Massive update! Oh the angst, it’s killing me! This chapter kicks off back in the present arc, later in the day after the press conference where she was harassed by those journalists, which was a few chapters ago, just in case you’ve all forgotten.
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Chapter 6: Fading
Present…
“I heard about your appearance at the press conference,” Darien said, as Ginny opened the door to his insistent knocking.
“I didn’t appear at the press conference. I attended it. It’s a slight nuance that everyone seems to be forgetting,” she muttered angrily to herself as she stepped aside and allowed him to enter her flat.
“Many are wondering if it’s a signal that you’re about to return to work,” he said. She led him into the kitchen, gestured for him to sit down while she filled the kettle with water.
“Fudge would never allow it. I honestly don’t know why that man is still the Minister. He’s been ousted twice, and for some reason, he manages to drum up enough support to weasel his way back in. For the most part, he’s harmless, but the man sure knows how to hold a grudge.”
“You miss it.”
“Of course I miss it. It was huge part of my life,” she said. She paused, a faraway look in her eyes. “For a long time, it was my whole life, but I was cured of that particular disease. In any case, I’m starting to go a little mad, sitting around all day, trying to figure out what to do with myself.”
“Guess you have a lot of time to set up secret meetings with Ruggiero Ballan?” Darien asked, causing her to curse under her breath.
“How the bloody hell did you hear about that? We didn’t even ‘set up’ a meeting – he asked to speak with me later in the week, and he asked me in private!” Ginny said, her temper flaring. “There’s no way that anyone could have overheard that!”
“Virginia, magic has a mysterious way of making the impossible completely possible,” he answered. “But the question remains, and one that you are deliberately avoiding, is why would you agree to meet with him at all?”
“I think the answer to that question is fairly obvious, and I don’t appreciate you playing stupid with me, Darien,” she said, bristling slightly as he used her full name. The casual arrogance, the condescending tone in his voice – they were all to familiar for comfort.
“He’s the person who started it all, the man who convinced you to embark on that ridiculous quest that ultimately lead to your brush with death. How can you trust him enough to speak with him?” Darien demanded fiercely.
“Ballan is not in any way responsible! The only person who is responsible for my almost-dying is the person who almost killed me!” Ginny shouted, slamming down a tea cup in front of her guest, and turning away quickly to see to the shrieking kettle.
“He manipulated you, he only told you half the truth in order to put you into a dangerous situation for his own benefit! He wanted the sword for himself, and he used you, and your well-known devotion to eradicating the Dark Arts against you!” Darien insisted.
“How very Slytherin of you, to assume that everyone is manipulating you because you are the one looking to manipulate everyone!” Ginny cried out, frustrated. “He sat me down and warned me of all the dangers before he would even consider revealing any information to me. I knew what I was getting myself into. But there was a certain factor that none of us could have even imagined.”
“That Draco would betray us all… I wouldn’t have been able to foresee that, and I knew that he was involved with the Medrauts. I never thought him capable of it,” Darien snarled. He paused, as if he’d been struck, when Ginny laughed, bitterly.
“Of course he’s capable of it! He’d done it to me before, over the Bulgaria Act. Don’t you know your cousin at all? He’s capable of anything,” she scoffed.
“I don’t trust Ballan, and I don’t think you should see him. He could be manipulating you again, trying to get you into another situation so that Draco can finish what he started,” Darien said, his grey eyes blazing with intensity as he stood and towered over Ginny. Familiar with the tactic, using his height as an attempt to intimidate her, she held her head high.
“Darien, this is something that I have to do. What you think about this does not matter, because I am going to do this. It would be a lot easier for me if you would stop opposing me, and checking the gossip about me, or questioning my actions, but I’m going to do it even if you keep doing all those things. Do you want me to just curl up in a corner, admit defeat because things got too hard or too dangerous? Are you forgetting that the sword is out in the world, in the hands of someone who wants to use its power for god-knows-what?” Ginny cried.
“I should have told you, even though he asked me not to. This wouldn’t have happened…” he trailed off. With a sigh, Ginny poured him a cup of tea, and sat down across from him.
“I know you feel responsible, that you feel like you have an obligation to me because of what happened, but really, I’d rather you just left me to it. You’re only making it harder for me,” she said.
“Fine,” he said, his voice clipped. Without another word, he stood up and marched out of the kitchen. She heard his footsteps move towards the door, heard it open and slam shut. With a sigh, she cursed the sensitive male egos of the Malfoy family, and reached for her tea. Taking a deep swig, she felt herself relax slightly. She had wanted to say that to Darien for such a long time – that he was becoming overbearing and she wanted her freedom back. But knowing that she’d hurt a close friend…she felt a little ball of dread form in her stomach, and a wave of fatigue sweep over her body.
She finished her tea, and stumbled towards her bedroom, eager for sleep and a chance to forget how harsh reality had become.
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“It’s a good thing that you’ve freed all of your house elves. Can you imagine what one might do to itself if it were to accidentally walk in on us when we’re like this?” Ginny giggled wickedly.
“Can you imagine if one had walked in ten minutes ago?” he murmured against her hair. Without seeing his face, she knew that he would have a sly gleam in his eyes. With a satisfied sigh, she repositioned her body, seating herself between his legs, leaning back against his chest. His arms slipped around her, pulling her tight against him, as he leaned back against the chair behind him. She felt so happy, it almost hurt – sitting with him on the floor, in the dark of his study, in front of the fire… “Best thing I ever did, getting rid of the house elves… A fellow needs to be able to shag in every room of his house without worrying about getting interrupted.”
“You wouldn’t worry about anyone interrupting you. No one would dare interrupt a Malfoy,” she said, as she turned her head up to kiss his jaw.
“Quite right, Weasley. Can’t say I’d have it any other way, for that matter.” An amused silence fell over the two lovers, as they drank in the peacefulness of their current setting. Ginny’s eyes began to close as the rhythm of his breathing began to lull her to sleep.
“I had a visit from an acquaintance of yours this afternoon,” he said softly. She opened one eye, looking up at him quizzically.
“Oh really?”
“Ruggiero Ballan came to speak with me after your meeting with him.”
“Why would he do that?” Ginny demanded, sitting up and turning so she could face Draco.
“Because he knows that if anything were to happen to you while you were helping him out, I’d be obliged to kill him,” he said with a smirk. Ginny was about to protest, when Draco cut her off with a laugh. “He’s an old-fashioned gentleman, Ginny. He believes in chivalry and all that other nonsense, and that if he’s going to ask a favour of you that could put your life in danger, that he should inform me of that fact.”
“Why? What kind of difference would it make, anyway? You’re not my keeper,” she scoffed, glaring at him with a look that plainly said that he’d better not even think about telling her to reconsider her decision.
“Of course not. But I am your partner, if not legally, then at least in practice. And, we have proven before that we make quite a formidable team, which leads me to think that perhaps we should work together on this,” he said with a very serious expression on his face.
“But if it’s as dangerous as Ballan made it sound, I don’t want you involved in it,” she cried.
“If it is dangerous, then I don’t want you involved unless I am, as well,” he retorted. She sighed, exasperated. On one hand, she had to appreciate the fact that he wasn’t demanding that she avoid any future contact with Ballan and his ‘project’ – he knew her too well for that.
“It won’t just be me. I can’t handle this alone, I was planning on calling in some help,” she said reluctantly.
“I think your brother and his friends would be the appropriate choice… god knows Potter’s head might explode if there’s evil out there that he’s not fighting, you’ll be doing him a favour,” he smirked.
“You have to promise you behave yourself around my brother. No manipulating him, or purposely making him angry for your amusement,” Ginny warned. Draco laughed, and yanked her arm out from under her, so that she tumbled towards him.
“In return for that promise, you have to promise that this will be the last distraction. After this is all over, you’re not going to put off that small detail of our wedding any more. We’re going to set a date, and get it done,” he said.
“I hardly think that’s a fair trade off. You go a few weeks without antagonizing my brother, and you get to spend the rest of your life with me? Not a fair deal,” she laughed.
“Then you’d better prepare yourself for the sight of your brother’s face turning that lovely shade of puce when he gets enraged, it will probably be happening quite often,” Draco said, crossing his arms to glare at her. She couldn’t help but laugh at him; he looked so ridiculous, like a haughty little boy about to throw a tantrum.
“You drive a hard bargain, Malfoy. It seems I have no choice but to accept your terms,” she said, before tackling him, pulling him to the ground, determined to demonstrate that while he might have won that battle, there was still a war raging on. A war that would hopefully span the rest of their lives.
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Feeling flustered and decidedly out-of-sorts, Ginny stood in front of the door to the Burrow, debating whether or not she should knock or just walk in, eager to draw as little attention as possible to the fact that she was well over an hour late for lunch.
After falling into a heavy sleep the night before, she’d woken feeling confused, groggy and slightly dizzy. Stumbling around her kitchen, searching futilely for the teakettle, she felt decidedly faint when she saw the clock and realized just how late she was for lunch at her parents.
“Ron!” Ginny cried out in surprise. While she’d been debating the possible scenarios that could play out, depending if she knocked or let herself in, her brother had opened the door. He glared at her greeting, and turned and walked away without saying a word. With a sigh, Ginny followed him, feeling uneasy about the reception she’d receive. Her parents had been rather strange in their reactions to her since she’d been injured. They’d been frantic with worry at first, then relieved when it seemed that she would pull through, very protective of her in the month that followed, and then rather distant afterwards. Their attitude towards her seemed to change daily – between concern, indifference and exasperation. She was never entirely certain which she’d get on any given day.
Ron led her to the living room, and Ginny stopped short as the room came into sight. Her parents were seated on the sofa, and a quick glance around the room told her that Hermione and Harry were also there. A heavy silence filled the room, and Harry looked incredibly uncomfortable, and he shrugged apologetically as her eyes met his.
“Ginny, dear, come and sit down,” her mother said, without the frantic cheerfulness that Ginny was so used to.
“Sorry I’m late, mum, I overslept,” Ginny said, as she sat down in the available chair across the room from where everyone else was sitting.
“I guess you didn’t get a chance to read today’s Daily Prophet then,” her mother sniffed. Ginny frowned, looking around the room at the neutral faces of her family, until her eyes fell on a newspaper sitting on the coffee table. Seeing the picture on the front page, and the headline that accompanied it, she swore loudly, and snatched it up so she could read the article.
The photographers had caught her as she had spun around to glare at them after she’d been asked about Draco, and she looked positively insane. Her hair was a fright, her eyes were wide and shining, and a pained expression was apparent on her face. The photo in the paper was barely moving, it remained an image of her practically standing still, and staring out with that horrified expression on her face. Feeling sick to her stomach, she began to read the article.
The Ministry’s Fallen Star
A few months ago, she was one of the brightest rising stars in the Ministry of Magic. Minister for International Magic Cooperation, Ginny Weasley was the youngest person to ever earn such an important role in the Ministry, and her name had been floated around as a potential Minister for Magic. However, after returning from Italy a few months ago, severely wounded after a mysterious incident. The brightest star at the Ministry fell rather fast, as she refused to divulge any information about this incident, or about the whereabouts of her infamous fiancé, the son of Lucius Malfoy, one of the most prominent Death Eaters. In order to allow her time to recover, and for her “memory to return to her regarding the events that happened and where Malfoy might be at this moment”, Fudge replaced her position, choosing Cormac McLaggen, a man more than capable of filling her shoes.
Seen here at the Ministry of International Magical Cooperation weekly press conference, a new measure introduced by McLaggen to ensure transparency in his department, Ginny Weasley is looking as if her time off has not entirely agreed with her.
“She’s been into the office a few times over the past few months, claiming that she needed to check on things, as if she’s forgotten that it is no longer her duty,” McLaggen said yesterday, noting sadly the change in Miss Weasley’s appearance. Fudge refused to comment on his decision to remove her from her position, saying on that she could return once she’d “fully recovered”. Given that her physical health seems to be in top form, we at the Prophet can only hope that whatever other ailments may be inflicting her shall be healed quickly.
Unable to finish reading the article, knowing that it had been written to discredit her against the criticism that McLaggen was receiving, she threw the paper down and looked up at the faces of her family.
“They think I’ve gone mad! They’re telling people I’ve gone crazy!” she cried out, standing up, a well of outrage rising in her stomach. Her hands were shaking slightly, as she remembered the smug face of Cormac McLaggen when he’d been promoted. “And it’s all lies! I have NOT gone to the office to ‘check up on things’, I went so I could speak with Clarice!”
“Ginny, we understand your feelings on this, but we have to admit, we are a little concerned about you,” her father said, his kindly eyes looking at her gravely. Ginny sat down in shock.
“Don’t tell me you’re believing all this rubbish!” she shouted.
“Of course not! But, Ginny dear, you have been acting a little odd. You hardly ever leave your flat, and you have all those protective charms and spell on it, that it’s almost impossible for anyone to get through to it. You’ve become a bit paranoid,” her mother said. Ginny glared at her.
“I think you would be too, Mother, considering what happened,” she snapped coolly.
“And there’s also what Harry tells us… that you’ve been asking around for information about last year,” Hermione said. Ginny’s head turned to look at Harry, shocked that he’d told anyone.
“Gin, I’m sorry, but she asked to see the file herself, and I had to tell her where it was,” Harry said, apologetically.
“You have to promise us that you’re not going to do anything that could place your life in danger,” her father said.
“We want you to stop all this nonsense. Maybe you should move home, stay with us for awhile, until you’re back on your feet and ready to return to work,” her mother chimed in. Sensing a conspiracy at foot, Ginny realized what this was beginning to feel like.
“Is this an intervention?” she cried out.
“You’re obsessed with it, Ginny! It’s not good for you to keep dwelling on the past like this; you need to move on with your life. If you find out what happened, it’s not going to change anything. You’re not going to find some mysterious reason why Malfoy tried to kill you that will make it all better, you’re not going to find out that he didn’t really want to hurt you or that there was something else at play. The fact is that he betrayed you, he hurt you and he’s a dangerous person that you should never see again,” her mother said, her voice shrill with emotion. Her eyes had gone misty and her face had become red, a sure sign that she was extremely upset.
“You weren’t there, Mum. He seemed reluctant… or sorry before he attacked. Like he was acting against his will. Ginny’s right, there is something there worth investigating, worth finding out, because that just seems so strange to me. Right, Gin?” Ron asked, suddenly breaking his silence. Shocked by this unexpected support, Ginny was unable to speak.
“Ron, we keep going over this. We don’t know what he said to her, only what we could see happening from where we were stuck. Ginny, what did he say to you? Tell us what he seemed like, what was happening! You’re the only one that can know for sure,” Hermione cried. A great silence fell over the room, tension increasing as the expectation to hear what she had to say built the longer the silence lingered.
“I can’t,” she finally said, looking surprised. Her lower lip trembling, and a baffled expression that was mingled with terror on her face, her eyes darted searchingly around the room. “I can’t remember anything.”
“Ginny, you told me just last week, when you asked to meet me, that you remembered something that made you want to understand it all, something that didn’t make sense to you. Have you forgotten that?” Harry asked, leaning forward.
“I…I can’t remember!” she cried out, looking desperately around the room. “I know I used to be able to remember, the memory was so clear to me! But now, it’s like…it’s like it’s gone, like it’s in my head and I just can’t get to it!”
Her parents were exchanging worried looks as tears of frustration rolled down their daughter’s faced, as she clutched her temples, as if trying to reach into her own mind to unlock the memory.
“They’re all fading away! All my memories of him are starting to disappear, to fade away,” she said softly through her tears, finally voicing a fear that had been plaguing her for weeks. Trembling as she tried to recall some instance, some moment with him and was unable to, she looked up and saw the eyes – the worried, sympathetic eyes – of her family and friends staring at her as she struggled to remember something, anything.
“It’s only natural, Ginny. Your mind, your subconscious, is trying to tell you to that it’s time to move on with your life by blocking memories that cause you pain, that keep you from doing that,” her mother said gently, as sat down next to her, with a comforting arm around her daughter’s shoulders.
“No!” she cried, jumping away from her mother. “I loved him! We were going to get married! It’s not natural to just forget all of that, all of the good times we had! And as time goes on, that side of him is fading from my memory, and I can’t lose that! I need it, otherwise I’m going to lose my mind and none of you seem to understand that!”
“Of course it’s hard, Ginny, but you just have to be strong. We’re all here to help you get through this,” her mother said. Ginny stood up, a great swell of emotion flooding through her, a force that she’d been trying to keep under control for so long. Distantly, she thought she heard the sound of glass shattering as she turned and stiffly walked out of the living room, heading towards the door, leaving her family stunned – and scared.
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By the way, I don't say this nearly enough, but thanks to those who have been reviewing this story! After such a long time span between this story and when I finished Visible Invisible, it's great to see those who were faithful reviewers of the first one back and reading this one! Thanks! I totally love you guys!
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Chapter 6: Fading
Present…
“I heard about your appearance at the press conference,” Darien said, as Ginny opened the door to his insistent knocking.
“I didn’t appear at the press conference. I attended it. It’s a slight nuance that everyone seems to be forgetting,” she muttered angrily to herself as she stepped aside and allowed him to enter her flat.
“Many are wondering if it’s a signal that you’re about to return to work,” he said. She led him into the kitchen, gestured for him to sit down while she filled the kettle with water.
“Fudge would never allow it. I honestly don’t know why that man is still the Minister. He’s been ousted twice, and for some reason, he manages to drum up enough support to weasel his way back in. For the most part, he’s harmless, but the man sure knows how to hold a grudge.”
“You miss it.”
“Of course I miss it. It was huge part of my life,” she said. She paused, a faraway look in her eyes. “For a long time, it was my whole life, but I was cured of that particular disease. In any case, I’m starting to go a little mad, sitting around all day, trying to figure out what to do with myself.”
“Guess you have a lot of time to set up secret meetings with Ruggiero Ballan?” Darien asked, causing her to curse under her breath.
“How the bloody hell did you hear about that? We didn’t even ‘set up’ a meeting – he asked to speak with me later in the week, and he asked me in private!” Ginny said, her temper flaring. “There’s no way that anyone could have overheard that!”
“Virginia, magic has a mysterious way of making the impossible completely possible,” he answered. “But the question remains, and one that you are deliberately avoiding, is why would you agree to meet with him at all?”
“I think the answer to that question is fairly obvious, and I don’t appreciate you playing stupid with me, Darien,” she said, bristling slightly as he used her full name. The casual arrogance, the condescending tone in his voice – they were all to familiar for comfort.
“He’s the person who started it all, the man who convinced you to embark on that ridiculous quest that ultimately lead to your brush with death. How can you trust him enough to speak with him?” Darien demanded fiercely.
“Ballan is not in any way responsible! The only person who is responsible for my almost-dying is the person who almost killed me!” Ginny shouted, slamming down a tea cup in front of her guest, and turning away quickly to see to the shrieking kettle.
“He manipulated you, he only told you half the truth in order to put you into a dangerous situation for his own benefit! He wanted the sword for himself, and he used you, and your well-known devotion to eradicating the Dark Arts against you!” Darien insisted.
“How very Slytherin of you, to assume that everyone is manipulating you because you are the one looking to manipulate everyone!” Ginny cried out, frustrated. “He sat me down and warned me of all the dangers before he would even consider revealing any information to me. I knew what I was getting myself into. But there was a certain factor that none of us could have even imagined.”
“That Draco would betray us all… I wouldn’t have been able to foresee that, and I knew that he was involved with the Medrauts. I never thought him capable of it,” Darien snarled. He paused, as if he’d been struck, when Ginny laughed, bitterly.
“Of course he’s capable of it! He’d done it to me before, over the Bulgaria Act. Don’t you know your cousin at all? He’s capable of anything,” she scoffed.
“I don’t trust Ballan, and I don’t think you should see him. He could be manipulating you again, trying to get you into another situation so that Draco can finish what he started,” Darien said, his grey eyes blazing with intensity as he stood and towered over Ginny. Familiar with the tactic, using his height as an attempt to intimidate her, she held her head high.
“Darien, this is something that I have to do. What you think about this does not matter, because I am going to do this. It would be a lot easier for me if you would stop opposing me, and checking the gossip about me, or questioning my actions, but I’m going to do it even if you keep doing all those things. Do you want me to just curl up in a corner, admit defeat because things got too hard or too dangerous? Are you forgetting that the sword is out in the world, in the hands of someone who wants to use its power for god-knows-what?” Ginny cried.
“I should have told you, even though he asked me not to. This wouldn’t have happened…” he trailed off. With a sigh, Ginny poured him a cup of tea, and sat down across from him.
“I know you feel responsible, that you feel like you have an obligation to me because of what happened, but really, I’d rather you just left me to it. You’re only making it harder for me,” she said.
“Fine,” he said, his voice clipped. Without another word, he stood up and marched out of the kitchen. She heard his footsteps move towards the door, heard it open and slam shut. With a sigh, she cursed the sensitive male egos of the Malfoy family, and reached for her tea. Taking a deep swig, she felt herself relax slightly. She had wanted to say that to Darien for such a long time – that he was becoming overbearing and she wanted her freedom back. But knowing that she’d hurt a close friend…she felt a little ball of dread form in her stomach, and a wave of fatigue sweep over her body.
She finished her tea, and stumbled towards her bedroom, eager for sleep and a chance to forget how harsh reality had become.
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“It’s a good thing that you’ve freed all of your house elves. Can you imagine what one might do to itself if it were to accidentally walk in on us when we’re like this?” Ginny giggled wickedly.
“Can you imagine if one had walked in ten minutes ago?” he murmured against her hair. Without seeing his face, she knew that he would have a sly gleam in his eyes. With a satisfied sigh, she repositioned her body, seating herself between his legs, leaning back against his chest. His arms slipped around her, pulling her tight against him, as he leaned back against the chair behind him. She felt so happy, it almost hurt – sitting with him on the floor, in the dark of his study, in front of the fire… “Best thing I ever did, getting rid of the house elves… A fellow needs to be able to shag in every room of his house without worrying about getting interrupted.”
“You wouldn’t worry about anyone interrupting you. No one would dare interrupt a Malfoy,” she said, as she turned her head up to kiss his jaw.
“Quite right, Weasley. Can’t say I’d have it any other way, for that matter.” An amused silence fell over the two lovers, as they drank in the peacefulness of their current setting. Ginny’s eyes began to close as the rhythm of his breathing began to lull her to sleep.
“I had a visit from an acquaintance of yours this afternoon,” he said softly. She opened one eye, looking up at him quizzically.
“Oh really?”
“Ruggiero Ballan came to speak with me after your meeting with him.”
“Why would he do that?” Ginny demanded, sitting up and turning so she could face Draco.
“Because he knows that if anything were to happen to you while you were helping him out, I’d be obliged to kill him,” he said with a smirk. Ginny was about to protest, when Draco cut her off with a laugh. “He’s an old-fashioned gentleman, Ginny. He believes in chivalry and all that other nonsense, and that if he’s going to ask a favour of you that could put your life in danger, that he should inform me of that fact.”
“Why? What kind of difference would it make, anyway? You’re not my keeper,” she scoffed, glaring at him with a look that plainly said that he’d better not even think about telling her to reconsider her decision.
“Of course not. But I am your partner, if not legally, then at least in practice. And, we have proven before that we make quite a formidable team, which leads me to think that perhaps we should work together on this,” he said with a very serious expression on his face.
“But if it’s as dangerous as Ballan made it sound, I don’t want you involved in it,” she cried.
“If it is dangerous, then I don’t want you involved unless I am, as well,” he retorted. She sighed, exasperated. On one hand, she had to appreciate the fact that he wasn’t demanding that she avoid any future contact with Ballan and his ‘project’ – he knew her too well for that.
“It won’t just be me. I can’t handle this alone, I was planning on calling in some help,” she said reluctantly.
“I think your brother and his friends would be the appropriate choice… god knows Potter’s head might explode if there’s evil out there that he’s not fighting, you’ll be doing him a favour,” he smirked.
“You have to promise you behave yourself around my brother. No manipulating him, or purposely making him angry for your amusement,” Ginny warned. Draco laughed, and yanked her arm out from under her, so that she tumbled towards him.
“In return for that promise, you have to promise that this will be the last distraction. After this is all over, you’re not going to put off that small detail of our wedding any more. We’re going to set a date, and get it done,” he said.
“I hardly think that’s a fair trade off. You go a few weeks without antagonizing my brother, and you get to spend the rest of your life with me? Not a fair deal,” she laughed.
“Then you’d better prepare yourself for the sight of your brother’s face turning that lovely shade of puce when he gets enraged, it will probably be happening quite often,” Draco said, crossing his arms to glare at her. She couldn’t help but laugh at him; he looked so ridiculous, like a haughty little boy about to throw a tantrum.
“You drive a hard bargain, Malfoy. It seems I have no choice but to accept your terms,” she said, before tackling him, pulling him to the ground, determined to demonstrate that while he might have won that battle, there was still a war raging on. A war that would hopefully span the rest of their lives.
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Feeling flustered and decidedly out-of-sorts, Ginny stood in front of the door to the Burrow, debating whether or not she should knock or just walk in, eager to draw as little attention as possible to the fact that she was well over an hour late for lunch.
After falling into a heavy sleep the night before, she’d woken feeling confused, groggy and slightly dizzy. Stumbling around her kitchen, searching futilely for the teakettle, she felt decidedly faint when she saw the clock and realized just how late she was for lunch at her parents.
“Ron!” Ginny cried out in surprise. While she’d been debating the possible scenarios that could play out, depending if she knocked or let herself in, her brother had opened the door. He glared at her greeting, and turned and walked away without saying a word. With a sigh, Ginny followed him, feeling uneasy about the reception she’d receive. Her parents had been rather strange in their reactions to her since she’d been injured. They’d been frantic with worry at first, then relieved when it seemed that she would pull through, very protective of her in the month that followed, and then rather distant afterwards. Their attitude towards her seemed to change daily – between concern, indifference and exasperation. She was never entirely certain which she’d get on any given day.
Ron led her to the living room, and Ginny stopped short as the room came into sight. Her parents were seated on the sofa, and a quick glance around the room told her that Hermione and Harry were also there. A heavy silence filled the room, and Harry looked incredibly uncomfortable, and he shrugged apologetically as her eyes met his.
“Ginny, dear, come and sit down,” her mother said, without the frantic cheerfulness that Ginny was so used to.
“Sorry I’m late, mum, I overslept,” Ginny said, as she sat down in the available chair across the room from where everyone else was sitting.
“I guess you didn’t get a chance to read today’s Daily Prophet then,” her mother sniffed. Ginny frowned, looking around the room at the neutral faces of her family, until her eyes fell on a newspaper sitting on the coffee table. Seeing the picture on the front page, and the headline that accompanied it, she swore loudly, and snatched it up so she could read the article.
The photographers had caught her as she had spun around to glare at them after she’d been asked about Draco, and she looked positively insane. Her hair was a fright, her eyes were wide and shining, and a pained expression was apparent on her face. The photo in the paper was barely moving, it remained an image of her practically standing still, and staring out with that horrified expression on her face. Feeling sick to her stomach, she began to read the article.
The Ministry’s Fallen Star
A few months ago, she was one of the brightest rising stars in the Ministry of Magic. Minister for International Magic Cooperation, Ginny Weasley was the youngest person to ever earn such an important role in the Ministry, and her name had been floated around as a potential Minister for Magic. However, after returning from Italy a few months ago, severely wounded after a mysterious incident. The brightest star at the Ministry fell rather fast, as she refused to divulge any information about this incident, or about the whereabouts of her infamous fiancé, the son of Lucius Malfoy, one of the most prominent Death Eaters. In order to allow her time to recover, and for her “memory to return to her regarding the events that happened and where Malfoy might be at this moment”, Fudge replaced her position, choosing Cormac McLaggen, a man more than capable of filling her shoes.
Seen here at the Ministry of International Magical Cooperation weekly press conference, a new measure introduced by McLaggen to ensure transparency in his department, Ginny Weasley is looking as if her time off has not entirely agreed with her.
“She’s been into the office a few times over the past few months, claiming that she needed to check on things, as if she’s forgotten that it is no longer her duty,” McLaggen said yesterday, noting sadly the change in Miss Weasley’s appearance. Fudge refused to comment on his decision to remove her from her position, saying on that she could return once she’d “fully recovered”. Given that her physical health seems to be in top form, we at the Prophet can only hope that whatever other ailments may be inflicting her shall be healed quickly.
Unable to finish reading the article, knowing that it had been written to discredit her against the criticism that McLaggen was receiving, she threw the paper down and looked up at the faces of her family.
“They think I’ve gone mad! They’re telling people I’ve gone crazy!” she cried out, standing up, a well of outrage rising in her stomach. Her hands were shaking slightly, as she remembered the smug face of Cormac McLaggen when he’d been promoted. “And it’s all lies! I have NOT gone to the office to ‘check up on things’, I went so I could speak with Clarice!”
“Ginny, we understand your feelings on this, but we have to admit, we are a little concerned about you,” her father said, his kindly eyes looking at her gravely. Ginny sat down in shock.
“Don’t tell me you’re believing all this rubbish!” she shouted.
“Of course not! But, Ginny dear, you have been acting a little odd. You hardly ever leave your flat, and you have all those protective charms and spell on it, that it’s almost impossible for anyone to get through to it. You’ve become a bit paranoid,” her mother said. Ginny glared at her.
“I think you would be too, Mother, considering what happened,” she snapped coolly.
“And there’s also what Harry tells us… that you’ve been asking around for information about last year,” Hermione said. Ginny’s head turned to look at Harry, shocked that he’d told anyone.
“Gin, I’m sorry, but she asked to see the file herself, and I had to tell her where it was,” Harry said, apologetically.
“You have to promise us that you’re not going to do anything that could place your life in danger,” her father said.
“We want you to stop all this nonsense. Maybe you should move home, stay with us for awhile, until you’re back on your feet and ready to return to work,” her mother chimed in. Sensing a conspiracy at foot, Ginny realized what this was beginning to feel like.
“Is this an intervention?” she cried out.
“You’re obsessed with it, Ginny! It’s not good for you to keep dwelling on the past like this; you need to move on with your life. If you find out what happened, it’s not going to change anything. You’re not going to find some mysterious reason why Malfoy tried to kill you that will make it all better, you’re not going to find out that he didn’t really want to hurt you or that there was something else at play. The fact is that he betrayed you, he hurt you and he’s a dangerous person that you should never see again,” her mother said, her voice shrill with emotion. Her eyes had gone misty and her face had become red, a sure sign that she was extremely upset.
“You weren’t there, Mum. He seemed reluctant… or sorry before he attacked. Like he was acting against his will. Ginny’s right, there is something there worth investigating, worth finding out, because that just seems so strange to me. Right, Gin?” Ron asked, suddenly breaking his silence. Shocked by this unexpected support, Ginny was unable to speak.
“Ron, we keep going over this. We don’t know what he said to her, only what we could see happening from where we were stuck. Ginny, what did he say to you? Tell us what he seemed like, what was happening! You’re the only one that can know for sure,” Hermione cried. A great silence fell over the room, tension increasing as the expectation to hear what she had to say built the longer the silence lingered.
“I can’t,” she finally said, looking surprised. Her lower lip trembling, and a baffled expression that was mingled with terror on her face, her eyes darted searchingly around the room. “I can’t remember anything.”
“Ginny, you told me just last week, when you asked to meet me, that you remembered something that made you want to understand it all, something that didn’t make sense to you. Have you forgotten that?” Harry asked, leaning forward.
“I…I can’t remember!” she cried out, looking desperately around the room. “I know I used to be able to remember, the memory was so clear to me! But now, it’s like…it’s like it’s gone, like it’s in my head and I just can’t get to it!”
Her parents were exchanging worried looks as tears of frustration rolled down their daughter’s faced, as she clutched her temples, as if trying to reach into her own mind to unlock the memory.
“They’re all fading away! All my memories of him are starting to disappear, to fade away,” she said softly through her tears, finally voicing a fear that had been plaguing her for weeks. Trembling as she tried to recall some instance, some moment with him and was unable to, she looked up and saw the eyes – the worried, sympathetic eyes – of her family and friends staring at her as she struggled to remember something, anything.
“It’s only natural, Ginny. Your mind, your subconscious, is trying to tell you to that it’s time to move on with your life by blocking memories that cause you pain, that keep you from doing that,” her mother said gently, as sat down next to her, with a comforting arm around her daughter’s shoulders.
“No!” she cried, jumping away from her mother. “I loved him! We were going to get married! It’s not natural to just forget all of that, all of the good times we had! And as time goes on, that side of him is fading from my memory, and I can’t lose that! I need it, otherwise I’m going to lose my mind and none of you seem to understand that!”
“Of course it’s hard, Ginny, but you just have to be strong. We’re all here to help you get through this,” her mother said. Ginny stood up, a great swell of emotion flooding through her, a force that she’d been trying to keep under control for so long. Distantly, she thought she heard the sound of glass shattering as she turned and stiffly walked out of the living room, heading towards the door, leaving her family stunned – and scared.
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By the way, I don't say this nearly enough, but thanks to those who have been reviewing this story! After such a long time span between this story and when I finished Visible Invisible, it's great to see those who were faithful reviewers of the first one back and reading this one! Thanks! I totally love you guys!
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