the song that Ginny dances to in the beginning is: Once Upon A December!
Thank you very much, comment what you think please, and I hope you like it :)
playlist on spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4VVsskcfcap9LU84tW1iXs
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The Duke | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Harry/Ginny, James Potter, Lily Potter, Other Genres: Angst, Drama, Fluff, General, Romance Warnings: Death, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations, Violence Rating: R Reviews: 43 Summary: Some time ago a prophecy was made, one that said about two powerful and strong souls who would be able to defeat even the strongest of wizards, bringing peace that the Wizarding World has not seen for centuries. But for that to happen, they would have to be entwined through marriage. Everything was going well, the children were born healthy and were promised to each other, until one of them was kidnapped. Hitcount: Story Total: 15795; Chapter Total: 946 Author's Notes: |
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| G. W | When the music started, Ginny didn't know if she could still breathe, she was so nervous. Her lung felt trapped inside a cage as a thousand people stabbed it through the bars, and nothing in the world seemed to be able to lessen that fear and palpitation that burned in her chest. But she would never make it visible, so she smiled and started dancing. As a child and not yet aware of how much tragedy and loneliness lay ahead, Ginny used to play with her rag dolls and rehearse the waltz with them, thinking that one day it would be her and her prince charming. Molly always said that a man conquered a woman during a dance, the way he spun her around, held her hand, looked at her, determined how well he would treat her when they got married. Older now, Ginny thought this was not true, not only because the men all looked the same when they danced - stiff, too focused on not stepping on the girl's dress and bored - but also because it seemed silly to marry someone just because that person smiled and was polite to you during a silly dance. That shouldn't be the big difference in knowing if that man was good or not, it was just the least he could do. Ginny was getting more and more irritated by those stupid rules the more time passed. First, she couldn't go watch the duels, then, she needed to fall in love with a man who didn't even make the effort to get to know her, just smiled and touched her waist. What came next? She couldn't wait to get out of Rosier's arms, which now felt more like a chain around her, and back to her table. "You look beautiful tonight." Rosier smiled, taking the first step with her, at the same pace as all the other couples. Ginny smiled back, not quite sure how to respond to him. "Thank you," was all her mind could think of, and taking advantage of her back to her parents, Ginny tried once more to look for Henry in the crowd. Why wasn't he there? ''Looking for someone? I hope not a jealous lover.'' "No one." Ginny stared at him, noticing that his right eye looked bruised, as if his pupil had lost its color in a small, barely perceptible band. "A curse hit me," he said in a low tone, as if it were a secret. ''I regained my sight, but I got the scar.'' ''Shouldn't you stay out of harm's way? Being an aristocratic man, I mean." Ginny knew that many of them never even learned a simple protection spell, always surrounded by men who only worked to save them if they got into a fight in the tavern. That's what Henry told her. "Yes, but you know how things are." He spun her around, then pinned her again close to his body. "I love an adrenaline rush." She nodded once more, looking over Rosier's shoulder. ''Are you sure you are not looking for anyone?'' ''I'm just admiring the salon. I've never been in one this elegant." It was nonetheless true, the whole atmosphere exuded a greed that Ginny had never witnessed before. "The Potter family has always been very fond of showing off their fortune," Rosier's tone sounded a little acidic, but perhaps she had misunderstood. "But still many say it's been the best years for the Gryffindor kingdom since they came to power." ''From what I see in the papers, our kingdom is fine compared to Slytherin, not wanting to offend you, sir,, of course.'' Rosier carried the snake coat on his chest like a diamond stone, the green band stitched together in the collar of his cape it seemed to glow among so many reds. ''I'm not offended, we're going through some rough spots but we'll come back soon, I'm sure.'' He smiled, his gray eyes seeming to get as skittish as a cat about to attack someone, and once again, Ginny's chest burned and her fingertips tingle with the irrational urge to push him away. But he kept her there, close. ''And you read newspapers? What a distinguished lady.'' ''Only sometimes,'' She lied, spinning around once more when he pulled her away enough for it, holding her hand as if afraid Ginny would run away. ''I usually only read regular books.'' "A lady who reads and knows how to duel... What danger do you most pose to society, Miss Weasley? Do you also know how to bewitch a man by the mind to make him do what you wants?'' Rosier seemed to find that amusing, eyes gleaming as he laughed, head tilted back slightly. The dance is almost over, Ginny reminded herself, trying to calm down. "You are a rare jewel, my dear. Almost a collector's item.'' "I don't know if I can be that, as I'm not an object for you to collect." She gave a cordial shrug, sweeping her eyes around the room as Rosier closed them to laugh again. "You are really unique." He looked at her, what Ginny thought might be the look he used to seduce young women. ''It's a shame that the dance is ending, however, I wish we had more time." Rosier took his hand from her waist, touching Ginny's cheek to brush away some hair that had fallen there. The touch made her freeze in place. "But soon we'll have all the time in the world, won't we?" Ginny didn't know what he was talking about, but she hoped for all that was more sacred, that her father hadn't allowed Rosier to be her husband. Just the thought of it made her desperate, like she'd fallen to the bottom of the oceans and the fall would never end, just everything getting darker and harder to breathe. When she opened her mouth to say they wouldn't have it, the loudest chord on the piano echoed through the room, at the same time that Ginny felt a sharp pain rip through her chest. It was immeasurable pain, it seemed to burn every vein and artery in her, the bones seeming to break into a million pieces with each passing second, and the pain making her vision blur. In a desperate move, Ginny placed her hand over her heart as if she wanted to keep it together, even losing her voice as the air seemed to fail her lungs, Rosier becoming a puny blur in front of her. And before Ginny was taken by the darkness, already feeling that her legs were so weak that felt like paper, she looked as far as she could, looking for Henry. But he wasn't there, and the last thing she thought about before falling to the floor, feeling the life drain from her veins, was his green eyes and his cute smile that showed whenever she called him a coward for not flying with her. | H. P | Early in that day Henry, or Harry he didn't know yet, had never thought about his birth parents. Arabella was his mother, and period, he was happy about it, she was happy, they were a family. She worked until after two in the morning to make sure she could afford a good tutor for him, and he helped her when there were too many deliveries. Arabella worked making bread and cakes, and every now and then Henry walked around the village making deliveries and sometimes earned a coin for it. Arabella had not liked the idea of Henry going to work as an Auror, no matter how good the salary was. They didn't accept any wizards there, and Henry had to be in the right place and with the right person to be accepted into the academy - it was Mrs McGonagall who managed to convince Robards that he was good enough for the man to turn a blind eye to the fact that Henry is not from any known family. And Henry barely had the money to buy the uniform, but his mother managed to get an old acquaintance to sell her the fabric to sew herself. For a lifetime, it had been just the two of them, fighting all those who so doubted Henry could be anything, ensuring that all those mean boys who hexed Henry after returning from Hogwarts on vacation, and who looked askance at him when Arabella arrived, swallow every word. And then, less than an hour ago, everything turned upside down. Henry never cared about his birth parents, but when the Duchess, his Mother, looked at him and touched his face, Henry thought he could feel something filling him with a feeling he couldn't even describe. It was as if inside him there was a lack that had been there for so long that he had already forgotten it, but that has now been remedied. "Can I…can I hug you?" She asked, her voice tearful, her green eyes – just like his – shimmering with tears. He wanted to cry too. Henry nodded, unable to say anything, because suddenly that lack he had never noticed before seemed too devastating, making him feel bereft. It was like he had been in a black and white world for years already, forgetting what the colors looked like, but now, they were slowly coming back. Lily took a step and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him. She was smaller than him, but even bigger than Ginny. Her head rested carefully, as if she was afraid it was all a lie, close to his heart, and Henry hugged her back, thinking he'd never felt anything like it. He felt her tears wet his shirt, but he didn't care, mostly because he was crying too. James didn't take long to join the hug, they were the same height, had the same hair - even though James already had a few gray strands - but he looked much more noble than Henry. He wore the family crest, a red sash at the collar of his shirt, and his steps were much better thought out than Henry's. He would have learned to be like that had he lived in the castle, he thought, closing his eyes when the pain threatened to be too much for him to bear. If he had grown up there, he would have gone to Hogwarts, he would never have had trouble joining the Aurors, he wouldn't know what it would be like to be jealous of boys showing off in the street with their wands, nor what it was like to be hungry in some nights when money had been tight for food because Arabella had had to pay the tutor. He would have had another life. He would be a nobleman. ''I missed you so much. I never stopped looking for you, even though… even if I didn't know how you looked anymore, if you looked more like me or James, if you had my hair… I never stopped thinking about you.'' Lily held his face again, and Henry remembered hearing Mrs. Wesley said that the woman looked ill with each passing day. It was true, Henry could see how haunted her eyes looked. And, it was like looking into a mirror. "This is your room," Lily said, her voice low as if she was afraid someone would suddenly hear them. Mr. Potter, his father, had stayed in the dungeons with the two other men to decide the end of the traitor, but he doubted the man would kill him. Henry had seen too many men close to killing someone to know that James was not a murderer. He would probably lock him up in one of the cells and leave him there until everyone was gone. ''Did you always keep it tidy like this?'' It was strange to be on the third floor of that house, because while Henry had never been there, it felt so familiar and comfortable to look at the walls decorated with paintings, the flowered wallpaper, the decor is delicate and elegant. It was all so different from where he had grown up. ''I always hoped you would come back one day. And please don't call me ma'am, call me…" Mum, Henry completed in his mind, averting his eyes from hers, looking back to the room. "Lily." "It's a very nice room," Henry said, stepping onto the manicured carpet for fear of getting it dirty. He should have taken off his boots. "I changed the decor a few years ago, when I thought you wouldn't want a room with teddy bears and toys anymore." She stood beside him, a sad smile on her face. ''I don't know what you like yet, but you can change if you want… If you want to live here, of course, if you don't want to… I'll understand.'' The walls were painted a cream color much like Ginny's room, but unlike hers, his had more windows, a bigger bed, some paintings on the walls, his basin was much bigger than any of them he's had it before, of much sturdier wood, and the towels hanging in the wooden partition were a cotton so soft Henry thought they must cost a lot more than his entire salary. As he approached the dresser, Henry noticed that the drawers were still empty, not for one that held several Gryffindor handkerchiefs like the ones James used. There were those that had a golden thread embroidered on the family crest, those that had sewn it in the original colors, those of linen, cotton, even satin, which were supposed to be for summer. "It comes in all sizes, you can try it on if you like," Lily said, watching as Henry touched each of the tissues. ''We live here, but sometimes we need to go to our house in Godric's Hollow, and there you have a room too. I know life here is kind of quiet and there's not much to do, and of course, when you get married that will be your home-'' "My house?" He looked at her. ''Get married?'' ''Yes, I believe you know that you and Mrs. Weasley have been betrothed to be married since babies? And whenever the eldest son gets married, he inherits the main house of the family, and the parents can still live with them of course, but they can also live in any other house they have... James and I already live here, so everything is perfect. Lily shrugged, gently, like a duchess would. "Yes, she is betrothed to marry the Duke's son." Henry said as if trying to explain to her that the sky was blue. "Which is you." Lily looked amused at his confusion, because she smiled and chuckled softly, raising her eyebrows. "You are Harry James Potter, son of Duke James Potter, and the Duchess, Lily Evans Potter, who is me." She smiled, bowing as if to introduce herself to him. ''I believe you know about your connection to her? But if you want, I can tell you what I've learned about this in recent years...'' | G. W | Ginny didn't know if she was dead, but it was possible that she was. Suddenly the ballroom turned into a white room, too bright for her to be able to look ahead without having to close her eyes, confused as to where she was and what the hell had happened there. The pain was gone, there was no more discomfort or that growing despair, but also… she couldn't feel anything. It was like not even her heart beat, which was bizarre. "Hello?" she yelled, hoping someone would answer her, or that she would wake up from that dream room first. People must have been looking at her and thinking she was crazy, which Ginny was sure was far worse than dying. The white light was waning little by little, the walls that used to be white were turning into walls painted a creamy white that had long since taken on a horrible old yellowish hue, small flowers that lost the vibrancy of their colors were painted there too, and Ginny could see that there were small cracks in the wallpaper, probably because of how long it had been there. Furniture began to fill the room as that fog seemed to dissipate, there was a baby blue shag rug that didn't match the mustard yellow sofa, bookcases in the corner, windows open and embroidered curtains fluttered in the wind that came in there. She was at her house. In the living room. But that couldn't be true, couldn't be, she was hours away from home, and Molly had changed that wallpaper last summer. ''Hello?! Mum?'' She screamed once more now that she knew she was home. Has she gone back in time? "Dad!" But no one answered her, which heightened her fear. There had to be a way out of there, Ginny needed to get out, so she walked to the window hoping she could jump out of there towards the tree, as she had done several times as a child and wanted to escape punishment, but when she tried to get her body through the window, she was stopped. As if she had a greater force pushing her back, Ginny fell to the floor beside the armchair. She felt like she might start crying right then and there, desperate to get back. She didn't want to die. ''Somebody help me!" Ginny screamed louder this time, someone should have to listen to her, it wasn't possible. ''Help!" But nothing happened again. After trying to escape down the stairs and through the door - none of them worked - Ginny realized there was no way out of there, she was really trapped, it must be some protective spell her father put on before they left, it must be - ''Henry! ''It was strange how suddenly his image seemed almost forgotten in her mind, as if that was the first time she had called him. "Henry, help me, please." Ginny cried, but again, the mental image she had of him seemed almost completely erased. It was as if she didn't know him anymore. When she started to feel ready to cry, she heard footsteps. Great, finally he had listened to her, or maybe it was her father going to disarm those spells so that Ginny could get out of there, she would tell her everything that happened and- It was... herself. | H. P | Harry, now he was feeling a little more used to saying that name, was sitting on his own bed, feeling anxious. He was wearing his work uniform, combing his hair – or trying to – like he always did, putting his wand where he always left it… but it didn't feel right. His reflection looked strange. Harry felt strange. It was like he was a fake. He was supposed to go downstairs and go to work as if nothing had happened, but how was that possible? How was he going to face Ginny when… he was going to marry her? It was what he had once wanted, or at least thought it would be great if it happened, but it wasn't like that in his dreams. He wasn't the son of a duke, and he wasn't inheriting more money than he could spend in his entire life. No, he was the son of a squib who worked too hard to pay for his education, and if he died tomorrow, Harry, no, Henry would have to give up all his savings to be able to give her a decent wake. He wished it weren't so hard. And yet he couldn't even tell Ginny the truth, Mr. Potter instructed him that it was better that no one knew yet, because Peter probably didn't work alone and wasn't here without allies on his side, and it was too dangerous if anyone else knew. Harry would have to lie to her, and he rarely did. Once when she asked him if her hat was pretty, and it wasn't. Another time when she got a death threat and he told her it was a letter to him from his mother and so she couldn't read it. And another when she asked if he had ever gone to Yeovil, and Harry said that only once. He never lied to her that he was someone else, and Harry would rather not have to do that now. Of course he's omitted a few things over the three years, like when she wears that orange dress that makes her look like full flame and her skin seems to turn yellow, but he still says she looks pretty. But that wasn't even close to having to omit that he was actually Harry Potter. Harry sighed, rubbing a hand over his face and working up the courage to leave the room and go to work. Harry wished he could hide there forever, but he knew he wasn't a coward on that level. "Come on," he muttered to himself, standing up and grabbing his cloak and his badge, which looked so small and drab now that he'd seen the badge he'd wear when he wore the noble clothes. Lily urged him to try on one of the handkerchiefs, and Harry would probably never be able to use an ordinary handkerchief again without thinking about the softness and delicacy of the one waiting for him in the drawer. Little differences he would never have known if everything had been different. Opening the door carefully and looking both ways before leaving, Harry walked down the service stairs, just so in case he saw someone around he could tell he was working. An Auror, not being one of the highest level, would never walk the main staircase. The elves worked in the kitchen in their usual haste, not even looking at Harry as he passed by, picking up a cookie left over from the afternoon tea, and smiling at the younger elf who was kneading more dough. "Have a good job," he said, waving at her and walking out the door that was at the back of the main staircase, next to the entrance room. There was no one around, as he thought, so he decided to enter the other side of the room, where there were fewer people and Harry wouldn't have that much trouble in disguise. He hadn't seen Ginny yet, but Mrs. Weasley had probably already carried her daughter into the hall to avoid any possible mishap. Harry walked through the garden until he reached the other door, finding James there, talking to Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin, in low, barely audible whispers. He greeted them as he would, a curt nod so as not to draw attention, and not taking too long to continue his way into the hall, which was already as crowded as he imagined. Hidden in one of the shadows, Harry searched the Weasleys' table, not having much trouble finding them, as Mrs. Weasley clearly didn't want them to be hidden. They were close to the dance floor, and anyone looking there would see them talking, a sea of bright red heads. "I found you." A female voice startled him, but Ginny didn't seem to feel guilty about it. ''Where were you?'' "Hm…" Harry bowed to her like he did when they were in public, trying to think quickly of a lie. ''Resolving a few things, but nothing you should worry about. I'm back at work now." Ginny looked strange, but maybe it was her nervousness. Her dress was lavender and Harry thought that no color had ever matched her so well. "I was worried." She smiled. "You should go back to your table, there's no need to worry anymore," Harry assured her, because no matter who he was, he would protect her. ''You'll have to go with me to get something from my room, Mom is furious that I forgot my handkerchief... You know, my lucky one.'' Harry looked back at the Weasleys' table, finding it strange that Mrs. Weasley was going to care about that now, especially since the dance was about to start. "She wants everything to be perfect, and Merlin to protect me if I can't get Mr. Rosier to like me." "Did your father tell you about him?" And wasn't she mad? "Of course we can go, it's no problem." Harry let her go ahead, noting that James and the other men were no longer there, probably already on their way to get ready for the start of the dance. "Thanks, and yes, he told me, hm... earlier." She smiled sheepishly, which wasn't very much like her, but Harry didn't know if it wasn't just nervousness. ''How are you? How was the duel?'' ''Very well, it's a shame you can't go… What's your lucky handkerchief?" "That red one embroidered with white thread that Bill gave me." Ginny looked over her shoulder, a mischievous smile on her lips. ''Do you suspect it's not me, Mr. Figg? I don't think it's very polite of you." "Never, miss, just following protocol." They entered the now empty house, Harry following her upstairs as he had last night, but always keeping a safe distance in case anyone saw them. ''Are you excited?'' ''Yes, can you believe it? I've never been to a ball like this." Ginny let Harry open the door and check the room before she walked in, as they usually did. ''Have you ever been?'' "No, it's my first time too." ''It's cool, but of course, I'd love to be able to participate in the duels… Do you think they'll let me participate in the transfiguration tournament?'' She said, walking across the room and opening the dresser drawer, even though that was her towel drawer. "Your tissues are in the bottom drawer," Harry reminded her, putting a hand on her hip to feel if his wand was there. ''Oh, my head is in the clouds! Mom has been making me nervous about all this happening." She smiled, opening the right drawer this time and then reaching for her handkerchief. Ginny turned away from him, looking at her reflection in the mirror to put on her scarf. "You won't believe what—" Harry stopped behind her, his wand in the middle of her spine. "What was the first thing you asked me when we met?" He whispered, blood running hot through his veins, fearing the real Ginny was in danger. "I greeted you." She, or whoever that person was, said. Harry smiled but there was not a shred of humor in him. ''Wrong answer.'' "Do you really think you're capable of protecting me?" The real Ginny's voice rang in his mind, a happy memory he held dear. Of course Mrs Weasley hated that she had said that before she even knew his name. "You're making a mistake, Mr. Figg," she whispered, dropping her handkerchief to the floor as she raised her hands in redemption. "A terrible mistake." ''I think you're wrong here… What are your last words?'' Ginny's body transformed into that of a woman taller than she, her black hair was messy and dirty looking, and from the reflection in the mirror, Harry thought she was about to go mad, her dark eyes huge in her face and her eyebrows arched. ''Peter did a terrible job trying to kill you, little duke, but unlike him, I have no mercy for people like you.'' Harry didn't get a chance to cast a spell, even though the name of one was already being said in his mind, another hit him in the back making him double over in pain. "Robards didn't teach you never to leave the door closed?" He heard the woman whisper as his chest seemed to break into a million pieces. It was as if everything inside him was being destroyed, and Harry thought that maybe if he put a hand to his heart he would feel it shatter, even though he knew it wasn't possible. The pain swept through him, his legs going limp and his blood feeling cold in his veins, and the only thing he could care more about was where Ginny was, because if there was a fake one walking around, that meant the real one could have suffered something for that to be possible. Was she okay? Alive? Harry hoped so, because he would never forgive himself if something happened to her. And before darkness overtook him, as he had seen with so many men before they died, he thought of her brown eyes, her fiery hair, and how much he loved her. | G. W | It was the weirdest thing that had ever happened to her, forget about her exploding magic, that was so much worse. Percy once told her that you should never be seen by your past self if you didn't want your timeline to be messed up, which is why she hid behind a chair like a scared child. What was happening?! "Ginny," Her mom appeared, and Molly looked younger somehow, her hair was still long and she still wore that old gold-cut M barrette that had been her mom's. ''Don't make things harder than they already are.'' "I'm not doing this, I just think it's completely unnecessary," Ginny from the past said, rolling her eyes when Molly wasn't looking, running her hands anxiously over the brown dress she was wearing. It wasn't elegant at all and was already a little tight around her arms and waist, but she remembered that it had been the first dress they'd ever bought her entirely new, and Ginny kept it very fondly "I don't leave the house anymore and everything is fine, I don't need a bodyguard!" Oh… Ginny remembered that day, when she met Henry. ''What else will I need? Keep my wand in a box because I don't know how to use it?!'' "Ginny, don't make such a fuss." Molly sighed, and as Ginny had expected, she went to the window to snoop if her father had already arrived with him. And they were coming "They're coming." Ginny choked back a laugh, amused that she knew exactly where this was going. "Oh, I don't believe this…" She complained, flopping onto the couch and closing her eyes. Ginny knew that all she wanted to do was cry and hide in her room, hating that she didn't know how to control her own magic. ''Be polite to him, Robards says he's the best for this job, and we don't want him to think anything bad about us, do we?'' Molly looked excited and nervous, and Ginny felt like hugging her mother because she knew it wasn't easy for her either. ''I never thought I would have an Auror at home, not being one of my sons…'' "I never thought I'd have another bodyguard other than one of my brothers." She grumbled, standing up and straightening the creases on her dress, standing beside her mother with her back to present/future Ginny. The noise of footsteps made her anxious just as it had that day, and she thought she might appreciate Henry better now that she already knew him. He was handsome that day, with his beard trimmed, his hair combed - or trying at least - still wearing the gray clothes of the Aurors. Ginny felt her stomach flutter as she heard the door to the living room open, peering over the armchair her first encounter with him. But instead of seeing Henry, Ginny didn't see anything, which was weird because she knew he was there. Now only her father was there, smiling discreetly at her in an attempt to calm her down, as Ginny remembered him doing. "Ginny, this is Mr-" Arthur's voice cut off, as if he was suddenly speechless but his mouth continued to move. What was happening? The conversation continued but still without sound, and gradually the Ginny of the past, Molly and Arthur were disappearing, as if they were ashes in the middle of the wind, leaving her alone in that room again. "What the fuck?" She grumbled, stepping out from behind the armchair and walking to where she was from the past, looking around the room for some answer. Was it a dream? She had died and this was the moment she was destined to remember for the rest of her life? Where was Henry?! "Henry!" Ginny yelled once more, no longer caring about nothing. "Is anyone here?!" But other than the noise in her voice, nothing was heard. She was starting to get scared now. Was that some kind of magic? Had someone poisoned her and imprisoned her in the past? Ginny tried to step forward where Henry should have been, but her body was stopped by something, knocking her back again as if she'd just hit her head against the wall, even though nothing was there. Merlin, she's really freaked out. "Ginny?" Henry's voice rang through the empty room, low and tense. ''Henry! Where are you? Please tell me I didn't die." She yelled back. "Ginny… are you okay?" His voice was quieter now, as if he was far away from her, but even though she looked around, she couldn't see him. "Has someone hurt you?" ''No. I was at the dance, and then I went dancing with Rosier and all of a sudden I felt horrible pain and fell to the ground… Do you think someone poisoned me? Do you think this is because of the mermaid that attacked me?" "Where did you feel pain?" What a dumb question to ask, there were so many more important ones. ''In the chest.'' "Close to the heart?" His voice was getting lower. ''Yes, something like that. Can you speak louder? Or show up? This is all very confusing.'' "Ginny, I… Ginny, can you see me?" ''Of course not! If not I wouldn't ask to see you, seriously Henry, you're gone for a day and- By the way, why did you treat me like that before the ball started?'' She still felt sad about it, but could someone blame her? The guy she liked had talked to her like she was nothing, it hurt. ''I didn't see you. It was not me.'' "What- How do I know it's you now, then?" She took a step back, hating that her wand wasn't there with her. "What did I tell you right here when we first met?" ''You said Do you really think you can protect me?, and your mother was furious about it, but she kept reassuring me that you were a very sweet and polite girl, you were just having a hard time.'' They were silent. ''Am I right?'' ''Yeah… Henry this is crazy, can you get us out of here? Mom must think I'm dead, and only Merlin knows how many people will be watching me when I wake up." ''I think I know how, but first I need to tell you something. Something I just discovered today. And I think that's why you can't see me." His voice sounded more strained than before, which worried her even more. "But you need to trust me." ''You are scaring me.'' ''Promise you will trust.'' 'Henry-' "Promise." His voice sounded even farther away, which made her think he was pulling away for some reason. Ginny pulled away too, just in case. "Okay, I promise I'll trust you." ''Today, when the duke and duchess called me to talk… you know they called me, right?'' "Yes." Where would he go with that? Had Henry been fired? "I…I discovered something." He trailed off, seeming to think before continuing. ''Do you know how your bond with their son works? You are protected by each other, as if… you can't live without the other, you understand? At least not before you were married, because then you would have sealed the bond between the two of you and even if one died, the other would always be protected. But in case you didn't get married until you were twenty-one… Do you remember what happened on your twenty-first birthday?" ''Why do you want to know that? And yes, I remember, I almost died.'' "Me too, Ginny…" He was quiet. ''What do you mean by that? Okay, it's a coincidence, where are you taking this conversation? Why talk about him? He's dead.'' ''Ginny, I can see you now... I know you're near the chair, with your hand on it, and that you're looking around confusedly looking for me. I can also hear you perfectly. But I think this is only possible because I know who I am.'' ''Who are you? Have you lost your mind too?" Ginny laughed, trying to hide the nervousness that seemed to burn in her chest. ''You felt the same pain as me, and we are here because it's when we first met, but… You can't see me because it's not me here. I mean, it's me, but not… in the right way. Want proof? Close your eyes.'' ''OK.'' "You still have them open, and you promised you'd trust me." She rolled her eyes, annoyed that this was happening. The poison that hit them was really strong. Closing her eyes as he asked, Ginny let Henry do who knows what he wanted, feeling her body being pulled somewhere as if she had Apparated to somewhere far away from her house. "You can look now." She didn't know it there, the decor was cozy and childish, but nothing she'd ever seen. From a distance she could see that the Potters were there too in the room, much younger and happier, Lily even seemed to glow… Like today when she went dancing with James. There was a crib beside them, and even though Ginny couldn't see the baby inside, she knew who it was. "We've also met here, but I doubt either of us will remember." A child's cry was heard, and Molly's calm voice made Ginny feel almost hugged. ''He's beautiful…Hi Harry, how are you? This is Ginny…" As soon as the voice came out, it faded, and so did the comfort, making her feel empty again. ''What do you mean by that? Why are we here?" Ginny wanted to get away from there, even though something inside her still wanted her to stay still, preventing her from walking. ''Henry!'' ''Ginny… The night my mom found me? I wasn't the son of a harlot, I was him…" She looked to where the baby had been. ''I am the kidnapped son, I am-'' "Harry?" She whispered, feeling strangely good, as if the emptiness she never even realized existed had finally been filled, gradually it was as if new colors were appearing around her, colors that Ginny had never noticed before.. And where there had been no one before, now there was Henry. Or rather, Harry. |
| Reviews 43 |
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