AN: I disclaim everything except Faylinn. The characters to JKR and the plot, how ever loosely to Joss Whedon.
Italics= Ginny's thoughts
Bold= Draco's thoughts
I was content. Wherever I was, I was content. At peace. Time had no meaning. Nothing had form, but I was still me. I was warm, and I was loved. I was finished. Complete. I don't understand theology and dimensions... or any of it, really. But I think I was in heaven. And now I'm not. I was torn out of there, pulled out by my friends. Everything here is hard, and bright, and violent. Everything I feel, everything I touch... this is hell. Just getting through the next moment and the one after that. Knowing what I've lost... They can never know. Never.
"I'm worried about her," Hermione said in a hushed undertone to Ron. He didn't need to ask who, he already knew. Looking into the milky white smoke of the view station he could just make out the vibrant red of his sisters hair.
"She is going to be fine," Ron said reaffirming himself more than anyone else. She had to be alright. If she wasn't, then he didn't want to think about it.
"Ron, don't worry about it, Pansy and I did the right thing. She wasn't meant to go like that," Hermione placed a platonic hand on his shoulder in a symbol of reassurance. Ron shrugged off the hand before walking to the other side of the room. Letting out a deep sigh he started.
"I just can not understand why you and Pansy would do something as stupid as binding your souls to Hades just so Ginny could pass through his gates. I expected this from the others, but you Hermione? You were supposed to be the sensible one. Why would you meddle in such dark magicks?" Ron refused to face Hermione, instead he leaned onto the old wooden desk, his head resting in his hands.
"I did what I had to, I did what no one else could. If you want to persecute me for giving a helping hand then so be it, but don't act all high and mighty as though you weren't missing her. You may have moved to Ireland, but I know you still missed her," Hermione drew in a shaky breath willing herself not to cry. The truth of the matter had been everyone else besides Pansy and Hermione seemed to get along fine with out Ginny, but Hermione needed her, she needed her best friend.
"You are a stupid foolish girl!" Ron yelled with anger flashing like lightning through his ice blue eyes. His words were like a slap to Hermione, but she would never let him see that.
"You better back down or you will see what my magic can do exactly," Hermione managed trying to sound powerful. Summoning the last of her energy she produced some raw sparks from her hands while her pupils slowly turned black.
"Hermione, I am not you enemy," Ron said in a steadily calm voice before turning to leave. Hermione was left all alone in the tower with her thoughts to keep her company.
___
"Ginny this is your room, we haven't changed it. I wouldn't let them," The young girl said the second part as an after thought as she opened the door. Ginny walked forward as if in a trace and absent mindedly reached to touch a smooth poster. Upon contact her hand flinched back, as if it had been burned.
"I don't know how you came back Ginny, but I am so glad you did," Tears began to fall from the young girls face as she stood in the door way. Walking forward she took Ginny's hand and placed a kiss on the bloody knuckles.
"Do you want me to wrap these?" She asked in a sweet peaceful tone gesturing to the to her hands. Ginny gave a silent nod of her head and Faylinn led her to the bathroom.
"This might sting a little," Faylinn whispered as she cast a cleansing charm on the wounds. Reaching into the cabinet she pulled out a healing balm and applied it to the wounds before wrapping them in clean cotton.
"Let's get you out of these dirty clothes," Taking a bandaged hand Faylinn guided Ginny back to her room to get out a new outfit.
"Do you want to pick out the outfit or do you want me to?" Faylinn waited for a response but got none, letting out a small sigh she turned around and pulled out a crisp white blouse and a pair of light blue jeans. Ginny looked at the clothes in her hands and slowly got dressed. Sitting back down, Faylinn sat behind her and began to braid her long red hair. Nimble fingers worked until the reached the bottom and the used a simple binding spell to keep the braid together.
"Faylinn!" A deep baritone voice penetrated the walls and door frame. Getting off the bed Faylinn walked to the door way and opened the door.
"I'm in here," She called to the blonde man who eyes looked much older than 21.
"Faylinn," He began in a weak scolding tone. "You are not supposed to be in her room. Get out of there," His voice was that of a man who had nothing left to live for.
"No," The young girl whispered taking a step back in the room.
"Faylinn, don't make me come in there and get you," Faylinn didn't heed his words and rebelliously sat back down on the bed. The man let out a small growl before pushing the door open and freezing. There sitting upon the bed was the woman he though he lost, the love in his heart.
"Ginny?" He asked in a whisper.
____
"I don't understand why she left. I don't understand why the spell didn't work," Pansy cried onto her lover's shoulder. Light pink nails combed through her black tendrils of hair in a comforting manor.
"Pansy love, sometimes things happen for a reason and…." Pansy sprang up at the betrayal her love dared to say.
"Padma, she was 20 years old. Tell me how is that ok? It is not. It is wrong. She should be here right now. She shouldn't be dead while people like Lucius Malfoy are still out there some where. It is not the natural order of things. She was good, she was supposed to stay alive," Pansy's knees seemed to crumble from underneath her as she landed on the floor of their flat. Padma rushed forward and pulled the woman into a comforting embrace.
"I don't understand it either, but it had to make sense to someone, somewhere. If it didn't she would still be here with us," Pansy looked up to see tears rolling down Padma's face as well and she kissed them away with light butterfly kisses.
"We need to go to the house," Padma stated before they got too caught up in each other. "Faylinn is going to be home alone if we don't," Pansy let out a sigh and nodded her head before standing up.
"Sometimes it hurts so bad to look at Faylinn. She looks so much like Ginny that I want to believe it is her, but I can't because it is not her. And that breaks my heart," Pansy looked down at the carpet before Padma pushed her head up and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. Pansy gave Padma a slight smile as they headed towards the floo.
Taking a handful of the shimmering green dust she threw it into the fire shouting "Briar Rose". The last thing she saw was Padma's siren face before the flames whisked her away.
Landing on her knees on the plush black carpet she made one observation, it was quiet. Too quiet. Withdrawing her wand she slowly began to creep towards the foyer door.
____
"Ginny?" Draco whispered again still eliciting no reply. "Faylinn, what have you done?" He whispered in a mournful way as he went to kneel in front of the silent red head.
"I didn't do anything!" The younger girl shouted in both anger and defense. "Why is everything always my fault?"
"You mean to tell me that she just appeared here?" Draco waited for Faylinn's nod before letting out a sigh. "Faylinn, people just don't rise from the dead."
"Well she did!" The younger girl yelled in defiance. "Why can't you just be happy? She's back," Faylinn said as tears began to roll down her face. Reaching a shaky hand towards Ginny Faylinn began toying with the thick blood red braid.
"Because Faylinn, what ever this thing is, it isn't her. It just can't be," Draco walked over to the red cherry wood dresser. He stood still for a minuet before picking up a picture frame. Turning around he revealed a picture of a younger Ginny in quidditch robes holding a quaffle while she stood between Padma and Pansy.
"This is her. This thing sitting here, this is just a shell of her. Someone's botched attempt to bring her back to life," Draco put the picture down before turning around and pulling Faylinn in to a hug.
"But I want it to be her. I want it to be her so badly," Faylinn sobbed helplessly the tears continued rolling down her face as Draco rubbed small comforting circles on her back.
Suddenly, as though something had finally clicked in the back of her mind, Ginny locked eyes with the young girl and said one word.
"Faylinn?"
Draco and Faylinn suddenly stopped and turned to look at her, but it was too late. The unknowing glaze had returned to her eyes.
"That wasn't my imagination, right? She said my name, right?" Faylinn looked at Draco with hopeful imploring eyes, but he could only look away.
"You need to ask someone much wiser than me those questions. I know that my mind plays tricks on me and tells me what I want to hear. Reality is a harsh cruel difference," His words seemed to trail off into nothingness as the three of them sat in silence. Each one mourning the loss of something.
____
"Oh Zeus," Hermione whispered stepping out of the view station.
"Merciful Zeus what have I done? I failed. I brought her back broken. What was I thinking?" Tears streamed down her face as she let out a scream of primal rage.
Picking up the crystal seeing stones from the view station she threw them against the wall a watched the glass shatter, as if on a switch the milky white vapors turned black. Looking around she picked up dozens of fragile items and flung them against the wall, and when the tower was destroyed, only then did she let herself fall to the ground and sob quietly.
Harry silently entered and slowly took into account the annihilation Hermione had made.
"Hermione," He whispered as to not frighten her.
"Harry," She said turning to look at him. Her eyes were rimmed in red and her breaths were coming in short shuddering sobs. Looking around she drew a short gasp.
"Oh Gods, I'm so sorry. All your stuff," She trailed off fingering a particularly large shard of glass.
"Hermione, don't worry about this," He gestured around as he walked towards her. "All this stuff can be replaced. I more worried about what is wrong with you," Reaching down he slowly ran his thumb across her soft cheek.
"Oh nothing is wrong Harry, every thing is absolutely perfect," At the word perfect Hermione clenched her fist, glass and all. Looking down she watched as bright red blood rushed out of the wound.
"Hermione, around me everything doesn't have to be fine and perfect. You can tell me things just as they are," Harry looked at her, his face an unreadable mask and his voice unnervingly even.
"We can get through anything together. We always have. We always will," His words came out in a small steady stream, but Hermione seemed to be in another world.
"Hermione, tell me what is wrong, I can help you," His words did nothing to comfort her as she began to hold her knees and rock back and forth on the glass.
"We can't fix it this time," She sobbed. "This time I screwed up really bad."
"We can always fix our mistakes once we acknowledge them. Just tell me how to help and I will," Harry's words were meant to be comforting but they only earned a half hearted sob.
"This time Harry, you can't help," Ron whispered from his position in the shadows. With a light pop he disappeared into thin air leaving the lovers alone.
____
"Faylinn!" Pansy called as she began walking up the stairs. The young girl was no where to be found and Pansy was getting more worried each second.
"Faylinn!" She called once again as she reached the hallway the bedrooms were attached to. Only one door was ajar letting light pour through it, it was the one room Pansy avoided at all costs.
It was Ginny's room.
Slowly Pansy pushed open the heavy oak door letting out a sigh at the petite red head sitting on the bed.
"Faylinn I was worried sick about you. You need to…" Pansy just froze as she saw Ginny sitting on the bed, her knuckles white as snow.
"Ginny?" She whispered leaning forward. The two women made eye contact and Pansy let out a whoop of joy.
"Ginny!" Hoisting the startled woman off the bed she began dancing around with her to a tune only in your mind. Padma soon bust in the doorway out of breath and disheveled. However, she stopped at the sight of Ginny.
"The spell!" She shrieked with happiness splayed across her dark features. "The spell worked!" Running over to the dancing pair she placed a languid kiss on Pansy's lips leaving them both flushed.
"I hate to break up this love fest," Draco snarled from where he was leanging against the wall. "But, when was I going to be told about how you were trying to resurrect her?" The two girls' faces fell at the sound of his voice, but they didn't worry too much.
Ginny was back. Everything was going to be ok.
"We weren't sure he spell was going to work," Padma said her harmonious tones bouncing off the walls. "We didn't want to get your hopes up."
"So you gave me no hope at all?" His words were barely audible, but Pansy still heard him.
"You found out now. Isn't that enough? Tell me this isn't the happiest day in your life," Her voice betrayed the calmness she was trying to project.
"The thing is, with dark magick there is always consequences, always," With that said Draco left with a pop leaving everyone's thoughts reeling.
I remember what I told her. The promise. To protect her. If I'd have done that, even if I didn't make it, She wouldn't have had to jump. But I want her to know I did save her. Not when it counted, of course, but after that. Every night after that. I'd see it all again, and do something different. Faster, or more clever. Dozens of times, lots of different ways. Every night, I save her.