Shadows

Chapter Eleven: The Lady of Shalott

"I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity." – Edgar Allen Poe

-

Ginny held onto the handle of the suitcase a little tighter. "Are you sure about this, Harry?" she asked as she set the suitcase down in front of Ron's door, the edges of it making a faint 'clink' sound on the hardwood floor.

"Yeah," said Harry, swinging another bag off of his shoulder, "I feel safest here."

"But at Sirius's old place you could hide better-"

"I'm not just gonna keep running away, Ginny," he said, and then smiled weakly. "Besides, now we can spend more time together."

She bit the inside of her bottom lip for a moment. How could she possibly tell him that the safest place for him was far away from her? That she may have been responsible for the death of the hiker...for the threat on his life? How could she explain that her boyfriend needed to be far, far away from her?

Instead, she smiled. "That is good."

Harry nodded and reached up to push his glasses and little further up the bridge of his nose. He leaned against the doorframe a little, slipping his hands into his pockets. No matter how much he stared at her, she couldn't look him in the eye. Instead, she stared at a little freckle he had right between his eyebrows.

"Hey, Gin..." he said slowly, drawing each syllable out as he considered his words. Her eyes looked into his for only a second, then back to the freckle. "I know you've been going through something lately...and...well, you know you can talk to me about it. Whatever it is."

I can't, Harry. I wish I could. She forced a smile again. "I know. I'm fine now, promise. I was just...upset. You know how my family has been since – since."

Harry nodded, but doubt remained on his face. "I know. Things'll get better, Ginny. You just need to give it time."

Ginny nodded. "I know. But why are we talking about me? You're the one that just-"

Harry waved his hand dismissively. "I'll be fine. I'm sure it's just some leftover Death Eater or other that doesn't have the power to actually try anything."

"He killed someone, Harry."

Harry frowned, standing straight again. He couldn't look at Ginny now, and instead focused on the grains in the wood of the floor beneath his feet. "I know. And I feel...terrible. I'm angry someone got caught in the middle, that people are dying for me all over again." His voice built with anger and frustration with each word. "It's not fair to anyone, especially not to that muggle hiker. But...I honestly believe we're safe. The Ministry is setting up a barrier, and we all have first hand experience. I defeated Voldemort, Gin, with everyone's help. I don't think any Death Eater is foolish enough to believe he can take us on when his master couldn't."

Ginny shrugged and waited for Tom to say something. There was only blissful silence. There had been for hours now.

"I guess you're right. I just don't think we should be too egotistical about it. That's when we'll be the most vulnerable."

Harry nodded, agreeing. "I don't mean to be egotistical."

"I know."

This time the silence was awkward.

"Well, I'm tired," said Ginny, a yawn fighting its way through a second later to show it was true. "I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight, Ginny," said Harry, kissing her on the cheek. She hugged him quickly.

"Goodnight," she said, and headed to her room, a little disappointed that he hadn't even tried to give her a proper kiss this time.

-