[HP] Complex Touch

In the years that followed, if Ginny recalled discussions with Lily, she could only recall the images Lily's horrific words produced in her mind.She remembered watching Harry grab Dumbledore's body, she remembered him looking into the lifeless eyes of his late teacher.Everyone tried to pull him away from Dumbledore's body, but she was the only one who succeeded.She still remembered how pale his green eyes had been, how she had promised herself she would never let his eyes pale like that again.

That image haunted her day and night.It slowly settled in the back of her mind, but now it resurfaced.Ginny rubbed her eyes, trying to clear her mind.Lily looked at her sharply, wondering what Ginny was thinking.If Lily knew...

"No." Ginny cried with a poison she didn't know. "Why would I want to be friends with that—that monster?"

Ginny's words made Lily blush.Her eyes twinkled dangerously, but the older girl was trying to control her anger.

"He's not a monster," Lily said tremblingly. "I came to you because I think you have no prejudice against the differences between the four colleges."

Ginny stared at Lily, her anger fading away.What's the story behind Lily Evans and Severus Snape?Ginny recalled her first meeting with Lily, when she almost dueled Snape, and Lily looked suspicious.Snape and Lily were clearly friends, or at least Lily thought so.

"Lily...Snape and I have—"

"Severus." Lily interrupted her. "His name is Severus."

Ginny felt like she was going to throw up.Calling him by his first name seemed to make him more human, but he didn't.

"We've had a fight," Ginny said slowly. "He wouldn't want to be friends with me."

After hearing her words, Lily smiled.The smile made Ginny uneasy, and she wished she hadn't said what she had just said.

"You're a lot like me, Ginny; you realize that, don't you? You're just braver than I am; gutsy...you'll do what has to be done! I've tried to keep him from going the way he's going, but I can't. But I think you can."

Ginny almost sneered.

"He's gone," Ginny hissed. "What kind of road is it?"

"You can save him," Lily continued, as if she hadn't heard Ginny. "You have strength that I don't—"

"What's the matter with Snape and you? You should hate him!" cried Ginny, jumping off the table.

Lily looked at her in shock and confusion.

"I have no reason to hate Severus," Lily said. "I'm not going to hate and bully James Potter and his followers just because he hates and bullies him! You understand that, don't you?"

Ginny didn't understand at first.Snape would be a horrible person.Ginny could see it even now...but Luna's blank face flashed into Ginny's mind.Ginny was the first person to befriend this Ravenclaw that no one else wanted to associate with.Luna is different, weird, and often gets bullied for being different.Was it weird for Ginny to be friends with Luna?Perhaps...but it was the loss of others not to be friends with Luna.

That was how Lily viewed her friendship with Snape.Ginny also tries to get help from other people if Luna gets into trouble.Now, Lily asks Ginny to help save someone she thinks is worth saving.

Lily saw Ginny fighting between heaven and man, and the joy of victory flashed across her face for an instant.Even though Ginny didn't agree right away, Lily knew she'd turn the corner eventually.Lily sat on the table and motioned for Ginny to sit back on the table she had just jumped off.Ginny did.

"Severus can be unfriendly and arrogant at times," Lily said softly. "But I corrected him as best I could. His father...wasn't the best model. But Severus is very witty, and you'll love his humor."

Ginny shook her head slightly, still wanting to object.

"He's not unfriendly, he's cruel, that's the difference." Ginny bit her lip, thinking of Harry's reaction if she found out she and Snape were friends.

He will hate her.

"People don't just act like they do," Lily said softly. "My mother told me that when I was very young and I've always believed it. Maybe you should try it too."

Harry would hate her...

---

After talking to Lily, Ginny didn't go to dinner.She climbed into a bed in the Hufflepuff dormitory and lay still, watching Crookshanks, who was playing with a ball of yarn.Her heart was heavy, her stomach was churning, and she still wanted to throw up.How could she be friends with a murderer?Ginny tossed and turned in bed, having trouble falling asleep.

However, sleep did not come to her, especially since she had only woken up a few hours earlier.At this time, Emily walked into the dormitory, and Ginny decided to take a walk in the castle to soothe her nerves.She walked out of the common room without looking back; Crookshanks followed her.It was dark and cold in the corridor; October was coming.

Ginny walked aimlessly, meeting no one.Who would have thought that Snape and Lily were friends?Lily is so understanding, so nice.Ginny started to climb a few flights of stairs, then stopped and turned around.She was walking too fast for Crookshanks and he was still far away, screaming at her.She sighed, jumped down the stairs she had just climbed, and walked over to the kitten.

But one person has gone to the kitten.Another man followed the first and lifted Crookshanks into his arms.Ginny couldn't see who it was, but she called out and waved to show she was there.

"It's okay, he's mine!" Ginny exclaimed, trotting towards the two of them.

She ran up to them, and they were in the shadows.But Ginny could tell that the two students were boys.

"I'm sorry," said a boy. "We thought he was lost."

"It's been meowing for 10 minutes now," the other boy continued.

Ginny frowned.Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't hear Crookshanks at all.The poor kitten kept having trouble keeping up with her, and she didn't even notice.The first boy started toward the light and handed the kitten to Ginny.

"What kind of cat is this?" he asked.

Ginny followed him to the light and was about to answer, but couldn't make a sound.The boy standing in front of her looked a lot like Charlie, with polite interest on his face.She turned her head to another boy who had also just stepped into the light, and saw another boy who looked a lot like Charlie.

The boys looked at her, their brows furrowed.The second boy started laughing and poked his brother.

"Phoebe, doesn't she look a lot like Molly?"

"Yes." said the first boy.

These are her uncles.Ginny watched them, her expression brightened, and all previous thoughts left her mind.

"I'm Ginny."

The boy Ginny thought was Fabian smiled at her.Ron and Bill laughed just as he did.Ginny could hardly hide her joy.

"Fabian—"

"With Gideon Prewett!" Fabian laughed along with his brother.

"You look a lot like our sister Molly," Fabian said, tapping the tip of his nose with his index finger. "Are you related to us?"

Ginny paled, and then she shook her head.

"Well, my mother is a witch, and she married my Muggle father..."

Lies come out easily.Gideon nodded.

"Our family has had magic since...a long time ago," Gideon said. "Not bragging, of course, we are willing to associate with all types of witches."

Ginny laughed.

"I recognize you!" Fabian suddenly shouted. "You're Hufflepuff's new Chaser! We met you at the tryouts!"

Ginny immediately tried to recall if she'd seen the boys at the tryouts, but she'd been more worried about Sirius and James than she'd had a chance to see the rest of the Gryffindors.

"I'm sorry, I really don't remember," Ginny said apologetically.

"Potter and Black quickly dragged you away," Gideon said.

"I'm also a Chaser." Fabian's smile deepened.

"I'm a hitter," Gideon responded.

It was ridiculous that Ginny didn't see her uncles, who she'd been desperately trying to see while at Hogwarts.Fabian reached out his hand and patted Crookshanks' hair.

"Cute cat," he said. "But it looks kind of tricky, doesn't it?"