227) Secrets and Promises

Things at Hogwarts weren't so calm either, at least not for me. Maybe the day isn't as hectic as it was with Tenebrius, but as Red, I have my own problems. Right now, the main one is called Ginny. No, it's not that she's fought with me again. In fact, it might be the opposite.

Ginny is acting strangely, to the point where I'm a bit worried about her change in attitude. It's not out of fear that she has the diary; if that were the case, I'd question Voldemort's sexual orientation given how clingy she's being. It's not unpleasant, but she's getting too involved in my business, probing into my life like never before. Well, it's not like I'm entirely surprised. Since we reconciled, it's been like this, but lately, it's gone way further.

For example, right now I'm walking through the halls of Hogwarts. Daphne follows me like a good assistant, but so does Ginny, who has been questioning me incessantly throughout the walk.

"How can you not sleep? That's not healthy," Ginny asked with a mix of annoyance and concern.

"I do sleep. One of the clones does it for me," I answered calmly.

"While your real self and the other clones stay awake?" (Ginny)

"Exactly," I shrugged.

"You're crazy! How can you live like that?" (Ginny)

"I'm fine," I said lightly. "My rest is much deeper than the others'. Even if a clone is the one sleeping, I feel as fresh as a lettuce, as if I'd slept twelve straight hours."

"How many clones do you keep active at once?" Ginny frowned.

"I don't know, it varies constantly depending on what I need. Sometimes more, sometimes less," I replied.

"Give me a number," she insisted.

"I don't know... ten? Twenty?" (Red)

"You keep twenty active clones and only one sleeps!? Are you listening to yourself?! How can you live like that? You have about twenty times the load of a normal person, and you only compensate for one's sleep!" Ginny stopped, incredulous.

"It's not like that," I tried to defend myself.

"Since when have you kept this pace? Since when are your clones always active?" (Ginny)

"I don't know. It started last year, although there were times it wasn't like that, but..." (Red)

"Don't you realize you're hurting yourself?!" she exclaimed, with a tone that reminded me a lot of Mom. "You need to take a break. Get rid of your clones and sleep by yourself for at least one day. You can't keep going like this, damn it!" she shouted angrily.

"Language!" I scolded her. Although I knew perfectly well she had learned that vulgar language from me. "And I'm telling you, it's not that bad. I'm different from the others, and you know it."

"I don't care," she replied firmly. "I'm worried about your health, if not physical then mental. You're overloading yourself. You need to get rid of those clones and sleep."

"Alright, I'll do it..." I gave in reluctantly.

"No, it's not enough for you to just tell me. You have to promise me!" (Ginny)

"Alright, I promise," I said more seriously. I didn't understand why she was so worried, although maybe resting once in a while wouldn't be so bad.

"When?" (Ginny)

"When what?" I asked, confused.

"When are you going to do it?" (Ginny)

"I don't know... tomorrow?" I replied, unsure at her insistence. But I noticed her expression turning nervous when I mentioned tomorrow.

"On Halloween," she said suddenly.

"What?" (Red)

"Do it on Halloween." (Ginny)

"Why?" (Red)

"It'll be a holiday. You'll be tired. It's a good time to rest," she explained firmly.

"Well, alright. On Halloween night, I'll rest," I finally agreed.

"Without clones. Only your real self," she ordered, pointing at me like she was my mother.

"Alright, my real self will sleep," I confirmed.

"You'd better do it. I'll come to your room at night to make sure you're really sleeping. If I find you..." (Ginny)

"Yes, Mom," I said, rolling my eyes, causing Ginny to blush slightly but not back down.

"You'd better do it, or else..." she began, glancing around nervously.

"What?" (Red)

"I'm going to become... Hogwarts' slut," she said firmly, although visibly embarrassed. Her look reflected slight disdain as she continued. "You always told me I'm the most beautiful girl in the world. I'm sure there are many boys here who think the same," she added, puffing out her chest with false pride.

"Ginny! You're playing with fire! Don't joke like that!" I exclaimed with an unusual seriousness.

"I'm not joking," she insisted. "If even my brother can't keep a simple promise, what's the point of keeping decency? Maybe I should be more 'friendly' with the older boys. I could even make some money," she added, blushing with embarrassment but holding her ground.

"GINNY!" I shouted so loudly that my voice echoed through the hall. Daphne, who had been watching our conversation with interest, jumped slightly, startled. "I don't ever want to hear you say such madness again. Never. And I mean never, think or talk about doing something like that, do you hear me?!" I exclaimed, holding Ginny by the arms, looking straight into her eyes.

"Only if you keep your promise," she said firmly, though her voice was beginning to crack. Her eyes shone, holding back tears that wouldn't be long in falling. "If you do, I'll never say it again. It won't be necessary... but keep your promise," she repeated, with a tone full of determination as she squeezed my arms tightly, as if to make sure her words were imprinted on me.

Seeing Ginny cry broke me. All my anger vanished in an instant. Without saying anything more, I pulled her into a hug. I felt her sob weakly against my chest as I stroked her back, trying to calm her. Gradually, her breathing began to steady.

"Alright," I murmured softly. "I'll keep my promise. Stop crying, please. I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"I need to go see Luna," she said finally, pulling away from me and giving me a smile. Before she left, she looked at me with eyes still red and wet but with a determined expression. "Make sure you keep it. I'll come that night to see if you're really asleep. And you'd better not be pretending. If I find out you're awake when I arrive, I'll consider it a lie."

I watched her walk away, her sweet smile still visible despite the tears drying on her face. On the outside, she seemed like the same Ginny as always, but something in her behavior worried me. It wasn't the diary, I was sure of that. I had used my magic to inspect her body, and I found nothing out of place. The only explanation left for her instability was puberty.

I sighed and turned to Daphne, still reflecting.

"I'm sorry if this is awkward, embarrassing, or even offensive, but... does puberty make girls this... crazy? Or is it just my sister?" (Red)

"I don't know," Daphne looked at me reproachfully, then moved to indifference and replied, raising an eyebrow. "But considering you're her brother and, honestly, the weirdest person I know, I'd say it's a family trait."

"Maybe..." I muttered, not wanting to argue.

Daphne and I kept walking, resuming our path. Ginny, for her part, also continued on hers. However, when she made sure we couldn't see her anymore, her expression changed. The sweet smile and tearful eyes disappeared, replaced by a serious, calculating, and perhaps even dangerous face.

...

I was sitting at the Slytherin table, eating calmly and laughing with my friends. Next to me were Daphne and Pansy, while Ginny and Luna sat across from me. Something felt strange: every now and then, Ginny would throw me furtive glances, as if she was about to say something. But just when it seemed she would speak, she would lower her head and start playing with her food on her plate.

"Just say it," I said finally, tired of seeing her so indecisive. It was unusual for her.

"I..." (Ginny)

"I know you want to tell me something. Come on, just say it already. I don't think it's anything so serious that it should be so hard for you, and if it is, it's better to know now and deal with it." (Red)

"I... need you to lend me some money," she said at last, her voice full of evident embarrassment.

"Is that all?" I asked, confused. I had expected something more serious. I never doubted, and I never would, to lend money to my sister.

"If you need money, I can give it to you, Ginny," Pansy interjected kindly, probably trying to score points with her 'sister-in-law.'

"No... no, that's fine. I need Red to lend it to me," Ginny insisted, looking down.

"Alright, but I don't understand why it took you so long to say it. Unless you're involved in something shady and have a debt to pay," I replied, eyeing her suspiciously.

"No, no! Nothing like that. I just... need to buy something," she answered, still with her head down.

"How much do you need?" I asked, keeping my calm.

Ginny pulled out a piece of paper from her notebook, wrote something on it, and slid it across the table to me. When I saw it, my eyes widened. I looked up, surprised, and noticed that she was still as red as a tomato, with her head still down.

"You want to buy a unicorn colt?" I said after seeing the number written. For a moment, I thought maybe she wanted the newest broom on the market, but that didn't make sense; I had given her a better one. "If that's the case, it would be cheaper to just kidnap one from the Forbidden Forest," I added in a joking tone, although I was seriously questioning the amount.

"No! But... I can't tell you. It's girl stuff," she replied, avoiding the explanation.

"I don't think tampons are that expensive," I joked, but quickly regretted it when I felt Daphne and Pansy dig their elbows into my ribs, and Ginny kicked me under the table. She almost had to crawl under it to reach me. "Alright, alright, it was in bad taste, I admit it. I deserved that," I tried to ease the tension, rubbing my side.

"Can you lend it to me or not?" Ginny asked, now with a frown.

"Let's hope it's not drugs, or if it is, you share with me. At this price, it must be some really good stuff," I replied with a smile, mentally transferring the amount through the [Bank]. As someone important to me, I had created her own account, and like with guild members, I gave her access to the ability derived from my [Wallet].

When Ginny saw an animated version of a small coin pouch with the same amount she had written on the paper appear in her line of sight, her face lit up with a radiant smile.

"Can we go with Merk this afternoon?" Ginny asked, breaking the silence as we ate.

"Yes, sure," I replied without hesitation, focusing back on my food. I didn't know what she was planning, but her sudden enthusiasm was contagious, and seeing her eating heartily again made me happier than I wanted to admit. I didn't care what she was going to spend the money on; her happiness was enough for me.

That same afternoon, we set off for the Forbidden Forest together. We walked steadily until we finally spotted Merk. Just when we were a few meters away, Ginny suddenly stopped and shot me a serious look.

"Stay here," she ordered firmly.

"Huh? Why?" I asked, frowning.

"You can't know what we're going to buy." (Ginny)

"Girl stuff?" I tried to joke, although her expression made it clear she was serious.

"Exactly. So stay here, and you better not try to snoop. Understood?" She pointed at me, looking at me with an intensity I rarely saw. "Luna will ask Merk if you tried to find out, and if I find out you did... I will never speak to you again. I'll run away from home, and you'll never see me again," she said with such seriousness that a shiver ran down my spine.

I wanted to protest, but her gaze stopped me. There was something in her words, in that almost terrifying resolve, that made me feel I shouldn't take it lightly. What could be so important, dangerous, or embarrassing for her to speak with such conviction?

"Alright," I agreed, sighing.

"I want an unbreakable vow," she suddenly demanded.

"Ginny!" I exclaimed, surprised.

"It's necessary. You can't know about this. Not until... I don't know, in a few years. But it's important to me," she said, her eyes beginning to fill with tears. "Promise, Red. You're my favorite brother. I need to know I can trust you."

"If you trusted me, you wouldn't need a vow," I replied, although my voice lost some of its firmness in the face of her pleading expression.

"Please," she insisted, with a tone that would disarm anyone.

"Alright," I finally yielded, raising my hand. "But let's make a [Pact]. It's safer and simpler."

She seemed relieved and extended her hand. We took each other's forearms, and Ginny began to speak with a seriousness I had never seen before.

"You, Red Weasley, formerly Nicholas Leopold Weasley, promise not to know what Luna and I are buying today from the merchant, nor to investigate or try to find out by any means, until I, Ginevra Molly Weasley, allow you to." (Ginny)

"I promise," I replied, feeling a knot in my stomach. It was clear she knew me well, because the pact was much more specific than I would have phrased it.

"Good. Now stay here," she said, relieved, before turning to Luna.

From my position, I watched as the two of them approached Merk's cart. Ginny took her time checking the merchant's options until she found what she was looking for. I couldn't see what it was, not just because the pact prevented me from investigating, but because Luna, with calculated precision, positioned herself to cover her while my sister put something in her bag, enchanted with an expansion charm. Then they switched roles: Ginny covered Luna while the latter made her purchase.

When they finished, Luna stayed for a few minutes talking to Merk before coming back to me.

"Promise that if there's any problem, you'll tell me so we can solve it together," I asked Ginny, worried about what she might be hiding.

"Don't worry," she replied with a light smile, though she was a little flushed. "Everything's fine... it's just something I need right now. Don't worry, I'll tell you in a few years."

Before I could say anything else, she took my hand and started dragging me back to Hogwarts almost running. She was visibly excited, a happiness so genuine that, for a moment, I forgot any doubts. The only thing that mattered was seeing her smile like that.

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2nd Additional Chapter

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