Forgive the long delay.
This is the last chapter, so enjoy it, because it will probably be a while until I get the sequel planned and started. One more chapter will be posted, an epilogue telling what happened in the Aperio world after Harry left.
In the mean time, I'm going to post the beginnings of a story I've entitled "Rebuilding the World." It explores the question, what if Ginny had been the Third in the Aperio? and begins at Azkaban. Divergance from chapter 22 of TWAWKI.
You might want to put me on Author Alert if you can do that at this website.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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The World As We Knew It | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Harry/Ginny, James Potter, Lily Potter, Remus Lupin, Severus Snape, Sirius Black Genres: Action/Adventure Warnings: Death Story is Complete Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 309 Summary: Destroy the Horcruxes—that’s Harry’s goal, until an Aperio throws him and two other unknown people into a world where the prophecy never existed, his parents and Sirius are alive, and Ginny went to Azkaban for opening the Chamber. Canon pairings, pre DH. Hitcount: Story Total: 150304; Chapter Total: 4585 Author's Notes: |
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The room grew quiet as Lupin cleared his throat. “Welcome,” he said. “It’s good to see you after so many months of absence.” A buzz of conversation began once again, and the werewolf waited until they were silent again. “I apologize for calling a meeting at such an inconvenient time…And as you can all see, not everyone was able to attend. But we–Harry and I, that is–thought that you deserved an immediate explanation for our unconventional absence.” Beside him, Tonks blushed, but Lupin only quizzed her hand tighter as he continued. “But before I begin, there is one thing I need to be sure of. What I am going to ask you all to do may seem unnecessary and harsh, but I assure you, once you hear my story, you will quite agree that is the correct thing to do.” Several people shifted uncomfortable, looking questioningly at each other. “I want us each to swear under the influence of Veritiserum that we are in fact who we say we are, that we are not in any way in the service of Lord Voldemort or planning to be in the future.” Surprisingly enough, after a little discussion, everyone agreed. Especially after Harry brought up the incident from his fourth year involving Barty Crouch and too much Polyjuice. Lupin produced some of the truth serum potion, and handed it to Arthur Weasley, who in turn placed a couple of drops on Lupin’s tongue. Instantly the werewolf’s eyes clouded over. “What is your name?” “Remus Lupin.” “Are you in the service of Voldemort, or do you ever plan to be?” “No.” The Veritiserum continued around the circle. “Give me six drops,” Mad-Eye instructed when Mr. Weasley reached him with the bottle. “I’ve developed a resistance over the years.” Finally the bottle reached Harry. He willingly tilted his head back and opened his mouth to allow Mr. Weasley to pour the drops in. Instantly, a warm drowsy feeling engulfed him. He was floating on a mist of blissful peacefulness. “What’s your name?” a soft, sweet voice said. “Harry James Potter,” Harry replied without a thought. “Are you in the service of Voldemort, or do you ever plan to be?” “No.” Slowly the effects wore off, and his mind cleared. Harry’s head ached, and his stomach roiled from the potion. “It’s hard the first time, boy,” Mad-Eye said gruffly as the potion was passed on to Ginny, Hermione, and Ron, all who were throwing nervous glances at the vial. Harry held his stomach and tried to keep his dinner down as Mr. Weasley tipped a few drops into Ginny’s mouth. Her eyes went blank, and she answered the questions. Harry suddenly had the unexplainable urge to ask her other questions, questions that he wouldn’t dare ask in front of the Order and the Weasleys. Questions like, do you still have feelings for me at all? Or did you find someone else while I was gone? He banished the thoughts from his mind. He was being childish, but something inside of him was desperate to know. Despite Hermione and Ron being his best friends, it’d been Ginny he’d missed the most. It’d been her that he’d thought of when he saw the Aperio Ginny looking like death itself, huddled in the cell in Azkaban. It’d been her he’d remembered as he saw the Aperio Ginny recovering at Grimmauld Place, thin and hardly strong enough to sit up in bed. It’d been her he’d wished for when the Aperio Ginny had kissed him in the bedroom at Castaway Cottage. The Order meeting seemed to last forever. Mercifully, Lupin kept his promise and did almost all the talking. The witches and wizards congregated made a good audience, laughing and gasping at all the right places. Mrs. Weasley was distressed to discover that Charlie was dead in the other world, and Tonks looked a little perturbed as well. Lupin didn’t mention that the two had been engaged at the time. Harry looked pointedly at the floor as Lupin related the events of the day Voldemort had discovered the Order’s plans regarding the Horcruxes. He vaguely heard the gasps and felt the stares burning into him as Lupin recited his parents’ names from the list of dead. But even louder was Mrs. Weasley’s gasp when Bill’s name was read. Surprisingly enough, neither of the two eldest Weasleys seemed to be taking the news badly. “At least in the other world we’re in the afterlife together,” Charlie joked, punching his older brother, who grinned, but still looked just a little uncomfortable. The biggest reaction of all, however, came when Lupin related Snape’s true loyalties and role in the Aperio and the truth behind Dumbledore’s death. At first, they thought Lupin was lying. Then came disbelief, and finally shock mixed with slow acceptance. “But he murdered Dumbledore,” Hestia said for the hundredth time, looking dazed. “On Dumbledore’s orders,” Lupin insisted, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief Tonks had provided. Harry rubbed his temples. How long would this take? Already the meeting had been going for an hour. He just wanted to leave. He didn’t want to talk about the Aperio any more, or his parents, or Sirius, or Snape, or the imprisonment he and Lupin had endured… Next to him, Ginny threw him a tentative glance, but looked away quickly, and Harry wondered what she was thinking. He was positive that she knew he was keeping things from her. Was that why she was being so distant? Had she already seen right through his façade and made her decision to forget about what they’d once had…months and months ago? Or even worse, what if she’d picked up things with Dean or Michael or another bloke at Hogwarts? Harry banished these thoughts from his head. Leila. He should be thinking about Leila right now. He desperately wanted to see how she was doing, wanted to know that she’d pull through and be alright. Lupin began to talk about how they’d met up with Hermione and Flamel at Beaubaxtons, then about the Death Eaters’ appearance and the reversal of the Aperio. He was just reaching the point when Leila had refused to stay when there was a noise at the door. Harry looked up. Fleur was there, her eyes wide. “What is it?” Moody asked, standing. His hand automatically went to his wand holster at his side. But Fleur paid no attention to him. “’Arry, eets your sister. She eez awake.” Ignoring the outbursts of gasps and whispers, Harry bolted to his feet and was through to the door in only a matter of seconds. Fleur stepped aside and let him pass. Down the hall and to the left was the smaller drawing room. Harry skidded to a stop in the doorway. His sister was lying on the makeshift cot, her head propped up by pillows. Her eyes fluttered open. “Hey,” Leila said softly, a tiny smile curling the edges of her mouth. “Hey,” Harry said, suddenly finding it hard to speak. “So, are you just going to stand there?” Leila asked after a long pause. “Sorry,” Harry said, quickly crossing the room and sitting in the armchair next to the cot. “How are you?” Leila slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, grimacing as she did so. “Alright, I guess. My head feels like I got run over by the Knight Bus.” Harry chuckled. “That bad, huh?” She shrugged. “I’ll survive. So where are we, anyway?” “The Burrow. Did Fleur say anything?” “No, because as soon as she saw I was wake, she bolted from the room. And I was too busy recovering from the shock of seeing her alive to ask questions… Merlin, Harry, you could have at least warned me!” “Sorry,” Harry said, feeling the blood rush to his face. “I thought you knew.” Leila sulked for only a moment before sighing. “You’re forgiven.” She swung her legs over the edge of the bed. “Wait, where do you think you’re going?” Harry said, gaping at her. “You can’t leave. You’re still sick!” “I’m fine!” she insisted. But her legs were trembling. “Get back in bed. Now.” “The sooner I get up, the sooner I’ll feel better!” Leila protested, but she sank back against the pillows. “OK, OK. I’ll rest for a little bit. But then I want to see the rest of the Burrow.” Harry frowned. “But…” “I’ve only been here once,” she explained, “the night that Pettigrew was exposed. So, is anyone else alive that I should know about?” Harry thought. “Uh, Bill. Kingsley. Hagrid, Arabella Figg. Dedalus Diggle, Sturgis Podmore. Tonks and Charlie.” Leila’s face lit up, and she pushed herself up again. “Tonks? Are you serious? Out of all the Order members, she was my favorite. She always talked to me when Order meetings were held at our house. I can’t believe it…it almost feels like Christmas.” “It is Christmas,” Harry reminded her, but she wasn’t listening. Her face had gotten a faraway look. “Tonks and Charlie were the cutest couple…” “Well, Lupin and Tonks are together now,” Harry said flatly. Leila frowned. “Since when?” “Since an hour ago,” he replied. He should have known that the first thing she’d be concerned about was the relationship statuses. “You missed a great shouting match ending with a disgusting snog.” “And what about you and Ginny?” There was a long silence. “I don’t want to talk about it,” Harry finally said, a little too sharply. “Fine, fine, get all defensive,” Leila snapped. “Is Tonks still there? I want to see her. I’m feeling much better now.” “No,” Harry began, but it was useless. Leila pushed herself up, winced, and started for the door. “You can’t go out there!” Harry protested, blocking the door. “Watch me,” she said stubbornly. “But…” He was cut off by a simple look. One of these days, Harry vowed he’d learn the secret of conveying everything that needed to be said in a glance. Like Snape. And Lupin, come to think of it. His mother had been especially good at the skill. Harry held up his hands in defeat. “Fine. But change first.” Leila looked down. “Oh. OK. Turn around.” He did, and studied the grains of wood on the door as the rustling behind him kept him informed of her progress. “OK, ready,” Leila finally said. She’d put on some of Ginny’s clothes that had been lying next to the door. Harry recognized one of Ginny’s pink t-shirts and a pair of jeans. “Whose are these, anyway?” Leila asked, inspecting the shirt. Harry opened his mouth to answer, but suddenly she swayed. He was at her side in an instant, supporting her elbow. “I’m fine,” Leila insisted, but her face was paler. “You’re not going anywhere,” Harry said firmly. But she had spotted a purple potion on the dresser. “Look, I’ll just take this,” Leila said, draining the vial before Harry could snatch it out of her hands. “See? Much better.” Finally admitting defeat, Harry sighed. “All right, all right. But after the potion wears off, you’re going back to bed.” “Agreed. Can we please go?” Harry let her lead the way to the hall. With the Strengthening Solution, she was steady on her feet and needed no assistance. Halfway down the hall, Harry suddenly realised who was waiting in the living room. “Uh, Leila?” “What?” “I, uh, kinda forgot to tell you, but…” It was too late. She reached the doorway, and froze. Harry stopped beside her, and surveyed the room full of gawking Order members. “…the Order is here,” he finished. “Yeah, I can see that. Thanks for the warning,” she whispered. “What do I do?” Fortunately, Lupin took the initiative. Clearing his throat, he stood. “Welcome, Leila. You look like you’re feeling better.” Harry headed for the bench, and Leila followed. Ginny moved, still not making eye contact with him, and settled herself on the rug at Charlie’s feet. “She’s acting a little cold, don’t you think?” Leila said in a low voice as she and Harry made themselves comfortable on the bench. “Ginny, I mean.” “End of conversation,” Harry warned, and she rolled her eyes. “So,” Mrs. Weasley said, looking uncomfortable, “Leila, is it?” Harry’s sister nodded, flashing a smile in Mrs. Weasley’s direction. “So, I’m Molly, and this is Arthur. Next to him is Kingsley Shacklebolt…” “Thanks, but I already know everyone,” Leila interrupted, only making Mrs. Weasley look even more uncomfortable. “Of course it’s been a while since I last saw Tonks and Charlie…but I think I still remember all the names.” Lupin shifted in his seat, and Harry wondered if anyone had made the connection yet that Tonks and Charlie’s deaths at the same time in the Aperio world hadn’t been coincidental. Harry nudged Leila. “That’s Amanda.” The light-haired girl waved. “And you’ve met Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.” Leila smiled at them, and they each in return smiled nervously back. She turned to Harry. “Where is Hestia?” “In Chicago.” “And Kiara?” Harry shrugged. “Not in the Order in this world.” “What about the Longbottoms?” The room tensed. “Uh…” Harry said, feeling again as if someone had socked him in the stomach. “I’ll tell you later.” “Diggle?” “Diggle is dead.” “Right,” she said bitterly. “Along with Mum, Dad, Sirius, Regulus… Anyone else I should know about?” “I think that’s it.” The room was quiet; the Order members had been listening to their conversation. Then McGonagall cleared her throat. “My dear girl, did anyone ever tell you how much you look like Lily?” Leila looked startled. “Really?” she said in a small voice. “Really. It’s almost like having her here with us again.” Harry studied his sister. Now that he thought about it, she did resemble Lily. A lot. The intensely green eyes, the slender face, the long eyelashes. The only difference was in hair colour–Leila’s hair had never made up is mind whether it was red or black, resulting in a combination of the two. Lupin shifted in his seat. “So, as I was saying, Harry decided to let Leila come with us…” “I didn’t give him much choice,” Leila interjected, and Harry rolled his eyes. “But how could that be possible?” Bill said, looking puzzled. “It sounds as if the spell Flamel used was designed for only three.” Harry and Hermione exchanged uncomfortable glances, first with each other, and then with Lupin. “Actually…” Lupin began, but Leila got there first. “Hermione–the other Hermione, not this one–used an ancient spell to bind my life force to his. Then she modified the spell to allow me to come along.” “But that’s completely illegal and horrendously dangerous!” Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, glaring at Hermione as if it was her fault. “This changes everything,” McGonagall said, her voice rising a pitch. “Remus, how could you allow them to do this? Do you know what this means?” “It wasn’t his choice,” Leila told her. “It was mine. And Harry’s. I knew the consequences and risks, but it was the only thing we could do! He couldn’t have made the spell work properly without knowing that he wouldn’t have to leave me behind, and there was nothing left for me in that world.” “But if he is killed…” Harry was feeling worse and worse. In allowing Leila to come, he knew that he’d practically signed her death sentence. But she was right; the spell required that all three members want to return to the original reality. And he couldn’t even begin to express how much better he felt having his sister by his side. “Family,” Hagrid had once said. “Whatever yeh say, blood's important...” Harry knew it to be true. There was a bond between them that could never be broken, not by a fight, or estrangement, or anything. Because no matter what happened, they’d always be siblings. “What’s done is done, and you’re just going to have to live with it,” Leila was saying. She stared down each of the Order members before finally turning back to Harry. He shrugged. “Yeah, what she said. Deal with it.” Lupin gave him a small smile before clearing his throat. “Are there any more questions…?” Leila leaned against Harry’s shoulder. “Are you OK?” he whispered, worrying that the Strengthening Solution was finally wearing off. “I’m fine,” she insisted, sending him a tired smile. “Don’t worry about me.” “What are your plans, Harry?” Moody was saying. Harry was saved from an uncomfortable lie by Mrs. Weasley, who had noticed Leila’s fatigue. “That’s it,” she said loudly, standing and clapping her hands. “Out, everyone out. That’s enough for one day. I’m sure Harry and Leila are still very tired, as well as Remus… You can come back another day and ask them your questions, but I want everyone to leave now.” With only minimal grumbling, the Order members slowly cleared the room, some heading for the fire, others heading for the front door to Apparate away. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny remained, keeping their distance, but throwing curious glances at Leila. Harry beckoned them over. “She doesn’t bite,” he encouraged. Rolling his eyes, Ron pulled his chair closer. “Well, if she’s anything like you, mate…” Harry swung at his friend, but missed. Hermione giggled and joined the group. Ginny followed, just a little more slowly. “Everyone, this is Leila.” Leila grinned. “Hey, Ron, Ginny, Hermione.” Hermione shyly reached out to shake Leila’s hand. “This is weird,” she admitted. “It’s the feeling that you know me, but I don’t know you, and for some reason I feel like I should.” “So we’re in the same boat,” Leila said comfortingly. “I should know you–you’re Harry’s best friends, after all, and he’s told me so much about you–but all I know is the Aperio world where Ron’s a prat–“ “That hasn’t changed,” Ginny mumbled. “–Hermione’s a miniature version of Fleur Delacour, only smarter–” “That’s…different,” Ginny commented, her eyebrows shooting up. “And Ginny didn’t go to Hogwarts because…Ow, Harry!” Harry had stomped on her foot. “Sorry, accident,” he said, shooting daggers at her with his eyes. “Ginny was sick, remember? Some kind of chronic disease that kept her out of school.” After a long stare down, Leila finally nodded. “That’s right. You were sick, Ginny, which is why I never really got to know you.” She suddenly frowned. “Someone was missing. Harry, where’s Percy?” Ginny and Ron froze. Hermione suddenly became very interested in her fingernails. “Percy…uh, he…” “Just deserted the family because he believed the Ministry over Harry,” Ron spat. “He’s the world’s greatest git.” Leila’s face fell. “I’m sorry,” she said sincerely. “He was…well, not nice, but different in the Aperio world. Maybe he’ll come around.” “And maybe the sun will rise in the west tomorrow, and all the Death Eaters will surrender peacefully,” Ginny said sarcastically. Next to Harry, Leila swayed. He steadied her. “Potion wearing off?” Pale faced, she nodded. “I…I don’t know if…” “I’ll help you back to bed.” The next few days were quiet. The Order members, surprisingly enough, kept their distance, all except for Madame Pomphrey, who insisted on staying until Leila was completely recovered. Lupin insisted that he’d overstayed his welcome and left, despite Mrs. Weasley’s protests, but only after promising Harry he’d be back to discuss…well, things. Later. To Harry’s relief, there were no more visions, no more insights into Voldemort’s head. He was better off without them, no matter how darn useful they could be sometimes. For the first few days, he spent every waking minute at Leila’s side, until she told him in plain words to stop hovering over her and to go catch up with his friends. With mixed emotions, Harry went; he felt inclined to stay with her until she recovered, her being his sister and all, but on the other hand, she asked him way too many regarding his relationship with Ginny, questions he didn’t have answers for. It was good to spend time with Ron and Hermione again. Hermione firmly insisted that there be no talk of Horcrux hunting or destroying Voldemort–the grimmer subjects could wait for a few days–so they spent their hours together swapping stories, playing games, or just sitting in companionable silence. Ginny was strangely absent most of the time, and Harry could only assume that she was avoiding him. He wasn’t sure what was wrong, but he desperately wanted to know what had created the uncomfortable barrier that had been erected between them. Was it the fact that the last time he’d seen her he’d broken up with her? Or was it something else? Harry desperately wanted to ask her what was wrong, but he instead found himself studiously avoiding her. Ron and Hermione mercifully hadn’t said anything yet, but Harry saw the meaningful glances they exchanged whenever Harry and Ginny were in the same room. Then one afternoon Ron invited Harry to play a little three-on-three Quidditch. Ginny declined, muttering an excuse Harry couldn’t make out, and Leila was unfortunately still bedridden. The teams were therefore equal: Bill, Harry, and Fred against George, Ron, and Charlie. The two eldest Weasleys grudgingly agreed to play Chasers, and somehow Harry got left with the remaining Keeper position after the twins had raced for the bats and Bludgers. He didn’t do as badly as he’d expected; something from his Leila-taught lessons at the end of last summer had remained. Ron was even impressed, but Harry’s new skills didn’t save him from loosing spectacularly with Bill and Fred. Ron was just too good. Red faced and feeling better than he’d felt in days, Harry burst through the front doors hauling his broom along and headed down the hall to check on his sister, who had been complaining of acute boredom a few hours earlier. “Leila, you’ve got to start helping me learn Keeping again,” he began as he barged into her room. And skidded to a halt. Leila was sitting on the bed, drinking tea; the cup froze halfway to her mouth as her eyes widened. In the chair next to her was Ginny, who hadn’t even looked over at Harry. He could tell, though that she was angry, maybe furious, by her stiff posture. Slowly, she set her teacup down, rose to her full height, only an inch shorter than Harry, and turned. With a clatter, Harry’s broom slipped from his fingers and landed against the wall. “H-hi, G-Ginny,” he said, then lost his nerve. “Leila, what did you say?” “Only things you should have been telling me from the beginning,” Ginny replied, her voice icy. “So tell me, Harry, when were you planning on telling me the truth? Never?” “Actually,” Harry gulped, but she didn’t let him continue. “I always knew there were things that you kept from me, Harry, but this…this is...” “Unforgivable?” Harry filled in timidly. “Inexcusable is the word I was thinking of. God, this is too much. We were in a relationship. Maybe the word meant absolutely nothing to you–at least that’s the way you’re acting right now–but there are unwritten rules about friends telling friends things! You thought you were just going to skip over the biggest part of your story–the part that concerned me?” Harry didn’t know what to say. He rounded on Leila again. “Leila Annette Potter, tell me what you told her.” “Only the Azkaban story,” Leila said calmly. “Not about the…?” “Horcruxes?” Ginny finished. “Leila!” “I didn’t say anything!” Ginny tossed her hair and crossed her arms. “You and my prat of a brother and Hermione are just stupid some times. You can’t honestly believe that the closest confidant of the owners of Weasleys’ Wizarding Wheezes wouldn’t be able to find out a little secret like Horcruxes. Me, the owner of dozens of Extendable Ears and even more ways of eavesdropping than you could ever think of? You’ve got to be kidding.” Harry gaped at her. “When did you find out?” “Last April. But the Horcruxes aren’t important right now!” “They aren’t?” “No!” She sighed in exasperation, and Harry noticed that she was fortunately loosing a little of her steam. “The point is that you saved my life–again–and didn’t even tell me about it!” Harry suddenly had the odd unexplainable urge to laugh. The situation was ironic, if not almost completely implausible. “Ginny…” “No, Harry, I refuse to listen to your pathetic excuses! Didn’t you think I’d want to know? That my family would want to know? Didn’t you even consider the possibility that we might want to thank you for what you did? The idea that my family and I might be grateful just never crossed your mind? Why didn’t you tell us?” “For this very reason!” Harry exclaimed, finally loosing his patience. “If I had told your family and the Order at the meeting on Christmas Day, I know what would have happened. First your mum would have burst into tears and your dad would have shaken my hand and told me how grateful he was. Then everyone else would have been like, Aww, Harry played the hero again. Sure, it was stupid, but Harry rescued Ginny so let’s just sing his praises. I’ve already gone through all that before, Ginny. Your entire family and most of the Order members lined up in Sirius’s living room to tell me how brave I was and how proud they were, and I didn’t want that again. I’ve been thanked. Merlin, Ginny, do you think I did it to be patted on the back and congratulated? No. Can’t you see that I just want to be treated like a normal person? That I don’t want to make a big deal? I already caused a stir just by showing up at your doorstep; I don’t want to add to that. It’s better this way; they don’t need to find out.” Somehow in the course of his speech, Leila had slipped out. Harry inwardly cursed her–he didn’t want to be left alone here with Ginny. Nothing seemed to be coming out of this conversation anyway, nothing besides a bunch of yelling. “And what about me?” Ginny asked, narrowing her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Harry rubbed his temples, closing his eyes for a moment. Why had he kept the information from her? The answer was complicated. “Partly for the same reason. I didn’t want your gratitude.” “And…?” she pressed. “And I didn’t want things to change,” Harry admitted, not meeting her eyes. She laughed harshly. “Change? You thought that things would change by telling me about Azkaban?” Ginny looked as if she wanted to say something else, but she checked herself, taking a deep breath. “How, Harry?” He shrugged, still drawing circles in the carpet with the toe of his trainer. “I don’t know. I thought it might…complicate things…” Harry sighed. “I didn’t think the Azkaban incident was really relative to us, now... It was in the Aperio world, and that world is gone. It doesn’t really mean anything…” “Idiot,” she said, her cheeks a stunning shade of red Harry had only ever seen Ron achieve before. “Of course it means something! It means that every one of my doubts was wrong, that every single fear was ungrounded. It means you might still think of me as more than a friend.” Harry, who had been planning his next retort, wasn’t at all ready for Ginny’s last words. His words died on in his throat as he simply gaped at her, utterly shocked. It looked as if Ginny hadn’t expected herself to say that either. She stared back, wearing an equally stricken expression. “Say that again,” Harry finally whispered, locking her with his eyes, holding on to the last shred of hope he had that she might still be interested in him. If she was… “I said, it means you might still think of me as more than a friend,” Ginny whispered. “But the question still remains, Harry, do you?” Time seemed to stand still. Slowly, Harry nodded. Ginny took a tiny step closer. “Do you mean it?” Half of Harry was telling him to deny his feelings, to tell her that he’d been mistaken, and he didn’t like her after all. She’d be safer staying as far away from him as possible. But the other half of him was taking charge right now. It didn’t help that he was becoming lost in her luminous brown eyes. “Yes.” She took a step closer, and somehow the reasoning part of Harry’s nearly dysfunctional brain kicked in. “But Ginny…” “Stop,” she murmured, putting a finger over his mouth. “I don’t want to listen to your excuses.” She placed her other hand on his shoulder and Harry felt chills race down his back. With the last ounce of self-control he had, he gently grasped her wrists and pushed her away. “I’m not giving you a choice. Ginny, the people I’m close to always seem to end up dead…and I can’t go through that again…I can’t have you risking your life just because you like me.” “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Harry. I. Don’t. Care. V-Voldemort…he probably already knows… There were tons of people at school last year, tons of Slytherins who were practically Death Eaters… Voldemort probably had spies. The whole school knew we were dating. Do you really think that Voldemort’s going to target me any less if he knows we’re not together? Harry, I’m a Weasley. I was practically born with a target on my back, the way my parents oppose the Pureblood regime here in Britain. Don’t you understand? I’m safer here…next to you.” He wanted to believe it… But still… Harry turned away. “If you want to take that chance, I’m not going to stop you, Ginny. But first, you’ve got to think about it. You’re making a rash decision. I don’t want you to end up like Cedric, my mum and dad, Sirius, Bill and Charlie…and all the other Order members in the Aperio who died because of my stupidity.” “But…” “That’s my final answer,” Harry said firmly. “Think about it, Ginny. Just think about it.” And he determinedly forced himself to walk out of the room. But it didn’t keep him from feeling like he’d left a piece of his heart behind. He’d left it there with the slender red-head standing frozen in the middle of the room. The darkening sky was cold and clear above. The snowfall had stopped earlier that day, leaving another half meter of fresh snow on the ground. It was chilly, sitting on the front step of the Burrow, but Harry wasn’t thinking about the temperature. He leaned against the railing and watched the stars coming out slowly. The wind picked up, and Harry shivered, pulling his coat and scar closer. He had pointedly avoided all of the Weasleys that afternoon, a trick that wasn’t easily achieved, especially when there were eight in the house. Mercifully, Leila hadn’t asked questions about the conversation she’d missed. Ginny…well, she had simply disappeared. He sighed. He wasn’t sure how he should have handled the confrontation, but the correct procedure probably wasn’t anything like what he’d said and done. If only he had a Time-Turner… If only he hadn’t admitted that he still liked her, maybe she’d be more inclined to stay away from him. He couldn’t stand to loose someone else he cared about. Harry was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn’t hear the door open and close behind him, and he didn’t feel Ginny settle lightly next to him on the step. He did, however, feel the hand that slipped through his arm as she slid closer to him. “Ginny…” “Shut up, Harry,” Ginny said, and turning, he found that she was smiling. “To make you happy, I thought about it. But you know what? My answer hasn’t changed; I made up my mind years ago.” “But the risk–” “Is a chance I’m willing to take,” she finished. “I know there’s a war coming. I know that there will be losses, and that since my last name is Weasley, my chance of being one of the casualties is significantly higher than the average Witch or Wizard.” “You won’t be safe…” “Let me finish,” Ginny said softly, elbowing him gently. “I thought about it, Harry, and do you want to know what I finally decided?” He wasn’t sure that he did. “If this was my last day alive, I’d want to spend it with you.” He opened his mouth to argue, but Ginny got there first. She kissed him. He kissed her back. It was a short, sweet kiss, but it left Harry breathless and lightheaded. Some part of him had floated away into bliss, and nothing else seemed to matter right now. Ginny’s face broke into smiles again, and she laughed. “What do you have to say to that?” she said in a low voice. “Obviously it’s useless to argue with you,” Harry managed to say, still trying to pull himself back down to earth. “That’s the most sensible thing you’ve said all afternoon.” She leaned her head against his shoulder and they sat there in companionable silence. It was several minutes before Harry realized that he was getting chilled. The temperature was fast dropping. “Are you cold?” he said worriedly, breaking the silence. “Do you want a warming charm?” Ginny sat up and rolled her eyes. “I thought you’d never ask,” she said, and Harry was glad the darkness hid his reddening cheeks. “Did you think about me while you were gone?” Ginny asked a few minutes later, her head still pillowed on his shoulder. Somehow, Harry’s arm had slipped around her. “Every day,” he said quietly. “You?” “Same,” she said. “And then I was so happy when you and Lupin showed up… But then…then you ignored me and I was sure that something had happened, that you had really meant it when you broke up with me last June or that you’d met some other girl…” “You were ignoring me,” Harry protested, but still he pulled her even closer. He never wanted to loose her again. Ever. “To be honest, I thought the same about you.” “You’re a prat. You know that, right?” “How could I forget?” Harry said wryly. “I’ve got you to remind me.” Ginny sighed contentedly. “If you ever break up with me again, Potter…” “Let me guess. I can expect several very uncomfortable Bat-Bogey Hexes.” She giggled. “Actually, let’s just say you’ll think the Death Eaters merciful once I’m done with you.” “Point noted,” Harry said solemnly. “It won’t happen again.” “Good.” Harry sobered as unwanted thoughts pushed themselves into his brain. “Gin, I don’t know what will happen… I have no idea where I may be in a month or two...” There was still so much to worry about. He and Lupin had to destroy the Horcruxes–again. Snape was constantly in danger playing the faithful spy for Voldemort. He didn’t know what to do with his sister; Leila wasn’t of age, but she couldn’t exactly go to Hogwarts–people would ask questions. Ginny couldn’t exactly come with them, she wasn’t of age either. Then there was still the prophecy to think about. And on top of all that, the entire Ministry and a host of Death Eaters were still looking for him. He felt her head leave his shoulder, and turned to see Ginny looking at him, her face illuminated by the light shining from the windows of the house. She took his hands. “We’re in this together,” she said softly. “Things will be alright.” And sitting there next to Ginny, Harry couldn’t help but believe her. Somehow, things would be alright. |
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