MetaFic

"Niffleslip."

Ginny stepped through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room. Looking around, she saw that the room was mostly empty and uncharacteristically subdued. Spying Hermione sitting at one of the tables, she quickly walked over and sat across from the older girl.

"Hi, Hermione."

The young woman with the bushy brown hair looked up and smiled at her friend. "Hello. So have you talked to Harry yet?"

"I was just there." Ginny paused and swallowed.

Hermione set her quill down and sat up straighter. "What?"

"I told him I loved him."

Hermione's mouth open, but instead of words, only an inarticulate squeak emerged. She snapped her mouth shout. She opened it again, but once more failed to speak.

"Gosh, Hermione, that’s so attractive. How can Ron resist?" Ginny gave her friend an amused smile.

Finally, the older girl found her voice. "But what did he say? Did he tell you how he feels? I mean, I know you both care for each other, but Ginny, are you sure?"

Ginny sighed. "I know, I know. We're both just kids, what could either one of us know about love, right? But, Hermione, I just know. I think I've always known." She looked down at her hands, which were resting on the table.

"So what did Harry say when you told him?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? What do you mean nothing?"

Ginny looked up. "He didn't say anything, Hermione, he just burst into tears."

"Wait. You told Harry you loved him and he cried?"

"Until he fell asleep again, yes."

"Harry cried himself to sleep?" Hermione seemed to be trying to work her way to a point, but Ginny wasn't sure what that point was.

"That's pretty much the long and short of it. If you don't believe me you can feel my robes, they're still damp." Ginny's voice began to take on an annoyed edge.

Hermione's eyes grew wide at Ginny's last statement. "Harry cried himself to sleep on you? In your arms?"

"Yes, Hermione!" Ginny hissed through gritted teeth. "Your point?"

The older girl suddenly broke into a wide smile. "Well, you have your answer!"

Ginny paused, confused. "Excuse me?"

"Ginny, we've all known Harry for years. He never allows himself to show his emotions. He's the most reserved fifteen-year-old in the world.”

Ginny blinked. "So?"

"So? Ginny, if he's willing to let go in front of you, well, he must trust you more than anyone. And I know Harry. If he has that much trust in you, well–"

Ginny looked hopefully at Hermione. "Do you really think...?"

"I don't think, Ginny, I know." Hermione smiled her ever-famous smug smile.

The two young women sat silently for a few minutes, and then Ginny looked up again. "Where's Ron?"

Hermione gave her a comforting pat on the hand. "He's fine. He went upstairs shortly after Dumbledore addressed the school. He's still tired from yesterday, and Madam Pomfrey warned me that he might need more sleep than usual for a few days."

Ginny realized that she'd missed Dumbledore's address while she was with Harry. She still didn't know all the facts about yesterday; everything from the time she'd collapsed the tunnel to the moment she'd woken up in the infirmary was a chaotic blur. After she'd woken up, there had been Harry to worry about, then the conversation she'd overheard in Dumbledore's office. She was almost afraid to ask, but she needed to know.

"What did Dumbledore say?"

Hermione looked pensive. "It wasn't good. A lot of people got hurt." She paused, gathered herself, and continued. "Six students were killed, all of them during the attack on the carriages. A dozen Aurors also died. Dumbledore canceled classes all week."

Ginny had gone pale. "Which students?"

Hermione named off three Ravenclaws and a Hufflepuff that Ginny didn't know. The one death in Slytherin was a girl in Ginny's year named Elena Cramden. Hermione stopped talking, and Ginny saw the tears well up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Ginny, but Colin was killed."

Ginny was too stunned to speak. Colin had been her partner in most of her classes and her only real friend in her year. Most of her other year mates had made friends while she had been trapped in the hell Tom Riddle had created in her mind. She had started her second year alone, shut out from others. But Colin, who knew the true story of her first year, had approached her and offered her friendship. Ginny had been amazed at this. He should have hated her, in her mind. They had been fast friends ever since.

And now he was gone, another victim of Voldemort's terror.

She hadn't even realized she was crying until Hermione, who had moved to a chair next to her, put an arm around her shoulders and offered her a handkerchief.

"I'm sorry, Ginny."

Ginny nodded and stood up. "I think I need to lie down."

Hermione walked with her up the stairs. She helped the younger girl into her nightdress and into bed, pulling the covers over her and sitting on the edge of the mattress until Ginny finally fell asleep.

Ginny awoke several hours later. The room was dark, but she could hear the steady breathing of her dormmates as they slept in their own beds. Realizing she wasn't going to go back to sleep anytime soon, she got up, pulled on her dressing gown, and made her way down to the common room. She found the room deserted, which suited her fine. She built up the fire until it gave off a cheery warmth and sat down in one of the chairs in front of the fireplace. She stared into the flames and allowed her thoughts to roam.

Colin's dead. He's dead because of Voldemort. Hagrid was killed by the giants thanks to Voldemort. Harry's an orphan all because of Voldemort. Neville's parents are insane. Again, Voldemort. Countless lives lost, families destroyed and everyone living in fear. All because of one power-mad wizard. A madman who wants to kill the man I love and enslave the rest of us. Ginny could feel her temper start to rise and decided to let it have free rein for once.

Had anyone been in the common room they would have noticed the table to Ginny's right begin to shake. Had anyone been in the common room, that is.

It all comes down to Harry. Tom keeps trying to kill Harry because he's afraid of him. Harry's the key to stopping him. That's why Dumbledore kept sending Harry back to those awful muggles. That's why Tom had the Dursleys killed the first chance he could get. Now Harry will be unprotected this summer, and Tom knows Harry's not ready to face him, not yet.

The table seemed in terrible distress now, shaking violently on its four legs as the wood started to split. Ginny didn't notice. Her whole body had tensed up and she was slowly rocking back and forth in the chair, her mind racing.

I won't let you win, Tom. I won't! I won't let you have him.

The table succumbed to the inevitable and, with a final wooden sigh, collapsed. The noise startled Ginny out her anger. She looked at the wrecked table, surprised by the destruction she'd caused. She took a deep breath to settle herself down.

If Harry needs blood family to make him safe from Tom, then blood family he shall have. Whatever it takes to save him. Whatever it takes.