Search:

SIYE Time:11:57 on 29th March 2024
SIYE Login: no


The Erised Charm
By Feral Black Gryphon

- Text Size +

Category: Dream Adventure Challenge (2005-3)
Characters:None
Genres: Action/Adventure, Fluff, Humor
Warnings: Sexual Situations
Story is Complete
Rating: PG-13
Reviews: 29
Summary: ** Winner of Best Adventure in the Dream Adventure Challenge **
On the train ride home after her fifth year, Ginny Weasley is afraid. She knows dark secrets that nobody else knows. When a suggestion for a game leads to a spell with unpredictable consequences, will Ginny be able to protect herself any longer from danger? Will she be able to protect herself any longer-from Harry? ~ * ~ "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi..."
Hitcount: Story Total: 4496



Disclaimer: Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions in this story are my own and in no way represent the owners of this site. This story subject to copyright law under transformative use. No compensation is made for this work.





ChapterPrinter


Disclaimer — I do not own any of J. K. Rowling’s property or copyrighted material. This fan-fiction was intended for free entertainment purposes, and I hereby vow that I will never make any money from the material below.
(Unless by some miracle, Rowling liked it so much that she bought it from me... yeah, fat chance)





The Erised Charm





Ginny sat as close to the window as was possible. She turned her gaze and fixed it on the castle, which stood shrouded in iridescent mist. The compartment in which she sat, the last on the end of the train, was filled with people. Hermione sat beside Ginny and Ron beside her. Next to him sat Harry. Luna sat across from Ginny, alongside Neville, Seamus, and Lavender. She had not chosen her seat arbitrarily. From her seat, she could not see Harry over Ron, which was exactly the way it needed to be.


Ginny began to play nervously with her hair. That was how bad it was now. She couldn’t even think about Harry without feeling anxious!


There were three reasons why Harry made Ginny anxious. The first was simple enough. Ginny had had a crush on Harry for nearly six years. Nobody knew that she still harbored feelings for Harry, not even Hermione. Ginny had deceived Hermione, easily the brightest witch in the school, into believing she had completely given up on Harry. In truth, after the first time she had seen him for a few short minutes before his first year, she had known that he had forever won a place in her heart. It was neither because of his talents, nor because he was The-Boy-Who-Lived. His beauty, his Quidditch genius, his bravery, meant nothing in comparison to the impression he had left the day he first met the Weasleys at Kings Cross Station.


~ * ~



“Excuse me.”


“Hello dear,” her mother had said. “First time at Hogwarts? Ron’s new, too.”


“Yes,” Harry had replied. “The thing is – the thing is, I don’t know how to –”


That was what she had first remembered about Harry. He had been sweet and polite. She had seen many other eleven-year-old boys on their way to Platform 9¾, several of whom had stuck their tongues out at her in passing. Those who hadn’t had whined about something, or as was the case when a ferrety, blonde, young Draco Malfoy had passed, made rude gestures in the direction of her family. Immature, runny-nosed boys, she had thought, just moments before Harry had approached.


He had thoroughly shocked her that day. She had expected him to tease her, or maybe even pull her hair if he got the chance, but he had not. That was the day she had first began to fancy boys, and she hadn’t even known who Harry was. When she had found out only moments later, she had begged her mother to let her see him. Not to goggle at him as her mother had suggested, (although that would have made a convincing cover story,) but to meet the charming boy who had made her smile, simply by not saying anything mean to her, by not saying anything to her at all.


Little had she known that this was to become the first of many instances where Harry would look right through her. The boy she had wished to befriend had befriended her brother first, a fact that had made her very jealous of Ron during her first year… and her second, and her third. By her fourth year, although she still fancied the brave, charming, heroic young man Harry had grown into, she had all but lost hope in him ever reciprocating her feelings. That was when she had realized the mistake in her approach. She had tried too hard to make Harry fancy her, and not enough trying to be his friend. And so she had changed tactics…


She had made progress during her fourth year. This past year, she and Harry had become close friends. This advancement had been made easier in part by Ginny seeing other boys, and by Ron and Hermione who were all but attached at the thigh. Why her prat of a brother hadn’t asked Hermione out yet was beyond her. Still, that had left Harry free to spend time with other people, and Ginny had done all she could to fill in. What Ron and Hermione hadn’t seemed to realize was how much Harry needed friendship. He had been devastated by the loss of Sirius, and Ginny had spent months helping him overcome his grief.


Harry had been simply wonderful to her all year, particularly after a night they spent together in the Common Room, discussing Sirius. Harry admitted that, although they had spent so little time together, he had loved his godfather. He had cried, and she had held him. It had pleased Ginny to no end to learn that Harry trusted her so much.


Harry had helped her study for her O.W.L.’s, quizzing her for hours. He had been especially helpful in Defense Against the Dark Arts, guiding her through the most advanced defensive spells. It had been thanks to Harry, in large part, that she had scored top marks of her year on her O.W.L.’s.


They had practiced Quidditch together as well. Harry had been named Gryffindor Quidditch team captain this year, and he had led the team to a successful reclamation of the Quidditch Cup. However, when Harry wasn’t playing captain, he would often invite Ginny out to fly with him. They did this simply for the fun of it, passing the Quaffle back and forth, or racing one another for the Snitch.


On top of that, he had even invited her to a few of the Hogsmeade visits.


“If you’d like to,” he had said, “we could go together. I’m sick of going on dates with girls that stare at me, stare at my scar, as if I’m some Quidditch trophy. It would be more comfortable to go with a good friend instead.”


‘A good friend.’ That was what he had said. That was the second reason that Harry made Ginny anxious, because that was what all of the other girls in Ginny’s dormitory had insisted was not the truth.


~ * ~



“I’m not joking about this, Gin. Harry Potter wants you. Bad. You can see it in his eyes. He’s always looking at you, always smiling at you when you’re not looking. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has your name in hearts on parchment in his Quidditch locker.”


Ginny, who had argued that her friends were crazy, did not know what had possessed her to check. Of course, there had been no such parchments in his locker. There had been a few old Transfiguration notes and some clothes, but nothing to suggest that Harry fancied her. And of course, he had caught her in the act.


“Er, Ginny…what are you doing?” She had spun to face him, her hair following in a flurry of red, and she had hastily made up a story while hiding the notes in a book she had brought with her.


“Oh, right. Ron, he said he, er, put my…book in your locker.” She had held up the book with his notes just inside the front cover. “He borrowed it, and said his locker wouldn’t open, and he, er, didn’t know my combination, but he remembered yours. So he put it there.” Harry had nodded judiciously and, slowly reaching out, taken the book from her hand. Don’t open it. Please don’t open it, she had thought. He had not.


“Er, alright then. I’ll look into the locker thing and see if I can get his fixed. And I won’t ask why Ron wanted to borrow Moonbeam, the Last of the Golden Unicorns.” He’d handed her book back, winked, and turned to leave, pausing only to say, “Find anything of interest?” He hadn’t stayed to hear her response, though. This had been just as well, as Ginny’s response had consisted solely of a raspy choking noise.


~ * ~



Even now, months later, Ginny could feel her face redden in embarrassment, and she was glad that Harry could not see her from where he sat. Ginny slouched down in her seat a little further before she continued to reminisce.


~ * ~




Of course, Harry had asked Ron about the locker, who in turn had questioned Ginny. In front of her friends. What had ensued was a veritable onslaught of questions regarding the contents of Harry Potter’s locker. Fortunately, her friends had maintained the presence of mind to wait until they were alone in their dormitory.


“Ginny, Ginny, what did you find?”


“Let us see! Let us see!”


“Was there anything about you?”


“No!” Ginny had snapped. “There was nothing about me, just like I said! I cannot believe I even looked! You’re all insane!” Stephanie, one of Ginny’s friends with silky, straight black hair, was usually silent, but occasionally she spoke in a soft voice.


“Then what did you find, Ginny?” Ginny had shrugged and opened her book, pouring his old notes onto her bed. The girls had immediately begun to paw through them with Ginny standing, obstinately, off to the side. Meagan, a tall girl with curly, light brown hair, had suddenly leapt up, a triumphant grin on her face, clutching one of the parchments in her hand.


“Kayla, Steph, Sky, look at what I found!” Stephanie, Kayla, and Skylar had formed a circle with Meagan, and soon all four of them had been giggling over Meagan’s find. Ginny had crossed her arms and feigned indifference, but curiosity had soon gotten the better of her.


“What is it?” Ginny had tried to squeeze into her friends’ circle, but they had blocked her out.


“Oh, it’s probably nothing,” Skylar had insisted. “After all, we are insane, right?” Ginny had sighed.


“Look, I’m sorry about that. Please…” Her friends had smiled, and Meagan had handed Ginny her find with a flourish.


“Bottom, left corner.” Ginny had looked where Kayla directed, and her breath had caught in her throat. There had been no hearts. There hadn’t even been any names. But written clearly on the side in Harry’s handwriting, Ginny had found a note, one that Harry clearly never expected anyone else to see: H.P. + G.W.


“Oh…come on,” Ginny had floundered, “that could be…anyone…”


“Who else could it be, Ginny? Gertrude Warner, the six-foot-four seventh year Hufflepuff with an overbite? Assuming that it isn’t Gary Wexler,” the other girls had giggled at that, “it has to be you. And personally, I can’t see Harry fancying a bloke, much less one from Slytherin.”


Ginny had allowed Skylar’s words to sink in. Who else could it be? She’d been unable to think of anyone. Has Harry truly begun to fancy me? How can I be sure? If he truly does, how long ago did this begin? Questions like these had plagued Ginny night and day. Every time Harry spoke to her, she’d had to wonder what he was thinking. Half of her had wanted to believe that he was thinking of her. The other half had told her that she was being entirely ridiculous.


It had been on New Year’s Eve that she had finally come to realize the truth. Dumbledore had decided to hold a New Year’s Dance that lasted from eight o’clock New Year’s Eve to one o’clock New Year’s Day. He had even booked the local band from Hogsmeade, The Black Cats. The first song, a slow song, had been for Prefects and their partners only. The second dance had been for Quidditch players and their partners only, and Harry had asked Ginny to dance. Thinking nothing of it, she had accepted. He had asked her to dance several times after that, but the one dance she remembered most vividly had been the one right before midnight.


Harry had reached out, taken her hand, and asked her to dance. Smiling, she had said yes. They had danced, Harry staring boldly into her eyes, rather than looking over her shoulder. She had talked with him about their upcoming Quidditch game against Ravenclaw, enjoying their closeness, feeling the way their bodies fit together so perfectly. Then two things had happened simultaneously. Firstly, the large clock in the entrance hall had begun to chime twelve, signifying the arrival of the New Year. Secondly, Harry had leaned down and placed his lips over hers. She’d felt herself tremble as he kissed her gently, and had surprised herself when she kissed him back. Harry had not separated from her until after the twelfth stroke of the clock. Ginny had barely been able to breathe because of the shock.


“What – what did I do to… deserve that?” She had asked. Harry had looked up at the starry ceiling, a small smile on his face.


“It’s a Muggle tradition,” he had informed her, “to kiss at midnight on New Year’s. It’s supposed to bring good luck.”


“And if you had been dancing with anyone else just now… If you had been dancing with Hermione…” Ginny had felt a cold anticipation grow within her chest as she awaited his responce. Harry had merely laughed.


“Nobody but Ron can dance with her tonight. The two have not let go of each other since the dance began. And no, I would not have kissed her or anyone else, given the opportunity. You and she are the only close female friends I have, and Hermione is more like a…big sister.”


If Hermione is like a sister, Ginny had thought, then what am I.


That night, as the party had begun to wind down, and after Ginny had time to consider things, she’d finally allowed herself to accept the indisputable. Harry Potter does like me… but maybe I’m not the only girl he fancies. Maybe he isn’t completely infatuated with me. But he is at least attracted to me, that much is apparent. She had seen it in his eyes, even as they had walked together outside onto the cool grounds.


There had been several other couples outside, most of them milling about in the garden. Ginny had walked with Harry down to the lake where they had sat and watched the moon. A faraway cloud, dark and ominous, had begun to roll in, covering the moon as it did so and cloaking the Hogwarts grounds in a shroud of black.


Ginny had heard someone behind her call her name. She’d turned, but had not been able see anyone for the darkness. They’d called again, and it had sounded like a girl. Probably Meagan, she had thought as she excused herself from Harry and walked toward the voice. And it had better be important for her to be bothering me at a quarter to one in the morning. Ginny had felt a hand on her shoulder and turned. She had not been greeted by Meagan, however.


“Hello, Darling. Is your arm feeling any better? It was broken the last time I saw you. Well, perhaps we’ll have cause to break it again.” The voice that had spoken to Ginny that night dripped venom. She had felt the hand on her shoulder squeeze to hold her firmly in place. She had reached for her wand, but it had already been taken from her. “Wonderful. Here he comes now.”


The dark cloud had begun to slide away from the moon, and Ginny had become aware of three things. Firstly, that Harry was sprinting toward her, wand raised. Secondly, that Bellatrix Lestrange was holding her in place, wand pointed at her heart, watching Harry as he neared. Finally, that a glowing red dome was forming around Bellatrix and herself. Harry had tried to fire a spell at Bellatrix, but it had been deflected by the dome. Bellatrix had merely laughed and raised her wand.


“Avada Kedavra!” Ginny’s eyes had grown wide with terror.


~ * ~




That had been six months ago. Even now, in early July, Ginny was afraid, although she had never told a soul about what had happened. She was afraid to allow herself to be near Harry. I must have some powerful effect on him, Ginny thought, if he was able to use the killing curse on someone to save my life.


“What about you, Ginny? Ginny? Hello!” Ginny looked up at Ron, who could see her perfectly well over Hermione’s head. “Where have you been, Ginny? You didn’t even here a word I just said, did you?”


“I’m sorry Ron,” she conciliated. “I’m just a little preoccupied. What were you saying?”


“I was just asking if you have any plans for the summer. You know, anything you have your heart set on doing. Parvati just told us about how much she wants to visit the United States for some new fashion ideas. In case you hadn’t noticed, we’ve left the school, but we’re not moving. So, we started talking,” Ron replied.


“Why aren’t we moving?” Ginny asked.


“Cows,” Luna stated simply without looking up from the magazine she was reading.


“Cows?” Ginny asked.


“There are about five thousand of them in front of the train. I guess they got loose from a local farm. A Muggle farmer is trying to herd them up, and we can’t use magic to move them without exposing ourselves,” Neville explained.


“So it seems we’re stuck,” Luna added, still engrossed in the magazine.


“What are you looking at, Luna.” The magazine, Ginny noticed, had pictures on the front of large white things she had never seen before.


“It’s an ‘Air and Space’ magazine that Madam Pomfrey gave me. I guess she has a Muggle third cousin who doesn’t know about us. He sells her magazines for his school’s…what did she call it…magazine drive? Anyway, she lends them out to sick students if they ask for one. This one fascinated me, and she gave it to me.”


“You accepted a gift from Madam Pomfrey?” Seamus asked scornfully.


“I have great respect for Madam Pomfrey. Anyway, this magazine tells me all sorts of things about space, the planets, the stars… and the moon. I’ve always wanted to go to the moon. Muggles have actually done it. My name means moon, so it feels like fate.”


“Wait, that’s it!” Ginny suddenly had an idea that would not only entertain her friends, but also keep her mind off Harry. “I know what we can do.”


“What’s your idea?” Hermione asked.


“We can take turns describing what we would do this summer if time, money, skill, knowledge, and things like that weren’t an issue.” Hermione eyes lit at this suggestion.


“Ginny, that’s perfect, and I have just the spell to make it work! I discovered it this year, but I didn’t think that I would find a use for it so soon. It’s called the Erised Charm.” Harry looked up and, for the first time Ginny could recall, spoke.


“As in the Mirror of Erised?” Hermione nodded.


“The same. In fact, a modification of this spell was used to charm the mirror.”


“Wait. What mirror?” Lavender asked.


Hermione began to explain the nature of the mirror as it pertained to their first year. Ginny had heard the story from Harry once while he was helping her study, and she didn’t bother to listen. Instead, she allowed herself to drift away, daydreaming of a world where she could be open with Harry without fear, where he would hold her against his chest, warm and comforting, and whisper in her ear. And he didn’t have to kill anybody to… She could not allow herself to go on. It only served to remind her that, despite their mutual feelings for one another, any relationship between them would grant Voldemort the perfect opportunity to crush Harry’s valiant fighting spirit. Bellatrix had used her as bait, and she hadn’t even known that Harry fancied Ginny. And he had killed her…


“But anyway, I digress. The spell is quite simple. Once cast, the target in question falls into a trancelike state. They then experience, firsthand, their greatest desire. In this trance, they will respond to questioning, so they can be easily directed to an ideal summer vacation.”


Ginny shook her head to clear it. The train still idled as the farmer, riding a large tractor, continued in his attempts to herd his loose cattle. Reflecting on her fleeting reverie, Ginny decided it would be best if she refrained from participating.


“Luna, why don’t you go first?” Ginny slyly suggested. “After all, you did give me the idea.”


“Certainly,” Luna consented. Hermione faced Luna and raised her wand.


“Erisedi tahwlae ver!” Luna’s eyes glazed over as she sunk down into her seat. “Okay, tell me, Luna – what do you see?”


~ * ~



I took three deep breaths and lowered the helmet over my head. Although I had spent seven months preparing for this moment, I was still nervous. I had never been to the moon before.


Of course, I had been out into space. No self-respecting astronaut of four years would ever admit otherwise. But the moon had been a source of fascination for me since I was a little girl. My parents named me most insightfully. And now, after having begun preparations in December, it was finally time to go.


I leaned back fully in my seat, my pilot’s seat, feeling the straps tighten to accommodate the change in my position. Looking out through the window before me, I could see a beautiful, cloudless sky. In just three and a half days, I would land on the moon.


My co-pilot, Paul Michaels, checked to make certain that his safety belt was secure. Fingers drumming the arm of my seat, I impatiently waited for –


“‘T’ minus four minutes and counting!”


Heart racing in my chest, I mentally braced myself. The last few minutes seemed to drag on forever.


“Epsilon 13, prepare for takeoff.” I moved the receiver to my lips.


“Epsilon 13 is go.” A roar of machinery beneath me all but drowned out the countdown.


“‘T’ minus 10 and counting…5…4…3…2…1… We have liftoff!” I felt the familiar pull against my body as the rocket, defying the laws of gravity, lifted off from the ground and began climbing into the sky. I knew that we had left Earth’s gravitational pull altogether when I was no longer able to feel the difference between up and down.


“How fast were you going?”


I checked, but the gauge was broken so I couldn’t tell. I made a mental note to inform my authorities of the problem on my return. For the moment, though, I was caught up in the thrill of the ride as we hurtled ever farther from Earth…


After three and a half days of restless sleep, rigorous exorcise, and constant surveillance of the ship’s intricate panels, alive with moving needles and flashing numbers, we finally touched down upon the surface of the moon. Paul and I donned our spacesuits and prepared to exit the ship. Paul was a gentleman. Knowing how much it meant to me, he told me that I could step out first. Clutching a photograph and a British flag, I stepped out through the hatch and onto the surface of the moon.


What was the photograph of?


My husband, Neville Longbottom. A world-renowned botanist, he had first admitted his feelings for me in school, and we had been a couple up to our marriage five years ago. It was he who encouraged me to become an astronaut.


Me!?!


Yes, you.


Taking a giant leap forward, I turned my gaze toward the mass of blue and white that was Earth. Only half of it was visible, the other half cloaked in darkness. Through a gap in the swirling ocean of clouds, I could just make out my native Britain. I smiled triumphantly as I turned and drove the flag into a hole that Paul had made while I was taking in the majesty of our planet from this rare perspective.


I knelt down beside the flag and propped against it the photograph I had brought. I was not worried about it moving anytime soon, as there is neither wind nor rain on the moon. I gently traced the curve of my husband’s cheek with my gloved hand and felt a tear slide down my cheek. Paul knelt beside me, and I felt his hand on my back through my spacesuit. I hastily reached to wipe my face, remembering too late that my helmet would not let me. We both laughed as we turned from the flag and photograph, the marks of our country and of my love, on this barren and desolate moon.


~ * ~



Ginny stared in open-mouthed awe as Luna began to awaken. Everyone else was in awe as well, but none so much as Neville. He sat beside Luna, eyes wide and hands trembling, as she stirred. When Luna finally recovered, she looked around at the occupants of the compartment.


“What?” she asked defiantly. “It was my fantasy.” Neville appeared to be trying to say something, but his voice seemed to have left him. Finally, he choked out three words.


“Can we talk?” Luna nodded, and the two of them stood and left the compartment.


“Wow!” Ron said, letting out a breath. “Who’d have guessed?”


“Not me, that’s for sure!” Lavender exclaimed. “Imagine, one little incantation opening up so many possibilities. How did it go again Hermione? Erisedo…towel…er…” Hermione shook her head.


“No, Lavender, it’s Erisedi tahwlae ver…oops.” Ginny saw immediately what the ‘oops’ was for. Harry was now leaned forward, head between his knees. Hermione had unwittingly cast the spell, and her wand had been pointed casually toward Harry.


“Bloody Hell,” Seamus whispered, inching along the seat in an effort to distance himself from Hermione.


“Can’t you…remove the spell or something?” Ginny asked. Hermione bit her lower lip.


“I don’t know. The only way I know to end it is to have him live out his fantasy. I only hope that, whatever he has to experience, it won’t make him angry once he has awoken…”


“It’s his fantasy,” Seamus asserted. “I’m sure he won’t mind living it out.” Hermione began to wring her hands.


“You’re not telling us something, Hermione,” Ginny insisted. “What is it?”


“He – wasn’t prepared.” Hermione took in a deep breath and released it slowly through her nose. “Any number of dark images could have been rolling around on the surface of his mind. He didn’t prepare himself properly, so there is no way to guarantee that his more sinister thoughts or memories won’t manifest themselves in his fantasy.”


“What exactly are you getting at? What’s the worst that could happen?” Ron asked.


“Well,” Hermione replied, “how would you react if you woke up from a dream, a dream where you could see, hear, smell, taste, and touch, if it was about being attacked by Acromantulas with no hope of escape?” Ron blanched. “My sentiments exactly. Well, we had better get this over with…”


Ron righted Harry in his seat, and with one final nervous pause, Hermione began the questioning.


~ * ~



I cautiously stepped out onto the mooring dock, exactly where the directions had told me to go. I was right on time, my watch reading 7:45 pm. Over my shoulder was slung my Firebolt. The pier, protected by magical wards, was inaccessible to Muggles, so I had no fear of being seen. No, my only fear was of deception. Whoever sent invitation, they had not identified themselves within it.


Stepping farther forward onto the wharf, I noticed a young woman sitting at the edge, feet dangling in the water. She too carried a broom. From behind, I could tell she was petite, with beautiful hair falling in waves to the small of her back.


What else could you tell about her? Did you know her?


I could not recognize her. She sat too far away. As I neared, though, I noticed that her hair was– it was red. Weasley hair red.


What was I… what was she doing?”


You were staring out across the water, watching the sunset. It was just beginning to brush the horizon, creating ethereal splashes of light in the ocean sky. Hearing me coming, you turned. Upon seeing me, you stood and smiled.


“I’m glad you got my message. There is something that I want to show you – a place that I’ve discovered. It is truly beautiful.”


I smiled at Ginny, and we mounted our brooms simultaneously. Casting off from the jetty, we rode out over the waves.


So far, so good, Hermione. Maybe there’s nothing to worry about. Although I must say, I’m not sure I appreciate where Harry’s going with this. If he wasn’t my best mate…


Shh, be quiet, Ron!


We left the shore behind. The view was simply incredible; ocean surrounded us on all sides. A pod of dolphins broke the water nearby, chirping at us as they passed. We slowed to fly near them, Ginny excitedly reaching out to stroke one.


“He’s so beautiful!” I smiled at her, delighted by the joy the dolphins brought her. She caught me smiling, and I blushed.


Suddenly, the dolphins’ chirping became harsh, shrill. Like torpedoes, they sliced through the water, and they were gone in a heartbeat. There was something strange happening! I just didn’t know what. It didn’t take me long to find out, though. As from nowhere, a storm fell upon us. Lashing wind, driving rain, and pounding waves struck in what seemed a united effort to throw the two of us off our brooms. They only succeeded halfway, though.


Through horrified eyes, I watched as a monstrous wave took hold of the tail end of Ginny’s broom, ripping it out from underneath her. Immediately she fell into the ruthless sea and was lost beneath the waves. I did not hesitate for an instant. Pointing the nose down, I plunged into the savage waters.


The cold that overtook me was nearly enough to stop my heart. The water eddied in swirls around me, making me lose my sense of direction. I would never have found Ginny but for her billowing mane of red hair, the only sign of life in this swirling grey.


Wrapping one arm around her slender frame, I pulled her to the surface. I tried to get on my broom, but the crashing waves would not allow it. Ginny and I were tossed mercilessly by every new surge of water.


After what seem like hours of torment, I felt myself strike solid ground. What little breath my lungs retained was forced out of them as I was driven into the sand. Shaking my head, as much to get rid of some of the water as to clear my stunned confusion, I cast my gaze about for Ginny. I found her, alongside my broom, not far from me. I dragged her unconscious body and my Firebolt away from the water’s edge.


I checked to make sure that she was breathing, and to my great relief, she was. I knew, however, that I needed to get her warm as soon as possible. A fire was the first thing that came to mind, but with the rain pouring and no dry kindling, I knew fully well that my wand wouldn’t even work; a fire was out of the question.


Trying to act quickly before hypothermia set in, I carried Ginny under a nearby tree, the driest spot I could find. The leaves underneath it were damp, yet soft in comparison to the rain compacted sand. Trying to recall what little I had learned about survival from my brief glimpses of the television at the Dursleys’, I stripped Ginny and myself down to our undergarments. Pressing my warmth against her, I felt the cold dampness of her bra against my chest. I knew that humility was not worth Ginny’s safety. Absolutely nothing was more important to me than Ginny’s safety. I removed what was left of her clothing and once more pressed myself against her, giving her my warmth.


Why that lousy...little…I’ll kill him! I swear, when he wakes up I’ll-”


Shut up, Ron. You heard what Hermione said about how this would affect him. Besides, he ‘did it’ to save my life. I swear, you can be so insensitive.


But…but…are you listening to him?


Just shut up. Not another word. Continue, Harry.


I could feel Ginny’s heart beating where her flesh met mine. It was slowly quickening in its cadence. Her breathing began to soften. I felt her hands; they were like ice. Her feet were the same. I began to run my hands over her arms, trying to increase the blood flow to her hands. When they began to feel more or less warm, I repeated the process on her legs. I began up near the top of the thigh, no higher than my decency would allow, and repeatedly ran my hands down her leg. As I continued this action, I could feel her tremble, just slightly, and only when I first started down her leg.


Why did I tremble?


I believe that you knew where my hands were. You were beginning to regain consciousness.


I embraced Ginny once more, feeling suddenly ashamed. I was worried about how she would react when she finally opened her eyes. What would she think of me? In anxiety, I focused on my goal of keeping her warm. That was my number one priority. If I lost her…I would be losing my whole world. I would sooner die than let the woman I love come to harm. As her eyes slowly began to bat open, I braced myself for her reaction.


~ * ~




“What did I say? How did I react? You love me?” Ginny asked the entranced Harry. He opened his eyes wide, as if just realizing what he had been saying. Slowly, he raised his head to meet her gaze. His vibrant, green eyes seemed filled with pain.


“I don’t know what you said or how you reacted…” His voice lowered. “And yes, I do love you.” Harry closed his eyes, awaiting her reaction. She didn’t know what he had expected her to say, but she had a reasonably good idea of what he wouldn’t expect.


“I don’t know what I said or how I reacted either…but I know how to find out. Erisedi tahwlae ver!” Ginny felt the spell sink into her, creating a sensation akin to a warm blanket of air enveloping her body and blocking out the world around her.


~ * ~



My eyes slowly began to bat open. I did not know where I was, or even where I was supposed to be. It felt like there were five pounds of water in my head. Gradually, the memory of my flight with Harry came back to me, and I realized that there most likely was water in my head. I felt strangely warm, considering the circumstances, although I was still wet and shivering slightly.


I slowly became aware of two things. Firstly, that I was completely naked, my clothes piled beside me. Secondly, that Harry Potter was in his boxer shorts, lying on top of me. That thoroughly explained the warmth.


Did you…throw me off? Hit me?


Are you kidding? I was soaked to the bone. I had just regained consciousness! I couldn’t have hit you if I tried. Not that I would have. You had just saved my life!


“Harry?”


“Yes, Ginny. I’m here.”


I sighed and wrapped my arms around him.


“Thank you.”


We stayed like that, sharing one another’s warmth, until we both fell asleep. We awoke to the sun rising in the east, shining its light into our burrow. I looked into your eyes, and we made a tacit agreement not to be embarrassed. We were well beyond that point.


“Is my wand still with my clothes?”


“I’ll check.”


Harry reached over into my pants’ pocket. Thankfully, my wand was there. He handed it to me, and I inspected it for damage. It appeared to be in perfect working order.


“We should use a drying spell on our clothes.”


I saw Harry wince, clearly ashamed for not having thought of that the night before. I reached out and put a hand on his shoulder.


“It’s okay. You did your best, and you were cold, wet, and tired. That you were as focused as you were is a miracle that saved my life.”


“I’m…sorry, Ginny. If I had thought to…” He trailed off.


“Harry.”


I began to dry our clothes. Harry looked up and stared me in the eye.


“That, Harry, is why I could not be mad at you. You did what you had to save my life. What’s more, you have shown me complete respect. You’re looking me straight in the eye when countless other boys would be taking advantage of the situation.”


I began to dress, and he did the same.


“You are the bravest, most caring, respectful person I know, and for that, I love you.”


Harry’s green eyes stared deeply into mine. There was so much more I wanted to tell him: that I had been infatuated with him since I was ten, that I had spent years openly trying to win his affection through pre-teen flirtation, that I had tried just as hard in my early teens to forget him…that no matter how hard I tried, I never could. But I did not say these things. I waited.


“When you fell into the water, did it feel s if your heart had stopped?”


I nodded. That was exactly what I had felt – an intense pain, deep in my heart, like it was being squeezed so hard that it stopped beating.


“I felt it too. And I think there was only one reason it didn’t kill me.”


Why? Why didn’t it kill you?


“Why? Why didn’t it kill you?”


“Because, the moment I saw you fall from your broom, my heart had already stopped. I had no second thoughts jumping in after you…because if I had lost you, my heart would have been ripped out altogether. I love you with all my heart, Ginny. Oh, God, I love you!”


As quickly as two reunited lovers embrace after a long separation, so we too came together. Desperately I clung to him, determined never to let go. Wiping tears from my face that I didn’t even know were there, Harry leaned down and kissed me. He kissed away all of the tiredness, all of the fear, all of the pain, until all of the world that was left for me was right there in my arms.


~ * ~



G inny’s eyes opened, and her eyes were seared by the light of the sun setting through the window. As her eyes adjusted, she realized that the train was moving again, although she had absolutely no idea when it had started up.


“I never knew that I was so much more…eloquent in your fantasies.” Harry quipped, seemingly to lighten the mood. Ginny noticed that they were the only two left in the cabin.


“Where did everybody go?” Harry nervously scratched the back of his neck.


“They, er, left. Seamus and Lavender left as soon as you put the charm on yourself, and Ron and Hermione left shortly after you began talking. I believe they thought it better for us to be…alone.” Ginny inhaled slowly.


“Well, they were right, we do need be alone. We need to talk. Harry…I didn’t understand how you managed to kill Bellatrix.” Harry tensed at the very name. “You couldn’t even use the Cruciatus Curse at the Department of Mysteries. It frightened me that, somehow, something in me could drive you to kill…and I didn’t know what it was. I can see it now, though. I just wish that you had told me before –”


“I…well, perhaps I didn’t tell you for the same reason that you didn’t tell me.” Ginny narrowed her eyes.


“But I did tell you Harry. For years, I tried to show you what you meant to me.”


“Yeah, but that was when you had a crush on me. That was back when I was immature, before I realized the weight that I had to carry. But have you tried to tell me since you realized – that you loved me?” Ginny thought carefully about what Harry had said.


“You’re right Harry. I haven’t. I think I first realized that I loved you when I was dating Michael Corner. I tried to use him to help me forget you. Instead, he only served to make me realize what I was missing. That’s why our relationship didn’t work out. That’s why it never worked out, not with Dean, or Terry, or Justin…”


“I guess it didn’t help when Hermione told me you had given up on me, either.” Ginny looked livid.


“Why, that little vixen! I told her to mind her own business. I’m sorry Harry. We’ve done a terrible job understanding one another, haven’t we? In all truth, I wanted to give up on you. I just couldn’t.”


Ginny watched Harry’s reaction. He appeared to be debating something with himself, and finally, he stood up and moved to sit beside her. He turned to her and looked into her eyes, reminiscent of the dreams they had shared with one another.


“But what matters is that we understand one another now. I love you, and I never want you to forget that.” He leaned down to kiss her, but stopped. “Wait. I can word that better.” He strained to remember something. “I love you…with all my heart, Ginny… Oh, God, I love you!” Harry closed the distance between them and covered the smile Ginny knew that she wore with a kiss. They did not break apart for a long time. When they did, they were both breathing heavily.


“Ginny…if you will do me the, er, honor-”


“Let me spare you. Yes, I will be your girlfriend. Maybe ‘Fantasy Harry’ has it down, but you could use some prac-” Harry cut her off by kissing her again, to which she did not protest.


“Way to go, Harry”


“Nice one mate, mate!”


“Just don’t make me see that again. She is my sister.


“Harry! Oh, how romantic!”


Seamus, Neville, Ron, Lavender, Luna, and Hermione filed into the compartment. The entire sextet was smiling, including Ron.


“How long have you all been watching?” Ginny demanded, feigning anger, although nothing could bring down her spirits now.


“Oh, long enough,” Seamus countered. “‘I love you, and I never want you to forget that!’” he mimicked.


“‘Maybe ‘Fantasy Harry’ has it down,’” Lavender added, “‘but you could use some prac-’” She was silence by Seamus in an accurate rendition of Harry. When Seamus had finished, Lavender was blushing.


“Well,” Hermione commented, “you’re couple number two, right after Neville and Luna. Needless to say, all went well after they left.”


“And it looks like Seamus and Lavender might soon be joining them as couple number three,” Ron added with a smirk, and this time Seamus blushed.


“Yeah,” he countered, “and how long will it take future couple number four to wake up and smell the pumpkin juice?”


Ginny blocked out the arguing friends. She had eyes only for Harry now. And she could tell by the look in his sparkling green eyes that they saw nothing but her.



~Fin~





A/N There are two things that I want to clear up, just so that there are no misunderstandings. Firstly, this story does take place entirely on the Hogwarts Express on the way to Kings Cross Station. There is simply a good deal of back-story in the form of Ginny’s memories. The rules stated that the story had to take place on the train ride only. I merely manipulated this to serve my purposes. Secondly, to any skeptical readers, I want to make it clear that there are indeed three distinct dreams/fantasies. Though Ginny’s is a continuation of Harry’s, each has an individual dream and chooses to have the other as their ‘guest.’ Thank you for bearing with me, and I hope that if you were skeptical on either of these points before, that you see my twisted logic now.



Thank you so much for reading my story and, if you choose to do so, for reviewing. I sincerely appreciate every single review.
A special thanks to all who voted for my story, helping it gain the most votes in any one catagorie.

~*~*Feral Black Gryphon*~*~

Reviews 29
ChapterPrinter




../back
‘! Go To Top ‘!

Sink Into Your Eyes is hosted by Grey Media Internet Services. HARRY POTTER, characters, names and related characters are trademarks of Warner Bros. TM & © 2001-2006. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions on this site are those made by the owners. All stories(fanfiction) are owned by the author and are subject to copyright law under transformative use. Authors on this site take no compensation for their works. This site © 2003-2006 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Special thanks to: Aredhel, Kaz, Michelle, and Jeco for all the hard work on SIYE 1.0 and to Marta for the wonderful artwork.
Featured Artwork © 2003-2006 by Yethro.
Design and code © 2006 by SteveD3(AdminQ)
Additional coding © 2008 by melkior and Bear