The Thaw

Ginny flung herself into the front roomed and screamed at the top of her voice, breaking into the eerie silence that was taking her usually cheery home. Footsteps pounded on the stairs and everyone knew what was coming. She- she- didn't have her wand!

Ginny raced upstairs, saying frantically as Bill and George rushed by her, "There's a Death Eater- at the back kitchen door--I only saw one--there may be more."

She was completely out of breath when she reached her room. Without thinking, she yelled, "Accio Wand!" It zoomed into her hand. Not missing a second, she tore down the flights of stairs, jumping the last bit and saw the scene unfolding before her.

In the center of the living room at the bottom of the stairs, her mother was talking hurriedly to the Trio. They all had a look of grim determination that said the three wanted to stay and fight, but ultimately they realized they couldn't stay; everything had been put into motion--the battle had begun. Within seconds, they were gone.

She stood there in silence as she watched her brother, friend, and childhood dream, walked out the front door, knowing that it might be the last time she ever saw them.

"Ginny, come quickly!"

Ginny jerked her gaze back up in her mother's direction, I must be strong. I must be strong...

Arthur and Charlie were shouting spells left and right, wands ablaze. Mrs. Weasley hurried forward, casting a few shield charms between words.

"We must attack them from behind--Arthur can you hold them without Charlie?"

"I'll give you a minute at best," he grunted out through spells.

With her mother and brother she raced out the front door and began sneaking around the side of the house. They all knew what was next. It had been a thing planned all summer because of the coming war. They stopped well out of earshot of the back door and the light of the kitchen window and confirmed their plan.

Charlie snuck forward first and crept through the shadow of the house and when he was level with the door he peered in quickly. Keeping his eye on the door, he signaled back at them--there were four. One for each Ginny thought, suddenly scared--how could she take on a Death Eater?

As she saw Charlie plunge into the fight and knock back two in a dead lucky shot, she forced herself to be strong. Ginny knew she should have waited for her mother, but she ran straight for the door without another thought. Charlie was being cornered and her dad had just appeared from beyond the door and was fighting a second one.

The instant she ran in she regretted being so careless in her approach. Immediately hearing her, the tallest of the Death Eaters rounded on her. It was as much as she could do not to run. Run! Running wouldn't be a bad idea. It looked as though they were trying to get into her house. Looking- for something--- for Harry! Ginny had a plan. If only her mother--

"Sempra Verits!"

"PROTEGO!" Ginny shouted, completely from reflex. She thought to herself she needed to stop thinking and act if she wanted to get through this alive!

The spell hit her shield and for a second she was afraid it wouldn't hold. When the waves of shock had passed over her and a split second had gone to regain composure, Ginny rounded on the Death Eater.

"Expelliarmus!" Ginny shouted.

The Death Eater, who had been expected something a little more advanced, was completely unprepared. The wand flew from his hand and she grasped it quickly, snapping it in half.

Glancing up from the splintered wand in her hand, she smirked at him, raising her wand to get a few jinx in. The Death Eater growled at her and raised his hand quicker, though, sending a really powerful spell straight into the cabinet right next to her head.

She ducked.

The battle seemed to go on forever, every second more draining than the last.

Ginny found herself backed up into the corner of the kitchen between the stove and a closet. Think Ginny! She commanded her self and, frantically she grasped for an idea, for anything. Nothing. One step closer. Ginny took another step back and her foot hit a solid object and felt liquid sloshing around behind metal. Gas. Her dad's gas can, she thought frantically. He was playing with the stove yesterday, something about making magically enhanced cooking flame that cannot be put out until the fuel is cut--

With a low hissing growl, the Death Eater brought his hand up to cast another wand-less spell, but Ginny was faster. Reaching down, she tore off the lid of the container and flung all of it's the contents onto the Death Eater. For a second he stood there, stunned at his sudden wetness, and in the same instant, Ginny shot a spell.

"INCENDIO!"

Flames irrupted in white blue, consuming his towering figure. The Death Eater howled in pain. He ran at Ginny, pointing more spells her way. The closest dueling pair stopped, watching the now blazing yellow glow frantically trying to come up with a counter curse. She ducked, he tried to conjure water next and there was a minor explosion. Ginny heard one last ear splitting scream and turned around and sprinted out of the house. Halfway between a smirking Ginny and the door, the Death Eater that Mrs. Weasley was fighting happened across the ball of flame's frantic progression. Upon contact, the flames jumped to the other, bathing it in the same fire, which had now turned almost black. Their terrible screams now amplified in unison as they both made for the door. Ginny had to repress a laugh as they disappeared into ash halfway to the vegetable patch.

A loud stream of fighting erupted behind her as the curses mounted in frequency. Ginny turned to see two enraged Death Eaters who had seemed to increase the intensity of their attack threefold, and stole any amusement she had left.

Her father and Charlie were showing signs of weakness, and Ginny forgot all about laughing. Damn it they couldn't hold much longer. All the enchanted gasoline was gone, and she didn't know how to perform the killing curse, aurors rarely could respond to an isolated situation such as this anymore, and worst of all, if they did make it passed, the death eaters wouldn't find what they were looking for, and her family would tortured then killed.

CRASH!

A whole cabinet full of china shattered and fell to the floor after being hit with a misaimed curse. Looking down, Ginny saw that it was far from the only broken thing on the floor. She briefly glimpsed a flaming window curtain and the smashed kitchen table. She tried to formulate a plan and was on the tip of getting somewhere when a curse barely missed her.

"Ginny!" Her mum's voice sounded panicked, and Ginny ran towards it, ducking slightly.

"Get out of here. Take this. It's a portkey. Now go. If you can, send help--"

Ginny's first instinct was to fight to say, but knowing that now was not the time to argue, and thinking that, wherever the portkey took her, she could find help, Ginny hastily took the box her mother was holding out. Opening the box, she took hold of the metal can opener, looking her mother straight in the eyes, she nodded. "I will, mum--"

The last thing Ginny saw after taking hold of the portkey was her mother being struck to the ground by a Death Eater.

"Mum!" she screamed in panic as she stumbled over on an old country road in the middle of a dark, abandoned field. She squeezed the portkey as hard as she could and prayed it would take her back.

It's no use. I have to get help, but where in bloody hell am I--Ginny thought wildly, looking around.

There were lights in what looked like a valley in one direction, and the other direction gave way into open field. She strained to see in the dark, anything that might tell her where she was. Ginny could vaguely make out a shape in the distance. As her eyes adjusted more to the dark, she saw about half a mile up the field, there was a large, imposing building. It was flanked by a forest which stretched out towards her in every direction, surrounding the field.

Ginny looked up and down the street frantically searching for any memory of a place like this. Just as she was getting a familiar feeling, the clouds broke, and the moon's light seeped through, illuminating mountains in the distance.

Mountains: that should mean... I'm in Scotland... no, I can't be, mum wouldn't have sent me to Scotland--this must be Northern England. The new headquarters for the Order! Gin thought frantically. It must be around here.

Ginny turned around and looked back at the building she had seen in the distance. If she was correct, that was Number Three Broomsgrove Lane. Ginny sprinted across the field as fast as her legs would let her.

It seemed to take forever to reach her destination, but kept moving forward. When she had finally reached two very tall front doors, she hesitated, taking in the exterior of the building. Convinced it was the right address when she saw a haunting looking phoenix crest, her legs heavy beneath her.

Chest burning, Ginny hammered against the door.

It seemed like minuets before she heard movement beyond the door.

She was almost blinded a moment later. The door whipped open and she was facing a very haggard looking shape.

"Ginny! What was the name your project for me second year?" it asked hurriedly.

Ginny started at being addressed such. As she thought, her eyes realized Remus Lupin. "Truth and Magic," Ginny answered, chest still heaving.

Lupin dragged her in quickly and shut the door behind her.

His eyes wide he asked, "What is going on?"

"Mum and Dad and Charlie are in trouble-- Burrow was attacked. There are at least two Death Eaters there now. They can't hold up much longer--"

Lupin swept past her and grabbed his cloak.

"Tonks is in next room. Find her and get some chocolate. Don't' leave!"

He ran toward the door and tore it open.

"They're in the kitchen!" Ginny called after him.

The door slammed just after he vanished at the edge of patch of grass illuminated yellow in the dim light from the hall.

Once the door shut, the candle in a sconce on the wall adjacent to the door extinguished itself.

Ginny slumped back against the wall next to the door. Falling into numbness, she fell to the ground and buried her head in her hands; hands, that tonight, had defended her family-- her hands, which tonight, had killed.