[HP] Complex Touch

The next week and a half went by without a hitch.Ginny enjoys her first weekend with Dorcas, Marlene and Edgar.She sent the broom to Dumbledore to cast a spell on, and she did all the homework, which was really quite a lot.Crookshanks got used to the Hufflepuff common room, which was soon very popular with the girls, but the boys around it seemed more cautious.The Quidditch trials would be held tomorrow, and Ginny was ready to fly and get back on the court.

Today is Saturday, and Ginny is taking Crookshanks for a stroll around the castle.Crookshanks is quite lively for a cat.Somehow, Crookshanks was as arrogant and suspicious of things around him as he was 20 years later.But he liked attention, and he usually bugged Ginny to pet him or talk to him.Today, she let him lead her through the corridors, wondering how the kitten had learned the construction of the castle so quickly.

"Hey, hey, snotty, don't run away—"

"Padfoot, stop!"

"Is this how the new Head Boys stop a brewing fight?"

The loud voice attracted the attention of Crookshanks and Ginny.Ginny turned her head, wondering who was fighting and where they were.She began to follow the angry voice.

"Snape, you don't fucking know what you're up to!"

Ginny stopped immediately, her heart skipping a beat, but Crookshanks kept going, either unaware of his Master's movement or not at all.She watched in despair as Crookshanks rounded the corner and headed straight for the fight.And, judging by the sound, the fight involved Snape... and a group of boys.

"Of course I know……"

"Snape, shut up!"

Ginny knew without even looking that the argument had heated up.She must find Crookshanks and get out of here!Ginny knew she couldn't face Snape, she was worried that he was with someone she knew in the future, and what she saw was something she couldn't accept.Ginny peeked around the corner and spotted Crookshanks strolling towards the boys.

Ginny cursed at the kitten, the damn curious kitten, and she started approaching him.She didn't want to draw any attention, but she had to catch Crookshanks.

"Otherwise what—"

"Shut up now!"

Crookshanks turned to look at Ginny.He looked at the arguing boys, then at her, and decided that she was clearly more worthy of his time.When Crookshanks walked towards her, she thanked Merlin very much.She picked him up and was about to turn around and run away, when five words made her stop.

"It's a werewolf!"

Ginny froze, and finally turned her attention to the boys.When she saw the scene in front of her, her breath caught in her throat.In fact, she had correctly identified one of the boys as Severus Snape.But the other four boys were ones she wasn't prepared to see... four boys Ginny would meet in the future, the Marauders.

She continued to watch the five boys.Breathing heavily, Snape held out his wand and pointed it at Sirius Black's face.Ginny looked at the boys tremblingly.James Potter looked torn between whether to hex Snape or stop the fight.Remus Lupine watched Snape in horror, while Peter Pedillo hid behind his friends.

Remus tried to grab Sirius, but since Remus' arm was hanging limply to the side, Sirius didn't have to struggle anymore.The tension in the hallway was heavy, and Ginny was glad she and the boys were the only ones there.It wouldn't be nice if word got around the school that Remus was a werewolf.

"What a dirty little secret," Snape hissed to the boys.

This became the trigger for the boys.Sirius jumped at Snape, and Remus wasn't quick enough to hold him back.Snape's head banged against the corridor wall, but it didn't seem to affect him for long.He was shaking slightly from dizziness when he noticed Ginny.He gave an almost terrifying smile.

"Blake, forget it for today," Snape said.

Ginny's heart was beating violently, but she didn't move.Crookshanks fell asleep in her arms, oblivious to what had happened.

"Why would I do that?" Sirius snapped, and Snape looked away haughtily.

"Because we have a witness."

Following Snape's words, Sirius put down the Slytherin and looked directly at Ginny.The other predators also looked at Ginny, and everyone froze again.Everyone except Snape who hurriedly fled in the opposite direction.Ginny could not move again until Snape was out of sight.

The rest of the boys didn't seem to know what to do or think, and Ginny did the first thing that came to mind.She turned and ran down the corridor in the direction she had come.However, her escape seemed to spur the boys into action, and they caught up to her before long.

"Stop! Girl, stop!" the yell echoed down the corridor, but she kept running.

She couldn't face them, not now.Ginny couldn't look them in the eye, couldn't hold back her sadness.Two of them are dead, one has turned into a traitor, and the other is left alone in the world.Their footsteps grew louder, meaning they were getting closer, and just as Ginny was about to look back, a hand grabbed her arm roughly and pinned her against the wall.Ginny drops Crookshanks in shock.

Ginny wanted to scream, but a hand was over her mouth, and she found herself looking into James Potter's light brown eyes.Sirius was standing next to his best friend, blocking Ginny's way of escaping, while Remus was leaning against the wall opposite them, looking absolutely disgusted and terrified.Pediru was still running towards them in the corridor.

They were all panting heavily, and Ginny's eyes widened in excitement.She wasn't scared, but she felt so sick that she was sure she was going to pass out.James Potter and Sirius Black... they were standing right in front of her, touching her, maybe trying to kill her, but whatever...

"What the hell did you hear?" Sirius hissed.

Ginny struggled in James' confinement.

"Answer us!" Sirius ordered.

Even though Ginny felt very dizzy, she rolled her eyes.James still has his hand over her mouth.

"Your hand, James," said Remus softly, noticing the same thing as Ginny.

James narrowed his eyes.

"You mustn't scream," he warned. "You are not allowed to run away. Do you hear me?"

Ginny nodded, and James took his hand from her mouth.She kept her mouth shut and clutched at the wall.

"You heard that, didn't you?" James asked her, and she nodded.

Sirius cursed, and Remus buried his face in his hands.Pedilu just ran over, panting.Ginny waited for James' reaction, and he watched her.

"You mustn't tell anyone," he ordered, and Ginny began to think.

They'd just pinned her against the wall, James was still grabbing her arm like she was a goddamn animal, and now, what were they going to tell her to do?Ginny hissed and wrenched her arm out of James' grasp.She would never tell anyone about Remus' situation, she'd known it for years and had absolutely no desire to.

"Don't worry," Ginny snapped.

She started to have a headache and was still shaking badly.The two Gryffindors were still swarming around her, as she expected, but Sirius uttered a cry of pain and staggered away from her.Ginny watched in amazement as Crookshanks' claws sank into Sirius' legs.