The Darkest Hours
By: FayeValentine00
Chapter 5
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"Bill, do you have a minute?" Harry asked the oldest Weasley child after Hermione and Ginny had left for, as they called it, a cultural experience.
"Sure, Harry. What's on your mind?" he said setting aside his book aside and turning to face him.
"It's about yesterday actually. You see, Hermione and I were wondering if you'd meant anything by the questions that you were asking Ginny last night."
"What do you mean?"
Harry could see that there was a light in Bill's eyes but he couldn't be sure of its meaning so he continued to pry. "It just really looked like you didn't believe Ginny when she said she was fine and that isn't like you. It really seemed like you didn't trust her at all."
Bill sighed and ran a hand across his forehead. "Did it really?"
"Yeah, it did."
"Damn!" Bill's hand slammed the arm of his chair so that the sound echoed through the room. Quickly, he was out of his chair and sitting next to Harry on the couch looking at Harry with extreme seriousness.
"I do trust Ginny. Harry, you've got to believe me but it's the others I don't trust," he added softly when he was convinced no one was in earshot.
"The Death Eaters," Harry muttered under his breath while nodding his understanding.
"Exactly, I mean, think about it. Hermione's parents were killed to hurt both of you where you were most vulnerable. It was the same with Ron. They could have done the same to Ginny with ease. She was asleep and alone in the house. Her wand wasn't anywhere near her. All it would have taken was one incantation and she would have been gone. My parents never truly got over Ron, Harry. How in God's name would they have gotten over their only daughter too?"
"I don't know," was all he could say softly as the thoughts of the past flashed through his mind.
"So the question is, why didn't they do more?" Bill began again after a moment of silence. "They could have had us all exactly where they wanted us, weak and beat down. Instead, they came all the way here just to set off a signal for no other reason then to scare us? Are we supposed to be happy simply thinking that they did this to keep us on our toes? I don't think so."
Harry's head was suddenly spinning with horrifying thoughts that he'd been trying to avoid all day. When they'd found Ginny safe and sound, he hadn't worried about the "what ifs" but now Bill had made a point and he couldn't deny the possibilities anymore. "So what do you think happened?"
"I'm not sure. I'll I do know is that if they so much as hurt one hair on Ginny's head, I'll kill them all."
Harry could see the truth of Bill's words plainly on his face and found he was feeling exactly the same. "Well, Hermione took Ginny out today and she said she'd be keeping a watch out for any strange behavior so lets just wait and see."
"Agreed," Bill nodded, standing to leave the room but just as he was about to head out the door, Harry knew he had to say what had been eating away at him the entire conversation.
"Bill, wait," Harry called hurrying over to talk to him face to face. He waited until Bill had turned around before he continued. "Ginny adores you. No matter how worried you get, just try not to take it out on her. It will only hurt her more."
The words seemed to hit home to Bill because he was struck silent by the words. After a brief hesitation, Bill managed a half-smile and nodded his acknowledgment before once again turning around and leaving Harry alone with his thoughts.
"Oh, Hermione! Look at this dress," Ginny gasped, staring up longingly at a short beige colored dress with small red flowers that hung in the window. "Do you think it would look good on me?"
"I'm sure it would but would Molly ever let you out of the house in it?" Hermione responded with a laugh as she eyed the Plunging halter-style neckline and mini skirt.
"Lighten up! You're supposed to be teaching me about Muggle culture, right? Well, look around you, Hermione. This dress is Muggle culture!"
The older girl couldn't contain her laughter at Ginny's enthusiasm. It was obvious that they'd both needed this time just to get away from their own world, from their reality. Although she'd promised Harry that she'd keep up her guard and watch Ginny for any signs of strange behavior, she couldn't help but allow herself to forget her troubles for a time. She wanted to have some fun away from the world of magic. Away from the place that had become such a passion but such a burden all at the same time.
"Hermione. Hermione!" When she snapped back to attention, Ginny was snapping her fingers in her face.
"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking."
"Yeah, yeah, enough thinking. I know you have things on your mind but you can think inside while I'm trying on that dress," the younger girl said while dragging Hermione into the posh London shop. "Oh and Hermione, do you have any Muggle money? I swear I'll pay you back at home."
"We're back!" Ginny yelled loudly in the doorway.
"Ginny, what on earth are you wearing?" Charlie asked the moment he saw her in her new dress as they walked into the kitchen.
"A Muggle dress. Do I look great or what?" Ginny said with a little turn that Hermione had to admit showed off a figure that most men would drool over.
"You do know that Ron would have locked in your room forever if you tried to wear that out, right?" Charlie teased while his eyes danced with laughter at Ginny's instant anger.
"Aww… don't spoil my mood! Ron wouldn't have stopped me and you aren't going to either!" she countered, sticking her tongue out at him with a childish sound effect. The younger girl then caught sight of Harry in the doorway and turned to him with a smile on her face. "Don't you think I look nice?"
"You look brilliant," he said with a smile of his own.
"Thanks, Harry. I knew at least you would like it," she said loudly while throwing yet another dirty look at Charlie. "You, unlike my brother, have some taste."
"I have taste, Ginny but not when it comes to my half-dressed baby sister."
"I am not a baby, Charlie!" Ginny then tackled her older brother until another voice was heard in the doorway.
"Oh my god. George! Come over here and take a look at Ginny!" Fred called loudly when he noticed the dress.
George walked in a moment later, took one look at Ginny and then turned to Fred. "I know exactly what you're thinking." Then his attention turned back to Ginny. "Sister, dear. May we please have a word with you?"
"In private," Fred added with a devious grin.
With a raised eyebrow, she looked between her two brothers apprehensively before finally agreeing. When she followed them up to their room, that left Charlie alone with Harry and Hermione.
"Bill wanted to talk to the two of you when Hermione and Ginny got home. I'll just go find him and leave you alone for a few minutes."
Once Charlie was out of the room and no wandering eyes were about, Harry pulled Hermione into a crushing embrace and kissed her firmly. "I missed you."
"I missed you too," she added, kissing his lips once more and using her tongue lightly to outline his lips.
"Please tell me that we're getting our own flat soon," Harry groaned with desire, letting Hermione know exactly what he had in mind. It really wasn't very hard to figure out though, seeing as how Hermione felt exactly the same way.
"Soon enough but right now we're more useful here," she said, gently pulling out of the embrace with a sigh of her own.
"I know." Harry sat down at the kitchen table and pulled Hermione down into the seat next to him. "So, did you and Ginny have a good time?
"Yeah. Ginny takes to Muggle clothing like a moth to a flame."
"She just likes the attention and you have to admit that showing up at Hogwarts for her 7th year in that dress will definitely give her that attention."
They both started laughing when Bill and Charlie walked into the room. Hermione saw the unnaturally serious expression on Bill's face and knew that the normally laid back man was thinking about something important… something that could potentially affect them all.
The four sat around the table and Bill brought Hermione up to speed on the early conversation that he'd had with Harry before delving into new territory. "Since I spoke to you this morning, Harry, I've spoken to Charlie and the twins but for now we think it's best to leave Mum, Dad and the Order out of it. Agreed?"
He waited until they'd all nodded their agreement before moving on. "Fred and George have promised to take Ginny under their wing the rest of the summer when we are to busy to spend a lot of time with her. The twins are convincing her now to start working part-time in their shop."
"Ginny in the joke shop?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow.
"They're going to offer her a good salary to do what they are calling `marketing,'" Charlie added with a grin.
"In other words, Ginny is going to stand out in front of their store in a tiny dress like the one she came home in today in order to bring in even more customers?" Harry asked with a smirk.
"Exactly." Bill answered with a smirk of his own.
"Men," Hermione muttered under her breath.
"What was that? Say it loud enough so we can all her," Harry joked knowing full well she wasn't going to repeat it.
"So Bill, have any of you discussed what kind of spells the Death Eaters may have used? It would have to be a spell that leaves no trace at all," the sole woman in the group added, quickly changing the subject while trying to ignore her fiancées laughter.
"It could be anything and then again it could be nothing at all. How do you counter a spell when you don't even know if one was even used?" Charlie vented with a frustrated groan that spoke for them all and the table fell silent again for a time.
"Let me go to the library tomorrow and take a look around. In fact, I'll ask Professor Dumbledore if I can use the library at Hogwarts. Maybe the Death Eaters have done something like this in the past too. Just maybe I'll be able to uncover some small detail that we've all missed." Hermione spoke quietly. It was amazing how whenever she had a question, she could immediately fall right back into her habit of thinking books held the answer to everything.
"I'll go with you," Harry volunteered quickly which brought a smile to Hermione's face.
"Okay, I'd like that."
"Then let's all talk again tomorrow night."
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