Seven Reasons Not to Love

Part Eight - Fire in the Shadows

Ginny crept down the corridors, careful not to be seen. Her brother was only a short distance in front of her. If she wasn't quiet, then he'd see her. And most likely tell her to go away. As Ginny worked to keep up, and to keep silent she frowned. Ron had been so strange of late. She was convinced following him was for the best. To make sure he hadn't gotten himself into anything too big for him. In the back of her mind she was sure that it was something simple. Like, maybe he had a girlfriend, and just didn't want to tell anyone about it. Ginny herself didn't tell many people about her first boyfriend; she knew what the reactions would be.

Ron rounded a corner and came up on the main staircase. He hurried down it and Ginny waited, hidden behind the pillar at the top. Once at the bottom he turned left and walked off to the classrooms on the opposite side of the hall. Ginny followed, stealthily hugging the banister rail until she reached the floor, and then she ran after Ron, who had started to walk down the corridor towards the dungeons. Just as she reached the corner, she saw him stop. He turned quickly and Ginny took a step back, desperately looking for a hiding place.

The door to classroom C was open and she slid through the gap and hopped over the desk, watching through the gap in the door for when Ron walked past. Much to her surprise, he came into the room after her. Her heart leapt to her throat. He knew she was here. Immediately she began to think of excuses for why she was hiding behind a desk in the room Ron had walked to. But as she thought that, she stopped, watching her brother. He was pacing...or rather, he looked like he was being held back by an invisible someone. He was trying to leave the room, but for some reason could not. Ginny stared, transfixed. And horrified.

After about five minutes, just when Ginny decided she'd get up, Ron collapsed against a table. Ginny leapt to her feet and tripped over herself in attempt to get to her brother. He sank to the floor, sobbing and trembling all over.

"Ron! Ron, are you okay, what's wrong? Tell me!" she said frantically. Kneeling next to him she hugged him and he shook as she tried to still him.

"Ginny..."

"What? Calm down...don't worry, whatever it is will be okay. It will."

"No...no it won't. It won't ever." He was staring intensely at the floor and rocking slightly as she held him close. Ginny was filled with fear, and she wanted to cry, but knew she couldn't. She needed to be strong and make Ron see it would all be okay. Something made her doubt it would be though, by the way Ron clung to her like he would never let go or he might lose her.

In silence they'd sat for about ten minutes, when Ron eventually pulled back from their embrace and Ginny looked him in the eyes. His voice shook when he spoke, but he sounded the most like himself than he had in days.

"Ginny. You have to get help. Something bad is happening in the castle. Really bad. Luna is dead..." he choked as he said it, and Ginny gasped.

"What? How do you know that?"

"I saw them. I saw them kill her!"

"Who?"

"Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini."

"But...but Ron, they can't do the killing curse..."

"Ginny there are other ways to kill people you know," he snapped. Stung, Ginny looked away from him. He grasped her wrist and she looked back, panic rising. "Listen to me. There are seven of them. I can tell you who most of them are, and you have to tell Dumbledore. He can help us. They're working for You-Know-Who and they won't let me go because I know what they did. If they know I told you then they might try to kill me, or you, so tell only Harry and Hermione. I left them a letter but don't know if they got it...what was that?"

"Someone's coming, quick..."

"No, it'll be Pansy Parkinson. Or Blaise. They're late. That's how I'm okay to talk. Quick, hide!"

Ginny ran over to the desk, leaping over and grabbing her wand from her robes. There were a few moments when there was complete silence. Pansy, presumably like Ginny had, was checking the coast was clear. Then she slipped through the door and stepped into the middle of the room, heading for Ron. Ginny stood quietly and said, "Stupefy!" softly. Pansy fell before she knew what hit her. Ginny and Ron looked at each other.

"What now?" she said. Ron shrugged.

"Dumbledore I suppose."

"Wait, before we do, I want you to explain what happened. So I know too. You know, just in case anything went wrong."

"Okay."

Ginny stowed her wand away and walked over to the desk Ron sat on, and sat beside him where she listened to him explain the whole story, unaware that her mouth was slightly open in shock.