Death Eaters in Daigon Alley - 9

"My long-term goal is definitely to merge with you, Harry, but I don't fancy having your arm sticking through my forehead." Ginny teased.

Harry chuckled. "Ha, ha, very funny. Just grab my arm, and we'll see if the only part we leave behind is your smart mouth."

Ginny grinned and grabbed hold of his good arm, keeping her eyes fixed on his face as she felt the tight squeeze of apparation. He looked tired and bloodstained, but magnificent all the same. That quiet power was emanating from him again. It always happened whenever they were in a dangerous situation, and she didn't think he was even aware of it.

She knew she wasn't some sort of scarlet woman, but she couldn't help that she felt incredibly attracted to him when he was like this. That odd mixture of quiet confidence with a hint of insecurity was intoxicating. It was all she could do not to grab his face and snog him senseless whenever he took control of a situation. He was really good at it, too. He'd make a remarkable Auror one day.

Ginny's feet slammed to the ground mere centimeters from one of the burning buildings. She stepped back from the heat, steadying Harry as she did. Glancing at his face, she realized he'd grown alarmingly pale during their apparation.

"All right, Harry?" she asked, wrapping her arm around his waist and pressing her body close. She knew he'd allow her to help him more easily if he thought he was the one actually comforting her. Boys were so silly.

"Yeah. Is that Ron up ahead?" he asked, straining his eyes to see through the smoke.

Ginny turned in the direction he was pointing. She could distinguish Ron's shock of red hair towering above the others a short distance away. There were several Death Eaters being gathered together, but most of them had apparently disapparated. She and Harry moved towards her brother.

"Ron," she called when they were close enough for him to hear her.

"Harry! Ginny!" Ron said, obvious relief washing over his dirty face. "Are you two all right?"

"Harry's hurt," Ginny said at the same time Harry answered that he was fine.

Ron wasn't really listening to either of them. "Was that your Patronus I saw before the building came down?" he asked.

Harry nodded.

"I thought so. I didn't realize what it was at first. Everything happened so fast. Most of the Order are trying to clear out of here since the Ministry officials are arriving now that it's all over," Ron said, shaking his head.

"Are Fred and George okay?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah. They were trying to convince Moody to leave before anyone wanted to take him in for questioning. Bill and Fleur both got pretty banged up, but they've already been sent back to headquarters. You should go and get that arm looked at, mate," Ron said, nodding at Harry, who was still cradling his arm.

Ginny barely listened to Ron and Harry as she watched a delegation of Ministry officials march down the street led by a squat, toad-faced woman. Ginny groaned inwardly. Her heart gave a sudden lurch as she recognized the lanky redheaded wizard who was walking behind her, a notebook clutched in his hands. Percy looked extremely uncomfortable, but he followed Umbridge's orders just the same.

"Harry, let's just Apparate back to headquarters, now. Umbridge is here, and we don't need to deal with her," Ginny hissed, jerking her head in Umbridge's direction.

"You two go ahead," Ron said, standing with his back to Umbridge, thus blocking Harry from her view. "I need to check on Hermione."