I know many of you were a little taken aback at the last chapter and I have to admit that I was a little surprised. I thought I had made it clear that Harry's hitting Ginny was simply a gut reaction -- it wasn't a punch in the face (like when she hit him), it was simply his hand flying up and catching her on the mouth. I think that is a normal reaction for when someone hits you! And I certainly thought he deserved to be hit after what he said to her about Tom Riddle. But many of you disagreed and I certainly respect your opinions about that. In fact, I appreciate the readers who felt strongly enough to comment -- even if it was just to say that you didn't like it. I hope this chapter makes it all better -- I haven't changed anything from it's original version; this was always the way I had intended their fight to end. I didn't want to drag things out. I should also say that this is not the last time Harry and Ginny will argue with each other in this fic -- although this was a very extreme argument and it won't be so violent next time. The point is that they fight but they always find their way back to each other. They're experiencing new feelings and angst and trying to reconcile what Fate has thrown at them -- so they're going to lash out sometimes. So even though they may have a fight, I promise (with one exception WAY down the line), I will always get them back together very soon. You can rest assured that (again, with one exception about 20 chapters from now), if they disagree, it won't interfere with their friendship.
Thanks for reading, I hope those of you who swore you wouldn't continue reading this fic will change your mind after this chapter. Happy reading!
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Fluff, General, Romance Warnings: Extreme Language, Sexual Situations Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 725 Summary: Their nightmares and demons bound them together. Their love helped them to survive. Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley knew they needed each other; the trouble was in admitting it. Hitcount: Story Total: 277224; Chapter Total: 14734 Awards: View Trophy Room Author's Notes: |
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Chapter 10 As it turned out, Ginny didn’t give Harry much of a chance to apologise. They avoided each other, and Harry watched out of the corner of his eye as Ginny spent more and more time with Michael Corner. She seemed happy, and he supposed he should be happy for her. If anyone deserved a little joy in their lives, it was Ginny. But he couldn’t ignore the ache in his chest every time he watched them walk off together. Eventually he decided that he would settle for just being her friend again. Whatever he felt for her, they’d been friends first, and he’d ruined it. His nightmares were increasing, and the pain in his scar was getting worse. There was a sense of something in the air, and Harry felt nothing but dread about the next task of the tournament. Hermione and Ron were helping him but it wasn’t the same as when Ginny helped him. Even working together, Ron and Hermione were less of a challenge than Ginny. Ron had been livid when he found out that Harry had hit his sister — even if it had been an accident. He’d been on the verge of hitting Harry himself, who couldn’t help but feel that he thoroughly deserved it. He swore to Ron that he hadn’t meant to do it — that his hand had just flown up before he could stop it. Before Ron could make good on his threat, Ginny had appeared in the common room, a crimson-haired saviour, and dragged Ron off to the corner where they’d had a furiously whispered conversation. Harry didn’t know what she’d said to him, but Ron had backed down. He’d been heartened that even though Ginny was angry with him, she’d still come to his defence. One night, Harry found himself completely unable to sleep. He hated this blasted tournament and everything it stood for. What’s more, he was, quite frankly, scared to death. And he missed Ginny. Hermione had sat him down a few days ago and told him in no uncertain terms that it was up to him to apologise to her, and that he should stop being such a prat. He’d been trying to corner Ginny ever since but could never get her alone. It was almost three a.m. when Harry decided that he wasn’t going to get much sleep. He threw back his covers and headed for the common room. He wasn’t surprised to find Ginny already there. He’d noticed the past few days that she’d appeared later and later at the breakfast table with dark circles under her eyes and a dark temper to match. His nightmares had been getting worse too; he should have suspected that whatever was in the air was affecting her as well. “Ginny?” he said tentatively. She sat up and looked at him, an unreadable expression on her face. He knew that look. She was waiting. He took a deep breath and plunged in. “I’ve wanted to talk to you for days,” he said, walking over to sit next to her. “Please, Ginny, I’m so sorry. I’m a git, a prat, and a bloody bastard. I never should have said that, never should have HIT you, never should have made such a big deal about that Corner git-“ “Shh.” Ginny cut him off with a hand pressed firmly to his mouth. He fell silent and she withdrew her hand. She studied his face, her eyes searching his, and he knew she was looking for his complete regret. He willed her to see it. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?” she asked quietly. “It’s been weeks.” “I told you,” he said patiently. “I’m a complete git.” He looked down at lap. “The truth is, I felt guilty. I treated you like shite, I HIT you for crying out loud, and to top it all off, I threw Tom Riddle back in your face.” He looked back up at her. “I’m a horrible friend. You were right; I have no right to tell you who to dance with or to date. We were at the ball just as friends. I should have been more understanding.” “Why did you get your knickers in a twist about that?” Ginny asked curiously. “No idea,” he lied. “I reckon it was that over-protectiveness part coming out.” “Harry,” Ginny turned to face him cross-legged on the couch. “I want you to know that I wasn’t angry that you hit me back. A person gets punched, they react. It’s understandable. And the fact that I’m a girl shouldn’t make any difference.” Harry opened his mouth to protest but she stopped him. “If I was a bloke, you wouldn’t have thought twice about hitting me back.” He nodded reluctantly. “But I was very angry with you for bringing Tom Riddle into it,” she told him sternly. “Michael is not Tom and you should trust me more than that. I’m not that silly little girl anymore – you of all people know that.” “I know,” he said hoarsely. “I’m sorry.” “Apology accepted.” She reached forward and grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together. “What hurt me more than anything was the idea that you didn’t trust me to make my own decisions. And you know how careful I am. Just because I kiss a bloke, doesn’t mean that I’m going to let him have my soul.” Harry swallowed and nodded weakly. “So you forgive me? Just like that?” “Just like that,” she said. “I would have forgiven you ages ago if you’d apologised, you prat.” “Hermione had to slap some sense into me,” he said. “I think you would have figured it out eventually,” she said knowingly. She raised an eyebrow at him. “I’ve noticed you watching me lately.” “Yeah,” he said sheepishly. “I was trying to figure out how to approach you.” She smiled at him, and he noticed again the dark circles under her eyes. “Hey, have you been sleeping okay?” Ginny shook her head ruefully. “No. I don’t know what’s going on. I have these weird dreams, and then I wake up and can’t remember them.” “Me too,” Harry said slowly. “I feel like something is about to happen.” His thumb stroked the back of her hand absentmindedly. “Are you nervous?” she asked. “About the next task?” “Yes,” he said honestly. “And I know I said we wouldn’t be but I’m a bit scared. I can’t figure out what that blasted egg is trying to say.” “Sometimes it’s okay to be scared,” she said softly. “As long as it doesn’t stop you from acting.” Harry shifted on the couch and let go of her hand to put an arm around her shoulders. Normally, he wouldn’t have thought twice about such a thing, but since they’d fought so thoroughly, he wasn’t sure where the boundaries lay anymore. Luckily, she seemed to welcome the embrace; she curled her legs underneath her and snuggled into his chest underneath his arm. He sighed happily and sent a prayer of thanks to whoever was in charge of allowing her to forgive him. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “For forgiving me.” She thumped his chest lightly. “You don’t have to thank me,” she admonished. “Just next time, don’t go so long without apologising. I really missed you.” “I was miserable without you,” he confessed. “Ron and Hermione have been trying to help me but they aren’t you.” “Of course not,” she said cheekily. “But who could be as good as me?” Harry rested his head on her head and rubbed his cheek against the softness of her hair. “Git,” he said fondly. “Prat,” she shot back. He yawned, and she lifted her head from his chest. “Do you want to go back to bed?” “No,” he said, resting his head against the back of the couch and closing his eyes. “I just want to hold you for awhile. Is that okay?” Ginny smiled softly and put her head back. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “It’s okay.” ******* “I heard what happened at lunch today,” Ginny smirked at him and tossed a tripping jinx at him. The jinx hit him, and Harry fell on his bum. “Ouch,” he said, shifting to his hands and knees and standing back up after Ginny had lifted the spell. “That hurt.” “Baby.” Harry glared at her and summoned a pillow to smack her in the face. She laughed and banished the pillow away. “Heard about what?” Harry let his wand drop to his side. “About your smoothness with Cho Chang,” she said, her eyes twinkling. “You’re sure to gain her attention spitting up pumpkin juice on yourself.” “Shut it, Fury,” he said good-naturedly. “At least I didn’t stick my elbow in a butter dish and squeak like a mouse in front of her.” Ginny narrowed her eyes at him and sent her best jinx towards him – her bat bogey hex. He cursed and dropped his wand, and she quickly lifted the jinx. He wiped his face his sleeve and glared at her. “That was uncalled for.” “Sorry,” she said, feeling not the least bit guilty. “You know that topic is off-limits.” In retaliation, Harry threw a tickling charm at her and kept it on for a good five minutes before releasing her. “Spoilsport,” she panted, trying to get back her breath. Harry and Ginny were in the same abandoned classroom they’d used before Harry’s first task in the TriWizard Tournament. Harry had decided it was a good idea to keep practicing spells he might need for the rest of the year. He looked forward to these times with Ginny. They usually spent a few hours a week practicing magic. He found himself wanting to spend more and more time with her. Since their fight after the Yule Ball, they’d grown closer than ever. The next task was only a few weeks away, but Harry was no closer to figuring out what message his golden egg contained. He, Hermione and Ron had tried everything but all they heard was a high-pitched shrieking that hurt their ears. The next day, as Harry was walking to Transfiguration, Cedric Diggory stopped him in the hallway. ”I just wanted to thank you for helping me out with the first task,” he said earnestly. “Oh, you’re welcome,” Harry stammered. “No problem.” “Have you figured out your egg, yet? Harry shook his head. Cedric looked up and down the hallway as if to ensure they were alone and leaned closer. “Try taking it for a bath.” ”A bath?” Harry looked at him blankly. “Yeah,” Cedric smiled. “Look, you can use the prefect’s bathroom on the third floor. The password is ‘pine fresh.’” He backed away and tightened his grip on the bag over his shoulder. “Trust me.” He gave Harry a boyish smile that Harry suspected he could hardly blame Cho Chang for falling for. It took Harry a few days to get time alone to try out Cedric’s suggestion and when he did, he felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. From what he could deduce, something important to him was going to be taken to the bottom of the Black Lake by the mermaids, and he would have to rescue it within an hour. But how? And what would be taken? After he informed Ginny, Ron and Hermione of the egg’s message, there was a mad dash to figure out how to keep Harry underwater for an hour. They spent the last few hours, right up until the task, poring over texts in the library. Even after Professor McGonagall asked to see Ron and Hermione, he and Ginny delayed the inevitable. In the end, it was Dobby the house elf who saved him. Upon learning that his idol, Harry Potter, needed to breathe underwater, he popped out and popped back in a few minutes later with looked like a handful of seaweed. Harry swallowed the ill-tasting stuff Dobby called Gillyweed right before the task began. Once in the water, when he began growing gills and his hands and feet became webbed, he decided Dobby was getting an extra pair of socks if he survived the hour. ******* Ginny waited anxiously for Harry to surface from the Black Lake. She hated this, but she absolutely refused to bite her nails. Michael was next to her, talking enthusiastically with his mates; Ron and Hermione were nowhere to be seen. She assumed they were both in the lake waiting for Harry and Viktor Krum, respectively, to rescue them. The crowd roared when Cedric Diggory surfaced with Cho Chang. Ginny bit her lip in disappointment. What was taking Harry so long? Krum surfaced next with a wet and bedraggled Hermione in tow. Ginny grinned. She was glad her friend had someone who liked her so much. Several more minutes went by before Ron and the sister of the Beauxbatons champion emerged from the water. Ginny saw Ron looking around, presumably looking for Harry, but he was nowhere to be found. The gong sounded, and Harry’s supporters groaned in disappointment. Just as the ring from the bell ended, Harry burst out of the water, gasping for breath. Ginny stood up from her seat and watched as Ron and Hermione helped him out of the water. She had to wait until the scores were announced and everyone else was walking back to the castle before she could go down to him. She sent Michael on and waited for Harry to finish talking to Dumbledore at the edge of the shore. From the looks of things, they were having a serious conversation. She watched as Dumbledore put his hand on Harry’s shoulder and said something she could see greatly disturbed Harry. Dumbledore then patted him on the back and left. Harry took a deep breath and turned to her. He smiled, but she could see the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Harry, you git,” she said as he approached. “Always have to be the noble hero, don’t you – you could have been first back!” He shrugged sheepishly. “I didn’t know,” he said. “Guess it was pretty silly of me.” She laughed at him and shook her head. “It was a noble thing to do. And Fleur Delacour certainly seemed very grateful.” Harry blushed. “Did you see Ron’s face when she kissed him?” He took her elbow and turned her back towards the castle. They fell into step beside each other, and he slid his arm around her shoulders. “What were you talking to Dumbledore about just now?” Harry stopped walking; indecision was written on his face. She looked back at him and raised an eyebrow questioningly. “Well?” “I…um…well, I asked him why they hadn’t chosen you for me to rescue.” Ginny blinked several times. “What do you mean?” “Well, the egg – it implied that I would have to rescue the most important thing-” his voice trailed off; he hoped she would get his meaning without him having to say it. “Are you saying that I am more important to you than Ron?” she asked slowly. Harry looked down at his feet and scuffed the grass with his shoe. “Well, this year, you’ve just-” he looked at her helplessly. “Dammit, Fury, you know what I’m trying to say.” Ginny hid her smile then and asked innocently, “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean.” Harry groaned and ran a hand through his hair. “You bloody well do, but…oh hell,” he took her by the shoulders and said firmly, “You’ve really been there for me this year, Gin. You’re my best friend and you know it. That’s why I asked Dumbledore about you. Ron’s my best mate too, but it’s not the same as it is between you and me.” “I assume you’re referring to our common bond via Voldemort,” she said dryly. He nodded. “It’s amazing how something good can come out of something so evil.” “Harry, I’m touched,” she said sincerely. “You’re really important to me too.” His face softened then, and he touched her cheek gently with the tips of his fingers. “I’m glad it wasn’t you though,” he said after a moment. “Not after why Dumbledore told me they didn’t take you.” “Why?” He hesitated and dropped his hand back down to her shoulder. “It doesn’t really matter I suppose, but he said that they didn’t want to risk putting you in the water because of the dangerous creatures in there.” “So?” Ginny was outraged. “Didn’t he think I could take care of myself?” He shook his head. “It’s not that, Gin. Dumbledore said he suspects that everything evil might be after you – because of your connection to Voldemort.” Ginny was taken aback. “Everything evil? Dark creatures you mean? But that doesn’t make sense – you have a connection too!” He frowned. “They didn’t have much of a choice with me,” he pointed out. “I have to compete. But Dumbledore said they didn’t want to risk placing you in a situation where a dark creature could sense Voldemort and get past the merpeople for you.” “This is crazy,” Ginny scoffed. “Nothing evil is after me.” “No, not when you’re in the castle where it’s protected,” Harry said. “Dumbledore said he wasn’t sure, but he didn’t want to find out the hard way.” He looked at her anxiously. “He may be wrong, Gin, but he certainly believed it. I’ve never seen him look so serious.” Ginny took a heavy breath. “Well, that’s something to think about it, isn’t it?” She stepped closer to him then. She suddenly needed comfort, and so she rested her forehead on his chest as she stared back out at the Black Lake. They were silent for a few moments while Harry rubbed her back comfortingly. Ginny stared at the water as if she expected something evil to break the surface at any moment and come for them. “Is this ever going to be over, you think?” she finally asked in a small voice. Harry rested his cheek on the back of her head. “Someday, Fury, I hope someday.” |
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