Ch. 35
Accusations and Pleas

Ginny slowly looked towards the sound, her blood chilling at the sight of a dark shadow crouched on one end of the roof. They were looking at the moon, but none of it's light reached their face.

"Took you long enough." The boy said, rising to his feet. Ginny watched as he made his way towards her, his face illuminating in the moonlight.

"What do you want, Cain?" Ginny asked coldly. She was supposed to be downstairs moping over her row with Harry, not standing on the roof with Katrin's brother.

Cain looked much the same as usual, if not paler. His handsome features were set against the dark black sky like the moon. His hair was swiped back, his mint-green eyes glittering slightly.

"I know what's happening to you..." He said quietly, his expression softening. Ginny scrunched her eyebrows together, making to step back, "Watch it!" He said, grabbing her arm. They'd backed to the edge of the roof, and the green grass of the grounds was striking against the night.

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked, shaking his hand off of her. Cain looked down, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"When they had me under their spell? I... met someone." If it wasn't so dark, Ginny would be able to tell that color sparked up his cheeks suddenly, "They... They warned me about it. They know how much Katrin cares about... About you two."

Ginny ignored the last statement, stepping away from the edge, "Cain, did they tell you how to stop it?"

"No... No, it will kill you." He said evenly. Ginny's heart sunk, "But there are ways to escape death that even Dumbledore doesn't know about." He added, looking up with hooded eyes.

"I... What will happen?" Ginny swallowed. Cain took a deep breath.

"S- They didn't find out too much about that. Except that they're attempting to sever the Bond. They've planted a curse into your brain. Every touch from your Bond Mate will bring you closer and closer to death." Ginny's fingers curled into Harry's shirt, and she took a deep breath of his scent that still clung to it. Pine, broom polish, and something flowery that Ginny knew was from her.

"What can I do then?" She asked, looking up at Cain's face. He glanced behind her shoulder, then stepped forward.

"Fight." He said, "There's a meeting some time at the end of this school year. They're going to attack the Potter's house and make to kill Harry's parents before summer comes. But before, they must organize. They're going to pick off your dad, then attack the Ministry. We aren't sure what they want, but..." He took a shuddering breath, laying his hands on Ginny's shoulders in such a brotherly way that it surprised Ginny. She saw compassion in his eyes, "It can't be good."

///

Ginny couldn't believe what she'd heard. But it was true.

Now that Cain told her that the presence in her mind was slowly severing the Bond, she could feel it's icy fingers sliding over the golden glow. It would take a while, definitely, but it was happening.

At the moment, Ginny felt a hollowness in her that she knew was because of the fight with Harry. It wasn't her fault that it happened, but the guilt kept replaying over and over in her head. She kept seeing his hurt look, the stony expression, and hearing him say Whatever. It's whatever you want.

Don't you get it, Harry? This is the opposite of what I wanted.

The insistent scraping in the back of her mind was annoying, and kind of scary now that she knew it was the Bond slowly shriveling up. And Ginny wrapped herself in her blankets, closed her eyes, and tried to imagine Harry was holding her in his arms.

Because for the first time in a while, he wasn't. And wouldn't for a very long time.