Part 13

The next morning, with Ginny.

Ginny, of course got zero sleep the entire night following her nightmare. She couldn't get that freaky picture of Harry out of her head. The next morning, she stayed in her room as long as she could, trying to avoid facing Harry, Hermione, and Ron who were sitting in the kitchen. But she was starving and couldn't wait much longer.

She walked down the stairs and as she entered the kitchen, the talking stopped abruptly. "Blimey, Ginny, you look awful." Ron said. Ginny didn't look at him as she shot back sarcastically, "Thank you, Ronald." "Ginny, did you sleep last night?" Hermione asked, concerned. Ginny turned around with her cereal in hand, and stared daggers at Harry as she said, "I slept fine, thank you." Harry avoided her gaze, and Ginny left.

"What was that all about?" Hermione asked Harry. Harry shrugged. "She had a nightmare last night. She was screaming in her sleep." "What!? And you didn't say anything to her!?" Cried Hermione. Harry shook his head, still guilty. "Good on him." Ron said. "He shouldn't be talking to her anyway." And without hesitation, Hermione grabbed Ron by the shirt. Harry stared, wide-eyed. "Ron do you not understand that Ginny is struggling? Or are You so bloody selfish that as long as everything is going your way, if someone else is in a bad place, so be it! She's your sister, Ronald!" Hermione scoffed, releasing Ron, then left.

Ron looked furious. "Selfish?" He said, talking to no one in particular. "Hermione doesn't bloody know what she's talking about. Plus, I don't see her going up to talk to Ginny." Silence followed. "Ron..." Harry said, tentatively. "That's where she's just gone... To talk to Ginny."

"Whatever." Ron spat, getting up. "I'm doing this for her own good. She doesn't need to talk to you. Come on." And Ron went upstairs, with Harry following.

In Ginny's bedroom.

"Ginny, are you alright?" Hermione asked. "Of course I am, what makes you think I'm not?"

"Well Harry said something about a nightmare." Hermione replied, sheepishly.

"Well Harry has no idea what he's talking about." Ginny snapped back, quickly. "Ginny, if you have a problem, you know you can talk to me about it..." Ginny shook her head. "Thanks 'mione but I'm fine, ok? You should go." Hermione nodded sadly and left for Ron's room.

She entered his bedroom and slumped into a chair. The entire room was completely quiet. All three of the friends seemed to be entirely caught up in their own bad mood. That's when Ginny walked in. "Oi!" Ron snapped at her. "Get out!" The color left Ginny's face as she looked at Harry and Hermione, but they didn't look back. "I'm just grabbing my shirt." Ginny said quietly, in a voice that didn't sound like hers. And she left.

In Ginny's room.

Ginny refused to let the sob escape her mouth as she slammed the door angrily behind her. Harry ignoring her, Hermione barely talking to her, Ron being moody all the time... There was no way she was dealing with this. She'd leave tonight. She knew exactly where she was going.

That night.

"Mum!" Ginny whispered, shaking her mother awake. "Mum!" Mrs. Weasley opened her eyes and jumped at the sight of her daughter. "What? What's wrong?" She said, panicky. Only then did she get a look at Ginny. Her hair was up in a ponytail. She was wearing a dark hoodie, black jeans and black combat boots. A backpack was slung over her left shoulder, a broom in her right hand. "Where are you going?" Mrs. Weasley continued, eyes narrowed. "To Fred and George's apartment." Ginny replied. She quickly continued, at Mrs. Weasley's shocked look.

"Mum I've been having a hard time... I can't stay here. I'll just be there a few days, I'll be back before Hogwarts. Fred and George know I'm coming, they've cast protective enchantments, I'll be totally safe." The last part was a complete lie, Fred and George had no idea she was coming, and no enchantments had been put in place. Ginny didn't care, though. She just needed to get out of the house as quickly as possible.

Mrs. Weasley looked reluctant, but eventually gave in to her daughter's pleading look. "Oh, alright. You will write me, won't you?" Ginny bit her lip nervously. "Of course, mum. Just one more thing. You can't tell Ron, Hermione, or Harry where I've gone." Mrs. Weasley looked baffled. "But-" "Promise me, mum." Mrs. Weasley surrendered and sighed, looking tired. "I promise."

And with a quick peck on the cheek, Ginny had left her parent's room, climbed out her window and hopped on her broom. She was flying again. The wind was in her hair and adrenaline pumped through her veins. For the first time in a while, Ginny felt completely herself. She no longer felt the weight of being so put out by Harry, Ron and Hermione. She never felt better.

A few glorious, freeing, hours later, Ginny arrived at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. She entered the shop and quickly made her way to the back. The usually cheerful and buzzing building looked strange so quiet and deserted. She moved a deluxe package of skiving snackboxes from the shelf revealing a keypad She quickly typed in the password: Ginny, and the buttons glowed green, indicating it was correct. Then she looked around her, spotting the carefully chosen clump of Peruvian instant darkness powder, and moved it carefully, revealing a small, circular hole. She slipped her wand in, then out again, and green light spilled out of the hole, once again confirming recognition. A ladder appeared nearer the front of the shop and she walked over, then began climbing up.

Upstairs.

George jumped when he spotted a head full of red hair peaking up through the hole in the ground of the attic. He and Fred were up late working through product designs, as they usually were, when Ginny came up. "Ginny?" George exclaimed, making Fred look over. "What the hell are you doing here?" Fred said. They both got up to greet their little sister, happy to see her, but astonished all the same.

Ginny quickly went through the whole story. You could picture steam coming from the twins' ears when Ginny begun talking about Harry, Ron, and Hermione's behavior. They were furious, but of course agreed to let her stay for a while, after congratulating her, classic Fred and George style, on her brilliant escape.