Part 5

Arthur is back at Grimmauld place, safe and sound. Christmas is over and it's almost time for the kids to return to Hogwarts.

Ginny and Sirius were playing exploding snap in the sitting room. Harry walked in. "Sirius, can I talk to you?" He didn't look up. "Sure Harry, we're almost done here." Sirius tentatively added a card to the deck on the table. Ginny had that hard, blazing look on her face that Harry knew so well. Sirius looked worried. Ginny looked at her cards for a moment, smirked, and finally placed hers down. Sirius sighed and sat back in his chair. "That's three nil, Pads." Said Ginny, smiling. Sirius chuckled. Harry smiled at them. Their personalities were so similar it was inevitable that they would get along. "So Harry, what is it you wanted to talk about?" Sirius said, stretching. Harry glanced at Ginny. "Umm..." Ginny stared at him for a moment and then looked back at Sirius. "Oh!" She said "Sorry!!" and quickly left the room.

With Ginny.

Ginny wandered into the kitchen where Hermione was sitting. "Hey!" She said, sitting down. Hermione looked up from her book. "Hey." She looked around and lowered her voice. "So, you're speaking to Harry again?" Ginny nodded. "It was just weird before, when I was so upset about him... It was like I was ten again. But Dean and I are happy, him and Cho are happy. Everything's like it was again." Hermione nodded and returned to her book. "That's good." She said, distractedly. Ginny rested her head on her fist. "So, what about you and Ron?" Hermione looked up from her book. "What?" She asked. Ginny rolled her eyes. "Come on, 'mione. I saw you two in Zonko's. You almost kissed! You obviously like each other." Hermione blushed deeply. "Absolutely not." But Ginny saw the corners of her mouth twitch.

Later that night, in Ginny's bedroom.

Ginny turned in her sleep. The floor of the chamber was wet, and cold. She shuddered. "I won't do your bidding anymore, Tom." Tom smiled serenely at her. "My dear Ginny, you've completed your tasks. I'm afraid you don't have much longer." Ginny stood up and started towards him, but she was unsteady on her feet. Her knees wobbled and she fell to the ground. She felt dizzy. She heard the sound of the stone door opening and the monster slithering out. She tried backing away but it was impossible to move. "No, Tom... No..." And just before the basilisks fangs had the chance to close around her, Ginny woke up in a pool of sweat.

She walked into the kitchen, but Harry was already there. "Ginny?" He said. "You look pale..." Ginny shook her head at him. "I'm fine." She said. "It was just a nightmare." She grabbed a glass from the cupboard. "Me too." Harry said quietly. She turned around to look at him. He was staring at the mug in his hands. Ginny filled her cup with water and walked over to the counter where he was sitting, and pulled herself up next to him. She exhaled. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." He chuckled, then went into the details of his nightmare. It was awful. Ginny had never heard the full story of how Cedric died. Mostly twisted up versions that had been passed from person to person hundreds of times. She couldn't fathom how easy it was for him to end someones life. As simple and quick as "kill the spare." There was a moment of silence between them after Harry finished. "Your turn." He said. Ginny sighed and began. After going through the lengths of tonight's nightmare, she told Harry how it was different every time. "It changes, though. Sometimes you don't show up and I die. Sometimes you do show up and I die. Sometimes I live and... And Fawkes can't..." Ginny couldn't finish. She looked down at the spot on Harry's arm where the basilisk fang had pierced him two years ago. "I'm sorry Ginny." Harry's voice was a whisper. He was looking at her in shock. "I had no idea." Ginny shrugged. Harry jumped down from the counter and took Ginny's cup from her. He walked over to the sink and put them both in. "We should head back up." He said. Ginny shook her head. "You go." Harry didn't move. He stared at her intensely. "If you're staying, I'll stay." Ginny got down from the counter. "No, Harry. You're tired. I'll be fine down here." Harry looked like he was about to say something else, but Ginny interrupted. "Go, Harry." And reluctantly Harry left. When she was sure she heard him go all the way upstairs, Ginny turned around and ran the water then leaned against the sink with her hands on either side. A sob escaped her mouth. Everytime she shut her eyes, she saw Tom. She peeked out of the curtains. The sun would rise soon, and there was no way she was getting to sleep now. So she sat on the couch with the curtain open, until the sun rose.