking to Hermione? The mini Ron inside him started laughing. Could it be something to do with you and her being alone in her room? The idea made Ron's palms sweat.

"What she winked and snapped her Droobles Best Blowing Gum in your direction and you were helpless?" Hermione snapped, then sighed. "Why did you hit Remus?" she asked almost too quietly to hear. Ron just stared at her knowing that he was going to tell her the truth whether it was a good idea or not.

"I...love you," he said moving closer to her on her bed. "I couldn't stand the idea of him being...being your first. I guess part of me almost wished that we could...you know...lose it together. Just don't tell anyone."

"Oh Ron," Hermione said, her eyes filling with tears that splashed gently down her cheeks.

"When Chloe turned up on my carriage I just saw...her cleavage. I can't remember a single thing she said." Ron sighed then began to mimic Hermione's voice, "well, honestly . . . 'the fates have informed her' . . . who sets the exam? She does! What an amazing prediction!"

"I said that in Third Year," Hermione said feeling very confused, "and you remembered?"

"Word for word the funniest thing I've ever heard. I remember all sorts of things about you Hermione. Sometimes I don't even remember knowing them but you'll pop up in my dreams and tell me...what?" Hermione was looking at him very oddly.

"You dream about me?" She asked with a small smile on her face.

"No...well yes but I don't dream dream about you...why?"

"You dream about me," Hermione said again.

"Hermione, that's not the point. The point is...the point...well the...the point..." Ron's sentence became totally lost as Hermione pressed her lips to his. They were soft and wonderful. She could taste the apple and cinnamon from his dessert and instinctively she pushed her tongue into his mouth to taste him better.

Ron was in heaven. Hermione was kissing him. Unlike the sloppy and inexperienced kisses he had shared with Chloe this was fantastic. Hermione knew exactly where to touch with her tongue and the feel of her hands on his face was over powering. He really hoped she hadn't learnt how to kiss like this from Professor Lupin. Inwardly sighing and cursing his own stupidity Ron pulled away.

"Gods, if you knew how much I wanted to do that...but I can't. I'm sorry." Ron stood up and walked out of her room leaving Hermione feeling very confused.

%%%

"So you weren't in the common room, all night, and you weren't around school, all day. Guess where you were?" Harry said coldly from his place in the doorway. Ginny dropped Draco's hand onto the crisp bed linen and wiped the tears from her face so she could turn to Harry.

"I...I nearly killed him," Ginny sniffled and Harry moved quickly to her side.

"How?"

"I...we...I was going to tell him about us but when I found him..." Ginny trailed off and cursed inwardly. The blood was screaming through her veins and she knew that now would be the perfect time to tell Harry about Tom and about everything but her voice caught in her throat and the words became lost.

"How is he?" Harry asked, his voice void of concern.

"He's in a coma and Madam Pomfrey had to refuse some of his vertebrae in his back, she doesn't...she doesn't know why he's not woken up yet..." Ginny burst into fresh sets of tears and Harry watched her intently.

Staring at Draco's impassive face made her want to be sick but as soon as she had been snapped out of her trance she had not left his side. Ginny had even let Madam Pomfrey check her for injury without letting go of his hand but the sound of Harry's voice had made her feel as if she was holding burning coals.

"When you found him what?" Harry asked gently.

"I couldn't move, let alone tell him it was over. I still care about him," Ginny smiled at Draco's prone form and tenderly lifted his hand again.

"But I thought we were going to...you know, get together," Harry said nervously, shuffling his feet.

"Get together?" Ginny raised an eyebrow and smiled a little, "when did you walk out of a Barry White album?"

"Barry White?"

"He sings songs...I guess he's not a Muggle thing."

"I'm not a Muggle," Harry said very quickly.

"Oh, I know I didn't mean.... I'm tired is all. Can you imagine what the Daily Prophet would say, 'Harry Potter called Muggle by best friend's sister as they stand over the bed of her lover'?" Ginny giggled, not noticing Harry's face.

"Ouch." Harry looked at the floor.

"What?" Ginny asked.

"You called him," Harry's eyes flashed dangerously over Malfoy, "your lover. Present tense."

"Oh, I guess I just..."

"But Malfoy told me that you two had never...you know," Harry mumbled.

"He did? But everybody in school...when did he tell you that?" Ginny felt like her head was going to explode. Surely if Draco and Harry had been talking about her then it would have been the ideal opportunity for Draco to aggravate Harry.

"The other night. He said you'd been distant and that I should talk to you. I told him that...Ron was upset about the rumours and he said they weren't true."

"Ron? Ron was upset by... What about you Harry? Were you upset by the rumours?" Ginny's voice took on a cold edge. The only way Draco would ever have told Harry that she was still a virgin would be if that had been one of the conditions for Harry taking her back.

"Yeah...well I don't want you if you...I mean I don't want you to be hurt...Oh my god. You did!"

"Yeah. Draco and I were at it like rabbits. What's wrong, don't you want me any more? Now that I'm soiled..." Ginny spat out the last word as if it were slime. She was glaring at Harry and outraged.

"Gin..." Harry started but was swiftly cut off.

"Get out...I don't want to see you any more," Ginny said, her voice wavering and as she returned to her place by Draco's bedside tears splashed down her cheeks.

%%%

Hermione was sitting cross-legged in the middle of her bed. The shirt she was wearing smelt of Remus and every move she made would send waves of sweet, spicey air into her brain and make her loose all concentration. Spread across her bed were a million sheets of parchment and quills of every colour. The parchment she was staring at now had two columns. One titled Ron and the other Remus and beneath them were varying points in red (bad points) and green (good). Remus' list was long and very complicated. Werewolf was at the very top of the page in thick red ink but a black line had been scratched through it.

"Is being a werewolf a bad thing?" Hermione asked herself out loud and she had decided it was...but only to him because he had to go through it. And it's not as if she didn't have mood swings a few days every month. Giggling Hermione pictured what the world would be like if girls changed into monsters once a month.

The lists were beginning to be useless because for every good point put in Remus' column she had to put the same one in Ron's, sweet, funny, cute. Her hand paused a little before writing a smaller counterpart 'intelligent' in Ron's column. A soft knock came at her door.

"Hermione?" Harry asked through the gap in the door before pushing it gently open, "are you studying?"

"Nothing that's on the curriculum, how can I help you?" Hermione pushed the crumpled bits of parchment that cluttered her bed onto the floor and made a space for Harry to sit down.

"Ginny slept with Malfoy," Harry said softly.

"Oh," Hermione said trying to weigh up her best friend as he played with his glasses.

"Why would she do that? She doesn't even know him, they've never been on a date and he's one of the most dangerous people at school. It's wrong," Harry said sulkily. When Hermione didn't respond he looked up to find her on the verge of tears.

"You don't make sensible choices when you are in love Harry, regardless of what anybody else says." Hermione began to pick at her duvet.

"But...I don't get it. She knows how everybody else feels about him..."

"Harry! It's not about what everybody else feels it's about how they feel for each other. Did you ask her if she loves him?"

"No but..."

"Why?"

"What?" Harry stared at Hermione as if she had sprouted wings.

"Why didn't you ask her if she loves him?" Hermione gently probed.

"Because...oh, because I was scared she would say yes." Harry looked shocked at his own revelation and smiled.

"And..." Hermione prompted.

"And I should talk to her again before I loose the best thing that could happen to me." Harry laughed slightly, "do you know what Hermione?"

"What?"

"For somebody so smart you can be really dense," Harry said kissing her lightly on the top of her head and leaving her in her room pondering what he meant.

Harry barely had time to sit down in the common room when a Hermione-shaped blob whizzed past him to the portrait hole before turning back on itself and standing next to Harry's chair.

"Thank you," it said before taking off again at a run and leaving the common room.

%%%

Three days later and as her last resort Ginny knocked gingerly on the door to Sirius Black's office. He flung it open gasping in surprise as he saw who was there.

"Hi," he muttered, not wanting to show any unity towards the girl Harry was in an uproar over.

"I know you hate me but I have to tell somebody." Ginny stared at the floor.

"I was actually going to find you. I have a visitor for you in my room." Sirius held the door open so Ginny could walk in. The person who was sitting in there made Ginny squeak with joy.

"Hey Button!" Bill grinned at her and pulled her in for a hug.

"Haw mufph pu," Ginny said into his chest.

"What?" Bill asked laughing.

"How are you?" Ginny asked sitting on the floor at Bills feet, "why are you here? Why are you talking to me?"

"You are my little sister. I love you. Why wouldn't I be here?"

"Everyone else hates me," Ginny said quietly.

"Well why don't you write to Mum? Get things cleared up," Bill asked stroking her head.

"I did. When all this started. I write every week on a Sunday anyway so I did that but the week after I wrote on Sunday and Wednesday, then on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and the on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Do you know how many letters I got back? None Bill. Not one!" Ginny stared at him, "I wrote to Percy and he told me that I put him and Daddy in danger and I should be ashamed. I write to Charlie and he says I'm a disgrace and Ron won't even talk to me. Fred and George said I'm a disgrace to be called a Weasley and everyone hates me."

"You never wrote to me," Bill answered quietly.

"I couldn't. I don't care what the others think but I couldn't have you hate me, I need you more than I need Draco...I think..." Ginny stared at the floor and a tear slid gently down her cheeks.

"How is he?" Bill asked quietly.

"Still really bad. He hasn't woken up yet but Madam Pomfrey said his brain is working better and his magic levels have peaked up...so that's good. She says it's very likely he won't die. What if he dies Bill, what if I killed him?"

"Gin..."

"I deserve everybody to hate me..." Ginny started dry sobbing again.

"Button. I love you. You haven't done anything wrong, however, I spoke to Professor Dumbledore and we agree that perhaps spending one night in your room this term would be a good idea," Bill's eyes twinkled and he winked at Sirius. Ginny promptly broke into a torrential flood of tears.

"I...can't...go...back...everyone...hates...me!" She stuttered between sobs and Bill scooped her up onto his knee. Sirius quickly transformed to dog-form and placed his soft head on her knee.

"Nobody hates you. You are 17-years-old. You are a 6th year. You aced your OWLS and will destroy the NEWTS and you fell for the bad boy!" Bill shook his head, "it's all very normal."

"I'm not normal, I..." Ginny glanced at Sirius and, sensing her solemnity, he changed back to human form, "this is why I came here tonight. Tom is in Hogwarts."

"Tom who, Button?"

"Lord Vol...Vold... You-Know-Who. I formed a connection with him when I was in First year. He sends his spirit to me, as Tom. In my second year, when he was in Albania, the spirit was really pale. Then Third year he was brighter, he was in England and last year when he was gathering forces he was closer but he was flitting in and out of the country and he was only bright sometimes. Now over the past two months he has been here. Clear as daylight, he wants me to rule with him. He wants me to help with his plan. He hurt Draco and...he must be stopped." Ginny glared at the men near her.

Bill and Sirius were staring at her, shocked and unable to believe what they just heard. Lord Voldemort was back at Hogwarts and he wanted Ginny, GINNY, to rule over the wizarding and Muggle worlds with him. For two months he had been asking her and it was now, because he hurt Draco Malfoy, that she told people. Sirius felt like laughing. Harry had mentioned headaches but thought it was exam stress. Nope, it seems Lord Voldemort is inside Hogwarts.

"Ginny how did he get here?" Sirius was puzzled how nobody had noticed the Dark Lord wander into school.

"I don't want to tell you."

"Ginny," Sirius warned

"Somebody brought a girl in. Without anybody checking her over. Lyra. She was carrying a snake. You weren't the only illegal animagus to leave Hogwarts. He just slithered to the Chamber of Secrets, I don't know why he hasn't struck yet. You know everything I know." Ginny sighed and snuggled into Bill who wrapped his arms tight around her.