Ginny Weasley
Ginny woke up with a start. Sunlight streamed into the room, and blinked awkwardly-she felt strangely disoriented.
She caught sight of a dark haired girl shuffling in through the door.
"Ally?" she called out falteringly.
Ally froze for a minute.
"Ginnnnny!" she finally squealed, rushing in and hugging her furiously. "Oh Ginny, I'm so glad
you're back!"
"Back?" asked Ginny, faintly puzzled.
"Don't you remember anything?"
Ginny looked at her strangely. "I just had a bunch of really bizarre dreams, and I thought I had a headache. Now
I'm sure I have one."
"Remember the spell?" Ally persisted. "The Memory Retention spell from Hermione's book. Don't you remember?"
"Vaguely", replied Ginny, after a pause.
Her eyes widened.
"I got caught, didn't I?"
"It's slightly more complicated than that," said Ally apologetically, and proceeded to tell her exactly what had happened.
---
Ginny listened to her silently, occasionally putting in a word when she remembered something. She cringed as she heard about her tantrums and giggled at Ron's predicaments. She was remembering-slowly.
Ally watched her face carefully as she talked to her. Ginny didn't say a word when she mentioned Draco, and just
nodded slightly.
"I'm so sorry," said Ginny slowly. "I can't believe that I was such a holy terror…"
"Aw, don't worry about it sweetie," grinned Ally. "I'm just so glad you're back."
She grabbed Ginny by the arm.
"I can't wait to tell everyone!" she exclaimed, dragging her out of the room. "C'mon, let's
go find them!"
---
"Oh, that's okay," grinned Hermione, hugging Ginny. "What are friends for, if not to be trampled on and ill-treated?"
Ginny grinned back at her.
"Mother?"
"Don't you dare."
Ginny furrowed her brow.
"Does Draco know?"
"Yes," replied Hermione quietly. "I told him as soon as I heard."
She paused for a minute.
"Ginny, do you remember anything from the past two weeks?"
"I'm not sure," said Ginny slowly. "It's a bit like a dream. The more I try to remember it, the vaguer it becomes."
"Well, Draco was exceptionally nice to you."
Ginny flushed and picked at her shirt.
"I remember the walks," she muttered.
Hermione was suddenly reminded of Elspeth when she talked about Lord James, but shoved that thought aside.
"So have you had anything to eat?" she asked briskly.
---
Ron was over the moon. He told everyone who would stop to listen that Ginny was okay again, and that he could now sleep peacefully. He made Ginny listen to what he had gone through again and again and again-until she finally threatened to give herself another Mind Switch.
Harry had given her a peck on the cheek and told her that she never failed to amaze him. He had never mentioned his last conversation with her to Hermione, and desperately hoped that Ginny had forgotten all about it as well.
Draco didn't say much. In fact he preferred not to speak about it at all. If it had upset him, he didn't show it.
He had bumped into Hermione and Ginny a few times in the hallway, but had ignored them and walked away without a word
or a second glance.
Hermione had wondered if she ought to tell Ginny about her conversation with Draco in the library, then decided against
it. Apart from her extreme embarrassment, Ginny was definitely feeling better and had started attending her classes
again. It was probably all for the best that this ended cleanly.
---
It was almost a week later when Ally and Ginny were sprawled out on her bed, talking.
"Oh, I remember that," giggled Ginny as Ally described one of her fits of rage. "What an absolute ninny
I was."
She sighed.
"It's awful. When I walk into a room, and someone smiles at me, I'm always thinking-oh no, they must be
remembering something highly dumb that I did."
"Oh, come on," protested Ally, laughing. 'At least you kept everyone entertained."
She ducked as Ginny tossed a pillow at her.
"Seriously," continued Ginny, "I don't know what to say. I practically drove all of you away."
"Not him though," said Ally abruptly.
Ginny was quiet as she thought about Draco. The boy she had known before was a spoilt, self-centered snob, who made her
friends' lives miserable.
The boy he had been those two weeks was charming, helpful and funny. Why would he even bother to do all that?
She remembered the walks, sunsets and laughter. His smile, his hand on her cheek…
"He kissed me," said Ginny slowly.
She looked at Ally with a mixture of bewilderment and fear.
"He didn't have to do that. Why did he?"
"Do you know that you told Hermione that you loved him?" asked Ally gently.
Ginny shook her head wordlessly.
"Does Ron know?" she asked after a minute.
"No," replied Ally.
"Well, he simply can't find out," said Ginny grimly. "I don't know what he'd think-or
do."
She paused again.
"D'you know what?" she asked, furrowing her brow. "Ron's been different these past few days.
Mooning around all over the place, and not really listening to people. I don't know what's wrong with
him."
There was a strained silence.
Ginny stared in surprise as Ally blushed crimson and suddenly became unusually interested in her fingernails.
"Oh boy," grinned Ginny. "The excitement never ends here, does it?"
--x-x--