Forward Progress - Part 5

"Oh, get over yourselves," she snapped, pushing Harry backwards into the room and irritably casting the Muffliato spell as she stepped through the door.

Ron and Harry stared at her, stunned, although Hermione was grinning slightly.

"Ginny, you used magic," Harry said stupidly.

"Yeah, what of it? You and I are the only underage people in a house full of qualified wizards; they'll never trace it back to me. Besides, this house is Unplottable anyway," Ginny said, brushing her hair out of her eyes with exasperation.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ron bellowed. "I'm telling Mum."

"Yeah, why don't you run along and do that, Ron? Meanwhile Harry can tell us what happened in Godric's Hollow, and what he plans to do about the horcruxes," Ginny replied calmly, sitting on the couch and crossing her legs. She looked up at Harry expectantly.

Both Ron and Harry stared at her, mouths agape. Hermione, Harry noticed, shrank deeper into the corner of the couch where she was sitting.

"What did you just say?" Ron asked, his voice coming out in a strained squeak.

Ginny ignored him and turned to Harry. "Well?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. It was only down to how well he'd come to know her that he saw the nervous tremble in her hand as she twisted her hair. Ginny always twisted her hair when she was anxious.

He glanced between Ginny and Hermione. Hermione wouldn't meet his eyes.

"You told her," he snarled, glaring at Hermione. "Dumbledore asked us to keep this to ourselves. I gave my word."

Ginny leaped from the couch and stood in front of Hermione, glaring right back at Harry. "Don't be stupid – of course you wouldn't tell me – you were the one that promised, not Hermione. You couldn't say anything because it would go against that blasted nobility of yours. No matter how infuriating it can be, we don't want to mess with the kind of person you are. It's important for you to keep that integrity, I think.

"Of the three of you, Hermione is the logical one who would seek help. She wants facts and data and will use any means necessary to get to the answers she needs. Of course she told me, she knows I can help. She's also a good friend and knew I was going mad. I knew enough to be terrified for you, but not what was real and I think my imagination was making everything worse."

"Hermione?" Ron asked, shocked. Harry would have found the expression on his face comical if he hadn't been so angry.

"I'm sorry!" Hermione shrieked. "I wasn't getting anywhere with our research, and I needed someone who could sneak me some books from the library here at Grimmauld Place. Ginny would come to the meetings with your parents and wait for them in the library so she could sneak some books out to me. I know you promised, Harry, but I honestly think Professor Dumbledore would have allowed you to include Ginny if he knew the stakes. You need her."

Harry swore violently and turned his head away. He wasn't even certain why he felt so angry. This was the solution he'd been seeking, a way to share things with Ginny without having to betray his word, but damn it, he'd wanted to keep Ginny out of this, and she'd been at the heart of it all along. It was galling.

"How could you do that, Hermione?" Ron shouted, his temper finally exploding. "She's not getting involved. It's too dangerous."