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2000 Miles | ||||||
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Category: Post-OotP Characters:All Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Fluff, Tragedy, Drama Warnings: None Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 453 Summary: When Harry realises his need for Ginny he eventually finds a way to tell her how he feels, but their fairytale romance is interrupted by a battle with the Dark Lord, and Ginny is determined that she won't lose Harry and is prepared to go to any lengths to prevent it. H/G, R/Hr. Hitcount: Story Total: 164428; Chapter Total: 6320 |
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O that ‘twere possible, After long grief and pain, To find the arms of my true- love Round me once again!… A shadow flits before me- Not thou, but like to thee. Ah God! that it were possible For one short hour to see The souls we loved, that they might tell us What and where they be. ~By Alfred, Lord Tennyson Chapter XX: Finding Faith It was late August, and although still hot and sunny, Ginny could feel that winter was approaching. Everyday since she had arrived in the Lake District she had walked, and she had found twenty-two prisoners in holes in the ground, or under quarry spoil heaps, or in caves in rock faces. Even in the circumstances, Ginny enjoyed her walking. It gave her a sense of freedom that she had never had before. After all, six older brothers could be suffocating, no matter how much she loved them. However, thinking of her brothers made her sad. There were only four of them left now, and remembering them made her miss her family, but she had a job to do and she had no intention of not completing it. A couple of weeks earlier, a thrilled Joanne had received her Hogwarts letter. To celebrate, Marion and Ginny had taken the girls swimming in the river Rothay at White Moss common, although Ginny managed to find time to fit in a short walk. It was now two days until Joanne would be leaving, but Ginny wasn’t wasting any time. She was up on Silver Howe today, near Grasmere, a wild rambling fell of open access land. She had only been walking for just over an hour when she found exactly what she was looking for. Three men were standing beside a dip in the ground, trying to look innocent. Ginny tucked her hair up into her cap and approached them. “Hi,” she said. “I was wondering if you could help me. I’m looking for the path down into the village.” The men looked at each other. “Erm,” said one of them. “I’m not sure where it is,” said another. “That’s what I thought,” said Ginny. She grinned, kicked one of them in the balls, then whipped out her wand. “The journey ends here guys,” she said, with a smile. “Don’t worry, you’re not the first to fall at my hands.” She turned her wand on each of them, and bound them with invisible rope. Then she stunned them. She glanced around looking for then entrance to the cell and found it with ease. She dropped down into the hole and smiled at the frightened faces turning to look at her. “Don’t worry. I’m not a Death Eater,” she said. She took out her notebook as usual. “What are your names?” she asked. “Dean Thomas,” said the man in the shadows. “Parvati Patil,” said the girl. “Severus Snape,” said the older man. Ginny quickly scribbled down the names. “Well, well,” she said. “I seem to have stumbled upon half of the Hogwarts community down here. It’s Ginny Weasley, by the way.” Parvati ran forward and hugged her. “Thank you so much, Ginny," she said, half crying. “Did the others get back ok?” asked Dean. “I mean the other seventh years.” “You’ll find out when you go home,” said Ginny. “Just so you know, though, Parvati. Padma is alright.” “And Voldemort?” asked Snape. “Don’t you know?” asked Ginny. “No,” said Snape. “The Death Eaters discovered I was a spy and took me away before the battle was over and these two joined me soon after.” “Voldemort was defeated,” said Ginny. “Harry won,” said Dean with an enormous grin. “I knew he would.” Harry and Ginny had made up with Dean after the events of Ginny’s fifth year a long time ago. “I didn’t see Harry after he killed Draco Malfoy,” said Parvati. Ginny looked at her. “He didn’t have any choice,” said Dean. “Malfoy deflected every curse that Harry threw at him. Malfoy was going to kill him. And also, Harry was angry with him because he was insulting you.” “Harry’s a good guy,” said Parvati. “I know,” said Ginny. “You don’t need to explain it to me. Anyway before a let you go I have a few rules for you. You must tell no one about me. It will jeopardise what I am doing here. I have already sent twenty-two people home, but I still have another two hundred and sixty to find. Outside are three stunned and bound Death Eaters. In small pouches on their belts are your wands. You will also find the Death Eaters own wands in pockets or up their sleeves. You must return to the valley bottom, and send up red sparks. Members of the Magical Law Enforcement Department will be there in minutes. Hand over the Death Eaters and you will be free to leave.” Dean and Parvati climbed out of the hole. “Professor,” said Ginny. “Can I ask you to tell Professor Dumbledore something? Don’t tell him I said it, but I think he will understand.” “Ok, Miss Weasley,” said Snape. “Tell him thank you,” said Ginny. Snape nodded and climbed out of the hole. ̶ 0;I’m going to miss you, Ginny,” said Joanne. Ginny picked her up. “I’m going to miss you too,” she said. “Just promise me something, ok?” “Ok,” said Joanne. “Write to me every week,” said Ginny. “And tell no one that you know me. That is very important.” “Ok Ginny,” said Joanne. “I’ll see you at Christmas, won’t I?” “If I’m not back a Hogwarts before then,” said Ginny. “Anyway, you had best be off. You don’t want to miss the train, do you?” Joanne shook her head. She slid to the floor and ran to the car. Ginny waved goodbye from the doorway, before locking the door, and setting off for the bus stop. Before long, it was two months since Ginny had left Hogwarts. When the school year was over, Hermione had gone to the Burrow with Ron, to live there for a while. It made the most sense, seeing as her own parents had been killed and the Weasley’s had four spare beds, owing to the fact that Fred and George lived in London and Percy and Ginny were gone. So for two months, Hermione watched Molly Weasley mourn the loss of her only daughter and two more sons in addition to Percy. Molly had always considered Harry to be her son, and was overjoyed when he fell for her little girl, but now, they were both gone. The entire Weasley family had changed. It was now smaller, but the life that had always been there seemed to have died with Ginny. Charlie had never been around much in the time that Hermione had known them, but Ginny had. The laughter that once filled the burrow had vanished and in its place were tears. Hermione had never told anyone about her religion. She had been bought into the Catholic faith and therefore was raised as a Catholic. Because of going off to Hogwarts for the most part of the last seven years, she no longer practised her faith. However, looking at and feeling the sadness of the loss of her parents and two of her best friends, she felt that it was time, once again, to turn to God. So, early one Sunday morning in September, Hermione dressed silently and slipped out of the house before anyone else was awake and arrived at Our Lady’s church in Ottery St. Catchpole just in time for the eight o’clock mass. Hermione walked into a bench close to the back just as the bell rang to stand, and the organ began to play. As the priest and his altar servers processed around the church, the congregation sang the entrance hymn. “Wherever you must go, I’ll be always at your side, Wherever you live, You’ll find me there, For your heart, Is mine.” The priest reached the altar and began the mass. The congregation sat for the readings. “I cry to you, my Lord, my rock! Do not be deaf to me, for if you are silent, I shall go down to the pit like the rest. Hear my voice raised in petition as I cry to you for help, as I raise my hands, my Lord, toward your holy of holies,” said the reader. The mass continued and soon it was time for Holy Communion. As the members of each bench filed down the main aisle in turn, Hermione followed, right at the back. When she returned to the bench she knelt down and prayed. “Eternal rest, Give unto my parents, O Lord, And let perpetual light shine upon them, May they rest in peace, Amen. Dear Lord, I know I have not spoken to you in a long time, but I need your help now. Watch over my friends, Harry and Ginny, whether they are alive, or they are with you in heaven. Let them one day find peace, even if they are suffering now, and please allow them to be together, for I know that nothing is more important to them than each other. Help the Weasley family, Arthur, Molly, Bill, Fred, George and Ron, to cope with the losses of Charlie, Percy, Ginny and their friend Harry. Help them to move on with their lives and not let the grief overpower them. Let them always remember their loved ones in their thoughts, and help them to know that they are never alone. Amen.” Hermione sat back on her bench and watched as people around her began to do the same. As she thought about her parents, Percy, Charlie, Harry and Ginny, her eyes filled with tears, but it was only once she stopped praying that they began to fall. At the end of mass, she went to the altar, to where the votive candles were placed on the stand. She pulled a few muggle coins out of her pocket. She put one in the box and lit a candle. “I light this candle for my parents,” she whispered. “May the light of their love burn forever in my heart.” She slipped another coin into the box. “I light this candle for Percy and for Charlie. May their sacrifices never be forgotten.” She put a third coin into the box. “I light this candle for Harry,” she whispered again. “May the light of your life burn forever in our hearts.” She dropped another coin into the box. “I light this candle for Ginny. May this candle burn like her unfailing compassion and support for everyone, like her strength during her darkest hour and our world’s darkest hour and like her love for Harry. May her presence in our lives be everlasting.” Hermione turned, genuflected before the main altar and left the church. And so came the fifteenth of September, the two month anniversary of Ginny’s first walk. She set out, early in the morning, the same as ever, and began her journey by bus along the shoreline road of Bassenthwaite Lake. She got off the bus in a lay-by and from there began her way up Ullock Pike and onwards to the Mighty Skiddaw. It was in the small u-shaped valley between the two peaks that she spotted the Death Eaters. Hurrying down the hillside, she stunned them easily before they even noticed her. As always she bound them tightly before entering the cavern below them. “Ginny?” exclaimed a female voice as soon as Ginny dropped below ground. “Tonks?” said Ginny, hardly daring to believe it. “Oh my God, Ginny, I can’t believe it!” said Tonks running up and hugging her. “They said you were sick.” “Well, I was,” said Ginny. “But I got cured by a miracle.” Tonks grinned. “Hey!” she exclaimed into the darkness, and a grunt was heard in return. “Wake up, you great lump. Your sister is here.” Ginny stared at Tonks wide eyed. “You mean…?” She whispered. Tonks nodded. “Ginny?” came a man’s voice. “Do you have any other sisters?” said Tonks. Charlie almost leapt on top of his sister. “What are you doing here, Ginny?” he asked. “You’re sick.” “No,” said Ginny. “An act of selfless love saved me.” “Huh?” said Charlie. “Coming out here, to save you,” said Ginny. “Although I didn’t know if you’d be one of the people alive. And before you get too cocky about it, Charlie,” she added, noticing the look on his face. “I also came looking for Tonks, and looking for Harry.” “Harry didn’t make it home?” gasped Tonks. Ginny shook her head. “They told us he was dead,” said Ginny. “Oh, you poor thing," said Tonks. “That must have been awful.” “It was,” said Ginny. “It is. I’m just clinging to the hope that he might be alive. After all, they told us you were dead. I’ve saved about fifty people, all of whom were reported dead.” “I can’t believe that the Wizengamot kept their months shut about this,” said Charlie. “How long have you been out here?” asked Tonks. “Two months,” said Ginny. “And please don’t ask me to come back with you. I reckoned that there were two-hundred-and-eighty-seven of you out here, that means I still have two-hundred-and-thirty-seven to save.” “We won’t ask you to come back,” said Charlie. “I’m so proud of you for what you’re doing.” “You can’t tell anyone about me,” said Ginny. “Promise me that. It will jeopardise what I’m doing, and I want everyone to make it home.” “We understand Ginny,” said Tonks. “Good,” she said. “Anyway, get your butts out of this hole. There is only the two of you here?” “Yep," said Tonks. “There’s two Death Eaters outside. I stunned them and bound them,” Ginny said. “You will find your wands in pouches on their belts then remove their wands from in their pockets or up their sleeves. You will need to turn them in, so what you must do is get them back to the road. Use a tracking spell to enable you to get back the way I came. Once you reach the road, send up red sparks. Someone from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement will show up within minutes to do you for improper use of magic. Blame it on the Death Eaters, hand them over and go home. The Knight Bus is your best bet.” “How do you know all this?” asked Tonks, slightly awed. “Experience,” said Ginny. “Anyway. Hurry home. Mum will most likely be absolutely devastated, what with Percy, me, Harry and you Charlie. Nobody knows about me except the people I have freed and the family I am staying with. I’d like to keep it that way. Oh, and Tonks.” “Yeah," said the metamorphmagus. “I’m pretty sure Remus will be devastated about losing you, as well as Harry,” said Ginny, with a small grin. Tonks made a grab for her but Ginny darted out of the way. “I’ll see you both when I get home,” said Ginny. “Be careful,” said Charlie, hugging his sister. “Constant vigilance,” said Tonks, also hugging Ginny. Ginny watched as Tonks and Charlie climbed out of the hole. Ginny wrote their names down in her notebook then followed them out into the fresh air. A/N Sorry about the long wait everyone. I had this chapter finished a few days ago, but just as I was logging onto the internet to upload, my computer crashed and I lost most of it, because I forgot to save. Anyway, I hope you like it, and thank you to everyone who wished me a good holiday. I did have a great time. I climbed Ben Nevis, which is the highest mountain in Great Britain, so yay for me. I also went walking in the Lake District last week. I went to see the viaduct railway that is used in the Harry Potter movies, which was very cool. If you’ve not already looked at the website: www.lakedistrictwalks.com then I think you should, because it’s a really beautiful place. Anyway, please review, and the next chapter will be up sometime in the near future. |
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