![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sesheta66Title: Running Out of Time, Part 13 of A Woman Scorned
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sesheta_66
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~1950
Pairing/Characters: Harry/Draco, Ginny
Challenge:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
awdt's prompt of "Find me" and 100quills prompt 031 - Hollow
Warnings: No beta. Please point out any errors you find.
Summary: Ginny goes to do some research.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Earlier Parts:
Part 1 - A Valentine Surprise
Part 2 - The Plan
Part 3 - Without a Trace
Part 4 - A Beautiful Lie
Part 5 - Whatever It Takes
Part 6 - The Best Laid Plans
Part 7 - At His Wit's End
Part 8 - Last Hope
Part 9 - A Troubled Mind
Part 10 - A Mind at Rest
Part 11 - On the Edge
Part 12 - What Friends Are For
Part 13 - Running Out of Time:
Harry awoke with a headache. Memories of the day before and his near-meltdown came flooding back. Pictures of Pansy with Draco. Thoughts of everyone forgetting about him. Visions of his own hands reaching out towards Ginny's neck, grasping, and squeezing ... squeezing the life out of her.
He shook his head, as if to banish his wandering thoughts. He didn't want Ginny catching on to what he was thinking. As it was, she had believed him when he had told her that his stomach had just been 'off' a bit that day. Nothing to worry about.
He tried not to look too anxious when he made his way into the kitchen. Today was the day Ginny had said she was going into town. She had been sketchy about where she was going and what she was doing, so Harry couldn't really gauge how long she'd be gone. But he did suspect it would be a fair while, since she was a bit apprehensive about the whole thing.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry," he said as he sat down at the table with a nervous-looking Ginny.
"I know. It's just --"
"I'm feeling better now, really," he assured her.
"Are you sure?" she asked. He nodded. The last thing Harry wanted was to spend another day in this god-forsaken cottage with a woman he was ready to strangle.
"I would still rather go with you, though." Harry didn't dare look at her as he said it, because he figured she would try to read what he was thinking by staring into his eyes. With all the lying he was doing lately, he was pretty sure she wouldn't catch him in that. But he was having more trouble separating his feelings for Ginny, the disturbed woman who needed help, from the person who had taken him away from his life and locked him up as a prisoner.
The less he looked into her eyes, the better. He was a little afraid that doing so would send his emotions into overload, and cause everything in the vicinity to be caught up in a whirlwind of magic. His captivity was bad enough without being locked up in the small room and drugged, like he had been when she had first brought him there.
"Harry, I've told you that I can't do that. Not yet, anyway."
But when? Bloody hell, I can't take much more of this!
"I know," he said, once again hiding his feelings and putting on a front. God, this was getting tiring. "You didn't say where exactly you're going. Do you think you could bring back some chocolate? It's been a while since I fed my sweet tooth. Honeyduke's if you can?"
"I can't promise Honeyduke's, but I can see about bringing back some decent chocolate, yes."
"And maybe some butterbeer?" He looked up briefly, with a hopeful grin.
"Sure," she smiled back. "Butterbeer I can do."
He knew she wasn't using magic, so she had to walk. Harry figured that would be two extra stops she would have to make, which would buy him an extra fifteen minutes or more, depending on where the hell they were, and how close the stores were together.
"See you later, then," Ginny said, and she gave him a peck on the cheek. He resisted the urge to cringe and pull away.
Harry watched her back as she approached and then crossed through the wards before he began. He stayed at the kitchen table, where he had a clear view out the door, to be sure he noticed when Ginny returned.
Focussing, he tried one of the first spells he had ever learned. "Wingardium Leviosa," he said aloud. No use straining himself to do a non-verbal spell just yet. Nothing. The cup he had been concentrating on didn't even shake. "Wingardium Leviosa," he said again. Nothing.
He took some deep, calming breaths, focussed on the image of the cup levitating, and tried again. "Wingardium Leviosa." Nothing.
Ginny made her way into town, through the back roads like she had done the last time. She ducked into the woods, and donned her disguise -- no point in letting Harry see what she looked like in it.
She thought back to their earlier conversation. She wanted to trust him, but she knew she couldn't. Until she broke whatever spell Malfoy had on him, Harry had to remain where he was, and wandless. She had no other choice. He would thank her in the long run, everyone would. Well, everyone but Malfoy. They would all see that she was right, and they would lock Malfoy up where he belonged -- in Azkaban. She smiled at the thought.
It took her a good half hour to get to the town, and another ten minutes to find the library. It was open until four o'clock, so that gave her five hours. Surely she could find what she needed in that time.
"Shit!" Harry yelled. "Shit, shit, shit!" He had tried countless spells, but none of them worked.
He even tried to Apparate, although he was rather nervous at the thought of splinching himself. Clearly he was getting desperate, but nothing else was working.
Rather than waste any more of his 'Ginny-free' time, he decided to go outside and see if he could find anything hidden out there. The last time he searched, he found nothing, but maybe ... just maybe she had some magical things hidden elsewhere. What she might have had, he didn't know, but he had to at least try.
Ginny was getting frustrated. It was almost four o'clock, and she had found nothing. Well, that wasn't exactly true. She had actually found too much. Who knew there were so many books on the Dark Arts readily available at the library? And so many spells on controlling the mind. But there was nothing that she could pinpoint as the most likely culprit, and she hadn't even begun to search for counter-curses.
"May I help you, dear?" asked the librarian, causing Ginny to jump.
"Oh, no. Thank you so much," Ginny replied, forgetting to disguise her voice as she had earlier.
The librarian eyed her and the books in front of her strangely. "Well, we are closing in five minutes. If you would like to sign these books out --"
"No, thank you. I'll just ... I think I'll come back tomorrow. Would I be able to leave these books out like this, so I can pick up where I left off in the morning?" she asked the woman.
"I'm afraid not," she said. "But I can put them aside in a bin for you, so you don't have to collect them again. May I get your name, so that I may put them aside for you?" Ginny hesitated, not wanting to give out her name. "There will be a young lady working the morning shift tomorrow. I won't be in until later."
"Lily," Ginny replied. "My name is Lily."
"Very well, Lily. I will put these over there, behind the counter."
"What time in the morning do you open?"
"Ten o'clock."
"I'll be back then."
Smiling, the woman took away the books and placed them into a bin behind the counter. Ginny didn't notice her watching. Watching how she walked just a little too light on her feet for someone so heavy. Making a mental note of the change in voice -- she was sure the voice had been deeper and raspier when she had first come in. Noticing the odd hair that just wasn't right. Taking another look at the books she had set aside, the woman's unease mounted. She would need to do some research of her own. Something just wasn't right with this young woman.
Frustrated, Harry had given up his search after about an hour. He had no idea how long Ginny would be gone, and he didn't want to risk her coming back to find him digging around outside, even though he had thought up some 'fresh air' excuse. He had washed up and resumed his attempts at wandless magic.
He was getting more and more irritated as time went on and nothing worked. He couldn't levitate, unlock, summon, clean or Apparate wandlessly.
What he could do was make objects in the room rattle around haphazardly as his frustration got the better of him. But that wouldn't do him any good. Sending objects flying indiscriminately around the room wouldn't get him out of here. He needed to break through the wards. He needed to gain focus, not lose it.
Just then, he saw Ginny's form come through the wards. Great, he thought. The bitch is back. His own thoughts surprised even him. This is getting bad. I need to get out of here before I have no choice but to kill her.
Plastering a smile on his face he looked up and called out the door, "Hey Gin! You're back."
"Mhm, and I brought chocolate and butterbeer, as requested." She gave him a peck on the cheek again -- he resisted the urge to vomit -- and went into the cottage.
What have I done? Now I have to sit with a happy Ginny all night. He let out a groan.
"What's wrong?" Ginny asked.
Covering up quickly, Harry replied, "I'm hungry. Didn't realize until just now."
Some hours later, Harry was in his room after telling Ginny that he was quite drained, suggesting that it must have been something lingering from the day before, thankful that he was able to escape early. He had been lying awake in his room for two hours, not tired at all, but trying to cast wandless and silent levitation spells at various objects around the room. Everything remained still.
He heard a noise coming from the hall and got up to investigate. He quietly opened the door, not wanting to be heard by Ginny. The noise was coming from her room. It was her voice, but he couldn't make out the words behind the closed door. He walked down the hall, wanting to hear what it was she was saying.
"Must find the spell. Must break the spell. Have to find it," she was muttering. Harry had no idea what spell she was talking about, but whatever it was, it was bothering her.
"How am I supposed to fix him if I can't find the stupid spell he's under? Damn that Malfoy, his stupid family and their stupid dark magic!"
Harry's back went up at the sound of Draco's name. He felt a chill come over his body. Fix him?
"There has to be a way. So many books. So many spells. I know I can find it. I have to. Have to fix Harry. Make him better. Get rid of the curse. Get rid of Malfoy."
Oh my God!
Harry sat in his room, thoughts swirling through his head, a hollow feeling in his stomach.
She's going to try to fix me. She thinks I'm broken.
She's insane! More than insane, she's dangerous. She's reading Dark Arts books to come up with something to make me better. She's going to mess with my head. How much time now before she finds something she can use on me? And what will it do to me?
I've got to get out of here. Tomorrow, the next day at the latest. But how do I do that without hurting her? How do I live with myself if I do hurt her -- or worse? Do I even care any more?
As Harry curled up under the covers of his bed, he thought of Draco. He drifted off to sleep with one thing on his mind. Please, Draco, find me!
Part 14 - Making a Connection
Author:
sesheta_66 Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~1950
Pairing/Characters: Harry/Draco, Ginny
Challenge:
awdt's prompt of "Find me" and 100quills prompt 031 - HollowWarnings: No beta. Please point out any errors you find.
Summary: Ginny goes to do some research.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Earlier Parts:
Part 1 - A Valentine Surprise
Part 2 - The Plan
Part 3 - Without a Trace
Part 4 - A Beautiful Lie
Part 5 - Whatever It Takes
Part 6 - The Best Laid Plans
Part 7 - At His Wit's End
Part 8 - Last Hope
Part 9 - A Troubled Mind
Part 10 - A Mind at Rest
Part 11 - On the Edge
Part 12 - What Friends Are For
Part 13 - Running Out of Time:
Harry awoke with a headache. Memories of the day before and his near-meltdown came flooding back. Pictures of Pansy with Draco. Thoughts of everyone forgetting about him. Visions of his own hands reaching out towards Ginny's neck, grasping, and squeezing ... squeezing the life out of her.
He shook his head, as if to banish his wandering thoughts. He didn't want Ginny catching on to what he was thinking. As it was, she had believed him when he had told her that his stomach had just been 'off' a bit that day. Nothing to worry about.
He tried not to look too anxious when he made his way into the kitchen. Today was the day Ginny had said she was going into town. She had been sketchy about where she was going and what she was doing, so Harry couldn't really gauge how long she'd be gone. But he did suspect it would be a fair while, since she was a bit apprehensive about the whole thing.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry," he said as he sat down at the table with a nervous-looking Ginny.
"I know. It's just --"
"I'm feeling better now, really," he assured her.
"Are you sure?" she asked. He nodded. The last thing Harry wanted was to spend another day in this god-forsaken cottage with a woman he was ready to strangle.
"I would still rather go with you, though." Harry didn't dare look at her as he said it, because he figured she would try to read what he was thinking by staring into his eyes. With all the lying he was doing lately, he was pretty sure she wouldn't catch him in that. But he was having more trouble separating his feelings for Ginny, the disturbed woman who needed help, from the person who had taken him away from his life and locked him up as a prisoner.
The less he looked into her eyes, the better. He was a little afraid that doing so would send his emotions into overload, and cause everything in the vicinity to be caught up in a whirlwind of magic. His captivity was bad enough without being locked up in the small room and drugged, like he had been when she had first brought him there.
"Harry, I've told you that I can't do that. Not yet, anyway."
But when? Bloody hell, I can't take much more of this!
"I know," he said, once again hiding his feelings and putting on a front. God, this was getting tiring. "You didn't say where exactly you're going. Do you think you could bring back some chocolate? It's been a while since I fed my sweet tooth. Honeyduke's if you can?"
"I can't promise Honeyduke's, but I can see about bringing back some decent chocolate, yes."
"And maybe some butterbeer?" He looked up briefly, with a hopeful grin.
"Sure," she smiled back. "Butterbeer I can do."
He knew she wasn't using magic, so she had to walk. Harry figured that would be two extra stops she would have to make, which would buy him an extra fifteen minutes or more, depending on where the hell they were, and how close the stores were together.
"See you later, then," Ginny said, and she gave him a peck on the cheek. He resisted the urge to cringe and pull away.
Harry watched her back as she approached and then crossed through the wards before he began. He stayed at the kitchen table, where he had a clear view out the door, to be sure he noticed when Ginny returned.
Focussing, he tried one of the first spells he had ever learned. "Wingardium Leviosa," he said aloud. No use straining himself to do a non-verbal spell just yet. Nothing. The cup he had been concentrating on didn't even shake. "Wingardium Leviosa," he said again. Nothing.
He took some deep, calming breaths, focussed on the image of the cup levitating, and tried again. "Wingardium Leviosa." Nothing.
Ginny made her way into town, through the back roads like she had done the last time. She ducked into the woods, and donned her disguise -- no point in letting Harry see what she looked like in it.
She thought back to their earlier conversation. She wanted to trust him, but she knew she couldn't. Until she broke whatever spell Malfoy had on him, Harry had to remain where he was, and wandless. She had no other choice. He would thank her in the long run, everyone would. Well, everyone but Malfoy. They would all see that she was right, and they would lock Malfoy up where he belonged -- in Azkaban. She smiled at the thought.
It took her a good half hour to get to the town, and another ten minutes to find the library. It was open until four o'clock, so that gave her five hours. Surely she could find what she needed in that time.
"Shit!" Harry yelled. "Shit, shit, shit!" He had tried countless spells, but none of them worked.
He even tried to Apparate, although he was rather nervous at the thought of splinching himself. Clearly he was getting desperate, but nothing else was working.
Rather than waste any more of his 'Ginny-free' time, he decided to go outside and see if he could find anything hidden out there. The last time he searched, he found nothing, but maybe ... just maybe she had some magical things hidden elsewhere. What she might have had, he didn't know, but he had to at least try.
Ginny was getting frustrated. It was almost four o'clock, and she had found nothing. Well, that wasn't exactly true. She had actually found too much. Who knew there were so many books on the Dark Arts readily available at the library? And so many spells on controlling the mind. But there was nothing that she could pinpoint as the most likely culprit, and she hadn't even begun to search for counter-curses.
"May I help you, dear?" asked the librarian, causing Ginny to jump.
"Oh, no. Thank you so much," Ginny replied, forgetting to disguise her voice as she had earlier.
The librarian eyed her and the books in front of her strangely. "Well, we are closing in five minutes. If you would like to sign these books out --"
"No, thank you. I'll just ... I think I'll come back tomorrow. Would I be able to leave these books out like this, so I can pick up where I left off in the morning?" she asked the woman.
"I'm afraid not," she said. "But I can put them aside in a bin for you, so you don't have to collect them again. May I get your name, so that I may put them aside for you?" Ginny hesitated, not wanting to give out her name. "There will be a young lady working the morning shift tomorrow. I won't be in until later."
"Lily," Ginny replied. "My name is Lily."
"Very well, Lily. I will put these over there, behind the counter."
"What time in the morning do you open?"
"Ten o'clock."
"I'll be back then."
Smiling, the woman took away the books and placed them into a bin behind the counter. Ginny didn't notice her watching. Watching how she walked just a little too light on her feet for someone so heavy. Making a mental note of the change in voice -- she was sure the voice had been deeper and raspier when she had first come in. Noticing the odd hair that just wasn't right. Taking another look at the books she had set aside, the woman's unease mounted. She would need to do some research of her own. Something just wasn't right with this young woman.
Frustrated, Harry had given up his search after about an hour. He had no idea how long Ginny would be gone, and he didn't want to risk her coming back to find him digging around outside, even though he had thought up some 'fresh air' excuse. He had washed up and resumed his attempts at wandless magic.
He was getting more and more irritated as time went on and nothing worked. He couldn't levitate, unlock, summon, clean or Apparate wandlessly.
What he could do was make objects in the room rattle around haphazardly as his frustration got the better of him. But that wouldn't do him any good. Sending objects flying indiscriminately around the room wouldn't get him out of here. He needed to break through the wards. He needed to gain focus, not lose it.
Just then, he saw Ginny's form come through the wards. Great, he thought. The bitch is back. His own thoughts surprised even him. This is getting bad. I need to get out of here before I have no choice but to kill her.
Plastering a smile on his face he looked up and called out the door, "Hey Gin! You're back."
"Mhm, and I brought chocolate and butterbeer, as requested." She gave him a peck on the cheek again -- he resisted the urge to vomit -- and went into the cottage.
What have I done? Now I have to sit with a happy Ginny all night. He let out a groan.
"What's wrong?" Ginny asked.
Covering up quickly, Harry replied, "I'm hungry. Didn't realize until just now."
Some hours later, Harry was in his room after telling Ginny that he was quite drained, suggesting that it must have been something lingering from the day before, thankful that he was able to escape early. He had been lying awake in his room for two hours, not tired at all, but trying to cast wandless and silent levitation spells at various objects around the room. Everything remained still.
He heard a noise coming from the hall and got up to investigate. He quietly opened the door, not wanting to be heard by Ginny. The noise was coming from her room. It was her voice, but he couldn't make out the words behind the closed door. He walked down the hall, wanting to hear what it was she was saying.
"Must find the spell. Must break the spell. Have to find it," she was muttering. Harry had no idea what spell she was talking about, but whatever it was, it was bothering her.
"How am I supposed to fix him if I can't find the stupid spell he's under? Damn that Malfoy, his stupid family and their stupid dark magic!"
Harry's back went up at the sound of Draco's name. He felt a chill come over his body. Fix him?
"There has to be a way. So many books. So many spells. I know I can find it. I have to. Have to fix Harry. Make him better. Get rid of the curse. Get rid of Malfoy."
Oh my God!
Harry sat in his room, thoughts swirling through his head, a hollow feeling in his stomach.
She's going to try to fix me. She thinks I'm broken.
She's insane! More than insane, she's dangerous. She's reading Dark Arts books to come up with something to make me better. She's going to mess with my head. How much time now before she finds something she can use on me? And what will it do to me?
I've got to get out of here. Tomorrow, the next day at the latest. But how do I do that without hurting her? How do I live with myself if I do hurt her -- or worse? Do I even care any more?
As Harry curled up under the covers of his bed, he thought of Draco. He drifted off to sleep with one thing on his mind. Please, Draco, find me!
Part 14 - Making a Connection
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 02:02 am (UTC)I just want to scream, "Oh, baby, hold on, he's coming!"
Oh, but in his state of mind, he might take that the wrong way mightn't he?
The vision of Ginny repeating those words just sent a shiver down my spine. I could see her sitting there rocking back and forth with this vacant stare in her eyes. Quite frightening actually. *shivers* It just keeps getting better and better!
no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 02:25 am (UTC)*cracks up* - CUTE!
I could see her sitting there rocking back and forth with this vacant stare in her eyes.
Oh, good, because that's exactly how I pictured her.
Glad you liked ... and back to Draco next time.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 02:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 02:38 am (UTC)*drools over icon*
And here ... forgot the first comment cookies!
no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 03:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 03:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 03:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 03:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 04:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 04:12 am (UTC)*cackles maniacally*
no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 04:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 04:40 am (UTC)Hehehe. *smooches*
no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 04:45 am (UTC)That last line made my stomach clench, and Ginny calling herself Lily was almost as chilly as her insane muutering. Please tell me the next chapter Draco finally at least gets to use the spell.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 04:52 am (UTC)Pure torture you say?
Muahaha! My work here is done!Er ... I mean sorry?Please tell me the next chapter Draco finally at least gets to use the spell.
Now I can't give away too much, but the next chapter does go back to Draco.
no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 05:00 am (UTC)Okay, I'll make what ever I want out of that then. And I'm going to make it happy, with pink unicorns and rainbows.
(Not bad, six beers and I only misspelled realize and muttering)*tries to pat self on back, but falls out of chair*
no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 05:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 11:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 11:39 am (UTC)*giggles* (psst ... you forgot 'torture') *giggles some more*
*hugs my probably hungover friend*
Pink unicorns and rainbows?! Yeah ... riiiiight ...
*smooches*
no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 05:04 pm (UTC)Err... at Ginny, not you. *wibbles*
I'm personally very glad Harry's hatred of her is developing, and I hope he throttles her. *offers rope*
Okay, this is getting scary. Please fix everything, or I fear I might turn murderous myself (on a fictional character too 0_o).
Heheh, angry rants aside, very well-done chapter. Harry's desperation is really escalating, and I think you've succeeded brilliantly in creating a villainous character, lol. :D
no subject
Date: 2007-06-03 06:25 pm (UTC)I'm glad you're enjoying it. A few more chapters to go, still. You can't kill Ginny yet. She has her role to play.
no subject
Date: 2007-08-30 08:31 pm (UTC)*backs away from the mental weaslette*
Loved this, the image of her rocking back and forth and muttering haphazardly... *fangirls*
no subject
Date: 2007-08-30 09:34 pm (UTC)She's not well ... not well at all.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-20 08:17 pm (UTC)Not that I really care but Harry would feel awful about it
He's watched Ginny grow up and she wasn't always insane
excellent
no subject
Date: 2008-02-20 11:26 pm (UTC)