The Titans of Secrets

─Chapter Twenty Three

Story: The Titans of Secrets
Chapter Twenty Three: The Background Happenings

Ginny had tried contacting Shade the next day using the two way mirror but was unsuccessful in establishing the connection: he never answered her calls.

Still feeling guilty about wounding him in her anger when he thought so highly of her, she roamed the halls uneasily and finally decided to spend some time with Gilligan. It had, after all, been quite a period since she last had an one-on-one conversation with him.

"Ralamalar," she gave the Fat Lady her password. The portrait swung open, admitting her entrance. Climbing through the hole, her brown eyes scanned the crowd in the common room until they finally landed on Gilligan sitting with Neville and laughing. Smiling to herself at the opportunity she was getting to talk to Neville as well, she approached them.

"Hello boys," she greeted. Gilligan looked up at her and gave her a bright smile. Neville had to turn around so when he did, he lost his toad, Trevor again.

"Oh man, there goes the bothersome toad!" Neville swore. "Good evening Ginny. Why don't you take a seat and talk to this ol' chap whilst I run and get that trouble in the form of a hopper, yeah?" he suggested humorously as he got up. Ginny laughed and took his seat as he strode around the couch, looking for Trevor.

"Too busy to forget me, eh Phoenix?" Gilligan asked.

"What if I told you it's true?" she retorted, causing Gilligan to throw his head back in laughter. Her sassy comments caused him to laugh and it was no rare occasion. Ginny was rather glad she could get him to laugh. She was at least making one person happy.

"Oh and by the way, did you know what Ron did lately?" Gilligan asked as his laughter ceased to give way to a grin. Ginny shook her head, smiling encouragingly for him to go ahead. "He straight up went to Hermione and told her 'Let's go to Hogsmeade this weekend to get chicken, okay?!'. The poor girl was startled out her wits. Seriously, where on earth did chickens come from, man!" he said, grinning even wider. Ginny roared with laughter; that probably was a very Ron-ish thing to do.

"That's my brother for you!" she exclaimed, rolling her eyes in fake annoyance.

"I wish my brother was that fun to be with too. . ." Gilligan's tone took a sudden turn to melancholy and he sighed. Ginny regretted even bringing the title up in front of him. "I mean, he has a great sense of humor and all but it's just he really wants privacy. Tell me Ginny. In a family of four if one, the eldest kid at that, locks himself up in his room for the entirety of his stay, will it suffice his otherwise absence?"

Ginny shook her head. If Percy locks himself in his room in the name of reading, her family of nine would always try their best to get him to close his books. After all, family must be given importance.

"Look, you know it but he doesn't. How am I supposed to initiate a conversation with him if he feels so alien to me?" the youngest Potter asked. Ginny looked thoughtful for a while.

"Just be casual around him. I really have no idea what to tell you because I've never been in such a situation before," Ginny apologized. Gilligan smiled sadly.

"I'm quite an idiot, ain't I? Why did I make our joking so depressing?" He shook his head, mumbling to himself. Ginny pouted; she did not know what to say to comfort her friend.

"It's okay, Gil. Hear me when I say that I believe everything will be patched up in near time." Gilligan shook his head vigorously, as if snapping at something invisible. Ginny was startled but before she could ask, he spoke in a dense voice.

"The situation is going really worse. I'm going out of my limits to put up with my family's separation issues. You don't know about the background letters and notes that they send me. Hell, I don't what I am doing or who I have turned into but this guilt is really weighing me down. I can't escape from this feeling!" he exclaimed, drawing several eyes. Closing his eyes, he rubbed his face with his hands and looked at her. Ginny's breath caught in her throat; his eyes held a dying emotion of sorrow.

"Gilligan, what's wrong?"

Unfortunately, Neville chose that precisely to re-enter the scene. He was sweating, nevertheless smiling. His toad, Trevor, sat on his palms. Ginny wanted to probe Gilligan but she knew that he only confided in her about his family so she kept her quiet.

"A struggle this pet of mine gives," he said, shrugging. "So, what's up?"

And the rest of the conversation was casual.

__________

That night found Shade waiting on the rooftop of the Head Girl's quarters. Ginny almost burst out laughing at Hermione's face when she told her that Shade was waiting for Ginny outside her quarters.

"As if you sleep here!" Ginny had replied before running out. She greeted Shade with a smile.

"Isn't this your quarters?" Shade asked after they settled. Ginny chuckled and shook her head.

"I'm not the Head Girl. My friend Hermione is. She lets me in sometimes for peace. I'm just the Quidditch captain," Ginny answered.

"That's great! I love Quidditch too," Shade said and she grinned; she could discuss tactics with him.

And that's what they did. Every night they met up to talk about Quidditch or about the world. Ginny was rather shocked that he confided in her about the invisible enemy he and Dragonfly are forced to confront. Depending on what he told her, she would 'guess' what Confusion wants.

"What if Confusion seeks Harry Potter?" she had asked him one night. His reaction was unexpected; he had laughed so hard.

"Harry Potter? Ah! Who would want Potter? That bloke is a git!"

"And how would you know that? Harry is a really amazing friend!" Ginny challenged. Shade held up his hands in surrender and Ginny thought he looked rather flushed.

"I know because –"  Suddenly the window opened harshly, causing Ginny and Shade to jump lightly.

"I am sorry to interrupt you but you must leave!" Hermione shouted and forcefully sent Shade away telling it was two hours past curfew.

"You know, that was a bit too rude, Hermione. We were only talking tactics and he was telling me something important," Ginny pointed out as they walked to the Gryffindor tower. Hermione harrumphed.

"Then meet him before the curfew starts! You both can't get away if you are caught roaming the halls at this time of the night!" Hermione whisper-shouted. Once they were in the safety of their dormitory, Hermione put up a silencing charm and dragged a disgruntled Ginny to her bed. "What's up with you? Have you forgotten about Harry?"

"What?" Ginny asked, her skin tone changing.

"I can see it, Ginny. . .! Think of our plan, though."

Ginny grumbled. "Yeah I will."

New twist! The story is turning sinister now.

Also, DA_Community is hosting an Halloween themed event! Go and check it out!

And I've got a question for you guys: what type of book would you guys like to read next?:
1. Hinny Muggle college AU
2. Fantasy-Action Novel with Ginny as the protagonist (hinny is there too but not as much as the first one)

So let me know which one so I can start working on it!

Your thoughts on this chapter? Comment!

Thank you for reading!

Miyoko x