Thursday, October 10, 1944
7:32 P.M.
"You boys have a good practice?" Ginny asked cheekily, grinning at Draco and Harry as the blond and dark-haired Slytherins trudged into the Room of Requirements. Their hair, still dripping from the rain-soaked Quidditch practice, splattered across various areas of their faces. "Finally managed to become one with the clubs?"
"Shut up, West-lette," Draco grumbled moodily, scowling at the smirking redhead. He collapsed heavily in his usual spot beside Hermione. Leaning back and sprawling across her lap, he uttered dramatically, "Hold me."
Rather than abiding by his request, Hermione rolled her eyes, pushed his arm out of her face, and made sure his wet blond hair was safely away from her clothing and bag. "Oh, do grow up, Draco. Personally, I think you and Harry are going to make fabulous Beaters. You both look like naturals to me."
"Both naturals my bloody arse, Nefertari. You're in no position to make that assessment; I don't see you whacking balls in your leisure time."
Harry vigorously rubbed his head with a towel, picked up Ginny's stretched out legs, and plopped down on the Slytherin couch beside her, letting the redhead rest her feet back on top of his legs. "You have to admit, du Lac, we do make quite a pair," he quipped with a grin, pointing down at his girlfriend. "And you're doing a much better job at Seeker than I ever would have, Gin; your Wronski feint today was unbelievable."
Draco snorted. "Yeah, you have to say that because she's your girlfriend."
"That's exactly my point, du Lac, you don't see me acting sore because I lost my position my girlfriend—"
"Harry, shut up. Hey, ferretboy!" Ginny sat up mutinously, wand aimed at Draco's dripping head. "Do you want to be known as batman again?"
"Hey!" Hermione exclaimed sharply, hauling Draco to an upright position by a wet collar and holding a palm out to Ginny in a stop! gesture. "Everyone, cut it out! We have much more important things going on than just Quidditch, and the last thing we need are two of us in the hospital wing at our own hand!"
As Draco sat back, shooting Ginny a pointedly dirty look, the Head Girl sighed and glanced over at the empty Gryffindor-Hufflepuff couch. "We're lucky that Lavender and Ron both have Quidditch practice right now, or I'm sure a full-out war would have already broken out."
Harry's eyes, now deadly serious, nodded in agreement. He reached out, placed his hand on Ginny's tense shoulder, and pulled her back toward him. "She's right, Gin, du Lac. We need to focus now."
"Sorry," Ginny muttered sullenly, leaning her back against Harry's side. She glanced at Hermione apologetically. "Being here just makes you want to try and forget, you know? I mean, if Riddle wasn't here, it'd almost be like life had gone back to normal... before... before everything..." Her voice cracked, and she gestured helplessly.
Harry rested his chin on top of Ginny' ginger head comfortingly, wrapped his arms around her, and whispered, "Ssssh, Gin, I know; I've been a bit too carefree about it, too."
Hermione could honestly say that she knew exactly what Ginny was feeling. Being in a time where the War no longer existed, where Houses were friendlier to each, and where nothing existed to remind them of their hard-won previous life - except Riddle, of course, and the occasional Dumbledore and McGonagall and other relations... The temptation to pretend like their past lives hadn't happened was always present.
But those eighteen years before now had happened; they couldn't keep on acting as if they hadn't.
As Ginny nodded and leaned back into Harry, closing her eyes, he glanced at Hermione. "Mione, what do you have on Riddle?"
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Misunderstood Maledictions | Tomione
عاطفية"Have you ever really been hated, Nefertari? Have you ever been disowned by your own bloody father before he even met you? Have you ever been cursed by the woman who called herself your mother before you could even crawl? Have you ever... asked a qu...
