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Author: Musings Story: The New Professor Rating: Teens Setting: AU Status: WIP Reviews: 6 Words: 160,238
"Ginny?" Harry said, closing the door to the Astronomy Tower. He held onto the door latch and muttered a Locking Charm to ensure their privacy before walking further into the room, his eyes never leaving her silhouette. Her hands cradled her face as her body heaved with broken sobs. He hesitated – given their history, he wasn't certain what to do, but the sound of her weeping felt like daggers through his heart. His mind flashed back to that night at The Burrow nine years ago, when similar sobs rang in his ears as he descended the stairs from her room, his trunk and all of his belongings shrunken and pocketed in his cloak, his heart numb from her rejection. Suddenly, fear for her family turned him cold – what if something had happened to Ron? Hermione, so close to having her baby? He swallowed – she'd come to him for a reason, and he needed to find out what that was. "Gin, what's wrong?" he said, a little louder this time, and was gratified when she started slightly – she'd heard him. As he came toward her, he watched as she swung her long hair forward, sending a cascade over the shoulder closest to him. He smiled sadly – she'd always hated the way she looked when she cried and would always hide behind the red fire of her hair. It had never mattered to Harry – he'd found her beautiful regardless. Reaching her side, he touched her shoulder lightly. "Has…has something happened at home?" Bile rose in his throat as dread for her next words clenched his stomach. When she shook her head, the relief was almost overwhelming. He closed his eyes to regain his bearings, only to be knocked sideways when she launched herself against his chest, her arms wrapped around his waist. Stunned, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, his Quidditch reflexes keeping the two of them from toppling over onto the floor. His hands stood stiff and empty, uncertain of what to do. Comfort her, you great prat! his brain screamed at him. Hesitantly, his hands closed upon her, one at her waist, the other against the back of her head, stroking her hair as he uttered soothing nonsense words into her ear. Her sobs continued, unrestrained, and he could feel the heat of her tears seeping through the shoulder of his waistcoat to the linen of his shirt. He shifted his head slightly, to bring her closer to him, the fine, silken strands of her hair catching slightly in the shadow of his beard. He breathed in her perfume, the combination between it and her skin causing his lower body to tighten uncomfortably. God, don't let her notice. Harry lost track of how long they stood, wrapped in an embrace that was on the one hand filled with sadness, but on the other filled him with more joy than he'd known in many years. Her crying had ceased, to be replaced by an occasional sob or a shudder. After many minutes, Harry leaned back to catch her attention. She ducked her head, wiping at her eyes with her sleeves, only stopping when Harry moved his left hand from her waist and withdrew a handkerchief from his back pocket. "Here you go, Gin," he said softly. "Please tell me what happened." She mopped her eyes with his hankie, blew her nose and turned her face up to his. Tear-stained and blotchy, she is still the most beautiful woman I've ever known. "I…I got a letter," she said hoarsely, removing one of the hands she'd had tight around his waist and bringing it within his view. Crumpled in her hand was a piece of parchment. "Can I read it?" he asked gently, removing his hand from her hair and taking a step backwards. She nodded, handing it to him, her eyes seeking for a place to sit down. "Let me," he said. Taking the letter and stuffing it into his pocket, he reached for her hand and walked her over to a bench near the window, easing her down onto the seat. He placed his hand against the stone wall behind her back. "Demulceo," he said, and the wall grew warm under his hand for a moment before it turned as soft as a goose-down pillow. He sat down next to her and, taking the letter from his pocket, started to read. He recognized Ron's handwriting and stopped midway though the letter, his eyes closing as he felt the start of tears prickle the back of his throat. He couldn't help but remember what it had been like to lose friends during the war, to see Charlie fall from the sky to his death. He turned to look at her, only to find her with her face cradled in her hands again, silently sobbing into the handkerchief he'd given her moments before. "Gin, I'm so sorry," he said softly, placing an arm around her shoulders and giving her a gentle squeeze. When she didn't speak, he continued reading the letter, blinking in surprise when he reached the part where Ron suggested she seek Harry out. A small bubble of hope lifted in his heart – perhaps there was a road back towards Ron and the rest of the Weasleys, including the young woman he comforted now. He watched as her hands fell into her lap. "I received a note from Samantha just last week," Ginny said, her voice hoarse from crying. "She and Jaime had just become engaged. They were planning a wedding in Jaime's hometown in Spain." She turned to raise her tear-stained eyes to meet his. "They went to St. Margaret for a bit of a holiday to celebrate! Why? Why them?" Her eyes filled with fresh tears. "Why?" Her body seemed to sink in on itself as her weeping began anew. Harry drew her close once again, wrapping his arms around her tightly, tucking her head against his shoulder and unconsciously rocking her back and forth. Time held no meaning as they clung to one another. He craned his stiffening neck to glance out the window at the moon. He was shocked when he realized it had to be close to midnight. He turned to glance down at Ginny, who appeared to have fallen asleep. Sliding an arm under her legs, he rose to his feet and was unable to muffle the groan that crept past his lips – carrying Ming earlier had taken more out of him than he'd realized. Ginny's head came away from his chest with a jolt. He looked down to see her staring up at him, her eyes slightly dazed and very confused. "What time is it, Harry?" she said, rubbing her eyes as he set her down onto her feet. "Almost midnight," he said. "We need to get you back to Gryffindor Tower." "No!" she cried, "I'm all right," she said, pressing her hands against the small of her back and stretching like a cat. "I'd rather not be alone just yet. Can we stay here for a moment?" Harry nodded. "Can I get you something to drink? I'll get some water from my rooms." He turned, taking the stairs two at a time until he reached his rooms. He picked up the pitcher and two glasses and headed back downstairs to find Ginny standing close to one of the globes he'd inherited from Dumbledore. He handed her a glass and began to pour her some water. "Do you plan on attending…" he said, breaking off before he could mention the funeral. Ginny's hand shook as she raised the glass up to her mouth to take a sip. "I need to contact Samantha's mother," Ginny said. "I want very much to be there if I can." "Is there anything I can do to help, Gin?" Harry said, setting his own glass down on the desk and taking her empty hand. "I'm nowhere near as good as you in Charms, but I'd do my best to cover for you while you're gone." She smiled sadly at him. "I think you'd blow up the room, Harry, but thank you." He shrugged. They stood quietly for several moments, sipping their water. Harry jumped when he felt her hand on his sleeve, and turned to face her. Her eyes were tired, but gazed steadily into his. He watched as thoughts chased through them, wondering where they would lead. "There is something you can do for me, though." "Anything, Gin," he said, laying a hand atop the one that clutched his forearm. "Tell me what happened that night nine years ago," she said soberly. Harry looked at her, blinking with shock. Now? She still wanted to talk about what had happened nine years ago, after she'd received heartbreaking news only hours earlier? When he'd found her here in the state she was in, a part of him was glad to have been given a reprieve from sharing the secrets he'd kept from her for so long. "No," he said, taking a step back, running a hand through his hair and shaking his head. "No, Gin, the timing is all wrong." He turned as if to walk away, but felt her hand tug on his sleeve. "The timing is perfect, Harry." "Gin, you've just received terrible news," he said, jerking his sleeve out of her grasp and crossing his arms in front of him. "This just isn't the right time." "Life is too short," she said, reclaiming his arm, hard enough that he felt her fingertips dig into his bicep, "I need to know. Need to know before it's too late, before something else happens. We've got to resolve this. Now." He paused, looking into her eyes, eyes that had been filled with the tears of the grief-stricken only moments before, now filled with fire and clarity. As much as he fought it, he couldn't deny the logic of her argument. It rang true in his own heart, his own mind. To deny her this now would close the door to ever reconciling with her, be it for friendship or something more. He closed his eyes, one moment wishing that the earth could swallow him whole, the next wishing he could make the past nine years disappear so that he could be a carefree youth again. Carefree and loved. Defeated, he nodded. "All right, Gin," he said. "We could go up to my office – I think we might be more comfortable there." She shook her head. "No, you were right about my needing to get back to Gryffindor. Let's go to my rooms there. No one will disturb us." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The walk to Gryffindor Tower was a wordless one, their footfalls on the floors of the stone hallways the only sounds to be heard. Ginny rubbed absently at the low throb that stubbornly sat above her left eye and quickened her pace – she had an Anti-Inflammatory Draught in her Mediwitch Kit that would take care of it and the puffiness she could still feel in her face. She knew she must look dreadful, after hours of crying. She glanced at Harry, whose face was shadowed and unreadable. She didn't know if she would ever be able to thank him for the support he was offering, for despite how he may have hurt her in the past, he had been there for her tonight, unconditionally. Her thoughts turned to her friends, choking back another sob. She remembered visiting with them this past summer, soon after she'd got the offer to teach at Hogwarts. She'd Apparated to Paris to spend the weekend with Sammie and Jaime to celebrate, drinking fine wine, eating wonderful food and sharing their dreams for the future. Jaime had confided in her that he intended to propose to Sammie on her birthday, and she'd barely been able to keep her excitement contained when she'd sent Sammie's birthday present and card just a week ago. One week of knowing they would share their lives together, Ginny thought sadly. Only one week. She mopped at her eyes again with the well-worn handkerchief Harry had given her, blinking when she caught a glimpse of one of the corners. His initials and the Potter family crest had been embroidered with deep green thread. Her eyes filled with more tears as she realized she was holding one of the handkerchiefs her mother had given him for his 17th birthday, well-worn and mended. As soon as they arrived at her rooms, Peri rose from the spot where he'd apparently been keeping watch for Ginny's return. As Ginny opened the door to enter, he offered a quiet meow of greeting and ran figure eights around Harry's legs before walking over to the hearthrug and staring into the dark fireplace. Harry followed her silently into the room, moving forward to stand at the mantle. Ginny was startled by his voice as she turned to close the door. "Shall I start a fire, Gin?" She nodded, walking over to the en suite to retrieve her Mediwitch Kit. She took a swallow of the bitter-tasting headache draught and wiped her mouth on her sleeve before whispering a quick glamour to take some of the redness out of her face and eyes, then returned to the main room. He'd started a cheerful fire in the fireplace, in front of which Peri walked back and forth, purring loudly and contentedly. "Gin, I'm still not convinced this is the best idea," Harry said, uncertainty clearly readable in his eyes and in his tone. "You've been through so much, and what I have to tell you will, undoubtedly, bring up memories of things –" "I know, Harry," she said, cutting him off with a look. "But I need to know." He sighed and walked over to her chest of drawers, reached for the pitcher of water it held and poured himself a glass. She watched as he drank deeply, the bobbing of his Adam's apple strangely hypnotic. He set the glass down and caught her eyes, the intensity of his gaze causing her to fidget. She walked over to the overstuffed armchair next to the fireplace, her fingers pleating the skirt of her gown as she settled within its comforting embrace. Peri hopped up onto the arm of the chair and cast a hard stare at Harry, who'd moved to stand next to the hearth. She heard Harry clear his throat. "Gin, you remember, back at the start of sixth year, when I started the evening classes with Dumbledore, yes?" She nodded. "I'd said they were advanced Defense classes or something of the like. Well, there was more to it than that." He paused for a moment, staring into the flames before taking another deep breath. "What is it, Harry? What happened?" "The summer before sixth year, Dumbledore wrote to me to inform me of something. A book had been found many years ago, dating back to the days of Merlin – an ancient set of coordinating attacks using charms, curses and transfigurations were described which, if mastered, could result in ridding the world of an evil no one had seen since the days of Grindelwald. The attack would require two wizards to succeed, preferably two from the same lineage." He turned to face her, and Ginny was struck again by the intensity of his gaze. "He closed the letter with unexpected news – that he and I were very, very distant cousins." "Cousins?" Ginny said, her eyes widening. "But he'd told you that you didn't have any blood relatives, other than the Dursleys!" "That was true, Gin," he said, "my only blood relative was my Aunt Petunia. Dumbledore's relation to me was far too distant to be considered for the blood shield." She watched as he ran his fingers through the white streak in his hair. "Dumbledore and I were the Heirs of Godric Gryffindor. He on the maternal side, and I on the paternal side." Ginny sat in stunned silence as what Harry had said sank in. Harry was the Heir of Gryffindor. "All through sixth year and well into seventh, we trained, mostly in the Room of Requirement, but sometimes in his office. We couldn't tell anyone what it was we were working on because of the number of spies in the school." He stopped, a sad smile crossing his face. "Remember the time I was in the hospital wing over Halloween?" Ginny nodded. "Madam Pomfrey was treating you for burns. You said you'd had an accident with Advanced Potions." "It was an injury from training," Harry said, shaking his head. "We were working on some blocking charms and I misjudged one." "You were in the hospital wing for a week!" Ginny said, outraged. "You wouldn't let anyone see you!" "It was because I'd wound up with no hair, Gin," he said, arching a brow at her. "It took four days just to coax the follicles to function again, and then the hair came in white. We had to get it back to normal – no one could know what we were working on. No one. You have no idea how hard it was for me not to tell you, though." His eyes burned. "We shared everything then." "Or so I thought," she said frowning. So many secrets. He flinched. "I'm sorry, Gin. I hated keeping this from you, I really did. But at Christmas, I told Dumbledore that I had to tell you. That I loved you and that you needed to know," Harry said urgently, coming over to kneel at her feet. "I wanted to ask you to marry me Christmas Day." If she'd been shocked by news of his tie to Godric Gryffindor, the news of Harry's plans brought fresh tears to her eyes. She raised the handkerchief up, cradling her face yet again. "Oh Gin, please don't cry," he said, and she felt his hands on her knees. "I knew the war was coming, I knew that there was a chance that I might not come through it alive, but if I did, I knew the first thing I wanted was for you and me to be a family." She raised her head to meet his gaze. "Why didn't you ask me, Harry?" she said through her tears. "Because Dumbledore said that it would have placed you in mortal danger. You and your entire family." "But we hadn't kept our relationship a secret to that point, Harry. What would it matter if we were to have been engaged? Wouldn't my family and I have been in danger simply because we loved you?" "That was what I told Dumbledore," he said, misery clearly evident in his voice. "But because of the nature of the magic we were practicing, it changed everything. He said that making a vow to be husband and wife, especially for you and I because of our bond from the Chamber, would have elevated our relationship to a magical level, Gin. My mother's bond with me saved my life. To form a bond with you on that level…" he shuddered. "If something were to happen to you, to anyone in your family, it would have killed me. Not only figuratively, but literally." He rose to his feet, and Ginny followed his progress towards the window overlooking the lake with her eyes. She thought of how she would have been elated to accept his proposal, to know that she would be his, to bear his children and to share his life forever. How thrilled her mother and father would have been, to have Harry as an official part of the family. How her life would have been so very different than it was now. She blew her nose and, whispering another glamour, rose to join him at the window. She placed her hand between his shoulder blades, and felt him start, then stiffen under her touch. "Please," she said, "go on, Harry. Don't stop now." He took a deep breath and turned to face her. "The night you found me in the Astronomy Tower." She nodded, blushing, memories of that night still fresh in her mind from her earlier reminiscence. "It was the night before the final battle in Hogsmeade." She looked up into his eyes and saw that he was remembering, too. "That was the greatest moment of my life, Gin." He paused, his hand coming up to brush a stray tear from her cheek. "But it didn't absolve me of what I had done earlier." "Harry," she said, her hands closing on his forearms, "what on earth did you do?" His gaze was bleak, his voice toneless. "I murdered Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy that night." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As he'd spoken, Harry had felt as though he were falling a great distance, into the darkest of pits. Ginny stood before him, the heat of her hands burning through the linen of his shirtsleeves as she stared up into his face. Her face had lost all color and the freckles which danced across her nose appeared almost black in the light of the room. Harry's vision tunneled, a shudder running through his body. He turned back to the window, desperately needing air. He took several deep breaths, panic choking him. Frantic thoughts of casting a Memory Charm raced through his mind, to bring them back to the moment before he crossed the threshold of her rooms. "What do you mean, you murdered the Malfoys?" he heard her say from what felt like a great distance. He turned to see her standing behind him, her arms wrapped around her waist. "I killed Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy at Malfoy Manor that night," he said, unconsciously rubbing at his hands. "When? How did you…" Ginny said, utter confusion clearly expressed in her eyes. "Two days before the Battle of Hogsmeade, the Death Eaters had planned an attack at a residence near the border," he said, leaning against the windowsill. "The Order had received a tip and were waiting for them. One of the people captured was Pettigrew." "I know! I remember hearing that he'd been captured, Harry," she said impatiently, "but what does that have to do with this ridiculous claim of yours?" "Please, Gin, give me a minute," Harry said, scrubbing his face with his hands. "After Pettigrew was captured, there was chaos. He'd intended to take his own life, and Remus had found him just before he had the chance to do so." "I know," Ginny said angrily. "Bill told me all about it the summer after the war. They used Veritaserum on him and were able to get wind of the final plans for Hogwarts!" "He also let another piece of information slip!" Harry said, exasperation causing his voice to echo into the night. He stopped, walking over to sit on the bench at the end of her bed, his shoulders slumped. "Ginny, please, just let me get through this once." He raised his head to find her standing not more than two feet away from him. "Please?" She nodded sharply and returned to the chair next to the fireplace. Harry rose from his seat, walked back over to the dresser and poured himself another glass of water. Returning to his seat, he fixed her with a stare and began. "It was the night before the final battle of Hogsmeade. Dumbledore and I left the castle to meet the Order at Headquarters via Portkeys. We were to be there as witnesses to Pettigrew's formal confession, to be documented in Dumbledore's Pensieve. We weren't going to allow him the opportunity to deny clearing Sirius' name again. It went smoother than any of us had expected and we were finished in about an hour. "As I was leaving, he called out to me. A part of me wanted to ignore him, to simply walk away. I wish I had. If I had, things would have been so different…" "But not necessarily better, Harry," she said quietly, causing him to start. He blinked, cleared the memory from his mind and looked over at Ginny to find her staring at her hands. Her face was unreadable, lit only by the firelight. She turned to look at him, her eyes sad and tired. "I'm sorry, Harry. Go on." He took a sip of water and forced himself back. "I went back into the room, at which point he started begging for my forgiveness. For his weakness to Voldemort and the other Death Eaters, for betraying my parents. I told him I wasn't interested in hearing all of this again, but he said he had to repay me. Repay me for the life debt he owed me from the confrontation in the Shrieking Shack at the end of my third year." Harry shuddered – it was as though he was back in the room at Grimmald Place, seeing Pettigrew's unshaven face glisten with sweat, his body reeking with fear. "He told me that he knew where Nagini was." "Nagini?" Ginny said. "Who is Nagini?" "Was Nagini," Harry said. "Remember the snake that attacked your father?" He watched as Ginny nodded, looking bewildered. "That was Nagini. She was Voldemort's snake that traveled with him wherever he went." He saw Ginny shudder, and he was certain she was remembering her time under Tom Riddle's control during her first year. "During our research, one of the things Dumbledore and I studied was the spell Voldemort used to rise to power after the third task for the Triwizard Cup. We learned that while he would return to a corporeal existence, he would require the venom of this snake to maintain his stamina. Without his twice-daily feedings, he would be weakened. If we were to destroy Nagini, it would make Voldemort easier to destroy using conventional magic." "But why not use the spells you and Dumbledore discovered in the books?" Ginny said. "The spells in the books would have destroyed Voldemort," he said, sadly, "but it would have also destroyed one of us as well." He paused, watching as his words sank in, watching her face shift as comprehension dawned. "That's why the spells required two from the same lineage – once the sequence of spells commenced, one of us would have to die." He rose to his feet, standing in front of the fire, his arms braced on the mantelpiece. He willed his stomach to calm itself – only a little more to tell. Taking a deep breath he turned to face her. "Nagini was being housed at Malfoy Manor, in the room they had under their living room. I remember hearing Lucius Malfoy mention it at Borgin and Burkes the summer before my second year. I knew, if I could get into the manor, I would be able to destroy the snake." "How did you get there?" Ginny said, her voice wooden, her eyes never leaving his. "I Apparated." At her look of shock, he nodded. "I'd been Apparating ever since I turned 17 – another one of my secrets. First, I returned to the castle with Dumbledore and went to my room in Gryffindor. Once there, I took my map, performed a Disillusionment Charm to hide, and headed towards the entrance to the Honeydukes tunnel to Hogsmeade. As soon as I got outside, I Apparated to Nottingham, where Malfoy and his family lived. "Finding their home wasn't difficult, and the wards they'd set up were laughable. I Stunned the house-elves that attempted to stop me as I entered the home, casting Silencing Charms on my shoes so that I could walk through the place undetected." He turned from her, stalking over to the window to stare out at the lake. "I was thinking ‘this is too easy, something's not right'. I walked into the living room, then Lucius appeared from around a bookcase and we…fought." Harry remembered the cascade of jinxes and curses the two of them had flung at one another, remembered dodging Avada Kedavra twice. The jeering taunts, how Lucius had said he looked forward to bringing Harry to Voldemort as some kind of prize. Jets of purple flame and red lights had sailed through the air. Harry shook his head, realizing that Ginny couldn't read his mind. "I'm sorry. The details of the fight aren't important. What is important is that as we were fighting, Narcissa Malfoy and Nagini had made their way out of the passageway and were standing between the two of us. I did what I could using Parseltongue and defensive jinxes, but she was cornering me." The air was getting thick again as he remembered the smell of fear coming off of Narcissa Malfoy in waves. Fear and fury. "I threw a Stupefying Charm at Narcissa and she felt directly in Nagini's path. The snake struck her in the neck as she fell." "Oh, god," Ginny said, her eyes filled with tears. "Narcissa's blood was everywhere…" Harry said, shuddering. "You remember, when your father was attacked, how his wounds wouldn't heal? It was the same for Narcissa. Lucius struck out against Nagini, out of his mind, striking her with the Killing Curse and not thinking of the consequences of his actions. The snake fell limp in the middle of the floor. As Narcissa lay dying, Lucius turned to me." He paused, feeling Ginny's hand between his shoulder blades. "He forgot about his wand and just grabbed me by the throat, screaming his wife's name over and over again. We fought…Merlin, did we fight. His hands were closing off my airway, the world was going black around me. I brought my hands up to push against his chest, trying to leverage myself away from him. The last thing I heard him say was that when Voldemort heard about his snake, that he would be killed. Killing me was the only thing that would save him from certain destruction." He felt a chill race through his body as the memories assailed him. "I thought it, Gin. I thought the words." "What words, Harry?" she said, coming around to face him. "Avada…" he said, miserably. "All I did was think the words, and suddenly, green light flew out of my hands and into his chest. His face froze, in a look of absolute surprise, and then he crumpled to the ground." His head swam with visions of Lucius Malfoy's shocked face as he slid to the floor, Narcissa's blood running crimson over the highly polished white marble. He shuddered, his body feeling like ice as bile rose up his throat to escape his mouth. His vision started to tunnel again and he glimpsed Ginny tucking herself under his right arm to support him. The panic gripped him so tightly he barely registered her helping him into the armchair by the fire, feeling her place her wand tip to his head. Slowly, the roaring in his ears dissipated, the queasiness leaving his body as he heard her crooning gentle, soothing words into his ear. Warmth infused him, leaving him slightly groggy and complacent. He opened his eyes to find Ginny kneeling in front of him, her hand running circles around one of his knees, the tip of her wand still pressed against his temple. "What happened?" he said, his voice sounding distant. "You had what the Muggles would call a panic attack, Harry," she said softly, removing her wand and tucking it into her sleeve. "Have you ever had one before?" "Never…" he said, still feeling out of breath, "never that bad. Usually I can manage the nausea, but tonight…" He tasted the sourness of vomit in his mouth and felt weary to his soul. "Harry," Ginny said, quietly, pressing her hand against his leg. "Who knows about all of this?" He shuddered. "At the time, only Dumbledore knew. His Legilimency was so precise it was impossible to keep anything from him. The day after it happened, the Order reported what had happened at Malfoy Manor to him, including the death of Nagini. While I tried to put on a brave face about it, Dumbledore saw straight through it. When…" he stopped, taking a deep breath, "when they told him that Lucius had the imprints of two hands on his chest, I think that confirmed in his mind that I'd been involved." "Why? Because you'd used wandless magic with him before?" "Exactly. It wasn't something we wanted to reveal to anyone unless it was absolutely necessary." Harry rose to his feet, slowly making his way to the window. The air was fresh, cleansing as he breathed deeply. "After the members of the Order left the castle, he asked me if things had changed between the two of us. It was then I knew…" He turned to find Ginny standing directly behind him, confusion in her eyes. "He knew about…what happened between us in the Tower. He never asked me straight out what had happened, but he knew that our bond was greater than before and, as such, placed both you and me in greater danger." He watched as her cheeks flamed with embarrassment and raised his hands to cup them. "You and I spoke words of devotion that night and sealed them with an act of love. I wouldn't have been able to bear it if anything had happened to you, Ginny." He brushed a tear away from her cheek, then turned to stare out of the window. "Harry, why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" she cried "You were acting in self-defense! You didn't know that you were capable of casting a Killing Curse through wandless magic! You can't blame yourself!" "I can and do, Gin," Harry said, turning to face her. "I cast an Unforgivable Curse. I know that there are people out there who covered up the truth about what happened that night because I was ‘The Famous Harry Potter', and needed to be protected to fight Voldemort. If I had been any other person, justice would have been served, not secrets kept." He stalked over to the chair by the fireplace, sinking into its embrace and covered his face with his hands. He was tired beyond exhaustion. He raised his head to find Ginny kneeling in front of him, her eyes huge with confusion and questions. More questions. "Gin, it's very, very late and we're both barely conscious right now. I know you've got more questions, but I can't…not right now." He rose to his feet, feeling slightly shaky but better than he had felt moments before. "I would ask that you keep what I told you to yourself right now." He saw her open her mouth to object and laid a finger against her lips. "Sirius and Remus are the only ones who know about this and I need to let them know I've told you as well. We've managed to keep the wandless magic out of the press for all these years, but my stunt today out on the pitch is bound to cause rumors to spread. I will promise you this: I will talk to Ron. Very soon." He paused, cradling her cheek in his hand. "You look about as done in as I feel, Gin. Try to get some rest tonight." Brushing a kiss across her cheek, he turned on his heel and left her. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ginny woke late, seeing the sun high in the sky through her window. Her eyes felt gritty and tender as she lay in bed, reliving the moments from the night before. Her heart ached for Sammie and Jaime, and she felt fresh tears fill her eyes. However, Harry's revelations dominated her thoughts and filled her mind with sadness beyond grief at the inexplicable deaths of her friends. All these years, she thought, thinking himself a murderer, his hands turned into a weapon. Oh, how she'd loved his hands, one moment tender, the next strong and rough. She'd remembered hearing the news of the Malfoys' deaths the morning after it had happened, remembered noticing Draco's empty seat at the Slytherin table. Remembered seeing Harry, pale and unseeing, so different than he had been up on the Astronomy Tower. Little did she know that so much would change within the next few hours. The Battle of Hogsmeade. The Dark Mark had hovered over countless cottages. Ginny shivered, recalling the screams, the flames and the utter helplessness she had felt as she had walked amidst the rubble. Those who had come to recover the dead and wounded had been horror-struck by the degree of savagery leveled on a village known for friendship and camaraderie. Thankfully, many of the villagers had been able to escape to the Hogwarts grounds through the tunnel under the Shrieking Shack, which had been brought crashing down just as the last of the survivors scrambled through with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. Amongst the injured were Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan and Hermione, all three of whom had been helping to guide the villagers to the escape tunnel when they were caught by Death Eaters. Sirius managed to drag their still bodies through the tunnel with seconds to spare, but the subsequent explosion had severely injured his eyes. The three teens and Sirius had been taken to the hospital wing immediately, but there was little to be done for Dean. Seamus and Hermione had remained in a coma and Sirius had been, for all intents and purposes, blinded. Ron, who'd assisted his brothers Fred and George with the rigging of the explosives, had been inconsolable, and had spent most of his days and nights by Hermione's side. Hours later, Charlie fell from the sky. Dean died from his injuries three days afterward. Tears fell from Ginny's eyes, falling into her pillow. So many people gone. So many lives changed forever. She rose from her bed and padded into the en suite to prepare for the day. An hour later, she sat at her desk, re-reading the first of the two letters she'd written: Dear Mrs. Bales, I was shocked and saddened to learn of Sammie's senseless murder. I am making arrangements to take some time away from Hogwarts so I can attend the services. Please let me know if there is anything I can do. Yours, Ginny As she scanned the second, more tears filled her eyes. Sealing both letters, she grabbed her cloak and headed towards the Owlery. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Christopher sat in the office of Ollivander's, going through the books. Sales had been a bit sluggish during the summer; however, the fall was shaping up to be a good season overall. As he crunched the numbers, a movement to his right caught his eye, and he gazed at a smiling Ginny Weasley, waving from inside a picture frame. This past spring, they'd been walking through Kensington Gardens and had come upon a little cottage near Lancaster Gate. She'd been charmed by the little cottage which, despite the fact that it sat on the other side of the hedgerow from the busy London street, appeared to be out in the middle of the country. Captivated by her excitement, he'd snapped a wizarding photograph of her as she stood next to the cottage gate, laughing into the lens. They'd been so happy then. At least, he'd thought they'd been. Her family had begun to warm to his attentions, although his relationship with Mrs. Weasley was more distant than he would have liked. Since his conversation with Ginny the night before she left for school, he understood why. Harry Potter had meant more to her family than he'd originally thought. Christopher remembered seeing photographs of Potter on the mantle at The Burrow and had seen his hand on the clock in the kitchen. However, it wasn't until he'd spent several hours at the Daily Prophet's office in their archives that he learned how closely tied they'd been. If Christopher had to hazard a guess, it must have been a foregone conclusion that Harry and Ginny would marry once they finished school. And now he was back. The night of the fight, Christopher had taken a few moments to observe Potter from a distance and, more disturbingly, Ginny's reaction to his nearness. Despite the bitterness she'd had in her tone when she'd told him about their relationship, he had been able to sense the intimacy that had existed between the two of them. Of course, he hadn't helped matters with that kiss. The jealousy he'd felt when he'd seen the two of them together was beyond anything he'd experienced. He'd never been much of a ladies' man during his days at Hogwarts or afterwards – in fact, Ginny was the first woman he'd ever had a serious relationship with. He'd fallen in love with her the first day they'd met in his shop. She was everything he could ever want in a partner: beautiful, intelligent, witty, nurturing – and he intended on making his intentions known to her on Halloween. He'd received her letter from Hogwarts in September, his plans for the Halloween Dance forming almost immediately. He'd looked at premises in Hogsmeade to set up a small shop with rooms above for living quarters, and had taken the ring his grandfather had given to his grandmother from his vault at Gringotts. If she said yes, they could marry by Christmastime. He smiled, closing his eyes as he pictured her face as he imagined it would be after receiving his proposal. A tapping at the window shook him from his thoughts. Christopher opened the window and a tawny owl flew into the room, a letter tied to its leg. He recognized Ginny's handwriting at once and smiled as he removed the letter and gave the owl a treat before it sped out the window. He settled back in his chair to read. Dear Christopher, I am leaving Hogwarts to attend the funeral of my friend, Sammie, but will return in time for Halloween. Please let me know if you are planning to come for the dance by return owl – we need to talk about us. Ginny ~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: I struggled with this one a bit, mostly because it was important to make sure "the explanation" came out just right. As a result, my pre-betas and beta have read through this thing more than I'm sure they ever wanted to, and for that I am grateful. So, Robin, Aibhinn and Ahmie, this is for you.
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