Upon Return
Potter and Dumbledore were waiting for her when she popped into her office. Potter immediately stood up and took a step towards her…Dumbledore merely watched with those smug, all-knowing eyes.
"Ginny! You're back. Are you okay? What happened?" He held out a hand to her, as if to help her. She took a step back.
"None of your business, Potter. I needed your care then…I don't need it now." He winced, looked at her as if she was in the wrong, and sat back down.
"I'm sorry. I was just worried."
"You don't need to be. Not anymore."
At this, Dumbledore broke in. "Ginny, what did I tell you about letting bad blood sit so we can win against the Dark?"
She whirled on him. "Me? Albus, all I want is to be left alone…no one can seem to do even that for me! I will work, I will fight, and I will die for the Light…as long as I don't have to associate with the followers of the Light. Is that too much to ask?"
Harry sighed. "We all care about you, Ginny…and we are worried about you. We don't want to leave you alone."
She laughed in his face...and he looked at her, surprised. "Worry about me? All of you worry about me? Potter, you are sadly mistaken. Neither of you have ever worried about me…you worry about how you feel, the Light, my family…but not me. Something is always more important to everyone on this side than me."
Dumbledore looked at her carefully. "Is that really what you think, Ginny?"
Nevra turned her back on them both. "I will fight for you, Dumbledore. I will even die for you. But do not ask me to like you. Yes, I believe that. I am just a tool in the War…someone to be used and then thrown away. I know that and you know that as well."
Harry took a step towards her. "We are all tools, Ginny. My death would be worth little besides the victory of the Light. What makes the difference is that you are an indispensable tool…we can't lose you. Just like we can't lose me, or Dumbledore…or your family. Every single one of them is fighting for us, you know. We can't lose them all."
Nevra turned to face him and smiled, then slapped him and stepped away. "Don't lie to me, Potter. I have grown so accustomed to it now that I don't even have to look at you to tell you are lying. I am just as dispensable as Snape was…and he's as good as dead. You can lose me…you lost me when you betrayed every trust I had ever had in the Light. The only reason I fight for you is because I remember that the world would be worse with the Dark Lord in it. Sometimes, now , even that is in question."
Harry recoiled from her, and tears trickled down the creases of Dumbledore's face. Harry asked pleadingly, "How can you say that, Ginny? The world will be worse with Voldemort in it. You know that. Don't you? Ginny?"
She laughed bitterly. "It will be for the Weasleys, for you, for Dumbledore. But you forget, I stand in the Dark Trio…I am an Ally of the Heir to the Dark Throne. The world would be very, very sweet for me if Voldemort wins the War."
Dumbledore withdrew his wand as did Harry. They were looking at an enemy now. She held up a hand. "Don't worry, sirs. I have not and will not turn to the Dark Side. I pledge my allegiance to the Light…because the Dark does not believe in Love. My loyalties are to Love…and since the Dark does not believe, I can not support it."
Dumbledore smiled and put his wand back in his robes. "If you believe in Love, Ginny, you will never turn to the Dark. You are safe."
Ginny smiled. "Let us hope so, Dumbledore…you really don't know everything, do you? I used to be so innocent and sweet, but you all seem so - human - now. So tainted. So imperfect. Potter, who betrays Love…and Dumbledore, who is so confident of his All-Knowing that he makes mistakes that kill thousands."
Both the men looked away from her. Potter discreetly rubbed his cheek. She smiled inside her head. She had wanted to do that for so long. "Anyways, I have a meeting with Abington to go to. Was there anything you wished to say?"
"Did you pass the Test?"
"I am just a tool, aren't I?" She laughed. "Yes, I passed the bloody Test…nearly killed myself doing it, but no one cares about that. Good day, Dumbledore. Potter, exercise some self-restraint and don't search my desk. Thank you both."
She flew out the door, slamming it behind her. The men looked at each other.
"I did ask her how she was…she told me it was none of my business." Harry said in self-defense.
Dumbledore sighed. "She is scared…she knows she is losing a battle. She does not know what she battles for. But it scares her. She is tearing herself apart."
"What is she battling for, Dumbledore?"
"Why, her soul, Harry. You should know that. She is struggling to stay in the Light. The Dark can be intoxicating, tempt you in. She is fighting to keep her soul to herself. We cannot help. It is a battle only she can fight."
"Will she win?"
"Only time can tell. But Victory of the Light depends on it. That much I have learned."
Apprenticeship
Nevra approached McGonagall's office just across from the Gryffindor Dormitories. "Nevra - I mean Ginny Weasley…McGonagall is expecting me." She said to the portrait of the dragon…it breathed fire in response and slowly let her in.
She walked in to see McGonagall and Abington sitting around the table - but no Dumbledore. She took a seat in a hardback chair - McGonagall's office was all hardwood, no cushions or rounded edges, all angles…representing her rigidity to the rules in a way. Her office was carefully decorated in all lavender… purposefully not a House or school color.
"Aren't we discussing curriculum…shouldn't Dumbledore be here?" McGonagall looked at her sharply.
"Albus has already approved the plan that Rose (Professor Abington) created…since it requires your cooperation, we needed to review it with you."
Nevra smiled at the two women apologetically. "I should have known that you would take care of everything. I apologize if I seemed…curt."
Rose Abington smiled quickly. She was a rather timid lady except when she needed to make a point, but she still liked to avoid fights. "It's quite alright, Ginny. I'm sure you were just making sure our time wouldn't go to waste." McGonagall nodded reluctantly in agreement.
Nevra wanted to hurry with this business. "So what's up? What's the plan?"
Professor Abington began. "Well, you see, my Healing class has basically finished the textbook…they pick up quite quickly as a class. The War has practically come to our doorsteps. I think that they should be trained as apprentices to the school Healer - you - so that we will be prepared to handle a crisis…if it comes."
"Sounds reasonable. How many students?" Nevra asked. More than reasonable…this would enable them to handle the chaos of war and keep the number of fighters up while the Dark would have to leave the wounded on the ground, unable to fight. This may swing the battle in their favor. And no one could deny that this battle was crucial to the War.
"Well, that's the issue we would like to discuss. There are 10…and we know there is no way you can handle that many at one time." Nevra nodded in agreement.
McGonagall broke in at this point. "We were thinking we would rotate them through two at a time…that way each student could get one day a week in the Infirmary. The rest of the days they would have a open period with Rose in Healing and they would make up the work they missed in their other classes while they were in the Infirmary."
Nevra smiled. "Well, ladies, you've covered all the bases. I can accept your plan. When would this begin?"
"Next week if you are amenable," said McGonagall.
"No problem…just one issue."
"Yes?" asked Abington.
"McGonagall has told you that I may have to take leave some days due to other obligations previously discussed with the Headmaster." Ginny stated.
"Yes, Albus and Minerva have both told me they will inform me if you leave suddenly. If you are absent they will stay with Hermione Granger in her job at Saint Mungo's." Abington said earnestly.
Nevra's smile disappeared. Granger would be taking the students in her absence? "Does she know she will be taking them from me?"
"No…I just said they were doing internships with a Healer."
"Keep it that way, and we should be fine."
"Why can't we tell Hermione? I am sure she would be able to show them more appropriate cases if she knew they were training with the school."
Nevra grew irate. "I am the Healer…and I say that I don't want Granger knowing who she is taking over for if I am absent. Personal matters should not interfere with a student's education, don't you think?" She said bitingly.
Abington said hastily, "Certainly. I didn't mean to question your judgment, Ginny."
"Quite alright, Rose. I am sorry for losing my temper. I can't seem to stay in a good mood recently." Nevra sighed. "I must leave…I have obligations I must meet. Good day, Professors."
Nevra strode out the door. She needed to get back to Malfoy's flat. Before the overprotective boys came after her thinking she couldn't take care of herself.
Trust Her
Draco had met with Blaise after he left the hospital where Nevra had been staying. Blaise was now staying at Draco's house waiting for Nevra to return there after her Test…as had been planned.
"Where could she be, Blaise? She knows that she needs to come here." Draco was pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace.
"She said she had business at Hogwarts, right? You need to calm down…spending a couple of hours at work is not abnormal. Moreover, she can take care of herself, Draco. She's a very capable witch."
"I KNOW THAT, BLAISE! BUT SHE'S BEEN GONE -"
At that point, Nevra Apparated in…right in front of Draco. Literally. They were mere inches apart. Pretending she wasn't concerned about the distance between them, Nevra smiled.
"Worried about me, Draco? I'm shocked."
"Of course I'm bloody worried about you, witch. You could have been killed. Where the hell were you? It's been hours since I last saw you at the hospital." Draco murmured angrily.
Nevra's grin grew wider. "Can't live without me, Malfoy?"
Draco was livid. "THIS IS NOT A GAME, NEVRA!"
Nevra's smile disappeared and her eyes burned with fury. "I know that, Draco. You don't need to remind me. I am not a child, nor a defenseless female that you are used to carrying about on your arm."
He looked down...she was different. She deserved better. "I know. I am sorry."
Blaise gaped at Draco in shock. Nevra's eyes widened for an instant and she quickly stepped away from him. She couldn't say a word. Suddenly she Apparated away. She couldn't fall in love with him…she couldn't.
Draco looked up to see why she wasn't saying anything and she was gone. HE turned to ask Blaise to see Blaise gaping at him.
"What are you looking like that for? You look like a suffocating frog."
Blaise sounded like one as well. "You - you apologized! You have never done that before in your life to anyone…well, but Narcissa, but she's the exception to every rule with you. You love her."
Draco smiled sadly. "Maybe I love Nevra as well. Maybe she's the exception to every rule. But it's hopeless. She can't even accept an apology from me."
Blaise laughed and Draco looked at him questioningly. "Oh Draco, you fool. You blind fool! She's scared as hell that she is going to accept the apology. That's why she ran away from you!"
Draco said, "Well, we aren't all Empaths…I'm not getting it. Explain."
Blaise groaned in frustration. "Argh! She doesn't want to feel anything good around you…when you apologized you were looking down at your feet. You missed the joy in her eyes. That scares her like hell…she doesn't like feeling, when all she is trying to do is stop herself from falling in love. She doesn't want to open herself to get hurt."
Draco said fervently. "I would never hurt her."
Blaise looked at him. "She's heard that before, and someone broke that promise. She doesn't want to fall again."
Draco turned to go use a Locator spell. "Hey, Draco."
"Yeah, Blaise?"
"Don't go after her. She needs time…time to think. She can't deal with you right now."
"She could be in danger." Draco said urgently.
"She's not."
"How do you know?"
"Trust me." Blaise said quietly.
"I don't trust anyone." Draco said in a serious voice.
"Then trust her." Blaise said, staring at Draco's back.
Draco turned back to Blaise. "Her?"
"She won't die with your love waiting for her. She knows you love her…she just can't admit it to herself."
Draco smiled at Blaise. "Alright." Blaise clapped him on the shoulder. The men both turned their backs on the fireplace and separated to go to their own rooms for the night.