Senses

Chapter 23

Ginny held her breath as a Slytherin prefect crossed through the hall in front of her. They weren't where they were supposed to be and that made her incredibly suspicious. She knew they were up to something. Always, up to something, and had taken a moment to look at the map to see if there was anyone else coming to join them.

All she could see was the Ravenclaw prefect, Padma, walking her actual route but was going to run into the Slytherin if he continued. Ginny glanced down the hallway, she had to make a choice, take the left and go to the head office, or take the right and make sure the Slytherin wasn't up to something. She chewed her bottom lip as she thought about what to do when a small scream made her choice for her.

A quick disillusionment charm washed over her as she hurried towards the next bend. She'd not even thought to look at the map to see if their might have been more. Her last glance had told her that there had been only one Slytherin. She could easily handle one.

When she rounded the corner her heart leapt into her throat as a fist came swinging at her head, she'd grown up with the twins and thus had amazing panick reflexes. Her body dipped low before she spun herself out to the side. Her eyes were wide and her stomach was in her throat when a bright spark lit up her world and her body was sent tumbling backward into the stone wall behind.

"Show yourself!" The Slytherin, thankfully, seemed to have lost sight of her after his spell. His beedy deep green eyes looking through the darkened hall. Padma laid near his feet, her body still.

Ginny tried to keep her startled breaths from giving her away before she unleashed her own stunning spell that slammed the boy upward into the ceiling. His body fell like a rag doll onto the stone floor and GInny's stomach turned.

"What was that? Did you hear that?"

Ginny growled low, but there wasn't anything more that she could do, "Sorry Padma..." With another check she made sure her spell was in place before pushing herself back from whence she'd come, her shoe crushing what looked like a candy into the stone.

Ginny was three bends over when she heard the distinct voice of her head of house. Thank Merlin, it'd been her to find them. She'd surely sort it out. Ginny tried to push the event from her mind as she pushed herself up another flight, she was leaving her territory now, she'd have to be much more careful. Something was obviously afoot.

oOo

"I...I can't eat anymore..."

"You will in time." Severus had finished his portion of the meal at least a half an hour before the girl had called it quits. They'd eaten in silence though the room was anything but quiet. Between his own thoughts and the ones that were expanding out from her, it was enough to feel as though he were standing in the Great Hall.

"Do you want to bathe?"

"Yes..but..." Hermione bit her lip as he pulled the mostly eaten tray from her lap, silently calling a house elf to come and take it away, "I...I don't want to be alone..." Her face flushed brightly as the words trembled passed her lips.

"I can accompany you." Severus had wondered whether her newly acquired vision would change their current routine. It was one thing to bathe when you couldn't see who was watching you, "How is your rash?"

Hermione shifted her legs, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders, he hadn't retrieved her shirt that was surely laying on the bathroom floor still but she hadn't felt so exposed, after all just that morning he had had his hands inside her. That thought had made it very difficult to eat anymore. Not with disgust but with a curious feeling that she had spent the better half of her meal trying to identify.