Fire and Ice

Counting Stars

"She just needs to sleep it off," Molly Weasley's impatient voice echoed through the Hospital Wing. One did not need to know her well, to know that she wanted to leave. Ginny stared at the ceiling above her, counting stars she thought she could see.

"With all due respect, Mrs Weasley, I am the Healer of Hogwarts, and I don't believe you understand the ordeal-"

"Madame Pomphrey, let's not over exaggerate-"

"Perhaps we should return to the matter at hand, your daughter, Mrs Weasley?"

Footsteps pounded through Ginny's mind, chasing away thoughts, feelings, emotions. Five stars, six stars, seven stars. Somehow, her brain realised the situation she was in, and urged her to close her eyes, because people were coming and you might be forced to talk. Ginny heard the warning, but her eyes did not close. If they were closed, how could she count?

"Ah! She's awake! Her father will be so relieved." Molly's empty lie hung awkwardly between the trio. Everybody, whether they be a visiting family member, student or professor, was celebrating. Only at Madame Pomphrey's insistent request had Molly left the joyous celebrations to deal with her stroppy daughter. "Ginny." Molly commanded, hissing slightly with the air of a mother dealing with a child's tantrum in public. "Get up now. Join the celebrations! Don't you want to spend time with your family, friends? Harry is down there, talk to Harry!" Molly's roughened fingers, stroking Ginny's forehead, flailed pathetically at the lack of response.

Ginny's eyes flicked at the sound of Harry's name. Twelve stars, thirteen stars, fourteen stars.

After a pregnant pause, Molly broke the silence, shortly. "Madame Pomphrey, Ginny's just feeling a bit left out. If we leave her here, she'll come out sooner or later. Probably still pining after Harry, I expect."

Madame Pomphrey's hand slammed against the bedside table. Ginny emmited a miniscule gasp, before resuming to her counting. Twenty-two stars, twenty-three stars, twenty-four stars.

"Molly Weasley! Have you not heard the stories?! Ginny was the student who had ran to..." Her voice quietened momentarily. "the Malfoy boy, Ginny was with him! They obviously had an alliance or something of the sort!"

Molly's hand sliced through the air, silencing the Healer. "Yes, Madame. We have all heard the stories, the rumours. But myself, as well as my husband, Bill, Charlie and Percy know for a fact that Ginny would not consort with the... Malfoys. Ginny knows, as does Ron, perfectly well that our families don't mix. The Hell that Lucius put my family into..." Molly shuddered dramatically.

Ginny's breathing hitched, before she continued to count. Thirty-eight stars, thirty-nine stars, forty stars.

A shallow breath escaped the Healer. "Mrs Weasley, I was present during the Soshry incident, when you daughter was cursed. Draco ran in.. He told her he loved... It's not my place to say. But in the Great Halll... Surely your son, Ronald(?), told you? He was in the Great Hall during the...duel...was he not?"

"Well, yes." Molly faltered, "But there was no alliance. Ginny probably ran to the boy to look as if she was helping with the duel. Her brothers are awfully known, you see. I expect this is how she hoped to be as famous in Hogwarts as them."

Suddenly, the Healer began to shout. Ginny cringed as her voice pummelled through her mind. Keep counting. Fifty-one stars, fifty-two stars, fifty-three stars.

"MOLLY WEALSEY! I URGE YOU TO UNDERSTAND! Ginny, your daughter, ran to him! Albus had told me, they seemed to have had some sort of connection! Her tears still stained his face when they moved him! Merlin, she watched Draco die, she..."

The Healer's voice faded. Ginny only heard one word, ringing in her mind, scattering the stars with every echo.

Die
       Die
              Die
                     Die
                             Die
                                    Die
                                            Die