Thanks: Corisu Li for beta reading, and to all of the people who reviewed. I'm sorry that I don't respond to hardly any of them! I try though, I just forget easily. *Shrugs*
Chapter Two: Race for Ron
Ginny jerked awake, her breathing accelerated and perspiration beaded on her forehead. The day that Ginny had feared was rearing its ugly head. It was Sunday October 20th, the day that Ron would get speared by a dragon--the day that he would die.
Not if I can help it! Ginny thought fiercely to herself. Please God let me be able to help it!
She glanced down at herself; her legs tangled in her brother's maroon-coloured sheets. A pallet of blankets lay bunched up on the floor next to his bed. Ron, even though he was sometimes big-headed and overprotective, could be very, very kind. She loved him dearly and would never let anything happen to him. It was her duty as a Seer.
Ginny did a double-take when she realized that she was alone in the room. "Oh no-" she gasped, leaping up, searching for Ron's clock, and cringing at what the big hand pointed to: Quidditch Match.
It was twelve in the afternoon and the game was starting, whether Ginny wanted it to or not. It really wasn't as if she could stop the game from happening, anyway, and the dragon's coming was inevitable. Inevitable.
"I hate that word--inevitable," she whispered, starring into Ron's mirror. "Its meaning is so closed minded," she pouted.
Her eyes were red, her cheeks blotchy, and her nose runny from her crying episode that she'd had last night. Her boys had been dears, and she had to say that she'd actually been surprised that neither Harry, Ron, Seamus, nor Dean was uneasy with her waterfall of tears.
My boys? And really, they are…my boys. My crush with Harry has been over for a while, but I still feel deeply for him. Ron's my favourite brother, and even though I dated both Seamus and Dean, and then broke up with them, I have no ill feelings towards them. I care for them, as well.
It was as if she'd had three extra brothers at school, though sometimes she felt that Dean wanted to be more than friends again.
Ginny stared at the mirror and shivered violently as she felt her oncoming vision take her with full force. She gasped as she felt herself tip the stool over and crash to the floor.
"Ginny no," Ron cried in anguish through gritted teeth. "What did you do?" Tears were freely falling down his face. "You're so stupid! What did you do?" He sobbed and yanked her up into his arms, her head resting on his chest.
"Merlin, Ron, don't move her like that!" Hermione swore, but her voice failed to reach him.
While rocking back and forth, Ron cradled Ginny in his arms, blood coating his arms and Quidditch uniform. He started chanting softly, "No, no, no--you're so stupid!"
Ginny came out of it gasping, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh God-" She licked her lips and cautiously pulled herself up, staring into the mirror once more. Her hair was even messier than it had been before, her eyes bloodshot, and her entire body trembling. With her lips pursed, she raised her hand and wiped away her tears. "It's the only way, isn't it? It's why you sent that vision to me, right? I get killed instead of Ron." She took a deep, shuddering breath, looking up at the ceiling, hoping that the Powers that Be would for once answer their messenger. "For the best, I guess--right?" She choked on a sob and bit her bottom lip hard. "Oh please, let me be brave," she begged, lowering her head onto the table.
Her shoulders shook with the realization of how much her family--her brother-- meant to her.
****
" . . . and another ten points for Gryffindor," an unknown Ravenclaw screamed with enthusiasm.
Ginny smiled up at the speaker-though he wasn't as good as Lee Jordan, Fred and George's best friend, he still managed to bring something funny to the announcements.
"-who's taken Ginny Weasley's place. Bloody shame that she got injured!"
She hadn't heard who'd taken her place; she couldn't even remember if they even had an extra. Her eyes searched the air for Harry.
Please don't catch the Snitch too soon, Harry--please. I just want to--to be a little longer. A lonely tear fell down her cheek and she turned to watch her brother stop the Quaffle once again.
"Ginny? Are you all right?" Hermione nudged Ginny's side with her elbow.
Ginny let her long reddish-orange hair fall in front of her face and she took a deep breath. "I'm fine. Hermione?"
"Yes?" The older girl averted her eyes from the game and stared at Ginny.
"We should have a girls' night tonight. You and me, or a few others as well, it'd be fun," Ginny spoke softly, timidly, something she's only started doing since her visions had been getting more detailed.
Hermione stared, and for a moment, Ginny thought she might deny her. "Of course. That would be fun. I don't have any homework anyway."
Ginny gave a small smile and bowed her head, knowing full well that Hermione would much rather be jumping a head in her classes. It was the 'Hermione' thing to do. "Okay then, it's settled."
Why am I making plans? I'll be dead in less than an hour, so why? I can't let anyone know, that's why. They can't suspect, not even a little bit, not even at all.
"Harry Potter has caught the Snitch!-no surprise there, really."
Oh Harry, why do you have to be so good at everything you do? Ginny sighed and slowly stood up, her heart heavy with fear and grief. She galloped down the bleachers.
Let me be strong and brave like you, Harry. Give me your courage. . . I don't want to die! I'm not ready yet. . .
Ginny shook her head and took a deep breath to keep herself from hyperventilating. "I'm not ready yet, please, I'm not ready," she gasped, and quickly slapped both of her hands over her mouth, sobbing into them, her shoulders wracking from the force of her crying.
"Ginny?" Hermione spoke softly next to her ear.
Ginny jerked her head up, her eyes wet with tears. "I'm not ready, Hermione." Ginny shook her head, her mouth dropping open, and she jerked the older girl into her arms. She clutched tightly, burying her face into Hermione's neck. "I'm so scared," Ginny said through gritted teeth.
Hermione wrapped her arms around Ginny, her face puzzled and slightly shocked at the sudden emotional outburst. "Scared of what, Ginny?"
Ginny, who'd been facing the open area of the Quidditch pitch, lifted her eyes, searching for Ron. After all, it was time for her to die.
No! she cried silently to herself. It was happening right now! Ron was in the position in which he'd been speared, and if she remembered her vision correctly, the dragon would appear in the sky in less than two minutes.
"NO!" Ginny shouted loudly and leapt down the rest of the steps.
"Ginny! Wait!" Hermione called out, quickly running after the frantic redheaded girl.
Ginny's hair whipped her face, the gusty, almost angry wind stinging her face and chapping her lips.
****
And there it was, the fire-breathing green dragon with abnormal claws, and a fierce, almost human glare. Hermione choked and stopped in her tracks. "Oh my God," Hermione whispered. "RON!" The dragon dived. "NO!!"
It was then that Hermione saw Ginny, who was pushing Ron out of the way. "She knew--dear lord, she knew," Hermione whispered in awe, her eyelids blinking rapidly as the knowledge of what she'd just figured out set in. "Oh Ginny." She bowed her head and sighed.
Ginny screamed just as Ron turned around, with an angry look that said 'what the hell did you push me for' on his face. It was quickly replaced by shock as blood splashed onto his face and shirt, causing him to flinch back. Her brother watched as the dragons' mouth seemed to grin at them, its wings flapping. Ginny's mouth opened wide as she gasped in pain, her eyes filled with horror. A twenty-inch talon was sticking straight through her chest and blood was soaking the front of her white shirt.
"Ron," Ginny said weakly.
Ron breathed deeply, almost in a panicked rush, his eyes a little wild, filled with tears. "Ginny?"
Hermione ran towards them only to stop as the harsh wind from the dragon's wings beat her in the face. It started to fly away, with poor Ginny still stuck to its talon. Harry looked on as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Hermione dimly heard Professor Snape hollering for Remus Lupin, who was running towards them; he'd been at the Quidditch game to support Harry.
Ginny yelled with pain as she reached her arms out towards Ron, tears streaming down her face. It was then that Harry managed to register what was happening.
"Merlin! We've got to get her off its claw! It's taking her!" Harry cried out, leaping onto his broom and pushing off from the ground.
"Harry! GET HER!" Ron screamed up at him through gritted teeth.
Aiming his wand in the direction of the dragon's face Harry screamed, "Conjunctivitis," hoping desperately to startle the dragon so that it would stop. It worked, giving him enough time to pull Ginny off the sharp nail. She let out an agonizing scream, so loud that it caused Harry to flinch.
"Potter, bring her down, quickly!" Snape shouted. "We must get her to Pomfrey."
But as Harry brought her to the ground, Ron leapt forward, taking her into his arms and collapsing onto the ground, blood staining the green grass.
"RON!" Remus snapped.
"Gin? Answer me," Ron whispered, pushing aside her hair, which had fallen in her face, covering it.
Harry looked down, his eyes filled with horror. "There's so much blood," he whispered. "Ron, we have to take to the infirmary, quickly."
"No! YOU LEAVE HER HERE!" Ron screamed jerking his head up.
His voice was filled with so much anger that Harry and Hermione flinched and took a step back.
"Ron-" Lupin barely audibly whispered.
"I can't breathe," Ginny gasped weakly, struggling to get air.
Snape quickly yanked out his wand and knelt beside her. "Anapneo," he said, flicking his wand.
"What was that?" Harry whispered.
Hermione, not taking her eyes off of Ginny, answered for Snape. "It'll open up her air passageway. I think the talon pierced the side of her lung, from the way the hole is directed. We have to apply pressure to the wound," Hermione stated surprisingly calm.
"Ow! No, no, stop. Sto-stop, Her-mione, don't touch me," Ginny panted, dimly hearing voices of the people around. "It hurts."
Hermione jerked back. "Ginny, I have to. You're losing too much blood." She bent forward again.
"Granger, Weasley, move aside this instant," Snape growled. "Minerva I need these people out of here!" he yelled as he saw the old woman bustling through the thick crowd of concerned and frightened.
"Stop it-I'm supposed die. It's o-kay," she spoke softly, her words becoming short and choppy.
Snape frowned, then glared, taking out his wand. Just as he was about to lift her up Ron dropped down to cradle her once again.
"Weasley, move out of the way," McGonagall snapped, but quickly stopped as she noticed the hitch in the younger girls breathing. "Oh dear."
Snape placed his wand back into his robes.
That's right, it's too late, Ginny thought. It was too late the moment this day started.
"Ginny," Ron cried in anguish through gritted teeth. "What did you do?" Tears were freely falling down his face. "You're so stupid! What did you do?" He sobbed and yanked her up into his arms, her head resting on his chest.
"Ron, don't move her like that!" Hermione swore, but her voice failed to reach him.
Ron rocked back and forth with Ginny cradled closed to his chest, blood coating his arms and Quidditch uniform. He started chanting softly, "No, no, no--you're so stupid!"
****
Ginny gasped as images flashed behind her eyes.
I guess you really do see your whole life seconds before you die. I don't think I ever imagined that dying could be so painful, but how is that something I'd be able to imagine?
She gave a tiny smile as one image in particular stood out. Her first year, at the Burrow, she had lost her jumper, and she'd run down the steps in a mad search for it only to see the boy that had been filling her dreams the whole summer.
"Gin, you have to look at me. No, don't close your eyes damn it!" Ron cried, desperately, his fingers digging into her forearms.
She could barely see anything but the silhouette, of the now smaller group of people, surrounding her. She felt a pang of fear as the harsh voices of everyone become soft, almost to a dull buzz.
"Wh--why can't I stay?" Ginny panted, looking up at Ron with pleading eyes as Hermione and Harry stared on, crying. "I want to stay."
"You can stay--please stay, Ginny," Ron cried, the last words more desperate than the first, stroking her blood stained face.
Ginny took a few more shallow breaths and then, she went limp in Ron's arms. "Ginny? Ginny? No! No!"
To Be Continued…
Don't kill me-of course she isn't dead either, but then again you knew that I'm sure. This is absolutely my favorite chapter so far. I wrote it the exact way I imagined it in my dream-pretty pathetic when you dream about fictional characters huh? Well, this whole story started because of that one two minute dream. I hope you all enjoyed it and if you found it confusing in anyway I apologize! Thanks for reading! ~Aya
Oh and if you're wondering when the 'Egyptian' part of the title is going to come into play then you'll only have to wait for the next chapter called: Vision of Prophecy
Dialogue that wasn't mine:
"Not even a little, not even at all," ~10 Things I Hate About You (at least I think this line is similar)
'Wh-why can't I stay?" ~Winifred Burkle, Angel season five.