Repercussions - 4

"Ronnie," her mum wailed, finally noticing the burns on Ron's arm. She ran across the room and grabbed his hand, trying to straighten out his arm and inspect the wounds.

Ron jerked his arm away roughly. "M'fine," he slurred, letting them all know he was anything but. "'Erminee's hurt."

"I want to know what in the name of Merlin happened to all of you, and I want to know right now. I'm aware that you were in Diagon Alley earlier today, and now you show up here injured. Where have you been, and what have you been doing?" Molly demanded, drawing herself up to her full height. She glared at Ginny while keeping her hand on Ron's shoulder. Molly Weasley wasn't a tall woman, but when she was angry she appeared to grow before their eyes.

"The questions will keep, Molly," Remus Lupin said mildly as he reentered the room followed closely by Madam Pomfrey. "Let's get their injuries healed first."

Madam Pomfrey's expert gaze swept the room and each of the four teens before moving directly to Hermione. She set her bag on the floor and in a no-nonsense voice told Ron to move aside. Ron shifted back, although admittedly not very far.

"Are you injured, Ginevra?" her mother asked stiffly.

"No," Ginny replied, knowing what was coming and steeling herself for it.

"Then I want you upstairs and in your room. I'll be up to discuss this with you after I'm certain your brother will be all right," her mum said in a shrill voice.

Ginny swallowed, clenching her fists so tightly her fingernails dug into her palms. "No, Mum. I'm staying."

"Don't you dare argue with me, young lady. I'm on my last nerve with you as it is, disappearing in the middle of the night without so much as a note. There's a war going on out there. You could have been killed," her mum shouted.

"Molly," her dad said, placing a restraining arm on her mum's shoulder.

"No, Arthur. I want her upstairs now," her mum insisted, pointing at the door.

"No, Mum. I'm staying here until I know they'll be all right," Ginny said, swallowing hard. "Hermione and Harry are unconscious, and Ron's nearly delirious. I'm the only one who can tell Madam Pomfrey anything she might need to know."

She knew she was using the health of the others as her trump card, but she didn't care. She wasn't leaving the room. She felt this first battle of wills was pivotal in how the rest of the Order was to see them. Besides, she wasn't about to leave Harry defenseless with her brothers in the room. Still, it was terrifying to defy her mother. There had been a time not all that long ago when she'd never have considered doing it.

"She's right, Molly," Remus said, and Ginny could have hugged him. She looked over at him gratefully, but he averted his eyes.

Her mother's lips thinned, and she looked as if she might cry, causing Ginny's heart to pinch again. What she really wanted to do was to fling her arms around her mum and just hang on, but she knew she couldn't do that. If she wanted her family to see her as an adult, she was going to have to act like one. No matter how hard that proved to be.

"This is Dark magic," Madam Pomfrey cried, pulling away from Hermione, her eyes wild. "This child is covered in Dark magic."

"Does that mean you won't be able to heal her?" Ginny asked, panicked. She could hear the tremble in her own voice, but couldn't hide it. All she could remember was Professor Dumbledore's blackened hand and how dead it had looked.