Ch. 36
Guardians

"Ginny!" A little voice yelled from down the crowded hall. Ginny stopped in her path, clutching her book bag as she listened for her name again. The full aching in her bones had intensified, and she knew Harry felt it too. He'd tried to talk to her, but every word she said was like a bullet she shot towards his heart. He ended up leaving her alone after she called him an 'Idiot that couldn't tie his shoelaces without his mother's help.'. It wasn't her, of course, but he still didn't know that.

"Ginny!" The voice said again, and Ginny felt a small hand on her cloak. She turned to look into the hazel eyes of Fiona Beckett. The second year Ravenclaw was smiling, not noticing Ginny's disgruntled mood.

"Hey, Fiona." Ginny said, trying for a smile. She shifted slightly as Fiona's eyes lit up.

"Hi Ginny! I haven't seen you in a while." She was still smiling, constantly tucking her hair behind her ear. Her boxy glasses that perched on her nose were crooked.

"Yeah..." Ginny glanced around quickly, not feeling like talking with the girl.

"Where's Harry?" Fiona asked, cocking her head to the side. A knife seemed to lodge itself in Ginny's abdomen, "You two are never apart? Does he have a different schedule this year or something?" The girl was significantly shorter than Ginny, almost being half her height, and had to look up to meet Ginny's eyes.

"Yeah," Ginny cleared her throat as her voice broke, "He does."

"Oh, that's too bad. Tell him I said hi!" Fiona grinned. Ginny nodded, patting the girl on her shoulder tentatively, "There's something I want to tell you two later, so do you maybe want to meet up?" The girl asked hopefully. Ginny bit her lip.

"Harry has some things going on, but you can tell me now and I'll pass it along." Ginny evaded the invitation, thinking of how she was going to hound after Cain for answers later.

"Okay. That's fine, I guess." Ginny knew the girl was disappointed, but could do nothing to fix it. Harry really did have some things he needed to sort out, his relationship with Ginny for one, "Dad got a letter yesterday! Mom says she'll be home by next year! They're stationing her in Germany for now, though. Something about teaming up to do something? Anyway, dad and I are really excited. We're going to throw her a welcome home party during Christmas break!"

"Really? That's great!" Ginny made a mental note to scour her Visions for anything in Germany, just to make sure that the girl's mother was safe.

"Yeah, well, I guess I'll see you later, Ginny!" Fiona started backing up, her hand raised in a wave. Ginny waved back, a small smile on her face.

///

"Answers, now." Katrin bent over slightly so she was looking her brother straight in the eye. Cain looked up, dropping his quill.

"About what?" He asked, his tone slightly bored. Katrin held up the paper, pulling away when his eyes widened and he tried to snatch it away.

"This, Cain."

"How did you get that?" He glared, standing.

"That doesn't matter, Cain. Who is this, and why are you talking to them about Ginny?" Katrin whispered, her eyes narrowing. She swore to Merlin if Cain was with those Death Eaters again. If he was trying to harm Ginny Weasley...

"It's none of your business, Kat." Cain rubbed his hand across his face, his minty eyes tired, "Give it back."

"No, not until you tell me what's going on." She didn't break eye contact with him until he rolled his eyes.

"Kat, it's nothing."

"Yeah, right "It's nothing". Cain, this person, whoever they are, knows way too much about Ginny for my taste. You know that I'm supposed to-"

"Yeah, protect them." Cain rolled his eyes, "You haven't been doing that good of a job, have you? Dad's going to be upset."

"You didn't do a very good job last year! That's why she put it on my shoulders!" Katrin snapped, "That's why I'm in this mess, Cain!"

"That's wasn't my fault..." Cain said lowly, his eyes turning dark.

"It's never your fault, Cain. If you hadn't gotten mixed in with those people..."

"Then you wouldn't be so close to the Bonded, would you? Then both of us would be assigned with protecting them and not just you because dad doesn't trust me anymore! More specifically, you wouldn't be as close to-"

"Don't you dare say it, Canaan." Katrin boiled, "Just tell my why in Merlin's name are you talking to this girl about evil forces killing Ginny!" She whispered angrily.

"Because... Because..." Cain was blushing terribly, "Because she's helping me keep them safe. She is my insider into Voldemort's inner circle."

"And you don't tell me?" Katrin lowered the paper, "It's my job-"

"Just because one of our great-great-great grandparents took care of the Bonded doesn't mean that we have to too." He pointed out, "It's choice that get's us here. You're acting like you don't want to protect them, and you're being way too messy at your job as well, so I decided to take things into my own hands." Cain raised his eyebrows.

"I... I do want to protect them, Cain, but you know-"

"I know that, Katrin." He sighed, "But my past mistakes are just that. Past. You have to trust me to help you in this."

"You hid this from me."

"Yeah, because I knew you'd act like this." He looked up, "Your protectiveness over them is good for what dad wants us to do, but sometimes we need more than just sitting and waiting for something to happen. Because something has happened."

"What... What is it?" Katrin asked.

"Sit down. You aren't going to like this."

"I can stand." Katrin brushed him off, "Just tell me."

Cain sighed, putting his hand on the wood of the library desk. He nodded, opening his mouth to tell her the long story. Her eyes got darker and darker with every word, her hand gripping the table. Her fingernails, which had been picked and chewed on until they bled, dug into the fabric of her cloak.

"So, what do we do?" Katrin asked.

"That's easy," Cain looked up, his eyes sparkling slightly, "We interrupt that little meeting and kill the man that started it all."

"Gillian Patrick?" Katrin asked, tilting her head slightly as she remembered the chimp-like man that had locked her in that horrid prison for days.

"Yes, it's time to end this." Cain grinned.